[All Languages]
200+ Principles I've stumbled over
in my walk
with Christ
[for
more lessons I've learned click here]
[Principles to Live by] [Christian Mistakes, Warnings, Deceptions and Pitfalls]
[General Teaching] [Spiritual Warfare] [Submit your own Short Lessons]
(Note: These are lessons I've
learned, I didn't get these verbatim from the Lord, so they cannot be taken as
His words, some of them might be dead wrong, you'll have find out for yourself
which ones are true.)
[Christian Mistakes, Warnings, Deceptions and Pitfalls]
Selfishness destroys.
Those who withhold tithes and offerings from the Lord are disobedient Christians, they won't be ready for His return.
As my experience has shown, you can be running TOWARD Christian Ministry and AWAY from the Lord's presence at the same time. (as with Jonah) My experience has also shown, (as with the Israelites), that I can take a valuable thing and mold it into a worthless idol.
Evangelicals, (including myself), have distorted the image of
Jesus
FROM a Righteous, Reigning, Awesome
King of Glory, to be feared, loved and obeyed.
Down to a Friendly
Neighbor.
We have diluted the Gospel down to "Say a prayer and get your free ticket to
Heaven."
Any gospel that does not include living Holy is incomplete! Any gospel that does not include obedience to God, but instead relies solely on Mental Assertions, is incomplete! Jesus is the Way, if you don't go on the Way, you won't get there.
Beware of the Cross-Less gospel. It states that Jesus picked up His cross, but you don't have to. Sacrifice is still a major part of the Christian's walk, but sacrifice only what the Lord commands you to. Your spiritual maturity is determined by how much you are willing to sacrifice for the Lord.
If any gospel does not warn people of the coming struggles, but only focuses on having a blessed life, this gospel has been cheapened. And the recipient won't be ready for hard trials.
I repent for teaching the "Once Saved Always Saved" doctrine. Though it makes perfect sense to me, and I could defend it easily, it contradicts many scripture verses, and contradicts many testimonies of people who have been shown Hell.
Accusing someone is a serious thing to do, not to be handled
lightly, not for the immature, and not to be done without the prompting
of the Holy Spirit. In scripture it was handled by the Apostles, by
seasoned men and women of God. But even the disciples, as show in the
Gospels, misjudged people (Mark 9:38). When you
accuse another person without the prompting of the Holy Spirit, you'll be in danger of the
trap of the enemy, who greatest weapon is using Christian to accuse other Christians, and cause
division. Many times, in the name of "defending the truth", we are
often "attacking the body". We are not doing
God a favor by attacking His children.
Take a strong warning from Philip Elston, who had a vision several years ago
in which he saw the Lord standing with His arms outstretched. Soldiers in
blue and gray uniforms were marching past Him on either side, and were
laying their bloody swords on His arms. The Lord resolutely looked into the
eyes of each one, saying, "No one who has their
brother's blood on their sword will be used to build My house."
Pride + Bible knowledge will get you as far as it did with the Pharisees. (Saying foolish, presumptuous and religious sounding statements like, "It is not lawful to heal on the Sabbath", "no prophet come out of Nazareth")
Signs, wonders, miracles and healings are for today, they have NOT disappeared, nor has the gifts of the Spirit.
Many Christian will wait for a prompting, leading and confirmation from the Lord before they will do what the Bible already tells them to. Just do it!
Messages from God can sometimes be sharp, to the point, painful and hard to accept. But they must not be watered down or compromised. Pastors need to protect the flock from evil, but they should not protect the flock from the hard messages of God.
Never set your eyes on any defiled thing. Your eyes are a gateway to your soul and it pours filth into your heart when you look upon them.
The higher you go, the closer you walk with the Lord, the greater the devastation will come from your disobedience.
When Christian's argue, we must watch carefully the intentions of our heart. I have on occasion argued with Christian's using good biblical arguments and principles, while trying to cut the other person down to pieces. It was only when I ignored the facts, and focused on the intentions of my heart, did I realize what I was doing was evil, even though I masked it with good biblical doctrine.
It only take a few wounds to turn a sheepdog into a wolf; one who defends the flock into one who attacks it. When Christians have too many unhealed wounds, they only seem to be able to attack other ministries and people, and not edify.
When you talk about someone, only say what you would be comfortable saying in their presence. Otherwise you will be acting two faced. Remember every word we speak will be reviewed when our life is Judged. And when someone else is speaking gossip, Object, stop it, or get out of there! Hearing one bad comment or rumor about someone can pollute your relationship with them for years. Beware of the desire to witness people's shame and nakedness, this is what promotes gossip.
The greater your influence, the greater the ability you have to mislead people, when you are not walking with the Lord. Never esteem you influence, but take it with sober caution.
"My house shall be a house of prayer for all nations." But we have made it into a house of study. Our western church is founded on gathering knowledge about God. (Study does have its place, but not the main focus.) We've gathered 10 times the knowledge of the early apostles, yet have 1/10th their effectiveness.
No weeping saints, no weeping sinners. No night long prayer, no long lines to Church. I have seen for myself, the larger the congregation gets, the smaller the prayer group becomes.
When the Church preaches against a sin, like Homosexuality, drunkenness or Abortion, then battles rage in the heavenly realms against these principalities. But when the Church is silent on an issue, to avoid controversy or not to appear to be provocative, then these heavenly battles do not happen, and these spirits run rampant, going unopposed and finding victims all over.
We often make the people closest to the Lord into our idols. This is why Moses was not given a public burial, because God knew the people would have dug up his bones and worshiped them, making them into idols and relics, which is what eventually happened to Moses's staff.
The saints, prophets, disciples and apostles were NOT great people that met an average God, they were average people that met a Great God. So all the glory belongs to God alone and we must not idolize them.
When the Lord speaks through a person, what they say will be backed up by scripture. But also, when the enemy speaks, he will use misapplied scripture to defend his poison. How will you distinguish? If you're relying on your intellectual knowledge of scripture to distinguish, be careful, you're up against the one "more crafty than the rest." The truth is that you must know the voice of the Lord. If you don't, you'll believe the misapplied scripture of the enemy's agent before you believe the Lord's servant!
Don't minimize a move of God down to the phrase "an emotional experience," for often moves of the Lord bring people to tears.
Hiding, self-justification, wearing masks, and shifting blame, are all paths that will lead a good man, back to his sin, a dog back to his vomit.
The devil's main weapon against the Church is Division.
If you live a godly life, but do not verbally share Christ with others, you'll be as successful as Lot was in saving Sodom and Gomorrah.
Many Christian's are functional atheists. They believe the stories of the Bible, but if anything like those stories happens today, they'll be the first one's to call it false.
A fool would read the bible one time and say "I know all about the Lord." But a wise man would read the bible ten times and say "I know very little." The closer you get to the Mountain, the smaller you appear. The closer you are to God the more humble you become, but the closer you come to the devil, the more puffed up you become.
If there is a problem/issue that the Lord is taking you through, and you refuse to learn it. That issue will come back later and overcome you until it is dealt with. You will go "Around that Mountain" until the lesson is finished.
Before the Lord advances His church, the enemy will send out the fakes.
When the Lord advances His church using certain people, these people will be utterly defamed. If you research those people on the internet, most of what you'll find will be negative and written by "respectable" people with prestigious degrees behind their name. Similar to when Jesus walked the earth.
The false prophet is usually the first to accuse the true prophet.
If you miss the real prophets, then you will have less ability to recognize the false ones, and skepticism is not the same as true discernment.
You will need to go through many easy doors, to get the same spiritual growth as going through one hard door.
Your FAITH is not only your belief in who God IS, but who you are NOT. Without God, I'm foolish, weak and easily captured. Our Faith is in God alone, NEVER in man, NEVER in his institutions, and Never in the bride. I love my church, but many times we have failed and dropped the ball. And when people tie their anchor to a person or institution, they are bound for disappointment.
I find no evidence in the Bible, or among today's prophets, of a place of "Purgatory" that exists today.
When a believer falls, the Christian's will reach out their hands to restore, but religious people will reach out their swords to condemn.
The farther away from God you get, the more rules and regulations you'll come up with in an effort to maintain what you once had. And what was once living will soon become mechanical and artificial. (Take the machinery out of the church.)
If an pain caused by someone in your past still brings up negative emotions, then there is probably still un-forgiveness.
Avoiding deception from false prophets is important. But if you put too much emphasis on avoiding deception then you will reject the Lord's true prophets.
Church sermons that (indirectly) bring comfort to people who chose to remain in their sin, do them great damage.
I once drank a poison called “Don’t Convict Me,” it was sweet, but it lead to my death. It kept me in the dark for many years.
You can fall at any level in your walk with Christ. Never think that you're invincible, because pride comes before a fall. When mountain climbing, you can quickly tell when you are falling, but it is not so spiritually. Most don't know when they are falling.
You CAN'T preach the gospel using only gentle words.
There are no small sins. If there is a man, serving the Lord, helping the poor, and studying the word, and this man is only stealing a small about of money from work every week, he is in danger of hellfire. If there is a lady, serving in the church, leading people to Christ, and sponsoring missionaries, and this lady continues to cheat with only 1 adulterous partner, she is in danger of hellfire.
From here to your destination are a thousand prisons, learn how to get out, remember how you got in, and never say, "There are no more". What we often considered strongholds of truth, were really fortresses of fear.
The biggest threat to the Lord's anointed, is often the Lord's last anointed. For King David it was Saul, for Jesus it was the religious elite, for Luther it was the Church. Whenever there is any progress in the church, most opposition comes from the current establishment.
