Category Archives: Wisdom

2020, 2020 Posts, Apostolic, Bible Study, Christianity, Wisdom, Word's of Wisdom

Did We Forget Hebrews 11?

Introduction

In my private time with the Lord this week I felt the question pressed upon me “Did we forget Hebrews chapter 11?”. Some of you who are diligent students of God’s Word know what Hebrews 11 is about. Hebrews is one of my favorite post-Gospel books of the Bible to study. This blog post is not just going to be teaching based out of Scripture, but also a strong exhortation for the entire Body of Christ. I realize many people that are reading this have a different background from various denominations. I would challenge all of you as you read your Bible, each time you pick it up, read it like you never read it before. Often when we read over the Bible a few times we already have knowledge of what certain passages mean. However, for us to grow in the deeper things of God we must constantly be seeking God for knowledge, wisdom, and revelation as we read His Word. We need to read the Bible with open eyes, being sensitive to what the Holy Spirit wants to teach us. I would even advise you to switch up the translations you read from time to time. Regardless, everything we pull from Scripture as revelation must be used in context.

What is Faith

So, let us dig into Hebrews 11, I am not going to quote every single verse, but I encourage you to take the time and read Hebrews 11. I want you to read the entire book of Hebrews within this week. Hebrews 11:1 (NKJV) starts off with “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”.  Faith is the result of things hoped for regardless of what we see in the realm of this world. Faith is defined as a complete trust or confidence in someone or something. Our complete trust and confidence in the Lord are the result of things hoped for regardless if we see them or not in this earthly realm. Too often people are moved only by what they see in front of them and forget what the Word of God says and promises us.

God Shown Through Creation

Hebrews 11:3 (AMP) tells us, “By faith [that is, with an inherent trust and enduring confidence in the power, wisdom and goodness of God] we understand that the worlds (universe, ages) were framed and created [formed, put in order, and equipped for their intended purpose] by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.”. Our faith in God must be enduring confidence in God’s power, wisdom, goodness, and His many other attributes. Everything we see around us on this planet and even beyond was formed by God in the sense of nature. Just like a skyscraper was carefully built and designed by someone with a purpose, everything on this earth was created by God with a purpose and was done perfectly. However, we know that when the fall of man took place things changed, I will get more into that in another post.

Many people say, “I don’t believe in God, I cannot see Him.”. Just what God has done with Creation, creating this beautiful earth and everything in the universe proves He is real. Even the mighty moves of God that we see in Scripture prove who He is. Ezekiel 33:29 (ESV) says, “Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I have made the land a desolation and a waste because of all their abominations that they have committed.”. The signs that God performed in the Scriptures were to show the people that He is the Lord. Just like when God does mighty works today, it is done for His Glory. When someone is healed of a disease, it is not to glorify an evangelist, it is to glorify God. When someone receives a true prophetic word from God, it is not to glorify someone operating in the office of a prophet, but to glorify God.

By Faith

In Hebrews 11 we see a roll call of the Heroes of Faith from the Scriptures. We see about 15 times in Hebrews 11 the phrase “by faith”. For example, we see in verse seven that when Noah was warned about the flood and was instructed to build the ark, it was all done by faith. Noah could not see the coming flood. He not only had faith; he was moved by the fear of God to build the ark following the detailed instructions the Lord gave him. Having true faith in God results in true fear of God.

The Fear of God

The fear of God is critically important. Philippians 2:12 (AMP) tells us, “So then, my dear ones, just as you have always obeyed [my instructions with enthusiasm], not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence, continue to work out your salvation [that is, cultivate it, bring it to full effect, actively pursue spiritual maturity] with awe-inspired fear and trembling [using serious caution and critical self-evaluation to avoid anything that might offend God or discredit the name of Christ].”. Some people believe that once you say the sinner’s prayer that you are always good to go, regardless of your lifestyle. Many people have fallen to the teachings of hyper-grace or greasy grace. If someone is truly saved and filled with the Holy Spirit, then there is going to be fruit to show. Faith without works is dead. We are not saved by works, but works are a result of true genuine salvation. Are there times when we slip up? Yes, and when we do, we should be quick to repent. Part of repentance is turning away from sins. We got many people who want to go to Heaven, but do not want to give up their addiction to wickedness. If you do not want to give up your addiction to wickedness, then you need to really examine yourself! Because if we are people of faith, we will also be people who fear God.

