From the desk of Steve Shultz:
God gives each Believer the ability to hear His voice. Many don't yet know or realize that they are continually hearing the prompting of the Holy Spirit.
But Jesus said clearly, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me..." John 10:27
In this article, Kathie inspires the reader to kick out the dogs from your life (the voices that detract from God's voice to you). Read how you are already qualified to step into the next level that God has for you!
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Kathie Walters:
Kicking the Dogs From the Door of Your Destiny
"Kicking the dogs from the door of your destiny" – I read this quote somewhere on the Internet a few years ago. I got to thinking about it. I am always going on about people fulfilling their destiny and their calling. Still I meet people who think their calling is to sit in church and support someone else's vision.
While I think it's good to do all you can to encourage someone and support them – YOU, my friend, have your own calling. And at the end of the road, Jesus is going to ask you, "What did you do with the anointing I put in your life?" You saying, "My church didn't like it – the call on my life!" is not going to be an acceptable excuse. Do you know why? Because you can hear from God, along with all of God's children – and you are called, and YOU have a destiny to fulfill.
What Is God Saying To You?
Everyone has the witness of the Spirit, or the anointing, within them. That's why the apostle John said, "You don't need any man to teach you, because the anointing (or the Anointed One) is within you" (see 1 John 2:27). Does that mean that we don't have teachers in the Church? No, of course not – there are teachers, pastors, prophets, apostles, and evangelists, and more – all given to equip the Church.
But you have to listen to the anointing or witness of the Spirit within you to discern what God is saying to you personally.
For example, someone could come to your church and prophesy or teach or preach – but you have to discern what God is saying to you – even if there are just a couple of sentences that are for you personally.
There is a great Scripture in Philemon that I love; Paul prayed for Philemon that "[Your] faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus."
When you acknowledge the gift and calling in someone, you cause it to be brought forth and activated; for example, telling someone, "That was a great word you gave." When you tell someone that, what happens? They are encouraged and it makes them want to do that again. If you criticize, then they shut down.
Out of one message, maybe there are different things that the Holy Spirit brings out to each individual present, and perhaps He says a different thing to 20 different people. Understand?
Jesus said, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4). Not every word you hear, nor every Bible verse you read, is proceeding a word for you today. What is God saying to you NOW? Today? This week? The proceeding word imparts life and faith and has power to move you to the next thing that God has for you.
One thing is for sure – you have to move on. You have to continually discern what is He saying to you now (today). Today's manna.
What Should Be Your Response To God?
I talk often about Jeremiah. When God called Jeremiah, he was a teenage prophet, not an old man with a beard running around the country doing prophetic seminars. Do you remember Jeremiah's response to the call of God? Well, this is about YOUR response to the call of God. You can sit there forever in your comfort zone or you can rise up and say, "I'm going to go for it. I'm going to be all I can be in God."
God asked Jeremiah, "What do you see?" and Jeremiah got into faith and saw a vision of an almond tree. God liked what Jeremiah saw, and said "I will do what you saw." In the King James Version it says "Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten My word to perform it."
So, you have to see your destiny – by faith. You can't aim at what you can't see. By faith you have to see your destiny. I don't believe we have to wander around and around the mountain, wondering where we are supposed to be going and doing a kind of "hit and miss" attempt at fulfilling the will of God. (Photo courtesy: Stefan Insam)
God will show you what He has for you if you start to see by faith and believe YOU CAN HEAR FROM GOD.
By faith He can release a word to you if you need confirmation – but He also puts His desires in your heart so that when you fulfill the will of God, it's delightful to you because it's in your heart.
You have to see
You have to see
You have to see,
You can see – by faith.
What's in your heart? Where do you want to go? What is it you really want to do? You only have one life to live down here on earth. What kind of life do you want to live? A mundane, in-my comfort-zone, occasionally-stepping-out kind of life? Or, an on-the-edge, exciting, what's-going-to-happen-next kind of life?
So, you are going to make a decision – I am making a challenge. I don't think it's just me making this challenge – I believe it's your Heavenly Father who is stirring you up. He made an awesome deposit in you. Jesus deposited His life in you. He is looking for a return on His deposit. His deposit will bring forth your destiny if you let it run its course.
