Posts Tagged ‘Spirit led life’

“A handy little machine called “Religion.”

Posted: June 7, 2011 in Kingdom Teaching, Prophetic, teaching, wilderness
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Machines are used to do repetitive or difficult work more quickly and efficiently, giving people more leisure and free time to pursue something besides work.

Once upon a time a group of people saw that a machine was needed to make something hard and difficult more easily done. They put their heads together and came up with a handy little machine called “Religion.”

The Religion Machine would make life easier for everyone they said. With the Machine, we don’t have to waste precious time relating to a real God Who loves us. The machine would take these complex processes and break them down into a simple three-step process that anyone could follow, reducing God to a faceless, personless ideology of good works. The result would be a mass-production of religious people who all spoke, thought, acted, and believed the same way.

Things went very well for a while. The Religion Machine worked just like it was supposed to. Churches were built, movements were started, crusades were held, programs were implemented. The inventors congratulated themselves on making Religion so efficient.

But you and I know that machines require a lot of maintenance. Parts have to be replaced. People wanted the Religion Machine to be bigger, better, and faster each year. Research and development expense was incurred, testing expenses, raw materials and warehousing. The Religion Machine had to have qualified people to work on it, qualified people to run it, qualified people to supervise the people who run it, and so on.

With all the improvements and modifications to the original design, the Religion Machine got so big that they had to house it someplace; now they had factory overhead: the property, the specialized plant equipment, the electrical and water requirements, more work crews, the support staff, the management, still more parts, upgrades, routine maintenance, all the hidden costs associated with keeping the Machine running.

No one knew just how big the Religion Machine would get. The inventors would have never dreamed that their little invention would one day turn into a big business, but it did. People picked up their families and moved to live and work close to the Machine. There’s money there, a chance to get ahead, a chance to settle down, a nice place to raise their kids. The Machine is a boost to the local economy because it produces jobs and goods. It’s in everyone’s interest to keep the Machine running along.

The people took great pride in their work. Take a drive with them to any part of the country and they would point to the impressive array of expensive church buildings, sprawling seminaries, and mega-church outreach centers. “We helped put that one together,” they’d say. “Thank God for the Religion Machine! How did we get along without it before?”

But there’s another side to the story. Oh, the work is simple enough. “Do what you’re told. Push this button, pull that lever, flip that switch.” Keep producing, keep the Machine running. But there’s a human toll being exacted on the people who are running the Machine. Just another cog in the wheel, they begin to stop thinking for themselves; they depend on the supervisors to tell them what to do. They go home tired day after day (their busiest day is Sunday). They always work overtime and their family life is non-existent. Even when they’re home they think about work. Production is the name of the game; keep the Machine running no matter what; produce more with less.

People always get injured on the job. It’s hot, dirty work. And noisy. The Machine makes so much noise that all the workers eventually develop acute hearing loss. The light is so dim that the employees have become very narrow-eyed and squinty, not able to withstand bright light. But somehow the security that comes from getting paid each week is more important than the side-effects. So the work goes on.

Besides, where else could they go? What else could they do? Financial commitments based on that paycheck have been made: houses mortgaged, cars financed, durable goods charged. If the Machine stops running, the paychecks stop coming, and it means bankruptcy for the workers and the community. So on and on it goes.

Every once in awhile a pay raise comes. Some live long enough to retire, but most of the workers die young from stress, are injured on the job and permanently disabled, or have nervous breakdowns. But no matter what, the Machine kept running.

Then the unexpected happened.

The Religion Machine used a synthetic, man-made oil for fuel to keep it running.

The oil ran out. The Machine ground to a halt.

The workers were in a panic. No more fuel? How would the Machine run? What about their job? What about their paycheck? Who would take care of their families?

“What about natural oil?” someone asked. No that wouldn’t work. They tried that years ago. Genuine oil would not run the Religion Machine.

The supervisors cursed and swore. How could they get the Machine running again?

There was only one thing left to do.

The doors were locked, and the gates closed tight. Armed security gathered the workers together and had them form a line leading up to the top of the combustion chamber, the fiery inferno which fueled the Religion Machine.

One by one they were cast into the fuel tank. The Machine sparked and began to hum again.

“More people! We need more people over here!” Like lambs being led to the slaughter, the deaf, dumb, and blind workers were pushed over the precipice to be used as fuel for the Religion Machine. Next it was their wives, husbands, children, parents, brothers, sisters, all thrown alive and screaming into the Machine. The houses and cars, the clothing and jewelry, the furniture and possessions were all confiscated and dumped into to the Religion Machine to add more fuel for it to run.

At last everything that could be used for fuel had been used. It would not be enough, and it had all been in vain. Once again the Religion Machine ground to a halt, and no one was around to start it up again. The supervisors went out into the community to try and recruit new workers, but after hearing what had happened to the last shift no one would take the job.

Today those supervisors are dead and gone. The Religion Machine was dismantled by the townspeople, the parts scattered to the four winds, never to be assembled again.

The problem with the Religion Machine was that it started out as a neat invention designed to help people, but it wound up hurting them. The Machine was made for man, but soon man lived for the Machine and became dependent upon it.

Once upon a time another group of people saw that a machine was needed to make something hard and difficult more easily done and give them more leisure time. They were even more talented, technologically advanced, and affluent than the first group of inventors. So they put their heads together and came up with a handy little machine called “American Christianity”…

And we see today that this machine is one that has become a giant monster when it comes to the consumption of the Brides resources both in regard to finances and personnel. It has destroyed many lives purposed in the Kingdom and has risen up many Pharaoh type leaders and in many ways has merely become a spiritual prison for many.

