CHINESE LEADER SPEAKS OUT - Re: "Revival in the West"
-Brother Yun.
Many pastors in Europe and America have told me they want to
see great revival. I'm frequently asked why China is experiencing
revival but most places in the West are not. This is a big question
to answer, but some reasons are very apparent to me.
When I'm in the West, I see all the mighty church buildings and all
the expensive equipment, plush carpets, and state-of-the-art sound
systems. I can assure the Western church with absolute certainty
that you don't need any more church buildings. Church buildings
will never bring the revival you seek. The pursuit of more
possessions will never bring revival. Jesus truly stated, "A man's
life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." -Lk 12:15.
The first thing needed for revival to return to your churches is the
Word of the Lord. God's Word is missing. Sure, there are many
preachers and thousands of tapes and videos of Bible teaching,
but so little contains the sharp truth of God's Word. It's the truth
that will set you free.
Not only is knowledge of God's Word missing, but obedience to
that Word. There's not much action taking place.
When revival came to believers in China, the result was
thousands of evangelists being sent out to all corners of the
nation, carrying fire from the altar of God with them. When God
moves in the West, it seems you want to stop and enjoy His
presence and blessings too long, and build an altar to your experiences.
You can never really know the Scriptures until you're willing to
be changed by them.
All genuine revivals of the Lord result in believers responding with
action and soul winning. When God truly moves in your heart you
cannot remain silent. There will be a fire in your bones, like
Jeremiah, who said, "His word is in my heart like a fire, a fire
shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot."
Jeremiah 20:9.
Furthermore, it's only when we step out in obedience and share
the gospel with people that we come to know God's blessing in
every area of our lives. That is why the Apostle Paul wrote to his
co-worker Philemon, "I pray that you may be active in sharing
your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every
good thing we have in Christ." -Philemon v.6.
I've seen people in Western Churches worshiping as if they're
already in heaven. Then someone invariably brings a comforting
message, like, "My children, I love you. Don't be afraid, I'm with
you." I'm not opposed to such words, but why is it that nobody
seems to hear a Word from the Lord like, "My child, I want to
send you to the slums of Asia or the darkness of Africa to be my
messenger to people dying in their sin."?
-From the book 'The Heavenly Man' by Brother Yun - pg 296-297.
Kamis, 30 Juni 2016
Minggu, 26 Juni 2016
When Passover is Fulfilled in God's Kingdom
We all know that the early church did not celebrate Easter with jelly beans, chocolate bunnies and marshmallow chickens. The children of the first century church never went on Easter egg hunts. The early Christians celebrated the resurrection of Christ and the New Covenant that was fulfilled by the Lord on Passover.
The word Easter actually comes from the Anglo Saxon Eastre, a "goddess of spring." As Christianity spread, to avoid conflict with local traditions, the early church incorporated a number of pagan holidays into church culture. Obviously, colored eggs, rabbits and chickens were not biblical symbols of resurrection but were actually part of the pagan fertility rites of spring.
Although most Christians, myself included, still refer to the season of Christ's resurrection as "Easter," in my heart I look past the cultural roots of some of these issues and gently call everyone's attention to the great miracle that we've come to celebrate: the resurrection of Christ.
The Church Celebrated Passover
While we can forgive and cover non-Christian traditions in love, we should not let these traditions obscure the profound truth of God's Word. The early church had great reasons they celebrated the Feast of Passover. This annual tradition was not only commemorative -- it was also prophetic in nature. And while we would expect that the Jewish disciples would celebrate Passover, so also did the Gentile believers. We see this clearly in Paul's letter to the Corinthians. He wrote, "Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed. Therefore let us celebrate the feast" (1 Cor. 5:7-8).
The Gentile Christians in Corinth were urged by Paul to celebrate the Hebrew Feast of Passover. But the gentiles did not engage in Old Testament rituals as did the Jews. Rather, they approached the feast from its spiritual perspective, focusing on "Christ and the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth" (v. 8).
Indeed, the Christian Church kept the Passover not only in remembrance of Israel's deliverance from Egypt but in remembrance of what Christ, their Passover, fulfilled in delivering man from sin.
The Old Testament Passover, for all its powerful intrinsic and literal value, was actually a shadow of what Christ would fulfill on behalf of His followers. Remember, the feasts were shadows of something greater than themselves. Paul said their "substance belongs to Christ" (Col. 2:17). Thus it is absolutely remarkable that, of all days in the calendar year, Christ, the Lamb of God, was sacrificed during Passover. At roughly the same time the high priest was offering a lamb for the sins of the Jews, God was offering His Son for the sins of the world! On the cross was the Lamb of God who came to “take away the sin of the world.” It is Christ's blood that protects us today in the same way the blood on the doorposts symbolized God's protection for Israel in Egypt.
The Kingdom Fulfillment
Yet there was more to the New Covenant reality which the Lord related to His disciples. He said, "I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I shall never again eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God" (Luke 22:15-16).
This will be a time when those who are truly Christ's, who have "eaten" the Lamb's flesh and partaken of His blood covenant, are divinely protected during the sequence of end-time judgments. Whether you believe in a pre-, mid- or post-tribulation rapture, God has not destined us for wrath. The Kingdom Passover, fulfilled by the Lamb of God, positions us in the eternal protection of the Almighty.
In whatever manner Jesus' words shall be fulfilled, let us require of ourselves to partake of the whole Lamb and not merely nibble at the comforting verses. Let us diligently apply the Lamb's blood over the doorways to our hearts, as well as over our families and loved ones. And even as the world around us continues its rush toward sin and judgment, let us instead press into God's kingdom. For the time is coming when we shall celebrate the Passover with Christ in the kingdom of God.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Unoffendable
God has a new heart for us that cannot be offended, an "unoffendable" heart. Beloved, possessing an unoffendable heart is not an option or a luxury; it's not a little thing. An offended heart is endanger of becoming a "heart of stone."
Consider: Jesus warns that, as we near the end of the age, a majority of people will be offended to such a degree that they fall away from the faith. Listen carefully to His warning:
"Then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another . . . and because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold" (Matt. 24:10-12 KJV).
"Many" will "be offended." The result? The love of "many" will grow cold. My prayer is that we will hear His words with holy fear.
When we allow an offense to remain in our hearts, it causes serious spiritual consequences. In the above verse Jesus named three dangerous results: betrayal, hatred and cold love. When we are offended with someone, even someone we care for, we must go to them. If we do not talk to them, we will begin to talk about them. We betray that relationship, whispering maliciously behind their back to others, exposing their weaknesses and sins. We may mask our betrayal by saying we are just looking for advice or counsel, but when we look back, we see we have spoken negatively to far too many people. Our real goal was not to get spiritual help for ourselves but to seek revenge toward the one who offended us. How is such action not a manifestation of hatred? For an offended soul, cold love, betrayal and hatred are a walk into darkness.
People don't stumble over boulders; they stumble over stones, relatively small things. It may be that the personality of someone in authority bothers us, and soon we are offended. Or, a friend or family member fails to meet our expectations, and we take an offense into our soul. Beloved, if we will "endure to the end," we will have to confront the things that bother us.
When Jesus warns that we need endurance, He is saying that it is easier to begin the race than finish it. Between now and the day you die, there will be major times of offense that you will need to overcome. You might be in such a time right now. Do not minimize the danger of harboring an offense!
No one plans on falling away; no one ever says, "Today, I think I'll try to develop a hardened heart of stone." Such things enter our souls through stealth. It is only naiveté that assumes it couldn't happen to us. I know many people who consistently become offended about one thing or another. Instead of dealing with the offenses, praying about them and turning the issue over to God, they carry the offense in their soul until its weight disables their walk with God. You may be doing fine today, but I guarantee you, tomorrow something will happen that will inevitably disappoint or wound you; some injustice will strike you, demanding you retaliate in the flesh. Will you find more love, and hence, continue your growth toward Christlikeness? Or will you allow that offense to consume your spiritual life?
Continue reading
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
This vital message from Pastor Frangipane was adapted from a lesson in his online school, In Christ's Image Training.
This course has touched and inspired thousands of believers in over one
hundred twenty-one nations and territories and all fifty U.S. states
In Christ's Image Training
Registration extended through June 27, 2016
Level I classes begin July 1, 2016
There are qualities of
heart that actually attract the pleasure of God. If we possess
unoffendable faith in our pursuit of Christ's likeness; if we walk
humbly with our God; if we position ourselves in the intercessor's gap;
and if we abide in Christ-centered unity with the local body of Christ
-- we will attract the pleasure of God, and when we awaken His pleasure,
His power soon follows. Sign up today for our next In Christ's Image Training course that begins July 1, 2016. Registration closes June 23, 2016 extended through Monday, June 27, 2016. www.icitc.org.
In Christ's Image Training
is a six-month, online course developed by Pastor Frangipane. It is
based on 45 years of seeking God, study and revelatory insights. These
are proven truths that break chains and lead to power in our Christian
walk.
The vision of attaining Christ's likeness
Possessing Christ's humility
Developing a strong prayer life
Becoming one with other Christ believers
The course
comes right to your home via email and audio messages and is designed to
lift one's focus toward the actual presence of Jesus Christ. The full
course not only includes 48 lessons and 39 audio messages (sample audio),
but the discerning student will actually find the Lord using the weekly
lessons to stage opportunities to deepen the truths found in the
training.Possessing Christ's humility
Developing a strong prayer life
Becoming one with other Christ believers
For those with limited funds, the entire text is free by email. Just enroll in the Free Lesson Plan (new students only please).
Enrollment overview:
1) Go to www.icitc.org and read through the Level I page, FAQ page, Level I Syllabus page, and Tuition page.
2) Choose an enrollment plan.
3) Next, complete the Level I Registration form. Registration has been extended through Monday, June 27, 2016.
4) Submit the registration form - Class begins July 1, 2016.
2) Choose an enrollment plan.
3) Next, complete the Level I Registration form. Registration has been extended through Monday, June 27, 2016.
4) Submit the registration form - Class begins July 1, 2016.
For more info, please see www.icitc.org.
Training also available in Spanish / Español
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Sabtu, 25 Juni 2016
CHINESE Leader SPEAKS OUT
CHINESE Leader SPEAKS OUT
-Brother Yun.
