Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Thoughts on Romans 7 and Galatians 5: What's The Difference?

This morning during my quiet time, I began to meditate on these two particular passages of scripture from Romans 7 and Galatians 5 (again) and in the process I began to write what I felt that the Lord would have me share in this post. I know that the last three blog posts have dealt with what I like to call the Apostasy and the great End time Revival, both of which I believe will be concurrent. Anyway, I felt a sense of urgency to share this now, so I will. Therefore this is not a part of the "Apostasy" series. What follows is what I wrote.




The spiritually dead man's soul is in agreement with and follows after his flesh, the place where sin dwells. He cannot help himself, because that's who he is-a sinner. Once he comes to the realization that he is a sinner, then comes the choice. To continue in sin, or embrace the righteousness that has already been prepared for him? The man who has been resurrected from spiritual death has Life in his spirit. His soul now has to be renewed so that he will know first of all who he is, and secondly, what has been prepared for him. 


Old man: unrenewed mind and body of sin in total agreement with each other. The man of flesh
New man: mind being renewed by the Word of God and trained by the Holy Spirit to follow after his true self-the spirit that has been created in the Image of God, just like Adam was in the Garden. The man of spirit.


The man in Romans 7 tried all he could to serve the law with his unrenewed MIND (Romans 7:25b). He could not walk in the spirit because he was spiritually dead. If we continue to tell believers that they cannot help but sin and that we are all SINNERS saved by Grace, we continue to enforce that position of spiritual death that the work of the Cross has delivered us from! That is a religious mindset...get rid of it! This type of teaching is designed to keep us in a state of spiritual retardation and it hinders our growth.
Galatians 5 tells us to walk in the spirit (our new nature-NOT the Holy Spirit) so that we do not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. Because of the Life in our spirit (Christ in us), we have a CHOICE between Galatians 5:19-21 and verses 22-23:


Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. (Gal. 5:19-21)


But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. (Gal. 5:22-23)





The man in Romans 7 did not have a choice because of his spiritually dead nature. A double-MINDED man is unstable in all his ways ("I'm a sinner"/"I'm saved by Grace"; "Sin has no dominion over me"/"I can't help but sin"). We don't have two minds, but one--the Mind of Christ. The old man IS DEAD. Now that mind has to be renewed to the new nature that he has received, through the WRITTEN and SPOKEN Word of God. This involves reading, studying and confessing the Word of God--meditation and assimilation.


Under the Old Covenant, man kept the law and served God with his mind. His spirit had not yet been resurrected from the dead. As Spirit-born sons (resurrected from spiritual death) under the New Covenant we serve, as Paul the Apostle did, with our SPIRIT (Romans 1:9b). God is the Father of our SPIRIT-not our minds or our bodies. He communicates with our spirit. That is where instruction is received via the Holy Spirit and the place where sound doctrine is birthed. The only avenue the devil has to reach you with is through your natural mind. He cannot penetrate your spirit. The natural mind is where all religious, false doctrine is received. That lower frequency or channel is where the enemy transmits. Our spirit has a higher frequency and that is where the voice of the Spirit speaks. PRAYING CONSISTENTLY IN THE HOLY SPIRIT OPENS UP THAT CHANNEL. Be renewed in the SPIRIT of your mind, the Mind of Christ.


Hopefully my next post will pick up where we left off in regards to the End time Revival and Apostasy. Until next time...be encouraged!



Saturday, March 24, 2012

The Love of God is the Great Separator

NOTE: This is the third of a series of blog posts dealing with the coming Apostasy and the End time Revival. 


When we left off last time, we  were looking at the first chapter of Romans and the power of the true gospel--the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Starting off with verse 18:

18. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; 19. Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 20. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 
21. Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23. And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. 
24. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 25. Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. 
26. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27. And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. 
28. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; 29. Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,   30. Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 
31. Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: 
32. Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.  



Bear in mind that this is a description of apostates as a warning to the Church at Rome (chapter 1 v. 7). The true gospel of Jesus Christ delivered with power is received through revelation by the Holy Spirit. Preachers cannot preach/teach heresy and still remain in close fellowship with the Holy Spirit. They are in fellowship-and have given themselves over-to another spirit that is not of God.


