What is a Church Peacemaker? Do we need them? Are they relevant to church ministry? Is their work significant to the ministry of discipleship? What is their critical message to the Body of Christ? What are the eternal rewards of their ministry contribution?
What is a Church Peacemaker? Do we Need Them?
The primary role of the Church Peacemaker is to cultivate an atmosphere of love, unity and harmony within the church body. They protect the church and its people, cultivate a learning and growing community according to the ministry of reconciliation. They may also serve as a type of human relations director, supervising all auxiliary leadership.
This person or persons would manage all types of disputes within the church (within auxiliaries, among church and family members, and couples). The church Peacemaker would also host annual trainings and Peacemaker luncheons that are designed as a platform to bring inspirational teaching and foster fellowship gatherings under the theme of peacemaking. The Peacemaker could also correspond to all letters and complaints that come to the church and within the church body and they can also play a major role in managing legal issues pertaining to the church.
Is Their Work Significant to the Ministry of Discipleship?
The Church Peacemaker walks in a Pastoral anointing with a peacemaking spiritual assignment/ministry call upon their life.
The ministry of the Peacemaker is aligned with the five-fold leadership gifts to the church to aid in equipping the Body for works of service so that they may be built up in unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Jesus Christ and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
Ephesians 4:11-16 New International Version (NIV)
11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
The Church Peacemaker Disciples Through a Number of Ways:
Teaching and Training
Mediation
Coaching
Facilitating and helping to shape church culture in the peacemaker mission
Consulting the Pastor and Lay-leaders
Recommends resources as it pertains to human relations and mental health
Administrates discipline that restores on behalf of the church
Troubleshooting dispute related matters throughout the church
Inspiring the Body by maintaining awareness of the peacemaker message and ministry
Personally strives to walk as a Peacemaker (a living example during times of error and excellence)
“Peacemakers are not perfect people; they are believers who are intently looking to God’s perfect word to instruct their walk of faith in all seasons of life, in times of error and of excellence”
Are They Relevant to Church Ministry?
The primary spiritual role of the Church Peacemaker is to be the “Watchmen on the Walls” of the church. Their eyes are watching and discerning the culture of the church and thereby functioning as a servant of God to maintain peace and unity among the body in accordance to the nature and truth of God and his word. The Church Peacemaker works closely with the senior pastor and prophet ministry or intercessory prayer ministry. Together they discern the issues of the church that are afflicting the heart of the body in their pursuit to build them up in the knowledge and image of Christ.
Consider then, the general work of the Church Peacemaker is to encourage church to continually “Draw Close to God”
James 4 New Living Translation (NLT)
Drawing Close to God
4 What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? 2 You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. 3 And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.
4 You adulterers![a] Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. 5 Do you think the Scriptures have no meaning? They say that God is passionate that the spirit he has placed within us should be faithful to him.6 And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud
but gives grace to the humble.”
7 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. 9 Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.
What is the Critical Message of the Peacemaker to the Body of Christ?
The Church Peacemaker’s critical message to the Body of Christ is that the people of God (individually and corporately) are influential and powerful in God through two ways:
Through their ability to effectively walk in LOVE and
Their ability to walk in UNITY.
The powerful work of reconciliation was initially a work of Jesus, then given to the church as a personal ministry (Corin. 5:11-21). Consequently, as believers, we are now responsible to carry out that ministry among each other so that the same healing, fellowship, grace, peace and restoration that was afforded to us through Jesus with our heavenly Father, might be experienced in our own lives, one with another. This kind of testament of God’s power and presence in the world serves as a LIGHT to all mankind.
Matthew 5:14-16 New International Version (NIV)
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
The Church Peacemaker’s foundation scriptures are: Eph. 4:11-12, 2 Corin. 5:11-21, Matt. 18:15-18 and Matt. 5:9. Peacemakers fully understand that the greatest image of Christ, reflected in the world through the life of the believer, is in their ability to walk in love and unity (peace) with all people. This is the heart of a PEACEMAKER, and they are called, “Children of God.”
What are the Eternal Rewards of the Peacemaker’s Ministry Contribution?
Eph. 4:14-16
Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.
Eph. 4:1-3
I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
The walk of the peacemaker for every Child of God is a “Spiritual Skill,” meaning, training is required. This is because walking according to the scriptures will require a supernatural grace. The Bible instructs that God’s appointed leaders of the Church has been anointed and appointed to disciple the body of believers so they can grow in the faith and walk effectively (skillfully) and maturely. The Church Peacemaker plays a major role in this work of discipleship and it’s called, “PEACEMAKING DISCIPLESHIP.”
“Skill is the Missing Link between Principle and Practice”
Discipleship is a Mothers greatest gift to her child. This is why discipleship is important to God and why it is still his primary tool for making followers of Christ. So, how do we know when we are being discipled by God through the Holy Spirit? Who and what is God using to aid this process? Well, here are a few things to consider.
Discipleship is WHEN…
When circumstances in your life shift from being easily managed to challenging.
When walking by faith requires effort and spiritual disciplines to maintain.
When your sin exposes you and you wrestle with repentance OR your courageous steps of faith requires you to embrace its challenging consequences.
When those closest to you don’t believe in you.
When those closest to you become those, you no longer relate to or fully trust.
When those closest to you discards your growth and rather desires your fall.
When what worked for you before (practically or spiritually) doesn’t work for you anymore and you’re forced to seek God AFRESH.
When waiting on God is not a personal choice but rather a divine decision.
When your character becomes your worst enemy.
When the word of God and the presence of the Lord become your most trusted place of peace and affirmation.
When your faith forces you to walk alone before an audience of ONE, Jesus Christ.
When everything in life (in the natural) seems to be changing and dying while everything in the spirit is flourishing and growing with new life.
Quality discipleship doesn’t always feel good, yet ALL discipleship is a work of LOVE.
Essentially, Believers must learn to embrace discipleship as a part of the “TRANSFORMING LIFE” in Christ. When we resist discipleship we end up going through life not fully understanding its purpose, and our purpose in it as children of God. Consequently, we merely EXIST through life from day to day pursuing abundance or a life of ease free from accountability of our thoughts and actions or, we simply try to make the most out of the life we believe we’ve been handed. Trust me when I say, “This is NOT the abundant life in Christ Jesus was speaking of.
The journey of every child of God should be an ADVENTURE, one that is growing and evolving more and more into the image of Christ our Savior in…
His Purpose
His Presence
His Power
and His Authority
Discipleship is the molding hands of the potter with his clay. It is the chisel in the hands of the sculptor. It is the perfect brush in the hands of the painter and with each touch; he defines, shapes, and etches out a MASTERPIECE, beautiful, unique and a vision that was always in the heart and mind of the creator.
The key to being discipled well is to not resist it, not judge it, and not misinterpret its work! James says it best…
James 1:1-8
Trials and Temptations
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.
You see, There’s truly a “Means to the Madness.” Your goal in discipleship is to be alert, present and submitted like an obedient child. Our hills and valleys in life are not just for us to get through them, but rather to “POSITION US” to receive divine revelation while we are on the beautiful hills and in the dark valleys so that we might be TRANSFORMED to ENDURE them well with the power, spirit, and glory of Christ. Discipleship is the life of every child of God and it is to our benefit to regularly inquire of God about what he wants to make out of our lives. What is important to remember about discipleship is that its work will begin in our heart because that’s the ground where ALL seeds are planted (both good and bad) and prayerfully as each seed from God grows, it will eventually manifest in our lives.
God develops from the “INSIDE OUT.” If we focus and trust in the work and not the painful process, we are sure to reap a great reward.