Before I travelled to the West I had absolutely no idea that so
many churches were spiritually asleep. I presumed the Western
church was strong and vibrant because it had brought the gospel
to my country with such incredible faith and tenacity. Many
missionaries had shown a powerful example to us by laying down
their lives for the sake of Jesus.
On some occasions I've struggled while speaking in Western
churches. There seems to be something missing that leaves me
feeling terrible inside. Many meetings are cold and and lack the
fire and presence of God that we have in China.
In the West many Christians have an abundance of material
possessions, yet they live in a backslidden state. They have
silver and gold, but they don't rise up and walk in Jesus' name.
In China, we have no possessions to hold us down, so there's
nothing preventing us from moving out for the Lord. The Chinese
church is like Peter at the Beautiful Gate. When he saw the
crippled beggar he said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what
I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk!"
In a similar way, I pray that God might use the Chinese church
to help the Western church rise up and walk in the power of the
Holy Spirit. It's almost impossible for the church in China to go
to sleep in its present situation. There's always something to
keep us on the run, and it's very difficult to sleep while you're
running. If persecution stops, I fear we'll become complacent and
fall asleep.
In THE WEST...
Multitudes of church members are satisfied with giving their
minimum to God, not their maximum. I've watched men and
women during offering time in church. They open their fat wallets
and search for the smallest amount they can give. This type of
attitude will never do! Jesus gave his whole life for us, and we
give as little of our lives, time, and money as we can give back to
God. What a disgrace! Repent!
This may sound strange, but I even miss the offerings we used to
give in China. On numerous occasions, the leader of a meeting
would announce, "We have a new worker who is leaving tomorrow
to serve the Lord." Immediately every single person would
completely empty their pockets of everything they had. With that
money, the worker would buy a train or bus ticket and leave the next day.
Often this money was not just everything we had in our pockets
at that time, but everything we owned in the whole world.
Just because you have a church building doesn't necessarily
mean Jesus is with you. He is not welcome in many churches
today. In Revelation 3:20 Jesus said, "Here I am! I stand at the
door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I
will come in and dine with him, and he with me."
Often this verse is used as an invitation for salvation, but actually
the context Jesus was speaking in was very different. He was
standing outside the door of the church of Laodicea, knocking to get in!
~ From Yun's book 'THE HEAVENLY MAN', pg 295-298.
-Brother Yun.
Before I travelled to the West I had absolutely no idea that so
many churches were spiritually asleep. I presumed the Western
church was strong and vibrant because it had brought the gospel
to my country with such incredible faith and tenacity. Many
missionaries had shown a powerful example to us by laying down
their lives for the sake of Jesus.
On some occasions I've struggled while speaking in Western
churches. There seems to be something missing that leaves me
feeling terrible inside. Many meetings are cold and and lack the
fire and presence of God that we have in China.
In the West many Christians have an abundance of material
possessions, yet they live in a backslidden state. They have
silver and gold, but they don't rise up and walk in Jesus' name.
In China, we have no possessions to hold us down, so there's
nothing preventing us from moving out for the Lord. The Chinese
church is like Peter at the Beautiful Gate. When he saw the
crippled beggar he said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what
I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk!"
In a similar way, I pray that God might use the Chinese church
to help the Western church rise up and walk in the power of the
Holy Spirit. It's almost impossible for the church in China to go
to sleep in its present situation. There's always something to
keep us on the run, and it's very difficult to sleep while you're
running. If persecution stops, I fear we'll become complacent and
fall asleep.
In THE WEST...
Multitudes of church members are satisfied with giving their
minimum to God, not their maximum. I've watched men and
women during offering time in church. They open their fat wallets
and search for the smallest amount they can give. This type of
attitude will never do! Jesus gave his whole life for us, and we
give as little of our lives, time, and money as we can give back to
God. What a disgrace! Repent!
This may sound strange, but I even miss the offerings we used to
give in China. On numerous occasions, the leader of a meeting
would announce, "We have a new worker who is leaving tomorrow
to serve the Lord." Immediately every single person would
completely empty their pockets of everything they had. With that
money, the worker would buy a train or bus ticket and leave the next day.
Often this money was not just everything we had in our pockets
at that time, but everything we owned in the whole world.
Just because you have a church building doesn't necessarily
mean Jesus is with you. He is not welcome in many churches
today. In Revelation 3:20 Jesus said, "Here I am! I stand at the
door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I
will come in and dine with him, and he with me."
Often this verse is used as an invitation for salvation, but actually
the context Jesus was speaking in was very different. He was
standing outside the door of the church of Laodicea, knocking to get in!
~ From Yun's book 'THE HEAVENLY MAN', pg 295-298.
NO REVIVAL Without REPENTANCE
NO REVIVAL Without REPENTANCE
by Terry Somerville
There have been many prophecies about a coming move of God
that will eclipse all previous ones. Most discussions revolve around
the glory and presence of God moving in the land. The desire for
revival is at an all time high.
Though much is being said and done, it seems to be mostly
prophetic activity. The one basic ingredient that is lacking, and
seldom spoken of, is true repentance. This requires a total
breaking down of the heart, otherwise we naturally go along in
"Christian selfishness", with all our activity oriented to ourself.
I'm more burdened than ever before over sin in the Body of Christ.
In ministry times I find most Christians seem to be seeking a
blessing in the meetings. The prayers revolve around their needs
and not God's hearts desire. They experience the power and
presence of God, yet leave with unyielded lives. Many Christians
know there are issues between them and the Lord and are willing
to leave them unchanged. Sometimes if I bring up the state of their
heart during ministry they will say "God will change my heart". In
the midst of all the Christian activity there's no sense of God's
desire for true righteousness.
Out in the community as I work I encounter people who are warm
to Jesus, but see the church as irrelevant, or worse... Here are
some of the issues I see standing between us and revival.
1. Power Without Repentance
Jesus warned those who have anointing but work iniquity. How
many there are in the church today!
"Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy
by thy name, and by thy name cast out demons, and by thy name
do many mighty works? And then will I profess unto them, I never
knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." -Matt 7:22,23
2. A Back to front Gospel - a problem we have created!
Look at the gospel the church preached.
Luke 24:47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be
preached in his name unto all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
Acts 3:19 Repent ye therefore, and turn again, that your sins may
be blotted out, that so there may come seasons of refreshing from
the presence of the Lord;..
Genuine Conversion Results in A Holy Life
Away with this garbage of continuing in sin but saying we are
"immune" because of Christ. Sin's power to reign is actually gone
from us because of the cross. (Romans 6) Because of this we are
warned not to live in sin. We choose!
Can we imagine the judgment day, and on this side is one who
sinned not knowing Christ, and on the other is a Christian who
continues in the same sin as the first man. Will the Lord be unjust?
Will the cross be a mockery? Or does the Lord expect real
righteousness to be the reward of His suffering?
"Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth,
that shall he also reap. For he that soweth unto his own flesh shall
of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth unto the Spirit shall
of the Spirit reap eternal life." Galatians 6:7,8
The Changed Heart is Man's Responsibility, But God's Activity
Most Christians are waiting for the Lord to change their hearts.
God is waiting for us to "rend our hearts" and to "make for ourself
a new heart"
Joel 2:12- "Yet even now, saith Jehovah, turn ye unto me with all
your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:
13 and rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto
Jehovah your God; for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger,
and abundant in loving kindness..."
New Heart Ingredients
a) Conviction of sin, righteousness and judgment by the Holy Spirit.
Only this will break into the deep levels needed for repentance.
This requires praying Christians and righteous preaching. Surely if
the Lord is anointing us with power for healing He will bring this
clear promise of the Spirit.
"He will convict the world concerning sin, and concerning
righteousness, and concerning judgment" John 16:8
CONCLUSION
Yes, we need a mighty revival. As I check out the old time revivals
and go right back to the preaching of the Bible I see a common
denominator. The preaching of the righteous demands of a Holy
God, accompanied by mighty convictions of the Holy Spirit. This
produces deep conversions and holy, power filled living. This, and
ONLY this, impacts and changes the community with the
Kingdom of God.
~Source: "totalchange.org"
by Terry Somerville
There have been many prophecies about a coming move of God
that will eclipse all previous ones. Most discussions revolve around
the glory and presence of God moving in the land. The desire for
revival is at an all time high.
Though much is being said and done, it seems to be mostly
prophetic activity. The one basic ingredient that is lacking, and
seldom spoken of, is true repentance. This requires a total
breaking down of the heart, otherwise we naturally go along in
"Christian selfishness", with all our activity oriented to ourself.
I'm more burdened than ever before over sin in the Body of Christ.
In ministry times I find most Christians seem to be seeking a
blessing in the meetings. The prayers revolve around their needs
and not God's hearts desire. They experience the power and
presence of God, yet leave with unyielded lives. Many Christians
know there are issues between them and the Lord and are willing
to leave them unchanged. Sometimes if I bring up the state of their
heart during ministry they will say "God will change my heart". In
the midst of all the Christian activity there's no sense of God's
desire for true righteousness.
Out in the community as I work I encounter people who are warm
to Jesus, but see the church as irrelevant, or worse... Here are
some of the issues I see standing between us and revival.
1. Power Without Repentance
Jesus warned those who have anointing but work iniquity. How
many there are in the church today!
"Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy
by thy name, and by thy name cast out demons, and by thy name
do many mighty works? And then will I profess unto them, I never
knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." -Matt 7:22,23
2. A Back to front Gospel - a problem we have created!
Look at the gospel the church preached.
Luke 24:47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be
preached in his name unto all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
Acts 3:19 Repent ye therefore, and turn again, that your sins may
be blotted out, that so there may come seasons of refreshing from
the presence of the Lord;..
Genuine Conversion Results in A Holy Life
Away with this garbage of continuing in sin but saying we are
"immune" because of Christ. Sin's power to reign is actually gone
from us because of the cross. (Romans 6) Because of this we are
warned not to live in sin. We choose!
Can we imagine the judgment day, and on this side is one who
sinned not knowing Christ, and on the other is a Christian who
continues in the same sin as the first man. Will the Lord be unjust?
Will the cross be a mockery? Or does the Lord expect real
righteousness to be the reward of His suffering?
"Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth,
that shall he also reap. For he that soweth unto his own flesh shall
of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth unto the Spirit shall
of the Spirit reap eternal life." Galatians 6:7,8
The Changed Heart is Man's Responsibility, But God's Activity
Most Christians are waiting for the Lord to change their hearts.
God is waiting for us to "rend our hearts" and to "make for ourself
a new heart"
Joel 2:12- "Yet even now, saith Jehovah, turn ye unto me with all
your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:
13 and rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto
Jehovah your God; for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger,
and abundant in loving kindness..."
New Heart Ingredients
a) Conviction of sin, righteousness and judgment by the Holy Spirit.
Only this will break into the deep levels needed for repentance.
This requires praying Christians and righteous preaching. Surely if
the Lord is anointing us with power for healing He will bring this
clear promise of the Spirit.
"He will convict the world concerning sin, and concerning
righteousness, and concerning judgment" John 16:8
CONCLUSION
Yes, we need a mighty revival. As I check out the old time revivals
and go right back to the preaching of the Bible I see a common
denominator. The preaching of the righteous demands of a Holy
God, accompanied by mighty convictions of the Holy Spirit. This
produces deep conversions and holy, power filled living. This, and
ONLY this, impacts and changes the community with the
Kingdom of God.
~Source: "totalchange.org"
Senin, 20 Juni 2016
The LAST REVIVAL
The LAST REVIVAL
-David Wilkerson
The New Testament church was born in a blaze of glory. The Holy
Ghost came down upon it with fire, and the first Christians spoke
with tongues and prophesied. They experienced smiting conviction,
and multitudes were converted. They broke out on the right and
on the left and were greatly enlarged. The fear of God fell upon
them and upon all who saw them. There were signs, wonders, and
miracles. The dead were raised. Fearless evangelists went every-
where preaching the Word. Jails could not hold them. Storms
could not drown them. When their possessions were seized, they
continued to rejoice. When they were stoned, hanged, burned or
crucified, they went out singing and praising God. It was a
triumphant church, unafraid of Satan, irreverent toward idols,
unmoved by plagues or persecution. It was a blood-washed
church, living and dying in victory.
What is the last hour church going to be like? How will the church
go out in its final hour? Will it go out as a fat, prosperous, self-
seeking church, counting heads, getting out the vote? Will it be
just a handful of true believers holding on, watching death and
apostasy eat away at it like a cancer? Will the last day church
live in dread and fear as AIDS and other plagues ravage the
masses? Will fewer and fewer overcome the world? Will coldness
and apostasy leave it weak, mocked, and powerless? Will the
church go out of this age full of hypocrisy, with great praise,
worship, and prayer meetings where unclean hands and impure
hearts offer strange fire?
To be sure, there is going to be a great falling away or apostasy.
There will be spiritual harlotry on all sides. Because sin abounds,
the love of many will grow cold. There will come deceivers,
teaching doctrines of demons. People will have itching ears and
will flock to hear soft preaching. Deceptions will get so bad that
even the elect will be tested severely.
But the church of Jesus Christ is not going out with a whimper or
a limp. It is going out victorious, with joy unspeakable, riding a
river of peace. It is going out in freedom from all bondage, with its
foot on Satan's neck. And every member of this true church will
live and die without fear. The tempter's power will be broken.
Christians will be holy and will tear down idols. They will be just
as strong in the Lord as the first Christians.
Is there going to be a great ingathering before Jesus comes? Can
we expect to see one last powerful out pouring of the Spirit, greater
than anything in history? Is it not said that only a remnant will go
on with Christ? Does not Joel prophesy "to the remnant which the
Lord shall call?" Is it not true that at present only a small remnant
wants to hear about holiness? We need to understand what is
meant by "a remnant." It is true that it will be but a small
percentage compared to the billions of people on the earth. But
even 10% of New York City would be over one million overcomers.
The remnant also means "that which remains of the original."
Those who sew understand that a remnant is a piece of the original
cloth. A remnant church is one which has the same character as
the original New Testament church.
A Great Revival of Righteousness is Coming
I want to make a statement with the greatest spiritual authority
possible; I make it backed by a covenant as sure as the one made
to Noah. There is going to be a final, midnight hour revival, one
which shall break forth on all sides. Zion will travail and many,
many children will be given to her. There will be great singing and
shouting, and Zion will say, "Where have all these come from?"
It will be a revival of righteousness.
I have heard old-time preachers speak of a last revival for years.
One dear friend has been preaching it for over 60 years. Now the
young preachers are praying for revival; they want to see God
work in this day, not just read about it in books. It is not enough
to simply preach on past revivals. Why pray, why seek revival,
if it is not promised in the Bible? If the Bible says we are beyond
hope, let's just evangelize and preach, and not be concerned
about results. But, if revival is promised, Christians need to see
it, lay hold of it, and pray with faith knowing that God has
promised to do it. Is it in the Word? The promise is found in
Isaiah 54. This is one of the most important chapters, in God's
Word for this generation. We are clearly told here what God
intends to do with His church, His people, in the last days. This
chapter prophesies what is going to happen at Times Square
Church, as well as everywhere else there are hungry hearts. It
will happen in Russia, in China, in every land, every island of the
sea, from the North Pole to the South.
The church is going to experience an undeserved outpouring of
love, mercy, and kindness. It is going to come in a time of great
affliction, with a tempest raging, with anxiety on all sides, when
society is being tossed about. God swears he is going to reveal
Himself in great kindness: "...But with everlasting kindness will
I have mercy on you, says the Lord your Redeemer... My kind-
ness shall not depart from you, neither shall the covenant of my
peace be removed, says the Lord that has mercy on you" (Isaiah
54:8-10). What God is saying to the church, He is also saying
to individual believers. God is speaking to those "...afflicted,
tossed with tempest, and not comforted" (Isaiah 54:11). Is that
you? Are you experiencing a sudden, violent disturbance? Yes,
this includes the economy. It also includes the alarming world
situation.
God Will Have An Overcoming People
But God's greatest concern is for those who have at any time
been His beloved, even backsliders and those overcome by a
sudden, violent storm of temptation. His promise is to those who
are right now in great affliction, tossed in a storm, not comforted,
hopeless, helpless, and lost. God is going to woo back to Himself
a backslidden, forsaken people...
-Read the rest at the link below-
http://www.tscpulpitseries.org/english/1980s/ts880411.html
Copyright © 2002 by World Challenge, Lindale Texas USA.
-David Wilkerson
The New Testament church was born in a blaze of glory. The Holy
Ghost came down upon it with fire, and the first Christians spoke
with tongues and prophesied. They experienced smiting conviction,
and multitudes were converted. They broke out on the right and
on the left and were greatly enlarged. The fear of God fell upon
them and upon all who saw them. There were signs, wonders, and
miracles. The dead were raised. Fearless evangelists went every-
where preaching the Word. Jails could not hold them. Storms
could not drown them. When their possessions were seized, they
continued to rejoice. When they were stoned, hanged, burned or
crucified, they went out singing and praising God. It was a
triumphant church, unafraid of Satan, irreverent toward idols,
unmoved by plagues or persecution. It was a blood-washed
church, living and dying in victory.
What is the last hour church going to be like? How will the church
go out in its final hour? Will it go out as a fat, prosperous, self-
seeking church, counting heads, getting out the vote? Will it be
just a handful of true believers holding on, watching death and
apostasy eat away at it like a cancer? Will the last day church
live in dread and fear as AIDS and other plagues ravage the
masses? Will fewer and fewer overcome the world? Will coldness
and apostasy leave it weak, mocked, and powerless? Will the
church go out of this age full of hypocrisy, with great praise,
worship, and prayer meetings where unclean hands and impure
hearts offer strange fire?
To be sure, there is going to be a great falling away or apostasy.
There will be spiritual harlotry on all sides. Because sin abounds,
the love of many will grow cold. There will come deceivers,
teaching doctrines of demons. People will have itching ears and
will flock to hear soft preaching. Deceptions will get so bad that
even the elect will be tested severely.
But the church of Jesus Christ is not going out with a whimper or
a limp. It is going out victorious, with joy unspeakable, riding a
river of peace. It is going out in freedom from all bondage, with its
foot on Satan's neck. And every member of this true church will
live and die without fear. The tempter's power will be broken.
Christians will be holy and will tear down idols. They will be just
as strong in the Lord as the first Christians.
Is there going to be a great ingathering before Jesus comes? Can
we expect to see one last powerful out pouring of the Spirit, greater
than anything in history? Is it not said that only a remnant will go
on with Christ? Does not Joel prophesy "to the remnant which the
Lord shall call?" Is it not true that at present only a small remnant
wants to hear about holiness? We need to understand what is
meant by "a remnant." It is true that it will be but a small
percentage compared to the billions of people on the earth. But
even 10% of New York City would be over one million overcomers.
The remnant also means "that which remains of the original."
Those who sew understand that a remnant is a piece of the original
cloth. A remnant church is one which has the same character as
the original New Testament church.
A Great Revival of Righteousness is Coming
I want to make a statement with the greatest spiritual authority
possible; I make it backed by a covenant as sure as the one made
to Noah. There is going to be a final, midnight hour revival, one
which shall break forth on all sides. Zion will travail and many,
many children will be given to her. There will be great singing and
shouting, and Zion will say, "Where have all these come from?"
It will be a revival of righteousness.
I have heard old-time preachers speak of a last revival for years.
One dear friend has been preaching it for over 60 years. Now the
young preachers are praying for revival; they want to see God
work in this day, not just read about it in books. It is not enough
to simply preach on past revivals. Why pray, why seek revival,
if it is not promised in the Bible? If the Bible says we are beyond
hope, let's just evangelize and preach, and not be concerned
about results. But, if revival is promised, Christians need to see
it, lay hold of it, and pray with faith knowing that God has
promised to do it. Is it in the Word? The promise is found in
Isaiah 54. This is one of the most important chapters, in God's
Word for this generation. We are clearly told here what God
intends to do with His church, His people, in the last days. This
chapter prophesies what is going to happen at Times Square
Church, as well as everywhere else there are hungry hearts. It
will happen in Russia, in China, in every land, every island of the
sea, from the North Pole to the South.