Hypocrisy in the Church

Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV) tells us, “But without faith 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 diligently seek Him.”. We cannot please God without having complete trust and confidence in Him. Too many people say that they have faith in God, but their actions reflect otherwise. Too many churches claim to believe the Word of Faith but act otherwise. Too many churches and Christians have more faith in the power of the devil, than in the power of Jesus Christ. You might be thinking, “what is he talking about?”. If the church truly knew the authority there is within Jesus Christ, and the rights we must exercise authority by His powerful name for His Glory, then why would churches still be closed over a pandemic?

A Sinking Church

When Jesus healed the woman of fever, did Jesus and His disciples wear a face covering? No. Did they stop what they were doing for quarantine for 14 days after exposure to her? No. Jesus gave us all as believers very clear instructions in Mark 16:17-18 (NKJV), “And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;  they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”. This was not limited to first-century Christians; this is simply addressed to those who believe. Many people who say that the apostolic gifts of the Spirit have ceased because of transitions in the Book of Acts. If that is the case, then why do we see miracles performed all the way to the very last chapter in the Book of Acts? People like to use 1 Corinthians 13 to say that all the Gifts of the Spirit are not for today. 1 Corinthians 13 is first addressing the importance of acting in love in all things, because without love then your spiritual gifts mean nothing. We must not only yield to the Holy Spirit regarding the gifts of the Spirit, but we must also have the fruits of the Spirit showing in our lives. 1 Corinthians 13 also stresses the importance of maturity, there are many people today who act immature when it comes to the gifts of the Spirit. Everything involving the gifts of the Spirit is conformed to the Word of God. God will never do anything with us in the miraculous that contradicts His Word. Our experiences and feelings are not above the authority of Scripture either. We are to be submitted to the authority of Scripture.

Many churches today are simply not acting by what they profess their faith to be. There are very few who have taken a stand. Some church leaders are waking up and realizing they must take a stand and open their churches. The government might imprison us for going to church during a ‘pandemic’.  But look at what the Apostle Paul went through. Did the Apostles stop preaching when they were told to by government authorities? No, they did not. Hebrews 10:25 (NKJV) instructs us, “not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”. Assembling over social media can have its benefits, but there is nothing like being gathered as Jesus taught in the Gospels. Whether your gathering is large or small, we should not forsake it. What will we do when we are told by the US government, not to preach at all, and to throw out our Bibles because our message is offensive towards Sodomites? Will we bow down? Or will we stand? The day is coming when Biblical Christianity will not be tolerated in America. Are we going to act in faith or fear?

Judgement for the Faithless and Cowards

While we will be judged based on the 10 Commandments, and our names must be written in the Lambs Book of Life, we cannot be faithless and cowardly professing Christians. Revelation 21:8 (NKJV) warns us, “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”. Church it is either time to continue swimming, start swimming for your life or sink. This is not the time to be playing games, the time is noticeably short from the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Has the church forgotten Hebrews 11? The majority has, but Jesus said that ‘narrow and difficult is the way which leads to life’. There are very few who have stepped up to what we are called to do as the Body of Christ. If you have been taking a stand in faith, then let this post be an encouragement to you. If you have been acting out of fear, let this post be a warning to you. Please take the time to have serious fellowship with the Lord. We must be seeking Him daily and we must know what He has called each one of us to do. Now is not the time to be on the sidelines. 

2020 Posts, Christianity, Inspiration, Salvation, Wisdom

Tough Words – Our Heavenly Father

Today is Father’s Day, a day that we recognize our earthly fathers for all that they do for us. For some, this is a day to remember fathers who are no longer with us. I am thankful for a great God-fearing earthly father.

Today I want to talk about who our Heavenly Father is. I am convinced that many people today do not know who God truly is. Yet it is more troubling that many people in the church do not truly know who God is because there is a major distortion in the church. There are even many preachers who are not even truly saved. How do I know this? Because we are living in the days of the Great Falling Away. 1 Timothy 4:1 (ESV) warns us, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons”. The enemy has been setting up camp in churches through false teachers and philosophies of man. Any gospel that is not the True Gospel does not save.

Not only do people in churches not know who God truly is, but they also take him lightly. Modern Christianity has been dumbed down to a few bullet points with a prayer to join a social club.  We have a type of Christianity that accommodates to the way of this dark world. 1 John 1:5 (ESV) tells us, “This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.”. God is light and has no darkness. Why is this significant? Because it is one of God’s many attributes and we are in a world that is filled with darkness. There are many professing Christians who claim to be filled with the Holy Spirit, but there is no difference in their lifestyle from an unbeliever.

