Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Sadly, recently I had to tell a protégé to be cautious about encouraging her parents to return to “church” meaning just any church. Why did I have to do that, caution her in such a way? I had to bring a word of caution because the CURRENT Spiritual Remnant of God does not lead most of the “religious churches” in the landscape of our society and communities.

Here is what I shared with her:

“As you allow God to use you with your parents, I caution you against outwardly encouraging your parent to reenter a religious setting and instead encourage them in things that will grow their relationship and closeness with God. If your parents reenter a religious church system and something should happen or it is an apostate type of environment, it could well drive them away from God even further. A case of the cure being worse than the sickness situation. People associate the religious church system in this country with God – rightfully so to a small degree – but when the real church’s existence has been replaced largely in public society by an apostate religious church it does not represent God well and He gets the blame for man’s sins. The spiritual environment has drastically changed in our country since your parents where young and the true church is rarely seen publically – therefore, if they are exposed to what makes up most the religious landscape of our country they could be more spiritually harmed than helped.”

Yes, many, if not most of the CURRENT Spiritual Remnant have defected from the religious communities throughout the United States. Is this a bad thing? A necessary thing? God’s Will? Yes and no. Yes and no. And finally yes and no. Let’s explore why.

What does it mean to defect? Well per Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary –

defect: to forsake one cause, party, or nation for another often because of a change in ideology

Because some individuals/ministers teach the theory of christianity while other individuals/ministers live out Christianity there has clearly been a parting of the ways, so to speak, in the ideology of what the true face of Christianity is today. Secular religion is widely viewed as Christianity in America and it is not true Bible based, Jesus following, Christianity.

Therefore, we find that many of the CURRENT Spiritual Remnant of God has defected from these religious communities but not necessarily from ‘gathering with the church’ and serving God. It has been necessary for some to depart religious communities in order to fulfill God’s call on their lives and it has been necessary for others to remain for a season to do a specific work within that religious community. However, it is never God’s Will that His Remnant either run from or remain with the secular religious community. Each person’s situation and circumstances must be examined in light of God’s overall Will for His people and God’s specific Will for that individual. Hence, the ability for the answer to our earlier question to be “yes and no.”

Whereas, there are many different individual, in various stages of their walk with God who will read this material; I would like to take a moment and address a specific group whose actions and reactions to what is happening within our religious society, and within the Remnant, will cause the most damage or do the most good for God’s Kingdom. That would be those who know they were called by God, know they are part of the Remnant, know they were given an assignment but have stumbled or are struggling in relation to what God would have them do – the part He would have them play.

Now within that group of the called, many individuals come to mind and many will be able to relate to what I am about to write. Nevertheless, the balance of this specific paragraph will speak loudly and clearly to the hearts and spirits of one specific couple. Here is what needs to be said… ‘Most ever good parent wants better for their children than what they had or were able to accomplish. Whereas, your early leaders are godly men and women of God, God would have you exceed what they were able to accomplish. The reason you struggle is that you see what God is showing you to do as a departure from, and therefore a betrayal of, what your mentors and leaders invested in you. It is no betrayal and no departure; it is a further fulfillment of the same. The vision that God gave your mentors and leaders was for that time and to the degree that they could and would accept and thus be able to walk in. What God shows you now is an improvement upon what they did. By doing what God is leading you to do you are not dishonoring your former leaders and mentors but instead honoring them by doing better, and going further, toward God’s ultimate goal.’

Back to the subject of the stumbling and struggle that comes with a task and calling that seems beyond anything you can imagine. Well guess what, it is beyond you and thus you need God. Let us look at another servant of God who experienced what it was like to struggle with a “tough calling” – King David.

Prior to the following Scripture and during the events, which lead to this moment in Scripture when David was confronted by the Prophet and fell into such distress, should you read the accounts in 2 Samuel and 1 Chronicles in context, you can safely glean two Truths.

1 – David saw that God’s people were involved in evil and sinful ways and did not do anything.

2 – David deserted the throne [calling/assignment] God had given him and was in a place in life where he did not trust God to fight his battles for him.

Where did these actions and attitudes lead David?

2 Samuel 24:14 (NKJV)

^“And David said to Gad, “I am in great distress. Please let us fall into the hand of the Lord, for His mercies are great; but do not let me fall into the hand of man.” “

If we find ourselves in the place that David found himself, Scripture give us an answer to our concerns. Humble ourselves and return to what God has given us to do. Submit ourselves and trust once again in the protection of our God.

Isaiah 66:2 (NKJV)

For all those things My hand has made,

And all those things exist,”

Says the Lord.

“But on this one will I look:

On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit,

And who trembles at My word.

If God has given you a job to do, return to it and complete it for He is watching and waiting to glory in your faithfulness. God will not fail to be there to keep and protect you, even unto death, during the process of fulfilling His Will for your life.

The True Christian Community has always lived as a counter-culture within their society. The True Christian Community today, known as the CURRENT Spiritual Remnant, live as a counter-culture not only within their society but also within what widely represents Christianity within their society; yet, let it never be mistaken that the face of Christianity within our society today is the True Current Spiritual Remnant, the Body of Christ, the Church – they are not.

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

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

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

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

Monday, July 22, 2013

Before you even read this posting let me make this clear.

It should be well established by now that I appreciate your insights, input, questions, and sharing of what you are going through and dealing with – this is how we feed one another as a Body and grow together, through sharing. That said, for this particular posting I make the following request. Do not write me with your comments about my decision to use “Helen Thomas” as an example in one of my posting. Guess why? Because you most likely have said something before you wish you had not said, you most likely have made a mistake publically you wish you had not made, and you most likely are human like all the rest of us.

This new way we seem to be doing things in this country, in the last ten years especially, has me baffled. If you make a mistake it wipes away every good thing you have contributed in your lifetime – wow what a burden to carry – we would all have to be Jesus, Perfection in the flesh.

