This is a prophetic message by David Orton that I believe is very timely and relevant enough to share.....
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THE DISTRACTED BRIDE (PT. 1)

"… I betrothed you to one husband…to Christ…But I am afraid, lest as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds should be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ."

2 Cor 11:2-3

The Warfare of Worship

The Holy Spirit is calling out a Bride for the Son in this generation.

But once we respond to these 'wooings' of the Spirit we immediately enter what I would call the 'warfare of worship'.

If there is one thing that the enemy excels in it is distracting us from pure worship – from the primacy of abandonment to Jesus' presence – from making him the exclusive focus of all our hearts deepest desires and affections – from the inner man being constantly cast prostrate before him, conquered and subdued by love.

Satan will even use the work of God to do this. He will so crowd us with cares and responsibilities, with service and success that our heart-devotion to Christ is all-but smothered. And so, the good becomes the enemy of the best.

Sure, we may lift our hands in worship – we may sing and shout – and even maintain a quiet time, but there is something missing. There is a hollow ring to it all – it no longer seems to sustain or satisfy. In fact, to the discerning it is more – there is a certain dissonance to all that we do and say – we have become what Paul describes as a 'clanging cymbal'. We may, like the Corinthians, excel in the gifts and operations of the Spirit, but be without love.

As with the Corinthians the battleground is in our thinking. We are led astray by thoughts that rationalise and justify our priorities and purposes until, in time, these become strongholds that resist the knowledge of God (see 2 Cor 10:3-5). Our minds are gradually 'fogged' by natural thinking and become veiled to the truth – particularly the truth about ourselves. It becomes increasingly difficult to move in discernment and revelation. And so, we inadvertently pursue other gods. We follow other lovers even while betrothed to the Bridegroom.

Give To Him Who Asks

There is a principle in God of 'giving to him who asks' (see Mtt 5:42; Jn 16:24). The Lord will never force us beyond the level we want. He will exhort and challenge. He will rebuke and correct. He will even draw us with 'cords of love'. But in the end we are left free to resist or respond to the pleadings and wooings of the Spirit. In effect, he gives us the freedom to ask for what we want.

Israel in the wilderness had this freedom. They asked according to their own desires only to receive the answer with 'leanness of soul' (see Psa 106:13-15 KJV). If we earnestly keep asking for something less than God's best – and remember that 'the good can become enemy of the best' – he may give it to us. If we ask persistently enough for a ministry we may get one. But it may be outside of his perfect will and timing for us. Or we may ask for greater influence, or secretly desire a reputation. But what good are any of these things without the imprimatur of the Spirit – without the pleasure of God upon them? We can gain the whole world, but in the end lose our soul.

And so, Christ comes to the 'Distracted Bride', to draw her back to himself. He comes with weapons that are not 'natural' – that are not of the flesh and are contrary to the ways of men. These weapons will not force us into God but if we respond they are mighty to the pulling down of strongholds – the destroying of those thoughts that have excused our distractions – "I'm serving the Lord – I've got to fulfil my responsibilities – this is the price of ministry", "These opportunities are God-given!", "If I don't do it no-one else will – the need has to be met!", "But this is what people expect!"

Now, the weapon mighty in God used to win the Bride is not one of force, but of love. There is no coercion or fear. In fact, fear is banished by perfect love (see 1 Jn 4:18). Three times in the Song of Songs the refrain is sounded, "Do not arouse love or awaken love until it so desires" (1:7; 3:5; 8:4). True love is a fragile bird – and with force it can be fractured or frightened away. So, with great tenderness and with perfect love the Bridegroom woos and withdraws – "… Listen! My lover is knocking: 'Open to me, my sister, my darling…' I opened for my lover, but my lover had left; he was gone" (S of S 5:2, 6).

Spiritual 'Hide-and-Seek'

When we are distracted by other things the Bridegroom plays a little game with us – a game of spiritual 'hide-and-seek'. It works something like this: 'When he hides we seek!' It's usually not until the felt presence of God is withdrawn that we start to get desperate.

But why does he have to do this? Because we have excused and justified our lack of response – "I have taken off my robe – must I put it on again? I have washed my feet – must I soil them again?" (S of S 5:3). We have been preoccupied with many other things – with the purposes and plans of the heart – even if they are ostensibly to serve him. Martha was 'cumbered about' with the activity of the flesh in her desire to serve God. But there is a cost to respond to his wooing. This is the way of the cross – and it usually cuts into our flesh, our striving and self-effort, as we attempt to serve Jesus.

