The Church and Our "Post-Christian" Nation

It grieves me to say this. But when, in 2015, I first became cognizant of the depth to which the institution of Religion in this country was willing to compromise and sacrifice our culture of Christian faith to avoid conflict, I began to become greatly concerned. At the time, it was quite apparent to me that Christianity in America was undergoing a change.  Isis was in full terror mode, but I couldn't say that we were physically suffering as our fellow Christians in Syria and the Middle East were ... yet.  In the U.S., our form of "persecution" was mainly cultural at that moment in time, and the response of the Christian community was fluid and varied, and mostly tepid. 

There was a growing number of Christians who no longer wished to support a culture (monetarily, philosophically, or socially) that they saw as flying in the face of their faith. They no longer wished to perpetrate the corrupt "Babylonian" culture of this country.  As author, Rod Dreher explained it, "The contemporary values of this nation no longer corresponded to the values of [their] faith, and so they sought to construct alternative forms of community that enabled them to withstand long-term chaos and the inevitable breakdown of the broader social and cultural order." 

Of course that philosophy covered a broad spectrum of Believers, but what was becoming apparent to me was that it covered people who chose to surround themselves with like-minded Believers who shared the common goal of serving God as the Bible dictates; not as the culture demands, or as a prescribed brand of "American" Christianity. A simple example of that would be Christians who were struggling with established denominations within Christianity who were not standing up for Godly principles and commandments as they pertained to our changing culture, and who, instead, chose their loyalty to their 501(c)3 status over their obedience to Christ. So, in the ensuing years, I have seen many Believers choose to return to a "Book of Acts" home church model. That doesn't mean they traded one "building" for another. It means that, just like in the First Century AD, small groups of 15-20 followers of Christ gathered together in a home to study the Word [in all its instruction and wisdom] and to equip each other to do the work of the Lord.

I have seen many Christians naturally following this path. As we are faced with the reality that Biblical Marriage is no longer the law of the land, and as the leaders of our government have chosen to continue to use our tax dollars to fund an organization that promotes and profits from abortion, it is clear that our beliefs are in conflict with that of the nation. If we are to be true to our faith and our calling as followers of Jesus Christ, it will be necessary that we strengthen ourselves against the infringement of the culture upon our lives.  I tend to liken it to living "in this world", but not being "of this world". 

But now, here we are eight years later, and we find that the institutional Church still fails to see the truth of how we are failing the culture. Yes, we may appear as strong as ever within our own subcultural of Religion. But the Church needs to take off its blinders and see that Christians are now seen as outside the "norm" of modern American values. Add to that, the notion that our "American Christianity", which has always stood on the pillars of God, Country and Tradition, could be seen as being in conflict with Biblical faith, which is centered on sin, Christ, and His blood. Jesus's message was all about denying the power of sin, seeking His righteousness, and sharing the Good News that He brought His Father's Kingdom from Heaven down to earth. 

I am not advising the kind of faith that renounces or disavows the culture in which we live. On the contrary, I would hope that we would do as Jesus did, and engage the culture, showing compassion and love to those who are lost in their sin, yet never wavering from, nor betraying, God's guiding tenets and commandments. How are we to affect the culture, if we do not ever enter into encounters with the culture?  How can you share the Good News of Jesus Christ, if you are not willing to develop friendships with those who don't know Him?  Jesus didn't compromise on sin, and neither should we. But if my goal is to tell someone of the saving power of Christ, how do I do that if I ignore or avoid them? 

Let's be honest, those of us who believe that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God, and live our lives accordingly, are most likely in the minority of Americans who call themselves "Christians".  That term is beginning to cover a lot of different belief systems -- from those who accept gay marriage and abortion as approved by God; to those who believe in the political definition of Social Justice; to those who don't believe in Evil and Hell; to those who think the Bible is no longer relevant ... and they all call themselves "Christians"!   

But, that doesn't mean we Biblical Christians stop loving them or being who we are -- followers of the Son of God -- and living our lives as He commanded us.  It means that we must detach ourselves from the un-Godly ways of society, as well as recommit ourselves to the spiritual doctrines of the Bible as we proudly and boldly engage with those in the culture who do not agree with us. Let's not yield to compromise or concessions in order to make ourselves appealing to the culture. At the same time, let us not adopt a Pharisaical, holier-than-thou attitude towards our fellow Believers. Instead, let's be proud of how different we appear to the culture, and glory in our "strangeness"; let's be separate, but inviting, and continue in this manner for as long as we can.  After all, that's how our Lord lived His life on this earth.  He marched to a different drummer within the culture to which He was born; yet, He never compromised His allegiance to our Father, while inviting everyone who "had an ear to hear" to accept the glorious promises of the Kingdom of God.

But, I would be remiss, if I did not also say that the Lord warns us in His Word that eventually the world will no longer be tolerant of us. We must not be blind to the truth that evil is not only escalating in the world, but being tolerated on a greater scale. We can no longer turn a blind eye to the rapid changes in science, health care, and technology that increasingly diminish the divine nature of man. The attributes that we share with God no longer seem of value to our culture or the world. In fact, man is encouraged to reject God -- the One who created him -- and has begun to worship his own creation, leading to futile thinking, unrighteousness, and hearts that have grown cold and dark. As man worships his own creativeness, his wickedness grows in proportion. And those of us who possess true faith are increasingly scorned and ridiculed.

But you'd be surprised how insulated and isolated many Christians are to what's happening in the world outside their Churches. Which is why I often fear that the deception the Enemy is planning will find too many of my fellow Brothers and Sisters in Christ unaware of the warning signs. The Church must pay attention to the red flags that Jesus, Himself, speaks of in the Bible. In Matthew 24:24, Christ tells us, For false Christs and false prophets will appear and they will provide great signs and wonders, so as to deceive, if possible, even the elect (God’s chosen ones). Jesus is telling us that the AntiChrist will deceive the masses -- and, yes, even some Christians! How can that be possible? It's easy to contemplate when you think of how our politicians and the media are complicit in deceiving the masses. They lie in order to convince us that the evil we are seeing is really for our own good -- all so we will remain tolerant of it... until it is too late. But do we see the Church countering that message in an effective way? 

Please do not misunderstand me! I am not trying to bash "the Church", which I prefer to call the Body of Christ, who will be composed of a Remnant who refuse to be deceived. They will be the Believers who steadfastly uphold God's Word because they have eyes to see and ears to hear! They will not willingly put on the dirty veil that clouds their spiritual sight. Instead they will remain true to their God and try to help others see the warning signs of the coming deception which is designed to lead to chaos and destruction. So, I ask you to listen when the faithful ones [who make you feel uncomfortable] try to warn you to pay attention. Remember that God tells us His people perish for lack of knowledge. And that lack of knowledge leads to ignorance, and ignorance leaves you vulnerable to the deception of Satan. Let us be determined to be a part of the Remnant; those who are not afraid to stand alone, if need be, to protect the sacredness of God's Word and His plan of redemption for the world. In the midst of the growing evil, chaos, and deception, we CAN be effective for the Kingdom! It is our duty and our obligation to our Savior; and it is our privilege to shine His Light into the coming darkness for all the world to see! 

#thechurchandourpostchristiannation #satansdeception #thetolerantchurch #postchristian #thedeceivedchurch #thelukewarmchurch #homechurches #americanchristianity #christianityandourculture #themasseswillbedeceived #matthew24:24 #thefaithfulremnant #Godsremnant

Jude 17-23.       But as for you, beloved, remember the [prophetic] words spoken by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They used to say to you, “In the last days there will be scoffers, following after their own ungodly passions” .... keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously and looking forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ [which will bring you] to eternal life. And have mercy on some, who are doubting; save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy but with fear, loathing even the clothing spotted and polluted by their shameless immoral freedom. 

