The Upside-Down Kingdom

So, I have been placed in this new role as Team Leader.
My team consists of me and five other amazing brothers and sisters of Christ.
I love them.
A lot.
But as soon as I started, God placed me in a trial by fire training.
It has been intense.
But so very beautiful.
And I have been forced to really start thinking about what Authority under Christ really looks like.
It's strange.
So one day, God sat me down while others were worshipping.
And told me about it.
And I wanna share it with you.
If you so desire.
So, here is what He said:
What is true authority under God?
Isn't authority only that you accept humility and do what the Father asks?
Authority under God is literally in opposition to authority in the world.
The world's position of authority is who is on top.
But authority under Christ is who is on bottom.
I will become the least of these.
I will wash the feet of those who follow that leadership.
When you accept authority, it is not you doing, but God.
In other words,
You hand over the responsibility to Christ.
It is no longer you in authority but God through you.
Wow.
If ever authority does come from you then it is of your flesh.
And it is sin.
That is bad authority.
I pray that my authority comes directly from my Father.
And that I have the boldness to speak and do it.
Amen.
What actually is authority, then?
How is it different from your daily life?
Do those things just said not apply to you if you are not in a position of leadership?
Of course not!
Those same things apply for you also.
So then, what is authority?
It is truly knowing the place God has placed you in.
Pride should never rise from being put under someone in leadership.
For the Lord has placed you in your position to function as He desires.
How can you be upset at this?
He has placed the person above you exactly where He has desired.
To fulfill the purpose He has called in that person.
Who are you to argue with this?
Who are you to be upset at the Lord's decision?
Do you know more than the Lord?
Are you wiser than God?
Are you angry that your father is your father and wish to be his father?
In the same way,
You can not wish to be over someone who God has appointed you to be under.
To know authority is to know humility.
We as brothers and sisters of Christ already have authority no matter what position we are placed in.
Because we walk in the authority of the Holy Spirit wherever we go.
Do not get the authority of the world and the Authority of the Spirit confused.
God commands.
We follow.
Let it be so.
That is true humility.
That is true authority.
Verses on Authority:
Romans 13:1-7
Titus 3:1
1 Peter 2:13-25
1 Peter 5:3

_______________________________________________
The World Race
Catch me on Twitter at NinjaZachWR
or see my pictures on Instagram at NinjaZach.

Letters To My Future Wife: Part 2

So, you guys have heard my heart on the before.
Now, I wanna take some time and go into the after.
Marriage, if you will.
I know what your thinking.
"He's not married. He's not even in a relationship?
What could he know?"
And to that I say this:
I don't care. I'll speak on it anyways.
God can give wisdom without having experience.
If that bothers you, please click the "X" in the corner of this page.

The Lord has been revealing some mind blowing preparations for me.
Little have I thought about what happens after marriage, only what I should do to get married.
But how can you be prepared for something if you do not think about it?
I am determined to be the best husband and father I can be to my wife and my kids.
I sit here and wonder why so many people are getting divorces or found cheating.
You've heard the stats, I won't bother with them.
God is above statistics.
Anyhow, I wonder what we are missing.
What happened to the glue that is supposed to hold these families together?
What was the glue to begin with?
The glue has been and always will be God.
Yes, yes, you know this already.
But do you really?
Do you truly understand what that means.
That means that you must Love God over your family.
Over your wife.
Over your kids.
Yes, yes, of course you do.
But, really. Do you?
It must be unbelievably difficult.
Just thinking about my wife right now, I find myself falling in love with her.
And I havn't even met her yet.
What happens when I have her?
When I can see her?
Touch her?
Talk to her?
How easy it would be to put her over God.
And what about children?
I love kids more than anything.
What happens when I have a little girl or boy and get to hold them in my arms?
Or get to lay in bed with them at night?
How could I not admire them and love them over Christ?
It would be so easy.
The answer to this riddle is strange.
Because if you love your wife or you love your kids over God then that love is lacking.
Where is the source of love?
Where does all love come from?
The answer is God.
God is love.
The only true love we have to give comes from Him.
So, it's strange, but to truly love someone you must first love God.
If you focus all your love on a person and raise them above God,
then eventually that love will run out.
People don't produce love.
God produces love.
Or is Love, rather.
To truly love your wife you have to hold Christ in a higher place in your heart than her.
To show your children the utmost passion you must submit then under God.
Your relationship with Christ should come first because through Him
you learn how to best love those you care about.
Think of this.
Would Christ ever leave me completely for another person?
Of course not!
He will never leave or forsake me.
He loves me too much.
How then can I ever cheat on my wife when she is mine?
Or this.
How many times has Christ forgiven me for a thousand offences I have brought to Him?
Literally, an uncountable number.
But He continues to forgive.
No matter what.
How then can I ever withhold Grace from my wife when she upsets me?
No, I will choose to forgive her and give Grace to her every time because it is given to me constantly.
The thing is this.
The closer your relationship with Christ is,
The better your understanding of what true Love is,
The better your relationships will be because you will desire to share love as you have received.
As you Love Christ, the characteristics of the Father will begin to become more attractive.
As you see how much you have been given, you will begin to desire to give the same.
I can promise you this.
You can not love truly and purely on your own.
You will fail eventually.
How can you not?
Where does your love come from?
Yourself?
I don't know about you,
But I am not a great candidate for love.
Not in it of myself.
We must go to the source of Perfect Love.
Only then can we love others with a pure heart.
Because the Love comes from Christ.
Through us.
That is a huge relief.
Praise God.
So much easier now to forgive.
So much easier now to commit.
So much easier now that I have the perfect example showing me how.
God loves you so much.
And because He loves, so also can you love.
Amen.

