Yesterday I said
I had a word to release about the two types of guests that are invited to the wedding feast. I thought I was ready to go, but tonight when I opened Chapter 14 in the Book of Luke, I noticed something that I hadn’t noticed before. “One Sabbath day Jesus went to eat dinner in the home of a leader of the Pharisees, and the people were watching him closely.” Luke 14:1 Jesus had been invited into a den of foxes, but instead of being frightened, He used this as an opportunity to speak the truth in love. He asked the Pharisees and experts of the religious law, if it was permitted, in the law, to heal people on the Sabbath day, or not. I always thought of Satan as casting the bait, but here we see Jesus as a fisher of men! But these men refused to take His bait, the truth in love was something they did not want to taste! Jesus extended a miracle they could not debate. He healed a man whose arms and legs were swollen, and then sent him away. He turned to the men and said, “Which of you does not work on the Sabbath? If your son or your cow falls into a pit, don’t you rush in to get him out?” Luke 14:5-6 Instead of telling them what to think, He asked them a question they could not refute. But their hearts were so hard, they would not answer Him, and they refused to believe! Scripture shows us two types of men that are the same, men with hearts like Pharaoh, and the Pharisees. And this is how Jesus introduces us to the first kind of guests who are invited to the Banquet Table of the Wedding Feast. Hard-hearted men who refuse to believe Christ, even though it appears that they do have faith. Hard-hearted men who refuse to submit, no matter the destruction that comes from God's wrath. These are the empty hearts that have been filled with SELF. They are subject to the spirits of pride and doubt. You will know them, by their fruit, because they produce manipulation, stubbornness and control. They jockey for position like they did in Luke 14 verse 7. They will run over each other, just to get to the seat of honor. And they certainly don't even see, the guest of honor, who is standing right in front of them. Vanity - It’s the Mirror of Deceit. Which is another character trait of humans that resemble people like Pharaoh and the Pharisees. The inability to see anyone but themselves, not even the true version of Jesus Christ! And you can’t have vanity, without underlying lust. It’s an unsatiable desire that causes covetousness. "My Precious!" It reminds me of Gollum in the Lord of the Rings, he would die alone holding on to deceit! Hypocrisy, vanity and lust; Manipulation, control and covetousness - These are signs that tell us that we are spiritually lost! Yet, Jesus still goes to them, and casts out His bait, which we already identified as the truth in love, because He is a Fisher of Men, who does not discriminate. He paid the price for everyone, not just the ones who look like the lost, lonely and broken-hearted. Any one of those men could have eaten the bait! Any one of the Pharisees could have believed him. But we see in Luke 14, that none of them did. Despite the lesson on humility, found in the Parable of the Great Feast, the Pharisees and religious men continued to make excuses, and stayed away from Him. This is when I am reminded to shake the dust from my feet, and to leave the person or the place that won't accept the truth in love. I will not change the gospel to get a man to believe, I will twist the WORD, the truth in love. Why? Because this is NOT what Jesus did! I think this is what upsets me the most, men who rationalize their own ways, and their own thoughts IN LOVE, instead of declaring the truth of God's WORD. Even though Jesus was invited to THEIR table, He was not under THEIR control! We hear Him speak the truth in love when He says, “When you are invited to a wedding feast, don’t sit in the seat of honor. What if someone who is more distinguished than you has also been invited? The host will come and say, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then you will be embarrassed, and you will have to take whatever seat is left at the foot of the table! “Instead, take the lowest place at the foot of the table. Then when your host sees you, he will come and say, ‘Friend, we have a better place for you!’ Then you will be honored in front of all the other guests.” Luke 14:8-10 Wow! What a revelation! The world is not Jesus’s kingdom. He reigns over the Kingdom of Heaven. He was an honored guest of this world, who came to show us the truth in love. And in this passage, He totally reminded me that we are still living under the curse, and not the blessing. Do you remember what Jesus said, when Pontius Pilate asked him who he was, and what he had done? Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world; if it were, My servants would fight to prevent My arrest by the Jews. But now, My kingdom is not of this realm.” “Then You are a king!” Pilate said. “You say that I am a king,” Jesus answered. “For this reason I was born and have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to My voice.” John 18:35-37 Much of humanity enjoys living in the den, so much so that they are not willing to keep God's Word. They think they own what they have, and they think that honor and glory is theirs to be had. It’s so crazy to me, that the Son of God is standing in front of them, and they don’t have the eyes to see Him! Gee, there’s another character trait - they are spiritually blind. They are the walking dead! Eternally damned if they don’t break the eternal curse that was spoken by Word of God. They made so many excuses not to partake these men described in the Parable of the Great Feast. And there is another trait, they are fools who are spiritually dumb! We see it in Luke 14:16-20, where Jesus tells a story of a man who sent out many invitations. And when the banquet was ready, he sent his servants to tell them, “Come, the feast is ready.” But they all made excuses and did not come. Thank God the Parable of the Great Feast is changing, because I don’t think I can take much more of human spiritual stupidity! It’s complete hypocrisy and absurdity to believe that our thoughts and our ways are the truth! Once again, this is NOT what God's Word says! Isaiah 55:7-9 says, "Let the wicked man forsake his own way and the unrighteous man his own thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that He may have compassion, and to our God, for He will freely pardon. “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts." Now that Jesus has shown us what kind of men, choose not to participate in Banquet of the Lord, He introduces the second kind of guest, the ones who accept the truth in love. He says, “The servant returned and told his master what they had said. His master was furious and said, “Go quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and invite the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.” After the servant had done this he reported there is still room for more, so his master said to go out into the country lanes, and behind the hedges, and urge any when you find to come so that the house will be full. For none of those I first invited will get even the smallest taste of my banquet.” Luke 14:21-24 So if you hear the Word of God and it does not make sense to you, then this is an indicator that you have more work to do. It is time to soften your heart, repent, accept the truth; and forgive yourself and your fellow man, and tell Jesus you are ready to return to Him. He says that when we prepare a feast, we should not invite our friends, brothers, relatives or rich neighbors; lest they also invite you back and you be repaid. If we did this, our hearts would be questioned because it may show that our selfishness still exists. Luke 14:12-14 My God, don’t you see the humility in this? It is never about us! It's always about Jesus! If the self-righteous don’t want to bite, then take the truth in love to the ones that humans have outcast! For surely they will believe! They have learned a thing or two about humility! This is such a revelation to me! We think we are extending a hand of human love to our fellow man, but even that rationalization is spiritually dumb! Because it’s still about us!!! God help us! The deceit that lies beneath the human crust is finally becoming obvious to me. I pray that Holy Spirit will continue to dig it all up! Everything is about HIM! Even helping the poor is not about me, or even them! It’s about God showing up through His essence of love to present the truth, in love! It’s about inviting all men to the wedding feast! It’s casting a net so that everyone can eat! It’s about turning two loaves of bread and five fish into a feast! It's about turning us into something complete. “In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.” John 1:1-5 I will forever be faithful to God! I will stand courageous and bold! No one can shake me, or make me fall, because I stand rooted in God’s love! Jesus IS TRUTH, in love, and He IS the Word of Almighty God! There is nothing that can be taken out! Because it’s not possible to negate Him! He existed from the beginning of time, and He is the ancient of days! You are a vapor in the wind, but He is eternal and never ending! He is God! Alpha and Omega! And it’s in HIS WORD that I stand! And I am a Fisher of Men, and I am casting out the TRUTH, in LOVE. My only ministry is the reconciliation of men, speaking to the truth in love to reconcile hearts back to Him! It’s the same line that was finally cast to me, the line that the WORD of God was with us from the beginning of time, and that we must consume the inspired Word. We must eat the whole sacrificial lamb, and put the blood of Christ on our hearts. Without Him, we are eternally damned, and once that happens there is nothing that can bring us back to Him. Once we accept Him, we must change our thoughts and our ways, and that is why Holy Spirit came. He guides us and comforts us through the rest of our days, until our Father is ready to bring us home. This fishermen line can not be changed. It is the same line every time! It’s the Gospel of Jesus Christ. So I ask you, will you take the bait? Do you believe that Jesus came, and died for you? Do you believe He was ransomed and redeemed? Do you believe that He is the Son of God? Do you believe that He is the Spirit of Truth? Do you believe He came in Love? If you do, then present yourself to Him. He will accept you just as you are. His blood purifies all of your past, and His purity makes you white as snow. He will transform you, and make you His virgin bride, who keeps her lamp burning and is ready to go home. If you have no idea what I say, then I encourage you to pick up the Word of God. All you need is a mustard seed of faith, and He will do the rest. It's time to decide, what kind of guest do you want to be?
