HxBOdc3VZUr2i0dONSBBsuyWBDurrCWVV: December 2012

Sunday, December 2, 2012

Countdown to the End of the World: What Does It Mean to Be Sealed in the Time of the End?

The promise to the Philadelphian church in Revelation 3 is a promise to enter into the experience of the 144000. Just as it was said of the 144000 in Revelation 14, it was promised to Philadelphia that they will have the Father's name in their foreheads; it will be given to them as a reward for overcoming. This overcoming is in reference to the conflict with the powers of evil in the great controversy between Christ and Satan.

There are three reasons why the people of God must be sealed before the Second Coming:

1. They are sealed for protection 2. They are sealed for identification 3. They are sealed for empowerment

The sealing of the people of God as a means of protection is reminiscent of the experience of Israel during the outpouring of the ten plagues on the land of Egypt. You will recall the arrangement that Moses was commanded to put in place in anticipation of the tenth plague. This particular plague was to be in the form of the death of the first born of every household. It was commanded that the blood of a lamb was to be placed upon the door post of every house as a means of protecting them from the destroying angel. So will it be in the time of the end with spiritual Israel.

In anticipation of disastrous events that is to affect the earth, it was commanded that the four angels hold back the winds of strife a little longer so as to facilitate the sealing process. The fact that the saints must be sealed before these events seems to suggest they will be given special protection. The magnitude of the adversities to come will make it necessary for God to adjust His security arrangements for His people on earth; the level of protection must be in proportion to the enormity of the security threat.

What we need to understand is that after the sealing work is finished, the work of salvation will shortly come to an end, then Satan will have entire control over the hearts and minds of sinful men and over the natural elements. Just imagine the confusion and the chaos that will ensue when the enemy is allowed to have such a control. This is the kind of calamity that the angels of God are holding back. Therefore, the level of enmity that the people of God will have to face will be of a completely different dimension from what now obtains. Hence the need for extra protection that is far more than we are now given.

The seal of God is also a sign that identifies the people of God as belonging to Him. Since the completion of the sealing work signifies the beginning of catastrophic events, it would be important that a special ID sign be placed on the people of God that will distinguish them from the sinful inhabitants of the world. In order for the angels to know who they are to protect they must have some kind of token by which they determined this.

On the other hand, there will be a time when everybody will eventually have a seal. While there will be the seal of God, Satan will invent his counterfeit- the mark of the beast. Therefore, it will be important for the protecting angels to differentiate between the saints of God from those who are not.

The ultimate effect of the sealing work is the level of empowerment it will give to the people of God. This power will be given in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the last days. It was said that Christ was sealed by the Father (Jn 6:27). This particular sealing is in reference to the outpouring of the Spirit of God upon Jesus at His baptism when His Father confirmed Him as His beloved Son and Messiah. It was through this power that the Son of God was able to minister to the multitudes by signs and miracles.

It was also said that the early disciples were sealed in a similar manner. This is how the Bible describes their sealing experience:

"Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts" 2Cor. 1:21, 22

"That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom also ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise." Eph. 1:12, 13

The sealing of the apostles and the other disciples took place after the Lord poured out His Spirit at Pentecost. You will notice that the same kind of work that Jesus did were performed by His disciples after the endowment of the gift of the Spirit. Just as it was on the day of Pentecost, so will it be in the time of the end.

Based on the ancient harvest analogy, there will be a former and a latter rain. The purpose of the former rain is to bring the fruit to maturity, while the latter rain ripens it and brings it to perfection. What took place at Pentecost is the former rain, but in the time of the end when the 144000 are sealed, the latter rain will be poured out. It is for this reason that they are said to be without fault before the throne of God (Rev. 14:5). When the people of God are sealed in their foreheads, they will see the fulfillment of the promise of the gift of the Spirit through the prophet Joel (Joel 2).

While the prophecy of Joel applies in a secondary sense to Pentecost, it will have a primary fulfillment in the outpouring of the latter rain showers of the last days. Thus, all the miracles and all the signs that marked the early church after Pentecost will be repeated in greater measure when the end-time church is sealed unto the day of redemption (Eph. 4:30). It is at that time that the people of God will be settled into the truth both intellectually and spiritually so that they cannot be moved.

Why Do Some Choose To Believe In God Without Any Proof? The Presidency Dorothy We're Not in Kansas, Christians We're Not in the OT Abraham's Thoughts While Preparing to Sacrifice Isaac How Can We Walk on Water?

What Happens When Love Transforms

"Most people are slow to champion love because they fear the transformation it brings into their lives. And make no mistake about it: love does take over and transform the schemes and operations of our egos in a very mighty way." ~Aberjhani

The biggest barrier for the many in approaching the truth of life that could otherwise set them free is that it costs. The cost, which is in actuality far outweighed by the benefits, seems too great; it's too much of a compromise to a self-propelled and self-satisfied dignity. It's far too much of a pity to acknowledge that most people will need to be brought to a rock bottom experience before they will accede to love.

A sign of a saved person - who has accepted Christ - is resplendence of the Spirit, manifest by them given over to love. The selfish life has, for the large part, gone. This new creation, this intrinsically loving being, has been cleansed in the Spirit of Love.

TRAVERSING WHAT SEEMS A CAVERNOUS CHASM

When we go from the ego to love, we make a sharp transition that is never easier, but from the ego side of things it is a cavernous chasm - it appears impossible to traverse. The devil likes it this way; he wants not one soul won to love.

So we have two dichotomous concepts: the truth and a lie.

The truth: love is but a decision away. The lie is projected as the impossibility of reaching love. The liar tells us the cost in going to love is far too much. We are convinced it's not worth the ticket to ride. And then we give up our exploration of things so wonderfully serene, it's central to the very meaning and purpose of life. For, without love there is no true reason for living.

But these two far-apart concepts both speak powerfully into our lives.

When we choose the lie - the reasons for which pervade through the world everywhere - our spiritual sight is blinded all the more. The ego is happy, but we, inside ourselves, are not.

When we choose the truth - and rare it is that on the first occasion it presents and we are open to it - we see right for the first time. The ego is summarily crushed. When that occurs, and love has finally found its way into our hearts, without competition from the ego, we see life as an abundant and glittering reality of existence we are truly ever grateful for. The outworking is love; we must love our fellows; we must love God. Suddenly life is very simple. And wonderfully, life makes sense.

***

Love bears too much of a cost for some, because it threatens to redefine their identities. This we can understand. It's important to recognise this fear.

When we overcome our fear of the transformation love will make to our lives, we approach love openly and virtue fuses itself to our hearts. Life is never the same again. This is what occurs when we accept Jesus. The Holy Spirit transforms us.

Love transforms lives. What 'was' isn't any more. When love comes into our lives by the Holy Spirit we're changed, revived from death, renewed to life and life abundant.

