Death penalty for leaving Islam

Imagine the outcry all over the world if the USA or the Vatican tried to hang someone simply for leaving Christianity and converting to Islam? The world would rightly say, What a barbaric religion! Yes?

A trial court in Iran has issued its final verdict, ordering a Christian pastor to be put to death for leaving Islam and converting to Christianity, according to sources close to the pastor and his legal team.

The world needs to stand up and say that a man cannot be put to death because of his faith, said Jordan Sekulow, executive director of The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ).

Supporters fear Youcef Nadarkhani, a 34-year-old father of two who was arrested over two years ago on charges of apostasy, may now be executed at any time without prior warning, as death sentences in Iran may be carried out immediately or dragged out for years.

From here

See also

Please keep praying for Youcef, and for Asia Bibi in Pakistan. Let’s pray as if WE were in their place.

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine

but after their own lusts shall they draw to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto myths (fables). 2 Timothy 4:3-4

Why do people oppose what Paul commanded?

Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the others judge. If anything be revealed to another that sits by, let the first hold his peace. For you may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted. 1 Corinthians 14:29-31

Let the prophets speak, Paul commands. So we should let them.

Those who hear the voice of the LORD speaking to His people DO NOT oppose these verses being applied and practiced in the Church.

How could they?

The only people who oppose this being practiced are those to whom this does not fall within the realm of their personal experience – they don’t understand what Paul is saying here, bcos they have not experienced what is described here : which is, a people who have a living and vital word from God for His Church revealed to them.

If anything be revealed... The only people who will oppose this are those who do not have the word of the LORD revealed to them.

If Paul came back today and spoke these same words in your Church, how many could receive it? They oppose it bcos they do not hear His voice.

Granted, you may never have taken notice of these verses before – it may be something new to you, but now that you have read what God has commanded, be careful not to oppose Him. If you oppose and prevent what Paul commanded here (or anywhere else) then you oppose God.

Please see Comments for an explanation of what Prophecy is.

Servant of All

And whosoever of you will be the first, shall be servant of all. Mark 10:44

Would you consider yourself to be a servant of all?

What is the outlook of such a disciple? How is their disposition? What are they like in real-life, these servants of all?

How do they handle problems and difficulties among the brethren?

What is the outcome they are praying and working to see?

Stop sugarcoating the Bible

Read here

The Bible is a gritty book. Very raw. Very real. It deals with people just like us, just as needy and screwed up as we are, encountering a God who would rather die than spend eternity without them.

The general thrust of this is very good, a word in season.

Sugarcoating the Bible is an epidemic today.

However, one point is wrong. Please see Comments.

If you don’t have time to think

then God also doesn’t have the time to explain things to you. He will just have to leave you in the dark, for you disqualify yourself by not taking Him seriously.

If the Cross was still in the future

Please see Comments

If we find it hard to take the time to get alone with our Father

then we need to examine afresh our love for Him.

If any celebrity or world leader came to our home, we would most likely take time-out to spend with them, for however long they desired.

Ah, that’s different! We can see them, but we can’t see God, so it’s only understandable that we would find it hard to spend time alone with a Person we cannot see! Hmmm.

This issue hinges on love, reverence, worship and friendship : These are the reasons to spend time alone with your Father, as our LORD Jesus taught us:

But you, when you pray, enter into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret shall reward you openly. Matthew 6:6

If you have no room available, like that, then the great outdoors is just a big room, anyway.

Man must be a new creature if he would enjoy heaven

THERE is nothing clearer than this, that man must be a new creature if he would enjoy heaven. God could not make you happy, unless He made you like Himself.

God must make you a partaker of His divine nature — He must give you new desires, new principles — He must create you “new creatures in Christ Jesus.” And you must ascertain whether this great change has passed over you.

The question must be — Have I “passed from death unto life”?

– Octavius Winslow
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Why do we have a bias, or a disposition to live, think and speak as IF Heaven were so far away? When it isn’t.

Or as if hell were not right under the sidewalk we walk on every day? When it is.

That’s the influence of this world, which tries to conform us to a lie, and away from the actual reality of the risen LORD Jesus, and of Heaven and Hell.

Truly Spirit-filled disciples HAVE the reality, so it’s normal for them to preach and teach of the reality they live in.

The difference is Grace

What causes you to differ from an alcoholic, a drug addict, a sex addict, a food addict, a fornicator, a liar, a thief, a conman, etc.. ? From a heretic and false prophet, merchandizer or money preacher?

What is the factor that makes you not one of these? What has caused you to be different to all of these? Why are you not one of these any longer?

Grace.

The ONLY difference, the ONLY factor is grace. Grace is the sole divider between what you once were in your sins, and what you are now in Christ.

Do you believe this?

Is it a little painful to have nothing to glory in, except in the Cross of our LORD Jesus Christ?

Why is the death of our self-righteous, inner-pride such a painful death? No glory for us, eh. The glory is in the Cross alone.

For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:8-10

There are good days and bad days

and during the good days we understand that the bad days weren’t so bad as we thought, and we get more of a Heavenly perspective on a good day, which helps us understand why the bad day was bad.

ONE DIRECTOR OF CHRISTIAN MEN — GOD THE HOLY GHOST

Whose directions require indeed instant obedience, but not the endorsement of any man.

– CT Studd

From here

This exhortation really helped me today out on the streets witnessing. I needed to be reminded of this, to instantly obey the promptings of the Holy Spirit. What a joy to be prompted by Him and then obey.

