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Bewitched

rubytapthreetimes
God woke me up at 5 a.m. this morning. After I woke up, I sat on the side of my bed, and then God showed me a vision. In the vision, I saw the character Dorothy Gale from the 1939 film “The Wizard of Oz”. She was wearing her infamous blue and white gingham dress and the ruby red slippers that Glinda, The Good Witch of the North, gave her. In the vision, Dorothy had just missed her ride back home [to Kansas] with the Wizard of Oz in his hot air balloon, so Glinda showed Dorothy another method on how she could get back home. As advised by Glinda, Dorothy began to click her heels together three times, while reciting “There’s no place like home” after each click. However, here’s the twist to the story: Because the heels on the bottom of her ruby red slippers were broken, the shoes were ineffective and therefore lost their power to take Dorothy home. Then, the vision disappeared and I heard the Holy Spirit say to me, “There is only ONE WAY back home.”
After hearing this, the Holy Spirit placed John 14:1-6 in my spirit, so I looked up the Scripture and it read:
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”
Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me…”

Dorothy_meets_the_Wicked_WitchAfter I read the Scripture, God began to give me revelation about the movie, but from a spiritual perspective. God showed me that Glinda was a witch indeed. But she was not a “Good” Witch as she tried to portray herself to be. In fact, she was a bad witch, and even more cunning than the Wicked Witch of the West! At least the Wicked Witch of the West was blatant and outright evil, while Glinda the Good Witch of the North disguised her true nature. (But I am not surprised! Even Satan masquerades himself as an angel of light. -2 Corinthians 11:14) Hello, she was a witch! There is no such thing as a “good” witch. All witches are evil according to the Bible and will have their place in the Lake of Fire (Revelation 21:8) if they do not repent from their sins.

 

But the reason why God showed me that Glinda would be considered more wicked, or dangerous than The Wicked Witch of the West (from a spiritual perspective) is because Glinda was giving Dorothy false hope; another gospel. The moral that Glinda was trying to teach Dorothy is that we must rely upon ourselves, for we alone have the power to save ourselves. I noticed that in the movie. When Dorothy missed her ride in the hot air balloon, she thought that she would be stuck in the Land of Oz and that she would never get back home. But then Glinda told her that the power to get back home was inside of her the whole time. (Basically, she was saying that Dorothy had the ability to save herself). Dorothy asked Glinda how come she didn’t tell her that from the very beginning. And Glinda told her that she didn’t tell her because Dorothy had to figure it out for herself.

 

The movie teaches that we can save ourselves. But the gospel says that salvation is found in none other than the person of Jesus Christ. Glinda was preaching a gospel that declares there are more ways than one to get back home–back to heaven–other than having faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ on Calvary. And Dorothy actually believed the lie.

93e292d2a1800c4207379d874fe046e4God told me that just like Dorothy, there are many of us [even in the Church] who have been deceived and led astray by the doctrine of wizards, witches, warlocks, sorcerers, enchanters, magicians, and demons. We have allowed false prophets and false teachers to whisper in our ears a gospel of salvation that is contrary to the gospel of salvation that Christ gave the apostles. A salvation that has turned our hearts toward a message that focuses on prosperity, being the best you, meditation, performing good works to make compensation for our bad deeds, making ritualistic blood sacrifices, or following false religions. These paths do not save us; they do not lead us back home.
Galatians 1:6-9, 11-12
I am shocked that you are turning away so soon from God, who called you to himself through the loving mercy of Christ. You are following a different way that pretends to be the Good News but is not the Good News at all. You are being fooled by those who deliberately twist the truth concerning Christ. Let God’s curse fall on anyone, including us or even an angel from heaven, who preaches a different kind of Good News than the one we preached to you. I say again what we have said before: If anyone preaches any other Good News than the one you welcomed, let that person be cursed. Dear brothers and sisters, I want you to understand that the gospel message I preach is not based on mere human reasoning. I received my message from no human source, and no one taught me. Instead, I received it by direct revelation from Jesus Christ.
2 Peter 2:1
But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them–bringing swift destruction on themselves.
1 Timothy 4:1-2,6
Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron… If you point these things out to the brothers and sisters, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, nourished on the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed.
Galatians 3:1-3
You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?
Again, from a spiritual perspective, in the movie, The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy was led to believe that there was more than one way to get back home. But in the same way, who has bewitched us into thinking that there are more than one way to get into heaven, when Jesus explicitly explained to us in John 14:6 that the only way to get back home to the Father’s house is through Him? There is only one way back home.
John 10:1-10
“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them. Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
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Death at a Wedding

