I had a vision in the night. In the vision,  I was taken to Heaven where I was stood before a massive,  two-sided door, easily over 15 foot tall. It was curved at the top and both sides of the door had small, round door knobs. On one side was written "royalty", on the other "priesthood". When I awoke, I asked the Lord "what does this mean"? I wondered why He had shown me this door. He said -

"My people need to open both doors to fully enter into My glory.  Many have opened one door or the other, but not both. Some understand and walk in their kingdom authority as royalty  - as kings and lords unto Me but neglect their priestly duties. Other's understand their purpose as priests on behalf of others, to intercede before Me and minister to Me on their behalf but do not comprehend their royal duties, to rule and reign beside Me. Very few walk as "royal priests" - multifunctioning saints, able to rule with Me and serve with Me, simultaneously. 

Humility is the key needed to open this door. The knobs will not turn without a meek and contrite heart.

Enter in, My people, enter in fully to My glory! You are not called to passively sit but to stand and go, to speak and show, to love and care, to sacrifice and share, with hands and feet, not merely your money. DO NOT MISS THE MARK OF YOUR HIGH CALLING ANY LONGER. The souls I will touch through you are far too important and valuable.  As My kings and priests you are to enact and demonstrate MY Word and My Will through changed lives and the demonstration of My Spirit in your midst - that will short-circuit their religious mind sets which they use to explain away the lack of My power and My presence, saith The Lord."

"Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee, turn not away"

Well, Lord, I'm askin' of you, seekin' you, needin' you today -

 May I borrow a cup of grace?

 May I have the mercy you give so generously?

 Oh Lord, I succumbed again  - committed sin,

 and I need you, I'm askin' you to,

 kiss my soul

 Touch me now.

 Deliver and renew

  till I am who

 You desire me to be -

 whole,  healthy,  complete,                free

 My heart is dying in me

 Unless you revive me

  I'll be weeping and gnashing my teeth,

 later when there will be no release  -

 so I'd rather weep and gnash my teeth now

 while there's time still

   to repent and obey your will

  

 Everyone dances to the rhythm of their own beat. The sick ones are the ones who can't hear the music they're supposed to be dancing to. Some have never heard it at all. This is, truly, a tragedy for which I'm appalled., for God is the author of music. Music originated in Heaven. Music is eternal.  Music is spiritual,  it is the language of the spirit, brought into the natural realm so that we might have a taste of Heaven on earth, it's a connection and contact with The Creator of music. 

God has given each of us a personal song - composed by Him just for us. He sings this song over us, usually at night as we sleep, when our soul is calmer and more attentive.  He comforts us with it. The melody was made the moment we were born but the lyrics keep getting added to as we live out our days on this earth. Note: Jesus had a song sung over him at his birth...

The saddest people  are the ones who can't hear in their hearts the song born of love that God has written and performs just for them. 

                                  "HE WHO HAS EARS TO HEAR, LET HIM HEAR"

Jesus said this a whopping 15 times, including Mt:11:15, Mk:4:9, Luke 8:8, and Rev:2:7, to name a few.  Jesus clearly understood and recognized that some people could (desired to) hear HIM, while other's couldn't.  

 If love keeps no record of wrongs than how can there be a sin record? I asked The Lord. 

    The sin record is kept up until the Day of Salvation.  I keep a record so you can see what a great love I have for you - that I would forgive so much! From the Day of Salvation there is no sin record kept for those who love Me and hate their sin.

     For those who reject My love - their sin record remains  - in great detail  - so they can see how much they really needed My forgiveness.  You know, most people don't really believe they are sinners  - at least not sinful enough to be sent to Hell - What they don't see is this - Heaven - My Father's Kingdom  - is a place of perfection,  without spot or blemish - He wants nothing but the best for His children,  My brethren and My bride for eternity  - He will not allow any imperfections there - to let someone who prefers sin over Me into Heaven,  would go against our Father's will. 

So you see, the sin record is not kept for those who have received My blood sacrifice  but it's kept for those who rebel - so they can see how truly sinful they really are.

The model of mediocrity

  

As I awoke recently I heard God speak this to me - "The model of mediocrity" - Mediocrity is the state or quality of being mediocre.  "Mediocre" means "of only ordinary or moderate quality,  neither good nor bad; barely adequate".

