Beware of Being Spoiled

Colossians 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

Wow, that statement by the Holy spirit sums up years of blogging here. The constant hammering away at what calls itself "christianity" in the world all comes together here. What are the problems with todays "christianity?" There are MANY but Colossians 2:8 does a great job of summing them up:

You are being SPOILED through

1. philosophy
2. vain deceit
3. the traditions of men
4. the rudiments of the world (the basic patterns of this world)

Instead of fashioning the church according to the pure Word of God, men have chosen their own ways patterned after the world, not Jesus. A 3 second glance at "christianity" shows you all the evidence you need. The structure of todays so called christianity is patterned exactly like any business organization you want to look at. The "pastor" is the CEO and everything else flows down below him just like a Fortune 500 company.

Look closely at what calls itself the "church" and compare it to the patterns of this world and see for yourself the remarkable similarities. Look at the "church" and see how deeply they are entrenched in the traditions of men at the expense of the truth of God. Listen closely at how the CEO's (oops I mean "pastors") weave the philosophy of this world into their "sermons." See the not so subtle vain deceit that is evident from the ground up in todays so called churches. They bring you in to "service" you like an automobile going in for an oil change. That's "in your face" vain deceit patterned after this world in every way.

I think I'm starting to catch on to what the Lord's been doing with this course change in my life. What you've been reading here about prayer and consuming the Word of God has everything to do with what's coming in the future. The bible tells us that our God is a shelter and a refuge. He is leading me to walk closer to him day by day through prayer and intake of his Word. We may see some rough patches of life experience before the escape from Jacob's trouble shows up. Yes, we will escape ALL of Jacob's trouble but right up to the point where it begins we may sail some stormy seas, I don't know. The accounts of Noah and Lot lead me to believe that what we see around us today will continue in much the same form right up through the day of the escape. The relevance of spending time with the Lord and being full to overflowing with his Word is that regardless of whether its the escape or stormy life experience that we see next, the answer for both is to be found "in Christ" who IS the Word of God.

I have asked the Lord repeatedly to allow me to go out of this world STRONG. I do not want to be ashamed when He shows up, wishing I had done more or had believed bigger or done things differently. I am praying today, right now to see mighty things from this mighty God we worship. Why should we settle for "just getting by" when we can walk on water with Jesus and see moutains moved before our eyes. I just cannot settle for anything less than seeing something SPECTACULAR from my God before I leave this place. I think that's a personal thing that the Lord has deposited within me, not that I am "special" in any way because we all have worthy missions from the Lord that are widely different and varied according to our walk with him and how he has made us as individuals.

The more we expect of this God we worship, the closer we need to walk with him. If we want to see mountains moved, trees uprooted and planted in the sea, walking on water etc then Jesus has to be more real to us than the world around us. We live by faith not sight. What our faith sees must be more real to us than what our eyes see, THEN buckle your seatbelts and watch what happens. Again, all of this is about our GOD'S GLORY not us as individuals. He will have his glory one way or another..he will have it. We can be part of it, or we can get steam rolled by it, its up to us to choose.

Whatever is going on in your life today, I want to encourage you to forget everything any man has ever taught you and relearn everything solely through the Word of God with the teaching done by the Spirit of God. Forget what I have told you as well, who am I? A nobody. Keep your eyes on the prize..JESUS IS OUR PRIZE here on earth AND in heaven. Blessed be his name.

done for today, grace and peace

The Glory of God

I asked the Lord today what he would have me say to you. What he gave me sums everything up in life to a neat package. People have often wondered what is the meaning of life? What should I be doing now? What would the Lord have me do today? What should I believe? What work should I pursue and a million other questions.

What is the answer to all the questions of life? What is the meaning of our lives? The glory of God is the meaning of our life. Search no more:

Isaiah 43:7
everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made."

We were created for his glory. That's the meaning of life. What should we be doing today? Seeking his glory. Does reading his word glorify him? Yes, okay so do that. Does getting down on your knees in adoration and praise and prayer glorify him? Yes, so do that. Does living by faith not by sight glorify him? Yes, okay so do that. Read his word, find out what he said to do and do it, that brings glory to him, so that is what you are supposed to do.

His glory is what all of this is about. As with many other things written to us in the word of God, this is not hard to understand. You don't need some advanced degree to "get it."

Seeking the glory of God is what I hear from the Lord today. What we are supposed to be doing is focusing on him, on what glorifies him. Returning to the basic fundamentals of the faith glorifies him so do that. Pick up your bibles, get down on your knees and seek him who will never ever lie to you, never deceive you, and will always love you. Seek the glory of God and watch how everything else in your life takes care of itself...Matthew 6:33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

grace and peace

In The Church

The bible tells us very specifically what we should see in the church and guess what is not mentioned? Pastors. Read it for yourself:

1 Corinthians 12:27Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. 29Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tonguesd? Do all interpret? 31But eagerly desiree the greater gifts.

Did the Holy Spirit make a mistake? Did he forget to mention "pastors" or does the Holy Spirit know exactly what he is talking about and what is written was exactly what he wanted to say but MEN have disregarded the Word of God in favor of the words and traditions of men? Don't you think that with "pastors" running around in EVERY church in the world today and a complete SILENCE in the bible regarding "pastors" something is very very VERY WRONG?

We are told specifically what we should see in the church and pastors are NOT mentioned yet we see them everywhere in churchianity today. Have you ever been into one of today's "churches" and not seen a "pastor?" Every single one I've even been to had one yet they are NOT mentioned at all here by Paul or the Holy Spirit when we are told what to expect to see in the true church. Add to this the fact that none of the apostles in all their travels ever met a "pastor" anywhere! Not once....they never appointed a "pastor" never met one, never ate with one, never anything with one, but we see them everywhere today. Why? Because something is very WRONG with todays babylonian form of "christianity" thats why.

People seem willing enough to tolerate these "pastors" even though they have no biblical ground whatsoever to stand on. In the bible I see elders, apostles, prophets, teachers, workers of miracles but no "pastors." To take this a step further, when's the last time you saw a true prophet or worker of miracles in your "church?" Have you ever seen one? Does that tell you something about your "church?" Paul said we should see: apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. Question is, is that what you see? No? Why not? Because something is very wrong with what passes for "christianity" today.

Should we not use the word of God to instruct us on what the church looks like? The bible is the foundation that the true church stands on, not the doctrines and traditions of men. How can your "pastor" justify his position using the Word of God alone? He can't because everything he does has been passed down to him by men not God. The absolute best your "pastor" can hope to do is point out the word "pastor" once in Ephesians 6 out of the KJV version of the bible and not at all in a literal translation of the bible. Even giving them that luxury of using the KJV to show the one mention of the word "pastor" they are then stuck because there is absolutely nothing else for them to stand on.

We have a good idea of what apostles prophets and teachers do because we are told about them in the bible more than once. We have no idea what a "pastor" does because they are not mentioned in a literal translation of the bible at all and only once in the KJV. The fact that todays "pastors" walk talk and look exactly like CEO's from the business world tells you alot about them. Not mentioned in the bible but all over the place in the world, these men have a rich heritage in the traditions of men, in organized religion following in the footsteps of the roman and babylonian/pagan priesthood but they are absolutely BANKRUPT when it comes to support from the Word of God which by the way is the only thing that matters.

