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By Jim
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Believers need protection from deception. Doctrinal misconceptions are commonly spawned, as sincere Christians attempt to move in the arena of spiritual revelations. This is a biblically legitimate desire that has risks. It carries the potential for both good and deceptive revelations. (Heb. 5:12-14) There are three things, vital for protection against deception. Humility is a great asset. It enables us to listen to our critics with the understanding that God may be subtly using them to caution us. Next, never perpetuate doctrines or ministry techniques upon experiences that do not have clear precedents in the Word of God. Thirdly, become securely grounded in the foundation doctrines of the Christian faith.
Maturing in the Christian life is similar to adding an addition to your home. Both require that you secure a building permit. Cities issue permits to insure that those who build will do so according to code. God requires no less because He loves us too much to chance our moving in the realities of mature revelation, if we have faulty foundations. His hesitation is motivated by His desire to diminish the potential for us to go into fanatical error. Therefore, He will not permit us to receive the insights of the mature, unless we are building according to the code of the six foundation doctrines of the Christian faith which are listed in Hebrews 6:1-3. Most clergymen and their congregants are unaware that such a list exists in the Scriptures. The following is a cursory outline of these basic truths:
I) Repentance from dead works: Repentance means to change your mind and direction one hundred and eighty degrees. God has never changed His mind about man’s need to repent, as he turns to Christ. In Acts 2:37-39 the religious Jews asked Peter what they must do to receive Christ. The initial word of his response was repentance. The context reveals that it is essential for anyone whom the Lord calls to repent, as they turn to Him. We are to turn from two forms of “dead works.” The first is all the sinful acts that we committed prior to our knowledge of Christ when flowing with the spirit of disobedience, as it manipulated the desires of our flesh and minds. (Eph. 2:1-3) The second type of dead works from which we need to repent is our attempt to prove ourselves worthy of God’s kingdom by any religious act, other than faith in Jesus’ atoning work of grace on the cross.
2) Faith toward God: Our faith is in Lordship of Jesus as the only-begotten Son of God and in God, as our loving, heavenly Father. We must be absolutely convinced that faith has transformed us into new creations in Christ wherein the old us is nonexistent. Our faith is walked out by our ongoing confidence in the reliability of the Scriptures, as God’s Word, and obedience to the Lord’s voice.
3) The doctrine of baptisms: Baptism is in the plural because there are two types. In each, we are immersed into one of two distinct substances: water or the Holy Spirit.
According to Romans 6:3-4, baptism in water is our identification with the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord. It is an outward sign of our inward decision to be separated from our old lifestyle and to live in obedience to the Lord.
The baptism in the Holy Spirit is an event, subsequent to one’s salvation, wherein we are filled with the Holy Spirit and empowered with spiritual gifts to assist us in our Christian lives. This experience is not one and the same as receiving the Holy Spirit in the new birth. In Acts 8 the people who had been evangelized and baptized in water under the preaching of Philip, later received the infilling of the Spirit through the ministry of Peter and John.
In water baptism a servant of the Lord immerses us in water. With the baptism of the Holy Spirit, Jesus baptizes us in the Spirit, to enable us to demonstrate power as His servants. (John. 1:33)
4) Laying on of hands: We lay hands on people to impart the Holy Spirit and physical healing. (Mark. 16:17-18, Acts 19:6) The blessing for fruitful lives can be passed from one generation to the next through this sacrament. (Gen. 48:8-20) Through the laying on of hands both spiritual gifts and authority are transmitted from one believer to another. (1 Tim. 4:14)
5) Resurrection of the dead: There is a portion of Scripture that mentions the existence of a silver cord that is attached to each person and couples them with the eternal/heavenly realm. It is severed at death when the human spirit departs from this life. (Eccles. 12:5-7) This cord fits the description of the tunnel of light that people allegedly travel during near-death experiences. It might be described as a type of spiritual umbilical cord that sustains our lives from above while we are living here on earth and provides even the unconverted with the potential for communication from the eternal realm. (Job 32:8; 33:4; 34:14) At death, this cord is severed, and the spirit travels up to the eternal realm. When the spirit reaches this realm, it is given directives to go to an abode of bliss or torment. (2 Cor. 5:8, Lk. 16:23)
Prior to the resurrection of Christ, the righteous’ souls and spirits went to a nether part of the earth called Paradise/Abraham’s Bosom while their physical bodies remained in their graves. The spirits and souls of the unrighteous went to a place of burning torment that was separated from Paradise by an impassable gulf. While Jesus’ mangled body lay in the tomb, the spirit-man of Jesus descended into the torment chamber and pronounced eternal condemnation on the unrighteous. (1 Pet 3:18-20) Then He crossed the impassable gulf and preached salvation to the OT saints in Paradise. That number included the dying thief whom Jesus promised to meet in Paradise. (1 Pet 4:5-6, Philip 2:10) There they heard the answers in the affirmative to the Messianic questions posed in Psa 88:10-12. Subsequently, they fulfilled the text that says that those beneath the earth will bow their knees and confess the Lordship of Christ. Shortly after the resurrection of Christ Abraham’s Bosom was emptied. The spirits and souls of the righteous were united with their physical bodes for the first time in centuries and some were seen walking around Jerusalem. (Matt 27:52-53) It’s likely that they were the “cloud” in which Jesus ascended from the Mt. of Olives. Post the resurrection of Jesus the spirits and souls of the righteous have instantly ascended into heaven at death and those of the unrighteous into the place of torment. (2 Cor 5:8) The bodies of both await one of two possible resurrections.
The first of which is called the first resurrection and it has three phases. The initial phase was aforementioned and took place in a nearly simultaneous manner with Christ’s resurrection from the dead. This is when the Old Testament saints who had been waiting in Abraham’s Bosom/Paradise came out of their graves. The next phase will occur at what is commonly called the Rapture. In this installment the bodies of Christians, who have died in the faith, subsequent to the ascension of Jesus, will be raised in a glorified, incorruptible form. In heaven their glorified bodies will be reunited with their spirits and souls that have been with the Lord, since their deaths. (1 Thes: 4:16-17, 1 Cor 15:42-44, 2 Cor 5:8) The final phase will take place prior to the thousand-year reign of Christ. In it all believers who perished during the tribulation will be resurrected. (Rev. 20:4-6)
The second resurrection happens after the millennium. This is where all those who have not been resurrected previously will come back to life. (Rev. 20:11-15)
6) The eternal judgment: There are three judgment seats at which different categories of people will be judged to determine their various rewards and/or eternal destinies. At the Judgment Seat of Christ, believers will be judged to determine their rewards in the hereafter. (2 Cor. 5:10) At the Throne of Christ’s glory nations and their inhabitants will be assessed as to how they treated the Lord’s brothers. His natural brothers are the Jewish people and His spiritual brothers are Christians. Faithful nations will be part of the millennial kingdom. (Matt 25:31-46) The final judgment takes place after the millennium at the Great White Throne. There, all those who did not know the Lord will be judged to determine their eternal destinies. (Rev. 20:11-15) The criterion for judgment will be how they lived in accordance to the dictates of their consciences and the light of salvation that was available within their respective cultures and generations. (Rom 2:5-16) Total rebels who ignored the warnings of the OT prophets and/or those who were confronted with the message of salvation with the biddings of the Holy Spirit to accept Christ and willfully rejected what they heard will be thrown into the lake of fire. Others whose names are found in the Book of life who did their best to follow the Law of God written on their hearts seeking honor, glory, immortality and eternal life; who might become citizens of the new heavens and the new earth. They will not however be members of the Royal Bride of Christ.
The Holy Spirit is poised to grace us with prophetic insights, which we have not known heretofore, that will motivate us with visions for His glory. Let us all pickup the challenge to become fully established in the doctrines that will protect us, as we move from glory to glory in revelation.
Globally, Christians are being refreshed with a new zeal to lay aside every weight that would hinder us. We would be wise to reevaluate the spiritual authenticity of the beliefs that we have acquired in our spirit-filled journey. Here is what one can do, if it becomes apparent that you are needlessly encumbered by some doctrinal misconception. Repent of it and renounce it. Then make a strong corrective confession of faith, based on the principles of God’s Word that reveal the truth. If you know that you have influenced others with an unsound doctrine, it is advisable to offer them an update on your position relating to it.
You need not fear deception, if you are grounded in the foundations of the faith and continuously cultivate a love for the unadulterated truths of God’s Word. Doctrinal misconceptions and superstitions cannot survive the filtering process of the inner witness of the Spirit of Truth that is coupled with objective knowledge of the inspired Word of the Lord.
By Jim
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A biblical perspective on Lesbian & Gay issues
This piece is not for the squeamish. My purpose is to explore why the Bible admonishes believers to abstain from giving themselves to longings for same-sex sexual activities. Such necessitates elements of vividness about sexual acts that are foreign to many. I can appreciate the concerns of those who might take issue with such frankness. Yet, anyone who has read the entire Bible and studied the corresponding histories of its various periods has likely found that it doesn’t pull any punches in regard to the extent to which mankind has fallen prey to the powers of sin and Satan in the sexual arena. Such things as the groves, weeping before Tammuz and putting noses to the branch that are mentioned in the Old Testament all pertained to hideous sexual rites. The fact that there are biblical prohibitions against same-sex unions and bestiality indicate that such are more common temptations than some might imagine. Since some particulars about those interrelated depravities appear in this article, super sensitive saints might want to skip the subtitle, X-Rated section. (Lev. 18:22-23, Deut. 7:5, Ezek 8:14 & 17)
Anger does not beget righteousness
(Jam. 1:20)
Over the years, I’ve become convinced of two things in regard to homosexuality. If grassroots America really knew what happens behind closed doors; they might be more cautious about expressing nonchalant, if-you’re-happy-I’m-happy attitudes. They’d likely be appalled enough to entertain higher levels of disgust. Secondly, conservative sectors of the Church have been amiss in the degree to which they’ve targeted the LGBT secular community for acute condemnation. (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexuals, Transgender)
God has called us to win the world. Condemnation, alienation and vehemently antagonistic volleys are not to be the Church’s mode of operation. Our proverbial “hate the sin and love the sinner” claim has borne precious little fruit. Hate is a strong word. When expressed about matters that individuals rightly or wrongly reckon as part of their identities, it’s almost impossible for such not to be spoken with elements of harshness and received with offense. Any far-right fellowship that hired a detective agency to find Lesbians and Gays, who feel charitable warmth from Christians, could windup disappointed and bankrupt.
