The Saints' Repose

My Beliefs

2010-10-29T21:33:00.007-05:00

Grace and Peace to You.

Hello everyone! I hope that you are living the Spirit filled life! I also hope that you are growing in the knowledge of who our Lord and Savior, Jesus is!.

These are troubling days indeed! We are living in the end of days and all the prophecies spoken in regard to these days are coming to pass. There are famines, wars, rumors of wars, earthquakes, children betraying parents, siblings turning in one another for religious persecution, you name the end times prophecy and it's taking place. Therefore, I've decided to put up these things on my profile page to clearly state who I am and what I believe in.

Many will give up and will betray and hate each other. Many false prophets will come and fool a lot of people. Evil will spread and cause many people to stop loving others. But if you keep on being faithful right to the end, you will be saved. (Matthew 24:10-13 CEV)

What I Believe

Trinity: I believe that God is one and the only god. Revealed to us through three persons. The Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit. {Isa. 9:6; Jn. 5:18, 10:30, 14:10-11,16-17; Php. 2:5-6; 2Pet. 1:1}
Redemption: I believe that man was created without sin, but fell in Eden through which all men afterward were tainted by sin, until the last man, Jesus had come to cleanse all of mankind of sin through the sacrifice of his sinless body. {Rom. 3:19-25, 5:9-21;1 Jn. 2:2, 4:10,15}
Salvation: I believe that the only way for mankind to receive eternal life is by faith in Jesus Christ alone and his work of redemption upon the cross. Without faith in Jesus, man remains separated and under condemnation and the wrath of God. {Mk 16:16; Jn. 3:16-21, 6:40, 44, 8:23-24, 31-32, 10:1-9, 25-30}
The Great Commission: I believe in the Great Commission of our LORD and Savior to preach His Gospel to the whole world until His return. I believe that this commission has not ended and will never end until Christ returns. {Mt. 24:14; Mk 16:15; Acts 17:30-31; Ro. 10:14-17}
Second Coming: I believe in the Second coming of our LORD and Savior, Jesus Christ. That it has not yet taken place, but will happen at the end of the Great Tribulation at the last trumpet. I believe that scripture is very clear that Jesus' return will be a very visible event seen by all of humanity, and His return will be skyward toward the Earth. I also believe as Jesus said, that no man knows the exact day nor hour, but He has granted us to discern the season. {Acts 1:11; Heb. 9:27-28; Mt. 24:24-28, 32-33, 36; Lk 17:22-30}
Resurrection: I believe in a future resurrection of the Saints. That this will occur when Jesus Christ returns to the Earth, with the Saints who have fallen asleep, to begin his Millennial reign. I believe that we will not precede those Saints who have gone before us. That means that I believe that we will not be "caught up" in the clouds before those saints who have already died are at first resurrected. {Lk. 20:37; 1 Co. 15:51-58; 1Th. 4:16-17; Rev. 20:1-6}
Hell & the Lake of Fire: I believe in an eternal place of torment and punishment to all those who do not believe in Jesus Christ and obey the message of His Gospel. {Mat. 7:21, 18:5-9; Mk. 9:42-48; Lk. 12:5; 2 Th. 1:7-9; 2 Pe. 2:4-11; Rev. 20:9-15}

I am 100 percent for God's people, and I don't like it when false teachings are spread among us. I've seen Satan use people's pain or doubt in order to make them hate God or embrace and spread unbiblical teachings. I pray that you're not one of those people, so please take this seriously and begin to ask God to expose to you all those false doctrines and to protect you from the schemes of Satan who would seduce you with crafty words.

"I pray that God will punish anyone who preaches anything different from our message to you! It doesn't matter if that person is one of us or an angel from heaven. I have said it before, and I will say it again. I hope God will punish anyone who preaches anything different from what you have already believed." (Galatians 1:8-9 CEV)

Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.(Psa 119:2)

God bless you! Michael.

Our Faith in God vs Doctors

2009-07-09T16:01:00.011-05:00

"She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better, she grew worse." -Mark 5:26 (NIV)

"In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was diseased in his feet, and his disease became severe. Yet even in his disease he did not seek the Lord , but sought help from physicians." -2 Ch. 16:12 (ESV)

Who is the Creator of all?

Who has designed this universe?

Who claims to be able to raise the dead?
Who is it that has cured the lame, blind, diseased, and emotionally ill?

"See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god beside me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand." - Deut 32:39 ESV

"He who is often reproved, yet stiffens his neck, will suddenly be broken beyond healing." -Proverbs 29:1 (ESV)

Therefore Jesus said,

"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." - Mat 11:28-30 ESV

"I'm Burning! I'm Burning!"

2009-06-24T10:25:00.023-05:00

"Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name." Then a voice came from heaven: "I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again." The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, "An angel has spoken to him." Jesus answered, "This voice has come for your sake, not mine. Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself." (John 12:27-32 ESV)

On June the 21st, there was a sobering story of a young Iranian woman who was killed for protesting that wicked regime in Iran. Neda Soltan wasn't an evil person. According to her friends and family, she was a nice person that loved to travel and was an accomplished singer.

She doesn't fit into any form of the images of the Islamic fundamentalist and hateful Muslims we see so often on the evening news. Many Muslims in fact are moderates. They could be compared to your average American Catholic. They attend Mosque and fulfill their religious duties. To them it's nothing more than a family tradition practiced faithfully. Their lives are governed loosely or to an extreme by it. Whether or not you are Catholic you can identify with the range of commitment within a religious system like this. Neda Soltan wasn't much different.

So here we are. A young girl's life is taken and in that moment a chilling and disturbing message is exclaimed by her final words with us. "I'm Burning! I'm Burning!"

Why? Why these words? She wasn't burning. There was no fire. She had been shot. I've never heard of anyone who has survived a shooting ever say that it felt like they were burning. Now to be fair, and as some have noted, I have heard that people do feel a 'burning sensation' in the area of the shot wound. But that is not the impression I get from Neda's cries. So what was Neda truly experiencing in her final moments? Is there something or someone which can help us to understand this young lady's strange and chilling exclamation?

Yes, there is, but you may not like what this answer is.
We cannot pray for Neda's soul. It's too late for that, and for this I am deeply grieved, but this is exactly why I'm writting this now. Because I don't want you to be in the same situation. You do have a choice.

The Bible reveals to us the heart and mind of God. In it we find the answer to Neda's words. What she was experiencing that frightened her into exclaiming those chilling words. It's a terror I don't want you to experience yourself.
Jesus is our greatest source for truth about things pertaining to life and death. He is God, and He has testified to us about the ways of God. No man ever made a claim to be God and provided the proofs like Jesus Christ. He heals millions at the mention of His name, and so I will take a look at the verses which record His statement about life after death. Take a look.

"All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me." (John 6:37-38 ESV)

"I have come in my Father's name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him. How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?" (John 5:43-44 ESV)

They said, "Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, 'I have come down from heaven'?" Jesus answered them, "Do not grumble among yourselves. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. It is written in the Prophets, 'And they will all be taught by God.' Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me-- not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life."(John 6:42-47 ESV)

It is a matter of believing in who Jesus is and for what purpose He was here on Earth. By believing in and obeying the correct gospel, because there are many false gospels out there {Matt. 7:15, 24:11, 24-25; 2 Pe. 2:1-2}, you will be granted the free gift of eternal life. If you fail to discern which is the correct gospel then you will perish into an eternal torment {2 Th. 1:8-9}. That's why I'm sharing the correct gospel with you now.

Jesus warns us that there will be many who come in His name, remember He is God and so anyone who invokes any of God's names is using His name;
"Someone may say, 'Here is the Messiah!' or 'There he is!' But don't believe it. False messiahs and false prophets will come and work great miracles and signs. They will even try to fool God's chosen ones." (Matthew 24:23-24 CEV)

And so we must learn the truth and gain understanding into how God has planned to grant mankind mercy, grace and salvation through one way, and one man. Jesus Christ {John 14:6}. All religions are false. They are, as many rightly believe, systems of men to enslave other men and lord themselves over each other. But that's not the way of God. All men are made equal and brought low before the mighty creator of mankind and this universe {Eph. 1:20-21, 22-23}.

Jesus tells us that by turning to Him alone and believing in Him alone as the atonement for our sins that we will be given the gift of eternal life {Mark 16:16; Luke 13:24; John 10:9}. He also warns us that this is going to be difficult to understand and believe. The gospel is that all men are sinful and can not redeem themselves by good works, and so we are doomed to an eternal punishment and separation from God{Rom. 3:19-20}. However, in His mercy God had a plan set in place since the beginning of human time to suffer that punishment for us. God gives Himself as a perfect payment for us, meaning that because He had no sin He was the only one capable of paying our debt in full. Justice was fulfilled{Rom. 3:21-26}.

So, those who learn this and believe in it, must also forsake their sinful way of living. What sense does it make to acknowledge that it is because of sin that you need someone to atone for you, but after receiving that atonement, you remain the same? What was the atonement for then? The Gospel expects a change in those who receive it.

Iran's 'Angel of Freedom' Neda Soltan Vowed to Protest Against Injustice - International News - FOXNews.com

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Pornography & Christians

2009-06-07T12:28:00.008-05:00

"Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin." - John 8:34 ESV

Watch these videos and try to visit xxxchurch.com to find out how to get help and help others overcome sexual and other addictions.

What's the Difference?

2009-06-03T12:48:00.026-05:00

Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.
(1 Corinthians 2:12 ESV)

One of my biggest pet peeves is how many Christian ministries ignore the scriptures like my opening verse above. We mimic the world's ways in how we practice our faith before the world.

We sell our knowledge of God with the best product sales pitch. We entice people to get the "full" version of our sermons and teachings by baiting them with the best clips or segments so that we can get a bigger sale off of our teaching line of products.

For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God's word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ. (2 Corinthians 2:17 ESV)

And we wonder why God seems so distant?

Don't be that ignorant and blind!

Let's wake up church! It's time to stop doing business, and to start living for Him instead of ourselves!

"Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, 'I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.'" (2 Corinthians 6:14-18 ESV)

Yes, I am rash, but what I've experienced from the examples of today's Christian leaders is that they are indoctrinated into a worldly system fueled by greed and personal satisfaction. The way most American churches are run are far from any Biblical and Godly model. And most born-again Christians see this and are leaving the church in droves because of it.

