They Got Changed In The Upper Room

Twelve men were chosen by God. They walked with Jesus for three and a half years. And then Jesus died.

During those three and a half years, they were used by God. They saw miracles and healings and were taught by Jesus. So you would think that their connection to Jesus would have been enough. But when it came down to trials or temptations, or even when they were met with the opposition of the Roman guards, they were not able to stand with Jesus.
They abandoned Him. They denied Him and went back to the world.
During their time with Jesus, they struggled, fighting over position. They wanted to call fire down on sinners. They even allowed the devil to talk through them and try to convince Jesus that He didn't need to go to the cross. They fought amongst each other and were very carnal.
But something radical happened to these men after Jesus died.
They were instructed to go to the upper room to pray. They spent ten days in the upper room, praying, fasting, and waiting on the promise.
When the Holy Spirit came, He filled that room, and He filled them. And they were never the same. They were changed and transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit.
These men who abandoned Jesus, denied Him, and were carnal became powerhouses for the Lord.
And I find something very interesting.
The journey in the wilderness for the children of Israel should have been a 11 day journey. But it took them forty years.
And for many Christians now, the same thing is happening. What is supposed to take them a few years takes them decades because they're missing out on the upper room experience for their lives.
And there was a difference between the children of Israel and Moses.
Moses would go up and be with God. And they were so afraid they wouldn't even approach the mountain. They didn't have an intimate relationship with God like Moses did. They only learned about God secondhand.
Many people still do that today. They don't read their Bibles. They only learn about God through other people's experiences.
Some people are content to stand at the foot of the mountain when God is calling them higher, into His presence, where they can behold His glory as Moses did.
And some are content to stand at the foot of the cross, admiring what Christ did for them, without realizing that He has called them to pick up their own cross, die to themselves, and follow Him.
We were never called to be spectators of His glory or merely admirers of His sacrifice. We were called to be transformed by His presence and conformed to His likeness.
And while Moses was on the mountain receiving God's commandments, the Israelites became impatient. Instead of waiting on God, they made a golden calf and began worshiping it, eating, drinking, and celebrating. Their unbelief and impatience led them right back into idolatry.
God had delivered them out of Egypt, but Egypt was still in them! They were physically free, but their hearts were still in bondage.
The Israelites continued disobeying God's commands, complaining, wishing they could go back to their lives as slaves, and rebelling against Moses.
And unfortunately, that generation died in the wilderness and never entered the Promised Land because of their unbelief and disobedience.
And here's something sadder still. Moses never went into the Promised Land because he allowed his frustration with the people to lead him into disobedience to God.
Fast forward to the upper room again.
These men and women spent ten days in that upper room. And not only did they enter the promise of God for their lives, they became revival.
The very man who Scripture says denied Jesus three times became the man who started the revival.
And I see something here in modern application.
Those who spend time in prayer until the Holy Spirit falls on them and continue until they're filled with the Holy Spirit are people who are able to successfully walk out their Christian lives.
And every revival that ever existed started with a group of people who prayed until their fears were gone, until the carnality was gone, until they looked like Jesus.
And I believe that if it worked for the early disciples, it would still work for us today.
**I believe the church needs an upper room experience again.**

Fear Casts Out Love

The Bible tells us that perfect love casts out fear. But do you know what else is true?

Fear can cast out love.

