Pulling Down the Stronghold of “Generational Curses” off the Lives of Believers
Pulling the Stronghold of “Generational Curses” off the Lives of Believers
In Romans 7 the whole chapter Paul is dealing with the whole area of us trying to deal with fleshly behavioral patterns while living under the influence of the Law. Paul had just finished in chapters 5 and 6 helping us to understand that God In Christ has broken the power of sin in the lives of believers and just how it was accomplished. And in chapter 7 he continues by showing that under the law which Paul said was good in that it revealed to us just what sin was, yet while living under the Law one could never overcome those fleshly sinful tendencies that we all have. Then in the closing of chapter 7 and on into chapter 8 Paul explains to us how the flesh is dealt with. Notice Paul never once in speaking to the Roman believers that he was writing to speaks of demonic oppression or activity; he instead speaks of believers overcoming the flesh by the Spirit.
If you will carefully notice in Paul’s writings as well as the other First Century apostolic fathers the focus was never on the demonic or the power of satan but rather it was on whom we are IN Christ and what was so freely accomplished and given to believers IN Christ. In the teaching and ministry of Christ we never see satan and his demons other than as defeated. The words of Christ in Matt. 28:18 really say it all: “ALL authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” If that is true and the First Century writers tell us it is, then how much authority does that leave satan and this followers? I’ll answer that for you, NONE! NONE; what-so-ever! In fact the only thing satan has working for his is deceit and if we know who we are IN Christ, we’ll quickly catch his lies and bring them into submission to Christ, it’s in our hands how we react to or respond to satan’s deceit. This is how sin enters our lives; through our thought life and if we continue to meditate on wrongful/lustful thoughts eventually they will conceive and bring forth birth to sin in our lives and when sin is accomplished it will bring forth death (Jms. 1:14-15). One brother put it this way “The gates of hell are between our ears!”
Paul did very clearly speak of the power of sin in Rom. 6:14-18 but he goes on to say that as believer’s “sin shall not be master over us; for we are not under Law but Grace.” Yes, sin has power but Grace has the greater power. Grace is the key to living a victorious life IN Christ Jesus. The reason for the success of the First Century Church was they were taught the words and teachings of Christ from the beginning by sitting at the apostle’s feet, and they not only heard they obeyed the Gospel. Those that choose not to obey but lied to the Holy Spirit didn’t get prophetic ministry or receive deliverance they were permanently removed from their midst. This was also true in 1 Cor. 5:1-13 the wicked man who called himself a brother was removed and delivered over to satan for the destruction of the flesh. Paul put much emphasis on the individual believer obeying the Truth especially in matters of moral behavior. He said for them not to even associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a partier, a drunkard, or a swindler, don’t even eat with one such as this! We would call the prayer warriors and the deliverance team and have a grand old deliverance meeting right on the spot. But Paul put this one out, and said to do the same to others who called themselves believers that engaged in that life-style. Paul said that it was in turning this one over to satan for the destruction of the flesh that his spirit might be saved in the day of our Lord Jesus. Paul didn’t take him through prophetic or generational curses teaching of deliverance, this guy was a brother who in knowing the Truth choose willingly to enter into sin.
Paul the First Century apostle to the Gentiles taught them that God’s salvation was a gift, it could not be earned, and it came freely by grace through faith. He told the believers in Rome that “having been justified by faith, we (now) have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Paul then goes on in Rom. 5:2 to explain how grace and faith work together for us to lead victorious Christian lives just look at what he says; “through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.”
How do we live, how do we stand when trial or temptations come? Paul told us the same way we are saved; “by grace through faith” we are to daily walk out our Christian lives (Eph. 2:8-9; Col. 2:6). “Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk IN Him.” We received Him by grace through faith daily we live by grace through faith. We learn to stand in every situation or circumstance that confronts us the same way by faith IN His amazing grace. Paul’s way to live the overcoming Christian life; to live victoriously IN Christ Jesus was learning to live in the abundance of grace so richly supplied to us IN Christ Jesus. (1 Cor. 15:10; 2 Cor. 12:7-10; Gal. 2:20; Eph. 2:8; Phil. 4:11-13; Col. 1:29; to name a few and don’t forget Paul’s word to son Timothy in 2 Tim. 2:1; “You therefore my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.”)
To be strong in the grace that is IN Christ Jesus compels us to grow more and more in our knowledge of and relationship to Him. To be strong in the grace that is IN Christ Jesus means to be totally dependant upon Him His strength and not upon our flesh or our ability, this was the lesson Paul had learned and now he passes it on to his spiritual son Timothy and then on to us today who read his epistles. This requires us to understand that everything we need now and in the life to come is abundantly supplied us IN Christ and we don’t have to go back and dig up past junk it was dealt with at the cross. When we repent we don’t have to dig up every past sin, or go back and dig up every past sexual encounter or sexual partner we ever had, nor do we have to ask forgiveness of our ancestor’s sin done before we were even born, that is covered in Christ and the cross. IF WE OBEYED THE GOSPEL IN OUR SALVATION EXPERIENCE WE ARE FREE AND THE ONE SET FREE IN CHRIST IS FREE INDEED! If we did not obey the Gospel has presented so clearly by Peter in Acts 2:38 very simply we by an act of our own will make that choice and by faith receive what God has so freely given us IN Christ.
Blessings
Jerry Sorrow<
Having All Yet Living like Paupers
Having All Yet Living like Paupers
I wonder why?
By Not Knowing What We Have Received IN Christ
Eph. 1:3
“May blessing (praise, laudation, and eulogy) be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) Who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual (given by the Holy Spirit) blessing in the heavenly realm!”
I wonder how many Christians today actually grasp what Paul is saying here in Ephesians 1:3? But not only here in this verse but in almost all of Paul’s writing we find things that would literally set us free IF we could just get a Holy Ghost grip on them. Note also in Paul’s writing when he speaks of the things that the Father has accomplished for us IN Christ it is always in the PAST TENSE. These aren’t promises somewhere off in the future they are for us now IF we believe them.
Consider this IF I/we were IN Christ in His death, buried with Him, and then raised up with Him on the 3rd day in His glorious resurrection, as the Bible says we are, then why do we as believers run here and there, to this conference and that outpouring trying to get more when God has already given us His Best IN Christ? If what Paul said in Rom. 6:1-11 is actually true and the Bible states it as historical fact, then what I have to do is by faith receive what God’s word says about me to be true. I don’t have to get another word spoken over me, me I don’t have to go get some super-apostolic blessing on my life. I’m not saying these things are bad in and of them selves what I am saying is I need to learn to rejoice in what He has already accomplished for me IN His blessed Son, and not run here and there seeking what is already mine. In other words I need to have a revelation of who I am IN Him and who HE is and what He has accomplished IN me. Remember in all of Paul’s epistles his desire was that his readers grow in their revelation of Christ.
Rom. 6:1-11
1. WHAT SHALL we say [to all this]? Are we to remain in sin in order that God’s grace (favor and mercy) may multiply and overflow? [God’s grace gives us power over sin, not to live with it, but to overcome it (Rom. 5:20-21). Sin has power but grace has the greater power].
2. Certainly not! How can we who died to sin live in it any longer? [If what Paul says is true and we died to sin, then we no longer owe sin a red cent when he comes knocking on the door. We owe that old man nothing he has no hold on us, unless we yield to him].
3. Are you ignorant of the fact that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? [Many Christians today do not understand what actually transpired at the resurrection. They don’t understand that those called and ordained of God before the foundations of the earth where IN Him partakers of all that He endured on the cross. We may not know it, feel it, or understand it but according to God’s word it is historical fact. If we can grasp that then it will help us to understand Eph. 2:5-6; Col. 2:9-13: 3:1-3. Paul called this a fact, it is a historical truth done and accomplished for us through Christ].
4. We were buried therefore with Him by the baptism into death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious [power] of the Father, so we too might [habitually] live and behave in newness of life! [Paul by the Holy Spirit explains for us our part in what happened in the cross event. Although physically we may not have been there yet through God’s election we were partakers with Christ, we who were dead in trespasses and sin were made alive to God IN Christ].
5. For if we have become one with Him by sharing a death like His, we shall also be [one with Him in sharing] His resurrection [by a new life lived for God]. [In His death and burial we were IN Christ, but now as we emerge from the waters of baptism His resurrection life now comes to abide IN us. This is the moment of new creation the old has passed away, behold all things become new. It is no longer just us IN Christ, it is now Christ IN us the hope of glory]!
6. We know that our old (unrenewed) self was nailed to the cross with Him in order that [our] body [which is the instrument] of sin might be made ineffective and inactive for evil, that we might no longer be the slaves of sin.
[God accomplished for us IN Christ and the cross even what we could never accomplish for ourselves. Because of sin we could never come into the presence of a Holy and righteous God, we were in slave to sin and that old sin nature stood between us and a Holy God. We couldn’t crucify ourselves to die to sin God did it for us in the Body of His Son. Through God’s Sovereignty and grace He accomplished it for us. By His stripes we were healed]!
7. For when a man dies, he is freed (loosed, delivered) from [the power of] sin [among men]. [Paul is saying that once dead sin no longer has power over your life. If I die the one I’m indebted to can no longer collect from me, I’m dead you can’t collect from a dead man].
8. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, [Dying with Christ is not like physical death where they put you in a box and cover you up, NO! If we partake of His cross and His burial we believe according to Paul’s word, that we shall also live together with Him. Our death together with is the beginning of eternity for us; death no longer has a hold on us. We have become part of God’s New Creation, the New Thing that God is doing upon the earth].
9. Because we know that Christ (the Anointed One), being once raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has power over Him. [If we know that death no longer has power over Christ then can we believe that in Him death no longer has any power over us? Paul knew these earth suits we now live in would someday pass away, but to be absent from this short-lived is to be present with the Lord. Paul, Peter, and many others throughout the ages have been willing to lay down their earth life for the Gospel’s sake].
10. For by the death He died, He died to sin [ending His relation to it] once for all; and the life that He lives, He is living to God [in unbroken fellowship with Him]. [Christ broke once and for all time His relationship to sin by His obedience to the Father, and IF we are IN Him then our relationship with habitual sin should also be broken. Christ now lives in unbroken fellowship with the Father and with that in mind we also know that God has also raised us up with Him, the Father, seating us together with Him in unbroken fellowship IN Christ (Eph. 2:5-6; Col. 3:1-3)].
11. Even so consider yourselves also dead to sin and your relation to it broken, but alive to God [living in unbroken fellowship with Him] in Christ Jesus. [We say again that Christ brought us into unbroken relationship with the Father. We are NOW/PRESENTLY seated with the Father in the heavenly realm IN the Son, Christ Jesus. God is holy He has no part with sin; or relationship with God lost in the 1st Man Adam’s fall is restored to us as New Covenant believers through the obedience of the Last Man Adam. How do we receive this historic fact, by simply receiving by faith what Christ has accomplished for us? John 1:12 said; “those who receive the Son are given the right to become children of God.” We simply by faith through His grace receive the heavenly gift and daily live out our lives IN Christ the same way we entered in, by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8; Col. 2:6). This is our walk. Here is one Scripture you should memorize because it capsulates all of history. “For as by one man’s disobedience many were sinners, so by the obedience of ONE many shall be made righteous” (Rom. 5:19). God’s first king, Adam, failed at the point of obedience. God’s last and ultimate King succeeded where the first king failed!].
