Posts Tagged ‘Kingdom life’

Christ-like Discipleship verses the Modern Church discipleship

Posted: June 11, 2011 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, Prophetic, wilderness
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As we were ministering to the homeless last night, I thought of all the peoples in the City neglected by the church, not just the homeless, but the mentally tormented, the addicts, the elderly and shut ins -yet these peoples are not forgotten by the Lord.

Last night I was crying before the Lord for the need is so large yet so few are moved with true compassion. He had reminded me early as I was driving home from downtown of how He has said there will be a day when those who had been clothed for the wedding, will have their garments removed and they shall be placed up the way wards and servants.

As I was weeping before Him, He showed that many like those we have been ministering are a hidden remnant army of Heaven, waiting to be awoke for the last days – that of those who the religious have forsaken He shall revive, restore to their created purpose and place in them the Fire of His Glory. For many look to those who appear to be “righteous & Holy” as pleasing towards the Lord, yet the fragrance of their prideful religion is a stench to His nostrils.

Many in the modern day church believe that by building huge “houses of worship” and filling them with great performers and most advanced technological gadgets of the day, we shall disciple a huge amount of workers – Yet history goes against that thinking, for the past 100 years the church as evolved with the modern world, they have allowed the power of God’s Word to be replaced with modern ingenuity and we have been left with a powerless people – powerless not because the Lord has not desired to empower them with His presence – they are powerless for they have grown dependent upon their wisdom, their knowledge, their way and have rejected the ways of the Lord.

The church in a large part has become broken in the Spiritual things, though it appears wealthy in the modern sense – it has turned from the style of discipleship which birthed the world changers of Jesus day and attempted to better the very style He has prescribed in His Word.

They see themselves as rich because all the money they bring in and can spend on modern amenities – Yet the Lord says “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”. (Rev 3:17)

First of all, making disciples is not an easy process. It is trying, it is messy, it is slow, tedious and even painful at times. It is all these things because it is relational (something that can not be gained from those who believe they can mainly disciple from a pulpit).

We read part of the instruction that Jesus gave us and what it involves in that we are to go and make disciples of all nations. Then we are to baptize them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. We are to teach them to obey everything Jesus commanded. All this adds up to the means to multiply people who enjoy God’s grace and extend His Glory around the world.

Now, according to Jesus, disciple making involves going. It involves intentionally taking the gospel to the people where they live, work and play. Disciple making is not a call for others to come to us, in a building, to hear the gospel but a command for us to go to others to share the gospel. It is a command for us to be gospel-living, gospel-speaking people at every moment and in every context where we find ourselves.

We disciple true disciples by leading them by hand in to the high-ways and by-ways – not by mere instruction – but by walking the walk with them – walking thru those neighborhoods where the modern day church dare not go – walking into the trauma centers – walking into the bars – walking into the nursing homes – walking into the prisons – and breathing out the gospel message. Christ first led the way, showing the disciples how to minister – then He said go, do what you’ve seen me do.

Many of the modern day church leaders if they were to lead the church to where they were taught, it would be but back to the halls ways of religion, the seminaries where they were taught by the those who dared not go themselves – being taught the business structure of church, the non-offensive politically correct art of “church” – not the hands on laboring structure of the Kingdom!

I recently came out from underneath a leadership who believed they had come out from the religious church structure only to find that they are attempting to build their own. Dis-regarding the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ in the call to go out, they teach “gather” them in that “our” elite might minister too them. Sadly they have continued to attempt to build like minded leaders to advance their name, dis regarding the call to go out and reach the lost, disc regarding the Lord’s call to feed the hungry.

I praise Yeshua for His faithfulness to call out too His own, for during the whole process, many of the trained leaders, having had a true and revelationary encounter with the Lord have been drawn away from such religious foolishness and have gone out to spread the Good News.

Now the truth is, it has cost those who have dared to truly follow the Lord, even as Jesus said it would – false accusations, back biting even being told that they are walking away from God’s calling. In reality they are walking directly into the purposes of God for their lives.

God is calling for a re-aligning of the Bride back too her foundational setting!

Give me the Bible and the opportunity to speak of its power, sharing the testimony of how thru it, Holy Ghost has transformed and continues to transform my life – mix with with the testimonies of others, coat in the power and authority of heaven via the anointing of Holy Ghost and you will see a people being reached with the truth – yet this is not for me alone – this is the opportunity for every believer who has been set free to do – going out and sharing the power of the gospel to lost.

If we were to strip these modern churches of all the fancy gadgets and turn them back to the preaching of the Word of God in truth and purity – if we were to remove the performance based worship, speaking and theatrical style church services back to that which the Lord taught us, we would see a church that is impacting the very culture that surrounds it rather than the church being impacted by the culture!

Time is short, the Father has told Holy Ghost to ramp up the shaking – the earth itself is crying out for the Lords return. Holy Ghost is empowering those who desire the true gospel with a last days out-pouring of anointing, dreams and visions – the time for the religious modern day church to repent and turn back to the foundational teachings is short.

You have heard the Word and heard the call – the decision is now before you – follow Jesus and His Word in His truthful authority & anointed power or continue to sit in the comforts of religion listening to those ear tickling, watered down – self help, powerless messages. Today the alarm is being blown before you, those who take up the cause of Christ, their cross and His Kingdom shall see their rewards, they shall be empowered from on High with supernatural peace and strength to push forward the Kingdom of God.

There is a gospel starved generation out side the walls of religious conformity- Are you radical enough to say no more to religion and start living, breathing and walking in the power of His name? For the true radical disciples of Christ have a fire burning inside to transfer the message of truth into others lives, that they in return become set a blazed with the passion of Christ to go out and do the same!

Give me ten such individuals, who have denied themselves, turned from religion and rejected the modern day powerless doctrines of individualism and conformity which leads to a life of religious compromise.

Yes Lord, show me ten such radical Kingdom citizens who have been baptized in the fires of Yeshua’s passion for the lost and forsaken, those filled with His fire filled passion for His Bride- for then I will show you a city being transformed, who shall then see the Spirit birthing out a people who shall transform a State, who then shall see the Spirit birthing out a people who shall transform whole nations for the Glory, Honor and Praise of our Lord Jesus Christ, which in return Glorifies the Father!

The choice is set before you today friends – follow man or follow Christ!

IHS,
Russ Welch

Increasing in Spiritual Authority

Posted: June 10, 2011 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, teaching, wilderness
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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.

Its time for the preachers turn back to preaching life not death!

Posted: June 9, 2011 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, teaching, wilderness
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The apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthian church: “I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner…for godly sorrow worketh repentance” (2 Corinthians 7:9–10).

What is happening to the House of God today? Where is the preaching of the Word? Why is there such a lack of messages about sin? When we do not preach the Word, rather we preach a watered down version according to what we believe the people want to hear, we do an injustice to the Lord. And we end up with a church filled with weak Christians stumbling from defeat to defeat! They choose to listen only to soft, flesh-assuring preaching. Where there is no convicting word, where there can be no godly sorrow over sin. And where there is no godly sorrow for sin, there can be no repentance. And where there is no repentance, there is only hardness of heart.

Thank God, David had Nathan, who was not afraid of what the King would do to him, he walked with a holy reverence for the Lord God and the Truth!

David saw what happened to Saul when he rejected the word of the Lord. Saul, who once walked a godly life style, living as a Spirit-led king continually rejected the Spirit’s reproving words, delivered by a holy prophet. It didn’t take long after he began to stop listening to God that Saul began to walk in self-will, bitterness and rebellion.

Finally, the Holy Ghost departed from him: “Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king” (1 Samuel 15:23). “The Lord…departed from Saul” (18:12). Saul ended up turning to a witch for guidance, which many Christians do today – they seek out a person who does not treasure the gifts of the Lord and they will for the recognition of men give a pleasing truth-less word. Saul knew the Lord had left him, he even confessed to the witch, “God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams: therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do” (28:15)

All this came crashing back to David memory, all the madness, ugliness and terror surrounding this man who had shut out God’s word. Suddenly, the truth pierced his own heart: “God is no respecter of persons. I have sinned, as Saul did. And now here’s another prophet, in another time, giving me God’s Word, as Samuel gave it to Saul. Oh, Lord, I’ve sinned against you! Please don’t take your Holy Spirit from me, as you did from Saul.”