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When you’re invited to a feast,
what do you think will be on the serving plate? If you had to guess, do you think it would be milk, candy or meat? Can you imagine sitting down to eat only to be offered a glass of milk, or even worse, a heaping plate of candy-coated mystery meat? I know this must sound ridiculous, but its part of the Parable found in the 14th Chapter of the Book of Luke. Here we see Jesus serving up even more spiritual truths! I’m going to divide this Sermon in half. Part One will speak to the wedding feast, where the WORD is spread out on the Table of God. Perfectly prepared for his BRIDE, repentant hearts who've been purified by Him. Part Two will come tomorrow and it will describe the two different kinds of guests that have been invited by Him. While the message I’m about to share is meant for the world, the Spirit is pressing on me to focus on the American church. Candy-coated mystery meat has been the diet we have been fed from Mega churches who present themselves as a House of God. Americans have consumed thousands of empty calories from extra helpings of Big Mac messages and false gospel fries. You would think that the servants of the King would prepare the choicest of meats to lay out on the Table of God. You would think the Written Word would be the main dish, and the Spoken Word would be freshly-picked, perfectly placed and offered to the guests. But instead, they serve sugar-coated verses that have been sprinkled with cultural bias; and if that's not modification enough, cultural relativism is injected into God’s Word, line by line. Instead of consuming the whole sacrificial lamb, limbs are extracted and candy-coated. This is the recipe for every false gospel, and it’s why us humans are spiritually starving. Pastors hand-pick their kitchen mates, and false prophets become their self-anointed chefs. Apostles who are supposed to carry out the Word, trip over each other as they run to the front row. Shepherds herd humans like animals by binding them through dominion and control. Teachers speak their own words, and people circle around hoping to be acknowledged. Instead of wisdom shouting out in the streets, fools propagate there own beliefs. Water baptism has become the new herding mentality, where humans are marched in and randomly dunked. Quantity is valued more than quality; Human hearts haven’t been taught anything about spiritual accountability! People enter the water believing that Jesus will be the answer to all of their problems. But then they give up hope when they see He has left them. For some, they stop believing because their circumstances are not changing, all because no one told them told them the truth. Rarely do we take the time to disciple men, and rarely do we tell them they will need to endure suffering. We don't equip them to understand Mark 12:45, where "an impure spirit comes out of a person, then goes back and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked." People must be told the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help us God. Because without God's truth, we are just living a lie. The American Church has become a breeding ground for Satan; and we know this fallen angel rules over all the worldly kingdoms. So, what does that say to us? Many pulpits are occupied by baby Christians who just need more time to grow spiritually mature. But truth be told, they do speak the truth in love, just not enough. Milk is not bad, in fact it is really good! Spiritual Milk grows spiritual bones which becomes our frame. However, if you are fully grown, then milk alone will not do. Spiritual Meat is needed for spiritually hungry, and it should not be served deceitfully, as candy-coated mystery meat. Unfortunately this is how the lie begins. Since milk is served next to mystery meat, people think they are being fed, when in fact they are being spiritually misled. Mixing the truth with a lie is typically how humanity works, just read Romans 1, verse 25. This has to be Satan’s most precious form of bait, it leaves fools believing there is only THEIR truth and God’s Grace. The American church has become the leading factory of Carnal Christianity - the making of “Christians” who believe that human love is more important than the truth. They use their mind to break up God’s foundation while trying to use their heart to keep up His walls; essentially, they bring their heart to the alter, but not their thoughts. They are the what the Bible calls the Church of the Laodiceans, the spiritually indifferent and lukewarm. We can read all about them in the Book of Revelation, where the apostle John is shown the end times by an angel of God. Carnal Christians will stake their claim to grace, while simultaneously spiritually spitting in Jesus’s face. But this is how deceit works! People don’t even realize they are doing it! If they did, my prayer is that they would stop. They bind up people’s wounds and put ointment on them, but they do this without ever sharing God's truth. They coat the skin with grace before ever injecting His mercy. They close up the wound while leaving the infection in. Yes, some will heal in time, but many will be left to their own devise. If you do not show them the truth in love, then they will continue to be subject to satanic lies. The truth is we are all sinners living under God's curse, but He sent his Son Jesus to ransom us, to pay the price for our life with his own blood. All we have to do is repent and give our lives back to Him, knowing full well that our portion is not of this world, but in the world to come. Deuteronomy 30:19 says, "I lay before you life and death. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live." Listen, If you’ve never had filet mignon, which is symbolically, the whole Word of God, and you’ve only had candy-coated mystery meat, then how would you even know that the fake food is NOT good for you? You would keep on consuming all that you’ve been told, even though it’s a falsehood, because it looks good, smells good, and tastes good! And before you've even had a chance to learn the truth, you could be completely addicted to the false teachings you have ignorantly consumed. For a Carnal Christian who has been addicted to their own beliefs and human love, spiritual detoxification from this witchcraft can be very humbling, and very hard. It entails regurgitating spiritual falsehoods, and dying to self on the alter of God. It requires repentance of sin, and requires a willingness to endure even more suffering that comes from the consequences of humanity living in adultery, separated from Him. But if you extend your hand, He will lift you from the pit. He is always ready to bring a repentant heart back to Him. 2 Timothy 15-19 says, “Do your best to present yourself to God and receive his approval.” “Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed AND who correctly explains the word of truth.” “Avoid worthless, foolish talk that only leads to more godless behavior.” “This kind of talk spreads like cancer, as in the case of Hymenaeus and Philetus. They have left the path of truth, claiming that the resurrection of the dead has already occurred; in this way, they have turned some people away from the faith.” “But God’s truth stands firm like a foundation stone with this inscription: The Lord knows those who are his, and All who belong to the Lord must turn away from evil.” You may think we should not say anything to anybody about God’s truth, at least not until Holy Spirit timing is right. But let me ask you this, “Are you God?” Are you the one in charge? Do you not know what Jesus spoke after his resurrection? Jesus spent 40 days teaching about the Kingdom of God. In fact, His final instruction to his disciples was this, “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.” Mark 28:19-20 I’m not trying to be mean, but do you know when a man will take his last breath? God does! God does not say to wait to tell a man His truth. In fact, He commands just the opposite! He commands us to speak the truth in love, all of the time. Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself. 2 Timothy 2:11-13 Paul encourages us with these words on how to be spiritually mature, “Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.” Ephesians 4:14-15 “Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God - truly righteous and holy.” Ephesians 4:21-24 Since God is love, and His Spirit is truth, how can you possibly operate in one, but not in two? God help us when Christians don’t stand on your truth! It’s like building a house on sand, that moves with every thought that enters our heads. I humbly present myself to you, to let you know, that I too, walked spiritually deceived. I walked as a Carnal Christian for over twenty years. I was so deceived that I could not see the impurity that lived inside of me. And while I often opened God’s Word, I did it from a heart of humanity, my intent was to find God's love, while standing on my own human-centered beliefs. I refused to believe that God had a wrath that would be poured out on men; and I could not come to terms that God would shut the doors of Heaven on any human. The narrow door was just not a belief that I could hold onto; If God was so good, then why would He condemn anyone? I did not like boundaries, and I certainly hated walls! I took God’s place of honor, and spoke my words over His. God allowed me to eat the false beliefs that I consumed. And this is when I fell into depression, and endured the consequences of my sin. But in the end, I learned more about God’s love than I ever could have on my own. Thank God there were Christians who spoke the truth in love, who came by my side and did not leave me alone. And that is why today, I lay down my beliefs, and my ways, as a living sacrifice to Him. The Lord has three requests when coming to the Table of God, Come when you are invited Come with a repentant heart of humility Come prepared to eat the whole WORD of God Be careful not to believe exchange the truth for a lie. Do not believe sugar-coated messages over His truth. Do not denounce the Bible as a book written by fools, instead believe it to be the inspired Word of God. Be cautious of the opposite, Don't confuse love as hate, and hate as love. For the Lord hates anything that goes against Him, and the Lord loves anything that brings you back to Him. Do not think that plumb line faith is not of God; and do not stand on the human interpretation of universal love. Be careful if you are straining, Your spiritual vision may be blurred; Be careful not to doubt the inspired Word of God Jesus said, “Don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it? Otherwise, you might complete only the foundation before running out of money, and then everyone would laugh at you. They would say, “There’s the person who started that building and couldn’t afford to finish it!” Or what king would go to war against another king without first sitting down with his counselors to discuss whether his army of 10,000 could defeat the 20,000 soldiers marching against him? And if he can’t, he will send a delegation to discuss terms of peace while the enemy is still far away. So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own.” This IS the Word of God! I pray that all who hear it, won't excuse it! Don’t even try to rationalize it! Come like children, ready to hear the words that are spoken from your good father, whose message is intended for the pure in heart. Being a disciple is more than showing love. It’s a full commitment to put down your thoughts, pick up his cross and submit yourself to Him. It is following Him, no matter what the cost- it’s speaking the truth in love to the wandering, and the lost. I have to remind myself everyday that Jesus warned us that the world would hate us, if we followed Him. Since my ministry is the reconciliation of men, if only one comes to Christ, then I know I have done the work of God. When your life and your ministry is no longer be about you; it will be a sign that you’ve laid down your life and given it back to him. He will tear down your walls of pride and vanity, and He will gently remove the mask of deceit to expose truth. So if you find yourself spiritually hungry and the milk will no longer do, then it means you are maturing, and you will need something more to eat. The Lord invites you to His wedding feast. Where the WORD is laid out on the Table of God. Come with a repentant heart, and Open the Bible for yourself and get ready to be amazed! INSPIRED and WRITTEN WRITTEN and INSPIRED LOGOS AND RHEMA EAT ALL OF HIM Toss away the candy-coated mystery meat it will only make you more spiritually sick. Tomorrow I will release Part Two of this Word; Where Jesus compares two different kinds of guests that are invited to the Table of the Lord. Here's a hint, One is characterized by the Pharisees, full of hypocrisy, vanity and lust; and one is characterized as the desperate and needy, who are known for humility, child-like faith, and thankfulness. Luke Chapter 13 explains to us
