BOLDNESS UNPLUGGED!

AND WHEN THEY HAD PRAYED, THE PLACE WHERE THEY ASSEMBLED TOGETHER WAS SHAKEN; AND THEY WERE ALL FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT, AND THEY SPOKE THE WORD WITH BOLDNESS.  (Acts 4:31)

A couple of nights ago I had a dream.  While it was short, it was intense and a right to the point dream.  It was one of those dreams where when I woke I remember thinking and knowing that there was no doubt that the Lord had sent it.  While this dream had a direct meaning for me and the people of our church, I also know when God wants something shared.  He wants this dream to be shared.  There is something to be revealed here that will impact your walk with Him, especially if you are sold out and committed to following God with reckless abandon and want to change the world.  I hope that's you!!!

Sometimes you have a dream that is a little foggy when you recall it.  You might tell someone of your dream with words like, "it seemed as if I was," or "it was like I was in" and then you continue on.  Hopefully you know what I mean.  You can kind of recall the main focus of your dream, but the exact details aren't real clear.  This dream wasn't like that.  I knew exactly where I was which was in the community center where we currently hold our church services.  The dream follows:

It was nearing the end of service and there was a prompting for everyone to go forward and pray together.  A circle was made around the podium where pastor Tony preaches and along the stage.  As we were standing there nobody seemed to be quite sure as to why it seemed that the Lord was instructing us to do this, but suddenly the Lord began to give me some words for this moment and I began to speak.  "Just stand quietly in His presence and meditate on Him.  The Lord wants to do something, give something to us that we need.  Don't be anxious, just rest and wait on the Lord to do this."  Quickly it came.  We could feel a heavy presence.  I remember speaking, "Ah, here it comes."  We all could feel something coming over us and the Lord began giving me the words to speak out......................
                                   BOLDNESS.  TODAY I AM GIVING YOU BOLDNESS FOR IT IS SOMETHING THAT YOU LACK.  YOU DESIRE TO CHANGE GOVERNMENTS AND NATIONS BUT YOU CANNOT DO THIS WITHOUT BOLDNESS; FOR THERE ARE TIMES WHEN YOU FEAR MAN.  HOW CAN YOU CHANGE A NATION WHEN YOU ARE AFRAID OF WHAT MAN CAN SAY OR DO TO YOU?  SO TODAY I GIVE YOU BOLDNESS, FOR UNTIL YOU HAVE THE BOLDNESS OF PETER, WHO DID NOT FEAR BEING ARRESTED, OR THE BOLDNESS OF PAUL, WHO DID NOT FEAR THE CHAINS, YOU CANNOT DO MIGHTY WORKS IN MY NAME.  STOP FEARING MAN.  I GO BEFORE YOU, WHY SHOULD YOU FEAR?  AM I NOT THE GOD WHO CREATED MAN?  WHY FEAR HIM?  TODAY I GIVE YOU BOLDNESS, FOR I KNOW YOUR HEART AND SEE YOUR DESIRE TO FOLLOW ME.  BOLDNESS!!!  AND THEN YOU WILL BE ABLE TO SAY, "IN THE NAME OF JESUS I COMMAND...........!"  BOLDNESS!

And then I was awake and did not feel that I could immediately speak.  Nor did I want to!

I have to be honest with you.  Until that dream I thought that boldness was something that just comes as you try to become more like Christ.  Something that comes the more you read and understand the Bible. Something that you desire to have.  That dream showed me that while those things certainly help, it is only by God that such boldness can be given.  Today I decided to study the word "boldness" as it relates to God.   I understand it better as a divine gift.  A key to the Kingdom.  That is why the apostles prayed for it.  Look at Acts chapter 4.  The apostles had been warned not to speak or preach in the name of Jesus, but look at part of their prayer:
                                          "Now Lord, look on their threats, and grant to your servants that with all boldness they may speak your word, by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus." (verses 29-30)

Here also is part of a commentary that I found today.  I quote from the "Spirit Filled Life Bible" pertaining to how the word boldness, or "parrhesia" (strongs concordance #3954) is used in Acts chapter 4. "Here it denotes a divine enablement that comes to ordinary and unprofessional people exhibiting spiritual power and authority.  It also refers to a clear presentation of the gospel without being ambiguous or unintelligible.  Parrhesia is not a human quality but a result of being filled with the Holy Spirit."