I am not, you are not, and Ms. Thomas was not, so why don’t we just look at all her years, not just one really bad one.

What you have to remember is we can learn as much from our mistakes as we can our successes if we are willing to – just like we can learn from other people’s mistakes and successes if we look closely and are willing to learn. Learning through observing another is one of the least painful ways to learn something.

Now to my post…

Helen Thomas – Dare We Ask?

Helen Thomas / Member of the White House Press Corps / Opinion Columnist / American Author / News Service Reporter [August 4, 1920 – July 20, 2013].

“Traditionally, Thomas sat in the front row and asked the first question during White House press conferences.” Later in her career… “Thomas was moved to the back row during press conferences; She was called upon at briefings on a daily basis but no longer ended Presidential news conferences saying, "Thank you, Mr. President.” When asked why she was seated in the back row, she said, "they didn’t like me…I ask too mean questions.” – From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A commentary on the actual facts.

Once Ms. Thomas had spent her time being punished, by being placed on the back row for wanting answers to questions, which were unpopular, she was once again called upon by the President. What did Ms. Thomas do? She asked, yet another, unpopular politically incorrect question which was carefully evaded.

Ms. Thomas remained true to her convictions, even under her own form of persecution, her banishment to the back row, and thus continued to do what she felt was right; to ask the questions which needed to be answered, to ask “too mean questions.”

Whether secular or spiritual Truth Seekers do just that; they ask questions people feel are too mean, too questioning, too demanding – questions, which require an actual answer, that can be supported by Truth.

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

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

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

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

Saturday, July 20, 2013

I had no doubt the CURRENT Spiritual Remnant of God was hurting but the last couple of weeks God has placed it before my face over, and over, and over, and over and yes, over again. To the point that it has made me want to cry, and I have, as well as yell, which God has managed to save me from doing by His grace. So very many of the Remnant just do not seem to understand what is happening to their Beloved Body of Christ. Well let’s have a discussion about it.

Some housekeeping…

Let me start by stating this piece will be long and it will embody the thoughts, experiences, insights, and feeling of many different people. You will recognize yourself but hopefully no one else. In order to show a variety of experiences that connect and in order to help the reader not feel so alone I will use a letter to identify each person. This is something I rarely have done but do sense this aspect will be important for this piece. When you identify yourself, should you object simple contact me and I will remove the/your letter from the text.

Second, most every person I know, knows how very much I love God and the Spiritual Remnant of God; therefore, they know the heart from which the comments come and the Guiding Principle of my life, Jesus. Those same people also know how sorry I feel for the apostate church; however, pity does not negate a responsibly before God to see that He is fairly represented.

Lastly, I want each reader to realize going into this piece that this will not be easy content to absorb into your heart, mind, or spirit and although you might be reading about your own experience doing so will bring a HOLY PAIN, that godly sorrow, which God feels when He looks at His wayward people. Don’t escape what you feel; instead ask God what you should do with, and about, what you feel.

To begin…

The last few of weeks I have seen pain, sorrow, anger, frustration, despair, resolve, disillusionment, and overall disorder. People want to know what is going on. They feel like outsiders in their own world, within the Body of Christ. As M pointed out to me about a week or so ago, ‘There is a “Remnant” within the Remnant.’ I understood fully what that meant – one simple sentence. Do you?

H can hardly stand what the apostate church is selling right now. The works mentality of sanctification. The beginning of being your own god. D in despair wants to know if Jesus would even recognize the Church He started all those years ago, should He appear in the flesh today. What Jesus bought is being lost. D pointed out that egoism and personal agenda driven by pride have so distorted Christianity that it is barely recognizable. J loves God but is heartbroken that an individual so steeped in sin would be allowed by church leaders to continue to lead worship. When J seeks answers it is discovered that the dollar amount the person gives to the local congregation has bought them their place on the praise team and they will in fact remain. What can one do when told such by Pastors? Money over quality and character. T wants to know why the gossip from the pulpit down cannot be recognized as sin and stopped. Another with revelatory gifts is bewildered because their Pastor, “Assemblies of God” no less, thinks them mentally ill – – talked with them, had a colleague examine them, they are not by any means ill; very spiritually gifted, but not mentally ill. Couple wonders why they are so disliked by God because they are in financial ruin almost, with their faith battered and bruised while their Pastor, who they gave their tithe and more to until the very end is wearing a Rolex and making sure everyone know it as often as possible – dealt with that situation and man myself; can testify to exactly what they came out of and the abuse they suffered. B the gifted, talented, dynamic, charismatic worship leader whose spouse did/does not want the life hardships, which come with a ministry calling. Oh, the condition and spiritual peril that left this individual in. Each example I have given is one real, reviewed by me, and I have personal help someone to deal with. They are real situation, which have led the “real church” to almost…. Each person’s handling of the matters is their own.

Here is the weird and horrible irony concerning these and other situations like them. These things drive people from the church, from their faith, and from God Himself if they are not handled and understood. This is why it is so important for each of you, and many others who can relate, to recognize themselves and realize they are not some Rogue Christian with a problem, the people they are dealing with are the problem. However, it is human nature to believe when the majority seems to agree, you must be the one who is wrong. Not true. It is like I tell people often, you examine your actions, beliefs, desires, what you see, what you hear against the Word of God for that is the Standard – the majority does not rule when it comes to godly matters – God and His Word are the final Authority. Since Noah, God’s true people have always been the minority not the majority. It is hard to stand your ground when you find yourself on the opposite end of the majority, I understand that; but sadly, I must tell you, you are going to find yourself there again and again in the future.

God gave me a wonderful illustration of what is happening to His CURRENT Spiritual Remnant and He used a news story to do so. I will give an overview of the news story then I will retell the story and insert the spiritual and remnant equivalents in parentheses and italics. Read it over a couple of times and then you will make the spiritual connections.

