Poets & Writers Conference – November 17, 2012

Poets and Writers, there is a conference for YOU.  Sheener Bailey, a prolific poet who has appeared in various venues including Russell Simmons’ Def Poetry Jam, is hosting a great gathering.  There are workshops covering a variety of topics,  including  tv production writing, script writing for Major Motion Pictures, journalism, news reporting, novel writing, and so much more.  And, if that is not enough, there will be some of the greatest hidden talent as the Poets and Writers express their talents.

Hope to see you there!

Prophetess Kim

The Countdown Begins: Top 5 Flim Flam Christian Crutches

I’m going to blog on the top 5 Flim Flam Christian Crutches that believers use to justify chaos and unfounded failure.  In reverse order, here is Number 5:  I’m not perfect.  Everybody makes mistakes!

According to dictionary.com, here is a working definition for mistake:
1. an error in action, calculation, opinion, or judgment caused by poor reasoning, carelessness, insufficient knowledge, etc.
2. a misunderstanding or misconception.

Yes, everyone does make mistakes.  No one is perfect.  But, I have a question for the professional mistake makers:

Ready?  Here we go.  Even if God were to buy this analysis, how much of an excuse should we think this will be when God judges us for our mistakes?

Habitual, pathological liars are not mistake makers.  People who cannot tell the truth have a daddy, and he is not God.  Satan is the father of all lies and the Truth is not in him.  Somebody just might need a spiritual DNA test to see who is the real daddy.  There is no miscalculation or error in judgment when a person wakes up, yawns, eats a wholesome meal, and gets to lying all day long.

People who have extra marital affairs for years, who willfully plan to live in deceit and dishonor the marital covenant and the body, do not make mistakes.  The plans not to ever call the house, to meet up at the HOtel, lock the cell phone so the spouse will never find inappropriate communications, make continual excuses to explain the whereabouts, and perform all of that hard work,  is not a mistake.  It is good planning for intended results until the day something goes wrong.  Then, it is a “mistake.”

Calling Bookie for rent money, knowing that Bookie’s generous assistance is for some extra change in your pocket so you can impress the current person of interest is not a mistake.  That is willful manipulation and deception.  That is not an error in judgment;  That is bad judgment from the root of a person’s character.

Spending child support money to look fly and party, and then bashing the other parent for not doing a thing for his/her child when finances are tight, is not a mistake.

I was speaking with someone the other day and she made things quite clear.  Sometimes people suffer and cannot prosper, because we are not meant to;  we often disqualify ourselves because of  these kinds of deplorable character flaws that we minimize and think we can sprinkle some Grace over them.  Everything is not a Job experience where we have been chosen by God to prove ourselves, or a test.  Some things are just the Word in action in our lives–the part that we don’t like.   If the same God is on the throne that held David-for the rest of his days-to be accountable in judgment for what he did to Uriah, then we better start to examine ourselves. Be not deceived, God is not mocked.  Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. David’s judgment was tailor-made.  What is it that we may be experiencing today as a result of the hardship, pain, suffering and disregard that we caused others, yesterday?

The good thing about God is that once we recognize our wrong, and stop making everything about the will of God (when it may not be, it may be something we’ve worked into our own existence), and repent, He is our God even in Babylon (when we have been given over to hardship through judgment).  God’s plan for his remnant had an appointed time of entry and EXIT.  He was also with His people throughout their captivity and as they took possession of their blessing in the appointed place of freedom.  So, I encourage you to do whatever is within your own power to live a good life, before God.  Even when your brother or sister isn’t looking, remember God knows.  Take off  the “mistakes” apron and put it into the fire.  Stop using excuses for what is inexcusable.

Remember, everything is pardonable, through the blood.  Turn around and make a decision to stop fooling yourself and being tricked by the enemy.  What you do have to power to change, change.  Prepare yourself to live the kind of life where God will be with you, through it all.  Even though we are in an age where doctrines of devils promotes that God’s love includes anything and everything, just sing, dance and have a blunt on God, the reality of His Word says otherwise.  God loves us enough to chasten us and to cut off those who defy Him.

Now, I encourage you, if this is you, to put those crutches down and walk.  You don’t need assistance in keeping ungodly ways.  You are able.  The decision is yours.

