Moving from Email Relationship to Long Love Letters

Last night I taught my first four-part class at Southgate Church, "Demystifying the Prophetic." It was great! We had lots of hungry people excited to hear from God, grow closer to Him and interested in learning how to prophesy! (Classes are every Wed. night in Feb from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m., in case you're interested.)

As I was driving home from work two days ago, I was talking to God and I felt like he was reminding me about love and about relationship and how important they are. He was talking to me about our relationship! I suddenly thought of all the recent quick prayers sent up to Him like sending a quick email off at work - nice, short, to-the-point. That's how I like to have email relationship, mainly because I'm busy. The response you get with those emails are - nice, short and t0-the-point - not necessarily relational. I thought to myself - "I don't want a nice, short-to-the-point relationship with God. I want a deep, intimate relationship. Hmmmm, I think I'm getting it God. I get what I put into our relationship and right now it's nice, quick and to-the-point.

Then I was talking to Him about the class, he really spoke to me about love and how you can use the gift of prophecy without having love. It means absolutely nothing in the grand scale of eternity for the giver of the word.

OK God how can I incorporate relationship and love into this class tomorrow?

So I added some more "loving" info to open up the class. A little 1 Cor 13 and 2 Cor. 13, sprinkled with a little Matthew, James, John and Amos. We got to build a solid foundation on LOVE!

Enter in the Beatles, "All You Need is Love" chorus. doo da doo

Gotta have love or you have nothing! (1 Cor 13)

Many will say to me on that day, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophecy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles.” Then I will tell them plainly, “I never knew you. Away from me you evildoers!” Matt. 7:22, 23

Gotta have a relationship too. It's crucial! Jesus says so! If you don't take this seriously, He may say to you "Away from me. You evildoer!" It's key to recognize that he doesn't just say get away, he even gives you a new name - evildoer!" That tells me the seriousness of making an effort to get to know Him.

I don't want to ever take for granted my relationship with Him, and I certainly don't want to ever settle for an email relationship with Him.

Just because I prophecy doesn't mean anything to Him. He's more concerned about relationship. In a way that's refreshing. I'd rather hang out with him than "do" anything even if it is blessing someone else. (Hopefully you understand my context!)

We're meant to have relationship with Him. Then everything else falls into place and gets in it's right order.

For me - it's time to move from emails to long love letters with Him.

Eat, Pray, Love - False Prophecy

Recently I watched the movie, "Eat, Pray, Love" with Julia Roberts. In the beginning the main character, Liz, receives a prophecy from a medicine man in Indonesia. He tells her that she will have two marriages; one long and one short. He also tells her she will come back to him and teach him English and she will receive healing or maybe find love. (I can't remember which.)

As I was watching this movie, I thought, that doesn't build up, stir up or cheer up according to 1 Cor. 14:3. It isn't God's will that your marriage dissolve. God always wants to restore. HE IS RESTORATION!

Later in the movie Liz actually decides to leave her husband. She eventually goes back to see the medicine man, finds love and "healing" (not really in my opinion,but that is what the film tried to portray.)

I thought to myself, "O.K. so her prophecy came true. That would mean she had a true prophecy right?"

WRONG!

But it came true - yes it did. It came true because Liz chose to believe that prophecy. She chose to walk into it. The problem with this prophecy is it came from the wrong spirit. The Holy Spirit would not prophecy your marriage to dissolve. Right there is where I would throw this prophecy out the window.This prophecy spoke to death to her marriage. It planted a bad seed that later grew and manifested into reality for Liz. That is why it is false.

There is power even in false prophecy if we allow it to take root. On the flip side if you receive a true prophecy it will edify, exhort and comforts according to 1 Cor. 14. Then you can judge that word for truth.

Prophecy is three things - progressive, conditional and in part. Sometimes it takes a while for it to manifest. It is conditional, meaning you have to partner with the word. It's also 'in part.' Sometimes the person giving the word doesn't always see the whole picture.

This is true for false and true prophecies.

Recently I found out a person I once knew had baby and still wasn't married. I remembered a prophecy that a witch once gave him that he would never marry again, but would have a son. I remembered him telling me that he liked that word. So far it looks like it's coming true for him, though that is not God's truth for Him.

There is power in our words! The bible says our tongue holds the power of life or death. Probably because we were made in the image of our creator who spoke things into existence in Genesis 1. That's why Paul says to zealously seek the gifts, especially the gift of prophecy.

Prophecies can come true. That's why we want to make sure we link up with ones that are ONLY from God. He will never lead us astray. He leads us down paths of righteousness.

If you have ever received a word from a Christian, non-Christian, psychic, medium, witch, etc. that did not build you up, cheer you up or comfort you, THROW IT AWAY! Repent to Jesus for receiving/linking up in agreement with that word and ask him to remove the curse on you. Do not hold bitterness or unforgiveness against the person who gave you the word. Release them to Jesus and bless them.