If You Don't Know The Lord

Then It's Easy...

If you don't know the Lord, then it is easy to say that all religions are equal.  That there are many ways to "God" and none more valid than another.

If you don't know the Lord, then you won't bat an eye at denying His words, perverting them, or just completely disregarding them.

If you don't know the Lord, then you can laugh whole-heartedly when the things of God are mocked, as people in ignorance demean spiritual gifts or spiritual authority.

If you don't know the Lord, then you will find it amusing when men are are depicted as buffoons, are emasculated in the media, or cross-dress for fame & money.

If you don't know the Lord, then you will champion a woman's "right" to be depicted as a whore, to be sexually promiscuous, or to kill her own children.

If you don't know the Lord, then you can call sin a mistake, a "wreck", or simply a lifestyle choice.

If you don't know the Lord, then you can exert more energy in conforming others to yourself and your ideals than to Jesus Christ.

If you don't know the Lord, then you can esteem the acceptance of men more than the favor of God.

If you don't know the Lord, then you can afford to invest your all into maintaining the here & now, and worry about eternity later.

But how many truly desire to know the Lord...and be known by Him?

Are you willing to stand for Jesus, even when it is not popular?  Are you willing to lose homes, cars, jobs, friends, and family for the sake of winning Christ?  Are you willing to lay down your life as a sacrifice so that others - even those who may currently be your enemies - might be saved?  If you know the Lord, it may not be easy, but it is worth it.

Worth it to be made whole, to be made new.  Worth it to be delivered from bondage and truly set free from sin.  Worth it to not be blinded & ensnared by the deceits and allures of this present, temporary world.  Worth it to be reconciled to God through Jesus Christ, having your identity restored in Him. Worth it to be able to cry out, "Abba Father" and know that you are loved with an unfailing love.  Worth it to always be with God, who desires to fill you with His glory and bless you with an eternal inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and unfading.

"Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. Then shall we know, IF we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth." Hosea 6:1-3

Biblical, GODLY Authority

Where are the Men (and Women) of God?

"Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse."  Malachi 4:5-6

It is alarming how many professing Christians in these last days have no understanding of Godly authority.  Although such may seem sound in other areas of the faith - they simply fall apart at a biblical understanding of God's authority.  As a result, many are wishy-washy; unable to stand unequivocally for the things of God and following every whim, every false spirit, because they are spiritually blind. 

Some claim that there is no authority in the church and completely reject organized fellowship as they go rogue in a "I am just led by the Spirit" perspective.  Another extreme is to simply submit to anyone who claims to be "called" without regard for Godly standards about church leadership.  Yet, one of the most common expressions - and perhaps the very foundation - of this blindness is what God notes in Malachi Chapter 4: a rejection of patriarchy.

Throughout His word, God proclaims that the authority ordained by Him is reflected in patriarchy.  Yet, those who dispute this come up with every contrivance to rebel.  They paint God's commands as a "Gospel of Bigotry" and fashion "another" god to worship after their own imaginations (II Corinthians 11:4).  They claim the Scriptures have been perverted over time so as to unrighteously hold back the gifting in women.  They dismiss God's commands about women's submission as only relevant for a particular time in church history.

Malign God's word...malign God's character...anything but accept that God says what He means, and means what He says.  In rejecting God's word/authority, such people are in fact rejecting Him. God tells us that a rejection of patriarchal authority will lead to a curse on His people (Malachi 4:5-6), and we can see the affects of this curse on society today...even within the churchworld. 

"As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths." Isaiah 3:12

If the head of every man is Christ (I Corinthians 11:3), then by default, those males submitting to or promoting female headship are NOT qualified to be called men...according to the Scriptures.  A wise man will consider the input of his wife (Genesis 21:12), but he will only be ruled by, and take commands from, the Lord.  Man's first sin was in fact replacing the headship of the Lord with the headship of his wife (Genesis 3:17).

Why do we have "ministers" in the church committing adultery, pedophilia, theft, and every corruptible work?  Why do we have men and women who support such persons and make excuses for their sins?  Why do we have so many rejecting God's word to do that which is forbidden?  Because people have no respect for the structure, purpose, and blessings of Godly authority and therefore have no identity in Him.  The church has largely lost an appreciation/understanding of patriarchy; which is the essence of who God is - a Father.   Many professing Christians are walking around in a spirit of fatherlessness, even while claiming to be a child of God.  Scripture calls such individuals "disobedient" and commands them to turn so that they might be received by the Lord (Luke 1:17).

Can we not see that the root of people's problem with submission to God is that they are fatherless (Jeremiah 3:14-15, 23:1-4)?  Do we not know that one of the primary reasons Jesus came was to restore in man the knowledge and gratitude for God as a Father (Matthew 11:27; Luke 10:22; John 1:18, 14:9)?

All of this compromise and all of this confusion is enough to turn one's stomach.  I, for one, am not going to stand with a liar!  I am not going to say "peace" when there is no peace!  I am not going to shut my mouth because the truth of God makes some uncomfortable.  The Body of Christ is under attack from within, and if we hold our peace, then how shall the lost be saved (Romans 10:14)?

According to Malachi 4:5-6, the last days ministry of the church is the spirit of Elijah calling for the people to return to patriarchy.  Where are the men and women of God calling for a return to Godly authority, in the home and in the church?  Where are those saints of God who are not ashamed to confront Ahab's abdication and Jezebel's illegitimate authority over God's people?  Where is the remnant who has not bowed the knee to Baal, but will boldly proclaim, "The Lord is God!"?

