Salvation

To those who see my posts but do not really believe in GOD or His Son, Jesus Christ or His Spirit, Holy Spirit. Many if not all of you know something about GOD, maybe you believe but you’re not sure about the whole Heaven and hell thing. Or how Jesus could take your sins away or even that you have sins. There may be a few who get my posts that just do not believe in GOD, so this post is for y’all.

All I can tell you is that there is a GOD, He is the GOD of the Bible. He created everything that exists and there is good and evil.

 Good and evil are not things so they were not created, they are knowledge and knowledge can be used for good or evil. Hitler was evil but evil was not Hitler, evil can never be something but the knowledge of evil can make people behave badly. Mahatma Gandhi was good but good was not Gandhi, good can never be something but the knowledge of good can make people behave correctly. Evil will lead to eternal destruction but good will not lead to eternal life. This is the key concept that lets us make since of sin and salvation. Good people go to hell when they die because they reject GOD’s gift of salvation. If you want to know more about creation and good and evil study the first 4 chapters of Genesis.

Here are a few scriptures that show what I am saying.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of GOD is eternal live in Christ Jesus our LORD.” Romans 6:23

“For GOD so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. GOD did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of GOD.” John 3:16-18

“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’” John 14:6

“And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true GOD, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” John 17:3

 “Therefore He [Jesus] is also able to save to the uttermost (completely) those who come to GOD through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” Hebrews 7:25 Yes, Jesus is praying for you!

“What then shall we say to these things? If GOD is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against GOD’s elect? It is GOD who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of GOD, who makes intersession for us.” Romans 8:31-34

So here is a big thing, what is sin? The word sin in old English, which is what the first English Bibles were written in, is an archery term that means ‘to miss the mark’. So sin is missing GOD’s mark or purpose for us. Today we understand that sin is behavior that does not please GOD. Here is the tricky part many good people do not believe that they should live by GOD’s standard. Evil people are easy for almost anybody to see haters, murders, rapists, drug dealers, sex traffickers almost everyone in every society would agree that these are evil people. But what about people who tell lies, have sexual relations outside of marriage, steal, gossip many of us would say they are bad people but not evil. The problem is that it is not our standard by which each of us will be judged. It is GOD’s standard and He is the Judge.

Most of us know some of the 10 Commandments, they are GOD’s standard by which we should live.

“And GOD spoke all these words, saying: ‘I am the Lord your GOD, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

1. You shall have no other gods before Me.

2. You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your GOD, am a jealous GOD, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

3. You shall not take the name of the Lord your GOD in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.

4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your GOD. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.

5. Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your GOD is giving you.

6. You shall not murder.

7. You shall not commit adultery.

8. You shall not steal.

9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

10. You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.’” Exodus 20:1-17

Here is what Jesus said about the law, “Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, ‘Which is the first commandment of all?’ Jesus answered him, ‘The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our GOD, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your GOD with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” There is no other commandment greater than these.’ So the scribe said to Him, ‘Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one GOD, and there is no other but He. And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.’ Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, ‘You are not far from the Kingdom of GOD.’ But after that no one dared question Him.” Mark 12:28-34

So this is starting to get long and I want you to read to the end.

All you need to know is that by GOD’s standard you are a sinner, as are all people who were or will ever be born. GOD loves you He does not want you to go to hell, which was created for the devil and the fallen angels. GOD sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to take our sin upon Himself as a onetime sacrifice for everyone so that our sins would be forgive. He took our place in death and went to hell in our place, being separated from His Heavenly Father for the only time ever. He as the Son of GOD defeated death and hell and rose from the dead to live eternally and by all that He did we can be forgiven for our sins and live our life for Him on the earth and be with Him in eternity when our body dies.

All that you have to do is by faith believe that Jesus is the Son of GOD, that He died in your place and rose from the grave to be seated at the right hand of GOD in there eternal Kingdom. To ask GOD to forgive you your sins by the blood of Jesus and to fill you with His Holy Spirit. Let me end this with a couple more scriptures to make my point.

“But what does it say? ‘The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart’ (that is the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the LORD Jesus and believe in your heart that GOD has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Romans 10:8-10

“But GOD demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

“Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” Romans 6:3-4

“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8:1-2

Knowing What The Bible Says

Today I upset two people that I love because I overheard their conversation about another person we all three love, and I made some comments that I did not need to make. So I had to apologize to both of them.

This event reminded me of a common experience we as believers have. That is when talking to people who do not know much if anything about Christianity or the Bible, we sometimes get offended by their well meaning statements made from a lack of understanding or proper teaching. They in turn get offended at us when we talk in Christianese thinking that they should know what we are saying.

There are many miss-concepts about what the Bible does and does not say, even in the Church. I am amazed how often I hear a Christian saying something about the scriptures that is not true. Here are a couple that you will hear from both believers and nonbelievers.

“GOD helps those who help themselves.” Jesus actually said, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentile (meek) and lowly (humble) in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 NKJV He also said, “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your Heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the Kingdom of GOD and His Righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6:31-33 NKJV

“Money is the root of all evil” Jesus actually said, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve GOD and mammon (riches).” Matthew 6:24 NKJV Paul said, “Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into a temptation and a snare, and into many harmful and foolish lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” 1 Timothy 6:6-10 NKJV

“Cleanliness is next to godliness.” Paul said, “These things I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly; but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of GOD, which is the Church of the living GOD, the pillar and ground (foundation, mainstay) of the truth. And without controversy great is the mystery (hidden truth)of godliness: GOD (who) was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up to Glory.” “Now godliness with contentment is great gain” 1 Timothy 3:14-16, 6:6 NKJV Peter said, “Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have obtained (received) like precious faith (faith of the same value) with us by the righteousness of our GOD and Savior Jesus Christ: grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of GOD and of Jesus our LORD, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption (depravity) that is in the world through lust. But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance (patience), to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren (useless) nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our LORD Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 1:1-11 Paul also says, “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: for men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of GOD, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! For of this sort are those who creep into houeholds and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." 2 Timothy 3:1-7

