Archive for the ‘teaching’ Category

Ismael – The false promise!

Posted: March 13, 2011 in disciples life, teaching, wilderness
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Genesis 16:1-16 . . . Abraham and Sarah lend God a hand with the promise.

Genesis 17:15-21 . . . Troubles begin . . . Can’t Ishmael be the promise . . .
He’s already here!

Genesis 21:9-21 . . . Ishmael and Hagar are forced into the desert because
Abraham and Sarah tried lending God a hand with the promise.

Too many are settling for Ishmael in their lives. God did not promise you Ishmael. He promised you Isaac.
Don’t settle for Ishmael no matter how much you want and love him. Don’t become satisfied with less than what God has promised. Don’t interfere with God’s plan. You can’t help God no matter what!

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard, “God gave me a new car!” (or new
house, or new apartment, or new furniture, or new anything). I always ask, “Did
He also give you a monthly payment you can barely handle?” If so, you have an
Ishmael. When God also gives you the funds to pay for the car, you will have
received your Isaac, your promise.

Too many are settling for Ishmael because they don’t have the faith to wait for
Isaac.

Hebrews 11:1 What is faith? It is the confident assurance that what we hope for
is going to happen. It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see. (NLT) . . .
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
(KJV)

Faith is an inner conviction based on the Word of God.

Substance = Assurance (“a standing under”) . . . Evidence = Proof.

God cannot lie and God cannot change. Therefore, I have the authority to believe for an answer.

Seven Results of Faith:

1. (Hebrews 11:1) Get substance or assurance.

2. (Hebrews 11:1) Get evidence or focus.

3. (Hebrews 11:2) Get a good report.

4. (Hebrews 11:3) Get understanding . . . “I know that I know that He will do
it.”

5. (Hebrews 11:4) Become an excellent sacrifice . . . “Praise Him for His
greatness.”

6. (Hebrews 11:5) Your life is translated or changed.

7. (Hebrews 11:5) You put a smile on the Fathers face with your changed life.

Don’t let time be a robber

Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; for
he is faithful that promised.

In His time . . . If God promised you healing, you will be healed!! If God
promised you victory, you will be victorious!! If God promised you favor, you
will receive favor among men!!

One last note on Ismael – Many today want the maturity of the Lord with out the trials which produces the fruit, character and wisdom of a mature Christian. Everyone is running from one conference to another seeking to receive what this speaker and that speaker has, yet Holy Spirit, who is the one who disperses the gifts of the Father, seeks the Fathers Will – and if the Father says your not ready, your not ready.

Now you run here and there, having picked up all kinds of inspirational words yet you’ve grown distant from the Lord, you have spent the night with the slave girl Hagar and received an illegitimate word, and now you’ve birthed a ministry which is not of the Lord!

Now, had you endured you could have had an audience with the King and received a Word that would burn its promise into your heart with the authority of heaven to position you into the right position to walk out the ministry of the Lord, that the Father has prepared for you!

For indeed we serve an Awesome God!

…Narrow view of the Kingdom….

Posted: March 12, 2011 in disciples life, teaching
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[repost]
“I can’t believe your fickleness—how easily you have turned traitor to him who called you by the grace of Christ by embracing a variant message! It is not a minor variation, you know; it is completely other, an alien message, a no-message, a lie about God. Those who are provoking this agitation among you are turning the Message of Christ on its head. Let me be blunt: If one of us—even if an angel from heaven!—were to preach something other than what we preached originally, let him be cursed. I said it once; I’ll say it again: If anyone, regardless of reputation or credentials, preaches something other than what you received originally, let him be cursed.” (Gal 1:6-9 The Message)

Paul warned us to run from any other gospel than that of Jesus Christ. The gospel message (good news) of the Lord Jesus Christ was about the Kingdom of God. Over the years men in their attempt to bring the Lord down to fit into their understanding have spread forth a watered down gospel message that has birthed generations of believers who have a narrow view of the Kingdom and the life of it’s citizens. Today we see almost a whole generation of such people.

Sadly in regard to the Kingdom of God, most Christians never realize it is much more than what they have heard. For true Christianity is about establishing and expand His Kingdom. The truth is that the average church goer in our day looks at Christianity through the narrow understanding that it merely relates to their personal relationship with the Lord, becoming a member of a “church” and salvation. They never seek after His Kingdom in spiritual terms.

Yes our personal relation with the Lord is important as is our relationships with other believers and one can not hold salvation’s revelation up as anything light. But we must come to the point where holding these keys to citizenship is not enough for we must see the whole kingdom-vision if we are to live as true citizens according to the teachings of the Master and we must live and walk in its truth regardless of the cost.

Let us beware that even in the ranks of church today we need to be on guard, for some are using their gifts to draw people away from true Kingdom knowledge. So we must more than ever before, keep our eyes and hearts on the true things of God that we be not deceived. This deception often comes from ones who do not even realize that the true deceiver, Satan, is using them. They think they are doing what is right. As well regretfully some knowingly use the gifts of God for personal gain.

Praise God that He has sent one who will lead us into all spiritual truth, keeping us on the path that walks in the liberty of the citizenship the Lord has given us. We must continually seek the advice and direction of Holy Spirit for He will in all things point us towards the Lord, glorifying the Son for who He truly is; the only begotten Son of Father God, King of kings, Lord of lords, Name above all names, our Lord, Master and Savior “Jesus Christ”.

Our God truly is an Awesome God!

Radical first century Disciples – A lesson for today!

Posted: March 11, 2011 in disciples life, teaching, wilderness
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One would think that the horrific persecution that the first church endured would have chilled the excitement of what the apostles were proclaiming in the first century. It started in Jerusalem, threats, beatings, arrests and even death. One would think that just the news of what happened to Stephen would have caused the multitudes to stop cold in their tracks. The decisions where coming down from the highest levels of the Religious communities, those who were supposedly called of God.

