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Evil Transforms (If We Let It) – Pt. 2 – Government

In Apostasy, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian Living, Christianity, Courage, End Times, Evil, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Humanism, Jesus, Persecution, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Religious Freedom, Remnant, Renewal, Revival, Rhema Words, Spiritual Activism, Spiritual Activists, Spiritual Remnant, Suffering, Truth on October 14, 2015 at 2:13 pm

In this piece we will explore chapter one of David Kupelian’s book, How Evil Works, which addresses evil in the governmental portion of our society. Please find a link below where you can purchase the book from Amazon.

Do we truly trust our government? If you asked nine out of ten people on the street that question the answers would be consistent. Most individuals would answer either no or not entirely. Why have we evolved from a society who in the nineteen fifties primarily trusted their government to a society in two thousand fifteen that primarily does not trust their government? Broken trust, pure and simple. People hungry for power took the place of people who thought it an honor to serve the American people. In this chapter Kupelian explores why governments no matter where they might be on the earth tend toward being “tyrannical and predatory” – his words.

Iraq we are familiar with, and Saddam is not unknown to most of my readers. This was a government who in two thousand authorized the amputation of the tongues of people who dared to criticize the government or Saddam personally.

North Korea where the people surrendered their freedom and in return got the government’s assurance they would care for them ‘from the cradle to the grave.’ Sound familiar? Some of those individuals aspiring to government office and who have previously held government office in America have used the phrase, ‘Care from cradle to the grave.’ when referring to Americans and desired changes in our society. Does anyone have an opinion regarding whether North Korea’s situation has enhanced the lives of that country’s people.

Zimbabwe a country that routinely bulldozed Christian churches. Not something any Christian should endure.

According to Amnesty International China’s government imprisons anyone who dares to criticize their actions or policies. A government that enforces their one child per family policy through mandatory sterilization, forced abortion, and in some cases infanticide. Forced abortion is a horrible situation, I have counseled a woman who went through it multiple times as an adolescent.

Within the United Kingdom and Europe you find the grip of socialism the effect of which has been to suffocate the various countries once strong Christianity. The government there has slowly over time implemented ‘cradle to the grave’ policies at the expense of their people’s freedoms, independence, and personal wealth.

These are all examples Kupelian gives in chapter one of governments that have come to dominate their people in ungodly, evil, and life draining ways.

Communistic practices lead to nothing more than a progression from freedom to slavery. The societal encouragement of immorality in the form of sexual promiscuity, abortions, easy divorce, are tools of the socialist modus operandi, according to the author, because where you find degenerate dysfunctional people who are willing to cross the moral lines leading them from God will need to replace God with another “god” – a socialist government that will tell them how to live, what to think, how to be, etc.

Slowly, we here in America are seeing the same types of governmental evil rise to power. We have not yet lost our ability to do something about this, but Christian’s passivity has made room for evil to flourish in our mist. Thank God for the Christian country clerks and the Christian flourishes of the world who are willing to stand for His Principles.

The universities in our country have filled our young people’s minds with lies and distortions that serve the governmental society more than they serve the overall society, and an alarming number of young people have bought into these lies and distortions. Among the lies being sold by universities today is the idea that the “self-evident truths” our founders considered a given and which are part of our Constitution are just outdated and considered a dangerous myths, as Kupelian points out in this chapter. Our government in America has all but abandoned the original principles of this country and the Constitution has become a relic in practical practice that would be inline with the founders’ intent and vision.

The authors notes that if we observe the power-hungry officials they attempt to use the same methods over and over: demonize the rich by claiming they got their wealth through exploration of the poor, which is not always the case but instead is only occasional the case, stirring up racial tensions whenever possible, when being a peacemaker would serve society better, they create problems then reach for a scapegoat when society gets upset, and their end game – they promise universal peace if we will just give them unlimited power over us.

How do people like this get us to support them? They do so by appealing to the basest part of us, according to the author, and I agree, appealing to hate, dissatisfaction, greed and especially envy. They lure people away from their dependence on God attempting to shift that dependence onto themselves. The outcome is power for them by creating confusion, demoralization, and ultimately bondage for those who follow them, for society, for us as a collective group.

Some of Kupelian’s observations about society have also been my observations of both society and The Church. The same shift in dependence from God to man can take place on a more personal level among people in relationship with one another, such as a group, The Church, a marriage, or a work environment. The evil nature in people thrives on pulling that power, in the form of God-dependence, away from God and toward them, in the form of man-dependence. As Christian’s we are to submit to authority (Romans 13) but we are not to do so if submitting to authority will result in disobeying God. If we cannot submit as unto to the Lord, we do not submit (Eph 5:22 and Col 3:18).

The author points out some Truths that are key to understanding the shift from God to Evil. Almost everyone knows deep within themselves there is an all-knowing God. They know God created them for a purpose and that the purpose entails being obedient to Him. When we go against God’s laws both written in His Word and our hearts our lives go badly. Those “self-evident” truths are written in our hearts, which is why a small child knows inside themselves it is wrong to steal. If we choose to ignore these inner truths that we sense and know to be true we will need to elect leaders who will be liars because we are hiding from the truth and want to be lied to. When we rebel against God we need lies and deception to maintain the illusion we are living under thus because we refuse to submit to the True God we will seek out a false god, and governmental authorities are more times than not willing to step in and accept our worship.

The mother of all lies, the BIG LIE Jesus warned us about, the biggest propaganda weapon of all time – lies in the form of making evil look good and good appear to be evil.

Sadly, the author states that we are more likely to believe big lies than we are small ones. Whether a lie has any degree of truth in it or not, once it has been stated it has done its damaged to some degree because some people, no matter how well the accused defends themselves, will be left with lingering doubt about the individual. As Hitler said, ‘This is the magic of lying that “is known to all expert liars”’.

Why is lying so powerful? We will address that in the next piece that will cover the second half of chapter one.

 

How Evil Works

http://www.amazon.com/How-Evil-Works-Understanding-Transforming/dp/1439168202/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1443464127&sr=8-1&keywords=How+evil+works

Evil can be understood and overcome before it transforms our country entirely. Evil can be understood and overcome before it transforms someone you know or even you. Knowledge is power and without it we will perish. We need to be extremely knowledgeable when it comes to evil.

Hosea 4:6 (NKJV)

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.

Because you have rejected knowledge,

I also will reject you from being priest for Me;

Because you have forgotten the law of your God,

I also will forget your children.

The Marketing of Evil

http://www.amazon.com/Marketing-Evil-Pseudo-Experts-Corruption-Disguised-ebook/dp/B006N75LFI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1443464127&sr=8-2&keywords=How+evil+works

Evil is sold in our society just as anything else might be sold, through marketing. Satan has marketed his product through those willing and those ignorant to his schemes. Through his craftiness he has turned the minds of even Believers to think that tolerance of his evil is some form of love. In so doing he has transformed to a large degree the once Devout Church and transformed our society to an enormous degree. He has not accomplished this without his workers however, the willing, the sold out for their own gain, and the ignorant masses following blindly behind the majority.

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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Evil Transforms (If We Let It) – Pt. 1 – Evil an Ever-present Reality

In Agape Love, Anger, Anxiety, Apostasy, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Courage, Depression, Encouragement, End Times, Evil, Exhortation, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Holy Spirit, Humanism, Jesus, Persecution, Prayer, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Religious Freedom, Remnant, Renewal, Revival, Rhema Words, Spiritual Activism, Spiritual Activists, Spiritual Fruit, Spiritual Remnant, Suffering, Truth, Uncategorized on October 5, 2015 at 11:01 am

In this piece we will explore the introduction portion of David Kupelian’s book, How Evil Works. Please find a link below where you can purchase the book from Amazon.

Far too many people, including Christians, bury their heads in the sand and pretend evil does not exist. At best for the majority of Christians evil exist in their theological beliefs but when it comes to them recognizing it in their everyday existence you would find no evidence they believe it is actually at work within the world. Why is this true? How did we get here? There was a time when Christian people were very aware and protective against evil, now they tolerate evil as though they are doing some loving service for God.

Let me inform you clearly – GOD HATES EVIL and there is no glory for Him found in His people embracing or even tolerating evil. We do not choose to be martyrs, God makes that choice. We are to stand up for God, stand up for Truth, and stand up for Holiness whenever possible and wherever needed.