I had a dream last night that there was a wedding about to take place and I was invited to it. All of the guests were making their way into the church to have a seat in the sanctuary so that the ceremony could begin. When I walked into the church, I saw a casket that was placed near the front of the sanctuary. As I made my way down the aisle, I looked into the casket and I saw the groom laying in it. I was confused. All of a sudden, it didn’t seem like a wedding anymore, but a funeral. But then I heard the Spirit of God speak to me in the dream and he said, “This is a celebration–a celebration of death!”

I was like, “Huh?” I didn’t understand what he meant by that. But then he explained the symbolism of the dream to me. He said it should be celebrated when a man decides to give up his life for a woman in marriage. Then God brought a scripture to my memory, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her.” – Ephesians 5:25

In marriage, a man should be willing to die for his wife. Die to his pride, die to his selfishness, die to his attitude, die to his independence, etc. He should be willing to give his wife his last name, access to his bank account and all other assets, and he should be willing to make a monogamous commitment to her, forsaking all others. Many men aren’t ready to die in these areas for the woman they say they love. But the groom in this dream counted the cost and was willing to lay his life down for his bride.

Where are the men who are willing to lay their lives down in marriage? For those of you who were brave and courageous enough to lay your life down for your wife, you are celebrated!

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Real Love

I woke up this morning to a vision, and what I kept seeing before me were flashes of Jesus’ life and his journey to the cross—and throughout the whole vision, I kept hearing the words “REAL LOVE.” Jesus’ life was a display, or example or real love.

I heard God telling me that there are many people in the world who have a SUPERFICIAL love. But real love is not superficial. It’s not something that should exist on the surface—appearing to be true or real only until examined more closely. Appearing to be true or real only until situations, trials or storms arise to show that it was never real.

Some people’s love is so superficial with so many conditions to it: I love you BECAUSE you look attractive. I love you BECAUSE you drive a nice car or have a nice house. I love you AS LONG AS you do not betray or reject me. I love you AS LONG AS you do not lie to me or steal from me. I love you UNTIL you gain weight. I love you UNTIL you lose your job. I love you IF you agree with me and take my side on everything. I love you IF you give me everything I want or feel as if I need. This is superficial love. It carries no true weight. It’s conditional. As soon as the condition changes, the love ceases, or dies out. Many people claim that they “fell out of love” but that’s only because they were never in love to begin with. Real love never fails. If the love was real, you wouldn’t fall out of it, you would grow in it.

Real love is UNRESERVED and UNCONDTIONAL. It shouldn’t be preconditioned or booked in advance. Real love is unqualified—the recipient shouldn’t have to say, be, or do anything to earn it. It should be extended freely. Real love is unlimited—it shouldn’t run out. Real love is wholehearted—it cares about others without any thought of what it might get out of the relationship for itself. Jesus loved and served those who could do nothing for him in return except show their gratitude. Jesus accepted and embraced the loveless—those who no one else wanted to show love to: the man with the legion of demons, the lepers, the tax collectors, the adulterous woman, the prostitutes, the unlearned, the poor and the sinners.

Usually, when you greet someone in passing, you say to them, “Hello! How are you doing?” For most people, it’s simply something that they say to comply with requirements of etiquette, regulations or custom. But most times, you don’t literally care to know how the person is actually doing. You expect the person to simply reply, “All is well, thanks for asking!” and then to go about their way. But if the person took your question to heart and began to open up and pour out to you about how they are really doing, you probably wouldn’t have the time or concern to sit down and listen to them explain or to help them find a possible solution if they are not doing so well. You shouldn’t ask a person how they are doing if you don’t really care to know. Likewise, saying “I love you” to someone shouldn’t be a FORMALITY. Saying “I love you” shouldn’t be something said routinely, ritually or ceremonially. It shouldn’t be something you say because you feel obligated to do so. It should be something that you say because you mean it from the heart. When you say “I love you” to somebody, they are going to expect you to demonstrate your love—Not only loving them in word or in speech, but in action and in truth.

