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Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
For they shall be filled. Matthew 5:16
Don't let your freedom in Christ dilute your words. The person you most influence is closest to you. How many times do you really have the answer but because of the lack of witness in your own life your words fall to the ground. Why is no one listening?? Could it be your words not lining up with your walk?
Have you ever encountered an area in your life where you seemingly keep being tempted and tried? Many times we would think it was Satan himself tempting us. We blame everything on him and think to ourselves, "He's trying to get me!" Or you may even think you need deliverance to get free?? You need to break through so you can break free! This may be the season for victory in this area of your life.
Revivalists of the past preached, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God!" or "Without Holiness, No one Will See God!" A sermon with that title today would shock most of the conscience of the American church. We need preachers that will come out of their prayer closet on fire with a message from heaven. John Burton says, "We should preach in such a way that people either hate you or fall in love with Jesus."
He desires to have you! It's not about what you can get or gain, but your desire should be to have Him. Like a waiting virgin, pure, holy, un-defiled. You would say, "That's Not Me!" But He says, "Yes it's You!" That's what is so spectacular about Him. He is waiting for you and has adorned you and graced you in His Holiness. We must remain pledged to Him alone. He is preparing His Bride the Church for a wedding.
The Holy Spirit needs a vessel to flow through. That vessel is usually a frail, flawed human being. The problem isn't the message of revival, the problem is that people who love God are prone to be fickle and are easily discouraged by hard circumstances which will come in full force during a revival. Revival is God moving within frail, human vessels. In most examples of supernatural activity in the Bible, God needed a willing vessel. Are you ready for the good in revival and the bad in revival?
What exactly does it mean to "raise and Ebenezer?" This name comes up exactly three times in the Old Testament. Two of those times the name comes up to simply identify a specific place for specific events, but the most important occurrence of this word is right here in 1 Samuel 7:12.
Let's be honest, the God of the Bible and His Word can be disturbing, offensive and challenging to even the brightest mind. At times, we may even feel that this God of the Bible is embarrassing. The truth is, our God is who He claims to be and He doesn't apologize or make any excuses for His behavior. His ways are higher than our ways! The test of our faith is fully trusting in this God that we are barely able to comprehended. Audio insert clip: Francis Chan
There is a big difference in believing what God has promised through a prophetic word given and praying for the thing you would like to be true. The prophet himself and the prophetic word must be judged. Listen in with Pastor Greg as we learn to discern the truth about the prophet and the prophetic and what is truth and what is deception.
We must make our self ready for an encounter with the King. Do you have a love so deep that it physically aches? Do you have a love so passionate that it flames up like a gust of wind at the thought of Him? Do you have a love so limitless that is spans beyond time and is anchored in eternity. This is exactly how He feels about us!
As I am in the midst of the greatest battle I have ever had to face, I have seen the realities of war in trying to take a city for Christ. I realize my weakness and frailty at the thought of the everyday grind of this war. Sometimes I stand back and watch the battle from a distance and think, "This is what I was destined and trained for!" Yet the everyday grind of being in the trenches, doing without, standing in the gap, placing our lives in peril, I say, "Lord, am I really cut out for this!" "Yes! I, we, must be willing to face this spiritual war assignment with unwavering boldness, not emotional resolve or a working up of our faith. We must have unwavering boldness or we wont last when the battle is bloody and muddy.
In crisis, in bad times, when things aren't going as planned the intimacy and history that we have with God could be the sustaining factor. You've either dug your life giving watering holes or you haven't. We all are created with a large capacity for God. Unfortunately, some just want a thimble full. Our authority in the Kingdom of God is based upon our proximity and capacity of God. We have churches on every corner, but not authority. We have religiosity, but not authority. The problem is we lack capacity.
A true encounter with God will cost you everything! Yes, His grace is free but pursuing Him will cost you greatly. Satan loves to offer up religion that looks like an encounter but there is a huge difference. Religion will cost you nothing. In the American Church cheap grace is offered as an alternate to the real costly grace delivered by God. What has your walk with God cost you?
