“I have come to seek and save the lost” – Jesus, Matthew 18:11

This is a message from Pastor Chris Voorhees, Congregational Life Pastor at Covenant Naples Church, Naples, Florida.   The event pastor Voorhees is describing is centuries old.  It has been recounted multiple millions of times from hundreds of thousands of pulpits.  But, the insights given by God to Chris on this day, defy his age and training.  Simply put, Chris has peered behind the veil and brought us some really great news:

JESUS CAME TO GET HIS KIDS BACK, including those “kids” of His who don’t recognize Him and who now reject Him.  (Pastor, Chris Voorhees)

When you encounter Jesus, He not only gives you The Good News, He prepares you to embrace that Good News.  He doesn’t just leave you ‘feeling good about yourself’, He points out the sin in your life cleans up the mess.  You are getting a NEW START.  The old you will have passed away and the New You will walk in a New Life!

I cannot shake the idea that Jesus came to get His kids back.  That thought is changing the way I look at every single person I encounter, now.

Christianity, is not about a religion or a philosophy or a church building program – We are joining Jesus is getting His kids back.  He found you and got you back, and He found me and got me back, now let’s join Him and bring the rest of them back Home to Him!

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

This video is funny.  There are some things we should JUST STOP!  But, it ceases being funny when, try as we might, we cannot break a bad habit, change our mindset, shake a phobia or escape an addiction.

Do you know what else is NOT funny?   Religion.   Religion is not funny, especially, when referring to Christianity.

WHAT IS RELIGION?

The definition of religion is controversial and complicated, and even religious scholars can’t agree on any one definition.  Oxford Dictionaries defines religion as “the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods.”  (Ugh!)

The MacMillan Encyclopedia of Religions states:

The very attempt to define religion, to find some distinctive or possibly unique essence or set of qualities that distinguish the religious from the remainder of human life, is primarily a Western concern. The attempt is a natural consequence of the Western speculative, intellectualistic, and scientific disposition. It is also the product of the dominant Western religious mode, what is called the Judeo-Christian climate or, more accurately, the theistic inheritance from Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The theistic form of belief in this tradition, even when downgraded culturally, is formative of the dichotomous Western view of religion. That is, the basic structure of theism is essentially a distinction between a transcendent deity and all else, between the creator and his creation, between God and man.

The anthropologist Clifford Geertz defined religion as a

A system of symbols which acts to establish powerful, pervasive, and long-lasting moods and motivations in men by formulating conceptions of a general order of existence and clothing these conceptions with such an aura of factuality that the moods and motivations seem uniquely realistic.”

The theologian Antoine Vergote took the term supernatural simply to mean

whatever transcends the powers of nature or human agency. He also emphasized the cultural reality of religion, which he defined as the entirety of the linguistic expressions, emotions and, actions and signs that refer to a supernatural being or supernatural beings.

 Wikipedia says Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion

based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world’s largest religion, with about 2.4 billion followers. (Better, but, is this really no better than the other descriptions.)

3 REASONS

I would offer three main reasons why (I say) it is not funny to call Christianity a “religion”:

 Confusing– The term “religion” or “religious” is confusing and does not address the person, mission and work of Jesus.  Jesus railed against religion and religious men and women during His earthly ministry.  The Apostle James describes “pure and undefiled religion as to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.”

Rules– Religion or religious carries the idea of (a) keeping a set of rules just for the sake of the rules themselves, (b) performing certain rituals for the just sake of the ritual or as a type of magic, and (c) pleasing your ‘leadership’, a system of religious dogma or pleasing people instead of pleasing God, alone.

Demeaning – The terms religion and religious are demeaning.  (a) Religion elevates a select few men or women as superior to their adherents, and relegates the rest to lower castes. (b) Religion elevates the ‘elite’ of certain men and women to a status that distracts from God, alone.

True Christianity, on the other hand, requires every man, woman and child to become a servant of Jesus Christ.

Jesus describes Himself as a Servant.  Jesus says, in Matthew 20:25,  “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles domineer over them, and those in high position exercise authority over them. 26 It is not this way among you, but whoever wants to become prominent among you shall be your servant, 27 and whoever desires to be first among you shall be your slave; 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”

We, as Christians, are cautioned in Philippians 2:5, to “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, as He already existed in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself by taking the form of a bond-servant and being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death: death on a cross. “

So, if you are thinking of Christianity as a religion, and inadvertently think being a Christian will make you something special in the world, or are treating it as such, then beware, because that mindset will keep you (or is keeping you) from entering His Kingdom.  So, please just STOP IT!  JUST STOP IT!  We, as Christians, are called to serve.  This is the key to the Kingdom.

CHRISTIAN – “A FOLLOWER OF CHRIST”

Let’s simplify.  The name Christian was first used in Antioch, Syria, in reference to a group of people who were followers of Jesus Christ.  You can find this reference in the book of Acts 11:26 “and when Barnabas had found Paul, he brought him to Antioch.  And for an entire year they met with the church and taught considerable numbers of people; and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.

The Greek word Χριστιανός (Christianos), meaning “follower of Christ“, comes from Χριστός (Christos), meaning “anointed one”, with an adjectival ending borrowed from Latin to denote adhering to, or even belonging to, as in slave ownership.

If you are practicing “a religion” or practicing a religious activity called “just going to church” and you have been expecting to fully encounter God, you will be disappointed.

Religion will not bring you to the Living God because religion (a) does not address the Person. Mission or work of Jesus.  (b) Religion is little more than a set of rules to be kept and rituals to be performed.  (c) It is demeaning and religion almost always (d) elevates a ruling class over the rightful “priesthood of believers in Christ”.

JESUS IS THE DOOR 

Jesus did not come to establish a religion.  He came to seek and save the lost. He came to show us the way to The Kingdom of God.  Furthermore, He came to show us the way to live abundantly, now in this life, and to live eternally with Him in His Father’s House.

Jesus is not of this world.  He “other worldly”.  And, you cannot find “THE DOOR” and escape this world of limitation and death with a worldly mindset. You and I must change our mindset.  We must be transformed.

I realize this will sound weird to some, but, we are talking about an actual realm of God.  Jesus and the Bible tell us that there is a Kingdom of God, and it is near to us and within us.  And you find this Kingdom when you ‘repent’ and seek and surrender to Jesus and follow Him.

John, chapter 1, uses the name of Jesus and the Word (The Spoken and Written Word of God, the Bible) interchangeably.  Jesus and His Words are the portal into the supernatural realm of God, the Kingdom of God.

You won’t find Jesus in any religion.  You won’t find Jesus because of membership in a church organization or because you attend meetings in a ‘church building’.

