When "The Church" Does Nothing, Someone Else Will Write Our Laws

     I wish I could take credit for the title of this blog post today, but this is actually a statement made by Dutch Sheets, a pastor and Executive Director of Christ for the Nations. And, oh, how prophetic is this statement becoming. It has never been made more clear than in the proceedings surrounding the AISD (Austin Independent School District) Board of Directors and their proposed curriculum for middle school students.
     Texas Values is a website whose purpose is to preserve and advance a culture of family values in the state of Texas through Biblical, Judeo-Christian principles by ensuring that Texas is a state in which religious liberty flourishes, families prosper, and every human life is valued. But when they exposed Austin ISD’s plans to adopt a radical new pro-abortion and pro-LGBT sex-education curriculum for grades 3rd-8th, it was time to take a stand.
     Texas Values reports that the curriculum, called "Get Real", was created by Planned Parenthood, the nation's largest abortion provider and encourages students to engage in "role-play" scenarios that would then be graded by a teacher. One situation includes two girls who act out as lesbians having oral sex; another situation encourages students to pretend to be drunk. Here are some other proposed scenarios:

     Students engaged in this curriculum are discouraged from using words like "mom and dad" or "male and female". The curriculum promotes the use of "Gender Inclusive Language", saying "It is important to avoid terms which refer only to "male" or "female" identities as this can limit their understanding of gender into binaries and can exclude children who may not identify within these identities. For example, when discussing family members or adults they may have in their lives, try not to only use terms like "mom" or "dad". Try integrating terms like "parents" or "guardians" to include children whose parents might not fit into "traditional" concepts of family structures. Additionally, when discussing topics such as unsafe touch, try not to use gendered examples. Instead of saying something like, "If a man tries to touch you", use the gender neutral term "person", or even "someone you may know".  Can you believe this?!?!
     The proposed curriculum also suggests that students be given a sexual orientation vocabulary test on words like "pansexual", "bisexual", "asexual", and "homophobia". Texas Values also highlights some of their other concerns regarding this disturbing curriculum:
•  It teaches children how to enter into romantic relationships with adults
•  Promotes homosexuality and "gender fluidity" as early as elementary school
•  Teaches children that not having a crush in life means that their sexual orientation is questioning and indoctrinates them to choose a “sexual orientation” before they develop romantic attraction.
     I have to say that as alarming as this proposed curriculum is, it is equally disturbing that we have even come this far in perverting our culture. I can remember back in the 1990's listening to Dr. Laura Schlessinger warning on her radio program that the North American Man/Boy Love Association (NAMBLA) was trying to infiltrate our public libraries with their pedophile and pederasty agenda and activism. And as morally offensive as that organization is, I am also deeply distressed over the lack of safeguarding and protection offered by "The Church".
     Don't get me wrong, I am deeply proud of efforts by the Austin group calling themselves "Concerned Parents", along with Texas Values, and my Kingdom-of-God-minded friends at Luke 4:18 Ministries in Austin who showed up to protest these curriculum changes at the AISD hearing a couple of days ago. I praise the Lord for your faithfulness in representing the Kingdom of Heaven on earth! May He continue to strengthen your resolve as you battle against this "Beast System".
     But I have to ask ... how did it ever get this far? Where has The Church been? And why isn't the Church standing toe-to-toe with these concerned parents? Oh, yeah .... there's that nasty 501(c)3 designation, isn't there? They can't get involved with anything that is aligned with State Government, such as school curriculum, due to the supposed separation of church and state.
     So, can you see how serving two gods has allowed moral depravity to enter into our culture; and now our schools? But you see, Jesus never called for "The Church". He said He would build His "Ekklesia", which is supposed to be the righteous governing body of believers on the earth to promote and protect God's style of government -- His Heavenly government. But instead, The Church protects its own interests while our children are exposed to ever-expanding un-Godlike ideas and practices. How do you think our Father in Heaven feels about what our/His children are being introduced to? We will be held accountable!
     So, I just want to finish by expressing this simple prayer: Father, I pray that You will strengthen Your remnant who have answered the call to rise up to their responsibilities as Kingdom citizens and stand for the innocence of these precious children. We see the agenda of the Enemy and we oppose it in the spirit and in the Board Room. We bind the spirit of Baphomet who yearns to ensnare children in his depravity and wickedness. We decree and declare that Austin and the state of Texas will be the forerunners in defeating this evil curriculum across our nation, and that the heavenly host will join Your remnant in this important battle. Furthermore, we plead the blood of Jesus upon the Board meeting next month. And in the power and authority given to all believers by our Lord and Savior, we bind the lies, propaganda, and money sourcing behind this curriculum, and loose the power of the Holy Spirit to reveal Your Truth and Your strategy to defeat this evil scheme. Thank you, in advance, Father, that You go before us in this battle in the state of Texas. We are trusting You in this important matter. Amen!

Mark 9:42     But if anyone abuses one of these little ones who believe in Me, it would be better for him to have a heavy boulder tied around his neck and be hurled into the deepest sea than to face the punishment he deserves!   

