Monday, August 25, 2008

TRUE WORSHIP AND PREACHING

Read Revelation 2:1-7. The Church at Ephesus had many great deeds (works); Jesus noted those works. He also told them that if they did not repent He would remove their lampstand.

Works do not cover sin, and neither do music and singing. The devil uses music to entice, deceive, and seduce people in the world and in the Church. False ministers use a certain kind and degree of music and singing to entice, deceive, and seduce professing Christians to give money. They also use music and singing to cause professing Christians to excuse or overlook their false messages.

Jesus is looking for worship in the spirit and truth along with the preaching and teaching of truth! True and mature apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers are associated with both. They seek to minister truth to those who worship in spirit and truth. They minister to equip the saints in the truth of God so that they will do the following: be sanctified by truth, be mature in Christ, be unified in faith, and be a glorious Church that does the work of the ministry (Ephesians 4:13-16; Ephesians 5:26,27; Mark 16:15-20).

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Woe to the Shepherds ... Jeremiah 23:1, 2

"Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture!" says the Lord. Therefore thus says the Lord God of Israel against the shepherds who feed My people: "You have scattered My flock, driven them away, and not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for the evil of your doings." says the Lord. —Jeremiah 23:1, 2 (NKJV)

Warning to Shepherds
God is saying woe to those who call themselves apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers who have destroyed and scattered the people of His Church. He is saying that He will attend to them for driving His people away from Him, His truth, maturity in Christ, and the unity of faith. He will attend to them for standing in the way and hindering His people from becoming a glorious Church. He will attend to them for not properly equipping His people to do the work of the ministry. They have done things their way and not God's way, and the result has been the destruction of and scattering of many of God's people. God is not pleased!

True Prophets
God is sending true prophets to try to awaken His people and return them to Jesus Christ and His Word, His biblical pattern. True and mature prophets are not going to make you feel good and tickle your ears, but neither will they lead you astray. They will point you to God and His truth. They will point you to the revelation of Jesus Christ and His Word that is already written. They will not add or take away from the Word. They will not give revelation that is beyond the Word (false prophets do that). They will emphasize from God's already written revelation what God is emphasizing.

What Should You Do?
Beware of those who speak of new things, new waves, etc., and tie them in with your personal and/or corporate destinies. Listen to those who are calling the Church to humility and repentance. Listen to those who are calling you to return to God and His Word rightly divided. Focus on being one with God and one with like-minded disciples. Learn to do spiritual warfare, but do not put your major focus on the devil, his deceived ministers, and his deceived followers, many of whom are presently in the Church. Be what a true disciple should be; find true and mature ministry gifts and let them equip you for the work of the ministry. Work together with true ministers and disciples to do the Lord's will on earth. The false will betray themselves. Be careful of spending too much time interacting with them unless and until you see they are humbled and broken. Work together with true ministers and true disciples in the harvest fields that are white for harvest (ready to receive).

Conclusion
Let's work together to fulfill Revelation 19:7. A good place to begin is fulfilling Ephesians 4:13-16 and 5:26, 27. Of course, one cannot even start toward that goal without first fulfilling Luke 9:23 and 14:27, 33. Who has ears to hear and eyes to see? Jesus is still saying, follow Me. Who wants to really be a disciple of Jesus Christ and really follow Him?

Friday, August 15, 2008

God's Way or Your Way; God's Truth or Your Private Interpretations

A Prophetic Word: The Book of Jeremiah speaks directly to our day for anyone who has eyes to see and ears to hear. Most of the people in Jeremiah’s day listened to the priests (false pastors) and (false) prophets, rather than listening to God’s true prophet. Most professing Christians today listen to famous, prominent ministers, or ministers of their Christian religious tradition, rather than seeking out and listening to God’s true prophets. Pastors emphasize what their denomination or group emphasizes, rather than seeking out a true prophet to see what God is emphasizing.

It is especially hard for a person’s family, friends, and hometown people to accept and recognize who the real prophets are in Christ. It was a problem for Jesus, and it is a problem for His prophets. People may accept someone as being a pastor or an evangelist to a degree, even though they downplay it if they are not of their group. But a prophet, many do not believe they even exist anymore!

Well, let’s see who will listen to this!

It is the Church that is the primary problem in the United States, or anywhere else for that matter. The healing of the United States begins with the Church in the United States. Because of the internal problems and division within the Church, she is adding to the problems, rather than being salt and light to the lost around her. The Church must repent first! Repentance, true repentance, will not take place unless there is true godly sorrow and humility. There will not be any real change in our country, or any country, until the Church changes.

