God's Truth In Love

Archive for the ‘Remnant’ Category

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Walmart Prophet

In Biblical Principles, Christ Return, Christian Lifestyle, Christian Living, Church Growth, Conditional Prophecy, Correction, Discernment, Disobedience, Disunity, End Times, End-times, God, God Speaking, God’s Promises, Godly Counsel, Holy Spirit, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Reformation, Remnant, Renewal, Repentance, Revelation, Rhema Words, Righteous Living, Righteousness, Sovereign Prophecy, Spiritual Remnant, Unity, Words, Words of Knowledge, Words of Wisdom on November 29, 2023 at 6:12 pm

Wednesday, November 29, 2023

On Sunday I was reminded that God always finishes what He starts and brings to fulfillment His Work on earth. This has prompted me to repost a posting I did almost a year ago now, as it is more important than ever. Then at the beginning of December, I will begin with my annual Christmas and New Year’s postings.

Walmart Prophet

Walmart Prophet – January 22nd 2023 approximately 2:00 p.m.

Yesterday I had the most powerful encounter with another Believer that I have had in years, in of all places, Walmart.

The last couple of months Jesus has been impressing upon me over and over the need to give more care and attention to every single encounter I have every day. With every stranger, with every clerk in a store, with friends, other Believers, simply everyone. God is wanting me to make every encounter as meaningful as it can be. He has been stressing that this is extremely important in part because of the condition of our society and the disconnect between human beings. So I’ve been trying to be more mindful of that, not being in such a hurry and simply looking to see if God desires to do anything.

Well yesterday in Walmart I was in the mindset to do that when a white haired older gentleman approach me and began to talk. It only took about 30 to 45 seconds for him to ask me was I a Christian. I replied in the affirmative.

He began to remind me of the Scriptures that speak about how God would one day divide the real Christians from those who just claim to be Christians. He went on to say they are distinctions for determining what real Christians are. Then he pivoted the conversation and began to speak about what True God-honoring Congregations of Believers looked like versus what they did not, and additionally what they would have to be like during the end-times and prior to Christ return. Now he had my attention as this was something that God had actually shown me in the late 1990s. I listened with great spiritual discernment.

He began to talk about groups of Believers, those in the Outer Court, those in the Inner Court, and those in the Holy of Holies and their distinctions. As he spoke, he looked me directly in the eyes and began to move closer and closer. I looked him back just as intently and stood my ground as this seemingly stranger closed in on what we would call my personal space. He spoke about how you could tell the Real Believer from an unbeliever by the look in their eyes, and this was something I have always believed. The eyes, as he reminded me, are a window to the soul.

He was beginning to truly capture my attention fully. It seemed like an extremely unusual encounter because God has very rarely sent anyone to speak to me, I’m usually the one He has sent. I knew however in this moment I had to listen, and I was about to find out why.

I stood there and listen to this man, a man who had to be of God, if truly a man at all and not an angel, recount according to him the characteristics of a group of people or Believers (gatherings, as he called them) that would be considered part of the Outer Court (those congregations who house people who say they are Christians but may or may not be, more not than likely because True Christians likely would not stay in these congregations), the Inner Court (those congregations who house people who have actually obtained salvation but beyond that not much else and the congregation is not functioning as God desires), and the Holy of Holies (these are the congregations that are housing True Passionate Followers of Christ who are desiring to function as a group in the manners that God intends).

As the Man of God stood there describing those congregations or as he put it gatherings of God’s people who were a part of the Holy of Holies, I was spiritually astounded. I listened to this man recount every single characteristic of a congregation of Believers that God would bless and use, characteristics that God had given (spoken to) me back in the 1990s. God had described what He wanted His congregations to be before He could use them the way He desired and prior to His return, and He had described this way back then. Now this man was listing every characteristic one by one and why it was important. I was amazed, simply amazed! I had never forgotten what God had shown me He desired for His congregations to be, and I had never stopped spiritually advocating for the existence of those characteristics and functionality in congregations, but God wanted me to be reminded that today in 2023 He still wants the same thing he spoke in approximately 1998.

Then the Man of God moved on to me personally. He pointed out two specific things, and they were very specific. One was, God wanted me to know that a specific leader that ended up corrupt in the end, with a ministry that ended badly, was not always corrupt and that God was working there at one time, when they were following what He said. My view was imbalanced when it came to this particular ministry and leader because I always focused on the end, and gave little time or attention to what was real in the beginning, so I welcome that adjustment. The second was a spiritual principle that is at work in the Body of Christ that I need to give more attention to than I have been, so I received that exhortation as well.

As only God could do as soon as God’s points had been made the gentleman’s phone began to ring so loud it sounded like an alarm clock, like something saying wake up – wake up, and we both knew the encounter was over, although we did pause just staring in each other’s eyes making sure we understood each other. Then we both simply walked away.

We never know what our everyday encounters will bring and what exactly God would like to do through them, so it is in our best interest to take the time to pay close attention.

If this was not a case of me entertaining angels unaware, which it most likely was not, sir if you ever read this, which you might since we shop in the same location and there is a huge sign on my car with the blog address, if you do read it please use the comment section below to be in touch. I would be blessed by further communication with you.

If you need the wisdom of God on a matter, and you wish to receive the counsel of another Believer in Christ, please use the “comments” link to send your question to me.

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.

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Left Behind Movie (The Rise of the Antichrist)

In Abominations, Anxiety, Apostasy, Biblical Principles, False Doctrine, False Gods, False Teaching, Hate, Hatred, Hell, Left Behind, Religious Freedom, Remnant, Renewal, Repentance, Revelation, Uncategorized on May 3, 2023 at 4:40 pm

The Left Behind Movie, the 2022 version that was in theaters recently is our topic. Really it is just a remake and an update of the original Left Behind, just incorporating modern day events and technology.

Some of the things that caught my attention which were incorporated into a modern day version of what could happen were…

The UFO angle. Many people believe in UFOs and our government in recent years have released video footage and documentation of objects flying in the air that could not be explained, footage taken by military pilots. Many people believe these things are UFOs. And then the movie kind of alludes to the idea that the people taken in the rapture may have actually been taken by UFOs.

They allude to the idea and concept that artificial intelligence, which is rapidly on the rise now, and many people are warning about, is playing a part in all of this as well.

Of course they talk about COVID, the fear that is instilled in people to get them to comply with whatever the government wants them to do. COVID-19 being a prelude to the idea that our government could get us to partake in self-imprisonment or mandated home imprisonment just because they deem something as a crisis in our country. That part is very real and a little bit intimidating when you think about that we have dealt with that during COVID-19, and we will most likely deal with it again. How unjust is our government to force that upon us in what we view as a free society.

