Fear God

Mat 10:28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both the soul and the body in hell.

The word for fear here is phobeo; both in regard to the fear of man and God: that is, don’t phobeo man but rather phobeo God; and why phobeo God? Bcos He is able to send to hell.

So, our LORD tells us here what the fear of God means: For the unrepentant, Jesus warns them that they should fear what God will justly do to them as the righteous judge, and turn from evil. Jesus, obviously, declares this truth so that men will repent.

For the righteous, the redeemed, this holy fear also remains and is not incompatible with trusting and loving Him. For the righteous, it’s obviously not to be afraid of God, for His love has cast out all fear; rather, it is to have a solemn understanding (respect is a good word) that God will do exactly what He has said.

For example:

For if having escaped from the corruptions of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, yet by these, having become entangled they are defeated, the latter end has become worse for them than the first. For it was better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than knowing it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them.
(2Peter 2:20-21)

The true Christian who has Godly fear in them will amen this verse, and believe it also applies to them.

The false christian reads this verse, gets nervous, then says, I don’t believe there’s anything I could do that could stop Jesus from loving me… ; meaning,  No matter what sins I went back to and got ensnared in again, that at least I know I would be safe and go to heaven… .

Such a person has no fear of God, and is therefore a fool.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

What God doesn’t say speaks to us

Came across this statement recently:

The Bible seems to go out of its way to hide the precise time Jesus was born, never mentioning the day, date, month, year or even season.

Absolutely. God did go out of His way to hide those details; extra-ordinarily. Why? There’s a message there, in His silence: He did not want any one to know the date of Jesus’ birth;  Read:  He did not want anyone to celebrate Jesus’ birth by creating a secular-religious holiday. Of course, He knew man would create one anyway.

But God had His reasons.

Yes, many things, which we perceive to be omissions from scripture, are simply God trying to tell us something, like, Take the hint! ; they have a message in themselves.

Which things does God seem to go out of His way to hide, in Scripture?

With any practice or belief, in Christianity, if there’s not a Scriptural example of it, what does that tell us?

It could tell us that we’re making Christianity more complicated and less simple than God intended His Church to be.

He also didn’t want His Son’s name and birth secularized and morphed with this world to the point that Christ rejecters merrily celebrate His birth.

‘Little gods’?

Psalm 82:6 I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.

But, Joyce Meyer, Copeland et. al. PURPOSELY leave out the next verse bcos it exposes their lie (the original lie from the garden) :

Vs 7 But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.

Let’s comment on these 2 verses:

So, you are gods (elohim) and all of you are children of the most High – referring to how God made men and women in His image.

But, these ‘gods’ are going to die like men and go to hell. Not very ‘Divine’ are they?

In Christ, we are partakers of the Divine nature.

But if any of these turn back from following Jesus their end is worse than their beginning (2 Peter 2:20).

Not very ‘Divine’ eh? They’re not very glorious ‘gods’  if God can damn them forever.

1 Cor. 8:4 As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one.
5 For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,)
6 But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.

To us there is one God. For people to go around calling themselves ‘little gods’ is the height of demonic arrogance. And, this Scripture says that if people do call themselves gods it doesnt mean they are actually gods, only that they are calling themselves gods. For, to us, there is only one God.

And, who are they gods to? They’re not my god or gods; are they anyone’s god? Maybe they are only a god to themselves?

This false doctrine of personal divinity is at the root of everything ‘Luciferian’ and has been since satan first offered divinity to Eve, in the garden.

Isaiah 43:10 Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.
11 I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour.

Do we share Christ’s Divinity?

No.  Christ Jesus can identify with us and call us His brothers, as far as His humanity is concerned (He is both God and Man – the ONLY Person who is God and Man). He calls us ‘brother’, not god.

We can identify with and share in His humanity, as THE Perfect Man, but not with His Divinity. He will always be our God and we His creatures. He is not a creature.

Filled with the Holy Spirit

“But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: “And it shall be in the last days”, says God, “that I will pour from My Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy; and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams;” “And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; and they shall prophesy.   Acts 2:16-18

When we have left this earthly scene, would those who knew us say,  There was a man (or woman) who was FILLED with the Holy Spirit!

Are we known as people filled with the Holy Spirit?

Quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger

James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad: Greetings.

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. But let endurance have its perfect work, that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it shall be given to him. But let him ask in faith, doubting nothing, for he that doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he shall receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

Let the lowly brother rejoice in his exaltation, but the rich man in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field he will pass away. For the sun arose with burning heat and withered the grass, and its flower fell off, and its beautiful appearance perished. So the rich man also shall fade away in his pursuits.