If we are not walking in the rank and privilege we have as believers then we have no one to blame but ourselves, God has given us His word. If our teachers aren’t teaching us then we must with the Holy Spirit’s help seek out these truths for ourselves. In the Old Covenant God gave His people power to obtain material wealth that His covenant with them might be revealed for the nations to see. In the New Covenant God has given us power/authority/ the right to become children of God that He might reveal His Son through us. The real wealth is IN the Son not in the size of our bank accounts or the kind of car we drive. “But to as many as did receive and welcome Him, He gave the authority (power, privilege, right) to become the children of God, that is, to those who believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) His name” (Jn. 1:12).
In Ephesians 1:1-8; we can find just how lavish a giver God is, do we know, do we understand that when God gave us Christ we received the greatest gift of ALL and really there is no earthly reason to keep nickeling and diming the Father for this or for that, He gave us ALL we will ever have need of IN the Son.
1. PAUL, AN apostle (special messenger) of Christ Jesus (the Messiah), by the divine will (the purpose and the choice of God) to the saints (the consecrated, set-apart ones) at Ephesus who are also faithful and loyal and steadfast in Christ Jesus: [Paul was chosen by God with no apparent qualifications to be His apostle to the Gentiles but God not only called him but also qualified him. Paul was God’s sent one with a message for Gentiles who up to now had not really had much opportunity to hear the word of God. But Paul said, “That God who had chosen him from his mother’s womb was pleased to reveal His son in me that he might preach Him among the Gentiles” (Gal. 1:15-16). So here in Ephesians 1 we have Paul revealing to a mostly Gentile Church all the wonderful things God had so lavishly given them IN Christ].
2. May grace (God’s unmerited favor) and spiritual peace [which means peace with God and harmony, unity, and undisturbedness] be yours from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. [Paul’s normal apostolic greeting to those he called ‘saints’ at the Church in Ephesus. Grace is more than just God’s unmerited favor it is God’s ability working in us to live this Christian life].
3. May blessing (praise, laudation, and eulogy) be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) Who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual (given by the Holy Spirit) blessing in the heavenly realm! [In a very real sense this is what the Christian life is “praise and adoration” to a Holy God who has given us so much. Jesus told the woman at the well God is seeking worshippers, this doesn’t mean our Sunday morning worship, but all of our lives devoted to worshipping Him. Paul called it “our spiritual service of worship” in Rom. 12:1 and described our worship as the way we stayed constantly filled with His Spirit in Ephesus 5:18-21. Why then do we give this “spiritual service of worship” to our God? Because; “He is worthy because; He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in heavenly IN Christ!” So let me ask what spiritual blessing are you/we falling short off? Then possibly as Brother Lawrence wrote in his little book so many years ago; we need to practice more and more the presence of God; acknowledging His Holy Spirit’s presence in our lives at all times. He never leaves us nor forsakes us].
4. Even as [in His love] He chose us [actually picked us out for Himself as His own] in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy (consecrated and set apart for Him) and blameless in His sight, even above reproach, before Him in love. [Wow! Remember when we were discussing Romans 3 I said God had chosen us, set us apart unto Himself, before the foundations of the earth, well here Paul verifies it for us. Paul describes not only how God has set us apart, but also how we should live before Him; “holy and blameless in love.” How is this possible you might ask? By the wonderful riches of His grace which He lavished upon us IN Christ. Our lives are lived daily by our faith in His grace to enable us to live out this Christ life. Sin has power but the life lived by grace is empowered to overcome and defeat sin in any situation].
5. For He foreordained us (destined us, planned in love for us) to be adopted (revealed) as His own children through Jesus Christ, in accordance with the purpose of His will [because it pleased Him and was His kind intent]— [From the beginning God had a plan, and we who are IN Christ were a part of that plan. His plan was to bring us into His family as His very own children through Christ Jesus. This is what God wanted to do, and it gave Him great pleasure in accomplishing His plan].
6. [So that we might be] to the praise and the commendation of His glorious grace (favor and mercy), which He so freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. [(What pleasure He took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of His lavish gift-giving by the hand of His beloved Son. This was God’s plan from before the creation to adopt us into His family through His Beloved Son].
7. In Him we have redemption (deliverance and salvation) through His blood, the remission (forgiveness) of our offenses (shortcomings and trespasses), in accordance with the riches and the generosity of His gracious favor, 8. Which He lavished upon us in every kind of wisdom and understanding (practical insight and prudence), [God through Christ’s sacrifice for us has set us free. We’ve been redeemed through the shed blood of Christ, our sins are forgiven, blotted out never to be remembered, and this was all accomplished through the riches of His grace. This was God’s work IN Christ; we could do nothing to save ourselves it was done for us. We have every reason to praise our God. It was all His doing, He thought of everything and provided us with everything we need to not only live this Christian life, but also to accomplish His detailed plan and purpose (good works) that He had already prepared beforehand, that we should accomplish them. We could never brag or take credit it is all our through our faith in His grace, His abundant power to accomplish all of this for us. (Eph. 2:5-9)]
Everything has been done and provided for us not only that He provided us the empowerment to accomplish all this, He gave us the Holy Spirit. It is through the Life of the Spirit in us that God’s plan, His work for our lives will be accomplished. Far too many seek the riches that fail but God IN Christ has given us the true riches and they are ours IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST (Col. 2:1-3). In fact it is by growing in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus that Peter tells us we’ll find that “God’s divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness” (2 Pet. 1:3).
Divorce and the Believer Part 1
Divorce and the Believer Part 1
Are there absolutely no grounds for divorce in a Christian marriage? This has long been an issue in the Church and even now here in Okinawa there are many whose lives have been shattered by wrong teachings and misunderstandings concerning this issue.
“And He [Jesus] answered and said, ‘Have you not read, that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female and said, ‘For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and the two shall become one flesh’? Consequently they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together let no man separate” (Matt. 19:5-6).
By these words, “…let no man ["anthropos" - a human being] separate [come between them],” Jesus let those who had asked the question understand that no person had a right to desire the spouse of another and attempt to seduce him/her away from his/her spouse; which would line up with The Ten Commandments on two points “You shall not commit adultery,” and “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife or his male servant or his female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor” (Ex. 20:14;17).
The above verses Matt. 19:5-6 in a little session that Jesus had with some Pharisees who were testing Him trying to entrap Him so that they would have some charge to bring against Him. One man teaches that because this whole episode took place in the area where Herod had power/jurisdiction that they were trying to try Jesus into the same fate of John the Baptist that He might be beheaded, but more on that erroneous thought later.
The 1st Century setting: The Jews had not been living under the Old Covenant Theocracy for over 400 years by the Time of Christ and they hadn’t up to this moment brought into the conversation, the divorce Law under Moses.
They had merely asked the question,” Is it lawful to divorce his wife for any cause at all?” After hearing Jesus’ history lesson regarding the intentions of God for creating Marriage in the first place, the Questioners appeared to believe they had Jesus in an uncomfortable position, as they then challenged Him with the Law under Moses:
“They said to Him,’Why then did Moses command to GIVE HER A CERTIFICATE OF DIVORCE AND SEND her AWAY?’
Matthew reports Jesus’ reply: “He [Jesus] said to them, ‘Because of your hardness of heart, Moses permitted you to divorce your wives; but from the beginning it has not been this way.’”
Jesus was providing them the target moral reason why a right to Divorce had been necessary (the divorce law instituted by Moses) and why this right had remained in effect within a morally fallen world.
By replying to the “test” question in such a manner, Jesus targeted the underlying moral failure of Mankind – both, male and female – to live within the “intentions” of God.
Within this initial reply to the “test” question, Jesus did not deny that Moses had instituted a divorce right or that a divorce right remained.
That Jesus intended to correct the false statement they had made (within the question asked) is clear by His replies.
Jesus, continued His reply by targeting the lie within their question, said:
“And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery…”
This reply exposed the deceit within their initial question regarding, their use of the words,
“…for any cause at all.” —
Here, once more, is the question Jesus was responding to:
“And some Pharisees came to Him, testing Him, and saying, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause at all?”
Jesus stated clearly in this reply to the “test” question, what they already knew to be true.
They knew divorce had NOT been lawful or moral for,”…any cause at all.”
They knew full well what Moses had said in Deut. 24:1-4; but we must also remember that the Jews of Jesus’ time were heavily influenced by the “Oral Law’ which Jesus referred to as “the traditions of men” and that in the ‘Oral Law’ or Talmud women were looked down up even despised. Perhaps this is why even Jesus’ own disciples questioned Jesus on His answer to the Pharisees in Matt. 19:10 they also had been heavily influenced by the traditions of men.
Jesus exposed their attempt at deceit, and noted that under Moses there had been a divorce right (and He did not deny that there would be a divorce “right” under the New Covenant).
He used His own authority to affirm it: “And I say to you …”
Jesus made a defining statement within the context of the question asked (that is how He always responded.)
One of the reasons it is sometimes difficult to understand some of Jesus’ responses (by the present-day reader) is because HE consistently went for the TARGET MORALITY.
When He stated that if an eye caused you to sin (Matthew 5:29) a person should remove the eye, He was not teaching self-mutilation…
Jesus often taught using strong comparisons – powerful imaging – in order to teach that essential morality. Achieving that essential morality Jesus was pointing to can only be accomplished in the New Covenant by learning to live life in the Spirit and not in the flesh.
Here, it is the lesson that sin (unrepented of) has terrible consequences ~ living in sin brings separation from God.
Let’s touch again on the issue of Target Morality by looking at the teaching of Christ in Matt. 5:27-28: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery;’ but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”
That is a hard thing, how many of us can control our thought’s so well that no evil lustful thought ever comes up? I know I can’t in fact we all have thoughts but our advantage over the Old Covenant Jews is found in the INDWELLING SPIRIT OF GRACE. IN CHRIST THERE IS A WAY. We all have thoughts some good some bad but as believers we are told that; we should renew our minds, we are told that IF we have been raised up with Christ that we are to keep seeking the things above (seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness) setting our minds on things above not on earthly things. For as Christians we have (past tense) died and our lives are hidden with Christ IN God! Also we learn from the writings of Paul that through the teaching of God’s word all thought strongholds against the knowledge of God that are in our minds or in our locality can be torn down and that our thoughts can be brought captive to the obedience of Christ (Rom. 12:1-2; Col. 3:1-3; Matt. 6:33; 2 Cor. 10:4-6. The context of 2 Cor. 10:1-6 is apostolic teaching or preaching not charismatic or Pentecostal spiritual warfare as is often practiced in today’s church world). Jesus never gives us something to do, a way to live, etc., etc. that He does not also give us the grace/His power to accomplish it!
So for us as New Covenant believers we must depend up His grace daily to live up to our full potential as believers. We must grasp the teachings of Paul in Rom. 5-8 and truly see ourselves as not only being dead to sin but made alive by the resurrection of Christ and raised up with Him to be Him as new creation beings. We don’t have to submit to fleshly lusts IFwe’re IN Christ, He not only made a way He is the Way!
Staying in Matthew 5 for a short while longer let’s move on to Matt. 5:32-33 where again Jesus raises the bar for life in the Kingdom. He sets our sights on something higher something that can only be accomplished by those who walk in Spirit and not in the flesh, those who walk by faith and not by sight. God has given us a way by the Indwelling Life of the Holy Spirit to live godly lives and have godly marriages.
