Category: Teaching

Forearmed & Forewarned is Wisdom

I know everyone who is a believer and doer in Christ can sense that information is progressing much quicker.

I know everyone who is a believer and doer in Christ can sense that information is progressing much quicker.

This is much like it appears in the bottle of sand in an hourglass.  The sand may appear quicker, because there is less sand or time to go.

But by no account am I a date setter, but it doesn’t take much biblical knowledge to see all the signs coming at us and endless social media reports and chatter.

Never in the history of the world has information taken on such a massive highway and life of its own, virtually going global overnight.

Just as a spider weaves a web, the internet and world wide web has connected the globe and space with just a click.

Did not Jesus predict HIS coming?

The LORD told us we would not know the day or hour but that we would know and perceive the season.

“Let not your heart be troubled… In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I AM, there you may be also.”   John 14:1-3

“So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near. Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.”   Luke 21:31–33

Did you know that living for Christ causes Division?

Did you know that when you are obedient to God, you carry within you that same power of Jesus that will stir up even the demonic due to your gifting, as you carry within you the Good News?

Yes, the closer we draw near to God in prayer and fellowship will cause an uproar of rage around you.

And surprisingly, you did not do anything to warrant it! It swirls around you because of the light of who and what is inside of you!

Beloved, you have the goods and demons know your name and know the name you speak!

“Jesus, I know, Paul I know — but who are you!?”   Acts 19:15

Beloved, you carry within great and precious promises, the divine nature and furthermore believer, you carry precious cargo like gifts, talents, spiritual weaponry, and lastly, the part of you who lives forever and ever while temporarily we must abide in our earthly shell that houses our soul and Spirit.

Beloved of God, we have no time to waste, we have entered a season unlike any other.

We must realize what we have learned in our time with The LORD and in Churches needs to be spread abroad by the Holy Ghost in us!

We must begin to prepare the people of God so that they are ready and equipped.  AND we must spread The Gospel!

True Revival shall come on the heels of great turmoil, upheavals, and tribulations.

One day very soon many people will begin to ask where they can hear The Words of God!  We must be prepared and equipped for such a time as this.

“And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold”   Matthew 24:12.

In America, many in Church are hiding in denial.

Most leaders keep preparing within the programs of the Church, instead of preparing the Church for what is coming!

In the USA, many still romanticize the way we were as a Christian nation.  With the majority of “Christian” Churches, they are enamored with leisure, entertainment, television, movies, videos and instead of being separate from the world, we are conforming to the way the world is AND that is scary.

The LORD has been dropping these things while in my prayer time.  He is showing me that the United States of America, historically rivals Rome before her fall.

Rome’s love of absolute power, brutality, and love for leisure were renowned.

Ancient Rome was the center of all sorts of lusts, perversion of all types, alcohol, violence, and Rome loved brutality in entertainment.

Rome’s entertainment was enormously renowned as they tortured Christians and would release them into the coliseum and cheered as they loved to watch the Christians try to run but others would be tied, and they released various types of beasts and the sport was to watch the animal capture the Christians kill and eat them.

These brute beast Romans loved to torture the Christians and would dip them in oil tie them up to a post set them ablaze for the Romans to be able see and light the way.

But today, what about our way?  There is not much said about idolatry in America, we think we have educated ourselves beyond such pagan rituals!

“And others had trial of cruel mocking and scourging, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment, they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword, they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins being destitute, afflicted, tormented, of whom the world was not worthy, they wandered in deserts, and in mountains and in dens and caves of the earth”   Hebrews 11:36-38 KJV

The passion of Roman culture for entertainment was enormous.  During the reign of Claudius, 93 days each year were expressly devoted to games and spectacles.  By the end of the second year the number had risen to 135.

The Roman Coliseum was an arena of butchery.  It was in this coliseum that many of our Christian brothers and sisters were given to the lions and other forms of terrible torture.

The brutalizing effect of the arena on Roman society was hard to comprehend.  How could so many people of “culture” fail to condemn this practice?

Christians were unpopular partly because their rites were widely misunderstood.  The communion rite especially.

The Romans thought that Christian arrogance and impious behavior towards the gods of Rome, must have angered the gods themselves.  Thus, natural disasters such as earthquakes and fires, were sent by the gods, and then were the fault of the Christians.

Nero had self-acknowledged Christians arrested.  Then, according to their information, large numbers of others were condemned, for their anti-social tendencies.