Oh Lord and Heavenly Father, thank you for loving me as you do and always wanting the best for my life. Help me to submit to your discipleship hand. Help me to be courageous and not fear the things you desire for me. Help me embrace the faith and suffering that is required to produce every good work out of my heart and life. Let that good work be in me just as you desired. In Jesus name I pray, AMEN.
“That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yield it’s fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither – whatever they do prospers.” Psalm 1:3 NIV
This is my unfiltered real-life story of how God apostolically called, discipled and developed me for ministry – and the story is still being written!
I grew up in a conservative Baptist church in East Los Angeles known for its influence and historic role in the civil rights movement. It was a legacy I found great pride in. As a child, I was a scrawny, buck teeth, insecure, underachiever with academic learning challenges in subjects such as Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic. These were my worst subjects, and they made me the object of teasing and ridicule as a child and for most of my life, I never understood why academics was so challenging for me. As a result, I never really felt loved or good enough for anything and deeply unsure of myself. So, to escape my pain, I turned to toys, cartoons and my imagination (up to the age of 12, when it became too embarrassing to continue lol). For me, it was a world that was beautiful, loving, happy, kind and felt safe and accepting to live in. As a teen and young adult, I secretly suffered from insecurities about my appearance to such a degree, that I hated taking pictures and avoided looking in mirrors or my reflection in store windows when out in public. From early childhood to young adult, I was the object of bullying and criticism. Thankfully I had a few talents that were notable and found a level of acceptance from them. However, it wasn’t until the age of 30 that the Holy Spirit got a hold of me and began to teach me why I was being bullied and sharply judged by those I cared about. This is what I call my “First Awakening.”
I married at 24, passionately in love so I thought, and needing to escape complex circumstances at home where I felt unheard and insignificant. I found a sense of understanding and salvation in a man whose struggles were much like my own. In this sense, we were soul mates, yet in reality, our souls were tied to a common brokenness. He struggled with a need for acceptance from his mother and siblings and in time I found myself in a marriage where both of us were too immature and broken to understand our issues. Consequently, my history of bullying manifested into my marriage with physical abuse, and abandonment, where we later divorced. For the next 6 years, I was content with life, even while struggling as a single mom with twins. Oddly, amidst all my insecurities I believe, I was always a person of conviction. This deep sense of truth made it difficult in this season of life for me to idly commit my life to something or someone for the sake of money or comfort without a sense of sincere purpose. Although marrying for comfort seemed to be the smart thing to do for someone like me according to my family and peers. However, I found greater contentment in my growing relationship with the Lord, my singleness and I greatly enjoyed being a mom. Looking back, I believe this was because God was busy planting seeds that were transforming my heart, mind, and spirit, and I was enamored by His love and presence during this season of my life. Oddly, while I genuinely felt a deep spiritual calling on my life, the traditional ministry platforms and church leadership images that I saw in the Pentecostal church that I now attended (reverend, evangelist, missionary, pastor) were somehow hard for me to identify with. They were suited down and uniformed or old fogey, and if considered fashionable, it was the absolute extreme…flashy, blinged out and over the top. So, where did I belong? This was the season of my “Second Awakening.”
It was then that I discovered God had a Jeremiah 29:11 plan for my life and considering what I sensed He was showing me, I also knew it would be truly up to Him to bring it about. My natural gifts and talents such as singing, songwriting, and dancing were certainly something I greatly enjoyed and each showed some degree of potential to develop into a ministry of its own, but my personal insecurities limited my freedom to adequately grow in them, so I knew these were not my primary calling. Although, because I was a worshiper at heart, I can see now that God chose to begin developing my call to ministry through what I was already good at and came fairly easy for me… Singing! So, this would begin a journey that would cultivate my leadership skills which included ministry in singing, worship dance, and training praise and worship teams.
Ministry of this kind would consume my life for approx. 15 years until God’s next divine shift. At the time I didn’t fully understand what He was shaping in my life, all I knew was I was doing what I loved, using what He gifted me with, and it was apparent my music ministry was a blessing to others. My worship lifestyle began to lead me into deeper prophetic waters. The first sign of this was expressed in my interest in the believer’s Hebraic Heritage and God’s end-time generation. During this season I also began having countless dreams/visions and divine encounters. While enjoying embracing my Jewish heritage, I began living a semi-messianic lifestyle and sharing the blessings of my joy and knowledge with others. Understand, this was the mid 90’s so I was learning this on my own because there weren’t many Christian ministries teaching such things as they are today. I didn’t realize it then, but this was the beginning of a spiritual movement in the body of Christ and the Spirit of God had swept me up in His current. Little did I know, it would take years before these seeds of teaching and training ministry would come into full bloom.
Then, unexpectantly, the most life-changing experience occurred in my life, and this would be my “Third Awakening.” I began to notice that every time I would meet God in prayer, it seemed He would refer to me “by name,” although He was not speaking my birth name. This was a name I had never heard before, but I knew it was a name He was calling me by because of the way He used it during prayer time. The name was “Shetiyyah” and the Holy Spirit would say, “My Shetiyyah,” whenever He spoke to me. When I first heard this word, I didn’t know what to make of it, let alone how to spell it, but all that would unfold in time. Perplexed by my encounter, I shared my experience with a handful of family members and a close friend. No one had answers so it sent me on a quest to discover it on my own.
After weeks of an exhausting journey researching and inquiring with Jewish authorities, I came up empty and I was greatly discouraged. What was I to think about my heavenly language? Is it real? Was this me? Is this from God? Questions filled my mind, and I remained without answers. Then, approx. 6 months later, at a time when I was just about to write off this encounter, the Holy Spirit led me directly to what I’ve been searching for. It was the Jewish holiday season of Rosh Ha Shana and while I was on my lunch break from work, I decided to go to the local library in Pasadena to research more on the Shofar. While browsing through the pages of the Jewish encyclopedia, I heard the Holy Spirit say, “Look up Shetiyyah.” The voice was profoundly distinct that it took me by surprise. I was almost hesitant to respond. I didn’t even know how to spell it! So, I simply sounded the word out… “SHE-THE-YAH.” To my amazement, I found something, spelled differently but phonetically, it was certainly the word. I fell into deep wonder as to what God was speaking to me about this name and how it pertained to my calling and purpose in life. In time it would certainly be made clear. The word was Hebrew, and it meant “FOUNDATION STONE.”
The stone on which rested the Ark of the Covenant was called “eben shetiyyah” = “the foundation-stone,” on which the world was based.
Again, this was another layer about my spiritual calling amidst all that God was impressing upon me (power of prayer and worship, intimacy with God, sacredness of His word, prophetic revelation, and God’s end-time move) yet I was still unclear of His bigger picture and exactly what he was forming out of my life. Although, from that point on, my walk of faith would consist of God’s hand, chiseling away at my heart, character and personal dreams with deep intensity. This walk of faith would make me feel the spotlight of ridicule, rejection, and vulnerability once again that felt pretty much the same as when I was a child, but this time, it had a remarkably different impact on my life. It seemed now I would be ridiculed, judged and even rejected by family and a few friends in my normal circle who didn’t understand me, my encounters and my deep love for God. Family members felt that “I thought” I was more holy than they were, even while I said nor did anything to convey this sentiment. I found my friendships changing and I was being drawn more to people of prayer and who shared a passion for God’s word and intimacy with Him.