There Is a Coming Civil War in the Church - Part II

It is not very difficult to see that numbers of God's children are slaves to various kinds of sin, but it is more difficult to understand that we are often in bondage to a hidden enemy that may be strengthened by the teachings and government of the Church. The enemy I am talking about is so subtle and hidden that even some of our strongest and most insightful leaders are often blind to it.

What we need as never before are true Prophets. The nature of the prophetic ministry is that it must not have any hidden agenda or political ties. The true Prophet must know that he is called to represent the heart of the Lord and His heart only. He must be free from political motivation, financial considerations, and absolutely free from the fear of man. It has taken some time for the present prophetic ministry to begin to be purified enough to do this. Yet even God's most renowned Prophet was subject to the enslaving spirit I am writing about.

If the Prophet Elijah could be affected to such a degree by the power of this spirit, what about you and I? The manifestation of this enslavement leads to confusion, depression, loss of vision and a feeling of deep insignificance.

1 Kings 19:4 4 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, "It is enough! Now, Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!" NKJV

Remember this, Elijah was not a novice. He had won some major battles and had been used by God to begin to break the prevailing religious spirit of his day. Indeed, we will need experienced and deeply insightful prophetic ministry to guide us in this hour. May God grant us to recognize them when He sends them to us.

When Jesus was instructing his disciples about the last days he made a statement that for the moment sounded a bit confusing. Yet today we are able to see clearly what He was stating.

Matt 17:11-12 11 Jesus replied, "To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things.

12 But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, NIV

Restore NT:600 from NT:575 and NT:2525; to reconstitute (in health, home or organization)L (emphasis mine) KJV - restore (again). (Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance

When we look at the context of these words we realize that the Lord is telling His disciples that there is an Elijah anointing that is coming in the last days that will "restore all things." He goes on to say that John the Baptist was a type of Elijah and that the religious people of the day rejected and ultimately killed him.

Matt 17:12-13 but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands." 13 Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist. NIV

While seeking the Lord about the end time Elijah anointing I asked the following question. "Lord, what will the Elijah anointing accomplish?" Here was His reply "the Prophetic anointing will confront and destroy strongholds that will not yield to anything else." Dear one, to reject the Lord's end time Prophets is to condemn ourselves to the enslavement of strongholds. Truly, the worst kind of stronghold is the one that we do not see or recognize. Still, if we find ourselves weary, confused, depressed, or discouraged it is very likely that a stronghold is working very powerfully behind the scenes.

Someone has said that a stronghold is "a mindset impregnated with hopelessness that accepts as unchangeable those things that we know are contrary to God's will." Although that is an excellent definition it needs further insight. The stronghold that is even more destructive and dangerous is the one that we have come to believe is the will of God and is protecting us.

Countless believers find themselves depressed, confused, discouraged and fearful. This will eventually lead to a lack in almost every area of our life, including finances, vision, and hope. Yet they have no idea what is causing or creating these debilitating feelings. This is where the true Prophetic ministry must come in.

Jesus made another profound statement when He said:

Matt 10:41 41 He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward. NKJV

What is the Prophets reward? Part of it is the ability to see, confront and destroy hidden strongholds. When Jesus gave the five-fold ministry to the Church each of the five-fold ministries was to equip the saints for the work the Lord has for them to do. The major role of the Prophet in equipping the saints is to empower them to "see". Many times the seeing must come through "dreams and visions." One of the reasons the Lord uses dreams and visions is so that our religious thinking cannot block His truth.

If you have found yourself discouraged, depressed, confused and a dwindling amount of resources, be prepared to cry out for "the Elijah prophets" with all of your heart. They are God's gift to the Church and they will begin to help us to see again.

Rev 3:18-22 18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. (Emphasis mine)

We will begin to uncover and destroy the hidden strongholds in coming articles. Pray for God's prophets to see and speak with unprecedented clarity and power.

God Is The Fountain Of Love

Thus, every aspect of God's character is rooted in love. Out of this love, God created an entire universe just for you. We as human beings are the pinnacles of God's creations - molded in His Spiritual image.

When He placed our first ancestors here, He gave them the entire world. And when they turned from God's love to pursue the desires of their flesh, He ejected them from paradise - but not before He clothed them against the elements.

God turned away from Cain after he murdered his brother, but not before He put a mark on him to warn others against harming him.

In every circumstance, even in the midst of the most heinous crimes, God's character of love finds a way to offer mercy.

Throughout ten successive generations after Cain, the world turned its collective backs on God and descended into the pits of moral depravity. It was a situation that God never intended for His children. But He couldn't change them because it would have violated their free will, and God will not do that.

God wanted His children (just like He does in the present day) to live in a continual love relationship with Him. But, it was a choice that the people were unwilling to make, and it broke the heart of their Maker.

Our Creator loves us and wants to extend His mercy to us - but He cannot pardon anyone who will not change his or her ways. He has to let them fall victim to the consequences of their own actions.

Still, the love in God's heart is so big for His children that He tries to look for any way out - for His sake and theirs. Fortunately for you and me, God found one way in this situation:

But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD... Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God. Gen. 6:8, 9. ESV

God found a way that He could work within His own dictates (God has to work in righteousness, not in sin.) to save the human race through a righteous man who sought after Him.

Noah was 500 years old when God enlisted him in the construction of the ark, and it took Noah 100 years to build. Noah was a paragon of faith and obedience.

And then God delivered on His painful promise to purge the earth of evil and bring back the love...

God saved a place in eternity for all people who make the choice to get into a love relationship with Him. He did so because He found a character of love in the man named Noah. In spite of the moral degradation of the world around him, Noah persisted in standing tall for his God.

He obeyed and acted on God's word and was God's instrument for saving the world.

You too can be a Noah. You can let your heart shine and be a character of love. All God asks from you is to walk in love. And if and when that walk gets difficult, all you have to do is to ask God for the strength to persevere. He will never let you down.

And who knows whom you might save?

Related scripture: Gen. 6:5, 6; Gal. 5:19 - 23; Heb. 11:7.

My Bad Fig Tree

I love figs. My dad used to make the best fig preserves. I always looked forward to going to his house because I was sure there would be toast and fig preserves for breakfast. His preserves were the kind with really big chunks in them - sometimes whole figs. He got his figs from a tree that grew without much tending behind his garage - hidden from view from everything else but with a bountiful crop.

I especially like to pick figs off the tree myself. When we lived in California, we had a wonderful fig tree in our back yard. I dried those figs and they were plentiful - so plentiful that when our son's dachshund got on his hind legs to reach the branches and shake more figs down for himself, I just laughed. There were plenty of figs for all of us.

You can imagine my joy when we bought the house we are in now. There is a beautiful fig tree in our backyard. However, much to my dismay, I have not eaten one fig from that tree. The figs start to form, get hard, and drop to the ground. We have pampered that tree - watering it, fertilizing it, pruning it, clearing out the leaves underneath it - nothing works. I have often commented that I think it is related to the fig tree that Jesus cursed.