We need men and women of God today in the pulpit who fear the Lord more than they fear the people or the lack of their treasure chests being filled!

We need men and women of God who are on fire for the Lord and His truth, that will not compromise the truth of the scriptures even if it means death. We need to get back to the Bible and stop with all these foolish functions, conferences and hyped up emotional meetings to stir the hearts, minds and wallets of the people. Holy Spirit will stir the hearts of the people. When we release the Word of God with the power and authority of the King, it will bring conviction – not only to those hearing the Word, but first to those preaching the Word.

Friends, let us not be fooled any more about the “Revival message” coming by simply willing it – that if we get loud enough He will come, that if we dance hard enough the Lord will show up in power. The Bible clearly shows that whenever we return to the Lord in genuine, heartfelt repentance, God responds by bringing absolute reconciliation and restoration. Reconciliation – a rejoining of our hearts and spirit with that of the Lords! Restoration a true Revival that brings us back to the redemptive and transforming purposes of the Lord! It’s when God’s [people fall on their face, truly repent and call out upon the Lord with every part of their lives, then we shall see a people rise up who themselves are the Revival of the Most High!!!

Is dancing and shouting praise to the Lord wrong? Of course not, but if there is no conviction that we are not completely following Him, that there are things in our lives that limit Holy Spirit from fully releasing from our lives, that which the Lord has poured in, how can the Lord use us? He could show up at any church He desires to show up at, but He is looking for a people who are hungry for Truth, a people who are not simply moved by a song that spurns emotions – He is looking for a people who have been broken, who have come to the conviction that it is not because the Lord does not love that He has not showed up in His Glory – it is because we have not loved Him enough to get rid of everything that is an idol in our lives.

This does not mean that we have to “fade away” from life, biding our time in quiet shame until the Lord takes us home. Lets get real, listen to what the Word has to say, such as what we read in the book of Joel. Here we see where the prophet Joel assures us that God steps in immediately when we return to him: “Rend your hearts turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil” (Joel 2:13)

Now that a powerful promise – The Bible is filled with these promises, they are not dead words, they are alive even in this present day. The Words of the Lords speaks from generation to generation. Look again in Joel, for God then gives us this incredible promise: “I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten and ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed” (2:25–26). The Lord promises to restore all.

And this happened after God had pronounced judgment upon the land!

Even as He has pronounced judgment upon those who forsake His Word – if we will but turn towards Him, with a repentant heart cry out, Father forgive me – He will run to us as did the father to the prodigal son and restore unto us all that He has desired. A true revival is not ushered in on the wings of eagles, it is ushered in upon the broken hearts that cry out in repentance. Just look at the revival of times past – the heavens opened up as the people having their hearts pierced cried put to God to forgive them. We saw the revival in individuals hearts and lives being transferred into the hearts of others

We need to get back to preaching God’s Word with Fire, with conviction, allowing it to do its job to pierce the sinner and saints hearts alike.

Today the church has swallowed such a fallacy that has been placed upon the good ole Hellfire preaching to the point that the people of God have been dumbed down to believing that the pulpit should give us a word that build us up which is non offensive and easy to swallow. The truth is, God does not want to build us up on a foundation of hay and stubble – He wants to build us up on a solid foundation, on the foundation of the Rock of His salvation Jesus Christ – thus we need to have that Word of God that divides asunder, even to the piercing of the heart to render us in a broken state, that the breath of His revelation can come in with new birth and build up in His way.

What has been known to be an offensive message of Hell and sin, is in all honesty, is that which is preached through tears by one who has been through the valley of conviction and emptied out on the alter humbled under the mighty hand of God, called “grace preaching.” If you’re your heart is being pricked and probed by God’s Word — if Holy Spirit is refusing to allow you sit comfortably in your sin — then you’re listening too truth and being shown mercy. It is the deep love of God at work, calling you out of death and into the true Christ birthed life.

The question is – do we want to turn back to preaching and hearing the truth, are we willing respond to him as David did? If we the people of the Lord God desire such truth and seek after it with our whole heart then we will know true restoration and reconciliation. And we shall see that our God will restore everything the enemy has stolen.

Let the pulpits across this nation once again be set on fire – it is not to late for America or any other Nation to repent and turn towards God. His grace and mercy abounds and will be poured out upon all who call upon His Name!

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My prayer is that the Lord will strip me of everything that is not worthy of Him, everything that would limit the power of Holy Spirit flowing through my own life. That what ever is in my own life, whether pride, godless desires or what ever the sin may be be burnt up and thrown out. That from this point on I will never preach another Word that is not baptized in the fires of His holiness – that I will not listen for the Amen’s of the people – rather I will turn my ears to hear the Amen’s of heaven. That Holy Spirit will sweep across this nation and move upon every man and women of God in the pulpit seeking to only proclaim His truth this week and set them ablaze with the passion of the Father and open the ears of the people to those who refuse and see how empty their words are – the words that contain death and not life.

May the Lord God bring a conviction upon the Bride in this nation and all nations to repent and turn back to Him in Truth through the Spirit!

Ready for Full-time Ministry?

Posted: June 4, 2011 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, teaching, wilderness
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You are ready for full-time ministry when:

You no longer need human applause

You don’t need anyone to give you an assignment

You don’t need a plan

You don’t need a building, a congregation or an endorsement

When you no longer are looking for some Great work to do

When the only thing that fully satisfies your heart is your prayer,
your worship, your ministry unto the Lord.

When you are satisfied with feeding Christ.

When you have giving yourself completely and your focus is on this one thing – My calling on this earth first of all is to be a minister unto Him.

In studying Ezek 44 – it is scary to see how many “ministers” in our day fall far outside the guidelines of the Zadok priesthood and are nothing more than either thieves or hirelings.

I can remember the day the Lord spoke to my heart as I was thinking about Full-time ministry. I had just spent the day servicing customers homes and during that time prayed with one lady who had cancer. At another home I shared the Lord with a Jehovah witness and shared how much Jesus means to me with a few other customers. As the thoughts of “Full-time” ministry were running thru my mind Holy Spirit played my day back to me and the Lord said – this is truly fulltime ministry in My Kingdom. Out of your heart you shared Me with others and expected nothing in return. You gave Glory to My name and served others freely with no mention or seeking of glory for your own.

Then I realized the “fantasy” of Full-time ministry that has been painted by the TV evangelist and many in the position of “paid clergy” today falls in the category of the priest spoken of at the start of Ezek 44. They are pleasing to man and to themselves but they are far from pleasing to the Lord.

Each one of us is giving the opportunity of “Full-time” ministry daily – the question is are you willing to accept the applause of Heaven over that of men or are you simply seeking to make your name known through out the land?

A radical Christian chooses the high road of excellence, as taught by Paul – that though one might have a right to receive support for ministering the gospel that they rather than being a hireling work with their own hands lest they become a burden upon the church!

As for me and my House – we simply want to serve the Lord – to minister unto Him – put a smile on His face and be a blessing to the Kingdom, bringing glory to His Name.

Be not deceived – Know the true Christ!

Posted: May 27, 2011 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, teaching, wilderness
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For in Him the whole fullness of Deity (the Godhead) continues to dwell in bodily form [giving complete expression of the divine nature]. And you [a]are in Him, made full and having come to fullness of life [in Christ you too are filled with the Godhead–Father, Son and Holy Spirit–and reach full spiritual stature]. And He is the Head of all rule and authority [of every angelic principality and power]. (Col 2:9-10 AMP)

A true disciple of Christ will recognize through discernment that at every turn, we are faced with those living the life of a false disciple right in the midst of the fellowship. And the goal of the spirit which is ruling their lives is to twist the nature of Christ. Some false disciples in Paul’s day and right here in ours believe that Jesus was a man, but that Christ entered into Jesus when He was baptized and left Him right before He died.

