Only Believe

Here we are in 2012! Standing at the beginning of a new calendar year, I am personally more excited about this year than I can recall being excited about any other for a long time.

Did you know that God has appointed times and seasons for His global purposes, as well as His purposes in your individual life? When these times arrive He will do whatever is necessary (in accordance with His righteousness and power) to perform the word that He has already spoken (see Matt 1:18-22). We don't have to try to make anything happen in our own life. All we have to do is ensure that we are filling ourselves with His word, deepening our relationship with Him by giving ourselves to prayer, and being diligent to trust and obey. What I'm saying is that cultivating a real, personal, relationship with God takes care of everything else.

As the year unfolds tragedies and difficulties will continue. Darkness is growing darker and sin and deception is ripening in the earth. We are in the last days. Jesus is returning soon. And since He's coming for a Bride without spot or wrinkle, you better believe that the Saints are going to continuing being in a wash, rinse, spin and press cycle. Take heart. He will be with us and can strengthen us to overcome! And what's wonderful about this time that we live in is that the true, overcoming Church will shine like never before. I believe that if you spend any amount of time observing different congregations you can begin to spot the ones with hearts hungry to know God more, to speak His word and do His will, and to be holy as He is holy. It has already begun.

Christ's kingdom is going to be shared with overcomers. Those who by faith and patience, endure to possess the promises. They are those who bear up under tests because they hide the word of God in their heart and treasure it. They seek to know Him above all else.

In 2012, as in any other year, situations are going to arise that will shake those who don't have a solid faith in God and His word. But this does not mean that the year is going to be a bad one for you. Starting today you have an opportunity to choose to give God and His word first place in your life. Determine to chase Him down, to know Him more. Let your soul follow close behind Him (Psalm 63:8). As you do this, what He has planned for and through your life this year will come to pass, despite anything else that could happen in politics, the economy, or religious, social and moral debates. Take Jesus' words to heart: "Do not be afraid; only believe" (Mark 5:36).

This year, may God's kingdom come in and through your own life in righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit!

Navigating Trials

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
James 1:2-7

For a long time I read the popular passage from the book of James (shown above) as two separate thoughts that just happened to be written close together: one about trials, and the other about wisdom. Recently I've come to see that they are related because, in fact, we need the wisdom of God when we are undergoing trials. To begin with, we will need the wisdom of God to understand what the source of our trial is and to choose the correct response. Without the wisdom of God we may expend energy and time fighting the wrong battle, or using the wrong strategy and simply allowing ourselves to become weary with little to no progress.

In this new year, you and I are sure to fall into new trials - and we are perhaps still going through ongoing trials. Go through the trials with the knowledge that God uses them to test and build an increasingly resilient faith in Him. This faith will make you bold on the Day of Christ's appearing and will not be regretted. Only remember this open invitation to ask and receive God's wisdom. It may make all the difference.

O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.

2 Chronicles 20:12

Why gates of pearl?

The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones: the first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. 

Revelation 21:19-21

I think there is beautiful imagery in the creation of the pearl that will have great significance for those first steps each overcoming believer will take into the holy city of God, the New Jerusalem (Rev. 21). Many Scriptures abound which show that this earthly age is one of warfare for us. God will teach us to do battle in His strength, He will be our hiding place, and He will be our resting place all throughout this journey - but we are engaged in spiritual warfare. This is why the Lord Jesus has called us to be overcomers (Rev. 2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21).

Suffering is a non-negotiable part of the Christian life. It has a specific purpose in refining us and works for us a "far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory" (2 Cor. 4:17).

Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
2 Timothy 3:12

And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned...strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.”
Acts 14:21-22

The oyster's way of overcoming the abrasion caused by any grain of sand, pebble or other foreign matter that gets into its soft body is to secrete nacre which cloaks and covers that irritant. This is also how the finest pearls of gemstone quality are formed. The pearl is the product of a process of tribulation. I believe this has something to do with why the 12 gates of the holy city, the New Jerusalem, are gates of pearl. I believe those gates of pearl will testify forever that all the redeemed within have entered by faithfully overcoming tribulation through their faith in Christ. A flat cut diamond or emerald may have well made a sturdy gate, but He chose pearls. I have no Scripture that reveals why God specifically chose pearls for gates, although there will be the abundant use of gold and precious gems of various types in the heavenly city. But since “we must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God” I think it is worth considering that the God who cares for us, and is taking note of every trial and test we undergo, and who bottles our tears in this age (Psalm 56:8) will set up a pearl as an ornament and entrance into the City where He will give us eternal rest in Himself.

