Monday, April 07, 2014

In this segment, we will look at the virtue of “self-control” and “temperance” which is an aspect of the fruit of the Spirit. What we will examine is godly temperance and godly self-control not the worldly version of self-control or self-discipline. When self-discipline is applied in a worldly setting, it commonly has the undertones of refining oneself into a self-god. Self-discipline is mainly applied to accomplish ones own goals or remake oneself in one’s own desired image. Godly self-control is about walking out the steps necessary for God to manifest His Will in your life. Temperance is about bringing balance and simplicity to life through bringing all things into subjection under the Will of God for your life. Though the differences may appear slight, the attitudes and motives behind the differences vary vastly.

What does it mean to be in subjection to God’s Will? Subjection per Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary means, “to make (as oneself) amenable to the discipline and control of a superior.” In order to come under God’s Will, and stay under God’s Will, a person must make any number of choices daily that places his or her will aside and chooses God’s Will instead. When we make those choices, we are exhibiting the virtues of the fruit of Spirit known as godly self-control and temperance.

Galatians 5:22–23 (NKJV)

²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness [KJV – gentleness], goodness, faithfulness [KJV – faith], ²³ gentleness [KJV – Meekness], self-control [KJV – temperance].

As stated previously in earlier writings, the word or term used in the King James Version of the Bible is the word needed in order to look up the exact meaning of said word in the Greek or Hebrew language. When researching biblical words one must always go back through the KJV 1611 Bible. Therefore, whereas the NKJV uses the word self-control the KJV uses the word temperance in this verse. The definition in the Greek Language for the word “temperance” used in Galatians 5:23 is as follows.

“temperance”

1466. ἐγκράτεια ĕgkratĕia, eng-krat´-i-ah; from 1468; self-control (espec. continence):— temperance.

1468. ἐγκρατής ĕgkratēs, eng-krat-ace´; from 1722 and 2904; strong in a thing (masterful), i.e. (fig. and refl.) self-controlled (in appetite, etc.):— temperate.

2904. κράτος kratŏs, krat´-os; perh. a primary word; vigor [“great”] (lit. or fig.):— dominion, might [-ily], power, strength.

Note: Continence has to do with sexual appetite and desires.

Let me make a distinction here. Self-control and temperance are not exactly the same things. They would affect, or effect, two different areas of a Believers life. Temperance will bring about a form of habitual moderation, which will spread over the entirety of the individual lifestyle. Self-control will deal with bringing control to a person actions, emotions and impulses. God uses the one, temperance, to allow God’s character to be walked out in a person over the course of a lifetime in every area of life. God uses the other, self-control, to break the bondages, bring order, and give victory to the individual in areas where their life does not exhibit godliness and could even be out of control.

For the reasons explained in the previous paragraph, I believe the change in Bible translations that brought about the use of the word “self-control” in place of the use of the word “temperance” has damaged the overall meaning God intended for this verse. This change, like so many others, has to do with the societal vices of our day and society’s attitudes toward excess. Habitual moderation in all things is extremely unpopular among the world and carnal Christians.

I also want to touch on another point very lightly. Temperance is connected to having “a sound mind” as described in 2 Timothy 1:7. Having study the various aspect of the mental health profession for many years, I can tell you that in almost all psychological problems an imbalance in behavior or thinking is present and is a factor in the cause of the problem. Just review in your mind the symptoms of most disorders and you will find a pattern of imbalanced behavior and/or thinking. Balance brings order to a person’s life, mind, and relationships. Extremes and excess bring disorder and destruction.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. – 2 Timothy 1:7

The definition in the Greek Language for the term “of a sound mind” is as follows.

“of a sound mind” =

4995. from 4994; discipline, i.e. self-control:— sound mind.

4994. from 4998; to make of sound mind, i.e. (fig.) to discipline or correct:— teach to be sober.

4998. from the base of 4982 and that of 5424; safe (sound) in mind, i.e. self-controlled (moderate as to opinion or passion):— discreet, sober, temperate.

4982. “safe”); to save, i.e. deliver or protect (lit. or fig.):— heal, preserve, save (self), do well, be (make) whole.

5424. (to rein in or curb; comp. 5420); the midrif (as a partition of the body), i.e. (fig. and by impl. of sympathy) the feelings (or sensitive nature; by extens. [also in the plur.] the mind or cognitive faculties):— understanding.

5420. apparently a strengthening form of the base of 5424; to fence or inclose, i.e. (spec.) to block up (fig. to silence):— stop.

Note: “moderate as to opinion” is not inclusive of, nor an excuse for, compromising or watering down God’s Word.

Here are some examples of how we might express godly self-control/temperance toward God, self, and others as well as through service.* When we practice temperance in our daily schedule, we do not become too busy to spend a bit of time in solitude with God each day. We exhibit self-control and temperance toward ourselves by exercising regularly, getting enough sleep, balancing our work and recreation, and not eating to excess. By deferring to other people’s desires and wishes in a balanced way, where the relationship benefits both parties, a person is showing temperance. Not allowing your Christian service to place you in a position where are too busy for quiet time with God or too busy for your spouse and friends is an act of using temperance, and through being balanced the quality of what you give to those you serve will honor God.

“the more holy the life the more mysterious it becomes by its apparent simplicity and littleness.”

Rev. Jean-Pierre De Caussade S.J.