What has been so confusing to me is how normal my fig tree looks. There is no difference between the appearance of this tree and the other fig trees that have brought me such joy. My only conclusion is - there must be some problem on the inside. Something inherently bad in that tree produces bad fruit.

Many times Jesus compared us to things in nature that produce fruit such as trees and vines. He made the point that what we produce indicates who we are inside. We are saved by grace and not through any effort of our own. The evidence of grace accepted, however, is fruit produced. Ultimately, only God is the judge of anyone's productivity. He does, however, tell us to be watchful.

Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit... by their fruit you will recognize them (Matthew 7:17-20 NIV).

The End of Suffering's Impact

"Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second's encounter with God and with eternity." ~Paulo Coelho, Alchemist

Suffering, it can be argued, is a highly subjective state, and it means so many things to so many people. Suffering, it could be said, is the stimulus of all religion - besides aspects of the divine underpinning religion itself. Certainly within the Christian context the scope for suffering is central to the gospel message.

The Christian is called to suffer well, in living after their Lord.

Perhaps we can view Christian theology in this way: with our eyes fixed on Jesus, the Author and the Perfector of our faith, we live connected to the eternal hope - we are, after all, redeemed. The ultimate Christian dream is eternity.

And yet, we can touch eternity, even momentarily, when we transcend the fear that lies within the suffering, by accepting the opportunities to draw on God's grace to carry us through many trials.

THE VALUE OF A GODLY VISION FOR THE ABUNDANT LIFE

Our dreams we can call visions, and these are nothing strange or weird, because they are simply our creative imaginations melded with the passion of our hearts.

Our passions were always meant to offset our suffering.

In other words, we quell the negative power within our suffering by flushing our spirits through, and immersing our souls in, the powerful positive Presence of the living God-through the Holy Spirit living in us... Salvation is now.

When we explore for our vision for life we become open, more and more, to the capacities of God to speak through us, from our hearts into our minds such that we can become aware.

A vision for life beats the threat of death - the spiritual death of being physically alive whilst being emotionally and spiritually immobilised in our fear-ridden suffering.

Jesus went to the cross in order to defeat the powers of sin and death over us; and because salvation is now, whilst we are saved now and for eternity, salvation living really is a 'now' prospect. It begins and continues through the nurture of a vision for life beyond the fear in our suffering.

***

The end of suffering itself is relative. When we purge ourselves of the fear in our suffering, our suffering takes on a resplendent divine quality, and we begin to become less impacted by it. Suffering well is a capacity that the gospel makes as a specialty.

3 Great Goals - Simplify, Focus, Overcome

Finding a way to live the authentic spiritual life - one devoted to Jesus: Saviour, Lord, Healer, Priest, Prophet and King - is difficult. If our life is a prayer, as in continually seeking God regarding guidance on how to live, the Spirit will lead us.

And the Spirit may lead us to simplify, focus, and overcome.

In an often busy life - busier than we often need it to be, because of the vast degrees of distraction in today's life - we have the opportunity to create efficiencies in our spiritual life that rub off practically, also.

We can simplify. We can focus. Then, we can overcome.

SIMPLIFY

Simplifying life is a masterstroke. This is not about making life simple, but, in appreciating the complexities, it's distilling them down. When we appreciate that less is more in life we gain more out of it for less worry and bother.

It's a discipline to simplify the complex; again, not to make things simplistic, but to make them inspiringly practical, to the point of genius. Everyone detects wisdom in simplification. Everyone marvels at the wonder of elegance; elegant simplicity.

Simplifying our lives is getting rid of waste, whilst ensuring we do the important things first. It depends on how self-disciplined we make ourselves to be.

FOCUS

Simplifying our lives requires us to focus. From a scattergun approach we learn to direct our efforts. This way we achieve better results. Focus is the straight path.

As a magnifying glass concentrates the sun's heat and light energy to burn up combustible material, so our focus can bring great effect and energy into our lives.

We can all focus better: on our goals; on our habits; on our loves; and on our faithfulness to God.

OVERCOME

When we have simplified life, and brought sufficient focus to bear, we are poised and ready to overcome. We are never better positioned to make sweeping blows in the good fight of the faith.

To be able to overcome in life is the grandest of all skills. If nothing that came against us could defeat us, interminably speaking, we would truly be a force to be reckoned with. In Jesus' name, alone, we overcome.

***

To simplify, focus, and overcome is power for the optimisation of the spiritual life.

If we want to be transformed, and we should be hungry for it, we are best to simplify life, focus our energies, and overcome all themes present in our lives that are against God.

Why Do Some Choose To Believe In God Without Any Proof? The Presidency Dorothy We're Not in Kansas, Christians We're Not in the OT How Can We Walk on Water? Abraham's Thoughts While Preparing to Sacrifice Isaac Hail the Designers

Justin - A Martyr and a Philosopher

When people ask you: "Who is your father?" or: "Who is your uncle?" you briefly describe what they do in life. You just say: "He's an engineer" or: "He's a doctor", and it doesn't take you too much time to give an answer. Any person can be briefly described so. That's very simple. Thus the Creator so ordered this universe that the deepest truths very often may be found in the simplest things.

Therefore, if you ask about Justin, perhaps you will be asked back: "Do you mean Justin Martyr?" But ask someone in the Orthodox Church about Justin and the reaction will be different. Most likely they will respond: "Let me think... Justin the Philosopher?" and they'll mean the same person.

So who was he? What does Christianity owe him in the first place? To decide what we should think about Justin, we will have to make a wonderful journey through his life. Fortunately, we know quite a lot about it.

Justin was born in Palestine, in a beautiful city called Flavia Neapolis (Greek: "a new city built by Flavius", that is the emperor Titus Flavius Vespasian). It was on the road halfway from Galilee to Jerusalem. Not so long before, Jesus had walked and taught in these places. To be sure, as a boy Justin did not know about that. His parents were wealthy Romans, and most probably they showed little interest towards Christians. They wanted their son to be well educated; he should not have anything in common with those ignorant people.

When the time for serious study came, Justin went to a very good teacher who was a Stoic. Stoicism was a philosophical school favored by Romans. Basically, it required high moral standards and taught how reason can lead us to moral life. It also taught how logic should be applied to what we know about the universe, so that we may have a true understanding of it. Justin avidly learned and did very well in his studies. But something went wrong, because soon he went to another teacher, who was a follower of Aristotle. Perhaps here the young philosopher hoped to find the answers which he had not found in the previous school. But he did not find them. His education was excellent. But it was not enough for him to be just a good pupil and get high marks. His questions were not from the standard textbook. Perhaps it was not always very easy for his teachers to get along with him. This is why he changed his school again and went to a follower of Plato.