The New Abortion "Fetish": The Power of Witchcraft

    I really do not want to sensationalize this topic, but it is so abhorrent and so real, that I would be remiss to not bring it to your attention so you can join me in praying against this abomination. I had been hearing rumors of a detestable lifestyle among the godless in our country, but just did not want to believe it was true. But then I began hearing podcasts and reading articles substantiating the rumors, and now the Holy Spirit is telling me it's time to bring this information out of the dark fringes of our culture and into the Light of God's Justice.
     Here is what an article on Summit News reports: "A new sexual fetish has emerged where couples repeatedly get pregnant then have multiple abortions. In a Reddit post entitled ‘Question regarding abortion and breeding fetish’, one user reveals how she has “a female friend who has a really powerful fetish for breeding” and never used birth control. “She is with a male partner currently who is just like her, into breeding and they have been practicing their fetish for quite a few abortions,” the post reads.
     Another male respondent then shared details of his own abortion fetish lifestyle. “I know this fetish. My girlfriend and me have the same fetish. My girlfriend enjoys her pregnancies and she enjoys the abortion. Her preferred date to abort is between 20 and 24 weeks of gestation. I enjoy making her pregnant. And I enjoy the time of her pregnancy. She has no menstrual period and she is sexually very active,” he writes. “In the last ten years in our relationship we have done seven abortions and my girlfriend is pregnant again with a little girl,” he adds.
     Another respondent then praises him for sharing his fetish, writing, “It is good (and rare) to hear of a couple (both man and woman) where both members are into abortion and pregnancy. This is a wonderful and potent example of personal power, where sex meets violence and creation combines with destruction.”
     How much more separated from God's saving Light can we become? This sounds completely unbelievable and exaggerated, yet it is regrettably true.  It has only taken 40 years for abortion to go from a whispered act shrouded in shame and guilt, to a celebrated and glorified demonstration of one's own selfish power. It is a medical fact that by the time you are 24 weeks pregnant, the baby has a chance of survival if he or she is born. Most babies born before this time cannot live because their lungs and other vital organs are not developed enough. The care that can now be given in neonatal (baby) units means that more and more babies born early do survive. But obviously, these people have carefully calculated the 20-24 week timeline to soothe any guilty conscience they might have and to justify terminating an innocent life.
     This is such a sick mindset that I honestly can't identify with these people. The Bible tells us these people have "debased", "depraved" or "reprobate" minds, depending on the various translations. And what exactly does that mean? It means their thoughts which lead to their actions are rejected and unapproved by God, their Creator. They won't stand His test of righteousness and they will be cast out of His Presence.
     But there is another reality to this whole mindset. It is witchcraft! And it has existed ever since man became his own god, refusing to even acknowledge God. Somehow, in the 21st Century we have reduced witchcraft to the actions of people called "witches". But the spiritual root of witchcraft is disobedience, and this spirit is appealing to any person, group or organization that tries to gain supernatural power, abilities, or knowledge apart from the creator God. And it works nicely with fetishes.
     According to the dictionary, a fetish is "a course of action to which one has an excessive and irrational commitment". I would definitely say that getting pregnant just so you can kill your baby would be considered "irrational". But other definitions of fetish include, "a form of sexual desire in which gratification is linked to an abnormal degree to a particular object, item of clothing, part of the body, etc.", and "an inanimate object worshiped for its supposed magical powers or because it is considered to be inhabited by a spirit".
     I hope you can see how the spirit of disobedience and rebellion can be linked to abnormal and irrational desires to become this repugnant practice. But it is not just this ungodly act of "breeding-in-order-to-kill" that has me so upset. There was another report by Summit News that gave the testimony of Jill Stanek, an eyewitness nurse at an Illinois hospital. At a hearing on the Born Alive Act in Washington, D.C., Ms. Stanek said that doctors at Christ Hospital in Oak Lawn perform “live birth abortions” where the baby is allowed to die during or after the abortion procedure.
     “If staff did not have the time or desire to hold the baby, she was taken to Christ Hospital’s Comfort Room, which was complete with a First Photo machine if parents wanted professional pictures of their aborted baby, baptismal supplies, gowns and certificates, foot printing equipment and baby bracelets for mementos, and a rocking chair,” Stanek said. She also revealed how once she witnessed a nurse deliver a live baby but then fail to clamp the severed umbilical cord, causing the baby to begin bleeding. The infant was then placed in a bag and thrown in the trash.
     So, why is the current Born Alive Infants Protection Act of 2002 not enforced? And what is the moral state of mind in Congress that Senate Bill 311, the “Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act,”, is still up for debate? Sponsored by Republican Sen. Ben Sasse, the bill would amend the federal criminal code, instituting penalties and jail time for health care practitioners who don’t provide certain medical care “in the case of an abortion or attempted abortion that results in a child born alive.” Specifically, the bill would require that a “health care practitioner present at the time the child is born alive” to “exercise the same degree of professional skill, care, and diligence to preserve the life and health of the child as a reasonably diligent and conscientious health care practitioner would render to any other child born alive at the same gestational age.” It also would require that the child be “immediately transported and admitted to a hospital” following that professional “skill, care, and diligence.” Violators could be fined and/or jailed for up to five years. The bill specifies that an “intentional killing” through an “overt act” would be punishable under already existing federal law on murder.  Doesn't "being into abortion and pregnancy ... where sex meets violence and creation combines with destruction" meet those federal guidelines for murder?
     Father God, it is hard for me to fathom such evil, and even harder to find it in my heart to forgive these people. They are so consumed with their own attempts to know and control the world and the future, apart from You, the One True God! And by the way, that last sentence is a direct definition of witchcraft from Strong's Concordance.
     I know that vengeance is Yours, Lord, and I am glad that Your righteousness includes Justice. Because these people are no different than Manasseh, the evil king of Judah. We read in 2 Chronicles, 33:6, "And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: also he observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger." They are no different than King Saul, the first king of Israel, who received this warning from the prophet Samuel: "For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king."
     Can you see it? There is rebellion, witchcraft, familiar spirits, idolatry of one's self.... we are just seeing the 21st Century version, and it is just as abhorrent to our God now as it was then. Please join me in praying that these hearts of stone will be made soft to the voice of God. Please pray for the souls and spirits of these precious children who are being attacked by evil before they even enter the world. Pray that the idolatry of Self is defeated by the Blood of the Lamb. And pray that these degenerate minds will be spared the wrath of Jehovah Sabaoth, the Lord of Hosts, and that they will repent for their sinful ways. Lord, save this generation from their wicked and perverse ways!

Romans 1:28-29     And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God or consider Him worth knowing [as their Creator], God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do things which are improper and repulsive, until they were filled (permeated, saturated) with every kind of unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice and mean-spiritedness.
     

Invention of the Devil

     There are some days that the Holy Spirit shows me something and my human spirit screams "Noooo!" At the same time it hears the Lord say, "My people perish for lack of knowledge. Show them this." I promise you that what you are about to read is absolutely 100% true and for those with spiritual eyes to see, it will be a warning of things to come on the earth.
     If you have any awareness at all of what is going on in the world, then you cannot ignore the rapid advancement of technology and the growing relationship between artificial intelligence (AI) and human beings.
     Six years ago, in 2013, I was writing a series of posts on this phenomenon and shouting the warning signs of how Satan will use this to separate mankind from God. At that time, the Holy Spirit counseled me to focus on those aspects of the world [for a season]. Then God pointed me in a different direction that ultimately led to our Inner Healing Ministry and an assignment to write/teach on the Gospel of the Kingdom and the Kingdom of God. But when I saw an article on Elon Musk's new start-up tech company, Neuralink, I was prompted to go back to see how far the Enemy has advanced his agenda in the last six years.

     In 2013, Holy Spirit was shining a light on Ray Kurzweil, who had been the Director of Engineering at Google, but whose fame is now centered around his reputation as a revered futurist. In a June 2013 article on a U.K. website, he claimed that we are not far away from replacing our flesh and blood body parts with mechanical parts. Combine that with the scientific community's plan to develop a technological system by which your mind can live forever in a digital state, and you basically get a robot version of yourself. In the article, Kurzweil said, "Based on conservative estimates of the amount of computation you need to functionally simulate a human brain, we'll be able to expand the scope of our intelligence a billion-fold." Because of the astounding developments that have taken place in genetic sequencing and 3D printing over just the last few years, scientists will be able to combine the abilities of a computer with God's created human brain, and basically usurp man's natural state and produce a machine that we were never meant to be.  We will no longer be made in the image of God, but in the likeness of a machine-driven computer.
     That may sound like I am fear-mongering, but consider Ray Kurzweil's forecast: "We're going to become increasingly non-biological to the point where the non-biological part dominates and the biological part is not important any more. In fact the non-biological part [the machine part] will be so powerful it can completely model and understand the biological part. So even if that biological part went away it wouldn't make any difference."
     Back in 2013, he predicted that the intelligence gap between humans and computers would be closed by 2029. Here's how he made his case: "We can now see inside a living brain and see individual inter-neural connections being formed and firing in real time. We can see your brain create your thoughts and thoughts create your brain. A lot of this research reveals how the mechanism of the neocortex works, which is where we do our thinking. This provides biologically inspired methods that we can emulate in our computers. We’re already doing that. The deep learning technique that I developed uses multilayered neural nets that are inspired by how the brain works. Using these biologically inspired models, plus all of the research that’s been done over the decades in artificial intelligence, combined with exponentially expanding hardware, we will achieve human levels within two decades." He said that in 2013, which was six years ago. According to his timeline, we are within 14 years of that nefarious accomplishment.

