Prophet vs. Soothsayer

 Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. (Matthew 7:15).

Right now, we’re living in “uncertain times.” People are scared and are looking for answers, for the certainty of what’s to come. We are also living in a time where false prophets, aka soothsayers, are popping up all over the place, especially on social media. So how do you tell the difference between a prophet that God sends and a soothsayer sent by satan? You can differentiate between both through the Word of God and heavy reliance upon the Holy Spirit.

There’s a consistent pattern of the prophets in the Bible. When they came or were called upon to deliver a message, it was a warning, a foretelling of the future (good or bad), instructions for a corrupt spiritual state of a people, or to declare God’s judgment (good or bad). The prophet Moses prophesied blessings to the Israel children if they obeyed God and cursings for disobeying God (Deuteronomy 28). Deborah, the prophetess, told Barak that God will subdue Jabin, a king of Cannan, who oppressed the Israel children for many years into his hands (Judges 4). The prophet Isaiah gave Judah and the Israel children instructions to turn from their wicked ways (Isaiah 1). The prophet Jeremiah prophesied to Jerusalem about God’s judgment of destruction and the Babylonian seizure because they disobeyed God (Jeremiah 16).

Unlike today, Biblically, people were not waiting in line, anxiously to hear a word from a prophet, usually because they were aware of their spiritual state and knew that the news they would receive was “not sweet” to their ears. I used to listen to this prophetess/pastor religiously driving home from work. She had a 3:00 p.m. radio segment where you could hear her prophesying over people and people’s testimonies of her prophecy coming true. People would line up to get a word from her. One day, I asked the Holy Spirit if I should go to her to inquire about a personal matter. The Holy Spirit immediately responded with, “She’s a witch.” Later, He revealed that it does not matter if what she (a soothsayer) speaks comes to pass. God will prove your love for Him, to see if you will obey Him or go after other gods (Deuteronomy 13:1-4).

A false prophet is similar to a soothsayer. They say what’s soothing to the ears. The only difference is that a false prophet comes in the name of Jesus. Here are some tips to determine the difference between a prophetess and a soothsayer:

• A prophet cannot give a word upon request. This is not Biblical. There is no record in the Bible where you will read a group of people standing in line to receive individual prophecies. Prophets spend a lot of their time in solitude, waiting to hear from the Holy Spirit. They are not to prophesy unless God has given them a word (Deuteronomy 18:19-22).
• If you are given a message about your current situation that is contrary to God’s laws, commandments, covenants, precepts, judgments, and statutes, you are hearing from a soothsayer. For example, if the Holy Spirit gave you specific instructions to follow and confirmed the instructions through the Word of God, and a prophet comes along with a contrary message and gives you a scripture to gain your confidence, then this is satan. Read the story of the man of God and the old prophet in Bethel in 1 Kings 13.
• If a prophet says to you that God is going to bless you and you know that you are out of the will of God and living a sinful life, then you are being lied to (Jeremiah 23:16-17).

Remember queens, before receiving a word from a prophet, ask the Holy Spirit to verify if the word is for you and if it’s from God.

 XOXO,

Jay

Are Your Angels Out of Commission? Part II

Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word (Psalm 103:20).

Last week, we addressed how to commission your angels (see previous week's article, "Are Your Angels Out of Commission?). This week, we will address how angels act on our behalf and on behalf of others once they are commissioned through the Word of God.

One day, the Holy Spirit awoke me suddenly out of my sleep, and He compelled me to pray immediately for one of my sisters because satan had sent a fiery dart to devastate her. I immediately started praying, "No weapon formed against [my sister's name] or her family shall prosper. Every tongue that riseth against her in judgment, she shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and her righteousness is of the Lord, thus sayeth the Lord (Isaiah 54:17)." A week later, I received a call from my sister telling me that my brother-in-law had a stroke and had to have emergency heart surgery. Today, my brother-in-law is in excellent condition, as if he had never been ill. The Word of God did not say that a weapon would not form; it says that it would not prosper. When my sister had shared the news of my brother-in-law's rapid recovery, the Holy Spirit reminded me that the angels of God hearken at God's Word and God's Word only. So when we pray God's Word over someone, we are sending out our angels to accomplish the Word of God in that person's life.