It is such persons whom God chooses to raise His children, both of physical and spiritual seed.

"Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace" Acts 18:9b

In the picture of fatherhood, God gives us the pattern for understanding who He is, the authority He walks in, and how He interacts with His children.  Without such an anchor in our hearts, if we fail to understand the significance of God as a patriarch, then we wind up making of ourselves bastards (Hebrews 12:6-8).

The following message from Pastor Zac Poonen called "Being a Godly Father" is about the importance of restoring true fatherhood in the church.  As he examines God's word on this topic, I pray that it allows people to have a greater appreciate for who God really is so that we may turn away from idols towards worshiping the Father - in spirit and in truth.

• Parents, especially fathers, have a serious responsibility to represent God the Father to their own children so that they will come to know God and His ways.
• God prepared Abraham to be a blessing to the nations of the earth by calling him to command his children and family to keep the way of the Lord so that God could bring to pass all of the promises He had made to Abraham (Genesis 18:18-19). There are things that God has even promised us, but first He is going to test us with our children; whether we learn to command them to obey and walk in God's ways.
• In Abrahan's offering of Isaac, we not only see Abraham's obedience to God, but his son's obedience to him.  The respect by which Abraham's son obeyed his father illustrates that Abraham had in fact been faithful in commanding his household in the things of the Lord.
• On the other hand, Eli the priest (the top religious head in Israel) raised his own sons to be worthless men (I Samuel 2:12).  For this, God blamed Eli for honoring his sons above Him and God took the ministry away from him and gave it to Samuel.
• Samuel was so busy in the work of the ministry that he neglected his responsibilities at home in raising his sons.  Samuel appointed his sons to be judges in the land, but like Eli's sons, they too did not follow after the ways of the Lord.
• The first step to being a Godly father is to be a Godly husband.  God did not listen to the prayers of Israel because God has seen the way men treat their wives and their children (Malachi 2:14). 
• We can take God's promises for our children and grandchildren to prayer, believing that these promises will be fulfilled in their lives. 
  
  "And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children."  Isaiah 54:13 
  
  "As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the LORD; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and for ever." Isaiah 59:21
  
  "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6
  
• We are responsible for the way we bring up our children.  I Timothy 3:4-5 says one of the conditions for leadership in God's house is the way a man brings up his children.  Such is a qualification for church leadership.
• Children often go astray because they see hypocrisy in the parents.
• The beauty of the Lord our God as a Father is that He is both kind and strict (Romans 11:22).  Being a good father requires both discipline and instruction (Ephesians 6:4), just as God chastens us (Hebrews 12:6-8, Revelation 3:19).
• For those whose children have gone astray, Matthew 18:19 promises that if two of us agree on one thing, it shall be done.  Join with your wife and pray for your wayward child to come back to God, that they be born again and become disciples of Jesus. 
• For those with Godly children, know that it is not because of you; all credit is due to God.  Do not boast, for if it were not for the mercy of God, your children would be wayward too.  Do not despise those whose children have gone astray; if you cannot pray for them, then keep your mouth shut.
• For single mothers, II Timothy 1:5 says that Timothy got his own faith from his mother and grandmother.  It is the example of his mother's ways toward the Lord which allowed faith to come into his heart, even when a Godly father was not present.
• For all parents, we need to call upon God for wisdom and pray to be filled with the Spirit in order to know how to raise our children. 

Is Your Life Worth Living?

How to Have a Life That is Not All in Vain

"Let us hear the conclusion of the WHOLE matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man." Ecclesiastes 12:13

In my childhood, I used to love a song by the Clark Sisters entitled, "Is My Living in Vain?" The lyrics go as follows:

Is my living in vain

Is my giving in vain

Is my praying in vain

Is my fasting in vain

Am I wasting my time

Can the clock be rewind

Have I let my light shine

Have I made ninety-nine

No, of course not

Its not all in vain

No, no LORD, no

Cause up the road is eternal gain

I would sing this song with vigor, even while my life was truly being "lived in vain" as I was on a path set for Hell.  It is interesting how you can sing Gospel songs with fervor, say Amen to the preacher, and yet still be far, far away from God.  Mere excitement about the Lord can deceive us into believing we are somewhere we are not and blind us to our true condition (Romans 10:2).

In the following message, Min. David Pawson reviews the Book of Ecclesiastes as Solomon considers the vanity of his life and examines how we can be assured that our own lives are not in vain.

• Scriptural text taken out of context is dangerous and can be used to support any false doctrine.
• Ecclesiastes reflects Solomon's perspective at the end of his life as he contemplates whether his life has been worth living. Solomon's reflections don't necessarily mean that this is God's view on life, but there is a reason why God included it here. We need to understand why that is.
• If you only see that which is "under the sun", if you never lift your eyes up to Heaven, then you will never understand the meaning of life. We need the perspective of God - outside of time and space - so that we can see what life is all about.
• Whenever Solomon looked to God in Ecclesiastes, he had joy and hope. Whenever he focused on human behavior & observation, he got more and more depressed.
• When you believe that God orders your times, then the things which happen to you are not chance, but God's choices as He weaves the fabric of our lives for our good.
• Remember God, fear Him, and obey His commands. The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. If we have proper reverance for God, we won't fear anything or anyone else.