Watch Out For The Dogs That Lay At the Door of Your Destiny
BUT I WANT TO TELL YOU – there are dogs that lay at the door of your destiny. Let me say it again: There are dogs that lay at the door of your destiny. Isn't it odd to you that "dog" is "God" the wrong way around?
What are the "dogs" then? Well, dogs in the Bible usually represented the gentile...that is; the ungodly. Those who weren't familiar with God and His ways. Religious spirits. Do you know there are lots of dogs in the Church? Religious spirits – they have a certain kind of "knowledge" of God, but it's not really God. It has a form, but has no power, and it keeps people from entering in. Dogs at the door. Remember what Jesus said about the Pharisees concerning that?
You keep people from the Kingdom. YOU can prevent people from entering into the Kingdom – with repeatedly demanding obedience to all your laws and man-made commandments. Jesus was angry with those people – dogs. Having a knowledge of God, but denying His power.
There are dogs – religious spirits, negative spirits – that make God's people have to "qualify" to be used by God. But Jesus already qualified us 100%.
Dogs can also be jealous spirits in people that don't want you to go further than them. A good teacher or instructor is proud when a pupil begins to accomplish something.
Guess what? Jesus has made you perfect in the sight of His Father. It is His righteousness that you are covered with – not your own. Jesus switched with you. He took your righteousness, which is like filthy rags, and took it to the Cross – then He gave you His robe of righteousness in exchange. What a great "swap"! Your rotten rags in exchange for the beauty and awesomeness and righteousness of the Mighty Son of God!
Like the hymn writer says, "Jesus, Thy robe of righteousness my beauty are, my glorious dress." How awesome is that? To be clothed in the holiness and beauty of the perfect Son – Jesus.
Don't be afraid of the dogs (religious spirits) – Jesus has given you power over them. The dogs can only minister to you through lies – you have to choose not to believe those lies.
Now is the time to be all you can be in God – you don't have to qualify – you just have to learn how to yield to the anointing.
God sees a great big vision for you. He is not limited. He is not limited by your inability. He is released through your believing in His ability.
You know what? If there is no food, the dogs will leave. If there is nothing for them to feed on, they will slink away. Don't feed them, don't listen to them, don't give them any advantage.
If they lie (bark at you) and tell you, "You are nobody," what do you know? What can you do? Laugh at them and say, "Thank you for reminding me who I am. Thank you for reminding me who YOU are. Thank you for reminding me, I am somebody – I am part of THE BODY. I am royalty of the Royalty."
God has a wonderful, great big destiny and calling on my life. I am going to fulfill that calling, are you?
Abandon Yourself To the Purposes of God
God's plan for you is not dull and boring – it's exciting and full of adventures. It might stretch your faith here and there – but you do have God's faith inside you. "To every man is given the measure of faith" that's divine, unconquerable faith (see Romans 12:3). Believe it. Go for it.
Have a spirit of abandonment to the purposes of God. God loves that childlike ability in you. Enjoy Him; He is mighty God, but He is also "Abba" (daddy). "Snuggle don't struggle, nestle don't wrestle." I encourage people to say these things in my meetings.
In the 5th Century in Ireland some of the monks from the monasteries would board a little boat off the shore. It had no rudder or oars. They trusted God to send the winds to take them where they were supposed to go. They were called "The Peregrini." I would say that this was a spirit of abandonment to the purposes of God.
God wants to send the winds of the Spirit to take you where you are supposed to go – His plan and purpose for your life. If you have been in my meetings, you know I always get people to say, "Jesus – whatever." It's good to say it every day. It's another way of saying, "Jesus, I'm open to whatever you say."
Don't let the dogs keep you from the doorway of your destiny. They are liars and thieves.
The dogs can howl and scream and bark all they want, but they can't touch you if know who you are and what is your calling and destiny on your life.
Kathie Walters
Good News Ministries
Email: kathiewalters@mindspring.com
Website: kathiewaltersministry.com
Kathie Walters is an international speaker who brings freedom to those who feel they have to "qualify." She also ministers in the supernatural and believes that the supernatural realm is for everyone.
