Christ's Kingdom Come

 

Isa 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Isa 9:7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

Ride Out Your Storm

 

Verse: 1

You've been in the storm it seems like forever,

and your night of confusion has been oh so long,

your ship has lost anchor and the storms got you drifting,

but the nights almost over so ride out your storm.

 

Chorus:

Ride out your storm God's right there with you,

you may not feel him oh but you're not alone,

you're hurting now, but your morning is coming,

so hold on to Jesus and ride out your storm.

 

Verse: 2

Remember his promise he said I'll never forsake you,

though the waters are raging oh they'll do you no harm,

don't give up the battle, for your answer is coming,

just hold on to Jesus and ride out your storm.

 

Verse: 3

You've cried many tears, and your heart has been broken,

but it's almost over for he's coming again,

he'll say to the storm peace be still,

just hold on to Jesus and ride out your storm.

WOUNDS FROM A FRIEND

 

by Steve Zeisler

---

"The uncovering of what is veiled and the removing of masks is central to vital Christianity. We live in an age that is very aware of the power of hidden things to sway everything else. Modern psychologists tell us that dysfunctional families, in which anger, guilt and lying remain unresolved, are headed for serious trouble down the road. These things remain unresolved because they are covered up-hidden by a veil-and tragedy is compounded because it is not possible to deal with the problem until the veil is taken away and the truth is revealed.

Exposure, however, is always painful. The bandage that covers the wound eventually will have to be removed, otherwise healing will not take place, but in the removal pain is usually felt. The hostages who have been freed in the Middle East recently had been blindfolded and imprisoned in darkened rooms for long periods of time during their captivity. They must have blinked and recoiled with discomfort on first stepping out into the bright light of the sun when they were finally released. With their freedom came the removal of the blindfolds, and the resultant pain.

Wounded for our good

Proverbs 27:6 says, "Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses." The process of removing our veils, of exposing what is hidden, of bringing to light difficult realities so that healing may take place is initiated at times because a friend is willing to wound us by exposing us to our folly. A friend is the only one qualified and willing to do this. An enemy does not qualify. An enemy will "multiply kisses," and tell you only what you want to hear, or inflict pain that is destructive. But a friend will be faithful to help you by first wounding you.

We will be covering a fairly long passage from 2 Corinthians this morning, which discusses three different wounds which Paul had to inflict on his friends, the Corinthian church. Because he loved them he had to confront them, probe them and restrict them. In this passage he is going to explain this process so that he might help them (and us) understand why he did what he did.

Three confrontations

Let us begin by first identifying the three occasions when Paul confronted his friends in Corinth. The first is mentioned in chapter 2, verse 1. Paul writes,

"So I made up my mind that I would not make another painful visit to you."

The ministry of challenge is always undertaken with difficulty

The painful visit to which he is referring is not mentioned in the book of Acts, but we deduce from reading the Corinthian letters that when Paul was ministering in Ephesus, he heard of the deterioration taking place in Corinth and made a quick trip to the city to correct them. Much pain resulted from this visit, from the apostle's personal appeal to the Corinthians to turn away from their competitiveness, arrogance, love of pleasure, and theological errors.

The second wounding which Paul makes reference to is found in 2:4:

"For I wrote to you out of great distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to grieve you but to let you know the depth of my love for you."

In chapter 7 of this letter he writes, "I know that my letter hurt you." Subsequent to his painful visit, Paul wrote the Corinthians a hard letter in which a formal indictment was lodged against the church. Paul's letters were read aloud in public. His words contained necessary reprimands in a written document that would not change or fade. Thus the second wounding which Paul inflicted upon his beloved Corinthians was contained in the "painful" letter he wrote to them.

The third is mentioned in 2:5-11. This concerns an individual who is unknown to us, and makes reference to circumstances we know little about. We can surmise that this individual led a group of people to revolt against Paul. (Some scholars suggest that the immoral man judged in 1 Cor. 5 is in view here, but I do not think so.) The godly leadership of the church had set this man outside the fellowship of the church for a time, treating him as an outsider. This is what Jesus himself said to do to an individual as a final act of discipline-to treat him as if he were not a Christian at all. This is the third necessary wounding the apostle comments on. From Paul's perspective all three of these incidents---the visit, the letter, and the restriction of this individual---had taken place in the past, and now he is going to explain them.