Another passage from the first chapter of Galatians:


 6. I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: 7. Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. 8. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. 9. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.  


The manifested Love of God is what separates the sheep from the goats. The love of many will grow cold because of lack of fellowship with God. The epistle of First John is about love, but it is also about separation and the doctrine that will draw the line between truth and error. Love is the great separator-those who seek truth will remain in the Love of God, and love of the World will cause separation from Him. It's that simple.


Here's something the Lord shared with me two weeks ago:


Souls Moving In Opposite Directions
There are souls moving in opposite directions. The devil's answer to the Great Harvest of souls - the Revival - is the Great Falling Away of believers. It will be a simultaneous move, this move of the devil. While the True Gospel is being preached with genuine signs and wonders, there will be false doctrine being preached by satan's ministers to draw away the sense-ruled. Only by discerning of spirits and daily fellowship with the Holy Spirit will believers be able to know the difference. 
True Revival will bring sinners into the Kingdom as it was with the early Church.
False doctrine will usher in the Great Falling Away which is designed to lead unsuspecting believers down the path to destruction.


Apostasy comes in two ways: falling away in relation to wrong teaching, or falling into a lifestyle  of sin using Grace as a license to continue in that lifestyle. The main themes throughout the epistles-from Romans to Jude-are holiness and sound doctrine. Doctrine takes precedence because if the doctrine is sound, then true holiness will automatically follow. Anything and everything else is religion of the Pharisees.


The bottom line is this: if the Love of God is abiding in us and we are filled with His Spirit, there is no way we can ever be deceived.


20. But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,  21. Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. 22. And of some have compassion, making a difference: 23. And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. 24. Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, 25. To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.  


As of this moment, I think the next post will be the final one in this series. Thanks for taking the time. Until next time...be encouraged!


 

Friday, March 16, 2012

Manifestation and Separation: The "Fast" and The "Slow"



NOTE:This is the second of a series of posts dealing with what is sometimes referred to as the "Apostasy" or the "great falling away".


A lot of Christians refer to the "End-time Revival", "Latter Day Rain" or the "Outpouring" regarding the coming move of God on this earth. Many look to the current state of degeneration of this planet as the primary sign that the end is near. In the meantime, there is a stealth operation that the enemy has already launched. I referenced this in an earlier blog titled "A Message to Watchmen:The Smokescreen of False Doctrine" posted in July of 2011. I won't detail all of that here, however.

While many, include those in the Body of Christ are looking UP,  there is an agenda that the devil is using to destroy the Body from WITHIN. Jesus said that the first sign of the end would be deception sent by the evil one (Matthew 24:4b). The devil has been at it since Genesis chapter 3 and he has not stopped. Why? Because it is working. I have said this numerous times and I will continue to state it: the main reason for deception is that the Church in large part has abandoned the path that the Holy Spirit has laid out for us through the Word of God. We have abandoned His leadership and replaced it with our own. Many name the Name of Jesus but are not following Him. These are the very ones who will hear "Depart from Me" on that Day. I don't know about you, but I DO NOT want to be numbered in that group!

Praying in the Spirit, Fasting, Worship and spending time studying, meditating and speaking the Word is the antidote to what the devil is doing. A word of prophecy came forth some years back through this preacher I know where the Lord said this: "The fast will go faster, and the slow will go slower" (I'm paraphrasing). I have meditated on this particular phrase from time to time. Over the years I have come to realize that there is indeed a "slow lane" and a "fast lane" when it pertains to us believers. The "slow lane" is soul - those that have given themselves over to their senses, what they see in the natural. They look for signs and are most susceptible to the spirit of fear because they are "sense-ruled". Having not been rooted and grounded in truth--not spending time in the presence of God--they set themselves up to be "taken out". The "fast lane" is Spirit- those who have taken the time to separate themselves and spend time in Holy Spirit fellowship. In the coming days there will be more of a divide between the "fast" and the "slow", what I like to call "manifestation and separation". The spirit of the world has invaded the church. Many have noticed it and spoken out against it; the sad part about this is, the majority of the church does not care. Why? Because many of them are caught up in it themselves, or they think it is harmless.