The issues to be addressed and the work to be done require a unified effort by enough true disciples. For there to be true unity of faith, there must be sanctification by truth. The Church is primarily divided and not up to the task at hand because of doctrinal differences. Doctrinal differences are the main culprit for the Church not being and doing what Jesus wants of her. Doctrinal differences exist because people have changed the Word to fit their desires and purposes.

Most professing Christians are not dedicated enough to learn truth and identify the errors in their part of the Church. Most who do identify errors are not concerned enough to do something about them. Christian religious tradition is a powerful force, but it must be reckoned with by true disciples. Cheap love and cheap grace have captivated the minds and hearts of many, and they simply overlook things in the name of grace and love.

The doctrinal differences must be washed away by truth. It is a deceptive thing to talk about agreeing to disagree and agreeing on the essentials. These are all strategies to prevent repentance, humility, and the necessary sanctification of truth and real unity of faith. Spiritual pride and stubbornness are often at the root of these strategies.

Although it is a popular teaching, the chance of God rapturing the Church out of the mess she has primarily created is something to be prayed over. God can do what He wants, but if He raptures the Church out before she matures and does her assigned work, it doesn't speak well of the Church. How can that be done and the Church still fulfill Revelation 19:7, which says “… the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready”? (Note: False teaching has changed the meaning and/or timing of this to prevent it from happening.) I want to be ready at all times, but I would like to be what I should be individually, and I would love to be part of a corporate Church who is doing the same.

To the natural mind It seems like an insurmountable task, but if we can be what we should be individually and then join with enough like-minded disciples, then the Holy Spirit can work through us and for us to do great and mighty things, all to the glory of God.

I personally am willing to spend and be spent, but I need not only the Helper, I need faithful disciples with whom to work. Who has ears to hear and eyes to see? Who will open their eyes and see beyond their Christian group and private interpretations?

I end by saying we still have time to change, but the time is short and grows shorter with each passing day. There will be godly restoration, or there will be things you do not want for your loved ones.

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Do Not Be Distracted


The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth; He always works with truth. He sends true and mature ministers to equip true Christians for the work of the ministry. The devil sends ministers in satanic churches, in wiccan churches, in the occult, etc., who are obviously not of God by word, power, and manifestation. The big trick, the big deception that the devil uses on untrained Christians is that he sends his ministers disguised as ministers of righteousness into churches of born again and Spirit filled Christians. Those false ministers will talk about Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and other things of the Bible and will even teach some true things from the Bible that some Christians did not know. They will move in power, manifestation, and excitement. Untrained Christians, including ministers, will experience and feel things that they give God credit for but that are not from God. Their services will have times that are called praise and worship. They will develop relationships with Christian ministers, singers, etc., whom they will use to further their cause of deceiving and entrapping unsuspecting professing Christians.
The devil will take a Christian minister who has been around for a long time and use him if he can find a way. For example, there is a living evangelist who is as apt to zealously tell you today that good people will spend eternity with the Lord or that there is more than one way to God as he used to be in telling people that Jesus is the way to God. There are pastors (Baptist, Methodist, Charismatic, Pentecostal...) who got off track a little at a time; it wasn't really too noticeable to begin with. They became well known and respected, but the devil kept working. He had some big things in mind, and he was preparing to use them. A little at a time he kept working until he could use them to support something big that he had planned on for a long time.
We live in a time when the Church needs to be restored and many Christians are born again and Spirit filled within parts of the Church, but they are not properly and/or fully trained. What is a true Christian to do? They must personally know the Word of God thoroughly and rightly divide it, or they will be deceived to some degree at some point. They are to try to warn others, but they must be careful not to get distracted from what God wants them to do. They must not get in the flesh themselves. What the devil is doing can become a distraction. But deceived Christians who will not listen to truth can also become a distraction. When deceived Christians get to a certain point where it is obvious by discernment that they are not ready to listen and be set free, then continue to pray for them, but interaction is a waste of God's time and yours. To be a little more concise, when deceived Christians begin to say that things of the flesh and the devil are of God and change the Bible to justify things, dust your shoes and move on. There are professing Christian ministers and professing Christians that I will not talk with until I see that their eyes are being opened.
True Christians should find God's true and mature ministers and disciples and work together with them to accomplish God's purposes. The internet can become a good place to share the good things of God and His kingdom. The internet can become a good place to develop relationships in Christ that bless the Lord. It can also be a big distraction and a hindrance to God's will and purposes. Which will it be?