Their deaths were farcical, and the Romans enjoyed entertainment and dressed the Christians in wild animals’ skins, and they would watch and laugh as they were torn to pieces by dogs, or crucified, or made into torches to be dipped in oil then ignited after dark as substitutes for daylight.

Persecution has a way of stripping our masks and hypocrisies.  For those who truly believe the gospel will not compromise it, even unto death.

“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives unto the death.”   Revelation 12:11 KJV

The responsibility is not just for leadership but for all believers in Christ.  Have we prepared the people for all that is coming?

Has the “Church” turned into another social corporation all enamored within their four walls, with the few and no more?

During the heat of Rome’s persecution, many Christians found sanctuary underground. In a place called the Catacombs.

Many tunnels and caves were dug out under the city of Rome to house the underground Church.

They worshipped, prayed, taught, lived, and died in those caves while persecution raged above.  They buried their dead in dug out places in the porous rock and sealed them in.

I think of all the entertainment we have as a Church . How entertaining will it be when they start taking us to jail or killing us for our message?

Will Christianity still be appealing to us then?

I see a most bitter cup coming.
 

In HIS Grace and Mercy,
~ Sherry Edwards Mackey

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Preparation of the Rod of His Presence

The LORD is moving in the vein of His true remnant bride, and no longer will the seed be spilled on the ground and cursed.

“John answered, saying to all, “I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire.”   Luke 3:16-17 NKJV

The LORD is moving in the vein of His true remnant bride, and no longer will the seed be spilled on the ground and cursed.

But The Bride will come out of hiding as the Ancient of Days has revealed, reproduced, and revived all that has remained dormant and hidden until such a time His lineage unfolds.

Although intimidated for the most part, the bride has been in hiding, but The Holy Spirit is bringing to the forefront those in whom have been prepared for this hour.

These are they, who have been seasoned to such a degree that the tenderness of the message given has been to coax His beloved out of hiding.

She stands at her chamber door for the bride has made herself ready.  The time is at hand to display His beloved Bride, The Church and to take her by the hand and display the glory of The LORD!

Study: Exodus 19……

On the morning of The Third Day…  and be ready by The Third Day, because on that day The LORD will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.

How did God reveal Himself?  On the morning of The Third Day, there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast.  Everyone in the camp trembled.

This entrance was quite different from a still small voice. H is amazing epic presence and power revealed awe inspiring displays of His Glory that caused everyone in the camp to tremble in reverence to God’s unrivaled magnificence.

When you encounter the awesomeness of His glorious Power, it is a fearful thing to witness.

Lightning is one way God reveals His Presence.  Symbolism of lightning reminds us to have respect and awe of God’s absolute raw power over His Creation.

“When He utters His voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, And He causes the clouds and the mist to ascend from the end of the earth; He makes lightning for the rain, and brings out the wind from His treasuries and from His storehouses.”   Jeremiah 10:13 AMP

“Like lightning strikes from the east to the west, God’s Power will be swift for the world to see, so shall the coming of the Son of Man be.”  Matthew 24:27

As I was praying, I saw a Church and it had a Lightning Rod on top of it.

The LORD led me to some research.

“A Lightning Rod on a Church is intended to protect the structure from a lightning strike. If lightning strikes the rod it is conducted to the ground by a wire and instead of passing through the structure, that would have caused damage by fire or electrocution the current goes safely into the ground.” (Wikipedia.com)

Spiritually, I believe that a lightning rod represents our upward energy in seeking The LORD, reaching out to what is heavenly, and by inviting down the lightning that grounds us in the earthly realm.  Or otherwise, by becoming spiritually minded AND earthly good!

Our response to God in our focus of loving him and desiring to experience His Power and Presence happens when our focus on God surpasses the earthly realm to marry the heavenly thus being able to represent him in His full Power filled nature and character.

With His presence we experience His wisdom, and our reality is an tuned in two-way relationship.

“Having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!”   2 Timothy 3:5 NKJV  *** Study!

When we fail to focus on the source of ultimate power, who is God, we have no substance to our Faith. Faith without works is dead. (James 2:26)

We must awaken through the conviction of the Holy Spirit and repent and turn away from covering our lives in a formality without the substance of a fruitful, fruit filled and empowered life the way God intended for His people to be!

What does spiritual lightning ground in us?  His Power, His Presence in our lives, and His Word!