New believers, run out of their homes, scattered here and there throughout the Palestine region. Yet, even though they had lost their homes, they never forsook their faith. They went as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch. So, what did they do? These first Disciples of Christ spoke the Word of the Lord, at first only to their own countrymen, the Jews. Yeshua was a Jew, born of the tribe of Judah. All His apostles, the first converts, as well as the first persecutors were Jews also. Not very long after this took place, having taken the Word outside of the ranks of the Jew’s, as the Greeks heard the gospel message, they believed as well.

“So then, those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose in connection with Steven made their way to Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews alone. But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who came to Antioch and began speaking to the Greeks also, preaching of Yeshua.” (Acts 11:19,20).

It was in Antioch that a major change of course took place, yet in reading the Old Testament scriptures we see how this was the Lord’s plan all along.. It was at there in Antioch that some of these Jewish disciples of Yeshua from Cyprus and Cyrene began to do something that would impact the whole world. It is of a great possibility that these were some of those who had been visiting at Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost when the apostles had first proclaimed the message of the risen Lord. Regardless of where they came from, these disciples began to preach the word not only to other Jews, but also to Greeks as well.

As the Word testifies, Yeshua had said it would be this way. We read how He had commissioned His apostles to “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit…” (Matthew 28:19). He had spoken about having “other sheep not of this fold” speaking of the Greeks as opposed to the “lost sheep of Israel” with whom He chiefly dealt with during His personal ministry on earth (John 10:16).

“And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a large number who believed turned to the Lord. And the news about them reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas off to Antioch. (Acts 11:21,22).

Now, when men and women teach others the gospel, there is another partner in the effort. The “hand of the Lord” is in the proclamation of the gospel to the lost. Later, Paul would refer to teachers of the Kingdom message of Yeshua as “God’s fellow workers” (1 Corinthians 3:9). How can anyone who professes to be a believer not desire such a partnership? To teach the gospel is every Christian’s duty and privilege.

We are led to believe that not everyone who believed turned to the Lord, though a “large number” of them did. It is too bad that it cannot be said that “all who believed turned to the Lord.” Also, this means that there must be a difference between “believing” and “turning” to Yeshua talked of believers who did not confess Him because they desired the approval of men (John 12:42,43). Now do you think that some believers at Antioch failed to “turn to the Lord” for the same reason? I highly expect so, given the climate of persecution.

The Word is clear in that those who turn to the Lord are those that obey His gospel. This would be those who are baptized into Yeshua for the remission of their sins (Acts 2:38, 8:12). This accomplishes, by the power of the grace of God and the blood of Yeshua, one’s sins being washed away (Acts 22:16).

“Then when he had come and witnessed the grace of God, he rejoiced and began to encourage them all with resolute heart to remain true to the Lord; for he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And considerable numbers were brought to the Lord. And he left for Tarsus to look for Saul; and when he had found him he brought him to Antioch.” (Acts 23-26a).

All these things, the sacrifice of Christ for our sins, the teaching of the gospel by disciples, and the reception of it by the lost unto salvation from sins and a new eternal hope; is by God’s grace. When Barnabas witnessed this, he rejoiced. The goal of the persecution had been to deter or stop the gospel, but it had only succeeded in causing it to be spread further.

We read how that Barnabas began at once to encourage these new disciples to remain true to the Lord. Of course, not everyone does. Persecution will drive some away; apathy others. We must encourage one another to remember our destiny if we remain true to the Lord. Salvation is way too precious a gift to treat it lightly (Hebrews 10:23-25; 34-39).

In reading about Barnabas, we see how he was known for his ability to encourage others. In fact, “Barnabas” is only a nickname given to him by the apostles. His real name was Joseph. The name “Barnabas” means “Son of Encouragement”. Oh, how the body desperately needs more like Barnabas around. The lost were converted and the converted were encouraged to become strong and remain “true to the Lord.”

“And it came about that for an entire year they met with the church, and taught considerable numbers; and the disciples were first called Christians at Antioch.” (Acts 11:23-26).

Now we read how Barnabas, having gone to Tarsus to get the new convert Saul, only recently a persecutor of the church himself, returns with Saul and they work with the church at Antioch for a year. What an awesome encouragement Barnabas must have been to Saul, for most believers were still afraid of him. Then later on we read how, Barnabas and Saul (soon to be known as Paul) will travel through Asia Minor together establishing many churches in many different cities. Antioch would become their “headquarters” from where they would launch their missions and return after completing them.

It was during this year in which Barnabas and Saul are at Antioch that the disciples were first called “Christians”. The disciples were followers of Yeshua. A disciple of Yeshua is happy to wear His name. Later, Peter tells disciples to “in that name (that is, in the name “Christian” -J.Q.) let him glorify God.” (1 Peter 4:16). Though the enemies of Christ may speak the name with a sneer, disciples wear it joyfully. The Lord has been sanctified in our hearts (1 Peter 3:15).

Not every believer becomes a disciple, but every disciple is a Christian. “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12).

If the Body would walk with the same courage of the first believers, the world would be greatly impact with the gospel message today. Yet how many having come down to confess Yeshua as Lord, soon turn away, not having a discipler in their lives – to encourage them, to show them an uncompromising Christian life style. To walk with them, cry with them, rejoice with them, love on them, pray with them, and train them up in the Word.

To disciple someone can take time, a whole lot of patience and a deep well of grace & mercy – Yet it is this very act of love that is missing in the Body today. Discipleship can not be taught from the pulpit – it is relational at it’s very core.