Being afraid of God causes us to run and hide from Him. That is not the healthy fear of the Lord. It is the kind of fear that makes us try to work *for* love instead of work "because we are already loved".
Until we understand the difference, we can remain trapped in religion.
Religion tells us to work for love. It tells us to perfect ourselves, perform for approval, and make sure everyone—including God—is pleased with us. Then, when we fall short and feel unworthy, we stop trying. We pull away from God or backslide because we believe we will never be good enough.
But behind all of this is a fear-based gospel whispering:
"I am not loved."
"I am not accepted."
"I have to do something more."
But we do not have to do something more to earn the love of God. Jesus has already made the way for us to approach the Father with boldness and confidence.
“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace.” — Hebrews 4:16
This is where we must understand the difference between the fear of the Lord and being afraid of God.
The fear of the Lord is reverence, honor, and awe. It is recognizing His holiness and refusing to treat His presence casually. But being terrified of God makes us run away, hide, and expect rejection.
You can be afraid of someone you do not love. But true reverence grows as we know God, love Him, and understand His love for us.
That is why being rooted and grounded in love is essential. We need His love to cast out the tormenting fear that makes us hide from Him.
“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment.” — 1 John 4:18**
For many of us, this fear began in childhood. We learned early that love had to be earned. We felt that we were never good enough, and that if we made a mistake, love might be withdrawn from us.
That is a heartbreaking way to live.
The enemy then uses those wounds to attack our assurance of salvation. He gets inside our thoughts and fills our minds with accusations. That is why the Bible tells us to put on **the helmet of salvation**.
When fear overwhelms our minds, we begin obsessing over whether we are going to hell. We obsess over our failures, guilt, and unworthiness. We struggle under constant condemnation and sometimes mistake that torment for humility or godliness.
But condemnation is not piety.
Constantly declaring ourselves worthless does not honor the cross. It can become another way of saying that what Jesus did was not enough.
Salvation was freely given to us through Christ. We do not have to work to make God love us. However, when we truly receive His love, obedience should naturally flow from it.
Working *for* God’s love and obeying God *because we love Him* are two entirely different things.
One flows from fear.
The other flows from love.
One says, “I must perform so that God will accept me.”
The other says, “Because God has accepted and loved me, I want my life to please Him.”
How can we freely love someone while living in terror of them?
Perhaps you were terrified in a relationship where someone claimed to love you. Maybe you were punished, controlled, rejected, or abused by someone who continually called it love. That can deeply confuse your understanding of God.
But there is no darkness in Him.
God is not like the people who wounded you. He is not waiting for you to make a mistake so He can reject you. Through the cross, Jesus made a way for you to be reconciled to the Father and stand before Him covered by grace.
You do not have to live terrified.
You can have peace.
If you are constantly tormented in your mind, fear may be distorting the way you understand God’s love. Do not allow the enemy to talk you out of the assurance, peace, and identity Christ has given you.
You are a beloved child of God.
You have been accepted in the Beloved.
“He made us accepted in the Beloved.” — Ephesians 1:6
It was God’s pleasure to create you. It was His love that sent Jesus to rescue you.
If you have never truly experienced that love, ask Him today:
“Father, show me how much You love me. Heal the fear that makes me hide from You. Teach me how to obey You from love rather than perform for acceptance.”
Then look at the cross.
See the arms of Jesus stretched open as an eternal invitation to come home—to come out of hiding, lay down your fear, and receive the love you could never earn but that He freely chose to give.
You do not have to work to become loved.
In Christ, you work, serve, and obey because you already are.
Jaziz Gutierrez

How to know if you are in love with Jesus

 

“Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment.”
— Matthew 22:37–38

I always hear people say that they love Jesus, but then I watch their lives contradict their statements. So what is love?

I saw a great definition of love online the other day, and I reworded it this way:

“Love reveals itself by what we pursue, where we focus our attention, what we give our desire and affection to, what shapes our priorities, and what directs our actions. Our lives naturally move toward what our hearts treasure.”

Jesus said:

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
— Matthew 6:21

So how do you know that you are truly in love with Jesus?

1. You want to be in the presence of Jesus.

You can't wait to be alone with Him, sit with Him, hear His voice, talk with Him, and simply enjoy His presence. When you love someone, being with that person isn't a chore. You desire their presence.

Psalm 63:1–2 — “O God, You are my God; early will I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You... So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory.”

Psalm 42:1–2 — “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.”

Psalm 84:1–2 — “How lovely is Your tabernacle, O LORD of hosts! My soul longs, yes, even faints for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.”

Psalm 27:4 — “One thing I have desired of the LORD, that will I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD...”

Psalm 16:11 — “In Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

2. You think about Him all the time.

When you are in love with someone, your thoughts are always on that person. You wake up thinking about him or her. You go to sleep thinking about him or her. You can't wait to be with that person, and you plan your time around that encounter.

It is the same way with Jesus. Your mind continually returns to Him.

Isaiah 26:3 — “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.”

Psalm 63:6 — “When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches.”

Psalm 1:2 — “But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night.”

Colossians 3:1–2 — “Seek those things which are above, where Christ is... Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.”

3. He is your first priority.

Nothing rivals your love for Jesus. He is your first priority and greatest pursuit. You don't allow idols to take His place in your heart. He doesn't take a backseat to another relationship, career, hobby, money, possessions, or even your own personal desires.

Jesus isn't simply part of your life. He is Lord of your life.

Matthew 10:37 — “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.”

Matthew 6:33 — “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness...”

Exodus 20:3 — “You shall have no other gods before Me.”

Psalm 73:25 — “Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.”

1 John 2:15 — “Do not love the world or the things in the world.”

4. Your goal is to please God regardless of what other people think.

When you love Jesus, His opinion becomes more important than people's approval. Your goal becomes pleasing the One you love, even when following Him isn't popular.

2 Corinthians 5:9 — “Therefore we make it our aim...to be well pleasing to Him.”

Colossians 1:10 — “That you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him...”

Galatians 1:10 — “For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.”

