Matthew 7:15 "Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
Act 20:29 "I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock;
Growing up in the 60’s there were some songs that have stuck in my head over the years. One of them seems to be highly prophetic even with its simple lyrics. The song was “Little Red Riding Hood” by Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs. Now I can imagine that many of you are cocking your head at this point and looking at this writer with question marks swimming around……but please, hear me out.
One of the lines from this song goes like this; “I’m gonna keep my sheep suit on, until I’m sure that you’ve been shown, that I can be trusted walkin with you alone”. That got me thinking about the cunning & crafty nature of the wolf, using whatever means necessary to insure he gets what he is after. In the real story of Little Red Riding Hood the wolf answers Red Riding Hood’s questions with a series of lies about his eyes and ears that sound acceptable to her……. until he gets close enough to reveal his true “wolfly” nature and intentions.
It’s no wonder that both Jesus and Paul use this creature to warn the unsuspecting sheep of the extreme danger they are in allowing these “wolves” into their sphere of spiritual influence. The wording that they used also is an indicator of something important; Jesus saying “who come to you”, Paul saying: “will come in among you”. It wasn’t “might come to you”, it’s “will come to you”. Any “thinking” sheep should understand the difference between “might” & “will”, and in doing so, plan accordingly. That is why today’s “wolves” within the church are employing every “ears & eyes” tactic they can to get close enough to the sheep to use their “teeth”.
In the next few posts I will try to expose some of these “eyes & ears” of these stinkin wolves. That’s one of the things you can depend on………..wolves have a distinct odor when you get close to them……………for the “wolves” Jesus and Paul speak of…….. it’s a “sulfur smell”!
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Sing a little louder
I am guessing that most everyone who takes time to read these BLOGS has heard the following true account..............but as an act of my will I take the time to reread it at least once a year............and weep. You see, this not only applies to the apathy in our Christianity in regard to abortion........it crosses over into the depth of our relationship with the Lord Jesus. Do we have His heart of compassion.......do we experience the depth of His pain when He hears the cries................or do we just drown it out with our "songs" of ____________!
You fill in the blank with your own personal "song". Can you even identify your own personal "song"? Sometimes it's a hard slap of reality how many "songs" we actually have.......I know it was to me.
Sing a little louder!
After a speech, pro-life activist Penny Lea was approached by an old man. Weeping, he told her the following story:
"I lived in Germany during the Nazi holocaust. I considered myself a Christian. I attended church since I was a small boy. We had heard the stories of what was happening to the Jews, but like most people today in this country, we tried to distance ourselves from the reality of what was really taking place. What could anyone do to stop it?
A railroad track ran behind our small church, and each Sunday morning we would hear the whistle from a distance and then the clacking of the wheels moving over the track. We became disturbed when one Sunday we noticed cries coming from the train as it passed by. We grimly realized that the train was carrying Jews. They were like cattle in those cars!
Week after week that train whistle would blow. We would dread to hear the sound of those old wheels because we knew that the Jews would begin to cry out to us as they passed our church. It was so terribly disturbing! We could do nothing to help these poor miserable people, yet their screams tormented us. We knew exactly at what time that whistle would blow, and we decided the only way to keep from being so disturbed by the cries was to start singing our hymns. By the time the train came rumbling past the church yard, we were singing at the top of our voices. If some of the screams reached our ears, we’d just sing a little louder until we could hear them no more. Years have passed and no one talks about it much anymore, but I still hear that train whistle in my sleep. I can still hear them crying out for help. God forgive all of us who called ourselves Christians, yet did nothing to intervene.
Now, so many years later, I see it happening all over again in America. God forgive you as Americans for you have blocked out the screams of millions of your own children. The holocaust is here. The response is the same as it was in my country - SILENCE!"
You fill in the blank with your own personal "song". Can you even identify your own personal "song"? Sometimes it's a hard slap of reality how many "songs" we actually have.......I know it was to me.
Sing a little louder!
After a speech, pro-life activist Penny Lea was approached by an old man. Weeping, he told her the following story:
"I lived in Germany during the Nazi holocaust. I considered myself a Christian. I attended church since I was a small boy. We had heard the stories of what was happening to the Jews, but like most people today in this country, we tried to distance ourselves from the reality of what was really taking place. What could anyone do to stop it?
A railroad track ran behind our small church, and each Sunday morning we would hear the whistle from a distance and then the clacking of the wheels moving over the track. We became disturbed when one Sunday we noticed cries coming from the train as it passed by. We grimly realized that the train was carrying Jews. They were like cattle in those cars!
