Archive for the ‘Kingdom Teaching’ Category

Without compromising the Remnant must stand strong in this hour

Posted: January 24, 2012 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, teaching, wilderness
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The profound declaration in Daniel 2:22, “[The Lord] reveals the deep and secret things: He knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with Him,” resonates powerfully throughout the Book of Daniel and encapsulates the essence of faith in times of adversity.

As I revisited the text, I was struck by the significance of the remnant—four young Jewish boys, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah—who were set apart to uphold the Kingdom of God amidst the oppressive darkness of Babylon.

Their story is not just one of survival but of steadfastness, embodying the hope that even in the face of compromise and despair, one can maintain a testimony that honors God. The narrative of Daniel reveals a crucial lesson about the relentless nature of spiritual warfare.

The spirit of Hell seeks to pollute what it cannot destroy and to destroy what it cannot pollute. This theme echoes throughout Scripture, illustrating the ongoing struggle between light and darkness. In a world where Israel has succumbed to the pressures of surrounding cultures, these four friends stand resolutely against the tide of moral decay.

They represent the overcomers—those who cling to their faith and refuse to compromise their beliefs despite overwhelming opposition. This struggle is not unlike the challenges faced by believers today. As we navigate our own wilderness experiences, we must recognize that the enemy will use various tactics to try to undermine our faith.

Yet, just as Daniel and his companions demonstrated, every attempt to disrupt their faith ultimately served to reinforce their resolve. The remnant is strengthened through trials, and the darkness only serves to illuminate the light that dwells within them.

In Revelation 12:11, we find another layer of this testimony: “They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.” This verse emphasizes that overcoming is not merely about verbal confession but is rooted in the demonstration of faith through action.

In our contemporary understanding, “testimony” often connotes a public declaration of faith; however, in the biblical context, it encapsulates the lived experience of truth under pressure. This distinction is vital—our faith is a living testimony that must be demonstrated in the face of adversity.

For many, truth is relegated to a theoretical concept, a set of beliefs to be recited rather than a reality to be lived out. The Book of Daniel challenges us to reconsider our own understanding of truth. It invites us to engage with our faith actively, allowing it to transform us in the crucible of life’s challenges.

As we meditate on the trials faced by Daniel and his friends, let us reflect on how these experiences can inform our own journeys as believers. The powerful message woven throughout the Book of Daniel is that the remnant is positioned for victory.

Each trial faced becomes an opportunity for growth and strength. The enemy may scheme and plot, but ultimately, it is through these very struggles that God’s greatness is revealed. The encouragement is clear: do not lose heart in the trials you face.

Instead, stand firm, for you are on the verge of significant breakthroughs and revelations. Like Daniel, we can emerge from our trials fortified in faith and equipped to testify to God’s power. In our current age, many believers are drawn to the vibrant stories of the Book of Acts, and rightly so.

However, I urge you to also delve into the Book of Daniel. There, amid the narratives of courage and faithfulness, lies the blueprint for overcoming in our own lives.

The testimony of the Remnant—both in the Old Testament and in the early church—reveals a consistent theme: faith in God’s promises and an unwavering commitment to His truth can and will prevail against all odds.

Holy Spirit has set a message that is burning in my spirit; “Without compromising the Remnant must stand strong in this hour”. And I am holy convicted that as we allow Holy Spirit to position us in unity, as the Lord’s Ecclesia, holding on with spiritual steadfastness, we too can join the ranks of the overcomers, shining as lights in a world that often seeks to snuff out our faith.

~Pastor Russ Welch, Mighty Arm Ministries Jacksonville Florida

More than a pauper….

Posted: January 24, 2012 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, teaching, wilderness
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Could you imagine being poor on the street’s ? You are left to fend for yourself, eating food that others have discarded, clothes that have been thrown away and sleeping any place you can find?

Now imagine how insane it would be if such a person were adopted and taking into a beautiful home by a loving couple and told that every in the house belonged to them as well.

Yet year after year this child does not get the reality of the blessing they have received. They continue to look through the garbage for food even though there is meal after meal prepared for them and set on the table. They continue to wear ragged old clothes, though the closet in the room this loving couple has provided for them is filled with new clothes. In fact night after night, this couple has to go out and search around the outside of the house to find this person because they continue to seek shelter even though they have a room of their own.

Now to most this would sound silly, because you know that if you were left to living on the street and someone took you into their home and said to you that all that is theirs belongs to you as well you would enjoy it and hopefully be grateful.

Yet many Christians today are no different than this person, because they have inherited a Kingdom yet they continue in the mindset that they must earn the rights of the world.

I wonder how many Christians are going to walk into eternity, never knowing the awesome blessings the Father has bestowed on them. Salvation is indeed free and all the blessings of God come from His mercy – yet like a Car, unless you put the key in the ignition and start it up, you will never enjoy the beautiful ride the car can give you.

In the same manner so many are falsely taught about “works” that they remove themselves from the works and fruits of the Kingdom. Shall works get me into heaven? By now means for the Word is clear that we are saved through Faith in Christ Jesus, and that Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven. Yet if we simply lie back and continue to live the life we lived before we accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior and never take part in walking in obedience to His authority, His Word and His dominion we shall never experience the benefits of all that we have inherited as children of the Lord God.

It is work to study His word, it is work to help another, it is work to conform to His Word and Kingdom rule. It is work to stay at the cross, allowing its bondage smashing power to flow through our lives. It is indeed hard labor at times to love people who do not want to be loved. It is hard work to dismiss the insults, emotional wounding s and possible physical pain by others simply because one is a Christian (For those of us in the western world who have not experienced this – it wont be long before such persecution come to this land) . One must admit it is a conscious struggle (work) to walk in the overcoming power of His holiness to see that sin no longer controls us. I have yet to meet anyone that God has magic waned and they no longer are at war against the flesh.

Yes we are indeed saved by His gracious mercy – and if we will bow low to Him, His Grace shall empower of us to live as true adopted Children, walking in the abundance of His Kingdom.

For we indeed serve and awesome God – Now let us live the life of adoption rather than outcast living outside the Kingdom!!!

Re-crowning the King of kings!!

Posted: January 22, 2012 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, teaching, wilderness
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When Solomon had finished building the temple of the LORD and the royal palace, and had achieved all he had desired to do, the LORD appeared to him a second time, as he had appeared to him at Gibeon. The LORD said to him: ‘I have heard the prayer and plea you have made before me; I have consecrated this temple, which you have built, by putting my Name there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there. (1 Kings 9:1-3)

 

Wow, this should be the goal of our lives, that we live them in such a pleasing way unto the Lord that He consecrates our lives and we carry His Name above ours. In essence this is what the Lord Jesus Christ has already done for us. The moment He allowed the temple guards to take Him, He started on the road to purchase us this reward from the Father.

 

Yet the question must be asked “Is our life worthy of this ”

 

In other words, for the born-again believer does our life reflect a position of gratitude towards the Lord was the price He has paid that NOW the Father look’s down upon us with a smile of favor?

 

Think about it for a moment, about what Jesus had to endure that we could be covered with His righteousness. The beating, the humiliation, the shame and the cross. And He had to do all this not because of what He had done , no for He was an innocent man. He had to endure it all for the price of “our sins” called for it as the only lawful sentence in the Kingdom hall’s of justice. For the penalty of sin is death and eternal separation from the Lord God.