Truly coming to God for Salvation is giving up. We cannot save ourselves, only Christ can do that. When is the last time in private you cried out to God for help with the sin you still need to conquer? When is the last time you sought your Heavenly Father and waited until He showed up? In today’s fast-paced world, we want everything to happen right away. I can be guilty of this, I work in technology, and I have the mindset of things always being fast paced. But we all must learn to sit in the secret place and wait on God. Psalm 91:1 (ESV) tells us, “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.”.  Additionally, Jesus told us in Matthew 6:6 (ESV), “But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”.

Jerimiah 29:13 (AMP) tells us, “Then [with a deep longing] you will seek Me and require Me [as a vital necessity] and [you will] find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.”. We must seek our Heavenly Father with all our heart. Not only do we need to seek Him with our full heart, but we must also seek Him with the right motives. Are we seeking Him just for the benefits? Are we seeking Him to just have our ticket to Heaven stamped? These types of mindsets have become normal in much of Christianity because the me-centered gospel has become mainstream. We must realize that the Bible is not about us, it is about a God who is willing and able, sovereign, and the same yesterday, today and forever.

We need to have a higher view of our Savior Jesus Christ. So many people take the Cross lightly. Revelation 19:12-15 (ESV) tells us, “His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God.  And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.”. Let those words sink in and reflect on why the Blood of the Spotless Lamb is taken lightly and abused in the church today. I cannot think of the words He will say on the day of judgment to the leaders of the great falling away.

We must wake up to who God is. We must recognize who our Heavenly Father is according to His Word. Everything we need for this walk is found in His Word, and we have the Holy Spirit to teach us all things and to lead us into all truth. The best thing the church in America can do today on Father’s Day for our Heavenly Father is to take its trash out. Everything that is in the church that is not of God needs to be thrown out and burned. Everything that is of the world that has been allowed in the church, needs to be thrown out. Everything in our lives individually that does not line up with His commandments needs to be removed. Dear friends the end is near! Jesus is coming and there are going to be many pew warmers and even pastors who are going to be in shock when this day comes.

As we celebrate Father’s Day take time to reflect on what our Heavenly Father expects from us as both a church and individually.

2020 Posts, Wisdom

A Plague in the Church

Paul Washer quote
Quote Copyright to Paul Washer

My Thoughts

Much of the American church today wants to focus on how to grow its congregation. Many seminaries teach strategies on how to grow a church. The sad thing is the vast majority of these programs only look at what the people want rather than what God wants.

One of the largest plagues to hit the church is using carnal means during worship. I’ve seen too many buildings with a sign on it that says “church”, but inside it looks just like the bars and night clubs of the world. As true born again Christians we should not want our worship to resemble the clubs of this world with flashing lights and steam everywhere.

Not only that, but there is zero discernment for the music that is played in church services. Just because it is a popular Christian band does not make it doctrinally sound. Just because the artist calls themselves a Chrisitan does not mean that they are not an agent of Satan in disguise.

Look in Leviticus 10 when God struck two priests for unauthorized worship. When we worship God it must be with total reverence to Him and for His Glory alone.

There are many people out there who truly want Christ alone, but yet the Christian world is sadly plagued by carnality in so many ways even aside from worship. Many people today are concerned about viruses circulating in the world, well there is also an epidemic circulating the church and it is called the carnal church. Romans 8:6-10 tells us that carnality is death.

Don’t get me wrong I am vigilant of the virus that is currently spreading around the world, and we must pray and have true faith in God for healing and protection. Additionally, I am more concerned about the pandemic that has been made in American churches and sent all over the world.

It is time that the Gospel stops becoming so Americanized, and it must stop being sent all over the world. Eternal death is much more tragic than physical death.

2020 Posts, Baptism of Holy Spirit, Book of Acts Series 2019, Discernment, Gifts of the Spirit, Inspiration, Wisdom

Acts 19:21-41: Determining in Your Spirit

Introduction

In my previous blog post, we looked at Acts 19:1-20, so if you have not read that post yet be sure to check it out first! We previously saw some great revival take place in the first part of Acts chapter 19. We also looked at some great revelation regarding the gift of tongues and prophecy. We are also going to look at the importance of reasoning in the spirit. 