Kupelian makes the point that we as a society seem to be evolving in our knowledge and growth except in the area of understanding evil. He claims we do not understand evil and how it routinely and effortlessly ruins lives, including our own at times. It is vital that we understand what evil is and how evil works.

Kupelian goes on to point out that 30 million Americans take psychiatric drugs to deal with a host of so called mental health problems despite the fact that there is a clear link between those drugs and violent behavior. His figure of 30 million, at the time he researched and wrote his book, is no doubt low compared to the figure today.

I can recall when antidepressants began to enter The Church many years ago as an acceptable alternative for Christians to deal with their problems. I was extremely alarmed and within a few years horrified at what I saw, and what I sensed God telling me about psychiatric medications and people’s problems. I was additionally horrified that it took years before I was willing to speak out about what God had shown me. Satan would use antidepressants and similar medications to take control of American, including Christians to some degree. While everyone around me seemed to think in those initial years that a savior in the form of a pill had arrived for the troubled, I secretly dreaded what I could see was on the horizon and is now here, a society filled with medicated drones that can no longer sense the presence of God.

Evil typically causes psychological damage and psychological damage opens the door to evil. (Perhaps I will elaborate more later, in another piece, on what I mean by that statement.) As Kupelian points out the evidence is in the fruit. Our relationships are fragile at best, marriages fail routinely, and people do not even know what they truly believe any longer. He goes on to state that secular medical “experts” are able to treat the tri-fold mental-emotional-spiritual problems of rage and depression with drugs because they tell people what egos love to hear, “It’s not your fault”.

I recall a debate I had years ago (1990’s) with another church leader over the stronghold of drinking or what the other person referred to as alcoholism. The individual said to me, ‘What are you going to do when you find out it is a disease people can’t help?’ My response, ‘Nothing, because it is not a disease, it is a choice.’ A sin involving abuse of alcohol that has taken place to the degree that it has become a stronghold in someone’s life is just that a stronghold, not a disease. A stronghold is simply something ungodly that has deep roots in a person’s life. By labeling it a disease people have removed the need for dealing with the excess of alcohol as sin and have alleviated the need for personal responsibility.

Another evil, reprogramming people. Though we have those who hate America and wish it nothing but ill as the author points out, we seem to take an overall national view of being almost submissive or apologetic as a nation for considering certain religious groups dangerous. The author equates it to “a national version of Stockholm syndrome.” It is simply tolerance run-a-muck. As the author points out a key factor in terrorism is reprogramming people’s beliefs per Stockholm syndrome. I say reprogramming of people’s beliefs is widespread in America, and I do mean negative, evil, sinful reprogramming.

What causes the success of this reprogramming? Kupelian and I agree on the answer. American people’s disillusionment with Christianity has caused a spiritual vacuum and evil has entered that vacuum. The result being widespread evil painted as progress, enlightenment, and evolution of the mind, celebrities who self-destruct, minister’s or celebrity minister’s of mega churches that self-destruct, people in general who self-destruction – destruction is the result.

The only way out of evil is to understand, resist, and/or confront evil. Once evil is brought into the light it loses it power, the darkness begins to lift, and we can find our way out.

James 4:7 (AV)(KJV)

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

In the next posting we will explore chapter one of David Kupelian’s book, How Evil Works, which addresses evil in the governmental portion of our society.

 

 

How Evil Works

http://www.amazon.com/How-Evil-Works-Understanding-Transforming/dp/1439168202/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1443464127&sr=8-1&keywords=How+evil+works

Evil can be understood and overcome before it transforms our country entirely. Evil can be understood and overcome before it transforms someone you know or even you. Knowledge is power and without it we will perish. We need to be extremely knowledgeable when it comes to evil.

Hosea 4:6 (NKJV)

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.

Because you have rejected knowledge,

I also will reject you from being priest for Me;

Because you have forgotten the law of your God,

I also will forget your children.

The Marketing of Evil

http://www.amazon.com/Marketing-Evil-Pseudo-Experts-Corruption-Disguised-ebook/dp/B006N75LFI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1443464127&sr=8-2&keywords=How+evil+works

Evil is sold in our society just as anything else might be sold, through marketing. Satan has marketed his product through those willing and those ignorant to his schemes. Through his craftiness he has turned the minds of even Believers to think that tolerance of his evil is some form of love. In so doing he has transformed to a large degree the once Devout Church and transformed our society to an enormous degree. He has not accomplished this without his workers however, the willing, the sold out for their own gain, and the ignorant masses following blindly behind the majority.

 

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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Evil Transforms (If We Let It) – Introduction

In Agape Love, Apostasy, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Courage, End Times, Evil, Exhortation, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Holy Spirit, Humanism, Persecution, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Religious Freedom, Renewal, Revival, Rhema Words, Spiritual Activism, Spiritual Activists, Spiritual Fruit, Spiritual Remnant, Spirituality, Truth, Uncategorized on September 28, 2015 at 3:19 pm

Hello everyone I realize it has been a while since you have heard from me. My apologizes, but please know the time has not been wasted but instead temporally refocused. I recently completed two more books and prepared them for publication, hence my absence.

Much consideration and prayer has gone into how to proceed at this point. I have many questions and topics I could do a series on, but I am not going to do any of that at this moment. Right now God is leading me in another direction, a very familiar direction for those who have read me over the years.

I will be doing a series based upon the insights of an outstanding and award winning journalist David Kupelian. The series will be in the form of a written book discussion that will cover two of his best known works, How Evil Works and The Marketing of Evil, both of which I highly recommend. I have provided links below where you can locate both books via Amazon. During this series I will discuss his insights, along with my observations of our society and The Church over the last thirty years, tying both together and connecting them to both God and Satan’s work in the world, more specifically in America.

I do hope you will be able to obtain both books reading them in full, and share your insights with me along the way. However, if you are only able to follow the highlights of each book, chapter by chapter, via the blog postings that will be wonderful as well, and I welcome your comments.

We will begin with How Evil Works, which is actually the second book but will the first book we discuss. I have chosen this because I believe a fundamental understanding of how evil works in the world is imperative to understanding and recognizing when evil is being marketed to you or to your society.

How Evil Works

http://www.amazon.com/How-Evil-Works-Understanding-Transforming/dp/1439168202/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1443464127&sr=8-1&keywords=How+evil+works

Evil can be understood and overcome before it transforms our country entirely. Evil can be understood and overcome before it transforms someone you know or even you. Knowledge is power and without it we will perish. We need to be extremely knowledgeable when it comes to evil.

Hosea 4:6 (NKJV)

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.

Because you have rejected knowledge,

I also will reject you from being priest for Me;

Because you have forgotten the law of your God,

I also will forget your children.

The Marketing of Evil

http://www.amazon.com/Marketing-Evil-Pseudo-Experts-Corruption-Disguised-ebook/dp/B006N75LFI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1443464127&sr=8-2&keywords=How+evil+works

Evil is sold in our society just as anything else might be sold, through marketing. Satan has marketed his product through those willing and those ignorant to his schemes. Through his craftiness he has turned the minds of even Believers to think that tolerance of his evil is some form of love. In so doing he has transformed to a large degree the once Devote Church and transformed our society to an enormous degree. He has not accomplished this without his workers however, the willing, the sold out for their own gain, and the ignorant masses following blindly behind the majority.

In the next posting we will explore the introduction of David Kupelian’s, How Evil Works.

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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Who is at Fault?

In Advice, Agape Love, Anger, Apostasy, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Courage, Devotional, Encouragement, End Times, Exhortation, Fruits of the Holy Spirit, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Holy Spirit, Humanism, Jesus, Love, Persecution, Prayer, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Religious Freedom, Remnant, Renewal, Revival, Rhema Words, Spiritual Activism, Spiritual Activists, Spiritual Fruit, Spiritual Remnant, Spirituality, Truth on September 2, 2015 at 4:20 pm

Right now we are seeing America rally around Donald J. Trump as a potential president for our country. It was not enough that we elected Obama twice; we are now living in a society that actually thinks someone such as Donald J. Trump is a viable candidate for the presidency of what was once a great and powerful country. (Do not get me wrong, we are still great and powerful, but when you witness the deterioration of that greatness and powerfulness for almost fifty years you know what we were as a country versus what we are today.) What I wish to explore is why we are living in a society that would elect Obama then follow that up with seriously considering Donald J. Trump as a president.