*I have a question for all of you. I have written this series from a template I set up at the beginning of the series. That template included the following sentence. “Here are some examples of how we might express godly ________________ toward God, self, and others as well as through service?” Does anyone see a problem? The question mark is the problem. This is not a question it is a statement. All of you let me write this entire series and never once mentioned I had misused a question mark. Now I know several of you are writers yourself, others teachers, pastors, psychologists, etc. I guess that since it took me until the end of the series to catch the typo myself, then perhaps, most of you have suffered from word blindness and like me just placed a period there instead. Like I often say, thank goodness for proofreaders. Although I am not interested in hearing about every little typo, in the future, if you see me repeating the same mistake over the course of several postings please send me a comment or note and let me know. I would be grateful. As a Christian Community, are we not suppose to be our brother’s keeper? We are all supposed to be helping one another to be better, to do better, and not to inappropriately use question marks.

I hope you all have enjoyed the series. This concludes the Fruit or Vegetable Series and I will be undertaking your questions with my next posting. I have quite a few questions and I am currently sorting though how to tackle them. Questions I currently have, or that come in, which I consider high priority will be, answered a soon as possible. Other questions, I may just put in order by what book of the Bible they might apply to or if the topic has particular relevance in society at the time.

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

This blog will not be for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It will not be in any way politically correct. It will make every effort to share the truth in love, [Ephesians 4:11-16], to a decaying and dying society and church. I share what I share not to hurt, harm, or offend any person[s] or group; I do it because Christ’s Standard and Truth is not being represented by enough of His Followers and I do it out of love. I love enough to tell His Truth.

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

¹¹And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, ¹²for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, ¹³till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; ¹⁴that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, ¹⁵but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— ¹⁶from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

Friday, March 28, 2014

In this segment, we will look at the virtue of “gentleness/meekness” which is an aspect of the fruit of the Spirit. What we will examine is godly gentleness/meekness not worldly apathy and passivity. Gentleness/Meekness, like many of the virtues found in the fruit of the Spirit, is both and inner and outer quality. A person can appear to be very meek and humble on the outside but on the inside, they sit with a constant sense of superiority rarely vocalizing the inner judgments they feel and the mental tearing to shreds of the people around them they participate in, all the while veining a mask of false modesty and false gentleness.

Galatians 5:22–23 (NKJV)

²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness [KJV – gentleness], goodness, faithfulness [KJV – faith], ²³ gentleness [KJV – Meekness], self-control [KJV – temperance].

As stated previously in earlier writings, the word or term used in the King James Version of the Bible is the word needed in order to look up the exact meaning of said word in the Greek or Hebrew language. When researching biblical words one must always go back through the KJV 1611 Bible. Therefore, whereas the NKJV uses the word gentleness the KJV uses the word meekness in this verse. The definition in the Greek Language for the word “meekness” used in Galatians 5:23 is as follows.

“meekness”

4236. πρᾳότης praiŏtēs, prah-ot´-ace; from 4235; gentleness, by impl. humility:— meekness.

4235. πρᾷος praiŏs, prah´-os; a form of 4239, used in certain parts; gentle, i.e. humble:— meek.

Just as we should not misinterpret apathy, passivity, or false modesty as true godly meekness we must not misinterpret holy boldness and godly confidence as a lack of inner or outer gentleness and meekness. Just as individuals have their own temperament, the fruit of the Spirit is exhibited through that temperament in a way specific to that particular temperament. We are not all cut from the same mold but we are created in the same likeness, the likeness of our Creator, the Almighty God.

Humility is very much a part of meekness. If we cannot evaluate ourselves accurately, which is what true humility is, then we cannot be gentle or meek when we relate to others. A person who exercises true humility recognizes both their strengths and their weaknesses, understanding their capabilities and their limitations; essentially, they understand who and how God created them to be.

Here are some examples of how we might express godly gentleness/meekness toward God, self, and others as well as through service? With God, we exercise the greatest form of meekness when we subject ourselves to His Will, showing reverential fear for Him, and change in the areas in which He desires us to change. ^“God will hear, and afflict them, Even He who abides from of old. Selah Because they do not change, Therefore they do not fear God.” Psalm 55:19 (NKJV) By understand and accepting ourselves as God created us we show the greatest amount of gentleness we can ever show to ourselves. People’s continual struggle with who they are, how they look, etc. is ultimately their greatest source of pain and the prison in which others can lock them. Choosing to deal with a sincerely distressed person, not an attention seeker, with gentleness and meekness shows them we love them. Giving time to, and showing care for, those individuals the world deems all put worthless and who are often overlook, is meekness found in the form of humility and gentleness; a great act of service for people who often have no way of repaying your kindness.

Meekness and gentleness is not a form of weakness. On the contrary, it is the exact opposite for it takes great personal inner strength to be gentle and meek. Jesus was our example of the highest form of meekness and gentleness.

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

This blog will not be for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It will not be in any way politically correct. It will make every effort to share the truth in love, [Ephesians 4:11-16], to a decaying and dying society and church. I share what I share not to hurt, harm, or offend any person[s] or group; I do it because Christ’s Standard and Truth is not being represented by enough of His Followers and I do it out of love. I love enough to tell His Truth.

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

¹¹And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, ¹²for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, ¹³till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; ¹⁴that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, ¹⁵but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— ¹⁶from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

Saturday, March 22, 2014

This part of the Fruit and Vegetable Series will be the most important part by far. The virtue of faith and/or faithfulness is without a doubt the aspect of the fruit of the Spirit that will impact the life of a Believer the most and leave the most lasting results, either positive or negative upon their life.