As we advance in the front lines of God's Kingdom, satanic obstacles will block the path to bringing His Kingdom...Normally these blockages don't come from outside, they come from within us! The battle that rages is in our mind and in our flesh. You must understand, your enemy wants all-out devastation. He is not just interested in knocking you down, he wants to destroy you!
The process of refinement is taking that which is and heating it up to the point that you capture just the vapor. Distilled: Am i willing and determined to hand over my simple naked self to God? Dirty or Clean . . .
True hunger for God will cause you to live outside a place that is safe. Today's "Seeker" services are made to invite those who are on the outside wondering. We should have "Seeker" services where we teach "Seekers" how to be hungry. We think "Seeking" is the pre-encounter, when it is really after the encounter. When we have encountered... now begins the glorious pursuit, the extravagant exploration, the relentless reaching for Him for eternity.
Breaking Fear's Grip
In the devastation, in the storm, in the wind, miracles are on the horizon. There are fresh winds inside the adverse winds. God will at times will allow the enemy to assist Him in the process of our refinement. God uses the enemy's plans to accomplish His purposes and bring about His divine plans. Hidden deep in the enemy's devastation is a set up for the supernatural and miraculous.
Your tongue dips down and brings up that which is within the heart. What comes out your mouth is in response to your heart condition and our true transformation will show up in how we talk. How do we control this thing? James says it can't be tamed! Remember, your tongue is in a wet place and it can slip up easily. Nothing is more representative of man's sinfulness than his mouth and there is no easier way to sin than with your mouth because you can say anything you want to say. There are no restraints.
The Mathematics of Grace is not something that can be calculated in natural mans mind. It is something that is far superior and fully sufficient. This fully sufficient grace at times doesn't seem fair! It may even appear to be out of balance, but, there is a kingdom principle that that Jesus taught in a certain parable which has many different applications. The scandal of this parable is that we are all equal recipients of God's gifts and His grace. The scandal of our faith is that we are often covetous and jealous when God's gifts of forgiveness and life are given to others in equal measure.
Israel was set in a place where no one was her friend. Even to this day, she has no friends. She is hated. Armies are poised against her. She has no one standing next to her. Her enemies are all around her. They are bent on her destruction. Some of you have said if God really loved me why would He put me in a place where no one would like me. Why would God put her, Israel, YOU, His beloved, in amongst enemies?
Sometime we feel embarrassed or even the need to apologize for the "All Powerful - All Knowing" God that does not operate within the confines of our human thinking and the box that we have created for Him. This sometimes stretches the limits of our ability to comprehend His ways and can even cause us to move away from the truths in His Word that make us uncomfortable. The Fact is: JESUS IS COMING BACK AND HIS PEOPLE NEED TO GET READY. Our readiness will determine whether we FEAST or FLAME.
At the beginning of this day, there were only two swords in all of Israel. There was nothing to indicate it would be beyond remarkable. But on this day, God would win a great victory through the bold trust of Jonathan. God is ever on the outlook for believing souls who will receive His power and grace on the one hand, and transmit them on the other. He chooses them, that by them he should make His power known.
Faith birthed in the heart of the believer, many of us have envisioned this place, but have never gone there. Many have heard about it, but never experienced it. Many have been promised it, but it has not been fulfilled. They have glimpsed but not grabbed it. Spotted it, but never sampled it. Pictured it, but not possessed it. Faith in the life of a believer is tangible, Faith is visible, Faith has substance. Visible Faith, alive Faith isn't some secret thing, it will be obvious.
The Bible says that we should " . . . eagerly desire spiritual gifts." This word "Eagerly" means to imitate the sound of boiling water, properly, to bubble over because you are so hot (boiling), to burn with zeal, to be deeply committed to something, with the implication of accompanying desire, to be earnest, to set one's heart on fire, to be completely intent upon. Are you eager to possess the gifts of the Spirit? Or do you say, "No Thanks God! I got this!" You should be seeking these gifts with all of your heart because each one of these gifts are major power gifts. They are all direct, supernatural, miraculous manifestations direct from the Holy Spirit.