You will find Him by God’s Grace and through your faith in that He does exist.  You must believe that God exists in order to come to Him.  Then He will prove to be One who rewards those who seek Him.  The person who comes to God must believe that He exists, and you will see that He will prove to be The One who rewards those who seek Him.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

The Bible is both complex and simple, practical while seeming impractical, and gives us insights to what it means to be a disciple of Jesus, that is, to be a Christian and to enter into and to live with Him, in His Kingdom.

Here are three short and helpful videos (3 minutes +/-):

Or

Or

 

“BEYOND OFF THE GRID” is a full-length documentary film that explores why we should strive to reduce our dependence on the modern economy and control grid, and how this can be accomplished. The modern consumer economy and associated way of living, with all its conveniences and comforts, is not resilient or resistant to calamity. In fact, it often distracts from true spiritual blessings. Let’s take this time to learn and grow.  NOTE:  “Beyond Off the Grid” is not affiliated with this website, Whitestone2020.com

(For more information on this documentary or to order a copy go to this link:  Beyond Off the Grid)

THE UNRAVELING

He spied a loose thread on his sweater.  It was nothing, really.  Just a small errant string.  But, for some reason, this thread had caught and captured his attention and he couldn’t get it out of his mind.  As hard as he tried to ignore it, he couldn’t, so, he carefully pinched the thread between this finger and thumb and gently pulled.  The thread lengthened.  Now, it was obvious that this was not just a loose thread.  It was connected.  So he stopped pulling and decided to pinch the thread off to stop the unraveling. Holding the unraveling end in the grip of his other hand and fingers, he jerked on the loose end, hoping to snap it off, and to his horror a long strand of thread unraveled and the weave of the sweater separated!  The unraveling had begun!

This story is a metaphor for a human tendency to be lured by or captivated by a mysterious or troubling occurrence or an event.  We investigate further, following a thread with loose ends, sometimes finding that we are  unraveling a mystery so bizarre that as to be unbelievable.  But, the lure is strong, leading to a trap, of sorts.  In this case, we discover that the very fabric of our world is coming apart.  Uninformed and unprepared we find ourselves lost in a maze.  Like a “Chinese handcuff”, the more we struggle, the tighter its grip.

This leads us to a mystery being unraveled in our world, today.  It concerns prophecy from the Bible, politics, multinational corporations, international banks, all predicting or advocating for a New Word Order, promoting and working to impose a Global Governance.  It is really not “new”.  It’s been in the works for decades – centuries, actually – but, this most recent variant is especially virulent.  It has been called by various names, such as Democratic Socialism, the New Communism, Globalization, One World Government.  Most recently it has been propelled forward by a giant leap thanks to the Covid-19 “pandemic”.  But, I am getting ahead of myself.

Following this thread of Globalism from its embryonic stage through its growth and evolution to its current form is an enormous task through a gargantuan maze.  And, in this age of instant gratification fed with sound bites and three word slogans, most would never read the insufferable volumes of print necessary to track the growth of this Religious Humanism.

(Nevertheless, here are a few websites on the matter.  I am referencing them at the bottom of this page, just so I can say I did.)

FALSE FLAGS, DISTRACTIONS, DIVERSIONS

A FALSE FLAG is an act disguised to seem perpetrated by one group rather
than the one which committed the act.  For example, a “false flag operation”
could be a terrorist act committed by one group for the express purpose of
blaming and discrediting another group. 

Loss of Freedoms, Social Justice, National Unity, Destruction of Democracy
and Abuse of Human Rights, Socialism, Wars, The Environment,
Disarmament, Gun Control, Abortion, Homosexual rights, Transgenderism,
Open Borders and more, are all examples of FALSE FLAGS, DISTRACTIONS
and DIVERSIONS.

While these are real matter, in truth, they are just ‘brush fires’ which distract
us from the root cause of a spreading evil.  These ‘brush fires’, as I will call
them, are skirmishes within a Global conflict, which have succeeded in
deflecting our attention from the real culprit, the author and father of
Globalism.  And because we are distracted and at odds over how to deal with
these ‘brush fire distractions’ the real Culprit goes unnoticed and unhampered.

THE REAL CULPRIT

Some would say that the real culprit or force behind the movement for a One
World Community to be run by a One World Government would be the
“ILLUMINATI”.  One website claiming that name, “ILLUMINATI”, says they are
“an elite organization of world leaders, business authorities, innovators,
artists, and other influential members of this planet.  They are a coalition
uniting ‘influencers’ of all political, religious, and geographical backgrounds
to further the prosperity of the human species as a whole.”  (from the official website for The Illuninati)

Some say the real culprit is an International banking cabal.

Others say the real driving force, or culprit, is the United Nations or Agenda-21.

All of these and more, may be part of the One World Movement, but, they are FALSE FLAGS, DISTRACTIONS and DIVERSIONS.  They are just some of the  myriad tentacles of the Real Culprit.

Collating empirical evidence from historical records, researching various nation’s government and historical documents, reviewing related international corporate goals through the lens of Bible Prophecy, you find a common thread.  And, if you will pull that thread, the entire matter will begin to unravel, revealing the real culprit, which, incidentally, is the image of the Head of a Snake.

The agenda driving movement to Globalization or One World Government is not stuff of just any book. It is stuff of THE BIBLE.

A foreshadowing of this event can be found in Genesis 11. The Tower of Babel (Hebrew: מִגְדַּל בָּבֶל‎, Migdal Bāḇēl) as told in Genesis 11:1-9.

According to this account, a united humanity in the generations following the Great Flood, speaking a single language and migrating eastward, comes to the land of Shinar (שִׁנְעָר). There they agree to build a city and a tower tall enough to reach heaven.

(NOTE: “tall enough to reach to heaven” a metaphor for “man reaching to heaven, making himself god, to accomplish his own desires. This is the Socialist and Communist manifestos of the State being your god – from cradle to grave)

Read more at “Globalism and The Tower of Babel and what they have in common”

The Enemy is fighting this battle using techniques of deception and distraction while he advances his cause right under our noses.  We have the means to wage this war, but, it seems we have begun to lose our will.  We have been compromised by the deceit of wealth, comfort and pride.  (Revelation 3:17, Proverbs 11:4).

We may have seared our consciences with the hot iron of sin, from which there is no return, and judgment awaits.

HOPE & A CALLING

There is still hope, although without action, hope will be lost.  We must act, now.

1. We must repent as a remnant of God’s people

2. We must draw near to the LORD God, (Jehovah).

3. We must resist the Devil

These are not philosophical or religious platitudes.  They are realities. We can only accomplish these things by a supreme act of surrender – surrendering our will – and exercising belief and faith in God.

