Oh how I love You Your love is ever lasting You have turned my years of sorrow into joy My pain into laughter I know I have known You for a long time But I am discovering myself in You in such a new way Thank You Jesus, You Make My Heart Smile I was sad for so long You love me when I didn't love myself You never forgot about me even though others have You never left me even though others have You never left me alone I am sorry for doubting Your love for me How could I see? I didn't know I am grateful for Your words I am grateful for the times You sing over me I am grateful for You making me feel safe You erased my fears You held my tears one by one You rocked me to sleep at night You are my Father, Husband and Best friend I Love You Jesus You Make My Heart Smile From way down within You Make My Heart Smile Where would I be without You? How could I go on for so long? but by Your grace I now see myself as beautiful, but You have always seen me this way I am a winner, just like You said I ready Jesus, I am now ready Thank you for Your patience Thank you for revealing Yourself to me Thank you for choosing me to break the curse I am not afraid anymore I will do what You want me to do Go wherever You want me to You said, "You make everything beautiful in it's time." I thank you that my time has come for You You Make My Heart Smile I am falling more and more in love with You every day How could I ever doubt Your love? I thank you for the process I even thank you for my pain I thank you for allowing me to go through but also come out on the other side My heart is not bruised, or bitter There is not even the residue I am not bitter or angry I have not lost my virtue I have not lost the innocence of true beauty I have gained confidence, not arrogance I am yours Lord, everything I am You Make My Heart Smile I am happy I am whole I am new I am beautiful The weapons have not succeeded The lies the devil told me about myself have not succeeded The abuse did not deter me I am here I won't be denied Thank you Jesus You felt every pain I felt Every rejection You were there Every abuse You were there I am no longer bound I am free Thank you Lord You Make My Heart Smile From deep down within You Make My Heart Smile Samaria Colbert © 2010
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2. "Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it.
3. For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come to pass, It will not tarry. Last night at bible study my pastor began my talking about success and what it takes to be successful. That got me thinking about how I define success. Am I successful? What does it really take to be successful? If you have read my other post you will know that I am not about magical or hopeful thinking. I believe that if you really want something in life you have got to be truthful to yourself and others. Success is for those who want to be successful. You choose to be successful. You have to make the wise choices that it takes to be successful. But the deceived make poor decisions but still expect success to happen. When I think of success I believe that it simply means to be able to get up in the morning and to do exactly what you where supposed to do with your life. Success to me is the feeling or knowing that you are in the mist of fulfilling your destiny and purpose for being on earth. To me success is not for just someone who is seen or heard. Success is not only for someone who stands behind a pulpit, a politician or actress. We all have a right to be successful on our own God given positions in His kingdom. But it wouldn't be me if I was not honest. So many people will go through their lives, wandering around aimlessly and never fulfill there purpose for being. That is failure to me. To live an ordinary, impact no one go no where life. Monday I was watching desperate housewives of Atlanta. My guilty pleasure I most confess. As I watched these African American women who appear to be mans definition of successful. I thought how often we define our success as the houses we live in, the car we drive, having the latest hand bag or shoes. But you can have all that and according to my definition not be successful. I don't know those ladies real bank account so I wouldn't dare comment. But there are people in life that are asset poor. Meaning they have nice things but their lives go to paying for their things. Their bank accounts are in the red because we want to drive and look a certain way. We are trying to impress people that we don't like, with money we don't have, with things that do not really make us very happy. This weekend I was watching another black in America special on CNN. By the way I think they should do a better job at being more balanced. Yes, black people do have their issues just like every race does, but we are who we are and we are not all the same. So choose both the positive and the negative. I know that they have shown the positive side but to me the focus is more on the negatives than the positive. This is my opinion some may disagree. But back to my point what struck me the most is the African American couple who were going through foreclosure. They could not afford to pay their mortgage in two years and instead of trying to somehow get rid of their home they were hoping to still stay in the home. Towards the end of the program the woman says "I know I will get a job". As a counselor I want to rack their brains a little more. Because something is wrong. As the bank has already decided not to negotiate any further now you say you will get a job after two years of not paying the mortgage. Ummm. Anyway but the point is you could see that they were beaming with pride showing the home off and still hopeful that it could be saved. This house was huge. Apparently they could afford to live elsewhere. The main question I had was, what is it about this house that is costing them a huge debt, bad credit, foreclosure and probably a lot of sleepless nights that made them still hopeful to want to keep this home they could not afford? But on the outside they looked successful. I am not trying to judge them in anyway or make them feel bad. But it does make you think. If you tomorrow get blessed with five thousand dollars and the first thing you do is spend it on getting a fresh tailored suit and some new pumps. A week later you are broke again, but you still got that nice tailored suit. Regardless of what you look like on the outside, you still have a poverty spirit. If you get five thousand dollars tomorrow and you pray Lord how should I spend this money and He gives you a plan. (AND HE WILL GIVE YOU A PLAN!) So you work that plan in whatever way He directs. Like an investment somewhere or paying to get back in school etc etc. Yes you still may be wearing the same bad suite you had on before you got the money. You still may look the same but you don't have a poverty spirit. In fact you are on your way to true success. Not because of the investment per say but because of the wisdom and the ability to seek God. When you follow His plan, you may not immediately see success but you will get there. Remember Habakkuk who said the vision awaits an appointed. Like they said on the show "you can want the right thing at the wrong time". To me success means having a vision. The vision for Christians comes from God. The vision is God's purpose for your life. The plan is the way that God has preordained for you to bring His vision for your life to pass. This is why I love apostolic ministry. The prophetic anointing is what reveals the vision and plans. But it is the apostolic that set foundation in you, builds your character, positions you and gives you a strategic plan to make it come to pass. So am I successful? By some people standards maybe I am or maybe I am not. For the material things. I am a young single Christian woman who walks in holiness. I have a master's degree from Howard University. I am also working towards my PhD. I live on my own, not in a house in an apartment and I have a car. I have completed two books. I use to fear that I would eventually fail. I feared I would be a teenage mother or that I was not smart enough graduate from college. But years later here I am, no teenage pregnancy, working on my third degree, successfully single. I have a job. So maybe in some ways I am successful. In some ways I am not. I thought I'd be much further along by now. I don't own my own home. The day God releases me from my job that I am really good at by the way. Trust I will run and never look back. I don't have my own private practice by now. There are some dreams and visions I have for myself that have still yet to come to pass. I don't drive the BMW 745 LI that I really really want. I am not a millionaire yet but I have no doubt in my mind that I will be one day. I still have to pay back my student loans. So by some standards I am not successful. But do I consider myself successful? Honestly yes and no. I am not successful because the main dreams that I have been holding on to since I was young. The day I left for undergrad and God showed me His vision for my life has not come to pass. I will never be satisfied until I get there. I can learn to be content but never satisfied. But yes I am successful. Because like the examples given earlier. I may look the same, but I have a vision and an investment from God Himself and it will come to pass at His appointed time. I have by the grace of God defied every barrier that was ever put in my face. I am not what I was told. I am an over comer. I have defined the odds. I am stronger and happier than I have ever been in my life. So yes I am a success, but I am still on my way to success at the same time. Key points to True Success:
So from someone who is successful while still on her way to being a success most of all ask God to help you see yourself the way He sees you. He will give you dreams and visions about your future. At first you may think who is that person and how in the world will I ever get there. But as time goes on as you are in your waiting (preparation stage) you will see that you are making those steps towards that vision. You see yourself evolving, changing and growing. Sometimes progress can seem slow but you will get there. Lastly I can remember when God first began to speak to me. What really helps me is holding on to that vision. When I was at jobs that I couldn't stand. I would hold even closer to the visions. I just kept telling myself that this is temporary and I won't be here long. Your coworkers, neighbors and friends maybe content to live and die here but you will not. Whenever you get discouraged talk to God about it. There is nothing wrong with talking to God as if He is your best friend. He doesn't just give you one vision. As a matter of fact it is when you are discouraged that He will give you another vision to keep you encouraged even when the manifestation is not immediate. So when you get discouraged ask Him for another vision. Success is in your hands. Allow God to not only prepare you but bring it to pass. As I always say if there is no preparation there is not manifestation only the spiritually immature try to make the vision come to pass without preparation. Remember you can't make it happen so allow God to prepare you. Love Samaria Samaria Colbert © 2010 2. "Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it.
3. For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come to pass, It will not tarry. Last night at bible study my pastor began my talking about success and what it takes to be successful. That got me thinking about how I define success. Am I successful? What does it really take to be successful? If you have read my other post you will know that I am not about magical or hopeful thinking. I believe that if you really want something in life you have got to be truthful to yourself and others. Success is for those who want to be successful. You choose to be successful. You have to make the wise choices that it takes to be successful. But the deceived make poor decisions but still expect success to happen. When I think of success I believe that it simply means to be able to get up in the morning and to do exactly what you where supposed to do with your life. Success to me is the feeling or knowing that you are in the mist of fulfilling your destiny and purpose for being on earth. To me success is not for just someone who is seen or heard. Success is not only for someone who stands behind a pulpit, a politician or actress. We all have a right to be successful on our own God given positions in His kingdom. But it wouldn't be me if I was not honest. So many people will go through their lives, wandering around aimlessly and never fulfill there purpose for being. That is failure to me. To live an ordinary, impact no one go no where life. Monday I was watching desperate housewives of Atlanta. My guilty pleasure I most confess. As I watched these African American women who appear to be mans definition of successful. I thought how often we define our success as the houses we live in, the car we drive, having the latest hand bag or shoes. But you can have all that and according to my definition not be successful. I don't know those ladies real bank account so I wouldn't dare comment. But there are people in life that are asset poor. Meaning they have nice things but their lives go to paying for their things. Their bank accounts are in the red because we want to drive and look a certain way. We are trying to impress people that we don't like, with money we don't have, with things that do not really make us very happy. This weekend I was watching another black in America special on CNN. By the way I think they should do a better job at being more balanced. Yes, black people do have their issues just like every race does, but we are who we are and we are not all the same. So choose both the positive and the negative. I know that they have shown the positive side but to me the focus is more on the negatives than the positive. This is my opinion some may disagree. But back to my point what struck me the most is the African American couple who were going through foreclosure. They could not afford to pay their mortgage in two years and instead of trying to somehow get rid of their home they were hoping to still stay in the home. Towards the end of the program the woman says "I know I will get a job". As a counselor I want to rack their brains a little more. Because something is wrong. As the bank has already decided not to negotiate any further now you say you will get a job after two years of not paying the mortgage. Ummm. Anyway but the point is you could see that they were beaming with pride showing the home off and still hopeful that it could be saved. This house was huge. Apparently they could afford to live elsewhere. The main question I had was, what is it about this house that is costing them a huge debt, bad credit, foreclosure and probably a lot of sleepless nights that made them still hopeful to want to keep this home they could not afford? But on the outside they looked successful. I am not trying to judge them in anyway or make them feel bad. But it does make you think. If you tomorrow get blessed with five thousand dollars and the first thing you do is spend it on getting a fresh tailored suit and some new pumps. A week later you are broke again, but you still got that nice tailored suit. Regardless of what you look like on the outside, you still have a poverty spirit. If you get five thousand dollars tomorrow and you pray Lord how should I spend this money and He gives you a plan. (AND HE WILL GIVE YOU A PLAN!) So you work that plan in whatever way He directs. Like an investment somewhere or paying to get back in school etc etc. Yes you still may be wearing the same bad suite you had on before you got the money. You still may look the same but you don't have a poverty spirit. In fact you are on your way to true success. Not because of the investment per say but because of the wisdom and the ability to seek God. When you follow His plan, you may not immediately see success but you will get there. Remember Habakkuk who said the vision awaits an appointed. Like they said on the show "you can want the right thing at the wrong time". To me success means having a vision. The vision for Christians comes from God. The vision is God's purpose for your life. The plan is the way that God has preordained for you to bring His vision for your life to pass. This is why I love apostolic ministry. The prophetic anointing is what reveals the vision and plans. But it is the apostolic that set foundation in you, builds your character, positions you and gives you a strategic plan to make it come to pass. So am I successful? By some people standards maybe I am or maybe I am not. For the material things. I am a young single Christian woman who walks in holiness. I have a master's degree from Howard University. I am also working towards my PhD. I live on my own, not in a house in an apartment and I have a car. I have completed two books. I use to fear that I would eventually fail. I feared I would be a teenage mother or that I was not smart enough graduate from college. But years later here I am, no teenage pregnancy, working on my third degree, successfully single. I have a job. So maybe in some ways I am successful. In some ways I am not. I thought I'd be much further along by now. I don't own my own home. The day God releases me from my job that I am really good at by the way. Trust I will run and never look back. I don't have my own private practice by now. There are some dreams and visions I have for myself that have still yet to come to pass. I don't drive the BMW 745 LI that I really really want. I am not a millionaire yet but I have no doubt in my mind that I will be one day. I still have to pay back my student loans. So by some standards I am not successful. But do I consider myself successful? Honestly yes and no. I am not successful because the main dreams that I have been holding on to since I was young. The day I left for undergrad and God showed me His vision for my life has not come to pass. I will never be satisfied until I get there. I can learn to be content but never satisfied. But yes I am successful. Because like the examples given earlier. I may look the same, but I have a vision and an investment from God Himself and it will come to pass at His appointed time. I have by the grace of God defied every barrier that was ever put in my face. I am not what I was told. I am an over comer. I have defined the odds. I am stronger and happier than I have ever been in my life. So yes I am a success, but I am still on my way to success at the same time. Key points to True Success:
So from someone who is successful while still on her way to being a success most of all ask God to help you see yourself the way He sees you. He will give you dreams and visions about your future. At first you may think who is that person and how in the world will I ever get there. But as time goes on as you are in your waiting (preparation stage) you will see that you are making those steps towards that vision. You see yourself evolving, changing and growing. Sometimes progress can seem slow but you will get there. Lastly I can remember when God first began to speak to me. What really helps me is holding on to that vision. When I was at jobs that I couldn't stand. I would hold even closer to the visions. I just kept telling myself that this is temporary and I won't be here long. Your coworkers, neighbors and friends maybe content to live and die here but you will not. Whenever you get discouraged talk to God about it. There is nothing wrong with talking to God as if He is your best friend. He doesn't just give you one vision. As a matter of fact it is when you are discouraged that He will give you another vision to keep you encouraged even when the manifestation is not immediate. So when you get discouraged ask Him for another vision. Success is in your hands. Allow God to not only prepare you but bring it to pass. As I always say if there is no preparation there is not manifestation only the spiritually immature try to make the vision come to pass without preparation. Remember you can't make it happen so allow God to prepare you. Love Samaria Samaria Colbert © 2010 Joel 2:28 (NKJV)
28: And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My spirit on all flesh; Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams. Your young men shall see visions. Read the story of the life of Joseph starting at Genesis 37 through Genesis 50. This is an awesome story about a great man whose dreams were fulfilled. Not only was he a dreamer, but he was a dream interpreter. Genesis 41:25 (NKJV) 25: Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, "The dreams of Pharaoh are one; God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do": Dreams are something I feel like I can speak about because all my life I have been a dreamer. I remember from a very young age God speaking to me through dreams and visions. By the way there is a difference between dreams and visions. But for this discussion I am simply talking about dreams not necessarily visions. Both dreams and visions are from God. The simplest difference between a dream and vision is that dreams are symbolic in nature. Meaning as you dream you see symbols, colors and pictures that represent meaning. Visions are simply literal snap shots of the future. They are not necessarily symbolic. God is simply showing you what is or what will be. Both are from God. Yes, the devil can also give you a dream or vision. God uses dreams and visions first to reveal His divine will to us. He uses them to release prophetic mantles. He also uses them to reveal something hidden from the nature eye. Whether it be sin or righteousness. God will reveal to you His hidden intent and others hidden agenda, sin and true purpose. Dreams and visions are also used to release you into your ministry. They allow you to see into the spirit. They reveal to you His plan. They reveal the what. I was given the business that God has for me in a vision. I literally saw it. Many Christians have dreams and visions. But we need to pray for discernment into asking whether or not this dream is from God. Because like I said the devil has a divine purpose for your life that is opposite from God's plan for your life. Because the devil comes as an angel of light he will imitate God and reveal what appears to be dreams from God but they are only ploys from the devil. For example have you ever heard of someone say, "I had a dream that so and so was my husband". The truth of the matter is that person has issues, they are not really saved, or they have a lot of confusion with them. Well that is an example of a dream that is not from God. By the way you have to be careful about dreaming about a husband or wife. Many times you dream the intentions of your heart. Just because you dreamed it does not mean that it is God's will or He gave it to you. So when you pray and ask God to give you dreams make sure you have true motives. You can't manipulate God. The point is dreams are simply another way in which God uses to communicate Himself to His people. Some people for whatever reason are more dreamers than others. So here are some key points about dreams that you should know. Dreams: -Dream are prophetic pictures sent by God, to His people. Dreams from God have a specific purpose, and reason for being given to you. -Remember just as God has a prophetic future for you, so does the devil. Dreams are not the end all be all. You still have to develop and cultivate a relationship with God so that your dreams become manifest. -The devil's dreams for you are for your ultimate demise. They are meant to take you away from God, His people and His will for your life. -Dreams are used by God to release blessings. Dreams are used by the devil to release curses. -Anything that you possess that Jesus has not been apart of is demonic. So when you hear of people who are not saved and they have spirituality or supposedly interpret dreams. This is demonic. This is very important because now a days there is this huge push toward new age theology, meditation and causing things to shift in your mind. All this foolishness is demonic. The book The Secret is demonic. -You can manipulate your mind into having dreams that are not from God. For example if you listen to certain music or expose yourself to certain television shows prior to going to bed you will often dream of whatever you just finished looking at. -If you desire something or someone you can dream about that person even though that is not God's will for your life. For example: I know of people who say that they dreamed so and so was theirr husband. But the relationship was full of strife and confusion. This is an example of a dream that is not from God. You still have make sure your motives are poor. Make sure you know the voice of God enough to know when this is God and when this is not God. -Every dream just like every word spoken, must discerned as to whether or not it is from God by the scriptures. For example if you dreamed that you were committing some kind of sin. It could be a warning from God. But it is definitely not God telling you to go ahead and do this thing because that is contrary to the word of God. God will never lead you to sin. Never. -If you are caught up in any sin, like hearing the voice of God, you will not be able to rightfully discern whether the dream is from God. Just like when you are in sin it is hard to hear the voice of God, so it is with dreaming. -Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. II Corinthians 10:5 (NKJV) You have authority over every imagination and high thing. -Often times our imaginations exist in high places. We are taught that the demonic exist in low places but not so. Scripture says that; For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places]. (Ephesians 6:12 NKJV) Where are principalities? In high places. Where are powers? In high places, meaning places of authority. Where do rulers exist? In high places. The good news is that we have spiritual authority over every high place that the demonic exist. That includes in our own dreams and imaginations. We don't have to be subject to the devil or his imps. They must be subject to the authority vested in us by our Father. But the real question lies in asking who do you really belong to? You can't have authority over a kingdom that you belong to. If you are apart of the devils kingdom you can't have authority over it at the same time. -Dreams can come as warnings to you or for someone else close to you. -It is perfectly okay to ask God to give you a dream. He may not answer you in the time or the way you expect but He will answer. -Dreams give us direction, encouragement, warning, and simply show us the love of God. -Just because you have a dream does not mean that it will manifest immediately. Remember the example given of Joseph. Yes he had dreams but I am certain he never thought he'd be betrayed by his brothers, thrown into slavery, falsely accused of rape before his dreams were manifestation. -Like everything else there is always a process before our dreams become reality. -Another lesson from Joseph is to be careful who you reveal your dreams to.Yes it is the ones closest to you that will hurt you the most. Everyone who smiles in your face and gives you a word of encouragement is not supporting your dreams. I most confess as another dreamer I have learned this lesson the hard way myself. It is not that Joseph was being braggadocios or pretentious. He was probably just so excited that God showed him such a dream. For me I was just completely shocked and humbled by God choosing me. But honestly the same people that I shared my dreams with have been the same people who have hurt and betrayed me the most. I am not angry at all. But the point is I learned my lesson, regardless of who the person is sometimes you simply need to hold your dreams close to you. Just because God showed you a dream does not mean He is talking to the people around you. If God wanted them to know He would have showed them the same dream He showed you. -Just because God showed you a dream doesn't mean you have to release it. Sometimes you simply have to still ask God for His wisdom as to how to move forward. -Dreams can also reveal things in us that God needs to be take out of our lives. Once I prayed and asked God what is holding up my destiny from being fulfilled. He showed me a dream, in which He was telling someone else, "she has many fears". At the time I thought I had been delivered from the spirit of fear. So that dream revealed to me something in my life that needed to be taken out and gave me direction as to what to pray. In the dream I remember I was wearing purple. I know purple means something in the spirit. Maybe purple meant royalty as Queen Esther or repentance. I don't honestly know but you see the coloring that often accompanies dreams. By the way purple is my favorite color. -Colors in dreams that are from God represent meanings. Colors in dreams from God are very bright and clean. I once had a dream with very pure blue in the dream. It had to be the brightest blue I had ever seen. Blue is representative of the spirit of wisdom. I do carry and continue to increase in the spirit of wisdom. As stated I don't know what all the colors mean in the spirit but I know they represent something, always. Demonic dreams are often represented by darkness or brown like dirt in them. Have you ever been in a dirty house that was poorly lit? This is similar to what demonic dreams often look like. -As stated in my other post. Get rid of your stinking thinking. They are like plugs that stop your dreams from being revealed to you, they stop them from manifesting and they also contribute to you having dreams that are demonic. For example if you are constantly down on yourself and think you will fail you will have dreams and visions that you will fail. When you think positive you don't limit God in revealing His purpose and plans for your life through dreams and visions. -Be careful what you feed your spirit. If you have a problem with lust, what are you watching on television? What music are you listening to? This all contributes to dreams that are filled with lust. -Ask God about interpreting the dream or what they mean. You can also consult you pastor or spiritual mentor. Anyone who has a gift of dream interpretation can lead you in the right direction. -Remember it perfectly okay to have dreams from God. Allow Him to release Himself to you in this way. Remember the difference between dreams and their manifestation is the process. You still have to ask God for wisdom, follow His way and make the appropriate choices for your dreams to manifest. You still have to go through the process, remember Joseph. It is your walking with God, obedience to His will and His word that make His dreams for your life a reality. Never limit God. Your dreams from Him will always be bigger than yourself, but it is He who has the responsibility to get you there. God Bless Love Samaria Samaria Colbert 2010 ©  This article is hard for me to write. As many may know my career has been spent working with individuals particularly women who have been victims of childhood sexual abuse, domestic violence and mental illness. One of my dreams is to open my own private practice particularly for this population. As of now I work with women who had significant sexual trauma histories. This week I find myself not being able to hold back tears as new revelations came out about one of my adult clients who we believe not only was molested all of her life by a relative, she may have been molested by a clergy member in her early adulthood (not substantiated but we suspect). The alleged clergy member had a long time history of this. I cried when I learned this news. Because my job is transitioning I will no longer be working with her.