Praise the Lord, for the Father is sending His Spirit with a true revelation opening the eyes of many to the darkness of this spiritual machine for what it truly is. It has the essence of Kingdom, yet it in its ruler-ship of men it has not allowed the Kingdom of the Kingdom of God rule, mans voice has trumped out the Will of Jesus, leaving it more of a spiritual Egypt than the True Kingdom of Jesus Christ with all its liberties and rights of the sons and daughters of the Lord God.

In this day the Watchman are shouting louder – “look and see what the Spirit is revealing, look at how He is exposing the nakedness of the false” – Truly that which can be shaken is being shaken –

The question is are you Radical enough to walk in the truth – Are you radical enough in your faith to not merely walk away from the man-made model – are you radical enough to grab the hands of those who are still imprisoned and lead them out of the spiritual Egypt, the religion machine in America!!!

The good word today friend’s is – Death!

Posted: June 5, 2011 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, teaching, wilderness
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“And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd” (John 10:16).

If God intends on having One Flock under One Shepherd then we know that nothing belongs to any individual. Frequently we hear men speak of “my people”, “my flock”, or “my church”, as though they possessed something. Let us see instead that the undershepherd owns nothing, but is a steward over God’s possession. The Scripture plainly says that we are the sheep of His pasture.

Everything belongs to the Father, Who has committed all things into the care of His Son, the Good Shepherd. No undershepherd can claim anything or anyone as belonging to him personally. If we only realized this we would immediately begin treating the Lord’s sheep with greater respect and humility. How can a man lord over something that doesn’t belong to him? How can he abuse and mistreat what is not his?

I am very cautious of those who continuously speak of their ministry! When I look at the ministry that the Lord has called my wife and I too, that which He established in 2005 and gave us the name of Mighty Arm Ministries and assigned us as co-stewards it was as clear then as it is now that it is His ministry of which we are blessed to co-labor with our Lord to benefit the Kingdom. Yet we are fully aware that it does not belong to us – it is His.

This idea of it belonging to Him and not us was made even more clear when in the latter part of 2010, He called us to lay down the Ministry as it had become known more by my name than His – so with faith in trusting Holy Ghost as a true messenger of the Father, we laid it down – now we simply minister in the Name of Jesus Christ!

Even the teaching of “Your ministry which the Lord has called you too” in outward appearance seems innocent yet it is a breeding ground for pride. For there is no true Kingdom Ministry outside of the Lords ministry of which we His servants join into. This is do in large because of a lack of true Apostolic teaching on the meaning of “ministry”.

Let us strip all of our selfishness off and renounce all pride that we may walk in the path of righteousness with Holy hands and a pure heart. That as we walk the shadow of the Almighty is cast about us, the fragrance of the King fills every room we walk into, that the cloud of His Glory covers the villages, towns, Cites where we are speaking and releasing the Kingdom message for which the Father has assigned us to speak in this hour.

If the Lord stands against a prideful heart – do we for one moment believe that such a heart shall be a vessel for which the message of revival is released. For is not revival birthed from repentance? A prideful heart shall never truly repent admitting its wrong – many selfishly repent with not desire to change- just desiring to get rid of the guilt – this is not true repentance!

The good word today friend’s is Death! Death to pride and death to self – for once in our lives let us truly be baptized in the death of Christ that we may be raised with Him in His true nature walking in the fullness us our callings as sons and daughters of the King of Kings. For the true reality in the Christian walk is that in death to self – the birth of the New Man is born and this very act creates true vessels of revival. Just as the old man unchanged will hear the voice of its old master – the new man will hear the voice of its new Masters.

And today if we are truly hearing the Master Jesus Christ, we will hear Him clearly speaking as He did to Peter -Do you love Me?- Feed my Sheep! Not ” lord yourselves over my sheep – or establish your own kingdom.” Serve even as I have served is what the Jesus has taught us – wash the feet, tend to the needs of the lonely, minister to the sick, the needy and so on. Servants that serve – not prideful leaders that seek servants.

Today we have the choice – Death that we might live so we can begin reproducing life – or the same old life that we may continue producing dead things!

Those who are radical enough to lay everything down will choose death – those who desire to remain in the same old mundane religious life style will of course not choose death.

Jesus Christ presents us with a radical decision – we either choose all of His teachings and all of His commands or we choose none – there is no grey areas in the life of a Christian – if one is found having such, then the question must be asked, are they really a Christian or merely a religious person? Only the Father can see into ones heart – yet we have been given the gift of discernment and we ought to be able to discern by the fruits of the Kingdom in ones life as to whether they are truly in love with the Lord, or just in love with the idea of not going to Hell!

God’s commands runs counter to prevailing opinion

Posted: June 2, 2011 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, teaching, wilderness
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When the Israelites saw they were in trouble because the army was hard-pressed, they hid in caves, in thorny thickets, among rocks, in pits, and in cisterns. Some Hebrews crossed the Jordan River into the territory of Gad and Gilead. But Saul remained in Gilgal, and all the people who followed him trembled in fear.

He waited seven days, the time set by Samuel. But Samuel had not come to Gilgal, and the troops began to scatter. Then Saul said, “Bring me the animals for the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings.” So he sacrificed the burnt offering.

