My Redeemer Lives

Vision: I had a vision at church while they were playing the song My Redeemer Lives. During the song I saw a street full of litter. Jesus was picking it up. I heard the Lord say there are some of you that may feel like discarded trash, like you aren't worth anything anymore and like you have been kicked to the curb. I want you to understand that God has a recycling program. Everyone one of us has a redemption value. We are priceless. He put his value on each of us when he traded the riches of heaven for our ransom. The cross speaks better things of us. It says, "I believe in you, you are worth it, I accept you, and I love you unconditionally!"

He is the Redeemer because he has reclaimed our lives and has paid the compensation necessary to make up for our faults and mistakes. He has taken us back when nobody wanted us. He never gives up because His love is unfailing, undeterred, and always hoping. Do you know that excitement that you feel when you haven't seen an old friend for awhile and you anticipate them coming over? That's how God feels when we have been away and we return home. Home. The Father awaits every son and daughter to return home. He anxiously awaits to embrace us and even runs to greet us. Oh, the excitement of heaven as everyone prepares a feast in our honor. He can't wait to put you back in the position that you left as a son and daughter. To clothe you with the best and put back the ring on your finger again as token of His love.

I'm married to you the Lord says, I will never leave you nor forsake you. I have made an everlasting covenant. To be there for you no matter what!

OUR LIFE HAS BEEN REDEEMED FROM DESTRUCTION!

Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget not all His benefits:
3 Who forgives all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases,
4 Who redeems your life from destruction,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
5 Who satisfies your mouth with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. Psalm 103:2-5

https://youtu.be/6QvX4CwSmwY

Jaziz Gutierrez

http://www.loverevivalrevolution.com

One Heart One Mind

The Lord showed me that the church will cease to operate as individual operations and become one net. Each revival hub will become part of a network that will work together for end-time harvest. No longer will churches have the mindset "this is my ministry" but they will come into a kingdom mindset that works together as one body for the same purpose. The early church walked in this revelation and that's what made them so effective. The bible shows us the secret to their successful God fearing relationships, "Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common." Acts 4:32 This is where the Holy Spirit is taking us. Becoming one heart and one soul. This will only be accomplished as we start walking into deeper revelations of God's unconditional love. As we yield to this dying process of self, more glory will be given to God. Get ready because Saul's kingdom is about ready to be given over to David! The Solomons will build the kingdom with wisdom causing the wealth transfer we have all talked about. God is about ready to shift the kingdom and hand it over to those who are after His own heart. He has prepared his David's in the back desert of adversity, and baptized them in fire. They survived the javelin of Saul, refused to lift up their swords (mouths) against him, and have learned to have a shepherds heart. God will soon put these Davids into power as God restores order to His Kingdom.

Top Ten Marks of a Great Church

For a new breed of Apostles, Prophets, Pastors, Teachers and Evangelists are going to lead by example this generation of Jesus lovers ~ jh
 

Harvest - Look for a church that is interested in winning souls and building the kingdom of God not their own personal kingdom.  Souls are not a means to profit or to build your own ministry. People know if you are recruiting them for personal gain or because you genuinely care for them. To seek and save that which is lost was Jesus' mission statement and it should be ours.

Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth laborers into his harvest. Luke 10:2

Equipping - Look for a church that is willing to train you to do the work of the ministry or be the one willing to teach others to do it.  The primary focus of the fivefold ministry is to get others busy doing the work of the kingdom not to do everything yourself. Learn to delegate and help people step out of their comfort zones.

And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; ¹² For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: ¹³ Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ: Ephesians 4:11-13

Worshipers - Look for a church that is not afraid to be intimate and expressive towards God in their worship! However, if you are in an uptight church break the ice and see how God responds to those who aren't afraid to passionately pursue Him. Stop being a fringe dweller. No one ever gets anything by watching on the outside looking in. No more window shopping or dangling your feet on the side of the pool. It's time to get wet!

But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. John 4:23

Other Oriented - Get away from ego centric living where the main focus of ministry is getting personal words, feel good messages, seeing the latest conference speaker, continually having to be affirmed and prayed for. We need to maintain a strong walk with God on our own personal time. Church should be about equipping others so we can demonstrate His love to this world and being taught the word of God so we can be skillful.

Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: ³⁵ for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; ³⁶ I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ Matthew 25:34-36

Sending - If you are sitting in a church and waiting for an ordination or recognition to be sent then...sit on the pew no longer you have already been commissioned, ordained and empowered by Jesus! Even if no one ever recognizes your ministry just remember that Jesus already sent you.

And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. Mark 16:15

How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? ¹⁵ And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written:
“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace,

Who bring glad tidings of good things!” Romans 10:14-15

Sensitivity to the Holy Spirit - This one is huge! Try to be in a place that is willing to break from the routine of the service to make room for the Holy Spirit to move.  Avoid making what you want to say more important than what God wants to do. We were all created to work as a team not lifting up one gift above the other and allowing for diversity in giftings. Our main job is to make a place for God's presence to dwell; everything else is secondary.



There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. ⁵ There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. ⁶ And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. ⁷ But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: ⁸ for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, ⁹ to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, ¹⁰ to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. ¹¹ But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills. 1 Corinthians 12:4-11

Prayer - Prayer is the ground of preparation, empowerment and demonstration! Things to look for in prayer meetings: Are the prayers being offered for others or it is it more self serving and need oriented? Is it a place of humility and worship or are people making long prayers to be noticed? Are people really praying or sitting around chatting and socializing? More importantly has prayer become a perpetually place of preparation where nothing is being done to walk out the prayers? Is it replacing all other aspects of Christianity such as sharing your faith, worship, preaching the word or ministering to others? Be careful for these pitfalls.

My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer Mark 11:17


“And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward." Matthew 6:5

And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. Matthew 6:7
 
Unaltered Word of God - Look for a place that will not water down the gospel to please the crowds. The end result should always be doctrine that leads to godliness, character and a loving attitude. By nature we will always try to take the easy way out so make sure you are in a place that is challenging you to a higher level and causing you to grow. Also remember that all messages must be seasoned by grace. The method or delivery is just as important as the message. It must be conveyed with the same emotion that God would have in that situation. A messenger that has not been tempered by mercy can do much damage to the hearers and a messenger that has not been tempered by justice can just as damaging.  One will kill by the letter of the law and the other will forget the fear the Lord falling into lawlessness.

If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; 1 Timothy 6:3

Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, ⁴⁷ and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. ⁴⁸ And you are witnesses of these things. Luke 24:46-48

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. Matthew 23:23

Power and Demonstration - Don't be a follower be a leader! Signs and wonders should follow you wherever you go.... Only the power and demonstration of God's spirit will be able to break down spiritual strongholds, release the captives and bring freedom to the oppressed. Power confrontations are necessary in an age where the false prophets of Baal are trying to keep their altars lit by calling on their false deities. Be in a place where you encouraged to walk in the power of God. The resurrected Christ lives in you and you are equipped unto every good work!

And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;¹⁸ They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. Mark 15:-17-18

 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. Acts 1:8

Love - Wherever you go BE LOVE. Choose to infuse others with the love of God no matter what is going on. It is risky but don't be afraid to be transparent and forgiving with those who may not catch on to the unconditional love of God.  However, if you find yourself in a place that preaches hate from the pulpit, slanders each other and kills their wounded then run! The Holy Spirit will not stay in place in which He is grieved. Strife, division, gossip and slander is not work of God and it kills revival. It is spiritual cannibalism. If you find yourself in this situation pray for and love them from afar. You don't want to become what is next on the menu.

By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. John 13:35

For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁵ But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another! Gal.5:14-15

If you can't find these things where you are currently attending then...

BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE

Now go be the great church we have talked about!

For more information on this ministry you can visit. http://joshuahallas.com

Empty Pews? Roadblocks to Breakthrough!

It is no secret that over the past few years church attendance has dropped dramatically. As the economy has soured so has the attitudes of many Christians. Once promised great wealth and success more Christians are finding themselves on the brink of despair as they struggle to survive. The reality is that for years they have been sold on the idea that all they had to do is give faithfully and their worries would be the thing of the past. Some of them were sold on the idea through prophecy and when things started to fall apart at home they felt betrayed by leadership. Completely unprepared to suffer through hardship because of what they were taught more Christians are throwing in the towel and giving up on church altogether.

