Gentleness

An Attitude of Gratitude

I was thinking back on a recent article comparing how God's complete renovation in our lives is similar to the work done on the TV show Extreme Home Makeover.  If you have ever seen that show, then you know how the homeowners are often overcome with gratitude once they are presented with their new home.  There are usually tears flowing as they express amazement at the transformative work done while continuing to thank the carpenters for the work.  Why?  Because of the largeness of the gift they have been given.  They have not earned it; they only had to receive it.

It is the same for us.  When God changes your heart into a reflection of His own and grants you new life in Him by His Spirit, the natural result is gratitude (Psalm 26:7, 100:4; Jeremiah 30:19; John 2:9; II Corinthians 4:15, 9:11; Philippians 4:6; Colossians 2:7, 4:2).

However, when you have (outwardly) conformed yourself into your own image by your own soulish power, the natural result is pride. I once had a discussion with a young believer who claimed to be "proud" of her growth in the Lord.  I cautioned her to reflect on whether the sources of that "pride" were really God's work at all.  How is it possible to take pride in something over which you did not perform?  And if you performed it, then perhaps that is the indication that you need to turn it over to the Lord for Him to perform His work.  He is the Potter, after all.

All aspects of the flesh needs to be turned over to the Lord...even our own perceived "right"eousness.  If we do not, then the manifestation of this defiled fruit will show itself in our lives, including how we interact with others. A heart born of gratitude will be imbued with gentleness; a heart born from pride will filled with condescension.

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law." Galatians 5:22-23

Gentleness is a fruit of the Spirit! It is one of the evidences that we have been born again.

The word for gentleness here is the Greek word "chrēstotēs" which means: moral goodness, integrity, benignity, and kindness.  It comes from a word meaning "fit to use, manageable".

"But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children: So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us." I Thessalonians 2:7-8

We often think of women as gentle, but you don't hear that often applied to men.  Consider the text above.  Here the Apostle compares their ministry to that of a nurse cherishing her children.  There are false depictions of manhood which might not align with this description, but the Apostles' ministry with those in the church was gentle, loving, and affectionate.  Perhaps the idea of gentleness and its place in ministry is not what we have thought it to be.

Here gentle is the word "ēpios" meaning affable, showing warmth, pleasant to talk to.  The same word is referenced in the verse below.  The word "cherisheth" to which the ministry is compared means to keep warm and foster with tender love & care.

"And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will." II Timothy 2:24-26

Are we gentle to just those who agree with us?  Or to just our brothers and sisters in the Lord?  No.  We are to be gentle to all men.  Why?  It directly impacts our ability to teach others and lead them into the faith.

"To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men. For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another." Titus 3:2-3

Here is the crux of the matter.  If you have truly been renewed by the Spirit of God, you have gratitude towards God in your heart.  Knowing then that God saved you in spite of yourself, you can have compassion on those who are lost because you remember the condition from which you were saved. You don't talk down to them because you know that, but for the grace of God go I.

This word for gentle is "epieikēs" and means: seeming, suitable, equitable, moderate, and fair.  This gentleness is also listed as one of the criteria for a bishop (I Timothy 3:3).

"But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy." James 3:17

Gentleness is also declared to be a quality of Godly wisdom.  We do not have to hit people over the head with the truth, nor call them names or degrade them.  Such will only drive them away.  The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the power of God in and of itself (Romans 1:16).  God's wisdom changes man's heart because it is pure words, easily intreated, merciful, bearing good fruit, and without hypocrisy.  It is simply the truth and stands on its own.  If our "wisdom" does not reflect these characteristics, then it is not wisdom from above.  It is carnal wisdom from below (James 3:15).  The Spirit of God Himself will do the work as we proclaim His words.

"Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you: But I beseech you, that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some, which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh. For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh." II Corinthians 10:1-3

When we are gentle with others, are we just being weak?  No.  We are reflecting the Spirit of Christ who Himself was meek and gentle.  Even in the context of addressing correction and a spiritual war, the gentleness of the Apostle is still present in his pleadings. How so?  By not being self-assertive.  It is always the work & will of the Father being done, so there is no need for arrogance or condemnation. It is not himself he is defending (or his position), but he is presenting the wisdom and truths of God. 

While the word of God is a sword, the word should never be used to try and cut others down. It is the difference between Peter using a sword to cut off the High Priest's servant's ear (John 18:10) and the Lord using the sword to divide between soul and spirit (Hebrews 4:12).  The first instance is a carnal work where the person is so maligned by the sword that they are inhibited from even hearing God's word.  In the other, it is in internal work where the sword removes the hardened & calloused part of the heart so that the person can spiritually live.  There is a difference between the concision and the circumcision (Philippians 3:2-3).  Even in the heat of battle, the man and woman of God is always under the temperance of the Holy Spirit.

Note that nowhere in Scripture is gentleness defined as being walked upon, taken advantage of, or a shrinking violet.  These are worldly depictions.  Gentleness is not the same as weakness; it is not an effeminate character trait, nor is it mushy sentimentality.  It is a fruit of the Spirit of the living God and should be present in all of God's children.  It denotes quiet strength...power under control...disciplined authority.

A visual representation might be that of a stallion who has been broken so that he can be ridden.  The horse is no longer a wild creature, doing as he wills; his strength and power has been harnessed under the hand of his Master.  Gentleness means being fit for God to use, having integrity and kindness, embodying fairness and equity.  You cannot try to be gentle; that is just the work of the flesh.  Being gentle is not being soft, it is simply being under the control of the Spirit.  As we are led by God's Spirit, we will find gentleness increasing within us (as with all fruit of the Spirit), coming from a heart of thanksgiving to the Lord.

We do not war after the flesh.  People are not our enemy, but the Devil and his horde of demons are.  Have no mercy for the Devil, but may our conversations with each other be seasoned with salt.  Our goal is to save as many from Satan's bewitchment as would be saved.  May God continue to teach us how to wage war with, and give us victory over, the Devil while saving those whom he takes captive at his will.