As he finished sacrificing the burnt offering, Samuel came, and Saul went to greet him.
Samuel asked, “What have you done?” Saul replied, “I saw the troops were scattering. You didn’t come when you said you would, and the Philistines were assembling at Michmash. So I thought, ‘Now, the Philistines will come against me at Gilgal, but I haven’t sought the LORD’S favor.’ I felt pressured into sacrificing the burnt offering.”

“You did a foolish thing,” Samuel told Saul. “You didn’t follow the command of the LORD your God. If you had, the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel permanently. But now your kingdom will not last. The LORD has searched for a man after his own heart. The LORD has appointed him as ruler of his people, because you didn’t follow the command of the LORD.” (1 Sam 13:6-14 GWT)

I Samuel 13:1-15 recounts the story of an act of presumption by another well-known figure, containing another valuable lesson for us. Saul arranged with the prophet Samuel to perform sacrifices in an appeal to God to intervene before Israel went into battle with the invading Philistines. Saul’s sin was in presumptuously stepping in to perform Samuel’s responsibilities when the prophet arrived later than the appointed time. Saul gave Samuel three justifications for his presumption: 1) The people were growing distressed and deserting him; 2) Samuel’s late arrival; and 3) the growing threat of the Philistine army (verse 11).

On the surface, it appeared Saul and the Israelites were indeed in a difficult situation, yet Saul’s reasons did not justify presuming to disobey what was commanded. He should have waited for Samuel to arrive and perform his responsibility. Saul, a Benjamite, could request a sacrifice be made and provide the animal for it, but he was not authorized by God to perform the sacrificial ceremony. Samuel was merely later than both he and Saul thought he would be.

Saul excused himself further by saying he “felt compelled.” The King James Version records that Saul said, “I forced myself.” This suggests that he was not ignorant of what he was doing but convinced himself it was more important to make the sacrifice than to obey God’s instruction. He was immediately stripped of the opportunity of having his dynasty continue forever (verses 12-13), as God later promised David.

Many circumstances arise in a Christian’s life when following God’s commands runs counter to prevailing opinion and to our own fears about the threatening conditions we imagine are building around us if we obey God. Strong thoughts are then likely to mount, urging us to turn aside from what He says—”just this once”—to relieve the swelling pressures.

As our own children do not always understand what we tell them to do, we cannot always see why God tells us to do this or that. But can we trust God that His reasons are good? For instance, He tells us to set aside three tithes and to travel to far places to keep His feasts. He commands us to love our enemies and do good to them. He asks us to become like little children and to sacrifice ourselves in service when we would rather give orders. He tells us to submit ourselves to one another in love and to be subject to corrupt and unjust governments. Keeping these instructions is sometimes far easier said than done. Can we see God in the picture even in difficult circumstances and trust Him? In this case, Saul did not.

When faced with such circumstances we must muster up our faith – even if it means running to the prayer closest to be refreshed – for our strength is found in our obedience to the Father and all that He commands of us – even if we can not understand the “why’ we must be anchored in the faith of knowing our Father has our best interest in mind.

We one truly run’s to the alter of the Lord and falls on it, they are embraced with a radical love that they have never felt before – having that river of forgiveness, mercy and grace flowing over them. Then when they stand up, having been refreshed and spiritually renewed they can now go forth with the empowerment to walk a radical Christian life.

All Glory, honor and praise to the Lord God Most High!!!

The truth will cost you everything – “Are you prepared”?

Posted: May 30, 2011 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, teaching, wilderness
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“Simply put, if you’re not willing to take what is dearest to you, whether plans or people, and kiss it good-bye, you can’t be my disciple“. ~Yeshua

If speaking words of truth will cause you to be ostracized are you willing to speak them? Or is it more important to have everyone like you and you’re only willing to speak the appeasing word that tickle the ears of your listeners?

This is the question the Lord has asked us all – are you willing to count the cost for truth? When I see the men like the David Wilkerson, a faithful watchman who blazed the trail before me, I can but say “Yes Lord – whatever the cost – I will be faithful to that which you have entrusted me to speak”.

For that which I speak friends, has already shaken my spirit – it has already pricked my heart and motivates me to change to be more like Jesus. Under the conviction of Holy Spirit and having already felt the fire of God’s Word in my own life, that fire that purges away the worthless and transforms us into His image, these things do I write.

Who in their right mind would venture on a journey that could cost you everything, not first counting the cost? I believe many today are in it for the glory, for the name and for the fun of it. Few have actually sat down and counted the cost.

Many have been given a watered down and useless gospel – useless for it contains not the whole truth, rather it is coated with sugar – easy on the ear’s – thus they are following a god, who they picture as a sugar daddy – and when it doesn’t happen the way they believe it should they fall away.

What if speaking a word cost you your job, your family your life, would you still speak it?

Many say yes, till the challenge to do so presents itself, then they cower from the opportunity before them. Or they allow a fruitless, worthless thought to come into their mind,taken root, causing destruction and obstruction of truth and they fail to take it captive to the mind of Christ. A thought Like”Jesus would never ask or expect me to say or do that! Really, have you read and listened to what the Master has said?

One day when large groups of people were walking along with him, Jesus turned and told them, “Anyone who comes to me but refuses to let go of father, mother, spouse, children, brothers, sisters—yes, even one’s own self!—can’t be my disciple. Anyone who won’t shoulder his own cross and follow behind me can’t be my disciple.