Unfortunately, for many ministries more and more people have become aware of the ongoing exploitation of God's faithful.  Promises of breakthrough for a price. The endless dangling of monetary gain if we are to invest just once more in this eternal lottery. One day we will hit the big time but what happens when it never comes. My friends we have bought into the Capitalistic gospel instead of how life really works.  See life really works like this: You work hard, get an education and develop your talents.  For many of us financial principles were never taught to us except for giving our tithe into a basket. You do realize of course that many people become wealthy that never give into a church basket but become successful through hard work and entrepreneurship. Like Jesus said for the children of this world are in their generation are wiser than the children of light. Luke 16:8
Don't get me wrong God blesses givers but you must be willing to get a secular education to get a good job now or days. Most companies won't even look at you if you don't have a bachelors degree. There are more people with less education occupying your basic jobs and because of the shortage, companies have set the bar real high. This is not a mystery or problem that can be solved by throwing money into a basket. I thought I would tell you the truth.  Most people in ministry now or days have to work regular jobs. The economy has changed the rules of the game. So don't sit back and hope that things are going to change real soon because it may be years and in the meantime your family will be lacking or you will have to become more overbearing to get people to tithe in your congregation who have their own families to think about. Which brings me to my next point.

Christians want to receive all kinds of ministry but they don't want to be a blessing to those who are working hard to keep the lights on. Things aren't free you know. I know many legit ministers who can't pay their bills but still make it their job to feed the homeless, reach the broken and do missions work. I thought it would only be fair to present both sides. Yes, there may be ministries who exploit people but there are people out there who are genuinely are working in God's harvest fields and who are good ground. If you don't sow your seed in good ground don't be surprised if your field is empty and your pockets. Obedience is key to breakthrough not just giving. Back to my original subject.

Not only are more people becoming aware of the financial exploitation in Christendom but they are also experiencing the lack of genuine care that leadership has for them. They know they are just dollar signs sitting on the pew because as soon as they are gone they are forgotten. No phone calls or how are you doing. No prayer going up just a barrage of gossip behind their backs. I know this to be true because I have sat behind closed doors in many leadership meetings to witness this spiritual cannibalism. Honestly, I can tell you that I have received more hate e-mails from Pastors than sinners. Their reason for telling me off was I decided to exercise my free will and attend another church. I didn't find feasting on the flesh of other Christians very appetizing that is why I left. Let's be honest, sheep can bite and leave real wounds in people. As long as we keep ignoring these things and pretend they are not happening we will never make the necessary changes to make things right. I will be the first to admit that I got quite tired from the nonsense and took a break from church life because of the above issues.

For the first time in 30 years I joined the unchurched and really got to process my Christianity.  I got to rub shoulders with those who have left the church establishment years ago. Many of the people out there got tired of trying to fit in to the church cliques, or were too offended to come back after they got wounded or even lost their way and backslid. A huge percentage of the people out there never find their way back because people forget about them as soon as they leave the church. They are no longer relevant or fueling the machine. They are castaways on the island of isolation. There the devil gets his way, keeping them out of reach of rescue while they lose hope in God. Have we forgotten the heart of Jesus in this matter? Where is the one?

If spiritual child abandonment and rejection was a crime there would be many people in church in jail.  Our own hurt in leadership sometimes causes us to hurt others and continue the cycle in our own ministries. We don't talk about it but when we get offended instead of going to that person in love we write them off.  The truth is people just want to experience the unconditional love of God from His people. What they really want is to know is that they will be cared about even if they don't give, go to your church or believe differently than you do. They want to know that the relationship they have with you isn't about your ministry or their service to your personal dream. People are looking for genuine transparent relationships outside of the four walls who aren't afraid of intimacy in God. When we make our ministries more about others instead of making it about ourselves we will see church attendance grow again. People know when your motive is only to recruit them and make them part of your team. Love has to be the purpose and motive behind everything we do. So don't blame people for leaving your ministry when clearly you were the reason they left. Then on the other hand...