Acts 19:21-22

Acts 19:21-22 we see that after the great working of God that took place through Paul in the previous verses that Paul plans on going through Macedonia and Achaia to get to Jerusalem. He also plans that he will then go to Rome. However, he sends Timothy and Erastus ahead of him while he stays on the west side of Asia for a while longer.  

A Note Regarding the Word Spirit

Acts 19:21 (NKJV) says “When these things were accomplished, Paul purposed in the Spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.”. Paul purposed in his spirit what he would do. Some synonyms for the word purpose are to intend, aim, plan, and design. If we look in the Amplified Bible, it translates it as “Paul determined in his Spirit”. One important note regarding the many translations of the Bible that we have available today is that when they translate the word spirit, they often capitalize on the letter ‘s’ when it should be lowercase. When the ‘s’ is uppercase it signifies that it is referring to the Holy Spirit, however, when it is lowercase it is referring to the human spirit of an individual or even our human spirit when it is written in the context of instruction such as in Paul’s letters. In the case of Acts 19:21, it should be lowercase ‘s’ since it is referring to Paul’s spirit.  

Determining in Your Spirit

1 Thessalonians 5:23 (NKJV) tells us we are a three-part being, “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”. In my previous teaching, I wrote about the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, which is necessary to walk in the fullness of what God has called you to do for His Kingdom. So is your spirit man of this world or is it of God? Too often many people have a dual spirit man, meaning it is not fully submitted to the Holy Spirit. Often people will make their decisions based on what logic tells them to do rather than reasoning in their spirit what they should do. If we truly reasoned in our spirit with total submission to the Holy Spirit our lives would be so much more different.

Acts 19:23-41

In the remaining verses, we see a commotion arises over the Gospel. Demetris a silversmith that made shrines of the other gods, tells his fellow workers that what Paul was teaching condoned their line of work. The city then was stirred up and they took Paul’s travel companions, Gaius and Aristarchus. When Paul arrived, they would not let him into the theater where they were gathered. While all these people were gathered Scripture tells us that the people of the assembly were confused. The people did not even know why they were there regarding this matter. This all resulted from just one person stirring the pot to condemn Christianity. We know that confusion does not come from God. 1 Corinthians 14:33 (NKJV) tells us, “For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.”. We see that the city clerk ends up dismissing the case that was being brought up against Paul’s travel companions. Demetrius was simply upset because Paul and his follower’s teachings upset their profit from the Diana cult. Today we have many people who get upset over true Christians who stand firm on Scripture regardless of what is politically correct. We must always remember to stand firm.

Final Thoughts

One of the most important keys to take away from this blog post is recognizing the correct capitalization of the word ‘spirit’ within the Bible. When you have this understanding as you read the Bible you will begin to get deeper revelations. It may even be worth it to make a notation in your Bible as you notice the incorrect capitalization for the word spirit. I also challenge you to apply what I taught on in this blog post which would be to focus on walking in the spirit man you are and to put away any duality.

2020 Posts, Christianity, Fruit of Spirit, Inspiration, love, Old Testament, Prophetic Flow Teaching, Salvation, Sin, Wisdom, Word's of Wisdom

White as Snow

Two Phrases

As I was spending time with the Lord today the Holy Spirit put two phrases on my heart which were, ‘white as snow’ and ‘whiter than snow’. Both phrases are found in Scripture in Isaiah 1:18 and Psalm 51:7. I encourage you to read those passages when you get the opportunity. However, the Holy Spirit drew my attention to Psalm 51:7, and the context of this passage is talking about being cleansed of sin and being renewed with a steadfast spirit.

Jesus Cleanses Us

When one gets truly born again, they are cleansed of all sin and iniquity. 1 John 1:9 (NKJV) tells us, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”. There is so much power in the Blood of Jesus that it is often underappreciated in the church today.

Purification

Going back to Psalm 51:7 it tells us, “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.”. Hyssop was a plant used by the ancient Hebrews for purification. In terms of the New Covenant, the Blood of Jesus is used for our purification. Even after we are truly born again, we will fall short from time to time. We may even have some habitual sins that might take some time to fully flee from. But may I raise a question to you, are you ‘as white as snow’ or ‘whiter than snow’?

White as Snow?

Today as I was writing this, we got about six inches of snow. When snow falls there is either a very small dusting or enough accumulation to cover the ground completely. Often many believers are not as ‘white as snow’ as they should be. Far too often we might have a small dusting of snow. Having a dusting of snow reveals the grass, and I would like to think of the grass as our sinful habits we are struggling to get rid of or even one’s secret sin. To be mighty men and women of God we must flee from the lust of the flesh and walk in our new nature. When we truly do this, we will begin to have more of an accumulation of snow, rather than just a dusting. We should strive each day to be purer. Remember He is coming back very soon for a pure bride, the hour is very late!

