Religion vs. Godliness

By: Shi-Anne Eakin

So you could say, “well we don’t want to be religious.” Okay, Yes… but so many people have driven that into the ground. They so don’t want to be religious anymore that they’re no longer godly.

The point is not to be religious, although there’s nothing wrong with pure religion. Pure religion is caring for the orphans and widows and keeping yourself unspotted from the world. So there’s pure religion. And I get “No we don’t want to be religious” but so many people have talked themselves — and many others, thousands, millions — out of being godly.

So you can say, “why would you read that much Bible?”

Why would you watch that much TV?

I’m serious. I’m asking the Lord, I’m treading in fear and trembling. I don’t want to get on a tangent against anything, but I feel the pleasure of the Lord, so I’m going to continue. If it lifts, I’ll stop.

When I found the Lord, when I found that HE was looking at ME… He wasn’t lost… I found that He was looking at me. I found that He had found me. I found that He loves me. I found that He is real. No hindu or muslim tried to talk me out of that, only Christians. And it was “don’t think about it so much”, “you need balance”, “for every spiritual thing you do, you should do a carnal thing”. It was interesting because at no point did I say, “Y’all watch too much TV” or “why are you drinking?” I didn’t say any of that. But they came to me, “Why are you reading that much?”

Does anybody ever think about “what is being gained by the hours of television I watch? And what could be gained by hours in His Word with Him?”

And we’re not talking about rules and regulations. We’re not talking about religion. We’re talking about GODLY. Because many people say, “don’t be so heavenly minded that you’re no earthly good.” Well what about being so earthly minded that you’re no good to anyone? Many people have bought this lie, “I don’t want to be religious” and they have talked themselves and everybody who comes their way out of being spiritual, out of being godly, out of being pure, out of even wanting purity.

It’s like the pursuit is more to pursue wordiness so you’re not perceived as imbalanced, so you’re not perceived as religious. God, forgive us.

God, help us. God, deliver us. I’m asking right now. Anyone listening. Every place that has taken root and is still prospering in your heart. In the Name of Jesus. Every evil spirit behind that, be broken in the name of the Jesus.

Every evil spirit that brings this deception that we should disguise love for Christ, that we should disguise a longing and a hunger for truth and righteousness, that we should disguise a longing and a calling to worshippers who worship in Spirit and in Truth, in the Name of Jesus… Every evil spirit that comes against that, be broken in Jesus name.

Every mindset that feels we’ve got to justify love for the Lord, excuse, quality, apologize for… In Jesus Name. Every mindset that comes against holiness, godliness, purity… oh Lord, deliver us. Help us, God.

God's Character

By: Shi-Anne Eakin

When you have God’s character and you’re abiding in Him and the oil is producing God’s character in you, that’s what fights the personal demons. It’s not learning to be a crazy warrior so you defeat the lion and the bear, it is abiding in His name, it’s abiding in Him.

It’s abiding in Him.

God’s character won’t be jealous. God’s character will DEFEAT jealousy and pride. That’s how He fights for you! It’s not that our character gets better, His character fights everything that comes against our life, our spirit life. When you abide in Him and His Spirit is flowing through you, He will defeat every demon that comes your way. He will preach the gospel to the lost. He will love your neighbor. He will love your enemy—this is how He fights for us. It’s Him! His character! So it’s not only that “we’re free to love Him and He loves others through us.” We’re free to love Him and He fights jealousy, He fights insecurity, and He defeats the tornados [that come against our life].

He does everything and we go low in worship and awe—and this is what we do the rest of our life.

And we stay in the Spirit, we don’t come back into the mind. We stay in the heavenliness, in the Spirit. We don’t have to strive and battle and crawl in our minds on this earth. We’re here but our home is there in heaven. We’ve already made it by faith we’re just getting through the journey.

So here is what you need to spend your whole life doing: being ready for His return.

I know people argue and say, “Well I’m focused on winning souls.” Well, you can focus on winning souls and not be ready for His return. But if you’re truly ready for His return you are winning souls. It’s all Him.

It’s all the same, everything is the same thing—all the parables are the exact same thing. It’s all kingdom, it’s all the gospel. Every bit of it is the gospel. He’s the oil in the lamp, He’s the fire, it’s all Him. The ten virgins is the same as the pruning, so you’re not cut off or snuffed out. All we do is abide.

Because if you obey Him you’re not going to be jealous. If you obey Him you’re not going to think you’re less than or more than. The insecurity won’t take you into pride and the pride won’t drive you into insecurity, and because you’re not insecure you’re not going to be jealous because you’re His and you have crazy value. You value His life and so you’re set. And you love your neighbor and you tell the gospel and you preach to the lost and you do everything because you’re doing nothing— because He’s doing it all!

Spiritual Promiscuity + Worth and Work

You must understand that the cross proves your worth.

Otherwise, women are only going to switch from physical promiscuity to ministry—to establish worth. Physically sleeping around, to spiritually sleeping around. You can totally have an affair with a ministry just to gain worth—to feel you have value. But the cross—that God would send His Son—shows your measure of value to God. Then your value and the measure of your worth is set. Then, as Paul said, if you have a desire for ministry it doesn’t matter to you if you sow the seed, water it, clean the toilet, hold the microphone, give a testimony, or you are laying in bed sick listening to livestream. Your value doesn’t diminish based on your work. Your work does not determine your worth. The work of Christ shows your worth! Your work for Christ does not determine your worth to Him, it shows Him His worth to you. We work for Christ because He is great and worthy and He is working in us. But it is His work that shows your worth. You don’t ever have to establish your worth again. Many people are only promiscuous because they are trying to feel a sense of worth. They are desperately trying to be loved, and that can transfer right into ministry or community. It’s why so many things happen (jealousy, offense, division, bitterness, etc), because we are trying to establish and maintain some sense of worth when the cross clearly shows our worth. The cross is not diminished with age, seasons, sickness, or health. Our worth is set.

We are of so much worth to God that He sent Christ. We do not have to work for worth!

Our service to Him is because He is worthy! Not us trying to be worthy. Your service to Christ should only be because He is worthy, not to make you worthy.

Shi-Anne Eakin

Eyes On Jesus Nashville