Doctrines | Radical Disciples - A Remnant Revolution

Posts Tagged ‘Doctrines’

Absorbing offense

Posted: September 6, 2011 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, Prophetic, teaching, wilderness
Tags: Bride of Christ, Doctrines, Kingdom teaching, radical disciples

Absorbing offense
By Russ Welch

“The power of the cross can absorb every offense thrown at us!!

I was praying about offense and why so many Christians get offended – The Spirit began to download some powerful insight.

When we take ownership of something, we open ourselves up to offense i.e. ministry titles and such. Yet when we surrender all to the Lord, having laid it at His alter we relinquish ownership and it now belongs to Him. He is now the defender of it, and we are free from the strings of ownership.

Then the Spirit began to deal with the questions of doctrines and why so many people get hung up on them. Many of the doctrines in the church today are those of men and like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole they simply do not fit on the foundations of Christ’s doctrines thus they cause much unrest and confusion. For He being the Chief cornerstone has the ultimate say on what can be laid upon the foundation and what cannot be laid there – that which does not belong to Him shall be shaken and removed – we have seen this in many of the denominations over the decades, doctrines that at one time were pure became defiled and the Spirit began a shaken process to lose them from the foundation of the Ecclesia.

Over the centuries this has caused great conflict, confusion and even denominations splits – His true House shall not be divided – thus when we see splits it is caused by a inner conflict of error often times because of the pride and stubbornness of men refusing to take the case before the Lord and allow Holy Ghost to rule on the situation.

Today we have groups opposed to correction, rebuke and many false doctrines being passed off as true Kingdom principals such as the doctrine of “covering” and “spiritual father” – both have a foundation of truth yet when man’s opinions are intermingled it is like adding leaven to the loaf of truth, it become defiled.

We must be a people led of the Spirit – this is a foundational truth for every believer – we must test all things and we must be willing to cry foul when something other than the Truth rises up. We as well must open ourselves up to being willing to be corrected, rebuked and taught – seeking the Spirits counsel in all matter for He can nut led us to the ultimate truth which is Christ our Lord.

Are we radical enough to expose ourselves to such methods – are we radical enough to trust Holy Ghost to guard over us – are we radical enough to open our lives up to and being willing to be corrected – these are the questions we must ask ourselves and ask Holy Ghost to search our hearts to seek out any and all leaven that it may be removed so that we can be both a blessing and a benefit to the Bride at large.

Remember – We serve a Radical King we expects a radical obedience and sacrifice from His disciples and thing less will not go unchecked – for He will even shake our own personal lives till every spec of religious dust and carnality is removed.

So, when we feel that rush of offense rising up in us – let it be a heart check to see whether we have surrendered that which belongs to the Lord (our rights) or are we prideful in holding onto that which belongs not to us!!!

Study that ye be not deceived

Posted: September 5, 2011 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, Prophetic, teaching, wilderness
Tags: Book of Acts Church, Bride of Christ, discipleship, Doctrines, false disciple, Kingdom life, Kingdom living, Kingdom of God, radical disciples, Spirit led life, the Word

Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth. ( 2 Tim 2:15)

We live in the era of great technological advancements, with a wealth of different scriptural views out there it is ever so easy to be swayed from one doctrine to another simply by the mastery of the writer. We are bombarded with different opinions that if our foundation is week we can fall for that which is not of the Lord.

So many depend upon the study of others and blindly trust what they teach and write with never taking to the One who has been sent of the Father to guide in all Spiritual truths. Yet we are the ones ultimately responsible for that which we believe and adhere too.

The King James translates that as “study.” However, modern translations typically do not agree because the meaning and usage of this English word has changed. To us, study means “hit the books,” “learn,” “analyze, investigate, examine, scrutinize,” or “earnestly contemplate.” But the Greek word means something quite a bit different. It literally means to “make speed,” “to hurry.” It conveys the sense of “to make earnest effort; be prompt to labor.”

In almost all modern translations, “study” is rendered “be diligent,” “work hard,” or “do your best.”

The primary question, then, is, “What can we do to show ourselves approved by God?” because God’s charge is, “Hurry to do it! Be quick about it! Be diligent at it. Do your best.”

As well shepherd/teachers are held at a higher responsibility of the Lord to teaching the truth – This means as teachers we are held accountable for what we teach. Many such persons today are swayed by emotions with the desire for unity out-weighing the commands of the Lord to bring correction and rebuke when the Spirit call’s for it.

But again, as individual’s we must guard our hearts that we be not fooled and led astray by a false doctrine. Proverbs 4: 23 state’s this plainly:

“Guard your heart more than anything else, because the source of your life flows from it’.

Many today in their zealousness to see the signs, wonders and miracles of the Lord have been swayed by false teachings which are not of the Lord, chasing after strange fires. Via the internet and media we have inundated with what appears to be of the Lord, yet in truth grieves the Holy Ghost for it is but the promotion of what man can do and people are been worshiping men and ministries rather than the Lord God Himself.

I myself fell into such deception and for several years wondered around in this wilderness of strange fires. I praise God for Holy Ghost never relented in His sending up red flags and with such there was always a sense of unrest. For where the Lord is being mocked the Spirit will not rest.

More and more Holy Ghost drew me to the Word and as I began to weigh the things I saw happening in the “ministry” to the Word of God and allowed Holy Ghost to bring forth truth and revelation the doorway to what was of God began to open.

Today I still believe in signs, wonders and miracles – yet I do not either chase after them or worship them. I can but look out side at nature itself and see the Glory of the Lord – I can look at a new born child and see the wonder of God.

Have I seen or experienced miracles?

Yes I have and I know that we serve the same God of the Old and New Testament who can show up as He did in the Bible, the same God who parted the Red sea, Who can raise the dead and heal the leper. Yet again, I choose not to worship the signs, rather I choose to worship He from whom the signs come from.

I pray daily for discernment that I be not fooled by false signs, wonders and miracles and I believe that if we truly allow Holy Ghost to lead our lives and keep our eyes on the Lord we shall not be fooled. For the Word proclaims:

“For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and miracles to deceive the elect–if that were possible”. (Mark 134:22)

Notice the Lord says “if that were possible”. Is it possible? Yes it is if we leave it upon our own wisdom and ability to distinguish between what is true and what is false – yet if we are led of the Spirit we shall never be fooled.

Brother and sisters let us walk with Spiritual eyes open, being ever led of the Spirit of the Lord God Almighty, that we not be counted among those who have been led astray having falling for a false gospel being deceived by the light of a false and strange fire.

We are in a day that calls for radical disciples, equipped with Holy Ghost vision, empowered to bring down the walls of deception with the authority of their King, Jesus the Christ, to not only quench the fiery darts of the enemy but to also thru the power of His Spirit put out the strange fires built in the camp of the saints.

For we serve an Awesome and loving Father, who desires the very best for His children and longs to see the Bride break forth in the power of His Authority that He may release His Glory thru them for the world to see.

“The Holy Spirit was right when he spoke to your people long ago”

Posted: August 5, 2011 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, Prophetic, teaching, wilderness
Tags: Bride of Christ, disciples, Doctrines, kingdom growth, Kingdom life, Kingdom teaching, radical disciples, Spirit led life, the Word, unto the Lord

Paul talked to them all day, from morning to evening, explaining everything involved in the kingdom of God, and trying to persuade them all about Jesus by pointing out what Moses and the prophets had written about him.

Some of them were persuaded by what he said, but others refused to believe a word of it. When the unbelievers got cantankerous and started bickering with each other, Paul interrupted: “I have just one more thing to say to you. The Holy Spirit sure knew what he was talking about when he addressed our ancestors through Isaiah the prophet:

Go to this people and tell them this:

“You’re going to listen with your ears,

but you won’t hear a word;

You’re going to stare with your eyes,

but you won’t see a thing.

These people are blockheads!

They stick their fingers in their ears

so they won’t have to listen;

They screw their eyes shut

so they won’t have to look,

so they won’t have to deal with me face-to-face

and let me heal them.”

“You’ve had your chance. The non-Jewish outsiders are next on the list. And believe me, they’re going to receive it with open arms!”

