Are You A Thorny Christian?

From Jesus With Love2 Comments

BrittaCagedScream

For the past few weeks the Lord has been revealing a lot of hidden sin within my heart which has been so painful at times to see and very humbling to say the least. He has also  put me in many test and trials to see my response and it hasn’t been pretty. I found myself at the beginning of this year just utterly spent and my heart so tender and guarded because of all the attacks. Not realizing that I had allowed so many seeds of resentment, anger and bitterness to take root in my heart that I was well on my to becoming a “thorny christian” one who is easily discouraged, unhappy, hurt by criticism, defensive, complaining, impatient, and easily frustrated when things didn’t go the way I desired. Bitterness its truly spiritual leprosy as the Lord describes and he wanted it out of me once and for all!

So how can one accumulate seeds of bitterness, its so easy and such a subtle attack of the enemy because the seeds land without our permission.  When we respond to any circumstance, situation or person negatively there goes a seed in our hearts. When we get offended, when we get angry, complain, become resentful seeds fall and if we don’t repent immediately they take root in our hearts and began to grow like thorns in our body. Oh how it can affect us physically too, per a prophetic message from Still Small Voice ministry which is a ministry that I am apart of. The Lord revealed that the root cause of cancer is bitterness. Listen to message how demons work! You see it a set up by the enemy which we allow and many are so unaware because many times, many, many times we don’t respond like Christ. We respond in our flesh which is almost always selfish there for the seeds fall right into our hearts and create thorn bushes. From the messages: Brambles In the Vineyard, Bitterness is Spiritual Leprosy
“This indeed is what becomes of the soul who entertains bitterness; all life is chocked out. There you will find jealousy, hatred, resentment, depression, judgment, impatience, selfishness, cruelty, retaliation, pride, and every noxious, dark thought known to man.”

Matthew 13:22
The seed sown among the thorns is the one who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful

Anytime we take offense at anything or anyone a seed of bitterness enters into our hearts. You know many times I had met people who said they were believers but who where unhappy, mean, and critical of others. They would say there were fine but when they would speak they just sounded so bitter and I never thought I would get there, really never. Its by Gods mercy that he has revealed this to me so this thorn bushes wouldn’t continue to grow and choke Gods word, grace and love within me which would in-turn stifle and hurt those around me. You see when you have seeds of bitterness within it not only affects but hurts those around us. When the enemy strikes he loves not just to bring you down but those around you so when you respond so negatively by lashing out or in anger it not only offends but, hurts the person who is receiving it. Thereby causing them to receive seeds as well.  This tactic works best with those closest round you its a tactic of division the enemy has planned to attack every form of relationship at it works so well because its so subtel and we can be so ignorant of his schemes but not anymore by Gods grace!

The way to stop these seeds of bitterness from not only entering but taking root is to receive all bad and good things from the hand of the Lord with joy! We have to come to understanding as Christians that the Lord doesn’t cause everything but he allows everything and if we are called according to his purpose he will work it out for good. Its nice to throw a scripture on it but lets be honest when things happen that prick our flesh that goes right out the window in that moment lol. However, we have to mature in our christian walk to count all things as joy its a process for me but I have made a firm resolute to stand in my joy and say no more to my flesh, these devils and no more seeds in Jesus name..with the help of Holy Spirit of course! 🙂

Nehemiah 8:10
joy of the Lord is your strength!

We must guard our mouths and recognize whatever situation we may be in whatever remark that has offended us it is the Lord that has willed it. So we must receive it as joy but when we get angry it truly directed at the Lord. So lets make a firm resolution NO MORE SEEDS! With the help of the Holy Spirit we can all overcome but we must make a firm resolution to tackle this . So when we find ourselves responding to something negatively  immediately repent! Below the Lord has given us direction how to be delivered from these seeds of bitterness
3 Step Direction from Deliverance of Bitterness Daily
1)examine your actions, feeling and thoughts
2) Forgive anyone your holding resentment against
3.) Repent for ungrateful attitude because it is the Lord who allowed it
Pray “Lord please heal anyone I have offended”

May the Lord give us the grace for our hearts to respond in JOY from now on!