In what we so often call the Beatitudes we see Jesus upon a mountain in the region of Galilee (Matt. 5:1) speaking to His disciples; some would say He was also speaking to the crowds or the multitude (Matt. 7:28-29). Later in Matt. 19:1-11 when Jesus was questioned by the Pharisees concerning the matter of divorce He was in the region of Judea in Herod’s jurisdiction. Because of this one man teaches that the Pharisees were trying to trick Jesus into the same fate as John the Baptist; to beheaded by Herod but that is not the case. He teaches that the word used in Matt. 19:9; “that the only reason one can divorce their spouse is for the reason of ‘incest’ and because this incident took place in Herod’s jurisdiction that is how the word “immorality” must be interpreted in that verse. So incest would be the only criteria for divorce from the way I understand his teaching. Yet, Matt. 5:27-32 is the ‘first mention’ of adultery and divorce by Jesus and should set the standard by which we interpret His later words in Matt. 19:1-11. Matt. 5-7 did not take place in Judea or in Herod’s jurisdiction rather in Galilee at the beginning of Jesus’ teaching ministry yet we see almost if not the identical wording in Matt. 5:32 that we see in Matt. 19:9.
Mat 5:32 ButG1161 IG1473 sayG3004 unto you,G5213 ThatG3754 whosoeverG3739 G302 shall put awayG630 hisG848 wife,G1135 saving forG3924 the causeG3056 of fornication,G4202 causethG4160 herG846 to commit adultery:G3429 andG2532 whosoeverG3739 G1437 shall marryG1060 her that is divorcedG630 committeth adultery.G3429
Mat 19:9 AndG1161 I sayG3004 unto you,G5213 WhosoeverG3739 G302 shall put awayG630 hisG848 wife,G1135 exceptG1508 it be forG1909 fornication,G4202 andG2532 shall marryG1060 another,G243 committeth adultery:G3429 andG2532 whoso marriethG1060 her which is put awayG630 doth commit adultery.G3429
So the issue in Matt. 19:9 has nothing at all to do with Herod’s incestuous relationship with Herodias his Brother Phillip’s wife but with Jesus’ answer to the Pharisee’s test question, which Jesus answered with the same wording He used back at the beginning of His teaching ministry in Galilee far away from any fear or influence from Herod. The word fornication in both instances covers a broad range of immoral acts in which both incest and adultery can both play a part:
πορνεία
porneia
por-ni’-ah
From G4203; harlotry (including adultery and incest); figuratively idolatry: – fornication
Jesus was not trying to single out incest as the only reason divorce would be allowed, He was covering a broad range of immoral acts that can come into a marriage situation IF one or even both partners allow the flesh to rule in their lives. We must remember that as believers Jesus is not just giving free reign for us to divorce for He has given us by His Spirit the ability to overcome the flesh and live godly lives well pleasing to the Father, but if one partner chooses not to live up to their potential IN Christ by engaging in immoral acts we can divorce that unfaithful partner, by the very words and teachings of Christ.
We must remember that the very God who in Mal 2:16 said “I hate divorce,”
[Mal 2:16 For the LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the LORD of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously] also said in verses 15 and 16 how the people of Israel had dealt “treacherously” with their mates. The word treacherously as used in Mal. 2:10-11
H898
בּגד
bâgad
baw-gad’
A primitive root; to cover (with a garment); figuratively to act covertly; by implication to pillage: – deal deceitfully (treacherously, unfaithfully), offend, transgress (-or), (depart), treacherous (dealer, -ly, man), unfaithful (-ly, man), X very.
This same God who hates divorce as l put away the nation of Israel for her treachery/unfaithfulness to Him.
Hos 2:2 Plead with your mother, plead: for she is not my wife, neither am I her husband: let her therefore put away her whoredoms out of her sight, and her adulteries from between her breasts;
Jer 31:32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:
Jer 3:8 And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.
Isa 50:1 Thus saith the LORD, Where is the bill of your mother’s divorcement, whom I have put away? or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you? Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves, and for your transgressions is your mother put away.
God’s covenant with Israel was always conditional on Israel was conditional: “IF you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, THEN you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine.” When Israel continued in her adulterous ways God eventually divorced her bringing and end to the Old Covenant Age and bringing forth a New Covenant IN Christ.
It is also interesting to note Israel’s fate as prophesied by Jesus to His disciples in Matt. 24; she was both torn down and her stones were burned by? Titus and the Roman Army in 70 AD. Lev. 21:9 gives a little insight on what was to happen to the daughter of a priest who profanes herself by harlotry; “She profanes her father, she shall be burned with fire.”
In the New Covenant immorality brings with it judgments, Paul told his readers in 1 Cor. 5:9-11 not to associate with anyone who calls himself a brother who is an fornicator or an immoral person, and Heb. 13:4 is speaking of those who defile the wedding bed “whoremongers and adulterors God will judge.” God does not judge the innoceint brother or sister who finds themselves in these kind of marital traps but by His spoken word Jesus gives them a way out.
This is my opinion and not thus saith the Lord but I firmly believe God set the precedent on divorce first by His putting away the Northern Kingdom, Israel, and then later her sister Judah both for exactly the same reason unfaithfulness to the covenant He had made with them. Now IN Christ married couples are equipped by the Spirit to live godly lives and have godly marriages but if per chance one or the other partner act treacherously toward the other Jesus gave us an exception clause to come out of a bad relationship; we can divorce an unfaithful spouse. I do believe that wherever possible restoration is much more preferable to divorce but out off seeing many of these situations unfold throughout the years I know divorce is many times the best way out. Divorce does not automatically mean that the one who chooses divorce is headed for destruction or that God can never use them I’ve seen far too many cases where God blessed what seemed a no-win situation and many times restored to them much more than they had lost. It was through God’s putting away Old Covenant Israel that the Message of the Kingdom went forth to the Gentile nations out of Israel’s fall as a nation our salvation came, and even now if they will receive The Promised Son they also can be restored.
Jerry R. Sorrow <
Ginowan City, Okinawa
098-892-1833 phone & fax
This is the first part I am working on part 2 for a later date.
San Diego County officials shut down home Bible study
San Diego County officials shut down home Bible study
County official interrogates pastor and his wife
May 28, 2009
To Americans who believe in liberty READ THISl,
A San Diego pastor and his wife have been told they cannot have a Bible study in their home. The couple says they were interrogated by a San Diego County official, then threatened with ever increasing fines if they refuse to stop the Bible study. (See news article here)
According to the couple’s attorney, they were questioned about the Bible study. “‘Do you have a regular meeting in your home?” The pastor’s wife replied, “Yes.” “Do you say ‘amen’?” the official asked. “Yes,” she replied. “Do you pray?” Again she said, “Yes.” “Do you say ‘praise the Lord’?” Another “Yes.” The official told the pastor and his wife they were in violation of county rules.
The Bible study usually has an average of about 15 people.
A few days later they got a written warning that listed the home Bible study an “unlawful use of land.” They were notified to “stop religious assembly or apply for a major use permit,” which could cost them thousands of dollars.
Could a small poetry club meet regularly in a home? Apparently, yes. What about a Cub Scout meeting? Evidently, yes. What if they meet regularly to watch Monday Night Football? Obviously, yes.
Take Action!
• Sign the petition supporting the couple’s right to hold the small Bible study in their home. The petition will go to the San Diego Board of Supervisors.
• Please forward this to others and ask them to sign. We will present the petitions to the San Diego Board of Supervisors.
TAKE ACTION
• Sign the petition supporting the couple’s right to hold the small Bible study in their home. The petition will go to the San Diego Board of Supervisors.
• Please forward this to others and ask them to sign. We will present the petitions to the San Diego Board of Supervisors.
https://secure.afa.net/afa/activism/signpetition.asp?id=1850
“You Are The Christ, The Son Of The Living God.”
Simon Peter answered,
“You Are The Christ, The Son Of The Living God.”
Matthew 16:16
(The definition of the word Christ is simply the Anointed One. So when Peter made his famous statement in Matt. 16:16; “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” He was actually saying You are the Anointed One, the Messiah that Israel has been waiting for. Messiah is the Hebrew for Anointed, with Christos being the Greek from which the name Christ is derived).
In 1 Samuel 2:10, we find Hanna, Samuel’s mother using the word anointed for the first time in the Bible. She had prophetic revelation that her young son Samuel would be used by the Lord to anoint God’s king for Israel. We know of course later Samuel anointed both Saul and David. As you read some of the Messianic cross references to this verse you’ll find many in the Psalms that look ahead not only to King David, a type of the Messiah, but they also have future fulfillment in Jesus The Christ, the Anointed One.
What I want us to see is that this ‘Anointed One’ Hanna speaks of means ’Anointed to be King’ and is looking far ahead past King David and Solomon to Jesus. Look with me in Ps. 2:1-9; which is a Messianic Psalm looking ahead to Jesus our Lord and Christ. The second time the word anointed is used in Scripture is found here in verse 2. “The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take council together, Against the Lord and against His Anointed.” This is exactly what was happening in Jesus’ earthly ministry. Both the Jews and the Romans conspiring together to kill God’s Anointed. In fact if we take this Psalm in sequence we can actually see when the Father set the Son, as King, on His Holy Hill of Zion (verse 6). If this Psalm is in sequence and I believe it is verse seven holds the answer. Paul interprets this verse for us in Acts 13:33.
In Acts 13 Paul is talking to unconverted Jews giving a history of the events that lead up to the Christ. In verse 22 Paul tells his listeners that after God removed Saul from being king over the nation, He then raised up David a man after His own heart. That from the descendants of David, according to promise, God brought forth a Savior, Jesus. In verse 27 Paul goes on to say that those in Jerusalem, and their rulers neither recognized their Savior nor the words spoken of concerning by the prophets of old, actually fulfilled those prophetic words by condemning Him. That even when they could find no grounds for putting Him to death they asked Pilate that He be executed; then Paul continues by saying in verse 30, “But God raised Him from the dead.”
Paul’s message to the unconverted Jews was, “The Good News of the promise made to the Fathers” (verse 32). “That God has fulfilled this promise to our children in that He raised up Jesus, as it is written in the Second Psalm, “You are My Son TODAY I have begotten You” (verse 33)
Let’s take a moment an look at Psalms 2, at least up through verse seven. I want to share with you what I Believe Scripture says concerning this starting from a very prophetic portion of Scripture Psalm 2:1-7:
1. Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing? (Because the god of this world system has blinded their minds).
2-3. This is exactly what happened when the Jews and the Romans plotted against Jesus and killed/murdered Him. The early apostles used this Scripture in Acts 4:25 after they had faced persecution from the Jewish leaders.
4-5. God quite literally laughs at them. Had they know what they were doing Scripture says they would not have done so, but again their minds were blinded. God spoke to the nation of Israel through His Son, Heb. 1:2; “Has in the last days (literally the last days of the Old Covenant Age, or Age of Moses) spoken to us by His Son. Whom He appointed heir of all things. Through whom He made the world.” God throughout the Gospels warned the apostate nation of the judgment that was to come on that generation, the generation that rejected the Promise, and missed the Kingdom. Matt. 12:39; 41-42; 45; 23:34-36; 24:2-34 are only some of the verses Jesus Himself
targeted toward the ‘terminal generation’ that crucified Him. Also Matt. 21:43, would clearly show that the Kingdom was taken from natural Israel and given to the Church, the Israel of God, where neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails much but a new creation (Gal. 6:15-16).
6. In verse 2 we see the word Anointed/Messiah used I believe for actually the 2nd time in Scripture, and again we see the same thought continued in verse 6, but instead of Anointed here he uses King. The Amp. Bible says, “I have anointed [installed and placed] My King [firmly] on My Holy Hill of Zion.” We have to understand as we read these passage that they are written in order, there is a sequence used here, from the nations revolting against God and His Anointed and the enthronement of the King. As we go on to read verse 7 we see more of the time frame these things happened in.
