Devotional, Devotion, Prophecy, Bible Study, Bible discussion, End of Days, End Times, Enter Ministry, Underground Church, Church, Fellowship, Tribulation, Salvation, Ordained, Love, Heaven, Miracles
Author: Michael Young, Sr.
I am a practicing Christian, a disciple of Jesus, a husband of over 50 years, a father and a grandfather, a business man, a veteran and a friend to all who will have me.
I have served or am serving, at various times, as an Evangelist, a Pulpit fill pastor, an Associate Pastor of Evangelism and as Senior Pastor of a church plant. My passion is for practicing and teaching the Bible, building small groups, reaching the lost with the message of the Gospel of Jesus, recovering the straying Sheep of God and the gathering together the Called of God, in neighborhoods, business settings and in churches by equipping other Christians.
I have authored a few small books and I have a background in professional business management, finance and investments.
I am glad to meet you, even if it is virtually. Write me at any time and let's become friends.
Want to know ‘how much you know about what it means to ‘Be a Christian’? Take this short quiz and find out!
Why did Jesus come to earth?
What is Jesus’ mission?
What is Jesus’ ministry?
What is Jesus’ purpose?
What is Jesus’ method?
BONUS question: Why are you on earth?
(Answers below. Give yourself 25 points for each correct, or nearly correct answer and 10 points for the BONUS question.. Have fun. And, yes, you may ‘grade on a curve’.)
Why did Jesus come to earth?
For this purpose I have been born, and for this I have come into the world: totestifytothetruth. John 18:37
For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Luke 19:10
What is Jesus’ mission?
For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. John 6:38
Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Himwho sent Me, and to accomplish His work. John 4:34
1 Peter 2:15 “For such is the will of God, that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men.”
THE WILL OF GOD:
(1). Romans 12:2“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what thewillofGod is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”
(2). 1 Thessalonians 4:3“For this is thewillofGod, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality;”
(3). 1 Thessalonians 5:18“in everything give thanks; for this is God’swillfor you in Christ Jesus.”
What is Jesus’ ministry?
“From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matthew 4:17
“Jesus was going about in all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness among the people.” Matthew 4:23
(“Ministry” is from the Greek word diakoneo, meaning “to serve” or douleuo, meaning “to serve as a slave.” In the New Testament, ministry is seen as service to God and to other people in His name. Jesus provided the pattern for Christian ministry. He came to serve, not to be served. (see Matthew 20:28; Mark 10:45))
What was Jesus’ Purpose?
“I will build my church” Matthew 16:16
What does Jesus promise to build? His church. Anything else? No. He promises to build no other earthly institution. He attaches the personal pronoun my to no other earthly entity. He sums up His entire mission as church building. This is His chief concern. What is Jesus doing, incarnation and post-incarnation? He is building His church.
What did Jesus mean when He used the word, “build”? From Strong’s Bible Concordance, the Greek word is, ‘oikodomeó’ which literally means ‘to build a house’. It is used as ‘to erect a building, to build; figuratively, to build up ones character, to edify and encourage. Literally, it means to “build someone up, helping them to stand, strong and sturdy.
What did Jesus mean when He used the word, “church”? From Strong’s Bible Concordance, the Greek word, ‘ekklésia’, means an assembly, a religious congregation. It is used to describe an assembly or a congregation as The Church which is the whole body of Christian believers.
Ekklēsía describes’ a people called out from the world and to God, the outcome being the Church, the mystical body of Christ. It is the total body of believers whom God calls out from the world and into His eternal kingdom.
What is Jesus’ method?
“And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to Myself.” John 12:32
NOW, PLEASE ASK YOURSELF:
(Each answer gives an additional 10 points each)
Why are we on earth?
We “reside as strangers and aliens, scattered throughout” 1 Peter 1:1
For this purpose we have been born again, and for this reason we reside in the world: totestify to the truth. We are to testify to Jesus because He has told us, “I am the Truth.” John 14:6
Why are you on earth?
What is your Mission?
We are to “Go, therefore, 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 I commanded you.” Matthew 28:19-20
What are you doing to accomplish your mission?
What is your Ministry?
“Go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those with leprosy, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give. Do not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money belts, or a bag for your journey, or even two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker is deserving of his support. And whatever city or village you enter, inquire who is worthy in it, and stay at his house until you leave that city. As you enter the house, give it your greeting. If the house is worthy, see that your blessing of peace comes upon it. But if it is not worthy, take back your blessing of peace. And whoever does not receive you nor listen to your words, as you leave that house or city, shake the dust off your feet.” Matthew 10:8-14
What are you doing to accomplish your ministry?
What is our Purpose?
Jesus said, “I will build my church” Matthew 16:16. This is our purpose, also.
What does Jesus promise to build? His church. Anything else? No. He promises to build no other earthly institution. He attaches the personal pronoun my to no other earthly entity. He sums up His entire mission as Ekklēsía,building up a people called out from the world and to God, the outcome being the Church, the mystical body of Christ. It is the total body of believers whom God calls out from the world and into His eternal kingdom. This is our purpose, too.
What are you doing to accomplish your Purpose?
What is our Method?
“And, if He is lifted up from the earth, He will draw all people to Himself.” John 12:32
We are to lift up the name, the life and the example of Jesus.
What have you done to accomplish your Method?
“Going to church” is important, but, it is not the reason, mission, ministry, purpose or method of Jesus. In fact, much of what takes place in and around the church buildings in postmodern religion, has little to do with the real reason, mission, ministry, purpose or methods taught and demonstrated by Jesus. So, what are we doing? What is the point?
If church has become rote, boring, static, ritualistic or just a habit, then maybe it’s time to break free! Let’s begin, again, to follow Jesus.
Let’s BE the reason, DO the mission and ministry, HAVE the purpose and USE the method of Jesus, and let’s live again!
(You can listen to this article via this podcast audio, and, pause the audio to follow important page links, then, resume the audio when you are ready. Please note that I use page links critical to this article in lieu of references and footnotes.)
Kings 18:40, tells us that “Elijah said to the people of Israel, “Seize the prophets of Baal; do not let one of them escape.” So they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slaughtered them there.”
1 Samuel 15:1-3, tells us, “Then Samuel said to Saul, “The Lord sent me to anoint you as king over His people, over Israel; now therefore, listen to the words of the Lord. This is what the Lord of armies says: ‘I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, in that he obstructed him on the way while he was coming up from Egypt. Now go and strike Amalek and completely destroy everything that he has, and do not spare him; but put to death both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’”
However, Matthew 5:39-42, tells us of a very different approach, “But I, (Jesus), say to you, do not show opposition against an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other toward him also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak also. Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you. You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”
The difference between how God instructed His people to confront evil before the advent of Christ, is stark. We see the men and women of God, in the Old Testament, stand up to evil and when called upon to do so, they would physically destroy every last vestige of evil, including men, women, children, animals and properties.
Jesus, on the other hand, called on His followers to love their enemies and to do good to those who persecuted them.
Why this sudden shift when it comes to dealing with evil and with evil people? Here are three reasons for this shift in paradigm.
(#1). Jesus makes a distinction between sin and the sinner, or evil and the one perpetrating evil. God sent His Only Begotten Son, Jesus, to save the world, not to condemn the world. But, Jesus came to show us the way to defeat the evil one, and He will destroy every last vestige of evil.
(#2). We have new weapons for this warfare. Spiritual weapons, which are much more powerful than man made weapons. Because we are carnal creatures, we love to take matters into our own hands. But, the physical world is the final manifestation of the Spiritual world. We must believe and know the battle is to be fought and won in the Spiritual realm, first. Then, whatever you bind on earth shall have been boundinheaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed inheaven.
(#3). The shift is away from the temporal or the physical manifestation of evil, and onto the source and root cause of evil which is being fought in the heavens or the spiritual world, so it would not manifest in the physical world.
We are clearly taught, in Matthew 5:38
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ verse 39. But I say to you, do not show opposition against an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other toward him also. Verse 40, And if anyone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak also. Verse 41. Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two. Verse 42. Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.
Verse 43. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ verse 44. But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, verse 45, so that you may prove yourselves to be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. Verse 46. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Even the tax collectors, do they not do the same? Verse 47. And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Even the Gentiles, do they not do the same? Verse 48. Therefore, you shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
If you entangle yourself in a physical struggle with evil, you must know that Jesus warned, in Mark 9:29, that there are times when “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.”
Don’t be confused. We are still called to resist the devil, (James 4:7), and to destroy all manner of evil, (2 Corinthians 10:3-6) ”For though we walk in the flesh, we do not wage battle according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying arguments and all arrogance raised against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.” (Also see, Ephesians 6:10-17).
Just like the first disciples and Apostles, we are to lift the name and person of Christ, in how we live and what we say. We are to present the Living Word and call all people to Christ.
At the same time, we are to confront evil wherever it is found and to pull down the strongholds of evil, silence the ignorance of the foolish, take captive every thought through the spoken Word of God.
Having done all this, we are to continue to stand strong, trusting in the Lord, and He will exact His righteous justice and vengeance toward the unrepentant and the wicked.
Although there may be times when God will call upon you as His instrument of judgment, be very cautious. Anything more that we may do on our part is an assumption that we can replace God by taking matters into our own hands.
The Apostle Paul’s speech to the Athenians about the resurrection of the dead, caused some began to scoff, but others said, “We should like to hear you on this some other time.” Some joined Paul, and became believers.”