Surprisingly, while the spirit of revelation was flowing freely in my life there were still many yolks of oppression that needed to be broken off my life. God was indeed wooing me into ministry and in the most unconventional way. I mean, REALLY, where was I to go for education and training to piece together all my experiences for a work of ministry? My faith was greatly challenged, and I was compelled to simply walk in what I knew the best way I knew how and to trust that God would do the rest. Like any new endeavor, I spent the next several years defining my learning curve as a ministry leader. This was not an easy season as it came with poor leadership choices, personal judgement and mocking from those close to me, a lack of understanding from those I would share my vision with, limited funding, and the endless mental haunting that my calling was not real. Oh, how I wish I had someone in my life at that time who could tell me that my spiritual journey was real. Thankfully, God would not let me forget His encounters as He consoled me with the truth of His word and sweet presence. He caused me to be constant in hope and assurance that He had a plan for my life; a plan that in time, all the fragmented pieces of my experiences would come together with full understanding.
This next season of my life was interwoven with my second marriage. Learning from my last experience 10 years ago, the most important thing in my life now was to marry a man whom I believed God chose for me, loved Jesus, respected my love for ministry, and who would be a good father to my children. “Love” was secondary this time. So, my best friend and I decided to fast and pray for our mates, and I even sought counsel from seasoned couples in my church who shared their wisdom and experiences about marriage; what made it strong and how their walk of faith caused them to find each other.
It was then that I decided to also put my faith to the test. So, I shared my desire for marriage with my twins and like the testimonies I heard from others, I exercised a symbolic act of my faith. I laid out an extra plate at mealtime for my husband, whom I believed would one day join us and make our family complete. Then, zealously, I believed that between intercessory prayer with my best friend and demonstrated acts of faith, I would see the promise of the Lord manifested because, without faith, it is impossible to please God, RIGHT? So, I felt in my spirit this was the year, my husband was sure to come. Most profound during this time was the prayer encounter my best friend and I had one day. We were praying as usual (once a week) however, this time, after we prayed and shared what we experienced during prayer, Lo and behold, both of us had a vision…of the SAME THING!
The Vision: We saw two men, dressed in black suits, (business men) standing together with “shining stars” etched in their eyes. WHAT IN THE WORLD! We had no clue what it meant but felt confident our husbands would be professional men, and they were coming! Not even six months later my best friend met a man that would turn her world upside down and by the end of the same year I met the man who would do the same in my life and who I ultimately married and YES, both were believers and professional men. Now, I would love to tell you these men proved to be our ideal soul mates but in actuality, they were just the opposite, and my second marriage was worse than the first, this time with emotional and mental abuse. Looking back, and knowing what I know now, it is clear my second husband was a narcissist, and I experienced all the trauma and drama that comes with living with such a personality type. My marriage in 1994 ultimately ended with the death of my husband due to cancer in 2006. I cared for him to the end of his life and my final role was to make sure he was reconciled back to God before he passed away.
The greatest reward from this marriage was not the man but the seeds that God used the man to deposit in me. My husband was a young believer when we married although he severely fell away from the Lord during our marriage. I experienced God moving in profound ways prior to marriage that seem to signify our legitimate spiritual bond yet there were also clear signs that should have given me pause but I moved past them as I considered the other ways God was moving and what I thought was the “Bigger Picture.” Everywhere we would go oddly, people would question if he was a preacher. We would laugh but privately wonder if God was up to something much bigger than what we could see. I was mostly compelled by the way the spirit of God moved so harmoniously between us through answered prayer and how we worked through issues together. I can recall wrestling with God about my relationship with Him because it was so apparent that almost everything I needed or even desired something for my family (even while we were dating), God would convey my concerns to him and use him to get it to me. It was as if we were already betrothed in the spirit and it was something like I had never experienced before.
Now, my biggest critics were those in my inner circle (family and close friends) and whose marriages at the time, were not something to be admired and in general, not much better than mine. So, in all their criticism, I wasn’t sure they had my best interest at heart. I must give them credit though; they saw my relationship in the raw and were not a part of my spiritual bubble, so they judged my relationship practically and I chose to judge it spiritually and hope for the best. Considering all the pros and cons about getting married, I committed time to prayer that God would stop this courtship if he was not in it. Well, needless to say, I chose to move forward with the affirmation of my spiritual experiences however, I can admit, I did have clear reservations of uncertainty, but I simply resolved that they were fears that comes with taking a “Leap of Faith.”
I can clearly see now how our courtship season was interwoven with the “spiritual romance” that accompanies the discipleship work of God. You see, my husband was a fairly new believer, and I was indirectly discipling him as his friend. Growing in God alongside a romantic partner may seem beautiful and ideal however, I believe it merely makes discernment even more challenging. It is from this experience that I became a strong proponent of “men discipling men and women discipling women.” Some might debate me on this case, but this was the message that God chose to instill in me through my journey. Now, I see more clearly how these were fine lines to tread upon in the “ministry of discipleship” and it never occurred to me how relevant this principle would become in my life today. Nevertheless, this was at the heart of our courtship, and it led us to marriage.
Through our years together I would discover in the most profound ways how deeply God loves the sinner, how our brokenness is the seed for the miracle of God’s wholeness, how God desires His people to know His love intimately with ALL of their faults and hang-ups, how relentless and long-suffering God is with our brokenness, how humility and repentance is the key to deliverance and salvation over and over again. How to be an instrument of His prophetic voice in the midst of seasons of suffering, and of His unending mercy when we fall away. To be privileged by His abounding grace and the great lengths God will go through so no one would perish but have everlasting life with Him. My marriage was my primary training platform for my life in ministry that I walk in today. The deepest things I learned about God such as hearing His voice and following Him was cultivated through my marriages. It was from these life experiences that I realized that the blessings of God is not material excess, financial freedom or a life of luxury (while these are indeed treasures) but rather, the true and eternal blessing of God that He values most is a TRANSFORMED LIFE of his truth, goodness and glory in darkness and He knows exactly what it will take to bring it about in our lives if we are willing to trust and follow Him. This was my Fourth Awakening.
I was ridiculed for loving my husband in the way I did, mostly by my family, but what God showed me through this journey carried much more weight. You see, I learned that our valleys in life are not just for us to get through them, but rather, to “position us” to learn of God, about ourselves, about our relationship with Him, about the deeper realities of life and, to be affirmed by His truth. I learned the valleys in life will TRANSFORM us in beautiful ways if we let it and we have the power to endure the valleys so much more than we can imagine when we allow God to be our strength. I learned enduring isn’t easy and many don’t know how to do it because it’s lonely, raw, painful, scary and sometimes filled with ridicule and uncertainty about ourselves and the future. However, I have learned, it is far better to endure trials with an awareness of God than without him. I found it was literally during these tempestuous years that God was working a NEW THING in my life that would mature and equip my walk of faith like nothing else could and consequently propel me into His divine purpose for my life more effectively. I think James says something about this…
James 1:2-4
Trials and Temptations
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
Wouldn’t you know it, the discipleship hand of God shaped my life for ministry through seasons of great storms (there are others I have yet to tell). In a nutshell this is what they mount up to. I endured two broken marriages, the death of my husband, I was a single parent of twins, gave birth to my third child twelve years later, my beautiful twin daughter became severely afflicted with lupus at the age of 11, lost her kidneys five years later and received a transplant at age 20. I was working 9-5 as a single parent while leading ministry, was divinely moved 300 miles away from family and closest friends for 10 years where I would care for my ill husband, establish my first Christian nonprofit discipleship ministry and to complete grad school. I learned how to tame my strong-willed child through God’s grace and power. I parented my youngest daughter’s boyfriend for three and a half years in my own home (when his mother and younger siblings became homeless) of which he would later become my spiritual son. During the launch of my discipleship ministry, I was afflicted with “Rupus” (combination of Lupus and Rheumatoid Arthritis) that ravaged my body for 7 solid years and would be the most devastating illness ever experienced in my life, yet I am living to tell the story. Through all this, I completed my BA degree (Organizational Leadership) and Masters degree (Peacemaking and Conflict Studies) by night while working part-time and serving as a ministry leader.