7. “I will declare the decree; The Lord has said to Me, ‘You are My Son’ Today I have begotten You.” Speaking to us of Christ the first born from among the dead ones. In verses 6 & 7 the Psalmist makes Jesus’ birth and enthronement one event, if He is fathered by God He reigns. But in Acts 13:33; Paul tells us that verse 7 speaks of His resurrection and enthronement. In Acts 13, Paul again lays out for us a sequence of events starting with Israel’s enslavement in Egypt, their coming into the land, their desire for a king, on up to God sending them a Savior, Jesus, who they then condemned fulfilling all that had been written about Him by hanging Him on a tree. So Paul goes on to say in verse 32-33, That in Christ’s the Anointed Ones resurrection from the dead God fulfilled that which was made to the Fathers. He by the Spirit interpreted Psalm 7 for us by showing us that it was at His resurrection that Jesus was set in as King. In Romans 1:4; Paul’s tells us that Jesus was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection. Wow! The Church doesn’t have to turn the Kingdom over to the King, it’s already His. How can you give something to someone they already possess?
Peter on the Day of Pentecost also quoted David in Acts 2:29-36. Here we see David a prophet not looking ahead to the 2nd coming and an earthly Jewish throne, but seeing ahead to the resurrection as the fulfillment of the promise God made to him in 2 Sam. 7:13-14. And went on to say, “that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified both Lord and Christ.”
Peter also stated that what was happening on the Day of Pentecost was that which was spoken of by the prophet Joel. That it was the fulfillment of what Joel had prophesied so many years earlier. (Contrary to what the Scofield Reference Bible teaches, “That it was like that which was spoken of by the prophet Joel). Not only did Joel speak to us of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon all flesh, literally the whole earth being immersed in the Holy Spirit, Joel also spoke to us of the regathering of the nation. This actually begin with the ministry of John the Baptist as God, through John’s ministry, allured her/Israel into the wilderness, where all Judah went to hear John, as God spoke comfort to her through John’s ministry of reconciliation, as his message turned the hearts of the children back to the God of their fathers (References: Joel 3:1-2; Isaiah 40 The Comforting of Zion,” Mal. 4:5-6; and Matt. 3:1-2; Lk. 1: 15-17).
We can see that on the Day of Pentecost that God was gathering, as a new and holy nation was birthed as Peter opened the doors of the Kingdom first to the Jews who heard his first apostolic message and received their Messiah. Acts 2:5 tells us that on that day, “There were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven.” This was the remnant along with the 120 who had been in the ‘upper room’ prayer meeting that God used to bring the “True Israel of God” into New Covenant reality. This is the True Israel of God that Paul speaks of in Gal. 6:15-16, “Where neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails much but a new creation.” (This is the work of the Holy Spirit in the earth realm today bring forth the new creation).
Jesus had told the apostate religious leaders of the nation that the Kingdom was taken from them and given to a nation bearing the fruit (Matt. 21:43), and on the Day of Pentecost a nation was birthed in one day, a new and holy nation comprised of both Jew and Gentile believers. This is the “one new man” Paul spoke of in Eph. 2:11-22. (Please note in those verses this is a done deal “Who MADE both groups one.)”
Paul also told us in Eph. 4:10 a verse not often taught on, “He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.” (Notice He ascends not descends to fill the earth). So at least according to Peter and Paul, Jesus is the now reigning King, and He won’t come back to fill the earth with the knowledge of His glory, that’s our job, His Church His Body the fullness of His who fills all things everywhere with Himself. Our job is to fill the earth with righteousness, peace, and joy
which is the evidence in the believers life of our being in the Kingdom, the Kingdom is in the Spirit (Rom. 14:17). Jesus Himself won’t return till every enemy has been made His footstool according to Ps. 110, He must reign in the midst of His enemies till every enemy is defeated, then he will return and turn the Kingdom over to the Father. Notice it’s not us turning the Kingdom over to Him, but He to the Father (1 Cor. 15:20-28). In Ps. 110 we see Jesus as the “Warrior King” of Ps. 45, Who rules in the midst of His enemies, not in some great time of world peace!
I know people will ask, “But what about the 1000 year reign spoken of in Revelation 20?” My reply to that would be is the 1000 years spoken of in Revelation 20 to be taken figuratively or literally? If you say it must be taken as literal, then how do we deal with the verse that says, “God owns the cattle on a 1000 hills?” If we interpret one verse as literal must we not also do the same with the other verse as well? We know the earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, so 1000 hills speaks of an indefinite number of hills. Also how do we deal with Deut. 7:9; that tells us that for God’s people who love Him and keep His commandments that He’ll keep covenant with them for 1000 generations? If a Biblical generation is 40 years then we’re talking 40,000 years, which speaks to us of a good long time. What the writer of Revelation is showing us is the complete, fullness of the reign of Christ the King. The reign that begin with His ascension (Dan. 7:13-14) and will finally be consummated after every enemy has been made His footstool (1 Cor. 15:20-28; Ps. 110: 1-3). From the very first chapter and the very first verse of the Revelation we find it is a signified book, or a book of signs and symbols, a book that can not be taken or understood literally.
To fully understand, especially about some future 1000 year reign, the saints ruling with Christ, we must also look at the first chapter of Revelation verse 6, “And He HAS MADE US to be a Kingdom, priests to His God and Father.” Done deal HAS MADE past tense. Peter called us a “CHOSEN RACE, A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION,” let’s stop putting of the New Covenant reality and fully embrace what the Father has so freely given us IN His Son.
Therefore I will agree with Peter and make the decree that God has made Jesus “BOTH LORD AND CHRIST!” (Ps. 2:6-7; Acts 2:36).
“It would be easy to show that at our present rate of progress the kingdoms of this world could never become he Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ. Indeed, many in the Church are giving up the idea of it except on the occasion of the advent of Christ, which, as it chimes in with our own idleness, is likely to become a popular doctrine. I myself believe that King Jesus will reign, and the idols be utterly abolished; but I expect the same power which turned the world upside down will still continue to do it. The Holy Ghost would never suffer the imputation to rest upon His Holy Name that He was not able to convert the world.” Charles Haddon Spurgeon
The Heavens Do Rule
The Heavens do rule and it is the Lord the Most High God who governs the affairs of men. (Dan. 4:17).
Consider the following verses the next time you want to judge or criticize God’s appointed leaders. whether we like our president or not for whatever reason he is still appointed by God and we are not to judge him rather we are told by Paul to pray for our nations leadership.
Dan.n2:20-21; Daniel said, “Let the name of God be blessed for ever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to Him. It is he who changes the times and epochs; he removes kings and establishes kings; He gives wisdom to wise men, And knowledge to men of understanding.”
Again we find Daniel speaking as a prophet of God to King Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon. Dan. 3:37; “You, O king, are the king of kings, to whom the God of Heaven has given the Kingdom, the power, the strength, the glory!” The next time we get angry with our president remember what God said concerning Nebuchadnezzar a pagan king. God called him and set him up as king of kings the ruler over the nations of the earth in his day. Today it is Jesus Christ who is presently seated at the Right Hand of Power and Majesty; He rules and He governs the affairs of men.
Again the take a look at the words of Daniel in the 4th chapter verse 17 here Daniel is speaking of the kingdoms of men; “That the Most High is the Ruler over the realm of mankind, and bestows it on whom He wishes and set over it the lowest of men.” God can put anyone he wants in office and just as easily He can remove him/her. He can establish a nation or He can tear it down. “7 The instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, to pull down, and to destroy it, 8 if that nation against whom I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I thought to bring upon it. 9 And the instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it, 10 if it does evil in My sight so that it does not obey My voice, then I will relent concerning the good with which I said I would benefit it” (Jer. 18:7-10)
Lastly we will look at Paul’s words in Acts 17: 24-31: “24 God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. 25 Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. 26 And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their pre-appointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, 27 so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; 28 for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’ 29 Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising. 30 Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, 31 because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.”
The God who made heaven and earth and everything in it has made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, HAVING DETERMINED THEIR APPOINTED TIMES AND THE BOUNDARIES OF THEIR HABITATION! For those a little afraid that America may lose her super-power ranking remember that God is still on the Throne, He rules, and He still governs the affairs of men; not some president, or dictator, but God Himself is in control; ALL IS WELL!
I totally agree God has not appointed believers to incur His wrath!
God has not appointed us for wrath
“For God has not appointed us (believers) [to incur] His wrath.” 1 Thess. 5:9
For years I was taught this meant that Christians would not have to go through the ‘Great Tribulation’ that we used to believe was somewhere out ahead of us. We were told, especially those of us in the west, that before tribulation would come we would be raptured up and out of here. We even held rapture practice in one of our little Charismatic assemblies whenever one certain traveling evangelist would pay us a visit. Many of the teachers of that time would spend all of their and our time teaching on the rapture and doing everything to prove their pre-tribulation rapture teaching was true, and woe to the soul that would dare disagree with them.
This kind of teaching went with the early missionaries into China and anyone who has studied any at all on the events in China know full well that persecution and tribulation have held a large part in the tremendous growth and establishment of the Underground Church in that nation. I promise you that Chinese believers who have suffered much for the Gospel’s sakes no longer buy into the early missionaries pre-tribulation teachings and many have actually prayed that the Western Church could experience some of what they’ve gone through so that we’d grow up and become a mature people having been seasoned with a little of the salt they’ve experienced.
While it is true that God has not assigned us as believers to experience His wrath but it certainly has nothing to do with us escaping suffering or persecution for the words sake. It has everything to do with us escaping the wrath that will come upon those who reject the Great Salvation offered to all who receive the Promised Son and are justified by His Blood. For the WOF prosperity types out there persecution was part of the promise Jesus made concerning the 100 fold in Mark 10:29-30; yet I don’t hear that part mentioned much in many of their teachings. When I questioned one who called himself an apostle concerning Mark 10:29-30 and his teaching that all who give their tithes would receive the 100 fold return his response was I just believe they will. Yet no where in the teaching of Jesus or the apostolic fathers do we find that teaching. But we do see that throughout the ages many godly men and women have suffered much for the Gospel’s sake. Was their faith weak; were they out of the will of the Father? I think not! Consider the following and this just a sample of the things I heard taught in my early WOF Charismatic experience; especially from the WOF radio teachers coming out of the Tulsa area.
One of the most if not the most well known of these WOF teachers actually said that if Paul had as much faith as he had today he would never have gone through or had to have suffered so much for the Gospel. He also taught Paul’s disobedience in going to the Jews first in every city he visited caused him to have to suffer and to be imprisoned. The thought was that if Paul was the apostle to the Gentiles then he shouldn’t go first to the Jews as was Christ’s command to His disciples before He ascended. Yet, it was through Paul’s teachings in the Jewish synagogues in the cities he visited that usually brought in his first Gentile believers through hearing the Message of the Kingdom. Plus how can one who has never been beaten for the Gospel’s sake, shipwrecked, or imprisoned and in chains say he has more faith than Paul?
Christ’s life, Paul’s life, the life of almost all First Century believers should reveal to us the fact that all who live godly IN Christ Jesus should expect persecution not expect to be raptured out before persecution comes as many seem to do. If perchance we are called upon to suffer for the Gospel’s sake we should remember the words of Christ that if we are to be His disciples we should then pick up our cross daily and follow Him. Remember his words to Peter in the last chapter of John’s Gospel after He told Peter by what death he would die; “Follow Me!” If we are really joint-heirs with Christ then according to Romans 8: 16-17 we should also expect that we must suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.
IN GOD WE TRUST!
True….and so sad! 
