For those of us that minister, or walk in any gifting or calling we have, the danger of thinking we are “A-OK” in God and WITH God, is a lot more self-deceptive, serious and dangerous. Like Samson, we can tap into the anointing to cast out devils, heal the sick, raise the dead, prophesy, preach, have supernatural faith, gift of tongues, etc, and not SEE ourselves- that we are miserable, poor, wretched, blind and naked. We are not on our face- in prayer enough to allow the Lord to deal with the dross and “wickedness” that’s in our hearts, and so when we minister, our “fleshliness” (my made up word😬), or lack of propriety in our “ways” leak into our ministering. When it comes to the three (dead to sin, alive to Christ) things that we are called to: death to self, cross-bearing, and suffering, it is lacking in our Celebrity Christianity culture.
I’m amazed at how many able ministers of the Spirit, are able to come down, and watch carnal movies and play carnal video games (I’m talking about the worse of the worse ones, without conviction) without hearing from the Lord how that affects your spirit AS YOU ARE DOING SO. And these are the same ones that have deliverance ministries, prophecies, seeing angels, amazing preaching and revelations and the like.We can’t cast out devils of witchcraft/water spirits/the occult, then turn around and watch/entertain it in a movie in the theatre OR in our homes. Or have subscriptions (just examples) that have the vilest of demonic things, that encumbers our spirit, and neutralizes our discernment.
Some things should bother you when you watch, read or listen. Your flesh is constantly warring against the Spirit. They cannot co-exist. Death to self, is NOT an option. Death to self is NOT an option. DEATH TO SELF IS NOT AN OPTION. We will miss it, and miss Him, if we don’t repent, and wake up to how much we feed our flesh.
The hungrier I become of God, the less I want to watch anything, and that includes clean things. Because there’s a place in Him that you begin to experience that you do not want to travel in and out of. THERE IS A PLACE IN HIM YOU WANT TO DWELL. You want to go deeper, but He will eventually call you to more death to yourself and your wants, and to carry your cross. And suffering for Christ’s sake is amplified. And this is where it narrows. Not many get to that place. But my prayer is that I continue to travel the path that’s narrow. Few be that find it. That thought should sober up the most avid drunkard of “gifts and callings”.
Tell me something- does it look like Christian “influencers” of Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are dying to themselves? Pastors? Apostles? Prophets? Singers/Musicians? Marketplace ministers? Are they being hated “For His name’s sake?” We have too many that “blow up” because of a message, or a song, or the new thing- prophecies. Every time that happens, I wonder if Satan has offered them something just like he did to Jesus when He was in the wilderness. I believe with my whole heart that Satan STILL shows many his kingdom and all he has. And he still says the same thing: I will give you all of it, if you bow to me. And they did. They DO.
We say to ourselves (and I’ve said this), “I need to “come down” from ministering by watching something to relax me.” Ok, I get that we want to relax, but why do we turn to carnal things that feed the flesh? It’s because we really, truly CRAVE what the world we left, craves. We want to be Christians, but still devour what the world does. Our flesh is so high, that we can’t see ourselves. Why? Because we operate in a high anointing of our calling and gifts. But how many times have see seen the greatest of the great FALL because of it? And I’m just speaking of those in the Bible who couldn’t handle the calling and their carnality well. We have so many examples inside of the Bible. And we can’t even BEGIN to count how many we know of just in our lifetime alone.
This discussion is way overdue. There has to be a demarcation in our lives that does not look like the world. I ran (well, actually, God KEPT ME) from celebrity Christianity when I was just a teenager and ran RIGHT into it in the “Mecca” of Christiandom- Tulsa, OK. And it was UGLY. It was EVIL. And it still is.
I’ve seen a lot of things in Celebrity Christianity. I know a lot that I wish I never knew sometimes about the lives of these people that you watch on TV, or view on social media. I can’t even listen to most music. It’s a horrible thing. It’s a fearful thing. To serve a God that judges, is a terrifying thought (from a holy perspective of who He is.) To see many preach and sing His name, with no concern for their carnal/sinful ways, is like my mom says, “scary”.
I pray that we sober up to the truth of God’s Word- that He is a consuming fire, and that it’s a terrible thing to fall into the hands of this living God. We are warned over and over again in the New Testament, to work out our salvation with FEAR AND TRMEBLING. Because we can be lost. I will post scriptures to go with this post, but I pray that we see ourselves and ask the Lord to make our conscience alive to the Holy Spirit’s conviction again. Because we are going to miss Him if we don’t.
- Important note: I’m writing about this because He has convicted me personally of this. So this is not to just point a finger at your or anyone else; it is by and of HIS MERCY that I can speak about this. I’m grateful that my conscience can still hear the Holy Spirit’s conviction. This is not an option, family. We must die to our flesh. Without holiness, we won’t see Him.
Revelation 3:14-19
Hebrews 12- all of it.
Hebrews 10- all of it
Hebrews 6- all of it.
Galatians 5- all of it.
2 Corinthians 6- all of it.
2 Corinthians 7:1
Matthew 4:1-11
oseburnett 
What do you do when it seems like you’re the only one who doesn’t want to watch even the clean movies? When you desire to seek God with your friends but they unknowingly begin to look at you like your being religious or legalistic. When you just want to live for God but people look at you like you’re young. It feels like im fighting against the world and my brethren sometimes. I always check my heart at this point because I am thinking maybe I’m doing too much but after I check my heart I fall back into hmm there’s more and its this cycle.
Anonymous, if the Lord is calling you to a certain life of consecration, don’t expect others to be in the same place. If they are not there, you go by yourself! Remember that our walk is an individual walk, and you can’t take anyone with you. So focus on your walk and what He’s telling you to do. And yes, there can be an element of religiosity and legalism, so you have to make sure you’re not driven by that. Our faith works by LOVE. We’re not supposed to make others “feel” less-than because of your choice to consecrate. Your life, without a word spoken, should exemplify the evidence of your consecration that will cause people to want what you have.
Pastor Niral, my husband, always says this: If the Lord is leading you to fast, pray, consecrate, etc., don’t force it on others-He’s dealing with YOU. I used to do the same thing, but I had to realize that if He wants to speak to others about living a consecrated life, He will confirm it with them. One more thing- we have a tendency to think that it’s our consecration, fasting, or praying “activity” is what brings the anointing or glory. We have to make sure that we understand that it’s not about us, or unto us, that these things are attained. It’s by HIS glory, HIS grace, HIS love. He’s the originator – not our “works”, lest any man should boast. So be encouraged!