The Latter Days

Onward Christian Soldiers

2012-01-29T09:58:00.011-05:00

"Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier." II Timothy 2: 3-4

One of the saddest things to see in the Church today is how it has been gutted from its mission. It is filled with Freudian introspection, motivational speaking, and doctrinal debates...but little power of God.

A false perspective of our calling in God can make us selfish, approaching salvation with the expectation of seeing sunshine & flowers everyday with a "genie god" who will make our every wish come true. We want to be "blessed" and not "stressed", failing to understand how God is growing us up in Him (Romans 5:3-5; II Corinthians 4:17, 12:9-10; Philippians 1:29; James 1:2-3; Hebrew 12:10-11).

Many are therefore unprepared when entering into the spiritual war of which every Christian is a part. They are traumatized to consider that God actually expects them to "endure hardness". As a soldier for God, it is not about going where you want to go, saying what you want to say, doing what you want to do, eating what you want to eat, sleeping where you want to sleep...

That is why I think this message from Bert. H. Clendennen entitled "Soldiers" is so important. It gets our focus as a believer in Christ off of ourselves and back on that which is most important: the Great Commission.

Are you prepared to be a solider? Listen to this message and be encouraged.

commission: an authoritative order, charge, or direction granted for a particular action or function; to give the order that places a warship, military command, etc., in a state of complete readiness for active duty; to send on a mission.

One of the great problems of the church is that we have got the notion that it is a democratic form of government.
The Gospel doesn't need interpretation as much as it does a people who realize that we are under orders. When we join the church we become part of a military organization; and once we do, we are not our own, but have been bought with a price.
In a democracy, you have a choice and can still be right, but in a military order, you don't have any choice.
We are soldiers for Christ and we need to get that in our minds. Throughout the Scriptures, God refers to His Church as an army with banners.

The only hope for the lost is a militant church.
A lot of the theology you hear today is a cheap grace sold on the marketplace of religion.
People say that if you are having problems, then you are outside of the will of God. But I tell you if you are not having problems, then you are outside of the will of God.
It is when you step out onto the front lines for God that you become a threat to the devil.
God is looking for a few good folks who are not afraid to engage in this war with God.
The devil is a defeated foe, but that must become a reality for you! We don't have to win the victory (it is already won), but we must enforce that victory in our lives.
To be a soldier, we must be found faithful. God is looking for faithfulness in His people.
The way to shipwreck the faith of the young is to let them think that the world is not their enemy but a misunderstood friend.
Faithfulness is a commitment to a cause. We must understand that the cause of God is bigger than we are and worth giving our lives for.
Faithfulness is a product of our own will. I commit myself to what I believe in.
A man approached me one day and asked, "Pastor, please pray for me. There is a sin I cannot stop doing." I told him, "Before anyone is going to help you, you've got to stop lying. I don't know what your trouble is, but whatever it is you willfully do it. Just as you will to do it you can will not to do it if you belong to God."
Your problem (whatever it is) is not based on some traumatic experience in your past. You are a product of what you will to do and your will is governed by your devotion or lack of it.
If we love God, then we will be faithful to Him. We will choose His ways over our own. We will obey His commands.
Being a soldier requires courage born out of conviction.
The best sex education a child could get is to know that you don't have sex until you get married.

It takes more moral courage to stand for what is right than to face a war.
Being a soldier requires discipline. Discipline is the difference between an army and a mob.
The love of Christ must strengthen us to do God's work and constrain us from indulging the flesh.
I grew up doing what I wanted to do having and undisciplined attitude. I slept where I wanted to sleep, ate what I wanted to eat, doing what I wanted to do. But the military will change that attitude.
Discipline means instant obedience. The reason why most of the church never receives anything from God is because it takes them 3 days to decide to do what He told them to do.
You cannot be afraid to be alone or afraid of the dark to be a soldier for God. Fear only comes in when you are committed to something other than Christ.
Jesus was a root out of dry ground. He took nothing from this world and nothing of the world was in Him.
We don't owe this world anything but the Gospel.
All you have to do to go to Hell is do what is right in your own eyes.
There are three things you can expect as a soldier of God:

Hardships - There are going to be some trials, some tough times, and not everybody is going to love you! But you can endure knowing that you have the best thing anyone could offer: Jesus Christ. Happiness is Jesus!
To Face the Enemy - Don't divulge information to the enemy, just tell him who you are in God. Be ready to die before you bow to him.
Be Part of the Greatest Victory This World Ever Knew Anything About - We must prepare our children to engage in the battle so that they will be able to stand.

The ones on the front line are the first ones to make it home.

But I'm A Believer

2012-01-28T11:20:00.001-05:00

"Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul." Hebrews 10:38-39

In the last post, I wrote how John 6:66 indicates a line of demarcation between those who continue on with the Lord and those who depart from Him. The difference? Faith in God's words.

Some believed that Jesus' words were truth (even if they didn't fully understand them), while others rejected Jesus' words as truth because they didn't understand them. In fact, they were offended by them.

When you read through the Chapter, you can see that their defection was no surprise of course to Jesus. One thing that becomes clear is that belief in Jesus is synonymous with belief in His words. In other words, Jesus had stated in John 6:40 that it is the will of the Father for everyone who sees Jesus to believe on Him and receive eternal life. Yet, when many disciples began to question and get offended at Jesus' words, He said it was because they did not believe (John 6:64).

Jesus equated belief in Him with belief in His words. Although many professing Christians do this today, Jesus knew that one could not claim to believe in Him, yet not believe God's words.

Some may look at that and say, "But I am a believer. This is not relevant to me because I do believe." Yet look at what God has said to His people:

"And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed." Isaiah 6:9-10

"For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them." Matthew 13:15

"For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them." Acts 28:27

"Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec. Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing. For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat." Hebrews 5:8-12

Belief is not merely an intellectual decision of the mind. Faith in the Word is evidenced by obedience to the word. If we deny His words, then we are on the road to getting a hardened heart.

"Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God." Hebrews 3:12

Really take a look at this verse, for on its surface it seems to be an oxymoron. Paul calls these individuals "brethren". How can a brother or sister in Christ have an "evil heart of unbelief" which would cause them to depart from the Lord? Indeed, some will tell you that such is impossible. Yet that is not what the Scriptures say.

The following message entitled "Hard Hearts in the House of God!" is from David Wilkerson as he discusses the potential for God's people to become hard-hearted towards Him.

What I am about to say may shock you - but I believe it with all my heart: The hardest hearts in this world are not among the ungodly - but among God's people!

When we think of hardhearted people, most of us tend to think of avowed atheists such as Madalyn Murray O'Hair - the woman who was instrumental in removing prayer from public schools. Atheists like O'Hair ridicule the very idea of God. Whenever they refer to Christians, their words have a harsh, biting edge. Other atheists flaunt their hatred for God - such as the rock performer Marilyn Manson, who rips up Bibles during his stage show. Whenever we hear about such people, we think, "Those are the most hardhearted people in the world!"

Or, we may think of militant gay activists, such as those who marched up Fifth Avenue in New York City several weeks ago. Many of those marching homosexuals mocked Christianity and blasphemed God's name. One man carried a sign reading, "Jesus Is Gay." Whenever we hear of such people, we think, "Their hearts have become hardened because of sin. They're impossible to reach!"

Or, we may think of the communist nations that for decades persecuted Christians. In Cuba, for instance, just miles off the Florida coast, Fidel Castro's communist regime closed all churches and began turning cathedrals into training centers for communism. Cuba's leaders boasted, "We have wiped out all religion!" And at the time, many Christians thought, "No one could be more hardhearted than these God haters!"

I could go on and on, describing all kinds of scoffers, mockers, blasphemers, rejecters of Christ. And, indeed, each of these could accurately be described as being hardhearted. But if you want to discover the hardest hearts of all - the ones the Lord most despises - you have to look in God's house. The hardest hearts are always found among his people!

According to the Bible, The Hardness of Heart That God Most Despises Has to Do With the Hearing and Rejecting of His Word.

"He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy" (Proverbs 29:1).

The Hebrew word for "reproved" in this verse refers to corrective teaching. And the word for "without remedy" here is "marpe" - meaning, "without a cure," "without any possibility of deliverance." This verse first tells us that hardness of heart comes as a result of rejecting repeated warnings - of pushing aside all wooings of the truth. And, second, it tells us that over time such hardness becomes impossible to cure. So, who are the people that most often hear these warnings? They are supposedly Christians - those who sit in God's house each week listening to sermons of reproof!

The tragic truth is that in spite of hearing fiery messages sent from heaven, multitudes of Christians do not practice what they hear. They refuse to allow God's entry into certain areas of their lives. And as they continue to hear without heeding, a hardness begins to set in. In the end, they will be cut off without hope of ever being cured!

In contrast, there are some gay activists whose hardness of heart has been cured. At first they cursed Christ and shook an angry fist in God's face. But when they heard the gospel and felt the pure, loving reproof of the Holy Ghost, their hearts melted. They repented and turned to Jesus, their hardness being cured.

Now, you may be thinking, "Wait a minute. Are you saying that a sin-hardened, radical homosexual has the hope of being cured of his hardness - but a sin-hardened Christian has no such hope? How could this be?" The difference is, the homosexual referred to hasn't heard message after message of reproof and continually hardened himself to it. But the Christian has!

The life of Madalyn Murray O'Hair's son illustrates this. He had been raised in probably the most atheistic household in America. And he later worked for his mother, crusading against God and religion. But when he heard the gospel, he got gloriously saved - and he later became a minister, preaching Christ instead of cursing him. This man's hardness was curable also - because he hadn't sat under sermons of reproof and continually rejected them.

The same is true of many people who lived for years under communist rule. When the Iron Curtain fell, the gospel immediately flooded those formerly communist countries, and thousands accepted Jesus. Red Army troops converted left and right, and even some top generals became powerful witnesses for Christ. Within a matter of days, government officials, schoolteachers and even the KGB were asking for Bibles and preaching Christ to those under their influence.

Our ministry held crusades in Poland just before the collapse of communism in that country. It was one of the few times officials had allowed anyone in to openly hold religious meetings. Each night as I preached, hundreds of young people literally ran to the altar - weeping, brokenhearted, hungry for Christ. They all had been brainwashed against religion. But their hardness was curable - because they had not sat under continual reproof and hardened themselves to God's word.

In my experience, the hardest hearts - the incurable kind - have always been found within earshot of Holy Ghost-anointed preaching. Such hardness doesn't exist in cold, dead, formal churches, where the gospel has been corrupted for generations. No - it is always found where a pure word is preached from the pulpit - and rejected in the pews!

You may ask, "What exactly is a hard heart?" A hard heart is one that is determined to resist obeying God's word. It has become impossible to stir, immune to the convictions and warnings of the Holy Spirit.

Please don't mistake me: Hardening one's heart is not just a matter of turning against God, or rejecting Christ, or refusing to go to church. The fact is, your heart can become hard even if you're at church every time the doors are open. You can become hard while listening to teaching tapes...singing God's praises...serving as an usher, a teacher, a member of the worship team. Indeed, you can become so hard to God's word while performing acts of service that even if Jesus himself were to preach from the pulpit, you would turn a deaf ear to him!

Right now, you may be saying to yourself, "Whoa! This all sounds a little too scary for me." Rest assured, I don't want to frighten anyone into contrition of heart. But the truth is, if you regularly ignore the warnings of God's word, you'd better start attending the deadest church you can find. That way you won't be judged as severely as you would by continuing to sit in a Holy Ghost church and reject the anointed word you hear. If you keep doing that, your heart will harden beyond any cure!

Let Me Hold Up the Plumb Line, and Measure You According to the Gospel Truth You Have Heard.

I want to give you a test, to see whether you have already taken the first steps toward hardness of heart. Let me ask you the following questions:

How many times have you heard or read messages about the danger of neglecting daily prayer and Bible reading?

I have many written messages on this subject, knowing that hard times are about to fall upon our society. And yet many readers still refuse to pick up their Bibles or spend just five minutes speaking to their heavenly father. Beloved, if you neglect your secret closet at home - if you think praying at church takes care of all your needs - you will never survive the troubled days ahead. Think about it: If you won't heed the word that is meant to heal and strengthen you in good times, how will you ever find power to overcome during the difficult days to come?

If you have ignored the Holy Spirit's wooings to draw you to the secret closet for intimacy, then you have taken the first step toward hardness of heart. You may fill all your time doing good works, blessing people and pouring your heart out in Christian service. But if you neglect time with the Lord - refusing to seek his face or heed his word - you will become weak, fearful, depressed, and finally a prey for the devil. Having a personal knowledge of your heavenly father is the only way to prepare for what is coming!
How many times have you been warned of the awful consequences of gossip?

At times, my warnings on the subject of gossip have been like soft, gentle rain - and at other times, they've been like rolling thunder. I have written about how gossip and murmuring cost Israel everything. Time after time, the Israelites were warned of the dangers of this sin. But they persisted in disobeying the Lord - and it brought them a lifetime of misery in a snake-infested desert!

Now, let me again hold up the plumb line to your life: Have you said something against a brother or a sister during the past week - something you had no business repeating? Or have you listened to any gossip about that person? If so, did you allow a seed of doubt about him or her to be planted in your soul?

I ask you - how could you continue to gossip, in light of all the warnings you've heard? The only answer is that you've already started down the path toward hardness of heart!
How many warnings have you heard against harboring a secret sin?

What about that besetting sin in your heart - the one that God's Spirit has continually spoken to you about? Over the years I have written many warnings about the dangers of flirting with a pet sin. Yet not only have I preached against sin, but I have taught of God's resurrection power. I have preached that the Lord both endues us with overcoming power through his Spirit, and puts a will in our hearts to do right.

Yet I know people who have sat under my teaching at Times Square Church for years - and they still drink, smoke, curse and carouse. Beloved, that is a hard heart! Who dares to sit under loving reproof week after week and yet go on sinning, never allowing conviction to sink in? It is someone who's heading down the path toward hardness of heart!

It Is Possible to Love Hearing God's Word - to Appreciate And Approve of What Is Preached - and Yet Grow Incurably Hard While Listening!

You can sincerely believe you have accepted a sermon simply because you have heard it, thought about it and discussed it over Sunday dinner. Yet you can do all that and still be a hearer only - and not a doer of God's word!

The children of Israel loved to hear the powerful preaching of Ezekiel - but they never obeyed it: "They come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness. And, lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice...for they hear thy words, but they do them not" (Ezekiel 33:31-32).

Many people in our congregation have approached me after a service, hugged me and said, "Pastor, that was a powerful word you preached." But as they walked away, the Holy Spirit whispered to me, "They didn't hear a word you said!"

The book of Hebrews gives us a powerful warning: "As the Holy Ghost saith, Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness" (Hebrews 3:7-8). "For some, when they had heard, did provoke [rebel]..." (verse 16). These passages clearly show that hardness is not connected to atheism, communism or any other "ism" - but, rather, to hearing and not doing God's word.

I know many people in Times Square Church who are kindhearted, gentle, sacrificial - and yet they are in danger of becoming hardhearted! I have sought the Lord about this, asking, "Father, how can these dedicated, hardworking people hear sermon after sermon of reproof, and yet never change? They come to your house week after week, worshiping you, praising you - but they're not growing into maturity. I know this, because I hear them gossiping, and I know about the other sins in their lives. They love to hear your word preached - but they simply don't obey it. Lord, what keeps them from obeying your word?"

God showed me that it all goes back to their conversion. These neglectful people were never converted in the first place! You see, the Bible speaks of two types of conversions: First, there is a conversion that leads to healing and deliverance from all sins. This is the kind most Christians have experienced. But there is also a conversion that leads to hardness and blindness. Let me give you an illustration.

Israel gladly listened to the powerful preaching of the prophet Isaiah - yet they continually justified their sins, calling evil good and good evil. So, God instructed Isaiah: "...Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed" (Isaiah 6:9-10).

God knew the Israelites were not willing to lay down their besetting sins. They loved their fleshly pleasures and ungodly companions too much. So the Lord told Isaiah, "These people are never going to change their hearts. And from now on, I won't speak a word to them. Instead, I want you to hurry them into their hardness, Isaiah. That way, perhaps some will listen before it's too late!"

Simply put, God was calling for a full surrender from his people. He was saying, "If you're going to be called by my name - if your heart is going to be converted - then it has to happen in a way that delivers you from your sins, heals you and sets you free from all bondage!"

I thank God for the multitudes of Christians who started their walk with Jesus the right way - by loving truth and obeying God's word. They had godly sorrow over their sins, and their repentance was wholehearted. When they forsook the ways of their flesh, they fell in love with the Lord, and his word became to them a guiding lamp. And today they give themselves unreservedly to obeying his word.

The Second Kind of Conversion Is What the Army Calls "Foxhole" Religion.

This second type of conversion is what happens to some soldiers when they go into battle. Once they hear the bullets whizzing by and see the bombs dropping all around them, they look death in the face - and they quickly cry out to God!

This is the type of conversion Pharaoh had. At one point he'd heard seven reproofs from the Holy Ghost, but he still wouldn't obey the Lord's command to free Israel. And now God sent Moses to Pharaoh for an eighth time, with this message: "...Thus saith the Lord God of the Hebrews, How long wilt thou refuse to humble thyself before me? Let my people go, that they may serve me" (Exodus 10:3).

God had already warned Moses about what Pharaoh's reaction would be: "...Go in unto Pharaoh: for I have hardened his heart..." (verse 1). You may ask, "What chance did Pharaoh have? After all, the Lord had hardened his heart." No! The wording here can appear misleading. Pharaoh's hardening did not happen by eternal decree; rather, scripture tells us in an earlier passage: "But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had said" (8:15).

Each time Pharaoh refused to obey the Lord's command, God visited Egypt with a severe plague. And each time Pharaoh would cry, "Okay, Lord - I'll do anything you want. Just get me out of this mess!" Yet once he was delivered, he always went back to his rebellion.

The Bible says the same thing about Israel's fathers: "But they and our fathers dealt proudly, and hardened their necks, and hearkened not to thy commandments, and refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them; but hardened their necks..." (Nehemiah 9:16-17).

God always knows what's in a person's heart. And he knows when someone will listen but not obey, choosing instead to go his own way. He knew this about Pharaoh - because after seven reproofs and plagues of judgment, Pharaoh's heart had grown steadily harder.

Now an eighth plague was about to fall upon the Egyptians, and it was something they greatly feared: locusts. Throughout the Bible, locusts signify ruin and destruction. In many instances they represent God's retribution upon a people. Indeed, the prophet Joel likens a particular invading army to a swarm of locusts: "I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten...my great army which I sent among you...that executeth his word..." (Joel 2:25, 11).

God didn't always send such plagues merely to punish, but rather to bring about his divine order and will. Many residents of our Timothy House and Sarah House ministries know this firsthand. They've lost jobs, finances, health, marriages, families - all because the locusts of alcohol and drugs devoured everything in their lives. Yet, it was through such plagues that these men and women turned to Jesus.

In Egypt, swarms of locusts descended on the land overnight, devouring everything in sight - crops, plants, new growth, even the bark on trees. By the time these bugs were finished, not even a blade of grass remained:

"The locusts went up over all the land of Egypt, and rested in all the coasts of Egypt: very grievous were they...for they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened; and they did eat every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees...and there remained not any green thing in the trees, or in the herbs of the field, through all the land of Egypt" (Exodus 10:14-15).

The massive swarms filled the Egyptians' houses. Everywhere the people turned, they saw locusts - on the floor, in the kneading trough, in the milk, in their clothes, in their beds. These locusts buzzed their wings with a terrifying sound and chomped and chewed everything in sight. Within days, Egypt lay in total ruin.

At this point, a small but very important word appears in scripture - the word "then." "Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste; and he said, I have sinned against the Lord your God, and against you" (verse 16).

Pharaoh confessed his sin, admitting his wrongdoing. And it sounded like his repentance was full and complete. But what was his motive in repenting? Scripture spells it out clearly in Pharaoh's own words: "Now therefore forgive, I pray thee, my sin only this once, and intreat the Lord your God, that he may take away from me this death only" (verse 17). Pharaoh was saying, "Yes, I sinned - and I'm sorry. Now, hurry up, Moses, and get me out of this mess. Pray to your God for me. I'm in trouble, and I have to have relief!"

Pharaoh saw that he was about to lose everything - so he repented in hopes that God would deliver him from the mess he'd brought on himself. All he wanted was relief from his trouble!

What First Brought You to the Lord?

Did you first come to the Lord as Pharaoh did - only because you wanted something from God? Did you turn to him in order to kick a drug habit, to have your marriage restored, to be delivered from financial trouble? Did you say to yourself, "If I come to Jesus, maybe he'll work things out."

The truth is, Christ will work miracles for you. He will do the impossible in your life. But if you come to him only to get something from him - only to be delivered from your problems - you will never grow an inch in maturity. On the contrary, you will only grow hard!

Think back to the time of your conversion. Did it happen after some locust had eaten everything away? Was your health debilitated in some way? Was one of your children in trouble? Did you end up in devastation, with death and ruin hovering over you?

Please don't misunderstand me. Of course, God loves to save people who end up in ruin. When all is lost, he is always near - and he is faithful to deliver. But, beloved, you cannot come to Jesus just to get relief! You must come to him because he is God - and because he deserves your life, your worship, your obedience.

It is a dangerous thing to come into God's house and go through the motions of worship. You may teach, you may usher, you may sing in the choir - and you may tell yourself, "I remember my conversion well. I asked Jesus into my heart five years ago." But if your heart truly had been converted at that time, it would show in your life today.

You would be growing spiritually - reading the Bible often, taking all your needs and problems to God, spending precious time with him in your secret closet. And whenever you heard warnings about coming locusts, you would take heed - because you know your father's commands issue out of his love for you.

Right now you may be saying, "Yes, Brother Dave - I admit I've been neglecting God's word. And I'm still bound by a besetting sin. Am I too hardened - too far gone - to receive the Lord's healing touch?"

No - not at all! If you will begin to call on the Lord today, in the midst of your need, he will bring you times of refreshing. Whenever you bring to him a truly repentant heart, he will act not as your judge, but as your mediator and intercessor. Right now he is saying to you, "Just call on me, and I will do it for you. I will come to you, supplying all you need to keep your heart tender and broken before me."

Do you want to grow into maturity in Christ? Do you want the Lord to keep reproving you in love and guiding you toward life and godliness? Then call on him today. Nothing will keep you on his intended path for you more than a broken and contrite heart!

The following message message from Min. David Wilkerson is entitled, "Are You Developing A Hard Heart?"

Please listen to this sermon. It is a powerful and important message. The audio unfortunately is not the best quality, but I pray that if you can get in a quiet place and ask the Lord to make the message clear, He will do so. He did so for me. May it speak to your hearts today and bring renewal and refreshing in Jesus Christ.