We find many false doctrines in the world and church today are empowering modern day deceived false disciples who believe that Jesus did not really die—because, after all, if He died, then He was not really God. Many who have been indoctrinated in the false teachings believe that He could not have been perfect and sinless because He created matter, which false disciples, following the thinking of Gnosticism believe to be evil. And there were those in Paul’s day who believed that Jesus Christ was a created being—an idea that is still affecting the fringes of the church of God today.

The point is if we really want to counter false disciples deceptions and their doctrines in our day, we must begin with the truth of Jesus Christ. Paul emphasizes this in verses 9-10: Jesus was the fullness of the divine nature in bodily form, and He is the head, the leader, the sovereign, of every principality and power. Though the false disciples in their various views always twist or deny some aspect of the nature and role of Jesus Christ, these truths brought out by the apostle are bedrock beliefs for true Christians.

We must be anchored in the Word friends, for the true, Holy Ghost taught knowledge of the Word is foundational to countering false doctrines is the truth that Jesus brought. To combat the false knowledge that threatens to plunder our spiritual riches, we must take the Bible as the complete and inspired Word of God, against which we can test any concept, tradition, doctrine, or philosophy, no matter how good it sounds on the surface.

When dealing with such, you will soon learn that these false disciples will not readily accept the Bible as God’s inspired revelation, or if they do, they also hold to the belief that other ancient, secret writings are on par with Scripture, and can be trusted to provide greater insight.

Though the Lord is still speaking to His people today, we need to be very cautious that we do not allow prophecy to over rule the Holy Word. Many in our day are chasing after a new word, and spend little time listening to what the Father has to say in His Word, which is a scale for which we are to use to weigh all things, that we are not being deceived!

We must put on the whole armor of God, I personal tremble at the thought of how foolish I have been in the past to not take advantage of this armor in my own life – But by the Grace of the Holy Father of our Lord Jesus Christ through the guarding of my mind by the infilling of Holy Ghost in my life – there has always been that red flags popping up in my spirit when things contrary to the Ways of the Lord. Much of this I believe is because of the faithful prayers of my mother and many others that the Lord would guard my mind – let us never forsake to power of the prayer of a righteous servant of the Lord – know that the Father hears of prayers!

In the hour we live we must be radical Christians whose eyes turn not from the Lord Jesus Christ, from His Word, and we radically keep our ears tuned into Heaven!

We must be radical Christians in regard to our prayer time, that quality time when the Father shares His heart with us!

We must be radical Christians in regard to the testing of the spirit’s and friends we are called to judge the fruits!

Take for example Acts 16:16-18, here we find Paul and Silas were being followed by a slave girl who predicted the future. When Paul turned and commanded an evil spirit to come out of her, was he judging her? No, he was judging the fruit in her life. He was able to discern that while she did speak the truth about them, saying that they were servants of the Most High God, it was actually the spirit in her that was speaking, seeking attention for itself.

Here again we find another example in Matthew 14:3-12 , in this passage we read how John the Baptist spoke out and told Herod that it was wrong for him to have his brother’s wife. Was John judging Herod when he spoke this? No, he was preaching the uncompromising truth of God’s Word. Obviously, it infuriated Herod because he had John arrested, and later consented to have him beheaded.

Let us do away with the watered down gospel which creates frail, weak Christians and instead let us not walk ourselves in our own strength rather, but in in the power of His Spirit – let us as well train up disciples who are brave and compelled to live in the Ways of Christ, who cower not in the face of the enemy, no matter what persecutions he throws our way!

Friends I truly believe that we are living in the last days, the final chapter of Act’s is being lived out right before us. Because of that, Jesus told us that the love of many will wax cold. (Matt 24:12) People will want to hear only preaching that will tickle their itching ears. (2 Tim 4:3) While it may be easier to just keep our mouth shut and refuse to speak the truth of God’s Word, I want to encourage you right here today to keep your eyes fixed on Jesus.

Keep running the race He has marked out for you. Even in the midst of persecution, know that your Father in heaven is closely watching you, and He is pleased when you stand up for righteousness, walking in the power and authority of His Son, Yeshua. (Heb 12:1-2)

“The highest calling is that of servant-hood”
IHS,
Russ ‘Rush’ Welch

KINGDOM DOMAIN – THE WORLD

Posted: May 23, 2011 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, Prophetic, teaching, wilderness
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Doctrines developed in the past apostate church age offered little or no hope for man or the world in this present life. The essence of these doctrines is that the world and its systems are hopelessly tainted with sin and, subsequently, evil. They, therefore, are fit only to be destroyed and replaced by a newly created planet. In this view there is no hope for the present world to be cleansed and restored. The only hope for the planet is total destruction by the judgmental fire of God melting and dissolving the very elements of the planet.

Some fruits from the essence of these teachings are:

1. A release of man’s responsibility to preserve and care for the natural systems of the planet. There is little or no incentive for man to cooperate with natural laws of God’s order. Short range, more immediately profitable actions are often chosen over those that align with God’s natural order, which are designed for the continued existence of the planet’s systems. The underlying rationale seems to be, “Why be concerned since it is all going to burn and be destroyed anyway, and probably soon”?

2. A lack of appreciation for the wonderful creation of the beautiful, life- supporting planet. The glorious essence of God can be seen in the beauty of His creation. The intense blue of mountain lakes reflect more than the breathtaking awesomeness of the magnificent mountain scenes. It also reflects something about our loving, great God. The unfathomable complexity of the chemical, physical, biological, zoological, meteorological, ecological, and other systems of the planet all speak of our God, who created them. They are all designed to intricately work together to support continuing life on the planet, and the continued life of the planet itself.

3. A lack of respect for life on earth and man’s awesome and exciting potential with God. Man is the only part of God’s creation designed to intimately relate to God, to actually experience knowing Him. Man is designed to rule and reign with Him now in this present age. A lack of appreciation for God’s natural creation leads to a lack of respect for the life of man himself. Man is linked to and a part of the world’s systems.

Do these fruits seem to line up with the words of Jesus and the nature of God? Jesus came that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. It is God’s nature to give life, to heal, and to deliver. Someone else desires to destroy. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy (John 10:10). It is not God’s plan or desire to destroy the earth, but rather to purify it. Jesus often spoke of the wicked being removed and the righteous shining forth on earth (Matt. 13:24-30, 37-43).

The scripture also speaks clearly of God destroying those who destroy the earth.
Rev. 11:18b: And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, And those who fear Your name, small and great, And should destroy those who destroy the earth.

Since the essence of the teachings that the earth is bad and fit only to be despised and destroyed does not appear to line up with the words of Jesus and the nature of God, we need to reexamine the scriptures that seem to affirm these teachings.

Does God love the world’s systems or despise them? Are we to love the world or to despise it? Certainly, we know God loves man. However, God does not love man’s sin and evil nature. God loves the world, but does not love the evil in the world implanted by the devil. In our considerations, we must make a distinction in our consideration between the created planet and the two systems that seek to rule life on the planet.

One ruling system is the evil order of the enemy and the other ruling system is the order of God from heaven. Both of these systems are referred to as the “kosmos” in the Greek New Testament text.

One of the most well known scripture verses is John 3:16, which many Christians have taught to their small children. Many correctly use this verse to instill in children that God loves them so much that Jesus came to save them and everyone who will believe. We may read the verse, “For God so loved the world”, but think in our minds,

“For God so loved me or mankind”. Granted, the individual and mankind are the focus of what is being spoken of here, but more than mankind is being referred to as the world.

The word translated “world” here is the Greek word “kosmos,” which is generally interpreted as “world order”. Strong’s Concordance Greek Dictionary defines the word as orderly arrangement, and by implication, the world and its inhabitants.
[ “G2889. kosmos, kos’-mos; prob. from the base of G2865; orderly arrangement, i.e. decoration; by impl. the world (in a wide or narrow sense, includ. its inhabitants, lit. or fig. [mor.]):–adorning, world.” The root or base is: G2865. komizo, kom-id’-zo; from a prim. komeo (to tend, i.e. take care of); prop. to provide for, i.e. (by impl.) to carry off (as if from harm; gen. obtain):–bring, receive.]

