wilderness | Radical Disciples - A Remnant Revolution

Archive for the ‘wilderness’ Category

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

Posted: January 15, 2012 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, Prophetic, teaching, wilderness

“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

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

Obscure role models

Posted: January 11, 2012 in disciples life, teaching, wilderness

First century Christians as disciples had no problem witnessing and publicly testifying about the faith for they had true examples in the Apostles themselves. They watched them get beating, hauled off to prison and executed for their faith. What examples does the Church have today when the media builds false hero’s and the true hero’s, the unknowns to the rank of earthen popularity, the missionaries abroad, the street pastors, those who have forsaken all for the glory of God yet are fully known in Heaven go unnoticed or ignored often looked down upon as to radical or to heavenly minded to be any good here on earth.

While many look to the likes of TD Jakes, Benny Hinn, Paula White, Creflo Dollar, Joel Osteen and Joyce Meyer’s as their hero’s -When the truth be told the disciples following the likes of Paul, Peter and John wouldn’t even recognize these men and women as true followers of the Lord Jesus Christ for their public persona is all about prosperity, popularity, greed and a watered down, showmanship Gospel.

Self-empowered Christianity

Posted: December 28, 2011 in disciples life, wilderness

I am quite tired of the elitist “Christians” who claim to have the corner on truth. We all know who I am talking about. These are the Christian’s who accuse every one else of not having it right. Everyone but THEY are compromising.

What leads to this elitist Christianity you might ask? This attitude comes from having the need to have everything figured out. Somehow having everything figured out leads to a sense of security. I dare say that it is a feigned sense of security yet they offer it to others titled with the word “Gospel.” While this isn’t necessarily a false Gospel, what happens after salvation is what makes them elitist.

After salvation these elitist Christians come up with lists of do’s and don’ts and then gauge other peoples relationship with God based on their own personal standards that have been elevated to an ungodly position. For some reason they think that their personal standards gain favor with God, and encourage others to participate with them by guilting people into a false sense of security. I am not talking about the ten commandments or the commands of the Lord Himself here, I am referring to the rules of the Church, the denominational bylaws etc….

Why would people join up with these elitists? Two things; Power and a need for security. These folks fall in two categories. I’ve talked about this in a previous post but it is well worth rehashing it here. Power drives people to do radical(bad radical) things in the name of Christianity. These people in their leadership positions, rule with an iron fist, claiming Scripture is backing their perspective. Scripture does support their perspectives, as long as you don’t read the context of the passages they quote.

The second reason is a need for security. They get this list of do’s and don’ts, and they gauge their spirituality based on their emotional response to this list. For example, if you do not like this list of rules, you are rebellious. If you do the rules but don’t let on that you don’t like them, you are a hypocrite. If you do them and have a good heart while you do them, your heart is right with God.

When I hear this diatribe, my head just want to explode! at there is no DO and DON’T do list in scripture. Paul actually addresses this faulty idea (don’t worry; I did check the context) in Colossians. Verse 23 is SO important I have to share it here. It says, “23 Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.”

Rules do NOT keep us from sinning. We always emphasize that when there is a will there is a way. Regardless of there being rules and appearing all perfect and “avoiding all appearance of evil”(totally just miscontexted that one) you can’t set up rules that prevent others from sinning. Let alone that you can’t raise these requirements up to the level of scripture as we talked about in another blog post.

The irony is that they believe they they are correct in all of their applications of these requirements. What really matters is the heart. Lets focus on allowing God to work on hearts rather than us trying to sculpt the outside. If all we do is mold people the way we envision God to want them, all we have done is created people who appear the way the god we have created in our mind wants them.

I read on another blog this week a phrase a church posted on their marquis. It said, “How many people have you led to Christ?” The obvious goal of the sign is to ultimately guilt people into witnessing. Good goal, bad method, but that’s not the point. “How many people have you led to Christ?” None. I have led no one to Christ. The Holy Spirit through the work has wrought in my life has in turn shown people the light of Christ. I didn’t do anything. When I bring people to Christ, I am bringing them to a god that I have developed in my own mind, and have explained to them not the true God only the Holy Spirit can bring them to.