“Is there anyone here who, planning to build a new house, doesn’t first sit down and figure the cost so you’ll know if you can complete it? If you only get the foundation laid and then run out of money, you’re going to look pretty foolish. Everyone passing by will poke fun at you: ‘He started something he couldn’t finish.’

“Or can you imagine a king going into battle against another king without first deciding whether it is possible with his ten thousand troops to face the twenty thousand troops of the other? And if he decides he can’t, won’t he send an emissary and work out a truce?

“Simply put, if you’re not willing to take what is dearest to you, whether plans or people, and kiss it good-bye, you can’t be my disciple. (Luke 14:25-33 Message)

Yet so many seek to be the popular one, many leaders seek to promote the ones who relate to a certain group of people, even though they are but mechanical robots promoting the doctrines of this world. How many pastors would let John the Baptist stand and preach today? How many pastors would let the real Jeremiah rip off a rebuke to the crowd? Not many because they would be fearful that their precious source of income and support for their empires would run away.

Over the past 2 years God has been burning my heart and purging the cowardice spirit out of me, to the point that I can not but speak that which the Father speaks to me.

Is every word I speak or write (which is in reality speaking) of God. Nope, have not reached that point yet and more than likely never will,that place was reserved for the Lord. And I might speak something from my own heart – yet what I do speak is with a deep conviction – and the closer I get to the Lord, the deeper conviction falls upon me.

Notice I said conviction and not condemnation – for there are enough “Christians” out there attempting to condemn everything and everyone out of hell – we can not win the battle in the flesh friends – only through spiritual weapon given and imparted to us from the Lord.

My question today to each one of you is:

.Have you counted the cost? Or are you running on reserve, ready to retreat when the going gets tough?

Looking back at Luke 14:33, we receive the answer from the Lord to one who decides to retreat:

“Simply put, if you’re not willing to take what is dearest to you, whether plans or people, and kiss it good-bye, you can’t be my disciple”.

As for me, I have counted the cost and anything less than hearing the Master proclaim “Well done good and faithful servant, you have lived, loved and spoken as I have commanded you” is not worth anything this world has to offer.

The highest call is that of servant!

IHS,
Russ Welch

(Re-posted & edited from Russ G Welch FaceBook page Originally posted on April 3, 2010)

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

You Can Live Sin Free

Posted: May 26, 2011 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, teaching
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The only real freedom is in the Lord Jesus Christ. If you’ve been born again, the old man inside you, the one that had been held captive by the devil and made a slave to sin, has died. The power of sin over you has been broken forever!

“[Your] old man is crucified with [Christ],” Romans 6:6 says, “that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth [you] should not serve sin” (KJV). And not only are you free from sin, but if you’ll walk in the righteousness Jesus has given you, you’ll rule over it.

In the kingdom of God, righteousness is the scepter (see Heb. 1:8). It’s what gives you authority. It is imputed to you the moment you’re born again, and it makes you victorious over the world, the flesh, the devil and every enemy that comes against you.

That’s why the devil will do anything to get you to lay righteousness down. He’ll do anything to convince you that you’re still under the bondage of sin.

He’ll tell you that it’s just not normal for a human being to live above sin. “Oh, everybody sins,” he’ll whisper. “After all, you’re only human.”

No, you’re not! You’re a reborn child of almighty God. You have God Himself inside you. Even though it’s normal for natural men to sin, it’s not normal for you.

I’ll tell you why the devil tries so hard to convince you that you’re still subject to sin. It’s the only way he can keep you under his control.

He’s not afraid of people (even believers) who are living in sin. But he shudders when a man or woman starts living day by day in obedient union with the Lord. When that kind of person speaks to the devil, he runs (see James 4:7).

Freedom from sin is the whole basis of the great salvation God has given us. “Salvation” is a very big word. It includes much more than going to heaven and missing hell. What it actually means is “health, wholeness, deliverance, well-being, safety and soundness.”

But without freedom from sin, we wouldn’t have any of those things. Sickness, poverty, death—all the curses of sin—would still be in force. It’s only because God has broken the power of sin over us that we can walk free.

If you’re shaking your head thinking: I don’t feel very free. It seems as if the devil still has his hooks in me and I don’t know how to get loose, listen to me. You are loose.

The Word says: “Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 6:8-11, NKJV).

When this Scripture comes alive in you, you can lay down any sin and never go back to it again. Let the truth of it sink into your heart. Sin has lost its grip on you. It can’t come back unless you decide to let it come back.

Look at what Ephesians 2:5 says about you: “Even when we were dead (slain) by [our own] shortcomings and trespasses, He made us alive together in fellowship and in union with Christ; [He gave us the very life of Christ Himself, the same new life with which He quickened Him]” (The Amplified Bible).

You’ve already experienced the greatest resurrection of all. You experienced it the day you were born again. That’s when you passed from death to life. That’s when sin and death lost their hold over you—the day the old man died and the new man came to life.

So if you’ve been living beneath your privileges, it’s time to pick up your scepter of righteousness and shake it in the devil’s face. It’s time to kick sin out of your life and start living free.
by Gloria Copeland

“You might be luke-warm if…………………”

Posted: May 24, 2011 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, teaching, wilderness
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According to Francis Chan these are the 18 signs of a lukewarm Christian. OUCH!