why the message of repentance is the most perfect form of God’s love. Think about it. Why would Jesus share the Parable of the Barren Fig Tree, or The Narrow Door, if He didn’t want us to know how serious He is about turning back back to Him. If you think Heaven is open to everyone, then you clearly do not know what the Word of God says. It's so important that we don't miss this, it is really a matter of eternal life or death. Do you remember what Jesus said when his disciple asked him, “Lord, will only a few be saved?” He said, “Work hard to enter the narrow door to God’s Kingdom!” Many will try to enter but will fail.” “When the master of the house has locked the door, it will be too late. You will stand outside, knocking and pleading, “Lord, open the door for us!” But he will reply, “I don’t know you or where you come from.” Then you will say, “But we ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.” And he will reply, “I tell you, I don’t know you or where you come from. Get away from me, all you who do evil - There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!” Luke 13:24-28 I don’t know about you, but his answer is a LOT scary to me, many who walking confidently are actually deceived. We have to get this right! Many have not taken the time to dive into God's Word - to get to know Him personally. They walk around proudly, serving their fellow man, truly believing they are going to Heaven because they are morally good. But this is NOT what God's Word says. Where in the world, does this falsehood come from? I can’t find anywhere in the Bible that this is what God says. In fact it says just the opposite, if we don't know him, we will be eternally dead. He does say that His greatest command is to love Him, and to love our neighbors as ourselves, but this can only be done when we truly understand how He saved us from eternal death. According to the Word, it’s only the blood of Jesus that brings us back into relationship with Him, and it’s through a personal relationship that we can truly know who God is. And when we know Him, we come to understand how much forgiveness is foundational to spreading the love of God. When we truly understand the cost of our sin, we will have no problem forgiving our fellow men, because it's only then that we understand how much He forgave us. God became a human so that He come in flesh, die on the cross, and spill His Holy blood as our final sacrifice - Why? Because He knew there was no way in hell that we could obey the Law. This is the difference between Christians and the religious, or even universalists. It’s all about Jesus! Only Jesus leads the way. As scripture says, “There is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all” the world. 1 Timothy 2:5-7 Unforsaken only comes through repentance - The blood of Christ is poured into human repentant hearts. Jesus says it like this, “A man planted a fig tree in his garden, and came again and again to see if there was any fruit on it, but he was always disappointed.” “Finally, he said to his gardener, “I’ve waited three years, and there hasn’t been a single fig! Cut it down. It’s just taking up space in the garden.” The gardener answered, “Sir, give it one more chance. Leave it another year, and I’ll give it special attention and plenty of fertilizer. If we get figs next year, fine. If not, then you can cut it down” Luke 13:6-9 Do you not see, how tolerant our God is? He is the gardener asking for more time, patiently waiting for the fig tree to bear fruit. Time. He is giving us time - Time to change our minds. Time to repent. Time to stop our adulterous ways. Time to remember how good He is. Time to stop. Time to apologize, get on our knees and bow our heads to Him. Why do you think He describes the children of Israel as an adulterous wife, who have strayed, and walked away from Him? It’s because He is a relational God. Even His own seed is Three in One. His whole being is pure love! He is so desperate for us, that He sent His only son to be a living sacrifice to cover our sin with His blood. This purification comes through a choice. God asks human beings to become his virgin wife; He washes away our sin, and makes us fully clean. This is what repentance means! The church has been set apart for Him. We are to keep our lamps burning, and prepare for the wedding feast. This is the promise to the human heart that invites His Holy Spirit in. Wow! Holy Spirit is so good! This is the perfect place to talk about the mustard seed and yeast. Jesus said, “What is the Kingdom of God like? How can I illustrate it?” “It is like a tiny mustard seed that a man planted in a garden; it grows and becomes a tree, and the birds make nests in its branches.” Luke 13:18-19 This made me think, when God created Adam and placed him in His garden, was He expected to be like the mustard seed and multiply in love? Jesus also said, “The Kingdom of God is like the yeast a woman used in making bread. Even though she put only a little yeast in three measures of flour, it permeated every part of the dough.” So once again we see the concept of pregnant, where a little seed of something grows into something more. It does not matter whether it’s bad or it’s good, whether it’s a mustard seed of faith or a little yeast of sin. It's still represents the concept of birth and growth, whether attached to the blessing or the curse. This is why Paul says, “For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.” Romans 12:3 Scripture says, “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” Romans 10:17 Therefore we can discern, that Faith is a partnership between you and God. When you seek Him in his Word, He impregnates you, and puts a measure of faith in you. As the seed of His Spirit grows inside of a man, that man will automatically grow more like Him. But if he does not, we can assume something is wrong, It means there is a misalignment of His soul, and this is known as blasphemy to God. So we must pay attention, when God starts tugging on us. He is such a good father, that He wants to correct us. It doesn’t surprise me that we see Jesus healing a woman’s bent back and making it straight; This is included in Luke Chapter 13. Scripture says, “One Sabbath day as Jesus was teaching in a synagogue, he saw a woman who had been crippled by an evil spirit. She had been bent double for eighteen years and was unable to stand up straight. When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Dear woman, you are healed of your sickness!” Then he touched her, and instantly she could stand straight. How she praised God! But the leader in charge of the synagogue was indignant that Jesus had healed her on the Sabbath day. "There are six days of the week for working,” he said to the crowd. “Come on those days to be healed, not on the Sabbath.” But the Lord replied, “You hypocrites! Each of you works on the Sabbath day! Don’t you untie your ox or your donkey from its stall on the Sabbath and lead it out for water? This dear woman, a daughter of Abraham, has been held in bondage by Satan for eighteen years. Isn’t it right that she be released, even on the Sabbath?” Luke 13:10-16 So this brings me to the barren fig tree - the human race is under the curse; Born into sin. Not bearing God's seed. Why do you think Sarah was physically barren? God needed to show us how He can create something from nothing! Isn't our God good? Despite her doubt, He fulfilled His Word, He gave her a son - who filled the sands with many men, and many nations; Nations who would return their hearts to Him so that He could impregnate them with His Word. And through Issac, Jacob came, and through the line of Judah, David was born. A shepherd boy, who became a King, setting the stage for Jesus; Jesus came as a lamb, to be slaughtered as a human so that He could resurrect as our King. Today, Jesus sits at the right hand of God, making intervention for us; while He waits patiently for man to accept Holy Spirit baptism through the act of repentance. But if a man refuses to repent and come back to Him, then God allows his heart to stay hard, Which is not good! It will stay in its natural form, full of self and void of God. Spiritually barren and all alone, this is the story of people like Pharaoh, yet God will use them to let His people go so that they can make their way back home. The understanding of spiritual fruit, Helps us not only discern human behavior, and human hearts, But it also gives us wisdom about spiritual truths. Jesus said, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves." "You will know them by their fruits.” Matthew 7:15-16. Then He said, “Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?” Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.” “A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore, by their fruits you will know them." Matthew 7:17-20 I cannot tell you, how great this advice is! If you want to know how to discern spirits, you must first repent and give your heart back to Him. Then, as you pursue Him, He will give you understanding to what His parables mean, and He will whisper spiritual truths into your ear. He will open your eyes to what you need to see, so that you can walk forward boldly and courageously. His desire is that you will join the Lord's army, and become a vessel for Him, through the ministry of the reconciliation of men. The true testimony of Jesus must be told, He is the Messiah, the resurrected Son of God. It’s only his blood that covers our sin, and it’s only His Spirit who can discern the intent behind the hearts of men. This is why we are told not to judge; and this is why we are commanded to love. We must know, that water baptism is ONLY the outward expression of our inner declaration; and it does not replace the inner desire of a man’s heart, to be transformed in Spirit and walk in fellowship with Him. Spiritual Alignment comes when we repent; when we die to self and give God back our hearts. A person must decide where their heart resides, does it beat for Him, or for them? Jesus set His face like flint, and walked boldly into Jerusalem. There was nothing that would stop Him from fulfilling the purpose of why He had come. Jesus said, “Go tell that fox (speaking of the Herod Antipas), that I will keep on casting out demons and healing people today and tomorrow; and on the third day I will accomplish my purpose. Yes, today, tomorrow, and the next day I must proceed on my way. For it wouldn’t do for a prophet of God to be killed except in Jerusalem! “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me. And now, look, your house is abandoned. And you will never see me again until you say, “Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the LORD!” Luke 13:31-35 As I come to the end of Luke 13, Let me just remind you again, “There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, for you will see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in the Kingdom of God, but you will be thrown out. And people will come from all over the world - from east and west, north and south - to take their places in the Kingdom of God. And note this: Some who seem least important now will be the greatest then, and some who are the greatest now will be least important then. ” Luke 13:28-30 And lastly, remember what Jesus said, when people came to Him about Pilate murdering people from Galilee as they were offering sacrifices at the Temple of God. He asked, “Do you think those Galileans were worse sinners than all the other people from Galilee?” “Is that why they suffered? Not at all! And you will perish, too, unless you repent of your sins and turn to God.” Luke 13:1-3 What did you hear in all of that? I’ll tell you what I heard. I heard that none of us are good! We all sin, and we all must repent! We all sin, and we all must forgive! Without forgiveness, we are bound to the root of bitterness, which produces pure hate instead of pure love. So I ask you this, what kind of fruit do you bear? Do you live, breath and speak from the curse or the blessing? We must keep our eyes focused on Christ, and we must beware because it is easy to fall into the pit of despair, Satan is the prince of the air, and his only goal is to deceive men. So hold onto hope and proclaim Jesus as Lord; He understands what you have to endure, and He is preparing a room for you in His Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus is the true prophet, and He is our King. He is our Holy priest, and He is the only Judge who can condemn or acquit. Here is your alter call. Will you bring it all to the foot of the cross? Will you put your trust in Him? Will you open His Word and search for yourself, that the only way to be blessed is through the blood of Christ? Will you give him your heart? Will you give him your life? Will you be a living sacrifice so that others can come to know Him? Will you choose to love and forgive, even when it is hard? Will you die to self and accept this new life? And here we are
