TRUTH Inside the Prophetic Stance

 "Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;" Ephesians 6:13-14
 
The Kingdom of God has always suffered violence from the moment sin entered the earth thru one man's disobedience. From the days of Noah, Moses, Joshua, David, Jesus & Apostle Paul, to name a few, the truth and light of God's Kingdom always had to prevail against the kingdom of darkness. Ephesians 6 tells us that our fight isn't against people, but the 1/3 of the angels (demonic spirits) that fell with Lucifer. He hates God, and the only way he can fight God is to distort His creation and bait humanity to play out the devil's playbook. 

 
Ephesians also shows us that the power of our prophetic stance is laid out inside our battle armor. This armor is not just a garment to protect us, but also the backing of strength and power of our weapons. God is our Commander and Chief, and because nothing takes Him unaware, our first assignment is to have our ear, to His mouth. That alone will keep you ahead of the game/fight. Every fight is different, so you can never go into battle with the last mission or charge in your ear.
 
The first weapon/garment of choice is to "gird your loins with TRUTH." Isn't it ironic that the first garment is not our headgear, but our waist? The enemy dwells in the dark and is a master at lying to God's people. No man can fight, stand, or walk in the light of the Kingdom, without knowing the truth of what God said and is saying. Not only do we fight the good fight of faith, but also the truth. Without truth, then lies, distraction, deception, offense, and unforgiveness runs its course in our lives, and the rest of the armor becomes ineffective for battle. Your loins are also the center of your body, which God's truth keeps you erected and balanced. This alone is a strong weapon of defense and offense.
 
Once your loins are protected, then we put on the “breastplate of righteousness.” This armor is imperative to keeping your heart right. Matt. 15:18 says what comes out of our heart is what defiles a man. Many people are walking and doing ministry defiled.  We get discouraged and disappointed by the people we encounter because offended people offend others. This piece of armor protects your heart and keeps you open to your Commander and Chief to reveal residue that can build up on your journey.  We remain in right standing with God when we allow the Holy Spirit to do the inner work in our life.  This armor/garment is crucial so TRUTH can be released in love and in right standing.
 
The 3rd garment has to do with our ability to walk, fight, stand, and run. He tells us to "shod our feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace." 2 Tim. 4:2 refers to us being ready in season and out of season, and 2 Cor 5:19 says we are ministers of reconciliation. We have been called out of darkness to show forth his marvelous light. It didn't say we got saved just to go to church. The world is searching and trying to fill voids in their lives. They are turned off from the Bible toters, giving out scriptures they do not follow. We are to be the light of the world, salt of the earth, and God's expressions in our everyday lifestyles, making us a living epistle that will draw the people to Him.
 
Now we take the "Shield of faith" in our left hand that becomes a weapon of defense and offense against the fiery darts that life can throw our way. Faith is believing what God said, not what you see. What you see will always be contrary to what God is doing. Heb. 11:6 says it is IMPOSSIBLE for you to please God without faith. Why? Because we rob God of what He wants to do in the earth. Rms. 8 says that the flesh opposes the spirit. Your faith that is rooted in truth is a shield against the inner conversations and what life is presenting to you. What keeps this weapon/garment strong is when it’s undergirded with patience. Patience strengthens our faith inside of being developed, transformed, and equipped for what God is bringing us into. This garment/armor is what’s needed to fortify our TRUTH.
 
Now let's put on "the helmet of salvation." Your mind is like the steering wheel of a car, which controls the direction of where your car goes. Rms. 12:2 tells us to renew the mind so that the mind of Christ will begin to influence the decisions we make. Therefore, this garment is crucial to remaining in the truth of God's word, because the enemy comes to lure us into the darkness of our imaginations. 2 Cor. 10:5 tells us to cast down every thought that exalts itself against what God already said in His word and what the Holy Spirit revealed. Protecting your mind is crucial so when things happen in life, you do not play out the enemy's plays of offense, bitterness, and intimidation, etc.
 
And last but not least, let’s hold the "sword of the spirit," in our right hand, which is the word of God that is quick, alive, and powerful than any two-edged sword. Life and death are in the power of your tongue and God has given us the same authority as Jesus because we are joint-heirs. By your words, you empower either the Kingdom of God or the kingdom of darkness over your life. By your words of faith, you operate in the same authority as Jesus, and by your words of doubt, murmuring, and fear you give your authority over to the devil.
 
When faith (shield) is in one hand, the word (sword) in the other hand, and truth (belt) around our loins, this causes a balance in our prophetic stance and causes us to rise up as effective warriors in God’s Kingdom. Beloved, let us arise in the armor that Jesus paid the price for by His death, burial and resurrection, so the sons of God can arise fully clothed for battle. The Kingdom of LIGHT is still at war against the kingdom of darkness.
 
Karen M. Presley
Kingdom Ambassador
 
Apostle, Church of Zion Deliverance Ministries
Founder, Daughters of Zion Empowerment Center
CEO, Anointed Press Graphics, Inc.