It seems Platonism fascinated Justin very much. Later he wrote that then he began "to understand things which are not corporeal", that is he discovered that behind the visible reality there was a wonderful world full of goodness and beauty. Plato taught that knowledge begins with a perception of earthly shapes, but then we should ascend to the higher realm of Ideas, a world beyond that of the senses. He likened humans to somebody sitting in a cave and looking at a wall on which he sees only the shadows of the real things which are behind his back, and he likened the philosopher to somebody who went out of the cave and sees the real world of the Ideas. Justin thought he was about to find the truth. But soon an extraordinary meeting changed all of his life.

Justin used to have walks on the seashore where he could be alone and meditate quietly. There he met an old man with whom he had a lengthy talk. Justin mentioned that he was a philosopher; the old man objected and said he was only a philologist. Of course, they did not speak English, and to be sure it was a play on words. A "philosopher" in Greek means "the one who loves wisdom" and philologist is "the one who loves words". The stranger obviously meant that Justin as a student of philosophy loved only the beautiful words and nice speeches, but not the real wisdom. He said that true philosophers were ancient Prophets, who lived long before the people whom Greeks believed to be "lovers of wisdom'. Those men of God were righteous and spoke by divine Spirit. Their writings reveal everything we have to know about the universe. They did not teach logic; they did not have to look for truth through reason, because it was revealed to them by God. This truth they wrote down for others.

They discussed a lot of things. All the odd questions of Justin which too often had bewildered his Greek teachers proved to be resolvable. After talking for many hours they parted, and Justin never met the old man again. Who was he? Eusebius, a great Christian historian, and Photius, a patriarch of Constantinople, believed he was one of the apostolic fathers. I often wonder whether he was an Angel who came to enlighten Justin's soul. Whoever he might be, this meeting was a great milestone in the Church history: philosophy became Christian.

Justin's conversion took place about the year 130 A.D. After Baptism Justin did not stop wearing his cloak which was very significant. The cloak was a kind of uniform for philosophers, by which they were distinguished from other people.

First in Ephesus and then in Rome Justin establishes his own school. There he teaches how to love God's wisdom through Christ Jesus. But it was not as simple as it sounds to teach this... At this time people believed that Christians were perverts and cannibals. (Imagine you declare to your parents you want to be a cannibal because a tramp on the seashore told that's the best way to come to truth). One could not tell the genuine Church from multiple groups each professing their own faith, very often far removed from things taught by the Lord and the apostles. Heresies seemed to predominate. Perhaps "confusion" was the best word to describe the actual situation.

Then Rome, having conquered many nations by the sword, realized that other nations conquered the eternal city by their religions and cultural influences. The official Roman religion accepts foreign gods into its pantheon. But Christianity was abhorrent for Romans. It didn't fit into the heathen context. The Christian God could not be a part of any pantheon and the persecution of the Christians was savage.

Justin was arrested because he was denounced by a certain Crescens, who also was a teacher of philosophy (perhaps he was devoured by envy, seeing the many students who came to Justin's school). Together with six of his disciples Justin was led to Junius Rusticus, the prefect of Rome. The interrogation was brief. Junius asked:

- What science do you study? - I studied all of them, but finally came to the Christian teaching. - Where do Christians gather? - Wherever it's possible, because God, who is invisible, fills heaven and earth, and receives worship from the faithful everywhere. - If you will be beheaded after flagellation, are you sure you will go to heaven? - Nobody believed Socrates so much as to die for his teaching, but the followers of Christ, who were simple craftsmen, despised fear and embraced death.

Justin and his disciples were martyred. By his very life Justin showed that the true philosophy is not just a love for beautiful words and sentences. He was faithful to truth even unto death. When the sword was raised above his head, he praised the Lord.

Now was Justin a Philosopher or a Martyr? To be sure, both descriptions are correct. He united in his personality not only those two wonderful ministries, but he was also an apologist, that is a defender of Christian faith against the accusations of the heathen state. He addressed two apologies, to Roman emperors Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius. They both were credited to be philosophers, so Justin did his best to show that Christianity does not conflict with philosophy.

The highest aspiration of both Christianity and Platonism is an eternal and immutable God. If one states Christian truths in Platonic terms, it may be easily demonstrated that, despite the common charges, the faith of Christians is in harmony with reason. This is because human reason and divine mind (both identified in Greek by the term "Logos") are united in a deep relationship. This is how, says Justin, we can understand the basic things about the world in which we live.

Furthermore, Jesus Christ is the fullest incarnation of divine Logos. He revealed the entire truth to us. However, ancient Greek philosophers had only fragments of Logos, but they could not come to the fullness of Truth before the Incarnation. In short, the great philosophers of Antiquity, such as Plato, were Christians, though they didn't know it.

As an exegete, or interpreter of the Scripture, Justin took a great step forward. For him the entire Bible speaks about Christ. As the Logos, He existed before His Incarnation and spoke through the Prophets. Justin united both Testaments. Such interpretation is very close to the apostle Paul's thought, and it will be repeated later by Irenaeus and Augustine.

Justin wrote much about the divine plan in history. God knows very well what the history of salvation should look like. He constantly cares about the events in this world; the various epochs are like stages of the single process. Thus, it was not by chance that in Christian faith the Greek philosophy and the Old Testament have met.

Justin gave us the first description of how Christians celebrate the sacraments of Baptism and Eucharist. He extensively quoted from the first three Gospels, the letters of Paul and 1 Peter. If we compare Justin to these two apostles, we will conclude that he was much closer to Paul than to Peter. Like Paul, he was open to heathen culture, though carefully chose what might be used. He believed that lest Christians would be doomed to isolation and intellectual poverty. Justin was also the first Christian writer who quoted from the Book of Acts.

When Justin brought Christianity into philosophy, he met strong opposition. Perhaps he was opposed even more when he brought philosophy into Christianity. Indeed, why a believer should study Plato who wrote so much? Perhaps modern Christians feel the same way about the fathers: do we really need them? Yes we do; and that's the most important idea of this lesson.

Nullifying Satan's Myriad Deceptions

"Satan is no fool. In fact, the Bible, from this perspective, chronicles a savvy enemy, lying in wait specifically for men, capitalizing on their ignorance of his proximity and presence to take them down." ~Kenny Luck, Sleeping Giant

The enemy, Satan, kills off many good things, not by mortal wounding, but by inflicting blows to effectiveness. He is depicted as a sniper, cunningly identifying the target and shooting in such a way as to create maximum organ damage without actually making the kill. As a result, he disarms and disables many otherwise willing servants of God.

But the reality is even starker.

Satan often wounds his enemy - potentially passionate and otherwise devoted Christian followers of Christ - before they even begin ministry in the kingdom of God. And the thesis for men, here, regarding specifically the church, is even grimmer.

Seeing men as leaders - which is what they are - Satan goes even harder in his hunt to discourage, discredit, and disable them, especially within each man's own mind. Women in ministry are targeted also. But in reality, Satan seems more content that the Church has thriving women's ministries than men's ministries. This is because Satan knows that men can mobilise and form into evangelistic armies that can make big differences in our world, culturally, for God.

