Kabarterang: Christian mistakes, Warning, Deceptions and Pitfalls

250+ 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] Korean

(Note: These are lessons I've learned, I didn't get these verbatim from the Lord, so they can NOT be taken as His words, some of them might be dead wrong, you'll have find out for yourself which ones are true. These are also summaries from many of the Testimonies of the website.)
[Christian Mistakes, Warnings, Deceptions and Pitfalls]

Prophetic warnings are coming in from all over the world. The Return of Christ is VERY near, and MANY Christian's are NOT ready. Those who are ready will be taken/raptured, but those Christians who are not ready (not living Holy but Worldly), will be left behind. They will go through the tribulation, the worst imaginable time in History. A falling away time, where the world quickly plunges into deep darkness, a time whereby anyone trying to follow Jesus, will be severely persecution, tortured and killed.
There is a big contrast between what is coming from Jesus by revelation and what is being preached about in the pulpit.
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." We handed out tickets to heaven, like it was free candy, forgetting the words of Jesus "It is hard for a man to enter the Kingdom of God" and "narrow is the door...few there be that find it"
We have diluted down the image of Hell,
      FROM a place of Miserable Agony, Torment, Wrath, Burning & Regret
      Down to a much more digestible phrase,  "Godless eternity"     (which doesn't seem to put fear in any unbeliever)
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. The recipients of this gospel message may not be ready for hard trials, and could fall away.
I repent for teaching the "Once Saved Always Saved" doctrine. I now see that it contradicts numerous scripture verses, it tends to lower people guard against sin, and it also contradicts many testimonies of people who have been shown Hell and seen backslidden Christians. This doctrine is also remarkably absent from the teachings of Jesus Christ himself.
All 10 Commandments are all still in place, there were not removed. Many Christians, including myself, have violated the 4th Commandment, by not keepingSabbaths/Sundays Holy. I has been prophetically spoken from different sources that if Christians are not keeping the Lord's day sacred, they will be left behind.
Tithing is the mechanism for funding the Gospel. Those who withhold tithes and offerings from the Lord are disobedient Christians, they won't be ready for His return. By their disobedience, they hinder the gospel from going out, costing souls. That Lord has warned the church, that anyone who loves money more than Him, will not see the Kingdom.
That Lord has spoken through prophets many times in these days, and in revelation after revelation God has shown that many Christians, who though they would get to Heaven, never made it, but instead wound up in hell. They never "strived to make it through the narrow door" Holiness is still required to get into Heaven.
It is a false doctrine to tell Christians that after their first repentance, they never need to repent again for new sins. The blood of Jesus does not automatically wash away future sins, sins need to be repented of after they are committed. If you disagree, just ask Ananias and Sephira about their pre-forgiven sin.
It IS possible for born again Christians to get evil spirits in them.
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")
Jesus said, "wait...until you are clothed with power from on high." If you want to serve the Lord without being clothed with power, it is foolish, unbiblical and much less effective.
Signs, wonders, miracles and healings are for today, they have NOT disappeared, nor has the gifts of the Spirit.
There is a strong satanic movement in the Church to stop the spread of the Gift of the Prayer Language. In so many churches you can hear teaching about prayer language, and have an intellectual discourse about it, and study it, you just CAN'T get it.
Your good works don't earn you into Heaven, but your bad works CAN disqualify you, if not repented of. From Scripture we know that grace comes to those who repent, and God's love comes to those who are surrendered to Him (the cross). Teaching people that Grace can come by other means than repentance is irresponsible, and it's a dangerous doctrine to tell others that God's love is not dependant on surrendering to Him.
Neglecting, Ignoring and opposing the manifestations of the Holy Spirit, is the Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. If there is a manifestation of the Holy Spirit, (Tongues, Signs, Healings, Prophecy, etc.) and you say it is from the devil, you are dangerously blaspheming the Holy Spirit. Don't Risk It! Don't resist the movements of the Holy Spirit, that is the Blasphemy we were warned about. In a revelation to Pastor Kim, 70% of the Christians that are in Hell, are there because they Blasphemed the Holy Spirit. 30% are there, because they live Holy and keep the Word of God in their lives.
Christians need to be ready to repent on a moments notice.
Coming to the Lord, always to conduct business or seek knowledge, and not because you love Him, greaves His heart. It is like a loving Husband, whose wife is incapable of love or emotion, but is only concerned with duties and chores. I left my first love, and pursued duty, not His heart. The image of Jesus as a waiting Groomwas not one that I knew.
The Father did not sow His Son, to reap a bunch of slaves. He wanted Children, not slaves. Leaving the slave mentality is something all Children of God must do.
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 gaze 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.
Repetitiously praying of the Rosary is not of God.
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!
One of the hardest tests for a Christian is drawing close to God in intense worship, while not getting distracted by the glory that is reflecting off of us.
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.
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.
If there is a certain spiritual gift (a manifestation of the Holy Spirit), and you say that it is from the devil, your are blaspheming the Holy Spirit. Be VERY Carful!
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.
Many people are running TOWARD Christian Ministry and AWAY from the Lord's presence at the same time.
You will need to go through many easy doors, to get the same spiritual growth as going through one hard door.
If the Lord wakes you up in the night to pray, but you refuse, roll over and go back to sleep. Then the bed becomes your grave.
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.
People who receive visions from the Lord, are often in the habit of interpreting their vision in the most positive way possible, while some of their visions may have been warnings or rebukes.
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.
Many Christians will only listen to those whom they already agree with.
Every blessing of God is in jeopardy to someone who does not fear the Lord, and obey His Word.
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.
Many Christians fall immediately after a great victory.
The problem with receiving the anointing of God, is that it can draw people to yourself, rather than Christ.
Money has caused so many problems in the Church, that if possible, ministers of Jesus should strive not to live off the Tithe.
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. You should not have any hope that Jesus might break His Word.
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.
One of the worst things that can happen to a Christian minister, is that they become successful before they are ready.
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.
Never lose your temper in the presence of the Lord. As many of us have found out, it brings instant and severe judgment, and makes the Father angry.
When a male teenager comes to the Lord, they usually have an ounce of faith fighting a pound of testosterone, therefore demanding that he lives a pristine life, may be setting him up for a fall.
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."
Selfishness destroys.
Evangelism is like a car, and the "Understanding of Hell" is like Gas. When a person doesn't know about Hell, he is much less likely to share the Gospel with others.
As I studied many revelations from God, regarding Heaven and Hell, there was one thing that was very consistent. The things God warned His people about, would come true, if they ignored His warning. So it’s useless to hope that God might break His Word, just because someone was a Christian. For example, when Jesus warned us, ‘unless you forgive you brother when he sins against you, your Heavenly Father will NOT forgive your sins’ this is true, even if you’re a pastor of a 10,000 member church. So His warnings are to be taken seriously. This is why, in several revelations of Hell, many Christians wound up in hell, because they falsely assumed that God would not carry out what He promised.
The higher spiritual authority you have, the greater you can fall without love and humility. The closer you get to the Lord, the more narrow the road becomes.
It has been shown through 2 revelations that some people have been sent to hell for being Grumblers and Complainers. (Just as God struck them down in the Exodus, there is punishment even today.)
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.
For Prophets, you must make a clear distinction between your onions and teachings, and what the Lord has divinely revealed to you. Don't mix them!
If a believer prays for the sick, and nothing happens, DON'T blame God!
In my pursuit of God through worship, one thing has greatly interfered and hindered it. As I would start to focus on Jesus, my mind would often become preoccupied with the doctrinal flaws of my friends. And I would sit there for 10-15 minutes going over everything wrong with their beliefs, and what they should believe, even small matters. Only after a few months of this, did I realize I was being drawn away from God, by the accuser. Even though I was justifying every judgment with scripture verses, I can now see that it actually prevented me from focusing on Jesus.
Don't try to fix the sinful nature, it must be crucified. The world's solution is to cope with and improve the sinful nature, the Lord's solution is to kill & replace it.
(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! This profiting off the Lord is what cursed Gehazi in II Kings 5:27
Too much work of Christian Ministry is duplication of what other Christian's have already done. (usually because of copyrights and restrictions) Christians often only see their local ministry, and not the whole body of Christ, so we often only do work that benefits those close by, and not the entire Church.
Not acting quickly upon a message from the Lord, and you will find it difficult to remember or act upon it later.
If your fear of being deceived is greater than your faith in God to lead you to all truth, then your ears will be shut to God's messengers.
Just because someone is doing great & powerful miracles of God, doesn't automatically mean that they are in right standing with God.
Each Christian must be able to distinguish between true and false wisdom. They look similar, are can be hard to tell them apart. What makes it so difficult is that scripture verses can be used to support both false and true wisdom. In my experience, false wisdom usually leads to inactivity, fear and criticism.
If a used car salesman put's Christian bumper stickers on a car he is selling, would that impress the Lord? In the same way, when Christians merchandise their products with biblical themes and images, what are they really doing more than a secular salesman?
It is possible for a prophet of God to mistakenly listen to a false prophet spirit. God's word is perfect, but his prophets are not, and they need to carefully test each spirit.
A Christian "at ease" is ripe for God's judgment. (Being "at ease", while the rest of the world is falling deeper into sin, and not lifting a finger to help them.)
Zealous Christians can sometimes fall into the deception that they can earn God's Love, and that His love is based on their performance. (I personally fell to this deception.) And be sure to love God for who He Is and not for what He can give you. The Love of God is not so cheap that it can be earned by the work of your hand or the sweat of your brow.
Many Christians are doing good works, but not specifically what the Lord called them to do. This is a form of rebellion. We must pray to know the specific will of God for our lives, and be determined to Do it.
One trap I often fall into is this, the more power the Lord gives me, the less I think I then need Him. The Lord's power can be very corrupting to a person who is not crucified, not humble, and does not walk in love.
Those who rely only on the bible, and never bother getting counsel from the Holy Spirit, can be deceived.
Spoken Prophetically by Jesus, regarding divine visitation by Mary: "If I want to manifest MYSELF to somebody, I don't do it through Mary. She is MY beloved child, but she does not manifest herself to people. This is a huge lie and taught by the Catholic church and other groups. I am not happy with this at all. She does not appear, it is the devil disguised as her, to mislead people so they would pray and worship her instead of ME. I do not allow any other gods before MY HOLY FACE!"
When there is a good deed that a person decides not to do, a religious person will criticize the act, or criticize other doing the deed, in order to justify their in-action.