The remedy is simple: Be convicted!

Experience the weightiness of His Word as the Holy Spirit convicts you, but you must do something more…

There must be true repentance and that means, turning away from that sin and walking on in obedience with God in a personal relationship with Him.

We must respond to God in a conscious response in thought, feeling, and action to the source of God’s convicting power!

Amen and Amen!

 

In HIS Grace and Mercy,
~ Sherry Edwards Mackey

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What Is Spiritual Grooming?

Spiritual “grooming” is a form of manipulation and control that takes place when someone who seemingly has authority over people.

“Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also, of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.” Acts 20:26-30 KJV

God Wants to Expose What Spiritual Grooming Is….

Spiritual “grooming” is a form of manipulation and control that takes place when someone who seemingly has authority (their own authority not God’s) over people.

These manipulators lead you into doing something or performing an action you would not normally do, and you find it very uneasy and uncomfortable.

Then if you feel pressured and uncomfortable about it and wish to not do it, then you will be made to feel that you are rebellious and disobedient to the man or woman of God!

Word Check : Does not The Word of God say, “Out of the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established?” (2 Corinthians 13:1)

Would it make sense that if God expected you to do what a spiritual leader said, would not God confirm it to you first?

You no longer answer a priest, prophet, pastor, bishop, apostle, or a title of doctor in the front of a title, or whatever they say they are.

You answer to God first and foremost. You do not follow them. Paul said, “Follow me as I follow Christ.” (i Corinthians 11:1)

A Spiritual Groomer is a deceiver, who also manipulates and withholds approval of you if you resist something that they want from you, when you are not comfortable with the act.

The goal of these manipulative people is to break down your own supernatural resistance and brain God gave you, so they gain personal advantages in your life. Put NO trust in man!

This Is a Very Scary Time to Be Alive and Not Know the Truth in the Scriptures

True men and women of God speak for Him. False men and women, who claim they are God’s ministers, speak and do what will ultimately be best for themselves.

They promote their own causes, and they cause divisiveness with those they have trapped in their web of deceit.

For example, I have even seen where false ministers cause division between marriages, for example, and they demand loyalty of them regardless of the contention they cause in their home, because the false ministers make themselves God’s equivalent.

They want you under their influence. They want you and everything that ‘YOU’ means!

“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” 1 John 4:1.

Those who operate under a false ministry, appeal to your needs, and once they meet those needs, you are now obligated to them.

Once they invest in you, their motive in meeting temporal needs, is to meet that leader’s objective; which is to become part of them and their brand of Christianity, so they can control and manipulate you into serving them, instead of serving Christ freely.

“How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides. of the north, I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.” Isaiah 14:12-14 KJV.

God is raising up truth and fruit producers; people who are uncompromisingly right with their words and actions. However, what makes them different is their great transparency, integrity, and honesty before The Body of Christ, and if need be, the world.

Important Point : When these precious truth producers miss it, they are quick to repent to The Body. If there are none who repent, that is your warning to get out of that place!

There are many who run to and fro, who major on titles and lofty positions in Church and religious organizations, announcing “I am Prophet so and so”, and “I am Apostle that”.

They also demand that you call them by these titles too! Like “Bishop this” and “Scribe that.”

They purchase lofty titles even in magazines, internet and television, they have said, “I will ascend the mountain into heaven and exalt myself and my Throne of Authority!”

Beloved of God, They Will Bewitch You!

“O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?” Galatians 3:1 KJV

These deceivers say that God promoted them to high levels of religious prominence, even in some spirit filled organizations.

They are even found among non-denominational spirit filled assemblies and found on Christian television, having multitudes of videos without end.

Those who promote themselves do not realize that every word they speak or write, is being judged by God Almighty.

These pride-filled, head-stomping, title-seeking, ladder-climbing, pew-jumping deceivers will find out there is nothing spirit-filled at the top of man’s pursuits, except for ministry organizations that are led and full of evil spirits.

Serving Christ and His people has nothing to do with anything like a political campaign to win the lofty seats in towers and castle walls.

Obtaining positions in religious Church organizations and businesses is a dog-eat-dog world. This is not the way that The Church of The Living God began, nor how it is now or will end!

Being an apostle, prophet, or any type of leader in the Church is a life of loving servitude. As we mature, we must find the way of laying down our life, the way Jesus laid down His Life for His Friends.