Deathnosis

The Only Thing That Matters

Death brings about a peculiar reaction in people.  Folks talk about hypnosis, well I think there is such a thing as "deathnosis" (yes, it has come to the point where I am now making up words).  What is deathnosis, you ask?  It is the altered state of consciousness people enter when the topic of death comes up.  It is a fantasy-based mindset in which the realities of death and the hereafter are glossed over in favor of whatever fluffy alternative a person chooses to believe.

For example, have you ever noticed how everyone who dies is said to be in a "better place"?  If Jesus says that most people are actually traversing the broad road which leads to destruction, then what is this better place of which people speak (Matthew 7:13-14)?  In addressing the topic of death with others, it has been said to me, "Well, so-and-so is now reunited with all of the family and friends who went on before them, so I know they are okay."  Really?  What if these friends & family are in Hell?  Does it soothe their conscious and turn their time in Hell into a great celebration because they are together again with those deceased loved ones?  I have seen obituaries so doctored that I couldn't even recognize the person described. Deathnosis.

I am not saying to speak ill of the dead.  What is done is done, and there is a judge we all will face after our deaths (Hebrews 9:27).  I am saying that we must face the truth about death and the condition of life after death.  This reality is not going to change just because we don't want to accept it.  No amount of preaching the deceased into Heaven is actually going to get them there if they did not live for Christ.  Do not go through life falsely believing that your "good" works or motivations will save you...they won't.

In fact, almost nothing will get people more riled up than to refuse to glorify the dead.  They are aghast at the fact that the only thing which matters is whether a person knew Christ and were known by Him (Matthew 7:22-23).  It is inconceivable to those in the world (including many professing Christians) that God will reject those who have not given themselves as living sacrifices in obedience to Christ.

It doesn't matter whether you spend your days feeding & clothing the poorest of the poor in the streets.  You can be the leader of a great nation or an unrelenting champion for social justice.  All that matters is that which has eternal weight and your entire eternal destiny rests solely on one thing: your relationship with Jesus Christ.  To many in the world this is illogical and even fanatical.  People ask me, "You are willing to discount all that a person had or did just because they denied Jesus Christ?"  And my answer is, "Yes!".

You see, I believe the Scriptures when they say that there is none good but God (Matthew 19:17; Mark 10:18; Luke 18:19).  Further, I know from my own experience that such is true. In my first job after college, there was a co-worker who had no car.  She also lived quite a distance from the office and had two small children whom she had to pick up on the way.  Even though she lived in a different direction than I did, I offered to give her a ride home in the evenings so that she did not have to walk.  Was this a "good" thing to do?  Sure.  Was it a selfless act?  Not in the least.  You see, I gave her a ride so that "I" would be seen. I wanted everyone to see what a wonderful & giving person I was.  I couldn't have cared less about this particular woman or her struggle.  From the outside I may have looked magnanimous, but on the inside I stank to high Heaven.

We don't know the motivations behind what other people do...and maybe not even always behind what we do ourselves.  The heart is desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9).  The world wants you to believe that we can be good people apart from God.  Do not fall for this lie.  Oftentimes, what we interpret as people's acts of kindness are really something else indeed outside of Christ.  People may be trying to impress others with their own self-righteousness.  It can be expressions of false humility.  They may be trying to earn God's [or people's] acceptance through good [dead] works.  They may be trying to do penance for the sin in their lives.  All of this represents a failure to trust in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. Good works just do not give you insight into the true condition of the human heart.  Even the most defiled heart can still be nice to his neighbor.  This is why God does not judge by outward appearance and urges us not to as well (John 7:24, 8:15-16; John 2:1-9).  God looks at the heart (Genesis 5:4; Psalm 7:9, 26:2; Isaiah 13:14; Ezekiel 14:4; Jeremiah 11:20, 17:20; Joel 2:13; Hebrews 4:12-13).

"Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God." Matthew 5:8

The value of our lives is not based on what others have meant to us or what we have meant to them.  That is self-centeredness.  The hardest thing for people to accept is that this life is not all about what we want...and neither is our death.  Our eternal destiny is not some happy-go-lucky fairytale independent of the life we have lived on this earth.  For all eternity, we will reap either the consequences or rewards of the choices we have made here and now.

Know this, the person whom the world gathers around with much fan-fair to raise as a Godly example is likely to be one most estranged from God (John 15:19, 17:14-16; 1 John 4:5, 5:19).  We cannot walk in truth by adopting worldly standards of righteousness.  Don't be lulled into accepting such depictions simply because it soothes fallen man's conscience not to have to deal with the realities - and consequences - of sin (Romans 6:23).  No matter what you have believed, no matter what reputation you have in the world, no matter how may good deeds you have done, the question of eternal importance is, "Have you been reconciled to the Father through the Lord Jesus?" 

You can be sure that your living is not in vain.  You can be delivered from the fantasies of Deathnosis, preventing you from acknowledging that we answer to an omnipotent God who will judge our eternal destiny according to His will.  You don't have to make up false depictions of some Heavenly utopia in order to escape the stark realities of death.  Death is real, but it is simply a doorway into our eternal existence...either with God or apart from Him.

"But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words." I Thessalonians 4:13-18

There is a hope and a comfort we can find in our existence after death, but only for those who are found in Christ. That hope and comfort is that we will be forever with Him; sharing in the riches of His love, power, and glory.

No matter what any man says, the Bible is abundantly clear.  Everyone is not going to some pie in the sky after death.  You had better know that every departing soul from this world is going to come face-to-face with a Sovereign Judge who will only be concerned with one thing: "Have you obeyed my word?" (Matthew 7:21).  As people say, there are no atheists in Hell.  Every single person there knows that Jesus Christ is most certainly very real.  Don't wait until it is too late to get to know this fact for yourselves. 

"And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage." Hebrews 2:15

The following is a good series on the topic of death by Min. David Pawson:

• Death
• Between Death & Resurrection
• Resurrection
• Judgment
• Hell

Cooperating with God's Work

In the last post, I stated, "There is nothing in salvation of which we can boast because our deliverance is of the Lord alone (Philippians 1:6; Hebrews 1:3).  We cooperate with it, but it is His work completely."