We can look to the Book of Matthew, chapters 3 through 5 for direction and for our instructions.

Here is what it means to repent, draw near to God and resist the Devil:

WE must allow God to make us “poor in spirit”

WE must allow God to make us “those who mourn”

WE must allow God to make us “those who hunger and thirst for righteousness”

WE must allow God to make us “merciful”

WE must allow God to make us “pure in heart”

WE must allow God to make us “peacemakers”

WE must allow God to make us “those who are persecuted for righteousness”

WE must allow God to make us “reviled and persecuted”

WE must allow God to make us to “rejoice and be glad”

We must allow god to make us “rejoice and be glad”

WE must allow God to make us “light of the world”

WE must allow God to make us “strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might”

WE must allow God to make us “to stand against the schemes of the devil”

WE must allow God to make us “wrestle against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”

WE must allow God to make us able to “have divine power to destroy strongholds”

WE must allow God to make us able to “destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God”

WE must allow God to make us able to “take every thought captive to obey Christ”

WE must allow God to make us “ready to punish every disobedience”

WE must allow God to make us “His remnant”

WE must allow God to cause us to “draw near to Him”

WE must allow God to make “the devil flee from us”

WE must allow God to make us to make us “a drink offering, poured out for Him”

SERMON ON THE MOUNT

We are well into the LAST DAYS approaching the breaking of the 6th Seal of the Tribulation.  We have been warned and instructed.  It is time to take up our position and complete His Mission.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

OFF GRID?

SERMON ON THE MOUNT

 

WEBSITES REGARDING ONE WORLD GOVERNMENT & GLOBALISM

Whitestone Fellowship  Website/Blog site:

• The New World Order
• Globalism and the Tower of Babel

World Economic Forum:

Socialists International: Socialist international declaration of principles/

Nikolai Bukharin and Yevgeni Preobrazhensky, The ABC of Communism:

Marxists Archive and Bukharin works from 1920

From a Catholic perspective:

• The Vatican Francesco encyclicals & documents, enciclica fratelli tutti
• Mark Mallett blog & daily journal
• Mark Mallett on Pope Francis and the great reset

Ancillary:

Things the liberal media wont tell you about black lives matter

 

 

A PICTURE OF SALVATION – THE PROCESS OF SANCTIFICATION

SALVATION & the process of SANCTIFICATION is the process you experience when you fully surrender your life to God, His Purposes and Ways.  God will, through the work of the Holy Spirit and through circumstances, strip away your old life and make you into a new creation.  New in your mind, body and spirit.

Most of us may work hard to avoid this most difficult, painful and bewildering process.  But, actually, it is the amazing, supernatural work of God transforming us into His Own, children of Light.  It is the supernatural work of SANCTIFICATION by God.

SERMON ON THE MOUNT – Matthew 5

(The process and picture of Sanctification.)

This commentary of ‘The Sermon on the Mount” is concise yet mysterious.  It is hard to understand with the mind.  In fact, it is impossible to understand with the natural mind, but difficult even by the faculty of the mind of a Believer.  It must be experienced to be understood.  Through it, you become anb Heir of the Kingdom of God.

Matthew 5:1  “When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him.

Verse 2.  “He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying,

Verse 3. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Verse 4.  “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

Verse 5.  “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.

Verse 6.  “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

Verse 7.  “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

Verse 8.  “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Verse 9.  “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

Verse 10.  “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Verse 11.  “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.

Verse 12.  “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Verse 13. “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.

Verse 14.  “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden;

Verse 15.  nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.

Verse 16.  “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

Here is the interpretation of these verses and their meanings.  Please read:

POOR IN SPIRIT

Verse 3.   “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

This “Sermon on the Mount” starts by telling us that we are Blessed, when we are poor in spirit.  We all have heard that this means we are “spiritually bankrupt”.

Yes, I suppose this can be one very basic and rudimentary meaning.

Being “Poor in Spirit” however, means so much more:

Verse 3:  “Poor in spirit” (from the Greek:  ptochos), literally means to be reduced to beggary, begging, asking alms; destitute of wealth, influence, position, honor; lowly, afflicted, destitute of the Christian virtues and eternal riches; helpless, powerless to accomplish an end; poor, needy, lacking in anything as respects their spirit; destitute of wealth of learning and intellectual culture which the schools afford (men of this class most readily give themselves up to Christ’s teaching and proved themselves fitted to lay hold of the heavenly treasure). This comes from a root and alternate meaning “to be terrified”, “as a decaying corpse”.

It should cause us to wonder how could we possibly be considered “Blessed” if we are truly “poor in spirit”.

These verses go on to tell us we are “Blessed” if we are “mourning” loss, “hungering and thirsting”, or being “persecuted for the sake of righteousness”.  How can this be?

“Poor in spirit” is, more literally, to be crushed in your spirit; to be pinched by toil, hopelessness and extreme poverty; A beggar with no hope of rescue on the verge of death and perishing.

It is when life deals you crushing blows, which seem to be your end with no way of escape that this marvelous work of salvation, redemption and sanctification can begin; and not before.

We hear it said “you must come to the end of yourself to enter the Kingdom of God” which is true enough, but none of us have the will power to bring ourselves to such a desperate state.  It is God, alone, who will allow or bring crushing circumstances to bear on our lives which will cause us to turn to God for help.  And only God can save us from such desperate circumstances, redeem us to a state of wholeness, health and safety which is His Sanctification (holiness) of our lives.

Please read the following verses and take note of the process.  Here, the Bible explain to us, ahead of time, what we must endure (yes, endure) in order to “inherit the Kingdom of God”.

THOSE WHO MOURN

Verse 4:  “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

“Mourning”.  An understandable response upon finding yourself severely pinched by poverty, reduced to begging; destitute with no influence, no position; lowly, afflicted and helpless; powerless to change your circumstances for the better; lacking in anything and terrified.

Think with me.  Have you ever endured an especially difficult time?  Perhaps, as a child, you were punished for bad behavior?  Besides receiving a scolding you may have been spanked or had privileges taken from you?  Or perhaps you endured a time of suffering and loss?  “Mourning” was the natural response.  What did you experience next?

GENTLE IN SPIRIT

Verse 5.  “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.

Do you remember after enduring a time of suffering or loss and “mourning” your loss, having a good cry, you how your emotions or spirit was quieted for a time?  You may have now had time to reflect on what has happened and you lapse into a time of quiet, gentle appearing reflection.

