Woman! You will want to be his master, but he will be yours!

Woman! You will want to be his master, but he will be yours!

The family dynamics have changed over the last thirty years. Women have left the home life and entered the workforce. Child care programs have skyrocketed since the 1970's. The equality movement between the sexes in America has peaked. Men have seen dramatic changes in the role of women in the home and the workforce. Is this God's best for the family structure?

I am no critic of the women's liberation movement, but I am totally for restoring the family structure for the purpose of raising healthy children. So, I will expound on the traditional family roles that is God's best as in Genesis 3.

In the creation account, God created male and female. One of the major purposes of the male and female was to reproduce after its kind. God allowed Adam to see Him create male and female animals and understand their purpose before He gave Adam, Eve. All the animals had opposites, the male carried the seed and the female the egg. Each of the sexes were purposed to mate and create new life.

Evil had a conspiracy to reduce God's best for mankind to non existence. The overall plan took effect when Eve was approached in the garden of Eden by the Serpent. He challenged her to do what God said not to do; she ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil and feed Adam too. Together, Adam and Eve disobeyed God and were no longer connected to Him. Immediately, they became servants of Sin.

God deals with the first couple and evil with punishment. As with the natural order of physical brokenness, there is pain. Pain brings a feeling of discomfort. The pain reminds us that something is wrong that needs fixing. The pain, the unwanted feeling, teaches us that we must correct our actions to avoid repeating the feeling. As a child, I continued to put my hand toward the hot stove until I was burned. That hurt! I learned that fire is hot. I have not put my hand too close to the fire ever again.

In Genesis 3, pain is the punishment for all three parties involved in the garden of Eden. Man, Woman, and the Serpent were punished for disobedience to God. We still see the effects of the fall of mankind in the garden of Eden.

The key themes in Genesis 3 sets the tone for humanity's role throughout life in the earth. God does not change His mind, neither does He change the order of creation. Man still carries the seed, woman still has the womb, sin still exists, and humanity continues to experience pain. So what does all this mean?

As a Christian, we must accept the natural order of things as God's best and see the spiritual order as God's law for eternity. The focus here is on the natural order. The family is most important to consider because it is the breeding ground of humanity as we know it today.

Woman experience pain when she brings forth life. A man experiences pain when he works to sustain life. Both experience pain as a result of the curse in Genesis 3.

Sin desires to control humanity. Woman desires to control her husband. God tells Cain that sin wants to rule but he must take control. God tells the woman that she wants to control her husband, but he will rule over her. I discuss this in detail in "Before I Say I Do".  Adam takes his authority over the woman when he names her "Eve".  Through Christ, we have authority over Sin! Even though the physical effects remain, we have already beat Sin through the effects of the cross. This is done first in the spirit and will transfer in the physical in the resurrection of humanity later.

Today, the family's focus is to raise children in recognition of God's best. We have a lot of dysfunctional families and broken homes in society.  What would a functional family look like? Let us examine a family through the lens of Gods best.

The man is the head of the family. The woman is his helpmeet. The children are to be raised up with a clear view of these roles. A woman must respect her husband's authority as headship. Sarah called Abraham her lord. This is in unison of the doctrine of male headship.

The Apostle Paul teaches that the man must love his wife as himself. Therefore, he treats her with a peculiar love. A love that shows! Love is explained in 1 Cor 14:4 as being patient, kind, not envious or boastful, not arrogant. Using the terms of the apostle towards mans love with his wife, he rules with love and not with iron. Another explanation of this relationship compares his role as Christ's role in the church.

The church is considered the bride of Christ. Man is to rule over his bride in the same manner as Christ with the church. Both Christ and the husband share similar love for the wife. He treats his wife in a manner that is reflective in daily living. He does not abuse his power. His role is to provide, protect, educate, and maintain his home. Her role is to respect his authority. In the garden, she is noted as wanting to take charge.  While this role has become dominant in today's family, it undermines God's best. Overruling headship brings on a weakness in the family structure and kills that foundation of the family. Members of the body of Christ that undermine Christ are considered thieves and robbers who will not inherit the kingdom of Heaven. If God makes it clear about those professing to be followers of Christ but not accepting his Lordship as reprobates, then certainly a wife not in subjection to her husband is hurting the foundation of her family.

To be frank, men have become weak because their fathers have been denied headship in their households. A woman says she wants a husband, but she must be willing to accept her role as a wife. Roles are meant to define order in any environment. In the family, husband and wife must work together as one; just as the father, son, and spirit relationship as well as Christ and the church.

Sick and a Saint: Is this right?

I counseled with her after 11 years of kidney failure and she has gotten worse. There are many Christians that have become ill after service to the Lord and have not grown better. In those cases, after the saints have fasted and prayed, faith has been upheld for some time, why haven't they condition bettered?

In  years of ministry and facing my own afflictions, I found that each condition a person has is conditional and therefore must be handled individually. There is healing in Jesus' name. There is forgiveness of Sin in Jesus' blood. There is power to rebuke any presenting conditions that sick saints may face. Why are they not being healed?

First, God honors a man's true heart. As Christians, we must honor God back by simply believing the Gospel message. Jesus always told the disciples, "I have you not ignorant...". Ignorance is the main culprit to not accepting the healing power of God.

Second, a Christian must fix their heart with God. To believe in the Gospel is the first step to beating sickness. The apostles taught, "repent and believe the Gospel". The Gospel is the good news of Jesus' work of salvation. Through the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus, we have the power to be healed. Some teach that the 39 lashes Jesus took with the beating of the whip, ripped open his flesh, was paying for our Sin. He had no Sin in Him. The cross is where He laid down His life for us to be re-united with God. The grave was purposed to remove the power of Death. His resurrection was God sponsored and gave Him all power.

Third, a sick Christian must believe this to be true. All God wants mankind to do is believe that He made it possible for us to be whole again. Once we believe that in our heart, then God comes upon our human flesh and restore it to completeness again. "Only Believe" is what God says for you to do. He does the rest.

Let me tell you that to believe is not an act of head faith but heart faith. To understand heart faith, one must study God's word and accept it at face value. You need a good teacher on the healing subject. One must act upon the healing by correct confession. Your thinking has to be in total agreement with God. You must correct anyone speaking on behalf of the sickness that is presenting to you. You must act as if the sickness is not there, speaking to it by cancellation.