 

He was indeed the King of kings, the glorious One, the only begotten Son of God. He knew Heaven as His Home, and He maintained the balance of the world spinning around the sun. At any moment He could but open His mouth and Heaven would have emptied of Angelic Armies to come forth to His rescue. He could of given one comment and His accusers and all the Roman soldiers around Him would have turned to dust. Yet out His GREAT LOVE for us, He willingly endured it all, as a lamb going to slaughter.

 

Picture for a moment (those of you who watched the “Passion of Christ” movie will remember the scene) as the Roman guards stood about Him, taunting Him, humiliating Him, shaming Him, and they get the grand idea that if He truly is the King of Jew’s He need’s to be crowned. So they fashioned a crown out of thorn’s, the very creation of the Lord Himself, and they did not merely set it on His head. No, they pushed it with great force upon the precious head of the Savior of man-kind, past His beautiful head of hair, through the flesh til they felt it hit the bone of His skull. And He said not a word – Oh’ the amazing love and compassion does our Lord have that He would endure such pain on our behalf. Such love and the patience does our God in Heaven have, that He could endure watching what His creation was doing to His Only Begotten Son.

 

Now, having pictured the guards doing this, something rises up in us. Some would say that if they were there they would have stopped the guards, others that they should have been brought to justice for their crimes against an innocent man. Yet the truth is, we in our own sinful lives, placed those thorn’s upon the Lord’s head. Each and every time we sin, it is as though we are but adding a thorn to the crown our King did wear.

 

Have we ever stopped for a moment to realize that Jesus endured it all for us? That every blow, every snap of the whip taring flesh off from His body, every thorn on that crown was because of “our sins”

 

We must ask the question daily – Am I re crowning the King of kings today with a crown of thorns? Or am I brightening the Glory of His eternal crown with my life, lived according to His Will.

 

Can the Lord look at our lives today and say that He has heard our prayers and that He is consecrating our bodies, these earthen temples for which He has filled with His Holy Spirit?

 

Do we glory over the Lord’s eyes and heart being upon us? Or are there moment when we wish He would turn His head because of the shame in our lives.

 

Ask Holy Spirit to search your life today, to see if there be anything that would once again place that crown of thorns upon the Masters head. If the light of His Holiness point’s to something, repent of it and turn away from, He will give you the grace to over-come what ever sin you may be struggling with. But you must first desire to walk away from it.

 

Our God is the greatest example of love in all the universe, there is none like our God. The lover of our soul’s, the guardian of our eternal destiny, to victor of our salvation, He who not only destroyed the power of sin over our lives, but He who paid the penalty of such sin with the surrender of His right’s, with the humiliation, shame, beating, whipping ,and the nailing of His precious flesh to the cross.

 

Let us today and every day forward awake with the commitment that today we shall not re-crown of King with the thorns of our sin’s! Ask for the abundance of His Grace to flow into our lives empowering us to live lives free of sin!

 

For our God is an Awesome God!!!!!!

~Russ Welch

The Cost of Following Christ

Posted: January 17, 2012 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, teaching, wilderness
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When a rich young man came to Jesus and asked if there’s “anything else” he needed to do, Jesus presented him with “one more thing” that to the young man was seemingly impossible.

Biblical discipleship would truly involve “forsaking all.”    This post appeared in July at TruthSource.Net While I agree with what it says, I can think of instances where I wouldn’t want to see this used.   Or would I?   I remember hearing a speaker saying that “small demands will produce small results; great demands will produce great results.”   Didn’t Jesus seem to be “waving people off” following Him at times with “difficult sayings?”  Have we watered down the gospel?

Because of horrible evangelism, religious lies, and itching ears, a majority of people have been led to believe that becoming a Christian is as easy as praying a simple prayer and requires very little cost or no cost at all. However, the Lord Jesus Christ has declared very clearly in the Bible that it will indeed cost you—it will cost you everything.

You will have to turn away from all your sins

Being a Christian will cost you your sins; you cannot be a Christian if you’re unwilling to forsake them. This is called repentance, and Jesus declared that unless you repent, you will perish in Hell. We are called by God to repent of our sins and turn to Him because He has fixed a day on which He will judge the world. You don’t have to clean up your life before you come to Christ; no, my dear friend, come to Him now as you are. You just have to make up your mind about giving up your sins. You must stop, turn around from following after sinful lusts, and begin following after Christ, calling upon Him to help and He will remove sin from your life as you follow His lead and obey His word.

You will have to forsake your desires and affections

Being a Christian will cost you all desires and affections which oppose the will and word of God. You will have to continually be on guard to rid your life of all the things that God hates and declares to be wicked. If you are unwilling to give up these unrighteous desires, you cannot be a Christian. God commands His people to hate evil and love good; to abstain from every form or appearance of evil; to flee from immorality, lust, idolatry, and greed. We are commanded to pursue righteousness, justice, and godliness. And this means all the things we fill our lives with will be determined by God’s word—the movies or television we watch, music we listen to, clothes we wear, and everything else on which we may set our affections.

You will have to surrender over your dreams and aspirations

Being a Christian will cost you all dreams and aspirations you may have that do not align with the will of God for your life. If you’re unwilling to completely shift the focus of your life away from yourself and your previous aspirations and toward Christ and doing His will, you cannot be a Christian. We are commanded to do absolutely everything—down to something as small as taking a drink of water—with the focus of bringing God glory. We are even called to take every thought captive and make them obedient to the will of Christ. That means if you’re worrying about becoming rich, well-off, famous, or whatever, you’re going to have to cast this behind you. Jesus declared that our primary and preeminent focus is to be on His kingdom above all else. We serve the Lord, not vice versa; and He calls His people to carry out His will, not theirs; we pray for His kingdom come, His will be done, not ours. He is Lord over our life, and His disciples must live their lives accordingly.

You will have to give up all your finances and possessions

Being a Christian will cost you all your finances and possessions. If you’re not willing to transfer all ownership of your money and possessions over to Jesus Christ, you cannot be His disciple. He owns everything in your life—including your life—and as a Christian you must acknowledge and submit to this. All that you have, you no longer use it for yourself but for Him—for His sake, His glory, His kingdom. And the things which cannot be used for these things must go. The money you have, which itself comes from God, you no longer use to buy foolish things for yourself but for the things which He approves and is glorified in. Christ commands us not to store up treasures on earth, but to store up treasure in Heaven. Your treasure will reveal your heart. If you’re all about money or heaping up this world’s goods, then your heart is with this world which will pass away. What will it profit you if you gain the whole world but lose your soul? If you seek to keep this world’s goods, you will lose both them and your soul. You cannot serve both God and wealth.