As we will look at the virtue of “faithfulness/faith”, what we will examine is godly faithfulness and faith not a worldly concept of dedication and positive thinking. Often the world and religious legalism are dedicated to a project or practice because it makes them look good or feel good about themselves. These practices and projects are not things done out of faithfulness to God and faith in what God has ordained.

Immediately I need to bring clarity to difference between faith and faithfulness and why they cannot be separated spiritually. Faith is about what we believe. Faithfulness is about what we do. What we believe will directly impact what we do. What we do and do not do will directly impact our faith. If we do not believe we will not act and if we do not act our ability to believe will never grow, thus, deeper faith will be allowed to develop. Some people believe what they choose, others believe what they know; the latter is faith. Any aspect of the fruit of the Spirit, along with all faith, originates with God but once originated God allows us to choose what we will do with that faith.

Galatians 5:22–23 (NKJV)

²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness [KJV – gentleness], goodness, faithfulness [KJV – faith], ²³ gentleness [KJV – Meekness], self-control [KJV – temperance].

As stated previously in earlier writings, the word or term used in the King James Version of the Bible is the word needed in order to look up the exact meaning of said word in the Greek or Hebrew language. When researching biblical words one must always go back through the KJV 1611 Bible. Therefore, whereas the NKJV uses the word faithfulness the KJV uses the word faith in this verse. The definition in the Greek Language for the word “faith” used in Galatians 5:22 is as follows.

“faith”

4102. πίστις pistis, pis´-tis; from 3982; persuasion, i.e. credence; mor. conviction (of relig. truth, or the truthfulness of God or a relig. teacher), espec. reliance upon Christ for salvation; abstr. constancy in such profession; by extension, the system of religious (Gospel) truth itself:— assurance, belief, believe, faith, fidelity.

3982. πείθω pĕithō, pi´-tho; a primary verb; to convince (by argument, true or false); by anal. to pacify or conciliate (by other fair means); refl. or pass. to assent (to evidence or authority), to rely (by inward certainty):— agree, assure, believe, have confidence, be (wax) confident, make friend, obey, persuade, trust, yield.

You cannot separate faith and obedience of which faithfulness is a part. Faith and obedience are kind of like two sides of one coin. Noah believed God and built an ark. Abraham trusted God and went. In order to have such faith one must be willing to grow their faith through faithfulness and the testing of that faith/faithfulness.

In order for a person to walk in faith, they must walk in Divine protection. Authentic godliness rather than religiousness is our best defense against Satan’s seductions and attacks. One’s godliness must be tested if they, or anyone else, are to know the depths of their faith. There is a peace that comes from walking in godliness and faith, and then there is the peace with which Satan seduces people.

Satan’s false peace is a peace that comes not from overcoming in a godly way but instead is produced from the evasion of apathy and deadness into ones faith that leaves them lethargic, numb and sleeping in the light – faith is decaying or all but dead in individuals who experience this form of peace. They are spiritually lifeless people with little or no passion in life, drones living off of the faith of those around them. Again, testing the spirits of people exposes these individuals and the depth of their faith.

I do not know a godly spiritual leader who has not had their faith and faithfulness tested, otherwise they would not have been found ready to be a leader. Testing of one’s faith is a tough and often painful process but absolutely necessary. The Bible is filled with examples of tested faith. Jesus did not sweat blood in the garden because He was breezing through His assignment. He struggled, He sought another path, and then He obeyed. He lost everyone and went to the cross alone. Most of the prophets and apostles struggled alone with their faith and the resulting persecution.

Why alone? Dejected identity – rejection causes people to loss heart – test the depth of someone’s faith by putting them in a position of rejection and see how they respond. This will tell you a great deal about their faith and faithfulness. You will quickly discover who cares enough to fight for what they said they believed in, their desires, their beliefs, their relationships, their godly passions and purpose, etc. or do they fall into self-pity and respond with no action, or even worse, they pull back or turn back. Faith not worth acting on is not much faith. Faithfulness that cannot overcome a few roadblocks is not a characteristic that is rooted very deeply in a person.

There is a Jewish practice, which is also used by Christian Spiritual Leader to test people’s faith and faithfulness before giving them a place of leadership and authority, as the novice Believer should not be a leader. 1 Timothy 3:6 (NKJV) not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil. This practice is typically reserved for proselytes and is meant to detect godly faith in Truths verses intellectual ascent to Truths. The practice has its roots in Scripture and was done many times. Essentially the practice is to reject or rebuff a proselyte (new convert) three times, in varying degrees of severity, both to see if he or she is sincere in their faith and faithfulness and to show him or her that it is hard to be a Devoted Follower and live a life of faith and faithfulness to God. How the individual responds tells the Spiritual Leader what they need to know about the person’s preparedness, commitment, faith, and faithfulness.

Here are some examples of how we might express godly faithfulness/faith toward God, self, and others as well as through service? By trusting in God and obeying His directives, we show Him our faith as well as our faithfulness to Him and His purpose for us. We express godly faith/faithfulness toward ourselves when daily, in our private lives, we follow the personal directives we have been given by God based on His priorities for our life. Our faith and faithfulness shows to people as we continue in our commitment to them and our commitment to godly covenants, such as marriage. By being there for people, time after time despite the hardships, we show them our faith and faithfulness through the act of service to them.