The other reason that I can't help it, is because it seems to be poor leadership that draws out the greatest wrath of our LORD and Savior. If anyone examines the reactions of our LORD through the bible, both old and new testaments, you will notice that God's strongest rebukes are aimed at the priestly leadership.

I don't want to end this sounding unfair, so I will tell you that I have found a few who do preach the word and wisdom of God with sincerity and do offer what wisdom they have at cost if not for free.

I believe in supporting the ministries of such men and women. I'd rather see ministers of the Gospel work with their own hands to raise the funds for their ministry over those who solicit through manipulative appeals to our spiritual conscience or emotions, in order that their multi-million dollar multimedia evangelical juggernaut ministries can pay the bills to stay on the air. Evangelism is the call of every Christian, not a select few "stars."

I had to revamp my viewpoint on this topic a few times, because there are legitimate reasons for a minister to be paid or seek financial support. In light of all this, it's important for such a minister to always guard their motives by examining themselves in light of good solid biblical examples. Men like the Apostle Paul who strived to serve others with a pure heart and not dilute the message of the Gospel with questionable actions on his part.

If you think that's too much, then maybe you it would serve you well to read about the life of Jesus again and pay closer attention to his ministry; how he never charged admission or sought supporters, even though some did support him financially, yet they were never solicited to do so.

-Selah

Michael

Lawless Christianity

2009-05-12T14:52:00.001-05:00

"Lawless Christianity"
-Dr. Rodney Howard-Browne

They define a Christian as someone who lives above the Law. They feel that they need no guidelines and that God’s word is not as important as their own personal sense of God’s guidance. They follow their feelings and impulses. This is a very dangerous place to be. You leave yourself open to works of the flesh and demonic deception. Many of them view God’s word as if it was entirely full of religious tradition, which is simply not true. It is full of life and freedom. These Christians have recognized that God’s forgiveness is a free gift; made possible by Christ’s death on the cross; received by faith; and that it is not based on our ability to live up to God’s perfect standards, which is all true. However, they forget that Christians are also just humans and that their “feelings” are flawed. If you only live by what you “feel” God wants you to do and not by His word, you are bound to fail.

Lawless Christians need to recognize that there really is freedom in being submitted to God’s word even as they gratefully acknowledge His great and gracious salvation. Our freedom in Christ is not an excuse for sin, selfishness or self-will. Neither does He release us from our obligation to walk in His will and His ways, governed and led by the love of God.

"For you, brethren, were [indeed] called to freedom; only [do not let your] freedom be an incentive to your flesh and an opportunity or excuse [for selfishness], but through love you should serve one another. 14 For the whole Law [concerning human relationships] is complied with in the one precept, “You shall love your neighbor as [you do] yourself.” Galatians 5:13-14 AMP

“Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. 22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” James 1:21-22 KJV

“For it is God’s will and intention that by doing right [your good and honest lives] should silence (muzzle, gag) the ignorant charges and ill-informed criticisms of foolish persons. 16 [Live] as free people, [yet] without employing your freedom as a pretext for wickedness; but [live at all times] as servants of God.”1 Peter 2:15-16 AMP

Reproduced from a post on Thedesperate.com

Gay Marriage & Home Churches

2009-04-30T13:04:00.011-05:00

For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God.

(1 Peter 2:20 ESV)

I just wanted to say that in light of this newest display of pro-gay and anti-Christ rhetoric, that I see a necessary move of the church to become leaner and stronger by shedding the extra weight of the mega-churches era.

Christians should be so because they follow Jesus, not because their church has great benefits and social or self-improvement programs.

We will become persecuted and forced to adhere to the new age movement of humanism, unless we deconstruct ourselves and become more mobile and discreet.

Governmental laws and programs will be instituted against the institutional churches. Churches and Christians who own businesses will be forced to abide by man's un-Godly laws under monetary and even criminal penalties.

You will have to make a choice. Either you will trust God or not. You may not trust Him and chose to buckle into the threats of our culture, but that will only result in your loss of God's favor, protection and blessings, or you can stand up by faith for God and lose your job, business, or church, but gain God's favor, protection and blessings!

Which one will you chose?

Christians are being backed into a corner. God is allowing Satan to grow in strength in order to fulfill the end times prophecies and to force a decision on the part of many who profess His Lordship over themselves.

It's not spiritually, and even physically healthy for us to live in ignorant bliss. Ignorant bliss can get you killed. Let's hold on to hope, but not at the expense of loosing touch with reality. I can't find anywhere in the bible where there's a promise of a super harvest of souls. Yes, Jesus did say in His day that the fields are ripe for harvest, and they still are. But the real truth is this, that as the end of days grow fewer we will see an increase in lawlessness. Anyone who reads their bible knows I'm telling the truth.

-Selah

Michael

"My son, if your heart is wise, my heart too will be glad. My inmost being will exult when your lips speak what is right. Let not your heart envy sinners, but continue in the fear of the LORD all the day. Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off. "

(Proverbs 23:15-18 ESV)

Deep Impact

2009-03-01T19:20:00.010-06:00

Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls; all your breakers and your waves have gone over me. (Psalms 42:7 ESV)

Have you ever found yourself in a place where it seems that you've lost sight of God? Where your life is ruined and there seems to be no answer or word from Heaven? And if there is it's no consolation to you because it something like this, "I see you in a desert"....
Psalms 42:2-3 ESV "My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? (3) My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me all the day long, 'Where is your God?' "

I do find some comfort in the fact that I'm not alone. I see others like King David, Job and Joseph in this wilderness too. One thing is sure. This is a place of testing and refining.

There will be survivors and then there will be victors.

1 Corinthians 3:14-15 ESV "If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. (15) If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire."

When in the wilderness it seems to me that the wise thing to do is to examine yourself and consider your steps that lead you there. Consider this, there are many paths that lead us into the deserts...

King David

David had two desert experiences in his life. The first was not his doing. King Saul's jealous rage drove David to flee into the wilderness. This is what I'll call the Desert of Persecution.

The second desert experience of David was a direct result of his own choice to sin against God. He took another man's wife and caused his death through a direct order. This is the Desert of Sin.

Job

Now Job's desert was a result of his faithfulness. This is the most oddest of all, but none the less, it's one we must admit to. God knew Job's faithfulness and used it to smack down Satan's arrogance. All the time Job is tested by Satan's jabs and accusations. Yet he remains steadfast, though deeply troubled. I'll call this the Desert of Steadfastness.

Joseph

The one that we all hate to hear about. It makes me cringe just thinking of the implications of Joseph's desert. The long endurance of the test of time, persecution, envy, misunderstanding, etc., etc. Joseph learned the lesson of longsuffering. A dream given, then lost, and then realized. This is the desert of Longsuffering.

We will all go through a desert, but we won't be left alone, though we may feel lonely. Consider your desert, weather it be the Desert of Persecution, of Sin, of Steadfastness, or the Desert of Longsuffering; consider. Consider the company of witnesses which have gone before you and their outcomes and rewards, and take peace in your piece of the Desert.

1 John 5:4 ESV "For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith."

-Selah

Who do we believe?

2009-01-07T12:41:00.001-06:00

"You people aren't faithful to God! Don't you know that if you love the world, you are God's enemies? And if you decide to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God." James 4:4 [CEV]

I'm a passionate guy. I'm crazy about God. So much so that I could almost care less about what ever anyone ever comes up with as "evidence" against God that I don't want to even give it any consideration.

While I don't necessarily feel bad about being like that, I know that a lot of folks out there (especially unbelievers) feel that is being "close minded".
Well, then I'm close minded. It's an open mind in that case (according to me) that lets in the devils and vagabonds to wreak havoc on my faith.

Another thing I see is that God made this incredible universe we exist in and if He's that powerful to design such a vast place as this then how can we think we can uncover some things about it and make a judgment call that rules Him a fake? A figment of men's imaginations.

Consider this. God is our designer. He planned and enacted the physical and moral laws that govern this universe. Then He created us, limited in our knowledge of His creation, but yet we strive to understand it and, often at times, trust our understanding more than trusting in Him.

The error of current modern scientist is that they believe they comprehend what the truth is. Only God knows the real truth of how this universe operates. We have only grasped at it like blind men. Any blind man can grab a rock and tell you it's round and hard, but in our arrogance we think we have the whole truth and that truth has proven that there is no God.

It's fine that we seek understanding. Even the scriptures command us to do so, but when our seeking leads us away from the truth (and it can and has) then we need to allow ourselves to be corrected and guided back on the narrow path.

From what I can discern from the scriptures and the Spirit of God within me is that we (Christians) have become more concerned with bringing offenses to others (unbelievers, moderate Christians, etc.) that we have adopted practices which result in us denying the truth.

Jesus said, "blessed are the peace makers," but in saying that I strongly believe He didn't mean it in terms of us becoming non-resistant and silent. We should seek to be peace makers within the boundaries of morality and God's truth. And if that means being controversial and anti-humanistic or anti-secular then let it be. It is far better to be man's enemy than God's enemy.

With all love and respect..
-Selah

Michael

The Good Old Fashioned Gospel.

2008-12-09T12:26:00.004-06:00

I received this message in my e-mail. It's from the step-son of a friend of mine who is away from home now attending a College in Maryland.

His message is right on, and I'd risk saying and endorsing as God's truth....

Here it is, be prepared to repent;

From: Justin Lanciault
Subject: Update
Date: Monday, December 8, 2008, 10:29 PM

Dear all,

First of all, I would like to say thank you for praying for me. It gives me great joy to know that you remember me in your prayers, even if it is just weekly, every little bit helps. The outreach into the plaza went well, one guy was really, seriously touched by the reality of Christ. It is to this end that I write to you...

Here are some questions that I've been asking God and He gave me a tough answer.
1. Why is there no power in the church?
2. Why are there are so many ministries that preach revival, that pray for revival,
that fast for revival, but yet, we have no revival, and we, in America, have not
had a true revival in 50-odd years?
3. Why does no one talk about sin anymore?

This is what God said, word for word: "SEEK YE FIRST THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN AND ALL OTHER THINGS SHALL BE ADDED UNTO YOU!" I was kinda struck by that statement, so I decided to seek God. In the light of that statement, He showed me that the problem of the American church is that nobody is seeking God! We got cute programs, get rich-quick schemes, we got set ways to pray (there's like 5 I know of the top of my head and they all claim to be right...), we got fasting that supposedly can move the hand of God, but the only problem with that is if you can move the hand of God, then He is not all-powerful, all-mighty, all-knowing, and last time I checked the bible He was.

