Crucified?

"The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy." John 10:10a

Many know that in coming to faith in Christ, we must acknowledge who we are: sinners.  Yet, I wonder if that admission really brings home the severity of who we are without God.  Even in that admission, we may tend to subconsciously believe our sins are not as bad as the sins of others, that we still had some "good" qualities.  In this way, being a sinner can almost become whitewashed in our minds because, after all, everyone is a sinner.  It becomes no sweat off of our backs to admit because the word can gloss over the reality of what we truly were.

This morning as I pondered God's word, I began to think about how God sees the matter; and it is not in such generalities.  It is an image which is crystal clear via the Scriptures, but it may be hard to reconcile if you have not considered it before.

God didn't just see us as sinners.  He saw us as a reflection of the very nature of Satan himself.  In God's eyes, fallen man had become just like his "Daddy" (John 8:44).  Man had become a thief, a murderer, & a destroyer.

What Do You Mean There's No Santa??!!

Gifts Lying Under a Tree

Today, many children - even children of Christian families - will be getting up to see what gifts "Santa" has brought them.  We never misled our children about the myths of Santa.  It didn't have anything to do with whether it was right or wrong to celebrate Christmas; we just couldn't justify lying to our children.

I can remember finding out that Santa was not real at around age 6.  I had gone to my mother's room and was sitting on her bed watching the typical Christmas shows (i.e. Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, etc.).  Also on the bed - unbeknownst to me - were some of the things "Santa" was going to give me in the morning.  I had seen the Toys R'Us bag and the items in them, but just didn't think much of it.  Mom was wrapping presents for the family and maybe those were just some of them.  My focus was on my shows.

However, when my Mom came in and saw me, she became quite excited and quickly pulled the things off of the bed.  Again, I paid no attention as my focus was on the TV.  Then, the next morning, I saw all of those items under the tree marked as things that "Santa" had given.

As the realization hit me, I looked at my Mom and shouted, "These aren't from Santa!  I saw these in the Toys R'Us bag on your bed!" "No you didn't.", my Mom insisted, "Those are from Santa."

Put on Garments of Vengeance

A Shaking Should Lead to a Waking

"For they are a nation void of counsel, neither is there any understanding in them. O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end! How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, except their Rock had sold them, and the LORD had shut them up? For their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges. 

For their vine is of the vine of Sodom, and of the fields of Gomorrah: their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter: Their wine is the poison of dragons, and the cruel venom of asps. Is not this laid up in store with me, and sealed up among my treasures? To me belongeth vengeance, and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste. For the LORD shall judge his people, and repent himself for his servants, when he seeth that their power is gone, and there is none shut up, or left. 

And he shall say, Where are their gods, their rock in whom they trusted, Which did eat the fat of their sacrifices, and drank the wine of their drink offerings? Let them rise up and help you, and be your protection. See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand. For I lift up my hand to heaven, and say, I live for ever. If I whet my glittering sword, and mine hand take hold on judgment; I will render vengeance to mine enemies, and will reward them that hate me. I will make mine arrows drunk with blood, and my sword shall devour flesh; and that with the blood of the slain and of the captives, from the beginning of revenges upon the enemy. 

Rejoice, O ye nations, with his people: for he will avenge the blood of his servants, and will render vengeance to his adversaries, and will be merciful unto his land, and to his people." Deuteronomy 32:38-43

In the wake of the recent tragedies such as the shootings at Sandy Hook, many ask why this is happening and where is God.  Yet, amazing as it may be to think, this too will soon become a distant memory and life will resume as "normal" for many.  Some might call this return to normalcy God's mercy as He enables us to cope with what has happened.  However, is it?  What if our "normal" was a life devoid of God and with no thought to His will and His way?  What if "normal" was a life filled with lots of religious activity, but with the majority of hearts being far away from God?  What if God lets such things happen in order to shake us from "normal" and wake us from a spiritual stupor?

Controlling Our Tongues

The following is a message from Pastor Zac Poonen called, "Controlling Our Tongues".

I appreciate Pastor Poonen because God has anointed him to teach the Scriptures plainly, but with great spiritual conviction.  I know that this is an area God still works with me on; to resist the temptation to respond "in kind" to others or to give folks a "piece of my mind" because of how they interact with me.  Sometimes people say to me, "Oh, you are so patient in how you respond to others."  Yet they don't know the inner battle which can sometimes occur between what "I" really want to say and what the Holy Spirit will not let me say.  LOL

If it were not for the Holy Spirit, surely a different "me" would be seen.  And while I am so grateful for the work of the Spirit in this way, I also know that this inner struggle is merely evidence that the old man is not as dead as he should be.  There is still a little too much life left in the flesh, which must be further crucified.  I look to the day when the Holy Spirit no longer has to muzzle me in such instances because even the urge to justify or defend "self" is gone.  That is my prayer.

Anyway, I hope this message is a blessing to you!

• We must to glory in the small things while ignoring the weightier things of God.
• The way you know that you are walking in the light is that you get personal light or revelation on your own spiritual condition.
• The word being a two-edged sword means it cuts me (applies to me) before it cuts others (before it can be applied by me to others).
• Many professing Christians still do not have control over their tongue.

The Right Attitude To Money

The following is a message from Pastor Zac Poonen on, "The Right Attitude to Money."