The church is going to experience an undeserved outpouring of
love, mercy, and kindness. It is going to come in a time of great
affliction, with a tempest raging, with anxiety on all sides, when
society is being tossed about. God swears he is going to reveal
Himself in great kindness: "...But with everlasting kindness will
I have mercy on you, says the Lord your Redeemer... My kind-
ness shall not depart from you, neither shall the covenant of my
peace be removed, says the Lord that has mercy on you" (Isaiah
54:8-10). What God is saying to the church, He is also saying
to individual believers. God is speaking to those "...afflicted,
tossed with tempest, and not comforted" (Isaiah 54:11). Is that
you? Are you experiencing a sudden, violent disturbance? Yes,
this includes the economy. It also includes the alarming world
situation.
God Will Have An Overcoming People
But God's greatest concern is for those who have at any time
been His beloved, even backsliders and those overcome by a
sudden, violent storm of temptation. His promise is to those who
are right now in great affliction, tossed in a storm, not comforted,
hopeless, helpless, and lost. God is going to woo back to Himself
a backslidden, forsaken people...
-Read the rest at the link below-
http://www.tscpulpitseries.org/english/1980s/ts880411.html
Copyright © 2002 by World Challenge, Lindale Texas USA.
Love Motivated Warfare
Jesus knew this
world was a realm under satanic siege. Planet Earth was not a place of
peace but a realm at war. From the casting out of Lucifer and his angels
from Heaven, to the temptation in the Garden of Eden, to Babylon and
the multiplication of nations under satanic influence, planet Earth has
been an embattled world. The idea that somehow our era is less
threatened by evil is the height of deception. We must fight if we will
follow Christ into victory.
No matter how beautiful or even innocent the world around us seems at times, remember there was a serpent in Paradise itself. If Adam and Eve had possessed a war mode mentality, they never would have casually accepted the lies of Lucifer. Likewise today, we need to be wise and walk carefully, for "the days are evil" (Eph. 5:16).
You see, Jesus was always aware that He lived in a war zone. No matter what He was doing -- whether He was laughing with sinners or driving out demons, whether He was healing the sick or training followers -- beneath the surface of His outer activities, the "war mode switch" in Jesus’ mind was always on.
I know many women are true fighters, and I salute you and praise God for your faithfulness to pray for me, my wife and family, and those serving in our ministry. Yet, for those refined ladies who consider spiritual warfare to be primarily a masculine activity, I have heard a few of you excuse yourselves from the spiritual battlefield, saying, "I'm just a housewife, a mom. I don't have a war mode."
If your child was seriously sick, wouldn't you fight that illness with every spiritual weapon at your disposal? You would fast and pray, and you would do so from your war mode. If your marriage was under spiritual attack, wouldn't you get before God and war with fervency? The fact is, you know how to fight. Ask your husband if he thinks you have a war mode. You just need something to wake it up, because once you begin to shift into the war gear, in the Holy Spirit you are dangerous!
Let me address the men as well: study the Bible; most of the heroes we read about in the Scriptures are men who stood in the gap, who prayed like Abraham and the other prophets did.
You see, the war mode is in us all. It may be attached to our instinct for survival, but it is more directly connected with our love. I love my nation, so I am warring in prayer on its behalf. Because of love for my family, I war in prayer on their behalf. I love my church, my city and, yes, even my own soul, so I war to protect what I love. If there is a natural fight instinct, there is a spiritual fight mode as well. It just needs to be awakened, submitted to Christ, and then unleashed against the enemy.
Beloved, if you have a love mode, you also have a war mode. God has created the war mode so we can protect the people we love.
Revised and expanded edition
There is a time
for peace and a time for war. We are in a war, and you better not put
down your weapon or you will become captive to sin, fear or unbelief.
Francis Frangipane tells us that the call of God is a call to war. Yet, the enemy uses human passivity to seduce God's warriors. This book is anointed to help the reader get their fire back. The Holy Spirit is ready to impart a fresh anointing to God's people - an anointing that will activate the "war mode" in the church.
Any
time the Spirit of God's kingdom is truly manifested in the earth, it
will ultimately confront the strongholds of hell. Indeed, wherever evil
spirits have either a foothold or a stronghold, you can expect that the
overcoming church will be engaged in warfare, and expect also that the
gates of hell will not prevail against the church that Jesus builds.
No matter how beautiful or even innocent the world around us seems at times, remember there was a serpent in Paradise itself. If Adam and Eve had possessed a war mode mentality, they never would have casually accepted the lies of Lucifer. Likewise today, we need to be wise and walk carefully, for "the days are evil" (Eph. 5:16).
You see, Jesus was always aware that He lived in a war zone. No matter what He was doing -- whether He was laughing with sinners or driving out demons, whether He was healing the sick or training followers -- beneath the surface of His outer activities, the "war mode switch" in Jesus’ mind was always on.
I know many women are true fighters, and I salute you and praise God for your faithfulness to pray for me, my wife and family, and those serving in our ministry. Yet, for those refined ladies who consider spiritual warfare to be primarily a masculine activity, I have heard a few of you excuse yourselves from the spiritual battlefield, saying, "I'm just a housewife, a mom. I don't have a war mode."
If your child was seriously sick, wouldn't you fight that illness with every spiritual weapon at your disposal? You would fast and pray, and you would do so from your war mode. If your marriage was under spiritual attack, wouldn't you get before God and war with fervency? The fact is, you know how to fight. Ask your husband if he thinks you have a war mode. You just need something to wake it up, because once you begin to shift into the war gear, in the Holy Spirit you are dangerous!
Let me address the men as well: study the Bible; most of the heroes we read about in the Scriptures are men who stood in the gap, who prayed like Abraham and the other prophets did.
You see, the war mode is in us all. It may be attached to our instinct for survival, but it is more directly connected with our love. I love my nation, so I am warring in prayer on its behalf. Because of love for my family, I war in prayer on their behalf. I love my church, my city and, yes, even my own soul, so I war to protect what I love. If there is a natural fight instinct, there is a spiritual fight mode as well. It just needs to be awakened, submitted to Christ, and then unleashed against the enemy.
Beloved, if you have a love mode, you also have a war mode. God has created the war mode so we can protect the people we love.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Adapted from Francis Frangipane's book, This Day We Fight, available at www.arrowbookstore.com.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Specials this week
This Day We Fight!
Revised and expanded editionFrancis Frangipane tells us that the call of God is a call to war. Yet, the enemy uses human passivity to seduce God's warriors. This book is anointed to help the reader get their fire back. The Holy Spirit is ready to impart a fresh anointing to God's people - an anointing that will activate the "war mode" in the church.
Book - $9.88 (Retail $15.00)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The Three Battlegrounds
Any
time the Spirit of God's kingdom is truly manifested in the earth, it
will ultimately confront the strongholds of hell. Indeed, wherever evil
spirits have either a foothold or a stronghold, you can expect that the
overcoming church will be engaged in warfare, and expect also that the
gates of hell will not prevail against the church that Jesus builds.
In
this book, Francis Frangipane explores the three arenas of spiritual
warfare that the maturing Christian will face: the mind, the church and
the heavenly places. It provides a foundation of insight, wisdom and
discernment on the nature of the battle and the keys to victory.
Book - $8.77 (Retail $12.45)
Ebook - $7.77 (Retail $12.45)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Ebook - $7.77 (Retail $12.45)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Both books - $16.55
(Retail $30.00)
(Retail $30.00)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
To comment or send this message to a friend or print this message, use our Printer-friendly version.
More GREAT QUOTES
More GREAT QUOTES
"Satan is not fighting churches; he is joining them. He does more
harm by sowing tares than by pulling up wheat. He accomplishes
more by imitation than by outright opposition."
~Vance Havner
"The motto of all true servants of God must be, `We preach Christ;
and him crucified.´ A sermon without Christ in it is like a loaf of
bread without any flour in it. No Christ in your sermon, sir? Then
go home, and never preach again until you have something worth
preaching."
-Charles Spurgeon
"Every revival worthy of the name begins in the restoration of the
Word of God to the pulpit, and its fearless proclamation by those
anointed of God to preach the Gospel."
~Wilbur M. Smith.
"I desire to have both heaven and hell ever in my eye, while I stand
on this isthmus of life, between two boundless oceans."
~John Wesley
"A test of a Christian's character is what he does after he comes
to the blockade in the road and what his attitude is after everything
has left him except Jesus. You will never know down here that
Christ is all you need until Christ is all you have left. You will
never be able to tell the world for sure that He will do in a crisis
unless you learn how to live in a crisis."
~Lester Roloff
"Satan is not fighting churches; he is joining them. He does more
harm by sowing tares than by pulling up wheat. He accomplishes
more by imitation than by outright opposition."
~Vance Havner
"The motto of all true servants of God must be, `We preach Christ;
and him crucified.´ A sermon without Christ in it is like a loaf of
bread without any flour in it. No Christ in your sermon, sir? Then
go home, and never preach again until you have something worth
preaching."
-Charles Spurgeon
"Every revival worthy of the name begins in the restoration of the
Word of God to the pulpit, and its fearless proclamation by those
anointed of God to preach the Gospel."
~Wilbur M. Smith.
"I desire to have both heaven and hell ever in my eye, while I stand
on this isthmus of life, between two boundless oceans."
~John Wesley
"A test of a Christian's character is what he does after he comes
to the blockade in the road and what his attitude is after everything
has left him except Jesus. You will never know down here that
Christ is all you need until Christ is all you have left. You will
never be able to tell the world for sure that He will do in a crisis
unless you learn how to live in a crisis."
~Lester Roloff
Sabtu, 18 Juni 2016
The Critical Truths No One Told Me When I Asked Jesus to Save Me
The Critical Truths No One Told Me When I Asked Jesus to Save Me
“We should tell new converts it’s like they’ve enlisted in the army.”
It is like this: When a man enters the army, he is a member of the army the moment he enlists; he is just as much a member as a man who has been in the army 10 or 20 years. But enlisting is one thing, and participating in a battle another. Young converts are like those just enlisted.” —DL Moody
When someone led me in my first prayer to “ask Jesus into my heart,” as important as that was and as well-intentioned as the man who led me in that prayer, he didn’t tell me some very important truths, which would have helped me early in my Christian life. First, he didn’t tell me that I received eternal life simply by believing in Jesus. That we receive salvation as a gift through faith, and not works. That Jesus did all the work to save me. He lived a sinless life and paid for all my sins on the cross and that when I believed in him, all he did was credited to me—forgiveness of sins, and Christ’s own righteousness. All as a gift.