I have asked the Lord repeatedly to show me by his Spirit where the justification for what they are doing comes from in his word. Its just not there. If you are zealous for the word of God, how can you tolerate the "pastors" you submit yourselves to? Who are these people and where in the bible do they derive the authority for what they are doing? It's simply not there.

Why are there no workers of miracles and true prophets in your churches? Because the traditions of men that you and your "church" have chosen have NULLIFIED the word of God for you and thus emptied your "church" of any power it might have had:

Mark 7:13 Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that."

Do you understand how HUGE that statement is? The word of God is our power! If you have nullified it through your traditions then I hope you now understand why you see NO POWER in your life or in your "churches". Hopefully this too will make more sense to you:

2 Timothy 3:1But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.

What does the bible instruct me to do regarding these people who have a form of godliness but deny its power? It tells me to HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THEM. Do you understand what it means to have nothing to do with someone?

As darkness and despair descend on this world, people need POWER not empty man made doctrines and institutions:

1 Corinthians 4:20
... For the kingdom of God does not consist in words but in POWER.

The writing here has the purpose of waking people up. Would I be doing you a favor if I tickled your ears like so many do today then let you go back to an empty and powerless life? Is that what brothers do? The world seems to think so. You can think whatever you want about the writing here I don't care, what I do care about is that you see through the lies and deceit handed down through generations and grab hold of the truth by faith so you can once again see POWER manifest in your life.

Do you or do you not want to see mountains moved in your life? If it pleases you to be "serviced" week in and week out without ever seeing a single miracle, without ever hearing a single accurate prophesy, without ever sensing the overwhelming POWER that is ours "in Christ," well, then that's your decision. People have been mentally and spiritually enslaved to the point where they think they are free but are slaves to what has mastered them-the satanic and man made systems of this world. I don't know about you but I was sick to the point of nausea with so called christianity years ago and I have seen mountains moved, miracles with my own eyes since I left the so called "church." I hope you understand that not everything calling itself "christianity" and "Jesus" are christianity and the Son of God. The devil himself masquerades as an angel of light.

The Holy Spirit always points back to Jesus who is the Word of God in the flesh. I point you to Jesus and the word of God. If you have been rotting in some building somewhere that calls itself a "church" and the most life you've seen there has been the "interpretive dancers" and the once a month "potluck" then I would advise you to try something new. Try getting to know God Almighty for yourself. When you get to the point where you feel you know him intimately and you see POWER flow in your life then decide with Jesus (through prayer) whether or not to return to the dead organizations you once knew as "churches."

Jesus and his true church are alive and well on earth today. I am the least of the brothers within that church. Where the Spirit of God moves you will see POWER, miracles, mountains moved etc. You do not see that most likely for many of the reasons discussed in this post. Take my word for nothing but take the word of God seriously. Compare what your "religion" is and does to the words in the bible and if they do not match consider yourself wrong and make the appropriate change. Romans 3:4 .....Let God be true, and every man a liar. Or just keep letting your hired hand spiritual employees lead you down the broad path (matt 7:13+). The choice is yours.

grace and peace

The Narrow Door

Luke 13:22 Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. 23Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?”
He said to them, 24“Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. 25Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’
“But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’
26“Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’
27“But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’
28“There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. 29People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. 30Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.”

We read above that someone asked Jesus directly whether or not only a few will be saved. He answered in a slightly indirect way but said many will try to enter and will not be able to. Below we see a very direct answer to the question "will only a few be saved?"

Matt 7:13“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

Why is it important to remember these words spoken by the Lord? Is it to put fear into you? I won't answer that question you ask Jesus to explain it to you. Ask the Lord why he told us that only a FEW will make it through the narrow door that leads to life. I believe he tells us these things for the same reason everything else is told to us: to shape how we live.

Speaking of doors...notice it says above "Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’“But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ Its the whole open door closed door thing we talked about weeks/months ago relating to the escape from all/rapture. Rev 4:1 After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” 2At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it.

It appears the Lord has really turned a corner in what He wants me to write here. Although I am sure the escape from all/pre-tribulation/pre-jacob's trouble/pre-flood/pre-fire and brimstone escape from all will happen at some time in the future, the Lord doesn't want to discuss it any more with me. I believe its a settled matter. When I asked him about it again this morning what came through to my mind was something like this:

"the rapture question is settled with you, by faith you have laid hold of it. Now that it is settled stop putting the cart before the horse. To focus on the escape day and night without thought on the here and now is backwards thinking. If we center ourselves in the Lord's will today, when the escape shows up we will be ready for it. If we sit around debating the escape timing for the days left before it happens while leaving all the other things the Lord would have us do undone, that would be bad." <--thats the muddled explanation that my mind spit out to me as an answer. I'm sure the Lord was more eloquent but I have'nt learned a better way to get out of his way yet what he says comes through more clearly.

Anyhow the moral of the story is, the Lord wants us CENTERED in his will today. Not to the left of it, not to the right of it...centered in his will. I am certain that the top shelf items in his will for us are 1. getting his word inside of us 2. spending time alone with him. I'm sure there are many other things that can be added to the list but 1 and 2 must happen. If you are centered in the Lord's will today, the escape from all will not take you by surprise. If you have settled the escape/rapture question for yourself then move on to what the Lord would have you do today. Prayer and reading the word are BIG "do" items even though many in the apostate church would count them as "doing nothing."

We must engage the Lord BEFORE we engage our carbon based wetsuits (human bodies). Seek his face today, stay in his word. meditate on the words of God day and night. pray without ceasing. This is what I'm hearing from the Lord today. grace and peace

Whatever He Does Prospers

Psalm 1
1 Blessed is the man
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers.
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.

I believe the Lord would have me share this testimony from my life with you today. We read in Psalm 1 that those who delight in the law of the Lord are like trees planted by streams of water..whatever they do prospers. I can tell you that is the story of my life. I have been blessed coming out and blessed going in. I have been prospered in everything my hands have touched. I have even been prospered in jobs I have hated. Why?

I want to tell you upfront that there is nothing special about me. The only thing special about the blessing that has followed me around in life is the WORD OF GOD. I have delighted in the Word. That does not mean I am "special" because it has been made clear to me that even my love for the Word comes from Him. Everything I have has been given to me so how can I act as though it has not? The Lord would have me share these things with you today to let you know that the goodness and blessing is for you too. His Word can be trusted. I have a lifetime of experience to prove it.

The Lord wants your attention back on him and his Word. We do not worship this God for nothing. There are tangible REWARDS in THIS LIFE and the next for loving him and following his ways. He is not unaware of your situation whatever that is. He is telling me to tell you that every promise in his word can be trusted absolutely. When we see it written "he is like a tree planted by streams of water,which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.Whatever he does prospers. " He means it. That promise was not written for one person, it was written for any person who would read and believe.

The encouragement to you today is that the Lord has taken massive screwups like me and done amazing things for me which means he can do amazing things with and for you. The goodness and blessing in my life are not for me alone, they are for you.

1 Cor 1:26 Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”d

So I am boasting today but not in myself. I boast today in the Lord for your benefit. I am the foolish, the weak, the lowly and despised and the Lord has done wonderful things for me so that I can testify to you today that he is good and he can be trusted. People bring so many problems on themselves. The biggest problem I see in the world is faithlessness/lack of real belief. Mountains can be moved by faith and belief. Trust him and see what he will do.