Blessed is the man who endures temptation; because when he is approved, he shall receive the crown of life which the Lord promised to those who love Him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted by his own lusts, being drawn away and being seduced by them. Then lust, when it conceives, gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.

Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. Exercising His will He fathered us by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.

So then, my beloved brothers, let every man be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore laying aside all filthiness and abundance of evil, in meekness receive the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But become doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

Because if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, this one is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observed himself and has gone away, and immediately forgot what sort of man he was. But the one who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one shall be blessed in what he does.

If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceiving his heart, the religion of this man is useless. Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.
(James 1:1-27)

Following a template? Or the Holy Spirit?

When creating a webpage there are usually 2 basic options: either use an established template (such as we use on WordPress), or create an entirely new page from scratch. (ok, i’m a dummy, so if i’m wrong please enlighten me!)

There’s a similarity here to the Christian life, in these last days.

Do we function within the parameters of the prevailing established religious ‘template’ of the day, with it’s laws of what to do, when to do, how to do – following the template?

When Christmas rolls around, the template dictates that you should do certain stuff on that day. Simple. Just follow the template for your life. It takes away all the hard work of creating a new page: it’s easy, quick, convenient.

The template is very useful, in fact, you don’t even need to think much, or even seek the mind of the Holy Spirit, as the template has already decided everything for you.

Was this Jesus Christ’s intention for His Church?

Faith only listens to Jesus

…and what He says. It doesn’t listen to the enemy or the babble of voices from end time apostate christendom.

The wise Christian discerns everything as to whether or not Jesus is speaking thru it.

What is Jesus saying to you? Is He encouraging you or discouraging you?  Lifting you up or condemning you? Clearly guiding you or bringing confusion?

Is that Jesus who is telling you that you’re hopeless and lacking faith? No, it’s someone else.

What does Jesus say to you?  Well done, good and faithful servant?

Do you love Him; do you believe and obey Him? Then you are His good and faithful servant.

LORD, am I your good and faithful servant?  Yes or no?  Let’s not be double minded about anything.

Niagara Falls, when the water is turned off…

Wouldn’t be quite the same, eh. I mean, you could say you’ve been to the famous Niagara Falls, but not really been there.

Without the outpouring and moving of the Holy Spirit our Churches can be like Niagara when the water is turned off – the name and location is certainly right, but the power is not there.

We should earnestly pray for the outpouring and moving of the Holy Spirit.

Do you remember what it’s like to be lost?

The other day i was trying to remember what it was like when i was lost. I had forgotten.

I was one of the ‘living dead’; living, but dead as i lived. ‘Life’ was like a rollercoaster: satan would take me ever higher into exhilarating highs, then drop me and watch me crash to the ground in hopelessness and emptiness, only to repeat that cycle of sin over and over, never learning that the wages of sin is death. But the ‘satisfaction’ that sin gave was in ever diminishing returns until i began to get sick of sin and tried to break free from it’s power, but i couldn’t.

It was to live in a bubble; a ‘God-free’ zone, always aware that God lives in another realm than the one i had chosen to live in, and the thought of meeting Him on Judgment Day was too painful to consider, but something to be blocked out.

It was like living on death row; the shroud of death covered me like a dark cloud. Terrible fears would come and go. I don’t know whether i was more afraid of demons or of Jesus. Whenever someone would speak to me about Jesus i would be paralyzed inside and want to run away. The name of Jesus cut me like a knife. No other name had that effect.

Here’s the application:

We can communicate the glorious Salvation of God only because we have received so great a Salvation ourselves.

Let us BE the gospel preachers whom WE should have heard when we were lost.

I want to be the type of preacher who could have got thru to me and led me to Jesus when i was lost.

Healing in the Atonement? Laying a debate to rest

I’ve gotta back track on this one. I used to believe that healing was part of the Atonement – that is, that the Atonement is the basis by which we can pray in faith for healing in Jesus name.

Then, this morning I feel I got a revelation, quite unexpectedly. I feel the Lord directed my attention to all the times He physically healed people PRIOR to the Atonement; from the earliest days; from the days of the Israelites (obedient ones) who walked in perfect health, protected from all diseases, as God promised them:

….If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee. Exodus 15:26

God was the LORD that heals : Elijah raising the dead, David’s many references to God as a healer and a protector from disease, and many other OT healings; right up to the healing ministry of our LORD Jesus Christ, all prior to Him making Atonement for sin.

And, all these healings were perfect healings, and all those healed eventually died; receiving healing didn’t give them immortality of the body.