Here is one that needs some forwarding to others and is all too true.
A dog had followed his owner to school. His owner was a fourth grader at a public elementary school. However, when the bell rang, the dog sidled inside the building and made it all the way to the child’s classroom before a teacher noticed and shooed him outside, closing the door behind him. The dog sat down, whimpered and stared at the closed doors. Then God appeared beside the dog, patted his head, and said,
‘Don’t feel bad fella’…they won’t let ME in either’.
IN GOD WE TRUST!!
Criminalizing Criticism of Islam
FYI!
| OPINION | ||
Criminalizing Criticism of Islam
FROM TODAY’S WALL STREET JOURNAL EUROPE
September 10, 2008
There are strange happenings in the world of international jurisprudence that do not bode well for the future of free speech. In an unprecedented case, a Jordanian court is prosecuting 12 Europeans in an extraterritorial attempt to silence the debate on radical Islam.
The prosecutor general in Amman charged the 12 with blasphemy, demeaning Islam and Muslim feelings, and slandering and insulting the prophet Muhammad in violation of the Jordanian Penal Code. The charges are especially unusual because the alleged violations were not committed on Jordanian soil.
Among the defendants is the Danish cartoonist whose alleged crime was to draw in 2005 one of the Muhammad illustrations that instigators then used to spark Muslim riots around the world. His co-defendants include 10 editors of Danish newspapers that published the images. The 12th accused man is Dutch parliamentarian Geert Wilders, who supposedly broke Jordanian law by releasing on the Web his recent film, “Fitna,” which tries to examine how the Quran inspires Islamic terrorism.
Jordan’s attempt at criminalizing free speech beyond its own borders wouldn’t be so serious if it were an isolated case. Unfortunately, it is part of a larger campaign to use the law and international forums to intimidate critics of militant Islam. For instance, in December the United Nations General Assembly passed the Resolution on Combating Defamation of Religions; the only religion mentioned by name was Islam. While such resolutions aren’t legally binding, national governments sometimes cite them as justification for legislation or other actions.
More worrying, the U.N. Human Rights Council in June said it would refrain from condemning human-rights abuses related to “a particular religion.” The ban applies to all religions, but it was prompted by Muslim countries that complained about linking Islamic law, Shariah, to such outrages as female genital mutilation and death by stoning for adulterers. This kind of self-censorship could prove dangerous for people suffering abuse, and it follows the council’s March decision to have its expert on free speech investigate individuals and the media for negative comments about Islam.
Given this trend, it’s worth taking a closer look at the Jordanian case.
The prosecutor is relying on a 2006 amendment to the Jordanian Justice Act that casts a worryingly wide net for such prosecution. Passed in response to the Danish cartoons incident, the law allows the prosecution of individuals whose actions affect the Jordanian people by “electronic means,” such as the Internet. The 2006 amendment, in theory, means anyone who publishes on the Internet could be subject to prosecution in Jordan. If the case against the 12 defendants is allowed to go forward, they will be the first but probably not the last Westerners to be hit by Jordan’s law.
Amman has already requested that Interpol apprehend Mr. Wilders and the Danes and bring them to stand before its court for an act that is not a crime in their home countries. To the contrary. Dutch prosecutors said in July that although some of Mr. Wilders’s statements may be offensive, they are protected under Dutch free-speech legislation. Likewise, Danish law protects the rights of the Danish cartoonists and newspapers to express their views.
Neither Denmark nor the Netherlands will turn over its citizens to Interpol, as the premise of Jordan’s extradition request is an affront to the very principles that define democracies. It is thus unlikely that any Western country would do so, either. But there is no guarantee for the defendants’ protection if they travel to countries that are more sympathetic to the Jordanian court.
Unless democratic countries stand up to this challenge to free speech, other nations may be emboldened to follow the Jordanian example. Kangaroo courts across the globe will be ready to charge free people with obscure violations of other societies’ norms and customs, and send Interpol to bring them to stand trial in frivolous litigation.
A new form of forum shopping would soon take root. Activists would be able to choose countries whose laws and policies are informed by their religious values to prosecute critical voices in other countries. The case before the Jordanian court is not just about Mr. Wilders and the Danes. It is about the subjugation of Western standards of free speech to fear and coercion by foreign courts.
Ms. Samson, an attorney specializing in international and constitutional law, will join the Hudson Institute this fall.
See all of today’s editorials and op-eds, plus video commentary, on Opinion Journal.
The DEPRESSION HAS BEGUN -by Andrew Strom.
Your thoughts on this prophetic word by Andrew Strom. Is Andrew right on or has he missed it?
The DEPRESSION HAS BEGUN
-by Andrew Strom.
Ten months ago in November 2007 while preaching in Wisconsin
USA, I felt a strong unction from the Holy Spirit to speak about
the future of the United States and the imminent Crash. As often
happens under that kind of anointing, a real boldness came over
me, and for the first time I found myself clearly putting a “date”
on the coming financial Depression – something I had never done
before – except in the vaguest of terms. I found myself predicting
that tragically within six months America would be in Recession,
and within 12 months the actual Depression would begin.
(-This audio is on our website – http://www.revivalschool.com )
So let us look at the evidence. It is now ten months later. Has the
Depression begun? Sadly the answer has to be “Yes”. In the last
two weeks the two largest mortgage giants in the world (Fannie
Mae & Freddie Mac) failed, the largest Insurance Company on earth
crashed (all taken over by the US Government), Lehman Brothers
went bankrupt (almost taking the entire financial system with it),
Money Markets reeled, the two remaining giant Investment banks
sought protection as “holding banks” – which means the end of
Wall Street as we know it, etc, etc. Stocks are in turmoil, Oil leapt
on Monday by the most ever recorded, gold is volatile – and on it
goes. -The most shattering two weeks since the Great Depression.
Meanwhile the US Treasury is seeking 700 billion dollars in a
forlorn effort to put Humpty back together again – tragically too late.
THERE ARE “JONAHS” on THE BOAT
Why is this storm hitting America at this time? There are certainly
many reasons – most of which we have discussed before. But let
me put something else before you that I believe God spoke to me
not long ago:- There are “Jonahs” on the boat – and they are
sending the nation down.
Who are these Jonahs? I believe they are the “prophets” of America
who will not preach the truth – who sleep comfortably in the bowels
of the nation while chaos reigns all around them. Too afraid to
deliver God’s word ‘Repent’, they run the other way – toward smooth
talk and pleasant sayings – “Peace peace” when there is no peace.
And the depths of this great crisis can be laid directly at their door.
Yes – that’s right. A big reason why the ship of America is sinking
is because her prophets ran away from their God-given task and
message at the crucial moment.
If only these prophets had preached the TRUTH when the nation
so desperately needed to hear it. If only they had begun – way
back in the 1980’s – to call the lukewarm church to repentance,
to rebuke the people for their love of money, their greed, their sin.
But no – the siren call of “popularity” was too strong. The call of
“grace, grace”, of mass acceptance, of big reputations and even
bigger offerings. And so they sold out. And now they sleep bliss-
fully in the midst of the ship, while the storm whips to fury all
around. How do you sleep, O Jonahs, who would not cry “Repent”?
And it is not just the “prophets” either. It is the televangelists too.
Caught up in a world of fakery, hype and money-grubbing unseen
in the church since the Dark Ages, these hucksters are spreading
their garbage to every Third World Revival nation around the globe.
Greed, manipulation and pride on a scale that only America could
generate. Where is your shame, O charlatans of greed?
And so God is forced to act. And just like Jonah, the storm will
not abate until the wayward preachers are thrown overboard. Until
America is rid of these international thieves and prostitutes, she
is finished. And she will not recover until they are gone.
You see, it is not just the leaders who are at fault here. It is also
the people, who “love to have it so”. And thus until the heart of the
people is scourged and purged they will accomodate the “Jonahs” -
even seeking more of their ear-tickling fables to comfort themselves
in this time of breaking.
Until the heart of American greed is shattered – until her people
act of their own volition to throw these Jonahs overboard – this
storm will go on and on. In fact, it is about to grow a whole lot worse.
Mark my words, America: Until you remove these Jonahs, your
nation cannot recover. They have held the whole world in thrall by
their apostasy. And God cannot have it so any more. How long will
it take you to realize? How long will it take you to act?
THROW THE JONAHS OVERBOARD and be done with them!!
Only then will this mother of all storms subside.
-Comments welcome. -Send to- prophetic@revivalschool.com
Two Visions given in 1997 about the economy!
As the Body of Christ we are not to despise prophecy rather we are to judge prophecy. I present to you two visions one given in mid 1997 and the other in late 1997. What do you think? Are these two prophetic visions accurate or what?
Let me know your thoughts whether you agree or disagree. As one living in the nations I can certainly see the effects of America’s economic woes here in Japan, and the panic it has caused those in international based business such as the auto industry.
Blessings from Okinawa, Japan
Ginowan 777
(1) VISION – ECONOMY on LIFE SUPPORT
- by Bryan Hupperts. (Nov 3, 1997)
I wanted to write and share a vision I had several years ago…
The Lord showed me a body laying on a bed in a hospital setting.
The patient was named The Economy. His chart was at the foot
of his bed and the lines on the graphs seemed to be marked by
sharp up and down turns.
He was breathing “falsely”. He was surrounded by many specialists
who were doing many things to keep him alive. He was totally on
artificial life support. Just then, the Chief Physician came in,
looked at the patient, and declared, “This patient is dead. Let that
which is dead die.” With his own finger, he threw the switch to cut
off the life support.
The Economy heaved, gasped, and died horribly.
End.
I believe that we are headed for a global meltdown of the world
economy. This will bring chaos and ruin but will strip people of
their false god of money and many souls will be brought to Christ.
If we are walking in obedience to the Lord, we have nothing to fear.
Ask the Lord for wisdom to get your economic house in order.
Seek first the kingdom of God, And his righteousness, and all
these things (materials needs) will be added unto you.
[~ www.sheeptrax.com ]
————————————–
(2) VISION:- Two BLACK MONDAYS
- by Harold Eatmon. (1997).
“…In my last article I mentioned a vision of the Stock Market’s
‘Big Board’ having serious upcoming problems. I saw the Stock
Market soar and then crash. After the crash, many big business
corporations and private parties bought up stocks because of the
low cost to buy in. Then I saw the market begin to climb again
in a short period of time. Then it crashed again bringing tremendous
loss, ruin, and devastation to all who bought in the first time.
This is what I have labeled “Two Black Mondays.” The time period
between the Two Black Mondays was very close together. I could
not tell exactly how close. It could be a couple of days to a
couple of months. There are some tell-tale signs indicating the
season and the setting. *I saw the season to be when ‘the leaves
fall to the ground’ then the first crash would occur.* I also saw
the Yen and Mark fall dramatically just before this sudden and
inexplicable crash. Like Joseph in Genesis, I believe America
will have fat years of financial blessing. I also believe there
are coming lean years of financial difficulty for America.
I do not believe God is showing this so people can beat the game
financially. I rather believe He is saying keep your eyes on
eternal things. Store up treasures in Heaven.”
~The Trumpeter Journal, mid-1997.
Harold Eatmon Ministries, Int’l
PO Box 48402
Minneapolis, MN 55448, USA.
Implications of Same Sex Marriage, do we want to pay this price?