Now please understand that the Bridegroom, at this stage, is not dealing with immature love – this is not a new believer here, but someone who has already responded to his love and enjoyed something of his intimacy. The marriage has been consummated (S of S 4:12-5:1) and their love had been previously deepened by a similar experience. Back in chapter 3 she had "looked for him but did not find him" (3:1). And only after some desperate searchings could she finally say, "I have found the one my heart loves. I held him and would not let him go…" (3:4).

But now she is being called to go deeper – deeper in love and higher in worship. She looked for him and could not find him, she called and there was no answer. Sound familiar? You do what you know to do to seek him, but nothing – you draw a blank.  Nothing but silence – there's no one at home. Why?

...PART TWO IN A FEW DAYS....;-)

A good friend of mine, Pastor Jonathan Brooks, posted this on his group’s music ministry website, and I just HAD to repost it here. Hope it blesses you! Leave a comment .
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Many Christian musicians have fallen into the trap of asking themselves how do they become a better artist and glorify GOD more through their music.  I have found this question to be one of interesting nature.  One who seeks the answer should always ask themselves, are they seeking to glorify God through their music, or through their life as a whole.  Although GOD is glorified through music, He values our lives reflecting his holiness as far greater than anything our lips can say.  I offer a humble solution and tiny steps toward being more God centered in your lyrics and Christ centered in your music...

We've talked about being Physically and Mentally out of position, but what does it mean to be Spiritually out of position?

   "Not ever one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom 
    of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

   Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy
   name? and in thy name have cast of devils? and in thy name done many
   wonderful works?
  
   Then I will profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that
   work in iniquity." Matt. 7:21-23

Being out of position spiritually means that you are in a place in your walk with God where you are working for God or doing the things of God, but the work or the things you are doing are not of God because God is not the center of your heart, affection or life.

David was a king chosen and ordained by God for Israel. But what he was doing at that moment was not of God. You can preach or work for God and it may not be of God because you may be out of your position.

When we are spiritually out of position, a couple of things begin to happen:

 

      * You suffer the lack of provision and protection.

When a believer is out of position spiritually, they are exposed to the spiritual elements of their present position and place without any protection. What the enemy does in these places is to begin to steal from the believer and eventually destroy him.

      * You lack fresh illumination from God.

You become dry and stagnated and open yourself to spiritual darkness. Illumination is light. Light is a blessing from a lifestyle of obedience. Darkness is a curse from disobedience. When you can't see you walk astray and make wrong decisions in life which can be chaotic and devastating.

       * You expose yourself to a lack of discernment and direction.

Part of the function of discernment is to help us sift between right and wrong in our decision making. When we are out of position we lose this very important tool of surival and end up going astray and making catastrophic decisions about our life, the lives of others, family members and our destiny.
When you are spiritually out of position your judgement of the things of God becomes distorted. You begin to make excuses for things in your life rather than taking responsibility. At this point, you compromise, manipulate, and lead people astray.

       * You begin to lack the fear of the Lord.

Your fear for the Lord and for the things which God hates begin to diminish in you until it completely erodes from your heart. You no longer love what God loves and hate what He hates. You become insensitive to God as well as to the things and people of God. God and His things are no longer as precious and valuable as they once used to be.

       * You become unable to clearly hear the voice of God and obey him.

You respond more to the voice of your soul and the voice of your flesh. In the case of David, he was so spiritually out of place that he could not hear the voice of God in what Uriah was saying to him in II Sam. 11:11...

     "The Ark, and Israel, and Judah, abide in tents; and my lord Joab, and the 
     servants of my lord, are encamped in the open fields; shall I then go into
     mine house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? As thou livest,
     and as thy soul liveth, I will not do this thing."

God was speaking to David out of Uriah's voice. If the Ark, Israel and Judah lived in tents and were in battle, David should have also been where the Ark of God, and subsequently the Presence of God, was: in battle. But because David was spiritually out of position, he could not hear the voice of God until Nathan the prophet confronted him directly.

     * Your love for the works of the flesh become more attractive, ever
        increasing, and more demanding than your love for the things of the
       Spirit.