So why is the church powerless? Why is there no revival? Why is sin never entioned anymore? Because we have no purity! We have lost sight of our first love and because of that we have fallen victim to Balaam's error. See, we have forgotten our first love.

Instead of reflecting upon God and his majesty and beauty, we follow men who have good ideas about God and Christianity. But that just the problem we follow men with good ideas! Think about this, why is any new ministry or denomination founded? Because the disagree with their "parent" and believe that they have a true revelation of the gospel. Ministries are founded by men and they are based on what a man thinks is godly enough. And we got men telling us how to encounter God, how to experience his presence. Um, if we truly, truly experienced the presence of God in any church, most of the church would be dead, because there is no sin in God, he can not stand sin, sin melts in his presence, therefore if God descended on a church most of the people would be dead. Why is it that "holy" is the only attribute of God repeated? Nowhere does it say God is love, love, love or merciful, merciful, merciful! It says repeatedly "holy, holy,holy is the the Lord"! See, we've bought into the love gospel that says for us to accept and tolerate everyone and just love them to Christ (Toronto and the likes), the "it's okay if your still sinning, brother, God still loves you". We sound more like hippies than followers of Christ!
Countless times in the Psalms does David express the fact that God is "angry with the wicked everyday"! But, you wanna know what's even scarier than this "free love gospel", is the fact that the world is preaching the same thing: tolerance and acceptance. Something is wrong when the world and the church are preaching the same gospel!!!! As John said, "to be a friend of the world is to be an enemy of Christ". Need I say more? So what's to be done?

It's time to seek the kingdom of God! It's time to begin to preach holiness and repentance of sins! And you say "Justin,won't that ruffle some feathers, won't that bring somepersecution?" To which I say, "DUH!"

"Through many sufferings and trials shall we enter the kingdom of heaven", as Paul put it. Paul understood the price he had to pay, he could have been the next high priest, but instead he decided to do something idiotic by the worlds view and declare the "heavenly vision" of "Christ crucified for sins".

WHY THE HECK DO YOU THINK THAT PAUL SAID THAT THE "WORLD WAS CRUCIFIED TO HIM"!!! Was it so we could slap it as a slogan on shirts and bumper stickers. No! Its because he realized that his life was forfeit as soon as he choose to follow Christ; Paul knew that by preaching truth he would disturb the "peace", and as a result he would be labeled as a dissenter, as a slanderer, as an outcast. That's why he counted the world as "rubbish" and as a "loss to him".

Why? Because the system of tolerance, and acceptance, and respect the status quo was just as prevalent back then as it is today. And by telling people that they were fundamentally evil and in need of a savior, made them look inward, which goes against human nature. Who wants to go through the trouble of changing themselves when they could just live a peaceful life away from the reality of sin. Sound familiar?

In closing, I want to note that when I preach I preach first and foremost to myself, but I felt that I couldn't sleep until I emailed this to every confessing believer that I knew. So examine yourself, line up the god you believe in and the God of scripture, the God with the unspeakable name whose name is holy, the God who is an all consuming fire, whose fire burns up the fires of hell, of lust, of pride, of selfishness, the God whose love compels His sons and daughters to reach out and put their neck on the line to bring one more into His kingdom.
Seek the kingdom!-Justin

P.S. Sorry that this is the longest letter ever, but ya...

What an Awesome Breakthrough.

2008-10-02T22:57:00.003-05:00

What an awesome night this has been. God's sooo good!

I've just come back from a service at Steve Hill's church, Heartland. They hold their College and Career services on Thursday nights, called "One Voice" and God showed up through some awesome men and women of God.

At first when I got there and the worship started I had the hardest time, but then I realized God was doing something in me. I've been hitting the brick wall in my finances for the past several months and lately it's gotten sooo bad that I have nothing left at the end of the month. I kept loosing ground and I couldn't explain it.

But tonight, God brought me to the place of total abandonment into His trust. God has been taking me to various scriptures about total trust in Him, and tonight I was asked if I had nothing to show for all my hard work, could I still be happy to trust Him and be faithful in spite of it all.

Man, it was hard!

But now I know that that is exactly what He wants. He wants me to give Him everything even if it means I'm left with nothing! And then to do it again, and again.

Listen to this wonderful promise of faithfulness and provision from the Son of God, "So I say to you, Take no thought for your life, about food or drink, or about clothing for your body. Is not life more than food, and the body more than its clothing? See the birds of heaven; they do not put seeds in the earth, they do not get in grain, or put it in store-houses; and your Father in heaven gives them food. Are you not of much more value than they?" (Matthew 6:25-26 BBE)

This is what got me from these passages; Jesus said of the birds, "they don't sow or reap; they don't store up; but God makes sure they have food" This is some radical stuff that Jesus is talking about. This is a level of living that isn't for the casual Sunday service church goer.

Jesus often said, "he who has ears to hear." This road is narrow, and few find it. I'm seeing something so un-natural that it's Super-natural in the way He's calling His disciples to follow Him. You can't do what Jesus says apart from Him. It will require His help and enabling to do this. What we see as Christianity today is nothing close to what He's planned for His church.

Oh God, help us to get these blinders off our eyes!

-Selah

The Church in China, Let's pray and learn!

2008-09-09T04:51:00.004-05:00

This is what it means to "take up your Cross and follow me."

New Home Church Site

2008-09-08T09:10:00.002-05:00

This is a new Home church site that's very well designed. It's a social networking website that every home churcher should join.

Visit SimpleChurch.com

God's Goodness

2008-09-03T23:17:00.002-05:00

I also gave you your master's house and your master's wives into your care, and I gave you the house of Israel and Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added to you many more things like these!
(2 Samuel 12:8 NASB)

The goodness of God! Wow.

We don't understand it like we should. People fall for this stuff about sowing your seed to get a harvest of money. What?

That's not how its been working for me!

God lavishes His love on me even when I'm not working for it, that's because that's who He is! He's a giving God! (Read Luke chapter 6)

I constantly have seen God bring extra money to me when I'm least expecting it and when I end up needing it the most. God loves His children and looks after us!

God has opened my eyes. He's shown me that American Christians are raised on this false principle that you have to work at sowing seed in order to reap the harvest of blessings.

That's not who He is! He wants to bless us and has already paid the price for us. Wow! This stuff is too good, I don't think you can hear it! He wants us to remain open handed and not tight fisted, but to work for your blessing? No! The only thing He expects of us is to honor His Son by staying clean and not soiling our blood washed robes in this world of sin! To walk in His love before this world.

When you're a sinner, being good is hard work, but when you're a Saint, being good should flow naturally out of that spring of holy living water! That's not work, that's resting in Him.

Blessings will follow you!

You cannot be the slave of two masters! You will like one more than the other or be more loyal to one than the other. You cannot serve both God and money. I tell you not to worry about your life. Don't worry about having something to eat, drink, or wear. Isn't life more than food or clothing? Look at the birds in the sky! They don't plant or harvest. They don't even store grain in barns. Yet your Father in heaven takes care of them. Aren't you worth more than birds?
(Matthew 6:24-26 CEV)

Throwing out the baby

2008-09-02T16:31:00.004-05:00

Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.
Romans 7:24-25 ESV

I was getting read to write a few more blogs and noticed that I still have the Fresh Fire Ministries link on my "Most Fruitful" ministries links.

However, I considered removing it, but then I also considered the fact that Todd Bentley is no longer involved with the ministry he started. Considering what's happened and how it went down, has proven to me that "church leadership" needs a major revival itself.

It's also proven to me that I myself can't keep hoping to see God use me for the Kingdom of God while not walking in a level of integrity that far exceeds the common man's. Isn't it far better to suffer with Christ rather than to suffer for our sins? (1 Pe. 2:19-21)

I didn't want to remove the Fresh Fire link from my Fruitful Ministries listing just yet. I'm holding out hope that what's happened will result in that leadership change and that we'll see even more out of the Abbotsford, B.C. ministry in the months and years to come.

-Michael

An Important Message by Dutch Sheets

2008-08-22T13:03:00.000-05:00

A STATEMENT and APPEAL REGARDING LAKELAND
-Dutch Sheets. (Aug 21, 2008).

It has now been a couple of weeks since I heard about Todd
Bentley’s plans for separation and divorce. Like everyone, I have
had a variety of emotions including anger, sadness, and grief.
Every time I see this scenario repeated, I grieve: for the husband
and wife involved; for the family that will be scarred in so many
ways; because of the incredible reproach it brings to Christ; and
the distortion it gives concerning God’s heart and ways. I am
praying for Todd and his family.

I was asked numerous times to write my position on Lakeland
while it was happening, but always felt checked by the Lord—the
waters were too muddy and emotions too high. I now feel strongly
that the Lord wants me to do so. It will be arguably one of the
greatest risks of my ministry to date, but one I feel must be taken.
Fathers, when given the voice to do so, bear the responsibility of
giving correction and wisdom. I hope mine qualifies for the latter. I
assure you I have spent many hours praying and thinking through
the situation. The risks are broad: with some of my dearest friends
and co-laborers, I risk harming those relationships; with many in
the charismatic body of Christ, I risk appearing to be an arrogant,
“self-appointed” spokesperson for them; to the “I told you so” crowd,
I risk the accusation of “spinning” the situation. (As far as the
heresy hunters and revival police—not those who raised legitimate
questions about Lakeland, but the attack dogs who make their
living and build their ministries criticizing everyone else—I lost
respect for them long ago and couldn’t care less what they think.)

My purpose and sincere prayer in writing this statement, however,
is three-fold: to see healing begin for the body of Christ; to initiate
a process that can remove the reproach brought to Christ and the
Church; and to do these things while preserving and honoring my
current relationships. I pray that these desires, along with my heart,
come through loudly. And I hope I’m writing this with true humility—
who among us clearly sees all hidden in our own hearts? Let me
also preface this statement by saying that what needs to be said
cannot be done quickly or carelessly. I do not want my heart to be
missed and am not willing to run that risk for the sake of brevity,
so please bear with the length. (Incidentally, I think it will be
obvious no one involved in the Lakeland situation has asked me to
write this; and for the sake of integrity on my part, none have been
consulted concerning what I’m stating.)