1 Thessalonians 2:4 — “Not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts.”

5. Love equals sacrifice, so you are willing to give up anything to follow Him.

Real love costs something. When you love Jesus, your time, energy, resources, plans, and desires become His. There isn't anything you should be unwilling to surrender if He asks for it.

Jesus isn't someone we simply add to the life we've already chosen. Following Him means laying our lives down before Him.

Luke 9:23 — “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.”

Luke 14:33 — “Whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.”

Philippians 3:7–8 — “But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ... I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord.”

Romans 12:1 — “Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.”

6. You honor God with your life and aim to glorify Him.

When you're in love with Jesus, you don't just honor Him at church. You want your entire life to bring Him glory—your words, behavior, relationships, work, money, decisions, and even what you do when nobody else is watching.

1 Corinthians 10:31 — “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

Colossians 3:17 — “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus...”

Matthew 5:16 — “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

7. You surrender your will to God and live in a posture of humble submission.

When you love Jesus, you trust Him enough to surrender your will to His.

It stops being, “Jesus, bless what I want,” and becomes, “Jesus, what do You want?”

Sometimes loving Him means saying no to ourselves so that we can say yes to Him.

Jesus Himself demonstrated this posture toward the Father:

Luke 22:42 — “Nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.”

Proverbs 3:5–6 — “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”

James 4:7 — “Therefore submit to God.”

Romans 12:2 — “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

8. You love what He loves and hate what He hates.

When we love Jesus, His heart begins changing our hearts. The things that grieve Him begin grieving us. The things He loves become precious to us.

That also means that if we love Jesus, His love begins changing how we love people.

Psalm 97:10 — “You who love the LORD, hate evil!”

Romans 12:9 — “Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.”

John 15:12 — “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”

1 John 4:20 — “If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar...”

We cannot separate loving Jesus from loving people.

9. You obey His commands and His voice.

This is one of the clearest tests Jesus Himself gave us concerning whether we love Him.

“If you love Me, keep My commandments.”
— John 14:15

Jesus didn't say, “If you love Me, tell everyone you love Me.” He connected love directly to obedience.

John 14:21 — “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me.”

John 14:23–24 — “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word... He who does not love Me does not keep My words.”

1 John 5:3 — “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments.”

Obedience doesn't earn His love or salvation. Rather, obedience is one of the fruits that grows from a heart that loves Him.

10. You worship God and freely give Him your love.

When you love Jesus, worship isn't merely something you do during a church service. Worship becomes the response of your heart to the One you love.

You want to praise Him, adore Him, thank Him, honor Him, and pour your affection upon Him.

1 Chronicles 16:29 — “Give to the LORD the glory due His name; bring an offering, and come before Him. Oh, worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness!”

Psalm 95:6 — “Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.”

John 4:23–24 — “The true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.”

Mary gives us one of the most beautiful pictures of extravagant love and worship:

John 12:3 — Mary took very costly fragrant oil, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. The fragrance filled the entire house.

Her love wasn't merely spoken. Her love was demonstrated by what she was willing to pour out at His feet.

So perhaps the real question isn't simply:

“Do I say that I love Jesus?”

The deeper question is:

“If someone watched my life without hearing my words, would they be able to tell that I am in love with Him?”

What receives my time?
What occupies my thoughts?
What captures my affection?
What am I pursuing?
What am I unwilling to surrender?
Whose approval am I seeking?
Who am I obeying?

Because ultimately, our lives naturally move toward what our hearts treasure.

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
— Matthew 6:21

Why Surrendering Is Hard

If surrender is the answer, why do so many people struggle with it?

Because surrender goes against our natural instincts.

Most of us have spent our lives trying to protect ourselves, control situations, manage outcomes, and avoid pain. We learned to rely on ourselves because people disappointed us, circumstances hurt us, and life felt unpredictable. Over time, control became our survival strategy.

The problem is that what once helped us survive eventually becomes the very thing that keeps us trapped.

Addiction itself is often an attempt to manage pain, fear, loneliness, shame, anxiety, or disappointment. The substance, behavior, relationship, or obsession becomes our solution. We trust it more than we trust God.

That is why surrender feels so threatening.

When we surrender, we are not just giving up an addiction—we are giving up the false sense of security it provided.

The Difference Between Compliance and Surrender

Many people comply without surrendering.

They attend meetings.

They work the steps.

They stop using.

They say the right words.

Yet internally they are still holding on to control.

Compliance says:

"I'll do this if it works."

"I'll trust God as long as He agrees with me."

"I'll surrender this one area but not that one."

"I want freedom, but I still want control."

True surrender says:

"God, I trust You even when I don't understand."

"Your will is better than my will."

"I release the outcome to You."

"I am willing to follow wherever You lead."