-From Jesus with Love

 

 

check out the prophetic message:

The Hidden Sin Of Venting….Lord I repent

From Jesus With Love3 Comments

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So Lord has been really exposing the hidden sins in my life and how easily I just fall prey to them. It is indeed a grace the Lord gives to a soul to reveal the depravity of your own sins and it humbles you. Causing you not to look down on others but to see them better than yourself as you become aware of your many weaknesses. He has been really pushing me to be sincere, honest and transparent so it gives others the freedom to do so. Many times in this christian walk we tend too….wait who am I kidding we just don’t tend too but almost always we never talk about our weakness or sins we struggle with but Paul told us to boast about our weakness so we can receive more of Christ grace….Lord knows I need it lol

 Proverbs 17:9  Whoever covers an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close friends.

So I have a confession to make one of my many hidden sins is….venting or repeating an offense because that’s exactly what it is. I found myself being offended by an action of a friend and at first. I kept it between me and Jesus forgiving him and also seeing how Jesus wanted to humble me in that situation as well. However, as days when one I found myself  repeating the matter too two other people with out mentioning names but in all honestly just to see if I was validated in my offense. Which in the eyes of God no offense is ever validated because were suppose to walk in love and forgive all offenses. So why do we vent? You would’ve thought after telling the first friend I became convicted and repenting of back biting just to turn around and do it again with another friend who gently admonished for walking in pride as well because I felt justified in my feelings. Then this scripture popped into my heart and I knew I fell again….Lord help your daughter. This scripture above is soooo true. How many times do we get offended by what others do then turn around tell another friend, tell a stranger, post about it on social media, vent about it on a blog, twitter wherever other would listen  rather than honestly taking it to Jesus and leaving it there.

Proverbs 29:11
A fool vents all his anger, but a wise man holds it back.

The Lord calls someone who vents, or repeats an offense a fool. Sheesh there way to many fools then lol living in a culture that is so matter fact to do that, even feeling entitled to do that but its an offense a sin against the Lord. Not only that but its a WIDE open door for the demons to come and sift you. With venting comes slander, gossip, impatience, anger, division and many others to bring your demise or destroy that relationship/friendship. Imagine quickly, the many times Jesus had the opportunity to be offended the best example was when HE KNEW  Judas would betray him but still never uttered his name to the other disciples, complained about him to the Father or treated him any different. So if Jesus could protect, love and show grace to someone HE KNEW was already going to betray him then why cant we. When we find ourselves offended by something someone does especially a close friend because when we repeat the matter it sows seeds against that person and now everyone you vented too has a bad perception of that person that they didn’t have before.
So next time you feel justified to vent or repeat an offense:

  1. Vent to  Jesus– He is the ONLY one who is able to do anything about it, the ONLY one who sees from a just perspective and not your perspective or the other person in loved. He is also is the best listener and the best person to tell secret feelings too lol because he heals your heart then calls you higher which always leads to repentance
  2. Don’t go on social media indirectly talking about that situation or person….you just look like a fool and you open a demonic door
  3. Whatever you do don’t, don’t, tell another friend because that’s where it becomes gossip and don’t think you can be slick by telling about the situation but not mentioning the name lol. The Lord know exactly who you are talking about and its offense before him

Venting and or repeating an offense to someone else honestly shows the lack of love in our hearts and our unwillingness to show grace. When the Lord gives us soooo much grace when we mess up and offend him. He says,  in Hebrews 8:12 our sins are forgiven never to be remembered again. If you find yourself reading this and recognize you too have a problem with this hidden sin then congrats your a mess like me! lol So lets repent and ask the Lord to give us the grace to walk in a greater love and forgive all offenses never to repeat them in Jesus name!

-From Jesus with Love

Unashamed of God’s Strict Love

From Jesus With Love3 Comments

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Romans 5:5
And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

I’ve come to realize God has a ‘strict love” over me. You may ask what is strict love….I didn’t even know there was such a thing. However its when God has you hedged in finely. He has called me to a life of closeness with him that requires  a great measure of self control and discipline which is all done by his grace of course. However  in this ‘”strict love” many times I found myself complaining, not understanding, pouting, honestly upset wondering why I couldn’t do what others could do. The holy spirit would restrict me from going to certain places., spending my time and using my money selfishly, watching and listening to certain things that many times other Christians could do and feel no conviction. The Holy Spirit had a way of cutting my heart so quickly, convicted me, correcting me swiftly and calling me to himself immeaditley.  The Lord would remind me….you are mine and I am jealous for you.