We desperately need a balance between study and service. I.E. Think about the last 4 bible studies you've attended. If in the time you've attended those 4 bible studies, you've never once went out to serve the Lord, help the needy, feed the hungry, encourage the weak, or edify the church, then you're probably out of balance. "The last thing some Christian's need is another bible study." (Purpose Driven Life) Jesus said, now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. (John 13:17)
There are 2 pits on the side of the path of life. One pit says, "You must serve the Lord in drudgery and misery, never enjoying a moment." Occasionally I see victims there, the other pit is more common, it says "serve the Lord in comfort, remove all toil, suffering and anything unpleasant. Maximize pleasure as you do the Lord's work."
The higher spiritual authority you have, the greater you can fall without love and humility.
Two false doctrines are in the Church, and they need to be dealt with. #1 "God has stopped speaking" and #2 "if the Lord speaks today, it is not as valid as when He spoke in the past."
Eight Pillars of the Lukewarm Church: (Eight
great steps to keep your church weak and lukewarm.)
1. Don't talk about the Hell or the Judgments of God. You can talk about
Love, Mercy & forgiveness. But Wrath, Judgments & Hell are just not popular
messages anymore.
2. Don't talk about speaking in tongues, because of it's strangeness, you
don't want to scare anyone away.
3. Don't talk about deliverance, demonic attacks or Spiritual warfare, these
subjects are only for a select few, not everyone.
4. Don't acknowledge any current prophets, any current visions, or any
current prophesies. You'll need to protect your church's reputation from
anything controversial. If someone in your congregation is getting
vision or prophecies, talk to them privately but don't let the congregation
know about these.
6. Don't use the Laying on of Hands.
7. Preach the Cross is a way as to make people think that they need to pick
up one.
8. Don't talk about being filled with the Holy Spirit, just assume that once
a person says a little prayer and attends church, that he is already full of
the Spirit, and nothing else is needed.
9. For prayer, a 5 minute pray before the sermon and other meetings should
be enough.
When a friend of mine (a man of God) fell into temptation, he said he heard 2 messages from the enemy. Both of these were very crafty and destructive. The first message was "As long as you're down here in sin, you might as well enjoy the fruit." When he took this message to heart, he engaged in all kinds of sin that were never even his weaknesses. The second message was, "You can turn back to God tomorrow." When he took that message to heart, tomorrow never came until a year later in jail.
The devil, like a good wrestler, knows when to pull and when to push. he can resist anyone from entering their assigned ministry, but if that doesn't work, then he can then push them hard, causing them burnout.
Watch out, one of the most dangerous places for Christians is the spotlight. In the spotlight we focus on ourselves. Many of us can be just as effective serving the Lord from behind the scenes in a prayer closet than those who are up front in the spotlight.
Beware of the yoke of men. Man's yoke looks good, but it will only slow you down in the climb, and will make you less fruitful. The Lord's yoke is light, it lifts you up, but man's will weigh you down.
If a believer prays for the sick, and nothing happens, DON'T blame God!
(A) Don't copyright what the Lord tells you. Unless there is a pressing need for a copyright, give it away free. Putting a copyright on God's revelations is like a person who has the gift of healing, but he charges everyone who wants to be healed. The Lords gifts are for His Church, not for profit!
Don't name your ministry after yourself, the goal is to give Jesus glory, not us. I can't imagine having the Robert Brownell Ministry.
For preachers, be very careful when your audience continuously applauds you during your sermon, because it puffs us up, and soon we start thinking they are applauding us.
Pastors beware of the "Just in Case" philosophy when conducting church services. It's human wisdom at its best and I see it creeping into churches. This philosophy says, "Prepare every detail of the service in advance, prepare the worship music exactly the way you want it. Prepare and rehearse the introduction of the sermon, so you don't stumble over your words. Get the closing prayer written down and ready. Then, Just in Case the Lord doesn't show up, you can still put on a great show!" Church service should NOT be like a Broadway production.
Love the Savior, work only for HIS Glory.
Some parts of spiritual maturity that Christians strive and study for can be gained by the laying on of hands. But other parts must be slowly developed, tested and learned. The ministry of Laying on of Hands must NOT be ignored. Teachers often ignore it because they have more confidence in their teaching than the spirits ability to impart life.
If you have been given visions from the Lord, don't keep them a secret (unless instructed to) but rather share your visions with intercessors, so that they can pray over those things that need attention. Draw your visions down on paper, so that the rest of the Body of Christ can see. This will turn a prayer group into a prophetic intercessions group, which is much more strategic. Also be careful to no let other Christian's quench the Spirit, the enemy will often use other Christian's to discourage you from maturing in this powerful gift.
If you only minister to those who pay you, what are you doing more than others? Don't even sinful people do that? Minister to the whole body, not just your supporters.
There are 2 types of activities that Christians do. Eating and Working? By Eating I mean, things that edify yourself, bible studies, listening to sermons, Christian Concerts, etc. By Working I mean things that edify others. Preaching, Evangelizing, Charity, etc. Most everyone in the Church is Eating! Now stop Eating and Get to Work!
When you do something, don't do anything that would embarrass you, if everyone else were watching. If you're embarrassed before people who have low standards, how much more before a God with perfect standards. Remember, every action will come to light when our life is Judged.
If you goto 5 sermons, before you will go to one prayer meeting, then you're probably out of balance. If you spend 2 hours in Church and less than 5 minutes in prayer, you probably out of balance.
Losing confidence in yourself is good, if it is replaced by confidence in the Lord. Things that leads to greater dependence on the Lord are good, but things that lead to dependence on self can be dangerous.
Build up people, not ministries. Invest into people, not into processes. Many times Christian's get involved with ministries, and neglect the personal investment into people, which is the whole reason for ministry.
Judge yourself, before the Lord has to. Judge yourself with an IRON FIST, but judge others with a velvet glove. This will keep you from hypocrisy, but be careful not to fall into Self Condemnation and Despair.
When judging the actions of another, where you don't have all the information, assume the best, not the worst. Assuming the worst brings division and bitterness. I once heard a wise proverb from a Jewish friend that said "believe in a man's innocence, until the facts just won't let you."
Christian must learn to hear the voice of the Lord through other people.
When someone is on fire for the Lord, the enemy tried to snuff them out. Then they can go from one extreme to the other, becoming cold as ice. When you come across someone who is on fire for the Lord, take extra caution NOT to discourage them or quench the Spirit's fire.
You can't convince a good man he needs to repent to a bad god, you can only convince a bad man he needs to repent to a holy god. If an unsaved person doesn't understand his sinfulness and rebellion to God, then his repentance will not be on solid ground.
The main goal of a Christian is not to raise a happy family and be successful in this world. Thou these are nice to have, our main goal is to Love, obey, and server the Lord Jesus Christ. To be an extension of His will.
When people and institutions working for the Lord, do NOT receive revelation from the Lord, they often become dead skin, and a hindrance to the Lord. Thou they might be working on "Good" goals, they can interfere with the Lord's "Main" goals. We always need to listen for the Lord's direction, be ready to drop our old plans, and walk in the way He now directs.
Don't ever wave your trophies before the Lord.
People will learn more from your scars than your trophies.
Don't set your standards by other people's standards, but by the Lord's. When you reconcile yourself to someone you offended, it should be independent of how they react or whether or not they try to reconcile. Don't let other people's low standard stop you from doing what is right.
You can't set someone free if you yourself are still in bondage.
One of the foolish things I used to do before I would go out street evangelizing was to spend 1-2 hours preparing everything, training, practicing, materials, etc. and then spend 5 minutes in prayer. This bore very little fruit. I put all my trust in my preparation, and little trust in the Lord. It would have been better to pray 1-2 hours and spend 5 minutes in preparation.
90% prayer & 10% work! Ministries not immersed in prayer will fail.
Those who serve the Lord, but do not come close to Him, will be out of sync with Him. They will be harvesting when they should be sowing, comforting when they should be warning, or rebuking when they should be showing mercy. By this they will be fruitless. Each of us must know the seasons of the Lord.
Don't use the Lord's Name like a wash cloth. One time, I found myself doing this when an accusation came against me. When confronted, I quickly tried showing my Christian credentials. Later on, I found that I did more to lower the Name of the Lord, than to lift mine. John the Baptist was right when he said, "He must become greater; I must become less".
Wherever you go, leave the place a little better than you found it, and in this way you're are serving others. (My Dad helped teach me this lesson. If he needed to use a restroom in a gas station, and he found it very clean, he would often tip the attendant on duty.)
The pursuit of God is not an intellectual pursuit but a spiritual one. For many times in my walk with Christ, I would only gather information about Him, and not seek Him spiritually. Don't miss what's most important, to know Him intimately and love Him. Better to listen to a humble, loving, obedient servant of Christ, than a polished and eloquent professional, who has a mediocre walk. But to our dismay, we are always drawn to the professionals. A moment of being filled by His Spirit, His Love, His Presence, will transform you faster than any activity. DON'T KNOW HIM FROM A DISTANCE, GET INTO HIS PRESENCE AND BE TRANSFORMED!
It's good to wake up early in the morning and pray over the things of that day. I believe the Lord sends us ministering angels. And that we should send them out to do His will. So if you find yourself waking up very early, it may not be an accident, you may have a host of angels waiting for an assignment.
