When the Sheep Creep

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Let us pray: Father God, hear my heart. Listen to the words unspoken by my mouth. O’ El-Loheim, Yahweh, El-Lyon the Way of Truth, search me for falsehood getting rid of all that offends You. Root out the seeds of discontentment. Uproot the unrighteous fruit of disobedience. Renew my mind with Divine wisdom. Cleanse my flesh with Blood of the Lamb. Indwell me with the Holy Spirit. Use me as a vessel of virtue in the name of Yahushua (Jesus) Christ the King, amen, amen, amen.

When the Sheep Creep

By S-Dot for The S-Dot Files

Let me ask you a question: Have you ever crept on God chasing after your own desires like Adam and Eve, and then found yourself trying to cover up your dirt with a fig leaf (Genesis 3:7-11) after you got busted for creepin’ on God? I did. It left me with a sense of unworthiness, and I eventually began to lose my personal intimacy with God, because I was trying to supplement it with lust for ‘godly’ people.

Over time, I realized that the reason I wasn’t growing in grace was because I wasn’t committed to being in His Presence with consistency. Like many people, I tried to isolate my time with God to service and ministerial activities. Outside of that…I did me. I was a carnal believer, which is akin to being a self-deceiver. I claimed an inheritance that I wasn’t willing to sacrifice to posses rightfully by living righteously.

A REBUKE WITH LOVE: Don’t just pray to God, obey God. Stop running your mouth about what you want and desire, and start disciplining yourself to prepare to be worthy to posses what He has ordained for you. It’s time to grow up in your faith, so that God will show up in your circumstances. You won’t be promoted to a covenant with a daughter or so of God until you’re devoted to her Father with obedience to His commands and ways. So, start walking with audacious boldness in faithfulness to the Way of Truth.

Sometimes, we’re so focused on the ‘hookup’, that we forget to ‘look up’ to God for guidance which leads us astray from His will and purpose. Until you repent you won’t be content with the choices that you’ve made apart from God. Until I started walking and talking with intentionality in my learning, Father did not begin to elevate me in my opportunities to teach the Way of Truth to others. I had to learn to follow Christ’s example of obedience before I could lead. I had to sharpen my pencil, before I could write the plan that He placed in my heart and mind. I had to discipline myself by diligently studying, before I could stand before a gathering of disciples of the Way of Truth equipping and empowering others in and beyond the Beloved Community. I had to develop my gifts, not focus on the glimpses that He provided. Why? The glimpses were to merely motivate me, not to distract and stagnate me. Sometimes, it’s just as simple as coming to and responding to the self-realization that we’ve taken our eyes off the prize (God) that gets us refocused.

REAL TALK: A dreamer must become a visionary to bring purpose into practice.

Here’s a question that I received from a brother in Christ that’s in distress because he’s struggling between obeying the “process” of waiting on God, and he’s praying for the strength to honor his woman from God.

Q: What’s good bruh? Dude I hope you can help a brother out. I’m stressed out these days. Let me start off by saying, I fully recognize and acknowledge that I have a serious lust problem. I’ve recently been tapped by leadership to serve on the deacon board, and this has increased my visibility in the congregation considerably. Now since there aren’t many brothers in church that are committed enough to serve, those of us that do, are kind of looked at as the “chosen ones” in church. This of course makes it extremely difficult to just focus on serving and remaining focused. Those that work are blessed with perks. LOL Every time I turn around some sister says, “God gave me a revelation…” and it’s usually about us dating or getting better acquainted.

The women in church are so fine! Nah, bruh maybe you didn’t hear me…the women in church are F-I-N-E!!! And I’m not blind. Anyway, I started seeing this anointed young lady awhile back that directs and sings in the choir, and everything was going fine, at first. She has a beautiful voice, and when I see her ministering in service…I get so excited just watching her praise God. I know that sounds wrong, but there’s something about a fine woman worshipping that’s so sexy to me.

Now, we’ve really tried to live right, but brother it’s been hard. She’s so F-I-N-E, and sometimes that body of hers just be calling me like that crack did to Pookie in “New Jack City.” LOL

For real! We’ve had some near misses and a few slips... Okay…we’ve slept together three times in the last month, but we didn’t get much sleep. I’m not even going to lie. It was good too! Each time we prayed afterward, and said it wouldn’t happen again, but it did. And I wasn’t mad either. The first time was so beautiful. The second time we were intimate, was right after I drove her home from a revival service, where she ministered. I know that sounds really bad… But bruh, when I see that anointing fall on her… I want to fall on her. I know that’s wrong, but…I am absolutely head over heals for this woman. We’ve been seriously talking about marriage, she’s helped me get my head right too. Yep, I’m sprung.

But, we’ve gotten off track. Now, we don’t talk the way we use to lately. Instead, we spend a lot of time avoiding talking about ‘doing it’. I guess we’ve started focusing so much on getting married we failed to realize, we’re still not married.