The short answer for both is, in the case of Obama people in our society, especially younger people, base how they should be, how others should be, and how their leaders should be on celebrities, and in the case of Trump he strikes a cord with a society that is fed-up with double talk and political correctness.

Obama did what celebrities do, and he appealed to people based on charm and charisma with very little substance to offer, making grand promises and proposing a ‘reach for the moon’ attitude that was neither wise nor reasonably possible. John McCain attempted to make people understand that Obama’s ideas would not bring about a better American, but instead that making the hard choices would bring about a better America, however, people wanted their ears tickled, they wanted to hear what they wanted to hear.

Now we have Trump doing something similar but his appeal is his willingness to say what other people have become too intimidated to say because of the political correctness persecutors. Trump appeals to people, and Trump is no doubt an extremely crafty businessman who know how to make money, and yes, America needs to make money, but his lack of governmental wisdom and knowledge along with his short-temper and mouth does not make a good mix for dealing with foreign powers and heads of states.

If our country elects someone like Donald J. Trump on the heels of electing Obama twice we will become the laughing stock of the world. The rest of the world no longer looks at America as they once did, and we are a bit of a joke now, but with Trump at the helm we would spiral even further out of control, and the world’s view of us would continue to decline.

How did we get here? How did we become a society who elects the Obama’s of the world and considers Trump a feasible choice for the presidency of the United States of America? A country whose Supreme Court legalized the union between people of the same sex and call it “marriage”? How did our country get in such a mess where Christians are persecuted for expressing their religious freedom and beliefs through the choices they make about whom they chose to deal with, work with, do business with, and so forth, (choices we are required to make per the Bible, if we are truly living out our religious faith) while almost every other class or group of people on the planet are afforded governmental and legal protections from persecution or discrimination? Whose fault is it anyway that we are at this point as a society?

You might not want to read my answer but here it is. The fault lies with the Christian Church and with Christians both as individuals and a collective group.

It is our fault because as a religious institution the Church laid down their mantel of godliness, expressed and expected, and replaced it with a superficial love that has failed to change lives by moving individuals toward godliness and glorifying God with their lives and lifestyle. Our failure to do this as a collective group and individuals, if we are individually guilty of such, is sin and wicked in the eyes of God.

The negligence of the Church has resulted in a decaying society, the Church’s loss of influence in our society, a lack of respect for the Church and Christians, and outright disrespect and discrimination toward Christians.

2 Chronicles 7:13–14 (NKJV)

13 When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, 14 if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

I love the Church, I love Jesus, I love Christians, and I also love our dying society. It is because I love all of them that I write these things expressing what God has put in my heart and on lips to express. However, there is an answer to this problem and the answer is found in repentance.

As individuals and as a collective group we must humble ourselves before God, acknowledge our sin and that we sacrificed godliness and Truth on the altar of worldly love (instead of agape love) and worldly acceptance. We can begin to tell the world the Truth as found in God’s Word and exhort them to turn from their sin and wickedness just as we have committed in our hearts to do. If we are going to wait until we are sin free to share Truth with people, to share what God has defined as sin or not sin, what He states is righteousness and what is right in His eyes, we will never get around to sharing the Truth with people. It is not about whether or not we measure up, it is about what God has to say about a subject.

Additionally, we can fall on our faces before God and pray for His forgiveness, His restoration, and the healing of our land (America). We can come together in unity once again as the Church should be, supporting each other, and seeking God together while upholding His Righteous Commands.

We can! We should! We must!

I was supposed to go see the move “War Room” with someone the other day but the movie was sold out to such a capacity that we did not go – only the front two rows were left. It was God that I did not go. God instructed me a couple of days later to write this piece, what Scripture to use, and what to say. I got a rough draft of the piece formed and the next day went to see the movie “War Room” and the closing shot of that movie was the above Scripture popping on the screen. The prayer that the woman in the lead role prayed at the end of this movie was so powerful and filled with the heart of God for His people during this time in history. It is a must see movie. Here is a link to the trailer.

War Room –

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yx5kpJ5mkeE

Christians on a massive scale must once again become proactively involved in the affairs of their society. One way you as an individual can become involved is by standing up for Christian Liberty and Religious Freedom. If we do not stand together our ungodly society will crush us one by one – one small group at a time, one individual at a time. If we refuse to be the family God intended us to be He will allow this to happen.

Below you will find information and links for a project and group who is fighting for religious freedom and fighting for our right to live out our faith in an ungodly society. Please read the information provided, in summary below, from the website. Then please prayerfully consider visiting the website, reading the declaration in its entirety, and sign the declaration for yourself.

Manhattan Declaration

“Because the sanctity of human life, the dignity of marriage as a union of husband and wife, and the freedom of religion are foundational principles of justice and the common good, we affirm:

1. The profound, inherent, and equal dignity of every human life

2. Marriage as a union of one man and one woman

3. Religious liberty and the inherent freedom of human beings

As Orthodox, Catholic, and Evangelical Christians, we take seriously the Biblical admonition to respect and obey those in authority. Because we honor justice and the common good, we will fully and ungrudgingly render to Caesar what is Caesar’s. But under no circumstances will we render to Caesar what is God’s.”

http://manhattandeclaration.org/#0

http://www.manhattandeclaration.org/man_dec_resources/Manhattan_Declaration_full_text.pdf

Get on your knees, get your heart right, get off your knees, reach out to another, do something to advance God’s agenda and godliness in your 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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The Curse of Political Correctness

In Advice, Agape Love, Anger, Anxiety, Apostasy, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Courage, Encouragement, End Times, Exhortation, Fruits of the Holy Spirit, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Holy Spirit, Humanism, Jesus, Love, Persecution, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Religious Freedom, Remnant, Renewal, Revival, Rhema Words, Spiritual Activism, Spiritual Activists, Spiritual Fruit, Spiritual Remnant, Spirituality, Truth, Uncategorized on July 16, 2015 at 6:36 pm

Many years ago in the late 1990’s I did a radio program titled ‘Political Correctness – The Killer of the Church’ and since that time political correctness has not only severely damaged the functioning of and influence of the church, it has become a cancer and curse upon our society in general.

Political Correctness sounds good, and on the surface it has the appearance of being kind and loving but in truth it robs people of their freedom, their free speech, their freedom of religion, and stifles the REAL TRUTHS as found in God’s Word, that would set people free from their bondages. Political correctness is an oxymoronic concept because it is meant to do good but overall ends us doing a great deal of harm. Political correctness is meant to keep a group of people from being hurt or offended but it often accomplishes this by hurting and offending the secondary group.

Here are some examples of what I mean and some Truths according to God’s Word that are avoided by both Christians and our society because of the monster of political correctness. Please know in advance I personally hold no ill will toward any persons or group of people my sole intent is to accurately represent the biblical position on these issues and express my personal religious views and beliefs, which is still my right in this country, The United States of America, according to The Constitution – Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Religion.

Transgender might be a worldly concept regarding gender identity but it is not a biblical concept about gender identity. For a person to be born male or female and then change that sex or believe that they were meant to be the opposite sex is to say that God did not know what He was doing when He form that person in his or her mother’s womb (Ps. 139:13-16). A person is born the sex that God intends them to be and in order for a person to reach a transgender mindset their concept of who God created them to be would have to become damaged or distorted. Yet, because of political correctness it is almost impossible for Christian counselors to help these young people from becoming more and more confused and sinking deeper into this transgender type of identity. Political correctness on this topic suppresses expression of Biblical Truth on this topic. One group is suppressed to support another, where is the justice in that!

Psalm 139:13–16 (NKJV)

13 For You formed my inward parts;

You covered me in my mother’s womb.

14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

Marvelous are Your works,

And that my soul knows very well.

15 My frame was not hidden from You,

When I was made in secret,

And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.

And in Your book they all were written,

The days fashioned for me,

When as yet there were none of them.

Same sex unions were legalized as marriage in The United States of America at the end of June 2015 by the Supreme Court in a 5-4 vote among The Justices. The Justices were just as split on the issue as the people in our country are split on the issue. Because they voted to legalize something does not make it legitimate in God’s eyes and it certainly does not make it marriage. Marriage according the Bible is clearly the joining and union before God and man of a man and a woman (Gen. 2:24, Mk. 10:6-9, and Ep. 5:31).