You will have to leave behind your family & friends

If you love your parents, siblings, spouse, children, family, friends, or even your own life more than Christ, you cannot be His disciple. Your love for Christ must be so extreme and preeminent that it makes your love for everyone else, in comparison, look like hatred. Jesus declared that He had not come to bring peace and tolerance amongst one another on the earth…He came, rather, to bring a sword of division, to set a person against the members of his own household for the sake of obedience and loyalty to Him. If your family criticizes you in regard to following Christ, or pressures you to go on a route that opposes the will of God, you will have oppose them for Christ’s sake. If you have friends who love to sin and could care less about Christ, you’re going to have to leave them behind…but if you are true to the Lord and serious about following Him, they’ll end up hating you eventually anyway. However, Jesus promises that whoever has left houses or parents or siblings or friends or spouses or children for His name’s sake will receive many times as much and will inherit eternal life.

You will have to renounce your reputation and status

If you are unwilling to count as loss for Christ’s sake your reputation and status, and what people think of you, you cannot be a Christian. You must count all these things as rubbish in view of the surpassing value of knowing the Lord Jesus Christ. You must cast off any false notion that you are someone important, someone of worth, one with wisdom and strength, and realize you indeed are one who is broken, lowly, foolish, and weak. The message of the cross is foolishness to the world, and in coming to Christ, believing His word, and obeying His commands, you will also be esteemed utterly foolish by them. But you must embrace the reproach of Christ that will come your way. If you hold faithfully to Christ, you will be ridiculed, despised, mocked, and slandered.

You will have to abandon your comforts & easy living

If you are unwilling to take on the demanding lifestyle of a disciple of Christ, you cannot be a Christian. Jesus declared that the vast majority of mankind will end up in Hell, and that there are many who desire to enter into eternal life but will not be able to. He exhorted His disciples to strive to enter into the kingdom of God, because only those who violently press into it will enter. The Christian life is not one of luxury or complacency, but one of self-denial and discipline, vigilance, always being on the alert, always taking heed and being careful, always striving, pursuing Christ, fighting the good fight of faith, and laying hold on eternal life. The Bible says we must enter the kingdom of God through many trials and tribulations, and all who desire to live godly in Christ will suffer persecution. You will be hated, excluded, insulted, scorned, slandered, and abused on account of Christ—you may even be killed—but be of good cheer, for these things you are blessed, and your reward will be great in Heaven.

Luke 6:22-23; 13:23-24; Matthew 7:13-14; 11:12; John 15:19; 1 John 3:13; Acts 13:40; 14:22; 2 Timothy 3:12; 1 Peter 5:8; 1 Timothy 6:12; Mark 13:33; 1 Corinthians 9:27; 10:12

By ~paulthinkingoutloud via http://www.truthsource.net/topics/Salvation/cost.php

Are you a new creation? Stop retreating & move forward!

Posted: January 15, 2012 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, Prophetic, teaching, wilderness
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“Put on the New Man, created in God’s own Righteousness and true Holiness” (Ephesians 4:24).

What is the Christian Life? It is leaving our ground altogether and coming onto the ground of Christ. It is deeper than a changed life – it is an exchanged life. Over time we can accomplish a change, but we can do nothing to exchange our life for His Life. This, from start to finish, is God’s work, and it is a work of grace.

What, after all, is Righteousness? What is true Holiness? Christ is not righteous because He does righteous things; He does righteous things because He is Righteousness. Christ is not holy because He does holy things; He does holy things because He is Holiness. His “doing” flows out of His “being” – and OUR “doing” flows out of His “being” as well.

I some times wonder why so many Christians never walk in victory. It is as though they have it but for a season and then cycle back into their old life style. There are time I wonder, Lord why are so many people still trapped, week after week they go into churches hurt and they leave hurt. Recently the Lord was speaking to me about this and Holy Spirit showed me some pretty ugly things. Things even in my own life that when the light of His truth shown upon them I was in shock to the point of fallen on my knees and repenting.

Friends there is no freedom in religion and what appears on the outside as good does not always have the truth as the heart of its source. Much of what is being passed around in the church today is nothing more than religion all clothed with make up, curls and bows to appear as holy, yet again it is just that plain ole spirit of religion.

Some would say well this can’t be right – for the enemy would never hang around with holy people, or they, having the images of Hollywood’s portrayal of”church in their thoughts think “no your wrong, Satan wont enter a church for it is Holy ground”. Maybe its time to get away from what the worlds picture of the church is, get away from being bottle feed immature Christians addicted to allowing their pastors to do all the studying and presenting them with the interpretation of the word and get into the word themselves allowing Holy Spirit to be the very lead teacher in their lives. The Bible paints the true picture of the Bride of Christ that we must become.

The enemy can work through even good people and be at work in the middle of a “church” service as an apparent angel of light, enslaving his hearers with religious chains.

Look at what the Bible says:

“And it is no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light; So it is not surprising if his servants also masquerade as ministers of righteousness. [But] their end will correspond with their deeds”. (2 Cor 11:14-15)

Listen to what Watchman Nee had to say in regard to this:

” The prince of the air also goes about as an ANGEL OF LIGHT. As a lion he seeks to DEVOUR, as an angel of light he seeks to deceive. Satan is a deceiver. If he can appear clothed in light—the very nature of God—then your “vision” can be no protection to you. When Satan makes a roar behind the voices of men your ears are no protection to you, and when he comes as an angel of light, vision is not enough to detect him. You say “it was ALL LIGHT” so it must be “of God;” yet the prince of darkness can appear as “light” i.e., as God. You must therefore have more ways of detecting and testing him than by vision, i.e., eyesight (even spiritual eyesight) and hearing. The safest detecting test is “fruit” (Matt. vii, 20), and KNOWLEDGE OF BASIC PRINCIPLES WHICH ETERNALLY DIVIDE BETWEEN GOD AND SATAN. Between Him who is truth itself, and Satan, the “father of lies.”

we see how the adversary goes about as A TORMENTOR of the most godly and saintly servants of God. He “buffeted” Paul—and he did it with God’s permission—”A MESSENGER OF SATAN TO BUFFET ME.” Paul’s resource was prayer, “I besought the Lord,” he said, and then came strength to “glory in his weakness.” we see also he goes about as a sifter of the children of God. He attacks them in all these varied ways, “as a roaring lion,” an “angel of light,” a buffeter and a sifter”.

So do you want true freedom? Come out from the religious things and turn to Jesus, completely. Let Him be your sole (soul) source – let your gatherings be for edifying one another,praying for one another, building up one another s faith, giving testimonies of your victories, singing of Psalms together, reading the scriptures to one another. But we must stop playing church, we must stop the addiction of “let this show be better than the last one”. There is but one level the Christian needs to strive for and that is one of “Holy Righteousness”.

A spirit of deception is at work in the Body today – many have been lured into the den of religion with the teaching that mere programs will set you free – you need to go to this program or conference to get free from this, another for that and on the list goes. In reality according to the scriptures it is a one step program – having turned to the Lord, repented an laying it down at the cross and receive your freedom – from there Holy Spirit will lead us from glory to glory.

Religion will not change any one into a Holy vessel of righteousness as a true worker for the Kingdom of God. It will give the appearance thereof, yet lacking in the power of the true Christ. Holy Spirit can and His whole desire is to point us to Jesus, our liberator, the very source of our freedom.

So friends, if you want true freedom today, then call out to God, repent for being deceived by men when He has given us Holy Spirit and the Word to teach us. Ask Him to remove your religious garments and replace them with robes of righteousness. surrender all to Christ that you may truly experience the victorious Christian life He has purchased for you.