But as I work with the women that I work with I can't help be grieved in my heart. All of the women that I have worked with in my entire career have disclosed of significant past history of sexual abuse as children. All of them would be classified as individuals who suffer with severe and persistent mental illness. I can't help but see the relationship between childhood sexual assault and severe mental illness. The things that I hear and see when working with this population go without say. Some things I could never repeat nor would I want to. So as I hear of recent reports of individuals being molested by supposed powerful men of God. (no relation to my client) My heart is again grieved. I can't help but think of the ladies that I work with. Many of them have had psychotic breaks and suffered so much. No one heard their tears, no rescued them from their pain. Some adult or person in a position of high authority sexually abused them. My heart is again grieved when after hearing these reports of individuals being molested how the church and so called bishops, apostles, pastors and so on use the scriptures to pacify abuse behind the pulpit. We use the scripture in Matthew 7:1 do not judge as a means to justify sexual abuse. It makes me think that when we think of the average man who is in prison for sexual assault most would think he should be there. However when you think of a pastor behind the pulpit molesting people somehow we assume he belongs there and no one should speak against him in judgment. Again folks John 7:24 says, "don't judge based upon appearance but judge with righteous judgment". Meaning use some discernment and don't be deceived based upon what you see. 1 Corinthians 6:2-4 says that saints will one day judge the world. I never forget years ago while staying in my dorm in undergrad. My roommate would often say things against Christ and Christians. I was very shy and non confrontational at the time so I never stood up for Christians even though she was not talking about me she was talking about my heavenly father and His children. I didn't want to be mean or judgmental. After all I thought she had a right to her opinion even though her opinion was wrong. I went to bible study sometime later and a word came forth through another student who didn't know me never even spoke to me. She said, "When you don't speak up for God and His people God holds you responsible as if you were committing the act yourself". So it is when you don't speak out again the least of these you are offending God. Remember Saul who became Paul. He was persecuting God's people. The first thing God said to Saul when He got his attention was, "why are you persecuting me." So yes we love the sinner, no matter what. But we do not justify the sin. Not speaking out against this form of abuse is sin. We are getting as bad as the catholic church with preachers abusing, molesting folks and no one speaking out against it. When great leaders in the kingdom don't speak out against the abuse, not the person, the act ,what happens to the victim is that it sends a message to the abuser that your okay and you can get away with this. It enables them to keep hurting people with no recompense. It also further damages the victim; they already have a skewed view of God being abused by someone who is supposed to represent God. It teaches the victims that your not worthy. It teaches them you don't matter. It is a shame when Christians protect the abuser and not the abused. I don't know about you but if any of my family members report being abused by a man of God or anyone for that matter I am going to be upset. Saved, Sanctified and Holy Ghost filled but very angry. We further dig ourselves deeper when we accuse righteous brethren who speak against these crimes against the body and humanity as being judgmental. I always say you can't pick and choose what scriptures you want to obey but all scriptures are for the up building of the body of Christ. All not some all. My question is when people are trying to up build the leader, who will cry out for the victims? The victims belong to someone. They are someone's child, some mother suffered and gave birth to them. Some mother is crying out in disbelief because although this was not her fault she will bear the burden of feeling like she didn't do enough to protect her child. Some father cries out to God. Some victim questions his or her identity as a man and/or women. Who is going to protect them? My heart is grieved. But I want to remind us of Ezekiel Chapter 2 & 3 read it in its entirety when you get a chance. God told, Ezekiel "don't be afraid of the people they are rebellious but speak My words, speak what I tell you anyway". He said, "if you don't I will hold you responsible. I will require your blood instead of theirs." Ezekiel 3:16-27 So it is today, for every leader or to be leader ask yourself this question: Is there blood on yours hands? Yes always show the love of Christ but we do not pacify the act. Most of all we do this in protection of our children. I know that I am just a nobody, no one knows me, my name is not great. But I stand boldly and proclaim that sexual abuse is wrong! It is wrong. Domestic violence is not of Christ it is wrong! Any form of abuse is wrong! As a therapist who worked with victims of these kinds of crimes. I know how hard it is for the victims to speak out. Some never because the shame and pain is to deep. But for those who speak out I say thank you for your courage. You are saving someone else from being hurt. When you don't speak out it brings the possibility that there could be more victims in the future and the abuser continues to abuse. Yes, Christians. We love, We forgive. We don't justify. We pray for wisdom on how to respond. But we do not allow sexual abusers to run free around our children to be future victims. But most of all we pray. Pray for your children's protections. Pray even for the abuser. We don't sit in silence for our children to be preyed upon. Pray for wisdom on how to respond. If they don’t repent and get delivered to hell they will go. And to every leader who continues to pacify, justify and enable the abuser according to the whole word of God, hell will be their reward. Title and all. In Love Samaria P.S. for those of us who are therapist we are mandated by certain clauses of our licensure, state, federal laws and code of ethics to act as mandated reporters particularly to minors and those found to be incapable of speaking out on their own. (for example victims who has deemed incompetent by the courts) We also act as mandated reporters to individuals who we suspect are in imminent danger of being hurt or hurting someone else. (Tarasoff v. The Regents Supreme Court California 1976) If you are a licensed individual you should know this but see your licensure, governing body and code of ethics. Samaria Colbert © 2010 1. I Samuel 16:7 But the Lord told Samuel, “Don’t look at his appearance… for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.
2. Because often times the main person that does not look the part is the chosen one of God. It is the people who are forgotten by man that are chosen by God. Isaiah 49:14,15 3. Mark 10:27 With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible. 4. God is not limited like man. It is not based upon man’s ability but God’s. 5. I Corinthians 1:27 God has chosen the weak things of this world to put to shame the things that are mighty. II Corinthians 2:3,4 6. Because our weaknesses are not His. It is the main one who doesn’t have the experience, the know how etc that God will use. 7. Even Jesus was rejected by His own people because He didn’t look the part. So those that belong to Him will at some point in their life go through the same. John 1:11 8. Because everyone has an appointed time for their reveal. I Corinthians 4:5 9. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Ecclesiastes 3:11 10. Because it is not about ability it is about obedience. Only obedient people meet the requirements for a blessing not ability. Deuteronomy 28:1-7 If you obey I can't stand arrogance it is so unattractive. It is sad to build yourself up at the expense of other people. There is something to be said about someone who walks in humility. Not false humility or low self esteem. You can be confident while having a spirit of humility at the same time. Remeber it doesn't cost you anything to treat people nicely. Be kind. The same person that you are being ugly to today is the same person God is calling to greatness tomorrow. So from a woman who is destined to greatness be kind. Samaria Colbert I Kings 18:20-40
Deuteronomy 28:1,2 15,45 Light and dark Good versus Evil In the Old Testament whenever a prophet would come forth his main agenda (reasoning) for being sent forth was to deal with sin and rebellion. According to the old testament. Remeber there is a difference between the office of the prophet and the prophetic gift. If you want to study the office of the prophet you study the old testament. If you want to study the gift you study the new testament. Both are relevant but one put more emphasis on one than the other. This is the difference between the office of a prophet and the prophetic gift. ~see my book: No Promise Without A Process for further explanation of the difference between the office and the gift.~ The church The main sin that the people of Israel were guilty of was the sin of idolatry. God would always send the prophet forth to warn God's people of impending danger. The first task of the prophet was to tear down strongholds. Before sending the people into captivity God would allow the people enemies to gain victory or access over them due to their own rebellion against the voice of God. There is always a consequence for disobedience. You can jump shout run etc. It is amazing how people will shout over the blessing. We shout over our destiny, purpose and how God is getting ready to bless us. Yet we are deceived because we have not met the requirements for the blessing. Define Blessing: Every morning you wake up, your able to use your limbs, your in your right mind you are blessed. But when I talk about blessing I am not talking about your blessing that is based upon the grace of God. You're alive when you should be dead. We are talking about God's ability to use you to impact the earth. The blessing of wealth and prosperity. The blessing over your children There are requirements attached to these blessing. Everyone shouts over the blessing (promise) but how many will shout over the requirements. We are living in a day and time where we want prosperity but we don't want process. Matthew 22:14 says many are called but few are chosen. I never understood this scripture. I always thought if I called someone doesn't that mean I chose them. Everyone gives God a yes in service, the anointing is high, people have been praying. But after all that God will test your heart. It is the passing of the test that qualifies you for the promise. That's why the scripture starts with many and ends with few. It means there was a subtraction here. Everyone is called but your not guaranteed anything. You cannot expect to graduate from high school or college without first meeting the requirements. You can shout, have prayer meeting, go to the registrar's office, purchase your cap and gown, send out invitations, and make arrangements for family. You can even show up to graduation dressed and ready to go. If you have not met the requirements you will not graduate. You will not graduate or receive the benefits of a diploma if you have not met the requirements. So there are always requirements attached to the blessing. Deuteronomy 28, says that when you don't obey and meet the requirements, then the God who said He would bless you is the God who said He would curse you. Scripture says we are in the world not of the world. Romans 12:2 God teaches us not to be conformed to this world 2 Peter 3:3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts 2 Timothy 3:1-7 1. But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2. For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3. unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4.traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5. having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! 6. For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, 7. always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. The bible says in Mathew 24:24 that people will be deceived because of signs and wonders. So there is not need to be deceived by signs and wonders. Demons and devil can perform a sign and a wonder. The purpose: The prophet was always sent forth to destroy the works of the enemy. Before God was getting ready to execute His judgment on His people He sent a prophet. The people of Israel were guilty of sin, perversion, rebellion to the voice of God and adultery. Like us today they were God's people living in an environment of heathens who did not serve the same God. Yet they were still expected to be holy in an unholy world. So it is today. But like it is today, the people of Israel find themselves, reducing themselves to a lesser order. They were guilty of the sin of adultery. History It started.. In I Kings 11: We know that King Solomon turned away from God and began to serve other god's after God has blessed him with supernatural wealth and wisdom. I Kings 11:14 God raised an adversary against King Solomon. Because when you continue to rebellion against the voice of God, God will not cover you or protect you from your enemy. In fact He will release you to your enemies. So rebellion came to King Solomon's house because of His own rebellion toward God. Because when you rebel against God, that spirit of witchcraft called rebellion is then released to your house. But after he died the adultery spirit is still on his people and the rebellion continues. God continues to release His judgment. It is in chapter 17 that we are introduced to a righteous prophet named Elijah. Elijah performs miracles. We don't know where he came from. We don't his father's name which was typical of the bible to tell the fathers name. It symbolizes that the annointing that God wil cause you to walk in has nothing to do with your family lineage or name. So if you come from nothing you can still be used of God. Because when you walk in righteous and obey His voice God will use you. In verse 8 (Chapter 17) Elijah commands the widow to give him her last, and she obeyed and according to the words the prophet spoke the bin of flour was not used up nor did the jar of oil run dry. Because when you are obedient it doesn't matter what the circumstance God will prosper you. In spite the miracle there was still rebellion in the land. V 17: Chapter 17 We learn of the widows son being revived. But in spite the miracles that were taking place there was still rebellion in the land. The root Jezebel I Kings 1:1 When Solomon was in his thrown God told the people of Israel not to intermarry because they would take their hearts to worship foreign gods. I Kings 11:2 Deu 7:3-4 But Solomon married these women and his heart turned away from God in V11:4 just like God said would happen. This is why the bible says be not unequally yoked with the unbeliever. It doesn't matter how much they say they are a Christian. Be a fruit inspector. So Solomon built a high place I Kings 11:8 he instituted a law that was against the law of Moses that allowed for the people to intermarry. The law stated that his foreign wives could burn incense and sacrifice to their false idols. So God told Solomon I am going to tear down your kingdom and give it to you servants. I Kings 16: 30 Ahab was known as the most wicked king of Israel. I Kings 16:31 and it came pass, as though it had been a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son Nebat, that he took as wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal, king of Sidonians; and he went and served Baal and worshipped him. Who was Jeroboam? Solomon's servant. After Solomon rebelled the consequence of Solomon's rebellion was that he would tear his kingdom down and give it to his servants. I Kings 11:11 But because of David's faithfulness God says I won't destroy all your kingdom. I will leave one tribe to your son for my servant David's sake. When you rebel God will release iniquity to the third and fourth generation. Exodus 34:7 Some of us were (are) living under a curse that had nothing to do with us but our father's father's generation. Rebellion impacts not only you but your children and your children's children. But because of David's obedience God gave David a promise that God still fulfilled. But look at what Solomon lost. Majority of his kingdom. So Ahab married a woman named Jezebel. This was simply a political move, the marriage meant the alliance of two nations. Because of the law that Solomon enacted she was able to openly and freely worship her idols. An rebellion still increased in the land. Now people don't even attempt to hide there sin they do it out in the open. They are free to sin. And the law justified it. Sounds like some of the same things going on today. All because of Solomons rebellion. Versus 18: Jezebel is killing the righteous prophet. She had 450 prophets of baal and 400 prophets who eat at Jezebels table. That made a total of 850 false prophets. Elijah being the only true prophet. In the scripture we always see false prophets who appeard to outnumber true prophets. Verse 22 ch 18 Elijah is the only one He is living in a rebellious land, full of rebellious people, who were serving false gods. When you are a true Christian God will place you in an environment where you feel like you are the only one trying to live holy in an unholy world. People living any old kind of way. You got false prophets telling people what they want to hear. Or there telling them half of the truth. If you tell someone half the truth and not the whole you still are a liar. There is immorality every where you go. Compromisers They don't teach about holiness any more. They tell you what you want to hear. So Elijah appears to be the only righteous prophet left. Testing: Yes God will expect you to live righteous in an unrighteous world. I have made up in my mind that I am going to live holy even after having to live holy all by myself. I use to say if I have to live holy now I no longer say if. I am determined to serve God and walk into my prophetic promise even though I have to walk by myself. Although I know that there are others of course. Just like in the days of Elijah we are living in a world of immortality. We call right wrong and wrong right. We make excuses for sin and call righteous people who have a problem with sin judgmental. John 7:24 Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment. If you are going to be blessed you will have to meet the requirements. You can't walk into your kingdom assignment absent from holiness. Yes God will still curse you for disobedience. Just like unto the days of Elijah there is a spirit running rapid in the church and outside the church. We live any old kind of way as if God does not see our sin and still expect to make it to our wealthy place. If God can't trust you, He can't release anything to you. Regardless of how much He loves you. Everyone knows that if you have someone in your life that you can't trust. You still love them but you have to set boundaries. Partial obedience is the same as disobedience. Remember Saul. If God tells you to leave this alone, leave it. God will not change His will for us. He will simply move His will off of you and place it on someone else who is obedient and has a pure heart. Beware of false prophets. Anytime you get someone who is preaching and prophesying and not living nothing that person is a false prophet. This person is not prophesying by the Holy Spirit, they are prophesying by a familiar spirit otherwise known as a demon. Demons can prophesy. You will get to the place in your Christian walk where you feel like you have to walk alone… I Kings 19:18 So even Elijah felt like the only one. Jezebel had a total of 850 false prophets. The only true prophet on Mount Carmel was Elijah. I Kings 19:18 I have reserved seven thousand in Israel. So regardless of what it looked like. Even though it looked like there were more against God than for Him. God already had seven thousand hidden by God Himself not man. Obadiah I King 18:4 had 100 hidden prophets that he was feeding. But these were not the same ones that were hidden by God. Romans 11:5 Even so at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace. It means that even today, those who you who have been hidden, have been so by God himself. To do great and mighty exploits for Him. Not only that Elijah didn't have to feel alone for long. I Kings 19:19-21 Elijah found Elisha and became His servant. As much as a blessing Elijah was to Elisha. Elisha was a blessing to Elijah. Some translations say Elijah ministered to him others translations say he served him. Either way he couldn't complain about being alone anymore. There is a consequence for disobedience. The wages of sin is still death. That is not only talking about physical dealth it talking about a death of the spirit. There were 54 curses in Deuteronomy 28 and 14 blessings thats almost four times more curses for disobedience than obedience. Our nation is experiencing judgment. God used His servants to bring about His judgment. God is releasing His kingdom authority to His people. But are you His? If you have disobeyed Him no matter how good you talk the talk, you still don't belong to Him. He can't trust you. He will still give you the blessing to be able to stay alive, but dead to your prophetic promise. God is getting ready to release His kingdom authority in an unprecedented way. Like Shakespeare it was the best of times and the worst of times… Gods real kingdom belong to those who really belong to Him. The blessing of obedience is where *He blesses you coming and going *The blessings come after you, you don't have to chase after it *Then you are the head and not the tail *The lender and not the borrower But the requirements are your obedience Deception takes place when we disobey Him, and still expect the blessing. Remember Saul. If you repent but don't repel you still have not repented. There is a blessing for obedience and a curse for disobedience. God said I set before you life and death. You decided Decide on obedience. It is your choose. Samaria M. Colbert Copyright 2010  Numbers 9:15-23, Isaiah 60: 1,2, 19