I personally know homosexual people and their sexuality does not make me love them any less whatsoever but their lifestyle is not something I can endorse or put my stamp of approval on. Moreover, their relationship with another person of the same sex will never be viewed as marriage in my eyes because the Bible does not support such a title for their lifestyle choice.

Christians and Christian Spiritual Leaders are being sued, their businesses boycotted, they are being branded or labeled as haters when they are not, just because they do not wish to partake in what they believe to be sin based on their religion. Because of political correctness it is almost impossible for Christian to express or state what they believe about marriage let alone refuse to be involved in such a ceremony lest they be sued or even prosecuted as having committed a crime. Political correctness on this topic suppresses expression of Biblical Truth on this topic. One group is suppressed to support another, where is the justice in that!

Genesis 2:24 (NKJV)

Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

Mark 10:6–9 (NKJV) – Jesus speaking

6 But from the beginning of the creation, God ‘made them male and female.’ 7 ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, 8 and the two shall become one flesh’; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh. 9 Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”

Ephesians 5:31 (NKJV)

31 “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”

It is considered politically incorrect to view people within the Muslim community as a possible threat to America yet it was individuals within the Muslim community that planned the attack on America and flew those planes into the world trade center towers. They make up the majority of the cultural community we have been fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan for years and years. Does that make all Muslim people bad or terrorist? Of course not! Does that make me dislike all Muslim people as individuals or a collective group? Of course not! However, the reality is that there is a large segment of individual within the Muslim community who hate Americans and most especially Christian Americans. Technically the disagreement and battle between Muslim communities and Christian communities dates back as far as the Book of Genesis.

Yet, because of political correctness it is almost impossible for Christians to express concern over the Muslim community and their affect on the world and Christianity as a whole without Christians being viewed as stereotyping all Muslims though they often are not doing so and instead are openly acknowledging that there are some peaceful Muslims within the religion and community. Political correctness on this topic suppresses expression of Biblical History, political concern, and national concern on this topic. One group is suppressed to support another, where is the justice in that!

Because of one individual’s twisted ideas and personal choice to kill innocence people in the Emanuel AME Church and that same individual’s ownership and displaying of the confederate flag, ownership and proper display of the confederate flag has come under fire. Everyone has jump on the bandwagon to do what is considered politically correct in taking down their confederate flags from both government buildings and private establishments to appear on the side of right even though the confederate flag is a part of their and this country’s history and heritage. I would even venture to say it was a proud part of their heritage, especially in South Carolina, June 2015. The idea that Amazon and other retailers have decided they will not even sell the confederate flag any longer is ridiculous based on the actions of one individual.

Let me be clear. I do not own a confederate flag, have never owned a confederate flag, nor does or has anyone I personally know. However, that is not the point, the point is it is a person’s right to have it, own it, and fly it if they so choose. It is a part of the heritage and history of the Southern States and should remain so.

Here is some irony on the subject to consider. We live in a country where you can burn the America flag but cannot own, or it is now made hard to own, a confederate flag. More irony, people have legally burned the American flag in a public arena during various protest in this country yet, the confederate flag can no longer fly in public arenas. Because of political correctness it is almost impossible for Southerners who are proud of their heritage and history to fly a confederate flag in peace. Political correctness on this topic suppresses the rights of an entire group of people as well as individuals. One group is suppressed to support another, where is the justice in that!

There is a saying, ‘So goes the church, so goes the society.’ Tolerance to the extreme, born out of a distorted idea of love, has spiraled out of control turning loving tolerance into tolerance of sin and that form of tolerance has deteriorated the biblical moral backbone of the church. With the increased negative form of tolerance came the increased silence when it came to sin, which lead to the deterioration of the church, which then lead to the deterioration of our society. I said all those years ago during that radio broadcast that tolerance would be the killer of the church, not in that it would end the church – nothing can do that, but in that it would end the church’s effectiveness within the society where it exist and we are certainly seeing the fruit of that here in American.

When Christians are too politically correct it can be dangerous to The Body of Christ and deferential to our society as a whole. Political correctness is not love. Political correctness that avoids, covers, or distorts Biblical Truth is wrong and sinful.

One of, if not the least, tolerated group in America today is the Christians. Everyone is expected to be politically correct unless it comes to talking about Christian groups, then the need to be tolerant of their lifestyle, beliefs, rights, et cetera seems to go out the window in lieu of honoring a different group. This is not the way it should be for in America we are suppose to be able to live side by side while respecting each other despite our words, beliefs, religion, and so forth. Today people claim to have such progressive, enlightened, intellectual thinking, which has supposedly helped our society evolve to the point it is at today; but I ask you, where is that thinking when it comes to respecting and being tolerant of the group labeled Devout Christians. One group is suppressed to support other groups, where is the justice in that!

 

 

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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Charleston Church Shooting Effect

In Agape Love, Anger, Anxiety, Apostasy, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Courage, Depression, Encouragement, End Times, Exhortation, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Grief, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Loss, Love, Persecution, Prayer, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Religious Freedom, Remnant, Renewal, Revival, Rhema Words, Spiritual Activism, Spiritual Activists, Spiritual Remnant, Spirituality, Suffering, Truth, Uncategorized on July 3, 2015 at 4:09 pm

I was in Charleston, South Carolina on June 25th and June 26th during the services for the Christians that were shot and killed on the evening of June 17th 2015 during their regular Bible Study at Emanuel AME Church. In attendance were President Obama who spoke on Friday, June 26th 2015 and Rev. Jesse Jackson who arrived the evening of Thursday, June 25th to a large crowd of Christians present paying their respects to their fallen family members, family members many of us had never met but family they were nevertheless.

Family and effect is what I want to address in this piece in the wake of the mass shooting that took place at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in downtown Charleston where nine people were shot and killed, including the senior pastor, state senator Clementa C. Pinckney; also where a tenth person was shot yet survived.

I did not go to Charleston originally because of this event. Our trip was previously planned by my spouse as a birthday trip but in the end it turned out to be much more – it became a moment in history and an opportunity to see what drives Christians.

Our hotel was just a few blocks from the Emanuel Church and it was the first place we headed for upon arrival and check in at the hotel. It took only minutes to walk the few blocks and encounter the street barricaded and filled with police officers and media. Yet, there was also an overwhelming Christian presence, God’s people where there in heavy numbers.

We made our way down to the front of the Church about the time the Rev. Jesse Jackson arrived and as I looked at this now aged gentleman I could not help but recall that as a young man he had stood on the balcony with Dr. Martin Luther King at the moment when Dr. King was shot. Now Rev. Jackson was here in his advanced years to give aid and comfort for yet more men and women of God who had been shot and killed out of anger and hate. My heart went out to Rev. Jesse Jackson as I ponder all he has seen and endured through the years. Both a reverend and an activist, as many of us are.

Spiritual Christian activism on the part of Bible Believing Christians is very important. As our beliefs and our rights to believe as we desire are coming continually under fire we need more Christians who are willing to stand up for and fight for their rights both as Americans and Christians combined. A Christian is not merely an American and an American cannot give up his or her Christian rights and beliefs as our country changes and becomes more and more ungodly. I wonder if we have enough Christian people who are willing to be inconvenienced, let alone killed for their beliefs, like Rev. Jackson and Dr. King.

Which leads me to my next point. What did I see and sense there in Charleston, among those people gathered there? How did the family react? What effect did this shooting have on the Christian family?

Christians are a family and we function like a family when tragedy strikes. Families disagree, they argue, they even fight. They might not talk for months but they are family. They might live in different towns and attend different churches but family is still family. We, the family, can talk about each other all we want. We can argue and perhaps even hurt each other more often than we might like. However, let an outsider come in and hurt the family or a family member and watch how we react. No, no, no – no one messes with the family.

That is exactly what I sensed in Charleston, South Carolina. A place filled with people who had never met, who came from different denominations, of different cultures, different races, different social and economical backgrounds but all part of one whole, one family – one Body, The Body of Christ. There was a comfort and an ease among the people. The family had been attacked and the rest of the family was rallying to give their support through their presence and prayers. Every hotel in the area was booked solid from what our hotel concierge told us.

Banners hung on the neighboring churches with Scriptures on them, one of which had 2 Timothy 1:7 on display.

2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV)

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

I assure you there was no fear in that crowd. These people were not afraid they were there to show how faithful they were to the family.