So it is easy for those who know the Bible to be frustrated with immature Christians and non-believers who have heard such sayings and do not know what the Bible really says.  This gives us a teaching opportunity to without rancor or condemnation tell or show them what the Bible actually says. But to do that we must be familiar with the Bible and know how to look up verses using key words. This is a principle since Moses stated recording GOD’s interaction with His creation and humanity. I’ll just use one Old Testament and one New Testament scripture, but as you read and study the Bible you will find dozens. “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in (you shall be constantly in) it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” Joshua 1:8 NKJV  “All scripture is given by inspiration of GOD, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction (training, discipline) in righteousness, That the man of GOD may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17 NKJV

A Bad Doctrine

I heard a well known preacher talking about people following his teachings getting new expensive cars and with excitement in his voice he declared, “This is the harvest!”  His co-host excitedly agreed with him, and then the preacher launched into a prayer of thanksgiving for the time of the harvest.

I was shocked and turned the channel, I could not believe that I heard any preacher equating getting an expensive new car for giving to his ministry to the harvest. When Jesus talked about the harvest He was talking about saving souls from eternal hell! Not about giving to a ministry and getting a new expensive car!

Does GOD use this ministry to preach the Kingdom? Yes He does. Do people get saved? Yes they do! Does GOD use unbelievers to further His Kingdom? Yes He does, look at Pharaoh and Joseph, look at Cyrus and Ezra and Artaxerxes and Nehemiah. So why would He not use a believer who has a wrong doctrine?

The problem is that when a person is teaching a wrong doctrine and they are not corrected or do not receive correction then they can go off in other areas of deception. Believing that financial or material blessings are a harvest is just wrong! It may be a reward or blessing, but it is not the harvest as stated by the preacher.

Matthew 7:21-25 speaks into this area, for years I thought it was about unbelievers and I do not ever remember hearing a minister of the Gospel teaching on it. I went to Bible College for 3 years and I do not remember any teaching on it. In the last year Holy Spirit opened my eyes to the fact that Jesus was talking about the end times and he was talking about people who thought they were serving Him by their religious works. This revelation truly scared me because I could see that I could very well have been one of those people who thought they were serving GOD but were really serving themselves, for 20 years I was lawless.

Now I see it is too large a percentage of preachers who have been indoctrinated to believe what they are teaching is the Gospel when it is really another gospel.

The gospel of prosperity is not the Gospel Jesus taught! The core of this doctrine as I understand it is that if we give to ministries that ask for money GOD will repay us 30, 60, 100 even 1000 fold. Now this is not about tithing which should go to where you are being fed the Word of GOD, your local Church and most prosperity teachers are clear about that. I have read and studied the Gospels and Jesus did not teach that the more money we give to Christian ministries the more money our Heavenly Father will give to us. This is another gospel than the one Jesus and the Apostles taught! Jesus and the Apostles taught that we should be storing up treasure in Heaven not on earth. Treasure that is not corruptible but eternal!

Study all of Matthew 7, if you have any doubts after that then study all 4 Gospels.

A Harsh Word for the Church

As I was falling asleep last night I was imaging myself blind and sitting in the deaf section at a church with a gathering of Church leaders. Because I was not good at Braille, since I had only been blind a short time, I was using a voice recorder to make notes about what the speaker was saying. A man behind me complained about my talking out loud so I turned so he could see that I was blind and I told him in a less than friendly manner why I was speaking during the message and that he did not have to sit by the deaf who were not bothered by me talking into a recorder.

Then I was the next speaker, as I took the podium I said to the audience, “I have probably offended one man this evening already and my message will probably offend some more of you. I am speaking about religious and political leaders. Jesus offended the religious and political leaders of Israel during His ministry. The Apostles offended the religious and political leaders of the world during their time of ministry. As believers we should be offending the religious and political leaders of our time. Because religious and political leaders are arrogant and believe they know better than the “common” man; they are motivated by pride to achieve control to fulfill their greed. Those who practice Christianity as a religion are doomed to fail because Christianity means to be “Christ like”. That only comes out of a personal, intimate relationship with the true and living GOD – Elohim (Father, Son, Holy Spirit).” Then I got up and made a note before I fell asleep. So this is what that imagery message would be.

Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever chastised the religious and political leaders of His time for making regulations that negated the commandments of GOD. Of doing their religious activities before men so that they would be thought of as special servants of GOD. Of being pompous while truly being liars, thieves and cheaters. Of telling the people to do things that they did not do themselves; or of being lawless.

The Apostles following Jesus’ example did not obey the religious and political leaders when told to stop proclaiming the resurrection of Jesus Christ and that salvation only came through Jesus. They were accused of turning the world upside down, an accusation that the Church of today is not living up to.

Why is it that the Church today is not turning the world upside down? One reason is that much of the Church has stopped preaching the Gospel! Many churches are more social gatherings with a laser light concert show and a feel good short positive message followed by the café being open for fellowship. A regular Sunday service should be more like; intimate time of worshiping GOD led by a group that is not showing off their musical and clothing talents and the message should be a life challenging meaty word for believers. Social activities and a café are good for before and after the service but are not necessary for feeding the sheep.

Wow! That is rude of me! Actually Sunday services do not have to be exactly as I describe. If the congregation supports and enjoys a café type of fellowship, if they like and participate in the laser light concert worship that’s great. But the word preached must be solid food that keeps the congregation being challenged to grow in faith and obedience to the Great Commission that Christ gave the Church. It should challenge us to be in unity and fellowship with other congregations that are not apart of our select group. It should challenge us to be missions minded both locally and abroad.