A Great Opportunity

A Need For Maturity
God has always expected that true disciples would build their lives upon the truth of Jesus Christ and His Word but, in actuality, only a few have ever done so. There has always been a need for such disciples, but seldom if ever has the need been greater than it is presently. There is a worldwide need for true and mature ministry gifts and for true and mature disciples. For these ministers and disciples, there is presently a great opportunity to advance God's kingdom and to do His will on earth. There is an opportunity to preach the things of Jesus and the kingdom of God in the entire world as a witness to all nations.

While many voices are expressing their personal opinions, many others are saying I told you so, and some are even asking where are the spiritual leaders, I am saying that you have an opportunity, a great opportunity. There is an opportunity to have a Church that fulfills the revelation of the Church found throughout the Word of God, and is clearly described for us in the book of Ephesians. This Church will be an answer to our Lord's Prayer found in John 17. She will have Christ formed within and will do His works, His true works. Will you see the opportunity? Will you take the opportunity by denying self, forsaking all to follow Jesus, and working to accomplish His will and purposes? I beseech you in the name of the Lord not to let the opportunity pass you by. It will not always be available to you. Actually the time is short!

Some may say, well who or what are you? Does it really matter? What matters is who Jesus Christ is and whether you will let Him be who and what He is. I do know who He is, who I am, and what He has called me to be and do, but what matters is this: Do you know who He is and what He wants of you.


Conclusion
In closing, I warn you that schemes are now being planned that will deceive and appease many. The devil does not give up easily; people in influential places do not give up easily either. Do not be deceived by words and actions of people, even if they seem to be repentant. There is a world of difference in sorrow and godly sorrow. "Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death" (
2 Cor. 7:10 NIV). There is a difference in external changes and internal (heart) change. People often just reinvent things and reposition themselves, but they always want to maintain the status quo or even improve their standing. Learn to discern the real! God is Sovereign; His will is going to be done, but will you be part of it?

The Day of Pentecost

If Spirit filled Christians would simply study and pray over the Word concerning any topic, the Holy Spirit will begin to make things clear. It is amazing to see what some people do with the Scripture concerning the Day of Pentecost or concerning most everything in the Bible. For example, there has been a ridiculous teaching going around that the real miracle or gift was that people were hearing things in their own language; it had to do with hearing and not speaking. It is intelligent people who teach and fall for this stuff. Acts 2:4 reads that they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues (not hear with other ears) as the Spirit gave them utterance (not hearing). Acts 2:11 reads, "... we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God." It does not read, "Our ears translate or interpret what these Galileans are saying into our own specific language."

The nine gifts found in 1 Corinthians 12 also gives insight; one of the nine gifts is the gift of different kinds of tongues. There is not a gift of different kinds of ears. There is much more about the Day of Pentecost, but if we can just get this part straight how wonderful it would be.

While on the subject of tongues, it is also amazing that many people do not know the difference in the gift of tongues, which all baptized in the Spirit Christians may not move in, and praying in tongues, which all Christians who have been baptized in the Spirit have the wonderful opportunity to move in at will.

There is a problem with hearing in the Church! There is a problem with seeing in the Church! The god of this world has hindered the hearing and seeing of many professing Christians. One of the main problems involves lack of diligent study of the Word, and another involves listening to carnal, immature, and false teachers and not knowing it because they have not studied enough to have their senses trained to know the difference in the real and the false.

The mockers were the ones who said, "They are full of new wine." Peter basically said they are not drunk as you mockers say; it is just 9 a.m. I am sure that the newly baptized in the Spirit disciples were joyful, but besides the joy, all the mockers witnessed was hearing the sound of people speaking in tongues the wonderful works of God. I am also sure that they were moving in or toward worship of God in spirit and in truth. In other words, they were worshipping God with joy and not dishonoring God by stumbling all over each other, falling on the ground, and foolishly acting like drunk people as the deceived ones say. The emphasis was on God and not on self! After the worship in spirit and in truth, they quieted down and heard a wonderful sermon that was only truth. The result was that about three thousand souls gladly received the truth and repented, were born again, were Spirit filled, were baptized in water, and were added to the newly birthed Church (Acts 2:38-41).

7-16-08

What Does Restoration Mean to You?