Your pursuit for the fulfillment of the flesh is always at an increasing rate. You become willing to do ANYTHING to fulfill the desire of your flesh, even at the expense of others.

     * Lastly, You begin to lower the standard of your potential in God and
       level of obedience to Him, and you begin to settle and accept wrong
       standards that are beneath your potential and expectations in God.

You end up becoming prone to accepting wrong counsel, doctrines and strategies in order to vindicate and bolster your falling position. You begin to tolerate and make room in your life and Christian walk for the very things you once stood against.

David's mistakes cost him and those around him dearly. Bathsheba her marriage, Uriah his life, Israel suffered countless hundreds of unnecessary casualties, and it cost David his son. Ultimately, until the time of Jesus, David's bloodline suffered because of the decisions he made while out of position.

So I ask you, as the Lord addressed Adam in the cool of the garden after he had fallen from his position:

                                "WHERE ARE YOU?"

Casting down imaginations, and every hight thing that exalteth itself gainst the knowledge of God, and bringing in to captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; 2 Corinthians 10:5

• It causes us not to consider the consequences of our actions.
  
  When you are menatally out of position, you lose the strength of considering the consequences of your actions until the consequences become a reality. Just look at what King David began to do when he was mentally out of position. What he never dreamt he would do he was now doing, and where he never dreamt he would be, he was now there. What he would accuse and reprimand others for, he was now guilty of.
  
  
• It causes us to lie.
  
  And the first person you lie to is yourself. It causes you not to se wrong in what you are doing. You now accept evil as right. You become very deluded and look for peope to agree with you. It is a very horroble place to be. You now give excuses for every one ofyour actions nistead of owning up. The reason we lie when we are out of position mentally is so that we can either hold on to our sin, or so that we can vindicate our present mental act or state.
  
  
• it causes us to deceive ourselves as we attemtpt to deceive ourselves.
  
  Deception slifts into your heart and in your trying to deceive others, you end up becoming deceived yourself. David was being deceptive in his attempt to coerce Uriah to go and sleep with his wife so that uriah could be blamed as the one responsible for Bathsheba's pregnancy.
  
  
• You misjudge the character of others.
  
  You start thinking that everybody is thinking like you and doing the same things that you do, and therefore do not have the right to address your current state. You adopt an "all have sinned, so you're no better than I am" mentality.
  
  
• You are gradually killing something in your life>

Something in you begins to die without your knowledge - your anointing in God, your reverence level for God, your passion level for the things of God, and your hunger and pursuit for your destiny all begin to gradually dwindle.
We then start to "kill" others around us who do not go along with our agenda.
Look at Uriah, the man David sacrificed to protect his sin: 2 Samuel 11:8-11

1. He was a Godly man.
   
2. He was loyal to David's vision.
   
3. He was a committed man.
   
4. He was a man that sacrificed his family for the work of God.
   
5. He was a lover of God.

• It prevents you from seeing the error of your ways.
  
  David's thinking concerning his behavior was off. It took God through the mouth of Nathan the prophet to show him the error of his ways. This is what happens to us. We are never objective and therefore cannot see the error of our ways unless we are seriously confronted. it is important to have people in our lives who can directly confront us and bring us back to our edge and proper positon.
  
  Next week, we will talk about being SPIRITUALLY out of position.

What does it mean to be "out of position?" It means:"to live, to abide or to remain in a place that is contrary to the will of God." It also means "to be in a spiritual, physical or mental place which leads to destruction.

King David was an idividual who suffered the consequences of being out of position. Not only was he physically out of position (II Sam 11:1), but he also became so mentally and spiritually out of position that he could no longer feel or sense the conviction of God for his sins and ways of life until the prophet Nathan showed up and brought conviction to him. that is a dangerous place to be.

At a time when kings go to war, David stayed at home and sent his cousin Joab and his millitary men to war. David was out of position and out of function because this was the time when kings fo forth to battle on behalf of their nation and people.

What are some things that happen when we are physically out of position?

• We force another to take or fill our place & fulfill our function (I Kings 19:9-17)

David's absence forced his cousing Joab to be in the place where the KING ought to have been.

• The place you presently occupy now leads to the sin of the flesh. (II Samuel 11:2-4)

There was nothing wrong with Jerusalem. Neither was there anything wrong with David's balcony. It was just that he was out of position, and the position and place he was in lead to the sin of the flesh. sometimes being out of position can make you see, feel and ultimately embrace things you have no business, and can become the foundation for your destruction.