Paul lived for two years in his rented house. He welcomed everyone who came to visit. He urgently presented all matters of the kingdom of God. He explained everything about Jesus Christ. His door was always open. (Acts 28:27-31)

I believe the Spirit is still speaking the message today – yet in place of non-Jewish outsides, He is stating to those who are outside of the confines of the man made traditional church structure. Many in the church have been called out of the traditional church by the Spirit to come out an be separate, yet once outside they fall back into that which has been familiar to them and recreated a man-made church structure.

At first the Spirit of the Lord is weighty in His presence, then as they begin to re-establish that which is created by the imagination of men begins to take root – the Spirit slowly steps out – ever so slowly for the Lord is great in His mercy – yet as time goes on they are left with a powerless, man-made institution, totally vacant of the Lord’s presence less that which is in His earthen vessels.

The clergy type leadership gains ground, the controlling factor of mans opinions far out weigh the Spirit led power that is so special about the Bride – people who at one time had the chance to totally freed in the Spirit are left in the bondage’s of religious chains!

Praise God, for there are those who are still being feed the message of the Father daily and adhering to it. Yet, those who are still imprisoned in the throngs of religion, not necessarily the world are the ones who label these faithful servants as too radical, outsiders, trouble makers and those who practice to much theology. But the Spirit bares witness that very servants of the Most High are those who have been baptized deep in the theologies of the very doctrines that Christ our Lord taught, but for the religious and worldly , their messages are too heavy to swallow. Yea, they demand easy words, comfortable life styles – life styles which do not interfere or interrupt their daily lives. To these carnal christians, sacrifice and obedience are labeled legalistic.

The Lord is moving mightily thru out the lands of man-kind this day – He is seeking surrendered and emptied vessels in which to pour in the Flame of the Lord’s passion for His Bride and the lost of the world. In every nation He is raising up, faithful sold out disciples of the cross, who have surrendered their lives completely to the Way of the Lord. Their lives are living sacrifices unto the the daily ministry of the Lord. They are hunters and spiritual assassins seeking out stronghold’s of religion guarded by hellish principalities and pulling them down thru the power of the Spirit of Almighty God.

They are the citizens of the Kingdom of God who have grasped onto the cross and the pure unadulterated gospel message of the Lord Jesus Christ even unto death. Daily waging spiritual war even in the face of great persecution and opposition – they march on. Neither scared nor derailed by the opinions of men, they are Spiritual fueled by the Word and by the oils of the Lord’s holiness, treading upon serpents and over taking demonic strong holds for the Glory of their King Jesus Christ.

My friend, do not allow the ways of this world captivate you – do not seek the easy road, running from compromise, holding fast to the narrow road – seek and trust in the faithfulness of Holy Ghost to see you thru – when the fires of persecution get the hottest it is then you shall be able to look about and in the midst of the fire you shall see the Son of man standing with you holding a cup of fire quenching, life sustaining water from the River which runs out from under the Throne of His Father, God Almighty. Stand fast for He is your rescuer and in the end, having run the race with great spiritual endurance, you shall indeed stand face to face with your Lord with your eternal reward riding upon the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant”.

For you are a Radical Disciple of Jesus Christ!!!!!!

Indeed, we do serve an awesome God!!!!

Embrace the Awe of God!

Posted: July 24, 2011 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, Prophetic, wilderness
Tags: Bride of Christ, disciples, Doctrines, kingdom growth, kingdom of darkness, radical christianity, sin, Spirit led life

Embrace the Awe of God!
by Bobby Conner

An Urgent Word

The lion has roared; who will not fear? The Lord God has spoken; who can but prophesy? Amos 3:7-8

A Divine Veil of Light

Recently, I was overwhelmed by a heavenly visitation. Without notice, I received one of the most significant and captivating encounters of my life.

I was enjoying an ordinary day with my family in Texas. I had much to do to prepare for an upcoming ministry trip to Europe, so I excused myself to retreat to my study. As I arranged some papers on my desk, I heard a slight sound behind me. Thinking it was my wife or perhaps one of my grandchildren, I casually turned around to see who was in the room.

Without warning, I found myself in a spiritual realm. There suddenly appeared just inches in front of my face a living, incandescent wall of translucent light, suspended within brilliant, blue-green waters. The waters were glowing and luminous and also alive. A soft swishing sound came from the moving mass of living liquid light, much like the sound of wind through trees.

This glorious wall was a divine veil reflecting the most stunning, alluring rays of brilliant light I had ever seen. They were refreshing beyond words. Astonished, I wanted to absorb everything I could from within that veil. Its purpose seemed to be to enlighten and refresh.

Suddenly, He Roars!

All of my senses were extremely alert as I admired this breathtaking veil and wondered what was about to transpire. I reflected on how peaceful, tranquil and good I felt, when suddenly, without warning, a magnificent LION exploded from the wall of living light. This was an enormous, fearsome creature, a gigantic lion of golden-amber color whose mane radiated a halo of golden light. He was tall enough to look me straight in the eye. In fact, He locked his eyes on mine, gazing into my eyes with such intensity that I knew He was looking into my very soul. As I returned His steadfast gaze, I felt I was peering into eternity.

I wanted to flee from sheer terror, but also wanted to embrace this wonderful being from another realm. This Lion had an extraordinary fierceness, but from within this indescribable strength and power an overwhelming gentleness also radiated. I was amazed at the warmth and love pulsing within Him, and the peace and sense of protection that exuded from His presence.

Our eyes were locked in a gaze for what seemed to be a very long time, when suddenly the Lion opened wide His mouth and began to roar. The roar was unlike any sound I had ever experienced ear-piercing, overwhelming, indescribable. Mere words simply cannot convey the force and beauty of that blast of breath from another world. This massive roar lasted for quite some time and released a vibration and reverberation that shook the heavens and earth and felt as though it could be heard and felt throughout the entire universe.

Standing within that divine current of the Lion’s roar, I felt a divine invincibility. Before I had time to ask, I understand the nature of the roar: Within my spirit, I heard the words, “The breath of God.”

As suddenly as the Lion’s roar began, it stopped so swiftly that its absence created a vacuum that sucked the air and sound from the room. Out of that deep, sublime silence a booming voice from Heaven rang out with a holy declaration that shook my entire being. The voice surged with supernatural power and authority:

“Prepare My people to embrace the awe of Almighty God!”

And then the beautiful liquid light disappeared also, as swiftly as it came. I stood trembling in my office, my heart pounding hard and fast, my spirit ablaze with the fire from Heaven’s altar.

At this point, in a quiet, comforting and convincing tone of voice, the Holy Spirit said, “Yes, prepare the people of God to embrace the Awe of God!”

The Spirit then explained that much revelation would be released concerning the Lion of the Tribe of Judah a revelation that would produce the holy, wholesome fear of the LORD.

The Fear of God, the Awe of God

Indeed, the Lord spoke a very stern warning to me, saying, “Warn the people that I am not as easy to get along with as some preachers have made Me out to be!”

What does this mean, dear brothers and sisters in Christ? We must never forget the truth that “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of a living God” (Hebrews 10:31). The writer of Hebrews further admonishes us, entreating us to fear the Lord:

“Wherefore we receiving a Kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear” (Hebrews 12:28).

This Greek word translated fear is eulabeia, which means reverence, piety and veneration. Veneration and piety are not mere religious formalities. Yes, we can “act” pious and not feel true reverence in our heart but the Lord will see through our whitewashed gestures.

Although some Christians have feigned reverence through the centuries, we cannot dismiss the authentic and vital experience of holy fear and trembling before the Lord as just “the form of godliness” or man’s empty religion. The fear of the Lord is more than ritual and has not been replaced by the New Covenant of grace. To be sure, when a revelation of God’s grace grips our soul, the deep reality of our heart will become holy circumspection and discretion before the King of the Universe! We will not approach God casually, nor with a religious spirit, but with “godly fear.”

This same word translated fear, the Greek eulabeia, is only used one other time in the New Testament to describe the holy reverence, piety and veneration of Jesus Christ Himself for His Father God:

“Who in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto Him that was able to save Him from death, and was heard in that He feared…”

If Christ Himself feared the Father “with strong crying and tears,” how much more shall we offer up holy prayers and supplications in the fear of the Lord? Indeed, we are instructed to not only serve God with fear, but with awe. We’ve all but forgotten this most precious and vital disposition of the heart.