_______________________________________________
The World Race
Catch me on Twitter at NinjaZachWR
or see my pictures on Instagram at NinjaZach.

Letters To My Future Wife: Part 1

So I have been writing letters to someone I do not know yet.
Someone who God has prepared for me.
That someone is my wife.
Or future wife, rather.
I got the idea from a sister of mine that has been my friend since I was 12.
She's a brilliant women of God and I love her dearly.
Thanks, Chelse.
For those who know me, you understand that
I am what you call a "hopeless romantic."
I love love.
And when I love I give everything.
Because why hold back a gift as beautiful as love.
The only use love can ever have is to be given.
So give it all.
Anyhow, I digress.
Before I wrote the first letter I expected the activity to be a
fun thing I could do for whoever I ended up with.
Just another romantic thing that would "blow away" the girl I chose.
Wow, was I wrong.
Immediately after I wrote the first letter, God started me on a spiritual journey.
It changed everything about how I view marriage.
This is not a joke.
God took away any attraction to any women I see.
Like, no longer do I desire the outward appearance of women.
Lust has no place in my heart any longer.
Praise praise praise God.
The reason?
God told me about my wife.
The one He has already chosen for me.
The one He had chosen for me before I was even born.
If He has chosen her for me than she is already mine.
Right now.
And I am hers.
Right now.
Does that not blow your mind?
Do you know how much that solves?
Single people. Hear me.
God has someone chosen for you right now.
In this moment.
Set apart uniquely for you!
You do not have to seek.
You do not have to worry about waiting.
He or she is yours.
Now listen to this.
If that is true. If they are already yours.
If you are set apart for them and they for you.
Then to spend any time pursuing or seeking another person is cheating.
It is adultery.
Whether you are with your future wife/husband or not.
Whether you know who they are or you don't.
It is cheating.
If God has already chosen them to be yours for eternity
than why waste time with someone else?
I can no longer believe that it is God's desire that we "test out" people
romantically before finding the "one."
Do you truly believe God wants you to experience
multiple persons before you find your actual love?
Because you do know that the entire institute of marriage is only created
to be an example of Christ's relationship to the Church.
With our relationship to God.
That is literally the only reason marriage exists.
With that, do you truly believe God wants us to experience or seek
other gods or persons or idols before we finally find Him?
If you do you are dead wrong.
In the same way, it can not be His desire that we seek other persons
before we finally find our spouse.
God will not let you waste time with other people
if you are diligently seeking your future spouse.
The first thing you should do as soon as you begin to feel attraction or desire
for a person is to separate yourself from them and diligently ask God,
"Father, is this person going to be my future husband/wife?"
He will answer.
God is not going to let you choose someone who He has not chosen for you
if you are truly seeking the one He has chosen for you.
That is a big if.
Because you can choose wrong.
*SPOILER*
You can end up with someone who you are not supposed to be with.
You can settle.
If you are not seeking the person God has chosen for you.
The Enemy does not want you to end up with the man or women God desires for you.
Because He knows that will bring you joy and bring Him glory.
That is why God has chosen them.
Your joy and His glory.
The Enemy will try anything to separate you from them.
Know your weakness and your strength.
If you are alive, you desire a human connection.
You desire someone to fill your soul with love.
The only options you have are God and people.
Sometimes God just desires you to only desire Him.
God bless the people He has chosen for that.
But mostly, God has chosen people to share love with another person.
To make two people one for their entire lives.
Hallelujah.
Because the Enemy knows the holy desire that God has given you,
he will try to taint it and twist it.
With lust. With sexual desires. With other people.
Even if they are Godly people.
If they are not who God has chosen for you the Enemy can use it to destroy you.
Guard your hearts.
Make a decision today.
Sit down right now and pray for your Father to take away
any desire for anyone other than your future spouse.
Waiting becomes so much easier when you realize that they are already yours.
And where frustration for waiting used to be, excitement for what will be explodes.
Do not waste time.
Do not settle.
Your future husband/wife is somewhere right now waiting for the day
that you appear in their lives and become one with their souls.
Do not suffer them any longer with seeking a love that is not theirs.
They do not deserve it.
Women:
He deserves you.
And you deserve her.
Men:
She deserves you.
And you deserve him.
Go write a letter.
Tell your future spouse how much you love he/her.
Amen. You lovers, you.

_______________________________________________
The World Race
Catch me on Twitter at NinjaZachWR
or see my pictures on Instagram at NinjaZach.