Also, the idea of a one world government being birthed out of coming together over a crisis or pandemic type situation like COVID-19. Including the idea that the government will outright lie about a crisis that really doesn’t exist.

One thing that was depicted in the movie that I had not considered in any depth was how the internet potentially could be manipulated to remove access to the bible, biblical prophecy, references to the rapture, ETC. If you alter social media and internet searches most people, let’s say under the age of 50, would be completely lost when it comes to biblical things and the history of world events. So many people depend upon social media as their source of accurate information and that is so sad. I know for a fact during COVID-19 social media, specifically Facebook and Twitter, were removing any post from people’s accounts that they deemed as misinformation. I mean surely, I know you realize how incredibly dangerous that is to a society, yes?

One thing I have been aware of is the removal of certain things from the Scriptures as more and more translations emerge in our society. More and more is being removed especially surrounding Jesus’s Deity in the New Testament, so I could see how, as the movie portrayed, that one day potentially the Truth about the End Times or The Rapture could be completely removed from any existing Bibles, it’s not really that farfetched. This is why I’ve studied so many of the translations to see what has been removed or what has been changed because they indicate their improving the Bible’s accuracy, but when you look at what is actually going missing or being altered it is not an improvement.

The false teachers, like the pastor acknowledges being in the movie, to me seem extremely prevalent today in what is supposed to be Christian churches. Like he talks about in the movie, he knew all about the Bible but in his heart, he really didn’t believe the stuff, but he taught it, nevertheless. How incredibly scary! Although I absolutely believe I have met and interacted with Christian leaders who are exactly as this man describes himself. I can think of three off the top of my head, a married couple who minister at a church as well as a life group, and a man who heads a church and heads the local minister’s association. Is that like scary or what?

A pay system through an app. A form of one world currency. Well most of us are used to using PayPal or Apple pay, so we take a few steps closer and closer. And where they talk about you will either have to use the app to pay for things or starve to death, we see now that there are conditions that you must comply with to use any app, almost any type of app, and those conditions that must be complied with are not optional.

We have canceled culture, which goes against anyone who tries to put the Truth out.

Remember what Jesus told the disciples when he was describing what it would be like in the last days. His first words were, ‘Take heed that no man deceive you.’ People better know what they believe and why they believe it.

Favorite quote from the movie…

"So why do people who don’t even believe in God suddenly hate Him so much? Because they have no one else to blame it on."

Very typical of wounded or broken people, who are extremely fearful, unsure about life, and perplexed about why certain things happen or why a specific thing they know about or experienced has happened.

I would really enjoy reading your thoughts on the movie as well, please send them via the “comment” link. Let me know what you think.

If you need the wisdom of God on a matter, and you wish to receive the counsel of another Believer in Christ, please use the “comments” link to send your question to me.

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.

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Truth Tellers

In Advice, Anxiety, Bible Study, Biblical Principles, Choices, Christian Lifestyle, Christian Living, Christianity, Correction, Decision Making, Favor, Fear, Godliness, Guidance, Obedience, Prophecy, Remnant, Renewal, Repentance, Righteous Living, Righteousness, Sanctification, Spiritual Activism, Spiritual Activists, Truth, Uncategorized, Wisdom on October 2, 2022 at 12:07 pm

Ye that love the Lord, hate evil:

Psalm 97:10

There are those individuals who tell the truth, and the world hates them for it.

If you are a true Christian, who truly loves God and desires to see His Will done, you have no choice but to tell the truth to a decaying and dying society.

If you are one of those Christians who sold out Christ in order to be accepted by their society and by people in general, to be liked, to make life easier for yourself, one day you will have a lot to answer for before God and I wonder then if it is all going to be worth it.

Because…

When people have the opportunity to quietly, discreetly, sometimes even anonymously tell the truth, those very people in that decaying society from whom you wanted so much acceptance, secretly hate themselves. They are constantly discontent with who they are if they’re able to accept who they are at all. They can never get to a place of being okay, they are always suffering from some type of anxiety or mental disturbance or some form of discontent with their life. Their ideas, their values, their belief system is so distorted and depraved that they can’t be anything but inwardly miserable while they pretend to society and to those people around them that they’re just fine. They are among the masses every day marching in their uniformity line to their own destruction and death, but ha they are politically correct and they “fit in” within their society. They’re just fine, while they’re dying every day little by little because of their…

These are the people you want to be like? These are the people you want acceptance from? No thank you! I’ll go right on being a Truth Teller and being hated by all of them because I would rather be hated by them than to degrade myself to the degree necessary to be accepted by them. What about you?

There are people who have destroyed their whole lives, destroyed who God created them to be, destroyed their relationship with God, destroyed their spirituality all on the altar of trying to fit into and be accepted by their distorted, depraved, cookie cutter, dying society.

         

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.

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Why My Church is NOT Growing – Part 22 – Seed of Disunity

In Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian Living, Church Growth, Disunity, Remnant, Renewal, Repentance, Revival, Rhema Words, Spiritual Remnant, Truth, Uncategorized, Wisdom on March 14, 2019 at 10:00 am

At the beginning of 2019 we took on a different approach to finishing both our series on Church Growth, or lack thereof, and the Study of the Book of Proverbs. Instead of alternating weekly between two subjects, as we have in the past, we are proceeding this year by carrying one subject to completion and then next to completion. Please be assured we will finish each subject, Church Growth and Proverbs. We will wrap up the series, “Why My Church is NOT Growing” with the last two postings focused on disunity within the Body of Christ.

Why My Church is NOT Growing – Part 22 – Seed of Disunity

People’s fundamental lack of acceptance of who God created them to be is the seed of disunity. Ironically, it is in those differences that our individual beauty and value is found. In the passage of Scripture taken from Ephesians, chapter four, cited in the last posting, God addresses the need and reason for different spiritual gifts and ministry positions within the Body of Christ.

First, we have to realize that God’s grace is upon us to do certain things and to hold certain positions. If we attempt to act outside of that grace, we will not be able to adequately perform or serve as God intends us to and as is need for the rest of the Body of Christ. Grace enables us to do everything we do in life, without grace, we could do nothing; just as apart from Christ we can do nothing worthy of doing.