Finally, think about this my brethren! An old man was searching the Internet in his home office when he heard a knock on the front door. He stood on his feet and went to the door. He looked through the peephole and saw it was a delivery man. He opened the door and the delivery guy said, "its a delivery for you sir, please sign". The old man looked at the package and told the delivery man, "I didn't order anything like this, I won't accept it". The delivery man said, "sir, it has your name and address, please sign here". The old man said, "I refuse, return it to the sender". As he said that, the delivery man wrote on the package, refused, return to sender and he left the old man standing at the door.

We have to learn how to use God's word to refuse sickness and disease by returning it back to the sender. It takes your faith in the Gospel message of Jesus Christ to do it and the power of God to come upon your flesh to make the repairs. Only believe!

For some people, healing is instantly. For others healing is progressive. In all cases of healing, it is declared miraculous. Healing comes from the Father, through His Holy Spirit, by the power of the blood of Jesus. I declare you healed right now. Amen

Now DO THIS!

Truly I am,

Apostle Lockley 

Go back to where the enemy fought you the hardest!

Christian soldiers! Go back to the area of strongest resistance! In warfare, the enemy has a stronghold on the area he wishes to keep you out of. You will know when you reached this place because you will experience massive attacks ( when it rains it pours or everything but the kitchen sink). Contact me so I may counsel and pray with you while you go through these attacks.  Your objective is to kill the enemy and enjoy the spoils.

 Happy Combat,

Apostle Lockley

Men ought to always pray!

Wake up men, Pray!

In Christian doctrine, God is recorded as creating male before the female. God makes the world livable through a serious of stages mentioned in the book of Genesis, then He forms man. The story emphasizes how he made man and gave him dominion and power over everything in the earth realm. This is exhibited by man, known as Adam, giving a name to every creature God created and brought before him.

God is recorded in Genesis as putting man in a deep sleep and extracting one of his bones (ribs) from his side and creating the woman, Eve. Eve represented the completeness of Adam. Her strength was Adam’s weakness. Together, the couple had perfection in sustaining their earthly throne.

Man was created to rule whatever he declares his domain. Therefore, his wife, children, and home belongs to him. He is to rule over them with love and not a rod. Because he loves what is his, he provides and protects them. It is his love that dictates his power over them. His love is also steered into play by his connection to the Father. God, in return, shares in man’s responsibility to rule in his domain.

A man who has God, is a man who rules well. Men ought to always pray because without the Godly connection in life, it is easy to be sidetracked with the snares and darts the enemy launches each day. In fact, the enemy is known by the name, accuser of the brethren, because he reports to God all the sinful acts and desires that man indulges in. The accuser hopes that God will give him permission to destroy that man.

Men ought to always pray because, God sometimes allow the enemy to interfere with our daily living. As a man out of touch with God, the accuser does not need God’s permission, because a backsliding man is already out of God’s covering. The accuser then acts as the devil, to destroy that backsliding man unto death, if he could and sometimes does.

When a man prays, he stands under the protection of God. Through the gospel of Jesus Christ, he stands in the blood of Jesus and is seen as perfect in God’s view; God then responds with the Fatherly love that man has for his wife and family. God’s provision to man becomes man’s provision to his household.

Note: A man’s prayer covers his entire generation, and everything he is connected to. (Study the Abraham and Lot story- God did not destroy Lot’s family in Sodom and Gomorrah, even though they were in a backslidden state. He provided a way of escape for them if they really wanted out. God told Abraham his intentions to destroy the cities beforehand, and because of their relationship, saved Lot’s family)

Truly I am,

Apostle Lockley

On the battlefield for Christ and exhausted!

On the battlefield for Christ and exhausted!

John 6:21... and immediately the ship was at the land whither they went

On the battlefield for Christ and exhausted! It is the enemies intention to wear mankind down while striving to live holy. To avoid exhaustion in Christianity, one must focus on playing the right role. 

I fought in the 1991 Gulf War. It was mentally challenging as I dealt with the pressures of life and death. The enemy was launching SCUD missiles all night and day. Our forces were attempting to intercept the missiles in mid-air to avoid his intended targets from being destroyed.  In a camp next to where I lived, the enemy appeared successful as one missile landed untouched. Soldiers died.

Overall, while there was minimal life lost in that war, some soldiers were mentally and physically wounded.  The military offered us some R and R to de-stress and maintain our faculties. This R &R was great and did what it was intended to do and soldiers returned back to duty.

In Christianity, it is not man’s role to physically fight against any circumstances. Man is to watch and pray for enemy movement and then use faith to deal with the circumstances. The Godhead fights the battle and provides protection. He never misses intercepting the enemies missiles  but He just may allow one to come through. Some times what we think we are going through is unfair but in God’s plan it is for your future benefit.

Our human emotion, anger, is a blessing in disguise. Anger (that is under control) is a healthy emotion that moves us to respond with forceful reactions to a circumstance. Some experts say when we get angry, its fight of flight that determine the results of a circumstance.

A man walking down the street faced a nagging dog that barked after him without stopping. The man stopped and told the dog to flee, the dog ignored him and continued barking at him. When the man stomped his foot and screamed flee, the dog retreated and left him alone.

In this scenario  the man used his anger to free him of the annoying dog. On the Christian battlefield we don’t use our anger correctly. We allow the enemy to come against us and hurt us. Instead of using our faith to fight the enemy, we flee giving our opponent the upper hand.

Jesus understands how weak we are at attending to life issues and our faith thereof.  He provides His word for us to grow stronger. When we don’t feed off the Word, then we fail to gain the power to stomp at the enemy and make him flee. Like the disciples in the boat, when Jesus did enter the sinking boat, John’s gospel makes sure to mention that the boat was immediately onshore. The disciples alone, were physically and mentally tired to continue the journey successfully.

Unfortunately, when Jesus allows us rest from circumstances it could mean experiencing a prolonged illness and then recover, it could be moving to a new city, it could be switching careers, forced options or even death. These are just a few things that we may experience. On the other hand, we could get some R and R at a nice resort or comfortable spot and return back with better faculties to deal with our issues. It is all dependent upon God’s will for your life. Sometimes He allows more time and sometimes He permits death, there are no guarantees. One needs to be in right standing with the Godhead at all times. (Repent and believe the gospel)

We can’t blame God for our problems. God is not in the hurting business, Satan is. We have all the tools to guard against the enemies tactics found in the Word. Trusting and believing in the Trinity is what is needed to survive an attack. Use your anger about the situation you are experiencing to trigger a Godly response to deal with it. (If a man lacks wisdom, ask God)

Fight the good fight of faith to overcome the enemy. Use your anger as a tool to stand on the promises in God’s word. Shout, because with God doing the fighting for you, its a win win outcome.