Luke 12 Part 4, where Jesus himself is telling us that He came to divide men. This is the passage Holy Spirit lead me to on March 28, 2020 when He gave me the poem, “The Wrath of God.” The Lord said, “China is the genocide of the pride, a family unit under the counterfeit authority of one.” “Italy is the Land of “Statutes of Statues” and “Baptism of the Blind” where a false God oversees the walking dead.” Then I heard God say, “America is "Division of the Dead, who possess pride instead of Me. Divided they fall. No unity at all. When they call on my name, it’s only for their gain, they have not been slain in my spirit at all." The. He declared, “Hope is found in me alone.” He said, “Stop the show.” “Let my people go.” “They need to know that I am alone I am God.” “They have nothing to gain by calling on my name when they do not know who I am.” “They believe in themselves. They sit on their shelves - of self-righteousness." "When I take them down they fumbled and fall because they do not know me at all." "There is no stickiness in their bones." "They slither and slide, and nothing resides in my hands.” “They will shatter and scatter for some it won’t matter they will run like cockroaches and hide." "But my beautifully broken will be my token and in their hearts I reside.” “They are the ones who have claimed My name.” Today, I speak about "Claim My Name." This is the Word the Lord has given me to share this very day. And even though I don’t know exactly what I’m about to say, I can assure you that God is always on point, and He will direct my way. My job is to listen and obey; To get up early and pray; and to open God’s word, grab my journal, pen in hand and write what I hear. And while some say, "Do not trust your feelings or your words because you may be deceived," I can honestly tell you this - I literally feel the impending word coming from His Spirit and squeezed out of my mouth. So, once again, the word for today is CLAIM. and without further ado, let me begin. This is what God says, Do you claim who I am?” I ask you again, “Do you claim who I am?” You have have been told, and you have been warned, now, “Who do you say that I am?” Do you not see all that I am? What will you hold when your world is slipping away? Will My name extend from your lips, and become the hope you hold? Will your knees be strengthened? Will you hands grow strong? Will you spiritual eyes widen when your physical eyes close? You must think on this because you are such stubborn men. What is to gain, if you have nothing at all? The time has come to choose. Will you stay a fool? Or will you be My beautifully broken? Do you not know, there is no grace for the lukewarm? So pick a side, hot or cold, for I'm about to spit you out of my mouth. At least YOU will know where you stand because I already know the plan. "You say, "I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing." But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see." Revelation 3:17-18 There is nothing you can hide; I created you in your mother’s womb. I already know the choice you choose, the question is, “Do you?” I have given plenty of time for you to change your mind but I cannot lie, the time has come to divide. Now perk your ears and listen to these words, Luke 12:51-59 were written for this very time. “Do you think I have come to bring peace to the earth? No! I have come to divide people against each other. From now on families will be split apart three in favor of me, and two against, or two in favor, and three against.” Luke 12:51-52 “Father will divide against son, and son against father. Mother against daughter and daughter against mother, and mother in law against daughter in law, and daughter in law against mother in law.” Luke 12:53 “When you see clouds beginning to form in the west, you say, here comes a shower and you might be right. When the south wind blows, you say, today will be a scorcher, and it is. You know how to interpret the weather signs of the earth and sky, but you don’t know how to interpret the present times." "Why can’t you decide for yourself what is right?" "When you are on your way to court with your accuser try to settle the matter before you get there otherwise your accuser may drag you before the judge and will hand you over to an officer who will throw you into prison and if that happens, you won’t be free again until you have paid the very last penny.” Luke 12:54-59 So, now that you God is serious, and that He loves us so much that He sent His own Son, Jesus to redeem us, and save us from eternal death, Let us talk about this claim that He speaks of. A claim is a declaration. It’s a decree; It’s a profession of faith based on what you believe. Do not think that your words have no power. Since you are made in His image, the mouth has the ability to empower and to devour. "Life and death are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit." Proverbs 18:21 And even before the words land on your lips, God already knows the heart behind it. “If you have spoken against the Son of Man, you can be forgiven. But if you speak against the Holy Spirit, you will never be forgiven, either in this world, or the world to come.” Matthew 12:32 Remember what Jesus said, “You must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak. The words you say will either acquit you, or condemn you.” Matthew 12:36-37 It doesn’t surprise me that Holy Spirit is pressing on me this need to "stake a claim" - But the "claim" it is not as you think. We live in a time where religious rights are being threatened. We live in a time where spiritual concepts are being blended. We live in a time where men are made into gods. We live in a time where there are many false teachers and false prophets. Two years ago, I heard the Lord say, “I am wringing out my remnant for one drop of my blood covers a multitude of sin.” Now I see, that nothing happens without His warning! He is squeezing His church! He is wringing out the living from the dead, and all that will be left is His remnant. The Lord says, "It is time to proclaim what is right and to put up a fight in MY NAME." The Lord says, "If you see a request for money, for the proclamation of my word, then that ministry is about them, and not about Me.” The Lord says, "If you see false testimony that focuses on “name it and claim it” prosperity, then stay away from them, they were not sent by me." God says, "My testimony is this, I have testified concerning My Son.” "And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.” 1 John 5:7-9 Jesus said, “I am He who testifies about Myself, and the Father who sent Me testifies about Me.” John 8:18 So as an end to Luke Chapter 12, let me summarize what I have learned: Hypocrisy is a false religion pointing the finger at you instead of looking at the flaws in me. Rich fools abound these days, they seek worldly things instead of desiring a rich relationship with God. Jesus is the key who has already set the captives free, but you must believe - that you will be given spiritual eyes to see, and you must be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning. Live as faithful and sensible servants who are waiting for their master to return from the wedding feast. And then today, Jesus said, “Do you claim My name?” This is the ONLY testimony that you need. So when you go to "stake your claim" make sure that you write down MY NAME. I already know what you will you choose, the question is, "Do you?" The Lord says, Believe! Have faith in Me! Come and find Me! Seek Me! Run to Me! Repent! Turn around - Taste and See I AM GOOD! Stop looking at falsehoods! Stop making it more difficult than it is! Jesus - that is it! Jesus is My name, it is time to declare it. This message will be misunderstood by those who don’t know Jesus, or those who do not have an understanding of God’s Word. But, this message must be told. Slavery - from the view of humans, is not a pretty thing! In fact, it is completely an abomination! Not only to humanity, but more importantly, to God! It is evil, through and through! There is nothing about it that is good. It is the inverted, twisted version of dominion. It’s a human controlling another human, and exercising an evil form of authority over him. Slavery is prolonged cruelty. An oppressive state of persecution, injustice, brutality, degradation and exploitation. It can be man on woman, or woman on man; it can be adults on children, or children on them. It can be white on black, or black on white, or any color in between; in can be nation on nation, or civil war within a county; it can be rich on poor, or poor on the wealthy. I could go on and on about the wheel of oppression. As long as man exists, there are many spokes on it. There is no stopping the evil that humans can do, when it comes to the attribute of dominion being totally abused. Human exploitation is just another way that humans have twisted God’s truth. When humans live in sin, as we do, the flesh is the natural way that we choose. "The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants to do. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature wants to choose. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses. When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Galatians 5:17-24 While God made the master-servant relationship good; Sin has tainted it. Let’s take a step back, and see how God actually meant it. What is "dominion" referred to in Genesis 1? God is a Despot, is He not? He have absolute power and ownership. He formed us from dust, and placed us in His Garden, then He brought us to life, with His very own breath. Male and female, He made them in His image, and said they were good. Genesis 1:26 He gave them dominion to care for all that He made; "then He blessed them, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth." Genesis 1:28 He gave Adam the main responsibility and then created Eve to be a helper to Him, but at no point did He ever say, “Adam you are to have dominion to control your wife.” At least not while they were blessed. Here’s the thing, We were never created to have dominion over each other. This characteristic of bondage came after the fall of humanity described in Genesis 3. This is when we disobeyed God, and fell subject to His curse. Adam and Eve followed the the lust of their flesh; they opposed God, and received the consequence of God's judgement. Paradise Lost - instead of living the blessing, they lived according to the curse. Romans 11 says, “For God has imprisoned everyone in disobedience so he could have mercy on everyone” and does so when we repent, and return to Him. Romans 11:32 NLT So when a man is separated from God, we can automatically assume that his heart is not good. Instead of serving God, by being in fellowship with Him, he focuses on his flesh and becomes a slave to Sin. Romans 6:15-23 So here we are today, living with a death sentence hanging over our heads. Everyone will take a mortal last breath. My question to you is, "Will you live again, as an eternal being in the Kingdom of Heaven?" And if your answer is "yes," then you must know you must patiently endure the curse that has been placed upon the earth. Suffering is a Kingdom concept that means patiently enduring the trials of this world, while bearing His cross with confident hope. John 16 says, “The time is coming, in fact a time has ALREADY come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home and will leave me all alone. Yet, I am not alone, for my father is with me. I have told you these things that in me you may have peace, in this world you will have many trials and sorrows, but take heart, because I have overcome the world. John 16:32-33 Jesus came as a lamb to teach us how to live a life of servant hood; and to show us that we have a loving Master who is truly good. He teaches us about honor, and He teaches about respect. He teaches us about love, how to endure correction, and how to forgive. Hebrews 12 says, “God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening - it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way. So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees. Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong.” Hebrews 12:10-13 NLT Do you not see how badly humanity has done evil things? It does not surprise me, that where Satan has been given authority, we are subject to demonic things - like human exploitation, and child trafficking. But Jesus is Lord! He has already defeated Death, by overcoming the prince of THIS world. And the way we grow in love, is to spread His light into this dark world. Since Satan is the prince of the air, Jesus tells us that we must BEWARE. Satan is the great deceiver, he appears as light, but on the inside he is nothing but dark. Since God is good, and loves us so much, He made a way to resurrect us, and deliver us from the jaws of death. With His body, He framed the Highway to Heaven; and with His blood, He washed away the stains of our sin, while simultaneously paving the way to Him. The suffering servant leads the way. He is the example that we are called to portray. The Lord says, “A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants, and feeding them. If the master returns and finds the servant has done a good job there will be a reward. I tell you the truth the master will put the servant in charge of all he owns but what if the servant thinks, “my master won’t be back for a while" and he begins beating the other servants, partying and getting drunk? The master will return unannounced and unexpected and he will cut the servant into pieces and banish him with the unfaithful. And the servant who knows what the master wants, but isn’t prepared and doesn’t carry out those instructions will be severely punished. But someone who does not know and then does something wrong will be punished only lightly. When someone has been given much much will be required in return and when someone has been entrusted with much even more will be required.” Luke 12:42-48 Jesus uses the adjectives, “faithful” and “sensible”, to describe the characteristics of a good servant. And their main task is to take care of others, and help manage them. Jesus said, "and if the Master returns unannounced and unexpected, the servant will be cut into pieces and banished!" Just the thought of this makes me sick! Can you imagine being a Christian and not having prophetic revelation, nor a confident hope to expect him? I do not have to time to get into this, but when you get a chance read Chapter 53 from the prophet, Isaiah. 700 years before Jesus was born, the suffering servant was accurately described and foretold. Luke 12 verse 35 says “be dressed for service, and keep our lamps burning as though we are waiting for our master to return from the wedding feast.” Then Jesus says, "The servants who are ready and waiting for His return will be rewarded.” I tell you the truth the master himself will seat them, put an apron on and serve them.” Isn’t that crazy? Isn’t that amazing? When we honor God, He honors us. How is that even possible? The Creator of Breath wants to serve us. So, let’s take a moment to look intently at Jesus who is the greatest example of what a servant is. Jesus committed no sin. He was the only man to ever live who had no sin! There was no deceit found in his mouth. He was always honest, and he never went south. He did not slander or condemn. He did not bash, knock down or slam his fellow man. He uttered no threats, even when he was wrongly accused. He didn’t fight back, even when He was physically abused. He kept on trusting God, no matter what the stronghold; and He was fully committed to His Father’s cause. He did not rebel, retaliate or seek revenge. He did not justify or try to use rationalism. He left everything totally in God’s hands. He ran the race and endured to the end. So, what does this mean for us? What does this have to do with the Master-Slave relationship? Remember what Jesus said, "For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will. And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them up at the last day. For it is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day.” John 6:38-40 Jesus knew the will of God meant He had to suffer and spill his blood; yet, He was was willing to give all that He had, because He understood His blood was the only way humanity would be forgiven, and resurrected from the dead. Jesus said, “Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” Then an angel from heaven appeared and strengthened him. He prayed more fervently, and he was in such agony of spirit that his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood. At last he stood up again and returned to the disciples, only to find them asleep, exhausted from grief. “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation.” Luke 22: 41-46 Jesus warned His students, who were also his friends, to stay awake, and not give in to temptation. He knows that in our flesh, we are still subject to the curse, and when we are complacent we easily fall into sin. We must be on guard, and stay alert. Luke 12:40 says, "You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour you do not expect." And if you are not paying attention, you will be fooled by the Abomination of Desolation. Mark 13:14 God loves us, so He gives us the option to be driven by the lust of the flesh, or to chase after Him. Without Holy Spirit, we are nothing but flesh-driven humans, who constantly pursue our evil intentions. Following Holy Spirit is a choice. We get to choose to embrace the blessing or be entangled by the curse. Deuteronomy 30:19 says, “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!” As I originally said, Slavery is the upside down, turned around, twisted version of dominion found in God’s Word! It’s humanity at its worst! It's the flesh-driven form of cannibalism. Just remember, Jesus is our testimony and our witness! And as I’m writing this, I know that I carry great responsibility to care for God’s children. I know this because I write what He says. These words are not my own, they come from a Holy Spirit Heart, a heart that's been transformed. Anyway, this is the final thing I want to say, Human Exploitation and Oppression is absolutely disgusting, and can only be done when one does NOT know God. Remember, our greatest version of servant-hood is when we become a pure reflection of God’s image. And this can only be done, through eyes wide open, forgiveness and unfailing love. We take on the enemy by speaking God's truth in love, and putting on the Lord's armor, spoken by Paul in Chapter 6 of Ephesians. While this world may be cursed, and Satan is the spirit of the air, God is alpha and omega, and He is still the one in charge! Master means Hallowed is His name, and He has dominion over every living thing! Servant means we are subject to Him, and because He is Lord, we can put our trust in Him. Fellowship is a form of relationship where there is joint participation, unity and communication. Jesus said, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him." John 14:23 God‘s approval should be what drives us, not us following our own thoughts, feelings or fleshly desires of lust. Help me put an end to oppression and human exploitation by reaching out to the lost, and being a true reflection of Him. Luke 12
is going to be divided up, at least into four parts, because these messages ARE for THIS season, and these WORDS are what Holy Spirit wants to me to exhort. Part 1 was about Hypocrisy, intended for the religious spirit that focuses on the falsity “of you instead of me.” These spirits like to hide behind walls and draw lines in the sand. They judge, kill, destroy and condemn. Their mission is to mix fear and dominion, with tradition and rigid opinion to intimidate their fellow man. Yes. Modern-day Pharisees exist today. Instead of being a lamp stand and reflecting God’s love, they sit under baskets, and whisper condemnations about all the Christians who have been led astray. I pray for increase in Followers of the Way - for zealous Christians who keep their eyes faithfully focused on Jesus! Let me say, the poetic sermons, in Luke Chapter 12 set the stage for the end of age! I believe these are the signs that describe the end times, so please pay attention, and keep a sober mind! Hypocrisy and love of money is rampant in our streets! Our generation is driven by anarchy and apostasy - where rebellion, and religious spirits have been actively pursuing men. While God can intervene, at any time, His word is clear. He is patiently waiting for humanity to draw near. He has already sent His Son, to redeem us from our sin. And He sent Holy Spirit to live on the inside of hearts of men. He has not left us, or taken away His love. In fact, it is just the opposite! He is administering the corrective discipline referred to in Hebrews 12. This is what the author of Hebrews said, “And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children?" He said, My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline, and don’t give up when he corrects. For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child. As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all. Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever?” Hebrews 12:5-9 NLT Discipline? You may ask what what we need discipline from. Perhaps this a good time to share Romans, Chapter 1. But before I do, let me just say, that in my flesh, His thoughts are not my thoughts, and His ways are not my ways. I had a very hard time coming to terms with God, for so long I walked in rebellion. I believed in parts of His Word, but I made excuses and justified most of what I heard. Then the Lord allowed me to come to the end of myself, and this is when I contemplated suicide. There was consequence to my sin that He allowed me to endure, but He is such a Good Father that He sent Jesus to rescue me from the pit. In that moment, I died to myself; and in that moment I understood His love - and this is when I decided to fully surrender my will to Him. Romans 1 says, “So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen. That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved. Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents. They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy. They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too.” Romans 1:24-32 NLT As you can see, all of humanity is in need, because not one of us walks in His purity. Evil is the intent of our heart, until we receive Jesus, and are set apart. Lust gives birth to sin, and sin gives birth to death. Human unrighteousness is a progression - rejecting one aspect of God leads to even greater rejections of Him. The Parable of the Rich Fool is just another example of humanity's plight, where we foolishly think that we have it all right. This is a message that everyone needs to hear - especially the wealthy who live throughout the world. And in America we teach individualism - where self-reliance and independent thinking defines our human existence. Most Americans who say they are Christian don’t even believe that Jesus brought both unity and division. They think that no matter what your religion, all paths lead to Heaven. They think God is the Creator of Unity. But you will see, later in Chapter 12, that Jesus himself says, "I came to cause division." So, today, I pray for people like me, "the rich fools" who have been led astray. Riches and glory is not of this world, yet, this is the story we have all been told. Greed and Getting are the values we hold. And Money and More is what we have worked for. Land and Homes, Trucks and Cars, Shoes and Clothes, and Entertainment Shows - This is the gold the typical American heart worships and longs for. High salaries and pension plans, retirement savings and 401K plans. Climbing the ladder of success while stepping on sisters and brothers - this seems to be what many aim for! This is the message of Part 2 in the 12th Chapter of the Book of Luke. The Parable of the Rich Man is actually a destitute fool. Do you think God cares about our money, our fame or our glory? No! He is not toting the gospel of prosperity. Jesus came, as a lamb to model and preach the gospel of suffering. This is the TRUE testimony that we much teach! The gospel of dying to self to pick up His cross, and follow Jesus! Let’s get real! Bible prophecy is not about you or me! It’s about the fulfillment -of who Jesus is. And it's not about spiritual gifts, and it definitely is not about money and wealth. Bible prophecy is all about Jesus as prophet, priest, the king - and our prosperity is His blood, the key that gives access to the Kingdom of Heaven. Dominion - is also not as you think. Dominion is actually the FREE Gift of God’s grace. The Independence and Democracy that our founding fathers foretold was not about separation from God. Instead, it was all about being free from the greedy kings of this world. We are not meant to be separated from God. In fact, it is just the opposite! We are to hide His Word in our hearts, so that we do not sin against him! Psalm 119:11 How do you think Jesus felt when the rich fool got it wrong? It must have totally broken His heart to see him foolishly absorbed by this stronghold. The rich fool said, “Teacher, please tell my brother to divide our father’s estate with me.” Jesus replied, “Friend, who made me a judge over you to decide such things as that?” Then Jesus said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.” Then he told them a story: “A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. He said to himself, “What should I do? I don’t have room for all my crops.” Then he said, "I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods. And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!” “But God said to him, “You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?” “Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.” So here we see Jesus getting angry when a man wants equality with dividing his father's estate. For humanity, this is a a really big thing! Fairness and equity are completely related to money, civil rights and physical property. But Jesus calls this GREED, and says, "Life is not measured by how much you own.” After addressing the man, He turned to his disciples, and said, “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life - whether you have enough food to eat or enough clothes to wear. For life is more than food, and your body more than clothing. Look at the ravens. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for God feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than any birds! Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And if worry can’t accomplish a little thing like that, what’s the use of worrying over bigger things? Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? And don’t be concerned about what to eat and what to drink. Don’t worry about such things. These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers all over the world, but your Father already knows your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need. So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to those in need. This will store up treasure for you in heaven! And the purses of heaven never get old or develop holes. Your treasure will be safe; no thief can steal it and no moth can destroy it. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” Luke 12:13-34 NLT Part 2 of Chapter 12 in the Book of Luke is totally about wealth - but not the way we think! It's about the faithfully devout who are focused on spreading the gospel of Jesus, and promoting Kingdom glory and wealth. Hypocrisy!
It’s the poisonous yeast that lives inside of me. It’s true! When I read the first paragraph in Chapter 12 of the Book of Luke, I immediately thought of people like YOU, instead of me! It’s a travesty! As the crowd gets bigger, people begin stepping on each other - and that is when Jesus gave His warning! He said, “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees - their hypocrisy!” Luke 12:1 Wow! Thank you Holy Spirit for opening my spiritual eyes and allowing me to see! This message has really spoken to me, on so many .... levels! First, let me address the fungus! Biblical yeast is a symbol of sin. It represents the evil world that we live in. It also represents the hearts of men, who live outside the will of God. And since leaven is symbolic of sin, we are to develop a taste for unleavened bread. Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I tell you, unless you eat of my flesh, and drink the blood of the Son of Man, you have no life in you.” John 6:53 The Feast of Unleavened Bread symbolizes how we are to live - through honest reflection and Godly mediation - attached to God’s promises, instead of scurrying around like foolish men. Repentance shows Jesus what our heart reflects! It’s the recognition that we have digested leaven, and the request that He remove it from us. So here is the second level revelation, this poison is not just a toxin that gets into the body via swallowing, inhaling or absorption through the skin! No - this venom has a specific purpose to kill the souls of men; and it is intentionally injected through a bite or a sting from Satan, the Prince of Demons! Why do you think Satan is portrayed as a snake in the Garden of Eden - Or a Great Red Dragon in the Book of Revelation? I am guessing it is biblical symbolism, not literalism - but maybe I am wrong? Paul eloquently states, “Earthly people are like the earthly man, and heavenly people are like the heavenly man. Just as we are now like the earthly man, we will someday be like the heavenly man. What I am saying, dear brothers and sisters, is that our physical bodies cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. These dying bodies cannot inherit what will forever last. But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies. Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled: “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? ” For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 15:48-57 Sin - it's the sting that results in death, and hypocrism stems from satanic stronghold of deceitfulness. It's humans accusing humans of their flaws, like the religious Pharisees who went around pointing their finger at others for not obeying the law. So , here is the third level of insight to the hypocrisy plight... me not paying attention to the log in my own eye! I mean, really, isn’t this what hypocrisy means, a pious posturing of our affected superiority! Perhaps this is why we are not called to judge, but to love. How can we see clearly if we are constantly looking at the falsity in other human beings! I’m my opinion, this has to be the underlying meaning of pure deceit! My favorite Bible story is found in John 8, when Jesus defends a woman stuck in the stronghold of adultery - who is viciously attacked by the religious leaders and the Pharisees. Once again, we see a crowd gathering around Jesus, and “As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd and said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?” They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust. When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.” John 8:1-11 Imagine that! A crowd of two - where Jesus is the only judge standing with you. I wonder what would Jesus do? Would He seek to condemn, or would He speak in love, to convict you? This is probably why men are NOT to point and accuse, because they don’t have a righteous view. I cannot wait to ask Him what He wrote in the sand. I can only imagine it was an act of love, written thoughtfully for the One that He loves. So once again, third level vision shows such a deeper level of Holy Spirit wisdom. Mark 7 says, “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, “Let me take the speck out of your eye,” when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.” So the question is, How do you know when your log is removed? How do you know when you have been given the authority to accuse? The TRUTH is found in Romans 2, unless you are God you do NOT have the right! Even though you are covered by the blood of Christ, there is nothing about you that is righteous! Only God is Just! And He has given all authority to His Son, Jesus. He is the only One who has the right to administer God’s righteous judgement! And only Holy Spirit has the ability to convict. “You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on TRUTH. So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?” Romans 2:1-4 So, this is what I learned - Hypocrisy is a sign that Satan's venom is still inside, and it's my own flesh that needs to be redefined. I pray that the Lord will continue to give me spiritual eyes to see, the log that blocks the vision of looking at me. There is no way I can obey the Law, because in my humanity I am not pure. But through His blood, I am justified; and through Holy Spirit I am sanctified. This is how I rely on getting by, Holding onto Spirit and Truth that honors God. Father, help me not be a hypocrite. Help me have a heart that your light reflects. Processing my own hypocrisy is so pivoting. This is exactly what I needed! A true Holy Spirit cleansing from the yeast injected by religious men and Pharisees - the venomous sting of hypocrisy! Help me to see the log in my own eye, so that I can show your love to this hurting world. Did you know