A local woman was working in a pre-k school; she was fired and is picketing the school to draw attention to her unjust firing. Now keep in mind I saw the news story and the video of the story details myself.

This woman is a pre-k teacher responsible for X amount of children. The children are in her classroom napping and she smells smoke. She looks from the door of her classroom and sees smoke coming from the kitchen some thirty to forty feet away. While leaving the door open she darts quickly around the corner to the kitchen and sees that the oven is on fire. She rushes back to the classroom where she awakens her students and in an orderly fashion marches them out to safety. Once the children are secure and monitored by another adult she goes back inside, sees the fire is contained to the oven where chicken nuggets are cooking and with a fire extinguisher puts the fire out before the fire truck arrives. The teacher is promptly fired by the owner of the business. When the owner was interviewed, she did not dispute all that took place or that the children were never endangered by the teacher; that they were in fact taken to safety by the teacher. Why fired then? Those fifteen seconds or so she took to dash from her doorway to the corner of the kitchen to verify that the kitchen was in fact on fire and that the children were possibility in danger. The owner stated the teacher was required never to leave the children alone in the room under any circumstances, that those were the rules; therefore, she was fired.

Okay now…Is this not a case of rules and regulations overriding common sense to the degree of harm and ignorance. This owner actually acted as if she had done the right thing, said she would do it again, even though she acknowledged the children were asleep during the seconds the teacher was gone and were never in any danger. She even acknowledged that the teacher’s actions actually kept the children from danger. Anyone else scratching your head in bewilderment about how people’s minds work?

Now reflect on all the examples I gave earlier of the issues people are dealing with and going through then make the spiritual analogy to this story.

This woman is a pre-k teacher responsible for X amount of children. [The Spiritual Remnant is working among the apostate church.] The children are in her classroom napping and she smells smoke. She looks from the door of her classroom and sees smoke coming from the kitchen some thirty to forty feet away. [The Spiritual Remnant senses the Body of Christ is in danger.] While leaving the door open she darts quickly around the corner to the kitchen and sees that the oven is on fire. [The Spiritual Remnant determines the Body of Christ is in fact in danger.] She rushes back to the classroom where she awakens her students and in an orderly fashion marches them out to safety. Once the children are secure and monitored by another adult she goes back inside, sees the fire is contained to the oven where chicken nuggets are cooking and with a fire extinguisher puts the fire out before the fire truck arrives. [The Spiritual Remnant understanding their responsibility before God and attempts to secure the safety of God’s Children/Child, while awaiting Christ’s return, by the proper application of Biblical Truth.] The teacher is promptly fired by the owner of the business. [The Spiritual Remnant then becomes the problem in the minds of sinful leaders and the leader[s] freezes them out or expels them from the group.] When the owner was interviewed, she did not dispute all that took place or that the children were never endangered by the teacher; that they were in fact taken to safety by the teacher. [Rarely, if ever, can the corrupt leaders actually show where the Spiritual Remnant has in fact acted against, or contrary, to God’s Word – expect in the case of their twisted application of submission to authority.] Why fired then? Those fifteen seconds or so she took to dash from her doorway to the corner of the kitchen to verify that the kitchen was in fact on fire and that the children were possibility in danger. The owner stated the teacher was required never to leave the children alone in the room under any circumstances, that those were the rules; therefore, she was fired. [What do corrupt spiritual leaders teach? You always respect, submit, and obey the authority, which their title gets them not their spirituality, no matter what; even when it is against God’s Word and detrimental to God’s People – they would never say the second half of that sentence outright, but their actions enforce and state it clearly.]

Okay now…Is this not a case of rules and regulations overriding common sense to the degree of harm and ignorance. [This is exactly the type of sinful ungodly leadership the people I described earlier have been dealing with. Respect for authority does not override God’s Word, God’s Truth and God’s Principles.] This owner actually acted as if she had done the right thing, said she would do it again, even though she acknowledged the children were asleep during the seconds the teacher was gone and were never in any danger. [These corrupt leaders abuse and hurt the real Remnant all in the name of their right to do so because they are “the authority” of that congregation – this whether they can show that the True Spiritual Remnant did anything ungodly or not. Usually, as described above, they have not done anything ungodly – just undesirable to or unpopular with the leader[s].] She even acknowledged that the teacher’s actions actually kept the children from danger. Anyone else scratching your head in bewilderment about how people’s minds work? [Any of the CURRENT Spiritual Remnants scratching their heads wondering why in the world people allow these corrupt leaders to get away with this stuff – to treat them this way?] – Those answers are for another time.

Now back to the examples I referred to earlier. A bit of follow-up. Again, my notes are in italics and parentheses.

H can hardly stand what the apostate church is selling right now. The works mentality of sanctification. The beginning of being your own god. [Where there is no true spirituality what does one have to rely on except humanism, works, and man directed sanctification. H is the real deal, so of course H is miserable in that environment and will never fit into their circle. – PRAISE GOD!]

D in despair wants to know if Jesus would even recognize the Church He started all those years ago, should He appear in the flesh today. What Jesus bought is being lost. D pointed out that egoism and personal agenda driven by pride have so distorted Christianity that it is barely recognizable. [The corporate church today has little to do with Jesus – He is just their poster boy. His principles, the Bible’s Truths are long since lost to a secular church. It is primarily about being a celebrity, growing “their” ministries or churches, being known and making money. They want to be known but know almost nothing about their people. The Bible defines and warns against these peoples motive, selfish ambition.]