1. Lukewarm people attend church fairly regularly. It is what is expected of them, what they believe “good Christians” do, so they go. Isaiah 29:13

2. Lukewarm people give money to charity and to the church as long as it doesn’t impinge on their standard of living. If they have a little extra and it is easy and safe to give, they do so, After all, God loves a cheerful giver, right? 1 Chronicles 21:24, Luke 21:1-4

3. Lukewarm people tend to choose what is popular over what is right when they are in conflict. They desire to fit in both at church and outside of church; they care more about what people think of their actions (like church attendance and giving) than what God thinks of their hearts and lives. Luke 6:26, Revelation 3:1, Matthew 23:5-7 4.

4: Lukewarm people don’t really want to be saved from their sin; they want only to be saved from the penalty of their sin. They don’t genuinely hate sin and aren’t truly sorry for it; they’re merely sorry because God is going to punish them. Lukewarm people don’t really believe that this new life Jesus offers is better than the old sinful one. John 10:10, Romans 6:1-2.

5. Lukewarm people are moved by stories of people who do radical things for Christ, yet they do not act. They assume such action is for “extreme” Christians, not average ones. Lukewarm people call “radical” what Jesus expected of all His followers. James 1:22, James 4:17, Matthew 21:28-31

6. Lukewarm people rarely share their faith with their neighbors, coworkers, or friends. They do not want to be rejected, nor do they want to make people uncomfortable by talking about private issues like religion. Matthew 10:32-33

7. Lukewarm people gauge their morality or “goodness” by comparing themselves to the secular world. They feel satisfied that while they aren’t as hard-core for Jesus as so-and-so, they are nowhere as horrible as the guy down the street. Luke 18:11-12

8. Lukewarm people say they love Jesus, and He is, indeed, a part of their lives, their money, and their thoughts, but he isn’t allowed to control their lives. Luke 9:57-62

9. Lukewarm people love God, but they do not love Him all their heart, soul, and strength. They would be quick to assure you they try to love God that much, but that sort of total devotion isn’t really possible for the average person; its only for pastors and missionaries and radicals. Matthew 22:37-38

10. Lukewarm people love others but do not seek to love others as much as they love themselves. Their love for others is typically focused on those who love them in return, like family, friends, and other people they know and connect with. There is a little love left over for those who cannot love them back, much less for those who intentionally slight them, who kids are better athletes than theirs, or with whom conversations are awkward or uncomfortable. Their love is highly conditional and very selective, and generally comes with strings attached. Matthew 5:43-47, Luke 14:12-14

11. Lukewarm people will serve God and others, but there are limits to how far they will go or how much time, money, and energy they are willing to give. Luke 18:21-25

12. Lukewarm people think about life on earth much more often than eternity in heaven. Daily life is mostly focused on today’s to-do list, this week’s schedule, and next month’s vacation. Rarely, if ever do they intently consider the life to come. Philippians 3:18-20

13. Lukewarm people are thankful for their luxuries and comforts, and rarely consider trying to give as much as possible to the poor. Matthew 25:34, 40, Isaiah 58:6-7

14. Lukewarm people do whatever is necessary to keep themselves from feeling too guilty. They want to do the bare minimum, to be “good enough” without requiring too much of them. 1 Chronicles 29:14, Matthew 13:44-46

15. Lukewarm people are continually concerned with playing it safe; they are slaves to the god of control. This focus on safe living keeps them sacrificing and risking for God. Matthew 10:28

16. Lukewarm people feel secure because they attend church, made a profession of faith at age twelve, were baptized, come from a Christian family, vote Republican, or live in America.

17. Luke warm people do not live by faith; their lives are structured so they never have to. They don’t have to trust God if something unexpected happens-they have their savings account. They don’t need God to help them—they have their retirement plan in place. They don’t genuinely seek out what life God would have them live—they have life figured and mapped out. They don’t depend on God on a daily basis-their refrigerators are full and, for the most part, they are in good health. The truth is, their lives wouldn’t look much different if they suddenly stopped believing in God. Luke 12:16-21

18. Lukewarm people probably drink and swear less than average, but besides that, they really aren’t very different from your typical unbeliever. They equate their partially sanitized lives with holiness, but they couldn’t be more wrong. Matthew 23:25-28, Luke 14:34-35

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The Spirit-Led Are the Sons of God

Posted: May 22, 2011 in disciples life, teaching
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“The Spirit-Led Are the Sons of God”
By John Piper

Romans 8:13-17

For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs- heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

As we move from verse 13 to verses 14-17, there is a new theme that becomes dominant, and it is one of the most precious themes in the Bible. The theme is our sonship – that Christians are children of God. Nowhere in the book of Romans up till now have we been called sons or children of God. But now the words come thick and heavy and full of freedom and joy and love and hope.

Verse 14: “All who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” Verse 15: “For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” Verse 16: “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” Verse 17: “If children, then heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs of Christ . . .”

So a theme that had not turned up anywhere before in Romans is now mentioned in every verse of this unit. It’s clearly the new focus, and it’s something that we need to see and savor as part of our glorious salvation. What Paul is doing here is telling us Christians about ourselves and who we are and who God is in relation to us. And he is telling us how we can know this about ourselves and what it implies about our experience.