Jesus came to save more than mankind; He came to save the world. God desires to redeem all the “kosmos,” all the adorning and decorative systems. Since God has given mankind authority and responsibility to have dominion on earth, man must first be redeemed and brought into order with God and His ways for the world to be saved or restored.

God chose to limit himself by ruling through man on earth and has never rescinded that position. Man has the free will to make decisions regarding the order of rule in the world. Therefore, God had to become a man to save the world. God became a man in Jesus Christ. His original created order is for man to have dominion in the world (Gen. 1:26-28).

The man Jesus, seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven, now rules in the world as he lives within believers on the earth by the Holy Spirit. As human beings receive Christ Jesus into their lives by the Holy Spirit and yield control of their lives to the Spirit of Christ within, the will of God is done from heaven on earth through man.

The kingdom of God from heaven rules in the world and the ways of God redeem and restore the kosmos.

The key to the redemption of the world is the salvation of man. Therefore, man’s redemption is the world’s only hope.

In every instance, the word translated world in John 3:16-17, is kosmos.
John 3:16-17: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

In these verses God speaks of man being saved in relation to the world being saved.

There is no distinction made between mankind and the rest of the world as the object of God’s saving love. The priority in these verses is that the kosmos be saved.
Mankind is a major part of the kosmos and is God’s caretaker for the planet. Even the root of the word kosmos, (komizo and komeo) means to tend or take care of, to provide for and keep from harm. Man is to carry out the order of God’s design on the earth. The kingdom of God, the will of God, is to come forth through redeemed man–more specifically by Christ Jesus within man.

Two Worlds On Planet Earth
Obviously, God loves the world (the world He created and its systems of life). Yet, other scriptures make it clear that we are not to love the world (evil world order) or the things of the world (evil works in the world).

In scripture, there is one planet but two worlds spoken of. First, there is the world system that God created and loves and that we are to love as well. Second there is the evil fallen world system that was released by Adam and that we are told not to love. These two world systems are kingdoms–the kingdom of light and the kingdom of darkness. The kingdom of darkness is evil but offers attractive enticements that appeal to the lust of the flesh and seek to lure people under its influence and entrapment.

We are not to love this evil world system or the things it offers. Neither of these world systems is the physical planet but spirit-led systems working to guide and empower humans beings that have dominion on the planet. Human beings have the authority to decide which system is released into the world. Neither system will have dominion in the world without the will of mankind releasing it.

In every instance the word translated world in 1 John 2:15-17, is also kosmos.
1 John 2:15-17: Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world; the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life; is not of the Father but is of the world.

And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

Man is not being instructed not to have loving concern for the world, but is being told to not have the love of (from) the evil world system. The world has its own kind of selfish, lustful, greedy affection–the desires of the flesh. We are not to have that love of the world. We are not to lust after the things of the world. However, we are to be filled with the love of God for the world and desire its redemption.

The love of God satisfies.
The love of (from) God is a fully satisfying inner abundance. Individuals filled with the love from God feel no anxiety or frustrating need for anything else. Nothing further is required for their spirit and soul to be at perfect peace. From this inner abundance flows a great desire and potential to love the kosmos (the world and its inhabitants).

This leads to serving mankind and the world around us by seeking to make things better for everyone, which brings the peaceful, prosperous, order of God to the kosmos. Love from God is a giving kind of love.

The love of (from) the world is not really love at all, but lust for the kosmos. It is seeking to fill an inner need that exists because the love of (from) God is not filling the individual. In reality the world’s kind of love (lust) is not love at all. It stems from the lack of the presence of God’s love within. The inner need created by unlove leads to the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. The inner need becomes like a great vacuum trying to fill the void with the kosmos (the world and the things in it, including people). The kosmos is consumed, used, and destroyed as the inner need drives the individual to get more, have more, be more, and experience more. The love of (from) the world is a taking kind of unlove.

The love of God is in Christ Jesus. The potential for the very love of God in your life and mine is in Jesus. If the Spirit of Christ rules our hearts, the love of God is manifest in our lives.

John 17:26: And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.

Christ in man is the practical method by which love from God fills one’s life until no room exists for the love (lust) from the world system for the things in the world.

There is a vast difference between having loving concern for the kosmos (as God also does) and seeking to possess or consume the kosmos from our lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and pride of this life. The Spirit of Christ Jesus living and ruling within by the Holy Spirit guides and empowers individuals to walk in freedom from the lust of the flesh and to be filled with the love of (from) God. All people that do not have the love of God abiding within them by the Spirit will have lust for the things of the world. It is not possible for one in whom Christ Jesus does not dwell to be filled with the love of God and to be free of the love of (from) the world.

Gal 5:16-17: I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.

Many Christians may need to rethink their worldview.
A belief that God does not love the kosmos may have led us to devalue much of what God loves, and sent His Son to save. Man is inseparably a part of the kosmos. To harm or destroy the world is to harm one’s self. To bless and redeem the world is to bless one’s self. As man takes care of the world, the world takes care of man. I’m reminded of an old saying that farmers once used, If you will take care of the land, the land will take care of you. This same wisdom applies to all of the kosmos.

The world is not inherently evil. It is a marvelous and wonderful creation of God. The systems and order of the world are awesomely grand beyond all we can think. The complex intricacy of biological systems, ecological systems, and the physical make up of all things is more than all the minds of man together could ever understand. Yet, it all fits and works together to perpetually sustain life. The beauty of the colors, shapes, and patterns of the mountains, lakes, forests, plains, and mighty oceans are marvelous beyond compare. The delicate, delightful fragrances of the rose, the flowers of the field, the spruce or fir tree, or the pine tree on a still spring evening, all speak of God’s love and provision for the world.

It is humbling to realize that God has put man in charge of caring for His marvelous creation. To not be concerned about caring for the people, animals, and the ecology of the world is to be apart from the plan of God. As man, by the power of the indwelling Christ, walks in accordance with God’s ways, the kosmos is healed. Mankind, seeking the kingdom of God and His righteous ways of being and doing, moves man and the world systems toward healing and restoration (Matt. 6:33) (Rom 8:19-22).

Mankind, seeking his own way apart from God, moves man and the world systems toward disorder and destruction. God has not planned the destruction of His creation. The power of Christ in man is sufficient to heal and restore the kosmos.

John 3:16a, 17b: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that the world through him might be saved.

John 1:29b: Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

Keep on Pursuing Love
It Will Never Fail,
Ron McGatlin
http://www.openheaven.com
basileia@earthlink.net

To Baptize Millions of Souls

Posted: May 17, 2011 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, Prophetic
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The Fire of Awakening is Here – To Baptize Millions of Souls
Brian and Candice Simmons

I see a fire that has begun! It has been ignited in the nations and it will not be stopped. It is the fire of awakening. I’m sensing this firefall is a cascading move of God that will usher in a mighty baptism of fire for millions and millions of souls throughout this needy planet. It is not a revival centered around the anointed preacher, for when that preacher leaves the fire would go out. It is not a revival that is centered merely in one local church. It is a revival of cities, regions, and nations – coming alive with the fire of awakening!

I want to put before you a summary of this prophetic message God has spoken to me. Allow God to ignite this flame inside your being. God is asking: “How hungry are you for My fire, for the fire of My presence? Show me how much you want it!” Moses turned aside to see the mystery of fire…will you turn aside from your busy life, your many duties and distractions to gaze upon the Source of this eternal flame? How badly do you want it?

Our God is a consuming fire.—Hebrews 12:29

We know that God is love, God is light, God is life, and we gladly embrace those realities, but so must we embrace with equal certainty and security the reality that God is an all-consuming fire! Do you want to know God? He is a consuming Fire! To know God is to embrace the fire!

There are three things that are never satisfied – no, four that never say, “Enough!”: the grave, the barren womb, the thirsty desert, the blazing fire.—Proverbs 30:15-16

There are some things that never get finished, that never say “Enough!” This means there are some things God is never finished with. He never reaches a point where He says, “You’re holy enough, spiritual enough, disciplined enough, cleansed and purified enough.” There is a fire that will burn in you that will continue to burn long after the meeting, long after you encounter this raging blaze. Until you are consumed, this fire will never say, “Enough!”