Check of the following link to see some implications of same sex marriage and ask yourself as a father or mother am I will to pay this price, to be politically correect?
http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1815820715?bctid=1822459319
This should be an eye opener to us as to the way our nation is going. The Church in America has no one to blame but ourselves. Our lack of prayer and proclamation of God’s eternal Kingdom truths has brought our nation to this point, not our politics. We much like Adam in the garden gave up our God given authority and allowed satan’s crowd to take the reigns, NOW is the time to humble ourselves before a Mighty God; repent of our ways and take back what is rightfully ours IN Christ. The earth is the Lord’s not the devil’s; if that is true then as joint-heirs with Christ we should take back what He has accomplished for us IN His definitive Victory at the cross and IN His resurrection.
God has given us the definitive Victory IN Christ (1 Cor. 15:57). We don’t have to run here and there trying to defeat the devil at every turn. In Christ the devil has been cast down. We in turn have been raised up with God the Father IN Christ Jesus (Eph. 2: 5-6). This is past tense; meaning that it is a done deal not someday will be. Let’s begin to see from our place IN Christ and take a stand for what is right in God’s sight. Let us not give in to satan and his crowd and lose another generation of young people to the homosexual gay rights crowd.
Please pray for the believers in India
Please pray for the believers in India . This is an email from a YWAM (Youth With A Mission ) Missionary in India and has been forwarded to us for prayer.
Pastors Dave & Gloria White
|
From: Mark Wold <Mark.Wold@efca.org> “We have never seen anything like this. We knew that Orissa was the most resistant and hostile State in India as far as the Gospel is concerned. And we brushed off the continuous threats and harassment we faced as we went about His work. But none of our staff imagined that they would see this kin d of carnage…. And it seems to be totally under the radar of the Western Media …. Let me explain…. A militant Hindu priest and 4 of his attendants, who were zealously going around the villages of Orissa and ‘reconverting’ people back to Hinduism, were gunned down by unknown assailants in Central Orissa last weekend. Immediately the Christians were blamed. The cry rose up…’Kill the Christians!’ And the horror began…. In the past 4 days, we have first hand witness to hundreds of churches being blown up or burned and many, many dozens of Christian tribals have been slaughtered. For no other reason than they bea r the name of Christ. Night and day I have been in touch with our Good News India Directors spread across 14 Dream Centers in Orissa… they are right in the middle of all this chaos. In Tihidi, just after the police came to offer protection, a group of 70 blood-thirsty militants came to kill our staff and destroy the home. They were not allowed to get in, but they did a lot of damage to our Dream Center by throwing rocks and bricks and smashing our gate, etc. They have promised to come back and ‘finish the job.’ Our kids and staff are locked inside and have stayed that way with doors and windows shut for the past three days. It has been a time of desperately calling on the Lord in prayer. More police have come to offer protection. In Kalahandi, the police and some local sympathizers got to our dream center and gave our staff and kids about 3 minutes notice to vacate. No one had time to even grab a change of clothes or any personal belonging. As they fled, the blood thirsty mob came to kill everyone in the building. We would have had a mass funeral there, but for His grace. In Phulbani, the mob came looking for Christian homes and missions. The local Hindu people, our neighbors turned them away by saying that there were no Christians in this area. So they left. All our dream centers are under lock down with the kids and staff huddled inside and police outside. The fanatics are circling outside waiting for a chance to kill. Others were not so fortunate. In a nearby Catholic orphanage, the mob allowed the kids to leave and locked up a Priest and a computer teacher in house and burned them to death. Many believers have been killed and hacked into pieces and left on the road…. even women and children. At another orphanage run by another organization, when this began, the Director and his wife jumped on their motorbike and simply fled, leaving all the children and staff behind. Every one of our GNI directors that I have spoken to said: ’We stay with our kids…. we live together or die together, but we will never abandon what God has called us to do.’ More tha n 5000 Christian families have had their homes burned or destroyed. They have fled into the jungles and are living in great fear waiting for the authorities to bring about peace. But so far, no peace is foreseen.
This will continue for another 10 days…. supposedly the 14 day mourning period for the slain Hindu priest. Many more Christians will die and their houses destroyed. Many more churches will be smashed down. The Federal government is trying to restore order and perhaps things will calm down. We ask for your prayers. Only the Hand of God can calm this storm. None of us know the meaning of persecution. But now our kids and staff know what that means. So many of our kids coming from Hindu backgrounds are confused and totally bewildered at what is happening around them. So many of their guardians have fled into the jungles and are unable to come and get them during these trying times. < /SPAN>
Through all this, I am more determined than ever to continue with our goal: the transformation of a community by transforming its children. Orissa will be saved… that is our heart’s cry. If we can take these thousands of throw-away children and help them to become disciples of Jesus, they will transform an entire region. It is a long term goal, but it is strategic thinking in terms of the Great Commission. What can you do? First, please uphold all this in fervent prayer. Second, pass this e-mail on to as many friends as you can. We must get the word out and increase our prayer base for this is spiritual warfare at its most basic meaning. We are literally fighting the devil in order to live for His Kingdom. The next 10 days are crucial. We pray for peace and calm to pervade across Orissa….Prayer works!” Mark & Marilyn Wold ReachGlobal Church Health 760-406-3506 Mark.Wold@efca.org |
A King after God’s Own Heart; not always
Jesus of Nazareth hasn’t left the throne, nor will He after November’s elections. Our God still rules and will always govern the affairs of men.
This was the message of the First Century Church, and it should be our message also. We need to stop preaching give Jesus a try and preach God has commanded “All people everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30).
Again I say Jesus of Nazareth hasn’t left the throne, nor will He after November’s elections. Our God still rules and will always govern the affairs of men. God has always had a Kingdom He has always been the King. Sometimes He has allowed certain men to be kings and rulers over the other kings or nations of the earth that is His prerogative and sometimes the one He chooses certainly don’t live up to the expectations of man. Jesus certainly didn’t live up to the expectations of the Jews of his day who wanted an earthly political kingdom with a king like David who would defeat the Romans and restore their once prestigious kingdom.
In Samuel’s day the nation wanted a king to protect them from all the nations who surrounded them. The problem wasn’t in desiring a king the problem was not in waiting for the Lord’s timing. God had long ago promised them a King who would rise up from the tribe of Judah, He never promised a Saul who would come out of the tribe of Benjamin. But because they insisted on a king who would meet their expectations for that time He gave them a Saul. It wasn’t quite time for David yet and perhaps the Lord wanted them to experience the consequence of their own desires. Then when the time was right God brought forth David a man after His own heart but even Samuel the great Old Testament prophet was fooled because he judged the sons of Jesse by outward observance he couldn’t see their hearts. God could and true to the prophetic word spoken through Jacob so many years earlier God brought forth a king out of Judah (Gen. 49:8-12). For those who believe God didn’t want Israel to have a King remember that for Jesus to come from a kingly lineage there first had to be a David, and then there could come forth One later who would sit upon his throne (exalted throne) as King of kings and as Lord of lords (Acts 2:29-36).
God gave them a Saul but in just a few more years the timing for David would have been right. Saul could not have been the king God truly desired for Israel because as I mentioned earlier God’s promise was not for a king to come from the tribe of Benjamin but from Judah, so what happened? The problem started with Judah’s two sons Er and Onan who sinned and God literally killed them both. So Judah promised Tamar who had been the wife of both Judah’s sons that when his son Shelah grows up she would become his wife, but secretly Judah was afraid God would slay him also so he was not faithful in his promise to Tamar. So Tamar waited and when Judah did not live up to his word, she tricked him into having intercourse with her and she conceived and brought forth twins through that out of wedlock encounter (Gen. 38). From one of those twins, Perez, we can trace the genealogy of Christ in Matt. 1:3; of interest in our little study here is the fact that if you trace from Judah’s son Perez through to king David you would find there are ten generations. The reason that becomes important is found in Deut. 23:2 in a little know commandment that God gave Moses concerning bastard or illegitimate sons. Anyone from the tribe of Judah who came through the lineage of Judah’s brief episode with Tamar would fit into that category and would thus be excluded from holding any office in the nation of Israel, but David who was in the tenth generation would now be eligible. So even though the nation wanted a king before its time God’s plan His divine purpose from the beginning could not be thwarted. At exactly the right time in history God brought forth His King from the tribe of Judah.
God has never failed to have a man or woman for accomplishing His purpose in the earth realm and sometimes His choices might surprise us! God chooses Abraham and Sarah to father a nation in their old age; long past their child bearing years. Later God choose Moses and when Moses was at the prime of life and ready to lead (or so he thought) the nation of Israel out of Egyptian bondage God humbled him and sent him into the desert for 40 years of real training. God later takes a Gideon who had been hiding in a wine press to deliver His people Israel and then after that God takes Samson a womanizer who doesn’t always appear to be too bright to deliver his people. God makes choices throughout the Scriptures that we would probably never make.
We have already looked at the timing of David’s rise to fame but have we looked closely to see and learn from the lesson God taught His prophet Samuel is all of this? Samuel even though he was a prophet used of the Lord from his youth was still a man and in many ways thought like many of us do today and was swayed by the outward appearance of things and not always seeing things or people the way God sees. We see that in his words concerning Saul the Benjamite; “Do you see him whom the Lord has chosen? Surely there is no one like him among all the people.” The people must have agreed because they all shouted and said, “Long live the king!” You would think Samuel would learn through his experiences with Saul that outward appearance a king does not make one a king. With all of his height and seemingly good looks Saul made Israel a lousy king, because his heart was not right toward the Lord. In fact we find that Saul was really the king of the people, the one they choose but he was certainly not the King that God desired for His nation (1 Sam. 12:12-13).
Later when Saul has shown his total lack of ability to be the king over God’s chosen people Samuel tells Saul that God has rejected him from being king and that He would give the kingdom to one who was better than him (1 Sam. 15: 10-35). So what happens when Samuel goes to Bethlehem to anoint the king that God desires for His people; he looks at Eliab David’s older brother and thinks, “surely the Lord’s anointed is before him.” But God corrects Samuel on his thinking telling him; “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
David with all his imperfections was no Mr. Goody Two Shoes, or simply put Mr. Nice Guy, he’d kill you in a heart beat if it would serve his political purpose and he’d steal your wife if you weren’t careful, but and it’s a very big BUT David was a man who although he could get into a world of flesh knew how to repent and get right with God. Later we find Solomon David’s son through David’s little indiscretion with Bathsheba did not have the same heart of repentance and even though God protected him for David’s sake his reign was the beginning of the end for the nation of Israel. It is of great interest to note that both David and Solomon both disregarded the commandment that God had given earlier concerning kings in Deut. 17:16-20; especially the part concerning multiplying horses, wives, and silver and gold. If you take the time and read 1 Kings 10:14-29 you’ll see how this especially applied to Solomon. In fact the very first time at 666 appears in the Bible is in reference to Solomon. The man who started off his rule with such great promise actually turned from God and instead of being a godly king became the ruler of a beastly kingdom. When you read 1 Kings 11:4-12 you see where his heart was turned away from God and that he did not observe what the Lord had commanded him; as a result after he died and the kingdom went to his son Rehoboam the nation started to unravel.
The interesting part is that it was God who set all this up even before Solomon died. In 1 Kings 11: 14-40 we find God begins to raise up adversaries against Solomon even sending His prophet Ahijah to commission Jeroboam as the king over Israel in opposition to Solomon’s sons that followed. God gave Jeroboam ten tribes and a conditional promise “IF You will obey Me;” which if you’ve read your Bible you know he didn’t obey God and if you search it out; even with God’s promise he immediately set up two golden calves for the people to worship (1 Kings 12:25-33). Sadly enough it just got worse as you study the kings of the Northern Kingdom in the years that followed. Yet, according to God’s word He is the One who sets those in authority in place; it would seem the nation continually got the leaders they deserved. Again sadly enough it wasn’t much better for the Southern Kingdom although a godly king would occasionally arise the nation really never experienced a really heart felt revival; the Word says they worship Me with their lips but their hearts are far from Me (Ps. 78:36-37; Is. 29:13; Matt. 15:7-9). Jesus told His own disciples just as the Father told Samuel; “That He knew what was in the heart of men.”