The saints must be equipped properly for God work. It is through God’s grace given to the apostles, prophets, evangelist, pastors, and teachers that these Believers become equipped and ready to use their spiritual gift and talents for Kingdom service. Additionally, the edification of the Body is the responsibility of these individuals as well. Yet, when these individual and the task they are given to do is not respected by both themselves and others disunity is often the result. If the pastor wishes to be a teacher, he could well interfere with the work of the teacher within that community. If the prophet wishes to be a pastor, he will most likely be a miserable failure and make others miserable in the process. If an evangelist attempts to be an apostle, they will find they are restless in their work establishing churches and longing to be on the road sharing the gospel. If the saints resist the work of these individuals, or worst wish to be these individuals and believe they can do better, they will become agitators and never grow as God wishes them to grow. In all of this disunity will run ramped.

A further and deeper purpose of the leaders is edifying and building the Body of Christ in order to bring it into unity around one faith; faith in the Son of God, Jesus the Christ. To bring people to a fuller and deeper understand of who Christ is to His Church and to them as individuals. In so doing the leaders help the individual members of Christ’s Body to grow up in their faith and become grounded in their doctrine so that they are not easily led astray by false doctrine or wrong teachings.

Growing people often requires speaking the truth to them. Truth should always be spoken in love and for the hearer’s well-being, not the speaker’s fulfillment. We are not to go about bashing people over the head with our “truth”, but we are also not to remain silent when “truth” needs to be spoken. If we refuse to hear the truth, we will not grow as we should in Christ. It is only through hearing and accepting the truth that we can move from glory to glory being recreated in the image of Christ. If each individual continually focuses on the “in love”, aspect of presenting the truth then there will be less disunity caused by correction, exhortation, encouragement, and the like.

We all must do our part for the Body of Christ to be what it should be. We must all do our part to keep unity within the Body of Christ. We must all do our part in actually manifesting unity to the Body of Christ. Finally, we must all do our part to promote unity within the Body of Christ. Then and only then can the Body of Christ be what Christ desires for it to be.

Throughout this study if you need the wisdom of God on a matter, and you wish to receive the counsel of another Believer in Christ, please use the “comments” link to send your question to me.

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.

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Why My Church is NOT Growing – Part 21 – Disunity

In Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian Living, Church Growth, Disunity, Remnant, Renewal, Repentance, Revival, Rhema Words, Righteousness, Spiritual Remnant, Truth, Uncategorized, Wisdom on March 7, 2019 at 9:00 am

At the beginning of 2019 we took on a different approach to finishing both our series on Church Growth, or lack thereof, and the Study of the Book of Proverbs. Instead of alternating weekly between two subjects, as we have in the past, we are proceeding this year by carrying one subject to completion and then next to completion. Please be assured we will finish each subject, Church Growth and Proverbs. We will wrap up the series, “Why My Church is NOT Growing” with the last two postings focused on disunity within the Body of Christ. 

Why My Church is NOT Growing – Part 21 – Disunity

"a healthy perspective overlooks a multitude of "unresolvables" – Dr. James Dobson

Disunity, the lack of agreement or harmony, dissension, is found across the Body of Christ. No denomination, culture, race, social class, or region is excluded from this cancer, which is eating away at the heart of Christianity. What is the disunity all for in the end if we find we are all in heaven together worshipping at the feet of Jesus?

Once we have cleared the hurtles of the Deity of Christ, as found in the truth of His virgin birth, that salvation is through Jesus alone and no other, and that God’s Word, the Bible, is in fact His literal and definitive Word, why would there be any need for division. Nothing outside of those three things will effect a person’s salvation, eternal standing, or qualification within the Body of Christ as a brother or sister. Nevertheless, we have allowed the disagreements about biblical principles that we deem important or a larger priority to drive a wedge between our group and another group, both of which are part of the Body of Christ. With this, I have no doubt God is not pleased and not pleased at all. This is an act we justify, but in truth, we have no biblical justification for before God.

The Body of Christ, individuals, families, marriages, homes, business, government, and our country have suffered due to the lack of unity within the Body of Christ. Separation of church and state in the spiritual realm is a myth and would, nor will, ever be possible. The entire structure of society and life is based upon biblical principles. God has never and will never allow Himself to be left out of the sphere of His creation. The idea that He just dropped us here and left us to our own devices is simply not His way. Yes, He did give us freewill but that is very different from Him acting with apathy and indifference toward His creation.

The Body of Christ is knowingly and willingly hurting itself, its country, and each of its members by continuing in disunity.

Psalm 133 (NKJV)

Psalm 133

Blessed Unity of the People of God

A Song of Ascents. Of David.

1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is

For brethren to dwell together in unity!

2 It is like the precious oil upon the head,

Running down on the beard,

The beard of Aaron,

Running down on the edge of his garments.

3 It is like the dew of Hermon,

Descending upon the mountains of Zion;

For there the Lord commanded the blessing—

Life forevermore.

The Body of Christ suffers from a lack of anointing when they are in disunity. Without that anointing, they lack the spiritual power needed to do God’s kingdom work in on earth. That lack of spiritual power leads Christians to the deterioration of themselves as individuals first, then their homes, then their congregations, then the Body of Christ, and finally their society and country. Without the anointing of God, we continually lose ground until the enemy has trampled us.

There is a way out of such a state however, and that way is to repent of our disunity and reclaim our unity. This has always been God’s heart and desire for us as His Church.

Ephesians 4:1–16 (NKJV)

Walk in Unity

4 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

Spiritual Gifts

7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore He says:

“When He ascended on high,

He led captivity captive,

And gave gifts to men.”

9 (Now this, “He ascended”—what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)

11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till 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; 14 that 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, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16 from 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.

To walk in disunity is to dishonor God. We are called as Christians to walk worthy of the name. Walking worthy of the name “Christian” means to be humble, gentle, patient, loving, peaceful, and in so doing we exhibit the greatest form of love for one another by keeping unity within the Body of Christ. If we refuse to do this, we refuse to honor God and to obey His Word.

Even though we have chosen to identify ourselves with hundreds upon hundreds of denominations there is but one Church, one Body of Christ. The Scripture above from the book of Ephesians makes this truth clear. There is only one Body, one Spirit, one Lord Jesus our Savior, one faith, let me repeat that – one faith, one baptism, one God and Father; there is only One. How is it possible to be divided when there is only One!

The problem with disunity seems to be found in the fact that we are different. We can be one, we can be unified, and we can be godly and still be different. God created us differently, gave us different gifts, gave us different passions, and chose us for different purposes; none of which He wanted to be used as an excuse or reason to bring disunity to His Body.

