The Importance of God's Word in Unsettling Times

There are so many reasons that God's Word is vital in times of trouble. But before I begin my reasons why, we need to examine the exegesis of what we mean by "God's Word". And naturally, we Christians understand the Bible to be God's Word to us; His expressed [or written] message to mankind. "Word" in Greek is Logos and implies the Divine reason/thought that gives the cosmos its form and order. That's what the Bible means when it says in John 1:1-2, In the beginning was the Word. And the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. The "He" in this passage is telling us that Jesus is also "the Word"; He represents and embodies the complete message of God to all men. 

So, here we have the idea that both Jesus and the Bible are God's Word. They are connected because the Bible is literally all about Jesus -- if you diligently read it and study it, you will find Him on every page. Paul gives us the duality of that concept when he says, "I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known". 

In other words, Paul is telling Believers that it is his job to make the word (Jesus) known to them as the message from God to mankind. He can accomplish that through teaching from the collection of writings that scholars most commonly accept as written, [beginning with Genesis], around 1400 B.C. until Malachi was written, approximately 450 B.C. -- what we know as the Old Testament. That is the written word of God.

But Paul also wants them to understand that the Word of God encompasses more than what's written on the page. God had been speaking into mankind for centuries, revealing Himself in various ways -- in His creation; through the prophets He called into service; through Scripture [of course], and now the Person of His Son, Jesus Christ. But by the time that Paul is teaching this truth, Jesus has been crucified and risen. So, Paul wants it clearly understood that God continues to reveal Himself through the Holy Spirit, who will teach us a deeper understanding of what is written on the pages of Scripture. That concept sees the Word of God, as spiritually revealed, or the Rhema Word.

It is an utterance from God to the heart of the receiver via the Holy Spirit, as in John 14:26: But when the Father sends the Spirit of Holiness, the One like Me who sets you free, He will teach you all things in My name. And He will inspire you to remember every word that I’ve told you. In addition, we can see the activity of the Holy Spirit in Hebrews 4:12, For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.  Although the Lord is no longer on the earth, He is still the Word and works through the Holy Spirit, who is living and active in us; separating our soul and flesh from our spirit, and discerning the condition of our heart, that we might clearly hear Jesus and obey His commandments.   

To summarize, Logos is a theological term with a clear reference to Jesus as the Word in the Bible. Rhema is a spiritual encounter with the Word, whereby the principles of the Bible are communicated directly to the heart and spirit of the Believer. The problem is that much of the Church doesn't recognize the Rhema Word or hunger for it. And of course, the Rhema Word must coincide with what is revealed about the Logos in the Bible. I do not believe God or Jesus will speak a word to our hearts or spirits that contradicts His Word in the Bible, but I certainly believe They have a desire to illuminate the Word to those who will receive it.

So why have I taken such pains to elucidate the fullness of this term "Word of God"?  It's so that as we traverse these difficult times in the modern world, we know how to engage and bind ourselves to the Word of God, in all its fullness; to remain grounded and connected to our lifeline [both the Bible and Jesus] when confronted with conflict and dangerous situations. It is important to understand how to do that. 

So, I invite you to consider the following passage in the Bible. I think it expresses much better than I can, what I am talking about ... For we did not receive the spirit of this world system but the Spirit of God, so that we might come to understand and experience all that grace has lavished upon us. And we articulate these realities with the words imparted to us by the Spirit and not with the words taught by human wisdom. We join together Spirit-revealed truths with Spirit-revealed words.  Someone living on an entirely human level rejects the revelations of God’s Spirit, for they make no sense to him. He can’t understand the revelations of the Spirit because they are only discovered by the illumination of the Spirit. Those who live in the Spirit are able to carefully evaluate all things, and they are subject to the scrutiny of no one but God (1 Corinthians 2:12-15, The Passion Translation).  

To us in the 21st Century, this should tell us that there is a valid connection between revelation from God (Spirit-revealed truths) and the Bible (Spirit-revealed words). They are meant to work together to bring us into greater intimacy with the Father and to guide us to not only fulfill our purpose for the Kingdom that Jesus came to establish, but defend it against the spiritual forces that want to obstruct it. And here's an amazing truth that we need to be exceedingly grateful for ... the heroes of the Old Testament had access to the Holy Spirit when God sent Him upon them, but we have been blessed that the Holy Spirit is with us always, living inside us! 