Be free today, stop the retreat from religious program to religious program adding more layers of religion and today, having stepped up to the cross – move forward as a changed vessel, walking forward as the New Creation the Lord has called us to be!

Houses filled with illegitimate children

Posted: January 14, 2012 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, teaching, wilderness
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Hebrews 12:8 If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons.

I was thinking about the cheerleader Gospel messages I have witnessed both recently and over the years. You know the rah, rah, rah stuff that pumps people up for a little while, then at the end when they look up at the score board, the hyped up emotional state comes crashing down. I was thinking about this morning and was reminded of an ole Dick Van Dyke show where he boxed with a real boxer. His corner pumped him up to believe he could really win with no training and he went out and gave it all he had and wham, knocked out cold.

I see many preachers out there and other cheerleaders who believe that by simply giving people a cheer-leader message they will now be set to live a victorious life. Yet as I watch, these preacher fall left and right, and the other messengers lives roll on a roller coaster that has so many twist and turns one would get sick just watching it. Now, when I look at the teaching’s of Paul, Peter, John and James and there is no rah, rah messages. Messages such as:

Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.” (1 Cor 6:13-14)

“Be patient and stand firm” (James 5:8)

Stand against him, therefore, being firm in your faith, and know also that sufferings come against your brethren who are in the world. (1 Peter 5:9)

Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father. And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life. “ (1 John 2:24-25)

Jesus never gave such messages.

“All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.” (Matt 10:22)……”But the person who endures to the end will be saved” (Matt 24:13)………I do not think Jesus was talking about hanging His name over our door post and living like the world here. In fact He prophesied exactly what we are dealing with in this day right before verse 24:13 – “Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold,” (Matt 24:12)

No where in the teaching of the Lord will a disciples find the right to compromise with the world…So this means most are half heatedly following the Way of the Master……So what “man made gospel” does one believe in order to live a life of compromise? I said Jesus was Lord so I am now saved? Or what Jesus taught…he who endures….he who obeys all my commands…?

Of course the nay sayers, those who believe in a Kingdom with out laws will cry out “legalism” yet what of the author of Romans statement where he writes…”“ To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:” (Rom 2:27)

Doing right, obeying the gospel of Jesus Christ and His commandments has nothing to do with ” legalism.”

You will find that there is much criticism against followers of Jesus who try to please Him within evangelical preaching these days, using the term “ legalism “ against these followers of Jesus who try to obey Jesus’ commands as a copout excuse for condoning living in sin in their own life and in others, while following Jesus Christ.

Now I look back at the men God put in my life when I was younger, men who have weathered the storms of life, weathered to onslaught of doctrines and have stood strong, not wavering in their faith. These men have not wavered and been tossed to and fro with every “new teaching” that has come out. I am reminded of the disciples of the first Church, men and women who were battle hardened and would lay down their lives before they would deny the Lord.

I fear that today we have but house filled with illegitimate children, foster children who have come into the Church with their worldly ways and rather than submit to the order of the House, they have sought ( and successfully in many ways) to right new house rules. What we have ended up with is a batch of dough that have been filled to the core with worldly leaven.

“”Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold,”

Now, one can look at gunpowder and think that it is ugly in it’s blackened form. And believing such one decides to pretty it up and add some color so they mix in some colored baby powder. At first they add a little and the powder still has it power, but over time, as they add a little here and a little there, the gun powder looses its power and before long it is completely powerless. That awesome powder in it’s natural state could send a canon ball ½ mile, yet now it can barely get a B.B. to roll out of its barrel.

And now you have a picture of what the watered down gospel message that has been a defiling, ugly leaven in the Church has produced. A people who long to see the power of God, yet have never learned the process of a disciplined life which renders the Heaven to release such power. Like the fast-food generation we live in, they desire short-cuts and instantaneous results or they will move onto to the next big thing.

The good news is that it is not too late…there is still time to repent, fall upon our faces and turn whole hearted to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Let us raise up true disciples of Jesus, those who surrender to His Will and follow His teachings and not those of men that we might rid the house of God of false teachers and illegitimate sons and daughters and at the same time not be found as such ourselves.

~Russ Welch

The End of “Unlove” – The “Day of the Lord”

Posted: January 12, 2012 in Kingdom Teaching, Prophetic, teaching
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Probably all of us are feeling an intensification of the shift taking place in our world as it comes into the next season or phase of the major transformation God is bringing in our world. This article follows the previous one on “The Transformational Love of God,” and deals with the transformation of a world without love to a world ordered by the love of God.

“Unlove” is the absence of God and His love.

Life in the fallen world is based in and derived from unlove. Every aspect of natural man’s life in the fallen world is guided by the ways of unlove.

Mankind is designed to abide in God and God in him.

Great emptiness characterizes the lives of people whose inherent need for God’s love is unfulfilled.

The neediness in mankind can never be fulfilled without the continuing experience of the reality of God’s love filling our lives by the Holy Spirit.

Man’s desperate need for more and more of something to fill the emptiness without God leads to inordinate affections such as lust for romantic activity, substance addictions, depression, and other negative disorders, including things such as, competition, greed, strife, fear, pride, and every negative, stressful, destructive force known to man. The entire world becomes filled with disorder and strife. War is everywhere as people compete against one another. People fall into bondage to inordinate sex, drugs, alcohol, religious deception, and many other entanglements in an attempt to satisfy the emptiness of unlove. All of the problems of the world stem from the basic lack of God’s love in mankind.

Husbands and wives fight and divorce. Employees strive against and deceive employers. Employers exploit employees. People climb over one another in a competitive effort to attain a higher position. Customers strive with merchants and merchandisers take advantage of customers. Law enforcement fights with criminals in an attempt to enforce thousands of laws enacted in an attempt to control the deceit and violence of the people. The whole world becomes a battlefield.

Everything in business and all of life revolves around trying to get more while giving the least possible to get it. Even the highest of charitable human motives are mixed with hypocritical values of “What’s in it for me?” All this and much more exist because of the lack of love abiding in mankind.

Are you beginning to see how that God’s love in man can alleviate needs and stop strife in the world? No more wars, no more crime, and, eventually, no more sickness, no more disease. Some would say, “Yes, but it is not possible for man to love and live this way,” and they would almost be right, if Jesus had not come.

Jesus made a way where there was no way. He provided all that is needed for us to be fully redeemed into life in God and His love. Christ Jesus did what others did not do and lived as one with God in the Holy Spirit. The GOOD NEWS is that Christ Jesus can now live in us by the Holy Spirit. Thus, the potential now exists for all to have Christ’s life abiding within. Through Christ everyone can now abide in God and His love. We can now bring the transforming power of God’s love into practical reality in the world through Christ in us by the Holy Spirit. Christ in His people can destroy the works of the devil.

1 John 3:8: For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.

The greatest mystery of the kingdom, the transformational power of love is changing our world. The world has already been greatly affected by the love of God expressed in the cross of Christ Jesus. No other person in all of the world’s history has had as great a transformational effect as Christ Jesus. Now, the LIFE OF JESUS is set to transform every area of life in the world through Christ Jesus living in us

By love, individuals filled with Christ Jesus by the Holy Spirit, can transform families, businesses, schools, media, cities, nations, and the world.