Some people find this statement to be an oxymoron.  If salvation - and thereby our deliverance - is of the Lord alone, then why does it require our cooperation?  Those who struggle with this most are they who have been falsely led to believe that man has no role in salvation, has no free will, or is unconditionally eternally secure (OSAS) due to a one-time profession of faith.

How do we cooperate with God's work?  We yield over control of our vessels to Him.  That is it.

It reminds me of the television show "Extreme Home Makeover", where a team of carpenters offers to completely remodel your home.  In order to receive this offer, what is the first thing you have to do?  Get out of the way.  The crew is not there to build according to your specifications nor to equip you with the skills to build according to your own desires.  They will take on the expense of the rebuild, but you must give them complete control.  The result?  You are given a complete renovation of your house where everything is made new.

Think sensibly now.  Just because you gave up control of the house, can you then take credit for having performed any of the renovation?  Can you point to even one change in that home and state that it was your effort, might, or skill which produced it?  Of course not.  People in error like to call any responsibility man has in covenant with God as a "works salvation".  Yet tell me, "What work have you actually performed in such a case?"  All you did was get out of the way and yield the vessel over to the carpenter.  Well, that is what we do in turning to faith in Jesus Christ. Our bodies are the temple of God. 

"What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?" I Corinthians 6:19

Our vessels must be turned over completely to the Lord in order to be made new in Him. This is what is meant when we say that it is God's work alone with which we must cooperate.  Do not let anyone deceive you into believing that God will perform His work within you apart from your free will. Even though we do not belong to ourselves, God still refers to these bodies as "ours".  According to His word, it is we who must commit our bodies to Him in order for His work to be done.

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." Romans 12:1-2

Salvation is the actualization of presenting our lives to the Carpenter and saying, "Here Lord, do with this whatsoever you will.  I belong to you.  I am YOUR house."  The moment you step back in and start attempting to direct the Carpenter about how to perform the renovation is the moment the work He performs slows down.

"Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it..." Psalm 127:1a

Yet, because we do not have the ability to see every step of the plan, it can be easy to become discouraged if we fail of His promise.  Know this.  The Lord promises that He is faithful to complete the work He has started within you.  That is something upon which you can be absolutely sure.

"Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ." Philippians 1:6

"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. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it." I Thessalonians 5:23-24

"Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:2

"The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands." Psalm 138:8

This assurance does not come because we have responsibility for rehabilitating ourselves.  Nor is this assurance based in some false belief that our cooperation with God's work is not needed.  The assurance comes because God is a God of His word; if we present ourselves as a living sacrifice, we will be transformed and made new in and by Him.  

Obedience - yielding our vessels to the Lord - is not a "work", but is the very evidence that we are in right relationship with Him (John 15:10).  It is the path by which we receive the blessing He wants to bestow upon us, for Jesus came not to be served, but to serve (Matthew 20:28).  If we do not submit to Him, then we can have no part in Him (John 13:1-10).  Remember, the Holy Spirit is only given to those who obey the Lord (Acts 5:32); and only those led by His Spirit are His children (Romans 8:14).

Our problem comes when we look for the inward changes to be made manifest at the expense of believing in His promise.  We do not see or know all that God is performing within us to bring about this renovation.  If we are not careful, this can lead to frustration and even doubt about whether God's work is being done at all.  We are anxious to see the finished product, and our impatience can be a hindrance to the work He IS performing...even if we cannot immediately see it.  The Lord gave me a reminder of this recently.

Years ago, I shared a testimony about being diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer.  What I had not spoken about was that I have been dealing with a recurrence of this cancer for the past few years.  It is inoperable and has spread.  As such, I had recently become exasperated. I confessed last week to my husband and friends that I believed I was at my wit's end.  I had grown weary in dealing with this trial.  I was doing what I felt the Lord was leading me to in order to address the cancer, but I could not see what was happening on the inside of my body.  Was it spreading more?  Was it worsening?  I was tired and in my heart I believed that I was close to giving up, even while I prayed for the strength to continue on. 

Then, three days later as I was changing the dressing for the tumor, a small piece of it just fell off from my body...dead and dried up as a rock.  I was shocked.  Was this a sign from the Lord?  Was this an answer to my prayer?  I was hesitant to believe it although seeing it with my own eyes.  The next day, an even bigger chunk fell off from the tumor; again, necrotic and hard as a rock.  There could be no doubt, the cancer was dieing.  While I could not see the work God was performing within me, that didn't mean He was not performing a work.  It is the same with our spiritual life.  That old man is being crucified day by day; that source of life is drying up as it is displaced by the life of God within. 

Do not let what you think to be your current condition rob you of the joy of God's promises.  He is making all things new within you little by little and you will see victory as He has already declared it to come to pass.  Don't get frustrated with the process, but just stay under the power and authority of God's word.  The nature of Jesus Christ will continue to grow within you by His Spirit as God does the work.  God's timing is always perfect...and He is faithful!  No matter your struggle, addiction, or shortcoming, He will deliver you from all that defiles you.  While the changes God is bringing about on the inside will eventually bear fruit on the outside, remember that we do not walk by sight, but by faith (II Corinthians 5:7).  Cooperate with God's transformative work in your life by yielding to Him daily and you will see the manifestation of His life within you as a witness to the world.

"Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.  For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." Philippians 2:12-13 

 

The Pride of Your Humility

Filthy Rags

"But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." Isaiah 64:6

I am sure that everyone has heard the story of the man stuck on his roof during a flood. For the record, it goes something like:

A man was trapped in his house during a flood. He began praying to God to rescue him. He had a vision in his head of God’s hand reaching down from heaven and lifting him to safety. The water started to rise in his house. His neighbour urged him to leave and offered him a ride to safety. The man yelled back, “I am waiting for God to save me.” The neighbour drove off in his pick-up truck.

