The Cost of Compromise.
What would you do if you woke up in the morning with a word in bold letters going across your mind like a ticker-tape? What if it was so strong that as you walk through the house it is still there, like a hologram image between you and everything you see? And then as a result of what you see you hear the voice of the Lord speak, “read Jer. 15:19-21”. This passage He gave led me to a few others like Jer. 1:17 and Eze. 22:26. I have not read these scriptures for a long while. Yet it did not take me long to realize that the word I was watching play across my mind was there in these scriptures. The word that was impeding my vision was the word: COMPROMISE. As I watched this ticker-tape a bit more a couple of scriptures in the New Testament that have been on my mind showed themselves; 2Cor. 6:11-7:1 and 1Thes.5:22.
I have been contemplating the word Father gave me for a month or so before the ticker-tape appeared in front of my eyes and to have the Lord speak to me so clearly about it was unexpected. To have Him place this word in my vision and to have Him give me a scripture passage that begins with, “if you will return”, seemed somewhat pointed. I knew I had been negligent in not writing and speaking what I had known was the truth for fear of losing some dear friends fellowship. After a moment of deep repentance I sat down and listened for more, knowing Father was about to give me a fresh understanding of the cost to His Kingdom for what is going on in the Church today.
Compromise= concession, something accepted rather than wanted, (lowering of standards that can lead to potential danger or disgrace). Agreement by conceding, to expose someone to danger, agreement by conceding, to lessen the value of someone or something.
Compromise is a basic negotiation process in which one or both parties in a disagreement or dispute give up something that they have or want in order to get something else they think they want more.
After reading the meanings of the word Compromise. I had to sit and pray a bit to come to a understand what Father was speaking. I have a pre-existing condition with this word and much of what I have seen going on in Church and in our personal lives is affected by it.
The Lord made it plain that I must be careful to listen and not pre-conceive what I write. I struggle with this word compromise as I find my life filled with it. In some instances, compromise is a good thing, but when it comes to our Christ-like walk, it is an ugly thing. I am sure I will need to repent continually as I write this and let the Spirit bring what I am penning into my own living…
Lately I feel that I am surrounded by what I can only describe as compromise in the Christian realm. It seems that everywhere I turn, I see it or am asked to submit to it. I find that in every corner of life, the world system and the demonic are increasingly demanding that we as Christians compromise.
The integrity of God, His Word and the standard found in Jesus’ life and example to us are being reduced to mere historical words and have lost their saving power in many ways. His unfailing Love is being reduced to an illusion. The power of His name is being trampled underfoot by those who use it without reverence. Those who penned the Word for God and set His principles down on paper would be amazed as the absolutes found in God’s Word are eroded by the constant pressures for Christians to “fit in or be acceptable”. Thus the word; COMPROMISE.
Throughout biblical history from Adam and Eve to the future time of Revelations we see what the seed of compromise costs God, His Kingdom and us, our lives.
It appears that in each of us there exists a desire to “fit-in or belong”, whether it be with other “Christians” and their interpretation of God’s Word for the sake of comfort and acceptance, or to get along with people at work or in our play. Being acceptable and “living the middle ground” through concession of God’s truth appears to have more conviction, authority and power than God’s Word and His standard.
In the book of 2 Timothy it is written that, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is good for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” (2 Tim 3:16-17). We are not to interpret it, but accept it as it is written. WE tend to manipulate scripture to fit our lives or what we want to do instead of making our lives fit with what is written and spoken. We tend to judge scripture by the society we are a part of. Its relevance is dictated by our decisions and choices. (We do not judge our living or what is happening by the Word. We instead judge the Word by our lives and what we see around us).
Each and every time that the Israelites compromised the commands that God gave them you see written in scripture that judgment, slavery, confusion, or defeat was on it’s way to their doorstep. Moses even felt the judgment from compromise when he struck the rock a second time, which kept him from entering with the people into the Promised Land. Earlier in Moses’ life we can see the cost of “slight disobediences” or compromise and the cost. One example of the cost of compromising what God says to do happened when Moses did not obey God and bring the elders to the tent of meeting at the beginning of their journey through the desert. The result was that the leadership of Israel had no one who walked in intimacy with God to lead them when he was gone, thus when Moses was gone they built idols or sinned. How about Abraham, telling the king his wife was his sister? He compromised his trust in the One he had covenanted with. Esau was a result of one of his compromises and look what that has brought down through history.
There is no book in the bible where man’s compromise is not seen in some way. The cost of our compromise of God’s Word and our relationship with Him is seen everywhere. The good side of this malady that seems to always show it’s ugly head is that God’s mercy is fresh ever morning and His grace gives us opportunity to repent. We must recognize that even God’s mercy and grace does not take away the results of our past actions. Our choices set in motion the law of sin and it’s reward. When we compromise God’s Word or His voice we must remember that we cannot chose the reward or result of our actions.
God’s spiritual and physical laws, already spoken, will decide the results or outcome of our compromising actions/decisions.
I would like to look at one aspect of our compromise that I have contended with others over for many years. In the book of Acts 19:19-20 we see a group of people, who practiced magic, bringing all their books and burning them. The result was that the word of God spread mightily. (I have a paper that I wrote on idols that goes into detail on the subject of idolatry on our website). In the book of 2 Cor. 6-11-7:1 Paul brings into the New Testament God’s feelings about compromising His standards and being romanced with the enemy’s ways or items he uses. Basically it says, do not mess with or mix with any sort of darkness or have occult or satanic influences around you. Another scripture 1 Thes.5:22 says, “abstain from every form of evil”. Heb.3:7-10 tells us what attitude we need to maintain in our relationship with Jesus. –listen to Him, trust, and obey what He says. In these scriptures the Lord leaves no room for compromise for the sake of “fun or entertainment”.
If we look at Father and His unfailing love for man we will find no compromise in His activities and association with man. He will not lower His standards for us. He has been drug through so much garbage by man and we have destroyed so many in our evil desires and passions, yet, He NEVER quits loving us. How do we react to such a great passionate love.
Lets break it down a bit with an example; I am married to Lady Dana, she is the love of my life. We are best friends and work and play together. Hypothetically lets put together this scenario--- Dana hates blue and I know that but consistently buy her blue colored gifts and I wear bright blue shirts when I am in her presence. What would that say to Lady Dana about how much I love her and appreciate her? It would say I don’t care much about what she likes or dislikes. It would show the relationship to be very selfish and very one sided. It would, it left unchecked, ruin the relationship or badly affect it. IF we would not treat someone we love here on earth with such disrespect as to bring what they show a strong dislike of into the relationship, Why would we do that to our God and Father?
What God likes and dislikes is apparent in the Word. He makes no bones about what He hates and what He likes. He goes even further and shows us what the enemy uses and tells us how much He (God) hates what the enemy does. The enemy perverts what God brings to enhance our relationship and uses the perversions to destroy what God treasures most—our relationship with Him. These things COMPROMISE the integrity of our lives with Him. They destroy or hamper our intimacy. They affect God’s Kingdom and our future.
In recent years, there has been so much witchcraft and sorcery brought into Christianity through the media and it’s far reaching tentacles. Seemingly innocent movies and books filled with sorcery and witchcraft have induced our children to want to mimic sorcerers, wizards and witches. Though people tell me that the underlying themes of these books and movies are about Christ, yet our kids do not practice being like Jesus, Paul, Peter or John as a result of reading these books or watching the movies. Instead they practice being wizards and sorcerers. A tree is known by its fruit, and a spring cannot yield both fresh and salt water…
Let’s look further into the commands of the Lord. Do we do them or do we make excuses for not doing them? Is tradition more powerful than God’s word? Should traditions of men take precedence over The Word? I am sure we would all say the Word is the final authority and our first priority. Yet it does not seem to matter which command we chose to look at, we come up with lots of reasons why we cannot obey them. The truth is that by our actions we reveal we do not accept Jesus as King or Lord, or as the final authority like we say we do. For the most part we believe what He commands are simply suggestions. Here is a good example. Rom 8:1a says that… “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus”, We stop with that comma and take that portion of the scripture and validate not doing anything scripture “commands”. We say, “We live by Grace”. We use this partial scripture to excuse our neglect of duty or disobedience. We say God doesn’t require anything of us. “Grace, Grace”, we cry. So, let’s look at the rest of that scripture (Rom.8:1b), “Who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit”. So the rest of the scripture says—there is no condemnation IF, we walk by the Spirit. So, if we walk fulfilling the lust of the flesh, we will live under condemnation. Simple truth, but not many want to read the whole thing because it will show up our compromises and disobedience to scripture. We ignore the scripture in James that says, Faith without works is dead”. Works don’t get me saved but they do prove I am saved. We must live our relationship with Jesus as if it matters more than any other. Our unwillingness to compromise God and His Word must show.