There was no disunity found on that street as people from every denominational background, color, culture, economic class, and race stood side by side talking and praying. As I talked with a fellow Christian, an African American Woman, I am Caucasian, we spoke about how this young man had messed with the wrong group, Christians are not easily frightened and when attacked they pull together and offer their support to one another. When Christianity is persecuted it flourishes and grows it does not shirk back or diminish. Courage defines the Christian experience both past and present. We pull together during persecution and find courage and strength through the support and prayers of our brothers and sisters in Christ. As the young woman put it so well, ‘He will not make us afraid.’ No, persecuting Christians does not result in fear; it results in faith and a fierce infusion of courage. That is exactly what I sensed and felt coming from the crowds of Believers in Charleston, South Carolina.

The people of Charleston, South Carolina both Christian and non-Christian handled themselves with such dignity and poise during a difficult and terrible time and under such tragic circumstances. There were no riots or protest there, no uprising of any type. This in my view is a result of both the Christian faith at work and southern manners. Having been raised both in the south and in a Christian home, I know firsthand there are certain expectations regarding how one handles themselves during a crisis. Bravo to Charleston, they honored the south and southern manners superbly!

Effect according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary is defined as follows:

5: power to bring about a result: INFLUENCE

The effect this young man and his actions had on Christians, Charleston, and the south was to give us an opportunity to display our unity, courage, love, compassion, manners, hospitality, grace, and FAITH. The enemy sought to bring harm but God’s end game was to bring good [Genesis 50:20] and in Charleston on June 25th and June 26th 2015 He certainly did that. If you want to see a Christian community rise up and become even stronger persecute the people.

Genesis 50:20 (NKJV)

But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.

As I prayed on June 25th at Emanuel AME Church I asked God, why He allowed this to happen. He did not cause it but He most certainly allowed it since our God is sovereign and able to control anything He wishes to control. He did not tell me why He allowed this to happen but He did tell me that He intended to bring something MAJOR out of this incident. That it would have an effect on the Body of Christ like nothing else has in a long time. I continue to pray and seek Him for more information about His Plans for this event as He, and if He sees fit to reveal them to me according to His Will.

 

 

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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Grief – Suffering All Will Endure – Conclusion

In Advice, Agape Love, Anger, Anxiety, Apostasy, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Courage, Depression, Devotional, Encouragement, End Times, Exhortation, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Grief, Jesus, Loss, Love, Persecution, Prayer, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Remnant, Renewal, Revival, Rhema Words, Spiritual Fruit, Spiritual Remnant, Suffering, Truth, Uncategorized on May 8, 2015 at 7:23 am

A personal moment of grief…

One of the longest running sources of grief in my lifetime has been the deterioration of the corporate church I have watched over the last twenty years. There is no way I can describe for you the pain it has caused me to watch churches and spiritual leaders who I believe once loved Jesus and were fully devoted to Him become apostate churches and apostate leaders.

I have been accused many times of speaking out against the church and against the brethren, yet, it was never my desire to hurt either, it was my desire to honor God, speak what He told me to speak, and bring warning against the deterioration of the corporate body in an effort to turn the tide back to true unadulterated devotion to Christ. I never wanted us, The Body of Christ and the corporate church, to be where we are today – churches emptying and closing and with attendance of churches at a record low in America. I have cried many tears over this problem, still do, and the mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual pain has been almost unbearable at times over the last twenty plus years.

I watched a special news cast regarding the continuation of the television series “The Bible” which is currently airing the second part, the New Testament, “A.D. The Bible Continues” on Sunday nights. This television program is the most watch show in television history. This means people are interested in the Bible and drawn to God, perhaps even seeking faith, yet it has been proven recently and made known in the media that church attendance in America is at an all time low. I write about why that is and have been warning about it for years – you can find the writings on this blog [GodsTruthInLove.org] in the achieves under “Spiritual Remnant” – Believer are leaving the corporate churches in droves.

During this news special I watched, they interviewed the pastor of the largest church in America, with some 33,000 plus people in attendance weekly – Andy Stanley of North Point Community Church in Alpharetta, Georgia. They asked him why he believed church attendance in America was at an all time low despite the fact that people are obviously interested in the Bible and seeking faith. Sadly, this man’s answer was right on target and what I have been exhorting churches to stop for years, the pastor stated that the reason was because people had been hurt so badly by churches that they were leaving churches but not their faith.

We must learn to disagree without wounding or killing one another. Jesus never killed or wounded those He disagreed with; He merely gave them the truth and then walked away from them.

Spiritual leaders more than anything or anyone else have been the cause of the deterioration of the corporate church – may God forgive them, forgive us, and heal the grief caused while at the same time restoring His Church to what He always intended it to be.

 

 

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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Grief – Suffering All Will Endure – Pt. 12 Prayer for Healing

In Advice, Agape Love, Anger, Anxiety, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Courage, Depression, Encouragement, Exhortation, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Grief, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Loss, Love, Prayer, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Renewal, Rhema Words, Suffering, Truth, Uncategorized on May 1, 2015 at 5:57 am

If you have lived very long then grief and loss has touched your life in some manner and to some degree. I will not attempt to list the various types of loss that cause people grief in life, for there are far too many to ever do a list exhaustively or even with any true amount of justice. I will only state that grief caused by loss in all its forms is a mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual pain like no other and only the One True God, Jesus the Only LORD and Saviour, is able to ever completely and totally heal us from grief. That healing is exclusively in His timing and by His design but I do offer this prayer of healing for all those out there reading this that have suffered loss, no matter how extensive, like Job, or no matter how sight – grief is grief and I want to see you healed from that pain.

Father God I come to You in the name of Jesus and through the blood of Jesus to seek You for healing from the devastating pain of grief for all those individuals who read this prayer and stand in agreement with its content.

It is by the strips of Jesus that all those who know Him personally have been healed, made completely whole in You. I realize it is according to Your Will that You determine how You will manifest and distribute that healing balm. I submit myself to that Truth in accordance with Your Will and Your Word.

Lord Jesus please pour out Your healing from the pain of loss and grief over all who read this and have true need. Wrap them in the comfort of Your loving arms and let them cry. Dip them in the pool of Your grace and help them to accept, and where possible, understand Your Will and Your Ways. Wash them with the Water of The Spirit and rid them of the bitterness that often follows grief. Sit them on Your strong knees and hold them for a season while they regain their strength. Then lastly Lord Jesus please stand them down upon their new ground supported by the renewed strength You have placed in them and point them in the direction they should walk, having completed Your healing work which has set them free from their grief and granted them a new spiritual perspective, courage, and spiritual strength for life.

I thank You for Your Divine Healing and complete restoration of our, those individuals reading this, lives. I thank You for healing their grief. I thank You for healing my grief. I thank You for restoring their joy. I thank You for restoring my joy. I thank You for entrusting me, and us, with so much grief to endure – thank You for believing in me, in us, that we were made of the spiritual stuff to endure it, overcome it, and thrive.

Prepare us with the godly words, in season and out, to speak life and healing into the life of every individual we encounter who is enduring loss and grief.

I love You so much, we love You so much, and we offer this prayer in full trust of Your goodness and willingness to give Your children good things therefore, we thank You for granting our request.

In Jesus’ name we pray,

Amen and Amen.

In the next part of this series, the conclusion, I will share a personal testimony regarding grief.

 

 

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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Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993

In Advice, Agape Love, Anger, Apostasy, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Devotional, End Times, Exhortation, Fruits of the Holy Spirit, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Love, Persecution, Prayer, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Religious Freedom, Remnant, Revival, Rhema Words, Spiritual Activism, Spiritual Activists, Spiritual Fruit, Spiritual Remnant, Truth, Uncategorized on April 1, 2015 at 1:40 pm

Do not allow people to walk all over you just because you are a godly person.  Understand when the time has come to stand up and in a godly way push back against the tide of society. 

DEPOSITORY – JUSTICE DEPT. LIBRARY

PUBLIC LAW 103-141—NOV. 16, 1993

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM RESTORATION ACT

OF 1993

DEPT. OF JUSTICE

MAR18,1994

MAIN LIBRARY

Pg. 2

107 STAT. 1488 PUBLIC LAW 103-141—NOV. 16, 1993

Public Law 103-141

103d Congress

An Act

Nov. 16, 1993 To protect the free exercise of religion.