Pastor John H. Boyd III

It has taken me some time to be able to write this tribute regarding one of the greatest leaders of our time, Apostle John H. Boyd, Sr.

There is so much that I could say, but for those who had the privilege of knowing him, his life spoke volumes in ways that no one can capture in words.  That’s how we are supposed to live.  Once the final breath is taken, the life we have lived speaks for us.

I remember the day I walked into the New Greater Bethel Ministries  sanctuary in the mid 1990’s and heard one of the most profound messages that impacted my life.  It was a Wednesday night service, and at that time Wednesday nights were  “Family Night” Bible studies.  Pastor Boyd used to get up, exhort the people, and say, “Let’s go to work!”  That meant, get your Bible out and get ready to delve into the Word of God because our walk is a faith walk that requires WORK.  That Wednesday night, Pastor Boyd–who had an uncanny ability to make the wisdom of God so very simple and practical–taught on faithfulness.  He was sure to distinguish the difference between faith, which requires works in order to produce or else faith alone produces nothing, and faithfulness.  Although faith is required to please God, faith is not enough.  Faithfulness is what God loves and looks for.  He said (and those know his teaching know he would talk like this), “It’s a good thing God isn’t too busy when you need Him.”  He said this in response to how busy we often become doing everything that matters for God and the Kingdom, but always want God to be available and willing to fix everything overnight.  That night, I understood why Pastor Boyd was so faithful.  He didn’t allow anyone or anything to move him, when he believed God required something of him.  Faithfulness is what made him keep church doors open with sheets of ice on the road when most others thought he was absolutely ridiculous for having church in winter storms.  If you keep at something long enough, it will eventually work.  Faithfulness.

Years of receiving Pastor Boyd’s wisdom, teaching, and correction–“Go ahead with your bad self”–have helped to make me the woman of God that I am.  For years I’ve been carrying out what is now referred to as the “legacy” of Pastor Boyd.  When our ministry was offered an exclusive interview during a meeting, I did not “jump” at it.  Just about every one that I know would have adjusted the meeting schedule to sit in front of some cameras  and have a moment, or what people call doors.  Yeah, I said that.  That’s another blog.

Yet, it didn’t take a phone call, hickomoshnda, or call up to heaven’s line to know what to do.  God’s call was for our team to complete the assignment for which we had been graced and anointed.  It was not to be in the limelight.  So, I refused the interview because the studio taping schedule conflicted with our meeting time.  The producers were shocked.  They sent word to us to let us know that they would accommodate us, as they had ever done for two major world-wide ministries.  We would have a private taping.  So, of course, I accepted.  Our assignment was not to tape the biggest deal in Christian television. Our assignment was to do what God sent us to do.  Because we stuck to our assignment, God gave us everything we didn’t ask for, and so much more.  The wisdom to handle that situation was instantaneous.  I knew at that very moment of decision that meeting the mark is the will, and that is what pleases God.  I watched Pastor Boyd refuse to be all over the place and shepherd the flock of God.  That man was one pastor in this generation, who fasted, prayed, fed the sheep. How can a pastor shepherd the flock if he’s never there?  i  knew what Pastor Boyd would have done, so that is precisely what I chose to do.

Many chase down “doors” only to find that doors don’t mean a hill of beans in making anyone for ministry, or making a place for ministry.  Ministry is made when we serve God by serving others, according to the call of God.  “Every good door isn’t a God door.”  Pastor Boyd’s systematic repetitive teaching has changed many of us. He was not only a teacher, but a  father.  Even though I’ve had a strong father every day of my life, Pastor Boyd is the one who God ordained to be the man of influence:  one who was strong in his conviction for Godliness and who needed God to renew him day by day because of his humanity and personal development with the Lord.   Because he lived and met the mark, I have been changed.

I salute the life and legacy of Pastor John H. Boyd and his entire family who has served alongside him for four decades.  Today, I am in flight because a man once told me it was too late to turn back.  “Fly daughter, fly.  You’re already on the runway and the flight is about to take off. Fly.”  The journey has begun, it is exciting and challenging, and I am blessed to have known a man who could get me to fly God  because I trusted the God in him, when no one else could have.

The Key of Brokenness

Today I’m meditating about how good it is to have a life in Jesus Christ.  Earlier this week, I did something crazy that I would never normally do.  I went to the outer bounds of “me”, planning to see what could possibly take place that would upset this frustration I’ve been feeling, lately.