For Churches & Ministries

The most Esteemed person in your Church should be Jesus, the next most important person in your Church should be the unsaved, and the least esteemed people in your Church should be your leaders.
The inCorrect Foundation of the Church. Click Here
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 ?!? Whenever possible, do as much of your ministry without recognition.
Pastors that don't prepare their congregation for the Lord's return, will have the fierce wrath of their congregation against them, when they are left behind.
2/3 of the world's people are oral learners, unless you deliver Christian media in Audio or Visual format, it will not reach them, because they will simply not read a book.
Any Christian Magazine, Pamphlet, Brochure or printing that highlights the names of ministers or ministries more than Jesus, is glorifying man.
You CAN'T preach the gospel only using gentle words. Messages from God can sometimes be sharp, to the point, painful and hard to accept. But their message 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.
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 (Relationships) , which is the whole reason for ministry.
Christian Fellowship is a 2 way interactive relationship, but much of the Church has become a 1 way communication organization.
If you only minister to those who pay you, what are you doing more than others? Don't even sinful people serve those that pay them? Minister to the whole body of Christ, not just your financial supporters.
Pastors, when the Lord gives you a message, drop you carefully crafted sermon notes, and preach what the Lord revealed. Most pastors preach from the inspired Word of God, but few have inspired preaching from the inspired Word of God. Sermons are too often not inspired, but rather just the notes for that week's bible study, or a religious prep ralley.
If a Church has parking spaces reserved for it's leaders, then it has the wrong focus!
Jesus taught us that the Door to life is Small. If a pastor's teachings paint a large door, not small, then he is doing his congregation a great disservice.
Congregations must not drive out pastors, when pastors make mistakes or fall. It is the Lord's responsibility to set up and remove pastors, not ours. Doing this will bring serious judgment.
If 20% of the sermon's you attend, read scriptures verses to the congregation about living Holy, and 95% of the sermon's you attend, read scripture verses about tithes and offerings, then your church has wrong motives.
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. The pulpit is a place to honor Jesus, not celebrities.
Sermon's that only talk about the great exploits of the leaders and ministry do more to puff people up. Sermons should also include the mistakes and pitfalls that were made, so others can learn from them and avoid them.
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.
Many of today's church services are likened to a gas station, where the whole message is "come get your fill of God".
The church service is often more attentive to the clock than the Holy Spirit. Get the clock out of the sanctuary.
Rank given to a person by a religious organization does not equate to rank in God's Kingdom.
When ministering to a person, never minister to their mask, only minister to the real person.
90% prayer & 10% work! Ministries not immersed in prayer will fail.
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.) Anything that would bring division into a Church should be Highly scrutinized & suspected.
The difference between the false church and the true church, is that the false church will embrace the name of the Lord but not the light of God. So when Cultural issues come against the teaching of the bible, the false church will compromise.
Ministries that don't train up the next generation won't last.
The best place to evangelize is where people's hearts are soft.
There is a continual drowsiness the sweeps over the Church, lulling us to sleep, dulling our zeal, closing our eyes, & stealing our passion for a lost world. Pastors need to be careful of sermons that cause Christians to drop their guard, and become comfortable with the world. One of the enemies main goals is to snuff out the fire of those who are hot, leaving everyone lukewarm.
The subject of tithes and offerings is often unpopular, so pastors frequently ask some other member of the congregation to speak during the offering, so that the volunteer can take the brunt of the unpopularity. Stop playing church.
One common theme of the Bible, stated over and over, is "Just Stop Sinning". You are unfit to preach the bible, if you are unable to preach this message.
"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.
How can someone preach if they can't listen? The person in church who speaks the most, should not be the one who listens the least.
We must not think that just because a spiritual message is give with passion, confidence, and volume that it is any more legitimate than a message give in weakness. But ministers have often added these effects, by their on strength, in order to legitimize their message. And we have falsely assumed God's messages will always come like that.
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 in a prayer meeting with people who have prophetic gifts, these gifts seem to slop flowing if there are others in the meeting who don't believe or receive the prophetic.
The Doctor used medicine, not swords. And so it is with those who try to fix the church, if all they can do is criticize, accuse and blame, then they are not the doctor.
Pastor's desperately need to prepare their congregation for the End Times, and not ignore the subject.
You can't build God's church by the ambition of man. Man's ambition will go ahead of the Lord, into unprepared areas. And man's fear will lag behind the Lord.
Many church buildings are actually monuments to the leaders.
Church gatherings are tremendous opportunities for Corporate prayer, unfortunately this is often neglected for all the other programs going on.
The lack of real testimonies in Sermons, where preaching is just doctrine and theory, greatly diminishes peoples faith.
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.
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."
God is the one who can take a pile of filthy dirt, and turn it into beautiful and sweet smelling flowers, or trees with delicious fruit. Man is the one who takes beautiful and delicious fruit, and turns it into a pile of filthy dung.
A minister's weakness is often their family. I can handle a person yelling at me, and the police taking me away, but if my son misbehaves, or wife argues, then I easily loose my cool.
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 fine enough.
The Prosperity Gospel is so over used in the pulpits. It is full of scriptures to defend it, and it has some truth in it, but it's motives are all wrong, showing the immaturity of the preacher. To recognize it you need to look at it's motives. Here is the usual pattern of the Prosperity Gospel. "Do X and get your blessing. I did X and got my blessing. Joe didn't do X, so he lost his blessing. If you only do a little of X, you'll only get a little of your blessing. God wants you to have your blessing, He died so you'd get your blessing."

[Principles to Live by]

When coming out of a sin, spend some time in Remorse, confession, and judging yourself, before you just run to the blood and say "clean me up"
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. Leaders often ignore it because they have more confidence in their own teaching, than the Holy Spirits ability to impart life; and therefore, spiritual gifts often lay dormant, never being handed down to the next generation.
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.
Repentance without tears is weak. If you have a sin that you are repenting of, ask the Lord for Strong Conviction, so that you can have deep repentance, and not just verbal repentance. Because you much show fruit of repentance.
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 Christians are 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.
It's not wise for Christians to copy secular movies and songs, without paying for them. That can dishonor the Lord.
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.
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.
Don't end your life with a big head and a small heart.
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.
You may only get the smallest hint from someone, that they are about to fall away from the Lord, so when you hear it, don't neglect it, make an effort to keep them from falling.
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.
Don't send a man out on the mission field until he overcome his sexual desires.
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.
No matter how close you are to God, the Father hates your pride.
The Spirit of God is in His people, (as imperfect as they are.) If someone doesn't want to be around other Christians, do they really want to be around the Spirit of God?
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 from a sin 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.
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.
When I wake up, I just assume that I'm spiritually dead until I pray.
It is a fall, to go from
'hearing the Spirit of God and taking impulses from Him of what to do'
to
'relying on your own intellect, and following your religious understanding.'
Beware of addictions, because anything that you are addicted to, you are a slave to, i.e. smoking, video games, TV, wine, gambling, sex, masturbation, etc. And a slave has no permanent place in the family. (John 8:35)
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.)
If you go to the poor, oppressed and destitute people of the world, you'll find Jesus there, suffering with them. A part of Jesus, not every Christian has meet.
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 told 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.
In worship is when a person becomes one with God.
Unfortunately, some people need to hear the Gospel, so that when they are condemned, they can not accuse God of not warning them.
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.
The difference between Foolishness and Wisdom
Christian idols and images are also an abomination. Don't kneel before a statue, or speak to a picture, or revere any Earthly object, or glorify any man.
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.
Many Christian will wait for a prompting, leading and confirmation from the Lord before they will do what the Bible already tells them to. Unless you hear otherwise, do the bible.
Though it is hardly ever preached about, and seldom a topic of concern, a Christian should NOT drink blood. (Except the Lord's blood) If you have, repent. It is a sin that can take a soul to Hell.
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.
A wise man will preach about Jesus, but a wiser man will allow Jesus to preach through them.
You can't always apply human logic to God's wisdom.
When people sin, it actually causes God pain. It's not just something He notices and regrets. All the sin of mankind in on Him, and causes Him great agony. For this reason alone, we should avoid it.
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.
Any Christian movement that neglects & does not utilize the glory that God put in women or children, will not fully mature.
It is wise for Christians to store food and water provisions for future prophesied catastrophes. Food and water will be very scares during these times, and the rest of the world will not be prepared for it.
Quickly write down your dreams when you wake up, before the memory is taken from you.
The more you lean on your own understanding, the less you will trust in God.