Almost every Pastor in America has used the "Sinners Prayer" to fill their churches. A good portion of the people that fill those churches have relied on this prayer for Fire Insurance. But are they really saved?? Are you really saved?? Is this "Sinners Prayer" even Biblical?? If it's a "Sinners Prayer" that has not transformed you then it will not save you! We don't see the church in America getting or America itself getting any better. So what's the problem? David Platt states, "I'm convinced that many people in our churches are simply missing the life of Christ, and a lot of it has to do with what we've sold them as the gospel, i.e. pray this prayer, accept Jesus into your heart, invite Christ into your life." "Should it not concern us that there is no such superstitious prayer in the New Testament? Should it not concern us that the Bible never uses the phrase, 'accept Jesus into your heart' or 'invite Christ into your life'? It's not the gospel we see being preached, it's modern evangelism built on sinking sand. And it runs the risk of disillusioning millions of souls."
This is a call to pursue, this is a call to seek, this is a call to find, this is a call to be diligent, this is the call to meet! This IS NOT for the casual, the weak willed or the lazy. This is for those who really want it! If you want me, come find me! I am for the hungry, for the thirsty for the desperate.
It starts with Gods rule being formed and excercised in you. When He has you then He can use you! Ownership! Only then can He give you the Keys of the Kingdom which are power and authority. These Keys are not given to the casual hearer or the passer by.
"The Radical Grace Encounter" starts with God's rule being formed and exercised in you! When He has you, then He can use you! Only then can He give you the Keys to the Kingdom which are His Power and Authority. These Keys are the part of the Kingdom of God that enables you to open the spiritual doors around you. These are the Keys that will enable you to set people free. The Keys to destroy the works of the evil one. Remember, its His Power, His Authority, working through you!
Deliverance is brought through desperation. Prayer so deep it draws Divine intervention. We have erroneously held that God's chosen will never be assaulted by the adversary, much less driven to desperation. But this desperation is often the very crucible in which the elect of God are forged. We must not hurry the process nor be frustrated if our prayers do not immediately activate divine intervention. The Lord is waiting for the nation (His church) to break beneath the weight of her rebellion.
God gave everything so that you could be free but there is a tug of war for your affections, a tug of war for your soul. What does freedom in Christ really look like?
It is only through an intimate relationship with Christ that will expand your capacity for God. And greater capacity means stepping into greater authority! God wants to remodel your soul by giving you an extreme makeover. If your life has been controlled by the flesh and your flesh has been controlled by the enemy, a realignment is in order. The Holy Spirit must be free to maneuver inside the halls of your life. No place should be of limits. Nothing should be guarded or hidden. Let the Holy Spirit move in, let Him tear down your walls, do a remodel and expand your capacity for greater authority!
There is one life changing dynamic that is in the midst of His Power, Grandeur, Splendor, Truth, Fragrance and Passion! It is His pleasure and desire to spend time with us! But this is the challenge: Do you want to spend time with Him? I am convinced that we don't need better teaching, better preaching or even better music! One encounter with the King of Glory will change everything! Once you are touched by His presence, your spirit becomes more alive and real than the present physical life you are living. The only thing truly real is what we experience in Him.
Jesus promised that he would build His church and even the powers of hell could not take it down. With a guarantee this powerful, the church of Jesus Christ in America should be shaking the gates of hell. Is she? Is that what's happening? What did the Jesus say His church should look like? Does the church in America look as He described in Acts Chapter 2?
Having no fear of God is the root sin of the evangelical church in American today. It is the root cause of its moral flabbiness. it's ineffective witness, and it's powerlessness! Instead of proclaiming the full counsel of Scripture, today it is nearly impossible (not an exaggeration) to find a church that preaches cutting, hard-core truths of Scripture that break us out of prison and into freedom.
Who are these witnesses? Who is watching to see? Don't look to your left or right, it's not your neighbor! Our race is not with those beside us, it's with those who went on before us. God is calling us to something greater.
Yes, the Name of Jesus is just that powerful! The enemy has rendered many Christians ineffective! The Christian who is in bondage can be set free! The demons must flee at the Name above all names. As you listen in be open to what God wants to do deep within you!