If you've been given the gift of tongues, you should spend time in it each day. I've noticed that a lot more things get done (spiritually) when I do this. It really does edify me when I use the language a lot. And when people say that tongues no longer exists, or you should never pray without an interpreter, they are mixing human wisdom with spiritual gifts, as it was said to Jesus "Don't heal on the Sabbath."
Believers are commanded to lay hands on the sick, so that they may be healed. We are to obey this command, whether or not we see results! Use any opportunity that is given to you.
When you pray, don't be afraid to ask for the Lord's judgment against anything that hinders His kingdom. Don't pray like a wimp. Remember how Jesus cursed the fig tree, in Mark 11:21. Not every prayer has to be "Bless this and Bless that". But never pray for the Lord's wrath on any person, because one soul is worth more that all the riches of this world.
You'll get more heat from the red coals than the dark ones. And those who are passionate about the Lord will also impart a zeal to you. But it can be discouraging to walk among the lukewarm.
Christian idols and images are also an abomination. Don't kneel before a statue, or speak to a picture, or revere any Earthly object.
If you don't tell the guy behind you how you fell, he's going to stumble over the same rock.
The worst thing you'll see in Heaven is the absence of your friends & loved ones. Work now to prevent it. Share, pray and intercede for them.
The Lord has set a Mountain before us, do not perch yourself on the first ledge and say "I've made it". No! Keep Climbing. If you fall, get back up and climb. Don't wait for the flood, you might get swept away, or won't be able to out climb it then. Run the race as to win now. Not everyone at the Wedding Banquet will be the bride.
You cannot march in the Army of God wearing flesh. And you're in danger of His wrath if you try.
If you want to become a great Christian, study the lessons from the great ones, don't study the wimps.
The person who picks up the biggest cross will have the most influence to change others.
When correcting someone, first do it privately, don't do it in front of others to embarrass them. I did this when I was immature. I used other people to embarrass someone into submission, with fear. Rather than having that person look and agree with the correction.
Quickly write down your dreams when you wake up, before the memory is stolen from you.
The more you lean on your own understanding, the less you will trust in God.
If the armies of God are NOT fighting in a specific battle, then you shouldn't fight there either.
There is NO forgiveness, NO salvation, NO hope and NO 2nd chance for anyone who receives the mark of the beast, (666). When it comes, avoid it at all costs. (Warning) One of the main Christian message after the rapture will be, "Don't receive the mark"
Anything not built on the Rock will eventually fall. (Systems, Organizations, Businesses, Countries, Groups, Cultures, etc.)
A humble servant close to the Lord is more powerful than a King who is away from the Lord.
Human goodness and human compassion may help others, but it won't lead them to the cross, where their real healing is. All true blessings come from God, and everything He does is redemptive, leading others to Himself. Therefore is you bless someone in a way that does not lead them to God, you've given them no eternal benefit.
The Church today walks in very little power, very little of what we are called to walk in. One reason is because "we have not received a prophets reward." Few Christians can even name a prophet who is living today. A prophet's message is just not as popular as a message from a Christian Celebrity, Singer or professional writer.
Whenever there is a question regarding a certain Doctrine, always check the foundation, the RED letters of Christ. His words are where many of our Christian disagreements are solved.
I've been told that you can't please everyone, but I've seen that used as an excuse not to care. And I've seen that a humble man will make few enemies.
Search, and you will find that acting on un-given authority (presumption), is the most common sin shown in the gospels, and a very common sin today.
The false prophet will often try to establish his credibility early on. And establishing his reputation will be a major concern for much of his speaking. A true prophet won't put heavy focus on this.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, but the Love of the Lord is the fulfillment of wisdom.
Anything you believe differently than Jesus Christ is deception, and we all have some.
The purpose of all things is the Glory of God, not the happiness of man (humanism).
The Power of God is Christ Crucified, and the power of Christ is you Crucified. A crucified and obedient servant of the Lord can be entrusted with great authority, and will do great exploits.
Past servants of the Lord have left Mantles for us to take up and continue.
Your real friends are the ones that will suffer for you.
One of the main messages of Jesus today, is to prepare for His return, even though this is a rarely preached message. Prophets that are close to me, have had visions of many Christian's left behind. Two prophets that I trust, were told that about 80% of Christians are NOT ready. One prophet has even seen entire congregations left behind, resulting in the pastor getting beat up in the very pulpit he preached in, by the people he preached to.
If a person doesn't have a holy fear of the Lord, then they are much more likely to fall away under pressure.
The only reason people hate God, or are not excited about God is because they are wearing veils. They have believed some lie about God that has distorted His glorious image.
The greatest secular thing is not even worth the least Holy thing.
Those closest to the Lord's heart can cause Him the greatest Joy or the greatest pain.
The Lord can be glorified in our weaknesses, but in our strengths we gain fame. Its better to have a weakness that causes humility and dependence on the Lord, than a strength that causes pride and independence.
When you please your master, he rewards you. If your master is good, you will be rewarded for good, but if he is evil, you will be rewarded for evil.
The best time to worship the Lord, the most meaningful time to worship the Lord, is when you're under trials and struggles. And remember, He's bigger than all our problems.
When the world condemns God or His people, they only set themselves up for their own condemnation.
I trust a person more if he walks with a limp. Meaning, he has suffered a major defeat, and learned hard lessons of who the Lord is and who his enemy is. A defeat is usually the only thing that will sober us up.
There is a unity coming over the body of Christ that I've seen, to where a 30 second encounter with another member can develop bonds that are stronger than family ones. For blood is thicker than water, but spirit is thicker than blood.
A healthy relationship with God will involve many tears. And if you've never cried while worshiping or seeking the Lord or repenting, then something is missing.
I've noticed a strange thing. I've noticed that when I am tempted with an evil/impure thought that if I breath out my nose quickly, the temptation seems to go away away. I've also noticed that worship times, if I fully exhale out of my mouth, the Worship gets more intense. I've noticed these 100's of times, but I can't explain why.
The Judgments of God are to be eagerly desired in your life. Better a slap on the wrist now, a correction early on, than unquenchable regret later. Metal is made stronger by pounding it, and we are made stronger by the discipline we get.
The stronger you make the foundation, the higher you can build.
If you lack wisdom, you'll find Him at the crossroads. Those who go without wisdom, will be captured, robbed & beaten. Then they will cry out and be rescued again. Christians, like me, learn most of their lessons after taking a beating.
The Banquet is ready, the Bride is Not!
Israel belongs to the Jews. The biblical prophesies that refer to the Jews, still refer to the Jews and not necessarily the Church. The Church needs to continue to support and intercede for Israel.
Will we ever reconcile Science and Religion? Science is the
study of our physical world. Religion is the study of the spiritual world.
Modern Science has an unwritten rule that there is NO spiritual realm, and no God. Therefore anything that points to a spiritual world, not matter how logical
or obvious the evidence, it must be wrong. Science does not recognize
the spiritual world, but tries to explain everything physically, which is
impossible.
It's like trying to study colors, while using a black and white
camera.
Science explains consciousness as a chemical process,
the creation of life as an accident,
the universe-the results of big random explosion,
dreams as biological processes,
the soul as a myth,
Good and Evil as non-existent,
Miracles as a freak of nature explainable by complex physics,
Mankind as a superior form of monkey,
and God as fairytale believed in by ignorant people who haven't studied science.
Scripture verses can be misapplied, when they are not prompted by the Holy Spirit.
It is Hard to enter the Kingdom of God. As we are finding out from some of the Lord's Messengers who have visited Heaven, a lot less made it than we thought.
The strength of your spirit is determined by your will power to obey God and resist evil.
Ministries that don't train up the next generation won't last.
Obedience is more important than results. In building the ark, Noah was obedient to the Lord for over 100 years, yet it didn't save anyone besides his family.
Though your body is locked in this physical world, your spirit can be soaring in the heavens or down in the depths.
The Earth has been given to man, therefore the Kingdom of God, and the kingdom of evil come mainly by invitation.
Even for the "mature" there are still many veils and stumbling blocks to overcome. Those who listen, will have their veils removed the fastest.
The spirit of Faith is at work opening peoples eyes, find these people and share the gospel with them. Those who have not been visited by faith, won't listen to you. And if you're not paying attention, you won't know who to go to, making your work fruitless.
God is unchanging. But He is NOT static! The Lord is fluid, an idol is static. That which is fluid is greater than that which is static. Many times we have missed a move of God, because it was not what we were expecting. The Spirit is always moving.
Many people who we think are our enemy, are actually our friends. And many people we think are our friends, are not. And many people we give the most respect to, are still not mature.
All famous and influential role models, will either lead people toward Jesus or away. They will either gather or scatter.
Much of the teaching of the Kingdom of God is the unlearning of what the world taught us.
When events happen in the spiritual realm there is usually a reaction in the physical realm. Those who have eyes to see, will see and understand, but those without will casually ignore these things. The spiritual world is much more integrated into the physical world than we think. The physical world is a vague mapping of the spiritual realm.
It is easy to get off the path, but hard to get back on. A fisherman's hook is made to go in easy, but difficult to get out. Also with sin, easy to start, hard to stop.
Revivals have often been preceded by strong consistent prayer from a small group of people, and then a strong repentance from a much larger group.
If you see a radical change for the worse, in someone's personality, suspect that a spiritual agent is involved.
Most attacks of the enemy, do not work on a person who has a crucified flesh. And humility is an armor that is hard to penetrate.
When first starting to read the bible, it is best to start with the RED LETTERS, the Words of Jesus from the Gospels. First master these, they are the Foundation. When building a house, no one builds the walls before the floor is finished.
