* Message: Hot or Cold?

« Main / About / Our Ministries / The Message

Modern evangelism glosses over some Biblical truths because they disturb or offend those who disagree. Truths like the illumination of mankind’s sinful nature before Christ is necessary knowledge as it is this discovery that leads people towards repentance required for atonement. Without accepting that there was a separation from God after the fall of man, one does not feel the need for a path back to God. Yes, there is grace. But there is only one path to heaven. It is there that grace abounds.

I’ve learned that you can start a fire with water as well as with a spark. Say what? The Holy Spirit is living water (Isaiah 44:3, John 4:14). He is also a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29). God did not ask me to laser fire from my eyes and judge the world. He asked me to tell the world that He loves them. No, literally. So now, if my blogs seem overly harsh and you find yourself thinking, “I don’t do that” or I already do that”, maybe you are not in the intended audience. However, you are reading this when you could be doing anything else. Maybe God is trying to tell us both something.

If you can get people to drink the Living Water of the Holy Spirit, His presence will also burn up the sin in their lives and if they allow/submit to the Holy Spirit, He will continue to refine them unto perfection. YES, we can be perfect with the refining power of God. Nothing is impossible with God.

³ ‘For I will pour out water on the thirsty land And streams on the dry ground; I will pour out My Spirit on your offspring And My blessing on your descendants;

¹⁴ But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

Yesterday (01/29/2022), my also Dad was convulsing wildly as Mom, my Son, and I sat around his hospice bed at home. The Holy Spirit led us to pray for the power of God to intervene and hold back the Angel of Death. The Holy Spirit led us to read Scriptures on healing from the Holy Bible, to speak life into the room, the life that only comes from God, and to sing songs of praise and worship. Dad went from not being able to eat or speak to drinking three meal shakes and talking within half a day. This morning, he looks like he gained about twenty pounds overnight. I was supposed to be out of town this weekend. Mom was scheduled for surgery. However, when a test revealed the procedure could be more unsafe, it was cancelled. She would have been in a hospital across town, instead of in the room when Papaw passed away. The enemy had already planned to repossess my car (that’s another story) and kill Dad over the weekend while all of his children were out of State and Mom would have been the only adult at home. TO GOD BE ALL OF THE GLORY for what He did in that room. The Holy Spirit is nothing less than amazing.

I know that loss is hard. Believe me, I have lost before. I know that even though Papaw was spared this weekend, someone somewhere did not get up. Believe it or not, that’s why I write these blogs. They are more than ramblings. These are like Paul’s letters to the churches. I just want you to get it. This world is not forever. The only forever is with God. And God made this one door – JESUS. In the garden of Eden, there was only forbidden thing. Just one. Dismissing that one thing changed everything else. Accepting JESUS, the one, changes everything else.

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 14:6 KJV

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 14:6 AMP

Most people I meet in the world today are not completely without faith, nor are they completely ignorant of the Gospel. They have heard about something called Christianity even if they don’t believe in it. But I cannot say that they understand it, because if anyone truly understood the Gospel of Jesus Christ, they could not say, No. It is only the hearts blinded by the enemy and or offended by the world that reject God. Once you know the truth, it will set you free (John 8:32). Many of them are successful by the world’s standards, but if you talk to them for any length of time, you learn how i dissatisfied they are with so many things that they find to be unfulfilling despite their commitment. Many of them are like cacti in a desert. They look healthy, but they’re still living off a rainfall that happened a generation ago (or longer). They feel basically dehydrated spiritually.

No matter how much I want to save the world, I don’t change people. It is the Holy Spirt who delivers the anointing that breaks the yoke of bondage from people’s lives. I don’t do His job. He does His job through me and through His other partners in the earth. God does not need my help. He chooses to partner with His creation, to effect change in the earth – that includes working miracles. But if I think I am just going to be a one-woman show and flick a wand or say some incantation or something like that, He is under no contract to perform anything. However, if I am submitted to Him, I can stand on His promises.

This is not a me-show. This is FAITH LIVE. That’s different than me being the miracle worker. It’s not about me. It’s about JESUS. The Holy Spirit is Jesus, who is God, working in the earth.

I used to spit fire on whoever I had the chance to speak to about JESUS (Yes. Now I ride the caps lock whenever I feel like screaming). I was so zealous. I was like Peter. I would cut your ear OFF. (Ya heard?) The Holy Spirit had to teach me that you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. I used to say, “That’s O.K. I don’t want any flies.” I was full of judgment. I was all attitude and no grace. That’s why I am not a Pastor. Don’t get me wrong, there is a place for tough love: it’s just not where it’s typically steamrolled over an audience. I Am an effective witness – because of the Holy Spirit.