There is a host of other “compromises” we partake of that negate scripture, elevate man’s traditions, and reject the voice of God:
I picked only a few compromises on my short list but for many of us, some of the most controversial. Father is coming for a church without spot or blemish, one that “overcomes”. How does compromising His Word, His hunger for intimacy with us and ignoring His purpose for us fit with that?
Compromise has brought us a lot further from the truth than we wanted to go and cost us a lot more than we have realized and should have paid. What does it cost Father and His Kingdom and what will it cost in the future if we continue to do that which we seem to have always done?
I have nowhere to go with this word. I was right when I began and said it would cost me to write it. I cannot even touch all the compromise I see, in others and myself. What will it take for us to see the Truth and the Truth to set us free? We, the Church, are the reason we are where we are. We need to get back to the Word, intimacy with Jesus, the power of Holy Spirit and the purpose of Father. Until we do we will not suffer persecution, simply judgment. It takes obedience to bring persecution.
I would like to end this letter with what I feel is one of the biggest compromises of scripture. Lets go first to the book of Acts, 5:1-11. This scripture is about Ananias and Sapphira.. Yet, it is really about something much more profound that has been compromised—The fear of the Lord. We have been told that “Fearing God” is to “hold Him in high-esteem with Awe”. In Verse 11 of this passage, the word fear means; fear, dread, terror or as Strong’s puts it, alarm or fright:—be afraid, + exceedingly, fear, terror.
So ALL the church and all who heard what happened were alarmed and exceedingly afraid, in terror.
When we read on in verses 12-16 we find that “the people who heard of the Church” held them in high esteem but dared not to join them… The Church and the power of God caused people to fear God, then to come to Him and find His grace in the time of need. Wow. THE FEAR OF HIS POWER DREW THE UNSAVED TO HIM.
Throughout the Word are statements about, “the fear of the Lord or God”. I have not listed all but probably more than we would like to read.
Ps 111:10 (NKJV)
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
A good understanding have all those who do His commandments.
His praise endures forever.
Pr 1:7 (NKJV)
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
But fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Pr 8:13 (NKJV)
The fear of the Lord is to hate evil;
Pride and arrogance and the evil way
And the perverse mouth I hate.
Pr 9:10 (NKJV)
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
Pr 16:6 –Pr 16:7 (NKJV)
In mercy and truth
Atonement is provided for iniquity;
And by the fear of the Lord one departs from evil.
When a man’s ways please the Lord,
He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.
Proverbs 16:6 (amp). By mercy and love, truth and fidelity (to God and man—not by sacrificial offerings) iniquity is purged out of the heart, and by the reverent, worshipful fear of the Lord men depart from and avoid evil.
When a man’s ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.
Ps 25:14 (NKJV)
The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him,
And He will show them His covenant.
We will never know the depth of His Love and Mercy until we understand and know the Fear of the Lord, (being in a place where you fear offending Him as He can not only destroy the body but can send your soul to hell). We will never understand the incredible depth of forgiving Grace without understanding the depth of His hatred of sin and it’s consequences. Without His Justice, mercy and grace are cheap. Obedience is not something that we are likely to adhere to unless there is a consequence for not being obedient…
BEFORE JESUS RETURNS, THE FEAR OF THE LORD WILL COME UPON US. WE WILL RECOGNIZE OUR COMPROMISE FOR WHAT IT IS, AND SOME WILL TURN BACK TO WHERE WE SHOULD BE LIVING.
Obedience to His desires and truth, out of a pure heart of love for the One who saved me, is the only way I can show Him I love and trust Him. Salvation is free, all it costs is a changed life, giving up your unbelief and unfaithfulness.
In Father’s Hand, neil
I wrote this about 4 years ago, changed a bit of it off and on, finished it to this today..
I remember standing in the bathroom having just finished my shower. No one else was home just me. As I was toweling off I heard Father’s distinct voice, “ Go stand in front of the mirror”. You must realize that that I am a cowboy, born and raised on a ranch. Cowboys don’t even wear shorts around the house when no one is home, someone might come down the dead end lane leading to the house and you might get caught with your legs showing! The thought of going and standing in front of a mirror “naked” was way beyond my ability even though the house was empty. Once again I felt the insistence of the once spoken word, “go and stand in front of the mirror”, God added, “I have something I want to show you”. With trepidation and fear I walk out of the bathroom with the towel wrapped firmly about my waist. I checked the house and the road to make sure “NO ONE” was visible or could sneak up on me as I stood in front of the “full length” mirror in the hall. I could not look at the image in the mirror. I had the hardest time letting go of the towel. I also knew by then that it was not about what I saw physically in the mirror but was much deeper than that. I was being asked to see something that Father wanted to communicate to me and to let go of something I feared. The conversation was not going to be about the words, but what I saw. The thought came as I stood there looking at my reflection, God sees all of me, there is no way to hide anything in my thoughts, my heart, my mind, or in my life. God even sees what is inside not just what I am willing to reveal. This was about looking past what I see in the natural and being willing to see what is the spiritual reality behind that, then living out the truth found in the Spirit in the natural or physical world. I gained a new insight into my life and into the kingdom that day in those few moments standing naked in front of a mirror. I realized that if I want to walk in the kingdom I must see what God sees and feels or know what God knows to be effective in sharing the kingdom with others. I must stop walking in the natural way of living. I need to live in the Spirit. I must be willing to see the truth and not only see it but recognize it and humbly agree with it. Hearing Father has a lot more to do with listening, without expectations and with all your being, than waiting for a spoken word to come. Even the deaf can hear. From this point on in my walk with Jesus it was different. I could not look at scripture the same anymore. It was a much different book after God’s visit.
I actually believe James when he says we should ask for wisdom when we don’t know something and should believe that Father will answer.
James 1:5-8 (NKJV); 5If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
People have always told me to never ask God “why” and that I should not expect God to answer every prayer I pray, but that is not what James says and it is definitely not what the bible says. So I chose to begin to believe that if I asked God anything He would speak. I figured out that I was the one not listening if I did not get some kind of answer. As a result of my changed mind, I began to ask myself, “How does Father speak”? I began to look for His answer without a preconceived idea of how He would speak or answer but knowing He was true to His word and would answer in some way that I would understand, if I was willing to hear. Then I began to ask people questions about things I would feel, see or think while in their presence. As I practiced by asking questions I found that at times I would simply know that I had something to say from God to people and would open my mouth and trust that what would come out would be God. Through the years I have found that a majority of the time, what I “hear” (through the many ways that Father communicates) is truly from the Lord.
My daughter-in-law Januari and son Jon are amazing parents, not matter what our 4-year-old grandson Jay asks they give an intelligent answer to his query. Even if he will not understand much about the answer. They treat his question with importance and give a relevant answer or will tell him “watch and you will see”, because the question is important to him, (even if it is irrelevant to what is going on). They do not take his curiosity lightly. He is looking for wisdom. When we go to visit my son Jon’s place Jay starts immediately asking me questions like, “What are you doing? Where you going”? At times I do not use words to answer him, I look at him, smile and begin to do whatever I started to do and allow him to watch me for a bit then ask him, “what do you think I am doing”? He is so smart and he gets the answer with out me saying a word. It has gotten to the point now that Jay will come and watch me for a bit doing something then ask if he can help.. I like that, he has figured out that I don’t speak a lot while working but I show him what I am doing and how he can help and then with a few words guide him through our project.
Do you think Father takes our inquiries seriously? Is He a better father than my son? I think so, and I believe that He would like us to know that. He can speak without saying a word, through what He has already created or is creating.
I teach a lot on intimacy (a dynamic, powerful, close relationship) with Father. Many people simply cannot comprehend hearing from God. They say they don’t have pictures or words come to them and that God simply does not speak to them so they feel like second class sons or something like that.. If you talk to them a while they will give away soon in a conversation that indeed Father does speak to them but they don’t really recognize it happening or know how it happens because it is not necessarily done with audible words. WE make it so hard to hear when it is so natural. One day while I was talking to Father about His children not hearing, He spoke very plainly, “Even the deaf hear “. His statement to me altered my perspective of listening.
The deaf hear through other senses and/or forms of communication besides the audible sounds that most of us hear. I like to sometimes go out into the wilderness and then put in earplugs. It is amazing what you can hear without a sound. You begin to hear with your eyes, nose, touch, feelings, and even through a shadow or a patch of sunlight. (The feeling of coolness and heat upon your skin).