The tears of the Lord walk around, they say "who will host me? Is there no one who will cry for him? Is there no one who will weep for her"? Open your door to them, let them into your house, and sit at your table, do not leave them outside. One tear weighs more than a pound of sweat. Its the most perfect prayer.
When a person is born again, they are given a new body, a spiritual body. They then have two sets of ears, one physical and one spiritual. This helps them not only to hear what a person is saying with their mouth, but also hear what a person is saying with their heart. Through many mistakes I have learned the hard way that it is more important to understand what a person is truly saying from their heart rather than the polished words from their lips, especially when they try quoting scripture. The Lord looks at the heart, not the outward appearance.
A person's spiritual maturity is determined by how much they are willing to sacrifice for the Lord. The less they sacrifice, the slower they will mature.
That which is puffed up tries to float to the top of the water, though it looks big, it does not weigh much. But that which is heavy and full will settle for the bottom. Evil men seek to be in charge, but godly men have no problem serving.
You can often find some good, in the most evil of people, and some bad in the best of men.
Many of the Lord's people are currently in the prisons of the enemy, being used by the evil one. Though they have the appearance of being spiritual, but because of fear, they'll usually oppose the strategic moves of God, for supposedly religious reasons. How crafty is the devil? Crafty enough to get God's people to do his work.
(The Power of God) + (Man's wisdom) = Ineffectiveness
There are 7 Mountains that have influence over Nations. Whoever controls these mountains can take nations. The 7 Mountains: CHURCH, FAMILY, EDUCATION, GOVERNMENT, MEDIA, ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT & BUSINESS. We cannot just protect the Church and let the other mountains fall to the enemy, we have to fight hard on all 7 mountains.
In order to build a better house, you'll occasionally need to tear down the old one.
Very often when satan wants to slander God's people, he will simply tie what they are doing to money, in order to make it appear that greed is the only motivation.
If you saw 10 men carrying a heavy log, and 9 men were one end of it and 1 was at the other side, where would you help? In making Disciples, we should do the same. Go to where we are most needed.
Those who don't appreciate what they have, will be given less.
The Bride knows less that she thinks she does. And many times, when things are said in the name of the Groom, it's really the Bride speaking. When the Groom does speak, few people realize it, especially the person it was spoken through.
Man was created with the ability to walk on Earth physically, while spiritually walking in the heavenly realm with God.
According to 2 prophets that I respect, less than 20% of Christian's are ready for the Lord's return! The rest will be left behind.
Salvation is a free gift from God, but certain anointings can come at a cost, and testings will be needed before great authority is given.
It can be very difficult to realize when you have lost the Lord's anointing, as with Sampson, when he lost the Lord's strength, (Judges 16:20) "He awoke from his sleep and thought, 'I'll go out as before and shake myself free.' But he did not know that the LORD had left him."
Many people in the church are NOT yet born again.
The devil will make the same offering to people as he did to Jesus. The devil will give the kingdoms of this world to those who bow down and worship him, and many have taken this offering.
Baptizing children was not practiced in the new testament. If you were baptized as a child, it is not a valid baptism.
Whether by circumcision (the easy way) or Judgment (the hard way), the Lord will destroy your fleshly nature.
Anywhere a devil or demon exists on Earth is illegal, they have NO rights, they are always criminals, and are all condemned. They are not to be negotiated with, but instead Cast Out! They have no good motives, use only deception and plan only evil. Don't treat them like they are just an annoyance, but instead like murderous fugitives. Give them no ground, vehemently and militantly oppose them, and use the Name of Jesus Christ against them.
Every time the enemy successfully attacks us, our understanding of God becomes a little more veiled, and God look a little less glorious, and our zeal for Him diminishes.
The enemies strategy for the Church is Deceive, Divide and Destroy. Deceptions brings strife, quarrels, fighting, backbiting, slander, etc. These will bring division into the Church, separating God's Children away from the family, away from the shepherds. Once separated, the enemy can more easily overpower us and take us out. Once we are overpowered and captured, we can then easily be used to attack the church, (in the name of helping God.)
The safest place to be during spiritual warfare is on the Cross.
A soldier who is not willing to take any scars, is not much of a warrior. And a Christian who stays away from controversial issues is not much of a warrior either.
Whenever the Lord shows up somewhere, the enemy will come by later to mess up any good work. Be ready. Don't miss an opportunity when you see it, for tomorrow, it may be gone. I learned this hard lesson from a friend of mine, he was never receptive to the Gospel until one day when Jesus spoke to him in a dream. His heart was tender and ready. But foolishly, I did not go to him right away and share with him. 4 hours later, he was as mad as can be, and wanted nothing to do with Jesus. I missed a great opportunity, and am awaiting another.
Remember it only took one hole to sink the Titanic. And one sin that is not dealt with, can take out a strong man of God, one sin that continues to grow, can destroy a ministry.
The Lord gives His power to those who are wise and mature enough to use it. The evil one gives his power to those who are foolish and immature enough to be used by it.
In spiritual warfare, the enemy we are fighting today are not the same as before, they appear to be more sophisticated, organized, unified and trained.
A wise man may sacrifice some of his lesser goals in order to accomplish a bigger one. And our enemy is willing to support lesser Christian goals in order to derail the more important ones.
When we are in darkness, we hug our enemies and beat our friends.
The enemy attacks the shepherd in order to destroy the sheep, he attacks the pastor in order to destroy the congregation, bribes the celebrity to destroy their fans, deceives the author to destroy their readers, fools the teachers to destroy their students, and corrupts leaders in order to destroy their followers. The devil attacks those who have influence. When he comes after you, be sure to cover your bases, those you oversee.
The devil's goal is to mock God, by showing man (created in God's image) in the lowest, most perverse, disgusting, twisted, animal state.
When the Light of Christ shines on demonic spirits, they become very small and weak.
The enemy is called the twister, always distorting the true things of God. But our God can untwist anything, untangle any knot, and can turn a crippled hand into a iron fist.
What the Lord brings is freedom, what the devil brings is slavery. Never point to something that the devil gives you and call it freedom. That's as foolish as a doctor handing you a bottle of poison, and calling it 'medicine.'
The enemy tried to kill Moses 80 years before his ministry, and tried to kill Jesus 30 years before His ministry. Therefore he can probably throw something against you days before your breakthrough.
Often our greatest breakthroughs are right after our most difficult struggles.
A small cut can lead to a big infection. It's not the cut that harms you, since it is just a small hole, with little loss of blood, but it's the infection that comes in afterwards. And so with sin, a little sin can be the downfall of a great man, because the devil will pour his kingdom through that little opening.
The worst thing we can get from the enemy is a reward. The reason we don't gamble, is not because we might lose, it is because we might win. Every "blessing" from the devil turns out to be a curse.
If you choose to believe the lies of your enemy, it makes his job of destroying you much easier. All that the enemy needs in order to control you is to have you believe his lie.
Christian's, including me, are not in the habit of rebuking unclean spirits, and driving them away. But we need to remember how important it is, and how often Jesus did this in the Gospels.
As Christians, we are hit many times by the enemy's invisible hand, before we even recognize it's there.
Truth without grace is what the devil brings, when he comes as the "angel of light." Don't focus only on the facts, sometimes you need to see the true motivation behind them.
If a gust of wind shakes a house, what will happen to it when the flood comes? Can it stand? If you get overtaken by little temptations, then you'll never be ready for the strong ones.
When a leaf falls off a tree, it can stay green for many days. But eventually all of them will die, only what stays on the tree will last. Only those on the Vine of Christ, will be able to handle the storm, all others will fall.
The enemy has agents in the Church, (Judas is still in the Church), we don't know who, but when the opportune time comes, the enemy will use them, so be warned and be ready.
In a dream, I was shown an angel removing a demon of lust. This particular demon's sin was to promote oral sex. That demon was absolutely disgusting, believe me you don't want anything to do with it's sin. The desire for oral sex is usually the desire for someone to physically worship you. Stay away from it.
Always expect a counter attack right after a great victory, be prepared.
You can't just displace evil, the vacuum must be replaced by light or the enemy will come back stronger than before. If you cast a devil out of a person who loves his sin, he will soon go back into bondage, even stronger than before.
The enemy can also give us dreams. As I have seen, in one dream I had a long discussion with a false christ, who eventually cursed the Father, and thereby ruined his credibility.
They enemy comes over the lowest part of the wall. Remember, it only takes one opening, and the enemy can sack the whole city. The enemy often comes at night.
Every time the enemy attacks, he reveals his position, which is why you will get the greatest opposition before the greatest break through. It was once said, "If you want to see who the Messiah is, find Judas, and see who he betrays." So after an attack I ask myself, "Why did he attack that? Why was it so important to him?"
Only when you're free can you help others. How can you free someone from jail, when you're behind bars?
If you pray against a certain spiritual principality, be ready for a counter attack on that very issue. (A lesson I found out the hard way after cursing a bunch of pornographic businesses.)
The true worship of the Lord can heal many wounds.
devils, demons and unclean spirits hate the praise the worship of Jesus.