A personal story: I was asked to testify as a character witness for my neighbors, who were going through a divorce. When the attorney arrived, he began by giving me instructions on what to say on behalf of the wife. After he finished with his instructions, he asked if I had any questions. I said I had one question. He nodded for me to continue.
I asked him, “If you were to die today, do you have any assurance of where your soul would go?”
The attorney rolled his eyes and said, derisively, “I’m not going to answer that!”
I responded with, “Then, I will not proceed.”
Feeling trapped, he said, “Okay. I have no idea. I think I am a good person, so I hope I would go to heaven. How’s that?”, he finished
I went on to explain how he could know for certain, by God’s grace and through faith in Christ Jesus. I asked him if he would like to pray. He declined. I encouraged him to consider what we had talked about, I thanked him for his consideration and proceeded to the deposition.
There was a judge, two attorneys, my friends, and a court reporter present. I was sworn in and asked to give a testimony about my friend and neighbor. I started with, “First, I want you to know that both my neighbors are good people. But, I am here on behalf of the wife, so I will testify to her good character.
“I also want you to know that the One who ordained the sanctity of marriage, that is God, and He hates divorce and what divorce does to people and the children of those people. So, I am certain that God would be unhappy with these proceedings.
“Furthermore, I want you to know that God loves both of my neighbors and would want nothing less than reconciliation and healing for them. And, in fact, God loves every one of you in this room today, and I would encourage you to come to know Him personally.” I then gave my friend an endorsement.
The judge sighed heavily and said, “Do you realize we have to read that entire account in open court?!”
I answered, “No, sir, I did not. But, I am pleased to hear it.” With that, the proceedings were complete.
I have always wondered if any wanted me metaphorically dead, sort like with Stephen, or if any might have gotten saved at some point, like with Paul? Only God knows.
The point is best made in 2 Timothy 4:2, when the Bible says, “Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and exhort, with great patience and instruction.”
Let’s take up our place and fulfill our calling, confronting evil wherever it is found and pulling down the strongholds of evil, silencing the ignorance of the foolish, take captive every thought through the spoken Word of God, knowing that the Word of God will accomplish the very thing He sent it out to do and will not return void!
(You can listen to this article via this podcast audio, and, pause the audio to follow important page links, then, resume the audio when you are ready. Please note that I use page links critical to this article in lieu of references and footnotes.)
Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. Romans 8:5
My Blog page biography says, in part, “I am a practicing Christian, a disciple of Jesus, a husband of over 50 years, a father and a grandfather, a businessman, a veteran and a friend to all who will have me.” I would like to add that I have been a youth soccer coach, a baseball player while in high school, an occasional volunteer for charitable organizations, an insurance agent, broker and an insurance agency owner.
I never had to stop being a husband to be a father, and I never had to stop being a businessman to be a soccer coach. I usually did these things sequentially. I had to be organized, and I had to prioritize, but, I found I could be many things to many people in the process.
But, my main calling and focus is that as a disciple and follower of Jesus Christ. As a disciple, Jesus directs me to BE somethings and to DO other things. Funny thing is that He expects that I can BE many things and I can DO many things, at the same time or sequentially. It is the same for you, too.
For example, Jesus tells me to love my wife the same way Jesus loves His Church and gave up His life for her. So, by making Him my focus and my first priority, He tells me to make my wife my first earthly priority. I am to do both, simultaneously.
Another example is that Jesus tells me to love Him with all my heart, mind and strength and, at the same time, I am to love my neighbor as I love myself – simultaneously!
This leads me to the idea that many are expressing about leaving the ‘corporate church’ and ‘becoming the organic church’. I get what they are saying, and they make many good points. Before I go further, let me make a few distinctions.
#1. Do you attend a ‘church’, i.e., a corporate entity which
Is focused on ‘growth’ for the sake of growth; building enhancement for appearance and participant’s comfort?
Does your church focus on staff salaries and their retirement funds, which exceed your missions spending?
Are you baptizing new believers weekly, and is your focus to make disciples who are making disciples?
Just ‘attending church’ but rarely leads anyone to Christ or is involved in serving the Body or the community?
Do your church services end with people folding the bulletins and rushing off to lunch in their little groups?
Is focused on religious ‘seekers’ rather than reaching the lost?
Is focused on becoming the ‘best you’, and getting all the promises of God for yourself, now?
OR…
#2. Are you part of a Church which
Is focused on BEING Christlike and serving the Body, the people, of Christ, loving others and considering others as more important than yourself?
Is known for its hospitality and service to the community in the name of Jesus?
Add buildings and property only when needed to serve the existing size of the Church Body?
Is focused on raising up disciple-makers and sending them out as local pastors, teachers, evangelists and community missionaries?
Do your pastor’s sermons result in repentance, re-dedication as disciples of Christ, re-commitment as Christians; do they give clear directions of the Gospel?
Is focused on reaching the lost, the straying, the broken, hurting and leading them to Christ Jesus and finding His rest and peace?
Focused on becoming fully devoted followers of Jesus, doing His Works, faithful in all things related to the Gospel; faithful in giving, serving, loving, patient, kind and gentle?
The first example is of people who consider themselves as Christians, who are busy ‘going to church’ but rarely understand what it means to ‘Be the Church’. What I mean is that they say the right things, they think they are doing the right things, but, they just don’t go outside the church building, visibly BEING THE CHURCH! They are INWARD focused. Their slogan is usually something like, “Come Join Us on Sunday”, or, “Come Grow with Us”. Inward focused.
The second example is of Christians who are focused on ‘Being the Church’, and they understand what that means. They consider the church building a tool necessary only to serve the Body of Christ. They are OUTWARD focused, both inside the church building and outside the building. Their slogan is typically something like, “Find Jesus, Find Peace”, or, “Worship God Here”.
If you will BE THE CHURCH as you go about your daily life, you may find that, from time to time, you may need a place to gather. Someone’s house may be a good place to meet or congregate, to worship together, hear or teach the Word of God, to pray and plan. But, you may find, as your numbers increase, that a building may be more useful and practical. What I am trying to point out is that as long as your methods and ways are those of Jesus,then whether you meet in a house or a building is a matter of choice and convenience, but your FOCUS must always be on being and doing what Jesus has called you to be and do!
If you keep your focus right by keeping your priority right, the rest will fall into place. In other words, “Keep the Main Thing, the Main Thing” and as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those with leprosy, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give…”Matthew 10:7-15
So, what should you do? Why not, YOU BE THE CHURCH. God is calling all of His children, that is, all Christians, into His service. Whether you recognize the ‘office or your calling’ or not, you are called to serve Him. The postmodern church organization has turned serving God into a profession, complete with colleges, seminaries, salaries and government regulations, but, that is NOT what the Bible says. Even the Apostles were known as untrained and uneducated men who were known for their love for one another and that they had been with Jesus! (see these spiritual gifts and offices).
Whether God has given you the Spiritual Gift of preaching, teaching, reaching the lost or otherwise, perform your calling and exercise your spiritual gifts. Don’t be like those who wear their calling of God like a prize to be paraded around, dressed in their religiosity. Just trust God to lead you, whether inside a church building, in a small group or a house Church, just do it and be it! You be available and willing, and God will do the rest! Trust Him.
Your Brother and Friend,
Mike Young
I hear some Christians say they are tired of the ‘consumer church’ (watch this video),
Others are bored with the ‘postmodern church environment’ in favor of a ‘house-church’ (watch this next video).
Still others say they are discourage by and finished with the 501(c)(3)-church-as-usual. (Watch either or both of these next videos).
It is not my position to replace the existing church model. It is my position to reform the existing church model where WE, THE BODY OF CHRIST, obey Him, follow Him, and do everything in the model He demonstrated.
(You can listen to this study by audio, and you can pause the audio to follow page links, then resume when you are ready. Please note that I use page links in lieu of references or footnotes for important details of this teaching.)
John 1:14 “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us; and we saw His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
NOTES:
I will use the Greek translation for a few words in verse fourteen, so we can get some idea of the depth and breadth of this ‘miracle of all miracles and mystery of all mysteries’. It is important to read these translations and ponder their meanings.
“And the Word”, the ‘lógos’, is a word, being the expression of a thought; preeminently used of Christ, expressing the thoughts of the Father through the Spirit, “speaking to a conclusion”.
“Became”, ‘gínomai’,came into being. A manifestation implying motion, movement, or growth. It is used for God’s actions as emerging from eternity and becoming, and showing themselves in time and in physical space.
“Flesh”, ‘sarx’, a body, containing human nature and attributes. with its frailties, both physically or morally and with its passions.
“Dwelt”, ‘skēnóō’, to pitch or live in a tent, denoting much more than the mere general notion of dwelling, it is to occupy and to reside, as God did in the Tabernacle of old. A symbol of protection and communion.
(For the Christian, skēnóō is dwelling in intimate communion with the resurrected Christ, even as He who Himself lived in unbroken communion with the Father during the days of His flesh.)
“Among us”, ‘en’,inside or within; “in the realm or sphere of and in the condition or state in which something operates from the inside; within.
COMMENTS:
It is a sad, and sometimes tragic fact, that with repeated exposure, we can take even the most amazing, profound and breathtaking realities, for granted. In this case, hearing the words, “And the Word became flesh”, which is the unrivaled and premier event in the history of existence.
We know that no one has seen God at any time, yet, in a miracle which even science stumbles over, God came from the ‘unseen’ realm the and appeared in the ‘seen’ world.
It is more than a mystery and a miracle, it is the ultimate act of sacrifice, mercy and grace. In this ultimate self-revelation, God put His divinity aside, took on the appearance of a man and humbled Himself to the point of death on a cross so that we, His creation, could be redeemed from captivity and from the curse of sin and death.