“The scriptures are true or they are not. So what if we simply accept them as truth and began to walk like they are true. What would happen? If I am following God (obedient to His guidence) then signs and wonders are going to follow me and as scripture says, I will hear His voice”. That is a simple declaration and yet it is a profound one. (These words are not a magic formula). Maybe instead of asking, “How can this be God,” when we think we hear or perceive something we should ask, “Why wouldn’t this be God”?. In much of my life, as I walk and talk with Father, Holy Spirit, and Jesus I have found that faith indeed does work by Love, (Gal. 5:6) and as I grow in love for Father, and trust in my relationship with God, communications get simpler, stronger and more exciting.
Relationships are based on spontaneous conversions for the most part. We don’t plan what we will say or how we will react to the communion of relationship, we flow with it. It is still scary (in a good way) after all these years – what if I am wrong--what if I hear wrong-, I am still His son, my relationship does not end. At times I have been wrong or I have misunderstood Him and that is ok as perfection is not my goal, a relationship with God is. (I have been married to Dana for 32 years, and love her more than ever, yet I make mistakes and misunderstand her occasionally, but we press on and grow into something different and better each year).
I began years ago to begin to trust that the scriptures meant what they said. I have found them to be true in my relationship with Father. It is simple as I have stated – it is true or it is not – The results are this; A real relationship with God will always impact society or the world as God changes what cannot be changed, because God does the impossible in speaking with us or guiding us.
There are several interesting scriptures that basically say that when we open our mouths He will put words in them to be a testimony of Him. Lu. 12.12 is one. Recently I was with two pastors at a restaurant and I ended up giving each a word from the Lord. In both cases I had nothing when I started to speak, but as I opened my mouth (literally in that same instant) HS revealed a part of their hearts and lives to me. I simply trusted that what would come out would be Father because I was there to be His love and a servant to both Him and them. One of these pastors was across the table from me and began to ask me a question about something I had brought up in the training seminar I was teaching. As He began to speak, Holy Spirit spoke to me and instead of answering this pastors query I simply repeated what Holy Spirit(HS) had spoken to me about him. I started with, “Let’s just deal with your anger, You are so angry at times that you clinch your teeth in frustration and pain.” After a hesitation I continued, “Do you know why you are so angry? I am going to tell you. It is because of your frustration with God and your inability to obey Him. You hear from Him but you are ruled by your need of other’s approval so you cannot obey what HS says to you. This builds in you and then you take it out on your family”. In the silence, it was evident that I had struck a loud chord in his life. The others around the table joined together and prayed over the brother and in tears he confessed that what I had just done had set him free. He stated that at times the anger was so bad that it was like a hive of bees buzzing around his head and he would be in such pain at the noise that he could not even think.
The other pastor I was to speak to got up from beside me and went to talk with a group at another table in the restaurant. In a few moments he came back. As he sat down he said, “Well Neil let’s continue from where you left off.” “OK, I replied, so let’s deal with your fear.” At my statement he responded with, “Let’s not”, turned away and began talking with another person at the table. In a couple of moments he turned back to me and before he could speak I injected a story about being in India on 9/11 and what had happened to me when I wondered into a Muslim celebration over the destruction of the trade towers in the USA. I did not even know about what had happened when I found myself in the midst of their celebration and fingers were being pointed at me and people began to run toward me with anger on their faces. I got out of there and made it home to find out that 9/11 had happened. The next day I went back to the place of the gathering and sat where they had burned an effigy of a US citizen hung on a pole instead of using me. I dealt with my fear of death sitting there and have never feared what anyone would do to me for sharing the Gospel since. As I finished my story this pastor had tears in his eyes. “Just the opposite happened to me. In 95 a religious group came and burned down my church beat me up, and for 5 years threatened my family, my church and me. Since then I have not been able to do what HS tells me to as I live in fear of what these people will do to my family and church. Jesus has been talking with me lately to let go of my fear so I can serve Him and those he has entrusted to me. You are right, I live in tremendous fear, would you pray for me?” He also was delivered from all his fears that day and I ministered in His church the next week and could see the difference in him and his confidence was thrilling to see.
Hearing and responding to HS is so important in this world we live in.. We need to learn to hear and trust. Father knows what he is doing. I know that some of what I get is because I tend to be prophetic in nature but for the most part what happens to me is simply normal naturally supernatural Christianity.
I awoke this morning thinking about hearing Father thru Holy Spirit. There is no formula or way to hear. People are always asking me to show them how to hear, they are really asking for me to give a bunch of steps that they can go through step by step so they can be sure that they are hearing the right voice. Intimate communications come through relationship, no matter how shallow it may be, and is not a formula. God promises to be a better dad than any of us have ever had. That means that He will answer us if we ask a question and that when He talks we will know it. I cannot imagine a relationship without communication. It is not possible! An audible voice is such a small portion of the communications in most deep relationships. Why do we have a hard time expecting the same types of communication with Father as we have with those we love? Not all of our speaking uses audible words. That is why it is so hard to put our thoughts into written words, because there are expressions that go with what we write that are missing.
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit abide in us so why wouldn’t we hear. Our heart is His dwelling place so why wouldn’t our emotions, impressions and thoughts be a part of His communication channels? If the devil can speak through them and he is the counterfeit voice living outside us (if we are Christ’s) then why would we doubt that God uses our senses to speak to us with? Jesus, the man, wept over Jerusalem – how could this be if he did not hear or feel the father’s pain for it? Father had the choice of anywhere He has created to live—He chose to live in us!,
I have a word for all of us – we need to stop making it so hard to hear from Father. The bible says that we know His voice, Jn 10:27. There is a need for us to find this foundational truth and walk in it. How can someone be convicted or convinced by Holy Spirit, Jn 16:7-15, if there is no communication by Holy Spirit. And how can people repent and turn to God if they don’t know it is God speaking? Even before we are born again we know the voice of God! Why stop listening when we become His children? Our position alone dictates that we must hear; we are His children! What father does not speak to his kids? WE have several examples of kids hearing from the Lord at young ages. Samuel, a very young man is sleeping, and God speaks to him. He goes to Eli thinking it is Eli calling him but not so and Eli eventually informs Samuel that it is God speaking to Him and tells him to simply answer with the implication of listening. We know that David heard from the Lord as a boy out watching the sheep. Moses had to have heard from God to know he was the deliverer (even though He had a problem carrying out that call as a young man and God had to work him over for a few years until He would listen to Him to fulfill the call and not take matters into his own hands.) Jesus the man heard from Father before the age of twelve because at twelve he was, “about His Father’s business”.
Christians are always running around like the cell phone commercials, “Can you hear me now?”, looking for a place that has good reception and where Father will hear them and reply and they can know it is him and hear… What we all need to realize is that He really lives in us and we don’t have to be in a special spot to hear, we merely need to listen.
Ok, let’s look at this another way. A baby is conceived; it is 9 months before it is born but when born knows its mother’s voice, why? It has been listening to it for 9 months before it came into this world (it is the same with God, Holy Spirit is talking to us before we are born again).
Now we have a child ( we are children of God once “born again”). How does the child learn the language the parents speak, by reading a book or through listening to Father and mother speak to it and others? How does the child learn rights and wrongs, through reading or experience with Father and Mother? We don’t introduce children to reading books until they are about 4 years old. Until then we are their vocabulary book.
Did you ever think about all the ways we speak to a small child and train them before we teach them to read?
I have listed only a few of the ways a young child learns and the communications that parents use to “speak” to or educate their children. When the child has enough experience with words, pictures, and activities in relationships in the world we begin to teach them to read and give them books to continue their education. The formal education comes after the relationship and communication skills have been developed. The way formal education affects the young mind will depend on the relationships and communications already developed before they began studying.
It might be good for us Christians to think about how we raise up new believers and train them in the things of God…
Here are a few considerations that can affect intimacy not just with God but others as well: The position you see yourself in affects how and what you hear. The position you see others in affects what you will hear from them and how you will hear them or even if you will hear them. It will also affect how you talk to and react to others and the world around you.
In the majority of the commands that Christ gives us in the New Testament (there are more than I will list here); repent, believe, be baptized, be filled or baptized with the Holy Spirit, follow, pray, love God and others, give, seek first the Kingdom, go and make disciples, walk in the miraculous, serve each other and teach, there is ONE prerequisite, hearing… Without fathers in the Church who begin to teach the children at a very young age how to listen and understand the Father’s voice, the believers will have to walk in the flesh and for the most part “guess” what Father’s will is. The Children of God need to be equipped, edified, and empowered.
At times I weep for a revelation to come to the church and the world of how much Father is speaking. Oh that we would hear and repent or change! The Church of Jesus Christ is so far from the foundation that has been laid in New Testament scripture. We have some really bad doctrines that need to be thrown away or dealt with so we can get back to what scripture actually teaches, the starting point to obedience of all the commands Jesus gives is hearing, (that is listening and obeying). I pray that the church would rise up and be the voice of God to those who are hurting and in fear.
