Life 6-Feet Under

The world can’t contain it, darkness flees from it, people can’t understand it, there is nothing more powerful than it, and no person can experience it and not be changed…LOVE! About 2000 years ago LOVE was crucified upon an intersection of two pieces of wood that were cut from a tree. Who would have known that LOVE would have been crucified on the same source in which sin entered the world…a tree!

LOVE knew that through every type of death leading to complete death would bring freedom to a certain area of the BELOVED.

“Smitten by God, and afflicted.

       But He was wounded for our transgressions,

      He was bruised for our iniquities;

      The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,

      And by His stripes we are healed.”

- Isaiah 53:4-5

LOVE was wounded, bruised, chastised, striped, and ultimately killed to bring eternal freedom to the BELOVED of the Father. Who would have ever guessed that death would birth life?!?

“For the message of the cross is foolishness

to those who are perishing, but to us who are

being saved it is the power of God.”

- 1 Corinthians 1:18

Something I contemplated a lot when I first experienced this LOVE five years ago and to this day I have not completely figured it out…how death could birth life?!? I embarked on this small (yet big) revelation not too long ago, about how LOVE would walk you down the path of death to bring life to perishing souls. Yes, sounds a bit strange and not too biblical at first, but let me dissect it for you and hopefully you will see the picture.

Jesus (LOVE) knew that death would bring Him closer to the Father and allow those around Him to experience the Father (LIFE) in like manner. Nevertheless the cost of this eternal experience would be death, and death upon a tree. So as LOVE walked down the isle of being crucified Jesus had wounds on the hands and ankles (from nails), in the side (spear thrust), on the head (crown of thorns), shoulders (from carrying the cross) and back (flogging). Every one of these deaths to the body brought some form of freedom to us while on earth and His complete death brought us an eternal freedom, which we call salvation. So with that painted in your mind consider this verse;

“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.”

- Ephesians 5:1

Be imitators of God?? Have you ever played that game monkey see monkey do? Same idea, but replace the monkey with Jesus! You must see Him first (the picture painted above) and then you can do. He died to himself in so many ways to bring freedom and salvation for the ones He loved, and we are to be imitators of this. The only difference is we don’t have to go to the cross to die, we just have to become living sacrifices as Romans 12:1-2 talks about. So many times we experience something terrible or uncomfortable and we think it is Satan coming against us (which sometimes it is), but I have noticed that majority of the time it is an opportunity for me to die to myself and produce life! Discern the atmosphere and ask God what He is doing and be ready to imitate LOVE by dying to your flesh so that He can produce life through you! The whole gospel is not about you, but about you dying for others! Yes, crazy theology! So the next time you run into a situation that you just don’t FEEL like doing, think about the life that will come through you dying to self. Jesus didn’t FEEL like dying either…HE DID! (Matthew 26:39)

I leave you with this question; “Jesus didn’t die halfway for you, why do you die halfway for others?”

*Random Thought: Did you know that the whole life of a tree depends on the life it has beneath the surface?!? Who are you beneath the flesh?

"Stop Tollerating"

The Jezebel Spirit

Revelation 2:18-23 & 1 Kings 19

· Sexual Immorality – defiles inwardly

· Things offered to idols – defiles you outwardly

· Things Strangled – defiles you outwardly

· Things of the blood – defiles outwardly

“The Jezebel Spirit tries to get me to defile myself in a way that disqualifies me inwardly or outwardly for the ministry.”

· A Jezebel Spirit cannot operate without an Ahab spirit (every person has been affected by the Jezebel and Ahab Spirit at sometime) The Ahab spirit is that spirit which causes you to fear or be fearful of what might happen if you reject the Jezebel spirit.

Solomon was the #1 King of conquering land

Ahab was #2 He had the second most area conquered, and in those terms, conquering land represented your power.

David was #3

You can be a great conqueror and still have an Ahab spirit!

The Jezebel spirit can operate in both men and women, it is not restricted by gender!

Herod the Great operated in the Jezebel Spirit – Herod always had in mind to kill the wise man and Jesus, He was insecure about everything; he killed his wives, his servants who he thought were talking about him. His favorite wife was a Jew and killed her and the only reason he married her was to gain influence over the Jews…he was always manipulating!