And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying,
“Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.”
And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.”
Revelation 21:3-5

Authority to trample...all the power of the enemy

Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.”
And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”
Luke 10:17-20

Jesus delegated authority to seventy disciples to preach the kingdom of God, to heal the sick, and cast out demons. They returned amazed at the power of His name to command demons. And Jesus assured them that in His name they did indeed have authority over these enemies. He also gave a promise that in executing this authority they could not be harmed. And finally He gave a sober reminder so that they would not get unbalanced or view everything in light of spiritual authority. He reminded them that they should rejoice because they had been rescued from the kingdom of darkness and its power and that through no merit of their own, they had received eternal life.

I know a lot of Christians are afraid to exercise spiritual authority like this. It's unfamiliar and unpopular. We've seen and heard excesses and downright kooky behavior evolve out of 'deliverance' ministries. Others believe that this is something that only specially anointed ministers can ever do, and some would say only the apostles of the early Church were given this authority. Most others don't really want to know more about this, whether they can or cannot, because of the fear they have of 'demons' and other supernatural occurrences.

I believe that many Christians are facing longstanding situations in their lives or lives of family members that can be more quickly overcome if they would combine their prayer with fasting, and faith in Jesus' words here. I am not only referring to dealing with demonization in people (which the disciples did often encounter) but there are various other activities, situations, and occurrences which are empowered or sustained by evil spirits. I believe that we were given authority over all the power of the enemy because God knows that we need it.

Those sent out with power  and authority in Luke 10 were not only the twelve apostles chosen by Christ, but also many others who were simply disciples, believers like you and me. The authority they had was linked firmly to Jesus and it was exercised in His name. Consider that Christ wielded such power and authority even before His crucifixion and resurrection. And now that He is seated at the right hand of God as the ultimate Overcomer with a Name above every name, for all ages, how can we have anything to fear when we place our faith in His word and His name (Eph. 1:19-22; Matt. 28:18; Col. 2:15)?

Do not be afraid then. Instead, study the Scriptures and ask the Lord to teach you what you need to know about equipping yourself with the full armor of God (Eph. 6:10-18), walking in the power of the Holy Spirit, and exercising this authority in Jesus' Name. Keep your eyes on Jesus. And continue to rejoice that your name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life.

Burning the Quran

I did not intend to weigh in on this until today. As the anniversary of 9/11 draws nearer, I am hoping, and have prayed that this Pastor's endeavor will be thwarted somehow. For me this has nothing to do with tolerance because I don't really believe in 'tolerance' as it is popularly touted. Neither do I respect or consider this false religion and any of it's books in particular to be worthy of any type of protection. But I see a much deeper problem here.

After having listened to notable converts from Islam such as Mosab Hassan Yousef, Walid Shoebat, and Kamal Saleem, I've learned from their own admissions and definitions that Islam is more than a religion. It is in fact a political system that is bent on world domination and it is very intolerant. Many notable bible scholars, as well as some of these converts, believe that this 'religion' is the vehicle that the anti-Christ will use to achieve his near global reign for the allotted period of time the Bible foretells.

What does burning the Quran have to do with any of this? Well, for one thing, it is not the method Christ set out for us to deal with unbelievers. Their books have no power in and of itself. This is more of a social protest being done in the name of Christ, and I believe, erroneously so. The "burning" should take place in the lives of Christians first. I cannot help but wonder how many of the members of that church, or of those in agreement with this, have books (novels, magazines, so-called 'Christian' literature) in their homes which should be discarded. And what about going a little further and looking into their DVD and CD collections, their cable TV subscriptions and so on? And what if we went further still and examined their conversation, their habits, the way their time is spent, their service or behavior towards the unsaved neighbors around them? Is there genuine good works, fruit of the Spirit, prayer and intercession for others in their lives?