Looking back, I realize now that it was during the most painful and confusing seasons of my life that God did his greatest work in me. The most significant shift in my life came when God uprooted me from my comfort zone, the county where I was born and raised. All my family was there, yet at the same time I knew I needed distance from them. During this time, I sensed a change was coming but I didn’t know how or when. It took my husband getting a job in Fresno CA and it would be just months later that he would be diagnosed with Cancer. To my surprise, Fresno would become the place where the Holy Spirit would nurture, groom, develop and pilot my life in ministry. He brought order, meaning and significance to my calling. It was there that I realized my passion for discipleship ministry and the value of doing it well. I realized the lack of a clearly defined discipleship work in local churches (as expressed by fellow believers), the kind that transforms the whole person with evidence that brings about fruitfulness in all seasons of life. My heart was fill with passion to restore discipleship foundations to the body of Christ. Just as “Shetiyyah” was calling the ark of the covenant to be restore to its rightful place, I would be similarly inspired through the ministry of discipleship to restore a more authentic work of discipleship to the local church and believers globally through resources, training, mentoring coaching, spiritual parenting and small group ministries of various kinds.
So, what does life and ministry look like for me today?
I am a Southern California native and now calling Orange County, California, HOME. Today, my health is well managed, in remission and off ALL related meds. This season of major life altering transitions in life and ministry resulted in writing all my books, becoming ordained as a minister of the gospel, partnering with a global missions organization, facilitating a national intercessory prayer network, becoming a thriving Life Discipleship Coach, establishing nationwide discipleship book clubs, architect of one of the most profound God Encounters that defines the believers spiritual calling and imparts a spiritual mandate, host of “The Authentic Walk” podcast show, and co-creator of “The Peacemaker Project, ” an international research project to raise awareness about the Ministry of Peacemaking and establish a fellowship of church peacemakers. Truly by God’s grace, I believe I am an OVERCOMER on many aspects of my life considering how I grew up. With all the “hills and valleys” of my journey, I raised my children (in large part) as a single parent while developing in ministry and in spite of the odds, lack and challenges, my children – Rendle, Beth and Hollie, did not become a single parent statistic. My son married Rachel Gatdula in 2018 whom I simply adore and October 2023, they welcomed their first child and my first grandson, “Jairus Elijah.” I consider my children among my greatest accomplishments in life, as they are bright, beautiful, lovely human beings, and have a committed walk of faith in Jesus Christ. They are truly the pride and sweetest joys of my life.
Prophetically, I fervently believe my ministry call and spiritual gifts were uniquely designed to prepare the Bride of Christ for an end-time generation through, Apostolic Discipleship (grooming, sending out believers in God’s purpose, presence and power just as Jesus did). This is my ministry precedence and heart behind everything I do.
I am the author, of seven discipleship training curricula (2-are instructor manuals): Skills for Life, The Sum of My Call, Mysteries of the Kingdom-The Key to Life, Mysteries of the Kingdom – Discipleship Foundations, and The Vision Intercessor’s Handbook. All of these books are used as handbooks for discipleship or evangelism training. I consider myself God’s “Handbook Maiden.” I says that humorously because by nature, I really am a basic “How to Girl.” What I mean by that is that this is my personal reading style! I greatly appreciate reading material that has substance, provides clear content and easily GETS TO THE POINT. That’s what a handbook is, and I enjoy writing them. I believe the work of discipleship and mentoring needs such a tool to make learning interesting, exciting, relevant and applicable.
Professionally, I am an ordained minister of the gospel, Christian nonprofit director, a Life Discipleship Coach, author, educator and mentor and spiritual parent to many. This personal and professional identity rests at the heart of all my discipleship work. Becoming “Spiritually Skillful” is my motto that defines not only the ministry of reconciliation but all my discipleship work. I believe the believer’s true light and reflection of Christ can only be realized by genuine spiritual transformation which requires an authentic Christ-centered walk with God and humanity. The Bible calls the peacemaker the “Children of God” Matt. 5:9. This deeper spiritual identity is what my heart seeks for my own life and even more for the Body of Christ.
As an Apostolic Prophetic Leader, I humbly recognize that I am just one of many “Watchmen on the Walls” whom God has positioned for this generation to discern the seasons and minister His kingdom message of apostolic order, ministry, purpose, and spiritual identity to His royal bride. I courageously embrace the full life in Christ Jesus that the bible declares I am to live with love, power, discipline and spiritual authority while also embracing the sufferings that come with that call. Through Apostolic Discipleship, I believe I have been spiritually gifted to inspire, and transform lives through the power of God and the light of his truth. The biblically based five-fold leadership and discipleship model illustrated in Eph. 4:11-16 is my leadership model and foundation of a vibrant, healthy, authentic image of the Church of Jesus Christ. Through this unconventional Apostolic journey I testify, “I AM FREE,” not defined by denominations, religious routines, of culture or human philosophies. I am defined by the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, His word and the family He’s established. I embrace the Holy Spirit as my guide and find fellowship wherever and however God’s spirit and truth is genuinely celebrated, glorified and where His love abounds.
My Prayerful Life Legacy:These are the treasures in heaven and on earth that I desire to leave behind until Christ returns.
A passionate and transcending love for my family – including spiritual children and “FRAMILY” (Family-like friendships)
The various practical life principles I’ve personally learned in life Discipleship “seeds of faith” that I plant in the lives of my family and believers globally
My various ministry resources
My various spiritual life principles and ministry program models used in churches and other forms of discipleship ministries
Those who have become a part of the family of God as a result of my personal witness and the witness of others utilizing the evangelism tool, “Mysteries of the Kingdom” Apostolic discipleship series.
Through my loving relationships, gifts, talents, passions and ministry, I am a powerful light and salt in the earth, establishing God’s Kingdom on earth through my spere of influence and in all, store up eternal treasures in heaven and also on earth.
Matt. 6:19-21 NIV “Treasures in Heaven”
19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Worship is a LIFESTYLE It’s not merely a RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE!
1Corin. 6:19 “Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself.”
We worship God in many ways and we begin by honoring every aspect of His magnificent creation.
Psalm 24:1 “The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.”
So then, we take care of our planet, we take care of our bodies, we take care of our relationships, we take care of our marriages and families, we take care of our communities, we take care of our nation, and most of all we take care of our relationship with God. Searching out how to do this in a way that pleases God IS worship! Our strong personal opinions about a matter do not hold any weight.
When we truly worship God in Spirit and in Truth, our lives will reflect His glory in ways that cannot be denied. Even those who secretly despise your walk of faith will actually be envious and consequently emulate your life and character because God’s truth in you speaks for itself. (Rom. 11:11)
So go ahead and be BOLD and COURAGEOUS as you dare to worship God, authentic and true. Rest assured God’s glory will be your GRACE to weather well every season that life may bring as this is our true Glory in the Lord.
ARE YOU FEELING “UNLOVED TODAY?” This post is inspired by all persons who have shared with me they wanted to take their life because they felt UNLOVED. HERE IS THE MYSTERY OF LOVE:
TRUE LOVE comes from God (1John 4: 7-10) because God IS love. (1John 4:8)
Jesus demonstrated through his life, death and resurrection that love is a SACRIFICE. Jesus also said the greatest demonstration of love is when a man (a person) lays down his life for a friend (just as he did). (John 15:13)
Love is powerfully divine. It is wise and distinct from all other attributes. In fact, Jesus said love cannot be perpetrated by acts of kindness. He said a man who says he loves God and does not love his brother (or sister) is a LIAR.(1John 4:20) Even Apostle Paul weighed in on the matter and said, though we may speak with the tongues of angels, if we have not love we are merely noisy clanging symbols of love and we accomplished nothing.(1Corin.13:1-2)
So, if you’re feeling unloved today it may be because you, 1. May not fully understand what love truly is or 2. Possibly, you are not extending love FIRST.