[H.R. 1308]

Religious Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of

Freedom the United States of America in Congress assembled,

Restoration Act

of1993. SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

42 USC 2000bb

note. This Act may be cited as the "Religious Freedom Restoration

Act of 1993".

42 USC 2000bb. SEC.2. CONGRESSIONAL FINDINGS AND DECLARATION OF PURPOSES.

(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds that—

(1) the framers of the Constitution, recognizing free exercise

of religion as an unalienable right, secured its protection in

the First Amendment to the Constitution;

(2) laws "neutral" toward religion may burden religious

exercise as surely as laws intended to interfere with religious

exercise;

(3) governments should not substantially burden religious

exercise without compelling justification;

(4) in Employment Division v. Smith, 494 U.S. 872 (1990)

the Supreme Court virtually eliminated the requirement that

the government justify burdens on religious exercise imposed

by laws neutral toward religion; and

(5) the compelling interest test as set forth in prior Federal

court rulings is a workable test for striking sensible balances

between religious liberty and competing prior governmental

interests.

(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are—

(1) to restore the compelling interest test as set forth in

Sherbert v. Verner, 374 U.S. 398 (1963) and Wisconsin v.

Yoder, 406 U.S. 205 (1972) and to guarantee its application

in all cases where free exercise of religion is substantially

burdened; and

(2) to provide a claim or defense to persons whose religious

exercise is substantially burdened by government.

42 USC SEC. 3. FREE EXERCISE OF RELIGIONPROTECTED.

2000bb-l

(a) IN GENERAL.—Government shall not substantially burden

a person’s exercise of religion even if the burden results from

a rule of general applicability, except as provided in subsection

(b).

(b) EXCEPTION.—Government may substantially burden a person’s

exercise of religion only if it demonstrates that application

of the burden to the person—

Pg. 3

PUBLIC LAW 103-141—NOV. 16, 1993 107 STAT. 1489

(1) is in furtherance of a compelling governmental interest;

and

(2) is the least restrictive means of furthering that compelling

governmental interest.

(c) JUDICIAL RELIEF.—A person whose religious exercise has

been burdened in violation of this section may assert that violation

as a claim or defense in a judicial proceeding and obtain appropriate

relief against a government. Standing to assert a claim or defense

under this section shall be governed by the general rules of standing

under article III of the Constitution.

SEC. 4. ATTORNEYSFEES.

(a) JUDICIAL PROCEEDINGS.—Section 722 of the Revised Statutes

(42 U.S.C. 1988) is amended by inserting "the Religious Freedom

Restoration Act of 1993," before "or title VI of the Civil Rights

Act of 1964".

(b) ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEEDINGS.—Section 504(b)(1)(C) of title

5, United States Code, is amended—

(1) by striking "and" at the end of clause (ii);

(2) by striking the semicolon at the end of clause (iii)

and inserting ", and"; and

(3) by inserting "(iv) the Religious Freedom Restoration

Act of 1993;" after clause (iii).

SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS. 42 USC

As used in this Act— 2000bb-2.

(1) the term "government" includes a branch, department,

agency, instrumentality, and official (or other person acting

under color of law) of the United States, a State, or a subdivision

of a State;

(2) the term "State" includes the District of Columbia,

the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and each territory and

possession of the United States;

(3) the term "demonstrates" means meets the burdens of

going forward with the evidence and of persuasion; and

(4) the term "exercise of religion means the exercise of

religion under the First Amendment to the Constitution.

SEC. 6. APPLICABILITY. 42 USC

2000bb-3. (a) IN GENERAL.—This Act applies to all Federal and State

law, and the implementation of that law, whether statutory or

otherwise, and whether adopted before or after the enactment of

this Act.

(b) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Federal statutory law adopted

after the date of the enactment of this Act is subject to this Act

unless such law explicitly excludes such application by reference

to this Act.

(c) RELIGIOUS BELIEF UNAFFECTED.—Nothing in this Act shall

be construed to authorize any government to burden any religious

belief.

SEC. 7. ESTABLISHMENTCLAUSE UNAFFECTED. 42USC

Nothing in this Act shall be construed to affect, interpret, 2000bb-4.

or in any way address that portion of the First Amendment prohibiting

laws respecting the establishment of religion (referred to in

this section as the "Establishment Clause"). Granting government

funding, benefits, or exemptions, to the extent permissible under

the Establishment Clause, shall not constitute a violation of this

Pg. 4

107 STAT. 1490 PUBLIC LAW 103-141—NOV. 16, 1993

Act. As used in this section, the term "granting", used with respect

to government funding, benefits, or exemptions, does not include

the denial of government funding, benefits, or exemptions.

Approved November 16, 1993.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 1308 (S. 578):

HOUSE REPORTS: No. 103-88 (Comm. on the Judiciary).

SENATE REPORTS: No. 103-111 accompanying S. 578 (Comm. on the Judiciary).

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 139 (1993):

May 11, considered and passed House.

Oct. 26, 27, S. 578 considered in Senate; H.R. 1308, amended, passed in lieu.

Nov. 3, House concurred in Senate amendment.

WEEKLY COMPILATION OF PRESIDENTIAL DOCUMENTS, Vol. 29 (1993):

Nov. 16, Presidential remarks.

21 states have a version of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act enacted by their legislature:

Alabama (state constitution amendment)

Arizona

Arkansas

Connecticut

Florida

Idaho

Illinois

Indiana

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Mississippi

Missouri

New Mexico

Oklahoma

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

South Carolina

Tennessee

Texas

Virginia

States with RFRA-like provisions – provided by state court decisions—rather than via legislation:

Alaska

Hawaii

Ohio

Maine

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Montana

North Carolina

Washington

Wisconsin

 

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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Grief – Suffering All Will Endure – Pt.7 Stages of Grief / Stage 6 and 7

In Advice, Agape Love, Anger, Anxiety, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Depression, Devotional, Encouragement, Exhortation, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Grief, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Loss, Love, Prayer, Prophet, Prophetess, Rhema Words, Suffering, Truth, Uncategorized on March 20, 2015 at 1:52 pm

The next two stages of grief are often inverted as far as when they might manifest in someone life. The two stages feed off one another and are somewhat interdependent in order to survive and thrive. However, being interdependent means that once one is effectively dealt with the other will most likely die. These two stages are guilt and hostility or anger coupled with resentment.

At this point, the grieving person begins to feel guilt relating to the loss they have suffered. They might focus on their own past wrong actions relating to the loss, their mistreatment of the person they have lost, or their neglect in the situations where they have suffered a loss. It is quite common to spend a period of time only focused on the negative or less desirable aspects of the relationship[s] at the center of the loss, the wrongs done to one another, and the ugly things that were said.

In so doing, the griever might exaggerate wrongs that took place or even imagine wrongs that did not take place. Either way to some degree, the wrongs the griever struggles with are real to them and must be dealt with. The Scripture tells us, to ‘confess our sins one to another and to pray for one another, so our healing can come.’ That is exactly what the griever should do. They should find someone to talk with and unburden the real feelings of guilt they are carrying, thus putting the feelings into perspective so they can move on.

James 5:16 (KJV-AV)

Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Most importantly, one must go to Christ Jesus and seek forgiveness for the wrongs they have done to the person they have lost. If the person has died who was wronged, then the griever cannot go to them for forgiveness. In still other cases, it might not be possible to reach out to the person involved in one’s loss therefore finding forgiveness without direct interaction with the wounded party is necessary. The griever must seek forgiveness from God, forgive himself or herself, and often they also have got to be willing to forgive the person they have lost for the wrongs done to them as well. Forgiveness is a major part of any form of healing.

In dealing with this process for some people the hostility, anger, and/or resentment begins to emerge. Then for other people the hostility, anger, and/or resentment is covering up or acts as an introduction to the guilt they are feeling. Whether the hostility, anger, and/or resentment precedes or follows the guilt, it must be effectively brought under control and then ultimately eliminated.

This hostility and resentment can be directed toward the person who has been lost, the people involved such as spiritual leaders, medical personnel, caregivers, family, perpetrators, or God. Here the griever is wrestling with “the cause” or “who caused” their loss. The griever might vacillate between searching for someone to blame and their own guilty feelings over having not done more. Again, the idea that they or anyone else could have done any more to prevent the loss may not be realistic but feelings during grief are not based on what is realistic. Questions emerge such as, “Why didn’t he or she fight harder to survive?” “Why didn’t the staff do more to save my loved one?” “Why didn’t my spiritual leader’s prayers work?” What is more, the biggest question of them all, “Why did God let this happen?”