Let us see what we can learn from his analysis. Second Corinthians 1:12:

Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, in the holiness and sincerity that are from God. We have done so not according to worldly wisdom but according to God's grace. For we do not write you anything you cannot read or understand. And I hope that, as you have understood us in part, you will come to understand fully that you can boast of us just as we will boast of you in the day of the Lord Jesus.

Wounds scrutinized

Wounding your friends is never an enjoyable thing. The ministry of challenge is always undertaken with difficulty. Whenever we engage in it, we are open to review ourselves. Paul realizes that he had to examine whether his own motives were right. He asked himself whether he was going to Corinth to correct them because he was going to get something out of it for himself. He had had his feelings hurt, without doubt. Was he being revengeful in return? Was he seeking to put down someone in order to raise himself up? Was he seeking money, authority, or position? What was his conscience saying to him?

As he refers to these woundings which he felt compelled to inflict on the Corinthians in the past, Paul uses the language of the courtroom. Note, for example, the words "our conscience testifies" (1:12); "I call God as my witness" (1:23). In open court, he first places his own motives under scrutiny, and concludes that he had conducted himself in "holiness and sincerity"; the "grace of God" had moved him to so act. "Holiness" speaks of that which is unstained; "sincerity" speaks of that which is unmixed, so that truth and error are not sewn together into the same fabric. The apostle had acted on behalf of the Corinthians, not on his own behalf.

In verses 13 and 14, however, it is clear that Paul realizes the Corinthians may not entirely welcome what he had to say. What he had written was clear and quite understandable, but they had understood only in part; some day they would understand more fully. He can only tell them that his conscience is clear; he does not expect them to grasp his reasoning entirely yet. They may believe of him worse than is true, at least for a time, but that does not in any way remove from him his certainty that what he did was done for the right reasons.

I have always liked the comment that has been attributed to Mark Twain to the effect that when he was sixteen or seventeen, he thought his father was a fool, but by the time he was twenty-five he was astonished at how much his father had learned in the interim. There is a lot of this kind of sentiment in the relationship between the Corinthians and the apostle Paul. We have already likened it to the relationship between a father and an adolescent child. And even though Paul says he is not difficult to understand, the adolescent child, for all the obvious reasons, replies, "I can't understand what you're saying." But Paul, the father, says, "One day you will." He leaves it at that, refusing to bear down any further. So, having examined his conscience, Paul shares his conviction that his motives were right.

The importance of empathy

Following this first question of himself, Paul asks another: Did he enjoy hurting them? Granted he was not promoting himself, but there is another element that goes with the ministry of saying hard things to your friends. You must be able to empathize with them, to feel what they feel. You cannot take perverse pleasure in seeing someone go through pain in order to get well. Paul raises this possibility, and he answers it in the next section, beginning with verse 15:

Because I was confident of this, I planned to visit you first so that you might benefit twice. I planned to visit you on my way to Macedonia, and then to have you send me on my way to Judea. When I planned this, did I do it lightly? Or do I make my plans in a worldly manner so that in the same breath I say, "Yes, yes" and "No no"? But as surely as God is faithful, our message to you is not "Yes" and "No." For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by me and Silas and Timothy, was not "Yes" and "No," but in him it has always been "Yes." For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. And so through him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God.

Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. I call God as my witness that it was in order to spare you that I did not return to Corinth. Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, because it is by faith you stand firm. So I made up my mind that I would not make another painful visit to you. For if I grieve you, who is left to make me glad but you whom I have grieved? I wrote as I did so that when I came I should not be distressed by those who ought to make me rejoice. I had confidence in all of you, that you would all share my joy. For I wrote you out of great distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to grieve you but to let you know the depth of my love for you.

Let's try and make sense of this rather complex passage, the main point of which seems to be an explanation of why Paul did not come to Corinth when the Corinthians thought he would. Throughout the passage we have several references to the apostle's attitude toward them. He begins by saying his original intention was to come to Corinth twice so that he could bless them twice. Paul was in Asia Minor, collecting money to take back to Jerusalem. His original plan was to go to Corinth, then north to Macedonia, south again through Corinth, and on to Jerusalem.

But he realized that things between himself and the Corinthians had worsened to such an extent that he changed his plan. He went to Macedonia first, sending his emissary Titus ahead of him to try and patch things up between them, and planned on visiting Corinth on his journey south to Jerusalem. Note, however, that both the original travel plans and the later change were made with the intention of doing good to the Corinthian believers. He did not enjoy inflicting wounds upon them, but rather did everything he could to avoid bringing unnecessary grief to them. He specifically denies any desire to lord it over their faith (verse 24). He longed to bring them joy, not sorrow. He did not want to be seen as an authoritarian who barged in, ready to apply discipline every time he visited Corinth.