God’s determination for your life and mine is not just to touch us, but to consume us with His fire. The devouring fire of holy jealousy surrounds. He will not share us with another. He created us for Himself and longs to possess every part of our lives. So, fire that never says enough is burning in me! And none of us who want to be close to God can escape the heat! God is so supernatural and powerful that He lives among the flames.

Here are the components of this all-consuming fire of God:

1. It is a Fire that Jesus Released to the Earth When He Walked Among Us!

“I baptize you with water. But One more powerful than I will come, the thongs of Whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire…—Luke 3:16-17

There is a sacred fire that is falling from Heaven. It is a baptism of fire the Lord wants to impart to His Bride. It is the fire of holy love for the Bridegroom, a fire of purity and holiness, the very spark of Divine fire that is the burning essence of God. Heavenly fire is being poured out upon the sacrifice and the altar. Moses stood before a sacred shrub burning with glory and holiness. He lingered before the burning presence until he became a burning bush! God’s plan is to light you on fire and for you to burn – for the entire world to see.

The fire of the Tabernacle in the wilderness was holy fire. It came from Heaven to earth as Moses and Aaron prayed at the gate of the Tabernacle. In one moment, suddenly, the fire fell and burned on the altar where sacrifice was made. “The fire on the altar must be kept burning; it must not go out. Every morning the priest is to add firewood and arrange the burnt offering on the fire… The fire must be kept burning on the altar continuously; it must not go out” (Leviticus 6:12-13).

The fire came from God; maintaining the fire was the duty of man. Only God can send the fire. But God did not come down and tend the fire, keeping the flame from dying; this was the responsibility of man. THE FIRE IS TO BE KEPT BURNING CONTINUALLY – IT SHALL NOT GO OUT!

Every morning wood would be added to the fire to keep it burning, prepared for every new sacrifice. Every morning a new sacrifice was to be placed on the altar and consumed with this fire. The slain lamb must be put on the altar where the living flame would transform it and consume it and lift it in beautiful colors Heavenward as a sweet-smelling fragrance to God. It is for this reason the Baptism of Fire is given to you and I! Where fire burns within us, our whole being is ignited, consumed, making it an acceptable sacrifice. The fire turns everything into flaming love!

Every conflict…

Every failure…

Every sacrifice…

Every gift we offer…

The fire makes it sweet to God! Everything you throw into this fire will become love on the other side. It will be ashes, but it will become beauty! What you cling to and refuse to throw into the raging flame will become worthless to you one day. It is the fire burning continually that makes our life a living sacrifice. Every moment is sacred, every duty is delight, every thought and word surrendered to Heaven. The path to love is the path of surrender to this fire!

2. The Fire of God in Holiness

It was in the year King Uzziah died, that I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of His robe filled the Temple. Attending Him were mighty seraphim, each having six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. They were calling out to each other, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies! The whole earth is filled with His glory!” Their voices shook the Temple to its foundations, and the entire building was filled with smoke.—Isaiah 6:1-4 NLT

Isaiah saw the Lord lifted high and exalted with these singing seraphim flying around His throne. You see, they flew so close to the fire they caught on fire! That is what the holiness of God will do to you. If you get close to holiness, it will purify and ignite your soul. The seraphim are actually Angels of Fire! Their name, seraphim, means “burning ones.”

“At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook (NIV).” A violent concussion hits like a bombshell and a tremendous shaking burst forth in the Temple of Holiness. Everything began to quake. Walls and posts and doors. “And the temple was filled with smoke (NIV).” The glory cloud moved in and covered the entire scene. The fragrant incense of praise offered to God became a cloud of glory!

Then I said, “It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.” Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal he had taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. He touched my lips with it and said, “See, this coal has touched your lips. Now your guilt is removed, and your sins are forgiven.”—Isaiah 6:5-7 NLT

The prophet of God was taken into the Most Holy Place of the King’s Throne Room, and there he witnessed firsthand the unveiled Holiness of God Almighty. Isaiah’s response to all this was pronouncing his seventh woe – “Woe to me!” No one comes before the fire of the holiness of God without devastation. What a shocking experience for God’s prophet! It is the duty of a prophet to make declarations and announcements on God’s behalf.

Isaiah must be humbled and shattered by the revelation of the King. Isaiah was one of the best of God’s people – with anointed lips he had brought messages from God to the people. Yet he declares, “I am ruined” (in Hebrew, “finished, cut off, and pierced through, devastated, destroyed, doomed, undone and ruined”). He not only saw God, he saw Isaiah. One glimpse of God’s holiness and he became a wretch in God’s eyes. Expect the fire of holiness to burn you until you see what Isaiah saw!

The Lord opened the Heavens and He opened the prophet’s eyes. Vision brings hope. True vision brings true hope. We will never feed people from the Tree of Life, giving them the water from the satisfying River of God, until we see the Lord high and lifted up.

Most of us think revival is the roof blowing off, but in fact, it is the bottom falling out. Revival will come not with just a WOW, but a “Woe to me!”

“My eyes have seen the King!” The majesty of this King left him undone and shattered! When you see God seated on the throne all you can think about is your uncleanness. “Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar.” Instead of ushering Isaiah out of the Holy Place and throwing him out on his ear, a provision was made for his cleansing. One of the burning ones took a live coal, “a burning coal,” and brought it to Isaiah. Visions of glory will turn to visits of grace. God’s prophet was cleansed by the burning coal.

This “burning coal” from off the altar speaks of the SACRIFICE of Christ which takes away our sins! The coal is a living flame, which points to Christ’s resurrection life that continues to burn in us with jealous flames! The Cross is the live coal that touches our lips in purging fire. Jesus became the sacrifice that endured the judgment of God for our sins.

3. The Fire of God in Power

What happens when the Holy Spirit baptizes us with fire? What happens when the power of the Holy Spirit comes upon us? It is more than we expect and it is different than we expect. It will make us witnesses for Christ willing to go anywhere, even to the ends of the earth with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It will give us great power to confirm the message of Christ’s death and resurrection with signs and wonders. God Himself will work with us in demonstrating His power to confirm His Word.

“God makes His angels become like winds. He makes His servants become like flames of fire.”—Hebrews 1:7 NCV

The fires of God are needed to ignite our passions to love Him and lay our lives down for Him. Without fire all we have is dead religion and Christian cliches. This intense God wants an intense love relationship with us. Imagine, the most awesome, intriguing, mysterious, and fascinating Being in the Universe wants us to experience Him and meet with Him in the fires of holiness! This is what is meant by all-consuming fire. It is a fire that attracts, fastens onto the soul, and devours everything that gets in the way of holy love.

4. The Burning SEAL of FIRE Upon Our Hearts!

This is the fire of intimacy! It is the burning heart that cannot live apart from love. The love of Christ now becomes the fuel for the flame of God. The raging furnace of love is carried upon our lives every moment. Jesus must be glorified! Jesus must be the center of attraction. Jesus must be released by our passionate praises.

This burning seal is the mark of the Christ. Many are concerned about the mark of the beast, but I have become fixated with the mark of Christ, the brands of His love that burn on my heart. Undistracted devotion to Jesus will brand the heart with burning passions. Nothing can be compared to this love. Intense, unyielding, blazing fire… This is the seal He invites you to place over your heart! It is a seal that will brand you for life, forever changed by that love.

It will consume your shackles and chains of emotional bondage and pain. It will unravel your clever ways and break the self-confidence that has been a part of your life. It is an unquenchable fire that will not rest until you are fully His. Regardless of your sin or failure, this relentless love that consumes like a forest fire will defeat it! It is a tenderizing fire that will leave us responsive to Him, craving more. You are about to become His burning bush of fire (Exodus 3:2)!

“Many waters cannot quench love…” (Song of Solomon 8:7). These waters are floods of obstacles and pressures. Nothing can put out the eternal flame of Divine love burning within the Bride. Water puts out fire, but many waters cannot quench this love! Even rivers of persecution cannot do it. Rivers of misunderstanding, heartache, disappointment, or pain cannot quench His love. Rivers of accusation, condemnation and rejection cannot put out the sacred flame. Joseph felt temptation, Peter denied our Lord Jesus, Saul of Tarsus persecuted the saints; but nothing could extinguish Love’s jealous flames.