Questioning "The Sovereignty" of God ... Is He In Control of Everything?

Several years ago, I presented this question on this blog, and in the intervening years, I have discovered that it is still a stumbling block to Christians and their understanding of God. Without a doubt, the question of whether you believe God is in control of everything [or not] will shape your belief system and your view of Him. And depending on your answer, it will likely determine whether you believe you have Power and Authority in the Name of Jesus. And it will definitely shape how you respond to life's adversities and spiritual attacks. So, I decided it was time to take another look at this confusing obstacle to a Believer's understanding of God.

Those who respond "yes" [to God controlling everything] will point to the characteristic of His Sovereignty, saying it means God has supreme power, authority, and control over His creation.  They will cite Scripture they believe points to God's sovereignty over nature and nations. They will quote Bible verses they say validate God's sovereignty over history and the affairs of men. And, ultimately, they will say that even if something bad happens... It was God's WILL!  God can use everything and everyone for His purpose, and therefore that means that He controls things by His will.  So, I knew -- for me -- I had to determine what this concept of God's sovereignty had to say about whether or not He controls everything.

But here is an astounding thing that I discovered when I first tackled this dilemma ... I looked up "Sovereignty" in the Dictionary and got this definition:  jurisdiction, rule, supremacy, dominion, power, ascendancy, domination, authority, control, influence.  I thought, "Okay, that is how the secular world defines sovereignty. How is it defined in Strong's Concordance?", which is an index to the Bible that lists words, and allows one to compare how that word is used in different passages, and to see different meanings, depending on the context. Well, guess what? I went to my well-worn Concordance... and the word sovereign wasn't listed! You know how you try to justify something that doesn't seem possible?

When the Concordance went from the word, southward to the word sow, I found myself repeating the alphabet to make sure I wasn't looking in the wrong place.  Surely this couldn't be! But there it was ... Neither sovereign nor sovereignty were listed in Strong's Concordance.  So, what does that say when a well-trusted and accepted reference book doesn't even acknowledge the concept of sovereignty?  This well-respected book provides an independent check against translations, and offers readers of the Bible an opportunity for greater, and more technically accurate understanding of the Scriptural text (from both the Hebrew and Greek perspective) -- yet how was I supposed to understand text that seemingly didn't exist?

Now, I was faced with an even bigger dilemma! One of the primary arguments that God is in control of everything has been the characteristic of His Sovereignty... yet, that word doesn't seem to be used in the Bible?!?!  How can that be?  This quandary demanded more research, and I was actually amazed to find the following information....  The words sovereign and sovereignty do not appear in the 1611 King James Bible at all!  (MY CAVEAT: I am not advocating a "King James only" interpretation. I merely reference it because it is the oldest among the Bible versions in use today and it is the interpretation/translation used by the Concordance, which is the most utilized reference book for defining words in Scripture).

I discovered that sovereign and sovereignty appear sporadically in the ESV and Amplified versions (written in 1971 and 1965, respectively).  Sovereignty appears eight times in the New American Standard version (published in 1971), although it refers to the LORD God, only twice. But the word sovereign appears 297 times (I looked it up on biblegateway.com) in the NIV translation, written in 1973, and nearly all usages refer to the title, "Sovereign LORD".

So, by now I'm curious as to what appears in the King James instead of this word sovereign. What I found was that "Sovereign Lord" in the NIV replaced the use of "LORD God" in the King James.  Apparently, the translators of the 20th Century NIV decided to translate the word LORD as Sovereign.  This word, LORD, was translated in the King James Bible from the Hebrew Adonai (meaning Lord, Master) and Jehovah (meaning Lord).  When I compared the Septuagint, which is the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible (and written and completed before Christ was born!), with every occurrence of the NIV's Sovereign LORD, I found the various terms "Master and Lord", "the Lord thy God", "O Lord, King of gods", or simply "Lord".

So, let me make my position clear ... Every time you read “Sovereign God” in the NIV Bible, it actually should read “Lord God”. The original Hebrew did not mean "sovereign" and that was a translator’s decision.  And while I cannot explain the reasoning behind this recent mis-translation, I can definitely see how assigning the word "Sovereign" has resulted in a faulty doctrine. Let me elaborate...

So, once it was decided that God would actually be called sovereign, then His sovereignty became an established theological characteristic according to the NIV Bible, and is actually listed in Theopedia (a conservative, evangelical, Christian encyclopedia) as an official characteristic of God.  So, man's ignorance of the Hebrew language, along with religious tradition have actually created a false doctrine of God's "Sovereignty", which now translates into His control of everything because of our 21st Century dictionary definition of what "sovereign" means -- refer back to the third paragraph.

But regardless of whether you are willing to follow the argument I've presented on the historical mis-translation or not, I still want you to understand why I feel it is important you recognize that God is NOT in control of everything. Let me start by asking you a simple question ... If you think God IS in control of everything... how has the world come to be in such bad shape? Why isn't God controlling His world better? Surely, He doesn't approve of the wickedness, crime, and perversion we see in the world today?

And if you truly believe He is All-Powerful, and has the power to prevent the evil, why do we continue to see such evil being perpetrated by humans? Take, for instance, the recent viral videos of innocent people being assaulted for no reason by roving gangs intent only on causing harm [or death]. Or consider the increase in child molestation and torture; or the hate crimes and racial prejudice resulting in burned synagogues, and crimes against religious organizations. Do you think it's  God's will that His people suffer torment and agony? If He is in control of everything, then why doesn't He stop these things from happening? And, as it is oftentimes preached, if there is a purpose for His good in these horrible situations, does that fit your impression of God -- that He would let such pain and humiliation be inflicted upon one of His creation to serve His own purpose?

Now, let me break down my own thoughts ... Yes, God has infinite Power and CAN control anything He wants to. But He used His free will to create us in His image.  Put in very simple terms, if God has free will, then so do we, because we are made in His image. But it is quite evident that it is our free will that has caused the world to be in such bad shape. It is the decisions we make to follow either our flesh or the temptations of the Enemy -- instead of following Lord God-- that result in the pain and misery on this earth. Could He have made us to be creatures that automatically follow Him in every circumstance? Absolutely! But how would that have glorified Him? Wouldn't we all just be robots then? And how does that glorify God? He wants us to choose [out of our own will] to glorify Him. 

Ultimately, our free will results in a decision either to be loyal to Him, or to follow a path to rebellion. (And there's another facet to this question of free will -- Satan was created by God as Lucifer, and he used his free will to make a decision to rebel. And he is trying to convince us to do the same).

Here's what we need to understand ... What we see on earth is man using his free will to disobey God to serve his own selfish desires. Think about this --- If everything was "sovereignly" controlled by God, then there would be no need to pray, no need to give financial offerings, no need to even live right — because whatever happened would be what God wanted regardless of our efforts. In effect, if God controls everything, why even bother to pray? After all, wouldn't God just make things happen for the best anyway?

Now, you could say, "But God is all-powerful. He is able to intervene in human affairs, and my prayers can help convince Him". Yes, our prayers rising to Heaven can, and do, result in God intervening in our lives.  But God has given us His power, too, through the Holy Spirit, and the authority to use it!  Jesus makes that very clear in Luke 10:19 ... Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. 

Yet we doubting and faithless Christians do not believe this word from our Savior!  Oh, we have no problem believing that God exists -- but all this other stuff about demons, and spiritual attacks, and supernatural forces of evil; well, that's outside the box that we've put God and ourselves in.  But the ancient Jews, to whom Jesus was talking to in Luke 10:19 knew exactly what He was referencing. "Serpent" referred to a deadly, subtle, malicious enemy; and "Scorpion" symbolized torment and wrath.  Yet, we choose to ignore Jesus's gift [to us] of authority over both, and over ALL the power of the enemy!  These terms and symbols are all dealing with the supernatural, spiritual realm.  Jesus has given us authority and power to resist them, and yet we limit ourselves to praying and asking God to handle it for us, and then wondering why He let us down!

