Gifted Encounters

Gifted Encounters Part 5

It’s been brought to my attention that we are in the continuation of seasons of pruning and testing, which, going through those processes, should equip and promote us to come out of hiding and to take back dominion over.

I sense it is necessary for me to help define these words so we can go deeper and understand the importance as words are to be manifested due to it bringing forth life, to bless, or death to cure, as it has weight in the spiritual realm. That’s why God said there is life and death in the power of the tongue. So, be mindful of how you speak over your life and the lives of others. 

Pruning refers to the process of cutting away dead or overgrown branches, which symbolizes sin or the ingredients that create sin. Like your thoughts, feelings, and emotions that come from the soul, which often are fleshly, people tend to meditate on these things that go contrary to God and when not cast down, gives birth to sin. 

For example, someone who is practicing celibacy or trying to break other bad habits which are the reason for delays and strongholds. (It’s important to change and be aware of your environment, the company that you keep, and how you spend your time, as it can become idle. Listening and watching things like secular music, social media, television (commercials, shows, movies, YouTube channels) can influence your thoughts, mind, emotions, feelings, and your behavior. I like to call it a transfer of spirits and know that your eyes and your ears are a gateway to your soul.  

The dangers of these things cause one to come into agreement with and also can lead to one becoming double minded which means it’s like having two souls and not being stable in wisdom and truth. Faith not being built on a solid foundation.

Temptation means: refers to the desire to do something, often unwise or wrong, or something that entices or attracts you… it’s an invitation to sin. 

The Lord tells us to resist (refrain from doing something that is unwise; it also means to fight back with the word of God) as the Lord says flee from temptation, not stay there because the flesh is weak. Which will not inherit the Kingdom of Heaven, and to the ground our flesh will go. 

Let’s focus back on Pruning Joseph in Genesis Chapter 39. Him being stripped of his coat, enslaved, and imprisoned was a pruning process that removed his old life to prepare him for leadership in Egypt. 

Moses in Exodus Chapters 2-3: Spending 40 years in the wilderness removed his impulsive, self-reliant nature, preparing him to lead Israel. 

And in John 15:1-2: How Jesus explains the Father cuts off branches that do not bear fruit and prunes those that do, so they produce more. 

Our next season the Lord put within my spirit is: Testing, which refers to the action or process of testing or checking someone or something. Meaning the trails and challenges permitted by God are to strengthen our faith and character. 

The testing process will reveal not just to God but to yourself what is lying dormant in your heart. (But know that the revelation for truth is more for you than God as He is all knowing) When in a trying situation the truth will be revealed as to if you would choose to depend on your own strength which will produce burn out or are you just with God for things that He can provide for you. You’re not with Him for the love of Him but for the things He can provide. And when in frustration you will rebel and curse God and then tap into things for self-pleasure, worship, and gain. The trick is that this is what the enemy wants for you, as this is how the enemy, who once was an angel, became a demon and is forever destined for hell. Now his goal is to deceive, to steal, kill, and destroy you. 

Do know it’s impossible to be successful without God. 

Our next supportive story is Abraham and Isaac in Genesis Chapter 22. God tested Abraham’s faith and obedience by commanding him to sacrifice his son, Isaac. 

Then the suffering of Job: Job 1-2: He was tested through the loss of his family, wealth, and health to prove his faithfulness to God. 

And Israel in the Wilderness, Deuteronomy 8:2,16 and Jesus in the Wilderness in Matthew Chapter 4:1-11: (first in Deuteronomy God led the Israelites through 40 years of trails to humble them, test their hearts, and see if they would keep His commandments. And in Matthews: Jesus was tempted by satan for 40 days, testing His commitment to God’s will. Commandment means a divine rule, laws, and Commitment means a state or quality of being dedicated to a cause… 

The preparation for this next season is very important which is to: Come out of hiding: it is for us not to hide ourselves because God cannot use you as most times the reason one hide themselves it’s because they are afraid, shy, or care about what others feel, think, and or say. Trying not to ruffle any feathers… Maybe they are ashamed as they feel like they aren’t qualified. That’s a trick of the enemy to use your past life against you, or to point out how different you are to the next person, but please understand no one is perfect and when in God you are forever in Him as long as you strive to have a heart of His.

But as we should all know, when being in God, you cannot and will not please any and everybody, that will eventually make you lukewarm, as can two walk together unless they are agreed? Let God hide you in plain sight because when He does it, it comes with protection and a covering. Can’t nobody move you, and if they try to, they then will have to answer to the Lord, which means they will fall. God will come against them, and it would be judgement for them. 

Adam and Eve Genesis Chapter 3: After sinning, they hid among the tree because of shame. God actively sought them out, calling, “Where are you?’, prompting them to come out of hiding and confront their actions. 

Elijah in 1 Kings Chapter 19: After fleeing from Jezebel in fear, Elijah hid in a cave, God called him out to continue his prophetic ministry, Challenging him with the question, “What does thou here, Elijah?’ God asked him in a small voice: why are you here: in the Cave when I told you to go out, and have done many things through you, having to bring my sheep back to life. So why are you here: Fear not, for I Am with you!  

And then Peter in John Chapter 21: After denying Jesus, Peter returned to his former life of fishing. Jesus called him out to ministry, commissioning him to “feed my sheep”. 

Last but not least, what it is to take back dominion over: in order for you to take back dominion over, you first have to know your birthright. What is our birthright?

I like to refer to two chapters: Genesis 25:29-34 and Genesis 17:19-22

Esau Sells His Birthright

Now Jacob cooked a stew; and Esau came in from the field, and he was weary. And Esau said to Jacob “Please feed me with that same red stew, for I am weary”.

But Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright as of this day”. And Esau said, “Look, I am about to die; so what is this birthright to me?” Then Jacob said, “Swear to me as of this day”. So he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob.

And Jacob gave Esau bread and stew of lentils; then he ate and drank, arose, and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.

This passage describes the encounter between Jacob and Esau, where Esau sells his birthright to Jacob in exchange for a meal.

Genesis 25:29-34

The Sign of the Covenant

Then God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. And I will bless her and also give you a son by her; then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall be from her.”

Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, “Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” And Abraham said to God, “Oh, that Ishmael might live before You!”

Then God said: “No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him. And as for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. He shall beget twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. But My covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this set time next year.” Then He finished talking with him, and God went up from Abraham.

This passage outlines the covenant between God and Abraham, including the names of Abraham’s children and the establishment of the new covenant with Isaac.

Genesis 17:19-22

Fight Back!

In order to take back your birthright and dominion over, you have to know who you are and Who’s you are. Take back what belonged to you through the whispers and the lies of the enemy that contributed to the fall of man, the fall of our ancestors, and the fall of our choices, but God made a way out of no way. And because He has predestined and has already handpicked us to inherit the Kingdom of Heaven as well as had a plan for us to fight back through Jesus and His Holy Spirit, we have no excuses.

Our birthright is the inheritance, the blessings, the gifts, the skills, the abilities created by God for His chosen sheep, giving us dominion over!

Dominion refers to the authority, and stewardship granted to humanity by God over the earth and its creatures. And because God is all-knowing and makes ways out of no way, have given us the solution; we need to fight back and take back dominion over all the things we have lost because of sin.

We choose to take back dominion over our health, our wealth, our marriages, our children, our family, our gifts, our destinations, our call, our assignments, our responsibilities, OUR POSITION, most importantly our rightful spot with and in the Lord.

I hope this blesses you as it blessed me. Stay in tuned for the next blog post as you don’t want to miss out on this. 🔥

– Teva J | Gifted Encounters