• People used to think that all wholehearted Christians must be poor.  Now there is the teaching that wholehearted Christians must be rich.  Both are unscriptural extremes.
• The two masters Jesus tells us we cannot serve (we must hate one and love the other) are God and mammon (which is money).
• If money rules over you, you cannot serve God.
• If you are not faithful in unrighteous mammon, how will God trust you with the true riches of Heaven: revelation from God's word, transformation into Christ's character, and anointing for the ministry.
• To be devoted to God is to despise money.  You must come to the place where if you gain money it doesn't excite you, and if you lose money it doesn't depress you.

The Right Attitude To Correction

In a recent conversation with fellow believers, we spoke of how many are unable to take Godly correction.  I am not speaking of the type of soulish control that others may try to wield over you as so-called "correction", but that discipline which through conviction, the Holy Spirit confirms is from the Lord.

The following is a message from Pastor Zac Poonen on "The Right Attitude to Correction."  The wrong attitude can make the difference between those who are sons of God and those who are not.

• There was no good thing Jesus could say about the Church at Laodecia.  Yet Jesus says that He still loved them (Revelation 3:19).
• Rebuke & discipline from the Lord is a sign of His love so that we zealously repent.  It is the proof that we are not bastards, but one of His children (Hebrews 12:6-8).
• God gives you little warnings to save you from head on collisions (spiritually) later in life; do not be offended by them.
• The Lord is so interested in making us perfect that He is not happy with just 99.9%.
• You have to be very high-minded to tell God that He must correct you directly and not through any of His servants.

Shedding of Innocent Blood

"That innocent blood be not shed in thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and so blood be upon thee." Deuteronomy 19:10 

Congress singing "God Bless America" in the U.S. Capital steps
as part of a 9/11 tribute.

I post this, not in some insensitivity to the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, but for us to take an honest look at the spiritual condition of our land...and our hearts. No one could look at the loss of life in that shooting and not be touched by the sheer senselessness of it.

Surely the type of mourning being experienced as a result is heavy - especially for the life loss of little children.  We should keep the families affected in our prayers, for God's healing, comfort, and grace.

However, was this just an anomaly or have we allowed a spirit of murder to be released in this country by our own actions...and inaction?  If we do not recognize the spiritual underpinnings of what we see in the natural, then how will we ever be empowered to overcome it?

Getting Your House in Order

The below message is audio from the second part of a sermon from Pastor Voddie Baucham on "Legacy" where he discusses the discipleship of our children.

• The most important tool used in the discipleship of our children - in terms of establishing and passing on multi-generational legacy - is the home.
• Like Israel going into the Promised Land, Christians are called to be a distinct people in the midst of a culture of opposition; otherwise, they would be completely absorbed into the culture and no longer bear their distinction.
• God had to raise up a Joshua generation to claim the promises after allowing the faithless generation of Israel to die off in the wilderness.
• The Promised Land was not simply a blessing for that generation, but was to make it possible for them to pass on to their children and their children's children the fear and knowledge of the Lord.
  
• To a born again Christian, the most important thing in their world is knowing & serving Jesus Christ; as such, the most important thing we can do is teach those with whom we have been entrusted by God to know & serve the Lord.

Receiving the Fire of the Holy Spirit

"But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren." Luke 22:32

We have talked about doing the works of the ministry, but in order to do that we need to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit.  Many are attempting to follow Christ, to live a Christian life, but are not availing themselves of the power of God: His Holy Spirit.  It is all just the flesh...or the workings of "another spirit" (II Corinthians 11:4). Now more than ever we need to seek God to be filled and for power to stand against the wickedness of the time in which we now live.

"But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." Acts 1:8

Take a moment to listen to this message from brother Emmanuel K. on "Receiving the Fire of the Holy Spirit".

"For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." Acts2:39

Just DO it!

Christianity is Not a Spectator Sport 

"But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves." James 1:22

When I was a teenager, someone I respected was a moderator at a political event. After the event, a man ran up to him enthusiastically saying, "I was so impressed with you. You have a great understanding of the issues and can speak to them so well. You ought to run for office. You are just the type of person we need."  To that he chuckled and responded, "Why would I run for office when I can just sit on the sidelines and critique those who do?"

I was so disappointed at that moment. I could not understand the mentality of preferring to criticize those who serve instead of offering one's own self for service...and I still don't.  It just seems hypocritical to me.  If you don't have any skin in the game (so to speak), then you are just not in a position to critique anything.

Yet, such is a trait we see even in the churchworld.  You know the type; they always have something negative to say, but don't bring anything of their own to the table.  They do nothing to build up a ministry, but are often the first to start prattling on about what they think others are doing wrong.  They sit in fellowships week after week becoming engorged on the word of God, yet it never translates into practice where the word becomes life to others around them.  They can only [mis]use the letter to bring death (II Corinthians 3:6).

Thank You Lord!

Don Moen is one of those men of God who has touched my life in untold ways and drawn me closer to the Lord over the years. If you are interested in true praise & worship, I recommend you look into brother Don.

Thank you Lord for your glorious mercy & grace.  Thank you for working all things out for our good, even when we don't understand.  Thank you for your sacrifice for us and allowing us to be called your sons and daughters.  Thank you for the blessings you pour out on us each day and that you have in store for us in the days to come.  Receive our praises this day Lord and be exalted in our hearts always!

Balls

I was recently asked why there does not seem to be many messages directed towards men about standing up to be men of God.