Can you consider the possibility that He doesn't want to be the "medicine cabinet God" that handles everything for us?  Can you see that the next time we encounter an attack by the enemy, we have the choice to continue to just sit back and ask God to take care of it for us -- OR we can choose to use the power and authority Jesus has given us over ALL the power of the enemy, and handle it ourselves?  I'm going to ask you to answer this question: Which glorifies Him the most? -- evil forces on the earth continue to torment and attack us over and over because we never stop them; we just wait for God to answer our prayers ... OR, we declare to the spiritual realm that we are using our free will and our authority to call upon the mighty Name of Jesus [and are using His power that abides within us] to wage war as part of His Kingdom servants on this earth.

My spirit gets a very clear picture --- God doesn't want to be in control of everything!  He wants a partner, not a puppet!  He made us in His image and He wants us to act like it!  He sent His Son into this evil world , and transferred His power to Jesus to establish God's Kingdom on earth.  Then Jesus transferred His power to us, and here we are 2,000 years later, with scarcely an idea that we possess that power, let alone know how to use it.  It is not God's will that the world be in the shape it is in, nor that we suffer in our lives from all the slings and arrows of the enemy.

Will there be things outside our control, even if we use the power assigned to us?  The answer is yes. The Prince of this world still has his power, too.  But I don't think Jesus wanted us to believe that God would control everything.  Jesus, Himself, was God ... and He could have called down a legion of angels to stop his crucifixion and controlled the whole outcome.  But He came to our realm to show us the way to fight in the spiritual war that started in Heaven and continues to this day on earth.  He used the Power and Authority given to Him by God to heal the sick, bind and cast out demons, and spread the word that the Kingdom of God (God's heavenly government) was here to take back territory.  It's time we use our free will to work with God and take control of our lives!

This concept that God is sovereign over every thing on the earth must be understand in the context of how it weakens the power and authority of the Believer. In case you haven't noticed, Evil is growing and expanding in the earth. Humans are not prepared for just how bad it's going to get, and if you're expecting God to make it easy for us, then you haven't been reading the Bible. Our free will choices have led to this wicked state of affairs, and there is an accounting that will take place. We have no time to spare! Let us step into our God-given power and authority, and our true identities in Christ, recognizing that our deliverance from the evil of this world is not guaranteed until the moment we are face to face with our Savior. Jesus didn't experience His own deliverance from the Evil, but He glorified the Father with His choices. AND NOW we have the opportunity to declare His Glory, His Judgment, His Grace, His Mercy, His Power, and His Love so that the lost may decide to choose Him over Satan's false promises. We are made in the image of Jesus! Let us walk out this life like our Savior did!

#God'ssovereignty #freewill #isGodincontrolofeverything? #falsedoctrine #questioningGod #wrongbibletranslations #isGodsovereign #God'sfreewill #whyisthereevilintheworld #whydoesGodletbadthingshappen

Romans 14:12      So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.       

The Word of God Is Worth Dying For!

I know ... that's a pretty extreme statement, but let me give you the context in which I am making it. As I have stated numerous times, how we interpret the Bible is important to receiving the true revelation of God. Jesus tells us in Matthew 4:4 that we are to live by every word that comes from the mouth of God, and we know that Jesus only said [and did] what the Father told Him. So, it must be inferred that the words Jesus used had great significance and were spoken with purpose. 

And that's why I have continually persisted in making an issue of words like "Ekklesia" and "Kingdom", and have challenged the modern Church's understandings and teachings. Please indulge me a moment as I reiterate just how important our understanding is, and the value of it. 

That word ... ekklesia ... had tremendous import when Jesus used it in Matthew 16:18. Most Bible translations tell us that He said, "on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it". Only He didn't say "Church", He said "Ekklesia". It is important that you know that this word has been used over 100 times in the New Testament and has always meant an assembly of God’s People. That is how it is understood in the Greek language; it is a Greek word. It means that men assembled at the main gate of the city, where government business was discussed and decisions were made on how to run the affairs of the people. It is a word describing government -- not to be used in regards to religion. 

The word "Church" comes from the Greek word kyriake, or kyriakon, meaning "gathering place, assembly dedicated to the Lord" -- in other words, a building; a place. Jesus was very deliberate in using the word Ekklesia, because He knew what its specific meaning was: ek, meaning "out of", and klesis, meaning "a calling". Therefore, I think we can establish that Jesus came to build a government of His Father's Kingdom on earth, not a religion.   

But I don't want to belabor the differences between the two words; I have covered that ground multiple times. Instead, I ask you to think about this: If the word was deliberately told to Jesus by the Father, and Jesus specifically used it during His ministry, shouldn't we hold to their precise use of the word that describes how we are to conduct the affairs of the Kingdom of God on the earth? And shouldn't it be so important to us that we guard its use fervently and with prejudice?

I deliberately used the title for this blog because I want you to perceive how lax we have become in interpreting the Word of God. Jeremiah 2:11-13 comes to mind ... My people have exchanged their Glory (the true God) for that [man-made idol] which does not benefit [them]. Be appalled, O heavens, at this; Be shocked and shudder with horror [at the behavior of the people],” says the Lord. For My people have committed two evils: They have abandoned (rejected) Me, the Fountain of Living Water, and they have carved out their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water. 

This begs the question ... If we do not see that Jesus never intended to build a Church, but rather an Ekklesia -- have we established church buildings as religious idols that are broken and unable to hold the weight and substance of God's Truth? Unless we receive a revelation and re-establish exactly what Jesus intended to build in Matthew 16, we are in danger of building upon the wrong foundation; one that will not withstand what is prophesied to come in the Word. It will not only fail to hold water, but it will crumble at the first onslaught of the kingdom of darkness. 

Does the modern Church even know the history of how the Word came to the common man? Do we understand that for centuries, the people were not even allowed access to the Word? That it was only for the powerful controlling State? Are you aware of a man named William Tyndale and that he published the first New Testament in the English language, making it available to the common man? If you don't know his name, you should, because he was willing to die to protect the Word. 

In 2017, I wrote a blog post titled, My Passion For the Bible, and related the history of the various versions and interpretations of the Bible that have come down through the centuries. I'm going to share a portion of William Tyndale's story, but if you're interested in a more comprehensive history of the English Bible's timeline, I refer you to this link. But it is Tyndale's testimony that is most relevant to today's post. 

William Tyndale was the first man to ever print the New Testament in the English language. He translated it from the original Greek into English in 1526. Tyndale had been forced to flee England because of the wide-spread rumor that his English New Testament project was underway, causing inquisitors and bounty hunters to be constantly on his trail to arrest him and prevent him from completing his project. Both of the "state" churches -- the Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church -- were angry with Tyndale for lots of reasons, but mainly because he translated the Greek word "ekklesia" as an assembly [a governing body of God's Word], which would show the people that they were God's assembly and under His direction, not the State's. 

While the Tyndale Bibles were burned as soon as the Bishop could confiscate them, copies trickled through to the public, and actually ended up in the bedroom of King Henry VIII. The more the King and Bishop resisted its distribution, the more fascinated the public at large became. The church declared it contained thousands of errors as they torched hundreds of New Testaments confiscated by the clergy, while in fact, they burned them because they could find no errors at all. One risked death by burning if caught in mere possession of Tyndale's forbidden books.  

