Is It Time To Remove The Bell?

     One of the many blessings of writing this blog is that I have joined a community of normal, everyday people who feel called to use their talent for writing to honor our Lord.  And every once in awhile, I hear directly from them, commenting on something I've written, and asking if they can share it with their readers.  Today, I want to return the compliment.  
     Dennis Rowan is the heart and soul behind a blog called "Homestead Shepherd", and his blog is just what it sounds like... relating the practical experience of shepherding sheep to our spiritual Christian walk with Christ, who is our Shepherd.  
     Dennis contacted me a few days ago, and told me he was going to write an article about an unusual experience he had with a bellwether in his flock.  In case you don't know (and I didn't), a bellwether is a male sheep that leads the flock, usually wearing a bell.  It can also mean a person or thing that assumes the leadership or forefront, as of a profession or industry.  Dennis thought of my pen name, Belle Ringer, and the posts I have written about my church experiences, and hinted that I might find his article interesting.  
     Not only did I find it interesting, but of primary importance when regarding the state of the modern Church and its leaders.  Let me emphatically state that this is not a blanket assertion about all church shepherds, but an expression of profound concern.  So, with his kind permission, I would like to share Dennis's perspective and concern about the Church's "lead sheep".

   

     Last week I removed the bell from a lead sheep.  It was a bit sobering as I thought about it;  I removed the bell because the sheep was no longer qualified to be a lead sheep… he was no longer useful.
     As I removed the bell from the sheep, my thoughts went to Christian leaders… perhaps it is time to remove the bell.  What do I mean by that?  First, I am primarily referring to most pastors who supposedly lead local congregations.  If they are not leading correctly, then it is time to remove the bell.

Burnout, PKs, and High Expectations of Pastors

     For most of my 75 years I have listened to people talk about how so many pastors tend to feel lonely because of the demands made on [their lives].  Some of this is self-inflicted, and some are demands by the very people who pay their salary.  Pastor burnout is something I have heard many times.  Then there are the PKs, or preacher’s kids, who seem to be in a class by themselves; as people who have special behavioral problems.  Personally, I have not seen this in excess among PKs, but I had an unusual encounter with one of my students, a PK, about 40 years ago at the college where I taught.  A young lady in my class was a PK, and she told me in private that her pastor dad kept so busy that she and her brother had to make appointments with him if they wanted to visit him at work.

     Sometime during the past 25 years, I came to the conclusion that the high stress on pastors, the super busy schedules, and subsequent burnout (by some) occurs because the position as pastor, as we know it in America, is NOT biblical.  In my mind, God would not put that responsibility on one man.

     Church Government

     I once asked a pastor to define church government, because I really wanted to know.  This was a relaxed informal setting, so he was under no pressure.  He talked for 10-15 minutes, and said NOTHING, or at the very least, I learned nothing.  That was a big red flag for me, and I began a relatively long journey of searching the Scriptures to learn for myself some things about church government… after many years I concluded that traditional church, as most Americans know it, is NOT biblical… there I said it!

The Lead Sheep

     I mentioned my relatively long journey of searching the Scriptures.  Here is a link to something I wrote 23 years ago called The Lead Sheep.  There is much in that article, written more than two decades ago, that complements what you are reading here, but my criticism of the system, and subsequent conclusions are much more harsh now, as you will see at the end of this piece.  I beg the Christian reader to beware of the, “But we’ve always done it this way” syndrome. ”  (BWADITW).   We need to understand that BWADITW is not a synonym for “truth.”
     Below is a quote from a book about biblical church by Terry Stanley:  We cannot be adequately fed from only one man, for only one hour, on only one day of the week. No matter how good of a man he may be. The church of Jesus does not need money to run. Nor does it need a denomination (division) to be affiliated with. We do not need a building, a board of directors, an agenda, or a marketing plan in order to survive. But rather the Spirit of God, the power of the gospel, the love of the brethren and the authority of the scriptures are to drive our very existence.

     Amen, and Amen!  I encourage the interested reader to check the free online book at the link above. For any who wish to study and exercise a bit of discernment, they should realize that church congregations in America have some serious problems, and the lack of proper Christian training of our young children is at the top of my list of those serious problems.  I don’t particularly like to put in these words (shown in bold), but I will because that is the first thing that came to my mind; pastors should be ashamed to show their face in public knowing that most of the children in their congregation attend a government run school where Jesus Christ is not welcome.

The Choice for Christians – Comfort or Correct

     

     Yes, I think it is time to remove the bell from those who lead non-biblical organizations that are supposed to be Christ-centered, but instead, have been instituted, shaped and corrupted by men.  I don’t doubt the salvation and sincerity of all who participate in institutional churches, but the system, on average, needs an overhaul.  Do a search and learn where in the world Christianity has the fastest rate of growth (hint: they are underground house churches).  Most of the traditional church institutions and their leaders in America should gradually step out of the way, and let the home churches and home-schooled people begin to turn things around with a true focus on the Chief Shepherd, absent of all the frivolous baggage man has attached to what he calls “church.”  It will be a very difficult and slow process to change from such an established system, but we also should decide which we prefer, comfort with the old, or accept the challenge of being correct.  Focus on this Scripture:  But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible. ( Matthew 19:26)

     The question of whether we, as Christians, should remove "the bell from the lead sheep" is a difficult and controversial one.  I am sure that Dennis Rowan's commentary will offend some; those who think that their church does not fit this harsh criticism.  But let me ask you this question ... If the Church (Body of Christ) is doing the job Jesus left us to do, and doing it Biblically, according to God's purpose, would our society and culture be in the mess it's in?  Isn't it the Church's job to influence society in the ways of God?  And would so many Christians be oppressed by demonic spirits, and/or leading secret and sinful lives?  

     Granted, the responsibilities of a Shepherd of God's flock are monumental.  But are we holding the Shepherds accountable?  Are they fulfilling their duties as expressed in the Bible ... handling accurately the Word of Truth; ready to preach the Word in and out of season; exhorting, reproving, rebuking, with great patience and instruction; are they constantly studying the Word in order to gain greater knowledge of God, and as an example for their flock; are they able to teach the Word; would he be willing to lay down his life for his flock?

     All these are attributes of a Pastor, or Shepherd of God's flock, as described in the Bible.  Do we take them seriously, and are they being fulfilled?  Shepherd is an important role, one of the most important in the Bible ... that's why God sent His Son, so our pastors could imitate Him.  Neither I nor Dennis Rowan wish to cast aspersions upon any man who takes his position as Shepherd solemnly and earnestly.  But, by the condition of our country and our world, I think it's time we face the truth ... perhaps some of those who fill the role of Lead Sheep are no longer suitable to wear their bell.

Jeremiah 50:6    "My people have become lost sheep; Their shepherds have led them astray. They have made them turn aside [to the seductive places of idolatry] on the mountains.  They have gone along [from one sin to another] from mountain to hill; They have forgotten their [own] resting place."

The Body of Christ And Our Religious Spirits

     What exactly is a "religious spirit", you might be asking?  "I thought being religious is a good thing. Doesn't it mean believing in God"?  The first thing we need to come to terms with is that we are made in the image of God, who is Spirit.  In fact, this flesh we call our body is just the temporary covering for our individual spirits.  Spirit is at the heart of who we are in God's eyes.
     The next thing to realize is that not all spirits are pleasing to God.  For instance, if we possess a spirit of pride, or unbelief, or doubt, we are not being effective for the Kingdom of God, of which we are citizens if we are saved through faith in Jesus.