Mistakes at Lakeland

Did leaders handling the Lakeland situation make mistakes? Yes—
huge mistakes. Beyond the obvious fruit of salvations and healings,
can good come from Lakeland, as some have suggested, even
with the recent revelations concerning Todd Bentley? Yes, but only
if there is complete honesty and transparency, the removal of all
attempts at self-preservation, and absolute humility from all sides.

Did I endorse the Lakeland meetings? No, I did not, nor did I
condemn them. I acknowledged that healings were occurring and
some were being saved, which I still believe and rejoice over. I
realized and stated that the thousands of people attending were
hungry and sincere, as were those involved in leading the 2
meetings. The worship was regularly good. But looking past some
of the immediate and positive results, I, like many, also looked
ahead to the possible fruit from questionable doctrine and
experiences, exaggeration and hype, youthful pride, character
issues and the frightening potential of a 32 year “young” man
leading a movement that could shape the future of the Church.

These things were frightening, very frightening, to others and me.
When something has the potential of setting precedent, birthing a
movement and being reproduced as a prototype, we are no longer
simply endorsing good brothers, good intentions and miracles.
Doctrine and foundations will be built on these events. Teachings
and paradigms for future ministries will be formed—in short, the
next generation of the church and the move of God in the earth
could be greatly impacted. This is why I stopped short of endorsing
everything at Lakeland. Just as importantly, I could not ignore the
“check”, the uneasiness, the sickening feeling deep in my spirit
telling me something else was wrong—terribly wrong—in this
situation. Like other leaders I tried to push past my uneasiness
with the showmanship, the “bams,” the head butts and kneeing,
along with certain experiences and doctrines, all in order to
embrace the good. Like many of my friends I tried to be—and
believe I was—gracious, accepting, ready to think “out of the box”,
etc. But try as I may, the uneasiness in my spirit just wouldn’t leave.

Did I voice my concerns to the appropriate people? Yes,
including stating my concerns for Todd’s marriage to the Lakeland
Outpouring Apostolic Team. Did they listen? Some did, some
didn’t. But I want to state emphatically, this is not an “I told you
so” statement. In fact, much of what I want to address goes back
several years into our charismatic Christian history. And I assure
you that concerning our present weaknesses in the charismatic
church, there is plenty of blame to go around. Personally, I’ve
been right at times with my discernment and decisions, wrong at
others. It would be worse than hypocritical for me to point the
finger of accusation—I have no stones of judgment to throw.
Nonetheless, mistakes were made and must be acknowledged
and learned from in order for us to heal, grow and move forward.

Some of my closest friends endorsed and participated in the
Lakeland meetings. For them I have both criticism—all of us lose
credibility at this point if we’re not completely honest—and
affirmation. Should they have been more discerning and have
listened to the warnings they received? Obviously. Should those
who “aligned” Todd with spiritual fathers (which was a good thing
and positioned him to receive help if he chooses to accept it) have
realized to do so publicly was a mistake and could be interpreted
by those watching in no other way than as a complete
endorsement? Yes, they should have, especially when the event
became a commissioning ceremony, complete with decrees and
prophecies of going to higher levels, predictions of Todd’s
increasing world-wide influence and leading a world-wide revival,
emphatic and prolific endorsements of his character, etc. How
could those watching believe the evening was anything but an
aligning, endorsing and commissioning ceremony? It was. It really
doesn’t matter who laid their hands on Todd—all share
responsibility. This was unwise at best, naïve at least and at its
worst, foolish. And should the leaders involved have realized that
those of us connected to them relationally, ministerially, and as
movements—some even in alignment with them apostolically and
as sons and daughters—would feel minimalized, if not betrayed,
by the fact that they were in essence taking us onto the stage
with them? Yes. These feelings were inevitable, especially when
we had such uneasiness and asked them not to. Should there be
an acknowledgment of these mistakes to the body of Christ for the
sake of accountability and in order to rebuild trust? I believe so,
and remain hopeful this will happen.

With such strong statements of disagreement, what is the
affirmation toward my friends who led, participated in or endorsed
this ceremony (and the meetings in general)? Simply stated,
I know their hearts. It is not a contradiction of my criticisms
toward some of their actions to, at the same time, defend and
endorse their hearts and character. It is completely appropriate —
when true—to defend a person’s heart and integrity while
disagreeing with their actions.

I think the blunder of that night was huge and very damaging to the
body of Christ, but I also realize that in their hearts, those involved
honestly felt they were doing the right things. Again, while not
defending the action taken, I would defend the character and
integrity of Peter and Doris Wagner as vigorously as anyone I
know, and do so with absolute confidence. There are no two
people, and I mean that literally, who embody the qualities of
humility, integrity, holiness (no compromise!), sacrifice, unselfish
kingdom-thinking, the tireless giving of themselves to Christ’s
cause and the body of Christ—and do I need to add risk-taking?—
as much as Peter and Doris Wagner. It remains my great honor to
be associated with them and call them a spiritual father and
mother. And again, while not minimizing or “sweeping under the
rug” any wrong decisions, I remain steadfast in my belief that
similar affirmations could be made of others involved—either
directly or indirectly—in the ceremony. And some of them still see
their endorsing of Lakeland as an endorsement of revival generally,
not of Todd personally.

The Bigger Picture

It may come as a surprise, however, that my real purpose in
writing this is not to only state the above, as important as I believe
saying it is. My primary purpose, and I believe my assignment
from the Lord, is to identificationally repent on behalf of the
leadership of the charismatic body of Christ (see Nehemiah 1:4-7;
Daniel 9:1-19). In doing so, I do not have a pompous, “no one else
will, so I’ll do it” attitude, nor am I arrogant enough to think I have
become the spokesperson for the charismatic church. But in the
same way that I can identify with the racism of white predecessors
and repent to blacks, Native Americans and other races, I can
represent the leadership of the charismatic body of Christ and
identificationally repent for our sins and weaknesses. I encourage
leaders who find my statements true and appropriate to join me.

Beyond the simple fact of it being appropriate, I firmly believe it is
the only way to begin the process of rebuilding trust with those
asked to follow us and to remove the cynicism of the world we ask
to listen to us. As you know, regaining credibility is much more
difficult than attaining credibility. Concerning what I’m about to say,
I don’t believe I have a critical spirit, nor do I want to diminish the
sacrifices, faithfulness, and hard work done by so many in ministry.
The fact remains, however, that we have failed the Lord and His
people in many ways—not just with Lakeland but in countless
other situations—and must repent if we are to be trusted in the
future. And as you also know, no repentance is effective if watered
down and couched in excuses, therefore, I intend to be brutally honest:

1) We, the leaders of the charismatic community, have operated in
an extremely low level of discernment. Frankly, we often don’t even
try to discern. We assume a person’s credibility based on gifts,
charisma, the size of their ministry or church, whether they can
prophesy or work a miracle, etc. (Miracles and signs are intended
to validate God and His message, not the messenger; sometimes
they validate the assignment of an individual, but never the
person’s character, lifestyle or spiritual maturity.) We leaders in
the Church have become no different than the world around us in
our standards for measuring success and greatness. This has
contributed to the body of Christ giving millions of dollars to
undeserving individuals; it has allowed people living in sin to
become influential leaders—even to lead movements, allowing
them influence all the way to the White House. Through our lack
of discernment we built their stages and gave them their platforms.
We have been gullible beyond words—gullible leaders producing
gullible sheep. When a spiritual leader we’re connected with
violates trust, is exposed for immorality or falls below other
accepted standards of behavior, it does not exonerate us simply
to say we don’t condone such behavior. Those we lead trust us to
let them know whom to trust. We have failed them miserably in
this regard. For this lack of discernment, and for employing and
passing on inappropriate standards of judgment, I repent to the
Lord and ask forgiveness of the body of Christ.

2) We, the leaders of the charismatic church, spin our involvement
and fail to acknowledge our responsibility when other leaders fall—
all of which stems from our self-preservation and pride. Enough of
the spin—we’re no different than Washington, DC. Every time
another embarrassing and disgraceful situation is exposed, the
dancing begins. It seems that no one bears any real responsibility
except the man or woman who actually commits sin. Incredibly,
we even blame “revival” itself—the pressures, attacks, weariness,
the “revival is messy” argument, etc., saying it is responsible for
the failures. This is disgusting. Those of us on boards of fallen
leaders, those who helped give them a voice, put them on TV,
published and endorsed their books (yes, I have), etc., are not
exonerated simply by saying we don’t condone the wrong behavior
or that we didn’t know. We’re supposed to know. I don’t believe
anyone is expecting perfection from us—I know I’m not. We’re far
too human for that. But we are expected to have enough humility
to look the world and those who follow us in the eye when we miss
it and say, “we were wrong and we are sorry.” Our careless
accountability has caused the body of Christ to be spiritually
raped and abused. It has produced disillusionment and brought
immeasurable reproach to our God and cynicism to His message.
Concerning Lakeland, what was called the “greatest revival since
Azusa Street” has become possibly one of the greatest
reproaches. We, the leaders of the charismatic church, are
responsible. For not accepting and acknowledging our
responsibility, for caring more about our own reputation than
Christ’s, I repent to God and ask forgiveness of the body of Christ.

3) Our procedures and standards of accountability are incredibly
inadequate. We have provided camaraderie, not biblical
accountability. For those on Todd Bentley’s board who had
previous knowledge of his marriage problems and said nothing, it
was more than a mistake—it was reckless, foolish, and
irresponsible. For those on the stage the night of his aligning and
commissioning who knew and said nothing—ditto. For those there
who didn’t know, my question is, “why didn’t you?” You were
trusted to know. That is one of the purposes of public
commissioning and the purpose behind the concept of
endorsement. I’m not trying to point the finger; I’m endeavoring to
get us to be honest about our failures—we have serious credibility
issues. Have I ever laid hands on, commissioned or endorsed
anyone without adequately checking them out? Yes, but you
better believe I’ll be more careful next time! And we must not
single out Lakeland. We’re all guilty. What about the leader in my
city who ran with some of the leading spiritual fathers in our nation—
sincere and good men, I might add, and not all “charismatic”
leaders—who sang his praises and helped build his stage—all
while he was doing drugs and having sex with other men? But we
shouldn’t blame only the high profile cases—what about those of
us who unknowingly have had adulterers on our staffs or appointed
elders that turned out to have compromise in their life? Sounding
familiar yet? This is so epidemic that every member of the body of
Christ stands guilty—what pastor or leader did you follow that
turned out to have sin issues? What ministry did you support that
was unworthy? There is plenty of blame to go around. The big
question becomes not “who do we blame” but “how do we fix this
mess?” Leaders can live in sin—adultery, homosexuality, financial
wrongdoing, drugs, etc.—for years without it being realized. They
can offer completely unacceptable lifestyles for the body of Christ
to follow and still keep their TV programs and lavish lifestyles. In
the name of grace, compassion and forgiveness we have lowered
the standard so much that often there isn’t one. We have bought
into the lie that true discipline is “shooting our wounded.” We have
made a mockery of biblical restoration, making “ministry”—not
healthy individuals, marriages and families—its ultimate goal. The
fact is, integrity matters. No, we don’t need legalistic, pharisaical
standards, but we must have standards. For this lack of biblical
accountability, I repent to God and I ask forgiveness of the body of Christ.