I believe the Spirit is exposing ministers today who make an effort to surround themselves with spiritual mediocrity because they themselves are mediocre.  Or because they want to stand out in a crowd. Either way, they do not want anyone else in the fellowship to "outshine" them - they like being the brightest light in the firmament  - so they suppress anyone else who has the anointing or who may surpass them in any way. If someone enters in who can upstage them - they suppress them or move them from the fellowship because they must have all the attention, all the time, or at least most of it. It's fleshly and it's pathetic, it really is. It's a petty, soulish form of leadership that is barely adequate.  They only want people around them who praise them and tell them how wonderful they are. This is fine, if they deserve praise in the moment, if they are wonderful but what if they aren't? What if they're teaching is mediocre  - or worse, it's false. What if their charachter needs correcting? If they aren't humble and teachable they'll have removed anyone who could correct them till there's no one left to do it, so the fellowship spirals downward till it breaks apar after too many saints have been wounded. God forbid.  This kind of fellowship is now being disbanded by the Holy Spirit of the Lord. In Jesus name. God is leading us to healthy pastures with healthy pastors who test those who say they are apostles but are not - but are liars. Just as false prophets will soon be exposed, God is exposing false pastors - who will submit to no one, yet expect all to submit to them. Saying they are submitted to someone a thousand miles away won't cut it anymore  - we need accountability in our own fellowships - to one another.  That's why God made a mother and a father to raise children - so they can be accountable to each other by correcting and balancing each other. Both bring something unique to their child's upbringing. Similarly,  we need a plurality of elders in our fellowships to raise healthy spiritual children.  Selah.

Part Three

 

2 Timothy 1:9&10 -

"Who hath saved us, and called us with a holy calling,  not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace; which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, but is now made manifest by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ,  who has abolished death, and has brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel: where unto I, Christopher Michael am appointed a preacher, and an apostle and a teacher of the gentiles"

Yet another benefit of His appearing in us now, is that our Holy calling is made manifest to us. Paul's was to be an apostle, to preach to and teach the gentiles  - this happens to be my calling also. What is yours? Do you know? When He appears in us, we find out who HE says we are, not who our pastor or any other man or woman says we are. Too many precious saints are wondering in churches in darkness,  wondering who they are (or worse, never questioning their true identity in Christ), thinking to themselves  "There has to be more"! There is! So much more! Our calling has nothing to do with "our works", that is, anything we can do in our own strength or ability apart from God,  and everything to do with "His works", that is, everything HE is capable of (Hint: with God all things are possible!) You are not called by God to usher or park cars or any of the other works of service churches busy people with, making people feel as if they belong because they have something to do. You may be called by your pastor to do these things but not God. This is not to say they shouldn't be done, only that they are not God's calling on their lives. 

We should not limit ourselves to whatever the pastor asks us to do, rather we must earnestly pursue and do what God has purposed us and graced us to do. Welcome to the Spirit led and Spirit filled life! Where you are personally attended to and led by The Holy Spirit Himself! He is our "Bridal Attendant", He comes to us with a caravan of camels laden with gifts! Tongues,  prophecy, healings, miracles and more! Have you received your gifts? He builds us into a Holy Habitation" - He matures us in our calling - you should be teaching,  prophecying, evangelizing and pastoring - every saint should be growing in each of these anointings!

A final thought,  a warning:  "And with all DECIEVABLENESS of unrighteousness in them that perish because they received not THE LOVE OF THE TRUTH THAT THEY MIGHT BE SAVED. And for this cause Gid shall send them strong delusion,  THAT THEY SHOULD BELIEVE A LIE."

Jesus testified "I am the Way, the Truth and The Life". If you do not love His appearing  - in your heart, in your soul, right now, at this moment,  by His Spirit  - if you refuse the baptism of the Holy Spirit,  for whatever reason - then you do not love His ways, you do not love Truth and you will not receive (eternal) life - if you do not "love the Truth" it means you love the Lie instead - there is no middle ground.  There are entire denominations today who are under a strong delusion sent by God - for they believe lies, quite a few in fact, and they cast out and crucify the truth when they hear it. Flee from the midst of them. Do not hesitate.  You have been warned. 