John 11:40
Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?”

In a world full of lack and despair, the Lord is still doing great and glorious things through those who believe-instruments in his hands. Wouldn't it be great to be one of those instruments in his hands? If you want your faith strengthened then keep praying and watch the spectacular answers to result from your believing prayer. Each prayer answered makes you stronger. I have a battle standard that is overflowing with victory ribbons indicating prayer after prayer after prayer answered. I have proof that our God is alive and well today calling out to you to do greater things than the least of the brothers (me). My life is the proof.

Seek his face today. Stay in his word. Be encouraged that if the Lord has done wonderful things for a nobody like me, then heaven and earth can shake at what he will do for you. We are dearly loved, grace and peace.

So Far Astray

1 Corinthians 11:17 In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. 18 In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. 19 No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God’s approval. 20 When you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat, 21 for as you eat, each of you goes ahead without waiting for anybody else. One remains hungry, another gets drunk. 22 Don’t you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you for this? Certainly not!

There are so many targets in here that show us how very far astray todays "church" is from the true church of God. First of all notice what Paul says, their meetings do more harm than good. Did you catch that? More HARM than good. That is followed up with insight into the Lord's supper. What would you do if your mother called you to "supper" and you sat down at a table that had a .001mm piece of synthetic wafer and a .001ml thimble full of grape juice? "THERE YA GO BOYS NOW DIG IN!!!" Well, that's the "supper" you get with churchianity these days. Did you read that part there "one remains hungry?" What's the expectation in that statement? If people all started at the same time then maybe everyone could actually satisfy their hunger? Everyone in churchianity downs their microscopic wafer chip and thimble full of grape juice at the same time, do you think anyone's hunger might be satisfied with that?

And whats this we read about "another gets drunk?" WHAT? How on earth can someone get drunk on a thimble full of grape juice you might ask? Or even a 50 gallon drum of grape juice? Answer? YOU CAN'T What's that mean? Uh oh! They served ALCOHOL at the LORD'S SUPPER! Whoa.......I can hear the minds going into tailspins now like WW2 fighter planes riddled full of bullets, lookout ground HERE I COME!!!

Ok, all drama aside, can you see the radical differences just in one paragraph of the bible describing the true church versus the imposter church in the world today? Todays church "services" you, the real church IS YOU, the real church actually eats a meal together, the imposter church does excersises in microscopic dining together, the real church is overseen by a plurality of elders, the imposter church is nicolaitan-clergy/laity conquered by "pastors," the bible mentions "pastors" one time in the book of ephesians yet they scurry around todays landscape like an infestation of locusts, the real church is a living breathing organism, the imposter church is a manmade organization modeled after Fortune 500 corporations/businesses. Insert "pastor" for "CEO" then follow the organizational chart all the way down.

Here's more from 1 Cor 11 that's pretty important about the Lord's supper:

27 Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28 A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30 That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. 31 But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. 32 When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world.

Now please, you answer this one for me: when's the last time your "pastor" stopped to tell you that before you consume your micro-synthetic-wafer and thimble full of grape juice that you better check yourself in SELF JUDGEMENT or you will be drinking judgement on yourself? In all my years of being "serviced" by churchianity I NEVER ONCE heard one of the hired hands mention that fact. Why not? "oh, brother D, but that might give them a 'spirit of fear' so we can't say anything about that! oh yea, and ..um we dont want any of our best money givers to get upset, you understand don't you?" Yep, I understand perfectly...so instead of "being the church" and judging themselves they "go to church" so they can drink judgement on themselves every sun-day or however often they micro-consume their wafers and thimbles in an unworthy manner.

People need to read the bible for themselves and ask the Lord what it means. The bible says the Spirit of God will lead you into all truth, the question is, do you trust Him to do it? It's time for people who are fed up with so called christianity to find real christianity "in Christ" by being led by the Spirit of God. Why?...because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.Romans 8:14

If you are led by the Spirit of God you can be sure you are not being led by someone who enjoys pornography in his free time (see yesterday's post), or doesn't have faith in Jesus or the Word himself or a myriad of other problems with todays so called brand of babylonian churchianity. There are exceptions to every rule and I'm sure like everything else you can find true believers all over the place but they will be few wherever you look. It's always been a few, a remnant that "got it" and pleased God. The purpose of this writing today is not just to body slam the lie masquerading as the truth these days but also to encourage you to be one of the few who make it through the narrow gate that leads to life (Matt 7:14). Who knows how much time is left before the Lord shows up? The escape from all could happen today (luke 21:36). We need to be found as servants watching for their master when He shows up. We need to be found "in Christ" when Jesus shows up. Spend time with the Lord daily, consume His word like a starving man which is what you are if you've been relying on churchianity to feed you (masters of the microscopic). Okay, I'm done for today.

May the Lords face shine upon you, grace and peace

American Pastor Remanded on Porn Charges

http://allafrica.com/stories/200906241009.html

And for everyone that is caught how many others are in neck deep in this stuff and never get caught? Our faith is to be in Jesus alone..every day it makes more sense.

grace and peace

If You Think You are Standing Firm

I think the Holy Spirit highlighted this from my reading today:

1 Corinthians 10 For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. 2 They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3 They all ate the same spiritual food 4 and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. 5 Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered over the desert.
6 Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. 7 Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in pagan revelry.”b 8 We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. 9 We should not test the Lord, as some of them did—and were killed by snakes. 10 And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel.
11 These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. 12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! 13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

There are many people in the world today who call themselves christians. These people have been taught that there is no way possible for them to fall yet the bible clearly insructs us that if we think we are standing firm, be careful that we do not fall. The children of Israel were people just like we are people. Times have changed but human nature NEVER changes. People still love, hate, feel envy or kindness, greed or compassion the way people have always done throughout the ages. What does that mean for you and me?

When we are told this about the people of Israel: They all ate the same spiritual food 4 and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. 5 Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered over the desert.

Those people ate and drank from CHRIST just like todays "christians" do. And what happened to them? God was not pleased with most of them. Their lesson is a lesson for us. When we read the bible and we see warnings on top of warnings on top of warnings and we blow right through all of them thinking we are "standing firm" isn't that foolish? Should'nt we be trembling at the words of God? Should we not give serious consideration to the fact that MOST of them did not please the Lord and were slain in the desert? Yea, we should give these facts serious consideration now, right now, not tomorrow or next month some time....now.

We as humans are no different than they were and yet people strut around today thinking they are untouchable, and "standing firm" because some guy (pastor) told them a 5 second long teary eyed "decision" for Jesus means they already have both feet in heaven just waiting for their rear ends to follow. God was not pleased with most of them....hmmm most means the majority right? God was not pleased with the "many" of them which on the flip side means he was only pleased with a few of them. Does that jive with this?

Matt 7:13 Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

and this:

Matt 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

We just keep coming back to the same places over and over again. Why is that? Part of the reason is because the Lord has laid it heavily on my heart now for years. The other part is the goal we should be aiming for. When you strive to achieve a goal, you keep your eyes on the prize right? Well what is the prize? Isn't it making it through the narrow gate that leads to life? Isn't that what this is all about? Is it wise to take your eyes off your goals if you really want to achieve them? Making it through the NARROW GATE is the goal and we are clearly told that only a few will make it. Should'nt that fact influence our thinking and planning when we are deciding on a moment to moment basis how to conduct ourselves?