we are an evil generation? Much like the one described by Jesus, in the second half of Luke chapter 11. Like them, we ask for miraculous signs instead of opening the word of God, and following His lines. But at that time, when Jesus was alive, He told them he would give them only one sign to prove He is the Messiah. He told them He would give them the sign of Jonah, the prophet who was sent to the people of Nineveh. Jonah tried to run from what He heard, but God interceded and put him in the belly of a whale. “Then Jonah prayed to God from inside the fish. He said, “I cried out to the Lord in my great trouble, and he answered me. I called to you from the land of the dead, and Lord, you heard me! You threw me into the ocean depths, and I sank down to the heart of the sea. The mighty waters engulfed me; I was buried beneath your wild and stormy waves. Then I said, "‘O Lord, you have driven me from your presence. Yet I will look once more toward your holy Temple." I sank beneath the waves, and the waters closed over me. Seaweed wrapped itself around my head. I sank down to the very roots of the mountains. I was imprisoned in the earth, whose gates lock shut forever. But you, O Lord my God, snatched me from the jaws of death! As my life was slipping away, I remembered the Lord. And my earnest prayer went out to you in your holy Temple. Those who worship false gods turn their backs on all God’s mercies. But I will offer sacrifices to you with songs of praise, and I will fulfill all my vows. For my salvation comes from the Lord alone.” Then the Lord ordered the fish to spit Jonah out onto the beach.” Jonah 2:1-10 NLT Can you believe, Jonah was given reprieve? Once he repented, and began to praise, the Lord delivered him from the belly of the fish, or was he actually delivered from eternal death? What is your guess? The Lord then said, “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh, and deliver the message that I have given you.” This time Jonah obeyed and went to Nineveh, a city so large that it took three days to see it all. On the day Jonah entered the city, he shouted to the crowds: “Forty days from now Nineveh will be destroyed!” The people of Nineveh believed God’s message, and from the greatest to the least, they declared a fast and put on burlap to show their sorrow! When the king of Nineveh heard what Jonah was saying, he stepped down from his throne and took off his royal robes. He dressed himself in burlap and sat on a heap of ashes. Then the king and his nobles sent this decree throughout the city: “No one, not even the animals from your herds and flocks, may eat or drink anything at all. People and animals alike must wear garments of mourning, and everyone must pray earnestly to God. They must turn from their evil ways and stop all their violence. Who can tell? Perhaps even yet God will change his mind and hold back his fierce anger from destroying us all.” When God saw what they had done and how they had put a stop to their evil ways, he changed his mind and did not carry out the destruction that he had threatened.” Jonah 3:2-10 NLT Jonah ran away, and lived inside the belly of a whale before He was willing to go tell an evil people that they needed to repent and turn from their ways. But Jesus did not to try to run, in fact, He came on his own. His purpose was heavenly sent, to be our redeemer while still telling us to repent. He came to serve our death sentence, while simultaneously, paying the bail. His location was not the belly of a whale, instead he sat in the pit of hell. And this is where He took the keys that would forever set humanity free. Jesus would be the penance for all. His blood would be enough to cover it all. I pray we will accept this Key, the free gift of Jesus who came to set us free. And yet, there he stood in front of the Pharisees, Literally - lifting up a sign in neon lights that He is the Messiah who came to set them free, and still they did not believe! No wonder why He calls them evil, they could not see past themselves! He said that even the Queen of Sheba recognized pure wisdom more than they did! She came from a distant land to hear wisdom spoken from the mouth of King Solomon. On the day of judgment, she will stand against them! And the people of Nineveh will stand and condemn, because even they can recognize an evil generation more corrupt than them! Here is the Son of Man standing right in front of them, and yet they are blinded and can not see that He is the Messiah, who came to set them free! Even Nineveh repented when they heard Jonah speak, but the evil Pharisees refused to repent when they heard Jesus speak. Jesus declares that they will be the first on the day of judgement to be eternally cursed. How did these Pharisees get so spiritually dumb? Are they oblivious to the sorrow that awaits them? What happened to make them so numb? Perhaps they were overcome with their own evil ways, instead of repenting and seeking Holy Spirit wisdom? Instead of listening, and pressing in, they got offended and created a plan to crucify Him. My heart sinks at that thought of this, that the lost would lead the found to the cross. This makes absolutely no sense! But the truth is, we were only found when Jesus got off of the cross! Back then, Jesus stood in front of them, and God’s own people did not recognize Him. Today, is no different than then. Many people have heard of Jesus but still deny Him. Historical evidence and eye witness accounts is not enough to turn back hearts; and even when miraculous things take place, people find other ways to justify them. I wonder what Jesus would say today? Would He call us an evil generation? Will we also be condemned on judgment day? Have we missed the signs that He is the only way? Have we plugged our ears and been led astray? Do we need to repent for our moral failure - for permitting oppression and not feeding the poor? Are we like the Pharisees who build monuments to honor the prophets that our ancestors killed? Do we stand as witnesses who agree with what they did? Luke 11 ends like this, “This is what God in his wisdom said about you: I will send prophets and apostles to them, but they will kill some and persecute the others.’ As a result, this generation will be held responsible for the murder of all God’s prophets from the creation of the world-- from the murder of Abel to the murder of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, it will certainly be charged against this generation.” Luke 11:49-51 NLT Wow! God does not play! Do we think we have it bad today? Just wait until judgement day! Every knee will bow, and not one person will be able to run away! Jonah had it good! He had time to repent and get right with God! What about you? What will you do? Are ready to receive the free offering that Jesus paid for you? The signs and the times are set. Not one of us know when our end date is. We need to stop being so earthly saturated, and spiritually blind. Before we know it, it will be the end of our time! There is a dismantling going on! Very few people want to know God. Well, that is not completely true. Many desire spiritual wisdom, but most turn to the concept of universal love. It's the humanistic view of spirituality. It's putting self at the center instead of Jesus's divinity. There is certainly a magnetic attraction to satanic strongholds. We see this in the rise of divorce, and the redefinition of marriage. We see huge amounts of identity crisis, an anxiety of souls chasing visions in the wind. We see depression on the rise, and many more suicides. We foolishly eat demonic lies, and drink the brew of agnostic soup. We hold onto falsehoods, and adhere to the twisting of truth. Bitterness roots inside of men, and we fall pray to murderous cannibalism. We see people marching, down on the street; with heads a swinging and dancing feet. There’s a dissolution of community, and a rising dose of self-serving philosophy. Children are suffering! Look at the abomination of abortion and child sex trafficking! And you don’t think this is child sacrifice? Isn’t it the price we pay for worshiping SELF? Corruption and deceit are everywhere; Pride and Rebellion are the medals worn proudly on the chests of self-serving men. Oh God! We are an evil generation! Help us to repent and come back to your wisdom! The Lord says, "Where is my church? Do you hear the cries of the broken-hearted? Do you see my people starving in the streets? Where are my hands and my feet? How far are you willing to walk? How far are you willing to reach? Where is my mouthpiece? Will you speak out for me? Will you share your testimony, and give the glory back to Me? Gluttony- It’s the reason I have turned many hearts away from Me! You think the glory is all for you and none for Me! Do not be deceived! Your “Glory” in the dark can not be seen! It’s all just a dream! There is no light when you have a heart focused on you instead of Me. My power is received by the hearts that receive Me. This is when true wisdom speaks in the streets! It’s Holy Spirit power given by Me. Before you speak, you must submit to the Lion of Judah who is fully equipped! Jesus Christ, the Son of Man, is also the Son of God! He came as a lamb, but do not be deceived, He is reigns in Heaven and has been given all authority to bring my people back to Me. The voice that you hear is attached to My lungs, and the light that shines down comes from My throne! I am the flood light that this evil world needs, and I convict the hearts who are ready to receive. Do not be afraid of the shame that you see; it's a byproduct of the lies that you have believed. Naked is how I made you, now expose yourself to Me because I already can see your most inward being! There is nothing that can be hidden from Me. Now repent, and return to Me." Luke Chapter 11
is all about the Kingdom of Heaven; and it starts with Jesus teaching his disciples to pray like this, Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, For we also forgive those who sin against us. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one.” Luke 11:2-4 I never noticed this before, but Jesus extends the teaching about prayer. In verses 11:5-8, Jesus tells a story about a friend who comes knocking at your door, late at night, to request something to eat. The man in bed did not want to get up, but because of his friends persistence he would rise and wake up. Once again, Jesus teaches us spiritual things, through short stories known as parables. Basically, He says that our Father is good; and he favors us when we honor Him. Jesus said that when we pray, we are to stay persistent the whole way, and we are to keep knocking at God’s door, because He will answer and give us more. In fact, Scripture says, “to knock with shameless persistence” with no hesitation and all conviction, because Jesus gives us this promise, “if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, then how much more will your heavenly father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.” Luke 11:11-13 Did you notice that Jesus first showed them how to pray, by honoring our Father this very day? "Hallowed be thy name" shows reverent honor, glory and power to the Name above all names. And then he tells them what to ask for when knocking on God's door. "Thy Kingdom Come, Thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven." It's not a car, a house or a thing, it's bringing heaven to earth through the Lord's blessing. Then, in essence, Jesus says... eat my Word and show My love, when He uses the words, "Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, As we forgive those who sin against us." And when He says, "Lead us not into temptation" He is not saying Holy Spirit is tempting us! He is saying, "Do not be driven by your flesh!" Help us Jesus - not to mess this up! We have to stop blaming you for our stuff! Then He tells us to get ready to receive, because His Spirit is what He truly wants to give. When we choose to align our will to Him, this is how we truly give glory and honor to Him. Jesus said, “If you ask for bread, then don't expect a stone; and if you ask for a fish, then don’t expect a snake.” He did not say exactly this, but it is my guess that Jesus is not talking about things of this earth. Rather, He is referring to bringing spiritual things, by bringing heaven to earth. Holy Spirit is rooted in love, and His spiritual fruit is what we eat from. The Tree of Life is given to us, when we accept Jesus as our Christ. Eternal life is a priceless gift, and it's given free of charge to those who love Jesus. And if that is not enough, Jesus sends us Holy Spirit to live in us. He guides us and comforts us in times of trouble, and He reminds us that He is with us wherever we go. Holy Spirit transforms our soul by dividing our spirit from the marrow. Hebrews 4:12 And it is only through His discernment that we can be the vessel to go where His Spirit wants us to go. We must learn to settle our souls so that we can see and hear what His Spirit holds. The bell will toll for everyone, and His prayer is that we will all want to be with Him. Our Father is patient with us, not wanting anyone to perish, but wanting everyone to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9 It amazes me to see the very next text that comes after prayer - Jesus casts out a demon from a man who is mute. Luke said the crowds were amazed at what Jesus could do, so seeing that He was only human - they attributed the miracle to Satan, the prince of demons. Can you believe that Satan received the glory, as if he is the only one who is worthy of doing such things! Isn't it like that today! When people see others stepping out in faith, they