Most of the time when we turn on "Christian Television" we hear the the same "Elevator Music" of the "Prosperity Gospel." Many are teaching today that God is the pathway to riches. 46% of Christians believe that coming to Christ will make them rich! The "Prosperity Gospel" declares that Holy Spirit is the power to do what the believer wills, but the Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit enables the believer to do what God wills. There is a Biblical balance that we need to understand. There is a place,"a spot" where God in His sovereignty meets us right in the middle regarding this doctrine.
Radicalized Prayer! Vehement Prayer! Prayer that Fills Bowls in Heaven! Prayers that sound the alarms in Heaven! Prayers that rattle the gates of hell! When we pray in the Spirit, the Spirit is making intercession for us. This is powerful praying! The Spirit always prays God's will! The Spirit always glorifies Christ. Their is something about the radical persistent prayer that Christ talked about and He understood that there would be resistance to this kind of prayer because these prayers fill the bowls in Heaven and then are cast down back to us.
What If I told you that God wants to break you? What if I told you that being a Christian you were going to endure pain? What if I told you that knowing Christ could cost you your life? Would you still want Him? Would you still serve Him? Would you still trust Him? In this world we throw out broken things. They are despised. Sent to the refuse pile. God's economy is very different. He loves broken things. He loves despised things.
The problem comes in after the offense has been taken. Satan starts hurling insults and thoughts into our minds and we literally "fume" at all the thoughts that we are juggling in our heads. What we come into agreement with, will be the very thing that empowers us.. When you take up an offense you are giving the enemy a stronghold. Offense is Satan's trap and once we take the bait, he has us....
The "Spirit of Jezebel" what is it? It is a real spirit and is active and alive in our churches today. Find out how you can defeat this very strong spirit. One of the last letter to the churches, Jesus, strongly addressed the subject of tolerating the Jezebel spirit. Revelation 2:20-23 gives a clear picture that it leads astray the best of servants. Jesus, through John in the Book of Revelation, gives a strong warning of judgment on the Jezebel spirit.
The Spirit of Jezebel what is it? It is a real spirit and is active and alive in our churches today. Find out how you can defeat this very strong spirit. One of the last letter to the churches, Jesus, strongly addressed the subject of tolerating the jezebel spirit. Revelation 2:20-23 gives a clear picture that it leads astray the best of servants. Jesus, through John in the Book of Revelation, gives a strong warning of judgment on the Jezebel spirit.
Jesus didn't say, “Dream about your Father who is in the secret place,” but He said, “. . . pray to your Father who is in the secret place. . . .” Prayer is an effort of the mind, will, emotions and spirit. After we have entered into our secret place and shut the door, the most difficult thing to do is to pray. The great battle in private prayer is overcoming this problem of our idle and wandering thinking. We have to learn to discipline our minds, out time and our hearts and concentrate on willful, deliberate prayer.
We have good works not to be saved, but because we are saved! "Good Works" should be the fruits of our transformed life.Make no mistake, your works will be judged because grace makes possible works that are acceptable to God. This life has one purpose and it is to accomplish His work.
"But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give an account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." Matthew 12:36-37 If that was the only verse in the Bible that warned about our words, just those two verses alone would be enough to demand that we camp here until our tongue gets saved!
We all have that room in our house that we choose to ignore and we make sure the door stays shut tight! Especially when company comes over. We know we should probably clean out that room but are reluctant to deal with it because what's behind that door is a mess! We have no problem showing off the rest of our house but when guests come over we make double sure the door is shut. It is no different in the spiritual realm. We can easily show off our spiritual house and it looks in really good order, but, if someone should ask, "What's behind that door?" we would change the subject or divert their attention to something that looks good. We may be able to hide what's behind that door to others, but we can't hide what's behind that door from God.
Our God is not slightly more intelligent than man. He is far superior and the gap between what and how we think is huge. The enemy would love for us to believe that our thinking is close. Hell seems to be one of the things we can't figure out, so we have difficulty with even the concept of hell. Would a loving God really send people to Hell?
It's not about changing your mind or emotions, the Joy of the Lord is tied to something much deeper. The true origin of Joy is not of this world. It springs from God and has God as it's objective. This joy is not momentary as much of the world experiences but is capable of being continuous. A life lived that has no dependence on externals. Are you a Christian that carries the origin of true joy?