 

These are things that will show you who operates in a Jezebel Spirit:

· Insecurity and Rejection
· Pride and Arrogance
· Manipulation and Control

The 4 Effects of a Jezebel Spirit:

1. Fear (1 Kings 19): It has power because we tolerate it, and when we stop tolerating it, it will lose its power This fear comes from the Ahab spirit that allows for the continuation of the Jezebel spirit.
     a. Jezebel was rejected by her father and had a controlling mother…many people fall into this category. Her mom gave her to Ahab for alliance! Not all fall into this category of rejecting and controlling parents but this is a way that the spirit has a door to come into your life and should be confronted and dealt with from this viewpoint of forgiveness towards your parents and breaking off the spirit from attaching itself in this way in your mind.
     b. Jezebel spirits will cause people to control every situation because they have a fear of rejection.

     c. The most subtle way a Jezebel Spirit gets into a leaders life is through a friend;

          i. “I am called to serve you, intercede for you, be your armor bearer etc….” The passivity of this spirit allows it to go unrecognized and dig deep into your soul until it has infiltrated every area of your life.
     d. “I see the Jezebel Spirit in Jonathan (Saul’s son and David’s friend)” It is interesting to see so much of the life of Saul outlined in the Bible and how that door was opened into Jonathan’s life for that spirit to come in very passively.
          i. They made 3 covenants together and each time they get worse in being one-sided…Jonathan never said I will protect you, but instead he asked David to enter into covenant that he would not harm his family or descendants when he (David) became King. 1 Samuel 23:17 What normally happened when a new king from outside of the bloodline of the previous king came into power, that king would kill all remaining family members of the previous bloodline and Jonathan knew this.  Yet, he befriended David and from a seemingly loving heart he manipulated David to make covenants with him that only protected himself. My belief is that he was blinded to the control and manipulation of the spirit he was operating through which caused him to never realize the extent to his control and manipulation.  Not even to his death.

2. Isolation(1 Kings 19:3): When you want to get away from everybody everywhere.

     a. Isolation is getting away with you…..Solitude is getting away with God! Detachment from God and from others cripples you spiritually.  You were not meant to do this life alone.
3. Exhaustion (1 Kings 19:4): When you get out of town do you sleep for hours? And when you drive back into town do you feel the oppression again? You were not meant to sleep by taking sleeping pills but by the natural processes in your body that cause you to sleep!

4. Depression (1 Kings 19:4): This prayer to die is prayed by many leaders!

     a. Jonah 4:3 “it is better to die than for me to live”

     b.Thoughts of suicide are clear signs of a Jezebel Spirit!

     c. Relating to commercials on TV relating to depression!

     d. Thoughts of quitting! This spirit, again, will try to deter any attempt you make at walking in the way God desires you to walk and will convince you that you no longer are qualified for the work of the ministry or that you are just burned out.
     e. Sexually Impure thoughts are a big sign of Jezebel Spirit! (When Robert was dealing with this spirit, he was bombarded with sexual impure thoughts)

5. Strange and Prolonged sickness: (Robert had sinuses for an extended time)

     a. All five senses represent spiritual senses…when your spirit is sick, your physical body will begin to show signs of the spiritual matter.

6. Bizarre and Nearly Fatal Accidents: “the person wasn’t trying to kill me, but the spirit is.”

     a. Steal peace, joy, and confidence

     b. Kill with sickness and accidents

     c. Destroy with depression and fear

Jack Hayford said, “ cannot be gracious with the Spirit!”

People who operate in this spirit mainly do it through guilt!

The Answer:

     · Address it in the person and remove him or her from all leadership unless they repent!
     · If they do not repent remove that person from any personal influence in your life…you cannot be friends with that person operating in that spirit.
If you don’t deal with this; He will remove you if you will not remove her, and He will raise up someone else who will stand against the spirit and He will raise up someone else to carry your ministry with double the anointing. You cannot carry out your destiny with this spirit attached to your life.

1 Kings 19:15 cont…

· After Elijah was in the cave with God he was told to anoint 3 people; anoint Hazael as king over Syria.  Jehu the son of Nimshi as king over Israel, and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place.

· Prophet, Priest, and King

This is what you must do to handle this:

1. Get with God (Get a Word from God) Ask for forgiveness for tolerating with this spirit! REPENT!
2. Seek Wise Counsel Bring the darkness in your soul into the light and be encouraged to walk in the way of the Lord. 
3. Take Action Fill your mind with His word and start memorizing scripture.  Do anything that will fill you mind with the things of God so that the spirit doesn’t have room to come back and invade that space once more. Remove those influences around you that have not submitted their will and authority over to Jesus Christ. Rebuke this spirit immediately when you recognize it trying to get back in.

“I wonder what’s being held up in your ministry (your life) because you are tolerating the Jezebel Spirit” 

      

"The Male Man"

Like the “mail” that comes everyday this “male” issue has been a revolving issue that seems to daily present itself; and I have sought out to find the truth behind the MALE MAN. I am going to hone in on one topic that I have seen more prevalent in my generation than any before and that is the femininity and masculinity in a male. This issue has caused a lot of hurt to our generation and has allowed a lot of confusion, which has caused the blind to lead the blind. I am going to expound on this issue with the Word, Spirit, and the revelation that I received this morning.