The true Church of Jesus Christ is a spirit-fed; spirit-led life of surrender to the Cross, as we pick it up daily.

We must take ownership of our condition and the words and oaths and the effects of what they have done in our lives. Until we admit our sin and take ownership of our condition, we can never be set free!

Own your words and be responsible and accountable with them. If you say you are going to do something, you better back up your words with your life and actions, or no one will believe you!

Living this way will always cause a superficial life of skimming the surface with people and there will be no lasting fruit. Your ministry will never go further than those limits because we live a life of words.

Stick to your words and back them up with your life, or you will never be taken seriously. Chicken scratching, trying to be the early bird with the worm, not realizing you cannot fly and you are stuck in the limits of the coop.

With the Eagle, it is not so, because when we learn to mount up in prayer, worship, and study and we will soar on the wings of the wind of The Word of God!

If we don’t back up our word and live a life of integrity, honesty and loyalty. we will live superficial lives.

If our word is not our bond, no one can trust us. When we sign an agreement that we will pay so much for a service or item, and we don’t pay it, no creditor can trust us. What is worse, is God cannot trust us.

Important Note : I cannot, nor can you, help anyone if they think they know everything. I can only do what The LORD says, and once I have done everything He said, my job is over.

I am not responsible if the person rebels, The LORD removes me from that situation.

Our conversations or WORDS, not only speak, but are written in the way we present ourselves.

We also speak with our body language, mannerisms, and experiences. It is The Will of God to be holy with every word and in all our conversations dealing with mankind, business, and the world.

Important Note : When truth producers miss it, they are quick to repent to The Body. If there is supposedly leadership and they sin, make mistakes and blunders and never publicly repent, that is a sure sign of the timing with the warning to get out of that place! It will not get any better!

As I close, the things I have written are things I have experienced in my life personally and I am not writing about some theory, or some schools teaching or book, or someone else’s experience.

My teaching and writing came directly from my prayer life as I abide, and I listen, in Jesus’ Name.

And as I study The Word of God, I remain in obedience. For His Word is forever settled in heaven and on earth by Christ Jesus.

Amen and amen!
 

In HIS Grace and Mercy,
~ Sherry Edwards Mackey

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The Eternal Foundation

I will NEVER claim that I have arrived and are perfect in this life, because I am so far from it!

“Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind.” Philippians 3:12-16 NKJV.

I will NEVER claim that I have arrived and are perfect in this life, because I am so far from it!

On this side of Glory, there are always new things to learn and more room to grow, because my flesh will never be perfect, not until I have my new body.

“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, The LORD Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.” Philippians 3:20-21 NKJV.

Beloved let me be explicitly clear, with discernment, we are to judge EVERYTHING by The Spirit, and it must be confirmed by The Word of God, (The Bible) and that is our only standard we are to measure ourselves by and live by.

We must ask The Holy Ghost daily to open His Word so that we rightly understand His Purpose for each of us.

The Bible is a spiritual book, not a textbook, written by men who were anointed by God and moved by The Holy Ghost in revelational knowledge to those men, who were graced to write the Holy Scriptures.

That is why it is so especially important to spend quality time alone with God, so that His Spirit will teach us to know the scriptures for ourselves and to lead and guide us into all truth.

I do not mean to be redundant, but God will not leave me alone about this. We must get beyond this truth; “Never will we ever get to a place where we grow beyond our first love relationship ministry to HIM.”

We cannot rely on our personal corporate prayer team, and even those we trust. He longs for us! Individuality! Not even with spouse! He wants you!

The LORD has not left me alone in this. Our total focused personal one-on-one, fellowship time, is Him!

When we get desperate enough in our circumstances and it brings us to our knees, this is the precise time in prayer to get focused into the intimacy of learning how to stop talking and by making up our mind to be still, small, quiet, and listening to Him. (Bringing our thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ.)

As we come to the end of us and we seek God in our desperation, it is then when our visions, dreams, and purposes are conceived and those in motion that are in danger of being aborted energized!

Do you know that The LORD, The God of Heaven, The King of The Universe and Creator of everything and beyond — wants us to pray and petition Him?

But first, He wants us to make our flesh and our mind to be still and quiet so that when we are truly quiet and still before Him, He can share intimate things, yes, deep things, and secret things with us who are the trustworthy Bride and experience full fellowship with The Author and Finisher of our Faith!