First, let me say that we cannot buy into a tit for tat mentality.  If a message is targeted to women, there is no obligation to then give a message that deals with men.  Let us all - men and women - simply be at God's disposal.  If a word comes forth with deals with us - receive it, repent, and change.  If a word is not for us, then pray for those to whom it pertains and move on.  Let us not look to the left nor to the right, but keep our eyes on Jesus and let the Father mold us as He sees fit.

Okay, that said, the following is a message by Pastor Gary C. Price as he teaches a message called, "Balls".    In it, he speaks about the necessity for men to loose themselves from that which disempowers them and take their place in the spiritual war against wickedness.

The War on Men Through the VENERATION of Woman

For those who still don't see how evil this is after reading, please see the following: The End of Men. 

Notice that she is referenced as "Ms." vs. "Mrs.",
which is a title usually reserved for when it is unknown
whether a woman is married or unmarried.

"Then the angel that talked with me went forth, and said unto me, Lift up now thine eyes, and see what is this that goeth forth. And I said, What is it? And he said, This is an ephah that goeth forth. He said moreover, This is their resemblance through all the earth. 

And, behold, there was lifted up a talent of lead: and this is a woman that sitteth in the midst of the ephah. And he said, This is wickedness. And he cast it into the midst of the ephah; and he cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof.

Then lifted I up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came out two women, and the wind was in their wings; for they had wings like the wings of a stork: and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heaven. Then said I to the angel that talked with me, Whither do these bear the ephah? And he said unto me, To build it an house in the land of Shinar: [Shinar is Babylon] and it shall be established, and set there upon her own base [a pedestal]." Zechariah 5:5-11

On December 1, 2012, Mrs. Jada Pinkett Smith posted a note on her Facebook page called, "The War on Men Through the Degradation of Woman."  It shows in a nutshell how the perversion of womanhood - such as promoted by Mrs. Smith - is contaminating the minds of young girls and is the cause of what she calls the "War on Men".

Begin to Love "Self"

It is only appropriate that - as we have been talking about the need to deny "self" and crucify the flesh - the new agers are preaching about the need to love "self".  We have spoken before about how the need for "self-love" is a major deception leading one to worship what is anti-Christ.

The following was sent to me by a brother in Christ.  Please review this prayerfully with an ear to understand what is happening in the world and a heart to solidify just where you stand.

Make no mistake that as God is preparing His people for these times, so is Satan preparing those who belong to him.  God will have a people who have divested themselves of "self" and self-centered pursuits in order to live for Him.  Satan will have a people consumed with "self" and living only for "self": the definition of a sodomite.

Remember, true love is selflessness; and God is love.  Love "seeks not her own" or in other words, is not selfish (I Corinthians 13:5).
_______

The following is shared from Gideon's Trumpet

This is what the new agers/false prophets in unison believe and teach.  This is the essence of the current 'ecumenical' movement.

Your Cross Is Meant to Bring You to Self-Denial

The following is a message from Min. David Wilkerson called "You Cannot Carry Your Own Cross" followed by a video sermon from Min. B.H. Clendennen entitled, "Self-Denial".

It goes hand in hand with the message from yesterday.  I hope that both messages encourage you to draw closer still to the Lord and experience His saving power in your life.
 _______________

You Cannot Carry Your Own Cross 

It's very true that Jesus said to His disciples, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross, and follow me." But Jesus could not carry His cross - and neither can you! Jesus fell under the load of His cross, weary, exhausted, and unable to carry it another step. John said, "And he bearing his cross went forth into a place...called Golgotha" (John 19:17). the Bible doesn't tell us how far Jesus carried His cross. We do know they compelled Simon, the Cyrene, to pick it up and carry it to the place of crucifixion (Matthew 27:32).

Jesus did take up His cross and was led by His tormentors like a lamb to be slain. But He could not carry it for long. The truth is, Jesus was too weak and frail to carry His cross. It was laid on another's shoulder. He had reached the end of His endurance. He was a physically broken and wounded man. There is only so much one person can take. There is a breaking point. Why did they compel Simon to pick up that cross? Was Jesus lying on those cobblestone streets like a lifeless man, with the cross lying over him like dead weight? Did they kick Him, try to prop Him up, and attempt to force Him a step further? But did He just lie there, with not enough strength to move an inch? His cross had become too heavy to bear.

The Law of Attraction

I stated in the previous article that legalism will become more & more prevalent as we draw closer to the return of Jesus Christ.  The law holds certain attractions to the natural man, for it has all the outward appearance of being righteous.  Even those who deny Jesus Christ gather themselves under a law: "Do what thou wilt".  So when we first turn from the world to God, it can feel normal to place ourselves under the law.

However, if we do not recognize the deceptions of legalism, then we may walk blindly in religious bondage - thinking that we are serving the Lord - yet never coming into the fullness of the salvation of the Lord Jesus.

So I asked the Lord, "What is the attraction of the law, leading people to turn to it instead of to Christ?"

The Challenge of Islam

My husband is from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and it has been interesting to note a trend in that city over the years: a sharp increase in the acceptance of Islam.  I have joked with him that it must be in the water, for it is apparent even to an occasional visitor such as myself that more and more men are converting.  It is not uncommon to drive down the street and see women covered from head to toe in Muslim burqas.