Well, I sat down and instantly, a few thoughts came to mind.  We know precisely where these thoughts came from:

1.  What if the rapture comes?  Will you be ready?

2.  What if you don’t make it through your plans, as anticipated?

3.  You know your plans are not of God.  What is worth separating you from God?

So, of course, I had a change of mind and heart.  Primarily, because I was back to the starting board.  Well, not really!

Anyway, as I began to reflect upon the Holy Week (which is truly every week), and this time of celebration for Jesus’ sacrifice of his life as a substitution for ours, I couldn’t help but think of our Savior’s brokenness.  It takes great brokenness to face the inevitable, knowing what joy our obedience brings through sacrifice to the Father and those attached to our sacrifice, and also knowing what it cost the Lamb of God and High Priest to be and present the offering of Himself to redeem us.  He died for us.

And, some of us won’t even die for ourselves.  I thank God for the gift of brokenness, where we are able to die to self, allow our own will to be broken, so that God’s will may be done in us and our lives.  I remember the days when Apostle John H. Boyd, Sr. would call the church to shut-in.  There was a ban on blankets and pillows because a shut-in was not a time to sleep!  We would pray around the clock;  at times, the man of God would break the Bread of Life among us and give us some direction through the Word.  It was at these times that God healed me from so many issues.  It was at these times that I saw that God will meet us right where we are:  we don’t have to call on this one and that one to pray us through, as we say.  We could pray ourselves through if we were yielded and broken enough to let God conform us to His will through crying out to God.  We’d say, “Yes, Lord.”  In other words, we let the Lord know that whatever it is He desires from us, or wants to do in and through us, we are available to Him.  Somebody tell the Lord, “Yes!”

These settings helped me to enhance my own private prayer life.  Those days birthed me into a place where I can go without fear and in faith because God is certainly with me.  I encourage you during these times to relish what opportunities you may have to spend time with the Father.  You and Him time.  No one else, nothing else, but you and the Father.  You need strength, spend some time with God and you will find strength.  You need peace, assurance, a breaking, victory, and fill-in-the-blanks?  Spend some time with the Father through prayer.

That’s what Jesus did in the garden of Gethsemane, right before he began his journey to the cross.  This is the place where you will find the courage to drink the bitter cup, rather than let it pass from you.  This is where you get what you need to walk through the shadow of death, confront the enemy, and be resurrected into your predestined place of triumph.

Yes, you will win.  Use the keys of brokenness to unlock the door.

Prophetess Kim

Thy Kingdom Come!

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If you are able to join us, we’ll be in Allentown, Pennsylvania and Brooklyn, New York this upcoming Saturday.  Let’s strengthen one another in our adoration, seek and worship of the Father.  And guess what?  There’s a place God’s prepared just for you!

Kind regards,

 

Prophetess Kim

Learn to be Comfortable with the Uncomfortable

Years ago, as a matter of fact it was in the mid-1990’s, I cut my hair into a fierce asymmetrical short bob.  That was a huge step for me.  I’d always maintained at least shoulder length hair.  Long hair was my comfort zone.  Most people liked the “new” look and I was quite satisfied.  However, within a few months I learned that I really preferred long hair because it is easier to maintain.  So I decided to let my hair grow back.

When my hair started to grow back, it got to an “in between” stage.  It wasn’t quite shoulder length again, and it was longer than the nape-lined bob.  I didn’t have a clue what to do with the hair at that stage.  Many suggested cutting it again.  I realized a critical life lesson at that hair-stage:  If I did not go through the ugly phase, the hair would never grow back.  I had a decision to make.  Either endure three to six months of this funny stage, or stay with the short cut.  That was not even a decision in my opinion.  Cute hats and more work to keep the hair curled would have to carry me through the awkward stage.  I had to become comfortable with the uncomfortable; but, only for a season.

Too many times we go through experiences in life and allow our emotions and feelings to dictate what we will and will not do;  what we can and cannot handle;  what is right or wrong.  If a ship is going to sink and we must jump to safety, if we are paralyzed with fear, then  we won’t be able to jump. We won’t be able to even try to save ourselves and live because we are used to living in our comfort zone and anything else-even when it may save our lives-makes us uneasy.