In fact, Tyndale was eventually arrested and imprisoned because he refused to change the translation of ekklesia to anything but a governing assembly. That's how dedicated he was to maintaining the truth and authenticity of God's Word. Today, there are only two known copies left of Tyndale’s 1525-26 First Edition. Any copies printed prior to 1570 are extremely valuable. Tyndale's flight was an inspiration to freedom-loving Englishmen who drew courage from the 11 years that he was hunted. In the end, Tyndale was caught: betrayed by an Englishman that he had befriended. Tyndale was incarcerated for 500 days before he was strangled and burned at the stake in 1536. Tyndale’s last words were, "Oh Lord, open the King of England’s eyes". 

So, you can see why Tyndale's translation, using the word ekklesia in its Greek meaning, would be such a threat to the rulers who controlled the State religions? Jesus claimed He was a King, bringing a government from Heaven that called people to obedience to that system of laws and commandments; encouraging an assembly of Believers to carry out their specific instructions and duties to Heaven. Now, in the 21st Century, as Believers, shouldn't we be asking ourselves if we are still honoring the responsibilities of an ekklesia? Does it even matter to you whether you identify as part of the Ekklesia or the Church? 

Sadly, I am discerning that the word Ekklesia has become one of the latest fashionable icons of Church-y language. But I don't see any change in the actions of the leaders of modern Christianity. The Church still looks like the Church. It is still walking in compromise with the world and the State. It may be using a lot of words to express opposition, but it is not doing anything to oppose the world's approval of abortion; transgender manipulation of children; sex trafficking; crime; corruption; and all the other wicked displays of Satan's presence in our culture. Do you see any William Tyndale's who are willing to give up their lives for the sake of defending the truth or authenticity of the Word?

I believe that we modern Christians sometimes get so caught up in our denominational doctrine that we quote Scripture without really understanding its true meaning, or how it reveals God's heart, or His purpose and plan for us as His representatives. But the Word of God as revealed to man has remained unchanged from generation to generation, no matter how hard the Enemy has tried to corrupt it.  

History shows us that God has always used men who were willing to die to see that His Word stayed verifiable and authentic. He has preserved His Word as a means to know Him and to worship Him. And just as He inspired the original writers to represent Him accurately, He can inspire us, who are sincerely seeking Him, to receive His true revelation.  No matter what translation of the Bible you are reading, I recommend that you compare and contrast versions in your never-ending journey to know the God we serve. The journey His Word has taken to get to us in the 21st Century is nothing less than miraculous. It has survived for over 3400 years, and neither man nor devil has been able to destroy it.  May it forever be a lamp to our feet, and a light to our path!

#bibletranslations #biblicalmeaningofekklesia #ekklesiaversuschurch #godsauthenticrevelation #williamtyndale #wordofgodisworthdyingfor #onthisrockIwillbuildmychurch #onthisrockIwillbuildmyekklesia #churchandstate

Isaiah 40:8   "The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God will stand forever."

  

"Resist The Devil"... Do Not Be Fearful or Deceived! Take A Stand!

How many times have you heard that when we are struggling in this world, we are to just "resist the devil and he will flee from you"? But are you ever told what that means and how to do it? More often than not, in the churches I have attended, I heard James 4:7 quoted over and over, but never received Biblical instruction on what that looked like. Instead, I often heard that we have nothing to fear from the devil because he "is bound and chained" until Jesus returns to destroy him forever in the Lake of Fire. 

But that leaves a lot of details out, and if you seriously study the Bible, the timeline of events just doesn't jive with that explanation. And how are we to reconcile the Scripture that says "our adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour"? Furthermore, how do you explain away the fact that so many Christians are struggling with sin and demonic attacks? And whether the Church wants to admit it or not, the attacks are real and they are demonic.

As hard as it is to contemplate, it all adds up to deception because Christians are confused and ignorant of the ways in which Satan works in the world and in the lives of Believers. I can't tell you how many wonderfully saved Believers we have seen in our ministry who had no idea that Satan was behind all the sorrow and struggles in their lives. They were more likely to believe that God "allowed" their struggles. That is a lie from the pit of hell, and it is shameful that our seminaries have failed to correct that misconception. Instead of teaching church leaders how to Biblically "resist" our Enemy, they usually preach the message to try and "ignore" the devil and "hope" he will flee.

In addition to the denial of the truth that resisting the devil is anchored in spiritual warfare [another subject matter that has been neglected in the curriculum in our seminaries], we find that the understanding of the power of the Holy Spirit in us has also been undervalued. Believers must come to realize that just because you have been Saved, it does not mean that the devil will quit trying to stalk you. Salvation does not guarantee a devil-free life. You are not transported into the magic Kingdom of God, where the devil has no access. 

On the contrary, you are now behind enemy lines, because "the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one" (1 John 5:19).  In fact, you can expect that you have become an even bigger target for him, and he will use all the tricks and schemes that worked before you accepted Christ to cause a crack in that new foundation. What's more he will lie to you and tell you that you are still that sinful, evil person. And because you haven't been equipped to recognize the power of the Spirit or that the weapons of spiritual warfare can defeat the devil, you will struggle to remember and declare that you are a NEW creation! 

Do you know that resisting the devil means "to stand firmly against"; to "withstand"; to "oppose, battle against; fend off, and stand up to"? The Western religious system has done a wonderful job in understanding the fundamentals of how to preach Salvation. But it does not do well when it comes to protecting the flocks from the schemes and deceptions of the devil. How many times, growing up in the Church, did you hear sermons on the strategies of Satan in the world, or how to defeat the demonic strongholds in your life? 

It's sad to say this, but the Western Church has largely ignored the very real presence of Satan and his tactics in our culture and in our nation. And we are even unawares that the ancient deceptive gods of Egypt and Babylon have been resurrected and are flourishing on their altars across our land. By now I'm sure you have heard about the Navy Reserve Officer, Michael Cassidy who decapitated the statue of Satan erected by The Satanic Temple in the Iowa State Capitol building. Citing "righteous indignation" and "Christian civil disobedience", he stated he was offended that this blasphemy was allowed to be displayed. And I found it interesting that his lawyer stated the primary reason our laws don't stop this kind of irreverence against the Lord, is because "they fear taking a stand against Evil". 

So, as we have seen time and time again, our government has NOT resisted the devil and his efforts to corrupt not only our nation, but our faith. It makes me sad to say this, but the Church has not done much better in taking a stand against Evil. In fact, it has compromised with it, instead of resisting it. Can we say that the Church has taken a definitive stand against adultery, fornication, sodomy, idolatry, murder -- because taking a stand is what "resisting the devil" would mean? Or have we trivialized our sins by resorting to deceptive lies and softened the significance of these sins by calling them "an affair"; "safe sex"; "gay love"; "veneration"; and "pro-choice"? Sounds like the Church also has a healthy fear of taking a stand against Evil.

But it's far beyond the time to recognize that we can no longer play it safe in this war we are in between Good and Evil! And yes, we are in a war for our nation and our faith! We are in a spiritual war, fighting with God's angelic army against the angelic forces of Satan in the spiritual realms. We are in an informational war with the media sources and financial backers of the godless world elite. And we are in a very real earthly military war between the world's super powers. The question is, who are you listening to and following? Do you recognize that Satan and his demons are not myths? Do you understand the truth of the Bible that depicts a battle between God and Satan -- between Good and Evil -- from the serpent in the Garden in Genesis, all the way through the Bible to Revelation, when Jesus throws His Enemy in the Lake of Fire? That's the tension that runs throughout the entire Word of God, and it's the same tension that is at war this very day!