Faith in the faithfulness of an Unchanging God is something that is developed to a greater and greater degree as each year passes and you continue in faith and faithfulness. It can grow to the degree that there is almost nothing you do not believe can happen, or you can do, if God tells you it is going to happen or you must get it done. That is a glorious day! That makes for a glorious life!

People complain about never getting a chance in life, yet, they never take any risk in life. The difference between people who make a difference in society, their world, their community, their Christian Fellowship, who stand for something, and who fulfill their godly purpose in life and those who never do hinges greatly on their faith and their faithfulness.

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

This blog will not be for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It will not be in any way politically correct. It will make every effort to share the truth in love, [Ephesians 4:11-16], to a decaying and dying society and church. I share what I share not to hurt, harm, or offend any person[s] or group; I do it because Christ’s Standard and Truth is not being represented by enough of His Followers and I do it out of love. I love enough to tell His Truth.

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

¹¹And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, ¹²for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, ¹³till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; ¹⁴that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, ¹⁵but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— ¹⁶from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

Saturday, March 22, 2014

I wanted to take a few moments and post a couple of information updates before releasing the next posting in the Fruit and Vegetable Series on faith and faithfulness.

The other night I went to a movie called, God’s Not Dead and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves Jesus, the TRUE Christians, the Spiritual Remnant of God, and especially those that can see that Christian Liberties are being stripped away in America.

God’s Not Dead

http://godsnotdeadthemovie.com/

At the end of this movie, they listed a website, which I did not recognize and that surprised me so I investigated. I learned something I had not realized and want to pass the information along to any of you who might not know yet. The long cherished Christian advocacy organization, which the former head of International Christian Media helped establish years ago is no longer the Alliance Defense Fund, the organization changed its name to Alliance Defending Freedom. They are still affiliated with all their ministries, doing the same powerful work, and still providing their Christian Allied Attorneys to those in need; all that has really changed is the name, but what a change.

In my view, the name is more aptly applicable today in our oppressive society where government and secular mass media are rapidly becoming so generalized and socialistic that only empty generic religion will be tolerated and having true godly principles that you voice and/or stand up for is becoming a crime, socially and legally. From what I can surmise, in part, the name change was a desire to make a stronger statement about their intent to defend Christian liberties and the right to free speech as well as freedom of religion in the United States.

On another note.

Whereas there are many questions that need to be addressed and answered via the blog, I would like to finish the current series before addressing any more questions. Questions are emerging from secondary sources outside of blog subscribers, therefore, I am going to open the blog up so questions can be sent directly though the “comment” link at the end of each posting on the main page. As always, you have my assurance questions will be handled in a generic fashion and the privacy of the individual asking the question will continue to be honored, as it always has been. Questions can also be submitted anonymously via the “comment” link.

Please continue to send your questions and comments and I will get back to you as soon as possible.

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

This blog will not be for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It will not be in any way politically correct. It will make every effort to share the truth in love, [Ephesians 4:11-16], to a decaying and dying society and church. I share what I share not to hurt, harm, or offend any person[s] or group; I do it because Christ’s Standard and Truth is not being represented by enough of His Followers and I do it out of love. I love enough to tell His Truth.

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

¹¹And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, ¹²for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, ¹³till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; ¹⁴that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, ¹⁵but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— ¹⁶from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

Saturday, March 08, 2014

In this segment, we will look at the virtue of “goodness” which is an aspect of the fruit of the Spirit. What we will examine is godly goodness not a worldly concept of doing good. People will often do good in order to get the praise of man in the form of applause, being thought well of, their name on a building or listed in a program, etc. Things done with this type of motive are not things done out of a godly heart that just wishes to please God and bless others.

Galatians 5:22–23 (NKJV)

²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness [KJV – gentleness], goodness, faithfulness [KJV – faith], ²³ gentleness [KJV – Meekness], self-control [KJV – temperance].

The definition in the Greek Language for the word “goodness” used in Galatians 5:22 is as follows.

19. ἀγαθωσύνη agathōsunē, ag-ath-o-soo´-nay; from 18; goodness, i.e. virtue or beneficence:— goodness.

18. ἀγαθός agathŏs, ag-ath-os´; a prim. word; “good” (in any sense, often as noun):— benefit, good (-s, things), well. comp. 2570.

When we decide to be given to benevolence, the walking out of goodness, it should be because it is something that God has instructed us to do and for no other reason. Any alms, benefaction, acts of kindness, or contribution we make to another person’s life should only come from a heart willing to do as God desires them to do, for goodness is born out of virtue and virtue produces benevolence toward others. Goodness towards others can take many different forms from giving a friend the $1,000.00 they desperately need, no strings attached, to buying a stranger a hamburger and everything in-between.

Here are some examples of how we might express godly goodness toward God, self, and others as well as through service? We express goodness toward God when we are willing to sacrifice what we want in order to contribute to what He wants us to do, for we are contributing our time and money to His cause, not our own. By taking the time to care of ourselves with proper rest, food, and exercise we are showing ourselves goodness, for all three benefit our lives. When we go clean the house of a sick friend, we are showing goodness to them. That phone call we make to another who has lost a loved one to death is showing goodness to them in a society where to pick up the phone and actually talk to another person takes too much of people’s precious time, so they text for convince. Preparing meals for those who are overloaded with stress, sickness, or grief can be a tremendous act of service exemplifying the virtue of goodness.