We need to recognize that Father is speaking and stop ignoring His communications. WE need to become who we are! We need to stop denying what the scriptures say and stop making excuses not to hear. God is talking are we listening?
Even the deaf hear!
Looking for God, looking for more.
God keeps telling me that He is not going to do anything more. He is waiting for us, He is waiting for me. He says that I am in sin, the church is in sin.. I know the sin; It is that we are not living out the naturally supernatural expression of intimacy that Jesus paid the price for. The Church is not impacting the world nor making disciples. The world is impacting and discipling the Church to look like them.. We do not make a difference in out communities, our communities silence us because we fear their disapproval or rejection. Jesus says that they will reject us and persecute us for standing with Him. Why do we expect it to be different? What will it take for us to quit making excuses for having no power or Love for each other? We do not have unity, because we do not have selflessness. We live for “our” agenda and try to tell God that He must fulfill the desires of our hearts. He promised. What about the desire of His heart? What about the price He paid? Have we really seen what it has cost Him to Love us?
I am looking for God. I am so hungry for His presence and provision to change that which cannot be changed. I am so desperate for more of Him and less of me. I know that God is withholding nothing. He has given all. He has shown us the way and the Truth but we seem to avoid it. We want the baptism of the Spirit that gives us power but not the baptism of fire that cleanses us and makes us fit for His presence and power.
So here I sit at 4 am wondering and fretting over what I see and don’t see happening in the realm of what we call Christianity. Each day I seem to be faced with the same question over and over again. Why is it so hard to be and practice what Jesus commands? Why do we make it so hard to do the simple elementary principles of the Gospel? Living for Christ is not rocket science stuff, it is simple relational realities. Whether it is traditional church leaders, believers or the house church crowd, it seems that the basic concept of discipleship the way Jesus did it, and with the purpose Jesus lived for is too difficult to comprehend. Everyone is concerned with the way meetings are held instead of the content of them. Most are still concerned with “who gets to lead” as opposed to “who gets to serve”. Everyone is interested in learning how to “take” the world but few want to learn how to “inherit” it.
The Gospel of Jesus is so simple, He was born of a virgin, lived for the audience of ONE, served mankind, bore the punishment for our refusal to trust and obey God our Father, was beaten and crucified and died for that. Then was resurrected by Father because, though He was innocent, He was willing to take the punishment that others deserved so they might find life with God. And now Jesus is seated at the right hand of God as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. His blood brought me (and anyone who will receive His sacrifice) the right to be God’s child and to have a new relationship with Father that can never be broken by anyone or anything but me and my choice…..
He came to be THE example of who we are to be “in Him” with Father and Holy Spirit. He not only paid the entrance fee for our relationship with Father and introduced us to the true character of Father, but also demonstrated what our lives should look like as the result of His blood bought purchase. He is the standard of life to be lived with Father on earth by us.
Lk 4:18 –Lk 4:19 (NKJV)
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”
---Now, this is what Isaiah prophesied of Jesus before He came. Jesus claims that He is the fulfillment of this scripture in Lu. 4:21… He tells us in John 17:20-23 that we are to be “one” with Him and Father. In John 20:21-23 He explains that we are “sent just like Him”.. In the resurrection commands in each of the other 3 Gospels we find commands to do what He practiced and demonstrated for and to us (that are found in Lu 4:18).
In Hebrews 5:12 through 6:2 Paul writes and tells us that “mature Christians” are those who practice the elementary principles of Christ; or “by reason of use (of the first principle of the oracles of God) have their senses exercised to discern good and evil”
In Paul’s description of those elementary or first principles of Christ found in Heb. 6:1-2, all of them are found in His purpose (Lu.4:18) and again in the resurrection commands of Christ. (Mt. 28:18-20, Lu. 24:45-49, Mk. 16:15-18, Jn. 20:21-23)
Since it is evident that the Church as a whole does not practice these “elementary principles” of Christ, we will never be able to go on to Maturity. Why do we focus on anything else until we find the church doing these principles? The goal of Christ is to see us walking naturally supernatural like He did and does. It is to be normal for everyday Christians to make a difference where they work, live and play. Our presence should be like that of Christ, the aroma and fragrance of God on earth. We should bring and be the demonstration of who Father is and who we are in Christ. We are to serve those in sin and show them The Way with our naturally supernatural living through Holy Spirit in us and on us.
Leaders are not to be Lords:
Mt 20:25 –Mt 20:28 (NKJV)
But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
Eph 4:11 –Eph 4:13 (NKJV)
And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,
for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;
1Pet 5:1 –1Pet 5:3 (NKJV)
The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed:
Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock;
They are to be examples and servants. They are to raise everyone else up to walk like Jesus. They are to serve, not take the glory or control in any way. They are not to bring a message they are to BE the message… like Peter, John and Paul, if they are really Christ’s leaders they will have power in the Spirit. But it is not so they can be great, they suffer so you might live.. They fulfill the suffering of Christ so you may find grace. They are to go, give, and die for the Church. They have Jesus heart of serving others and living for the audience of one. It is evident to those around that God not only speaks through them but moves through them.
So, back to the beginning, God is not going to do any more. Jesus has given us all there is to receive. Holy Spirit is here, willing able and ready to be what the Word says He is. It just takes death to self, no excuses, and giving up the ways of the world, top down structure in church, frustrations, anger, resentments, un-forgiveness, envy, wrath and all evil speaking (that which does not bring God’s promises and life to our situations). It is only the truth that sets us free. Until we are willing to make a paradigm shift in our thinking and living, we will not see what we want and hope for… It is not going to happen. What have we to lose by changing? Our traditions? Our worthless without power meetings? Our religious status? I think I know what we have to lose, our comfort, dignity and acceptance.
My prayer is that God would kill in me all that opposes His Kingdom and reign. I want to be hidden in Christ and for it not to be me who lives but Christ who lives within me. I want to see in others the riches of Christ and His nature shining through them affecting the world.
Intimacy with God is our inheritance and through this intimacy walked out we will see Christ lifted up drawing all men to Himself.
Will write more later, neil
About 20 years ago I was doing ministry in Walla Walla Washington state prison (WW). When we went down to the prison it was for the whole day. We would do a two hour meeting in Maximum security section in the morning and then in the evening we would do a service in Medium security area. So, during the day between sessions we would do cell ministry or go from cell block to cell block and share one on one. I had went to medium this day and was sharing with the guys who wanted to talk. I always carried a few bibles with me so I could give them out if requested. I had shared for quite a while with a couple of guys and had spoken into one of their lives prophetically. One of the guys in the cell next to the one I was talking with asked me for a bible when I got ready to leave. I gave Him one and invited him to come to our service. He did not show up that day but He did two weeks later.
On that next trip, in the evening, as we entered the medium security section I was met at the gate by this inmate. The guy was emphatic that he receive Jesus. He frantically asked, “How do I get saved”? When I told him he needed to believe in Jesus in His heart and share Jesus or confess Jesus as His Lord, He asked, How do I do that”?
Now you must realize we are just through the gate into the yard, and had to walk across it to the chapel room yet. I suggested that he wait till we reached the chapel area to avoid a scene, but he said, “No way, I am not waiting. I want Jesus now”! Right there in the yard where everyone could see he gets on his knees and receives Jesus! This guy is praying loud and adamantly. It was something!
When we reached the chapel, I asked him what was the rush. (I had noticed that he had a bandage on his neck but it did not look like something severe). He explained. He had never heard about Jesus the way I had presented it that day, two weeks before in the cell block, which had provoked him to ask me for a bible. His cellmate came back to the cell, saw him reading the bible and proceeded to have a contract put on him. In chow line a few days later a guy had stuck him with an ice-pick like knife (called a shive). The ice pick had missed the jugular vein and he had survived the attack. He said, “ If they wanted to “shive” me for just reading the book, It must be true. He related that because of the attack just for reading the book, he had to have Jesus and walk with Him”. He became quite a leader in the unit. He had no fear and became a steadfast Jesus follower.
Anyone who has been around me much knows that I tend to be a bit different from that which is found in most traditional Christians. I am a guy that drives most people a bit nuts. I am a radical, sold out Christ follower. I don’t back up, sit down nor turn aside. When I was in my 30”s and freshly inducted into traditional Christendom, people would tell me that it was ok for me to be a bit excited and then they would tell me that I would settle down soon. I would look at them and say, “I hope not”! Most who know me now realize I have probably became more excited about God since then and a lot more radical in my stand.