step back, make a distasteful face and start to negate. And when they hear of acts that are done in faith, they automatically assume the miracles are fake. Even today, Satan receives the claim, for miraculous things that are done in Jesus's name. In fact, in this age - many believe that the laying on of hands, and the healing of men is usually done through false prophets and demons. The same is true for God’s people who experience visions and dreams. Many don’t believe that another human can experience these kinds of spiritual things. It amazes me, that people who say they have faith and believe, have slammed the door on living faithfully focused and free. How can they deny Holy Spirit power, when they believe that Holy Spirit lives inside of you and me? Do they not have spiritual eyes to see, that blessings can flow from the one who receives? Do they not remember the story, of the woman with blood who had such an incredible faith to receive? Jesus did not have to do anything, it was simply the pressing in that allowed the woman to receive her healing. Anyway, Back to the story, verse 16 says that “others tried to test Him, and they demanded that He show them a miraculous sign from Heaven." Seriously, what is wrong with humanity? Trust is the most basic developmental need in order to attain relational consistency. Without trust, you have nothing. Jesus was literally healing the sick. He was casting out demons. He was preaching the Word of God to the teachers of the law, in their synagogues! And still - they did not believe. What more could these people possibly want? Holy Spirit power not enough because they were used to human mistrust, instead of Spirit-filled love. But Jesus knew their thoughts and said, “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls." This is certainly how the bell tolls for most. Most people do not choose peace, when the Bait of Satan takes precedence. Offense usually wins, when it fills the heart of humans. Let's look at American politics, we are dead nation divided into Republicans and Democrats. Who wins, when the pendulum swings? All it does is divide and slice men. Don't even get me going on religious camps! Word of Faith vs. Calvinists, Catholics vs. Protestants, Puritans vs. Evangelists, the list... could go and on! What about going back to the simplistics, and keeping it all about Jesus? What if we just focused on the author and perfecter of our faith? Wouldn't this bring us back into true discipleship? Wouldn't this be a pure measure of faith, and help us to love through true fellowship? We sure know how to complicate things! It's no wonder God allows the testing of our faith! Jesus goes on to say, “You say I am empowered by Satan but if Satan is divided and fighting against himself, how can his kingdom survive?” That is so true! I just love Jesus's truths. If Satan was really casting out demons, he would be killing his own kingdom. In my opinion, if that happened, he would be almost as stupid as humans! I mean think about it, “men eating men” is what we are known for! How dare you not live, breath and think like I do! If you don't like it, then we can go to war! And when I'm offended, you better watch your back, because I'm coming for you! Jesus said, “And if I am empowered by Satan what about your own exorcists? They cast out demons too, so they will condemn you, for what you have said.” I think what Jesus means is that if humans are casting out demons, does that mean that they are demons too? He then goes on to say, “But if I am casting out demons by the finger of God, then the Kingdom of God has come upon you." I love what He says next, "When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace. But when a stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoils." I believe what Jesus means is that He is King! And Satan is foolishly deceived to believe that he has the strength to win. Then Jesus said, perhaps the most scary thing! “Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me.” This is a refreshing slap in the face! We must wipe the sleep from our spiritual eyes, and become awake! The devil is prowling like lion, seeking to destroy everyone he can. If we lack in faith, we will become food to him! He will chew us up and spit us out! Do you believe that Jesus is who He says He is? Do you believe God's Holy Spirit comes to live in the hearts of men? Do you believe that He has the authority, to cast out demons and heal the sick? Do you believe in spiritual gifts described in Romans 12:6-8? Prophecy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Giving, Leadership and Mercy? What about the ones found in 1 Corinthians 12, where the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good? Do you believe in the message of wisdom, or the message of knowledge? What about the one that I believe that I have, Faith - which is a measure of God's love? What about healing and the working of miracles? Do you believe in prophecy and the discernment of spirits? And how do respond when you hear someone speak in tongues? Do you shy away and think they are acting alone? And what if you heard an interpretation, that did not match what your own thought was? Would your pride get in the way of believing that Holy Spirit apportions as He wants? Would your self-righteousness begin to seep out? We have to be so careful about self-righteousness, because it really does spiritually blind us. This is what almost took out the man named Job, the one that God even called a man of righteousness! I'm sure that Job did not think he was opposing God, because everything He did was done to honor God as Lord. But it was in the trial that Job's sin came out, it's the most blinding of sins - this "self-righteousness." It's a sin that I have personally struggled with, and the only way I have learned to overcome this is to keep my eyes firmly focused on Jesus. I had to stop looking at men, and trying to make an accurate perception of him. I had to stop looking at religious camps, and decided to get back to true discipleship. It is only then that I can be a pure reflection of Him. I've learned that His light will only move when I have set my spiritual eyes ONLY on Him. In Luke 11:24 - 26, Jesus speaks about the unclean spirits who live inside of men, and He shares this directly after his warning NOT to oppose him. He says, “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it swept and put in order. Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first.” I always wondered why I became jealous and envious when I believed that someone else was being blessed. This was because I was acting in opposition to Him, by keeping my eyes set on the achievements of other men. And when I thought I was good, another root would show and I would focus in on it! My God! It took me a long time - to get over myself and stop hiding! Finally, when I exposed it all to Him, He ripped out the roots instead of me focusing on the stems! This should be a warning to all of us, that our first love must be Jesus! Sometimes our intellect can get the best of us, and leave us more open to spiritual unrest. I've often found myself in this hazy mess, and have to repent and come back to the cross. People are NOT the perfecters of my faith, but they are also not my true enemies. If I hear the gospel coming from a man’s mouth, and see that he behaves like David, a little eccentric, and he begins to dance and shout - it does not mean Holy Spirit does not live in Him, in fact, it could be just the opposite. At the same time, Mrs. Dry Eyes can be more Spirit-filled than the man jumping up and down in the aisles. There may be a preacher who stands on the Word of Faith, who truly loves Jesus and believes in the power of Holy Spirit. There may be a prophet who speaks about suffering, yet truly believes that Holy Spirit has the power to heal. All of this is to say, that I must choose to stay aligned with Holy Spirit who guides my every move. If I get out of line, I'm opening my soul to all kinds of Satanic kinds. So the answer is obvious to me, I will not be distracted by what other people think. If Holy Spirit tells me to go, then I will go. And if He tells me to stay, then I will stay. I do not want to move, when He does not move. This would be an abomination, and He would totally disapprove! Holy Spirit has not failed me yet, He has saved my marriage, and He is healing my foot. Holy Spirit led me to my church, and He has had His hand over our marriage group. Holy Spirit has opened the doors for me to counsel the broken and hurt; and He has increased my faith more and more by opening my heart to understand His Word. Holy Spirit has given me words of poetry, and He has given me words to speak. But most importantly, Holy Spirit has forgiven me for blasphemy; during a time when I didn't take the time to know Him. He is truly the only One that I trust. And without Him, I would be spiritually lost. If a bridge did not have piles
it would not stand up. If an elevated highway had no viaducts, it certainly would not be able to lift vessels up. If a friend lacked encouraging words, they would not be someone you would look up. And if a Christian lacked faith they would have no substance to hold up. Jesus is more than just an idea. He’s God in the flesh - Holy Spirit made real. And if the scripture is true, and Holy Spirit lives in you, then why can’t you believe that His people can do what Holy Spirit gifts them to do? If you say that you believe in Him, then there must be substance, an evidence of things in the unseen realm. There is an integrity foundational to faith, it’s the belief that Holy Spirit not only lives in us, but actually has the power to transform us. And in Him, people have the ability to do great things, like healing the sick by the laying on hands; or claiming the name of Jesus to cast out demons. But people have all kinds of reasons to not believe Him; and it's mostly because they don't trust people. The Word of Faith is a movement by man, that claims that faith in God can cure everything. They accentuate spiritual gifts by adding their own humanistic twist. And when people focus on the integrity of them, they inevitably get let down. Then there are those who point at them, they justify their case and call them false prophets. But what if, the accusers are the same? What if they, too, fall short as humans? They stand back, subject to suffering, and in their minds, look at men and say, “I don’t believe.” “How can that be?” “Look at that man, he surely is fake!” They see all kinds of weird things which justifies their lack of faith! “If God wanted to heal me, he would do it anytime." I don't have to be in the presence of another human.” They stand back and say “God can do anything,” but their actions illustrate a clear lack of faith! What if a woman pressed into God, and she followed Him wherever Holy Spirit led? What if it looked like she was following a man, when really she was just listening to God? What if he led her to a charismatic church, where the worship felt weird and there was evidence of search? What if she pressed in, like the woman with blood who desperately wanted to experience Jesus's healing touch? What if she was willing to do anything to rip off the roof to be healed by Him? Do you think that God would know the heart of his daughter despite what others thought? What if it was not about a man, but the belief that God could possibly be working through Him? What if her faith was so incredibly strong, that she would walk to the Jordan, just to step in? Does any man have the right to justify what God is doing in another human? Since faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen, then how can another person justify what God is doing through human beings. “What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” “You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe - and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called THE FRIEND OF GOD. “You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.” “Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” Timothy 2:14-26 |
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April 2022
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