Hardness of heart is not the sin of the world, it is a sin of the Church. It is the sin of believers, of those who sit most often under the word of God and have seen His power in action.
The word of God coming forth in truth is either going to break us and soften our hearts or harden us.
Hardness of heart is not a rejection of hearing the word of God or the condition of God-haters.
Hardness comes because we embrace the message or doctrine of holiness without a vision of Christ's utter holiness in our own hearts.
If we preach holiness apart from this vision of Christ's utter holiness, then our preaching will come across as hard and without mercy.
Paul addressed those who preach about holiness, but do not deal with their own sin. Nothing can harden the heart quicker than dealing with the sins of others while holding on to secret sins yourself.
The only way you can preach holiness is with a broken heart because you have seen the true condition of your own heart in the face of Jesus & the presence of His holiness.
God has revealed His unspeakable wrath at this lip service without heart surrender. He is not talking to the world or to Sodom. He is talking to the believer, to His church, His children.
People want to hear that God is love, God is mercy, God is longsuffering...but they don't want to hear that God has a wrath against mixture, against hidden sin.
Is your heart really God's or is it pulled away to some business or pleasure? God will not stand by and let us destroy ourselves, but will send the Holy Spirit to slam against those idols in our souls which prevent us from growing in Him.
God's ultimate desire for us is freedom!
It is life and death how we respond to the convicting voice of the Holy Spirit.
You cannot afford to be offended by God's words! Submit, be cleansed, have that hardened heart broken, and be set free!!!
True ministers of God are not here to be your buddies, but to be faithful to the Holy Ghost, to send a word from Heaven, to manifest the life of God and to preach sin out of the church!
Harden not your heart in this message, but receive it in hope so that you can be set free.

Going Where Christ is Going

2012-01-26T00:05:00.114-05:00

Or Choosing to Walk With Him No More

During prayer yesterday morning, the image of a parent and child at the mall came to mind.

The parent tells the young child to stay with them and the child readily agrees. The parent starts walking and the child begins to follow closely behind. As they continue through the mall, the child's attention is occasionally drawn away from the parent as he looks around at all of the shiny & noisy distractions.

Pretty soon, the child's steps become slower as more of their attention is captured by the things around them. If they are not careful, soon the child may find that the parent is no longer in view; that the gap between them has gotten so large he will be unable to hear even if the parent calls out for him.

What must the child do? Adjust his vision, forget about what is going on around him, return his focus to the parent, and get back in lockstep with the parent again. And if he doesn't? He might very well find himself lost.

While not a perfect analogy, my point is that Jesus is moving...and I don't mean in the soulish way where people might say how the "Holy Spirit was mooooving in Church this morning." I mean that Jesus is always about the Father's business. Even now, the reason He has a Body still on the earth is because there is work yet to do (John 14:12).

There are places Jesus wants to take you...but will you follow?

Jesus said to take up our cross and "follow" Him. That means Jesus must be going somewhere. Now some might say, "Ahhh, you are just being too literal." Yet He could have just said, "Take up your cross." or, "Take up your cross and follow my example." But He didn't. He desires, by the power of His Spirit, to lead us through life in accomplishing the will of the Father.

As a Catholic, I used to perform a ritual every year called the Stations of the Cross. While most RCC services would last no more than an hour, this one was always assured to be longer as the congregation read through depictions of Jesus steps toward crucifixion (often walking around to different paintings/sculptures depicting the same). In true Catholic fashion however, these rituals were filled with religious sentiment but very little truth. Many of these moments of the crucifixion had no basis in Scripture and merely served to embellish that institution's idolatrous traditions.

A number of professing Christians today are walking out the Stations of the Cross, but they are not even Catholic. They are going through the motions of following Jesus, making every outward appearance of doing so, but are really just living for themselves; according to their own ways and their own understanding.

Yet, there is a path we are expected to take as Christians in following Jesus. Not in a superficial or merely symbolic way, but in spirit and in truth.

The Way of the Cross

When Jesus took up His cross, He began an arduous journey towards crucifixion. Although He had family & friends, they could not walk that road with Him. Indeed, some were so concerned about being associated with Him that they scattered and were no where to be found. The ones most prominent in those moments were the ones striking Him, taunting Him, and spitting in His face.

It can often feel that way as a Christian. You can feel alone as even family members and close acquaintances separate from you because of the Gospel. The loudest voice can seem to be that of the mockers. However, it is important that we not be ashamed of God's words (Mark 8:38; Luke 9:26; Romans 1:16, 9:23; II Corinthians 7:14; II Thessalonians 3:14; II Timothy 1:8). We must stand not only for the word of truth, but stand for the truth of the word.

What is the difference? Many people claim to stand for God's word, but do not actually believe what it says; rejecting what they do not like or do not understand in order to suit their own souls. Standing for the truth of God's word means not trying to dismiss it, diminish its power, or deny its divine inspiration. The truth of God's word is a sword and will cause division (Matthew 10:34; Hebrews 4:12). We should expect that.

In going to the cross, Jesus suffered crucifixion by this world. Likewise, we must be crucified and dead to the world (Galatians 6:14), no longer seduced by its lustful allures and defiled attractions. This is why we must take up our cross every day. Each day we must deaden this flesh because the world's job is to stimulate it, and as long as we live in these bodies, we will need to buffet them (I Corinthians 9:27).

So is that it? We just have to follow Jesus to the cross? Yes, and no. Jesus did go to the cross, but his vision was on something else. There was a joy which lay beyond the cross upon which He focused and it even gave Him strength to endure the cross (Hebrews 12:2). What joy? The joy in knowing that He was fulfilling the purposes His Father had set before him (John 19:30). I can do this Father, because it is your will for me and I desire to please you more than I desire to please my own self.

"If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full." John 15:10-11

When Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane, He struggled to prepare Himself for the way of the cross because it would bring a separation between Him and the Father for the first time ever as He took upon Himself the sin of the world (Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34). Jesus looked forward to the joy of having done the Father's will, having honored His words, and having His fellowship with the Father restored (Luke 23:46; John 4:34, 19:30).

This joy Jesus had is also available to us today. This is the joy of the resurrected life; being in right fellowship with the Father and doing His will. This same joy will even give us the strength to endure the trials of the cross, knowing that in such we can walk in resurrection (Romans 6:4, 8:11-17, 12:2; Colossians 2:12-13, 3:1-3; I Peter 3:21).

While it is the cross which makes resurrection possible, it is the resurrection which manifests the power of God in our lives. We need this power to walk out the Christian life and to be a witness to others in the midst of darkness. As Paul stated, if there had been no resurrection, then our faith would be in vain (I Corinthians 15:13-14).

The Mark of the Beast

"From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him." John 6:66

Anyone who reads the blog will know that numbers are not my thing. However, I do find it very interesting that this book and chapter of John is "666" (Revelation 13:18).

What we see in this text is a dividing line. A distinguishing mark between those who continue on with the Lord and those who do not. What is this line in the sand? Faith in God's words.

In this text, we are told that many of Jesus' disciples departed from Him and walked no more with Him. Why did they turn back from Him? They were offended by His words (John 6:60-61). What did they go "back" to? The vomit and the mire of the world (II Peter 2:22). Why did the other disciples continue on with the Lord? Because they believed in His words (John 6:68).

It is interesting to note that the disciples who continued with Jesus didn't profess any greater understanding of what Jesus had said than those who left. It is entirely possible that the disciples who remained were just as confused by Jesus' words, "Eat my flesh and drink my blood." Yet they stayed because - regardless of their level of understanding - they believed that Jesus' words were the words of eternal life. They believed that His words were the truth. If we use our own understanding as the barometer for which of God's words are truth, then we will find ourselves like the disciples who departed.

Let me say this plainly. When a 'professing' Christian casts dispersions on the validity of God's words, you are looking at someone in the throes of apostasy. When people deny that certain parts of Scripture are God-breathed, they are being prepared by God to fall for a great delusion so that they will be damned (II Thessalonians 2:10-12). God does not take the dismissal of His words lightly. There are those who will quibble over the "name" of Jesus, yet think nothing of trampling on His holy word. I tell you that He holds His words higher than His name (Psalm 138:2). People, you cannot walk away from truth of God's word and still claim to be a member of God's Church (I John 1:6, 2:21).

"For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe." I Thessalonians 2:13

Why is it that many are moving away from the word of God as His standard of truth? They are not going where Jesus is going. The word of God offends them and they are choosing to walk with Him no more.

When Pontious Pilate stood before Jesus, he asked, "What is truth?" (John 18:38). He was staring truth right in the face, but could not receive it. This is what many Christians are doing with God. Instead of receiving all that is truth - His word, His Spirit, His Church, His Son - they pick and choose what is comfortable for their flesh, not understanding that the spirit and the word agree (I Timothy 3:15-16; II Timothy 2:15; II Peter 3:16; II Thessalonians 2:15).

At some point - and indeed each day and every moment - we all have to decide whether we will follow Jesus. Will we go where He is going? Will we "keep" (believe & obey) His words until the end or will we be offended by them and thus turn away from Him?

We may have chosen to do so yesterday, but will we do so today? We may have decided to follow Him an hour ago, but will we do so now?

"Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD:..." Hosea 6:3a

Thy Word IS Truth Series

Does God Love Those He Sends to Hell?

2012-01-24T00:00:00.019-05:00

Since the CD player in our car is broken, we have been listening to Christian radio stations. As I did so today, it dawned on me how many songs are about God's love for us.

Song after song spoke of how God loves us anyway in spite of our sin. How God's love lifts me up when I am down. How God's love catches me when I fall. How God's love carries me when I am weak...

Don't get me wrong, God's love is an absolutely wonderful thing! It is beyond comprehension and I am ever grateful for it. And while I noted the recurring theme of the songs, I sang right along with most of them.

Yet, how many realize that God's love is not the problem with mankind? The issue is not whether God loves us, but whether we love Him.

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil." John 3:16-19

We can sing about and bask in the fact that God loves us, but if we in turn never love Him then we will still be damned to Hell.

Some might say, "Oh, here they go again." However, I am serious. So many times, when people are doing what they know they should not or when they have become complacent in their walk with God, they start speaking of how God loves them. Yet, does God love those He sends to Hell?

If you answer, "Yes", then God's love alone will not keep you from Hell unless you respond to that love.

If you answer, "No", then there must be some criteria or condition to receiving God's love and it would behoove us to understand what that is.

The point of this post is not to get into some theological or philisophical debate. It is to remind us that God has already proven His love for all mankind by sending His Son Jesus Christ to die as a payment for our sins so that we could be reconciled to Him and experience His love in our lives.

However, He also has the expectation that we will respond to His love as demonstrated by obedience to His words (John 14:15-23, 15:10; I John 2:5, 5:2-3).

In an effort to prove that God gives us eternal, unconditional security, a Christian once asked me, "Name just one thing in the New Testament that God says obedience is a requirement to receive?" So, I pointed Him to Acts 5:32:

"And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him."

I also pointed out that only those led by the Spirit of God are the Sons of God (Romans 8:14).

An atheist once asked me, "How can a loving God send people to Hell?" And I stated, "Because after all of His wooing and warning, He loves you enough to give you exactly what you insist upon having: an eternity apart from Him."

God's love is not a protection against Him being a Just & Righteous Judge when we stand before Him, giving an accounting of our lives. The next time you contemplate the greatness of God's love for us, consider as well your love for Him.

Are you able to confess to Him with a pure heart that you love Him or have you in all honesty departed from your first love due to the cares of this life (Revelation 2:4)? I am not speaking of being without sin or even no longer struggling against sin. I am asking are you seeking to have your consciences purged so that you can stand before Him in sincerity (Hebrews 10:2)?

"My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us." I John 3:18-24

How can we assure our hearts before God? How can we know that we are of the truth? It is not with our many words and verbal professions. It is by being sincere with God (Psalm 51:6). "Is there anything in my life displeasing to God? Any part of my life I am trying to keep from Him? Any area that I know He has out His finger on, but that I have not yet submitted to Him?"

sincere: free of deceit, hypocrisy, or falseness; earnest: genuine; real:pure; unmixed; unadulterated; frank, candid, honest, open, guileless; unaffected.

Every day God gives us is an opportunity to grow in Him and love Him more. Don't take it for granted or let it pass idly by. Tomorrow is not promised to anyone. Let's be real with God. If we truly love Him, then we will seek to obey Him and not find excuses about why we have not done so.

I pray that God gives us an appreciation for His love that is coupled with proper reverence of Him. While glorying in His love, let's also understand the transformative work His love aims to accomplish in our lives by making us reflections of that love in a dying world.

"For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again." II Corinthians 5:14-15

DC Metro Fellowship

2012-01-23T00:01:00.006-05:00

A fellowship is starting in the Maryland, Virginia, Washington D.C. area called the Warriors Temple which I highly recommend for those seeking believers of a like, precious faith. We had the opportunity to meet the pastor and his wife this month and, as my husband says, "Pastor Mac is the real deal."

Please see the following information for more details.

Its time! We’ve lost our Families, Finances, and dignity to the Kingdom of Darkness; we must respond. God has an answer, a “NEW CHURCH ORDER”.

The days of superstar preachers, religious entertainers, and false doctrines are over. The New Church Order makes JESUS CHRIST the Superstar, with you as his CHURCH.

The Warriors Temple is a ministry designed to equip mankind with the truth of God's Word in order that the Church (YOU) will be able to serve God in spirit and in truth, war against Satan and bring other souls to Jesus Christ.

Join us and together we will build an Army of Christian Warriors to fight for our Families, Finances, and most of all for the Souls of Man.

Inaugural Service 19 February 2012

Sunday@10:30AM
Email for Service Location: info@thewarriorstemple.org

P.O. Box 786
Bowie, Maryland 20718-0786

Tweet4Choice?

2012-01-22T00:05:00.040-05:00

"While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage." II Peter 2:19

We have spoken before about the absurdity of the "pro-choice" platform.

How it's legalization was rooted in the eugenics movement, which seeks to reduce the world population by exterminating all "undesirables" from the world.

How it is in actuality the masking of wholesale murder as a means for destroying the family unit and destabilize society under the guise of protecting 'women's rights'.

However, the following videos have to be some of the hardest to watch that I have ever seen. As difficult as they are to watch, they document a "procedure" that thousands of women undergo each day.

As stated in the video, abortion staying hidden allows it to remain tolerable.

If there is any doubt about what "choice" the people who support abortion want you to choose, this settles that question once and for all.

The following video is a snippet from the documentary "The Silent Scream" hosted by Dr. Bernard Nathanson (an obstetrician) as he explains the suction abortion procedure, followed by an actual first trimester abortion as seen through ultrasound.

This next video chronicles the stages of life that a baby goes through from conception to birth. It then shows actual results from an abortion in comparison.

Hey BFF!

2012-01-21T09:05:00.002-05:00

I remember growing up and having "best friends". I really didn't think much about it at the time. Yet at its heart, I can remember the depth of feeling that often went along with it.

It was like a claim of ownership & possession was being established in a sense of 'you belong to me'. You were being set apart with and for the other person in an exclusive relationship to which others were not privy. They were the ones to whom you were to share your deepest, darkest secrets. There was even an unspoken pressure to think alike. It was as if we had to have the same mind.

There were also certain obligations associated with being a "best friend". You had to think of them first before any other when it comes to where to go, what to do, and with whom to hang out. It was their opinion you would seek on what to wear and whom to date. You also had to make the status of your relationship obvious to others through public demonstration such as always being seen together, wearing similar clothes and hairstyles, etc.

Overall, the "best friend" was expected to be always on your side, always supportive, and always there for you. They provided a sense of acceptance, validation, and dependability in life when there is so much unknown.

After elementary school however, I just outgrew the need for a "best friend", preferring instead to just float among different groups of friends. For me personally, I found such relationships too restrictive.

These days however, the BFF (best friends forever) craze has taken a life of its own...and I am speaking of primarily girls. Everything evolves around having a BFF or who is your BFF. I was even told last week that it is common for girls to call BFFs their wives; even updating Facebook statuses to indicate that they are married to their "wife" (BFF).

While initially shocked by these things, it makes perfect sense upon reflection. While we didn't call each other wife, that is often what we were setting up in our "best friend" relationships from childhood. What is wrong with just being friends? Even being good friends?

Even older women can have BFFs whom they are closer with than their own husbands. I can remember grown woman BFFs saying to each other, "Men may come and go, but best friends are forever." It is not uncommon for such persons to desire to spend more time with their BFF than with their husband, going out at night, going on vacations together, etc. I am just not sure that the BFF connotation is as innocent, healthy, or normal as it can appear on the surface.

The following article is from a young lady's blog entitled, "Never Too Young For Jesus Christ" as she delves into what God revealed to about BFFs and how our closet friend should be Jesus. This is not just words or religious speak. Can you honestly say that Jesus is your best friend or are you leaning on others in a way you should only lean on Him?

Our earthly friendships say more about us and our affections than we may know. As stated in the video in her post:

"You tell me who your friends are and I will tell you exactly who you are or who you are about to become."

The Three Rs of Rebellion

2012-01-20T11:24:00.016-05:00

NO Rules, NO Responsibility, NO Reproof!

"For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ." Jude 1:4

I have written about religion before and if one is speaking about outward conformity & external works to please men over inward conversion & transformation to Christ, then I am dead set against it. However, when some speak of "hating religion", they are not expressing a heartfelt desire to be in relationship with Jesus Christ. Rather, they are speaking of a desire to be free from Rules, Responsibility, and Reproof.

There is a video which has gone "viral" entitled, "Why I Hate Religion, but Love Jesus". This video has lots of people "Amening" it and and saying how much it expresses what they feel. Yet, this young man has another video as well (below), which explains why he made that video.

In a nutshell, he made the video about religion because he believes that religion is not "grace-oriented". What does he mean by that? He is offended by the insistence that sin defiles and he finds such assertions ungrace-like. Folks, this video about "hating religion" is not about freedom in Christ; it is about the fact that this young man is not yet through with sin.

My statement is not one of condemnation. I pray that he turns his whole heart to the Lord so that he may find mercy and grace to help in his times of need. He has not yet understood the truths of the Gospel and even the essence of salvation.

His thoughts about grace are shaped by the following belief: All any of us can be is a dirty sinner in God's eyes. While it is true that we have all sinned, it is not true that God continues to see us as sinners when we turn in faith to Jesus. What is the point of being born again if we remain the same defiled, dirty, sinful creation we were before turning to Christ? Was God just lying when He said that He makes us into a new creation in Him so that old things are passed away and ALL things are made new?

According to his testimony, the difference in his life between pre-conversion and post-conversion is that he is no longer ashamed about his sin. See, "religion" made him feel like sin was bad and he should not sin. It convinced him that those who continue in sin will go to Hell. So he became a hypocrite in order to appear righteous to men, while still continuing in sin. Then he realized that everyone sins and it doesn't matter if we sin or not because Jesus loves us. People, that is not salvation! That is not repentance. That is not the Gospel.

"What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?...Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin." Romans 6:1-2, 6-7

"We" - who are Christians - are to be dead to sin. We are to be destroying the body of sin through the crucifixion of the old man so that we should not serve sin. It is the mercy of God which extends to man even while he is fallen in sin; yet it is His grace which does not leave us there, but pulls us out of sin so that we are no longer enslaved by it. God is not indifferent to sin, He takes it personally (I Samuel 8:7).

"It's okay to be a mess because Jesus represents you", this man says. How does he describe being "a mess"? Being addicted to pornography, getting into fornication, being filled with lust, etc. Being a Christian apparently does not mean that we are cleansed from sin, but that we no longer have to hide sin because we have "grace". Our picture of Jesus is just "too clean" and "too moral", he says. Even in his sharing of Hebrews 12:1-2, he quickly skims over the part about us laying aside every sinful way in order to get to what he calls the "good part" of us being Jesus' joy.

However, the truth is that it is not "okay" to continue willfully in sin, for such will lead to spiritual death (Hebrews 6:4-6).

"Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?" Romans 6:16

What is the root of his problem? Fatherlessness. As he states in the video, he is not yet whole because he doesn't have the identity of a father; and this is the problem with many people who often rant about what they call "religion". I am not speaking of an earthly father, I am speaking of being reconciled to the Heavenly Father. One of the main attributes we experience with God as our Father is that He chastens us (Hebrews 12:6-8). If we endure that chastening, then we are sons. If we be without that chastening, then we are bastards. Pray for him, that he would truly come to know God as His Father. That he would embrace the chastening of the Lord as an extension of His love, instead of settling into a comfort zone with sin (Proverbs 13:24; Revelation 3:19).

This is not about this young man because the errors he is espousing are what a lot of people believe. Oftentimes, all of this Ranting about Religion is merely Rebellion against the Righteous Rules, Responsibility, and Reproof that exists in the Body of Christ.

My son asked me about a month ago, "Is the song "We fall Down" bad? I said, "Well, it is a lie." The song claims that "a saint is just a sinner who fell down, but got up." The inference then is that as long as you continue to 'get back up' from your sin, you are a saint.

But the word of God says that the difference between a sinner and a saint (in part) is that the sinner is powerless to cease from sinning (II Peter 2:14). Sinners are powerless against sin because they are still under sin and ruled by it, but saints are made overcomers of sin through faith in Christ Jesus and being led by the Spirit so they do not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.

In God's word is His repeated expectation that we are to "go and sin no more" after turning in faith to Him (John 5:14, 8:11). While provision is made for us should we sin (I John 1:9), the primary command is that we sin not (I John 2:1, 3:8-9; Hebrews 12:1; I Corinthians 15:34; Romans 6:18-20). Why? Precisely because sin defiles. It makes us dirty and puts obstacles between our communion with the Lord (Isaiah 59:2; Jeremiah 5:25; Micah 3:4; Proverbs 15:29; I John 2:4-6; 3:6; 5:18).

Salvation does not change the nature of sin and what sin does to us. Salvation changes us so that we can overcome and be delivered from sin's power. Does that mean we will be sinless? No, but it means that we feel about sin the way that God does: hating it (Psalm 119:104,128). We set our wills to follow God's way and not give in to the lusts of the flesh simply because we love Him. And even should we commit sin, we still hate it and seek to be freed from it (Psalm 97:10, 101:3; Proverbs 8:13; Amos 5:15; Romans 12:9).

NO RULES

"If ye love me, keep my commandments." John 14:15

God is a Commander and His gives commands. The Scriptures are not just a wishlist of what God would like or a collection of His requests He would like us to consider. We cannot just pick and choose which of God's commands we want to obey.

Many confess that they love the Lord, but in their hearts they despise Him because they despise His commands; choosing instead cling to the understanding of men (Isaiah 29:13; Matthew 15:8; Mark 7:6).

The issue is not whether God loves us, but whether we love Him. If we do, then we will honor what He says.

NO RESPONSIBILITY

"And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish." Luke 14:27-30

What is being crucified on that cross we take up each day? The old man, the flesh, the body of sin (Romans 6:6-7). If we do not do this, then we cannot be Jesus' disciple.

We become responsible before God when we become a Christian. We are responsible for how we live, what we say, even what we think. We are responsible for walking worthy of our calling and making our own calling & election sure. We are responsible for being witnesses to the lost of God's saving power, love, and righteousness.

Indeed, we will have to give an account one day to God of all that has been done in these mortal bodies. There is a cost to salvation.

NO REPROOF

"He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding." Proverbs 15:32

As a demonstration of God's wisdom, He provides for reproof in His Body. In His loving kindness, He uses our brothers and sisters to help us when we fall, including pointing out our error when we are going astray so that we can repent (Galatians 6:1). He says that to refuse to offer such reproof for sin when warranted is to actually hate your brother (Leviticus 19:17). In the Church, we are charged with admonishing one another (Romans 15:14; I Thessalonians 5:14; Titus 1:13; II Timothy 2:25, 4:2).

God has ordained that we be receptive to His correction, even as administered by His Body, for our maturation and protection. If we sincerely desire to be like Christ, then we will.

REBELLION

Don't let the riotous chorus about "religion" lead you into deception. Many of these persons are running away from God as a Father because they do not want to follow His Rules, be Responsible before Him or be subject to His Reproof. Why? They are not yet through with sin.