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Concern for Church
Although my concern is for the Church throughout the earth, I am asking you to focus for a moment on the Church in the United States. I have a growing concern for the future of Christians in the United States. As each day passes the window closes a little for our preparation for things of the future. I am not writing just about eternity but about things on earth, things in the United States. I am concerned about things for you and your family; I am concerned about present and future generations! As time passes, we will progressively face things that we are, as a whole, unprepared for unless the Church in the United States is restored. Some things will be minor and some will be major, but remember that little foxes spoil the vine. There are so many different areas and topics of concern that I could mention, but I will not do so at this time except for the loss of freedom(s).

Loss of Freedom
Christians in America face the loss of their freedom(s)! While the various and sundry divisions of the Church go their accepted, separate and traditional ways their freedoms as a whole are being eroded. Those who are concerned usually look outwardly and talk about how things have changed in government, society, etc. They preach and teach 2 Chronicles 7:14 but rarely if at all properly apply it to the Church.

The truth is that unless repentance leading to restoration, revival and awakening comes soon to the Church in America there will be a loss of freedom(s) for Christians in America. Does this concern you? Does this concern you enough that you will cry out to God for repentance for yourself and your brothers and sisters in Christ?

Restoration, Revival and Awakening
Restoration is the bringing back of the Church to Jesus Christ and the original biblical pattern intended by Him for the Church that He is building. Note: Biblical pattern is the pattern found in the Bible as the Word of God is rightly divided.

Revival is coming back into full use because of being restored to Jesus Christ and His biblical pattern.

Awakening is the restored and revived Church being and doing what Jesus Christ intended for her because she has been aroused from a long spiritual slumber that she will never return to.

The above explanations can easily be expanded in writing, but my heart's desire is that the primary expansion will take place in your heart and mind as you prayerfully pray for wisdom and understanding.

Time is Short
The time is short and the need is great for the restoration, revival and awakening of the Church. I pray that there will be enough humble and repentant believers who will unite in faith and be one with God and each other. That is how the Church started and that is how we must finish!

Conclusion
I specifically requested that momentarily you focus on the part of the Church that is in the United States, but as I stated I am concerned for all of the Church. We must have a return to Jesus Christ and His biblical pattern in the Church throughout the earth.
Would you prayerfully consider what restoration means to you, your family, your church, the entire Church and the lost?

Let the bride of Christ unite in faith and complete the work given her by the Lord Jesus Christ. The Spirit and the bride say, Come.

In Christ,
Wayne Wilson

The Difference in the Gift of Prophecy and a Prophet

I am republishing this article that was first published in March because there is still much confusion in the body of Christ about the difference in prophets and prophecy.

The gift of prophecy spoken of in 1 Corinthians 12:10 is for edification, exhortation, and comfort (1 Corinthians 14:3). Any member in the body of Christ who moves in the gift of prophecy speaks words to build up, exhort, and comfort others. A person who moves in the gift of prophecy may occasionally be but usually is not a prophet.

A prophet speaks prophetic words that can, at times, include things to come, but that is different from one who speaks the gift of prophecy. As I am sure you know, the gift of prophecy is one of the nine gifts of the Spirit found in 1 Corinthians 12. The prophet is a gift himself from Jesus Christ to His Church (Ephesians 4:11). He moves in the gifts of the Spirit as other members of the body of Christ are to do, but he himself is a gift from the Lord. If the Lord speaks to him something about the future, it would usually fall under the gift of the word of wisdom. Speaking about the future is just a small part of the ministry of a prophet. Any real prophet is going to be preaching the Word of God and specifically emphasizing what God wants said to His people. For example, any and all real and mature prophets called by God will presently be ministering repentance to the Church because the Church is in desperate need of repentance.

Most of these guys seen on television who are presented as prophets need to repent themselves. I will deal more with that in the future. Some of these words that Charisma puts forth as prophetic words are well intentioned, but ... They sound good, but that is about it. I will not say more at this time. (Sorry if this offends.) When you meet or hear a true and mature prophet, you will understand the difference. A. W. Tozer was a true prophet. I encourage you to study his writings and listen to any recordings that you can find.

People sometimes confuse prophecy and words from a prophet because they are spelled similarly. Prophets do at times speak prophetic words concerning the future, but, if they do, it is not the gift of prophecy at work. It is the gift of the word of wisdom. The gift of prophecy is not for giving revelation. It motivates because it edifies, exhorts, and comforts. The gifts of the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, and the gift of discerning of spirits give revelation about things.