-Cloud covered the tabernacle Tent of testimony -From evening till morning it was above the tabernacle like the appearance of fire. -Cloud covered it by day; and the appearance of fire by night. Appearance of fire by night 17. Whenever the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle, after that (then) the children of Israel would journey on (keep on walking) -Where the cloud settled (became still) that was where the children of Israel would pitch their tents. -This is the rest of God. 18. But it was only at the command of the Lord (voice or proclamation that the people of Israel would journey on. (keep walking), it was only at the command of the voice would they camp. (rest, and pitch their tents) 19.Even when the cloud continued long, many days above the tabernacle, the children of Israel kept the charge (command of God) of the Lord. -they didn’t just follow the cloud, they still had to wait for the command (voice) of God to move forward. -It is not enough to just have the glory cloud hover over you, you must still wait on the command of God (voice of God) 20. When the cloud was above the tabernacle according to the command of the Lord they either stayed or journeyed on. 21. When the cloud remained they remained. When the cloud was taken up, whether day or night whenever the cloud was taken up they would move on, but not without the command of God. 22. No matter how long whether it was two days, a month, a year, the cloud remained (stayed still) over the tabernacle. -The children of Israel would remain -But it when it was taken up they journeyed on. 23. At the command of the Lord they’d either stayed or moved forward, but not without the command first. Exodus 16: 10 The glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud Exodus 16:11 And then the Lord spoke The Lord would send His glory cloud first then He’d speak. He never spoke absent from His Glory hovering first. We know this to be the pattern of God from the beginning. Genesis 1:2 darkness was on the face of the earth. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. 3. Then God said……Then God spoke The cloud hovered, then God spoke. It is not enough for the Glory to hover over you, wait to hear the command before you move. Be still until He speaks. Numbers 20: 6, 7 -The glory appeared -Then the Lord spoke -People get excited when the glory comes but wait for the command. -Then God gives the divine strategy. Exodus 19: 9,12, 13 -Behold I come to you (Moses) in a thick cloud, so that my people may hear when I speak to you. 12. You shall set bounds (boundaries) all around 13. whoever touches the mountain shall be put to death -then 19. And the Lord answered by a voice. When you are called to manifest the glory (sit in heavenly places) you must set boundaries between you and other people who God has not assigned, they can’t handle the weight of the glory. Not that your being super spiritual or snobby, but you can’t take people into the glory that is not allowed by God. God only give certain people access to His glory. It was not by mistake that in Exodus 33:9-11, Moses would go to the tabernacle the only person allowed to be with him was Joshua. Moses was a married man, was surrounded by millions of people, had a brother named Aaron, sister named Miriam but the only person allowed in the glory was Joshua. Even then when God first gave the command for Moses to go up to Mount Sinai there was no mention of Joshua. (He apparently wasn't allowed into the glory with Moses untill later on in the picture.) God told him to set boundaries in vs. 19 its not until vs 33 did we hear of Joshua being in the temple with Moses. Exodus 19:23 Set bounds (boundaries) around the mountain and consecrate it. (to separate, make holy before God) (to set precedent or and atmosphere for the glory cloud to hover and then His voice to speak.) -it is holiness that set precedents and atmosphere for the glory cloud to hover and His voice to speak. Exodus 33:13 Moses says show me your way -Many people want the Glory, but not His ways. (divine order, command, road map) Moses says so I may know you, your ways and find grace in your sight. 14: God says: My presence will go with you and I will give you rest. 16: covered by the hand of God. Exodus 34: 3 God again says 3. Don’t take anyone with you, let anyone be seen through the mountain, let no flocks or no herds feed 2. So be ready in the morning 5. The Lord descended in the cloud and stood with Him there, and proclaimed (commanded) (to give divine order of strategy) (revealed His attributes) Boundaries- -Moses face shined so much the people of Israel would not come near Moses to talk with him so he had to veil his face. The glory is the detractor. The anointing will cause people to not want to be near you, while drawing you to a closer relationship with God. Exodus 40- tabernacle of the tent of meetings God is giving the instructions for the tabernacle. 3. Put in the testimony, and partition it off the ark with the veil. 4. Arrange for things to be sent in order. -Put different things in the tabernacle that had a specific assigned place. (bring tables and arrange things, set the gold of the incense and so on.) 9. You shall take the anointing oil, and anoint the tabernacle and utensils. It shall be holy. Holy-means to set apart, consecrate, to be used for a specific purpose for God. Exodus 40:34-38 The cloud and the glory -Again the cloud covered the tabernacle -The glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. The cloud hovered over the tabernacle. 35. The cloud rested above it, the glory filled the tabernacle, so much so that Moses was not able to enter. 36. When the cloud was taken up from above the children of Israel would keep moving. 37. But if the glory was not taken up they would not move until it was taken up. 38. Cloud by day, fire by nights. Through out their entire journey. Leviticus 1: God gives Moses instructions concerning the tabernacle. Gave them instructions concerning the law and offerings. Isaiah 60:1,2,19 1. The Glory is risen upon you 2. Darkness shall cover the earth and deep darkness the people. -Remember the pattern from Genesis 1:2 2.The earth was without form and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. Then His spirit hovered. But now the pattern changes in Isaiah because God is saying you are now a recipient of My Glory. But the Lord will arise over you. And the Glory will be seen upon you. On you and upon you. 5. Then you shall see and become radiant -sons and daughter will come to you -wealth shall cover you. 7. they shall ascend with my acceptance. And I will glorify the house of my glory. Jeremiah 1:17-19 17: Therefore arise prepare yourself, and speak to all of them all that I command. Jeremiah 1:4-10 9. Then the Lord put forth His hand and touched Jeremiahs mouth saying “Behold I put my words in your mouth”. Then we see another shift in patterns now the voice is being placed inside a human temple. Jeremiah 20: 9, 10 9. But His word was in my heart like a burning fire, shut up in my bones. I was weary (ill, distraught, sick) of holding it back and I cannot. Psalms 29: 3-9 3.The voice of the Lord is over the waters; The Glory thunders The Lord is over many waters 4.The voice of the Lord is powerful The voice of the Lord is full of majesty John 11:25-30 My sheep know my voice But who can carry His glory? -those that belong to Him. Now another shift happens with the new testament (new covenant) -the glory now hovers over you -then He will speak to you through the glory cloud -then He will give you a divine strategy. -He will tell you what to do, and how to do it. -He will reveal to you His ways. -His glory will shine through you -Most of all He will do to you what He did to Jeremiah He will put His words in you. Now you become the mouth peace of God. -So now the glory is in you. -According to the New Testament. You are the temple (tabernacle) -You are the temple of the Holy Ghost. -Moses had to go into the temple to hear the voice of God, after the glory hovered over the temple. I Corinthians 3:16, 17 16. Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the spirit of God dwells in you? -One characteristic of the glory is that it dwells. 17. If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple are you? -Same pattern different temple. -You are the temple. 11 Corinthians 3:18 18. But we are all, with unveiled face, beholding as a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image of glory to glory, just as by the spirit the Lord. -this is the glory of the new covenant. -not only are we glory carriers we now become His voice on the earth. -we are His ambassadors, to execute His kingdom on earth. -the old testament is flesh, while the new testament is spirit. -there are those who God will use to reveal His glory too. -there are those who He wants to use to reveal His glory through Get ready to manifest the glory. -First He is going to hover over you. -Then He is going to speak to you. -Then He is going to impregnate you with His glory. Luke 1:35 God tells Mary 35. The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will over shadow you Get ready to manifest His glory. You must be Holy Consecrate, you don’t qualify for the glory lest you be Holy. Can God trust you with His glory? -You have been tested and proven obedient. Romans 8:18 18. For I consider that the suffering of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us. -Everyone has not passed the test! Immature Christians want manifestation with no preparation. They want the promise without the Holiness, not so. Manifest His glory. The glory cloud will hover over you. Means you will change atmospheres by your (His Glory in you) presence alone. The voice (His words) that is in you will set divine order for the kingdom. This is the hour of the mature saints. Those who have been tested and proven obedient. He can’t release kingdom authority to children. This is the hour of the sons of God. Who are the sons of God? Those who are led by the spirit. Romans 8:14. Samaria M. Colbert Copyright 2010  The Importance Of Hearing the Voice of God.
By: Samaria Maria Colbert The Lord spoke to me a few days ago and said, “I want you to write your next post on the importance of really hearing the voice of God”. So here it is. The most important thing to know about the God is that He does speak to His people clearly and in a way you can understand. His voice will never lead you into confusion. It is easy to be deceived into thinking you have heard the voice of God when you have not. You can confuse the voice of God with your own, others who are close to you, or people in high positions. People of God you must hear the voice of God for yourself. Great men and women of God are to confirm, they are not nor will they ever be gods. They confirm. First things first all my life I have had a very close relationship with God. I have gotten to the place in my life where I simply know the voice of God. This has come from years of pain, isolation and trials. Because of the office that I am called to walk in God has called me to spend many hours and years alone. No one knows the countless hours I spent awake at night crying out to God. No one knows the lonely days, what it’s like to walk in complete and utter aloneness. No one knows the pain it cost to be truly anointed by God. Everyone wants the glory, no one wants the process. But through it all God has always been there. The process has perfected my character, shaped and reshaped my motives, challenged my dreams and most of all led me down a beautiful, painful and wonderful path all at the same time. Over these years I have grown tremendously in leaps and bounds. Of course I am not a know it all. I am just a quiet girl from a small town who loves God more than life itself. One day I sought God for His divine purpose and He answered me in a way that I could have never imagined. I want nothing more than to live and die for Him. He is my everything. He means everything. I am completely and utterly nothing without Him. I am going to be honest if it had not been for Him I simply would have committed suicide along time ago. If Jesus is not with me there is no point in living. I love Him so much. I have had to die many deaths over and over again. Jesus purifying and breaking me all at the same time. Before you manifest the Glory you must always die first. If your not willing to die you don’t qualify. So the point is through all of this if I have come out with one thing that I am most proud of although there are many things. The thing I am most proud of is my relationship with God and my ability to hear His voice. I know the voice of God like I know my very own name. His voice is more real to me than my own. I have keen discernment and can rightfully discern what truly is even when others around me don’t see. When I speak, I speak what I have heard not my own opinions. This has gotten me hated, accused of being mean and jealous even though I spoke in love and not my own words the words God told me to speak. His voice is more truthful to me than my very own mother. I live by His voice. I yearn to simply hear His voice. I have come to be even more confident in my ability to hear His voice. Or should I say His ability to reveal His divine plan to me because I truly know that it is not about me or my ability it is about Him, requiring my obedience. Don’t get it twisted there is a difference between what is required of you and what is being asked of you. Something being asked of you implies a choice. Requirement is not a choice. If you don’t meet the requirements, you suffer the consequence of disobedience. It is not a choice that I obey the law it is a requirement. I am not being asked to obey I am being required. I can still choose to disobey the law but if I do I suffer the consequence such as jail. The point is God is not asking us to know His voice it is a requirement. The minute you make major life decisions without hearing His voice you suffer the consequences of disobedience. This is why you must hear from God for yourself and know His voice. Great men and women of God can be sincere and still be sincerely wrong. When God speaks to you about any major life transitions you will know it. If you have not heard His voice for yourself don’t move until you get the answer. Sometimes you can want the right thing at the wrong time. God always speaks in part. So you still have to wait for further instructions. I have learned many things about hearing the voice of God over the years. Many things. I have always had a keen sense of discernment. I know what is God, what is not God. I am not impressed by someone’s gift, their title, their spiritual gifts or their position. There are men and women of God that I respect but they do not nor will they ever take the place of God. In fact I am never dependent on someone else for a word from God. Never. I pray for confirmation whether that be from a man or woman of God or not but revelation comes from my relationship with God. Pray God’s people, pray for a spirit of discernment. I have some great gifts but the gift that I am most proud of is discernment. I only pray that God will continue to increase me in discernment. By the way with discernment comes wisdom and knowledge into the mind of God. They are like a package if you get one the others are their. I have seen people hook up with wrong people, make fools of themselves, hurt other people and destroy their lives all because they thought they heard from God. If you don’t know anything else remember the voice of God will not lead you into sin or confusion. Never! It doesn’t matter how many times a person says they heard from God. GOD IS NOT THE AUTHOR OF CONFUSION! When God speaks His voice is always preceded or proceeded by His peace. You can shout, speak in tongues all day long. YOU DID NOT HEAR FROM GOD! If you don’t have peace, find yourself in a bunch of confusion you did not hear from GOD! It is so important now a days that we as believers truly hear from God. There is spirit of division, manipulation and above all deception that is running rapid through out our lives both inside the church and in the world. While at the same time the people of God don’t know His voice, spend little time in His word and are more dependent on a preacher for a word from God like never before. Consequently we are easily deceived, easily manipulated and easy pulled into diverse sin all because we supposedly heard from God. Remember you have to know God to show God. If you don’t spend time in His word you don’t know God. If you are in leadership and you can’t truly discern His voice you are not showing God you are showing yourself. Never think more highly of yourself than you aught to. God longs to speak to His people directly, not just through a few leaders. NOW A DAYS NOT KNOWING THE VOICE OF GOD CAN AND WILL CAUSE YOU TO LOOSE MORE THAN YOUR DESTINY, IT CAN AND IT WILL COST YOU YOUR LIFE! I believe this is why God admonished me to write this post. He is grieved when His very own people, who have served Him for years don’t know His voice or go in a direction He didn’t say thinking they heard from His voice. God will use a minister to lead you to His voice. He will NEVER reveal more to the minister than He will reveal to you. NEVER! They lead you to the water. They do not drink for you. They confirm! But God reveals the ministry of His will directly to you. You will reach the place in God when someone else speaking to you about Him is simply not enough. He will get you to the point where He does not allow someone to speak to you. You WILL get to the place where you must hear from God for yourself. There will be times that God is not speaking. He does get quiet and refuse to speak. It is during those times that you must be still. Don’t move to the left, don’t move to the right be still! I have compiled some things I know about hearing the voice of God. I admonish you to read and reread this post over and over again. Deception is very real. I know of someone right now who disobeyed God after He gave them so many warning. He then took the mantle off of them and placed in on someone else. This person is still so deceived they don’t even know this. You see that is what the spirit of deception will do to you, it will keep you blind. You will think that your okay and everything is fine but God has and will take His divine purpose off of you. Don’t get it twisted there IS ALWAYS a price to pay for disobedience. ALWAYS!!!!! You will not disobey God and get away with it, particularly when you know better. When you are spiritually mature in God He WILL hold you accountable for the what He has released to you. IF YOU ARE READING THIS POST CONSIDER YOURSELF WARNED!!! Let’s begin my reading Deuteronomy 28 In your own time read the entire chapter. Deuteronomy 28:1, 15 1. Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord you God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I commanded you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above the nations of the earth. 15. “But it shall come to pass if you do not obey the voice of the Lord, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statues which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and over take you: The point is the requirement for the blessing was obedience to the voice of God. The consequence of disobedience to the voice of God, His commandments and His statues was the curse. When you read the text there were 14 results of the blessing. However there were 54 results of the curse. Yes the same God who said He’d bless you for obeying Him is the same God who said He would curse you for disobeying Him. Proverbs 26 says a curse without cause (causeless) shall not come. Scriptures says when God curses you He will curse you to the third and fourth generation. So not only are you effected by the curse, your children’s children are then effected by the curse. All because of one thing that we all take fore granted and that is disobedience. So now we see the importance of not only hearing the voice of God for yourself, but obeying the voice. God gives us the choice. If you choose wrong there is no one you can blame but yourself. Deuteronomy 30:19 (NKJV) 19. I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing, therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live. Read the entire chapter of Deuteronomy 30. Principles of hearing the voice of God: Remember that the devil was cast out of heaven because He wanted to be God. He had a position of authority in God’s kingdom. However he was not satisfied with his position of authority. He was cast out of heaven when rebellion was found in him. The point is the devil still wants to be God. If there is any area that Christians must be aware of is this. The devil will come as a angel of light. He knows how to manipulate himself in a way where he appears to be God. This is known as a familiar spirit. A familiar spirit is a deceptive spirit that has construed itself to look, sound and appear to be God. Familiar spirits from the outward appearance look like God. They perform signs and wonders as God would. They can prophesy accurately as if it were God. They can preach like someone of God. Familiar spirits can speak in tongues like God. On the outward appearance they look and sound like God but a familiar spirit is still a demon from the pit of hell. It is amazing to me how so many Christians end up following demons because they have no prayer life so they consequently have no discernment. 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 (NKJV) 13. For such as are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. 14. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. 15. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according their works. I can remember while in undergrad I was thousands of miles away from home. I remember meeting people very quickly. I met this girl who said she was a Christian. We would sit and talk about our dreams and most of all God. Shortly after meeting her it became very clear to me that she was not a Christian. Even though she shouted, spoke in tongues, said she loved God. She started making a mockery of my Christian holiness, implying that I had a religious spirit and it didn’t take all that. Folks there is a difference between a religious spirit and a relationship. I live in holiness out of my relationship with God. Anyway one day she invites me to her church. The whole church again shouts, speaks in tongues, lays hands on folk. On another day I met with the pastor of the church. He basically tells me it is okay to fornicate and have a man on the side and that God would forgive me. I later came to find out that the theology of the church was that God justified sin by His grace therefore we could sin as long as we asked for God’s grace. Now it is true that God’s grace is sufficient but His grace does not justify nor has it ever given us a license to sin. I observed the same members of this church shouting, speaking in tongues, awesome music ministry etc. Yet there were people in this church bound by all kinds of bondage including spirits of sexual perversion, homosexuality as so on. But on the outside everything looked fine. This is a prime example of a familiar spirit. The only way you will truly know the voice of God is to pray and spend time in His word. Once you read His word, you begin to understand His characteristics, His will and most of all you will begin to understand His ways. Some of the attributes of God are that He is holy. He is wisdom. He is love. So when someone is prophesying to in some kind of sin. That person is not hearing from God. They are prophesying under a demonic familiar spirit. God does not speak absent from His wisdom. God will never speak contrary to His word. When God speaks He speaks in part. That means He may reveal to you His will, but not His time. Just because God told you, you are called to preach does not mean you post yourself on youtube, and start sending out letters to local churches inviting yourself to preach at their services. It is Gods responsibility to bring you to your prophetic place. He will open doors and make ways where there is no way. Remember God has an appointed time for everything. Luke 19:20, I Corinthians 4:5 He will always prepare you for what He has for you. He will not show you the appointed time. Act 1:7 You must be obedient to the process. If you step ahead of God you act in disobedience. If you delay Gods plan you still act in disobedience. This form of disobedience is still disobedience in Gods eyes, good intentions and all. This form of disobedience will still release you to the curse. There is the will of God and there are His ways. God will reveal His will to you but it is in process where He will begin to reveal His way. God’s will has to do with His purpose or the big picture, the why. The way is the road map He takes you. For example if I want to go to the grocery story, the purpose would be for me to get groceries. I am not going to take my car to the grocery store to get it fixed. The grocery store was not created for that, neither does it serve that purpose. The way I take to get to the grocery store is the road map. It is the same with God. He will reveal to you His will (purpose) for your life. He will not reveal the way but that will come in time. In fact if God reveals to you what you have to go through to get to the promise you would never start the journey. So many Christians hear the will of God and think that is a license to move forward in their own way to get to Gods purpose. But not so! If God reveals to you His will but you don’t follow His way, then you are in jeopardy of walking out of the plan for your life. God will not finish what He never started. This is still disobedience that will lead to the releasing of the curse over your life. So how to we know the ways of God? I heard a preacher say that we were not privy to the ways of God, only leaders were and the flock follow. This is not true. First Jeremiah 29:11-13 (NKJV) 11. For I know the thoughts that I think towards you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. So how do you know the ways of God? You seek Him. Through His process He will reveal Himself more and more to you. The reason why I am confident in knowing God and His ways is because I have been serving Him a long time. You just can’t tell me any old thing about what the Lord says. Because I know Him for myself. I know Him personally to be a God of honor and integrity. I know He would never disrespect me and lead me into confusion. This is the same God I talk to every day. I Corinthians 2:10 (NKJV) 10. But God has revealed them to us through His spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yet the deep things of God. 11. For what man knows the things of man except the spirit of the man which is in him. Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely give to us by God. So you see we have been given this awesome gift called the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit dwells in us and will reveal to us the mind, will and way of God. That’s why I always say you don’t have to go here, there and every where searching for a prophetic word. You have the Holy Spirit down on the inside of you waiting to reveal God directly to you. It is a shame to depend do much on a preacher for a word from God, when he or she has the same Holy Spirit you have. Remember God will always speak to you in a way you can understand. He is not out to scare you. I once heard a preacher say if you are alone in a house and you hear this great bass voice saying, “My child come forth”. He said run that is not God. God speaks in a way you can understand. The more you grow in God, the more spiritual you become, the less likely you are to depend on others for a word from God. The more He will speak to you differently. God does speak through a clear and audible voice but that is not the only way He speaks. He speaks through dreams and visions. He speaks through His word. He will speak to you by way of your thoughts. Remember before you make any major life decisions that can alter and effect you for the rest of your life and those connected to you He will speak to you in a way that you understand. You will know that it is God with no doubt in your mind. Many of you may know that I moved to North Carolina from Maryland. I knew for years prior to me actually moving that I would move to North Carolina. I remember even looking for jobs in North Carolina once I graduated from undergrad. I also looked at graduate schools in North Carolina. I even heard what city I would move to. But nothing ever panned out for years. I ended up attending a graduate school close to home. I just had to sit an wait for His timing. Then a year before I actually moved I heard God say, "prepare". So I did as best I could, still not knowing the when. Ironically I heard the devil say, “just pack up your bags and drive”. I knew instantly that was the devil and not God’s wisdom. It was God’s wisdom that I prepare. I still didn’t know much. I needed to know in my knower that this was His will. Then He spoke to me in an open vision that I will never forget. So yes even though I had a premonition, a thought of what was to come. I still had to wait for further instructions. It is important to note that I still got confirmation after I heard God for myself. Again men and women of God only confirm. No one should bring something knew to you. Even if they do you still need to ask God for confirmation as to whether or not this is His will. When I finally moved, yes I still had struggles because just because you have a word from God doesn’t mean you won’t be challenged. Since then I have grown in leaps and bounds since . I have been totally transformed. But had I not waited for further instructions I cannot tell you how discouraged, distraught and how I would have felt like a utter failure. I would have been sent back to my parent’s home in no time, having them look me in my eyes and say I thought you heard from God. Beware of distractions. So why do people have such a hard time knowing the voice of God? The number one reason is distractions. You got to many people in your ear telling you what thus says the Lord. I believe that God having me be so alone is one of the reasons why I hear from God with such clarity. Clicks are detrimental to your ability to hear from God. If you don’t set boundaries with folks they will distract you. Particularly to leaders if you have to many people who have access to you then you do have a problem. Eventually your ability to hear God with clarity is weaned away until you hear people more than God. Then you confuse the voice of people to be God’s. Remember Moses who had to set boundaries between He and the people. The anointing must be protected. The only people who should have intimate access to you are a few and I mean a few and who are at your level, are intercessors and most of all have no problem holding you accountable. Moses again was a great leader to his people, but he had a problem listening to many of the people of Israel’s problems. In a way He was acting as a counselor constantly listening to the people of Israel problems. They looked up to him because when you are called to a leadership position people will naturally pull on you from different ways. Good thing for his father in law Jethro. Jethro observed Moses listening to the people from sun up till sun down scriptures say. Jethro says “this is to much for you, your going to wear yourself out”. Even in my secular training as a therapist we were taught the importance of professional ethics, self care and most of all appropriate boundaries. In this field when people are revealing to you the most intimate details of their lives and you are constantly dealing with other peoples issues this is a most. Then Jethro instructed Moses what to do and that was to appoint leaders who act as counselor or judges of the people. The point is Jethro’s resolve to Moses was that these people had to much access to Moses and would eventually wear him out. Jethro was someone who could give Moses wise counsel and direct Him. Yes God will use people to direct. I find it ironic that in verse 15 Moses says, “ the people come to me to inquire of God. When they have difficulty the come to me”. It is the same today often times people use other people as a means to hear from God instead of seeking God for themselves. Or when they don’t get an answer from God they seek man to answer for God. I know I sound like a broken record, but leaders confirm. Read the entire story for yourself in Exodus 18. I also find it ironic out of all the people Moses was around the only other person who had intimate access to Moses was Joshua. Joshua was the only one aloud into the glory tent with Moses. Not Aaron, not his wife or children. A quiet, no name, insignificant person named Joshua. It was no mistake that Joshua would eventually lead the people into the promise land. Joshua 1, he started out being a servant. It is important to note that the reason why Moses was not allowed to make it to the promise land was because of his own disobedience. Numbers 20:12 (NKJV) Then God said," to Moses and Aaron , Because you did not believe Me, to hallow me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.” God told Moses to speak to the rock and he hit the rock. Numbers 20:6-12. Deuteronomy 32:51,52 (NKJV) 51. “because you trespassed against Me among the children of Israel at the water of Meribah Kadesh , in the wilderness of Zin, because you did not hallow Me in the mist of the children of Israel. 52. “Yet you shall see the land before you, though you shall not go there, into the land which I am giving to the children of Israel. All because of disobedience he was not able to make it to the promise. Notice God's will was fulfilled just not through whom it was originally intended. It leads us to an excellent point. You can see God gave the people of Israel chance after chance, but it appears that with Moses He didn’t. Because again God holds you at a higher standard the more he has released to you. That’s why the drug dealing sinner on the street has more grace than leaders in high positions. The other reason you may not hear the voice of God is sin. Sin of any kind prevents you from hearing the voice of God. Aoty not be able to hear from God. If you just got saved you may not be confident in your ability to hear from God. Don’t get so caught of in people and their positions. They can be wrong. Sincere but wrong. One of the main reasons you may not be able to hear the voice of God is simple. He just is not talking. You will have seasons in your life where He is quiet. You cannot force God to speak. Often times He is using those quiet times to test our obedience, to mature and to grow us. You would have no real faith if every time you had a problem He answered you immediately. That does not take faith. God has to mature us, make us strong. It is similar to the life of babies. When they are infants they need there parents for everything, eating, using the bathroom, basic needs. So every time they cry there is mom and dad to the rescue but as maturity takes place the children must learn to stand on their own, they become more and more independent When I was a little girl like most I depended on my mom for everything and rightfully so. But now that I am a grown woman who lives miles away from my parents how ridiculous would it be if my mom picked out my clothes for me each morning, and called me every morning to wake up. Or if she worked to pay my bills every month. Or even if she sent me a months worth of cooked meals so that I could eat. That is absolutely absurd. I am a grown woman, with grown woman bills and responsibilities. My mother raised me. She will always be my mother and I will always be her child but the dynamics of our relationship has changed. I am mature and have my own responsibilities. So it is with the kingdom of God. We have an inheritance. God has already released His kingdom to us. But our ability to begin to manifest His kingdom our inheritance is dependent upon his ability to be able to trust us with more responsibility. God will not release His kingdom authority to babes.The higher you go up the more challenging it is. If you are not mature in God, know His voice and understand His ways you will fall and be a complete failure. God does not want you representing Him or embarrassing Him or yourself all because you could not handle what He released to you. Every college student knows that your senior year is harder than your freshman year. As a PhD student, your program is more intensive than your undergrad program. But it was the first level that prepared you for the next. By the way again you cannot expect to graduate if you have not passed all the test (not some) and met the requirements. So God has a responsibility to perfect us, to mature us, to develop our character. This is what the process is for. The gifts are already there but it is the process that perfects the inner man not the gifts. That’s why you have singers who can sing the paint of the walls but are still on their way to hell. Your gift means nothing. Who are you when no one is looking. If you can’t have integrity behind close doors you won’t have integrity in public. If you can’t hear the voice of God for yourself, you certainly can’t hear His voice for other people. Do yourself and other a favor. Respect God. Respect His people. Watch how you treat God’s people. He does not show favorites and will hold you responsible when you disrespect His people. Make sure you have clean hands and a pure heart. Don’t move forward, don’t move period until you hear from God for yourself. Don’t say you heard God when you didn’t. God is not the author of confusion. Never use your position of authority to abuse others. Truthfully no human being who serves God can honestly say that they have never made a mistake or done something they thought was from God and was not. It is your level of humility and the ability to admit when you are wrong that truly shows your character. Sometimes you got to just go to God and other people who may have been affected such as a spouse, friend, congregation, parents etc and say I am human, I made a mistake and I apologize. The details of who did what and who told you they heard from God and who you sought counsel from are irrelevant. A good man or woman simply admits when they are wrong. I for one don’t expect any one to be perfect. I know I am not. I do respect folks and hope that they respect me more when I just say, listen I made a poor choice I am sorry. Humility speaks volumes about character. However pride always precedes a fall. The difference between David and Saul is not because one was perfect both of them disobeyed God. However Saul was still saying I did the will of God. While David had sense enough to repent. Saul’s destiny and divine purpose ended because of this, while we are still reaping the benefits of David’s spirit of humility and ability to admit when he was wrong. Jesus is a descendent of David. Just repent. Again repent is to ask for forgiveness. But you must stop what you are doing because if you repent but don’t turn in the opposite direction you are still in disobedience and have not come to true repentance. You’ll be so surprised how people will be so deceived by the devil they don’t even have sense enough to repent. You know you are under a spirit of deception then. Then they go a step further and accuse righteous brethren of being mean or judgmental. These people are only trying to save you from hell and life detached from your divine purpose other wise known as life outside of the garden. This post will in no way guarantee that you will never intentionally or unintentionally make poor choices. I call them poor choices not mistakes. Mistakes are when you accidently make decisions not having all the information. A poor choice is when you have all the information, know the consequences but continue in foolishness anyway. Even if you aren’t sure whether or not you made a poor choice, just going to God and saying Lord if this was not your will and I stepped out on you prematurely please forgive me. God honors the heart. Remember God does not yell or scream. He will speak to you in a still small voice the best way to hear from Him to rid yourself of all the noise and get into the quiet place with Him. Psalms 91, I Kings 19:11-13. Remember there are some answers that will only come through fasting and prayer. Matthew 17:20-21 I close with this warning. II Timothy 3:1,5 (NKJV) Read the whole chapter. 1. But know this in the last days perilous times will come. 5. Having a form of godliness but denying its power, And from such people turn away. II Timothy 4:2-4 (NKJV) read the whole chapter 2. Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, and with all long suffering and teaching. 3. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they heap up for themselves teachers. 4. And they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. (lies) I have come to know that you can’t make people serve God. Some people no matter what you do would rather believe a lie than the truth. You can spend the rest of your ministry trying to convince people who don’t love or serve God to honor Him with their lives. But why would you want to? According to this scripture you still have to speak the truth. According to Ezekiel chapters 3 and 4 when you don’t God will hold you responsible for their blood. I don’t want some else’s blood on my hands and if you are reading this post I believe that you concur. We are at this time that Timothy spoke of. I also believe this is the time that God is releasing His kingdom to His true saints. But we had to go through the testing, and the trial of our faith. This is the time where we are seeing deception through out the body like never before. But I believe God has counter release for His people. Whenever there was trouble in the land it always at face value appeared that the enemy had the upper hand but God still has a remnant. I Kings 19:14, 18 Remember it is only a test. It is how you handle the test (passing) that qualifies you. So beloved don’t get caught up in form or fashion. Deal with your issues. That is what the process is for and no one can say they have never had an issue. Repent if you have wronged someone. Repent if you have not. Repent if you have unintentionally offended someone. Again the details are irrelevant but the response is what matters. Forgive those who have offended you. Most of all do everything within your will to obey God, hear His voice. It is never okay to speak against someone to try to justify your actions or make yourself look better in mans eyes. If an injustice has been committed against you God will take vengeance. Again Most Importantly DON’T MOVE TO THE LEFT OR THE RIGHT UNTILL YOU HAVE HEARD GOD FOR YOURSELF. I encourage you to read my post entitled, The Glory and The Cloud. If you haven’t read it, if you have read it again. Just because you see the glory cloud doesn’t mean you move even though the glory is moving. You still have to wait for the voice (command) to tell you to move. With Love Samaria Maria Colbert Samaria Colbert © 2011 
Hebrews 11: 1 (NKJV) 1.Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. James 2:14, 19, 26 (NKJV) 14. What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 19. Yes believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe-and tremble! 26. For as the body without a spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. Hebrews 11:8-10 (NKJV) 8. By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive his inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9. By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; 10. for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. I have said it repeatedly in other post. There is a difference between what is being required of you and what is being asked of you. Requirements are always attached to blessings. You can’t have one without the other. If you want the promise you have to meet the requirements. If someone is asking you something, they are giving you a choice or are inquiring of some information from you in order to gain your knowledge. In others words to ask a question it usually goes like, “Can you?, Will you?, Do you mind?, What do you think about? etc”. You can respond in whatever way you choose. If someone asks you to borrow something and you say no for the most part there are no repercussions for that other than maybe hurt feeling. Or if someone inquires of some information from you and you don’t know and state so. You can either find out or they move on. Again no repercussions for not knowing the answer to a question. Although the bible says people perish for lack of knowledge so there are consequences for not knowing the word, praying and not knowing the will and ways of God. But that is another matter in which we will not discuss today. Requirement is another matter. You again can choose not to meet the requirements but you will reap the consequences of disobedience. Often times consequences are not necessarily punishments they are more denials into the promise God has for us. For example in the scripture above Abraham left his home after receiving a word from God. Had he not obeyed God to leave he would not have received God’s blessing. We wouldn’t be talking about Abraham to this day. His obedience would not have equated to his righteousness. He would not have been given his son Isaac who was the promise. Meeting the requirements releases you to the promise. Isaac was the promise. Sarah would have still been barren and they would have passed away having never received the promise. You think not, just remember the people of Israel who had the promise to go to the land God had promised Abraham. On your own time I won’t give you this one research how many left Egypt and how many actually made it to the promise land. Most of them died in the wilderness because of their own disobedience even though the promise was for all of them. So again just because you have a promise from God doesn’t mean it will manifest. You have a responsibility. No God’s people we don’t serve Santa Claus we serve a true and living God. He is not deaf, dumb or stupid. He is merciful and kind He won’t release what belongs to you absent from your active and willing participation. Should you decide not be an active and willing participant He will decide not to actively and willingly release you into His promise. So how does it relate to our topic faith and obedience? First things first what is faith? Faith in it’s simplest form means to believe. It means to have hope, and to believe something will be even though you do not see how or see it manifestation. Faith. It means to believe that it will come to pass even though you have no physical evidence that it will. I grew up in non-denominational pentecostal, charismatic church where we are taught to have faith. Have faith for your miracle. Have faith for your healing. Have faith for your promotion. Have faith for you promise. We are taught to have faith for just about everything. Nothing is wrong with faith. In fact that is all we hear, talk about is faith. You would think we’d see more faith healings we hear so much about faith. I suspect that if you are Christian you probably can’t go a whole week with hearing, seeing or reading something about faith. Just turn on Christian television. Go to bible study or your regular Sunday morning service at some point whether it be during some worship song or a message you are going to hear something about faith. All it takes is faith right? Ummm Well…… If I could be candid what happens after you have faith. You believe with all your might something is going to happen. You sowed your seed. You pray. You call those things that are not as though they were. You rebuke every demon in high and low places. You fast, get together with the prayer partners to believe, because you are going to touch and agree and it shall be. You shout for your blessing and run around the church. You cry and lament. You make statements while in prayer like, “Oh Jesus”, Yes, YESSSSSSS LOOORRRRD” “Come Jesus come” with some tongues in between. All this to show God you have faith. You go lay your hands on something you are having faith for. (i.e a wayward child, the home your believing God for) You are faithful to pay your tithes and offerings so there is nothing blocking your blessing. You went to the alter and fell out. Yet still no manifestation. But I thought all it took is faith? Well there is more to it than just having faith. Scriptures says faith without works is dead. What does scripture mean when it says faith and works? Works simply means obedience to what God has required of you. Or aggressively working towards what He has you told you to do, how He told you to do it, when and where He told you to do. During the specific time and course He told you to do. Hence the title. The simplest definition of works is exertion or effort directed to produce or accomplish something; labor; toil. To achieve or win by work or effort in the works, in preparation or being planned to bring about (any result) by or as by work or effort: to work towards a change. Retrieved 2-17-11 from www.dictionary.com Obedience means to adhere to a set of norms, rules, discipline and governing laws than either