Part Two

 

Psalm 102:16&17 -

"When the Lord shall build up Zion, He shall appear in His glory. HE will regard the prayer of the destitute and not despise their prayer"

We are Zion, spiritually,  but we, as that great Heavenly city, cannot be built up without His appearing among us, in His glory. He is the wise Master builder, He alone has the blueprints for the Body of Christ  - unless HE builds the house, the house is built in vain. His glory is manifested among us today by his Spirit, for the Holy Spirit is the glory of God and it is by His Spirit that He builds us into a "Holy Temple of the Lord" "In whom ye also are built together for a habitation of God through the Spirit"      And just who does He appear to as He builds us up into a worthy habitation? The destitute and poor. Blessed are the poor for He will never despise or turn away from them. We should always cry out to Him from a position of need. When we draw near to Him - next to Him, we are all in extreme poverty  - thank God He draws near to us, thank God He seeks us, as a shepherd searching for a lost lamb.

Yet another benefit of having Him appear in our midst, both in our hearts and in our gatherings, is, because He alone is righteous,  He alone can "put away sin" both private and public  Heb:9:28 - "So Çhrist was once offered to bear the sins of many, and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation"  

Verse 26 - "hath appeared to put away sin"  Do you see it? It is to "them that look for him" that he will appear the second time. Today, (as the Holy Ghost saith, if you will hear His voice (many will not), harden not your hearts - take heed, brethren,  lest there be found in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God)"   He will only draw near to those who draw nigh to Him. If someone chooses to harden their heart and they do not love His appearing but rather they depart from Him, no amount of pious looking religious ceremonies can hide this truth - for in those ceremonies He will not appear  - and if someone carrying His presence comes in among them, they will crucify him anew, casting him away from them, for they prefer to worship a dead Christ  not a living, because they themselves are dead. Dead saints prefer a dead Christ.  Living saints prefer a living Christ. 

Part three coming soon 

 There are some wonderful promises found in Scripture for "all them that love His appearing" 2 Timothy 4:8 -

                 'Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness,  which the Lord,  the righteous judge, shall give me at that day; and not to me only, but unto ALL THEM ALSO THAT LOVE HIS APPEARING".

We are promised a "crown of righteousness", which is fitting considering we in the Body are all kings (and priests)  on behalf of God. He is, after all, the "King of kings" - but this crown is only promised to those, like Paul, who "love His appearing". I submit to you this thought - this scripture is not just referring to His "second coming" that so many believe in, but it's also speaking of those who love His appearing in the here and now, in the present. They love "His appearing" both in themselves,  personally,  "Christ in you, the hope of glory", they also love His appearing in their public gatherings with other saints wherever they occur.

It's the ones who long for, who ache for Him, who love Him, who delight in "His appearing" who will receive a "crown of righteousness" for He is "The Lord our Righteousness" and it is only by having Him (by inviting Him) to appear in us personally (and subsequently corporately  - for we carry Him with us wherever we go) that we can be made righteous.  We have no righteousness of our own,  so to become righteous,  we, in essence,  hide under the shadow of His wings, we hide under the hem of His skirt, we hide in the cleft of the Rock, our strong, high tower. As the tide of sewage and filth in this world rises even higher, it will not come nigh us - for those who are surrendered  to Him are surrounded by Him.

When He appears, we love His appearing.  We long to but touch the hem of his garment.  We cry out to Him "Son of David do not pass me by"! We tear the roof off to get to Him (we count nothing more valuable than Him). We do not despise Him or mock Him, as some do when He appears, among us now, in the person of the Holy Spirit,  no, we love His appearing. We do not "quench the Spirit" then sing songs about how much we love Him. We do not reject His appearing now but declare we're looking for His appearance later on some distant, undefined day. We don't sing hymns about His return one day for He has already returned to us by His Most Holy Spirit  (we do not make a distinction between Jesus and the Holy Spirit,  preferring one over the other, no, rather we love and embrace them both equally). Indeed, Jesus told us if He did not go The Holy Spirit would not come to us - that's how important He thought the Holy Spirit  is to us - for the Holy Spirit is not bound by time and space the way Jesus in His flesh was. Indeed, the Holy Spirit is not bound by any natural laws.