2020, 2020 Posts, Book of Acts Series 2019, Fruit of Spirit, Wisdom

An Example of Walking in The Spirit During Conflict

Introduction

In this blog post, we are going to look at the remaining portion of Acts chapter 17. We are going to see several great examples that are set by the Apostle Paul. We will first see the importance of checking doctrine with Scripture, and the importance of us being defenders of the Truth. We will also see how to address sin as a minister or witness.

Search the Scriptures

In Acts 17:11-15 we see that Paul and Silas go to an area called Berea. In this area, the people were very reasonable and received the Gospel. In verse 11 we see it emphasized that the people who received the Gospel searched the Scriptures daily. Why did they do this? “to find out whether these things were so”. As a result of them diligently searching the Scriptures ‘many of them believed’. I would like to point out that these people who received the Gospel did not just search the Scriptures once a week, they searched them daily. Sadly, many people who dare to call themselves Christians only read their Bible when they are in church. Come on people, we have such easy access to the Bible. If you don’t have the time to sit down and read it, then pull up an audio Bible on your phone!

Know the Truth – It is NOT About You

Part of the reason that there is a pandemic level of distortion in Christianity today is that people don’t properly read the Word of God, or don’t read it at all. Many people like to hear preaching where it is based on the notion that it is all about you, all about how they are a David facing a Goliath. I have news for you, that is not the Full and True Gospel. The Bible is not about you! The Bible is about a God who is able and willing! We must study the Scriptures daily in order to know Truth from heresy. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NKJV) tells us, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”. The full Word of God makes us complete and equipped for every good work. Why settle for anything less?

Conflict Arises

As usual, there is a conflict with the Jews on what Paul and Silas were doing. There is a group of Jews that come and stir up the crowd. In verse 14 we see that Paul gets sent by the brethren to Athens, while Timothy and Silas stay in Berea. Paul had such an anointing on him because he became the focal point of Jewish opposition. One of the ways to know you are a true disciple of Christ is that you face opposition. If there is no opposition, then I would greatly question your source.

Idol Worship in Athens

While Paul is in Athens, he notices that much of the area is given to idol worship. As a bit of background, Athens is an area with many great buildings and monuments. It is also known as a central hub for philosophical, intellectual, and religious discussion. The idol worship taking place troubled Paul’s spirit as mentioned in verse 16. I like how verse 16 says the idol worship provoked his spirit. As we should know it is our spirit man who is recreated the moment we truly get born again. Our soul and flesh are not saved. We must renew our minds as Scripture tells us. Paul did not let his flesh surface with this issue of idolatry. This is how we are to handle unbelievers. We should not let it provoke anger in our flesh, we should only let it provoke our spirit man. If we let our flesh run how we minister to people, then we will not bear much fruit at all. It is our spirit man that should be on display while ministering to people.

Paul Continues His Custom

As in the previous chapter, Paul continues his custom of reasoning with people in the synagogues. He does not get in their face and confront them; he reasons with them. This was Paul’s custom that was shown in the previous chapter. In verse 17 we see that he additionally went to the marketplace daily and reasoned with people there as well. We are called to always be ready to minister and/or witness to someone at any given time as the Holy Spirit leads us. It might be while you are at church, work, school, the grocery store, the doctor’s office, or anywhere. We must always be ready!

More Conflict

The Epicurean and Stoic philosophers then come to question Paul. These people came from the best-known schools for philosophy. Regardless, Paul was ready to deal with their questioning. Paul not only studying Scripture diligently, but he was also filled with the Holy Ghost. When we are questioned by people, we should not rely only on our intellect, but also lean on the Holy Spirit to give us the words to speak. The philosophers take Paul to the Areopagus which is a place that hosted gatherings of philosophical and religious debate.

Paul’s Address to Athens – ‘You are religious’

In verses 22-31 we see Paul’s third and final missionary address in the Book of Acts. There are a few key items from his address I would like to point out. In verse 22 he refers to the people as being ‘very religious’. Many unbelievers love to label Christians as religious, while true Christians are not slaves to a religious system. I would label myself as a disciple of Jesus Christ, which is what we are all called to be at the very least, and we are called to go and make disciples. Jesus said in Matthew 23:27 (NKJV), “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.”. Religious people like to cover themselves on the outside, so they do not look so bad. While the truth is that true Christians know and admit that before we came to Christ, we were broken and in need of a Savior.