We can, however, experience God and what He has done and continues to do. How? Do not worry about anything; instead, pray about everything and tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done; then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
Concluding this fourteenth verse, John proclaims, “and we saw His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
NOTES:
“And we saw”, ‘theaomai’, is to gaze at a spectacular event to contemplate and observe it intently; especially in order to interpret and to grasp the significance and to be thoroughly impacted and influenced.
“His glory”, ‘doxa’, is His renown glory and divine quality from the manifestation of God’s splendor.
“Grace”, ‘charis’, is a gift or blessing brought to man by Jesus Christ; showing us extreme selfless favor and kindness.
“Truth”, ‘alétheia’, is not merely truth as spoken; but, the truth of idea, reality, sincerity; truth in the moral sphere, divine truth revealed to man. Straightforwardness.
COMMENTS:
John reveals to us that “the Word becoming flesh” is not just something to read or see or even to know, but, it is to be experienced. This is God revealing Himself through Jesus Christ, transcending the unseen realm of the heavens and being manifest and living among us, on earth.
Secondly, the phrase “The Word became flesh” is in the Greek aorist tense, which means there is no regard for past, present or future as it is an ongoing occurrence.
Although Jesus has ascended into the heavens, He still resides within those who believe. He continues to reside in us, transforming us and filling us with His attitude and His Spirit. John 17:23, Jesus tells us ‘I am in them and You, (The Father), in Me, that they may be perfected in unity.” And again in John 15:7, Jesus tells us that we must ‘remain in Him’.
So, when Jesus then says things like, ”And whatever you ask in My name, this I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.”(John 14:13-14),
Or, when He says, “And on that day you will not question Me about anything. Truly, truly I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you. Until now, you have asked for nothing in My name; ask, and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.(John 16:23-24), we must know that this is THE TRUTH, and He is still actively at work through you, if you believe.
Look with me, through John’s eyes for a moment, and see the things he saw and is writing to us about. The Living Word of God, standing before him, calling.
From that moment, the world was changed, forever. And for the believer, you have been changed forever. But, you still must take up your faith, submit to Him and boldly go about the Father’s Business.
The enemy of Christ knows the End of Days are near, and he is intensifying his efforts to defeat you and every other person on this earth. It is our calling to rise up in Christ and carry this fight to the enemy.
He is still alive, at work and calling to you and to me, saying, “Go, therefore, 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 I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”(Matthew 28:19-20)
“And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heavenhas come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those with leprosy, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give. Do not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money belts, or abag for your journey, or even twotunics, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker is deserving of his support.”(Matthew 10:7-15)
THE WAR ON CHRISTMAS and THE PROMISE OF PEACE – Mission Hills Church – Pastor Craig Smith delivers a timely and much needed message, both for this Christmas season and for our daily lives in these times of stress and tribulation. Don’t go it alone! Find Peace.
NO KIDDING – this is a ‘must watch’. Pray and get ready to hear from God! (I have cued the video to start on the sermon; but, the entire experience can be worth watching)
(You can listen to this article on the audio below, and pause the audio to follow page links, then, resume the audio when you are ready. Please note, I use page links for important details in lieu of references and footnotes.)
And, what is “Big Eva”?
This is an update of SHIPWRECKED – Enemies Within the Church I published on July 7, 2021. People forget events, as time goes by, and the offenders of the Gospel count on that forgetfulness, so they can continue with their evil deeds, unwatched and unimpeded.
Before I introduce my main point, I want to point out, that it was common for Jesus and His Apostles to have to deal with false teachers and false prophets within the Church. Here are some links for your study:
We are hearing about and reading about so many being SHIPWRECKED with regard to their faith. What is this world is going on? And how is this happening?
SHIPWRECKED – a noun
The destruction or loss of a ship, as by sinking.
The remains of a wrecked ship.
Destruction or ruin: the shipwreck of one’s hopes.
Verb (used with object)
To cause suffering in shipwreck.
To destroy; ruin.
I want to start with
Here is a video presented by E.W.T.C., (Enemies Within The Church), which sound the ‘shofar’, warning about the Woke movement invading the Church. This includes the Globalist-Marxists ideologies and practices, the secularism of the ‘Social Gospel’ , the shaming of ‘white Americans’, the promoting and glorifying of the Marxists led, ‘Black Lives Matter’, and more.
Just in the small area where I live, in the past few years, there have been and are, at least 3 major Christian SHIPWRECKS on public display. I will point out on one, but, here is a link to others: CHURCH SHIPWRECKS IN NAPLES, FL
“Big Eva” is not a large German who works in border control for the Bundesrepublik. Big Eva is a term for the network of large evangelical organizations and conferences that seeks to shape the thinking and strategy of the American evangelical churches. (“Big Eva” = “Big Evangelical Churches, organizations and conferences”)
“What Big Eva has done is, create an economy of power, people, and indeed money which is non-ecclesiastical but highly influential within evangelical churches. It is a populist movement of tremendous influence and minimal accountability. It provides an identity for its most passionate acolytes.
“And because it promises rewards to individuals and organizations – influence, students, platform – it is both very hard to criticize and functionally unaccountable to any but its own. The Trinity controversy of two years ago was a case in point: no church creed had ever taught the nonsense that had become so pervasive in evangelicalism. Quite the contrary – the creedal history of the church was arguably constructed to exclude precisely the kind of views that were being espoused. But key conferences and key organizations had a vested interest in sidestepping orthodoxy and demonizing any who pointed that out.
“An aspiring movement, to direct and shape the policies and testimony of the church, is quite another thing. (This is what has been done, or, put more bluntly, ‘What have we done?’ Selected and edited (comments from Carl Trueman, “Revoice, Evangelical Culture, and the Return of an Old Friend” July 31, 2018)
The Apostle Paul instructed Timothy in 1 Timothy 1:18, saying, “This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them, you fight the good fight, 19 keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith.”
This is advice to all Christians. Point out and call out evil wherever you see it. Name the by names. Warns others to flee these wolves and false teachers.
Let’s heed the words of the Apostle Paul and stay vigilant and “fight the good fight”, and God will be with us.
Your Brother and Friend,
Mike Young
Here are links to several other notable and tragic recent SHIPWRECKS:
This article and its content was collected from various “identified sources” and is reprinted as originally posted by these “identified sources. Some parts are editorialized and contain the opinion of this author. White Stone Fellowship.
(You can listen to audio of the article and pause the audio to follow page links, then, resume the audio when you are ready. Please note that I use page links in lieu of references or footnotes for important details on this teaching.)
DON’T JUST “KNOW ABOUT THE BIBLE” – “KNOW THE BIBLE”
I have read and heard others say that the Bible is …
Like a ‘fence’. It gives you boundaries to keep you safe.
Like a ‘map’. It gives you directions on the way to travel through life.
Like a ‘compass’. It points you in the right direction.
Like a ‘mirror’. It gives you a reflection of yourself.
Like a ‘painting’. It gives you a picture of God.
Like a ‘lion’. It is able to defend itself and you.
Like a ‘instruction book’. Giving instructions for any matter.
BUT THE BIBLE SAYS THAT THERE IS NOTHING ELSE LIKE IT…
THE BIBLE IS “Alive”. It lives.
THE BIBLE IS sharper than any “Two-edged sword”. Piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
THE BIBLE IS a “Lamp”. It is a lamp unto my feet and keeps me from stumbling.
THE BIBLE IS a “Light”. It is a light unto my path and lets me see each step of where I am going.
THE BIBLE IS a “Door”. Anyone who enters by Him will be saved and can go in and out and find rest.
THE BIBLE IS a “Fire”. It cleanses and purifies and burns up chaff, wood, hay and stubble.
THE BIBLE IS a “Hammer”. It breaks rocks of obstruction.
THE BIBLE IS a “Seed”. Imperishable, growing, giving life.
THE BIBLE IS a “Vine”. A vine through which we find nourishment, and we bear righteous fruit.
THE BIBLE IS The WORD of GOD.
THE BIBLE IS THE BREATH OF GOD.
You know, I have even heard and read that “some people worship the Bible, and they should worship God, only”.
But, the Bible clearly states that The Bible IS the Word and The Word IS God.
John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Verse 2. He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.”
You must know that the Word of God (The Bible) IS the breathed Word, The ‘Ruah‘, the ‘Pneuma‘ of God.
Thinking that there is something ‘like the Bible’ reduces the significance and importance of the Bible.
Knowing the Bible, alone, stands above every other thing, gives it Supremacy. (Sola Scriptura).
The Bible is a collection of stories, parables, similes, anecdotes ONLY TO THE UNTRAINED HUMAN MIND which is not filled by the Holy Spirit of God.
THE BIBLE IS THE PROPHETIC, BREATHED (PNEUMA), WORD OF GOD.
Breathe it in and let the Breath of God breathe through you. Consume it and let It consume you.
John 6:53,“Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.
Verse 54. “Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.
Verse 55. “For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.
Verse 56. “Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.
Verse 57. “As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me.
Verse 58. “This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.”
DON’T JUST “KNOW ABOUT HIM – KNOW HIM”
Your Brother and Friend,
Mike Young
“If you remain in Me, and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”
(You can listen to audio of the article and pause the audio to follow page links, then, resume the audio when you are ready. Please note that I use page links in lieu of references or footnotes for important details on this teaching.)
John 1:9-13. “The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.”