Those still enjoying the deceitful pleasures of sin (which are only for a season) will not want to be reminded of God's word, held accountable to His word, or corrected by it. God's word becomes an offense, which leads to rebellion and rejection of God as a Father. As a result, a spirit of fatherlessness is being loosed on the masses, which will lead (and is leading) many away from God.

Rules, Responsibility, and Reproof are not examples of Religion, but are part of the purpose and function of the Body of Christ. Condemnation and Conviction are not the same things. While we are not condemned when we fall into sin, there should always be the conviction of the Holy Spirit there to lead us to repentance. Not merely a feeling of sorrow about the sin, but a turning away from it. When we walk away from conviction, rejecting it as condemnation or "religion", we are having our consciences seared.

Grace does not give us a cloak for sin. The true grace of God will lead us to live for Him in all things and call us into fellowship with each other. If you really want to understand what "grace" is, please listen to the following exposition on the Book of I Peter.

If your "freedom from religion" has allowed you to grow more comfortable in your sin, then you are not being freed from bondage, but freed from Christ.

"Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears." Hebrews 12:15-17

UPDATE: I thought the following comment from NealReal should be incorporated into the article:

"I'd like to add one more scripture that pretty much shatters this misunderstanding of grace. Its my favorite one:

Titus 2:11-12 NIV

"For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age..."

Grace is the allotted time by which we are taught to say NO to sin and to learn to live upright. Anyone claiming to be walking in grace and not saying NO to sin, has got grace all wrong."

Civil Rights Does Not Impart Righteousness

2012-01-17T11:46:00.008-05:00

What if I told you that I was a Christian, BUT...

I didn't believe that Jesus was the Son of God.

I didn't believe that Jesus was God Himself.

I didn't believe Jesus was born of a virgin.

I didn't believe that Jesus ever rose bodily from the dead.

What if I said that all of these things - indeed, much about the story of Jesus Christ - was simply a reworking of historical fables & myths?

What if I claimed that the "truths" in Scripture were no more valid than the "truths" found in Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, Greek philosophy, and among other great minds throughout civilization?

That the Scriptures were not the words of God, but the words of men under the "spell" of Jesus and as affected & infected by their cultural surroundings?

Would you still consider me a believer?

Would you call me a heretic?

Or would you call me one of the greatest Christian leaders of our time?

In the vein of coming against man's natural inclination to be religious, I thought I would post here an answer to someone asking me about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

My grandparents & parents attended the March on Washington. They were rightfully enraged and protested when Dr. King was unjustly assassinated. Still today there are pictures of, and books about, Dr. King in their homes as he is fondly remembered for the sacrifices he made - even of his own life - to bring about social justice for the disenfranchised.

And yet none of that has anything to do with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

It would shock most to realize that this great reverend, minister, preacher, and "man of God" didn't even believe in Jesus Christ and never preached the Gospel a day in his life.

Dr. King taught an ecumenical, new age "gospel" of social justice that he learned from Mahatma Gandhi and only used Christian principles when convenient to promote that platform.

social justice: the distribution of advantages and disadvantages within a society

civil rights: of, relating to, or promoting equality in social, economic, and political rights

I am not talking about the rantings of racists or the efforts by government officials to discredit him. You only have to examine Dr. King's own words to see what he believed.

What Experiences of Christians Living in the Early Christian Century Led to the Christian Doctrines of the Divine Sonship of Jesus, the Virgin Birth, and the Bodily Resurrection?

"Doctrines and creeds do not spring forth uncaused like Athene sprang from the head of Zeus, but they grow out of the historical settings and the psychological moods of the individuals that set them forth...But if we delve into the deeper meaning of these doctrines, and somehow strip them of their literal interpretation, we will find that they are based on a profound foundation. Although we may be able to argue with all degrees of logic that these doctrines are historically and philolophically untenable, yet we can never undermine the foundation on which they are based."

A Study of Mithraism

"For an instance, in the mystery-religions identification between the devotee and the Lord of the cult was supposed to be brought about by various rites of initiation; the taurobolium, or bath of blood; the eating of flesh of the sacrifical beast and the like. Now there was something of this in Paul too, for he thought of the believer as buried with Christ in baptism and as feeding upon him in the eucharist. This is only one of many examples that I could give to prove the similarity between the developing Christian Church and the Mystery Religions...That Christianity did copy and borrow from Mithraism cannot be denied...To discuss Christianity without mentioning other religions would be like discussing the greatness of the Atlantic Ocean without the slightest mention of the many tributaries that keep it flowing."

Unfulfilled Dreams

"It’s there: a tension at the heart of the universe between good and evil. (Yes, sir) Hinduism refers to this as a struggle between illusion and reality. Platonic philosophy used to refer to it as a tension between body and soul. Zoroastrianism, a religion of old, used to refer to it as a tension between the god of light and the god of darkness. Traditional Judaism and Christianity refer to it as a tension between God and Satan. Whatever you call it, there is a struggle in the universe between good and evil."

Remaining Awake Through a Great Revolution

"The world in which we live is geographically one. The challenge that we face today is to make it one in terms of brotherhood...We are tied together in the single garment of destiny, caught in an inescapable network of mutuality. And whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly. For some strange reason I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. And you can never be what you ought to be until I am what I ought to be. This is the way God’s universe is made; this is the way it is structured."

I've Been to the Mountaintop

"And I'm always happy to see a relevant ministry. It's all right to talk about long white robes over yonder, in all of its symbolism, but ultimately people want some suits and dresses and shoes to wear down here...Now let me say as I move to my conclusion that we've got to give ourselves to this struggle until the end...But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land."

An Autobiography of Religious Development

"From this it seems quite clear that I joined the church not out of any dynamic conviction, but out of a childhood desire to keep up with my sister... I guess I accepted Biblical studies uncritically until I was about twelve years old. But this uncritical attitude could not last long, for it was contrary to the very nature of my being. I had always been the questioning and precocious type. At the age of 13 I shocked my Sunday School class by denying the bodily resurrection of Jesus. From the age of thirteen on doubts began to spring forth unrelentingly. At the age of fifteen I entered college and more and more could I see a gap between what I had learned in Sunday School and what I was learning in college...As stated above, my college training, especially the first two years, brought many doubts into my mind. It was at this period that the shackles of fundamentalism were removed from my body. This is why, when I came to Crozer, I could accept the liberal interpretation with relative ease."

Is it just a fable that Jesus is God, the Son of God, born of a virgin and risen from the dead?

Is faith in Jesus Christ just a copy-cat belief adopted from pagan myths?

Are other world religions and philosophies just as valid as Christianity?

Is God "struggling" with Satan or is Satan a created being subject to the will of God like every other creature?

Is the purpose of God to make all people one and share a common brotherhood?

Is there an intertwined destiny for all mankind or does God say there there are two destinies, one to salvation and the other to damnation?

Is the here and now supposed to be more real and important to the Christian than our eternal destiny?

Are the fundamentals of faith in Jesus Christ merely illogical & unscientific "shackles" incongruent with an educated, reasoning mind?

What Promised Land is Dr. King speaking of? What faith? What god? Is it not the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Some might say, "How can you say these things about such a great American hero? He has done great things for African-Americans!"

I would respond, "How can a 'man of the cloth' say such things about my Savior, Jesus? How can people who claim to belong to Christ deny Him in order to champion some sort of perceived justice in this temporal world?"

Yet this is more than just about Dr. King. In Dr. King, we have the "beliefs" of many Christians, the teaching of many "Christian" colleges, and the tenets of faith for even our own President Barak Obama.

According to such persons, Jesus Christ is not the Truth, the Way, and the Life, but is one of many truths, ways, and lives. Being a "Christian" is simply about taking what one can from these "stories" about Jesus and seeking to be a better person through them.

No matter how many "good works" one has done, unless one has done the will of God, such persons will hear the terrifying words, "Depart from me you worker of iniquity. I never knew you." (Luke 13:23-28; Matthew 7:21-23)

Israel was unable to receive Jesus as their Lord & King because they were looking for someone to "right the wrongs" done to them in this present, evil world. They were looking for an earthly kingdom with earthly justice. Jesus gave it no consideration. In fact, He told His followers that His kingdom was not of this world. They were to expect injustice in this life because the god of this world is Satan. Instead, Jesus tells us to set our affections on things above, and not below (Colossians 3:2).

Does such mean that we should ignore injustice and do nothing when inequity occurs? No, but it does mean that we must never set aside the fundamental truths of our faith in order to obtain some temporary justice, peace, or unity in this world. If we do, then we have become idolators.

Today, schools, lunch counters, libraries, housing, workplaces and the like are largely integrated (albeit perhaps not equitably). Yet the majority of folks in them are on their way to being damned. Giving people a life of social equality may give them 60, 70, 80 years of justice in this life, but they will still wind up spending an eternity in Hell if they never come to know and believe in Jesus Christ.

Don't be shocked by this, but most folks don't care about Jesus. They are simply pimping Him to further their social, financial, political, corporate, community agendas. Whether in the pulpit, on the street corner, or on the Internet...you had better be sure you know which Jesus people are professing faith in and be even more certain of the Jesus you personally confess (II Corinthians 11:4).

Jesus was more than just a good man. He is God incarnate and is the name above all names by which man must be saved.

I Am A Pastor's Wife

2012-01-16T09:05:00.005-05:00

OK, I am not really - although I have always believed that God was preparing me to be - but that is another story altogether. LOL

I am actually speaking of another blog called "I Am Pastor's Wife" that I was introduced to this morning. Linked below are some posts that address themes we have been dealing with lately:

Does Jesus Go To Church? - Jesus & Religion?

Horizontal Christianity - Time to grow up Church!

A Sinsual Seduction - Who is Jezebel?

Daylight Savings Time - It is time to save the lost and bring in the harvest!

Why Are We Silent & The Devil So Loud? - "Christian" music as a tool of the Gospel

Be Careful Who You Idolize - In light of MLK day [SIDE NOTE: And don't get me started on MLK who was not a preacher of the Gospel of Jesus Christ at all. When I wonder will we finally be ready to be free from Babylon?]

And finally, from her article on Wise and Foolish:

Foolish Virgins (examples):

Are on “fellowship cruises” with other “believers”, enjoying themselves and “letting their hair down a little”.
Are booking the hottest gospel artist to come and “minister” to the people.
Are holding “financial peace” seminars in God’s sanctuary instead of teaching .
Are “trying out” different ministries to see which one fits them best.
Are certain that there is more than one “way”, and won’t stop until they find it.
Dismiss Jesus’ own words outlined here: http://wp.me/p1wKvm-9n and believe that they can pinpoint the time.
Trust in horoscopes, tarot cards and false prophets even though they know the Word.

Wise Virgins (examples):

The “lunatic” on the corner telling people to “Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand”.
The Pastor/Preacher who is teaching the full gospel of Jesus Christ.
The believer who is not swayed by every wind of doctrine.
Are evangelizing and spreading the Good News.

Feel free to peruse the site as I have this morning. I have found the posts insightful, biblical, and just plain real. I pray that it edifies you and emboldens you more for the Lord.

The Caretaker

2012-01-15T15:53:00.008-05:00

"For if a man know not how to rule his own house, HOW shall he take care of the church of God?" I Timothy 3:5

This text in I Timothy 3:5 makes clear certain things about God's church:

God has charged some persons with responsibility for "taking care" of His church.

Therefore, assertions that God has not invested any authority in man for overseeing His church are false. Likewise, claims that the Holy Spirit replaces any need for man's leadership in the church are also false. God has given us His Holy Spirit as well as Godly leadership for the care & development of His people; therefore, we obviously need both.

These caretakers' responsibility is to be a servant to those who are broken, imparting healing to restore them to wholeness by the power of God.

The word for "taking care" is epimeleomai and is used in Scripture for only one other instance; the story of the Good Samaritan who tended to the injured man on the side of the road:

"And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed , he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee." Luke 10:34-35

This is a picture of the caretaking role, tending to those who were lost. He is a servant to those in his care by helping to bind up their wounds with oil and wine (types of the Holy Spirit) until they are made whole. Like the Good Samaritan, the church caretaker oversees this restoration, delegating responsibilities to others when necessary in providing such care. What happens once these have been made whole? They in turn become healers of others (Matthew 10:8; Luke 4:18, 9:2, 10:9, 22:32).
God requires that these caretakers be patriarchal in heart.

The criteria (in part) for being a caretaker of God's church is that one be the husband of one wife, ruling his own house well with his children also in subjection to that authority (I Timothy 2:12-14, 3:2-5, 12; I Corinthians 11:3; Titus 1:6). We know that only a man can be a husband and only a man is charged by God for being the head of the home. Very obviously then, the oversight God provides for His church is reflected in patriarchal authority. Why patriarchy? Because such is a reflection of God's authority as our Everlasting Father and He raises up men as caretakers after His own heart (Jeremiah 3:15).

This also tells us that God sees His Church as a family. The family unit was the first reflection of authority God established in the earth. The care of God's people is just that important & personal to Him so as to trust it to nothing less. He ensures that those in charge of leading earthly families have His authoity and He does the same for the church. Just as a man is to demonstrate his love for his family by laying his life down for them, those called to be caretakers in the church likewise lay their lives down for the flock.

caretaker: a person who is in charge of the maintenance of a person, place or thing, esp in the owner's absence.

God selects men to be servants in His Church by equipping them to oversee the restoration of souls in the Body of Christ. This is the calling of elders in the church. When we respect that authority, it is not because the man is some great one; it is because we are honoring the God whose authority is being reflected in that vessel. The caretaker doesn't replace the One to whom we belong (we have been bought with a price), but we recognize that Jesus is using the caretaker to help us mature in Him.

Jesus told Peter that unless he allowed Jesus to serve him in washing his feet, he would have no part in Christ (John 13:8). Someone who has been called by Jesus will understand this and seek to be a servant in order to lead because he has been given the nature of a caretaker. Likewise, others who understand it will allow themselves to be so served.

This Idol Called "Institutional Church"

2012-01-14T05:36:00.060-05:00

Are We Finally Ready to Be Free From Babylon?

"Idolatry is committed, not merely by setting up false gods, but also by setting up false devils." – G.K. Chesterton

A brother called me this week about the article on Biblical, Godly authority. I mentioned that many church folks do not understand this topic because of idolatry. What do they idolize? The very system which enslaved them.

People mistakenly think that you can only idolize that which you adore, want to be like, or desire to attain. However, you can also idolize that which you hate or fear. How do you know something has become an idol to you? It begins to take a place in your life that only God should have. You begin to be molded by IT (either your attraction to it or your repulsion from it) instead of by the Lord.

A young girl might say, "I don't want to be anything like my mother when I grow up." So she spends her whole life trying not to be like her mother. Guess what? Her mother is her idol. Everything she does or says is calculated to "not be like her mother"; as a result, she remains bound. She is not free to be conformed to the image of Christ because the image of her mother is the standard by which she measures herself. This is what people have done with the church.

The world is full of all kinds of religion - even within what is called 'Christianity' - where man does good works to become a better person or to be accepted by God. Yet, the problem is that such is impossible. Good works do not change who you are on the inside. No amount of feeding the poor is going to make you stop wanting to fornicate. No matter how much time you spend caring for the elderly, it won't remove the urge to lie. We are only changed inwardly as we abide in relationship with Jesus Christ.

The thing to remember is this: Religion concentrates on the external (outward performance). but relationship with God deals with what is internal (inward transformation) (I Samuel 16:7; Matthew 23:27; John 7:24). However, there are plenty of people who are willing to let you try to work up your redemption in servitude to them (their opinions, rules, etc.). You will often find such persons in a place around the corner called "church". This is why abuse - emotional, sexual, financial, spiritual, etc. - abounds in many "church" settings. Until we are ready for God to deal with who we are on the inside (not just how we appear before men), we will stumble around circling in that wilderness of religion, trying to be pleasers & worshipers of men.

In coming out of such situations, it is not uncommon for folks to focus on what they think was wrong with the "church". Yet, the truth which many fail to realize is this: You were never in the church of God. Such was not "the church", nor was it the "institutional church"...it was simply Babylon.

The issue is not that church has become a business, that wolves are abusing authority, or that men are trying to bind people to themselves. The issue is that people falsely believe that Babylon is the church.

Let's Come Out of Babylon & Get Babylon Out of Us!

As the young girl trying desperately to not be like her mother, we now have multitudes of church folks trying desperately not to be like the "institutional church" (IC). Instead of looking to the word of God to determine the standard for truth, beliefs are erected or eradicated based upon what seems unlike that idol. This has resulted in Biblical attributes of the church being demonized and perverted.

A frequent cry of some who fight against the IC is that 'The church is not a building.' or "I am the church." Yet these assertions are not completely accurate. The word translated "church" in the New Testament refers primarily to those whom God has called out of the world unto Himself; the ekklēsia or "called out ones".

ekklēsia: a gathering of citizens called out from their homes into some public place, an assembly of Christians gathered for worship in a religious meeting; the whole body of Christians scattered throughout the earth; those who anywhere, in a city, village, constitute such a company and are united into one body.

The word "church" is a corporate word. While our bodies are each individually the temple of the Lord, the "church" is a gathering of those bodies; an assembly or company of the saints united into one body. One person is not the "church", but is a part of the church. The church as a whole is the Body of Christ, and we are all members of that Body; but no one member constitutes the Body of Christ by itself (Romans 12:4-5; I Corinthians 12:12-27; Ephesians 5:23, 30; Colossians 1:18, 24).

The "church" is not only those whom God has called out, it is also a reference to the "place" where these "called out ones" fellowship, gather, assemble, and meet. So we see that whether such gatherings occur in a building or not is a non-issue. In fact, those who focus on how the "church is not a building", are still often trapped in the very realm of religion (Babylon) that they claim to fight against.

If "going TO a building" does not make one a member of the church of God, then how does "coming OUT of a building" make one a member of the church of God? Do we not see how ludicrous that is?

When God commands us to come out of Babylon, He is speaking of turning away from all false religion (including our false ideals about it) to experience life in Him through relationship with Jesus. Fellowship within buildings does not make you a Christian any more than staying away from fellowships in buildings makes you a Christian (both external works), but being born again by the Spirit of the Living God (an internal work).

In glancing at the Scriptures, we can see that the church is:

Those people who have been called out of the world in reconciliation to God through His Son Jesus Christ (Acts 2:47; Ephesians 2:19-20)
The place where such people gather, assemble, and meet for worship (Acts 11:22; Romans 16:1,5; I Corinthians 1:2, 4:7, 11:18-22, 14:19, 16:19; Colossians 4:15, 16; I Timothy 3:15; Hebrews 12:23)
One Body with many members and one head, namely Christ Jesus (Ephesians 1:22, 5:23; Colossians 1:18, 24)
Endowed with patriarchal authority from God to serve as leadership in providing order and oversight (I Timothy 3:5; Acts 14:23; Acts 20:28; Hebrews 13:7,17; I Corinthians 12:18, 14:35, 15:16-17; I Thessalonians 5:12,17; )
Given spiritual power to trample over the enemy (Satan), spoil his kingdom, and set his captives free (Matthew 16:18-19; Mark 16:16-18)
Purposed with perfecting the individual saints so that they in turn can do the works of the ministry (Ephesians 4:11-12)

There is government, there is order, there is accountability, there is power, and yes, there is even liberty in the church of God.

We must stop trying to reform Babylon and calling it "church". Babylon has been a harlot from the beginning and will continue to be until it is judged by God. The answer to Babylon is to be transformed into the image of Christ so that YOU can then do the works of the ministry as a living member of His Body.

Stand Up & Reclaim Your Anointing

The story of Samson & Delilah is a depiction of the spiritual reality behind Babylon. You lay your head in the lap of a harlot as she lulls you to sleep. She then cuts off the source of your anointing, leaving you spiritually blind and imprisoned in a lifestyle of servitude unto men.

And consider as well, the problem was not Delilah; the problem was with Samson! Delilah's immorality should have been apparent to Samson because he was fornicating with her and she had repeatedly tried to abuse him. If he had not been filled and drawn away with his own diverse lusts, Delilah wouldn't have been appealing to him (James 1:14). This teaches us an important lesson. When we are attracted to the harlot, the problem is never outside of us, but within. Likewise, the solution to the problem is never outside of us, but within.

BUT, Samson's hair eventually grew back and his anointing returned; although not because he kept focusing on Delilah and what she had done to him. Samson's anointing returned when he turned his whole heart to God. No longer driven by his carnal lusts, he didn't even care about his own life in this world. It was then that he could stand in the midst of the Philistine's pagan temple and be a channel of God's power to demolish it.

Why am I harping on this? Because too many church folk are being deceived thinking that ascribing to something that doesn't look like the "IC" equates to freedom in Christ. It doesn't! Since folks don't want to deal with what is wrong within themselves, it easier to simply blame the harlot. Yet the harlot did exactly what she was supposed to do: hunt for unstable souls (Proverbs 6:26, 7:10-15, 23:28; II Peter 2:14). Folks are saying they are "free from religion" but are still very much religious because they base their freedom on what they do or don't do (external works).

Many times, church folks are being led out of the "IC" and into the same bondage of religious performance because their souls have not been made whole. Unless the pattern we have for defining the church is based on the whole counsel of Scripture, then even our answer for addressing perceived ills is in error. If what we wind up with once we have left the "IC" is at odds with Scripture, then we are still in Babylon.

Do you have to attend a local fellowship to be a Christian? No. However, if you are born again, you will have a desire for fellowship with the saints. Further, you will understand that such is a mechanism chosen by God to grow you up so that you in turn can then go forth and preach the Gospel yourself.

Some assert that every Christian has to attend local fellowships or else they are rebellious, lazy, proud, and not a believer. This perspective is just as skewed as those who fight against joining local fellowships. While it is true that those who reject the Biblical outline & benefits of church fellowship are in error, we must set our sights higher folks!

The purpose of "church" is not to offer us a place where we can socialize from week to week for years on end as some 'proof' that we are Christians. The purpose of church is to be a training ground & source of edification for the saints while representing the Kingdom of Heaven to those around us who are lost. In other words, the church is to be about the Father's business.

When Jesus came, He did not run around trying to fight the Pharisees & Sadduccees. While He dealt with these religious leaders when they approached him, they were not the focus of His ministry. Why? Because He was about the Father's business (Luke 2:49; John 4:34, 5:17, 6:38, 8:29, 9:4) and what is the chaff to the wheat? This is our answer as well. We need to be about the Father's business, and we cannot do that while trying to protect & defend these idols we have about "church" (whether positive or negative).

To be completely whole, we must do more than know & talk about that which is wrong; we must be conformed to that which is right. The true sign that you belong to Christ - and thereby His church - is that the life of Jesus is flowing through you and being imparted to others to draw them into the faith. Such must be our goal.

"And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." Matthew 24:14

For an example of how some are endeavoring to uphold the biblical pattern of church to reach the lost, see the following video about Omega Church & Ministries Center's global evangelical outreach.

Hell

2012-01-11T00:22:00.033-05:00

Artwork by William Thomas Thompson

"The road to Hell is paved with good intentions." A Proverb

In the following message of the "Life After Death" series, Min. David Pawson addresses the topic of Hell.

Before summarizing this message below, I want to provide a little more info on the doctrine of Universalism which Min. Pawson also addresses. Some believe that - although it is a place of punishment - Hell is primarily a place of purging, enabling those who don't receive Christ in this life to be reconciled to Him at a later time. Those holding to this belief therefore claim that eventually, all mankind will be saved. An article which goes into the errors of this doctrine in more detail may be found here: Hell Bent.