The fear of God and the awe of God are inseparable. If you fear God with a holy fear, you will stand amazed and reverent; if you feel the awe of His majesty and omnipotence, you will most certainly experience a godly fear of His power and sovereignty. In truth, you cannot be in awe of the Lord without a holy fear.

The Greek word translated reverence or awe in the above verse of Hebrews 12:28 is aidos, which suggests not just modesty but actual bashfulness a healthy shame for one’s own lowly status. This awe is a holy reverence whose essence is a profound, unspeakable wonder, the deepest honor and respect imaginable, reserved for the King of kings. This is an awe that cannot humble itself enough, cannot bow low enough and cannot be thankful and worshipful enough before the One who gave His life for us.

God is Indeed a Consuming Fire

Beloved, we must rekindle a holy awe, reverence, honor and respect for the glorious Lamb of God and Lion of Judah, Creator of the universe! Let’s consider another translation of Hebrews 12:28-29:

Let us therefore, receiving a Kingdom that is firm and stable and cannot be shaken, offer to God pleasing service and acceptable worship, with modesty and pious care and godly fear and awe; for our God [is indeed] a consuming fire.

How do we offer the Lord “pleasing service and acceptable worship”? With nothing less than “modesty and pious care and godly fear and awe.” And why do we offer the Lord this piety, fear and awe? Because God is a consuming fire.

This Greek word translated fire is none other that pyr, from which we derive our English words relating to actual fire, such as pyrotechnics. To be sure, this pyr of God described in Scripture is real uncontrolled, scorching, dangerous and wild. This pyr isn’t referring to a fancy metaphor or analogy, like a “fiery” personality or a “fire” of passion in the belly. On the contrary, the word pyr occurs 74 times in the New Testament and most often refers to a quite literal substance that burns, scorches, and imparts power: Hell fire; everlasting fire; raining fire (as Lot and his wife experienced); tongues of fire; blood, fire and smoke; the fire of the burning bush; and flames of fire the eyes of the Lord Himself and more.

This fire of God is described in a very specific way: God is a consuming fire. This word translated consuming is from a Greek root that means to use up entirely and to destroy. From this Scripture, we learn a most important lesson: God is not a cozy campfire providing warmth and a comfortable circle of fellowship. Neither is He a fire we can control by turning a burner dial. His fire is of an entirely different substance and purpose than any fire on earth. It is not for our personal use and enjoyment. We cannot control it. We can’t understand it. We can’t compare it to anything or anyone we’ve ever encountered or will encounter.

Just as C. S. Lewis wrote of Aslan in The Chronicles of Narnia, “He is not a tame Lion,” we must say of God that He is not a controlled burn. He is not a torch we can carry casually. He is neither a match head we can strike at will, nor a lamplight we can turn on and off.

No, His fire consumes. His fire destroys or gives power and life. His fire is Resurrection. His fire creates universes. In truth, His fire commands our fear and awe.

Are we prepared to become intimate with this consuming fire? The first step is learning how to approach God with fear and awe! And great rewards are in store for those who do. If we truly fear and reverence the Lord, great promises are ours:

“O fear the Lord, you His saints [revere and worship Him]! For there is no want to those who truly revere and worship Him with godly fear” (Psalm 34:9).

But if we learn to abide in the fear and awe of God, the even greater reward is the manifest Presence of Christ Himself!

Intimacy vs. Familiarity

Unfortunately, this godly fear and holy awe have been replaced by a yawn of familiarity in our modern Church. The consuming fire of God has been reduced to a mere candle flame on the pulpit or in our prayer closet, or at best a handy “pillar of fire” that guides us along the way.

We wrongly assume that we can approach the Lord casually and blithely according to our own timetable and needs. We use Him like a flashlight when we desire guidance or revelation. We sit beside Him as a warm stove when we are cold. We crank up our reliable and familiar “God fire” to meet the need of the moment.

May it never be! The modern Church must learn the vast difference between mere familiarity and true intimacy. True intimacy speaks of love and affection. With true intimacy, we experience deep, sincere and abiding appreciation. Intimate friends are consistent in their kindness and care for each other. They bond deeply and continue to grow together in honesty, transparency, togetherness, trust and mutual sharing. They know each other’s secrets. They share each other’s burdens. They love spending much time in each other’s company.

Ask yourself: Am I intimate with the Lord or just a casual, familiar acquaintance? We must ask the hard questions. Do we fear the Lord or just “use” Him to fill the lack in our lives? Do we have the vaguest idea of the type of power we so casually invoke?

The condition of the modern Church is, at best, sad and extremely troubling. Many sincere Believers have accepted a distorted concept of the God of the Bible by whittling Him down to a manageable person. They refashion God to fit their own expectations and to serve their own selfish desires.

Beloved, we have exchanged the magnificent glory of the incorruptible God for heathen gods suited to a sin-soaked nation, gods compatible to a self-serving culture. The result? Biblical awe is lost! The holy fear of the Lord is lost! We have reduced our worship to programs and performances. We have heaped praise upon ourselves instead of heaping reverence, piety and unbridled worship upon His Majesty! We have appropriated His anointing and giftings for personal use, building ministries, careers, publishing ventures and reputations instead of His Kingdom.

It is sad but true: visit almost any worship service on Sunday morning and you will likely find a wonderful, well-meaning congregation comfortably relating to a deity who fits nicely within their particular doctrinal positions. We have constructed our own so-called god to back our own plans, visions and social concerns, molded into our comfort zone. This is a “god” that can be explained and controlled by the carnal minds of mere men and women the minds of Christians with personal agendas, who have not died to themselves and the world.

God’s plan is to make man in His own image; however, Christians are attempting to make God into their image. The seeker-friendly, non-confrontational, Cross-removing church will not prepare the Body of Christ for the days we are facing!

In a church like this, no wonder we find an absence of holy awe and the fear of the Lord! We have dared to approach the Almighty God with our many desires and needs, yet feel no awe, no trembling heart, no bated breath, no sweaty palms, no shaky knees no reverence. The atmosphere of most churches today and even the prayer closet of most Believers is diametrically opposed to what we find in the Scriptures, where the glory of God filled the temple and no one could stand, where worshippers prostrated themselves before the living God.

The Lion Will Roar!

But do not despair, dear Believer. There is mercy, deliverance and hope for His Church! Rest assured that the casual, carnal attitudes of the modern Church are about to abruptly change!

We are about to be introduced to Almighty God as the roaring Lion of Judah. God is restoring holy awe and fear to His people and as this righteous and wholesome fear of the Lord returns to the people of God, the manifest Presence of the Lord will also return. Expect to see God reveal Himself in such magnitude and glory that the mouths of the people will open wide. Expect no less than jaw-dropping experiences.

Let us ponder the response of John the Beloved, the disciple who was of all men most intimate with Christ Jesus. Notice that when John encounters the risen, ruling Redeemer on the isle of Patmos, he falls to the ground with no breath left within himself. John did not casually or nonchalantly give Jesus a “high five” and go merrily on his way:

“When I saw HIM, I fell at His feet as if dead. But He laid His right hand on me and said, ‘Do not be afraid! I am the First and the Last'” (Revelation 1:17).

How will we learn to rightly fear and reverence the King of kings like John the Beloved? The Holy Spirit is our Teacher!

Come, you children, listen to Me; I will teach you to revere and worshipfully fear the Lord. Psalm 34:11

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, fall on your face and cry out to be changed! Ask the Lord to soften your hard heart and impart a living revelation of God as a consuming fire. With your whole being, implore Him to teach you “to revere and worshipfully fear the Lord.”

Ask, seek and knock until true awe and fear are branded upon your spirit and soul, until you no longer approach the Lord casually but as a trusted, reverential friend. Seek to become an intimate of God not just an acquaintance who assumes too much.

Beloved, “Draw nigh to God and He will draw nigh to you” (James 4:8). This is His promise He will draw near to us in turn but understand that we must only draw near in the holy fear and awe of the Lord. Herein lies the secret of true intimacy with the King of kings!

Prepare to hear the Lion’s roar and embrace the awe of Almighty God!