[General Teaching]

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"
I've come to believe that the great world harvest will happen after the rapture. It will be the rapture that wakes many people up to the truth of God, because it will be a undeniable event. Also, many aspects of society will start to break down after the rapture, (Electricity, Internet, Government, Communications) and people will need to put a heavy focus on just surviving. The rapture event is the last day in the Age of Grace, and the beginning of the Time of Wrath.
Anything not built on the Rock will eventually fall. (Systems, Organizations, Businesses, Countries, Groups, Cultures, etc.)
(Mercy * Rejected = Anger) (GreatMercy * Rejected = Wrath) Rejecting God's great sacrifice of mercy, will only bring terrible judgment onto a person.
A humble servant close to the Lord is more powerful than a King who is away from the Lord. A prayer intercessor in the closet is more powerful than rich man outside it.
After the Lord's return, the Earth will be left without the Lord's hand of protection. And without this, evil will spread very fast, corrupting the whole Earth.
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 bible says that "We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God" Acts 14:22 Many Christians who do not get raptured will need to go through much suffering in the tribulation, in order to be saved in the end.
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.
There is a significant different between Christianity and Political Conservatism, that we must understand. Conservatives work so that people will live free, but Christians fight so that people will live Holy. Conservatives fight against tyranny, but Christians fight again wickedness. The battleground of Conservatives is in the courts and political centers, but the battleground for Christians is in the heavenly realms and in their prayer closet. Conservatives strive to give children the best education, but Christians strive to give children God's wisdom. Conservatives was what's best for the country, but Christian's want what's best for God. There is a clear difference between these 2 groups.
Once a Christian Music Group requires payment for their music, then they have received their reward. (and it's spiritual value is greatly diminished) If a person or a group demands compensation for their Worship Music, how are they any different than a secular business.
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. In becoming a studied mature Christian, it is important to first master the words of Jesus, before mastering the other prophets. Since His words are the foundation. "I have testimony weightier than John." (John 5:36)
In many Churches, the apostle Paul's teaching must be removed as the Foundation of the faith, and Jesus's words must be the only foundation, all other must be built upon that.
Never reinterpret the words of Jesus, in order to conform to another man's perspective. (Even the teachings of biblical prophet's or Apostle's)
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.
From 2 different revelations: There has been seen a bustling in both Heaven and Hell. Both demonic and Heavenly activity has been seen happening at a quicker and quicker pace, it expectation for the Lord's arrival.
I think Mormons are nice people, kind and generous. But after studying many revelations of Jesus, He is never mentioning this other book (book of Mormon). I've never heard of Jesus ever leading someone to the book of Mormon, either prophetically, or by visitation.
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.
The Spiritual Realm, not a vague, mystical, symbolic realm, but a realm with many of the same physical laws and properties of our natural realm, just unseen. Many devices, tools, and machines of our physical world can also exist and function in the Spiritual Realm. The mapping of the Physical Realm (Animals, Plants, Places, etc) is the mapping of the Spiritual realm.
The Great Apostasy that has entered the Church, is that the LAW has been abolished. Therefore, A Christian needs to separate the Old Testament LAWs into different categories, so it will be very clear which laws we are still to follow. Anyone that says that none of the Old Testament Laws have any consequences today, is mistaken.
I've put Old Testament Laws into 5 categories.
#1 The traditions of man, laws and rules that do not have a divine origin. We are NOT to follow these. (i.e. DON'T HEAL ON THE SABBATH)
#2 Temple laws and sacrifices. Since Jesus destroyed and rebuilt the temple we no longer do these temple requirements on Earth, their function is now in the heavenly realm. (i.e. BLOOD SACRIFICE)
#3 Laws reserved solely for the Jews, I don't consider these commandments for every other nation. (i.e. CERTAIN HOLIDAY's)
#4 Laws given by Moses, and confirmed by prophets in later years, and not specifically nullified by any New Testament scripture. I believe these laws still have consequences today. (i.e. INCEST, USERY, 10 COMMANDMENTS)
#5 Laws mentioned by Moses once, but never brought up again anywhere in scripture. (i.e. DON'T WEAR CLOTHES WOVEN FROM 2 DIFFERENT FABRICS, DON'T CUT THE SIDES OR YOUR BEARDS)
A Christian 'slave' can only bring other people to 'Master' God, but a 'son' can bring people to Father God.
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.
What's the Lord's stance on Abortion?
The greatest secular thing is not even worth the least Holy thing.
If concluded that the great prostitute mentioned in the book of revelation, is Islam. Islam is the 'Religion of Doubt'. Though they claim to believe all the prophets of the bible, when you ask them specifics about the bible, every possible excuse will be given as to why they don't believe that.
After you die, you are judged based on how much light you had. This is why it is better not to know God, than to know Him and turn away.
Each Christian must learn to separate the common from the Holy.
'Legalistic' is often defined as 'anyone who follows the commandments closer than I do.'
The God of the Old testament is the same God of the new testament. Jesus didn't replace God, He was a greater revelation of who God was.
People are going to Hell, because Christians have not picked up their cross. If they did, revival would be breaking out everywhere.
The baptism of Water is NOT the same as the baptism of Fire. We need both.
Baptism of babies does not make sense, since they can NOT repent of their sins or understand what sins are.
The goal of the Lord is to Restore man, not just redeem him. So that man lives the way we were created to be, not just get saved.
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.
A person (even a Christian) can be condemned for committing sins, that they did not think were sins. Therefore it is necessary that we know scripture to avoid these issues.
Getting your mind off of creation and onto the uncreated, brings you into most intense worship.
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 blow away. Like a person would if smelling something disgusting. 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 the house.
The structure of the throne room of God in Heaven, is that of the Tabernacle revealed in the Old Testament.
God breaths in Sacrifice, and breaths out life. In the Kingdom of God, you breath God's breath.
The Kingdom of God is always expanding and becoming more glorious.
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!
Most Christian's today, will die in the great tribulation. One of the reasons that the tribulation will be so dark, is that the bride of Christ will no longer be on the Earth.
Fear blinds a person's vision.
As man was created in the image of God's, Earth was created in the image of Heaven.
When the Lord comes for His bride, He will take the Children with Him.
As one gets closer and closer to God, the path gets narrower and narrower.
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. (Or a computer trying to understand love)
- Science explains consciousness, love, hatred, etc. as a biochemical process,
- the creation of life as an accident,
- the universe-the results of big random explosion, first there was nothing, then there was everything, then everything exploded, and now we are here.
- 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.
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.
The Holy Spirit is always moving, but not initiating.
During the tribulation, the economy will be so bad that it will take 1 days work, just to earn enough for 1 person's daily food. Therefore it would be wise for these people to store up provisions now, while it is plentiful.
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. In Anna Rountree's revelation it was shown "The Heavens and the Earth are one"
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.
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.
By Revelation, children as young as 8 years old have been found in Hell. satan has been successful in using animated cartoons to introduce children to evil spirits.
In order to build a better house, you'll occasionally need to tear down the old one.
Truly we live in a body of death. Our physical body has the ability to feel pleasure, while our soul is being wounded. And our physical body is able to feel uncomfortable while our souls is being healed. Therefore, if someone always peruses physical pleasure, they are more likely to fall into sin and death.
The CROSS is an interesting geometrical shape. If you take a blank piece of paper, and simply remove the pattern of the Cross, the result will be the exact opposite geometric shape. The nazi swastika. Click here to see.
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 just the Bride speaking. The more the Bride speaks, the harder it is to hear the Groom. Currently there are several thousands of Christian books which simply contain the Bride's thoughts, & it's hard to wade through them all to find what the Groom is speaking. When the Groom does speak, few of us realize it, especially the person it was spoken through.
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.
Don't disciple the un-baptized. Baptize them first.
Some minister of the gospel would be more fruitful if they recruited others to join the work, than if they just did the work themselves. If you are capable of moving from ministry, to ministry recruiting, then do it.
This principle may sound strange, but think about it. The Opposite of the Cross is Crystal Meth. Crystal Meth, gives your flesh everything it wants, power, focus, drive, etc. But it destroys your soul. The cross of Jesus works just the opposite.
This principle may sound vulgar and inappropriate but I don't know how else to say it. A man should NOT be on the mission field until he has nailed his penis to the cross. If he can't control his sexual urges, he'll be vulnerable and may do more damage than good.
The School system can never replace the family.