Paul’s Address to Athens – Idol Worship

Paul then addresses the issue of idolatry. The people of Athens were guilty of worshiping objects made by hands. Paul addresses this while in the Areopagus. Look at Psalm 115:4-8 (NKJV) which tells us, “Their idols are silver and gold, The work of men’s hands. They have mouths, but they do not speak; Eyes they have, but they do not see; They have ears, but they do not hear; Noses they have, but they do not smell; They have hands, but they do not handle; Feet they have, but they do not walk; Nor do they mutter through their throat. Those who make them are like them; So is everyone who trusts in them.”. Additionally, Paul mentions an altar they have which states ‘To the Unknown God’. Paul tells them that there is only One True God. He stresses that God is evident through creation, this is something that is explained in further detail in Romans chapter 1. Paul also tells them about the day of judgment that is to come and about the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Final Thoughts

While there were people who disagreed with Paul’s reasoning ‘some men joined him and believed’. There will come times when we may not get every single person to believe, we may only get a small handful. Regardless it is always the work of the Holy Spirit that brings people to Christ. There were many important points I mentioned throughout this blog post. I encourage you to go back and read through the Scriptures yourself. I also encourage you as we are starting a new year to spend more time than ever before to diligently get to know Gods Word.

2019, Christianity, Wisdom, Word's of Wisdom

Who is the King of Your Heart?

You claim that Jesus is the King of Your Heart, but is He really?
You claim to be a Christian, but you have been on milk all your life.
Why haven’t you gotten to the meat, if He is truly the King of Your Heart?

If He is truly the King of Your heart you should have a burning desire to know Him on new levels each day.
He has a burning desire for fellowship with you, but you ignore the invitation!
He has eyes of fire for a reason, it is a type of fire you do not mess with.

Too many people are stuck on milk and are not even close to ready for the meat.
You have to make a choice to invest time for the King of Kings!
The reason you can’t put aside the time for Him is because you have not yet made him the King of your heart!

Your worldly things are still the king of your heart, but you won’t admit it.
You are too worried about your finances, possessions, entertainment, and self-image!
Its time for pew warmers to get out of the bedroom with the enemy and get on their knees and repent.

Part of the problem is that there is a lack of true training centers to equip mighty men and women of God to take the lead during this late hour.
There are too many social halls, rather than true churches today.
There are too many carnal worship services, rather than worship services that are in spirit and truth.
There are too many ministers obsessed with their own image, rather than submitting to the King of Kings!

The hour is late, just because you see people at church on Sunday does not mean you will see them in Heaven.
Just because you see someone standing behind a pulpit does not mean you will see them in Heaven.
Jesus warned us that not many people choose the one true path, because it is very narrow.

Get your heart right now! Stop procrastinating!
Wipe the dust off your Bible or sign into the Bible App for the first time.
Enroll in the classroom of the Holy Spirit, enrollment is always open. There are many empty seats!

2019, Wisdom, Word's of Wisdom

Why Church Why?

Introduction

I was spending time with the Lord today and He put on my heart a strong word of wisdom. I have gotten word of wisdom and knowledge, but never one as strong as this. Please share this with others, many need to hear this.

A Word of Wisdom

What happened to the church?
Why did you leave your first love?
Why did you become so powerless and submissive to the world?

Why church why?!?!
What are you doing?
Why are you still sleeping with the devil?
Wasn’t His blood good enough for you on Calvary?

You are so carnal with your mindset and programs.
Why are you letting the darkness of the world in?
Why do you resemble the bars and night clubs?
A true House of God should be a bright light to the dark world!

Are you just coming Sundays for a social gathering or for a feel-good feeling?
The House of God is not a social hall, it is a place to equip and correct His remnant of faithful people.
We need to be the mighty men and women of God that we are all called to be.
Why hasn’t the church today opened its doors to let the King of Kings in?

Judgment has begun in the church and it will continue until it is cleaned up.
Don’t wait for revival to happen. We are His people; it starts with us!
We need to be saturated in anguish first, and continually be soaked with it.

If the rapture were to happen today there would not be many people in the church missing.
The majority of ‘Christians’ are not even close to ready.
The time is almost out, get your heart’s ready and spread the Gospel.