God commands His angels to protect those that are not yet Saved but are predestined to be Saved (Psalm 91:11 and Hebrews 1:14), therefore, giving them the chance to repent. Years ago, I heard a testimony from a young lady who tried to take her life by stepping in front of a moving train. The train hit her, and as she was lying there waiting to die, she heard the song "Amazing Grace" playing. An angel was sent to spare her life. She said she felt such peace. Shortly after this incident, she asked Jesus to become her Savior and Lord.

If you have been praying the Word of God for seed money to start a business, God will use his angels to position people to give, including a stranger off the street. About a year ago, I started praying aloud, Deuteronomy 28:2-8. I would pray these scriptures often on my daily walks. A few months later, I needed an item for my business, but I could not afford it at the time. While I was out running an errand, a man walked up to me and offered the item to me for free. My mouth dropped. Two months following, during a business call, the person I was on the phone with switched up the conversation and asked me, "what do you need?" My response was silence. Then I started to fumble over my words. I was not aware of how and when God would position His angels to bring forth blessings that I have been praying for. Later, the Holy Spirit brought to my attention the verses in Deuteronomy that I have constantly been praying do not come back void (Isaiah 55:11), so I should not be surprised that God’s Words accomplish what it sets out to do.

As we advance queens, I hope you find inspiration in the shared testimonies of commissioning your angels. As a reminder, for your angels to move on your behalf, you not only have to speak the Word of God, but you must remain in the Word of God (John 15:7).

 

XOXO,

 

Jay

Are Your Angels Out of Commission?

  Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word (Psalm 103:20).

Every Born Again Believer is assigned ministering angels (Hebrews 1:14). Each ministering angel has a purpose. Some are sent to protect us from harm (Psalm 91:11-12) and bring and carry blessings (Luke 1:19). Many of our angels are out of commission because we do not understand how to employ them. Some of our angels sit, waiting for instructions. Imagine one of the Sim’s characters from the video game, The Sims. The characters do not move unless a player sends them a command; otherwise, they stand there until we tell them what to do. To get our angels to act on our behalf, we must speak the Word of God (Psalm 103:20).

God’s angels are created to glorify God (Psalm 148:2 and Luke 2:13). Therefore, they only listen to the Word of God. It’s not that they refuse to listen to anyone else, whereas they are not capable of listening to another’s word. For example, if your native language is English and that is the only language you know or understand, you will have much difficulty following commands in another language. God’s angels operate in the same manner. When you speak the Word of God, the Bible says they hearken to God’s Word (Psalm 103:20). Hearken in Hebrew means to obey, take orders, hear, listen, pay heed, or attend. So when you speak the Word of God, they will hearken to you just as they do God.

While Daniel prayed on behalf of the children of Israel according to the Word of God, the angel Gabriel came to give him skill and understanding concerning a matter (Daniel 9:20-27). On another occasion, when Daniel fasted and prayed according to the Word of God, it took twenty-one days for him to receive a response because one of the angels of darkness tried to stop Daniel’s prayer from being answered. However, Michael, the Archangel, withstood the angel of darkness, so Daniel was able to receive an understanding of what was to come of the children of Israel in the last days (Daniel 10:14). When we pray God’s Word, people, things, positions, and situations get moved around in the spiritual realm before they are manifested naturally.

Queens, be mindful that we do not pray to angels (Colossians 2:18). We are to pray to God only. When we pray the Word of God aloud, then the angels move. Angels do not work in the same capacity of the Holy Spirit; they are not a discerner of thoughts (Matthew 12:25 and Hebrews 4:12). Therefore, we must speak the Word of God.

Next week, we will continue with part two of “Are Your Angels Out of Commission?”

XOXO,

Jay

What Did You Just Say?

 Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be (James 3:9-10).

As Jesus’ daughters, we’re only supposed to speak blessings, not cursings. However, this isn’t always the case if we are unaware of what we say at a moment’s notice. For example, I was in a middle of a business transaction, and I misunderstood the person explaining the process to a procedure. So instead of asking the person to clarify, I responded with, “I am confused.” At that moment, I came into agreement with the Spirit of Confusion because I spoke the words, “I am confused.” I spoke a curse over myself. The Greek definition of confusion is instability, disorder, commotion, confusion, tumult, inconstant, and unstable. A confused person has no stability (James 1:8) – they are indecisive and can never make up their mind. God is not the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33) but peace. The Holy Spirit quickly brought my error to my attention. I quickly repented, rebuked, and recanted the Spirit of Confusion and agreed with the Spirit of Peace. When we say words or phrases like, “I am going to kill you,”  “This headache is killing me,” “I am broke,” or “That child is going to be the death of you,” we speak cursings of murder, death, and poverty into our lives and the lives of others – even if we say them in sarcasm. The Bible says if we decree a thing, it shall be established (Job 22:28). As daughters of King Jesus, we should only be saying things like, “Beloved, I wish that you prosper, be in health, even as your soul prospers (3 John 1:2),” “I can do all things through Christ, which strengthens me (Philippians 4:13),” or “May the Lord bless you and keep you (Numbers 6:24).”