Now unfortunately, with God’s love comes great risk. Because love is patient and kind…(1Corin. 13:4-11), it is not always acknowledged, respected or appreciated which can deeply disappoint but don’t lose heart! Jesus dealt with this throughout his earthly life and ministry and he deals with it even more by men and women (and believers) today, even while he is seated victoriously at the right hand of the Father.
So learn from Jesus’ example. His response to love disrespected is to love continuously, unconditionally with long-suffering yet from a distance that you have established. Yes, God will allow you to disrespect and reject him again and again but it will not be without you having a taste of His love so you will always remember what your heart truly longs for because the love of God brings peace of life.
The love of God never dies it is always life-giving and always vibrantly living. It is indestructible and eternal and always victorious both in life and in death.
So I encourage you to pray for the love of God to live inside of you so you won’t be afraid to love FIRST. In this, you will always be able to give love INTENTIONALLY, without discrimination. Now, when love HURTS, you will be able to commit to love again by planting seeds “wherever God leads” but only for the sake of “God’s love” to grow “through you.”
Then soon you will have a beautiful garden where TRUE love surrounds you as an extension of YOUR love, and God will (as with Christ) position you at His right side to reign and live victoriously in the power and presence of HIS LOVE and PEACE on earth, just as it is in heaven.
A Poetic Sonnet about the Bride of Christ
“THE BRIDE GROOM IS CALLING”
O Bride of Christ where is your glory? You were meant to be Radiant and Majestic. Your head adorned with a crown of Glory your eyes like a dove. Your jaw bone is strong and chiseled and your lips speak words that are wise and sweet as a honeycomb. Your graceful figure is shapely and alluring, oh I can’t stop looking at you! Your walk has a stride that is elegant, regal and stable. You make no effort to draw attention to yourself. Your footsteps are quiet and gentle, no one hears you coming yet many follow you. Where are you oh gracious one? Where can your lover find you? Where are you hiding? Have you fallen into a pit where you must be rescued? Let me hear your voice, show me where you are so we may once again dwell in the green pastures and the quiet waters of our most prized heavenly kingdom.
Would you truly like to know what is on the heart of God? Would you truly like to know what is on the Heart of Jesus for your life today?
Understand, God WELCOMES you to wrestle with Him… not to burden and wear you down but rather to empower and renew you with His truth.
During my morning study today I had a fascinating observation. In the Book of Matthew we read that following the temptation of Jesus in chapter 4, Jesus “Begins His Ministry!!”
Now, I think it says a lot to consider what Jesus felt was His most pointed message “Out the Gate” to get to a people that He was coming to Save, Redeem and Restore back to God. This is indeed important for us to take note of.
So if you want to know what Jesus thought was His most important and immediate message about the salvation He was bringing to the world, read the “Gospel of Matthew” chapters 4,5, 6, and 7, back-to-back (New Living Translation – My personal preference).
These FOUR chapters are essentially Jesus’ concentrated version of His message of salvation that He was bent on bringing to a lost and dieing world.
I believe we can also consider these topics as his PRIMARY messages that he wanted to convey to His people then, now, and until He returns.
I mean let’s look at this practically, if you were starting out the gate with something new wouldn’t you want to make your first message your greatest impact so that people would know what you were truly all about? This is what Jesus was doing in these chapters. It is most certainly worthy of taking a look at again and it is also worthy of being reminded what’s truly in the heart, mind and spirit of God and what should also be in ours as His people.
CAUTION: Now, don’t go into a panic if the truth macks you in the FACE! Lol! Just realize that these are topics for further discussion of which the full word of God will rightly divide for you as well as the Holy Spirit, who will give you guidance, counsel and clarity to discern God’s will for your life with divine power and grace to walk in His ways.
Let this message simply be a START for just getting rightly aligned again in your own heart, mind and spirit and embracing the TRUE LOVE that Jesus was bringing to YOU and all mankind.
Do you dream? Have you ever had a dream that you knew meant something but didn’t know how to interpret it? Have you ever had a vision during prayer or meditation and didn’t understand what you saw or why you saw it? These are experiences that believers and non-believers have quite frequently and are commonly challenged due to a lack of understanding about dreams and visions.
There is actually a lot that’s been written about dream interpretation. I have read a few articles and heard a variety of perspectives on the topic myself although, over the years, I have found that my personal experience has served me best and I believe I can say the same for the many others who have shared their dreams with me and have grown to trust what the Holy Spirit has led me to perceive. The Bible illustrates in 2 Peter 1:20-21, and Deut.18:22 that the way to confirm if a Prophet is from God is if the prophecy comes to pass! Well, that’s pretty straightforward, isn’t it? If all our dreams were prophetic this would be quite easy however, I’m willing to bet that the majority of your experiences is that your dreams and visions are much more than foretelling something about the future. Our ability to dream and have visions is a gift from God, uniquely bestowed upon us as His prized created beings and when we become Children of God, He uses these supernatural abilities to communicate directly with us and share the mysteries of His will and purpose in our lives and about the world we live in.
I can clearly pinpoint the time in my life when God specifically began training me in the prophetic gift of dream interpretation. It was predominately during 2003-2006. Then from 2006-2012, I could see how the revelatory message of God began manifesting on new platforms such as through writing. This spiritual skill is now as common and familiar to me as any of my five senses (seeing, hearing, smelling, touch, taste), it’s instinctive, a way of life…it just flows and so consequently, I consider the sixth sense, our SPIRIT. My season of prophetic training by the Holy Spirit was the most tumultuous time and the most prophetically intense time in my life where God was frequently speaking to me through revelation, dreams, visions, and prophecy (conveying to me of things to come). Looking back I can better understand why God needed the backdrop of crisis and unstable circumstances for this kind of move. You will find that this context is quite common biblically as well. It seems God uses crisis in order for revelation, dreams, and visions to play a divine and distinctive role in our lives. The fact that I was a novice (new) in this prophetic walk of faith caused me to be desperately dependent on God and consequently, a good student.
The prophetic walk of faith is often a precarious road to journey partly, because of our dependency on the practical steps of faith that we are more accustomed to (goal setting, strategic planning). The prophetic walk of faith is much more biblical. It is a kind of faith that trust in things you cannot touch, and often not connected to anything you would have the luxury to easily put your trust in…apart from God’s word. It is a faith that is led by a God you cannot see who compels you to do things and go places you would personally never consider or consider “logically correct.” So in this blog, I want to share with you what I learned about dream interpretation during my personal prophetic journey and how God proved and perfected this walk of faith in my life. It is my hope that by laying this foundation for you, that you too will become more prophetically equipped, spiritually encouraged and open for God to utilize this prophetic platform in your life. No longer will you be fearful, intimidated or overwhelmed by your dreams and visions but rather, competent, confident and fully surrendered to God; trusting He is leading and speaking to you in this way. You see, a surrendered heart is a receiving heart and a receiving heart is a seeking heart. Visions and dreams should not be spiritually marveled after as they frequently are. They should be a normal part of our spiritual experience, as common as worship and prayer. Visions and dreams are merely one of the many supernatural platforms, given to us by God, to experience a deeper and more intimate relationship with Him through our walk of faith and also in our relationship with others. Therefore, you should eagerly desire to learn how to receive from God in this way or look within the Body of Christ to assist you in your experiences.