I can tell you that during all the years (they were many) that I was "serviced" by churchianity, NEVER ONCE did ANYONE EVERRRRRRRR mention the fact that only a few would make it in. Did they think maybe that was unimportant information? If I tell you that you will be running a race next year and only a few will finish it don't you think that should influence how you train for the race? Apparently todays teachers and preachers don't think so. For them its good enough to tell everyone that in the first few steps they've already finished the race!

1 Cor 9:24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26 Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. 27 No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

Paul was concerned that even HE might be disqualified for the prize even after all the preaching he did to others. Are todays "christians" so much superior to Paul the apostle that they don't need to be "bothered" by such "trivialities?" Where are the preachers and teachers today who warn the people about the fact that even Paul ran the race with fear and trembling?

If you are "in Christ" today and you die "in Christ" I am confident you have made it through the narrow gate that leads to life. The issue is one of REMAINING "in Christ." At what point does a person slip out from under the protection of being "in Christ?" At the point that they are "cutoff" (John 15) -that's an obvious one but where exactly is the line you have to cross to be "in Christ" or "fall away?"

Hebrews 6:4 It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, 6 if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, becauseb to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.

Todays preachers tell you its impossible for you to fall away, the bible clearly tells you right there that it IS possible to fall away. Do you think Paul understood this when he tells us to be careful how we run the race? Do you think he understood something when he told us "So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!"

Does this mean we can take no comfort in our God before we die? No, it means we need to rely on what the bible says not the lies, fabrications and false assurances of men.

Our God gave us assurances that do not require us to fabricate meanings out of thin air. Here's an assurance: Romans 8:16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.

What does that mean? It means that at any given moment you can look within yourself, get down on your knees and check the Spirit of God for resonance to determine if you are a child of God. Notice what Romans 8:16 does NOT say. It does not say "a 5 second teary eyed "decision" tells us we are children of God." That's what your pastors are saying, but NOT what the bible says so lets stop inventing doctrines out of thin air, or the pits of hell or wherever else men get these things and stand on what IS written in the bible. If the Spirit testifies with your spirit that you are a child of God then isn't that a BETTER assurance of your salvation than the empty words of your hired hand spiritual employees?

Do you want more comfort in your salvation? Here's more from the word of God (not man):

Hebrews 3:14
... For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end

See how easy that is? No false doctrines need to be invented, if you hold fast to the assurance you had at the beginning then you are a partaker of Christ and have nothing to worry about. You are reminded here as you are throughout the bible that your confidence must be held FIRM TO THE END. Do we really need to get out a dictionary and look up what "to the end" means? Do we need some guy who calls himself a "christian scholar" to tell us what "to the end" means? How hard is this? You wanna go to heaven? GREAT, hold fast your confidence in Christ FIRM TO THE END.

Why will so few be saved (Matt 7:14)? Because some guy will write a 1,000 page paper telling us why 20 clearly written words in the bible do not mean what they clearly say they mean and people will believe them. Apprarently people's faith in "scholars" or "pastors" or any other manmade title you might want to give them is greater than in the Word of God.

Stand firm then, be careful you don't fall. Hold your confidence that you had at the beginning all the way through to the end. Read the bible for yourself, ask the Lord to explain it to you...He did write the book. grace and peace

Faith and Patience

Hebrews 6:12
We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

I'm not sure what the Lord is up to today. The best way to describe what I sense inside is like an anchor has been pulled up and the ship is moving. Where to? I don't know. I sense movement, something new is afoot. That's the best way to describe what's I sense in the Spirit right now. While this ship is moving or whatever is going on that involves movement or something new, the two words faith and patience fit perfectly.

The Lord is constantly doing new things and those who are daily waiting at his doorstep must learn to "tune in" to what he is doing. Sometimes if you are "slow" to get things (I look at myself in mirror) then it takes awhile to figure out what actually happened and whats going on right now. That's okay, we don't have to figure everything out on the spot. We have the duty not to figure everything out right now, but to be patient in faith, trusting that whatever is happening is of the Lord and will work out for our good somehow, some way, some day.

We serve a very GOOD God. He loves us so much its hard to describe in words. He does not stay angry with us forever, nor does he treat us as our sins deserve.

Psalm 103:8 The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
9 He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;
10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.

Whatever is going on in your life right now, understand that through faith and patience all things can be overcome. Understand how very dearly you are LOVED. Through faith and patience you will see mountains moved before your eyes. Through faith and patience your feet will be placed on the heights of the land so you can see that the Word of God is true and he can be taken at his word, every time.

The Lord has given me a vision/mission and just recently he opened my eyes to another brother from 200 years ago who had an almost identical mission to the one dropped into my heart. The only part of this mission/vision that is relevant to you right now is the fact that our God can be trusted. His Word can be leaned on and taken at face value every time and it will not fail you....ever.

Today is my birthday. They just keep coming! :-) I suppose that instead of people giving me something I should be the one giving...giving thanks to our God for all the wonderful things he has done for me, my family and all of those with us "in Christ."

done for today, grace and peace

6/27/2009

The Lord has been on the same things with me lately. No lengthy post needed for this. Severly cut back on inputs from the world, especially what calls itself "news" these days. Focus, focus, FOCUS on the few things that are necessary and stay on those things. Spend time every day with the Lord. "I don't have time for it" is an excuse that you cannot afford. That excuse is way too expensive for you as it will cost you dearly in the long run. You MUST spend the time with the Lord daily. Last but not least we must fill ourselves up with the Word of God every day. Consume the Word until you feel like you are going to pop from the overflow of it.

That's it, sometimes less is more. May the Lord bless you and keep you, grace and peace

New Testament Giving

We have already covered here that no place in the New Testament are we commanded to "tithe" or even give "offerings." Not only is tithing not specifically mentioned, its not even hinted at, not by Jesus not by Paul, not by anybody. Todays nicolaitan clergy beat you over the head with the tithe, but they seem to have no interest in animal sacrifice or observing ANY of the other portions of the law. Today's clergy conveniently leans back into the old testament with its old covenant , they extend their cherry pickers and pluck out "tithing" for you to obey then leave all the rest behind.

Why is the issue of tithing such a big deal? Because it displays the absolute faithlessness of today's pastors/clergy/nicolaitans. How so? Giving is mentioned in the New Testament right here:

2 Corinthians 9:7 Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Who decides what and how much to give? YOU DO, not your "pastor," not the old testament, YOU DECIDE what and how much to give. Here's where you have to understand that this scares the pants off of today's faithless ministers. Why? Their faithlessness leads them to believe that if you are not put under guilt, fear and compulsion you will never give, or what you will give will be paltry. Their faith is in the LAW not in a faithful God who meets the needs of his servants. The bottom line here? They do NOT believe, they have no faith that our God hears and answers prayers. Where are the servants of God today who follow Paul's example and work day and night for their own bread so they will not be a burden to the flock? Where are the servants today who have the faith to trust God to meet their needs without cherry picking one topic from the old testament to squeeze the last penny out of the sheep?