4) We, the leaders of the charismatic church, have built on hype,
sensation, innovation, programs, personality and charisma. This
has produced: shallowness; false movements; novice leaders—
gifted but immature and untested; a deficient understanding of
God’s word; the building of man-centered rather than kingdom-
centered churches and ministries; competition rather than
cooperation; humanistic, self-centered Christians who don’t
understand sacrifice and commitment; Christians without
discernment; superstar leaders; a perverted and powerless gospel;
prayerless and anemic Christians; a replacement of the fear of the
Lord with the fear of man; and a young generation that is cynical
of it all. We are responsible, not the devil; he takes what we give
him. For this compromise in the way we build, for giving the
Church watered down wine, commercial Christianity, a flashy but
weak Church and hype disguised as anointing, I repent to God and
ask forgiveness of the body of Christ. Galatians 6:1-5 is an
appropriate reference with which to end this statement: “Brethren,
even if a man caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual,
restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to
yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens,
and thus fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is
something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each
one examine his own work, and then he will have reason for
boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another.
For each one shall bear his own load.” NAS

My passionate prayer is that God honors this repentance — I
believe He led me to do it and therefore, will—and uses it to begin
a process of cleansing and healing for all of us. In order for the
coming great awakening to bear maximum fruit we must have both,
as well as a course correction that sets us on a path of wisdom
leading to life. There is no doubt that past moves of God have been
aborted, ended prematurely and contained error or heresy that
have wounded, if not destroyed, many. The healing revival of the
40’s and 50’s, the charismatic movement, discipleship movement
and Jesus movement are all examples. My heart is to help shape
a movement, the fruit of which will last for decades — better yet,
forever. And I have great expectations for us—I am not a cynic.
My passionate prayer is also that Todd Bentley’s marriage survives
and thrives…that he turns his heart fully toward Christ and toward
those with whom he is aligned, and allows them, as God leads,
to put him on a path of complete restoration. I thank God for those
who were touched by the Holy Spirit at Lakeland and while
watching it on God TV and the web. May we all move forward into
all God has planned for us in this awesome season of endless
possibility.

With great hope—Dutch Sheets.

An open letter to Andrew Strom

2008-08-04T19:12:00.004-05:00

We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him.
1 John 5:18 ESV

I just wanted to answer you're open letter to Peter Wagner and Rick Joyner, Mr. Andrew Strom. I'm not associated to either person and their ministries, but I am troubled by the state of Christ's body. So here is my open letter response:

1 John 5:18 is my key verse here. Let me ask you, "Do you love Jesus. Who do you say that He is? If it is that he is God and the only way to God and that He is the truth"; then verse 18 is our rock.

I don't need to be afraid of following after a false prophet or false signs as long as I am keeping myself in the love of Jesus Christ. He doesn't give His children harmful gifts when we ask Him for good things. Do you think it's within His nature to abandon His children to the devil?

Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! -Matthew 7:9-11 ESV

and,

And he said to his disciples, "Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin." -Luke 17:1-2 ESV

God doesn't lead His children into sin, but rather abhors those who do. By keeping myself in the love of Christ I will avoid the snares of the devil, and so will you....

Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God," for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. -James 1:13-14 ESV

We are warned about sinning against each other by resorting to attacking one another. This is sin! And you and I who degrade ourselves to acts of accusation put ourselves into the seat of the accuser of the brethren.

For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another. But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. -Galatians 5:14-16 ESV

Therefore, it's imperative of us to avoid false accusations. Do you really want to be like Jesus? Then observe what is written of Him in Isaiah (vs. 11:1-5) and His own witness about Himself, that He doesn't make judgments based on what He sees or hears, but only righteous judgments; based on the inner motives of men's hearts.

"I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me." -John 5:30 ESV

"Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment." -John 7:24 ESV

Who knows the mind of a man, but the spirit of the man and the Spirit of God?! {Rom. 8:27; Rev. 2:23}

If you become the false witness and accuser, then you should know what the place of the false accuser is;

And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. -Revelation 12:10 ESV

But,

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. -John 10:27-28 ESV

As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. -John 15:9-12 ESV

-Selah

Can't I be rich? Is that a Sin?

2008-07-31T13:15:00.000-05:00

Beloved, in regard to all things I pray that you prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers.
(3 John 1:2 MKJV)

Having success isn't a sin. King David was successful and God said to him through the prophet Nathan, "I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul. And I gave you your master's house and your master's wives into your bosom, and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah. And if that was too little, I would have given to you such and such things besides." (2 Sam. 12:7-8)

God also blessed Job with double after He took him through hell on Earth, "And Jehovah blessed the latter days of Job more than the beginning." (Job 42:12)

Will God prosper and bless those under the old covenant and not those under the newer and better coventant?

"...He (Jesus) is also the Mediator of a better covenant, which was built upon better promises." (Heb. 8:6)

and,

"For all the promises of God in Him are yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God by us." (2 Cor. 1:20)

then finally we have this very awesome promise concerning Jesus and the believer,

"Truly He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?" (Rom. 8:32)

So, we see through these verses and very simple reasoning that God will bless the believer in this age. There are still many more verses, that can be added like the passage in the gospels where Jesus said that we will receive many things in this life plus much more in the one to come. (Mat. 19:29; Mark 10:30; Luke 18:30)

But how then do we reconcile this with what Jesus also said in Luke 18:22, "And when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, Yet you lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you shall have treasure in Heaven. And come, follow Me."

What we need to understand is that Jesus never taught His disciples to live a life of poverity. He always taught to expect great blessings from the Father. What He did teach was that these Earthly treasures are temporal and subject to corruption and theft. He also taught that men's hearts can cause him/her to be carried away by it's worries over the stability of this world's financial systems(Mark 4:3-20; Jam. 1:11).

Jesus promised us that He has an inheritance stored up for us in Heaven. There are also rewards for faithful service while we are bound here on Earth. However, I fear, many of us are thinking that these rewards are easy pickin's, not so. From what I read in the scriptures, these rewards will be given mostly to those who have labored to seek the difficult path that few will find (Heb. 11:24-26; Matt. 7:13-14; Luke 14:27; Mark. 3:32-35;).

What I see in Scripture is that Jesus has warned us that the things of this world are seductive and deceptive. There is good here, but He is preparing a New Heaven and New Earth that will be our inheritance and home. This is the "true riches" that we should be looking forward to. He teaches that when we don't have faith to trust in this that it disappoints Him and He sees it as a lack of faith on our part(Matt. 10:32-33; Luke 12:8-9; Mark 8:38, 16:14).

-Selah

"The Call"; Is it the right move?

2008-07-28T11:28:00.007-05:00

if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
2 Chronicles 7:14 ESV

Are we doing the right thing in the church? Will going to Washington, D.C. to pray, fast, and repent cause a shift in the spiritual climate of America?

Not if we don't heed the right mandate of Scripture!

It's our responsibility, not God's, to turn ourselves around. This is a seeded root lie that was planted by a Calvinist doctrine. However, the truth is that God expects mankind to choose justice, righteousness, and life.

Listen carefully again to the mandate in 2 Chronicles 7:14 above. "if my people... humble themselves, pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then, I will...."

Repentance and prayer are only the beginnings, "turning from wickedness" is a strong mandate that commands action on our part. This doesn't mean for us to just cease from doing what's evil, but to continue the turn until we are now doing what's right.

At which point God promises that "I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and heal their land." But listen, He says that in order for Him to enact the promises, we must first enact our part.

So, we're not going to receive a blessing from God by showing up for a rally. This is a very serious matter. The church is filled with adultery, fornication, lust, pride, and greed. Crying out to God to change us isn't the answer. Why?

Because God is crying out to the church to first change herself!!!

It's time for God's leaders to start leading rightly before God's eyes and not man's!

It's time for the men and women of God to open their mouths and speak out against sin in God's church!

It's time for those who refuse to repent and yet profess to be lovers of Jesus Christ to get rebuked for being hypocrites and liars!

It's time to discipline the rebellious according to their sins and ordinances given to us by Jesus (Matt. 18:12-17; Luke 17:3-4) and the Apostles.

It's time for the church to stop being humanistic and putting men's concerns on a higher plain than God's ordinances! There's more fear of offending men and women than offending God by not calling one another out on our sins. God's not an idiot, He knows how to deal with the hearts of men better than we do. Listen to Him!

The Word of God tells us to flee from sin (1 Cor. 6:18). When was the last time you fled from a tempting situation. Where you even aware that you were being tempted or sinning? How many wicked movies have you seen and even enjoyed? How about getting drunk with your Christian friends?

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
James 4:7-10 ESV

It's not always the devil's fault. Too many Christians are acting like jellyfish washed up on the beach. Crying out for God to rescue them from their sinful situations, and blaming it on the devil. Like he's more powerful than the blood of Jesus.

You're not a helpless jellyfish! You have the power of the Holy Spirit living on the inside of you (Romans 8:10-12). The real problem isn't Satan, but your unwillingness to flee from temptations or to learn self-discipline.

It's about your laziness in regard to your purity and faithfulness to your savior (Jam. 1:13-16).

It's about your faithlessness in God's faithfulness and immeasurable love (Duet. 31:6; Jos. 1:5; Matt. 6:25-34; Heb. 13:5).

-Selah

How's Your relationship with God?

2008-07-28T09:09:00.002-05:00

Do you talk to Him? or do you assume that you know what He's thinking? How about right now?