Truly I Am,

Apostle Lockley

Daily Bread

We spend a lifetime in fellowship with the Father to prepare for an eternal relationship with Him.

Apostle Lockley

Gospel Minute

It's God who shows up big-time. Its' us who must believe that He will. 

APOSTLE LOCKLEY 

Pastors As People: Serving and Suffering

Pastors As People: Serving and Suffering

A Pastor’s Rebuttal on Church Discipline: Responding to the Mars Hill Controversy

A Pastor’s Rebuttal on Church Discipline: Responding to the Mars Hill Controversy

Meeting Social Obligations (Part I)

Meeting social obligations (Part I)

Matthew 17:24-27

The temple tax known as the two drachma tax was established in Exodus 30: 13-16. Jesus and the apostles faced the temptation of meeting the tax obligation. The story is told in the gospel of Matthew, who was by trade, a former tax collector himself. The other gospels are silent about this situation of Jesus and the duty to pay taxes.

The story has great weight when it comes down to the responsibilities of the Christian and his or her social obligations. While is is convenient to avoid all cost that are unnecessary, the apostle Paul teaches that it is practical to sacrifice your own priorities for the sake of the gospel. This means that the gospel witness should be evident in our own lives. We should not avoid social obligations that appear senseless but prayerfully consider meeting them.

Jesus is exempt as a priest from paying the temple tax, but apostle Peter volunteers him when the tax collectors questioned whether they would pay the tax. When Peter walks into the house, Jesus already knows about the responsibility he was just committed to. Jesus asks Peter if the kings kids are exempt from paying taxes. Of course the kings kids are exempt and strangers should pay the tax, but this kingdom is earthly.

The temple tax is equal to two day’s wages. Jesus makes it clear to Peter that they will pay the tax. However, they had no money to pay it. The tax due in this story represents the creditors that are binding you to obligations. Pay the tax! Of course, you don’t have the money, do you? Though this was annual taxation, it is two days worth of wages that must be paid.

The apostles had left all they owned in pursuit of following Jesus. This scenario is applicable to many Christians whom forsake the worldly way of survival to depend on the system of the kingdom of Heaven. We leave all, and it seems like because there may not be a surplus that we are indeed poor. According to earthly terms, we are physically poor. However, having left all in pursuit of heaven makes us a kings kid. Therefore we may owe the worldly system a financial mountain but God makes a way for us to conquer it. He does things like that with Simon Peter, go fish, open the fish mouth, get the money, pay the tax for both of us.

(End Part I)
Truly I am,

Apostle Lockley



www.HyperSmash.com

Bad meaning Good

Bad MEANING Good

Have you had so many bad things happen all at once or within a short period of time? When the series of bad things happen, the first thing that may come to mind is “what did I do to deserve this?”. The Bible holds a scripture that says that it rains on the just and the unjust alike. In other words, if you are human, expect bad things to present themselves in your life. Sometimes, its all at once and other times its spaced appropriately.

In Genesis 3, Adam and Eve disobeyed God and fell slaves to the Sin nature. They took on Sin and we earned it in the inheritance of genetic endowment. In other words, all men were born into sin and are separated from God from inside the mother’s womb.  

There are two ways to escape the Sin nature. The first way to escape the sin nature is to be born outside of it. To be born without sin you would need a father that was without sin in his flesh, only Jesus has such prestige. The other way to escape the Sin nature is to accept Jesus’ work on the cross. However, what the second way of escape does is provide an intercessor for us to God. Our sinful ways are overlooked by God in exchange for what Jesus did on the cross.

 

When Jesus returns to rapture the church, we will experience the full escape from the sin nature. We will enjoy direct fellowship with the Father, and live a sin free lifestyle. It is this type of relationship that Father God seeks with humanity. So, presently we worship the Father through an intercessory relationship (Jesus). Scripture states that God put on human flesh so that we may have a way to have a relationship with Him.

God did all this for us! He provided a way of escape from the Sin nature so that we may enter a relationship with Him. If God went through all this effort to provide a way back to him, then certainly He will see us through all the bad things we go through.

I hear you! Then why does He allow us to suffer these bad things. First, God does not

 send these bad things, he simply allows it. (Read about Job and his sufferings)  Next, we must see God as our master-builder. As a master-builder  God looks at every situation we enter and determine if it is beneficial for us to grow towards our destiny. If it does not fit the plans, God disallows Satan to tempt us.  God takes the bad things we face and us it to make us better people.

  

Finally, it is God’s desire that we worship Him. As our creator, He desires that we WORSHIP Him in this life and promises great benefits for those choosing to do so in the next life.  I get many preachers that shun what I am telling you right now. They shun me from speaking this in their pulpits because they don’t have the revelation of what I know. As an apostle of Christ, I was shown many of the things I write about and there is so much more that I must share about the after life in the kingdom of Heaven.

Remember that in kingdom of Heaven, FAITH is LAW!

Truly I am,

 

Apostle Lockley

Your enemy may seem bigger but....

Your enemy may appear bigger than you but is not greater than you. Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. God matches you up with the biggest of the devils so that He can back you up in the first round. Its the David verses Goliath mentality that you must endorse over your affairs. You stand fully armored with the Godhead and they fight the battle in your stead. It is in your weakness that God’s strength is made perfect. Take your best shot devil! God’s power is greater! Who am I talking too? Watch, fight, and pray my brethren.

Truly I am,

Apostle Lockley

F.E.A.R.

FEAR: False Evidence Appearing Real

Making the best of the worst is a bona fide goal in the daily life of the christian. Until you humble yourself and take the power of self and put it on the side, it is impossible to prosper in the kingdom of Heaven. Spiritual prosperity works opposite of earthly prosperity. Scripture is full of scenarios where God expects the believer to leave all earthly ties and wealth in pursuit of new lifestyle with Him.