In Min. Pawson's sermon below, he addresses:

Deep down in human nature is an instinctive belief that after we die, there is some kind of distinguishing between good and bad.
Hell is a place of conscious torment where the wicked are punished forever.
The majority of people in modern society have rejected belief about Hell, including much of the churchworld.

Some simply don't like the idea of it.
Some assume it must be wrong since the concept induces fear, which they deem unhealthy.
We have departed in society from the idea of punishment for its own sake (retribution). Instead, punishment is seen as only for deterrent or reformatory reasons; and Hell can do neither.
Some also believe Hell is not fair; that eternal punishment is not an equitable punishment for a few sins in a short life.
Some believe that if there is a Hell, then God has failed to deal with and remove evil.
Others question that, if God is a God of love, then how could He send a person to Hell forever?

Nearly every one of the cults in Christianity have attacked & dismissed the Biblical idea of Hell.

Alternative ideas have been proposed to the existence of Hell

Hell is self-imposed suffering in this life. Yet the Scriptures are clear that Hell is to be experienced in the next life and is a place made by God, not man.
Universalism, which says that although Hell exists after this life, God will ultimately save everyone and reconcile them to Himself. Such is impossible to believe in light of the clear teachings of our Lord that an eternal Hell is a certainty.
Conditional Immortality or Annihilation suggests that the wicked will be removed from existence completely at some point after judgement. While some texts may seem to support this, such is not consistent with all of Jesus' teachings on the matter which states that the suffering of those within it will be without end.

For the Christian, we should want to know what the Bible actually says.
While there is info about Sheol or Hades in the Old Testament, there is hardly any information about Hell.
There is also hardly anything about Hell in the Epistles.
It is Jesus Christ who spoke the most about Hell than any other in Scripture. It is as if God decided that the one who would be seen as more loving, kind, and merciful than any other should be the one to bear this message so that the seriousness of it will be believed.
So he decisive issue for Hell boils down to one question, "Is Jesus the Truth?"
If you only accept the words of Scripture when your mind agrees with them, then YOU are lord of your life and not Christ. The only way to truth is to submit to the One who said, "I am the Truth."
"And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." Matthew 10:28

The word for "hell" was the word Gehenna. This is a valley which eventually became so defiled that people would burn & sacrifice their children to pagan gods here. Once this idolatry was ended by King Josiah, it became the trash dump of Jerusalem where worms & maggots fed on the refuse and bonfires burned to destroy the rest. By Jesus' day, this was also the place where the bodies of executed criminals were disposed. When Jesus spoke of hell, He always used this word.
The word "destroy" does not mean annihilation, but refers to something ruined, useless, or wasted. The same word is used to reference the lost sheep in the parable of the lost sheep; of the withered wine skin when new wine is put into it; of the alabaster box ointment the woman wasted according to Judas on Jesus. There is nothing one can do with that which is utterly useless other than put it in the garbage bin. Jesus Christ has the power to mend broken lives, but the thing He spoke about with the utmost horror was not lives that were broken, but lives that were perishing.
If it is bad for us to "fear" hell, then why does Jesus tell us to?

"...into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched." Mark 9:43b-44

Unlike the earthly Gehenna, in Hell the worms never die and the fire never ceases. Why would the worm & fire continue forever if in fact the people in it cease to exist?
Even if viewed metaphorically, the reality behind this depiction of the worm and the fire is that there will be personal horror experienced here.

"Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels...And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal." Matthew 25:41, 46

For those who say that "eternal" cannot mean endless, they faced with the difficulty that almost every time it is used in the New Testament it does mean endless - including as it relates to the "eternal life" received by the saints. God is eternal, Christ is eternal, His salvation is eternal, Heaven is eternal...

"There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out." Luke 13:28

Jesus taught that from Hell, you could see Heaven.

Either our thinking is going to be brought in line with the word of Jesus (because He is our lord) or we are our own gods.
If what Jesus said about Hell is true, then the reality of Hell is a legitimate part of the message to non-believers about the importance of the Gospel.
Most people believe that everyone is good the moment they die. Yet, the best intentions will never get you free from Hell. If ever God speaks to you and you know that you are headed to Hell, do not put it off; turn in repentance to Jesus while you have the chance.
According to God's word, things which can send people to hell include: Jealousy, Envy, Anger, Drunkenness, Filthy Talking, Hypocrisy, Cowardice, Covetousness, Lying, & Fornicating.
If there is anything you are looking at, anything you are doing with your hands, anywhere your feet take you that is leading you to Hell, then cut it right out. Better to be called narrow than to let such take you to Hell.
It is at the cross that Hell becomes most real.

What awful necessity required that Jesus die before God could forgive me?
What awful experience did Jesus go through for me?

Considering then the reality of Hell, the priority of every Christian therefore should be to win others to Christ.

Judgement

2012-01-10T00:39:00.077-05:00

Artwork by William Thomas Thompson

"And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." Hebrews 9:27

The fourth in Min. David Pawson's series on "Life After Death" where he focuses on judgment.

There are two appointments that every person has: 1) the day we die; and 2) the day we are judged by God for how we lived.
The injustice of life demands justice, but more importantly, the justice of God demands it.
God's justice will be justice for all to see so that He is vindicated before the false accusations of the world (and of Satan).
God has relegated the responsibility of judging the world to Jesus Christ.
During judgement, each person will be personally judged by the Lord. We will each have to give account for our own lives.

The evidence of "appearances" will mean nothing in that day; we will be judged by what is on the inside of us (what is in the heart).
The evidence of "verbal professions of faith" will mean nothing in that day; not everyone who says "Lord, "Lord" will be known by Him.
There will not be testimonies from other people to come to our defense because God knows everything.
The evidence used will be in books which contain all of the works done in our bodies; this is everything done & said, including every idle word.
We shall each be judged by how much of the revealed will of God we kept.
There will be many people who will stand with Jesus as He judges the world because they have been justified. These are those whose names are in the Lamb's Book of Life, who have had the issue of their sin dealt with beforehand in Christ Jesus.
This means that Christians will never come into the judgement of punishment for sin, but we will face a judgment for purposes of reward in Heaven as Jesus tests our service to Him.

Resurrection

2012-01-09T00:21:00.064-05:00

"Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation." John 5:28-29

The next message in Min. David Pawson's series on "Life After Death" addresses the resurrection:

Just as a seed dies and then grows into a plant with a different body, we will also get a different body after the resurrection
Our current bodies are weak and can become sick & die; they are bodies of death. But after the resurrection, all who are Christ's will be given Heavenly bodies which are supernatural and full of glory & strength.
There be will a trumpet blast from the sky and all Christians who have died will become alive with new bodies that will never die. We who are still alive will suddenly have new bodies too, as body and spirit are reunited.

When we question how God can resurrect a body that has decayed or even been cremated we are limiting God's almighty power.
The evidence for the resurrection is better than for most events of history 2000 years ago.
It is because Jesus rode from the dead with a body that the Christian can believe in the resurrection of the body.
There will be the resurrection of the Just and the Unjust.
The Just are those who are accepted by God as being worthy of living with Him forever; those who are "justified".
The Unjust are those who are not pardoned.
The resurrection of the Unjust (the 1st resurrection) is not at the same time as the resurrection of the Just, but some time afterwards (the 2nd resurrection).
The body we receive in the resurrection will be related to our current ones, but different.
If the Just receive a body that reflects the glory of their real life in Christ, then the Unjust will be given a body of that reflects the state of their selfish, sinful character. In the saint the beauty of Christ begins to show in the resurrected body; in the sinner the horror of Satan begins to show in the resurrected body (Daniel 12:2).
The moment you are born, you begin to die. We are all a dying people.
We rise from the dead to make judgment possible, both of reward & punishment.

Between Death & Resurrection

2012-01-08T00:03:00.200-05:00

The message below is the second in the series Min. David Pawson's "Life After Death" sermons and focuses on what happens to man between death & resurrection:

If man is only a physical creature, then death is the end of him or annihilation.
The Bible shows that man is more than a body; with the body being likened to a tent or suit of clothes.
From the Christian perspective, the outside may continually decay, but the inside should be continually renewed.
When a man dies, it is the moment of temporary separation between body & spirit.
At that time, the body goes back to the dust. The body without the spirit is dead.
This is why Jesus said, "Into thine hand I commit my spirit" when He died. He remained as a spirit for 3 days & nights.
The body and soul will be reunited again - even after corruption has set in - and that is called the resurrection.

After His resurrection, Jesus specifically stated to His disciples that He was not a spirit because spirits do not have flesh and bone.
Heaven is a place and not simply a state of soul.
The term "fallen asleep" for death is in reference to the appearance of the body, not the condition of the spirit. Souls/Spirits cannot sleep.
There is an interval between death and resurrection, during which we will be disembodied spirits - as Jesus was for 3 days and 3 nights.
Hades is not Hell, but refers to the realm of departed spirits. It is the equivalent of the Hebrew word Shoel.
The word for "paradise" in Luke 23:43 (when Jesus told the thief that he would be with Christ there in that day) refers to a King's Garden.
A King's Garden is not the King's palace; it is not a place of rooms as the palace is. When Jesus referenced taking us with Him to abide in the palace, such was a post-resurrection reference for Jesus says He will come again (the Second Coming) to take us there with Him (John 14:2-3).
The Scriptures indicate that there is not only a King's Garden in the interval period between death & resurrection, but a dungeon.
When Jesus was a spirit (during the 3 days & nights before resurrection), we are told that He went to preach to the spirits in prison (those who perished in the flood of Noah).
Even though Heaven or Hell are post-resurrection realities, the interval period also distinguishes between two conditions of man as seen in these pictures of the King's Garden & the King's Prison.
Through these pictures, we can get more understanding about these realities.
About this prison in the interval period, it is said:

It is a place of segregation from God & God's people
Judas will be there
Some of the angels who fell will be there
There is suffering there
You cannot go back from that prison to life
You cannot go forward from the prison to the garden
You must go forward to something else after that; it is not a permanent condition.

About the garden, we should know:

It is not the palace, but the part surrounding the palace
It is a conscious reality of fellowship with Christ, His people, and angels.

The thing that determines our ultimate destiny also determines our destiny in the interval: whether we have lived this life in the light of Christ or not.
The only evidence in Scripture for anything close to a "second chance" after death is for those who were judged prematurely in the flood of Noah. There is a great gulf fixed between the garden and the prison of which no man may cross. Death is the end of choosing.
Some teach of a place between death & resurrection (i.e purgatory) which is a place of punishment for unforgiven sins and purging from the effects of sin. This unScriptural belief has led to a number of corrupt practices such as indulgences (paying money to the church to pray for the release of souls in purgatory), masses for the dead, and penance, etc. There are some significant issues with this belief in purgatory:

No where in the Bible is there any support of the idea of purgatory
Jesus was punished for all of our sins. Why then would we need to be?
When we die physically, we are set free from this body of sin and death. We are finished with sin, temptation, etc. (Romans 6:7)
If my physical death sets me free from all sin, when Christ comes again I will be like Him so there is no need for further cleansing.

While we can talk about those who have died, but there is no Scriptural support for praying for the dead. Such is a useless practice.
Hebrews 12 does speak of a great cloud of witnesses around us, which is mentioned more for our inspiration not intercession. Our communion with the saints - even those who departed - is through Jesus.
The Bible absolutely forbids God's people to attempt to communicate with the dead.

Death

2012-01-07T10:31:00.001-05:00

"And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage." Hebrews 2:15

The following message from Min. David Pawson about death is from his series "Life After Death".

Some might say that this is a somber subject, but many people do not understand what happens to us when we die. Since this world is not our home, it is important for us to consider life after death.

While Min. Pawson touches on this from an aspect of physical death, some of these things are true as it relates spiritually as well (the death of the old man).

In addressing this topic, Min. Pawson covers:

One may be able to postpone death, but cannot put it off forever.
With death being as certain as it is, it is utterly foolish not to prepare for it.
Even Christians, who should be rejoicing over the fact that Jesus has conquered death, often consider the topic of death as "morbid", indicating the fear they still have about it.
Many are running from this topic because:

They have grown too comfortable in this world
There is a growing pattern of disbelief about any world outside of this tangible one
We don't like any disturbing ides
We don't like relationships to end
Deep down, we fear it. This fear comes from a knowing that there is something beyond death that they will have to face.

There are also some misconceptions people have about death:

That it is only something in the mind (i.e. Christian Science theology)
That the way you live on is in your children, in your memory, or in the work you have done
That death is the end and nothing exists after it or that Heaven & Hell is what you make of life here on this earth
Reincarnation, that after you die you will come back as something else
That after death you are finished with your body forever and your soul goes on to another existence
Universalism, which claims that after death everyone will go on to a better place

How are we to know the truths about death? Science cannot tell us because science can only speak of what is in this world. Sentiment cannot tell us and often begins with "I like to feel that..."
God is the one person in the Universe who knows what happens after death and therefore our source of knowledge must be Scripture. The Biblical attitude of death is:

Death is real
Death is an enemy
Death is never the end of a single person
Beyond death there are only two destinies
This life is decisive for which of those two destinies is ours
Death is always followed by judgment (albeit not immediately)
The sting of death is sin
Death is a conquered enemy because sin has been conquered.

Breaches

2012-01-05T10:37:00.005-05:00

If you would attack the breaches in your own soul with as much vigor and tenacity as you attack the perceived breaches in the souls of others, then not only would you be delivered, you would be able to bring deliverance to those whom you think need it so badly.

I heard the above statement this morning from the Lord. I pondered it. It hurt. It was true.

What did I get from this statement? There were still breaches in my own soul. I was starting to focus on others' issues as an escape from addressing my own. My attitude in that was not attractive to God; instead of having compassion, I was feeling smugly justified. Lastly, I was standing in my own way in terms of really being used more by God to help others.

"Well", I thought, "I'll think about that more later. Right now I am doing an article on fasting and I need some additional info to complete it." Not to mention that it wasn't a reflection I was looking forward to having.

So, I put that out of my mind and proceeded to go back to my study on fasting. Then I came across the following sermon from Min. Eric Ludy. Although it didn't appear to have anything to do with my topic, God told me to listen to it. As I listened, I was immediately reminded of the words above once more. This was not something that God was just going to let me just put aside. He was demanding my attention, NOW.

I was struck by Min. Ludy's continued re-use of the same word the Lord had spoken: breaches. As I listened, I could hear God say, "You have been asking to be used more by me? Here is your answer: Breaches."

I listened to the sermon several times to get all out of it that the Lord would have me to. The title of this video is called, "Intercession". This reminded me of the article by Verity Ministries posted yesterday which states in part:

Jehoiada commanded the Levites, army, and all the people of Judah to protect the king and stand between him and Athaliah. This is a depiction of intercession.

Weapons in hand, the priests made up a hedge about the king to shield him from Athaliah's attack. Futhermore, these were priests from Judah which means praise. For the New Testament church, we see that the priestly office of the three fold cord makes up the hedge around God's children who are destined to come into the inheritance of the kingdom but are helpless to defend themselves. Intercession offsets the attack of Jezebel to destroy their lives. With praise in their mouths and spiritual weapons in their hands, the priests stand in the gap and intercede for the next generation of the Lord's royal lineage.

...As God's authority and judgment is manifested in the office of the king, the priests now have the proper tactical position from which to launch a war of intercession. The purpose of this war is to root out the Ahab and Jezebel spirits from every part of God's kingdom and also protect the next generation of God's lineage so they too can take their place as heirs in Christ's kingdom.

Do you know that you can wage a war with all of your strength, using every weapon you have, going full steam ahead...and yet still be vulnerable to the enemy due to having an unprotected war front? While we are focusing on "A", the enemy is sneaking in via "B" to set-up a fifth column from within to destroy us. How? Through certain areas of your life that you know God wants you to deal with, but you delay. Areas where you are still holding on to your life in this world in some way. There is no more time for delay.

When all is said and done, I want to hear Him say, "Well done good & faithful servant." This is what Jesus told the servants who had invested and been fruitful with the talents He had given them. Do you know why the one servant did nothing with his talent? FEAR. (Matthew 25:19-30)

Is there too much to give, too much to sacrifice to obtain this goal? Are the costs simply too high? Are we really prepared to lose this soulish life in order to gain eternal life? I don't want God to have to pry my fingers off of the world as I hold on to remnants of it in a death grip. I want to loose my hands from this evil place and lift them up in praise to Him to be used as He sees fit. Lord, give me the will & the strength to do it...and never look back. Send me forth into battle and I will wage war against those spirits of Ahab & Jezebel which attempt to destroy your people; even when such tries to raise up in my own flesh. I will stand in the gap for your people. As I do, I will trust you to build up the breaches; I will not compromise with the giants in the land. For the sake of your name, for your glory, and for those souls who will be brought in as part of this great harvest.

A Three-fold Cord

2012-01-05T00:17:00.004-05:00

God’s Response to Ahab and Jezebel

The following article by Verity Ministries addresses how the three-fold cord of prophet, king, and priest was used to defeat Jezebel and demolish her empire. They also examine how that same three-fold cord will be needed in this day to combat the same.

There seems to be an increasing angst and animosity about patriarchy these days, even from men themselves. But if we want to walk in the power of God - if we want to do His will - it is in our best interest to understand the nature of this spiritual war and be prepared to take our place in it.

Ecclesiastes 4:12

And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

When God initiated His attack against the reign of Ahab and Jezebel, He used the threefold cord of
prophet, priest, and king. Each of these offices represents a different aspect of patriarchal, God
ordained authority. Each part of the cord confronted a different aspect of the Ahab-Jezebel coalition.

The Prophet: Elijah

Elijah confronted Ahab, showed forth the power of God, had the false prophets slain, and turned the people’s heart back to the Lord. The demonstration of God’s power broke the mind-blinding witchcraft of Jezebel’s false prophets that had the people spellbound. Only once this power was broken were they able to fall down in repentance and declare, the Lord, He is God!

As soon as Jezebel was told about the false prophets, she forecasted the fear of death onto Elijah
through spoken words and telepathic powers.

II Kings 19: 1-3

And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messengerunto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time. And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life….

What was God’s initial response to Elijah?

He sent an angel to supernaturally supply Elijah with bread and water. Unlike the false prophets who ate at Jezebel’s table, Elijah ate from the Lord’s table with heavenly provision. What was the purpose of this heavenly provision? To strengthen Him for the journey into the wilderness.

The wilderness is also a type of the soul. Just like the Israelites circled in the wilderness 40 years to kill off that which was afraid to confront the enemy in order to take the promised land, Elijah was led on a 40 day journey unto Mount Horeb to weaken his flesh. During those forty days he ate nothing, relying on the heavenly provision to sustain him. God was dealing with his flesh while at the same time providing spiritual nourishment.

I Kings 19: 9

And he came unto a cave, and lodged there; and behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, What are you doing here Elijah? And Elijah said, ‘I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts: for

the children of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and slain your prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.’

Let’s look at his response more carefully.

Elijah himself had repaired the altar of the Lord, had the power of the Lord demonstrated through him, turned the people’s hearts back to God, and then oversaw the slaying of the false prophets! So who was it that did all of these things? Who was it that caused the people to forsake the covenant of God through idolatry and witchcraft, who was it that most likely ordered God’s altars to be thrown down, who was it that killed God’s prophets, and who was it seeking to take Elijah’s life? It was not the people of Israel. It was Jezebel. Interestingly, Elijah never mentions her in his response to the Lord.

In forecasting fear onto Elijah, Jezebel did more than just cause him to be afraid for his life. Her witchcraft also skewed his perspective. Instead of calling to remembrance how the Lord moved through him to restore the altar, deliver the people, and kill the false prophets he could only see the appearance of the enemy’s victory and his defeat (even I am the only one left and they seek my life!). Why was the fear projected onto Elijah powerful enough to make him run? Because it worked on his mind to distort the reality of God’s sovereignty and the enemy’s defeat. In breaking Jezebel’s hold over the people and killing the false prophets, Elijah had already defeated her at Mount Carmel. He only had to finish her off. Knowing her time was short, she sought to hinder Elijah by forecasting the fear of death through one of her strongest weapons—witchcraft.

What was God’s response to Elijah’s Fear?

I Kings 19:11

And he said, ‘Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord.’ And, behold, the Lord passed by and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rock before the Lord; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire: but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.

God demonstrated His sovereignty over the wind (smashing rocks), the earth (earthquake), and the fire. He had also demonstrated His sovereignty over water by shutting up the heavens and then opening them up again to end the drought. It was like He was showing Elijah why he should not fear. He, the Lord God Jehovah had all power in heaven and earth. After demonstrating His dominion in such an awesome, powerful way He did not speak to Elijah in a loud and thundering voice. He spoke to Elijah in a still small voice, a whisper. It was an intimate, personable, and peaceful tone of voice.

God asked again, “Why are you here Elijah?”

Again Elijah said, ‘I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts: for the children of Israel have

forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and slain your prophets with the sword; and I even

I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.’

After receiving supernatural strength, witnessing the power of God’s might, and hearing the intimate,
quiet reassurance of that still small voice, Elijah still could not see.

What is the message for us? Elijah walked in the power of God under the old covenant. Hebrews 10:1-14 reminds us that the blood of bulls and goats could not perfect those under the old covenant with regards to the sin nature. Through the body and blood of Jesus Christ we have a better covenant. The sacrifice of His body for sin has perfected forever those that are sanctified. We, who have received the long awaited promise of the Spirit, can be perfected in the love of Christ. And perfect love casts out, or overthrows, fear. Let’s take a look at one more example of the battle royale between Elijah and Jezebel. This time in the New Testament. John the Baptist came in the spirit of Elijah. He confronted Herod regarding his unrighteous marriage to Herodias, his brother’s wife. The response? Using her daughter to cast a spell through witchcrafts and whoredoms Herodias had John the Baptist beheaded.

What happened while John was in jail awaiting execution?

Matthew 11:2

Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, and said unto him, ‘Are you he that should come, or do we look for another?’

This was the same John that first declared Jesus as the Lamb of God, saw the Holy Spirit descend on Him after baptism, and heard the Father declare him the Son of God. (John 1:29-36, Matthew 3:16-17).

What caused John the Baptist to doubt? The same spiritual attack that caused Elijah to run. What was God’s response? Just as in Elijah’s day, He showed forth his power and dominion.

Luke 7:20-23

When the men from John came to him, they said, John the Baptist sent us to you saying, ‘Are you he that should come? Or should we look for another? And in that same hour he cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits; and unto many that were blind he gave sight. Then Jesus answered them, ‘Go your way, and tell John what things you have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and to the poor the gospel is preached. And blessed is he, who shall not be offended in me.’

In addition to demonstrating his power, Jesus also added this: those who are not offended in Him will be blessed. This helps us understand what was happening to John. The Greek word for offend is skandalizō which is translated as a snare or stumbling block. It can also mean to cause one to fall away. The spirit of Jezebel, working through Herodias, attacked the spirit of Elijah in John the Baptist. This time the Bible emphasizes not fear but doubt. It doesn’t seem that John was necessarily afraid to die. However, at the moment of martyrdom, the weapon of doubt was forecasted in an attempt to snare him and turn him away from Christ.

But Jesus, knowing the spiritual battle being waged sent a word to exhort John to not be offended, to stand strong, and to receive the blessing of the Lord which was greater than any weapon the enemy was launching against him.

From these accounts the Bible shows us that Jezebel launches the spiritual weapons of fear of death and doubt against the prophets of God from her strongholds of witchcraft and whoredoms. Revelations speaks of the fearful and unbelieving being among the first in hell. These are two strongholds of Jezebel that must be overcome.

