The Crime of Talebearing, Gossip, Lies and Slander

I have been very discouraged by many in the Body of Christ willing to carry false allegations to mislead the Children of the Father.

Misleaders are what they are.

Pharisees were such.  They were self appointed definers of what was right and wrong.

Jesus took them to task big time.  Whitewashed tombs full of dead man's bones. Vipers and such.

Not really great endorsements for the practice of impugning others.

We are to be watchmen.  We are to warn.  Government is one that must be watched carefully.  Jesus even predicted such when he wept over Jerusalem.

Today among believers and in some cases so called believers, there are 7 categories that are harmful:

• Heresy Hunters who hate everything that isn't precisely like them. 
• End Time eagles who take every nuance and use it as proof of Jesus return TOMORROW
• Food Nuts who believe that Mark 16 doesn't apply to them...and see danger in everything you eat
• Reports of secret somethings that will come and bite us... there is enough NOT secret to keep me on my toes.
• Belief in Bilderberger, Illuminati, Masons, Knights Templar and a dozen other such groups that are controlling and victimizing them... I do not choose to be a victim.. and YES I am a Bilderberger.
• Secret science things controlling or damaging the weather, atmosphere and health.. chemtrails, Haarp, Global warming/cooling (who knows), aliens and Tesla.  I threw in Tesla because he's a favorite of these folks.
• Myths regarding racism.. sexism.. ageism.. any ism... Who do you think is behind all these division-isms?  

There are more, but that is a sense of the kinds of things I see all around me that speak to the insanity of many who are Christians.

Let's stop circular firing squads and start reaching the world.

That is as Prophetic as I will get today.. but it's a word from the LORD!

Closer to the Reset

I have been silent about the reset.  I have warned that the day would come when economic and social conditions would reach a point where a reset button would have to be pushed.  It won't the easy button.  It will be the HARD button.

The reset will be painful when it comes.  Many will not make it thru the reset.  Yet some will and then after all the full manifestation of what is in men's hearts is exhibited.. we will start again. 

If salt and light are still in the world at any level.... we will have the answers, if we do not faint.  This will sort out sheep and goats quickly.  Jesus words will take on new meaning:

Matthew 25:31-46 NLT

When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. ³² All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left.
³⁴ “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. ³⁶ I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’
³⁷ “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? ³⁹ When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’
⁴⁰ “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’
⁴¹ “Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. ⁴² For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. ⁴³ I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’
⁴⁴ “Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’
⁴⁵ “And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’
⁴⁶ “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.”

Here's the question.. in that day... who is HIS BROTHER?  Don't miss them.  They are not who you think.  Discernment will be the key.  The are the ones who during the reset... will need YOU.

He needs you to live, to breathe.

Is Overt Evangelism God's Plan?

I look at how we reach the lost (as we put it).  Yet in my reading of the Gospels, Jesus didn't do that.  He responded to the needs and cries of people and that was the conversion factor.

Yet in our culture we engage in OVERT evangelism.  On TV (altar call and all), in crusades with thousands coming ... some even to Christ, in dramatic presentations (like Heavens Gate, Hells Flames), scaring hell out of people to get them to come to some level of conversion.

I have worked many many of these programs, huge response and a month later very little persistent fruit.  This is not the Biblical Mandate for turning the world upside down.

I am becoming aware of our lack of understanding of what true evangelism is. What it takes to reach those looking for an answer... As Peter did... "What must we do to be saved"?  In fact if you consider much of the book of Acts you see very little overt evangelism.  Most of it was organic.  One to one.

What we do see, unlike the model we execute in our modern western (and now sadly Asian and African) churches is a big name speaker, proclaiming "You will go to hell if you don't come to Jesus, you will die in you sin, But Jesus died to save you from your sin and will give you eternal life if you ask him into your heart".  That is all true.  YET.. it's hell avoidance.  Not a great motivation for becoming a disciple.  That is what Jesus told us to do, Make Disciples.  Not sell hell insurance.

The constant drumbeat of sin forgiveness and heaven misses the point.  Yes, it's important.. but Jesus came to give us much more.

• The Kingdom.  
• Life Everlasting..starting NOW.  
• Joy.  
• Peace.  
• Hope. 
• Wholeness.  
• Abundant Life.  
• Ability to endure.  
• Intimacy with HIM.  
• A Sound Mind.  
• Love for others.  
• Unity with fellow travelers. 
• Victory over failure and sin.  
• Freedom from guilt.  
• Life that matters.  
• Destiny.  
• Purpose.  
• Wisdom.  
• Power over our enemy
• A mission in life.  
• Fearlessness even in the face of death.  
• Confidence in the future.  

It is amazing but most of our evangelism doesn't mention much of this.   Just forgiveness and Heaven.

Yes there is healing.  Yes there is deliverance from Drugs.  Yes marriages are saved. Those are manifestations of the Power of God.  They are important.  Yet... alone they do not draw.

There is a great promise we must hold out as our lives are lived before others.  One that says, sometimes even with words, "God has much more for you if you will just let him".   People are looking for answers.  They go to all the wrong places looking for love and acceptance.  The place that is the ultimate in acceptance and love, the heart of The Father is hidden from them by people who wear his name tag but live far below their spiritual potential.

We don't need many teachers... we need more fathers living in victory and overcoming.