J loves God but is heartbroken that an individual so steeped in sin would be allowed by church leaders to continue to lead worship. When J seeks answers it is discovered that the dollar amount the person gives to the local congregation has bought them their place on the praise team and they will in fact remain. What can one do when told such by Pastors? Money over quality and character. [Secular corrupt corporate church leaders take little interest in people unless their deacon’s/leadership label the person a “significant contributor” and then those people are richly rewarded for their dollars. – Now, I believe in tithing and I believe even more importantly in being a good steward of all that God gives you – your time, belonging, body, minds, talents, gifts, money, etc. If you want to find out how much you are really worth to your Pastor start tithing in cash, in secret where no one knows, and see if you don’t either end up having to explain, lose your position, lose your Pastors attention, or all of the above and possibly more.]

T wants to know why the gossip from the pulpit down cannot be recognized as sin and stopped. [T haven’t you heard, it’s all shared in the name of concerned or a case of “we need to pray for” ________ because of __________. Gossip is an epidemic, plague, and scourge in church groups.]

Another with revelatory gifts is bewildered because their Pastor, “Assemblies of God” no less, thinks them mentally ill – – talked with them, had a colleague examine them, they are not by any means ill; very spiritually gifted, but not mentally ill. [One of the most charismatic denominations in history is now abandoning the spiritual gifts in record numbers even at the denominational board level. Pastors have been advised to “stand-down” so to speak, when it comes to the revelatory gifts.]

Couple wonders why they are so disliked by God because they are in financial ruin almost, with their faith battered and bruised while their Pastor, who they gave their tithe and more to until the very end is wearing a Rolex and making sure everyone know it as often as possible – dealt with that situation and man myself; can testify to exactly what they came out of and the abuse they suffered. [I dealt with this situation and this pastor myself. This man is eaten up with rage, greed, and a spirit of manipulation. It will take this couple ages to recover financially and spiritually. This man manipulated his people, and continues to do so, into handing over money they could not afford – while he bought a Rolex, which he loves people to see, got himself and I do mean himself a new church building, got rid of a perfectly good and suitable house in order to buy a much grander one, etc. all within a year or two, while people like this couple struggled in order to give him, his tithe, and I do mean “his” tithe. He does not mind showing off his Rolex, his trips, his lifestyle because he actually has his people convinced that if they keep giving him their money, thus supporting his lifestyle, they will one day be able to have his lifestyle because God will owe them – – a massive masterful manipulator.]

B the gifted, talented, dynamic, charismatic worship leader whose spouse did/does not want the life hardships, which come with a ministry calling. Oh, the condition and spiritual peril that left this individual in. [Your calling is your calling, between God and you; God cannot and should not be blamed for the life choices we make. God will however, redeem choices which are less than His ideal, His Prefect Will, if we will trust Him to do so and put him first. Can our hearts not sympathize with B – my God or my spouse? This situation stands as a warning to all of the Remnant of God, of whom B is most definitely one; a warning that we must be extremely careful to see to it we are not unequally yoked in any of our relationship of any form and to any substantial degree. Any individual who is part of the CURRENT Spiritual Remnant of God and is called into ministry, on top of their personal call, has a very challenging life road ahead and whom they chose to allow into their lives to walk that road with them, in any form, is vital to their ability to do what God has called them to do.]

For the record most of these individuals whose experiences have be given as examples either were, are, or are currently spiritual leaders in the Body of Christ and/or in the congregations where they had their experiences; leaders either now or at the time of their experience.

Finally – Are all of you losing your minds? Are you all in sin? Are you all missing something? Are you all alone? No, no, no and no. The Bible warned that the church’s love would grow cold and that apostasy would be widespread before the end – it has and it is, both. The situation is very serious and very spiritually deadly to those who continually expose themselves to it, which is why and how it is growing at a record rate. It is a spiritual cancer, which is consuming the Body of Christ one person at a time.

Some individual/ministers teach the theory of christianity other individuals/ministers live out Christianity.

Be of good cheer my sisters and brothers you are not alone, the CURRENT Spiritual Remnant are still here to tell you, “press on” it is not you; you are not the deranged one. Put on your spiritual amour, secure your borders and march on – Jesus loves you and is pleased you belong to Him.

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

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

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

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

Friday, July 19, 2013

Okay first let me say; yes I hear you and no I have not forgotten the three part series Emotion – Insight – Empathy / Three Faces – exploring both, the “blessing” side and the “curse” side of each . I also realize it has been a while but all things are in God’s timing not mine own. With that said, you should expect to be reading those pieces in the near future.

On more than occasion recently, it has been brought to my attention that some of you may not understand why, how, and to what end God is speaking through this blog and through our personal interactions. Yes, several people do seem to be experiencing the same things at once. Yes, God will speak into people’s lives through what is asked, written, and expressed by others then relayed through this voice. Yes, I may reference to something you said, wrote me, ask me, or told me but only in how it connects to what God is saying overall to the Remnant and always without disclosure of personal information. Therefore, if something speaks to you it is meant to speak to you. If your interaction with me puts a face on what God has been saying and I can show that face to another who needs to see it – I will. That is how God works, through the connections, through the interactions, through the Words and words of others. Okay, who got that last sentence? Now the rest of you go read it again.

One of my weakness and something I have been scolded for repeatedly by colleagues and mentors is assuming people know more or realize more, spiritually speaking, than they do. I developed this “irresponsible habit” out of a desire not to be condescending to people. Whom out there knows that good motives is no excuse for poor actions. I have a responsibly to be thorough even at the point of having someone say, ‘Ha, I think I get that already.’ With that said, let me be thorough.