So, the second coming of Christ is actually His third coming, in a sense. It is Satan's desire to get us to dwell on and teach about His physical return someday while denying His return to us now, by His Spirit.  Satan wants us focused on a future full of God's presence,  power and glory (or a past full of His glorious presence as written in the Bible) but never our present in the here and now.  Anyone who currently rejects Him in Spirit will be shocked when they meet Him in the flesh at His second physical appearing  - for only the dead in Christ and we which are alive will rise to meet Him in the clouds "In Christ shall all be made alive", so, only those who love His appearing now can be made alive then. Many give the Holy Spirit lip service but despise His person, his presence in their midst. 

Part two soon - 

 So, I'm walking through a mall when i see a movie poster for "Singing in the Rain" and the Holy Spirit draws my attention to it by giving me that familiar heart tug. Funny thing was, I'd recently decided to watch this exact movie for the first time. Believe it or not, I'd never seen it! I'd seen songs from the movie, including the iconic title song but I'd never seen the entire movie.

As it turns out, "Singing in the rain" is a timely prophetic cry of God's heart for his people in this present generation.  Those of us who love and welcome the Holy Spirit will be "Singing in the Rain" - we will be experiencing his presence like never before,  like the "latter rain" prophecied in Scripture, poured out on all flesh, like the flood of Noah's day, no one on earth will be able to escape his presence but it's only those of us who love him who will be singing and dancing for joy at the coming outpouring of his presence.  We will, literally,  be "singing and dancing in the rain" for joy - sheer, unadulterated joy!

In the movie, a famous actor is with someone who is pretending to love him, she even convinces herself he loves her but in reality she is using him to advance her career, for her own gain and glory.

He meets a woman who is her exact opposite  - unassuming, humble, not seeking fame or fortune,  who refuses to idolize him and put him on a pedestal.....and he promptly falls in love with her, for her honesty and truth.

In the season we're entering,  God's people, i.e. his actual bride, will stop allowing "fake lovers" to use them for their own selfish agendas, for their own gain and glory. These false Shepherds, thieves, hired hands, wolves in sheep's clothing,  will be exposed and deposed. The ones like the actress in the film, full of pride, arrogant,  unable to see their own arrogance, unable to see their owm faults, who belittle and mock the humble  and contrite in heart, who come against the true children of the Most High  and seek to cast them out of their presence and keep them away from the ones they've deceived, will be exposed like never before, exposed like the actress was at the end of the film. In essence,  Saul's are being replaced with David's in this upcoming season.  Like the humble woman in the film, God's anointed and appointed will not seek applause or attention  for themselves. God's true saints are being exposed even as the false are being deposed.

Watch the movie and notice the tag line "What a glorious feeling!" ( from the poster). Ghat just about sums up what it's like to be in his eternal presence,  embraced by his Spirit, wrapped in his loving embrace  - one cannot help but sing and dance and shout for joy! Let God open the eyes of your understanding.  Join me this year as I'm "Singing and Dancing in the Reign"! 

Like Gene Kelly, as he performs the title song, let's become so in love with God, we'll lose all inhibitions. We won't care anymore who sees us loving and worshipping our beautiful God. We will even sing and dance out of love for him in public!

Apostle Chris

 I sometimes get the impression I've seen it all before,

 like a bus ride in reverse, like a print that's been restored 

And I think it may be because the One my soul loves

 sees and knows it all from His Throne in Heaven above

My spirit has always existed where time and space are not

 My life does not consist of this flesh in which I'm sought

I am not confined to my mortality

 for my soul belongs to Christ in eternity

  I'm on a bus in Sri Lanka when I see a dog start barking at and chasing the bus. And I thought, for believers in Christ,

       The Devil is like a dog barking at a moving bus. He can make himself heard but that's about it. He can't do anything to the bus. If he tries he'll be killed or badly hurt. It would be foolish for the passengers to fear the dog. He can't touch them or hurt them unless they leave the bus, which is the Covenant Body of believers. 

Looking at all the Buddhist and Hindu idols in Sri Lanka, thousands of them, i start thinking,  If your god can be fashioned with your own hands, he isn't much of a god. I'm glad i serve the God who fashioned ME with HIS hands, not the other way around. The gods of men are created by them - from their imaginations, therefore man is the ruler of his gods - in essence,  man is worshipping man - Buddha, most Hindu gods, all take human form - because man is worshipping himself...his own image.