Are You Soulish or Spiritual?

What Does it Mean to Live in the Spirit?

"And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." I Thessalonians 5:23

We had posted previously about the importance of entering the most holy place.  Yet in the following message, Pastor Zac Poonen breaks down what it really means to do so.  How do we enter into the most holy place and why is this important? We must understand this in order to understand what it means to be spiritual.

• Our "whole spirit, soul, and body" must be preserved blameless until Christ's return.  Yet many do not understand the difference between living spiritually, living soulishly, or living carnally.
• Spiritual - Being ruled by the Holy Spirit
• Soulish - Being ruled by your own human personality (our mind, emotions, etc.). 
• Carnal - Being ruled by bodily passions.
• God tells us that the word of God brings a division between the soul and spirit (Hebrews 4:12).
• Jesus - as the Living Word - came, not only to pay for our sins, but to show us how to live; and then He sent the Holy Spirit to empower us to live as He did.
  
• Every born again Christian has the Holy Spirit, but that is not the same thing as being filled with the Holy Spirit.
  
• We need to understand that the Old Testament tabernacle is an illustration of the design of man.
• The place where God dwells is the most holy place, and He desires for us to go through into this place and LIVE there.
  
• The thing that separates us from the most holy place is our own will!
• Knowledge of Scripture and fervor in praise does not mean one is spiritual.  You must go beyond mind and emotions through the veil into the most holy place!

This is a beautiful message primarily because the word of God is beautiful.  In His word, we can see His redemption, His love, and His grace to us.  So, I hope this encourages those who may be feeling defeated in their Christian walk.

Don't get discouraged by the journey, but press in to the most holy place.  You might literally feel as if you are going through the wringer...but Jesus did too; it was called Gethsemane (the oil press).  If you stay the course then, like Him, you too will come out walking in resurrected life.

I AIN'T Goin' Bow!!!!!

How to Avoid a "Wreck"

This is one of the best sermons I have heard in....well, in forever.  Seriously?  Yes.

If you don't heed anything else on this site - if you only have time for one message - this is the one to which you need to listen.

In the following study, Pastor Gary C. Price breaks down what really occurred in the Garden of Eden, what happens during salvation, and what will be the nature of the spiritual battle in these last days.   

As the days grow darker, we have to decide that we are not going to bow to Satan and his wicked Babylonian systems.

PART 1

• We cannot make an idol out of people, trying to mold ourselves to who we think they were.  We need the Holy Spirit of God to make us over into whom God would have us to be.
• Daniel Chapter 3 is a revelation of the tribulation period, including the rise of the anti-christ, the persecution of the saints, and the supernatural protection the saints are afforded through Jesus Christ.
• Nebuchadnezzar sets up an idolatrous image of gold 60 cubits high, 60 cubits wide which was to be worshiped at the sound of 6 musical instruments (666).  The number 666 represents the image of man devoid of God's Spirit (the image of a beast).  This lets us know that in the last days, man will be a worshiper of himself, exalting his own thoughts, reasoning, and mind (II Timothy 3:1-2). 
• God stresses that Nebuchadnezzar gathered all of the political officials of the land to support the dedication of this image.  This is also how it will be in the last days as the governmental systems collaborate with the religious systems to compel worship to the beast.  Since the devil cannot control people until he gets inside of them; he must infiltrate the religious arena, the area of worship; as indicated in Daniel 3, a primary means by which he will do this in the end times is through music.
• There will only be two options in those days: bow down to the image or be cast into the fiery furnace.



Eddie Long with transvestite personality "Miss Sophia"

• Just as Nebuchadnezzar used magicians/sorcerers (Chaldeans) to control the Jews, the same will be used to try and control God's people in the last days, but the sorcerers are now called "pastors" or "bishops".  What most people do not understand is that Satan aims to deceive by infiltrating the church and passing his ministers off as ministers of righteousness (II Cor. 11:15).
• During Jesus' day, the Romans were not the catalyst to Jesus' crucifixion; the religious leaders were.  Just as back then, it is the religious leaders of the end times (Satan's anointed which has infiltrated the church) who will stand against the saints through whom Jesus Christ is manifesting in the last days.  Religion is not the same as rebirth.  This is why you can have hordes of church members committing adultery, fornicating, etc. without the slightest conviction.
• Scripture says that the whole world will wonder after the beast (which is the nature of a sodomite).  This is because the whole world is being knit together under that spirit, the spirit of Anti-Christ, even those who consider themselves "heterosexual".  Being a sodomite is not about sex acts alone, but about possessing an unregenerate nature.
• Those in Christ must be born again because what occurred in the Garden of  Eden affected man at the genetic level, changing him into a fallen creation different from what God created.  This is why man must be regenerated and could only do so by the blood of one who was not contaminated by that same Adamic nature (in other words, one not born from the seed of men).
• We are in the days where God's judgment is beginning in the house of God.  Understand why the accusations against Eddie Long and Creflo Dollar's defense of him illustrates God's judgment against unregenerate "pimp preachers".
• For those who refuse to bow, they can look forward to a furnace heated 7x hotter representing 7 years of tribulation.  Just as with the three Hebrew boys, that which binds us will be burned off in the fire as we stand with the Son of God in the midst of the trial.  