Suffering and "Times of Testing" are a couple of those Kingdom principles that operate beyond our human intellect. It's a paradoxical truth which lays out the pathway of God and goes against the human order of things.. It is Jesus' Kingdom message of how to employ His presence and righteous power in a corrupt world during these times in a believers life. It's in those "Times of Testing" that we can carry His presence in its fullest. It's not this solemn, dignified, self righteous act or response, but in the midst of turmoil, we can know that we carry His presence and will be effective. We have to steward His presence by being separated from this world and His Power in this earthen vessel during "Times of Testing."
What we bleed during an assault from the enemy or difficult circumstances is the true measure of our worship. What do you bleed in times of trouble or persecution? The Lord knows the heart that will worship in affliction will continue to worship in the land of plenty or want. Worship is what we are to bleed! Romans 12:1 Now, I urge you brothers and sisters, young and old, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, this is your spiritual act of worship.
We must KNOW this Book we call the Bible! We must KNOW its Author! It's eternal, authoritative truth that you can put confidence in! There are three elements to the Word of God. Listen in as, "The Words of the Lord are pure Words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times." Psalm 12:6.
Jesus Christ demands the same unrestrained, adventurous spirit in those who have placed their trust in Him that the natural man exhibits. If a person is ever going to do anything worthwhile, there will be times when he must risk everything by his leap in the dark. In the spiritual realm, Jesus Christ demands that you risk everything you hold on to or believe through common sense, and leap by faith into what He says. Once you obey, you will immediately find that what He says is as solidly consistent as common sense. By the test of common sense, Jesus Christ’s statements may seem mad, but when you test them by the trial of faith, your findings will fill your spirit with the awesome fact that they are the very words of God. Trust completely in God, and when He brings you to a new opportunity of adventure, offering it to you, see that you take it. We act like pagans in a crisis— only one out of an entire crowd is daring enough to invest his faith in the character of God. — Oswald Chambers
What does it really look like to take a city for Christ?? Join us for this powerful service and find out how one of the Bibles greatest leaders took his city back for the Lord his God. It's all about Godly leadership. What kind of leader are you looking to?? Do you want an event planner or an army general?? Do you want a social club developer or an army builder?? Do you want a leader who will sit down and have a beer with you or a man who waits upon the Lord for strategy?? If you are believing for revival, you must be under Godly leadership and be willing to apply the same strategies that this great leader used to redeem his city.
God has called us to tear down, open the doors, cut off the supply of the enemy and bind together. He has called us to repent for the sins of the past and redeem the past. He is calling us to repent for the sins of the present, which will restore the present and he has called us to transformation and commitment which is a renewing. Bringing revival to your city is no easy task but it is possible for those who are willing and surrendered. Join us in the second part of this powerful message and lets learn from King Hezekiah the ways of the Lord in taking back a city. #Revival
The American Christian today is blind to the lukewarmness and the sinful mixture that has crept in little by little. The spirit of lukewarmness is one of the least recognizable things in the life of believers today. Pastor Greg challenges believers to leave their passivity and during this service, quotes one of God's modern day prophets, David Wilkerson, "You have lost your fight. That's all the devil wants to do is get the fight out of you and kill it. So you won't labor in prayer anymore, you won't weep before God anymore. You can sit and watch television and your family goes to hell. If you are expecting somebody else to win your family or to do this work you are mistaken." This message is deep, it's challenging and it's anointed! God is calling every believer in America to a, "Baptism of Anguish" so we can pray with fervency for the recovery of our nation.
The anointing of God will actually make you a target! Satan will oppose those whom God has anointed. Our residing in an atmosphere of worship, prayer and relationship with God will always put a target on our backs because the anointing of God is obvious to the enemy. Remember, he (the Anointed Cherub, Ezekiel 28:14) once walked with this anointing himself and now is furious with those who carry the anointing of God.