Now let’s look at the second part of that threefold cord.

Please click here for the rest of the article

The Message YOU Need to Hear

2012-01-04T11:56:00.023-05:00

YOU Are the Vessel of God

"And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ." Ephesians 4:11-12

In the last article, I discussed the process God led me through three years back to grow me up in Him.

I used to think that the practical aspect of salvation was turning in repentance to Christ, denying myself, feeding on God's word...and finding myself a "good church" in which not just to grow, but to function.

So I did. And things were wonderful! I grew to know the Lord and did as He led; finding joy, edification, & fellowship with the saints. But then I got comfortable and God introduced me to a spirit of legalism in order to prod me into progressing on in Him. Such a spirit analyzes everything to see if it measures up to its own expectations and will even put forth that you are rebelling against God when you do not submit to it.

Yet, there is no authority in the Body of Christ except that which comes from God. We are not honoring God when we submit to that which is not from Him, even if it comes in a church setting. Rather, God holds us accountable for putting that idol before Him. Nothing will crush the life of God within you quicker than trying to live up to someone else's expectations - if you let it (Galatians 1:10). And that is the key.

With all the talk lately about what is wrong with "the church" - the institutional church, church buildings, church authority, church attendance, etc. - people fail to realize that the problem is within.

"There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man." Mark 7:15

That is why I have called this video, "The message EVERY Christian should hear." If we are complete in Christ, then we will not subject ourselves to any other spirit (John 10:4-16), nor will we be bothered by it. We will be too busy being the church.

Let me put it another way. If you find yourself being influenced by a religious spirit, it is because you have not been made whole in Christ. Unless that root issue is addressed, you will simply bounce around from one religious spirit to the next, trying to earn acceptance through religious performance. In a day when witchcraft, compromise, and apostasy abounds, we must be free at all costs!

I thought "doing the works of the ministry" meant finding my place in and supporting my local church body. And that could be, if such is what God is calling you to. However, unless we understand that we are each individually called to DO the works of the ministry, then we may miss the purpose of our calling.

As stated in the message: We have got to stop limiting ourselves in God, and calling it 'church'.

Although I linked this message at the end of the last article, I feel it may have gotten lost on the page. I want people to be able to give this message the full consideration needed in order to walk in true liberty in Christ. I believe it will be a true blessing if you can set aside some quiet time to listen to this message.

The message is, "The Words of Eternal Life" by Pastor Gary C. Price and he discusses the following:

John was called "the disciple whom Jesus loved" because John spent intimate time with Jesus to get to know Him in a deep & personal way; Jesus is calling all of us into such communion with Him.
When we meditate on the word of God, we are actually being inspired by the breath of God as the Spirit of God quickens us to receive eternal life.
The engrafted Word of God will come to life to you, producing faith in you, to the extent that you sanctify from the world.
Today, most people think that "church" is some organization they join and participate in each week. As a result, members of the Body of Christ are not being prepared to be ministers of the Gospel.
In the early church, God allowed persecution of the saints as a means to keep the Gospel moving so that it would be preached throughout the world. He is doing the same now because instead of "going", the Body of Christ has "settled" into an idolatrous 'church routine' that has nothing to do with the Gospel.
Don't let people captivate you away from Jesus and your conformity to Him alone.
We need Jesus' approval, not man's.
There is only one reason why people do not come to the light of truth: they are doing evil and are not through with it.
People go to hide out in deep, dark edifices they call "church" because they are running from the truth. They don't want to deal with God personally.
In order to serve God, you have to get a strong constitution. You cannot be afraird or easily offended.
Jesus' life was centered around doing the Father's business and ours must be as well. The purpose of the ministry gifts is to perfect the saints to do the works of God (bringing in the harvest), but most are being short-circuited sitting in "church".
As a Christian, you are called to persecute your own personal war against the adversary right where you are.
The minds of many Christians have been so brainwashed by the matrix that their very way of thinking is alien to the life of God, even while thinking they "got it" in churchianity. We have been blinded by images of church and systematic order that is not God.
The local church fellowship is a tool to grow you up and get you on the battlefield.
Every Christian is called to do the works of the ministry.
God only refills that which is empty. We must pour out what God has put in us in order to grow stronger in Him.
The cross is a vertical altar where you leave "self" (the crucified old man) behind and move on to obtaining a transformed mind in the newness of life. That is why Christ was crucified at Golgotha, meaning the place of the Skull.
The devil confined the church by defining the church.
You don't have to be perfect to be used by God; He will perfect you as you GO.
The Holy Spirit perfects the saints outside of the auspices of any man. You do not need man as a covering over you, governing everything that you do. The Holy Spirit is well able to raise God's children because that is why He was sent.
You cannot serve the Lord while loving your life in this present evil world.
Each person has within them the Holy Spirit which will let you know when someone is trying to put you under law or legalism.
Get free, stay free, and get about the Father's business!

Lord, Please Don't Take My Security Blanket

2012-01-02T00:33:00.010-05:00

Growing Pains

I have been on a journey over the past three years that has been a hard one, but I am so thankful to God for bringing me through it.

I came to the faith about 17 years ago through the witness of a woman at my job. The funny thing is that she wasn't even trying to reach me, but my cousin. My cousin would come home and share with me Omega Church & Ministry Center tapes & materials this woman gave her. Somehow, when I heard these messages, I knew that I was hearing the truth.

God led me to go to a Christian bookstore and I purchased a Bible as well as other Christian books. Everything else in my life faded to black as I devoted my time to study and prayer; I was eaten up with a desire to know more about God and to be known by Him. I devoured every tape, every message, every book as a new world was opened to me via the preaching of the Gospel.

It turns out that this woman's husband was the pastor of that church and soon I became a member. As I grew in the faith, the pastor & his wife literally became like a father and a mother to me. I was craving life, and the source of the life I needed (Jesus Christ) was pouring through them. They opened their home to me, and in those years I likely spent more time with them than in my own home. This Body of believers became a family for me that in many ways was more real than my earthly family. I was so excited to be in the presence of the saints that I would show up about an hour early for almost every meeting, service, or social function. When those events were over, I lingered, attempting to delay going back to the loneliness of my own apartment. The closeness of this relationship meant the world to me. Their acceptance gave me a sense of belonging & security I hadn't known before.

I am not describing anything abnormal. What I am describing - and what they offered me - is true discipleship. A brother once stated the following about what it really means to be a disciple:

Because many of us have been indoctrinated by an institutional mindset, there is a tendency to look at our faith, the scriptures, the church, and Jesus’ commands to us from an institutional vantage point. I believe this is a major reason why we have had a wrong definition of discipleship. Jesus said when a disciple is fully trained; he will be like his master (Matthew 10:24-25). Not only does Jesus want us to be His disciples (be like Jesus), He has commanded us to make other disciples by teaching others about Himself and His commands (Matthew 28-18-20)....

True life change is something that is ‘caught’ by demonstration more than ‘taught’ by information...To the degree that we have received life and have lived by Christ’s divine life, will be the degree that we are able to give this life away to others. I’m afraid that many people will find this kind of a lifestyle too difficult because they have no spiritual life to give away. They are dry on the inside. Living this kind of a community lifestyle is sustained through abiding in the vine (John 15) as a way of life.

What is spoken of above is what I experienced. The pastor and his wife had their lives laid down in service to God. Therefore, as a babe in Christ, I was able to learn what it is to be a servant of Jesus by their living example.

As the years went by, I grew in the knowledge of the Lord and my fellowship with the saints became even more precious. I had a "church family". I loved the structure & support, it was dependable, even comfortable to me...perhaps too comfortable. Church eventually became an idol to me. Instead of keeping my eyes on Jesus, I began to define myself (and my relationship to God) based on my interactions with the Body of Christ. If I attended service regularly, did what I was asked, and had their approval, then I was serving God.

Don't get me wrong; the issue was not with the church at all, but with me. I was looking for man to fill a hole that only Jesus could fill. It is so easy to look on the external for validation, direction, acceptance, & approval because interactions with man are tangible. People can give an immediate smile, a word of correction, or share spiritual wisdom to encourage you along the way. Plus, religious works can often feel like Godly works. After all, if I am accepted by my church family then I must be accepted by God...right?

Like children in the natural, God may place us in the care of others to help nurture our growth, but at some point we are expected to mature. There comes a time when our spiritual senses have to be exercised enough not to need the tangible reassurances of man. Our spirit is sharpened to hear from, be sensitive to, and be satisfied with the Spirit of God directly (and primarily). That doesn't mean we outgrow the need for fellowship. It simply means that we understand the need to be made whole in fellowship with Christ first.

The love and righteousness we see reflected in God's servants should lead us to seek even more the One whom they reflect: Jesus Christ. But somewhere along the way, I had become content with just the reflection. I began to use "the church" and my role in it as the barometer for measuring my progress with God. So because the Father loves us beyond what we can imagine - and because He is a jealous God - He began to show me my idolatry.

He began to take away my security blanket.

Bye Bye Blankie

Knowing more than I how much I was using my identity with what I called "church" to define my walk with Him, God began to shake that idol. For the first time there began to be a disconnect between what some felt I should be doing and what God was leading me to do. It was a position I was not prepared to be in. At one point, one of the brethren told me that I had an "obligation" to ensure my actions did not reflect poorly on "the church". Based on such feedback, I began to question myself, "Was I really hearing from the Lord?" I became torn between feelings of responsibility for representing "the church" versus representing Christ.

This should have been my first clue that the image I had developed of church was wrong. Everything that God allowed to happen at this time was for the purpose of showing me how I had given "church" a life and identity of its own, apart from Christ. In truth there is no disconnect between Christ and His Church, for the Body is merely a reflection of the Head.

God then placed me in a variety of situations where I had to choose. I could do what He was leading me to or do what others thought I should be doing. Submitting to others would at least give me the appearance of being submitted to Christ and allow me to retain their perceived approval. Yet the same would also mean I had placed man in a position which only God should have in my life, potentially putting me in disobedience to the Father.

It may sound like an easy choice - and perhaps it should have been - but it wasn't. It was a tortuous time and I often vacillated between obeying God and doing what others thought because I didn't want to be rejected by the only spiritual family I had come to know. What needed to be set aside was not the church, but my faulty impressions about it (and the need I had for man's approval). However I honestly wasn't strong enough to do it, so God did it for me. He yanked from my clutching hands the idol I had made of "church" by removing me from regular interaction with my church family.

I'll state it again: the issue was not my church family; the issue was me. Brothers and sisters in Christ may have the best of intentions, but we still need to seek to know and heed God's direction in all things. Because I had not made it a priority to be made whole in Christ first, I was being swayed by every impression, every expectation. I realized that I needed to "know that I know that I know" God's voice above all others and have the fortitude to obey Him in spite of.

I had to ask myself, "Was I willing to stand for God, even by myself? Was I willing to obey God, even when brothers & sisters may not understand? Would I conform to the opinion of men so as to appear "submitted" while knowing I was not doing the will of God?"

I had to face the fact: God was expecting me to GROW UP. I couldn't rely on others to direct my life, sign off on it, or tell me what to do. I had to become personally accountable before Him and seek the Lord myself to know His will.

Let me also clarify. Ceasing local fellowship is no sign of maturity. This was a specific process that God used in this particular case to address this idol within me. It is not like you reach a point where you become so "super spiritual" that you no longer need the Body of Christ. God says that we should seek to come together all the more as we see that day approaching.

Yet at the same time, getting together with other like-minded believers is not what makes us Christians. Neither are we called to live up or down to any man's perceptions of our walk with God. We are His sons & daughters when we are led by His Spirit to do His will. That is what God needed me to learn.

So I began the painful journey of walking out this aspect of my relationship with God. I say painful because being apart from my family for a while was like having to cut an umbilical cord. Truth is, I didn't want to stand by myself; I didn't think I was ready. Yet, even as I look back on it now, I know it was needed and for a purpose. God was making me into that which He had first used to reach me: a disciple.

As long as I saw myself as one to be discipled instead of one to become a disciple, then I would never take the steps to start doing the works of the ministry. If I only saw myself as one who was supposed to be fed, I would never fulfill God's command for me to feed others. I had become arrested in my development in Christ because of my own idolatry of "the church". So God had to send me through this test to prove me, to let me see for myself whether I was prepared to stand in Him, even alone.

Over the past year, God enabled us to put into practice what He has been growing us up for over the past three years. We were able to open our home to several people, including a new believer in Christ who stayed with us for most of this year. As was done for me, we have been able to pray with her, teach her God's word, encourage her in the faith, intercede for her deliverance, etc. She has indeed become an extension of our own family.

As we took her to the airport this weekend to return home, she cried wondering if she was ready to leave. She did not want to go. I smiled, understanding only too well her hesitations. I shared with her that - while we would always be here for her - God also needed her to grow in Him so that she can begin to put into practice what God had been showing her, learning to depend on Him completely. Like a child learning how to walk, God would make sure that there was support to teach us how to take our first steps, but at some point we have to learn to stand on our own. It is then that we can be free to fellowship with others in Spirit and in truth.

This is not about what we have done, but about what God has done (and is doing)! Through it all, I am able to see the cycle that real life generates. As God designs, each life type produces after its own kind. If we have been regenerated to life in Christ then we must bear the fruit of that life to others and be able to lead them also to it. This is the manifestation of eternal life and it is the life source of the Church.

Pastor Gary Price preached a message this past Sunday on "The Words of Eternal life" which addresses the false notions we can adopt about who and what the church of God is. The question he challenges us on is the same that God issues to His people, "Will you stand up? Will you be accountable? Will you go into the world and proclaim the Good News?"

There is no more time for playing church. It is time to become the Church. We must each consider whether we actually possess the transforming words of eternal life.

The Words of Eternal Life - Part 1

The Words of Eternal Life - Part 2

Santa Muerte

2012-01-01T11:18:00.004-05:00

A man in Mexico holds the Angel of
Death, who is considered a patron
saint by many Mexican Catholics.

Yesterday, Dr. Scott Johnson sent out an update addressing Santa Muerte, the patron "saint of death" and how this worship of death permeates the Roman Catholic Church (RCC). We touched on this previously in the article about Halloween and the RCC's "All Saints Day" holiday, but Bro. Scott goes into more detail about how open and pervasive this worship of death is.

Not only is this the spirit behind all false religion, it is the spirit which weaves together the very fabric of the world. In light of the dream I had the other night about the grim reaper, I felt this was important to post.

In addition to addressing the worship of this spirit of death, Bro. Scott also examines:

The RCC's historic practice of worshiping of the dead, including memorializing skulls, bones, and other relics as objects of veneration.
Who is Azreal, the angel of death
The Inquisitions and how Christians were massacred by the RCC and their bones & skulls kept as trophies to these conquests.

You may access the message via the following links:

Audio of the Message

PDF of the message

The bone house in Hallstatt, Austria where the Catholic Church
massacred Miners during the reformation, took their skulls up
from the grave, exposed them to moon light, and decorated them.

The Roman Catholic priests in Hallstatt killed Christians
cut the heads off thier bodies and decorated some of those they had beheaded.

A Catholic altar set up to honor Santa Muerte.

Mexicans parade in the streets with idols of their patron
"saint of death", the grim reaper.

Confronting the Spirit of Jezebel

2011-12-30T09:33:00.011-05:00

The following article is by Joseph Herrin regarding his personal testimony of confronting the Spirit of Jezebel, both in his own home and in the church. While we have spoken about this topic many times on this blog, it still remains the most neglected and yet most deep-rooted stronghold in the churchworld.

Although this is simply one man's testimony, I am confident that it is not so unique. The foundation of God's church is in patriarchal leadership, and until the men of God take seriously their calling to be leaders in the home and in the church, then the churchworld as a whole will continue to suffer the corruption of rotten fruit, perversion, and death.

Are you not ready to see the power & life of God pouring through you as a living witness to Christ for a dying world? Are you not tired of Satan running roughshod over your children as he uses the snares of this world to entice, deceive, and destroy them? Do you not long for the glory of the Church as seen when it was first birthed at Pentecost, turning the very known world upside down in its glory? If so, then you must decide to sanctify yourself from that defiling spirit and wage war against it.

God is raising up a standard against the spirit of Jezebel. Will you be part of that standard?

"Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse." Malachi 4:5-6

The Spirit of Jezebel

by Joseph Herrin

II Kings 9:30
When Jehu came to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it, and she painted her eyes and adorned her head and looked out the window.

I want to share somewhat further regarding yesterday’s post where I spoke of facing much resistance and oppression while trying to revise the book Sarah’s Children. I appreciate those saints who wrote words of encouragement, and those who are praying for me. A number of people have written with words of exhortation. It has become evident to me that I was not clear in making known what it is that is hindering my writing on this subject. In truth, I did see the matter clearly myself until after further reflection today. I am confident that the prayers of the saints are accountable for this clarity.

Of all the topics I have taught upon, there has been none that has been met with greater resistance than the subject of godly womanhood. Back in 1999 the Father made it known to me that I was to follow Christ down an afflicted path. He directed me to leave my job as a computer manager at a local hospital and to begin a ministry of writing and teaching. He said I was to follow wherever He led, and to trust Him for the care and provision of my family.

As I mentioned in a recent post, this walk was difficult for my entire family. The way of the cross is not easy. My wife had many fears, and her struggles were exacerbated by ministers and their wives in the church we attended who were under the influence of a strong matriarchal spirit. The head minister invited each of the minister’s wives to attend pastoral meetings. At the time, such an occurrence was very rare. All of the women were very reserved, and spoke little, except for the head minister’s wife. She was very brazen, and would even get up in the men’s faces and tell them what they were doing wrong. This woman had very short hair, and dressed in men’s clothing, and had a very outspoken manner. This contrasts greatly with the pattern God has set before Godly women in the Bible.

I Peter 3:1-6

In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives, as they observe your chaste and respectful behavior. Your adornment must not be external - braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God. For in this way in former times the holy women also, who hoped in God, used to adorn themselves, being submissive to their own husbands; just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, and you have become her children if you do what is right without being frightened by any fear.

The ministers and their wives, knowing that my wife was struggling with following me down the path I was called to walk, being frightened by many fears, told us that it was wrong for me to make any decisions that affected my wife without her being in agreement. They said marriage was a democracy and all decisions were to be shared equally. This counsel came primarily from the head pastor and his wife. I was told that I could not follow where Christ was leading me apart from my wife’s agreement.

I shared with these ministers and their wives what the Bible teaches, that Christ is the head of man, and I had to follow Christ’s leading.

I Corinthians 11:3

But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ.

If I was held captive to my wife’s will, then I had two heads. If Christ’s counsel conflicted with the will of my wife I would be forced to choose one over the other. In effect, to follow the counsel of these ministers and their wives I would have to place my wife in a higher position than Christ, for my wife would ultimately determine whether I could do what the Spirit was directing me to do.

I knew the counsel being given by these men and women was un-Biblical, and contrary to the governmental order of Yahweh.

Ephesians 5:22-24

Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.

I Timothy 2:12-13

And I do not permit a woman to teach or to usurp authority over a man, but to be in silence.

I spoke openly with the ministers about these things, but they would not be persuaded. They encouraged my wife to speak forth her opposition to me, and emboldened her to manifest resistance to my leadership in the home. Things eventually came to a head, and the ministers asked to meet with me one morning after church. The Father spoke to me and said I would be put out of the body by these ministers, and that I was not to resist it. It was His way of bringing me out of Babylon. That same week I had received a pre-release copy of a book by Charles Newbold titled The Harlot Church System.

SIDE NOTE: This is a wonderful book that I highly suggest people obtain, as I do each of Bro. Newbold's books.

The sub-heading of this book cover says, “Come out of her, My people.” This is a quotation from Revelation 18:4. The Father used this book, which arrived unannounced in my mailbox, to indicate to me what was coming. I would be put out of the church by my fellow ministers, but the Father would use this event to bring me out from Babylon.

That final meeting was very difficult. The ministers asked me if I would recant my position, and adopt theirs. I explained to them patiently that I could no in good conscience do so, and shared again the Scriptures with them. After I had spoken, for the next hour, the four ministers and the head pastor’s wife, excoriated me. At one point, the head pastor’s wife jumped up from her seat and stood right in front of me. She pointed her finger in my face and said, “You think your words are prophetic, but I tell you they are pathetic!” The ministers then all gave their judgment that they could not continue in ministry with me.

In the years since, I have had repeated run-ins with this matriarchal spirit. When I wrote the book Sarah’s Children in 2002 I had a great deal of hateful correspondence, and many dropped off of my mailing list. Even men wrote to tell me that I was wrong, offering various reproaches. No one, it seemed, wanted to confront this spirit, or teach the crucified life of the disciples of Christ.

The world walks in support of this spirit. It is especially prevalent in Western nations, and so-called Christian nations. I feel the oppression of this spirit whenever I teach on this subject. On two different occasions in 2010 as I traveled across the country, the Spirit revealed to me a domineering female spirit in the home. In one place I asked the host couple for permission to teach on the subject, and they permitted me. Two women who had previously been excited and eager about the things I taught were in attendance. They both were greatly offended, and have not had any communication with me since.

In another home, I was led to speak to the host couple privately regarding what I was perceiving in their home. I shared with the woman that she needed to relinquish the leadership of her family, and the husband needed to step up into that role. The man was very passive when I spoke with them, and the woman very vocal and extremely emotional. After a while I could see that no progress could be made, so I prayed with them. The woman was eager and excited when she contacted me to arrange the meetings in her home, but has not spoken with me since.

In the intervening years since 1999 I have encountered frequent and fervent resistance on this subject. My wife divorced me, being encouraged by a wealthy Christian woman from another church to not walk with me down an afflicted path of God’s choosing. I have been reproached in the courts, and put in jail twice over this same issue. I have found that everywhere, the message of Biblical womanhood is rejected, and the Jezebel spirit is supported both by the weight of societal opinion, by the laws of the state and nation, and by the practices of the churches.

When I have recently sat down to write on this subject, I have sensed the oppression from spiritual forces of wickedness. These forces have made known that the message is unwelcome, being rejected even by the majority in the churches, and the many things I have suffered at the hands of this spirit sit as a threatening menace seeking to influence my mind and drive me into silence.

The battle between this spirit and the ministers of God is shown forth in the history of Elijah’s encounter with Jezebel. This spirit is unusual in its power to intimidate even the most godly and courageous of Yahweh’s servants. Jezebel could hear of God's miracle of sending fire from heaven, consuming the altar, the sacrifice, and the water; she could hear of the prophets of Baal and Asherah slain by the hundreds, and with absolute brazenness be un-cowed and speak reviling words and threats against God's chosen minister. Elijah had never backed up before. He had never shrank from a fight. But before this spirit he was daunted. Responding to Jezebel’s threats, this great prophet’s arms hung down weakly, he had no will left to fight. He fled in discouragement to the wilderness and sat down under a tree to die.

Elijah Flees from Jezebel

The Jezebel spirit seeks to cast the righteous works of Yahweh’s servants into a dark light. It calls good evil, and evil good. This spirit is intractable. It will not submit, but seeks to make the spiritual man to submit to it. This spirit can shake even the most devoted servants of God. Jezebel waged war against the prophets of God, and slew many. Elijah knew this and was intimidated.

I Kings 18:4

Jezebel destroyed the prophets of Yahweh...