This can only be done in an hour and half or two hour service if the pastor and staff know that the congregation is meeting in small groups throughout the week where young believers are nurtured and mentored. Where non-believers feel welcome and their questions are answered in an informative and caring manner. Alter calls and baptisms should happen in the larger service because the pastor and staff know that the small groups are growing through evangelism not recruitment. Ministry time at the end of the service should be reinforcing the ministry that the congregants are getting in the intimate small groups where mistakes are lovingly corrected and everyone has the opportunity and the challenge to participate by both ministering and being ministered to.

This is not about small, large or mega churches this is about humble, serving the community and fellow believer churches. GOD did not call us to conquer or to socialize our communities. He called us to live in and minister in our communities, proclaiming the Gospel, laying hands on the sick and seeing them recover, casting out demons, treading on serpents, raising the dead, making Christ’s enemies His footstool and to disciple the nations of this world into His Kingdom. Size, glamour and social correctness (a subset of political correctness) are the antitheist of the Great Commission to the Church.

In the 80’s and 90’s David (Paul) Yonggi Cho pastured the world’s largest church, it grew so large that parishioners could only come to Sunday services on their appointed date. All of the evangelism, growth and ministry happened in the house churches scattered through South Korea. It’s still the largest or at least one of the world’s largest churches, this growth is maintained through the house churches even with the controversy of the last decade. It’s the intimate and deep relationships of those in the house churches that gives the congregation the maturity to face the controversies and not disintegrate and split into numerous divided congregations. This type of maturity should be the goal of every pastor and church staff no matter the size of the congregation.

Well, if you are still reading I just want you to know that I do not believe the whole church is going to hell in a hand basket. I believe there are more true believers in the Church than not, that said I see the problem as being more of a denominational and local leadership issue. Those building up a ministry that is about their denomination’s liturgy or individual gifting and calling more than the Great Commission of the Church. Everything is about what GOD is telling them and how He is using them rather than raising up and sending out ministries as the Holy Spirit directs. I also want to apologize because this is much longer and much more of a tirade then I envisioned as I was about to fall asleep last night.

“Father Bless Your Church, Holy Spirit lead us so that Your Kingdom comes and Your Will is done where we live, work and play. Amen!”

You Kids Have It To Easy Today

You Kids Have It So Easy Today!

I saw a car commercial about a feature that made parking easy and the father said to the young adult driver, “You kids have it too easy these days.” I’ve heard adults telling that to young people since I was a teenager, I’ve even said it myself.

The truth is that teenagers and young adults do not have it easy in the things of life that are important, in fact the technology that “makes things easy” actually is part of the reason things are not so easy for children and young adults today. In a society where everyone does what is right in their own eyes (heart) there are no true guidelines to help people make decisions on what is right or wrong.

Let’s talk sex, today many voice concern and outrage over the sex trade and sex trafficking but the reality is that just as many participate in both the sex trade and sex trafficking otherwise it would shrivel up and be almost non-existent under the current moral outrage that is expressed in the social and news medias and all the groups that oppose it and work against it and work at rescuing and rehabilitating victims.

How about pre-marital sex?⁵ When I was a teenager most every boy wanted to have sex but most also wanted to marry a virgin, a conflict that kept many from having pre-marital sex. Today both young men and women would rather experiment with sex than wait until marriage. The social guidelines and public education systems telling them of the pit falls of sexual relationships outside of marriage; such as sexually transmitted diseases², unwanted pregnancies and soul ties after a breakup also teaches young people that sex outside of a marriage is ok and then teaches them how to do it. They provide them with disease and pregnancy prevention tools but that doesn’t seem to be working considering how many teen abortions there are in this country each year. There were about 550,000 pregnancies in girls aged 15 to 19 in 2011 in the United States, of these about 40,963 or 13.5% had abortions.¹

How about pornography? When I was an adolescent pornography was harder to get hold of but not impossible. It was mostly glossy magazines and paperback books, there were 8mm films but you needed access to a projector. Later pornography was available on video cassette tapes, then DVDs. All of these required some luck and maybe some adult assistance for teenagers to get, but it was not impossible. Since pornography hit the big time on the internet there is no stopping children of any age from viewing it and becoming addicted to it. Yet the real harm of pornography is the false reality and perversion that it makes seem normal. Pornography is allowed under politically correct but morally corrupt freedom of expression legislation and supported by our government and judicial system. So why do so many decry its negative power and influence over our society while making no restrictions on it availability? Now we have children sexting each other, adults and strangers.

How about trans-gender? There is only one truth about trans-gender, no matter what you believe your gender is, no matter what you do to your body to look like the gender you believe you are, your DNA will always determine what your gender is. Our gender is always what our DNA is. If you want to be a different gender than what you were born as then just admit that you are a homosexual and want to have sex with those of your own gender. Giving it a special name and demanding special considerations is just rude and selfish.⁴

How about world peace? Everybody says they want world peace but no one is putting down their arms and opening their borders. Well some are opening their borders and look what is happening in those countries. There has been no world peace since Cain killed his brother Able.

What about hate speech and behavior? One group’s freedom of expression is another group’s hate speech. One group’s right to practice what they believe is another group’s immorality. With today’s technology and all the forms of social media there are no clear lines of what is acceptable and what is unacceptable communication. We have groups calling for violent demonstrations and murder of those who have opposing views. We have expressions of every kind of sex and lifestyle imaginable.

What about pollution and the environment? We have nations who don’t care about their pollution and what that does to the earth and the health of every living thing. Yet we have the UN and many governments calling for the end of pollution but they are actually not doing anything to solve the problems. There are environmental groups that are so fanatical that they hate those they believe are harming the earth. GOD would approve of their fervor if they were not killing people and destroying property in the name of their environmental cause. Many call for replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy sources but nothing is happening except agreements and more talk. Why? Because renewable energy sources are more expensive and at this time not able to support the current and growing demand for energy.