Satan knows that if the Church gets the man it also gets his family.

The truth we are brought to here is the fact: women-in-ministry, and there are many powerful women's ministries, is only part of the power of the kingdom of God. The church desperately needs men to stand up, to speak up, to be energised to enact a vision God has already given them.

But men and women alike need to be aware of the wiles of Satan.

THE MANY COLOURS AND SHADES OF THE ENEMY

Satan's power to steal, kill and destroy is largely invisible. The mode of Satan's ministry is stealth. We never expect it unless we are deliberately wary. This enemy works in the fashion of lies - by garments of deception that we tell ourselves, by negative and isolating self-talk, and that we propagate through gossip because of pride and envy. The enemy works masterfully, like a chameleon, by distorting and counterfeiting otherwise good things.

The actual threat is a comprehensive wardrobe filled with all colours and styles of camouflage; replete with every shade of temptation to the seven deadly sins. Whenever we least expect it, there Satan may strike, coming in the appearance of something innocuous or, possibly worse, something attractive.

We may be more interested in how Satan can wreak havoc in our personal lives. Well, the truth is, wherever he attacks us in ministry there is always a spill-over into our personal lives. Satan aims to make no friendly kill. His interest is in overwhelming us.

But, and this is encouraging, Satan's presence among us as individuals, small groups, and fellowships is fuel for the firing of faith:

"Faith must be tested, because it can only be turned into a personal possession through conflict." ~Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest

***

The wise Christian is aware of the wiles of Satan and is aware of the enemy's presence. But they are just as aware that God is infinitely more powerful. If there was ever a need to pray we would pray for protection from Satan, whilst praising God that The Battle has already been won at the cross and in our Saviour's resurrection.

Why Do Some Choose To Believe In God Without Any Proof? The Presidency Dorothy We're Not in Kansas, Christians We're Not in the OT How Can We Walk on Water?

Anthony the Great

From the very beginning, the idea of asceticism was closely connected with Christianity. However, at first Christians practiced ascetic life at their homes, without leaving their families and communities. In fact, Christian communities themselves granted their members enough seclusion from the outer world. Christians lived in a society, but were consciously alienated from it in many respects, because they believed in Jesus and lived accordingly. However, when Christianity became the State religion, believers lost sight of the boundary that separated the Church from the world. Thinking in terms of inner and outer things with respect to Christian fellowship gradually grew meaningless. Integration was inevitable, and when the process started, many felt indignant. They saw it as sheer secularization.

They connect the origin of monasticism with the persecutions of Decius (250 AD), when Christians left large Egyptian cities and went to the surrounding deserts. Some of them went back home after persecutions ceased, but a few remained in the wilderness to lead a holy life there. Later other people who felt inclination to asceticism followed their example. Quite naturally, they were not very fond of the Hellenistic thought and culture that began to play an increasingly important role in Christianity. Ironically, it was especially eminent in Alexandria (the capital of Egypt): its theological school cherished allegorical interpretation, which was a method typical for the Greeks. No wonder that simple farmers who were the founders of monasticism were opposed to any compromise of faith and philosophy.

Nevertheless, even though at first they displayed hostility to the type of theology that great Alexandrian teachers (especially Origen) developed, gradually their aversion to learning as such grew less intense. Moreover, believers who never left their homes to struggle with demons in the desert began to regard world-denying monasticism as a model of Christian perfection. The spontaneous movement was soon sanctioned and approved by the Church.

Anthony, considered the founder of organized monasticism, was born at Coma (Middle Egypt), of Christian parents. For some time the young man was a disciple of Paul of Thebes. When Anthony was about twenty, his parents died. He sold everything he had, gave the money to the poor and went to the desert in search of ascetic life. The great eremite remained there for fifteen years and then moved to the right bank of the Nile, to a mountain called Pispir. He lived there from about 286 to 305 and grew famous among multiple anchorites who imitated him. About 305 Anthony left the abandoned fort where he lived, in order to instruct his followers for whom he exemplified the ideal of asceticism. The largest and most famous colonies of monks were organized in Scete and Nitria.

After Constantine I and Licinius came to an agreement that led to the promulgation of the edict of Milan (AD 313), assuring Christians of legal rights, the father of Egyptian monks went to the Mount Colzim between the Red Sea and the Nile, where he lived until his death in 356 at the age of one hundred and five years. During that period he visited Pispir several times, as well as Alexandria, at least twice: his voice was needed in the struggle with the teaching of Arius.

Even though Anthony never learnt to read and write, he carried on a large correspondence. As it seems, he dictated his letters in Coptic, his native tongue, to a secretary or a literate fellow-monk. Unfortunately, most of the missives were lost. A few that are extant (only seven) are first mentioned by Jerome who read them in Greek translation. Besides late Latin versions done from Greek and Arabic translations we possess the full series in Georgian, the first letter in Syriac, the seventh and parts of fifth and sixth in Coptic.

These letters are addressed to monks and provide them with instructions concerning asceticism. The main obligation of a hermit, Anthony insisted, is to know himself, since only those who are able to achieve this goal may know God. The first letter explains in detail in what ways this self-knowledge is equivalent to the perception of God's grace that is bestowed on us. The Holy Spirit can prompt a person to become a monk by three ways: people who lead a holy life in the world and follow God's call, take "the direct road"; others come to this through reading of the Holy Scriptures as well as trough understanding the awful end of those who sin; finally, there are those who thus atone for their evil deeds done in the past.

Anthony wrote that sanctification of soul and body, the ultimate aim of asceticism, can be attained only through extermination of all passions. Following this vocation, the anchorite has to remember that humans experience three kinds of emotions: purely natural, depending on the soul; those excited by bodily desires; caused by the attacks of demons.

It is exactly the great hermit's struggle with the devil and his acolytes, described by Athanasius in his "Life of Anthony" that made the hermit so popular in Christian art throughout the Middle Ages and later. Most often demons' assaults took shape of visions, either horrible or seductive. The evil spirits could take any form and presented themselves as women, fellow-monks, monsters etc. However, the effect of these visits could be physical: demons beat Anthony, sometimes almost to death. The anchorite reacted with even more severe penitential acts such as fasting and prayer.

Monastic discipline sees asceticism as a means to attain the Christian ideal of perfection which is to love God and neighbor to the utmost. Anthony has always been a model saint for all those who longed for ascetic life. To be sure, this figure continues to fascinate our imagination, whatever our attitude towards monasticism in general may be.

Why a Prophecy Course Is Most Important at This Point in Earth's History

The end-time prophecies of the Bible are designed to inform us about events to take place just before the world comes to an end. In sending us these prophetic messages the Lord intends that we use them to help us in our preparation for end-time realities as it relates to our own personal safety as well as the preservation of our own souls for eternity. Unfortunately, many are treating Bible prophecy as nothing but information about events to transpire so far in the future that there is no need for urgency of preparation.