If the prophet moves in power, then he is moving in one or all of the following: the gift of faith, the gifts of healings, or the working of miracles. Tongues and interpretation of tongues are often considered in the same category as the gift of prophecy. They motivate!

God bless you! I enjoy sharing the things of God and His Word.


Visit our internet ministry at JesusandHisWord.org. There are messages found under the heading of Messages and also under the heading of Truth for Today.

THE FALSE AND THE REAL

All true disciples will build their life upon Jesus Christ and His Word rightly divided. Any intellectual decisions and any experiences must be in line with Jesus Christ and His Word rightly divided.

There are some people who are so cold and intellectually calculating that they never enter into the joy of marriage and family. There are others who rush into marriage, rather than waiting for God to send His choice of a mate for them. It leads to devastation for the man and woman and often for children. There are many Christians who are not open to the things of the Spirit; we must pray for them to become open to all that God has for them. There are other Christians who are so open and eager that they plunge ahead into things God has not ordained but are traps set by the devil and vessels that he uses wittingly or unwittingly. They also need our prayers. Both of these groups are further evidences of the need for restoration of the Church.

Forget this junk about blue and grey! There are professing Christians who lean to their own understanding and intellect and freeze out the things of God. There are professing Christians who become so hot for the experiential that they light destructive fires and hinder what God wants and is trying to do.

The Lord is looking for true and mature disciples who live by the Word of God and move in the anointing of the Holy Spirit. I remind you that the overall Church is in need of restoration. Restoration means that we return fully to the Lord and His Word. It further means that the Church is totally yielded to the Holy Spirit and allows Him to build her according to God's biblical pattern and nothing else. We have all of these groups in the Church today primarily because someone wanted to add man's way to God's Way and/or to do things man's way instead of God's way.

If you want to do things God's way and His Way only, then seek Him in prayer and the Word and find some true and mature ministry gifts to help equip you and your family. It may take time, but seek God and wait on Him. He will guide you! If you want to freeze out the things of God, that is your choice. If you want to burn up the things of God, that is also your choice. I have learned that the cold intellectual ones are stubborn and hard headed, and the hot experiential ones are stubborn and hard headed, also. Both are hindrances, great hindrances to God's will and purposes and to the restoration of His Church. As a matter of fact, they both have helped put the Church in her present state.

I thank God that there are some disciples who are humbling themselves and are seeking God. They may not yet see and understand all that God wants, but they know something is needed. They know that the problem has been around for a while, and they are wise enough not to intellectually close off what God wants to do, and they are wise enough not to emotionally chase things that the devil is doing. They are wise and loving enough not to get into fights with either the intellectual or experiential groups because they are both distractions and hindrances to what the Holy Spirit is doing. They are focused on and/or are becoming focused on Looking for and Finding the Real. If they seek God, they will find Him. If they follow the Holy Spirit, He will join them with others with whom they can be in one purpose or mind. There will be true restoration, revival, and awakening! The glory of the Lord will fill the whole earth!

Open Letter to Lee Grady and Anyone with Eyes to See and Ears to Hear

(Lee Grady is an editor with Charisma magazine and is widely known throughout the Charismatic part of the Church).

Before I can fully express what is in my heart this morning, I must write that there is nothing more important than being born again. The importance of being born again begins with each of us and then moves on to all others. It should be the desire of all true disciples to work for the salvation of all; we should give our lives to seeing that none perish.

Having made the above clear, we all must understand that being born again is the beginning of our work here on earth. This is where we begin to run into problems! The overall Church is not in line with Jesus Christ and His biblical pattern. This is especially true of the Charismatic part of the Church. Note: Just as Charismatics must know the importance of reaching the lost, Charismatics must realize that they are just a small part of the body of Christ, and that they must work to bring forth a Church that is one with God and one with each other. They must work to bring forth a Church that is in the image of Christ and is in line with His truth and His truth only.

The Church, as a whole, is far from John 17:17-22, Ephesians 4:13-16, and Ephesians 5:26-27. The bride is not ready (Revelation 19:7). The Church as a whole is divided and immature; she is in need of restoration! The main reason that she is in need of restoration is that she is divided into various parts that follow private interpretations of the Word and the traditions of men, rather than following the Holy Spirit and being sanctified by truth.

There are faithful and mature disciples, but they are few and far between presently. There are faithful and mature ministry gifts, but they are also few and far between presently. The faithful and mature disciples are not presently working together, for the most part. The faithful ministry gifts are not presently recognized and/or accepted by most of the Church; they are either not known or are not well known.

