|City on a Hill - Writings for Refuge

Matthew 11:7-15 As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. For this is he of whom it is written: 'BEHOLD, I SEND MY MESSENGER BEFORE YOUR FACE, WHO WILL PREPARE YOUR WAY BEFORE YOU.' "Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force . For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come. He who has ears to hear, let him hear! You are greatly affecti

(Ask the Holy Spirit to help you see this His way (not my way or yours) before you read. He will if you ask) Deuteronomy 13:1-5 NLT — “Suppose there are prophets among you or those who dream dreams about the future, and they promise you signs or miracles, and the predicted signs or miracles occur. If they then say, ‘Come, let us worship other gods’—gods you have not known before— do not listen to them. The LORD your God is testing you to see if you truly love him with all your heart and soul. Serve only the LORD your God and fear him alone. Obey his commands, listen to his voice, and cling to him. The false prophets or visionaries who try to lead you astray must be put to death, for they encourage rebellion against the LORD your God, who redeemed you from slavery and brought you out of the land of Egypt. Since they try to lead you astray from the way the LORD your God commanded you to live, you must put them to death. In this way you will purge the evil from among you. False prophecy

 David had a unique love for God. He is truly the man after God's heart. When God judged David for his sin with Bathsheba, it was by his son, Absalom's, treachery. Absalom won Jerusalem away from his father David, and suddenly David was on the run. David knew God was judging him. David didn't ascribe the trouble to Absalom. This had massive consequences in the way David saw what was happening. David saw clearly what God was doing and he passed God's test of fidelity. You see, David saw it was God that made the ark of the covenant holy, and that God wanted Jerusalem to be the place His power dwelt forever. David didn't use God to get an advantage against Absalom... He would never use God. That is what made Him a man after God's heart. David put God's desire above his own and this put David in the safest place possible: 2 Samuel 15:23-26 NKJV — And all the country wept with a loud voice, and all the people crossed over. The king himself also crossed over t

You cannot serve God and mammon: Matthew 6:23-25 NKJV — “But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness! “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life , what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Mammon, as a Biblical term for riches, is often used to describe the debasing influence of material wealth. The Greek word means "confidence personified." Mammon isn't limited to money. Money is a tool to buy mammon. Mammon is confidence in your material strength. You cannot serve God and mammon at the same time. This concept is essential to fidelity... To seeing the kingdom come through you. You canno

When the flesh hears about the war against the saints, it imagines it full blown at a point that is too late for the victory. The Holy Spirit sees the war against the saints much differently than your mind, emotions, and logic do. You need to get the Spirit's vision if you want victory in the war. If you hear about the war against the saints and are bracing for murder, theft, crucifixion, etc... That is your flesh trying to deal with what the earth has seen in the past. That is fear, not faith. The war against the saints is like the war against Jesus. This is how Satan fought Jesus: Luke 4:1-13 NKJV — Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry. And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” But Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written,

Consistency in pursuing God isn't a personality trait, it's the fruit of a very specific kind of prayer life. I've been a part of the church my entire 50 years, and immersed in the night and day prayer movement for about 12 years. I've seen hundreds of people get excited about God's plans for 2, 3, even 5 years, but rarely have I seen anyone stay consistently zealous for more than a couple of years. Usually, zealousness for the move of God begins with seeing how God wants to make us a part of what He is doing. This vision can keep you in zeal for a while. This is the seed of faithfulness. It's what God uses to touch our flesh, but it is our flesh that is initially touched. No one was born Holy. Jesus always starts the conversation by asking us what WE want: John 1:38-39 NKJV — Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, “What do you seek?” They said to Him, “Rabbi” (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), “where are You staying?” He said t

 Rightly Dividing The Word The most important aspect of understanding God's word and His plans is to ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand what you are reading from His perspective, not from your flesh. The flesh literally profits NOTHING: John 6:63 NKJV — “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. When you truly embrace that the word, end time plans, Gospel, prophets, Psalms, and the law aren't something to be "figured out" but rather living words meant to lead you, then a freedom to understand comes in to your heart. I picture the Bible being a set of words, sentences, phrases, concepts, and stories God wants to use to instruct me. Sometimes he uses a word. He might confirm a thought He spoke to me by showing me a word. Sometimes He uses a sentence.  He might light on one sentence in a morning devotional time that jumps out at me and opens my heart to hear His instruction or directio

God is looking for people that want a new nature, not new circumstances. The circumstances we are experiencing are a result of our fallen nature. Our circumstances will never change until our nature agrees with God's. This is a message to God's people in the way they deal with circumstances: -lack -broken relationship -need -enemies -wrong doing Isaiah 58:5-12 NKJV — Is it a fast that I have chosen, A day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush, And to spread out sackcloth and ashes? Would you call this a fast, And an acceptable day to the LORD? “Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; When you see the naked, that you cover him, And not hide yourself from your own flesh? Then your light shall break forth like the mornin

God gives everyone what they want. When we get leadership that is evil, it's because that is what we wanted: Leviticus 26:13-18 NKJV — I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that you should not be their slaves; I have broken the bands of your yoke and made you walk upright. ‘But if you do not obey Me, and do not observe all these commandments, and if you despise My statutes, or if your soul abhors My judgments, so that you do not perform all My commandments, but break My covenant, I also will do this to you: I will even appoint terror over you, wasting disease and fever which shall consume the eyes and cause sorrow of heart. And you shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it. I will set My face against you, and you shall be defeated by your enemies. Those who hate you shall reign over you, and you shall flee when no one pursues you. ‘And after all this, if you do not obey Me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins. God has a