We don't need a crusade as much as we need one person touching another for Jesus without expectation or having to fill out a card.  We need to stop building Jesus Club and start building the one think he taught.. even to the day he stepped thru the veil... THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

There is this truth and it's a hard one.  The Kingdom of God will not be built unless your hands, feet, voice and heart are active in the building.  God could speak a word and it would all be done in one fell swoop.  That's not how he chose to do it.  He chose to use you.  I am going to make a prophetic proclamation, GOD our FATHER NEEDS YOU.  He needs you  to breath, He needs you to Live, He needs you to Move.  You can pray all you want, but you are a key component to every prayer you pray or don't bother praying for revival. It's not a system to reach people, it's a lifestyle.

Listen to this song and see if you can hear when Father expresses this to YOU... He needs YOU:

In DUE time

I heard the Lord say.. IN DUE TIME IF YOU FAINT NOT...

You know the verse.  Galatians 6:9

Yet what is DUE TIME?  I can hold off fainting if I know time is due to come up.

We know a woman pregnant has a "due date".  She knows about when the day will come.  Due time.

We know if we have an account outstanding, there is a due time.. the money should come.

We know that if an apple tree blooms and sets fruit in due time there will be apples.

In the natural we know all these things.  YET in the spiritual there is less manifest evidence of a fullness of time indicator. Kairos.

Yet there is one.  If we faint not... we will see the revelation of the Glory of God.

When Seasons Change, I NEVER DO

I look around at the weather and consider how seasons change.  Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter.  The clock ticks.  The calender turns, the years move.

Crisis come and go.  Wars, Rumors, Earthquakes, Catastrophe.  Yet... in all this noise, seasons change.

Never forever..  Yet those things, those places, those people, those governments thought to never change... change. Disappear.  Dissipate. Destroyed. POOF here today.. gone tomorrow.

The impermanence's of it all is a warning to take too seriously only those things that cannot change.  The unchangeable (Immutable) God.

He never sleeps, slumbers or loses sight of you.

He says, "when Seasons in your life seem to be changing, I never do. I am always with you.  I will never leave you.  Others may leave you. Others may become faithless in your life, but I am never going to change.  Not towards you.  You are My child.  Always on My mind".

The things around us we see right now are subject to change..  it's just a season.  

2 Corinthians 4:17-18 For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! ¹⁸ So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

Spectrum Evangelism - One size does not fit all

We are instructed to be wise in our efforts when reaching out to those without Jesus in their lives.  While I believe it is possible for anyone to be saved, there is a spectrum of people we encounter every day who's capacity to hear is unequal.  One size does not fit all when talking to the unsaved. 

In the American population there is an unsaved Spectrum of the lost:

1. The Impossibles: Those who are anti the Gospel.  Some are avowed atheists.  Some have been hurt.  Some are members of religions who have been taught that the Word of God is not Jesus.  Your approach to them must come IF the Holy Spirit instructs you to do so.  Like the Saul (Pre Paul) Jesus may appear to them in a dream or in a confrontation.  When we try to reach them without this calling of the Spirit, we are not doing good evangelism.  Let's figure out what God is doing and follow Him in HIS venture.  Sometimes in can result in reaching these impossibles.

2. The Lost Sheep:  These are those who may have been brought up in the church.  May at one time gone to Sunday School.  But for various reasons, sin, loss, anger, frustration, bad teaching, declining health or relationship problems no longer have anything left.  Many turn to drugs, promiscuity, bad relationships, violence, crime and some even end up in prison. Some end up homeless.  Some end up in poverty.  While reaching them in their pain seems to be easy, if the root causes that drew them into this state is not dealt with, your evangelism to these lost ones is going to be a revolving door.  It's why working with prison populations is so frustrating.  The root must be dealt with FIRST.   Our evangelism must begin with healing the pain.

3. The Distracted Apathetic:  This group is most difficult to reach.  They really don't care.  They fill their lives with distractions.  Music.  Sports.  Entertainment.  They keep busy at nothing and then they die.  Life is stuff and busy.  They can be reached in moments of crisis, health, marriage, financial trouble.  The problem in converting these is they have no idea what you are talking about.  Think the jaywalkers from the Leno show.  The people who are cool but profoundly ignorant.  The education system and pop culture is their religion.  They work but without meaning.  Life is aimless.  Some even do well financially, but they have no clue if there is an Eternal God.  One way to reach these is find them in crisis and show them that GOD is the way out of their mess..  Unfortunately sometimes in our effort to be relevant and a friend we manage to reinforce their distractions.  We try to be their best friends.  The monster truck enthusiasm we feign masks our passion for Jesus which should be contagious.  Instead we fuel a fading fire.

4. The Lukewarm Semi-Annual Church Attender: Sometimes Jokingly called Annual members by church leadership.  You see them Christmas and New Years.  They are marginally more spiritually sensitive than the distracted apathetic.  They believe they are going to heaven.  Have very strange theologies which include reincarnation, works salvation (I'm a good person) and thousands of new age ideas that warp their minds.  Yet twice a year family kicks in.  They think they need to go to church, hold a candle and get a warm feeling.  These people have no hunger for God.  Yet, if the spit hits the fan they are prepared to pray till the crisis is over.  They will want some "holy man or woman" to come see them.  They will want to come back (during the crisis).  To minister to them and bring them into the fold will take brute truth.  They are prepared to hear because deep down they have a respect for faith but without commitment.  They need to be told the truth, not just about heaven and hell..but about all their family.  They are willing to hear... but you will need to be insistent and clear.  This is no time to be nice, it is now better to be KIND.  Lukewarmness is a disease cured only by full on apostasy or the fire of God. The middle ground is death.   The Spirit of God has offered them to us to reach in crisis... don't waste it.

