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Betty King

The Battle Is The Lords

by Betty King July 13, 2022

We are halfway through the year, and there is such a tangible sense of excitement and expectation about what God is doing. However, as the plans and processes of God unfold, there can at the same time be an overwhelming anxiety around what is yet to come and what has not yet been achieved. The enemy wants to take advantage of this and ambush you in the area of your emotions, in order to overthrow the faith that you have stood on for so long. I want to encourage and strengthen you as you pass through this, with some guiding principles from 2 Chronicles 20.

En Gedi, a place where leadership is defined

In the prior chapter, King Jehoshaphat had begun to move in the right direction and restore order to the nation by setting judges and priests in place to govern. At the start of chapter 20, however, we learn that the Moabites and Ammonites had come to make war on Jehoshaphat with a vast army. The attack seemed to have come out of nowhere and was nothing less than an ambush set up to destroy the nation. By the time that Jehoshaphat learned of it, the enemy army was already in En Gedi.

Now, En Gedi is an important place with a strategic history. It was at En Gedi that David’s leadership was truly defined. In 1 Samuel 24, while Saul was hunting David to kill him, Saul had entered a cave in En Gedi to relieve himself, not knowing that David was already hidden in that same cave. Saul was completely at David’s mercy, and David had a choice to take Saul’s life with his hands or to leave it in God’s hands. David’s emotions would clearly have been stirred up at this point, and it would have been all too easy for him to act out of fear, frustration, anger, ambition or revenge, and to kill Saul there and then. Yet David had a deeper insight than to act in this way, and let Saul live, recognising that Saul was still God’s anointed.

David made a godly decision that day and modelled what it looked like to rule from God’s perspective rather than from a place of flesh, emotion and personal desire. David knew the justness of God, and that he wouldn’t get away with doing wrong, even if he felt like he could justify it emotionally and even if those around him agreed. He knew that his own leadership had developed and flourished in Saul’s kingdom, and that the growth of Saul’s kingdom had been connected to his growth. He knew that he couldn’t build his own inheritance while destroying Saul’s legacy.

En Gedi therefore represents a place where leadership is defined, where godly choices must be made, and the righteousness and values of the kingdom of God must be expressed. In 2 Chronicles 20, the people of Judah and Jerusalem found themselves in a place where such decisions needed to be made, and in this season you must also make the right decisions, regardless of the emotions that arise.

Conquering the spirit of compromise

Before the attack, when things were well, Jehoshaphat had begun to implement reforms to bring about a godly order. The question now was whether he would still trust God to come through when he was under pressure and faced with overwhelming circumstances.

The Moabites and Ammonites represent a spirit of compromise, and this situation was intended by the enemy to cause Jehoshaphat to compromise, just as David had been tempted to compromise when Saul came into the cave. In our times, the enemy is still looking to derail the building of God’s kingdom by a spirit of compromise, and this is a temptation that you must be alert to and conquer.

One of the ways that the spirit operates is by finding and twisting unaddressed bitter roots within the heart, such as express themselves through pride, ingratitude, self-entitlement, an overinflated estimation of oneself and so on. These manifest socially as comparison and competition, and turn into temptations when the opportunity comes to further one’s own interests by cutting a corner or overlooking an important spiritual value. Very often, the person who succumbs to this does not do so intentionally, but in ignorance, because of the emotional nature of the situation and the pressure of the circumstances in which they are in. Being alert, and intentional about our decisions and actions is therefore key. In this season of pruning, all the bitter roots of the heart must be cut out, and the old wounds and pains must be healed.

Leading from a place of purpose, promise and prophetic insight

Jehoshaphat resolved to enquire of God and seek His help. He called a fast, and gathered with the people at the temple. When he called on God, he didn’t begin his prayers by talking about his personal situation or what was happening to the nation on that day, but first brought before God the history of Israel and the purposes to which the temple had originally been dedicated. When he did then pray for help, the prayers were building on certain purposes and promises of God that had long been established.

Prayer works when it is built on the true purposes and promises of God.

Jahaziel, a descendant of Asaph and a Levite then prophesied by the Spirit of God about how the fight would be won. He declared that the battle was not Judah and Jerusalem’s to fight, but was God’s! Jahaziel, with his specific heritage, represents the voice of godly legacy speaking in the present. This is the power of God’s established promises and purposes influencing today’s outcomes, and the voice of experience and understanding giving insight and direction.

When you go before God to pray in this season, make sure you are aligned to His purposes, and to what He has said to you and told you to do. When the circumstance is covered by a promise already given, the battle belongs to God. He will let you know exactly where to go and what to do.

Be alert also to the voice of those who have real insight. Jahaziel came from a family background where there was a richness of prophetic experience, and he was able to speak accurately into the situation when the Spirit of God moved. Know who in your midst has the experience to hear and communicate the voice of God in critical moments. Believe the prophets and prosper!

Breaking the cycles and moving forward

Jehoshaphat’s political alignments with wicked kings before and after this time were an opening for the enemy, and created inroads for the ambush. As well as pruning your own heart in this season, be careful to also prune any ungodly relationships and alignments that could take you down. If you have been taken down in this way in the past, be doubly careful. You cannot allow these things to come around again. Repeated cycles must have an expiry date in this season.

Check in with God before you move, and be careful to make sure that you are acting out of godly values and not out of emotions or a personal agenda. Proverbs 14:12 says that ‘there is a way that appears to be right, but it in the end it leads to death’. The lives of many are at stake, so think seriously and with righteous judgement, and defend against compromise in all its guises.

The Church is a sanctuary and a site of God’s mercy. It is a place of deliverance and intervention and of His speaking. Remember His goodness, and with gratitude return to the place of worshipping Him for who He is. His best is yet to come in this season – be intentional and don’t miss it!