     And what does it mean to be "religious", or what is "religion"?  Among other things, Religion is a cultural system of behaviors and practices, world views, sacred texts, holy places, and ethics.  Religious practices may include rituals, traditions, sermons, commemoration or veneration (of God or deities), sacrifices, festivals, feasts, meditation, prayer, music, public service, or other aspects of human culture.  In short, it is any man-made attempt to reach God through external works or practices.  And various religions have their own cultural histories and narratives.  By now, you should be getting a picture that Religion has a lot to do with how man connects with, or associates with his God (or god).
     One of the few times that both the words religious and religion actually appear in the Bible is in James 1-26-27:  If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless.  Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.  I think we can clearly see that our Father in Heaven doesn't require or ask for a lot of the man-made or human ceremonies, traditions, or rituals that have become a part of our religious expression.  He doesn't want our external exhibitions or displays of worship; He wants us to act from a heart whereon He has written His Law, and to remain untainted by the world's values and its impression of religious expression.
     But here's the thing ... the devil is always trying to deceive our heart and whisper the lies that inspire loyalty to religious concepts and practices in such a way as to oppose and [possibly to] counterfeit the true work of the Holy Spirit that is within us.  Satan knows it is in our human nature to act "religious" -- to attempt to declare our awe of God by outward displays.  In other words, it is his goal to pervert our instincts about worshipping our Creator by sending deceptive spirits to deceive our hearts and minds.
     I'm going to just cut to the chase ... A religious spirit is a demon that wages war against the grace of God in our lives and tries to destroy a true intimate relationship with our Father in Heaven.  Think that's going a little too far?  Just consider some of the religious spirits that can affect the Body of Christ: judgmentalism, self-righteousness, religious pride, criticism, legalism, perfectionism, division, error (doctrinal falsehood), unbelief, doubt, confusion, argumentism, false holiness, salvation by works, guilt, condemnation, fear of losing salvation, fear of God (unhealthy, scared feeling), and intolerance.  Any, or all, of these are afflictions that can oppress Christians within the churches of our land, and which attempt to stifle the influence of the Holy Spirit.
     Jesus made it clear that it was His desire for the unity of the church to reflect the unity of the Godhead ...  "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.  By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35).  Yet, consider for a moment the theological disagreements and bad relationships which exist between churches, and also within individual local churches.  How many call themselves Christians, seeing themselves as holy, righteous, and favored by God, while looking down upon others who profess different understandings of Scripture?  There is a spiritual power behind these kinds of confrontations and attitudes, and it is instigated and encouraged by religious spirits.
     One of the ways in which I am discerning that these false religious spirits are working satan's plan is in the realization that men and women full of the mercy of God, their authority from Jesus, and the power of the Holy Spirit are coming under attack from within the Church itself.  When these faithful people begin to challenge religious people in churches with a different interpretation of the traditional concept of God's Truth, the devil likes to get his demons stirred up, and if possible will provoke all kinds of unreasonable and malicious attacks on such servants of God.  If their ministries are outside the realm of the man-made traditions and religious teachings of the Church, they are automatically  looked upon as cults, or cliques, or heretical.
     Let me be clear --- We must absolutely measure every word and teaching against Scripture, but I believe that God is pulling the scales off the eyes of His remnant and revealing the deception that satan has perpetrated upon the Body of Christ.  Our God is bigger and more personal than we've been taught; He desires our participation in His Kingdom; and He wants us to be who He made us to be, co-heirs with Christ!  We are beginning to see the power and authority that is ours in the Name of Jesus, and in the last days it will not only become more and more common to exercise it... but absolutely necessary!

     I want us to consider perhaps the most striking example of the religious spirit in the Bible; that of the scribes and Pharisees.  Jesus showed us His deep sorrow and anguish against these men, whose carnal religious spirits were in direct opposition to the grace of God and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  In fact, Jesus expressed eight "woes" against these hypocritical religious men.  The word “woe” is the Greek word ouai, which is a deeply felt expression of grief. The word is also used to refer to those religious spirits that cause Misery, Affliction, Trouble, and Frustration, in addition to Great Sorrow and Grief.  I think it would do us well to take a look at each of these eight woes, and see how these religious spirits in religious people were opposing the Gospel of Jesus.     
     The first woe:  They shut up the Kingdom of heaven (Matthew 23:13).   Shutting up the Kingdom of heaven against men is a very common activity of religious people.  They neither advance nor increase in the things of God, or allow anyone else to, either. They stand as demonic guards and buffet the things of the Spirit of God – all in the name of religious duty. The religious spirits hinder and threaten those who are entering into a deeper Spirit-led relationship with the Lord by taking away the key of knowledge and a more accurate perception of Jesus.  The religious spirit then uses threat as a weapon to argue, complain, debate, and otherwise frustrate the plans of God for the Church through its own apathy.  All this shuts up the Kingdom of heaven.
     The second woe:  Religious spirits put on a show (Matthew 23:14).   We all know those professed Christians who like to put on a false demonstration by praying long and loud, but you never feel it is sincere.  And how many times have you seen people pray before a meal when they know others are watching, but you know it is not something they feel called to do when in private?  And then there are those who pray to impress others, but aren't really speaking to God.  Jesus is not pleased with polished showmanship or the false pretense of the religious deceiver whose motive is the show.

     The third woe:  False disciples and spiritual sons (Matthew 23:15).  Jesus declares that the Pharisees are hypocrites that do everything possible to raise up religious sons just as legalistic as themselves.  The whole world is waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God (Romans 8:19). People with religious spirits, however, are not interested in the development of true sons of God. They work on duplicating others after their own religious images, rather than sons of God who are conformed into His image. The religious spirit will scour the church looking for that perfect candidate for its religious indoctrination program.  This is a strategy of the religious spirit – to isolate its prey from true spiritual covering with false mentoring that creates unhealthy soul ties. The ultimate goal, of course, is to create false sons.
     The fourth woe:  Blind guides and fools (Matthew 23:16-22).  In this instance, Jesus zeros in on the Pharisees’ inability to lead the righteous. He labels them as blind guides and fools that have no spiritual understanding of the Word of God. A religious spirit can never lead people into a greater walk with Jesus because one cannot take someone to a place that one has not already been. Religious spirits may know the current religious buzzwords and Christian lingo and all the convenient snippets of Scripture, but they are faultfinders that put down those with true spiritual discernment while they live a life directed by man-made religion.  Their hearts are not focused on God, but on perpetuating man's traditions regarding God.

     The fifth woe:  Legalistic hypocrites (Matthew 23:23-24). 
 Once again, Jesus exposes the true nature of a religious spirit – a hypocrite.  This fifth woe pictures the Pharisees again with their emphasis on externals. This is a picture of the average church today that is busy making the outside of the cup look clean by religious works but never deals with matters of the heart. They go through all the ceremonies, have the best sound equipment, chairs, buildings, etc. But all of the external ceremonies cannot clean up the corruption of the inner man; cannot set the captive free from the satanic bondage of his or her spiritual wounds.  This is a picture of a religious leader who is in the front row of the pews on Sunday, but allows his children to watch R-rated horror films, and yells at his wife in fits of anger.  Legalism binds the captives of religious spirits and keeps them from being set free by Jesus.
     The sixth woe:  Extortion and Excess (Matthew 23:25-26).  Extortion is the act of plundering, robbery and stealing.  Extortion is a predetermined plan of action with the intent to steal from someone. Jesus said the Pharisees were so full of excess that they had lost the ability to control their lust for more. Today we have modern religious merchandisers who steal from the people of God so they can lavish themselves with excess.  Have you ever attended a church that was clean and well-kept on the outside but inside there was no spiritual life?  That can occur in a small country church as well as in a palatial church with stadium seating that seats 5000.  The religious spirit will demand that the inhabitants of that church stick to the letter of the religious law in an effort to amass more authority for their outward appearance.  But that spirit neglects and starves the heart.
      The seventh woe:  A pretty tomb (Matthew 23:27-28).  It was commonly believed that if anyone could get into heaven, if anyone were righteous, surely it would have to be the Pharisees. Why? Because people were looking at their supposed pious and religious works. But Jesus called them dead, full of hypocrisy and iniquity. He then went on to say that they were full of uncleanness, which means they were full of impure motives and lust. One can only imagine the impact of such statements that Jesus made. No wonder they wanted to kill him.  White-washed grave markers are just pretty tombs.  They look nice but are nothing more than a house for the dead.  Let me ask you a question ... Have you met the person that respects the great revivalist of history (like Calvin or Luther), but disrespects those who have the same revivalist spirit today?  Or what about a person who went to a theological seminary, but couldn't find Jesus there?  Unfortunately, those scenarios represent the presence and impact of religious spirits.
     The eighth woe:  A murdering spirit (Matthew 23: 29-34).   This woe reveals to us the shocking murderous heart of a religious spirit, and is Jesus’ final and most stern declaration.  These same religious leaders that were honoring the prophets of the past were soon to crucify the very Son of God who was speaking to them.  How many modern Christians have been symbolically crucified for daring to bring a new understanding to Scripture?  Serving Jesus is more than being indoctrinated in Christian philosophy or religious theology; it is an active heartfelt love for our Savior and King, and a willingness to look beyond the boundaries of prescribed religiosity.  A murdering religious spirit quenches the Holy Spirit and denies the supremacy of Spirit-led life over a religious one.  These eight woes, as expressed by Jesus, make it clear that He hates any and all religious spirits.
     I wrote this post today to try and express my frustration against the presence of religious spirits in the modern Body of Christ.  These spirits are more prevalent among the faithful than I think we would like to acknowledge, and they are more interested in justice and punishment than mercy and forgiveness.  They are an instrument of the devil and only serve to make you feel distant from God, and to set you up for spiritual disaster through pride and self-righteousness.  Through their introduction in your life or your church, it is satan's goal to nullify the work of Christ in your life, and keep you in bondage to man-made traditions, legalism, and division.  Being set free from religious spirits can bring major spiritual freedom and an enormous breakthrough in your relationship with God!  Religious spirits are just as destructive in the life of a Christian as any of satan's other deceptive spirits.  They can keep you in bondage to man-made philosophies and traditions, while you are missing out on what Jesus wants to show you.  It's time the Body of Christ shakes off the shackles that keep us tied to religion and come into the true Light of Christ.