Fear gets in the way of believers selling their soul to God. This fear is stimulated from concept of the unknown. With God we must operate first from the spiritual angle and then believe Him for the manifestation of it in the natural. Fear places a damper on the Godly relationship because we fail to trust God’s word at face value. It is what it is...

We were born with all of our senses dictating the satisfaction of our needs. To satisfy hunger, we innately employ the help of the five senses to meet the need. The cycle of needs-meeting in the physical is reinforced so strong from birth until we experience God for the first time. Then it is tough to break such a cycle of needs-meeting that without it, there would be some breakdown of our intellect to do things differently.

Here is the toughest choice you will ever make in life: You must stop depending on your own senses and intellect and start to trust God for the ultimate needs-meeting experience. In Scripture, you can trace most of Jesus’ teachings to this concept of depending on God for needs-meeting  The disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray. The Our Father Prayer is what he taught. In this prayer, Jesus gives heavy clues on the intentional relationship of dependency from man towards God. Jesus also teaches how important mankind is to God. If God fed the birds, and made sure the blades of grass were green, then why would God miss feeding mankind. The provision is not just for believers, but for all mankind.

So why should a man want more if God will feed him anyway? God desires that man build a relationship with Him. From Genesis to Revelation scripture, God is viewed as one seeking to spend time with His people. However, the main issue that disturbs the relationship is Sin. Sin separates man from God because God is holy. Through Jesus’ work of the cross, Sin was defeated and we whom accept this work are no longer sinful but saved.


The cross is the tangible expression of God’s grace for mankind. It is the way in which man finally has direct rights to build a relationship with the Trinity (Father, Son, Holy Spirit).  It is the relationship in which the Father seeks with mankind through the act of worship.

FEAR places a blindfold on man towards the obvious desire of God, which is worshiping the father. Sin places hardship on mankind that calls him to duty for basic survival skills. With a strong focus of daily living, God is left out to fit in where he may get in. Man is guilty for trying to feed himself, place a roof over his head by himself, stay healthy, raise a family, and continue the cycle each generation.  FEAR becomes the taskmaster of our faith growth in God and as a result, man stays true to the needs of this world over a good divine relationship.

False evidence appearing real is only a myth of the flesh. To change the way you conduct life, start by desire. You must desire to change your current traditions of meeting daily needs and trust God to guide you. The path is clearly different for every believer; no two individuals are the same. God has a specific path that you must take to change directions.

Here is a life pill:

Remember that God desires your worship and therefore will meet you where you are to change the way you do business. God expects you to go from stressing out over daily needs to blessing Him without worrying about daily needs. It means that in the correct relationship with the Father, He makes sure your daily needs are met and you spend your earthly time focusing on Him.  It is why the apostle James mentions that we must pray without ceasing.

Here is some heavy food for the advanced believer:

Jesus says that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than a rich man to enter the kingdom of Heaven.

First the eye of the needle is a small night opening at a city wall. A camel packed with all the owners goods along with the owner could not enter through the gate except the owner unpacks the camel. The owner would have to do some extra work by unloading the goods and walking them to the other side of the gate. Then the owner would walk the camel through and repack his animal before continuing on the journey.

Second, In the life of a believer  He gives up all his worldly goods as he passes from death to life. As he unpacks at outer gate, Jesus is waiting on the other side to assist him at repacking all those items he gave up. Thus, Jesus’ response to his disciples fit here, they had left everything to follow Jesus. Jesus told them that everything they forsook would be returned with interest in this life and the life to come.

Finally, it is advantageously ideal to go ahead and address your FEAR of losing materials through your transitional from death to live. God is faithful to provide for your needs miraculously. He needs only your desire to worship Him and your faith in His plan to restore you to a stress free style of living. While bad things will continue to come your way, your view will no longer allow you to be so stressed because you will learn that God is in control.

Drop fear! Pick up faith! Watch God work on your behalf as you change your focus from self to Godly provision. Worship God! 

Truly I am,
Apostle Lockley  

Therapy for the Divided Couple

Division in your couple creates deep wounds in the fabric of your relational patterns. Division is a disease of the relationship that can be compared to HIV/AIDS. A couple that can not work together is one that is susceptible to much more disaster as the relationship age. In HIV/AIDS, the immune system grows weaker and weaker. Once the antibodies are attacked and killed, the body has no way to defend causing the human body to become its own trap. Bacteria and viruses that are in the environment may be blocked off and defended against by the body, but the scenario does not apply to the infected individual.

A couple that struggles with division is one that have no walls against the pressures outside of their relationship. Other couples face similar and even more difficult issues than the at risk couple but because they work as one, the results can be healthy. Healthy couples possess resilience. Healthy couples heal quickly. This quick response to pessimistic issues is the respond and repair syndrome that can be compared to the immune system of a human.

The immune system takes on the foreign agents in the body and seeks to maintain balance without much thought from innate. This system of maintaining balance is what keeps an individual healthy. With couples, this same syndrome operates amongst the healthiest. Persons respond and seek to repair the ill spoken issues to make the couple better. This can be viewed as the equilibrium process. Any foreign pattern that presents in the relations of the couple is challenged by one or both members.

The equilibrium process in the couple presenting divisional issues is in itself unhealthy. The couple has already formed an unhealthy pattern of daily relational skill building and will need some guidance into what a healthy relationship is like. In some couples, the presenting issue may be deeper and therefore it is necessary to redact the focus on the individuals.

To focus on the individual is the most important piece of discovery that will eventually forge a new way of thinking for the future of the couple. Individual therapy from a solution focused endeavor would be ideal when attempting to work with a couple to see and meet the needs of the deadly pattern.

A good idea about the couple presenting with divisional issues is to formulate a more scientific opinion as the therapist by using metrics. 

An idea about the working couples’ relationship would be to focus on the communication and support system. Either one or both members may appear dominant. Traditional roles versus familial roles are also a focus as these beliefs dictate the manner in which these roles are played out in the couple. Punishment with reward may be present, each member of the couple may attempt to control the other through holding back on things like intercourse, affection, traditional daily chores and other areas that may be of interest to the other; such actions are unloving and unholy!

In some cases, a member of the couple may use their jealousy as fuel to destroy the reputation of the otherwise accomplished member. Extreme cases involve one spouse fantasizing about the other’s affairs inappropriately as a means to use this information to attack them later. This is an unhealthy relationship. The jealous spouse syndrome stops at nothing to get the job done. Exposure usually intercepts this type of behavior as the jealous spouse turns over a new leaf to avoid future embarrassment.

