Posts Tagged ‘disciple’

Not moved by the popular trends

Posted: July 2, 2018 in Kingdom Teaching, teaching
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But if you don’t want to serve the LORD, then choose today whom you will serve. Even if you choose the gods your ancestors served on the other side of the Euphrates or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you live, my family and I will still serve the LORD.” (Joshua 24:15)
Many will pass judgment on another individual or group today based on their looks, their dress and other situations they may be in. Yet Jesus said to show grace, mercy and love, judge not lest ye be judged. Wisdom would testify that in following the teaching of Jesus here can be a tough decision, one that will find you facing much opposition as it will cause one to walk down a narrow path that few choose to take.
 
Sadly the “many” are not even including those outside the Church but rather those who sit in the Church week after week. Religion has done it job, it has separated the believer from truth and interwoven the philosophies of this world and labeled them wisdom, yet true wisdom comes from the Father and it never contradicts the Son. You see, wisdom never says the message of Jesus has changed, it never says that what was once considered sin by the Father has now become acceptable. But it also has never said that we pass judgment first and then if needed show love, it clearly stands on the teachings of Christ not to judge and to show LOVE above all else.
 But you, beloved brothers and sisters, are not living in the dark, allowing that day to creep up on you like a thief coming to steal. For you are all children of the light and children of the day. We don’t belong to the night nor to darkness. This is why we must not fall asleep, as the rest do, but keep wide awake and clearheaded.  For those who are asleep sleep the night away, and drunkards get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, we must stay alert and clearheaded by placing the breastplate of faith and love over our hearts, and a helmet of the hope of salvation over our thoughts (1 Thes 5:4-8).  
 
The ways of this world, the thinking, the philosophies and such have been bombarding the Church from the beginning and much has over taking the Church in that the Church has succumbed to its teachings over that of the Lords. After all these are different times, times have changed and situations people find themselves in have changed thus the Gospel must bend and adhere to these times that we find ourselves in, right?
 
Wrong, a thousand times wrong. You see in the first Church they held to the teachings of Christ even if it caused them their lives, and for many it did. Yet they turned the world upside down. Whereas today the world has turned the Church inside out so that it looks more like the world than the Body of Christ. It has morphed into an entertainment industry for big money.
 
Not the whole Church is this way, for indeed there is a Remnant in our day who still holds the torch of truth and refuses to bend knee to the modern teachings that have striped the power of truth in exchange for feel-good doctrines. That inspires the emotions but does not transform the individual, enlightens ones mind but does not produce Christ-like hearts. This present day message draws in the people and uses them to by the numbers to validate ones ego then spits them out just as fast when they begin to see the cracks in this false Lamb, leaving them often times in more of a state of lost ness than when they first entered, for they were drawn with a hope of a Messiah but were met with a man and his program.
Never restrain or put out the fire of the Holy Spirit.  And don’t be one who scorns prophecies, but be faithful to examine them by putting them to the test, and afterward hold tightly to what has proven to be right. Avoid every appearance of evil. (1 Thes 5:19-22)
 
Today, more than ever we must hold to the pure teachings of Christ and His Apostles and never trade them in for a lighter message. Paul said of such that ther would come a double curse upon their lives (Gal 3:10). Grace is powerful when taught in Truth and the Gospel Message found in the Word has not lost one once of its power and ability to impact cultures and peoples. It is time to bring the teaching of fasting & prayer back, the truth of the communion table back, the teachings of obedience and the reward of following Jesus. It is time to cut ties with those who seek to change the Gospel message, to seperate ourselves from those who wish to inject the ways of the world as means of reaching the people. It is time once again to turn and follow Jesus with surrendered hearts and lives. The narrow road is bordered by legalism on one side and compromise on the other.
 
The World is in desperate need of the true sons & daughters of the Lord Most High to manifest in this hour. We need men and women who will follow the teachings of Christ regardless of the cost and having counted it they dive into His ways with everything they have. Those that fully trust the Words of the Master, He said lay hands on the sick and they do it, He said to love the unlovable and they do it, He said to lay down our lives and they do it. For indeed He is a worthy King and just the reward of being called His friend, brother and sister is world far more than anything this world has to offer.
~Dr. Russ Welch, Th.D.