And here is my point: The Atonement did not change the way that God physically heals people, nor His willingness to heal. He heals the same way today as He did before He sent His Son into the world and before He made Atonement for the sin of the world.

Yet, the Atonement radically changed the way in which God deals with sin, and the OT saints were only perfected when their sins were atoned for at Calvary ; then, the people of faith, of the Old Covenant, entered the New Covenant :

….And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect. Heb. 11:39-40.

During our LORD Jesus’ earthly ministry (prior to His Atonement) He could perfectly heal the sick, but He could not make sinners into new creations in Him by the Holy Spirit. Only after He made Atonement for our sin could He make us new creations in Him, by sending the Holy Spirit to indwell us forever.

Therefore, physical healing is something distinct from the Atonement, and this harmonizes with this Scripture:

When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses. Matt. 8:16-17

…That is, He was bearing our sicknesses before the Atonement, before He bore our sins, and also, His baring our sicknesses cannot be understood as Him atoning for our sicknesses : Jesus didn’t become sick for us, but He did become sin for us:

…For he has made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Cor. 5:21

The benefits (results) of the Atonement are eternal benefits, whereas physical healing is only a temporary benefit.

Where’s the application in this? Even if it’s only that the argument (and doubts) over whether there is healing in the Atonement is laid to rest, that would be a good thing. There may be other applications also.

Prioritizing the Church

What Church has evolved (or devolved) into since the Apostolic days is a reversal of priorities. The early Church had radically different priorities than many of us do today.

Our number one priority has been that we must ‘feel good’ and get ‘a blessing’ from Church. Music has the power to make you ‘feel’ spiritual, even when you aren’t; even when you’re in disobedience; even when you’re grieving the Holy Spirit, for music has power to affect the soul, for good or bad.

Not against music or exuberant praise, even shouting, hollering and dancing before the LORD. To be against that would put you against worshipers like King David.

I’m against wrong priorities; when things which are not God’s priorities take center stage and first place, and His priorities come last, if at all.

When we read the Book of Acts we can get a light on God’s priorities for His Church and be corrected.

Freedom or Form?

The institutional church exists as the ‘easy solution’ to the fact of Christian carnality/flesh.

Carnality or immaturity is the ‘stuff’ we bring with us to Church which has the potential to cause havoc and disrupt the work of the Holy Spirit – what He wants to do, corporately.

The easy way is to control the flesh by a program and form – that is, don’t even give it an opportunity to do what it wants. The hard way is to allow freedom, bcos inevitably many use their freedom as an opportunity for the flesh.

So what is the answer?  Enforce a template over the people of God that will restrain their carnality and ensure “orderly” “services” ?   Or, that Christians mature to the place where they restrain themselves?

Which is more honoring to God, and is indeed His Way?

Are you blessed? Blessed by God?

If all your trust is in the LORD Jesus Christ, and no one else, and He, Himself, is your hope, then you are blessed by God.

Blessed is the man that trusts in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreads out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat comes, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit. Jeremiah 17:7-8

You are BLESSED. The blessing of God is on you and in you, if you trust Him. You are like a tree planted by the river and you’ll remain green and fruitful even thru the hardest drought, bcos you are blessed by God. It’s His blessing alone that matters.

You’re not blessed by this world, or by any natural sustenance; you’re supernaturally blessed by the Life-giving Spirit of God, just like the folks in the ‘ol Bible days’, for the same Holy Spirit who indwelt and led forth in victory all the saints of old, and even our LORD Jesus Christ, dwells in us for the glory of God.

Our living Hope is a Person, the LORD of Glory. When our heart truly has all our hope invested in Him, the Person, the Man Christ Jesus, then we are truly blessed by God.

Friend, can you truly say that you are blessed by God; that you have His blessing? If not, you need to put all your trust in Him.

What if the great things are the small things?

Would you be disappointed to find that out?

What if the things, which no one sees or appreciates but God, are the things which He esteems great in His Kingdom?

Would our whole Christian world view of what constitutes Christianity and the Church be turned on its head?

Keep yourselves in the love of God

But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, anticipating the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. Jude 1:20-21

The Kingdom of Christ, and of God and of Heaven, has a boundary, a border, just as do all kingdoms. It’s His love that delineates the boundary of the Kingdom of God, and it’s His love in us which assures us we are indeed within the boundaries, within His country (1 John 3:14).

We are commanded to keep ourselves in the love of God, that is, within the boundaries of His Love. This means that there is a tendency and a bias working in us and against us which tries to draw us out of the love of God. This is a continual conflict in every saint who is being sanctified.