Several times lately with several situations, I realized that people just don’t get how the dots connect. Let me explain. God is working in your life, in my life, in those around you and their lives; therefore, nothing is random or by chance, nothing at all. God is working here and there to get us to various specific places in life and in our walk with Him. Therefore, when I deal with a dozen people in a little over a week, like recently, who are all dealing with very, very similar matters and issues from a spiritual perspective – things that God may have me write about or has had be already write about and schedule for posting – [Yes, I do that…God will give me something to write and then tell me what day and time to post it on. Therefore, I schedule it to post on that day and time, automatically. Someone realized this one day when I was with them at the time my post came out…way funny.] – then it seems things that people are talking about and dealing with among themselves; all seem to be happening at once. Well that is God working; it is up to you to connect the dots of your life, with His help of course. Therefore, don’t be surprised if everything in and around your life seems to connect to and feed off each other – it is suppose to be intertwined. You are one person, you have one life and you have one God.

Why go into all this now. Because there are so many different people in so many different situations who do not know each other and have only two common links to their lives, God and I, who are about to see their various experiences and situations collide in a Holy Crash. The examples and situations that will shared and elaborated on in the next few postings will make some people feel they are looking in a mirror; as another individual’s situation, thoughts, and feelings are described and expounded upon. However, it is a God Thing, a good thing, and a means through which much growth and change can be found. So buckle you seatbelts and get ready for the impact.

FYI – For those who are picker than most. I love you even though you are picky. Why? Because I am picky. Guess what, I know that was a sentence fragment. I use to have someone that proofed ALL my material both for publication and any other source. I no longer have that individual helping me and they have not as of yet, been replaced. Sad reality, no publication, no proofing. Therefore, you all are forced to accept my humanness along with spell-check and auto correct’s stubbornness. There will be mistakes, perhaps many – Lord Willing, few, but how about you correct it in your mind, let go of your criticism – where typos, grammar, spelling, pronunciation is concerned and keep your thoughts to yourself. If you find doing that just too tough, my picky comrade then you just might not be ready for the type of stuff I write anyway. I know one person laughing their head off right now, who I will just call J, because they are saying to themselves, ‘That is just like ________ never afraid to say what might be unpopular.’ Your right J you know me well. If your thoughts are about the topic, as always, I am more than grateful if you would share them by sending in your comments, I want you to do so and often.

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

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

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

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

Friday, July 12, 2013

I just can’’t.  Those are three words, which I am really sick of hearing. I hear this said one way or another so often I wonder who programmed all these walking wimps. Yes, I know that sound terrible, even mean, but it is not meant to be mean at all. However, it is meant to be tough love. I am not interested in convincing you “you can’t” I am interested in convincing you that “you can” – do everything and be anything God created you to do and be.

This week alone I have spent hours upon hours dealing with various situations where the outcomes have amounted to people making more and more excuses for themselves and others.

I have heard…

a – “I just can’t. I was born with no luck and there is nothing I can do about it.” That is an exact quote.

b – We have to prepare ourselves because people just can’t control their feelings, emotions, and reactions.

c – They just can’t break the cycle they are born into.

Therefore, several days into the week and by the time I got to a conversation about social issues over pizza with a friend and protégé she most likely thought she had launched a rocket based on my reaction. However, I am grateful to her because our conversation was the linchpin motivation for this piece.

There does come a time when “reasons” become “excuses” and our attempts to help cease to be helpful.

Whether it is social issues, spiritual issues, mental/emotional issues – once you understand the “root” or the cause of the issue; the focus should then be moving toward change, not continuing to focus on the cause. This was my point, with my friend. We have long understood and we do understand and I do understand and society does understand “the cause” of many, if not most social ills, but we are long past the time and the need, to move toward making a change.

General speaking, people in various situations understands “cause” but there comes a time to move on to change. When “cause” becomes your/their excuse, instead of your/their point of understanding for change, that is when your/their situation becomes bondage and you/they are the individual who are no longer taking responsibly for your/their situation. Then you/they, meaning the individual[s] in question, begin perpetuating your/their own victimization and victim mentality.

Once the cause is understood and the individual is not acting on that understanding and taking responsibility, they become responsible for their own lack of change. Therefore, lack of change becomes primarily, note I used the word primarily, their own fault not the fault of their environment, their society, or anyone connected to their lives – they/we become a product of our choices at this point.

This principle holds true for others, you, and me in almost any given situation, whether it is relational, societal, spiritual, mental, emotional, etc.

I feel like I need a disclaimer here: Of course, this does not apply to every person on the planet; this applies to most people in general. There are some extenuating circumstances and situations but those are actually the “exception” [a small percentage] and not the rule [a large percentage] as our excuse-driven society tends to lead people to believe.

The closer we draw to God the more we can feel and understand not only His great love and compassion for His creation but also His Holy anger and wrath, which He has also felt and feels at times – as we read about in the Bible. When I sense that Holy Frustration, as I have this week, born out of a desire for people to grasp all God’s Truths, I am grateful to my colleagues who remind me as one did this week, ‘You have to remember there is a Remnant inside the Remnant.’ With that, we must keep leading the way and stop looking back.

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.

Sunday, June 30th, 3013

Does anyone still wonder if you we have a “Christian Rights Issue” in this country?

Jailing for Bible Study – –

http://foxnewsinsider.com/2012/07/11/arizona-pastor-arrested-jailed-for-holding-bible-study-in-home-his-wife-says-it-defies-logic?fb_action_ids=10152966264080201&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=other_multiline&action_object_map=%7B%2210152966264080201%22%3A502365173146046%7D&action_type_map=%7B%2210152966264080201%22%3A%22og.likes%22%7D&action_ref_map=%5B%5D

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

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

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

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

Thursday, June 27, 2013

IRS tells ministry what they can and cannot talk about. 

Read more at http://www.wnd.com/2013/06/irs-tells-ministry-you-cant-talk-about-that/#ZmwXih29xjZSUC0Y.99

This country has deep, deep spiritual troubles.

Do we really still have freedom of speech and religion in this country?

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

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

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

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

Monday, June 24, 2013

Emotion – Insight – Empathy

These three simple words when manifest into the reality of the CURRENT Spiritual Remnant of God can create either a blessing or a curse based on how the individual wears them, which can often be found within the countenance of their face.