At the time this event happened in WW prison I was also doing county jail ministry. I would go every Sunday afternoon and do a service in the county jail for both the men and the women locked up there. During the week, on Thursday evening, I would go to the jail and do cell ministry. I would go to the various “pods” (a general area that would have 12 cells and a “day room” with tables and tv) and share or pray with those interested. There was a man there doing 6 months or so of a sentence. He came to the meetings on Sunday afternoon and when I would go to the pods on Thursday, if I entered the one he was in, he would always cause some sort of trouble or schism. On Sundays he was always talking, and at times would do whatever he could to cause trouble.
On several occasions I would have a guard come and send him back to his cell for disrupting the meetings. I would make him stay out for a couple of weeks but then I would let him back in. He always said he would be good but it never happened.
One Sunday afternoon the whole group in the chapel service was rowdy. They did not want to have a gospel meeting but instead decided that the service would be a time for them to visit and play… the ringleader was my favorite troublemaker. I tried to get their attention but it was not happening. Chapel was the only place where all the inmates from the different pods could gather and do business or talk with each other. That day they decided to take over… My troublemaker guy badmouthed me a bit and all the group laughed. I would say something and they would all mock me. Now realize this, I am alone with about 35 inmates with two locked doors between me and the guards and on this Sunday there is only one guard at the station. He will not be coming to help…
As the ruckus in the chapel room gains speed, I sit down on a stool that was there for me to use. I looked around, saw them all smiling in triumph laughing at me, and waited. Inside I am starting to get a bit hot but not with anger. It was more like indignation and a holy boldness I have felt a few times before rising up in me.
I was sitting on a stool, holding my bible, waiting for the Spirit. I knew He was about to do something crazy. Picture this; My troublemaker is smiling at me in triumph while others are laughing. I was quite a show… sitting there doing nothing. In a moment I stood up, looked at them all and said very quietly, “Let’s talk about my Jesus a bit”, and with that I threw my bible at the wall to my left with quite a bit of force and continued with, We won’t be needing that”!
As the bible hit the wall all my papers and notes that I had stuffed in it went flying all over the place. I mean they were floating around and it looked like the whole bible had come apart. As my bible slid down the wall you could have heard a pin drop in the room. I sat back down on the stool and for an hour quietly talked to them about My Jesus. They had questions I answered and I had words I shared… it was a truly holy time.
During the time I sat and talked an amazing thing happened. My troublemaker got up went over and picked up my bible and all the papers. He proceeded to gently straighten every page in my book and folded all my papers neatly and placed them back inside it.
At the end of the time a young man came up to me and said, “I am from Washington DC and I got caught in Seattle for a crime I did back east. They are taking me back to DC by bus and we are picking up other prisoners on the way. We only stopped here for two days.” He continued, “I have never heard of Jesus before and I would really be interested in knowing Him, can you help me”? He stated, “ I have never felt such power nor seen or experienced anything like what just happened.” He was in tears, pleading with me to help him find Jesus. I prayed for him, gave him a bible and he left the room back to his cell. I never saw him again.
You remember the troublemaker, he was watching while I talked and prayed with that young man from DC. When I finished he walked up to me and with both hands gently offered my bible to me. It was all straightened out and looked pretty good for all it had been through. From that day my troublemaker never missed a meeting nor caused any trouble. Instead, he took care to make sure everyone was quiet and orderly while the service was going on. He handed out the music, bibles and studies I would bring. In his pod he led a bible study and when I came in on Thursdays he always requested me to come visit. I never heard him say “the sinners prayer” and never asked him to… but he sure loved the Lord and I never saw him without a bible under his arm or in his hands. I bought him a nice one several weeks after the incident, when I saw that the change in him was real. He cherished that book and even more He cherished Jesus. He ended up getting out early for good behavior. Ha who would have thought.
Now I have told you a couple stories of incidents I encountered while doing jail or prison ministry. You may be asking why and what is the bond in these two different stories. First you should know that I live to know Jesus, to experience a real Gospel and to fulfill His desire for my life. I am a Holy Ghost man, sold out. I do not put together sermons nor plan bible studies nor prepare papers with a lot of planning. I live by the voice of God and His presence. In both incidences I have related, there is a common thread, hearing from the Lord.
Many people ask me how to be sure that they are hearing God as opposed to themselves or the enemy. The question is not really about hearing. It is about trust. How can we trust this God whom we cannot see? Do we trust what we read in the bible as a foundation to our relationship? Do we trust the experiences written for us, so we may have confidence in this Great God written about in its pages? If we can, how may we demonstrate this trust and how can we build on the foundation demonstrated in the lives of those in the bible?
Hearing is like breathing, it is natural to hear the voice of God. He is whom He says He is. We are created to be naturally supernatural. We need to strive to enter the rest of believing, not swallow doubt and fear. I started by finding a scripture and decided or choosing to believe it. I put it to the test. Then when I knew that one was mine and real, I picked another promise, ate it, figured out what and how it revealed God’s nature and added it to my heart. Sometimes it would take me months to wade through my own fears or doubts and to rid myself of the “me” factor. The reality of Father’s character soon began to take shape like a jigsaw puzzle. As you add pieces to it soon a picture starts to develop and each piece you add makes the next piece easier to see. So it is with intimacy with Father… one step or piece at a time…
Will write more later, neil
Priests and Kings before our God…
Gen 12:2 –Gen 12:3 (NKJV)
I will make you a great nation;
I will bless you
And make your name great;
And you shall be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you,
And I will curse him who curses you;
And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
In this scripture is the beginning. Abram’s call to the covenant of faith
which changes His life’s destination and the future of the world. A call from the
God of all creation to get out of place he has lived and the lifestyle he has
grown up in, into an unknown land to covenant with Him and become a blessing to all
of the families of the earth. God calls Him to be blessed, (be in covenant with
God), and to be a blessing.
How is it that we forget that the purpose of God and His call to covenant with Him
includes the call for us to be a blessing, not just to be blessed. Who bestows
blessings? Priests and Kings…. We are to bring blessings… something to think on
for sure.
Ex 19:3 –Ex 19:6 (NKJV)
And Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel:
‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and
brought you to Myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My
covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth
is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the
words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”
Here is the beginning of the covenant of Law. God does not change our calling nor
our destination. We are to be a holy nation, and priests of our God. What is the
purpose of priests? Are we to be lords or servants? How are we to be a special
treasure, a holy nation, a kingdom of priests if we do not bless? Another thought;
What blessing are we to give or bring to God’s world?
Dt 14:1 –Dt 14:2 (KJV)
Ye are the children of the LORD your God: …….
For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to
be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth.
Here is another interesting proclamation by God. Even under the Low He calls us
“children of the Lord”. We are to be a “holy people” (priests). We are a
peculiar people standing between God and all the nations. It is interesting that
we are called the same in the New Testament. There is no change from the calling
of Abraham, through Moses, and then Jesus and the New Creation. Our calling
and position with God has always been for us to be a chosen people, a royal
priesthood, children of God ! And our purpose is to bring the world to know Him.
1Pet 2:9 –1Pet 2:10 (NKJV)
But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; ……….
We can never “proclaim His praises” Him unless we know Him, are so in love with
Him that we are compelled to show our relationship off to others. In the old
covenant, the priests did not get to own any land or have an inheritance in the
land. Their inheritance was God and close fellowship with Him. They were to
sacrifice offerings for the sins of the people, stand between the people and God.
Our inheritance is God. We are to live in close, dynamic, personal fellowship
with Him. We are to be caretakers of God’s Kingdom, not hoarders of God’s
blessings. WE are to be like Jesus, who gave Himself to be a sacrifice for the
sins of those who are lost. He lived out His life for the audience of ONE. He
showed us the way to live and give.
1Jn 3:1 –1Jn 3:2 (NKJV)
Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
Rev 1:4 –Rev 1:6 (NKJV)
John, to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth.
To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Rev 5:9 –Rev 5:10 (NKJV)
And they sang a new song, saying:
“You are worthy to take the scroll,
And to open its seals;
For You were slain,
And have redeemed us to God by Your blood
Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,
And have made us kings and priests to our God;
And we shall reign on the earth.”
In these verses lies the unchanging purpose of God. We are called to be Priests
and Kings of our God TO WHO? THE WORLD…… It has always been and
always will be Father’s plan and purpose to be revealed by “His” people and what He
does through and in them… Why do we never get it – that it is not about us?
We are to be those who reveal the greatness of God and the caretaking authority
of God by our love for each other and those in the world. Our problem is that we
never take the responsibility of our relationship as being part of the promises He
gives. We do not recognize our responsibility in the conditions of the promise or
covenant. Saying “yes” means more than simply speaking the word. There is a
required commitment as a result of saying “yes” to the New Covenant, our salvation,
that requires death to self.
Covenant reality should remove self-concerns from our living and fill us with His
concerns and purposes. He has promised to take care of us and says to not be
concerned with the things of life like food, clothes, where we live, etc.