Yahweh appeared to His chosen prophet, Elijah, and sought to strengthen him. However, He did not ask Elijah to face this intimidating foe again. Instead, Elijah was instructed to anoint another man who would face this spirit and conquer it. This man was Jehu. Jehu was exceedingly bold, and he was zealous to perform the will of God. Jehu did not run from Jezebel, but sought her out. He found her in a high tower, which is a parable revealing the manner in which the Jezebel spirit seeks to elevate itself over others, rather than to submit, or to take a low and humble position of service. Yet, the very transgression of elevating herself became the instrument of her death. Jehu ordered any who were in the tower with her who were on his side to cast her down.

II Kings 9:32-33

And he lifted up his face to the window, and said, Who is on my side? who? And there looked out to him two or three eunuchs. And he said, Throw her down. So they threw her down.

Jezebel Cast Down

It is significant that it was eunuchs who cast Jezebel down. Those men who are attracted sexually to this spirit in a woman (or in the church) will not lift up a hand against it. Some men find a dominant feminine spirit to be seductive, even attractive, but it is repugnant to the Spirit of God for it is a spirit of pride and self-exaltation. Yahweh will cast down the proud, but He honors those of a humble and contrite spirit.

In writing this book there are spiritual forces I am coming up against. It has been difficult to make headway. The enemy would discourage with ignoble thoughts and suggestions. He says, “No one wants to hear this message anyway. Why trouble yourself? Why expose yourself again to enmity and reproach and even threats?” Some have written to me suggesting that my writing on this subject is not the will of God. I invite all who offer counsel to consider carefully whether they have apprehended the mind of Christ lest they be found to offer discouragement to Christ's ministers when they should be praying for them to be strengthened.

Some time back I became aware that there is even a website called Jezebel that has posted a mocking and scathing article about me. They did this after I posted a prophetic word relating to the Gulf oil spill and the spirit of abortion in Houston and in the church.

http://jezebel.com/josephherrin

When Jezebel begins to attack the ministers of God, the result can unintentionally confirm that the man is on the right track. A man is known by his enemies, as well as his friends. If I must have enemies, let it be Jezebel, the enemy of all that is pleasing to the Father.

Revelation 2:20

“But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray...”

Yahshua would not have the church to even “tolerate” Jezebel. Many have gone much further than this. They have committed acts of adultery with her.

Revelation 2:22

“Behold, I will throw her on a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds.”

It is my heart’s desire to speak forth truth, and not be daunted by any threat. Although the majority will never receive the words of truth, there is a small remnant who will. I ask once again of those who are willing to please pray for me as I set my face to complete this task. There are real adversaries, both in the natural and spiritual realms. I can sense the oppression, but God has given us a promise.

Isaiah 59:19

When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of Yahweh will lift up a standard against him.

May you be blessed with peace and understanding in these days.

Power to Break the Shackles

2011-12-27T04:50:00.008-05:00

I have written before about how I used to really like a song by Mary Mary called Shackles. In the song, these women sing about how God has released the shackles off of their feet so that they can dance. While it is a blessing to be able to dance for and before the Lord, I think what man needs most is the shackles broken off of his mind.

We can dance wholeheartedly before God and still be bound. Too many in the church have hindrances in the mind which prevents us from walking fully in the light/life with which God has called. These can & must be dealt with by the power of God, for God is preparing His people at this hour for the days ahead.

This past night, I had a dream that I was in a shopping mall (which is strange for me as I hate shopping). The store was filled with people buying this and that. Then, a loud voice was heard. It was like it was being spoken over a loud speaker, but it wasn't. The timber & depth of the voice was extremely loud, but it was as if you were hearing it from inside yourself and it reverberated within your soul. As I (and everyone else) turned to see who was speaking, there stood the Grim Reaper towering over the people with the machete held high in his hand. The store erupted in agonizing screams as people ran everywhere looking for cover, but there was no place to hide. This spirit of death marched on after the people and the fear from man was palpable.

As I woke up, three thoughts occurred to me:

"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

Before God's judgment came in Noah's day, the people were oblivious to the coming storms. They were going about life as if nothing was happening, in spite of the fact that God had been warning them (II Peter 2:5, 3:20; Hebrews 11:7). They simply didn't believe. Each day they awoke with that day being the same as the last. Because there was no tangible difference, they assumed that time was continuing for them unabated. They assumed that they always had tomorrow.

This is the sense I got in the dream. The shoppers were oblivious to what was about to happen, merely getting caught up in their purchases and plans for tomorrow.
"Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he [Jesus] also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage." Hebrews 2:14

The first time I read this Scripture many years ago, it stuck with me. I asked God, "Are you saying that the common denominator among men staying in bondage to the devil is that man has a fear of Death? Man is afraid to die?" For some reason, this seemed a strange thing to me. I don't know, I guess I expected some deep reason, but fear of death?

Yet, we know that the nature of fallen man invests all that he is in sustaining and glorifying life in this present, evil world. It is the temporary life that Satan tries to get you concerned about and wrapped up in; it is the same which he uses to try and distract you through entertainment. Anything but have the eternal life available to you in Christ Jesus become more real to you than life in this world. This is why God says whoever finds his (eternal) life must lose his (soulish) life (Matthew 10:39).

In any regard, this fear of the Grim Reaper (a spirit of death) was very real in the dream. People were terrified and you could literally feel it.
Who can stand against it? As (spiritual & physical) death is released on people, who is prepared to stand? Who is able to confront that evil spirit in the name of Jesus Christ and save souls from its clenching hands? Moe importantly for me, can I stand in such times? And if not, then why not?

In the dream, everyone heard the voice of Grim Reaper who stated, "If only you had known my name." It was like he was taunting the people, indicating that they could have been in a position to stop him, but they were in ignorance. They had not known or believed that there was such an adversary and as a result, they were powerless against him. Even some who claimed to know Jesus ran fleeing from the Grim Reaper, never having really been transformed into the image of Christ and equipped to stand.

In Revelation, God speaks of the king of the demonic hordes released on mankind and says that his name is Abaddon in the Hebrew, or Apollyon in the Greek.

Abaddon: "destruction"; the name of the angel-prince of the infernal regions, the minister of death and the author of havoc on the earth.

Apollyon: "Destroyer", the angel of the bottomless pit, the Destroyer

When I awoke from the dream, I was led to read through Hebrews Chapter 2. While there is lots of meat in that Chapter, certain things stood out at me:

We must not take lightly the truths God has given us about who He is and the way of salvation. Doing so could cause us to "slip" in our faithfulness to Him and result in us neglecting this great salvation. We must be diligent. (verses 1-3)
We need the power of the Holy Spirit. This is not an option but is required in order to be able to confront the enemy and release folks from his kingdom. The Holy Spirit breaks the captivity. (verse 4)
We have the authority in Christ Jesus to do this, and we must. Saving souls is not about changing what people believe but is literally about translating people from one power (darkness) to another (light). It is a confrontation, a war for souls, and we must be ready in spiritual armor in order to engage that enemy and spoil his goods. (verses 7-8)
We can expect some suffering in the flesh, but this is what will help grow us up in God so that we can be more prepared in the battle. (verses 9-10)
In it all, we can be encouraged to sing praises to God for the mighty things He has done through & in us by His Son Jesus. (verse 12-18)

So this is my prayer for the Church worldwide. That every Christian soldier will have shackles broken off of the mind so that he/she can be diligent in their calling, seeking to be endued with power from on high so that we can take authority over Satan and his horde of demons which seek to wreak havoc on the souls of men.

This is also my prayer for the meetings next week. As many of you know, there are fellowship meetings occurring in Atlanta from January 6th - 8th. If you feel that you have lost that zeal for the Lord, or you simply want to connect with other believers of a like & precious faith to be stirred up all the more, please consider coming. I am personally praying that these meetings can be just the start of what God will do through His church in this next year. This request is not about raising up any particular person or congregation, but about individual members of the Body of Christ having a renewal of purpose in Christ and coming together to seek God's face to be empowered for that purpose. If there are financial hardships, please call the church to see what is possible. Members are sponsoring others who cannot afford it and some attendees are staying in the homes of members to help defray costs. A lot of times, we do not receive because we do not ask (James 4:2).

Lastly, I don't think it was coincidental that the spirit of death appeared in the dream as a Grim Reaper. I highly recommend a couple of articles done by Omega Church & Ministries Center about the Grim Reaper and its relevance to the present-day Church: Part 1 and Part 2. Please take some time to read these.

I am not one who posts a lot about dreams and visions. However, when I feel like there is something worth sharing I do. I pray that you reflect upon this message and take it to the Lord for anything He might have you to know in it.

In the meantime, may the peace of God be with you and His holy fire burn with increasing intensity within you.

No Grim Reaper - Part 1

2011-12-27T04:36:00.005-05:00

The following message is from the Omega Church & Ministries Center. Although it is four years old, it is very relevant for today. I was reminded of this article via a dream I had last night, and am posting part one here for the edification of others (part two is also available).

The interesting thing is that various members would write articles for the Omega newsletters and I happened to write the Grim Reaper articles in the summer of 2007. By the end of that year, I was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. I am just now realizing that connection.

However, the thing to keep in mind is that we must be prepared to stand on God's word. When we decide to proclaim His words, Satan will come to tempt us, to see if we really believe what we have proclaimed...and God will let him, so that we can prove & grow our faith in the trial. I could write and say that Christians have nothing to fear about death, but what will I do when my own life is threatened?

I pray that while proclaiming His truths, you will also pray to God to have those truths become life to your soul. Never let your circumstances or doubts/fears rob you of what God has already planted in your soul. Meditate on His words and let His life blossom forth within you so that what you do & say becomes merely an extension of who you are in Christ, and not just shallow dead works.

God is faithful to do all that He has promised. Trust Him. He will never let you done. His words are a sure foundation.

"When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them. The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.

Turn again our captivity, O LORD, as the streams in the south. They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him." Psalms 126:1-6

The Spirit of Death

For centuries the world has portrayed the spirit of death as the Grim Reaper, a hooded figure in all black brandishing a scythe. This depiction originated from the tale of the Titan Cronus, the Greek god of the harvest. According to mythology, Cronus hated his father, and his mother (Gaia) was able to use this to her advantage. In an attempt to sever her relationship with his father, Gaia convinced Cronus to castrate him and provided a sickle to accomplish the task. Once Cronus had done this, he become god over creation and in turn began to devour his own children in order to protect his throne.

This worldly image of death seems only fitting when we consider what the Bible has to say about the root, response, and consequences of patriarchal rebellion.

THE ROOT OF PATRIARCHAL REBELLION

The doctrine of Jezebel

THE RESPONSE

The spirit of Elijah

THE CONSEQUENCE

The curse of death

God's response to patriarchal hatred is to send the prophet Elijah. During the days of Elijah, the Queen Jezebel had led Israel into idolatry and Elijah had shut up the Heavens in order to prompt the people to repentance. Rain did not return until the patriarchal foundation of God was re-established (I Kings 18:21- 38).

"Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse." Malachi 4:5-6

The consequence for not heeding this call and failing to restore patriarchal order results in a curse, and it is this curse that we are seeing spread across the landscape. The warning of this curse of death is reiterated in Revelation.

"And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass; I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first.

Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.

And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works. But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden. But that which ye have already hold fast till I come." Revelation 2:18- 25

The Church at Thyatira was commended in many areas, yet Jesus found fault in that they gave place to Jezebel. They allowed Jezebel to usurp authority and seduce the people with her false doctrine. Further, he says that knowing this doctrine is akin to knowing the very depths of Satan. Satan at his worse tries to disguise his true evil nature and is transformed into an angel of light; that is what the the doctrine of Jezebel accomplishes. It encourages people to believe that they may live as they please (even diametrically opposed to the word of God) and still be accepted by God. It attempts to transform darkness into light.

When discussing what commands to give the Gentile converts, the Apostles declared the following, "For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things; That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well." (Acts 15:28-29) Yet this is exactly what Jezebel seduces the people to do: eat things sacrificed to idols and commit fornication.

The Book of Ezekiel says it this way:

"Son of man, say unto her, Thou art the land that is not cleansed, nor rained upon in the day of indignation. There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured souls; they have taken the treasure and precious things; they have made her many widows in the midst thereof. Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them. Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain. And her prophets have daubed them with untempered morter, seeing vanity, and divining lies unto them, saying, Thus saith the Lord GOD, when the LORD hath not spoken.

The people of the land have used oppression, and exercised robbery, and have vexed the poor and needy: yea, they have oppressed the stranger wrongfully. And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none. Therefore have I poured out mine indignation upon them; I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath: their own way have I recompensed upon their heads, saith the Lord GOD." Ezekiel 22:24-31

These individuals "divine" lies on the people while claiming to speak for the Lord. They teach no difference between the holy and the profane, not upholding the way of the Lord but instead glorifying the ways of the flesh so that they can live off of the wealth of the people. For the unrepentant, God says that He will kill their children with "death." This is the curse and the legacy of a Jezebel spirit; it is an inheritance of death, sexual perversion, murder, witchcraft, and ultimately damnation.

With each passing day, it becomes more obvious that a spirit of death has been loosed upon the world. Many children now anoint themselves in preparation to receive this spirit through the music, the clothes, the movies, the very culture of our times. In such times, God seeks those who will stand in the gap and intercede for the people, so that they will not be destroyed. This is the call to the real church; to stand in the midst of perversion and proclaim God's word.

For those who do not know the Lord, the time of reaping what has been sown is indeed a dark and dismal time. Yet, for the servants of the Most High, it is a time of joy. For the Christian, there is no grim reaper but instead a plentiful harvest on the way to a glorious homecoming where we are met with the loving arms of our Savior.

It is time to focus our eyes on the harvest as the Lord turns our captivity once more.

No Grim Reaper - Part 2

2011-12-27T04:03:00.033-05:00

The following message is part two of a newsletter from the Omega Church & Ministries Center. I was reminded of this article via a dream I had last night, and am posting it here for the edification of others.

In the last issue of The Omega Times, we discussed the root, response, and consequence of patriarchal rebellion. We examined how the doctrine of a Jezebel spirit inspires hatred of a father by encouraging disrespect for patriarchy.

When people choose their own way, come against rightful authority, and seek to do things opposed to the word of God, it is because they hate the image of a father. Sin is personal to God, whether we realize it or not. God stated it this way, "And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them." (I Samuel 8:7)

God's response is to send forth the spirit of Elijah to confront this Jezebel doctrine. Just as in the days of Elijah, God will call on the people to make a choice - if the Lord be God, then serve Him. If Baal, then serve him. What is the precursor to this point of decision? A supernatural display of power. It must be shown once and for all who God really is so that the faith of man may be established, not in word but in a demonstration of the Spirit and of power.

The time of harvest is a volatile time, a time of decision and of war. In this edition of the newsletter, we will look at the steps the Church must take in order to prepare for the harvest.

Preparing for Harvest

"Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest." Joshua 1:9

As the children of Israel prepared to enter the Promised Land, God repeatedly instructed them to be strong and of good courage. He had taken them through the wilderness to teach their hands to war. Now was the time to put into practice what they had learned. One of their first challenges was to cross the Jordan River. In describing the crossing, Scripture says:

"And as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest,) That the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho. And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan." Joshua 3:15-17

Because it was the time of harvest, the banks of the Jordan had overflowed. It was physically impossible for the estimated 1.5 million Israelites to cross the Jordan with all of their provisions in their own effort. This is the first lesson that God needed to teach His people: you cannot make this journey in your own strength.

God was also using this experience to confirm His anointing on Joshua; showing that He was with Joshua just as He had been with Moses. Further, with the exception of Joshua & Caleb (and their families) this was a new generation of Israelites. Their fathers had been killed off in the wilderness due to their stiffnecked rebellion, so these people had no first-hand knowledge of how God had delivered them from Egypt. They needed a show of God's power to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that He was able to bring them into the land He had promised. Lastly, it was a sign to Israel's enemies that God was coming in power to restore His people.

Notice that the waters were cut off at the city of Adam. This represents a transition into a new inheritance. In the Garden of Eden, God placed Adam in charge of creation; he was given dominion over the earth. God established a patriarchal order as a reflection of His own authority in the earth. Yet, the devil beguiled Eve into disobeying God's words and she in turn seduced her husband into doing the same. This fall of man birthed the beginning of the Adamic nature; an upside-down kingdom where man became the opposite of what he was created to be.

Instead of being God-conscious, man became self- conscious. Instead of being led by the Spirit of God, man was led by his five carnal senses. Instead of being under the protective headship of a patriarch, man was cut off from his head (Jesus) and subject to the whims of the devil.

Believe me church, I don't care what society says, matriarchal rulership is a curse from God. (Isaiah 3:12) What was meant to bring life (Eve) became death to man because proper headship was usurped. The consequences of that perversion have continued throughout time. The only thing that could turn the tide and reconcile man back to God was the death and resurrection of Christ. Through the cross, the lineage of Adam is cut off and we are made partakers of a Godly inheritance, a divine nature. The parting of the Jordan River at the City of Adam during this time of harvest is symbolic of our being crucified with Christ. It is the blood of Jesus being applied to our souls that allows us to "pass clean over" Jordan into God's promises.

The harvest is described in Eastons Bible Dictionary as follows:

The season for gathering grain or fruit. On the 16th day of Abib (or April) a handful of ripe ears of corn was offered as a first-fruit before the Lord, and immediately after this the harvest commenced. It began with the feast of Passover and ended with Pentecost, thus lasting for seven weeks.

Look at the timing of the season of harvest: it begins with preparation for the Lamb's death and continues to the manifestation of the Holy Spirit as the the church is endowed with power from on high. "Seven weeks shalt thou number unto thee: begin to number the seven weeks from such time as thou beginnest to put the sickle to the corn." (Deuteronomy 16:9)

The church has entered a new season. As we prepare to reap a harvest in the world, God is raising up a new generation from among the young. God is through striving with a people who will not go; a people who have seen His work and been a partaker of His blessings, but have become complacent in their relationship with Him. Under the leadership of patriarchs who have come out from Egypt and dedicated themselves in service to the Lord, God will bring this new generation into a confrontation with the enemy so that His kingdom will be established in the hearts of men and His promises fulfilled. Preceding this fulfillment is a re-establishment of the order which He has ordained.

"And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over Jordan, that the LORD spake unto Joshua, saying, Take you twelve men out of the people, out of every tribe a man, and command ye them, saying, Take you hence out of the midst of Jordan, out of the place where the priests' feet stood firm, twelve stones, and ye shall carry them over with you, and leave them in the lodging place, where ye shall lodge this night. Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man: And Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of Jordan, and take ye up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel: That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones? Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever.

And the children of Israel did so as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the midst of Jordan, as the LORD spake unto Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them over with them unto the place where they lodged, and laid them down there. And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests which bare the ark of the covenant stood: and they are there unto this day." Joshua 4:1-9

Before we can move on to claim the promise, we must re-establish the patriarchy of God. Having cut-off the old, Adamic nature, we have become born again into a new lineage. God commands the Israelites to set-up a memorial of twelve stones, one for each of the patriarchs of Israel as a reflection of the foundation upon which faith must be established. Just as Jesus' death killed the Adamic nature, Joshua by himself sets up a memorial at the very place where the Jordan River was cut-off. And just as Christ tells us to pick up our cross and follow Him, each tribe had to carry a stone to establish the same memorial in their lodging place.

As they come out of the Jordan River, Scripture states that Israel encamped in the east border of Jericho. Here, God does one of those things that just might leave you scratching your head.

"At that time the LORD said unto Joshua, Make thee sharp knives, and circumcise again the children of Israel the second time. And Joshua made him sharp knives, and circumcised the children of Israel at the hill of the foreskins. And this is the cause why Joshua did circumcise: All the people that came out of Egypt, that were males, even all the men of war, died in the wilderness by the way, after they came out of Egypt. Now all the people that came out were circumcised: but all the people that were born in the wilderness by the way as they came forth out of Egypt, them they had not circumcised." Joshua 5:2-5

There are times when you might wonder just what God is doing. Times when to the natural eye, it seems like God has brought you to a place where there is no possible way of escape. I can envision that this could have been one of those times for Israel. They had made it through the wilderness. They had made it across the Jordan. They were ready to fight, and God says to circumcise them.

Can you imagine being Israel at this point? Camped by Jericho, at the enemy's border, and God eliminates their ability to fight and defend themselves. Positioned right outside Jericho, they could have been taken out by the enemy at any given moment. Worse still, they had to stay there in that place of vulnerability until they had healed enough to move on.

Again, the natural man might say, "Um, God. Don't you think you should have circumcised us before we crossed the Jordan? I mean, why bring us right to the enemy and then place us in the most vulnerable state we could be in. We are like sitting ducks." Yet, this is exactly where God wanted them.

Many of us wonder what God is doing in our lives. We are in a position where it seems as if the devil can destroy us at a second's notice. Yet, this is also a place where we learn complete dependence upon God. If God does not stay the hand of the enemy, if God does not provide supernatural protection and provision, then we will be destroyed. The sheer circumstances of our situation are enough to compel us to seek God like we never have before, and it is from this place that we are given marching orders.

Remember, the harvest commences with the Passover, but continues to the coming of the Holy Ghost. In Acts 7:51, Stephen stated to the people, "Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye." Before we can engage in battle with the enemy, all resistance to the Holy Ghost must be removed. A circumcision of the heart will make us pliable to God and allow us to hear His words so that we can know what to do. It also eradicates any flesh that could contaminate His words of life as they come through us to reach the lost.

The world's image of the grim reaper has his sickle poised to destroy, but God has extended His hand to save. All God is looking for is a body that has been prepared to do His will; He is looking for laborers. The question is, who will sign up for the task?

For those who will, prepare for battle. Don't lose hope. Be strong and of good courage.

Spiritual Warfare Against Dark Spirits

2011-12-21T03:13:00.004-05:00

Artwork by JBarts.com. Please visit & support
this Christian artist.

The following message from Russ Dizdar of Shatter the Darkness is on how to walk in the freedom and power of Christ (and bring others to it). He reviews:

Demonic attacks can come from outside of a person. In such cases, we can stand on and speak the word of God against that oppression which often come in the form of involuntary feelings, thoughts, etc.
Uncontrolled anger can give the devil a legal foothold (an attachment) to latch on to a person and launch demonic attacks.
Another type of demonic influence is when demons possess a person. Only turning in faith to Christ can break such a hold in a person's life. God has given Christians the authority to bind and cast out those demons in the name of Jesus. Don't back away or back down from such manifestations.
The Book of Acts is the best end time training manual on how to deal with unclean spirits and lead others to Christ.
We are the midst of the largest wrapping up of manifest dark presence worldwide and biblical prophecy indicates that we must be fully sanctified to the Kingdom of God to wage war against it.

All believers must realize that there will be warfare coming your way. A Spirit-filled believer will come against demonic oppression in prayer and by exercising the spiritual authority God has given us against these forces.
To obtain and stay in freedom in Christ:

Surrender everything to Jesus.
Ask Jesus for deliverance.
Renounce all sin.
Command the demons to leave.
Ask to be (re)filled with the Holy Spirit.

Obedience is inseparable from real faith. So many Christians are leading a "spectator" Christian life by not putting into practice those things God says we should be doing. There is blessing and strength to be found in obeying the word of God.
Don't leave a new believer to themselves. God says that we are to "disciple" them.
Jesus came to destroy the devil's work. Is the power of the living Christ experienced - not just talked about - in your church? Power of God made manifest in worship, in winning souls, in having prayers answered, etc.
Believers have not been called to just go and study the Bible for ever. Study leads to obedience, to action, to good works that God has commanded us to do.

Search Me

2011-12-20T00:20:00.083-05:00

I watched someone recently try to present the Gospel to an unbeliever while at the same time reassuring them that they have no desire to "judge" them. "No, we are not supposed to judge", they said, "We are only supposed to present the Gospel."