MAKING A DEMAND ON HEAVEN'S ANOINTING God has preordained things, set up rules and ordinances that govern what takes place. His Word is fixed, it does not change. If we understand the rules it gives us a better chance at how to walk out this life. We must remember that God thinks in terms of forever and eternal. Don't limit yourself to His answer in terms of today, but in terms of forever. Our demands must not be based upon our self centered wishes or whimsical desires or even personal ambitions. God is Sovereign and He answers to no one outside of Himself. However, within the confines of His enduring Word we can make withdrawals and demands upon the anointing of God to accomplish His purposes. We can place a demand on the anointing of God based upon faith and His Word.
The love that Jesus has for us is not passive or simply a romantic response. His love is rooted in truth and an active response and as Christians we need to understand this love. His love has life changing character altering power. Scripture says that love is more than just a feeling or an action... it is a lifetime of actions. Many Christians think God has played some kind of joke when he designed them, because they have never been able to like themselves let along believer that the God of the Bible loves them. Listen in as we talk about how we can comprehend how deep, how wide, how high, how long and how great His love really is for us.
Almost every Pastor in America has used the "Sinners Prayer" to fill their churches. A good portion of the people that fill those churches have relied on this prayer for Fire Insurance. But are they really saved?? Are you really saved?? Is this "Sinners Prayer" even Biblical?? If it's a "Sinners Prayer" that has not transformed you then it will not save you! We don't see the church in America getting or America itself getting any better. So what's the problem? David Platt states, "I'm convinced that many people in our churches are simply missing the life of Christ, and a lot of it has to do with what we've sold them as the gospel, i.e. pray this prayer, accept Jesus into your heart, invite Christ into your life." "Should it not concern us that there is no such superstitious prayer in the New Testament? Should it not concern us that the Bible never uses the phrase, 'accept Jesus into your heart' or 'invite Christ into your life'? It's not the gospel we see being preached, it's modern evangelism built on sinking sand. And it runs the risk of disillusioning millions of souls."
Some of you have been in a battle. You have wondered why the battle has gotten more fierce, more intense. It's because you are no longer fighting for yourselves. You are not fighting to stay saved or simply for victory over the flesh. You are fighting for others, for your children, your neighbor, your city, your nation. And to win this battle His presence must go with you! This is why the battle has intensified. With this you can't afford to be casual, you can't afford to sit back and you most certainly can afford to be found guilty of "SIN MIXING!" From the beginning God chose to reveal His presence ONLY through a special, separated people. He chose to reveal Himself through Israel, but only if they would avoid the sin of mixture. 'Sin Mixing" IS DANGEROUS FOR CHRISTIANS TODAY. God warned Israel that any mixture with the world would cause Him to withdraw His presence, and He would reject them as the special channel of revelation. Listen in to this powerful message to learn how to avoid the deadly lifestyle of "SIN MIXING."
What will today be like for you? Is the sky beautiful and blue or is it grey and cloudy? What sets the tone for your day? Do you live in reaction to your present life and your present circumstances? Do you live in reaction to how you feel? Do you spend so much time living in reaction to the devil, your problems or the situation that you have a hard time hearing from God? Jesus did things different! He lived in constant reaction to His Father. He lived in constant awareness of the Spirit of God. It is possible for us to live this way too! Learn how to react to the Father's purposes and plans for your life and you will be able to release the Kingdom of God into the atmosphere around you.
So little talked about, so little taught about, so little preached about, so little prayed with, yet so powerful a weapon. Fasting is so spiritually explosive the enemy wants to keep it a secret. Men of the past knew of it's power, our country new of its need, so much so, that in 1863 it was made a proclamation for the whole country to abide by. Fasting expands our capacity to contain what the Holy Spirit wants to do in and though us. Our prayers are intensified by fasting. Our prayers are multiplied by fasting and our prayers are sanctified by fasting. Fasting is not fun or enjoyable but it is powerful and a weapon much needed in our lives today.
So how do you take an old wineskin and renew it? It's simple really. You take the old dried up wine skin, submerge it under the water for a while. Then bring the wine skin out of the water and rub olive oil on the wineskin. Then then repeat the process until the wineskin is soft and flexible. We also need to be submerged into the Holy Spirit (Water) and then have the oil, also representative of the Holy Spirit rubbed all over us. This will allow us to become soft and flexible and gives us the ability to expand. Fasting does that, it expands us, softens us, makes us pliable and ready to accept the power of God that wants to flow through us. Fasting enlarges us as conduit. We can place our hand on the problem, the other hand on God and stand in the gap. God's power is limitless, His power hasn't changed, we change and are the conduit to the connection.