The Bible is the Prophetic,Creative, Causative, Inerrant, Infallible, Living Word and Breath of God. Once this Word lives in you, it will tell the Truth to you and through you, and nothing will ever be the same!
In keeping with our theme that the Bible, when correctly understood, is found to be an immensely powerful prophetic book and that it contains all the Oracles of God, which teaches and transforms us at all points.
We will endeavor to read and understand on three main levels: The physical, natural and external, which is to take the Word at face-value, or the DIANOIA; the psychological, which deals with the mind, the will and the emotions, or the PSUCHE; the spiritual, which deals with our core, our heart, from which springs all matters of life, or the PNEUMA.
First, please notice that John begins this teaching and prophetic word by saying, “The TRUE LIGHT that gives LIGHT TO EVERYONE, WAS coming into the world”; “He was IN the world”.
First, from the PNEUMA: From these words are from God, and we know that God is That Light, or ‘Phos’, which is the origin and giver of life to f all living things, from which springs the DIANOIA and the PSUCHE of all humankind.
This is one of the deepest and most profound of oracles, for, without the “Phos” of God, there would be no life – no you or me; neither would life continue without Him, He is the One Who sustains life, (Psalms 54:4).
The Bible also tells us that in the first century A.D., “though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him”.This is still true for many people, today.
Scientists have spent and continue to spend hundreds of billions of dollars each year in search of life outside of earth. Most of them reject the fact that God is The Light and that through Him all things were made; and, without Him, there would be nothing. They ignore the fact that In him is life, and that life is the light of all mankind. This Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness, external and the darkness innate to man, cannot comprehend it. This search for life begins and ends with God. Hebrews 11:6, tells us, “And withoutfaith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” There is no ‘reward’ for those who seek elsewhere.
It is by faith in Christ alone, thatthe Godly conquer kingdoms, perform acts of righteousness, obtain promises, shut the mouths of lions, quench the power of fire, escape the edge of the sword, from weakness are made strong, become mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. It is by faith alone thatwe will see God in the resurrection, all of which is the outcome of our faith.
Let this prophetic word and teaching of the PNEUMA of God dwell in you. Meditate on it. Allow it to seep upward into your mind, will and emotions, your PSUCHE and allow it to manifest in your cognitive mind, your DIANOIA, and nothing will be impossible for you, (Matthew 17:20).
Secondly, John is telling us that this is “He who was, is, andis to come”. This is, God, the Pre-existent and Eternal God, Who is now among us. It is worthy to note that Jesus and John repeat and confirm these words in Revelation 1:8,
Grace to you and peace from Him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood— 6and He made us into a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen.
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
It would be impossible for John to know this about God, and he could not have known to utter these words unless it is God speaking through him.
This tells us that God is speaking and revealing profound insights about His Person, His Nature, His Character, His Purposes and His Plans. You and I would be wise to listen and adhere to these Words.
Finally, and most importantly, John writes, “though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.”
Please read this, again, carefully. “Yet to all who did receive Him” ,
The Greek word and translation of the word “receive” in this verse, is “lambano“, which means to lay hold, to obtain and to get. So ‘receiving Him’ is much more than a casual agreement or a greeting, as we hear in so many sermons and church services now-a-days. It is aggressively laying hold by actively accepting what is available and offered; to accept with initiative, and it emphasizes the volition and assertiveness of the receiver.
Everyone is invited; and, everyone has free will and the power of choice; but, only those who receive Him, will be given the right to become a child of God. (Perhaps, another way of saying this is“Many are called, but few are chosen”, Matthew 22:14.)
Also, “to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.”
The Greek word and translation of the words‘gave the right’, comes from the word, ‘eksousía‘which is a “right or privilege and an authority, or better, a conferred power; a delegated empowerment and authorization given by God. It is the authority God gives to His saints, authorizing them to act to the extent they are guided by faith by His revealed word.”
This is not poetic hyperbole or a vain philosophy. This is the Truth of the Word of God. You can become a child of God; joint heirs with His only-begotten Son, Jesus; with full rights, authority and responsibilities as an heir.
Believe it. Feel it. Think it. Do it.
Your Brother and Friend,
Mike Young
“And, nothing will be impossible for those who believe”Matthew 17:20
Please bookmark this page and follow along as we study the Book of John, like never before! Next Episode THE GOSPEL OF JOHN – Part 8
(You can listen to the article on audio podcast and pause the audeio to follow important page links, then, resume the audio when you are ready. Please note that I use page links in lieu of footnotes and references for imporant details on this teaching)
THE TENTACLES OF THE SOCIALIST-MARXIST TAKEOVER
(It is already in your home, government, schools, hospitals, churches and food production. It is in your Federal, State and local governments.)
The United Nations – The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization – The Commission on Global Governance – The United Nations Globalist Great Reset – Agenda 21 – Agenda 2030 – The Global Community – The Council on Sustainable Development – U.N.C.E.D. – International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives – The Social Security Administration – The Internal Revenue Service – etc.
Explosive documents have surfaced which exposed a planned genocide based on a Malthusian population control method, in order to save the planet from a depletion of resources due to overpopulation.
Was the release of the Corona-19 virus and the resulting ‘pandemic’ an accident, or was it a carefully executed plan of population reduction? Before you cry, “Oh, just another conspiracy theorist nut”, do your homework.
The LEFT, that is progressives, liberals, democrats and socialists, Marxists all, have been propounding population control, in concert with Communist China, for the last 75 years. They have pushed for population control through birth control methods, abortion, legalized euthanasia, by encouraging and endorsing homosexuality, transgenderism and wars. But, with the continued growth of world population, the worldwide Globalist-Marxist movement has activated and unleashed the most insidious and evil plan to date.
Their reasoning is based on the argument that the world is overpopulated and that the only way to save the planet from environmental doomsday is to force people to have fewer children, which has been the rallying cry for Stalinist population control measures around the world. Their methodology is based on extreme Malthusianism.
Deo-Malthusianism is the advocacy of human population planning to ensure resources and environmental integrities for current and future human populations as well as for other species. (Source, Wikipedia)
Stephen Moore, a columnist for The Washington Times, and a senior fellow at The Heritage Foundation and an economic consultant with FreedomWorks, writes in a Washington Times article, “China took the population control crusade to a whole new level when it instituted its notorious one-child policy. To this day there are tens of millions of females demographically missing in China. The homicidal environmental policy was cheered on by the United Nations and many of the same left-wing activists and organizations that preach “reproductive freedom” and women’s rights. Similarly brutish population control programs were implemented in Africa, India, Egypt and many South American nations. To save the planet, babies had to be prevented.
Fortunately, scholars like the late Julian Simon of the University of Illinois proved that human beings do not deplete the world’s resources, but help discover and create them. A larger number of human beings — especially when combined with freedom and free enterprise — leave the planet materially and environmentally better off not worse off.
Simon also showed that freedom and prosperity are the best forms of contraception. Population growth happened because we found ways to conquer early death — with infant mortality rates falling by 70 percent and 80 percent — and eradicate killer diseases like small pox and tuberculosis.
The Malthusians were not just immoral; they were dead wrong on their population projections.
All of those population forecasting models that predicted standing room only on the planet over the next 25-50 years were lies. In the 1970s, the left predicted a population by today of more than 10 billion people. The number is closer to 7.5 billion.
These doomsday demographic models of the future were about as accurate as the climate change models predicting catastrophic temperature changes have been.
What the population control crowd didn’t see happening was that population growth has radically slowed down — and not because of government edicts. As people get richer and freer, couples have chosen to have fewer, but healthier children. In most countries of the world today — including in China — the tragedy is not too many children, but too few.
But at its core, the radical greens really do believe that the fundamental problem with the human race is that there are too many of us. People are the pollution. Celebrities like Miley Cyrus and Prince Harry are urging people to have fewer or no kids. Rep. Alexandria Ocasia-Cortez wondered earlier this year whether young women should feel ethically bound to not have children so as to help prevent climate change. At the end of the day, she rejected that lunacy idea, but the very idea that liberals had to ask the question shows how anti-human the left has become.
This is a fundamentally anti-Judeo Christian ideology that disrespects human life and — as history proves all too well — can lead to dastardly consequences for basic human rights and economic progress. Human ingenuity is the solution to, not the cause of, environmental problems, and the constantly changing climate of our planet.” (Full article at “Democrats Embrace Population Control”)
An article by Human Life International, the world’s largest pro-life and pro-family Catholic advocate, Dr. Brian Clowes, PhD, explains that “the United States National Security Council, highest decision-making body regarding foreign policy in the United States,on December 10, 1974, completed a top-secret document entitled National Security Study Memorandum or NSSM-200, also called The Kissinger Report, since Henry Kissinger was Secretary of State at the time it was written.
“The Subject of NSSM-200 is “Implications of Worldwide Population Growth for U.S. Security and Overseas Interests.” This document, published shortly after the first major international population conference in Bucharest, was the result of collaboration among the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and the Departments of State, Defense and Agriculture.
“NSSM-200 was made public when it was declassified and was transferred to the U.S. National Archives in 1990.
“Although the United States government has issued hundreds of policy papers dealing with various aspects of American national security since 1974, The Kissinger Report continues to be the foundational document on U.S. government population control. It therefore continues to represent official United States policy on government population control and, in fact, is still posted on the USAID website.
“NSSM-200 is critically important to pro-life workers all over the world, because it completely exposes the unsavory and unethical motivations and methods of the population control movement. We can use this valuable document to lay bare the strategies used by unscrupulous governments and “aid” agencies that are used to bend developing nations to their wills. Their rote denials will be useless in the face of this evidence.”