In large part, I believe the attraction to Islam is the same basis upon which we see a rise of legalism within the Church.  The only option left to one who rejects our sole hope of salvation in Jesus Christ is law.  If a man rejects the righteousness of God, then he must by nature resort to self-righteousness (Romans 10:2-4; Philippians 3:9).  Instead of being made righteous by the blood of Jesus, I become righteous based on what I do (or don't do); I go to temple/church on a specific day, I don't eat certain meats, I wear certain clothes, I observe particular holy days...  As long as we resist being made clean on the inside, we will always run to the actions of a whited sepulcher as justification of our own 'goodness' (Matthew 23:25-28).  This is something which every Christian should take note, for we too must be sure that we don't fall into this snare.  Unless Christ in us is our hope of glory, then our glory is our shame (Colossians 1:27; Philippians 3:19).

Yet, I also think the rise in Islam has to do with God's unfolding end time judgments.  The types of persecutions which will be coming against the church are commensurate with what is called for in Sharia Islamic law and what some refer to as "radical Islam".  One only needs to look around the world to see a foreshadowing of this.  Having an American President who is sympathetic towards Muslim interests (and who is perhaps more aligned with Islam than many think) only serves to further these gains.

There IS a Fountain

"For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light." Psalm 36:9

"The law of the wise is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death." Proverbs 13:14

"The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death." Proverbs 14:27

"For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water...As a fountain casteth out her waters, so she casteth out her wickedness: violence and spoil is heard in her; before me continually is grief and wounds." Jeremiah 2:13, 6:7

"In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness." Zechariah 13:1

"And it shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters, and a fountain shall come forth of the house of the LORD, and shall water the valley of Shittim." Joel 3:18

As the Days of Noe Were

"Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are
drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober,
putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet,
the hope of salvation."  I Thessalonians 5:6-8

"But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.  For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." Matthew 24:37-39

The following message is from Minister B.H. Clendennen.  As with everything posted on this blog, it is shared with the hope that the reader will take the message in prayer to God, seeing what He has to say about the matter.

That said, there are a few of things I want to mention. The Scriptures speak of a time of "tribulation" and a time of "great tribulation".  I believe this is often a distinguishing between the earth having to deal with Satan's wrath vs. the wrath of God.  Clearly the church has, is, and shall experience Satan's wrath as he continually persecutes God's people...and is given permission to do so by God (Daniel 7:25).  Jesus Himself tells us to expect tribulation from Satan in the world (John 16:33; Revelation 2:10).  Yet the Bible also says we are saved from the wrath to come, which is a reference to God's wrath (I Thessalonians 1:10, 5:9).  For more on the rapture, please see:  What Can We Know About the Rapture?

One thing that struck me when I was first saved, was reading the Book of Revelation and seeing how obstinate the people were as God poured out His wrath.  This was not a people who did not know what was going on.  They knew that they were experiencing God's judgment.  They knew it was God Himself who was sending these plagues upon them.  Yet they would not repent (Revelation 9:20-21, 11:10).  Now that is a hard-hearted people.  God had extended mercy by having His own Son butchered for the sin of the world.  God had been longsuffering, giving space and time to repent.  God even sent forth judgment as a witness to His fury with sin.  However nothing turned the hearts of these people.  They did not respond to mercy.  They did not respond to longsuffering.  They did not even respond to punishment.  There is only one option left: damnation.  The Great Tribulation - God's wrath - is poured out on those who will not repent (Revelation 2:22).  This is important to consider when we examine when the rapture will occur and what the outcome will be of those who go through the great tribulation.

• There will be a parallel between the day of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and the days of Noah
• The greatest alarm in the church is that there is no alarm in the church
• If you are going to be ready when Jesus comes, then you must be ready all of the time.  He will come in the "twinkling of an eye" leaving no time to make up your mind (I Corinthians 15:52).
• If you were ever really born again, then you know there is nothing like your first love.  When you were first saved, Christ was everything; there was a love for Him and nothing else mattered.  Today, much of the is gone as the church has become careless.

God's Remnant People

The following audio message is from Pastor Zac Poonen as he review the books of Zephaniah and Haggai.

Zephaniah

• The main theme in the book of Zephaniah is the severity of God (towards sin) and goodness of God (towards the remnant).
• There were recurring problems spoken of by all the prophets: pride; exploiting the poor; love of money; external manifestations of revival; God using heathen people to chasten His people; the need for God's people to wait in faith; the anger of God against sin; the certainty of judgment; and the existence of a remnant.
• God brought out a remnant of people from the northern tribes in Israel and the tribes in Judah.  He is doing the same out of Christianity today.
• The purpose of the remnant is to prepare the way for the coming of the Lord.
• Ask God for eyes to see through the falsehoods of hallow, external, "revivals" which do not call for a return to holiness and repentance from sin.
• Judgment (on the earth, its nations, people) and Salvation (for the remnant) comes in the Day of the Lord.
• We are living in the age of deception.  You must stand on the truths of the word of God to remain free from deception.
• The remnant can become like Babylon in no time.  If you are not faithful, if you don't fight against your flesh, if you don't stand against the corrupt Christianity around you, then you will become like the false; prayerless, not knowing God's word, accumulating money to live in luxury, but with no anointing.

My God Does What He Pleases

I am thankful this morning that we serve a God who does exactly what He pleases.  He is not bound by time, space, nor the systems of this world.  He cannot be hindered by any opposing force, for all power is in His hands.  If we are in Jesus Christ, then we too are not subject to such boundaries.