Adored
Rev Betty King

July 13, 2022 0 comment

Faith

Authentic Alignment To Heaven

by Betty King February 28, 2022

written by Betty King

In Jeremiah 1, the Lord declared to the prophet Jeremiah that He is continuously watching to see that His word is fulfilled (Jeremiah 1:12). We are entering a vital season in the leadership dynamics of the global Body of Christ, as the Lord looks to raise up leaders that will genuinely fulfil His word and lead His Body into the fullness of the maturity to which He has called her (Ephesians 4:11-13). The prophet Samuel is a key prophetic representation of all this, as a transitional leader who restored the Word of the Lord to Israel at a time when it was rare, and as someone in whose life the Lord’s word always came to pass (1 Sam 3:1, 19). Today I want to share some keys with you that will enable you to understand the dynamics of this coming season and position yourself for the life-changing anointing that He is about to pour out.

Our key Scripture reading is 1 Samuel 2-3.

The changing of the guard

In this chapter, the young Samuel is serving in the house of God in Shiloh under Eli the priest. At the time, the administration of the priesthood under Eli’s leadership had already fallen into a deep decadence and disrepute. Eli’s sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were known as scoundrels with no regard for the Lord, and for treating the Lord’s offering with contempt (1 Sam 2:13,17). They also slept with the women serving in the tabernacle and refused to change despite Eli’s rebukes (vv. 22-25). From Aaron’s time until now, the priesthood was always supposed to pass from father to son, but the Lord was determined that Hophni and Phinehas would not inherit the priesthood because of the extent of their sin and disrespect. A prophetic word came against Eli and his family, decreeing that their priesthood would be cut off, and that a faithful priesthood would be raised up in their place (vv.27-36).

Meanwhile, the young Samuel was serving God faithfully and diligently, and growing in favour with God. When he reached a certain age, the Lord called him one night while he was lying down. Samuel ran to Eli thinking that it was him calling, but Eli told him it was not so. The Lord called again, and Samuel ran to Eli again. This time, however, when Eli speaks to Samuel to tell him that he has not called him, he first addresses him as “my son” (1 Sam 3:7) before telling him to lie down again. When the Lord calls Samuel for the third time, Eli finally discerns that it is the Lord calling Samuel and instructs him on what to do. Samuel hears and responds to the voice of God and begins his journey as a prophet who restores godly leadership to Israel and order to the house of God in Shiloh.

The relationship between Eli and Samuel, and Eli’s recognition of Samuel as a son here is a key to all of this. Although Eli’s sons Hophni and Phinehas were disqualified from inheriting the priesthood, Eli had found another son in Samuel, one who was fit for the priesthood and whom God was pleased to call and anoint. The priesthood could therefore pass from Eli to Samuel. Through service and relationship, Samuel became the landing strip for the will of God when the old way of doing things had failed.

There are places in the Body of Christ today where the old way of doing things has failed. There are environments in which the fear and reverence of God has given way to a culture of self-service, and places where the resources of the Body have fallen into the hands of entitled people who have embedded themselves into the structure of the Church and yet feel they have a right to do whatever they please without repercussions or consequences. The prophetic declaration of this hour is that this is all coming to an end as the Lord is watching over His Church to see His word fulfilled!

The clarion cry from Heaven therefore is for today’s leaders to raise up those that are true sons and daughters, who can inherit the purposes of God and become the landing strips for His will, so that what is old and no longer works can be cut off and removed. If you are a leader, this means implementing true discipleship and not just gathering crowds. A mere crowd cannot inherit the purposes of God, but a true son or daughter can. It is through these ones that the Lord will bring about a refreshing and restoration to His house and Body, and a preservation for future generations of the good that has come before. Like Eli, as you identify the true sons and daughters, you will be able discern what the Lord is doing in their lives and lead them well.

Authentic alignment to Heaven

Through what took place, the priesthood transitioned from Eli’s house and leadership to Samuel’s. The need for the transition was simply to restore authenticity to the office. Eli’s house was no longer an authentic witness to the voice and purposes of Heaven on earth and so the nation lacked spiritual leadership and authority, so much so that the Ark of the Covenant was captured and taken away by the Philistines in battle (1 Sam 4:11).

This severe and dramatic loss on the battlefield was a manifestation of something that had begun a long time earlier, in Eli’s family’s running of the house of God. Losing the Ark of the Covenant was a public sign regarding the spiritual condition of the nation, but the original damage had already been done behind the scenes as Eli’s sons treated the sacrificial offerings with contempt and defiled themselves and the servants of the temple.

Samuel, growing up in the temple with a pure heart and eyes would have seen all of this, and we can tell from Scripture that it made a powerful impression on him. Eli’s failures were his lessons. He knew that the welfare of the nation, and its spiritual strength and authority, came from the acts of obedience by its leaders and through honouring the things of God. Similarly, he knew that failing to obey the commands of the Lord, and failing to observe the proper protocols around the priestly offerings to God, were roads to destruction. Therefore, in Samuel 13, when Saul had rashly made a burnt offering to God with his own hands, Samuel immediately rebuked him saying “you have done a foolish thing” (v. 13) and counselled him that his kingdom would not last. Samuel had already seen what happened to Eli and his family when they misappropriated the sacrifices of God, and saw that the same thing would now happen to Saul and his family.

Samuel also knew that spiritual authority comes with serving God, and not with self-service or self-interest. He had seen for himself how allowing the things of God to become subject to the manipulations of entitled people had led to the downfall of the nation. When it was time to anoint David therefore (1 Sam 16), Samuel acted decisively despite the politics of the surrounding environment. When God led him to David, who would be a man after His own heart (1 Sam 13:14), Samuel anointed him knowing that this is what Israel needed for its future – a person concerned first with God’s thoughts and feelings. It was precisely this ability to hear and respond to God’s thoughts and feelings that had been missing in Eli’s house. Samuel’s ministry, in contrast, had begun with him saying ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening’ (1 Sam 3:9). When a leader can hears God’s voice and responds to it with a servant heart, they are able to identify what has been ignored, overlooked or tolerated and address it, so that what remains in place is an authentic witness of Heaven’s purposes.