If you are spreading goodness to others as an act of agape love for people and an even deeper love for Christ then you are acting with godly goodness. If you are doing good toward another in order to score points with them or God then you have your reward for you are acting out of worldly motives.

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

This blog will not be for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It will not be in any way politically correct. It will make every effort to share the truth in love, [Ephesians 4:11-16], to a decaying and dying society and church. I share what I share not to hurt, harm, or offend any person[s] or group; I do it because Christ’s Standard and Truth is not being represented by enough of His Followers and I do it out of love. I love enough to tell His Truth.

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

¹¹And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, ¹²for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, ¹³till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; ¹⁴that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, ¹⁵but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— ¹⁶from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

Thursday, March 06, 2014

In this segment, we will look at the virtue of “kindness” and “gentleness” which is an aspect of the fruit of the Spirit. What we will examine is godly kindness and gentleness not worldly politeness, good manners or tolerance.

The first and most obvious question would be, ‘Are we always to be kind and gentle with people regardless of their actions?’ I would answer that in part by asking you ‘Have you read the Bible?’ God could never be consider anything less than kind and gentle, yet, we see Him on many occasion treat His people with what one could only perceive of as harshness and even meanness. I assure you however, that God is always good so anything we perceive as harshness or meanness on His part serves a purpose. When nothing else will work with us God will use trials laced with difficult hard harsh circumstances to teach us what we refuse to learn any other way. God often uses people in our lives to get this done. The Book of Judges is a good example of such.

There comes a time when nothing but tough love is left because people refuse to respond to goodness. It would be more unkind to allow a person to remain in their denial and sin than it would be to try to shock them into reality and action. God has often brought about harsh circumstance in order to bring His people to repentance. This is a truth that can actually be found in the Greek definition of the word “gentleness”.

Galatians 5:22–23 (NKJV)

²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness [KJV – gentleness], goodness, faithfulness [KJV – faith], ²³ gentleness [KJV – Meekness], self-control [KJV – temperance].

The word or term used in the King James Version of the Bible is the word needed in order to look up the exact meaning of said word in the Greek or Hebrew language. When researching biblical words one must always go back through the KJV 1611 Bible. Therefore, whereas the NKJV uses kindness the KJV uses gentleness in this verse. The definition in the Greek Language for the word “gentleness” used in Galatians 5:22 is as follows.

“gentleness”

5544. χρηστότης chrēstŏtēs, khray-stot´-ace; from 5543; usefulness, i.e. moral excellence (in character or demeanor):— gentleness, good (-ness), kindness.

5543. χρηστός chrēstŏs, khrase-tos´; from 5530; employed, i.e. (by implication) useful (in manner or morals):— better, easy, good (-ness), gracious, kind.

We are to employ kindness and gentleness in order to be useful in spreading the moral excellence of a Holy God.

Here are some examples of how we might express godly kindness/gentleness toward God, self, and others as well as through service? We can show kindness/gentleness toward God by not railing at Him when do not understand our circumstances but instead simply expressing our distress. When we choose to let go of the things or people that are hindering our productivity for God, we are being kind/gentle with ourselves. There are times when telling someone the harsh unfiltered truth is an expression of kindness/gentleness in that we have considered their circumstance enough to do so and speak out. When we act with kindness/gentleness to those we encounter everyday yet, do not even know, and who are often ignored, out of a gracious heart we are doing service to the kingdom of God for we are showing that there is something different about God’s people.

Godly kindness and gentleness is not a politically correct façade of politeness and empty pleasantries it a much higher form of expression where agape love can be found.

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

This blog will not be for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It will not be in any way politically correct. It will make every effort to share the truth in love, [Ephesians 4:11-16], to a decaying and dying society and church. I share what I share not to hurt, harm, or offend any person[s] or group; I do it because Christ’s Standard and Truth is not being represented by enough of His Followers and I do it out of love. I love enough to tell His Truth.

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

¹¹And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, ¹²for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, ¹³till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; ¹⁴that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, ¹⁵but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— ¹⁶from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

Thursday, January 30, 2014

In this segment, we will look at the virtue of “longsuffering” which is an aspect of the fruit of the Spirit. What we will examine is godly longsuffering not a worldly act of being a, or playing the, martyr.

Galatians 5:22–23 (NKJV)

²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness [KJV – gentleness], goodness, faithfulness [KJV – faith], ²³ gentleness [KJV – Meekness], self-control [KJV – temperance].

Taking abuse simply for the purpose of taking abuse is not godly longsuffering, it is more aptly described as being a doormat for others. If Christ is not glorified, if it is not a righteous persecution then it serves no point. Paul escaped persecution so he could continue to carry Christ’s message, the gospel, to yet, more of the lost and dying world. Many of the early Christians met in secret to protect themselves and their budding church from persecution and extinction at the hand of the religious community and government of their day. There is a time to endure longsuffering as a soldier of Christ and a time to stand up and say I am a doormat and head for the exit. It is under God’s guidance and counsel that these decisions must be made.

The definition in the Greek Language for the word “longsuffering” used in Galatians 5:22 is as follows.

3115. μακροθυμία makrŏthumia, mak-roth-oo-mee´-ah; from the same as 3116; longanimity, i.e. (obj.) forbearance or (subj.) fortitude:— longsuffering, patience.