Whenever we start to cross the borderline, where we are not moved by the love of Christ, not moved by compassion, we are crossing the line into another kingdom, a strange country; the old land of Egypt from where we came.

Keep yourselves in the love of God – may His love direct us and keep us moment by moment.

Cult-proofing your life

Here’s part of the equipment to build a firewall against cultic control into your life:

Now we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is partial shall pass away. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I thought as a child, I reasoned as a child; but when I became a man, I put away the things of the child. For now we see through a mirror by reflection, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. 1Cor 13:9-13

You won’t find this attitude in cult leaders, and neither in their followers.

Let’s start with their followers, as it’s the followers which ‘make’ a cult leader: IF the followers of cult leaders believed the above Scripture, and acknowledged that we all, including their leaders,  only prophesy in part and only see dimly, then they would not exalt them to a place of power in their lives, souls and emotions, rather, they would simply relate to them as equal brothers and sisters in Christ.

The upshot of this Scripture is that no leader (real or pretend) is someone you can look to and trust for all the answers, and neither should be related to as such, for that was never God’s intention in Christ Jesus for His Body.

But the hard reality is that millions look to certain men as having ‘the scoop’ on the Christian life and the life of the Church. This goes beyond Godly honor and respect for elders in the faith, into an idolatrous-emotional bondage to someone who seems to have ‘all the answers’.

A key phrase in the above passage is “in part” : ..now I know in part.. Therefore, our relationship to other members of the Body of Christ is only a part of our life.  If some brethren are elders to you, know that this vital ministry (serving) is only in part, and a part of your life, and not the whole of your life, as cults practice, thus usurping the Holy Spirit and the Headship of Christ.

Expelled!

Yesterday, was thinking about the absurdity of evolutionary theory, particularly: If, for example, you take any organ within a mammal (and consider that the whole body system requires virtually all of the multitude of organs to be functioning together correctly for the mammal to live) ; each organ is a system within a system. For a single organ to mutate its way to the point that it would actually begin to work (to live, be ‘viable’) would require millions of individual mutations, AND, in the correct sequence, IF it were possible to happen (but it’s impossible).

So, this morning, i typed in “evolution and mutations” into Google and got this interesting short clip from the movie “Expelled”. Enjoy. (It’s only 2:23 so even dial-up will do it).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G36ikQbNjNc

Encouraged by meeting the brethren

Sheela and I just returned from a 26hr return train ride to meet a family of believers who’ve recently come to India from America to preach the gospel: Sean and Lisa Scott, and their 4 children.

We spent a day with them and were strengthened and reinvigorated in the LORD thru the mutual fellowship in the gospel.

Here are their updates:

http://www.preachingjesuschrist.com/updates.html

BE the Church, for Heaven’s sake

He said to them, “But who do you pronounce Me to be?” And Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I shall build My church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it.
Matt 16:15-18

Jesus is building His Church and He is building it with individuals who share a common Divine revelation of who Jesus Christ IS.

And this is a Living, perpetual-ongoing, shared revelation – vision, not just a one-time event:

Who Jesus is to you : When 2 or more are in a real love relationship to one another, where Jesus is EVERYTHING – truly LORD and King in our lives, then we need to acknowledge that this is the LORD’S doing : the LORD’S building; building His Church, and we are together that House that will stand.

We simply need to agree with the Living Head of the Church and work-in with His plans; surrendering to His Way and Wisdom for His Church, and BE the Church today.

His Church and His Kingdom are synonymous: If you can BE a part of His Kingdom today, then you can be a functioning part of His Church today: The Kingdom won’t wait till Sunday, neither does the Head of the Church wait for Sunday to build His Church. Maybe few, if anyone, will immediately acknowledge what you are doing as ‘real church’ bcos the externals may not look much like traditional church, just as the Kingdom does not come with observation; you can’t label and package ‘it’ and say, it’s here or it’s there, bcos ‘it’ is the free wind of the Holy Spirit and is among you: ‘It’ is He, Himself.

You can’t label and package and market the true Church of the Living God anymore than you could package and market your own family.

BE the Church today : pray for the brethren: get together with them; invite them over; go visit people together to preach the gospel as a team; exercise the authority which is yours in Christ Jesus to BE a functioning member of His Body today :

LORD, what is my part in your Body? What do you want me to do today and how do you want me to relate to and serve my brothers and sisters?

Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely

But test all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from every form of evil. Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do this. 1 Thess 5:21-24

…And may your whole spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

He will do this.

What should we do?   …Test all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from every form of evil.