Maybe you read His Word everyday and you study the bible alot. But when did you just read it and then listen for Him to speak a revealing word to you about what's written? Did you ever ask Him to explain the truth that's in His word? Maybe you felt like you already understand it because you read a thousand Christian books on it.

Have you ever stopped to ask Him where He was and what He was doing? Maybe you were too busy with your responsibilities.

Did you ever just come to Him with all your issues and concerns and then wait for Him to answer you? Maybe you thought He didn't hear you or respond to you. Maybe you thought that it was His fault for not giving you an answer.

God gave me this verse a long time ago, and it reminds me whenever I read it, who's responsibility it is to make sure this relationship is open and honest....

Why should a living man complain, a man, about the punishment of his sins? Let us test and examine our ways, and return to the LORD! Lamentations 3:39-40 ESV

You see, there is no fault in God. He's sinless and perfect. If the lines of communication have broken down between God and us, then it's not His fault. It's ours.

"We have transgressed and rebelled, and you have not forgiven. You have wrapped yourself with anger and pursued us, killing without pity; you have wrapped yourself with a cloud so that no prayer can pass through." Lamentations 3:42-44 ESV

This isn't saying God will never forgive. But that while we harbor sin; while we refuse to examine our ways and acknowledge that we have gone off-course; then we'll find ourselves cutoff in our relationship with Him.

It isn't that God is sulking in anger because nobody listens to Him. Remember, God's not the one with problems. He is using tough love to shake us out of selfishness in an aim to save us from our selves.

Don't fret over trials, but see them for what they could be a sign of; a troubled relationship that needs some attention.

Now, I'm not implying that all trials are because we're sinning. But scripture is clear enough about this issue that some trials very well could be a direct result of sin.

A lot of people rather not hear this stuff. That's too bad for them. The bible calls this type of person "a fool." Are you a fool? No? Maybe you're a liar.

I promise you, that its sooo freeing to tell the truth and feel the grace of God wash over you than to live a life of lies and always struggling with doubt that your a child of God. Too many times I've felt that separation from God while professing I'm all those things He says that I am in His word. That doesn't work. It's a process. You're called to be a child of truth. No amount of sputtering is going to change you if your not telling the truth. It's repentance through grace. He'll get you there as you walk in truth with Him. He's faithful to complete the work He's begun in you.

You know I'm telling you the truth. Nobody, no devil, no other person can take way the truth of who you really are once you've gotten the victory over sin and a lying spirit.

There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. For God shows no partiality. For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. Romans 2:9-13 (ESV)

-Selah

Let's Talk about Abortion...

2008-06-24T09:09:00.003-05:00

Abortion.

It's an issue nobody likes to talk about or bring up. Why?

Because most of us know first off that it's an ugly issue that carries with it painful memories. So, we'd rather not go there.

Secondly, and I think most likely, is that we're ignorant about it and how to address all the excuses behind it's reason for existence.

That's why I want to talk about it now. I've seen it and it bothers me. I have family members who've gone through it. So, I'm no stranger to it.

I've found an excellent web site that provides education and guidance about abortion.

Please visit abort73.com

You'll see these issues addressed and answers given for every aspect of this ugly cancer on America's heart.

Won't you join me in learning how to solve this problem and give answers to a hurting and sick nation?

Think of this; if you had been told that you have cancer and that death is inevitable unless you begin to address it, then what would you do? Well, that is the exact state that our nation finds itself in right now with abortion.

You don't believe me? Maybe you're not a Christian and don't fear God, but that doesn't matter. God doesn't exist in the minds of weak men and women, but just like the forces of air and gravity which are invisible to the human eye, God also can be proven to be just as real and important to your existence. So don't ignore what I'm saying.

Thank you and God bless you,

Michael

-Selah

Bring the Church to them!

2008-05-29T22:46:00.001-05:00

-Selah

Worship

2008-05-29T16:54:00.005-05:00

"God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." {John 4:24 ESV}

What is worship?

For me, worshiping God has to be meaningful. I'm convinced that if what I do as worship isn't from my own heart then its meaningless to God as well.

Listen to what God said,

"You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: 'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.' " {Matthew 15:7-9 ESV}

What is God saying here? Simply this, that we can fall into the error of making up our own rules which we think can show God how much we honor Him, but they really don't. All God wants is for us to obey His original ways from our hearts and not add to or take away from His commandments.

I brought this passage up first because the most important thing we can do before we worship is to cleanse our hearts and examine our ways. As I read the above passages I can't help but question how much of what I do as worship is just doctrines taught by men.

When I sing songs I catch myself just following the lyrics and rhythms. I'm not meditating on the message and then drawing out from my own experiences what moves me about my God.

"You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews." {John 4:22 ESV}

I found that I don't want to do empty worship. I want to do it out of what I've experienced with God and from my personal relationship with Him. This is what Jesus was explaining to the woman at the well in this passage. He was saying to her, in essence, "The Jewish nation worship God out of their experiences of His deliverance from their oppressors and enemies, but you do it out of duty passed down from the traditions of your elders."

-Selah

Making deals with Devils

2008-05-20T00:06:00.005-05:00

"Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the
kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, "All these I will
give you, if you will fall down and worship me." {Matthew 4:8-9 ESV}

-Selah

Wisdom Words

2008-04-30T11:11:00.003-05:00

Where there is no vision, the people perish; but he who keeps the law, he is blessed. (Proverbs 29:18 MKJV)

I think that everyone is familiar with this verse. I was reading it today and felt compelled to dive deeper into it. A lot of Pentecostal people read this and use it to drive a point home that we need to seek supernatural signs from God in order to find direction. So, I did some digging into the Strong's Hebrew for the word "vision" and discovered something I always suspected.

The Hebrew word used here is "châzôn" pronounced "khaw-zone".

Strong's says this word means "a sight (mentally), that is, a dream, revelation, or oracle". The word "mentally" caught my attention. This seems to mean understanding with your mind. To grasp something with your understanding.

Strong's also said that this word is derived from another word which is "châzâh"; pronounced, "khaw-zaw". This Hebrew word means "to gaze at; mentally to perceive, contemplate". Again, it alludes to understanding with the mind; very interesting.

So, I looked up other translations to see how they handled this verse and ran into this one;

Without guidance from God, law and order disappear, but God blesses everyone who obeys his Law. (Proverbs 29:18 CEV)

Now this translation appears to grasp the intended meaning of the original Hebrew. To me, this verse seems to be saying, "Listen up, if people reject God's commandments and don't seek to understand His ways then lawlessness is sure to ensue; but for those who do they will find blessings."

I guess that I felt that many people only read half this verse all the time. They love to quote the first part when teaching/preaching on visions and prophecy, but there's a more deeper meaning here.

This is a warning that if we fail to actively seek God's face and His ways so as to keep them, then we'll loose our sight and purpose in life. We'll end up plunging into chaos.

Many people have correctly used it this way, but there are those who miss this point too. God has used visions to give guidance to His people, but those are very rare, special and specific events in the history of God's church or people.

I believe very strongly that the predominate guidance comes from the understanding of His words. When that's combined with faith and we step out in action and obedience by faith in what He's said, then we experience His blessings; both supernatural and the natural.

-Selah

Shocker!

2008-04-29T14:23:00.006-05:00

Are you ready for this?

"But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap. "He will sit as as melter and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may present to the LORD offerings in righteousness. "Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD as in the days of old and as in former years. (Malachi 3:2-4 NASB)

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men...... who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds. (Titus 2:11,14 NASB)

Many will be purged, purified and refined, but the wicked will act wickedly; and none of the wicked will understand, but those who have insight will understand. (Daniel 12:10 NASB)

Can you believe that it's by the hand of our Loving God that he would bring testing upon you through trials and persecutions?

I hope so, because that's exactly what the scriptures I've quoted above suggest. And it's so that you and I won't perish with the wicked but that we will be proven to be worthy of the salvation that He has called us in to.

Wow, can you believe this? We have to be proven worthy? Is that right?

I'm convinced of it, that it is!

After all, why not? Yes, Jesus paid the price in full, but it's by the blood of a righteous man, the very Son of God that you and I have been purchased. How many people who profess Jesus today do you see trampling upon Him, by flippantly living in that grace!

Jesus said Himself to His disciples and us, "For many are called, but few are chosen." -Matt. 22:14 (ESV)

How many people disregard or don't even get the preciousness of God's Son. There will never be anyone like Him among men. Yet, more and more people in the church today just don't seem to get it and care enough about it. They are too consumed with their daily lives and more concerned with being accepted among men and getting a piece of that pie than being accepted by God.

-Selah

A Letter of Concern (To whomever may read it)

2008-04-21T12:03:00.001-05:00

Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, "Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues" -Revelation 18:4 (ESV)

Writing these types of post are often difficult for me, because I have so many friends who don't seem to get the bigger picture. I want to share in their optimism and live in a different world than I do today. But the truth is that where we are now and what we all hope for are drifting farther and farther apart every day.

For my Christian brothers and sisters I find myself becoming more and more troubled and perplexed over them. Now, I'm no stranger to temptations and the seductions of this world. By far, I'd be a liar to say that I haven't sinned when tempted.

I'm no better than you, but that's my very point! I have found that I can not go on living in our world without the power of the presence of the Holy Spirit in my life! I can't live with a heart that wants to love God and not let Him have a say in every aspect of my life! When He does have a say I then find within myself the struggle to obey.

That's why I write. To express to you, my readers, what it means to live for Christ. It's not easy, but it's not optional either!

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. -Philippines 1:21 (ESV)

I identify with the Apostle Paul who was so overwhelmed by the mercy and grace of Jesus Christ that he found himself living a totally surrendered lifestyle in order to gain a glimpse of an understanding into the depths of God's kind of love.

"You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra--which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me. Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted" -2 Tim. 3:10-12 (ESV)

To expect to live according to The Way of Christ and not to be ridiculed, mocked, scorned, nor persecuted would be to ignore reality itself and the very life and teachings of Christ Himself.

"A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household." -Matt. 10:24-25 (ESV)

I see it this way. If you are doing damage to Satan's kingdom of darkness then you should expect to be persecuted, and if you're not being persecuted or maligned, then you can be sure you're not doing damage to the kingdom of darkness! It's like hitting a hornet's nest. They're going to come out against you!