PART 2

• The main problem with the church is that people don't know how to be - and are afraid to be - free.
• The beast is a metamorphisized Adam and the harlot is a metamorphisized Eve.  Adam represents the governmental systems of the world; Eve represents the religious systems.
• The Scriptures show that in the last days, the sorcery and witchcraft coming from the pulpits will be intense.  The Scripture also tells us how this is being done: the people of the world have been made drunk with the fornication of the harlot and the beast (Revelation 17:2-5). 
• People must come out of Babylon and stop worshiping men & false preachers, but this will not happen until the church realizes the purpose of the five-fold ministry gifts.  The purpose of the five-fold ministry gifts is to perfect YOU to do the works of the ministry.  You are the ministers!   
•  When you become vertically attached to God - instead of yoked to the personality of men - then you are safe from deception as you will be led by the Spirit of God.

The Books of Titus & Philemon

Adorning the Doctrine of God in All Things

The following are notes from a sermon by Pastor Zac Poonen on the books of Titus & Timothy where he reviews the qualifications for church leadership, the marks of a Godly minister, and the practical things of Christian living.

The Book of Titus

• Some of Paul's closest companions were not Jewish, but of Greek heritage, i.e. Luke, Timothy, & Titus.  It was evidence that, in Christ, people of all nationalities could work together; there is no longer Jew nor Gentile because we are all made new in Christ.
• The thing Paul stresses in the latter days of his ministry is godliness.  This is also a sign of maturity in a minister and what ministries need to focus on for this is what builds the church.
• Paul was concerned that there be elders in every church, and it was always plural (at least 2); never just one pastor or a one man show.
• The qualifications of an elder are that: he must have a good testimony, be the husband of one wife, have disciplined children at home who believe, not be quick tempered, not be interested in money,  be hospitable, love what is good, be self-controlled, and be able to teach hygienic doctrine.
• We have a responsibility to make sure that "empty talkers" - those who have nothing of substance to say - do not have free rein to preach in the church.  Such must be silenced.
• The love of money is a very important factor in consideration of Godly ministry.  Many preachers cannot speak about the sin of loving money because they are not faithful in money themselves.
• The church is supposed to be a stark contrast against what is seen in the world's societies.
• If you do everything with the wrong motives, then you will assume that others do the same.  This is why people can always see impurity, even in that which is good.
• Hygienic doctrine is what pertains to practical Christian life; at home, at work, in the church, etc. 
• Christ has redeemed us for the purpose of purifying for Himself a people who are zealous to do good works.
• The great need in Christian homes and pulpits these days is truly Godly authority.   

The Book of Philemon

• Paul demonstrates the same spirit which is in Jesus Christ and never took advantage of his authority.  He is very gracious in dealing with others, including those who have been converted by his ministry.  Paul even offers to have Onesimus' wrongs charged to his own account so that Onesimus could be received as a brother by Philemon.
• We can get caught up in fighting for some social cause or "good" work and in doing so, miss the best work: saving people from Hell and building the church of Jesus Christ.
  

The Books of Jonah & Micah

The Faithfulness of God vs. the Faithfulness of Men

"Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown." Revelation 3:11

How can someone else "take" your crown, the reward that God has kept and planned for you?

You can miss it altogether if you are unfaithful in your life; and the ministry which was to be yours, God gives to another.

The following is a summary of Pastor Zac Poonen's reviews of the Books of Jonah & Micah. 

Book of Jonah

• Man is often narrow-hearted because of prejudices, but God is large-hearted.
• Having money does not mean one is in the will of God; nor does having money to do something mean that this is what God wants you to do.
• Man's first instinct when in a difficult situation is often to try and exert his own power & effort to get out of it.  It is only after this has failed that many turn to God in prayer, when in reality prayer should be our first recourse.
• God's answer to Jonah's cry did not come immediately after Jonah prayed to Him.  Rather, God answered when Jonah started praising Him.  God says in Psalm 50:23 that praising Him makes a way for Him to deliver us!  Praise, especially in hard times, is the expression of faith.
• God is a God of second, third, fourth...chances.  God gives us other chances to fulfill the ministry He has ordained for us.
• Ninevah was the most wicked city of that time, but it only took one sentence made under the anointing of God to bring them to repentance.  If God has succeeded in breaking you, then merely one sentence can produce powerful results for the Kingdom.
• You can be a preacher and even save souls, but not have proper fellowship with God in the compassion He has for lost souls.  God longs for man's repentance and the more you are in fellowship with God's heart, the more you will have that burden.