Yes, there are church members and ministers who are very faithful to their church and/or their group's doctrines and traditions, but there are few who are really intimate with the Lord Jesus and in line with His will. The Church needs to be restored, and it begins with acknowledging the need, which is quickly followed by true godly sorrow, humility, and repentance.

In closing, I reiterate the importance of working to make sure that no one perishes but add that most who are born again now enter a local Church that is more in line with some man's pattern than with Jesus Christ and His biblical pattern. If they become members of a Charismatic Church, the chances are great that they will soon be chasing gold dust, false personal prophecies, and false heavenly visions rather than denying self, forsaking all, and following Jesus Christ.

Brother Lee, I love you. You have a great opportunity to reach many people. Let's reach them and bring them into a Church that has Christ formed within, has been sanctified by truth, and is united in faith. You may not be a prophet, but you have a great chance to blow a trumpet for Jesus Christ and His truth. You may grow into a prophet, but titles do not matter that much, except for being and doing what God calls us to do.

To all of you others, I also say I love you, but what is your motivation in life? Why do you visit this forum? Why do you write things? Are you here to find truth and join with others who are sanctified by truth, or are you here to see yourself write and to debate with someone? The time is short, the hour is urgent! Quit being overly concerned with the false and find the real! Then all will know what is really in your heart; all will know what your real motivation is! The Church needs to be restored, and the harvest fields are white for harvest. Let's bring in the sheaves to a Church that has Christ formed within; let's mature them quickly to take their place in our Lord's body and His kingdom. Let's work together to fulfill God's will to the glory of Christ. Amen


Clarification

I love and respect J. Lee Grady, editor of Charisma Online and "Fire in My Bones." He puts himself out as a target every time he writes something. I see real potential in Mr. Grady, and I believe that the Lord is working to prepare him. I have been concerned that he has been influenced by some who have not always been the best influences. My heart is concerned even now about some of the people around him, but I still see potential. Whether he fulfills that potential remains to be seen. Most Christians are in a part of the Church that has not trained them to maturity because that part of the Church is not mature itself. This is a result of the overall Church needing restoration. In the restored Church, disciples, young and old, will quickly be taught the milk of the Word followed by the meat of the Word. Their senses will be trained to discern both good and evil!

For the last several months, I have been prophetically writing words from God. I have been calling for repentance and showing the need for the restoration of the Church. I have been warning that there will be godly restoration or there will be devilish storms. I have been looking for disciples with ears to hear and eyes to see. Thank God that I have found some. I have rejoiced when I have seen people who know truth; I have been grieved when I have seen people who are deceived. I have also been grieved when I have seen people who had truth, but did not share it in love. I have tried to be very careful in how I have presented things on the Charisma Online forums.

It has concerned me for years that people will receive a word that is really not from God and will base their lives upon it because the presenter of the word was well known and very prominent. It is similar to companies using well-known celebrities and prominent people for their commercials and advertising. It seems to work well for businesses, and it seems to work in the Church also. The celebrity mentality has captivated the minds of a large part of the Church. Celebrity status people are listened to, and real prophets are ignored.

I do not mean to be critical or to hurt feelings, but many of the things presented as prophetic by Charisma do not qualify as any gift of the Spirit, and are definitely not prophetic. Many of the people being called Charismatic apostles and prophets may be Charismatic apostles and prophets, but they are not God's apostles and prophets. I saw a so-called Christian television program a few months ago calling someone I have known personally for years an apostle, and all I can say is God help us. Concerning Christian television, the Church and the world would be much better off without most of it. I wrote something in the nineties called "Pure or Offended." If your heart is pure, truth will not offend; we must, in love, speak and write truth.

The Holy Spirit is directing me to be more specific and straightforward. Last week I sent an open message to brother Lee Grady and anyone with eyes to see and ears to hear. Early this morning, the Lord spoke a prophetic word to me; I posted it on the CharismaOnline forum under the title "God is Not Pleased." (It is also posted on this blog.) I later posted it again because it applies to Lee Grady's latest article. It is important to clarify that it is a prophetic word that is not in response to anything posted, but it applies.

Again I say that I am looking for people with ears to hear and eyes to see. Actually, I am speaking prophetically that the eyes of the Lord are looking for true and loyal disciples with ears to hear and eyes to see who will deny self, forsake all, take up their cross, and follow Him.

God is Not Pleased!

This is a prophetic word. It is not a response to any article. However, it can apply. Notice how the Holy Spirit addresses each of the ministry gifts from Ephesians 4:11.