If you have a heart for the Lord, ask Him to bring someone(s) into your life today that you can be a discipler to them. Holy Spirit will not only give you the strength, courage and desire to do such an honorable Kingdom work. He will as well carry forth and deposit into your life the godly wisdom that is needed for such a task.

For indeed we serve an Awesome God!!!

Help wanted : Radical disciples needed for “good works” in the present harvest!

Posted: March 11, 2011 in disciples life, teaching
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“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what’s coming to you in this kingdom. It’s been ready for you since the world’s foundation. And here’s why:

I was hungry and you fed me,

I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,

I was homeless and you gave me a room,

I was shivering and you gave me clothes,

I was sick and you stopped to visit,

I was in prison and you came to me.’

“Then those ‘sheep’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?’ Then the King will say, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.’

“Then he will turn to the ‘goats,’ the ones on his left, and say, ‘Get out, worthless goats! You’re good for nothing but the fires of hell. And why? Because—

I was hungry and you gave me no meal,

I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,

I was homeless and you gave me no bed,

I was shivering and you gave me no clothes,

Sick and in prison, and you never visited.’

“Then those ‘goats’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or homeless or shivering or sick or in prison and didn’t help?’

“He will answer them, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you failed to do one of these things to someone who was being overlooked or ignored, that was me—you failed to do it to me.’

“Then those ‘goats’ will be herded to their eternal doom, but the ‘sheep’ to their eternal reward.”

(Matt 25:34-46 The Message)

Some would denote what Jesus is calling us here to do as merely and religiously “doing good” – I call it doing the ministry of the Lord. Some would say if you listen to Jesus here and do what He is asking, you will be out of His will – I say they are out of line and do not know the true heart of Jesus.

Some would say if you do not go to the “Nations” you are missing your destiny – I would say that many who go to the “Nations” and fail to minister to those in their own gate knowing not the heart of Jesus.

For anyone to say that if you are fulfilling the “Great Commission” you are missing the mark of God, or hiding behind “good deeds” to avoid your calling really does not understand the heart of Jesus and in reality only knows the “apostolic teachings” based upon their on intellectual understanding, not that of Holy Spirit inspired teachings. A true apostle of Jesus Christ is clothed in the compassion and LOVE of Jesus Christ.

Jesus not only calls people to him but also forms them and sends them out in his service (Mk 6: 7-13, Luke 9: 1).

Being sent on a mission is a consequence of being a disciple. Whoever wants to follow Christ will have much work to do on his behalf-announcing the Good News and serving others as Jesus did.

Jesus’ call is urgent. He does not tell people to follow him at some time in the future but here and now-at this moment, in these circumstances. There can be no delay. “Go and proclaim the kingdom of God. . . . No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the kingdom of God” (Lk 9:60, 62).

Yet some would suppose if we obey Christ and GO to spread the Good News and do not walk in the calling they believe we should follow, we are disobedient. But let us, in regard to “Good Works” look at what the Word has to say.

As we read through the scriptures we find a measuring tool in regard to “good works” in relationship to our being a Child and Servant of Yahushua:

For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.’

—Deuteronomy 15:11

Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the first fruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.

—Proverbs 3:9-10

Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.

—Proverbs 11:25

Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed.

—Proverbs 19:17

Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor will himself call out and not be answered.

—Proverbs 21:13

Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor.

—Proverbs 22:9

If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?

—James 2:15-16

He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God.

—2 Corinthians 9:6-12

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.(2Cor 9;8)

As it is written,

“He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.”

The fact that you or another may be called to the Nations does not constitute that anyone else who does not go to the nations is running from their destinies. For one to make light of those who are feeding the homeless, loving those who are dirty regardless of their appearance, sharing the love of Christ in their life and actions and doing all this is disobedience – obviously shows they have no clue whatsoever in regard to being a true apostle or for that matter even a true disciple of Yahushua.

We count not the numbers of followers “we” can gather, we count not the disciples whom the Spirit has lead us to disciple and we surely do not react negatively when one leaves to follow the call of the Lord for their lives. This merely points out a key issue in the individuals life that maybe they are a leader of their own making and not yet matured in the Spirit to truly be a leader in the Kingdom. For a true leader loves as Christ love, is humble in all their ways and wipes the mud off from others with the loving touch of the Master Himself, not with boxing gloves and a tongue of condensation.

The first assignment we are all called to is the Great Commission, out of that we will be lead to other ministries in the Kingdom, all of which revolve around the Great Commission – you can not jump a head of this command of the Lord ignoring and or making light of this calling and truly understand the Ministry of Yahushua.

If you are feeding the poor, praise God, feed even more, if you are doing the “good works” of ministry of Jesus, Praise God, minister even more – Especially if you are showing a true reflection of Christ towards others by being a servant leader who plants the seeds of love in every persons life you are in contact with, Praise God, love all the more – for indeed you are building a treasure chest in the Kingdom at which time when it is shown to you in Glory, it will have the applause of Heaven wringing out as you hear the Master proclaim “Well done, Good and Faithful servant!

No matter how high and mighty we may think we are, it is the Spirit of the Living God which brings conviction of sin, it is the Blood of the Lamb which washes the sin away, it is the Word of God which transforms the mind – Which Clearly points to the fact that it is the Power of God which liberates, cleans up and renews an individual in that which they were created for. It’s all about Him and He alone deserves all the Glory, Honor, and Praise!

We are called to plant the seeds! Yes we are the vessels of Yahushua through whom He plants – though the seeds are His. Then Holy Spirit , Who has tilled the soil of their hardened hearts through prayer and the hearing of the Word, comes and moves through other vessels, through whom the Father disperses the water and another who comes seeing the new Life sprouting up, then through the power of Holy Spirit flowing in and through their lives, nourishes and nurtured the New Life till it is matured. This is the call of Christ on our lives and He alone knows our destiny and our destinies are surely filled with the “Good Works” of His Ministry!