Wow!  Read it will do you good to read that again.

While I believe that God wanted to give this word to the people of our church, it is not exclusive for for us.  There are many churches and many followers of Christ who have awakened and are ready to take on the ungodly things of this world, advancing the kingdom of God.

Tonight as you sleep, I pray that the Lord will visit you with a gift and a deeper level of boldness.  As you wake tomorrow, may you feel empowered to do His work with complete clarity and determination as never before.  May we also be mindful to pray for those who are in prisons around the world for already bodly proclaiming the gospel of Christ.  They already understand the concept of fearing no man.

Let's do this!
MarkS

AUDREY'S SONG...........ONE YEAR LATER

One year ago yesterday our grand daughter Audrey was born.  That night as I was playing praise and worship videos there was one in particular that the Lord spoke to me about.  The Holy Spirit spoke to my spirit and in a way that only He could, downloaded to me as to how the message within "The Anthem" spoke prophetic words over our new little baby.  I often wonder what in the world God has planned for Audrey that will impact many lives one day.  I can't fully explain how I know this, but yesterday as she turned one the number 26 kept coming to me.  I believe that somehow that number is associated with an event or time in Audrey's life.  Nothing it clear about this, but it sure has me pondering and wondering.  It's been pretty sweet for me, because over the last year I have sensed the Lord telling me that He actually has some pretty unique plans for our two grandson's also, which makes me really wonder if during the adult years of our grandchildren if that will be the time where the ground is going to be made completely ready for the immediate return of Jesus.  Remember, these are just my ponderings.  I'm not trying to say, "Thus sayeth the Lord," but I do think about it and realize how quickly 20 (or maybe 26) years will be here.  Not a lot of time.

Think about this.  What if God has chosen us to be the ones to train up the generation which will be the generation that see's the second coming of the Lord?  That would be some destiny for us AND them.  Just thinking out loud.

At the same time that God gave me this promise for Audrey though, I knew that He wanted me to push the message of that song out to many.  God wanting to begin to alert that we were on the threshhold of a new season as He would freshly pour out His spirit on many unsuspecting people.  Being ready to minister to them and to be able to handle spiritual warfare is something that we need to be prepared for.  There is a nation, a world, that needs shaking.  So close to a year ago, I posted the video on this blog and encouraged everyone to really listen to the message.

Yesterday morning as I began my day at work, I started to think about it being Audrey's birthday and that's when God reminded me of this song once again.  Once again God is wanting me to remind you of this message as well.  However this time, I believe God is saying that things in the spiritual realm have been accelerated at what would seem like an alarming pace for us to grasp.  The song starts out, "I can hear the footsteps of my King, I can hear His heartbeat beckoning."  There's a difference to when you first start to hear footsteps in the distance and when they suddenly are right behind you.  The footsteps are much louder now.  Those footsteps are immediately upon us.    Brother...........Sister; it's time to move.  It's time to be aligned with God and do everything we can to keep up with the "footsteps" of Jesus.  Revival will come quickly.

A year ago God was speaking to our little Audrey telling her to "wake up child, it's your turn to shine.................."  At the same time God is telling a sleeping giant, the church and body of Christ, to wake up for we also were born for such a time as this.

World events.  Watch them unfold with eyes wide open.  Special things were spoken to the prophets of old.  Many of these things are being brought to light for us today, but unlike the prophets, we have the knowledge of Jesus and salvation that He brought to earth.  Even the prophets like Isaiah and Jeremiah longed to see such days.

As always, pray into what I have spoken this day.  This is what I believe I am hearing from the Lord.  I try to be sensitive before I speak and want to represent Him well, but it's your job to seek Him for confirmation and substance of these things.  I will never be so arrogant to believe that I am the only one who hears in an accurate way from the Lord.  What is He saying to you in this song?

And now as I posted this almost one year ago today, it's time for Jake Hamilton's "The Anthem."