See here and here and here

You have given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme

However, because by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto you shall surely die. 2 Samuel 12:14

When those who are called by Jesus name sin, then they give great occasion for the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme. God hates that, when His enemies ACTUALLY HAVE A VALID CASE against the people of God, and therefore shame His Holy name.

The people who take Jesus name should not give the accuser of the brethren any substance for his accusations, so that his accusations actually become truthful accusations.

To the Jew first

and also to the Greek (anyone who is not a Jew).

Romans 1:16, 2:9-10, 11:13-36

This is God’s order in dealing with humanity : To the Jew first, and then everyone else.

The non-Jew can’t complain, for he is not excluded, he is very much included in the New Covenant when he believes on Jesus, and is grafted into the Olive tree, who IS Messiah. The Olive tree is the Jewish Messiah, the King of the Jews.

Let the non-Jew, the Greek, acknowledge that Jesus is the Messiah (Christ means the Jewish Messiah), and that To the Jew first means that, foremost, Jesus is the Jewish Messiah (Savior) before He is the Savior of the world.

Let’s all say together with our brother Paul, The gospel is to the Jew first! To the Jew first! Ah, that feels good. And also to the Greek! That feels equally as good.

This becomes critical as the whole world turns against the Jewish people in the last days.

To the Jewish people first, and then to everyone else. That’s always been the order.

See also: Joseph Farah chastises Christians who don’t appreciate the Savior’s Jewishness

This world doesn’t have a happy ending

But no one likes an unhappy ending, right? We would prefer a happy ending to the story of the human race.

But in the very near future there will be a global holocaust and bloodbath of such epic, Biblical proportions, that no one will survive if God doesn’t intervene and stop it, by sending Jesus back to judge the world (Matthew 24:21-22).

That’s going to happen SOON.

(I can say this cos i’m not on the payroll)

Look, real Christianity is about facing reality, and false Christianity about believing in fables (2 Timothy 4:3-4).

False prophets do NOT render continuationism invalid

My dear brother Todd Friel is saying that we cannot test peoples claims, that God tells them to do certain things – that we cannot test such claims bcos it’s already established that God no longer speaks to people, apart from revealing the Scriptures to them.

Well, of course you CAN and SHOULD test Bentley’s claims, by comparing the nature of them to the nature of Jesus (the fruit).

The very fact that the Bible commands us to test every prophecy, or claim, shows that there must be a real hearing of God’s voice, otherwise, why would we need to test such claims? They would automatically be invalid, if cessasionism were true.

But, TF, it’s silly for anyone to base their thinking on such circumstantial, subjective stuff. Whatever Todd Bentley claims, it has no bearing on how we understand the Bible, it’s irrelevant.

Whether God healed that man of cancer, or whether Bentley is lying again, has no bearing on establishing any doctrine of the Bible.

And that is what TF is suggesting, that, bcos certain people claim to hear God’s voice, and they don’t, that means that no one can hear His voice, which is silly logic.

False prophets do NOT render continuationism invalid, that would be evangelical dopiness.

It is absurd to say that the indwelling Holy Spirit does not speak to us, in our spirit, to give us directions concerning the things He wants us to do.

Guidance and direction IS NOT EXTRA-BIBLICAL REVELATION. That is an entirely different matter, and on that we should all agree, that the Canon is closed.

If a person is not led by the guidance of the Holy Spirit in every day living, then it could be that they don’t have the Holy Spirit. They would certainly be a self-willed person.

See here and here and here

Nigeria’s Millionaire Preachers

“Nigeria’s Millionaire Preachers” with Seyi Rhodes from Sahara Reporters on Vimeo.

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Sign Fireman, prove to me that you are not covetous? Prove to me that the love of money is not your idol?

Can you say with Paul, I have coveted no man’s silver, or gold, or apparel. ? Acts 20:33

You can’t say that, eh?
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Jesus = $$$ ??

Jesus loved money?

Jesus was covetous?

Jesus driving passion was to get money out of people?

Jesus taught people how to get materially rich?

How do you know you are saved?

Paul Washer

The Kingdom is synonymous with the Holy Spirit

Your kingdom come. Your will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:10

When we pray for the Kingdom to come daily in the life of our friends, we are praying for the Holy Spirit to empower, illuminate and teach them.

We cannot separate the coming of the Kingdom from the ministry of the Holy Spirit : and His ministry is to bring the Words of Jesus to us.

The Holy Spirit is not a drug

He is a Person who lives in you, who happens to be Almighty God.

The Holy Spirit is not a drug, so we should not relate to Him as if He were.

This Person who lives in you has an agenda.

He seeks to glorify Jesus, the Son of God, and to show you Jesus’ Father : that you and Jesus have the same Father. He wants to reveal the glorious reality that is yours in Christ – the unsearchable riches of Christ.

He seeks to conform you to the Son.

He works in you that you may be a witness and a light in this world.

He makes you an over-comer. He makes you wise. He makes you develop from a child to a man or woman of God.

He illuminates the Scriptures to you, and writes them in your heart or spirit, and causes them to flow forth from your mouth : Out of your inner-most being flow rivers of life-giving water.

A drug cannot do any of this, it can only alter the way you feel.

Similarly, too many Christians relate to the Holy Spirit more like a mind-altering drug or an intoxicant, than a Person, who is God.

To them, all the Holy Spirit does it alter the way they feel, and makes them feel better.

He certainly does cause us to feel better, but not in the same way in which a drug does.

See also