2020 has been such a “off the charts” year of unpredictability, episodes and just about anything you thought couldn’t happen – you might possibly think it could happen in 2020! Whoa! Didn’t see that comin!

Unveiling of the Hearts

There as been such an unveiling of hearts both from an individual and national angle. On a personal level it has been challenging for many. You can see this in both “the world” and in “the church”. To be quite honest, sometimes it can be hard to tell the difference. So many things have come to the surface. Just as when a natural tests can reveal things that are present – so we can also see how God has used the scenarios of 2020 to make clear the hearts of political leaders, parties and where people are more and more coming out of the closet with their prospective angles on things. Not only that, but we see a lot of superficiality in the Church more clearly as well. There is a sifting happening in the Church. Some in the church would like to view as an opportunity to put in their prophetic perspectives for profit. Although, most who claim to be prophets “never saw many of the things coming this year” it is still can be a great opportunity to “prophesy into” what they can already see now.

Then, to say it quite plainly, if you are a “Trump” fan – we can keep waiving the Trump flag with our prophetic political perspectives. What this ends up being is a mix of a political spirit mixed in with something painted spiritual and really being superficial.

I do understand. There are more conservative “values” I would agree with on the “political right” than on the left. Where the sin enters in is when we lose the perspective of Jesus forgetting that He is NOT for either political party – He is the LORD OF HOSTS!

And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, “Are You for us or for our adversaries?” So He said, “No, but as Commander of the army of the LORD I have now come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, “What does my Lord say to His servant?” Then the Commander of the LORD’s army said to Joshua, “Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy.” And Joshua did so.

Joshua 5:13

Are you kidding me? The God Who created all things, set the stars in motion, formed us, where the earth is as small as a spec in God’s eyes and as we are created from dirt? He is not concerned about political parties and is not breaking a sweat over any elections. If you think He is you might want to submit a heart check to the Lord. Jesus told us that perilous times would come. Isaiah prophesied “accurately” that darkness would cover the earth and deep darkness the people. The great thing is that it provides the opportunity to “Arise and Shine!”

Going Back to 2015

In 2015 the Lord showed me in a dream “the possibility” that Trump would be President of the United States. In this dream he was cloaked with the American flag. Then I heard the words, “the state of the nation”. This was before Trump had even announced that He was running for President. He announced it around 2 weeks after I had this dream. When I heard “the state of the nation” it did not come off as a necessarily good or bad thing but rather the “reality” of where we are as a nation – which is not so good.

In my view, Trump has done some good things for this nation – keeping his words on things. He also has a lot of problems, character issues galore. If that is hard to see for you it is time to start reading your Bible again. God loves Trump and loves Biden just as much too.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

John 3:16

Wow! He loves the entire world.

God is Not Political

God is not political. It is notable that Jesus never promoted a political candidate. Just a thought. He was too busy doing the work of the Kingdom – healing the sick, raising the dead and casting out devils as well as speaking the heart of God. He was totally aware of what was going on with the escalation of Roman occupation in His time. The nation of Israel was ripe and ready for a political savior. But He came in a different spirit, the Holy Spirit. When He didn’t deliver the goods they wanted He was killed. People even came to crown Him king and he walked away “because He knew the motives of their hearts”. Even the disciples where expecting Him to be an earthly king to take the throne in Israel. Jesus wasn’t interested. He wasn’t even into the tax thing, “Give to Caesar, what is Caesars and to God the things that are God’s!” (Matthew 22:21) When they came to get taxes they had to pull out of the mouth of a fish. (Matthew 17:27)

If you were looking for a political prophet – Jesus was not it. He saw the evil in men’s hearts coming from every side and angle of life – whether it was the Romans, the Jewish people or any other group.

How Great is That Darkness?

But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

Matthew 6:23

Recently I had a dream about a “prophet” that when I looked into his eyes I could barely see the pupil of his eyes because the entirety of His eyes where dark. He wouldn’t look you straight in the eyes. There has been political compromise in the hearts of those who claim to be prophets or even in the office of the prophet. It is not that God doesn’t love them but there are been compromise to darkness.

But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts. For neither at any time did we use flattering words, as you know, nor a cloak for covetousness—God is witness. Nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, when we might have made demands as apostles of Christ.

1 Thessalonians 2:4

There is a “cloak of covetousness” referenced here where a person comes into compromise – flattering and pleasing men. What happens when all the prophet’s profit is gone? Will you prostitute your “prophetic gift” or the “anointing” that maybe God has legitimately put on your life to make a profit? Some just prophesy the “party line”. A party spirit is a very dangerous thing. It is the spirit of Barabbas. He was politically motivated. He was not for Jesus but he would have loved Jesus to be for him.