Significant numbers of L & G groups have reacted with aggressive vindictiveness that goes ballistic at the mention of traditional Judeo-Christian values. Nonetheless, there are times when homosexual communities exhibit notable attitudes of tolerance toward Conservatives. Key West, Florida is infamous for its alleged Gayness. The present mayor happens to be a married and fully heterosexual husband and father. He pastored one of the city’s Evangelical fellowships for years. He also happens to be one of my closest friends. Knowing full well who he was and what he represented, the Gays gave him their support and he’s now in his second term. All they wanted was a competent civic leader who would insure their basic rights as American citizens and who would support fare-shake, equal opportunity polices. Sadly, the number of hatefully inflammatory emails that the mayor gets from irate fighting fundamentalist from across the nation is shameful. They act as though he’s accountable to them to instantly institute rulings that will legislate sexual behavior. No democratically elected official has that measure of authority. Were he not already a believer, there is nothing in those emails that would convince him that Christians are loving people and that Christianity is a worthwhile pursuit.
Homophobia
Many pulpiteers incite their congregations with homophobic sermons. All too often such inclines adherents to assert that public schools, business institutions and the military would be best served if homosexuals were barred from employment. The claim is that somehow the presence of Gay people will pollute the workplace and put children and heterosexuals at greater risk of sexual harassment. On a per capita basis, it’s heterosexuals, not homosexuals, who are most often prosecuted for lecherous assaults on children and for the sexual harassment of co-workers. Most any institution that provides equal opportunities for all can testify that those of homosexual orientation are among their most creative and reliable employees. Discriminatory demands by religionists on secular communities are unjust, unchristian, unbiblical, un-American and counterproductive for evangelistic purposes. If you want to persuade someone that God is love and that His people are a wonderful family; but you initiate the conversation by insulting their lifestyle and are known to advocate job discrimination; whatever you say next is really going to have to be clever.
Be at peace with all - Mind your own business
(Rom. 12:18 & 1 Pet. 4:15)
Such things are unbiblical and unchristian because the New Testament does not encourage Christians to judge and condemn the people of the world. The unconverted are condemned already and God will judge them for continually ignoring His whispers within their consciences. Believers are charged to monitor the behavior of fellow Christians, not that of secularists. When addressing aberrant sexual behavior within the Church, the Apostle Paul emphatically stated that it was not his place or ours to do the same in regard to those outside/those of the world. (1 Cor. 5:9-13) The Christianity of the New Testament insists that believers mortify all longings for forbidden sexual acts. (Col. 3:5) It does not condone bizarre practices among unbelievers, but it does anticipate that sinners will act like sinners. The early disciples fully understood something that many present-day saints don’t. Sinners have few inclinations for change and no empowerment to do so until the Holy Spirit has graced them with repentance and transformed their hearts into that of the Lamb by the cleansing Blood of Calvary. (1 Cor. 6:9-13) (The context of the Grk. words translated in the KJV as fornication and uncleanness; and as sexual immorality in newer translations encompasses every form of forbidden sex acts from adultery on through to homosexuality and beyond to bestiality.)
The passages in the Old Testament that prescribe the death penalty for inappropriate sex acts pertain to Jews who were under the Law of Moses. Such applied to their bondservants; and anyone residing within the borders of ancient Israel (Sodom and Gomorrah were in the Promised Land). (Lev. 20:13-16) Israel had a sacral/Religious-State government. America does not have a Church-State form of rule. Present-day believers have no more right to dictate moral policies to democracies than the Christians of old did to the Roman Empire. The whole known world of that era was steeped in homosexuality, pedophilia and lewd rites of every description. Such had been intricate aspects of both Greek and Roman culture for centuries before the Advent of Christ. The poetess Sappho of the 4th Century BC first referred to female homosexuals as Lesbians. She did so because of the abundance of women co-habiting with women on the Isle of Lesbos. In comparison to the Mediterranean world of the Bible, contemporary Western societies have barely scratched the surface of decadence. Yet, we do not find a single New Testament example wherein the early disciples specifically made public denouncements about the aberrant practices of their native cultures. Early believers corrected their own knowing that sexual escapades that are acceptable to the unsaved should not be so much as mentioned by the Redeemed. (Eph. 4:17-20, 5:3)
Protesters might have a lot to hide
It could be that the weaknesses of those responsible for commissioning the translation of the King James Version of the Bible and creating the paintings on the ceiling of the Vatican in Rome were somewhat prophetic. King James had a male sexual partner who was the Duke of Buckingham and Michelangelo was just as Gay as the day is long. We snap and snarl at homosexuality in the world, while it thrives within the Church. Both the Catholic and Protestant ends of Christianity are equally guilty of continuously producing, harboring, protecting and promoting people of same-sex orientation. Homosexual pedophilic predator priests are routinely shuffled from parish to parish. The president of the huge National Association of Evangelicals was recently exposed as the lover of an ex-male prostitute in Denver. A primary spokesman for the prophetic movement is only now being disciplined for a Gay lifestyle after years of unchecked travel with effeminate younger men. Not far from our nation’s capitol there is a mega-church that is pastored by a fellow who has been in and out of homosexual episodes for 25 years or more. On more than one occasion, I’ve personally counseled homosexuals and secret cross-dressers who served on the staffs of Campus ministries and as musicians in some of the most well known Christian bands. The number of Gay individuals in the Black Gospel Music industry and in the Old-time Gospel singing groups that transverse the Bible-Belt is scandalous. Tulsa Oklahoma’s Gay community is in full bloom. Many of the students from Conservative homes arrived at the local Christian institutions Gay and stayed that way. After graduation many elect to stay on in Tulsa. The abominable truth is that it’s the Church that’s in trouble; all the while it’s projecting its maladies as though the unconverted were solely guilty. I would challenge anyone who disagrees to question members of the homosexual community of your city. You might sadly find that they get plenty of action from some of your married clergymen and their parishioners; and from more than a few young people whom you might consider your most promising and gifted. The painful reality is that we are in the place of those depicted in Rom. 1:32-2:1. We condemn others for the very practices that we habitually commit.
Origins
There might be reasonable explanations about how religious people can windup with Gay and Lesbian children. Studies suggest that there are consistent correlations between aloof and abusive fathers and the potential for children to develop homosexual tendencies. Such is not inevitable, but it is common. Dad is aloof and incapable of showing reasonable affection to his wife and kids. Fuel is added to the fire in that mom and dad disagree about the importance of spiritual fervency and church attendance. It’s a point of continuous contention and mom escapes to church with the kids in tow at every opportunity. Between the father and his wife and kids, it becomes a him-and-us abusive situation. Johnny begins to act more like mom than dad and goes looking for male affection in the wrong ways and places. Suzie grows up thinking men are untrustworthy and scary and seeks female companionship. Most anyone who goes to church is familiar with similar scenarios.
Against nature
From a biblical perspective homosexual acts are forbidden because they are against nature. That phrase does not preclude that there aren’t rare instances wherein some are naturally/genetically predisposed to be attracted to those of the same sex. In the natural dimension, nature indicates the ability to reproduce after like kind, as did Adam and Eve. Any form of same-sex union that cannot produce offspring solely through that union is against nature.
According to Rom 1:26-27, there is a hint that it was women who first exchanged their natural sexual functions for those that were against nature and that the men quickly followed suit. It somewhat like Eden wherein Eve was the first to eat of the forbidden fruit and Adam followed. Lesbian and Gay sex acts have been practiced in every corner of the globe since time immemorial. Africa, the Far East, the Middle East, Europe and the aboriginal tribes of the Americas; none were exempt.
In regard to Christianity, the arguments about whether homosexuality is genetic or acquired are moot points. Even in the rare instances where a person is born with that desire, they have no more of a legitimate right to express it, than they do other prohibited propensities. Some people are born with a weakness for alcohol and others with the potential for murderous rage. Those who continually vent those desires and do not repent will lose their place in the kingdom of God. (Gal. 5:19-21) If anyone is born with an intense weakness for a specific sin, God requires that they quench it. It is not life threatening to do so. One can go to heaven with unfulfilled, sinful desires. No one can see God, unless they have denied their unlawful passions in the active pursuit of holiness. (Col. 3:5, Heb. 12:14)
X-Rated section
Gay men and Lesbians satisfy one another through oral stimulations such as fellatio, cunnilingus and annilingus. Both practice mutual masturbation and anal and vaginal fisting. Emergency room workers and ambulance drivers are all too acquainted with fisting traumas. It’s not at all unusual for men to come in partially disemboweled by rough fisting at the moment of orgasm. Both men and women come in with objects stuck into their body cavities. It’s not rare for such to be a hapless declawed rodent that got loose from a Gay or Lesbian partner’s control. Gay men also practice anal sex and Lesbians engage in tribadism.
Certainly, all of the aforementioned give credence to the Bible’s assertions that homosexuality is against nature and unclean as well.
Why is it wrong?