So let’s simply take this unit one verse at a time and see what Paul has to teach us about the Holy Spirit and our adoption as children of God. We will take three verses and save verse 17, with its emphasis on our inheritance as heirs, for next week as a kind of transition to the next paragraph.
“Killing Sin by the Spirit” Explained by “Being Led by the Spirit”

First then, verse 14. It is given by Paul as the ground or the basis of verse 13. We spent three weeks on verse 13, “If you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” Kill sin or it will be killing you. And we put a lot of emphasis on the words “by the Spirit.” “If by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body you will live.” And you may remember I said at one point “by the Spirit” does not mean that the Spirit is a tool or a weapon that we wield. The Spirit is Person. We are in his hands, not he in ours! So killing sin “by the Spirit” means having a mindset through which the Holy Spirit works to free us from the power of sin. And that mindset is the mindset of faith in the blood-bought promises of God.

Now to confirm that we were on the right track when we said, the Spirit is not an instrument in our hands but we are an instrument in his hands, consider what Paul says in verse 14. He says, “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” The “for” means that he is giving the basis and explanation for verse 13. So “put to death the deeds of the body by the Spirit” in verse 13 is explained by “led by the Spirit” in verse 14, and “you will live” in verse 13 is explained by “you are the sons of God” in verse 14. Ponder those two pairs with me for a moment.

“If by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. (14) Because all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” Paul restates “putting to death the deeds of the body by the Spirit” with the words, “you are led by the Spirit.” So here is our confirmation that we were on the right track last week: Doing something “by the Spirit” means being “led” to do it by the Spirit. He is not an instrument in our hands. We are an instrument in his hands. We are not leading him. He is leading us. He is not a mere responder to us. We are being moved and led by him.

So then what is it to be led by the Spirit in verse 14 in view of its relation to verse 13? It is to be moved by the Spirit to kill sin by trusting in the superior worth of our Father’s love. When you fight sin by trusting in Christ as superior to what sin offers, you are being led by the Spirit. Don’t take this verse out of its context and make it mean mainly, “If I am led to the right college I am a child of God.” Or: “If I am led to the right spouse, I am a child of God.” Or: “If I am led to the right job, I am a child of God.”

There is a sense in which the children of God will lean on the Spirit for guidance in all those areas. But that is not the focus of this text. This text says, Kill sin by the Spirit, because “all who are [THUS] led by the Spirit are the sons of God.” In other words, the evidence that we are the children of God is that the Holy Spirit confirms his presence by leading us into war with our sin. The children of God hate sin. The children of God have the values and priorities and preferences and tastes of their Father. They are chips off the old block, as it were.

And the reason they share these traits of God their Father is because they have his Spirit who leads them this way. He gives them the new tastes and new preferences and the new values and the new pleasures and the new sadness. And so the evidence of our sonship is: Do we fight sin in our lives, or do we feel blasé about sin in our lives?
The Promise of Life Is Rooted in Our Being Sons of God

Now notice the way the other pair of ideas in verses 13 and 14 relate. The first pair is “killing sin by the Spirit” explained by “being led by the Spirit.” The second pair is “you will live” in verse 13 and “you are sons of God” in verse 14. “If by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. (14) For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” What this shows is that the promise of life is rooted in our being sons of God.

You know that you have eternal life because you put to death the deeds of the body by the Spirit. That’s verse 13. And you put to death the deeds of the body by the Spirit because you are led by the Spirit. That’s the commandment between verses 13 and 14. And being led by the Spirit shows that you are a child of God. That’s verse 14. And so it is your status as a child of God that guarantees your eternal life. That’s the point of verse 17: “If children, then heirs – heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ.” Heirs of what? Everlasting life and all the glory it contains.

So what verse 14 does is explain killing sin by the Spirit in terms of being led by the Spirit, and it explains “you will live” in terms being sons of God. And then it makes being led by the Spirit the evidence and demonstration that we are the sons of God. Which means that killing sin by the Spirit is the evidence of our sonship and therefore the path to everlasting life.

And Paul means for you to enjoy this. He is telling us these things for our joy and our triumph over the adversities and fears of life. This becomes really plain in verse 15.
How Does the Spirit of God Relate to Our Sonship?

Verse 15 comes in now to explain more fully how the Spirit of God relates to our sonship. He says, (v. 14) “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. (15) For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!'” He is answering the question: Why does the leading of the Spirit prove that you are a son of God? And he is answering the question: How does the Spirit lead?

The reason the leading of the Spirit proves we are children of God is that it is “the Spirit of adoption.” It is the Spirit given to us to confirm a legal transaction carried out by the Father, namely, adoption. Listen to what F. F. Bruce says about this term “adoption as sons” in the Roman world of Paul’s day:

In the Roman world of the first century ad an adopted son was a son deliberately chosen by his adoptive father to perpetuate his name and inherit his estate; he was no whit inferior in status to a son born in the ordinary course of nature, and might well enjoy the father’s affection more fully and reproduce the father’s character more worthily.” (Quoted in John Stott, Romans, InterVarsity Press, 1994, p. 232)

There are dozens of children and young people and adults in this church who have been legally adopted. You are all loved by your parents with a deep, true, unshakable love just as much or more than if you had been born into your family. And that is the way it is with God. This reality of adoption is a massive, firm, legal reality. And it is a deep, strong, full-hearted emotional reality.