It was torturous to see. They were trapped in a religious loop of trying to demonstrate the person's need for Jesus while at the same time not convicting of sin so as not to seem "judgmental".

People, the presence of sin is the very reason why we all need Jesus so desperately because it is such which separates us from God. We cannot separate salvation from the essence of that from which we are being saved (Romans Chapters 5-8). If we do not judge ourselves as sinners, then we will never see the need for Christ.

Even churchfolks these days are adopting a "You can't judge" stance, although such is completely unBiblical. The only reason others say, "You can't judge me." is because they assume that everyone else is a sinning hypocrite like themselves. And I am saying that with as much "love" as I can muster.

The heart of a true Christian is one who desires to be judged because they have a reverence for, and love of, the Lord; treasuring His ways above all else. As a result, they seek to be transparent before God and men.

"Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." Psalm 139: 23-24

"Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart." Psalm 26:2

"Thou hast proved mine heart; thou hast visited me in the night; thou hast tried me, and shalt find nothing; I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress." Psalm 17:3

"How many are mine iniquities and sins? Make me to know my transgression and my sin." Job 13:23

"For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried." Psalm 66:10

"Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?" II Corinthians 13:5

"Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD." Lamentations 3:40

I have said it before, but I'll say it again. There is no room in a Christian's life to be "offended". People feel so justified in being offended by others; holding on to hurts & grudges because of what they feel others have said or done. Yet God showed me many years ago that I have no right to be. If someone says something - and I am offended by it - then I should examine myself to see if there is even a grain a truth in that statement. If there is, then I need to repent plain and simple. If there is no truth in it, then there again is no cause for me to be offended.

In the Scriptures, there were two responses to Jesus when He preached the Good News: people were either offended by His words (and thereby rejected Him) or pricked to their hearts by them (and brought to repentance). Which boat would you rather be in?

I implore you to let the light of God's Holy Spirit search you out through and through. Don't hold back areas of your life from Him and don't be afraid for Him to put His finger on old wounds. He is doing so for our own good, to make us whole. He is the ultimate Healer and He restores our soul.

The following song by Brother Joe May is one of my favorites and is called "Search me Lord." I hope that it encourages you!

I Knew You

2011-12-18T00:05:00.003-05:00

The following is a message from Pastor Zac Poonen as he discusses what it means for God to have ordained not only the course of our lives, but even our very existence.

While this Scripture is a good reminder when we are in the midst of trials, what I love about the message is how Pastor Poonen addresses the human frailties we often let limit us with God. If God has called us, then He has indeed equipped us to do everything He sets before us. It is only when we look to our own strength that we feel weak and incapable for the task at hand.

It is also interesting to note that the process which is used to establish God's word in the nations is the same as what is used to establish God's word in our minds & hearts. Oftentimes, new Christians are not prepared for the extreme renovation which will occur in their inner man as they submit to Christ. In sin, our way of thinking, our feelings, and even our perceptions are largely defiled. We must learn to "pluck up, break down, destroy, overthrow" every old way so that the word of God can begin to "build and plant" a new and living way in our souls; it is how we are made new creatures in Christ. Yet even in this process, God has already ordained the path and is leading us towards victory...if we but follow Him.

The Lord called Jeremiah when he was a young man (Jeremiah 1:5, 6) and said to him, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you. Before you were born I consecrated you and appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

God knew Jeremiah even before his body was formed in his mother’s womb. There is a lot of dispute nowadays about whether an embryo is a human being or not. Here is a verse that should clear that doubt forever - because God says He knew Jeremiah before he was formed. When Jeremiah was a microscopic speck in his mother’s womb, God knew him and consecrated him to be a prophet.

That is a great encouragement for us - to know that God had His eye on us even when we were just microscopic specks just conceived in our mother’s wombs. He has a plan for our lives just as He had a plan for Jeremiah.

Just imagine, when Jeremiah went through all those difficulties, how this thought must have encouraged him: “I am facing a lot of difficulties right now. But God knew me when I was in my mother’s womb and He planned my life then. And that plan will be fulfilled. I am going to yield to God utterly.” All of us too should think about that whenever we face trials and difficulties. God chose you before you were born and His plan for your life will be fulfilled. So don’t ever get discouraged.

Then Jeremiah said, “Lord, I don’t know how to speak.” It is amazing how God picks up people to be prophets who are not good at public speaking. Moses was like that. He also said, “Lord, I am unable to speak publicly.” I want to encourage all of you. Don’t think that God cannot use you to preach His word just because you don’t have the ability to speak or the boldness to stand before people. The Lord said to Moses, “I made man’s mouth. Can’t I then make you speak?” If you allow God to break you and to fill you with His Holy Spirit, He can make you also His spokesman. It all depends on your walk with God.

I was a shy, self-conscious person as a young Christian. But when God anointed me with His Spirit, He began to speak through me. He can do the same with you. And one more thing: Don’t ever say to God, “Lord, I am so young.” If God calls you and consecrates you, your age won’t make any difference. You don’t have to wait until you are an old man before you start serving the Lord. As soon as you feel a burden in your heart, seek God to be filled with the Holy Spirit, and go forth and proclaim the word of God.

The Lord told Jeremiah, “Don’t say I am a youth, because everywhere I send you, you shall go, and all that I command you, you shall speak” (Jeremiah 1:7). And then the Lord spoke a word to him that He often spoke to His prophets: “Don’t be afraid, because I am with you to deliver you”(Jeremiah 1:8). One big advantage that all the true prophets had was this that the Lord was with them. Therefore they were not afraid of any man. That is the way we need to serve the Lord today as well. The Lord must be with us.

The Lord touched Jeremiah’s mouth and told him, “I have put My words in your mouth.” God did the same for Isaiah too. Notice then the ministry that the Lord gave Jeremiah. Six activities are mentioned here – plucking up, breaking down, destroying, overthrowing, building and planting (Jeremiah 1:10).

Four of these were negative and two - building and planting - were positive. Jeremiah had to tear down the old structure first and then put up God’s structure. That is not an easy thing to do. It is much easier to build a building on an empty plot of land.

Christendom today is in very similar condition to what Judah was in those days. There are huge religious structures in Christendom today that are contrary to the Word of God. A prophet who comes with God’s word to such a situation will have to first pluck up, break down, destroy and overthrow many things before he can build and plant something of eternal value. It is this initial work with the bulldozer that many preachers are unwilling to do. They seek to “stitch a patch of new cloth on an old garment”. But the Lord says, “No. You have to throw away the old garment. You have to destroy the old structure completely and start afresh with something completely new.” If you don’t do that, you will not be able to build what God wants you to build. The Lord went on to encourage Jeremiah saying, “They will fight against you, but they won’t overcome you, for I am with you” (Jeremiah 1:19).

Transition

2011-12-17T00:04:00.017-05:00

transition: movement, passage, or change from one position, state, stage, subject, concept, etc., to another; change.

Last Saturday night, I had a dream that Google suspended all of my accounts (Youtube, this Blog, etc.) due to content stating that homosexuality is a sin. In the dream, when I tried to reestablish the accounts, God told me not to. He said that it was time to "transition" to the next thing He had for me.

I can remember a time before when God told me that within a year I would no longer have the job I held. In response, I started training one of my team members to take over and manage the team. Six months later, I was laid off.

The funny thing is that, when I was first informed that I was being let go, I was momentarily stunned. As I started to question my supervisor, God spoke to me and said, "I told you that you were going to be out of this job." I then remembered the word of the Lord and had peace in that situation. Hopefully I have learned a little better since then how to hold on to God's words and not be moved by the things of this world (especially when He takes time to forewarn us).

God has not given me any time tables here, but if you attempt to pull up these sites at some point in the future, do not be surprised if they are no longer available. More importantly, and to the point of this post, be prepared for there to be much change and transition soon in your own lives. We certainly know that such is true just looking at the world's landscape to see how nations are changing. It is almost like the world is a huge powder keg and any one thing (among the many issues around at present) could ignite it.

I also believe change is coming to the lives of individual Christians as well. I am no fatalist, but I do believe the word of God. The things which are written in Scripture are for our admonition, edification, and enlightenment; even about the times in which we live. As mankind becomes more defiled in anticipation of receiving the world's king (the Anti-christ), surely the church is being prepared by God to be a great light in this darkness in anticipation of receiving our Great King, Jesus.

In the meantime, I'll continue to post on these accounts as God leads. Yet, it is only fitting that this blog would end over a topic which was the focus of the very first article posted over four years ago. Who says that God doesn't have a sense of humor?

If there is any word that I would give in this hour it is not to be complacent. Don't think that the way things are today will be the way they continue to be. Do not say to yourself, "I have time", and put off that which the Lord has been putting on your heart to submit to Him; tomorrow is not promised to anyone. Seek God to be ready for what is to come and inquire of Him to know the purposes He has for you at this time.

Maranatha!

WHAT Was Crucified at Calvary?

2011-12-16T00:11:00.110-05:00

The following sermon is from Pastor Gary C. Price and is called, "What Was Crucified at Calvary?"

We know that Jesus came as the second Adam to crucify the old sin nature which man was born with as a result of the fall. However, Scripture also makes plain what exemplifies that nature and Pastor Gary C. Price reviews these texts in order to show exactly what was crucified on the cross.

The forbidden fruit was a forbidden nature. Eve and Adam ingested the fruit or words of Satan and became a partaker of his defiled nature.
God's answer is to kill off that nature via crucifixion.
Religion creates a holding tank for you to indulge your lusts without being crucified. It was instituted by man to make him think he is serving God when he is not.
Most churchfolk are not saved; they are just churchfolk. The devil has learned the church game.
The way to be safe from deception is to know the real.
Satan couldn't come to the head (Adam) to deceive, so he used the weaker vessel (Eve) to destroy Godly headship. The devil can only rule through abdication by men.
The spiritual legacy birthed in the Garden of Eden (when Adam abdicated authority to Eve) can be seen historically throughout the Scriptures, culminating in the harlot and the beast we see in the book of Revelation.

Grace doesn't keep you in sin; grace pulls you out of sin.
The purpose of Jesus dying on the cross was not only for Him to die in your place, but to provide the means for taking you to the cross so that the old nature can be killed off.
After coming to the cross, we need to go through the cross.
The importance of Jesus' crucifixion was not horror of His death, but the miracle of His resurrection. Jesus is not presently dead; He is alive!
When you repeatedly expose yourself to a thing, you are programming your soul to be fed by the same.
Sin will "talk" to you, which is why we must cast down imaginations.
The law serves to show us how sinful we really are so that we will understand why we need Christ.
We can be set free when God renews our mind.
Don't go to church, become the church and then He can lead you to the fellowship He has for you.
The sin nature and the manifestation of its perverse spirit is what Jesus killed on the cross.
Religion uses spiritual sodomy (accessing you emotionally through your soul rather through your spirit) to keep you bound to the preacher in the pulpit and bound in sin.
The return of Godly character as reflected in fatherhood is what is needed for the church to be endowed with spiritual power and to set captives free.

Prayer for Others

2011-12-15T00:03:00.147-05:00

This last message in Min. David Pawson's series on prayer addresses praying for others or intercessory prayer.

When we intercede for others, we are completing a circuit between Heaven and earth for God's power to flow on that person's behalf.
Angels are also involved in the circle of power in intercessory prayer.
Why we pray for others. Our motives for prayer can get so mixed up that prayer can be perverted by self-interest.
We also must be careful not to pray at others due to self-righteousness. It can be easy to preach in our prayers at others who we feel are "not as spiritual" as ourselves.

SIDE NOTE: Min. Pawson addresses by way of example here someone who may be unequally yoked. He asks such persons to question the motives of their prayer for the unbelieving spouse. Is it because you want to be happy? Because you want to have a "Christian" marriage? Because you want things to be easier for you? Those are selfish motivations.

Once again, I can so testify to the truth of his words. Before my husband came to know the Lord, I prayed for him to be saved out of similar soulish motivations. God actually instructed me to stop praying for his salvation for some time while He worked on me in this area. Then, when God felt that I could offer that prayer from a pure heart (one more concerned about my husband's well-being than my own), he allowed (rather He commanded) me to cry out for my husband's salvation.

For those who are unequally yoked, Min. Pawson suggests that instead of praying for them to be changed, thank God for every good quality in the unbelieving spouse and pray for yourself to be changed. Make the focus of your prayer that God make you a better husband or wife. I think that is very sound advice.
Prayer is not a way to manipulate others or to get them to do what you want them to do (which is witchcraft by the way). Prayer does not force a situation, but it does reinforce what God is doing.
There are only two proper motives for praying for others: 1) The Glory of God; and 2) The good of the other person. To test your motives, ask yourself, "What would I be willing to lose to have my prayer answered?"
Who we should pray for. There are two groups of people there is no use in praying for:
- Those who have died. This is a pagan practice which has crept into Christianity. The decisive period in a man's life is between the cradle and the grave. We are judged for the things done "in the body". Prayers of the dead for us and our prayers for the dead are ruled out by the word of God.
- Christians who have so committed apostasy that they have committed the sin unto death. (I John 5:16).
Scriptures indicate that we should pray for the following:

Our enemies. Those who don't like us or those we don't like.
Workers for the Lord. Pray that there will be workers and pray that the same will be bold & given a door of utterance by the Lord.
Politicians and government leaders.
The physically sick.

Let the Lord lead you about whom to pray for.
Never say, "I'll pray for you." and then don't do so.
What we should pray for. What people want and what they need are two different things. Don't pray for the symptoms, but ask God for wisdom of the cause and pray for that.
When praying for someone else, you are to seek to pray for their highest good. This means that you might wind up praying for something that causes them pain or discomfort.
Ultimately, you need the Holy Spirit to reveal what should be prayed for others.
How we should pray for others. We can make our intercession effective by praying more deeply (qualitatively), not by praying for longer times or with more people (quantitatively).
Deep prayer costs the person who is praying something. The effectiveness of our prayer for someone else is in direct ratio to the cost. This is why Jesus said that certain demons can only out by prayer and fasting; there is a cost in self-denial.
Prayer can be even more effective with physical contact. Laying on of hands is not a symbol, it is a reality because power does flow through that way.
Just as virtue came out of Jesus when the woman touched the hem of His garment, real intercessory prayer will make you tired and take spiritual strength from you. This is why it is important to pray that we be continually filled.
When you ask in prayer for somebody else, be prepared for God to tell you to be the answer to the prayer. This is why each prayer of intercession should end with, "Lord, here am I."

Prayer By Myself

2011-12-14T00:05:00.032-05:00

A message from Min. David Pawson on the importance of secret prayer, praying by one's self.

The secret of religion is religion in secret.
In theory, having a secret life of prayer should be the easiest thing to do.
By nature we are blind and deaf to the Lord and we must learn to communicate without relying on our senses.
In most things that we learn, we have to learn them as a duty before they become a delight.
Let your feelings be hooked unto your faith; don't let your faith be hooked unto your feelings.
When we persist in prayer out of love & obedience to God, we can come to the point where hindsight proves He was there all along.
The more relaxed with, and related to, God we are in prayer, the more we are aware of His presence in the spirit.
If you are having issues with being aware of the presence of God when you pray, ask Him to fill you with His Spirit.
There is a level of prayer which is not limited by bodily senses or mental deduction, but is made real by spiritual awareness.

Prayer With the Saints

2011-12-13T00:03:00.097-05:00

The following message is from Min. David Pawson's series on prayer and addresses corporate prayer:

There is no such thing as private prayer for a Christian. The very minimum in prayer for a Christian is four: Father, Son, Spirit, and yourself.
Once you become a Christian you cease to be an individual and you become a member of the Body of Christ. (Isn't that wonderful?! People spend all of their lives trying not to be alone and in Christ we never have to be, even is no one else is physically with us.)
This is why Jesus said that when we enter into our prayer closet to pray to the Father in secret say, "OUR Father..."; "give US..."; "lead US"; and "deliver US". (Matthew 6:6-13)
All prayer is therefore corporate prayer, even when you are physically alone. Yet, it is also important to pray together with other Christians.
There is a Biblical basis for praying together. In the Gospels, Acts, the Epistles, and Revelation, there is more about praying with the saints than praying by yourself. The promises in the Gospels are nearly all to people praying together. The practice in Acts is nearly always praying to together. The precepts in the Epistles are nearly always about praying together. The predictions in Revelation are about people praying together.

The added advantages of praying together.

Being able to obtain the promises Jesus made about corporate prayer
It empowers the presence & work of the Holy Spirit for infilling believers and converting the lost.
It makes God's will more easily accessible & plain.
It provides security & support for members of the Body of Christ.
It turns prayer into a school for learning prayer.
It turns prayer into a fireplace.
It turns prayer into a powerhouse.

The practical problems of praying together.

Those who remain silent. Everyone should be ready to pray when we come together to prayer.
Those who are inaudible. Make sure that you speak so that others can hear and then share in your prayers.
An individual's lengthy prayer. The deepest prayer is not based upon being long, but sincere.
Stereotyped prayers, those who pray the same thing all the time.
People who pray in public as if they were alone, being preoccupied with ourselves and our own problems.
The issue of discontinuity. The Lord flows in a prayer group and has a pattern which He fits together. We should be sensitive to the Spirit about not only what to say, but when to say it.

The concentric circles of praying together.

Two or three believers together, even just a husband and wife together.
Prayer meeting of perhaps 10-100 believers.
Prayer during public services.

God's blessing on corporate prayer is a reflection of His being a Father. God doesn't want to just fill individuals with His Spirit, but His Body, His family.

Prayer Without Hindrances

2011-12-12T00:04:00.038-05:00

The following message from Min. David Pawson addresses how to pray with hindrances. I have been blessed by all of these messages, but especially this one. I hope you can take some time to listen.

For months Job wasn't getting through to God and he believed that he was in the right and that God was in the wrong in letting him suffer. When you don't get any answers from God, stop arguing with Him and you might find that He can then bless you.
Many of the difficulties we have in prayer are of our own making.
There is one basic problem in prayer: unanswered prayer. Not that you don't get what you ask, but you don't get any reply; when the Heavens feel like brass. All other issues in prayer are related to this.
Psalms is filled with such phrases as: "Answer me...Incline your ear...Hear my prayer....Hear my cry!"

There are five major causes of this problem:

You're not right with God - Your feelings about God may be wrong (you may be sinning against Him in attitude) or God's feelings about you may be wrong (you may be sinning against Him in action).
You're not right with other people - God says that if husbands do not treat their wives right, their prayers will not even be heard, let alone answered (I Peter 3:7). Sometimes the issue is that you have not forgiven others for what they have done to you. When others do not forgive you, that can be a blockage to your own prayers (Matthew 5:23-24).

SIDE NOTE: I just want to inject something about this last point. About 2 years ago, there was a misunderstanding between me and a sister in the Lord. She mistakenly believed that I had ignored several communications from her and therefore broke off all interaction with me. In my heart, this was just fine with me because I simply didn't need the extra drama in my life. Well, God brought me to Matthew 5:23-24, and boy it was a hard pill for me to swallow. I had to reread the text several times, but there was no escaping God's command.

I didn't understand why "I" had to go and try to be reconciled with this person when I had done nothing wrong. The problem was of her own making, in her own mind. Yet, every time I went to pray, I would get a brick wall from God and He would bring her to my mind. I literally could not pray! I could either pretend to pray & ignore the fact that God wasn't listening or I could go attempt reconciliation with this woman.

So I reached out to the woman once more and apologized if I had done or said anything to offend her. In the course of the conversation, she found my previous responses to her inquiries and realized that the error had been hers. This woman then broke down in repentance to God and began to cry, telling me how she had suffered from rejection all of her life. Anytime she felt someone was rejecting her, she would become angry and all of the pain would surface again. She said that she realized now how blinded she had become because of that spirit and how she knew she needed to seek God for deliverance from it.

I was dumbstruck. All I could think about before was myself; how it wasn't fair for me to have to extend the olive branch since I hadn't wronged her. Yet God was teaching me a lesson in humility by taking the wrong, even if undeserved. It was the opportunity for me to deny myself that I was resisting. Too often, we allow ourselves to be puffed up in our sense of being "right" and it becomes an obstacle in our relationship with others (and God). Listening to this woman pour out her heart, I was so ashamed of myself and I repented as well for my self-righteous pride.

Matthew 5:23-24 makes it clear that God often expects us to initiate reconciliation with our brothers and sisters, even if the cause for the discord was not of our own doing. In God's economy, it matters not whether we are "in the right" because none of us are "right" when compared to Him. Don't be too proud to humble yourself by seeking reconciliation when He brings such individuals to your heart & mind, for such will hinder your prayers to God.
You're not right with yourself - Getting on my knees doesn't change me. The problems we have in other areas of life can carry over into our prayer life. If we are undisciplined in regular life, then we will be undisciplined in prayer. If we seek mere entertainment in other areas of life, then we will lack concentration in our prayer life.

Another hindrance to prayer can be Satan, who deliberately tries to discourage even the smallest Christian from prayer. Satan has at his command legions of angels & demons; intelligent, supernatural beings who are highly organized and charged to get in the way of prayer. In such cases, you need to pray against Satan in the name & blood of Jesus.
The last hindrance is that God may be deliberately not replying because He wants you to move up and grow in the school of prayer.
I CAN succeed in prayer. Many people fail because they expect to. The Holy Spirit wants to help you to succeed in prayer.
I WILL succeed in prayer. You must set your will not to be deterred.

Prayer Through the Son

2011-12-11T00:01:00.174-05:00

The following message from Min. David Pawson is about how we are to pray to the Father through His Son Jesus Christ:

Christians are the only ones who can call God Father.
Christian prayer cannot mix with any other type of prayer because it is not like any other type of prayer.
The main difference between religion and Christianity is Jesus Christ. Because of this, Christians have five things in prayer that no one else has:

The teachings of Christ for our prayer
The example of Christ to follow in our prayer
The blood of Christ to plead in our prayer
The intercession of Christ to rely upon with our prayer
The name of Christ to use during our prayer

Jesus taught the disciples how to pray as well as what to pray.
In terms of how to pray, Jesus taught:

Pray with sincerity.
Pray with simplicity.
Pray with humility.
Pray with tenacity.
Pray with intensity.
Pray with charity.
Pray with unanimity.

In terms of what to pray, Jesus taught that we should pray for others:

Pray for the sick.
Pray for those who are possessed with devils.
Pray for missionaries, laborers in the field.
Pray for your enemies.
Pray for yourself; for forgiveness and for guidance.
Pray when you are tempted.
Pray for Holy Spirit power.
Pray for God's will to be done.

Jesus also gave us an example of how to pray

Jesus prayed when He was in a big conflict or had to make a big decision.
Jesus prayed before choosing His Apostles.
Jesus prayed at all the crisis and big moments in His life.
Jesus prayed when his was full of emotion. He learned to control His emotions through prayer and to hand His feelings over to God in prayer.
Jesus prayed when He was being pressed in, either in a crowd or very busy.
Jesus prayed when He was about to perform a miracle. He knew that power was about to go out of Him and He would need a supply of Heavenly resources.