Throughout this study if you need the wisdom of God on a matter, and you wish to receive the counsel of another Believer in Christ, please use the “comments” link to send your question to me.

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.

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Why My Church is NOT Growing – Part 19 – What is our problem with authority?

In Abuse, Advice, Authority, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian Living, Church Growth, Religious Freedom, Remnant, Renewal, Repentance, Revival, Trust, Truth, Uncategorized, Wisdom on February 21, 2019 at 8:51 am

At the beginning of 2019 we took on a different approach to finishing both our series on Church Growth, or lack thereof, and the Study of the Book of Proverbs. Instead of alternating weekly between two subjects, as we have in the past, we will proceed this year by carrying one subject to completion and then next to completion. Please be assured we will finish each subject, Church Growth and Proverbs. We will begin by finishing the series, “Why My Church is NOT Growing” with the focus for the next several weeks placed upon the issue of how “authority” affects church growth.

Why My Church is NOT Growing – Part 19 – What is our problem with authority?

There are so many people in the world who have a real problem with authority. These individuals more often than not have been wounded by people who abused their authority and position in the individual life. This is the heart of our problem with authority as a group and as a society. The abuse and misuse of authority by those who were once trusted.

The bosses did mistreat and overwork the employees. They stole their ideas and called them their own. The mothers did abuse, beat, verbally assault, and neglect their children. Their children in turn grew up and did likewise to their own children, albeit not as severely. The daddies did molest their daughters and break their trust of all men in the process. The Christian spiritual leaders did use their flock for money, power, and prestige leaving some among them in great need and grossly disappointed. Spiritual leaders attempted to control their people to the degree they misused the women for their personal sexual pleasure and left an entire group wounded and spiritually broken. The husband did beat, lie to, verbally abuse, cheat on, and mistreat his wife and call on her to submit and endure such as part of her duty to him. This left the women confused, emotionally abandoned, and alone. On and on I could go with all the reasons we could mistrust authority or do mistrust authority. These examples certainly show what our problem with authority actual looks like and why. With all that laid bare, I still call us to repentance.

If we have misused our authority, we must repent. If we are refusing proper authority a chance in our lives because of the sins of past authority, we must repent. We must as a group, as The Church, begin to live with one another using our authority in a godly manner and submitting to our godly authority appropriately and willingly. It is only through those right relationships that God can work in an ideal fashion.

This concludes the writings on “authority” and its factor in church growth or lack thereof. The next couple of sections, “disunity” and “exclusivity,” will wrap up “Why My Church is NOT Growing.” I pray these writings have been a blessing to you and will be used of God to aid your healthy godly church growth.

Throughout this study if you need the wisdom of God on a matter, and you wish to receive the counsel of another Believer in Christ, please use the “comments” link to send your question to me.

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.

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Why My Church is NOT Growing – Part 17 – How should we respond and interact with authority?

In Abuse, Advice, Authority, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian Living, Church Growth, Confusion, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Remnant, Renewal, Revival, Truth, Uncategorized, Wisdom on February 13, 2019 at 4:35 pm

At the beginning of 2019 we took on a different approach to finishing both our series on Church Growth, or lack thereof, and the Study of the Book of Proverbs. Instead of alternating weekly between two subjects, as we have in the past, we will proceed this year by carrying one subject to completion and then next to completion. However, please be assured we will finish each subject, Church Growth and Proverbs. We will begin by finishing the series, “Why My Church is NOT Growing” with the focus for the next several weeks placed upon the issue of how “authority” affects church growth.

Why My Church is NOT Growing – Part 17 – How should we respond and interact with authority?

As we examine these questions about Christian Spiritual Authority and Societal Authority it is imperative to keep in mind that you do not want to allow your reflection on this matter to cause you to act inappropriately with said authority. In a healthy relationship or congregational setting there is a balance to be found in both the proper administration of authority and the proper response to and respect for authority, this must always be kept in mind as the goal of these writings, and I pray it is your goal as well.

It is extremely important to be balanced in our approach regarding submission to authority. If we fall to one extreme, we will become nonconformist, in a negative way, insolent and isolated without purpose. If however, we fall to the other extreme we will open ourselves up for spiritual, physical, financial, mental, and emotional abuse and mistreatment. There is a balance to be found in the proper discernment of what is going on around us and happening to us at any given time within our relationships and as we relate to the society around us.

God’s ultimate purpose is being played out around us and in our society. Please note that I stated His “ultimate purpose” not His day-to-day Perfect Will. There is a difference. The primary difference being God’s ideal and God’s awareness. God knows all that is going to happen and all that has happened, but He does not usurp freewill in order to make His Will come to pass. That said, He also does not allow anyone to rise to or fall from a position of power and authority without His awareness and choice not to intervene. The people in certain positions within our society and within the Body of Christ are there for a reason that perhaps only God know, but for a reason, nevertheless.

Romans 13:1 (NKJV) – Note: Read all of chapter 13 for complete understanding and context.

Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.

2 Timothy 2:20 (NKJV)

20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor.

Are the previous statements contradictions? No, they are the manner in which God has chosen to interact with His creation since the being of time. Examine the interactions within the Bible from Genesis to Revelation and see God at work in just this way. Did He stop Judas from betrayal, extortion, conspiracy to commit murder, and suicide, all of which are sins? No, He allowed Judas, even used, or allowed Judas to be used, so that His ultimate plan might be fulfilled for mankind’s redemption.

Once again, I want to reiterate that we as Christian’s and personal followers of the Lord Jesus, the Christ, obey God and God’s Word over any authority whether governmental, relational, or spiritual in nature.

Acts 5:29 (NKJV)

29 But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men.

Quite naturally, man is going to benefit from godly leadership and suffer under the rule of wicked (ungodly or godless) leadership, whether in a church setting, a society, governmental setting, group setting, or family setting – bad, sinful, unwise leadership produces fruitlessness – death instead of life, destruction instead of growth, strife instead of peace, and the like.

Proverbs 29:2 (NKJV)

When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice;

But when a wicked man rules, the people groan.

This is why God’s people must continue to be active in the selection and placement of their governmental and Christian spiritual leaders, and women extremely careful about the men they choose to marry. Without attempting to play your part in the selection and election process of these leaders, one cannot expect to have a say before man or God about the outcome. Involvement that is directed by and ordered under the direction of God is vital to the godly health of our nation, local church congregations, families, and ministries.

Throughout this study if you need the wisdom of God on a matter, and you wish to receive the counsel of another Believer in Christ, please use the “comments” link to send your question to me.