Most of the CURRENT Spiritual Remnant of God I have personally known carry within themselves a great capacity for all three; emotion, insight, and empathy when they are not suppressed out of fear, anger, wounds, or self-preservation. Properly managed and subjected to the regulation of the Holy Spirit, all three of these aspects of the Remnant’s emotional and mental being are both useful to God and mankind.

Over the next few posting, we will explore each of these emotional and mental faces which are worn by the CURRENT Spiritual Remnant of God; exploring both, the “blessing” side and the “curse” side of each. For now, we will begin with some basic understanding of what the definition for each word actually is, not what we might think it to be. With the dummy down of America which has taken place over the last twenty years we find many people have a very basic concept of what words mean, when in fact words are often rich with meaning and have many layers of meaning when truly understood.

Emotion = per Merriam-Webster’s Medical Desk Dictionary

1 : the affective aspect of consciousness

2 : a state of feeling

3 : a conscious mental reaction (as anger or fear) subjectively experienced as strong feeling usually directed toward a specific object and typically accompanied by physiological and behavioral changes in the body —

Insight = per Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary

1 : the power or act of seeing into a situation : PENETRATION

2 : the act or result of apprehending the inner nature of things or of seeing intuitively

synonyms see DISCERNMENT

the ability to understand inner qualities or relationships — see WISDOM

Empathy = per Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary

the experiencing as one’s own of the feelings of another; also : the capacity for this

Empathy = per Merriam-Webster’s Medical Desk Dictionary

1 : the imaginative projection of a subjective state into an object so that the object appears to be infused with it

2 : the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another of either the past or present without having the feelings, thoughts, and experience fully communicated in an objectively explicit manner; also : the capacity for empathy

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

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

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

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

Thursday, June 20, 2013

2 Corinthians 3:18 (NKJV)

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Ask yourself…Do you really want to be ever-increasingly an image of your Lord and Savior, the Christ, Jesus?

There are so many people who pray, ‘Lord I want to be like you.’ but they have no idea what they are praying for and the impact that prayer will have on their lives. If you are part of the CURRENT Spiritual Remnant of God you either have already “got it” as they say or you will “get it” before too long.

Being like Christ is not something the Holy Spirit is going to do half way. We cannot just wake up one day and say to God, ‘Oh, sorry, I changed my mind.’ You can run and you can try to hide but if you are part of the CURRENT Spiritual Remnant of God He is not going to let you go. You will find no peace until you accept the transformation within you that must take place, a transformation, which places you at the center of “understanding” the Holy and All-Encompassing Will of God. There will never be room again in your life for part of God; only God in His entirety will be an option.

I have watched and continue to watch many of the CURRENT Spiritual Remnant of God try to run and hide from the very transforming process, which will set them completely free. Fear of what is on the other side of the transformation keeps them bound to what they can see and sense they have some control over in the now. That same bondage keeps them void of godly peace and they seek a substitute for a peace only God can bring to their lives. Why? Because a part of them knows that being like Jesus, truly being like Jesus, means identifying with what Jesus lived with during His earthy ministry.

In part six, I touched on some of what Jesus endured during His earthly ministry. I asked a friend and protégé a similar question the other day to the one I will now pose here; ‘Why do people [meaning the CURRENT Spiritual Remnant] expect to be treated better or different than Jesus was treated by the world or the religious community? Have these people who expect different actually read the Bible?’

How was Jesus treated?

† Jesus was rejected.

† Jesus was persecuted.

† Jesus was misunderstood.

† Jesus was maligned.

† Jesus was called a fake.

† Jesus was told He was not good enough.

† Jesus had to tolerate those who had no idea of His depth of understanding when it came to spiritual truths.

† Jesus spoke Truth and they called it a lie, false teaching.

† Jesus was accused of having a demon.

† Jesus’ insight scared people.

† Jesus was feared because He challenged people’s ideas, beliefs, and sin.

† Jesus was accused of being aligned with Satan.

† Jesus was hated.

† Jesus was considered to be a rebel.

† Jesus was considered to be mad, crazy, insane.

† Jesus was accused of being disrespectful and disobedient to the religious leaders of His time.

† Jesus was doubted by His own friends, co-labors, and followers.

† Jesus was betrayed by someone closest to Him.

† Jesus was abandoned by all those He had loved and cared for.

† Jesus was disobeyed.

† Jesus had to do the Father’s Will despite the fact that part of Him wanted there to be another way to accomplish the same goal – the inner compulsion to obey the Father was greater than any distress He might experience.

† Jesus could get no help or support from His friends, co-labors, and followers when He needed prayer and support.

† Jesus suffered terrible injustice.

† Jesus was arrested on false charges.

† Jesus was subjected to a kangaroo court.

† Jesus stood before His entire community while they sided with evil over good and chose Barabbas over Him to be set free.

† Jesus was physically beaten to the degree of torture.

† Jesus was publically humiliated; both mocked and laughed at by onlookers.

† Jesus was put to death in a torturous way for His Holiness.

† Jesus sought mercy on the cross and for a few moments seemed to find none.

† Jesus was not even left alone to die in peace.

Now for any of the faithful CURRENT Spiritual Remnant out there who can identify with their Savior and can feel the scares of being transformed into His imagine I leave you with this bit of Truth. Jesus did go through all of those things and suffer all of those injustices but what else did Jesus do.

Jesus overcame it all!

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.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

When doing some self-evaluation to determine whether you are part of the CURRENT Spiritual Remnant of God and/or your spiritual health as one of the CURRENT Spiritual Remnant of God ask yourself the following question and the answer to this question will tell you a great deal about your spiritual standing.

Which is more important to me, presenting and/or upholding God’s Truth or making sure I do not offend a brother, sister, or spiritual leader in Christ?