HUNGER AND THRIST

Verse 6.  “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

Do you remember coming through a difficult time, having a good cry, either mentally or actually shedding tears and then the ‘calm the followed the storm’ in your soul?  Do you also remember that, for some reason, with the storm of your life behind you, you were actually hungry?

It is the same in our spirit.  It is usually at this point that we begin to make life-decisions.  We either getting angry and defiant or we decide to do better and to “be better”.

For those being redeemed by the mercies of God, the process is to ‘hunger and thirst for right thinking and right living’:  which is the very definition of Righteousness.

It is through this process that we gain new insights and understanding.  How apt are scriptures to remind us in the next verse that

MERCIFUL

Verse 7.  “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

The word ‘mercy’ in this verse literally means “kindness or good will towards the miserable and the afflicted, joined with a desire to help them; of men towards men: to exercise the virtue of mercy, show one’s self merciful

We are indeed being “Sanctified”:  Being made holy and set apart for God’s use.

PURE IN HEART

Verse 8.  “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Our attitudes are changing.  Showing mercy is a sign that our hearts are changing and become pure in the sight of God.  We are being transformed in what we see and in how we see.  We are beginning to see matters as God sees them.

PEACEMAKER

Verse 9.  “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

A peace will begin to settle over the heart and mind of the redeemed and sanctified Believer.  We, not only begin to experience ‘a peace that passes understanding’ from our deepening relationship with God, but we begin to demonstrate and practice that peace of God which earns us the title “sons (and daughters) of God”.  We are being made into His image.

PERSECUTED FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS

Verse 10.  “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

The bible tells us, it is at this time, we inherit and possess the Kingdom of Heaven with all the rights, responsibilties and authority of a son of God, a joint heir with Jesus.

This statement is staggering, even for the fully devoted and fully surrendered follower of Jesus.  And, it is too rich and too profound for the “casual Christian” or “casual Believer” to begin to understand.

The phrase “Kingdom of Heaven” means this:

Kingdom:  (basileia from the Greek). The notion of a foundation of power; royal power, kingship, dominion, rule, not to be confused with an actual kingdom but rather the right or authority to rule over a kingdom; Of the royal power of Jesus as the triumphant Messiah; of the royal power and dignity conferred on Christians in the Messiah’s kingdom

(Note:  This comes from a root word baino,  “to walk”.  the sole of the foot; a stepping, walking

This reminds us of the tremendous proclamation in Joshua 1:3 “Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses.”

We are becoming and, in a real sense, we have already  become, heirs of the Kingdom of God, the place of the foundation of all power.

(Ephesians 1:4  But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,)

A place of royal power, kingship, dominion and rule, not to be confused with an actual kingdom but rather the right or authority to rule over a kingdom, God’s Kingdom.  It is of the royal power of Jesus as the triumphant Messiah.  It is the Place of the royal power and dignity conferred on Christians in the Messiah’s kingdom.  (From Strong’s concordance, definitions and translations of the Greek and Hebrew languages)

Here is what “Entire Sanctification” Looks Like:

LIGHT

Matthew 5:14  “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden;

Verse 15.  nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lamp stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.

Verse 16.  “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

These verses should leave the child of God breathless. In John 8:12  Jesus calls Himself, the Light of the World.  “Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”  

Again in John 9:5 “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”  Jesus is now calling you by that name!  Truly, in His Image.

The time of His Return is near and we are to take up our place, fullfil our calling and complete His Mission!

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

Should Christians Go OFF THE GRID?

Christians are told to be “in the world, but not part of the world” and to “Go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to follow all that Jesus commanded you”.

So, can a Christian be obedient to the great commission as given by Jesus and be in this world, yet remain unstained by the world?

The answer is YES.  Remember, as the breaking of the 6th Seal draws near, events will accelerate almost to a blur.  And, having been warned ahead of time, you must be able to adjust and adapt quickly, while staying faithful to our Calling and His Mission.

Please read and consider just two of many important warnings and instructions:

MADE READY – THE COMPLETION OF YOUR SANCTIFICATION

Daniel warns us of the coming Great and Terrible Day of the Lord and what we are to do in readiness and in response.  He also gives us confidence that the tribulations we endure are for God’s good purpose.

Daniel 12:1  “At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book.

2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. 3 And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. 4 But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”

5 Then I, Daniel, looked, and behold, two others stood, one on this bank of the stream and one on that bank of the stream. 6 And someone said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream, “How long shall it be till the end of these wonders?” 7 And I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream; he raised his right hand and his left hand toward heaven and swore by him who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and half a time, and that when the shattering of the power of the holy people comes to an end all these things would be finished. 8 I heard, but I did not understand. Then I said, “O my lord, what shall be the outcome of these things?” 9 He said, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end.

10 Many shall purify themselves and make themselves white and be refined, but the wicked shall act wickedly. And none of the wicked shall understand, but those who are wise shall understand.

(NOTE:  Purify, refined, is having been made ready = the entirety of you Sanctification)

11 And from the time that the regular burnt offering is taken away and the abomination that makes desolate is set up, there shall be 1,290 days. 12 Blessed is he who waits and arrives at the 1,335 days. 13 But go your way till the end. And you shall rest and shall stand in your allotted place at the end of the days.”

BEYOND GOING OFF THE GRID

Jesus warns and instructs us of the coming Great and Terrible Day of the Lord, by comparing the days of tribulation leading up to and including the destruction of the 2nd Temple with the coming days of the GREAT TRIBULATION.

Matthew 24:15  “So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, 18 and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. 19 And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! 20Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. 22 And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. 23 Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false “christs” and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand. 26 So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27 For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.   (For a broader understanding of these verses, read this Commentary by David Guzik, Enduring Word Ministries )

I am sounding the Shofar for those who will listen and take heed.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

Related recent posts:

SERMON ON THE MOUNT

UNRAVELING

Having Trouble…

 My wife likes to say, “To a hammer, everything is a nail”.  In other words, your perspective can determine, limit or cloud your perception and understanding.  So it is with the Bible.

A certain preacher of a small church I used to know, would explain his lack of understanding of the Bible by saying, “There are many interpretations of the Bible”.  You see, because he didn’t understand the Bible, he incorrectly assumed it was the same for everyone (ignorance is his “hammer”).

His excuse or explanation for his ignorance was “there are many interpretations” and who can know?  So, his understanding or lack therof is as good as anyone’s understanding.  In other words, just do what seems right to you.  (This is his “nail”, which he would bang at it with is “hammer of ignorance”).

While it is true that no one (except God) understands all the mystery’s of God, we can know and understand some things about God and His Word.  But, it still requires the correct perspective to get the right understanding.