Book of Micah

• Micah prophesied to both Israel & Judah regarding religious leaders who have misused their authority in God and exploited the people.  This is comparable to current-day ministers who defraud others by compelling people to pay tithes so that they can live at a higher standard of living.
• If you are faithful in the use of God's money, you will retain the anointing of God through the end of your life.  If you don't, then God's anointing will leave you.
• Historically, God's people have preferred false prophets who tickle their ears and say things to soothe them rather than listen to true prophets who speak the truths of God.  True prophets are not popular amongst the people.
• There is always the promise of a remnant amongst God's people who remain faithful.
• The false preachers loved those who gave them large gifts and prophesied good things to them.  They "teach for hire" and "divine for money", pretending to serve God in order to get money.
• Scripture is very clear that those who serve the Lord can be supported by the gifts of God's people.  It is perfectly right and ordained by God.  But, there is a difference between a salary and a gift.  A gift is not demanded.
• The punishment for God's people when they are in disobedience is to send them into Babylon, physically back then and spiritually now.
• Micah prophesied that the Messiah would come from eternity and be born in Bethlehem.
• God has a controversy against His people for their rebellion and backslidden state.  Such cannot be remedied with tithes, offerings, etc.  If you have ever wondered what the Lord wants from you, it is here in Micah 6:8, "He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?"  
• There may be a lot of injustice and corruption amongst God's people - and He may be longsuffering in dealing with their sin - but they will not escape; judgment day is coming.
• Jesus quoted Micah 7:6 to teach us that a man's enemies are those in his own house. 
• Don't ever let Satan gloat over you or bring you to condemnation.  God may chasten us when we sin, but once our chastening is over, He will punish our enemies.
• The Lord will bring judgment against the unjust, but He delights in mercy.  Like a surgeon, Godly ministers may cut your open to find and remove the cancer, but then he will stitch you up and send you out whole.

God's First Messages to Man

Forty Messages From Genesis Chapters 1 to 11

The following notes are a great message from Pastor Zac Poonen as he goes through the first eleven Chapters of Genesis to succinctly present God's first messages to man.

1. Be honest about your condition (1:2). The earth was dark, empty and shapeless. Sin had affected the earth. If you want God to work in you and remake you, be honest about your condition. Admit that you are dark, empty and without the image of Christ. The thief on the cross said: I deserve to be crucified. I deserve punishment. Therefore the Lord said to him: You will be with me in paradise.

2. Submit to the Holy Spirit's workings (1:2). You cannot fulfil your function in the Body of Christ unless you are baptized in the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit moves in us to make us like Jesus. Any area of your life that is not open to the Holy Spirit will remain dark, empty and under the control of the devil. Let the Holy Spirit control every area of your life.

3. Listen to God's Word daily (1:3 ff). The words, “Then God said” occurs 7 times in this chapter indicating that God speaks every day. If you want transformation, you should listen to God daily. Otherwise you will remain empty, dark and shapeless. It is written about Jesus in Isaiah 50:4 “He awakens me morning by morning. He awakens my ear to listen as a disciple.” Develop the habit of listening. The first words of Jesus after His baptism were, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God”.

4. Allow God to separate you from all darkness (1:4). God separated the light from darkness. In Luke 11:35, Jesus said, “Take heed that the light in you be not darkness”. In 2 Cor 4:6, it is written, “God who said, ‘Light shall shine out of darkness’ is the One who has shown in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.”

5. Sanctification is a daily process (1:5ff). God wants to bring a renewal in our lives every day. 2 Cor 4:16 says, “Our outer man decays, but the inner man is renewed daily”.

6. God wants to reproduce His image in you (1:26). God said, “Let Us make man in Our image”. “Us” refers to the Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit – all working together to make us like Jesus. (Rom 8:28-29).

7. God wants you to be a ruler (1:26). “God said … Let them rule….”. We are to rule over sin (Rom.6:14). It is not God’s will that we should be slaves of sin. Thanks be to God who always (24X7) leads us in His triumph (2 Cor 2:14).

8. God wants to provide your every need (1:29). God provided Adam a wife, a home (a garden) and a job (as gardener). God will do the same for you as well, if you seek His kingdom and His righteousness first.

9. Only God's blessing can make you fruitful (1:28). God wants you to be fruitful in your character and in your ministry. You can’t build the Body of Christ or do anything useful for God without His blessing. Jesus said in John 15:5, “Apart from me you can do nothing”. So wait on God saying, “Lord, what will you have me to do?” And when God blesses you, you WILL be fruitful.

10. God can make something beautiful out of your life (1:31). God wants to make something out of your life that He Himself can certify as “Very good”. Believe that He wants to do it, no matter how much of a mess you have made of your life.

11. God wants you to fellowship with Him first of all (2:2). Adam’s first day was a day of rest and uninterrupted fellowship with God. Working for God in the garden came only after that, on the next day. The Lord rebuked Martha for being occupied with service instead of listening to Him first, like Mary did (Lk.10:42). All unrest and anxiety in our lives come from a lack of fellowship with God. Satan could not tempt Adam on that first day when he was in fellowship with God. The devil will be far away when we put fellowship with God as a priority in our lives. From a life of inward rest alone can we truly serve God effectively.

12. Only the breath of God makes you different from the animals (2:7). The animals were also made on the sixth day like man. But when God breathed into man, he became totally different from them. Thereby, God was saying to man that if he ignored the breath of God, he would very soon descend to the level of the animals. Jesus also breathed on His disciples after His resurrection and gave them the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit alone Who can save us from living like animals who are interested only in earthly things. Bible knowledge will not make us spiritual – because even the devil has that. The threat of judgment also may keep you from sinning only for sometime. But the Holy Spirit will help you to live on a heavenly plane. So seek to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit.

13. Only through testing can you become holy (2:17). God could not make Adam and Eve holy without testing them. God is determined to make His children holy, if they will allow Him. That is why He allows us to be tempted repeatedly every day. And that is why He has given us the Holy Spirit as a Helper. When we cry out for help in the times of temptation, the Holy Spirit will give us grace to deny our self-will and overcome and thus pass the test and become truly holy.