[Prophetic Lessons]Though I'm not gifted in the prophet, here are some great lessons for prophets from Beth Alves, called "The Pitfalls of Prophetic Intercessors"

Prophetic Intercessors are those who are called to prepare the way for God’s will to be done upon the earth. A problem can arise, however, when these intercessors fall into the trap of thinking that they have to explain everything before they pray it or perform it.

Finding identity in the prophetic rather than in God who gives it.

Adding to or subtracting from what God has said in order to either look knowledgeable or to keep from looking ridiculous.

Refusing to allow the prophetic word or act to undergo the scrutiny of authority.

Getting into “one-upmanship” by trying to outdo the previous prophetic prayer, word or deed.

Adding personal opinions or impressions that can bring judgment over a person, a people group or a land.

Sharing secrets that God has not okayed.

Speculating about God’s time frame or other details.

Owning the prophetic word or act rather than releasing it to God’s long-range purpose.

Attributing more authority to self than to God, and thereby becoming puffed up.

Spending too little time in the prayer closet when God opens the door to go public.

Forgetting that many of the biblical prophets were ridiculed and stoned for their obedience.

Refusing to give a word because of jealousy.

Falling prey to intimidation or unbelief.

Prophetic mistakes that I've seen:

Prophetic words about future relationships, future spouses, need to be scrutinized more thoroughly. I've often found them to be motivated by fleshly desires.
Prophetic words giving the date of the Return of Christ, have been wrong. In one revelations, Jesus said that the Angels still do now know that day.
Don't assume the prophets are perfect people, they make mistakes like the rest of us. Even the high priest who condemned Jesus, prophesied.
Prophet that I've been with or often more sensitive people, so insults and arguments can be more disruptive to them.

[Spiritual Warfare]

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, crushed, destroyed! They have no good motives, use only deception and plan only evil. Don't treat them like 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. Let none of the out alive.
Every time the enemy successfully attacks us, our understanding of God becomes more veiled, and God look less glorious, and our zeal for Him diminishes.
The safest place to be during spiritual warfare is on the Cross.
The Kingdom of God has many rooms that are full of spiritual weapons, necessary to fight satan's kingdom. By prayer and intercession we can bring these down, and use them in battle.
If you rebuke a devil and cast it out, it can come back later, so KILL it!
Intense spiritual warfare can be very tiring to the body, so being physically ready will help.
Revelation from the book Baptize by Blazing Fire: Physical movements do transfer over to the spiritual realm, so you can fight the demonic with hand to hand combat. And you can ask the Lord for divine military weapons, (swords, fire, bow/arrow, axes, etc)
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, refined, organized, unified and trained. Demons associated with different sins, now seem to work together in their struggle against us.
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.
Whenever the Lord comes somewhere or does something, the devil will quickly follow to mess it all up.
[From the book Baptized by Blazing Fire] Diligently using the gift of tongues can prevent and break a demon's ability to masquerade/disguise itself as friendly spirits. And praying with your hands raised in the air, can bring devastation to demonic spirits.
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.
satan's main aim in every church is against those who are on fire for Jesus.
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.
As I have seen with my limited experience, the main attack against the prophetic Christians will come from inside the Church.
If you see a radical change for the worse, in someone's personality, suspect that a spiritual agent is involved.
I believe it is better to have 3 people pray during the strategic midnight hours, than to have 1 person praying full day. The midnight hours or when the crucial battles are fought. Please consider praying/worshiping at least 1 hour between 1pm-6pm.
What does it benefit a man to be healed by the Lord, if he continues in the sin that wounded him.
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.
One of satan's most powerful arms, is his Legal Arm. Much of his work is done using the legal system of a country. This arm needs to be broken.
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.
In the end time, both good and evil will be shown at their full strength. At this time, the body of Christ is fully united with Him, and the body of evil will be fully united with the devil.
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, (the betraying spirit of Judas is still among us), we don't know who, but when the opportune time comes, the enemy will use them, so be warned and be ready.
Keep oral & anal sex out of a marriage, these defile you. In a dream, I was shown an oral sex demon, it 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. Keep the spirits of domination & bondage out of a marriage bed also. Lastly, when a person masturbates, they are having sex with a demon and don't know it.
Casting out Spirits causes nauseous bodily smells.
Though satan doesn't want his kingdom divided, the principalities within his kingdom do hate each other.
Always expect a counter attack right after a great victory, be prepared.
After doing deliverance ministry, we always expect counter attacks from the enemy. But my covering prayer..."Lord protect me from any backlash, as I go about my day." Never seems to work at all! I've come to the conclusion that after deliverance ministry, I need to walk around with my own sword drawn, ready & standing watch all day! And not relying on a simple prayer I said earlier that day. As Jesus said, "could you not keep watch for 1 hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation."
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. The worship of God creates an atmosphere whereby evil spirits flee.

Divine Revelations Home

All Languages

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

Perspective #1: The World's perspective of God.

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:
The Biblical perspective of God.

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 tormentedwith 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 Line5-25-05

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 Worship11-24-03

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 Pyramids1-17-05

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 Manna1-04-05

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 Mountain12-28-04

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" 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 thinks11-25-04

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 God1-16-04

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 Levers1-16-04

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 Meal1-16-04

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 Formulas1-7-04

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 Cell1-7-04

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 Run12-28-03

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 Obediences12-25-03

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-Prayer12-25-03

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 12:11it 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 Worship11-24-03

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 due11-17-03

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 Compass10-21-03

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 LIE10-21-03

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 World10-21-03

Here is a test for you.
Imaging that you're a CEO of a small business that is going bankrupt because of stupid business decisions that were made. Now you're faced with the challenge of laying off 100 people. After struggling for a while on how to lay off people, you find that there is a way out. By just fudging a few numbers on your financial report, you can save these jobs. A small price to pay for such a great benefit. So the question is, would you do it? And why?

Well there are many reasons not to do it, but one small reason is this. The paper world must reflect the real world, since the paper world is just a model of the real world. The truth is that the business is bankrupt, and no amount of paper shuffling is going to change that. When a company is doing well, it should look good on paper, and when it is failing, it should look bad on paper. In the same way, this Physical World is the Paper World, but the Spiritual Realm is the Real World. And it is good to keep these two worlds consistent. For example, when we see a person who claims to be a man of God, and he lives no differently than the rest of the world, there's an inconsistency, he's fudging the numbers. And many people just blindly accept what they see in the paper world. We need to live by what we see in the Spiritual realm, not by what we see in this world. Here are some more examples...
(A) When a person is telling you gossip, it is spiritually equivalent to them handing you a cup of wine that is spiked with poison. And that's how you must react. It will taste sweet going down, but will corrupt your soul.
(B) When a person is constantly cursing in front of you, it is spiritually equivalent to them spitting and throwing up on you.
(C) When a man is lusting after another woman in his heart, it is spiritually equivalent to committing adultery.
It always bothered me when I read in the Old Testament of how the Lord wiped out certain Civilizations. For example (1 Sam 15:3 Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.' ") This seemed inconsistent with the God I know. But then I looked at it in a different light and saw that the Lord was just keeping the Physical World consistent with the Spiritual World. The truth was that they were already dead, the Lord just made it obvious. We need to learn to live by what's happening in the Spiritual World, not the Physical World.

The Privilege of Suffering10-21-03

When we suffer for the Lord, He uses it for His glory. And He gives those who suffer the ability to help others who are struggling with the same issues. For example, Isaiah 53:5 shows us that "By his stripes we are healed." By the suffering of Christ, we have benefited, and He heals us. So when you're suffering for the Lord, don't look at the present situation, but see how it will benefit many others after you.

The Glory of the Lord10-12-03

The Lord's glory is all around us, but we miss so much of it. We are like spoiled children that grew up in a wealthy family, never realizing all the wonderful things that we take for granted. God gives blessing for those who walk in His ways. But when we don't walk in His ways, we pass right by His glorious gifts, never picking them up. To the meek, they inherit the earth, to the merciful, they receive mercy, to the pure in heart, they see God, to the peacemakers, they are named sons of God. This list goes on and on, and only on Judgment day do we find out how rich we really are.