 Colossians 2:8   "See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ."   
 

Are You Ready To Talk About "Portals"?

     Now, there is a topic that will send many Christians screaming for the hills!  Just the very word, portal, makes you think of scary, science-fiction phenomenon, doesn't it?  Or, perhaps, it is reminiscent of something that you might see on an old re-run of "The X-Files", right?  Certainly, it has nothing to do with the Bible ... or does it?  Actually, the word portal is nothing more than an opening, or a doorway, or a gate, between dimensions.  And the Bible is full of instances where portals are in evidence.
     I can hear the skeptics among you, murmuring, "I need a little more information".  Okay, let's look at it this way... Portals are points of access, which are unobstructed by demonic interference, in which angels travel from heaven and back again in which God's provision and revelation are given to man.  Consider the angel who appeared before Daniel in answer to his prayer in Chapter 10.  In Daniel 10:10-16 this angel has a conversation with the prophet Daniel, in which he mentions several times that "I have now been sent to you"; "Your words were heard, and I have come in response to your words"; and "Now I have come to make you understand"....  So, let me ask you a simple question.  How do you think that angel was able to appear before Daniel?  Do you accept the rather obscure explanation of "He just appeared"?  Or can you comprehend that he came through a portal -- an opening between either the second or third heaven and our physical dimension here on earth.

     Then there is the Biblical account of Jacob's ladder.  In the book of Genesis, chapter 28, verses 10-17, the story of Jacob’s dream is recorded. “He had a dream, and behold, a ladder was set on the earth with its top reaching to heaven; and behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it” (Genesis 28:12).  Again, I ask the question... If the ladder extended from the earth until it reached heaven, how were the angels able to leave heaven to descend to earth?
     And again, in 1 Kings, Chapter 19, Elijah was instructed to leave from sitting under a juniper tree to Mt. Horeb to see and hear what God had to show him.  Scripture tells us that God said, "Go forth and stand on the mountain before the LORD.  And behold, the LORD was passing by! And a great and strong wind was rending the mountains and breaking in pieces the rocks before the LORD; {but} the LORD {was} not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, {but} the LORD {was} not in the earthquake.”
     Can you see that in each of these instances, God and His angels used an opening, or a doorway, or a gate to act inter-dimensionally?  Does it help to know that Proverbs 8:34 teaches that a man will be blessed who sits, and waits, and listens at the Lord’s gate?  Or that Psalm 24:7 reads, "“Lift up your heads, O gates, And be lifted up O ancient doors, That the King of glory may come in"?
     I've always loved this verse in Psalms ... "Though He had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven, and had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven, man did eat angels’ food: He sent them meat to the full.”  That's a pretty clear picture ... the doors of heaven were opened.  They were fed manna from heaven through a portal!  Are you starting to get the picture?
     And perhaps some of my favorite pictures of Biblical portals are found in the Book of Revelation.  "And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, ‘Come up here.’ Then they went up into heaven in the cloud, and their enemies watched them.” (Rev. 11:12 ).  "And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it [is] called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war."  (Rev. 19:11).  I think we can all agree that the Apostle John saw openings, or portals, in Heaven that inspired these verses.
     But one of the primary verses that has relevance for us Christians is Hebrews 4:16... "Therefore let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us at the proper time."  It is my opinion that this verse is to be taken literally.  I truly believe that since we are spirit, made in the image of God, that our spirits can approach His throne of grace and receive His mercy.
     But here is something that Christians also need to realize:  The dark side is also trying to gain access to earth from the second heaven.  The evil angels are just as able to come through portals or openings as the good ones.  My husband believes his first experience with a spiritual attack took him through an opening between our physical dimension and into the spiritual dimension, or second heaven, if you will.  He fought and struggled against an entity that he felt was smothering him.  He said he literally thrashed and flailed until he was able to get the name "Jesus" out, when the entity vanished.  During his entire fierce struggle, he said he watched me sleeping; I continued to sleep soundly and never moved.  And I'm a light sleeper!  He is of the opinion that somehow his spirit entered this battle through a portal.
     And I have heard testimonies of others who have described their experiences in similar language to Paul, who said in 2 Corinthians 12:3:  "And I know that such a man—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, [only] God knows—".  They will tell me, "I don't know if I was in my body, or my spirit had left my body and that was what I was seeing".  I think I need to go no further to defend the idea that portals are Biblical.

     And I have to admit that my belief that portals are real has naturally led to the UFO conspiracy, and the like.  Add to that the never-ending desire of the human race for more "other-worldly" knowledge and I cannot dismiss the thought that the ungodly Elite might be seeking to open up portals to gain access to the supernatural in a bid to out-God God, Himself.  Re-read my 2014 post on Tesla, or my 2015 one on CERN, and see if the idea of portals doesn't gain some traction.
     All I'm saying with this unorthodox post is that spiritual activity is on the increase.  More people are revealing "dream-type experiences" in which they are battling spiritual phenomenon that they have never encountered in the past.  And it is no secret that men of science have attempted to add to our understanding of dimensions and sought to explore them and how they interact.  But are we in danger of these scientists inadvertently opening a portal or a door not to another dimension, but into the spiritual realm, perhaps even to the Bottomless Pit or the Abyss itself?  I, for one, cannot discount this theory.
     In the end, I do not see anything good coming from man's obsession with the universe, whether it be from the aspect of obtaining ancient knowledge, or reaching for new supernatural frontiers.  Just look at our entertainment industry.  Movies, music, and TV all have a fixation on exploring the spiritual realms.  There is a problem with that though, and it is this:  We are becoming so desensitized to it, that we don't realize how dangerous it can be.  God created the veils between the heavens for a reason.  He has instituted his Cosmic Law of separation and who are we to violate that?  He is a God of order and I am convinced that any attempt to interfere with His Creation will not be tolerated.
     So, I think that we can see that portals are real, and God has used them to communicate with us in the earthly realm, by sending His messengers through dimensions.  But Lucifer and his angels will take advantage of those points of access to harass and attack us.  Add mankind's selfish compulsion to  rip open the veil separating this world from other worlds or dimensions, and you get the ridiculous statement by CERN's own Director General and its Director of Research, Rolf Heuer:  "…When we open the door, something might come through it into our reality! Or, we might send something through it into their reality!"  Be careful, General Heuer.  You just might get what you wish for.

Proverbs 8:1-5    "Does not wisdom call? Does not understanding raise her voice? On the heights beside the way, at the crossroads she takes her stand; beside the gates in front of the town, at the entrance of the portals she cries aloud: “To you, O men, I call, and my cry is to the children of man. O simple ones, learn prudence; O fools, learn sense. ..."
 

Isaiah 12:3

With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.