I recently read an interesting article on kingdom citizens.org. Consider that Daniel, in his service to God, did not have the Holy Spirit's presence in him. But he did make obedience to God's Word his fundamental guide. Even when King Darius decreed that no man could pray to any other god but him, Daniel continued to remain obedient to God's command that "You shall have no other gods before Me", by praying towards Jerusalem three times a day. He is an example that no conflict, no law or decree can change the truth of God's Word. Daniel presents a pretty good challenge to the 21st Century believer. If he was willing to stake his life on following God's commands -- no matter what -- and without the Holy Spirit as guide and counselor inside him, how much more should we be able to stand and occupy in times of trouble? 

In the New Testament, the Disciples Peter and John also show us who and what should take priority in our lives. Just like Daniel, they ran up against man-made laws; laws that forbid them to teach about Jesus. They had a decision to make! Would they choose man's law over the truth they knew of the Word -- that He had died for our sins and rose to sit at the right hand of the Father to intercede on our behalf? Or would they continue to witness about the Word, and listen to the Holy Spirit, who teaches us and reveals the power of the Gospel? "We ought to obey God rather than men" was their answer -- not to be rebellious and sow discord and chaos into the society, but to remain obedient to God's law, when man's law went against it.

As our spirits become increasingly aware that conflict is on the rise and may become unavoidable, I know it will not be easy. In our flesh, the Enemy will attack us with fear, doubt, anxiety, and unbelief. But I want to encourage you to make the Word of God your foundation in the midst of the uncertainty, confusion, and disorder. We're already seeing, that in so many areas, wrong is now right; bad is now good. Like Daniel and Peter and John, ask yourself, What does God call me to do in this situation, according to the Bible? What am I hearing from the Holy Spirit?  When you know the Word, both in Scripture form, and in your personal, intimate relationship with Jesus the Word, you will find that you have a foundation to stand on; one that strengthens you, gives you strategies, and provides stability in unsettling times. We will overcome!

#understandingtheword #whatislogosword #whatisrhemaword #kingdomcitizens #obeyGodorobeyman #holyspiritinus #holyspiritinoldtestament #holyspirit  #weoughttoobeyGod #Jesusistheword #revelationofthebible #spiritrevealedtruth #danielsobedienceinthebible

Isaiah 55:11    "So shall My Word be that goes out from My mouth; it shall not return to Me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it".

     

   

When and How Did America Lose Its Christian Soul?

I hope that what I have to say today will resonate with many of you, because it is of utmost importance that we, as a nation, clearly see where we are headed. The question I ask in the title is purely rhetorical -- I don't have an ideal answer. I am asking in order to make people examine the state of our spiritual health as a nation, and to consider the seriousness of that condition.

In my lifetime, I can point to the "When" we began to lose our national soul. I can trace the decline of faith as a governing factor in our American persona to the 1962 decision by the Supreme Court that prayers organized by public school officials were unconstitutional. Since then, the Supreme Court has also ruled that "voluntary" prayer in our schools is unconstitutional because it makes some students feel uncomfortable and left out. Those decisions soon resulted in God being increasingly removed from more and more aspects of our culture and society. Challenges to His place in our country are now commonplace.

We've come a long way since our nation, which was once considered the "New Israel" by the Pilgrims, has seen a momentous decline in faith and belief in God. For over 300 years after the Pilgrims landed, the Church and the Gospel were a guiding force in this land of freedom and opportunity; they were a benchmark by which the affairs of this land were conducted. From the pulpit, the Church taught the Gospel and how it should affect the nation's decisions regarding its form of government, education, commerce, morality and yes, even politics.  The Church and the influence of the Gospel shaped America, and therefore the world.

But for [at least] the last 60 years it seems that the world has shaped the Church. In America, we have let the world tell the Church that God doesn't belong in our schools;  we have let the world tell the Church that life does not begin at conception; and we have let the world tell the Church that faith has no place in the halls of our governing institutions. 

In 2012, I watched a broadcast of a group of American pastors who were boldly calling out America's churches for their failings. They challenged the Church for the decline in faith in our country and for the appalling statistic [at that time] that 49.5% of our children, ages 8 to 17 have never been inside a church! How did that happen in a country that is known for being founded on Judeo/Christian principles, and what must the statistic be these 12 years later?