The Devil hates God, but is powerless to do Him harm. He therefore seduces mankind through the power of sin and demonic spirits to abuse one another via defiling acts. One of the titles for the human organs of speech is, one’s glory. (Ps 16:9, Ja. 3:10-11) Such are to be instruments to glorify God and to imitate His creative abilities through words of faith. It is particularly satisfying to Satan for men and women to use otherwise sanctified physical organs for despicable practices. For this reason evil concupiscence/forbidden sexual longings are equated with idolatry. (Col. 3:5)
The intimate relationship between married, non-same-sex couples is holy. It shadows the union between Christ and His Church through faith in the atoning work of Calvary. The intimate oneness and knowing of one another spirit, soul and body achieved through the act of marriage symbolizes the optimums of the same that Jesus and His Bride are to desire one with the other. (Ephes. 5:25-32) Unlike human marriage, the Lord’s infinite love for His own is expressed without sexual union. As a mystical and spiritual union, it has ever-increasing glories that surpass anything possible in the natural realm. Gay and Lesbian activities defile the Blood of the Covenant wherewith Jesus purchased His eternal companion, the Church. All of such are sinful. (1 Cor. 6:9-10, 15-20, Heb. 10:22, 29, 12:14, 1 Jn. 3:2-3)
At salvation, the conscience is washed clean by the Blood of the Lamb. Slight ventures into any forbidden area in thought or deed should produce instantaneous pangs of conscience. That sensitivity is the essence and propagator of experiential holiness. Rebellion against cultivating such sensitivities through purposed discipline unto holiness carries eternal risks. (Rev. 21:7-8)
By Jim
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The “underground” churches of China and Islamic nations are bursting forth with thrilling reports of revival. Such fellowships are referred to as “underground” because they meet in “secret” locations due to political-religious persecutions. Over 2,000 years ago the First Underground Revival took place. It was not symbolically “underground”. The event happened in the deepest regions beneath the earth’s surface in locales known as Abraham’s Boson/Paradise and Hades/a place to torment. The timing of the revival was during Jesus’ 3 days and nights of death. While His mangled body lay in the tomb, His spirit descended into hell and then crossed over into Paradise. He preached a sermon in each location. The sermons were different in content, but both had the same effect on the audiences. In a fulfillment of Philip 2:9-10, those under the earth bent their knees in homage to the Name of Jesus.
The unrighteous were eternally rebuked for not listening to the prophetic warnings of their day. Their folly became abundantly clear as Jesus, the one of whom the prophets spoke, declared His righteousness and Lordship. They bowed their knees too late. They were sentenced to remain in the place of torment.
Many of the righteous heard words confirming the accuracy of the prophecies they’d uttered about the birth, ministry, death and victorious resurrection of the Coming Messiah. All were commended for their faithfulness. They by no means were sentenced to remain where they were. Shortly after Jesus’ physical resurrection from the dead, they too were raised. Their bodies came out of their graves and were seen by many as they walked the streets of Jerusalem. Later, when Jesus ascended from the Mt. of Olives they were the cloud of witnesses with whom He entered heaven. They joined all of heaven in exuberant rejoicing as Jesus of Nazareth took His rightful place at the right hand of God the Father.
When I get to heaven, one of the first DVD’s I plan on checking out will be about, The First Underground Revival. What a joy it will be to see the saints of old receiving the fullness of salvation. The cast will include Abraham, Moses, Sampson, John the Baptist, Sarah and the thief who Jesus promised to meet in Paradise, It will be exhilarating to watch them walking Paradise’s isles to answer the altar call given by Jesus to confess Him as Lord.
Explanatory Texts
The mini-exhortation I’ve offered deserves further study. To fully appreciate what has been stated it would be best to read through the following outline with a Bible in hand. It documents the things Jesus’ spirit and soul experienced/accomplished during the 3 days and nights after His crucifixion. It’s an explanation of what He did in the spiritual realm while His torture scarred body lay in the tomb Thursday through Saturday night.
1) All of the OT saints anticipated and desired to be part of the company that was to be raised from the dead almost simultaneous to the resurrection of Jesus. It could be, their graves cracked open during the earthquake at His death. For sure, their resurrections took place on Easter Sunday morning - Matthew 27:51-54
2) This company included Job, Jacob, Joseph and all the other OT saints that had lived righteous lives. The following verses indicate each named had prophetic inklings of what would take place around the time of the Messiah’s sacrificial death and victorious resurrection. – Job 19:25-27, Heb. 11:21-22, Gen. 47:28-31, 50:24-26, Joshua 24:32.
3) Paying the full penalty for the sins of mankind necessitated that Jesus taste every phase of death’s punishment including hell – Heb. 2:9, Ephes 4:9, Acts 2:27, Psa. 71:20-21
4) Psa. 88:6-18 is a Messianic Psalm that foretold Jesus sufferings in hell. Verses 10-12 hint of the points covered in His sermons to the spirits of the dead in Paradise/Abraham’s bosom and to those in hell. The answer to all the questions asked in those verses is, “Yes”.
5) The sermons preached to the righteous and the unrighteous culminated with a fulfillment of Philip. 2:9-10. The list of those that will bow their knees at the Name of Jesus includes those “under the earth”.
6) Prior to the resurrection of Jesus Abraham’s bosom/Paradise and hell were located in the interior regions of the earth and had an impassable gulf between them – Luke 16:19-31
7) First - At death Jesus’ spirit and soul descended into hell and preached to the spirits of the unrighteous dead that had perished in Noah’s flood - 1 Peter 3:18-20. It was a sermon of judgment and they bowed their knees to Jesus confessing His Lordship. This was a prophetic formality as it did not release them from hell.
Second – He crossed over the impassable gulf and preached to the righteous dead in Paradise. It was here He met the thief who had been crucified beside Him and all of the saints of Old – This is when the righteous OT saints bowed their knees to the Lordship of Jesus. Such qualified them to be resurrected and to go to heaven in body, soul, and spirit when Jesus ascended from the Mt of Olives. LK 23:43, 1 Peter 4:5-6, Acts 1:9-11, Heb 12:1, 18-24
9) When His spirit and soul burst from the neither regions of the earth they collided with and entered His physical body as it lay in the tomb. It was instantly resurrected. The procession behind Him was the OT saints from Paradise; David, Solomon Ruth and so forth. Shortly after his resurrection, their spirits and souls hit their decayed buried bodies and they came bouncing out of their graves. Post that event Paradise was emptied and the spirits of righteous/born-again people go directly to heaven at death. However, they will not be physically resurrected until the trumpet blast of the Coming of the Lord.
10) 40 days later from the Mt of Olives Jesus ascended into heaven with the OT saints that had been resurrected. Their cry of His victory was foretold in Psa 27:7-10. Heb 12:1, 18-24 speaks of a great cloud of witnesses.
By Jim
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I) Eat the little book, sweet, but might cause nausea when we realize some of what we’ve espoused has been incomplete. Rev 10:7-11. – Revelations within entire Word surpass revelation of any single author of the Word. 1 Pet 1:4-5, 1 Cor 2:7-16 must be fulfilled.
A) Rom 8:19-23 & Rev 12:5-12 How it might come about and how life might be.
B) Church was birthed in tumultuous times of transition. Emperors/religious-political hostility. Surviving and thriving is our heritage. World is saying due to overspending the light at we can’t afford the light at the end of the tunnel. Our response to questions about our children’s futures should be optimistic – It will be glorious
C) When we come forth it will be bring in the further stages of Kingdom coming to earth and the establishment of the first stage of the New H & E. An era where dominion over animal life becomes reality; lion lays with lambs. Children play around cobras; no troublesome kids; build houses and enjoy the fruits of labors; life spans are like trees; and those dying at 100 equates to a curse. Nothing will be too difficult for God’s people any more than anything is too difficult for God. Curse still present but greatly altered. Death still takes its tolls. (Rev 11:15, 12:5-12, Isa 11:1-9, Isa 65:17-25, Zech 8:1-8)
D) Not speaking of heaven and the hereafter. Heb 6:4-5 tasted of power of age to come. Dunamis healing prophesying power not needed in heaven
E) This stage distinctive from final New H & E when death and curses are nonexistent. (Rev 21:1-4, 22:3)
1) I was wrong to write off Kingdom Now. Hard to admit I don’t know everything.
2) Rev 2:18, 26-29 not speaking of Jesus as He is the speaker. Psa 2 is intertwining of speech of Jesus and that of His body. Lord said to my Lord, He who sits in the heavens shall laugh. We are to rule with rod of iron until He personally takes over in 2nd stage of New H & E
3) We are to seek Kingdom in those dimensions (Matt 6:33)
4) It might be better called Kingdom When as there are so many things that must happen.
5) It’s the only solution to global dilemmas
F) There will be a critical mass achieved of those who’ve received the revelation of Body of Christ responsibilities.
G) Light of Word must shine into our darkness and Daystar must arise in millions simultaneously in fellowships around the globe (2 Pet 1:16-19)
H) Critical mass phenomenon can be seen first in natural and then in the spiritual. Envision a day when a critical mass of believers, in various locales, has the daystar simultaneously arising in their hearts. 2 Pet 1:16-19 Daystar suddenly appears like deer from the woods. Smiles of knowing Revelation comes/happens suddenly.
1) Japanese Snow Monkeys washing sweet potatoes
2) Precedents for 2 sudden events: 1) Universal quickening of Eph 2:5, Rom 8:10-11, Mal 3:1 comes to pass. Quicken = vitalized with sudden infusion of life of God. Mystery of God; Christ in us the hope of glory. Every secret code novel and movie point to it. Mystery mentioned 21 times in NT. Defined as initiated ones. Scriptural for some to have revelation of mystery before others – Mt Tran 3. Short-term as others quickly follow as they did after Gideon’s initial 300 joined by 32,000 to win battle.
I) We’re not speaking of a good meeting. We’re speaking of a dazzling presence of God and knowledge of His glory shining into our hearts giving us new ways to approach every venue of life. Suddenly examples:
1) Adam and Eve knowing they were naked
2) Suddenly after 430 yrs critical mass of Amorites fullness of iniquity achieved. Then deliverance process began with emergence of Moses
3) Stubborn Egyptians that didn’t submit to torturous plagues suddenly giving away their riches to the exiting Jews – Blood water produce more than thirst, blood stinks; frogs stink; sand fleas/lice really bite; stench dead livestock bloating. Darkness day and night more than an inconvenience
4) I don’t do torture. Torturer’s entrance would have me at hello. Sell you out at threat of cold water. But Egyptians freely throwing riches at Jews came suddenly. Could have retaliated
5) Mt of Transfiguration suddenly 3 Peter, James, John enveloped in cloud. Saw raiment change, Moses & Elijah. We’ve already come to innumerable company of angels, spirits of just men made perfect. Suddenly, some will experience they’re actually surrounded and always have been.
6) Day of Pentecost. They were focused in prayer for the coming of the Holy Wind. They knew they would speak in tongues
7) Building shaken and infilling of the Holy Spirit after Apostles release
Light orbs in Hungary
9) Holy laughter hitting at Carpenters church in Lakeland. Ambulances rushed on scene.
II) Revelation of glorification needed
A) Glory defined – to extol/magnify a person by praise indicating one has a high opinion of them.