One of the first things I realized in particular with dreams is that they all have a common structure through which God speaks to us. It also appears that they all respect a defined law of nature much like what we recognize in the earth. These spiritual laws set the boundaries upon which this realm (dreamland) of existence allows us to engage.
For example, I’ve concluded that a common structure would be that dreams have four basic categories from which God speaks to us through their unique message. I’m defining them as Revelation, Regurgitation, Prophetic, and Trash. I’ll explain these in more detail further along. The set boundaries are many, yet also clearly defined. Dream and Vision boundaries reflect the “realm” of reality or context of its environment such as Dreams in color, dreams in black and white, seeing people we’ve never met before. Some of the most common boundaries would be our supernatural abilities in dreams like flying, dying and coming to life again, ascending into the heavenlies, feeling pain, scene changes like in a movie, observing your own dream while also being a participant in it, instant understanding of complex details, narrative voices and writings in the atmosphere, the absence of the sense of time and space, engaging with supernatural beings from other realms, seeing angles and walking and talking with Jesus. I could probably go on but I think I’ve shared enough for you to say, “Yes, I’ve experienced that!” These dream activities define the boundaries of this realm of reality. Although, what is most important to understand about dreams, and why it is that God chooses to use it is because it is indeed, ANOTHER “REAL” REALM of reality, and the blessing is that you will have the ability to never die or remain there…We Wake Up! Hallelujah! However, in some cases, their reality will transcend into our present one through the power of their revelatory and prophetic message.
Now, in regards to symbols in our dreams and visions, this is often an intimidating facet of our dreams and it causes us to quickly dismiss the dream or vision as irrelevant because it was too hard to understand. Realize, symbols have a significant role in the word of God and therefore, is a part of the language of God. This language is not designed to distance us but rather, invites us into the spiritual realm of God’s kingdom. Remember, James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” So, it is the will of God for us to pray and ask for wisdom pertaining to things we do not understand about God. Realize, God understands our dilemma. He told us in Isaiah 55:8-9 that His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts and in this, He must be reverently honored and feared. If your dream or vision contains symbols illustrated by something seen, said or experienced then consider this is your invitation to search the scriptures for common references or models, research for general definitions and information. All this is pleasing to God according to Matthew 7:7. As you gain more understanding about these symbols you will find you will understand the symbolic aspects of your dream or vision and will be able to perceive the message God is conveying to you.
I must also mention that there may be times when a dream or vision may seem so complex that you will simply need the anointing of God to ascertain its message. To some degree, I believe all interpretation contains this element because the ability to comprehend spiritual things is not naturally within our human nature and it is no different with our dreams and visions. In such cases, the Spirit of God will either move through a word of wisdom and you will instantly comprehend or you will need to share your dream with someone gifted in this area to interpret in your behalf. Realize, this is how God used the prophets in the lives of kings, however, because we are now reconciled to God through Jesus Christ, the prophetic spirit of God now lives inside every believer, enabling all of us to see visions and dream as the Spirit leads.
Joel 2:28-30
“And afterward,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your old men will dream dreams,
your young men will see visions. 29 Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days. 30 I will show wonders in the heavens
and on the earth,
blood and fire and billows of smoke.
Jeremiah 31:33
“This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,”
declares the LORD.
“I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts.
I will be their God, and they will be my people.
Like everything of God, Satan comes to mimic, rob and pervert what God intended for our good (2 Corin. 11:13, John 8:44). We see this through the popularity and use of psychics, mediums, and astrology to deceive the world and lead them away from their inherent gifts from God. To this I say, BEWARE! So to lay a good foundation about dream/vision interpretation, I simply want to outline dream structures and boundaries in more detail so you can use them to interpret your own dreams more effectively. As you prepare to grow in this specific area, the most valuable point I believe I can share with you today would be to allow time to prove and affirm the message conveyed through your dreams. Doing this will require you to be responsible in writing down every significant dream and allowing God to prove its message and truth in your life. God will often affirm your dream with an immediate confirmation within our own spirit. He may affirm through an acknowledgment of other witnesses whom you have shared your vision or dream with. He will affirm it through the scriptures of His holy word. He will also affirm it through time because if the word is prophetic it WILL come to pass.
I encourage you to look to the following as a “Dreams and Visions Interpretation Guideline.” Understanding and implementing these prophetic disciplines will secure, aid and enhance your prophetic walk of faith. Know that before you even have a dream or a vision you will have to decide to be intentional about receiving from God. Therefore, your first step of faith to demonstrate to God that you respect and honor this spiritual platform is to simply write down the dream, pray for understanding, share with others (as the Spirit leads) and at ALL times, WAIT ON GOD.
WHAT SPECIFICALLY ARE VISIONS & DREAMS?
VISION:
An experience of seeing someone or something in a dream or trance, or as a supernatural apparition.
a series of thoughts, images, and sensations occurring in a person’s mind during sleep.
synonyms:
REM sleep; More
nightmare;
vision, fantasy, hallucination
“I awoke from my dreams”
a state of mind in which someone is or seems to be unaware of their immediate surroundings.
synonyms:
daydream, reverie, trance, daze, stupor, haze
“she went around in a dream”
So, by definition, dreams and visions are a consciousness experienced in another realm of existence. Because it is apart of every human being’s biological makeup, we can trust it was designed and given to us by God, our creator. Now, it becomes our responsibility to understand more responsibly the ways in which God wanted us to use it. I believe one of the main distinctions between visions and dreams is in the nature from which we experience them.
A vision is predominately something we SEE. It occurs while we are conscious and awake and often during prayer or meditation. It will play out much like a dream, however, its form is not as tangible as in a dream. A vision plays out like you are watching the sketching of an unexposed film strip or watching a black and white movie clip. You might also feel like a participant in a video game…you are a part of this virtual reality, but well aware it is not real. A trance, on the other hand, is a form of a vision that will play out very much like a dream. You are literally transported to another realm of existence and often without warning and while you are there, you have no foreknowledge of any other realm of existence. Often people have shared stories of these experiences when they were between sleep and awake. Many will have divine encounters (some godly and others demonic). Many speak of seeing heaven or hell or having an intimate encounter with Jesus through these occurrences. I have had my full share of all these experiences in my lifetime. From what I hear from other believers, heavenly trance-like visions generally are rare, and I would agree. I encourage you not to be afraid of these supernatural encounters. You are sure to gain more confidence as you gain more understanding about them. In any case, they remain to be a much-needed reminder to us that this world and our human nature is NOT all there is in this life and it demands our faith, humility and respect as it pertains to our relationship with our living God.
Dreams occur while we are sleeping. It is a realm that feels as real as our life on earth. It appears we live and breathe in the realm of our dreams which is why they are so impactful. Dreaming is something we can’t quite control, everyone does it and it is not privy to believers only. Because we dream so much, it is more than likely that God is communicating to us through them and all we have to do is be open to learn and receive from Him in this way.
DREAM & VISION STRUCTURE:
Revelation: A revelatory dream is where God speaks a personal message to you, either about you or maybe for someone else. A revelatory dream will often be an illustration of something that will encourage and affirm you. It will testify to what is actually going on in your life. It will reveal to you how God sees you and what He wants you to understand about your present circumstance. It will reveal how Satan (your adversary) sees you or how you are seeing yourself, often in the realm of the spirit. It might also reveal these same messages about someone else if you dreamed about them. Dreams of this kind may also play out as a word of wisdom and warning from God and therefore should not be taken lightly. Revelatory dreams provide blessed opportunities to share your dreams with others in an effort to love and prophetically encourage one another as a family of God. A revelatory dream is, in essence, a “Message from God” and it will often encourage and support your walk of faith in a profound way.