In this season, God’s call is for all His people to return to a focus on being authentic witnesses for Heaven. In recent times, there has a lot of noise in the atmosphere, as the true voice of the Lord has been mixed in and made to contend with personal agendas and interests of various kinds. However, just as God raised up Samuel and restored a true prophetic voice to Israel when it was sorely needed, so will we see in the days ahead an appearing of an authentic form of the prophetic that many have longed for.

Along with this will come tremendous breakthough. When true prophetic permission for change comes from God, so do the resources that are needed to bring it about. We are coming into a new season of the prophetic permissions of the Lord. Real, authentic shifting words are about to land. Your part is to become His landing strip. So, prepare your hearts, open your ears, and devote yourself afresh to serving Him and Him alone, because it’s all about to happen!

Building together towards real maturity

There will be those who feel like or even recognise that their ministries were at some point overtaken by some of the same issues and mistakes that caused Eli’s house to fail. Yet, they will see what is taking place in the new season as sons and daughters are being raised up and the house of God is restored, and will want to align afresh with what God is doing.

Despite the failures and inadequacies of the past, because of the blood of Jesus and His redemptive plan, there is always hope. As Job says in Job 14:7-9, “there is hope for a tree: If it is cut down, it will sprout again, and its new shoots will not fail. Its roots may grow old in the ground and its stump die in the soil, yet at the scent of water it will bud and put forth shoots like a plant.”

The fresh flow of the Spirit of God will be like the scent of water to these ones, and they will seek to align with the new guard. Yet wisdom is needed on both sides for this to work.

When Joshua rose to power and it was clear that their old system was failed and gone, the Gibeonites decided to do what they could to align with Joshua, and approached him to make a treaty (Joshua 9:3-6). However, in order to persuade Joshua to make the treaty with them, they pretended to have travelled from a distant land, and disguised themselves with worn-out sacks and wineskins, old patched clothes and shoes, and rations of dry and mouldy bread. They put themselves across as having come much further than they really did. The temptation for those who were long ago right in the midst of what God was doing, but now want to align with those leading in the new season, will be to pretend that they are more matured and seasoned than they really are in order to get themselves a better bargaining positioning in the alignment.

Joshua’s people tried the stale bread for themselves to test it but did not inquire of the Lord about the Gibeonites and so were deceived by them and granted them the treaty (Joshua 9:14-15). However, when Joshua found out what the Gibeonites had done, he appointed them permanently to duties as woodcutters and water carriers in service to Israel.

For those that God has raised up to lead in the new season, there must be a new level of wisdom and discernment as to what alignments to make with who and how, and to be aware that there are those that might not be fully transparent about their journeys because of what they hope to get from aligning. Be sensitive and don’t take everything you hear at face value, or rush ahead and make agreements without inquiring of the Lord. Although you may be told stories of times past to convince you, remember that it is fresh, daily bread that the Lord gives us for our journey and not yesteryears’ bread. Look for the present fruits in the lives of those that you align with.

For those who see the hope of life being restored to their ministries by aligning with the new, put away the old wineskins and patched garments. Jesus counselled that old wineskins cannot be filled with new wine without being ruined, and that patches from old garments do not match the new (Luke 5:36-38). This means having a willingness to think in new ways and adapt to what God is doing now, rather than carrying an intention to take things back to an old way of operating that God has moved away from. If you want to make it work, come in with the intention to build, to serve and to enhance what is happening now, rather than to contend for a memory.

If things are done right, and the relationships are built well, the golden oil will settle and there will be a blending of strengths. There is a place for everyone, but true discipleship, the authentic voice of Heaven, and a willingness to build together must be the defining characteristics of the pattern.

Great things are about to happen, and a fresh anointing is about to be poured out! Prepare your heart and take your position!

Adored

Rev Betty King

__________

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February 28, 2022 0 comment

Articles

The Church Is Not A Minority

by Betty King January 21, 2022

written by Betty King

I feel this burden to approach the subject of minorities. There’s a subtle attempt in our world to make the church a minority and so silence our voice. In the scriptures we’re told Abraham was called by God to leave his father’s house, his comfort zone, into a land that was already inhabited by others. As he took these steps he thus became a minority in this land as there were more people in already inhabiting the area.

Firstly the majority in these lands tried to use intimidation to deter him. They then used misrepresentation, misunderstanding and fear tactics to ensure the promise and the authority on him would not grow.

You fast forward to the times of our Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord and his disciples were certainly the minorities. This was evidenced by the persecution, rejection and vilification they endured. Yet them being the truth that would change the world and bring revival would not wane.

There’s been so much that has gone on with minority groups. The seemingly prevailing group in wanting to enforce some sort of hierarchy and subjugation, label the other a ‘minority’. In Christ this is a different story, or should I say it should be a different story. Father through the grace of Jesus expressed through the Holy Spirit gives the power to defeat these notions and mindsets.

Let me explain further. Whenever you walk in a pioneering and forerunning spirit in taking ground in a new place and there maybe ‘more’ people than you, it would look like they have more authority and there will be push back. The old adage goes that ‘there’s strength in numbers’. In most cases this is true. But yet scripture amplifiers a truth through Prophet Elisha that ‘Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them’ (2 Kings 6:16), when he prayed for the eyes of servant to be opened as the were outnumbered in the physical. Just like Elisha, the time is now for us to move in the promises held out in the word of God; the most powerful and efficacious weapon in the world. We all find our sustenance through the Bible. It is the very foundation of our lives and all that emanates from us; our guiding light. It really works. If it thus says ‘for those who are with us are more than those who are with them’, then we need to engage with the Holy Spirit to get the strategy to take dominion.