Failure of the opposite spouse is another anomaly of division and is the vehicle for the domination game within the relationship. To settle the score amongst each member, both should adopt grace as the principle motivating factor for relational growth. Towards the counselor, the couple must be transparent and full of integrity so that they can be guided in the right goals for sponsorship success. The domination game must end and the couple must for the first time in their history grow towards agreement.

Change is often a tough road to take in a life path. As a couple, change becomes difficult as two persons diverge on a path of unfamiliar feelings and experiences. A setback may easily surface between the road taken and the innate storage of memories and hidden agendas that were developed as safety nets. The walls of safety must be destroyed as new ones are developed. Grace is the motivating force which moves individuals to behave as good slaves for a new master. Slaves move in anticipation of their masters next call. Couples must also move in anticipation of their next best challenge toward a healthier life path.

A rule of thumb in developing a better relationship among couples with divisional issues is to read the other’s needs as their own. Di- means that the couple is selfishly having an individual vision. To build the couples vision, each partner must see the other’s needs as priority. A problem in role playing can be the enemy to creating a unified vision with the couple. Roles often interfere with how well one may contribute to that optimistic side of the relationship. Remember where the couple has enjoyed viewing the failure of each other, there was a negative cycle of reward in which was targeted in session and broken. The new role of each member is to celebrate the success of each other and use this energy to foster stronger ties within the couple’s framework. Creating a unified vision eradicates the need pessimistic relational patterns.

Deep wounds take time to heal. It is important that the couple be able to predict ‘good’ after focusing on unity in the new relational pattern. This is necessary in divisional issues, as fighting couples have lost sight of why they are in a covenant relationship. Thus the act of grace allows acceptance of each member’s past mistakes that may present itself in future challenges. Deep wounds in the couples’ relational pattern need expert assistance to heal properly. The couple must accept, forgive, and forget what was seen as a past threat by charging those acts to grace.

Finally, the couple must be acceptable and accountable towards each other. It is no mistake that they are together, even if they are not the soul mate type. Every relationship, across social systems and kin ships are coined by relational systemic patterns that send and receive messages for successful transmission. Without the successful transmission of communication, a relationship could not be maintained. Therefore, a couple can stay together with much work on their behalf. If the couple refuses to do the work, then it is wise to make the choice to end the couple. Count up the cost!

A prayer for you and your spouse:

Father God, Thank you for meeting my deepest needs within the role of humanity. You have provided for me a soul with whom I can share my blessed life in the earth with. Father, help me to see the weaknesses in our couple so that I may accept your wisdom in healing those areas. I realize that the couple is the foundation of the family in the earth and we must be healthy to build stronger families that reverence your perfect will for us. I thank you for allowing me to see how your plan for the kingdom of Heaven and our couple are similar. Both relationships require work, as Jesus waits for the day the church will be presented as spotless before you. I will keep my focus of the grace you gave towards mankind and extend it in my couple, patiently awaiting the day our couple finally grows into maturity. Thank You Father God! AMEN

Apostle Lockley

October 11, 2012

When God Cooks

When God Cooks...

The children of Israel waxed greatly in Egypt...  In order words, the children of Israel were blessed people before they were considered slaves, as slaves, and as they came out of slavery. 

Let’s put on our OT history lens and view the Israelites from the loins of Noah and his sons.  It was only seven generations from the Egyptian slavery event that after the flood, Noah was found asleep and naked after having an intoxicating experience.  Ham found him and alerted the other two. Shem and Japheth entered the place where he lay and walked backward, so that they would not view his nakedness.  When Noah awoke and learned what happened, he cursed his grandson Canaan of Ham; Canaan descendants would be a servant to the other’s. This curse would be lived out through the Israelites experience among the promised land ventures. This curse is now null and void, as Jesus became the curse on the cross. 

Noah blesses the God of Shem during his family conference with the boys. It is Shem’s ancestry line in which we get the Israelites. In our day, we would look down upon Noah and discredit his authority and relationship with the divine because he was drunk and asleep naked. However, in his weakest point God uses Noah to speak divine truth about the future role of his three sons. Shem’s decedents were chosen to carry the messianic line. Ham’s son is iconic for lascivious style living against the proper living for a Godly relationship. Japheth’s descendants were blessed through Shem’s work.

They way Ham handled his father’s secret is the same way Satan seeks to discredit the prophet of God today. Ham’s character is denoted by his decision to expose rather than protect. The other two son’s response shows respect and concern for their father. Shem’s action resembles God’s character. God loves us, even in our weakest points! This is illustrated in the comeback of Noah to deliver a prophetic bow to his three son’s. 

According to Scripture, there were eight souls that survived the global flood: Noah and wife, Shem and wife, Japheth and wife, Ham and wife. Each of Noah son’s are credited with re-populating the earth after the flood. However, Shem’s family takes on the spiritual attributes of man (blessed is the God of Shem), Japheth descendants gained popularity for establishing large civilizations and is recognized for intellectual attributes of mankind( blessing including enlarging territories), and Ham’s descendants, receivers of Noah’s curse (servants of servants) represent the physical attributes of mankind. All three types viewed in combination are symbolic towards the synergistic remedies needed to establish a relationship with God. All three peoples are expected to worship Father God. 

Through ancestry lines, the children of Israel were destined for greatness. Using the Noadic lens we can see the developments clearer. To inherit the promised land of Abraham, much preparation would be needed, shaping a new culture would be introduced, and other events were necessary. 

In the days of Moses’ regime, he shepherded the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt as directed and supported by Shem’s God. There were no shopping centers, luxury hotels, or at some stations, places where fresh water existed in the desert path they followed. There was no provision in plain sight for the survival of mankind. Their selected path included a dry place. 

To survive, the people of Israel had to depend totally on God! Had they been able to supply food for themselves as nomads, they would have taken the credit later in their historical future. It was God who brought them out of Israel and that is certain.

God lead them by a pillar of fire at night and a cloud by day. He allowed manna to fall from heaven in the earth six days a week to feed the people. He instructed Moses where to find fresh running water, enough for one and a half million people (some sources two and a half million) to be completely satisfied. Scripture includes language which asserts that the clothing and shoes of the Israelites did not wear; the entire time they were nomads.

