4 Words in 1

When God says, it’s Time
Boasting: a Sign of the End Times
The Mask
Recognizing Hatred

 

When God says, it’s Time

There is an urgency in the air; things all around us, are unfolding at an accelerated pace. Let me say this; God has brought many of us here, to this medium (Facebook) for a reason. I don’t want to be quibbling about what God can and cannot do; He’ll do whatever He wants, and He’ll use whatever He chooses to bring about His purpose. Our God, created this world; anything that is of any intelligence, came from Him. We need to stop questioning some things He’s aligning, and listen more closely.

I walk softly when I say this, but I have heard several times, just in the last twenty-four hours, a message that cannot be denied. It talks about those who have sat on pews for years, waiting for one man or woman, to tell them when they can be used of God; to recognize their gifts. It may not be true in all cases, but when you hear sincere people, proclaiming something long enough, if you’re interested, you begin to wonder, what it’s all about. If the Holy Ghost in your spirit, agrees with the Holy Ghost in their spirit, you have a problem; you can not walk away. If you’ve been seeking the Spirit for any length of time, you realize God has made some kind of decision.

We’re not about to go hashing over some of the things we’ve all talked about here. You can’t have so many people testifying of things that have happened in their lives, have it confirmed by the Holy Ghost, and then say it isn’t or hasn’t happened! The gifts of the Spirit have been suppressed in too many places. The five-fold ministry has been weakened by those who seek for power and control. People who are and were truly gifted of the Holy Ghost, were sat down, pushed aside, asked to leave, made to feel less than, ignored and even mocked; often black-listed and rejected. You either believe that, or you don’t. If you don’t, this note, is just not for you.

How is anyone going to tell you that it’s time for you to move out into the ministry God gave you and equipped you for, if they are not seeking to follow the leading of the Spirit themselves. If the Spirit cannot tell you anything or use you in any way, without them approving it first, it’s no wonder you are yet sitting where you’ve been siting, for perhaps years.

I am not an authority, but what little I do know, I can tell you this. Every last person in that building who claims to be full of the Holy Ghost, is supposed to be full of right discernment. If they have matured in the Spirit as they were called to be, they know what is of God, and what is not; period.

It’s been told to me, and I give it back to many of you. You have been brought to this place in your life, for such a time as this. Just knowing that others relate to your journey, has strengthen many of you, much more than you might even be aware of. Jesus Christ is the Head of His church. He said, that even the gates of hell, shall not prevail against it. You cannot kill part of his body, part of His anointed and approved vessels, and continue to claim you are the full body.

The truth is, we’re out here, because we could not stay there. The Spirit keeps saying, that something is about to happen. God brought you here to share; to find strength; to regroup and just to give you a word. Your equipping in the Spirit, is almost finished.

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Boasting: a Sign of the End Times

One might be surprised to see just how many times this word is used in the written Word. Throughout time, it seems that people have always been boasting about themselves; about what they have, what they have done and who they think they are. I think that the first lesson we might have learned, is that we are not saved by our works; we are saved by grace; through Jesus Christ.

This is not to be a big debate on works; we all know that works are important; faith without works is dead. But if any of us make it, it will be by His grace; and tons of mercy.

What are some of the things people are boasting about these days. Well, maybe about their house, their car, their smart phone, how good they look, how talented they are, how much money they have, what kind of religion they belong to and even, how big their church is. One thing that is truly rampant, is people boasting about being right. Have you ever seen such a time, when so many people think only they and theirs are doing things right and everyone else is wrong. “My way is the best way,” or the only way. You just cannot get to heaven, unless you are like me; we are the only ones that have the truth. If you don’t believe like us, you won’t make it.

As I’ve gotten older, I am always amazed at some of the ways that God works. I don’t talk in such a way as to disrespect God, but I sometimes think, He gets a big kick out of showing some people up. What little I know about God, is that He is not the author of confusion; but, He can certainly use a lot of other people and things to allow it.

While I’m at it, can you just imagine, what might happen, if God was to take his hand off of us, for even a moment. We’d see just how fast we could get into trouble and what a big mess we could make; much less the hand of protection He covers us with.

Boasting, means to glorify oneself in speech; talk in a self-admiring way. It is also, when we do not give God proper praise and thanksgiving for what we have; we’re silently saying, I did all this; I’m good, and I deserve it. We hear, my car, my house, my kids, my church, my preacher, my hair, my nails, my skin, my flowers, my yard, and it’s my, my, my and mine. It’s why so many pass by a homeless or destitute person, and cannot smite their breast and say, “but for the grace of God, there goes I.” I don’t say this so spitefully; but, people who have lost everything in their lives and God has so graciously restored them, aren’t so quick to brag. They know better.

God is using some people, in this hour. It’s perplexing a lot of those who thought that He could only use them and theirs. We need to read it again for ourselves. God uses a lot of things and a lot of people, to put other people in their proper place; so they cannot boast and be puffed up, about how great and smart they are.

I fear for people, who think they can actually stand in the presence of God, and attempt to bring glory to themselves. My heart cringes, to think of what kind of response He will have to them one day. We are dust without Him; Paul said, there is nothing good about us; not without the washing and regeneration of the blood and power of Christ.

I hear the sound of boasting, as it grows louder every day. On here, on the streets, in the store, even in churches; our attitude gives us away. Pride is also an end-time sign. God help us to remember, it comes, before a fall.