If you are offended with church and leadership you are not in a good place. You will not grow in your walk watching YouTube videos from your favorite preachers. I know that because I tried it. I was literally drying up on the vine. We must stay in fellowship with other believers and find ways to stay on fire. We need to leave the comfort of our offended walls and remember that there is people out there who need Jesus. We will be accountable for burying the talents God gave us. We will be responsible for the oil God gave us and we will stand before him for ignoring the plight of humanity. Matthew 25 We all get hurt and we need to remember that if anyone had the right to stay away from humanity it was God but instead he came to lay down His life for us fully knowing how barbaric we were and that he would have to die for us. He was betrayed, rejected, humiliated, gossiped about, hated and all He did was love people. Then to add insult to injury only weeks after everyone is singing his praises they were shouting, "Crucify Him!" Thank God he didn't throw in the towel because His love towards those haters really paid off. I was one of them how about you? Yes love is risky but it can have huge payoffs...just ask Jesus.

One more thing...don't just brush this off. If you were an insensitive jerk go to that person and make it right. You might as well face them now because I highly doubt our Father is going to let us get away with avoiding them in heaven if we go there that is. We Christians are so good at preaching forgiveness of sins but trying to get a Christian to say they are sorry well...it is like pulling teeth. Go ahead, you have nothing to lose than to call all the people you are hurt with or send them an e-mail and love them expecting nothing in return. Jesus said, Love your enemies... I mean those other Christians. It will help you move on and possibly get that breakthrough you have been needing. Not because of giving but because of your obedience to LOVE. Unforgiveness and offense are sometimes the biggest roadblocks in our walk with God keeping us from the very thing we are crying out for BREAKTHROUGH! The next time you see the basket put your heart in there and give it to someone who needs Him.

And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. ⁶ For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. Romans 5:5-6

If you find this article helpful or would like to leave a comment or visit our website:
Jaziz Gutierrez
http://www.loverevivalrevolution.com
Facebook: School Of Impartation and Living

Engage God!

Engage: To attract and hold by influence or power

Not so long ago I was at a church service and the guest speaker was encouraging people to come to the altar to pray over their loved ones.  Strangely, many people continued to sit motionless on the chairs.  It was almost like they didn't hear what they were being asked to do. Again the invitation was given but only a few people came up.  The rest remained in their seats the rest of the night. It was literally like pulling teeth to get anyone to leave their comfort zone. As I was at the altar the Lord started to speak to me about this problem. 

First, we here in America have gotten used to coming to church and have everything happen behind the pulpit. Like the children of Israel we have sent Moses up the mountain to encounter God while we stay behind and build the golden calf. Our expectancy level only goes as far as believing God for a good sermon for the day. On the other hand, the only thing that is expected from the congregation in most cases is their tithe money and that is all. Honestly, I have seen more enthusiasm at a football game than I have seen in many churches.  At least at a football game people cheer and get into the game.  In some churches we can't even get people to stand up and praise God.  We have a lot to thank God about. He choose us to live life abundantly and be filled with His amazing unconditional love.  Unfortunately, many people don't receive this abundant life because they never engage God.  They never go beyond listening to the Pastor speak to hearing the Holy Ghost reveal himself through scripture, getting filled with His Presence, being touched in their bodies or being set free from their bondage.  They walk into church depressed, hurting, sick, addicted, unsaved and leave the same way they came in. This is religion.

I believe that God is about to change all of that. There is nothing more powerful than a group of believers coming into unity, with expectancy, ready to engage God so they can receive what they are believing for. If those believers love each other deeply than expect God to show himself mighty in them. As God starts to move on His people and they start to respond to the love of God be sure that every person that comes within that atmosphere will be changed forever.  As God's people ascend the mountain with Moses unafraid and unabated asking for God to show them His glory...will He not do it? My God this is how Pentecost was poured out.  A group of believers who prayed in unity, loved each other, were willing to lay their life down for the gospel and waited for the promise of the Holy Spirit. It was these empowered witnesses that received the Pentecostal fire. My friends, we already have this Holy Ghost fire and all we have to do is rekindle it at the altar of our hearts.

To rekindle this fire, we just need to engage God in our loving adoration.  He seeks those who worship Him in Spirit and in Truth.  All of heaven will stop to listen to just one thankful heart. It was always those who declared the Divinity of Christ who caused Jesus to pay attention. Jesus, son of David have mercy on Me was the cry of every desperate soul.  They would then throw themselves at the feet of Jesus and worship Him. My friends, if we are ever to get passed our mundane traditions then we must be willing to let go of our religious pride. We must be willing to leave that chair, go to the altar, weep, worship, pray or anything else that the Spirit of God moves upon us to do. If you are willing to do this...you will leave changed. Engage God!