Buy the Truth

“Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.” Proverbs 23:23

What is truth? 

"Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all."  John 18:37-38

When Pilate stood before Jesus, preparing to condemn Him to death, he was standing in front of the manifestation of Truth; yet, he still could not see it.  This is exactly what people do today.  They are presented face-to-face with the truth, but would rather debate about it rather than submit to it.  Why is this?  Because they are not of the truth; they have no heart to hear it, but are dull of hearing (Proverbs 17:16; Matthew 13:15; Acts 28:27; Hebrews 5:11). 

We need to understand that the truths of God are not debatable.  He is Sovereign and is the Creator & Judge of all.  He does not request nor need our validation of His truths; they stand sure whether we agree with them or not.  No matter how clever or intellectual a position may seem, it is only the carnal mind which rejects the truth of God in favor of leaning to his own understanding (Proverbs 3:5; I Corinthians 2:4-5; James 3:15).   This is why it is futile to strive with others about the truth; unless God gives one eyes to see, one will not see no matter how long the discussion.

The truth is not our opinion and not even what we may believe. You will only find truth when the word of God and the Spirit of God are in agreement (Psalm 119:33; Psalm 138:2; John 14:17; 15:26; 16:13; 17:17; I John 5:6).  It is not enough to have some personal interpretation of Scripture, nor is it enough to have some word from some spirit.  The words from God - whether written or spoken - are inspired by the same God and will never contradict each other (II Thessalonians 2:15).  Only the Word of truth and the Spirit of truth in alignment confirm what is true.

"Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth." John 17:17

Such is how Jesus became flesh.  The Word - which was with God and was God since the beginning - came forth from God.  The Spirit came to perform the word, and the Truth was manifested, who is Jesus (Luke 1:31-35). Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6)

This process is what happens to us in salvation as well. The word of God is sown into our hearts and the Spirit of God comes into agreement with that word to generate life within us.  As a result, we become reflections of the Truth.

When we believe the truth, we are recreated in the image of Truth, who is Jesus Christ.  When we believe a lie, we become a lie and are made over in the image of the father of lies (John 8:44). 

Remember, God is looking for "truth" in the inward parts (Psalm 51:6).

How do we “buy” the truth? 

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.  Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it." Matthew 13:44-46

Surely the gift of salvation is free unto all who would receive it (Romans 5:15-18; Revelation 22:17).  Neither is it possible to be purchased by money (Acts 8:20).  Yet, we are exhorted to "buy" truth; this lets us know that there is a cost to it.  As the song goes, "It didn't come cheap, but I got it for free."

"For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?  Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish. 

Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace. 

So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple." Luke 14:28-33

The above Scripture indicates that possessing such is akin to selling all that you have in order to attain it.  It is a similar principle when God speaks of buying the truth.  You "buy" the truth by valuing and treasuring it above all else, counting all else as dung (Philippians 3:7-8).

It is interesting how some will refer to the moment of one entering salvation as the end of a matter.  You turn in faith to Jesus Christ one day, and then no matter what, you are saved.  Yet, that is not consistent with Jesus' text above at all.  In the exact opposite of terms, Jesus describes entering salvation as being the start of something.  He likens it to starting to build a tower or engaging in a war.  This should let us know that two simultaneous things are happening when we enter salvation.  One, our faith is building a tangible result (fruitfulness); and two, we are engaging in a war against an adversary.

How do we “sell” the truth? 

One of the most consistent warnings that God gives us about the end times is how deceptive they will be (and are) (Matthew 24:24; Mark 13:22). He warns us that there will be doctrines of devils which attempt to seduce God's people and will actually lead people away from the faith (I Timothy 4:1).  Many will in fact "sell the truth" and fall into apostasy (II Thessalonians 2:3).

To sell the truth is to forsake the truth in deference to lies; to adhere to that which is not of God, using your on mind as the standard for truth.  It is to choose to walk in a way other than the way of truth (Psalm 119:30).   It is the same old trick that Satan used in the beginning: appeal to man's ego so that he will believe that he can determine what is good or evil apart from God (Genesis 3:5)

It should be known that God desires all to be saved (I Timothy 2:4); even to the point where He allowed His Son to be butchered on the cross for our sins.  However, one of the harshest judgments we hear in the Scripture is for those who reject the truth.

"And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." II Thessalonians 2:8-12

"For this cause" - the fact that the people loved not the truth- God Himself will send them a strong delusion so that they will be damned!  The God who loved us enough to die for us will take specific action to make sure that such persons go to Hell.

Walking away from revealed truth is not a small thing because God esteems His word, even above His name (Psalm 138:2).  We cannot afford to have our own understanding or to do things our own way.  The truths of God preserve us (Psalm 40:11); forsake them and there is nothing to keep us from falling away...God will make sure of that.

"Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you." I Samuel 12:24

The following might also be of interest:

Thy Word is Truth

• We only need to be led by the Spirit
• Not all of Scripture is all Scripture
• The Bible is not the "Word of God"
• The Scriptures have been perverted
• Conclusion

Becoming What We Know

Immersion in the Mikveh

Most of us have heard enough of the word of God to understand what it means to be saved.  While many are full of the letter, too many have yet to become living epistles written by the Holy Spirit and read of all men (II Corinthians 3:2-3). We have learned enough to spot what is wrong, but few have been spiritually empowered to impact what is wrong.  It is not enough for us to simply know what is right; we must be transformed to "become" what we "know" in order to reach others. 

"But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. So then death worketh in us, but life in you." II Corinthians 4:7-12

We do realize that this is the goal, right?  God is not after us just having a bunch of head knowledge and serving as fruit-checkers examining the lives of others, but for us to actually have our lives poured out to be the hands and feet of Christ in the earth so that others may be saved. 

Can we honestly look at our lives and see anyone who has been impacted by our zeal for Christ?  Has anyone been set free from darkness through our witness for Him?  If so, then praise God!  If not, then even our vast knowledge is dead, because every living thing produces after its own kind.  At this late hour we cannot afford to be a sounding gong with no real Godly power.  You can only talk about what is wrong for so long before wondering whether you have been made an instrument of God's deliverance, for that is what counts.

"But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.  " James 1:22

There are many learned hearers in the churchworld, but in this late hour the world needs deliverers. The word "hearer" above means to understand, perceive, consider; to learn or give ear to a teaching.  On the other hand, the word "doer" means one who produces, bears forth, or performs; one who obeys and fulfills the law.

If we have not been changed from hearers to doers, then this is a cause for great alarm.  How does one go from being a mere hearer of the word to being a doer of the word? Immersion in the mikveh.

The mikveh is a ceremonial & ritual cleansing similar to a baptism, representing separation from a former way of life unto a new one.  We have spoken about this before in terms of it being a requirement for a betrothed woman.   The mikveh is part of how the bride prepares herself and makes herself ready for the bridegroom's return.

"Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready." Revelation 19:20

As believers in Christ Jesus, we also must go through a mikveh by immersing ourselves in God's word.  As we do, we will be cleansed and made new into the image of Christ in preparation for Jesus' return.

"Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish." Ephesians 5:25-27

The word for this "washing" is loutron which comes from a word meaning: to bathe a dead person or a washing to cleanse blood out of a wound.  This is the same word used in the following text:

"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost." Titus 3:5

There is a specific washing each member of the Body of Christ must undergo which cleanses, sanctifies, and regenerates us.  An earlier article highlights a video outlining how Satan sought to contaminate the genetic make-up of the human race so that God's promised seed of the woman would never come to pass (Genesis 3:15).

The fall of man in the Garden of Eden caused man to become spiritually dead and in need of a blood cleansing.  This is why Jesus came; to make us spiritually alive again and cleanse us by His own blood so that we may be reconciled to the Father. Faith in this sacrifice is the means by which we are regenerated, or born again (Romans 3:25).

"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." I John 1:7

The blood of Jesus was not just offered to the Father as a sacrifice after His resurrection, but Jesus' blood must also be tangibly applied to us now (Hebrews 9:21; Hebrews 12:24; I Peter 1:2).  How is Jesus' blood applied to our souls for this cleansing?  By the word of God.

When delivering the Israelites from Egypt, God told the Israelites to apply the blood of the lamb to the lintels of their doorposts by hyssop (Exodus 12:22).  When Moses established the law of the covenant with Israel, he sprinkled the tabernacle, the vessels, and the people with blood by hyssop (Exodus 24; Hebrews 9:19).  In the New Testament, God also applies the blood of Jesus to us with hyssop.  How? By the word of God.  As we immerse ourselves in God's word, it is acting as hyssop, sprinkling our souls with Jesus' blood and changing us to be like Him.

"Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow." Psalm 51:7

Hyssop was often used in the Old Testament as a purging agent.  It is also believed to have properties that will repair, reprogram, and restore the human genetic code (DNA). As we meditate on God's word, it is literally painting our souls with the blood of Jesus and thereby changing us into a new creature (II Corinthians 3:18; II Corinthians 5:17; James 1:23-25; Galatians 6:15).  We are being normalized and restored to the creation that God first established with Adam and Eve before the fall.

When the Israelites used hyssop to apply the blood to their doorposts, they were protected only if that stayed within that border (Exodus 12:22-27).  Yes, they were God's people.  Yes, He had protected them by the sprinkling of the blood of the lamb.  Yes, He had promised to deliver them.  However, if they moved beyond the boundaries marked by that blood, then they too would suffer judgment along with the Egyptians.  They would be destroyed.