That is how the "sun stood still" at Joshua's command during the battle (Joshua 10:12-13).

Such is how Philip was "caught away" by the Spirit of the Lord and later found in Azotus (Acts 8:39-40).

It is how the walls of Jericho "fell down" at the shout of the people (Joshua 6:20).

This is even how Jesus was "risen from the dead" (John 20:1-9).

If we but believe and have the faith of even a mustard seed, we can say to that mountain, "Be moved" and it shall be moved (Matthew 17:20).

Caribbean Brethren

For those brothers and sisters in the Caribbean, the Omega Church & Ministries Center is beginning a weekly broadcast on WSTA radio station in the Virgin Islands:

Thursday evenings
5:30 pm - 6:00 pm EST
WSTA radio station 

You can also listen to the station live over the Internet by visiting the station's website. Tune in and be blessed & edified through study of God's word.

Judgment is Certain

Will You Redeem the Times?

"He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, it will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?" Matthew 16:2-3

As I woke up this morning and saw the news that Barack Obama was re-elected President, I heard a word from the Lord, "Judgment is certain."  Yet shamefully, many professing Christians either rejoice or are distressed by the election news, having placed the hope of their future in the hands of a man.  Too many seem oblivious to what is going on in the Spirit and are out of touch with the mind & heart of God at this critical hour.

To the modern day Christian:

It makes sense to support candidates based primarily upon the color of their skin, but it is extreme to evaluate candidates based upon their alignment with God's word?

We owe a greater debt to those who fought for the rights of the disenfranchised to vote than we do to the True & Living God who sacrificed His sinless life for the sin of the world?

It is our responsibility to take part in civil processes as good citizens, but it is foolish & irresponsible to forsake such things because we esteem greater our citizenship in the kingdom of God?

Where are our affections?  Where are our priorities?

If you just listen to many people's views on this election, one thing becomes abundantly clear: they cherish the things of this world more than the things of eternity...and that goes for many Christians as well.  They have left their first love, if they ever truly loved Him.

Lead Me to Abandonment

Lead me to abandon myself to you Lord
I desire to be consumed by You
Let Your holy fire envelop and purge me
In this late day and hour, what else matters?
Why should I toil for meat that does not satisfy?
Hear the cry of Your people Jesus and call us into Your presence
Send down times of refreshing and pour out Your Spirit according to Your word
Remind us once more Lord Jesus of Your great name, for many have forgotten

"Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing." II Timothy 4:8

Walk Holy Mount Zion

"He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked." I John 2:6




Walk Holy from thelatterdays on GodTube.

God's "Unconditional" Love

"I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. " Proverbs 8:17

I have been thinking a lot about the "unconditional love" of God.  This is commonly asserted by many Christians, and most often in relation to sin, "God loves us unconditionally in spite of our sin."  However, is this sentiment really biblical and what is meant when people say this? I ask you to think honestly about this question.

Increasingly people are being lulled into a false standing with God which seems to hinge on some perversion of God's love.  The purpose of this article is not to attempt to divorce man from God's great love, but to ensure that we are truly abiding in His abounding love.

For a doctrine that has become so central to the contemporary church, Scripture is relatively silent on this issue.  That is why many asserting that "God's love is unconditional" must deduce that it is so.  They seek to appeal to what might be called your sense of reason saying, "God's love must be unconditional because...[fill in the blank]"  Yet, there is not one Scripture which states that all have God's love unconditionally.  Is God's love undeserved by all?  Yes!  Yet, undeserved does not mean unconditional. At the very least this concept should be supported by God's word if it is to be believed.  Otherwise, it is likely false - no matter how warm & fuzzy it makes us feel.

So, what does it mean biblically to say that God's love is unconditional?

unconditional: not limited by conditions; asserting that the existence or occurrence of one thing or event does not depend on the existence or occurrence of another thing or event.

God's love simply exists, for He is love (I John 4:8).  It is not dependent upon anything else for - like His very nature - He (and it) just is.  Yet, the fact that God's love exists unconditionally does not mean it is received by man unconditionally. 

Even So, Lord Jesus Come

"And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." Revelation 22:17 

It Is Well With My Soul

The following article is an excerpt from a post on the "For His Glory Alone" blog and I wanted to share it here as an encouragement for you.

Have we truly grabbed hold of the peace which the world has not given and the world cannot take away?  Are we truly living in the joy of the Lord, even in the midst of our tribulations?  Do we believe that it is even possible to do so?  The Lord assures us that it is; that we can rejoice even in our sufferings.

This is only a portion of the article, which speaks about how to be encouraged in the Lord.  The article may be read in its entirety by clicking on the link above.

The History of a Man of Faith

In the late 1860s, life was good for Horatio G. Spafford and his wife Anna. They were living in a north side suburb of Chicago with their five children, Annie, Maggie, Bessie, Tanetta and Horatio, Jr.

He had a successful law practice in Chicago. The doors of the Spaffords' home were always open as a place for activists to meet during the reform movements of the time.

Horatio G. Spafford was quite active in the abolitionist movement. Frances E. Willard, president of the National Women's Christian Temperance Union, as well as evangelical leaders like Dwight L. Moody, were often guests in their home. Spafford was a Presbyterian church elder and a dedicated Christian.