One of the pastors quoted Aleksandry Solzhenitsyn, famed Russian author (Nobel prize for Literature) and a survivor of the Communist regime. During a 1983 address, Solzhenitsyn gave a dissertation on the Russian revolution and the Communist takeover. He explained that the Marxist ideology successfully infused Russian society with an atheistic mentality through systematic secularization of the culture. It became very easy to alienate the people from God and their traditional Christian morality and beliefs. Solzhenitsyn simply and succinctly pronounced judgment on his countrymen .....  “Men have forgotten God; that’s why all this has happened.”

And now, I'll present the "How" our loss of faith and soul came about. And again, it was Aleksandry Solzhenitsyn who shined the light on how creative Satan works in nations and cultures. He revealed the methods by which the Communists were able to separate their people from God. First, they were patient and calculating. They started with the elite and the educated circles; by the time their Revolution occurred, faith had virtually disappeared among the academics and universities.  Sound familiar? Hatred of God and the Church were the driving force behind Communism and at the heart of the ideology. If a movement is going to take control of a society, they must destroy religion/faith. 

If the people have access to the Creator, and recognize that there is a power higher than the Government, then they can never be enslaved. And as repressive as the Communist regime was, it was not able to eradicate Christianity; in fact, Solzhenitsyn proclaimed that his countrymen's awareness of God and His saving grace became even more acute under the severe persecution. I believe that has happened throughout history among persecuted Christians. [Think of the Disciples and Believers in the First Century Church, through the attempts to wipe out the Christian faith during the Middle Ages; the genocides during the Ottoman Empire, and the current war on Christians in the Middle East and Africa]. The willingness of these Christian believers [and sadly, martyrs] to suffer for their Lord is a testimony to the strength of their faith.  

In addition, we cannot deny that Christianity in the West -- and I would say we are guilty of this -- has been watered down. In 1938, Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer escaped to the U.S. when Hitler began his campaign against the Christian churches in Germany, only to return to war-torn Germany because he found the Christian Church in America operated in "Easy Grace". How much further have we slid since 1938? 

Let me share a quote I found from someone who responded to an online poll by Quora that asked the question, "What caused religion to decline in America"? Here is the respondent's answer ... "I can only give you my perspective. I was a Christian for forty-two years. I know the Bible inside and out. I was always troubled by the disconnect between how Christians treat other people and the words of the guy they claim to follow. Apparently, to be a good Christian in 2024 you have to hate, “all the right people.” Their sense of entitlement is the very definition of pride. Pride is supposed to be sinful and Christians are very proud of themselves. There are more and more people like me, people who have had enough of the lies and hypocrisy and just left the whole thing behind. I searched deep within myself and discovered that the reasons that I had for my faith were not good ones. With more and more people leaving the church, it is becoming obvious that atheism doesn't lead to lives of emptiness and despair. That is frankly, bull----.  My life has been much more full and meaningful since I left the fear, superstition and empty promises of Christianity".  

Does that offend you? It should because that's not how I want to view Christianity. But that testimony is coming from someone who says he believed for 42 years. He obviously has experience being in the Church, and this is what he's left with. So, I ask you -- how do we reclaim our Christian soul in America; our mind dedicated to God's will on earth, the deep heartfelt and emotional recognition that we need Jesus in our lives to be truly fulfilled, and the [free] will to discover our purpose for being here? How do we turn the hearts of the aforementioned ex-Believer back to his first love? We must repent for all that we and the generations before us have done [or not done] to set this decline in motion. 

We must see that, as a nation, we voluntarily embraced (and encouraged) our own turning away from God! We Christians, (and the Church!) failed in our commission.  We did not safeguard the teachings that Christ gave us, and we did not faithfully teach them to each successive generation. We let the spirit of Pharaoh (enslavement through false teachings in the universities and our church buildings), the spirit of Jezebel (sexual perversion and immorality), and the spirit of Herod (killing innocent, unborn children) invade our land. We have ignored the only spirit that can save us ... the Holy Spirit. Now it is up to each of us and every pastor in every pulpit throughout the land to get back to our real purpose. We are here at this time, in this place, to reclaim this territory for God! 