Bobby Conner
Eagles View Ministries
Email: manager@bobbyconner.org

Let us return the Word to the pulpit Pt 1

Posted: July 18, 2011 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, Prophetic, teaching, wilderness
Tags: disciples, Doctrines, Kingdom living, Kingdom teaching, Spirit led life

During the Middle Ages (approx. 500 to 1500 AD.) preaching gradually lost its place of primacy in the church, until it was all but lost from her life and work in the years before the Reformation. We should remember that the Middle Ages were in general a time of gradual but steady decline for the church. As she increased in her worldly power and influence, she decreased in her spiritual strength and influence. Sometimes the Middle Ages are referred to as the “Dark Ages.” This was certainly true also with respect to the preaching.

The days before the Reformation were preaching poor times. Many of the established clergy, bishops, and priests, simply did not preach at all. It is said that the lay people could not expect any preaching from the priests in the local parish. Weeks and even months could go by without their hearing any sermon from the pulpit of their local church. Many priests simply forsook their parishes (local churches), checking on them only on occasion. The English Reformer, Hugh Latimer, called such absentee priests “strawberry parsons” since “they came only once a year and stayed for a very short time,” (quoted by G. J. Murray in The Preaching of the English Reformers, pp. 9,10).

Writing already in 1520, Martin Luther explained,

Lo, whither hath the glory of the church departed! The whole earth is filled with priests, bishops, cardinals and clerics, and yet not one of them preaches by virtue of his office, unless he be called to do by another and by a different call besides his sacramental ordination. (“The Babylonian Captivity”, Works, II, Baker, 1982, p.280.).

And if and when the bishops and priests did preach, the quality of the sermons was very poor. There was preserved in the worship service a place for preaching. This was called the “homily,” a brief sermon. But these homilies were for the most part nothing but borrowed sermons from the church fathers. The priests did not do any original work, nor was there any exposition of the Scriptures. The sermons were therefore not edifying but boring treatments of meaningless subjects of the Middle Ages. In addition, these sermons were filled with many absurd stories and fables. Besides, even where the sermons were of good quality and content, they were most often read in Latin, which most of the people could not understand. On the character of these sermons John Calvin wrote:

…What sermons in Europe then exhibited that simplicity with which Paul wishes christian people to be always occupied? Nay, what one sermon was there from which old wives might not carry off more whimsies than they could devise at their own fireside in a month? For, as sermons were then usually divided, the first half was devoted to those misty questions of the schools which might astonish the rude populace, while the second contained sweet stories, or not unamusing speculations, by which the hearers might be kept on the alert. Only a few expressions were thrown in from the Word of God, that by their majesty they might procure credit for these frivolities. (Selected Works of John Calvin, ed. & Trans. by H. Bevridge, vol. l, p.40).

This weakness in preaching also applied to the traveling preachers, the friars. These were special religious orders of men in the Roman Catholic Church. whose beginnings had been sound and good. This class of clergy arose because of a lack of preaching in the church and care for the sick and poor. Founded by Francis of Assisi and Dominic in the 13th century, they were organized into preaching orders, which would travel throughout the countrysides bringing the message of the gospel to the poor peasants. But gradually, these friars too fell victim to the abuses in the church. They gave in to the sermon style of the day, and worse, became nothing more than instruments of the pope.

Hence. also their preaching became corrupt and worthless. Instead of bringing the pure and simple gospel based upon the Scriptures, they resorted to embellished messages in which the stories of the Bible were mixed in with sensational fables and traditions, designed to entertain the peasants. Thus did they spread fact and fiction, truth and error, and therefore, confusion, throughout the countryside. The result was that, though they still traveled preaching, the message they brought was not that of the gospel, but of loyalty to the pope and the need of money for the church coffers.

It is also striking but sad that with the preaching so bad and the people so ignorant, another method of bringing the gospel to the people was being used — drama. Groups of dramatists would travel from town to town putting on mystery plays and passion plays. Sound familiar?! Yes, history is being repeated in our day! Entertainment once more fills the churches! And sadly, this occurs in Protestant churches which have their roots in the preaching revival of the Reformation!

But if there was little or no preaching done by the ordained clergy of the church, who was doing the preaching? Undoubtedly, there were a few faithful bishops, priests, and friars scattered throughout the vast regions of the church world who continued to bring the gospel to the humble city and country folk. But one Reformer was convinced that there was another faithful preacher at work in the church.

Hugh Latimer, in a sermon preached in 1548 denouncing the sin of a lack of sound preaching among the clergy of his day, announced whom he considered to be the “most diligent preacher and teacher in all England.” Said he,

And will ye know who it is? I will tell you: it is the devil. He is the most diligent preacher of all other; he is never out of his diocese; he is never from his cure; ye shall never find him unoccupied… And his office is to hinder religion, to maintain superstition, to set up idolatry, to teach all kinds of popery. He is ready as can be… to devise as many ways as can be to deface and obscure God’s glory. Where the devil is resident, and hath his plough going, there away with books, and up with candles; away with bibles, and up with beads; away with the light of the Gospel, and up with the light of candles…. Where the devil is resident that he may prevail, up with all superstition and idolatry; censing, painting of images, candles, palms, ashes, holy water, and new service of men’s inventing; as though man could invent a better way to honor God with than God himself hath appointed. Down with Christ’s cross, up with purgatory pickpurse, up with him, the popish purgatory, I mean. Away with clothing the naked, the poor and impotent; up with decking of images and gay garnishing of stocks and stones: up with man’s traditions and his laws, down with God’s traditions and his most holy Word. Down with the old honor due to God, and up with the new god’s honor…. Oh that our prelates would be as diligent to sow the corn of good doctrine, as Satan is to sow cockle and darnel. (quoted by G.J.Murray in The Preaching of the English Reformers, pp.70,71).

Such was the situation prior to the Reformation. Not only was the true biblical preaching no longer central; it was also virtually nonexistent. How do we account for this?

There are especially two reasons for this decline and dearth of preaching. First, there was the rise of the authority of the pope, and with that, the decline in the authority of the Scriptures. During the Middle Ages gradual stress was laid upon the offices of the church. With this came a multiplication of offices: cardinals, bishops, priests, monks, etc. In particular, the office of the papacy came to dominate, when the bishop of Rome assumed the title of successor of Peter and head of the entire church of Christ. From that point, all it took was a few dominant popes, and the power of the pope was firmly established. And that is what happened in the Middle Ages. Yet these men were not satisfied with being the mere successors of Peter. Assuming to themselves the office of Christ, these popes took the position that they were the direct mediators between God and men; they were the voice of God to the people. Hence, the pronouncements they made, and the decisions they took were the infallible, authoritative word of God.

The result was that the authority of the church and her tradition were exalted above the Scriptures. As far as the church was concerned, the people no longer needed the Bible nor the preaching of it; they only needed to hear and abide by the teachings of the popes. The Bible and the preaching of it were even considered dangerous to the people. Because of these things, the Bible was virtually taken out of the hands of the people. And with that, of course, went the preaching.

A second reason for the loss of the primacy of preaching was the emphasis placed on the mass as the chief means of grace. During the Middle Ages great stress was also placed on the sacraments and with that, on the formal, outward worship of the church. The result was that at the time of the Reformation the worship services of the Roman Catholic Church were filled with countless unbiblical rituals and ceremonies. But at the center was the mass. This was Rome’s sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, only with many abominable additions.

According to the Romish church an amazing thing takes place in the mass. First, the bread and wine are changed into the actual body and blood of Christ. And, second, the priest offers up the ‘body” of Christ in a real, atoning sacrifice for the sins of the people. Consequently, the people were led to believe that they were fed with the actual body of Christ in the wafer, and that this was the chief means of grace for them. They were taught that on the basis of the priest’s repeat performance of Christ’s death they had the forgiveness of sins. Their salvation, they were told, was tied to the mass.

It is not difficult to see that with this idea of the sacrament the preaching of Christ crucified had to take a back seat. In the mind of the church at that time, was it not far better to have Christ really crucified again before your eyes than simply to hear about it in the Word preached?

Thus did the mass become the heart of the worship service, because it was seen to be the chief means of grace. And the preaching was relegated to a low, insignificant place in the worship; it was no longer primary. Indeed, it was unnecessary!

For these two fundamental reasons, the priests and other officers of the church did not really need to preach, nor were they trained to do so. The priests did not have to bring the message of the gospel to the people. All they had to do was dispense the grace of God through the means the church established as the vehicles of salvation. The attitude that prevailed was: Why use the preaching of the Word when there are so many other easier ways to bestow divine blessings?