And he didn’t tell me that after receiving eternal life through believing in Jesus, that NOW I should become a disciple, because in Christ I am a new creation. That now the work would begin. That after being saved as a gift, through no work of my own, that I should turn from my sins and begin to put them to death. That being a disciple is hard work. Being a disciple is learning to obey all Jesus’ commands.
He also didn’t tell me (and actually he didn’t have time to tell me the night he led me in my prayer to receive Christ) that when I believed in Jesus, I became one with him. One with his death, burial and resurrection, and because of this, sin no longer has dominion over me. I’m no longer a slave to sin. I may feel like I need to sin, but I don’t have to. I’m to consider myself dead to it. I also didn’t know that in Christ I have all the power and resources I need to live a life of victory.
Because I didn’t know these things, I continued practicing sin for a year and a half after my initial “prayer.” I’d go to prayer meetings, then to the local bars and get drunk. If you looked at my life, you would not have seen much fruit. You probably would have doubted if I was really saved. But I was. I had truly believed in Jesus. I had eternal life that I could never lose. I just hadn’t been taught that I could change, until about a year and a half after I got saved, I heard messages about turning from sin and following Jesus as Lord. That’s when I became a disciple. That’s when I went to war.
We don’t bear fruit automatically when we’re born again. Christians can live in sin. If someone says they genuinely believe in Jesus, if we don’t see fruit, rather than telling them they might not be a Christian, we should do as Paul did—exhort them to quit presenting the members of their body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness, because they have new life and new power in Christ. To quit sowing to the flesh but to sow to the Spirit. To flee immorality. To offer their bodies to God as living sacrifices. And we should tell them they are no longer slaves to sin and to draw near the throne of grace for help in time of need.
We should tell new converts it’s like they’ve enlisted in the army. They’re as much a part of God’s army and people as someone who’s been in the army 50 years. They have eternal life. They are born again. But now the work begins. Now, as new creations, they should begin to follow Jesus as disciples in the power of the Spirit. Their work doesn’t save them—Jesus saved us by his work. But now they should begin to kill sin and obey their Lord. And they have all the power and grace and resources they need in Jesus. They have the Word of God, filled with promises of God’s help and might. They have the Holy Spirit. They can pray any time day or night for God’s power.
If someone claims to believe in Jesus, then let’s take them at their word. If they’re still sinning, don’t assume they aren’t born again. But explain to them the difference between receiving salvation as a gift through faith, and following that with discipleship, obedience, hard work and war in the power and grace of Jesus. Exhort them to turn from their sin and follow hard after Jesus.
Why Don’t We Punish Women Who Have Abortions?
Why Don’t We Punish Women Who Have Abortions?
Provided by 
“We should indeed be seeking justice rather than vengeance.”
The comment was quickly condemned by both those who support abortion and those who oppose the killing of the unborn. Within hours Trump released a statement reversing his position, saying, in part:
If Congress were to pass legislation making abortion illegal and the federal courts upheld this legislation, or any state were permitted to ban abortion under state and federal law, the doctor or any other person performing this illegal act upon a woman would be held legally responsible, not the woman.
Why Was Trump’s Initial Answer Wrong?
Because abortion has been legal throughout the country for two generations, many pro-lifers have not had to seriously consider the question of why women should not be held criminally liable for having an abortion.Before we address that question, though, we should first ask whether women who had abortions were treated as criminals prior to the Roe v. Wade decision. The short answer: No, they were not.
Clarke Forsythe, president of Americans United for Life and one of the premier legal scholars on abortion laws in the United States, explains that before the Roe case, individual states not only targeted abortionists but also treated women as a victim of the abortionist:
[T[he almost uniform state policy before Roe was that abortion laws targeted abortionists, not women. Abortion laws targeted those who performed abortion, not women. In fact, the states expressly treated women as the second “victim” of abortion; state courts expressly called the woman a second “victim.” Abortionists were the exclusive target of the law.
[…]
This political claim [that women were jailed before Roe and would be jailed if Roe falls] is not an abstract question that is left to speculation—there is a long record of states treating women as the second victim of abortion in the law that can be found and read. To state the policy in legal terms, the states prosecuted the principal (the abortionist) and did not prosecute someone who might be considered an accomplice (the woman) in order to more effectively enforce the law against the principal. And that will most certainly be the state policy if the abortion issue is returned to the states.
Why Not Treat Them as an Accomplice?
Even if we agree that the abortionist is the principal in the crime of abortion, shouldn’t the woman who consents to the abortion at least be charged as an accomplice? This question should not be dismissed too readily, for it raises a serious question about justice.Prior to Roe there were 20 states in which statutes technically made it a crime for the woman to participate in her own abortion. But as Forsythe notes, “these were not enforced or applied against women. There is no record of any prosecution of a woman as an accomplice even in these states.”
To understand why they were not charged, let’s look at a representative case from Minnesota.
In 1878, an abortionist was charged with manslaughter for the death of Helen Clayton, a woman who died while having an abortion. The woman’s husband was present during the operation, and he was deemed by the court to be an accomplice to the crime. But the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled that Clayton herself was not an accomplice. As the Court explained:
As a first impression, it may seem to be an unsound rule that one who solicits the commission of an offense, and willingly submits to its being committed upon her own person, should not be deemed an accomplice, while those whom she has thus solicited should be deemed principal criminals in the transaction. But in cases of this kind the public welfare demands the application of this rule, and its exception from the general rule seems to be justified by the wisdom of experience.
This exception to the general rule wasn’t in place to let women off the hook from the moral consequences of their actions, but it was necessary to help ensure the principle criminal—the abortionist—would be identified, prosecuted and brought to justice.
As Joseph Dellapenna, professor of law at Villanova University School of Law, explains, “if the woman were a criminal co-conspirator with the abortionist, in the common law tradition the abortionist could not be convicted on the basis of the woman’s uncorroborated testimony—and all too often there were no other witnesses and no other evidence.” Without the woman’s testimony, almost any abortionist clever enough not to have witnesses could evade conviction for his or her crimes.
Seeking Proximate Justice
Perhaps the most succint explanation for why women who have abortions should not be charged with a criminal offenses comes from Frederica Mathewes-Green:The goal of abortion laws is to stop abortion. And the person to stop is not the woman, who may have only one abortion in her life, but the doctor who thinks it a good idea to sit on a stool all day aborting babies. End the abortion business and you end abortion. The suggestion that it’s necessary to punish post-abortion women reveals a taste for vengeance.
We should indeed be seeking justice rather than vengeance. And as Christians we must also recognize that sometimes in our fallen world the most we can hope for is proximate justice—an imperfect form of justice that recognizes that some justice is better than no justice at all. As Bethany Jenkins has said, “We pursue proximate justice in this age even as we recognize that true justice—the kind of justice that brings the dead back to life—will ultimately come in the age to come. Our longings for justice will only finally be fulfilled in the new heaven and the new earth.”
A consistent pro-life position can maintain that a woman who has an abortion may be morally culpable in the taking of an innocent life, and yet still recognize that in the interest of compassion and proximate justice (e.g., ensuring the conviction of abortionists) she should be treated solely as a second victim and not as a first accomplice.
The Song of Moses and of the Lamb
Within the
boundaries of the physical universe there is perhaps nothing so
accessible to the spiritual realms as music. It is a bridge media,
capable of transporting the human soul through the invisible gateways of
time and space. Indeed, who among us has not heard the words of an old
but special song without suddenly finding our hearts flooded by the
sadness or joy of a past event? Or who hasn't listened to Beethoven's
"Ode to Joy" or Handel's "Messiah," and had their soul lifted on the
wings of music upward into the very threshold of Heaven.
Conversely, it was the music of the 1960s that, like the Trojan horse, smuggled into Western culture a diabolical and hidden army: we sang, while demons of rebellion, sorcery, drug abuse and illicit sex covertly slipped into our thought-life and laid siege upon our moral standards. Today, this sinister music has secured such a major grip upon the West that major rock musicians brazenly embrace the worship of Satan himself, filling stadiums with young people intoxicated by the music of hell.
In the Last Days
The prophetic scriptures reveal that, as we near the end times, music will increasingly become an expression of worship. Mankind will polarize into two groups: those who follow the Lamb as worshipers of God and those who are demonized and worship Satan (Rev. 9:20; 13:8, etc.).
Even now, this polarization is occurring. As stated, hard rock concerts have become so utterly demonic, so intrinsically vile, that they have functionally become expressions of satanic worship. At the same time, Christian music has actually become the fastest growing genre in the music industry. Today, it is not unusual in America to see secular television commercials offering worship CDs, complete with video footage of stadiums full of people pouring their hearts out in songs to God.
Not only does the Lord reveal the priority of worship in the last days, to help focus us He tells us what themes will fill the songs of the redeemed! Indeed, by looking at the songs that fill our hearts we can discern if we are aligned spiritually with the pattern of those portrayed in the Scriptures. Thus, let's look at Revelation 5:9-10 and see how our song compares with those who follow the Lamb:
To most Christians the themes in this song are familiar, even if we do not fully walk in them. In varying degrees, we have this song of praise to Christ in our hearts. Yet, amazingly, according to this Scripture, the world vision of the end-time redeemed is markedly different from what most of us believe today. Speaking as one of the redeemed, John tells us that their goal is not to dwell forever in Heaven, but to "reign [with Christ] upon the earth." How contrary this is to what many Christians are taught. We pray, "Take us to Heaven, Lord." But the redeemed, the twenty-four elders and the angelic hosts are singing, "Bring Heaven to earth, Lord! Thy kingdom come here, as it is in Heaven." Consider prayerfully: the focus of the redeemed is to "reign upon the earth."
Consider also: John identifies these last days saints as "priests to our God." The primary ministry of this "kingdom priesthood," as the model of the Old Testament priesthood forecasts, is that of intercession. Those who reign with Christ are intercessors. They offer sacrifices to God for mankind's sins and lift praise offerings for the Almighty's mercy. As priests, their lives are bound together with those peoples and nations for whom they pray. Yet, though bound with those in need, kingdom priests are not bound by blind nationalism and the bias of one's cultural or ethnicity. They see clearly the need of their people, yet instead of justifying it or simply finding fault, they intercede. They have ascended from mere critics to become a "kingdom and priests."