prevent negative consequences or bring about a desired result. For example obedience to the law means not going to jail. But say someone is training out for the Olympics. They are following a disciplined regimen, and transforming their bodies the end result being the accomplishment of a dream to make it to the Olympics or to be able to compete competitively on that level. When you are in obedience to God and have faith you are giving Him full on access and permission to transform and change you to what He wants you to be. Metamorphosis means a marked change in form, or metamorphosis, from immature to adult. From a immature childlike Christian into a full grown vessel of the most High God. In metamorphosis you have been transformed and construed in such a way that the end result is that you are now in the likeness and image of our father in heaven. So God according to the scripture God not only requires faith He requires works (obedience). Now that does not mean try to manifest His promise on your own. That is dead works. It does mean after God has given you the promise, you must be obedient to His law, rules, and specific requirements that He has set before you in order to get to the desired result. The desired result is the manifestation of His promise in our lives. No we don’t do works on our own. After God has given you the promise you still have to seek God for the path He has for you to take. There are God’s universal laws that govern His kingdom. Such as thou shall not commit fornication or adultery, thou shall kill or covet and so on. These are universal laws that everyone who claims to be a Christian should be following. If you don’t follow the laws of God, you can claim to be a Christian all day long, you simply are not. But there are requirements that are specific to our development individually. God requires different things based upon your specific purpose within the kingdom. Most Christians know the universal laws of God. They don’t know specifically what God is requiring of them but they are not necessarily in sin. For example it is not a sin to marry someone. However if you marry someone who God has not ordained for your life even though that is not a sin you have still disobeyed God. The sin is that you didn’t obey His voice. You will still reap the consequences of disobedience. Abraham’s requirement was that he leave everything including his father’s house to a land that he didn’t know about. Abraham was obedient to God’s specific requirement for his life. It is not a sin should Abraham had stayed in his father’s house. There is no commandment saying thou shall not stay on thine father’s property. In fact the law during Abraham’s time was so that Abraham would have inherited his father’s stuff. It is actually crazy to leave all that behind for someplace you don’t even know and have never seen. Abraham must have heard from God that was the specific requirement for Abraham. The point is Christians are good at faith. They are not so good at obedience to the specific requirement to get the blessing. Consequently we pay our tithes, shout, speak in tongues and fall out. Yet we don’t see the manifestation of what God required of us. You need faith and obedience to the plan and purpose. God has already preset the plan and the purpose for what He wants to happen throughout the earth. We must be obedient. We must know His voice. I sound like a broken record I say this on every post. But is amazing to me how Christians will shout, speak in tongues, run, jump and shout and not meet the requirements yet still expect God to manifest His glory in them. Seriously folks this is delusional thinking at its best. In therapist terms many Christians are delusional because they are believing things that are not, doing things they shouldn’t yet still expecting something from God. That is not faith. Scriptures says faith without works is dead. News flash believing without obedience is just plain silly. Scripture says in Romans 10:9,10 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart then you shall be saved. Even salvation looks like this: Works (confess with your mouth) + Faith (believe in your heart) = Salvation The scripture above says that even demons believe and tremble. SO WHAT IF YOU BELIEVE! If demons believe and are still guaranteed eternal damnation what makes us think that somehow believing will get us something from God. A demon is still a demon no matter how much they believe. Believing is just believing if there are no works. Works without God’s direction is just purposeless. It doesn’t get you any closer to the manifestation than doing nothing. So purposeless works and doing nothing are the same both get you nowhere. The point is it is not enough to sit around doing nothing waiting on something to fall from the sky. You must be obedient to the specific plan that God has for you in order to reap the benefits. I have composed a few things to know about faith and manifesting the promise. Some things maybe repeats but they are important to the manifestation of the promise thereby worthy of repeating. Faith and Obedience: -Faith and Obedience go hand and hand. They are never separated they never come apart. One must come with the other. They are always intertwined. If you have faith but no obedience you won’t manifest the glory and you won’t be obedience if you don’t have faith. Faith and Obedience / Obedience and Faith -Works is not going about trying to put yourself on. For example just because God called you to preach doesn’t mean you start the effort, getting your business cards together in an attempt to birth yourself out into your prophetic promise. Remember if God has given you the promise it is His responsibility to bring you to it. So works is not the same as the world’s definition of works where they work hard to get to the end result. Our (Kingdom) works means to allow God to process us for it to manifest. Manifestation is when God makes it show up. -Seek God for further instructions. God will always tell you what you should do next. But be aware He doesn’t give you step 1, then 2, then 3. He’ll give you step 1, then step 4, then back to 3. Because God speaks in part sometimes like Abraham you don’t know why or how or what. You just should know yes. Sometimes all you have is a word from God. Sometimes you are doing something God told you to do not knowing why. That is a part of faith and obedience as well. Having faith that it will manifest and being obedience to whatever God has told you to do even though you don’t know how they relate. A big part of faith is simply not knowing but trusting. -Disobedience equals denials. I know I say this a lot. Let me explain. Yes God will deny you. Remember Saul, God removed him and put David in his place. Moses was replaced with Joshua. New Testament examples include the story of the virgins. Matthew 25:1-13, Matthew 15:14-30 the story of the parable of talents. Mark 11:12-14 Jesus cursed the fig tree after it was not bearing fruit. Matthew 20:1-16, Matthew 22;1-14 There are other examples but this should get you started. -Yep there is no indication that disobedience will always result in delays. Often times disobedience can result in denials. Now God is merciful God. He doesn’t deny us as soon as we make a poor choice or sin. God’s denial is dependent upon your level of maturity and disobedience. Most times when a person is in rebellion He will keep warning them over and over again. The warning could be repetitive over years of time. God will keep saying, “Don’t do that, leave that alone, stay away, move away from, I see what you’re doing, stop it, don’t go there”. He’ll keep speaking to you over and over again. He’ll send a prophet and people of spiritual maturity to warn you. But God always repeats Himself. He doesn’t just up and deny you. He also looks at the heart, if you’re caught in a stronghold but your heart is right He won’t deny you. For example maybe you suffer with low self-esteem that prevents you from moving forward but your actively praying and asking God for deliverance. Remember there are some deliverances that happen overnight and there are some that happen over time but come in the process of getting to know God. It is when you don’t heed to the God’s warnings, which He then will say, okay I am taking the mantle off of you and putting it on another. He is so merciful He will still let you stay alive but deaf to the purpose and plan God intended for your life. His will will come forth just not to whom it was intended. So when you hear the voice of God obey. When David heard from the prophet He repented. When Saul heard from the prophet he denied any wrong doing. Even up until the last minute before He says time up I am moving the mantle He will still give you time to repent. Literally up until the very end He will say to you or use someone to warn you saying. “You’re getting ready to lose the mantle God has called you to walk into, if you don’t make a decision etc”. Up until the very last hour! This is how merciful God is. Right before He gets ready to expose you He will warn you. A person who is still in disobedience and rebellion is in a bad place. This is where their heart have really turned from God to serve some kind of idol(sin). God is a just God and gets no pleasure in embarrassing anyone or not releasing anyone into their prophetic destiny especially when He before the beginning of time planned your life out. This is not a decision He takes likely but it is a decision He will and DOES make. -Your level of obedience on one level releases you to increase to another level. (Note: I am using the word level to bring about understanding God deals in dimensions and spheres of influence. But for now to bring about clarity we will use the word level) When God can trust you He will release more to you. -You have to know His voice in order to obey. So if you are having faith, but not having faith over God’s words that He spoke to you, you are still wasting your time. For example if someone prophesies to you, thus sayeth the Lord XYZ and you have all kinds of faith towards that word but the prophetic word was not from God then your faith means nothing. God will not sign off on what He never started. -Faith and Obedience is not the same as positive thinking to bring something to pass. The world uses this all the time. There some basics truths if you believe something positive it will happen. But that is not the same as faith and obedience. Positive thinking doesn’t really require anything of you. It doesn’t require holiness, or the building of character. There is a woman who believed that she should would win the lottery. She wrote down the number of millions she wanted to win and shortly after that she won with the exact amount she wrote down. But she didn’t have to obey God. God would not have told her to play the lottery which is wrong. He is so rich He has multiples ways to make you rich other than sin. -Faith and Obedience means being willing to allow God to perfect your character, heal you from your past, develop your character. Turn you from being Jacob the trickster to Israel the mighty man of God. After faith and obedience to God you can then handle what He releases to you. It’s not about money it about blessing. This is why you have celebrities who have fame and fortune but still have drug demons and depression spirits. Because they have fame and fortune without the character building that only Christ can do. There is a difference between fame and fortune that the world gives and fame and fortune that our Lord and Savior releases us to. -So in simple terms what will God require of you. How do you know the specifics? The only way you know the specifics is to seek God. He will give you a plan. Again He will only give you parts of the plan. It is your obedience to one part of the plan that will get you another piece to that plan. I encourage you to pick my book entitled: No Promise Without A Process The Makings Of A True Prophet. Depending on the specific plan God has for your life, will determine what He requires of you. For prophets He requires them to have seasons of intense aloneness. For people called to healing ministry He may require pain. For some He will require school. He will require from everyone holiness, separating from people He has not ordained for your life. One of my requirements like Abrahams was to move from my home of origin. Another one of my requirements was to be healthy and so on. Remember there is an already set appointed time for your reveal. It is your passing of the test that releases you to the ministry. There is a difference between your assignment and your ministry. Your assignment may change but your ministry will not. For example when you are in school you professor gives you specific assignments that are related to the class you are taking. It is not until you graduate and are working in our field of study that you can implement what you did in the classes although you completed many assignments throughout your matriculation. That is what your ministry is when you have finally completed the work and have graduated and are now working in your field of study otherwise known as your ministry. While in college you must pass the test and turn in your assignments in order to be able to take the next class, have the next test and completed the next assignment. Although you are taking a difference class, have a different assignment and have a different test your major or course of study is the same. You are studying and preparing with a specific goal in mind. Remember there is a beginning, middle and end prior to graduation (your manifestation into your ministry). In college you can change your course of study(major) prior to graduation in the kingdom you do not. Your assignment is based upon the specific task God has you working on in this season that can and will change with the next season He has you in. Your ministry is when you are released and are working in the area that you have been processed into (studied, prepared, tested and tried) graduated from and are doing what God has specifically assigned (prepared) for you to do. Your ministry is not going to happen until God releases you; you have to complete the assignments and pass (ALL) the test. Your specific assignment will change, you will have an assignment as long as you are in Christ. Even before your ministry and during your ministry you will have a specific assignment. The assignment before God releases you is for your preparation into your ministry. The assignment you have after God releases you into ministry is for you to begin to develop and be used to bring healing, deliverance and restoration to someone else. He will use you to act as a midwife to someone else who is waiting on the manifestation of their promise. Remember Faith and Obedience go hand in hand. No matter how hard you shout. No matter how much scripture you know. No matter how many spiritual experiences you have had. No matter how God has spoken to you. Faith and Obedience are requirements to fulfilling your prophetic promise. I am convinced that if the saint’s had true faith understood the real consequences of disobedience they wouldn’t be so quick to disobey God. That is why I believe God has me talking about requirements and process in this season. He wants to see His saints develop into mature and honorable vessels so that He can manifest His glory on the earth. Remember our assignments and divine purposes are not about us. We have nothing to do with it. That’s why God will use another if you decide you don’t want to be faithful and obedient. Our divine assignment is not about how we will be blessed is it about how we will be a blessing and advance His kingdom for His (not our) glory. Remember: James 2:22-24 (NKJV) 22. Do see that faith working together with his (Abraham) works, and by works faith was made perfect? 23. And the scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. 24. You see then that a man is justified by works, NOT by faith only. God Bless Samaria Maria Colbert Samaria Colbert © 2011  Transform
By: Samaria M. Colbert God wants to transform you? On my last post I talked a little bit about metamorphosis. I want to talk a little more about the transforming power of the anointing and how God wants to transform you. I know somethings about transformations. I am in the mist of one right now. As I look back over the years I see how God has and continues to transform me into the person He has called for me to be. I don’t think like I use to think. I am happier than I have ever been in my life. I was just writing in my journal about how I feel so at peace. I just feel tranquil and happy all the time. No for those of you who may be wondering I have not met a man or fallen in love. I am however meeting Jesus in a new way and falling deeper in love with Him as each day goes by. I have not arrived I am in process. I have my days but they are not nearly as bad as they use to be neither do they last as long. I feel beautiful, whole and complete. I feel like I have and continue to come into my own as a woman. I am being transformed into the person I always knew I was but could never see how I could get there. My past is erased. My future is in front of me and I am excited. The thing about transformation is that it does not happen overnight it happens in process. So let us talk further about transformation. I had this journal a while back and the caption on the front of it read, “just when it thought it had died it turned into a beautiful butterfly”. God is transforming you. You will be a beautiful butterfly for His glory. And yes just like the butterfly you thought you would die and it was just then that you awakened and turned into a beautiful butterfly.” For me the girl that was forgotten no knew her, no one cared has now turned into a beautiful swan. Let us begin. Jeremiah 18:1-6 (NKJV) 1. The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying: 2. “Arise and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause you to hear My words.” 3. Then I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, making something at the wheel. 4. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make. 5. Then the word of the Lord came to me saying: 6. “Oh house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter?” says the Lord. “Look, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, Oh house of Israel. Yes it is true God wants to transform you. For most of us we are going through a process where we are being metamorphosed into the image of our father. When you become a Christian you make a declaration to the Lord of your life saying, “okay Lord this is who I am but I let go of me and allow You full and complete control of me to make me into Your image.” The questions remains why do we need to be transformed into the image and likeness of God. Don’t we already come the way God wants us to become when we are born on this earth? Why do I need to change? First things first man was made in the image and likeness of God. It began with Adam and Eve. God said in the beginning of time. Let Us make man in Our image, according to our likeness. Genesis 1:26. The Us was not only God it was God the father, His Son Jesus and the Holy Spirit. This is why there are three parts to us. We are spirit, soul and body. We reflect the image of God. You cannot have one without the other, otherwise your dead. If you have a body but no spirit your dead. If you have a soul but nobody you don’t exist on earth. If you have a body and no soul you don’t exist in planet earth. So in that sense we have been created in the likeness and image of God. We are not little gods. We serve the only one true living God. In the beginning God created man in His likeness and image. He created the first human beings Adam and Eve. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion. Genesis 1:28 (NKJV) So from the very beginning of time God’s original plan for humankind was that they carry out His purpose and plan on earth. God gave man earth as a prototype of heaven. In which we are to carry out His heavenly kingdom on earth. Not only does God give us authority in and over the earth. He gives us authority in heaven to execute and rule on earth and in heaven while still on earth. Matthew 16:18, (NKJV) 18. ‘And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loosed on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Most of us have heard this kingdom message before. However I want to remind you that at the time Jesus was speaking this word to Peter. Jesus did not say and I have given you the keys as to imply an automatic immediate position that Peter would have as soon as Jesus spoke it. Jesus said, “I will give you” meaning sometime in the future. Most preachers don’t preach this they imply that God has already given authority to us. But God will not release His kingdom authority to just anybody. God has the responsibility to process you and transform you into His image so that He can release His kingdom authority to you. You don’t automatically have the authority once you get saved. Once you receive salvation you are a babe in Christ, you now have access to the kingdom. You are officially a citizen of the kingdom of heaven, you don’t have authority until God has transformed you into His image and you can now handle what God can released to you. When God gave mankind kingdom authority without process man made a mess of things and yielded their God given authority over to satan. That leads us back to Genesis and the question why do we need to transformed into the image of God. Many should know the story but man eventually fell from the graces of God after they and I do mean they were disobedient. Adam and Even ate of the fruit on the tree that God told them not to eat. They were kicked out of the garden, man was cursed. From that point and time good and evil existed throughout the beginning of time even to this day. From that point and time when man is born, even though he is still in the image and likeness of God. He is now flesh and does not come automatically into the kingdom. Any individual is given a choice to serve God or not. Now we must be transformed into the image and likeness of God. God has no sin. He is holy. Now every individual who is born is born in sin and sharpened in iniquity. We must choose to follow Christ. We don’t automatically come as followers of Christ. Psalms 51:5 (NKJV) 5. Behold I was brought forth in iniquity, and cleansed from my sin. But God still wants man to have authority, dominion and power to execute His kingdom on the earth that belongs to Him. We are His kingdom ambassadors. That is the purpose and plan of God. He wants not only to bless us, but He wants to see His kingdom advance meticulously, strategically and most important effectively. God could care less about religion. He is concerned about His kingdom. As stated the kingdom is not released to you automatically. We must be transformed. Remember God can’t release His kingdom to babes. You must be mature and full grown. Galatians 4: 1,2,4 (NKJV) 1. Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ from a slave though he is master of all. 2. But is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father. 