     So, advance to 2019, and an article on TechCrunch.com, and the announcement that Elon Musk, a technology entrepreneur and engineer, has a start-up company called Neuralink, that is ready to "begin outfitting human brains with faster input and output by next year". Neuralink is working on technology that’s based around “threads,” which it says can be implanted in human brains with much less potential impact to the surrounding brain tissue versus what’s currently used for today’s brain-computer interfaces. “Most people don’t realize, we can solve that with a chip,” Musk said to kick off Neuralink’s launch event, talking about some of the brain disorders and issues the company hopes to solve. 
     Notice how casually he talks about implanting a chip to solve brain "disorders and issues". I'm not disputing that there are very real health issues involving the brain, but when Musk says that, long-term, Neuralink really is about figuring out a way to “achieve a sort of symbiosis with artificial intelligence" and "for now, the aim is medical" ... well, I get shivers down my spine, and that's when my spirit starts the aforementioned screaming of "Nooooo!". And, I have to say, it more than concerns me when I read that "the plan is also that the electrodes implanted in the brain will be able to communicate wirelessly with chips outside the brain, providing real-time monitoring".
     That's especially troubling when Holy Spirit reminds me that in 2013 Ray Kurzweil was noted as being a strong proponent for what he calls an "exponential growth of knowledge" and was focused on controlling the neocortex part of our brain (where we do our thinking).  He even went so far as to trying to understand why some people (like me) are so resistant to accepting this kind of research.  He seems to think that people who are resistant have disorganized neocortexes (read there is "something else" that prohibits us from being manipulated).  See if you can guess what that "something else" might be from this statement he made in reference to his friend, the late Steve Jobs (of Apple fame).  Jobs famously proclaimed, “Death is very likely the single best invention of life. It’s life’s change agent.”

     But Kurzweil had a very unique perspective on Jobs's thought.  "I call this a deathist statement .... Religion, which emerged in prescientific times, did the next best thing, which is to say, ‘Oh, that tragic thing? That’s really a good thing.” We rationalized that because we had to accept it. But in my mind death is a tragedy. Our initial reaction to hearing that someone has died is a profound loss of knowledge and skill and talents and relationships." 
      It's at this point that my spirit and my brain ask, "Where is God in this technology?" Can you see what a lack of God does for you?  Because my initial reaction to hearing that someone has died is, "What is it like standing in the presence of Jesus?"  The irony of the whole Artificial Intelligence system is that the researchers and scientists see only the significance of the human brain.  They deny the plausibility of our spirit and connection to a living God.  So while vehemently denying the existence of God, they are, in effect, trying to play God.  (Boy, are they in for a surprise!)
      I may not be able to fight their system on a scientific level, but I have to ask this question .... in light of how I plan to spend eternity versus their strategy for expanding [and controlling] knowledge, who is really the intelligent one?
     If you understand nothing else from this post, please grasp this truth:  the Age of Computers is a tool in the hands of the one who would separate us from our Creator.  But only if we let him!  Can anyone dispute that their iPhone or iPad occupy "countless ways of killing time" -- ways that keep us from engaging with God?  And can inventors such as Kurzweil and Musk deny that their goal is to fundamentally change who we are as humans, and that as scientists/inventors, they now conceive of themselves as their own god?  The tragedy is that through their inventions, they will entice far too many of us to take our eyes and hearts off the true Creator.
     Just like Nimrod and the folks at the Tower of Babel, our modern-day technological geniuses want to become famous by displacing the need for God.  Motivated by pride and arrogance, they have made a name for themselves.  But perhaps they should revisit that section of the Bible and learn of the destruction that was the result of such conceit.  God will not allow His Sovereignty to be usurped; and not only did they not achieve the greatness they sought, but they suffered His Divine Judgment.  Watch and see ... history is going to repeat itself.

Luke 1:51     He has done mighty deeds with His [powerful] arm; He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart.
     

How Do We View God's Justice and Righteousness In The 21st Century?

     The concept of Justice and Righteousness can be a confusing issue among both Christians and non-Christians alike. For starters, among the various translations, the two terms "justice" and "righteousness" are often interchangeable. So, at times God's justice is His righteousness, as in the ESV version of Psalm 106:3, which says, "Blessed are they who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times!". The structure of the sentence seems to indicate that the two clauses are similar in meaning. Yet the King James translation of that same verse indicates two separate and independent clauses: "Blessed are they that keep judgment, and he that doeth righteousness at all times."
     Again, we see a confusion of terms in Deuteronomy 32:4, which says, "The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he." Yet that same verse, in the King James version reads, "He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he." Is God's justice to be understood as His righteousness, or is it His judgment? No wonder we, in the 21st Century, have a hard time understanding the true nature and character of our God!

     In a very real sense, I believe we have lost our awareness and our perception -- our consciousness -- of what a Just God looks like. We have decided that we like the picture of a loving and kind God better than that of a God who judges and condemns people to destruction. In fact, many have decided to drive a wedge between the Old and New Testaments, saying that Jesus brought Grace and Mercy and Compassion, and there is no room for Old Testament justice as judgment in the New Covenant.
     But, because we know that the God of the Old Testament is the same as the God of the New, and that one of His characteristics is that He never changes (James 1:17), nor can Scripture be undone, annulled, or broken (John 10:35); we can confidently declare that His justice is both righteousness and judgment, as He determines.
     One of the hardest accusations against God to answer is why would He command the complete destruction of Canaanite peoples down to every last man, woman, and child? We are asked, "If your God is such a loving God, where is the justice and compassion in that?" What we need to be able to explain is that Israel had a unique calling as God's chosen covenant people. Their assignment was to prepare the way for a pure and just Messiah. That's why God was so careful in establishing purity laws; they pointed the way to the holiness demanded by God to bring the Messiah into the world.
     Jesus Christ must be born through an uncorrupted and pure bloodline. The inhabitants of the Canaanite nations that the Israelites were commanded to destroy were the descendants of fallen angels mating with human women; obviously an unholy bloodline. There could be no intermingling of DNA. God intended for His chosen people to remain pure so Jesus could be born into humanity; while Satan was determined to pollute the gene pool so that our Lord's birth would be denied.
     Furthermore, our just and righteous God instituted sacrificial laws to point the way to the Atonement that Jesus would bring. And the total destruction of the Canaanite societies was both a physical and spiritual war that pointed to God's just judgment against sins such as child sacrifice and cult prostitution. Old Testament scholar Tremper Longman summarizes these points of God's justice and righteousness like this: We must point out that the Bible does not understand the destruction of the men, women, and children of these cities as a slaughter of innocents. Not even the children are considered innocent. They are all part of an inherently wicked culture that, if allowed to live, would morally and theologically pollute the people of Israel.  I would add, spiritually and physically to that list, as well.
     That's a pretty simple example of God's justice and righteousness in the Old Testament. But how are we to look at it in the New Testament, and from a modern perspective? At the Cross, Jesus exemplified and experienced the full measure of God's wrath against sin. And because of His sacrifice, we can be forgiven of our sin, and stand in God's favor by faith alone.
     But the war is not over! God's enemies will not be completely defeated until Jesus returns to establish everlasting justice on the earth. Until then, we are still called to do battle for God; only now it is a spiritual battle against "the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." We are not called to fight and destroy flesh and blood humans today, but to tear down and destroy strongholds and principalities in the spiritual realms!
     But have we stripped our God of His nature of Justice, which includes His administration of a heavenly government on the earth? Do we now interpret everything in the human sphere through Grace or Hyper-Grace instead of a righteous and just governmental lens? I'm not sure that the majority of Christians believe in Justice today. Could it be that we have reduced God to the characteristics that make us feel comfortable; creating a God that fits our image of what He should be -- loving, kind, gentle, merciful, gracious, compassionate, warm, sensitive ... and oh, yes, let's not forget tolerant. 
     Have we forgotten that at the beginning of His ministry, He proclaimed that the Kingdom of Heaven had arrived? Have we ignored the fact that a kingdom is under the legal jurisdiction of its King? Have we read the back of The Book which tells us that He comes to rule and reign; and to divide and conquer; that He is Lord, King and Judge? All that speaks of justice in terms that we don't like to apply to Him ... vengeance is His, and He will repay. 
     It is important to acknowledge that YHWH has not changed. He is the same God in 2019 that He was at the creation of this world. Even in the midst of his righteous judgment, He can be seen as merciful and loving. Through the destruction of the Canaanites, God mercifully protected the Israelites from idolatry and maintained His plan for Jesus to be born pure and holy. God was merciful and righteous in His justice to provide a way for a Canaanite woman (the prostitute Rahab) to repent and join the geneology of Jesus. A righteous and holy God would not be true to Himself if He tolerated sin. He must uphold His holiness. But we can be assured that wrath is not His heart. Because He will not tolerate sin, it shows His righteous mercy for those He loves. David Matthews, Executive Director of desiringGod.org writes, "Severity in God always serves His heart of mercy — to make known the riches of His glory to His people, who are the vessels of His mercy." 
     So, let us endeavor to remember that Jesus reclaimed the earth for the Kingdom of God. Nothing has changed with that profound reality.  We need both His justice in the form of His righteousness and love; but when necessary, we need His judgment, too. It all serves to mold us into the very image of Him, and to see the completion of the restoration of His kingdom on earth.