Finally, in 2:4, the apostle says poignantly, "For I wrote you out of great distress and anguish of heart with many tears, not to grieve you but to let you know the depth of my love for you." When we must confront our friends, we should check our attitude toward them. Confrontation should not come easy for us, and we certainly must not take any pleasure in it. If someone we love is in pain, then our eyes should well up in tears of empathy. It may be necessary that we go ahead and wound our friend because there is no other way to remove the veil. Exposure to the bright sunlight of one who has been wearing blindfolds hurts. But the friend who inflicts the wound must also feel pain.

Thus Paul first checks his motives. Was this merely a self-serving exercise for him? The answer is no. Next, his attitude. Was he willing to suffer and hurt along with the Corinthians? Of course he was. He loved them.

Answering accusations

Paul realizes that there is a backlog of accusations against him in Corinth. His detractors are already in place there, accusing him of double-mindedness. We have an example of this in 10:10: "For some say, 'His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing.' Such people should realize that what we are in our letters when we are absent, we will be in our actions when we are present." His accusers were saying, "Yes, Paul is tough in his letters, but when he finally appears in person, he doesn't amount to much. He is of little stature, inconsistent, and his speech is unimpressive." They were using his change of plans to accuse him of double-mindedness. Thus, Paul explains why he decided not to go first to Corinth. To diminish unnecessary hurt he sent Titus to them first---to begin the healing process between himself and the Corinthians. Only then would he visit them. That was the only reason for his not coming. He was not irresolute, as their accusations suggested.

The friend who inflicts the wound must also feel the pain

Another accusation made against him was that he was deliberately duplicitous---not just that he was shallow and vacillating, but that he was a snake-in-the-grass who could not be trusted, the kind of person who said "Yes yes" and "No no" at the same time. But that was impossible for someone who could write, as the apostle did in 1:21, "Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come."

It is impossible to minister faithfully in Christ's name and be untruthful at the same time. God is unchangeable. He does not promise something and then fail to deliver. The answer to all of God's promises are "Yes" in Jesus. Paul is asking, "How could I possibly represent God if I am a liar, if I am a man-pleaser who tells people`what they want to hear? If that were so, I would long since have lost whatever ministry I have."

At our elders meeting last week, I was trying to propose a motion, and as I fumbled and mumbled along, one of the men turned to me and asked, "Do you mean yes or no?" I laughed, because I had just been studying this passage. I realized that what I was trying to do was word my motion in such a way that if what I proposed upset anyone I could deny it, and if it pleased some I could take the credit. I was trying to say yes and no at the same time. "Spin doctors" is what they call people who do this in Washington. These spokesmen spring into action when politicians make pronouncements which offend certain people or groups. They put a "spin" on what is said to make it palatable to everyone, saying yes and no at the same time.

The Feinstein - Van de Kamp Democratic debates for governor of California are a good case in point. Feinstein declared her opposition to abortions being performed for the purpose of sex selection. These are not pregnancies resulting from incest, rape, poverty, or the usual difficult cases which are so widely quoted. These children are wanted, planned for, and desired-but are extinguished for being the wrong sex. Having made the sensible statement that she is troubled by this, Feinstein came under attack from pro-abortion critics. Immediately she reversed herself to agree with her critics. The mood of the country at the moment seems to be that any "Yes" or "No" answers are unpopular. Politicians as a result are being forced to take neutral positions on all the moral issues. When some protest spending public monies on pornographic art exhibits, we hear counter-protests about First Amendment rights being endangered. The public seems to want to hear "Yes yes" and "No no" at the same time.

But not the apostle Paul. To him, God has made very clear statements about himself and his purposes. The resounding "Yes" to every promise of God is Jesus Christ, and the answer of the church should be "Amen" to the "Yes" of God. Paul recoils from any suggestion that he is double-minded, needlessly wounding "innocent" Corinthian believers.

