Both a Lion & a Lamb (Jesus is roaring over His Bride!) Wakey Wakey!

I have not ever preached so passionately in my life until this year when God started speaking to me about revival and awakening a sleeping bride. I teach. I love to teach. I love to dissect the word of God and take you on a journey. It is not a loud journey. Yet God showed me some things that released the ROAR. So when the microphone hits my hand, it’s like 10,000 lions want to escape from my face. I don’t plan it. I simply told God, you can say whatever you want to say, however you want to say it. My heart is like David. I must worship the Lord and how it looks to everyone else is not my problem. Is God pleased? Then I am satisfied.

God showed me in a vision a field full of sleeping and overfed lions and lionesses. Their bellies were overfull. Meanwhile, behind them far off in the distance there was a pit of sulfur with the dying. Jesus (as the Lion of Judah) was trying to recruit lions and lionesses to go with Him into that black, dark, sulfur pit. The lions were sleeping, grazing, and in their own world of comfort. He began to roar. I mean a fierce, shake the ground roar. Some of them awakened and stood to their feet. Some went back to sleep. They looked at Jesus, ignored the roar, and went back to sleep. The ones who awakened, He pulled them into a line and roared over them. They transformed from fat to lean. He gave them each an assignment. He then led them into the pit of sulfur on a rescue mission!

Jesus came to seek and save the lost, not create fan clubs, cliques, and entertain people. Jesus offended so many people because He did not come in the package they expected. Jesus was crucified and hated because He did not fit the norm. The issue is some people want the God of their comfort zone, of their manmade traditions, and the God who never violates the way they think. If and when God reveals another aspect of His character or nature they reject what does not conform to what they already know.

We can not receive from God or anyone else under the spirit of offense. “Oh their worship is too loud, oh they do things weird.” Maybe God likes loud. Heaven is not quiet. Maybe what God is doing is a new thing to us, but not to Him. He is not weird, our perceptions of what is normal and proper sometimes are cultural and not Kingdom! My point is God cannot be put in a box. I had to learn to stop judging what I did not understand and ask “God is this you?” And if it did not violate scripture and God was on board to set aside my preferences. It’s not about us, it’s about God.

The spirit of religion tries to keep God in a nice little box and open it when needed. God does not fit in any man’s box.

Jesus is a Lion (Fierce/Bold/Confident/Assertive) & a Lamb (Humble/Gentle/Meek). He is not the weak, fraile, lifeless image nailed image on the cross some wear. He came off that cross and rose with ALL power in His hands.

If we only see the Lamb, then we will miss God’s holy anger against injustice, abuse, and things that harm humanity. We may tip toe around things we need to firmly (with love) address. The righteous are as bold as a lion! If we only see the Lion we may attack the wrong things and not operate in love.

I am convinced God is not always represented in His full spectrum. God can be quiet and loud. God can wipe tears and rebuke the devil. God can cradle someone in His arms and also ask another, “Do you want to be made whole?” God can be gentle with the sinner and sternly rebuke the Pharisee, “You are white washed tombs? Why do you clean what is on the outside and not inside? You are bloody vipers (this is in the Bible).” God can invite everyone into His family through His Son and also say, “Why do you call me Lord, Lord and do not do what I say? Many will cry out Lord, Lord and I will say, ‘Depart from Me. I never knew you, you who practice lawlessness.’ I would rather you be hot or cold, not lukewarm lest I spit you out. Repent and go back to your first love.”

I strongly believe God wants to move us past our ideas of who we think He is and how we think He should do things and into, “God who are you? Show me who you really are? Break me out of religious mindsets and thinking I know best. You are God. I am not. Help me to move with the momentum of heaven and whatever you want to do Lord, I am willing!! I will look foolish for you. I will not live shackled by fear of man or be limited by offense over what you want to do!

God has revealed Himself in so many different ways in the Bible. God is both a warrior and a humble servant. God is both a lover and a fighter. God is both a mother and a father to His children. God knows which aspect of Himself is needed to be displayed.

May you and I pursue the depths of who God is. It will take all of eternity to know Him completely. May we pursue knowing God. He is both a Lion and a Lamb. Please don’t reject a move of God simply because God wants to present a side of Himself that goes against “This is how we do things or this is how things should be done.” What does God want? Who does God need to be for us in the moment?

Last note. The Shack movie offended so many religious people because God was presented as female and African American. The Holy Spirit as an Asian woman. God can take on what we need. God is Spirit and those who worship God worship in spirit and in truth. God has certainly mothered me. I am grateful for the attributes of a mom wrapped up in God. Mothers, women were made in the image of God. Yet I saw so many ugly statements about that part of the film. What if we miss out on knowing God simply because we refuse to let Him be who He is instead of who we want God to be? We, humans, can desire our preferences just like the Pharisees.

Love,

Erin