I would like to consider myself a mature Christian, and for good reason I have very little faith in myself. In my best estimate, for every ten things the Lord tells me, I perceive one, and for every ten situations the Lord sets up for me, I take advantage of one. But as I mature more, I will learn to take advantage of more.

The Glory of Heaven7-23-03

Who deserves to go to heaven? Who has earned the right to go there?
Think of your life on earth, with all the lessons, struggles and trials, as like going through the 1st grade. Some people do well, and some people do poorly.

If you imagine the Glory of Heaven to be like going to 2nd grade, then it makes sense that every good person should go to Heaven, just like every good 1st grader should go to 2nd grade.

But the Glory of Heaven is not like the 2nd grade, it's more like a PHD at a prestigious college. How many 1st graders are smart enough to get a PHD? None. So then I ask you again. Who deserves to go to heaven? Who has earned the right to go there? Nobody, not even the best of us, it is only by God's grace.

Here is another analogy to illustrate this concept.
Imagine the President had a heart attack, and was rushed to the hospital. The president's staff gathered all the best heart doctors in the world and flew them in; they gathered the most experience medical advisors possible, the best cardiovascular experts available, etc. No expense was spared. During the procedure the President had the greatest medical experts ever assembled in one room. Then in the middle of the operation, at a critical juncture in the presidents operation, a 13 years old kid dressed in fifthly cloths bursts into the operating room. And he says, "I heard the president was hurt so I brought my first aid kit. What can I do to help?"

I the same way the kid's medical experience did not qualify him for the operating room; our righteousness doesn't qualify us to server the Lord of for heaven, but only by the Lord's grace.

Song of the Day?
6-24-03

The Lord wakes many people up with a song in their heart. When this happens to you, get on the internet, find all the lyrics of that song and print them out. In the lyrics will be a message to you, that is pertinent that day.

Emotions?
6-17-03 (Taken from a personal email)

I believe that feelings and emotions are not just chemical reactions in your body, but are actually thoughts in your heart.
For example, when a person is impatient, these are the kinds of thoughts that are going though his heart.
- "Why should I have to wait in this line?"
- "Why can't this person just do his job, then I wouldn't have to go though this."
- "Why did my boss give me this stupid assignment?"
- "I hope I don't have to clean up this mess?"

These are the kinds of thoughts going through an impatient man's hear. When you see feelings and emotions exposed like this, then you'll understand that A BAD EMOTION (like rage, selfishness, impatience, etc) IS THE RESULT OF EVIL THOUGHTS IN ONE'S HEART. These are all self centered thoughts, and thoughts that a good person would never say with his lips, but he might allow them in their heart.

How do get rid of bad emotions in my life? I personally asked the LORD to expose my heart, and when He did, I was just amazed at how evil my heart was. Even though I was a mature Christian, my heart was full of prideful & self-centered thoughts. Soon I was be able to look at my heart, and see what was going though it. Then I was able to fight those thoughts with the Word of God.

For example,
Natural Thought: "Why should I have to wait in this line?"
Word of God: "Be thankful in all circumstances"
New thought: "God, thank you for this blessing of being able to purchase any food I want at this store, 24 hours a day."

Natural Thought: "Why can't this person just do his job, then I wouldn't have to go though this."
Word of God: "Think not only of your own needs, but others also"
New Thought: "This cashier has probably had a difficult day; I'll give him a little encouragement when I get up there"

Natural Thought: "Why did my boss give me this stupid assignment?"
Word of God: "Serve your masters as though you're serving God"
New Thought: "I'm going to learn to do this, no matter how long it takes."

Natural Thought: "I hope I don't have to clean up this mess?"
Word of God: "The Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve"
New Thought: "I will gladly clean up this spill at work, so the next guy doesn't have to."

When a person continues on this process, of exposing their feelings and replacing them with the Word of God, their emotions soon come into line.

What doesn't work?
6-11-03

Many people loose their faith in Christianity because they take the wrong approach to it, and they have misconceptions about God. Here is what doesn't work...

The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective, but the prayer of a carnal man is weak and useless. If a Christian is not walking in the ways of the Lord, not obeying the Holy Spirit, but living just the way he was living before, don't expect mountains to move when he prays.

What you sow is what you reap. Those who sow sparingly; will reap sparingly, those who sow generously will reap generously. If a Christian puts one seed in the ground, he shouldn't expect to find a lush garden the next day. Principles of the bible have a blessing and a curse. When you obey them, you generally get a blessing. When you disobey them, you generally get in trouble. Don't expect God to nullify the rule of cause and effect.

The Righteous shall live by faith. When the Lord wants to tell me something, I don't have angels appear right before me with explicit instructions on what to do. But when I humble myself, pray, worship and seek the Lord, I notice that He directs my footsteps in paths of righteousness, He guides my thoughts, and He directs the people around me. My ability to hear and do the will of God is based on how available I make myself, and how much I am seeking Him. (and like most people, I am far from perfect.) The Lord's voice is often called "still small voice" 1 Kings 19:12, If you're not paying attention, you'll miss it.

He restores my soul. Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise. When you praise and worship the Lord, it is your most intimate time with Him. The scripture says that God inhabits the praises of His people. Therefore, if your Christian life only consists of bible studies and church activities then you're going to get burned out. You need intimate time with the Lord.
And when you worship, drop your sense of self-image. Don't worry what you look like when you worship, don't worry if other people see you cry or raise your hands. Self image will only ruin your worship. I often cry like a baby during praise and worship.

We live in a fallen world, which is the result of sinful man. There is a battle of Good vs. Evil, and the devil is a powerful adversary. Christian's suffer victories and defeats. Therefore don't blame every bad thing that happens on the Lord. When a tragedy happens, like a child dies in a fire, don't assume the Lord has ordered it. That is insulting to who He is.

The Lord works though His children. When there is a need in the body of Christ, and none of the Christians bother to help, pray or do anything, and nobody is listening to the Lord, then there is a good chance that we are going to suffer a defeat.

Why Fast?
6-10-03

In our relationship with the Lord, many things are dependent on Him. But our closeness to Him, is up to us. In Jeremiah 29:13 it says, "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." So each Christian is called to seek the Lord wholeheartedly. Just like in a relationship, what you get out of it, is based on what you put into it.
In 2 Samuel 24:24, King David said "No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing." But I, Robert, used to do just that. My mom would send me to the store to buy something, and I would put the left over change into the store's charity jar. How generous of me. Didn't cost me anything. That money belonged to my mom. So it wasn't a sacrifice to give it. But fasting is a sacrifice. It costs you something that you want, food, TV, movies, money, games, time, etc.

In an interesting book that I'm reading, The Vision: The Final Quest by Rick Joyner. (I highly recommend it) He is given a fantastic vision of how a Christian matures. In one vision, Christ was represented by a Mountain. And the higher you climbed the mountain, the more you would mature in Christ. For example, there would be a level called "Patience", and once you struggled to climbed to that level, you would mature in that area, and become a patient person. The mountain was huge, and you could spend your entire life climbing it.
In this vision, as Rick Joyner was climbing the Mountain, he quickly passed by someone on a lower ledge. And Rick continued up the mountain much faster Him. But strangely, when Rick got to the top of the mountain, that person was already there. Rick was very puzzled how a person who was slow in climbing (not maturing fast) could have gotten to the Top so quickly. Rick later found out that there were shortcuts in the mountain that the Lord put in, to speed up the climb. (To speed up your maturity.)
And one way to take a shortcut was to sacrifice. For example, if you were on the level of "Serving Your Neighbor," you could sacrifice yourself for that level; by giving up time to your neighbor, by doing favors for your neighbor, by putting their needs above yours. Based on your sacrifice to that level "Serving Your Neighbor", you would be given a shortcut up the Mountain. And areas that you were not mature in, i.e. patience, would all of a sudden be given to you. Whereby other people who did not sacrifice much would have to slowly mature in every area.
This finally helped explain what happened to me when I fasted for the Lord. When I was fasting, many part of my personality, immature, foolish, selfish parts, where quickly matured. I matured faster during that time than another person might mature in 10 years. It was an amazing time of growth, and I would recommend to everyone to consider fasting. If fact, sacrifice should be a key aspect of every Christian's walk; Sacrificing your time for God and for others, Sacrificing your finances for the Lord, Sacrificing your will for God's will, etc. But if a Christian's main goal in life is to maximize how comfortable they live, then that person will mature very slowly, and it will cost them much more in the end. Sacrifice was not just for Old Testament times, it works today. We just sacrifice different things.

The Enemy and his tactics
5-31-03

Many Levels of Deception: For every one truth there are a thousand lies. And the main power of the devil is deception, different lies for different people. Lies that trap some people don't work on others, so he uses many levels of deception.

But some people don't even believe that they are being lied to. Well, the fool says "there is no God," and the deceived say "there is no enemy." Yes, there is an enemy, and a motive behind each lie. His main goal is that people never get to know the Lord, never grow closer to Him, never mature, never become fruitful, and therefore stay under the devil's control. These people pose no threat to him.