The same is true for us.  As soon as we transgress and go beyond the boundaries of the word of God, we place ourselves outside of the protections God has given us; outside of the sprinkling of His cleansing blood.  In doing so, we not only become one with the world, we will be judged as the world.  As the Apostle James says, we are changed into a doer of the word only as we continue in the word (James 1:23-25).  If we leave the word and go off our own way, we deceive ourselves.

So why is it then, that some people immerse themselves in the word of God and are transformed into the image of Christ while others immerse themselves and are not?  Consider what the Jewish Virtual Library has to say about the mikveh:

It is emphasized that the purpose of immersion is not physical, but spiritual cleanliness...Now 'uncleanness' is not mud or filth which water can remove, but is a matter of scriptural decree and dependent on the intention of the heart. Therefore the Sages have said, 'If a man immerses himself, but without special intention, it is as though he has not immersed himself at all.'

It comes down to a condition of the heart.  If you receive God's word without a heart of repentance, then you will be filled with head knowledge, but remain unclean.  It will be as if you were never washed at all.  Conversion is impossible without repentance (Acts 3:19).  The word of God must fall on good soil if it is to produce fruit (Matthew 13:23).  If we are not bearing Godly fruit, then it is because our hearts are not right.  We will not continue in the word, but will stray beyond the word, becoming merely puffed-up hearers with a religion that is in vain.

How do we become what we know?  With a heart of repentance, stay in the word of God and let His power do the work. As we immerse ourselves in the mikveh - letting the washing of the water of the word by the power of the Spirit cleanse, sanctify, and regenerate us - we will find ourselves becoming more like Christ.   It is not an outside work, but an internal one.  It is not about what you do for Christ, but what He does in you.  We will not just know about Jesus, but we will become a reflection of who He is.  It is Christ living in us which is the hope of glory...for ourselves and for others.

Lord, Please Keep Me

I have had occasion to witness a young woman who had come to know the Lord in recent years go off head first into a strong delusion.  This woman has not overtly turned away from God.  Instead, like many people, she has simply turned to religion.  It has been amazing and yet terrifying to see.

You try to talk about basic Bible truths with her, and the response is honestly just incoherent.  There are lots of religious sounding phrases, but an inability to deal with or acknowledge the simple truths of God.  The Scripture uses the phrase "great swelling" words, which is the Greek word hyperogkos meaning overswollen.

The words are "great" because they sound really impressive and holy, but they are "swelling" because they have no substance. Just as a balloon fills up and swells with air, the words are puffed up.  As a result of having been infected by the wrong spirit, the person's mannerisms and speech have become affected.  In general, it is evidence of one who has been filled with head knowledge, yet not been transformed in heart to become what they have learned (II Timothy 3:6).  Such is a deadly combination.

"Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth." I Corinthians 8:1

I am sure you have probably had similar discussions:

Statement: "You know, the Bible says that we must flee fornication and all sexual immorality."

Response: "I'm blessed & highly favored, praise God!  God is moving and advancing His Kingdom!"

Statement:  "But God wants to purge us from all uncleanness.  He says here that we must repent and turn away from sin.

Response: "Hallehujah!  God has me! The gifts of God are without repentance!"

Now my example may be an exaggeration (though not by much), but the point is that people's minds are going deep into insanity in religion and only the Lord Jesus can bring them back.  Such persons can never address the Scriptures, instead they simply espouse religious jargon as if such renders Scripture invalid.  And for the record, let me just state that "the gifts of the Lord being without repentance" is not a cover for disobedience.

The religious arena is not just a nice place people go to find God.  It is a snare set up by Satan to keep people from God and yoked to the personalities of men.  Again, I say, this is terrifying!

As I considered this young woman's conversation, I was filled with sorrow for her condition.  At the same time, I was also immediately humbled and overwhelmed with thankfulness to God for keeping me...and I prayed diligently that He would continue to keep me. 

You see, it is nothing in and of ourselves which has allowed us to have a sound mind.  It is truly the mercies of God (II Timothy 1:7).  If you have the ability to understand, receive, walk in, and be changed by God's word, then that is supernatural!  Without the intervening, transformative power of God in your life, you would be lost; even while sitting in Church with a Bible singing hymns.

"But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will, and will know, not the speech of them which are puffed up, but the power. For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power." I Corinthians 4:19-20

The power of God is not just for outward show.  Even "workers of iniquity" can perform mighty signs and wondrous works (Matthew 7:21-23; II Thessalonians 2:9).  The power of God is distinguished from all others in its ability to mold you into His image (II Peter 1:3-4).  If the power we profess does not make us partakers of the divine nature, then it is only a puffed up counterfeit.

People may boast about being a flourishing "man or woman of God" or being a "mover and a shaker in God's Kingdom", but I tell you that unless the Lord Himself safeguards your mind, you will go off.  You will still be there thinking that you are a mighty servant of God while in reality you are far off from Him...and be none the wiser. 

"Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." I Corinthians 10:12

The human mind is more fragile than we think; this is why we need the mind of Christ always. As soon as we start thinking that we have arrived, then we can surely know that we are on the verge of a fall (Proverbs 16:18; I Timothy 3:6).  The Spirit will give us boldness of speech, but our boasting will only always be in the Lord (Psalm 34:2; Acts 4:13, 29-31; Ephesians 3:12; I Corinthians 1:31; II Corinthians 10:17; Philippians 1:20; I Timothy 3:13).

The more we come to truly know God, the more we appreciate how very much higher His thoughts and ways are than ours (Isaiah 55:9).  If your closer view of God leaves you with a bigger impression of yourself, then you are not looking at the True & Living God at all; you have found "another Jesus" (II Corinthians 11:4).

So the question becomes, "How does God keep us and what is He keeping us from?"

Some mistakenly believe that God promises to keep every believer so that you will never fall.  Those who believe in the error of Once Saved Always Saved cling to such promises. Yet, is that Biblical?

"Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,"  Jude 1:24

"For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day." II Timothy 1:12

The Scriptures say that the Lord is able to keep us, and this is true.  However, it does not promise that He will.  Why not?  Because we have a will.  We must keep ourselves in a position of being kept.  As a Sister in the Lord would say, "God keeps those who want to be kept."

How do you stay in a place of being kept? You keep on believing (obeying) God's words.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." I Peter 1:3-5

It is our continued faith in God which allows us to be kept. Faith here is the Greek word pistis, which we have talked about before.  It means having faith in and being faithful to. 

You cannot have one without the other; you cannot be faithful to God while at the same time disbelieving/disobeying His words.  When we are believing in God, it is His words which are the basis of that faith (Romans 10:8, 17; I Timothy 4:6; II Timothy 1:13; Hebrews 4:2; Hebrews 11:3).  Disregard His words and you are outside of the faith.  People want to talk about being kept by God, but it is your abiding faith - faith in and faithfulness to Him - which God demands in order to be kept. 

Remember, there is nothing we can do to keep ourselves.  Our faith is not the power which keeps us, rather our faith is what gives us access to God's power (Acts 6:8; I Corinthians 2:5; II Thessalonians 1:11)...a power that will not only keep us, but will change us to be as He is.

Know this.  You will only go so far in God as you are willing to let Him purge what is in your soul. This is why we need to walk circumspectly (Ephesians 5:15-16).  If you begin to back away from the Lord's chastening as He purges you, then you will return to the vomit and the mire of the world...even a religious vomit/mire (II Peter 2:22; Hebrews 12:8).

What are we being kept or saved from?  Well, lots of things: our enemies, ourselves, Satan, etc.  Yet there is one thing in particular from which we are being kept: God's wrath.

"Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him." Romans 5:9

At the end of the day, all that matters is Jesus.  It is His reconciliation that we need and pleasing Him will be all that matters to those who love Him.  We will not try to justify or defend our own ways, but we will obey His words.  We must be watchful to cast down every high thing that would exalt itself against the knowledge of Christ and bring every thought to the obedience of Christ (II Corinthians 10:5).  I have to pray, to plead with Him for mercy, because I know I cannot keep myself.  I know that left to my own devices I am prone to wander.  I cannot rely on my own strength or wisdom.  I must remain ever dependent upon the Lord.

As you walk with the Lord, I pray that He keeps you.  I pray that He continues to bless you with a sound mind.  I pray that He helps your unbelief and gives you a heart to hear & obey Him.

Don't ever take your salvation for granted (Hebrews 2:3).  Scriptures say that deception will be so strong in the last days that if possible it could deceive the elect of God.  We need to depend upon and trust in the Lord now like never before.

"Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.  Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown." Revelation 3:10-11


 

They

There are many professing Christians who disregard the word of God.  They will either not study it for themselves or pervert the text so that it aligns with their own lusts.  However, it never ceases to amaze me how the word of God is true!  The Scriptures truly reflect the mind of God and everything the Lord Jesus has said will happen will happen because He is God.  For those with ears to hear, the Lord will surely confirm His word and prove it to be a living word.

In regards to the last days, the Scriptures say specifically that a man's enemies will be "they" of his own household (Matthew 10:36).  It also says that "they" will deliver you up to be persecuted, to be arrested, to be judged, and to be killed (Matthew 10:16-26; John 15:20).  The one who lifts his hand up against you will be nothing less than your own familiar friend (Psalm 41:9).

Why do "they" do this?  Because the light of Christ removes the cover for sin.  It is Christ and His righteousness which causes the affront.

"But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me.  If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin." John 15:21-22

Further, I would venture to say that it is not even the person primarily who fights against you in such cases but it is the unclean spirits which have them bound. 

Sin is a separator.  Two cannot walk together unless they be agreed (Amos 3:3).  I am not talking about being sinless.  I am speaking about not being in covenant with sin.

There are only two types of people in the world; those who are being purged from sin unto holiness and those who are being ensnared by sin unto reprobation.  People will appear to walk right alongside you in the faith up until you reach the small gate and the narrow road.  There, you will part ways.