I really believe there are those who walk in the office of a prophet in the world, maybe some in America. There are some issues in the U.S. with those with prophetic platforms. There’s too much of the “American Dream” and not enough of God’s dream”. “The love” of money is the root of all evil and that is where compromise comes in.

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

1 Timothy 6:10

The Power of Promotion

In the last century we’ve discovered the “power of promotion”. Don’t get me wrong. There is a place to promote in business. There is a place even in ministry – still, there is finer line when it comes to ministry. Could you see Jesus holding up His personal ministry promotional flyers on a stick? Come to Me! Right. Don’t think so. Ok disciples. Here’s what I want you to do. Everyone grab a promotional sign before I come. Go into the city and flaunt it in the face of everyone so they can see that I’m the true prophet! Promote me! OK? By the way, make sure to get a good honorarium of at least $10,000 per meeting set BEFORE I come. Got it? If that works then I’ll pray about coming into that city. Maybe it will work, maybe not.

No. That was not the approach of Jesus. We’ve come long way in ministry haven’t we? Or have we? Maybe some have just learned how to work the system. Push the product. Hey! I understand. I have music that I sell for a profit. It is a joy. It expresses my heart of worship. It is a product too. Today we have amazing promotional technology like we’ve never known at anytime in previous history. The power of communications has a redemptive side. It is ok to use it. Really, it is. But not to the point of compromise and self-exaltation. There are some extremes we need to avoid because the gospel is about giving, sacrifice and following the Lord – not profitability. Communications is not a bad thing but we need to make sure out motives are right using it for God’s glory.

We have to know where our heart is. Do we value integrity above making a profit? Some have used Trump to make a profit. That think it is just smart marketing – God calls it compromise and sin. Some are trying to mix the Holy Spirit with a political spirit. This is not of God. Jesus would never do this. Facebook creates a place for bastion of people who want to voice their opinions – people looking for “identity fulfillment”. People crying “hear me! hear me!” I’m important! Don’t you know it? Hear what I have to say. After all God has given me Facebook to be IMPORTANT and to share all of my thoughts with you! We need to be more enamored with God’s thoughts rather than our own – especially from a ministry angle.

Get Back In the Presence of God

Listen. If you have not found your importance just be being in the Presence of God – you are going to be superficial and fake. You are looking for affirmation in the wrong place. We must be totally content with what God thinks and says about us.

When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

Matthew 3:16-17

This is the affirmation that Jesus wanted – it should be what we want more than anything else. That only comes from spending time in His Presence. Again, your identity ONLY comes from being in the Presence of God. Do I need to say it again? Quit trying to look important. Make sure your motive is to glorify God and not yourself – even speaking out of the secret place of His Presence.

On the issue with modern day prophets – let me say it is worth contending for. The prophet’s office is powerful and needed – but not when tainted with compromise and covetousness. It is not worth you promoting yourself over. It you are just looking for a name, to be important, to be popular, to be the FIRST one to give the great prophesy or your trying to get some kind of position in the eyes of man – cut it out. Let’s grow up in the Lord! You are just fooling yourself. If God promotes you then that is all you need. Find your identity in Him. We don’t need a bunch of watered-down prophetic mush that is coated with whipped cream and tastes like you know what. Go back to the basics. Go back to your foundation and check it out. You might have to tear everything down because the building was built poorly. Believe me. IT WILL BE WORTH IT. At the judgement seat all will be revealed and that which is not built by God will be burnt to cinders. Being prophetic and being in the office of a prophet are different. God speaks! His sheep hear His voice. That is every one who follows Jesus should hear His voice. Just a note – we are not to follow prophets, only Jesus. You must weigh everything spoken with the Word of God. (the Holy Bible)

A Church Falling Apart

I recently had a dream where I was at someone’s church. Suddenly it began to fall apart. The church building began to tilt and the pews all began to fall forward. I began to shout at people saying, “Get out! It is not safe here!”

Shaking is beginning in the Church. What is the foundation? What is your foundation? Jesus Christ is the Cornerstone. All we do, every word and action, we want to glorify Him. Our society and even the entire world is manifesting extreme “self-promotion”. The Church cannot reflect this. We need to reflect the image of Christ – the image of God, even setting our sights on things above rather than things of the earth.