It's time that we see that Jesus is not only the Lord and power behind our Salvation experience, but He is also the Lord over our nation, our culture, our faith, our families and everything in our lives. He is the Lord over the spiritual battles -- and the war of words/information -- and the military conflicts that are threatening to topple this world. But we also need to see that Satan is active in all these realms, too. And we need to grasp the truth that it is our responsibility and duty, as obedient followers of Christ, to resist our Enemy's advances. And having no fear, we are to go forth in defense of God's Truth, His Goodness, and His Sovereignty! Amen!

#deceptioninthechurch #satansdeception #falseteaching #warbetweengoodandevil #evilinourmidst #resistthedevil #thedevilwillflee #thedevilsliesanddeception #james4:7 #spiritualwarfare #demonicstrongholds #jesusversussatan

2 Corinthians 11:3       But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.

Are The Saints Being Equipped?

This is a question that has long plagued me. And what does it mean to "be equipped"? When the Lord first spoke to my husband in a vision in the middle of the night, telling Him God wanted to sanctify us unto Himself for service to Him and His Kingdom, we didn't really know what that looked like. And I will be honest with you, He was silent for awhile after we accepted that momentous calling. So we spent the next few years doing a deep dive in our Bibles, and were amazed at what we didn't know about being called by the Lord and all that the Holy Spirit was beginning to open up and reveal to us.

The first thing that became apparent to us was that the modern Church isn't consistent in its understanding of the Holy Spirit in our lives.  Every denomination has its own doctrine, and from what I can tell, too few of them teach that we Christians should be seeking an experience with Him. But I will tell you that if Mark and I had stopped at just trying to understand the literal knowledge of the Bible, we would have missed out on so much of the spiritual knowledge that we needed to understand in order to step into our divine assignment. 

Ask any roomful of Christians about desiring the gifts of the Holy Spirit, or if we should be walking in the power of the Spirit [as Jesus did], and you will get opinions formed by those who have been wounded by the Church because they didn't appear to have a particular gift, and therefore don't desire to seek more of Him; to those who, while unknowledgable about the subject, are curious to know more; to those who flat out reject it; to those who have received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and are walking in His empowerment, healing the sick and setting the captives free from bondage.  

But I will also tell you that Jesus desires us ALL to have everything the Holy Spirit makes available. Sadly, I think Believers in this century have been deceived into believing that the knowledge and the power and the gifts of the Holy are only for a chosen few. But if Jesus wants us all to experience the Holy Spirit in His fullness, then it begs the question, Can anybody do what Jesus did, who definitely possessed the completeness of the Spirit? 

First of all, it is important that Christians realize Jesus was 30 years old before the Holy Spirit rested upon Him and He had the power to begin His ministry.  The Bible tells us that As Jesus grew, so did His wisdom and maturity. We must realize that the manifestation of the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives comes through our own process of gaining wisdom and maturing in our faith; of walking with God and experiencing an increase in His grace, and an increase in the comprehension of the Father’s plan for our life -- and all of that comes from the work of the Holy Spirit in us. We must recognize His presence in us! 

But I think most Christians are scared of the power of the Holy Spirit, primarily because they are unfamiliar with it. The Bible tells us there is a purpose for a five-fold ministry in the Body of Christ. By God's grace, some have been called to be apostles [an ambassador of the Gospel of the Kingdom]; some prophets [a proclaimer of a divine message]; some evangelists [a preacher of the Gospel of the Kingdom]; some pastors [providing tender care and vigilant oversight]; and some teachers [an instructor concerning the things of God and the duties of man]. But Ephesians 4:12 specifically says that these callings are to equip [nurture and prepare] all the holy believers to do their own works of ministry... which is at the heart of this post today. [NOTE: it is to be understood that the Gospel of the Kingdom includes, but is not limited to, the Gospel of Salvation. In fact, the Good News about Salvation is the first essential step in perceiving and entering into the Kingdom of God]. 

And here is the root of that concept of "equipping the saints": God's grace is the power of the Holy Spirit in us to do those things we have been called to... those things we could not do under our own power. And lest you misunderstand, we are all called to do the things that Jesus taught and commanded (defeating the works of the devil) and to walk in the manifestation [the enabling power] of the Holy Spirit to serve God in whatever gifts, achievement, or abilities He has designed for us to carry out. But we must be careful to discern that it is Jesus/God who calls us. It is not ourselves who decide what our calling is to be. Nor is it some committee of elders in a Church. And if a "prophet" reveals it, we must discern if he is a self-proclaimed prophet or appointed by Jesus through a personal revelation. I fear too many of the five-fold ministry have not heard directly from Jesus about their assignment, but rather, have been appointed by men. But this perception is for another post on another day. I want to get back to my original question ... Is the Church equipping the Saints for ministry? Are they nurturing them and preparing them to seek and receive the revelation from the Holy Spirit?

 So, now I ask you this ... how many of us can say that we have experienced any of this nurturing within the Body of Christ?  Jesus is our model, and everything He did was the product of the Holy Spirit working in Him to carry out His commission [ministry] from the Father. AND it is the function of those called by God's grace to equip us to receive that same Holy Spirit power to do our "own works of ministry." But how many of us received that equipping ... that nurturing and preparing ... that instruction and modeling of how to become more like Jesus? This question is pertinent because the Bible says it plainly and clearly ... in Hebrews 10:23-25, we are told to hold tightly to the promise given us [that the Holy Spirit would come to empower us and guide us]; and we should give considerate and deliberate thought to encouraging each other to love and do the good deeds Jesus modeled, not forsaking the gathering together to encourage each other to do these things as we wait for His return. The "gathering together" has been characterized as meeting in a Church building. But that is not the primary focus of this passage; it is the encouragement of each other to walk in the power [and assignment] that God sends us through the Holy Spirit who indwells us.

But here's the thing ... since I would venture to say that a large majority of us were never encouraged or equipped to walk in our own giftings and callings, we are uncomfortable with the empowerment of the Holy Spirit and it is easy for the Enemy to convince us that this concept is not from God.  When the power of the Holy Spirit to work in our lives through the gifts and counsel He gives us is never taught; or it is explained away; or it is not used; or it is buried under disappointing attempts that appeared to fail -- then it is easy to believe the lie that this empowerment is not for Today.  And then we end up with powerless Christians who miss out on encounters with God and fulfilling the purpose for which they were called.

So, again, I ask the question, Are the gifts and the experience of the power of the Holy Spirit only for a chosen few? The answer is No! It says in 1 Corinthians 12:6-7, "The same God distributes different kinds of powers [gifts] that accomplish different results through each believer's gift and ministry as He energizes and activates them. Each believer is given continuous revelation by the Holy Spirit to benefit not just himself but all". In light of this Biblical truth, I believe it is up to each believer to seek the Holy Spirit and receive that revelation. It also leads to the truth that it is God who does the calling, but it is the Holy Spirit who begins to reveal the knowledge we will need and provides the power to carry out our assignment.

This intimate experience with Jesus and the Father through the Holy Spirit is the only way to impact this world for the Kingdom of God.  Without experiencing the power of the Holy Spirit in one's life, it is my humble opinion that you can't truly know God and know His will for His Kingdom. You can read and study Scripture and recite all the verses from memory, but as my wise husband expressed, "It's like saying you know how to swim, when all you've done is read every book in the Library on swimming, but never actually experienced getting in the water and swimming".  And I liken it to reading every post on Facebook by a friend, and reading every text message she sends me, but if I'm never in her presence and experience her, can I say I really know her?  How can we be ambassadors for a Kingdom when we don't know the King and what He desires?

Finally, Can everybody do what Jesus did? The simple answer is Yes. But can we guarantee success every time? No. But what I can tell you from my own experience in walking in His power, is that the more you do it, the more confidence you get in your identity and the ability of the Holy Spirit to work through you.  In other words, people who pray more for healing, will see more healings happen. John Wimber, one of the founders of the "Power Evangelism" movement in the U.S. prayed for healing for 1,000 people before he saw anyone healed. And I have heard so many similar testimonies from those who walk in Jesus' signs, wonders, and miracles who say the same thing: Christians must make a commitment to press into what CAN happen and SHOULD be happening.