Calling for the Nehemiah’s of this generation

Posted: February 16, 2015 in Kingdom Teaching, Prophetic
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The Lord awoke me this morning at 4:00 am with the following message:

Let us pray that the spirit of Nehemiah comes upon the Church in America that we stand with a trowel in one hand and a sword in another. For we must continue to advance the Kingdom message in this nation while at the same time war against the anti-Christ spirit that is over taken it.

The hour is urgent let us pray that Holy Ghost wakes up the sleeping Bride for we may be living in the worlds cultures but we live by the culture of the Kingdom of Heaven. Let us not be fooled for if one looks across the Christian landscape in America with spiritual eyes open we would with righteous judgement see that the culture of the world has invaded its walls.

We must end the silence which is woven in the spirit of cowardice as many seek to avoid the very persecution our Lord stated we would face. I fear that some in the Church have had their mouths shut for fear of losing their 501 C 3 status if they were to speak out against the political rage against Christianity. Is not our God all sufficient or are we no better than Judas in that we are willing to sell out the Lord for a few coins?

The Church to a large degree has been silent in recent years over such issues as the abortion issue and have foolishly left it in the hands of the same political system that has removed the Bible and prayer from school. Just recently a few towns from where I live a youth in school was disciplined for saying God bless in the morning announcements. Where was the Church? Should they not have been at the door of school protesting against this statement against our God?

The Church as well has remained silent in the face of the gay agenda that has swept across this land forcing changes in the definition of marriage with some denominations actually shaking its fist in the face of a Holy God proclaiming the worlds ways are above His and condoning homosexual marriage within its own house.

Sodom and Gomorrah would be justified to ask the Lord where is His justice concerning the sins of this nation for we have as a nation become as bad if not worse than they.

It is time for Kingdom men to take their rightful place and stand up against the erosive cultural wave that has invaded the Houses of God across this nation. It is time for a Spiritual revolution that will open the doors of Heaven to see the winds of a Spiritual reformation blowing across this land.

We live in a day when many of our seminaries have sold out to the ways of the world to where they are more concerned with training business men to run the Church rather than men who have worn knees from the hours spent in the prayer closet seeking the will of the Father. Warring in the Spirit for this generation and standing against spiritual wickedness that seeks to tare down the very constitution of this nation that was formed to protect our rights to worship our God in public and private.

I would encourage all to read Bonhoeffer’s “Cost of discipleship” for the political spirit in this present hour in this nation is closely aligned to that of Germany in his day when the Church in Germany embraced the political change out of fear as well as greed.

Has the main stream Church’s in this nation been lulled to sleep out of the desires of worldly wealth while at the same time trading it in for the anointing and blessing of our Lord? Let the Word be the judge though I discern that the scale of such judgement would not be tipped in favor of this present Church generation. We have whole Christian TV stations sold out to the riches of this world propping up their prophets/ puppets of the false prosperity and false grace gospel attracting and getting rich from the masses with tickling ears running to hear a sweet message while at the same time cutting off support to our brothers in sisters in other nations as well as in this nation who need our financial support. Does not James make the statement that sending one away in need with but a prayer was seen as though we’ve done nothing at all (James 2:16)

Have we traded in the treasures of Heaven for the riches of this world? Is Christ our Lord not more precious than anything this world has to offer?

What will it take to wake up the Bride in this hour? Or will she remain in a sleep, silent to what is warring around us til she wakes up to find that it is no longer legal to be a Christian in this nation? Or is the American Church the Laodiceans Church spoken of on the Book of Revelations:

And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. (Rev 3:14-18)

If so, then let us repent for there is still a window open though it is swiftly closing. Let us hear the Word of the Lord:

As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches (Rev 3:19-22)

For again looking out across the Christian landscape of this nation I liken it to the House of Israel in Ezek 10 as I witnessed in the Spirit, the Lord removing His presence and Glory for many Houses in this nation leaving them spiritual dry & cold with but dead religion. Let us cry out for the Breath of His Spirit to blow upon these dry old bones (Ezek 37:1-14)!!!