The man continued to pray and hold on to his vision. As the water began rising in his house, he had to climb up to the roof. A boat came by with some people heading for safe ground. They yelled at the man to grab a rope they were ready to throw and take him to safety. He told them that he was waiting for God to save him. They shook their heads and moved on.

The man continued to pray, believing with all his heart that he would be saved by God. The flood waters continued to rise. A helicopter flew by and a voice came over a loudspeaker offering to lower a ladder and take him off the roof. The man waved the helicopter away, shouting back that he was waiting for God to save him. The helicopter left. The flooding water came over the roof and caught him up and swept him away. He drowned.

When he reached heaven and asked, “God, why did you not save me? I believed in you with all my heart. Why did you let me drown?” God replied, “I sent you a pick-up truck, a boat and a helicopter and you refused all of them. What else could I possibly do for you?”

Sometimes we expect God to do grandiose things (and often He does), but this expectation can blind us the every day, practical ways in which God seeks to interact with us.  Here is the newsflash: God is practical!  I learned this lesson once in relation to money.

There is a phrase people like to use which says, "I pride myself on..."  Well, for years I "prided" myself on never taking money from brothers and sisters in the Lord (I never used that phrase, but that was the condition in my heart).  I would try to be available for whatever a person might need (building websites, polishing resumes, conducting job searches, writing documentation, etc.), but I would never request or take a dime for the effort.  I just never felt comfortable taking from the Body of Christ.  Further, I always believed that if I was a blessing to the brethren, then the Lord would bless me.  My God would take care of me!

I maintained this thinking when I started this blog.  People would sometimes write and ask, "Where can I send you a donation?"  I would respond, "Thank you, but if you really want to send a donation, please send it to my church instead."  This approach I thought was appropriate, Godly, and even humble.  After all, I was relying on the Lord alone to provide my needs.

Then one day, the Lord told me, "Put a donation button on the blog."  I was shocked!  "Lord", I replied, "I don't want to take money from these people."  He responded, "That is pride."  I was speechless.  Imagine my dismay to consider that my humility in this area - in which I "prided" myself - was being rejected by Him.

I asked, "But Lord, how is that pride when I am relying on you?"  He stated, "I will provide for you, but who are you to tell me how I will provide?  Maybe donations are part of my plan of provision for you?  You need to learn how to receive from others.  You need to be humble enough to receive from others."

Suddenly I could see; it was as if God had opened my eyes.  I was the man on the roof in the flood.  I couldn't receive the ways in which God wanted to bless me because it wasn't coming in a way that I expected.  I had forgotten that God works through willing vessels and His Body is His hands and feet.  I claimed to rely on God's sufficiency, but I was really relying on self-sufficiency.

It was not prideful to receive blessings from others nor was it prideful not to.  What matters is what is in the heart.  God wants us to be a blessing to each other.  It is selfish (and prideful) not to want to receive a blessing, but only to be the giver (as if you don't need others, but they somehow need you).  There is joy in giving and you rob people of that joy when you refuse to let others bless you.  It was God's design to place His children in families...and those families are the Body of Christ (Psalm 68:6).

Don't make the mistake of confusing your pride with humility.  It can manifest any number of ways.

We are not to be so independent that we don't need others in the Body of Christ.

We should not be so headstrong that we cannot appreciate others' gifts, running about trying to accomplish what the Lord is calling others to do.

We must not be so (hypo)critical that we quickly point out the flaws in the service of others, yet make no priority to see how we too might be of service.

We must not be so caught up in being right that it prevents us from seeing the heart of God towards a person right in front of us.

We are never so close to God that He can only speak to us directly and not through others.

We must not make ourselves the standard in measuring someone else's commitment to the Lord.

I could go on and on.  However, the point is that if there is anything in or of ourselves (what we do or don't do, what or who we know, etc.) which we think makes us humble, then we have already been deceived.  There is nothing in salvation of which we can boast because our deliverance is of the Lord alone (Philippians 1:6; Hebrews 1:3).  We cooperate with it, but it is His work completely.  If there is something in which we have pride - even our religious works - then it is all flesh and not of the Lord (Isaiah 40:6; I Peter 1:24).

When we understand that true humility only comes from the nature of Christ within us and absolutely nothing of ourselves, then we will recognize God's hand all around us in the various ways He moves amongst His people.  

Preparation for the Promised Land

"Now after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD it came to pass, that the LORD spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' minister, saying, Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses. 

From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast. There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them." Joshua 1:1-6

The Omega Church & Ministries Center is having its next fellowship January 3rd - 5th, 2014.  It is entitled, "Preparation for the Promised Land".

This past week, a brother sent me the video below which he made from the last conference.  This brought such joy as I reminisced about the fun & fellowship we experienced this past August.  I look forward to this time in January and would like to invite you all to join.  As you will notice in the video, we get lots of participants from across the nation.  There are even international brothers and sisters who attend.

For more information, please see the events page on the Omega site. I am sure it will be a blessing for you.

Turning Away The Ears

"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." II Timothy 4:3-4

This morning, I listened to an interview from a lawyer handling a U.S. Supreme Court case on prayer.  The case involves two women fighting against prayers being made before town council meetings in Greece, NY.  It is not exactly prayer which is the issue, but "Christian" prayer.  As their attorney Douglas Laycock stated, "This case is about Christians aggressively imposing themselves on their fellow citizens with the power of government."

While I really don't care what the Supreme Court decides in this case (and please don't comment about why I should), it is interesting how acceptable it has become to be openly hostile to Christianity.  We are not talking about people who are primarily fighting for equal representation for all religions; we are speaking about people who openly hate Christianity...and the God Christians serve.  Say what you want...pray how you want, but do not name the name of Jesus Christ.  If you ever had a doubt before, know that this antagonism is very personal.

I find it also telling that this argument against Christianity is coming from Greece.  Symbolically, the Grecian mindset has always been antagonistic to Christianity. Greek philosophy is based primarily in humanism; where man - his thoughts, desires, and will - is the supreme standard.  According to this thought, man is the center of everything; man is his own god. 