     We are in the midst of the Fall Feasts of the Lord.  The beginning of this week was Rosh Hahsanah, or the Feast of Trumpets.  October 11-12 is Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement, and the following week (October 16-23) is Sukkot, or the Feast of Tabernacles.  As I have continued to point out, the Lord's Feasts have great significance for both God's Chosen People, the Jews, and us Christians, follows of Yeshua, the coming Messiah.  God established His Feasts as a memorial to His faithfulness throughout history to the nation of Israel as His Chosen People, and to all people who would believe in Him through all the coming generations.  

     The first four feasts have already been fulfilled, the first two by Jesus Christ on the actual feast days according to the Hebrew calendar. He was sacrificed on Passover, and resurrected on the Feast of First Fruits. The third Feast of Unleavened Bread carried great significance in light of His sinless life and His sacrifice, while the fourth Feast, Shavuot, or the Festival of Weeks, was again fulfilled on the exact day on what we now call Pentecost.

     The Fall Feasts look forward to the fulfillment of Bible prophecy concerning Yeshua’s End Times’ return when He will come with trumpet blasts to usher in a new age of purified fellowship with Him in His new kingdom on earth.  And we are now in the midst of that sanctified season.  And for that reason, I think it is incumbent upon us to do a quick review of the holy significance of these two weeks in October.

     The Feast of Trumpets is a time of new beginnings.  There is even some speculation by Bible scholars that based on the view that John the Baptist was born in the spring, around Passover, and his birth preceded the birth of Jesus by 6 months (Luke 1:36), it’s possible to place the birth of the Messiah on the Feast of Trumpets.  That would definitely be representative of a new beginning for mankind!

     In 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17 we read about the great trumpet (Shofar) that will sound in heaven when the dead who are in Yeshua will rise from their graves, and those who are still alive will go to meet Him in the air. This event precedes the return of the Messiah. The book of Revelation also talks about trumpets sounding in heaven as a series of judgments are poured out on the earth. All of this is to prepare the earth for the Messiah’s return. It is a warning—a wakeup to the earth and the inhabitants therein to get ready!  Does it mean that the Rapture of the Church will take place on this Feast Day?  It is possible, and Scripture hints at it.  But the Bible also says that the Church will be raptured when “the full number of gentiles has come in” (Romans 11:25).  If so, the rapture of the Church could happen on any given day, although Acts 15:13-18 makes it clear that the rapture will have to precede the beginning of Daniel’s 70th Week.  Since no one knows the day or hour, I prefer to see the Feast of Trumpets as a time of prayer and repentance and acknowledging not only God’s grace, but His calling by the shofar to get ready for a new beginning in the history of mankind.

     Ten days later is Yom Kippur. Translated into English as the “Day of Atonement,” Yom Kippur was the only time of year the High Priest could enter the Most Holy Place of the Temple to atone for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the entire nation. This was done by sacrificing a bull and a goat and sprinkling the blood of these animals on the mercy seat of the Ark of the Covenant. Also on this day, two goats were brought before the High Priest. He would lay hands on them and symbolically transfer the sins of the people into them. The first one was the sacrifice—the one that provided atonement for the people’s sins. The second, however, was the scapegoat. This one was released into the wilderness to wander and eventually die, removing sin from the camp. The blood of the first goat brought forgiveness. The second brought sanctification.

     Prophetically, The Day of Atonement will be the day in which God’s judgment will be rendered, the books will be closed and everyone’s fate is sealed.  It will be a solemn day of acknowledging our sins and seeking God’s forgiveness and mercy.  

     We need to understand that the shedding of blood has always been required for the forgiveness of sin, and it always will be. That is why the Messiah had to die and shed His blood for us. That is the good news. We have a Redeemer who exchanged His blood for ours. The debt we owe, for both intentional and unintentional sins, was paid by Yeshua through His death on the cross. All we have to do is accept His sacrifice on our behalf.

     The third and final Feast in this month of October is Sukkot, otherwise known as the Feast of Tabernacles or the Feast of Booths. Sukkot, which begins five days after Yom Kippur, is a seven-day period during which Jewish People look back into the history of Israel and remember their forty-year period of wandering in the wilderness.  To us Christians, the Feast of Tabernacles represents the Lord’s shelter in the world to come and His great Tabernacle that will exist in Jerusalem in the Kingdom Age.  The Lord will establish His Tabernacle in Jerusalem and the world will come each year to appear before the King and worship Him (Zechariah 14:14-17).  

     But there is another picture that presents itself during this final Feast.  Historically, it was also a  celebration of the fall harvest and the Lord’s bountiful provision.  Prophetically, it is a picture of the harvest of souls that will come at the End of this Age.  It should be easy to see that events that were external and physical in the Old Testament are often internal and spiritual in the New Testament.  There is a sense in which these holy days also reflect the life of every believer. 

     Jesus came to offer us new beginnings (Feast of Trumpets), and to live in our hearts at our new birth.  As He required the shedding of innocent blood to reconcile Himself with Israel (Yom Kippur) so He shed His own Blood to reconcile Himself with us. As He dwelt with the Israelites in the wilderness of Midian (Tabernacles), so He dwells with us in the wilderness of Earth. “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age,” He promised (Matt 28:20).  Even so, Come Lord Jesus! (Rev. 22:20).  As we celebrate these Fall Feats of the Lord, you can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah. 

What Do Job and Hurricane Matthew Have In Common?

     I find this to be an intriguing question.  And before we can even consider it, I think we need to determine what Christians believe about God and judgment.  We must come to agreement that God is a God of Justice.  It is one of His attributes and He is deeply concerned with making wrongs right.  He lets no sinner off the hook without a fitting punishment, or a fitting substitutionary atonement.
     I recognize that this is a hard concept for some Christians, who do not believe God sends judgment upon people or nations since He is a loving and merciful God.  They will also point out that God expressing wrath against people was part of the Old Testament covenant, citing Paul saying in Romans 4:15, "The law brings wrath"; the law here being the Law of Moses or the Torah. They will argue that law and justice are tied to covenant in the Old Testament, and we are set free from God's wrath in the New Testament by the blood of Jesus, as Romans 5:9 states:  “Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through Him!”
     But a few years ago, God showed me that His Bible is not divided into two separate covenants, or a "before" and "after" timeline.  The Bible is one continuing covenant, extending from the covenant He instituted with Abraham [and all those who would share His belief in YHWH],  through the "renewal" of that same covenant in the life of Jesus Christ. So God is just, and His attributes remain the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

As reported by major news outlets,
a Weather Channel meteorologist spotted
an eerie face in an untouched satellite
image of Hurricane Matthew.  

     Yes, the Bible says in 1 Thessalonians 5:9, For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.  And I do not believe that the Spirit-filled, blood-washed Church of Jesus Christ will suffer God's wrath.  But remember those churches that Jesus speaks about in the Book of Revelation?  We would do well to go back and read His warnings.  And let's not forget Paul's own warnings in Romans 2:5-8, But because of your hard and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed.  He will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.  I am not so foolish to think that just because one claims to be a Christian, that they will get an automatic free pass from experiencing God's wrath.
     Okay, I'm pretty sure that we are all not going to agree on this matter of God's wrath in the last days, so let's consider the question that I posed in the title of this blog.  The underlying debate in this issue is if weather events such as Hurricane Matthew can be a tool of a God who judges individuals and nations for wickedness?  There are plenty of Scriptures that tell us that God is Sovereign and He has the power to save and to destroy at His will.  And if you look at some recent weather disasters in our history, you have to be blind to not draw some conclusions from our national actions.  (See this post for a list of our indiscretions against the nation of Israel, and some interesting correlations).
     And if you doubt God uses weather to judge people and nations, just take a look at these unambiguous verses in Job, Chapter 37:

9 The stormy wind comes from its chamber,
and the driving winds bring the cold.
10 God's breath sends the ice,
freezing wide expanses of water.
11 He loads the clouds with moisture,
and they flash with his lightning.
12 The clouds churn about at his direction.
They do whatever he commands throughout the earth.
13 He makes these things happen either to punish people
or to show his unfailing love.
14 "Pay attention to this, Job.
Stop and consider the wonderful miracles of God!