The Christian Church today, for example, is very little like the Christian Church of the Apostles, primarily because our perspectives have changed.  Some will say that we are more enlightened now or that technologies have changed or that the times are different now.  THESE ARE HAMMERS!

The Bible says, God and His Word never change.

Let me cite an example of HOW and WHY our perspectives and understanding of Church and the Bible has changed.

Church buildings did not appear until about the year 300 AD.  For more than two centuries, Christians worshiped in small groups.  (See “Pagan Christianity” by Frank Viola and George Barna)

People began using church buildings around 300 AD because Emperor Constantine built one for convenience, organization, and control.  He built it because he became a Christian, so the story goes.  But, as an Emperor, he also built it as a public display and a monument and constructed it to maintain order, show grandeur and to intimidate the audience by these things

“In time, the church as an organized religion began the construction of sacred buildings with special physical (pulpit, pews, balconies) and cultural trappings (special priests, choirs, incense).

“Aside from the unchristian origins of these developments, there was the onset of the high cost of such religious overhead. It is estimated the value of church real estate as over $230 billion (that was before the financial crisis of 2008). Mortgages and maintenance requires a substantial portion of the $50 to $60 billion churches garner from tithes and offerings.

What makes the traditional Sunday morning worship sequence interesting is the origins of the familiar service outline.  Aside from the pagan origins, they note the missed opportunity for spiritual transformation that could occur in a more active and participative format.

The next pillar to fall is the holy sermon, which has its roots in Greek oratory. They note the limited examples of speeches in the Old Testament and New Testament before suggesting how the contemporary sermon hinders growth.  They also point to research on the ineffectiveness of sermons.

Where did the pastor come from?”.  Not surprisingly, the notion of a professional clergy caste does not come from scripture. The authors advocate the priesthood of all believers and demonstrate the problems inherent in a pastor-driven church. Not only do pastors and their families suffer from the stress created by the contemporary position but talented believers also suffer from inhibited spiritual growth.

But, the greatest damage inflicted by this HAMMER approach, is what it has done to the average Christian’s understanding of the Gospel and how to apply it to their own lives.  This new-found ignorance has created an expanding catastrophic failure within the Church.

 Here is an example:

 “WOMEN, SUBJECT YOURSELVES TO YOUR HUSBANDS – In Everything”

Now, be honest.  It’s just you and me here.  Well, actually, it’s just you.  But, tell me, does the title of this article get under your skin just a little, especially  if you are a woman and/or a wife?

And, does this title make you a little nervous if you are a man and/or a husband?

If you are irritated or skittish, the devil is smiling – and because I said the ‘devil is smiling’, you might even be a little bit more annoyed or a little bit more nervous, right?

Your perspective is determining your understanding.  It is the HAMMER and NAIL idom!

This title and what it represents is a big issue in marriages and relationships today. and, it is grossly misunderstood.  As the result, many marriages are struggling or falling apart.  And, many households with both parents are under constant emotional strain and single parent households are under even greater stress.

(This article is meant to give the reader a Biblical view of the stresses on the nuclear family and how to counter those stresses. https://whitestone2020.com/wives-submit-its-not-what-you-think/

If you want a detailed secular study of the causes and cures. you will have to go elsewhere.  This will be an unfiltered Biblical view.  Either way, the causes are complex and varied – and destructive. https://whitestone2020.com/wives-submit-its-not-what-you-think/)

IT’S UP TO YOU

It’s up to you to read, study, pray and apply the Biblical principals presented in this article.  But, properly done, the results can be like magic – no, scrub that: the results  are far more than magic – they are miraculous.

This whole mess of subverting God’s design for the family started early in creation.   TO WIT:

THE RULE:

Genesis 2:16  “The LORD God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for on the day that you eat from it you will certainly die.”

 THE HAMMER:

1Now the serpent was more cunning than any animal of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God really<mh637, 3588=””> said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” 2The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; 3but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’” 4The serpent said to the woman, “You certainly will not die! 5For God knows that on the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will [a]become like God, knowing good and evil.”

 THE REBELLION (THE NAIL):

Genesis 3:6  “When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took some of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband with her, and he ate

THE RESULTS:

Genesis 3:16  “To the woman God said, “I will greatly multiply Your pain in childbirth, In pain you shall deliver children; Yet your desire will be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.”

17 “Then to Adam He said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat from it’; Cursed is the ground because of you; With hard labor you shall eat from it All the days of your life. 18 “Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; Yet you shall eat the plants of the field; 19 By the sweat of your face You shall eat bread, until you return to the ground, Because from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return.”

23 “therefore the LORD God sent him out of the Garden of Eden, to cultivate the ground from which he was taken. 24 So He drove the man out; and at the east of the Garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life.”

You can spin this any way you want, but, the truth is (1) Eve listened to Satan and disobeyed God and suffered the curse of sin (2) Adam listened to Eve’s bad advice, and disobeyed God and suffered the curse of sin, (3) All of humankind suffers the curse of sin which is death, disease, poverty, wars and a plethora of evil because they defied God and followed this Satanic pattern for their lives.

THE REMEDY

GOD’S PATTERN FOR MARRIAGE (Relationships)

Genesis 2:15  “Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to cultivate it and tend it. 16 The LORD God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for on the day that you eat from it you will certainly die.”

18 “Then the LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.” 19 And out of the ground the LORD God formed every animal of the field and every bird of the sky, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name. 20 The man gave names to all the livestock, and to the birds of the sky, and to every animal of the field, but for Adam there was not found a helper suitable for him. 21 So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. 22 And the LORD God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man. 23 Then the man said, “At last this is bone of my bones, And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called ‘woman,’ Because she was taken out of man.” 24 For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh. 25 And the man and his wife were both naked, but they were not ashamed.”

Over the many centuries man has defined and redefined relationships and particularly the relationship of marriage and family.  But, it was the Israelite Jew who, in an attempt to defined marriage according to God’s laws, defined marriage as a covenant relationship.  The most recent description can be found in

THE RULE RESTATED

Ephesians 5:22 “Wives, subject yourselves to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. 24 But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.”

Ephesians 5:25  “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26 o that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. 28 So husbands also ought to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; 29for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, 30because we are parts of His body. 31 FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND HIS MOTHER AND BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH. 32 This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless, as for you individually, each husband is to love his own wife the same as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband.

Ephesians 6:1  “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER (which is the first commandment with a promise), 3 SO THAT IT MAY TURN OUT WELL FOR YOU, AND THAT YOU MAY LIVE LONG ON THE EARTH. 4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”

There have been mountains of books written on these matters, most so confusing and convoluted, that they sit on shelves gathering the dust of neglect.  And, this article may be headed for the same dustbin, unless you read it and follow these same simple instructions AND RECEIVE THIS MIRACLE FROM GOD!