Covenant realities require intimacy – honor, obedience, and sacrifice. Pursuit of
the promises of God tends to be led by pride and selfishness; I want, I deserve, I
declare….
Pursuit of the relationship will produce the promises; love, joy, and peace. As we
are about what pleases God, the promises follow us.
We may be a bit like the Israelites, afraid of His voice. It may be easier for us
if we let someone else hear for us. But, it may cost us as much as it did them. They
dies not inheriting the promise nor the promised land according to the book of
Hebrews. God’s desire to have us fear Him and be close… safe in The Fire of His
Presence they could not handle.
Dt 5:23 –Dt 5:29 (NKJV)
“So it was, when you heard the voice from the midst of the darkness, while the mountain was burning with fire, that you came near to me, all the heads of your tribes and your elders.
And you said: ‘Surely the Lord our God has shown us His glory and His greatness, and we have heard His voice from the midst of the fire. We have seen this day that God speaks with man; yet he still lives. Now therefore, why should we die? For this great fire will consume us; if we hear the voice of the Lord our God anymore, then we shall die. For who is there of all flesh who has heard the voice of the living God speaking from the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived? You go near and hear all that the Lord our God may say, and tell us all that the Lord our God says to you, and we will hear and do it.’
“Then the Lord heard the voice of your words when you spoke to me, and the Lord said to me: ‘I have heard the voice of the words of this people which they have spoken to you. They are right in all that they have spoken.
Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever!
Ps 25:10 –Ps 25:14 (NKJV)
All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth,
To such as keep His covenant and His testimonies.
For Your name’s sake, O Lord,
Pardon my iniquity, for it is great.
Who is the man that fears the Lord?
Him shall He teach in the way He chooses.
He himself shall dwell in prosperity,
And his descendants shall inherit the earth.
The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him,
And He will show them His covenant.
God’s desire, in the scripture in Deuteronomy, was for all the leaders and the elders to draw near. They saw that drawing near to God would not kill them as they expected yet they chose, even after their experience, to fear the intimacy offered. Interesting to me is that the mountain was burning with fire. In the book of Acts, the fire fell upon the heads of those willing to obey and wait on Him. A whole new intimacy began with a crown of the fire demonstrating God’s presence.
In the incident with Moses, the people called drew back in fear. Moses, having an understanding and trust in the character of God stayed. He had a great boldness and authority. In Acts, the disciples had chosen to wait on the Lord. They trusted Jesus and when the fire fell, they ended up with great boldness and authority.
Everything we are looking for in our relationship with Father is found in a correct response to the awesome nature of God as He reveals Himself to us.
You can fear God and have intimacy, understanding, provision, and His love poured out on your life or you can be afraid of (fear) God and be separated from all of His desires for you. The end (of where your “fear” leads you) depends on your knowledge of and trust in the revealed character of God.
It is so simple, do we trust God or can we trust Him? I ask this question a lot but in it is the key.. Most of us need a fresh revelation of what Scripture has told us and shown us. Much of our lack of knowing God is because we are always saying, “that can’t be God” or we think, “that is for someone else, I am not good enough or some other such thinking…. instead of saying, “why wouldn’t this be God” and “Why not me”.
We find ways to disbelieve instead of trust. I ask a lot of questions of people who come to me wanting to find intimacy with Father. One of the first is, “what has God said to you today?” or “who are you and who do you pray to?”
I so much desire that I could lead others in how to find Intimacy with Father but I can’t. I cannot be whom they think they need, nor can any other leader, and impart the heart of Jesus to them. In Moses time, He could not bring others to intimacy and trust in the Lord. Going back even further, Abraham could not do that either. Jesus, even though He demonstrated living in intimacy with Father to the 12, could not get them to understand. ONLY Holy Spirit can bring us to the place we thirst for. It is only in our own hunger, longing and surrender to the Truth that intimacy can be found. We must pursue and never give in till we find what God is offering freely…
Ah, to know Father, Son and Holy Ghost… such a quest, maybe it is the “pearl of great price”, worth conquering being afraid of God and being too close to God, thus having to let go of our pain, anger, unforgiveness, sorrows, and even what we “cherish” most to find what we need most, the fear of being found anywhere outside His presence. Ah, to KNOW God,,,
Will write more later, neil
THIS IS A YEAR OF HARVEST, AND WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE THAT FOR THERE TO BE A GREAT HARVEST, SOMETHING MUST CAUSE PEOPLE TO BE READY TO RECEIVE. GOD IS WAITING FOR US. HE IS GOING TO GIVE US NOTHING MORE. WE HAVE ALL WE GET. WE WILL BE JUDGED FOR NOT BEING FOUND IN THE INTIMACY WE HAVE BEEN CALLED TO. THE WORLD WILL SUFFER FOR OUR SIN. OUR CHOICES CHANGE THE FUTURE… AND EFFECT THOSE AROUND US.. THERE IS A RESPONSIBILITY TO BEING SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF GOD…. WE ARE HIS PRIESTS SENT TO THE WORLD TO BRING HIS SALVATION TO THOSE LOST, HURTING AND BLIND. neil
I am so hungry for more of God’s presence. I so desire to see the body of Christ walking as the body of Christ as described in the New Testament. I pray constantly for a greater revelation of Christ, Holy Spirit and Father to come to the Church. I cry at times as I see the enemy divide, devour and destroy Christians. I am constantly petitioning Father to show me why we are not being who the bible says we are. I ask questions of Father in every way possible to find out how to see change in the body. I cannot go very long without a prayer escaping my lips asking God to release His church from the bondages the enemy has put on them.
I live for one reason, to know Jesus, Holy Spirit and Father. My purpose is to see the church become THE CHURCH! What will it take?
Because I live in the place of intimacy I do, I hear. Father answers our requests. Our problem, most times, is we do not want to hear or receive the answers He gives.
As I spend my life in the attitude of prayer, mostly for the church, no matter what I may be physically doing, I hear answers. Since I am praying to Father I expect that what I feel, think, see or know after asking Him something, is my answer.
My problem is that Most of what He says is corrective or directive. Some could say that my answers are the result of rebellion or from a lack of submission. Some say that I am myopic about intimacy and discipleship. But I do not think that is the case. I believe I am hearing and what I hear lines up with what God has spoken to people in the past who were in the same place we currently are as The Church. We would like to bring the word to our lives and judge the word. We need to judge our lives against the word instead. I tend to search the bible to find a people experiencing what we are and look at what God says about them. That gives me a place to go from. If I am willing to see the truth and do not justify my circumstances, or think my condition is the exception to what I read, I will find direction or at least my position… In the midst of all of this, I am reminded of God’s greatness and that His Mercies are fresh every day. What if I could change? What if I could be more like Jesus?
The Greatness of God.
Ah, What of the greatness of God?
Isn’t he the one who created ALL things?
Wasn’t I created before the foundation of the world?
Didn’t He create man in His likeness?
When Adam was created didn’t He give Adam caretaking authority over all the works of His hand on earth?
When Adam fell didn’t He provide the sacrifices to cover Adam’s sin?
Didn’t God choose Abram to make covenant with?
Didn’t He provide all that was necessary for covenant?
Wasn’t it Abram’s part to simply say “yes”?
Wasn’t He the Father who walked as Abraham’s friend?
In the midst of Abraham’s doubts and lack of trust, (his sins), wasn’t it God who continually “saved” him from his lies and disbelief?
Who was it that saved baby Moses?
Wasn’t it God who called Moses to be a deliverer?
Who was it that forgave Moses for killing as Egyptian?
Who was it that called him from the wilderness to save his people?
Didn’t God make covenant with Moses?
Who saved the Israelites from the Egyptians?
Didn’t God keep the Israelites even in the midst of their sins?
Didn’t He give a promise of rest to those who believe?
Wasn’t It God who moved the prophets to speak and bring correction and direction to His people?
Hasn’t God always revealed Himself to His people through signs, wonders and visitations?
Didn't God save me?
I could go on but all things lead to Jesus.
He came to complete God’s work of “saving” man from his sins, indiscretions, and rebellion.
He bought our freedom with His sacrifice--forever.
With this covenant that He consummated to be a “better” one?
Does Father do anything less for us than He did with the Israelites?
Is His presence any less powerful to save?
Does this covenant have less of God’s presence to deal with our enemies than the old one had?
Is there less intimacy in this covenant than the old one?
Is God true to His word or does He mock us with the hope of a salvation that is non-existent?
The question Christ followers need to ask themselves is; CAN I TRUST GOD? (Is it possible for me to believe and step out on my belief in God)?
Do I trust God?
Is it possible for me to trust Father in a real way or is truly trusting foreign to me?
How can I actually show that I trust Father and His word?