The End of “Unlove” – The “Day of the Lord”

Perhaps one of the most dramatic interventions of God ever to take place in our world is soon coming upon the entire world to destroy unlove and all the works it has produced. For many years, God has been pouring out His Spirit and His pure holy love into His people producing the life of Christ within His holy people. This will increase and continue through the season of the ending of the rule of unlove. God has prepared and is preparing a pure and holy people filled with His love to bring forth the kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven.

The next big intervention of God is the great cleansing work of destruction of the wicked and all that lifts itself against God, all that will not turn to God.

What is the “Day of the Lord”? (For a very enlightening and more detailed biblical study of the answer to this question follow the link to Kingdom Growth Guides and scroll down to (#038). http://www.openheaven.com/forums/forum_posts.asp?TID=12550&a mp;PN=1

There have been many “Day of the Lord” judgments throughout biblical history. The “Day of the Lord” would come against an area or nation for destruction of evil.

The “Day of the Lord” that we are entering now is part of the process of purification leading to a godly kingdom people ruling on earth God’s way. The chastening and purging is aimed at the pride and loftiness of man, the ways of man that are exalted over the ways of God. “Day of the Lord” judgment brings chastening for cleansing of God’s people, those who will repent and turn from their ways of mixture to God’s way. The day of the Lord is always chastening for God’s people. It is not intended for their total destruction. Rather, it is for their purification. No matter how severe the chastening, there will always be a purified remnant. It is not so among the ungodly. The “Day of the Lord” can bring total destruction and annihilation to the evil and ungodly of the world.

In both the Old and New Testament the “Day of the Lord” is a season of destruction for the ungodly and a purification of God’s people resulting in the shining forth of God’s ways to govern the world. The focus is not only fire but also the beautiful kingdom of God brought forth from the ashes.

Isa 61:3: To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.

Mat 13:40-43 “Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age.”The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, “and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. “Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

Personal “Day of the Lord”

Like me, probably many reading this have gone through a personal “Day of the Lord” when great devastation and despair came upon our lives. Some may be going through a personal “Day of the Lord” time of reckoning now. Sons of God, those whom God loves, He will chasten, and it never seems good at the time. When all that once sustained us stops working for us and all we have built crumbles around us, the pain may seem unbearable. Brokenness of our ways turns us to His ways, and we are further purified and made more holy vessels for His use.

Corporate day of the Lord

Just as individuals may meet the “Day of the Lord,” so it is for families, tribes, nations, and the entire world.

The great and dreadful “Day of the Lord” for the entire world is now at hand.

After the destruction has done away with the loftiness (pride) of man, after everything high and lifted up is thrown down and only God remains exalted, the purification is accomplished and restoration begins. The new life of restoration is always more righteous, more holy, more filled with peace and joy than the old life. The kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Father, Your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.

The Sword of the Lord Comes.

Ron McGatlin

Possess Godly Character and the Anointing of God

Posted: December 22, 2011 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, Prophetic, wilderness
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I was reading a magazine article in a Christian Magazine. This article was discussing the question– What is must important for a Christians to possess a godly character or the anointing of God?

Immediately I felt the Holy Spirit rise up within me and say, “You must have both. You must possess godly character and the anointing.” “The anointing with no godly character brings shame to the Body of Christ.” “There has been too many who have gone forth ministering in the Body of Christ who have not possessed both–a godly character and the anointing of God.” “You must have both.” “It is not meant to be one without the other.”

Saul

In 1Samuel 10:1 Samuel anointed Saul as ruler over Israel.

1Samuel 10:20-22 Thus Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, and the tribe of Benjamin was taken by lot. 21 Then he brought the tribe of Benjamin near by its families, and the Matrite family was taken. And Saul the son of Kish was taken; but when they looked for him, he could not be found. 22 Therefore they inquired further of the LORD, “Has the man come here yet?” So the LORD said, “Behold, he is hiding himself by the baggage.”

Saul began walking in his position as the anointed of God with the godly character trait of humbleness. He was hiding himself by the baggage.

Saul already knew from the Lord that it was he who was anointed as King and ruler of Israel. He was not exalting himself among the people and yelling “It’s me!! I’m the anointed one!!!” “Look over here at me; I’m the anointed one of God!!” Saul humbly hid himself among the baggage.

Saul did not continue to walk in a godly character. In 1 Samuel 13: 8-9 we find King Saul offering a burnt offering. This violated what God had commanded him to do. In 1Samuel 13:13 Samuel tells Saul because of his disobedience that the Lord had sought out another to appoint as ruler over His people.

In 1Samuel 15:9-11 we find Saul once again disobey God. God spoke to Samuel that He regretted making Saul king because he had turned away from following Him and had not carried out His commands. In 1Samuel 15:26 Samuel tells Saul that the Lord has rejected him from being king over Israel.

In 1Samuel 16:14 we find the last state of Saul — the Spirit of the LORD had departed from
Saul.

Saul did not continue to walk in a godly character. Because of his lack of possessing a godly character along with the anointing, God removed the One who anointed Saul – God removed the Holy Spirit from him.

Saul remained the one who was anointed to the position and title (we know this because David refers to Saul as “the anointed of God”), but the presence of the Holy Spirit was removed from him. Saul kept his position and title until his death, the Holy Spirit’s presence which had dwelled with him was removed

We see this today in the Body of Christ. There are those who because of faulty and flawed characters have had the presence of the Holy Spirit removed from them, their ministries and their churches. They continue on in position and in a title but the Holy Spirit’s presence has been removed from them.

We see these (pastor, teacher, prophet, apostle and evangelist) still able to operate in their spiritual gift but the Holy Spirit’s presence has been removed from them.

God’s Word says that his gifts are given without repentance in Rom 11:29.

Romans 11:29 (KJV) For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.

The Word in the Greek for repentance means IRREVOCABLE.

Irrevocable according to the dictionary means: not to be revoked or recalled; unable to be repealed or annulled;

Do you see that Saul’s call was irrevocable—he still continued on in the title and position of king until his death? Even as he retained the call the dwelling presence of the Holy Spirit was removed from him.

Do you see that many in church today still operate in their spiritual gifts but the dwelling presence of the Holy Spirit has been removed from them?

David had seen Saul without the presence of the Holy Spirit dwelling with him. I believe that is why David cried out to God “do not remove the Holy Spirit from me.” He had seen the terrible state that it was to be in if you did not have the presence of the Holy Spirit in your life. David did not want to walk in title and position without the presence of the Holy Spirit. I believe that is why he cried out to God “don’t remove the Holy Spirit from me.”

What a terrible position it truly is even this day – to walk in the spiritual gifts but have not the presence of the Holy Spirit in your life.

I personally sat under and served on staff with a pastor whom I knew lied and gossiped about his people. I often heard him at staff meetings speak critically, harshly and in ridicule of the people in this congregation.

The Word of God says we shall be known by our fruit.

Matthew 7:16-17 “You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? 17 “So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.

I was looking at the wrong fruit!!! I was looking at the fruit of the spiritual gifts being in operation in this pastor’s life. I was not looking at the fruit of his character that was pouring out of his heart. I mistakenly thought the fruit of the spiritual gift in operation through him at the altar verified the presence of the Holy Spirit and the approval of God upon this pastor.