Greek thinking is even the main enemy within the church amongst self-professing Christians.  How can you tell?  They have no tolerance for the word of God.  They validate/justify sin and are offended by the very idea of a God who hates sin (Isaiah 59:2; Micah 3:4).  To simply believe the Scriptures these days is enough to get you labeled as a "radical" Christian.

I mentioned before how we are looking at publishing options for "The Organic Gospel" book.  Many agents/publishers who identify their specialty as "Christian" works also have requirements in their guidelines that they don't want anything "sermon-like".  They don't want to sound "preachy".  Instead, they are interested in publishing "inspirational" books or those which feature fictional Christian "romance" and "fantasy" story lines.  Have not many Christians turned their ears away from sound doctrine to fables?  After all, this is apparently what sells because the hearts of many Christians are still worldly.

Furthermore, I have been told by the Blip video network that all of my hosted videos will be removed tomorrow.  What was my offense? Posting "sermons". Apparently, this is part of the prohibited content as relayed in their Terms and Conditions of service.  I realize that many video links here will be broken at that point, however I don't know that I will seek to find another home for them.  The Lord has already warned me that the entire blog will ultimately be removed because of its content, so...

One of the first things that the Jewish people did in response to Stephen's preaching and the demonstration of the power of the Holy Ghost through him was to "stop their ears" (Acts 7:57).  Why do they do this?  Because they don't want to hear the word of the Lord (Zechariah 7:11).  God tells us that it will be the same in our day...and it is.  The Word of God (Jesus Christ) was the offense then and is still the offense now to those who are not saved - no matter what they profess.

UPDATE:  A brother sent me the following comment after reading this part of the article and I would like to post his comments for your edification.

"Not long ago I was studying the account of Steven in Acts 7.  The thing that impressed me at that time was that the people didn’t stop their ears when he called them stiffnecked, uncircumcised etc. – here they were pricked to their hearts and were gnashing their teeth (this was an internal response). IMO I don’t think they physically assaulted him yet i.e, actually bit him – because if they did I think Luke would have used the word ‘bit’ – but gnashing is like grating or grinding (seething) see Matt: 8:12 et al) – and I’ve really seen that happen before when I was a babe shooting off my mouth everywhere (in this case at a funeral no less:).  Anyway, it was when he said ‘I see the son of man standing at the right hand of the Father – ‘Then they cried out with a loud voice’ (now it’s an external response) and stopped their ears and rushed him". 

"Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed." I Peter 2:7-8

What did the people do after stopping their ears?  They attacked Stephen, gnashed on him with their teeth, and stoned him to death.  Get ready people.  This is what is coming.  If they cannot shut the mouths of Christians speaking the words of God, nor mimic the power which confirms the word, then next comes martyrdom.  I am not being fatalistic; this is what is said in your Scriptures (John 16:2; Revelation 20:4).

What should our response be?  Should we march in the streets?  Sign Congressional petitions?  Vote?  Go on TV to defend our views?  Concentrate on appearing as "nice people" so that the world will be won over by our sin-tolerant, non-Christian love?

Paul tells us exactly what to do in his admonition to Timothy.  In fact, the warning about those turning their ears from sound doctrine is sandwiched between Paul's instruction in this matter:

"Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine....But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry." II Timothy 4:2,5

We are to keep preaching the word.  Don't look to the left nor to the right, but keep spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ.  We are not to be deterred.  We must continue to:

1. Watch
2. Endure Afflictions
3. Do the work of an evangelist
4. Make full proof of our ministries

The times are tumultuous, and people have certainly become dull of hearing, yet the truth remains.  Stay true to the faith and keep your eye single on Christ Jesus.  Don't be distracted away from fulfilling our calling in Christ: to preach the word of truth.

"The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good." Psalm 14:1

I Love the Lord

I woke up with this song on my heart.  Even if it is the middle of the night, if the Lord wakes you with His praises on your lips, then praise Him.  He is worthy.  He is faithful.  He hears your cries.

Psalm 116

I love the LORD, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications.

Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live.

The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow.

Then called I upon the name of the LORD; O LORD, I beseech thee, deliver my soul.

Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful.

The LORD preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and he helped me.

Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the LORD hath dealt bountifully with thee.

For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.

I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living.

I believed, therefore have I spoken: I was greatly afflicted:

I said in my haste, All men are liars.

What shall I render unto the LORD for all his benefits toward me?

I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD.

I will pay my vows unto the LORD now in the presence of all his people.

Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.

O LORD, truly I am thy servant; I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid: thou hast loosed my bonds.

I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the LORD.

I will pay my vows unto the LORD now in the presence of all his people,

In the courts of the LORD'S house, in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem. Praise ye the LORD.

Religious, Not Spiritual

The following message is from Pastor Zac Poonen.
-----

Three Examples of Men Who Were Religious but Not Spiritual 

Jude speaks in his epistle of three people who were religious, but not spiritual - Cain, Balaam and Korah (Jude 11). Let us consider them one by one.

1. CAIN

Cain was not a godless man. He was a deeply religious man who believed in offering sacrifices to God (Gen. 4:3). Abel also offered sacrifices to God. But the difference between the two sacrifices and between Cain and Abel was the difference between hell and heaven, the difference between religiosity and spirituality. Cain and Abel symbolise two ways in which people have trodden - the way of religiosity and the way of spirituality. Cain is a type of those who offer external things to God - money, services, time, etc. Abel, on the other hand, symbolically laid himself on the altar when he killed the lamb and laid it on the altar.

Religious people can give gifts, pray, and do many good works - but they do not understand what it is to offer themselves. They may pay their tithes exactly, but they will not put their self to death in the moments of temptation. That is the difference between the old and the new covenants. You could enter the old covenant without dying to self. But it is impossible to enter the new covenant without dying to self. Jesus did not come to offer tithes, but to give Himself as an offering acceptable and well-pleasing to God. Cain and Abel symbolise the broad and narrow ways of approaching God - the way of religiosity and the way of true spirituality. You can be a servant without death to self. But you cannot be a son without it.