B) Jesus was glorified by the Father on the occasions where He said, “This is my beloved Son in whom I’m well pleased.” At His baptism and on the Mt of Transfiguration (Matt 3:16, 17:2-9)
C) For us it’s when Daystar arises
D) Jesus asked the Father to give us the same glory He has with the Father. Jn 17:22
1) Disciples didn’t act too glorious when they abandoned Him
2) Salvation glorified you as a child of God who can cry by the Spirit Abba Father. There are days when you don’t feel too glorious. (Rom 8:30) Justified and glorified
3) Num 14:21 - Jesus’ glory is unique and ever increasing. But, because of Who He is it’s expected. The dynamics of our glorification are awesomely shocking in contrast to who we are and where we’ve been in reproach.
4) Jesus’ Body will receive revelation of glory coming to us that He has inheritance in us
E) With the Daystar’s sudden rise, the glorification voice will come – I’m well pleased with your level of maturity - You are liberated to function as my manifested sons/man-child. Do so and I’ll be even more well pleased
III) Must get over ruling with rod of iron authority discomforts – God is love. He was just as much loving when He destroyed Sodom and Korah’s sons were swallowed by earth
A) Vengeance is the Lord’s, but there are times when we are responsible to bring such into play.
B) Paul and Early Church exemplified first fruits of rod of iron ruling by enacting disciplines. Body has not moved in rod of iron dynamics for centuries. It has to happen for the Word of the Lord to be fulfilled. It’s a weighty responsibility for the mature in wisdom of God hearing His voice and the fruit of the Spirit. Would not do to have the carnal wielding such power. Has to be done through spiritual. Will take (Rom 14:17 & Gal 5) maturity
1) Rod of pulling down stronghold’s in rebellious Corinthians’ minds (1 Cor 4:21, 2 Cor 10:3-5, 13)
2) Ananias & Sapphira; Elymas
3) Turning people over to Satan
4) 2 Witnesses’ fire burning people up; withholding rain; bringing plagues
C) With us – City churches mature spiritually minded coming into unity and removing troublesome politicians. Chris Dodd, Franks, Polocy, Reed, Franken suddenly dropping out of MN bid
1) Rebellious husbands, testy corporate mangers, Islam
2) Our ruling with rod of iron will do much to liberate this planet from the matters frustrating the purposes of Kingdom of God
3) Parallel restoration of natural Israel. Only mind of Christ activation can bring it about
4) Such will eventually incite retaliation from the world.
IV) New boldness and evidence of greater anointing
A) Instant flowing in prophecy like Day of Pentecost and Ephesians when Baptized in the Holy Spirit. No downloads of syllabuses on prophecy and healing needed.
B) Prophetic words that cause unbelievers to confess that God is surely among us
C) No more healing lotteries – No more 1 step forward and 2 backwards attempts at enjoying the fruits of our labors.
D) Dominion mandate fulfilled - The whole earth groans waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God. Dogs sigh, wake-up genius; when are you going to start enacting your dominion mandate ad get rid of my fleas? Silas’ vermin eradication – Kids lice banished after multiple meds failed. Kar’e and wild bird.
E) Christian entrepreneurs coming forth with innovative methods for progress
F) Kingdom scientists making the Jews jealous by surpassing them in Nobel prizes.
V) Prayer for Daystar and Revelation of glorification arise
By Jim
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Apologetic for a Black pastor who dared speak his mind about Islam
Beginning in July of 2006, the Liberal Media and Islamic activists have intermittently blasted a black S. Florida clergyman. He’s the Rev. Dr. O’Neal Dozier of The Worldwide Christian Center in Pompano Beach. Dozier has drawn fire for exercising his freedom of speech rights about two interrelated things. He voiced opposition to the city’s zoning board granting a building permit to a mosque in a location that had been closed to doing the same for Christian churches for years. Secondly, in the context of a phone interview for a radio talk show about his complaints to the zoning committee, he committed a politically incorrect blunder. In response to the host’s unanticipated inquiry about what he thought about Islam, Dozier offered that in his personal opinion Islam was a very dangerous and evil cult.
Revoked freedom of speech rights
That single response catapulted him into the vicious zone of political disfavor. Previously, he had been a heavy hitter in Florida’s Conservative politics. He was a buddy of Governor Jeb Bush and a key player in the elections of G.W. Bush and of Charles Chris as the State’s chief executive. Those whom he championed against the tide of political opinion among his fellow Blacks were unwilling to champion him against the tide of the opinions of the PC crowd and CAIR (Council on American-Islamic Relations).
Upon hearing about his plight, I searched the Internet about what characteristics define a group as cultic. I discovered that most of the sites listed 6-10 warning signs of a cult and/or a bad religion. I also discovered that Islam routinely succeeds in satisfying 80% of the most commonly cited red flags. Any objective person who knows anything about Islam’s ancient and recent history could easily concur with Pastor Dozier’s assessment. If one accepts the cult experts’ criterion for discerning cults, Islam at best qualifies as cult-ish and at worst as a bad religion.
Disproportionate numbers
I’m not saying that all Muslims are cultist or that every Imam/Mullah (cleric) of every mosque espouses destructive views. However, I am saying that within Islam the number of mosques that incite Muslims to hold and act upon dangerous, cult-like worldviews is disproportionate in comparison with their counterparts within Christianity. The global population of Christianity’s Catholics and Protestants is 2.1 billion. The various sects of Islam number 1.3 billion. As it is with Christianity, so it is with Islam; the denominations/sects of each have conflicting views about doctrinal matters. But there are distinctions in the manner in which the respective Faiths handle such issues. Catholics criticize the Protestants for not honoring Mary and Protestants do the same about the Catholics’ veneration of Mary. Regardless of the opposing views, one rarely hears about incidents of bloodshed over such things.
Not so with Islam. If an influential Christian, Jew or Muslim of another sect publicly states contrary views; Fatwas (condemnation decrees including assassination) will ensue along with massive rioting in the city streets of the offended sect. Remember the Muslim outrage about the Danish newspaper cartoon and the lecture statements of the new Pope. Contrary to PC posturing, there were not just a few isolated incidents of a few Muslim fundamentalists threatening bloodshed over those matters. Numerous sectors of the Islamic world exploded in vehement protests.
If the shoe fits
Every year tens of thousands of Muslims butcher hundreds of thousands of their fellow Muslims over doctrinal disagreements. Such is a primary element between Iraq’s Sunnis and Shiites that compels them to roadside bomb one another into oblivion. There have been reports in the USA of those sects vandalizing one another’s mosques and businesses. Similar things are inciting Muslim on Muslim genocide in the Darfur region of the Sudan. In the recent history of Christendom there are no parallels for such atrocities in the name of God. During the entirety of the Catholic – Protestant troubles in Northern Ireland there were fewer casualties than there are every month between the world’s Islamic sects.
Do the math
Years ago, the Jonestown mass suicide of 900 people was rightly labeled as the spawn of cult doctrines. Throughout the Middle East Muslims use the Quran and the sayings of Mohammad to justify suicide/homicide bombings. Inspired by the revelations of Mohammad the Saudis and Iranians finance such things and Muslim mothers encourage their children to volunteer for suicide missions. According to the Fox News special Radical Islam, poles among the world’s heaviest Muslim concentrations; 60-70% endorse suicide bombings. Yet, no one is allowed to refer to the culprit religion as a cult. If Mohammad, his Quran, Hadiths, Imams and religion were extracted from the human equation, the planet would instantly be a safer and more peaceful place. An old cliché dictates that if a thing has wings and quacks like a duck, it is a duck. There is no reasonable explanation for that same principle not being applicable to any major religion that exhibits cult-ish propensities. For sure Islam is way outside of the Bell Curve in its percentages of adherents and houses of worship that exhibit cult-like characteristics in comparison to other leading religions. It certainly has the wings and quacks of a cult-ish and/or a bad religion.
Signs following
Let us now explore how Islam, Mohammad and the contemporary heroes of the Muslim world would fare if the plumb line of the warning signs of a cult were dropped on them. This list is the gist of the various experts’ main red flag indicators of a cult.
- A charismatic founder/leader who claims revelations that override those of other recognized religions. - Mohammad and/or his successors proclaimed that Allah and the Archangel Gabriel/Holy Spirit gave him revelations that surpassed those of Christianity and Judaism. He espoused that his prophetic mantle and apostleship trumped that of all who came before him. Contemporary Islam is loaded with charismatic political-religious leaders who cite Mohammad’s revelations/sayings to captivate the masses and to extend their agendas. Hezbollah’s Sayyed Nasrallah, al-Queda’s Ben Laden, Iraq’s al-Sader and Iran’s Ahmadinejad are examples. No other major religion has primary spokesmen who use the name of God and holy writ to invoke murder and mayhem.
- The use of deception – Blacks that are targeted for conversion are frequently told that Mohammad was black and that Islam originated in Africa. Of course, those statements are blatant lies. In the same vein they neglect to divulge that Mohammad owned black slaves. There is no mention of Islam’s founder making denigrating remarks about people of color; he referred to them as raisin heads. Every effort is made to hide the fact that the first level of the slave trade was primarily a Muslim enterprise. The Arabic word for a slave and the color black are identical, Abd. Were it not for Muslim slave traders purchasing the captives of African chieftain’s inner-tribal raids, 14 million plus hapless souls would not have been crammed into European slave ships. Certain verses are drastically altered in Western translations of the Quran to disguise its barbarisms. Prospective converts are led to the verses that Mohammad penned while in Mecca. Those initial verses appear peaceful and conciliatory in regard to other religions. Wanna-be Muslims are not shown the later cruel verses that were written after the self-proclaimed prophet moved his headquarters to Medina. Furthermore, there is no mention of the Islamic principle that abrogates/nullifies the Mecca verses in lieu of the conflicting major portions of the Quran that were written in Medina. (Yes, the Bible has portions that have and do incite cruel and unusual views. The difference is, those portions of the Old Testament are abrogated by the grace-based doctrines of the New Testament. Unlike the Bible, the Quran got progressively more primitive rather than less so with its various installments). Islam is boasted as the world’s fastest growing religion. Such assertions are belied in that the Al Jazeera news network recently confided that Muslims are converting to Christianity at the alarming rate of 6 million per year. Muslim spiritual leaders can lie to non-Muslims with no pangs of conscience because of the Islamic principle called Al Takeyya. Among other motivations, it deems lying appropriate in any circumstance perceived to extend the purposes of Islam. More importantly, the holy books of Islam state that Allah himself is the arch-deceiver/trickster. That gives many Islamists license to lie; saying one thing to Western news agencies and diplomats and just the opposite behind closed doors to fellow Muslims.