In Need of Prayer?

"Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." I Thessalonians 5:16-18

We have shared this info before, but the need for corporate prayer with the saints of God is more of a necessity each day as the times grow ever darker.  It is not about religious rituals, church affiliation, or doctrine, but about encouraging one another and grabbing hold unto the promises of God. 

If you have not already, take time to listen to the following sermon from Min. David Pawson on the topic: Prayer with the Saints.

Wake Up Church!

A video compilation from Holy Desperation.

The Most UNPREACHED Message in the Church

The Severity of God

"To not major on the same truths that Jesus and His Apostles emphasized, is to preach a completely different Gospel altogether..." 

Today, many Christians are majoring in the minors.  What I mean by that is they are taking selective aspects of Jesus' life and expounding upon that, but ignore what they do not like.  They are forsaking the weightier matters of what Jesus taught in order to depict an idol called Jesus who will tickle their ears with smooth things.  Today's contemporary Christians rejoice that God loves us unconditionally in spite of our sin (which I have never found supported anywhere in Scripture), yet they never stop to think whether such "love" is enough to keep them from eternal damnation.

Great is Thy Faithfulness

Lord, one thing I know is, "All I have needed, Your hand has provided."  What more can I say?

In various situations...in times when things seemed hopeless...and even when no one else seemed to understand, You have never let me down.

Whether it was a mess I created or the result of suffering for well doing, You were there offering me a way out and the reassurance to keep moving on. 

Even when I couldn't find the words to pray, You answered.  It may not always have been the answer I wanted, but it was always the answer I needed.

And when I was going astray, Your rod was there to chasten me and nudge me back on the narrow path, so that I would not wind up lost in Hell.

A Heavenly Vision

Oftentimes, it is not our circumstances which limit us, but our perspectives.  It has really been on my heart lately how much God's people need a Heavenly vision.  In these days, it is critical for us to see things from God's perspective and not man's.

In a recent conversation, someone said, "I question how such a beautiful God could have created so many enemies that will end up in Hell."

I responded, "God doesn't create enemies. He creates individuals whom He takes time to uniquely design & bestow with talents. Perhaps a better question is how such a beautiful God can continue to selflessly give & sustain life - and even have given His own life - for the benefit of those who continually and will ultimately reject His love in ingratitude."

Do you see how the wrong perspective can pervert the image of God...even for those who seek to serve Him?  From an earthly view (man's vision), it seems unloving and cruel for God to send people to Hell.  Yet from a Heavenly view (God's vision), He is the author and sustainer of of life, even for those who despise Him and curse His name.  He gives air to breathe and allows the sun to shine even on His enemies, for whom He suffered a tortuous death just to offer them the hope of eternal life.  Who would make such sacrifices??  Only our God.

Ishmael Shall Be Cast Out

While in high school (many years ago, LOL), I was assigned to do a paper on the Middle East crisis.  As an ardent researcher, I enjoyed examining the history of the region and was intrigued.  Why was the whole world in an uproar about this little piece of land?  I even visited a few embassies in order to interview Middle East officials and get their perspective.

As a result of my studies, I concluded that Israel had no legitimate claim to that land.  The Palestinians had every much a right as the Jewish people to reside there.  After all, the Jewish justification that God gave them that land was absurd.  Did God favor one people over another?  Of course not!  Further, Arabs also pointed to their own religious beliefs as a justification for the land and claimed an inheritance from the same patriarch as the Jewish people (Abraham).  Should we favor the beliefs of one religious system over another?  Even if accepted as fact, that promise of land to the Jewish people was made thousands of years ago.  Surely such was no longer relevant.

To that extent, I found the very existence of the nation of Israel to be nothing short of amazing. Although Israel had been an ancient homeland for the Jewish people as early as 1300 BC, it had ceased to be around 636 AD when Arabs took over the land.  Then in 1948, the United Nations determined to once again set aside that land as a Jewish state.  My question was, "Why?"

Surely the world - which had just sat quietly by as millions of Jews were killed in the Holocaust - wasn't motivated by a new found compassion for the Jewish people?  Was it that the nations of the world recognized the supremacy of this God above all others?  Indeed, at the time of my school report, the U.S. was giving more monies annually in support of Israel than it gave to all other nations combined.  What was so special about this one section of land and this one people which would warrant such extraordinary support?  It just didn't make any sense...to the natural man.

What I did not understand was that what God decrees is not up for human debate or input.  This was not simply some world event, but the fulfillment of biblical prophecy (Exodus 32:13; Matthew 24:32-34).  God is not concerned with humanistic perspectives of "fairness".  He does exactly what He wants to do, for He is sovereign.  Further, even His enemies can only do what He allows and likewise serve to fulfill His purposes.

I did not understand the historical reality of what had created this "crisis"; a rivalry between two brothers: Ishmael (the son of disbelief) and Isaac (the son of promise).

Giving Myself Away

I want to be used, but I want to tell YOU how to use me.

I want to belong to You, as long as I can still do some of what I want to do.

I want You to be Lord, as long as there are still some areas that I control.

I want You to increase without me having to decrease.

I want You to move, but go where I want You to go.

I want to be purified as gold, but without the Refiner's furnace of pain, tribulation, and affliction.

I want to follow You, but only within my comfort zone.

I Am

"And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you." Exodus 3:14

hayah - translated "I Am"; means to be, to exist

"Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am." John 8:58

egō eimi - translated "I am"; means I be or exist.