When we allow our standards(hems down to the ankles, no “rock” beat) and our goals(bring 50 people to Christ this year) to cloud the true God, we are doing the world a disservice. We have ruined Christianity.

I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t know it all. I know so little in the big scheme of things, but my desire is to allow the Spirit to move me into better service for the God of this universe.

If that means the Holy Spirit will lead me to talk to 50 people about the Gospel this year sobeit. If that means that God will convince me of sin in my life that needs to be corrected, I humbly will bow and correct my ways.

I know right now as I sit here in front of this computer monitor, I am not a compromised Christian. Yes I have varied my ways and my standard systems since growing up, but I am completely and unequivocally sold out to Christ. That will never change. What will change are things that the Holy Spirit wants me to change to better serve the One and Only True God. I am uncompromised in my faith, and I am uncompromised in my belief that Elitist Christian’s are more of a hindrance than a help.

Jesus himself said in Matthew that his “yoke is easy” and his “burden is light.” This can’t happen if guilt and rules take the place of true grace. Scripture also says that there is no condemnation for those of us who have accepted Christ.

It is not up to us to judge other Christians based on their apparent spirituality. I for one never judge someone for an ambiguous rule in scripture. I’ve said it before in another post, that Peter determined that there were two rules that the gentile believers had to follow to show their salvation. Do not practice idolatry and do not participate in sexual immorality. If a particular “sin” does not fall in these categories, I will not judge. I cannot judge based on what Peter said.

We have to remember that after salvation all of us have been given the Holy Spirit after salvation to guide us and direct us. The irony is how many of us want to be the Holy Spirit for other people. If we truly want to make a difference for Christ, we must follow what scripture says rather than putting our own twists on it. We must share the gospel, without adding to it. We must remember grace.

Only then is it possible to live the Radical Life!

Possess Godly Character and the Anointing of God

Posted: December 22, 2011 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, Prophetic, wilderness

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

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.

A call to be Holy!

Posted: December 16, 2011 in disciples life, teaching, wilderness

“Therefore, gird your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’” (1 peter 1:13-16)

Duncan Campbell has said, “A Baptism of holiness, a demonstration of godly living is the crying need of our day.” The cry for holiness rings throughout the Bible. In Leviticus 11:44 God says to His people, “For I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy; for I am holy…”And again in Leviticus 20:26: “Thus you are to be holy to Me, for I the Lord am holy; and I have set you apart from the peoples to be Mine.”

To the Thessalonians Paul said, “For this is the will of God, your sanctification (holiness…For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification.” (1 Thessalonians 4:3, 7)

And Peter adds his voice: “But like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’” (1 Peter 1:15-16)

What Is It?

The Old Testament Hebrew word for holiness, kadesh, means “something which is cut off, separate or set apart.” It means to be antisecular, in a category all its own, to elevate out of the sphere of what is ordinary.

In the New Testament the word used most frequently is hagios which also means “set apart, separate, in a class by itself.”
According to these definitions, to be holy basically means to be separated from common use and set apart, or reserved, for special use. In both Old and New Testaments the term is applied to (1) things, (2) persons, and (3) God.

When applied to God it designates Him as the lofty, the heavenly, separated in space from men−dwelling on high. He is the majestic, the morally lofty, separated from the human, not only as a finite material creature, but as a sinful, impure creature. To Israel the name “Holy” or “Holy One” was the highest expression for God. It was the name for God absolutely;; the name for God as transcendent above all the created world. He is wholly other; He stands utterly above the created world. He is in a category all to Himself.

The basic idea of holy when applied to a person is not moral purity but relationship. To call a thing or a person holy is to say that they belong to God, are used in His service or dedicated to Him, or in some special way are His property. Nothing, except for God, is holy of itself or by nature. It becomes holy by being dedicated to God and His service.