- Exclusivity and intolerance for other Faiths – Jews and Christians are referred to as pigs and worse. There are Quranic verses that forbid cultivating friendships with them. The Khomeini’s and Caliphs of Islamic nations strictly regulate the activities of Faiths other than their own. Bibles have to be smuggled into Iran to satisfy the needs of the huge numbers of progressive minded Muslims who are converting to Christianity. Egyptian Christians cannot even repair a church without going through a complicated governmental licensing process; much less build a new one. Saudi Arabia forbids Christian meetings and non-Muslim women must comply with Sharia dress codes whenever in public. Generally speaking, Christians primarily use their houses of worship on Sundays, Jews on Saturdays and Muslims on Friday. Christians and Jews are known to permit the use of their facilities by other religious groups. One would be hard pressed to find a US mosque that would do so. Such is non-existent in any country where Islam is the major religion. During most any given week there are news clips of multiplied thousands of Muslims of this Islamic stronghold or that, bellowing frenzied chants of hatred for Jews and Christianized nations. In countries that are predominantly Buddhist, Hindu, or Christian, the respective spiritual leaders of those Faiths simply don’t incite massive demonstrations of that character. Muslims are conditioned by their spiritual leaders to believe that all who don’t believe in Allah, Mohammad as his prophet and the coming judgment day are infidels.
- Obsession with conspiracy plots about the potential for those of other Faiths to target the group for religious-political persecutions. In reaction to such myths, cults commonly advocate the takeover of established governments via political clout and guerilla style insurrections - This point is a major component in fueling international Islamic terrorism. The news agencies of Westernized/Christianized nations frequently report the alarming numbers of militant Muslim groups and Mosques that are plotting the overthrow of democratic rule. In the UK, the USA and Australia the combined estimates of individuals involved in such exceeds tens of thousands. No one can deny that a major tenet of Mohammad’s Quran, his Hadiths, his successors and the religion that he spawned is Religious-State governments. Without question there are fringe, wacko Christian groups in the USA with members from other Faith backgrounds. But, there are distinctions between such groups and those of Islam. Though America’s population of 290 million predominantly consists of people of Christian heritage; such produce only a minuscule number of aberrant Christian groups in comparison to the number Islam fosters. The US population of Muslims is only around 8 million and it produces, harbors and funds thousands of individuals who are involved in militant-religious/terrorist organizations. This numeric phenomenon is present in every democratic country that has welcomed Muslim immigrants. In a disproportionate manner, fewer Muslims consistently produce more religion inspired militants than greater numbers of Christians produce. Such realties heavily indicate that there is something inherent with Islam that inclines its adherents to cultivate more aberrational groups than any other major religion.
- Drastic changes in such things as behavior, attitudes and dress that alienate new members from their friends and families - I submit beards, burkas, hijab head coverings, 5 mandatory daily prayer sessions in Arabic, fasting during Ramadan and acute condemnation of anyone who does not embrace the Quran.
- Easy-to-join-hard-to-get-out policies – All it takes to become a Muslim is to publicly recite the Shahada 3 times. Leaving Islam for another religion and/or aiding and abetting a Muslim in doing so carries one penalty, death. Islam’s holy writings are manuals for exemplary Muslim life and attitudes. From those volumes, Arabic scholars list 35,213 references that have Jihad inferences; fighting, murder, bloodshed, the use of weapons and so forth. America has Hate-crime legislation. Should it be applied to those who advocate the inflammatory portions of Islam’s manuals; significant percentages of visa holding Islamic students, clerics and activists; and many second generation American Muslims might risk incarceration. At this writing, 8,000 of such are being tracked in the UK by counter-terrorism agencies.
- Documented reports from ex-members and televised documentaries about brainwashing, physical abuse and hostile conspiracies against established governments - Beginning post 9/11/2001, such reports have escalated every year. The books, magazine articles and radio interviews that verify such things abound throughout civilized nations. The evidence is so compelling that even TV networks that prefer PC posturing in regard to Islam are airing documentaries about the prevalence of brainwashing. Insanely hateful indoctrinations begin during children’s nursery school years and continue into adulthood in Muslim fundamentalists regimes, mosques, madrasses and organizations. There is a secular website that features the testimonies and assessments of ex-Muslims about Islam. Intellectuals write most of the articles and what they say about Islam makes everything in this article seem pale. Such are exiting Islam by the droves. The views stated by these brave ex-Muslims carry a unique challenge. If any party can prove any of their assertions/complaints about Islam false, they will remove the entire website from the Internet. Curiously, the website is blocked in Islamic nations.
http://www.faithfreedom.org/index.htm
Imagine
Lets fast forward Mohammad into the 21rst Century. We’ll call him Rev. Moh who has founded a splinter group from Evangelical Christianity. Then take all the facts known about the life and exploits of 7th Century Mohammad and his successors and throw that into the mix. Add in any of the cited warning signs of a cult that you think are applicable to Islam. Now imagine that one of the journalists or politicians who has defamed Pastor Dozier for calling Islam a cult has an adult-child. Suppose that loved one joined our imaginary sect. What would be the parental reaction? Calling 911, the FBI and arranging a kidnapping by a cult-deprogramming unit would be heavy favorites under consideration.
Concluding Q & A
Western democracies have multiple governmental and private agencies that aid families in rescuing and deprogramming relatives from cults and their counterproductive doctrines. Most of the deprogrammers use the basic tenets of Judea-Christian values to rectify deranged thinking. I’m not aware of Islam having corresponding agencies that utilize the basic doctrines of the Quran to similarly deprogram members of their aberrant organizations. Why? Could it be that knowledgeable Muslims know something that pluralistic-minded Americans are unwilling to admit? Religious intolerance, gender bias, cruel and unusual punishments, emotional and physical abuse and advocating a world takeover are representative of the real Islam. The academics are likely fully aware that the entirety of what the Quran and the Hadiths state and what the life of Mohammad mirrored, will inevitably spawn significant numbers of people who defy 21rst Century human rights sensitivities. Provided even half of what ex-Muslims report and what the documentaries depict about Islam are accurate, it has and does produce far more cult-ish organizations than all other religions combined.
By Jim
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I want to encourage you to anticipate windfalls from God. A windfall could be defined as a sudden gain from an unexpected source. It’s legal for you to believe for such things, as it’s one of God’s major forms of blessing His people. He’s the Lord of surprises and delights in showering bounties upon us from sources defying human reasoning. Those who activate faith in God’s goodness are never limited to pay-grades, fixed incomes and so forth. Sure, He can and does grant favor with employers that bring cost of living increases, merit raises and yearend bonuses. Unbelievers are routinely the recipients of the same. But, God chooses to distinguish His own by gracing him/her through outside-of-the-box means.
Get Over It
Many godly people are mired in totally unrealistic attitudes about money. They’ve been conditioned by Churchianity to regard it as irrelevant in comparison to overtly spiritual themes. Not so with God. His Word says money is the answer for everything. (Eccl 10:19) All of us would do well to understand some irrefutable facts of life: More often than not, money is God’s delegated vehicle for administering His blessings. People who aren’t experiencing abundance think about money far more than those who are flowing in sufficiency. It’s true enough that one can’t buy love. It’s also true that financial stress is a major cause of failed marriages. Perhaps money can’t buy health, but is does pay for preventative checkups to keep us that way. The infirm need to get to meetings where the anointed minister healing, getting there cost money.
I’m a great fan of the Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship of Ontario, Canada. During the initial years of its revival thousands from around the globe gathered at its auditorium’s doors day and night to gain entrance to experience the healing balms of God’s love. There is an enlightening practical money matter relating to its success at touching millions. Reflect on the truth that many godly saints don’t have excess funds, particularly those of developing nations. Roughly 4 million people from innumerable points of the earth visited the church during the first 6 years of the outpouring. A conservative per person estimate of expenditures for airfare, lodging and meals would be $1,000. The cumulative figure is a whopping total of 4 billion dollars!
Scores of thousands of those who came were empowered to do so by windfalls from unexpected sources. Their life situations and national economies would normally dictate such ventures impossible. They had faith because they earnestly believed God would perform the impossible to give them a dip in His River of Fatherly affection. That same faith applied to the concept that God is even more interested in giving home-based blessings could garner gushers of windfalls. Think about it and get over your hang-ups. Doesn’t it seem illogical for the Lord to grant the finances needed to experience blessed spiritual sensations away from home; and then dam-up the reservoir enabling one to live with dignity at home?
Bible Examples
Windfalls from the Lord are unique in that they carry benefits beyond blessing the initial recipients. I’ll give 4 biblical examples. To build your faith, meditate on other Bible stories and contemplate how others besides the primary characters could have been blessed.
· Israel was in the midst of a famine. People were eating their children and a donkey head for soup would run the equivalent of $320; a side of dove dung chips was another $20. To make matters worse, the Arameans decided to blockade and siege the capitol city of Samaria. Elisha prophesied to Israel’s king and to his secretary of the treasury that the crisis would be over within 24 hours. Thinking they had superior understandings of national economics and having no trust in windfalls from on High; they mockingly refused to believe the prophet’s word. Meanwhile there were 4 lepers sitting at the gate discussing their options. They decided not to wait around to starve to death before leprosy ate them alive. They opted to go to the Arameans’ camp thinking the worst that could happen was that arrows would quickly solve all of their dilemmas. Unbeknownst to them, God amplified and distorted their chatter as they approached the enemy camp. The Arameans heard what sounded like the swift descent of a charging army in full battle array. They fled with only the clothes on their backs leaving behind camels, donkeys, horses and chariots; and tons of clothing, gold and silver. The delighted beggars ate and drank, put on new attire and pillaged monetary treasures from the tents. They likely had a few wine merry donkey races too. Suddenly, they were hit with pangs of conscience uncharacteristic of leprous beggars that had been previously ill-treated by Samaria’s citizens. They went back and told the king about the enemy’s flight. Thus the crisis ended and the entire citizenry was blessed. The beggars’ decision to share their windfall was totally of God. Most in their position would have chosen to retire from begging and would have traveled SW with wagonloads of booty to purchase opulent condo’s on the Mediterranean. (2 Kngs 6:24-7:20)
· Jesus miraculously created 180 gallons/720 quart bottles of premium wine for the wedding at Cana. It was a tiny village and it’s doubtful that more than 100 people were in attendance. It’s equally unlikely the guests consumed all of wine He provided. None wanted to risk ticketing for DWIs on the way home. Not only was the groom saved embarrassment; his father who was responsible to pay for the festivities had windfall bargaining leverage with the caterer. “Let’s see now, how you would prefer to handle this bill? Take the leftover expensive wine to replace the cheap stuff you served and we’ll call it even. Or, would you rather my son and his new bride use the leftovers as inventory for a newly founded Abe & Rachel’s Catering Service?”