It’s an uncomfortable feeling to tell someone who you love, that we won’t be available for further manipulation.  Be comfortable, being uncomfortable.

It’s uncomfortable to punish our teenagers for breaking the rules, once again.  If children don’t learn that life has real penalties within the safety of their parent’s home, then they will learn it elsewhere, where we may not be able to live with their penalties.  Be comfortable, being uncomfortable.

It’s uncomfortable adjusting to a new exercise routine and weight loss plan.  If our health is at risk, this phase of discomfort is essential to avoid high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and other diseases or conditions.  Be comfortable, being uncomfortable.

It’s uncomfortable learning that we have AIDS or HIV and decide that our best resolve is daily medication to which our bodies must adjust.  Be comfortable, being uncomfortable.

Our car may break down at the side of a busy highway on a freezing day while we have five hungry adolescents in the car.  Our attitude and temperance will dictate the children’s feelings of safety while waiting for assistance.  Be comfortable, being uncomfortable.

We don’t want to speak up about a major problem because no one else is and we just don’t like confrontation.  Learn to be comfortable, being uncomfortable.

Most times, the in-between is just that:  only a phase that is necessary to connect us with the other side, or end of a matter.  If Jesus did not grapple His emotions and face the necessary to get the job done, I know where I’d be:  on my way to an eternally damned end. Isaiah said that it pleased the Lord to bruise Him.  Why?  Because God saw the results of what Christ’s necessary suffering would bring to humanity.  God saw you and I with the ability to be in covenant with our Creator because of Christ. So God was quite comfortable with appointing and seeing Christ with the utmost discomfitting situation, so that we would have life.  I imagine Paul was comfortable enough while he was in bounds in prison to keep on producing and giving us the epistles.  His literal discomforts did not bind him to self-pity and inaction.  John was isolated in Patmos and he was comfortable with being discomfited to be able to give us the revelations which speak of eschatology.  He still focused enough to record what had been revealed.

Everything in life isn’t roses or peachy keen.  And, everyone isn’t “strong” like so and so.  Well, here’s the great news:   In our weakest state, God’s strength in us is made perfect.  Learning how to be comfortable means we are going to have to let go of our emotions and trust God so that we can be comfortable until the seas stop raging or we are rescued from the pit.  Some things in life must be confronted, or silently walked away from.  Some things must be endured with its unpleasantries so that we can get to the other side.

Many people ask me how I can enjoy going into countries where the US issues travel warnings and going into the villages and remaining among the people.  I know that the trips are not forever.  For the time that I must be where I am, I am quite comfortable being uncomfortable.  A cold shower is comfortable when weighed against a hot shower without the benefits of reaching the people who do not have heated water in their villages.  Having to look over our shoulders 24 hours a day with security is uncomfortable.  But, I am quite comfortable with whatever is necessary to advance the Kingdom of God.  And here’s the real consideration:  How can I not be comfortable by being with and among people who live as they live, when they have been ordained by God to co-labor in what God has sent us to do?   Even if God were to lengthen the assignments, the grace of God is present to cover me to continue to be comfortable.  I absolutely love connecting with God’s creation and ministry does not demand “my standards” to be comfortable.  Now is a good time to begin to frame your mind to be comfortable, with being uncomfortable.  You can do it, and most significantly, if this is you, you need to so that you will triumph before you get to  the other side.  NOW, get there!

Selah.

Prophetess Kim

What are the New Year Resolutions?

People have different opinions about the need for and the effectiveness of New Year Resolutions.

Here’s my opinion:  The technicality of how you frame your goals really doesn’t matter.  What is meaningful is that we do take the time to think and assess where we are, and where we desire to go in our lives.  This holiday season doesn’t have to be the marker in time; but, if you need one, use it.  We should always re-assess where we are and make the necessary commitments and adjustments to live a better life.

We only have one life to live.  Prayerfully, it will yield eternal life and not eternal damnation.  Who else is going to live our life, if we don’t consciously make sound decisions?

Whatever it is you want to see happen for you and everything that concerns you, I encourage you to make sure that Jesus Christ is Lord of your life.  When we allow Jesus to have His way in our lives, we can be assured that what lies ahead is territory that we can certainly handle and will exemplify the goodness of the Lord.  Once God is in charge, the ride of this life is a blast!  Even in the most difficult times or situations, with God we can certainly say, “This would not be possible if it were not for the Lord.”