The Harvest of the Latter and Former Rains

The word of the Lord is filled with the principles and patterns of the Kingdom; and it speaks to God’s way of doing things. Jesus spoke in parables and revealed the mysteries of the operation and application of the Kingdom.

The decade of the mouth, breathe and 2 edge sword of God

God lives inside of His calendar system. Although the earth, generation, and our world system constantly changes and evolves, God never changes. He is the same yesterday, today and forevermore. We go by the Gregorian calendar, (January - December); but God moves by the Hebrew calendar (Passover - Yom Kippur (Atonement)). Out of the multiple feast days, God said 3 of them we were to honor (Exo.23). These feast days were set apart times that God set to honor and release a blessing upon those who came before Him. [Feast of Passover, Pentecost, Yom Kippur (Atonement)]

Genesis 8:22 reveals that as long as the earth remaineth there will be (1) seed, (2) time, and (3) harvest (seedtime & harvest) . Many times we have allowed what we saw to determine God’s hand moving in our lives, which brought us sometimes to frustration instead of gratitude.

Mark 4:26-29, reveals about the progression of our harvest; first the blade, then ear, then the full corn or shall I say harvest. It also says in vs. 20, that when the word falls on the good ground of our heart, it brings forth fruit; 30, 60, & 100 fold return. Many times we do not see the progression of our labor in the Kingdom, because we are more focus on the PRIZE, END RESULT, or the FINISH LINE.

Thriving in the Kingdom of God is about a JOURNEY with God. A journey of transformation, healing, development, and increase. When we learn to appreciate our journey with the Lord, and how He moves in our lives; we will begin to grow in new dimensions of fruitfulness and maturity.

Let me take a minute to talk about seed, time and harvest.

Seed is every form of obedience to the Lord; your money, time, talent, service, kindness, prayer, worship, and sacrifices, etc.

Harvest is the fruit, increase, open doors, answered prayers, gifting, and new dimensions of His presence and power, etc.

TIME is the space between our obedience and us seeing what the Lord promised. What you do here is critical to you seeing the fullness of what God promised.

As I stated earlier, the Lord moves inside of His calendar system that is predicated between His feast days. Scriptures talks about the latter and former rain. Rain is a key element that brings increase to God’s creation on earth. The Bible says God gives rain as a blessing upon Israel’s crop during the latter and former seasons. It is the same today; the rain that falls in the Spring and Fall causes our earth/crops to increase.

Although their are spiritual meanings of the latter and former rain of God; for the sake of this message I want to stick with rain that brings the increase. John 15 talks about God being the vinedresser who watches over His garden. Like any garden, we sow seeds and during the process of time the seed has to break open and begins to make its way through the soil to break forth out of the ground and continue to full maturity. Vinedressers or farmers tend to the ground to ensure no weeds choke their harvest.

During the process called “time,” it is our faith that is being tested. If we let patience have her perfect work in us, then we begin to allow maturity to take place in us. When God begins to release His rain upon our seed, where will He find you? Did you stop believing? Did you drive over to a place called frustration, complaining, anger or disappointment? Don’t allow the little foxes to spoil your whole vine and leavens to spoil the whole lump.

Learn to ENJOY the journey of progression, transformation and how God extends His grace to you daily. Discover what the fruit of His 30 and 60 folds or the blade and ear looks like in your life, knowing you are on your way to the full crop. Perform heart checks and examine yourself and see if their be anything in you that would cause your seed to not sprout at the times of the rain.

Remember, the scriptures says we are called the trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He might be glorified. It doesn’t glorify our Father if we are unfruitful; so the Lord is FOR you and not against you. His thoughts towards you are peace and not evil, to give you an expected end.

Be faithful INSIDE of your journey called time, so when the rain is released it can begin to bring forth 100 fold returns.

Karen M. Presley

Kingdom Ambassador

www.karenpresley.org

Apostle of Church of Zion Deliverance Ministries

CEO of Anointed Press Graphics, Inc.

Founder of Daughters of Zion Empowerment Center

The Lord invites you to honor Him with us in the crossing over into the 5781 Rosh Hashanah/Yom Kippur New Year by sowing a sacrificial seed offering into good ground with soil that is rich in fervent prayers of intercession concerning the "greater move & harvest" of the Lord.

CashApp $ChurchofZion or Mail: Church of Zion, 11191 Crain Highway, Cheltenham, MD 20623

Living a “Life of Sacrifice” BUT not “Obedience” to the Lord Makes us a False Witness

When I became a pastor, I would see and hear God through all of His creation and systems in the world.  I asked Him, what is this about?  He said, “I have given you a Kingdom message, but how do you know how the Kingdom operates.”  He began to open my understanding in such a precedence way, concerning how His Kingdom operates.

There is only 1 God and it is His covenant that we preach, pray, and worship from.  Gravity is an invisible law, that if violated, no matter who you are or your status, it will bring a negative impact.  God’s Kingdom is an invisible Kingdom, not something you can observe, but it lives inside of every born-again spirit.   So like gravity, God’s Kingdom has principles and patterns, that if violated, bring about negative effects.

