REFLECTIONS: Alignment

January 1, 2013: 2013 is bringing in not only a boldness in His Remnant, but also a blazing fire that will not be quenched with our trite sacrifices and superficial surrenders. The climate of Man does not change with coddling. It changes when the rain turns to fire and burns violently until all the flesh is dust.

Please, hear me out. Time's rapidly counting down. I am not pointing a finger at a person or persons or any particular group. I fail daily. I am immensely flawed. I have much to learn. But I am being obedient to speak what the Holy Spirit has been revealing very loudly. If you do not like what HE has to say, then please take that up with Him. I come in LOVE. But I come with the sword of the spirit in my hand.

Alignment. Without it in our bodies, we fall and stumble. We are weak and we lack the ability to walk forward with sure steps. Without alignment we are racked with discomfort, just like a pair of shoes that do not fit correctly. Alignment is much like the priorities we make, and whether we actually follow through with what we speak from our mouths. We all fall short of the glory of God. But that is no excuse nor permission not to be fully accountable for our actions, and how we choose, in free will, to either be a help or hindrance to those around us. When our mouths, heart, and spirit do not align, we can not walk with the authority and in fullness of God's Word over our life and families in our charge, especially if God has given us a platform by which to minister or be a helpmate to others, even if it is "only" through walking through our own life as a friend, parent, sibling, coworker, or spouse. Yes, this also means pastors, prophets, worshipers, intercessors, and church leaders. Nobody is above it.

If we talk about: the mandate to forgive, and we do not forgive those who hurt us in our own life, then we are talking out of both sides of our mouth. Our words are dead and empty and we are lying to ourselves and others. We fool no one. We are not in alignment.

If we talk about: walking in genuine humbleness, and we go around name-dropping, brand-bragging, event-thumping, and waving our look-who-we-know's, then we need to examine just how humble we really are, and how negatively it flavors everyone around us for whom we witness, lead, and follow. If we ride our days and grab our opportunities on ego, we aren't leading anyone or anything but a fan club and a microphone blasting our own voice. We are not in alignment.

If we talk about: our hearts to help others step into their giftings, and yet we shut them down, mock, create roadblocks, and cut off legs because of jealousy and territory issues, then why don't we just be honest and not have worship team tryouts, art teams, and anything with teams altogether. If we don't want to sincerely sow, equip, and cheer each other into our respective and unique callings and then step aside, then we might as well stop playing the games, for God can see our true heart. If we can't give up control or the spotlight, and do not honor that there is a strategic place for each and every one of us, even within our own "specialties", we are not in alignment.

If we talk about: how perfect our families and relationships are with our Sunday smiles, but behind closed doors we live a separate non-public life of being vindictive, biting, selfish and on the verge of destruction or destroying someone else because of disagreement or past unresolved hurts, then we are deflecting any accountability for the commitments we made to the ones we love in cherishing them through the good and the bad. God never said any relationship would be easy. Relationships take work, compromise, forgiveness, and the ability to love through the ugly. Free will can give life, or it can take life. When it takes life, we are not in alignment.

If we talk about: our churches like they're tag lines and to our parishioners like they need to tow the line, then we can continue to wait for revival for as long as it's going to take to get a real picture of how the Church should function. There is no "I'm more anointed or called" in the Body of Christ. The hands are no more important than the feet. Where there is a solid backbone, there is stability and uprightness. Where there is none, we are out of alignment.

If we talk about: sin like it's penny candy in the greater general store of life, and anything goes because judgement is bad and grace is the morning after pill that we can pop any time we want because it's all "covered", then we are missing the entire point of being reborn and made anew. We are out of alignment.

If we talk about: our responsibility and obligation to show others the plank in their eye, but we dodge the return assessment and any other feedback that doesn't paint our portrait in the gallery of perfection, then we are deaf and as obstinate as a mule, and have no business anywhere giving advice or direction. If we aren't even willing to hear what the mirror returns, respectfully, then we are not in alignment.

If we talk about: how our eyes are the windows into our souls, our children are the Elijah generation, and purity keeps out the darkness, but we happily allow and encourage our children to read books that throw open the door to witchcraft, listen to music that promotes worldly perspectives, and watch movies in our groups and in our families that are filled with the occult, vampires, sorcery, sex, and a mess of other moral decay using the good for nothing excuse of entertainment between "good and evil", then we sure as sure are not in alignment. Not even close.

If we talk about: how important our buildings, our events, our travels, our books, our guest speakers, or our lead worship singer is above how important Father, Son, and Holy Ghost is, then we are NOT IN ALIGNMENT.

Church, when? When? When is it going to be important to be in alignment?