Exodus 20:5
You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God,

I remember me and my young sister used to talk about it as we would laugh and say man with the Lord we cant get away with nooooothing! lol Now looking back I see how foolish it was to despise or even resent such a beautiful grace and privilege to be called into a close intimacy with the Lord. I cant lie it hasn’t been easy, actually it has been so difficult and painful. The process of dying to yourself and the Lord taking away every attachment you have so that it may seem you have nothing but most importantly you have him. These past few months, well honestly pretty much my entire walk with the Lord has been scrutinized, criticized and judged by people. Many times close family and friends which seem to hurt the most. Every night I cast it on the Lord and ask him to heal my heart so I may love purely but then another arrow is shot and I am hurting again. The past few weeks have been more so as I began to get remarks for how I look now. I found myself deeply hurt by peoples comment towards me and insecurity and fear made a flight as they both walked through this open door I made by taking my eyes off of Jesus. Once again I found myself defending the call of God on my life or trying to have them understand the call…Gods “strict love” so often that I just stopped answering and talking about Jesus.

It happened this past weekend and when I got home I felt grieved in my spirit. It hit me, that oh my goodness, Nana you have become ashamed at what God has done and is doing in your life because of the reaction of men. So I immediately when to get a word from the Lord  from my rhema box ( a deck of cards with scripture I use to get a word from the Lord) and he gave me the scripture above Romans 5:5 and in big bold letters said SHAME. I burst into tears because I realized how I had hurt Jesus, me out of all people being ashamed of him. I didn’t realize in this way I was ashamed to tell others of God’s “strict love” in fear of what they would say or think. Rather than proclaiming to my family and friends Look what God has done in my life. He has set me free!! but I had become in bondage to them and their thoughts. So as I prayed I asked the Lord to heal my heart and wash away the lies that I held captive as truth that I would be no longer ashamed of what God has done or what he has called me too!

So the Nana of above was full of pride,  allowed self-will to rule, vain glory,  full of ambition, greed and the big hypocrite. I ran to others for opinion, advice and direction. I was in bondage to food and lust of the flesh,  compulsively whatever I felt at the moment. I would constantly show of my body and flaunt “assets’ to get attention from men. I prayed when I felt like it. Would party hard on Saturday and go to church Sunday. I lived in compromise and thought there was such a thing as a “grey area” in Christianity so was okay with other living the same way. When I didn’t pray I would pray concerning MY WILL. MY wants, MY desire, MY plans and expect him to bless it because of course my desire was Gods desire right. This Nana wanted to be a “STAR” a mogul in the making looking up to celebrities,  the entertainment life and the WORLDS height and measure to success in life. I wanted to be rich and successful to honor my family …..but this Nana was still in darkness, lost and headed to destruction……

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If it wasnt for the saving Grace, Mercy and strict love of the Lord this WOMAN wouldn’t be standing before you today. So let me proclaim UNASHAMED of what my God, Jesus Christ has done. I now cover myself in respect for him and my other brothers so no one will fall into lust . For he has called me to himself to walk in intimacy with a beautiful strict love over me so I don’t wander far off even if I wanted too. He has shown me his face and his love in ways I cant imagine and I am utterly undone by the Jealous love my beloved has for me. He has called me to a high calling of lowliness, hiddeness, holiness and holy poverty.  He has called me lay down my life to serve all man, walk in humility instead of pride. He called me to seek HIS Divine will in every decision and area of my life. He has set me from bondage of food, lust of the flesh and worldly attachments. He has me living the hidden life where many may not understand but what only HE says and does matter. He has called me to imitate his life, by living to give everything away sowing into kingdom whiles living for eternity instead. I live for the audience of the “courts of heaven”. I have finally become a STAR…in my Heavenly Fathers eyes which is the only eyes that matters the most. This Nana was pulled out of darkness into the marvelous light of Christ and is set free and being set free….I am no longer ashamed but I AM UNASHAMED!!! THANK YOU JESUS

-From Jesus with love