The hour is now, and the hour is urgent and we must pray that the Spirit wake up those in who are a sleep in a drunken stupor caused by the spirit of this world for they have drank in the lie of a false security in the riches of this world. Awake an repent seeking the guidance of the Spirit of the Living God to re-position us in the will of the Father that we may gear up in the Spiritual armor that He has prepared for us and let us advance empowered by His anointed Grace and take back what the enemy has stolen. Let us rebuild the Spiritual walls which once defined this nation as a nation unto God. Let us awake and see that we have been slumbered into a sleep while the enemy has been transforming us from a sheep into a goat.

The Lord has already won the Battle for us, He has already overcome the prince of wickedness in this world yet we confess the sin of a rebellious spirit & repent with to commitment to not bowing to anything or anyone save the Lord God Almighty that we may stand in the victory He has already won. Let us turn back to the Word of God, allowing it to bath us in its purity that our hearts and hands may be cleaned.

Musicians of the Lord, take to the walls and sound the alarm – Let us rise up to war in the Spirit till His House throughout this nation is cleansed from false shepherds, false prophets, and false doctrines and let us disciple the next generation in the Way of our Lord that they too may stand, not wavering if our Lord so chooses to tarry til His return.

There is til time though it be short to re-build the Spiritual walls from which our nation had and was a blessing unto other nations. As well we must war in the Spirit that we remain a nation who blesses and supports Israel. So again let us pray for the Spiritual winds of a national Spiritual revolutionary reformation blow across this land, raising up a generation who hates sin and fears none God, bowing not to the cultural attractions of this world but rather serves God in all truthfulness.

Father, we pray right now that even as You rose up Nehemiah in Ancient Israel, so rise up Nehemiah’s across this land in this hour and may all to the praise, glory and honor of Your Great Name.

~Russ Welch

Is just a belief of Jesus enough for salvation?

Posted: January 30, 2015 in disciples life
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Since 2010 I have been studying the RED LETTERS with a deep and longing desire to know for sure what Jesus taught about being His disciple. There are so many messages out their today from a universalist view that we can live as we please to the greasy grace doctrines of all is forgiven so live life the way you choose after all Gods Grace covers it all. I know that I can do nothing whatsoever to earn my salvation yet at the same time I was haunted by the words, “depart from Me for I never knew you”.

The group of men I have been blessed to mentor/disciple and I are about to engage in David Platt’s study series from his book “Follow me. A Call to Die. A Call to Live. I have already read the book and much like Radical, I believe David does a good job at causing his readers to search the scriptures with regard to being a true disciples and not be found in the masses of deceived people, who think they are disciples. For those who only desire a comfortable, sacrifice free life, enjoying the pleasures of this world with no true desire to be ruled over, this book will anger you. For those of you who desire a deeper understanding into what it means to live the life of a true disciple of Jesus Christ, this book will help you on that road.

Below is an excerpt from the first chapter. Enjoy:

WHAT ABOUT BELIEF?

Amid this emphasis on the cost of following Jesus, you might wonder about passages in the Bible where it seems that salvation involves simple belief. Jesus tells Nicodemus that “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Paul and Silas tell the Philippian jailer, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.” According to the book of Romans, “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Based on these passages, you might conclude that believing in Jesus is all that’s involved in becoming or being a Christian. This is absolutely true, but we must consider context in order to understand what the Bible means by belief. When Jesus calls Nicodemus to believe in him, he is calling Nicodemus to be born again— to begin an entirely new life devoted to following him. Likewise, when the Philippian jailer believes in Christ, he knows that he is joining a community of Christians who are being beaten, flogged, and imprisoned for their faith .

The cost of following Christ is clear.

In the same way, Paul tells the Roman Christians that to believe in the saving resurrection of Jesus from the dead is to confess the sovereign lordship of Jesus over their lives. In each of these verses (and scores of others like them), belief in Jesus for salvation involves far more than mere intellectual assent. After all, even demons “believe” that Jesus is the crucified and resurrected Son of God.  Such “belief” clearly doesn’t save, yet such “belief” is common across the world today. Just about every intoxicated person I meet on the street says he “believes” in Jesus.

Scores of people I meet around the world, including some Hindus, animists, and Muslims, profess some level of “belief” in Jesus. All kinds of halfhearted, world-loving church attenders confess “belief” in Christ. We can all profess publicly belief that we don’t possess personally, even ( or should I say especially) in the church. Hear the shouts of the damned in Matthew 7 as they cry, “Lord, Lord!” Jesus replies to them, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”  Clearly, people who claim to believe in Jesus are not assured eternity in heaven. On the contrary, only those who obey Jesus will enter his Kingdom.