So again, in regard to “Good Works”, they are honored and pleasing to the Father and there are many “Good Works” in a Christians life some of which include;

I was hungry and you fed me,

I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,

I was homeless and you gave me a room,

I was shivering and you gave me clothes,

I was sick and you stopped to visit,

I was in prison and you came to me.’

And that day standing before the Father we shall hear of King Jesus state “’Enter, you who are blessed by my Father!”

For indeed, we serve an Awesome God!



Is He worth it all to you?

Posted: March 10, 2011 in disciples life, teaching, wilderness
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Again the kingdom of heaven is like a man who is a dealer in search of fine and precious pearls, Who, on finding a single pearl of great price, went and sold all he had and bought it. (Matt 45-46 AMP)

Here are a few of the crucial question’s every believer of Jesus Christ must answer:

• Do you really believe He is worth abandoning everything for?

• Do you really believe that Jesus is so good, and so rewarding that you will leave all you have and all you own and all you are in order to find your fullness in Him?

• Do you believe Him enough to obey Him and follow Him wherever He leads, even when the crowds in your culture – and maybe in your church – turn the other way?

These are questions every believer of Jesus Christ must answer – those who are radically in love with Him will shout “Amen and Here I am Lord – bowed to your will and service“. Those who are halfheartedly, filled with pride of life and selfishly holding onto their worldly treasures will walk in the same direction that the young rich ruler went, a totally opposite direction for which the Lord Jesus Christ has called us to follow.

One of the most treacherous errors in modern day Christianity is that this message if not taught with the urgency and boldness that it must be done in. As I look back over the majority of my Christian life, I find a disconnection between this, the authentic teachings of Jesus as found in the Word and that which is being taught today!

As I read about the saints in places such as Asia, who live day by day with their lives on the line for their faith – my inner man cries out “I want to experience the True Jesus, I want to be apart of the people who delight in Him, like those in the book of Acts and throughout parts of the world.

The radical side of Christianity cries out for men and women who are desperate for true Christianity – where their hearts cry is – I am willing to risk it for the billion people today who have not yet heard the true gospel message. For the sake of an increasingly marginalized and relatively ineffective church culture, I am willing to lay down my life and risk it all, that the true message of the Kingdom of God is spoken!

I am tired of seeing lives cycled through the powerless churchanity that has been anchored deep with the Christian culture of America and most of the westernized world.This is not the powerful and glorious Bride that I read of in the Bible! That which transformed whole cultures.

Sadly I hear about and have personally witnessed many who stumble from one spiritual failure to another. The messengers of this watered down Christianity pump the people with hyper sensational religious hype up for their own egos, lining their bank accounts and pridefully boasting of the great numbers that “they” have ministered too –yet in the wake of their “ministries” is left the carnage of a weak and defeated church culture.

The truth be told, the majority of the church today serves a Christ who is brought down to the level of their understanding and rendered a messiah of their comfort. They have heard the gospel message according to their own desire, from hirelings who dare not rock the boat – who seek to be popular with the people. In essence they serve an idol of their own making, an idol of conformity, compromise, complacency and self serving which is not even remotely close to the radical Son of God, Yahushua!

I want to live the rest of my life sold out, radically in love with the Lord Jesus Christ. Totally and radically dead to self, not willing to waste another moment of my life on anything but an uncompromising, unconditional abandonment life to a gracious, loving Savior who invites us all to take a radical risk and promises us a radical reward.

This should be the hearts desire of every Christian who has witnessed in the Spirit, through the truthful teaching of the Word, carried forth of the wings of revelation via Holy Spirit, that Yahushua is the One True Messiah.

What about you who call yourself a disciple of Jesus Christ – are you willing, from this day forward, for the rest of your life live a life that is radically without hesitation or limitation for He who has called you, for He who gave, His blood, His life, His all for you?

Ask yourself brother or sister – Is He worth it all too you?

As for me and my household we shall, with our whole heart and life radically serve the Lord – For indeed He is an Awesome God!

Is it worth your Life?

Posted: March 9, 2011 in disciples life, teaching, wilderness
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If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his [own] father and mother [[a]in the sense of indifference to or relative disregard for them in comparison with his attitude toward God] and [likewise] his wife and children and brothers and sisters–[yes] and even his own life also–he cannot be My disciple.(Luke 14:26)

What is Jesus really saying here? Are we to truly hate our family, our wives and even our children? Or is this merely a figure of speech?

I believe what Jesus is doing here is calling for a commitment that is so great that anything by comparison will be deemed as hatred. This is in contrast to the parable in the previous verses where one of the invited guests declined the invitation because he had recently married a wife (14:20).

Do you really, with all your heart want to be a disciple of Jesus?

Then you must give Him preeminence. You must recognize His sovereignty and His Lordship. You must give Him your devotion and your love. You must put Him first in every area of your life. You must be even willing to wake up this morning, turn to your wife and children and say “I love you all, there is a good chance that I will not be returning as I more than likely will be killed for proclaiming the gospel message out there today”!

Today, many desire the presence of the Lord, they want all the blessings of His Kingdom, but they are unwilling to sacrifice anything. Now, they consider the time they go to church on Sunday and Wednesday a great sacrifice – but that is the extent of their service in the kingdom.

Jesus call’s us to lay our own lives down – this isn’t a popular message in the church today – most hireling’s (paid clergy) will tell you that is not what Jesus really means here – I guess several years in the theological cemeteries has birthed this “dead religious” theology in them.