Anyway, lately she’s been avoiding me. I really miss our open talks as friends. I’ve tried to talk to her a few times, but she wouldn’t reveal what was really wrong at first. Then the other day after choir practice she told me that she can’t keep “doing this,” because it’s making her feel like a hypocrite standing in front of the congregation knowing she’s not living right. I agreed 100% and told her I feel that way too. It was the first time in weeks that I saw a smile return to her beautiful face.

In fact, I can barely look pastor in the eyes. I sure he discerns something is wrong. He’s dropped some not so subtle hints, but I assured him things were fine. I hate lying to his face. I feel like such a wolf among the sheep.

Without any doubt whatsoever, I love her. Not just romantically, I love her as a woman of God. I really want to work on repairing the damage we’ve done to our relationship. She’s such a wonderful, wise woman. I feel so ashamed, because everyone always talks about how there’s such an anointing on her ministry, and here I am consciously leading her into temptation.

Do you think that we can get back on track and get married, or should I just accept that I messed up, and leave her alone? Help brother… - The Wolf

A: First of all, in the Spirit of Truth, I rebuke you embracing the title “The Wolf.” I bind the foul imagination that conjured up such a deception in Jesus Christ’s Holy Name. Amen, amen, amen!

BROTHER TO BROTHER: I’ve also seen and experienced the same ‘view from the pew’ and I know how ‘GodSexy’ that anointing can be. I know it all too well. In fact, I wrote a book about it…GodSexy (stay tuned…it’s a page turner). A person that loves God, even if they’re struggling has such a ‘soul glow’ to them that’s very attractive. That anointing gives them a radiance of righteousness and you’ll find yourself drawn to that Divine reflection in their presence. It draws you in like bugs to those fluorescent lamps at a backyard BBQ. You know that you shouldn’t look into the light, but it’s just so beautiful, soothing and comforting and then…zap! You’re dead.

Bruh, don’t go into the light. Turn, don’t burn. Repent.

First of all bruh, it’s time to be real with yourself. Are you her Boaz? If not, stop blocking that sister’s opportunity to receive her true Boaz. As Ludacris says, “Move…Get out the way!” Don’t be a ‘blessing blocker’ because you’re too selfish to allow God’s “process” to take place. Let her continue to glean in the fields with faithfulness to the Way of Truth, so that Father can bring her into a season of wholeness (completion) where she can reap the harvest of her ordained kinsman-redeemer.

Before you answer: let’s reflect on the prophetic words of caution from the prophet Micah: “They covet fields and seize them, and houses and take them away; they oppress and crush a man and his house, a man and his inheritance (Micah 2:2 Amp).” Don’t covet, seize, take and crush the hopes of her Boaz. If you know that she’s not your covenant helpmeet, release her. And, don’t be a punk that dismisses her because of your moral failure, running away from accountability. Father will not honor that cowardice. Man up!

Now let’s look at the example of David after he was anointed by Samuel to be king: he still wasn’t ready to step into the king’s shoes. He knew he had to submit to the “process” of transformation in order to be a rightful possessor of the anointing on his life. If David would’ve tried to become king overnight just because he was anointed, he would’ve met with disastrous results. Because, although he was “called,” Father knew he wasn’t ready to be “sent.” Like you and I, David had to spend some time in the “wilderness” in order for the impurities in his character to be refined. He had to do the work, and wait on God to move in his individual situation. Not get so caught up in his destination that he lost sight of the journey necessary to arrive there.

Remember, the period between your “calling” and your “coming” into purpose is necessary. Unfortunately, too many people today want to “cum” (not “come” that’s not a typo) whenever their flesh “calls” rather than honor and respect the significance of how the season of singleness prepares us for the covenant of ‘yoked life’ (marriage). If you can’t be faithful to God, you definitely can’t be faithful to a child of God. Why would you respect the child, when you refuse to honor the Father?

Brother, you’re trying to forego your “wilderness,” experience by claiming a “glimpse” as a “gift” and you’re out of alignment with Father God’s will. I think you need to pull over and prayerfully ask Him for directions to get back on track.

Pastor Paul E. Sheppard, Jr. of Abundant Life Christian Center on his “Enduring Truth” program once pointed out in one of his teachings entitled, “Lessons from the Pasture: Part 3” that your wilderness helps you develop in three essential areas: “1) Wisdom, 2) Stature, 3) Favor with God and men.”

BOLD POINT: If you don’t submit to the “process” you won’t be able to commit to the covenant that God has prepared specifically for you, period.

If you plant lust, you’ll harvest distrust.

REAL TALK: You’re compromise is creepin’ on God bruh, and that’s not cool.

“Just because she’s fine doesn’t mean she’s mine.” That’s something I repeat to myself whenever I see an attractive, anointed woman of God these days.