Proverbs 28:5    Evil men do not understand justice, but they who long for and seek the Lord understand it fully.   
     
      

Who God Is In His Judgment, Holiness, and Love

      His Judgment - For awhile now, I've been hearing a misguided cliché spoken by people in the Church. It goes something like this: "We don't need to worry about God's judgment against America. If God were really going to judge us, He would have to apologize to Jesus." What?!?
     The skewed reasoning behind this ludicrous statement relies on a false understanding of the gospel -- that Jesus bore our sins on the Cross, and therefore our judgment is nailed there, too. God will not judge us because, after all [they say], doesn't the Bible tell us that there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus? This misunderstanding is a prime example of one of the Body of Christ's most egregious shortcomings, which is not taking into account the whole counsel of God.
     And on this matter of God's judgment, I hate to say it, but .... in the current Church culture there is almost an ignorance of what the Word reveals on the subject. The failure to study and understand God's judgment -- and dare I say it, His wrath -- has led to a lack of holy fear in a lot of Christians. Many think that we don't need to worry about God's judgment or wrath because that doesn't happen until the End Times. They think that until then, we are covered by the blood of Jesus, forgiven of our sins, and righteousness has been imputed to us by our faith. No need to worry, right?
     Well, when you take a look at what is becoming the norm and acceptable in our nation -- in our culture and our laws, and yes, even in our churches -- I believe you will see we are being judged even now. How so? Consider Romans 1:18, which says For God in heaven unveils his holy anger breaking forth against every form of sin, both toward ungodliness that lives in hearts and evil actions. For the wickedness of humanity deliberately smothers the truth and keeps people from acknowledging the truth about God (TPT).

     When I consider what has happened in this nation since I came of age in the early 70s, it is astounding. I have seen the acceptance of casual sex through an immoral sexual revolution; the institution of full-term abortion in the laws of our land; the acceptance and promotion of same-sex relations and marriages; gender manipulation and elimination; and much more. And it is not just unbelievers who have taken part in these actions, but those who profess to love God! But what does God's Word tell us in Romans 1:18? What God sees as the"wickedness of humanity" will result in his holy anger because people refuse to acknowledge the truth about God -- that He is a righteous God who cannot tolerate unrepentance and continued sin. That chapter in Romans goes on to say that because people exchange the truth about God for a lie, He gives them up to their sins. Isn't that what we're seeing today in our society? That is judgment in itself, and should give anyone pause. 
     But it is verse 32 that I see so clearly in our nation today -- from the home to the boardroom; from the halls of Congress to our Church buildings ... Although they are fully aware of God’s laws and proper order, and knowing that those who do all of these things deserve to die, yet they still go headlong into darkness, encouraging others to do the same and applauding them when they do! 
     His Holiness -  If you mention "holiness" in today's society, it's almost an irrelevant term -- looked upon as outdated and insignificant. But I believe that the moral confusion we see in our culture is a result of a lack of understanding about holiness. In regards to each of us, holiness is being dedicated and committed to living a pure life; consecrated to God in our word, thoughts, actions. In other words, we do not conform to the world's standards, but rather to God's.
     As holiness relates to God, one of the best definitions I've ever heard is the following: "Holy refers to life burning with an intense purity that transforms everything it touches into itself". Only God is perfect in goodness and righteousness, therefore He is worthy to be exalted and worshiped. But where is the acknowledgment and reverence for His holy nature? To be holy means that all we are and all we have belongs to God, not ourselves, and is set apart for His purposes.
     Yet, I sense a frightening silence about God's Holiness in the Church -- the meaning of it and our responsibility to it; the necessity of it in our decaying moral structure; and yes, even the endorsement of it from the pulpit. It's as if somehow, the Church is afraid to offend the world with an idea that we should be holy like our God. The lack [or ignorance] of holiness in the masses leads to a distorted and limited view of the true God. When we do not uphold God's standards of holiness, we are short-changing His expression of love. And that brings me to the final attribute...
     The True Love of God - God's love is not a permissive love. He has set Divine standards for the purposes of our lives, and He does not capitulate based on man's fleshly desires. His is not a sentimental love based on our emotions, but rather a Holy love designed to bring us into righteous relationship with Him.
     For example, we can consider homosexuality, and the ordaining of gay clergy in some Church denominations. This practice has been adopted, all in the name of love. Should we continue to love our homosexual friends and family members? Absolutely! But that does not mean that we change God's Word to match the way we feel.
     No man was more loving than Jesus Christ. Yet His love for all men did not prevent Him from disapproving of lifestyles and motives. Sometimes His love even made people angry. But it was a love that could not deny His Father's Holiness, and it was His desire that this holy love transform people into the image of God.
     In fact, Jesus mixed God's love with His truth and His holiness to give us a clear Biblical blueprint by which to live our lives. But we want to ignore certain verses, or even alter their meaning to make it more palatable to our lifestyles.  Some have even gone so far as to disregard and nullify any attempt to shine a light on God's judgment [or wrath], His holiness, or the truth that hell actually exists! The result is that God's love is watered down and corrupted to simply an emotional feeling.
     I fear that the Body of Christ is not doing justice to the full nature of God. When we want to make Him in our image, we diminish the power of the Gospel to effect the world. He IS a God of Judgment, and yes, even wrath. At the end of this Age, we who have been faithful will not be subject to that wrath, but it doesn't mean that the world won't experience it. He IS a Holy God; one who is perfect and separate from man's corrupted state, with sacrosanct values that are not to be interfered with. And He IS a loving God who isn't afraid to use discipline when it is necessary to correct disobedience and establish His truth. It's time we, as the Church of Jesus Christ, take a good hard look in the mirror at how we are manifesting His glory. We are all praying for an awakening in the souls of men, but the stirring must start with us.

Proverbs 11:31    If the righteous are barely saved, what’s in store for all the wicked?