Yet the truth be told, Jesus made a very strong statement that discipleship involves a willingness to come and die. One German theologian seeing the truth of a disciples calling stated that “When Christ calls a man, He bids him come and die”.

“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’ “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.“(Luke 14:28-33)

The message in these two parables is the same. It is that you are called to count the cost of discipleship and to make a determination as to whether you will see it through to the end.

This is quite different than the watered down gospel invitation that suggests that you “give Jesus a try” in much the same way that you test-drive a sports car. Jesus says, “Only come if you are going to come for keeps.”

Many preachers today when calling people to come to Jesus, come across as a used car salesman: “Don’t read the fine print; we’ll get to that later.” But Jesus tells unbelievers to count the cost before coming to Him.

Jesus calls all who follow Him to recognize Him as the Lord of your life. He wants it all. He refuses to be the Lord of a small portion of your life. He refuses to be a weekend God. And so, He calls for you to count the cost. If you are going to be a Christian, be a real one.

“Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out”. (Luke 14:34-35)

There is nothing more useless that salt that is not salty. It is only fit to be thrown out and discarded. That is the picture of the person who says that they are going to follow Jesus but who does not follow through on that commitment.

Have you counted the cost? Have you determined to follow through to the end, to be salty salt? Your call is to hold to a faith of the heart, not merely of the attendance role.

Jesus calls you to do that which He first did on your behalf. He put you before…

Family
Possessions
His own life.

And He calls for you to do the same:

“Whoever does not persevere and carry his own cross and come after (follow) Me cannot be My disciple“.

Does it take a commitment?
Yes it does – a 100% commitment.

Is it easy?
Not in the least – but praise God for He has sent the Promised one who will walk every step of the discipleship path with us!

We as well have brothers and sister who have walked before us who are there to help along the way – Most importantly is the promise that our Lord has giving us – No matter how hard it gets, no matter how dark the trail appears at times, no matter if even feels as though we are walking it alone – we are never alone for He has promised to never leave us nor forsake us – He is personally there every step of the Way.

We simply need to put doubt to death and walk in total surrendered faith!

For indeed we serve an Awesome God!!

Jesus established a New Radical leadership!

Posted: March 8, 2011 in disciples life, teaching, wilderness
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In the Word we find that Jesus Christ is the ultimate example of spiritual leadership. When most people think of leadership, they picture a military general handing out orders or an employer closely supervising his employees, making sure all the work gets done. These aspects can be part of leadership, but they are not the essence of spiritual leadership.

The truth is that Spiritual leadership is the opposite of what most people think. The essence of true Spiritual leadership is based upon servant leadership. Jesus Christ Himself taught us, “just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). Jesus was most definitely a leader. He was the leader of the twelve disciples and a much greater group of followers beyond them (Luke 10:1-17). Jesus did not lead by giving out orders or by supervising. Jesus led by being a servant and serving alongside of His followers.

Spiritual leadership involves humbling yourself and doing the tasks that no one else wants to do. In Jesus’ time, the act of washing feet was to be assigned to the lowest of servants. However, at the last supper, Jesus humbled Himself and washed the disciples’ feet. Afterwards he declared, “Do you understand what I have done for you? … You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them” (John 13:12-17).

We do have the authority of Jesus yet history itself shows that authority in the church can lead people down the wrong path if it used in the wrong way or used with pride and out of step with the Lord. Yet being armed with this knowledge in regard to the pitfalls of false authority can help us to recognize how the leadership of Jesus should be in all that we do. One finds that the as disciple in spiritual unity, the more we grow together in humility, the more authority God will be giving us. God is truth and we are seekers of the truth, we can not concern ourselves with the wisdom that the world gives us but as obedient servants we must always seek to decrease and allow the Lord to increase in each one of us.

It should be a clear cut goal in each of our lives, especially those knitted together in localized branches of the Bride that every one of us must desire to operate in the prophetic and bear witness to each other. This is the way it should be.

Now in regard to spiritual authority, it is ultimately ours through faith, God has given us the authority over spiritual wickedness in high places, we have the authority to cast out demons, to bring down the high places and to cause destruction to strongholds. And it is with the same authority that Jesus had, He spoke as a man having authority but He did not speak on His own authority while He was here on earth but what authority that His Father had given Him.

The scriptures clearly show us that Jesus has shared His glory with us and in His name, we have the authority to bless and rebuke, to intercede for others, to establish, to break down, to build up and to rule over the earth as our dominion. We have the power to stretch out our hands and allow the blood of Jesus to course through our veins and out of our bodies in spiritual power to heal and to deliver and to fill others with His spirit. We have the authority to release the mandates of God that will cause signs and wonders to bare witness to their divine truth, God speaks and lives through us through the death and resurrection of His Son and in the power of His Holy Spirit. This is true authority but it is derived authority, not assumed.

I true disciple comes to that place where it is a reality that we are nothing without Jesus, it is not our authority, dominion or glory, it is His. We have no righteousness in ourselves, we cannot save others and for sure we are not to rule over them in the church.

Let us all come to the truth that we are never called to lead apart from total submission to the Holy Spirit. He is the Promised one who leads us with all Spiritual truth and we are not part of a worldly army but a spiritual one that must march as One in unison, marching in one rank shoulder to shoulder behind Jesus, not one another. We should only submit to others that have the humility, love and servant attitude that we have been taught from the beginning.

God is moving an His Spirit is declaring that we are to be restored to the original purity of the early church. How can we submit to each other as in the Lord if we differentiate between leaders and followers among us? To be one body, we must submit to One Head. Let the fragments fall where they may but they will be devoured by the dogs. Jesus want us to be perfect, without spot or wrinkle and ready to meet Him in the air.