I personally would much rather have a person care enough about me, about my spiritual walk with Jesus, about the ministry God gave me, about my life – that they would be willing to offend me in order to keep me out of sin, away from danger, on the narrow path and true to my godly calling and/or purpose – than to allow me to go astray.

What does being offended look like, in this context?

“offend”

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary

2 : to cause discomfort or pain : HURT

2 a : to cause difficulty, discomfort, or injury

b : to cause dislike, anger, or vexation

3 : to cause dislike or vexation : ANNOY

Synonyms affront, insult, outrage

3 : to cause to feel vexation or resentment usually by violation of what is proper or fitting

OFFEND need not imply an intentional hurting but it may indicate merely a violation of the victim’s sense of what is proper or fitting <hoped that my remarks had not offended her>.

I do not know about you but if I am confronted with the need to change, often, my first feeling is “discomfort” because change by its very nature is uncomfortable.

Jesus offended most of the religious people of His day. The CURRENT Spiritual Remnant of God will find whether they intend it or not they will offend most of the religious people of our day. Why? Because they are going to call/cry out for Truth to be honored, Truth being God’s Word and Principles, in a time and religious society where it is not being honored. If they do not call/cry out, they are not at peace with themselves and cannot spiritually be at rest.

Here is an account where Jesus is shown as having offended the religious leaders of His day during His earthly ministry. The religious leaders did not think Jesus had the proper background or credentials and they did not like what He had to say. This was the reception Jesus got from His very own people. The religious leader’s lack of belief resulted in God not being able to work among them as He might have done had they been receptive.

Matthew 13:54-58

⁵⁴ When He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, “Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? ⁵⁵ Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? ⁵⁶ And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?” ⁵⁷ So they were offended at Him.

But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.” ⁵⁸ Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

This account can also be found in Mark 6:1-6.

Likewise, you as part of the CURRENT Spiritual Remnant must not concern yourself with your background or credentials and you cannot take responsibly for the work that remains undone among people because religion hindered godly spirituality. Jesus did not concern Himself with those who refused to listen to Him, receive Him, or attempt to understand the TRUTH[s] He was trying to impart to them.

Matthew 15:12–14 (NKJV)

¹² Then His disciples came and said to Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?”

¹³ But He answered and said, “Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. ¹⁴ Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.”

Religion and the apostate congregations, which participate, are filled with blind leaders leading the blind into spiritual emptiness and spiritual death. Sadly, just as in Jesus’ day there are more of them than they are TRUE Believers in Christ.

When a person refuses to accept TRUTH, they make the choice to be offended. You, the person presenting the Truth, do not offend them, they chose offense over truth.

In the above passages of Scripture, the Greek definition for the terms used is as follows:

“they were offended” and “were offended”

4624. σκανδαλίζω skandalizō, skan-dal-id´-zo (“scandalize”); from 4625; to entrap, i.e. trip up (fig. stumble [tran.] or entice to sin, apostasy or displeasure):— (make to) offend.

NSDHGW

The presentation of godly wisdom and spiritual truth when received properly brings about the greatest form of godly peace. True godly peace born out of godly wisdom can be very controversial [James 3:17 and Matthew 10:34].

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

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

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

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

Saturday, June 8^th 2013

This part of the series will address another “mark” which identifies the CURRENT Spiritual Remnant of God. This mark involves motive, specifically, their motive for addressing the issues found within the Body of Christ and the apostate church congregations.

Keep in mind once again the meaning of “apostate” while this topic of motive is being address.

Apostate is defined as one who commits apostasy.

Apostasy is defined as:

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary

1 : renunciation of a religious faith

2 : abandonment of a previous loyalty : DEFECTION

a renunciation or abandonment of a former loyalty (as to a religion)

one who betrays a trust or an allegiance — see TRAITOR

Nelson’s new illustrated Bible Dictionary states the following regarding apostasy:

Please note the areas I have underlined.

“In Acts 21:21 Paul was described falsely as one who taught the Jews living among the Gentiles to commit apostasy (forsake, NKJV). Second Thessalonians 2:3 declares that the Day of Christ “will not come unless the apostasy comes first” (NASB). This great apostasy will be the time of “the final rebellion against God, when wickedness will be revealed in human form” (2 Thess. 2:3, REB).

Apostasy is generally defined as the determined, willful rejection of Christ and His teachings by a Christian believer (Heb. 10:26–29; John 15:22). This is different from false belief, or error, which is the result of ignorance.”

Even though Paul was clearly innocence of partaking in apostasy, apostasy is something that starting being taught and acted upon very early on in the establishment of the Christian Church. Today we see apostasy and apostate teachings in record degrees like no other time in history.

Apostasy will/would be a hallmark sign before Christ returns. Widespread apostasy will/would be mankind’s final rebellion against God before the end; apostate being that “willful rejection” of either Christ or Christ’s teachings/the Word of God or both by Believers. Not by the world, but by those who started out as Believers. Whereas these individuals started out sincere they have now perhaps renounced true faith, abandoned loyalty to Christ and/or the Word of God, betrayed their allegiance to Christ by betraying the Word of God – distorting it, dismissing it, and making it of no effect.

Another “mark” which identifies the CURRENT Spiritual Remnant of God is that they cannot stand this apostate/apostasy, which is taking place within their Christian community. They have a very hard time staying silent while they watch their beloved Church fall apart. They grieve, as Christ grieves, what they see among people who where once dedicated brothers and sisters in Christ.

The CURRENT Spiritual Remnant of God is motivated by love for the Body of Christ to speak up, speak out, and speak against what they see taking place within the Body of Christ and with apostate church congregation. Just like Paul, their actions and motives are wrongly assessed. They desire to see the apostate congregations return to true allegiance to Christ and the Word of God. They desire to see the Body of Christ stay on track when they see them veering off into dangerous territory. Many I have talked with have been wrongly maligned as having a wrong spirit and/or having an anti-christ type of spirit. Maligned through the misuse of the scripture, which addresses “accusers of the brethren” [Rev. 12:10]. They are in good company however, since Jesus Himself was accused of having a wrong spirit and being motivated by Satan [Mat. 12:22-30]. Love and allegiance to Christ and the Word of God are their only motive for addressing the issues found within the Body of Christ and the apostate church congregations.