This supernatural fire fell from Heaven, consuming the living sacrifices of the Bridal company. It will not go out. Sickness, failure, divorce, shame and guilt… none of these can quench the love of God. He will never put out the fire that burns in our hearts. You can be fired from your job or rejected by those you love – the strongest rivers of difficulty cannot put out this blazing fire (Revelation 12:16-17)!

His love is the seal, and the source of this love is God Himself. Our ability to claim this love has nothing to do with our temperament or personality, how we have treated Him or what we have done to mess up our lives. His love is the seal over our hearts, not our performance, not our devotion! His fire is greater than the illegal fires of any sin or addiction. His fire will not be put out by your failure to walk perfectly before Him. His love is the seal, not your secret failures and shameful history. This love will prevail, it will conquer you in the end – you will be consumed in its flames! Love conquers all (I Corinthians 13:8-13) and never fails. When you fail, love doesn’t.

Listen to the Passion Translation of Song of Songs 8:6-7:

“Place Me now as a seal of fire over your heart forevermore.
This living, consuming flame of fire will seal you to be Mine
Until you become my prisoner of love!
My love for you will be stronger than the chains of death and the grave.
My love for you will be consuming as flashes of fire
From the burning heart of God.
Place this fierce, unrelenting fire over all your being
Until you are consumed!
Rivers of persecution and pain will never extinguish this flame.
Even floods will be unable to quench this raging fire!
Everything will be consumed,
It will stop at nothing!
Surrender everything to this furious fire—
Until it won’t even seem to you
Like a sacrifice anymore!”

All I can say is there is coming to you a fire that will consume everything you yield to God. When you and I have surrendered EVERYTHING to this flame, it won’t even seem like a sacrifice anymore!

Love you my friends,

Brian Simmons
Apostolic Resource Center (ARC) & Stairway Ministries
Email: bwsimmons@msn.com

THE WORD PROCEEDING FROM HIS MOUTH

Posted: May 9, 2011 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, Prophetic
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THE WORD PROCEEDING FROM HIS MOUTH
Kriston Couchey

FEEDING ON THE WORD OF LIFE
It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. The word “proceeds” could be translated, ..every word that is “right now coming out of” the mouth of God. Jesus himself is the Word become flesh. He is the “Word” that Father is RIGHT NOW actively speaking into the earth to and through the sons of men. This Word, (Christ) is the food of life by which we live as we continually partake of Him. As the living Father has sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eats me, even he shall live by me. This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eats of this bread shall live for ever… …It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh profits nothing: the words that I speak (right now actively) to you, they are spirit, and they are life. ~Jesus~

I do nothing on my own authority but speak thus as the Father taught me.~Jesus~ The Word Himself becomes life in us or “becomes flesh” as we actively do and say what He is actively doing and saying. Just as the firstborn son could not do anything on His own authority but only As his Father taught Him to speak; the Word Himself releases spirit and life in us and through us by what He is right now actively speaking.

REVELATION OR KNOWLEDGE
The revelation of the living WORD is what Father Speaks NOW in Christ to us. When the Word Himself speaks, there is transforming revelation that comes forth that is the knowledge of and from Christ HIMSELF. The knowledge of Jesus Himself is progressive and is a continual process of revelation of the nature and person of Father in the Son and IN us. What He continues to actively speak renews, cleanses, washes, transforms, and gives life and nourishment to our beings. This can be done with or without the testimony of Holy Spirit inspired scriptures. This does not nullify the work of scripture to correct, train, and testify to the Truth (Jesus) as quickened by the Word Himself.

Scripture is given for a mighty purpose. We need to put into perspective the purpose for which Father inspired scripture; to testify to the incarnation of Jesus Christ, the Word of God, and reveal Him to the hearts of men. We must stop making scripture the end of our means and make it the means to the end: the revelation of Jesus Christ and His purpose to manifest CHRIST IN YOU! “Search the scriptures; for in them you think you have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And you will not come to me, that you might have life.” Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law, the prophets, and all scripture. Principles are real and true, but their true source is a Person, not a book. The Person uses the book to speak to and make principles alive to men, but principles apart from the quickening of the Word Himself are dead religion.

But the word of the LORD was to them precept on precept, precept on precept; line on line, line on line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken. This verse (Isaiah 28:12-13) is not promoting the teaching method of line upon line. This verse in context is a curse to those who refused to hear the Word and enter into Fathers rest. Yet, this scripture is used as a basis for many ministry teaching practices that take scriptures and make them into precepts to be absorbed mentally. But, these have fallen short of the intimate knowledge of the WORD Himself. True revelation of the Word Himself transforms men from within, and in turn the Word in them should be transforming others in the same manner. Many can spit out truths, but fail to produce Spirit life that comes from Spirit Revelation.

LIVING BY REVELATION OF THE WORD
We do not live by bread alone, by every continual utterance of the Word Himself. Our food is the bread of heaven (Christ) and His quickened words which become Spirit and life to us. We are progressively receiving revelation of Himself through abiding in Him, and we ourselves are BECOMING expressions of His person as we partake of His divine nature. As Father sent the Son, so the Son (The Word) has sent the sons of Father to walk in the manner in which He walked. We are His sons speaking words of spirit and life to a needy and dying world.

Now you are clean through the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can you, except you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches: He that stays in me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit: for without me you can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done to you.

Abiding In Him
Kriston Couchey
http://my.opera.com/Boanerges/blog/

KINGDOM LIGHT

Posted: May 5, 2011 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, Prophetic, teaching, wilderness
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Christ Jesus came from heaven to earth. He was born without an earthly father by the seed of God through the Holy Spirit. Jesus was born outside the lineage of Adam and is without the curse of Adam’s sin. He matured as a natural man without a sin heritage and was filled with God by the Holy Spirit at His baptism. Without the hindrance of a damaged soul, body, and spirit, He was one with His Father in heaven. All the love, power, and wisdom of God the Father abode in the man Christ Jesus by the Holy Spirit.

Christ Jesus did not come to establish the Christian religion nor any other religion. He did not come to give us a religious order nor provide us with a set of ritualistic rules and practices to get us to heaven when we die. He came to redeem mankind and the kingdoms of earth. He came and now abides within believers to establish a very practical kingdom of God, one in which peace and good will toward man prevails. One of the mistakes of religious-thinking people is to consider Jesus as the champion of the Christian religion and compare Him to the champions of other religions of the world.

The supreme wisdom, truth, and understandings given through Jesus Christ are not for the purpose of being catalogued, classified, and labeled as religious doctrines and practices by man. The words of Jesus are not for establishing theology, religious services, or any other religious ritual. The teachings of Jesus are to be the foundational framework for guiding and empowering the individual and every form of authority in the world. The basic kingdom principles are not just a guide for religion or church. Every ruling authority must eventually structure the base of its function by the principles of God’s kingdom given through Christ Jesus. No other form or set of principles will ever lead to peace on earth and good will toward man.

The theme of the Bible is the message of Jesus. The message of Jesus is the kingdom of God or, said another way, the rule of God from heaven on earth through redeemed man. The message of Jesus is not just how to get to heaven when we die or how to establish a set of doctrines for our denomination. As we stop looking with religious eyes and begin to ask God for practical understanding of His Word to guide and empower our lives today, we may be amazed at how simple, practical, and real His Word really is; especially the teachings of Christ Jesus in the Gospels.

In the passing church age, many Christians separated the religious from the real within their minds. They would stand outside a church building and function in the real part of their thinking discussing things that are real to them, such as their jobs or a recent sporting event. Then, they would walk inside the church building, sit down, and subconsciously shift their minds to the unreal religious portion of their minds. Everything that happened, every word heard or spoken, was then affecting only the religious portion of their soul. Little, if any, crossed over into the reality portion of their minds. This great wall of separation within the individual prevented the principles and wisdom of God from greatly affecting their life experience. It was not available in the reality portion of their lives to guide their life decisions. Decisions about education, job, business, family, entertainment and other important areas of real life were made without the benefit of the supreme wisdom of God’s kingdom principles.