GOD’S HAMMER (God’s Perspective):

For us to get our perspective correct so our understanding and application is right, we must first accept and know that the Word of God is True.  It is His very Breath and His Mind for you on all matters concerning life.  It is the only True Wisdom known to creation.  It is supremely Prophetic, after all, It (He) “created the heavens and the earth and all thy contain”.  Once you abide in this Word and this Word abides in you It will manifest the truth to you and through you!

Second, accept and know that the Word of God is causative and creative.  Know and accept that the Word of God accomplishes the very matters it is sent to accomplish.

GOD’S NAIL

You must drive this “nail” home in your own mind, soul and spirit.  The results will be “the blood of the Lamb over your life and the word of your testimony” in your life.

I cannot adequately explain nor can I adequately emphasize the importance of getting this right.  Neither, can I adequately explain how to solve this puzzle. But, I do know that unless you try, you will not attain God’s provision.  And, I do know that “once I was blind, but now I see”.  My vision isn’t 20/20, but, but that is to be expected and it is okay, because “the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:  The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and w hat the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,”

If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. John 15:7

Believe it!  Do it!

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

Have you ever told a lie?  Do you still lie?  What can that possibly mean for you?

OUTLINE:

1. What is a lie / liar?
2. Distinctives and definitions of lies / liar
3. What the Bible says about lie and liars
4. Biblical definitions
5. Traits of a liar
6. The Indictment of a liar
7. The Sentence for lying
8. The penalty of lying
9. The Remedy for lying, being a liar
10. The Correction for repenting of lying
11. The Assurance of Forgiveness

 1.    WHAT IS A LIE / LIAR?

Leonard Saxe, Ph.D., a polygraph expert and professor of psychology at Brandeis University, says, “Lying has long been a part of everyday life. We couldn’t get through the day without being deceptive.” Yet until recently lying was almost entirely ignored by psychologists, leaving serious discussion of the topic in the hands of ethicists and theologians.  https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/articles/199705/the-truth-about-lying

Some of the seemingly nicest (and most convincing) people I have ever met turned out to be notorious liars.  They are nice, that is, until they are discovered or threatened with discovery.  Then, they can be as  mean as “the devil himself” –  literally.

They rarely show remorse of conscience when confronted with or caught in lies, unless it is false remorse to mask their previous lies.

To make it simple:  Liars lie.  And, liars will lie to the bitter end.  They will attempt to justify their every lie and most would rather die than admit their lies, because they cannot.  They simply cannot admit they are liars and deceivers.

“Good Liars” don’t even have to work at their art of deceit because “good liars” are pathological.  They are trapped in their own device, or put more accurately, trapped in the devil’s device of deception.  They are so completely deceived that they absolutely believe their lies to be the “justifiable truth”.

 2.    DISTINCTIONS* AND DEFINITIONS

*Pathological -We all tell white lies here and there, and sometimes for 
important reasons. But have you ever met a pathological liar? What makes a 
pathological liar different from any other liar? It's the term pathological, 
which means of or relating to pathology, in this case some sort of mentally 
disturbed condition.) 

*What Is Pathology? - Pathology can be defined in one of two ways. 
It's either the condition (the anatomical or functional manifestation) 
produced by a disease, or the scientific study of the origin, nature, and course 
of diseases.)

*Where does this word come from? Well, first there’s the prefix of ‘path/o,’ which means ‘disease’ or ‘suffering,’ and then there’s the suffix of ‘-logy,’ which means ‘the study thereof,’ like biology, geology, and so on.

  3.    THE BIBLE SPEAKS, THUS

James 3:14  But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, free of hypocrisy. 18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

 4.    DEFINED From Strong’s BIBLE Concordance pseustés:  LIAR.

Original Word: ψεύστης, ου, ὁ
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: pseustés from the same as NG5574
Phonetic Spelling: (psyoos-tace’)
Definition: liar
Usage: a liar, deceiver.

Cognate: 5583 pseústēs (from 5574 /pseúdomai, “to falsify, lie”) – properly, a lair; a person who falsifies, misrepresents (distorts, misleads).

pseudomai: to lie

Original Word: ψεύδομαι
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: pseudomai
Phonetic Spelling: (psyoo’-dom-ahee)
Definition: to lie
Usage: deceive, lie, speak falsely.

5574 pseúdomai (from pseudō, “to falsify, lie”) – properly, lie (falsify), willfully misrepresent (mislead).

Lies come from a person who is full of bitter jealousy, selfish ambition, arrogant, deceitful, natural-minded, demonic, disordered (in their beliefs, thinking), evil (intent)

  5.    TRAITS OF A LIAR

LIE – bitter jealousy

LIE – selfish ambition

LIE – arrogant

LIE – deceitful

LIE – natural-minded (vs Spiritual minded)

LIE – demonic

LIE – disordered (thinking – not to be confused with disorderly)

LIE – evil (intentions)

Sadly and tragically, a person who lies continually and over a long period of time, sears their conscience and can no longer see themselves as liars – they just cannot – the sin has become pathological, therefore, they have no conscience or remorse about the evil and harm they perpetuate and inflict on others.

 6.    THE INDICTMENT

John 8:44  “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 But because I say the truth, you do not believe Me. 46 Which one of you convicts Me of sin? If I speak truth, why do you not believe Me? 47 The one who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God.”

 7.    THE SENTENCE

Romans 3:4  Far from it! Rather, God must prove to be true, though every person be found a liar, as it is written:

“SO THAT YOU ARE JUSTIFIED IN YOUR WORDS,

AND PREVAIL WHEN YOU ARE JUDGED.” 5 But if our unrighteousness  demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? The God who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is He? (I am speaking from a human viewpoint.) 6 Far from it! For otherwise, how will God judge the world? 7But if through my lie the truth of God abounded to His glory, why am I also still being judged as a sinner? 8 And why not say (just as we are slanderous as reported and as some claim that we say), “Let’s do evil that good may come of it”?  Their condemnation is deserved.

9 What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin; 10 as it is written:

“THERE IS NO RIGHTEOUS PERSON, NOT EVEN ONE;

11 THERE IS NO ONE WHO UNDERSTANDS,

THERE IS NO ONE WHO SEEKS OUT GOD;

12 THEY HAVE ALL TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME CORRUPT;

THERE IS NO ONE WHO DOES GOOD,

THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE.”