Scripture records the Israelites as being a “stiff-necked” people. They were children, stubborn, uneasy to please, and was getting on God’s last nerve. It was Moses, who acted as intercessor so that God would not be so quick to destroy all of them. It would seem the absence of slavery were bonds to secure a strong tie with the God of Moses, but for some odd reason the comforts of slavery were sitting strong against the dry place of the dessert. Perhaps it was better to turn around and go back in slavery (sin) than to trust God for daily provision. 

The people of Israel tried God many times throughout their nomadic experience. At one point during foot travel, they were complaining about God’s manna. They wanted meat! God indeed allowed them to eat the meat of quail and they seemed pleased but at the moment they bit into the meat, they died. Was it really the meat they were after or was it the desire to return to Pharaoh for provision? Every instance of forsaking God’s provision, ingratitude, and or discrediting Father God is sin and blasphemy. God is provoked to anger when we have daily provision from him and desire help from another. 

Complaining about God’s cooking is not the best solution if you wish to live longer or attain a closer walk with Him. 

I don’t know who this message is for but, God is growing tired of your complaining, He’s tired of your selfish ways. He wants more of you through acts of trust in when and what He is providing for you. Stop complaining about the lack that is in your life because it is not God’s problem. He provides! You keep walking by faith, believing that every second of your life is his control. Change your ways! Become Optimistic! Become Thankful for what you do have! Give more! Worship God! Love!

We are pilgrims in the earth living by social means unto God, whom thus provides for us at every stage of life we pass through. In those stages, He provides the very best all the time. There are some wants, we misidentify as needs when petitioning God, BE CAREFUL!. Complain g about what God has provided when you are passing through a stage is not best act. In fact, you can put your own graduation on hold. This level must be repeated over and over again until you pass. Imagine the Israelites journey was only 261 miles but having the wrong spirit caused them to stay in the dry place forty years. Forty two stations were documented as places in which they took refuge. 

My three year old daughter always jumps in the car and sits under the steering wheel. Her request, daddy let me drive! I could honor her request but if I did, we could end up hurt or dead because her stage of development is not ready to handle a two thousand pound vehicle.  It is too much responsibility for her at this time. We are similar with God. We ask our daddy to give us keys to situations, we are not apt to handle and eventually free will gives us those keys. 

We destroy our own lives by rebuking our Father’s supply of daily bread. Our Manna!

When God Cooks, He provides the perfect meals for our  spiritual, intellectual,  and spiritual needs because He sees us holistically.

LIFE ABOVE DEATH

LIFE ABOVE DEATH

To return from death means to defeat the illness that was once superior over you. This is accomplished through none of your power but in God's authority and power giving you power over that which had defeated you. This is allowed for you to know that God is in full control. He let you die to reveal to you that you can do nothing unless he allows it. It means that somehow you needed to experience firsthand what ressurection power is like.


Apostle Lockley

Apostolic Proclamation at start up!

House of Worship Dallas
Apostle Lockley, Senior Pastor

Our proclamation at start up!

The act of worship is done in a holistic manner and invokes a circular pattern of giving and receiving between our creator, Jehovah God and the spiritual church (the elect of God). To worship means to reverence Father God by solemn inner sinless adoration of vocal elicit praise and holy dedication of our physical bodies for total service in the kingdom of Heaven.

Jesus said that no man with his hand to the plow and looking back is fit for the kingdom of Heaven. At the House of Worship, members of the spiritual church are trained in holistic dedication and adoration of their earthly lifestyles in service to God and the eternal life.

We are the body of baptized believers  the called, the elect of God, whose foreheads are marked for end-times against the tribulation occurring in the earth. A whisper of hope from the Holy Scriptures gleans the gospel message of Jesus Christ and the sanctification and regeneration power through His Holy Spirit. We are cleansed through the Word, washed through the blood of the Lamb, and sealed by His Spirit until the day of reward.

God has called the order of His people to remain faithful and true until that day of redemption when all evil will be destroyed and we will worship him forever more.

I am an apostle, called by God, commission by Jesus Christ, and unction by His Holy Spirit to bring the church through the end times. I shall not see death until my assignment has culminated with the satisfaction of our God and the platform He has established before me.

In history, God has miraculously (in the eyes of men) provided for me, protected me, and educated me in the way. I am fully persuaded  that the hand of God sets with me in every way. Many have crossed my path ill intended and was unbelievers of my assignment: where divine intervention prevailed and many of them do sleep as a result of their misjudgment and unbelief.  God is not to be mocked or second guessed. His hand is mighty and heavy to those in His way. His hand is gentle and full of provision for His own children.

Our God’s objective is clear; We shall worship Him forevermore!

House of Worship Dallas
Apostle Lockley
2012, October 4

Death Valley Waits on Faith

Authority! The human race is so unique, and designed purposely to be in control of their mortal lives. However, there is a dark side to being in control that many are blinded about. Since the creation of Adam, God has always given man a choice. This choice is respected by all of the angelic host, the satanic forces, and the Godhead. What power! What a rush! What a method of self destruction!

To live a mortal life means that you are fully in charge of your destiny. It sounds like the perfect plan. To be in charge of your destiny is something that many desire the ability for. There is something missing! Something so unique, but small, and without it man is incomplete. 

I am guilty of missing this small and unique piece in my life. We roam around in the earth trying to survive without the missing piece and life falsely arrests our temperament with moods of success and failure. What I need to tell you is that without this one piece, everything is ultimately a failure. Life is misconception when the missing piece is not plugged in.

Many believe that as humans we are spiritual beings. As spiritual beings, we live in the earth having a natural experience. That natural experience is what misguides our intellect into wishful thinking that stems from the physical attributes of this world. That must change! The idea of living for the natural is something that a Christian has to defeat. 

Moses lead the children of Israel out of Egypt to the land promised his forefathers by Jehovah God. The transition was not easy! God made a big show of his authority and power before freeing the Israelites. They were rid of the harsh taskmasters and the daily experience of generational slavery, so they thought. For over 400 years, the Israelite s served the Pharaoh and even though they were Hebrew by birthright, they had been acculturated by the Egyptians. 

Acculturation is the absorbing of one's culture onto your own and accepted as ideal. The people of Israel were descendants of a mighty prophetic line, promised to inherit a land they didn't know exist. Although the people of Israel continued to pray for freedom from slavery, they had no firsthand knowledge of the God that was to deliver them.