They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.- 1 John 2:19

Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false
prophets are gone out into the world. - 1 John 4:1

These are two passages among many that talk about separation due to false teaching and how to combat them. In many cases, those in the church may not have left physically, but even though they are present within the body (for now, at least) their heart belongs to the world, the things of the world and the god of this world. In due time, these things will come to pass.

The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the church at Rome, spoke about "falling away". In his introduction, he made a reference which can be easily overlooked by some but is a key statement, not only in the context of what he was about to say next, but to much of the book of Romans itself:

For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers; - Romans 1:9

The phrase "with my spirit" is key here because he goes on to diffrentiate what it means to be led by his born-again spirit rather than by his soulish intellect.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. - Romans 1:16-17
The gospel that is of the world, influenced by satan, has no power because it is sense-ruled and carnal. It is a "feel-good" gospel that equates material goods with God's blessings. This is what those with "itching ears" will embrace and will be drawn away from true fellowship with the Holy Ghost, the true source of power. Without naming any names, this "gospel" is quite popular among many mega-churches and mainstream Christian television nowadays.For the sake of brevity, I will end here. In my next post we'll take a look at the gospel that satan is preaching from christian pulpits on a regular basis. I hope to be posting within the next few days.
Until then, be encouraged!
 

Monday, March 12, 2012

Something To Think About: "Chrislam", "Co-Exist" and the Anti-Anointing

NOTE: This is the first of  a series of posts concerning the end time Revival and the enemy's plans to stop it. How many will there be? I have no idea. However, the Lord has been showing me some things over the last few months (in fact, it has been almost a year). I will do my best over the next however many posts to lay them out as best I can. Please pray that the Mind of Christ is delivered with clarity and simplicity that the full meaning may be conveyed to whomever reads this and all the other post to follow.

During my prayer time recently, I have been meditating on this particular subject (off and on) and it was impressed upon me to share what's been going through my spirit. Here is something that we as Christians need to understand: at the core of the spirit of religion is an anti-Christ spirit. During Jesus' earthly ministry, that was His chief opposition. Anyone pressing into God will face the same resistance. This spirit will seek to neutralize you at all costs by cutting off your source of Power which can only be attained through constant fellowship with the Holy Ghost. Wherever there is a denial or absence of the Gifts of the Spirit, there is an anti-Christ, religious spirit present. ANTI-CHRIST EQUALS ANTI-ANOINTING. Many are busy looking for the PERSON of the anti-Christ when the SPIRIT of anti-Christ has been present in the earth since the early Church, since the Book of Acts. It is my belief that the seeds that this spirit has sown will give rise to the anti-Christ himself from WITHIN the Church. I heard someone else say this recently regarding this person emerging from the church, and I am in total agreement.


The spirit behind what is being promoted as "Chrislam" is anti-Christ. It is a trojan horse that has been sent by the enemy to poison the Body. Do you think that the "co--exist" agenda that is responsible for those bumper stickers becoming so popular was launched overnight? Your enemy has been carefully and methodically plotting his strategy for CENTURIES. Many people misunderstand what this spirit is about--it's main target is the Church. If you are a part of the Body, this means YOU.





It is only within the Body of Christ that the Power to defeat the enemy will be found. If the Church is neutralized, there is no hope for mankind. What are we going to do about it, church? REVIVAL STARTS WITH US.

I'd like to recommend two teaching series by Pastor Dave Roberson, available from his ministry website, free of charge. The first is titled: "Satan's War Machine":
http://www.daveroberson.org/series.aspx?id=417

The second is called "Unmasking Satan's Tactics"
http://www.daveroberson.org/custom_search.aspx

These are excellent resources for us to identify the enemy at work in our lives and more importantly, HOW to neutralize him and his plots and schemes that are intended to destroy the Body of Christ.

I welcome any feedback that you may have concerning this particular subject. I feel that is largely misunderstood by the vast majority of Christians. What are your thoughts?  I'd love to hear them. In the meantime, stay tuned for the second in this series. Next, I will be sharing some thoughts on the great "falling away" a.k.a. the Apostasy.

As always, be encouraged!