It is also of great interest at least to me that some of the Gentile/pagan kings that rose up God called some of them king of kings or His anointed and actually granted them kingdoms that ruled over all the know world of their day. One of these was Nebuchadnezzar (Dan. 2:37) and later God called Cyrus a Pagan king His anointed (Is. 45:1). From the beginning of His creation until now God has used whomsoever He willed to accomplish His purpose or as Daniel put it; “That the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind. And bestows it on who He wishes and sets over it the lowliest of men” (Dan. 4:17).
Many today have thought that in, what many are calling, the last days that a one world government led by some super powerful antichrist would rise up, but if we properly understand Daniel’s prophecy we would know that the four great one world governments spoken of by Daniel have come and gone the last was the Roman empire which in its day encompassed the previous three Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Greece. In the time of the Roman Empire God DID set up a Kingdom which will never destroyed; a Kingdom that crushed and put and end to all previous one world governments, but this Kingdom God said; “Will endure forever!” (Dan. 2:36-45). Jesus is the NOW reigning King of kings the NOW reigning Lord of lords there will be no other great one world power that will ever again rise up no matter what some prophecy book might tell you; IT JUST AIN’T SO. Jesus ascended to the Right Hand of Majesty and according to David it was at His Resurrection that He received His Kingdom (Acts 2:29-36).
How does this affect us today? It makes no difference who the next president of the United States will be Obama or McCain, Jesus is still on the Throne and forever will be. He makes choice and sets in places of authority whosoever He pleases. It’s His decision. Romans 13:1 spells that out for us very clearly that “There is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.” We are never called to complain or criticize those that God sets in but we are called to pray for them. When Israel was dispersed to Babylon they were not to curse the nation but rather to pray to the Lord for Babylon’s welfare for her peace (Jer. 29:7). The Rev. Jeremiah Wright was clearly wrong when he proclaimed God damn America and not God bless America!
Does this mean I don’t think we should vote? No, I personally think each of us has to vote as we see fit. I don’t think voting strictly party line will accomplish much and I think at this point in the game neither one of the two candidates running for president have the qualifications I would desire to see in a president. I know Christians who strongly dislike McCain on the war issue and his past relationship with Bush and on the other side of the coin there are those who strongly dislike Obama for many reasons, the abortion issue would probably top the bill with the homosexual issue running a very close second. But no matter which candidate we vote for it doesn’t change the fact that our next president is appointed by God, unless of course Paul missed it and Romans 13:1 is wrong. If Romans 13:1 is wrong then apparently Daniel was also wrong in Dan. 4:17.
If you read carefully Old Testament Scriptures you’ll find that many times God set up leaders over nations knowing exactly what the outcome would be. Saul was a good example the people wanted a king God gave them one; He gave them Saul. If they would have waited and stayed in obedience to God and heeded Samuel’s warning the day would have come when God would have given them His choice for king, and eventually after Saul’s dismal failure He did. But of course all these Old Testament kings were but types and shadows of the True King of kings and Lord of lords who was to come.
Today America has a King but due to the Churches lack of relevance in American society not many people take note of us or of what we say. In fact many if not most of American believers don’t even know that Jesus is the NOW reigning King, due to our wrong mindsets concerning the Kingdom of God and its timing most have put off the thought of the Kingdom of God until the Second coming. We’ve failed to heed the command of Christ to his disciples to preach the Kingdom and have instead preached the someday Kingdom, therefore much of our authority our ability to change nations has been stripped away from us. We’ve mistakenly thought the Kingdom and the Covenants were for Israel and the Church somehow was just a parenthesis in God’s timeline for Israel; therefore we have habitually aimed low and the results we obtained little of what the Lord so greatly desires for us His Church.
The words the message we preach makes a difference, in Ephesus it was the “Word of the Lord that grew mightily and prevailed” (Acts 19:20). What was the word preached? The word Jesus preached throughout Israel was the message of the Kingdom, the word He commanded His disciples to teach was again the Kingdom of God. Jesus started the book of Acts instructing His disciples concerning the Kingdom and Paul finished up the Book of Acts in the last chapter the last verse “Preaching the Kingdom of God and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all openness, unhindered” (Lk. 4:43, 9:2;Acts 1:3, 28:31).
Do we know that according to Ps. 2:1-12 that Jesus the Anointed One of God was proclaimed King at His resurrection and the kings of the earth are to pay homage to Him, they are to worship Him kissing the son least they perish (Acts 2:29-36, 13:33; Heb. 5:5). If we aren’t preaching the message of the First Century apostles then we aren’t obeying Christ and our impact on our world will be considerably lessened, in fact with our weak watered down version of the gospel preached in many circles today we have castrated ourselves thus leaving us unable to bring forth Kingdom seed and accomplish God’s purpose. The reason America and the nations are in the sad state of affairs they’re in today is not political; its us. Like Pogo the Possum once said; “I have met the enemy and he is us!” Or as one brother put it the “gates of hell” is between our ears! We don’t believe the Gospel of the Kingdom as it was preached by Jesus and the First Century Church and we’ve bought into another gospel which is no good news at all; in fact it puts the good new of Christ’s Kingdom off to someday in the future.
If we really want to change America and the nations it’s not our vote in November that will make the difference and all our prayer meetings will accomplish us little it we don’t put feet to our prayers. The simple truth is our prayer should be just as Jesus told His disciples “Our Father who is in heaven HOLY is Your name, Your Kingdom come Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” and quit telling Him who we think the next president should be. What’s happening now and will continue to happen in America and in the nations is God is tipping the bottles of a complacent Church and nations that have literally turned their backs on God with their liberal agendas (Jer. 48:11-12). Rick Goodwin once said concerning this very issue back in the Clinton years; “God gives us the president we deserve” but because God gives us our presidents and government leaders we should never condemn them or complain about them, “We should pray for them” (Rom. 13:1-7; 1 Tim. 2:1-3).
I like what I saw recently on a website; “No matter who wins the November elections, Jesus Christ will not step down of His throne in protest.” He still rules; it is the Lord Jesus who governs the affairs of men. It is important for us to come back to teaching what Jesus commanded; it is only those who are built on the rock solid foundation of the Kingdom message who will endure and bring forth fruit. Do you know that when Jesus explained the parable of the sower in Matt. 13:19 He called the seed that was sown “The word of the Kingdom?” It is only those who hear this word and understand it; who will bring forth fruit. These are the ones who will endure the shaking that not only America but also the nations are going through at this time; they are the ones built on the foundation of Kingdom teaching they will stand while everything, everyone who has built on anything less will fall (Matt. 7:24-29; Heb. 12:25-29).
We don’t need anymore apostolic or prophetic seminars; we need a revival of the Truth of God’s Word; a return to the message of the First Century Church, nothing less will do. If we mix the message of the Kingdom with our fervent heartfelt prayers for a God move then we will find that God’s word will not return empty or void. We must preach it; proclaim it from every housetop until all the earth is filled with the knowledge of our glorious God. It was by the proclamation of the ever-increasing word that pagan Ephesus and all of Asia was evangelized and by the same word every stronghold of hell over our cities and nations can still today be broken.
Some quotes to consider:
“Folks, it’s getting late and it’s getting serious.” – David Wilkerson
“Are we not told to seek first the Kingdom of God — not the
means to advance it — and that ‘all these things’ shall be added
to us? Such promises are surely sufficient.” – Hudson Taylor If we preach the message of the First Century believers Jesus will add to His Church just as He did for them.
“Now, if the church ever recovers the power to break up demonism
in the community, it will bring down the wrath of evil and the
church may land in jail, but she’ll learn how to sing in prison, pray
down an earthquake. Folks are asking “Will the church go
underground?” Well, she may develop more power underground
than she’s got above ground these days. We’re not going to pray
down earth quakes in committee meetings, sipping coffee and
reading the minutes of the last meeting.” – Vance Havner
Our Identification with Christ
Check out my podcast at http://www.himwepreach.podomatic.com. This is a good reminder of who we are and what the Father has accomplished in us and for us IN Christ. Download and play it over until it becomes reality to you. It will change the way the way you think.
Blessings
Ginowan777 <><
Our Victory IN Christ
Hi! Check out my podcast Our Victory IN Christ
“For IN Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and IN Him you have been made complete, and He is The Head over ALL rule and authority.” (Col. 2:9-10) Everything I post here was freely given to me and I in turn freely give it to the Body of Christ. Listen in and enjoy.
CHRIST is still on the Throne!
The election has come and gone; Obama is president as everyone suspected he would be and our Lord Jesus still reigns.
Many Christians are worried about what is to come but as I said before Christ still reigns and His Church, the one He’s building, will prosper no what state America or the world is in. When I say prosper I am not speaking of pockets full of money. I speak of the prosperity that is ours IN Christ (Eph. 1:3; Col. 2:1-3; 2 Pet. 1:2-4). The true riches are found in our revelation of Him, not in the size or beauty of the buildings we meet in. Believers in China and other nations facing daily persecution for the Gospel’s sake know this to be true. As Western believers many of us do not understand this concept. To those brought up on prosperity teaching the believers in China, India, Indonesia, and other anti-Christian nations would seem to be cursed because of their outward poverty. But the truth is that in Christ’s eyes they are blessed (Rev. 2:8-11).
Maybe it is in God’s timing for the Church in America to learn the lesson of the persecuted Church. Christ is now stripping away all that is artificial and man-made to establish and show to the world those that belong to Him. We think the glory of God is revealed in our wonderful buildings and our charismatic meetings but the real glory is as we bear fruit for the Father; then He receives glory and His glory is then revealed in us. Don’t be fooled for one minute thinking that big and beautiful buildings or large charismatic meeting are a sign of God’s blessings upon His Church. The true sign of Kingdom blessing is righteousness, peace, and joy in the lives of believers no matter what they endure (Rom. 14:17). The world will see Christ IN us as we endure the shaking that has come upon the nations; that whenever everything around us seems to be collapsing that His people stand (Lk. 6:46-49). The world will learn from us that our confidence is not found in our bank accounts or our stocks and bonds but IN Him alone. He is our financier and IN Him alone is our true provision found. The Lord our provider indwells His people!
All that is built on Christ alone will stand the fire of His testing; ALL that man has built will perish in the rubbish heap of wasted endeavors!
CHINA violates Human Rights
DAY 50: Gao Zhisheng Held Hostage
CHINA AID Voice of the Martyrs
Christian human rights attorney Gao Zhisheng, has now been missing 50 days, and there is increasing concern for his life. He was last seen being hauled away from his home by more than a dozen police officers on February 4. Reports from inside China indicate he is undergoing brutal torture.
The situation is critical, and with each day that passes, Gao Zhisheng’s life hangs in the balance.
Because of Gao’s work defending house church Christians and others persecuted in China, the Chinese government wants to silence his voice. ChinaAid president, Bob Fu calls Gao’s torture “the most severe persecution in China’s modern history.” Gao’s wife and two children, who have also been abused and tormented by the police, escaped to the U.S. less than two weeks ago. His family is afraid that authorities, furious at their escape, are taking revenge on Gao.
ChinaAid and The Voice of the Martyrs, together with Gao Zhisheng’s wife and children, call on all Christians and those who value human dignity and justice to speak out on Gao Zhisheng’s behalf by signing a petition to free Gao.