Week after week that train whistle would blow. We would dread to hear the sound of those old wheels because we knew that the Jews would begin to cry out to us as they passed our church. It was so terribly disturbing! We could do nothing to help these poor miserable people, yet their screams tormented us. We knew exactly at what time that whistle would blow, and we decided the only way to keep from being so disturbed by the cries was to start singing our hymns. By the time the train came rumbling past the church yard, we were singing at the top of our voices. If some of the screams reached our ears, we’d just sing a little louder until we could hear them no more. Years have passed and no one talks about it much anymore, but I still hear that train whistle in my sleep. I can still hear them crying out for help. God forgive all of us who called ourselves Christians, yet did nothing to intervene.
Now, so many years later, I see it happening all over again in America. God forgive you as Americans for you have blocked out the screams of millions of your own children. The holocaust is here. The response is the same as it was in my country - SILENCE!"
Saturday, October 20, 2007
The Weapon of Marginalization
In any warfare there are always key weapons at the hands of the commanders that inflict the most damage to an enemy. These weapons are constantly being upgraded to insure maximum effectiveness. So it is with marginalization.
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This
mar·gin·al·ize /ˈmɑr dʒə nlˌaɪz/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[mahr-juh-nl-ahyz] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–verb (used with object), -ized, -iz·ing.
to place in a position of marginal importance, influence, or power: the government's attempts to marginalize criticism and restore public confidence.
From the very beginning the enemy of our souls has attempted to use this weapon to thwart the plans that God has for his people. In the garden of Eden he marginalized God’s warnings about eating of the forbidden fruit;
Gen 3:4-5 The serpent said to the woman, "You surely will not die! "For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
As we move through history this weapon has truly become more refined and in combination with other weapons become ever so deadly. Anthrax in itself is bad, but when added to other biological agents it becomes super deadly. To marginalize the truth (God said the day you eat of it you die) you need to appeal to the desires of the flesh in just the right way. In Eve’s case it was “good looking fruit – able to make one wise – be like God”. It’s easy to marginalize truth if you add enough deceptive agents to your basic weapon. The threat of “you’re gonna DIE Eve” was very skillfully eliminated with “lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh, pride of life”.
Now, cross this over into today’s warfare for the souls of men (and women). God’s still warning us through His Word and His Spirit to be the church of Jesus Christ His way using His guidebook and His Spirit. He uses people who are walking in His Spirit and relying on His Spirit to guide them into all truth (John 16:13). The enemy however, has refined this key weapon and quite effectively marginalized these people with the same old combination, “eyes, flesh, pride”.
On the surface, or what you can see with your EYES, the Purpose-Driven paradigm and The Emergent Church look like they are right on the money, expanding in size and beauty……..”good lookin fruit”……..to the natural eye. However, God’s Word (The TRUTH) encourages us to not look with our natural eyes, but Spiritual ones.
1Co 2:12-14 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words. But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.
Now, what of this “flesh” thing? “Good to eat, EVE”. The flesh, if given its way, will marginalize the Spirit in a heartbeat………the key is not to give it its way. That is not an easy thing to say the least, that’s why the enemy couples it with deadly weapons……it is “weaponized”. Today, he applies this in a myriad of ways within this apostate church movement. Flesh likes sermons that stroke it, and doctrines that don’t convict it, and programs that excite it, and music that woos it……….get the point? The Truth is marginalized because it is the direct opposite of all of this…..thus the people who walk & talk the Truth are pushed further and further into the background.
The final component of the weapon is the one that pushes people over the edge. “You can be like God, Eve”. The spirits driving these modern day pseudo-church movements are doing a most effective job because of the rampant “pride of life” in today’s society. False Christs, teachers & prophets are everywhere. They are sucking people into this web of deception at an alarming rate. This writer feels that the success of these charlatans, Rick Warren Joel Osteen Erwin McManus Rob Bell Brian McLaren to mention a few, is due to the crafty way the enemy has marginalized the Truth and those who proclaim it.
For those who still have ears to hear what the Spirit is screaming………..flee…….and do not be silent in the process. You will be marginalized in this pseudo-church's eyes…..but in God’s you will be rewarded.
Jam 5:3 Your gold and your silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure!
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This
mar·gin·al·ize /ˈmɑr dʒə nlˌaɪz/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[mahr-juh-nl-ahyz] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–verb (used with object), -ized, -iz·ing.
to place in a position of marginal importance, influence, or power: the government's attempts to marginalize criticism and restore public confidence.
From the very beginning the enemy of our souls has attempted to use this weapon to thwart the plans that God has for his people. In the garden of Eden he marginalized God’s warnings about eating of the forbidden fruit;
Gen 3:4-5 The serpent said to the woman, "You surely will not die! "For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
As we move through history this weapon has truly become more refined and in combination with other weapons become ever so deadly. Anthrax in itself is bad, but when added to other biological agents it becomes super deadly. To marginalize the truth (God said the day you eat of it you die) you need to appeal to the desires of the flesh in just the right way. In Eve’s case it was “good looking fruit – able to make one wise – be like God”. It’s easy to marginalize truth if you add enough deceptive agents to your basic weapon. The threat of “you’re gonna DIE Eve” was very skillfully eliminated with “lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh, pride of life”.