This leads us to another most pivotal point, our inward fortification. The scriptures again exhorts us to renew our minds and put on the whole armour of God. It’s high time we move in this instructional promise, so as we strengthen ourselves, when the resistance winds attempts to move us backwards we stand after doing all to stand, in the word of God. All this so we become the majority not the minority.

If it’s not for the endurance and the steadfastness of believers the whole world would blow up and cave in. If we now understand this authority we carry through the word and God’s promises, we’ll begin to push back in this season.

All this goes with culture and ethnicity. When one feels marginalised and labelled as a minority, the annoyance and disappointment levels reach a peak. The very thing you’re strong at, the enemy will use different voices to label you and declare your redundancy in that area. The travesty! Yet when the people groups, if it be a representative, understand that this is a ploy to exploit and highlight weakness instead of strength, harness the truth of who you know you are and manifest that in front of everyone, the truth of the scriptures come alive that says ‘foreigners shall be your vinedressers’ (Isaiah 60: 5).

Every tribe and tongue has a part in God’s great tapestry of building the nations. No tribe or ethnicity has a monopoly on building, planting, plowing and reaping. There’s no place that this truth is more elegantly highlighted than God’s bride, His church, were the ecclesia has called to be the glory in the midst.

Push back in humility! Push back in truth! Push back in the word of the Lord and in spite the majority holding sway, there’s an end. Because the scripture says ‘in Him we live and move and have our being’ (Acts 17:28) and ‘Christ in you, the hope of glory’ (Col. 1:27). If the lepers who were the minority when Elisha gave his prophetic word about a divine turnaround, recovered spoil of silver, gold and had their hunger stilled as the great Aramean army in their thousands that besieged Samaria fled in haste, recorded in the Bible, then God’s word must be true today as it was in the ages. We thus need to move in that reality in this season, so that the church, the minority will become the majority.
Isaiah 60:22 The tiniest group will become a mighty nation.

Adored
Rev. Betty King.
____________

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January 21, 2022 0 comment

Faith

Choosing The Right Fight

by Betty King January 11, 2022

written by Betty King

Hearing and seeing Him accurately in this season will make sure that there are no unnecessary casualties of spiritual warfare this year, and that the Church is powerfully positioned to shift the nations. My prayer for you as you read this is that the Lord will open your eyes and ears to what is ahead, so that you will lead and influence well, and make the right decisions with conviction.

The reign of King Josiah

The books of Chronicles and of Kings contain valuable lessons and instructions that apply to decision-making and leadership in every season. In certain seasons, however, there are particular aspects and accounts within them which are key to leading and navigating well in that season. I believe that the account of King Josiah’s reign in 2 Chronicles 34 and 35 is key for this season.

Josiah was a godly king who walked in the ways of King David (2 Chronicles 34:2). He purged the nation of idolatry, rebuilt the house of the Lord and renewed Israel’s covenant with God. He restored the structures of faith and worship, and led the nation to observe the Passover in a manner that had not been seen since the days of the prophet Samuel (2 Chronicles 35:18). From his own possessions he provided thirty thousand sheep and goats and three thousand cattle for the people to celebrate the Passover, inspiring the leaders and officials of the nation to sacrifice likewise and the priests and Levites to serve in an unprecedented way for his time.

His achievements were remarkable, and through his sacrifice he lifted the land out of idolatry and apathy and into obedience, worship and devotion. There is much in Josiah’s life that provides a pattern for today, highlighting the power of godly leadership to bring about transformation, restoration and revival for a nation.

However, there is more. Even after all he had done and despite the transformation he had brought to the nation, Josiah somehow soon became a casualty of war, dying unnecessarily on a battlefield with no gain for himself or his people (2 Chronicles 35:22-24).

Understanding all of this, and what it caused to happen afterwards is key for this season.

Choosing the right fight

2 Chronicles tells us that after Josiah had set the temple of God in order, he marched out to fight with Neco, the king of Egypt. Neco, however, was not interested in fighting with Josiah, and said to him clearly by the inspiration of God “It is not you that I am attacking at this time, but the house with which I am at war” (2 Chronicles 35:20-22). While it was true that there had been a history between Israel and Egypt, and that there had been many times at which Israel and Egypt were opposed to one another, now was not one of those times. And this being so, God spoke to Josiah even through Neco, the king of a heathen nation, to let him know that this was the case.

Josiah, despite all that was great about him, did not discern and did not listen. He knew that he had conquered idols that had plagued Judah and Israel for years, that he had restored the temple of God from its ruins, and that he had brought about a restoration of the Passover that no king before him had matched. He had conquered certain strongholds of Israel’s past, and now he felt emboldened to take on Egypt, one of Israel’s ancient foes. He wanted to see Egypt crushed, and moreover, he wanted to be personally involved in making it happen.

Josiah’s failure to listen to God was disastrous, first for him and then for the nation that he had laboured to restore. He disguised himself, went onto the battlefield and was soon wounded fatally by archers. After his death, the people of the nation took his son Jehoahaz to be king, but his reign lasted only three months before the king of Egypt came to Jerusalem, dethroned him and chose another new king. Once Josiah was gone, first Egypt and then Babylon plundered Jerusalem’s wealth and a new line of kings, chosen by their enemies led the nation back into disobedience and idolatry.

Josiah’s mistake was in not discerning what the Lord was using to bring about the next degree of deliverance and breakthough for the nation. Through his obedience, Josiah had overcome powers of darkness within the nation. God had now set in motion a series of events to break the powers of darkness in the surrounding nations, but Josiah didn’t need to be personally involved. God was going to turn the strength of those nations against each other to break them, and Josiah only needed to watch and see what the Lord would do. Instead, he put himself in the crossfire and died. He lost his life and Judah lost the godly leadership that it needed.