Additionally, they come "from every tribe and tongue and people and nation." Thus, we are offered another view into their heart's song: these are men and women united in Christ, committed to unity and reconciliation. They are a new creation people that, in the world, were at times enemies, but in the kingdom have become one.
A Unique Song
There is more that fills the music and worship of the redeemed. In Revelation 14:3 we read, "And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders; and no one could learn the song."
Although this verse refers to the elect of God, by application it tells us that there is a personal song that we each sing, a song that "no one" else can learn. It is a hymn that comes uniquely from our hearts, one that tells our personal story of redemption. Beloved, there is a song that you alone must learn and you alone can sing. Its stanzas are filled with the litany of God's miracles. This worship is our testimony of the Father's wonderful, rescuing, empowering grace, and it rises fragrant-like incense from the core of our God-experience. Have you been singing this song? This is your reason for living and only you can sing it.
All Nations Will Come
Yet there is still one more theme we must study and Revelation 15:3-4 carries its message: "And they sang the song of Moses, the bond-servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, 'Great and marvelous are Your works, O Lord God, the Almighty; righteous and true are Your ways, King of the nations! Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy; for all the nations will come and worship before You, for Your righteous acts have been revealed.' "
Beloved, there is so much in these words, yet time limits us to speak of them all. But among the elect is the accompanying work of God. These are the "great and marvelous" displays of power; the awesome "righteous acts [that] have been revealed." For those who see only a whimpering, weak end-time church, I say to you: these works shall touch and shake nations, and shall cause "nations" to "come and worship."
We must obtain the vision of nations coming to God if our worship will attain that which fills the end-time redeemed. Behold, these who follow Christ, not only sing songs about Moses and the Lord; they sing the very song that filled Moses' heart, which the Lamb Himself is singing. It is the song of nations coming to God.
Miriam sang, "Horse and rider is cast into the sea." But Moses was singing a different song. It is right we should sing about Jesus, but the Lamb, God's sacrifice for mankind's sin, sings a different song. Behold the vision that filled both Moses and Jesus' heart: "all the nations will come and worship before You."
Beloved, to become like Christ is to have transferred to our hearts the values and standards of His heart; it is to possess His song. In everything Jesus did, the joy set before Him was the great harvest of the nations. In all that Moses accomplished, his eyes were always looking beyond the Promised Land into a "Promised Earth," fully restored to God. Thus, let us also possess this same worldwide vision. Yes, and let us ask ourselves, "Is the music that fills our hearts being conformed to God's pattern for His redeemed?" Are we singing the song of Moses and of the Lamb?
Conversely, it was the music of the 1960s that, like the Trojan horse, smuggled into Western culture a diabolical and hidden army: we sang, while demons of rebellion, sorcery, drug abuse and illicit sex covertly slipped into our thought-life and laid siege upon our moral standards. Today, this sinister music has secured such a major grip upon the West that major rock musicians brazenly embrace the worship of Satan himself, filling stadiums with young people intoxicated by the music of hell.
In the Last Days
The prophetic scriptures reveal that, as we near the end times, music will increasingly become an expression of worship. Mankind will polarize into two groups: those who follow the Lamb as worshipers of God and those who are demonized and worship Satan (Rev. 9:20; 13:8, etc.).
Even now, this polarization is occurring. As stated, hard rock concerts have become so utterly demonic, so intrinsically vile, that they have functionally become expressions of satanic worship. At the same time, Christian music has actually become the fastest growing genre in the music industry. Today, it is not unusual in America to see secular television commercials offering worship CDs, complete with video footage of stadiums full of people pouring their hearts out in songs to God.
Not only does the Lord reveal the priority of worship in the last days, to help focus us He tells us what themes will fill the songs of the redeemed! Indeed, by looking at the songs that fill our hearts we can discern if we are aligned spiritually with the pattern of those portrayed in the Scriptures. Thus, let's look at Revelation 5:9-10 and see how our song compares with those who follow the Lamb:
And they sang a new song, saying,First, the redeemed sing "a new song." There is nothing stale or old about true worship; it is always fresh, always alive, always a consequence of God's miraculous love as it unfolds in our lives. Next, their song is focused upon the exaltation of the Lamb of God (see also vv. 11-14). They know they only have obtained access to God because they were purchased by the blood of the Lamb. They are overwhelmed with spontaneous worship and deep thanksgiving to God's Son.
"Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth."
To most Christians the themes in this song are familiar, even if we do not fully walk in them. In varying degrees, we have this song of praise to Christ in our hearts. Yet, amazingly, according to this Scripture, the world vision of the end-time redeemed is markedly different from what most of us believe today. Speaking as one of the redeemed, John tells us that their goal is not to dwell forever in Heaven, but to "reign [with Christ] upon the earth." How contrary this is to what many Christians are taught. We pray, "Take us to Heaven, Lord." But the redeemed, the twenty-four elders and the angelic hosts are singing, "Bring Heaven to earth, Lord! Thy kingdom come here, as it is in Heaven." Consider prayerfully: the focus of the redeemed is to "reign upon the earth."
Consider also: John identifies these last days saints as "priests to our God." The primary ministry of this "kingdom priesthood," as the model of the Old Testament priesthood forecasts, is that of intercession. Those who reign with Christ are intercessors. They offer sacrifices to God for mankind's sins and lift praise offerings for the Almighty's mercy. As priests, their lives are bound together with those peoples and nations for whom they pray. Yet, though bound with those in need, kingdom priests are not bound by blind nationalism and the bias of one's cultural or ethnicity. They see clearly the need of their people, yet instead of justifying it or simply finding fault, they intercede. They have ascended from mere critics to become a "kingdom and priests."
Additionally, they come "from every tribe and tongue and people and nation." Thus, we are offered another view into their heart's song: these are men and women united in Christ, committed to unity and reconciliation. They are a new creation people that, in the world, were at times enemies, but in the kingdom have become one.
A Unique Song
There is more that fills the music and worship of the redeemed. In Revelation 14:3 we read, "And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders; and no one could learn the song."
Although this verse refers to the elect of God, by application it tells us that there is a personal song that we each sing, a song that "no one" else can learn. It is a hymn that comes uniquely from our hearts, one that tells our personal story of redemption. Beloved, there is a song that you alone must learn and you alone can sing. Its stanzas are filled with the litany of God's miracles. This worship is our testimony of the Father's wonderful, rescuing, empowering grace, and it rises fragrant-like incense from the core of our God-experience. Have you been singing this song? This is your reason for living and only you can sing it.
All Nations Will Come
Yet there is still one more theme we must study and Revelation 15:3-4 carries its message: "And they sang the song of Moses, the bond-servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, 'Great and marvelous are Your works, O Lord God, the Almighty; righteous and true are Your ways, King of the nations! Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy; for all the nations will come and worship before You, for Your righteous acts have been revealed.' "
Beloved, there is so much in these words, yet time limits us to speak of them all. But among the elect is the accompanying work of God. These are the "great and marvelous" displays of power; the awesome "righteous acts [that] have been revealed." For those who see only a whimpering, weak end-time church, I say to you: these works shall touch and shake nations, and shall cause "nations" to "come and worship."
We must obtain the vision of nations coming to God if our worship will attain that which fills the end-time redeemed. Behold, these who follow Christ, not only sing songs about Moses and the Lord; they sing the very song that filled Moses' heart, which the Lamb Himself is singing. It is the song of nations coming to God.
Miriam sang, "Horse and rider is cast into the sea." But Moses was singing a different song. It is right we should sing about Jesus, but the Lamb, God's sacrifice for mankind's sin, sings a different song. Behold the vision that filled both Moses and Jesus' heart: "all the nations will come and worship before You."
Beloved, to become like Christ is to have transferred to our hearts the values and standards of His heart; it is to possess His song. In everything Jesus did, the joy set before Him was the great harvest of the nations. In all that Moses accomplished, his eyes were always looking beyond the Promised Land into a "Promised Earth," fully restored to God. Thus, let us also possess this same worldwide vision. Yes, and let us ask ourselves, "Is the music that fills our hearts being conformed to God's pattern for His redeemed?" Are we singing the song of Moses and of the Lamb?
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Free booklet offer
Limited Time Offer
Limited Time Offer
The Power of Covenant Prayer
plus free copy of
The Jezebel Spirit
Gain
the victory over the effect of curses. The section on persevering
prayer is a must for anyone serious about attaining Christlikeness.
Book - $8.74 (Retail $10.00)
(Free booklet retail $4.95)
(Free booklet retail $4.95)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Kamis, 16 Juni 2016
More GREAT QUOTES
More GREAT QUOTES
"I have known people who prayed till they were soaked in sweat on
a cold winter's day. I have known people who have prayed for hours
until they were totally drained of strength because of the agony of
their souls."
--Charles Finney
"Can any deny that in the modern church setup the main cause of
anxiety is money? Yet that which tries the modern churches the
most, troubled the New Testament Church the least. Our accent is
on paying; theirs was on praying. When we have paid, the place is
taken; when they had prayed, the place was shaken!"
--Leonard Ravenhill
"I value all things only by the price they shall gain in eternity."
- John Wesley
"Wherever riches have increased, the essence of religion has
decreased in the same proportion...as riches increase, so will
pride, anger, and love of the world in all its branches."
--John Wesley
"When I have money, I get rid of it quickly, lest it find a way into
my heart." --John Wesley
"If Christians were not such cowards, and absolutely disobedient
to this plain command of God ('Thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy
neighbor, and not suffer sin upon him'), one thing would certainly
come of it--either they would be murdered in the streets as martyrs,
because men could not bear the intolerable presence of truth, or
they would be speedily converted to God."
--Charles Finney.
"I have known people who prayed till they were soaked in sweat on
a cold winter's day. I have known people who have prayed for hours
until they were totally drained of strength because of the agony of
their souls."
--Charles Finney
"Can any deny that in the modern church setup the main cause of
anxiety is money? Yet that which tries the modern churches the
most, troubled the New Testament Church the least. Our accent is
on paying; theirs was on praying. When we have paid, the place is
taken; when they had prayed, the place was shaken!"