"There The Vultures (Eagles) Will Gather"

     As I have stated numerous times [and in the preceding blog post] I believe the Holy Spirit truths of the Bible are Spirit-revealed as we diligently dig into the Word to really know our God. And so, as I'm involved in a Bible study on the Book of Matthew, I found my spirit examining the passage in Chapter 24 that describes the detestable idol erected in the Holy of Holies that brings judgment from God upon mankind.
     Historically known as "the Abomination of Desolation, as spoken of by the prophet Daniel", I could focus on the events of this offensive, unholy, and frankly, beastly, sacrilege in the Temple. But I want to look at the culmination of this desecration, and the curious verses that describe the consequences ... For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather (Matthew 24:27-28).
     If you're like me, you have the obvious understanding of verse 27; that is, it describes the appearance of Jesus at His Second Coming. But what does it have to do with verse 29 and the statement about corpses and vultures? Does the Bible mention this anywhere else, and does it give us more clues as to the "bigger picture" of this future time that Jesus tells us we should understand? In fact other versions of the Bible tell us we should "take notice and ponder and consider and heed; learn about" this Abomination of Desolation and what will follow.
     As a matter of fact, Luke also writes [in Chapter 17] about the "Son of Man's day" in which "the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other".  While Luke doesn't focus on the detestable event in the Temple, he does describe what it will be like "in the days of the Son of Man"... it will be just as it was in the days of Noah, when the flood came; and as it was in the days of Lot, when fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all -- "so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed." 
     Luke then goes on to describe something that I propose has been misunderstood. Luke cautions them to "Remember Lot's wife. Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it.  I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed. One will be taken and the other left.  There will be two women grinding together. One will be taken and the other left.”  These verses are often used in conjunction with 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 which describes the Lord descending from heaven with a shout and command and the faithful will be caught up in the air with Him; i.e., the Rapture. But both Matthew and Luke refer to the corpses and the gathering of vultures, which the Rapture passage in 1 Thessalonians does not mention. So let me explain why I think there is more to discern about "the day of the Son of Man" that has been misunderstood in Matthew and Luke, and why I do not think it refers to "the Rapture". 

     First of all, as I have already stated, the passages in Matthew and Luke are prefaced with accounts of grievous sin ---1)  the desecration of the Temple ("his forces shall pollute the sanctuary, the [spiritual] stronghold [Temple], and shall take away the continual [daily burnt offering]; and they shall set up [in the sanctuary] the abomination that astonishes and makes desolate [probably an altar to a pagan god]" -- Daniel 11:31);  2) the grievous sins in the days of Noah ("The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them" -- Genesis 6:4); and 3) the serious sins in the days of Lot (" just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire" -- Jude 1:7).
     And what were the results of these sins against our holy God? In Noah's day, God said He would destroy man with the earth (the Flood). In Lot's day, it was a righteous punishment of sulfur and fire from heaven. And, in Matthew, what does Jesus tell us will happen when the Abomination of Desolation [that occurred in Daniel] happens in the End Days? He gives lots of instructions about the people who will be living in Jerusalem at that time. And then He speaks of a time of "great tribulation" and a time of "false christs and false prophets [who] will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect." Then comes the declaration of the "coming of the Son of Man" and the verse about those corpses and the gathering of vultures. It all sounds like JUDGMENT to me!
     Furthermore, I think it is important that we consider that the reason Jesus mentions the "Son of Man" is that it is His title pertaining to His taking back the dominion of the Earth (remembering that man was given dominion of the earth in Genesis 1:26). And here's a possible understanding of why He follows that sentence with "Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather" ... it is to be found in Matthew 16:27: "For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done." In both Matthew and Luke, the references to His appearance tell us He will be coming in judgment, and the result will be similar to the judgment in the days of Noah and Lot. Hence the bodies and vultures that will gather. These verses are not to be confused with His coming mentioned in 1 Thessalonians, which is addressed to those who "believe that Jesus died and rose again" (1 Thessalonians 4:14). In Matthew and Luke, the Bible is speaking about [and to] wicked and evil people. In 1 Thessalonians, it is a message of hope and encouragement to Believers. That is why there are no corpses and vultures.

     Remember that Matthew and Luke are speaking of how the coming of the Son of Man compare to similar events of wickedness. The confusion and misunderstanding comes from Luke's reference to "One will be taken and the other left" being united with 1 Thessalonians 4:17, "Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord." Matthew and Luke clearly show that they are referring to a time of judgment, while 1 Thessalonians is clearly about the Rapture. The "taking and leaving" in one do not support those who are left in the other.
     And in case you are interested in considering more, take a look at Job, chapters 38 and 39. God challenges Job to consider His Sovereignty and His Judgment. God counsels Job on the character of arrogant and bold sinners. When they have their hearts set on evil, there is no making them fear the wrath of God. They think they are safe in their sins ... and God describes the near lust for battle that comes upon evil men upon the earth as they go out to "meet the weapons". Yet at the end, what is the picture God paints for Job? He describes an eagle mounted high in her nest and stronghold, spying out his prey. "His young ones suck up blood, and where the slain are, there is he". And are you aware that in many versions of the Bible, "vultures" in both Matthew 24:28 and Luke 17:37, is translated as "eagles"? 
     Maybe you are not perplexed by that curious verse in Matthew 24. Maybe the fact that it immediately follows Jesus describing the coming of the Son of Man doesn't seem unusual to you -- it is just another of those unfathomable mysteries of the Bible. But it is just so glaring to me, and in opposition to what I've been taught and understood in the past -- that the Coming of Jesus meant the Rapture -- it just didn't make sense. So, you may not agree with my interpretation of Scripture, or how I related Matthew and Luke's coming of the Son of Man with Judgment, whereas the coming of the Lord in 1 Thessalonians is actually refers to the Rapture. That's OK with me. I just hope that you find it worthwhile to dig deep into the Bible. I believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God, and that the Holy Spirit inspires us to dig in; to read and reflect; to connect the dots; and then be willing to accept the truth that our study reveals -- rather than rejecting it because it does not conform to our prior understanding or human wisdom. Let us be motivated and energized by the Spirit to love earnest and enthusiastic study of God's manual for godly living and spiritual warfare. And let us never seek to minimize His glory or His Kingdom by limiting our understanding of Him. Let us forever declare His Kingdom and His Power and His Glory!

1 Corinthians 2:4-5     The message I preached and how I preached it was not an attempt to sway you with persuasive arguments but to prove to you the almighty power of God’s Holy Spirit. For God intended that your faith not be established on man’s wisdom but by trusting in His almighty power.