As we saw with Saul, the gifts and call is irrevocable but the presence of the Holy Spirit can be and is removed. Seeing spiritual gifts in operation does not verify that God’s presence is upon someone or that God has set His approval upon them.

Matthew 7:20-23 “So then, you will know them by their fruits. 21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23 “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’

God is saying clearly in this scripture that we are not to look upon the fruit of the spiritual gift operating in someone’s life. They had these gifts in operation but God calls them “those who practice lawlessness.” These did not walk in godly character and because they
did not the presence of the Holy Spirit was taken from them. How do I know this??

Because the Word says that He does not know them. God knows all who have His Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit’s presence with them.

God is clearly saying we are to look for the fruit of a godly character. Where there is the fruit of a godly character there will be also be the anointing of God.

God is clearly saying our fruit must be the fruit of a godly character!!! God is clearly saying when we manifest the fruit of a godly character we will possess His anointing which comes through the dwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.

I understand now what the Holy Spirit meant when He said, “You can’t have one without the other.” If you walk in the fruit of godly character you will possess the anointing through the dwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit said “Godly Character without the anointing has no power to change lives.”

I understand now what the Holy Spirit was saying. The anointing is the presence of the Spirit in our lives and without the presence of the Spirit you do not have the effectual effective working power to see lives changed. I understand now that when I walk in a godly character and manifest the fruit of that character, His Holy Spirit anointing will also be manifested in my life.

We are not to have one without the other!!!

David

In 1 Samuel 16: 1-13 we have the story of David’s anointing as king over Israel. David is picked by God from among his brothers and anointed as king.

1Samuel 16:13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon David from that day forward. And Samuel arose and went to Ramah.

When David was anointed as king of Israel the Holy Spirit came upon him mightily. David now possessed the anointing of the Lord. The presence of the Holy Spirit was with David from that day forward. He went forth from that day to work mighty exploits in the name of the Lord; he did so through the presence of the Holy Spirit which was with Him.

We know from scripture that both Saul and David sinned against the Lord. The Holy Spiritwas not removed from David as He had been from Saul because David possessed the godly character of a repentant heart. Saul when confronted with his sin made excuses and blamed others for his sin. He did not take responsibility for his actions. He did not come to true repentance. He did not come to a repentance that was according to the will of God
that leads to salvation.

2Corinthians 7:10 For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death.

David when confronted with his sin repented. David was not a man after God’s own heart because he was sin free. David was a man after God’s own heart because he came to repentance according to the will of God that led to salvation. David walked in godly character and he manifested the good fruit of repentance.

The Holy Spirit and His presence remained with David. David possessed both the qualities of a godly character and the anointing of the Lord.

When we sin we must have the godly character of repentance. We must repent as David – without excuse, without blaming others for our sin, and by taking responsibility for our actions. We must turn from our sin and turn to God. We must move forward by bearing good fruit in keeping with our repentance.

Matthew 3:8 “Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance;

Luke 3:8 “Therefore bear fruits in keeping with repentance …

Act 26:20 but kept declaring both to those of Damascus first, and also at Jerusalem and then throughout all the region of Judea, and even to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance.

We are to perform deeds/ bear good fruit appropriate to repentance.

Where there is the fruit of a godly character there will be also be the anointing of God.

Balaam

Balaam walked with a faulty and flawed character. He is an example of many in the body of Christ today who function in a title and position but possess a faulty and flawed character.

We find the story of Balaam in Numbers 22 – 25. Balak the king of Moab sent the elders of his nation to Balaam with money to pay for his service of cursing Israel. God told Balaam to not go with them, for He, God, has blessed Israel. Balaam speaks correctly to the king’s emissaries that God has refused to let him go with them.

The king of Moab then sends to Balaam more numerous and more distinguished leaders with a promise of honoring him richly.

Here is where we begin to see the flaw in the character of Balaam. He knew God’s word to him that he was not to go and that Israel was not to be cursed for He, God, had blessed them. The character flaw we find in Balaam is love of honor and love of riches!!!

2Peter 2:15 forsaking the right way, they have gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;

Balaam speaks three times the words God tells him to speak over the people Israel. Numbers 23:5 says God put a word in Balaam’s mouth and Numbers 23: 16 says the Lord put a word in Balaam’s mouth. We find the last time Balaam speaks for the king of
Moab to be different.

Numbers 24:1-2 When Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not go as at other times to seek omens but he set his face toward the wilderness. 2 And Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel camping tribe by tribe; and the Spirit of God came
upon him.

I believe the two times Balaam spoke before that he was speaking out of his gift. He did not speak these words by the anointing, which is the presence of the Holy Spirit with him.

The Holy Spirit’s presence was not with him until this third time
and he did not seek omen as he had at the other times.

Balaam mixed the worship of God with pagan worship!! The presence of the Holy Spirit was not with him until he did not seek to hear through omens. Not only did Balaam possess the flawed character of love of honor and money, he also possessed the flawed character of mixing the worship of God with pagan worship. His heart was not totally Gods!!

We can not be as Balaam and mix the worship of God. We must worship Him and Him alone. We must not have this flawed character. Our hearts must totally belong to God and
to Him alone.

We are going to look at the next example of Balaam’s actions that we often see in the church today. He spoke the right words but his actions did not line up with those words!!!

Numbers 24:13-14 ‘Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything contrary to the command of the LORD, either good or bad, of my own accord. What the LORD speaks, that I will speak’? 14 “And now, behold, I am going to my people; come, and I will advise you what this people will do to your people in the days to come.”

What did Balaam advise the King of Moab? First, Balaam prophesied the future of Israel to the King of Moab. A deeper look at scripture will tell us the rest of Balaam’s advise to the king.

Numbers 25:1-3 While Israel remained at Shittim, the people began to play the harlot with the daughters of Moab. 2 For they invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. 3 So Israel joined themselves to Baal of Peor, and the LORD was angry against Israel.

Num 31:16 “Behold, these caused the sons of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor, so the plague was among the congregation of the LORD.

Revelation 2:14 ‘But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit acts of immorality.

Balaam spoke the right words from his mouth that made him sound as if he was totally dedicated to God. His actions of teaching Balak the king of Moab how to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel did not line up with his words of devotion to God.

Balaam advised Balak in the way only way Israel could be cursed and destroyed!! He knew that idol worship/departing from serving God and God alone was the only way Israel would be cursed and destroyed. Balaam advised Balak to send in the women of his nation who would then entice and lead the men of Israel into idol worship.

It is the same in the church today, many speak what is right in front of others – where they are seen, but the actions of their lives do not line up with their words. They speak as if they have great godly character but their actions/ their true character shows that they do not.

They are as Balaam—their lives do not line up with their words.
These do not possess a godly character and the anointing, the presence of the Holy Spirit is not with them.

Philippians 2:21 For they all seek after their own interests, not those of Christ Jesus.

Many in the church today are as Balaam, seeking after their own interests of wealth, of honor, or fame and are not seeking after the interests of Christ.

Philippians 1:15-17 Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ even from envy and strife, but some also from good will; 16 the latter do it out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel; 17 the former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition rather than from pure motives, thinking to cause me distress in my imprisonment.