The difference is not found in our actions alone but in the posture of our hearts.

What We Commonly Need to Surrender

For some people, surrender begins with drugs or alcohol.

For others, it goes much deeper.

We may need to surrender:

Pride

Fear

Anger

Resentment

Unforgiveness

Control

Approval seeking

People pleasing

Relationships

Financial worries

Future plans

Past regrets

Shame

Self-hatred

Anything we grip tighter than God can become an obstacle to freedom.

Surrender and Trust

At its core, surrender is really about trust.

The question is not, "Can God control my life?"

The question is, "Do I trust Him enough to let Him?"

Many of us trust God with heaven but struggle to trust Him with today.

We trust Him for salvation but not for our finances.

We trust Him for forgiveness but not for healing.

We trust Him for eternity but not for tomorrow.

Yet every act of surrender is really an act of trust.

When we surrender, we are declaring:

"God, I believe Your plans are better than mine."

What Happens When We Surrender?

When surrender becomes a lifestyle, several things begin to happen.

We stop carrying burdens that were never ours to carry.

We stop trying to change people we cannot change.

We stop forcing outcomes.

We stop fighting battles that belong to God.

Instead, we begin to experience:

Greater peace

Greater emotional stability

Freedom from anxiety

Freedom from obsession

Freedom from resentment

Increased humility

Deeper intimacy with God

Healthier relationships

The circumstances of life may not immediately change, but we begin to change.

And often, that is where true recovery begins.

A Daily Prayer of Surrender

Father,

Today I surrender my will, my plans, my fears, and my desires to You.

I release the things I cannot control and place them into Your hands.

Help me trust You when I do not understand.

Show me Your will and give me the strength to obey it.

Remove anything in me that stands in the way of Your purpose.

Teach me to walk in humility, dependence, and faith.

Not my will, but Yours be done.

In Jesus' name,

Amen.

Why The Chains?

Don’t you think it is time to take care of those chains?

There is nothing that bewilders me more than seeing a Christian in chains—pretending to be free and even proclaiming the gospel while their legs and arms are still shackled to hell. The enemy still grips them. They try to move forward, but they are pulled back toward the very things they claim Jesus saved them from on Calvary.

Then, as they realize they aren’t free, they make excuses like, “We will always be sinners.” They create doctrines like “once saved, always saved” to ease their conscience and make the chains feel lighter—but they remain in a place of torment.

Sadly, others walk by and judge them instead of helping them out of the chains. Some point out the obvious without offering any solution. Eventually, those in chains give up hope and continue trying to do life while bound.

They reduce the gospel to a blessed hope someday in the afterlife, with no hope in this life of actually being free.

Yet there is a blaring verse that disputes the madness of the modern church:

“He whom the Son sets free is free indeed.”

Followed by this:

“Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”

Why then the chains?

If Jesus said, “It is finished,” then what else needs to be done?

My answer — same tone, no softening

The chains remain not because the work of Christ was incomplete, but because many believers have been taught a gospel that forgives sin without freeing the sinner.

Jesus didn’t finish forgiveness without securing our freedom—He finished the entire work. The cross didn’t just cancel guilt; it broke sin's authority. Chains don’t stay on because they are powerful. They stay on because people are told they are normal.

The modern church has confused:

struggle with identity

temptation with bondage

patience with permission

grace with tolerance of captivity

So instead of teaching people how to walk out of prison, we preach sermons that help them decorate the cell.

“We’ll always be sinners” becomes a theological anesthetic.

“Once saved, always saved” becomes a sedative.

“Nobody’s perfect” becomes a muzzle on repentance.

And the chains don’t come off—because no one is told they can come off.

Here’s the uncomfortable truth:

Freedom is received, but it is also enforced.

Jesus said “It is finished”—not “You will never have to resist, repent, renew your mind, crucify the flesh, or walk in obedience.”

He finished the legal victory. We are taught to enforce it.

That’s why Scripture speaks both ways:

Dead to sin

Put to death the deeds of the body

Walk by the Spirit

Do not let sin reign

Chains stay when believers are taught that:

deliverance is optional

repentance is legalism

obedience is works

transformation is unrealistic

And worst of all, when the church judges captives instead of unlocking doors.

Freedom isn’t postponed until we get to heaven. Heaven is the seal, not the start.

Liberty is not a metaphor. It is a present reality where the Jesus is actually Lord.

So why the chains?

Because many have been preached a Savior but not a King,

a pardon but not a new life,

a cross without a resurrection walk,

a gospel that comforts sin instead of crucifying it.

The tragedy isn’t that people are chained. The tragedy is that they’ve been told the chains are part of Christianity.

They’re not.