» Sign the petition at www.FreeGao.com
Having All Yet Living like Paupers
Having All Yet Living like Paupers
I wonder why?
By Not Knowing What We Have Received IN Christ
Eph. 1:3
“May blessing (praise, laudation, and eulogy) be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) Who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual (given by the Holy Spirit) blessing in the heavenly realm!”
I wonder how many Christians today actually grasp what Paul is saying here in Ephesians 1:3? But not only here in this verse but in almost all of Paul’s writing we find things that would literally set us free IF we could just get a Holy Ghost grip on them. Note also in Paul’s writing when he speaks of the things that the Father has accomplished for us IN Christ it is always in the PAST TENSE. These aren’t promises somewhere off in the future they are for us now IF we believe them.
Consider this IF I/we were IN Christ in His death, buried with Him, and then raised up with Him on the 3rd day in His glorious resurrection, as the Bible says we are, then why do we as believers run here and there, to this conference and that outpouring trying to get more when God has already given us His Best IN Christ? If what Paul said in Rom. 6:1-11 is actually true and the Bible states it as historical fact, then what I have to do is by faith receive what God’s word says about me to be true. I don’t have to get another word spoken over me, me I don’t have to go get some super-apostolic blessing on my life. I’m not saying these things are bad in and of them selves what I am saying is I need to learn to rejoice in what He has already accomplished for me IN His blessed Son, and not run here and there seeking what is already mine. In other words I need to have a revelation of who I am IN Him and who HE is and what He has accomplished IN me. Remember in all of Paul’s epistles his desire was that his readers grow in their revelation of Christ.
Rom. 6:1-11
1. WHAT SHALL we say [to all this]? Are we to remain in sin in order that God’s grace (favor and mercy) may multiply and overflow? [God’s grace gives us power over sin, not to live with it, but to overcome it (Rom. 5:20-21). Sin has power but grace has the greater power].
2. Certainly not! How can we who died to sin live in it any longer? [If what Paul says is true and we died to sin, then we no longer owe sin a red cent when he comes knocking on the door. We owe that old man nothing he has no hold on us, unless we yield to him].
3. Are you ignorant of the fact that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? [Many Christians today do not understand what actually transpired at the resurrection. They don’t understand that those called and ordained of God before the foundations of the earth where IN Him partakers of all that He endured on the cross. We may not know it, feel it, or understand it but according to God’s word it is historical fact. If we can grasp that then it will help us to understand Eph. 2:5-6; Col. 2:9-13: 3:1-3. Paul called this a fact, it is a historical truth done and accomplished for us through Christ].
4. We were buried therefore with Him by the baptism into death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious [power] of the Father, so we too might [habitually] live and behave in newness of life! [Paul by the Holy Spirit explains for us our part in what happened in the cross event. Although physically we may not have been there yet through God’s election we were partakers with Christ, we who were dead in trespasses and sin were made alive to God IN Christ].
5. For if we have become one with Him by sharing a death like His, we shall also be [one with Him in sharing] His resurrection [by a new life lived for God]. [In His death and burial we were IN Christ, but now as we emerge from the waters of baptism His resurrection life now comes to abide IN us. This is the moment of new creation the old has passed away, behold all things become new. It is no longer just us IN Christ, it is now Christ IN us the hope of glory]!
6. We know that our old (unrenewed) self was nailed to the cross with Him in order that [our] body [which is the instrument] of sin might be made ineffective and inactive for evil, that we might no longer be the slaves of sin.
[God accomplished for us IN Christ and the cross even what we could never accomplish for ourselves. Because of sin we could never come into the presence of a Holy and righteous God, we were in slave to sin and that old sin nature stood between us and a Holy God. We couldn’t crucify ourselves to die to sin God did it for us in the Body of His Son. Through God’s Sovereignty and grace He accomplished it for us. By His stripes we were healed]!
7. For when a man dies, he is freed (loosed, delivered) from [the power of] sin [among men]. [Paul is saying that once dead sin no longer has power over your life. If I die the one I’m indebted to can no longer collect from me, I’m dead you can’t collect from a dead man].
8. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, [Dying with Christ is not like physical death where they put you in a box and cover you up, NO! If we partake of His cross and His burial we believe according to Paul’s word, that we shall also live together with Him. Our death together with is the beginning of eternity for us; death no longer has a hold on us. We have become part of God’s New Creation, the New Thing that God is doing upon the earth].
9. Because we know that Christ (the Anointed One), being once raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has power over Him. [If we know that death no longer has power over Christ then can we believe that in Him death no longer has any power over us? Paul knew these earth suits we now live in would someday pass away, but to be absent from this short-lived is to be present with the Lord. Paul, Peter, and many others throughout the ages have been willing to lay down their earth life for the Gospel’s sake].
10. For by the death He died, He died to sin [ending His relation to it] once for all; and the life that He lives, He is living to God [in unbroken fellowship with Him]. [Christ broke once and for all time His relationship to sin by His obedience to the Father, and IF we are IN Him then our relationship with habitual sin should also be broken. Christ now lives in unbroken fellowship with the Father and with that in mind we also know that God has also raised us up with Him, the Father, seating us together with Him in unbroken fellowship IN Christ (Eph. 2:5-6; Col. 3:1-3)].
11. Even so consider yourselves also dead to sin and your relation to it broken, but alive to God [living in unbroken fellowship with Him] in Christ Jesus. [We say again that Christ brought us into unbroken relationship with the Father. We are NOW/PRESENTLY seated with the Father in the heavenly realm IN the Son, Christ Jesus. God is holy He has no part with sin; or relationship with God lost in the 1st Man Adam’s fall is restored to us as New Covenant believers through the obedience of the Last Man Adam. How do we receive this historic fact, by simply receiving by faith what Christ has accomplished for us? John 1:12 said; “those who receive the Son are given the right to become children of God.” We simply by faith through His grace receive the heavenly gift and daily live out our lives IN Christ the same way we entered in, by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8; Col. 2:6). This is our walk. Here is one Scripture you should memorize because it capsulates all of history. “For as by one man’s disobedience many were sinners, so by the obedience of ONE many shall be made righteous” (Rom. 5:19). God’s first king, Adam, failed at the point of obedience. God’s last and ultimate King succeeded where the first king failed!].
If we are not walking in the rank and privilege we have as believers then we have no one to blame but ourselves, God has given us His word. If our teachers aren’t teaching us then we must with the Holy Spirit’s help seek out these truths for ourselves. In the Old Covenant God gave His people power to obtain material wealth that His covenant with them might be revealed for the nations to see. In the New Covenant God has given us power/authority/ the right to become children of God that He might reveal His Son through us. The real wealth is IN the Son not in the size of our bank accounts or the kind of car we drive. “But to as many as did receive and welcome Him, He gave the authority (power, privilege, right) to become the children of God, that is, to those who believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) His name” (Jn. 1:12).
In Ephesians 1:1-8; we can find just how lavish a giver God is, do we know, do we understand that when God gave us Christ we received the greatest gift of ALL and really there is no earthly reason to keep nickeling and diming the Father for this or for that, He gave us ALL we will ever have need of IN the Son.
1. PAUL, AN apostle (special messenger) of Christ Jesus (the Messiah), by the divine will (the purpose and the choice of God) to the saints (the consecrated, set-apart ones) at Ephesus who are also faithful and loyal and steadfast in Christ Jesus: [Paul was chosen by God with no apparent qualifications to be His apostle to the Gentiles but God not only called him but also qualified him. Paul was God’s sent one with a message for Gentiles who up to now had not really had much opportunity to hear the word of God. But Paul said, “That God who had chosen him from his mother’s womb was pleased to reveal His son in me that he might preach Him among the Gentiles” (Gal. 1:15-16). So here in Ephesians 1 we have Paul revealing to a mostly Gentile Church all the wonderful things God had so lavishly given them IN Christ].
2. May grace (God’s unmerited favor) and spiritual peace [which means peace with God and harmony, unity, and undisturbedness] be yours from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. [Paul’s normal apostolic greeting to those he called ‘saints’ at the Church in Ephesus. Grace is more than just God’s unmerited favor it is God’s ability working in us to live this Christian life].
3. May blessing (praise, laudation, and eulogy) be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) Who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual (given by the Holy Spirit) blessing in the heavenly realm! [In a very real sense this is what the Christian life is “praise and adoration” to a Holy God who has given us so much. Jesus told the woman at the well God is seeking worshippers, this doesn’t mean our Sunday morning worship, but all of our lives devoted to worshipping Him. Paul called it “our spiritual service of worship” in Rom. 12:1 and described our worship as the way we stayed constantly filled with His Spirit in Ephesus 5:18-21. Why then do we give this “spiritual service of worship” to our God? Because; “He is worthy because; He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in heavenly IN Christ!” So let me ask what spiritual blessing are you/we falling short off? Then possibly as Brother Lawrence wrote in his little book so many years ago; we need to practice more and more the presence of God; acknowledging His Holy Spirit’s presence in our lives at all times. He never leaves us nor forsakes us].
4. Even as [in His love] He chose us [actually picked us out for Himself as His own] in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy (consecrated and set apart for Him) and blameless in His sight, even above reproach, before Him in love. [Wow! Remember when we were discussing Romans 3 I said God had chosen us, set us apart unto Himself, before the foundations of the earth, well here Paul verifies it for us. Paul describes not only how God has set us apart, but also how we should live before Him; “holy and blameless in love.” How is this possible you might ask? By the wonderful riches of His grace which He lavished upon us IN Christ. Our lives are lived daily by our faith in His grace to enable us to live out this Christ life. Sin has power but the life lived by grace is empowered to overcome and defeat sin in any situation].
5. For He foreordained us (destined us, planned in love for us) to be adopted (revealed) as His own children through Jesus Christ, in accordance with the purpose of His will [because it pleased Him and was His kind intent]— [From the beginning God had a plan, and we who are IN Christ were a part of that plan. His plan was to bring us into His family as His very own children through Christ Jesus. This is what God wanted to do, and it gave Him great pleasure in accomplishing His plan].
6. [So that we might be] to the praise and the commendation of His glorious grace (favor and mercy), which He so freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. [(What pleasure He took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of His lavish gift-giving by the hand of His beloved Son. This was God’s plan from before the creation to adopt us into His family through His Beloved Son].
7. In Him we have redemption (deliverance and salvation) through His blood, the remission (forgiveness) of our offenses (shortcomings and trespasses), in accordance with the riches and the generosity of His gracious favor, 8. Which He lavished upon us in every kind of wisdom and understanding (practical insight and prudence), [God through Christ’s sacrifice for us has set us free. We’ve been redeemed through the shed blood of Christ, our sins are forgiven, blotted out never to be remembered, and this was all accomplished through the riches of His grace. This was God’s work IN Christ; we could do nothing to save ourselves it was done for us. We have every reason to praise our God. It was all His doing, He thought of everything and provided us with everything we need to not only live this Christian life, but also to accomplish His detailed plan and purpose (good works) that He had already prepared beforehand, that we should accomplish them. We could never brag or take credit it is all our through our faith in His grace, His abundant power to accomplish all of this for us. (Eph. 2:5-9)]
Everything has been done and provided for us not only that He provided us the empowerment to accomplish all this, He gave us the Holy Spirit. It is through the Life of the Spirit in us that God’s plan, His work for our lives will be accomplished. Far too many seek the riches that fail but God IN Christ has given us the true riches and they are ours IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST (Col. 2:1-3). In fact it is by growing in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus that Peter tells us we’ll find that “God’s divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness” (2 Pet. 1:3).