God answered Abel's sacrifice with fire from heaven. But nothing fell on Cain's offering. When a man consistently dies to self day after day, there will be a fire from heaven on his life and on his ministry. This is the genuine baptism of the Spirit and fire that John the Baptist said Jesus would give to those whose roots He had first axed. On the other hand, a brother who merely does the right things externally may have a good life, but the fire and the anointing of heaven will be missing from his life. Satan's counterfeit 'baptism' which tickles the emotions (which is what most are enjoying today) is worthless garbage compared with the genuine baptism of the Spirit and fire that Jesus sends upon His disciples who choose the way of the cross.

2. BALAAM

Balaam was another religious man. He was a preacher who wanted to serve God, but who was also interested in making money and meeting great men in the world (Num. 22). He sought honour and financial gain for himself in the name of the Lord. There are many, many false prophets, like Balaam today.

Their doctrines are all fundamentally right, according to the letter of the word. But undiscerning believers cannot recognise that they are motivated by the spirit of Balaam (loving money and honour). These are the ones about whom Paul writes in Phil 2:21 saying that they all seek after their own interests. There were people in the church in Pergamum who lived by this doctrine of Balaam (Rev. 2:14).

There is no difference between seeking for honour and seeking for money in the church. Both are but different variations of the same spirit of Balaam.

3. KORAH

Korah was another religious man. He was from the priestly tribe of Levi (Num. 16). But he was dissatisfied with the ministry allotted to him by the Lord. He desired to be more prominent, like Moses was. This covetousness (cloaked with a religious garb) was what proved to be his destruction finally. He and his co-rebels, Dathan and Abiram, and their families, are the only ones recorded in Scripture who went alive into hell (Num. 16:32,33). So seriously did the Lord take this sin of rebellion against the authority that He Himself had appointed over His people.

Most elders, preachers and pastors today are self-appointed. To rebel against them may not be serious. It may sometimes even be necessary! But to rebel against one who has been appointed by God would bring upon one the severest judgment of God. A spiritual man would never even dream of doing such a thing. But religious people will. Such is the spiritual foolishness that accompanies religiosity.

Korah symbolises those who are in an unhealthy competition with others in the church. When you find it difficult to praise and appreciate a God-fearing brother, it is an indication that you have something of the spirit of Korah in you. When you criticise him, then you are full of the spirit of Korah. If you can listen to others criticising him, then you are like the 250 rebels who joined Korah, and who were also judged by God.

We can never become spiritual if we do not discern between religiosity and spirituality. It is the need of the hour.

I Found the Answer

Verse 1
I was weak and weary, I had gone astray,
walking in the darkness, I could not find my way.
Then a light came shining to lead me from despair,
made all my sins forgiven, and I was free from care.

Chorus
I found the answer, I learned to pray,
oh with faith to guide me, I've found the way.
The sun is shining for me each day,
I found the answer, and I learned to pray.

Verse 2
I was sad and lonely, all my hopes were gone,
days were long and dreary, I couldn't carry on.
Then I found the courage to keep my head up high,
once again I'm happy, and here's the reason why.

Chorus

Verse 3
Keep your Bible with you, read it every day,
always count your blessings and always stop to pray.
Learn to keep believing and faith will see you thro',
seek to know contentment, and it will come to you.

Chorus

From the Mouths of Babes

"And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?" Matthew 21:16

Lord, I pray for young Jayna who is featured in this video below.  I pray for all young people, who have been blessed by You with undeniable gifts.  Let them understand that the gifts of the Lord are given without repentance...but that they are given for Your glory alone (Romans 11:29; Matthew 25:14-30).  It does not take long for Satan to try and put out the light in our young people or to send the world (including religion) to try and pervert/misuse their talents.  Please give these younger generations Godly wisdom Lord, so that even as the world may try to lift them up in pride for Satan's purposes, that they will remain in humble appreciation of the Master who has so blessed them.

Father, even the most precious gift is but a ring in a pig's snout if it is misappropriated for our own use instead of Yours (Proverbs 11:22).  It is time Jesus for a Godly heritage in the Lord to be seen in the earth, and quite honestly Lord, I am sick of the "church" pimping our young people.  I am not speaking God about this particular young lady, but in general.  The church should not be our ticket into the world as exemplified by many "Christian" artists today.  Lord, I am asking for a Godly standard to be seen, for pure praise to come forth, for coming generations to be saved and not turned out to be abused by the world.  I am asking for Your hand of protection and the Holy Spirit of power to rest on these young ones to lead and guide them in these evil days.

No matter the gift you have bestowed upon them, let them operate in that gift with a heart that is sold out to you, with a desire to please and honor you.  Place within them a burning fire to be wholly yours - spirit, soul, and body - so that when the gift is on display it brings about a manifestation of Your awesome power and love.  Let them be beacons of light to the lost, helping to draw all men unto You, and not unto themselves.

I thank you for the wonderful children you have given us, including this little one below.  Bring people into their lives who truly know You and are able to speak life to into their souls.  Keep us in remembrance that they are Yours first & foremost, and that we have been entrusted to guide them in Your ways (Psalm 127:3; Ephesians 6:4).  Let us not take this likely and neglect to be that witness of Christ before them.  I ask you to bless them continually with more of Your presence and to be a swift judge against all who would seek to bring evil into their lives.  Amen.

A Precious Word of Encouragement

The following was sent to me by a Sister in the Lord and I wanted to share it with you all.
____________

Be encouraged.

I am reminded of the end of a poem entitled Footprints In The Sand which says:

"You promised me Lord,
    that if I followed you,
      you would walk with me always.
         But I have noticed that during
           the most trying periods of my life
              there have only been one
                 set of footprints in the sand.
                   Why, when I needed you most,
                      you have not been there for me?"

                                 The Lord replied,
                          "The times when you have
                  seen only one set of footprints,
          is when I carried you".

When Jesus was hanging on the cross still clinging to life, His ultimate reason for coming to earth had not been fulfilled. But when he gave up the ghost, was buried and got up out of the grave three days later, our avenue of escape was created.  I call that a ULTIMATE BREAKTHROUGH (The veil was not just penetrated, but it was torn from top to bottom).