The question we must all consider is, "Which road are we on?"  Are we on the narrow road which sanctifies us from the world or are we on the broad road which creates commonality with the world?  Not only will the condition of our own souls reveal to us the truth, the Scriptures say that those who stay on the broad road will eventually find themselves fighting against God and His Church, erroneously thinking that they are doing God a favor (John 16:2).

The following message from Omega Ministries is entitled "They" and examines what the Scriptures have to say about such persons: how not to be one of them and how to not be surprised or derailed by them.

• In all of the Gospels, Jesus speaks about bewaring of a certain group of people and what "they" will attempt to do to you.
• People are systematically & slowly losing their minds.  On a large scale, people are detaching from reality causing their minds to be more prone to accept lies, make-believe, and fantasy than truth.
• Evil lurks in what appears to be normal, and you need to see life through the lens of Scripture in order to recognize it.
• The Bible does not just contain "truths"; rather, the person of Jesus Christ - who is Truth - is revealed in the pages of the Bible.  This is what separates you from the average Church person.
• God does not accept or love all humans the way people try to make Him out as doing.  He sees some humans as His enemies whom He will destroy. 

• There are people presenting themselves as supposed shepherds over God's flock who do not even know God or His ways (Isaiah 56:9-12).  And there are even people who follow them due to the blindness which has taken folks over.
• Something can appear to be the light of truth to you, but actually be darkness because you have heard and received a lie as the truth (Matthew 6:22).  As a result, you will not be able to see the truth for the darkness will blind you to the light.
• You can tell the true Christian from just the professing Christian by their reaction to the truth as revealed in the Scripture.  If something rises up in a person against the word of God, then you know you are dealing with another Jesus, another gospel, and another spirit (II Corinthians 11:4).
• When a sinner is sinning, they will modify the Bible to accommodate their sin.  Some people are not going to submit to God's words and you cannot be shocked or shaken up by that.
• One's personal conviction is not the basis for doctrine, only the word of God (II Timothy 3:16).
• If Jesus says to take no thought for your life and you do, then that is called sin.  Anything we do which is against God's word is sin.  The old nature will be caught up in and thinking about itself by nature; this is why it must be crucified. 
• When a person is into themselves, they will react and respond to you based upon how they think you treat them.
• Never try to justify your own sin by pointing to what someone else is not doing.  No person's disobedience changes God's requirements.
• God is looking for someone to reflect His character, regardless of how others treat them.
• "They" are ravening wolves (Matthew 7:15).  Why? Because they seek to "shed blood, and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain." (Ezekiel 22:27).  They lead you astray in order to get stuff from you.
• You shall know "them" by their evil fruit as they produce thorns and thistles - cursed things (Matthew 7:16-17).  

• "They" may have soulish power by which they prophecy, cast out devils, and do many wonderful works, but if they do not perform the will of God, then they are workers of iniquity (Matthew 7:21-23).  God is looking for inner transformation, not for the presence or absence of activity.
• "They" are the children of the wicked one (Matthew 13:38).  They are planted amongst the children of God in the Church world so as to choke off the life of God so that the wheat won't bear fruit.  They have no personal conviction to live for Christ.  Their main concern is not Christ, but that you are wrapped up in them; they are self-centered.  If you really want the Lord, then you must forsake everything else (Matthew 13:46).
• "They" will eventually be formally separated from God and His Church (Matthew 13:49-50).  A tare will look at outward performance as being evidence of a spiritual change; it is not.
• "They" are hypocrites or play actors (Matthew 15:8-9).  They honor the Lord with their mouths, but their hearts are far from Him.
• "They" are blind leaders of the bind (Matthew 15:14).  They are defiled by the perverse desires of their own hearts and try to get people bound to their personalities vs. reconciled to God.
• "They" create false doctrine to fit their lusts instead of having a foundation on the word of God (Matthew 16:12).
• In the fallen nature, man is always looking for another man too be his hope or salvation.
• "They" despise those who really serve the Lord (Matthew 17:12).
• "They" like to use and take advantage of others (Matthew 23:4).
• "They" liked to be seen, exalted, and worshiped by the people (Matthew 23:5-7)
• "They" are Church leaders who displace the real Christ with a false christ in order to turn people in the Church into anti-Christs (Matthew 23:13-38).  Just watch the animosity that rises up in people when they are confronted with the word of God.
•  "They" are demons trying to mingle themselves with the seed of man (Daniel 2:43).  They want to pollute mankind by siring a hybrid creation.  You must flush out the demonic influence in your soul to be free.
• God is forging a vessel of recovery in the Church to turn the people from idolatry.
• You have got to be able to take the repercussions of preaching the Gospel because the unclean spirits you are preaching against will come see you to try and stop you.  The devil has power, and the only thing he respects is the power of God.
• The devil will always come to make you second guess yourself or condemn you.  Don't allow the Devil to open up that door of doubt, but trust the Lord to lead you and correct you if needed.
• God will  not make you do anything.  You must choose to yield.