But it is also the responsibility of the Church leadership to seek and hear from the Holy Spirit on how to equip, nurture, and encourage the Body of Christ to ask the Holy Spirit to reveal their particular calling/ministry in the Kingdom of God and earth, and how to discern that they are hearing correctly. That is "equipping"! 

My final analysis of experiencing the Holy Spirit in the Christian life so that we might become equipped to serve God,  is that God brings each of us to a place of maturity that requires our perseverance through the discouragement. The Enemy likes nothing more than to send obstacles to walking in the power of the Holy Spirit [that is in us]. The Body of Christ must begin to overcome the lack of equipping and our long season of apathy and indifference [and yes, fear] towards embracing the power of Heaven within us. The Holy Spirit of God is the key to an effective Christian life of service. Without His ministry to our spirits, our Christian life will be powerless and fruitless for the Kingdom. And this life is all about serving the Kingdom on earth!

#equippingthesaints #seekingyourdivineappointment #whatisGodscallingonyourlife #jobofthefivefoldministry #poweroftheHolySpirit #answeringGodscall #jobofthechurch #belikeJesus #lackofchurchtraining

1 John 2:27    But the wonderful anointing you have received from God is so much greater than their deception and now lives in you. There’s no need for anyone to keep teaching you [the false doctrines of men]. His anointing teaches you all that you need to know, for it will lead you into truth, not a counterfeit. So just as the anointing has taught you, remain in Him.   

The Earth Is Mourning Because of Our Sin ... Are You Listening?

I have long been fascinated with the verses of Scripture that speak of the earth as if it was alive -- because I believe it is, and it is warning us of what God has spoken about our connection to the land. Sadly, I think Christians have forgotten [if they ever knew] about the sacred duty and connection between man and the land. 

We read in Genesis 1 that God created the earth and everything in it -- vegetation and plants [yielding seed and bearing fruit]; waters swarming with living creatures, and the birds of the air; livestock, creeping things, and beasts of the earth -- and God saw that it was all good. Next, He created man in His image and gave him dominion over all the earth. And then God planted man in the Garden of Eden "to work it and tend it". So, from the beginning, there has been a connection and a relationship between man and the earth. 

And we find out in Genesis 4 that this relationship has profound consequences for both man and the land. Adam and Eve, through their disobedience to God's commandment [over how they were to tend the Garden and the sacred trees], cause the land to be cursed, and the earth manifested the judgment of God due to their sin. We must recognize that there is a very real cause-and-effect when man sins, and because of the earth's sensitivity to that sin, the earth rebels against man, and becomes an instrument of God's judgment.

NOTE: This post is not about all the "green movements" or the "climate change agenda" that have risen along political lines. Those philosophies are predicated on men who see themselves in a God-like role of protecting the earth from mankind's mishandling. The truth is they do not know the Creator God, nor do they acknowledge that it is mankind's sin that is the source of the land's defilement. Their cause is based on human greed and power. 

What I want us to realize is that we need to take notice of what the land is trying to tell us. And yes, I do mean to suggest that the earth is not only sentient, but intelligent. And I base this position -- not in agreement with the aforementioned secular earth worshippers -- but on the Word of God. Let me give you just a few examples: 

Job 12:7-8 ...  But ask the beasts, and they will teach you; the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you; or the bushes of the earth, and they will teach you; and the fish of the sea will declare to you.

Psalm 119:1-2 ...  The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And the expanse [of heaven] is declaring the work of His hands. Day after day pours forth speech, And night after night reveals knowledge. 

Psalm 55:12 [when Israel was set free from Egyptian captivity] ...  For you will go out [from exile] with joy and be led forth [by the Lord Himself] with peace; The mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. 

Having been created by the living God, all His creation possesses life, too. And because of that connection and sentient intelligence between man and the land [both created for that relationship], the land also mourns when man sins, because there is a direct connection between the two -- i.e., there is an effect upon the land because of man and his sin. Read what the Word of God says:

Hosea 4:1-3 ...  Hear the word of the Lord, O children of Israel, for the Lord has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land. There is no faithfulness or steadfast love, and no knowledge of God in the land; there is swearing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed. Therefore the land mourns, and all who dwell in it languish, and also the beasts of the field and the birds of the heavens, and even the fish of the sea are taken away.

Jeremiah 12:4 ... How long will the land mourn and the grass of every field wither? For the evil of those who dwell in it the beasts and the birds are swept away, because they said, “He will not see our latter end.”

Deuteronomy 11:12 tells us that God cares for the land He created ... "The eyes of the Lord your God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year". And the land declares evidence of the continuation of man's sins in the earth. In fact, Jesus, tells us in Matthew 24:7 that the increase of sin and lawlessness will initiate "signs" or manifestations of how much God grieves the level of sin that will amass in the world before His Son's return... "For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places". 

The rebellion of men [wars] will rise to a level that affects the whole earth, and it will result in consequences for the land [famine and earthquakes]. Just in the month of September 2023, earthquakes were experienced in Afghanistan, Nepal, Mexico, Papua New Guinea, Slovakia, Argentia, Australia, Iran, New Zealand, Vanuatu, Fiji, and Chili. Currently, Iceland is awaiting a massive volcanic eruption, and CBS News reported that on November 15, 2023, the country experienced 800 earthquakes overnight, with the residents calling it "apocalyptic". And let us not forget that the volcanic activity in Yellowstone Park is overdue for an apocalypse of its own, while the New Madrid Fault line in the Midwest is also overdue for a massive earthquake.

But there are Biblical warnings that perhaps we are less aware of, but portend some serious consequences if we do not repent of our sins and seek God, asking for His merciful forgiveness. Consider God's judgment for the severing of the connection/relationship that sin brings between man and the land...

Leviticus 18:27-28 ...  (for the people of the land, who were before you, did all of these abominations, so that the land became unclean), lest the land vomit you out when you make it unclean, as it vomited out the nation that was before you.  

Leviticus 18:25 ... and the land became unclean, so that I punished its iniquity, and the land vomited out its inhabitants.

Leviticus 10:22 ... You shall therefore keep all my statutes and all my rules and do them, that the land where I am bringing you to live may not vomit you out.

You may think this applies only to the Old Testament Israelites, but read the following:

Romans 8:22 ... For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.

Revelation 3:16 ... So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.

NOTE: The act of being "vomited out" means to be "rejected from", "displaced", "thrown out"; in other words, to be dispossessed. The Bible makes it clear in Leviticus that God judged those who caused the land to become unclean because of their sins -- whether it be idolatry, immorality, the shedding of innocent blood, or broken covenants. And the judgment He brought against them was the loss of their land; they were removed and another nation occupied the land. 

Don't think that this won't happen to us! God is the same God who holds to the same statues and commandments as He did then! Our greed and idolatry, sexual perversion, shedding of the innocent blood of our babies, and our own broken covenants will result in the earth "groaning" -- and God hears it! And because we have not been zealous to follow the ways of the Lord, we have produced generations of sin, transgressions, and iniquity that have defiled the land to the point that Jesus is ready to vomit us out of His mouth! You can see the nations circling us, waiting to inhabit our land should Jesus decide the cup of our sin is full. 

