Breaking Facebook Validation Habit

Definition: Facebook validation is basing your value or worth solely on how others respond to what you post or how you respond to them on Facebook messenger. 

If you find yourself consistently checking to see how many likes you have on your posts or find yourself feeling depressed if your posts are being ignored...you may have a Facebook validation problem. This is why people send chain emails that seem to force a reply from you either by stating that you will have good luck if you do and bad luck if you don't. Then there are the Facebook posts that force you to read them in their entirety by saying "I know you are my true friend if you read this to the end..." Do you really need me to repost that to prove to you that I'm your friend? Let's not forget the chain emails that make you feel like you are less patriotic or not a good citizen if you don't forward them. Let me ask you, shouldn't that poor child Dakota be healed by now? The same prayer vigil has been circulating on messenger for at least a year now.

I must admit some Facebook messages are cute and innocent. However, some of them seem like a threat. You may self-destruct in 10 seconds if you don't forward this. Some people have gotten so tired of these chain Facebook messages that they freak if you send them anything on messenger. Sheesh. I was put on notice that if I sent one more cute hugging bear I would be unfriended. Okay, I get it. I was just in the mood to show some love. Forgive me. Whatever your activity on Facebook may be, we need to check our motivation for why we are doing it. Are we seeking to be somebody through social media? Do we start social media frenzies by baiting people into arguments? Do we ask questions just for the sake of feeling like someone is listening to us? Are we constantly trying to get attention by posting things that are either controversial, funny or riddled with self-pity? Do we have a bad day if we feel our post or opinion was rejected? Do we tell others we are leaving Facebook to see if they genuinely care? Do we look to others to tell us what we should believe? Is your devotional life based solely on what you read and watch on Facebook? If that's so, you may have crossed over to an addiction to Facebook. Is that possible you may think? An addiction is a bad habit that causes you to be obsessed with a certain, person, habit or activity that becomes your source of peace, love, happiness, acceptance, and or approval. I hate to say many of us have fallen into this trap. If Facebook has become your source of letting you know that you are a human being worthy of being valued then it's time to break this ugly Facebook validation cycle. Repeat after me: Facebook is an activity to engage others but not the source of my happiness, love, peace, happiness, acceptance or approval. I get that from God! People are not the source of how I feel about my life and myself. My value comes from what Jesus did on the cross for me. I'm amazing, cherished, loved, accepted, affirmed, and wonderfully made. I choose to engage people in person and form genuine relationships instead of hiding behind a computer screen. I AM SOMEBODY! If you are still needing additional help comment below if not have an amazing day because after all, I don't need you to approve this message. hahahahaha Jaziz Gutierrez

Obedience Through Suffering

Who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, 8 though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. Hebrews 5:7-8

In our modern church culture, the idea of suffering is so foreign to us. The internet is full of ways to live in victory, overcoming in spiritual warfare, and motivational teaching that encourages us. Not so much on suffering. We don't want to even think about it. We have a big problem with suffering. We feel that somehow God is against us or doesn't like us when we go through things. We feel persecuted, downcast, and depressed when things don't go our way. We have a false sense of control as if we have a say in the matters of life. When things don't go the way we think it should, it shakes us to the very core of our being. We often accuse God of being unloving and uncaring. Jesus did not promise us a carefree life. "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 This word tribulation means trouble, anguish, suffering, sadness, heartache, and woe. Jesus said we are going to go through stuff. We are somehow shocked when it happens though. We even get mad about it. 

I recently heard a brother challenge me to ask God how to partner with him in the situation I'm in. What is God teaching me? How am I going to obey Him in what I'm going through? Hebrews says "though he was a son..." Why do we call into question our sonship when we suffer when it's part of normal life? Jesus told us we can be cheerful in every situation. Joy is not a byproduct of circumstance. It is a fruit of or manifestation of the Holy Spirit living in us. He didn't go anywhere. Peace is a byproduct of God's ever abounding love manifesting within our lives when we put our trust in Him! Jesus learned obedience through the things he suffered?! I scratch my head when I read this too. You mean suffering can be a byproduct of obedience?! You mean that if I obey God that it may produce heartache? You mean I won't always be blessed? Whoa! It says that he cried out in vehement cries. Jesus was suffering the agony of laying his life down. He knew that rejection, ridicule, pain, the punishment of our sins, betrayal of the church, and abandonment of friends awaited him. In His obedience and suffering, He overcame. We can overcome too. This is only true if we are willing to suffer through the decision to take up our cross and follow him; no matter who is with us. We may have to die on our cross alone, feeling forsaken by all and even feeling like God has turned His face from us. We can't depend on others to pull us through. We must depend on God! Sadly, many will even accuse us of being in some kind of sin if we are going through it. Which isn't necessarily true. These accusations arise because for the most part, the church doesn't believe in suffering. 

As a whole, our society is bent on not suffering. If we ever lived in a society that lives in a place of escapism it is now. The drug culture exists solely on escaping pain. We fear PAIN! We do everything to avoid it instead of embracing it as part of life. It takes courage to suffer and face pain. Can you imagine Jesus stopping in his tracks while carrying his cross and saying, "I'm not doing this! It's too painful! Why should I lay my life down for people who would rather see me dead? The people in the church don't even like me. They think I'm a freak. I'm going back to being a carpenter because ministry is full of people who don't appreciate me." It sounds ridiculous, doesn't it? However, every day someone walks away from their cross, their calling, and their family. I like what a friend recently said to me, "Let it burn!" He was referring to pain. If it hurts just let it burn. Amen. So be it Jesus. Your grace is sufficient.