Josiah was not the first one in Scripture to make this kind of mistake. Lot, not discerning where he was, pitched his tents near Sodom (Genesis 13:12). When the kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboyim and Bela rebelled against the king of Elam and his allies (Genesis 14), Lot was caught in the crossfire and kidnapped along with all his people and his possessions. Like Josiah, Lot was wrongly positioned in the middle of a fight which he didn’t need to be a part of.

Nonetheless, there are those in Scripture who were able to recognise what God was doing and get it right. In 2 Chronicles 20, when the Moabites and Ammonites came to make war against Judah, king Jehoshaphat was told through the Spirit of God “the battle is not yours, but God’s…you will not have to fight this battle” (2 Chronicles 20:15, 17). The next day, the armies that had gathered against him turned on one another and destroyed each other without Judah having to get involved. Likewise, when God sent Gideon against the Midianites, He caused the Midianites to turn their own swords on each other and they were defeated (Judges 7:22).

In 2022, the Body of Christ needs to learn from these Scriptural lessons and be positioned for what God is about to, so that leadership will be effective and so that there are no unnecessary casualties. Let me explain.

The clashing of world powers

Over the last two or three years, the world has struggled with unprecedented issues and the familiar structures of faith and worship have been under attack in many ways. Like Josiah, brave and godly leaders have stood up and reinstituted godly patterns, sacrificing of themselves to strengthen and build the Church. They have spoken life and healing to many, reinstituting the principles of Passover and marking the doors of the Church once again with the blood of the Lamb in intercession and prayer so that the spirit of death passes over. Many have drawn closer to God, and as the world emerges from these challenges, they are prepared to take on new fights and battles.

However, to be in the prophetic means to discern the unseen, and more has been going on in the world than many have realised. It is not only the godly that have made sacrifices and set things in order. Even the demonic principalities and powers have recognised the unusual nature of the times, and they too have been strengthening themselves and their peoples through sacrifices and preparations. The level of sacrifice all around means that there are serious levels of spiritual power waiting to be exercised, and in 2022, these forces will be seeking the rewards of their sacrifices. There is a clash of powers coming. The kings, giants and superpowers of modern times are heading into a time of war and contention, and an unprecedented power struggle.

What is key for us to recognise is that the intentions of these forces, of the world and of darkness, are against each other at this moment and are not all against the Church. According to Scriptures such as those we have just studied, there are times when the forces of the world and of the enemy devour each other, and this is the means by which God brings about the breakthroughs needed for His will to be done in the nations.

Put simply, the powers are going to fight among themselves, and we don’t need to be caught in the crossfire. Rather than fighting unwarranted fights and incurring unnecessary casualties of war, now is the time for the Church to humble itself under the hand of God and prepare to be the governing power that the world will need when the dust settles.

Governmental anointings and alignments

True biblical rulership comes through the golden oil of God’s anointing. This means partnering with God to follow His will and being led by His Holy Spirit. This level of leadership requires God’s people to see the means that God is using to fight for His Church and for His purpose, and to not, like Josiah, make decisions based on human ambitions and ideas. As the Body of Christ, the government of God should be on our shoulder, meaning we carry his decrees and build according to His patterns, even where they don’t suit the stories we want to write for ourselves.

There are some fights that belong to the Church and God gives her the victory where this is so. There are other fights where the forces of the enemy will turn on themselves and there is no need to be involved. When leaders discern the right fights to be in, they won’t be unnecessarily wounded, and the Church will have the sustained leadership it needs to continue on a path of revival and transformation. King Josiah’s death left a gap in leadership that was filled with a person of the people’s choosing, and this created a weakness in the government because the one appointed was not God’s chosen. No revival starts or is sustained by popularity. It begins and continues with recognition of and devotion to the will of God. The place of government cannot be a fan club.

Therefore, in this window of preparation that we have, there must be a realignment to the voice of God rather than the voice of popular opinion. Those who are gatekeepers and forerunners must know and flow in the mind and emotions of Christ, and not be deterred or swayed by the emotions and agendas of the people.

Unity must also be lifted to another level, because the oil flows whether there is a dwelling together in such unity. While we all belong to Jesus, it is true that there are certain people who are skillful in what they do and will be lifted up because of God’s purpose and what they are called to achieve. There can be no place for the envy, jealousy or competition that has hindered such ones in the past. It is also true that there will be some cultures and people groups that carry particular mandates and are able to excel in a given season, because of their foundations in specific aspects of biblical relationship and character such as loyalty, consistency and humility. There can be no place for racism or prejudice in this season, and we need to be careful not to judge or contend with others because we want the blessings that come with their callings or anointings. If you cannot unify then you may miss your place and timing in this window.

It’s time to crouch

God will take his prepared and unified Church to bring about a powerful shift in the nations. Chosen men and women will be sent into selected territories and will connect with the right people to bring about vital changes. Because the world powers will have been busy violently contending against each other, it will seem to them as though these people have appeared from nowhere. When Elijah appeared in Israel it seemed to king Ahab as if he had appeared from nowhere, but the reality is that Elijah had long been anointed with God’s golden oil and prepared in a place out of sight.

Some of you reading this now are among those called to be sent. As you meditate in this word of the Lord, shift yourself mentally and emotionally and realise that things have changed. Come out of your entanglements and the situations where you have felt the need to contend for popularity. Creation is waiting for the sons of God to manifest.

Discern God’s voice and which fights are yours and which are not. When you have found the clear voice of God then it is time to crouch and birth the next move of God, just as Elijah crouched after the victory on Mount Carmel and prayed until the rain came. Raise up people around you that will press in and crouch with you, and that will watch with you until the breakthrough comes. Retain the ones that will keep pressing in with you until the good report comes, because they have heard as you’ve heard. Don’t keep the ones that are quick to believe a negative report. Look for the ones that God is raising up, not the ones that are simply popular with the people.

Prepare now, while the world powers clash. The time is coming when the dust will settle and you will be caused to appear before the nations to bring about the long-awaited change and transformation.

May God be your strength, life and peace this year, and give you the discernment you need for destiny and victory!