So any lie that keeps a person from the Lord is a success. He tells people that "there is no God, but only mankind, and we will determine our own future." Many people fall for this lie, but many others believe in God. So he tells those, "Yes there is a God, and all paths lead to God." He then muddies the water so people chase after anything but God. But some people don't believe that lie, they believe in Jesus. So he tells those, "Jesus might have been a good person, but because the bible has been re-written so many times, no one really knows who he was, and you can't trust organized religion anyway." So many people never peruse Jesus, which is a victory for the devil.

But still others peruse Jesus, so the devil uses a very powerful weapon against them, counterfeits. He gives them churches that have a form of godliness, but never bring people into a maturing relationship with the Lord. He gives them mentors that have an intellectual knowledge of God, but not a heart after God. And he tries to get people bogged down with every cares of this world.

Whether a person falls for the first lie, or the last, they're still deceived, and on the wrong track.
Never say, "I can't be deceived." Arrogance like that will only harm you. All of us can be deceived. How can you know if you're deceived? Well, what is the difference between a weed and a plant? They both have leaves, roots and a stem. But only one produces good fruit. If you seldom find yourself reading God's word, or helping others, or in prayer, then there is some deception. If you find that praise and worship are not a vital part of your life, then there is some deception. If you can't answer the question, "What is God doing in my life today," then there is some deception. If you're not excited about the Lord and what He is doing in your life, then there is probably some deception. You need to be able to take a measurement of your spiritual pulse, to see where you are. You closeness and dependence on the Lord will be the main factor in how you are doing. For me, praise and worship are what get my spiritual pulse back up, and keep me away from deception.

Fake Jewelry5-31-03

The power of counterfeits: The devil dresses people up in fake jewelry, so that when they see true riches they say "I already have that, don't need anymore." And they pass it by. Fake jewelry is beautiful, sparkly, but worthless. No one can tell the difference until they see the real thing. Learn to identify fake jewelry, get rid of it, and stay away from people who sell it.

Self-Centeredness
5-31-03

All sin stems from self-centeredness. Thinking more about yourself than about God and others. This is what the devil preys upon.

Boast in your weaknesses not in your strengths
5-9-03

There are many stumbling blocks that the devil has put in this world. And Christian's fall for them all the time. Usually falling for them is so embarrassing that we don't share our experience with anybody else. And this is very foolish, because by not sharing with others, we leave the people behind us to fall on the same rocks. What a responsible Christian should do after he falls on a stumbling block is to warn others. Have the humility to boast in your weaknesses and not in your strengths. Scripture is full of examples of people who have learned hard lessons, and by reading these; we are better able to avoid those issues. When a person is too embarrassed to share their lessons with others, they are putting more focus on their own reputation than other's spiritual growth.

The desire to see dirty laundry 5-9-03

I was given a dream the other day. And in the dream I was given a chance to see a person in their most humiliating circumstance, with all their dirty laundry out. I jumped at the chance... and failed the test.
The test was on how I desire to see people. There was a desire in me to see this person totally bare, with nothing to hide, and their shame in full sight. It gave me a sense of superiority. I said to myself, now that I know the goods on this person, I would always have an advantage over them. Well it was an evil desire. This desire to see people's shame, is the same desire that motivates people toward pornography. You also see this evil desire in many TV talk shows, like Jerry Springer. People would come out on stage, air all their dirty laundry, and the crowd would just love it.
God's word teaches us that we should strive to see people the way God wants them to be, not the way the Devil has them. This is best illustrated by the story of when the prostitute washed the feet of Jesus. (Luke 7:36-40) Jesus saw and treated her as a beautiful child of God, while the pharoses saw her as a prostitute. Jesus' perspective was the better one.

Water or Serum 4-21-03

Suppose a man is bitten by a snake in the desert. In his desperation he quickly tries to get back to civilization. After hours of walking, he is tired, dried up, thirsty, and the venom is slowly killing him. Soon he arrives at the store. Now here is a question for you: If you were the store owner, which would you give him first, water or snake serum?

the "Truth"4-21-03

A man was struggling at his job. He was barley able to finish the work assigned to him. One manager, came to him and told him, "you're slaking, you're work is mediocre at best, I don't think you can make it at this job." But another manager, came to him and said "I know you're struggling right now, and that its hard work, but you've done great work in the past, and I know you can improve." Now neither manager lied to this employee, but did they both tell him the truth? Well that depends on how you define truth. If your definition of truth is "Factually correct information," then they both told the truth. But that's using a poor definition of "truth." True wisdom has 2 parts, a mind and a heart. And just because something is factually correct (the mind) does not mean it has the correct motives and intentions (the heart). Take the example of when Eve was talking to the devil in the Garden of Eden. The devil said that by eating the fruit of the tree her eyes would be opened, and her eyes were opened. The devil said the she would not die, and after eating the fruit she live many more years. So was the devil truthful? If you don't have a good understanding of what TRUTH is, then you won't be able to distinguish between what the Devil tells you and what God tells you.
Jesus said, "The truth will set you free" The truth is liberating, not enslaving. Its motives are pure. Its intentions are just.

the fit and the fat angels4-15-03

I believe that when a person puts their faith in Christ, he is given certain heavenly resources. For example, angels to minister to you. And as a person is shown to be more faithful, then more resources are given. But if a person does not pray or seek the Lord, then many times these resources stand idly by. In James 4:2 it says "You do not have, because you do not ask God." Use the resources that the Lord gives you.
(My analogy)
You don't want to get to Heaven and see a bunch of fat angels. You'll ask them why they are so out of shape, and they'll say, "Well, the whole time we were down there with you, you didn't ask us to do anything."
When I get to Heaven, I want to see all fit angels. In fact, they might say, "Oh, no, here comes the slave driver. He didn't give us a moments rest."

Spiritual Magnets4-15-03

In my study of scripture and experience in life, if find the concepts of Light and Darkness parallel the way magnets work.
For example, when a person comes close to the Lord, it's like a piece of metal that comes close to a magnet; soon the metal becomes polarized in the same way as that magnet. But when a good person goes into the devils territory, it's like taking that piece of metal and putting it next to an oppositely polarized magnet. There is initial resistance, and the piece of metal is influenced to flip 180 degrees. But if it stays there long enough, it will become polarized in the same way as that magnet. The longer the piece of metal stays next to a magnet the stronger its orientation becomes. It is very difficult to change a Magnets orientation, but not difficult to change a piece of metals orientation.
I saw this once in a man I was ministering to. On the day I met him he was on fire for Jesus, like I've never seen before; ready to surrender everything to the Lord. But 1 day later, after he was back on the street, he went into all his old habits and lost the passion. How could this have happened so fast? Well that Lord showed me that he was like a piece of metal; changing his orientation depending on what magnet he is next to. As Christians we are called to be spiritual magnets, which don't change based on our surroundings. And unless we spend ample time with Jesus, our spiritual orientation will never be very strong.

Don't make a straw man4-15-03

When a person tells you something, don't assume that they explained it the best way. Strive to see it in the best light. Give the statement the benefit of the doubt, then make a judgment call. But so often I see that we interpret what other people tell us as though a 5th grader told us, and then we shoot it to pieces.

Don't give the Devil any ammunition3-25-03

The word of God is a powerful weapon against the enemy, but one must be careful not to give any ammunition to the devil. While I was singing hymns in front of a homeless shelter, I asked the group of men to stand up. To encourage more people to stand I jokingly said, "Ok, now let's have all the real Christian stand up". A few more did, but later that night one of the men told me that my statement really offended him. He thought to himself, "does this guy think I'm not saved unless I stand up, how dare he say that" He went on to say that he realized this thought was just temptation from the devil, and he wasn't offended anymore. But it made me realize that just by off the cuff remarks I can be giving the Devil ammunition.

Put down the sling shot and come into the Tank

When we are doing the Lord's will by our own strength, it is very weak; like going into battle with a sling shot. The best we can do is bruise the enemy. But when the Lord is with us, it's like going into battle with a fully armored tank.
How do you bring the Lord with you? Well, when you do ministry for someone that you really don't love, or care much for, the Spirit of the Lord won't be very strong with you. And if you don't pray for them or ask the Lord to intervene in their lives, the Power of the Lord won't be very strong with you. So before you go do something for the Lord, pray first, and have a genuine compassion for those you're ministering to. If you don't love those who you minister to, ask the Lord for His tears, and He will put in your heart, that which you lack. Now put down the sling shot and come into the Tank.