Faith is believing that something tangible exist, even-though one has never seen it. Faith is accepting the unseen forces of reversibility in the viability of something completely opposite. Faith is taking the action to receive a promise that has no real guarantee in the physical.  It takes the wisdom and strength of God to overrule circumstances that are seeking to destroy a thing and make it work for your good. 

The people of Israel were recorded as God's own. They represent the present church of our times. The problem that took place with the people of Israel are now common with our church today. The people had a form of Godliness but had no power. Faith is only a part of the power that is necessary to become God's elect.

Pharaoh represents one who infects the life of the church with unnatural order. Moses represents the laws of God, the truth, God's divine good. The Israelites represents the spiritual church. Aaron represents doctrine (the way God's word is interpreted). 

God commanded Moses to tell Pharaoh to let his people go so that they may serve him. It is God's best that we worship Him, have no other gods before Him. We serve God first by accepting Jesus' work of salvation. Next we dedicate our spirit, soul, and mind to Him. A secret to excelling in a Godly relationship is to become a self conscious Christian. 

A focus on our inner being sets the stage for transitions of our outer being. When we absorb God's grace, then we can focus on our inner-self and love our neighbor. As we transition in the process, we can see the inner beauty take charge. The Apostle John says "that we know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren". This love is as loving our neighbor as self. This love is putting the earthly riches secondary to our heavenly needs.

We are eternal beings in need of a savior. Our redeemer lives! He lives in those who believe! We can take note in the facts of the cross and the redemption plan. God invested in us to bring us to first class heavenly citizenry. Our purpose is to deny the flesh, and build our inner self! 

When we accept God's grace! Live on his finished work! Death has no sting! Death has no power! Faith overrules death! Our dead relationships, dead businesses, dead dreams, dead families, dead finances can experience Jesus' resurrection type power knowing that it was God who did raise Him through his grace set aside for us. 

Even though you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, you shall fear no evil for God is with you!

ONLY Believe!

APOSTLE LOCKLEY

When God Says NO!

When God Says NO!

I am often offended by persons who blame God for mishaps in their life. God is the God of agape love and that means He loves us unconditionally.  His love includes a way that every man may start a relationship with him; through accepting his son’s work on the cross.

I am also offended by those whom blame God for doing bad things to them.  God established order in Genesis. He also established a chain of command in the earth. This protocol was set in place and God can not go back and change it. If he did, it would mean our God waivers.  The act of sin is what causes bad things to happen to us all. Just because someone is a bonafide Christian does not mean that bad things won’t happen.  In fact, for the Christian, bad things come and we suffer, but the effects that should have been negative end up making us stronger.

There are situations that we sometimes ask God to remove and he simply says no.  He allows Satan to attack us for the purpose of building us up for a future purpose. Don't get things confused, God does not do bad things to us, He allows Satan to have limited permission to try us. Jesus experienced the same issue in the Garden of Gethsemane, he prayed that God would remove the bitter experience through the cross. The Scripture records Jesus sweating blood, in my opinion, this means that Jesus earnestly tried to change the way his flesh would suffer. After all, he had not sinned! He didn’t deserve the cross!

In life, we suffer many pitfalls and setbacks. Our finances fail, our health fail, our relationships fail, our jobs fail, but through the worst of all the problems we have, God is right there with us. He never leaves us alone. This is true! God never leaves us alone. He goes through the issues with us and numbs us so that we can see the glimmer of hope on the other side of the mountain. Every character in the bible is recorded as suffering for righteousness sake. The best of these situations is that God restored, blessed, multiplied, or healed them when the time was appropriate.

As a believer today, we must remember that God’s timing is essential to our life. God is in total control and overrules us when we submit to his will.  He has two wills. In his permissive will, God allows man to go off course and endure hardships, but in his decretive will he has us in his hands.

I would rather be in God’s decretive will. His decretive will is a bit surprising. We don’t know from day to day how things will turn out, but the blessing is that when we are in his decretive will, things always work out for our good.

God told Moses, tell Pharaoh, that I AM THAT I AM has sent you to free my people. To me that means, God is everything we will ever need and desire on earth and in heaven.

Trust God!  ONLY BELIEVE!

Apostle Erric Lockley

Getting Married! Get the Book! Before I Say I Do, by Erric Lockley Sr.

http://bookstore.authorhouse.com/Products/SKU-000323326/Before-I-Say-I-Do.aspx

Copy Cat Love Story

Today, I thought about the personality of God.  Since moving to the Dallas Metroplex area, I have experienced a wealth of spiritual lessons. Allow me to share the following:

God Says:

When you speak to me, I speak to you.

When you are a blessing to others, I bless you.

When you sacrifice your time for my benefit, I give you more days.

When you curse me, I allow Satan to curse you.

When you go through the fire, I step in it with you and forbid it to burn you.

When you love your enemies, I protect you.

When you provide for the man of God, I provide for you with overflow.

When you ignore me, I ignore you.

When you have strong faith, I bring it to fruition.

When you thank me for daily bread, I provide it.

When you allow your flesh to be in charge, my Word can not help you.

When you treat strangers with kindness, I assure you get it in return.

When you take care of the fatherless, I am your Father.

When you send up your praises to me, I send my blessing upon you.

When you work for me, I work for you.

When you forsake all riches for me, I give them back to you.

When man take charge of his household for my kingdom, I build his.

When you give to me, I give it back with interest...

My friends, there is nothing that beats the God-man relationship! Nothing!

Truly I am,

Apostle Lockley

Wait! Don’t Rebuke it Just Yet

Where is God taking You?

Has it ever occurred to you that sometimes when faith fails its because there is a greater plan at work. That’s right! God may be overruling your faith because He is preparing you for a future role.  Experiencing pain in life is not God’s best for us, but He uses it to strengthen us to be ready for future life challenges.

(In our body, pain signals that something is wrong and needs fixing- in life pain signals our area of weakness and need for God to be with us to go through successfully for growth)

My thoughts stem from the life story of Moses. Moses was born of a Hebrew slave, put in a basket, placed in the Nile river, and discovered by the Pharoh’s daughter. Moses was educated and trained as an Egyptian Pharaoh. He was a full blood Hebrew, but a fully trained pharaoh; quite a confusing state of mind.