Restricting a rebel

The third and final case of wounding concerns a certain man who had been restricted from fellowship by the church in Corinth. It is probable that Paul had urged them to take this action against this man who, it seems, was dividing the body there. Chapter 5, verse 2:

If anyone has caused grief, he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you, to some extent-not to put it too severely. The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient for him. Now instead, you ought to forgive him and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him. The reason I wrote you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything. If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And what I have forgiven-if there was anything to forgive---I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.

We can sense Paul's hesitancy in his language here. He was not unaware of what had occurred in this case. What he is trying to do is counter any thought that he is angry, personally hurt, or is seeking revenge. I believe that the apostle was personally attacked by this individual. He was grieved by him, as was everybody else. But Paul says that the punishment he had already endured was enough. There must be an end to this process of wounding. Any challenge, probing, unmasking, any tearing away of bandages must have restoration in view as the end result. There cannot be any joy in this process. Things must proceed to where there is health, restoration, and full acceptance. This is what Paul is suggesting here. A brother in Christ must not be caused so much unrelenting hurt that he is an easy mark for the lies of Satan. There must be an end to the confrontation.

In this section, the apostle is looking back on three events in which he participated in the wounding of Christian people. He paid a visit to Corinth which resulted in grief and tension; he wrote a letter to the church which was an indictment of their conduct; and finally, he agreed with the punishment of an individual who was threatening unity in the church. But in each of these three cases Paul's last word concerns not wounding, but restoration. His painful visit would not be his last visit among them (already, as we will see, he was on his way to visit them once more); this very letter of love (not the letter of reprimand) would be his last letter to them; and the individual who had been disciplined should be welcomed back into fellowship among them. Healing and restoration had been made possible.

Restoration

Wounds from a friend can be trusted because they have good as their ultimate end. Doctors probe their patients to discover why illness is present, and they prescribe medication or restriction so that healing may take place. Surgeons cut, inflicting pain in the process, so that they may make people well. They wound in order to heal.

Jesus said he was a physician of the soul. Luke's gospel relates the following incident from the life of our Lord:

Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and 'sinners'? Jesus answered them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

Jesus said that he came to make things right again, to "call sinners to repentance." I commend to you the ministry of spiritual surgery in service of Christ (and openness when the Doctor works on you). If your motives are right, and if you are willing to share the hurt of the wounded, this is a ministry we as the people of Christ need to grow in.

The Dragon Rising

The Dragon (Satan) Serpent (Antichrist) Rising (Satan still uses the serpent to deceive) This time his serpent is Islam. The name for Allah in Arabic is Serpent. The Serpent is growing into a Dragon Beast Empire. Ishmael is trying to overtake and steal what is not his. The battle is between flesh and spirit. Life and death. Light and darkness. Islam will try to indoctrinate the world to believe that Ishmael is the one that Abraham took with him to sacrifice and that Allah is God. They would seek to have you worship the moon and the sun instead of the Son of God. This all goes back to Nimrod and Tammuz and stems out of Babylon and the tower of Babel. The story goes that Nimrod was a mighty hunter and he protected the people and provided food for them. When he died his mother which was his lover told the people that he was now one with the Sun and that he should be worshiped. Sun god Ra. (Sun Worship) Ever wonder why you see the Sun in many of the logos of major Banks and corporations? Well now you know. Ishmael is rising to try and take what is not his.

Zec 5:3 Then said he unto me, This is the curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole earth: for every one that stealeth shall be cut off as on this side according to it; and every one that sweareth shall be cut off as on that side according to it.

The underlined word "curse" above is Alah

'âlâh

aw-law'

From H422; an imprecation: - curse, cursing, execration, oath, swearing.

So you see Obama has been placed in the Whitehouse by the Arabs that control most the wealth of the United States through our dependence on foreign oil. Ishmael (Arabs) are taking over America and ultimately the whole world. Under the New World Order you will not be able to buy or sell without the mark of the Beast empire that is coming. Their will be a Global community as it were. The whole World will be under a One World Government and Dictator (Antichrist). The Man of Sin that is coming will come winning over the masses with flattery and promising World peace. This World peace will be based on bringing peace between Israel and Palestine. Which is already underway! Satan's Global rule is coming to pass.

 

Gal 4:29 But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.

 

Audacity of Hope ( Obama was put into the Whitehouse to remove hope). Audacity and Hope are contradictions.

 

I though this was very important for all to see. Did you all know that Obama means to twist? Did you also know that the name Leviathan in the Scripture means the same? Twisted or to twist.

 

Obama letting everyone know where his loyalties lie when things get ugly.

