Monday, April 07, 2014

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

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

Galatians 5:22–23 (NKJV)

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

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

“temperance”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“of a sound mind” =

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rev. Jean-Pierre De Caussade S.J.

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

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

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

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

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

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

Friday, March 28, 2014

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

Galatians 5:22–23 (NKJV)

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

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

“meekness”

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

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

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

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

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

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

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

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

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

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

Saturday, March 22, 2014

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

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

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

Galatians 5:22–23 (NKJV)

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

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

“faith”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

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

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

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

Saturday, March 22, 2014

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

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

God’s Not Dead

http://godsnotdeadthemovie.com/

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

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

On another note.

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

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

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

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

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

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

Saturday, March 08, 2014

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

Galatians 5:22–23 (NKJV)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

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

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

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

Thursday, March 06, 2014

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

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

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

Galatians 5:22–23 (NKJV)

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

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

“gentleness”

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

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

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

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

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

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

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

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

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

Thursday, January 30, 2014

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

Galatians 5:22–23 (NKJV)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2 Timothy 4:1–7 (NKJV)

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

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

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

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

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

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

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

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

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Winds of Change – Where are we going?

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

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

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

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

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

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

Monday, December 30, 2013

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Word used in the New Testament for “prophet” =

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

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

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

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

Saturday, December 28, 2013

I am going to take a break from the teaching series I have been writing and instead take up addressing a phenomenal spiritual issue, which has been sweeping America and other parts of the world this Christmas season. I will be covering this spiritual change over the course of several postings in an effort to tie several aspects together, that have taken place over the course of years, without making each segment to lengthy to fully grasp. Please be patient and your understanding of how it all ties together will become clear once the series is complete. When I have completed the series, I will return to my teaching postings on the Fruit of Spirit.

How people reacted to Christmas this year, which I will cover later, shows us that we are beginning to see the manifestation of spiritual change in America and other parts of the world. The winds of change are blowing, God is moving and God’s people need to be prepared.

Some have wondered why I chose to post a comment on the site relating to the Phil Robertson and A&E Television controversy. I have never watched the show and knew little or nothing about the show until the controversy over this man’s comments became known publically. I will elaborate on this in another segment but how people in general reacted to the persecution, which is exactly what it was – as he suffered distress and lose due to his beliefs and for simply quoting/stating what the Bible says to be true, the reaction by people has been an offshoot of the spiritual frustration people have felt in America. That is why I chose to post something relating to the issue. Frustration is coming face to face with spiritual change.

I would like to begin by bring your attention back to two earlier posts which took place in May and August of 2012. I have reposted them here and they can also be located in the blog’s achieves. One is titled “Question about Christian Community’s Survival” and the second is titled “The Next American Revival”. Again, I included these in the introduction because their content ties into the spiritual climate, spiritual move, and spiritual change, which became so evident this month.

Truth in Love – blog entry

Question about Christian Community’s Survival

Friday, May 25, 2012

For many of you much of what I am about to write may be a given, to others it may be new or even controversial. Please know my heart is not to be condescending or patronizing to anyone but instead to make a spiritual plea for the survival and wellbeing of the Body of Christ as a whole. Therefore, I humbly submit to you for your prayerful consideration what God has been urging me to share.

In order to impact and influence our society we must all be paddling our boat in a similar direction. We live in a time in history where the togetherness of the TRUE Christian Community is going to be vital to its health. The Body of Christ is being torn apart by an imbalance in its teaching or a flat out refusal to stand for God’s Standard on certain issues, the result being a loss of influence on and in our society. The world looks at us and sees so much infighting and so many wishy-washy beliefs that they have no interest in exploring what our Jesus has to offer them. Tons of once dedicated and devoted Christians and Christian Leaders have taken the concept of loving the world into the kingdom to the point that they have sold out God’s Principles and Standards along the way. We have lost our way as a collective group, many hearts have hardened and most are so guarded they cannot extend their arms to their brothers and sisters in Christ. Leaders are so worried that unity means selling out their beliefs that they are by default selling out Christ’s Church and purpose through their disunity.

There are many levels of commitment, many sub-cultures, and many forms of oppression within the Christian Community as a whole. A general lack of unity along with localized self-centeredness, which has taken the form of isolation within one’s own local ministry, project, outreach, and/or congregation, has perpetuated the growth of some dangerous teachings and/or positions on societal issues. Whereas the issues listed below are in no way an exhaustive list of the thorns of disunity they are some of the most important and influential of our current day. They are the issues, which the TRUE Church must come together on in unity and hold as God’s Standard in order to regain their godly power, godly strength, and godly influence as a light to the world. Let us remember our unity effects our anointing, Psalm 133. Jesus knew and stated in John 13:11 that not all of His disciple were clean, nevertheless, He chose to wash their feet.

(NKJV)

Psalm 133

Blessed Unity of the People of God

A Song of Ascents. Of David.

¹ Behold, how good and how pleasant it is

For brethren to dwell together in unity!

² It is like the precious oil upon the head,

Running down on the beard,

The beard of Aaron,

Running down on the edge of his garments.