Hence, for the most part the clergy of the Roman Catholic Church went untrained in the art of sermonizing. Seminaries for the training of preachers were unheard of. Instead men were taught how to hear confessions, read the forms of the church, and follow her elaborate rituals and ceremonies. The result was an office of ministry that was woefully ignorant of God’s Word, and consequently incapable of delivering its message to the people. Even if a priest had wanted to preach, he did not know how.

The most serious consequence was that God’s people were being deprived of a true knowledge of God through His Word preached. Souls were starving since they were being fed stones for bread. There was a famine of the Word in the church (Amos 8:11). But God would not have it so for any longer.

Glory or Glitter?

Posted: June 21, 2011 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, Prophetic, teaching, wilderness
Tags: Bride of Christ, broken hearted, discipleship, Doctrines, kingdom growth, Kingdom living

Glory or Glitter?

By Ron McGatlin

A great transition is in process. This glorious worldwide change began two millennia ago in Christ Jesus. It is now, in this current millennium, culminating in the raising up of many pure holy sons of God in whom the Spirit of Christ is manifesting into the world – sons who endure their personal cross to enter into resurrection life and show forth the radiance of the glory of God. These sons are men and women who thunder the holy words of God from heaven with supernatural demonstration of His love and power. They are sent to turn the nations from seeking the glitter of self-life to seeking the GLORY of God and His kingdom reality.
Behind the leadership of America the western world has largely gone for the glitter of self-fulfillment and pleasure seeking. Worship of the created has supplanted the worship of the Creator. The great illusionist continues to divert and turn aside multitudes of deluded reprobate people given over to their own foolishness. The glitter of human endeavor and pleasure has allured nations into a carnival fun house lifestyle of lies and deception which, in reality, is a despicable den of seething darkness.

Selfish pride of life and lust for the pleasures of satisfying base human desires of the creature without due concern for the Creator has separated most of the western world from God. The ways of heaven have become foreign to multitudes including many that call themselves Christians but live as aliens to God.

Powerless, man-focused church structures have been taken over by the same deception and are of no value in turning the people and nations back to God. On the contrary, the pseudo Christian views of accepting the ways of the fallen world of enticing people by feeding their desires for pleasure and self-fulfillment are robbing God’s people of the potential of a true experience of heaven’s ways of life. Religious church infiltrated by the fallen world’s ways has become a massive stumbling block for people seeking the reality of God.

In the midst of great darkness a bright light is emerging.

God will have a people of HIS GLORY. The glory of God shall cover the earth. There will be a sea of people of God filled with His glory carrying the light of heaven exposing every den of darkness and bringing forth the light of heaven in every heart and life of every person who remains beyond the cleansing shaking of God.

God is now preparing a nation within nations. A people of His glory filled with the life of Christ Jesus empowered from heaven by the Holy Spirit – a people without fear – a people of purity, holiness, and powerful humility – a people without regard for the fallen world who hear and obey only their God – a people in whom there is no dependence on man and no independence from God. True sons of God are being prepared to lead the world into the fullness of the kingdom of God.

There is no question that the sons of God are manifesting. The question is who will these people of God be? Are you one? Am I one? Who are these hidden people who will arise amidst the darkness that is covering the nations to carry the light to those who sit in darkness? Who will be the ones who call out and receive the people abiding in dens of seething darkness? Who will be the harvesters of the harvest of God? Who will be the ones to enter the New Jerusalem City of God to rule and reign with Him? Who will be the ones to sit at His table and commune daily with Him in the midst of His glory? Do you really want to know? It is those who are doing it now.

Wake up people! Those who name His name, AWAKEN!

Arise, shine, For your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you (Isa 60:1).

Jesus has returned to live in your heart – the Holy Spirit has come to you – the same God who created all life and all matter dwells with you. The same God that by His emanating power causes all things to exist abides in you. In our day the supernatural power of God is flowing through His people to cleanse, heal, and deliver the people who are now sitting in great darkness.

Mat 4:16-17: The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned. From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”.

Isa 60:1-5: Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the LORD will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you.

The Gentiles shall come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising.

Lift up your eyes all around, and see: They all gather together, they come to you; Your sons shall come from afar, And your daughters shall be nursed at your side.

Then you shall see and become radiant, And your heart shall swell with joy; Because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, The wealth of the Gentiles shall come to you.

The radiance of the glory of God is so bright that it overpowers and exposes the glitter of self- indulgent pleasure seeking as darkness. The glitter of flesh-enhanced “worship” and man-focused preaching does not compare to the pure, holy glory of God. Man-made glitter does not compare to the beauty of a consecrated life filled with His love, humility, self-sacrifice, true righteousness, peace, and joy of the Lord. The glory of His presence causes all else to become as shadows. To know Him intimately is more than all the world has to offer. True kingdom is being birthed in the hearts of devoted servants who become sons in service and the King’s Bride in intimacy.

There is no other ultimate purpose in life. This is the reason we were made. The reason we were born and the purpose of our remaining on this small planet called Earth. There is no complete fulfillment in life beyond becoming the kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven. Total rest and satisfaction is only in knowing Him intimately and becoming a carrier of His glory on earth – a clear reflection and reality of the life of Christ Jesus. This is the field of great treasure and the one perfect pearl of life for which we gladly sell all that we have to purchase.

Many people desire this life and cannot obtain it. Many sense the beauties of holiness in the real kingdom, and. though it is rare on earth, they may see it in another person or family. They may exclaim, “Oh how beautiful – how peaceful and joyful; I want that for me and my family.” However, when they discover the cost of selling all they have, all their glitter, all they have striven to gain, and all that gives them their earthly reputation and provision – all that their flesh enjoys, then they are NOT willing to sell all and they walk away from the glory of God.

Surely, it is the mercy of God that allows all their glitter, all their earthly accomplishments, and all in which their flesh takes pleasure to be utterly destroyed before their eyes. In this great time of loss and painful shaking many who have previously seen but turned away may turn back with their whole hearts to seek the true life in the kingdom of God. Others will blame God for their loss and curse Him. The God cursers are even now attempting to rid their nations of God and destroy His people. They will become even more inflamed against God and His people as the day of their end approaches.

Mat 23:37-38: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate.”

Rev 9:18: By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed; by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone…..

Rev 9:20-21: But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk. And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.

Rev 6:15-17: And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”

Isa 2:11-12: The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, The haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, And the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day. For the day of the LORD of hosts Shall come upon everything proud and lofty, Upon everything lifted up; And it shall be brought low.

Beyond the great shakings of cleansing of the earth, the great governing city of God and His people will come into full view to rule the kingdom of God on earth as in heaven. God and His holy Bride will flow the light of the government of Christ Jesus over all the world, and the kingdoms of earth will have become the kingdoms of our Lord (Rev 11:15). Amen.

Rev 21:2-5: Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.

“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.”

This is not a far distant pie in the sky thing. This is available now within all who sell all to come to Him with their whole hearts. The New Jerusalem lifestyle must be within before it flows out to the world. We are the generation of the refiners fire of God coming down preparing a people to overcome the gods of this world – to retake the land of the living in the love and power of God to heal the broken, strengthen the weak, deliver the bound, proclaim the opening of the prison, the recovery of sight to the blind – to destroy the works of spiritual blindness, darkness, deception and delusion – to raise to life those trapped in spiritual death separated from their God.

Isa 61:1-4: “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.” And they shall rebuild the old ruins, They shall raise up the former desolation’s, And they shall repair the ruined cities, The desolation’s of many generations.

Keep on pursuing love.
It never fails.

Ron McGatlin

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

Blinded by the worlds bling, bling!

Posted: June 15, 2011 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, teaching, wilderness
Tags: Bride of Christ, Christian life, disciples, Doctrines, kingdom growth, Kingdom teaching, sin, Spirit led life

Is the world so powerful in these days that its ability to hide the truth is so great that the majority of Christians do not even realize that they have been captivated by it allure. So many believe they are free not realizing how thick the prison walls of worldly desires are around them. Sadly one of the thickest walls is that of religion. Praise God for His Word – let us not stop professing it in the Authority & Power of Jesus Christ.