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.

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Why My Church is NOT Growing – Part 16 – “Authority” Who or what holds authority?

In Abuse, Advice, Apostasy, Authority, Bible, Bible Study, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian Living, Church Growth, Confusion, Decision Making, Religious Freedom, Remnant, Renewal, Repentance, Revival, Truth, Uncategorized on January 31, 2019 at 1:26 pm

As we take on a new year, 2019, we will take a different approach to finishing both our series on Church Growth, or lack thereof, and the Study of the Book of Proverbs. Instead of alternating weekly between two subjects, as we have in the past, we will proceed this year by carrying one subject to completion and then next to completion. Please be assured we will finish each subject, Church Growth and Proverbs. We will begin by finishing the series, “Why My Church is NOT Growing” with the focus for the next several weeks placed upon the issue of how “authority” affects church growth.

Why My Church is NOT Growing – Part 16 – “Authority” Who or what holds authority?

The Word of God is authority to the highest degree because of its ability to address all life matters that concern us. Even though it does not always provide a literally specific answer to a question, such as where to live or what car to buy, it does always provide the life principles that make those decisions answerable in a godly manner. The overall guidance needed for any situation is found in the authority of God’s Word.

Hebrews 4:12 (NKJV)

12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Through the use of God’s Word, we are not only able to find guidance for our life situation, but we are also able to have our own hearts and motives revealed to us as we search the Word for our answers. Through our submission to the process of seeking God’s guidance by means of His authority found in His Word, we are able to allow Him authority over our thoughts and the intents of our heart.

It is God’s desire to help us, protect us, keep our lives on course, and lead us out of any places of ungodliness but we must trust His authority in our lives to make that possible.

Ephesians 6:17 (NKJV)

And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;

Salvation is to be saved from something. To be delivered from sin, danger, difficulties, to be preserved from destruction, etc. This is what God wants for us in this life and in the life hereafter. The Word of God is the authority through which He often makes that possible, if only we would adhere to its instructions.

The authority of God Word, the Bible, exists because it is the mind, heart, and will of God. It is not the ideas of man but instead the ideals and very nature of God Himself revealed to man. The men who wrote the words down on paper were mere secretaries of sorts taking shorthand for their Boss.

2 Timothy 3:16–17 (NKJV)

16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

1 Thessalonians 2:13 (NKJV)

For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.

The idea that only a portion of Scripture is true or that it does not mean what it says is simply a lie, one that Satan perpetrates. Where you see the existence of lies Satan reigns because he is the Father of Lies according to Scripture. Lying is a direct by-product of Satan’s influence in a situation or in a person’s life. God’s Word is just that, God’s Word, all of it, always good, always correct, and always righteous in its nature. It is meant to enhance mankind’s life and lead them to godliness in all things.

Psalm 119:160 (NKJV)

The entirety of Your word is truth,

And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.

The greatest display of the authority of God’s Written Word is the impact and transforming power it has on the individual who allows the Word to be the authority of their life. Sanctification comes by the Word of God. Meaning both through the person of the Word found in Christ Jesus and through the power and authority found in adherence to the Written Word.

John 17:17 (NKJV) Jesus speaking.

Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.

James 1:22 (NKJV)

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

If we refuse to appropriately follow the Word of God, then we will not find the process of sanctification to be manifesting in our lives. By refusing to allow the Word to be our authority we are making ourselves people who simply hear the Word but do not do the Word. We are commanded by God to do both, hear and do the Word. Truth is found in the Word, the Word submitted to becomes Authority, and when truth is discovered in the Word and applied sanctification is the result.

Throughout this study if you need the wisdom of God on a matter, and you wish to receive the counsel of another Believer in Christ, please use the “comments” link to send your question to me.

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.

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Why My Church is NOT Growing – Part 15 – “Authority” What is in a word?

In Abuse, Advice, Authority, Bible, Bible Study, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian Living, Christianity, Church Growth, End Times, Exhortation, False Doctrine, Godliness, Persecution, Prudence, Religious Freedom, Remnant, Renewal, Repentance, Spiritual Remnant, Truth, Wisdom on January 16, 2019 at 12:07 pm

As we take on a new year, 2019, we will take a different approach to finishing both our series on Church Growth, or lack thereof, and the Study of the Book of Proverbs. Instead of alternating weekly between two subjects, as we have in the past, we will proceed this year by carrying one subject to completion and then next to completion. Please be assured we will finish each subject, Church Growth and Proverbs. We will begin by finishing the series, “Why My Church is NOT Growing” with the focus for the next several weeks placed upon the issue of how “authority” affects church growth.

Why My Church is NOT Growing – Part 15 – “Authority” What is in a word?

Authority according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary is as follow:

authority

Function:

noun

1 a (1) : a citation (as from a book or file) used in defense or support (2) : the source from which the citation is drawn b (1) : a conclusive statement or set of statements (as an official decision of a court) (2) : a decision taken as a precedent (3) : TESTIMONY c : an individual cited or appealed to as an expert

2 a : power to influence or command thought, opinion, or behavior b : freedom granted by one in authority : RIGHT

3 a : persons in command; specifically : GOVERNMENT b : a governmental agency or corporation to administer a revenue-producing public enterprise <the transit authority>

synonyms see INFLUENCE, POWER

Concerning the definition identified by the number 1, for the Christian Community, this relates to the Written Word of God, which is the Holy Bible. The Written Word of God is the final authority in all things. We do not, regardless of who might instruct us; government, Pastor, husband, wife, parent, boss, etc., sin against God’s Written Word. Anyone who is asking us to violate God’s Word is in sin himself or herself and we are not to follow them into sin. We follow God’s Word first, then man second. We also follow God’s Word when our own desires and wants contradict His Word. This is what it means for God’s Word to be the final authority in our lives. We are to subject all of our decisions to what God’s Word says on the matter.

In reference to the definition labeled number 2, we must subject ourselves to God so that any authority we have, in any type of relationship, is properly administered to others. If we hold a position of authority where we are able to teach or through other means influence the thoughts and mindset of another human being, then we owe it to God, them, and ourselves to daily self-evaluate and make sure we are submitted to the greatest Authority, God, our Creator. Without our daily submission to the Almighty, our authority is worthless.