What about bullying? Bullying like hate of any kind has been with men from the beginning, Cain feared being bullied because he murdered his brother.⁵ Children learn bullying from adults.

How about suicide? With all the issues facing the youth of today and no real solution presented to them by society or the government it’s no wonder suicide rates are so high.³

These are just a few of the issues that face the youth of today in our country and the world. So how is it that they have it so easy? The only thing that will allow the youth of today to overcome the confusion of what is politically correct and what is reality is to find the ultimate source of truth! What is that source?

GOD’s Word to humanity, the Bible.⁵ In the Bible is everything a person needs to know about GOD and His plan for their life. The Bible reveals GOD as the creator of everything, the one who forms us in our mother’s womb, the one who loves us so much that He came as a man, Jesus Christ, to die in our place so that we would not go to hell but live with Him for eternity. If you reject GOD’s love and salvation then you chose hell. The Bible tells us how to live our life in peace and harmony with Him in His eternal Kingdom (Heaven) now, we do not have to wait for some future time after we die. The Bible tells us how to live with one another in love and harmony protecting our environment. The Bible is everything we need to know and it is more than we can ever fully know.

Stop making excuses for why things are the way they are! Start being part of the solution! Just know that joining a silent, moderate or radical group that is for or against something will not make anything better. Just like ignoring the problems will not make them go away but allows them to grow worse. All true change must start in our own heart, Jesus said, “For where your treasure is there your heart will be also.”⁵ If you really want change in the world you must seek the one who made the world and follow His instructions for correcting the wrongs in the world.

“How?” you ask; admit that you cannot do it yourself and that humanity as a whole cannot do it either. So if we are serious then we must do it GOD’s way which is through Jesus Christ. The Bible teaches that we must recognize that we have fallen short of GOD’s requirements and expectations (sin) and that we are not able on our own to change our life and live as He created us to live.⁵ Once we recognize that we cannot save ourself or our planet then we must ask, “Who can?” Jesus, the one who created everything that exists, the one who gave His life as a ransom for everyone who will receive it, the one who sent His Holy Spirit to live in us and teach us how to live for Him and His Kingdom.

Notes:

¹ Teen pregnancy, birth and abortion rates in the United States all reached new historic lows in 2011, according to two new analyses (national and state) from the Guttmacher Institute. In 2011, about 553,000 pregnancies occurred among teen women aged 15–19, for a national rate of 52.4 pregnancies per 1,000 women in that age-group. This is the lowest rate observed in the last four decades, and it marks a 23% decline from the 2008 teen pregnancy rate of 68.2. National teen birth and abortion rates have also declined sharply: in 2011, there were 31.3 births per 1,000 teen women (down from 40.2 in 2008) and 13.5 abortions per 1,000 teen women (down from 18.1 in 2008). Guttmacher Institute, April 5, 2016 news release. (Emphasis mine)

² Adolescents ages 15-24 account for nearly half of the 20 million new cases of STD's each year. Today, two in five sexually active teen girls have had an STD that can cause infertility and even death. Also, though rates of HIV are very low among adolescents, males make up more than 80 percent of HIV diagnoses among 13- to 19-year-olds. STDs often have no obvious sign or physical symptom, so regular screenings are critical. The most effective way to prevent STDs is to abstain from sexual activity; if teens are having sex, they should be using a condom correctly and with every sexual act. HHS.gov Office of Adolescent Health, Adolescent Development and STDs, Content last reviewed on September 12, 2016. (Emphasis mine)

³ Suicide is the SECOND leading cause of death for ages 10-24. (2015 CDC WISQARS)

Suicide is the SECOND leading cause of death for college-age youth and ages 12-18. (2015 CDC WISQARS) More teenagers and young adults die from suicide than from cancer, heart disease, AIDS, birth defects, stroke, pneumonia, influenza, and chronic lung disease COMBINED. Each day in our nation, there are an average of over 5,240 attempts by young people grades 7-12. The Parent Resource Program, The Jason Foundation http://prp.jasonfoundation.com/facts/youth-suicide-statistics/

⁴ My brother and one of my sisters are homosexual, my sister-in-law, a niece, a great-niece and at least 1 cousin are homosexual. One of my grandsons was a homosexual now he says he is a transgender. I have known homosexuals since I was 16. I have worked with and had supervisors who were homosexual. I have known macho, effeminate, and regular homosexuals and one bi-sexual male and I have known homosexuals who left the lifestyle. I believe all my relatives and friends who are homosexual by choice know my belief about the morality of homosexuality and that does not stop us from loving each other or helping each other or being involved in each other’s lives.

⁵ The following scriptures show GOD’s will for the above noted statements, but you should read the whole Bible to learn about GOD and His plan for you and all creation. Get a translation that is easy for you to read and read 15 to 30 minutes everyday. Understand that the books of the Bible were not written with chapter and verse divisions and sometimes they breakup a thought or teaching. Start with John then Matthew, Mark, Luke, Acts and Romans, read Psalms and Proverbs also; there are 31 chapters in Proverbs so you can read one each day of the month; read both the Old Testament and New Testament, it does not matter if you read the Bible Genesis to Revelation or skip around just read it.

Genesis 1-4; Matthew 5-7, Matthew 7:19-21; Mark 8:34-38; John 1-3, John 12:25, John 14:1-18; Romans 1:18-2:16, Romans 3:9-26, Romans 8:18-30; 1 Corinthians 6:8-20, 1 Corinthians 10:1-11:1; Ephesians 5:1-21; 2 Timothy 3:10-17; Revelation 21:1-8

To Die For

Charlene and I were at a gathering with some family and friends recently, there was one person there who was a good story teller about their life and family and they used this phrase several times, “to die for” about a wide variety of things. Later Charlene and I commented to each other how that statement did not seem correct for the things they were talking about. About the second time they said it I thought that there was only one thing “to die for” and that was eternal life with Jesus.

