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NEW DIRECTION; OLD PATHS...

This blog has been evolved several times since its inception. It started as a platform for a writer's musings Then it became a witne...

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Choose for you; Choose for them

I've just recently had a clarification of a thought that I've probably even written about in blogs below.

Joshua 24:15 "And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

We really are living in the days of choice, once again.

As believers, we need to make that choice once and for all, and then raise our children unto that choice.  It even says so in the scripture above.

Let me back up a bit...  Here's what I was thinking before I found the full scripture:

I was thinking about believers today, and children my 7 yr old son's age.  We can't straddle the fence any more in our Christian walk, and we can't raise our kids without teaching them how to walk that walk for themselves.  See, we all know the world is in an upheaval.  And we as believers know we cannot truly manage it without the help of the Lord.  But it goes much deeper than praying, "Lord, help me."

In the Garden of Eden there was not simply a display of deception and disobedience - but instead it was the dawn of a war of the worlds.  God created this world.  He established everything in it, formed man and woman as stewards of this world and gave them everything they would ever need to not only manage it, but replenish it, rule it and succeed in it.  Then God have them explicit instructions how.

But before they could get to it, satan came in through the back door and made a bid to Eve, knowing if she bit the bait, he would be given free reign (and I mean that literally), to establish the systems of his own world and sit as a prince on its throne.

In essence he was telling Eve - you can't be a proper steward of God's world if you aren't really sure of his instructions or his intentions.  Trust me, believe me and you will be the stewards of the world I will establish through your seed and the generations of your ignorance and disobedience.

You know the rest of the story...  and now 6000 years later all of mankind is largely clueless to the treason and the bargain unwittingly struck in that Garden at the dawn of time.

2000 years ago, however - Jesus came to set up new terms and resubmit our original choice to us.  The new terms are this: believe that He is the Son of God, crucified and risen on the third day, and you will be saved from the consequences of Adam and Eve's actions, and restored back to their original dominion.

Oh, wait... those new terms ARE the New Testament - or in other words, the New Covenant - that, through faith in God and belief in Jesus, is written upon our hearts and placed in our minds. (Hebrews 8:10)

Here's the problem...

In 2000 years, we as Believers have gone through cycles of restoration and what it actually means to walk in our original dominion.

True restoration hits a down cycle when we hear and believe things like: healing and prophecy were for the early church; we believe in the Holy Spirit, but not the baptism of the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in tongues; ministers and preachers must be ordained through a process of so many years of bible college or seminary and chosen by the church hierarchy; and prosperity teachers are not biblical.

Oh, there is so much more that we hear in church, see on Christian TV and read in Christian literature that clearly says we as Believers are largely still "working out our salvation" instead of walking in our dominion!

But as the Lord's return gets closer and closer, the circumstances of this world and our lives become more dire, prevalent and imminent: we must truly choose this day - today - who we are going to serve.  And I mean REALLY serve!

In case you hadn't noticed, the days are gone when we can be a Christian and operate in a worldly financial system.  Gone are the days when we can be a Christian and believe in abortion and support Gay marriage.*  Gone are the days when we can be a Christian and pick and choose whether we believe in tithing, healing, prophecy or prosperity.  Gone are the days when we can be a Christian and get away with just going to church on Sundays, or holidays.  Gone are the days when we can send our kids to Sunday school and think they'll be ok finding Jesus on their own when they're grown.  Gone are the days when Christians can be content with the knowledge that their place in heaven is secured, while still living their lives as if confessing Christ as Lord and Savior was all that was required.

To whom much is given, much is required.  But we live like we want to get so much more from God without giving Him any more than we already have been.

Gone are the days of the lukewarm Christian.  God is saying choose if you will be hot or cold; all or nothing; life or death - before He spits you out of His mouth for good.

More is required of you.

More belief.  More hope.  More love.  More compassion.  More truth.  More wisdom.  More Grace.  More Power.  More Glory.  More Faith...

And when I say more faith, I mean use more faith.  You've already been given all the faith you need.  But we Christians only use it for the big things: lost a job; lost a loved one; loosing a house; filing bankruptcy; car broke down; kids are in jail - you know the drill.  And if we use it and we don't get the job, or the loved one doesn't get healed, or the prayer doesn't seem to get answered, then we give up on faith all together.