4. But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His son, God guarantees that He does have an inheritance for us. He will use us to execute His purpose and plans throughout the earth. He does have an inheritance for us. However it is clear in this scripture it is not automatic. As long as you stay a childlike immature Christian you don’t have access to the promise. Notice the father sets the appointed time we do not. So as I say in every post you don’t go about trying to execute kingdom authority that you to not have. I once read in a book that you cannot go places in the spirit that God has not given you permission to go. Notice that in the fullness of time. So there is a set time for your release. You are not always in wait, it will manifest but not until the fullness of time, that again is predetermined by our Father. So the fact is that you must be transformed. The more important question to answer is why? Again it is simple because we were born in sin and sharpened in iniquity. But lets be honest. Because there is a big difference between the life that has been handed to you and the life that God has for you. Most Christians are still controlled by the pain of their past. Many people have been born into abusive, manipulating and controlling environments where their spirits were broken and abused. Most Christians need to understand the God of the bible and not the God that was displayed before them. We need to learn the basics. How to love? How to trust? How to pray? If you don’t have authority over yourself when no one is looking you are not going to have authority out in the open. There is a difference between your gift and your anointing. Many preachers are gifted, but how many are anointed. As I say the anointing will cost you something. We don’t need any more preachers who can wear nice suits and dresses and make people shout. We don’t really need another preacher but the earth is thirsty for the real authentic anointing. Because how can you speak to someone else’s demons when you have not dealt with your own. If you don’t have confidence in yourself you won’t have confidence in God. So He must transform us into what He wants us to be, not what we want Him to be, not what we want to be. That’s why so called Christians who don’t endure the cross don’t qualify for the crown. If you don’t die first, Christ won’t multiply in you. You won’t have authority in the earth nor in heaven. If you have never overcome anything, never stepped out on faith, never learned how to trust God, He can’t trust you with His stuff. So I have composed a few characteristic of how God wants to transform you. God wants to transform you: First transformation is a process it does not happen overnight. Although there are some deliverances that happen overnight. The total and complete transformation happens over time. This is a process called metamorphosis. I talked a little bit about metamorphosis in my last article but let me elaborate. Metamorphosis is a termed typically used to describe the way insects grow and mature. Some argue that humans do not go through metamorphosis. The term metamorphosis is actually a kingdom term uses to describe God’s transformation process. Metamorphosis is a Greek word meaning transformation and transfiguration. Transformation means a radical change or alteration. An apparently miraculous change in appearance and thinking. It also means when something passes from one state or phase to another; or to change. Transfiguration is a supernatural and glorified change. It is a change that only happens by way of supernatural means. When God transfigures you are so changed there is physical change in appearance to a glorious nature. You are literally completely unrecognizable to people who have known you your whole life. It means to change or alter the outward appearance. When God transfigures you it happens from the inside out. However it happens in such a way that a physical change happens to your outward body. So God wants to transform you in such a way that there is a complete and whole change in your mind, body, spirit and soul. Not only will He change you, He’ll do in a radical way. You will literally be turned inside out. You will be completely and literally a whole new person. Who wouldn’t want a change like that? What would life be like if you had no limitations? What would you really have done with your career? Where would you live? What kind of money would you have? That’s what God transforming power does for you. It will put you on the path to go above and beyond what you could have ever asked or think. The sad thing is that if you don’t allow God to transform you, you will live and die having never reached that place. You will have lived and died in the limitations that you have set for your own self. Like I always say where you settle is where you stay. The second thing to know about transformation is that it happens in phases again not all at once. Once you get saved your heart is saved. You stinking thinking is another matter within itself. That’s why you have to endure the process. First God changes your heart, then your will, then your emotions, then your motives. You know when God moves you from one phase to the next when He changes your surroundings. You can’t bring new revelations into old mind sets. That’s why God releases you from one place to the next. That’s why you don’t have a desire to hang around the people that you use to. You start noticing them doing things you use to do, instead of you being okay with it that now it irritates you. It doesn’t necessarily mean sin. Maybe you had girlfriends that when you got together you would complain or gossip. Complaining and gossip releases curses over you. For some reason you just can’t bring yourself to get together with a friend to talk about your same old problems. Yeah you still may have problems but your mind set has change. This is God transforming your thinking. I always get amazed when I go back home. I see the same people, doing the same thing over and over again. Something about me just can’t stay there for long. No I am not trying to be a snob. But I have been so transformed I can’t tolerate being around the way things use to be. Let me give you this warning not disconnecting from folks WILL cost you. You won’t grow any further than where you are. God always disconnect you from people always. He will connect you with other people who are attached to your destiny. YOU ONLY NEED DEVINE CONNECTIONS IN THIS SEASON. God will NEVER allow you access into His glory or release His kingdom authority to you connected to people He has disallowed there. It will ALWAYS cost you more than you’re willing to pay ALWAYS. So disconnect no matter how hard it is. Destiny partners are a million times better than soul ties. If you want to stop and completely alter your divine destiny for the bad keep hanging around with people who are not supposed to be there. You will permanently and completely stop your own growth. They will begin to subtract and even divide. You will be 100 times worse than where you started. On top of that everything God has released to you up until that point WILL be stripped from you. Whatever you do LET THEM GO. It is not worth it. So God changes your spirit, soul and body. He begins to change your company. He changes everything. Another way you know that God is transforming you is when you are no longer comfortable where you are. He will change your environment. All of the sudden you just feel this restlessness, a feeling like you need to get out of here and go somewhere even though you do not know where you need to go. In this phase again SEEK GOD. Don’t just up and move somewhere. Seek God for where He is moving you. Often times your assignment is attached to a specific place. That specific place is predetermined by God Himself. He will reveal to you the where, but seek Him. Another way you know when you are being transformed is when you start having demonic attacks come against you. Often by people who are close to you. God allows this; He is teaching you how to have a prayer life. There is nothing like adversity to get you to pray. God can’t release His kingdom to you if you don’t have a prayer life. God has to show you that you have authority over the devil. God will also change your physical body. There is no sickness in heaven. There are no diabetes, no high blood pressure, and no obesity in heaven. There are no psychotropic medications in heaven. I am in no way against medications. I jokingly say if you have a headache you can go into prayer and lamenting when you need that kind of healing. Or you can use a God given tool such as Tylenol or Advil. Yes you should go to the doctors, get your regular checkups. Yes we are kingdom ambassadors. We still dwell in human vessels. So don’t be so super spiritual that you act crazy. You can ask God to heal you of that diabetes spirit or you can choose better eating habits. Since we are kingdom ambassadors who dwell in human bodies we do both. It is only sinners who do only one which is to go to the doctors. Doctors don’t spend 10 plus years in medical school to steal money you don’t have or to be agents of the devil. They are God ordained servants who simply serve different task within the kingdom. Their main assignments are how to govern and take care of your physical body. Which is very complicated by the way and still considered the temple of the Holy Ghost. It is your spiritual leaders i.e. pastor, prophets and teachers who work on your spiritual body. Again we need both BOTH. Another way to know that you are being transformed is when God begins to govern your emotions. You are emotionally a lot stronger. You’re not tossed a turned by every life situation. You’re not depressed. Regardless of what situation you are going through. Even when life’s traumatic events happen you are not ready to jump off of a bridge because you get bad news. It is not that you don’t have emotions. Emotions are God given. It is that you are not governed by your emotions. You’re not weak men because you cry. Often times when I worship God I cry. I am not sad I just well up with tears. God gives us tear ducks and He intends that we use them. If God intended you not to use your tear ducks when you get saved they would simply well up and disappear, we would be staring at each other looking crazy like some aliens. Ecclesiastes 3 says that there is a time to cry and a time to mourn. So God transforming your emotions doesn’t mean they don’t exist it means you are emotionally strong(sound). You not tossed to and from by every wind and doctrine. You can make wise decisions and stick to them. Your not double minded constantly changing your mind. You don’t have time to deal with foolishness. You are confident and are not constantly dealing with low self-esteem. In general you have a sense of peace and accomplishment even though you may not be there. You’re finally able to laugh and really smile without going through life with a dim grim attitude. You smile when you even think about Jesus. You’re able to worship God for who He is instead of trying to get a miracle from Him. If you touch God’s heart you can have what’s in His hand. Your motives must be pure. So how will God transform you? There is no easy answer for this question but. Romans 12:2 says we will be transformed by the renewing of our minds. When God begins to transform you He will do it by way for renewing your mind once you make a decision that you will not be conformed by this world. That means once again you must be an active participant in what God is doing. God is not going to force a transformation to take place. You have to want it. You have to decide that you don’t want to be governed by the world’s standards, ideas or demons. You decide that. Once you decide God starts the transforming process. So again there is a part you have to play. No you can’t do what you want. Live any kind of way and expect God to supersede your own will for His. If you make the decision He will be with you every step of the way. Some final benefits of God transforming power. You are then in position for a move of God. There is a move of God then is getting ready to be released on this earth. I heard God say to me a few days ago, “I have already made provision”. See when you endure God releases it. You don’t have to work as hard. You are confident in your ability to hear God. You begin to operate on a supernatural level in whatever assignment God has called you to. Most importantly God WILL release to you His kingdom authority. You can then begin to speak things and they manifest. You cause things to open up or shut up in heaven and in earth. You become a kingdom ambassador. God will release to you kingdom ideas, concepts and creativity. Remember creativity is not a world concept and it never will be. Creativity is kingdom concept. It simply means God will cause you to begin to create something where there was absolutely nothing. Think about the guys who discovered facebook and youtube. These are world ideas that simply didn’t exist until the creators thought them up. Now if this is the world’s definition of a creative idea. I want you to get excited because the creative ideas that God releases to His people are 100 times better than that. This is how the worlds were formed. God literally looked out into emptiness and formed the entire universe in seven days. Which means that He will cause His creative ideas that He has released to you to begin to manifest quickly. I just heard God say, “It will create itself”. You take ownership of it but God gave it to you. Everything that He made millions of years ago are so profound that they still exist to this very day. That same spirit that God used is inside of us. I am getting excited. The point is once you get filled with the Holy Spirit and have been transformed you now have the ability on the inside of you to tap into something that will change the dynamics of mankind. God won’t release that kind of glory to you unless He transforms you. Lastly supernatural wealth will be yours. Supernatural laws, that don’t govern this world but govern the kingdom, are now at your disposal. Remember the principle of least to greater. Which ever is the weaker will become obsolete while the stronger will be dominate. Since the world is of a lessor order and the kingdom is of a greater and stronger order. One again supersedes the other. The kingdom of God is the higher order therefore it supersedes the earth. You have to know the principles, concepts and laws of the kingdom to know how they will affect you. For example in the earth people work hard to get what they need. Their hard work pays off eventually and hopefully but it is not guaranteed. The law of the kingdom says we work hard and be faithful in anticipation of our release date in obedience to God. In the kingdom of heaven after you have endured the process it manifest. When it manifest it is always 100 fold and above all you could ever image. Now which law would you rather be governed by? In the earth you live first then die. In the kingdom you die first to live. In the earth realm you borrow. In the kingdom you are the lender, you own. In the earth you are governed by limitations. In the kingdom there are no limitations. I could go on hopefully you see how and why you need to allow God to transform you. Finally God’s promises for those who belong to Him are: Daniel 7:18 (NKJV) 18. But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever. Revelations 11:15 (NKJV) 15. Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” Yes God does want to transform us. He will release the kingdom to us; the scripture in Daniels says not for a season of time will He release it to us but for forever, and ever and ever. See how God wants to bless us. He wants to bless us forever. He wants to make us into the vessels He wants us to be. When you’re in process you are the clay, He is the potter. Make a decision let Him mold you. Don’t step out into your own will, step out into His. Love Samaria Colbert Samaria M. Colbert © 2011 True Beauty
Samaria M. Colbert So here I am. I was asking the Lord what I should write about next and , "I hear true beauty". Writing is therapeutic for me. I love to write. I am going to be a New Yorks Times bestselling writer you wait and see. I am not bragging, not lying or prophesying I am simply telling the truth. I don’t care who does or does not believe in my dream. I write because that is what God has put in me to do, not because I want to be seen. Being a writer among other things is who I am. So I decided to write about True Beauty. I find myself again growing and maturing in many different ways since I started my weight loss journey. I am again proud to say that I am 100 pounds lighter and steady working towards my goal. I don’t have too much further to go. But with this kind of transformation comes change. Changes that I never have experienced. I now love to shop. I mean I love to shop. Did I say I love to shop? Life for me is life on a budget. I am a bestselling author I just haven’t been released yet to the manifestation. (LOL) Seriously though. But never the less I am a beauty on a serious and I mean serious budget. I relish in going into my favorite store. I have a love for all things feminine and beautiful. I love lotions and sweet smelling fragrances. I love dressing up, wearing high heel shoes. Something I never could do before I lost weight. I love and I mean loooovvvveeee to wear my favorite color purple. Purple makes me very happy. Just thinking about purple makes me smile uhhhh purple. I probably wear purple more than I should. As much as I love purple too much purple is a bit much. But I don’t care it’s my world and I want as much purple as I possibly can in it. It is silly but if I could get away with wearing purple every day I would. I am in my right mind so no I don’t. With this new found freedom I am discovering my true beauty. I look in the mirror and think I am beautiful. No I am not bragging this is from someone who use to be afraid of the entire world and thought she was ugly. Well that is a lie the devil told me that I don’t believe anymore. Yes I am beautiful. I don’t think I am better than anyone else, but it feels good to feel beautiful in my own eyes. Yes I have been delivered. You may think I am beautiful, you may not. Frankly I don’t care. I know who I am. My Father (Jesus) calls me beautiful so therefore I am. I also love makeup. Boy do I love makeup. I love to wear it, of course I am beautiful without makeup. I make the makeup it does not make me. I love to where jewelry. Since I am on a budget I wear the costume jewelry but I love it. Life is good. Of course filled with ups and downs but life is life. When you feel good, you look good. Shopping makes me smile. I always remember that real transformation happens from the inside out, not the outside in. I love to smile. I love to look in the mirror and think man I could never wear this before. I could never wear heels. I feel like a real woman. Uhh Umm a Saved, Sanctified and Holy Ghost filled woman I should ad. Something’s just should never be. So with my new Saved, Sanctified and Holy Ghost filled wardrobe comes confidences and assurance. With confidences comes a beautiful smile that comes from way deep within. But real beauty is not in the clothes you wear, or in the car you drive it is knowing who you are in Christ. A few weeks ago after I went shopping, I am feeling good. I think man I am really going to look great in everything I purchased. I remember before going to sleep saying, “Thank you Jesus for blessing me.” As I was sleeping I hear the Lord say, “Man judges by the outward appearance but I look at the heart”. Man was that an ear full to me. I know exactly what the Lord meant. I guess in my own subconscious way looking good and dressing better made me feel more beautiful. It is so amazing how God will just speak a word to you that is so simple but makes you feel so safe. I felt so safe in His arms when He said that to me. It is true to some I am now beautiful and to some I am not. Who cares? But Jesus saw me as beautiful while I was 100 pounds heavier. My heart has always been towards God. I love Him so much my heart get overwhelmed with His love at times. But His reassurance that He loved me and saw beauty in me when no one else does only makes me realize how much I love Him. And why I love Him. All my life I have been forgotten and over looked. I don’t look anointed but I am. I may not dress the best. I am may not be the right size but God sees me as beautiful and always has just as I am. My heart is pure. God has and continues to transform me in so many ways. It is His reassurance that I am beautiful in His eyes that only makes me love Him more and more. You see although it feels good to shop, wear high heel shoes, wear makeup, to wear sweet smelling fragrances and lotions. Those things don’t make you beautiful in God’s eyes. Being the right size doesn’t make you beautiful in His eyes. That’s why the good Lord’s created Spanks and Body Shapers. Having the most perfect skin tone, eyeliner, and hair mean nothing to God. He really does look at the heart. When He decided to bless you He is not looking at what you wear or the outward appearance of worship He looks at the heart. It is your heart that makes you trust worthy enough to having the blessing released to you. And no saying, “Well God knows my heart”. Is not an excuse to keep sinning. God knows if your heart is for Him or not. He knows when your heart has turned from Him. Others may not but He does. One thing I love to do now is look through the fashion magazines. I love looking at the latest fashion trends. Most of which I wouldn’t wear by the way. My favorite fashion era is the 50’s. I love the pencils skirts and pearls. I love the idea of pretty skirts that actually went beneath the knee. Something in my opinion we need to revisit. I feel like saying to some of those celebrities. Put some clothes on. God created clothes for a reason. If He wanted you to walk around naked He would have made it so that Adam and Eve not clothe themselves after they sinned. Everything is not for everyone to see. Some things are meant to be between you and your husband not the world. For those Saved, Sanctified, Single young ladies such as myself something’s just needs to be kept between you and Jesus. As I look through the magazine I see celebrities that are outwardly beautiful. When they walk the red carpet you hear screams ohh and ahhhs. I am not knocking folks but some of the people who are the most beautiful on the outside are the most insecure and unhappy people on the inside. Some of the most outwardly beautiful people do some of the ugliest things. I was flipping through the channels one day. I happen upon this reality television show. There were women on there who were so beautiful. One in particular was just jaw dropping gorgeous. But as she opened her mouth some of the ugliest, nastiest words came out. I quickly flipped the channel to another station. Part of being a Christ like beauty is knowing what to feed and not feed your spirit. I remember thinking man she is too beautiful to act so ugly. The point is True Beauty comes from the inside out, not the outside in. I may never be beautiful to some. I will keep evolving and changing into the person God has me be. I may never experience certain things. You may look at me and never give me a second glance. But my beauty comes from within. God saw me as beautiful when no one else did. He has turned my ashes into beauty. So I say to you what God said to me, the next time you down yourself for not being the right size, or not wearing the clothes. For whatever reason. If others around you think you are ugly. Tell yourself man may judge me or forget about me because I may not look anointed to them. But God looks at my heart. He sees me as beautiful just as I am. Remember you are beautiful. God is using the transformation process to perfect your character, give you discipline and perfect your motives but you are His already and He sees you as beautiful right where you are. I am a true beauty because my real beauty comes from within. Remember: Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NKJV) 11. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He put eternity in their heart, except no one can find out the work that God does from the beginning to end. He had you hidden for a reason but your day of unveiling has come. Samaria M. Colbert © 2011  This will not be a long article just me wanting to write something. In my last post entitled True Beauty I wrote how after a day of shopping and feeling good I hear God speak. He said to me, “Man may look at the outward appearance but I look at the heart”.