Jesus said that if we wanted to live we had to die to ourself but that if we sought our own life we would lose it, or die. So how do we die to live eternally? Jesus taught that if we surrendered our life to our Heavenly Father through Him we would have to stop living for ourself and live for His Kingdom. He said that we had to seek His Kingdom first and then all of our needs would be met, therefore we should not worry about such things as clothing and shelter but about doing what GOD called us to do in His Kingdom here on the earth.

Eternal life is not about someday when we die of going to Heaven to be with GOD. Eternity starts the moment we are conceived in our mother’s womb. The Bible tells us that GOD forms us as a spirit, soul and body and that He places a call in our life for His Kingdom. His Kingdom is all of creation; the heavens, the seas and the earth; the heavens are the sky above, the spiritual realm and GOD’s dwelling place. That means that when we realize that GOD does not want us to go to hell but He does want us to be with Him that we must make a decision to surrender our life to Him or live it for ourself.

If you are a Christian you should know this and be familiar with the Bible enough to know how to search these things out. If you are not a Christian or for some reason are not familiar with the Bible then I recommend that you read the following 6 books of the Bible to see what it says. Start with John then Matthew, Mark, Luke, Acts and then Romans. Once you are familiar with the teachings of these books you can read any book of the Bible with understanding. Read a translation that is easy for you to read, there are many good English translations.

A couple of things you should know about reading the Bible. The books of the Bible were not written with chapter and verse divisions and sometimes those breakup a thought or lesson, so read several chapters at a time so that you get the continuity of events or lessons. Read slowly and ask yourself questions about what you are reading. Use reference materials to help you understand, such as a concordance and/or Bible dictionary. The most important thing to do while reading the Bible is to ask GOD to help you understand what you are reading and how it applies to your life; listen as you read and ask, He will speak to your heart and mind.

Suffering and Pain

Suffering and Pain

By Sadhu Sundar Singh From ‘The Christian Witness of Sadhu Sundar Singh’, 1989

Originally Published as Chapter 4 of ‘The Real Pearl’ in Urdu

1.      In the world there are two kinds of suffering, physical and spiritual. Spiritual suffering comes through the separation from GOD caused by sin; physical suffering is due to some sickness or injury. Other creatures besides human beings experience suffering and pain corresponding to their condition and stage of development, but they do not feel it to the extent that man does. Man’s emotions, his superior intelligence and powers of discernment and thought, intensify his suffering greatly, because the more he thinks the more aware he is of his suffering.

Often predatory animals and birds have the kind of teeth, claws, beaks, etc., which make it difficult for their prey to escape. It is good that it is so, so that the prey may die immediately, rather than escape wounded and suffer all the more. And the poison of poisonous reptiles, like snakes, renders the body numb and without feeling, making death painless. Except in certain special circumstances death always occurs painlessly, because the one to whom it comes is in a state of drowsiness or sleep, or else has been numbed by some poison or injury. So there is not really as much pain and suffering in any given condition as we suppose. To be sure, pain resulting from sin, whether spiritual or physical, causes great suffering and agony.

2.      There are many kinds of pain and suffering that help us to grow and advance in the spiritual life. It is not GOD’s will that we try to escape from these. Many things with a nasty bitter taste are really very beneficial; indeed many poisons and bitter things are the cure or antidote for some illness or other. But just because we are ignorant of their real nature we call them poison; they cause harm because we do not know their right use. Actually GOD created everything to serve some particular purpose, and in its right place each is useful and serviceable. The Creator made nothing which is itself bad or is harmful to any of His creatures. Similarly all pain, suffering and misfortune is a means of spiritual progress (Romans 8:28). Poisonous and harmful effects come only from a wrong use of one’s GOD-given powers, and from disobedience.

3.      Suffering and pain and various diseases are admonitory and beneficial not only to the person who experiences them but also to those who help the afflicted, because by rendering help their spiritual power is exercised and increased, and this is essential if they are to become mature. Real success and victory do not lie in being saved from the cross, death, evil and so on and being immediately transported to Heaven, but, by the grace of GOD, in turning suffering into joy, the cross and death into life, and evil into good. This is why we have been set among conditions of conflict and strife–because, ‘To enter the Kingdom of GOD we must pass through many hardships’, (Acts 14:22).

Without suffering, bitterness, evil and death the true values of their opposites, joy, sweetness, goodness and life, cannot be discerned. Therefore it is GOD’s will that before we enter His Kingdom and go to live in eternal happiness with Him we should first experience Him under all these conditions, and learn an enduring lesson.

4.      The pearl-oyster in the sea has to endure a great deal of trouble, because anything that gets into it, such as a small fish of grub or a grain of sand, becomes a source of irritation to it; and this irritation results in the creation of beautiful pearls. It is through pain and irritation that beautiful pearls come into being. But if pearls are not properly looked after, they lose their luster through contact with greasy substances like fat, until they turn into a brown powder and mingle once more with dust. So it has been observed from some old tombs that when pearls were buried with the body they turned into dust with the body. Similarly, like the beautiful pearl, the spiritual life cannot be attained without suffering and tribulation, and if, having achieved this delightful condition, we do not continue united to the LORD in humility, gratitude and love, we shall be in danger of tumbling from our exalted position to ruin (1 Corinthians 10:12), because it is essential to keep prayerfully on the watch.