     The Hebrew word for "stormy wind" is cawphah and means a hurricane.  And keeping verse 13 in mind, let's not forget that America is far from being a righteous and virtuous nation!  We lead the world in porn production - Yes, lead the world with our filth. One of the major criticisms of Islam against America is our penchant for nudity, porn, and homosexuality, and it is criticism well deserved.  Add to that our involvement in the sex slave trade, pedophilia, and abortion.  And our nation, as a whole, has abandoned God nearly as fast as the Israelites built their golden calf.  Did you know that there are surveys that show an alarming number of the population, especially our youth, do not believe they are born sinners, or for that matter that they even sin?  Instead, sin has become just a mistake and not part of human nature. Our society has lost the knowledge that we are in need of a Savior from our inherent sins, and this has resulted in absolutely no fear of God. But the warnings given to Job, make it clear that God controls the weather and He can use it "either to punish people or to show His unfailing love."
     Yes, I know that the Book of Job is about Satan being given authority to test Job, and No, I do not believe that Satan or his demon angels can control the weather or affect natural disasters.  But, IF Satan could impact the weather, it would only be by God's permission, and restrained, as in the case of Job. Remember, Satan was allowed by God to torment Job in order to test him, and this included "the fire of God" (possibly lightning) which "fell from the sky and burned up the sheep and the servants" (Job 1:16). This was followed by a "mighty wind" (maybe a tornado) that destroyed his home and killed his children (vv. 18-19). So even if the fire from heaven and the tornado were somehow caused by Satan, they were still under the ultimate control of God for His purposes.
     Ultimately, we know that God is in control of all things, including the weather. Through His providence, God provides for and protects His children, but He also ordains or permits Satan, demons, and mankind to exercise their free will to commit acts of sin, evil, and wickedness. These same beings are fully responsible for any and all man-made disasters and tragedies they cause.
     We know that God has ordained whatever comes to pass (Ephesians 1:11; Romans 11:36), and therefore His invisible hand is in our pain, even though He cannot sin or be the perpetrator of evil (James 1:13-17).  So is Hurricane Matthew judgment from God?  I am not privy to His counsel.  There are enough reasons to suggest that it might be, even though there are still righteous and repentant people in the nation, and we are not appointed to His wrath.  Unfortunately, just like Job, we do not always escape the judgment that comes from and against our fellow countrymen.  There will be good people who will most likely suffer from the flooding and destructive winds of Hurricane Matthew; perhaps even losing their lives.  But they will not be alone.  Jesus will be beside them, extending His peace and mercy and delivering them through this impending tragedy.  Until we leave this earth, there is no guarantee that we will leave it unscathed. But whatever the aftermath of this powerful storm might bring, let us pray that we see God's mercy on the righteous, and the repentance that saves coming forth from the wicked.

Matthew 5:45    "For he makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust."
     
       

Let His Light Shine!

     When the Lord decides to reveal Himself, there are no words to describe it.  In fact, I'm not even sure I can relate the very real existence of Him in terms that won't sound overly dramatic or fabricated for effect.  So, I'm just going to let the words roll and I trust that you will hear the Truth.  

     It seems that the next few weeks of my life are nearly impossibly full.  My husband and I will be burning up the highway meeting new clients; taking advantage of business opportunities that are developing; enjoying my nephew's senior year of college football; and looking forward, with excitement, to spending every moment I can with long-distance family members who will be in and out for that afore-mentioned football season.  And, oh, yes, I mustn't forget a Deliverance Ministry training session with Dr. Charles Kraft thrown in the mix.

     It's easy, with all the distraction this world offers, to forget that Jesus wants to interact with us and use us -- that we must never get so busy that we neglect serving Him.  And when we are obedient ... what a reward it is to see Him made real in someone's life!  I have received such a blessing as this over the last few days.

     As my husband and I, whom I affectionately refer to as PLW (for Peace-Loving Warrior -- the meaning of his first and middle name), began our busy weekend with a two-hour drive to my nephew's game, I received a cell phone call from a dear friend.  I do not want to reveal any details that will compromise her identity, and it is my hope that others will recognize themselves in her story and be as brave as she was.  I can tell you that I have known her for over ten years and am familiar with some of the issues of her life and have known of her struggles.  We don't talk that often, but the connection is always there and our friendship is never in question.  So when I saw the caller ID, I knew this would be an important call.  And it was.  She was calling to ask if there was time in the next two or three days that PLW and I could maybe Skype with her.  She had a small window of opportunity in which she would be alone and was ready, actually desperate, to turn to Jesus for help.  

     The problem was, we were on the road, and not only would we be occupied with a football game that day, but the next morning we would be traveling to meet with a new client several hundred miles in the opposite direction and wouldn't be home until late on Sunday.  To make it nearly impossible, PLW was leaving at 5:30 the morning after that for a three-day business event and her window of opportunity would be shut.  But I knew that we had to make time; somehow, some way.  When she mentioned that suicidal thoughts were present, there was no other option... she needed Jesus, and the hope that lies in Him, and we had to make it work.  I told her we would try to rearrange our schedule to be home as early as possible on Sunday, trusting Jesus and the Holy Spirit to work it all out so that she could receive the healing and restoration she urgently needed.  With that small thread of hope, she hung up and hung on.

     Let me first tell you that by the time Sunday night arrived, PLW and I were exhausted.  Between the hustle and bustle of college football, and meeting a new client, every hour was frantic.  Fortunately, the client agreed to meet us earlier than we had scheduled, and after driving nearly two hours home, we scrambled to get my husband packed and ready to leave early the next morning.  We wanted to move all hindrances out of the way so we could concentrate on helping our friend.  Somehow, we received supernatural strength and energy for the task ahead; the tiredness vanished and we prepared to make the call.  

     But the Enemy tried every which way to interrupt our plans.  She had notified me earlier in the day that her internet service went down, which meant that the questionnaire I had sent her months earlier (when she had expressed interest in a possible deliverance session) would have to be transferred to us in a different manner.  So she had snapped photos of each page and texted me the images, and PLW and I had discussed them during our drive home.  As the time came near to contact her, we hoped that the internet service had resumed so we could Skype or FaceTime... no such luck.  We would just have to work with her through a simple 3-way phone call.  But we had no doubt that God can work through the phone lines ... He just needs servants willing to be obedient.  So with our hand-held land-line phones in hand (this is one reason we are not a mobile-only household), we made the phone call.    

     It is hard to describe what I would call a miracle.  How can Jesus work with two people sitting on their couch in Texas; using us to reveal Himself to a woman several states away?  How can He and the Holy Spirit make her see Him in every painful situation in her life?  How can I describe my own sense of awe (and my threatening tears) as she described, sobbing and with astonishment in her voice, "He was right there beside me the whole time!"  How do I convey the solace one receives when you feel Jesus hugging you?  How can I describe the sense of feeling the destruction the devil had caused in her life through the free will of others, and what it had done to her identity... the feelings of unworthiness, abandonment, self-rejection, confusion, doubt, unbelief, and the never-ending lie that God didn't hear her cries for help?  

     But I'm here to tell you that I also heard, over those phone lines, the Truth that destroyed those lies.  The enemy spirits whispered so many thoughts to her --- fear of being alone; anger towards family members who made her feel abandoned and rejected; how could she ever overcome the hurtful  actions of her husband; that all the death and destruction that followed her family might soon claim her.  In fact, a spirit who identified itself as Destruction, said he wanted her dead.  He invaded her thoughts and emotions with ideas of suicide, but he admitted that he could not get to her spirit because "Jesus is there".  

     I  know this sounds absolutely crazy and impossible, but as the Holy Spirit introduced each of those dark entities to the light and power and authority of Jesus, they were defeated and she actually saw them all bound and Jesus throwing them, in her words, "into the pit of destruction".  She couldn't stop exclaiming, "It's amazing!  I'm so amazed at seeing Him there the whole time!"  For the first time in months, maybe even in years, she could see clearly.  It was as if she had been looking through a dirty windshield and Jesus sent a cleansing rain to wash away all the filth and grime.  She could see the lies for what they were ... attempts to cloud her thoughts and feelings so she couldn't see that Jesus was right beside her.  She allowed the Holy Spirit to show her that those lies did not determine who she was; that she could step into the embrace of Jesus and all the pain was absorbed by His overpowering love.  And I heard the joy and the hope in her voice ... and I heard her laugh; and it was the sound of freedom.   