It is the Awesome holiness of the Lord God that sets Him apart from everything else, and it is our holiness that sets us apart and makes us distinctive from the world. This word sums up every obligation of Christian living and every demand made upon us by the Lord.

Belonging to God: We are holy because we are His. Nothing in us makes us holy; belonging to Him makes us holy. This means that holiness is not primarily negative, but positive. We have been set apart for Him, for His pleasure, and for His purpose.

Becoming like the God to Whom we belong. I stated earlier that the basic idea in holiness is not moral purity but relationship. But because of that relationship, moral purity becomes a necessity. Belonging to God we cannot belong to the world; being dedicated to Him we cannot be devoted to anything else. If a bride is to keep herself for her husband alone, she must keep herself from others. Sexual infidelity would make her unfit for her husband, thus making her impure. She would be, in biblical terms, considered unclean, not so much because of her conduct but because her conduct made her unfit for her husband.

If we are separated to God then we are also separated from the world. If we are called to be holy even as He is holy, then the character of God must be considered. Thus the character of God becomes the standard of our own character, we become like the God to Whom we belong.

Our Holiness is the Purpose of Conversion

“You shall be holy…” (1 Peter 1:16)
God’s holiness is evangelistic and redemptive. It causes Him to seek and to save those who are lost; its purpose is not to drive men away but to draw them near. When Isaiah saw the thrice-holy God, high and lifted up and sitting upon His throne, he was smitten with a sudden awareness of his own vileness and cried out, “Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips.” (Isaiah 6:5) But his confession, made under the crushing revelation of God’s holiness, resulted, not in condemnation, but in cleansing. “Behold…your iniquity is taken away, and your sin is forgiven.” (Isaiah 6:7)

It is God’s holiness that causes Him to save us and He saves us so that we may become holy “even as He is holy.” We have been called to holiness. In Ephesians 1:4 Paul writes, “…He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him.” And in the fifth chapter he tells us that Christ’s purpose in cleansing the church is “that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she should be holy and blameless.” (Ephesians 5:27)

It may surprise some Christians to learn that God did not save them just so they could go to heaven when they die. Heaven is a bonus−a kind of by-product of salvation. The real purpose behind God’s saving grace is holiness, not heaven.

As mentioned earlier, to be holy means that we are set apart for God’s special purpose. And that purpose is the manifestation of God’s character to the world. Having been bought with a price, we belong to God and are to glorify Him in our bodies (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). To glorify God means to reveal God as He is, to demonstrate His character. God is glorified when men see Him for what He is. What He is, is holy, and if we are to reveal Him as such, we must be holy

Our Holiness is Patterned After Christ

“But like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves.” (1 Peter 1:15)

At first clance this may seem an unreasonable and unreachable standard. Who can be as holy as God? Surely He asks too much. But God can do no less. To lower the standard would be to betray His own nature.

This standard is held up before us throughout the New Testament:

“Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48)

“And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.” (John 17:19)

“Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” (2 Corinthians 7:1)

“The one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.” (1 John 2:6)

There is no getting around it−the standard by which the Christian is expected to live is God’s own holy and perfect character. No Christian has a right to be satisfied with his spiritual progress as long as he is falling short of that goal. But the very fact that God demands such holiness from us means the believer can in some way satisfy that demand. He never demands from us what He does not enable us to do. This is one of those “impossible possibilities” held before us.

David’s great ambition was to rebuild the temple: it was the dream that sustained and drove him. It was a dream he was unable to fulfill, yet God said to him, “You did well that it was in your heart.” (1 Kings 8:18) That is the key. Casting aside the argument that this is an unreachable goal, can you say it is in your heart to be as holy as Christ? Stop telling yourself you cannot be perfect. Act like you can. Live as though the standard is attainable.

The Old Lifestyle and the New

In presenting to his readers this standard of holiness, Peter tells them to abandon their old lifestyle and embrace a new one.

The old Testament standard abandoned. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance.” (1 Peter 1:14) Before our conversion, when we did not know any better, we allowed our lusts to lead us around like monkeys on a chain. Our formative influence was our desires. Our lives were shaped by our lusts; we lived according to a philosophy which said, “If it feels good, do it.”