14. God wants husband & wife to be one as the head and the body (2:24). God was the One Who was concerned that Adam was alone and decided to make a helper for him. God created woman out of man’s body so that a man would always treat his wife as part of his own body. The man, as the head, is useless if he has no body; and the woman, as the body, is useless if she has no head. This verse also teaches that husbands and wives must be emotionally detatched from their earthly parents first if they are to become one. Adam’s first sin was that he listened to his wife rather than to God. He should have stopped his wife from having discussions with Satan. In this, he failed to act as the head.

15. Satan questions God's Word (3:1). Satan approached Eve with the question, “Has God really said?” Satan is cleverer and smarter than all of us and his ultimate aim is to lead us away from God. God had said, “If you eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge, you will surely die”. But Satan said, “Surely you will not die”. Today, God says to believers, “If you live according to the flesh, you will surely die” (Rom.8:13). But Satan says (through many Bible-teachers), “Surely you will not die”. You have to choose now whether to believe God or Satan’s agents. If you treat even the smallest commands of God’s Word lightly, Satan will lead you astray to your destruction. When you see a very small command in Scripture, don’t ask. “Is this a major command or a minor one?” Instead ask, “Who commanded it - God or man?”

16. Satan questions God's love (3:5). Satan made Eve doubt the love of God by implying: “If God really loved you, why doesn’t He allow you to eat of this attractive fruit. The fact that He denies it to you proves that He doesn’t really love you”. This is the same evil suggestion that Satan will whisper to you, when some earnest prayer of yours is not answered, or when you don’t get what you wanted very badly. It is very important that we are established in the truth of God’s perfect love for us, so that we never doubt it – irrespective of what He allows in our lives and irrespective of what prayers of ours remain unanswered.

17. Beware of what your bodily senses feel attracted towards (3:6). Many Christians worship food. Their stomach is their god. Such Christians are called “enemies of the cross of Christ” (in Phil.3:18-19). We must beware of worshipping the creature (pretty objects that God has created) more than the Creator. We must beware of valuing the gifts of God more than the Giver Himself. The apostle Paul said that he disciplined his bodily desires and made them his slave, lest he be disqualified by God finally, after having preached to others. If even Paul lived in that fear, how much more should we?

18. God takes the initiative to look for you (3:9). Sin made Adam so foolish that he thought he could hide from God by going behind a tree!! Adam should have been the one to go running to God, asking for forgiveness. But, instead, we see God coming searching for Adam, saying, “Where are you?” (Gen 3:9). This is how God comes searching for us too. This should move us to yield our all to God. When you go astray, you will hear His voice calling you by name and asking, “Where are you?”

19. Don't blame others (3:12). After Adam sinned, he could not take the blame even for his own sin. He blamed his wife for giving him the fruit, and then blamed God for giving him such a wife!! When God confronts you in your conscience with your sin, don’t make excuses or blame anyone else. Just admit your sin and take all the blame yourself. If you blame your life-partner for anything, immediately a separation will come in your fellowship with each other. Then Satan will enter through that gap to destroy your children. So, in your home and in your church, keep the door closed on Satan by sticking close to one another and never blaming each other.

20. God is on your side against Satan (3:15). It is significant to note that God first gave Satan his judgment (“The seed of the woman will crush you head”) before he punished Adam and Eve for their sin. God may discipline us severely, but He will crush Satan under our feet – because He is always on our side against Satan. One way by which God showed Adam and Eve His love for them was by making animal-skin coats for them (that would not only cover their nakedness but also last them all their lives) to replace the fig-leaf coverings they had made for themselves (which would dry up in a few days). Those coats are a picture of God’s righteousness with which He covers us in Christ. Never forget that even if you have messed up your life, God is still on your side against Satan. So you can come back to God at any time and He will welcome you.

21. God accepts us on the basis of faith in our hearts (Gen.4:4-5). God had regard for Abel first and therefore for his offering. He came with faith proved by the fact that he brought the best; whereas, Cain only brought just “an” offering. A man of faith always gives the very best of his life and everything to God

22. Beware of anger and jealousy (4:5-6). God asked Cain “Why are you angry? Why is your face fallen?” He will ask us the same questions. Jealousy destroyed Cain. It also destroyed King Saul when he saw David’s popularity.

23. Sin is closer to us than we think (4:7). Sin is always crouching like a lion or tiger at the door of our hearts just waiting to enter. If we always recognize that sin is so close to us, we will always be alert.

24. God wants us to be overcomers (4:7). God wants us to master sin. He told Cain that, long before the Holy Spirit was given to man. External sins can be conquered even without the help of the Holy Spirit. But inward sins can be conquered only through the power of the Holy Spirit.

25. We are responsible for our fellow-believers (4:9). If our left hand is injured, our right hand immediately helps to fix it. In the Body of Christ, if one member suffers, all suffer. If one member rejoices, all rejoice. In a football game, all will rejoice even if someone else from their team scored the goal, because he is part of the same team. We are responsible for those we are closely connected with, in our local churches.

26. We have to give an account to God for everything we have done (4:10). The harm we do to others cries out to God. No one may have seen our sin. But God will ask us to account for it. That is why we need to be honest and confess all our sins to God – and especially the sins done in secret. We must do it now, before we meet God one day.