Philippians 2:3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit…

Some in the church today preach Christ out of selfish ambitions—what is in it for them!!!

They do not preach Christ out of pure motives. They preach Christ out of the motive of what will it bring to them. They will not go where they do not receive a large honorarium, they will not go where there is not a large crowd who will give honor to them—they are too busy and important to serve the small congregations. They preach Christ with the impure motive of “what is in it for them!!!” These do not walk in godly character and are in danger of losing the anointing and the presence of the Holy Spirit.

We are commanded to not operate as these.

Pharisees

The Pharisees had “religion” they did not possess godly character. Because they lacked godly character they did not have the anointing or the presence of the Holy Spirit with
them.

We must not confuse having “religion” with possessing a godly character. God does not see them as the same. Jesus called the Pharisees who had “religion” a brood of vipers.

Jesus called them evil. Jesus told them they were of their father, satan!!! We must not confuse having “religion” with possessing a godly character and the anointing of God.

Matthew12:34-35 “You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. 35 “The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil.

Good fruit comes forth from one who has godly character. Good fruit does not come forth out of “religion” it alone comes forth from one who walks in a godly character. The presence and the anointing of the Holy Spirit are present with one who walks in a godly character.

John 8:44 “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

Pharisees were a sect of self-righteous and zealous Jews. They were zealous for their interpretation of the law and for their traditions. Jesus corrected them for their traditions nullifying the Word of God.

Matthew 15:3 And He answered and said to them, “Why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?

Matthew 15:9 ‘BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.'”

Mark 7:8 -9 “Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men.” 9 He was also saying to them, “You are experts at setting aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition.

Mark 7:13 thus invalidating the word of God by your tradition which you have handed down; and you do many things such as that.”

In the church today there are those who set aside the commandment of God in order to keep their tradition, their religion. Their “religion” and “tradition” has become more important to them than having the presence of the Holy Spirit and His anointing with them!!!

The Pharisees through their interpretation of the law and traditions laid heavy burdens upon men. They also by their religion prevented others from finding liberty and freedom. I want you to know that religion always does this – it keeps others in the same bondage they are in – it refuses to allow others to be set free.

Matthew 23:2-4 saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses; 3 therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them. 4 “They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger.

Matthew 23:13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow
those who are entering to go in.

Religion always makes “carbon copies” of those who follow in its way. There is no freedom in religion.

Matthew 23:15 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel around on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.

Jesus came to set us free from religion and all its traditions!!! Religion is devoid of the presence of the Holy Spirit and His anointing.

The Pharisees loved honor and glory to be given to them from men. The Pharisees were full of the spirit of pride. They esteemed themselves above all others. The Pharisees did all their deeds to be noticed by men, not out of a heart of compassion of love for the people. They did their deeds for the “good report” it would bring them. Many in the body of Christ do the same today.

Matthew 23: 5-7 “But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men; for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments. 6 “They love the place of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues, 7 and respectful greetings in the market places, and being called Rabbi by men.

Matthew 23:14 [“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore you will receive greater condemnation.]

Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for their “religion” and their appearance of righteousness when they did not possess righteousness or a godly character.

Matthew 23:23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others.

Matthew 23:25 -28 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence. 26 “You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also. 27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. 28 “So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

Matthew 23:33 “You serpents, you brood of vipers, how will you escape the sentence of hell?

The Pharisees had “religion” they did not have godly character. The Pharisees were devoid of the presence and the anointing of the Holy Spirit and if they remained in this state would not be able to escape the sentence of hell.

The Holy Spirit began this discourse with the words “We as Christians must have both a godly character with the anointing.” “We are not to have one without the other.” We have learned we walk must in a godly character, then the anointing and the presence of the Holy Spirit will be with us.

Let us as the people of God who seek to be His anointed in the earth examine our walks and our characters this day.

Let us persevere to walk with a godly character and the anointing which is the presence of the Holy Spirit with us.

Author: Dawn Wilson
http://www.dawnwilsonministries.org

Why does the church need to be in relationship with homeless mothers and children?

Posted: December 20, 2011 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, teaching, wilderness
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Why does the church need to be in relationship with homeless mothers and children?

“It is in our intimate relationships with our friends on the streets… that open our blinded eyes to really see Jesus for who he is. Through their desperation and forced vulnerability, they help us see what intimacy with God looks like. We are compelled to follow our friends who are poor to God’s heart.” (Christopher Heuertz)

Bridge of Hope calls churches from diverse Christian faith traditions to befriend homeless single mothers and their children. It is out of this calling that we highlight the following reasons why the Church today needs to be in relationship with homeless single mothers and their children:

1.) God calls the Church to relationships: God longs to be in right relationship with us and to see us in right relationship with each other. Homeless families remind us that our relationship with God is more than just a private response to the God of the universe. A vital relationship with God also means being in vital relationships with those around us. Throughout Scripture God identifies with the poor to the point that caring for those in need is like taking care of God (Matthew 25:31-46). Rev. James Forbes once said that to get into heaven, the faithful are going to need a letter of reference from the poor.

Mother Teresa would often say that the poor are Jesus in distressing disguise. “The Scriptures teach that God’s faithful people share God’s special concern for the poor…. God insists that if we do not imitate his concern for the poor we are not really his people – no matter how frequent our worship or how orthodox our creeds” (Ron Sider). When we enter into authentic relationship and mutual friendship with a homeless mother or child and see through their lens, it is surprising how often our eyes are open anew to the presence of Jesus in the world.

These relationships challenge our judgments, assumptions and individualistic mindset and teach us much about our relationship with God and with all God’s children.

2.) God calls the Church to bless others: God’s directive, throughout scripture, is that the provision we experience from God is not meant for our own sakes but for the sake of those around us as well. We are blessed to bless others (Genesis 12:1-3). We dare not mistake “God’s financial blessings as individual provision rather than resources with potential for kingdom development.” (Heuertz) For the children of Israel, that meant caring for those around them who were in need, including the foreigner, the poor and the widows.

Today, the church is also being called to be a blessing to single mothers and children who are homeless because we ourselves have so often been blessed. As the Apostle Paul writes so clearly (II Corinthians 8-9) we are to use our riches to help others and as we do, God in turn provides for the Church’s needs. It is the mystery and joy of God’s economy.

3.) God calls the Church to vulnerability: Just as Jesus chose to give up power for the sake of God’s call to serve humankind (Philippians 2), so too the church itself must embrace and honor the marginalized and forsaken. The church will only be effective as it becomes vulnerable and humble, meekly caring for others both within and outside the church (Matthew 5:1-11). The suffering of homeless mothers and children humbles us. Their weakness instructs us.

Their vulnerability reminds us of our own pride. As we experience authentic friendships with homeless families, we are reminded of our own need for God, and that we are not ultimately in control. In a sermon, John Wesley said, “One great reason why the rich in general have so little sympathy for the poor is because they so seldom visit them. Hence it is that one part of the world does not know what the other suffers” (Christine Pohl).