The final definition number 3, puts or pits God’s agenda either in line with or against the agenda of societal government and/or institutionalized religion’s governing bodies. This situation is a bit trickier to deal with. God calls for us to obey the laws and ordinances of man and our Christian spiritual leaders expect when to do so would require us to disobey Him. One might think, ‘Would we really ever have to disobey God in order to obey government or a church leader?’ Yes, I believe that at times we might be forced to make that choice and answer the question of whom we will obey, for ourselves as individuals. The apostles made ever attempt to obey the laws of their land but when they were told to stop preaching the gospel by the authorities in their land, they declined to do so because they knew their greater obligation was to Christ. Our greater obligation will always be to Christ and what Christ wants us to do. We live in a time and in a country that is rapidly changing, and those changes are becoming more and more ungodly. As our society changes, we may find ourselves in the very real position of having to decide to obey God and possibly go to jail or having to obey man and suppress truth.

Acts 5:26–32 (NKJV)

26 Then the captain went with the officers and brought them without violence, for they feared the people, lest they should be stoned. 27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest asked them, 28 saying, “Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man’s blood on us!”

29 But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. 31 Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.”

This is a wonderful example of how we should respond to and interact with governing authorities.

Throughout this study if you need the wisdom of God on a matter, and you wish to receive the counsel of another Believer in Christ, please use the “comments” link to send your question to me.

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.

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Why My Church is NOT Growing – Part 14 – “Authority” Introduction

In Advice, Anxiety, Apostasy, Bible Study, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Church Growth, Exhortation, Godly Counsel, Jesus, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Reformation, Religious Freedom, Remnant, Renewal, Repentance, Revival, Righteousness, Spiritual Remnant, Trust, Truth, Uncategorized on January 10, 2019 at 12:41 pm

As we take on a new year, 2019, we will take a different approach to finishing both our series on Church Growth, or lack thereof, and the Study of the Book of Proverbs. Instead of alternating weekly between two subjects, as we have in the past, we will proceed this year by carrying one subject to completion and then next to completion. Please be assured we will finish each subject, Church Growth and Proverbs. We will begin by finishing the series, “Why My Church is NOT Growing” with the focus for the next several weeks placed upon the issue of how “authority” affects church growth.

Why My Church is NOT Growing – Part 14 – “Authority” Introduction

What is authority? Whom or what holds authority? How should we respond to and interact with authority? What is our problem with authority? Can authority be trusted? All wonderful questions we will seek to answer in this portion of the series.

In the Book of Revelation, the word “power” is synonymous with the word “authority”. In chapters 2-8, you will find that if you compare the King James Authorized Version with newer translations such as the New King James the word “authority” appears in the New King James Bible where the word “power” once appeared in the King James Authorized Version Bible. This alteration in translations of this word takes place whether the verse is referencing Christ or Satan. Therefore, we can see one key thing about what authority is and means, power, power in some form.

The word “authority” according to the Greek Language Definition, as found in 2 Corinthians 10:8, which we will examine later, is as follows:

Strong’s Greek Reference #1849

1849. ἐξουσία ĕxŏusia, ex-oo-see´-ah; from 1832 (in the sense of ability); privilege, i.e. (subj.) force, capacity, competency, freedom, or (obj.) mastery (concr. magistrate, superhuman, potentate, token of control), delegated influence:— authority, jurisdiction, liberty, power, right, strength.

Authority is meant to influence. Not only to influence but also to delegate influence, in such a way that people are empowered, not oppressed. Yet, so often evil or corrupt authority seeks to oppress, always has. Authority by its very nature being, a privilege to influence others through a realistic ability to do so, should be administered with competency and a desire for liberation and freedom for those under said authority. This is what Christ wants for us, liberty, and freedom. One administers a certain token of control in order to guide another person to personal liberty, freedom, and the ability to govern oneself appropriately. It takes a strong individual to use authority with honor and integrity because they must have the spiritual and personal power to do what is right in each situation.

Throughout this study if you need the wisdom of God on a matter, and you wish to receive the counsel of another Believer in Christ, please use the “comments” link to send your question to me.

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.

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Why My Church is NOT Growing – Part 11 – The Acceptance Factor

In Abuse, Apostasy, Bible, Bible Study, Biblical Principles, Candy Cane, Christian Living, Church Growth, Exhortation, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Remnant, Renewal, Repentance, Revival, Rhema Words, Spiritual Activism, Spiritual Remnant, Truth, Uncategorized, Wisdom on September 20, 2018 at 9:00 am

This blog will alternate with each post between two subjects. One week will address why churches are not growing, and the coming move of God. The alternate week the blog will continue with the in-depth study through the Book of Proverbs.

Please note this will be my last posting until mid-October. I have something I must attend to. Please keep me in your prayers.

A church that finds the appropriate balance between lovingly accepting people while at the same time remaining true to God’s Word and Principles will grow.

If there is one thing that false religions have learned it is the art of acceptance. Multitudes of people have been dragged into sin and evil out of a desire to be accepted. It is a form of validation we all need to some degree.

Knowing that we are all in need of acceptance, the question then becomes what form of acceptance should be given and what degree of acceptance should the church give. There is a delicate balance between upholding the Word of God while at the same time loving and accepting people. We do not have to validate someone’s sin in order to accept him or her. We can accept them without accepting their sin. We will make that our jumping off point.

The church is called to love people regardless. Loving them does not mean we keep silent about their sin or that we ascribe to a “don’t ask don’t tell” mentality. It means we treat the individuals with the same kindness and respect we would anyone, and we share God’s truths with them as He allow us and opens the door for us to do so. We never reject them because of their sin or because they do not agree with us, and we also never validate their sin or partake in their sin as a means of showing love.

When pressed to accept something in someone’s life which is in contradiction to God’s Written Word we should express our care and love for the person but also express a refusal to embrace that aspect of the person’s life or that particular belief they ascribe to. We explain, with Scripture, why we believe something different than they believe and reaffirm our desire to accept and love them despite the fact that we do not agree with them.

There are those individuals who are hard to accept not because of their choices in life, lifestyle, beliefs, or sin but because they are wounded, difficult, because of their attitude, or perhaps a physical, mental, or emotional handicap which makes relating to them more challenging. In these cases, we must call more upon our own character and spiritual development to step up to the task of acceptance. The ability for change or modification by the individual may not be an option or at least not an option initially. A person with a handicap cannot change their circumstances. A person with wounds cannot change until emotional, mental, and spiritual healing has begun. A person with a challenging demeanor or attitude will mostly likely never change without a community of people who offer them love and acceptance. Therefore, in all such cases it will be up to you to allow God to stretch you spiritually, mentally, and emotionally in order to exhibit His balanced and appropriate form of acceptance.