When things don’t go the way we intended, we become offended with God and man.  Prov. 18:19 says, “A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city...”  When you live a life of sacrifice, you look at ALL the things you did for the church, God, your pastor, and even those you serve.  You look at what you stop doing, or what you started doing all in the “name of God.” You look at your works before God, and a sense of entitlement grows in your heart because YOU are doing XYZ.  This attitude also carries the mindset of God understands my heart - vs - having the God kind of heart, like David.

We also become a FALSE witness in the earth about who God is because God’s Kingdom is not the same as our church service.  People ONLY see God through our lives and Acts 1:8 says we are to be a testament of His power in the earth, like Jesus was when He walked the earth.  John 14:12 says, “...he that believe on me, the works that I do he do also; and greater works...”  Daniel 11:32 says, “... but the people that do know their God shall be strong and do exploits.”

A witness is defined as: a person who sees an event, evidence, & proof.  Jesus came preaching, the Kingdom of God is here, and He went around demonstrating the power of the Kingdom.  1 Cor. 4:20 says, “For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.”

The Kingdom of God is the governing authority and ruling power, that the sons of God operate from.  After your salvation experience, the word of God challenges us to GROW UP into our Sonship authority.   The earth responds to the sons of God in righteousness.  So with all this being said, we must become like Paul in 1 Corinthians 13 ...and put away the childish things, subdue or put our the flesh in check, and build our spirit man up so we can become God’s army and a testament of His power in the earth. 

I conclude with Joshua 1:2 says, “Moses my servant is dead; now, therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel.”  In this context of the baton being passed from Moses to Joshua; Moses represents the OLD system, your last season, the religious routine, church how it used to be is DEAD; NOW arise and change your position and posture before the Lord.  Man shall not live by your works and the systems of the world, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.

BEFORE the pandemic, the spirit of religion robbed the church from its true power; but POST pandemic, the spirit of religion will kill you.  

The Lord loves us so much, that He is speaking repentance, because repentance is always the first place to go, for the Lord to shift our steps.

Karen M. Presley

Kingdom Ambassador

KarenPresley.org

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The Key, The Cylinder, and The Door in the Kingdom

The word of the Lord says that God’s thoughts and ways are higher than our thoughts and ways and how He will take the foolish things to confound the wise.  In the book of Acts, chapter 10 describes one of many accounts, where the wisdom of God superseded the wisdom of man.

In order for God to do anything on the earth, He needs a man to cooperate with His agenda.  We know in part and we prophecy in part and NO ONE person, knows or have all of what is in God’s mind.  The Bible is filled with the wonders, splendors and the many facets of His demonstrations.  If we could box God in and depict His next move, He would not be God and we would not need faith to please Him.

Acts 10 reveals God’s will to bring about salvation to the Gentiles because of one man’s reverence toward Him.  This account also reveals that God is not a witch and cannot ZAP His plans or snap His fingers to get things done; but how He carefully works through people to release His purpose.  God gave Cornelius instructions to search out a man name Peter.  Now what makes Peter so special -- is that he was one of the 12 disciples, the one who walked on water, the one who cut off the soldier ear at Jesus’ defense, the one who received revelation from the Father about who Jesus was, one of the 3 in Jesus’ inner court, the one who denied knowing Jesus, and the one who preached at Pentecost where 3,000 souls were saved.  However, no matter what Peter’s past resume was, God had to prepare him for his next assignment that would go against his logic.  While Peter was in a trance, God spoke three times, “Don’t call unclean, what I have called clean.”  That word prepared Peter to go with the men who appeared at his door.

Peter’s ability to keep following the leadership of the Spirit enabled God to carry out His full plan of salvation to the Gentiles.  Many times, we start off following God, but somewhere in route, we bring too much of our own logic, man-made prodigals, religious (old-wineskin) mentalities into God’s playing field, which hinders the purposes of the Kingdom. 

Peter, represents the cylinder as well as leaders and generals in the Kingdom; however, Cornelius represents the key, and the remnant that will not look like the present leaders and how people are doing it now.  When the key and the cylinder come together it unlocks the door in God’s Kingdom that releases what Heaven wants to release on the earth.  Here lies the problem.  If Peter would have gotten into his own thoughts when he approached Cornelius, it would have robbed God of what He was releasing in the earth.  The door would have never opened because God needs the key and the cylinder to come together the way He purposed it to unlock His greater purpose.

As it is in the natural, so it is in the spirit; keys have been uniquely cut for its cylinder; likewise, so is the person that God joins.  Many times, senior leaders are developing emerging  leaders after their own order, principles and what they want and not so much the order and principles of the Kingdom of God.  When we do that, we end up “un-cutting” the uniqueness in the key that the Father crafted; and the key the Father crafted was to unlock something significant that the Father is releasing.  One person will NEVER be the key, cylinder and the door.  Be careful that you are not fighting God concerning who He joined you with, because you want to dictate, control and manipulate the relationship that God joined.  When that happens, it robs God of the greater demonstration that He intended by the two coming together.  We all have a voice and we are all pieces of God’s puzzle, just like we are all apart of the tapestry of the Kingdom.

Karen M. Presley

Kingdom Ambassador

www.karenpresley.org