Are you a part time Christian? That is where most of the church in America lives today. Wanting the full time benefits of heaven with a part time commitment to God. Many today in America have their name written on the roster at church but it wouldn't be found in the Lambs Book of Life. Many think their mixing Christianity with the world and then they give God just enough to make them feel good. But whats really happening is that their mixing in all the stuff from the world into their Christianity. This concoction is a toxic potion which the enemy of our soul feeds on, it sustains him, and then he is not easily broken off or removed. We must not be lukewarm this is where the enemy resides. He must be starved out, cast off, cast out, expelled from our lives and our churches. True repentance and true revival is a good remedy for this.
Approval of a lifestyle of sin in the church is leaven! Do we today, act just like the Corinthian Church? Are we guilty of telling other believers, "Just do the best you can.... I know your in love with her and just shacking up.....just test things out, let the grace of God work in your life.... Jesus said, "If your hand or eye offend you cut it off." Wow! This flies in the face of our free grace attitude of today. Grace was never meant to be trampled on. The Corinthian Christians were proud and pleased to be ignoring sin among them. They thought it showed the whole world how loving they were, but you don't show love to a body by being kind to a cancer! Just the smallest of sin can corrupt the whole batch. Find out what Paul has to say about all this. Paul is rightly more concerned about the sin of the entire church, especially the leadership than the sin of the individual man. Both are important, but the sin of the church is worse.
Lip service Christianity is becoming an epidemic in America. Some worship and honor with their lips, they look as if they are drawing near, they seem to be saying and praying the right stuff, but their hearts are far from Him. Their religious exercises are pointless, meaningless and annoying to the heart of heaven. Jesus even talked about this in Matthew 15:7-9. True worship, heart worship is everything to God. He admonishes us to worship Him in Spirit and in Truth. True worship takes the attention off self and places our focus on Him. Either way, it affects everyone around us. Christians who sit bored in church during praise, what are you speaking to those around you? Colossians 3:16 states that when we worship from the heart, whether loud or soft, standing or sitting, kneeling or face down, it speaks, it teaches, it admonishes and then those around us get blessed and we honor the King of Kings. When we truly sing from the heart all of heaven worships with us!
Going into battle, you will only be as successful as your leader! If he is weak, you will be weak! Is he is a mighty warrior, someone you would be proud to follow into battle? Will he RUN, FIGHT, ENGAGE and CHARGE the enemy. Every tool is at our disposal, we have every piece of armor to aggressively take on the enemy, our will is the only thing lacking. Will we pursue or will we settle? Because of the days and trials that lie ahead for the church in America, it will take earnest, eager, forceful, determined men and women of great faith to face such opposition and to lay hold of the prize.
God is blamed for things that should rightly be blamed on the devil and his minions! I believe that with the phrase "God is in control" God has been blamed for countless things the devil did, for countless things that sin has caused, for countless things that the earth's groaning have produced, and for the countless things God weeps over that are not His will. God has set up limits, so ultimately He is in charge, but not in control. It is true, the earth is the Lords, He made it, but He gave it to the sons of men to steward. He is the owner, we are the stewards and we can either steward well or be outright evil and rebellious against the owner. God is in charge but He is not in control!
Join us for the second part of this powerful, yet challenging message. God is blamed for things that should rightly be blamed on the devil and his minions! I believe that with the phrase "God is in control" God has been blamed for countless things the devil did, for countless things that sin has caused, for countless things that the earth's groaning have produced, and for the countless things God weeps over that are not His will. God has set up limits, so ultimately He is in charge, but not in control. It is true, the earth is the Lords, He made it, but He gave it to the sons of men to steward. He is the owner, we are the stewards and we can either steward well or be outright evil and rebellious against the owner. God is in charge but He is not in control!