--Leonard Ravenhill
"I value all things only by the price they shall gain in eternity."
- John Wesley
"Wherever riches have increased, the essence of religion has
decreased in the same proportion...as riches increase, so will
pride, anger, and love of the world in all its branches."
--John Wesley
"When I have money, I get rid of it quickly, lest it find a way into
my heart." --John Wesley
"If Christians were not such cowards, and absolutely disobedient
to this plain command of God ('Thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy
neighbor, and not suffer sin upon him'), one thing would certainly
come of it--either they would be murdered in the streets as martyrs,
because men could not bear the intolerable presence of truth, or
they would be speedily converted to God."
--Charles Finney.
Selasa, 14 Juni 2016
Elijah, Jehu and the War Against Jezebel
There is a
war, a very ancient war, between the spirit of Elijah and the spirit of
Jezebel. In this age-old battle, Elijah represents the interests of
Heaven: the call to repentance and the return to God. Jezebel, on the
other hand, represents that unique principality whose purpose is to
hinder the deep work of God in the church.
To the Victor Goes the Nation
To understand the conflict between the Elijah spirit and the spirit of Jezebel, we must understand these two adversaries as they are seen in the Scriptures. Each is the spiritual counterpart of the other. Is Elijah bold? Jezebel is brazen. Is Elijah ruthless toward evil? Jezebel is vicious toward righteousness. Does Elijah speak of the ways and words of God? Jezebel is full of systems of witchcraft and words of deceit. The war between Elijah and Jezebel continues today. The chief warriors on either side are the prophets of both foes; to the victor goes the soul of our nation.
In the tradition of Samuel, Elijah was the head of the school of prophets. Under him were the "sons of the prophets" -- literally hundreds of prophetic minstrels -- who proclaimed the Word of the Lord in song. In this war, however, Jezebel had viciously and systematically murdered nearly all of God's servants until it appeared only Elijah remained (see 1 Kings 18:22). Elijah, as the last of the prophets, then challenged the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of the Asherah to a demonstration of power: their gods against the power of the Lord.
These 850 men were the false prophets, the satanic priests "at Jezebel's table" (1 Kings 18:19). They were the most powerful, demonized individuals that the hosts of darkness could produce. King Ahab, Jezebel's husband, sent a message out to "all the sons of Israel" (v. 20), and the nation came to witness the battle between the God of Elijah and the demons of Jezebel.
The terms of the challenge were simple: each was to place an ox upon an altar. Elijah then said, "You call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord, and the God who answers by fire, He is God" (v. 24). Six hours later the cult priests still could produce no fire; twelve hours passed and Elijah began to mock them: "Call out [to Baal] with a loud voice . . . perhaps he is asleep and needs to be awakened" (v. 27). Then, just before evening, Elijah prayed over his sacrifice and "the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering" (v.38). The Bible says that "when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, ‘The Lord, He is God; the Lord, He is God'" (v. 39). Immediately after this powerful witness of the Lord, Elijah had the Hebrews secure the prophets of Baal and all of them were put to death.
We would suppose that, at this point, Elijah would have asked God to finish off Jezebel, but he did not. In fact -- and this may surprise you -- Elijah came under spiritual warfare. When Jezebel heard what had happened to her servants, she released a flood of demonic power against Elijah, and he fled in fear.
You may ask, "How could such a mighty prophet turn and run?" The answer is not simple. In fact, the situation worsened. We next see Elijah sitting under a juniper tree, bewailing that he is no better than his fathers -- actually praying that he might die! (See 1 Kings 19:4.) What pressure overwhelmed this great man of God that he would fall prey to fear and discouragement? He succumbed to the witchcraft of Jezebel.
And now, let the reader understand: when you stand against the spirit of Jezebel, even though you resist her lusts and witchcrafts, you must guard against the power-demons of fear and discouragement, for these she will send against you to keep you from your victory!
Continue reading
There
is a time for peace and a time for war. We are in a war, and you better
not put down your weapon or you will become captive to sin, fear or
unbelief.
To the Victor Goes the Nation
To understand the conflict between the Elijah spirit and the spirit of Jezebel, we must understand these two adversaries as they are seen in the Scriptures. Each is the spiritual counterpart of the other. Is Elijah bold? Jezebel is brazen. Is Elijah ruthless toward evil? Jezebel is vicious toward righteousness. Does Elijah speak of the ways and words of God? Jezebel is full of systems of witchcraft and words of deceit. The war between Elijah and Jezebel continues today. The chief warriors on either side are the prophets of both foes; to the victor goes the soul of our nation.
In the tradition of Samuel, Elijah was the head of the school of prophets. Under him were the "sons of the prophets" -- literally hundreds of prophetic minstrels -- who proclaimed the Word of the Lord in song. In this war, however, Jezebel had viciously and systematically murdered nearly all of God's servants until it appeared only Elijah remained (see 1 Kings 18:22). Elijah, as the last of the prophets, then challenged the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of the Asherah to a demonstration of power: their gods against the power of the Lord.
These 850 men were the false prophets, the satanic priests "at Jezebel's table" (1 Kings 18:19). They were the most powerful, demonized individuals that the hosts of darkness could produce. King Ahab, Jezebel's husband, sent a message out to "all the sons of Israel" (v. 20), and the nation came to witness the battle between the God of Elijah and the demons of Jezebel.
The terms of the challenge were simple: each was to place an ox upon an altar. Elijah then said, "You call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord, and the God who answers by fire, He is God" (v. 24). Six hours later the cult priests still could produce no fire; twelve hours passed and Elijah began to mock them: "Call out [to Baal] with a loud voice . . . perhaps he is asleep and needs to be awakened" (v. 27). Then, just before evening, Elijah prayed over his sacrifice and "the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering" (v.38). The Bible says that "when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, ‘The Lord, He is God; the Lord, He is God'" (v. 39). Immediately after this powerful witness of the Lord, Elijah had the Hebrews secure the prophets of Baal and all of them were put to death.
We would suppose that, at this point, Elijah would have asked God to finish off Jezebel, but he did not. In fact -- and this may surprise you -- Elijah came under spiritual warfare. When Jezebel heard what had happened to her servants, she released a flood of demonic power against Elijah, and he fled in fear.
You may ask, "How could such a mighty prophet turn and run?" The answer is not simple. In fact, the situation worsened. We next see Elijah sitting under a juniper tree, bewailing that he is no better than his fathers -- actually praying that he might die! (See 1 Kings 19:4.) What pressure overwhelmed this great man of God that he would fall prey to fear and discouragement? He succumbed to the witchcraft of Jezebel.
And now, let the reader understand: when you stand against the spirit of Jezebel, even though you resist her lusts and witchcrafts, you must guard against the power-demons of fear and discouragement, for these she will send against you to keep you from your victory!
Continue reading
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Adapted from Francis Frangipane's booklet, The Jezebel Spirit, available at www.arrowbookstore.com.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Free booklet offer
Limited Time Offer
Limited Time Offer
This Day We Fight
plus free copy of
The Jezebel Spirit
There
is a time for peace and a time for war. We are in a war, and you better
not put down your weapon or you will become captive to sin, fear or
unbelief.
Francis
Frangipane tells us that the call of God is a call to war. Yet, the
enemy uses human passivity to seduce God's warriors. This book is
anointed to help the reader get their fire back. The Holy Spirit is
ready to impart a fresh anointing to God's people - an anointing that
will activate a "spiritual war mode" in the church.
Revised and expanded edition
Book - $12.00 (Retail $15.00)
(Free booklet retail $4.95)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
(Free booklet retail $4.95)
Sabtu, 11 Juni 2016
Two Things, Two Things Only
There are
so many things to occupy our minds: so many books, so many examples, so
many good teachings that deserve our attention, that say, "Here is a
truth." But as I have been serving the Lord these past years, He has led
me to seek for two things and two things only: to know the heart of God
in Christ and to know my own heart in Christ's light.
Knowing the Heart of God
I have been seeking God, searching to know Him and the depth of His love toward His people. I want to know Christ's heart and the compassions that motivate Him. The Scriptures are plain: Jesus loved people. Mark's gospel tells us that after Jesus taught and healed the multitudes, they became hungry. In His compassion, Christ saw them as "sheep without a shepherd" (Mark 6:34). It was not enough for Him to heal and teach them; He personally cared for each of them. Their physical well-being, even concerning food, was important to Him.
A lad with five loaves and two fish provided enough for Jesus to work another miracle, but this miracle had to come through Christ's willing but bone-weary body. Consider: Christ brought His disciples out to rest, "for there were many people coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat" (Mark 6:31).
Consider: Jesus personally had come to pray and be strengthened, for John the Baptist, Jesus' forerunner, had been beheaded earlier that very week at the hands of Herod. It was in the state of being emotionally and physically depleted that Jesus fed the multitudes -- not just once or twice but over and over again: "He kept giving [the bread and the fish] to the disciples to set before them" (v. 41).
Thousands of men, women and children all "ate and were satisfied" (v. 42). Oh, the heart of Jesus! The miracle was for them, but we read of no miracle sustaining Him except the marvelous wonder of a holy love that continually lifted His tired hands with more bread and more fish. Out of increasing weakness He repeatedly gave that others might be renewed.
So, if my quest is to know Him, I must recognize this about Him: Jesus loves people -- all people, especially those society ignores. Therefore I must know exactly how far He would travel for men, for that is the same distance He would journey again through me. Indeed, I must know His thoughts concerning illness, poverty and human suffering. As His servant, I am useless to Him unless I know these things. If I would actually do His will, I must truly know His heart. Therefore, in all my study and times of prayer I am seeking more than just knowledge; I am searching for the heart of God.
Knowing Our Hearts
At the same time, as I draw closer to the heart of God, the very fire of His presence begins a deep purging work within me. In the vastness of His riches, my poverty appears. The psalmist wrote, "Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? And who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood and has not sworn deceitfully" (Ps. 24:3-4).
We cannot even find the hill of the Lord, much less ascend it, if there is deceit in our heart. How does one serve in God's holy place if his soul is unclean? It is only the pure in heart who perceive God. To ascend toward God is to walk into a furnace of truth where falsehood is extracted from our souls. To abide in the holy place we must dwell in honesty, even when a lie might seem to save us. Each ascending step upon the hill of God is a thrusting of our souls into greater transparency, a more perfect view into the motives of our hearts.