I know there are many Christians who are dedicated to this restoration. And we must examine our methods to see if the old patterns have led to our decline, or if they must be faithfully protected. Are you willing to accept that following true Christianity may not look like it has in the past? Do you have the courage to follow our Savior, who also encountered pushback from the religious establishment? Consider that Jesus came, bringing a new model for obeying YHWH and spreading a Holy Spirit-inspired servanthood to mankind. But He also prophesied that Satan would battle against us and we would be persecuted and called upon to stand and occupy. I declare that we yet have the opportunity to re-establish our national identity as a steadfast nation in Christ. And through employing His power and authority, it will be done! Amen!

#americandeclineinfaith #takingGodoutofournation #thehypocriticalchurch #americahaslostitschristiansoul #menhaveforgottenGod #watereddownchristianity #dietrichbonhoeffer #reclaimingamericaschristiansoul #reclaimamericaforGod #whatistruechristianity #reestablishamericaforGod

1 Kings 18:37      "Answer me, LORD, answer me, so these people will know that you, LORD, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again."     

 

   

2024: The State of American Christianity

First of all, I want to be sure you understand that this is not an article expounding on the virtues of Christian nationalism. Instead, it is a fervent attempt to take a good hard look at Christianity in America. The title of this blog infers that I have a clearly defined position on this subject, which I do not claim. I am just a pilgrim on my own journey of understanding my faith. But because I have been diligent in my search for knowledge of my God and His ways, I have been privileged to experience different facets of what Christianity looks like in America. And as we enter into a new year, we must be honest about where we are, and who we are. Perhaps it's time to look ourselves squarely in the mirror and discern the state of our American form of Christianity. 

I dare say that many Believers in America have formed their view [or opinion] of their God [and their faith] from their denominational experiences. From the beginning of this nation, the Church has played a part in defining how Americans live their lives. It is said that "we are a Christian nation", and I can agree from the standpoint that the Christian God and His tenets and principles were the foundation of our way of life and  guiding standards for our form of government. 

But I also think the culture and influence of the Church has waned in the 247 ensuing years that America has existed. Yes, we still have mega-churches filled with people, and there are multitudes of faithful Believers who profess their faith, but Sunday attendance does not necessarily result in a Godly nation. Look beyond your immediate family and community ... Our laws no longer uphold God's statutes of the sanctity of life; we see coveting and idol worship abounding; and holiness is no longer seen as a quality worth pursuing in our society. Lawlessness and chaos are growing in intensity, and although we, who proclaim Christ as our Savior, remain steadfast in our hope for all the promises of God, we must not be blind to what Scripture prophesies before Christ's return.

Now, I want to make it perfectly clear that I am not advocating that we stay focused on those End Times forecasts, but neither do I suggest we ignore them. We are not to be defeatist in attitude, nor pessimistic. Yet we are not to be deprived of Biblical truth, nor influenced by "feel good" sermons designed to make us comfortable in our egocentric ways so that we remain blind to the judgment of nations. We must be the "Authentic Church"; the Body of Christ that is willing to die to self [and to die in the physical, if necessary], willing to be spiritual warriors to expand the Kingdom of God and defeat evil on the battlefield. 

And, yes, I will admit that makes us a misfit in modern society. But, to be honest, I no longer want to fit in with the world. That doesn't mean that I no longer want to connect with or love others. On the contrary, my desire is even more poignant as I seek to reach the lost and free those in bondage to the Enemy. I want to share the rewards of being a citizen of the Kingdom of God! I want to pull the counterfeit veil off our national identity and reveal just who we've become and point our way back to being a Godly nation whose people stand in opposition to the nations in partnership with Satan's envoys! That isn't the "feel good message" that American Christians have become addicted to, but it is what they need to hear if we are going to please the heart of God.

I remember reading a comment to one of my blog posts in 2016, in which Anonymous wrote me, "... it is becoming more and more clear I have no "place" in my church. I am discouraged from seeking answers beyond the "base or pat " answers that the leadership has determined is the ''right" answer. This is so frustrating. I find that church for me has to be in a blog like yours or in an online forum where people like me are gathering in droves to find some semblance of the truth. What does this say about the condition of the church? I feel guilty about rejecting the church but what if there is nothing there to minister to me?"          