Friendships with homeless families keep our hearts tender, open our eyes to moments of God’s grace and move us beyond self-centered purposes – bringing us back into a deeper relationship with Christ. “We must minister among and with the broken out of a posture of brokenness; it is the only way we will be accepted. When we realize that we have as much to learn as we have to offer, true Christ-like ministry will freely flow, community will develop, and we will be transformed.” (Heuertz)

4.) God calls the Church to be a renewed community: When church communities commit to build mutual, authentic friendship with homeless women and children, they demonstrate obedience, experience transformation, and connect with Jesus in new ways that revitalize their faith.

Churches that worship together as rich, poor and middle class can experience spiritual and relational transformation and renewal. For Saint John Chrysostom and other early church fathers and mothers, the church was seen as the vehicle for mutual and meaningful hospitality with the poor and homeless and “was a significant context for transcending status boundaries and for working through issues of respect and recognition.” (Pohl)

When churches embrace a holistic gospel, lived out in mutuality and respect in the world, homeless families can experience physical, social, emotional and spiritual wholeness, and in turn renewal comes to the congregation. The grand vision of the New Testament (Revelation 7) describes a new community in heaven that transcends economic status, ethnicity, culture and language.

The old dividing lines of housed or homeless, black or white, middle class or poor, unemployed or employed are transformed in the realization of God’s intention for humankind. By being a community of hope, healing and renewal now, the church becomes a promise of God’s ultimate desire for the world.

The Power of A Clean Life

Posted: December 13, 2011 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, Prophetic, teaching, wilderness
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The Power of A Clean Life

A holy people of God are being prepared for the great fulfillment of the kingdom of God on earth. Sons of righteousness with pure hearts in whom there is no guile are being prepared to minister with the army from heaven with supernatural wisdom and power. Their clean hearts and lives will offer no hindrance or resistance to the love and power of God flowing from Father in heaven by the Holy Spirit.

The maturing sons of God will not be daunted by the apocalyptic, cataclysmic events of a world being cleansed by the fire of God.

Who are these people demonstrating the full faith and power of a clean life? They are a new breed of grown up children of God that have emptied themselves and made room for God to rule in their lives. They are humble people of God who have allowed the fire of God to burn away every tendency of sin and the bondage of doubt and unbelief in their souls. They are those whose spirits are made alive and are fully redeemed to the fullness of the love and life of Christ Jesus. They are those who have no regard for the lies of the fallen world and its foolishness. They are those who have thrown off the past shroud of religious unbelief and ungodly madness of the fallen ways of a people sickened by lust and greed. They are those who are as if they had no past but live fully in the embrace of the life of Christ in the presence of God. They are people like you and I breaking through into a glorious life in the Sprit of God on shores of a new land filled with glory.

We are soon entering the most powerful and glorious time on earth. Before us is the time of fulfillment of that which the saints throughout history have sought. They gave their lives knowing it was for a future time. There is rejoicing in heaven when one is TRULY born anew as this new breed of redeemed spiritual creature into a new life of unhindered faith and power of God.

Not all will enter this new creation army of maturing sons living holy clean lives.

Many Christians believe that we are waiting for God to do something further to cause us to walk in supernatural victory. The general belief seems to be that the promises of Jesus to His people are true but not for us now.

For example, the promise that we would do the works that Jesus did and even greater works than the mighty miracles He did is seen as true but they will not come to pass until some future day when God does something more or some other event occurs from heaven.

John 14:12: Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.

This common belief, I should say unbelief, is largely based on the natural reality that we do not see men around us doing these works. We need to keep in mind that our natural vision only sees what is closely around us and does not see all that is happening worldwide. Also we may not see clearly events that happen around us. Even if supernatural events happen around us we may attribute them to natural causes.

In part these erroneous beliefs are caused by the negative faith implanted in people through religious and secular training over the past centuries. Our experience has trained us that faith and power are limited and simply do not work today as they did in the first century.

People are locked in bondage of doubt and unbelief regarding the word and works of God. Many people reason that since supernatural works are done by God and not man, we are waiting for God to do something to make things happen. It is true that faith and power are gifts from God through Christ Jesus by the Holy Spirit and not of our human effort or doing. However, there is no problem with the availability of the grace gifts of God. They are fully available now.

God is still all powerful and His word is still valid and cannot be changed. These provisions have been fully purchased by Christ Jesus at the cross and the delivery system has been fully established in the Holy Spirit since Pentecost. For a season after Pentecost the gifts were operative and flowing. Faith and power were supernaturally changing the world. Powerful miracles and works of God impacted masses of people and the kingdom of God was beginning to come forth on earth as it is in heaven. Supernatural power gifts came way back then and are available now?

Why should the people of God today have the faith and power of a beggar? Waiting beside the road of life begging God for a morsel of faith to get by for today. Why should we be begging for a hand-out of enough power to endure our bad situations one more day?

Gal 4:9 But now after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage?

What is going on people?

We are the world changers! We can have the faith and power of the first century! We can have the wisdom of God that will lead us into the kingdom of God!

Everything has been done so why should we be lacking in faith and power and continue waiting for God to send something more?

The problem is not with the quality of the gifts prepared in heaven for us. The problem is not with the delivery system. The problem is with the reception. There is not proper place in the hearts of men to receive the gifts and ways of God prepared for His kingdom people. The receiving dock and the storage rooms are filled with other things that are blocking the way. The data banks in the hearts of men are filled and the faith and power cannot be downloaded until space is cleared and existing data deleted. A decision must be made by man to make the deletions to clear space for downloading great faith and power that will bring forth the kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven.

Experiencing the fullness of Christ in us is not waiting for God to do something further. Rather, God is waiting on a people that will make room to receive the faith and power of the kingdom.

God is waiting for clean hearts upon which to write His all-wise and all-powerful laws of heavenly wisdom and kingdom reality. The hearts of the people of the world including most Christians are filled with other writings. The space for God to write is already filled and there is not place for Him to scribe the all powerful wisdom and ways of heaven.

Heb 8:10: For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

2 Cor 3:3: clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart.

A far greater standard of holy kingdom living is being lifted up. A pure holy people of righteousness are to be prepared to walk in the supernatural kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven. For the most part, mankind is not currently operating with God’s standard but has developed other standards. According to man’s standards many things are seen as good and worthy of retaining that are NOT from God and are not heavenly wisdom and truth. All that is not of God that is stored in the hearts of man and serves as standards for man is unclean to God. Even man’s best righteousness is as filthy rags in the site of God.

All natural men and many who are called Christians are filled with knowledge but lacking in truth and wisdom.

The false standards written in our hearts blind us to the powerful supernatural ways of God and prevent the reality of God being written upon our hearts. The ways of God are much higher and far more powerful than most Christians have even imagined.

Can you hear the call of God? Can you feel God pulling on your heart to turn to Him with your whole heart and leave the past to be made a witness of the things which Jesus will reveal to you? Can you see the call to be used in opening the eyes of the religionist and the secularist to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God? God is calling a people in this day as He called Paul who was one of the most religious men of His day. He was involved in the death and imprisonment of the followers of Christ. Yet, he surrendered his heart to be completely cleansed from the past and gave His all to change the course of history. He made room for God to write His way upon his heart.

Acts 26:16-18: But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you. I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.

Keep on pursuing love.
It never fails.

Ron McGatlin

http://www.openheaven.com
basileia@earthlink.net

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