I will go so far as to say that I believe this pastor is simply being used as a pawn by satan in all of this. This act will give the radical Islamic elements 'justification' for any forthcoming hate crimes and acts of violence against Christians. Indeed, it will turn the spotlight squarely upon Christians in the West, in a whole new way (think: persecution), and fuel their agenda, perhaps after having obtained for them the sympathy of those who have been sitting on the fence until now.

This is my two cents on the subject at hand. While it is very easy for Christians to have and give their opinion, may we each also make a point of bringing this before God in our private prayers before 9/11 arrives.

The ways of deceivers

The following is an excerpt from a prophecy given at the Elim Bible Institute Summer Camp Meeting in 1965 by the late Stanley Frodsham. Stanley Frodsham was a recognized prophet and teacher in the Body of Christ whose life and ministry spanned the Pentecostal Revival, the great Healing Revival and the early days of the Charismatic Movement. Frodsham was a personal friend of Smith Wigglesworth and he also authored the well-known book, "Smith Wigglesworth: Apostle of Faith". This prophecy was given in Chicago, in 1965, five years before he died.

This excerpt, The Way of Deceivers is especially gripping to me. If ever we needed such warnings in the forefront of our minds, it is now. After reading, I encourage you to spend some time looking this up even further. This is the kind of prophecy that stirs up a true fear of God, and turns us back from rebellion and lukewarm service to God Himself - nothing like the cotton candy and fluff 'prophecy' that promises personal kingdoms and comforts nowadays.

The Ways of Deceivers

I warn you to search the Scriptures diligently concerning these last days. For the things that are written shall indeed be made manifest. There shall come deceivers among My people in increasing numbers, who shall speak forth the truth and shall gain the favour of the people. For the people shall examine the Scriptures and say, ‘What these men say is true’. Then when they have gained the hearts of the people, then and then only shall they bring out their wrong doctrines. Therefore I say that you should not give your hearts to men, nor hold people’s persons in admiration or adulation. For by these very persons Satan shall gain entry into My people. Watch for seducers! Do you think a seducer will brandish a heresy and flaunt it before the people? He will speak words of righteousness and truth and will appear as a minister of light, declaring the Word. The people’s hearts shall be won. Then when the hearts are won, they will bring out their doctrines and the people shall be deceived. The people shall say ‘Did he not speak thus and thus’? ‘And did we not examine it from the Word’? ‘Therefore he is a minister of righteousness. This that he has now spoken we do not see in the Word but it must be right, for the other things he spoke were true’.

Be not deceived. For the deceiver will first work to gain the hearts of many, and then shall bring forth his insidious doctrines. You can not discern those who are of Me and those who are not of Me when they start to preach. But seek Me constantly, and when these doctrines are brought out you shall have a witness in your heart that these are not of Me. Fear not, for I have warned you. It is possible that the very elect may be deceived. But it is not possible if you walk in holiness and uprightness before the Lord, for then your eyes shall be open and the Lord will protect you. If you will constantly look unto the Lord you will know when the doctrine changes, and will not be brought into it. If your heart is right I will keep you, if you will look constantly to Me, I will uphold you.

The minister of righteousness shall be on this wise --- his life shall agree with the word, and his lips shall give forth that which is wholly true, there will be no mixture. When the mixture appears then you will know he is not a minister of righteousness. The deceivers speak first the truth and then error, to cover their own sins which they love. Therefore I exhort and command you to study the Scriptures relative to seducing spirits, for this is one of the great dangers of these last days.

I desire you to be firmly established in My word and not in the personalities of men, that you will not be moved as so many shall be moved. I would keep you in the paths of righteousness. Take heed to yourselves and follow not the seducing spirits that are already manifesting themselves. Diligently inquire of Me when you hear something that you have not seen in the word, and do not hold people’s persons in admiration, for it is by this very method that Satan will hold many of My people.