It just made me think how grateful I am that God doesn’t forget. He is so wonderful. He is so love. He will sing over you when no one else will. He will tell you you’re beautiful when the world forgets that you exist. Trust me I know. So without being corny lets us do an exercise together. Think about where you were, what God has delivered you from and where He is taking. Then take out a piece of paper and write out all the things you are grateful for. I am going to write mine out and share with the reader but you write it to yourself. The rule of a great writer is to write as if no one is listening it will be more authentic. Try to write without distractions, get to a quiet place. Remember we are just doing a simple exercise don’t worry about dictation or grammar. This is not a dissertation. Get in the frame of worship, if you have to throw on a good worship CD. Write now as I write I am listening to Tarralyn Ramsey's first album, I am listening to the same song over and over again. Peace of God, Count it all joy and Come In. You'll be surprised how this simple exercise will help you feel so awesome and put you in a worship frame of mind. Okay here is mine, you do your own. Remember you don’t have to share it with anyone it’s just between you and God. Just keep writing till you can’t write anymore. Things I am grateful for: I am grateful that… - I am not forgotten by God. -I am not what I use to be. -I have a hope. -I can hear Your voice. -When I thought I would lose my mind Your spirit kept me sane. -For delivering me from fear. -For making me feel beautiful. -That I am no longer addicted to food. -That Your love surrounds me. -You see me as who I am. -Your transforming me. -Thanks for the vision and dreams You gave me. -For placing Your words in my mouth. -That I don’t have to try and please man. -For getting me out of a desperate situation. -For bringing me to NC when I didn’t think I could make it on my own. -For paying my bills when I couldn’t. -For protecting me and making me feel safe when I felt so afraid. -For dying on the cross. -When everyone else walked away You were right there. -For being my everything. -For being my best friend that sticks closer than a brother. -For helping me get through life and high school. -For hovering over me as I sleep, just to let me know that I am okay and that You were right there. -For seeing in me what I didn’t see in myself. -For Your kindness. -For never giving up on me when I gave up on me. -For awakening me to Your purpose. -For giving me a purpose. -When I wanted to give up and commit suicide You wouldn’t let me. -For telling me I am going to make it, and making sure I did. -That the devil didn’t take me out. -That Your love is uncomprehend able. -For letting me vent. -For giving me a real prophetic word right from Your own mouth. Uhh umm especially with all the propheliers, and manipulators who only want what’s it your purse. I thank God for saying, yes to me and no to me, that not’s me that is me or yeah but I still have to process you first. -Thank God for just being honest and saying. Yes but not now. -For giving me a song from way deep down within. -For loving me unconditionally. -For seeing me as beautiful before I lost over 100 pounds. -That I don’t have to be a perfect size or shape. -For calling me a winner before I won. -For making me healthy. -For deliverance. -For process. It has been soooooo hard but it is better to be anointed to the position then appointed to the position. -For never allowing me to give up. -For helping me to get through all the crazy college years, professors, all night papers. I honestly never even imaged that I would have a degree let alone close to a PhD but You are faithful. -For love. Love, Love. -For breaking me. -For lifting me up. -For not leaving me as I was. -That I am healed without the scares. -For true intimacy with You. -For allowing me to evolve into the person You want me to be. -For changing my thoughts. -For changing my perception. -For listening. -For loving. -For transformation. -For Your word. -For telling me the truth. -For moving on my behave. -For that time when I ran out of money for school and You gave me what I needed. I know if You did it once You’ll do it again. -For being my best friend, husband, confident, father all at the same time. -For protecting me. -For healing my broken heart. -For healing my wounded soul. -For when the devil told me what he thought I would become, You said no. -For not allowing the enemy to conquer me. -For love, your overwhelming, uncomprehend able love. -That I don’t have to prostitute Your anointing. -That when you do open doors man cannot shut them. -For giving me another vision, when I thought it would never be. You just wouldn’t let me give up. You just kept speaking over and over again. -For allowing me to be peculiar. It was hard growing up different, but now I see the tremendous blessing in being different. Boy and I glad now, but I wasn’t glad then. -Thank you that I never fit in to the clicks or the crowds. Now I never intend to. -For giving me peace in my home. -For giving me a secret place. -For your alone place. -For gifts. -For compassion. -For conviction. -For wisdom, God's wisdom that kept me from foolishness and confusion. It was Your wisdom that directs. -For the ability to be silent. -For the ability to rest. -For changing my habits. -For changing my mourning into sunshine. -For what Your going to do. -That my best years are ahead of me. -For restoring everything I lost. -For the first time You ever spoke. I didn’t believe it but now I see. -For being the best counselor ever. -For revelations. -For my tomorrow. -That fear is gone. -For protection. Whooo what a mouth full I didn’t think I’d write that much. I am going to keep going but I will post this. I am going to finish writing my grateful list and get much more personal in my journal. It definately helps to stay positive when you think of where God brought you from. Be Blessed. Samaria Samaria Colbert © 2011  Weapons of Warfare
By: Samaria M. Colbert This article comes at a time when the fight has been the fight of my life I kid you not. I will be transparent and not super saved to say that I have been going through. If it was not one thing it has been another. When I get through one battle there is another one. I will be honest and say although writing is my passion I haven’t written in a while. I just didn’t have the heart or strength to write some encouraging positive article when in my heart I have been screaming on the inside. So I feel qualified to write an article about warfare. Trust me I know what I am talking about. The thing about trials is they cause you to pray, pray and pray like never before. Trials cause you to get on your knees in desperation. And believe it or not trials actually help to perfect your motives and teach you what really matters. Trials keep you fasting and reading the bible. I should have a PhD in Biblical Studies after all of this. (LOL) In fact I may even consider getting a PhD in Biblical Studies but that is another matter to be discussed at a different time. Through all of my trials, I have gained strength, become more confident and most importantly I am becoming a fighter. Not a physical fighter but a spiritual fighter. I will not lose. The fight is fixed. Whatever happens today I have already won the war. However I don’t want to appear super saved as to not be human. Through it all I have also been discouraged. I have cried. I have lamented saying to myself, “God where are you in all of this?” I have. This article is not written at a time when I am not going through or to talk about a trial that is past tense, I am in the mist of one right now. Even though it is painful I have not given up hope and I am growing stronger every day. I have learned so much along the way. I have come out with a profound understanding of how God uses the trials that we go through for His good. So here is my story on what I learned and am learning in the midst of a trial. First things first. Understand that there are two types of trials that one goes through. There are trials because of disobedience or sin. Somehow you walked out of the will of God for your life. The other trial that you go through is because you are anointed. Yes, that’s right because you are anointed. The good news is that scripture says all things work together for your good, but why would you want to add an extra trial or tribulation that you don’t have to go through? Trials of your faith are hard enough. You may say how can one go through a trial because they are anointed? Matthew 5:10-12 New King James Version (NKJV) 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Romans 8:28 New King James Version (NKJV) 28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. Pain is a part of the perfecting process. If you are familiar with any of my writings you know that you don’t get to be great in God until you go through. So yes although you have a prophetic promise if you want to get to it you must go through. Simple as that. I write about the weapons for warfare because even though the devil may appear to have the upper hand in your life when you are going through he does not. God is only allowing this test to bring you to His promise. The last stage of a woman getting ready to give birth is pain. Excruciating, unbearable pain. One scripture God has led me to is this: Isaiah 66:9 (NKJV) 9 Shall I bring to the time of birth, and not cause delivery?” says the LORD. “ Shall I who cause delivery shut up the womb?” says your God. In the midst of a trial the devil will whisper in your ear. He will tell you maybe God didn’t really say that. He will cause you to go back to fear and doubt. The doubt is that maybe God is not who He says He is. The fear is that maybe what He promised you won’t come to past. The devil is still a liar. Isaiah 66: 9 is clear. Looking back over your life and all that God has done for you, why would you get to this place and it not manifest? God will not cause delivery of your baby to shut up in the womb. It is the time of birth and He will not cause delivery to not happen. But what about weapons and warfare? How are they related to trials? Let us take a look at this: 2 Corinthians 10:3-6 New King James Version (NKJV) 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled. You see the devil thinks he is causing your demise because he has been given access to give you trouble, but God is only using your enemy to birth you out into your prophetic promise. Your promise will wreak havoc on the enemy and destroy his kingdom. 2 Corinthians 4:7-15 (NKJV) 7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. 8 We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed-- 10 always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. 11 For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So then death is working in us, but life in you. 13 And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke,”[a]we also believe and therefore speak 14 knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you. 15 For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God. Remember it is only a test: Before we talk about weapons of warfare let’s talk about the purpose of our trials. -As stated trials are only there to make you strong. -Most importantly trials come so that we can die to ourselves and the glory can begin to manifest. John 12:24-2525 New King James Version (NKJV) 24 Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. 25 He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor In order for the Glory of God to manifest a death has to happen. Romans 8:18-19 (NKJV) 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. So before God can raise you up, you got to do die. Harsh words but true. It is in the death of a thing that our hearts are tested, we find out who we really are, motives are perfected and ministry is truly developed. But what about warfare? It is simple if while going through you don’t use your weapon you will never get through. Trials are meant to reveal to you who you really are and the power you really possess. Remember there are those who God wants to reveal His glory to and there are those who God wants to reveal His glory through. It is when you mature in God that you are no longer content to sit on the sidelines and be observers of the glory. It is then that you are being put in position to have the glory come through you. Remember God can’t release His kingdom to babes or those who have not fully matured into the things of God. You must be a son, meaning full mature kingdom citizen to be given a position of power within His kingdom. Galatians 4:1-2 (NKJV) 1 Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all, 2 but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father. 7. Therefor you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. Remember what God has for you it is for you. Don’t allow the devil to steal your destiny. He has only been given access for a time of testing he still has no control unless you give it to him. Read: Job 1:6-12 A word of wisdom that struck me like a ton of bricks the other day. My pastor said this, “If you can pray it away it was the devil. If you can’t pray it away it is God.” Remember it is only a test the devil does not had the upper hand. He is liar but he is not that smart. He rejoiced like he had done something when Jesus died on the cross. He thought he got the final victory. But he was wrong; God only used the cross to bring about the victory for all mankind. So it is with this trial. God is only using it to bring about the resurrection of your destiny but remember if you don’t bear the cross you will never get the crown. The cross is the death of you, your resurrection is the life of Christ in you ready to be used for His glory not your own. Principle of spiritual warfare: -God is equipping His people to advance His kingdom. We are being prepared to advance His kingdom. We advance His kingdom my confronting the enemy and rulers of this world that sit in high places. We cannot be equipped to advance His kingdom being weak and wearied saints. You can’t conquer a demon that you don’t confront. For to long Christians have been content to sit and give sinners what God has died and given to us. He gave us the world not sinners. We are not meant to sit look pretty stay in our nice homes, and go to church. The world doesn’t mind Christians as long as they stay in their place and don’t stir any controversy. Look at the world today and everything that is going on. Yet in church most Christians assume that God’s kingdom is about how He is going to bless them. The mind of God is that He created us to set the captives free, to advance His kingdom. To pursue Him and to bring reconciliation of the nations back to the cross. Why do we shout about what God is getting ready to do for us? Instead we should be shouting about what God is ready to do through us. That’s why the bible says seek ye first the kingdom and His righteousness. God doesn’t want us to seek what’s in His hand. We are to seek what is in His heart. When you have His heart you have what’s in His hand. Remember the kingdom suffers violence but the violent take it by force. If you are apart of the kingdom you will suffer violence. That’s why God won’t allow us to be comfortable and content where we are. He will allow that thorn in your side till you say, “okay God I realized what I really want is you”. Nothing will satisfy you completely but God Himself. Not a job, not a degree, not a nice house. God is not concerned about how comfortable you are. He is concerned about positioning you for His advancement. If God allows us to be comfortable where we are we will never seek after something greater. There are people in life who want nothing at all. They are content to be average and ordinary. There are people who wonder around aimlessly without ever fulfilling their purpose but if your like me there is something down on the inside that won’t allow you to sit and be content with nothing. That how you know that you’re really in position for greatest within the kingdom. When your main concern is advancing His kingdom. You more concerned about others than yourself. When you shout and pray you’re not shouting over a house or something material but your heart is for God and His people. When you truly have His heart you are a true kingdom ambassador. Don’t take it lightly because there are many people who are shouting the shame shout you are shouting but their reasons are completely different. They are shouting over the blessing instead of the Blesser. So even though we may look the same we are not. One is a kingdom citizen the other is not. -Spiritual warfare prepares us to be fighters not pacifiers. Not sissies, not weak, frail or ineffective. Learning how to do battle behind closed doors in your own life prepares you to advance His kingdom and fight on behave of others. -Spiritual warfare releases you to the supernatural boldness that God needs for you to speak His words. When you are fighting the battle, you have to learn to speak. You fight by using your mouth. You begin to declare a thing and it shall be. Your mouth is your weapon and what you say can make things come to past. When you’re in the mist of spiritual warfare you get tired of being sick and tired. You get tired of the devil backing you into a corner and holding you hostage. So get Godly angry and say, “I have had enough.” Then instead the devil having you on the run the shift happens and now you have him on the run. Instead of you being afraid of him he is now afraid of you. Spiritual warfare releases tenacity in you. Spiritual warfare teaches you how the demonic kingdom works. How can you confront an enemy unless you know how he operates? It is in the spirit that we wage war not in our flesh. Again how can you confront a demon on behave of someone else when you have never confronted demon in your own life. So many people want the ministry. What they really want is the accolades and the position. Real preparation for real ministry happens in dessert places. -Spiritual warfare releases the anointing. God does not anoint us for nothing. He doesn’t anoint us to say we are anointed. The anointing is for a purpose. Not our purpose His purpose. -Spiritual warfare teaches you discernment. The devil knows how to imitate God. He knows how to preach, prophesy, and lay on of hands just like God. People are so easily deceived these days. We think that because someone is preaching and working miracles then they must be of God. 2 Corinthians 11:13,14 (NKJV) 13. For such are false apostles, deceitful workers transforming themselves into Apostles of Christ. 14. And no wonder! Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. If you’re going to survive you have got to have discernment and not be deceived by what you hear and see. Spiritual warfare matures you. Babies don’t participate in battles. Babies stay home while the war is being raged. Matures Christians fight. You can’t stay a baby your whole life. So yes waging war is for your benefit. It is for the benefit of the body of Christ because waging war is for the advancement of the body of Christ as a whole. Spiritual warfare teaches you not to fear. The Lord spoke to me a couple of weeks ago and said, “fear is the root of all evil”. Not money fear. Every strategy of the devil first and always is rooted in fear. If the devil can get you to fear he will gain victory. Fear causes you to run and hide. But when you are backed into a corner you will have no choice but to stand up and fight. I use to wonder why the devil would mess with me. I am just a quiet girl from a small town. I was just about afraid of everything including my own shadow. My main objective in life was to be left alone. I have my grandfather’s spirit. I just wanted to stay in a room by myself and read my books. The blessing and problem was that from a young age I have had this deep and unfathomable love for God. Loving God wholeheartedly causes you to dream. It causes you to long and want something beyond your small world and what others have planned for you. So by the leading of the Holy Spirit I sought God for His destiny for my life. The truth is the devil doesn’t care a thing about us. It is not about us. He wages war against us to cause us to run away and fear. He wants us to have a spiritual abortion. That’s why he wages war against us even when we are in our infancy. The devil knows who we are far before we ever know. He doesn’t want us to come into our identity. The devil does not fight fair. He is a coward. He will fight you even when he is at an unfair advantage. He will send out a giant when you are just a little no name David. But the truth is God is in control. He knows that He does not send you off in your own strength; He’ll send you forth in His. The war is not against you it is against God. The devil wants to destroy you to get to God. He hates you because you belong to God. He hates you because as weak and insufficient as you may feel you are stronger than the devil on his best day. That’s why he doesn’t want you to come into the knowledge of who you are. Spiritual warfare causes you to understand the God you serve and the power you already possess. What good is it to have power and not know you have power and worse more not use that power? The power that God has placed in us can literally change nations. Having power and using that power are two completely different things within themselves. God wants us to know that we have power, then He wants us to know how to use that power. Spiritual warfare releases the strategy of the enemy. Again why would God give you a strategy if you’re not going to fight the war? That is something to think about. You have to use the strategy that God gave you. He gives you the strategy, and then He allows the circumstances of life to use it. Every test you go through is only preparation for ministry. Spiritual warfare perfects the promise. It puts you in position to possess the land but like unto the days of Israel there are giants in the land. It is still up to you to confront the giant before you possess the land. What we have to ask is will we be like some of the people of Israel and say, “we are like ants in their eyes” or will we be like Joshua who said , “we are well able”. You must understand the strategic motive and assignment of the devil to be able to rightfully discern and defeat the spirit of Jezebel. Now that is a mouthful. I don’t have time to even begin to explain the spirit of Jezebel. God had me studying that spirit and trust me I can’t begin to explain in this article but I definitely encourage you to begin your own study. Just understand that the spirit of Jezebel destroys lives, families, churches etc. That spirit runs rapid not only throughout the church but throughout the world. We must understand how that spirit works and how it operates. Again we must understand the strategic, plots, plans and motives of the devil in order to defeat him and his demonic kingdom. Studying about spiritual warfare in books is not enough. Again God allows us to wage war in private to prepare us to wage the war on behave of others in public. Again if your not going to win the war behind closed doors you’re not going to win in public. So how to we fight and win the war? Ephesians 6:11-18 (NKJV) 11. Put on the whole armor of God that you maybe able to stand against the wiles of the enemy. 12. For we do not wrestles against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual host of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13. Therefore take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness. 15. and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16. above all taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench al the darts of the wicked one. 17. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God. 18. Pray always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit, begin watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints. This scripture tells us what to do: The first thing is put on your battle garments so you can fight. Who goes to war with no armor? The first part of this scripture admonishes us that if we are going to fight we must have our armor on to be able to even stand against the enemy. Verse 12 gives us a description of the enemy’s kingdom. One it is not flesh and blood. So whatever you are going through it is not about the person. If someone is attacking you, treating you unkind, calamity is happening all around you it is about the devils kingdom. Then we know that the demonic kingdom is not in a low place but in high places, meaning places of authority. Where do principalities, powers, rulers dwell? In high places. The scripture above makes it very clear that they dwell in heavenly places. Heavenly places are not below you they are above you. I once heard someone say you have to look down to do spiritual warfare. This is not true, the demonic kingdom exist in high places. So if someone in a high position is attacking you they are only doing so from their demonic position which is in high places. So all these attributes we must put on. Putting on something is not something that happens accidently or automatically. You have to make a conscience decision to put on something. Like when you wake up in the morning you make a conscience decision of what to wear. No one just puts together any old thing just because. At least I hope you don’t. It is the same thing we must get up and make a conscience effort to be ready for battle. We must put our armor on every morning. Other armor to put on is the garment of praise. Keep praising regardless of how you feel. Be careful who you seek consolation from. Remember everyone who appears to be your friend is not. Some people will only discourage you. They will say things like well, “maybe you should turn around and go back” etc. Everyone doesn’t share your dream. I am not saying don’t seek out people I am saying make God your source. Trust me when I tell you God will get you to the place where the only person you can call on is Him. You not going to be able to call mom or dad, no prophet will get you out of this one. In spiritual warfare God is not only perfecting your praise he is making sure your total reliance is on Him. You will get to the place where you’re stuck. You can’t go back to what you know but you can’t move forward because God won’t allow it. In spiritual warfare you learn how to walk in the spirit for yourself. You stop depending on someone else to lay hands on you and pray over you, you begin doing it yourself. Spiritual warfare causes you to be confrontational. Now when I say confrontational I am not saying you begin popping off at the mouth and having an attitude problem. I am saying spiritual warfare causes you to confront the devil head on. You are no longer the nice little sweet Christian who is content to live and die in the safe by and by. Spiritual warfare awakens you from the dead. It stirs up the gifts that lay dormant on the inside of you. I could go on but I think that is enough on spiritual warfare for now. I want to conclude by saying while in the mist of spiritual warfare you can feel alone, depressed, and insufficient. Let’s be honest, in the mist of spiritual warfare sometimes you feel weak. I know as Christians we are not supposed to say that. We only want to believe that we will never cry, we will never feel defeated, we will never feel weak but the truth is that we do. We are human and of Christ at the same time. The key is don’t let how you feel cause you to give up. Remember after you have done all you can do, you just have to stand. Don’t give up, just stand. Finally remember: While fasting and studying scripture God gave me these words: 2 Corinthians 13:4-6 New King James Version (NKJV) 4 For though He was crucified in weakness, yet He lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, but we shall live with Him by the power of God toward you. 5 Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified. 6 But I trust that you will know that we are not disqualified. It is saying when you weak then you are made strong. Even Jesus had to be crucified in weakness to be raised in power and so do you. This trial is crucifying your flesh but it is meant to raise you in power and boldness. Yes it is true you may not be enough in and of yourself but in God you are more than enough. 2 Corinthians 13:7 New King James Version (NKJV) 7 Now I[a] pray to God that you do no evil, not that we should appear approved, but that you should do what is honorable, though we may seem disqualified. It is basically saying regardless of what it looks like you have not been disqualified. Though you may seem disqualified, don’t retaliate with evil you have not been disqualified. In the midst of your trial the devil will try and tell you that you have been disqualified but you have not. You are God and He is yours. Never give up. I conclude by saying I don’t know what tomorrow is going to bring. I wish I could say that this trial was over and now God is ready to bless I honestly don’t know. He still gives me dreams and visions but honestly you get to the point where dreams and visions are not enough. What good is a vision with no manifestation? I do know the word of God is true. God does not lie. It will come to pass. This is only a test; I believe I am passing with flying colors regardless of how I feel. So will you. Don’t give up. Philippians 1:6 New King James Version (NKJV) 6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; Finally one thing I keep telling myself is, “God loves me and I am safe in His arms” over and over again. Try it. Love always Samaria M. Colbert  How do you know when your supposed to be more in a creative environment versus a corporate one?
