Religious, Not Spiritual

The following message is from Pastor Zac Poonen.
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Three Examples of Men Who Were Religious but Not Spiritual 

Jude speaks in his epistle of three people who were religious, but not spiritual - Cain, Balaam and Korah (Jude 11). Let us consider them one by one.

1. CAIN

Cain was not a godless man. He was a deeply religious man who believed in offering sacrifices to God (Gen. 4:3). Abel also offered sacrifices to God. But the difference between the two sacrifices and between Cain and Abel was the difference between hell and heaven, the difference between religiosity and spirituality. Cain and Abel symbolise two ways in which people have trodden - the way of religiosity and the way of spirituality. Cain is a type of those who offer external things to God - money, services, time, etc. Abel, on the other hand, symbolically laid himself on the altar when he killed the lamb and laid it on the altar.

Religious people can give gifts, pray, and do many good works - but they do not understand what it is to offer themselves. They may pay their tithes exactly, but they will not put their self to death in the moments of temptation. That is the difference between the old and the new covenants. You could enter the old covenant without dying to self. But it is impossible to enter the new covenant without dying to self. Jesus did not come to offer tithes, but to give Himself as an offering acceptable and well-pleasing to God. Cain and Abel symbolise the broad and narrow ways of approaching God - the way of religiosity and the way of true spirituality. You can be a servant without death to self. But you cannot be a son without it.

I Found the Answer

Verse 1
I was weak and weary, I had gone astray,
walking in the darkness, I could not find my way.
Then a light came shining to lead me from despair,
made all my sins forgiven, and I was free from care.

Chorus
I found the answer, I learned to pray,
oh with faith to guide me, I've found the way.
The sun is shining for me each day,
I found the answer, and I learned to pray.

From the Mouths of Babes

"And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?" Matthew 21:16

Lord, I pray for young Jayna who is featured in this video below.  I pray for all young people, who have been blessed by You with undeniable gifts.  Let them understand that the gifts of the Lord are given without repentance...but that they are given for Your glory alone (Romans 11:29; Matthew 25:14-30).  It does not take long for Satan to try and put out the light in our young people or to send the world (including religion) to try and pervert/misuse their talents.  Please give these younger generations Godly wisdom Lord, so that even as the world may try to lift them up in pride for Satan's purposes, that they will remain in humble appreciation of the Master who has so blessed them.

Father, even the most precious gift is but a ring in a pig's snout if it is misappropriated for our own use instead of Yours (Proverbs 11:22).  It is time Jesus for a Godly heritage in the Lord to be seen in the earth, and quite honestly Lord, I am sick of the "church" pimping our young people.  I am not speaking God about this particular young lady, but in general.  The church should not be our ticket into the world as exemplified by many "Christian" artists today.  Lord, I am asking for a Godly standard to be seen, for pure praise to come forth, for coming generations to be saved and not turned out to be abused by the world.  I am asking for Your hand of protection and the Holy Spirit of power to rest on these young ones to lead and guide them in these evil days.

A Precious Word of Encouragement

The following was sent to me by a Sister in the Lord and I wanted to share it with you all.
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Be encouraged.

I am reminded of the end of a poem entitled Footprints In The Sand which says:

"You promised me Lord,
    that if I followed you,
      you would walk with me always.
         But I have noticed that during
           the most trying periods of my life
              there have only been one
                 set of footprints in the sand.
                   Why, when I needed you most,
                      you have not been there for me?"

                                 The Lord replied,
                          "The times when you have
                  seen only one set of footprints,
          is when I carried you".

When Jesus was hanging on the cross still clinging to life, His ultimate reason for coming to earth had not been fulfilled. But when he gave up the ghost, was buried and got up out of the grave three days later, our avenue of escape was created.  I call that a ULTIMATE BREAKTHROUGH (The veil was not just penetrated, but it was torn from top to bottom).

Labor Day

The Birthing Position 

"For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.  

For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body." Romans 8:19-23

I am not one for holidays typically.  They come and go without much notice or fanfare.  However, this Labor Day did in fact hold meaning for me. For one, it is the day I completed a book which I had been collaborating with my pastor to produce.  It is a project we have been working on for almost a year and it certainly has been a 'labor or love' unto the Lord.

Secondly, the book itself addresses the purpose of the Gospel and the objective of salvation in having the nature of Christ formed within us (which I must say with a heavy heart most professing Christians do not understand).  This process is also described in Scripture with the analogy of giving birth.

"My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you." Galatians 4:19

Every believer - indeed the Body of Christ as a whole - is to be travailing together so that Christ is formed spiritually within us and manifesting out from us so that those in the world may see Christ.