Adored

Rev Betty King

___________

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January 11, 2022 0 comment

Faith

Dealing With Criticism

by Betty King December 16, 2021

written by Betty King

We really need to talk about how to deal with criticism. Many people don’t take criticism well because they truly don’t know how to look at it in the right way. But when you have the right understanding, you will use it as fuel for your growth and never allow it to drain your strength again! Today I’ll give you some of the keys that you need to handle the various criticisms that come your way.

One of the keys you’ll need in dealing with criticism is to recognise and be THANKFUL that someone sees your value enough to want to inform you, in their own way, as to how they see you. If you didn’t have value, you really wouldn’t attract the attention. It doesn’t matter what is said or how it’s done. If you can take it well, criticism will actually get you to recognise and realise your value. Sometimes criticism comes so that you can see that what you do and how you do it means something to someone. The Scriptures say that we enter His gates with thanksgiving, so bring it all, with thanks, into His presence. He will show you the meaning and purpose of it all and why it has come at this time and how it fits in with what He wants you to see. Respond in the Spirit and not in the flesh.

Another key is to recognise that sometimes God is using your life to tell someone a story that they need to hear in order to WAKE UP. When people are nit-picking and criticising you, they are also watching you. You’re living out your dreams, moving forward in life, and God’s story is unfolding for you while they only sit and observe and comment. One day they will eventually realise they have been living off crumbs that fell from the table that the Lord was preparing for you right in front of their eyes. They were feeding on the goodness of God in YOUR life, forgetting that they too need a table of their own to eat from. Your life will be a witness of God’s goodness and glory to them, and what it looks like to journey well with God, even if at first they were looking only for the wrong reasons.

And finally, sometimes you just need to hear what your enemy is saying. If it were not important, then God would not have told Gideon in Judges 7:10-11 to go down into the camp and hear what the Midianites and Amalekites were saying. After Gideon heard their words, he worshipped God! From his enemy’s own mouth, he understood their weaknesses and discerned how God was about to move. His enemy had recognised his value and yet was still choosing to attack. And God turned the whole thing around, exposing the truth.

Sometimes people may attack you, but the reality is that they are just intimidated by your growth, and the only way for them to feel good about themselves is to come against you anyway. So just worship and advance! Listen carefully to what you hear so that you can discern the true nature of the battle and pray effectively. God sent Gideon down with one other person, so identify who God has put with you for this season and move forward. Just as God spoke to the Midianites and Amalekites after they had gathered against Gideon, so will God speak in due time to those who criticise and oppose those who live for Him today. For now, be thankful for the affirmation that comes through criticisms and for the strategies that come along with them. In ALL things be thankful, and SURGE ahead.

HALLELUJAH!

Adored

Rev Betty King

____

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December 16, 2021 0 comment

Articles

God Will Unmute The Muted Christians

by Rhoda Gayle December 14, 2021

written by Rhoda Gayle

God will unmute and unbound the muted and bounded Christians.

Muted Christians

In an episode of The Cry, Rev. Betty King talked about the struggles many Christians are facing right now, the struggles of being silenced by other people. Many Christians, particularly leaders, have been silenced lately.

“If you don’t have the right people around you to really interpolate what God has already won, it will put you in bondage,” Rev. Betty explained.

The enemy will always try to silence the Word of God and the people that are carrying it. He tries to stop revival from happening by spreading fear in the hearts of God’s people. It’s a battle that we all should be praying about.

“We need to really pray for the Lord to unmute, to release the leaders that started out well but they are bound. There’s a lot of fear that is going on around in the body of Christ with people that really carry the voice of God. But they’ve been bound by politics, they’ve been bound by fear.”

God will unmute

Do not let fear stop you from doing the things that God has told you to.

“Everything that we do and we’re doing in 2021 needs to be from the nature of God.”

Whatever we’ve been facing or whoever may be silencing you, there’s nothing greater than the power of God in our lives. He promises that He will fight for us and all we have to do is stand firm in His promises.

“The Lord promised that if you stand still, He will fight for you. The enemy will come in like a flood but the Spirit of the Lord will raise up a standard. These are the truth that we need to use, the truth in God’s word to really stand.”

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Reference: GOD TV

December 14, 2021 0 comment

Articles

Keys To Financial Liberty

by Rhoda Gayle September 28, 2021

written by Rhoda Gayle

In an episode of The Cry with host Betty King, host Grace Gladys Famoriyo shares two of the keys to financial liberty.

Financial Liberty

Grace founded Multiple Income Women to help women achieve financial liberty. She has been using God’s wisdom and Scriptures throughout her 25 years of experience in coaching and helping women to develop financially. In this episode, she is sharing with us the fundamental keys that could ensure people to achieve financial liberty.

The first key is having a multiple income mindset. For one person to achieve financial freedom, she should have multiple streams of income. Especially during this time where everything is uncertain, our jobs are not that secured. It is safe for us to have another source of income for us to depend on when things don’t go as planned.

And the second fundamental key is making use of your God-given assets. Grace referenced 2 Kings 4 to emphasize that God has already given us the assets that we need to flourish. Every asset you have right now has been given to you by God.

“God is the god of strategy for every situation,” Grace said. “So, He has given us the asset. He’s told us how to position it and then how to market it. But in addition to that, He then says ‘live on that for the rest of your days.’”

Open Heaven

After the difficult season, we all have been through, Grace believes that this is now the season of opportunities. Right now is the season when the Body of Christ will start to take claim of the land.

God has also given us the wisdom on how we could make value out of every asset we have.

“Whatever it is, God has given you that gift to turn that into something of value,” she added.

There’s open heaven for everyone right now. Open heaven of opportunities, breakthroughs, and financial freedom!

“Whoever you are, wherever you are, I want you to realize that whatever blockages, Father is saying to you that there’s an open heaven.”