By Jaziz Gutierrez 

Blueflameministries.com 

A Prophetic Warning to the Church: Tend the Fire

This morning, Revelation 2 stopped being just a passage of Scripture to me.

It became a living warning from Jesus Himself.

In Revelation 2:1–7, Jesus is speaking directly to the church—not the world. This is not a general observation. This is a prophetic word from the risen Christ to His people.

He says:

“I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil.”

Jesus acknowledges something very important here.
He sees that the church cannot tolerate evil.
He sees that we are disturbed by lies, deception, false apostles, false prophets, and compromise.
He sees the exposure.
He sees the falling away.
He sees that we hate what is corrupt.

And He says, “I know.”

But then He says something sobering:

“Nevertheless, I have this against you: you have left your first love.”

This is where the warning lands.

Jesus is saying:
“I see that you are focused on what everyone else is doing wrong… but something is happening in your heart.”

---

Outward Focus, Inward Drift

This is what hit me so deeply.

While we are watching:

• this pastor fall

• that leader get exposed

• this movement compromise

• that prophet deceiving the masses

Jesus turns the spotlight back on us.

He’s saying:

“You’re so focused outwardly that it’s impacting your love for Me.”

Disappointment, offense, hurt, anger, and weariness have begun to touch the heart of the church. Not because we love sin—but because we are constantly consuming everyone else’s failure.

And Jesus warned us about this already.

---

Jesus Already Told Us This Would Happen (Matthew 24)

In Matthew 24, Jesus gave a prophetic warning for the last days, and Revelation 2 is a continuation of it.

He said:

“Take heed that no one deceives you.” (v.4)

Then He warned:

• many would be offended

• many would betray one another

• many would hate one another

• many false prophets would rise

• lawlessness would increase

And then He says something that should shake us:

“Because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.” (v.12)

This is the danger.

Not deception alone.
Not false prophets alone.
But cold love.

Jesus is saying in Revelation 2:

“I know you hate what they’re doing—but make sure it hasn’t hardened you.”

---

The Falling Away Is Real—and It’s Worse Than Ever

I say this with sobriety, not exaggeration.

If you’ve been in Christianity for any length of time, you know this is true:
The level of deception, delusion, compromise, and falling away we are seeing right now is unprecedented.

I have never seen anything like this before.

It is alarming.
It is grievous.
It is heartbreaking.

But Jesus is warning us:

“If you take your eyes off Me and fixate on everyone else, your own fire will go out.”

I’ve seen it happen.
People once tender toward God become hard.
Prayer gets replaced with slander.
Intercession gets replaced with gossip.
Discernment turns into suspicion.
And love quietly grows cold.

---

Jesus’ Instruction Is Clear

He says:

“Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works.”

This is not condemnation.
This is mercy.

Jesus is calling us back—not to ignorance, but to intimacy.

He is saying:

• Don’t stop hating evil

• Don’t stop rejecting compromise

• But don’t leave Me in the process

We cannot afford to lose our first love during the falling away.

---

Tend the Fire

This is the word I feel so strongly right now:

Tend your fire.

Don’t worry about everybody else’s madness.
There will be more betrayal.
There will be more exposure.
There will be more shaking.

Jesus already told us that.

What He’s asking now is:

“Are you feeding the fire in your own life?”

Get the oil.
Return to prayer.
Guard your heart.
Stay tender.
Stay close.
Stay in love with Jesus.

Because if we don’t attend to our own fire,
we can fall away too.

That’s what Jesus is warning us about.

This is not just a Bible verse.
This is not just teaching.
This is a direct warning from Jesus to His church.

And the answer is simple, though not easy:

Return to your first love.
Do the first works.
And tend the fire—daily.

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

Biblical Sexual Consent

This needs to be said plainly.

Some of the deepest harm happening to women in the church is not coming from the world.

It is coming from men who use Scripture to control women’s bodies, consciences, and silence them —and churches that allow it.

One of the most commonly weaponized passages is 1 Corinthians 7.

“Yes, it is good to abstain from sexual relations.

But because there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband.

The husband should fulfill his wife’s sexual needs, and the wife should fulfill her husband’s needs.

The wife gives authority over her body to her husband, and the husband gives authority over his body to his wife.”

(1 Corinthians 7:1–4)

This passage was written about mutual care, not entitlement.

But many men don’t read it that way.

They stop where it benefits them.

Selective Reading Creates Entitlement

Men who weaponize this passage focus on:

“The wife gives authority over her body to her husband”

And they ignore:

“The husband gives authority over his body to his wife”

“The husband should fulfill his wife’s needs”

The entire chapter, which emphasizes self-control, restraint, and mutual consent

This selective reading turns mutuality into hierarchy.