 

From "Audacity of Hope": Book authored by Barack Hussein Obama.

"I will stand with the Muslims should the political winds shift in an ugly direction." - Barack Hussein Obama 

 

Entering Into His Rest Through Anothers Labor

Dearly Beloved of the Lord, Please don't let my labour in the Lord be in vain. ENTER HIS REST !!! REAP THE HARVEST !!!

John 4:38 I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.

1Th 1:3 Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;

Heb 6:10 For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

1Ti 5:18 For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward.

Given Rest

Mat 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Undiscovered Rest

Mat 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

A New Burden To Bear

Mat 11:30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

This is a light burden. - Light verses heavy.

This is a LIGHT burden. - Light verses Darkness.

Again the Lord is after a pure motive. He is pleading with us face to face. He sees our face but do we see His? Is our back towards Him? If so we need to turn around. Turn around means to repent! Go in the opposite direction. 1Co 13:12

Heb 4:9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.

Heb 4:10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.

The word Labour below is DESIRE.

David found out that when he rested and delighted himself in the Lord that his desires changed to Gods desires. So we understand that we enter into Gods rest when Gods desires become our own.

Psa 37:4 Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

Desire - request, petiion, something craved.

What are you craving?

Heb 4:11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

Heb 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Heb 4:13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

Heb 4:14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.

Heb 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

Finding Grace and Mercy With A Boldness

Heb 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Leaning On Her Beloved

Did you know that the word "Leaning" is only found 3 times in the whole Bible?

This word "leaning" in both new and old testament have the same meaning: To recline

Webster's Dictionary - Recline - REST!

Do you remember what Jesus said about rest?

Mat 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Rest means - REFRESHING

The Shulamite woman is coming up from the wilderness. We know that when Israel came out of the wilderness they were headed into the Promise Land. She is leaving the place of testing and trials and coming into her full inheritance. The wilderness is the place of suffering, proving, testing of the heart. God is looking for a pure motive. (Pure heart) Mat 5:8

The Wilderness is the place of testing and humility

Deu 8:2 And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.

The Wilderness is the place were God pleads with us to see it His way.

Eze 20:35 And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there will I plead with you face to face.

The Wilderness is the place were we learn to lean fully on the Lord.

Song 8:5 Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? I raised thee up under the apple tree: there thy mother brought thee forth: there she brought thee forth that bare thee.

John was the closest disciple to Jesus and asked about who would betray him. Note: Peter asked John to ask Jesus who would betray Him. Why didn't Peter ask Jesus himself?

John 13:23 Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved.

Jacob was blessing his grandsons while leaning on His shepherds staff ( The place of blessings)

Heb 11:21 By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff.

 

 

The Will of God

Do you read your Bible?

 

Do you pray for others?

 

Do you love even your enemies?

 

Do you bless them that curse you?

 

If you answered yes to the following questions that's great! In fact to be saved we must do these things. However if you answered yes to the following questions it's only because your not doing your own will. If we seek to do our own will, we will not have the power to do these things. Human love cannot do the following with a pure motive. With self, their is always a underlined motive. If your doing these things above it's because your doing Gods will and not your own will.

 

Only God's love can do these things. If you think human love can do these things then your not doing God's will. God's love never fails whoever human love will always fall short of Gods glory.

 

Sin is to miss the mark.

 

Rom 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

 

We cannot trust in our own hearts.

 

Jer 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

 

How much is ALL?

Pro 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

 

 

 

 

 

Doing The Will of God Is Not An Option

Rom 9:16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.

 

We live in a very self centered age. Sad to say, even within the Church of Jesus Christ; many have become self centered. The mentality seems to be, "If I could only do a little better." However the Scripture never teaches that a follower of Jesus Christ needs to try and do better. What it does teach is to submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and surrender ones life completely to Him. Humanism is without question taking over the majority of the Church. The emphasis becoming what one can do for God instead of what can God do for me. Before one can do anything for God, they must allow God to do something for them. If your trying to impress God, STOP IT!

 

GOD CANNOT BE IMPRESSED !!!

 

The Prodigal son tried to impress his father when he asked for his inheritance and went out and spent all with sinful living. He only managed to get further and further away from home. He found himself empty, broke and willing to eat with pigs! Where has your pride led you? Are you like the Prodigal son that was not willing to admit he was in trouble? How far will you go until you admit that your motive is to IMPRESS GOD. The motive to impress God is simply this. Look what I have done! Look everyone! Oh yes and most of all, Look father what I did. (SELF GLORY!)