The Gates And The Doors

by Betty King August 26, 2021

written by Betty King

As we approach the Rosh Hashanah, Jewish New Year, the Lord keeps imprinting the word ‘Gather’ in my spirit, along with the story of rebuilding of the Walls and Gates of Jerusalem through Nehemiah’s leadership. The unfolding great narrative of the rebuilding taking from Chapter 3 I believe, has some keys for us to pray with as we enter into this great coming new year for the Bride of Christ and our world.

The Bible tells us that after the great leader purposed that no unclean thing would have a part to play in the rebuilding and refortification, he gathered those who had the spiritual right and availability to mount this great work. From stage left enters Eliashib the High Priest, who in turn ‘rose up with his brethren the priests and built the Sheep gate’.

The Chosen Ones

The Lord has let us know from the foundation of He has chosen us and the ‘the LORD has called Me from the womb; From the matrix of My mother He has made mention of My name’ (Isaiah 49:1). And so Eliashib was no different, as his name would mean ‘whom God restores’ also meaning a conversion back to what it was meant to be. In short this man had been called to be a CONVERTOR.

Yet his tenure as a High Priest before being exalted as one of the rebuilding leaders, was fraught with compromise that for all intents and purposes should have disqualified him from such a hallowed position. But God!

He had allowed his grandson to marry the daughter of Sanballat and to add insult to injury, he had indulged Tobias to the degree that he had leased storerooms in God‘s holy Temple and gave him charge over it. His past spoke deafening indictment over him and thus was UNFIT to show his face. What compromise! What open door for accusation against any rebuilding. But God!

In spite of his past and present issues, he had a calling and purpose over his life as a priest, and from the place of real repentance, right and proper arrangement of God’s Holy Temple, he could now confidently and without accusation walk into the full calling of God on his life as one that would CONVERT.

Priests Of Today

Eliashib is a perfect picture of how we today have operated in presumption in wanting to build or erect something for God. We fail to understand the times and season, and so seek out the gift of man rather than being still and knowing He is God so that He may direct our path. We look on the outside rather than the heart and real intention, so get into alignments that erode and leech of us. In doing so, we become so compromised that we easily acquiesce to demands and place people into positions that clearly go against God’s heart and will. These people therefore become ‘inside man’ for the will of the opposition.

Our Lord’s example in the choosing and appointing of his own converters/disciples needs to be our true yardstick. He did nothing without seeing His Father do it, nor spoke without hearing His Father utter His commanding voice. He did not judge by what He saw or heard, but in righteousness did He operate. Jesus knew who to choose to do life with and to appoint into high office. It was not done on a whim or impression, but from the blueprint that came from nearness and pursuit of His Father.

Our Lord could not do with distraction from within or without, as such to bring real REDEMPTION and RESTORATION of the walls and gates of people’s lives, He needed ones who had been tried and tested in the crucible and furnaces of fire.

Eliashib, like some have done in our day at some point, had created such internal distractions and disruptions that it nearly derailed the conversion, as we see through the narrative in the book of Nehemiah and Ezra. But God!

Gate and Tower

For many of us, even in the midst of great indictments from our past, and some the present, many have pushed through and contended through periods of confession consecration, and thus change for the times of redeeming that have now come. These times have preserved them to rewrite back to God’s initial merciful intentions for their lives and certainly for the ultimate purpose for the Bride of Christ.

Through fire, Eliashib now gathers the consecrated ones who have made covenant by sacrifice to start the rebuilding and the conversion. The rebuilding starts on the Sheep Gate with the doors being done with spiritual excellence and so progress wouldn’t stop until it reached the Tower of Hananel. It’s important to pause to see what God needs of us as we start on this journey of rebuilding, restoring and converting all things in this coming new year.

The Sheep Gate represents the real place of entrance we all have to make it through, that is our Lord Jesus, the Door and Gate of the sheep.
‘Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep…I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture’ (John 10:7,9).

For us to gain traction, momentum, fruit, expansion, breakthrough, elevation, influence and completion, we must advance through Him and by Him; His model, His strategy, His leadership, His insight. Enquiring of Him and being lead by His voice so He can lead us to the place of grace and glory.

As we construct according to His model He will always cause us to meet grace which is another level of true enduement to finish the work. Eliashib and the gathered ones, built as far as the Tower of Hananel. The name Hananel is of great importance for us, as it means ‘God’s grace’. The Lord is giving us a picture of what diligence, dedication and determination through Him could look like.

The Tower represents to us from the words Jeremiah, Zechariah and further on in the book Nehemiah, the original intentions of God for His people and His church shown by the advent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. We have become a strong tower by the grace of God through the intoxication of the wine of the Spirit to preserve our priesthood of being converters without guile or accusation. Ones operating from Holy Spirit inspiration and anointing. When there was a gathering to build the gates through the great heavenly Sheep Gate, Grace had to fall.

He is a Shepherd and a King as Zechariah 14:10 reveals, ‘Jerusalem shall be raised up and inhabited in her place from Benjamin’s Gate to the place of the First Gate and the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the king’s winepresses’. There shall be a raising up this Jewish new year so let’s not remain at the first place ‘but for this very reason, giving all diligence add to your faith…’ (2 Peter 1:5) and endeavour to get to our Tower of Hananel so we may be overcome by Presence to finish well.

The Zaccurs

This third protagonist in what the Lord has showed me is one that may have shared a lineage with the many tribes that brought back a bad report and thus sowed fear in the hearts of the Israelites during the wilderness wanderings. More pointedly, he shared a name with a father of one of the spies. Imagine what weight and burden he must have had on his shoulders; the internal war he fought in being associated with such a name and history. But God still chose him to be part of the rebuilding.

In being chosen we need to be ‘mindful’, which is the meaning of Zaccur, not to let our past mistakes, associations, affiliations and the like, hold us back from the redemption that has come to visit us. We need to be mindful not to repeat the mistakes, missteps and mishaps of the past and not let it inform on the second chance God has given us.