But here's a truth for ya': we only exercise enough faith for God's permissive will and sometimes not even that. We as believers don't even know how to muster up enough faith to walk in God's divine will.  That is walking blind for sure! That is walking by faith and not by sight for EVERYTHING: groceries, gas, a pleasant marriage, a good job, a mortgage free house; saved and Holy Ghost filled kids; healing the cashier at Big Lots 'cause her back hurts; casting out demons from the panhandler with the sign at the end of the freeway; praying in love for that backstabbing, lying boss who is persecuting you at work, and telling the banker, the doctor, your parents, your spouse and even the preacher, "That's not what the word of God says!"

Living a life of faith is not easy, but that's because we don't know how.  But it's still your choice.

Living in the Kingdom of God and not the kingdom of this world is scary, but that's because it goes against the grain and leaves us with doubt.  But it's still your choice.

Living a sold out, supernatural life of Dominion is crazy; but that's because living in this dog-eat-dog world is all we know.  But it is still your choice.

It is time to choose.  Life or death.  The world you know or the Kingdom you're supposed to reign.

Choose ye this day whom you will serve, and then teach your kids.  They are the ones who will need it the most.

Power, Love & Peace - ya'll
~Min. Dez

(*) 3.5.2014:  Gay Rights and Gay Marriage are not the same thing.  Everyone deserves the right to be respected, loved and not discriminated against.  Standing against Gay Marriage as a Christian is not a form of discrimination.  There is a very fine line between loving and respecting anyone who is homosexual and not supporting the homosexual lifestyle.  We have to take our example from Jesus and the adulterous woman.  Jesus loved her and did not condemn her, but he did not support her "right" to commit adultery any longer.  He said "go and sin no more."  As Christians it is not our job to change a homosexual's lifestyle.  But it is our job to show the love of Jesus - we do that by not discriminating.  As for the changing - let's leave that up to God, without accidentally (or purposefully) sanctioning the lifestyle in the process.

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Canaan Redeemed - Part II

My littlest, newest cousin - now just 6 months old - is named "Cainen".  But his father calls him Cain.  When I first heart it I asked him to spell it.  Immediately I said, well, I'm calling him "Cainen!"  And that was before I'd met him.

Oh, then when I saw the little precious guy I knew right away.  His big baby eyes were already "new-life-bright," but when he looked at me and our eyes locked, his grew even bigger - as if in recognition.  Yep, if it hadn't have happened every time he looked at me I wouldn't have even said it was so.  But indeed, his eyes and face would light up and he would grin with recognition. 

I know baby Cainen recognized the light of the Lord and the Glory of God in me.

And when I saw him the first time, I recognized something in him also and I inadvertently pronounced a prophecy (that I didn't know was a prophecy), over his life and future.

As I grabbed his chunky little baby body into my arms and stared into his beautiful, bright eyes of recognition, I suddenly exclaimed, "Oh, look at you!  You will be the one to bring redemption to Canaan!"

That was 3 weeks ago.  And to be perfectly honest, I had forgotten all about the words of the Lord that I wrote down below until only just today.  And most certainly if I had remembered the word of the Lord regarding President Barak Obama, I definitely did not remember that I'd entitled the blog "The redemption of Canaan!"

But upon reading it today - I write this new post as a part II that is entirely unrelated to the words in the first part.

In the book of Genesis, when Noah's son Ham sees his drunken nakedness and tells his brothers, Noah awakes and curses, not Ham, but his son Canaan.  Noah's grandson's name was Canaan.  And Noah was saying that the people - the descendants born from Canaan would serve his brother's people all their days.  From Canaan came the Amalekites, and Hitites and all the other "ites" that the Hebrews had to purge from Canaan - the promised land - before they became Israelites.

Cainen is of mixed decent - African American and White/Spanish.  And as we all thoroughly know, President Obama is African and White.  While I believe that God's word to me about President Obama is that he will be instrumental in the redemption of Canaan in the nation, land and political/prophetic importance that it has in it's current existence today; little Cainen will grow to be a mighty man of valor, who will lead a generation of spiritual warriors who will bring redemption to the hearts, minds and souls of the people of Canaan as they currently exist today.

Before the Lord returns all peoples and all nations of every tongue under the heavens will have individual and collective opportunities for redemption.