13 “THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN GRAVE,

WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY KEEP DECEIVING,”

“THE VENOM OF ASPS IS UNDER THEIR LIPS”;

14 “THEIR MOUTH IS FULL OF CURSING AND BITTERNESS”;

15 “THEIR FEET ARE SWIFT TO SHED BLOOD,

16DESTRUCTION AND MISERY ARE IN THEIR PATHS,

17AND THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN THE WAY OF PEACE.”

18 “THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES.”

 8.    THE PENALTY

Acts 5:1  “But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, 2and kept back some of the proceeds for himself, with his wife’s full knowledge, and bringing a portion of it, he laid it at the apostles’ feet. 3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the proceeds of the land? 4 While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men, but to God.” 5 And as he heard these words, Ananias collapsed and died; and great fear came over all who heard about it. 6 The young men got up and covered him up, and after carrying him out, they buried him.

 9.    THE REMEDY AND HOPE

1 John 1:5  “This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; 7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.

9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.

 10.   THE CORRECTION

Colossians 3:9 Do not lie to one another, since you stripped off the old self with its evil practices,

 11.   THE ASSURANCE – NO CONDEMNATION

Romans 8:1  “Therefore there is now no condemnation at all for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. 3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who are in accord with the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are in accord with the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, 7 because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, 8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

9 “However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. 10 If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

12 So then, brothers and sisters, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— 13 for if you are living in accord with the flesh, you are going to die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons and daughters of God. 15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons and daughters by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.”

“THE LETTER OF THE LAW KILLS, BUT THE SPIRIT GIVES LIFE”

It is written, in Matthew 3:4  “Such is the confidence we have toward God through Christ. 5 Not that we are adequate in ourselves so as to consider anything as having come from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, 6 who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter of the law but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

PS:

It is not the lying or the ‘not lying’ which will save your or condemn you.  It is a much deeper issue.  It is an issue of which is carried deep within your heart.  It is an issue of rebelliousness against God and an absence of faith.

Jeremiah 17:9-11 says, “The heart is more deceitful than all else, and is desperately sick; who can understand it?  The Lord searches the heart and tests the mind in order to give to each person according to his ways, that is, according to the results of his deeds.”

Galatians 5:19-21 tells us that people who practice “deeds of the flesh”, such as lying and things like that, will not inherit the Kingdom of Heaven.  This is the issue.  JESUS is the cure!

BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS.  CONFESS YOU SINS; REPENT FROM THEM; CONFESS HIS NAME AND TRUST HIM.

He heals all your physcial, psychological, moral and spiritual diseases.

Matthew 4:23 “Jesus was going about in all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease (nósos = physical diseases) and every sickness (malakia = softness, weakness, illness = from = malakos: soft, effeminate, of a catamite, a male who submits his body to unnatural lewdness, moral sickness) among the people.

JESUS MISSION & MINISTRY TO HIS CHURCH

His Mission is our mission

Hebrews 13:8  “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, and forever.”  And, He commands us to have this same mind and attitudes in our practices and faith.

Likewise, Jesus’ MISSION is the same today as when He began.  It has not changed.

Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the Savior of the world.  His primary mission is all about Salvation.  Jesus, Himself, said, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.”  (John 3:16-19)

Our Mission

Jesus’ Misson gives us our mission:  To lift up the name of Jesus, and He will draw all men to Himself.  Our mission is to do His works because He has prepared those works ahead of time that we should walk in them. (John 12:32, Ephesians 2:10)

JESUS’ MINISTRY is our ministry

Jesus’ Church is alternately known as His followers, His disciples, Christians or The Church.  In other words, we – you and I – are His Church.

Jesus’ ministry to His Church – to you and me – is “Three Fold”*:

(1) To our physcial Body (soma),

(2) To our Soul (psuche) mind, will and emotions,

(3) to our Spirit, (pneuma) i.e., the entire person.

Here are just a few of many examples from the Bible:

(1)  1 Thessalonians 5:23 – And the very God of peace will sanctify you wholly; and I pray to God that your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

(2)  Hebrews 4:12 – For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and discerns the thoughts and intents of the heart.

(3)  Matthew 22:37 “And Jesus said to him, “‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’

(4)  Matthew 1:21 “She will give birth to a Son; and you shall name Him Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

The world “SAVE” = Strong’s Bible concordance #4982 sṓzō  (comes from sōs, “safe, rescued”) – sózó: to save

Original Word: σῴζω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: sózó
Phonetic Spelling: (sode’-zo)
Definition: to save
Usage: I save, heal, preserve, rescue.  Properly, deliver out of danger and into safety; heal, preserve, save (self), do well, be (make) whole.

Interestingly, this word has it roots from

(Renewing the) SPIRIT – God rescuing believers from the penalty and power of sin – and into His provisions (safety). cured, ensure salvation;

(Saving the) BODY – universally, save, one from injury or peril; to save a suffering one from perishing, e. g. one suffering from disease, to make well, heal, restore to health.  get well, made well, preserved, recover, restore, save. saved, saves, saving.

(Saving the) SOUL – make healthy in the mind, will and emotions.

1. PNEUMA = SPIRIT (The heart or the core of one’s being)
2. PSUCHE = SOUL (The mind, will and emotions)
3. SOMA = BODY (The physical and observable)

(*Jesus’ ministry to each person is three-fold.  Do not be confused by an invention known as the “five fold ministry”, which is actually a misnomer and is used inaccurately describe and to misapply the function of the Offices of Spiritual gifts;  (1) apostles, (2) prophets, (3) evangelists (4) pastors and (5) teachers, found in Ephesians 4:11 )

THE CHURCH

(1)  THE CHURCH – Ecclesia (Ekklesia) in Christian theology means both: (a) a particular body of faithful people, and (b) the whole body of the faithful.

THE CHURCH is YOU and ME.

“The hope of the church yet lies in the purity of her theology, that is, her beliefs about God and man and their relation to each other.” – A.W. Tozier

The hope of the church – YOU and ME – lies in the purity of OUR theology, that is, OUR beliefs about God and man and their relation to each other.

LET’S GET THIS RIGHT

• Ecclesia is not a building and our relationship to a building.
• Ecclesia is not a legal entity and our relationship to that entity.
• Ecclesia is not a owned our managed primarily by a man or woman and our relationship to any man or any woman.
• Ecclesia is not a 501(c)(3) government approved organization and our relationship is not with the government and its rules.

THE CHURCH is YOU and ME and is about our relationship with Him.

And we better get our thinking right about this, because the time of His Return is upon us – He is not coming for the Church Board, or the Denominational Headquarters, or the Church “leadership” – JESUS IS COMING FOR HIS BRIDE – THE CHURCH – YOU AND ME.