Real love ENDURES with PATIENCE. It suffers patiently. It bears all things. Puts up with all things. Survives all things. Perseveres through all things. Remains steadfast through all things. It endures through the pain. It is able to tolerate delays, problems, or suffering without becoming annoyed or anxious. Real love endures past rejection. Peter denied Christ three times. Real love endures past betrayal. Judas betrayed Jesus and even stole money from him. Real love endures past slander. The Pharisees called Jesus a devil, a sinner, a blasphemer, a liar. Yet, Jesus’ love for them endured.

Real love is MARRIED TO THE BACKSLIDDER. Although Israel committed spiritual adultery and harlotry with surrounding nations and committed idolatry and worshipped false gods, Jesus still loved them and kept his everlasting covenant with them.

Real love is NAKED and BARE. Uncovered. Undisguised. Open. Evident. Apparent. Manifest. Exposed. The Jews cast lots for Jesus’ garments. He was stripped of his clothes and had to walk down a long path nearly naked. Jesus’ love didn’t try to cover up its nakedness.

Real love is VULNERABLE. It makes itself susceptible to physical or emotional attack or harm. It has no defense. It is open to be wounded. Jesus was scourged. He was beaten and whipped, but he willingly took the blows. He was mocked and blasphemed, but opened not his mouth. Jesus’ love took on abuse and it didn’t retaliate or try to defend itself.

Real love isn’t embarrassed or ashamed of showing PUBLIC DISPLAY OF AFFECTION (PDA). When Jesus laid his life down for us on Calvary, he was placed on a cross and lifted up high for all to see. His love was on public display.

Real love STRETCHES. It extends to its fullest length or ability. It goes out of its comfort zone. Jesus’ arms were stretched out wide when they were nailed to the cross.

Real love is UNCOMFORTABLE, which means it subjects itself to feeling slight pain or physical, unbearable discomfort. Love subjects itself to feeling at unease or awkward. Love isn’t always a relaxed feeling. When Jesus was on the cross, the way he was positioned, he could barely breathe, and whenever he would lift up his body to gasp for a breath of air, it hurt him. The love he displayed was suffocating. Very uncomfortable.

Love FORGIVES. It holds no record of wrong. It is not easily angered and doesn’t carry resentment toward someone for an offense or flaw. It does not blame others for a mistake made. Love excuses, pardons, or cancels out a debt.  When Jesus was on the cross, he prayed to the Father, “Forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

Love is SACRIFICIAL. Giving up your own desires in order to fulfill the desires or needs of another person. Jesus’ sacrificed his throne and all of his glory in heaven to come down to earth and live life for 33 years in the likeness of man. His whole purpose in coming to earth was to sacrifice life in death, as a ransom for many. He died a death that we deserved just so that we could possess eternal life.

I hear God saying, “How many of you want [to possess] a love like that?”

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Partiality Is Sin

MY GOD!!!!!! I just received a powerful revelation. I was just in the kitchen, about to fix me something to eat. I reached in the dish rack to grab me a spoon, and I ended up picking a spoon that had been half way washed; it still had food stains on it. So I looked at the spoon with disgust, then put it back in the rack to grab a clean spoon. But then I heard God tell me to take that very spoon back out the rack and wash it and use it.

Then God said to me prophetically, “THIS IS WHAT MY CHURCH DO EVERY DAY. THEY MEET INDIVIDUALS EVERY DAY, AND WANT TO ENTER INTO FRIENDSHIPS/RELATIONSHIPS  WITH THEM. BUT ONCE THEY GET CLOSE ENOUGH TO THE OTHER PERSON AND START TO SEE THEIR STAINS, THEIR IMPERFECTIONS, THEIR STRUGGLES, THEIR BAD HABITS, THE DIRT IN THEIR LIVES, THEN THEY ARE QUICK TO LOOK DOWN ON THEM WITH CONTEMPT, THEN DISCARD THEM LIKE LAST WEEK’S GARBAGE IN ORDER TO PURSUE A FRIENDSHIP/RELATIONSHIP WITH SOMEONE ELSE WHO REACHES THEIR STANDARD, SOMEONE WHO THEY PERCEIVE TO BE PERFECT, CLEAN, OR RIGHTEOUS IN THEIR OWN EYES. NO ONE WANTS TO BE FRIENDS WITH SOMEONE WHO IS DIRTY, BROKEN, IMPERFECT, ETC. BECAUSE THEY DON’T HAVE THE PATIENCE. THEY DON’T HAVE THE UNCONDITIONAL LOVE. THEY DON’T WANT TO PUT IN THE WORK THAT IT’LL TAKE TO HELP CLEAN THAT PERSON UP.”