5. The Seeker in Church:  This is a person who is seeking after something.  The Holy Spirit has called them. The empty spiritual hole is present in their life.  They know it.  They will float from church to church looking to find something. They might tune into a Christian TV or Radio program.  They might read a popular book like "Heaven is for Real" or one of Joel Osteen's books.  They will go to the movie about God.  In spite of what it seems, this is NOT low hanging fruit or easy.  They have a lot of questions.  A manifest move of God will cause them to take notice.  In truth they are still unbelievers.  These are the ones who answer your altar calls.  The first four categories aren't going to.  The problem for evangelism is what happens after the altar call is answered.  Follow up.  Discipleship. Integration.  Assimilation (resistance MUST become futile).  Unless we help the seeker find a real relationship with Jesus and help them come to reality they will drift away ...   The Holy Spirit has called these and we are responsible to steward them well.

Unfortunately we spend too much time on the first four, the most difficult, arguing, debating, persuading and in the end as Paul in Athens discovered.. with little affect. Meanwhile Holy Spirit is calling out to those willing to hear.  Let's help them tune their spiritual ears - those the Spirit of God is calling and placing in our path.. allow Him to do his work... being available to step in when crisis hits.

Dime Turns..

I hear the Lord Say.... you don't know what will happen, I do, and this much is sure, your future will surprise you.  Some changes you experience will be welcome...others you will wonder why. 

Life for you will turn quickly.  One event, one situation, one opprotunity taken and you will find yourself in a new place.

Don't say to yourself tomorrow we will go to this city and do that or this.  It is enough to plan and be diligent.. yet do not resent the change I bring..  when your life turns on a dime.  It didn't surprise ME.

You can trust ME.

AN ANGEL OF LIGHT - BY OLUFUNSO J. OMIDIRAN

www.livingsword.org

13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.

14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into AN ANGEL OF LIGHT.

15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the MINISTERS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS; whose end shall be according to their works. (2 Corinthians 11:13-15).

 It is absolutely impossible for anybody to enter into their ultimate season and fulfilment without the help of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit helps by enabling us to discern the times and seasons and also to respond to the call of destiny. He is the person and power that works in us. Hallelujah!

 One of the key areas where we urgently require the help of the Holy Spirit in our life is in our relationships with others. We truly cannot do without other people by any means in our life; we may either need somebody or somebody needs us. However, the challenge we face is that not all that come our way are true and real. Camouflage, hypocrisy and deception are daily living with us. There are a lot of pretenders and liars among supposed people of God who do create and enjoy illusion. In fact, some people seem to thrive and flourish in deception. But unfortunately, their joy will be short-lived.

 How do we avoid the danger of placing our trust, confidence and partnership with liars and deceivers? In what ways shall we be able to forestall or counteract the ominous torrents of grand deception among those who seem to be so religious? We seem to have fewer problems today with sinners and unbelievers than with those who claim to know the Book. First of all, we need to understand the origin of this evil deception.   

SATANIC TRANSFORMATION

Let us take a careful look at our text again:

13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, TRANSFORMING themselves into the apostles of Christ.

14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is TRANSFORMED into an angel of light.

15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be TRANSFORMED as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works (2 Corinthians 11:13-15 ─note my emphasis).

Negative transformations do take place among men, although we may fail to discover them, and ultimately fail to deal with them. We are in no wise helped when we lack discernment. This could be a very costly disadvantage that we should avoid. Firstly, we can see in the Scriptures false apostles, fake ‘Christian leaders’ who can actually transform or change so that they may look very much like true ones. Secondly Satan himself, the very chief mastermind of evil has the ability to do this transformation, such that he will appear like an angel of light. Thirdly, ministers of Satan can also be transformed negatively to look every bit like ministers of righteousness. This is very dangerous.

 This third level of satanic transformation is the most tricky and critical one in the sense that an actual minister of Satan can become a ‘minister of righteousness’. The Lord taught me some few years ago that what a preacher seems to be preaching or saying is not enough to determine his status. Ministering righteousness seems to be all important and absolute, but the truth is that it is possible for a man to be saying the truth, emphasising or acknowledging what is right without doing or living right. It is possible for a wicked person to be used of God to say what is right and even minister and be a blessing to other people while their character is unapproved by God. A lot of deception has overwhelmed this generation to the extent that not everyone who seems to be preaching or teaching from the Bible may have the Spirit of God. They can be full of LETTERS and have not THE SPIRIT (2 Corinthians 3:6). Isn’t it very possible for one to be theologically right but spiritually wrong? A preacher may just be preaching to fulfil some professional procedure or liturgical tradition, having learnt the rope without a personal experience of the Cross of Christ. They themselves can be slaves of sin while preaching against ‘sin’. They eventually become sold out to hypocrisy and lust and lose every sense of good conscience.

 Another danger is that some people have grown and learnt over the years the attitudes of religion, religious mannerism and dictum and we are tempted to believe that they are of God. Unfortunately, they are mere actors, only playing an assigned role and using a script; they don’t really mean what they say! It may even take a very long time to discover such folks, because they wield a lot of influence and impact on the organised Church or denomination and so many unwary crowd of followers who have been ‘greatly blessed’ through their ‘ministry’ troop after them. Talking of ‘an angel of light’ such men are first of all angels―they have the appearance of purity and sanctimony; they are also ‘of light’ in the sense that they use Scriptures skilfully, quoting the Word copiously. They do a lot of show in the flesh with much emotionalism...But don’t be deceived.