Suddenly:

Sex becomes a duty instead of a gift

“No” becomes rebellion

A woman’s conscience becomes inconvenient

A man’s desire becomes a command

This is how entitlement theology is formed.

Not by Scripture—but by using Scripture to excuse the flesh.

Hierarchy Is Not Biblical Marriage

Biblical marriage is not about power.

It is not about access.

It is not about demand.

Yet in many churches, women are taught—directly or indirectly—that:

They owe sex to keep peace

They are responsible for a man’s purity

Withholding sex is sin

Enduring discomfort is godliness

That is not submission.

That is coercion.

And coercion, even inside marriage, is still coercion.

“God is not a God of confusion, but of peace.”

(1 Corinthians 14:33)

If Scripture is being used to override a woman’s peace, safety, or conscience, something is wrong.

Pornography + Scripture = Spiritual Abuse

This dynamic becomes especially dangerous when pornography addiction is involved.

A man addicted to porn often already has:

An entitlement mindset

A performance-based view of sex

A reduced ability to empathize

A need to control and shame his partner.

Instead of repenting, some men reach for Scripture to justify demand.

They say things like:

“You’re my wife”

“The Bible says you owe me”

“You’re causing me to sin”

“You’re being disobedient”

This is not leadership.

This is spiritual abuse.

Jesus never used God’s Word to take from women or abuse them.

He used His authority to protect them.

“The rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them… Not so with you.”

(Matthew 20:25–26)

Any theology that gives men permission to override a woman’s body, consent or conscience is not Christlike.

Consent Does Not End at Marriage.

Marriage does not erase personhood.

A wedding covenant does not turn a woman into property.

Authority in Scripture is shared, not seized.

1 Corinthians 7 does not say:

“Take whenever you want”

“Override her ‘no’”

“Ignore trauma”

“Use her body to manage your addiction”

In fact, Paul begins the chapter by affirming abstinence.

“It is good to abstain from sexual relations.”

Self-control is not optional in Scripture.

It is required.

“Each one should examine his own actions.”

(Galatians 6:4)

A man is responsible for his own holiness.

A woman is not his regulator.

How This Damages Women

When Scripture is used this way, women experience:

Deep spiritual confusion

Guilt for having boundaries

Fear of displeasing God

Betrayal trauma

Nervous system shutdown

Many women stay silent because they believe leaving or resisting would mean failing God.

That lie keeps women trapped.

Jesus never traps people.

He frees them.

“Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”

(2 Corinthians 3:17)

Silence in the Church Is Complicity

When churches refuse to address this, they protect power instead of people.

When leaders say:

“Just pray more”

“Be more available”

"Be a better wife"

“Don’t cause him to stumble”

They shift responsibility away from sin and onto women.

That is not shepherding.

That is abandonment.

Boundaries Are Not Rebellion

A woman who says “no” is not rejecting God.

She is honoring truth.

Distance is not punishment.

It is protection.

Refusal to participate in degrading dynamics that were learned from porn videos is not bitterness.

It is holy boundaries.

Jesus Himself walked away when truth was rejected.

“If they will not listen… shake the dust off your feet.”

(Matthew 10:14)

Final Word

Scripture was never meant to enslave women, treat them like they are second class citizens nor morally degrade them. 

It was meant to reflect the character of Christ.

Any teaching that produces fear, pressure, entitlement, or silence is not bearing good fruit.

“By their fruit you will recognize them.”

(Matthew 7:16)

Women are not objects.

They are image-bearers.

And no verse gives anyone permission to violate another human being.

Closing Prayer

God of truth,

Expose what has been hidden behind religious language.

Protect the women who have been silenced, pressured, and blamed.

Break false authority that feeds the flesh instead of reflecting Christ.

Heal consciences that were violated in Your name.

Restore dignity where it was taken.

And teach Your people the difference between love and control.

Let Your Word bring freedom again.

Not fear.

Not entitlement.

Not abuse.

Amen.

Research & Resources

Dr. Omar Minwalla – Sexual Entitlement & Betrayal Trauma

https://theinstituteforsexualhealth.com

Fight the New Drug – Pornography & Entitlement Research

https://fightthenewdrug.org

Your Brain on Porn – Neuroscience of Addiction

https://www.yourbrainonporn.com

APA – Sexual Coercion & Relationship Harm

https://www.apa.org

Prophecy: 2026 The Year of Discipline

 

God has shown me that this year will be a year of discipline.

The Bible is clear: God will not be mocked.
Whatever a person sows, that they will also reap.

God is no longer going to tolerate idolatry, stubbornness, or the mistreatment of others.

You may say, “I do not worship idols.”
Yet you will not give up your porn, weed, alcohol, drugs, materialism, and worship of self.