To meet God’s Need is to fulfill that journey everyday, to present our bodies unto Him — holy and blameless, and going way beyond acceptable service going way beyond not only offering acceptable sacrifice which is a “reasonable service.”

I do not know about you, but I am tired of yo-yo Christianity. I want to be full service, full manifestation in that place of intimacy that he can do wonders through me for souls, and I claim this for The Body of Christ.

I asked, “Why LORD, do you want me to keep saying this over and over.”

He told me, “Because most of My People will not do it!”

It is scary, how many people do not have that personal one-on-one time with God. And I do not mean any harm here, but if we are not in intimacy with Christ, who are we intimate with?

Do not get me wrong, I love to pray corporately, but that will never take that intimate time with My Groom.

That is my personal intimate place of fulfillment, which is where He shares secrets only He and I know about, and He impregnates me with Vision and Dreams. For as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.

No matter where we go in Ministry, our first Ministry is always to Him and never deviate from that place. If I must shut everything down, I will do it.

I can do nothing without Him, and I refuse to minister in the flesh, and Lord forbid, a familiar spirit! If the Spirit is quenched, I will shut everything down in my life and ministry.

Everything comes from that place with him — yes, Prayers, Intercessions and Intimacy. No one can do that for you. You must fall head-over-heels in love with The LORD.

The Holy Bible It is Spiritual Book that must be spiritually discerned. The Bible is our Life Handbook to guide and direct our lives, and that is why we must feast upon it daily.

It is a Spiritual Book that must be spiritually discerned and digested by reason of use. That is why such emphasis is on reading The Bible, praying The Bible, study The Bible, memorize, and live it the best we know how.

As we get a greater spiritual understanding of the Scriptures, they will cause us to be Spiritually enlightened, led, and will guide us into all truth for it is about having a daily moment by moment relationship with Jesus Christ.

You cannot separate The LORD from The Word — for they are one! Never does God, one time, contradict the Scriptures!

“But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” Hebrews 5:14 NKJV.

It does not matter how spiritual an experience is, or how real a manifestation is, or how there are bits and pieces of The Word mingled through their messages, (mixture of truth and error) we are to rightly divide the word of truth by reason of use our senses are exercise to discern both good and evil.

Heaven and earth will pass away, but His Word will never pass away, and it is of no personal interpretation, so we must ask The Holy Ghost to teach us, for He will lead and guide us into all truth and in all sincerity, we must ask The Holy Ghost if we have believed a lie in darkness, that we ask The LORD to lead us in the way we should go.

We are to measure everything we live, breathe, and do by having an extremely close relationship with The LORD Jesus and not man, or if we lean on man, (1 Kings 18:21) it will pierce our hand and we will begin to lean more on people through our prayer meetings and other assemblies.

There is nothing wrong with assemblies, but we must be so careful to keep God first!

We must learn to lean totally, against that Word and there is nothing wrong with you in questioning things, which is extremely important and that is your right as a child of God and for your protection according to Scripture! You have that right to know; for that is how we learn.

My prayer personally, is that I want to be transparent and candid before The Body of Christ and especially to those I am intricately connected to in ministry.

I have no fear and nothing to hide from, so we should ask when we have questions about things.

I am not saying I am perfect in my flesh and know it all. I know very well that I do not know everything, but in all honesty, integrity, transparency, and loyalty, we must remain with the foundation of God’s Word, because our word is our bond, both in Scripture and it should be with each other. What you see is what you get with me.

We will know when we are not balanced and in God’s order. When this happens to us, it is time to take a break and pull away from the internet and all ministries. Pull away and pay attention to those who matter most to you. God, family, and ministry.

As I close, I want to remind all that “we” must bring our flesh under subjection to the Spirit of God.

And now the ball is in your court! Begin to spend quality private and intimate time with The LORD in your Prayer Closet.

Then once we have properly ministered to The LORD’s needs, then there is the matter of family needs, and then the Ministry to The Body of Christ. That is God’s order.

It matters not how big or small the ministry or mountain may seem in your life; make sure you minister outwardly from that inward flow of The Holy Ghost that we spend in intimacy and fellowship with him.

Ministers make sure as there are those who need care, and for those who want and need Godly Leadership.

People of God, you must realize that there are those who are truly God’s men and women, who truly realize they really love and care for your soul as one that must give an account to God.

 

In HIS Grace and Mercy,
~ Sherry Edwards Mackey

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