To give some credit where it is due, I have been to places where money wasn't mentioned, boxes were set in the back, people knew that they were there so they gave out of their hearts not out of compulsion. Tithing was NEVER mentioned..ever. Giving was a given, a natural outflow of a grateful heart towards the Almighty.

The thing that the faithless preachers today do not understand is that they are really ripping themselves off. They rely on their own methods, their own ways to fund their lives. If they understood how much greater they would receive should they trust the Lord for their needs they would cease their faithless ways immediately. The Lord rewards faith, its that simple. When people step out in their own power, when they believe more in the doctrines and traditions of men than in the Lord, they suffer for it every time (whether they know it or not).

A natural outgrowth of faithlessness is fear. Today's "pastors" FEAR letting go of the money whip (tithe). They fear that the Lord will allow them to fall on their face. Why? Maybe somewhere deep down inside they know what they are doing is wrong, its not scriptural. Deep down inside they know they are faithless. Deep down they understand that their sins have separated them from God. Deep down they understand that the doctrines of men are empty hollow ways that are powerless but they refuse to let them go.

When you look at what "pastors" do in the churches today then compare it with scripture you will see the problem. The bible mentions a plurality of elders to oversee the church, not A pastor or even pastor(s). Elders, NOT pastors. It has been covered here extensively that Jesus never once mentioned "pastors" Paul never met one, talked about one, appointed one, ran into one, ate with one, NOTHING they simply are not mentioned...anywhere. That should be a big clue that what they are doing is unscriptural. They have no charter, no scriptural legs to stand on for what they are doing.

Has the Lord used "pastors" to carry out his work on earth? YES, but before someone gets the wrong idea please understand that ALL THINGS work for good in the lives of those who love Jesus. Romans 8:28 ... And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God,to them who are the called according to his purpose.

All things? Yep that's what it says. When the Lord puts that word in there "ALL" it includes attacks on your faith by the devil himself, even that works for good in your life. So if ALL things work for the good of the believer, even the actions of the devil himself then what does that say about the works of the "pastors" in todays churches? Does the fact that the Lord has worked through "pastors" validate their nicolaitan system? Hardly.

Men have established a pastoral system, also known as the "clergy" to rule over the flock. They are in one class and you are in another. They are the "clergy" and you are the "laity." The Lord specifically points out that He HATES this system of clergy and laity. The people who practice this clergy/laity game are known as NICO (conquer) LAITANS (laity-you).

Revelation 2:6 But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
Revelation 2:15 Likewise you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. ...

The clergy, ie your "pastors" like to argue that the nicolaitans are someone else, anyone else but them. The finger is always pointed away into the distance, not right at their own heads. The bottom line is, Jesus HATES the practices of the nico-laitans and we know for a fact that whoever and whatever nicolaitans are, they involve "laitans" also know as "laity" which is what the clergy calls YOU.

If Jesus HATES something and you have no problem with it what does that say about you? I can tell you with certainty that if Jesus HATES something I don't want to be seen within MILES of it but people today have no problem embracing things the Lord hates because if men have always done it, it must be okay!

We have established that tithing has no place in the church today but giving does... according to what YOU decide to give. We have established that Jesus HATES the system of clergy/laity (nicolaitan) that people embrace with open arms today. These are just two issues out of many that illustrate how far people have strayed from the simple and straightforward reading of the scriptures. Our God created us to be FREE, not under any kind of slavery. Men have created a religious system that assassinates your freedom and instead shackles you to their lifeless institution that they euphemistically call a "church."

The Lord has made us many promises that were designed for our deliverance from this world. Its time that people go back to the pure and undefiled Words of God and find out for themselves what the Spirit is saying to the churches today. Our God wants to walk with us and live with us in ways that are unimaginable by the majority of religious people today. These people think that the church is everything BUT what the Lord intended it to be. The church is not a social club or a building or an institution or a man made organization, it is the living breathing BODY of Jesus.

In today's world of fear and despair the only way people can pull out of their nosedives is to get a fresh revelation of the truth for themselves from the bible. I make no claim that I speak the truth but I do claim that the truth can be found in your bibles and revealed by the Spirit of God. I believe that the Lord has many wonderful deliverances for his people but you cant get to the dessert tray until you've eaten your meal. You can't get to the blessings until you've gone through repentance. My message to you today is to turn away from the man made religious institutions and find God for yourself. He can be found in the word in your bible and he can be found by a heart that is humble and contrite and on its knees in awe of Him continually. You can seek him and find him when you seek him with all your heart.

The answer to any and all of your problems can be found "in Christ." Seek his face today, grace and peace.

My Favorite Psalm

From the very beginning of my walk with the Lord, Psalm 34 has been my favorite. It is loaded with so much goodness that has helped me on so many occasions that I cannot count them all. Of these many goodies within Psalm 34 this one stands out to me today:

Psalm 34:4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears.

You know what makes the bible really stand out as the Word of God? The definitive wording in it. Take that word ALL above. ALL is a put up or shut up kind of word. Its the kind of word that men should use sparingly but an all powerful God can use frequently. Why? He is ALL powerful so he can backup what he says.

We remember this word ALL from other parts of the bible as well, like here: Luke 21:36 Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”

I don't want to go off on an escape tangent right now I just wanted to give another powerful example of the use of that word ALL. My testimony regarding this word "all" is powerful because I have lived a lifetime that proves without a doubt that God almighty wrote the words : " I sought the Lord, and he answered me;he delivered me from all my fears. "

I have had plenty of fears over the years but I have been delivered from them ALL. Some deliverance takes longer than others but if you trust the Lord, if you look to Him always, if you have faith, if you believe then you will be delivered too...from ALL your fears. We take hold of the promises of God by faith. The promises are NOT for everyone. They are for those who lay hold of them by faith.

Hebrews 11:33
... Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness,obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions

For this reason one person can say with assurance that they will escape ALL of whats about to happen and not doubt it while another person is certain they will NOT escape all and they are equally certain about it. Two different people approaching the same words in the bible from differnt perspectives of FAITH.

When we read through the bible we see people lay hold of the power of God through their FAITH (centurion/woman with the issue of blood/woman with sick daughter-all healed through faith). Today is another day that I feel compelled to lay my testimony out to whoever might be reading. If you are living in doubt and fear today, know that there are people in the world (like me) who are no better than you are in anyway who have been delivered from ALL their fears through the promises of God. The Lord only knows how much of my life was spent struggling with all kinds of different problems and personal hangups and in the midst of everything, in the midst of my worst screwups....I was delivered from ALL my fears.

I think where your heart is matters alot to the Lord:
Proverbs 4:23 Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.

If you can't seem to get things right but your heart is right before the Lord, if you keep your eyes on Him, you WILL come through victoriously, delivered from ALL that you feared.

The Lord has been turning the rudder on my own heart over the past months. He has put me on a "news" diet. He asked me what I have gained in understanding from the hours and hours and hours scouring the internet. The answer? Not much. If we spend even a fraction of the time we spent surfing the net on immersing ourselves in the word of God we would see MUCH better results in our lives. The Lord has impressed upon me the need to narrow my focus, get rid of the trash. Get rid of all the utterly useless garbage that most people mentally consume day after day. Focus on the fundamentals of the faith and whatever it is we are to work on while on earth.