Prophetic Deception

In another dream I saw some recognized as prophets trying to take on “new identities” to hide. They were trying to refashion themselves so they couldn’t be recognized – but they were crooked, not safe and deceiving people. They were being pointed out and exposed. We are in a season of great exposure right now – and we have been as well. Just as you would used to have to take a photo into an exposure room. It takes a little time for the process to reveal what is actually in the photograph. Right now things are being revealed. The superficiality, the self-promotion and the compromise to the things of this world.

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

1 John 2:15

The marriage between the political spirit and the prophetic spirit has been problematic at the very least and corrupt with compromise at the extreme. Pride always tries to hide. Go back to the Garden of Eden. What happened when God came back? Adam and Even hid after sewing man-made coverings from leaves to cover themselves – because the glory of the Garden had lifted.

There is coming an opportunity for some who are perceived or hailed as prophets to come clean, to repent and rediscover the ancient paths of purity in devotion to the Lord. Have you even heard of a “blind spot”? Everyone has them. What all know in part and we prophesy “in part”. No one sees the entire picture. It takes humility to recognize that and to walk in it. If God has put someone in the office of a prophet, what comes with that is a greater responsibility – even to come clean before all they have spoken “prophetic words” too. If they don’t, they are abusing the office.

Greater Call, Greater Responsibility

The greater your sphere of influence, the greater your responsibility. Isaiah never missed one prophesy – everything came to pass. If you call yourself a prophet then what is your excuse for missing it? Did people not pray enough for your prophesy to come to pass? Or were you just “seeing it in the spirit”? And not really in the natural. Don’t change your interpretation to save your reputation. That’s people pleasing. We don’t want to be a disgrace to the Body of Christ and to the Lord. Maybe the level of revelation that you are getting is only at the “shadow level”. There are different levels of encounters with God. Some are not meant to be shared with others or at least not with everyone.

The prophetic movement has become too settled with mediocre revelation – a very low standard. In part, that is the fruit of the culture of ease we’ve created in our time. This is not to discourage anyone to walk out in prophetic gifting – just be honest with yourself about the maturity of your gift or the lack. The prophetic is not to be performance driven. But some use their established “prophetic platform” as means to promote whatever comes on their plate without any venting process – even with the Lord.

What About Grace?

Don’t get me wrong – there is grace where we miss it. I believe in it. I need it. And I want it! But we have to walk in the wisdom of the Lord as well. God’s grace is to be primarily for empowerment not cleaning up our mess. It is not good enough for those in established places of leadership to be casual and cavalier about what they share prophetically – especially in the political sphere. People get “party spirits” rather than the HOLY SPIRIT. Sometime the culture you become most associated with becomes idolatrous and self absorbed like an ingrown toenail. As well, we need to make sure we are not reacting to the news but following the Lord! Discover or re-discover the secret place with God. Social media has become all too convenient for everyone’s opinions. That can be ok to an extent. I’m obviously voicing my thoughts here as I feel compelled to. Many wrong voices are going out saying things that are pushing people into flesh and presumption. We need to bring things into balance and make sure we are glorifying Jesus.

God’s Presence: The Method of Change

Do I believe in the Seven Mountains of Society for us to have influence over? Yes. People are called to different facets of society to have impact – that includes the political realm. It is the HOW and the METHOD of influence that makes the difference. No matter what sphere of society God has called you too, your main weapon of change will ALWAYS BE the Presence of God. If you don’t practice His Presence I question how much influence you will have. If you don’t know how to engage with God then your influence is severely limited. If you still have not learned how to live as a “conduit of the Holy Spirit” there is not much that can be changed.

There are many who go down in history for having affected change – but change for WHAT is the question? The change we are here for is HEAVEN ON EARTH. That change is directed to the hearts of people. Not an earthly kingdom but the kingdom of God set up in the hearts of people. A heavenly shift in the heart is what we are after – not earthly change. God will take care of that later with a new heaven and new earth. Our focus needs to be on seeing God change the hearts of people. Then whatever natural changes occur because of this is just great. But that is not our concern. After all, we are just passing through as stranger and pilgrims. Our infatuation is with God and His glory covering the earth as the waters cover the sea.

I really wrestled with sharing this word – but feel it needs said. The love of God extends to everyone. No matter who you are. God loves all people and wants them to know Him in the most powerful way. Let’s speak the truth in love.

May God keep you in His love, by the Spirit, and make you to be an extension of His blessing in your thoughts, actions and speech.