We are at such a precipice of one of the greatest outpourings and breakthroughs of God as we build the gates and hang the doors that we simply CANNOT allow the past stories to write our present script of rebuilding, restoration of CONVERSION.

Gathering, Gates, Glory

We need FIRE. We want FIRE. We speak FIRE. Only when this is language of the church, will the right PRIESTS be found and lifted to gather at the gates for glory. Malachi says when the gathered ones ‘who feared the Lord spoke to one another, And the Lord listened and heard them’ (3:16) the rebuilding could commence. Tribes found their tribes. Friends found their friends who had purposed to fight for the self same thing; the rebuilding because grace is present.

The Lord clearly said to me ‘Don’t go through the same doors’. What didn’t work yesterday, certainly won’t work today. As we advance, there will be effectual doors opened because we have gone through the first gate, the Sheep Gate, built that gate and hanged the doors, so now real multiple doors will open for us to use. As we use the keys we have gained through devotion and pursuit, we will see acceleration unto glory.

As we advance let’s not forget the noice and insecurities of the ‘inside man’ who feel they have lost their position as God gathers His own that fear Him. Many like the Sanballats and Tobias’ had been given the opportunity to be real bridges, but they didn’t and rather were lead by fear and entitlement, so wanted to use flesh and pride for further validation of their temporary positions.

As the advancement and progress continues, these ones will fight and huff with gossips and innuendos. They will gather, but because it’s not of God, the fire will disperse. As we grow in sensitivity and discernment, we see all these inside men, intruders and invaders and their ambitions, we stand against them in Spirit of the Lord and see a routing, displacement and dethroning as God showed us with Sanballat and Tobias.

The gates and the walls will be rebuilt! Don’t let the noise and the clamour in this coming year cause there to be a delay to the rebuilding. Let the gates be lifted up! Let the everlasting doors be lifted, so the King of glory can come in. Who is this King of glory, the Lord strong and mighty. He is the King of glory. It’s about to go down, so saints let’s buckle up.

I Am His Delight

Rev. Betty King

___
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August 26, 2021 0 comment

Articles

Are You Pleasing Jesus Or Pleasing The World?

by Rhoda Gayle August 23, 2021

written by Rhoda Gayle

Are you pleasing Jesus or pleasing the world?

Gavin Calver

In an episode of The Cry with host Rev. Betty King, Gavin Calver, CEO of Evangelical Alliance shared a message about standing firm in God. In different parts of the world today, many Christians are being persecuted because of being followers of Christ.

Many Christians are being killed, jailed, and threatened, but one thing is still true, that Jesus is on the throne! Just like Jesus freed Peter when he was in prision, Jesus is fighting for those who stand firmly in His name. But we must remember that there’s always a price to pay when we advance the Kingdom of God.

“Jesus, when He gets hold of you, no weapon formed against you is more significant than keeping King Jesus knowing that you’re sharing the message. We’ve lost something, we expect that kind of Christianity without the cost,” Gavin said. “But what I love about it is: miraculous work of God, passionate proclamation of the Gospel, the authorities try to stop you, they can’t, Jesus wins.”

Pleasing Jesus

As a follower of Christ, we must make a firm decision to follow Him and not the world. Let us ask ourselves this question, “Am I pleasing my Jesus or pleasing my world?”

“We stand firmly on God’s Word,” he urged everyone. “We do not change the Bible to fit our culture, we change our culture with the truth in the Word of God.”

Revival

How can we advance the Kingdom of God in the world? Gavin shared two things that we can start doing to see revival.

A mighty move of prayer.
Small acts of obedience of the people of God.

Let’s start by praying. Our prayer for revival is more powerful than any activity we do. We also need to obey the Lord. Make the decision to stand out and follow the Lord and not the ways of the world.

Grow closer to God daily by getting exclusive video teachings on God Today!

Read God’s Word For You Today directly from your phone. Download the Daily Word app now on Google Play and Appstore

Reference: GOD TV

August 23, 2021 0 comment

Articles

Effects Of The Pandemic To The Church

by Rhoda Gayle August 17, 2021

written by Rhoda Gayle

What are the effects of the pandemic on the Church and what God is doing through all of these?

The Cry

In an episode of The Cry with Betty King, Dr. Rachel Jordan-Wolf, Executive Director of Hope Together, and Sammy Jordan of Hope For Every Home, share their thoughts about the pandemic and how it is affecting the church.

Dr. Rachel emphasized how God moved through the online platform during the pandemic where mass gatherings are restricted. Because His Church took a brave step to go out of the norm, more people have been reached by the Gospel.

“It’s been fascinating to see what has happened when the church was pushed, rather reluctantly in many places, to go online. That’s been exciting, what God has done through that and how many people have been reached because the church took a big brave step,” she said.

Effects of the pandemic

The pandemic has greatly affected the church and even the leaders. Most of the church leaders became tired and worn out because of the issues the world is facing right now. But God wants us to be more rooted in Him today than ever before.

“At the moment, the church is quite tired, a lot of church leaders are tired,” Dr. Rachel said. “It’s like we’ve got to dig deep back into God and go. It’s time to do this again.”

Sammy agreed by noting that God is a good God who works everything, including this pandemic, for good.

“No one could deny that the effects of the pandemic have been devastating…but I believe in a good God, I believe in the God who works for good in all things,” Sammy said.

It is uncertain when will this pandemic entirely end or what tomorrow will bring, but one thing is for sure, God is good. No matter what this new season brings, we rest assured that God is with us and would never forsake us.

“I think God wants to do a new thing. I think God is calling His church into a new season.”

Grow closer to God daily by getting exclusive video teachings on God Today!

Read God’s Word For You Today directly from your phone. Download the Daily Word app now on Google Play and Appstore

Reference: GOD TV

August 17, 2021 0 comment

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