• We take others out of their position. (II Samuel 11:7-9,13)

When we are out of position, we eventually take innocent people out of their place and hinder their ability to locate their position and placement with God. There are very few things that you do by yourself...whenever we are out of place, we FORCE others from THEIR rightful places.

• We take advantage of the innocent for our personal pleasures.(II Samuel 11:13-17)

Because David was out of position, he fell into sin, and in order to cover up his sin he had to take advantage of the innicence of Uriah for his personal agenda. Whenever you are not where you ought to be, you will always take advantage of the innocent around you in order to strengthen your wrong position or to vindicate your agenda.

• You harm the people in your life and those around you. (II Samuel 11:12)

You end up abusing and bringing destrution to peoples' lives or to the people God has given you. David was willing to get Uriah drunk to fulfill his personal agenda. He even ordered the death of Uriah to cover his sin.

• Your actions displease God.

When we are out of place or position, we get into doing things that do not please the heard of God....

Next week, we will see what happens when we are mentally out of position.

This blog was originally posted by my friend King David Tha Vessel, and was worthy of a repost! Check out his ministry www.myspace.com/kingdavidthavessel

It is indeed time for The Josiah Generation to raise the BAR, and the STANDARD OF HOLINESS must be defended!!! But, I'll save that for the next blog ... 
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All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not. I Cor.10:23

It's tight, but it's right...

The Body of CHRIST is being plagued with a sickness right now. Do you know what that sickness is? It's called compromise and it is ugly. No power? It's because of compromise. No holiness? Yep, compromise. No fear of GOD? Definitely compromise. Saints looking like a joke to the world??? You guessed it...compromise.

It's unfortunate, because somewhere, someone, as Eve and then Adam were in the garden, believed the lie that was told them saying that you can do and say and go and watch and listen to whatever you want and still be saved. Someone even told me once that the WORD of GOD, the 66 books inspired by GOD and breathed over and into man, says ITself to take care of the natural first, then the spiritual. Wow...GOD, WHO is actually a spirit, would turn and tell us to enjoy the natural and then tackle the spiritual things for the sake of balance? HE must have been schizo when HE told us that to be carnally minded(naturally minded) is death, but to be spiritually minded is life & peace(Rom8:6). Looks like another example, and of course that person nor anyone else has been able to show me this "natural first" scripture in the Bible, of how man has looked for and continues to look for ways to water down salvation, keeping the bits and peices he wants, and chucking the rest. Not ok by GOD's standards and that is, of course, what we should be pressing towards...

I read a blog by one of my new friends on MySpace, and it blessed me because in essence, they were saying that they were unwilling to compromise the label of "Christian Artist" for the lable of "Positive Arist or Music" (which of course is so much less powerful and endures less opossition because there is less substance). This individual got a lot of feedback from different individuals opposed to her stance. Unfortunately, and not attemtpting to judge here so stick with me, I wonder how many of these individuals who felt as though it was too much to ask to sing about JESUS specifically in every song and felt that they could still represent their "faith" in their music, have today's latest or even some of yesterday's classic R&B records in their collection? Or Rap? Or Jazz? Or how many of these individuals feel as though you don't have to be clean to hear from GOD? Or how many believe that music and movies don't carry a spirit behind them, so they watch whatever?

Listen, the WORD of GOD condemns our lifestyles if they are not aligned with what HE says we ought to do; I don't have to do that, I just quote the WORD. But while we realize that we have all this liberty in CHRIST JESUS, what has it afforded us? Folks in the world laugh at the church...you know why? Because while they're busy looking for the power of GOD as evidenced in our living, they don't see it because although all things are lawful to us because of the grace of GOD through JESUS, all things aren't edifying, but we accept them anyway.

When did being saved become a popularity contest? Have we twisted the words of the Apostle Paul that much to where becomming all things to all men means being whores with no deliverance(male and female) to minister to whores? Or being gay and/or effeminate to minister to others like us? Or does it mean going to the club and watching videos so that I can know what's out there? Let me ask...when was the last time sin changed? It was sin when our grandparents did it, sin when our parents did it, sin when we did it(or are doing it), and will be sin after we're gone should the LORD delay HIS coming.