Two kingdoms exist in our world: the Kingdom of Light (Jesus’ Kingdom) (Colossians 1:13; Acts 26:18; 1 Peter 2:9), which is in this world, but not of this world and the kingdom of darkness (satan’s kingdom), which is of this world (John 17:14-16). In both kingdoms, the words we speak come to life (Job 22:28), whether we mean them or not, or whether we misspoke without understanding. In both kingdoms, angels carry out our spoken words to ensure that they come to pass. If we speak blessings according to the Will of God, then the angels in the Kingdom of Light MUST perform what we say – this is the Law of God, and everyone and everything must adhere to the Law of God for it to take effect (Psalm 103:20). If we speak cursings according to the kingdom of darkness, then the angels of darkness will perform what we say – this is also law according to the Word of God (Proverbs 18:21). This is why it’s crucial to spend time in God’s Word so that we can know and have an understanding of what we say, what we should say, and when we should be quiet.

The more I spend studying the Word of God, I have learned to speak Words of Life (the Living Word of God) over my circumstances and in the lives of others. Within a week, I have watched my life change for the better by speaking a verse about over my situation. I have also seen someone else’s life improve within an hour from speaking the Word of God to them and over their problem. And unfortunately, I have also seen someone’s life, who’s no longer living, down spiral this year, because of the cursing, they unknowingly spoke over their life. So from now on, queens, I encourage you to speak these words over yourselves, “Let no corrupt words come out of my mouth, only that which is good and helpful and ministers grace to the hearers (Ephesians 4:29).” I say this verse every day, and it helps keep me in alignment with the Word of God.

 

XOXO,

Jay

A Queen in Bondage: Not Reigning, but Being Reigned Upon

 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ (Romans 5:17).

If you are struggling with your self-esteem or your identity, then today’s reading is for you. If you have accepted Jesus as your Savior and Lord, then you are Jesus’ daughter. Point. Blank. Period. Forget about the other titles and labels that you use or culture uses to identify you; this can send you down the rabbit hole and get you further away from what Jesus calls you. As Jesus’ daughter, you have been given the keys to His Kingdom and have access to all spiritual blessings in heavenly places (Ephesians 1:3).

You have the right to liberty, life, peace, healing, prosperity, wealth, success, joy, love, forgiveness, comfort, talents, spiritual gifts, the desires of your heart, and the list goes on. Unfortunately, religion has blinded us to our inheritance. Religion has bound us to go to Jesus as peasants instead of as His daughters - the Bible instructs us to go to the throne of grace with boldness (Hebrews 4:16). For example, this past weekend, the devil brought this gospel song, “For Your Glory,” to place in my spirit to sing to Jesus as I go through the day. As I started to pay attention to the lyrics, I said, “Lord, I do not feel settled in my spirit singing this ‘praise and worship' song. Although the writer meant well, the lyrics are contrary to the Word of God.” The first few verses state, “Lord if I find favor in Your sight ...” As Jesus’ daughter, I already have favor (Ephesians 4:7), so to question God’s grace towards me is to doubt His Word. The second stanza of verses states, “I'm desperately waiting To be where You are ...” As Jesus’ daughter, I am not desperate, and Jesus is always with me. He tells me so in His Word (Matthew 28:20). The third stanza of verses state, “For Your glory, I will do anything Just to see You, To behold You as my King.” As Jesus’ daughter, He doesn’t require us to write a blank check (but satan will) – to suggest that we’ll do anything. Jesus desires our obedience if we want to see God glorified in our lives (1 Samuel 15:22 and Matthew. 5:16). The Holy Spirit revealed to me that if you cannot see God’s grace in your life, that’s because you have not received the abundance of grace (Romans 5:17) and you are a queen in bondage. You are called to be a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9). The abundance of grace is for the taking, but you cannot perceive it.

When we receive the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness, it’s easy for us to hear and see Jesus’ hand in our lives. We can perceive who Jesus is and who we are in Him. As Jesus’ daughters, queens of a royal priesthood, we have been given the authority to reign over our circumstances through the Holy Spirit. We must align our minds with the Word of God and verbally declare the Word of God over our lives, despite our feelings and our circumstances.