Eve shall be redeemed.  Canaan shall be redeemed.  Egypt shall be redeemed.
Who else will be redeemed? 

Will you?

Power, Love & Peace, ya'll -
~Min. Deidre Campbell-Jones

This is a stationary post.

Destiny's Journey


Some journeys are well traveled roads. Common, familiar and easy. We cruise along the path oblivious to the process as we habitually turn each corner, climb each hill and break each slope. Only to arrive, blink and wonder how we managed without incident or memory of the trip.

This journey - my journey - is not like that. This journey is one of reluctance, hesitance, unsurity, insecurity and yes, a moderate amount of fear.

As I open the window for you to view my progress, you will undoubtedly come to your own conclusion based upon the progress of your own journey - and your observations will be varied.

Some might say that I am making slow but steady progress toward a clear destination. Others may say that I am floundering and wandering aimlessly down a muddy road with too many directions to choose from.

I say my journey has just begun, although it started more than 10 years ago. I say I still have such a long, long way to go, although I am teetering on the precipice of completion. I say the journey has made me weary, leery and weak, although I trudge on with a strength and endurance that is beyond me. I say the path is muddy, with many obstacles, directions and difficulties still yet to come. However, my destination is clear - crazy, unimaginable, overwhelming and clear.

When this path first appeared it was like a hazy, dirt road on a foggy day. I peered at it without knowing what it was or where it was going - then tried to ignore it as inconsequential. When the path persisted I joked as to where it might lead, then still tried to dismiss it as a path not meant for me.

It was years before the view of the path cleared and I was able to see the destination more clearly. It was absurd to think that the reality of where this path could end up would be in a place far more outlandish than even my most absurd imaginings! OK, maybe - just maybe this path ended up in a very good place - but a place still not meant for me. Definitely not me.

Why not me? Who else but me, since I was the only one to see? Please, Dear God, not me! Yes, me. This path was meant for me.

And so I watched it, argued with it, denied it and tried to imagine a life without pursuing it.

Four - no five, has it already been five? Five years ago I accepted it. I stuck out a big toe like testing the cold water of a pool - then yanked my foot back like I so often would. I wrote about it, dreamed about it, and tried it on for size in the privacy of my dressing room of life. And by the way, I still watched it, argued with it, denied it and tried to imagine a life without pursuing it.

Three - sorry, I forgot - Four years ago I made up my mind. I packed my bags, said good bye to the sanity and sanctuary of friends and family who always had thought they understood me, and I took my first hesitant and frightened step.

In these last four years I have walked, sometimes trotted, but never quite run toward a goal I think is crazy. I have stopped, I have even sat down and I have wistfully looked back to a time when I did not know and could not see what was meant for me.

But I will not stop. I packed my bags (all my baggage), and made up my mind. Armed with nothing but 2 scriptures and a great deal of hope, I continue to trudge on driven by the surity that if - just if - I happen to arrive at this awesome, fearsome destination, it will be extraordinary, phenomenal and inconceivably wonderful. This destination...

A destination, a journey to a place that is called destiny. My destiny. Destiny's purpose in life. My God given purpose.

Sometimes while we travel, we see another driver, glance in that direction and never take note or give them another thought. Perhaps that is how you will see me.

Sometimes we see another traveler and something catches our eye. We may watch a moment, muse a moment or even briefly wonder... Then they continue on their own separate way and thoughts of them fade as quickly as they do. Perhaps that will be how you see me.

Other times we get caught in traffic, bunched up with drivers because of fate. And whether we cruise along peacefully or struggle with road rage, we share a community of progress, each with our own destination. Perhaps that will be how you experience me.

And on rare occasion on our own individual roads of life, we travel a path where we encounter another driver - seemingly traveling to the same basic place. At times they follow us and then we follow them. We may take note of who they are and what they drive - possibly even read a licence plate. We'll share a moment or even a long while - silently and separately together, with maybe a glance, a smile or a brief a wave of acknowledgement. Perhaps that will be how you experience me.

I cannot say how long this path will be for me, so whether you glance and move on - never to take notice; or whether you wonder a moment at who I am and where I'm going; or whether you follow a while, smile and wave or better yet, if you decide to stay for the journey, I invite you to come along for the ride.

***
Please click on the "Stuff From Before" link to Destiny's Journey to make your comments.