“According to The Kissinger Report, elements of the implementation of government population control programs could include the legalization of abortion, financial incentives for countries to increase their abortion, sterilization and contraception-use rates, indoctrination of children, and mandatory population control and coercion of other forms, such as withholding disaster and food aid unless an LDC implements population control programs.
“This last strategy, force and coercion applied to developing countries, is currently used by the population control cartel to push not only abortion, sterilization and birth control, but other evils such as homosexuality and transgenderism.
“There are dozens of examples of this kind of blatant injustice, including the following:
When Nigeria refused to legalize contraception and homosexuality, the United States withdrew financial and military aid that would allow it to combat the Islamic terror group Boko Harem, which has murdered and kidnapped tens of thousands of people in that nation.1
When Ecuador declined to legalize abortion, the United Nations refused to provide any aid for it to battle COVID-19, condemning many more Ecuadorians to death.2
When Kenyan pro-lifers collected irrefutable evidence that Marie Stopes International (MSI), one of the largest abortionists in the world, were committing illegal and dangerous abortions on a vast scale, MSI demanded that they be either muzzled or jailed.3
The United Nations Population Fund halted food and other aid to millions of starving Yemenis because the nation refused to legalize abortion.4
When Zambia refused to legalize sodomy, the United States withdrew much-needed foreign aid to help alleviate the 11% national HIV infection rate and to care for 250,000 AIDS orphans.5
The Joint United Nations Program on AIDS [UNAIDS] threatened to withdraw all of its aid from the Caribbean island of St. Lucia unless it approved language supporting abortion and homosexuality in a political declaration on HIV/AIDS.6” (It is important to read this full article. Go to Human Life International – population control).
Although the global fertility rate is in a steep decline, the Globalists Marxists and Communists, through the United Nations, have decided that in order to reach their proposed goals by the date they had set, the year 2030, they needed to accelerate the process of negative population growth. So, it appears they have taken matters into their own hands and in 2019, early news reports pointed to a virology lab in Wuhan, China, which may have released the Corona-19 virus. Since that time, a cover story has emerged and spread throughout the liberal and Leftist media, worldwide, claiming the Corona-19 virus was transmitted from either bats or a pangolins, (scaly ant eaters).
It was reported widely in the news media that democrats in America were using the phrase, “Don’t let a good pandemic go to waste”. So, we should ask if the Covid-19 pandemic was the Globalist’s opportunity to accelerate their Agenda 2030 completion? (see COVID-19 & GLOBALISM).
The United Nations Global Movement is a complexity of a myriad of sub-organizations, (tentacles), hiding behind many names under the control and direction of the Unite Nations. It is the United Nations which formulated the Agenda 21, which claims to be a comprehensive plan of action to be taken globally, nationally and locally by organizations of the United Nations System, Governments, and Major Groups in every area in which human impacts on the environment. Its lofty sounding goals and programs are designed to deceive the observer and obscure the nefarious Marxists methodology and end game.
Now, what began as Agenda-21 (the “21” represents the 21st century), has evolved into what is now known as Agenda-2030, and has brazenly stated it will have accomplished all its goals by the year 2030. It has and is achieving what the people could not have imagined possible just a few decades ago.
For the Christian or any serious student of prophecies, this could be considered as the rebuilding of “The Tower of Babel”, an event recorded in the Bible, in Genesis 11:1-9,which tells about humanity as proposing, “Come, let’s build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let’s make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered abroad over the face of all the earth.” Now the Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the men had built. And the Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they all have the same language. And this is what they have started to do, and now nothing which they plan to do will be impossible for them.”Few, if any, in the United Nation’s Globalist-Marxists movement would recognize or admit their efforts are a continuation of the humanist effort to replace God and become a god of their own design.
The Tower of Babel, from the Christian perspective, is described in Genesis 11:1-9. After the Flood, God commanded humanity to “increase in number and fill the earth” (Genesis 9:1). Humanity decided to do the exact opposite, “Then they said, ‘Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth’” (Genesis 11:4). Humanity decided to build a great city and all congregate there. They decided to build a gigantic tower as a symbol of their power, to make a name for themselves (Genesis 11:4). This tower is remembered as the Tower of Babel.
In response, God confused the languages of humanity so that they could no longer communicate with each other (Genesis 11:7). The result was that people congregated with other people who spoke the same language, and then went together and settled in other parts of the world (Genesis 11:8-9). God confused the languages at the Tower of Babel to enforce His command for humanity to spread throughout the entire world.
Four thousand two-hundred years after the Tower of Babel, the ‘Spirit of The Tower’ has lingered, survived and reemerged on the world stage. Humankind is still determined to defy God and build that tower!
The commission made a standard definition of global governance stating that “Governance is the sum of many ways individuals and institutions, public and private, manage their common affairs. It is a continuing process through which conflicting or diverse interests may be accommodated and co-operative action taken. It includes formal institutions and regimes empowered to enforce compliance.”
“FOREIGN TO AND IGNORES IDEAS PRECIOUS TO THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE”
The Commission on Global Governance has publicly stated that when their Agenda-21 plan is fully implemented, “it will bring all the people of the world into a global neighborhood managed by a world-wide bureaucracy, under the direct authority of a minute handful of appointed individuals, and policed by thousands of individuals, paid by accredited NGOs, certified to support a belief system which contains ideas that are foreign to the American experience, and ignores other values and ideas that are precious to the American experience.”
The United Nations Conference on Environment & Development, in June 1992 in Rio de Janerio, Brazil, drafted the Agenda-21, which claims far reaching global goals, while hiding or obscuring their Marxists methodology. They are organizing international cooperation to accelerate sustainable development in developing countries and related domestic policies at the cost of personal human rights and freedoms, the dismantling of democracies around the globe and other goals which are anti-Christian and malevolent to the Jewish Nation and people..
Here are some examples of what the Agenda-21 claims to be their goals:
Combating poverty
Changing consumption patterns
Protecting and promoting human health conditions
Promoting sustainable human settlement development
Integrating environment and development in decision-making
Protection of the atmosphere
Integrated approach to the planning and management of land resources
Combating deforestation
Managing fragile ecosystems: combating desertification and drought
Managing fragile ecosystems: sustainable mountain development
Promoting sustainable agriculture and rural development
Conservation of biological diversity
Environmentally sound management of biotechnology
Protection of the oceans, seas, and coastal areas, etc., and more.
You now have just a glimpse of what has, and is, happening in every country, in every city, village and borough around the world. The question should be, “What can you and I do about it”?
There are many capable and willing people fighting this spreading Global Marxist threat, but, it is my opinion that we have been awakened too late. The deed is done, the plan is in place. It is no longer a question of, “What can I do about it”, rather, we should ask, “What do I do now and how can I prepare or resist?”
Please believe me when I tell you that this current United Nations Global Socialist-Marxist movement and power grab has been in the heart of man and in the planning stage for over 4,000 years, (see The Tower of Babel). It has emerged from time to time in history under different names, but make no mistake, this time it is thorough, established and in control of your life (See “The History and Establishment of Socialism in America“.)
The ONLY response and the ONLY defense to this evil menace is God and His Word. The Bible lays out the perfect plan of resistance and counter attack. This is why the Marxists, Communists, Socialists, Leninists, et al, hate the God of the Bible, Christians and Jews and seek to eradicate every vestige of God and His Principles from our minds and from our planet.
I have prepared a lengthy, 19-part series, on “Effective Spritual Warfare” on how we can resist and fight back. It is the only way, according to the Bible, you and I can endure to the end and overcome this evil, as we await the return of Jesus and the day when He will completely conquer and destroy the works of the enemy.
There is much more to be written and said on these matters, but, I will leave you with some important links for further information and study on the enemies we face and solutions.
The Heartland Organization is one of the world’s leading conservative free-market think tanks. It is a national nonprofit research and education organization based in Arlington Heights, Illinois. Its mission since its founding in 1984 is to discover, develop, and promote free-market solutions to social and economic problems.
The Heartland Organizationis an “action tank” as well as a “think tank,” and we measure our success by the impact we have in the real world. The Heartland Institute plays an essential role in the national (and increasingly in the international) movement for personal liberty and limited government. We are the pipeline between the freedom movement’s leading writers and thinkers and the nation’s 8,400 national and state elected officials.
Human Life International is a Catholic, Pro-Life mission, teaching the world to value life and to follow God’s plan for the family. In1972, Fr. Paul Marx, O.S.B founded the Human Life Center to fight the spread of abortion and breakdown of the family. In 1981, the Human Life Center became Human Life International.
Now we travel the world helping local leaders build a pro-life culture in their families, communities, and countries. The anti-life movement is huge. But we save lives and souls every day with the help of our amazing supporters. Together, we can build a culture that values life at every stage. Legal abortion will never end unless we can change the way our culture treats sexuality and marriage.
The Bible contains over 450 prophecies telling of the coming of Jesus Christ. A study shows that Jesus fulfilled at least 300 prophecies in His earthly ministry. A statistical study by Professor Peter W. Stoner, past Chairman of the Departments of Mathematics and Astronomy at Pasadena City College and Chairman of the science division at Westmont College, in his book, Science Speaks, outlines the mathematical probability of one person in the first century fulfilling just eight of the most clear and straightforward Messianic prophecies. He shows that the odds against Jesus fulfilling just 48 of the 456 prophecies is 1 to 10 to the 157th power. Written out, that is 1 in 100, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000.