You want others to bow to you and serve you instead of serving Me.
You want to play God—to control others, punish them when they do not comply, and decide for them what they shall do.

You want others to worship you, admire you, and reverence you,
while you stab them in the back—
pretending you love them while poisoning those around them,
slandering them to elevate yourself,
monetizing their demise.

You know not what spirit you are of.

You teach doctrines online while your life is messy,
and you do it to receive the applause of men, not the approval of God.

If you have been using God as a platform while practicing sin behind the scenes,
He is not only going to expose you—He is going to remove you.

Just as I prophesied a year ago that the Lord would expose those behind pulpits,
He is now going to proceed to the pews.

Sexual immorality will no longer be tolerated in His house.
The worship of Baal will no longer be tolerated in His house.
Drunkenness will no longer be tolerated in His house.

The Lord says, “I have called to Myself a holy people.”

Those who live holy, who have closed every door to the enemy,
will go forward and receive great blessing this year.

But those who refuse—those who continue to break My commands, justify sin, and resist correction—
they will suffer great loss this year.

The Lord says, “I am also dealing with the spirit of Jezebel and the spirit of Ahab in My house.”

The spirit of Jezebel is a sexual, immoral, seducing spirit,
leading My children into sexual immorality, idolatry, and witchcraft.

The spirit of Ahab—the spirit of manipulation, control, compromise,
and passive tolerance of what is sin in My house—
will also be dealt with.

I am raising up people who will throw down this principality in the house of God
and pursue Ahab until it is destroyed.

The spirit of Jehu will arise—marked by obedience, courage, and holy zeal—
and will cut down what I have not planted in My church.

I will have a holy and reverent church before My return.

Some lives will be cut short because they refused to heed repeated warnings.
You will see Ananias and Sapphira fall in their hypocrisy—
not because mercy was unavailable,
but because deception was chosen while claiming devotion.

Understand this: God always sends prophets before discipline and final judgment.
He warns before He acts.
He exposes before He removes.
He calls to repentance before He disciplines.

Scripture says:
“Consider therefore the kindness and the severity of God.”
— Romans 11:22

God’s kindness is the warning.
God’s severity comes when the warning is rejected.

I am warning you against pride.

Pride will say, “This is not about me.”
Pride will say, “Grace will cover me while I continue to willfully sin.”
That is deception, not grace.

Grace empowers repentance.
Grace does not excuse rebellion.

You may feel anger rise.
You may feel as though God is targeting you.
But in His mercy, He warns.

Do not dismiss this word.
Do not deflect it onto someone else.
Let it examine you.

This is not cruelty.
This is covenant.

Discipline is not punishment—it is training.
What is confronted now will not destroy later.
What is surrendered now will be restored with authority.

This is the hour of discipline, purification, and holy fear—
a final call to repentance, obedience, and reverence before the Lord.

Why I Don't Believe In The Sinner's Prayer

Why I don't believe in the sinner's prayer is because Jesus did not invite people to add Him to their lives—He called them to lose their lives. Jesus come into my heart is incorporating Jesus into your life. That is not the same as repentance, denial, and death of self. The gospel He preached was not self-improvement, but self-denial. Not self-actualization, but crucifixion of the flesh. Those he called knew that there would be death involved in following Him. It was never about making their lives better but about following him.

Some followed Him for miracles.
Some followed Him for food.
Some followed Him for authority and position.

When the Cost Is Revealed
What Are You Holding Onto?
The question is what He is asking you to lay down.
For others, it’s comfort.
For others, it’s reputation, control, or approval.
An Invitation to Examine the Heart
It is written to call us back to honesty.
But, “Am I crucified with Christ?”
But, “Am I following Him when it costs me?”

But when He began to speak of suffering, obedience, and surrender, many walked away. The saddest scripture in the Bible for me is this: 66 From that time many of His disciples went [a]back and walked with Him no more. John 6:66

The crowds thinned when the cost became clear.

Jesus never chased them down to soften the message. He didn’t lower the standard to keep attendance high. He turned to the few who remained and asked, “Do you also want to go away?”

That question still echoes today.

Not everyone who starts the journey is willing to finish it. Not everyone who says “Lord, Lord” is willing to obey when it costs them something they love.

The question is not if Jesus asks for surrender.

For some, it’s sin they refuse to part with.

You can attend church your whole life and never take up your cross. You can serve, give, and sing—yet still avoid the one thing Jesus requires: your life.

This is not written to condemn.

Not, “Am I active in church?”

Not, “Do I believe in Jesus?”

Because the cross you carry will reveal the Jesus you are following.

“Am I truly a disciple of Jesus Christ? Will I take up my cross and follow Him?”

Jaziz Gutierrez

Prophecy: Alignment

 

I saw a vision of the earth.