Now, cross this over into today’s warfare for the souls of men (and women). God’s still warning us through His Word and His Spirit to be the church of Jesus Christ His way using His guidebook and His Spirit. He uses people who are walking in His Spirit and relying on His Spirit to guide them into all truth (John 16:13). The enemy however, has refined this key weapon and quite effectively marginalized these people with the same old combination, “eyes, flesh, pride”.
On the surface, or what you can see with your EYES, the Purpose-Driven paradigm and The Emergent Church look like they are right on the money, expanding in size and beauty……..”good lookin fruit”……..to the natural eye. However, God’s Word (The TRUTH) encourages us to not look with our natural eyes, but Spiritual ones.
1Co 2:12-14 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words. But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.
Now, what of this “flesh” thing? “Good to eat, EVE”. The flesh, if given its way, will marginalize the Spirit in a heartbeat………the key is not to give it its way. That is not an easy thing to say the least, that’s why the enemy couples it with deadly weapons……it is “weaponized”. Today, he applies this in a myriad of ways within this apostate church movement. Flesh likes sermons that stroke it, and doctrines that don’t convict it, and programs that excite it, and music that woos it……….get the point? The Truth is marginalized because it is the direct opposite of all of this…..thus the people who walk & talk the Truth are pushed further and further into the background.
The final component of the weapon is the one that pushes people over the edge. “You can be like God, Eve”. The spirits driving these modern day pseudo-church movements are doing a most effective job because of the rampant “pride of life” in today’s society. False Christs, teachers & prophets are everywhere. They are sucking people into this web of deception at an alarming rate. This writer feels that the success of these charlatans, Rick Warren Joel Osteen Erwin McManus Rob Bell Brian McLaren to mention a few, is due to the crafty way the enemy has marginalized the Truth and those who proclaim it.
For those who still have ears to hear what the Spirit is screaming………..flee…….and do not be silent in the process. You will be marginalized in this pseudo-church's eyes…..but in God’s you will be rewarded.
Jam 5:3 Your gold and your silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure!
Monday, October 8, 2007
Eyes on Jerusalem
Jesus & the prophets wept over God's Holy City. God's Word mentions this city 735 times. God has done miraculous things throughout history to preserve this city. According to His Holy Word is has great plans for the new city after the world is finished with the old one;
Rev 3:7-13 "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says this: 'I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name.
'Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie--I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you. 'Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. 'I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown.
'He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name.
'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.' (emphasis added)
And according to this prophetic utterance.........He's got plans for those who mess with His Holy City;
Rev 3:9 'Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie--I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you.
The Battle for Jerusalem Begins
Psalm 122:6-9 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: "May they prosper who love you.
"May peace be within your walls, And prosperity within your palaces."
" For the sake of my brothers and my friends, I will now say, "May peace be within you."
For the sake of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek your good.
Yesterday was the International Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem. I know for a fact that the God who loves His Holy City is not going to settle for the worldly peace the characters of the synagogue of Satan are trying to implement right now. His peace will come in the form of the Prince of Peace who, when He comes, will deal with it once and for all.
Are you preparing yourself for "that" peace?
Rev 3:7-13 "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says this: 'I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name.
'Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie--I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you. 'Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. 'I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown.
'He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name.
'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.' (emphasis added)
And according to this prophetic utterance.........He's got plans for those who mess with His Holy City;
Rev 3:9 'Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie--I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you.
The Battle for Jerusalem Begins
Psalm 122:6-9 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: "May they prosper who love you.
"May peace be within your walls, And prosperity within your palaces."
" For the sake of my brothers and my friends, I will now say, "May peace be within you."
For the sake of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek your good.
Yesterday was the International Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem. I know for a fact that the God who loves His Holy City is not going to settle for the worldly peace the characters of the synagogue of Satan are trying to implement right now. His peace will come in the form of the Prince of Peace who, when He comes, will deal with it once and for all.
Are you preparing yourself for "that" peace?
Saturday, October 6, 2007
ANTI-Prayer.....The "Silent Killer"
In the natural we know that cancer, in many cases, has been dubbed the silent killer because of its invisible nature. As I was in prayer this morning I believe God showed me something about the “silent killer” of the church, that silence being, diminished corporate prayer.
In Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus, in the very complete analysis of spiritual warfare in chapter 6, he ends it with an exhortation to PRAY;
Eph 6:18-19 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel,
Now my understanding of this from the original Greek sentence structure, is that prayer was not an additional weapon, but was to permeate the whole of the armor. It is taught this way in the Spiritual Warfare Seminars I am conducting:
Is not considered a separate piece of the armor, but saturates the whole of the armor.
It is the armor’s effectiveness
It is our communication with the commander of the battle who activates the armor
Prayer has a fullness – It’s not just petition Eph 6:18 With all prayer and petition pray
This is a very important part of spiritual warfare and is crucial for victory over the enemy of our souls. Now if you’re the enemy, and you want victory, you employ tactics that will weaken your opponent. In the case of the church it’s simply devaluing corporate prayer by substituting it with something fun or entertaining. Remember the story of Peter in prison in Acts 12 and how he was miraculously released by an angel? Do you remember what the church was doing?
Act 12:11-12 When Peter came to himself, he said, "Now I know for sure that the Lord has sent forth His angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting." And when he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John who was also called Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying.
This is a very powerful picture of what the latest crazes and movements are doing within the church to cripple it so they will not be able to stand firm as we are instructed to several times in Ephesians chapter 6. Think about the last time your church had an all night prayer meeting. What is the least attended meeting in the “church week”? It appears to this writer that the enemy of our souls has found a very successful “silent killer” and willing accomplices to help him along his path:
The Emergent Church (2 Timothy 4 at its best)
The Purpose Driven Church (This is a great E-Book)
The P.E.A.C.E. Plan (The end result is anything but peaceful)
Let’s get back to basics and do some real damage to the kingdom of darkness working within our midst. Let’s gather ourselves together and PRAY.
Monday, October 1, 2007
While they are saying, "Peace and safety!"
While "they"are saying "Peace and safety!"
Have you ever wondered who exactly the "they" are that Paul is talking about here in 1 Thessalonians 5:1 ff? I do know this.............I do not want to be anywhere close to this "they" crowd, and yet it seems as though the "they" crowd is at the heart of the whole current process in the Middle East that will usher in the antichrist. And, according to this report below, the "they" crowd has been at it for a long time, like for generations, which is also a bit disturbing. It's bad enough to be part of a country that is pushing this "Roadmap to Hell", but when so-called Christians compromise their faith so they won't have to take a stand against the corrupt culture...........that is even more disturbing.
The United Methodist Church Denomination will be voting in April of 2008 to become part of the "they" crowd. The Presbyterian Church USA was toying with the idea but then reversed the decision a little later down the road. The United Church of Christ promised a more "balanced" approach to the entities of the Middle East. Seems like the "theys" are popping up everywhere as we come down to "crunch time."
I guess we, "the truly saved crowd", could be labeled "anti-they". And as Paul put it to the Thessalonian crowd.........."therefore, encourage one another and build up one another, just as you are also doing.
The only big question you have to ask yourself is; "am I one of the truly saved crowd or will I compromise my faith and become a "THEY!" And, do I care enough about the eternal future of the "they" crowd to risk reminding them of what Jesus is going to do with the "they crowd!"
Rice says talks 'gaining momentum'
1Thessalonians 5:1-11 Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you. For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. While they are saying, "Peace and safety!" then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief; for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober. For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night. But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation.
For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him.
Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.
Have you ever wondered who exactly the "they" are that Paul is talking about here in 1 Thessalonians 5:1 ff? I do know this.............I do not want to be anywhere close to this "they" crowd, and yet it seems as though the "they" crowd is at the heart of the whole current process in the Middle East that will usher in the antichrist. And, according to this report below, the "they" crowd has been at it for a long time, like for generations, which is also a bit disturbing. It's bad enough to be part of a country that is pushing this "Roadmap to Hell", but when so-called Christians compromise their faith so they won't have to take a stand against the corrupt culture...........that is even more disturbing.
The United Methodist Church Denomination will be voting in April of 2008 to become part of the "they" crowd. The Presbyterian Church USA was toying with the idea but then reversed the decision a little later down the road. The United Church of Christ promised a more "balanced" approach to the entities of the Middle East. Seems like the "theys" are popping up everywhere as we come down to "crunch time."
I guess we, "the truly saved crowd", could be labeled "anti-they". And as Paul put it to the Thessalonian crowd.........."therefore, encourage one another and build up one another, just as you are also doing.
The only big question you have to ask yourself is; "am I one of the truly saved crowd or will I compromise my faith and become a "THEY!" And, do I care enough about the eternal future of the "they" crowd to risk reminding them of what Jesus is going to do with the "they crowd!"
Rice says talks 'gaining momentum'
1Thessalonians 5:1-11 Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you. For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. While they are saying, "Peace and safety!" then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief; for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober. For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night. But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation.
For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him.
Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.
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