In order to give you some perspective, electrons are very small objects. They’re smaller than atoms. It would take 2.5 TIMES 10 to the 15th power of them, laid side by side, to make one inch. Even if we counted 250 of these electrons each minute, and counted day and night, it would still take 19 million years just to count a line of electrons one-inch long. 19 MILLION YEARS!
On the other hand, people who don’t believe the Bible, draw their views on these same matters, from ‘feelings, personal unsubstantiated opinions, uncorroborated science, fiction or from agnostic or atheistic sources‘ – and, they bet their lives, futures and eternity on feelings or a guess.
The Bible clearly teaches that, “And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment”,and that there is no such thing as ‘dying and visiting heaven and returning to earth’ to tell others. The Bible also clearly teaches there is a ‘life after physical death’.
John 11:25, says, “Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he dies, yet shall he live,”
John 5:24, says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”
John 3:16, says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
“Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whosepresence earth and heaven fled, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them; and they were judged, each one of them according to their deeds. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. Verse 2. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. Verse 3. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among the people, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them,verse 4, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”(John the Apostle).
We are born, we live, then we die. But, that is not the end of things. The Bible teaches that your soul and spirit continue into eternity. Even if you reject the Bible or reject the Biblical teachings on eternal life, YOU KNOW IN YOUR HEART, MIND AND SOUL that something happens after you die. YOU KNOW IT.
The Bible, which gives us indisputable evidence of its veracity and accuracy, tells you that one of two things will happen to you after your physical death:
You will be cast into the lake of fire, (hell), and be tormented for eternity. (Revelation 20:11-15)
You have to comprehend the gravity of what you are being told. If you do not believe in God, I implore you to change your mind and call out to Him, now.
If you are calling yourself a Christian, and are practicing things which are not of God and are not of the Bible, there is a chance you have been deceived and are not born again. Please, repent and turn fully to God.
Don’t misunderstand. You cannot earn your salvation by what you do or do not do. It is by faith in Christ, alone, by God’s grace alone. If you do not know God and have not made Jesus your Lord and Savior, please, call on him right now! He is merciful and full of grace for you.
I am not judging anyone. I am not being condescending. I am pleading with you to come to God and start living again!
Time is short. “The Day” is at hand. Please, repent now, for the Kingdom of God is at hand!
Your Brother and Friend,
Mike Young
PS: A True Christian, a Follower and a Disciple of Jesus, acts like Jesus – and when he or she does not, they “confess and repent of their sins, and He is faithful and just to forgive your sins and cleanse you of all unrighteousness.” You will know them (and yourself) by their fruits.
(You can listen to this on audio and pause the audio to follow page links, then, you can resume the audio, when you are ready. Please note that I use page links in lieu of footnotes and references for important study details).
John 1:6-8, says,”A man came, one sent from God, and his name was John. He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light.”
There are several ways to approach this astounding commentary by John the Baptist. One, is to make a narrative or a story about John, his life and mission as having been sent by God; another, is to make it a religious historic narrative. Yet, another way, is to make it a theological commentary. But, any of these methods would only recount what happened and fall woefully short of releasing the power of the Gospel of John into the life of the reader.
The Bible is the inspired, breathed Word of God. It is prophetic, creative and causative. It is alive and sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. We need to apply the Word of God to our lives in this fashion.
The Bible, when read and taken into the heart of a man or woman, releases the power of God and changes both the person and everything that they come in contact with. Nothing, and I repeat, nothing is ever the same again. So, let’s approach these verses for what they are: an oracle of God, spoken by John, as he is inspired by the Holy Spirit. We are going to look through the eyes and the mind of John the Apostle.
John’s personal experience informs us of two major events. The first is that “a man came, one sent by God, and his name was John”. This seems simple enough, on the surface. But, imagine with me, that if you were John the disciple, (son of Zebedee), and, you see, (DIANOIA), the following, as reported in Matthew 3:1-6,
“Now in those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” For this is the one referred to by Isaiah the prophet when he said,
“THE VOICE OF ONE CALLING OUT IN THE WILDERNESS,
‘PREPARE THE WAY OF THE LORD,
MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT!’” Now John himself had a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. At that time Jerusalem was going out to him, and all Judea and all the region around the Jordan; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins.”
Based on what you see, how would you be affected? (PSUCHE). Assuming that you are looking through John the Apostle’s eyes, you would immediately know that John the Baptist’s remarks are coming from a prophetic Word found in Isaiah 40:3. Your mind and emotions would probably be reeling with the thought that you could be witnessing prophecy being fulfilled!
Since we know that John the Apostle wrote these words after witnessing this astounding event, he correctly concluded that “a man came, one sent by God and his name was John”.
It is clear, from these verses, that one reason John the Apostle wrote this was in order to convince others of Jesus’ authenticity and for posterity. But, considering the profound and prophetic nature of this event, it must be for a much broader reason. It is an example or a pattern for future generations of disciples to follow!
When Jesus’ mission on earth was complete, He commanded and commissioned His disciples, (both then, and for all future generations), to,
“Go, therefore, 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 I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Godis speaking through the inspired writing of John the Apostle, (PNEUMA), and calling and commissioning you and, me as His disciples, to “Go and make disciples”. He is telling you and me that He is with us always, even to the end of the age!
You cannot, or should not, read these few verses and simply think, “What a wonderful story about John the Apostle and John the Baptist”. These words are the Breath of God, the Word and Spirit of God, (the PNEUMA), prophesying through John, spoken to you and me, saying as Isaiah said, (Isaiah 40:10-11)
“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth And making it produce and sprout, And providing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; So will My word be which goes out of My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the purpose for which I sent it.”
We are now faced to face with the Word of God, calling us to be His disciples on mission! What will you say? What will you, now, do?
Secondly, we are being informed that “He, (John the Baptist), came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light.”
What comes next, gives us a clear picture of Jesus as the Messiah, and a clear pattern for our calling and ministry as disciples of Jesus.
In the meantime, meditate on Isaiah 40:10-11 and realize that the Prophetic Word of God is speaking to you and through you, and if you receive this word into your heart YOU WILL NEVER BE THE SAME.
The world is engaged in a spiritual war. And, it is a real war, whether you realize it or not; and the enemies of God are on the offensive. The Bible gives us warnings about this war, tells us about the strategies of the enemy, cautions us about the injuries and fatalities we may suffer, instructs us how to engage in spiritual warfare and how the enemy will ultimately be defeated.
Like any endeavor, and especially warfare, to succeed, you must have a strategy and a balanced plan of offense and defense. Scriptures from the Bible teaches us many things, but, the one thing the Bible brings to all who will heed its teachings, is The Perfect Balance.
BALANCE
God speaks often about ‘balance’.
Proverbs 16:11tells us that, “A just balance and scales belong to the Lord; All the weights of the bag are His concern.”
And, Proverbs 11:1, tells us that, “A false balance is an abomination to the Lord,But a just weight is His delight.”
Job 31:6gives us a prayer and a practice we should adopt when it says, “Let Him weigh me with accurate scales, and let God know my integrity.”
”Daniel 5:27: ‘TEKĒL’, “you have been weighed on the scales and found deficient.
”Daniel 5:27 tells us that God weighs all people on His scales of justice and righteousness. And, in this verse, God tells Belshazzar that he has been weighed in the balances, and found deficient: A mighty army and brilliant tactics overcame the Babylonian Empire, yet it still fell from within. The armies of the Medes and Persians could only conquer because Belshazzar and his kingdom were found lacking in spiritual and moral values.
God hates sin. (Proverbs 6:16-19) If you choose sin over God, God still loves you and He still hates sin. What is God’s balance between sin and the sinner?
THE BALANCE:“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. God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him. The one who believes in Him is not judged; the one who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.”
Revelation 20:11-15, tells us of the outcome of this Perfect Balance, when it says, “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whosepresence earth and heaven fled, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them; and they were judged, each one of them according to their deeds. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”
Revelation 21:27, warns,“and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”
GOD IS JUST
The old testament gives us scores of examples of entire nations that had become so sinful, that God allowed them to be completely destroyed.
Genesis 6:5-8, tells us, ”Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of mankind was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually. So the Lord was sorry that He had made mankind on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. Then the Lord said, “I will wipe out mankind whom I have created from the face of the land; mankind, and animals as well, and crawling things, and the birds of the sky. For I am sorry that I have made them.” But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.”
There are many, today, who claim the Name of Christ, but, refuse to believe that God would destroy them for their sinful lives. I have even heard a so-called pastor say to his congregation, “God loves you and me too much, to love us any less”. (This came from a ‘pastor’ who had many moral failings, while a ‘pastor’.) But, the Bible says, if you ‘practice deeds of the flesh’, (the word practice is from the Greek word, ‘prasso’, found in Galatians 5:16-21), you WILL NOT INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
Jesus, during His earthly ministry, was on mission to save the world. He engaged in this spiritual war, to the death. Jesus demonstrated The Perfect Balance. It may not be what you might think or have expected.
Jesus said, John 18:37, “For this purpose I have been born, and for this I have come into the world: to testify to the truth.” Jesus demonstrated the Perfect Balance:
Are these inconsistencies or is this God’s method of Perfect Balance? It is our model. We are to love people. We are to hate sin.
(Please note: This is neither rhetoric nor hyperbole. What you are about to read contains teaching and training on the use of the most powerful weapon ever known.
(Do not make the mistake of underestimating the power of the Gospel and the power of God’s spoken Word to change hearts and minds, to pull down strongholds and defeat our enemies and to save those who endure to the end..