Finding the Balance Between Grace and Accountability

     I just read a Facebook post by Steve Harmon, whom I would characterize as a modern-day Disciple of Jesus. He travels the world preaching, healing, and delivering, in the Name of Jesus. He doesn't quite fit the mold of conventional Christianity, but then Jesus wasn't easily categorized either. Anyway, Steve was making a statement about David Hogan, a friend and Pastor and President of Freedom Ministries. If you aren't familiar with David, he's about as unorthodox a Pastor as you will ever meet. To say that he is "rough around the edges" is to put it mildly. He can come across as coarse, crass, crude, and uncultured. His style of preaching can be quite abrasive and caustic. But I don't think I've ever heard a man more passionate about loving Jesus.
     Steve was commenting about David because he said he, himself, was struggling with David's approach to ministry, and found himself criticizing David's delivery. Now, if you are unfamiliar with David Hogan, let me tell you that he doesn't look or sound like any preacher you've ever heard. He's a Cajun from Louisiana and comes from a long line of men who preached the Gospel. But early in his life, David strayed from that path, hating the hypocrisy he found in the Church. So he rebelled and entered a life of hard living, drinking, gangs and violence. But this is how he describes his conversion: "You wanna know how awesome my life is? When you find the lowest, rejected and dejected human, and you can take 'em and pull 'em to you and love 'em... that's what Jesus did to me". His conversion birthed a burning passion for Christ in his heart, but it did not erase his distaste and disgust for hypocrisy in the Church.
     David Hogan is plain-spoken and not prone to sugar-coating his sermons. He will tell it like it is and doesn't care if he offends Christians. Here are some of his more straightforward pronouncements: "People need a Gospel THAT WORKS! ... Stop your unbelief and believe! ... How long is it gonna take? How many seminars for you to know Him? Jesus is King. That's as far as it goes. He is the power of the Gospel ... 'Manifesting' is a devil running into the Holy Spirit ... Heaven is for us. You need people who have the right to break down powers and principalities. You need Pioneers. You quote it [the Bible], and the demon will still beat you. SUCCESS is what WE are after! Who Jesus is, and who He is IN you - get an understanding about that!! ... I know that you have more theology than I do and you know more verses than me. But that's useless. Because it's about who Jesus is to you! ... Discipline, faith and availability can go a long way especially with Holy Ghost powers". You get the idea; not exactly material from the ready-made sermons you can find online.
     But I'm not here to praise or condemn David Hogan. You need to listen to his sermons yourself and determine if he speaks Truth, and if you want to hear more. What I do want to address is the readiness of some Christians to define a message by its level of sensitivity, or who have a "grace standard" that must be met before they discern a fellow Christian's heart.
     Steve Harmon said it best when he revealed his thoughts about David Hogan: "This guy doesn't know love. He sounds mean." Then the Lord told Steve, ""You have no idea how much that man loves, do you?" That is the essence of this post. Is how we love with our words the only measure of how much we love God or others? I will admit it is much easier to accept a word of discipline or rebuke when it is spoken in soft tones and endearing phrases. But don't we need to take it a step further and look at the results of this type of "love delivery"? Did it produce the desired results? Did the recipients of this type of "love language" bear fruit for God and His Kingdom? I know that there are people whose hearts are moved by such words of grace and encouragement, and they are inspired to become effective ambassadors for the Kingdom. That was the word they needed to start walking out their faith!

     But I also know that there are people who are unmoved by the softer touch and who respond to the challenge of looking in the mirror. But should we simply give lip service to "grace" and "love" as the only way we are to address our fellow Christians about our accountability to God? Aren't we to discern if there is fruit from their efforts? Sometimes, I think we are too quick to judge others whose passion and love for God are expressed in strong terms as being "insensitive, hard-hearted, and unkind"; definitely not exhibiting Jesus-like qualities. Perhaps we should look to see if their actions back up their stricter language.
     I have known men of God who fit both descriptions... one man will endeavor to show grace and mercy in all situations, hesitant to speak a word of judgment or analysis; careful to show the compassion and everlasting love of Christ to those in his sphere of influence. Another man equally loves the Lord, but is unafraid to challenge his fellow Christians to walk in the ways of the Lord, at all costs. He is not as concerned about offending someone as he is about influencing the Body of Christ to walk in Jesus's footsteps.
     When I look at the culture of Christianity today, I sometimes wonder if we wouldn't be better off if we had a Jonathan Edwards or George Whitefield among our prominent clergy. I'm not saying we have to become hyper-religious and abandon all grace and mercy. But if God is going to judge our effectiveness for His Kingdom by the fruit of our actions then the state of the family, our acceptance of abortion as the law of the land, the gender confusion among our children, and the lack of moral standards in our government might suggest that a little stricter approach would be worthy of our consideration.
      Have we let the culture of "political correctness" in our society infiltrate our Church culture? Have we let the "Age of Grace" restrict our ability to be honest and tell the truth? Are we so afraid to offend that we are willing to extend only love ... and not to teach, rebuke, correct and train in love? I like how Steve Harmon closed his conversation about David Hogan's style of preaching ... "Many love with their words, but David loves with his actions. I started thinking how much people give lip service and talk or write about love, but when it comes to actually backing it up with their actions, the numbers drastically wear thin. David gives his everything to help and rescue people and give them Jesus. He puts his life in danger for others regularly [through his missionary field in Mexico], something that most Christians are not ready to do. Love is when you make people more important than yourself by showing it in sacrificial action. Love must cost something of you. It's where you are willing to lose something that you may never get back to benefit another person".
     This fits rather nicely with the words from a sermon by George Whitefield, the most popular preacher of the Evangelical Revival in Great Britain and the Great Awakening in America: "But he is unworthy [of] the name of a minister of the Gospel of Peace, who is unwilling, to have his name cast out as evil, but also to die for the Truth of Jesus Christ" and "It is a poor sermon that gives no offense; that neither makes the hearer displeased with himself nor with the preacher".
     I am not advocating that we Christians stop showing the love of Christ through love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. But sometimes the gentle approach doesn't always move a person to make a decision for Christ. Jesus, Himself, often chastised His Disciples for not getting it! This passage in Luke, Chapter 17, shows the heart of our Lord when it comes to our fellow Believers: So be alert to your brother’s condition, and if you see him going the wrong direction, cry out and correct him. If there is true repentance on his part, forgive him. Here we see the fullness of our love for our fellow Christians.

     On Judgment Day we will have to give an account for every careless word we speak. But it can be just as careless to mollify and placate the Body of Christ with words that don't call them to account, as it can be to chastise and rebuke without love.  So, yes, we are to restore each other in gentleness of spirit, but we are also told in Scripture that "iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another". The last time I looked, there is nothing gentle or soft about iron. In the end, I just want us to be careful about passing judgment on the messenger of God's Word. God can use both the gentle and the sharp man to reconcile us to Himself. Today, the Body of Christ needs both a Bill Johnson and a David Hogan. God's love is both a soothing balm and a fiery energy. As the Lord told Steve Harmon, "You have no idea how much that man loves, do  you?" The truth is, we can't know another man's heart, but we can look at his actions and his fruit ... and then accept all those whom the Lord has called.

Jeremiah 17:10     But I, the LORD, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.
      

Does Jesus Know You?

     I only feel confident in asking you this question because I have asked it of myself. And if you are a serious student of Scripture then how you answer the question is a serious matter, and the consequences of your answer can be frightening.  I am, of course, referring to the passage in Matthew 7:21-23 where Jesus warns against false prophets and pretenders of the faith. If you have never regarded these verses, I hope you will now...
     Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven.  Many will say to Me on that day [when I judge them], ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, and driven out demons in Your name, and done many miracles in Your name?’  And then I will declare to them publicly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me [you are banished from My presence], you who act wickedly [disregarding My commands].’