3116. μακροθυμώς makrŏthumōs, mak-roth-oo-moce´; adv. of a compound of 3117 and 2372; with long (enduring) temper, i.e. leniently:— patiently.

Longanimity is a Latin word, here used in the Greek, that we might not recognize in the English language but it means “a disposition to bear injuries patiently” and to me that speak of a depth of longsuffering beyond patience and forbearance as we view longsuffering here in America. Forbearance is to tolerate patiently with self-control difficult circumstances or people. Fortitude involves having strength and courage during trying situations. Patience involves primarily a lack of complaint. Leniently is when we mercifully and compassionately tolerate the inappropriate behavior of others.

In 2 Timothy the great apostle Paul, a man who knew a vast amount about longsuffering, tells us not only to endure hardship with a longsuffering attitude but also tells us if we are to present the Word of God properly we should expect to endure persecution, not from the world but from the religious community. You cannot turn from or ‘no longer endure’ something you have never known. Therefore, those individuals spoken of in the verses listed below once knew or heard the Truth but gave it up in exchange for something more tolerable to them; thus, they sought out teachers who would tell them the things they wanted to hear.

2 Timothy 4:1–7 (NKJV)

I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: 2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. 5 But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. 6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

Paul understood and I as a minister understand what it is to ‘be poured out’ or pour yourself out to build up the faith and spiritual fortitude of another, only at times to have that end in heartbreaking disappointment and such is painful and honestly awful to endure. Yet, endure and reach out to the next individual who seeks our help is exactly what we must do, for that is longsuffering and only through that can we one day be able to say, as the great apostle said, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” having been faithful to our assignment.

Here are some examples of how we might express godly longsuffering toward God, self, and others as well as through service? We can express godly longsuffering toward God through extending our trust of God and thus limiting our constant accusing questioning of Him and why He has allowed this or that. As though the Creator need really answer to us and our demands to know why. When we continue day in and day out to get up and go forward in our service to God despite our failings and frailties we are expressing longsuffering toward ourselves in our endurance of our own humanness and shortcomings as God changes us from glory to glory, as He promised. It is pride to expect that we shall withhold our service until we are perfected, as though we will be on this earth. Each time we loving ignore the offensive words of another that have been spoken in immaturity and ignorance we are expressing the fruit of longsuffering. For every individual we pour ourselves out to in service, who has no clue or deep appreciation for what they are being given, we are showing the compassion and mercy of God through our longsuffering tolerance.

We learn godly boundaries in order to allow longsuffering to grow in us and limit worldly abuse. There is a difference between the two and the difference is found in the purpose being served. A book could be written on those two sentences, so I will just leave that there. If we do not allow God to expand longsuffering in us, life will break us. The trials and circumstances of everyday life will become so painful to endure without the expansion of the fruit of Spirit as manifest in the virtue of longsuffering that our minds, bodies, emotions, and spirits will succumb to the pressure. Many people suffer from any number of maladies because they refuse to allow longsuffering to expand their sprits and instead they fight, fight, fight…everything, everybody, every circumstance, even God.

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

This blog will not be for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It will not be in any way politically correct. It will make every effort to share the truth in love, [Ephesians 4:11-16], to a decaying and dying society and church. I share what I share not to hurt, harm, or offend any person[s] or group; I do it because Christ’s Standard and Truth is not being represented by enough of His Followers and I do it out of love. I love enough to tell His Truth.

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

¹¹And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, ¹²for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, ¹³till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; ¹⁴that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, ¹⁵but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— ¹⁶from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

This Christmas the world both secular and Christian wanted to know what in the world was going on with everyone. In a materialistic and sexually charged culture, something truly phenomenal happened in the spiritual arena. People had one or two reactions to Christmas this year and they had those reactions to the utmost degree. They either were indifferent to Christmas all together and apathetic or they sought God deeply – there seemed to be little in between and the materialistic Christmases of the recent past seemed nowhere to be found. What happened and why?

People went to church all over American and in other countries in record numbers this Christmas. In Bethlehem, they had never seen anything like it in all of history. People by the droves from all over the world flocked to Bethlehem and a huge amount of them where from The United States of America. Churches in America were filled. Even here in the communities that surround where I live churches were filled to capacity and they were actually turning people away because they had reached the fire marshal’s capacity limit. The church were my family attended Christmas Eve Service had three services on Christmas Eve just to accommodate the desire to honor Jesus on Christmas, we barely got seats. This was everywhere and people were heartbroken to be turned away. There response was not just an, ‘Oh, well.’ attitude, it was true sadness that they could not go to church for Christmas. It was truly incredible! Clearly a move of Almighty God.

This is the winds of revival people and they are just beginning to blow. We have seen other evidence this year and will see more in the year to come.

The mini-series “The Bible” on the History Chanel had incredible ratings. In 2015, there will be a sequel to the mini-series coming, which is in the works now. Why? Because people are hungry to know what the Bible says and what it means for them.

Hollywood has invested 125 million dollars in the movie “Noah” which will be released in the spring of 2014. Hollywood does not invest that much money on something of a spiritual or religious nature without a reason. The reason, they expect to make money and lots of it. They enlisted two big names in the acting profession to play the leads, Russell Crowe and Anthony Hopkins because they, even Hollywood, can sense there is spiritual fervor and therefore, money to be made.

There have been just all kinds of stories of people stepping out in faith, doing what God was leading them to do, and God providing for them. Often, these stories come with the sentiment that God had to bring them to their lowest point first, in order to teach them to trust Him.