It can be easy to get caught up in the belief that the majority must be right. However, more times than not the majority is exactly whom you do not wish to follow if you are wise. Remember God made it clear that the narrow road was the correct road and that few would find their way to, and on, it [Mat. 7:13-14 & Lk. 13:24].

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

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

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

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

Friday, June 07, 2013

These are the types of young people we need to encourage and support, for they are part of what and who will make a godly difference in our society.

Courage – it takes courage people!

http://foxnewsinsider.com/2013/06/06/roy-costner-iv-south-carolina-valedictorian-rips-speech-and-recites-lord%E2%80%99s-prayer

Tuesday, June 04, 2013

All too many religious congregations believe that they can compromise God’s Standards for how things are to be done; thinking God will look the other way because after all, they are trying to use their compromised methods to reach people for Jesus. This is something that appalls the CURRENT Spiritual Remnant of God because they know God is Holy and does not sanction such compromise.

I will use an event that took place with the Ark of the Covenant as an example to explain this point.

The touching of the Ark of the Covenant was really the secondary sin that resulted in Uzzah’s death [2 Samuel 6]. Had God’s original commands been followed, the Ark would have never tilted and Uzzah would have never reached out to touch the Ark. The greater sin was in the breaking of the original instruction, which was that the Ark was to be hand carried on the shoulders with poles;[Exodus 25:10-16 and Numbers 4:5, 4:15] it was not to be transported via a cart with animals pulling it. The Ark was to be transported by man carrying its weight.

This is what is referred to as the greater and lesser degrees of sin. Many times, we are both effected and affected by what might be referred to as a secondary sin in our lives, when really the greater sin is that we did not follow God’s first command.

Usually sin can be traced back to a root. Often we can recognize the weeds of sin that are growing and we know they are sin. What we tend not to realize is the root of the sin, which would be the first sin, the original sin, that produced the weeds in our lives. The original sin in the tragedy of the Ark of the Covenant was that they did not transport it as God commanded. The secondary sin was that he touched the Ark, because of the fact that they did not transport it, as they should have.

The CURRENT Spiritual Remnant recognizes that the end result does not justify the means by which one gets there. Many congregations now justify much of their behavior as being Seeker Sensitive. They say they are trying to get people to God, they are trying to lead people to Jesus, they are trying to introduce people and have them arrive at a relationship with Christ. These congregations take the attitude that God is not so much concerned anymore with how they got the people there, the method so to speak. God is and has always been concerned with the method. The event, which took place with the Ark of the Covenant, is a great example of this truth.

Sin can be found in the method. Even if you are attempting to do a great thing, a godly thing, if there are sins in the root of that godly thing or that godly effort, God is not pleased. If there are sins in the roots, there will be sins in the weeds, in whatever it produces. What does sin do? Sin always kills, destroys and/or causes something to die in some manner – either literally or figuratively, meaning in either a literal sense or the spiritual sense.

We have to remember God that is not harsh; God is Holy. Therefore, the end result is not good enough, how we get there does matter! Ungodliness around us, whether in a secular or religious setting is no excuse before God or man for personal ungodliness. Public opinion or religious rules are not our Standard in life; God’s Word, God’s Standard, should be our standard in life.

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

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

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

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

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Something has come up several times recently in several ways, which speaks to both identifying the CURRENT Spiritual Remnant of God and identifying an apostate church congregation. It involves the intent of the group or individual in the area of creating God-dependence or Man-dependence.

Man-dependence is created to exert a certain amount of control and to be able to manipulate people. God-dependence is created to help people be able to depend primarily, and even solely, upon God in situations where there is the need. Religion wants to make people dependent on man, spiritual godliness and godly spirituality wants to make people dependent on God and therefore, points people to God.

Here is a real life example that will help you gain further insight.

The following prophesy was given to a church congregation as a means through which Jesus could building faith in the members of the congregation. This Rhema Word falls into the category of exhortation and encourage forms of prophesy meant for the growth of the Saints. The Pastor of this congregation first said this was not a ‘Word from God’ then later relented on his position when asked in the presence of witnesses how it was in error. He then took the position that the Word could not be presented because people in his congregation needed first to ‘Be renewed in their minds.’ To that end one would wonder is not this type of Word part of that very process; a statement you will understand better once you have read the Rhema Word for yourself. No, this pastor did not want such a power Rhema Word of Faith put out to his congregation because it pointed the people to the All-Sufficient Work of the Cross of Christ and would birth great faith in Jesus, and Jesus alone, among his congregants – creating less dependence on him as their shepherd.

Judge [discern] the Word for yourself.

The Rhema Word has been duplicated here exactly as it was given to the Pastor of said congregation.

Thus says the Lord God, “You seek Victory yet, you have Victory. You seek Truth, yet you have Truth. You seek Freedom, yet you have Freedom. You seek and cannot seem to find, can you not see that what you seek is Me. I Jesus am Victory. I Jesus am Truth. I Jesus am Freedom. I have told you in My Word that if you seek Me, the Truth, you will find Me. If you know Me, you know the Truth. I told you in My Word you would know the Truth and the Truth would make you free – free because I am the Truth. I and my work on the cross is all that is needed for victory and freedom; it is all that is needed to live in Truth. Why do you continue to seek Me for something that you have already if you know Me, if I am in you and you are in Me. Stop seeking to get and look at what you have and find overcoming power. I am the Lord your God hear Me.”

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

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

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

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