Regurgitation: A regurgitation dream is simply a dream that seems to be an “overflow” of your current emotional state of being. These are dreams and visions that will often reflect the things you are concerned, fearful or worried about. Commonly, when we experience trauma, loss or dealing with a crisis we will internalize many emotions and they will play out in our dreams. The medical field has defined this as PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). To some degree, we shouldn’t be too alarmed by these dreams because they will often diminish with time as we are made whole. However, when Satan wants to have a field day on our vulnerable seasons in life, we might become overwhelmed and even tormented by these types of dreams in which case, strategic prayer, and professional counseling would be extremely valuable.
Prophetic: Prophetic dreams are recognized quite easily because they come to pass! Prophetic dreams are distinct because they play out like a movie and then almost literally in your life. Prophetic dreams are unlike Revelatory dreams that are more like a dream template overlaid upon our life circumstances. Prophetic dreams are compelling and they play out like a well-directed movie. They are detailed and even while they may change scenes, there is continuity and a seemingly clear message. These dreams get a hold of you in your spirit and you know there is a message even while you may not be able to fully understand it. These dreams will also reveal scenes and details that clearly reflect the future and so it will require time to bring it about and confirm its authenticity. So writing down this kind of dream and vision is of critical importance. These dreams will cause you to remain alert and conscious of the ways in which God will confirm the prophetic nature of your dream, either in segments or all at one time. The fact that He has given you this type of dream is a sign that He is entrusting you with the responsibility of the information. Understand, your greatest challenge will be to hold this information until it’s appointed time. The enemy will often weigh on your pride by tempting you to exploit the dream in an effort to glorify yourself. This will endanger you; falling into prophetic error and lose the trust of your Heavenly Father to use you in ways like this again.
Trash: Have you ever heard someone say, “OMG! I think I ate too much pizza last night!” LOL. Well, that’s what these dreams are like. They are fragmented and inconsistent. Many times you may wake up and only remember a few details or none at all. So these are dreams you do not want to waste your time on and if anything at all, you can chalk it off to getting a “good night’s sleep” because this dreaming happens in the deep, most restful REM levels of sleep. This is the rest our bodies gladly welcome.
DREAM & VISION BOUNDARIES:
Pay attention to what God is emphasizing to you: Our dreams have so many details and sometimes we can get confused and caught up on the details and lose the central message. So it is important to only pay attention to what God is wanting you to pay attention to and that is determined by what He emphasizes in your dream or vision. So pay attention to the “God-inspired details” realizing that the other things that happen in the dream are simply there to give life to the dream experience. Some of these God-inspired details might be significant people, colors, symbols and images, your emotions, your thoughts, your discernment, the unique actions, reactions, comments, words and phrases from you and others. This kind of detail will often stand out in your dream so it is important to make note of them and as you put together all the important points, you will find that your dream or vision is speaking a powerful message to you.
Symbols: Visions and dreams often have a lot of symbols or the characters portrayed in a dream may represent people in real life. What becomes overwhelming is trying to figure out the “what” and “who’s, who.” First, if you accept that the dream is from the Lord, then trust that He will also interpret if you are sincerely seeking to understand. Second, symbols will often carry their own message within the dream. So seek to understand what the symbol relates to or represents in real life. When you understand the symbol from the context of the dream or it’s meaning in real life, understanding of God’s message will unfold. When there are symbols in a dream that are unfamiliar to anything you know or able to researched than know that these are symbols that will be revealed to you in time in particular, if the dream was prophetic, and if the dream was revelatory, the symbol is likely being defined in your life with the same characteristics and impressions it was represented in your dream. Remember, revelatory dreams and visions will speak a message to you regarding something currently happening in your life, so you will usually sense its confirmation and relevance in your life immediately. Allow this unique template with all its symbolic parallels to gracefully overlay your life.
Visions and Dreams are not your HARD REALITY: Visions and dreams are a virtual reality. While our dreams may seem very real, nothing in them will ever be able to actually hurt you as in real life. Yes, we may see, feel, fight, and experience everything and more that could be experienced in our real world, yet, it will always remain an extension to that which is REAL. Therefore, we should approach our dreams and visions as instruments of God. So as you lie down each night and say your prayers, anticipate God to commune with you through your dreams and visions. Because He will be intentional to speak a message to you through them, this is all the more reason why you should be intentional to expect to receive from Him in this way.
Wait on God: Practice patience! Not every dream or vision has to be interpreted right away. Consider, God may desire your seeking, searching and wrestling. So, commit your spirit to the fact that it is God who holds the message and He will reveal it to you in His way, according to His will, and in His time. This is what makes Him your sovereign God. You may discover even now that there were symbols or images in a vision or dream that at the time, conveyed limited understanding. However, as you look back, you can clearly see that they reflected something or someone very significant in your life although, it required your walk of faith to be played out in order for it to communicate God’s message to you. We must wait on God to prove, test and verify our dreams and visions. This guards us against getting caught up on the supernatural experience and focus more on the heart and purpose of God who is speaking to us in this way.
PAY ATTENTION: Because our dreams and visions are instruments of God, realize we must pay careful attention to what God is saying. Like everything pertaining to worship, each instrument is designed for us to commune with God. His loving kindness will reach us in the depths of sin and on the heights of our greatest faith. Understand though, His dreams and visions are purposed to be His instrument to encourage us, warn us and reveal to us His mysteries. Therefore, we must pay close attention and respect the sacredness of this supernatural ability and heed God’s divine presence and profound messages.
Don’t be afraid of your dreams and visions: Remember, the supernatural became a part of your life and spiritual DNA when you became a Child of God. As a created being we reflect our creator and He is God (Gen. 1:26). We know Him personally through the person, Jesus Christ and through His power in the person, the Holy Spirit (John 1:1-5, 16:13-15). So we shouldn’t be afraid of the magnificent way in which God created us to live and manifest His glory on the earth. These spiritual instruments are simply a few of the many ways God will communicate with His creation and more intimately with His people. Realize, dreams and visions are not “Spiritual Gifts” (1 Corin. 12:1-11). Consider them more like God’s supernatural deposit in every human creation as a sign to remind them that their existence is much more than flesh and blood; that they are a spirit and were meant to belong to God. This has been and will always be our spiritual purpose, inheritance and glorious destiny when we become a part of the family of God.
Conclusion:
Keep it simple! Maintain a “dream foundation,” like this one. Spiritual foundations are meant to keep you safe and guard you against Satanic abuse and prophetic deception. So, beware and be wise as you seek further knowledge about dreams and visions. Trust God, His word and discern who His teachers are. Spiritual foundations like this one are intended to help you begin your journey so that you may grow more effectively in your own prophetic walk of faith as it pertains to dreams and visions.
verb: subdue; 3rd person present: subdues; past tense: subdued; past participle: subdued; present participle: subduing
overcome, quieten, or bring under control (a feeling or person).
Subduing “Prayer” is…
The intentional daily/weekly practice of praying a “subduing position” over the most vulnerable areas of your life that the enemy would use to attack you and establish “Ungodly Strongholds.” (ie family, spouse, children, work/ministry and colleagues, school, financial goals, health, character weaknesses etc.).