I told someone who interviewed me yesterday that I can say this about Kimberly’s life:  If life were an amusement park, I entered with a ticket and have not come out yet;  I’m not lost or drunk in the park;  I’m having the time of my life, having to repeat some experiences over again, but the world looks different when you’re having fun.”  Pursuing passion that is God-given with the Holy Ghost who is our helper, right alongside us, is  immeasurable.  So because I want to continue in this life, I’ve got to make sure as I get more mature, I’m physically fit, have the financial resources to impact nations through our missions works, and so forth and so on.

Goals with clear objectives are necessary.  Let’s achieve them and give God our best as we enjoy life!

For me, I’m going to finally (YIPPEE YEAH) get back into gospel music with three new artists;  there’s a whole lot more, but some of the achievements aren’t online friendly information.  But, this sister will be much happier because of HARD decisions in 2012!  Hope you roll into a great future as you enact and see the fruit of accomplished objectives.

Happy New Year!

Prophetess Kim

Trust God

At some point in time, we’ve got to trust God.  Don’t we?

When we look at someone who seems to young to die suffering and everyone is weeping, it’s courageous to still trust God.  We can still pray the prayer of faith and believe God for healing.  People are still waking up out of comas, overcoming cancer, seeing tumors disappear, and getting up out of wheelchairs.  Even if the healing comes through eternal rest, God heals us.  But what if our trial lasts longer than we anticipated?   We still have to trust that through it all, all in all, God will take care of us.

Sometimes, our difficulty or struggle in trusting the Lord is because we don’t avail ourselves to get our confidence.  What am I talking about, now?

All we need is one Word.  One.  It could be “withdraw”.  It could be “Jude”.  Christians today are so busy being busy, that it’s almost like pulling teeth to hear and obey God.

I often wonder what life for us would have been like had Abraham looked up to the skies towards the north, and then the south, when he heard God tell him to leave Haran.  Many of us would have discounted God’s voice as sheer lunacy and then built a dream home there.  Some of us look up and tell God what we hear can’t be the Lord’s voice and keep on singing the songs of zion, praying, vacationing, and talking to our partners.  Yes, we’ll ignore God’s voice and trust the voice of a trusted friend.

In wondering, I also thought where would the Kingdom be if David got offended because he was the last to be called into the anointing meeting and focused on how his family played him for a cheesburger, rather than focus on the fact that he was the chosen King of Israel?  Do you realize there are some people who would be so caught up with what others expected that their kingship would be directed towards proving those who underestimated their callings wrong, rather than satisfying the one who called them?  Where would the Kingdom be if Joseph brushed off the angel of the Lord and did what he wanted with Mary and put her away, privately?  We all have friends who might have told us that the angel couldn’t have told Joseph what God willed, because Joseph had a right to put Mary away under the law, and he is his own man and should be able to do what he wants.

As we enter 2012, let’s purpose in our hearts to trust God like never before.  Let’s stop talking ourselves into unbelief.  Let’s stop allowing others to counsel us into disobedience.  Let’s stop focusing on diversionary issues that will cause us to ruin the answer to the call of God in our lives.

I’ll tell you what a woman of God told me a couple of months ago:  “Don’t look at the facts.  Trust God.”  When someone tells you “no”, it’s not easy to wait and to go back until you get a “yes”.  Wise people in their own eyes will tell you not to waste your time waiting on the Lord for things we cannot do for ourselves.  “Just forget it.”   What about the Father who has deposited a measure of faith into you and awaits your faith towards God?

Remember this one thing, if you remember anything.  What God is requiring of you through your trust, is so that you can live by faith.  Faith brings the unseen into existence in our lives.  God wants His will for our lives MORE than you do.  God is committed to you and His will.  Did you get that?  If God is committed, then fight for your trust and allow the confidence to come so that you will not give up.

Continue to fight the good fight of faith and put your hope in God.  Trust the Lord.  He’s dependable, has a perfect record, has innumerable references since the beginning of time, always get the job done, and if you’re a brown-noser-everybody else works for and is subject to Jehovah, anyway!

Smile, rest and trust God.

Prophetess Kim

Blogging Boom!