The difference between the least in the Kingdom of God,
and the Greatest

There is a difference between the least in the Kingdom of God, and the Greatest. The least are those who were stuck on milk, they never progressed. They were the ones who were prepared to meet a merciful God, but they were not prepared to meet a God of Righteous Judgment. They had a love for the Lord, but not a fear of Him. They took whatever they were given, and walked with it. If the Lord ever asked them to sacrifice their lives for Him, they would be totally unprepared. They said, "I am saved by Grace, and therefore there is nothing I need to do." Salvation was sufficient for them, and they were blessed beyond their wildest imagination with salvation.
But the Greatest in the Kingdom of God, took whatever they were given and ran with it. They understood both sides of the Lord, compassion and judgment. They went past the milk of the gospel, to the hard foods. They understood what Jesus meant when He said in Matt 10:38-39 anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. They understand sacrifice and suffering for the Kingdom of God. And they we blessed beyond their wildest imagination with salvation, but with more, much more.
As Christians we follow Christ, the greatest Son in the Kingdom of God. Follow the greatest, not the least.

The Two Sides of God

When God made man, He made him in His own image. Contrary to popular belief, God did not take a rib out of Adam to make Eve. What the Bible states is the God took one of Adam's "sides" to create Eve. In other words, half of what Adam was went into Adam the first man, and half of what he was went in to Eve. Adam was split into masculine part along with a feminine part; an aggressive part along with a submissive part, a competitive part along with a compassionate part. This is way men and women often think in totally different way. But God, is not limited like we are, He can be compassionate and loving, and He can be fierce and angry. He can show mercy, and He can show Justice. But we can't tie Him down to only one way. God is the same yesterday, today and forever, He does not change. The God of the New Testament is also the God of the Old Testament. Sometimes when I read about God judgment in the Old Testament I say to myself, "No way, My God would never do something like that." Because in most of my Christian education we only studied one side of God, the Loving Compassionate side. Very little attention was given to the other side. But when I talk with Muslims, they often have a distorted impression of God. Their impression of God is a mighty and just God, but little is mentioned about His compassionate side. If you want a complete picture of what God looks like try to understand this picture. He is to be Feared and Loved.

Build your house from the bottom up, not the top down

When building a house, your first build the Foundation, not the Roof. Though it is easier to finish the roof first, is becomes progressively harder to build the next stage, the walls. Because the finished roof becomes a heavy burden to building walls that are not complete. Which then are burdensome to making a foundation. You must make your house, bottom up. In real world examples this mean...
1. you can't preach the gospel if you not already saved,
2. you can't rebuke someone for a sin, that you have not mastered,
3. you can't disciple a group of people if you're not walking with the Lord,
4. you shouldn't ask for the gift of healing if you don't love the people you're ministering to,
5. you shouldn't ask for revelation if you won't bother to read God's Word.
Getting this out of order, will be a stumbling block to you, and may interfere with the advancement of the Kingdom of God.

The 3 Stages of Sin

There are three stages of sin. Here is how to prevent them.
The 3rd stage of Sin, is the action itself.
To prevent the action, don't enter the 2nd stage...
Which is allowing the Sinful thought to enter your mind.
To prevent the thought from coming to you, don't enter the 1st stage...
Which is putting yourself in a position where you might have a sinful thought, (i.e. a bar, watching an R rated movie, etc)
Cutting off sin at the 1st stage is the easiest way to stop the whole process.
And hold every thought captive.

Disciple of Christ

A short lesson but its true:
If after any period of time of being a Christian, you are not more like Christ, and are not more able to go through what He did for us, then you are not being a disciple of Christ, and are probably wasting your time.

A dime in the Kingdom of God3-15-03

When Jesus returns, He said that her will reward everyone for what they have done. When you start disobeying the Lord, you lose your inheritance. Not all of it, but some. You think that it is such a small sin that it does even matter. But I tell you, if you only loose a dime of your inheritance, it is a great treasure, more than you can imagine. So live a Godly life, and strive not to lose your inheritance.

Re-Do you Marriage Vows

Sometimes in our marriage, things get stale, where the love that was once present, in no longer growing. To address this, people occasionally re-do their marriage vows. This helps keep relationships strong.
These are signs that you're having a strong and growing relationship with the Lord. These traits become part of you;
love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, humility, never arrogant, truthful, a desire to pray, a desire to praise His name.
If you do not see these changes in you personality, then the Holy Spirit is not fully manifesting His fruit in you. If the seed of Christ is not growing in you and changing you, then re-do your vows to the Lord. Say again the prayer that you said when you accepted Him into your heart.
"Lord Jesus, I want to stop trusting in myself, and what I can do, and start trusting in You. I know that I am a sinner, and I am sorry for my sins. Thank you for paying the penalty for my sins. I ask you to forgive me, and I invite you to come and live inside of me. Lord Jesus, I surrender to you, and I accept you as my Lord and Savior."

--feel free to call me, I'm your servant, and I'll pray for you. - Robert Brownell (425) 558-7928

on Servant-hood

When Jesus came to earth, he came not as a King but as a servant. And anyone who takes on the name of Christ should also be a servant. Here are some aspects of being a servant, which you should recognize when you answer these questions. Don't read the answers until you have your own.

What is the difference between a waiter that serves you and Mother Teresa?
(Anyone would serve someone for money, but a Godly servant must serve for no profit.)

What is the difference between serving the President when he asks your help, and serving a beggar when he asks for help?
(Anyone would serve someone of honor, but a Godly servant must also serve people of low position.)

What is the difference between serving someone in Public and serving someone in Private?
(Anyone would serve someone while everyone is watching, but a Godly servant must also serve when nobody is watching.)

What is the difference between helping a someone who just had a heart attack and needs a doctor, and helping someone who has a small need, like needing a can opener?
(It is easy to serve someone for the big needs like emergencies, but a Godly servant will serve even in the small things.)

What is the difference between helping a person who has asked for your help, and helping someone you have never met?
(It is reactionary when you help someone who asked you, but a Godly servant will often serve you before you ask, proactively.)

How does a Godly servant feel when he serves?
(A Godly servant will feel a joy when serving, but others will feel that they are fulfilling their obligation, or are compelled to.)

Should you ever remind a person of how you have served them.
A normal person will keep an account of his service, so that he can bring it up later, "Remember when I helped you, not I need something." But a Godly servant will keep no account of past help.

What is the difference between donating blood for a friend in dire need, and donating a Kidney for a friend in dire need.
(Anyone can give what they can easily afford, but a Godly servant will give what is hard for him to afford.)

What is the difference between helping your brother, and helping a stranger.
(Many people will help out friends and family, but a Godly servant will help out those he does not know.)

Dreams

[a Spiritual story]
If I tell you a story, you can picture it in your mind. But if I use gestures and emotion when I speak, then you can get an even better feel for the story. Even more, if I use pictures, then you can understand the story better. Now if I added video, and sound-fx, you're understanding for the story would continue to improve.
How much better can the Holy Spirit tell a story, for a dream is a spiritual story. The story is not heard with our ears, but we are put into the world of the story, as though we are experiencing it fully.

Why are we given dreams? Well, why do we tell stories? We can tell stories to entertain people, or teach them a lesson, prepare them for something, or many other reasons. There are many reasons the Holy Spirit can give you a dream. And when he does, you should know that he had a purpose behind it.

The dream I had this morning (3-25-02) was a convicting dream, showing me some of my faults. I was talking to a man on the phone, and he was giving me directions, and I was simply not listening to him, or paying any attention. But I was acting as though I was paying close attention, saying "yes, I know, ok, sure, yah, I hear ya." I was acting 2 faced. When I woke up, I asked the Holy Spirit for an interpretation of the dream, and it was to show me my personal shortcomings. In this dream and the next 3 dreams, the Lord showed me 15 of my shortcomings.

When the Lord gives you a dream, pray for its interpretation and pray that you can remember it, but do not ignore it. Write it down, or you will forget it. It is a valuable part of your spiritual growth. If something bad is happening to you in the dream, the Lord might be warning you of something, so pray against that dream from happening. If it is a very intense dream, or nightmare, then it may be of greater importance, something of immediate need. So pray even more intently on those.

The Living and Dead Word of God!

The Word of God is living and active, it is spiritually discerned. But the Word can also be Dead. When the Pharisees threw down the prostitute in front of Jesus, and stated that the Law required her to be punished, they were using a Dead Word of God. Though it was from scripture, the Holy Spirit did not prompt them to say that, and the Holy Spirit did not confirm to Jesus that she should be punished.
Scripture in the Hand of a person who does not have the Holy Spirit or is not listening to the Holy Spirit can be dangerous and misleading. The Devil will often use the Dead word of God, though the Word is still valid, he uses it at the wrong time. Like a parable in the mouth of a fool, or a rifle with the wrong type of ammo, it will only backfire.
Be careful with moral accusations against your brother, if a time arises to rebuke your brother, be sure to only use the living Word of God.

What is Your Covenant with the Lord?

Everyone should make a covenant with the Lord. A covenant is the prayer of your Life. It is not focused on the Day to Day needs, but sums up what you want to happen in your life. The Prayer should have everything that you need to live a full Christian Life.
-to see my covenant with the Lord, click here---My Covenant Prayer

The Boy, the Man, and the Angel.