For I am not ashamed of the Gospel (good news) of Christ, for it is God’s power working unto salvation [for deliverance from eternal death] to everyone who believes with a personal trust and a confident surrender and firm reliance, to the Jew first and also to the Greek, For in the Gospel a righteousness which God ascribes is revealed, both springing from faith and leading to faith [disclosed through the way of faith that arouses to more faith]. As it is written, The man who through faith is just and upright shall live and shall live by faith.(A) For God’s [holy] wrath and indignation are revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who in their wickedness repress and hinder the truth and make it inoperative. (Rom 1:16-18 AMP)

Holiness has seemed to have become a challenge for most people to obtain.

Our salvation is the power which affords us the ability to live, not just a life of faith, but a life of faith that is based upon godliness.

There are some terms that most people shy away from today, which speaks of their relationship and stand with God that seem to segregate them from the common population. Terms such as holiness, sanctification, righteousness, perfection, peculiar, and consecrated are not common in the Body today, yet many of the worlds wisdom is spoken of and portrayed as a holy revelation.

“The world has taken captive in many churches the powerful message of Biblical characters”

We start using TV programs and characters to relate to rather than the people of the Bible as though they are now out dated.

Most people do not want to be looked at as being different; we try so much to assimilate, until we assimilate ourselves to spiritual compromise. Some things, some of us, would never see as being unrighteous or compromising, because we choose to keep God out of that part of our lives.

There is an element of unholy control that we like to have over certain areas and we resist any efforts of change and ultimately label others as being either fanatical, weak, or religious when challenged to change in those areas.

I have learned that no matter what is preached, unless individuals allow the Holy Ghost to penetrate their hearts, they never see the errors of their ways. Therefore, in these last days, the church has become too compromising and that has lead to a frustration of its purpose.

There was a day that there was a distinct difference between those who were sanctified and those who were not. Yet now the mention of true sanctification is shunned away as legalistic.

Many of us have forgotten the admonition by Paul in:

Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers [do not make mismated alliances with them or come under a different yoke with them, inconsistent with your faith]. For what partnership have right living and right standing with God with iniquity and lawlessness? Or how can light have fellowship with darkness? What harmony can there be between Christ and Belial [the devil]? Or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? What agreement [can there be between] a temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God; even as God said, I will dwell in and with and among them and will walk in and with and among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.(C) So, come out from among [unbelievers], and separate (sever) yourselves from them, says the Lord, and touch not [any] unclean thing; then I will receive you kindly and treat you with favor,(D) And I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.(E) (2 Cor 6:14-18 AMP)

Paul is literally speaking in this passage about compromising our spiritual values and assimilating with the unrighteous philosophy of the world.

What makes it so difficult for the people of God to sanctify themselves for God only?

Have you considered why the world seems so attractive to people, when it was the world that caused them to run to Christ?

Oh my friends, many of us are in denial having allowed the lust of our eyes, the lust of our hearts, and the pride of life to cause us to become more attracted to the world than to please God.

We need to turn back to the roots of our beginning and realize that the Lord birthed something in our Jewish heritage that the enemy knew if he could sever our ties to it, would cause us to be a weakened church. Now is the time that we need to turn towards the Lord our God whole heartedly, we must learn to sacrifice ourselves, our agendas, and our philosophies to the sole authority of God, the Father. If not, I believe that some of us are in for a rude awakening at judgment time.

Speaking of shunned words this is but another thing that people do not like to talk about, judgment. We all will have to give an account for all that we do in this flesh.

The Jewish people were taught from a young age to know only study and recite the Torah, they were taught to have a holy reverent fear of the Lord and His Word. The truth is today, we have not seen, nor realized the drastic outcome and punishment of divine judgment, because we have allowed the world to justify ill conditions to fate and not attribute them to the hand of God.

I believe that God is highly disappointed with the church today and, as the scripture states; He is shortening these last days so that the very elect will not be fooled.

So let us pose this question today of “how are we fooled”? We are fooled when we choose to outdate the scriptures; when we choose to justify our actions; when we choose to compromise our values and standards; and the like.

Because we allowed the things of the world take rule in the church, walls of separation and segregation were imposed. Today because of the error that has traditionally become a “false” truth has left us with actions that are not necessarily denominational dependent, but are direct in violation to the word and will of God. God’s word never changes, nor does God. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Because of all the hype and counterfeit moves of God today, I believe that most people have had a religious experience, but all are not truly filled and baptized with the Holy Ghost.

The very Word itself has been consistently manifested before our very eyes, yet not knowing the Truth of the Word we have been blind to the fact that we have birthed a generation of “believers” who have a form of godliness, but deny the very power of the God they state that they serve.

God is not weak; the blood of Jesus is not powerless; the power of the Holy Ghost has not diminished; prayer still works; so does, fasting, studying, and submitting to the word of God.

Let us read what the Master stated in gospel of John:

If you [really] love Me, you will keep (obey) My commands. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby), that He may remain with you forever– The Spirit of Truth, Whom the world cannot receive (welcome, take to its heart), because it does not see Him or know and recognize Him. But you know and recognize Him, for He lives with you [constantly] and will be in you. (John 14:15-17 AMP)

Jesus’ words in this passage allow you to take an individual spiritual assessment and to measure your spiritual development based upon your love for Him.

Just as He said in Luke 7:47, “Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.” Many of us have not properly valued His forgiveness of our sins. And, what you value little, you respect little.

“Worldly wisdom says to disregard the ways of the world and that everyone can believe the Word according to your own understanding”.

Again I want to touch base on how our being cut off from our Jewish heritage in the church has left us prepared to disregard the world’s wisdom and hold strongly onto the Truth of the Word. When one studies the early church, we find a group of people who were prepared to be those whom the Lord would birth the Bride through. Their culture of honoring and holding to the scriptures as a life source allowed them to transfer this into the next generation. At an early age they could recite the Torah, today many in the church can not recite more than a handful of scriptures.

Fathers can not pass on the knowledge of the Word when they themselves know it not. The enemy sought to replace this important aspect of the family and replaced the ‘fathers’ with the clergy or priest, even to the point that for decades and in some cases in our day they are still referred too as “father”.

The Fathers were use to being the spiritual leader of the homes and this custom was passed from one generation to the next. Even today many even though they do not believe that Jesus was the Christ, they are reaping the reward of holding to the Word of God and given God is correct place of authority and ruler-ship in their lives. They know what it means to be a spiritual family.

Like the people of the first church, our love for God should cause us to obey all of His commandments; they are not grievous, except to those who desire to do wrong.

The reason why some of our lives are so spiritually weak is simply because our lack of true love for Christ, the Word and the WAY of God diminishes the effectiveness of the Holy Ghost, which is given to us.

Our love and obedience empowers us with the comfort of the Spirit in every situation of our life.

So, what will you give or surrender in exchange for your soul? Will it be a little pleasure; a little recognition; a little fame; a little popularity; a little compromise; a little here and a little there?

Back to what the Lord said earlier, “Consider your ways.” Living for God is more than about blessings and prosperity, but it involves righteousness, holiness, consecration, sanctification, and sacrifice.

What you do now determines the strength of your relationship. God has already given us everything that pertains to life and godliness through the working of His Holy Spirit. But, it will do us no good if we never obey.

Let us repent and turn to the Lord God adhering to the Masters call to” ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind. And love your neighbor as you love yourself.” and begin with removing the lust of this world, replacing its ruler in our lives and start with the first commandment “You shall have no other gods before Me”.

We are living in the days when the Lord is seeking radical disciples – those who have heard not only the message of the cross, but the call to bare ones cross as well.

For indeed we serve an Awesome & Holy God.

Increasing in Spiritual Authority

Posted: June 10, 2011 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, teaching, wilderness
Tags: discipleship, Doctrines, grace, Kingdom life, Kingdom teaching, sin, Spirit led life

First, as a disciple of Jesus Christ you have authority over sin.Let me show this to you in the Word by turning to John Chapter 8, beginning in verse 31:

“Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, ‘If you abide in My Word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’ They answered Him, ‘We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, “You will be made free?”‘ Jesus answered them, ‘Most assuredly I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore, if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.”