GOD IS SAYING, “I’M LOOKING FOR A CHURCH WHO DOESN’T MIND WORKING WITH DIRTY PEOPLE. I’M LOOKING FOR A CHURCH THAT DOESN’T MIND WASHING AND CLEANSING OTHERS IN MY WORD. I’M LOOKING FOR A CHURCH WITH A SERVANTS HEART. NOT A HEART TO SERVE ONES SELF, BUT TO SERVE SOMEONE ELSE! DON’T DO ANYTHING OUT OF SELFISH AMBITION OR VAIN CONCEIT. RATHER, VALUE SOMEONE ELSE AND EXALT THEM HIGHER THAN YOURSELF. WHERE ARE MY SERVANTS?”

God is saying, “I’M GOING TO DELIVER MY PEOPLE FROM PARTIALITY. I’M GETTING READY TO DELIVER MY PEOPLE FROM FAVORTISM,  FROM SHOWING RESPECT OF PERSONS. AS LONG AS YOU ARE BIAS WITH WHO YOU SOCIALIZE WITH AND SHOW RACISM AND PREJUDICE AGAINST CERTAIN TYPES OF PEOPLE, YOU ARE INEFFECTIVE IN MY KINGDOM AND I CAN’T USE YOU!  YOU CAN’T JUST MINISTER TO WHOM YOU WANT TO MINISTER TO. YOU CAN’T JUST MINISTER TO THOSE WHOM YOU ARE COMFORTABLE  OR FAMILIAR WITH. YOU WILL  MINISTER TO WHOMEVER I SEND TO YOU. GREATER LOVE!!!!! GREATER LOVE,” SAYS GOD.

James 2:1-9, NLT

My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others? For example, suppose someone comes into your meeting dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewelry, and another comes in who is poor and dressed in dirty clothes. If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, “You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor”—well, doesn’t this discrimination show that your judgments are guided by evil motives? Listen to me, dear brothers and sisters. Hasn’t God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith? Aren’t they the ones who will inherit the Kingdom he promised to those who love him? But you dishonor the poor! Isn’t it the rich who oppress you and drag you into court? Aren’t they the ones who slander Jesus Christ, whose noble name you bear? Yes indeed, it is good when you obey the royal law as found in the Scriptures: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”  But if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin. You are guilty of breaking the law.

**FAVORTISM, PARTIALITY, RESPECT  OF PERSONS, RACISM, PREJUDICE IS A SIN! REPENT!!!!**

It’s time walk in love!

Lord, forgive me for being partial in who I chose to socialize with,  be friends with or minister to. Forgive me for discarding certain people with personal issues, heavy baggage, physical handicaps, mental disabilities, cultural or ethnic differences, or personality differences. Forgive me for treating drug addicts, prostitutes, homosexuals, homeless people, obese people, etc., with contempt just because I don’t have the love to cover them, the patience to put up with them, or the heart to serve them and help clean them up. Give me a servant’s heart! In Jesus name. Amen.

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Saved By Grace, Through Faith

Last night, during my bible study, I was reading Ephesians chapter 2. When I got to verse 8 and 9, I paused and began to ponder on those verses:

“8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.”

“BY grace… THROUGH faith…”

That part stuck out to me most. Why in that order? How come I can’t be saved the other way around–by faith, through grace? As I began to seek understanding, I had a vision.

In my vision, I was standing outside on the side of the road–on my way to church. I said to myself, “BY faith, I am going to get to church.” I really believed with all of my heart that I would get to church BY faith. There was no doubt in my mind about it. However,  no matter how much faith I had in myself, I didn’t move from the spot I was standing at. There was no plan of action; no power behind just my faith alone.