Facing life with courage,

Jaziz Gutierrez

Entertaining Spirits

The Holy Spirit woke me up out of dead sleep. He said, "Many of you are entertaining spirits! You are entertaining spirits of seduction, lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh, pride of life, perversion, derision, dissension, lasciviousness, adultery, fornication, violence, witchcraft, divination, drunkenness, revelries, and the like. He showed me a poster of Marilyn Monroe and Elvis. He said, "These are icons of lust and seduction." Some are secretly entertaining witchcraft in the form of watching Harry Potter movies and other shows that practice the occult. Some are watching novelas/soap operas that are full of lust, seduction, adultery, fornication and more. Others are watching pornography, reading romance novels and other books that also entertain spirits. Then you wonder why you struggle with sin, compromise and come under heavy spiritual attack of the enemy. I want you to understand that you can't keep the foot ajar to the enemy enough to enjoy the wanton pleasures of the flesh and still be in the Spirit. Jesus said, “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!" Matthew 6:22 Our eyes are gates to the soul and spirit. Your eyes cannot serve two masters! Others of you have justified smoking marijuana because it is legal. God says, "This is witchcraft!" Nicotine is also a drug. Nicotine is a potent parasympathomimetic stimulant and an alkaloid found in the nightshade family of plants. Nicotine is highly addictive.[13][14] An average cigarette yields about 2 mg of absorbed nicotine; in lesser doses of that order, the substance acts as a stimulant in mammals, while high amounts (50–100 mg) can be harmful.[15][16][17] This stimulant effect is a contributing factor to the addictive properties of tobacco smoking. Nicotine's addictive nature includes psychoactive effects, drug-reinforced behavior, compulsive use, relapse after abstinence, physical dependence and tolerance. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicotine 

Holy Spirit also spoke to me and said, "Your mouth can't serve two masters!" Some of you are serving the master of witchcraft because you are practicing the use of drugs by smoking nicotine and marijuana. Others are drinking alcoholic beverages. He told me that some have invited unclean spirits through their mouths because they yielded their tongue to witchcraft and that's why they can't stop cursing with their mouths. 

The bible says, "Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God." Galatians 5:19-21 In the Greek this word "witchcraft" means the use and administration of drugs. 

Let's talk about the ear gates. There are some who listen to music full of lust, seduction, violence, and dishonor to authority and women. Again you are entertaining spirits. Have you ever been on the Disneyland ride at the Haunted Mansion then looked in the mirror and there was a ghost riding with you. Look no further. What you have been doing has caused demons to attach to you. Some of you are literally tormented in your sleep, your health, finances, and relationships. We not supposed to be doing these things or hanging out with ANYONE who is doing these things. "I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. 10 Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. 11 But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person.12 For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? 13 But those who are outside God judges. Therefore “put away from yourselves the evil person.” 1 Corinthians 5:9-13 Does not the bible say not to keep company with anyone called a brother who practices these sins? Sorry but if you claim to be a Christian and are actively engaged in entertaining spirits then I can't hang out with you! Last night we had two women come up for deliverance. One came under demonic attack after allowing a man to come into her life who was practicing witchcraft the other was under attack from watching novelas. Jesus said, "If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire." Matthew 18:8-9 It is better for some of you to get rid of your TV than for it to keep you out of the Kingdom! It is better for some of you to cut off some members of your family than for you to stay out of the Kingdom! Whatever it is or whoever it is; you are responsible for protecting your eye gates, ear gates, and mouths. We are gatekeepers of our souls and hearts. The Pastor can't do this for you. I assure you that you will spend less time in a prayer line if you guard your heart with all diligence. 

One last thing: I personally had a major issue with TV so I'm speaking from experience. The moment I obeyed the Holy Ghost on this matter, the windows of heaven opened up and I got $7,000 in the mail. We didn't know it but we had been included in a class action lawsuit and won! They found us and mailed us the money. Hallelujah! Your breakthrough is in obeying God's word! Obedience leads to blessing! I could have rolled over in bed this morning but the Holy Spirit was speaking loudly he wants to see his children live in freedom!

Let's pray:

Dear God, I'm tired of being under spiritual attack. Falling into the same sin and habits. Living defeated. Getting ripped off of finances, and blessings. I repent and make a decision today to close every possible door to the devil. I refuse to serve two masters or come under the cruel whip of the devil. I refuse the be the devil's puppet. Forgive me. I choose today not associate with or be in a relationship with anyone who does things that grieve and hurt you. To put them first is idolatry. Holy Spirit come, and cleanse me of every evil spirit I opened the door to and teach me how to live holy. Your word says the pure shall see God. Matthew 5:8 Empower me to live for you by your grace in Jesus name! I choose to forgive those who have hurt me and loose the offense from my heart. Forgive me for entertaining spirits and giving them access to my life in Jesus name!

I pray: I command every spirit of witchcraft, lust, seduction, adultery, fornication, derision, reviling, idolatry, uncleanness, lies, deception, anger, pride, drunkenness, control, strife, Jezebel and anything that was opened through willful disobedience to come out of those who have prayed this prayer in Jesus name! We revoke your legal rights and access in the name of Jesus. Take your hands off their finances, children, marriage, mind, will, and emotions. We command the spirit of fear to loose its grip over their life. Spirit of infirmity GO! Lack and poverty GO! In Jesus mighty name! May God's peace be restored to you in the Jesus name! Amen. Love you all, Jaziz Gutierrez