Jesus' life was truly one of prayer; not of a regular alarm clock pattern, but a way of life.
When He could, Jesus would get away from people to pray.
Jesus prayed for other people's sakes.
Jesus prayed for the Father's sake.
Jesus also prayed for His own sake.
John Chapter 17 is the one whole prayer recorded of Jesus. He is concerned with only two things: 1) the glory of His Father, and 2) the growth of His followers.
Man is simply not fit on his own to go before God and ask Him anything because of sin. It is the blood of Jesus which cleanses us from all sin and makes us acceptable to God.
Christian prayer also brings you into the realm of Heavenly places where also evil dwells. The blood of Jesus also has power to keep evil at bay while you pray and battle through.
We also have the intercession of Jesus on our behalf who prays for us continually & always; even when no one else is.
Jesus prays with tremendous sympathy towards us.
The night before Jesus died, the whole course of prayer was changed as He said the same thing five times:

"And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it...If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you....Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you...And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full." John 14:13-14; 15:7, 16:23-24
When Jesus said that we should pray in His name He meant that we have the ability to seek His approval or signature upon our petitions, which assures that our petition will be accepted by the Father.
When we pray through Jesus, we are not just praying through a sympathetic man; we are praying directly to the Godhead, for He is the Son of God and God Himself.

Prayer in the Spirit

2011-12-10T00:03:00.039-05:00

So many people do not understand what it means to pray in the Spirit. This message from Min. David Pawson breaks this down from the Scriptures.

Prayer is not a natural thing to the flesh and we don't know how to pray as we ought.
One of the main functions of the Holy Spirit is to help us in how to pray.
Praying in the Spirit is an added dimension to all prayer and supplication.
The Holy Spirit is the divine letter writer; He takes what we want to say but cannot express or put to words and gets it out on our behalf.
Prayer in the Spirit has two distinct aspects:

The Holy Spirit takes over your mind, giving you the right thoughts, which you have the responsibility to express.
The Holy Spirit does not use your mind at all, but takes over your mouth, and it is your responsibility to move your mouth and tongue.

Both of these kinds of prayer are praying in the Spirit.

Without praying in the Spirit, you are simply telling God what you want or what you feel is needed; it is coming from your mind and can be offered through Jesus to God.
When praying in the Spirit, the Holy Spirit is giving you the exact words to pray; by either taking over your mind to give you the thoughts to express or bypassing your mind & taking over your mouth to provide the actual words to pray.
In both cases, the Holy Spirit does not pray for you, but He is helping you to pray with your infirmity.
The problems we have with prayer are precisely the areas where the Holy Spirit can help us:

Our Hearts -We don't have a strong enough desire to pray.
Our Minds - Wandering thoughts and concentration.
Our Wills - Sheer discipline.

When someone is praying in the Spirit, you can be assured of three things:

You can pray the will of God
The Glory of Jesus will be in the prayer
Echoes of God's word will be in the prayer

Praying in the Spirit when the Holy Spirit takes over our mouths (the understanding is unfruitful, I Corinthians 14:14) may sound like groans at times or may be the Spirit expressing words in any language He knows.
The word translated tongues in many Bibles simply means "languages".
The devil hates this type of prayer because he knows that it sets people free in prayer and because he knows every word of that prayer will be just right.
To turn people off from receiving this gift, Satan will make people fanatical about it so as to put others off, will claim that you don't need it, or say it is only for some. It is the first gift God gave to His Church.
It is a type of prayer addressed to God and its primary use is private prayer. This was the secret of Paul's power.
All we have to do is ask and receive to obtain this gift. There is also an act of surrender involved in receiving it.

Praying Against the Devil

2011-12-09T00:01:00.072-05:00

Another message in Min. David Pawson's series on prayer. This message deals with praying against the devil.

Sometimes it is harder to pray as a Christian than as an unbeliever.
Satan hates Christian prayer because that is what affects him.
Don't underestimate the devil and don't treat him as a joke.
Never pray against people because we war not against flesh & blood.
The Bible does not portray the devil as a horned creature with a forked tail.
The Bible portrays the devil as a real person with a heart, mind, and will; he is not simply a generic force of evil.
Every rebellion against God can be traced back to one motive: the desire to say "mine" (of ourselves) instead of "Thine" (of God).
Satan is the god of this world, and he is the one most people in the world worship...whether they know it or not.
God allows Satan to be the god of this world., because He gives His creation freedom to rebel.
A true Christian takes the devil very seriously.

The two books of the Bible the devil hates most are Genesis (which describes his devices) & Revelation (which describes his doom).
Satan is already a defeated foe. If he gets hold of you, call his bluff!
Satan's territory lies between me & Heaven and I have to break through enemy territory to communicate. So the devil will try to either stop you or spoil your prayer.
Prayer is often the power of mind over mattress.
The most valuable prayer can be when you don't "feel" like it, when you're having to battle to do it, or when your mind is confused.
Satan will even try to spoil your prayer once you have started by getting you unbalanced in your prayer life.
We can lay the devil flat in prayer. We are commanded in the New Testament to take the initiative against him.
Jesus told us to pray about the devil every day by asking the Father to deliver us from the evil one.
The devil can do the following to man, but prayer can deliver men from these devices:

Bind people's bodies in sickness.
Blind people's minds.
Can capture the spirits of men and imprison them in religion.

By prayer and through the blood of Jesus we can bind the strongman and then spoil his goods.
Prayer is a battle to get to the front line. It is like wrestling and at times may feel like a hand to hand combat where evil is so close you can almost touch it.
In prayer, a Christian must be properly dressed in the whole armor of God.
The sword of the Spirit is not the whole Bible, but is the word which God's Spirit puts in your mouth to speak (a rhema word) in specific situations.
More than anything else, Satan hates the name of Jesus because it is the name above all names.
Pray that the blood of Jesus will protect and enlarge the work of the church globally to the glory of God. Pray against Satan who is attacking members of the church to try and lay them low, confuse their minds, or give them a substitute of religion. And pray that God deliver us from the evil one.

Praying to God

2011-12-08T19:54:00.001-05:00

A message from Min. David Pawson about prayer to the Father.

For a Christian, prayer is never private.
For a Christian, prayer is not meditation, but conversation.
Prayer is simple. It is a child telling his Father what he needs.
Prayer is a privilege.
Our goal should be to develop a relationship with God and not ritual for God via prayer.
For many, prayer is a matter of fortune; but for Christians it is a matter of faith.
Seven requirements for praying in faith:

I must believe that God is there. The Bible is indifferent to whether you "feel" He is there or not, but you must have faith.
I must believe that God is personal; that He is someone and not something.
I must believe that God hears me.
I must believe that God will listen to my prayer.
I must believe that God will reply.
I must believe that God can act and that prayer can changes things as well as people.
I must believe that God will give what we ask for.

Don't try and "feel" your faith.
Don't try and force your faith.
Stimulate your faith by listening to other answers to prayer and reading the Bible.
Stretch your faith by praying within your faith.
Your faith needs to meet God's Fatherhood.

Evolution & the New World Order

2011-12-07T00:54:00.000-05:00

Message by Pastor Mike Hoggard about the religion of evolution and its impact on the future of mankind. By way of background, Pastor Mike goes into more detail about occult efforts at genetic evolution in the message The Mother of All Secrets.

Is evolution supported in Scripture?
People prefer to believe in evolution because it lets them believe that there is no God.
God created all things for His pleasure and through the born again process, God recreates man for His pleasure.
The "science" of evolution is in actuality mysticism and religion.
Evolution is not about where we came from in the minds of its promoters, but where we are going.
H.P. Blavatsky taught that "ascended masters" were responsible for man's evolution and will come down from Heaven once more to guide mankind into a phase of divine living: godhood.
The serpent planted his corrupt seed and defiled man's genetic make-up by the words (seed) he spoke to Eve.
Jesus says that in the day of His return, it will be like the days of Noah. This references the devolution of man which - as a result of this mixing with the seed of man (Genesis 6: 2-4; Daniel 4:23) - leads him to turn away from God's truth, prompting God to give man over to a reprobate mind (II Thessalonians 2:11-12).

For the sake of those new to the site, I will mention that I am not a KJV-only proponent.

Prayer of Deliverance

2011-12-06T06:51:00.006-05:00

From the Sodomite Spirit

"This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves..." II Timothy 3:1-2a

Most people, including most church people, do not truly understand why we need to be born again. They know THAT we have to be born again, but they don't know WHY.

The truth is that fallen man in his natural state possesses the spirit of a sodomite. It is a selfish spirit which only loves itself. This is not about sexual acts. The act of homosexuality is merely the outward manifestation of self-love; being so in love with yourself that you can only join with that which is just like yourself. What I am speaking of is the nature of a sodomite. One can possess the nature of a sodomite and never engage in homosexual activity.

In the previous article series. "Turning the World Upside Down", we outlined from the Scriptures how the natural state of fallen man is that of a sodomite because a sodomite is merely one who is self-centered.

Fallen man is "upside down", preventing him from receiving that which is upright.
The upside down nature is due to man's soul being inverted, which causes him to be led by his 5 carnal senses instead of the Spirit of God.
Having been forged to be "earthly, sensual, and devilish" through the wisdom of this world, fallen man is inwardly the opposite of what he was created to be; just like Satan.
This leads man to reject God's established order for mankind. A man cannot take his rightful place in society/home because he has been perverted inwardly to be feminine. A woman cannot take her rightful place in society/home because she has been perverted inwardly to be masculine. In this spirit, men are transformed into something weak & emaciated while women are transformed into being butch and aggressive.
With an inverted soul that can only focus inwardly, fallen man worships his own self and is consumed with self-seeking endeavors.
This results in there being only two types of persons in the world: fallen man (the sodomites) and redeemed man (the saints). Again, this is not about sexual acts, by the actual spirit in man.
The Anti-Christ himself will be the epitome of this sodomite nature and Satan is working now to mold the entire world by that spirit so that they may receive his appointed king.

This is why man must be born again, regenerated.

God cannot reason with the Adamic nature, cannot show it enough love to get it to change, nor can He dress it up in the hopes that a covering of 'good works' will make it acceptable. That nature must be killed, which is what Jesus did on the cross as the last Adam (I Corinthians 15:45). Having it crucified in Christ gives us the power to be free from that spirit.

This spirit, the spirit in fallen man, is the root of all problems in the world and in the church. God is calling upon His people to be converted in the inner man in order to stand against this spirit and set captives free.

The following video is a prayer for deliverance from the influences of this sodomite spirit by the Omega Church & Ministries Center. It is part of a larger message entitled, "A Microscopic Examination of the Homosexual Spirit." (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3)

One final note. There are any number of topics addressed on this blog, yet when it comes to homosexuality, I often get questions/comments about whether this topic is discussed "too much". I wonder if people came up to John the Baptist and asked him why he preached so much on repentance since there were so many other aspects of the Gospel worth noting and teaching? Certainly his answer would be that he preached what the Spirit of God led him to preach.

May the following prayer be a blessing to you and break asunder the bands of wickedness which so easily beset man in these evil days.

Don't Believe the Devil

2011-12-04T17:59:00.001-05:00

He's a Liar!

"(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." II Corinthians 10:4-5

You would think that the statement, "Don't believe the devil!" is a no-brainer. I mean, it is common sense, right? Who in their right mind would believe such a liar? Yet, many times we do just that. We let his lies permeate our souls, distort our reality, and disempower us for the Kingdom of God.

Years ago while I was pregnant with my first child, I had a car accident while on the way to church. I somehow mis-steered a turn and wound up crashing into a tree at the front of our subdivision. I seemed to black out for a minute or so, but when I came to, immediately Satan said to me, "You had better not go back to that church again. If you do I will kill you."

So, I didn't go back...at least not for a while. I determined that I could find another church which was preaching the truth. However, this never happened because that had been the church God intended for me. So instead, I found myself drifting further and further away from the Lord, becoming increasingly discouraged.

A few years later, a sister in that church called to invite me to a women's retreat. I knew that I had to go. If the Lord still wanted me, then I had to run back to Him. It was at this time that God really began dealing with me about the idol I had made of my marriage. He told me that I could not have my idol and Him, only one or the other; I had to make a choice. By the time of the retreat, I was ready to set aside all to truly attain the fullness of Christ.

Coming to the retreat, I was really at a place of brokenness. There was plenty of opportunity for fellowship, but I was communing with God in my own heart and needed this time with Him alone so that He could begin to heal & strengthen me.   Therefore, I sought out such times during the retreat.

At one such time, I was washing the lunch dishes in the kitchen when my pastor came up to me.

"Where have you been?" he asked.

I answered, "No where."

"Then why did you stop coming to church?" he asked.

I told him about the car accident and stated, "The devil said he would kill me if I came back."

At this, my pastor chuckled almost with incredulity and stated, "And you believed him???!!!"

At first, that statement pretty much stomped me. What did he mean, "And I believed him?" Of course I hadn't wanted to believe the devil, but Satan had actually said what I stated.   What had my pastor expected me to do? Why is he reacting like I did something wrong? Couldn't he see that I was the victim in this instance?

Then it hit me. By heeding the voice of the devil I was in all actuality placing my faith in him! At the time of the accident, it had never dawned on me that I had a choice whether to believe the devil or not. The devil said it, and I believed it. More importantly, I hadn't realized that in doing so, I had fallen short of my God-given responsibility not to believe him (II Corinthians 10:3-6).

"Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?" Romans 6:16

When we choose to believe ~~the words~~ or rather the LIES of the devil, we are simultaneously denying the words of God.

If Satan says my life is in his hands - and I believe him - then I am denying that my life is in God's hands.
If Satan says I will never be free - and I believe him - then I am expressing disbelief about whether Jesus really makes me free.
If Satan says that I will always be the same old lust-filled sinner that I was - and I believe him - then I am doubting whether I am a new creature in Christ.

Can you see how it is impossible to have true faith in God while at the same time believing that which is against His word? We might as well boldly proclaim, "I believe YOU devil over God!"

Did I know that Satan was the father of lies? Yes. Did I know that Jesus is the Truth? Yes. But when Satan whispered those lies in my ear, I drank them down because of the fear they inspired (I Kings 19:2-3). Instead of holding onto my shield of faith in God's words which would quench the fiery darts of the enemy, I allowed those lies to take root in my soul and they began to strangle off the word of God in my spirit (Mark 4:15).

I was not the victim in that situation. I was simply someone who did not exercise the spiritual authority I had been given. As soon as I heeded Satan's words, I began to believe the lie that I was defenseless against him.

How is it that we - who have been made victors in Christ - find ourselves as victim to His enemy? Because we do not take to heart the fact that we are in a spiritual war and as a result we do not fight. The war does not end when we get saved, rather that is when it begins. It is not until we answer the call of Christ that we become soldiers (II Timothy 2:4). When Satan comes against us with his lies, we can hold up our shields to deflect his attacks, but we must also go on the offensive with the truth (our sword of the Spirit). This is what Jesus did when He was tempted in the wilderness. Every lie that Satan spoke, Jesus countered with the truth. If we do not follow Jesus' example, then we will fall prey to deception.

Although I knew that it was Satan speaking these words to me, many people - including Christians - cannot distinguish God's voice, from Satan's voice, from the voice of their own flesh. They mistakenly believe that every voice they here, every thought they have, is their own. Yet clearly Scripture shows that even followers of Christ must be on guard against thoughts, imaginations, and lofty ideas which are inspired by none other than Satan himself.

When Jesus was sharing with His disciples about His upcoming death, Peter actually began to argue against Jesus. What was Jesus' response? "Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men." (Matthew 16:23)

Clearly Jesus was directing His words to Satan here, for He says so explicitly. However, this was not some general rebuke to Satan somewhere in the air. Satan was expressing himself through Peter, and as such Jesus was addressing Satan by Peter. Since Jesus had spiritual eyes to see, He knew that Peter's words were not his own, but were the words of Satan. Peter on the other hand seemed oblivious to that fact.

In another situation, James & John asked if they should call down fire on those who rejected Jesus. He replied stating, "Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of." (Luke 9:55) Again, we see that followers of Jesus are being inspired by a spirit that is unclean and demonic. Worse, they did not seem to know at all what was the inspiration behind these thoughts, assuming that the thoughts were their own and perhaps even Godly.

Clearly God expects us to be able to discern the difference between all of the voices we can hear crying out to us in this world. Our ears must be exercised spiritually to distinguish them so that we can cleave to that which is of the Lord and reject all else. Otherwise, how will we know what needs to be pulled down, cast down, and brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ?

We must do more than know that, "The devil is a liar." We must be spiritually discerning at all times so as to guard our minds against such attacks; for that is where the battle is. The battle is in the mind.

The following article entitled, "The Battlefield of the Mind" by Min. Derek Prince is a good resource on this topic.

The sermon below, "What Happened on Skull Mountain" by Pastor Gary C. Price goes into detail about why the battle we face is in the mind and how we overcome all obstacles to obtain a renewed mind.

Set Apart Femininity

2011-12-03T20:27:00.001-05:00

"What is the secret to great living? Entire separation to Christ and devotion to Him. Thus speaks every man and woman whose life has made more than a passing flicker in the spiritual realm. It is the life that has no time for trifling that counts." Amy Carmichael

We spoke before about the need for a return to virtuous womanhood in the way we raise our daughters, but the following message is something which every young girl should hear. This message, "Set Apart Femininity" is from Leslie Ludy of Set Apart Girl as she talks about the importance for young girls to understand what it means to be set apart for Jesus Christ.

This is an important & precious message for both young and older women alike!

It is very easy in American culture - even for Christian young women - to get caught up in trivial pursuits that are not of eternal value.
You can grow up in a Christian home, know all the right "Christian" answers, look like the perfect "Christian" girl, and still have a life that is all about you.
The question in true Christianity is not, "How far can I go to the edge of the cliff before it is considered sin?" It is, "How far can I go to glorify God, bring honor to His name, get closer to Him, and let others see His life through me?"

Until Jesus is the center of our existence and we become passionate about Him as our first love, then our lives will never work.
For many people, the reason we do not feel close to God is because we are not searching for Him with our whole hearts.
Often Christians don't radiate the beauty of Heaven because we are clinging to things in the world.
The secret for two people growing together for a lifetime (in marriage) is that they both put Christ first and above all else in their lives. They are more in love with Jesus Christ than even with each other.
You must come to the altar for yourself and surrender your life to Christ before you can grasp real Christianity.

The beauty of this world is fleeting. Yet when Jesus' beauty is seen in us, then that inner beauty will always appear outwardly to others.
Jesus wants to have with you the truest love story of all time and to be your first love in a very practical sense. An earthly love story should be the outflow of your intimate love relationship with Jesus Christ, not a replacement for it.
God is not primarily interested in our "happiness", but in making us vessels for His glory & honor...which in turn leads to a very fulfilled life.
If you are fully yielded to Jesus Christ, God can change the world through you!
You can choose today to walk a different path then what you have gone on before and really follow Christ.
There are four ways to cultivate true beauty in your life:

Exchange selfishness for selflessness. Any focus on self is sin. Humanism says, "The end of everything is our happiness."; but Christianity says, "The end of everything is the glory of God." The secret to overcoming anxiety, depression, etc. is to focus on being Jesus' hands & feet to others. We are meant to have control over our own emotions. Emotions should never control us or be used to control others.
Guard your feminine mystique. In other words, loving what God loves and hating what God hates by preserving the things which are sacred to God. In the world, girls are being taught to flaunt everything and let the most private aspects of their lives be put out on public display. In this way, a young girl robs the guy of his masculinity; as a result, he will not rise up to be the leader and protector you have dreamed of because you have given him nothing to protect. We must remember to guard the "hidden man of the heart" (I Peter 3:3-4); which refers to the secret, intimate parts of who we are.
Celebrate God's fingerprints in your life. God has an incredible purpose for singleness; it is not a "holding pattern" for marriage. Remember and be grateful for the blessings God is providing in your life now as supposed to thinking that your life for God will not start until some later time. Cultivate a beautiful prayer life with God now so that You can focus on His will for you.
Embrace forgiveness. There will be a blockage of Christ's beauty in your life if there is unforgiveness in your heart. Don't focus on the other person's offenses; focus on what Christ did for you on the cross when you were wretched, miserable, hopeless, and undeserving. It makes forgiveness a lot easier. Take the step of obedience to God in giving forgiveness and God will take care of the rest.

Being set apart for Jesus Christ means radical change in your life; a step of abandonment to Christ. You will be a living sacrifice and bond servant to Jesus every moment of every day.
It doesn't matter if you haven't been set apart before or have made many mistakes. You are never more ready to be set apart then when you are broken, empty, and completely inadequate in & of yourself. Those who are forgiven much, love much.
Our relationship with Christ is not separate from the other areas of our lives. The areas we try to keep held back from God are usually the areas where there are idols.
Worldly entertainment is a counterfeit to the true refreshing we can have in the presence of the Lord.
If you are comfortable engaging in the world to such an extent that you are mixing the sacred with the profane (or are not even bothered by the profane), then your heart is not marked by the purity of Heaven.

The Problem Is

2011-11-30T13:58:00.016-05:00

You Think That Is Love

"Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful." Proverbs 27:6

When someone says, "I can't live without you. You are my everything."...

When people appear caught up in what you say, what you do, and what you are going through...

When acquaintances prefer to tell you 'smooth things' rather than hurt your feelings with the truth...

When a person gives you what you want and appears to deny you nothing...

When others pay attention to you and seem to make you the center of their world...

When folks only applaud you and never tell you that you're wrong...

You think THAT is love; but it is not.

Love is the equivalent of selflessness. In a nutshell, that means it is not about us; not what we want, what we feel, nor what we think. Love is not the result of how others interact with us. It is the result of how we commit our ways to the Lord.

Since God is love, this tells us that God is the standard for determining what "love" is. It is not based in emotions or performance; it is an act of the will. This is why Jesus could say that if we love Him, we will keep His commandments (John 14:15). It is even how we will be able to love our enemies (Luke 6:27).

If the presence of love was dependent upon friendly relations, good feelings, or even mutual respect, then Jesus would never have died on the cross. Yet, Christ died for us when we were all His enemies; and the motivation for that sacrifice was love.

We hated Him, but He died for us. We spit in His face, but He gave His all for us. We chose to fellowship with murderers and thieves over Him, but He laid down everything for us. We betrayed Him even after pledging our loyalty to Him, but He suffered death on the cross for us. No matter how we despised Him, He would not be moved from doing as His Father commanded. That is love.

It "feels" good to have people all wrapped up in us and going out of their way to be sure we are okay. It "feels" good to have people flatter and praise us as being such good persons. It "feels" good to have people validate what we think and never challenge those beliefs with truth. It "feels" good for people to be tolerant and accepting of our life choices and never say that some of them are wrong. In such things, we fashion ourselves into a god, becoming our own standard for what is good and evil (Genesis 3:5). But that is not love!

This is why Proverbs 27:6 says that the "wounds" of a friend are faithful while the "kisses" of an enemy are deceitful. Someone who really loves you is not there to be your "yes man", but to help you obtain all that God has for you in developing the Godly character reflected in His Son...even if it hurts along the way.

If we deceive ourselves by thinking that "love" is based on what makes us feel good or what is pleasing to the flesh, then we will never be able to receive nor understand the love of God. We will remain stagnant in our lives and in our relationship with Him. We might even perceive God's love as being unloving.

In the world, "love" is all about ME (need ME, want ME, love ME) because natural man instinctively gravitates to that which is comfortable. As a result, we tend to draw back from correction and hardships; but such is the only way we can grow. And Scripture says that only a true friend would care enough to provide that type of influence in our lives (Proverbs 27:6).

"As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent." Revelation 3:19

We must get used to seeing love as God does. The true test for love is not that it gives us the warm and fuzzies, but that it propels us towards God through obedience to His word. The love of God may not always feel good to our flesh, but it is always for our good.

In His love, He is molding us into the image of His Son so that others can see His Son in us.