This kind of prayer is strategic and an offensive form of spiritual warfare. Subduing Prayer focuses on maintaining power and dominion in significant areas of your life in behalf of the will and purpose of God. Its role is to keep all critical borders secure and spiritually well intact. Subduing Prayer is intent on inhibiting the enemy from prospering in his effort to influence the circumstances and individuals most near and dear to you in an assignment to thwart the plans God has for you. Realize, your greatest distraction in accomplishing the will of God in your life will be YOU and those close to you. When you consider the effectual role that Subduing Prayer could play in your life, it becomes easy to understand why Jesus commanded us to “love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. Granted this may not be a big deal if it’s a stranger on the street, however, when it is your spouse, your parent, siblings, and other close family members, your children, your boss or co-workers, your pastor, fellow church members etc., these are people you do life with and when something breaks down with them…everything in your world will be impacted and you could feel like your world is falling apart. Subduing Prayer is a discipline that keeps these borders safe, secure and strong.
Matt. 5:43-48
Love for Enemies
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor[a] and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Subduing Prayer encourages us to stand on guard and alert with a focus on our “Spiritual Borders” as a prayer practice. When we take this prayer stance for the significant things in our life, prayer is not offered with an intent to gain or personally get something from God, it is not defensive as one under attack, it is not vindictive as one who has been wounded but rather, it is “authoritative,” self-controlled, preventive and intentional in ordering ALL things (starting with self) to align with the kingdom of God.
Subduing prayer is a “Prayer Practice” and purposed to SUBDUE and maintain DOMINION in your life both in the heavenlies and on earth. Celebrate if you have an intercessory prayer partner whom you can stand in agreement with (friend, spouse, family members)…because this is even better! Subduing prayer is essentially establishing “Godly Strongholds” in your life that align to the will and purposes of God…something every believer should have in place. What is a Godly Stronghold? Well, I’m glad you asked.
Today a walled city is mostly outdated. Modern warfare has made the walls useless. Airplanes have taken away any advantage the walls can provide. However, even before aircraft, the development of the cannon demonstrated the days of walled cities were limited. Cannons allowed attackers to pulverize walls with artillery, causing the walls to crumble. Artillery also shocked the inhabitants inside the walls, who never faced anything like it before. The smashing artillery caused a quick surrender of its inhabitants; therefore, the cannon caused the walled stronghold to cease.
In history, strongholds played a vital role. No army could successfully defeat an opponent and let their stronghold stand within conquered territory. One of the main objectives of armies was to remove strongholds within a conquered territory. We as the Lord’s army need to take notice, of the objective to remove strongholds. Like conquerors of old, we need to target the spiritual strongholds of our enemy, Satan. We need to replace these strongholds with the strongholds of God.
Start NOW practicing Subduing Prayer. Incorporate it in your life as your daily or weekly prayer practice. This prayer practice will help to keep your heart, mind, and spirit aligned with God’s word. Consequently, it will position you to hear God’s voice more clearly, hunger after His word and lovingly submit to His will as the Holy Spirit convicts, comforts, counsels, and guides you into all truth (John 41:26, 16:13). Secondly, Subduing Prayer will help you recognize more biblically the power in Christ Jesus you have been given to walk in. I assure you, when you truly discover this, you will no longer take defeat lying down.
Third, Subduing Prayer identifies your vulnerabilities not just internally but also externally. You are vulnerable with those you love, you are vulnerable with the things you value, you are vulnerable to the things that make you feel secure. Therefore, if these things break down or offend you, you will most likely shut down…mentally, emotionally and spiritually. This could be termed a MASS ATTACK because the overall effects are devastating if just one of these areas are affected. So, when you are aware what your vulnerable areas are and commit them to be defined and disciplined by the wisdom and truth of God’s word, they are no longer vulnerable but instead made strong and resilient in the power of God. Better to be stretched and matured by the discipleship hand of God than to be maliciously manipulated, bamboozled or beaten down by a liar, fool and enemy of our Savior Jesus Christ…(SATAN). There is no doubt, if you live long enough, life will throw you a few curve balls. However, when you practice Subduing Prayer, you will be ready for it with a bold, confident and courageous spirit.
Fourth, Subduing Prayer will bring you into the awareness that your REAL world is much smaller than the country, city or community you live in. Your world, throughout all your life, will always consist of and be defined by the people, relationships, and environments both geographical and social, and I would even include all forms of media that you choose to encompass your life. This is the world that most greatly influence you and it will impact how you think, live, experience and literally define your life. Realize, your REAL world is quite small and you have much more control over it than you realize.
The enemy works within this small arena strategically and consistently with an intentional effort to kill, steal and destroy everything God desires for you and this includes His plans that you are aware of and also, the plans you are NOT aware of. When we gain a confident, godly, spiritual perspective about our immediate world, only then will we no longer live in fear about the rest of the world around us. What is important for you to realize is that securing the areas in your life that are most vulnerable with the power and wisdom of God, will fully equip you to journey life as a conqueror in ALL seasons of life…and you can take that to God’s spiritual BANK!
Is. 54:17
No weapon formed against you shall prosper,
And every tongue which rises against you in judgment
You shall condemn.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,
And their righteousness is from Me,”
Says the Lord.
Subduing Prayer is something you can put into practice any time. This simple outline will help you get started.
As you complete each category, you should be prayerfully honest and meditative about what you write down. This is a time with you and God to focus on strengthening the spiritual borders of your life so don’t take this exercise for granted.
Begin by making a list with the following 7 categories.
Me (list by name personal character, heart and spiritual related challenges)
Health (include current issues and any preventive measures taken pertaining to you and those dear to you)
Family Members (list by name)
Dear Friends (list by name, include those you are growing close to as well)
Work/Ministry (included all significant relationships)
Finances (include debts, incomes, and savings)
Goals (name 3 immediate goals limiting the details)
Now, as a part of your daily/weekly prayer time, pray this list. If you want to really be effective, pray authoritatively by attaching 2-3 scriptures to each category as a banner of God’s truth over these items. You can pray for each category all at one time or you can spread them throughout the week (recommended). If you are someone who struggles with prayer or what to pray about, this is your answer! Praying throughout the week causes you to establish a regular prayer discipline, memorize scripture, remain mindful of the vulnerable areas in your life and remain alert to what God is speaking to you about them. It will also keep you alert as to how the enemy is working on them…oh so subtlety.
Should these areas experience crisis or irritation, I encourage you not to take these assaults personal but rather, subdue them with love, peace and the power of God through the directives of His word. This consistent, weekly prayer practice will position you to extinguish all the fiery darts of the enemy and live abundantly in God’s Kingdom both in heaven and on earth.
Eph. 6:16
In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
As you learn and grow with this exercise, use a journal to chronical your experience and what you are understanding about God, yourself, your enemy and exactly how he uses you, and other people and circumstances around you, solely to keep you from growing into your full potential in Christ. This spiritual authority does not happen overnight but will most assuredly happen in time and thankfully it won’t take long to notice growth and signs of your power in God “Hallelujah!”
Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur are two of the most important biblically based Hebraic festivals (next to Passover) on the Jewish calendar. This season is commonly known as the High Holy days, which take place in the season of Fall each year. The word festival in Hebrew, is hag or moed, which means a set time or appointed time. An appointed festival or feast is a holy convocation or sacred assembly, which in Hebrew means mikrah, a rehearsal or a recital. Therefore, for Jews and Gentiles alike, all of the biblical festivals that have been appointed by God, now serve as rehearsals for the purpose of prophetically retelling the story of God’s salvation plan about the Messiah (Jesus Christ) from beginning to end. Col. 2:16-17, Lev. 23:24, Num. 29:1
Like every holiday, commemorating these festivals in whatever meaningful way we can, will help to keep us, as believers (Jew & Gentile), remain mindful, spiritually sober and alert as to who we are in Christ Jesus, our purpose on the earth and the hope in our future kingdom and returning King. The following poetic storyboard will introduce you to the profound wonder of this most sacred season.
Karen Gaithers-Life Discipleship 