DIVINE ULTIMATUM

God is never mocked. No one can successfully trick or cajole Him! He looks into the heart while men judge only by what they see in the natural. We are living in a time when Satan, the old deceiver has diligently perfected is strategy over the ages. There are now many skilful and experienced ministers of the evil one. Bless God; it is not really difficult to discover such intricate men of dual personality: by their fruits you shall know them. They cannot be hidden forever! God Himself reserves the power to judge, expose and disgrace them. Their nakedness will soon appear to all.

Meanwhile, let us make ourselves open before God and be determined to not live a double life. Let us be truly and wholly given to the Lord for He is worthy of all of our devotion. Hence, there shall be no place in our lives to serve any other god or to give place to Satan (Ephesians 4:27).  Our God will keep us to the very end and we shall not fail in Jesus’ name. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them (Hebrews 7:25). Let us rejoice for our God is up to the task, even as we come to Him with a true heart and love unfeigned. He can never fail. Shalom.

 

 

 

 

 

 

IN HIS HOUSE,

 

Rev. Olufunso Joseph Omidiran Living Sword Ministries International
        (Healing unto the Nations)
E-mail: info@livingsword.org

Web: www.livingsword.org

We Can't Grasp God's Plans if we Remain Earth Centric

We all agree that God created the heavens and the earth.  We look up in the sky and the glory of God is revealed.  It's very romantic.

God created it all with a word.  Let there be... and it was.  Science tries to explain it.. big bang and all.  Explaining God's creative power is not the stuff of science.

The problem is, as our knowledge of all things galactic increases, we limit ourselves to God and us... us being a people, a planet, maybe a solar system.

God so loved the world. YES He does.

HE GAVE .. His only begotten son.. Who is HIM in the flesh.

So far so good.  We can get our minds around that.

Yet... what of all of all creation?  God of the Universe.  That's a pretty big place.

Here's the hard stuff.  God knows every hair on your head.  He knows your name. He loves YOU more than you know and cares about you.  God is infinite in Majesty.  Omnipotent. Omniscient.  Yet we still sell him short.  We are stuck on us.

That means when we think about the return of The God Christ, JESUS to the earth we get messed up.  That all of creation runs on some time table that revolves around us.

Here are some facts that can help.  You are gonna die.  You are not going to be raptured.  Every person will see Jesus... when they die... some to shame, some to glory.  That is judgement.

But He's not coming again as you suppose.  He's already here with us.. in many manifest ways.  I have written about this. 

Now to be clear there will come a day when the sky shall roll up as a scroll.  A day when HIS glory will be revealed.  A day when all flesh shall see HIM together. A day when all of creation shall bow.  This is not just about Earth.. It's about all creation.  AND creatures, what ever and where ever they are.

When you die and go to heaven.. you see things in proper perspective.  You will see HIM in all his glory and Creation will take it's rightful place as subject to the Creator.  You will see the end.  You will have experienced the revelation of the God Christ in fullness.  You are in eternal now.. and the end of time.

Some day, a long time from now, all of creation will cease to exist.  The earth will be gone before that.  Burned up by the exploding sun.   But all of the heavens in around 50 trillion years will collapse.  It will be as it was.  Rolled up like a scroll.   It will stand in stark contrast to what we see now with our fleshly eyes.   

Then in a new heaven and a new earth, we will remain.

To imagine that Jesus returning to earth will usher in the end of all things including the heavens and the earth is so self centric.  It excludes all of the unknown creation.  Millions of planets just like earth around billions of star suns in the galaxy.  Some with God's creation.  Some imagining that the clock they live by is ticking down to some end time that will culminate in the end of all things.

In that they live and die it does.  As it will for you and me.

The end of all things is when Jesus is revealed... as He is when we die .. as He will be when all things in trillions of years will be.

Until then, serve God, the end is not yet, the Kingdom is expanding, Jesus is still God and on the throne as a Man.   It's hard to grasp.. but He is MUCH MUCH bigger than you can possibly imagine.

And much more intimately involved with you than you can understand.

That is the conundrum.  That is the hard part.  How can the great God of all the universe care about every cell in my Body.  Two reasons why.  Time is not his limit.  And he has infinite Knowledge and Power.  So for you, He knows all, and has all the "TIME" in the world to consider you as well as the sparrows of the air.

We don't really understand Him, we are too earth centric.

How to spot the devil if he shows up - a Prophetic Warning

There are many scriptural references to demonic influence in the Word of God.   In a few cases the devil (satan) himself shows up.  In other cases he uses others to do his will.  In all cases there is a common denominator that unmasks him in his attempt to deceive.  He lies.

There are several that come to mind.  Remember, if you see or hear any of these, your "Devildetectometer" should hit "11" right away.  (most of us call this God given instrument Discernment).

Here are demonic things to watch for:

• He twists truth and uses it to lie.  (Eve in the Garden)  2 Corinthians 11:3
• The result of his work is to destroy your future.  (Jesus in the Wilderness and deceiving Judas)
• Killing (death) is deeply embedded in his program.  When you see death.. look for him.  John 10:10
• Smooth words are a prime skill.   He looks good.. angel of light good.  2 Corinthians 11:14
• He knows the Bible.. and uses it to trick you, he did with JESUS in the wilderness
• His appeals are always what you think you want anyway.  The easy way out.  And uses saints sometimes to do this  Matthew 16:23
• He promises a great future. As he did Jesus in the wilderness
• His lies are easier than the truth many times and are snatched away.  Matthew 13:19
• He's clever and always on the prowl to find someone to trick.1 Peter 5:8  
• Even a person who has a close intimate relationship with God can be tricked.  Knowing God is not a talisman against deception.  Matthew 16:23
• He comes with words of PEACE yet in hearing them there is no peace in it. 
• He comes disguised as a flesh and blood opponent, yet the real power behind him is evil. Ephesians 6:12
• He justifies sin in the name of love. Homosex in our day  1 Timothy 5:15
• He causes people in leadership positions to make bad policy.  David census. 1 Chronicles 21:
• He has power, but resisting him is your power.Ephesians 6:11-16
• He pretends to have great signs and wonders but they are all false. Bad imitations.  His strategy is to discredit the real thing by his fake manifestation.1 Timothy 1:20
• Sometimes the enemy has permission to abuse you... not because God hates you, but because the devil has a legal right to do so.  Adam gave it to him. Luke 22:31  Job 1:6-12
• The devil's domain is always dark and murky.  No light.  If you feel like things are dark.. look for it. Colossians 1:13
• He tries to distort and abuse the clear grace of God and impose additional things you have to do.  Revelation 2:9
• No matter how very elect you or I are we are not beyond the capacity to be deceived. John 13:27 1 Samuel 16:14
• The devil will cause people to blaspheme.  When you see outright balsphemey in the media.. that's him. IF there is a false accusation made... it's him. John 8:44
• The number one thing the devil wants to rip out of you is the truth of the revelation of God in your life.  Zechariah 3:1-2
• The only protection against demonic influence is to occupy your whole being in the Things of God.  Matthew 12:45
• The devil uses government to persecute Christians. 
• He uses many snares.. to trap even believers.
• He sees to it people who are not believers are peppered into the fellowship, blind leading blind 2 Corinthians 4:4
• Angels contend with the Devil in your behalf
• Believers don't Choose to follow satan.. they stray after him
• Satan will cause people to lie Acts 5:3
• Satan uses your flesh's lack of self control to trick you
• Satan will hinder ministry.  1 Thessalonians 2:18
• You have been given authority over satan... yet you must be in right standing to operate
• Satan is responsible to God... yet he is doomed and knows it.  He if a fallen angel.. but angel none the less. 2 Corinthians 12:7

Jesus has destroyed the works of the devil, but the devil is still working. 1 John 3:8

1 John 5:19 The world belongs to Satan.            John 16:11 Satan rules the world


It is prudent for believers to be wary and aware of the schemes of satan.  He is indeed a ravenous roaring lion.  He wants to blind those you care about and kill you.  Make no friend of evil.

We are not to be ignorant.. but many are.  I hear preachers all the time say, we shouldn't spend much time focusing on the devil and his evil works... except JESUS did.. and I think if we are going to be effective in the kingdom.. we must be wise as serpents in dealing with the enemy (the devil) . but to those not our enemy be harmless as doves.

I have done this so that we may not be taken advantage of by Satan. For we are not to be ignorant of his schemes.   2 Corinthians 2:11

When the Presence of the Lord is in your home - you will never be the same and never let go

Thinking about what life was like for Obed-Edom...

David decided not to move the Ark of the Lord into the City of David. Instead, he took it to the house of Obed-edom of Gath. 11 The Ark of the Lord remained there in Obed-edom’s house for three months, and the Lord blessed Obed-edom and his entire household.

12 Then King David was told, “The Lord has blessed Obed-edom’s household and everything he has because of the Ark of God.” So David went there and brought the Ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the City of David with a great celebration. 2 Samuel 6:10-12

Who is Obed-Edom? Why be like him? His choices and his life led to blessings for himself and his family.

Obed-Edom is first mentioned in the Bible, just after the death of Uzzah for touching the Ark of God. This happened during King David’s first attempt to move the Ark to Jerusalem. The Ark of God was placed in the home of Obed-Edom. He must have been a man of faith to allow something in his home; just after God had killed someone for touching it (this broke one of the commands of the Lord concerning the Ark). The ark of God remained with Obed-Edom for three months, and the Lord blessed his household and everything he owned.

When it came time to move the Ark to Jerusalem, (this time correctly) Obed-Edom had a choice. He could have stayed where he was and lived off of his past relationship with God or move with the Ark of God, staying in God’s presence and in relationship with God.

Obed-Edom had a desire for the Lord and moved with God. His desire for the Lord caused him to do whatever it took to be close to the Lord. He became a gatekeeper, a musician, and a doorkeeper for the Ark. Due to Obed-Edom’s desire and love for the Lord and his faithfulness, God begins again to bless him and promote him. 
1 Chronicles 16:5
1 Chronicles 16:38

Obed-Edom becomes a worship leader and is mentioned along with Aspah the Chief Musician. Obed-Edom and his 68 associates minister regularly before the Lord in worship. He continues to keep the gates.   1 Chronicles 26:4, 8, 15
1 Chronicles 15:18, 21, 24

Obed-Edom is not only blessed in ministry and relationship with the Lord, his family is also blessed. God gives him eight sons. His sons and grandsons also worshiped the Lord and were blessed by the Lord. They were all leaders, capable men, with strength to do the work. There were 62 men in all. Obed-Edom along with his other duties was put in charge of the Southgate and his sons were keepers of the storehouse.  2 Chronicles 25:24

Obed-Edom by his faith, attitude, and actions created a legacy of faith, and relationship with the Lord. The Lord was faithful back to Obed-Edom establishing a legacy of generational blessings.

Obed-Edom had to pack up and physically move to stay in the presence of God. His desire for a relationship with God established a relationship not only for himself but also for his children and grandchildren. This relationship also established generational blessings from God for his family.


I often wondered what Obed-Edom did when someone invited him to a fellowship, a conference, a retreat, a service where they promised the Presence of the Lord.... Obed-Edom LIVED in his home in blessing experiencing the presence of God.  It would have been amusing to him if he got such invitations.