The following is an excerpt from Henry Law's "I AM that I AM" sermon.
__________

'I AM THAT I AM.' Here the first sound is eternity. Jesus, as God, here puts on eternity as His robe. He knows no past. He knows no future. He lives unmoved in one unmoving present. He stretches through all the ages which are gone and which are yet to come. His only bounds are immeasurable boundlessness. Before time was born, He is 'I AM THAT I AM.' When time shall have expired, He still is 'I AM THAT I AM.' If there had been the moment when His being dawned, His name would be, 'I am what I was not.' If there could be a moment when His being must have end, His name would be, 'I am what I shall not be.' But He is, 'I AM THAT I AM.' Thus He treads first and last beneath His feet. He sits on the unbroken circumference of existence, as He who ever was, and ever is, and ever shall be. Let thought fly back, until in weariness it faint; let it look onward until all vision fail; it ever finds Him the same 'I AM.'...

The Deception of Democracy

I used to work with a man who had served in the Special Forces of the United States.  He shared with me once how he and his team were on assignment in a certain foreign country at the very time when the then-current U.S. President was in a presidential address assuring the American citizens that we had no troops in that very country.

This is a small thing, but I share it because many people do not understand that much of what we hear regarding world events is a lie.  This should not come as a surprise as we know that the whole world lies in wickedness.  In fact, it is reported that 96% of the mainstream media is owned by just a handful of corporations, making it even easier to promote disinformation.

At a time when much of the world is taking sides about politics and kingdoms of men, the church needs to be focused on the Kingdom of our Lord.  Not only is His Kingdom not of this world, it is diametrically opposed to this world.  The following article by a sister in the Lord points out these distinctions and calls us to consider where our hope really lies.  God also brought to my mind recently the holy day Yom Kippur, which may be another reference for people on this topic.

God, Where Are You?

The following message is from Min. David Wilkerson.  It was written just for me...and maybe it was written just for you too.  :-)
______________

One night Jacob sat in an open field and had it out (wrestled) with the Lord: "God, how did I end up in this mess? You made such great promises to me. You told me You would guide me, keep me, fulfill Your plans in me. How could any of this be Your leading? What kind of covenant walk is this? Lord, I simply have no future" (see Genesis 32:24-26).

Now, you may reason to yourself, "Maybe Jacob didn't seek God about some of the choices he made. Maybe he acted out of his flesh.” Well, perhaps he did, but all that is beside the point. God could have intervened on Jacob's behalf at any time but He did not.

The fact is, we can have a contrite spirit and still have problems. You and your spouse may be going through a terrible trial. You have prayed, "Lord, I don't understand. I know my heart is right, and I'm walking with You, so why are You allowing this awful trial?"

He Hears

He Will Beautify the Meek with Salvation

Be merciful unto me, O God: for man would swallow me up; he fighting daily oppresseth me. Mine enemies would daily swallow me up: for they be many that fight against me, O thou most High. What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.

In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.  Every day they wrest my words: all their thoughts are against me for evil. They gather themselves together, they hide themselves, they mark my steps, when they wait for my soul. Shall they escape by iniquity? In thine anger cast down the people, O God.

Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book? When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me.

In God will I praise his word: in the LORD will I praise his word.  In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me. Thy vows are upon me, O God: I will render praises unto thee. For thou hast delivered my soul from death: wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?" Psalm 56:1- 13

Car Dream

When I did the video series on Sasha Fierce, God showed me how a car often symbolized going from one spiritual place to another.  Well, three days ago, I had a dream about being in a car that I am sharing here.  The very next morning after the dream, I typed it out as a draft post on the blog and entitled it "The Car Dream", but I didn't publish it as I was not sure whether it was just a message for me.

However, yesterday morning, I received announcement of a new art series from John the Baptist Artworks and I recommended one particular piece entitled "Don't Get Distracted".  There were some similar themes between my dream and Sis. Rebecca's, and after reading her testimony, I felt led to publish this post.

The Car Dream

My family was in a car and my husband was driving.  We started out on a highway, and as we drove, the car to the right of us started coming into our lane and almost ran us off of the road.  My husband quickly steered the car to the left to avoid a collision.  At first I thought that perhaps the driver of the other car simply hadn't seen us, but they were driving erratically & weaving across all lanes on the highway.  Several times, they almost ran off of the road into a ditch.

Signs of the Times

Artwork from jtbarts.com.  Please support this ministry
with your prayers and offerings.

A couple of times, by their gracious permission, we have featured art from John the Baptist Artworks and invited you to support that ministry.  They have just come out with a new collection entitled Signs of the Times and I wanted to invite you to visit their website and review the inspired artwork on it.

There is much edification on their site if you have the time to peruse it, but one part of this latest series I particularly recommend is Don't Get Distracted.  Please Brothers and Sisters, at the very least read this one if you cannot read anymore right now.  It never ceases to amaze me how God speaks to and through His people and such is even more important now given the times in which we live.

I have also pasted below the introduction to this new series of work below.  Although Sis. Rebecca does not profess herself to be a teacher, she indeed has that gift.  I have no doubt that God has given her words for His people in this hour and I pray that we all have an ear to hear.

Not Falling Short of the Land of Promise

"But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." II Corinthians 3:18

The following is a collection of messages from Min. Alan Martin which I hope are a blessing to you.  Simply click on the title of each to hear it.