Then, when I realized getting to church “BY faith” wasn’t working, I took out my phone, went to the GPS app, and began to look up other ways that I could get to church by. The app said I could get to church BY bus, BY car, BY bicycle, or BY walking. But there was no option to get there simply BY faith. So I chose to get to church BY the bus. But it was THROUGH my faith that motivated me to get on the bus, believing that the bus would get me to church.

The definition of BY is: the agent performing an action; the means of achieving something; that which is used as a route.

Then the vision went away and I realized why I am not saved by faith alone. Grace is the agent that performs the action of salvation. Grace is the means to attain salvation. Grace is the route that brings me to the place of salvation. I don’t get saved simply by believing that I will be saved. In that case, my faith alone would be enough to save me; it would be like a self-righteous work; then I would be able to boast in myself. But no! Faith is powerless unless you put your faith in something that has the power to make it happen. So, just like how in the vision, I got to church by putting my faith in the bus, likewise, I get saved by putting my faith in the grace of God that was extended to me. And Jesus is the epitome of the grace of God. So I get saved through my faith in Jesus.

Unlike in the GPS scenerio, where I had FOUR ways to get to my destination (bus, car, bicycle, walking), when it comes to salvation, there is only one way to get to heaven. It is through Christ alone! He’s the only way BY which salvation is attained.

By grace, through faith. It makes more sense to me now!

Grace is the VEHICLE to salvation. But you have to believe in your heart  that this vehicle will get you to your destination. That’s where your faith comes in. Grace will indeed save you. But if you have no faith, then you won’t benefit from the salvation that grace has to offer.

Grace is the vehicle and faith is the key.

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Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Marriage Equality, The Falling Away of the Church

I’ve been having this reoccurring vision for a few weeks now, and I can’t seem to shake it. So I’m going to share it.

In the Spirit, I keep seeing a vision of this one church (representing the body of Christ as a whole). This church was having service one morning, and in the middle of the service, there became an uproar in the streets outside. There were loud noises, boisterous activities, unrestrained revelries, parades and floats; the LGBT community and its allies were having a gay pride celebration in the streets. They were celebrating the Supreme Court’s decision to  pass the marriage equality law.

As they were rejoicing, the congregation inside of the church became enticed–Specifically the men within the church who have homosexual desires (not those men with a contrite heart, but those with an unrepentant heart). These men within the church stopped what they were doing and ran outside to participate in the Gay Pride. They were happy that the law was passed, because deep down inside of their hearts, this is something that they have always wanted. I also saw in the vision that there were pastors and renown ministers, who also became enticed by the sound of victory that the LGBT community was making. These pastors and ministers also left from behind the pulpit and ran outside to celebrate in the Gay Pride. They were happy that they, too, can now experience marriage with members of the same sex. They were coming into covenant as pastor and first gentleman.

When I saw this vision, it’s as if I could hear the Lord speaking to me telling me that there will be a great falling away from the faith. The legalization of marriage equality will, and already has, expose the hearts of the people within the church–those who worship God with their lips and their mouths, but their hearts are far from him because they have areas of compromise in them.

I believe God is saying that for everyone who is hell-bent on leaving the church in celebration of gay pride or to be in a same-sex marriage, this is his judgment upon them. He is giving them over to a reprobate mind, to the desires of their own hearts, to do those things which are not fitting, since they have refused to retain the knowledge, fear, and reference of God. They have chosen to suppress the truth of God’s word to live a lie in all unrighteousness. God said let them leave because their hearts are set. He is using this change in the law of the land to expose hearts in this season. He is cleaning his house. He is shaking up the church and weeding out the false disciples from the real disciples.

But for those of you in the Church who struggle with unwanted same-sex attraction, (members or ministers), please don’t break under pressure. Don’t give in to the temptation to backside like the others with the unrepentant hearts have done. Don’t be enticed, or become jealous or covetous of what the world is doing. Continue to focus on what God is doing in you. You are a new creature now. God is training you and is going to use you as an example to those who are in that lifestyle–to bring them out. But he can’t use you if you compromise and do what they are doing. Stand strong in the faith. May the love of Christ motivate you, the Spirit of the Lord keep you, and the grace of God empower you to continue living a life of holiness, freedom and victory over the flesh. Shalom.