But there is good news! The land can be healed, cleansed and made whole again! But time is running out... The land is waiting for us to rise up in our true identities as the righteous sons and daughters of God. The earth longs to be set free from the corruption of the land caused by our generations who have chosen to be in agreement with the Deceiver, rather than with the Holy God who created us and all He gave us to tend. The warnings have been there all along, written in His Word for all to see and obey. We have no more excuses to ignore them; the decay in our nation and the world is obvious and increasing. The effects on the earth are plainly discerned, and we are on the verge of being "vomited out". But we can be set free from our own bondage and also set the creation free from its corruption and defilement. We can do this! It starts in my life, and I bow down before my God and humble myself, declaring my sins and disobedience, and my shame in all the ways I have defiled my life, which in turn has defiled the land. Lord God, I seek Your Face and Your Forgiveness! Restore me and all Your Creation. Bring us back to life! I ask this in the Holy Name of my Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen!

#GodsCreation; #ManandSin; #DefilementoftheEarth #theearthcriesout #Godsjudgment #GodsSovereignty #theearthgroans #    

Romans 8:19-22.      For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.

A Lesson To Be Learned... Be Careful Who You Make Covenants With!

In my Biblical worldview, I know the value of the Bible in revealing God's principles by which He governs His creation. I am always searching the Word for clues of why our country [and the world] are experiencing the struggles we face. And I also subscribe to the axiom that "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it". That has been true in Biblical history as well as down through the centuries.

It is easy to say this adage is just a consequence of our human flaws, but there is actually a correlation between God's commandments and the ability [or inability] of man's obedience to follow them. The rules, so to speak, by which God intends man to live have not changed just because we have technology the ancient Israelites did not possess. We may have convinced ourselves that we are above those commandments, and no longer need to follow them, but any fool can take a look at the degradation of our society and culture, and know that something is dreadfully wrong. So, is there a Biblical correlation to the destruction of America that we see today? Let me see if I can show you one parallel story that might point the way to our understanding. 

As I have said before, God's Word is multi-dimensional, and often I find the Holy Spirit directing me to connect the dots in Scripture. So, I'm going to start in Exodus 23, in order to lay the groundwork of how God's "spiritual mechanics" work in the lives of men; past, present, and future.

To begin, we need to understand that God always keeps His promises; and He never breaks them. In Exodus 23, God promises the Israelites conquest of the land of Canaan. "Behold, I send an angel before you to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared. Pay careful attention to him and obey his voice; do not rebel against him, for he will not pardon your transgression, for my name is in him". [NOTE: the angel is Jesus. And according to the website, wearehebrew, the name of God is Yahua, and the name of Jesus is Yahusha -- so we find that God's name is in Him, just as Scripture says]. 

God goes on to promise, "But if you carefully obey his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries. When my angel goes before you and brings you to the Amorites and the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Canaanites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, and I blot them out, you shall not bow down to their gods nor serve them, nor do as they do, but you shall utterly overthrow them and break their pillars in pieces".  Then comes the qualifier: "You shall make no covenant with them and their gods. They shall not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin against me; for if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you.” 

Next, we jump to Joshua 9, and the conquest of Canaan and those pagan tribes. Notice that it is God who is going to execute the conquest of these Canaanites. And according to the rules of war for the cities inside the land of Canaan,  (Deuteronomy 20:16b-18), Joshua and the Israelites were to destroy all the people in the land because they worshiped false gods and would teach the people of Israel to follow their gods. Incidentally, there was also a rule of war for the cities who were outside the land of Canaan, and lived "far away" ... they were to be offered peace, and allowed to live as slaves to the conquering Israelites. If they refused, they would be killed, just as the citizens of Jericho and Ai.

And here's where we see an interesting, yet all-too-familiar circumstance in Joshua, Chapter 9. The Canaanite tribes heard of the victories of the Israelites and amassed together to go up against them. Joshua and his army are approaching the city of Gibeon, and the inhabitants knew that if the Israelites obeyed God's rules of war, they were doomed to be killed, so they plotted to deceive Joshua by approaching him and telling him,  “We have come from a distant country, so now make a covenant with us” (Joshua 9:3-6). Joshua was obedient to the commandments of the Lord to spare those cities who lived far away, and Scripture says, "Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them, to let them live, and the leaders of the congregation swore to them" (Joshua 9:15). But when he learned that the Gibeonites had deceived him and were actually their neighbors within the land of Canaan, he still honored the covenant with them, saying, “We have sworn to them by the Lord, the God of Israel, and now we may not touch them. This we will do to them: let them live, lest wrath be upon us, because of the oath that we swore to them”.   

Now, let's move on to the next dot we need to connect. We find King David in 2 Samuel 21 seeking to understand why there has been a three-year famine in the land. A famine that lasts one or two years might be contributed to punishment for sins of the people in the land, but when it lingered into the third year, David wisely sought the Lord's counsel to see if there was some spiritual authority that had been breached. And the answer from the Lord came to David: “There is bloodguilt on Saul and on his house, because he put the Gibeonites to death.” 

Now, this must have sent a chill down the back of King David! He knew that in the days of Joshua -- some 400 years before David's time! -- Israel had sworn not to harm the Gibeonites. God expected Israel to keep its promise, even though the Gibeonites tricked Israel into making the agreement. Saul’s crime was not only in killing the Gibeonites but also in breaking this ancient and important oath. In his zeal for the children of Israel and Judah, Saul had sinned and brought calamity upon the nation. 

So, what was the result of this disobedience and how was it to be resolved so that God would release Israel from the famine? David needed to make atonement for the wrongs done to the Gibeonites and for dishonoring the covenant between them and Joshua. To the Gibeonites credit, they understood that the brutality against them was past sin from a past leader. They didn't demand money, or land, or to go to war. But they did want justice! To satisfy the bloodguilt of Saul, the Gibeonites demanded that David give up seven sons of Saul to be hanged on a mountaintop. [I think it is possible that these sons/descendants of Saul might have partaken in the slaughter of the Gibeonites, although that is not specifically stated]. And it must be mentioned that David spared Jonathon's son Miphiboseth because of a covenant of friendship and peace he made with Jonathan that was to last through their descendants forever [1 Samuel 20]. David was wise enough not to fix a broken covenant by breaking another.

In the end, David directed that justice be done on behalf of the Gibeonites so that the Lord might release them from the famine, which had been brought upon the land because of a broken covenant. There are so many principles that are important for us to see in this ancient story, which spanned over 400 years. And these principles are just as valid for us today, in the United States of America, as it was for ancient Israel. We must discern that God expects us to keep our promises, oaths made in His Name, and the covenants we make. He expects the same from nations. God does not excuse us from our obligations to keep those promises because of the passage of time. And it is possible that God's discipline and correction may come a long time after the offense -- but it will come!  

Furthermore, because of the importance God puts on honoring covenants and promises, we can be confident that He will honor those He makes with us. So, I think we have to ask ourselves if our nation has honored its promises and covenants with other nations as well as to us, its citizens. And I think we have to go all the way back to the founding of America, and examine where we have broken covenant -- especially with our God! Is it any wonder that our nation seems to be deteriorating before our eyes? That doesn't mean God hasn't [or won't] answer any of our prayers... I have certainly been blessed, as has our country. BUT there will come a time when He will deal with our [accumulated sin] -- that makes me shudder at the extent of it! -- and like Israel, He will discontinue answering our prayers until we deal with it and seek atonement and forgiveness. 

Is that time upon us? Are we on the verge of seeing unanswered prayers which will devastate our nation beyond anything we have yet experienced? If that is where we're at, we can learn from King David, and do what He did ... seek God's counsel to address and fix the broken promises. We don't need to seek counsel from Congress, politicians, and sadly, from most of the Churches, who don't have the answer because they don't see the spiritual mechanics of their own sins, nor their complicity with making a 50l(c)(3) covenant with a body of people who have sinned against God and His principles. Simply stated: God is the answer to our problems! He always has been! But time is running out, and we need to set aside our personal and national pride, humble ourselves and pray; seek His Face, and turn from our wicked ways. If we are not willing to do that, we cannot and will not see Him hear us, or forgive us, or heal our land. The choice is ours, just as it was Joshua's and King David's. We can learn from them. We need to learn from their examples, or we can expect God to deal with our sins.  