This link will lead you to a site where you may read other sections found under the headings:
- Great Judgments
- Coming Glory - and Deceiving Spirits
- The Way of Triumph
- God's Part and Our Part

Caution: When speaking 'to' and 'about' God

I recall two specific incidences in my early Christian walk when I was discouraged and disappointed, and angrily told God what I thought about it all. Basically, I felt He was allowing hard things to happen to me, setting me on a pointless search to know more about Him. I did not say so much that it could be outright equated to shaking my fist at Him, but I did do what most people say it's okay to do: 'express myself'. Expressing myself was nothing more than ultimately expressing disappointment in God, as if He had failed me. And I will never forget the quick and very clear rebuke that I received from God in both cases. Both incidences occurred at night and He dealt with both within hours. I was actually awakened at night for one of these scourgings. Let me tell you, He didn't shout at me, He didn't hold me at my collar and shake me about, but the fear of Him that fell upon me - with a clear understanding and conviction of my sin - was dramatic. And I am so thankful that He loved me enough to set me straight, and did not allow me to go on thinking that I could 'express myself' in any which way towards the Most High God. 

Too often, Christians believe that being persecuted, tested, or suffering gives us the right to 'be human', to have 'slips of the tongue,' to 'express ourselves' against God. When we complain against God, we demonstrate unbelief, pride, and little true knowledge of Who He is. Furthermore, we commit sin.

It was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones, to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”
Jude 1:14-15, ESV

Harsh words against God are not okay.

“Your words have been hard against me, says the Lord. But you say, ‘How have we spoken against you?’ You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the Lord of hosts? And now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers not only prosper but they put God to the test and they escape.’”

Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name. “They shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him.
Malachi 3:13-17, ESV

The above Scripture quoted from Malachi has serious and sobering implications. It describes a time when different people were living under the same difficult conditions. Some spoke against God among themselves; on the other hand, some feared Him and their conversation proved it. Did you notice how God "paid attention?" He not only intently listened to what they said, but He also recorded it in a Book of Remembrance, and proclaimed a future for them that was glorious, in which they would not be judged with the faithless. They were totally covered by Him. There is no record that situations changed for these righteous ones right away, but He most certainly spoke of a coming day when the distinction between those who spoke and what was spoken, would be made evident to all.

When we speak against God we may be delaying our own deliverance, but worse than that, if this sin is not repented of, we are most certainly storing up wrath for ourselves.

Job was tried and tested as, I believe, relatively few men have been. The magnitude and timing of the calamities that assaulted him seem unbearable. One thing came after another, for no apparent reason. 

Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. And he said, “Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”

In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.
Job 1:20-22, ESV

Wow. Job did not use his words to express 'self.' Job expressed humility, submission, faith, and worship. Job laid the cause for His calamity at God's feet in that He saw it as God's working, yet He did not blame God. Therein is a difference that we must learn. 'Blame' is more than acknowledgment, it is accusation.

There is a right way to express our sorrow and complaints to God, and to share with Him that we don't understand His ways. But there is a never a right way to express complaints or lay blame against a holy and perfect, Most High God. He has proven Himself trustworthy and faithful to even the most afflicted men, such as Job. There is no fault in Him. To speak as if we have found fault in Him is to blaspheme the Most High, the Judge of all the earth. Before a Person of His magnificence and power, take my word for it, humility is the only way that works out well on our part.

For a little more on this topic, a recent related post will be helpful: Pouring out your complaint

The throne of iniquity

Shall the throne of iniquity, which devises evil by law, have fellowship with You? They gather together against the life of the righteous, and condemn innocent blood. But the Lord has been my defense, and my God the rock of my refuge. He has brought on them their own iniquity, and shall cut them off in their own wickedness; the Lord our God shall cut them off.
Psalm 94:20-23, NKJV

I wonder how many law-makers, congressmen, parliamentarians, and judges know that God is watching while they 'devise evil by law.'