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The Mask

One of the worst things about wearing one, is that too often, when we look in the mirror, that’s what we see; the mask. We can become so accustomed to wearing it, we begin to think that’s who we really are. Reaching for a disguise, is a defense mechanism; we are trying to hide, something we don’t want other people to see. Could be, that we’re afraid that if people really knew us, they wouldn’t love us. Our culture, has had a big hand in teaching people to “look like,” no matter what the cost.

But there are people, who can see behind the front; they have been given some kind of spiritual eye, that sees what someone thinks, is hidden. It’s no wonder, that so many have opposed and tried to hinder the return and full restoration of the gifts of the Spirit. Like it or not, the more spiritual folks become, the more things they begin to see. Often times, when some new soul is born into the kingdom among us, they are anxious and hungry to know all they can about the Spirit. Some would like to deny this, but some of these people, are gifted with things from the Spirit; early on. I’ve seen it cause intense envy from older saints, because God somehow gave this new person, something He had not given to them. Turmoil, is now afoot.

Why God chooses to give certain gifts to others, and not to us, is really none of our business. One thing is sure, it will often bring to light, those who are the real thing, and those who have on the mask. Seeing things in the Spirit, sounds wonderful, and it truly can be. But, I promise you, it may have its down side too. There is no downside to the Spirit. The downside, will come from the people, who are not satisfied with what they have; who do not know their own self-worth and place in the body of Christ.

No matter how spiritual one might become, we are still human. Seeing what the Spirit sees, can put you at odds with a lot of people; if you knew the truth, that is why they don’t like having you around. You somehow, show them up.

Seeing behind someone’s mask, can shatter your serenity; especially, if it is someone, others aspire to. Sometimes you are only aware of some very intense negative emotion; you may even at first, think it’s coming from you. You rebuke it and repent of it quickly, but it doesn’t go away. It can be a real surprise, when the Spirit reveals that it is not coming from you; and shows you where it’s coming from.

Most people don’t like this subject, and that is understandable. But in this hour, something suggests, that there are a lot of wolves in sheep’s clothing among the sheep; and some have been there, for a long time. But as the Holy Ghost intensifies in people, more are going to see them; this shaking that was prophesied, is going to shake out some things, many did not expect to see. It is the Holy Ghost, at work.

The mask that I am the most concerned for today, is the one that covers a soul that is hurting so badly; they desperately need help, but they can’t let any other person know. They are wounded and broken all to pieces inside, and they are terrified of anyone finding out. We pass them on the street; we see them on our jobs, at the market; and yes, sitting on the pew, across the aisle from us.

The church, we people, will stand before Jesus Christ one day, and answer, for creating an environment in His house, where people could not trust us with their burdens. No one will have a mask then. It has and may continue to cost me a lot, but I want the Spirit to help me see the good in people; and help me avoid, the other side of some masks.

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Recognizing Hatred

Many of us were once taught, about something that was called, a root of bitterness. It was a simply story with a moral, that if we let something stay in our spirit and mind too long, it would take root. If it remained there, it would grow into something bigger; perhaps something we would not even recognize. The solution, was to pray it out; not let it stay there until it became a problem. I don’t know that many of us went on to say what might happen, if we didn’t get it out of our hearts; what then?

My generation, simply was not allowed to say certain things, or to talk about them openly. We were taught, even from Sunday School class, that we should not hate anyone; we couldn’t go to heaven if we hated anybody. I think that among most other religions, hating people, is discouraged and frowned upon. Some were more open, about what this emotion could do to someone’s spirit; how it might hinder them from being all they could be. A hateful person, is likely full of hatred; they either hate themselves, or they are harboring ill will against others. They also may be terribly wounded.

Many of us thought, that since we were not supposed to hate anyone, we didn’t. I think people with emotional problems or handicaps, often gain a lot of insight, into how the mind works; especially if they have worked hard to overcome their illness, and recover. Most would agree, that the mind, is the most awesome, intricately designed instrument ever created; we have yet to discover, all that it can do. And, it can hide things. We have a tendency to “stuff” things; just put it out of our mind, as we say, or just swallow it and take it. But like the computer hard disc, it is still stored there; somewhere.

Bitterness, if left unattended, turns to hate. What was once a resentment, a true dislike for something, will change into some other form of emotion. I looked up the word “hate.” It means, to feel hostility or animosity toward, to detest; to dislike intensely or passionately, feel extreme aversion for. We can hate some things; it’s a normal and even healthy thing; if it is kept in context. But hatred, even if we think it’s for a good cause, can rob us of the ability to be compassionate. We might say we hate certain things that people may do, even think it sinful, and say we love them. But hate, will so many times, override compassion; we end up hating, more than we love.

If we have been bruised and battered endlessly, we become very good at stuffing emotions and hiding what we really feel. We need to read the rest of that verse. It says, allowing a root of bitterness to grow, will eventually harm, not only yourself, but cause you to bring great harm to others too. That’s the sad part. In failing to somehow get all of this resentment and bitterness out, it caused us to injure others; often times, the people who we were the closest too. It’s a long journey, to try and get well.

That’s why, I ask the Spirit every day, to reveal and show me where I might be holding something against someone I haven’t let go of yet. There really is healing for wounded and broken people. It was placed, within the body of Christ.

 

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Robert Blackburn