Contrary to most Christian teaching in churches today, Christians can give a place to demons. The King James transcribers changed the word Demonized: Greek verb daimonizomai to demon possessed. According to scripture Christians can be "Demonized". Paul is clearly speaking to the Christians in Ephesians when he tells them to give no place to the devil and leave no such room or foothold for the devil. (Ephesians 4) When you become a Christian, you are blood bought by Christ, however, you can be influenced by an evil spirit and give place to it! Many believers today live in bondage, not freedom. You can purchase a house and still have termites in it! Christ has purchased you, but you still may have a room or place within you that the termites still live. We shouldn't be fearful, but aware. Don't overreact! This teaching may be exactly what you need to make you aware of a foothold or a stronghold that you may have allowed the enemy to come in and cause havoc in your life.
Satan is a legal expert in the area of open doors in the life of non-believers and believers alike! If we open the door, even the smallest bit, he will come in and make himself at home. He is not even ashamed to use the doggie door. Especially for Christians, if we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, the Bible says there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins and we have given place to the enemy. Abiding sin in the life of a believer opens the door to the enemy like wild fire and once the door is opened and air hits it, it erupts. Be aware, be alert, find out how your enemy operates and what doors he is looking to enter in. This series will help you to know if you are experiencing a demon or have given place to the enemy!
We boldly exclaim that Christ is the central theme here, not demons. Demons are not fascinating. Jesus is fascinating! We are not impressed with demons, but impressed with Christ! Demons have little power. Jesus has unlimited power! Then why have we seen believers struggle with bitterness, anger, resentment, jealousy, depression, rejection, abuse and self hatred? For to long believers have chosen dignity over deliverance! The enemy has rendered most, not all, the church in-effective! We must get to the place as a church where we no longer like the enemy pushing us around and running our lives! We must get to the place where we despise the enemy and we despise the sin! We study this so that Jesus may be glorified in your life and so we can see how His power is exercised over the enemy.
The two elements of Time and Distance may exist in our world, but with God, Time and Distance do not exists in His world! He sees yesterday, today and tomorrow all at once. But do not forget this one thing, dear brothers. With the Lord a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like a day. 2 Peter 3:8
Make no mistake, all of Hell wants you to be a settled Christian! All hell wants you stagnant! You can either catch the Fire of God or suffer the fires of Hell. As Children of God we will catch the Fire of God if we will but endeavor, not settle! God never intended for us to settle, we were made to conquer, we are created to posses the land! You will NOT walk in power and authority as long as you settle. Our gifts and talents mean nothing if we are settled.
Let's imagine ourselves in this situation! Poisonous snakes have bitten everyone and while we are not dead yet, the prospects do not look good. Suddenly a voice yells out, "We must do something! We must save ourselves!" But how? Various ideas surface around the town, "If you run around in frantic activity it will work out the poison!" A few people try this and die trying. Others, by staring at their bites, go totally berserk and enter into a frenzy of panic. Some try to convince themselves that they are not bitten or that the snakes were not poisonous and form little groups to delude each other while dying. Oh and there's a person selling "snake oil". The truth is we all have been bitten, and sin is coursing through our veins. There is only one solution!
This is a teaching on the Armor like you have never heard before! Be strong in the POWER! In the power’ is the word, ‘kratos’ – and it means dominion, and to exert mighty power. So, what is God saying to you? I want you to intensify your power, be empowered in the Lord, and then I want you to EXERT power. I want you to exert dominion! There’s so much in this one verse, and the next word ‘the power of His might,’ the word might means ‘mighty force,’ – overcoming immediate resistance.
God's Armor is fashioned to fit you personally. It is made to be a perfect fit and all the weapons of the Kingdom of God are at your disposal. No one else can wear your armor. The problem is that most Christians don't realize that God is not the one to put it on for us, we must take it off the armor stand and put it on!
My testimony is not a pretty picture and sometimes, I am very hesitant to share it. Yet I know God can use what is dirty, dark, ugly, blemished and broken to bring about His glory. Imagine how much more glory He receives from a story of hope, purity, faithfulness, provision, and protection! Please don’t ever again doubt or hesitate to share what God has done in your life. People need to hear that God not only pulls us out of the pit but also chooses to protect some from ever falling in that filthy mud that the world has to offer.