Moses lived in what we call “a catch 22 situation”. His own flesh and blood stayed in bondage, while he carried the authority of the pharaoh,  as well as received education and training in the system. The inner struggle grew larger with Moses as he witnessed the inhumane acts of Egyptian taskmasters against the Hebrew slaves. In anger, Moses killed an Egyptian taskmaster, then he went into exile, making the desert his new home.

The desert was a dry and unfamiliar place for Moses. After years of luxury living, Moses was in a desolate place. The desert represented the place of lack and suffering. The desert became Moses’ taskmaster.

God had a plan for Moses that required some serious training. His training involved taking the people from bondage, through the desert, into the promised land. However, at the time, Moses did not know this. He would meet his wife and father-in-law in the desert.

Jethro, his father-in-law mentored Moses on how to survive in the desert climate. Moses went from luxury living to hard living as he tended to Jethro’s sheep. Moses went from being served to serving others. Normally, a person experiencing this would try to get out of this type of lifestyle, having had a good upbringing.  Some people would have given up and died in the desert, but Moses kept on ticking.

Moses learned all the great secrets of survival in the desert. Suddenly, he stumbled upon the burning bush. The burning bush was an amazing site to Moses. He would walk pass this wonder and turn swiftly to check it out.  The burning bush was in fact not consuming the wood; a flame in progress but no wood was scorched. It was in the active curiousness of Moses that God called out to him.

After 80 years, God deemed Moses ready for his mission. In our day, at age 80, many are already dead or facing death. Moses, however, had to leave his family and go back to the place where he once experienced pain. It was there, in Egypt that Moses would begin a work that no one else was qualified to do.

We sometimes experience situations where we wish to pray it away. These situations only grow worse because we are really in basic training for our future role. We must embrace our problems with God’s grace at heart. If we are leading a prayerful lifestyle, God gives us the strength to go through our storms without it consuming us. The purpose is to establish our hearts and make us strong to meet our destiny with hope.

Praying away a situation could mean that we are delaying our preparation for the future. We must embrace our problems with a prayerful and obedient attitude, trusting God to be with us as we go through.  An example would be the three Hebrew boys, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace. They entered the furnace with faith in God and there witnesses account seeing a fourth one inside the furnace.  The fire did not consume them but they experienced it. It was God or the pre-incarnate Jesus standing with them in the furnace.

You are experiencing so much torment in life that it appears as if it is some satanic attack. The attacks are real, but you must change your perception of how you go through it. Allow God to proof you today by accepting the challenges with God as your side post. We all experience pain, but what God does is remove the consequences by making you stronger in that particular area. In other words, you go through the situation, as God is with you. That my friend is your area of ministry that governs your call.

Moses was proofed as a Hebrew child, molded into an Egyptian Pharaoh, mastered in desert survival tactics as a shepherd, and then called to lead his people from slavery, through the desert, into the promised land (rich and fruitful living). If you study the entire proofing plan that God did with Moses, you will understand why his sufferings was necessary and his mission successful!

Moses became the Hebrew’s Pharaoh, shepherd, and mediator.  All the hats Moses wore, God prepared him before hand.  Do not despise where you came from, nor where you are at this present moment. Build a prayerful lifestyle and trust God to be with you through your difficult times.

I must conclude by telling you, that God is a provider and He will not let you go hungry. God takes care of His children. I have experienced the daily bread and all the above teachings. God’s word is true! Only Believe!

Apostle Lockley

What the Church is experiencing now...

The poor will be with you always. While this saying is true, it doesn't mean that you have to be one of the statistics.  The real meaning of the gospel of Jesus Christ was to introduce a new way of thinking and living. The poor were present in the times of Jesus' ministry but after taking a second look, what happened to the poor that were following Jesus?

To be quite blunt... the poor of Jesus' ministry had their needs met.  It didn't matter what resources were not around when the people had a need, out of the miracle workings of Jesus came the solution.

It takes faith to grasp the kind of living that I am about to introduce to you. This type of faith allows the natural eye to see lack... but overrules the natural... by believing God's word for the answer.

At the announcement of the forthcoming birth of Jesus, the angels informed the hearers that Jesus was to come save His people from their sin.  In other words, Jesus was on His way to return humanity back to its original order.

Reverse the effects of sin was the mission of Christ. In Matthew 11, Jesus announced to John the Baptist's ministers that the blind can now see, the deaf were able to hear again, the poor had the gospel preached to them, the cripple are now walking, those that could not speak were currently talking, and told them to go tell John the Baptist what they have seen and heard.

Today, you are to walk in line with the order of God's message through Jesus Christ. Sin has its claim on your physical roots- but Jesus reversed the effects of sin for those that beleive He did it.

You must 1st renew your mind about the gospel, and what it has done for you. Next, you must reread the Word. Then, you accept the Word at face value acting upon it. Now, just as the angels listen for the Word and act upon it on your behalf, you must speak the Word continually over your mute, blind, deaf, dumb, lame, or poor situation trusting God for a harvest.

What the Church is experiencing now is a revival state in which the end of its age has now begun. Jesus is ready to come back for His bride, the church. However, many swift changes will take place in pulpits across the world to accomplish the mission.

My advice to all leaders and lay members of the Christian church is to be prayerful and watch the Word carefully for signs and wonders.

Truly I am,

Apostle Lockley

Get your life on track with God by holding brief, quick conversations with the Father. Allow His Holy Spirit to clean your life up and accept the work of Jesus on the cross, by way of  the death, burial and resurrection.

Change comes after much preserverence has been applied in the area of desire.  Grow your faith my family!

Dallas Metro Area

Coming Soon to the Dallas Metro Area

"Itemized Faith”

“We want the full benefits of FAITH, but we keep choosing the wrong deductions.”

Get ready to hear about

“The Right Deductions of the Full Faith and Believing Act”

By: Apostle Erric P. Lockley Sr.

From the Series: A Pastors’ Toolbox (Helps Ministry)

The apostle teaches about the mission of the church and the absence of full faith acts in the ministry of the average believer. Because of these teachings, the local assembly will perk up on the individual level bringing a stronger ministry foundation to the local church body. This is a non-denominational series devoted to strengthening the body of Christ. Pastors are encouraged to come out and bring key members to these teachings.

UA-36096453-1