More individuals would embrace the church if the church would embrace them. If we refuse to accept individuals because we do not agree with them, we are limiting our capacity for love. When we refuse to accept another person, it is because in some way, we have judged that person, or we have judged that person’s actions. Furthermore, our lack of acceptance of them to some degree, despite their sin or issue, is a form of condemnation. Judging that results in condemnation, is not discernment judging [1 Thess. 5:19-21, 1 Corn. 2:14 & 12:3, 1 John 4:1-6, Ps. 119:18, and 1 Kings 3:9-14], it is sinful judging [John 7:24, Rom. 14:1-13 and Matt. 7:1-6]. No one can hear us until they can see us, and no one can see us until they feel a certain level of acceptance from us.

Individuals who have never felt accepted have found a home within the Christian Community and some individuals within the Christian Community have never felt accepted. Fear can hinder a person’s ability to accept another person. If they fear the person’s lifestyle, sin, demeanor, ideas, and/or points of view, they will not be able to accept the person. However, if they can accept the seventy-five percent of the individual that they do like and agree with, they will find themselves to be in a better position to influence the other twenty-five percent of the person or to grow themselves as a person.

Acceptance never makes room for sin, but acceptance makes room for sin to be abandoned. The next time you see the individual whom no one else seems willing to accept and embrace, make room in your heart to do so yourself. You just may find that the Kingdom of God is expanded by one because you did.

Please note this will be my last posting until mid-October. I have something I must attend to. Please keep me in your prayers.

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.

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Revival – Church Growth – Move of God – Step 2

In Bible Study, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Church Growth, Holy Spirit, Prophecy, Remnant, Renewal, Repentance, Revival, Rhema Words, Truth, Uncategorized on June 27, 2018 at 8:50 am

As part of our series on Church Growth God has placed it on my heart that we deviate, temporarily for two more week and stick with the topic of “REVIVAL” within the Body of Christ, after which we will return to alternating between the Church Growth and Proverbs postings.

In the introduction to these revival postings I posed the following question. Do you long for revival? If you do not, search your heart and find out why.

An individual who truly loves God, loves God’s people, desires to grow in the knowledge of God, and desires that the Body of Christ continue to grow in the knowledge of God’s Will, God’s Desires, and God’s Purposes will long for the revival of God’s people. There is a hunger to know, ‘What is next God?’

We need to begin to pray for revival in us as individuals, in our congregation, in our spiritual square (community), and in the Body of Christ. We need to pray together, we need to pray openly, and we need anyone and everyone who feels the burden to pray, to pray. Prayer is a mighty force, prayer brings the Will of God into the reality of man.

7 Perfect Verses for American Reform and Revival

The Reforms of Asa  – 2 Chronicles 15:1-7 NKJV

1Now the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded. 2And he went out to meet Asa, and said to him: “Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin. The Lord is with you while you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you. 3For a long time Israel has been without the true God, without a teaching priest, and without law; 4but when in their trouble they turned to the Lord God of Israel, and sought Him, He was found by them. 5And in those times there was no peace to the one who went out, nor to the one who came in, but great turmoil was on all the inhabitants of the lands. 6So nation was destroyed by nation, and city by city, for God troubled them with every adversity. 7But you, be strong and do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded!”

Reform means according to Webster’s Dictionary:

transitive verb

1 a : to put or change into an improved form or condition b : to amend or improve by change of form or removal of faults or abuses

2 : to put an end to (an evil) by enforcing or introducing a better method or course of action

3 : to induce or cause to abandon evil ways

noun

1 : amendment of what is defective, vicious, corrupt, or depraved

2 : a removal or correction of an abuse, a wrong, or errors

American society needs reform, the American church needs some forms of reform. We need to turn back to what God, and what following God, is all about – piety, dedication, commitment – purity of faith.

The following three statements will end each posting, I hunger for your feedback on all three.

Father…

"Complete the reformation."

I want to hear your thoughts on the above statement. What comes to your spirit, your heart, your mind, when you hear the words, “Complete the Reformation” – what does it mean to you?

Son…

Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary defines “revival” in one way as, “restoration of force, validity, or effect (as to a contract).”

That is exactly what God wants to do, restore the force that Christianity once was in America, making it a viable leading force in America again thus restoring its validity, and use that force and validity to effect His change on this Great Nation. God has a contract with every Believer upon which He will not falter. God had, and has, a contract with this Nation, “One Nation Under God” a nation formed under the guidance of God, a contract that He intends to see to it is upheld.

Holy Ghost…

This what I hear God saying to His Body, “Revival will come through a purity of faith.”

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.

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Revival – Church Growth – Move of God – Step 1

In Chrisitan Lifestyle, Church Growth, Persecution, Reformation, Religious Freedom, Remnant, Renewal, Repentance, Revival, Uncategorized on June 21, 2018 at 3:55 pm

As part of our series on Church Growth God has placed it on my heart that we deviate temporarily for three more week and stick with the topic of “REVIVAL” within the Body of Christ, after which we will return to alternating between the Church Growth and Proverbs postings.

Revival is coming, and the cost of revival is substantial. What does that mean? Revival among God’s people or even in one of God’s people means that the heart is renewed in such a manner that they are willing to do anything, endure anything, give up anything, say anything, go anywhere…to fulfill God’s Purpose and God’s Will.

A couple of the questions posed in the introduction to these Revival postings were as follows. 1 – What do you see God doing within the Body of Christ and within society at this time, in the now? 2 – What do you believe revival is, to whom does it happen, and whom does it affect?

Question 1 – God is doing a variety of works among His people at this time. I will only comment on one in this posting, and I welcome each of you to send me your own comments regarding your insights into what God is doing within the Body of Christ. In America God is allowing His people to be pushed and pushed by their society into ever increasing silence regarding their faith. To silence the Church is to vastly effect the effectiveness of the Church, as the Word, the spoken word or written word holds great power.

Slowly and insidiously the American based Body of Christ is being suppressed by their society into a passivity born out of fear, fears of many kinds. That suppression has led to a form, note I stated a form, of denying Christ. To remain silent while God’s Truths are maligned and marginalized is a type of denial. God is watching to see how far His people will go!

Question 2 – Revival is when something is made new again. Spiritual godly revival is when God moves among and within His people to bring their faith to greater life again, renewing their passion for Christ, in His Word, and for each other.

Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary defines “revival” in one way as, “restoration of force, validity, or effect (as to a contract).”