Yet, Jesus teaches us Himself that our attitude when we are maligned and persecuted should be to rejoice and not to feel victimized nor to seek vengeance. Because none of these things are overlooked by our Heavenly Father who will comfort and reward us for our steadfastness in His love.

"Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets." -Luke 6:22-23 (ESV)

"Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord. " -Romans 12:19 (ESV)

Finally, let your motives, plans and dreams be examined by the Word of God and His Holy Spirit. Too many sincere and well meaning Christians have fallen as prey to the false god of devotion and religious service or even worst yet, the god of self. We are exhorted to consider the materials we are imploring in our daily life. Whether we realize it or not, we are building our eternal reputation in Heaven by what we do here on Earth.

Read Prov. 3:5, Ps. 24:3-6, Jer. 17:10, Ps. 26:2, 1 Cor. 3:9-15, and Luke 6:47-49

-Selah

I've just been Thinking...

2008-04-12T18:59:00.018-05:00

All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

(2 Corinthians 5:18-19 ESV)

I've been thinking.... about marriage in the Body of Christ.

I grew up with divorced parents. I've never been married and my two older sisters have been married several times. Its a sad mess indeed, and what we need is biblical guidance. My family has been Catholic except for the past fifteen or so years. I came to truly know who Christ is and became "born-again" when I was 23. Now I'm no longer a Catholic. I'm just a Christian; a disciple of Jesus Christ, who's my LORD and Savior.

My question has been, "How can two Christians end their marriage in divorce?" I know what "excuses" people like to give. But for a Christian, there are none, other than what Jesus has afforded (we'll explore that in a later post).

To the married I give this charge (not I, but the Lord): the wife should not separate from her husband (but if she does, she should remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband), and the husband should not divorce his wife. (1 Corinthians 7:10-11 ESV)

Paul's very clear here, and even makes a point to distinguished the fact that this isn't his opinion, but a commandment from God by saying, "not I, but the Lord." As Christians we have been given this ministry of reconciliation. This involves us considering ourselves dead to our old sinful nature and it's ways. (Rom. 6:3,6)

What does that mean for us? It isn't what some would say; that dead men don't have rights. This isn't the purpose of our death with Christ. This death is the crucifying of our sinful nature. It's God's weapon of disarming our enemy, sin which held us captive in fear to death. That means that we have the power to resist the temptation to sin against God, and the ministry of fear which worked through condemnation has been removed.

We can't win this battle until we apply faith in this central theme of the Cross. Dead to the old, alive through the Holy Spirit as He walks us into a new creature made to reflect the likeness of the obedience of His Son.

When marriages, and namely Christian marriages, begin to break down, then it's the responsibility of those involved to stop and seek God through a person reflection of their own spiritual walk and obedience to God through the leading of the Holy Spirit.

When Christian marriages start to fail, it will always come down to three things; unbelief, selfishness, and unforgiveness. Unbelief starts it because we don't believe that God can either change the person, and fast enough to make it less uncomfortable for us; or they don't fit into our box. The second, if it wasn't obvious yet, was selfishness because we let "me" or "I" become the more important person and focal point in the union instead of Jesus and His will. Then finally comes the unforgiveness when the offenses and hurts come. We start recording all the wrongs and soon become overwhelmed. Forgiveness then becomes too huge a mountain to climb.

If your marriage is failing and you are a Christian, then consider a journey of self-examination by the Word of God and His Holy Spirit. Get with your spouse and agree together to stop focusing on each other's failures over the next six months and to focus back on yourself and your personal obedience to Him each hour of the day. Let God take care of your spouse as they trust God to do the same with you.

And most importantly, start forgiving each other again; right away! How? Just like any mountain climber does.... one crevice at a time. Look for the first good opportunity to get a hold of forgiveness and grab on to it. As you have one success after another don't forget to anchor yourself to the rock (take out time from each other to spend time with God; to let Him work on you). Soon, you'll find yourself reaching the top of that mountain that looked too ominous to conquer and you'll have actually conquered it through Jesus Christ!

-Selah

Amazing

2008-04-11T21:55:00.004-05:00

I haven't watched American Idol this year, but I've been catching clips on the Internet.

I just saw this closing segment and what can I say?

I don't know, so I'll just share it for you to see for yourself. Here it is...

-Selah!

Know the truth about Oprah

2008-04-07T18:38:00.004-05:00

-Selah!

What else needs to be done?

2008-03-30T23:01:00.000-05:00

Where's our Heart Gone?

2008-03-13T21:51:00.003-05:00

Where has our heart gone?

What’s happened to us as Christians?

Is it the pursuit of personal gain? The vain glory of self-promotion that’s distracted us and callused our hearts over the billions of hurting souls around us?

Is it the illusion that we can reach them by acting like the world that’s beat them up so much?

Where’s our message? What’s our message?

"You couldn't succeed in the world because you need Jesus in order to make you rich, famous and successful?"

Is that right?

And then we see them fall. One by one. There a preacher, there a teacher, one marriage here, another over there.

Who’s got the truth? Who’s walking in the light?

We sure know the truth now!

This should scare you. Yes. It should. How can anyone walk so nonchalantly as a Christian in this evil generation and not be concerned that he/she too may be the one to fall?

Why don't you care more?

-selah

Come Out, and Be Separate; Says the LORD.

2008-03-07T16:45:00.001-06:00

"Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, ¹⁸and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty." 2 Corinthians 6:17-18 ESV

Today Sen. John McCain responded to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi who criticized him for his association with Pastor John Hagee. The criticism was that John Hagee is Anti-Catholic.

So, what was Sen. John McCain's response? Well, let me quote.

"We've had a dignified campaign, and I repudiate any comments that are made, including Pastor Hagee's, if they are anti-Catholic or offensive to Catholics.

I sent two of my children to Catholic school. I categorically reject and repudiate any statement that was made that was anti-Catholic, both in intent and nature. I categorically reject it, and I repudiate it, And we can't have that in this campaign.

We're trying to unite the country. We're uniting the country, not dividing it."

I know that there are some authentic Christians who chose to stay in the Catholic Religion. I personally don't recommend it. I agree with John Hagee's and many other Christians that Catholism as a whole is an apostate church. It is filled with Pagan practices that have no origin in the teachings of the Apostles.

As God's representatives and the one's who bare His light to the world, it is our obligation to Him to stand fast and true to His message and our representation of His nature.

Jesus Himself said that because of Him there will be divisions¹. Why? Simply because men can not accept God's terms for righteous living. We are rebellious and want it our way.

-Selah

__________________

¹ See Matt. 10:32-36

I couldn't Resist!

2008-03-07T15:51:00.005-06:00

I'm not suggesting anything, but I just couldn't resist this image....

(Note the number of recommendations, after I clicked the button it jumped to that number. I didn't doctor this photo in any way, I promise!)

-Selah

Moses was High?

2008-03-05T14:22:00.002-06:00

"As far Moses on Mount Sinai is concerned, it was either a supernatural cosmic event, which I don't believe, or a legend, which I don't believe either, or finally, and this is very probable, an event that joined Moses and the people of Israel under the effect of narcotics."

So believes Hebrew University of Jerusalem's Cognitive Psychology professor Benny Shanon.

Based on some of his own experiences with narcotics he claims that Moses may have been hallucinating along with the whole nation of Israel when they were at Mount Sinai.¹

Yea. OK. Sure.

They and all of Egypt too I suppose!

It was one huge drug-fest that lasted months if not years and they all were seeing the same thing at the same time!

Drugs really do some strange things to people's heads, don't they?

-selah

____________________

1 "Moses was high on drugs: Israeli researcher" Mar. 4, 08 Yahoo! News Mar. 4, 08 http://news.yahoo.com/

Frank Viola's Book, "Pagan Christianity?"

2008-03-01T12:49:00.018-06:00

I've been reading "Pagan Christianity?" by Frank Viola and contributing author George Barna. I've been a little slow in getting this one read, but I was moved by the last paragraphs in the first chapter so much that I have to quote them here.

I want to share them because I think it brings out a point about the state of Christianity today that we know, deep inside, is misguided but don't know exactly how to begin to deal with the problem.

If you really feel that these next few paragraphs speak to you and you find your heart ringing in resonance with them, then perhaps you're closer to experiencing change than you thought;

"In Addition, the church building is far less warm, personal, and friendly than someone's home--the organic meeting place of the early Christians. The church building is not designed for intimacy nor fellowship. In most church buildings, the seating consists of wooden pews bolted to the floor. The pews (or chairs) are arranged in rows, all facing toward the pulpit. The pulpit sits on an elevated platform, which is often where the clergy also sits (remnants of the Roman basilica).
The arrangement makes it nearly impossible for one worshipper to look into the face of another. Instead, it creates a sit-and-soak form of worship that turns functioning Christians into "pew potatoes." To state it differently, the architecture emphasizes fellowship between God and His people via the pastor! Yet despite these facts, we Christians still treat the building as if it is sacred.
Granted, you may object to the idea that the church building is hallowed. But (for most of us) our actions and words betray our belief. Listen to Christians speak of the church building. Listen to yourself as you speak of it. Do you ever hear it referred to as "church"? Do you ever hear it spoken of as "God's house"? The church is essentially a place set apart for worship." This has been true for the last 1,700 years. Constantine is still living and breathing in our minds.
Most contemporary Christians mistakenly view the church building as a necessary part of worship. Therefore, they never question the need to financially support a building and its maintenance.
The church edifice demands a vast infusion of money. In the United States alone, real estate owned by institutional churches today is worth over $230 Billion. Church building debt, service, and maintenance consumes about 18 percent of the $50 to $60 Billion tithed to churches annually.²⁰⁸ Point: Contemporary Christians are spending an astronomical amount of money on their buildings.
All the traditional reasons put forth for "needing" a church building collapse under careful scrutiny.²⁰⁹ We so easily forget that the early Christians turned the world upside down without them (see Acts 17:6). They grew rapidly for three hundred years without the help (or hindrance) of church buildings.
In the business world, overhead kills. Overhead is what gets added on to the "real" work a business does for its clients. Overhead pays for the building, the pencils, and the accounting staff. Furthermore, church buildings (as well as salaried pastors and staff) require very large ongoing in expenses rather than one time outlays. These budget busters take their cut out of a church's monetary giving not just today, but next month, next year, and so on.
Contrast the overhead of a traditional church, which includes salaried staff and church buildings, with the overhead of a house church. Rather than such overhead siphoning off 50 to 85 percent of the house church's monetary giving, its operating costs amount to a small percentage of the budget, freeing more than 95 percent of its shared money for delivering real services like ministry, mission, and outreach to the world."
Most of us are completely unaware of what we lost as Christians when we began erecting places devoted exclusively for worship. The Christian faith was born in believers' homes, yet every Sunday morning, scores of Christians sit in a building with pagan origins that is based upon pagan philosophy.
There does not exist a shred of biblical support for the church building. Yet scores of Christians pay good money each year to sanctify their brick and stone. By doing so, they have supported an artificial setting where they are lulled into passivity and prevented from being natural or intimate with other believers.
We have become victims of our past. We have been fathered by Constantine who gave us the prestigious status of owning a building. We have been blinded by the Romans and Greeks who forced upon us their hierarchically structured basilicas.