I love you guys,
Mark S.

TIME CHANGE!!!!!!!

Well it's that time of the year for many of us.  The semi-annual time change.  I'm not sure when you will be reading this, but as I write these thoughts it is Saturday, November 2 and tonight's the night.  But is the literal changing of our clocks all that is needing to be changed?  As I began to read the scriptures today wouldn't you know that I "stumble" across the following passage causing me to be reminded that God does have a sense of humor, or that His timing is perfect as always.  It seems that God knows that it's time to change the clocks, too:

"And do this, knowing the TIME, that now it is HIGH TIME to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed." (Romans 13: 11)

Now that is taken directly from The New King James version, which is by far my favorite.  Sometimes, though, I love the simplicity and the easy to understand directness of The New Living translation of the Bible, so I will continue with Romans 13: 12-14 using the NLT.

"The night is almost gone, the day of salvation will soon be here.  So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living. (13)  Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see.  Don't participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarreling and jealousy.(14) Instead clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.  And don't let yourselves think about ways to indulge your evil desires."

Now for most reading this I hope you don't have issues with the darkness of the deeds described in these verses, but I do believe we all have issues that need to be cleaned up. It is extremely important to do it now.  This week the Lord has been speaking to me.  I feel Him challenging me and then for me to challenge others that if we really do belong to Him then we need to become so much more like Christ.  People need to see something in us that is better, but different.  I have been talking lately on here, at church and even with people that I randomly encounter that we are at that pivotal time when God is saying to many that don't know Him that it's now or never.  Time is eventually going to run out.  Just a couple of days ago at church the Lord was talking to me and telling me that yes, He does want to use us in more incredible ways and that we are even wanting this.  Who doesn't want to be used by God to bring forth; to birth incredible miracles?  We want this from God.  But God wants something from us.  He wants to know that Jesus truly is at the center of our lives.  He wants to know that we are serious about getting rid of any trace of undesirable garbage in our lives.  Jesus did only what the Father would do.  He would say only what the Father would say.  In Jesus' time when a teacher took on a disciple, that disciple would take on the exact same characteristics of their teacher.  It maybe took awhile, but eventually it happened.

How are you doing with that?  Some people have been saying they have been a Christian for many years, but the lifestyle just doesn't always show it.  I remember one time a friend and church leader told me how she was invited to a party.  I can't remember if it was a graduation, birthday or some other kind of event, but she spoke of how people in our church were there and how some of them, even ones in ministry, were drinking and smoking just as much as non-Christians.  How even much of their talk was the same.  They weren't in a church setting, so I guess it was okay, or so they thought.   She was not judging and neither am I, but I'll never forget her asking me the question, "What are we really doing if people walked in and can't tell the difference between who says they follow Jesus and who doesn't?"  Being one of the pastors at that time, I remember how that pierced my soul and how sober minded I suddenly felt.

Today I'm telling you.  Time is up.  It's put up or shut up time.  It's do or don't, but it's time to choose.  Carnality needs to go.  The Kingdom of God is calling.  It's time to show the world that there are a lot of great and beneficial reasons to follow the Jesus that we talk about.  Do I sound harsh?

"AWAKE TO RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND DO NOT SIN; FOR SOME DO NOT HAVE THE KNOWLEDE OF GOD.  I SPEAK THIS TO YOUR SHAME."  (1 Corinthians 15:34)

Now that is harsh.  But it is also the truth and needed to be said.  It wasn't me who said it though, it was this guy that people in the church look up to.  His name is Paul.

I'm not turning legalistic on you.  I am talking about living a life just like our Teacher did.  Jesus went to parties, but the people around Him could always tell He was different.  He loved them, accepted their short-comings, dealt with their sin when it was needed, but always encouraged them to become more like Him, often just by the way He talked and lived.

It's not all work and sacrifice.  Become more like Christ.  And then watch the blessings, watch the provisions and watch the sudden mighty works that He gives you the ability to do through Him.

Things in the spiritual worlds are colliding.   Quickly and at an increased pace.  This time is really the best time.  God, let more of Your kingdom come!

This is going to be good!!!!!
MarkS.