That is exactly what God wants to do, restore the force that Christianity once was in America, making it a viable leading force in America again thus restoring its validity, and use that force and validity to effect His change on this Great Nation. God has a contract with every Believer upon which He will not falter. God had, and has, a contract with this Nation, “One Nation Under God” a nation formed under the guidance of God, a contract that He intends to see is upheld.

Revival is something that can only happen to a Believer in Christ. You cannot reawaken something that never existed. Christians have a tendency to put the focus on non-Christians when talking about revival, but the real targets of revival are the individuals who are already member of The Body of Christ, through personal acceptance of Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. If you know Christ revival is about and for you.

Revival having taken place among God’s people gets the attention of the lost people of the world and thus affects, and effects, them in significant ways. Many people come to know Christ through watching the renewed passion and spiritual strength found among Christians during revival. It is about the non-Christian by extension, but the non-Christian is not God’s primary target when His Holy Spirit moves in revival.

The Body of Christ must be willing to open up and acknowledge that we need godly spiritual change within ourselves first, congregation second, our square meaning our community third, and lastly throughout the entire Body of Christ. We need to be able to talk openly about our need for godly spiritual change without associating it with criticism but instead understanding that we, God people, where always meant to continue to grow as individuals and a group. WE NEED REVIVAL, we need reviving.

The following three statements will end each posting, I hunger for your feedback on all three.

Father…

"Complete the reformation."

I want to hear your thoughts on the above statement. What comes to your spirit, your heart, your mind, when you hear the words, “Complete the Reformation” – what does it mean to you?

Son…

Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary defines “revival” in one way as, “restoration of force, validity, or effect (as to a contract).”

That is exactly what God wants to do, restore the force that Christianity once was in America, making it a viable leading force in America again thus restoring its validity, and use that force and validity to effect His change on this Great Nation. God has a contract with every Believer upon which He will not falter. God had, and has, a contract with this Nation, “One Nation Under God” a nation formed under the guidance of God, a contract that He intends to see to it is upheld.

Holy Ghost…

This what I hear God saying to His Body, “Revival will come through a purity of faith.”

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.

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Why My Church is NOT Growing – Part 5 – Repent of Silence

In Apostasy, Bible, Bible Study, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Church Growth, End Times, Exhortation, Jesus, Persecution, Prophecy, Remnant, Renewal, Repentance, Revival, Rhema Words, Spiritual Remnant, Spirituality, Truth, Uncategorized on May 30, 2018 at 11:44 am

This blog will alternate with each post between two subjects. One week will address why churches are not growing, and the coming move of God. The alternate week the blog will continue with the in-depth study through the Book of Proverbs.

“Jesus had to suffer as the natural outcome of all that He had been saying and doing. The people were increasing rejecting His (Jesus’) message, and the religious leaders were plotting to rid themselves of Him (Jesus). This was the inevitable consequence of the radical message He (Jesus) had presented to a spiritually deaf, dumb, and blind world.” – Bill Crowder Simon Peter A Rock Moved By God Bible Study

Most people would tell you they would never deny Christ, yet they do each time they remain silent while words are brought forth in front of them that deny the truths, meaning the Principles, Ways, and Will of the Word, Jesus. Jesus made it clear He was, and is, Truth.

John 14:6 (NKJV)

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

In the Greek language the word truth, means one thing “verity – truth.”

Verity means according to the Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary:

“something (as a statement) that is true; especially : a fundamental and inevitably true value”

When Jesus would say “verily, verily” I say… He was saying, ‘I am now going to teach you the principles of truth.’

Synonyms for “verity” are truth, fact, principle, reality, sincerity, factualness, and actuality.

Why would people remain silent instead of speaking out the Truths of God as found in His Word? The answer is simple and heartbreaking – fear of abuse. What will happen to me if I speak out? What will these secular people, this secular sinful society do to me? What will carnal self-serving Christian do to me? Sadly, all too often the answer is they will respond with some form of abuse.

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.

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Why My Church is NOT Growing – Part 4 – Personal Repentance

In Apostasy, Bible, Bible Study, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christ, Christian Living, Christianity, Encouragement, End Times, Exhortation, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Learning, Persecution, Prayer, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Remnant, Renewal, Repentance, Revival, Rhema Words, Spiritual Activism, Spiritual Remnant, Spirituality, Truth, Uncategorized, Wisdom on May 2, 2018 at 6:12 pm

This blog will alternate with each post between two subjects. One week will address why churches are not growing, and the coming move of God. The alternate week the blog will continue with the in-depth study through the Book of Proverbs.

To follow the will of God is to prosper; to rebel against the will of God is to be destroyed. – Mencius

Again, this will be challenging but it is what God wants said, THE CHURCH MUST REPENT, which means individuals must personally repent!

Each day when we arise, we make a choice within our spirits regarding whom we will follow. As the days turn to years the choices are many and the reasons for our choices varies but nevertheless they are our choices. Either we will follow our own will, the Will of God, the will of another person, or we will drift aimlessly through our days with no sense of direction or purpose. Whom we chose to follow, as well as choosing not to follow anyone and just drifting through life, affects and effects both other people affects and effects the Body of Christ as a whole.

Much like ripples on a pond our choices are ripples through life, ripples which begin with our personal choices, then reach out to our spouse and/or family members, from there out to our local congregations, next the Body of Christ, and ultimately to the world as a whole multiplying as they go. One wrong or selfish choice can affect the lives of a dozen people or more. Yet, do we look at each choice that way. Do we consider this truth when we are deciding whom we will follow each morning when we open our eyes to greet the new day? We should, and we can.

Joy has slipped from the lives of individual Christians and from the Church as a whole because for too long we have chosen to do things our way instead of choosing to do things God’s Way. We have awakened morning after morning choosing to do our own will, the will of another, or even the will of Satan himself instead of doing the Will of God. That choice day after day has drained the joy from our lives and that draining of joy has extended much like those ripples on a pond, to the entire Body of Christ to some degree. Where we were once excited about fellowship with Jesus and fellowship with each other now we are lifeless and somewhat empty. That can all change.

We as individuals have an option to repent, repent from self-will and once again make God number one in our lives. Our joy can be restored through our repentance. Once our joy is resorted we can begin to see the ripples on the pond extend to our spouse and family, our local congregation, and then to the overall Body of Christ.

We as a group, the Body of Christ, also need to extend that repentance to our local congregations, in respect to how we have done things, how we have neglected people or even mistreated them at times. Then we will begin to feel the impact of that repentance on the overall Body of Christ. Once that has taken place we will begin to see people once again attracted to the Church and attracted to what God has to offer their lives.

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.