#makingcovenants; #breakingcovenants; #rightingwrongs; #consequencesofsin; #Exodus23; #Joshua9; #Deuteronomy20; #2Samuel21; #1Samuel20; #Gibeonitesrevenge; #KingDavid; #atonement; #seekingGod

Proverbs 3:5-7.    Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes, but fear the Lord and shun evil.

    

 

Are You Spiritually Ready For These Times?

"Brace yourself" could be the watchword for what the world is experiencing these days. And I do mean "the world" -- it seems as if the entire globe is on the verge of imploding. Never has it seemed, at least in my lifetime, that humanity has been closer to the tension and pressure that must surely precede in the days before the Tribulation described in Matthew 24 commences. A warning is coming frequently in dreams and visions and prophetic words to the people of God. Christians at every level of service to the Body of Christ are spreading the alarm they are receiving in their spirits. If you are at all in harmony with your spirit, then you can discern that Evil is increasing on the earth.

Now, not all the prophecies are accurate, nor is God the source of them all. Our Lord warns us that false prophets and false teachers will multiply during the times leading up to His return. Therefore, our spiritual discernment needs to be accurate and in alignment with God's prophetic voice. But, without a doubt, Men's hearts have grown cold. Lawlessness and sin abound. Love for each other is diminishing; our differences fuel the hate this is increasingly evident. The Enemy of the children of God is getting ready to mount his final campaign against us as he plots to defeat Almighty God. 

This pretty much describes our relations with China, Russia, North Korea, Iran and countries around the globe. And if you are unable to see that it illustrates our national crisis, then I'm afraid you're being naive. I know there are counter voices in the Christian culture that promote the religious message that Revival is on the way. And we should most definitely pray and intercede that recognition of God will reawaken in our land, and impassioned worship will sweep the nation -- that we will actually humble ourselves, pray and seek God's face, and turn from our wicked ways. Then He will hear from heaven, forgive our sins, and heal our land. Oh, Lord, how I pray that that becomes our reality. I know one thing for sure -- it is imperative that we do these things. But it is also wise to prepare for what Jesus most emphatically prophesies as our future. And I'm afraid "the Church" doesn't want to hear that message.  

And yes, no one knows what the future brings, or just how close we are to what the Bible calls the Tribulation. But I do believe this -- we cannot escape the tribulation and persecution that Jesus told us will be our experience as the time for His return approaches. Jesus tells us that we will not escape being hated for His Name's sake, and that we must stay awake and be prepared for the hour our faith will be tested. 

In fact, there is a Biblical phrase that is equivalent to our modern expression of Brace Yourself, and it is to Gird up your loins. The meaning of this language is to get ready for service; prepare for a challenge or battle; and in the sense of the Tribulation, to strengthen yourself by putting on the armor of God. And here is where my question posed in the title of this blog comes into focus ... Are you spiritually ready for these times? 

I am reminded of the posture of Job as he endures the persecution by the Devil. As trial after trial mounts against him, we see Job, in chapter 38, feeling abandoned by God. Job has ached for a comforting word from God; for an explanation of why this was happening to him. Job just doesn't understand why he has suffered so severely when he's done everything he could to be a good servant to the Lord. Scripture suggests that Job was struggling with understanding why God hadn't come to his defense, and he [Job] was, in effect, wrestling with his understanding and relationship with God. And what is God's response when Job questions what appears to be a lack of obligation on God's part? Now gird up your loins like a man  [dress for action]! I will question you, and you make it known to Me (Job 28:3).

"Gird up your loins" is an expression often found in the Bible that is an urgent call to get ready for immediate action, or it may be a call to prepare for a coming action or event. The phrase is related to the type of clothing worn in ancient times. To keep from impeding the wearer during any vigorous activity, e.g. battle, exercise, strenuous work, etc., the loose ends of garments (tunics, cloaks, mantles, etc.) had to be gathered up and tucked into the girdle. The girdle was a band about six inches wide that had fasteners in front. It was worn around the loins (the midsection of the body between the lower ribs and the hips). Gird up your mind or gird up your heart are variations of this phrase which call for mental or spiritual preparation for a coming challenge. 

In Job 28, we see what I think the Bible refers to as Christians "falling away" or stumbling in their faith when the tribulation and persecution begin. Like Job, they will begin to question God about His faithfulness, and begin to doubt what they have believed. Because they have been taught that they would somehow not be required to suffer as the Bible prophesies, they will become offended by what they perceive as God's lack of protection and His desertion in their time of need. But like, Job, these Christian believers won't appreciate that there will be aspects of these End Times that are known only to God, and are hidden from man. And I believe that God expects us to "man up", so to speak, and prepare spiritually for the battles ahead. 

I worry that far too many Christians will stumble and be unprepared to pay the cost of being a follower of Christ. We must strengthen our faith and prepare to carry our own cross, just as Jesus did. We must be prepared to lose everything, just as Job did! Sadly, the Church has given lip-service to this concept and shied away from confronting believers with the hard truth that suffering and tribulation will be our temporary circumstances before Jesus's return. We have fallen for the messages of false prophets such as Darby and Scofield, who wrote Bibles promoting a Pre-Tribulation Rapture. This doctrine has certainly led people astray, and it was never spoken of by Jesus. Yet, many in the Church choose to believe this false theology, which is only 200 years old, rather than the Word of God spoken by our Lord and Savior 2000 years ago! 

I am being honest when I say that I fear for my fellow Christians. I don't want them to be surprised or in shock when the promised persecution comes. And it will be far worse than anything we have witnessed to date. I want them to be strengthened to endure and persevere during what is coming, and to keep their eyes and hearts and spirits focused on the One who will ultimately deliver us. I want them to be able to reinforce the faith of our fellow Christians who will falter during the satanic oppression, and at the same time, be prepared to share the Good News of [both] Salvation and God's Kingdom on earth with those who have never heard it. I want them to be prepared to declare Jesus Christ even when the sword is at their breast. I want their spirit to rise up in their identity as warriors for the Kingdom, even when their flesh is weak. I want them to be sure of who they are, and just how great is their God, so that even in the midst of persecution like the world has never seen, they will be known for their faith. 

I desire all this for the Body of Christ, and I desire it for myself. I have no great illusions that all Christians will meet this test. But I pray that the Remnant, however large or small it is, is even now preparing itself in all these matters. I pray they see through the dirty veil that the Enemy has placed over the physical eyes of my fellow believers, and that they see clearly [with spiritual eyes] the truth of what Jesus spoke. May God Almighty strengthen us and fortify us to meet the coming tribulation, and may we serve Him with courage and spiritual might, knowing that because we will endure, we will be saved. Thank you, Lord Jesus, that You have given us Your Word of Truth so that we might not be caught unaware; so that we might train and equip ourselves to be ready when the Evil One comes against us at the end of this age. Lord, we gird up our loins, our minds, and our hearts as we make ourselves spiritually ready for whatever is to come! Amen.

#EndTimes #EndTimesProphecy #GirdYourLoins #BeSpirituallyReady #FallingAway #Apostasy #QuestioningGod #JustLikeJob #BraceYourself #Tribulation #ChristianPersecution

1 Peter 1:13      So prepare your minds for action, be completely sober in spirit—steadfast, self-disciplined, spiritually and morally alert -- [gird up your loins], fix your hope completely on the grace [of God] that is coming to you when Jesus Christ is revealed.