Feelings of anger toward God are difficult for Christians to acknowledge and deal with. However, God is well aware of their inner feelings and talking them over with another godly mature Christian can be very helpful to the grieving person.

Hostility during grief is part of the healing process but it is not something that should be ignored or encouraged, it should instead be dealt with as quickly as possible. Anger has a tendency to grow when left unchecked and it can grieve The Spirit in a Christian if they do not lay it aside.

Ephesians 4:31 (NKJV)

Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.

In the next part of this series, part eight, we will examine stage eight of grief.

 

 

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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Grief – Suffering All Will Endure – Pt. 2 Stages of Grief / Stage 1

In Advice, Agape Love, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Devotional, Encouragement, Exhortation, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Grief, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Loss, Love, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Remnant, Rhema Words, Spiritual Remnant, Suffering, Truth on February 13, 2015 at 8:04 am

There is one school of belief that states there are five stages of grief and there is another school of belief that maintains there are ten stages of grief. I believe ten stages to be much more reasonable and realistic.

The first stage of grief is shock, that sense of disbelief and bewilderment.

During the “shock stage” of grief, much of the mind, soul, and emotional functioning shuts down to a certain degree to insulate itself from something it finds too unbearable. While in the stage of shock the mind and soul is able to comprehend slowly the reality of the situation with which the person is faced. This slow process is in my belief a form of God’s protection as He adjusts the person’s spirit and overall being to their new circumstances. God created mankind’s bodies and He knows there is only so much emotional (soul) pain a person can endure without becoming mentally derailed completely, so He provided the state of shock.

Shock happens regardless of whether or not someone expected the loss to take place, such as in the case of the death of a loved one who has been ill for a long time with a terminal illness or in the case of a divorce that one has known was inevitable for a long time. Just because someone has the knowledge that something is going to happen does not mean his or her minds are prepared for the reality of the loss once it actually takes place.

Denial kicks in pretty quickly after a loss takes place and can last for a long period of time. It is hard for someone to grasp fully that a relationship is over, a dream is gone, or someone they have loved dearly is dead. This is when the sense of unreality takes place and the person begins to feel numb or numbness about the situation. This emotional and mental numbness can last for hours, days, weeks, or sadly, in some cases it drags on for years, which is very mentally and emotionally dangerous.

Not being able to fully grasp or face the full enormity of a loss is God’s anesthetic against the pain of overwhelming loss. Therefore shock is a stage of grief people should welcome and allow other individuals to fully experience in order to process their loss in a healthy manner. The best thing a godly person can do for someone in the early stages of shock is not to overwhelm them with questions, requests, or smothering comfort. Being close by, available, keeping an eye out for the person to assure they do not wonder into danger, and praying for the person, for them not with them as they might not be equipped or prepared to pray initially, is the best course of action in these early stages of shock.

As stated earlier long-term shock can be very unhealthy mentally and emotionally. Therefore, in the case of long-term shock or mental and emotional numbness that has gone on for months or years the best thing a godly person can for an individual in this situation is to urge them to seek godly counsel so they can deal with their unhealthy state of denial and move on.

In the next part of this series, we will address stage two of grief.

 

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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Grief – Suffering All Will Endure – Introduction

In Advice, Agape Love, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Devotional, Encouragement, Exhortation, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Grief, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Loss, Love, Persecution, Prayer, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Remnant, Revival, Rhema Words, Spiritual Fruit, Spiritual Remnant, Suffering, Truth, Uncategorized on January 31, 2015 at 12:03 pm

People often have a singular view of what grief is and why it manifests. Grief more often than not is associated with the death of a person. Grief however, can manifest over the loss or death of anything or anyone significant in a person’s life.

We suffer grief when someone we have cared for or loved dies. We suffer grief when a relationship that has meant a great deal to us ends. We suffer grief when we realize that long held hope, dream, or goals are not going to come to pass. We suffer grief when we have something meaningful to us, taken away from us through theft, fire, flood, loss, or destruction of any sort. We suffer grief when we lose out on an aspect of childhood we should have had. We suffer grief when through injustice, we are cheated out of an opportunity, a promotion, or the ability to be all God meant for us to be.

There are so many forms of grief that most assuredly should we live very long we shall all endure grief in some form. Sadly, too many people do not recognize that they are going through grief, especially if it is a situation where the grief is caused by something other than someone death. People who are dealing with a death often fall into the trap of believing, they should be getting better long before they actually will get better. However, the deepest waves of grief often come long after the loss.

Through this series we explore what grief actually is, how it manifest, some myths about grief, tips for managing grief while it works its way through its natural process, the stages of grief (some believe there are five stages other ascribe to the idea there are ten stages), and how to recover from grief and press on with life in a healthy way.

How we respond to grief and how willing we are to deal with our grief appropriately will determine to some degree how long it will last. I have seen people linger in grief over things that have happened to them for years and years without dealing with the grief. I have also seen people who have lost someone dearly to them embrace their grief wholeheartedly and plow through it in little time at all, comparatively speaking.

I will leave this introduction brief and in part one we will explore the actually meaning of grief according to the Bible, psychology, and other sources.

 

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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Life Choices

In Advice, Agape Love, Bible, Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Devotional, Encouragement, Exhortation, Fruits of the Holy Spirit, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Love, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Remnant, Revival, Rhema Words, Spiritual Fruit, Spiritual Remnant, Truth, Uncategorized on January 1, 2015 at 4:12 pm

Proverb 5:15 –

"Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well."

Thoughts shared by another…

This seems to be about drawing from one’s own prosperity and not letting one’s resources be drained by sin – whether that is spiritual, physical or other kinds of resources.

Good thought.

The earlier parts of the chapter are about listening to instruction and correction so as to not be dragged away by immorality, the immoral woman, and to avoid having one’s life and prosperity eaten away.

Yes, the wisdom of those who have gone before us can help us learn so we do not have to make as many mistakes in life.

So it seems to me the message is about keeping one’s livelihood intact.

Yes, it is in a way….but one must ask what is a person’s definition of livelihood – we would find many different answers.

…vitality and prosperity follow obedience.

My thoughts…

Proverbs 5:15-20 to some degree must be taken together and most definitely in context to those verses and the chapter. We will focus in on verse 15 and 16 together. Those two verses fall in the category of Scripture with the Law of Double Reference, which means it has a spiritual and literal meaning and/or can apply to more than one person or group of people in more than one way.

Proverbs 5:15–16 (NKJV)

15 Drink water from your own cistern,

And running water from your own well.

16 Should your fountains be dispersed abroad,

Streams of water in the streets?

Verses 15 and 16 are about:

a) covetousness [When taken with the verses that follow.]

b) reaping what one sows [When taken with the preceding verses.]

c) consequence of sin or ungodly actions – tarnished fruit [When taken with both the previous and later verses as well as the overall context of the chapter.]

Looking deeper into the meaning of the Hebrew words involved in these two verses, you can see the tone and intent of their meaning.

You will find my notes in [brackets] woven within the definitions.

Vs. 15 – (KJV/AV) “Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well.”

“waters” = water [meaning the outpouring or flow]; by euphemism urine, semen: — + piss, wasting [with implications for two different application 1 – martial adultery and 2 – the disgusting results of sin and ungodly actions.] course [course of life], flood [problems of life], spring [results of actions, the outpouring of our actions.]

“out of thine own cistern” = bore [Many of the holes we find ourselves in throughout life we dug for ourselves.] a pit hole – espec. one used as a cistern or a prison: — cistern, dungeon, [Our own choices build our personal prisons in life.] fountain [The foundation of our life is based primarily upon the choices we have made.] pit, well.

“and running waters” and “thine own well” [Both share the same meaning in the Hebrew.] = to drip, or shed by trickling: — distil, drop, flood, cause to flow or a flowing, gush out, melt, pour down, running water, stream. [That flow of life choices day in and day out that make up our lives – choices that are either godly or ungodly, God’s Will or not God’s Will.]

Vs.16 – (KJV/AV) “Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, and rivers of waters in the streets.”