So first of all, number one, as a disciple of Jesus Christ, you have authority over sin. Thanks be to God Who has delivered us from sin through Jesus Christ. We have authority over the penalty of sin, and we have authority over the power of sin. That means, according to Paul in Romans, that sin does not have to have dominion over us, as opposed to before when we had no choice, we had no say so, but we were bound by sin. And now, through the death of Jesus Christ, we’ve been delivered from the power of sin, and we’ve been delivered from the penalty of sin. So now we have authority over sin. So praise God for that! That is the first thing you have authority over as a disciple of Jesus Christ. Whoever the Son makes free, they are free indeed!

And you might say, “Well, I don’t feel like it, it doesn’t look like it, blah blah blah.” One thing you need to learn about authority is: authority is yours whether you see it, whether you feel it, whether you act upon it or not. You still have authority over sin. We’ll talk about how to increase that authority, and that’s the difference. The increase of authority over sin (and over anything else that we’ll discuss) is increased as you act upon that authority. We’ll discuss that as we go forward, but right now, just accept it on faith based on what Jesus is saying. He or she, whoever the Son sets free, is free indeed. So you have authority over sin. You’re no longer a slave to sin, instead, Paul says you are a slave to righteousness. Now the first step is recognizing that so you can start living according to who you really are, not the way you’ve been living up to the point where you gave your life to the Lord. So authority over sin – that’s what you have already, number one.

Number two, you have, as a disciple of Jesus Christ, authority over satan. You do have authority over the devil. I’ve already read this, but to reinforce the point once more – and there are many scriptures that we could provide to support this, but one of the clearest examples is Colossians Chapter 1 – so if you’ll turn to Colossians Chapter 1, I’d like to begin with verse 12:

“Giving thanks to the Father, Who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us…” (Now that is past tense. He has – not going to deliver us.)

“…He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the Kingdom of the Son of His love.” The Greek word “power” there again, being “exousia”, more properly translated “authority”.

Once you have received an inheritance of the saints in the light, and you’ve been transferred out of darkness and into the Kingdom of His dear Son, you’ve been delivered from the authority and the power of darkness. Your eyes have been opened, and satan no longer has authority in your life. And so, you’ve got authority over the devil, you have authority over satan, and that is not something you have to work towards in an effort to try and get that. Instead, that authority is yours in the Name of Jesus. Now, listen! You don’t have to claim it; it just is. Whether you claim it or not, whether you believe it or not, you have authority over sin, you have authority over satan.

Now obviously some people have more than others – only because some people recognize that authority and they live accordingly. If you have authority over the devil, but you keep giving him permission to operate in your life, then guess what? He’s going to beat you up. If you have authority over sin, but you continue to willfully sin, and you don’t deal with those areas, and you don’t allow yourself to be crucified and dealt with in those areas, then you’re going to continue to sin – even though you have authority over sin, you have authority over satan; nevertheless, that authority has to be recognized, and then it has to be exercised.

Now regardless of what you believe, or what you think, or what you feel, or what you see, this is what the Scripture says. So that’s the second thing. You have authority over sin, you have authority over satan – as a believer, as a saint, as a disciple of Jesus Christ.

Thirdly, you have authority over the world. And that is found in I John Chapter 5, if you would turn there please. Beginning in verse 4, it says this:

“For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world: our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”

Praise the Lord. Now, it doesn’t say you have to be mature. It doesn’t say you have to be spiritually adult. It just says you have to be born of God and believe that Jesus is the Son of God; and once you are born-again, God at that moment gives you authority over the world.

Different people could translate that to mean different things. I take it as: authority over the world system, authority over the ways of the world. It means the world no longer has to have that pull and that draw upon you, because your citizenship now is in heaven, and you can be an ambassador for Christ and a king and priest in His Kingdom and represent that to the world around you. That’s how you overcome the world. John says don’t love the world, or the things of the world, because the world and the things therein are passing away, but he who does the will of God will abide forever. And this is he who overcomes the world: those who are born again. Those who have believed on the Name of Jesus. And this is the victory that has overcome the world: our faith. So praise God.

Now, in the world you’ll have tribulation, so authority over the world doesn’t mean that my circumstances will always be just the way I want them; I’ll never have any problems, and I’ll never have any challenges. What it means is: in the midst of all of that coming against me in the world, I can still be victorious in Christ.

And so, you already have, as a disciple of Jesus Christ, authority over sin, number one; authority over satan, number two; and number three: authority over the world.

Now, since all disciples have this authority, why doesn’t every disciple overcome? You might be asking yourself that question. You might say, “That sounds good, I believe what the Bible says, but I certainly don’t see that happening in my life, and I don’t see that as being the standard for Christian’s lives as a general way of life. I don’t see this happening. So if all disciples have this authority, why don’t more disciples overcome?”

Well, I think the clue you’re going to find out is right back where we left off in John 8. You remember Jesus says, “If… if… if.” See, that’s a condition. “If you continue, if you continue, if you continue in My Word.” What happens if you don’t continue? Well, “if you don’t continue in My Word, then you’re not really My disciples, and therefore the Truth cannot make you free.”

Truth makes us free in a progressive sense. In other words, we have authority over sin, but many times we’re still bound by sin. We have authority over satan, but a lot of times we allow satan to intimidate us, or to exercise power over us, as a result of our own ignorance, our own laziness. See, God says “My people perish for a lack of knowledge.” It is not because satan is all-powerful. It’s not because he’s even very powerful. It’s not because he has authority, in fact the exact opposite is the case when you’re born again, you become a child of God, you have authority over satan!

So how is it that the devil is able to accomplish so much? It’s because “My people perish for a lack of knowledge.” It’s a lack of understanding, and actually a lack of wisdom, because we don’t continue in the Word, we don’t give the Word time enough to transform us and conform us. We don’t continue, we don’t abide in His Word. And so Jesus says (in effect) “if you don’t abide in My Word then you’re not my disciples indeed, you will not know the truth, and the truth will not make you free.”

It’s all contingent on abiding in My Word. “Abide in Me, I will abide in you, you will produce much fruit, and your fruit will remain,” it says in John 15. But, “if you do not abide in Me, if you do not continue in Me, if you do not continue and abide in My Word and in My teachings, then you will not experience fruitfulness, and you will not experience the liberty and the freedom that is there, that is available to you – but you’ve got to continue in My Word.”

Don’t be condemned, but just let me speak the truth to you. If you’re lacking in an area, it’s not because sin is so powerful. It’s not because the devil is so powerful. It’s not because the world is so powerful. It’s only because you have failed to appreciate and recognize and walk in the authority that God has given you. That’s it! You just haven’t grown up to the point that you can walk in the assurance and the knowledge and the authority and the maturity that God has already provided for you.

So don’t blame God, don’t blame sin, don’t blame satan, don’t blame the world – and don’t blame yourself. Just go ahead and say, “OK. I recognize now that I have failed to grow up in these areas.” And ask the Lord to help you to grow, and as you do, your awareness of the truth will begin to transform you.

Does the world recognize its own reflection in your life!

Posted: May 28, 2011 in disciples life, teaching
Tags: broken hearted, disciples, Doctrines, radical christianity, sin

Have you suffered so many things {and} experienced so much all for nothing (to no purpose)–if it really is to no purpose {and} in vain? (Gal 3:4 amp)

There were a number of accepted belief systems in Palestine and the greater Roman Empire at the time this was written, such as Gnosticism and Judaism, but it is certain that God’s truth was never popular or widely accepted. It is practically a foregone conclusion that someone practicing the truth will be persecuted for it to one degree or another (Matthew 13:21; Romans 8:35-36; Galatians 5:11; II Timothy 3:12; I Peter 2:19-21).

In fact, the churches of Galatia may have been forewarned about this by Paul when he was teaching in Derbe, Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch (all on the south-eastern border of Galatia) as recorded in Acts 14:20-22. Christians are called to be separate from this world and its ways, and when the world recognizes this difference, it lashes out.

From Paul’s writing, it seems that the Galatians had the proper foundation at one time, and they really did understand the truth at the beginning of their spiritual lives.

This would have been the time when they were actively standing up for the truth, and a great contrast would have been evident between the Galatians and the general population. This is when they would have suffered—in the internal struggle of having to give up their former conduct, or with the external struggle of not fitting in with the rest of society.