The level of urgency and importance of understanding the prophetic word is clearly underscored in the book of Revelation. In the third verse of the opening chapter, the prophet John thus declared: ïBlessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.ï Rev. 1:3

Many of us would wonder why the apostles believed that Christ would return in their time. But I wouldn't fault them for so believing because had they preached a message of a Second Coming that is far off it would have caused the brethren to drift off into lethargy and indifference in regard to their duty to warn the world of a coming judgment. And then if that is the message that they are to preach to the world that would even be more cause for the world-loving masses to not feel that sense of urgency to make a decision for Christ.

The fact is from that time until now nobody has any idea as to the exact day and hour the world will end. Therefore, the message will have to be preached as if the prophesied events will happen at any moment. Fortunately for us who are living on the threshold of end-time events, more light is available to us than that which the early apostles had. That's the reason why we are in a better position to inform the world in more precise terms that the world will one day come to an end. Because of the increase of knowledge and the fact that God has been making special efforts to shed more light in this generation, the servants of God can now speak with more certainty concerning the fulfillment of Bible prophecy.

Another reason why it is important for us to be educated systematically in the end-time predictions of the Bible is to strengthen our faith in the utterances of the prophets and in the fact that whatever is spoken by them comes from God. For us to trust the words of God's mouthpiece, we must have the evidence that God indeed spoke by him. This is a hurdle that God is mindful of why he gives us many instances in the Bible where prophecies were fulfilled just as they were predicted.

It is very critical to your prophecy studies for you to believe in the inspiration of the scriptures. God knows that if you approach end-time Bible prophecies with a skeptical mindset you will not be benefited. Therefore, He sees to it that the prophetic word is so arranged that it leaves no room for doubt and unbelief; He has provided enough bases for believing that what He uttered through human instrumentality is not cunningly devised fables.

One of the main purposes of a prophecy course is that it gives a sense of hope beyond this life. It is such an anti-depressant to know that the problems of this world will not go on for ever; that one day it will come to an end and give way to 1000 years of heavenly peace and then eternal bliss on a restored earth thereafter. If we can be so motivated to work our hearts out at the expectation of collecting a sizeable paycheck at the end of the month, how much more the promise of gaining an eternal inheritance in the earth made new?

Have you ever wondered why the early disciples could have endured the most horrible persecution as if it is nothing? The reason is because they believed the prophecies of that blessed hope of the glorious appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ and the promise of better days. Their sight is so set on what was predicted by the prophets that they are willing to endure hardships of any shape or form in order to be apart of the redeemed marching through the pearly gates. As students of Bible prophecy, that's the kind of motivation we need in these last days.

If prophecy education was important in the time of the apostles, it is even more important now. If there was a single reason why a prophecy course is of critical importance today it is because of the repeated warnings against false prophets in the last days. Where deceptions are prevalent there is the need to be well informed of things you need to know in order to avoid being misled by unscrupulous teachers. The greater the deceptions we have to face, the more crucial it is to be systematically instructed in the prophetic word.

In the book of Matthew, Jesus warned us of the activities of false Christs and false prophets who will show great signs and wonders that if it were possible they would deceive the very elect (Matt. 24:24). Why will the elect not be deceived? Do you think it ïs because they will constantly hear a voice in their ears telling them what to accept from what not to accept? Not at all. They will be rendered impregnable to deceptions because their minds will be so fortified with the word of God, including the prophecies, that it will be very easy for them to know falsehood when they see it.

Acquiring systematic knowledge through a prophecy course is more than what you can get in our learning institution. While your earthly knowledge prepares you for this life, an education in Bible prophecy prepares you for eternity. Unfortunately, many are going to see the importance a prophecy education only when it is too late; when they are already deceived beyond recovery. Because of their pursuit of earthly education, they will not see the importance of Bible knowledge. They will leave it up to their Bible teachers to know the prophecies for them not realizing that in so doing they are setting themselves up for deception.

Peace In Our Time

On September 30, 1938, after meeting with Adolf Hitler, then British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain triumphantly declared, "This morning, I had another talk with the German Chancellor, Herr Hitler. And here is the paper which bears his name upon it as well as mine," it went on to say that they would, "never to go to war with one another again." Chamberlain gave his trust to the Nazi fuhrer and then the German occupation of the Sudetenland began. Sudetenland was part of part of Czechoslovakia.

Interestingly, on April 23, 2012, the U.S. State Department announced that, "The war on terror is over." It was also quoted in the National Journal as saying, "Now that we have killed most of al Qaida, now that people have come to see legitimate means of expression, people who once might have gone into al Qaida see an opportunity for a legitimate Islamism."

It is not that easy. There is no such thing as legitimate Islamism and to say; "If you want to end war, just declare peace" does not change things for the multitudes living under the brutal dictates of Sharia law. The Christians in Sudan continue to live in terror from the attacks of Muslim extremists as do the Christians in Nigeria. There are many more instances of Islamic terror in Africa, the Middle East, and numerous other spots around the world. Ignoring and minimizing it as did the U.S. State Department not only aids the enemy, but is hazardous. These actions can pacify people, making them complacent and unwilling to do anything to stop the ongoing war against terror. Radical Islamists are more than happy to be labeled "legitimate Islam." The name change alters nothing; they continue to be fundamental Islamists.

While the kowtowing Western world panders to the terrorist's alleged desire for democracy, the Islamists continue to make war on everything un-Islamic. The reason for this is to make way for a global caliphate with the 12th imam or Mahdi, on the throne. They believe that the Koran teaches that the Mahdi ultimately will lead the armies of Islam to victory over all non-Muslims.

It is dangerous for the secular analysts to dismiss religion as a central factor in the war on terror. It must be considered in order to have an accurate picture.

We must ask why there is such a relentless war on Christians across the Middle East and Africa. And why fundamental Islamists have an obsession to destroy Israel? And why did Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad state in 2006 that Israel is destined for destruction, and will soon disappear? And why is there an apparent diplomatic paralysis in dealing with Iran's mania to destroy Israel. Why is there a desire to flood Europe with Muslim immigrants and create an Islamic continent? Why is there such a rush by Iran to build ballistic missiles that can reach Europe and America? And why is there an attempt to force Sharia law into countries and communities that are non-Muslim? It is certainly not a desire for a pluralistic world peace. It is a world conquest by force and intimidation that the fundamental Islamists seek and that reality will not change because the non-Muslims declare peace.

The prophet Isaiah spoke of a future day when people "shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore" (Isa. 2:4). That day will not be hastened with a Prime Minister declaring peace in our time or a department of state representative saying that the war on terror is over. That will be left to God to do. Sadly it does not appear to be today.

Why Do Some Choose To Believe In God Without Any Proof? The Presidency Dorothy We're Not in Kansas, Christians We're Not in the OT How Can We Walk on Water?