(Also, please be aware that there is no ‘shortcut’, no easy 1-2-3, to defeating our enemy. It takes discipline and training and preparation. You need to read, study, prepare and, foremost, PRAY. In order get the complete detail for a complete understanding of the steps to take, please read all of the related page links.)
A WAR TO RESIST AND OVERCOME
The evils enveloping America and the world can be fought in four basic ways:
Conventional or guerrilla warfare, using conventional weapons of war, economic weapons, psychological warfare, the weapons of the media;
Political weapons;
Changing and winning the hearts and minds of the people through Spiritual Warfare;
The first two methods have been in use since creation and have brought only temporary periods of peace or limited prosperity for the few. We have been fighting wars throughout our history, which have murdered billions of people and caused destruction at unimaginable costs in dollars and human suffering, so the first two methods have not brought any measure of lasting peace or prosperity, except to a few.
If you cannot, or will not, believe that this is your mission and that He will accomplish these things through you, then you are not yet His disciple. And you cannot know how and are unable TO EFFECTIVELY ENGAGE THE EVIL ENVELOPING OUR NATION AND THE WORLD IN SPIRITUAL WARFARE.
Our relationship with God requires more than just knowing about Him. We must know Him, believe Him and we must follow Him, which requires our FAITH in ACTION.
Pastor and author Henry Blackaby points out, in his study “The 7 Realities For Experiencing God”, what we should know about God’s ways, His plans and His purposes. It illustrates how we can follow Him:
God is always at work around you.
God pursues a continuing love relationship with you that is real and personal.
God invites you to become involved with Him in His work.
God speaks by the Holy Spirit through the Bible, prayer, circumstances, and the church to reveal Himself, His purposes, and His ways.
God’s invitation for you to work with Him always leads you to a crisis of belief that requires faith and action.
You must make major adjustments in your life to join God in what He is doing.
You come to know God by experience as you obey Him, and He accomplishes His work through you.
JESUS’ MINISTRY IS OUR MINISTRY
Our relationship with Jesus is more than ‘Just Knowing’; it requires Believing and Doing. Jesus has
(a) The plan for us to follow,
(b) The purpose which becomes our purpose, and
(c) The ministry for us as His disciples.
For example, in Matthew 10:2, we are told that “Jesus sent these twelve out after (a) instructing them (b) He gave them authority
over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to
heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness
“And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’
“Heal the sick,
raise the dead,
cleanse the lepers,
cast out demons.
Freely you received, freely give.
“Do not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money belts, or a bag for your journey, or even two coats, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker is worthy of his support.
“And whatever city or village you enter, inquire who is worthy in it, and stay at his house until you leave that city. “As you enter the house, give it your greeting. “If the house is worthy, give it your blessing of peace. But if it is not worthy, take back your blessing of peace.
“Whoever does not receive you, nor heed your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake the dust off your feet. “Truly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city.
If you cannot, or will not, believe that this is your mission and that He will accomplish these things through you, then you are not yet His disciple. And you cannot know how and are unable TO EFFECTIVELY ENGAGE THE EVIL ENVELOPING OUR NATION AND THE WORLD IN SPIRITUAL WARFARE.
JESUS’ MISSION IS OUR MISSION
After Jesus’ death and resurrection and just before His ascension, He said:
Matthew 28:18And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. “Go therefore 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 observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
So, Jesus was sent by His Father and was on The Mission of His Father. If you are a disciple of Jesus (His follower) this is your mission, and He will do this work through you.
If you cannot, or will not, believe that this is your mission and that He will accomplish these things through you, then you are not yet His disciple. And you cannot know how and are unable TO EFFECTIVELY ENGAGE THE EVIL ENVELOPING OUR NATION AND THE WORLD IN SPIRITUAL WARFARE.
III. JESUS’ PURPOSE IS OUR PURPOSE
1 John 3:8 “The one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, TO DESTROY THE WORKS OF THE DEVIL.”
These are the WORKS of the devil, the thief comes only to STEAL and KILL and DESTROY (John 10:10)
The devil is the accuser, a liar, a thief, a murderer, the author of disease, pain, despair, loss, lack, fear, hopelessness and the like.
IV. JESUS’ METHOD IS OUR METHOD
Revelation 12:11 “And they overcame him (the devil) because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word (logos) of their testimony (Maturia -> Martus), and they did not love their life even when faced with death.”
Here is how Jesus destroyed the works of the devil. And, how He will continue to destroy the works of the devil, through His yielded and obedient disciple:
Condemns a Fig Tree Matthew 21:17-22
Feeds More than Four-Thousand People Matthew 15:32-39
Stills the Storm
The Catch of Fish
The Second Catch of Fish
The Temple Tax Money Obtained from a Fish’s Mouth
Walks Upon Lake Galilee
Water Converted Into Wine
Cleanses the Leper
Cures a Man With Dropsy
Cures the Woman With the Issue of Blood
Healing of the Immobile Man
Heals a Demoniac
Heals Peter’s Mother-In-Law
Heals the Daughter of the Non-Jewish, Syro-Phoenician Woman
Heals the Demoniac
Heals the Ear of Malchus
Heals the Epileptic Boy
Heals the Nobleman’s Son
Heals the Paralyzed Man
Heals the Woman With the Spirit of Infirmity
Opens the Eyes of a Man Born Blind
Restores a Blind Man
Restores Sight to Two Blind Men Near Jericho
Restores the Centurion’s Servant
Restores the Deaf-Mute Man
Restores Two Blind Men to Sight
Restoring the Withered Hand
Throws Demons out of Two Men of Gadara (Gerasa)
DEFEATED DEATH
Raises Lazarus from the Dead
Raises the Daughter of Jairus from the Dead
Raises the Widow’s Son to Life at the Village of Nain
(You can listen to this on audio and pause the audio to follow page links, then, you can resume the audio, when you are ready. Please note that I use page links in lieu of footnotes and references for important study details).
John 1:4,5, “In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
NOTES
“In Him was life”; (from the Greek word, ‘zoe’, which means both of physical and of spiritual, particularly future existence.The Lord intimately shares His gift of life with people, creating each in His image which gives all the capacity to know His eternal life. Compared to ‘psuche’ the vital breath, breath of life, (b) the human soul, (c) the soul as the seat of affections and will, (d) the self, (e) a human person, an individual. This is a life worth living; active, purposeful and effervescent.)
“And the life was the Light of men”; (from the Greek word, ‘phós’, which means a source of light, radiance; to emit and be seen.
“In the darkness”; (from the Greek word, ‘skotia’, which means spiritual darkness; a brand of moral, spiritual obscurity, (i.e. which blocks the light of God when faith is lacking).
“Did not comprehend it”; (from the Greek word, ‘katalambanó’, which means to overtake or to eagerly seize or possess; also, to comprehend.
COMMENTS
God’s creation of ‘mankind’ is recorded in Genesis 1:26, where God’s Word says we are created ‘in His image’. The Hebrew language, tells us that God created us ‘in His image’, which comes from the Hebrew word ‘tselem‘, a mere empty image, a semblance, a shadow or an outline; a vain form of the original. This comes from a root word meaning ‘of dubious character’, i.e., with a flaw.
It is difficult to know why God created Adam this way, and that all humankind, throughout all the ages, which includes you and me, with ‘a flaw’, which would lead us to become afflicted by the curse of sin which carries the penalty of physical and spiritual death and separation from God.
What we must trust is that God’s plan is His perfect divine purpose and that God revealed that the curse of sin can be negated and reversed through His grace and by our faith in Christ. Jesus is the perfect sacrifice and payment for our sin.
Now, when we consider verses 4 and 5 of the book of John, we see both its complexities and its simplicity. The Truth is that the life given by God, is rich in its complexity, life giving and powerfully effervescent and purposeful. It is a life worth living.
This Life is not passive, but it is active and radiant, dispelling the darkness of fear, doubt, lack, want and all sorts of evil.
This “Life” is comparable to the ‘PSUCHE’, the soul, which is the vital breath of life; it is the human soul, as the seat of affections and will, the ‘self’ of the human person.
‘The darkness’ cannot overtake the ‘Light of men’ which the light of God created within you, instead, the Light overcomes and defeats the darkness. Darkness cannot comprehend God’s Light, and is dispelled from the soul of the child of God.
This Life of God, takes birth in your spirit (your PNEUMA), and wells up into your soul, (your PSUCHE) will radiate the image of God in and through your life, (the DIANOIA).
The simplicity is that 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; for with the heart, (PNEUMA), a person believes, which results in righteousness, and with his mouth, a person confesses, (DIANOIA), resulting in salvation.
Come to Him and find Life!
Your Brother and Friend,
Mike Young
(There may be times or circumstances with which you struggle that seem impossible to overcome. Please read “Separated From God?” for a word of encouragement and hope.)
(You can listen to this on audio and pause the audio to follow page links, then, you can resume the audio, when you are ready. Please note that I use page links in lieu of footnotes and references for important study details).
Does SIN separate you from God?
Have you ever heard that sin can separate you from God? I have often heard this phrase, that my ‘sins’ separate me from God, and that sin even hinders or negates my prayers or that God won’t even hear me.
Those who say that sin separates us from God, usually quote verses like Isaiah 59:2 “But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.”
Or, New Testament verses like Galatians 5:4, “You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.”
Then, when I commit a sin, this phrase comes to my mind, I begin to worry and doubt and fear that I have created a separation between me and my Eternal Hope.
I try to “not sin”, then I sin, anyway. And, the cycle of worry and doubt and fear starts over again.