Through out the past generations we have all seen pretended watchmen of the walls that think they have a ministry of tearing people in the church down instead of building up. This is not the character of a true disciple of Jesus Christ.

A true disciple must be strong in the spirit, accept the authority themselves and submit one to another. They need to acknowledge that Jesus wants our eyes focused on His leadership and that we are not to put our confidence in man. They need to know that Jesus is the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne and He is the One that shall feed us, and lead us unto living waters. What could be the motivation that any one of us would follow any other than Jesus unless you don’t have the faith to know that He is among us when we gather together!

The sons of God are not the ones that are being led by men but rather the ones led by the Spirit of God.

Regretfully, much more than simply causing division, the problem with the question of authority has caused mass confusion. Yes, there is leadership in the church. But it is only true leadership if it is Jesus living through us. The problem is in the fleshly leadership that has manipulated, controlled and dominated the church and brought it into the mess that it is in and saturated it with the traditions of men and the doctrines of demons. Wanting to be a leader in the church is a hard bad habit to break. This is the spirit spoken about in Rev when the Lord is addressing the seven churches, it injures and alienates the same ones that the church was supposed to have served and ministered to, not ruled over.

The spiritual sin that a disciple must guard their own hearts against is pride and the power of the flesh taking control instead of the power of the Holy Ghost. To have leadership in the church that does not take into account the service and ministration necessary to keep it pure is to allow pride to creep in, corrupt it and leave us in confusion.

If Jesus is truly operating His will through us, then He is the leader and still the only leader, we are only operating according to His purpose and He is living His leadership through us through our submissive service and ministration to others. This is why we are to submit to each other, because He is living His shared leadership through us – but be careful, not all are following Him in the spirit. As a true disciple of Jesus, do not seek to promote yourself or your ministry but rather act upon the spirit and allow others to do the same in order for that position to be manifested. If God is truly speaking and acting through you then His sheep will hear His voice and the words and actions will speak for themselves.

Jesus is still the only leader.

For Jesus to share that leadership with us is to give us the responsibility to continue in that spiritual service to the point that we do not seek titles, exalt ourselves, lord it over others, act in pride, operate in the flesh or any such thing. To be in a leadership position requires you to operate totally in the spirit. And it is shared leadership only among us that are living in the spirit, there are no chiefs here, no rulers outside of that spiritual authority, no pecking order; we are to submit to each other and not to seek others to submit to us. We must have the mind that Jesus had to be effective.

The saints of the New Testament walked in the understanding that Jesus was the true leader and His true followers were given gift’s which allowed them to function as servants in the church. The elders and overseers among them were divinely inspired and endowed “for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the Body of Christ.” Way too many in leadership positions in the church today are acting in the flesh according to the pride of their calling. It is important that we not step out of Gods will into any kind of presumption through leadership.

If we are to meet Jesus as His Bride, we need to have a mind-set that we only want to follow the Bridegroom. The best that we can do to get others into the kingdom is to point them to our leader Jesus Christ. The carnal mind will never understand what we are trying to do here. Jeremiah prophesies of the last days,

A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land; the prophets prophesy falsely and the priests bear rule by their means and my people love to have it so: and what will you do in the end thereof?

It is time for the true disciples of Christ to stand up and declare through sanctified and holy lives the call of Heaven – Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church and He alone. Let us fall on our faces and cry out to heaven for the restoration of the first church, the true apostles assigned to the Bride in this hour step forth, that the true prophets assigned to this hour step fourth and that the true watchman of this hour take to the walls. Teachers of purity and truth step forward, Evangelist of the Kingdom, step forward and let the air be filled with the “Kingdom Message:.

And as true disciples of Yahushua, we must all realize that we are given to humanity as a sacrifice offering. Just as Jesus laid His life down for the brethren, we are to lay our own lives down. Jesus did not come to lord it over humanity, but to lay His life down for it; we could never do more yet no less is expected.

For indeed we serve an Awesome God!

Are you a victim of a Dictator leadership!

Posted: March 7, 2011 in disciples life, teaching
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But He said, Leave the children alone! Allow the little ones to come to Me, and do not forbid or restrain or hinder them, for of such [as these] is the kingdom of heaven composed. (Matt 19:14)

Today there is in heard in heaven a cry thundering from the world – It is a tremendous cry from the people of God, a travail coming forth touching the very heart of God. The shepherds are not leading the sheep into this outpouring so the people are entering in spite of the restraint that the shepherds are trying to put on them. These Shepherds do not lead in the premise that Jesus is speaking of here at all.

The blind leading the blind have for too long demanded to have praises sung to them. Now is the time that if a man is a prophet he should be saying like Zechariah, “I am no prophet, rather a tiller of the ground.”

Leadership and Authority:

There has been such a strong tendency for authority in any measure to be misused that one might wonder if there is any way that it can be used righteously. Of course there is but is this among the new thing that Jesus would have us learn? Are we singing a new song or the same old tired one that brought the church into the lack of knowledge.

We read in Mark 13:34 the parable of, ” It is like a man [[a]already] going on a journey; when he leaves home, he puts his servants in charge, each with his particular task, and he gives orders to the doorkeeper to be constantly alert and on the watch”.

Jesus has gone and left us His authority?

We are warned not to be found sleeping when the master comes back but we are also not to abuse the authority and mistreat the servants.

Also in John 5, Jesus said that: “For even as the Father has life in Himself and is self-existent, so He has given to the Son to have life in Himself and be self-existent. And He has given Him authority and granted Him power to execute (exercise, practice) judgment because He is [d]a Son of man [very man]”

We are His brothers and we are to be the representatives of Christ, so do we in truth have that authority?

We also know that we will have the authority in the kingdom, but is that the kingdom of now or the kingdom to come?