So many come to me and desire to walk hearing Father’s voice. They want a close relationship with Father but for some odd reason do not know how to have that.
I say odd because I cannot imagine “not” hearing God. Scripture is filled with promises of God’s voice. He actually commands us to “obey His voice” from the beginning of the Word to the end. We are told That Holy Spirit will lead us, teach us, guide us into all truth and show us things to come, etc. How can He do that if there is no conversation or communication? Is God mocking us with His great and precious promises? Or are our ears closed to anything but tickling?
I get questioned a lot about how to know Father’s voice, how to trust Him. I do not know how to answer that, as it seems such a strange question. Many times, especially with leaders, I get mad inside because it is such a great deception that seems to fill the whole body of Christ. The question of how to know God’s voice is like asking how do you know water is real? All of scripture is the result of hearing God. In it God says we who know Him, follow His voice. Wow… So how can you be a Christ follower if you do not hear Him?
Why we are so fearful of being close to God and why does His presence amongst us baffles us? Why do we accept the world’s words that tell us that hearing God is “looney tune” or crazy? We say that we want more of Christ but deny His provision, promises and commands. If we want more of Christ, all we have to do is spend time with Him, listen and obey.
A relationship with Father and Jesus is no harder than having one with a friend or “spousal unit.” It is about choice and commitment. What you value you commit to and do!
I will use a controversial subject to give an example of our choice to not believe, trust or hear.
I have people tell me that being “baptized in the Spirit and speaking in tongues” (Lu. 24:49 and Acts 1:8), is not needed, or not for today. Even though Jesus commands us not to try to witness without “the power from on High or the promise of my Father upon us” which began on Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4). I have heard people say that they see no need for speaking in tongues even though the bible tells us speaking in tongues “builds us up” (in the nature of Christ) as prophesy, “builds up the church”, (in the nature of Christ) 1 Cor 14:2-4.
This scripture alone should be need enough to obey and receive the Spirit upon us – and there are more scriptures that show our need of this provision of God. The Word says that when we pray in the Spirit with groanings, (inarticulate, not understandable utterances—Tongues—that these are words of the Spirit that are not understandable by anyone but God ( see Rom.8:26-28 and1 Co.14:2-4). These crazy sounding utterances are the Spirit interceding according to the will of God… So if God says we need this “Spirit upon us” and speaking in tongues as part of the Spirit upon us, why do we argue about it? Why would I not want the “Spirit upon” me? That is like not wanting a million dollars to give away to help the poor. How foolish of us. Could it be that we do not want to look foolish? If so then we need to read 1 Cor.1:18-31.
I have a choice, obey, or disobey, or I could say, trust or don’t trust. I can judge any part of the Word as not being relevant or I can submit to it. I get to choose to do the foolish or stand on the wisdom of men and their rationalizations about what God says. Do we judge scripture or do we judge ourselves and obey scripture? Tongues, (one of the results of the baptism of the Spirit) always seems foolish to me but God says it builds me up or “edifies me”, so like Paul (who seems to be a pretty good example to follow), I pray in tongues more than most. I have decided to trust God, not men and their justifications for not surrendering to the Word.
I have been reading the scriptures at the end of Luke, those in Acts and Paul’s statements in 1 Corinthians about baptism of the Spirit wondering why we resist the scriptures on this subject yet accept Matthew 28:18-20 as a command? It is interesting that through the whole bible the “Spirit coming upon..” was the power of God in so many situations and is the event that moved the Prophets to speak and write God’s words. In Numbers 11:23-29 there is an interesting passage worth reading. Look how many times it says “upon” and what happened. Moses’ desire was for all God’s people to “prophesy” Jesus wants the same thing, Paul says the same thing..
What if the only thing that is stopping us from being who we are to be is surrendering to the fullness of the Word and part of that submission is getting the “Spirit upon us”… ?
This disregard for “the baptism of the Spirit and speaking in tongues” is just one area we disobey scripture to follow the traditions or justifications of men. We are leaving (disregarding) the Word for our own comfort and for fear of rejection by our peers and the world.
I know that right now some are quoting Paul saying “not all WILL speak in tongues” and thinking it says, “Not all CAN speak in tongues”. But that is not what it says. God is no respecter of persons so if one of us gets “built up” by praying in tongues and another does not get to pray or speak in tongue and be “built up” God is a liar… He is neither a liar nor a respecter of persons, so the gift is available to all. Some will simply not do it by choice. They cannot let go of control. Why would we not want to be built up or pray by the Sprit of God if it is not the fear of looking foolish? I wonder if God calls that pride? Interesting thought.
God is great and His provision is never changing. He is the same, yesterday, today and forever. He does not have a “shortened” arm nor is He slack concerning His promises. We are the only stumbling block that keeps God from being all that He can be. It is called un-belief, and is characterized by disobedience to His Word.
The greatness of God is exemplified in this; that His mercies are fresh every morning and He forgives sin… We can be recipients of His grace, mercy, love, and power if we choose to. All we need to do is change direction and decide to trust and obey.
I keep getting the same message, no matter where I try to go, I end up here…. I know God is trying to get our attention and change our direction. Will we hear?
will write more later, neil
As I look out this morning upon the valley below us at 3 Springs and FHM headquarters I stand amazed at the Father and His creation. We have been so blessed to be here and see the hand of the Lord in His creation and in what we are reaching forward toward. How awesome to serve Jesus and His desire to see Father’s Kingdom come to earth and be established in the hearts of men.
Every time we turn around Father is doing a miracle in some person or in provision to get the land to the place Father has told us it needs to be. We now have two 3-bedroom houses, the cabin and a small travel trailer to house people, besides the tent sites available. The only building left to renovate is the homestead.
There has been a constant traffic of people coming to 3 Springs this year, the cabin and our home has been filled most of the time. We have two young ladies staying with us now, stretching their wings, learning to fly and gaining intimacy with Father. We seem to have no time yet God continues to push us in our own walk. We have been changed as we walk out what Father does. Our confidence in Him has increased as have our tears and prayers for the hurting and lost.
This summer and fall has seen an increased revelation into the simplicity of intimacy and discipleship. We are finding a freedom to be vessels of truth, love and grace in a more open way. God has been dealing with us about not compromising the truth, not making excuses for what the Word says or what Jesus and Father say. We find we speak more boldly into people’s lives and situations. And we see the results, of the truth spoken in love, in their relationship with Jesus. Our desire is that we can serve Jesus better and the people who come with questions and hope.
The Church in the US is in such a place of need. We need a renovation in our hearts toward the commands of Jesus for both leaders and believers. believers are hungry, leaders are frustrated, yet to return to the words of Christ and our bibles seems too hard. It is too much of a paradigm shift. Why we make it so hard to obey Jesus and scripture I do not know. Leaders need to become servants and believers need to become ministers.
Why we are so fearful of God and His presence amongst us baffles me. We say that we want more of Christ but deny His provision, promises and commands. If we want more of Christ, all we have to do is spend time with Him, listen and obey. A relationship with Father and Jesus is no harder than having one with a friend or “spousal unit.” It is about choice and commitment.
Leaders being lords of the body is a violation of God’s provision. They are to be servants, not lords…. They are to be under and not over the body. (Mt. 20:25-28) A servant does not fleece the body nor live in extravagance while others live in poverty. Double honor does not mean living above others. That is not Jesus! That is the world system invading the Church.
What will it take for us to simply say, “We must stop these practices and get back to the Truth and obedience to the heart of God.” How long will we cry with tears to God and expect Him to change for us? He has done all. He is waiting for us. We are the ones whom must change. Self exalts itself against God and His Word with subtle deceptions to what we read or hear. These subtle added or changed words and meanings lead us to a place divided from the truth and His presence. It is a place much more comfortable for the flesh but not real healthy for our future. Deceptions are lies of the truth: truth that leads us in the wrong direction or to the wrong conclusion. They destroy relationship and surrender, pervert holiness and purity of heart. Self--- anything is a tricky, slippery delusion promoted by satan.
WE, the Church, are the responsible for where we are and where we will go. God will not and is not going to change. We must find reformation to His will and Word!
Rom. 12:1-2 tell us it is our responsibility to present our bodies to Him in holiness…. Maybe this includes the body of Christ….
May we find the Grace and Mercy of God to change. May we be found faithful.
Will write more later, neil
The temptations of Christ in today’s Christian community.
Have you ever looked at a scripture and then realized that you have never seen what it actually says? As I began to look at the temptations of Christ, I realized that at least every leader, if not every Christian, is tempted in like fashion as Jesus was. It is sad that satan does not have to at least change tactics. We tend to fall to what is already established like; “Did God say” or “If you are a son (or daughter) of God then…”
It is time for us to stop looking for the Glory of God to come upon us and look at why it hasn’t. Instead of dreaming or hoping for God’s provision, power and presence, maybe we should throw out our methodologies and/or doctrines and be willing to truly see what we refuse to see. Then we may be able to experience what we are longing for.