I am expecting, believing to see something HUGE from the Lord. That kind of expectation takes a certain kind of faith and a certain kind of belief. I share this with you to help you put the pieces together between what we see in our lives and what is required to see better things. You ever hear the saying "garbage in/garbage out?" The same thing applies on the flip side "great things in/great things out." Nothing is a greater input than the word of God and a continual focus on Him. Remember "first love" from Rev 2, remeber "seek first the kingdom of God" He comes first, all the time every day.

For some people it takes a lifetime to figure things out, for others they never figure it out, for me it has taken a LONG time to start nibbling around the edges of what the Lord's been pointing me to for DECADES. Hopefully you understand from that why I routinely tell you that I'm the least of the brothers who are "in Christ"...DECADES to get to the outskirts of what I'm supposed to be doing.

We serve a wonderful God who loves His creation. There's a time for the carrot and there's a time for the stick. The Lord has me pointing to the carrot side of things right now (just don't forget the stick is still there :-) We are dearly loved, grace and peace

Truth From Laodiceans

Last night I was surfing TV channels and I came across two different preachers who are poster children for the Laodicean church, and they were both preaching the truth. Interesting huh? The message coming from their mouths was truth from the Word of God. What does the bible tell us about this?

Philippians 1:18 But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.

Christ is preached, that's important and for that we rejoice. So what's the problem, should'nt we all pile back into the babylonian temples to be "serviced?" Not quite....
The trick to all of this is the effect of poisoning. What would happen if I gave you a nice steak dinner with all the trimmings and I assured you that it was 99.9% wholesome food but I also told you that the other .1% of the meal is cyanide/deadly poison. Would you eat it? If not, why not? Maybe you would'nt eat it because it might kill you? Ahhhh I see....

So lets follow this reasoning, you would not eat a meal that was 99.9% steak dinner/.1% cyanide/deadly poison, but you would eat a spiritual meal thats 99.9% "good" /.1% spiritual poison? Does that make any sense? Isn't that insanity?

This blog was started years ago by direction of the Lord to point out some hard hitting truths from the Word of God and stay on them over and over and over again. One of those truths is found in Matt 7:14-28. That truth is: few will make it through the narrow gate that leads to life. The question here is: WHY? People need to seriously think about the why behind the Word. Have you ever heard of the word "meditate" before? Do a word search in the bible for that word and you will see that we are told to MEDITATE on the word day and night. That means think deeply about it. Think deeply about the why behind Matt 7:14-28. Few saved, many told "away from me you evildoers I never knew you."

This leads us back to my channel surfing last night. The two different laodicean preachers had words that were true. The music was good during the "service" getting everyone all warm and fuzzy feeling inside, so what's not to like? The grains of poison laced in with the truth over time is whats not to like. Some poisons do not kill instantly, they kill over months or even years. Such is the way of the serpent, he is subtle and crafty and we are not unaware of his devices. The most deadly lies are the ones that most closely resemble the truth. Satan presents himself to us as an angel of light, so do his servants:

2 Corinthians 11:13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15 It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.

The good news is Christ is preached even from deceitful workmen so lets be thankful for that. The bad news is that many will end up in hell from their work.

grace and peace

Encouragement

It was written here yesterday that the bible says we should assemble ourselves together for the purpose of encouraging each other. Many people read blogs from all over the world so we cannot all assemble ourselves together physically, but we can assemble ourselves on the internet. If you are reading this then you "assembled" yourself together with me here and since you are here I would like to encourage you today.

The Lord came through again for me and my family in a big way over this past week. I don't even want to discuss the "what" it was He came through for us on but it was big. It took 9 months (not a baby :-) for this thing to come full circle and actually land in our lap. The thing is, this "big thing" should be an encouragement for you to know that our God still answers prayer today. Sometimes it takes 9 months, sometimes less, sometimes more to see answers but He does answer. If we are faithful and patient, if we walk in His ways then we can be sure He hears us and we get what we ask for. Many people do not see answers to prayers because for one reason or another, their walk is not right with Him or they are weak in faith/belief. That's not a reason to give up praying because He knows that we know we are not perfect, but we should be working toward perfection...the question is: where is your heart?

The Lord only knows how imperfect my walk has been toward him in the past, yet through his grace and mercy, he gently guided me, picking me back up from the dust, brushing me off and sending me on my way toward His way again. Although our walk may not be perfect before Him today, I think the attitude of our heart should be. We are at war with ourselves, the world and the devil, so there will be casualties. The thing is, do we have faith enough to get back up each time we are knocked down and try try again?

Our God is a God who answers prayers. If you seek him you will find him if you seek him with all your heart. This is my testimony, that the God we serve is GOOD. He longs to be gracious to us..
Isaiah 30:18
Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!

The problem is, when the Lord is gracious to many people, because of the condition of their heart, they fall right back into doing things that displease the Lord. So we should ask, what's the condition of our heart? Where is it? What are we thinking about? Does it please the Lord? Are we working on ourselves in whatever ways, however small to inch our way if necessary toward our God in order to center ourselves in his will?

Be greatly encouraged today that our God answers prayer and has been merciful, kind and gentle with me, the least of your brothers. I have screwed up SO royally in the past, my sins were stacked into the heavens but he did not destroy me as I deserved, instead, over time in a gentle and merciful way he turned me around. I am nothing, HE is everything and I want to point you to him today to let you know that his great goodness toward me and my family is not just for me. His goodness to me is goodness toward you. Stand in faith today on what is written in the bible. Every promise in there is true. Be encouraged today by the testimony of this nobody (me) and the goodness of God toward me in spite of all I did in the past.

Let us set our eyes on Jesus, reach inside and grab our faith and courage, then step out of the boat to walk on water with Him. He wants us to do this, he wants us to stand in faith on the waters with the wind and waves roaring all around us. We have been called to faith, hope, patience and love. Our way is not an empty way like the heathen and those who have a form of godliness but deny its power. Our way is one of POWER through faith. The least of your brothers is testifying to you today that he is nothing special and anything good done for him can and will show up abundantly in your own life if you will walk right before the Lord and put your love and focus on Him. We are dearly dearly loved children. May the Lord bless you and keep you today, may his face shine upon you and may he grant you peace.

done for today, grace and peace

Encourage One Another Daily

Hebrews 3:13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is ...
But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.

Gosh, that might be kind of hard to do since we are taught by churchianity that we only get "serviced" on Wednesdays and Sundays. This is more insight into the lie that calls itself the church and it sheds light on what we are supposed to be doing.

Hebrews 10:25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Meeting together can take place ANYWHERE. Do you see any requirement listed there to meet in some designated babylonian temple passing as a "church." I don't. We are told to meet together for the express purpose of encouraging each other, geography and buildings are irrelevant. With that purpose in mind, meeting together to encourage one another, do you see the need to pay somebody (pastor) to meet there with us so they can teach us how to encourage one another? I don't see that either. Do you think that maybe if all these "pastors" ditched their high rent buildings and building projects that maybe more poor people could be fed, maybe the church could be known as a body of believers who GIVE to the world not some leech on the back of society that drains the lifeblood out of people then spits them out? That's kind of a radical concept isn't it?

2 Thessalonians 3:7 For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, 8 nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. 9 We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to make ourselves a model for you to follow. 10 For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “If a man will not work, he shall not eat.”