In being real with myself, I had to implement a “no dating” policy at my church home. Oh, and please don’t get it confused either…the women in my church are F-I-N-E too. And that was the problem in itself. I simply could not focus on handling my Father’s business while stealing side glances at His beautiful daughters of divinity. They’re so ‘GodSexy’. It was such a problem for me that I had to cut back on participating in certain ministries since I recognized I was having serious challenges. The “20/30 something” ministry was such a struggle that I stopped going altogether. The “Singles” ministry… Not for this brother. The women there had that ‘Ruth’ complex and their Boaz radar was always on. It was so distracting hearing good godly women en route to becoming great women of God express their heart longing desires to find a brother that wanted to ‘love them long, long time’ the godly way.

So, I laced up my Potiphar’s (Nike’s) and ran like Joseph.

Earlier in my walk, I dated a divinely anointed minister. She (let's call her .25) was such a breath of fresh air in comparison to the spiritual divas and biblical infants I dated prior. We could discuss theology into the wee hours of the morning. She loved romantic-comedies like me. 2wo5ive had a deeply intimate relationship with Father. And she was F-I-N-E. Not cute, F-I-N-E, and she got finer each time I saw her.

From the moment we began dating, I knew there were going to be flesh challenges. And there were. We prayed about them. And still our flesh was on fire. Why? Because Father was calling me to man up, and take responsibility for my flesh problem. Until then, it was easy to deal with my flesh when it came to blatantly carnal women. I simply shut them down.

But this was a woman that had that “soul glow,” and I was stuck and stuttering. She was also enamored with my anointing as a man of God, making the challenge even greater. She would touch me affectionately and I won’t even pretend that I tried to stop her. In fact, I touched her back a lot.

Yep, we found ourselves in GodSexy.

Our feelings left us too tongue tied to speak in tongues. Our desires had us so focused on the “gift,” that we lost sight of the “process.” So, Father shut our relationship down abruptly. I was devastated and embarrassed. Nearly everyone that saw us together assumed we’d be getting married. But, we allowed the enemy to creep in. That enemy wasn’t Satan…that enemy was our unwillingness to address our flesh problem with God. So, I had to stop shamming, and be real with God. I wasn’t ready to be the blessing that I wanted to see. I had to do some serious work.

Let’s go back to Pastor Paul E. Sheppard, Jr. again to glean some more brotherly insight: “Until age 30, Jesus did no mighty work…because His time had not yet come. Jesus spent 30 years preparing for a 3 year ministry. And some of us don’t want to spend 3 years preparing for a 30 year career…The movements of God in your life don’t require you to be in a hurry. He knows what He’s up to in your life. God can afford to take His time with you. When God is creating a masterpiece He does nothing suddenly. When God is doing a deep work in your life, you’ve got to give Him time to work it out.”

BOLD POINT: If you want to go to the next-level of faithfulness in God, you’ve got to confront and overcome your giant in the wilderness of tribulation.

To paraphrase and remix the departed Johnnie Cochran: “To be legit, you must submit, and commit.” Until you allow God to feed you His manna, you’ll continue to be enslaved to your temporal yearnings and desires. You have to renew your mind by fasting with a reliance on the Source of all resources worth having. God is instructing you in faithfulness by requiring that you wait for His permission to go forth and posses what you desire in His time, not yours.

REAL TALK: The reason so many people are HIV-positive is because they’re GOD-negative.

Don’t get stuck in nonsense (S.I.N.) and allow sin to win. One of the ways that the enemy of the Way of Truth operates is by bringing about division to those that are called to serve in ministry for the Kingdom. If the enemy can get you to take on the posture of an accuser by falsely labeling her as a ‘Jezebel’ that’s trying to lead you astray, this will serve a two-prong objective: to get you to deny the Way of Truth and to make her embittered by undermining her reputation. Don’t fall for it, because you can’t control your flesh. I’ve dated a few real ‘Jezebels’, and trust me you’ll know the difference. There are enough legitimate ‘Jezebels’ out there, so don’t accuse one that is merely struggling with their flesh, just like you. Man up!

Don’t conceal your indiscretion and allow that shame to undermine the ministry that Father has called each of you. Seek God with an open heart, and ears listening for His words of wisdom. Be thankful you both have the blessing of covering in your shepherd. Use that vehicle to drive you to restoration. I strongly encourage you and your young lady to consider going before your servant-leader (pastor) to confess your indiscretion, allowing him to counsel you towards getting wholly back on track. Brother, if your relationship is ordained by God to become the blessing of marriage, the seeds you sow into that fertile ground right now will determine the harvest you reap years later. Set a precedent for truth. It’s time to draw a line in the sand, and not double back to cross it.