     I'm not going to tell you that the Enemy will give up on my friend.  He will try to reclaim his territory, but she now knows that he only offers lies.  She has seen and felt and heard and tasted and been touched by the healing power of Jesus, and she will recognize the fiery darts of the devil.  I am giving her tools for her spiritual battle ... how to reject each lie he whispers, while affirming (out loud) the truth of the Word.  The next time he tries to whisper that God doesn't hear her, she will shout, "I reject the lie that God has abandoned me.  And I proclaim and embrace this Truth in the Name of Jesus:  (Romans 8:26): Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness.  For we do not know what to pray for, as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words."  

     There is victory in the Word!  And I hope that I have adequately reflected the glory of our Lord in this situation.  Not only did I want to relate His supernatural power to heal our spiritual wounds and show you that the Holy Spirit is our powerful advocate and ally, but I wanted to emphasize that we must never let the affairs of this world get in the way of our servanthood.  We must remain ever ready to be obedient; to put our selfish desires aside in order to become willing participants in showing God and His Son to the world.  To me, that is such a picture of  Jesus's command to "love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength, and to love your neighbour as yourself."  

     It would have been so easy to tell my friend that there was just no time to meet her request for help, and I will admit that the devil tried to convince me of that lie.  But I knew the Truth; I knew that Jesus wanted to work through PLW and myself to destroy the devil's lies and show our friend how much He loves her.  We just had to be obedient and put aside our selfish concerns and be willing to seek the best for her.  All we had to do was say, "Yes".  And what a privilege it was to see Him glorified and the Light invade the Darkness!  So, if Jesus is your Savior, and you profess that you love Him, how will you respond the next time you hear a cry for help?  How would you want Him to respond to you?  I pray that you will answer the call on your life, and imitate Christ.  Nothing in this world is worth turning Him down or denying His presence in the life of another.  Just say, "Yes, Lord".

1 John 4:12    "No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and His love is perfected in us."

     

The State of Our Faith

     I was absolutely astounded at an article I found online about a study that measured what Americans, in the year of our Lord 2016, actually believe about God and the foundations of the faith of Christianity.  The survey/study was conducted by Lifeway Research, which was commissioned by Ligonier Ministries, and attempted to define where Americans stand on the belief system which supports the key doctrine of the Body of Christ throughout the last 2,000 years of traditional Christianity.
     As with any research, one must take into account the biases of the parties involved, so in full disclosure, we must understand that Lifeway Research is one of the largest providers of religious and Christian resources in the world, and Ligonier Ministries was founded by R.C. Sproul, who is a Reformed Theologian (believing that God communicates knowledge of Himself to people through the Word of God), and a Calvinist.  While I believe that the Word should be the focus of our knowledge of God, I do not believe in Calvinism, preferring to let the Bible determine my theology, rather than a man.  But, that being said, I found the research and survey to be enlightening on the subject of modern Christians' beliefs, and frankly, it gave me cause for concern and alarm.  So let's consider some of the findings of this research...

     As stated from the outset, the research attempted to discern "the beliefs of Americans about God, salvation, ethics, and the Bible in a way that goes beyond simple labels and religious affiliations."  The first topic they approached was Evangelicalism, which is based on the idea that religious salvation can be achieved through adherence to the Word of God as delivered through the Bible.  Among those involved in the survey who self-identified as Evangelicals, the research showed something quite alarming ... that "many self-professing evangelicals reject foundational evangelical beliefs. The survey results reveal that the biblical worldview of professing evangelicals is fragmenting. Though American evangelicalism arose in the twentieth century around strongly held theological convictions, many of today’s self-identified evangelicals no longer hold those beliefs."  As proof of that statement, consider the two following statements ...
Statement #6:  God accepts the worship of all religions, including Christianity, Judaism and Islam.  Finding:  46% of self-identified evangelicals agree or somewhat agree with this statement.
The Truth:  The heart of the gospel is the truth that Jesus Christ alone is the way, the truth, and the life, and that His work alone accomplishes our redemption.  This statement undermines the exclusivity of Christ as the only source of our salvation.  The fact that nearly half of the surveyed group of evangelicals agreed with this statement shows how the foundational doctrine of our faith is crumbling.
Statement #18:  By the good deeds that I do, I partly contribute to earning my place in heaven.  Finding:  36% of self-identified evangelicals agree or somewhat agree with this statement.
The Truth:  Salvation is by grace alone, through faith in Christ alone.  Over 1/3 of these evangelicals believe that their work is possibly as important as the work of Jesus.  Can you see the emergence of self-worship beginning to raise its ugly head?
     Another area in which Lifeway Research uncovered conflict among these evangelicals was when they were asked to compare the validity of the Bible against the claims of Science. The research revealed that not only is there a great amount of confusion, but contradictory beliefs are quite common.  For instance, 43% of people who agree that God is the author of Scripture also agreed that modern science discredits the claims of the Bible.  It seems that Americans both consider the Bible to be a Divinely authored Book, and at the same time see the Bible as a book that fails to measure up to twenty-first century understanding. This issue is crucial for evangelicals and the Body of Christ!  Because the authority of the Bible is the first and fundamental link in the chain of our belief system, if it weakens, the whole chain of beliefs will collapse.
     This is a direction that should greatly concern us!  I can see the efforts of the Enemy to infiltrate our hearts; sowing doubt, confusion, and alternative answers and ideas.  Then, from our corrupted hearts flow false thoughts that undermine God's Truth as spoken in His Word.  And the decay is rapidly growing.  Did you know that in 2014, 40% of professed evangelicals agreed with the following statement:  An individual must contribute to his or her own effort for personal salvation.  Today, in 2016, 50% agreed with that statement.  That's a 10% increase in only two years!   Not only are American evangelicals adopting wrong beliefs, but they are growing stronger in keeping that false religion.   At this rate, there will soon be no acceptance of Christ's redemptive work on the Cross.
     Without understanding exactly why Jesus paid our debt, or what that debt involved, it should come as no surprise that our culture is deteriorating when it comes to morals and ethics.  As we see evangelicals slipping away from foundational beliefs, we also see them rejecting biblical teaching on Christian living.   As the Church loses its hold on the culture, the public arena is taking its place, and people are sliding into sin.

     When evangelicals who professed to attend church once or twice a month were presented with the statement, "Sex outside of traditional marriage is a sin", only 52% agreed with that opinion.  Likewise, only 48% of this same group of evangelicals agreed with the statement, "Abortion is a sin".  Then there are the questions that would never have appeared on a survey of Believers just 25 years ago; questions such as "The Bible’s condemnation of homosexual behavior doesn’t apply today".  The findings showed that 30% strongly disagreed with this statement, but nearly as many (25%) agreed with it, with 31% falling somewhere in the middle.  And the statement, "Gender identity is a matter of choice" only garnered 35% who strongly disagreed.  I contend that only 50 years ago, all these questions would not even have to be asked to know where the Body of Christ stood on these issues.
     I have only scratched the surface of the findings of this research study, but I think you are getting the picture.  Americans are less likely [today] to hold a committed stance on their beliefs and the foundation of their faith.  Half of Americans believe the Bible is the written word of God, but a similar number believe the Bible is open to each person’s own interpretation. While more than 4 in 10 agree the Bible is accurate, almost as many believe it is not literally true.  Those numbers are disgraceful, and deeply sadden me.
     What should be even more frightening is what Americans believe when it comes to heaven and hell.  Would it surprise you to know that 60% of those surveyed agree “Heaven is a place where all people will ultimately be reunited with their loved ones"?  Or that only 40% agreed with the statement, "Hell is an eternal place of judgment where God sends all people who do not personally trust in Jesus Christ"?
     Perhaps the saddest answer of all the statements revealed that only 50% of all Americans agreed that "God is a perfect being and cannot make a mistake".  (97% of Evangelicals agreed with the statement).  Only 40% of all Americans agree that "Jesus is truly God and has a divine nature, and Jesus is truly man and has a human nature".  (85% of Evangelicals believe this).  So my obvious question is, What has happened to that 15% of Evangelicals who don't agree with that statement?!?  How has the Church failed them?  Where have we gone wrong?
     And the last area I want to discuss is that of our eternal salvation.  Only 40% of all Americans believe "Jesus Christ’s death on the cross is the only sacrifice that could remove the penalty of my sin".  A mere 33% of all Americans believe that "Only those who trust in Jesus Christ alone as their Savior receive God’s free gift of eternal salvation".  Interestingly, when it came to those two statements, it was African Americans who were the strongest believers in those truths (78% strongly agreed with the first statement, and 73% with the latter).  Makes me wonder where the other races have gotten off track.
     Ultimately, this entire project is a sad picture of the diminishing faith in our foundational doctrines and in the Word of God.  The word "evangelical" seems to no longer represent unwavering trust and confidence in the supremacy of God or His precepts.  And I think we can all see that there is a great deception being perpetrated upon the hearts and minds of all Americans -- both those who are among the faithful and the unsaved.  The Enemy is the Father of Lies, and he seeks to mislead and confuse; even among those who profess faith in Christ.  We must bind up our hearts with God's Truth and keep the Sword of the Spirit ever at the ready; never taking off our spiritual armor, but constantly reinforcing it so that our salvation, righteousness, and peace are guarded.  Then we must stand our ground with our shield of faith, trusting and having confidence in our Lord to deliver us, while acknowledging His faithfulness to protect us from the fiery darts of the Enemy.
     This is a spiritual war being conducted upon all mankind; and this research, completed in 2016, shows us that with each passing year, our battle becomes, not only more important, but more daunting.  We, who have steadfast faith in Yeshua, know that we win in the end, but the lives of so many others are at stake.  It is incumbent upon us to share the Grace and the Gift of Salvation that we have received.  No matter what the results of this survey, or the conclusion of 2017's research, we know God always works with a remnant.  Let us determine that we will be a part of that remnant; that nothing in this realm or the next will deter our commission and our obedience to our Lord.  He knows the final numbers and I want to be counted among those who will rule and reign with Him!