It is this upward call of God that we pursue. Yet the soul within us is hidden, crouching in fear and darkness, living in a world of untruths and illusions. This is our inner man, the soul God seeks to save. Have you discovered your true self, the inner person whom truth alone can free? Yes, we seek holiness, but true holiness arises from here; it comes as the Spirit of Truth unveils the hidden places in our hearts. Indeed, it is truthfulness which leads to holiness.
God, grant us a zeal for truth that we may stand in Your holy place!
Men everywhere presume they know the "truth," but they have neither holiness nor power in their lives. Truth must become more than historical doctrine; it must be more than a museum of religious artifacts -- mementos from when God once moved. Truth is knowing God's heart as it was revealed in Christ, and it is knowing our own hearts in the light of God's grace.
As members of the human race, we are shrouded in ignorance. Barely do we know our world around us; even less do we know the nature of our own souls. Without realizing it, as we search for God's heart, we are also searching for our own. For it is only in finding Him that we discover ourselves, for we are "in Him."
Yet throughout that searching process, as I position my heart before the Lord, it is with a sense of trembling that I pray the prayer of King David: "Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way"(Ps. 139:23-24).
Let us wash the cosmetics from our souls and look at the unadorned condition of our hearts. I know God has created us eternally complete and perfect in Christ. I believe that. But in the first three chapters of John's Revelation, Jesus did not tell the churches they were "perfect in His eyes." No! He revealed to them their true conditions; He told them their sins. Without compromise, He placed on them the demand to be overcomers, each in their own unique and difficult circumstance.
Like them, we must know our need. And like them, the souls we want saved dwell here, in a world system structured by lies, illusions and rampant corruption. Our old natures are like well-worn shoes into which we relax; we can be in the flesh instantly without even realizing it. The enemies that defeat us are hidden and latent within us! Thus the Holy Spirit must expose our foes before we can conquer them!
Concerning man's nature, the prophet Jeremiah wrote, "The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?" (Jer. 17:9). Quoting another of David's prayers, a similar cry is heard: "Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults. Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins; let them not rule over me; then I will be blameless, and I shall be acquitted of great transgression" (Ps. 19:12-13).
There may be errors inside of us that are actually ruling us without our awareness. Do we realize, for instance, how many of our actions are manipulated purely by vanity and the desire to be seen or accepted by others? Are we aware of the fears and apprehensions that unconsciously influence so many of our decisions? We may have serious flaws inside yet still be either too proud or too insecure to admit we need help.
Concerning ourselves, we think so highly of what we know so little!
Even outwardly, though we know our camera pose, do we know how we appear when we are laughing or crying, eating or sleeping, talking or angry? The fact is, most of us are ignorant of how we appear outwardly to others; much less do we know ourselves inwardly before God! Our fallen thinking processes automatically justify our actions and rationalize our thoughts. Without the Holy Spirit, we are nearly defenseless against our own innate tendencies toward self-deception.
Therefore, if we would be holy, we must first renounce falsehood. In the light of God' grace, having been justified by faith and washed in the sacrificial blood of Jesus, we need not pretend to be righteous. We need only to become truthful.
No condemnation awaits our honesty of heart -- no punishment. We have only to repent and confess our sins to have them forgiven and cleansed; if we will love the truth, we will be delivered from sin and self-deception. Indeed, we need to know two things and two things only: the heart of God in Christ and our own hearts in Christ's light.
This
is the first book ever written by Pastor Francis. It came after three
years of studying and repeatedly reading the Gospels. The truths in this
book have stirred men to revivals. This book is a penetrating study of
the human heart and how God prepares it for His glory.
Book $8.71 (Retail $12.00)
Ebook $8.25 (Retail $12.00)
Knowing the Heart of God
I have been seeking God, searching to know Him and the depth of His love toward His people. I want to know Christ's heart and the compassions that motivate Him. The Scriptures are plain: Jesus loved people. Mark's gospel tells us that after Jesus taught and healed the multitudes, they became hungry. In His compassion, Christ saw them as "sheep without a shepherd" (Mark 6:34). It was not enough for Him to heal and teach them; He personally cared for each of them. Their physical well-being, even concerning food, was important to Him.
A lad with five loaves and two fish provided enough for Jesus to work another miracle, but this miracle had to come through Christ's willing but bone-weary body. Consider: Christ brought His disciples out to rest, "for there were many people coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat" (Mark 6:31).
Consider: Jesus personally had come to pray and be strengthened, for John the Baptist, Jesus' forerunner, had been beheaded earlier that very week at the hands of Herod. It was in the state of being emotionally and physically depleted that Jesus fed the multitudes -- not just once or twice but over and over again: "He kept giving [the bread and the fish] to the disciples to set before them" (v. 41).
Thousands of men, women and children all "ate and were satisfied" (v. 42). Oh, the heart of Jesus! The miracle was for them, but we read of no miracle sustaining Him except the marvelous wonder of a holy love that continually lifted His tired hands with more bread and more fish. Out of increasing weakness He repeatedly gave that others might be renewed.
So, if my quest is to know Him, I must recognize this about Him: Jesus loves people -- all people, especially those society ignores. Therefore I must know exactly how far He would travel for men, for that is the same distance He would journey again through me. Indeed, I must know His thoughts concerning illness, poverty and human suffering. As His servant, I am useless to Him unless I know these things. If I would actually do His will, I must truly know His heart. Therefore, in all my study and times of prayer I am seeking more than just knowledge; I am searching for the heart of God.
Knowing Our Hearts
At the same time, as I draw closer to the heart of God, the very fire of His presence begins a deep purging work within me. In the vastness of His riches, my poverty appears. The psalmist wrote, "Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? And who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood and has not sworn deceitfully" (Ps. 24:3-4).
We cannot even find the hill of the Lord, much less ascend it, if there is deceit in our heart. How does one serve in God's holy place if his soul is unclean? It is only the pure in heart who perceive God. To ascend toward God is to walk into a furnace of truth where falsehood is extracted from our souls. To abide in the holy place we must dwell in honesty, even when a lie might seem to save us. Each ascending step upon the hill of God is a thrusting of our souls into greater transparency, a more perfect view into the motives of our hearts.
It is this upward call of God that we pursue. Yet the soul within us is hidden, crouching in fear and darkness, living in a world of untruths and illusions. This is our inner man, the soul God seeks to save. Have you discovered your true self, the inner person whom truth alone can free? Yes, we seek holiness, but true holiness arises from here; it comes as the Spirit of Truth unveils the hidden places in our hearts. Indeed, it is truthfulness which leads to holiness.
God, grant us a zeal for truth that we may stand in Your holy place!
Men everywhere presume they know the "truth," but they have neither holiness nor power in their lives. Truth must become more than historical doctrine; it must be more than a museum of religious artifacts -- mementos from when God once moved. Truth is knowing God's heart as it was revealed in Christ, and it is knowing our own hearts in the light of God's grace.
As members of the human race, we are shrouded in ignorance. Barely do we know our world around us; even less do we know the nature of our own souls. Without realizing it, as we search for God's heart, we are also searching for our own. For it is only in finding Him that we discover ourselves, for we are "in Him."
Yet throughout that searching process, as I position my heart before the Lord, it is with a sense of trembling that I pray the prayer of King David: "Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way"(Ps. 139:23-24).
Let us wash the cosmetics from our souls and look at the unadorned condition of our hearts. I know God has created us eternally complete and perfect in Christ. I believe that. But in the first three chapters of John's Revelation, Jesus did not tell the churches they were "perfect in His eyes." No! He revealed to them their true conditions; He told them their sins. Without compromise, He placed on them the demand to be overcomers, each in their own unique and difficult circumstance.
Like them, we must know our need. And like them, the souls we want saved dwell here, in a world system structured by lies, illusions and rampant corruption. Our old natures are like well-worn shoes into which we relax; we can be in the flesh instantly without even realizing it. The enemies that defeat us are hidden and latent within us! Thus the Holy Spirit must expose our foes before we can conquer them!
Concerning man's nature, the prophet Jeremiah wrote, "The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?" (Jer. 17:9). Quoting another of David's prayers, a similar cry is heard: "Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults. Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins; let them not rule over me; then I will be blameless, and I shall be acquitted of great transgression" (Ps. 19:12-13).
There may be errors inside of us that are actually ruling us without our awareness. Do we realize, for instance, how many of our actions are manipulated purely by vanity and the desire to be seen or accepted by others? Are we aware of the fears and apprehensions that unconsciously influence so many of our decisions? We may have serious flaws inside yet still be either too proud or too insecure to admit we need help.
Concerning ourselves, we think so highly of what we know so little!
Even outwardly, though we know our camera pose, do we know how we appear when we are laughing or crying, eating or sleeping, talking or angry? The fact is, most of us are ignorant of how we appear outwardly to others; much less do we know ourselves inwardly before God! Our fallen thinking processes automatically justify our actions and rationalize our thoughts. Without the Holy Spirit, we are nearly defenseless against our own innate tendencies toward self-deception.
Therefore, if we would be holy, we must first renounce falsehood. In the light of God' grace, having been justified by faith and washed in the sacrificial blood of Jesus, we need not pretend to be righteous. We need only to become truthful.
No condemnation awaits our honesty of heart -- no punishment. We have only to repent and confess our sins to have them forgiven and cleansed; if we will love the truth, we will be delivered from sin and self-deception. Indeed, we need to know two things and two things only: the heart of God in Christ and our own hearts in Christ's light.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Adapted from Francis Frangipane's book, Holiness, Truth and the Presence of God, available at www.arrowbookstore.com.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Save on these selected products
Limited time offer
Holiness, Truth and the Presence of God
Limited time offer
Holiness, Truth and the Presence of God
This
is the first book ever written by Pastor Francis. It came after three
years of studying and repeatedly reading the Gospels. The truths in this
book have stirred men to revivals. This book is a penetrating study of
the human heart and how God prepares it for His glory.Book $8.71 (Retail $12.00)
Ebook $8.25 (Retail $12.00)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Langganan:
Postingan (Atom)