As the Galatians began to slide into apostasy, they would no longer have been so repulsive to the people around them, and the suffering and persecution would have begun to lessen—the world would have started to recognize itself in them again (John 15:19).

In essence, Paul is asking them if they are just going to throw away all that they had learned—especially what they had learned through adversity. With this question he is pointing out that, if they fall away, everything they had been through, both good and bad, would have been in vain in the sense that there would be no future profit from it.

They would have received the maximum benefit from it already. This relates to Romans 8:28, where we are promised that all that we suffer will be redeemed for those who meet the requirements listed—those who are called according to His purpose, which the Galatians ostensibly were, and those who love God, which the Galatians were not doing in that they were relegating Christ’s sacrifice for sin as meaningless.

The question we have to ask about our selves and our church today is “Does the world see more of itself in us, they we are seen in the world”? Now, the tough part if one really wants the truth is to ask Holy Ghost to do the search. I think many will be shocked at just how much leaven Holy Ghost point’s out – then comes the question are you willing to have it removed?

We can play church all we want, but if we believe we can play church and live as the world does and that the stench of the world will not be pick up in the Kingdom, we are only fooling ourselves. There are going to be no prostitutes (spiritually speaking) marrying the Fathers Son – Only those who are loyal to the Groom shall become the Bride – where is you loyalty today!!!

“The only way to live a life with no compromise is to live as one who has been broken. Our fleshly man has no control what so ever and our inner man ( spirit) has been fully captured in the marriage of our spirit with that of the Gods Spirit within, together acting as one with no battle of will”.~RGW

A Radical transformation of discipleship needed in our day!

Posted: May 18, 2011 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, Parents, teaching
Tags: Bride of Christ, disciples, Doctrines, God's love, kingdom growth, Kingdom living, Kingdom teaching, radical christianity, Spirit led life

I believe that if we are to truly lead people to Christ and then disciple into maturity, we need to be more Christ-like in our leadership style. In order for this to happen we need to have a radical transformation in the manner for which we disciple new believers in our day!

Too often I find leaders getting depressed when other are not at their same maturity and the depression opens the door to bitterness and the door of bitterness open yet into another room of those classified as cold hearted burnouts. They may still confess that they love the Lord, yet the most important Spiritual fruit in ones life which testifies to having Christ in our hearts is vacant in their lives – the fruit of Love!

I have been in “church” for 30 plus years and involved in ministry for a little over ten years, six of which has been in nursing homes. At first I felt as though everyone should be involved in the nursing home ministry, if you were not you lacked compassion.

It didn’t take long for Holy Ghost to kick that horse of pride out from underneath me. It had gotten to the point where I had even made a comfortable spiritual saddle lined with scriptures to back up my point.

None of which offered much comfort when I fell on my spiritual backside – that fall was just hard enough to jar loose all the religious garbage that I had been feeding myself on.

Holy Ghost then took me on a journey thru the scriptures and pointed out how everyone is not (thankfully) called to the same task. We are each designed in the image of God, yes, and we should all strive to have the character of God within our make up, yes. But there is no way one individual can be like God, yet when we see the Body as a whole, operating in each called gift, we get a glimpse of the very nature of God.

As leaders we can not allow the thought that “everyone needs to be like me and walk in the same calling that I have or else they simply are not a good Christian” take root in our hearts. In fact I know some brothers and sisters who try so hard to walk in the calling of the leaders around them they are actually living in rebellion because they are not walking in the calling of the Father on their lives. I don’t know about anyone else but as for myself I never want to be in a position where I cause another believer to rebel against the Fathers call on their lives.

It is so easy to get caught up in the false religious leadership functioning style that is out there today – which is why we need to stay in the Word and most definitely stay in communion with the Father. Our prayer life should consume the majority of our time. When we are so saturated in the presence of the Father, that His glory is so strong we need not speak but a few words, for just the shadow of His presence on our lives heals the sick, set’s the captives free and raises the dead – then we will know we’ve indeed been in the presence of the Father in quality time, even as was the life of Christ pour Lord!

We need more men and women in leadership today who are motivated by the unction of Holy Ghost and not being stirred by the emotions of their hearts, motivated by the very situations and conditions around them.

We need more preachers in the pulpit who know the Word so intimately that they can teach it to those whom the Lord puts before them not only thru spoken words but thru their life actions being lived out before the people – then we will see the opening of spiritual prison doors and the captives coming out in true freedom!

We need to put an end to cookie cutter ministries who seek to turn out perfect little Christians molded in the image of the doctrinal understanding we have and instead allow Holy Ghost to be able to impart the very gifts and calling of God according to that which the Father desires for each individual.

We need to go back to the basics of true discipleship according to the teachings of Christ that we will see the Johns and Peters, the Nathanael’s and James’s. the Matthew’s and Bartholomew’s. the Thomas’s and Andrew’s and the Simon’s and Philip’s rising up (Not only men but women as well). Each one was called of God, yet each one had a ministry gift that they operated in which was singularly different, yet when brought together made up the whole group’s character.

God’s ultimate goal for each individual’s life on earth is not comfort, but character development. He wants each of us to grow up spiritually. Becoming like Christ does not mean losing ones personality or becoming a mindless clone. God created each of us with an individual uniqueness, so he certainly doesn’t want to destroy it. Christ-likeness is all about transforming our character, not our personality.

We need to stop judging people as to whether they hold up to our calling and instead help them get positioned to where they are exhibiting the fruit of their individual calling. We are called to be Christ like, we were never called to look like and act like one another – other than the true unified display of our love for one another.

If we are to be true leaders in regard to maturing the babes in Christ we need to take a step back from the prideful reflection of ourselves, stepping into the very potion of where we can see with spiritual eyes open, the prophetic reflection of Christ in others lives – not who they are right now in the natural, rather who they are in Christ according to the Father’s calling on their lives.

Until we model the discipleship style that Jesus laid out for us, we will never see those before us maturing into true disciples of Jesus Christ.

If we desire to see radical disciples of Christ sold out radically to live as He has called us to live, then we must radically change the way we do church and the way we disciple, returning back to the style we find rooted in the gospels and the book of Acts.

I will end this with the writing’s of the Apostle Paul:

And he gave some apostles, some prophets, others evangelists, others shepherds and teachers, to the full ending of saints, into the work of ministry, into [the] edification of Christ’s body, till we run all, into unity of faith and of knowing of God’s Son, into a perfect man, after the measure of the age of the plenty of Christ; [till we run all, in unity of faith and of knowing of God’s Son, into a perfect man, into the measure of age of the plenty of Christ;] that we be not now little children, moving as waves, and be not borne about with each wind of teaching [and be borne about with all wind of teaching], in the waywardness of men, in subtle wit, to the deceiving of error.

But do we truth in charity, and wax in him by all things, that is Christ our head; [Forsooth we doing truth in charity, wax in him by all things, that is Christ the head;] of whom all the body set together, and bound together by each jointure of under-serving, by working into the measure of each member [after working into the measure of each member], maketh increasing of the body, into [the] edification of itself in charity.

Therefore I say and witness this thing in the Lord [Therefore this thing I say, and witness in the Lord], that ye walk not now, as heathen men walk, in the vanity of their wit; that have understanding darkened with darknesses [having their understanding darkened], and be aliened from the life of God, by ignorance that is in them, for the blindness of their heart.

Which despairing betook themselves to unchastity, into the working of all uncleanness in covetousness.

But ye have not so learned Christ, if nevertheless ye heard him, and be taught in him, as is truth in Jesus.

Do ye away by the old living the old man, that is corrupt by the desires of error; [Do ye away after the first living the old man, that is corrupt after the desires of error;] and be ye renewed in the spirit of your soul; and clothe ye the new man, which is made after God in rightwiseness and holiness of truth. [and clothe ye the new man, which after God is made of nought in rightwiseness and holiness of truth.] (Eph 4:11-24 Wycliff New Testament)

The highest calling is that of servant-hood,

Russ Welch

Radical Disciples – A Remnant Revolution

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Posts Tagged ‘Doctrines’

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Embrace the Awe of God!

Let us return the Word to the pulpit Pt 1

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Blinded by the worlds bling, bling!

Increasing in Spiritual Authority

Does the world recognize its own reflection in your life!

A Radical transformation of discipleship needed in our day!