· Some commentaries state that the lad who invested 5 loaves and 2 fish into Jesus’ ministry was not merely someone who remembered to pack a lunch. His family likely had a home-based food vending business that sold their goods at public events. Unlike the other vendors present, he was the only one with anything left. Jesus multiplied his loaves and dried fish and fed at least 20,000. Of course the crowd benefited from the unexpected windfall, as their immediate needs were met. But, there were 12 baskets of food leftover. Who was the logical recipient of the windfall’s excess? It was the little vendor who had sowed 5 loaves and 2 fish into the Master’s ministry. Think of the joy in his house when he returned with his pockets bulging with shekels from the sellout; plus enough inventory to last for days. At a future meeting, if he heard Jesus say, “Give and it shall be given unto you”; his response would be, “Amen brother, pressed down, shaken together and running over.” (Lk 6:38)
· The ship on which Paul was a prisoner ran aground on Malta with 276 passengers. The ship and its cargo were completely destroyed and he and the other captives barely escaped being butchered by the guards. The first event on the island was Paul getting snake-bit. The prospects looked dismal. Paul remained steadfast that God’s promised windfall would come. He prayed for the healing of the father of one of the island’s leading citizens and the results were spectacular. His healing ministry cured others on Malta reaping support for crew and passengers until sailing was favorable. What a God. His windfalls bless all who accompany us whether friends or foes. (Acts 27:9-28:10)
Sources
For those who are willing to believe, windfalls are absolutes. The sources are as variable as the sands of the sea. If God doesn’t have someone in the wings who has what you need, He’ll create it especially for you. Here are some things I’ve witnessed.
· A newly saved, unwed couple with children shopped for wedding bands. They returned home disappointed, as they couldn’t find anything within their means. During that time a counselee dropped by and gave me a set of wedding rings worth $13,000 that she no longer wore. I had no idea that the couple had been ring shopping, but was nudged to give them a call. Ecstatic they were, they couldn’t afford two $50 bands. But, they could afford one for the groom to compliment the bride’s gorgeous diamond engagement and wedding rings.
· Two of my daughters led a Japanese photographer to the Lord. I wanted to give her a Japanese Bible before she returned to Japan. I prayed about finding one and then started cleaning my rat-pile desk before beginning my day’s work. There it was. A brand new English & Japanese Bible. The recipient later told an unbelieving co-worker that she had been born-again and that a holy angel of God had gotten a Bible for her.
· Carolyn was the first child of her father’s 3 marriages. He had never spoken to her after the divorce. Thirty-two years passed and he died leaving everything to his third wife and children. She came to me bleeding about no relationship with him and no acknowledgments that she even existed. We agreed in prayer that she would get a windfall. Some angel inspired secretary to the executor of the estate found her name while fumbling through some estate documents. She had not heard Carolyn’s name at the reading of the will. She took it upon herself to bring the matter to her boss. He told her of a $60,000 insurance policy that had just been found that named her diseased mother as the beneficiary. Carolyn beamed the following week as she dropped a $6,000 tithe into our church’s offering basket. I beamed more when I took it out.
· A rowdy friend tricked a newly married pastor into walking into a brothel with him. The madam approached the young pastor and remarked that he didn’t look very comfortable in her establishment. She then asked about his life. Upon hearing that he and his wife had just gotten their first house; she asked if they had furnishings. The response was that they planned on hitting garage sales. She took his name and told him to call the Ethan Allen furniture store the following day. She admonished him that money was no object, whatever they needed would be put on her account. Ponder it. She paid for draperies, carpeting, appliances, china, silverware and furnishings for every room. Now that is indeed the wealth of the unrighteous being used for the righteous. (Prov 13:22)
· A friend and his wife told me of limited funds. Shortly afterward he was contacted from Italy. Some remote relative whom he’d never met had no children and had bequeathed him a hotel and restaurant.
· Winnie is the kindest of souls. She and a friend collect past date bakery items from grocers and deliver it to the poor each week. One day she met and befriended a handicapped senior citizen on the street. She looked in on him for years. Her son was in need of housing. The old man died and bypassed his own relatives in the will. He left everything to Winnie. Her son is living in his former dwelling.
· Prudence and I had been ministering for weeks in Germany. On our last night we stayed in a hotel near the Munich airport. We had a late flight on the following day. Our youngest daughter was a toddler and followed the cleaning maid from room to room attempting to help her with her tasks. The elderly woman did not speak English and had no idea that I was a minister. As we checked out, she pressed a 100 Mark note into my little daughter’s hand. That’s a windfall from a stranger of a nationality that rarely holds charitable attitudes towards Americans.
· I had just been blinded by an airbag accident and plans were in progress for the wedding of one of my daughters. We lacked $5,000 in making it a Kingdom celebration. We got a call from the personal assistant of a Hungarian minister to whom I’d ministered years before. We drove to Orlando to fellowship with him. During our meal he explained that while on the trans-Atlantic flight the Lord had spoken to him that he was to give me some money. I couldn’t see the dollar values on the bills as my wife counted them out. I did hear her squeal that we had $5,000 in $100 bills.
I hope you’re getting my drift. Your faith expectations for God’s blessings have limitless sources. There are funds waiting for you from known and unknown relatives, from casual acquaintances and on through to complete strangers. Hostile ex-husbands are not exempt from being harassed by dreams in the night that things would go better for them if they at last do right by you. Outlaw in-laws can be goaded by God to reminisce about how you are the best thing that every happened to your wayward spouse. It’s primary that you cultivate and confess specific great expectations for great windfalls. Don’t wait until your meal barrel is empty. Host the same anticipations even if you’ve just gotten a 100% increase in salary.
A Caution
Many of the Lord’s own feel awkward about praying for their own needs for considerable amounts of money. It’s not unusual for them to couch their requests with provisos about how whatever they get will be used to bless the Kingdom, to help others etc. On the surface such seems commendable. Nonetheless, it’s often a cover-up for latent feelings of unworthiness that are actually deterrents to authentic faith. The worthiness issue was settled at the Cross. Every child of God needs to remember that the prodigal son requested and received his full inheritance based upon his desires for licentious escapades. How much more is the Father willing to grant gold rings, new robes and renewed inheritance deposits to prodigals like you and me who’ve been redeemed and restored by the Blood of the Lamb? Unashamedly and without provisos call in the thousands you need. You’re going to love the results.
Its My Turn
If I had a single inking that what I’m espousing was solely applicable to ministers of the Gospel, I’d immediately scratch the article. It categorically is not. Most of the Bible characters that got windfalls were not theologians. They were run of the mill people who were targeted for God’s windfalls. The Word infers the odds for good fortune, as well as for bad fortune fall upon everyone from time to time. You’ve had enough of the bad, now it’s your turn for the good. (Eccl 9:11-12) I beseech you to boldly shout to God and to the grass in your yard that it’s your turn to experience outrageous windfalls of blessings. Be specific. Tell the Lord exactly what you’re expecting. Those who call upon Him in boldness and follow through with bold confessions of the same will not reap shame. In regard to yearly incomes, a reasonable baby step is to confess that last year’s gross income will be this year’s net income.
National economic woes do not dictate what is available to you. The prophet Habakkuk understood the score. He was well aware that his country was in for severely tough times. It was his confession that no matter how depleted everyone else’s resources became; such was not his portion. He expressed determination to rejoice in the fact that God was the source of his salvation/prosperity. He envisioned himself like a mountain goat that could tiptoe over the adversities from one high place of the Lord’s provisions to the next. Embrace that vision for you and yours. (Hab 3:16-19)
In troubled times there are no baby step limits to be considered. Believe for whatever windfalls of money will get you flowing in God’s sufficiency. Don’t be naïve about the depth of your needs. I can guarantee that what you actually need is about 1/3 more than the on paper demands. Our Lord supplies meal barrels and oil vases overflowing with supplies in the midst of famines on the land. God does not supply our needs based upon the earthly measures of our needs. (1 Kngs 17:16, Philip 4:19) If we’re willing to activate our faith, He will meet the supply according to His riches in glory. I once prayed for the windfall of second car. I had a compact in mind. An ex-homosexual in our congregation gave me a word of knowledge that God had something more distinctive in mind. A few days later I was given a Lincoln Continental by a farmer who lived hundreds of miles away.
Windfalls Come
In closing, I will step into the KJV of Mark 11:23-24. Note the words in bold print. - For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. [24] Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
Whatsoever things you earnestly desire and focus upon in your confessions will come. As long as it’s biblical, ethical and moral there are no limits. Things come. Windfalls of money, cars, and tuition for schooling come. Sizable down payments for homes and favorable mortgage rates come. God is the Lord of windfalls and He joyfully awaits your expectations.
By Jim
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Have Conservatives overstated the number of people who are hell-bound?
Many believers have difficulty when discussing certain elements about the concept of eternal damnation. They feel a strange discomfort whenever asked about the heathen who never heard the Gospel. Questions at funerals about the eternal state of seemingly good people who were not overtly spiritually minded spawns the same. It’s not that they deny that Hell will be the abode of the wicked. They simply find it hard to dogmatically assert that anyone and everyone who did not confess Jesus as Lord while living is going to spend eternity there. If you are one of those sensitive souls, this article is for you.