This was the argument put forth by the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 6:12-20). “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food,” they said. The body, created by God, has certain natural desires, they argued, and those desires can be satisfied by means, God Himself provided. Therefore, there can be nothing wrong in satisfying the natural desires. For example, God built into man sexual desire and provided a way to satisfy that desire. Since God gave man the desire, He intended for man to gratify it. If God had not meant for us to eat, He would not have given us a stomach. You must admit, it is a pretty convincing argument. But, says Paul, they forgot one thing: food for the stomach and the stomach for food, but the body is for the Lord! The question, “Is it right or wrong?” is not the question. The question is “Does it glorify God?”

New Covenant standard “But like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’” (1 Peter 1:15-16)

The transforming influence of our lives is no longer our desires but His character. Our conduct is to be shaped by His holiness. We are to walk in the light as He is in the light. (1 John 1:6-7)

Why? Because.

Why does God demand we be holy? The answer is simply−because; because He is holy, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” No other reason is given. No other is needed.

For example, we know now that the Levitical laws prescribed by God were beneficial to the body as well as to the spirit. Abstaining from certain foods and practices would result in better health. It made good sense to obey the Levitical laws. God could have cited this as a a reason to obey them, but He only said, “Because…” The only reason He gave for being holy was, “because I am holy.” He appealed to His holiness, not their good sense.

Unfortunately many of our present convictions about right and wrong are being shaped by public opinion and popular causes rather than by the holiness of God. This is evidenced in the church’s changing attitude toward recent moral issues like homosexuality, abortion, divorce and remarriage, the ordination of divorced men and so forth. While we trumpet human rights, we display little interest in Divine rights. The pressure to “treat everyone fairly” and the inordinate fear of “denying a person’s right to be himself” is exerting more influence on us than the holiness of God.

But the church is supposed to correct the spirit of the age, not catch it. Christian ethics has its roots in the character of God, not in public opinion or public morality. This fact deals a death blow to situation ethics.

Our Holiness is to be Portrayed In All Our Conduct

“Be holy yourselves also in all your behavior.” (1 Peter 1:15)

Three observations will help us understand the full meaning of this statement.

1. The word translated “behavior” means “dealing with other men, going up and down among men,” and is used of public activity or life in relation to others. It is not enough to be holy in our personal and private lives; holiness must be manifested in all of our dealings with others.

2. The little word all is used without the definite article in the Greek text. When used like that it summarizes a multiplicity of conduct; it means all kinds of conduct; every manner of behavior, whether in business or pleasure, labor or rest, joy or sorrow; nothing is excluded. In absolutely everything, from the greatest to the most insignificant of activities, we are to display the holiness of God.

3. The word translated be means to “show or prove yourself.”

Zechariah closes his prophecy with a strange forecast: “In that day there will be inscribed on the bells of the horses, ‘HOLY TO THE LORD.’ And the cooking pots in the Lord’s house will be like the bowls before the altar. And every cooking pot in Jerusalem and in Judah will be holy to the Lord of hosts.” (Zechariah 14:20-21)

Here is the test: can I write “Holy to the Lord” across everything I say and do?

Our Holiness is Possible Through God’s Call

“But like the Holy One who called you…” (1 Peter 1:15)

God’s call is our assurance that we can become holy. His call to be holy includes the power to become holy. The word translated called always means an effective call. In other words, it always achieves its intention. When God calls us to be holy it does not mean He is telling us to be holy but rather He is inviting us into His holiness. For example, the call to salvation is not God telling us we should be saved. He is inviting us into salvation. When we respond to that call we are saved. It is the same with the call to holiness. As Paul puts it in Ephesians 4:1, we are to walk worthy of that call.

The call to be holy: What God demands He provides. When God calls us to be holy, He imparts to us the power to obey. God’s call supplies the dynamic for holiness.

A commitment to be holy: “Be holy,” God says. Be decisive, settle it once and for all that you will be holy. This calls for a definite choice, a commitment of the will. God will not make us holy against our will.