I looked down; there were blackened areas where the judgment of God hit the earth—people, places, and things judged by God that ceased from existing.

I hear the Lord say to His people, align your words with Mine, align your thoughts with Mine, align your body with Mine, and align your heart with Mine.

You are a great and mighty army, but if you are out of alignment, then you will miss what I have for you.

My judgments are true and righteous.
I am the God of justice and mercy.

Your loyalty is to My Kingdom and no other.
Grace to those who walk in humility, but resistance to those who walk in pride and arrogance.

Vengeance is Mine, and I will repay each one according to their deeds.
Everyone will know that I am God.

Prophecy by Jaziz Gutierrez
January 16, 2026

I Hate Pride and Arrogance

The Father says, I hate pride and arrogance; it is the nature of My enemy.
How you speak to others reveals your heart.
Anything that is not of love or faith is sin. I called you to both.

I called you to steward your words because you are called to speak life.
You are gatekeepers on the earth and are not defined by earthly standards.

I gave you My heart so you can be divine partakers of My nature,
yet you are still operating out of a fallen nature—the devil’s nature.

Where is the fruit of My divine nature?
Going to church doesn’t give you that.
I do.

Being with Me gives you My nature.
You were called from the very beginning to be made in My image.

That is more important to Me than your ministry, church attendance, charity, and all your good works.
I want to see Myself in you. That’s how I will know you are Mine.

I’m not impressed by what you do in My name.
Do you have My nature?
Do you love like Me?
Do you talk like Me?
Do you walk like Me?

Prophecy by Jaziz Gutierrez

January 16, 2026

Obedience Learned in the Fire

Reflections on Hebrews 5:7–10

From this passage, I see something that is deeply human and often overlooked: Jesus had the same instinct we do when faced with suffering—the desire to escape it.

Scripture tells us that while Jesus was here on earth, “He offered prayers and pleadings, with loud cries and tears, to the One who could save Him from death” (Hebrews 5:7). That tells me something important. Jesus did not float above pain. He did not bypass anguish. He did not face the cross with emotional detachment. He cried. He pleaded. He asked if there was another way.

We see this clearly in the Garden when He prayed, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done” (Luke 22:42).

Yet despite what we are often taught in church—that suffering is somehow outside of the “Christian experience”—this passage makes something unmistakably clear: suffering was central to Jesus’ obedience.

Hebrews 5:8 says, “Though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.”
That verse should stop us in our tracks.

If the Son learned obedience through suffering, why do we believe we won’t?

This is where you and I tend to fail. When suffering comes, we often abandon our values. We compromise our convictions. We look for exits. We justify behavior we once swore we’d never entertain—all in the name of relief. But Scripture shows us that true obedience is not proven in comfort; it is tested in the fire.

Verse 9 says that Jesus was “qualified” as our High Priest. That word matters. Qualification implies a process—one that required endurance, not avoidance. Jesus became our intercessor not because He avoided suffering, but because He overcame in it.

Scripture confirms this when it says, “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15).

Jesus understands. Not theoretically. Not academically. Experientially.
He knows what it is like to be fully human—tempted, pressured, anguished—yet obedient.

And here’s something we don’t like to admit: even though Jesus pleaded with God to rescue Him, God did not remove the cup.

God does not always rescue us from suffering—especially the kind of suffering that produces obedience, tests faith, confronts character, or brings discipline. He does not always help us escape consequences, nor does He short-circuit the growth He is intent on producing.

Scripture tells us plainly, “For whom the Lord loves He chastens… Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness” (Hebrews 12:6,11).

God values our growth over our comfort.
Our character over our prosperity.

His goal has never been to make us comfortable Christians, but transformed ones.

Just as Jesus was appointed a High Priest after enduring suffering, God’s desire is that we, too, become a priestly people—men and women who can lead others to salvation. Not because of how much Scripture we can quote or theology we can debate, but because people see Christ formed in us.

Our lives become the testimony.
Our obedience becomes the evidence.
And our endurance in suffering becomes the invitation.

Prayer

Father,
We come to You not asking for escape, but for obedience.
Not asking for comfort, but for transformation.

Teach us to remain faithful in the fire.
When suffering presses in and every instinct tells us to run, help us to stand firm in Your will.
Guard our hearts from compromise.
Keep us from abandoning our convictions in moments of pain.

Just as Your Son learned obedience through suffering, form that same obedience in us.
Let our trials refine us, not harden us.
Let Your discipline produce the peaceable fruit of righteousness in our lives.

Make us a people who reflect Christ—not merely in words, but in character.
May others see You in us and be drawn to salvation, not because of what we know,
but because of who You are becoming in us.

We surrender our will to Yours.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.