In Luke 19 we find another parable that states the Lord has given us the authority over cities, if we have been faithful, we will have authority. Saul (Paul) had authority before He encountered the Lord but that was temporal authority from the high priests. Once He became a Christian, he talked of himself being a minister and servant and even a slave.

We read in 1Cor 15 how Paul when speaking of the second coming of our Lord states that Jesus will “put down all rule and all authority and power.” Paul beckons us to pray for kings and those in authority, is he speaking of ministers? He does however tell Titus “These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.”

• What kind of authority is Paul speaking of here?
• Elders are to rule well, what does that mean?
• Is Paul teaching differently than Jesus?

Paul speaks of us following him as he follows the Lord as if in leadership but he also tells us that it is his example that we are to follow.

There is much teaching today in the church with regard to leadership – Yet most of what we hear is a world based understanding however so cleverly woven around the scriptures. One finds that many of the “shepherds” will give just enough to give the feeling of freedom, yet it is a short rope that is quickly jerked back when they feel that they are losing control!

They will go into depth about Kingdom leadership with almost pin-point accuracy, of course it is based upon the understanding that they are part of such leadership and must be respected as such. Not quite what the Lord had in mind when He speaks of humility with regards to leadership in His Kingdom – but there is where the doctrine of the Nicolaitans comes in to play. (Rev 2:6,15)

For now, there is enough here for one to pray and meditate on – if your in leadership now, ask yourself these questions;

1. Am I leading according to the leadership model the Lord established?
2. Or am I leading according to what the church has taught?

If your not in leadership but feel the Lord calling you into it pray and ask Holy Spirit to revel to you a true revelation of Kingdom leadership according to God’s plan.

In the next blog we will take up where we have left off here with “Can we have order without rule”?

For now just remember that – We do indeed serve an Awesome God!

Is the Lord’s House filled with a loveless generation?

Posted: March 6, 2011 in disciples life, teaching
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We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love other believers. The person who doesn’t grow in love remains in death. Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him. We understand what love is when we realize that Christ gave his life for us. That means we must give our lives for other believers. Now, suppose a person has enough to live on and notices another believer in need. How can God’s love be in that person if he doesn’t bother to help the other believer? (1John 3:14-17)

What is the apostle John saying here?

I believe a key to understanding it is mentioned by John when he pens:

“we have passed from death to life“

Death to life?

Yes, for the old nature is baptized in Christ death when we accept the Lord in truth. The New creation now is motivated by the heart of the Father (one of the fruits of our salvation) and in this state we are able to look at our brothers & sisters  viewing them with the same passion and love the Lord has.

For by nature we are born of a corrupted nature – feed by hate, fear and every other detestable way of selfish thinking – yet once born again we are now alive by the infusion of the Lord Spiritual DNA, living a life with an incorruptible nature being feed by Love, Hope, Joy & Peace.

Now in all honesty history shows that the “Church” has not lived in this regard of which John is speaking of here – we can look down through the generations and witness all the atrocities committed against others all in the name of Christ. While at the same time we must realize that the Lord has had those who live according to what the Lord taught as well as by the example that John is presenting here, a remnant who has held to the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The truth is that in our own strength it can be tough to love when every thing about a person just seems to rub us the wrong way – this is the place that we must apply the death of our carnal nature and pick up the New Life in Christ, to walk in our Spiritual man.

There is no gray area here when we are discussing love –We must walk in true God like love – We see how Jesus was quick to point out its importance when He stated;

“And you shall love the Lord your God [a]out of and with your whole heart and out of and with all your soul (your [b]life) and out of and with all your mind (with [c]your faculty of thought and your moral understanding) and out of and with all your strength. [d]This is the first and principal commandment.(A)The second is like it and is this, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these”. Mark 12:30-31 AMP)

Now think about this for a moment and look at the setting that this message was giving – scribes and Pharisees were enemies to the Sadducees – though there all professed to serve the same God. So this answer in their presence is like a rebuke of their actions not only against one another – but their actions that they display when they walk as though they are better than those around them.

We must at all cost let the Love of Christ be as a cloak about us, fashioned to every aspect of our lives – for dear friends the world has not developed a thirst for the Lord for they have yet to see His nature being lived out in His called ones with any great measure – they have witnessed far more infighting, hypocrisy. We spent more time pointing fingers and throwing spiritual mud at the different factions of the Kingdom that have been illegitimately established by the whims of hell to cause such divisions that the Lord’s house appears to be in a divided state!

Within our own factions when a brother our sister falls we act like spiritual vultures tearing them to shreds, when the Love of Christ calls us to hold them up, pray for them, minister to them that they might be restored.

Now, when the world looks at the House of God they do not see Love according to the Kingdom, they see the nature of the world at work as they many of the leaders sit about playing playing religion.

It is time for the true disciples of Jesus Christ to rise up – to be the Joshua’s and Caleb’s pointing out that it’s time to come out of this wilderness that religion has encased the Body into and start walking in the fullness of Christ, adorned in the armor He has provided for us, empowered by His Life and clothed in His Love.  And doing so in the spirit of love, not condemnation – For it is the Love of Christ which shall be as a healing balm, opening their eyes for the first time that they may see the beauty of His Bride and their ears for the first time that they might hear the whole truth of His Kingdom in purity!

John is very specific in here and he has provided a spiritual scale for us to measure our own lives:

“The person who doesn’t grow in love remains in death”

So ask yourself today – Am I growing in the love of God towards my brothers and sisters, or am I growing colder, less patient, less forgiving and ever so quick to cast forth an unjust judgment against them?

Do you see a brother in need and pass by without lending a hand, casting judgment upon their situation? This is not the love of Christ!