The church needs to be put on a new diet and it is a grease-free diet of Grace and Mercy.
The greasy grace diet has and will continue to lead people to hell.
You should be taking fewer repentance pills every night.

The King of Kings loves you so much.
He put this word on my heart so strongly. 
This is a message ordained by the King of Kings.
It would be wise of you to take this word seriously and make your heart right.
It would be very wise for the church to take a wrecking ball it’s denominational theology and takes His Word for what it truly is.

2019, Christianity, Healing, Inspiration, love, Wisdom, Word's of Wisdom

A Word on Anxiety

What is Anxiety?

I decided to make a blog post on something that everyone can relate to. No matter what everyone has dealt with some form of anxiety in their life. Anxiety is defined as a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome. We all deal with bouts of worry from time to time. Maybe you are worried about things at work, your health, family, or financial issues. Or maybe you had some major life-changing events that had a negative impact on your mindset, and this resulted in a chronic type of anxiety. In this post, I want to talk about anxiety and how to deal with it according to the Word of the Living God.

What is Your Go-To?

So, what do you do when you are stuck worrying about something and cannot get it off your mind? Many people both believers and unbelievers will often find themselves doing some sort of stress-relieving activity. It could be reading, going for a walk, listening to music, talking to someone, the list goes on and on. Is there anything wrong with the activities I just listed? Absolutely not! But I would like to pose a better solution, that is Biblical.

Your Mind-Set

So, thoughts of worry, anxiety, and depression all come from our mind, right? So instead of bandaging the problem, why don’t we tackle the cause? Why don’t we begin to tackle our mindset? If you are struggling with anxiety, depression, and worry, then you probably need to work on your mindset! Romans 12:2 (AMP) tells us, “And do not be conformed to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs], but be transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His plan and purpose for you].”. So, we are all to transform our minds as believers by focusing in on the things of God and learning who He is and who you are in Him.

The Word of God Transforms

So how do you begin to know who God is and who you are in Him? Well, get into the Word! Psalm 119:105 (NKJV) says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”. When you truly know who God is, and who you are in Him, along with knowing His Word you will be well equipped! So many people often jump too quickly to all the earthly exits for their situations in life, rather than taking the time to seek God in prayer. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes you might have to talk to someone else for advice or go to a doctor. But we cannot let our earthly exits be valued more than God! I myself often pray every time before I go to the doctor, that God would give the doctor wisdom and knowledge, and God has been faithful to me with that.

The Word Makes Us Complete

The people of this world will go to self-help books on how to deal with their problems. Often, they will need several self-help books for all their problems! We as believers are lucky! We only need one book, and that is the Word of God! 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NKJV) tells us, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”. The Word of God is our ultimate source of wisdom, knowledge, doctrine, correction, and instruction.

Know Who You Are

So how does reading the Word of God help you with anxiety? Well once you begin to read the Word of God, you will begin to learn who you truly are in Him. You will know that God did not give us a spirit of fear, but one of power and of love and of a sound mind, as written in 2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV).  I could have given you many scriptures about anxiety, but I didn’t. Because we all need to know who we are in God, and what God’s Word says about the things we deal with in our life. Once you get the Word into you and let the Holy Spirit teach you, you will see transformation take place in your mindset.

Final Thoughts

So, if you have been struggling with anxiety or depression, I want to encourage you to take some time and get into the Word like you never had before. Make yourself some good notebooks! Each time you start reading, ask for the Holy Spirit to teach you. Start getting into the habit of getting in the Word and praying when storms come your way in life, rather than jumping to an earthly exit right away.

2019, Apostolic, Book of Acts Series 2019, Christianity, Gifts of the Spirit, Salvation, Testimony, Wisdom

Being Used By God

How do you know that someone is truly called by God? In this post, we are going to look at two people in the Book of Acts, who were truly called by God. Additionally, we will look at a few signs to look for in someone that is being used by God. At the end of this teaching, I am also going to dig deep into the term Apostle in hopes to bring some clarity.

The Need for Boldness Today

Starting with Acts 14:1 we see that the Apostles Paul and Barnabas were in Iconium speaking in a Jewish synagogue. If you look in the Amplified Bible, it tells us they both spoke with boldness and power. How did they have this boldness and power? It was because they were Baptized in the Holy Spirit. They spoke with boldness and power because they had the Holy Spirit working through them. Therefore, their ministry was powerful and bold, even though it faced much opposition. This is the way the church today needs to be! Additionally, in Acts 14:1 it tells us that many Jews and Greeks accepted the message of the Gospel. In the Amplified Bible, it tells us that they confidently accepted Jesus as our savior.  I am not sure how we can possibly get true conversion today if the average church in America is weak and dehydrated from the Holy Spirit. In America’s church today I see many people who say they have been born again for so many years, but no evidence of it, you cannot tell them apart from the unbelieving world. Therefore, we need bold and powerful preaching in our churches today! Many people are going to go to hell when they die, and it is truly sad!