When the Holy Spirit is called in verse 15 the “Spirit of adoption” the meaning is the Spirit confirms and makes real to you this great legal transaction of adoption. If you have trusted Christ as your Lord and Savior and Treasure, then you are adopted. John 1:12, “To all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” If you receive Christ, you are adopted.
The Spirit Leads by Stirring Up Family Affection

Now to seal this and confirm it and make it experientially real to you, God sends the Spirit into our hearts. Here is the way Paul says it in Galatians 4:5-6, “[Christ] redeemed those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!'” The Spirit is poured out into our hearts to confirm and make real our adoption.

How does he do that according to verse 15? He does it by replacing the fear of a slave toward a master with the love of a son toward a father. “You did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” He is contrasting the fear of a slave with the affection of a son. The work of the Holy Spirit in our lives is to change our slavish fears toward God into confident, happy, peaceful affection for God as our father.

Now relate that to the leading of the Spirit in verse 14. This is the other question I said Paul is answering in verse 15: How does the Spirit lead? “All who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” How does he lead? How does he move us and enable us to put to death the deeds of the body – to kill sin? Answer: “For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons.” The Spirit does not lead by stirring up slavish fear. He leads by stirring up family affection. He does not get you to kill sin by making you a slave who acts out of fear. But by making you a son who acts out of faith and affection.

You can get a lot of external compliance with enslavement and fear. A Vietnamese man just told me last night that this was so. We asked if the people in Vietnam liked Communism. He said no, but then added, “They have the guns.” So if you have the guns you can enslave and create enough fear so that there is a lot of external compliance. But that is not what the Holy Spirit does to get us to kill sin.

How then does he shape our wills and lead us to put to death the deeds of the body? He does it by making real to us the truth of our adoption and the value of our Father in heaven. How does he do that? He does it by working in two directions: one by bringing God’s fatherly love to us, and the other by bringing our childlike affections for God.
The Spirit Leads by Bringing God’s Father Love to Us

We have already seen the first work of the Spirit in Romans 5:5. Recall how Paul said, “Hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” This is a real, present experience, not just an idea or a future promise. It is something that happens in Christians: the love of God – that is, God’s love for his children – is poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit. This is the Spirit of adoption making real to us the love of our Father. Applying it to us so that we know we are loved. It is an experience of divine love. That’s the first direction the Spirit works to make the truth of our acceptance and the value of our Father real to us. He pours out the love of the Father into our lives.
The Spirit Leads by Awakening Our Childlike Affections for God

The second direction that the Spirit works to lead us is by awakening our own childlike affections for our Father. This is what the last part of verse 15 and verse 16 are referring to. “You have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ (16) The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.”

The Spirit brings about a response in our hearts to the love of God that cries out, “Abba! Father!” The witness of the Holy Spirit that you are a child of God is not a testimony to a neutral heart with no affection for God’s fatherly love so that your neutral heart can draw the logical conclusion that it is a child of God and then try to muster up some appropriate affections. That is not the picture. No. The witness of the Holy Spirit that you are a child of God is the creation in you of affections for God. The testimony of the Holy Spirit IS the cry, “Abba! Father!”

And the reason Paul uses the word “cry” and the Aramaic word “Abba” is because both of them point to deep, affectionate, personal, authentic experience of God’s fatherly love. He didn’t say that the testimony of the Spirit was that we affirm doctrinally that God is father. The devil knows that doctrine. Doctrinal affirmations, as important as they are, don’t make children. What he said was that the testimony of the Spirit that we are God’s children is that from our hearts there rises an irrepressible cry – a cry, not a mere statement, a cry: “Abba! Father!”

We don’t infer logically the fatherhood of God from the testimony of the Spirit. We enjoy emotionally the Fatherhood of God by the testimony of the Spirit. The testimony of the Spirit is not a premise from which we deduce that we are children of God; it is a power by which we delight in being the children of God.
Don’t Wait for a Whisper – Look to Jesus!

If you want to know that you are a child of God, you don’t put your ear to the Holy Spirit and wait for a whisper; put your ear to the gospel and your eye to the cross of Christ and you pray that the Holy Spirit would enable you to see it and savor it for what it really is. Romans 5:8, “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

The testimony of the Spirit is that when we look at cross we cry, “Jesus, you are my Lord!” (1 Corinthians 12:3), and “God, you are my Father!” So look to Christ! Look to Christ!

Can a person really live a life free of sin?

Posted: May 20, 2011 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, teaching
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The big question many people ask is, “Can I really live a sin free life on earth?” The answer is YES. If we abide in Christ we cannot sin. However, many theologians are teaching an abiding in Christ that is excusing sin. Most of us look at the norm, we look at sinful human beings as our example. Therefore, because we cannot see the exhibition of a triumphant life in the people around us, we then believe that it is just not possible. Many exclaim that sin is a normal part of everyday life. God forbid. That is the lie of the devil.

Friends, do not allow the truth in God’s word to depreciate before your minds because those who profess it do not live consistent lives. Jesus Christ and Him only is our example, and if He is telling us to go and sin no more, then it is possible. Let’s look at what the Bible has to say.

Do I have to live in sin everyday?
After Jesus explained the kingdom of God to His disciples they asked him this question…

Matthew 19:25-26
When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

Our natural reaction in the flesh is like that of the disciples. When they added self effort in the equation of victory and did the math, the answer was defeat. Christ rightly said, it is impossible in our own strength to live a righteous life. However, Jesus is saying to us, just surrender and allow me to live out my sin free life that I lived in you. Let us examine Romans 6:3-11. I would like you to read those verses first, then move on to the scripture below.