Good morning!  I don’t know why I’m a bit shocked.  The stats on this blog have increased tremendously within the past two months and I’ve been blogging for a couple of years, now.  Why the sudden increase?  Many things come to mind:

1.  We reap what we sow.  We’ve got to sow and after A WHILE, when time allows what we have sown to be cultivated and spring forth a harvest, we reap.  We’ve got to be willing to wait to see that our labor yields fruit.

2.  We must be first partaker of the fruit as laborers in the Kingdom:  We’ve got to taste and test what we are giving before others will trust and receive.  This has DEFINITELY been a season of testing for me to push past my own situation to encourage others along the way.  I’ve walked with God for quite a number of years and the pulls, yanks, pushes, prayers, rebukes and inspiration from others have helped me to continue in faith and GROW.  If I’m able to give you any kind of inspiration and hope, it’s because I’ve needed it and received it from God and others.

3.  God often brings INCREASE when you’ve labored in one field for the Kingdom.  We can sow in one field and reap joy in another.  I can truly say, I’ve sowed in one field in this blogosphere.  What I have learned is this:  God knows all things and He is the one that pays attention.  No one else has to ever recognize or appreciate your labor of love;  God takes GOOD notes and when we pass our test, He blesses.

Remember this:

– Know when it is time to shift from one field to another.  If you are no longer welcome, shake the dust off of your feet and keep it moving and don’t look back.  Don’t feel bad if there is disagreement.  Listen, the gospel was spread abroad in the early church because persecution shifted those with the seed of God’s Word back to their homes and various places.  God will use persecution to shift you right where He needs you to be and it often requires you to leave right where you are and move on!

– If you have completed your assignment, don’t let relationship or an acquired comfort zone make you stay.  Once purpose has been fulfilled, the anointing for service as we say, “lifts”.  You don’t want to be out there with no anointing because that is when yolks cause strains and burdens become unbearable.

– Finally, laboring in another man’s field only prepares you to endure and give all into your own works for God and the Kingdom.  I know people try to convince  that believers that  we should give everything we have for their works to prove your loyalty in the Kingdom, or simply because they may need you.  Get this revelation, please!  YOU are Kingdom.  So long as you have received the New Birth and have been knitted and bonded to the Body of Christ by the Holy Spirit, you are part of this Kingdom.  UNLESS YOU KNOW GOD IS REQUIRING OTHERWISE, never give more of yourself to another man’s work than to your own.  When it is said and done, you need oil in your own lamp. YOU NEED YOU.  Keep a continual harvest in your own field and life by making sure your resources, goods and worth have at least rendered a healthy portion into what you have been called to do.  While others will “pour into your life”, again, you should be first partaker and sow first into the good ground of your own life and everything that you do for God’s Kingdom.

– Never curse your experience because after the fact, it may have been unpleasant.  If your experience was good enough to be God during your labor of love, let it be what it was.  Why?  It is unintegral to shift opinions because things have changed.  More importantly, when what you have experienced was pure and from a right spirit, there is much to come for God’s glory.  You don’t want to cut off your blessing from your own labor because you’ve cursed the process.  Look past you and take yourself out of the way.  If God’s will is done and He is pleased, His approval is all you need.  People will be people.  Meanwhile, what you do for Christ will last.  Focus on what has been given to the Kingdom of God. And then be kind and bless them that curse you.  Pray for them that despitefully use you. You’ll be surprised what God will do IN YOU when you choose to bless, pray and love, “in spite of”.

With all of this I say, welcome to our new followers, e-mail subscribers, subscribers, FB followers and Twitter followers.  This blog exists because of YOU.  Know that this is a place in the WWW where we pray for all those who stop by and visit.  We hope that you will grow in the Grace of God and will exhaust everything that is within you, enjoying this life that God has given to each of us.  The greatest way to live this kind of life is to live one that is full of LOVE.

Loving you,

Prophetess Kim

Hear From Heaven

Good morning world!

One of my favorite forefathers is Peter.  If he were around in today’s world, he’d probably be the teacher’s pet.  I used to teach school, and I had a Peter.  He was one who always had my attention because he had soooooo much potential, loyalty and determination.  He also had the strongest ability to influence the other students and what I admired the most, CONFIDENCE.  This student was much like Peter in that he needed to be guided because he was also a “hothead”.