SERMON:  They

The Queen of Heaven and the Dragon

As a former Catholic, the phrase "Queen of Heaven" had a completely different meaning to me growing up than what the Bible says.  Of course, as a Catholic, our understanding of God did not come from the Bible anyway.  Thank God for His strong hand of deliverance!

However, many are offering cakes unto the Queen of Heaven and don't even know it.  In spite of what God says, they boldly declare that they will continue in this worship while demanding that God accept it.  Let me tell you that God did not receive this worship in the past and He will not accept it now!

The following message from Omega Ministries is "The Queen of Heaven and the Dragon". 

• Most people have little to no understanding of the Bible.
• The war is an inner war in the human heart, it is not on the external.  You have to war against your own mind and thinking patterns to get free.
• God told Jeremiah that He was judging Israel because they were worshiping and serving other gods, even committing the abomination that He hates (Jeremiah 44:4).
• The inclining the ear is the intent, purposeful listening to what God is saying.  Very few people do this because they think they already know.  On of the biggest obstacles for people is that they don't like the one telling them the truth.  "I just don't want you telling me what is right."
• The great evil the people were committing were against their own souls.
• God always has a remnant who truly serves Him out of all those who profess to serve Him.
• Idolatry provokes God to wrath.
• Hell is the most rude awakening you can get.
• The women in Jerusalem refused to listen to Jeremiah's warning and declared that they would continue offer sacrifices to the Queen of Heaven.  They even offered a defense to God for these abominations stating that these things were done in full knowledge and approval of their husbands.

• As a result, God spoke to the men and stated that He would bring evil against the men who went down to Egypt because they would not be patriarchs and leaders of their own home.  If a man fails to take rightful headship and authority for the home, God will judge him for it.
• The world has been so perverted by matriarchy that most people do not understand the discipline and order of walking with God. 
• Even though it was Jeremiah who spoke, He took the people's rejection of those words personally because they were His words.  Don't be so quick to dismiss what what people say to you just because the words are coming through a person.  You must be able to discern whether it is the words of God being spoken or not and not get caught up in the vessel.
• You cannot "go to Church", you must become the organically grown body of Christ to be counted as the Church.  Every spiritual reality in your life is the product of organic growth.  As long as you still have hope in this world, you will run to religion instead of being transformed into the image of Jesus.
• This worship of the Queen of Heaven brings confusion (Jeremiah 7:19).
• The Spirit of God will only rest on you if you obey God; He will not join Himself to rebellion.
• If you refuse correction, God will cut off the truth from you (Jeremiah 7:28).
• The abominations are in the Church and the pupits.
• If you hate God's commands and who He made you to be then there are elements of the beast system deep in your soul.  You appear outwardly as if you love the Lord, but inside you really hate God because the Queen of Heaven is enthroned in you.  You won't be able to be received by God until you repent.



The "Queen of Heaven" is often pictured
with a supposed "Baby Jesus", illustrating
how the Word of God is always minimized
and diminished to magnify this
false matriarchal authority.

• God has to restore the order and authority He set up - the authority of a Father -- to get the city to be righteous again (Isaiah 1:26). 
• It takes a revealing from God for a person to understand the depths of the hatred they have deep in their souls towards fathers and the authority of God.  You must take account of what is in your inner court to ensure that you are in the faith.
• This worship of the Queen of Heaven can be seen in Jezebel's rulership outlined in II Kings.
• Soul ties can be dangerous because you can be destroyed being knit to the wrong person.
• God is wearing out people so that they will finally turn away from their own way and submit to Him.  He will have a Church without spot or blemish.
• The sin of Jeroboam is the sin permeating the present-day church (I King 11:26-12:33).  Jeroboam set up an idolatrous religious system to stop the people from worshiping the True & Living God and chose those amongst the lowest of the people to serve as priests (I Kings 12:31).  The false Church is set up to keep you away from God, not get you to God.
• Sodomites are a sign that false worship is in your presence (I Kings 15:12).  Spiritual perversion is always reflected in the natural by sexual perversion.  Even homosexual men will call themselves "Queens".  It is the continuation of matriarchal authority as a curse and promoter of perversion; or as the Bible says, the "Mother of harlots and abominations".  The key to the rulership of the Queen of Heaven is the siring of sexual perverse spirits.
• Your own resistance to the authority of God will let you know that elements of this Queen of Heaven is in you.  The main way people fight God's authority is not through open confrontation, but to make fun of and mock it.

SERMON:  The Queen of Heaven and the Dragon

Spiritually Dwarfed Women

There is a particular trap Satan has for women in the last days, and a woman's susceptibility to it is dependent upon not being made whole in Christ.  Make sure you take time while we have it to let the Lord purge you from every ounce of rebellion to His will and His way. 