God has called us to be holy and He has provided the means whereby we can become holy. All that remains is for us to say with Robert Murray McCheyne: “The greatest ambition of my life is to be a holy man.”

The Power of A Clean Life

Posted: December 13, 2011 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, Prophetic, teaching, wilderness
Tags: Bride of Christ, Christian life, kingdom growth, Kingdom living

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

Reality Replacing Religion

Posted: December 4, 2011 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, Prophetic, wilderness

2012 will be a year of the release of heavenly authority to many who have turned from religion to the reality of life in God. The mighty works of Father God in Christ Jesus by the Holy Spirit are now becoming reality in this season. The Pentecostal power that had morphed into a religious form is becoming living reality in God�s people. This year of 2012 will see the waning of religious form and the beginning of true kingdom reality for maturing sons and daughters of God.

What we have preached and hoped for but did not truly experience is becoming the reality of our lives in this season. Seemingly without effort the supernatural miraculous works of Jesus will come forth in God�s humble people without even a hint of pride or merchandising. What we have said that we believed and tried to make happen will be done by the power of God abiding in His holy humble people. Truly the priesthood and the kingship of Christ are becoming manifest in His body of believers on earth.

Do not look for this as a big show. It will be seen in multitudes of humble gatherings, small and large that will be veiled to those who are not willing to receive the fresh reality of kingdom life.

Religious striving is passing away among God�s kingdom people.

Religion has ruled the world under the prince of this world � the prince of the power of the air. All religion is powerless without believers/followers. Religion appears to be man-made. However, it always originates from the dark spiritual world of the enemy. The only authority the enemy has is the authority we allow him to have. Deception is his primary weapon.

The enemy was in the garden with Adam and Eve but was completely powerless until he deceived Eve and then Adam. The devil must deceive human beings to usurp the authority given to mankind to rule in the world. To usurp our authority, he must separate us from the reality of life with God and entice us to follow him. The more he can make his false religion look like the reality of life in God, the more easily he can deceive people into following him and releasing their God-given authority to rule in this world. Religion is designed to placate the innate desire in the hearts of men for life in God.

Eph 2:1-3: And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

The Precious among the Vile

2012 and beyond will be a season of separation for sanctification and connection for preparation. God will lead His people into an intense time of preparing for the coming season of devastating circumstances in the world and glorious spiritual life in Him. The kingdom of God that has been formed within us will manifest under cover from the world in the most precious spiritual gatherings we have ever known. In these God connected groups and gatherings, the manifest presence of God will lovingly bond together and prepare His people to endure the hard times immediately ahead and to eventually plant the kingdom of God solidly into the entire world.

Beyond the season of devastation, in another season to come, the fullness that is developing under cover will be released into the world. The clearing and the deep plowing of the land of this world will leave little to none of the previous world order and fully prepare the soil of this world to receive the seed of the kingdom planted by the prepared people of God. The Bride City of God will become a reality on earth.

Draw near to God

By far the first and primary area of preparation for every child of God is intensely relating to God in the Spirit. Of course, this should have always been our priority. However, it truly must be our number one focus in this season. All other preparations will be of little or no value if we are not truly seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness FIRST in our lives. Intimately relating to God in the Spirit and becoming one with Him will release the authority of heaven within us to supernaturally accomplish the will and plan of God. Clear direction from God through praying in the Spirit and hearing in our spirit will enable us to walk through turbulent times without fear.

As we walk in oneness with God, we must hear and obey what He speaks for us personally to be and to do. He can prepare a table before us in the presence of our enemies. God may use some of us to be a part of growing and preparing the food for that table. Others may be used in preparing for other needs, for other provisions and services. Extremely basic life will develop with the necessities of life locally grown, made or built from whatever is available and with whatever tools are available. If we are truly one with God and are obediently doing what He says when He says, the Spirit will coordinate the works of all to fit together in the tribal lifestyle of the future.