5.      Diamonds and other precious stones reach the perfection of their beauty when they have been subjected to conditions of heat and cold, underground for hundreds and even thousands of years. In the same way we must reach maturity by experiencing both pleasure and pain. Remember that rubies, diamonds, etc. do not attain to their present beauty in a single day! Though men have made artificial diamonds and the like by their own efforts, on close examination their real nature and defectiveness are immediately apparent. So we must not suppose that straightway, in a single day, we shall become so perfect that not a fault will be left. Rather, be ever continually living in the presence and close fellowship of our Heavenly Father, we shall reach a perfection like His.

6.      Tempestuous wind and rain storms appear to be destructive, yet they are really beneficial, because they carry away destructive germs of various diseases and pestilences and become for us a physical health and blessing. So the breath of the Holy Spirit (John 3:8) and the gusts and storms of suffering and misfortune are par excellence a means of blessing and of spiritual health for us. Through the warmth of the sun water evaporates and forms clouds, to bring rain, and winds arise from the desert and hot areas. Just so the water of the rivers of life flows from the Sun of Righteousness to bestow life on us.

7.      There are some people who do not know that the demand of the spirit is satisfied by communion with GOD, so, not seeing this demand met in the world to come, nor even in the life of this world, in their stupidity they are prepared to commit suicide. Not only immoral and guilty people, but even philosophers commit this sin.

In contrast true spiritual Christians endure many afflictions in the world, because the fact that they make spiritual progress means that their troubles, misfortunes and difficulties increase proportionately, something ordinary worldly people are unable to understand. Therefore instead of helping and sympathizing with them they oppose them, and yet such Christians do not destroy themselves, because they have ‘denied themselves’ and found true joy and peace in communion with GOD. Although his spiritual need is fulfilled by GOD, still man, being human, wants the sympathy and fellowship of his fellow-man as well, and when this desire is unfulfilled Christ, who is both GOD and man, fulfills both these human needs. He knows, not only theoretically, but through His own personal experience, the difficulties and troubles of humanity, because He Himself became a man, endured suffering and pain, and can now fully sympathize with and help those who are afflicted (Hebrews 2:18).

8.      The good and spiritual man will always endure suffering in the world (2 Timothy 2:12), because people cannot understand him; and as their conscience and feelings, by means of which they should find the truth and value it, are desensitized and deadened through sin, whenever they come across a good man they discover that his nature and his ways are incompatible with theirs, and so are compelled to persecute him. But those whose spiritual sensitivity and conscience are alive and alert uphold the truth, and are influenced by the upright man’s fragrant and winsome life. The life of a true Christian is like sandalwood–instead of harming in any way the axe that cuts it imparts its own fragrance to it.

What GOD showed Henry Suso in a vision has been experience by countless Christians: ‘Your good reputation will be publicly destroyed, and wherever you expect to find love and faithfulness you will meet with deceit, suffering and affliction.’

In the world, where all GOD fearing people, prophets, apostles, even our LORD Himself, have been persecuted, to expect an easeful life is to go against the facts, turn one’s back on GOD, and ally oneself with the world. On the other hand, it is a great privilege to ‘share the sufferings’ of the LORD (Philippians 3:10). Then at the appointed time we shall also share with Him in eternal glory, and reign with Him (2 Timothy 2:12).

9.      Before reaching his final goal man has to go through suffering, afflictions and temptations in the world; and it is GOD’s will, too, that we should experience all those conditions that are highly beneficial for our spiritual life and future good. If GOD had not wanted it this way we would not have been subject to these conditions; and if He wants it so, then who are we to object and question it? So it is essential that we gladly accept whatever befalls us, and not allow room in our hearts for anyone’s doubtings, because doubt turns away for GOD, rendering it worthless and useless, that spiritual inclination and aptitude by which man becomes reconciled to GOD, and enters full enjoyment of His fellowship.

As long as we are in the world we have to undergo both joy and sorrow. The bee not only gathers honey; to serve a particular purpose it also carries a sting. It is not without reason that beautiful fragrant roses are accompanied by thorns; and Paul’s ‘thorn in the flesh’ too (2 Corinthians 12:7-10) contributed to the fulfillment of a lofty objective. In the same way it is absolutely necessary, for us too, to go through such experiences for the fulfillment of a final eternal purpose.

The Call and Unity of GOD

The Call and Unity of GOD

The call to serve GOD and to unity both center around His creation of humanity and His purpose for creation from the very beginning.

The first call of GOD for His creation – humanity is to have dominion over the rest of His creation and the earth, Genesis 1:26¹ “Then GOD (Elohim) said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over all the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’” In verse 27 GOD created humanity in His image and likeness and in verses 28-30 GOD commissioned humanity! In verse 31 GOD saw that His work was good.

Elohim = the most frequent Hebrew word for GOD (over 2500 times in the OT). Plural in form, but singular in construction (used with a singular verb or adjective). When applied to the one true GOD, the plural is due to the Hebrew idiom of a plural of magnitude or majesty (Gen. 1:1, etc.)…Means either “be strong” or “be in front,” suiting the power and preeminence of GOD. Jesus is quoted as using a form of the name from the cross (Matt. 27:46, Eli; Mark 15:34, Eloi).²

Dominion = supreme authority; a territory subject to such authority as a part of an empire but with much power of self-rule in local matters.³

The first call of unity is marriage, Genesis 2:24 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” Adam and Eve did not have earthly parents, but in GOD they were united and became one flesh. At some point in history government took the responsibility for the marriage covenant but GOD is the author and only He can make a couple one flesh. Jesus said in Matthew 19:6, “So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what GOD has joined together, let no man separate.” Study Matthew 19:1-15

Chrystal Evans Hurst said, “Adam and Eve had the best parents and they still had the right to choose.”⁴ This led to the first sin of lawlessness or being a law unto oneself. Because of Satan’s deception they believed they could be like GOD. Study Genesis 3; 2 Corinthians 11:1-4

Marriage is a dominion of unity, it is a territory of GOD’s Empire (Kingdom). Family which comes out of marriage is an expanded territory in GOD’s Kingdom, families make a community which is an even larger territory in GOD’s Kingdom. In all these territories we have self rule under GOD’s authority.