Lets rewind just a little.  When he realized that he was scheduled to be crucified, He pleaded with his Father three times for another way (perhaps a easier and less painful way), but as always not His will but the will of His Father.  The road to the ultimate breakthrough became harder and more unbearable.  His words became even fewer.  The only hope Jesus had was His Father meeting Him in a place that even He had not been before and resurrecting Him. 

We are going through trying times, not understanding why or how we are going to make it trough. The Lord's Word is true and His hand is unchanging - He will never leave us or forsake us.  So even when we can't hear Him, we must trust that He is still there.   Praise and worship has always been key because we know that He abides there.

Below is the last verse of a song that ministers to me often in tough times.

So when the whole world turns against me
And I'm all by myself
And I can't hear you answer my cries for help
I'll remember the suffering that your love put you through
And I will go through the valley if you want me to.


____________


This week, immediately after posting the article on Giving Up, a spirit of depression came upon me that I have never experienced before.  It was a heaviness so profound that I couldn't even begin to describe it.  I went to bed in tears, spent the night in tears, and woke up in tears only to continue crying through each day.  In the midst of this, God gave me the previous message called Labor Day, but I did not post it.  Why?  I was angry with God.  I was frustrated due to certain circumstances I was facing.  I was discouraged because I felt like God was simply not hearing my prayers.  "God, why aren't you hearing me? Lord why are you not doing something? God, don't you even care?"  I was inconsolable. My attitude towards God was wrong, and it was sin.  However, even after repenting, I could not turn the tides from this depression.  Instead of fighting through, I was going ever more into a downward spiral each day.  It was a Hell I have never experienced before and it was supernatural.

I thank God for my husband who prayed with me continuously during this time.  Also for the Sisters & Brothers who sent words of encouragement and correction, not even aware of what I was going through.  One Sister shared how she was going through something similar and recommended that I listen to the message below, which I had missed.  Why did I miss it?  I was too busy feeling sorry for myself to have tuned in.  This whole experience taught me a few things.

• Satan is launching supernatural attacks against true believers to make them grow weary...because we are close to a breakthrough. 
  In my earlier article on Giving Up, I stated that a main reason why people are giving up was due to the fact that they did not understand - and perhaps had never entered into - salvation.  While this is true, Satan is also trying to crush those who do believe by creating circumstances so dire they seem unsolvable. This is being used by God for a specific purpose (as discussed in the video message below).
• God gives us the power to always stand and not crumble under pressure...but the choice to stand is our own.
  As I listened to the message below, I could tell this was a word from the Lord specifically for me.  Had I not given in to the the storm which was trying to crush me, I could have experienced my deliverance a lot sooner.  For 3 days I didn't study the Scriptures, refused to play praise & worship, didn't tune in to Bible Study, etc.  As God told me, I was having a temper tantrum, but wallowing in my misery was only serving to hasten my decline. 
  
  Don't be your own obstacle to your deliverance.  Press on no matter what it looks like or how it feels.  Refusing to use the God-given resources of prayer, fasting, praise, worship, study, and fellowship when you are weak (and even when you are not) only hurts yourself.  Don't turn into a baby when things get harder (note to self).
• God's work will not be stopped.  If you do not obey what He has given you to do then He will simply find another who will.
  Much of what God gave me in the previous Labor Day post is reflected and expounded upon in the message below.  It reminded me of my personal and favorite Scripture, which has also been the impetus behind this blog, "For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" (Esther 4:14)  Who is destroyed if we "hold our peace" when God tells us to speak or act?  We are. Our disobedience does not affect God; His plans are Sovereign and His will shall be done.  Yet, we will pay the price.
• Do not think you are alone in your struggle or that some strange thing has happened to you in your trial.
  Many brothers and sisters are facing struggles, even ones which seem as if they will overtake us.  It is times such as these where we need each other even more.  True fellowship with God and with the brethren will help us easily thwart the fiery darts of the enemy as he speaks lies to us and tries to undermine our faith.

Are you asking God why you are going through a particular struggle? Have you wondered what is necessary to break into the presence of God and see Him bring about supernatural deliverance in your life and the lives of others?  Please listen to the following message from the Omega Church & Ministries Center entitled, "The Magicians of the Matrix".

Labor Day

The Birthing Position 

"For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.  

For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body." Romans 8:19-23

I am not one for holidays typically.  They come and go without much notice or fanfare.  However, this Labor Day did in fact hold meaning for me. For one, it is the day I completed a book which I had been collaborating with my pastor to produce.  It is a project we have been working on for almost a year and it certainly has been a 'labor or love' unto the Lord.

Secondly, the book itself addresses the purpose of the Gospel and the objective of salvation in having the nature of Christ formed within us (which I must say with a heavy heart most professing Christians do not understand).  This process is also described in Scripture with the analogy of giving birth.

"My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you." Galatians 4:19

Every believer - indeed the Body of Christ as a whole - is to be travailing together so that Christ is formed spiritually within us and manifesting out from us so that those in the world may see Christ.

travail: ōdinō; to feel the pains of child birth, to travail; from the Greek word ōdin meaning "intolerable anguish, in reference to the dire calamities preceding the advent of the Messiah"

Travail is not a pretty word. It is not a word which immediately invokes a sense of joy and peace.  "Intolerable anguish".  I cannot speak for any others, but that is certainly an accurate depiction of how I have been in recent years. The pressures of life, the degradation all around, increasing satanic attacks, the yearning for the power of God to deliver souls, the heartache over those who are lost, the whorish condition of the church at large, the malignment of the character of our Lord Jesus Christ - even by those who claim to know Him, etc.

While the situations may be different, I have spoken with many other believers who likewise are under tremendous and crushing stresses. What causes this travail and why is it necessary to go through it?  Because as one life is being 'birthed' within us, another one is being mortified.

"Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it." Act 2:22-24

Jesus said that if we desire to be His disciples then we must deny ourselves, pick up our cross and follow Him. On the cross, Jesus dealt a death blow to that fallen Adamic nature. The word "pain" above is again the word for travail. There is anguish in the cross because the flesh is being put to death. While Jesus did not have a fallen nature with which to contend, His pattern for us to follow in the cross is the way we put our old man to death. The pressures God allows in our lives which cause our travailing is to mortify that old nature so that we may become partakers of the divine nature (II Peter 1:4).  He is purging us, cleansing us, to be molded into the image of Jesus Christ; and this is painful for the flesh.  However, we have this hope which is sure: if we be dead with Him, then we will also live with Him in resurrection life as manifested sons of God (Romans 6:4-11; Colossians 2:12; II Timothy 2:11).

What do we have instead?  Hundreds of thousands of professing Christians claiming God's promise of resurrection life, but devoid of any evidence (fruit) of the life of Christ within. According to these persons, you are not a son of God because the nature of Christ has been developed in, and manifests from, within you.  You are a son of God because you say so; and everyone is just supposed to believe it.

It is very much like the whole issue of gender confusion currently running rampant.  Yes, I may be biologically and anatomically a male, but I say I am a female...and YOU must accept it. I have no evidence of being the type of life I claim - and the life I do possess testifies that I am not what I claim - but because I claim it, you must believe it is so.  You must ignore all of the tangible signs which tell you what I really am, and simply take my word for what I proclaim to be. You must believe my lie.

That is a fitting description of the recent religious histrionics displayed at the MegaMess between T.D. Jakes and Tyler Perry.   When a cross-dressing man (Deuteronomy 22:5) lays hands on an effeminate man caught up in his "hemotions" (I Corinthians 6:9), what type of birth is being pushed out?  Each seed produces after its own kind; a seed of perversion only yields that which is perverse.



This is the delusion sisters and brothers.  Most professing believers are transgenders (spiritually).  They are people who are yet carnal and have not been born again, but are dressing up as Christians.  They have all of the right code words and phrases, they know what the Bible says, they may even have false spiritual gifts, but they do not have the life of Jesus Christ within.  It is all emulations, a work of the flesh.  Yes, they name the name of Jesus, but it is another Jesus (II Corinthians 11:4).  These persons must be born again. Unless you have spiritual eyes to see, you will never be able to tell the difference.

What was this entire charade about?  Money (I Timothy 6:10).  I didn't post the entire Tyler Perry clip because I just couldn't bear it, yet the testimony preceding this show was about giving hundreds of thousands of dollars to the MegaMess ministers. Remember, Babylon can do nothing but pimp you (II Peter 2:3); these agents of Satan transformed into angels of light merchandise in men's souls (Revelation 18:12-13).  It is foolishness such as this which confuse those who do not understand what faith in God really is.

In response to such shenanigans, there was a recent discussion on the Internet about how ministers are encouraging their congregants to get into the "birthing position" in order to "birth something in the spirit"...usually of course as it relates to some monetary increase.  Those in the discussion were saying how unbiblical this terminology was; that it was an effort to feminize men and the concept of birthing something spiritually should never be applied to men.

One of Satan's most devious tricks to derail those who seek after God is to get Babylon to mimic that which is true. There is an entire movement in the churchworld of people who define what is Godly based upon what Babylon does or does not do. If Babylon is erecting buildings, then buildings must be unGodly.  If Babylon has church services, then church services must be wrong.  If Babylon has pastors, deacons, and elders, then we must not need pastors, deacons, and elders.

Never let that which is false dictate to you what is true.  The Scriptures must be the foundation of truth for all who believe. Apart from the perversions going on in Babylon, it is Biblical for every believer in Christ to undergo a spiritual birth whereby they produce a manifestation of Jesus Christ to the world. Neither is this just a concept applied to women.  Both male and female believers are after all the "Bride" of Christ, who is our Bridegroom. If the very nature of Christ is not being birthed within you, then you just do not belong to Him (Romans 8:16-29).

The "birthing position", as the carnal church has phrased, is not some religious position you must assume; it is nothing more than the cross.  The cross is not just a place where your sins are forgiven or where you can lay down your burdens.  The cross is your entryway to life in Christ, but only if you are upon it. Via the cross, we die to the old life and are raised in new life (Matthew 10:39).  You don't have to give millions to Babylon, go through religious histrionics, or contest everything the false church does.  Just put yourself up on the cross and don't let that old man come down, no matter how much the world (or the flesh) taunts and tempts you to (Matthew 27:40-42; Mark 15:30).  God by His own power will raise you and claim you as His own, providing evidence of this transformation because He is signing off on the presence of His Son (Mark 16:17-18; Act 2:22; I Corinthians 2:4).  The sacrifice whom God has ordained is Jesus Christ and unless you have the nature of Christ within you, you will not be received by Him.

Every single person is bringing to manifestation whatever life is within them.  Yes, even the false church is 'birthing' something in the spirit, but it is a nest of demons and the very nature of Satan himself. As says the word of God, such truly will have the mark of a beast.

"They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him." Psalm 126:5-6

The false church sows in joy, having their 'best life now', but they will reap in tears. Believers in Jesus Christ sow in tears, but we shall reap in joy.  It is all based on what seed we carry; is it the precious seed of truth or is it one of lies and delusion?

"For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape." I Thessalonians 5:3

There is much going on in the world right now and soon the cry for world peace will become deafening.  Anyone who is seen as a threat to that peace will be seen as an enemy.  The only threat to the Devil is Jesus Christ.  It is He who has already overcome and defeated Satan.  Likewise, the only threat we pose to the Devil is Jesus Christ in us; being made over into His image and manifesting His life to the world. Once that happens, we can expect Satan to be true to form.  If Satan cannot stop us from bringing Christ into manifestation, then he will try to kill us after we have (Revelation 12:1-18). YET, the Lord will always protect His own and we shall overcome the evil one just as He has...even if it costs us these temporal lives (Revelation 12:11).

All of God's children are laboring, travailing to see the promises of God fulfilled in us.  Pray for those who labor and pray that God will send forth more laborers.

"Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest." Matthew 9:37-38