Peter was a “trip”, too.  How dare Peter think he know more than Jesus?  When Jesus informed his disciple that he would betray his Lord three times, Peter denied that could possibly happen.  “Not me!  Never,” could have been likely thoughts.    Many people think Peter was arrogant;  he really wasn’t.  He was confident.  With all that he knew of himself, he didn’t believe it was possible that he would deny his Lord.  Life will always present circumstances to pluck weeds.

First, Peter.  Then weeds.  What is going on here?

Life will present circumstances for us to pull up the things out of the ground of our lives that grow right alongside that which is productive, with a purpose to spread throughout the ground and kill what must come forth.  As soon as the real pressure hit Peter when Jesus was captive to the Roman authority, Peter did precisely what Jesus said he would:  The loyal disciple who was always at his master’s side, acted like he never knew Jesus.  He denied Jesus three times.  To seal his lie, Peter even cussed to demonstrate his character couldn’t have been in line with Jesus and his proclamation that He was the Son of God.  Boy, did Peter have some weeds.

When the pressure hit, Peter’s loyalty shifted to preserve himself.  Sometimes, we are flanked with Peters.  We will have those that will love you while its good, be in your corner, and vow to never betray you.  But let the pressure hit!  Peter’s denial of Christ wasn’t about his belief in Christ.  He surely knew the Lord whom he served.  Imagine Peter’s frame of mind:  Lying to others about the true fellowship he had with the very one he knew and loved, knowing that his Lord knew he denied Him.  Christ knew it was going to happen, just as he foretold.  Peter’s denial was a reflection of his own inability to stand. He was more consumed with what a true admission would cost him;  I don’t believe for one second, that Peter changed his heart towards Jesus.  Peter’s heart was just too full of his own self-interest and walking with Christ required a complete yielding of Peter’s life.  Our lives are no longer our own.

YET, Peter was not disqualified.  Many of us would never give Peter another chance on this side of life.  Never.  What?  Jesus could have thought, I prepared him and he still LIED.  I taught him and allowed him to have access to me as one of my closest friends and he still distorted his true allegiance to preserve himself.  He spent all of this time around me, and when he could have taken a stand, wilfully chose to betray me.  Of all the disciples who should have stood with me, Peter left me alone for the wolves.  Jesus went on and took His stripes and was crucified.  Peter wasn’t essential to that assignment.  Only Christ could fulfill that Himself.  Peter did have the significant impartation that he needed in order to do what he was always intended to do:  advance God’s kingdom as an apostle of the Lamb of God.  Jesus had to forgive and Kingdom purpose kept the plan alive.  Peter’s personal failure didn’t kill his purpose.  The weeds were there, exposed and plucked out of the ground of Peter’s heart.

When circumstances come to show you the weeds in the ground of your life, be it in your heart, or the hearts of others, salvage the ground and that which is productive.  All betrayal isn’t about you.  Sometimes it’s really about that figurative Peter and what is in him.  You’ll never know what you need to know, unless circumstances come to show you the weeds.  Knowing what others have vowed and said that are thrown out of window when their interests change can be disappointing.  However, weeds don’t grow when they are plucked up and out of fertile soil.  Once all the weeds are up, look at the ground and see what is left.  You are still here, still living and guess what?  Still on course with purpose.

Peter became one of the greatest leaders in the early church and the Kingdom of God.  He had great discipline and fortitude.  Sometimes, Peter needs to “fall” so he can know that his confidence is well-intended but find out where his willingness to be loyal places him.  Ultimately-and this is important-Peter’s love for Jesus and the Kingdom costed him the same price Jesus had to pay: His life.  He was persecuted, imprisoned and martyred  for the cause of the gospel and willingly paid the price.  Once Peter got over how things looked to others and became committed to whatever was required of him to stand for what he believed, Peter’s life helped lay a foundation for our lives today. Peter’s life became Word which is life for us, right now.

So, I encourage each of you who read this post to hear from heaven.  Know if there is life and purpose left after all that needs to be exposed is revealed.  Pluck up the weeds because they must go before they destroy your life.  Don’t hold Peter to a moment if he has the keys to the Kingdom and a renewed determination to do what he was born to do. Remember, if Jesus never forgave and trusted Peter, he wouldn’t have inspired, instructed and imparted all that he did as an apostolic Father.

Selah.

Prophetess Kim