At the time, I empathized with that frustration! I sincerely believed then [and even more so now] that Jesus is calling our spirits out of hibernation. For too long, we have been satisfied with what we've been spoon-fed as the "theologically correct" concepts of Creation, Salvation, Grace, and Church. By no means, do I suggest that Pastors have deliberately misled us or contrived to dumb us down. No, Satan has done that!  And I want to make it clear that, in no way, do I advocate rejecting the Church. It is still Jesus's Church!  Instead, it is my hope that I (we) can enlighten the Body of Christ and stimulate it to return to its designated and divine purpose; the purpose that Jesus commissioned it for -- not the lukewarm representative of His power and glory many church buildings have become. Until, then I believe He has called those with willing hearts and spirits to step outside the current institution and join Him in forming a revitalized Remnant.

And I want to stress that I remain highly optimistic and encouraged, even in what looks like dark times for our nation and the world. That means that I am optimistic as well as realistic. I am not naive enough to think that just because we are America, we will be spared suffering, hard times, or the righteous judgment of our righteous God. But, I also trust in His promises to deliver the truly repentant. What does that mean? ... It means that we must come to God [in honesty and sincerity], acknowledging the unholiness of our sin, and willing to accept His just consequences. Where is the hope in that, you might ask?

Read Hosea 14:4-8 and you will find the blessings and reasons for my optimism. God will heal us of our apostasy and the abandonment of our beliefs. He will love us freely. He will turn away from His just anger against us. He will nourish us and make us flourish once again. He will re-establish us once again with the roots of faith that will withstand the storms that Satan and the world bring against us. He will wash away our ugliness and make us beautiful, so that the rest of the world will marvel at the blessings He has bestowed upon us, and He will be made desirable in their sight. But we must do our part! We must lay down the current state of Christianity in all its compromise and lukewarm appearance, and put on the penitent and contrite spirit, receiving the Grace and Mercy of our God who is ready to receive us and empower us to fulfill our purpose on the earth.

So, while things may look ominous in the moment, it's not too late! Be awake, be aware of the warnings the Word gives us, and be willing to bow your knee to the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. Be willing to sacrifice self [and its immediate rewards] for the cause of freedom in Christ. Champion His Kingdom on earth and be ready to fight the battle in the spiritual realms. Never lose your hope in Jesus and His promises, and one by one, we can bring this nation back to God, where He is waiting to receive us. The current state of American Christianity doesn't have to be the end of our story. Join me in this new year, and let's write a new chapter!         

#thestateofthechurch #americanbrandofchristianity #americanchristianity #ourhopeinjesus #lukewarmchurch #apostasyinthechurch #feelgoodchurch #faithinamerica #turnbacktoGod #repentantandturntoGod #endtimeshope #calltorepentance  

Are You Ready To Stand In Opposition to Evil?

Based on the growing storms of Evil that are encompassing the world, I find myself wondering how many of us are not only ready, but willing, to see the Evil before us -- and then to take a stand against it? I recognize that Evil in the world is nothing new. The Bible and history record its presence in horrific scenarios from the beginning of time. What we are seeing is actually nothing new in the annals of men. Across the millennia, from World Wars to the Crusades and religious wars; to genocide campaigns in Germany, Cambodia, Africa, Armenia, and more; to the pogroms in Russia ... the Enemy of God and mankind has sought to reduce the human population in his kingdom of darkness.

And now we are experiencing it in our lifetime. But what are we, the Remnant of Jehovah God, the Kingdom Warriors of Jesus Christ, to do in these times of great trouble and sorrow? It should be evident to all who call themselves Christians that we can no longer say that Evil is at our doorstep ... it has already crossed it. But, if it is true that we are truly citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven, and are here on earth to manifest the presence of the Kingdom in us and around us, in order that we might battle the darkness of Satan and thereby save souls and transfer lives and territory into the domain of our King... then isn't it time to be bold in our opposition?

I know we are not to have idols in this world, or lift any man above another. But there are times when we will look to the example of righteous men, in order to know the path we are to follow. My friends, that time is now. Our culture is rapidly disintegrating into immoral chaos. There is no mistaking the battle between Good and Evil; between God and Evil. The opposition to Christianity is growing more hostile and more blatant. My spirit is quickly discerning that we must soon decide how far Christians [and the Church] are willing to go to defend God and all that is Good. 