I have met Christians who have serious challenges with alcoholism, drug addiction, sexual addiction, kleptomania, homosexuality, and other habits of thought, behavioral habits or addictions, and most will either say “the harder I try, the worse it gets” or “I am better, but…” or, they find themselves having to live in the torment. I had found myself in this dilemma, once in my life.
Then there are the few who say they have been delivered from this torment and have been set completely free. How do they do that?
I have read all the well-intended commentaries and the so-called Bible scholars on this matter, and you get answers that differ depending on denominational views.
WHAT A QUANDARY.
The Apostle Paul gives us a word of hope in Romans, chapter 7, speaking about the conflict of the two natures that dwell within us.
Romans 7:14-25, tells us,
“For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate.
But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good. So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.
For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not.
For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good.
For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members.
Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?
Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind I am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh, the law of sin.”
THERE IS DELIVERANCE FROM THIS BONDAGE
Romans 8:1-6, tells us,
“Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of [c]sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, 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. For, those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For, the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace,”
NOW THERE IS THE NEW COVENANT
The Good News is that Jesus died, ONCE, for all who would believe.
Sin may cause us to separate ourselves from God, but sin will never separate God from those of us who believe.
Romans 8:31-39, says,
“What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen?
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons neither the present nor the future, nor any powers neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
You see, our ‘natural response’ to sin is to withdraw and try to HIDE FROM GOD, due to shame, guilt, worry, doubt and fear.
We can see this played out in the Garden of Eden, in Genesis 3:8
“They (Adam and Eve) heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Then the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” He said, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.”
Sin does not separate God from us. God will seek us out. We are the ones who will seek separation.
Sin is a method of Satan to impose guilt, shame, fear and doubt into our minds in order to compel us to withdraw from God and from God’s protection over our lives.
God never withdraws from His own, thanks to Jesus our Christ. “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1
Romans 8 tells us that, “there is now, no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, those who walk in the Spirit of God. And that the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace!”
SO, WHAT IS THE ANSWER TO THIS QUANDARY?
James 4:7(Think on this, understand this, take it seriously, and do it)
“Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
“Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.
Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.”
YES!! Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.
1 John 1:9 tells us that
“If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. But, If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
And, on a final note, as helpful as some recovery programs are, this is not a “Two-Step” program for recovering addicts or habitual offenders.
James 4:7, is ALL ONE STEP: Submit yourself to God AND resist the devil and the devil will flee from you WHILE you are drawing near to God.
In other words, MOVE YOUR FOCUS AWAY FROM THE TROUBLE AND ONTO GOD. YOU DO YOUR PART, WHILE, GOD IS DOING HIS PART
Again, let’s remember, Romans 8:6,says, “The mind set on The Spirit is life and peace.” Life and Peace, Indeed!
(You can listen to this on audio and pause the audio to follow page links, then, you can resume the audio, when you are ready. Please note that I use page links in lieu of footnotes and references for important study details).
IT IS FINISHED
The word “canon” comes from the rule of law that was used to determine if a book measured up to a standard. It is important to note that the writings of Scripture were canonical at the moment they were written.
Scripture was Scripture when the pen touched the parchment. This is very important because Christianity does not start by defining God, or Jesus Christ, or salvation. The basis of Christianity is found in the authority of Scripture. If we cannot identify what Scripture is, then we cannot properly distinguish any theological truth from error.
The canon of Scripture refers to all the books in the Christian Bible and Hebrew Scriptures that together constitute the complete and divinely inspired Word of God. Only the books of the canon are considered authoritative in matters of faith and practice.
The idea of a closed canon is that the Bible is complete; no more books are being added to it. God is not appending His Word.
A closed canon also implies that there are no apostles or prophets today who are receiving new messages from God.
The church is gifted with teachers and preachers of the Word today, but anyone who claims a new revelation from God, proffers his or her message as divinely inspired, or assumes authority on par with the Bible is leading people astray. Sadly, many in the church give heed to dreams and visions shared from the pulpit and to those who falsely claim that “God spoke to me.”
The canon of Scripture was determined by God, not men. Jude, one of the last books to be included in the canon before it was closed, says, “Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people” (Jude 1:3).
The words the faith in this passage refer to, are the sum of what Christians believe, all the apostles’ teachings, or the whole body of Christian beliefs. In other words, everything we believe in the Christian faith has already been delivered or revealed to the saints through the apostles and prophets. Through the Scriptures, God has given us a final and complete body of knowledge for living the Christian faith.
John 19:28 says,
”After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, to fulfill the Scripture, said, “I am thirsty.” verse 29. A jar full of sour wine was standing there; so they put a sponge full of the sour wine upon a branch of hyssop and brought it up to His mouth. Verse 30. Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said,“It is finished!”And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.”
Matthew 5:17 , says,
“Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. Verse 18. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Verse 19. Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them,he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”
Proverbs 5:5, says,
”Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Verse 6. Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you, and you be found a liar.”
Deuteronomy 4:1, instructs,
“Now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the judgments which I am teaching you to perform, so that you may live and go in and take possession of the land which the Lord, the God of your fathers, is giving you. Verse 2. You shall not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.”
Deuteronomy 12:32, warns,
“Whatever I command you, you shall be careful to do; you shall not add to nor take away from it.”
Revelation 22:18, also warns,
“I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; verse 19. and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.”
I have participated in, been a member of and have been ‘on staff’ with the Baptist church and the Nazarene church. I have also been a member of and actively participated in the Assemblies of God church. Furthermore, I have interacted with and studied the doctrines, teachings and practices of the Methodist church, the Word of Faith movement, the Charismatic movement. So, I have some first-hand experience and some studied involvement and I can tell you, unequivocally, that many have drifted from the directives and commands of Scriptures and are teaching others to do the same.
The Word of Faith and Charismatic, churches, and many of the Pentecostal, Methodist churches and Assemblies of God churches are adding practices and beliefs which are, at least incompatible with Scriptures, and at worst, are disobedient to the Word of God, bordering on heresy. (See “Has The Great Apostasy Begun?“).
I have friends who follow and recommend the teachings of certain Word of Faith, Pentecostal and Charismatic preachers and teachers to others. I have researched these ‘denominations’, as a result of a recommendation by friends, and I had even joined one Pentecostal church. However, I have stayed silent about some strange things I saw and learned, not wanting to offend my friends.
Now, these same people are recommending certain self-appointed ‘apostles and prophets’ to my wife. She has asked me what I think about this. Now, I am going public with my findings.
First, let me say, I am not questioning their sincerity nor am I questioning their salvation. They use many Biblical examples in their teachings, but, they regularly mix their teachings with extra-Biblical and non-biblical teachings and practices.
I am exposing what I have discovered about their beliefs, practices and associations, and they are not Biblical. They may be sincere, but, it is my opinion, along with scores of others, that these teachings are at least incompatible with and at worst, sincerely wrong for The Gospel and for Biblical Christianity.
Extra-Biblical ideologies are ‘wildly popular’ among Charismatics, Pentecostals, Dominionism and Word of Faith adherents.
I have gathered information, both firsthand, and gleaned from dozens of websites about self-proclaimed Prophets and New Reformation Apostles. I have studied the New Apostolic Reformation, and the ‘Dominionism’ movement. Furthermore, I have considered the Charismaticmovement and their affiliations with the Word of Faith movement. I have studied the Lakeland Church movement associated with heretic and apostate Todd Bentley and of Kundalini Spirit worship (video at the end of this page). I have looked at the Brownsville Revival also known as the Pensacola Outpouring and have spoken to participants of that ‘revival’, which was later exposed by various news sources as fraught with misinformation, deceit, controversy and alleged fraud.
The Bible is clear that any person who claims to have ‘special revelations’ and claims to speak on behalf of the Bible and of God, can NEVER join, affiliate or participate in anything such as the bizarre and non-Biblical behaviors at the Lakeland revival and Brownsville revivals, such as ‘golden dust’, ‘angel wings’, ‘kundalini’, ‘barking like dogs, laughing uncontrollably, shaking violently, howling, rolling on the ground’, and have any credibility of discernment or to have any prophetic abilities.
Here are some links to these questionable ‘religious movements’ and denominations.
Teachers, preachers, members and adherents of these aforementioned movements claim to have special revelations through dreams and thoughts and interpret these dreams as having special Extra-Biblical relevance. They connect their dreams to scriptures and call them prophecies, thereby effectively ADDING TO SCRIPTURES.
(NOTE: Matthew 5:18-19, warns, “For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”
Revelation 22:18-19, warns, ”I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.”)
The Bible is clear that we are to avoid such practices.
My Conclusion: YOU SHOULD AVOID THESE BELIEF SYSTEMS, TEACHINGS AND PRACTICES because they are of men, many with dubious associations, practices and bizarre, nonsensical non-biblical beliefs.
(To my friends in the Charismatic and Pentecostal churches: I know there are good and faithful pastors and Christians in these churches. I am in no way criticizing the Church, the Bride of Christ or all of you. I am criticizing and condemning any errant sprits and denominational deviations from the plain Word of the Bible. I do believe you know if I am talking about you, and you know those you should remove from your midst; adhere faithfully and closely to the written, revealed Word of God.)
Put your trust in
“Scripture alone”, Sola scriptura:
2. “Faith alone”, Sola fide:
3. “Grace alone”, Sola gratia:
4. “Christ alone”, Solo Christo:
5. “To the glory of God alone”, Soli Deo gloria:
PS: Here is a graphic video on the teaching and practices of the Charismatic and the Word of Faith adherents at the Lakeland Revival and the Brownsville Revival. These satanic practices spread to other churches and have been practiced by unwitting people.