Heaven is making records of its own as those given power in governments of the nations lobby and vote and pass bills to legalize abortion, homosexual marriage, and to ban the full-preaching of the truths of God's word while protecting the rights of those who engage in any other idolatry or immorality. Preachers of truth can be arrested and fined, praying to God is considered an 'offense' but citing texts and wearing symbols of witchcraft and any other religion are not. Gambling, pornography and 'adult entertainment' have long been legally acceptable options in various states and countries because some people have used their power to make them laws in the land. Any government so represented, is a throne of iniquity.

The country and people who espouse and defend evil by passing such bills in houses of government, will have their own iniquity come upon them, and sometimes, be openly exposed to the nations. Look and see, it's happening already as they struggle to contain crime; to counsel and control rebellious and violent youngsters; as they secretly suffer from messed up family-lives within the walls of their palatial homes, and are being enslaved by shameful addictions. It's coming upon them as the Scripture above says, and without a true repentance towards God, it's foretold that it's nothing but downhill from here.

God will protect His people who will be persecuted by means of these wicked laws that are being devised and defended by governments. Nevertheless, some suffering for the sake of Jesus and the word of God is assured. For the faithful, their endurance will turn out to be for their eternal advantage.

Where does my help come from?

Let the high praises of God be in their throats and two-edged swords in their hands, to execute vengeance on the nations and punishments on the peoples, to bind their kings with chains and their nobles with fetters of iron, to execute on them the judgment written! This is honor for all his godly ones. Praise the LORD!

Psalms 149:6-9

One need not be in the midst of spiritual warfare to praise and worship God acceptably. But I daresay there is no victorious spiritual warfare without acceptable praise and worship. Victory in battle is dependent on Him. If we understand where our help comes from, then we lift up our eyes through praise and worship. When our eyes are on Him His peace guards our heart and mind. Our trust in Him will always be rewarded.

I will lift up my eyes to the hills—
From whence comes my help?
My help comes from the LORD,
Who made heaven and earth.       
He will not allow your foot to be moved;
He who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold, He who keeps Israel
Shall neither slumber nor sleep.   
The LORD is your keeper;
The LORD is your shade at your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day,
Nor the moon by night.         
The LORD shall preserve you from all evil;
He shall preserve your soul.
The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore.

Psalm 121

Let Him be your fear and your dread

The LORD of hosts, Him you shall hallow;
Let Him be your fear, 

And let Him be your dread.
He will be as a sanctuary...

Isaiah 8:13-14a, NKJV

The verse above follows a command to the people of God not to be afraid of the things that others fear and not to be troubled by the threats of others. Instead, we are to have our eyes fixed on God. If we would make Him the only One we honor as holy, fully recognizing and respecting the authority and power that He wields, we will have no reason to fear our enemies. He will Himself be a sanctuary for us.

Of course, taking our eyes off an enemy, or a very difficult situation, does not come naturally to us. It takes an act of our will and requires continual effort to keep tight reins on our thoughts. God gives the grace that we need. But it means we will need to spend extra time reading, believing, and reciting in faith the promises of God to deliver those who wait for Him. The fruit of this, however, is an active peace that no one will be able to make sense of. This confident expectation in God's promise to 'show up' terrifies the enemy because he knows - from thousands of years' experience - that yes, for those who fully trust and wait on Him, God will indeed be faithful to deliver.

... Standing firm in one spirit...and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God.

Philippians 1:27b-28, ESV

Does it mean He no longer loves us?

Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Romans 8:35-39 (NLT)

Many of us have such little real understanding of God's love for us, that when times of severe trouble come we are plunged into despair or rebellion against God. I've certainly been there: 'If You really love me, why did You let this happen?'

There are reasons why bad things happen to God's people at times. Some of these reasons may be unknown or never satisfactorily resolved on this side of life. However, as I meditate upon this portion of Scripture, and as I examine the biblical record of the often tumultuous lives of the Saints, questions melt away. It becomes exceedingly obvious that the love of God for His adopted sons and daughters must not be defined by worldly notions of 'happily ever after' while we are in this age.

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.

John 16:33

Hope

Visit Justin and Trisha's blog

T-Shirt Theology

The one on the LEFT is $19.99 (with applicable tax).
The one of the RIGHT is free.

For this and more biting, but eye-opening, satire visit The Sacred Sandwich