Thanks to the website, Pulpit and Pen, for making the results of this survey available.

1 Corinthians 3:10-11   "According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ." 
  

James 1:21-23

Therefore, ridding yourselves of all moral filth and evil, 

humbly receive the implanted Word, which is able to save you.

 But be doers of the Word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

     There is much to digest in this short but significant passage.  James is exhorting us to abandon our impure lives in light of the goodness and righteousness of God that is offered to us.  The instruction to "rid ourselves of our moral filth and evil" make it very clear that, as humans, we have to constantly fight the temptation of our flesh.

     And it is very clear that unless we are able to do that, the second half of that exhortation cannot take place.  In order to humbly receive "the implanted Word", we must abandon our immoral and impure flesh.  These two states of our human existence are held in stark contrast.  I actually like the English Standard Version (ESV) interpretation of this verse better ... receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

     That term "meekness" insinuates that we have a teachable heart.  And as I have recently disclosed, it has become quite evident to me that our heart is most important to our ongoing salvation journey.  It is where God has written His laws.  We are given a new, circumcised heart when we accept Jesus as our Savior; circumcision being the sign of a covenant between God and His people.  Satan introduces sin to our heart, which then corrupts our minds and emotions, resulting in sinful behavior.  The heart is "at the heart", so to speak, of our relationship with God.  

     So, in effect, James is telling us that we must be humble and meek -- having a teachable heart -- so that the Word might be implanted in our hearts; that we might receive it.   As the 19th Century theologian Charles Spurgeon so eloquently expounded:  "The first thing, then, is receive. That word 'receive' is a very instructive gospel word; it is the door through which God's grace enters to us. We are not saved by working, but by receiving; not by what we give to God, but by what God gives to us, and we receive from Him."

     But we need to receive the full meaning of this passage.  It is my opinion that James is telling us that there is spiritual power in the Word of God. It is very plainly stated ... When the Word of God is implanted in the human heart, it is able to save your souls!   The Word of God carries the power of God!

     James then goes on to tell us how to receive that power of God ... be doers of the Word and not hearers only.  And he takes it one step further -- To pat yourself on the back that you have heard God's Word, when you haven't done it, is to deceive yourself. 

     It was common in the ancient world for people to hear a teacher. If you followed the teacher and tried to live what he said, you were called a disciple of that teacher.   That is what Jesus is looking for ... disciples ... doers ... not just hearers.  He does not desire us to be admiring hearers, or loving/affectionate hearers; I don't think He even desires faithful hearers!  I believe that Jesus needs us to be doers.  Our faith is meant to be active!  That is why James continues in this extended passage to say in verse 25, "But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets, but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing."  

     And I further believe that the blessing he is talking about is not blessings in this life, but our inheritance and rewards in the next.  It will be the blessing we receive when we stand before our Lord at His Judgment Seat and He says, "Well done, good and faithful servant!"  It will be the blessings of crowns bestowed upon our heads; crowns which we will cast at His feet because what we have received from Him, we are not worthy to gain.  It will be the blessings of ruling and reigning with Him because we didn't just hear the Word, we acted upon it and showed Him and imitated Him to the lost of the world.  Those blessings only come when the Word has been implanted in our hearts; we receive it, hear it, and then act on it.  To only receive the Word and hear it, is to be religious.  But to have the Word implanted in your heart so that you hunger to hear it, understand it, and can do nothing but act on it is to be a true disciple of Christ.  May we all have such tender hearts.  

The Political, Theological, and Spiritual Aspects of "Globalism"

     That word globalism ... It is a word bandied about in this political season, and depending on who is using it, it can mean a common-sense word for the necessary global exchanges in an increasingly interconnected world -- like trade, legal immigration, and the cooperation and sharing of ideas across borders.  Think of it as kind of a benign worldwide partnership, if you will, with no borders to hinder relationships.  But, in the hands of malevolent minds, it turns into an ideology and near-religion; focused on a one-world government.
     What concerns me is the effort to equate globalism with Christianity.  Those who promote the secular belief in globalism will tell you that just like the Church, their ideology is global; and just like the Kingdom of God, there are no borders.  But here's the question that they can't -- or won't -- answer:  Exactly how does the Kingdom of God fit into this collective ideology?  Who decides the value systems of that global cooperative?
     Because, as I have discussed before, the Kingdom of God is the government of God; how He rules His people, as King, through His people.  It is the realm in which He rules, and it is His rules that we are governed by.  Are the globalists prepared to accept that condition?  I think not.  And that's because a world in which globalism rules will be a world in which the righteousness, justice, and peace of Jesus has no place.  Globalism spawns a world of evil and injustice; rather than peace, there is conflict; and rather than joy, there will be misery.
   

     There is one thing we better get clear on ... it doesn't matter whether it is a politician, the United Nations, or the Pope touting globalist ideology; it will mean that there will be no truth, or mercy, or knowledge of God in the land.  The social justice message [justice in terms of the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within the world] is one meant to soothe our guilty souls over the injustice perpetrated by godless men.  Globalists will promise it, but they cannot deliver.
     To begin with, the very idea of no borders or boundaries is antithetical to our knowledge about God and His character.  The Bible is full of examples of God setting boundaries, beginning with the boundary He set for Adam and Eve to abstain from eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  Later, throughout the Old Testament, God establishes boundaries and borders for the nations, with the Bible stating in Job 12:23, He makes nations great, and destroys them; he extends the boundaries of nations and disperses them.
     And now that very knowledge of how God established the nations is threatened by this humanistic religion focused on globalism.  The Globalists claim that the world can come together in a spirit of human cooperation and understanding; that there is a global "truth" that can bind us together as one.  But true wisdom and understanding always begin with the knowledge of God.  When the people of the world forsake the knowledge of God, soon truth and mercy are both gone. Truth must be rooted in something more than our personal opinion, and mercy means going beyond our own self-interest.
     If the world adopts this globalist attitude and policies, the knowledge of God will be left behind.  And when truth and mercy are lost, there is no longer any restraint against our human nature.  We already see that idea promoted in our advertising campaigns ... No rules, just right; Just do it; Break all the rules; Peel off your inhibitions and find your own road ... The message is the same: You make your own rules. You answer to no one. You are the one that matters. Your universe revolves around you. You should only restrain yourself if you want to.

Tower of Babel:  The world tries its hand
in another failed attempt to control humanity.