Religion can become a blinding force that can rob a person of sight. One may see the words of a portion of scripture and not see the meaning and application of it for his life. One may hear the Word spoken and yet not have ears to hear the powerful truth that will affect his or her daily life. The words spoken may have doctrinal or religious meaning for the religious portion of their lives and have little or no effect on the kingdom of God ruling their entire life. The instruction and empowering principles for kingdom living will not appear to the person looking at the Bible with religious eyes and denominationally colored vision.

I have been a part of church services where the Word from God was brought with power and obviously affected the people in the congregation. Yet, I was amazed to see the people shift at the final Amen, back to their real mode and resume conversation about recent sporting events and other such things as though nothing had happened. Only the religious part of their lives was affected and little or nothing changed in their daily lives.

Christ Jesus did not come to earth to fill a portion of our lives or to become a part of our lives. Christ must fill our entire life and become our life. The will of God will be done, and the kingdom of God will come in our lives when Jesus is our life. “Christ in you the hope of glory.”

Similarly, we must not interpret nor apply the Bible from a partitioned perspective. We must seek an undivided view of spiritual interpretation of the Bible for our whole life experience. True purpose for man’s life can only come from knowing God’s purpose from His words. The words of God are a living and powerful force guiding the metamorphosis of the heavenly kingdom of God on earth. A major purpose of man is to intimately relate to God in such a way that Christ is formed within him to establish the kingdom of God and rule and reign with him on the planet.

Ruling and reigning with Him encompasses every aspect of life, not just religious matters. All governments, businesses, families, schools, churches, and other institutions in the earth are to be ruled by Christ living in man. Science, technology, arts, all disciplines of knowledge and practice, and every skill of man are to be ruled by the indwelling Christ in man.

The kingdom of God is much larger than the local church. It is given birth from the church but grows to encompass all aspects of earth. The kingdom of God is larger than redemption. It is in part the reason for redemption and the purpose of the church. The kingdom of God and His righteous ways of doing and being will rule our lives and, eventually, our world as we individually and cumulatively seek Jesus, the message of God. Jesus is the message of the kingdom of God on earth from heaven. He is the King over all other rulers and authorities in the world. He is the Lord over all other men and angels or any created thing.

The King is now present on earth to rule and reign with believers. The message of Jesus, the gospel of the kingdom of God, is coming forth on earth by the indwelling Spirit of Christ within believers. Christ in you the hope of Glory (Col 1:27). He who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father (John 14:12).

The enlightenment of the kingdom of God in the beginning of the seventh millennium challenges many of our traditional interpretations of scripture. Even the translations from the original language of the Bible coming forth during the sixth millennium beg to be reevaluated. A return to the original Greek and Hebrew text of the Bible
viewed in the light of the revelation of the kingdom is needed to clean up some religious traditions interpreted into our contemporary Bibles.

When the Apostles, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, penned the New Testament, they were often recording events they personally witnessed or heard directly from the Lord. Paul, for example, taught the kingdom of God from the perspective of personally experiencing the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit performing miracles of healing, deliverance, and personal protection. Kingdom power was a part of their daily lives, along with persecutions from the Jewish religious leaders and resistance from a few church leaders.

Though kingdom power and authority were a part of their everyday lives, they lived two thousand years ago. There has been movement toward the fulfillment of some things since that time. Sometimes, because the Bible is so everlasting and alive, I feel that we are still living in that same time frame. Of course, most things do not change in the spiritual realm. The Word of God is forever settled in heaven; and, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Though the Word never changes, our ability to understand it does change as God gives clarification of revelation by the Holy Spirit. Some people talk about returning to first century Christianity. I believe we are entering even a greater season. Seventh millennium kingdom reality will exceed that of the first century. I believe Paul and the others would say a big Amen to that.

Jesus proclaimed the gospel of the kingdom of God. After Pentecost the disciples had clear revelation of the gospel of the kingdom and proclaimed it with great power and clarity. Paul and others of his day had clearer revelation of the kingdom than any subsequent generation throughout the fifth and sixth millennia.

Paul, toward the end of his ministry, clearly warned that apostasy would soon occur within the church. The great apostasy that began after the first century caused the revelation of the kingdom and the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom to be hidden and lost to the church in general. The great revelation and power of the first century was adulterated and lost as vast darkness covered the world. The church became a religious monstrosity as man’s fallen ways replaced the pure leadership of Jesus Christ working within men through the Holy Spirit.

The apostles of the Lamb and the disciples of the first century had a clear revelation of the kingdom of God. Their original writings in the Greek language reflected the understanding of the kingdom of God. Unfortunately, the major English translations of the Bible we have today were translated fifteen hundred or more years after the first century. The great apostasy of the dark ages caused the pure word of the kingdom to be perverted, as many false doctrines of religion affected man’s understanding and clouded the great gospel of the kingdom. Paul had warned that apostasy would come after he was gone. It came and caused the pure word of the kingdom of God to be taken from the church and replaced with other doctrines and rituals.

(Acts 20:29-31 NKJV) For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.

In the second and third centuries, Christians were greatly persecuted. They were tortured, beheaded, burned, and thrown to wild beasts. Christians survived in caves, wilderness areas, and undercover in cities. Despite the attempt by Roman emperors to eradicate Christianity, it continued to spread and to remain relatively pure.

In the fourth century, Constantine, a Roman emperor, was miraculously converted to Christianity and made it the state religion, bringing an end to the great persecution. The state church of the fourth and fifth centuries was very different from the pilgrim spiritual church of the first three centuries. Constantine established Sunday as a day of worship and rest. During this time the church was no longer being purified by persecution and soon experienced an inrush of pagan ideas and ways. The church’s prosperity was its greatest peril. This was the beginning of corrupt leadership and practices within the church. Instead of the church separating itself from paganism it adapted to it.

Church leaders established a hierarchy of control and power. They fought for position, bought and sold religious favors and positions, openly lived immorally, and developed doctrines to favor their positions of power. The Papal system developed with a number of locally powerful Popes. Eventually the power shifted toward Rome and a universal, all-powerful Pope. In the fifth century the Barbarians overthrew a portion of the empire and some were converted to Christianity. However, their conversions were nominal and helped introduce increased pagan practices into the church.

Though some Popes were better than others, in general, from about the fifth to the fifteenth centuries, the corruption continued. The Spiritual life of the first century church was replaced with a politically powerful, corrupt, and very ritualistic religious system. In this system, the people were required to pay for forgiveness of their sins, the church collected taxes, and leaders made themselves as gods. Indulgences were sold–the greater the sin, the greater the price. The church became very rich. Church doctrines were established by the Papal hierarchy to bring political authority under the Pope. According to their rules, salvation or forgiveness of sins could not be had outside the Roman Catholic Church. It was absolutely necessary for every human creature, in order to obtain forgiveness, to be subject to the Roman Pontiff. Any one with a different view was considered a heretic. In an attempt to rid the world of heresy, the church killed many of them.

Though the church was polluted by perverted leadership and false doctrines, I personally believe that there were real Christians with godly beliefs and practices on the fringes and hidden within the church body. It seems from scripture that there is always at least a remnant of godly people during even the darkest of times. They may not be openly visible and history may pass them by but they are there (Romans 11:3-5).

The renaissance period of learning brought a renewed interest in the Hebrew and Greek scriptures, which began to expose the unscriptural corruption of the medieval church. Early reformers met with strong and deadly resistance from the church. The church began persecuting Christians instead of the Roman government persecuting them. The Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries began the modern reformation of Christianity. Spiritual truth began to be restored, piece-by- piece, as biblical teachings were revealed to men. The restoration of revelation continues today and the church continues to attempt to free itself of the lingering doctrines and rituals of the past apostasy.

It was during the early part of the current restoration period (1611) that King James authorized the English translation of the Bible that we still use today. It was in this period of limited, spiritual light and ritualistic, religious background that the Bible began to be translated into other languages. Over twenty major editions of the English New Testament appeared before the Hampton Court Conference in which King James approved the project that produced the King James Version (KJV). Most of these, as well as the KJV, were little more than revisions of the earlier work of William Tyndale. The translation of the NKJ New Testament is estimated to be up to ninety percent of the actual wording of Tyndale’s New Testament.