How many "model for you to follow" "pastors" do you know? You know, the kind that work night and day laboring and toiling so that they would not be a burden to any of you? These people that follow this example are out there, but again, they are few.

The Lord tells us that his yoke is easy and his burden is light. That's not just a figure of speech, he meant it. How much does it cost you to meet together for a cup of coffee or lunch at McDonalds or at your house and encourage one another? Not much. I see lots of churches in people homes in the bible and ZERO monument to man buildings with their tower of babel steeples on top. That clue us into something maybe? When we meet to encourage each other we sit face to face. When you meet to be "serviced" we sit with my face staring at the back of your head, see anything wrong with that?

The true church is small and decentralized, led by the Spirit of God. Due to the nature of a small and decentralized body, there is no opportunity for any one man to become some idolatrous rock star figure that we see on every street corner today. That also eliminates all the pride issues that most "pastors" deal with since they have taken it on themselves to be the center of attention during each "service" instead of Jesus being the center of attention.

A plurality of elders is another "check" on the ego and idolatry of todays "church." When you have a plurality of elders no one man usurps the rightful place of Christ in the church. We are the key players in the unfolding drama that is the christian experience on this earth, not some clergyman calling himself a "pastor." We encourage each other, we build each other up. The problem with many people is, they would rather pay some hireling to do all that for them so they can do their "duty" by sitting in one or two "services" per week, paying the hireling then getting on with their life doing their own thing for the other 7 days minus two-three hours that week.

Its a bit much to ask to encourage each other daily I guess. Its a bit much to ask to pray without ceasing and meditate on the the words written in the bible day and night. All that is for the "pastor" to do right?

We do not live in the 1800's or 1700's or anytime before that anymore, we live in the 2009+ years where we can encourage each other by meeting, by cell phone, my email, by web blog, by letter, by twitter and I'm probably missing many other ways but you get the point. In a day when apostasy has taken over and the true church is scattered to the four winds, do you think maybe any/all of those ways of encouraging one another are a good idea? I do, and no high priced building to pay off, no hired hand salary to be paid, we can give every penny directly to the Lord by giving directly to the poor.

Matt 25:34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? 38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

Or if we want to support a brother who has devoted himself to missionary work, we can support him, or give to that lady sleeping in her car alone with all her belongings in front of the laundrymat or a million other things in this lost and hurting world.

or how about this one:

Luke 12:33 Sell your possessions and give to the poor.

The bible says sell your possessions and give to the poor, not give to your "pastor" right? Do you think if you never give another penny to another hired hand again, but instead you give directly to the poor the Lord is going to be upset with you? I don't see any levitical priests running around any of these so called "churches" so goodbye "tithe." New testament giving is willingly not under compulsion for God loves a cheerful giver. A tithe is given under compulsion, how can that fact be reconciled? Nowhere in the entire new testament are we commanded to tithe..NOWHERE, I wonder why not? Isn't that kind of a HUGE omission by the Lord when all we here about in todays "churches" is Mo'money, mo'money, mo'money, tithe, tithe, tithe or else!

2 Corinthians 9:7
Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

What I have decided in my heart to give? Not what the pastor said I had to give? Yep, that's correct.

FREEDOM

What this all boils down to is FREEDOM from the idolatrous monstrosity calling itself a "church" today. They try to shackle you to their idolatrous institutions with unfounded threats and the doctrines and traditions of men that cannot be found anywhere in the word of God. You are FREE to meet your brothers and sisters wherever you want to encourage each other. You are FREE to give away your money and belongings directly to the poor with not another CENT going to the babylonian priests who preside over churchianity. You are FREE to worship the Creator of all things as you are led by the Spirit to.

John 8:36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

done for today, grace and peace

What is the Spirit Saying to the Churches Today?

1 Tim 4:1 The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. 2 Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. 3 They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. 4 For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, 5 because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.
6 If you point these things out to the brothers, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, brought up in the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed.

Did you read that part there in verse 6? If you point these things out to the brothers you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus. These things ARE being pointed out to the brothers, but who is listening? Did you read that part in verse 1? What does it say? Some will abandon the faith...do you really think you can "abandon the faith" and still be saved? How are these people abandoning the faith? They follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.

When the bible tells you for a fact that people WILL abandon the faith and your "pastor" tells you its impossible to abandon the faith which should you believe? Many people believe that we are in the last days or as the bible calls them "later times" yet nobody believes that their "church" is following deceiving spirits and the teachings of demons. What does the bible tell us about a good minister of Christ Jesus here? The "good minster" does this: POINT THESE THINGS OUT TO THE BROTHERS. That is not a job for someone who wants to keep their social circle alive or someone who is trying to sell something. Most people will hate you for telling them these things which is why so few people obey the clear teaching of the scripture to point out these things to the brothers.

The writing you see here is not for the heathen or the atheist or the satanist unless they are in the process of turning away from empty ways to the only truth that is found in Jesus the Son of God. The writing here is for the BELIEVER who is in the process of leaving the babylonian prostitute for the true church which is "in Christ Jesus." People are soul starved today. When they come to place in their life experience when they have absolutely HAD IT with being lied to over and over and over again then maybe they will find the truth. Our God said you can seek him and find him when you seek him with all your heart. Not half your heart...ALL your heart meaning you have to really want the truth.

Do not consider my words to be true. Only the Word of God is truth and I point you there in your quest for knowledge. The Lord's concern today is for the people who call themselves by His name. Do you think our God is "concerned" about what Satan is doing? This world is being overrun by the hordes of hell, but what does it matter? Our attention is to be focused on HIM. Only after our focus is squarely on Jesus can the rest of the things in this world take their proper place with us. The moment Peter took his eyes off of Jesus while walking on the water, he began to sink. Jesus asked Peter "why did you doubt" and the answer was that Peter took his eyes off the master, that's why he doubted.

What is the Spirit saying to the churches today? I can tell you what he is saying to me. He is saying that he expects us to take him at his word. He expects us to expect him to do what he said he would do. He expects us to take his word at face value. When Peter was walking on water with Jesus what did it matter that the wind and the waves were roaring around them...IT DID'NT MATTER. Walking on the water is a demonstration of POWER and FAITH which is what is expected of us today. Our Lord expects us to be STRONG in FAITH. Staring at the waves and the wind day in and day out while lamenting "oh, look at how bad everything is" will get you one place...under the waves.

It has been said here for months now. I have seen a turning in the Lord's dealing with me from watching the world turn from a more subtle apostasy and a more subtle unfolding of events to an unfolding that's "in your face." What need is there to tell people "the ship is sinking" when they are standing neck deep in water with the floor of the ship over their heads instead of under their feet?

We are being called back to repentance and prayer. We are called back to real faith and belief. We are told to meditate on the word of God day and night that we may be careful to do everything that has been written.

Joshua 1:8 Do Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night,so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.

Meditating day and night on the Word of God is something that is so far out as an idea for most people that they can't even register the thought in their minds. We are also told to:

1 Thessalonians 5:17
... pray without ceasing;

Pray without ceasing? Meditate on the Word of God day and night? That does'nt leave much room for "current events" now does it? Bottom line here..where is your attention? If you pray without ceasing where is your mind focused? If you meditate on the Word of God day and night where is your mind focused?