And He expects us to have this right because He is going to ask us.

“The hope of the church yet lies in the purity of our theology, that is, our beliefs about God and man and our relation to each other.”

John 13:35 “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

THE ROCK

(2)  Mathew 16:13  “Now when Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” Verse 14.  And they said,

• “Some say John the Baptist; and others,
• Elijah; and stillothers,
• Jeremiah,or
• one of the otherprophets.” Verse 15.  He *said to them, “But who do you yourselves say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the
• Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Verse 17.  And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. Verse 18.  And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. Verse 19.  I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”

It is important to understand the nuance of the language Jesus uses here.  He calls Peter by name, Pétros in the Greek language, which is an isolated rock or a stone as one would throw.  But, the ROCK upon which Jesus will build His Church is the word “pétra”, which is a huge mass of interconnected rock, a “solid or native rock, rising up through the earth”.

This is important because Jesus is telling you, and all of His followers, about your position, your ability, your responsibility and your authority in His Church:

• I will build My Church, you and others like you; and
• the gates of Hades will not overpower you and others like you.
• verse19. I will give you and others like you the keys of the kingdom of heaven;
  • and whatever you and others like youbind on earth shall have been bound in heaven,
  • and whatever youand others like you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”

Finally, Jesus says He will give you and others like you, that is, His Church, the keys to the kingdom of heaven.  We can pursue this as a metaphor, but, there are specific references to these KEYS in the scriptures.

The most significant is The Key of David is a term found in Revelation 3:7 and Isaiah 22:22.

A key indicates control or authority; therefore, having the Key of David would give one control of David’s domain, i.e., Jerusalem, the City of David, and the kingdom of Israel.

The fact that, in Revelation 3:7 Jesus holds this key shows that He is the fulfillment of the Davidic Covenant, the ruler of the New Jerusalem, and the Lord of the kingdom of heaven.

And, you, coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by people, which is choice and precious in the sight of God, you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For this is contained in Scripture:

“Behold, I am laying in Zion a choice stone, a precious cornerstone,
And the one who believes in Him will not be ]put to shame.”

This precious value, then, is for you who believe;   (1 Peter 2:4-7)

 You and I must take up our appointed positions.  We must shake of the lethargy of the 21st century postmodern religion we call ‘church’ and take the Gospel of Jesus to the streets, the byways, the hedges and towns, into our neighborhoods, and as scriptures tell us, BECOME THE LIVING STONES, A LIVING SACRIFICE.

I.    THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH

Go into the World and Make Disciples

Matthew 28:18  says,“And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Verse 19.  Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Verse 20. teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

II.  THE MINISTRY OF THE CHURCH

Equip the Saints, Build up the Body of Christ

Ephesians 4:1-13  tells us, “Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, being diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you also were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.

 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.  Therefore it says, “WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH, HE LED CAPTIVE THE CAPTIVES, AND HE GAVE GIFTS TO PEOPLE.”  (Now this expression, “He ascended,” what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things.)  And He gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.

We are saved by God’s grace through faith in Jesus and called to serve.  We are God’s church.

Here is a list of the Gifts which God gives His Body.  See if you can find which gift(s) is/are yours?  Can you imagine how different things would be in The Church and the world around us if we engaged and used these Gifts, daily?

Romans 12             1 Corinthians              Corinthians 12       Ephesians 4

Prophecy               Word of wisdom            Apostle                   Apostle
Serving                  Word of knowledge       Prophet                  Prophet
Teaching               Faith                                 Teacher                   Evangelist
Exhortation          Gifts of healing              Miracles                 Pastor
Giving                    Miracles                           Kinds of healing  Teacher
Overseer                Prophecy                         Helps
Mercy                    Distinguishing spirits  Administration
Tongues                Tongues
Interpretation of tongues

Sometimes, Spiritual Gifts are mistakenly considered to be a natural talent or a person’s proclivity, a natural inclination.  Natural talents can mimic Gifts of the Holy Spirit, but, they will never accomplish God’s purposes effectively.  Please remember, these are not natural talents.  These are supernatural Gifts of the Holy Spirit.  Here is a more detailed description and function of the Gifts.  https://whitestone2020.com/spiritual-gifts/

III.  “THE CYCLE OF DISCIPLESHIP”

(Click for Detail)

The pastor is not called to be the sole disciple-maker of the Body of Christ.  The Church, you and I, are the “called out ones”, the disciple-makers.

Pastor:   This term derives from a Greek word for “shepherd”.  Pastoral Gifts include integrity and compassion.

By way of examples, the tasks of a Near Eastern shepherd were to watch for enemies trying to attack the sheep to defend the sheep from attackers to heal the wounded and sick sheep to find and save lost or trapped sheep to love them, sharing their lives and so earning their trust. This is the role and task of a pastor.

​During World War II, a shepherd was a pilot who guided another pilot whose plane was partially disabled back to the base or carrier by flying alongside him to maintain visual contact. This, too, is the role of a pastor.

Jesus gave us the model for the Cycle of Discipleship:

1. CONFESS JESUS:  Romans 10:9  If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
2. FOLLOW JESUS:  Matthew 4:19  And He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
3. DO HIS WORKS:  Matthew 10:5  Jesus sent These twelve out after instructing them: 7“And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is athand.’8“Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give. 9“Do not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money belts, 10or a bag for your journey, or even two coats, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker is worthy of his support.
4. GO INTO THE WORLD:  Mark 16:15  And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. 16“He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned. 17“These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; 18they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
5. MAKE DISCIPLES:  Matthew 28:19  “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, evento the end of the age.”
6. BE ONE BODY:  1 Corinthians 12:25  “So that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. 27 Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it. 28 And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues.
7. LOVE ONE ANOTHER:  Ephesians 4:22  “Indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, 23 and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God Therefore, laying aside falsehood, SPEAK TRUTH EACH ONE of you WITH HIS NEIGHBOR, for we are members of one another. 26 BE ANGRY, AND yet DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and do not give the devil an opportunity. 28 He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need. 29 Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. 30 Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.”

We must return to the FOUNDATION, the CORNERSTONE of JESUS’ CHURCH.  Technology has changed, but the methods and ways of Jesus are eternal.  We must return to the model of Jesus for our Mission and our Ministry.  It will be an adventure with eternal benefits like you have never imagined!

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

Resources:

I Will Build My Curch

BE MY DISCIPLES – a guide

THE CHURCH

THE CHURCH: EKKLESIA

SPIRITUAL GIFTS

THE CYCLE OF DISCHIPLESHIP

THE WORKS OF JESUS