 

Remember dear one. It's not to him that willeth nor of him that runneth but God that shows mercy.

 

Rom 9:16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.

 

So who does God shew mercy to?

 

Those like His Son, that admit I can of my own self do nothing.

 

John 5:30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

 

Read the verses below very carefully and you will find the conclusion. There is no getting around it. One must do Gods WILL and not our own. This is a requirement just to be saved, how much more for those that are seeking rewards. To be saved, one must do the Will of the Father in Heaven.

 

Luk 13:23 Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them,

Luk 13:24 Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.

Luk 13:25 When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are:

Luk 13:26 Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets.

Luk 13:27 But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.

Luk 13:28 There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out.

Luk 13:29 And they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God.

Luk 13:30 And, behold, there are last which shall be first, and there are first which shall be last.

Luk 13:31 The same day there came certain of the Pharisees, saying unto him, Get thee out, and depart hence: for Herod will kill thee.

Luk 13:32 And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.

Luk 13:33 Nevertheless I must walk to day, and to morrow, and the day following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem.

Luk 13:34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!

Luk 13:35 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

Mat 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

Mat 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Mat 7:24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

Mat 7:25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.

Mat 7:26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:

Mat 7:27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

Mat 7:28 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:

Mat 7:29 For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

Bear Ye One Anothers Burdens

Dear Brother's and Sister's in the Lord,

 

Just because we in America have it so easy, does not mean that our brothers and sisters around the world do. Please continue to pray for our Brothers and Sisters in Iran and abroad.

 

http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/40381

 

Gal 6:2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

May The Lord Bless you richly with His Grace In All Things,

Joseph,

Fast And Pray For Iranian Pastor

Greetings In the Name of The Lord Jesus Christ,

 

Myself and daughters are skipping a meal for the Iranian Pastor and would like to invite anyone else that would like to join us. He is supposed to be executed as early as today! Let us pray that God will get all the glory. You can learn more about his witness and why they have sentenced him to death below.

 

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/09/28/iranian-pastor-faces-execution-for-refusing-to-recant-christian-faith/

 

Your Brother In Christ Jesus our Lord,

 

Joseph

Is The Dumb Ass Speaking Again?

 

2Pe 2:16  But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man's voice forbad the madness of the prophet.

 

Not sure if Glenn Beck is the dumb ass or the prophet full of madness. He is not alone though. There are many in this category these days. It seems that God Almighty is using every dumb ass possible to speak to this generation. Within Glenn Beck's latest speech he says, and I quote "Irene is a blessing from God". How could Irene or any storm for that matter be a blessing from God? Extreme situations call for extreme measures. God has always used suffering to wake people up. Should the citizens of the United States be any different?

 

Without question God is merciful. Again He is using the Dumb Asses in this hour. Is anyone hearing God's voice through this? I do not believe Glenn Beck is a saved, blood washed child of God. This is why I say he is in the category of a dumb ass. We read in the Scripture that God is willing that none should perish, be lost in Hell for eternity. Without question He proved this by sending His only Son to be crucified for the sins of the whole world. It seems that the Lord is pulling out all stops and now speaking through the Dumb Asses in this hour. Who are these Dumb Asses speaking to?

 

Notice the Scripture above. The crazed prophet was disobedient to God and wanted to

curse God's people and would have, if God had let him. However God intervened and the Angel of the Lord was standing in the pathway of the disobedient prophet. The donkey would not go forward and the prophet became angry and began to beat the donkey. After the crazed prophet had smitten the poor donkey the third time God opened the animals mouth and allowed her to give the prophet a piece of her mind. Hear what she had to say, "What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?

 

Then the crazy prophet began to have a conversation with a donkey! "Because thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword in mine hand, for now would I kill thee. Then the donkey answered back again, "Am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine unto this day? was I ever wont to do so unto thee? And he said, Nay. 

 

Now something amazing happens! God opens the prophet's eyes to see what the dumb ass was already seeing. When Balaam saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the pathway with his sword drawn, he fell down flat on his face and repented.

 

In conclusion:

    

If you would like you can go on and read how this ends. Numbers 22:31- However the point that the writer wanted to get across is that we need an intervention from God if we are going to see a real revival in America! Will you pray for true revival?

 

 

 

Burn Like A Furnace

 

Headline News Today!

