Robert Ricciardelli
Today I am reminded of how I need to write some things that have been on my heart for sometime. Everyone today is talking about how there is a ‘shift’ taking place in the earth today. I truly believe it with all of my heart but I really think we are so wrapped up in the drama and theatrics of church and conferences that we don’t take a deeper look at the heart of God to see exactly what He wants in the earth today.
I see so much in the prophetic move that disappoints me only because it seems to be we are more about fighting for God, standing up for God and displaying justice that we forget all about Christ and what He did and DID NOT DO. I love the prophetic because it runs in my blood deep but I hear so much today in the prophetic move about us being a militant army for God and how we have to fight and stand up for justice and on and on. But let’s look at the heart of Christ found in the new testament. Did you know that the word ‘army’ is only in the new testament twice while the word ‘son’ and ‘sonship’ is in there a multitude of times. It seems we love the theatrics of the old testament and want to bring it into the new testament because in reality, it gets boring just doing what Christ really did. Subconsciously this is how many really feel. It breaks my heart when Christ never even spoke of us being an army and so many people would rather fight than love and walk in humility. Have we forgot that the MEEK shall INHERIT THE EARTH? Don’t get me wrong, I believe we are the army of the Lord but more importantly according to Christ, we are called to walk in sonship.
Sonship speaks of relationship, family and intimacy. Now it sounds great to war, march in the streets, come against the president by constantly bashing him to others, coming against gay people, rallying against abortionist, etc. All of this makes us feel empowered doesn’t it? I have learned to stay away from certain ‘prophetic’ voices today because they have become so hostile against people in general because they feel God is against those people too. You don’t have to agree with people (sinner or saint) that are different than you but you are commanded to love (Agape) them. Agape means, ‘unconditional, without boundaries, etc). In fact, that is the second highest ‘law’ or commandment that Jesus gave. The new testament speaks of fighting the good fight of faith (not people), it speaks of loving your neighbor like yourself instead of ‘taking a stand’ by marching in the streets in a militant way. I can tell you right now, some of you are getting mad at this very moment because it angers you since you have been trained so much and taught to be militant and not loving. Most people feel that if they don’t ‘do something for God’ by marching, standing, warring, etc, that God want really like them or be happy with them.
In fact, the word says to give your shirt to others if they ask for it. Turn the other cheek if someone strikes you. To be honest with you, the church has become a scary place to be! It’s not a place of refuge anymore for the broken hearted, sinners (even those living in sin) but it has become a place of militant strong soldiers who, if they fall, we shoot them. Everyone knows the church shoots their wounded.
What would truly happen if we loved people…regardless and allowed anyone and everyone in the house of God to worship. Since the bible says, ‘How will you know if they are My disciples, by the love they have one for another.’ The church is called, ‘a house of prayer for ALL NATIONS.’ HAVE WE FORGOT THAT SCRIPTURE??
You can pray, preach, prophesy, shake, quake and have gold dust all over the place and to be honest with you, none of that impresses me at all. What causes me to take a second glance at people is the love they show everyone. Think about everything Christ did. He went to a woman who was caught in the act of adultery and told her ‘I don’t accuse you’. He looked at the thief on the cross, who did not even know or fully believe He was the son of God because he said IF you are the son of God remember me when you come into your kingdom. So Christ gave life to a thief who only said ‘IF’. WOW! Look at the woman at the well, He could of called her a whore but never even disrespected her at all but simply ‘read her mail’ and said ‘I can give you water that will cause you to never thirst again.’
As I view the prophetic move today, it concerns me because I see a people who live only for a manifestation no matter what it is. Have we forgot about character, integrity, loving people, having mercy on people, etc? I see blood thirsty people who would rather have another prophetic word on top of their 40 other prophetic words than simply love a gay man or woman and show them compassion. I see those who have become so spooky spiritual who think the world is persecuting them when in realty the world (and most of the rest of the church) look at them as being a nut case. Why do we thrive so much on being so goofy and have to see strange manifestations than walk with integrity, excellence and love? Do I believe in miracles? ABSOLUTELY! BUT NOT MORE THAN THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT IN THE NEW TESTAMENT THAT DEALS WITH LOVING GOD AND PEOPLE. Isn’t it time to be like Jesus and show compassion, grace, love and mercy to all? The bible says ‘the greatest of all of these is love.’ The greatest thing you can ever do in life is simply love like Jesus.
Even on the subject of signs and wonders. Jesus said that many will not even believe unless they see signs and wonders. This is digressing in sonship since we are called to not walk by what we see or feel. I know so many people who signs and wonders have become a drug rush for them instead of walking by faith and not by sight. I have heard people say, ‘I did not like that conference because their wasn’t any signs, wonders, gold dust, feathers, etc.’ That concerns me a lot. I want to say, ‘was the word preached not good enough for you?’ Now the word does say that signs and wonders follow the preaching of the word but that is if you have unbelievers there. Most of all these conferences have a small group of the same people because it never really grows, Why? Because we can not live off of signs and wonders. ESPECIALLY if we are Christians. Signs and wonders were fro the dounters and unbelievers according to scripture. We must examine our hearts to see if we are really doing what Jesus did or have we created what we want to see. Some charismatics prophetic people love the drama and theatrics of it all. Please don’t get me wrong, I get excited too but I don’t live or worship it. I worship a God that IS LOVE. A God who is compassionate, loving, kind, gentle, strong, bold and who has mercy that endures forever. In fact, His mercy endures forever and also they are new EVERY morning…..praise God!
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