Religious denominations are not of God. There is only one Church and its Head is Jesus, the Christ, the One and Only Messiah. The largest denomination in the United States of America spent most of this year tearing itself apart from the inside out over twisted and distorted doctrine half of their members are no longer willing to accept or believe.

A little past the midway point of the year 2013 the readership of this blog skyrocketed in Israel. The number of readers in Israel reached almost as many as American readers. Additionally during 2013 the American government’s allegiance and support of Israel was seriously compromised.

We are seeing an overwhelming hunger to get back to a sense of spiritual community, not religious church, but true spiritual community that feeds the spiritual, mental, emotional, and social needs of people. People are beginning to reach out and truly connect with each other once again. Living on an island by themselves is not working anymore and not desirable to them any longer.

Baby Boomers, once the largest generation until the Millennial Generation came along, are thinking about their own mortality. They are looking beyond what they have been able to obtain in life. They realize that there is, or needs to be, something more to their lives. Thus, they are now seeking God.

The primary reason for all this is that God is moving among people to bring them back to Him. A spiritual life where the main focus is a relationship with Jesus provides grounding to a person’s life. A sense of boundaries, direction, purpose, and fulfillment that nothing else will provide. People deep within want to reach higher, they want to have moral fiber and are seeking that “Standard” I am always going on about.

Revival is about coming back, renewal, and new awakening of something that has existed. Awareness of God has always existed. Revival is something that happens among God’s people and spreads, thus affecting those who do not believe. The winds of revival in America are beginning to blow, they are beginning to be felt all over the country – it is time to respond.

The Winds of Change – Where are we going?

If you believe God has revealed to you where He is taking His people spiritually, what He is doing and is going to do among them, and what the next American Revival will look like as it is manifest by God into our reality I invite you to send me your thoughts, insights, and comments. What God is doing He has shown to His Faithful Servants for a purpose.

If you would like to contact me, please use the red “comment” link at the end of each post to do so.

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

This blog will not be for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It will not be in any way politically correct. It will make every effort to share the truth in love, [Ephesians 4:11-16], to a decaying and dying society and church. I share what I share not to hurt, harm, or offend any person[s] or group; I do it because Christ’s Standard and Truth is not being represented by enough of His Followers and I do it out of love. I love enough to tell His Truth.

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

¹¹And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, ¹²for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, ¹³till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; ¹⁴that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, ¹⁵but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— ¹⁶from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

Monday, December 30, 2013

What one must understand is that when we see a spiritual move of God like we saw at Christmas time in America and other parts of the world it has been both years in the making and is just the beginning. God has been at work behind the scenes, so to speak, in the hearts and lives of His prophets and spiritual leaders first.

Let me give some clarity on the use of the title “prophet” in today’s context. A prophet can be either male [called a prophet] or female [called a prophetess]. The term prophet is typically used when referring to both in general instead of addressing one specific person. New Testament prophets are not the same as Old Testament / Ancient Prophets. Much of their purpose is the same but not their entire purpose and they function differently. The key difference between Old Testament and current day New Testament Prophets and Prophetess can be found in their prophecies. The prophecies of the Ancient Prophets, the prophets of the Old Testament time period, structured Biblical text and gave Biblical prophecies. The prophecies of the current day New Testament Prophets do not add to Biblical text or change Biblical prophecies; their prophecies illuminate what has already established in God’s Word. Both urge God’s people and their society to follow God’s Will, directives, principles and ways.

Below I have provided the actual Hebrew and Greek definitions for the words prophet and prophetess for further contemplation.

Word primarily used in the Old Testament for “prophet” =

5030. נָבִיא nâbı̂y˒, naw-bee’; from 5012; a prophet or (gen.) inspired man:— prophecy, that prophesy, prophet.

Word used 2 times in Old Testament for “prophet” =

5012. נָבָא nâbâ˒, naw-baw’; a prim. root; to prophesy, i.e. speak (or sing) by inspiration (in prediction or simple discourse):— prophesy (-ing), make self a prophet.

Word used 2 times in Old Testament for “prophet” =

5029. נְבִיא n^ebı̂y˒ (Chald.), neb-ee’; corresp. to 5030; a prophet:— prophet.

Word used 1 times in Old Testament for “prophet” =

5197. נָטַף nâṭaph, naw-taf’; a prim. root; to ooze, i.e. distil gradually; by impl. to fall in drops; fig. to speak by inspiration:— drop (-ping), prophesy (-et).

Word used in the New Testament for “prophet” =

4396. προφήτης prŏphētēs, prof-ay´-tace; from a compound of 4253 and 5346; a foreteller (“prophet”); by anal. an inspired speaker; by extens. a poet:— prophet.

4253. πρό prŏ, prŏ; a primary prep.; “fore”, i.e. in front of, prior (fig. superior) to:— above, ago, before, or ever. In composition it retains the same significations.

Word used in the New Testament for “prophetess” aka a female prophet =

4398. προφῆτις prŏphētis, prof-ay´-tis; fem. of 4396; a female foreteller or an inspired woman:— prophetess.

4396. προφήτης prŏphētēs, prof-ay´-tace; from a compound of 4253 and 5346; a foreteller (“prophet”); by anal. an inspired speaker; by extens. a poet:— prophet.