We have been taken by the Goths who imposed upon us their Platonic architecture. We have been hijacked by the Egyptians and Babylonians who gave us our sacred steeples. And we have been swindled by the Athenians who imposed on us their Doric Columns.
Somehow we have been taught to feel holier when we are in "the house of God" and have inherited a pathological dependency upon an edifice to carry out our worship to God. At bottom, the church building has taught us gladly about what church is and what it does. The building is an architectural denial of the priesthood of all believers. It is a contradiction of the very nature of the ekklesia--which is a counter cultural community. The church building impedes our understanding and experience that the church is Christ's functioning body that lives and breathes under His direct Headship."

To get the whole story then consider purchasing your own copy of "Pagan Christianity?" by Frank Viola from a local Christian bookstore or Amazon.com

You can also visit Frank's website at http://www.ptmin.org/

-selah
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²⁰⁸ Smith, Going to the Root, 95. George Barna's research indicates that Christians give $50 to $60 billion annually to churches.
²⁰⁹ Howard Snyder demolishes most common arguments for "needing" church buildings in his book Radical Renewal: The Problem of Wineskins Today (Houston: Touch Publications, 1996), 62-74.

I had a Dream.

2008-03-01T09:41:00.007-06:00

Last night I had a dream. I was in John Hagee's church and he was preaching. I was sitting next to a friend near the front.

We listened to the sermon and then when it was over Matt Sorger and an assistant of his showed up. They stood up front and everyone was told that if they needed prayer to come up and these two would pray for them. I thought to myself, "wow, Matt's actually here at Hagee's church. I'm glad I'm getting to see him in person." But as my friend and I walked toward them I noticed that there were a bunch of teens and twenty something's crowding around Matt and he was signing things that they were holding out toward him. However, his assistant was actually praying for people.

I then walked out of the sanctuary and just noticed to myself how John Hagee's sanctuary seemed smaller to me than my own church's sanctuary. I continued out to the foyer and noticed some people. I saw another friend from my church, Rueben, and he was smiling and pushing a yard rake like a broom across the floor. I looked at him and laughed and said, "Rueben, what are you doing with that rake? You can't sweep the floor in here with that!" I noticed that there was only one little piece of torn paper barely being caught by the rake as he pushed it. He then smiled and said "oh well" and walked on.

I then walked back to the front of the foyer and began to notice a lot of little pieces of paper on the floor. So I naturally began to pick them up to clean up the place. I saw a pretty little girl about six years old and she was wearing a simple one piece white dress but it was very pretty. I asked her if she could help me pick up the paper and she said, "but I'm not dressed for that, I'm in my underwear." I paused and looked at her strangely and said to her, "honey, your not in your underwear. You have on a very pretty dress." But she just didn't understand and so I didn't want to press her on it. I let her go and I finished picking up the paper.

The End.

Here's the interpretation of the dream that God gave me;

At the beginning of the dream there isn't anything significant that God brought out to me until Matt Sorger and his assistant shows up. At this point I get excited to see someone like him in person because God's anointing is on him. However, I soon realize that what's happened is that he's become a Christian "celebrity" and I was getting pulled into that mentality too. The youthfulness of the crowd around Matt is a reflection of immaturity. I felt an irritation in Matt in the Dream as if he wanted to be doing the Lord's work but was being distracted by the youth. His assistant wasn't as "popular" as him so he was able to pray for the people. I felt God tell me that this was the snare of the world which has stolen the fruitfulness from his bride.

The next part is when I leave the sanctuary and notice the size of it and reflected how it compared to the church I was attending back home. God again spoke to me saying, "do you see how it isn't the size of the place which enables or determines the effectiveness of the people." I knew immediately what He meant.

As I moved through the building's foyer I found myself going to the back of the building. I ran into a friend from my home church and saw him pushing a yard rake. Here God said to me that there are many saints in the church who have the "tools" or gifts to perform ministry or reach the lost, but they were never meant to be used inside the church, or amongst His people, but outside in the world. However, some saints are "in the back" of the church and "wasting" their gifts on ministry or tasks within the church. They are being ineffective, hence the little piece of paper that the rake was barely catching.

Then I moved toward the front again and saw all the mess in the place. There's a lot of work to be done in God's people and we need to be busy. So, I found myself "picking up the pieces" of paper. I needed help and when I saw the little girl I thought she would be a great help. When I asked her she felt like she wasn't suited to the task because of how she looked. But it was all false self perception. God spoke to me again about her and said to me that she represents the bride of Christ. She's sooo young and immature because she hasn't realized how beautiful she's been made. She still keeps feeling like she's naked. She's stuck in a lie and so she can't move on into maturity.

That's the interpretation.

We need to pray over these points and begin to intercede for one-another that the enemy will not continue to succeed at keeping the Bride of Christ in this immature state.

1. Pray that God's people have strength and wisdom to leave the flashy lifestyle of the world. Jesus is our window into the heart of God. He didn't come as a pretty man. God's not
into flashly glamor. We need help to remember this.

Isaiah 53:2 "For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him."

2. We can't let our hearts be captured by man's approval. It's deceptive and more than likely, selfishly motivated. God's approval is the only trustworthy one worth gaining; therefore, pray that God's people only seek God's approval and that we don't get caught up by seemingly well intentioned adoration or honor.

John 2:24-25 "But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man."

John 6:15 "Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself."

Jeremiah 17:9-10 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? "I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds."

-selah

The words of my Blog.

2008-02-28T09:35:00.004-06:00

Selah and Repose

Selah
Seventy-one times in the Psalms, three times in Habakkuk. From shelah, "rest." A music mark denoting a pause, during which the singers ceased to sing and only the instruments were heard. Septuagint diapsalma, a break in the psalm introduced where the sense requires a rest. It is a call to calm reflection on the preceding words. Hence, in Psalm 9:16 it follows eeiggaion, "meditation."

The selah reminds us that the psalm requires a peaceful and meditative soul which can apprehend what the Holy Spirit propounds. Thus it is most suggestive, and far from being, as Smith's Bible Dictionary alleges of this sense, "superfluous." Delitsseh takes it from saalal "to lift up," a musical forte, the piano singing then ceasing, and the instruments alone playing with execution an interlude after sentences of peculiar importance, so as to emphasize them.

Main Entry:
1 re·pose
Pronunciation: \ri-ˈpōz\
Function: verb
Inflected Form(s): re·posed; re·pos·ing
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French reposer, from Late Latin repausare, from Latin re- + Late Latin pausare to stop, from Latin pausa pause
Date: 15th century
transitive verb: to lay at rest in transitive verb 1 a: to lie at rest b: to lie dead c: to remain still or concealed 2: to take a rest 3: archaic : rely 4: to rest for support : lie

Considering the Cost.

2008-02-28T09:03:00.007-06:00

For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?
(Luke 14:28 ESV)

It's morning and I get to start my day late today, and I'm soaking it in.

As I was enjoying my free time this morning I listened to one of my more favorite Preacher/Teachers, Andrew Wommack. I enjoy his simple and humble perpespectives on being a disciple of our LORD Jesus Christ.

I also enjoy the fact that he has so much available to us on his website for free, and tries to share his teaching for free if not for a very reasonable cost. It's my own personal conviction by God's word to give freely because He gave soooo much to us freely. So, I love to find solid ministers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ who share these same convictions and live up to them. These are the types of ministers that I'll pour my money into, because I know that they'll use it purposefully and wisely.

This morning Andrew was teaching on the sower and the seed from Mark 4 and Luke 8, and how the things of this world and the supernatural world can rob us of life and fruitfulness in Christ. That got me thinking and mediating on this topic. God has been exposing this in my own life and the more I re-read these verses it becomes more evident to me that I have been so far from the mark of what Jesus taught will make a great disciple.

So, let me share some other verses that shook my world this morning...

So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.
(Luke 14:33 ESV)

Selah....

Pro-Life, a cause worth talking about.

2008-02-27T18:51:00.006-06:00

Have faith in the Lord, and do good; be at rest in the land, and go after righteousness.
(Psalms 37:3 BBE)

Tuesday, Feb. 25th I attended a Rumble at a local church called Deliverance Bible Church. They gathered together for intercessory prayer and information about what one of our local chapters of Bound for Life is doing.

That meeting forever changed my life. We watched a video that can be found on YouTube.com and it was the most graphic video I've seen to date.

I'm amazed at how much these images are censored from us by our own churches and the secular media. I'm not as shocked by the censorship by our media, but I am by our own churches. If you're a pastor or church leader, then please consider playing this video at your main church meet

I want you to see this video too, but before you do please read this...

If you had an abortion, God is willing to forgive you. I believe that because Jesus Christ paid for mankind's sins that every aborted baby is given the choice of eternal life with God, and so you may see your child again in heaven if you will only be willing to believe and let Jesus be Lord over your life.

**WARNING**

This is Extremely, extremely graphic, but it will forever change you. Put the children and liberals in another room, lock the door, and get a plastic bag and tissues.

I can't deny I saw what I did. I am forever challenged now. Justice shouts from the graves of millions of lost souls. Who will answer? God?

Yes. But,

I know that God has required justice of us first. We are our brother's keepers. We are commanded to love one another, and to Love our neighbor as ourselves.

God's anger burned most bright when justice, mercy and selfless love became lost to selfish lust and ambition.

We must pray, but we also must act! Do not act without prayer, and do not pray without acting! I want to stop being lazy and cowardly and to rise up to these challenges! We are the only vessel of God's light to this world. Let's start acting by faith on that conviction!

Why are we given these years on Earth? Isn't it to Love Jesus and do good?

selah....