I don't think the Lord expects us to be ignorant of the things going on around us:

2 Corinthians 2:11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.

We are not ignorant of his devices but where is our continual focus? He is. He is God Almighty and he expects ALL OF US. Pray without ceasing and meditate on the law day and night are proofs of the mind and thinking of our God. When you are so filled with the Word of God which gives you the mind of God that the world becomes a distant reality and Jesus is your "real" reality then mountains move before your eyes. We live by faith not sight. Our sight tells us one thing and faith tells us another thing. When what you "see" conflicts with what your faith is saying then what you "see" is a lie.

2 Corinthians 5:7 We live by faith, not by sight.

People are so addicted to this world. They are so addicted to "sight" that faith has no place in them. That's a major reason why we see no power in todays world. People who don't live by "sight" are ridiculed as losers and "out of touch with reality." Well here's a newsflash for people in todays world: "reality" is what FAITH SAYS IT IS...period. If you do not take that attitude then how can you believe unto salvation? Have you seen Jesus with your physical eyes yet? No? Then why do you believe? FAITH NOT SIGHT..thats why.

Faith combined with prayer moves mountains and in a world full of hurting people with lack, fear and despair on every side faith combined with prayer is the answer...every time. We are coming to a place in world history where the battle lines are being clearly drawn. Either you decide to be serious, take the Word of God seriously, or side with the world and live by sight with all its attendant problems.

This past presidential (s)election was a great example of the apostasy and worldliness of the so called church. They shouted from the rooftops "get involved! get out and vote! make a difference!" They tell you to use your physical body to "make a difference" because to them prayer is really just lip service. These people really do not believe mountains can be moved through faith. Jesus did'nt say a grain of mustard seed worth of faith plus 80,000 bulldozers would move mountains, he said FAITH would move the mountain.

Matthew 17:20 ... For most certainly I tell you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move;

That's not to say there is no place for employment of the body in the service of God but its a statement of priorities and a statement of where the POWER comes from to do what needs to be done. It is well within the realm of possibility that your FAITH combined with someone else's physical movement will accomplish what needs to be done but without faith no mountains will ever be moved. Our God determines HOW the mountain moves, he expects the faith to do it from you.

These are the things that have been on my mind for weeks now. One man on his knees in believing, faithful prayer can do more than LEGIONS of busybodied worldly people with all their worldly tools combined. Pray without ceasing, be sure that His words abide in you and you abide in Him. This is what I hear the Spirit speaking to the churches today. We are dearly loved, grace and peace.

Vacation

I've been on vacation a few days. Was so busy just before I left that I did'nt leave a note here, oops! Will be back writing in a day or so, grace and peace

A Saved Person

Matthew 16:24
... Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone wants to follow me, he must deny himself, pick up his cross, and follow me continually.

If you want to know what it means to be "saved" it means someone who finishes what they started. Being "saved" is not some 5-15 second teary eyed event on one day of your life. To be saved is to FOLLOW THE LORD CONTINUALLY. See the difference? One event is a one day event, the other event is an every day event. Huge difference wouldn't you say?

What's another way to say "follow me continually?" ABIDE IN ME:

John 15:1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. 3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. 9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. 10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. 11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

Matt 3:10 The ax already lies against the roots of the trees. So every tree that isn’t producing good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. (SPEAKING TO RELIGIOUS LEADERS...)

1 John 2:24... What you have heard from the beginning must abide in you.

Did you read that one carefully? See that word MUST in there? What does the word MUST mean? Do we really need theological degrees to figure this out? Do we need to argue endlessly over what the word MUST means? When you are told that you MUST do something and you don't do it, what happens...............?

Psalm 91:1 ... He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

1 John 4:13
... This is how we know that we abide in him and he in us: he has given us his Spirit.

Abide: 1: to wait for : await 2 a: to endure without yielding

You see what "abide" means? Its NOT a one day event. Its an every day event. It means to wait for, to endure without yielding. So what happens when you do NOT endure and you do yield? Then you are no longer abiding. Go re-read John 15 for what happens to those who no longer abide in Christ.

It has been written here this week that the "once saved always saved" doctrine is a doctrine of devils. It is a license to sin based around Satan's intimate knowledge of human nature. Present humans with a seemingly "win/win" situation and they'll bite almost every time. OSAS tells you that you can sin all you want to and still be saved. Enjoy the sin today, enjoy heaven tomorrow with a few less rewards. Jesus might be upset but he'll understand and forgive you so what's to worry about? That's it in a nutshell.

When I wrote about "OSAS" earlier this week I bypassed a hammer meets the head of the nail statement from the Lord himself about this doctrine of devils. Read this:

Jude 1:4 For some people have slipped in among you unnoticed. They were written about long ago as being deserving of this condemnation because they are ungodly. They turn the grace of our God into uncontrollable lust and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus the Messiah.

Think long and hard about what the Lord says to us there. They turn the grace of our God into uncontrollable lust. That's another way of saying with their doctrine they hand you a license to sin. If I'm wrong, then you tell me what the Lord is referencing here when he says some people who slipped in unnoticed have turned the grace of God into uncontrollable lust? I know..I know...you can't be sure what he's talking about but its definitely NOT what you or your "church" are doing right? It's always somebody else, some other place, some other church..never yours.

Well, the Lord is speaking to somebody there in Jude 1:4. Unfortunately for most people today, they'll do what they always do and blow off the Lord's warning as something that might give them a "spirit of fear" and go on living a lie instead. We are told in Matt 7:14 that only a few will make it into heaven, but MOST people think they will make it in. See a problem with that? In Matt 7:21 we see MANY churchpeople (they call Jesus "Lord") turned away from the Lord yet the MANY in todays "christianity" think there is no problem with what they or their "pastor" are doing. See a discrepancy in there anywhere?

The Lord loves His creation and because he loves it, he gives us both his rewards and his warnings laid out clearly for all to see. Todays religious systems seem to have an eye only for the rewards with a complete disregard for any and all warnings. I understand this since if the "pastor" says anything that might give someone a "spirit of fear" then attendance goes down, which means $$$$$ goes down which means the warnings of God are not allowed in the door. So we get what we have today which is a false gospel stripped of any and all warnings, candy coated and buffed to a high sheen for consumption by the masses.

WATCHMEN

The so called "watchmen" in todays world are so busy with what Satan is doing they have no time to focus on the Lord, his Word, what HE is doing today. The Lord tells us clearly what "watching" according to the Lord is, but who is listening?

1 Peter 4:7 ... But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.

Mark 13:33
... Take care, keep watch with prayer: for you are not certain when the time will be

Did you read that? WATCH WITH PRAYER. How do we watch? WITH PRAYER. Who is the focus? JESUS IS. There's a whole slew of "christian watchmen" who seem to be experts of current events and satanism/witchcraft 101 who are absolutely novices in the Lord. Do you think the Lord is pleased with this?

We watch with prayer. Is there anything wrong with watching current events? No, we can see bible prophesy unfolding all around us in the events of the day however.....PRAYER, THE LORD is the primary focus. Anything that distracts us from him first, first love (rev 2), seeking first the kingdom of God, it doesn't matter what it is, if its jockeying for first place in your heart mind and spirit then it needs an immediate downgrade. Jesus comes first and he will not tolerate second place. He is God Almighty, why should he have to accept anything but 1st place with us?

If we put first things first, everything else will take care of itself. He is first. grace and peace