The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee. Jeremiah 31:3 KJV

The Holy Spirit makes you a witness (Acts 1:8). What seems to be getting lost in translation is that preaching or teaching the unadulterated Gospel does not have to be “mean” – the way people like I was give the message. I tended to focus on not watering down the WORD, which is good. I also needed some people skills. In fact, His witnesses are to speak the truth of God in love (Ephesians 4:15); yes, with fervor, but also with consideration for the hearer. The WORD says, the soulwinner is wise (Proverbs 11:30).

The fruit of the [consistently] righteous is a tree of life, And he who is wise captures and wins souls [for God—he gathers them for eternity]. Proverbs 11:30 AMP

We messengers need people skills as well as wisdom from God and the knowledge of the truth. To babes, we give milk. We also help them graduate to stronger WORD until they can eat meat. What seems to be happening is that in an effort to create disciples grown up in the faith, the babes are being expected to gum the meat while those who are teething are still getting only milk. Then, in order to keep the adults from leaving, they are also given milk instead of graduated WORD for growing.

A father might eat a baked spud with the works and his five year old son might have French fries, but they are both eating potatoes. Under normal conditions, you gradually give foods to children because they need to learn how to handle more than milk, yet they can’t do it all on the first day, and they shouldn’t do it all at once. What the parent does that who this message is for does not do, is prepare the meat in a different way, depending on who is eating.

The Holy Spirit wants to communicate with everyone who in the faith, whether they are new to the faith and re-new-ed in the faith… and get this, He also wants to speak to the unbeliever. I used to be upset because some leaders would say that God does not hear a sinner’s prayer,” but they did not clarify that at all. I don’t know if they were also conflicted, or if they did not know the meaning behind that. It’s not as clear as it seems. Then, the enemy would follow with, “You’re not saved because God did not hear you.” Wait a minute. Of course God hears a sinner’s prayer on the basic level – if not, how could anyone be saved? Not only does God hear, He knows your thoughts before you even speak.

A person who accepts Christ does not have to wait until he or she is an Elder in the Church, a Deacon, a Missionary, twelve years old, or after some class of seminary, to have a strong connection with the Holy Spirit. In the same way, just because a person is saved for forty years and thinks they have only one testimony, does not mean God does not want to do miracles. If we are not seeing God work in our lives or the lives around us, we have to ask ourselves what is blocking the screen, because God’s power connection never turns off. He never sleeps. It could be that faith is lacking. It could also be that the enemy is fighting with the messenger in attempt to delay or divert your blessing.

¹² Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words. ¹³ But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia. Daniel 10:12-13 KJV

Last month (December 2021), some of you participated with me in the Call To Worship. What you did not know is that although I have rarely ever witnessed a power outage in my home, for some reason (like I don’t’ know why), the power would go off in my room – not the whole place, just my side of the place during the night, or just before time to start the 3 AM Watch Service. Who or whatever was involved was working for Satan. The enemy hates me and I know it – he held me bound for years because I was silent. The more he fights me, the more I am going to shout. If you never see another post from  me, it’s because “Ain’t nobody mad but the devil.” FIST PUMP, HAIL LION OF JUDAH! HALLELUJAH!

He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Psalm 121:3

The Holy Spirit wants you to know Him personally; and He is available from salvation day one. You don’t have to have speak in tongues before the Holy Spirit will speak to you. So even if you just got saved right this second, the Holy Spirit wants to communicate with you. Jesus gave His life for you, because there must have been a blood atonement for the sins of the world. When He finished that work, He went back to the Father in Heaven. He sent the Holy Spirit in His place, just like He said that He would do. God wants you to feel His presence, so why would He leave you alone? HE DID NOT LEAVE YOU ALONE. He is here in the person of the Holy Spirit. You are not alone. You have never been alone. You can never be alone. God is with you, always.

Have you ever played a game called, “Hot or Cold?” Someone (we’ll call him, Adam) hides something or has something in mind that they ask you to find. You start moving around the room in search of the hidden object. To get perspective on where you are relative to the hidden thing, you can ask, ‘Am I hot or cold?” Adam says, “You’re getting warmer,” if you are approaching the hidden thing. The farther you get from the “hidden” thing, Adam says, “You’re getting colder.” If you are “colder” you are expected to move away from that area, toward the opposite direction. If you are “warmer,” you are expected to move in the same direction. Eventually, you get warm enough to be “HOT” and find the hidden thing.