God opens the eyes of His prophets and spiritual leaders to see Him at work in their society prior to others becoming aware. He changes their hearts and their lives first. God gives them a passion and understanding of His direction and will first. They suffer the persecutions and pitfalls first. Then when God moves they are ready, thanks to the grace of God, and can show others the way.

Prophets and spiritual leaders have known for years that Revival was coming to America. Therefore, when people began to ask, ‘Is religion and godly spirituality making a comeback in American Culture?’ they are not shocked they are instead saying, ‘What has taken us so long?’. These individual have been watching the signs, discerning the spiritual climate, and connecting the dots found in the news of the day for a while.

This posting will address more of what many would label the negative side of spiritual change or revival and the next posting will address what many would label the positive side of spiritual change or revival. I believe there is no negative side to revival. Revival is a move of God and is therefore positive but even positive things have difficult or challenging aspects.

There are those who indicate that spiritual change comes in twenty-year cycles throughout history. I do not go in much for patterns and I firmly believe you cannot put God in a box. God is going to do what God wants to do, praise be to God! I will state however that next year it will be twenty years since I left mortgage banking to go into fulltime ministry and I have seen and experienced significant winds of changes in the spiritual/religious culture of America. Let us examine some of the changes and signs that indicate God is currently at work within our society and spiritual communities.

In 1998 when a group of us began, what we dubbed “cyber ministry” our opponents at the time thought the idea was ridiculous and would never catch on. Today it is commonplace and according to many their primary source for Christian godly spiritual teaching and counsel. There was a recent study done on why American Churches were emptying in recent years. There were and are many factors for why this is happening – to include but not exclusive to apostasy in the Christian community, lack of true community, apathy and detachment by leaders, growing distrust among people, etc. Nevertheless, the main reason younger people indicated they were not a part of a local church, nor did they intend to be, was because they were able to get more of their questions answered and concerns addressed via online ministries. I firmly believe we need both functioning together the proper way. The congregations who have incorporated both seem to have faired better than those who have not embraced “cyber ministry” as part of their local community. If the local church wishes to thrive again, as it once did, many things will have to change.

We have seen American forms of religious persecution on the rise in recent years. Where you find revival, you find persecution. Persecution goes down the line usually in this order – prophets, spiritual leaders, servants, Christians in general. Both nationally and locally we have seen persecution play out in our news and other sources of mass media both Christian and secular. I will not name people but you will recall the stories of some, as I write in generalities. The child in kindergarten who was suspended from school for saying Jesus healed him. People jailed for preaching the Word of God on a public street – street preachers they are called. A pastor jailed for holding Bible Studies in his home. Both a nationally known and a locally known pastor, both jailed for domestic violence against their older teens because one stopped the child from leaving the home and the other popped the child on the shoulder and told them not to disrespect their parents; in both cases the children were out of control one privately in front of other family members and the other publically on church grounds. Ministers children have always been the targets of Satan but in recent times, society has given Satan a lot of help using these children against their parents.  The governmental tax authorities assault in the last few years, upon ministries both large and small as well as everyday individuals who were, and are, outspoken opponents against the social and political issues of our day.  People’s mental stability questioned due to their spiritual beliefs. Parent’s children taken from them because of their unwilling to accept societies ideas of how their children should be trained. I could go on and one but I will stop there, as my point has been made.

The atheists attack on free speech has been a major form of persecution. Those who hate God wish to stiffly all speech of God, God’s Truths and God’s Principles. Yet ironically, they go after anyone who speaks out against certain social issues because their “rights” are being trampled on. What about the Christian’s rights? Christians, we do not give up our rights to man, we give up our rights for God. There is a major difference. The highly charged controversial issue surrounding Duck Dynasty family member Phil Robertson and A&E Television is a very public and current example of persecution due to someone speaking out about their religious/spiritual beliefs. There have been many people persecuted in this form in recent years but I use this incident as an example because even for the Sunday only Christian it has plucked a nerve to the degree that people are saying, ‘Enough is enough’. Do not think for a moment that others have not suffered, are not suffering, quietly and daily under this form of persecution.

The huge rise in apostasy in recent years is also a clear sign that spiritual change and revival are coming. Whereas much of the American people would tell you they are Christians, the actual Devout Followers are only a small Current Spiritual Remnant. Many spiritual leaders who made certain changes to their ministries and local congregations in order to ‘reach the un-churched’ have now repented of those changes that took their congregations far from true allegiance to Jesus. The minimizing of the “CROSS” and the importance of Jesus’ work on the cross has been a part of that apostasy. Without the cross, there is no redemption. Without the cross, there is no salvation. The virgin birth of Christ and the resurrection of Christ are both undeniable lifelines for True Christianity but the Cross has been given a back seat in the ride of a lifetime and eternity. You cannot divorce the cross from the church or you have apostasy, nor can you hide the cross.

Often God must bring people to the lowest point in order to bring about change. Well the winds of change are blowing and a whole lot of people are beginning to hear and feel them.

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

This blog will not be for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It will not be in any way politically correct. It will make every effort to share the truth in love, [Ephesians 4:11-16], to a decaying and dying society and church. I share what I share not to hurt, harm, or offend any person[s] or group; I do it because Christ’s Standard and Truth is not being represented by enough of His Followers and I do it out of love. I love enough to tell His Truth.

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

¹¹And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, ¹²for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, ¹³till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; ¹⁴that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, ¹⁵but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— ¹⁶from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.