Trying to suffer in silence, without accountability, will continue to be a stronghold for the enemy to trip you up. It will make you focus on your inward shortcomings attacking one another, rather than turning to God for strength and deliverance.

It’s encouraging to see that you know that she is a woman of value and you want to honor that with more than your lips. That’s important and necessary to establish an atmosphere of affirmation in your relationship. There’s nothing more attractive than accountability. Anyone can “do them,” but only a truly mature person can take responsibility for their shortcomings. If you don’t, then it shouldn’t surprise you when she “dry snitches” about her backsliding with you in a tearful testimonial in front of the whole congregation. So, man up!

It’s time to demonstrate that love you profess for her. It’s easy to say you love someone when you’re enamored with their good, godly qualities. The true test of that love comes when tribulation comes upon you, and you’re not just enraptured by attraction, which becomes a distraction en route to fulfilling God’s purpose. If you love her, prove it. Man up!

John 3:16 says: “God so loved the world that He gave…” What are you willing to give as a demonstration of this love you profess?

Pick up your cross. Acknowledge what has been lost. Allow the Comforter to guide you to restoration. Let’s look to the prophetic account of Yahweh’s will in Ezekiel 22:30 NIV “I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before Me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none.” Brother, are you prepared to “stand in the gap” for your relationship before God?

If you truly desire to be her someday priest, prophet and king (husband), you have to start by showing her that you are man, not just of his word, but of the Word of God. Yes, you’ve fallen short in your moral compromise (S.I.N.), but you can and should demonstrate fortitude by enduring through this challenge to your relationship. You must show her that she can trust you with her future, by a willingness to take responsibility for your past indiscretions being accountable in the present circumstance of adversity to responsive leadership.

I SAY TO BOTH OF YOU: Don’t forfeit your future because of a moral failure. I strongly encourage you to prayerfully seek out faith-based couples counseling, separately and together. Each of you has been entrusted with the responsibilities of servant-leadership, and it’s essential that you have accountability protocols in place to keep you from stumbling. Your ministries are being closely watched by others, and if you don’t show true humility right now, you will set a precedent for denial and deception. That will become your cross to bear in your walk and the enemy of the Way of Truth will use every opportunity to undermine your faith with challenges in this area. Your life’s ministry will be serving as a cautionary sign to others by your downward living in compromise.

It is time for you both to sacrificially invest in your relationship by repentance.

If you truly believe in your heart that she is the woman that God has prepared exclusively for you, then you’re going to have to fight for her. You’re going to have to show Father your repentance for defiling His daughter. Don’t let the enemy make you a coward by running away from responsibility. Show her that you are a man of integrity. This is the hour to man up and live right, to stand up in Christ and rise to claim your prize of a blessed life. You must reestablish an environment of holiness in your relationship by true repentance. This is the time to do it, not tomorrow. Don’t wait another day. Go to her and tell her that you apologize to her as a man of God and then take your repentance before Father God together in oneness. Don’t do it to gain leverage with her, do it because that’s what God deserves from you since you’ve defiled His daughter and yourself with compromise. Do it now.

Congratulations, God’s hand is upon you so heavy its weighing down your conscious. I know the weight of His presence maybe intimidating, but just imagine life without God… Exactly. Rejoice in the Lord! God chastens those He loves.

NOW IT’S TIME TO STUDY YOUR BLESSINGS…Brother, trust in the Lord it’s time to sharpen your sword. Over the next se7en days meditate and pray on these words of wisdom until they penetrate your weak flesh conforming it to a spirit willing to honor the Way of Truth by practicing holiness as a lifestyle:

1. “I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl. (Job 3:31 NIV – You’re just a window shopper)”
2. “For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. (1 John 2:16 NIV – All that “blings” isn’t from the King).”
3. “Do not lust in your heart after her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes, for the prostitute reduces you to a loaf of bread, and the adulteress preys upon your very life. Proverbs 6:25-26 NIV – looks can be deceiving and expensive).”
4. “The LORD rewards every man for his righteousness and faithfulness. The LORD delivered you into my hands today, but I would not lay a hand on the LORD's anointed. (1 Samuel 26:23 NIV – if you try it, you buy it).”
5. “Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble (2 Peter 2:10 – Man up!).”
6. “Live happily with the woman you love through all the meaningless days of life that God has given you under the sun. The wife God gives you is your reward for all your earthly toil.” (Ecclesiastes 9:9 NLT – life with a wife-piece)
7. “But if you fail to do this, you will be sinning against the LORD; and you may be sure that your sin will find you out.” (Numbers 32:23 NIV)

In service to the Christ the King of kings,

S-Dot
The S-Dot Files


ABOUT S-DOT: Saved to serve, he is a communicator for Christ. Through writing and speaking, he has answered his calling to be used as a motivator of the masses. His practical life lessons empower everyday hearers to seek the change they desire by going forth with audacious boldness living an intentional blessed life.