What was the goal of the HOT or COLD game? Was Adam trying to torment you with a search that would never end? Was he asking you to look for something that did not exist? No. And no. There really is a hidden thing and you are supposed to find it. The wisdom of God is available to those who really seek to know and understand.

⁵ If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. James 1:5 KJV

⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom [to guide him through a decision or circumstance], he is to ask of [our benevolent] God, who gives to everyone generously and without rebuke or blame, and it will be given to him. James 1:5 AMP

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James+1%3A5&version=AMP

What we must remember is that although this wisdom is available, it is not available from just anywhere. There is worldly wisdom, and there is God’s wisdom. The wisdom of the world is self-seeking. Not at first, obviously. Because if you recognized it from the jump, you would not take that leap of blind faith. And the enemy wants to earn your trust. So, he clothes his ideas in light.

¹² But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we. ¹³ For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.¹⁴ And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. ¹⁵ Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works. 2 Corinthians 11:12-15 KJV

¹² But what I am doing I will keep doing, [for I am determined to keep this independence] in order to cut off the claim of those who want an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the things they brag about. ¹³ For such men are counterfeit apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. ¹⁴ And no wonder, since Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. ¹⁵ So it is no great surprise if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness, but their end will correspond with their deeds. 2 Corinthians 11:12-15 AMP

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Corinthians+11%3A12-15+&version=AMP

The true wisdom of God is God seeking.

Only the Lord give thee wisdom and understanding, and give thee charge concerning Israel, that thou mayest keep the law of the Lord thy God. 1 Chronicles 22:12

Our society has become accustomed to versatile products and all manner of things that are interchangeable. We have become obsessed with what the world looks like, while the hearts of men, women, and children are suffering in silence. Some of us are getting colder while we sit back and observe the world around us when God has called us to invade the darkness and usher in a breakthrough to deliverance.

Like so, we see people looking for an equally reversible Gospel, which they can readily change from incorruptible to spotted like a leopard print scarf. For this cause, we see souls jumping from church to church with no grounding, unwilling to bear sound doctrine, sowing discord among the brethren, itching to hear the latest tract so long as it does not call for self-assessment and certainly not reflective thought. Desire for a have-it-your way faith is going to going to an extreme that is actually producing doubt, not freedom.

I remember the words of a hymn, which exposed a heart willing to be led of God. Search me Lord. If you find anything that shouldn’t be, take it out and strengthen me. I want to be right. I want to be saved. I want to be whole. This is my heart’s desire. I am willing to give up pointing fingers at others who it turns out are broken just like me, who were not doing God’s will, and running from taking up their own cross. I am willing to accept that this faith walk is not a Frappuccino if you do it right – it’s not a hot drink that went cold so when you take it in, you just end up with a headache and no power. If God is not pleased with a fast-food faith mentality, I am willing to give up having it my way and living by the book – not the letter of the law, the statute of liberty that is written in the Spirit of the LORD. Do you know that there is more freedom in JESUS than anywhere else? NO, you can’t have it your way. But God’s way, is better!

If you followed my blogs over the past 25 years, you would probably see me as a brimstone evangelist. I am. Brimstone (Revelation 21:1-8) is not the new coal – fuel for the fanatic fire of charismatics who want to “scare sinners straight.” Brimstone is simply the element God said would be present in the lake of fire. It burns, but it doesn’t burn up. It never stops burning.

¹⁵ I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. ¹⁶ So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. ¹⁷ Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: ¹⁸ I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. ¹⁹ As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. ²⁰ Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come into him, and will sup with him, and he with me. ²¹ To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. ²² He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” Revelation 3:15-22 KJV

I don’t want to go there; and I don’t want you to go there; so there is a fierce urgency of now.

See, when the enemy says, “It’s inevitable, he is talking about what he thinks is his impending victory – like something out of the Matrix.” But he is mistaken. If anyone will step out of lukewarmth and choose to let the Holy Spirit’s fire burn within, God will do wonders.

I said all that to say that the Messenger just wants you to avoid complacency, which is easy to get trapped in when one is not actively climbing. It becomes a habit of maintaining without growth. Either build on the foundation of Christ or put your hammer down. Don’t just hold the tools and build nothing. Ask the LORD, “Am I Hot or Cold.”

Isaiah 43:19

Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.

Gratitude // Brandon Lake | House of Miracles – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1em6MJp0zUc

« Main / About / Our Ministries / The Message

« Main / Library / Sermons / The Message: Hot or Cold?