Several years ago I started developing a strong relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. The relationship has grown stronger and stronger, and He has changed me in many ways. The following is a collection of daily lessons I've learned through my relationship with Jesus. Unfortunately, I've learned many of these through mistakes, hopefully on your climb you'll avoid these pitfalls and traps. (p.s. forgive my horrible spelling!) (if you're not born-again, much of this won't make sense to you.) [Author's Testimony]
2 Perspectives of God
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Perspective #1: We are down here struggling, many people are suffering, there's injustice everywhere, wars, diseases, earthquakes, floods, disasters all over the world, and where is god? He's in Heaven, enjoying himself, oblivious to all the problems we have down here. Why doesn't he do something? Why do bad things happen to good people? Why doesn't he take care of his creation? Is he asleep? Doesn't he care? And after we go though this miserable life, he sends many people to hell? What kind of god is that? The natural man loves this perspective because it justifies him, and shows that god is clearly in the wrong. |
Perspective #2: We are down here living in rebellion to God, we don't obey His Word, we ignore His warnings, we refuse to repent, we kill His prophets & crucified His Son, we provoke Him to anger, we reject His mercy, we mock those He sends to us, we ridicule His ways and we live our live in accordance with satan, doing whatever we want, making up our own rules, and continually breaking God commandments. This rebellion causes God great pain and suffering. The suffering you see on Christ's body, represents the suffering of the Father's heart, because His creation hates Him and rebels against Him. He patiently holds back His fierce judgment, not punishing people as they deserve, so that some men might repent and be saved, before it is too late. The natural man hates this perspective, because it clearly shows that he is in the wrong with no excuse. |
Make No Mistake about It!
5-23-05
I used to make fun of End Time prophets, thinking they were all kooks, with all their slogans like "beware the mark of the beast 666!" I'm a little more mature now. Now I know the truth of this scripture prophesy. So please don't forget this one promise in scripture, from Rev: 14:9-11
(MP3_Warning)
"And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worships the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascended up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever received the mark of his name (which was 666)."
I don't know how this will all turn out, but I do know that ANYONE who gets this mark of the beast 666 is DOOMED! There is no turning back. There is no hoping that, "God will understand, He'll forgive me for taking the mark, He's merciful and He doesn't want me to lose my life, does He? I don't have to worry, I'm saved." If you get this mark of the beast 666 on your forehead or your hand, you're finished! You will NOT be saved! You have claimed loyalty to the beast. At the time the mark is given out, it will probably seem like the wisest thing to do. Solving many problems. And great pressure will be upon you to get it, like lose of life, lose of job, lose of children, lose of possessions, reputation, house, freedoms, etc. At that point in time, you MUST be ready to die rather than get the mark. You must be ready to face execution rather than take the mark of the beast. Don't compromise, and make no mistake about it, those who get the mark, even believers, will be CONDEMNED forever!
The Banquet is ready, the Bride is
NOT!
5-16-05
This parable is as true today as it was when Jesus walked the earth. (Luke 14: 16-24)
Jesus replied: "A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, 'Come, for everything is now ready.' "But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, 'I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.' "Another said, 'I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I'm on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.' "Still another said, 'I just got married, so I can't come.' "The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, 'Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.' " 'Sir,' the servant said, 'what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.' "Then the master told his servant, 'Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full. I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.' "
Much of the Church is tied down to the cares and riches of this world, making them unready for the Lord's return. Make no mistake, the Lord is coming back for a bride without Spot or Wrinkle, not for a bride caught up in sin, those people will not make it. [raptureprophecy.com]
The Bottom Line
5-25-05
As Christians we must never lose site of the BOTTOM LINE. Take this example from the Business world.
A man starts a business TO MAKE MONEY.
That man hires workers, to help the business, TO MAKE MONEY.
That man hires a manager, to help the workers, which helps the business, TO MAKE
MONEY.
That man buys his manager a computer, to help the manager, which helps the
workers, which helps the business, TO MAKE MONEY.
That man buys his manager software, to help his computer, which helps the
manager, which helps the workers, which helps the business, TO MAKE MONEY.
The business man never lost site of the BOTTOM LINE. This must also be true with the Christian Church.
Jesus came to SAVE THE LOST.
Jesus gave us the Gospel, TO SAVE THE LOST.
Jesus built His church, to preach the Gospel, TO SAVE THE LOST.
Jesus raised up Apostles, to oversee the church, to preach the Gospel, TO SAVE
THE LOST.
The Apostles that Jesus raised up, trained others, to help the church, to preach
the Gospel, TO SAVE THE LOST.
Unfortunately the BOTTOM LINE in the Christian Church has changed somewhat. After hearing many sermons, I've seen that the BOTTOM LINE is often "How to live a blessed, joyful, prosperous, abundant life." Which is a good message, but NOT THE BOTTOM LINE!
How dare we copyright the Word of God!
5-05-05
Did you know that if I wanted to print NIV bibles and send them out, I can't, without paying a huge royalty fee, it's copyrighted. Did you know that if I wanted to record the worship music at my Church and give that out, I can't, it's copyrighted. My church had to pay a sum of money to be able to use many of the songs we sing. Also, there are divinely inspired ministry tapes that could greatly benefit the Church, but they cost you $39.95 if you want to send them to a friend. A copyright means that unless credit and royalty fees are given, you cannot legally use THEIR material. If we can't make a song for Lord, or a message to His church, unless we get credit and money, how much better are we than the rest of the world? And who are we serving? I know secular people that do more than that.
Do we believe that we can't stay in business unless we always charge a profit, and restrict copying? If we distributed the Word of God to 5 or 10 times the audience, would the Lord make it easier or harder for us to stay afloat?
Can you imaging the embarrassment it would cause if a Christian, who was given the divine gift of healing, said "I would love to pray for you, for your healing, for the low price of only $19.95 (check or Credit Card)." We would be outraged! But we do this same thing with the Word of God.
The Church is tied up with the systems of this world, and it hinders the Word from going out. (Books, Movies, Videos, Tapes, Articles, etc.) I'm glad the 1st century apostles didn't copyright their letters.
Get the Accountant out of the Pulpit
There were once 2 pastors preparing for a Sunday Sermon. One
said to himself. I love my congregation, I want them to grow and mature, to
learn to be obedient to the Lord and receive His blessing. I will teach them
about tithes and offerings.
The other pastor said to himself, "another mortgage payment is coming up, there
are still many unpaid bills for the church, and I will need to pay the staff
salaries soon. I teach about tithes and offerings.
Now they both prepared an identical sermon, and preached it. So what was the
difference?
One sermon was preached by the voice of a shepherd, and the other was preached
by the voice of an accountant. And though both sermons were scriptural and true,
the latter left a bad taste in the mouth of the congregation, because they
watched an accountant pretending to be a shepherd.
Get the accountant out of the Pulpit.
Stuck at the border, leaving Human
Wisdom behind.
4-23-05
Much of the Church is stuck at the Border of the Supernatural, and is afraid to cross over. Mostly because some other people that crossed over got into all kinds of trouble. And because "Human Wisdom" falls apart in this realm. Human wisdom does not know if a person is really speaking in tongues, or if he's just babbling. Human wisdom can NOT tell if a dream is from the Lord or if it was from yesterday's pizza. Human wisdom can NOT tell the difference between a prophesy and a strong opinion. Human wisdom can NOT distinguish whether a person fell under the glory of God or by his own accord. Human wisdom can easily understand how biblical study can spiritually mature a person, so it wisely encouraged, but human wisdom can NOT see how the laying on of hands, or the presences of God can also mature a person. Human wisdom would NEVER try to cast out an unclean spirit, or do spiritual warfare, or multiply loafs, or go to a prayer closet, or discern spirits, or do anything that might offend the congregation and lose your supporters, or lose your respectability.
If your church is
rich with human wisdom, then you might see 2 parking lot attendants, 1 door greeter,
1 latte stand attendant, 2 Bookstore cashiers,
5 Audio/Video technical workers, 8 ushers, 5 band members, 1 deaf section
interpreter, all working during
the sermon, all while NOBODY is in the prayer room. Human wisdom will get you to the 3rd
grade spiritually, but you'll never walk in all that the Lord called you to if
you're afraid to use the gifts He gave us.
Don't think for a minute that enemy's kingdom is limited by human wisdom.
They'll use any power they have against us.
It's all about the Cross!
5-19-04
As Christians, we are called to live by the cross. But what does that mean? Jesus said those who do not pick up their cross daily and follow Him are not worthy of Him. How do we do that? My understanding of the cross has change recently. I used to think that it meant, celebrating the Lord's victory over death. And that is important, but picking up your cross is not a celebration. I used to think that picking up your cross had to do with appreciating the Lord's gift of eternal life. And that is important, but picking up your cross is not the act of being thankful. I used to think that it meant, knowing we have forgiveness from sin through his blood. And that is important, but picking up your cross is not a concept that we grasp or principle that we agree with. I used to think that picking up your cross meant following Christian teachings. And that is very important, but picking up your cross is not the adherence to principles or a following of godly rules.
You can celebrate the Lord's victory over death, be thankful for your salvation, know about the grace and forgiveness you have, and follow Christian principles and STILL NOT HAVE PICKED UP YOUR CROSS.
So what did He mean 'pick up your cross?' How do we do that? What is the purpose? Why should we need to pick up our cross if He has already won the victory?
I gained a new understanding of the Power of the Cross form the movie The PASSION. You must understand that one of the biggest obstacles to your obedience to the Lord is your flesh. The flesh always wars against the Spirit, and the spirit against the flesh. Those obeying the flesh are more susceptible to the devil's influences, than those who walk in the spirit. Trying to be a Christian while you're in the flesh is like trying to run a marathon with a 50 lbs. backpack. It's much harder, slower, tiresome, defeating and grueling.
I noticed a strange phenomenon after watching the
movie...