There is a boy, a man and an Angel standing before your desk. You say to them, "Show me your money"
So the boy pulls some lunch money out of his pocket, and puts $1.25 on your desk.
The man looks at the boy and says, "Kid, that ain't nothin", and he pulls a wad of $100 bills out of his wallet, and places $1,600 on your desk.
The angel looks at the man and says, "Sir, that's nothing." The angel touches the desk, and it turns into solid gold.

Then you ask them, "What is the most painful experience you ever had?"
So the boy, tell you about a time when he was punched by the school bully.
The man looks at the boy and says, "Kid, that ain't nothin" and tell you of a time he spent 3 years in a prisoner of war camp.
The angel looks at the man and says, "Sir, that's nothing, I've thrown people down into the pit of hell, where they experience non-stop agony, shame, and hopelessness"

No matter how bad we think we have it, or how smart we think we are, this life is but a taste of the life to come. You ain't seen nothin yet.

A 3rd grader's painting

How many 3rd grade students have ever made painting that made were put in an art museum, or invented things that helped advance mankind. In the same way, a man's righteousness, in God's sight, is like 3rd grade junk. Never measuring up to His standard. As Jesus said (John 15:5), "apart from me you can do nothing." You absolutely need him if you ever want to live a meaningful and godly life.

Heaven & the Whitehouse

Which do you think is easier? To get into Heaven and see God, or to get into the White House and see the president? Surly God's standard is much greater than man's. Yet nobody just walks into the White House and says, "Hey, get me the president, I want to see him, I'm an American citizen, I paid my taxes." Do not think of Heaven as the default, whereby when people die they just go there, unless they did some deadly sin. Heaven is not the default, Jesus said in Matthew 7:14 "small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." Do not take it for granite. But stick close to the Lord and live a Godly life.

The Smile of God

A father has 2 children. When the father comes home from work he finds one child sitting on the couch watching TV and one child cleaning the house and helping his mom. Now the father loves both children equally, but which child do you think will get the biggest smile from the father? The one who is helping. Do likewise with your heavenly father. For His smile is precious, and to be sought after.

What to invest in

What do you invest in? Do not invest in those things that will perish, but invest in those things that will last. Nobody will say, on Judgment day, "if I only would have exercised more" or "if I only spent more time at work." No they will wish they spent their time on the eternal things.

How to Remember

When we stand before God, do we want Him to remember us at are ugliest moment? Do we want Him to know us by our dumbest opinion? No.

And so we should not remember a person by their worst action, or remember them by their weakest opinion.

Don't base your faith on your feelings

I used to be under the opinion that whenever you serve the Lord it should be very joyful and pleasing. I.e., A good servant will want to do his masters work. But what kind of faith is that, when you only do what brings you joy? Anyone can do that. The real test is when you obey the Lord, even when you desperately don't want to. I no longer have any confidence in my flesh, and what I desire.

When I should be reading the word of God, my flesh will want to sleep.

When I should be praying to the Lord, my flesh will want to eat, or do something else.

When I should be volunteering my time, my flesh will want to work on some other project.

A mature Christian should have no confidence in his flesh, he must constantly say, "I don't care what I want, I will do what my spirit know is right." For you are no longer a creature of flesh, but have been born again.

The Legitimate Purpose for the Blood of Christ

The blood of Christ is for the legitimate forgiveness of sins, for a person who is repentful and seeking the Lord, it is not for the wicked man who does not care about righteousness but is only looking for a get out of jail free card.

Spend now, pay later

One difference between the fool and the wise man is that the fool will often spend now and pay later, and the wise man will save now and spend later. Learning to avoid the need for instant satisfaction, and being willing to sacrifice is a sign of maturity.
Here are some examples,
1. Study and get an education now, and reap the benefits of a good Job later.
2. Patiently invest now, and reap a good return later.
3. Keep fit and healthy now, and be in good health when you get older.

When the devil temps a person, it is for instant pleasure at the cost of long term pain. But when the Lord speaks to a person, it is often for initial sacrifice, for a long term benefit. This is why it is always easier and pleasurable to listen to the devil, but in the end you'll always wish you listened to the Lord.

Author's Testimony (Robert Brownell)

Early in my life I became addicted to pornography, it started with magazines and a few videos. But with the onset of the Internet, I was able to download 1000s of pictures a night. I became engulfed with Lust, extremely perverted and I could not look at a woman without thinking about her sexually.

About this time I also dabbled in the local church, and learned some things about Jesus. When I first called on Him, He manifested Himself to me in a very powerful way, I was crying, shaking, and felt an overwhelming sense of peace and love that could not be explained. I also felt clean, spiritually clean, for the first time in my life. This went on for a while. An assurance of scripture was given to me, that surpassed all understanding. I just knew it was true, as much as I was sure of anything. The Lord’s presences was with me. There was no Biological, Chemical, Psychological or Scientific explanation for what happened, I met the Son of God, plain and simple. You’ll know what I mean if it happens to you.

I noticed something strange afterwards, the desire for lust was somehow gone. It just wasn’t there. I could so easily say not to lust and perversion. I was truly born again. This new found freedom lasted about 3 weeks. Then I started to get the desire for pornography again. But with 3 weeks of denying my lust I could have easily kept clean if I was determined to.

But I made a stupid mistake, I thought I could watch pornography and stay close to the Lord. I was DEAD WRONG! As Jesus said, “You cannot server 2 masters, you with either lover one and hate the other, or hate one and love the other” I learned what the scriptures meant…” the Lord is like a blazing fire, all sin is consumed in His presence.” I simply could not hold on to my sin and draw close to Jesus. It's as difficult as trying to stay afloat while holding on to a iron anvil.

Soon after going back into pornography the presence of the Lord left me, as Jesus warned, “The tree that produces no fruit will be cut off”. I felt it, and it was terrible, the peace and presence was gone, and I felt far away from Him.

With the Lord’s Presence gone I could still talk about God, I could understand spiritual things, I could get into deep philosophical discussions about religion, but I could NOT draw close to Him. As the bible teaches, “Your sins have separated you from god” I was far away, living in rebellion to Him. Why? (No sugar coating here.) Because I loved my sin, more than I loved Jesus. I loved darkness more than light.

Because the church never taught on the Fear of the Lord, I never really knew the gravity of my rebellion.

The bible says that

“The wages of sin is death”
“If you sow to your flesh, you will reap corruption, but if you sow to your spirit you shall reap eternal life”
“It is better to never know God, than to know Him and go back into Sin”
“The Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom”
“Fear the one who can destroy both body and soul in Hell"
“No fornicators will inherit the Kingdom of God, their part is the Lake of fire, which is the 2^nd death”
“All the wicked will be swept away”
“and they shall be thrown into the fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth”

From what I learned in Church about a friendly God, I just could not believe God could eternally punish anyone, even though the warning of God’s Justice and Judgment were consistently given by Jesus, by the Prophet’s before Jesus, by the disciples, by scriptures, by Moses, and by the prophets today.

Jesus said, “I am the truth”, so being away from Jesus, I just could not believe the truth, I had to believe a lie. I thought everything was ok, it’s not my fault, I was born with this strong desire, it's not fair, there’s nothing wrong with lust, I’m not hurting anyone or breaking any laws, everyone does this.

The sin in me, like a tree, grew much stronger over the years. Coming back to the Lord several years later was difficult, because I had to again come into the fire. In the Lord’s burning presence there is no hiding, no excuses & no self righteousness. The Holiness of God is so intense, it will make even the greatest saint look like a wretch. He exposed me for who I was, a wicked, perverted, rebellions sinner. Guilty as can be, I had nothing to offer in my defense, nothing to give me credit, I could only beg for Mercy. Asking for forgiveness without turning away from my sins was an unacceptable to Him. He was going to be my Lord and Savior, there was no other option. Surrender was the only way.

And when I did repent and stopped sinning He forgave me and His presence came back to me. He filled me with the Holy Spirit, which is the only way to know God. Now I meet Him daily, talk with Him often and see His miracles. I receive His discipline, encouragement, peace, teachings and revelations. There is no other way. You can’t get to the Father, until the Son cleanses you.

Come to Jesus while there is still time. Jesus is Life, those who reject Him, reap death. Every time the Lord knocks on your heart, and you refuse to open to Him, your heart becomes harder. If you reject Him after all the suffering He went through for you, you will eternally regret it. He desperately wants you, and paid a high price for your soul, please don’t reject His offer of mercy. Surrender, it's the only way.

Pray Hard, Keep Watch, Love God, Praise Jesus, Be Humble, Share Christ, Shun evil, Show Grace, Bear Fruit, Stay Pure, Stand Firm, Be Ready!Robert Brownell www.DivineRevelations.info

Kabarterang

Laman

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Christian mistakes, Warning, Deceptions and Pitfalls

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