First, what does the bible say about man??? Genesis 1:26-27 says, Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness”…So God created man in His [own] image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. As the world uses these terms “masculinity” and “femininity,” they are referring to the feelings (also way of thinking) and behaviors of human beings. Men are projected to be masculine and women are projected to be feminine, but it is possible for men and women to possess qualities (feelings and behaviors) characteristic of the opposite gender. Before I go on, I want to explain a little more on a perspective I found as I examined the scriptures a little deeper. In Genesis 1 it talks about God making man in His image and likeness, but it did not go on to say He actually created them right then. Gen 2:7  is where you find God actually creating Adam (man/male) out of the dust of the ground and breathing life into him. Could it be that Adam possessed both  masculinity and femininity? It is not until after God had created all the beast of the field and every bird of the air that there was not found a helper comparable to him, and so God in all His love and power caused a deep sleep to come over Adam and took a rib out of him and made it into a woman (Gen 2:21-22). Could it be that God pulled the femininity out of Adam and created the woman to posses this quality, I mean in v.23 it says, “She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man." It seems to make sense huh?!?

God knew (and always knows best) that the two natures would need to live together to fulfill His plans of destiny. This is why Gen 2:24 says, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” So with God creating both male and female, and designing them to each posses their own gender qualities, how did we ever get to the place where men are feminine and women are masculine? There seems to be an identity crisis going on and the enemy is capitalizing on it. There are so many things that could cause the femininity in the male; for instance, a spiritually absent father or no father at all. Feminine males typically perceive an inner lack in reference to certain issues of spiritual masculinity. This shortage drives them to join with someone of the same gender in order to make up for the lack they unconsciously sense in themselves. At the end of the rope I think what they truly desire is based upon what they get, and for the most part that is their lost manhood found in the physical image of another man, which manifests homosexuality. The females’ on the other hand develop masculinity out of fear of harm from the male, for fear is common to the feminine mind. I have also heard and seen of many females being sexually abused as children or encountered some form of masculine harm. This can be very tricky, because most females who have been harmed become anti-male yet develop masculinity like a male to provide and care for themselves or make up for what was not given. Gathering my words, masculinity is the motivating spiritual power for both male and female homosexuality. (Note: Not all male and female homosexuals develop the qualities of the opposite gender, I am speaking of the ones that do)

So with all this said…..what is the answer to all the confusion? This is what I asked the Holy Spirit as I begin to lay my broken heart before the Lord in seek of the truth, that I might shine the light into darkness and bring hope to those who need it. First and foremost you must place yourself in love, which is taking your thoughts, cares, and emotions out of this world and grounding them in love (Christ). You cannot care or be distracted by what the world thinks, because you might be the only voice of Godly influence in that person’s life. The Lord took me to this scripture in Romans 4:17 which says, “in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did.” Notice in the same verse it says He speaks life and calls things that do not exist as though they did. In essence we are made in His image therefore we should do the things our Father does and that is speak life to these people and call out their true identity even if you can’t see past the femininity or masculinity. You see I learned the more you speak or call out the femininity of a male the more it comes out, because they already have a lack of masculinity and you are building their femininity even more with your words. To illustrate this think of yourself as a mirror; so a feminine male comes around you and all you do is reflect what you see and not what you know. Do you think that person will feel more feminine or masculine? If you said feminine you are right….we should never reflect to them what we see(femininity), but what we KNOW! Call those things which you do not see as though you see them. If you begin to do this you will see that the feminine qualities will begin to be pulled out (as God pulled the woman out of the man) and the masculine qualities will begin to take over and their true identity will arise. The Word says you will eat the fruits of your mouth whether death or life (Proverbs 18:20-21), so speak life! One spiritual father told me, “Chase, the world says you will believe it when you see it, but I am telling you that you will see it when you believe it!”

SPEAK LIFE & CALL OUT WHAT YOU KNOW NOT WHAT YOU SEE!

Blessings,

  Chase G.

Dating....wandering in the WILDERNESS or walking in the WILL?!?!

Stop looking for this Prince Charming and that Princess because s/he is on her way and only in God's timing, according to His perfect will and plan will things work out. When you start dating (not even physically yet) but in your heart, you become naturally concerned with that person and it takes away from your concern for God. 1 Corinthians 7:32-35: "But I want you to be free from concern. One who is single is concerned about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord; but one who is not single is concerned about the things of the world, how he may please his side.” This is one of the quickest ways the enemy divides your concerns (heart) for what God is doing around you and then we will realize that little by little we have been giving away bits and pieces of ourselves, entrusting our hearts to individuals incapable of treating them well, because God’s timing has not yet come. "The One," I think we all get caught up in this game at one point in all of our lives, I know I sure have. Patience is a test of true love between two individuals: 1 Corinthians 13:4: love is patient... but is it not also a test of your love for God? By waiting on Him, being patient for His timing?!? Not even to mention the lives around you that it will affect… Ecclesiastes 3:1-6 "There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven--"

Instead, build your relationship with Christ and pray that you will know who your spouse is.  Also, if you like someone, pray about it and simply get to know someone more. If s/he is the right one it will happen, but you are not the one who decides WHEN. You aren't God, you know.