He called Noah, He called Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph, He called Moses and Aaron, He called Israel, He called Joshua and the Judges, He called David and Solomon, He called the Prophets, He called Jesus Christ, He called the Apostles, He called the Church, He called Barnabas and Saul (Paul), He called America, He called you and me. Everyone that GOD called He called not just to his purpose but He called to unity with Himself and those He called them to.

He called Jesus the Christ and Jesus was totally yielded to the Father, John 6:38-40, “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing but should raise it up at the last day. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” In the Garden of Gethsemane He said, “Father if it is Your will take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will but Yours be done.” Luke 22:42

But Jesus did not just come to fulfill His predestined purpose of redeeming humanity and creation. He came to bring humanity and creation back into unity with GOD as they had been before the fall by Adam. Study John 14:1-11, 15:1-8, 16:5-15, 17:1-26; Romans 5:1-11, 8:18-30; 1 Corinthians 12:12-31, 15:20-28; Ephesians 1:15- 2:22, 4:1-24; Philippians 2:1-11; Hebrew 3:1-6; 1 Peter 2:1-10; 1 John 3:1-3

The scripture is clear that Adam’s sin of lawlessness led to his death or loss of eternal unity with and in the presence of GOD. This caused a genetic change in Adam that is passed down to every human being. Study Genesis 3 thru 6; Romans 5:12-21; 1 Corinthians 15:20-28; 1 John 3:1-9

Jesus called the Church to obey His commands and to love one another. Then before He ascended He called us to the works of His Kingdom on earth, we call it the great commission which is to preach the gospel in all the nations, lay hands on the sick and see them recover, cast out demons, tread on serpents and scorpions, raise the dead, make His enemies His footstool and disciple the nations of the earth into His Kingdom. Study Matthew 28:16-20; Mark 16:14-18; John 13:31-35, 14, 20:19-23; Acts 1:4-8

Our Call

In many testimonies we hear the term, “When I found the LORD.” The truth is most believers were not looking for Him before they became a believer, we were avoiding Him as much as possible, but He knew where we were and what we were and He pursued us until we found Him. It’s because of His Love for us that we should be faithful to pursue Him and obey His call for our life.

Based on 1 Corinthians 7:24, “Brethren, let each one remain with GOD in that state in which he was called.” KJV Oswald Chambers says, “We all have to find our niche in life. In order to do this we must have companied with Jesus; we must know Him as more than a personal Savior.”⁵

Paul of Tarsus also said, “For the gifts and calling of GOD are irrevocable.” In Romans 11:29

There is a repeated theme in Paul’s letters, Christ crucified, raised and ascended to the Father so that we being a new creation in Him should be obedient to the call and the unity of GOD. Romans 12:3-8, “For I say through the grace given to me to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly that he ought to think, but to think soberly as GOD has dealt to each a measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we being many are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us let us use them: if prophecy let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches in teaching; he who exhorts in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy with, cheerfulness.” Study 1 Corinthians 1, 2:1-5; Galatians 2:19-21, 6:11-15; Ephesians 1:15-23

Psalm 139:13-18, “For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. My bones were not hidden from You when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me when as yet there were none of them. How precious also are Your thoughts to me O GOD! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them they would be more in number than the sand; when I awake I am still with you.” Study Job 10:8-12; Psalm 119:73; Isaiah 49:1-2; Jeremiah 1:4-5; Zechariah 12:1; Romans 8:26-30; Galatians 1:11-17

So it should be clear that GOD not only created us, he formed us and called us. He has a plan and purpose for each of us, no matter who we are or where we were born and live. His plan is based not on our desires and wants but on His Kingdom coming and His Will being done in the earth as it is in Heaven. As we walk with and serve Him our desires will conform to His call and gifts for our life and we will find true joy and fulfillment in them.

How do we find our Call?

Matthew 6:33, “But seek first the Kingdom of GOD and His righteousness and all these things shall be added to you.” 7:13-14, “Enter by the narrow gate for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life and there are few who find it.” 7:19-20, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.” 7:21-23, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘LORD, LORD,’ shall enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in Heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘LORD, LORD, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name and done many wonders in Your name?’ And I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’”

Finding our personal call is dependent on us, many find it by pursuing what they enjoy because GOD will make our calling something we will enjoy. Many find it by seeking GOD and being obedient to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Some never find it and they chose to do something else for whatever reason. In 2 Timothy 3:16-4:2 we are reminded that the Bible is GOD’s Word for everyone and every believers’ call includes preaching the Gospel.

In Hebrews 12:25-29 we are exhorted to hear the voice of GOD and serve it in obedience, in chapter 13:1-8 we are given examples of what that means. Study Romans 12; 1 Corinthians 12; James 1:27

Unity

Psalm 133 is the best description of the result of our unity with each other and GOD. “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like precious oil upon the head, running down on the beard, the beard of Aaron, running down on the edge of his garments. It is like the dew of Hermon, descending upon the mountains of Zion; for there the LORD commanded the blessing – life forevermore.” Study Hebrews 10:19-25; Ephesians 4; 1 John 4

Our call, gifting, love and unity are all combined in our life by Holy Spirit we must ask and permit Him to do His work in our life. If He through the Word, dreams, visions, prophecies or promptings does not guide us we are likely to make mistakes and miss our calling.

Why is it so hard for us to walk in obedience to GOD in being unified as the Body of Christ (the Church) in the world? I’m not actually going to try to answer that, I’m going to try to explain what it means to be a body.