     Is the thought of not entering the Kingdom of Heaven and being banished from the presence of Jesus as upsetting and disturbing to you as it is to me? I don't think we can read this passage and not contemplate whether we are somehow identified with whomever Jesus is speaking. And, at first glance, when considering this passage on its own, it can be confusing. These individuals are apparently prophesying in the Name of Jesus, and casting out demons and doing miracles, all in His Name. Some might ask, "Isn't that what He tells us to do in John 14:13? Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. And what about John 15:16? You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He may give it to you. Then there is John 14:12. “I tell you this timeless truth: The person who follows me in faith, believing in me, will do the same mighty miracles that I do—even greater miracles than these because I go to be with my Father!
     So, again, at first glance it would appear that these people have followed all the rules. They appear to be doing the works of Jesus -- and in His Name. So what is so egregious that Jesus tells them to depart from Him? And why does He describe them as disregarding His commands; or as the various translations label them, lawless rebels, workers of lawlessness, or plain old wicked?  And, if on the surface, they appear to be doing everything He has asked of us, how can we avoid their fate?
     To get the answers to those questions [and to settle our hearts about our own destinies] we must look at the verses before and after this unsettling indictment.  It is important to note that up to now, Jesus has been teaching His disciples about the Kingdom of God; it's rules and government; the characteristics of the realm in which God resides -- beginning with the Sermon on the Mount. He has warned that entering this Kingdom is by a narrow gate; many will be those who choose the wider and more popular path, and few will be those who even find that narrow gate. 
     Then He warns those who would be His disciples to be on their guard against phony prophets. They appear to be genuine by their actions; pretending to be like the true sheep that hear their Master's voice and obey. But their motives are all wrong, and you can tell they are false and counterfeit by the fruit of their ministries. Yes, they might have used His Name as a sort of lucky charm, or part of a formula, but notice that they asked, "Lord, have we not [done the works]...". Remember, Jesus makes it very clear ... Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. So, likely, the fruit of their ministries was the recognition they gained for themselves, and not for the glory of God. No new disciples were made and the power from Heaven to drive out demons and perform miracles, while not wasted, did not bear fruit for the Kingdom.
     NOTE: I want to give a word of caution at this point. I have heard many Christians leaders and commentators use this explanation to promote their theology that anyone who is doing the miracles Jesus commanded us to do are false prophets and teachers. Just like the Pharisees that accused Jesus of using the power of Beelzebul to heal the demon-possessed man (Matthew 12), these modern religious hypocrites accuse anyone who heals or does deliverance ministry of doing it by the power of Satan. Obviously, if you remember what the Lord has shown me, then you know that I disagree with this position. 
     Jesus, Himself, tells us in Mark 16:15-18, “As you go into all the world, preach openly the wonderful news of the gospel to the entire human race! Whoever believes the good news and is baptized will be saved, and whoever does not believe the good news will be condemned. And these miracle signs will accompany those who believe: They will drive out demons in the power of my name. They will speak in tongues. They will be supernaturally protected from snakes and from drinking anything poisonous. And they will lay hands on the sick and heal them.” and Matthew 28:19-20, Now go in My authority and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And teach them to faithfully follow all that I have commanded you. 

     Now, back to my original thesis. I believe that Jesus tells these misguided followers that He doesn't know them because there is no experiential knowledge of Jesus in their hearts. Were they doing the miracles and prophesying? Oh, yes! But, we've looked at the verses preceding Jesus's dire statement. Now, let's look at the verses that immediately follow. 
     Jesus talks about two different groups that have heard His teachings -- those that apply it to their lives, and those who don't. Simply put, those who "take it to heart" and those who don't. See where I'm going? Those who do the works from a heart that seeks to glorify God and His Kingdom are in a heart and spirit-filled relationship with Jesus. They know Him from experience and are on solid ground. Those who are not joined to Him in that heart relationship will still be given the power to do the miracles by God, because they did them in Jesus' Name. But they did it for their own glory and never experienced Him in the process. They are on risky ground.
     But what about those who never attempt to do what He commanded? They got the first half right -- preaching the gospel and baptizing. But they didn't read the next sentence He spoke! He said there would be miracle signs that accompanied those who believe:  they will cast out demons in the power of His name; they will speak in tongues; they will be supernaturally protected from snakes and from drinking anything poisonous; and they will lay hands on the sick and heal them. (Some scholars believe that the sentence about snakes and poison contains two Aramaic idioms. To pick up snakes could be a picture of overcoming one’s enemies (“snakes”), and drinking poison may be speaking of dealing with attacks on one’s character (poisonous words).
     These are the signs and wonders so many in the modern Church deny. But then there is Luke 6:46, which in the Passion Translation says it better than I ever could: What good does it do for you to say I am your Lord and Master if what I teach you is not put into practice? So, here, we get another admonition by Jesus that calling Him Lord comes with great responsibility to not only do His commands, but do them out of a heart that has known and experienced Him, which will rightly give the glory to the Father.
     Jesus makes it very clear in Matthew 6:21, Where your treasure is, there will be your heart also. He wants to be the treasure of our heart. He wants to know us personally, intimately, and experientially. Anything less, is unacceptable to Him. And that should make all of us Christians examine our hearts and our motives. Are we serving Him and doing the works He commanded us to do? And even more importantly, are we doing them from a heart that is joined to His? Or are we pretenders of the true faith? Those are very serious questions to ponder, and ones that we should not take lightly. I can't imagine standing before Him on that day of judgment, and looking into His eyes, realizing that He doesn't even recognize me! Lord, search my heart and find an obedient follower who has placed You securely upon the throne of her heart!

1 John 2:5-6    We can be sure that we’ve truly come to live in intimacy with God not just by saying, “I am intimate with God,” but by walking in the footsteps of Jesus.
 
 

What Has Happened To Our Fear Of God?

     I know I am not the only one who is receiving new and previously undiscerned perceptions of the Nature of our Lord Jesus.  So, what I am about to share has been carefully gleaned from Scripture and reflects how He is widening and stretching my field of vision, so to speak, and allowing me to see a bigger picture of Him through God's Word.  And I'm afraid that what I am about to write will be met with resistance by many in today's Church. But I hope you will read with a heart to receive and accept the Word of God.
     I'm sure that some of you will be way out in front of me on these revelations, while others may not be as far along the path of your own journey.  And that's okay -- I am not writing this so that we compare ourselves to each other, but rather, to rejoice in the fact that these revelations are being shared in stages throughout all of our lives.  In fact, I am beginning to see clearly just how far the Body of Christ has come in knowing Jesus ... and how far we have to go.
     So, I'm going to try to express my latest revelations in easy-to-understand premises, and then unpack it all to share why it is important that we not lose our fear of God.  Here is the new discernment that I have received, and while it may not seem earth-shattering at first, when I looked at the implications of it, I was actually astounded ... Let's start here: We should be able to acknowledge that Jesus existed as God before His birth to the virgin Mary. And while the Body of Christ is coming into a fuller understanding that Jesus experienced everything on earth as a human being -- at no time did He invoke His privileges as Deity to deal with demons, disease, or difficulties with man -- He has now returned to His original identity as God, seated on His throne at the right hand of the Father.