A loveless leadership produces a loveless people!

What about those we appear lazy and lag behind in spiritual matters?

Some of today’s leaders would say “leave them on the roadside – they are but a casualty and they will eat what is meant for the strong”? This is not the love of God friends, as taught to us by the very life of the Lord Himself – He said we must even go after the one who has strayed, whether it be because laziness, hardheadedness or what ever we must not leave a brother or sister behind.

A true brother in Christ would blow upon the coals that where once the Flame that at one time caught their eye and brought them to the Lord!

This example is portrayed in the Bible with reference to Mark – Paul wrote him off – yet a brother in the Lord came alongside Mark and nurtured him. This is the love of Christ – this is going that extra mile which many leaders in the house of God will not go – they want the glamour yet never wishing to get in the mud – for in their minds they have arrived at spiritual stardom – A total display of the worlds nature and total disregard of the Kingdom culture!

Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. (1John 3:18)

Let today be a Spiritual check point – Is your heart filled with the Love of Christ – or is your life running on vapors – lacking in true Christ like love!

Pray, asking Holy Spirit to fill up that well till its over flowing – for this shall be a reflections of God’s love to the world, when you,  disciple of the Most High God,  can love others regardless of the situation or the cost you will be releasing the very nature of He who gave His all even unto to death that we might be saved for all of Eternity basking in the presence of His love, Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior!.

For we indeed serve an Awesome God!

The violence of transformation

Posted: March 5, 2011 in disciples life, teaching, wilderness
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Since Jesus went through everything you’re going through and more, learn to think like him. Think of your sufferings as a weaning from that old sinful habit of always expecting to get your own way. Then you’ll be able to live out your days free to pursue what God wants instead of being tyrannized by what you want. (Peter 4:1-2 The Message)

The process in which we must all go through, as the old man (Corrupted sinful nature) dies and the new man (incorruptible – rebirth’d into the Spirit of Christ) takes over can be a painful time – Yet in the wake of such a death lies something beautiful.

Picture for a moment, a caterpillar inside its cocoon, there is a transformation or metamorphosis taking place – a time of stretching, awkwardness as it’s form is being done over – it would almost seem a painful impossibility that this caterpillar could turn into a beautiful butterfly – Yet if this almost violent process does not take place- this caterpillar will die in a state that it was never created for – a lowly insect, crawling about the dust & dirt of plants and trees. Never to experience the heights for which God created it to experience.

But if this little caterpillar will enter into the cocoon, the transformation process after a period of time, of reconstruction – in an almost violent acts it breaks forth from the period of transformation and then stretching its wings start a New Life in the beauty that God created it to become – it’s ultimate purpose stepping into it’s destined beauty and now flying higher and higher over the prison of it’s former state that once bound it to a life of dirt and danger as it now soars in it’s New Reborn Life!

A disciple life is likened to this – at first we come into the kingdom in the form of the Old creation and we start the process of a spiritual metamorphosis – at first we run around telling every one that we have changed then we enter into a season of the spiritual cocoon if we surrender ourselves to the will of the Father. It can be a very painful process because it is a season of painful stretching – it is a period of a down right violent war between the Old mans nature and the New mans claiming his rightful place.

One of the greatest errors in a new Christians life is the unwillingness to submit to this process – Or even worse having those who are not matured in their walk come up and tell you that this process is just an attack of – telling you to rebuke the very situation that God has allowed to come upon you as a refining fire – they lead you to a terrifying position of where your not rebuking the enemy your attempting to rebuke your God!

Another error in our day is that of the half- truth’s being preached – a watered down gospel totally opposite of the Kingdom Message that our Lord and His disciples preached – it paints a picture  of how when one comes to the Lord everything will be easy– you’ll never again experience pain, no more storms in life – you can lay hands on the house, the car, the job and even the new spouse and WHAM they will magically appear. But oh how they will soon take a different position when you face a storm or a trial, like Job’s friends they will be at your side telling you its because you have sinned – its because you lack “faith”.

James puts it this way:

Consider it wholly joyful, my brethren, whenever you are enveloped in or encounter trials of any sort or fall into various temptations. Be assured and understand that the trial and proving of your faith bring out endurance and steadfastness and patience. But let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and do a thorough work, so that you may be [people] perfectly and fully developed [with no defects], lacking in nothing. (James 1:2-4)

A true disciple who is willing submit to this process will come to that place where the greatest storms of life can blow upon them – yet like the Master than can peacefully be found sleeping, resting in the Fathers love at the bow of the ship. And when the Father bids, they stand up in the authority of He who has been giving all authority, Jesus Christ our Lord and speaking one word the storm  dissipates!

Not every storm of life is simply an attack of the enemy, though some maybe – But let us enter every one having the mindset of the Lord walking in the truthful realization that nothing happens that the Father has not seen coming and as a good Father, He has already provided a way of triumph for His Children! If you lack in discernment as to what is of God and what is of hell, ask the Father who will have the Promised One, Holy Spirit  teach you how to walk in Spiritual discernment.

Take on the process of transformation friends, with a willingness to lay your lives and your rights down at the foot of the cross – For there you will not only find your calling, you will as well find the hands of the Creator of heaven & earth reaching out, wrapping around you and proclaiming “Welcome my dear Child – I have waited since the world began for this moment when I could wrap my love around – where I could put the robe of courage, of beauty, favor and blessing upon you”.

With courage face these trials , knowing that they will kill the old man – the storms of life will wash away the dirt collected on you from corrupted life replacing the dirt with a robe of righteousness  – So enter them will gladness knowing that in this process the chains of sin are being broken – the desires of the sinful life are being destroyed and Praise God, for you will now experience the rights of son-ship.

For indeed we serve an Awesome God!

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