The following message from Omega Ministries is entitled "Women and the Last of the Last Days".

• Selfishness and self-love is the catalyst for the perilous times which Scriptures tells us will come in the last days (II Timothy 3:1-2).
• For recent years, we have been seeing the visitation of the nephilim, the fallen angels.
• The Devil is a parasitical spirit which must live off of someone else, sucking the life from them.  It is a predatory spirit and uses others to fulfill its own appetites.
• The Holy Ghost is a dynamo who is self-generating and life-giving.
• Yielding to the temptation of the Devil is what gives unclean spirits access to you.
• There are positive and negative promises in the Bible according to where you are in Christ.
• The separator between those who really know Christ and those who just talk about Him is manifestation of the life of Christ from within in power.
• Spiritually undeveloped women (referred to in Scripture as "silly women" or spiritual dwarfs) are particularly susceptible to these type of false teachers who have a form of godliness, but deny the power thereof (II Timothy 3:6).  They are "ever learning" but not able to come to the knowledge of the truth because they are full of diverse lusts.

• Satan's forte is to use the woman as a conduit to pervert the environment just as he used Eve against Adam.  Eve means life, but after corruption by Satan, she became death to Adam.  Everything in Satan's kingdom operates in opposites of that which is in the Kingdom of God. 
• This is how religious people can jump, shout, and be happy listening to a dead sermon while a born again person gets nothing from it.  Those who possess the life of Christ cannot sit around that which is dead, outside of the Holy Spirit, and full of decay. 
• There is a difference between ministry & interacting with the lost for the purpose of leading them to Christ vs. walking in covenant with the lost.  If you can fellowship with the lost with no disparity, then you need to be born again.
• We must stop seeing people according to the flesh.  You must know what spirit a person is of.  No where in the Bible does God say you "try the spirit by the spirit".  You discern a spirit by the obedience of that spirit to the word of God.
• By the Devil's nature, we can know how he approached Eve.  The doorway which allowed Eve to give ear to Satan was in questioning her submission to Adam.  Why does she have to be the help meet?  Why does Adam get to be the head? Why are you being subjected to this bondage?
• How do we know this was Satan's approach?  Because it was the exact attitude Lucifer had in Heaven (Isaiah 14:12-15).   In his rebellion, Satan set up his own parallel kingdom to God's Kingdom; just like a mirror image, it is a perverted, backwards representation of God's Kingdom.  Satan sets up an upside down kingdom.
• The first thing Satan will do to use a woman is to break her down and remove her discretion (Proverbs 11:22).  He uses a spirit of rejection to chain her to himself.
• The old man doesn't want to be crucified and will fight for life.
• If you preach against a perverse spirit, then that spirit is going to come see you; to either tempt or torment you.
• You cannot downgrade your life trying to accommodate someone who wants the Devil.
• Women are designed by God to be reflectors (I Corinthians 11:7).  You can look at the women in a certain environment and learn all about that particular environment. 
• Women in the Body of Christ are being systematically transformed to reflect the nature of the Church.  God is a family and the members of the family on Earth are designed to reflect the members of the Godhead (Ephesians 5:32).  The woman, therefore, reflects the role of the Holy Spirit as life giver.
• A woman is to be sanctified unto her husband.  Likewise, the Church is faithful and sanctified to Jesus Christ.  Just as a woman bares children for her husband in the natural, spiritually the Church will produce children for Christ.
• In society, a woman will either reflect the harlot church or the Bride of Christ.
• To hate and seek to destroy Godly authority (patriarchy) is to hate and seek to destroy Christ.
• The problem with the world is that women are largely dead.  A woman is to be a tabernacle of life, but in rebellion becomes a chamber of death.

SERMON: Women and the Last of the Last Days

Ears to Hear?

"The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the LORD hath made even both of them." Proverbs 20:12

Many times, the Lord Jesus prefaced His words as being for those who had "eyes to see" and "ears to hear".  This should let us know that we have a choice and a responsibility in hearing God's words.  This is not simply a faculty of the senses; it means perceiving God's word, having understanding of it, and heeding it (Psalm 115:5-6; Jeremiah 5:21; Ezekiel 12:2; Matthew 13:13).

"Who among you will give ear to this? Who will hearken and hear for the time to come?" Isaiah 42:23

The Lord still speaks to His people (Psalm 95:7-11; Hebrews 3:7-15; Hebrews 4:7; John 10:3-5; John 1:27).  He will speak directly & personally to you - even in your ear - so that you have no question who it is who commands you (1 Samuel 9:15; Matthew 10:27; Luke 12:3). 

Yet, we must "give ear" to the Lord (Exodus 15:26, Deuteronomy 32:1, Judges 5:3, II Chronicles 24:19, Nehemiah 9:30; Psalm 45:10; Psalm 78:1; Proverbs 2:2; Proverbs 4:20; Proverbs 5:1; Isaiah 1:10; Isaiah 28:23; Isaiah 55:3).