     So here's what I found so amazing: Out of all the immense vastness of infinite time, those three-and-a-half years spent as a man changed the dynamic of everything that came before and all that has come, and will come after.  BUT ... and here is where we must be careful in our discernment; we cannot become stuck on the image of Christ as a man, and must now [more than ever] see Him in His fullness and greatness as Deity.
     While we honor Him as our Redeemer and Deliverer, I'm afraid we may cling to an image of Him as He was on earth -- the precious baby in the manger; the prophet and teacher who performed signs and wonders as God; the sinless man who was willing to die to save us from the wrath of Almighty God.  True, He was all that and more! But He is greater than He was while on earth, and we must respond to Him as Supreme Creator of all (1 Corinthians 1:16-17); King of Kings (Revelation 17:14); Mighty God and Everlasting Father (Isaiah 9:6); and Righteous Judge (Acts 10:42)!
     Because, you see, as John says in the first chapter of his Book, Jesus was God. And He loved the world so much that He sent a part of Himself to earth to live as a man, not only so that He could identify with our struggles, but also as the payment due God for our sins. God established in Leviticus 20:26, "You are to be holy to Me; for I the Lord am holy, and have set you apart from the peoples (nations) to be Mine". This was spoken to the nation of Israel, but Peter reiterates it to the Early Church, who are our ancestors in the Faith, "But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”  He then goes on to say, " If you address as Father, the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, [then] conduct yourselves in [reverent] fear [of Him] and with profound respect for Him throughout the time of your stay on earth" (1 Peter 1:15-17). We must discern that God takes sin very seriously, and that Jesus [who is called Everlasting Father in Isaiah 9:6] will be the One who judges us!
     And here is where it all comes together....  In John 1:21-22, the Apostle makes God's position clear: Just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life [and allows them to live on], even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes. For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment [that is, the prerogative of judging] to the Son [placing it entirely into His hands]... And here is where the Modern Church has been tempted to be deceived.
     How many of you have spent your church lives under the teaching that we are no longer under the Law, but under God's Grace?  That is certainly true, but do we know the full implication of that premise?  John 1:16-17 says, For from His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 

We must first understand that God's grace abounded under what we commonly call the Old Covenant in the Old Testament. (I have come to understand that the covenants found in the Pentateuch are principally agreements made between God and the Biblical Israelites, while the covenant He made with Noah applies to all of humanity and to all other living creatures. In this covenant, God promises never again to destroy all life on Earth by flood and creates the rainbow as the sign of this "everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth").
     Back to the premise that grace was evident in the Old Testament... the Bible abounds with examples of God's grace. I think we can all agree with A.W. Tozer, who says that grace is “the good pleasure of God that inclines him to bestow benefits on the undeserving.” It was certainly the case with Adam and Eve, who received grace after sinning in the Garden.  And how many times were the Israelites disobedient to God's commands as they came into the Promised Land?  Yet, He continued to offer them His grace.  King David is another good example. He killed Uriah, and lusted after his wife, yet God called him "a man after His own heart".  And Jacob, who cheated Esau out of his inheritance was a man that God declared He loved, while Esau, He hated.  So, we cannot deny that God's grace existed in the Old Testament under the covenants He held with the Israelites.
     Here's what we need to understand about Grace in the Old Testament.... It did not set you free from the consequences of sin.  In fact, sin had dominion over the people because the Law of Moses couldn't do what Jesus did; it couldn't set us free!  Death was often the consequences of your sin under the Law of Moses.  For instance, any Israelite who offered their children as sacrifice to Molech was to be put to death; anyone who cursed their mother or father, or committed adultery, or any number of sexual perversions were all to be put to death.  And King David certainly suffered the consequences of his sin, with the death of his son with Bathsheba. Sin had sovereignty over one's life.
     But Jesus's sacrifice on the Cross proved to be greater than the Law for setting us free from sin, and offered man a greater concept of God's Grace. So, what is different about the Grace offered in the New Testament?  This [New] Covenant of Grace is where God promises eternal salvation to Man based upon the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. Blood sacrifices in the Old Testament [where the High Priests used the blood of animals] could not take away our sins.  It only cleansed the outer man, and that's why they had to be done every year.  Jesus is now our High Priest and is greater than the Priests who were under the Law, and who died and had to be replaced.  He is eternal and He never dies. And we understand that His sacrifice was "one time for all", and with His own blood.  His blood has the power to forgive everyone on earth, and we are now under the Blood.
     But here is the danger of deception in the understanding of God's Grace versus the Law.  Yes, we are forgiven our sins, and we no longer have to worry that we could be put to death if we sin.  We confess our sin, repent, and ask for God's forgiveness.  BUT, we must not forget that God, from the beginning, has called us to be holy, as He is Holy. That why Paul warns in Romans 6, "we can [not] go on sinning so that God's grace abounds".  In fact, the writer of Hebrews warns, "For if the message given through angels [the Law given to Moses] was authentic and unalterable, and every violation and disobedient act received an appropriate penalty [death], how will we escape [the penalty] if we ignore such a great salvation [the gospel, the new covenant]"? (Hebrews 2:2-3).

      Remember, Jesus is greater than the angels, greater than Moses, greater than the High Priests of old.  So, here is what I am afraid the Modern Church has ignored in Scripture; a passage that should have every Christian examining themselves to see if they are living a holy life ... and what is plainly declared in Hebrews 10:26-31: "For if we go on willfully and deliberately sinning after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice [to atone] for our sins [that is, no further offering to anticipate], but a kind of awful and terrifying expectation of [divine] judgment and the fury of a fire and burning wrath which will consume the adversaries [those who put themselves in opposition to God]. Anyone who ignored and set aside the Law of Moses [was] put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much greater punishment do you think he will deserve who has rejected and trampled under foot the Son of God, and has considered unclean and common the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and has insulted the Spirit of Grace [who imparts the unmerited favor and blessing of God]?  For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine [retribution and the deliverance of justice rest with Me], I will repay [the wrongdoer].” And again, “The Lord will judge His people.”  It is a fearful and terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God [incurring His judgment and wrath]".
     I'm afraid the Church thinks we are under Grace and we won't be punished like the people of God were under the Old Covenant and the the Law of Moses.  But that is not what the aforementioned verses in Hebrews says! We should understand that Jesus is so much more in Heaven than He was while on earth!  Yes, He is our Mediator and Advocate, but we cannot ignore Luke 12:10, which says, "And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven".  This is affirmation of what is declared in Hebrews 10... the one who insults the Spirit of Grace [who is the Holy Spirit who imparts God's grace to us] will be repaid with vengeance by the Lord. We have ample evidence of what that looks like in the lives of Ananias and Sapphira when they lied to the Holy Spirit in Acts.
     I know there will be those who accuse me of being legalistic and corrupting the concept of Grace according to the Church.  But a complete and exhaustive study of the Book of Hebrews will give you a more accurate understanding of what Scripture says, instead of following Church culture.  And I am NOT saying that if you are sincerely trying to live a righteous and holy life and encounter struggles, which result in confession and repentance, that you will suffer vengeance by the Lord. 1 John 1:9 shows the heart of God and Jesus: If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. But if you are a Christian that is indifferent or callous towards your own sin, thinking you have nothing to worry about because we are under the new covenant of Grace, then I would suggest that you examine your attitude and see if you willfully and deliberately continue to sin, without any consideration of consequences, or just because you think all you have to do is continue to ask for forgiveness and it will be yours.  And I would recommend you take to heart Psalm 25:14:  The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant.
     In conclusion, I just want us to be aware that the fear of the Lord is not only awesome reverence for who He is and what He has done for us, but should be seriously considered if we, who have received that knowledge of Truth [of eternal salvation due to His sacrifice for us] should willfully and deliberately continue to sin. For Scripture very clearly states that there is no further atonement to be made for us, and there is a terrifying expectation of divine judgment. Just as Jesus is greater than the Law of Moses, so is the punishment greater for us than it was under the Law.  This is the undeniable truth of Scripture and no amount of 21st Century Church doctrine or softening of the language can negate the Word of God.  That is why we should all work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12).  It is a process, and your eternal life [and my Lord] are worthy of this admonition.

2 Corinthians 7:1    "Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God".