We are supposed to be about the business of edifying ourselves so that we can edify others.

What is prophecy? The heart and mind of GOD. What does prophecy do? Comfort, exhort, edify.

It's GOD's heart and mind that we edify ourselves and each other. Build up, rather than lay a stumbling block for others to trip over in their attempt to live according to the WORD of GOD because we haven't gotten deliverance in a certain area or we haven't given up certian things. And still try to minister to others...out of what? Can I prophecy off of Beyonce? Can the same hips that shake to Shakira usher in the presence of the LORD through praise dancing? When I'm praying for somebody else, am I nodding my head to the Jay-Z song or the Luther I just got through listening to? Am I drunk off wine or is that the HOLY GHOST or do I even know the difference? Can GOD bless me with a husband or wife and give me a testimony to help someone else get there and wait if I'm not willing to stop sleeping with the person I've been secretly seeing over the past few months? Or the one(s) I met at church??? If your lifestyle is not up to par with the WORD of GOD, how can it help you? And if JESUS wants us, you and I, to feed HIS sheep, how can it help others???

Yes, the grace of GOD means we have forgiveness for sins; we don't die as soon as we commit them. But the Body has become like the church of Galatia, running well at one point and time, but now feeling the effects of being bewitched and beguiled, somehow believing that by not doing what the WORD of GOD says to do,we're still fulfilling the purpose that GOD has called us to. As if there's another way. I only know of ONE...(John14:6).

GOD has given you and I the power to effect change in our own lives, and then in the lives of others. So we can't blame GOD for not having deliverances that HE has given us the power to receive and in many instances in waiting on us to get and walk in...(Isa 1:16)

16Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;

You and I can do this. You and I have the power to put away out of our lives those things that are not edifying. GOD and HIS people are waiting, but HE will not wait forever...

Loving you enough to care...

KD

Job 33:14-17

14 For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not.

 15 In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed;

 16 Then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction,

 17 That he may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man.

New Living Translation

14 For God speaks again and again,
      though people do not recognize it.

 15 He speaks in dreams, in visions of the night,
      when deep sleep falls on people
      as they lie in their beds.

 16 He whispers in their ears
      and terrifies them with warnings.

 17 He makes them turn from doing wrong;
      he keeps them from pride.

I am a dreamer...always have been. My dreams are sometimes prophetic, always vivid, seldom fleeting or the result of something I shouldn't have eaten late at night (lol!). Lately, my dreams have been like pieces of a puzzle that God gives to me bit by bit until the thing my spirit has been aware of for so long has finally caught up to my mind, and I see clearly what God was trying to communicate to me, and where He is leading me. Oftentimes, dreams are the quiet in the eternal conversation between He and I where He has the opportunity to speak uninterrupted. It is a curious thing that I can be the most attentive when I am asleep, and my waking hours had become too busy for Him. Made aware of this, I immediately took action to correct this mistake. If my life is a meal, God should never be served the crumbs...

What do you dream of? Are you dreams prophetic? Full of wisdom? Instruction? Warning? Direction? Do you recongnize when God is indeed speaking to you in a dream?

I wonder: have our dreams become the only clear channel through which God can communicate with us in this season because the waking hours are much too cluttered, busy and occupied for Him to get a word in edgewise? The only time we are still enough for him to initiate conversation with us? The only time He is not wrestling with our will & agenda to get His accomplished? In dreams, we cannot hide. We cannot lie. We cannot run. In dreams we are vulerable, transparent, available. In dreams we are our most real selves, because it is only the waking consciousness that holds the keys necessary to invent the person we choose to become throughout the day. Even when we dream of being someone else, we are always fully aware of who we really are.

Not all dreams are of God, of course. But, are we close enough to Him to be able to discern the difference?  "...the sheep follow him for they know his voice and a stranger they will not follow, but will flee from him, for they know not the voice of strangers." (John 10:3-5) Who has become our shepherd lately? Are WE the strangers we follow today?

Who's voice is the most influential in our lives? Not figuratively (why, God's of course!), but LITERALLY: who do we obey more throughout the day? Who influences our decisions? Our relationships? Who do we seek to please? Who's approval do we seek? Who do we REALLY worship? That person has our devotion and loyalty...that person is the one we follow....that person is, indeed....our shepherd...