It is to me sometimes.

I hear the Lord say: "RUN, Gene RUN"

I am not a runner in the flesh.  Never really was. Oh when I was young I could run.. but not for the reasons people think of today.  I ran as a way to get somewhere faster than I might otherwise.

Yet the Bible seems to use running as a way to describe many motives and purposes for the saint.  We are to be RUNNERS.  In studying out the word.. Run came to mean more than it did before.

David RAN to the battle with Goliath.

John outran Peter to the tomb.

Habakkuk 2:2 says that a vision will cause one to run
And the Lord answered me: “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it.

That endurance wins the race when we Run:   Hebrews 12:1-2    1 Corinthians 9:24    Isaiah 40:31 Matthew 24:13

That sometimes we run in misdirection:   1 Corinthians So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air.    Galatians 5:7 You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?   Proverbs 1:16 For their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood.     Amos 8:12 They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; they shall run to and fro, to seek the word of the Lord, but they shall not find it.

Yet there is JOY in the Journey.. when you run the race:  Psalm 119:32 I will run in the way of your commandments when you enlarge my heart!     Psalm 19:5 Which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.     Song of Solomon 1:4 Draw me after you; let us run. The king has brought me into his chambers. We will exult and rejoice in you; we will extol your love more than wine; rightly do they love you.      1 Corinthians 9:24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.

Running is never a passive activity.  You can't run and sleep at the same time.  Warriors mount up and run on the wall (Joel) to do battle.  The Lord's army is a running army.  It marches, but when the trumpet sounds as a call to war, it runs toward the battle.

It's time for the Body of Christ to lay aside weights, take up the armor, sword and shield and RUN to confront the enemy.

The enemy fears those who run after the HIGH CALLING of GOD in their lives:   Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:12-14

Discover, Develop, Deploy

A great portion of the work of the church can be described in these three words: Discover, Develop and Deploy.

We like the “discover” part. It includes evangelism and other tasks related to tracking down the people God is calling to Himself, and to identifying the work that He is doing in them. I love the expression of “discover” that happens in parks, on street corners and “in the marketplace.” The evangelists and pastors love bringing sheep into the fold for different reasons: the evangelist loves finding sheep, and the pastor loves shepherding them in the fold.

We even like the “develop” part. So many churches nowadays are led by men with a teaching gift, and we interpret (incorrectly, I might add, or at least incompletely) that teaching is functionally accomplishing the command “equip the saints for works of ministry.” So many teachers are excited to find audiences to teach. As a man with a teaching gift myself, I understand this snare.

But we generally overlook the “deploy” part of the equation. We miss it in three ways:

1) Our church leaders are so focused on bringing people into the church that they miss the part where we’re supposed to send them out too. We understand the metaphor of a shepherd and his sheep, but we miss the other metaphors, such as the military image that Paul uses so often in the New Testament.

2) Both church leaders and “we the sheep” are also heavily focused on the process of development. Somehow we’ve developed this perfectionist mentality that says “I need more [fill in the blank] before I can be deployed.” Maybe that’s in the form of “I need to be healed” or “I need more training in evangelism.” The goal of development is not perfection: the goal of development, of any training, is deployment.

3) We miss the ultimate point. Most Christians know of the Great Commission (“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’”). How often do we overlook the first command here: “Go”! The verb is not “be sent”; it is not “be perfect”; it’s not a “be” verb of any sort.

My point is this: the ultimate responsibility for our deployment lies with us. In fact, once we come into relationship with our Commander in Chief, all three areas are my responsibility. It is not my pastor’s job to discover my giftings, my calling, my passion, the places where God’s anointing works best on me. It’s fine if he helps, but it’s not his job. It’s not my church’s job to see that I’m equipped; though doubtless the church will be part of the equipping, it’s my responsibility.
And it’s my job to hear my orders from my Commander and obey them. Since I am in relationship with my church, no doubt they’ll be of great help in my obedience, but the responsibility is mine, not theirs. The command is “Go”, not “be sent”. I am the one that “goes”; they don’t “go” for me.
from www.pilgrimgram.com

Regarding communion...again... Thurmond Duke

I have posted before on the importance of communion. A month ago I had not partaken in a while. Papa woke me up one morning and said simply "Communion. Now." So I grabbed my Kindle, pulled up the Book of Common Prayer, and did it right. And with meaning. That morning Papa broke a couple of things that I had been struggling with. Papa likes instant obedience.

There are spells when I do communion daily, and other times when it might just be three times a week. That's just for me; I do not hold myself up as an example. However, I do feel most people are missing out on a most important element of their relationship with Papa if (a) they attend a "sacramental" church," have weekly communion, and they let it descend to a mindless ritual, or (b) they attend a church where communion has been so downgraded it would be better if it were just taken out of the Sunday (once every threee months) repertoire.

I once visited a church where it was advertised they would have communion that Sunday. I went, participated in a normal service, and at the end stood in disbelief as the pastor announced that there were stations at the end of each section, that as one left one could take a wafer and a cuplet of juice and have communion. No, I never went back, and would never return again. Total disrespect. A few weeks ago I was out west, and visited a church there. Again, they had communion by intincture. The pastor invited people forward, we came forward, dipped a piece of bread in the juice, and that was it. No words over it, no explanation, no nothing. Maybe it was acceptable to the Lord; it was not acceptable to me. I was offended.