God is not pleased with those apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers who have and are leading His people astray. He is not pleased with those ministers who are ministering for gain, no matter how subtle or deceitful it is. He is not pleased that some are even brash and forthright with their gain off of the gospel. They announce it as their right and everybody’s right. Their good works do not hide their misleading and misuse of the people from God‚s eyes; their occasional proper use of Scripture does not excuse their often misuse of Scripture. God is not pleased!

God is not pleased with those apostles who are planting structures of their own understanding and making. God is not pleased with those prophets who prophesy words, dreams, and visions of their own imagination, their own understanding, their own making. God is not pleased with those evangelists who spread man-made doctrines throughout the Church and excite people with false revivals. God is not pleased with those pastors who, week after week, feed His people with man’s ideas and interpretations of Scripture rather than sanctifying them with truth. God is not pleased with teachers, especially those trained in Greek and Hebrew, who teach, point by point, man’s understanding of Scripture rather than God’s wisdom and revelation of Scripture.

All of these ministers are accountable and will receive their due for how thy have stood in the way of God’s people and hindered them from growing in Christ and being one mature body. They are being called to account, and an account they will give.

You political leaders who have been led astray by these ministers, you will also give an account. You will give an account for listening to man’s counsel that promoted your cause rather than God’s truth that advanced His kingdom and helped His people. God is not pleased with you professing Christians who have sat under these ministers and blindly followed them because of your selfishness, inner greed, lusts, and self interests. You people who have been deceived by these ministers, God is calling you to wake up and follow them no longer. If you refuse to heed the call to wake up, then you will reap accordingly.

God is calling all to repentance! Rend your hearts and turn your faces toward God! Do not try to appease Him with temporary or external changes. Change your mind and your heart and follow Jesus Christ.


Saturday, August 2, 2008

Understanding Wheat and Tares

Few professing Christians study to show themselves approved and therefore are easily deceived by false teaching, whether that teaching is done mistakenly by immature ministers or deliberately by false and carnal ministers. One of the many topics that is wrongly taught is the parable of the wheat and tares.

The Immature ministers and false ministers with deceitful and/or carnal motives have improperly trained church members about the parable of the wheat and tares resulting in many professing Christians misinterpreting what Scripture teaches about wheat and tares. The error begins by stating that in this parable the field is the Church. From there false teaching springs forth which is devastating to the holiness, purity and maturity of the Church. Many doors are opened for explaining away, hiding or even justifying carnal and immoral behavior in ministers and church members.

The truth is that the field represents the world. In the world are both righteous sons of God and wicked sons of the evil one. The Church on the other hand is to be made up of disciples who have denied self, been crucified with Christ, and have forsaken all to follow Him in the unity of faith with other true and like minded disciples. Together they are fulfilling God's will on earth and making themselves ready for the marriage of the Lamb. Always know and remember that there is a tremendous difference in wheat and tares making up the population of the world and wheat and tares making up the body of Christ. Many professing Christians, including some ministers, do not know the difference. Those ministers are not equipping the saints properly! The parable is about wheat and tares growing side by side in the world; it is not about wheat and tares growing side by side in the Church.

Jesus Christ is looking for a Church in His image; He is looking for a Church that has Christ formed within. He is looking for a Church that is mature, holy as He is holy and unified in faith. He is not looking for a Church that is divided, immature, and fleshly in her conduct. He is not looking for a Church made up of wheat and tares. He is looking for a Church made up of obedient disciples who are going out into the world and ministering the gospel to the lost in the world. He is looking for disciples who are used of Him to witness truth that will turn the lost into good wheat. He is looking for a Church that is so much in His image and so filled with His power that when the lost visit with them they are transformed by the Spirit and presence of Christ. They come in lost and leave as wheat; they come in worldly and heavy laden and leave born again and Spirit filled and singing the praises of God.

The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares

(Matthew 13) 24 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; 25 but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. 26 But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. 27 So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ 28 He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ 29 But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”

The Parable Explained

36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.”
37 He answered and said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked 39 The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. 40 Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. 41 The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, 42 and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear! [emphasis added]

Friday, August 1, 2008

Restoring the Charismatic Movement


The Church of Jesus Christ needs restoration. That includes the Charismatic Movement. In order for the Church to be restored and to become all that Jesus Christ intends for her to be before He returns, true Christians must learn to base everything upon the Word of God rightly divided. This includes everything they do or say, as well as everything they listen to and accept from others. Whether we minister through the written word or the spoken word, anything that is not in line with the truth of God is a hindrance not only to the people of God, but also to the cause of God. If we cause people to listen to a person because we promote them, and/or publish their works, or refer to them as being a prophet when, in actuality, they are not, then we are doing grave harm to the people of God. If we refer to what others have said or written as being from God and it is not, we are hurting the cause of God.