Through the life of God in us, we shall overcome the enemy by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of our testimony and not loving our lives to the death. Whether we live a long life or a short time in this body, we are the Lord�s and will never be apart from Him. Our great desire is to fully serve Him and to accomplish all He has given us to be and to do in this life.

We are very important to one another and closely knit together in Him as each joint supplies its part. This will be more acutely seen and experienced in the seasons of devastation ahead for this world and the glorious season of experiencing the deepest river of His love filling us with His life and flowing the glory of the kingdom to one another. The glorious kingdom lifestyle is at the door. The kingdom is truly at hand in this day of the Lord.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.
Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the LORD and depart from evil.
It will be health to your flesh,
And strength to your bones. ~ Proverbs 3:5-8

Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. ~ Jesus

The Sword of the Lord comes.

Ron McGatlin

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

Sipping Our Lattes or Losing Our Lives?

Posted: November 25, 2011 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, teaching, wilderness

I spent my first few months as a pastor in a steep learning curve. Because I had never pastored before, I began devouring books on how to determine and communicate vision for where a church is going. In order to lead your church anywhere, these books told me, you need a preferred future, a visual destination, for which you are working. Pastors I respect declared, “Decide how big you want your church to be, and go for it, whether that’s five, ten, or twenty thousand members. Envision what your church campus (or multiple campuses) will look like five, ten, or twenty years from now, and start working toward it. Dream about how your worship services can become more innovative. All of this is important, so consider hiring a creative consultant to help you. After all, Proverbs 29:18 says that where there is no vision, the people will perish.”

At first, it seemed to make sense. But over time, I found myself getting nauseated by all the vision talk. Setting and reaching goals is important, of course. But were my sights really supposed to be set on bringing a large crowd together in a cool environment where they could hear terrific music, see killer graphics, and then listen to me talk live, or via video, or maybe even via hologram (if only I had really innovative vision)? If this was to be the vision of my life and ministry, I decided, then I should perish.

So I sat down with members in our church, and together we asked, “What is our vision? What do we want to see? Where do we want to fasten our attention in the days to come? What do we want to work toward with all our hearts?”

As we prayed together, the answer became obvious. The only possible vision for the church of Jesus Christ is to make known the glory of God in all nations. This preferred future or visual destination drives us because this is what drives God. Far more than we want stuff for the church, crowds at the church, or activities in the church, we want to know, love, honor, and praise God. And we want all people to do the same. We want to see God glorified by people everywhere because God wants to see himself glorified by people everywhere.

Vision affects everything. That’s what visions do. If the focus of the church is on having a large crowd in a big place where people can come and feel warm and welcomed, then you and I will plan accordingly. We will prioritize a nice church campus for people to drive onto where they can find a convenient parking space. We’ll give them a latte when they walk in the door, and then we’ll provide state-of-the-art entertainment for their children while treating them to a great show that leaves them feeling good when they drive away in a timely fashion. Variations of this vision engineered for the savvy Christian consumer are multiplied across the landscape of our country today, and they work well. The crowds come, and the vision is realized.

But what happens when our vision changes? What happens when our primary aim is not to make the crowds feel comfortable but to exalt God in all his glory? Suddenly, our priorities begin to change. More than you and I want people to be impressed by the stuff we can manufacture, we want them to be amazed by the God they cannot fathom. More than we want to dazzle them with our production, we want to direct them to his praise. And the last thing we want to do is raise up people who are casual in the worship of God as they sit back and enjoy their lattes. Instead, we want to raise up people who are so awed, so captivated, so mesmerized by the glory of God that they will gladly lose their lattes-and their lives-to make his greatness known in the world.

By David Platt

Sipping Our Lattes or Losing Our Lives?

Radical Disciples – A Remnant Revolution

Latest Posts

Categories

Archive for the ‘wilderness’ Category

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

Houses filled with illegitimate children

Obscure role models

Self-empowered Christianity

Possess Godly Character and the Anointing of God

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

A call to be Holy!

The Power of A Clean Life

Reality Replacing Religion

Sipping Our Lattes or Losing Our Lives?