I am a Protestant for a reason. I choose to be. I may not be a full blown sacramentalist, but I am way more than what I am seeing in the average protestant church with regard to communion...if it as ordinance, then treat it with all the respect and honor and discernment and rememberance that the sacrificed body and blood of our Lord Jesus HaMashiach should command. I think Papa is greatly annoyed by the dismissive way with which communion is treated by many churches these days, and I highly doubt it gives Jesus warm and fuzzy feelings either.

Little flock, talk to Papa about this for yourselves. Ask Him what He would have you to do. I would not be surprised if He urged you to partake several times a week. The average person is missing out on so much when they don't. It is called COMMUNION for a reason, you know.

earthquake hits north Thailand and buddah looses head! - shake the nations!!!

GOD NEEDS YOU

I am going to offend my religious friends. GOD NEEDS YOU... you are all He has here on the earth to accomplish his purposes. He needs you alive and breathing. We sang this in Church at Crusaders Sunday Morning and the Lord said to me, I NEED YOU to live and breathe. I can't live (function in the earth) without you.

Now that'll mess some people up.. if the enemy comes to kill steal and destroy, the source of ALL LIFE needs you to live build and restore... and that means YOU.. Sure God can take stones and make them cry out.. but HE needs LIVING STONES... you.

That's why the enemy hates you so much

From William McDowell:
I need you live
I need you to breath
Can’t Live without you
Can’t live without you

Father is saying that to YOU today... I hope that messes your theology up a bit. Listen

Anyone who doesn't believe in the Supernatural isn't being realistic.

I just got the most recent issue of Charisma in the mail. Sometimes I am less than enthusiastic about some of the articles. This issue is on the Supernatural. It's excellent. All of it. The Kingdom of God is more than Meat or Drink. It's about freedom, hearing from the throne, faith, hope, optimism, demons cast out, sickness overcome, fear destroyed, a sense of the presence of God in all things, visitations, visions, dreams, flowing in the Spirit, Miracles and a million other things that are KINGDOM.

What Ultimate Worship Will Look Like

I have been taught to always start at the end and work backwards in solving a problem.   The concept of here's where we will arrive, how did we get there?

I have been considering events where worship is released in unique and amazing ways, the kind that merited a record in the Bible, where someone considered what happened worthy of writing about it.  Here's the rub... much of what is ultimate worship the inspired writers of scripture cataloged doesn't look ANYTHING like what will happen in most of the churches in the USA tomorrow.

Since there will come a day when we will all gather on the glassy sea, in worship with a lot of falling down, casting of crowns and Glori's singing,  perhaps we should consider ramping up what we call worship to look more like what will ultimately take place when we get there.  It looks like in the Book of Revelation when we are truly worshiping in Spirit and in Truth it will contain:

• Shouting
• Singing
• Declaring
• Lightening
• Earthquakes
• Thunder
• A lot about VICTORY over Satan
• A great Roar
• A Storm from Heaven
• A Glassy Sea with FIRE all around
• A Mighty Chorus
• New Songs being sung

Since that is our ultimate destination.. let's go there now... why not?

Revelation 4: Then as I looked, I saw a door standing open in heaven, and the same voice I had heard before spoke to me like a trumpet blast. The voice said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must happen after this.” ² And instantly I was in the Spirit,^[a] and I saw a throne in heaven and someone sitting on it. ³ The one sitting on the throne was as brilliant as gemstones—like jasper and carnelian. And the glow of an emerald circled his throne like a rainbow. ⁴ Twenty-four thrones surrounded him, and twenty-four elders sat on them. They were all clothed in white and had gold crowns on their heads. ⁵ From the throne came flashes of lightning and the rumble of thunder. And in front of the throne were seven torches with burning flames. This is the sevenfold Spirit^[b] of God. ⁶ In front of the throne was a shiny sea of glass, sparkling like crystal.

In the center and around the throne were four living beings, each covered with eyes, front and back. ⁷ The first of these living beings was like a lion; the second was like an ox; the third had a human face; and the fourth was like an eagle in flight. ⁸ Each of these living beings had six wings, and their wings were covered all over with eyes, inside and out. Day after day and night after night they keep on saying,

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty—
    the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come.”

⁹ Whenever the living beings give glory and honor and thanks to the one sitting on the throne (the one who lives forever and ever), ¹⁰ the twenty-four elders fall down and worship the one sitting on the throne (the one who lives forever and ever). And they lay their crowns before the throne and say,

¹¹ “You are worthy, O Lord our God,
    to receive glory and honor and power.
For you created all things,
    and they exist because you created what you pleased.”

Revelation 5:

 
⁸ And when he took the scroll, the four living beings and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp, and they held gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of God’s people. ⁹ And they sang a new song with these words:

“You are worthy to take the scroll
    and break its seals and open it.
For you were slaughtered, and your blood has ransomed people for God
    from every tribe and language and people and nation.
¹⁰ And you have caused them to become
    a Kingdom of priests for our God.
    And they will reign^[d] on the earth.”

¹¹ Then I looked again, and I heard the voices of thousands and millions of angels around the throne and of the living beings and the elders. ¹² And they sang in a mighty chorus:

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered—
    to receive power and riches
and wisdom and strength
    and honor and glory and blessing.”

¹³ And then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea. They sang:

“Blessing and honor and glory and power
    belong to the one sitting on the throne
    and to the Lamb forever and ever.”

¹⁴ And the four living beings said, “Amen!” And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped the Lamb.

Revelation 7: 

⁹ After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands. ¹⁰ And they were shouting with a great roar,

“Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne
    and from the Lamb!”

¹¹ And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living beings. And they fell before the throne with their faces to the ground and worshiped God. ¹² They sang,

“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom
    and thanksgiving and honor
and power and strength belong to our God
    forever and ever! Amen.”