27. Sins against another are more serious than sins that harm only yourself (4:11). God never cursed Adam for his sin, but only the ground, because Adam’s sin hurt only himself. But God cursed Cain. A person who has bad habits like taking drugs and alcohol is harming only his own body. But one who backbites or expresses his anger harms others; and so he is worse than a drug-addict. But hardly anyone believes that.

28. We will reap what we sow (4:12). Cain was punished to become a wanderer, because of his sin. Many Christians too are homeless wanderers, never getting integrated into any local church as their home. They are too independent to be subject to anyone’s authority. That is part of a curse. And the root cause for this is only their pride.

29. Vengeance belongs to God alone (4:15). We must never take revenge on anyone (Romans 12:19). Let God repay all evildoers in His own way and in His own time. Our calling is to overcome evil by doing good. Paul had been harmed by Alexander; but he left it to the Lord to deal with Alexander (2 Tim.4:14).

30. Our children will follow our example. Cain killed Abel. Cain’s descendant, Lamech, killed others. When parents go astray, their children go astray. Another descendant of Cain’s - Jubal - was the father of the musical industry. He was certainly not glorifying God with his music, but glorifying Satan – just like the rock musicians of today. Our children and grandchildren will follow our example. So we should walk in humility and brokenness always.

31. God will always have a witness for Himself on earth (5:22; 6:9). Enoch walked with God and Noah walked with God, and they were witnesses for God in their generation. Largely speaking, Christendom has failed to be a true witness for God on earth. But God has had a small group of people who walked with Him during all these 2000 years, who were faithful witnesses to Him. You can be a witness for God in your generation if you walk with God. Enoch is a type of those believers who walk with God today, who please Him and will be taken up when the Lord returns (Heb.11:5).

32. When you believe in God’s judgment you will walk with God (5:21,22). Enoch walked with God only after he became the father of Methuselah. The KJV margin says, “Methuselah” means, “When he dies it (the judgment) will come”. God warned Enoch about a coming judgment when his son was born. That made him take his life seriously and he began walking with God. Enoch also preached about that judgment and about Christ’s second coming (Jude 14). Noah also believed in the coming judgment and walked with God and preached righteousness (2 Pet.2:5).

33. You must use your own money to do God’s work (6:16). God gave many details to Noah about the ark but never told him who would pay for its construction. Noah knew he had to pay for it himself. So he never asked anyone for money to do God’s work - like many Christians do today. Noah must have sold some of his property and used that money to build the ark. One mark of a true servant of God is that he is willing to use his own personal money to serve the Lord. A person’s spirituality is easily tested by his attitude to money. Noah would have paid the carpenters well who helped him build the ark. This too is the mark of a godly man. The ungodly are miserly in the way they pay their servants (James 5:4).

34. Very few will be saved (7.13). When Noah preached that God would judge the world with rain, no one believed him, because it is probable that until then, no rain had ever fallen on the earth (as per Gen.2:5). The vast majority of people even today do not believe that God will burn up this earth in judgment. Because Noah was faithful, all his children were among the very few who were saved. And because he ensured that his sons married God-fearing women, they too were saved. The last days will be as evil as the days of Noah. We must all, therefore, follow Noah’s example in his family life.

35. God will never forget you, if you stand up for Him (8:1). Noah was a lonely man on earth, standing up for God. People may have considered him to be mentally unsound for preaching judgment. But he did not care for their opinions. He refused to compromise his message of judgment. We too must not be ashamed to proclaim the whole truth of God. That may make us lonely. But God will stand by us.

36. The raven and the dove symbolize the fleshly and the spiritual (8:7,8). When Noah sent out the raven (crow), it was delighted to feed off the carcasses that were floating on the waters and so it never returned to the ark. But the dove had no delight in those carcasses and refused to touch them with its feet - and returned to the ark. These birds are a picture of the fleshly person and the spiritual person. Those who love the world and its fashions and lusts enjoy themselves more with their worldly friends. They love worldly forms of entertainment more than Christian meetings – and end up in spiritual death. The godly, however, find no pleasure in the world but long to be with the people of God.

37. God is a covenant-keeping God (9:13). God gave the world the rainbow as a sign of His covenant with man. Circumcision was the sign of the covenant God gave to Abraham. Jesus has now established a new covenant with us where He wants us to be finished with sin totally. The breaking of bread is the sign He established of this new covenant (Lk.22:20). God takes every covenant He makes seriously – and so must we. But for many believers, the breaking of bread has become a ritual - and that is why their lives are so shallow.

38. Rebellion against authority will bring a curse upon us and our children (9:25). When Noah drank too much wine one day, he lay in his tent naked. Ham saw his father’s nakedness and spoke about it. As a result, Noah cursed him and his descendants. Ham forgot so quickly that it was because of his father’s godliness that Ham himself was alive. It does not go well with children who despise their parents or who rebel against their authority. Children must be taught to appreciate and honour their parents.

39. Man never learns from past judgments (11:4). So soon after the flood, man rebelled against God once again, trying to build a tower that would reach heaven. Babel is the origin of Babylon – the corrupt church of Rev.17 - a place of rebellion against God’s standards. It is because God does not judge evil deeds immediately that men keep on sinning (Eccl. 8:11). Sin is serious. For just one sin, God drove Adam and Eve out of Eden. For our sin, Jesus had to die on the cross and be forsaken by His Father. If we understand the true significance of these events, we will take sin seriously.