Romans 6:6
Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
Therefore, at baptism the old man is crucified with him as a result of going under the watery grave of baptism symbolic of the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ that can wash away every and any stain of sin. Henceforth we should not serve sin. Jesus expects us to remain in him so that we will not continue in sin.

Romans 6:1-2
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
Now, this victorious life is dependent on our belief system and practice. We must believe that Jesus Christ can keep us from falling. We must suppress on a consistent basis, surrendering our will to God. When his words are crystallized upon our minds, then we will acknowledge Him in everything, so that he can direct our path. Paul found this out and he realized that self and Christ cannot co-exist. Upon that discovery he exclaims.

Galatians 2:20
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Paul was trying to fight a spiritual war with carnal weapons. He was trying to help God out. The Bible tells us, “It is not by might nor by power, but by my spirit.” Paul is saying, we must allow Christ to live out his life in us by reading his words and meditating on him on a moment by moment basis.

Galatians 5:16
This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
What does the flesh do? It is subject to sin. But if we ask on a consistent basis, “What should I do to honor you Lord,” then we will be ok. If we sin, we are not in Jesus, we are of the devil. If we are in Christ we cannot sin.

1 John 3:8
He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning.
For this to happen, friends, we would have to walk out of the protective environment of Jesus Christ and follow the devil. It is a conscious decision, not ignorance nor is it an accident. If you are in Christ there is no room for sin. Did Christ accidentally sin or sin in ignorance? No, He did not, else he could not be our Savior.

1 John 3:9
Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

That is beautiful. If we are in him, we cannot sin. But do we believe it? Friends, Satan cannot penetrate Jesus to get to you. Do you believe that? He cannot do it, it is impossible. Some will argue and say, “what about those things that I had no idea were sins. How can one protect themselves from those situations if they are ignorant of it?” Consider this analogy: Bank tellers study the genuine bill only and not all the counterfeit that they can get their hands on. Why? Because somebody will always come up with another counterfeit, and what are they going to compare that one with if they do not have an original? They would be lost. Remember, Jesus is doing it. He will let us know when the devil is coming.

Hebrews 4:15
For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Christ was tempted in all points, but without sin. If you are in Christ, He will let you know when the devil is on his way. At that point we can cry out for Jesus and ask Him to do it for us or we can try to stand on our own. We have a decision to make. If we truly love Him, we will always choose to stick with Him. We do not need to know all sin and every temptation. The only thing we need to do is to know Jesus Christ. He will do the rest. Therefore, we will not accidentally sin. No. There are no accidents or sins of ignorance with Christ. He is doing it.

1 John 3:6
Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.

The Bible says that if you abide in Christ you cannot sin. There are no accident or sins of ignorance. The painful truth is that, if we sin we are of the devil. We are saying, “let me out of here Lord. I do not want to be with you. I like what the devil has to offer.” So we open the door from the inside (that protective environment in Christ) and we walk out to the devil. What we are saying is, “I really do not want to be with you Lord.” Many who are living in denial will say that is a pretty harsh statement. They will argue and say, “I did not stay with the devil, I asked for forgiveness and went right back to Jesus.” But friends, why would we want a high school relationship? Why would we want to break up to make up. We know that we can sin. At anytime we can always walk out of Christ and stand on our own (living by the flesh) and that’s why we fall into sin.

Sinning under law vs. sinning under grace

Many theologians trivialize and minimize the seriousness of sin by categorizing the transgression. How can we even attempt to make a case suggesting that there is a difference between the Christian that sins and the sinning of worldly? Sin is sin. He that sins is of the devil the bible says. Whether we are under grace or law the wage is the same. The Bible says that the wages of sin is death. Consequently, many are walking through this world managing their sins, living in sin, singing I’m pressing on the upward way while they are sinking further and further into degradation.

The law condemns and grace saves. Yes, but unconfessed sins are unforgiven sins. So if we do not ask for grace to cover our sins we will share the faith of the worldly. Consider this text.

And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
We will likewise perish with the homosexuals, murderers, rapists and Satanists if we do not repent. Unconfessed sins are unforgiven sins. Remember friends, no sin will enter heaven. We must be better than nice or good, we must be holy. He that is in Christ, stay in Christ. We do not have to fulfill the lust of the flesh if we stay in Christ. He is able to keep us from falling.(Luke 13:2-5)

Romans 6:1-2
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
Why would we want to crucify Him afresh by living in sin?

Hebrews 6:6
If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
Hypothetically speaking – Tom is married to Jane. He pays all the bills, provides for the family, helps with all the house work and helps with the training of the kids. He takes out Jane often and tells her how much he loves her. But once every two months he beats her. He is really sorry for what he did and he begs for forgiveness. Jane says if you do it again, I am going to leave you. Tom does it again in the next two months. Even though he seems to be such a good husband and father, do you think he really loves Jane if he beats her? No, how can he? Love protects, provides, and connects, it does not abuse. He that is in Christ, stays in Christ.

1 John 3:9
Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

Again, Christ is saying to us. If we abide in him, we cannot sin.

Who are we going to believe? The word of God or man?

A Radical transformation of discipleship needed in our day!

Posted: May 18, 2011 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, Parents, teaching
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I believe that if we are to truly lead people to Christ and then disciple into maturity, we need to be more Christ-like in our leadership style. In order for this to happen we need to have a radical transformation in the manner for which we disciple new believers in our day!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The highest calling is that of servant-hood,

Russ Welch

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