Hindrances to Beholding Him

• Beholding Jesus is what changes us from glory to glory in order to bear the image of Christ.
• This is why we all need a personal, spiritual, mystical vision of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Mystical referring to something beyond the natural, something mysterious (Colossians 1:27).
• You cannot make it to Heaven by simply having a sense of right & wrong, or of having had a vision of Christ at one time.
• We are to lay aside the sin nature (anything that belongs to the flesh) and put it to death.
• According to the word of God, some things which can hinder us from getting a clear vision of Christ are:

God's Love in Judgment

Being Ripe for Judgment

A Joyful 'toon Message.

The following message is from Pastor Zac Poonen entitled, "God Waits for Man’s Sin to Become Ripe for Judgment".
________________

The people of Canaan, whom God commanded to be killed, were being punished just like Sodom and Gomorrah was punished and like the world in Noah’s day was punished. The whole earth had become corrupt in Noah’s time with sexual sins (Gen.6:11). The Canaanites too were indulging in degrading sexual sins and Satan worship. And so “the land itself spewed them out”. (Leviticus 18:24, 25). Deuteronomy 9:4 and 18:10-12 give us clear reasons as to why God destroyed the Canaanites. Where there are polluting influences in any nation that defile and corrupt the land, the only thing to do is to punish such a nation by eliminating the people – lest their influence spread and corrupt others too.

A God of love destroys some people just like a kind doctor amputates a man’s foot when the gangrene in his foot is so severe that it threatens to destroy the whole body. If you saw a doctor sawing off somebody’s leg, and did not understand medicine, you would imagine that the doctor hated that man. But actually the opposite would have been true. The doctor was doing it in love. God also acts in love for the world when He cuts off certain people who would otherwise corrupt it. Wiping out the world’s population at the time of the flood was an act of love, so that the human race could be preserved without being totally controlled by demons (Gen.6:2 – where the “sons of God” refer to God’s creation - the angels who fell). The apostle Paul once smote a man with blindness because he was leading another person astray (Acts.13:8-12). I have heard of cases of people who were smitten dead by God because they opposed a revival. So what we read of in Joshua was not the murder of the Canaanites. It was surgery for the world.

Coming Before the King

Don't Let Familiarity Breed Contempt

"Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." Hebrews 4:16

We are told in Scripture that - through Christ - we can come boldly before God, even into His very presence because the veil that separated the Holy of Holies has been rent (Matthew 27:51; II Corinthians 3:12-18).  The fact that we can now come boldly before the throne of grace does not mean however that we can come brazenly before the throne.

boldly: parrēsia (Greek); freedom in speaking, unreservedness in speech; free and fearless confidence, cheerful courage, boldness, assurance

brazen: shamelessly or with impudence; insolent, defiant, brass; made of brass

I mention this because I am not so sure that people perceive the difference.  It is appropriate that brazen means to be like "brass", for brass in Scripture is the equivalent of flesh; and that is what we often see on parade as being offerings for God in His Church.  This is why much of the Church has lost proper reverence for God.

Let us not mistake what has been done for us in Christ.  Through Jesus, that which was filthy, abominable, and antagonistic to God is cleansed by the covering of His blood to be able to stand before Him.  What Jesus has not accomplished is changing the nature of God so that He is now down at our level, allowing flesh to glory in His presence (I Corinthians 1:29).  Jesus does not make Himself our "home boy".  Rather, we are raised (from our lost & sin-filled place) to sit with Him in Heavenly places.  Jesus makes us acceptable for God; He hasn't made God acceptable of sin. That is a BIG difference.

A Bisexual Playground... UPDATED

The following article is written by a blogger who has given her life to, and is truly on fire for, the Lord.  I am posting her article here because she describes a phenomenon that I am just honestly not too familiar with, as this was not done in my day.  However, it seems to be very prevalent in these last days.

She describes how commonplace it has become for young girls to"joke" about being married to their girl friends, which they even call their "wives".  She tells the truth of how these activities are inspired by a lesbian spirit which attempts to normalize these behaviors in the minds of young people.

Recently, God enabled my family to see the reality of what this blogger describes through ministry to a young woman with similar experiences.  She had engaged in similar jesting in high school, which ultimately culminated in full-fledged lesbianism in college.  Yet this spirit is very deceptive.  Although the woman was participating in same-sex activities, she did not consider herself to be a lesbian.  Even when we prayed to cast out that spirit, she would cry out, "I am not a lesbian."  When Satan can mold you into his image and yet still blind your mind to the reality of what you have become, that is true deception. 

For Our Example

Just sharing part of my own study this morning.  In the New Testament, God sets forth certain things which He says are for our examples.  These things are noted for His Church to be in remembrance of and take heed to so that we may learn from the lesson.

ensample: typos (Greek); a figure formed by a mark of a stroke or blow, print; a form; an example

ensample: hypodeigma (Greek); a sign suggestive of anything, delineation of a thing, representation, figure, copy; an example: for imitation

example: deigma (Greek); a thing shown; a specimen of any thing, example, pattern

Do Not be Overthrown in the Wilderness of Sin

We should understand the end of those who fall into unbelief, even after having experienced the salvation of God. 

"While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses. But with whom was he grieved forty years? Was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness? And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works. And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest. Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief: Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief." Hebrews 3:15-4:11