1. Your get bored in a office and cubicle. 2. Your mind is constantly coming up with innovative thoughts and ideas. 3. You could care less about office politics because it's not that serious to you anyway. 4. You don't pray Lord give me favor on my job rather you pray Lord please loose me and let me go. 5. Even though your grown you keep dreaming about what you'll be when you grow up. 6. Color makes you happy. 7. You keep thinking this can't be my life. 8. Routine and status quo don't appeal to you. 9. Your not satisfied where you are. 10. You feel like running away never to return. 11. Something down on the inside is telling you to take a risk and your willing to jump. 12. People content with there status quo look at you like your crazy. Overall your just not satisfied and you keep saying within yourself there has got to be more to life than this. Samaria M Colbert I could go on. I know creativity is who I am. A creative world is where I belong. Copyright 2012 How do you know when your supposed to be more in a creative environment versus a corporate one?
1. Your get bored in a office and cubicle. 2. Your mind is constantly coming up with innovative thoughts and ideas. 3. You could care less about office politics because it's not that serious to you anyway. 4. You don't pray Lord give me favor on my job rather you pray Lord please loose me and let me go. 5. Even though your grown you keep dreaming about what you'll be when you grow up. 6. Color makes you happy. 7. You keep thinking this can't be my life. 8. Routine and status quo don't appeal to you. 9. Your not satisfied where you are. 10. You feel like running away never to return. 11. Something down on the inside is telling you to take a risk and your willing to jump. 12. People content with there status quo look at you like your crazy. Overall your just not satisfied and you keep saying within yourself there has got to be more to life than this. Samaria M Colbert I could go on. I know creativity is who I am. A creative world is where I belong. Copyright 2012  
God has allowed me to pass through a season of being uncomfortable. I believe God uses our seasons of being uncomfortable to propel us and to transition us into our true purpose and callings. Think about it if you were in a place where you were comfortable and complacent you wouldn’t focus on the greater that God has for you. Well I confess I have been going through a major season of being discontent with life around me. We are told as children to go to school, do the right thing and get a job with good health benefits as so on. And most of us did that. Then what? I confess I did what the nice Christian girl is supposed to do. I live a holy life upright before God. I went to school like my parents told me to do, got the degrees. Got the job, the apartment and the car just like they said. I keep trying and working on my goal of losing more weight yet I found myself not being satisfied with the status quo. I found myself being very discontent with life. I thought that if I did everything the way I was supposed to do it then I would be happy, life would be good and I would ride off into the sunset. Well life has a different story for me to tell. The truth of the matter is that even with my jobs, degrees and career pursuits I find myself being bored and discontent. I was not even using half of the gifts, talents and abilities that God has given me on a job. If I be honest I wasn’t even able to use the skills I obtained in school let alone my gifts and anointing. I found myself saying yeah, I have what I was told I should have but there has to be more to life than this. As God has been connecting me with people I hear a resounding pattern in all of our stories. All of us were either stressed out, hated our jobs or not using our talents, gifts and abilities that God has given us. I have to come find out that as Pastor Jamal Bryant said in his message, “jobs are only holding patterns that keep you away from your purpose and destiny.” Now don’t get me wrong we have bills, rent, mortage and other debt that needs to be paid. I have come to learn that there is more to life than to live, work and then die. I love my parent’s and fore fathers before me but I believe God wants His people to live up to their full potential and really operate in the gifts calling and abilities that God has given them. So through some unfortunate events God showed me that He would give me an opportunity to fully work on my dreams. Or should I say the dreams He has for me. As I began to not be content in my career God began to reignite the passion I have always had for writing. It never dawned on me that if you constantly write, if you are obsessed with one thing, if you are happy when you do it then you should pursue it. Sounds crazy but when I was in school like many of my colleagues and friends I didn’t pursue the gifts and talents God had for me because I wanted to graduate from college to get a job and live the life I was told would make me happy. Although I am a huge advocate of education. I fully believe that you should go to school and get educated. The bible says people perish for lack of knowledge not lack of the prophetic, not lack of sign and wonders for lack of knowledge. I however believe that your motives for getting educated should not be to get a job or to even live better for that matter. I believe that you should pursue greatness so you can better develop your gifts, talents and abilities. When I was in undergrad before I declared a major I briefly thought I’d purse a degree in journalism. I thought I love to write I have been reading and writing before most kids could write their name why not. Then I thought no I can’t pursue journalism I need to graduate and get a job. It so crazy because when I had a job I spent most of the time either working on my gift or day dreaming about how I can develop my gift. All the while being miserable at my job and career pursuits. I know I have always walked in wisdom since I was a young child but this is one area where I confess I didn’t use wisdom in. I let others tell me how I should live my life and what was expected of me therefore I pursued a job and not work. Yes that’s right a job and not work. In quoting Pastor Jamal Bryant in his teaching series, You Don’t Need A Job. He so eloquently explains that work is what the bible tells us to do. The bible never said get a job. He explains that a job is the world’s system where we are kept from pursuing our real purpose and destiny. I believe there like holding patterns used to contain you for about 30 years then you retire and begin to live. Work is when you are using you gifts, talents and abilities for God’s kingdom. I have finally come to the realization after going through major struggles that I am a ready made writer as the bible declares it. I never thought or even considered that I should truly consider a real career as a writer until I was uncomfortable in my job but I was very comfortable at work as a writer. I have been writing since I was a kid. I love it. I obsess over it. While I am writing this right now there is a stack of magazines on my right ready for me to read. Not because I want to read them necessarily but because I want to read what’s written so I can become a better writer. Then at the top of my desk there are six of the seven books I have written. I have all kinds of writing projects that I am working on. Including reading three books I have just picked up from the library. One of those books is a book about grammar and how to write. Although I know I am a gifted writer I still have to work on my craft I am not the best writer. I am the best writer I know, but never the less I am not the best at least not yet anyway. When I dream I dream of writing. When I wake I write. Writing is my magnificent obsession. The point of this article is not for me to talk about my obsession with writing. Rather it is to encourage everyone to pursue your gifts. Pastor Andy of the World Overcomes Church in Durham NC once asked his congregation, “What would you do if money was not an issue?” What would you really do with your life? What goals would you really pursue? I would’ve pursued a job I would have pursued perfecting my gift. The great thing is that God said He would redeem the time. He also makes all things new. Remember our Daddy in heaven is limitless plus He is rich. He is not making decisions based upon man’s limitations and neither should we. He has great plans for you. Although I should have pursued writing I have been given a new chance. I am a gifted writer. What are you? Seriously. What are you in the spirit? What dreams do you have the no one knows about? When you don’t pursue it, it’s like life is drab and boring. You are constantly left feeling depressed, numb and empty. However when your gifts awakens in you there is not a better feeling. It’s like you can breath again. You are at your true self. So yes although I don’t have a job right now I have more work to do than ever. I keep saying, “Okay Lord how am I going to get all this done.” The awesome thing is that it doesn’t even feel like work. Life is so much sweeter when your gift is activated. Pursue greatness ordinary just won’t do. Beside you know your called to the Kingdom when your not satisfied with the status quo. This is the season that God is releasing you from where you are to come into the creative indignation that He has placed on the inside of you so you can manifest His Kingdom. Pursue to perfect your gift and don’t worry about the rest. Remember what scriptures says: Proverbs 18:16 (NKJV) 16 A man’s gift makes room for him, And brings him before great men. In Jesus name pursue, pursue, pursue! The Lord will use your gift to open doors for you. Doors will open when you operate in your gift and only when you use your gift. Your gift is the key that will unlock the door. The time to is now to pursue. The great wealth transfer is about to take place but it will only happen through your gift. It will happen only for those who when God’s opens the door are ready and have everything in order. Amen Samaria M. Colbert © 2012  Proverbs 13:22 (KJV) 22 A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just. Proverbs 10:22 (NKJV) 22 The blessing of the LORD makes one rich, We are hearing in Christendom that God wants to make His people rich. Long gone are the days when Christians are supposed to have the poppers mentality. It is God’s will that His people be prosperous and wealthy. I stated earlier in one of my blogs how the same Holy Spirit that lives on the inside of us is the same Holy Spirit that was there in the beginning. Holy Spirit is the divine creator with the ability to turn nothing into something. We have that same ability because Holy Spirit dwells on the inside of us. Yet and still as Christians we are in the mist of struggle. Now the world is experiencing calamity at all time high. Contrary to what we have been told the economy is not getting better. In fact I believe it is only going to get worse. Everything that can be shaking is being shaking. There are seven mountains of God; Arts and Entertainment, Business, Education, Family, Government, Media and Religion. These are dominion, spheres of influence and aspects of the kingdom that govern the earth that God has given His people authority to execute and rule. These mountains have always belonged to God. However the church has retreated and relinquished control of what rightfully belonged to God over to the world. The world has then taken what belonged to God and mishandled, mismanaged and perverted what rightfully belonged to Him. What do you expect when His people hand over His stuff to a corrupt world that is not interested in His kingdom or His will? It is no mistake that the arena in which the corruption is taking place and falling apart happens to be the same mountains that rightfully belong to our God. So how does that relate to the great wealth transfer? Let us study on. In short one of the reasons why the earth is experiencing such a shaking is because God is getting ready to transfer what is rightfully ours back into our hands. He is not giving us something new He is giving us what rightfully belongs to us. God wants the earth to be governed and controlled by His people. It is no mistake that there are mask calamities, hurricanes and other natural disasters that continue to happen. It is no mistake that the economy is crashing, the real estate market has crashed, the housing market has gone bust, and wall street market crashed. The arts and entertainment movement is going down hill believe it or not. People no longer want to see sexually explicit and high violent movies any more. There is too much of that in real life people are not willing to pay hard earned money for that anymore. There is a trend where people want to see more family oriented, morality driven movies. Every mountain that belongs to God, that was in the hands of sinners has either crashed and burned or is on it’s way. This is not by incident or happenstance. I had a dream twice in a row years ago before the economy and the housing market was in trouble where I was sitting at my home church in Maryland. I see the Bishop get up and say, “the economy is going to crash”. Then I remember in my dream saying, “oh yeah pastor … said the same thing”. I had dreams before the housing market crashed. I remember just being able to get a house for nothing because the housing market had went bust. The banks had gone bankrupt. I had dreams where I saw nothing but empty buildings because businesses had went bankrupt. Now there is nothing to get worried or fearfully about. You must understand the pattern of God. God uses calamity to shake the earth. God always blessed His people in the time of famine. The shaking that is going on in the earth really is for your sake. If you are a Kingdom minded Christian whom God can trust. Just because you go to church and pay your tithes does not mean your Kingdom minded. Hebrews 12:27 (KJV) 27 And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. I believe our Father has had enough and He is getting ready to transfer the wealth because He wants His people to govern His earth that He gave us from the beginning of time. Again this is why the shaking has taken place. The question is not if it will happen rather the question remains will you be ready when it comes? It may sound like a dream but there were six wealth transfers that happened in the bible. The next wealth transfer coming will be the seventh. It is no mistake that there are seven mountains of God and six wealth transfer have already occurred. The first wealth transfer happened with Abraham. Genesis 12:10-20, Genesis 13:2, Isaac Genesis 26, 30. Jacob Genesis 31. Joseph Genesis 41. Israel Exodus 12 and the last one happened with Solomon 1 Kings 10:23. If God did it before He can and will do it again. So how will the wealth transfer happen? It will happen through the seven mountains of God. The question that you must ask yourself is which mountain do you fall into? I believe God is setting up His people to manifest His kingdom. The wealth transfer will not happen by happenstance. Money will not fall out of the sky. You must be prepared for when the door opens and God releases it. There now is a big push in the area of creativity, arts and entertainment. I believe there is also coming a significant shift into the hands of the believers in the area of real estate and land. You’re going to be able to obtain homes you didn’t build. I had a vision some years ago of empty buildings. I believe these buildings were empty for the sake of the Kingdom. However God is not going to fill empty buildings with empty people who have empty mind sets. This is the time to begin to write your visions down begin to work on your gift. For example my gift in the area of creativity is writing. Writing is my passion it’s what I am good at. When God releases the wealth transfer He will do it for me in the area of the writing I have done. My responsibility is to prepare and be ready. I have written seven books and am working on my eighth at the time this blog is being written. Now that is not set in stone for all believers. How God will transfer the wealth to one is not the same way He will transfer it to another. You may not be a writer maybe you’re a businessman or have always had an interest in the arts. Whatever your gifts are that is how the wealth will transfer to you. If you are not prepared when the door opens you won’t possess the land. Kingdom domination is not for those who have not been found faithful. The other thing to remember is if God cannot trust you He won’t release anything to you. If you are not sure in your relationship with God and not living a sanctified life before Him He will not release it to you. Remember increase absent from character, integrity and truth is dangerous. If you live an unholy life in an apartment why in the world would God bless you with a house? What you have not conquered will only conquer you in the long run. So this is a season of preparation. I encourage you to write down your visions and dreams from God. God will release Kingdom ideas and creativity in your spirit. Don’t try to make it happen it will manifest in due time but have a clear and precise plan for when God releases it. It will happen. God will give divine strategies and instructions. I speak now the creative nature of the Holy Spirit to begin to manifest and illuminate your very being now. In Jesus name. Samaria Colbert © 2012 |
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