A. First, my fleshly influences were gone, just drained out after crying the
whole movie.
B. Second, walking in the spirit was much easier. Spiritually I was alive,
and I could hear the Lord much easier than before.
C. Thirdly, seeing the Lord suffer gave me a deep love for Him.
D. And seeing Him suffer also gave me a fierce repulsion to sin, a hatred
for it.
This left me in a state where I was spiritually strong as ever.
I realized that there is power in the Cross, it can change a person.
Picking up your cross is surrendering to the Lord's will. It is the most
profound way of saying, "not my will, but yours be done." Putting all the
desires of the flesh under the Lord's will. It's not surrendering to a doctrine
or a belief, but to the Lord Himself.
Intercession
What's the priority for an Intercessor? Here's a short story to help explain it.
Imagine that your car broke down in the middle of a hot
desert, being lost, you haven't eaten or drank for 3 days, and the sun in scorching
you. Being over exhausted and starving you accidentally step on a
poisonous snake which bites you. Because of the sharp pain of the
bite, you fall and smash your head on a
sharp rock in a cactus patch. Then while bleeding, limping, poisoned,
staving and exhausted, you start to hear a pack of ferocious
wolfs in the distance pursuing you. In your attempt to run from the
wolves, you accidentally step onto a rusty bear trap, which clamps down very
tightly on your ankle.
Tell me, in this situation, what
should be the first thing you pray for?
(Answer: Salvation for Lost
Souls!) Now you understand the priority of an intercessor.
Miserable Worship
11-24-03
As Christian's we often miss a critical part of worship. We enjoy singing songs, praising the Lord, lifting our hands up to heaven, humbling ourselves and worshiping God, etc, but we often miss the Miserable Worship. What is the miserable worship?
In Numbers 21:8, the Lord had Moses make a pole with a snake on
it, and anyone who looked at it would live.
This was an early example of the cross of Christ. I once heard a pastor
criticize the Catholic Crucifix because "they left Jesus hanging on the Cross",
while He has risen. But the Lord showed me that it is necessary to do
this. Christian's today look upon the cross, and they see the victory of
Christ, they see the penalty of sin, they see the Judgment of God, but we don't
weep. Weep for the savior, cry for what He has done for us, and picture Him
going through that agony because of our sin. Watch 'the Passion of the
Christ' movie. It's hard but don't neglect this.
It is this Miserable Worship that burns the love for our savior on our hearts.
The Fear of Man
4-26-05
After reading [this message on the Fear of Man] I was very convicted that I fall short here. I would suggest all people who are in the ministry to read this, and see how fearing man will greatly hinder us from serving the Lord.
A damaged airplane
1-26-05
When a plane is damaged and needs repairs, the last thing it should be doing is flying. It should be in the hanger, being worked on by mechanics. And in the same way, when a man of God falls, the last place he should be is behind a pulpit, telling other how to live. No, it is the time for restoration and healing. And when restored, he will then be able to rejoin his calling. The Lord understands this needed time of restoration. But if a man of God is focusing on his image and reputation before men, or the pressure to perform, then he will often skip this time, and be like a sick man running a marathon.
2 Pyramids
1-17-05
There are 2 pyramids that work in this world. (2 kingdoms) In one kingdom, everyone is striving for the top of the pyramid, so that they may have power and control over others. And there is fierce competition for this. In order to be promoted you must exploit or manipulate your way above everyone else. Once you do, you are given prestige and influence over your subordinates. On the next level or authority, it is the same situation, you must fight tooth and nail to outwit others in order to advance. People always have their eye on how they can advance. In this pyramid, the strongest and most cleaver rise to the top. Power, prestige, and authority are highly respected here. Sometimes, favoritism, or the promise to be absolutely submissive can get you advancement in this pyramid. But one must keep their subordinates in fear in order to maintain control over them. This pyramid is inherently not stable because there is little unity. This pyramid is always working against itself. One level exploits the level beneath them, which exploits the level beneath them, forming a pyramid of authority.
In the other Pyramid (Kingdom) everyone is NOT striving for the top, but the bottom. To be humble, loving, godly servants is what is respected here. Promotion is not sought after, but given from the Lord. Therefore those who are most mature in the Lord advance in this pyramid. People always have their eye on how they can serve others. The high levels are those who are willing to sacrifice the most for others. Christ is the top of this pyramid, and the pyramid is inherently stable, working as one. Though not all levels of the pyramid are perfect, it's foundation is. But the other pyramid's foundation is utterly corrupt.
People from the first pyramid always try to maintain the noble image they they work for the second pyramid. When people from the first pyramid try to join organizations of the second pyramid (man made organizations) , they find little competition. They quickly rise to the top in title and positions appointed by man, but not in true authority. These people make the 2nd pyramid less stable. When there is pressure put on the 2nd pyramid, if these people haven't changed, they fall away.
Meat and Manna
1-04-05
We must learn to eat both meat and manna. Meat builds up the body, but manna gives us energy. We must have both. We know where to find meat, it's in the scriptures. But manna must be gathered everyday. As scripture has shown, you cannot eat yesterday's manna. It is gentle and easily trampled. What good is it if you're a strong 400lb soldier who's always sleeping, or if you're a 75lb soldier, full of energy, but can't lift a weapon. Both have what the other one needs.
Careful, those who have not eaten meat can take a move of God and turn it into a sect or an offshoot and split the body, for they do not know the God of the past. And those who have not eaten manna, can take a move of God and vigorously oppose it, for they do not know the God of the present. Beware of those who say, "All the manna has been collected, there is no more."
Climbing the Mountain
12-28-04
What the Lord has shown me, is just one path up the mountain. Others have taken different paths; paths of sacrifice, mercy, service, that are different than mine. No one has been to all the ledges of this Mountain. Some paths are faster than others. Some paths are more steep and difficult than others. The immature usually take the easiest paths, which are the slowest. Though some paths all must take, i.e. repentance, salvation. Never assume that your way is the only way of walking with Christ. And remember the quickest way to the top is the cross.
Watch out for the "Doctrine of Comfort", It comes from those on the lower ledges. Though it is made of Biblical Truths, it is usually the slowest way to the top. Find those who are on the high ledges, and watch them.
One of the books that has given me great insight is the VISION from Rick Joyner. You can read parts of it at "THE VISION" or in (Word Format) Those who know the voice of the Lord will discern whether this is was a real vision or a phony.
Man's wisdom vs. God's Wisdom?
12-22-04
When is it easier to move 1 million gallons of water, than to
move just 3 gallons? When is it easier to move 1000 boulders than to move
just one rock? When is it easier to set 1000 trees ablaze than it is
to burn just one log? The man who works at a Water Tower can move 1
million gallons of water by simply releasing a valve. But it would take me
more effort to move just 3 gallons of water by carrying them. The man atop
a mountain, with one kick, can set 1000 boulders in motion, easier than I can
carry just one rock. Then man in a forest, with one match can set a 1000
trees ablaze, easier than I can light one log. So when it easier to do
mighty things? It's not when you push, but when you RELEASE.
The Lord has shown me that everything we need to accomplish His will is already
stored up, and all we need to do is RELEASE. By man's wisdom we push, and
produce little fruit, but by God's Wisdom we release and reap much fruit. 1 word
can move a mountain, 1 tear can send a host, and the prayer of a righteous man
is powerful and effective.
The bride is not as mature as she
thinks
11-25-04
One hard truth that we have to come to grips with, is how often the enemy use Christians for evil intent. I've have seen this in my own life. I have been in places where a little innocent comment from my own lips, cause much destruction. And only later realizing how strategic it was. This is one reason I put no confidence in my flesh, and you shouldn't either. As we saw with Simon Peter in Mathew 16, just a moment after Jesus said, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven" Jesus then said, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me" How easily we are used. So the proverb is true, "If a man who does not guard his front door, anyone can walk in."
When you're empty
11-25-04
When you are out of water, where do you go? (The Well) When you're hungry where do you go? (The Refrigerator) When your car is empty, where do you go? (the Gas Station) Nobody says, "I can't go to the station, I'm low on gas" or "I'm too hungry to eat". No, that is the right time. We know what to do when our stuff is empty, but not our souls. Why is it that when we are spiritually empty, the last place we go to is the throne of God. That should be the first place.
When you fall into a snake pit, don't walk around. Surly that is the time to look up and cry for help. When depressed and discouraged, that is not the time to figure everything out. We can't see clearly in that pit, just look up and cry for help.
A 90% Victory?
11-09-04
I was shown in a dream an adversary pursuing me, and I could see 2 ways of escaping him. One way was to backtrack, it was slow and over rocky ground, and the other way was smooth and easy. My friends nearby kept telling me to take the hard way, but it was obvious that the smooth way was an easy escape. I chose the smooth way, and quickly outran the adversary. He didn't seem to be able to catch up with me, and offered little resistance. I ran and ran far past him, only to realize that after all this time, the trail was a dead end. Now I was left with the daunting task of backtracking all that way, against my original adversary, and his other partners that didn't chase me after me at first. The enemy gave me easy success, a false sense of security. But he offered me little resistance in order to lead me into a trap, and frustrate my plans. He allowed me to have a 90% victory, which in the end was worthless. If I sought wisdom at first, I would have known when to backtrack. Job 42:2, "I know that you can do all things, no plan of yours can be thwarted"
Maturity?
8-25-04
Over the years of my Christian walk, I've seen many different Christians at various stages of maturity. And I began to see the difference between the normal
Christians and mature ones. Here are some of the big separators. Unfortunately I've learned that I can't trust someone too deeply unless they've reached these stages.