“Let thy fountains” = as a denominative in the sense of a spring; a fountain also collect, figuratively a source of satisfaction [The truth is people derive personal satisfaction from good and evil, godliness and sin, positive and negative actions, doing God’s Will and doing their own will.] :— fountain, spring, well.

“be dispersed” = a prim. root; to dash in pieces, lit. or fig. espec. to disperse: — break, dash, shake into pieces, cast abroad, disperse selves, drive, retire, scatter abroad, spread abroad. [We can often choose to destroy the ungodliness in our lives or have our lives destroyed by the ungodliness as we are dashed to pieces upon the destructive rocks of our own life choices.]

Therefore in these verses we are told to desire what we have and be content with what we have, either relationally, materially, position-ally, etc. and not covet what another person has because that will only lead us to sin and that sin will bring havoc into our lives.

It also tells us that we will reap what we sow, that sin leads to consequences, personal imprisonment, and a flood of problems in life, that our choices make up our lives, and that it is primarily our own choices that dig the holes we find ourselves struggling to get out of in life.

We lose what really satisfies us when we begin to go after what another has, our own will, the things of the world, and sin.

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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Man and the Prophet / Part 8

In Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, End Times, Exhortation, Fruits of the Holy Spirit, God, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Persecution, Prayer, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Remnant, Revival, Rhema Words, Spiritual Activism, Spiritual Activists, Spiritual Fruit, Spiritual Remnant, Truth, Uncategorized on November 7, 2014 at 3:12 pm

Throughout this series if the solitary word Prophet is used it is meant to include both the male prophet and the female prophetess whose roles as mouthpieces for God are interchangeable.

Bottom line, the prophets felt I presented how they are without presenting the other side of the coin – how people treat them and why. Therefore, through this series, I am addressing those concerns and the questions associated with those concerns.

Question Summary:

I carefully considered whether or not to include this question in the series. I personally know the individual who posed the question. Having personal insight into their heart and their spirit I know their motives come from a pure place therefore, I have chosen to include their question for it is a valid one.

The essence of the question was, ‘What is a prophet to do when their church leadership is less spiritually mature than they are? This does cause problems for the prophet.’

Response:

Actually this is more common than people tend to realize because most people view the Pastors, Deacons, and other various members of leadership as more spiritual than the people within the congregation. However, this is often not the case at all. I do not even believe most Pastors try to present the situation as such. Godly Pastors know there are people within their congregation who are more mature than they are. That the leadership is more mature than everyone else in the congregation is simply one of those assumptions people make based solely on the fact that the individuals have positions of leadership within the local congregation.

Yes, it can cause problems for the prophet. However, how the prophet handles themselves can go a long way toward making those problems worse or better.

Leadership is always to be respected as long as they are not sinning against the people. The prophet, or the person upon whom a prophetic spirit rest, who is more mature than their local leadership should go out of their way to respect that leadership even more. When sin is not involved you never usurp the authority of, or undermine, spiritual leadership.

If your leadership is less spiritually mature than you are then come along side of them and help them, reach out to them and be a blessing to them. If they are quality leadership, they will welcome the input, insight, and help. If they are not quality leadership, you will receive either a negative reaction or no reaction, which at that point you have to realize that they are not secure in their leadership and you may need to go back to God about what to do. Secure people seek people who can help them further the agenda of the Kingdom of God.

Before the comments come in about the five-fold ministry and the priority of those ministries, let me address those Scriptures. Yes, the prophet is listed as the second position of ministry on that list. Yes, it comes before pastor and secondary leadership such as deacons are not even on the list. However, the list is not meant to qualify ranks for the sake of qualifying ranks. The list is meant to exemplify the functionality of the Body of Christ. Let me explain by breaking the list down.

Ephesians 4:11–13 (NKJV)

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;

Spiritual leader’s primary purpose.

· Apostles – build churches and ministries.

· Prophets – minister to the needs of the Body of Christ as a corporate whole first, the local congregation second, and the personal individual third for the purpose of communicating God’s Will and Divine Direction, explaining what is to come for God’s people, et cetera.

· Evangelists – preach the Gospel in order to build the Body of Christ in numbers.

· Pastors – care for the practical everyday needs and spiritual wellbeing of the members of the Body of Christ.

· Teachers – disciple (educate) people in the Word of God.

One must keep in mind that some pastors are teaching pastors, which means they are called as teachers as well as pastors. Some prophets are also teachers and apostles. Some apostles are also prophets. Some evangelists are also prophets. A combination of callings and certainly multiple spiritual gifts is quite common among those called to the five-fold ministry.

The Scripture below in Ephesians makes it clear we are to submit ourselves one to another for the over good of the Body of Christ and out of reverence to (fear of) God.

Ephesians 5:15–21 (NKJV)

Walk in Wisdom

15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, 20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another in the fear of God.

One must always keep in mind that it is the more mature person’s obligation to defer to the less mature person because they are weaker in their faith. Romans 14 teaches that we are to do all we can to ensure we are not the cause of another person stumbling in their walk with God. Therefore, if we must defer to them or curtail our actions, a mature Believer will do that and a prophet should certainly be mature. A mature prophet, or a person upon whom the spirit of prophesy rest; will always attempt to be a blessing to their local godly leadership not a hindrance.

This will be the last question I will answer publically during this series. If your question was not, or is not, answered via a posting or via private emails then I have elected not to address your specific question. Thank you for understanding and respecting my choice.

I would like to conclude the two series on prophets and their relationship with their fellow man with the following thought. In the end what people must remember is, Prophets primarily apply God’s Word to the corporate people of God, meaning the Body of Christ, more often than to specific individuals.

There may be a larger break than normal between the ending of this series and the beginning of the next or the restarting of the Q&A series. I have a number of pieces for publication that need my attention and I am a bit behind schedule at this time. I appreciate your dedication to reading the blog and your patience. As always, I welcome your input regarding the topic of the next series.

I wish to remind the readers that these are not simply my own beliefs this series is a collection of agreed upon beliefs by many respected servants of God, highly versed in this topic.

 

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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Man and the Prophet / Part 7

In Biblical Principles, Chrisitan Lifestyle, Christian Living, Exhortation, God's Voice, Godliness, Godly Counsel, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Prophecy, Prophet, Prophetess, Remnant, Revival, Rhema Words, Spiritual Activism, Spiritual Activists, Spiritual Fruit, Spiritual Remnant, Truth, Uncategorized on October 31, 2014 at 4:46 pm

Throughout this series if the solitary word Prophet is used it is meant to include both the male prophet and the female prophetess whose roles as mouthpieces for God are interchangeable.

Bottom line, the prophets felt I presented how they are without presenting the other side of the coin – how people treat them and why. Therefore, through this series, I am addressing those concerns and the questions associated with those concerns.

In this piece, I will address two questions, as the answers for each should be brief.

Question Summary:

Are those who prophesy all prophets?

Response:

No, just because someone speaks prophesy on occasion does not make them a prophet. Speaking prophecy and having the gift of prophecy is not the only requirement for being considered a prophet.

There are various characteristics, spiritual gifts, and a consistent spiritual presence of the manifest evidence of the Holy Spirit that must be present for a person to be considered a prophet or prophetess. The individual must also exhibit certain passions for the Word of God, Truth, and the progression of the Body of Christ into God’s Will for the time period in which the prophet lives.

Question Summary:

Would you elaborate on what you meant when you wrote, ‘Prophets are use to acceptance without explanation…’?

Response:

The comment the reader is asking about is the following statement. "Prophets are use to acceptance without explanation, aka faith, their relationship with God is based on that Truth."

Prophets and people upon whom a prophetic spirit rest are faith people. They know God, they hear God, and they are use to interacting with God just as though He were a person standing beside them.

This type of relationship builds great trust in God, which in turn produces faith by the grace of God. Therefore, when God tells one of these individuals to do something, to say something, or to go somewhere they do what God instructs without asking God to explain to them why they need to do so or why they should say something, et cetera.

Prophets accept God’s Word and God’s Directions without explanation for two primary reasons. One, because they reverence God and understanding that He has every right to request anything of them He would like. Two, they have learned over the course of time that God is faithful and that when He leads them to act it is never without a reason even if they do not know the reason before they act, at the moment that they act, or even for some time after they act. These individuals know God will eventually show them why He had them do as He instructed.

I wish to remind the readers that these are not simply my own beliefs this series is a collection of agreed upon beliefs by many respected servants of God, highly versed in this topic.

 

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.