40. God will finally bring the plans of man to nothing (11:7-9). It is so easy for God to bring the plans of men to nothing. He just had to make them all speak different languages at Babel! That solved the problem because they could no longer understand one another. God will bring every plan of man to nothing, today as well. One day in heaven, the confusion and division of Babel will be fully reversed, as the church stands there comprising of people from every language on earth - united in Christ (Rev.7:9). But that process has already begun today in the church, where God is uniting people of totally different languages.

Daniel's Little Horn

The following sermon from Pastor Gary C. Price at Omega Church & Ministries Center was one I heard during my first year as a new Christian.  Apart from the truth of the message, one of the things I remember most was the way the devil vehemently reacted to it.

Towards the end of the sermon - just as Pastor Price began to speak about God's judgment against Satan (and all those who follow him) - a demon rose up in a woman attending the service.  She took off her shoe and began to violently attack the woman next to her with its high heel. Chaos erupted as some people began to flee the congregation while others attempted to restrain the attacker or assist the bleeding victim.

Personally, I too wanted to flee - and even turned around to do so - but God would not let me.  He told me to stay and to intercede.  I did as God directed, while Pastor Price began to pray over and cast the demon out of that woman.

Many thoughts ran through my head. THIS was church???  Wasn't church just a place you go to once or twice a week to hear a nice sermon, sing some songs, and exchange well wishes with our brothers and sisters in Christ?  But violent reactions to the word of God?  Spiritual warfare? Casting out demons?

My perspective of church challenged, I went back to the Scriptures to search for an answer.  What a surprise it was for me to read about the power and authority in which the early church walked.  These people were committed to preaching Jesus Christ, even until death; and the Lord confirmed the word which came forth with signs following as demons were cast out, the lame were healed, and captives set free.

This was God birthing and manifesting His church in a dieing world.  The same Spirit which empowered them then lives within us now.  He will raise up His church again in that power in order to stand against the lying signs and wonders of the Anti-Christ.

"And such as violate the covenant he shall pervert and seduce with flatteries, but the people who know their God shall prove themselves strong and shall stand firm and do exploits [for God].  And they who are wise and understanding among the people shall instruct many and make them understand, though some [of them and their followers] shall fall by the sword and flame, by captivity and plunder, for many days.

Now when they fall, they shall receive a little help. Many shall join themselves to them with flatteries and hypocrisies.  And some of those who are wise, prudent, and understanding shall be weakened and fall, [thus, then, the insincere among the people will lose courage and become deserters. It will be a test] to refine, to purify, and to make those among [God's people] white, even to the time of the end, because it is yet for the time [God] appointed.

And the king shall do according to his will; he shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god and shall speak astonishing things against the God of gods and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished, for that which is determined [by God] shall be done." Daniel 11:32-36

As a young Christian, this experience showed me several things:

Satan does not like to be reminded that he will be judged by God and damned for his evil deeds.

We can appear outwardly to be a saint- sitting in church, talking about Jesus, doing 'good works', etc. - but inwardly be filled with the devil.

We must not be shaken by demonic activity.  As in the early church, we need to be filled with the Spirit continually and ready to be used by God at any time in order to trample the powers of darkness.

Since the devil seems to hate this message so much, I thought it only fitting to post it so that it may be enjoyed worldwide.

Although this sermon was originally given years ago, it is still valid today....even more so.  There are actually four parts to this message, but part 1 is below.  I am attempting to convert the other parts to video as well and will post them once completed.

PART 1

• America is heading towards a time of economic trouble so severe it will result in anarchy in the streets.  As a result, people will welcome in government control and even martial law as a means to control the masses.
• Understanding the prophesies in Daniel Chapter 8.
• Type of the anti-christs seen in world history.
• Characteristics of the Anti-Christ.
• Understanding Daniels 70 weeks and the parenthetical period of grace.
• Nebuchadnezzar's golden image and the worship commanded to it at the sound of the music typifies how Satan will use music in the end times to degrade man and compel worship to himself.
• Fatherlessness produces children who have no identity.
• Being anti-Christ is synonymous with being anti-truth.
• The power of God is holding back the revelation of the Anti-Christ as a means of grace so that more souls can be harvested.
• The anti-christ spirit is active in the church and uses religious bondage as a means of holding people back from the truth.
• The truth is evil spoken of by those who do not want it.
• The mark of the beast is having a nature of sefishness.

PART 2

• How does the Anti-Christ operate? How does he get others to follow him? What has to be in a person in order to follow him?
• The wicked shall not understand the end times, but the wise shall.
• After the time of the Gentiles is fulfilled, God's focus will be turned back to Israel so that those Jews who will see Jesus can be engrafted back into the olive tree.
• Not knowing how end time events will unfold will result in people being blind and falling away because they have not been prepared to stand.
• A love of this world will cause one to be blind to the end times. Through salvation, our minds are transitioned not to be focused on this present life (which is temporary) to eternal life with the Father.
• The pattern for Christians must do in order not to be deceived by the Anti-Christ is typified in II Kings Chapter 23's depiction of Josiah. We must be internally cleansed of all idols and perversions.
• The Anti-Christ rules over people who reject God's truth and are instead full of lies and fantasies.
• The problem with man is in his soul. Man's soul is able to carry images or stains from the world and these images are the holding ground for unclean spirits.
• Our souls must be cleansed from the image of idols so that we can transformed into the image of Jesus Christ, which will then be empowered by His Spirit.