1. The mature Christians has been broken and humbled before the Lord. Not the kind of humility we learn from society, but a "smashed on the rocks" type of humility. When a person comes into the presence of the Lord, it is very humbling, and pride just melts away, but that's just fine with a mature Christian.
2. The mature have battle scares, and experience. When people step into the ring with the Devil, and suffer a few hard hits, they realize how determined, crafty, and destructive their enemy is. But before that, Christians have the "Hey don't sweat it, He's been defeated, relax, no worries" type of attitude. And this causes them to lower their guard. I've fallen hard, and I've seen many men more mature than I, fall hard. I've spent 10+ years in bondage, until I realized that the enemy is no one to be taken lightly. Mature Christians have the...."I'm Never Going Back to Egypt" mentality.
3. The mature Christians can handle spiritual gifts. Whether it is prophecy, healings, visions, tongues, being filled with the spirit, words of knowledge, etc, he can handle the supernatural. But the immature often limit God to only the occasional healing, and a prompting of the Holy Spirit. Anything beyond that is no longer needed, and a thing for heretics.
4. The mature Christians recognize the Body, and seek fellowship. A mature Christian is attracted to other members of the body of Christ. He does not try to separate himself from the body. Therefore the Lord can speak to him, through other Christians.
5. The mature Christians are constantly praying. I remember a few years back I would go out evangelizing, but before I did I would always spend roughly 5 minutes in prayer. What was the result? No Fruit! When I finally had the faith to pray the entire week before I went out evangelizing, that is when I had the most success. A mature Christian prays often, and can pray for extended periods of time when necessary, even when no other person is listening.
6. The mature Christians are very careful with their sword. They don't presumptuously attack other members of the body, but are careful with their words. They don't go to battle, until they have their orders.
7. Mature Christians don't hide or wear masks. They can freely admit their many faults before others, even though it might humiliate them. They don't strive to maintain the perfect image before others. You will see them crying because they put little value in maintaining a dignified composure.
8. Mature Christians Worship the lord. Not just for 1 hour on Sunday, but often. They press into the Lord, and seek Him.
9. Mature Christians have crucified their flesh and have picked up their cross. They are not ruled by the impulses of their sinful nature.
M.G.H!
6-17-04
In examining my motives, I found that I have been missing the main point in a lot of what I have been doing. In asking myself why I am doing things, I find that my motives are good, but they have been off. For example...
1. Why do I worship the Lord?
Because it honors God.
Because it restores my soul.
Because it brings us together.
Because He's worthy.
2. Why do I obey the Lord?
Because it keeps me out of trouble.
Because God commanded me to.
Because it sets an example for others.
Because it benefits me to obey.
These are all good motives, but never forget the main one,
IT MAKES GOD HAPPY.
And that should be enough reason to do anything. May I never forget it
again.
It's a War, not a Game!
3-11-04
One of the biggest mistakes I see Christians make is treating Christianity like a Game, and not like a War. IT'S A WAR; there is a very real enemy. The Devil's Kingdom is organized, determined, and relentless for the souls of people. And when you treat it like a War, you'll start winning. But we make dumb mistakes that no first year soldier would make.
We go into enemy territory, out of shape, unprepared and alone.
We go out with no armor on.
We don't know how to use our weapons. (The Word of God, Intercession, etc.)
We play around with the enemy (SIN), instead of attacking him.
We refuse to take any training. (fasting, prayer groups, accountability groups, living a crucified life, etc.)
We don't rescue wounded soldiers, but leave them to die on the battlefield.
We don't seek new recruits.
When we get captured, we don't cry out for help.
We work as individuals and not like a team. We attack our own ranks.
When we fall into a trap, out of embarrassment we don't warn others about that same trap.
If you want to be a strong Christian, and not a Casualty of War, then sober up, and start acting like a soldier!
Focused Intersession
3-10-04
Scripture teaches us to eagerly desire spiritual gifts. (1 Cor 14:1) I have recently asked the Lord for a certain spiritual gift. The gift I sought after was to be given specific names of people to pray for. So that my prayers were more effective, and not just blindly shot out. After praying for this gift a few times, it stated happening. I have been given 1 to 3 names a day, and have interceded for them. If you're an intercessor, consider asking the Lord for the same gift.
What should bring you stress?
2-05-05
What should bring you stress? There are many things that bring us stress in this world: money, career, food, reputation. But there is only one thing that should bring you stress, and that is when you or others are outside the will of God. You might find yourself in an uncomfortable situation. But say to yourself, "I only have to do what the Lord tells me to do, and be where He wants me to be." It's better to be a homeless man who obeys the Lord, than a rich King who is disobedient.
Kingdom Prayers vs. Personal Prayers
1-24-04
The focus of our prayers as Christians, should be Kingdom oriented prayers not just personal payers. Kingdom oriented prayers are eternal, i.e. salvation for a friend, spiritual growth, wisdom, guidance, praying for ministries, praying against the devil's strong holds. Personal prayers are often temporary, i.e. help me sell my car, my foot aches, I lost my keys, give me a raise, etc. Use your prayers to advance God's purposes, not just your own. Don't use the angels of God to just run your errands!
The word of God & the WORD of God
1-16-04
As Christian's, we need to be able to distinguish between the word of God and the WORD of God. The word of God is scripture, and the WORD of God, is when the Lord's speaks directly to you. For example, you might read 3 chapters of the bible, but in one chapter the Lord speaks directly to you. You need to know the difference. Sometimes the WORD of God comes though other believers, even non-believers, so you'll always need to be listening. Those who CAN'T distinguish between the word and the WORD will be fooled when scripture is misapplied. The Devil will often quote scripture to us, just as he did when tempting Jesus. So Listen Carefully!
Don't Grab the Levers
1-16-04
Here is a lesson the Lord is teaching me. I have the habit of grabbing levers. Here is what I mean...In any situation, there are levers that control things. In conversation, the one who is speaking has the lever. In the car, the one who is driving has the level. In a business it is the boss who has the levers. It is bad to try to grab the levers in order to be in control. You begin to manipulate everything. A humble man does not need to always be in control, but can come under another's authority when necessary.
A Balanced Meal
1-16-04
We all know that a body needs balanced meals in order to be healthy. And one can't just eat one type of food and stay strong. In the same way, your spiritual body also needs a balanced meal. And you won't be spiritually healthy if you just consume one part of the scripture, and ignore others. I say this because I've noticed certain teachers, over emphasize certain scriptures, to the point that there is an unbalance in the Gospel message. The message of "Sow your seed, Reap your Harvest" is a great truth, but has been over taught. And the message of "God wants you to get your blessing" is another truth, but way out of balance. We are fat on this scripture, and thin on others.
I try to be careful when criticizing the Church, because so often we fall into the plan of the evil one when we criticize. But these critiques are needed. If the only reason you're giving to the Lord is to get something back, then your motives are off. Even an evil man would do something nice, if you rewarded him.
God doesn't exist for the pleasure and purposes of His people, we exist for the pleasure and purposes of God! And if you think the Christian life is all about blessing, it's not, and that shouldn't be your focus. Remember the 12 disciples; all of them went through great struggles and tribulation in their service to the Lord.
God Formulas
1-7-04
I remember hearing a story about an African church, that was
meeting at night. They were doing prayer and worship, when one of the
members got up to use the restroom. Not having a restroom at the church,
the man went outside. Unfortunately, it was very dark and he could not see
where he was going. He walked right into a pit, fell head first. The
pit had a narrow hole, that stuck around his waste. So the top of his body
was suspended underground, while his legs were sticking up into the air.
He started screaming for help, but since he was underground, nobody could hear
him. After more than an hour of hanging upside-down struggling, he prayed
desperately for help.
Finally, he felt somebody's hand grab his leg, and he was pulled out of the pit.
But when he got up to see who it was, he couldn't find anybody. There was
nobody there.
He finally concluded that it must have been an angel that rescued him. In
excitement he went back to the church to tell everybody how the Lord saved him
when he was helpless and upside-down.
So guess what the members of the church did after they heard the story? They started to pray upside-down.
That's how foolish men can be, instead of seeking after God, we look for formulas. DON'T PRAY UPSIDE-DOWN, don't follow blind techniques for getting to God. If everything you're doing is just ritual, you won't find the Lord. The only way to know the Lord is to walk with Him. Don't seek the gift but the giver, don't search for the pool but the river, don't look at the reflection but the light, DON'T TREAT THE LORD LIKE AN OBJECT, but as a person. Don't focus on His body, His power, His wisdom, or any part of Him, focus on Him.
Human Cell vs. a Moss Cell
1-7-04
 |
The human body is probably the most sophisticated organism of all living creatures. Yet when you compare the human cell to a moss cell, guess which cell is more advanced and sophisticated? Believe it or not, the Moss cell is! That's because every moss cell has everything it needs to function, inside the one cell, and it only works only for itself. In contrast, the human cells work for the whole body, as a team. And therefore the human body is far superior to moss, even though the moss cell is more advanced than ours. In the same way, an army of 100 men, working as a team, can defeat an army of 500 men who only care about themselves. There is a spiritual lesson here, because we are the cells of the Lord's body. And when we work only for ourselves, i.e. praying for only our needs, working for only our desires, building up only our treasures, then the body becomes ineffective and weak. The Lord has given each one of use a place in His body, and if the body is going to succeed you'll need to FIND YOUR PLACE, AND COMPLETE THE JOB THE LORD HAS GIVEN YOU, DON'T WORK ONLY FOR YOUR OWN INTERESTS! |
Which is wiser a spider or a snake?