We have gone beyond the need to just stand for Biblical principles. And the Church needs to not only abandon its compromise with our culture's immoral attitudes and lifestyles, but become active in its defense of God's perfect will. I'm afraid we've all played it too safe for too long, folks. Are we walking as men and women who are new creations, unable and unwilling to walk a middle ground? Or are we comfortable with one foot in the evil world, and one foot in the Christian camp?

So, whom might we look towards to see how righteous Christians are to respond? The year 2025 will mark the 80th anniversary of the execution of a man who acted responsibly in his faith during one of the most evil times in history. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a deeply religious Lutheran pastor found himself in a dilemma ... when informed of the evil that was Adolph Hitler, and the plan to exterminate the Jews, how far is "too far" to go in order to stop that evil?  When confronted with something so offensive to God, is there ever an excuse for Christians to compromise, capitulate, or raise the white flag? Bonhoeffer didn't think so, and it cost him his life. 

I have chronicled Dietrich Bonhoeffer's story in several posts, and I invite you to not only read my synopsis of his struggle with how to respond within his religious principles (and God's will) to a rapidly deteriorating national culture -- but to contemplate that he was a Kingdom warrior who was not only unafraid to live for what he believed in, but was not afraid to die for it. Writing in 1943, he said,  "The ultimate question for a responsible person [of faith] to ask is not how he is to extricate himself heroically from the affair, but how the coming generation is to live." And he will forever be immortalized with his convicting words, "Silence in the face of evil, is itself evil. God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act".  

Isn't it time we -- and the Church -- searched our hearts, as he did? How are we going to leave this world for the next generation? Have we already relinquished their ability to live a principled Christian life by compromising and weakening our faith? In an effort to show our tolerance, have we allowed those who oppose our faith to become more intolerant? Have we been silent when they should have heard us roar? Like Bonhoeffer, do we have the courage of our faith and convictions -- or will we stay in the shadows, afraid to call attention to ourselves and to whom we serve?

That has largely been my struggle with the institutionalized Church. Sadly, I hear it giving lip service to the saving of souls, and the raising of a new generation of Christians, but it seems [to me, at least] that their efforts are often looking inward; being mindful to take care of "their own", creating a comfortable atmosphere in which to isolate and insulate its members from the darkness on the outside. But by creating a safe place for the Light to shine, aren't they allowing the Darkness on the outside to grow and perpetuate; swallowing up souls and strengthening agents of evil without any opposition from bold and unrelenting Kingdom warriors, willing to sacrifice themselves for God's cause?

We hear on the nightly news that our military is struggling to meet its recruitment numbers; that it might be impossible to put an adequate army in the field to battle against the forces threatening to come against us. That is in the physical, my friends. Can you even imagine what the spiritual war is looking like? I have total confidence in God's army of angels, because I know who their Commander-in-Chief is. I would like to feel just as secure in knowing that my Christian brethren are as ready to go into battle with them. We are not to sit back and let them do the fighting for us. We are not to expect that we can just rest on our title of "Christian" and escape the coming hordes of evil that Satan has been preparing in his quest to dominate the world.

The Church teaches that the devil knows he's defeated and we know we win in the end. But that doesn't mean we will not be overcome in this physical life; or that we won't become entrapped within the system of the Evil One. Look at history! Millions upon millions of innocent (and God-loving) people have been killed knowing those same truths -- his defeat and our victory. So, it's time to decide! Are we, as individual born-again, new-creation Christians going to stay passive and sit on the sidelines, waiting for God's angelic army to rescue us? Or are we going to put on our armor, sign up for the spiritual war, and obediently follow God's orders? Not to act for the Kingdom of God, is [unfortunately] to act for ourselves.

#resistevil #resistthedevil #evilintheworld #Godsremnant #kindomwarriors #thechurchversusevil #goodversusevil #christiansoldiers #spiritualwarfare #thecompromisingchurch #Godsbattleplan #Godversussatan #jesuschristourcommanderinchief #Godsarmy #dietrichbonhoeffer

Isaiah 59:19     So shall they fear The Name of the Lord from the west, and His glory from the rising of the sun; When the enemy comes in like a flood, The Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him.    

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.