Think about your body, what a marvelously mysterious thing it is! Medical science has only begun to understand how and why our body is and functions. The truth is, as much as they know there is so much more they do not, but this is not a medical or scientific exploration. For this discussion we must set aside all of that type of thinking and just look at our body as a singular being made up of innumerable parts all with their own unique purpose and function.

Our body is fearfully and wonderfully made! We are the purposeful result of GOD’s creative desire to have a lover. Here is one of the biggest problems we have with thinking about the Body of Christ and being the Bride of the Lamb; we think after our human desires and under-standings rather than GOD’s. GOD does not want nor need a lover like we as humans do. 1 Corinthians 13 is the chapter on love and if a married couple live according to that lifestyle they will have a great marriage and love life, but sex is a purely mortal function. There is no sex or need for sex in the eternal spiritual Kingdom of GOD, and being in the continual glorious presence of the True and Living GOD we will not miss it. Study Luke 20:27-38.

Stop thinking about the Body of Christ and the Bride of the Lamb (which are one and the same) in fleshly terms.

Our body is fearfully and wonderfully made! We are the purposeful result of GOD’s creative desire to have a lover. That is the first relationship that we have with GOD, while we are in our mother’s womb, we are not aware of our body just our existence and the feeling of love and protection that we should experience. Then we are born and as we grow and gain under-standing we begin to discover our body and its many functions and how to function as a whole being in the larger world in which we exist. This is an ongoing process in life. So our relationship with GOD must grow beyond just our self to include His whole Body.

Think about your body, what a marvelously mysterious thing it is! It functions under many adverse conditions and it functions after traumatic events. It recovers and renews itself and sustains life longer than we expect most of the time. This is of course not always true, many die early deaths for a variety of reasons, accidents, sickness or disease, war, or acts of evil. This is the result of sin in our world, therefore in our lives. Not all people die because of their sin but sin is the underlying cause of death in all creation. All of us know people who have lost organs or limbs and survived and still function normally or mostly normally. Some are born with major defects or conditions and still live and have a reasonable life. Some experience horrific physical events that result in major lose of limbs and or organs and most recover and regain life.

So what am I trying to say? GOD made our body, formed from the dust of the earth and He breathed His breath of life into it in Adam. Then He took Eve out of Adam, remember what the scriptures say, GOD man male and female; then He separated them because He knew man was not a singular being and needed a companion. After that GOD forms all of us in our mother’s womb, writing out the days of our lives before any of them exist. We are marvelously and wondrously made in the image of GOD.

Now that the preamble is done here is what the LORD was showing me this morning in my prayer and reading time. (March 3, 2017)

The Body of Christ is like our body, it was made perfect by GOD who expects us to maintain it’s perfection. But He knows that we cannot without His Spirit so He has given us His Spirit.

Now we, the Church, have done many things to hurt the Body plus our enemy the devil attacks us to keep us sickly, weak, and divided. Being divided is like having an autoimmune disease, we are fighting and hurting our self, therefore we are fighting GOD!

Like many individuals who have lost organs and limbs we are wounded and have festering sores. Festering sores are the deceptions and hatred we have for other members of the Body. They do not let the wound heal and therefore the body cannot recover.

We have lost limbs and organs and wonder why our Heavenly Father does not pour out His anointing for revival and miracles. Our thinking is wrong He has; but because we are not healthy and whole the way He made us we cannot function normally as He designed us.

Like our human body we can live and function after lose and damage but not the same. We can overcome and develop reasonable behaviors and adaptations, but we are not what we should be.

Around the world right now there are calls for unity though out the Church, but if we stay as we are it will not happen and we will continue to be incomplete and inefficient in the gifts and callings for GOD’s Kingdom in the earth. If we really believe the scriptures and want to obey Christ’s commandment to love one another as He loves the Church then we must be willing to lay down our life for the Church (Ephesians 4:32; 1 John 3:16). It has to stop being about us, our ministry, our church, and our denomination. It’s all His and we are only a part of it, He determines what and where He wants us and the function that is our required part to keep His Body healthy and accomplishing His will in the earth.

In the natural our body only has a few organs that it cannot live without; brain, heart, and liver. In the Body of Christ there is only one that we cannot exist without our head, Christ. In our natural body every part and function is controlled by our brain. In the Body of Christ it should be the same, but many parts of the Body have cut themselves off from our Head or believed a lie of the devil that cuts us off from our Head.

Like our human body that we can repair and bypass some functions or replace with artificial or borrowed parts; many members of the Body of Christ have fixed or adapted themselves to make them seem whole; but we are not! My hands have 4 fingers and a thumb each, my fingers have multiple digits and if I lose a couple of them I can still function but not as well. If I lose all of them my hands can still function but not fully. If I lose one or both hands my arms can still function but even less effectively; etc.

We can only be whole and complete and fulfilling the purpose of GOD in the earth when we are truly united and The One Body of Christ. I am not saying that we need to or must do away with denominations, or individual church ministries, or anything like that. What I am saying is that if we maintain our divisions and separations at the expense of unity we will not accomplish the purpose of GOD that He expects us to and we then pass off to the next generation the responsibility to do what GOD gave us to do on top of what He has called them to do. GOD does overcome our deficiencies but He wants to use us as His one united Body in the earth to accomplish His purposes not overcome our deficiencies.

Study Genesis 1 and 2; Psalm 139; John 14 thru 17; Acts 1 and 2; 1 Corinthians 12 and 15; Hebrews; 1 John 4

Notes:

¹ All scripture quotes are from the New King James Version of the Bible, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1994, unless otherwise noted.

² The New Compact Bible Dictionary, Zondervan Publishing House, 1967

³ New Concise Webster’s Dictionary, Modern Promotions/Publishers, 1984

⁴ As heard on a Television Interview on The DayStar Television Network, 2017

⁵ My Utmost For His Highest, Oswald Chambers, Garbor’s Heart ‘N Home, Inc., 1988