1-7-04
Which is wiser, a spider or a snake? They both have fangs, they both have deadly venom, and they both kill their prey. When a snake tries to bites its victim, the victim either fights back or runs away. The victim often dies later and is devoured, occasionally getting away. But a spider is much wiser, when it bites its victim, they never put up resistance. and they never get away. Because the spider's prey is all wrapped up and helpless in a web.
When the evil one attacks, he attacks like a spider, wrapping his victims up in a sticky web of sin. Unfortunately people think they can stay in a web of sin, and resist the devil when he finally comes. But at that time, they won't even put up a fight. GET OUT OF THE WEB, NOW !
When Lost, Don't Run
12-28-03
When walking a path in the forest, if you are familiar with the area, it is ok to go fast. But if you are lost, or in the dark, then it is not wise to proceed fast. For there is one correct direction and 359 incorrect ones and when people are in the Dark, they make foolish decisions. Spiritually, when you're under attack from the enemy, in confusion, and in darkness, that is the worst time to plan strategy, make goals, or discuss issues.
Hidden Obediences
12-25-03
In a dream I was shown a source of great spiritual treasure that I have often overlooked. I call them Hidden Obediences. In this Dream, an angel stood before a piece of garbage laid on the road. And as people walked by, the angel called out for them to pick it up and throw it away. But few people could hear him, and those who could often ignored the angel's prompting. Finally one person went over to pick it up, and the minute he did, the angel spoke to him and revealed great wisdom to him. It was wisdom on how he could more effectively serve the Lord.
In discussing the dream in my quiet time, the Lord showed me that these Hidden Obediences are everywhere, in many different forms, for all people. But those who are not humble, those who are not walking in the spirit, those who are fleshly, will miss these great treasures.
Mono-Testimony, Mono-Prayer
12-25-03
Imagine a battlefield, were 2 armies were at war; firing back and forth at each other. But one army used an ineffective method of fighting. They would take their best shooter, and only allow him to fire at the enemy. All other soldiers had to keep their firearms at their side. He would successfully strike down many enemy soldiers, but by himself he could not win the battle.
Unfortunately, the modern church uses this technique. In every congregation the Lord is working in all the member's lives. Every member has a testimony of the trials, struggles, visions, victories and lessons from the Lord. But unfortunately when we go to Church we only hear one testimony, of whoever is speaking. Each one of us needs to be sharing and hearing the testimonies of others. In Revelation 12:11 it says "They overcame him (the evil one) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony;" So Share it!
Unfortunately we also use the same ineffective method with Prayer in Church, 1 person prays and everyone else listens. Whose idea was this? Pick up your prayer guns, and start shooting. Intercede for the poor, the hungry, and the oppressed; we are at war! And the Lord and equipped each of us.
Miserable Worship
11-24-03
As Christian's we often miss a critical part of worship. We enjoy singing songs, praising the Lord, lifting our hands up to heaven, humbling ourselves and worshiping God, etc, but we often miss the Miserable Worship. What is the miserable worship?
In Numbers 21:8, the Lord had Moses make a pole with a snake on
it, and anyone who looked at it would live.
This was an early example of the cross of Christ. I once heard a pastor
criticize the Catholic Crucifix because "they left Jesus hanging on the Cross",
while He has risen. But the Lord showed me that it is necessary to do
this. Christian's today look upon the cross, and they see the victory of
Christ, they see the penalty of sin, they see the Judgment of God, but we don't
weep. Weep for the savior, cry for what He has done for us, and picture Him
going through that agony because of our sin. Watch 'the Passion of the
Christ' movie. It's hard but don't neglect this.
It is this Miserable Worship that burns the love for our savior on our hearts.
Where are the prophets?
2-08-05
Where are the prophets? In recent years, we have seen 2
major events happen, 9/11 and the giant Tsunami. Now ask yourself, did God
reveal to anyone on earth these things were going to happen? It would be
hard to believe that God didn't warn anybody. In scripture he warned
people many times before disasters came, is He any different now? I have
heard mention of a man who claimed that angels visited him, and they revealed 4
upcoming events 5 years before 9/11 happened. He was told about 9/11, the
Tsunami, a large earthquake in NYC and one in Europe. He even wrote these
things down in a pamphlet and distributed 1000s out. Now I'm not sure
whether this was a divine revelation from the Lord, or not. But my point is
this, there are 1000s of Christian Media outlets; Radio, TV, Newspapers,
Magazines, etc. To my knowledge no one published this man's testimony.
Why not? How come the first we hear of this is after the second of his
revelations comes true? I have concluded it is become of one reason.
Too much clutter, everybody is talking. (including myself) And this often downs
out the people the Lord chooses to speak thru. Some people are given
greater witness than others. For example both John the Baptist and Jesus
were prophets, but in John 5:36, Jesus said "I have greater witness than that
of John:" Therefore, when I [Robert Brownell] find someone with
greater witness than myself, I'll try to put sections and links to them on the
RESOURCE page. I can't put everyone there, but those whom I believe have
the greatest revelation.
Why do we need prophets?
Imaging
there being an enemy nation that hated your country. (not too
hard to imaging) And that nation would hire terrorists to come into your
country and blow up important buildings. One by one they would strike,
causing massive damage and starting great fires. So your country would
then respond, but how would they respond? A country with no vision would
only put their resources into firefighting. More Fire engines, more rescue
workers, more smoke alarms, etc. But a country with a little vision would
say, "It's not the fires that need addressing, it's these bombs." And they
would put their resources into bomb protection. More bomb squads, more
bomb detectives, etc. But a country with more vision would say "It's
not the bombs we should focus on, it the terrorists." And they
would put their resources into anti-terror efforts. More Intelligence,
more secret agents, etc. But a country with great vision would say, "It's
not the terrorists, it's this enemy nation that need addressing." And they
would send out their armies against that nation.
As Christians we lack vision, most of our prayers are "Dear Lord, more Fire Engines" and that will be a losing battle against our enemy. In Joel 2:28 it says I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. The Lord gives us the resources we need to see and defeat the enemy. But as of today, if I asked 10 Christians to name some of the living prophets, they would have a hard time naming one. If I asked 10 Christians to tell me of some of the visions that the Lord is giving His people, they would also have a hard time naming any. Why is this? Does no one have vision, is no one prophesying? There was prophesy in the Old Testament, Jesus Prophesied, and there was prophesy in the Book of Acts Church. Whose idea was it that prophesy was obsolete?
If you're given a prophesy or vision, share it. And don't be afraid if someone else shares theirs with you. As we learn in scripture, Matthew 10:41 Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man's reward." So if we don't receive a prophet, then we don't receive their reward, and we'll be the worse off for it.
Give credit when credit is due
11-17-03
When viewing a servant of God, be sure to see it as a reflection of Jesus. Then you will give credit where credit is due. But when looking at a reflection of Jesus do NOT see the person behind it, then you might miss the savior. And it might be a stumbling block to that person.
I have seen this when I witness to people, after a sermon or a worship service. I get many praise and accolades from the crowd, that puffs me up. I hope they don't put their faith in me. Because truthfully, they are really attracted to Christ, who is speaking through me. The cloths I'm wearing are not my own. And most of the times I don't even know when He is speaking through me. And He only speaks through a person, to that degree that they have surrendered to Him.
May it never be that when Jesus shines-the speaker gets credit, and when the speaker falls-Jesus gets the blame.
The Cloak and Compass
10-21-03
The 2 most critical things a Christian needs are Love and Humility. Without them we can easily be used by the enemy. Humility is a thick cloak, and a very heavy armor. We don't like wearing it because it slows us down, and it looks so plain and unbeautiful. But few of the enemy's weapons can penetrate it. Pride, rage, selfishness, lust, self righteousness, they all have a hard time piercing a humble person's armor. But without humility, it will be much easier for the enemy to pierce and influence you.
Love on the other hand works as a compass. Because most Christian's seldom get daily directions from the Lord, saying "today you should do this...." Therefore, on a daily basis, we generally don't know what specifically the Lord wants us to do. But with Love as a compass, we'll be heading in generally the right direction. But without Love, even a matured Christian can be marching in the wrong direction. Consider the Apostle Paul before his conversion, he was thoroughly disciplined and matured in the Law. He studied scripture, and eagerly followed and obeyed it. But even with that, he was working in direct conflict to the Lord. That's why we need our compass.
The last thing you want, when you don't have Humility or Love, is the anointing. Because the anointing, like a cannon, is a powerful weapon against the enemy. But if that cannon is not faced in the right direction, it will wreck havoc, missing the enemy and hitting our own troops. And then your anointing will be a liability to the Lord, and not an asset. You'll sow division in the body, and make inroads into the Church that the enemy can attack. This is why so few of Christians have the anointing, and we seldom see things happen the way they did in the book of Acts.
Put on you Cloak and Compass!
Faith and the LIE
10-21-03
What is Faith?
As Christians we know that there is a spiritual world and a physical world.
But we don't see the spiritual world with our eyes or hear it with our ears, yet
it is still there. Faith is simply acting according to what we know it
true in the spiritual world, no mater what the physical world tells us.
But to believe the physical world and ignore the spiritual world is to believe
the Lie. It's that simple. Are you walking in faith or the Lie?
The Paper World and the Real World
10-21-03
Here is a test for you.
Imaging that you're a CEO of a small
business t