 

It's a furnace-like feeling across central, southern states

Heat index to reach 115 degrees in some areas; Chicago hit by strong storm

Dear Saints,

 

Please consider these Scriptures.

 

Gen 19:28 And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace.

Exo 19:18 And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.

Prov 17:3 The fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the LORD trieth the hearts.

The Sun is getting Hotter For A Reason and it's not "Global Warming"

Isa 30:26 Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day that the LORD bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound.

Mal 4:1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.

 

He Must Increase

 

by Chip Brogden

"He must increase, but I must decrease (John 3:30)."

These seven words found in John 3:30 contain the entire mystery of God's dealings with man from ages past to eternity future. "He [Christ] must increase." All of God's works are towards this end of increasing Christ. In other words, everything God has done, is doing, and will do is related towards revealing His Son and bringing us into the full-knowledge (epignosis) of Him. The goal is for Christ to have the preeminence in all things, beginning with us individually as disciples, then with the Church, and finally with all creation, "that He may be All in All."

He MUST increase. Isaiah tells us that there will be no end of the increase of His government and peace. In the beginning was the Word, and we can see how God has worked steadily from the beginning to increase Christ. From types and shadows in the Old Testament we see Christ coming into view. Then the Word is made flesh and dwells among us, and Christ is increased yet again. Next He comes to dwell within us, and this is a major increase. Finally, He begins to conform us to His own image through the indwelling Life. If we are growing up into Him then He is increasing daily. Eventually every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Beyond this, we are told that God will continue to reveal His Son in the ages to come, bringing us into depths and dimensions of Christ that we cannot fathom.

God is not moving backward, but in the Son and through the Son, He moves steadily forward. Christ MUST increase. This is the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus. Just as we cannot have gravity without having the law of gravity, so it is impossible to have the Life of the Lord but not have the Law of that Life. And the Law of Life is that Christ must increase.

"But I must decrease." Why doesn't God reveal His Son to us, in all His glory, all at once? What prevents Christ from filling all things and having the preeminence now? Why do we not yet see all things submitted to Him? Because we must be decreased. If He is to become greater then I must become lesser. When Paul says, "Not I, but Christ," he is saying "He must increase, but I must decrease."

Just as all things are working together towards God's purpose of increasing Christ, so all things are working together towards decreasing us. It does not matter if we understand it or comprehend it. It does not matter if you believe in it or agree with it. You are being decreased just the same, and Christ is being increased. It MUST be so, therefore it IS so. Scientists call this decreasing "entropy", and it means, "inevitable and steady deterioration". We can observe this in creation. The present things are groaning and travailing in pain, deteriorating in order to make way for a new heaven and a new earth. We begin to die as soon as we are born. We can look in our own bodies for evidence of "inevitable and steady deterioration" as we move towards a redeemed body. But more importantly, WE, the "I", the "Self", is being decreased that Christ may fill us.

How are we decreased? Let us say right away that it is not your duty to decrease yourself, to become an ascetic, and crawl around in the dirt in abject poverty. It is not an outward decreasing, but an inward decreasing, a coming to the end of ourselves. The Kingdom of God belongs to the poor in spirit. Earlier, John said, "A man can have nothing except he receive it from heaven." Now we may have quite a bit, but if we obtained it from a source other than Christ, it amounts to nothing. Only those sufficiently decreased, the poor in spirit, can see this. This poverty cannot be achieved through self-effort. In fact, part of the decreasing process is the realization that I can do nothing of myself, including decreasing myself. Just as I cannot commit suicide by crucifixion, so I cannot crucify my flesh. The only way to learn this is to fail hundreds, even thousands of times. Then we will learn to say, "I have no confidence in the flesh."

In the world we will experience temptations, testings, and trials. We will experience persecution, tribulation, and afflictions of soul and body. We will experience mistreatment and misunderstanding. It is not a question of God allowing or not allowing things to happen. It is part of living. Some things we do to ourselves, other things we do to each other. Our Father knows about every bird which falls to the ground, but He does not always prevent it from falling.

What are we to learn from this? That our response to what happens is more important than what happens. Here is a mystery: one man's experience drives him to curse God, while another man's identical experience drives him to bless God. Your response to what happens is more important than what happens.

If we see that offenses are bound to come, that there is no way to live in the world apart from what happens, then we must see that the difference between overcoming and not overcoming lies in our response to what happens.