     But here is what we need to deeply understand:  When man will not, or cannot restrain himself, bloodshed and destruction follow.  And that is at the heart of the anti-Christ spirit at work in the globalist ideology.  An article by Fay Voshell at The American Thinker website stated it perfectly:  "Like the Christian vision of the universal Kingdom of God, the religion of secular globalism claims universality, but [it] is an earthly minded substitute for the Church universal. The Christian vision sees the Church universal as God's kingdom ruling the earth. The religion of globalism sees an earthly, utopian world order in which all men pay allegiance to elite priests who rule over a World City without national borders."  Isn't that ultimately what Nimrod was trying to accomplish at the Tower of Babel?  
     Ms. Voshell goes on to point out that the idea of "globalism" is really nothing new.  This idea of a "new world vision" is the same one that has given birth to all empires.  "Whether the vision of Hellenization dreamed of by Alexander the Great; whether the vision of eternal Rome ruled by demi-god Caesars; whether the vision of a Thousand Year Reich ruled by a noble race; whether the vision of a global communist international brotherhood in which the common man was to reign -- the actualization of the imperial, earthly vision of man is always the same. Human beings are regarded as units to be ruled by powerful others. Human beings are enslaved."
     It is all the same message, from the same Anti-Christ spirit, meant to strip us of our individual uniqueness; take away our belief in something greater than ourselves; and ultimately replace the Judeo/Christian concept of the human being with a de-gendered, robotic and compliant unit -- a nonperson who is merely a number in the  soulless world collective.
     It really all comes down to this ... the political and social concept of globalism is a useful tool for God's Enemy to introduce an anti-Christ religion that believes in nothing [and everything] -- all at the same time.  But that is no real faith at all.  When we are all reduced to a unit, or some other kind of nonentity, we have nothing to be loyal to, or faithful to.  We do not see the value in a human being, let alone see ourselves as spiritual beings made in the image of our Creator.  And then we have nothing to believe in, and we are easily enslaved to a new world order in which the Enemy determines our value.  It is a world governed without God's moral system and righteousness, without His Truth, without His Justice, and without His Love and Mercy.  The catchwords of universalism, secularism, and globalism are meant to appeal to our human desire for world peace and equality among all men.  But, in reality, they are designed to strip us of our unique individualism and our identity as a distinct and unequaled Child of God.  We don't need a new world order ... we all need to identify as citizens of the Kingdom of God.  And when that day comes, it will be YHWH's system of government and His authority that will rule and reign on this earth!

Daniel 2:44   "And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever..."





   
   

What Are We So Afraid Of?

   

     Fear is a crippling emotion.  It can kill our hopes, our dreams; even to the point of diminishing the person God made us to be.  I will admit that there are many things in this world that are fearful.  Those feelings of fear regarding our health, our family's safety, our financial stability, the future of our nation -- they are very real emotions about very real circumstances that affect us all.  It seems as if all human beings, at one time or another, experience this unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat.  And in these days, the prince of this world is showing us lots of areas in which he would like us to feel fear.
     Yet, if we call ourselves Christians, we know that we are made in the image of God, and there is no part of Him that includes fear.  In fact, His Word very plainly tells us "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity or cowardice or fear, but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of sound judgment and personal discipline [abilities that result in a calm, well-balanced mind and self-control] (2 Timothy 1:7).  So what do Christians have to fear?  Just what do we think that spirit of power refers to?  It is the power of Christ in us, right?!?
     So, if we have Christi's spirit in us when we come to faith in Him, and that spirit includes His power, His love, His sound judgment, and His obedience to our Father -- then why do we still see so much evil in the world?  Why aren't Christians using that power -- which is above all other power -- to defeat the wickedness that threatens our families, our communities, and our churches?  I mean, the Bible makes it pretty darn clear.  Ephesians 1:21 says Jesus is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else--not only in this world but also in the world to come.  So why do we act as if we don't have access to that power?  Why do we stop short of confronting wickedness and evil; why do we let them have their way?  Is it because we don't really believe what God is telling us?  Because we don't really trust His promises?
     I want you to consider this.  The Bible tells us that immediately after His baptism, Jesus was taken to the wilderness, where He was put to the test for 40 relentless days, opposing the evil that the devil brought against Him.  It is my opinion that during those 40 days, Jesus, the man, was being trained to stand in opposition to evil; He was strengthening Himself for all the trials to come.  And I believe that the Holy Spirit wants us to do the same!  I think we are called to stand up for God, and to speak up for Jesus.  But the thought of standing up to evil scares too many Christians.  And I understand the reticence.. we don't want to step into territory that we haven't been instructed to; nor do we want to falsely accuse.  But we also must be careful not to accommodate wickedness, when we know it exists.  There is no diplomatic way to manage evil.  And if there is a question if wickedness exists, shouldn't we get the answer?  To do otherwise, leaves the door open for evil to strengthen and grow.  And I have deliberately not named any specific evil, because I do not want to place a limitation on which evil or wickedness we confront.  God hates all wickedness, and so should we!

     But anytime that we do not speak out against the sin or evil we see, then we are defeated by the powers of hell who want us to keep our mouths shut.  Why do we do that, when we have the "power above all powers" within us?  We have been given the authority to use that power in the Name of Jesus, yet somehow the Enemy is able to send his spirit of fear into our hearts and minds.
     Let's go back to that time that Jesus spent in the wilderness.  He was driven there to be tempted by the devil, which really means to confront evil.  Matthew 10:25 tells us,  It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher.  Jesus was called to obedience to confront evil.  Our calling is no less.  And that means confronting the evil in ourselves, in our homes, in our friendships, in our businesses, in our communities, in our churches, and in our world.  But have we done that -- or have we merely accommodated it, out of concern (fear) that it might somehow harm our relationships or bonds with those we are in relationship with in the world?
     I absolutely understand the desire to make sure that what we see as evil is identified in truth; that it is truly displeasing to the Lord.  But, if we are honest with ourselves, do we trust the Holy Spirit to reveal that -- or do we seek validation from men?  Are we worried about answering to a higher authority?  But isn't Jesus our ultimate Authority?
     It greatly concerns me that Christians are unwilling to expose or confront evil.  I know it is hard when it exists in yourself, or your family, and especially when it is in our churches.  But we cannot become so comfortable in our accommodation that we leave evil alone, and allow the devil to keep his territory. It should make us mad!
     If we call ourselves Bible-believing Christians, then how are we ever going to confront that demonic evil coming out of the pit of hell, if we can't stand up to the evil practices of people around us?  Shouldn't we be strengthening ourselves in the power of Jesus for those evil days?  Are we Christians ever going to train ourselves to confront the evil that exists in this world?
     What is our silence costing us?  For one thing, it is costing saved lives!  That loved one, or that admired leader will not escape the judgment of God if they are allowed to continue in their sin and evil ways -- no matter how much they pretend at righteousness.  And I know we don't go into any battle on our own.  In fact, the battle against evil is the Lord's battle and He will go before us every time.  He could smite the evildoers at any moment without our help; but He wants to work with us, within our realm, to glorify Himself and reveal His power within us.  He just wants someone to step out in obedience and to be in agreement with Him!
     In the end, each person must search his or her spirit and soul to determine the way in which they will walk.  And we must ask ourselves if our decision is based on obedience to God, or on fear.  It can be a lonely decision, and I do not doubt that earnest Christians are truly seeking to serve the Lord. But I wish to remind all of us that the only fear that should ever concern a Christian is the fear of the Lord; a reverence for His power and glory; a proper respect for His anger and wrath, and hatred of evil.  Seek Him and acknowledge His authority over you and the way in which you should go.  The fear of the Lord is opposite of the fear that comes from the world; in Him we have security and a place of safety.  Nothing and no one can harm us.  Exposing evil is nothing to fear.  Ephesians 5:11-12 tells us, Don’t participate in the fruitless works of darkness, but instead expose them.  For it is shameful even to mention what is done by them in secret.  
     I pray that we Christians can come together in a spirit of boldness and confidence, knowing that our God is waiting for us to work with Him, and in the same spirit that the early disciples confronted evil.  We don't need to allow evil to go on, protected and safe from denunciation.  We need to recognize it for what it is and expose it.  We need to follow in the footsteps of Jesus.

Psalm 94:16    "Who will stand up for me against the evildoers?
Who will take a stand for me against those who do wickedness?"