All in all it's a win-win deal. No make-it-or-break-it, no divorce prep, no depression, insecurity, no heart-sharing, irritation or jealousy, but prayer and devotion to the Lord are key. And when you fall in love with God, it is hard to fall in love with anything that doesn't come from Him and His promises.

DBU drove this into me, but if you take the “ahh I’m tired of hearing this” out of it and really believe this scripture, then you will begin to see with God’s perspective and not your own!

Jeremiah 29:11-12 " 'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a future and a hope."

RESTORation

I was in a dream in the mid hours of the night when I heard the Lord say unto me, “Chase, 2011 will be the year of restoration for all my people who believe.” I took this to the Lord and felt His unction and again He spoke to me saying, “That in this month He is going to take a measure of all the things stolen, robbed, and lost to sin…and He is going to restore it and multiply to it.” Then I felt in my spirit that this will pave the way for a period of refreshing renewal that would result from the presence of the Lord with His people. He wants to restore everything with the power and work of His Holy Spirit and release purity without measure. The sifting will begin this month in order that His unshakable Kingdom may be revealed.

 

Restore- literally means to bring back to a former or original condition. Whenever something is restored in the scriptures (Exodus 22:1), however, it is always increased, multiplied, or improved so that its latter state is significant ally better than its original state. (Joel 2:12) “But even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart—with fasting, crying, and mourning.” Tear your hearts, not your clothes. Return to the Lord your God. He is merciful and compassionate, patient, and always ready to forgive and to change his plans about disaster.  Schedule a time to fast. Call for an assembly. Gather the people. Prepare them for a holy meeting. Assemble the leaders. Then the Lord became concerned about his land, and he had pity on his people. The Lord said to his people, “I am going to send grain, new wine, and olive oil to you. You will be satisfied with them. “Then I will repay you for the years that the mature locusts, the adult locusts, the grasshoppers, and the young locusts ate your crops. I am the Lord your God, and there is no other.”   

WORD from GOD: “I want you all to be directly related to Me, hearing Me, responding to Me, and living from My abundant life. So many of you consistently have thought to earn My acceptance by your own performance. I hate this, I want you to be restored from this way of thinking and be directly related to Me, hearing Me, and responding out of love to Me. And everything here that has been built by mans hands, in the energy and wisdom of the flesh will be shaken down. Only the things that cannot be shaken—the things which I built with my eternal power and wisdom will remain.

Acts 3:19
Joel 2:12
Exodus 22:1

ThE HeArT BeAt oF HeAvEn

There I was standing before an army of worshipers when I saw this vision…
I saw the eyes of the Lord searching to and fro upon all the earth to find His children. There in the midst of a darkened country I saw the Father’s heart in Dallas. It seemed without beat, still, no life…the look upon the Father’s face began to sadden. He kept His eyes positioned without movement…then a faint heart beat, then another, then another. The Father spoke, “There is life… my children are alive!” I began to see the heart grow and become alive and as it grew I began to see vessels appear filled with His Blood. The beat became stronger and stronger and the vessels stretched across the nation covering the entire nation with His Blood (through His vessels).

The beat of the Father’s heart was in sync to the marching of this army of worshipers.

This was a real vision I saw one night as we were worshiping in the BSM at Dallas Baptist University. The interpretation of this vision is very prophetic to what I believe the Lord is doing, but ask the Lord to show you something about it!

Blessings,
Chase Gentle

2 Chronicles 16:9
Joel 2:28

Mistaken Notions of the Ark of NoAh

It might look as if i am building an ark in a world that has never seen rain...

It might look as if i offer my other cheek when smitten by a fool and though the world offers a wide path of riches and glory i choose the narrow path...
My talk to you is that of another language...one commonly mistaken...
My world is backwards to you like a soul in the reflection of a mirror like the freedom that comes through the death of the Savior...but heed my words for there is a day that tarries not much longer a day that will bring understanding to my radical lifestyle.....

Please do not mistake my life and the words that come forth from my mouth as those who had misconceptions of NoAh's ArK....
I will build when there is no rain...
I will float when there is a flood...
But you will not be saved unless rendered by the blood!
There is One God, One Savior, and One Spirit
and His coming is upon us!