Revelation 11:

 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices shouting in heaven:

“The world has now become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ,^[c]
    and he will reign forever and ever.”

¹⁶ The twenty-four elders sitting on their thrones before God fell with their faces to the ground and worshiped him. ¹⁷ And they said,

“We give thanks to you, Lord God, the Almighty,
    the one who is and who always was,
for now you have assumed your great power
    and have begun to reign.
¹⁸ The nations were filled with wrath,
    but now the time of your wrath has come.
It is time to judge the dead
    and reward your servants the prophets,
    as well as your holy people,
and all who fear your name,
    from the least to the greatest.
It is time to destroy
    all who have caused destruction on the earth.”

¹⁹ Then, in heaven, the Temple of God was opened and the Ark of his covenant could be seen inside the Temple. Lightning flashed, thunder crashed and roared, and there was an earthquake and a terrible hailstorm.

Revelation 12:

¹⁰ Then I heard a loud voice shouting across the heavens,

“It has come at last—
    salvation and power
and the Kingdom of our God,
    and the authority of his Christ.^[a]
For the accuser of our brothers and sisters^[b]
    has been thrown down to earth—
the one who accuses them
    before our God day and night.
¹¹ And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb
    and by their testimony.
And they did not love their lives so much
    that they were afraid to die.
¹² Therefore, rejoice, O heavens!
    And you who live in the heavens, rejoice!
But terror will come on the earth and the sea,
    for the devil has come down to you in great anger,
    knowing that he has little time.”

Revelation 14:

 I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of mighty ocean waves or the rolling of loud thunder. It was like the sound of many harpists playing together.

³ This great choir sang a wonderful new song in front of the throne of God and before the four living beings and the twenty-four elders

Revelation 15:
² I saw before me what seemed to be a glass sea mixed with fire. And on it stood all the people who had been victorious over the beast and his statue and the number representing his name. They were all holding harps that God had given them. ³ And they were singing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb:

“Great and marvelous are your works,
    O Lord God, the Almighty.
Just and true are your ways,
    O King of the nations.^[a]
4 Who will not fear you, Lord,
    and glorify your name?
    For you alone are holy.
All nations will come and worship before you,
    for your righteous deeds have been revealed.”

Revelation 19:
I heard what sounded like a vast crowd in heaven shouting,

“Praise the Lord!^[a]
    Salvation and glory and power belong to our God.
² His judgments are true and just.
    He has punished the great prostitute
who corrupted the earth with her immorality.
    He has avenged the murder of his servants.”

³ And again their voices rang out:

“Praise the Lord!
    The smoke from that city ascends forever and ever!”

⁴ Then the twenty-four elders and the four living beings fell down and worshiped God, who was sitting on the throne. They cried out, “Amen! Praise the Lord!”

⁵ And from the throne came a voice that said,

“Praise our God,
    all his servants,
all who fear him,
    from the least to the greatest.”

⁶ Then I heard again what sounded like the shout of a vast crowd or the roar of mighty ocean waves or the crash of loud thunder:

“Praise the Lord!
    For the Lord our God,^[b] the Almighty, reigns.
⁷ Let us be glad and rejoice,
    and let us give honor to him.
For the time has come for the wedding feast of the Lamb,
    and his bride has prepared herself.
⁸ She has been given the finest of pure white linen to wear.”
    For the fine linen represents the good deeds of God’s holy people.

Brian Simmons -- I hear Him whisper...

"I have opened the heavens over your heart and over your home. You have access into My glory as you come before Me with a tender heart. Many times you have come, but come again! I have heard your cries, your sighs to know Me and to see My glory in your situation. I have opened the skies over your home so that My glory was fall upon you and your loved ones. Trust in Me for your family and for every need that is before you. Have I ever failed to provide for all that you lack? Now trust Me again and watch the miracle be released.

"Those who love Me trust Me. Those who have believed in My power to raise the dead know that I am more than enough and always faithful. Rest in the strength of My love for you this day and you will see more and more of My breakthroughs. To break open the way for you is My delight, for I have set My love upon you and will rescue you when you call out to Me. Even as I taught My servant David how to win in every battle, I will come to you and give you victory-keys that will unlock your breakthrough. But come to Me in faith and you will see what I have held in My hands for you -- a triumph and breakthrough no one else can give you! Is there anything impossible when I come to fight for you?

"This is a day of might and power for all My lovers who trust in Me. There will many who will tell you to quit, to leave, to walk away. But I whisper into your spirit- 'Come closer to Me!'

"The days of heaven on earth will now be revealed. My outpouring and outshining will be seen in the heavens and on the earth. Never fear the reports of men, for I am the God of the Great Reversal, and I promise that the days of many changes will result in the days of many miracles!

"So as the heavens open over your home, believe in Me for all that you ask for. There is no one I can cannot touch and convert and transform as you pray to Me. The unveiling of mysteries will be seen in the next few days as you continue to walk with Me. Even now I have sent My angels to bring to the earth the trumpet message of My appearing. Listen to those whose voices are like trumpets and they will gather you into My Sanctuary and speak the words that have been spoken above, for these are the days that I will pour out heaven onto the earth and shake all that must be shaken so that you will come before Me with the purest of faith."

James 4:6-8 The Passion Translation
He continues to pour out more and more grace upon us! For it says,
“God resists you when you are proud but continually pours out grace when you are humble.”
So then, surrender to God. Stand up to the devil and resist him and he will turn and run away from you. Move your heart closer and closer to God, and He will come even closer to you.