As soon as I write that, you may perk up and ask, “David, did you just say that works are involved in our salvation?” In response to that question, I want to be clear: that is not what I am saying. Instead, it’s what Jesus is saying. Now I want to be very careful here, because we could begin to twist the gospel into something it’s not. Jesus is not saying that our works are the basis for our salvation. The grace of God is the only basis of our salvation— a truth we will explore further in the next chapter. But in our rush to defend grace, we cannot overlook the obvious in what Jesus is saying here (and in many other places as well): only those who are obedient to the words of Christ will enter the Kingdom of Christ. If our lives do not reflect the fruit of following Jesus, then we are foolish to think that we are actually followers of Jesus in the first place.

DANGEROUSLY DECEIVED

Consider a recent study which found that four out of five Americans identify themselves as Christians. In this group of self-proclaimed Christians, less than half of them are involved in church on a weekly basis. Less than half of them actually believe the Bible is accurate, and the overwhelming majority of them don’t have a biblical view of the world around them.

The pollsters went even deeper, though, to identify men and women who are described as “born-again Christians” (as if there is any other kind). These are people who say they have made a personal commitment to Jesus and who believe they will go to heaven because they have accepted Jesus as their Savior. According to the research, almost half of Americans are “born-again Christians.” But out of this group of “born-again Christians,” researchers found that their beliefs and lifestyles are virtually indistinguishable from the rest of the world around them.

Many of these “born-again Christians” believe that their works can earn them a place in heaven, others think that Christians and Muslims worship the same God, some believe Jesus sinned while he was on earth, and an ever-increasing number of “born-again Christians” describe themselves as only marginally committed to Jesus.  Many people have used this data to conclude that Christians are really not that different from the rest of the world. But I don’t think this interpretation of the research is accurate. I think the one thing that is abundantly clear from these statistics is that there are a whole lot of people in the world who think they are Christians but are not.

There are a whole lot of people who think that they’ve been born again, but they are dangerously deceived. Imagine you and I set up a meeting for lunch at a restaurant, and you arrive before I do. You wait and wait and wait, but thirty minutes later, I still haven’t arrived. When I finally show up, completely out of breath, I say to you, “I’m so sorry I’m late. When I was driving over here, my car had a flat tire, and I pulled over on the side of the interstate to fix it. While I was fixing it, I accidentally stepped into the road, and a Mack truck going about seventy miles per hour suddenly hit me head-on. It hurt, but I picked myself up, finished putting the spare tire on the car, and drove over here.” If this were the story I shared, you would know I was either deliberately lying or completely deceived. Why? Because if someone gets hit by a Mack truck going seventy miles per hour, that person is going to look very different than he did before!

In light of this, I feel like I’m on pretty safe ground in assuming that once people truly come face-to-face with Jesus, the God of the universe in the flesh, and Jesus reaches down into the depth of their hearts, saves their souls from the clutches of sin, and transforms their lives to follow him, they are going to look different. Very different. People who claim to be Christians while their lives look no different from the rest of the world are clearly not Christians. Such deception is not just evident in the United States; it’s prevalent around the world. As I was praying through the countries of the world recently, I came across Jamaica, a country that is supposedly almost 100 percent Christian. The prayer guide I use made this statement about Jamaica: “It enjoys one of the world’s highest number of churches per square mile, but the majority of self-proclaimed Christians in Jamaica neither attend church nor lead a Christian life.”

As I read this, my heart was overcome by the unavoidable conclusion that multitudes of men and women in Jamaica think they are Christians when they are not. They join scores of people in countries around the world who call themselves Christians yet don’t follow Christ. Spiritual deception is dangerous— and damning. Any one of us can fool ourselves. We are sinful creatures, biased in our own favor, prone to assume that we are something when we are not. The Bible says that the god of this world (Satan) is blinding the minds of unbelievers to keep them from knowing Christ   Couldn’t it be that one of the ways the devil is doing this is by deceiving people into believing they are Christians when they are not?

Platt, David (2013-02-05). Follow Me: A Call to Die.  A Call to Live.