With the light they had, the men sought to translate the Hebrew and Greek text into English. But, they did not have the revelation of the kingdom of God or the gospel of the kingdom that the original first century writers had. They sought to make sense of the Word in the context and framework of their revelation and understanding at the time. Many of the Hebrew and Greek words could be translated different ways. There is no exact word-for-word comparison between the languages. The translators had to rely on their understanding of the context and the speaker’s intent to determine which way to go with the translation and which English words to use.

A number of revisions of the King James Version have been produced, including the American Standard Version in 1901 and the New American Standard Version in 1959. All of the translations and revisions have borne the impression of the clarity of revelation and understanding of God from the point in time they were written. They also bear the essence of the spiritual color (area of revealed truth) of the individuals doing the translating.

God continues to reveal Himself and His ways to His people according to what they can receive and handle. The church is still very much affected by the trappings of the apostate church of past centuries. As periods of enlightenment come one after another, revelation comes forth and truth is restored to the church. It was only about four hundred years ago when salvation by grace through faith was restored to the church. From that time to the present, many powerful truths have been revealed to God’s people. With each new enlightenment we tend to think we now have it all. yet the revelation of God continues to come.

The original text, as it was originally written, is believed to be the inspired, infallible, inerrant Word of God, God-breathed and without error. The translations of the Bible are not. They are an evolved series of translations through different languages from the original.

The recent clarification of revelation of Christ in believers producing the victorious kingdom of God lifestyle with authority over the enemy and all of his works sheds bright new light on the Word of God. At this present point in time, the revelation of kingdom begs for a return to the original language texts as much as possible. The clear revelation that may be clearly seen through the Holy Spirit in the Greek and Hebrew text may be obscured in our translations. We must depend on the anointing of the Holy Spirit to open and explain the scripture to our spirit.

1 John 2:27: But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.

Considering the Hebrew and Greek text in light of the kingdom of God potential now and in the future may cause passages speaking of victorious kingdom living to become brilliantly alive; and it may cause some passages to crumble, which seem to say that God’s people can only wait to die or escape.

Various doctrines and rituals of the church originated in the apostate past or in the beginning light of the reformation period. Some long-held traditional doctrines may need to be exposed to the light of the kingdom by the Holy Spirit and measured by the Hebrew and Greek scriptures.

Keep on Pursuing Love
It Will Never Fail,

Ron McGatlin

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

OUR DISPOSITION AT THE ALTAR WILL AFFECT OUR POSITION IN THE KINGDOM

Posted: April 30, 2011 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, Prophetic, teaching, wilderness
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OUR DISPOSITION AT THE ALTAR WILL AFFECT OUR POSITION IN THE KINGDOM

Don Atkin
http://www.DonAtkin.com

· Present your bodies a living sacrifice.
· Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Forty years ago, I knew EVERYTHING. Thirty years ago, I knew MOST things. Twenty years ago, I knew SOME things. Ten years ago, I knew VERY LITTLE. Today, I’m with Paul:

For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

For me, decreasing so that Jesus might increase in me has been a lifelong challenge. Whatever the question, I was the answer (at least in my mind). I am so thankful for those dear, patient saints who put up with me during those early years.

I specifically remember * (almost thirty years ago) being part of a local group of ministers who met together for fellowship and prayer each week. I always had the answers—until, one day, when the Holy Spirit was ready to discipline me about ruling my own spirit.

He who rules his own spirit is better than he who takes a city.
I already had visions of “taking cities.” But was still very carnal—earthbound—in how that was to be accomplished. The school of the Spirit was opening (for me) for a new session. I had my first assignment: “I want you to remain silent for four of these weekly meetings, beginning today.”
Someone asked, “Where does the Bible say _______________________?” I immediately responded with book, chapter and verse. Conviction enveloped me. I was GUILTY to the max! “Oh, Father. Please forgive me! “No problem, My son. Your four weeks can begin next week.” BTW, I was wrong in the Scripture I referenced, adding to my humiliation.

It took me seven painful weeks to learn this lesson. Ruling our spirits is a primary governmental (kingdom) essential. By so doing we are able to rightly steward divine truth, the mysteries of the kingdom.

The high road that leads toward the oneness of the body of Christ is paved with sincere humility and navigated by diligence and discipline. By the grace of God, I am what I am.

Jesus—the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world–has been, is now, and will be forever, the foundation of our gospel and the Head of His body, the church. This has been, is now, and will be forever, the Seed of eternal truth. “I am the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”—I AM, who is the same yesterday, today and forever.

JESUS, THE PRESENT PERFECT LAMB
Let’s look to Jesus in the present perfect tense. His sacrificial death was a reality in the mind of eternal God from the foundation of the world. God was not surprised by Adam’s fall or Israel’s failure.
Provision had already been written into the schematics of God’s master plan for His kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.

The time/space limitations of our humanity have been swallowed up into the context of God’s eternal personhood. Jesus—current fix for all generations—reaches both backward and forward from Calvary’s cross, to draw those who believe unto eternal life in Him.

The bronze altar in the Outer Court of Moses’ Tabernacle was a type and shadow of the cross/crucifixion. The cross of Calvary was Jesus’ springboard to victory, the appropriate prototype for all mankind.

Our cross is the ante-type, and our springboard to victory!

“And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.
“For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it—lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him.”

OUR POSTURE ON THE CROSS DETERMINES OUR POSITION IN CHRIST!

There’s a whole lot of mocking going on! There’s a whole lot of unfinished business in the church! The way to royalty is through the cross. When leaders step away from the cross to judge and criticize brethren or to quibble over paradigms, they leave their crowns on the mercy seat.

The only recourse or remedy is to return to the mercy seat through repentance, and in the hope of having the plank removed from our own eyes. This is the only way that we might be renewed in hope, and graced once again to obey the new commandment—that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.

LOVE KEEPS US NEAR THE CROSS!
Above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.”

Most of all, love each other as if your life depended on it. Love makes up for practically anything.

First priority—above all things—most of all—be proactive in sustaining fervent love for one another. Do so as if your life depends upon it.

The resources are available (in resurrection life) for us to obey in faith and to find our delight in releasing this love among one another. Love has taken up permanent residence in us, and is always available to fill the place we give Him. We are without excuse.

Jesus will meet us at the cross, be with us in dying to self, and bring us forth into newness of life. He is the way, the truth and the life—the access to the Father. If we want to be in Him and have Him in us in resurrection power, then we must meet Him in the cross. Authentic spiritual service precludes any other options.

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.

TOSSED, BLOWN AND IMMATURE
The bronze altar (typifying humanity) is immediately available to us in the outer court. We leave all of our human judgments and other limitations there on the altar, by faith, and move into the Holy Place, where the Holy Spirit reveals Christ to us. It is there in the enlightened realm of the Holy Place that we find our particular identity and placement in Him, ala the golden table of shewbread.

Whenever we step out of that place (backslide) and begin again to judge others, we are no longer in the flow of the Spirit. We’ve once again put off Christ, and clothed ourselves with filthy rags. We have chosen to arm ourselves with the strength of our own flesh.

We have returned to the dung heap, forsaking gold, silver and precious stones, and are building with wood, hay and straw.

Each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it (the foundation—Christ) endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

A PLEA TO ELDERS AND EQUIPPERS, FATHERS AND MASTER BUILDERS
There is a huge weight upon us; a stricter judgment awaits us.
It is good (not) to do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak.

Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.

Perhaps our highest service to our King, perhaps our greatest devotion to our Father, is our example to the flock of God. People need to see love in our actions and hear love in what we speak.

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.

Where there are brethren, fellowship them.
Where there are issues, deal with them. (Wisdom is ours for the asking.)
Where there are problems, solve them. (God has the solutions we need.)
Where there are differences, embrace them. (God is not finished with us yet.)

We need to back into our brothers’ tents with blankets, and cover their nakedness! Moreover, we should make tunics and linen trousers to cover their (our brothers’) nakedness, so that when they come near the altar to minister in the holy place, that they do not incur iniquity and die.

By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

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