³ It is like the dew of Hermon,

Descending upon the mountains of Zion;

For there the Lord commanded the blessing—

Life forevermore.

The issues of concern for contemplation:

We need to become one unified voice on these most critical of issues in our Body and in our society.

The Deity of Jesus and His virgin birth. This is not a debatable truth, it is critical to ones salvation that they have a proper understand of who Jesus is and how He came into the world from His heavenly abode. Jesus having no deity or not being born of a virgin equals no TRUE Christianity, period.

Homosexuality is a sin issue not a civil rights issue. The church and its leaders are much too politically correct on this matter. We are to be vessel of truth; therefore, political correctness is not something we should be known for possessing. We cannot sit by silently and watch those with the loudest voices decide what is right and not right, God has already done that. God in His Word, the Bible, labels homosexuality sin, not me, not you, and not man…God.

Marriage is only the man and woman relationship. Marriage comes from God, not government, and we must protect the scared union God formed. Marriage is representative of Christ’s union with His people, His Church, and as such should have its purity protected.

A balanced perspective on women’s service to the Body of Christ. The Body of Christ, and each congregation or ministry therein is made up of men and women. The idea that both sexes are not needed to minister to the needs of those people is simply ridiculous. Men need men and women need women in many if not most area of spiritual growth, restoration, and healing. We cannot allow the Body of Christ to be dominated by women who are oppressed by extreme fundamentalism nor by women who are in their mannerisms spiritual feminist. Women need to be affirmed in their personal calling by God and taught to serve God alongside men with full confidence and faith without usurping the authority of the direct and personal men God has placed in their lives; equal to in God’s eyes, yet, not dominate over these men. Both men and women have a purpose in and calling to ministry.

As Follower of Christ, our adherence is to God over earthly authorities. More so than any other time in my memory Christian Leaders and general Christians seems to be playing both sides of the fence. They are willing to represent God and God’s agenda to the point that it does not conflict with other authorities. Yet, most of Jesus’ disciples were put to death for siding with God and God’s Ways over local governmental and spiritual authorities. We obey as long as it does not require that we sin against what God has given us, or told us, to do. We as a collective group seem to have forgotten this inconvenient truth.

Okay you have been confronted now. So what are you going to do? Are you going to lift your voice and help the Christian Community survive in America?

Truth in Love – blog

The Next American Revival

Monday, August 27^th 2012

The disciples were assembled in the upper room “in one accord” at Pentecost and the next move of God among the entire Body of Christ will be brought about as the Body of Christ seeks unity. Unity will bring a revival across America that will be unlike anything we have seen in our lifetime. For Christ centered denominations, congregations, families, and individuals to be a part of that revival; reconciliation, renewal, a resurgence of courage and boldness will have to take place…repentance will have to come.

In Webster’s Dictionary, the second definition for the word revival is as follows:

2: restoration of force, validity, or effect (as to a contract)

Is that not what each revival in church history has done?

1- Restored the force of spirituality over secularism.

2- Proved the validity of God and God’s authority.

3- Reestablished the effectiveness of the Body of Christ on the society in which it lived.

4- Renewed, spiritually, the covenant [contract] God has with His people.

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, December 26th 2013

Christians with actual convictions and who actually believe the Bible to be true need stand up and state so – stop hiding, so cowering, stop loving the world and worldly people more than God and His Word. 

Tuesday, December 24^th 2013

posting time 11:59 PM

Merry CHRISTmas everyone!

Praise God for His Glorious Gift to mankind, Jesus, in the form of a precious baby.

Take a moment as you celebrate Christmas to remember the true meaning and purpose of Christmas and read the wonderful Truth found in Luke 2 and Matthew 2.

Luke 2:1–35 (NKJV)

Christ is Born

2 And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. ² This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. ³ So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.

⁴ Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, ⁵ to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. ⁶ So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. ⁷ And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

The Angels Announce Jesus to the Shepherds

⁸ Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. ¹⁰ Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. ¹¹ For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ¹² And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”

¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest,

And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

The Shepherds Visit Jesus

¹⁵ So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” ¹⁶ And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. ¹⁷ Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. ¹⁸ And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. ¹⁹ But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

Christ is Circumcised

²¹ And when eight days were completed for the circumcision of the Child, His name was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.

²² Now when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord ²³ (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”), ²⁴ and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, “A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”

Simeon’s Prophecy

²⁵ And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. ²⁶ And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. ²⁷ So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, ²⁸ he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said:

²⁹ “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace,

According to Your word;

³⁰ For my eyes have seen Your salvation

³¹ Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples,

³² A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles,

And the glory of Your people Israel.”

³³ And Joseph and His mother marveled at those things which were spoken of Him. ³⁴ Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against ³⁵ (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

Matthew 2:1–12 (NKJV)

Visit of Wise Men

2 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, ² saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”

³ When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. ⁴ And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.

⁵ So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:

⁶ ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

Are not the least among the rulers of Judah;

For out of you shall come a Ruler

Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ ”

⁷ Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. ⁸ And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.”

⁹ When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. ¹⁰ When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. ¹¹ And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

¹² Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.