Queens, as you go throughout your week, declare, “I am a blessed woman. I am blessed in the city. I am blessed in the field. I am blessed when I go out. I am blessed when I come in. (Deuteronomy 28:3 and 6).” Reign over your circumstances and do not allow them to reign over you.

 

XOXO,

Jay

What Season of Life Are You In?

 Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing: and a wise man's heart discerneth both time and judgment. (Ecclesiastes 8:5).

About ten years ago, Jesus presented me with the opportunity to be married, but I unknowingly passed it up because I did not know what season of life I was in – I didn’t know what I know now. At the time, I was in a friendship with a man that I once dated, meaning we still talked on the phone or in passing, and we went to lunch or dinner now and then (It sounds like dating, I know, right. LOL). In hindsight, I believe that God allowed this man to come into my life for a set time because I was going through some things, and I learned a lot from him through our friendship. The keyword in this sentence is a set time. Our friendship was to only last for a specific season, but I allowed our friendship to prolong due to my lack of knowledge and understanding. God sent people to tell me that if you want to be married, you will have to cut off your relationship with this person. Because we never had sex and I was not dating anyone at the time, I did not see our friendship as a threat to a future relationship with someone else. However, God told me that He had a better man for me (At the time, I wasn’t sure if that was God’s voice). He even showed me in a dream where another man tried to get to me, but my friend kept blocking him. I let the opportunity to get married in that season pass me by. However, because of the grace of God, I have been allotted another chance.

So, ladies, I beseech you not to allow culture to dictate your seasons in life. Stop letting the world tell you when your biological clock is ticking or how old you should be to start a business or pursue your career. The world’s time clock does not matter to God, and God works on His time, not ours. According to God, the creator of time, there’s a season for everything (Ecclesiastes 3:1-11). How many blessings have you left on the table because you did not know what season of life you were in?

As you ponder over your life and the choices you have made, do not grow bitter. Be grateful that God has brought this knowledge to your attention (Proverbs 3:11 and Proverbs 9:8-9). Do not allow satan to cause you to miss the blessings in your current season by focusing on your past mistakes or looking ahead. Rest reassured that blessings behold you in the future because Jesus went ahead and paved the way (Jeremiah 29:11). Jesus wants us to live in the moment with Him. Spend time with Jesus as soon as you can and consult Him about which season of life you’re in so that you can move accordingly (Ephesians 5:15-17).

XOXO,

Jay

Hoodwinked Christians

 Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them; (Deuteronomy 11:16).

Many Christians are being hoodwinked into following after the spirit of the anti-Christ. I was once one of those Christians before Jesus Christ delivered me from the spirit of religion. In Greek, anti-Christ is defined as an opponent of the Messiah. An anti-Christ is also an ideology that is in contrast, requital, or substitution of the Word of God (2 John 1:7-11). Because satan is subtle, he will use many tactics to deceive Christians into thinking that they are following the Truth. Sometimes, he’ll use other believers to misguide us unknowingly. Below are some tricks of the enemy that he uses to mislead Christians.

• The Holy Spirit has given you a confirmation through the Word of God or instructions about a particular area in your life. After sharing the news with another believer, they mislead you by giving you contrary advice and backing it with Biblical scripture or telling you what the Holy Spirit told them about your matter. If you choose to heed to their instruction versus the Holy Spirit, then you are following the spirit of the anti-Christ. The enemy will use the Word of God against us to get us to disobey God (Genesis 3:1 and 1 Kings 13).
•  If you follow after a pastor or preacher who believes that the Bible is not without fallacy, you are following after the anti-Christ (2 Timothy 3:16 and Psalm 119:160).
•  If you follow after doctrine that uses the scripture to glorify man and not Jesus, you are following after the anti-Christ. E.g., a leader uses verses from the Bible to push their agenda by persuading people to do what they want. Ask yourself, “How will this action or outcome glorify Jesus?

These are just a few ways that the enemy hoodwinks Christians. However, he’ll use whatever tactic is appealing to each of us. So we must be diligent in spending time with Jesus so we do not fall prey to the enemy. Through prayer, reading, and studying the Word of God, comes discernment.

Ladies, let’s watch and pray that we do not enter temptation (Matthew 6:13 and Matthew 26:4). 

XOXO,

Jay