What? Me Worry?

A country preacher decided to skip services one Sunday to spend the day hiking in the wilderness. Rounding a sharp bend in the trail, he collided with a bear and was sent tumbling down a steep grade. He landed on a rock and broke both legs.

With the angry bear charging at him from a distance, the preacher prayed, "O Lord, I'm so sorry for skipping services today. Please forgive me and grant me just one wish. Please make a Christian out of that bear that's coming at me!"

At that very instant, the bear skidded to a halt, fell to his knees, clasped his paws together, and began to pray out loud at the preacher's feet, "Dear God, please bless this food I am about to receive."

I read a news story about an elderly lady in West Palm Beach, Florida who died recently. The coroner's report read "Cause of death... malnutrition." At the time of her death, she weighed 50 pounds.

When the state authorities began their investigation into the lady's death, they found that her house was a pigpen. She begged food from her neighbours and got what little clothing she had from the Salvation Army. She appeared to be a hermit, but that was not the case. In the mess officials found two keys to safe-deposit boxes at two local banks. In one box were over 700 AT&T stock certificates and hundreds of other valuable stocks, bonds and financial securities along with a stack of cash amounting to over $200,000. The other box contained over $600,000 in cash. Altogether the lady had a net worth of over one million dollars. The estate went to a distant niece and nephew, neither of whom dreamed that their aunt had a cent to her name.

The lady wasn't saving her money. She was worshipping it, just like many people worship material goods such as food, clothing and shelter. She would have been wise to heed the words of the apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 6:7: "Don't put your hope in wealth, which is so uncertain. But put your hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment." God doesn't tell us not to stop worrying about food and shelter and clothing because we don't really need them. He knows we need them. He wants us to stop worrying because he has promised to take care of every need we have.

The blessings God offers us fill every need that we have. Today, as we celebrate the Canadian Thanksgiving, we pause to give thanks to God for everything he has given us. We pause to remember the words of the old hymn, "All good gifts around us are sent from heaven above. Then thank the Lord, O thank the Lord, for all His love."

With God on our side, we do not need to worry about our needs. He will supply our needs, and not necessarily out wants. For example, if we need a car and approach God in prayer with our request, he might give us a '57 Chevy even thought we sing the old song, "O Lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes-Benz." God knows our needs and so he will take care of us. We have to balance our desires with God's wisdom and blessing. If we believe in him, he will take care of our needs and we can concentrate on living one day at a time.

This sermon is being preached at a very difficult economic time, especially for this area. The local paper mill has closed and many people have lost their jobs. Some, like my own brother and his girlfriend, have had to move out west, particularly to Fort McMurray, Alberta, to find work. Personally, my work hours have been cut by 40% at one of my jobs. For some of us, the hard times have hit us very hard. For others, tough times have hit home. Some of us doubt Jesus when he tells us not to worry, but we must remember that he follows those words with the promise that God will take care of us.

God provides our lives and our bodies. He is powerful enough to create life, so he is powerful enough to provide for that life. Worrying about our needs does not guarantee that they will be met. If we worry about our needs, it shows that we have little faith in God's promise to care for us and his power to fulfill that promise. To be successful in our hearts, we have to accept Christ, follow Christ and serve Christ. We can make God our number one priority by serving him instead of man and by using what he has given us to help others. For example, I see that the church is nicely decorated with all sorts of fruits and vegetables which have been donated by many of you. After the service, these gifts will be taken to the local food bank to be shared with the less fortunate in our community. This simple act fulfills Jesus' instructions to share what we have with the poor.

Worry steals our peace and joy and affects every area of our lives. For example, many health problems are caused in part by worry and stress. If we trust God, worry will be replaced by faith and the knowledge that God will provide for us. We can then take comfort in the words of Bobby McFerrin's 1988 hit song, "Don't Worry, Be Happy".

Here's a little song I wrote You might want to sing it note for note Don't worry Be happy

In every life we have some trouble When you worry you make it double Don't worry Be Happy

When you worry your face will frown That will bring everybody down Don't worry Be Happy

When we walk with God, our faith will consume our fears. Because God provides for us, we can blossom and thrive. We can show his love, compassion, glory and life. Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:33, which we heard as part of our Gospel reading this morning, to put God's kingdom first. It does not provide the answer to every problem, but it does eliminate many possible answers. If the answer does not further God's kingdom and reflect his righteousness, then it does not need to be considered any further.

When we worry, it is a sign of an unhealthy relationship with God. It shows that we value material goods more than we value our heavenly Father. We need to see him as a loving father who may allow us to experience life's difficulties but who always takes care of our needs. Relying on God to provide for our needs flies in the face of the world's emphasis on acquiring material goods and wealth instead of spiritual wealth. When we choose God's agenda instead of the world's agenda, God will richly bless us. When we work and let God worry about the outcome, we can relax. Instead of worrying, we need to choose faith, and the only way to increase our faith is to start praying. When we put God first, we will find the proper balance in our lives because God will provide for our needs.

In order for God to provide for us, we have to work. Some people have taken the fact that God will provide for their needs as an excuse not to work or plan for their future We DO have to plan for our future, especially if we want God to look after us. If God looks after us, and if we do our part, thing will take care of themselves, but we have to produce. We can't be idle or dependent on others. God might not endorse all of our plans or open all the doors we want opened, but God will open the right doors at the right time. God will care for us in good times and bad,

If God is first in our giving, he has our hearts. If he has our hearts, he will guide us and meet our needs. If we are holding on to something that is keeping us from following God's will for our lives, we have to let go of that something. As long as we believe that all that we have is ours, we will struggle with feelings of selfishness. Once we understand that all we have belongs to God and that he is letting us use them for awhile, our viewpoint changes.

Anyone can give thanks when the pasture is filled, the fields are beautiful, the orchard is loaded, the barn is bursting, the work is fulfilling and their health is good. But let's see people praise God when the crops have failed, the rain did not come, the herd has died, the trees did not produce, the job they have worked at for years disappears because the company shuts down, or when the doctor tells them that they have only a few months to live.

As we ask God to take away anything that worries us-a test, a medical finding, job insecurity-he wants us to give him thanks. This might mean that we have to reflect on similar situations in our past when we faced similar circumstances and God came through. In the words of 1 Thessalonians 5:18, we are to give God thanks and praise in the midst of everything that comes our way. That goes against our human inclination to complain when things go against us, but that is the very wisdom of God.

Thanksgiving is more than just a day. It is a lifestyle. It is more about our attitude than it is about platitudes; about the virtue of giving thanks for all that we have received from God. It is an attitude of gratitude for everything God has provided for us because we have faith in him.