Paul did not pray to be weak so that he could be strong. Naturally speaking, we despise weakness. We prefer strength. But human strength is an illusion. It is not true strength. The Lord shows us His grace is made perfect (or, is matured) through our weakness. Now, Paul rejoices in his weakness, in his being decreased: for "when I am weak, then I am strong." To the degree that we accept the decrease of ourselves, to that degree will we experience the increasing of Christ.

We cannot walk the narrow path until we have entered the narrow gate. But we cannot assume that because we have entered the narrow gate we are now finished. Most people lay stress on the gate, and their goal is to get people just far enough through the gate that they can claim salvation. That is where most of the Church sits today, just inside the narrow gate, rejoicing in a future salvation, a future heaven, a future return of Christ, and a future reward. But the narrow gate is only the beginning. The narrow gate only opens the door to the narrow way. It is the narrow way which leads to Life, and few find it. Fewer still walk to the end of it.

Now what we are discussing is an event as well as a process. There is a once-and-for-all decision to follow Christ, but we have to keep on following. Entering the gate is a once-and-for-all event, but walking the path is a process. We gain everything when we enter the gate, but we must walk the path in order to now live out of what we have. We are new creations, but we are being changed daily into the image of Christ. We died with Christ once: yet we die daily. We were crucified with Him once: yet we take up the cross daily. We were raised with Him once: yet we experience His Life daily. We were ascended with Him and we were seated with Him in the heavenlies once: but we live out the heavenly position in our daily walk, daily ascending above the earth, above the natural, to sit with Him in His throne as overcomers.

God wills that "all men would be saved (narrow gate) and would come to the full-knowledge [epignosis] of Truth (narrow way)." Those who merely enter the narrow gate have yet to satisfy God's heart. There is rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents, but as Arthur Katz has said, "Many are saved, but few are converted." It is God's will, His desire, that we come to the end of ourselves so that Christ may have the preeminence in us. Jesus said, "If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father." Hebrews tells us that Christ is the brightness of God's glory, and the express image (or exact representation) of His person. Likewise, God's purpose for us as disciples (and by extension, the Church) is "if you have seen a disciple, you have seen Jesus." The Christian is to be the brightness of Christ's glory, and the exact representation of His person. I lack the vocabulary to express this adequately, but I trust the Lord will show us.

This is beyond "mere salvation", this is conversion, this is conformity to the very image of Christ. He most certainly does not have the preeminence in us now, thus, "He must increase, but I must decrease."

We have emphasized the Church for so long that we have lost sight of the individual disciples of which the Church consists. If one member lacks, the entire Body goes lacking. It is not so much a problem with the Church failing to apprehend its fullness as it is the individual disciples of the Lord failing to count the cost, suffer all as loss, and progress down the narrow way towards Christ as All in All. As the disciples go, so goes the Church. If Christ does not have the preeminence in the Church, it is because He does not have the preeminence in us as disciples.

If we have truly entered the gate and are walking the path, if we have truly yielded our lives to Him and long to know Him, then everything we experience is working to increase Christ and decrease us. On the positive side, the Holy Spirit is working to bring us into a more perfect knowledge of Christ. The Spirit is increasing Him, leading us into "all Truth", towards epignosis. On the negative side, the principle of the Cross is working to decrease us, to bring us to the end of ourselves, to reduce us to nothing. Eastern mysticism has long been aware of this positive and negative at work, it has simply misunderstood what it means and misappropriated it towards an end other than Christ. They have observed a principle but lack the Truth to explain the principle.

We must see that for every decrease of Self, Christ is increased. Even in our discussions we groan inwardly about having to die daily, having to give up our way and our will. We ought instead to be excited about Christ being increased, and how much He stands to gain in us and through us. He MUST increase, but you MUST decrease. It is better to relinquish everything now, on a voluntary basis, and lose our lives in order to gain our real Life. It is more glorious to enter the Kingdom out of a desire to give Christ the preeminence than to enter kicking and screaming and crying because we love ourselves too much. Make no mistake, if it is the Kingdom you seek, the Kingdom you will find, but you must be changed in order to enter therein. If you seek power from God you will have to accept weakness in yourself. If you want to rule with Him you must suffer with Him. If you want His Life you must give up your life. You can have either one you want, but you cannot have both. There is no increase without decrease, and there is no decrease without increase.

May the Son be increased through these words. Amen.