It’s focus is that while every member of the Bride of Christ will be in heaven; not necessarily every inhabitant of heaven will be a member of Christ’s Bride. Heaven will have both royal and ordinary citizens.
Hell’s Inhabitants And The Hell-bound
Hell is a reality. Undoubtedly, it is the site of endless torment for millions from past generations and will be the same for millions from future generations. The Bible either directly states or strongly implies that Hell’s present and future eternal prisoners include the following:
· Unrepentant Jews of antiquity who rebelliously chose idolatry over faithfulness to God and His laws.
· People of ancient monotheistic cultures that once had the revelation of the Triune Godhead and chose abominable forms of worship. (Rom. 1:18-2:16)
· Those whose hearts were opened by the Holy Spirit to believe the Gospel and to confess Jesus as Lord who to death willfully rejected every opportunity to do so. (Lk. 12:8-9)
· Anyone who has been in the Faith and purposely departed from it. (1 Tim. 4:1-3)
· Anyone who knew the Lord and those who never knew Him who persistently rejected conscience about aberrant behavior. This would include people who are habitually unrepentant about bitter unforgiveness, sexual immorality, occultism, and telling lies. Those who shun the dictates of conscience in such matters are among those who are in grave danger. In this regard, Christians who revel in the excesses of carnality could be in for a rude awakening. (1 Cor. 6:9-10, Rev. 21:8)
· Those who side with the Antichrist during the Great Tribulation. (Rev. 14:9-11)
· Anyone who sides with Satan’s attempt to usurp Christ’s authority after the Millennial Reign. (Rev. 20:7-15)
There are many who don’t fall into any of the aforementioned categories. To understand how they might make heaven in the afterlife there are two things that must be explored beforehand. These are the process of salvation through faith and the goal of the Christian life.
Privileged Revelation
Becoming a born-again believer is not a guaranteed right that has been made available to everyone who has drawn breath since the First Advent of Christ. To the contrary, it is a privilege that is afforded to some, but not to all. This can be explicitly understood from the language employed in an abundance of New Testament texts.
No one is born of the Spirit solely by a decision of his own will/by the will of flesh and blood. (Jn. 1:10-13) The Gospel is to be preached to all. However, it is the Spirit blowing upon whom He wishes that determines those who will be given the ability to repent and believe. (Jn. 3:8, 15:16) It is true that whosoever to the Lord may come and He will by no means cast them out. It is also true that none come unless the Father has wooed them to Jesus through the auspices of the Holy Spirit. (Jn. 6:37) The understanding that Jesus is the Son of God comes by revelation to those who are appointed to be members of the Bride of Christ whose hearts have been opened to receive salvation. (Matt. 16:16-17, Acts 13:48, 16:14) The ability to repent is a gift. It is granted as such from God and therefore should not be regarded in a flippant manner. (2 Tim. 2:25)
Any sinner who has been graced with the ability to repent and to believe the Gospel today should do so. Any believer who is under conviction about sins of the flesh should do the same. None who have the grace to repent on one day have the guarantee that it will abide with them into the following day. The Father and the Son have never obligated the Holy Spirit to endlessly strive with any individual. (Gen. 6:3, Isa. 45:9, Matt 10:14-15, Heb. 12:16-17)
A Shocker
Heaven is not the primary goal of the Christian Life. Unlike many contemporary believers, the focus of the Apostle Paul’s life and ministry was not merely to make it into heaven. He had a defined goal that he urged his constituents to emulate. He was rewards-oriented and Bride-oriented and wanted every Christian to be the same. He knew that Christians who will win the prize and receive crowns are those who will be caught up in the First Resurrection’s rapture. Those who are not raptured will at best be permitted into heaven after the Millennium and at terrible worst will be sent to hell.
Even though he was an apostle who had been given a unique revelation of the Gospel, Paul was not presumptuous. For him, his calling status and miracles did not automatically guarantee that he would be in the First Resurrection/the Rapture. (Philip. 3:10-15) It was his goal to apprehend that for which he had been apprehended.
Paul fully realized that he could be disqualified for the prize even though he had preached the right things to others. Therefore, his lifestyle was one of spiritual, moral and ethical discipline. (1 Cor. 9:24-10:6) He foresaw that the rewards for Christian service are not available for anyone whose resurrection is put-off until the general/final/second resurrection after the Millennium. (Rev. 20) He understood that the grand prize and its highest rewards are reserved for believers who exercise faith in overcoming life’s obstacles. (Rev. 2:11, 17) To this end he exhorted all to live soberly, knowing that one can be disqualified from receiving the highest rewards. He wanted all to receive the crown of righteousness and to become participants in the Millennial Reign of Christ.
The good news is that believers can gain the assurance that there is a crown of righteousness reserved for each of us, even as Paul did. He reached a point wherein he knew that his discipline had paid-off and there was a crown waiting for him among those reserved for those who lovingly anticipate the Coming of the Lord. (2 Tim. 2:7-8) That assurance is apprehended by the confidence that one has effectively run and won their God appointed race. (Heb. 12:1-3) Those who have that understanding will not be found naked at the Coming of the Lord. (2 Cor. 5:1-3) Each of us is responsible to provide the Lord with yarn for the white linen robes that are presented to us on that day. Such are woven from the righteous acts of the faithful. (Rev. 19:8) Faith that has no accompanying works is stillborn. (Jas. 2:18-20, 22, 26)
Pertinent Considerations
Faithful Christians who died will be resurrected at the rapture and those who are living will be caught up in it. They will serve as the Lord’s Bride to co-reign with Him during the Millennium. All such will be royal citizens of the new heavens and the new earth. A much larger group will be resurrected after the Millennium. They will stand before God’s Great White Throne Judgment. These will be judged on the bases of their deeds while alive and whether or not their names are found in the Book of Life. Those who names are not found in the Book of Life are hell-bound. However, there will be others present whose names will be found in the Book of Life. Those people are the topic of our considerations.
Two general categories of people will stand before the throne. One is all those who died from the beginning of time through the Millennium who had not been previously resurrected. The other is all of those who lived as mortals during the Millennium who didn’t die and therefore did not need to be resurrected for the judgment. Christians who were faithful will not be in this group on several counts. They were given glorified bodies at the rapture and they will abide in such during the Millennium and throughout eternity. They don’t need to be judged, as they were already judged in a previous event called the Judgment Seat of Christ. (1 Cor. 15:51-56, 2 Cor. 5:9-10) At that time their lives as believers were assessed and they received rewards accordingly.
Pivotal Text
Rev. 20:12-15 - And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. [13] And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. [14] And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. [15] And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Note What It Says
The text says “And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” That strongly suggests that there may be some present whose names will be found in the Book of Life. It is similar to someone stating that those who don’t have tickets to the Opera will be turned away. The inherent implications of the statement indicate that there will be those present who do have tickets and won’t be turned away. The question is, who might those be whose names will be found in the Book of Life? Who are those who will be ordinary rather than royal citizens of heaven? The Bible states that every man is appointed to experience death and to afterward stand at judgment. (Heb. 9:27) If a person is not judged at the Judgment Seat of Christ, they must stand at the Great White Throne Judgment. The process of judgment implies adjudication to determine proper sentencing. If all were hell-bound there would be no need for judgment and adjudication. All of the unsaved would simply be resurrected and sent immediately to Hell.
Possible Candidates
· It could be that some will be carnal Christians whose level of carnality was sufficient enough to rob them of the rapture and the right to serve as the Co-sovereign Bride during the Millennium. However, their carnality levels were not high enough to send them to Hell. My speculations are that they are those whom the Apostle Peter spoke of as scarcely saved. (1 Pet. 4:18) These will be ordinary rather royal citizens of the Kingdom. The word scarcely is closely akin to scarcity. Scarcity is quite different from abundance. Not all Christians can be considered as scarcely saved. 2 Peter 1:4-11 speaks of those who will have an abundant entrance into the Kingdom of God. Those who qualify for such are those who were diligent about progressing in the various aspects of the fruit of the Spirit. Surely, they will be the ones who are deemed worthy of Bride membership.
· Matt. 27:52-53 speaks of Old Testament saints who were resurrected almost simultaneously with the resurrection of Jesus. It says that many were raised. It does not say that all/every one of the Old Covenant’s righteous were privileged to be in that company. We know that King David was not among them. Days after that event Peter stated that David was dead and buried and that he had not ascended into heaven. (Acts 2:29 & 34) It is apparent that he did not qualify for that aspect of the First Resurrection. It is unthinkable to assert that a name as honored throughout the Scriptures as that of King David would not be found in the Book of Life. Since he was not part of the First Resurrection it necessitates that he will be included in the Second Resurrection. That one takes place post the Millennium and is the summons for people to appear for the opening of the books at the aforementioned Great White Throne Judgment. The number of Old Covenant Jews who were not resurrected after Jesus resurrection is in the millions. Many of their names will be found in the Book of Life, because they were compliant with the Law of Moses prior to the Christian era.
· Jesus mentioned that the Queen of the South and the people of Nineveh who repented under Jonah’s preaching would stand up in judgment against the generation that had rejected Him. (Matthew 12:41-42) It would be highly unorthodox to assume that the hell-bound could sit in judgment against the hell-bound in the same judgment. This infers that the names of the Queen of the South who was greatly influenced by Solomon and the thousands of repentant Ninevehites will be found in the Book of Life.
· The next group is people of monotheistic cultures who existed before mankind degenerated into aberrant idolatry and abominable sexual sins. (Rom. 1:17-23) Archeologists and anthropologist concur that many of the cultures of antiquity were monotheistic. Dr. Don Richardson, author of Eternity in their hearts, cites conclusive proofs that many societies worshipped a Triune God featuring a Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Such groups had legends that parallel the Bible’s accounts of Adam and Eve, Noah, Melchizedek, Abraham and Isaac and Joseph. He mentions some aboriginal tribes of the Western Hemisphere in that context. Job was a contemporary of Abraham who knew God, but had no relatives among the twelve tribes of Israel. (Job 1:1 & 8, 19:25-27) He looked for the Coming of the Messiah and God called him righteous. Moses’ father-in-law Jethro/Reuel was a Midian priest. (Ex. 2:16-21, 4:18, 18:1-12) The Midianites were closely akin to the Arabs of antiquity. Some had such a strong confidence about God’s protection that they refused to wall their cities. Rom. 2:5-16 infers pertinent things about all of the aforementioned. Such had the Law of God written in their hearts/consciences. Those who persevere in following the dictates of conscience and perform good works indicate that they are seeking honor, glory, immortality and eternal life. In reference to such the Bible implies that at the judgment they will be rewarded with honor, glory and peace. That does not sound remotely like the fires of eternal damnation. Those who rejected conscience and refuse to follow it in doing good will be consigned to the lake of fire.