Facing Opposition

Acts 14:2 goes on to tell us the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against Paul and Barnabas. This is what will often happen to people who are truly being used by God, they will have people oppose them, they will often face opposition regularly. One way to know for certain that someone is being used by God is that they are facing opposition regularly. God never promised that this walk would be easy, and He never promised that the work of ministry would be easy. In fact, Jesus even warned us that we would face rejection and even persecution.

Signs and True Salvation

In Acts 14:3 we see that God allowed signs to follow Paul and Barnabas as they continued ministering to the people in Iconium. Verse three specifically tells us that God granted signs and wonders to be done. I think it is safe to assume that these signs were healings, miracles, and deliverances. Jesus told us in Mark 16:20 (NKJV), “And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs.”. God will allow signs to follow those who are truly seeking Him. God will use a minister who regularly spends time with God in the prayer closet, rather than a minister who only reads the Bible when they are preparing their Sunday sermon. Someone who is truly being used by God will have bold teaching that cuts the heart of the sinner, and even corrects the believer. This type of preaching is what should bring true salvation and conversion. We should not be concerned about the number of people we get to say the sinner’s prayer, we should be concerned about the number of people who are truly saved and converted. This is something that is lacking in the church today, which has resulted in much carnality in the church today.

Division and the Enemy

Continuing Acts 14:4 tells us that the city of Iconium was divide, some sided with the apostles, and some with the unbelieving Jews. The enemy’s work was at hand right here, because there was division. The enemy loves to divide churches and families. I would like to encourage you that when you start seeing division happening in your church or family, make sure your first action is to start praying rather than letting your flesh get the best of you!

Grace and Opposition

In Acts 14:5-7 we see that there was a violent attempt to harm and stone the two Apostles. However, both Paul and Barnabas became aware of this and went to Lystra and Derbe to continue their ministry. As I have said before they did not let the opposition get the best of them. Whether you are in ministry or not, you will face opposition. It might be from people, circumstances, or even your own health. We cannot let circumstances stop us from doing what God has called us to do, along with praising Him and staying in the Word. In fact, this past week, I was dealing with some tooth pain, which in my opinion is one of the worst pains you can get. I do not like dental pain at all, however, I knew that I could not let that dental pain stop me from getting into the Word, and spending time with the Lord. So, whatever it is you are going through, do not let it get the best of you. Each time you deal with opposition and push through it by leaning on the love and grace of God, you will be more prepared next time.

Apostles of Christ

Lastly, I would like to get into something a little deeper. I would like to bring some clarity to the term Apostle. We see the term Apostle used in the New Testament several times. You may have even noticed that some people today might refer to themselves as Apostles. When using the term Apostle today, we need to be careful of our meaning behind it, because there are two types of Apostles. The first type of Apostle were the ones who were an eyewitness of the resurrection of Jesus, these are called Apostles of Christ. These ones are limited because these only refer to the 12 and Paul. 1 Thessalonians 2:6 (NKJV) tells us, “Nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, when we might have made demands as apostles of Christ.”.

Apostles of the Church (TODAY)

The second type of Apostle we find in the Bible are the ones who are considered Apostles of the Church. They obviously were not eyewitnesses of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 8:23 (NKJV) tells us, “If anyone inquires about Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker concerning you. Or if our brethren are inquired about, they are messengers of the churches, the glory of Christ.”. These types of Apostles are also noted as sent ones of the church. Today we do have people who operate in the office of an Apostle, even though they are not eyewitnesses of the resurrected Jesus Christ. These people bring a big impact on our church today, and I feel that God will be calling more people to fulfill this rule to be Apostles of the Church today!

Final Thoughts

So, I want to challenge you to ask yourself, is God calling you to do something that you have been holding off on? Maybe this is doing more evangelism in your community, or volunteering at your church. Maybe God might be calling you to the five-fold ministry? Lastly, are you prepared to put time aside and truly seek His Face? By doing so are you ready to face some opposition? I encourage you to take some time this week and ask God to show you what He is calling you to do at this point in your life.