Mt 4:1 –Mt 4:11 (NKJV)
"Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”
But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”
Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple,
and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written:
‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’
and,
‘In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’”
Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’”
Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.
And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”
Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’”
Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him."
I believe that these temptations are not just the way the enemy worked in Jesus’ life but also the way he works in ours. Today we see western church in disarray and in the place of having no impact on those we are to reach. Maybe it is because we have fallen for the temptations that come when we walk a child of God.
It is interesting that these temptations, that Christ was and we are faced with, are actually about the inheritance God has for us, but not for us to take for ourselves! These common temptations are short cuts to something that in Father’s Kingdom comes by surrender and selflessness. We were never meant to take possession of God’s promises for our own sake but rather we are to walk like Jesus in humility and love.
When Jesus is baptized in the Spirit, immediately the Spirit leads Jesus into a wilderness intentionally – to be tempted by the devil. I find it interesting that the moment the Spirit comes upon Jesus He takes control of Jesus’ life. He leads, and then Jesus the man follows. That is the way it should be for us, but we think that the Spirit of God coming upon us means we get to speak in tongues and prophesy. It should be about relationship, surrender, and the power to present the truth of the Gospel to the world. (note; we are not sent to “tickle ears”).
In the temptations of Christ there is a single word at the beginning that interests me, and that word is, “IF”. Starting with “if “ is like beginning with, “did God really say”? … The enemy consistently seems to call into question what God has said or who we are in Christ. Father had spoken openly about Jesus saying, “This is my beloved Son, ..” The enemy heard this statement and when the Spirit of God led Jesus into the wilderness, satan was quick to test Jesus the man and see if he believed God or could be talked out of his relationship with Father, just like He did with Eve and Adam.
You do realize that since our enemy has no creative power, he has to wait for God or man to speak a truth or create something he can twist into doubt, disbelief, fear and eventually death. The enemy perverts the truth that God brings and turns it into something that exalts self and destroys our faith-based love relationship with Father.
Mt 4:2 –Mt 4:4 (NKJV)
And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”
But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”
The first temptation; taking the power of our position and using this grace for the provision of self.
This is where the ‘give to get for me christian mindset’ originates. It stems from satan’s twisting God’s will of provision for us as we go in obedience to reach the world into something about self. This perversion of grace wants to take the provision that exists in Christ as we go and utilize it for self instead of being used for others’ welfare. The principle of ‘bread for self’ takes a promise God makes to take care of us as we are about His Kingdom work and transform it into a selfish “I deserve because I am God’s child”. The first temptation is about gain for yourself, thus it is about the lust of the flesh. Take a look at the Sower and the seed parable and look at the part about falling for the “cares of this world”. This sinful view of God’s promised provision is very similar. Some Christians think that we children of the King should have superior living status because we are Christians.
One of my most hated Christian sayings, “I am a King’s kid and I deserve… (whatever it is that makes me appear special).
How much of the Church has fallen for this first temptation of Christ? It hits at the core of worldly values and goals. (“What is in this for me”? )
Jesus’ response to the devil was (paraphrase); “being the Son of God is not about provision for me, it is about serving Father; hearing Father’s voice, trusting Him with my life, and following His personal, intimate direction to establish His will on earth.
Is this our response?
Injection here;
( Lust of the flesh shows up in many ways not just what we call deviant sins. Having ourselves seen as having favor or a position with God that is better than others are powerful lusts, as are many things that bring pleasure to our flesh. It can be talents or gifts that bring us prestige or any number of things that make us be seen as “special” like a job that shows me to be “better than others” or fancy cars, clothes, recreational toys, etc. All of these things speak, “look at me, I am special because I have. )
Mt 4:5 –Mt 4:7 (NKJV)
Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple,
and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written:
‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’
and,
‘In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’”
Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’”
The second temptation is about taking the power of our position and utilizing it for self-exaltation.
This turns our whole salvation experience into something solely about us. Walking in this temptation actually causes us to tempt God with our arrogant declarations, like, “I am a son of God so no bad thing will happen to me, God has to take care of me”. We see God’s promises and adamantly proclaim that God must live up to them no matter how prideful or selfish we are. With this attitude we push God to the point that He has no choice but to let us fail. We tend to believe that our “position” means anything we do will succeed and that every promise is ours. Whether we “know” Him or obey His commands is not relavent to our thinking or demands that He keep us safe. God becomes our servant instead of us becoming His.
Our declarations are about us being seen as special, like spoiled children. In effect, we are exalting ourselves above God and demanding His obedience to the word we declare. We make the decision of when God must heal or when He must provide. It is arrogance and total selfish ambition to be exalted above others. We say it is so others’ will see how God’s kids live and they will want to be like us… in actuality it is prideful arrogance on our part. False humility adds arrogance to pride.
Jesus’ response to the enemy was “you shall not tempt the Lord your God”. Tempting Father and telling Him that He must protect us, even when we are not operating under His direction or personal command to us, could be a bit dangerous to our health and living. We are not operating out of relationship but demanding relationship includes benefits we decide it should contain.
The crazy things is that the benefits we are trying to demand are actually ours when we walk in submission and humility. As we seek His face and bow to do His will out of our passionate love for Him we will find ourselves in the position we are looking for (becoming the servant of all).
Mt 4:8 –Mt 4:10 (NKJV)
Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.
And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”
Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’”
The third temptation is taking God’s authority and making it ours; worshiping the authority of self.
This temptation is about our position, our heritage and our commission. Christians who say, “ I am in authority”; not recognizing God as supreme, nor recognizing that Jesus was under authority and never took His own authority while walking on earth as a man, are living in the ‘authority of self’. They tend to worship having authority, instead of God.
If you spend much time studying the four gospels you will find that Jesus never took His authority but always acted under authority. Many take Jesus statements to us and exclude the fact that He was a servant not a Lord. He came to serve, not to be served. The position we have in Father is that of Jesus’ brothers and sisters. We do not come to walk in authority the way the world exploits that word. We are to be like Jesus, servant sons and daughters, completing what Jesus began. We cannot take Lu. 10-19 without verse 20--- we must not forget that it is grace that saves us, not “our” authority.
People acquainted with Jesus, but not understanding what it is to “know Him”, tend to want to show others how great they are and how God honors them. They will attempt to “show” others just who they are by commanding and declaring, ‘whatever it is they want to declare because of their authority’, and then they tell people by their actions and attitude that God must honor what they say or do. It is bound to fail as it is usurping God and who He is.
Jesus recognized the grace that saved Him as a man. He did not take what Father was giving Him and make a show of it or flaunt it. He was willing to submit to, the process of life, humbly that it would take to be whom Father commissioned Him to be, without taking the “glory” for what God did.
Jesus’ reply to the enemy was to say with emphasis, (paraphrase) “You shall prostrate yourself and give your life to Father wholly, without reservation, and live life solely to serve Him, for His Kingdom and purpose. You can only do this if you live in intimacy, (a dynamic, close, personal, intense fellowship) with Father.
Many times we Christians act a lot like satan, we want it all now! We want freely what God promises and gives us, but we want it with no commitment or responsibility; without honor, obedience and sacrifice to God… just give us provision, position, and authority now! In so doing, WE FALL TO THE TEMPTATIONS OF THE ENEMY – the very temptations Holy Spirit brought Christ into by His leading Jesus toward the commission of Father.
God threw satan out of heaven, took his provision, position and authority away and cast Him out…. God is going to give satan what he desired, it is called hell, a place devoid of God without light, life, or the ability to create anything, a dead place, but it will be a place he will have authority.
As for me, I want to live in Father’s provision, position and authority so I think I will not demand provision, command power or worship authority. Instead I want to thank you Father for all you have given me, all the hard times, good times, anointed times and even the breathe I just took. Thanks God for life, for living in me, for trusting and entrusting me with your Love. Thanks for taking time to find me and save me from my enemies. Thanks for my wife, my home, my past and my future.
Thanks, Jesus, for resisting the temptations to take short cuts to God’s desire for Your life. May we be the desire of Your heart and fulfill that which You declared for us before the foundations of the earth were laid. I lay my life at your feet Father and bow my head before your sword, have your way with me. Let your will be done and your kingdom come in my life Thanks for the anointing that breaks the yoke, the humility to walk as a servant and the Love to live as a son of honor.
. May we, your Church, fill the land with your provision, power and authority as we seek to save the lost and destroy the works of the enemy fulfilling your great commission. Bring us to our knees and cause us to die so we may live.
Will write more later, In Father’s Hand, neil