The Election

As the election nears, the emotions of Americans are reaching fever pitch as they verbalize their presidential preferences. The air waves are full of propaganda that takes on forms of exaggerated facts and fiction. The printed media floods the market place with editorial viewpoints that does more to fragmentize and divide then to bring a clear and concise understanding of the issues. Political parties use their "In God We Trust" greenbacks to try and buy the vote of the American citizen. Special interest groups march to the drum of self interest instead of the corporate good of all. The internet hums to life with a surge of information that can reinforce any political agenda.

Joining the battle for America, the Christian soldier holding the cross in one hand and the Bible in the other, expounds his viewpoint as to who would be God's choice for the office of President of the United States. Tragically, they seem to be more interested in who should not be the next President. Instead of promoting the positive approach to personal preference, they take the negative road of exposing the flaws of "God's opponent." Every four years, it seems that so many Christians become more like the world. The Believer seems to develop spiritual amnesia as he exhibits the characteristics of his old nature. It is one thing to be opposed to someone or something, but it is altogether a different thing to expose, exaggerate, and defame the character of another. For the Christian to pass on information that is acquired by accepting the agenda of the biased mass media is to do a great disservice to other Christians who are daring to live by the standards of God's Word. The "Right Wing," which seems to have swallowed up the Believer into their ranks, has led a propaganda war of character assassination. No matter what their political opposition states, it is declared as lies. Is this the part God has called the Believer to play?

In this volatile election year, Christians must learn what it is to be a peacemaker. We must exhibit the fruit of the spirit. We must realize that God is in control. God does not need our help in securing political leadership. He does not need the Believer to judge, convict, and sentence the candidates. All He wants is for the Christian to exhibit the likeness of His Son. Protests from the "always right" claim they must expose the enemy of the cross, no matter what the cost. When are Believers going to realize that God has a "ways and means" to bring down or lift up any individual and He will do that in His timing? In the mean time, let the Believer accentuate the positive and let the unbeliever deal with the negative. If one cannot say anything good about someone, let him be silent.

As America prepares to vote this coming November, let us all pray and ask God for whom we should vote. Let God arise and let the media be scattered. Let God show us what the truth is and then let us pursue it with a love for one another.

There Is A Civil War Coming In The Church!

I pastored a church once that gloried in the fact that they were not very educated yet were very spiritual. What was sad is the fact that many of the scriptures they quoted were misquoted and out of context. Over a period of time I began to try to help them see that they had actually memorized and were quoting words that were not in the scripture. Do you know what happened? In a moment of heated frustration they finally said "we don't care what the scripture says this is what we believe". I then went to the Lord about all of this and asked Him what I was to do. He said something very frightening to me and yet very hopeful. He said, "Men will die and kill for what they believe, even if it is wrong, because it is all they have. If they give up their error they believe they are giving up their salvation. You must give them something to hold onto first, and then they will let go of their error." What the Lord was saying was this, "If you attack their error they will fight to the death for it is all they have. Give them truth in love and they will eventually give up the error".

The thing that Abraham Lincoln feared about the Civil War was that when it was over their would be such a division created by the way the war was waged that the nation would be forever divided. He wanted to fight the war with the constant thought of reconciliation. Can a war be fought with love as the primary motivation, or does the nature of war and the battle field rule out any such naïve hope? Can we look over the barrels of our rifles that are aimed at a perceived enemy and say, "I fight this war and shoot this bullet because I love you"?

Almost every war is fought over the perceived loss of something. The other guy wants what I have and I will not give it up. Usually it is about land, finances, ideology and freedoms. The great difficulty that I see in the coming Civil War in the Church is that it will be very difficult to distinguish who is wrong. The presentation of truth will be so accurate that we will find it hard to know who is right.

How then can we know we are on the right side of this battle? The right side, of course, is the one the Lord himself has chosen. Perhaps the following will help us.

The Lord once spoke these words to my heart, "Truth that is not spoken in love is only a half-truth no matter how accurate the facts. I am the Way the Truth and the Life, and I am Love". When we try to defend a truth without walking in love we will certainly end up deceived.

Dear ones, it is time for the deepest kind of discernment available to the Church. Not only do we need to know and understand the scriptures like never before, but accurately presenting and studying them in their context with the illumination of the Holy Spirit. But we will have to know a depth of love that is presently lacking in the body of Christ. Most in the Church right now put a far greater emphasis on being right and not having their rights violated than they put on love.

One of the reasons I have written on the subject of the "Coming Civil War in the Church" is the result of the following dream. Of course, this dream is not the only reason I write on this subject. It is clear that the Church is moving towards this Civil War at a fast rate for many other reasons beside this dream. Nevertheless dreams often give us insight and revelation that we would not otherwise have, as in the case of Daniel and John the Revelator. Dreams and visions should always be judged and this one is no different. Please read and judge for yourselves. As always, comments and insight are not only welcome but desired.

Dream 3/11/09 -

I was a young man again, standing with a group of other young men when Abraham Lincoln came up to our group, looked at me and said, " I need leaders for the coming war and I want you to be one of them". I looked at my friends and they looked at me and I eventually walked over to where Abraham Lincoln had gone. When I approached he said, "I can do one of two things. I can scavenge troops from the other divisions and give you a command of your own, or I can put you under a great and experienced General". I responded by saying, "I would like to be under you." Abraham Lincoln then said, "That will not be possible, but I will put you under one of my greatest and most experienced Generals". He then pointed out a short stocky man with a short beard and a strong resolve and countenance on his face. He was elderly but not old.

The Scene Changes -

I have gone home and am packing. I am gathering the right clothes and things I will need for the Army. My Mother is helping and my brother ( my mother and brother here are not the ones I had in real life they represent the Church). As I am looking for the right boots to where, Abraham Lincoln gave me some boot liners made of soft leather on the outside and soft lamb's wool on in the inside. Before I can finish packing a knock comes on the door. My brother goes to answer it and Abraham Lincoln is standing there and says, "It is time to go" I say, "I am not finished packing." He says, "No, you must come now". I put on my union officers coat; It is dark blue with two rows of buttons running down the front. I step out the door to join Abraham Lincoln and my brother has a boom box on his shoulder playing very loudly, "Mine eyes have seen the glory of the Coming of the Lord, he is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored... His truth is marching on". As I step out the door the entire Union Army is waiting. It is time to go to war!!!!

Dream ends and I awake to pray. At first I pray for our nation but do not sense an anointing for that, a burden yes, but not an anointing. I then pray for the Church and both feel an anointing and a crushing burden.

I am looking forward to hearing from you. I prayed this morning on what to do about all of this and the Lord told me to "sharpen the two-edged sword." He then showed me the stone with which we were to sharpen it with. He also said, "It will take great patience and skill to sharpen this sword in the way it must be sharpened". He then showed me the strokes used to sharpen the sword were the opposite strokes most men use to sharpen their swords. May the Lord grant His spirit of revelation to us.

Dear ones, only love will be able to keep us on the right track in the days of the coming chaos. May we cry out night and day for "The baptism of His love".

Sunday, December 2, 2012

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