· There is another group that might be included with the one above. It is those who never heard the Gospel and those who might have heard it, but whose hearts were never opened by the Spirit to receive its message. Provided that they meet the criteria of flowing with conscience and did good things while seeking honor, glory, immortality and eternal life; their names might also be found in the Book of Life.
· The final group to be considered is those who will live as mortals during the Millennium. These are unlike the previously raptured believers who will have glorified bodies like that of Jesus after His resurrection. Those who enter the Millennium as mortals will live exceptionally long life-spans, but some will die. (Isa. 65:20) Following the principle that it is appointed for men to die once and to afterward face judgment, these will stand before the Great White Throne Judgment. Provided they are not among those who side with Satan’s attempt to wrestle the Kingdom from Jesus, their names will also likely be found in the Book of Life. Heaven might be their home, but they will not be counted among the redeemed of the Bride of Christ.
Conclusion
Hopefully this article has given you some ideas about how to better answer those who ask tough questions about Hell. If you are a believer, I urge you not to relax in your efforts to attain to the First Resurrection’s rapture. Be like the Apostle Paul and press toward the mark of your high calling. Granted, heaven will be wonderful. However, there is so much more for those who will reign and rule with Jesus throughout eternity. It is beneath your royal calling to simply settle for heaven when co-sovereignty is God’s will for you.
By Jim
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The godly response to adverse economic conditions
The world’s various stock markets are struggling to regain positive momentum. Enterprises from mega-corporations to the small businesses upon which most citizens depend for their employment, goods and services are experiencing similar traumas. The reeling indicates acute adjustments for most businesses and the panting deaths of some. How are believers to respond in a Christ honoring manner? How can Christians come through with victorious distinctions that separate them from the worldly that reject the Lord? It will require diligent faith coupled with believers exercising diligence in caring about the plight of their fellows as though such were their own. It’s the harmonious prayers of many that will heighten the potentials for individual saints to advance with prosperity while those that don’t have such support might tend to languish.
Despairing of Life
While ministering in Asia, Paul and his traveling companions found themselves in extremely hostile circumstances. He later described it as a burden that caused them to question whether or not they would make it through alive. It was a rioting mob of thousands of Ephesians screaming for their blood like present-day offended Muslims. (Acts 19:22-41) The apostolic team discerned the sentence of death upon them could only be circumvented by trusting in God rather than themselves. Though humanly unimaginable, the team’s deliverance came about by the voice of reason coming from an Ephesian civic leader. The power causing the murderous mob to breakup was an intervention from On High. It was facilitated by the prayers of many including the intercessions of those not onsite who systematically harmonized in prayer for his ministry. (2 Cor 1:8-11) In times of testing, there are no substitutes for the united prayers of agreement by God’s people declaring deliverance is in hand. Dire circumstances can worsen for any who don’t have such resources upon which they can depend. The Lord declared the Father will answer symphonies of united prayers relating to specific biblical requests. (Matt 18:19)
Diligence & Rest
The Scriptures encourage believers to be diligent about entering into God’s rest. (Heb 4:1-4, 11) The rest referred to is that which He enjoyed after the 6 days of creation. God made the decision to relax in the confidence that all He had created would continue to function as designed without His direct hands-on involvement. Root systems would nourish plants. The birds would not forget how to fly and Adam’s heart would continue to beat. Christians are to cultivate the faith to believe that all they’ve agreed about in prayer is an accomplished fact in God’s heart and theirs. Believers are capable of entering into genuine rest when all concerned know in their spirits that harmonious faith agreements have been achieved in relation to the particulars of their requests. They know they have done all necessary in a specific session to leave the results in God’s hands for safe keeping. It takes diligence to produce that kind of faith.
Diligence could be described as prompt and persistent attention towards an undertaking. In regards to prayer, diligence is just the opposite of what many Christians customarily exhibit. Procrastination coupled with elements of spiritual laziness prevents many from getting out of bed to pray and from setting time aside to gather with the saints about the urgent concerns of others. (Philip 2:4) The Word has a prediction for those who habitually fall into that category. Poverty comes upon those who are slack in their responsibilities. (Prov 10:4) Within the NT context, we’re all members of one Body. Negligence on the part of those who should be diligently activating faith on behalf of others can detrimentally influence the lives of those whom they are to hold dear. We are the Lord’s field. One plants another waters and God gives the increase. Breakdowns in diligence with many not doing their part diminish harvests. (1 Cor 3:7-9) Diligence in faith requires that we don’t lazily lag behind, but rather choose to become fervent in spirit about spiritual matters. (Rom 12:11) Considering the condition of our national economy, we must put an end to procrastinating, putting prayer off until tomorrow. Tomorrow is here and without God’s intervention the lives of many will be drastically altered.
Fabric for our High Priest’s Confessions
Jesus is the High Priest of our confessions. (Heb 3:1) Confession implies saying the same thing with our mouths that the Bible says about any worthy pursuit. The Word of God has plenty to say about economics. For starters, it says money is the answer to everything; the Lord will reveal how we can profit in the way we should go; we are to serve the Lord with joy and gladness for the abundance of all things; and that the blessings of the Lord make one rich and He adds no sorrow to it. (Eccl 10:19, Isa 48:17, Deut 28:47, Prov 10:22) In relation to troubles, it also says that God will rescue us, honor us and show us His salvation. (Psa 91:15-16) That includes our foolish indulgences in the cheap money spawned by the housing market bubble. That is the major source of our nation’s economic troubles and the chief accusation the enemy beats us over the head about. We can confess with confidence for ourselves and for those with whom we’re agreeing in prayer: God is going to rescue us; and will honor us by keeping us profitably employed and flowing in His abundance during this era of turbulence.
After we receive revelations of the Lord as Savior and Provider circumstances often arise that test our resolve. (Heb 10:32-39) During such times, we’re not to cast aside our confident assertions as such have great rewards. (Heb 10:35-36) The word for confidence in the cited text can be defined as bold speaking. Our bold assertions are the fabric of the confessions that Jesus presents at the throne of God.
Jesus our High Priest is also our Advocate/attorney in the courts of heaven. (1 Jn 2:1) If we fail to make positive confessions, He is silent as He has nothing from which to build our defense. However, our Bible-based confessions provide the materials for His High Priestly advocacy on our behalf. When others stand in agreement with us, their prayer confessions serve as depositions supporting our case. Such causes everything to work together for our welfare. Jesus is our Attorney and He’s never lost a case. His Father and ours is the Judge. Therefore, all rulings are bound to go our way. We can rest assured in these facts: Our Advocate will use our confessions and the like-minded deposition confessions of those in agreement for a winning closing argument. He and we have the Judge in our pockets and He will rule in our favor awarding us punitive damages from the accuser. What’s not to like?
Diligence in Confessions
Diligence in confessions requires all who are in agreement to make repetitive confessions to establish the objectives of such as realties in the hearts of all concerned. The Scriptures teach it is with the heart that we believe and it is with our mouths we make confessions into specific aspects of the Lord’s salvation. (Rom 10:8-10) Salvation encompasses more than deliverance from eternal woes in the afterlife. It includes rescues from harm in the here-and-now. In the Middle East that which we refer to as learning something by heart is understood as learning by mouth. Islamic school children can be heard in the streets reciting portions of the Quran in unison as they play. The same could be said of Orthodox Jewish children in relation to the Torah.
Along the same lines, Jesus said we are to have faith in God. The literal translation is, have the faith of God. To cultivate the God kind of faith to receive whatsoever we desire as we pray takes disciplined diligence. (Mk 11:22-24) The more we say it with our mouths before we pray it; the more we will believe in our heats that we have it when we do pray it.
Specifics
Thus far, I’ve attempted to establish the following: Our national economy is experiencing downturns that without the intervention of God have the potential to adversely affect every segment of our society. The Community of the Redeemed has a biblical alternative. It is agreeing in prayer with those who will diligently consider our welfare as one and the same as their own about whatever will nullify the adverse influences. Jesus, as our High Priestly Advocate confesses the prayer agreements before Father God resulting in heavenly favor for us.
Now we need to define the specifics of our prayer agreements pertinent to our economic well-being. Specificity about how to pray intensifies environments for optimum results. Therefore, it would be highly beneficial to provide your prayer partners with brief explanations of exactly what your business/vocation needs are in order for you to maintain stability. For some, it would be getting new contracts and the renewals of old ones; for others increased sales; for some exemplifying creativity identifying them as indispensable to their employers; and for others it’s new and/or second jobs. Windfalls from unexpected sources should be the anticipations of all to better their lives and to incite testimonies glorifying God.
Your description should contain the following: State your name, your vocation and specifically what you want agreed about in prayer. Here is an example of how a description might read: Mary Jones is employed as a blacksmith at Hooves & Shoes R Us. She needs more horses, mules and donkeys brought to her company that have lost shoes and/or had shoes wear out. She prefers equines that don’t kick and is in expectations of outrageously large windfall tips from owners. In addition, the company needs faster shipping from horse shoe manufactures.
I challenge you to diligently upgrade your faith capacities and to enlist prayers of agreement from others to assist you. I’m not leading you into uncharted waters. I’ve seen the principles I’ve espoused effectual for decades of personal experience. The bottom-line is trust in God is the only viable solution for the perils facing our nation.
Portions of this article were inspired by truths gleaned from Derek Prince’s 365 daily devotional titled, Declaring God’s Word. The devotionals cover many of the hundreds of distinct teachings topics of Derek’s vast repertoire. Each day’s reading with its declaration of faith is a single page in length and can be completed in less than 5 minutes. The DPM-USA website retails the book at $15.95 and the S&H averages about $5.00. Go to www.derekprince.org After registering click online store and look for the Devotional under books.