Further, our ears must be exercised to seek, hear, and know God's voice apart from all others (Job 34:3; Hebrews 5:14; I John 4:1).  Not every voice we hear - not even every spiritual voice - is the Holy Spirit. 

When we are unsaved, our ears are uncircumcised (Jeremiah 6:10; Acts 7:51).   There is no filter to separate words which contaminate from that which gives life (and we have a natural desire for that which is perverted).  However, once we are born again, the Lord opens our ears so that not only can we hear Him, but we can obey Him.  At that point, the question is not can we hear the Lord, but will we.

Some might say, "Of course we will hear the Lord!"  Yet, every word of Truth coming from the Lord is going to ram smack into that old thing with which have been in covenant for so long: S-E-L-F.  Many are fine claiming Christianity until the word of God begins to deal with what is in our souls.  As Scripture says, these endure for a while, but then depart from the faith being offended by the word (Mark 4:17).  Will you continue to abide in Christ even when the word of God brings offense to the old man or will you depart from the Truth seeking teachers who will scratch your itching ears (II Timothy 4:3-4)?

Wisdom itself is not seen in our Bible knowledge, but in our ability to heed correction (Proverbs 15:31; Proverbs 18:15; Proverbs 22:17; Proverbs 25:12; Jeremiah 17:23; Jeremiah 35:15).  God chastens every son He receives and those who love Him will submit to it.  What stands in our way? Pride.

"Hear ye, and give ear; be not proud: for the LORD hath spoken." Jeremiah 13:15

The pride of the old man can cause us to refuse to hear God's words.  As a result, our ears get closed to God as we become dull of hearing (Proverbs 28:9; Isaiah 48:8; Jeremiah 7:24-26; Jeremiah 11:8; Matthew 13:15; Acts 28:27; Hebrews 5:11).  Why?  Because the flesh wants to be pampered and comfortable; it does not want to be put out.  It wants to "be right" and do what it wants to do.

All of a sudden, God's ways become too hard and we decide to settle back into a world of religion where we can pretend that we are serving the Lord instead of letting Him continue to change us in the inward man.  What happens when we do this?  We begin to go spiritually backward.

"But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward." Jeremiah 7:24

How do you know you are devolving spiritually?  Your own appetites bear witness (Philippians 3:18-19).  Your desire for soulish,worldly things increases and your desire for the things of God decreases.  Don't be deceived by religious fervor and trying to "do" things for God; such is not the barometer for progression in Him.  Look at your soul.  Are you being transformed more each day to reflect the image of God's Son Jesus, or are you still just as bound by the same sins which ensnared you from the beginning?  If not, then as with the foolish virgins, the oil in your lamp begins to go out (Matthew 25:8).  What do we need to do to combat this?

"Rise up, ye women that are at ease; hear my voice, ye careless daughters; give ear unto my speech." Isaiah 32:9

Rise up and fight against the old man which still tries to enslave you to this world.  Don't become proud and obstinate in your rebellion, but yield to the Father of Spirits and live!

"Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease, and with the contempt of the proud." Psalm 123:4

Many have grown at ease with Babylon and the false peace it brings (Amos 6:1).  As in Nehemiah's day, God is calling upon a people who will rebuild the temple; who do not desire the compromises of Babylon, but seek the righteousness of the Lord to be restored.

The tough times, affliction, and persecution you experience as a result of the word of God being sown in your heart is not to discourage you, but to sharpen your ears for hearing. 

"He delivereth the poor in his affliction, and openeth their ears in oppression." Job 36:15

"The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.  The Lord GOD hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back." Isaiah 50:4-5

Just as the Lord awakes you each morning and gives you breath to live, He will likewise give you the ability to hear Him each day.  And just as the fact that you are breathing today does not guarantee that you will breath tomorrow, neither does the fact that you hear the Lord today mean you will hear Him tomorrow.  We must keep ourselves in a place of hearing, in a position of quiet rest before Him so that we can hear clearly.  We need our bread from Heaven daily!

How do you know what to do from day to day?  You need ears to hear.  How do you know to whom to minister?   You need ears to hear.  How do you know what to say?  You need ears to hear.

As the deception in these times increase dramatically, the need for us to hear and heed the word of God becomes more important than anything else in our lives.

"If any man have an ear, let him hear." Revelation 13:9

For Every Mountain

"Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the LORD: This gate of the LORD, into which the righteous shall enter.

I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation.  The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.  

This is the LORD'S doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.  This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

Save now, I beseech thee, O LORD: O LORD, I beseech thee, send now prosperity.

Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD: we have blessed you out of the house of the LORD.

God is the LORD, which hath shewed us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar.

Thou art my God, and I will praise thee: thou art my God, I will exalt thee.  O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever."   Psalm 118