The Charismatic Movement has been walking on shaky ground for a long time. Many years ago, Derek Prince said the Charismatic Movement was a prime candidate for the spirit of the Antichrist because it is lawless, largely ignorant of Scripture and wild about spiritual gifts. He went on to say that he did believe it was of God. If it is of God and its proponents want to fulfill God’s purpose for its existence, then they must repent, return to God, walk in the Spirit, and build only on truth. If the Charismatic Movement was actually started by God, then someone planted wrong seeds early on, and/or somewhere along the way, there has been some major hijacking and infiltration by the enemy. It must, like the Church at Ephesus, test and identify the false apostles (and false prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers). It must find the false to be liars!

A.W. Tozer said that “a prophet is one who knows his times and what God is trying to say to the people of his times.” What is God trying to say to the people of our time? One major thing He is trying to say is that His Church needs to be restored. The overall Church is in need of restoration, and the Charismatic part of the Church is no exception. The Charismatic part may well lead the way in the need for restoration!

One way to identify a true and mature prophet of God is that he is calling the Church to repent and return to God and His Word of truth. All true and mature prophets are calling for the restoration of the Church. If anyone is known to be a prophet and they are not calling for restoration of the Church, then question whether or not they are a true and mature prophet. Caution: false and carnal prophets will try to pick up on anything that God is doing and use it for personal promotion and gain. We don’t need Charismatic prophets, Baptist prophets, etc.; we need God’s prophets! We need prophets who are hearing from God and not from their vain imaginations. We do not need any of this blue or gray, elephant or donkey, white or pink junk; we need truth!

Any true and mature prophet of God understands that the Church is in need of restoration. They will be doing all they can to wake up the Church and bring humility, repentance, and restoration. True and mature prophets of God will be emphasizing what God is emphasizing. Any true and mature prophet of God is saying in one way or another that the Church must be restored to God and His biblical pattern—not the Baptist pattern, not the Pentecostal pattern, and not the Charismatic pattern, not any pattern but God’s biblical pattern. True prophets will work to lead all parts of the Church to repentance, restoration, maturity, and true unity of faith. True prophets, along with the other true ministry gifts, will help equip the saints to be true salt and light and to work together in the harvest fields that are white for harvest. As noted above, the Charismatic part of the Church may well lead the way in the need for restoration! Will the Charismatic part of the Church wake up and do its part in leading the Church to restoration, revival, and awakening?

Understanding 2 Peter 2:1


All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction (training, discipline) in righteousness (2 Timothy 3: 16).

For Scripture to accomplish the above, it must be preached, studied, rightly divided, received and believed, meditated on, acted on, and must never be mixed with error.

Too many Christians are not students of the whole Word and do not sit under real and mature preachers, therefore they are not well trained Christians. O, I acknowledge that some of these untrained professing Christians know certain parts of Scripture, and even use those parts over and over. They know just enough to be dangerous to themselves and others.

2 Peter 2:1 is a Scripture that many professing Christians do not fully understand and therefore become easy prey for false teachers and preachers. It reads, "But there were false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction."

The first thing I will address that the devil uses to confuse and deceive Christians about this verse is the part about denying the Lord. Preachers do not properly train their listeners about this part, and readers of this part all too often lean to their own understanding. Their own understanding limits them to thinking that this teacher uses the Bible and talks about Jesus with his words so this can not apply to him or her. There are obvious false teachers who with their words actually deny things about Jesus such as He is not the only way and there was no virgin birth. Many people are falling for those things! But many more are falling for those who speak the name of Jesus and say good things about him, but deny him in other ways. Now, that is real deception! That is deception that will deceive even you unless you are very well trained and have keen spiritual senses.

What are the other ways? Well, we all know about people who say one thing and do another thing. We know about people who say one thing in public and another in private. We know about people who will say whatever it takes to get what they want. The list is almost endless. Let’s go back to those who say one thing and do another. Some false teachers will preach and praise the name of Jesus (say one thing), but their actions betray them (they do other things that deny the Lord). The Word teaches us that if we love Jesus Christ we will show it by obeying His Word. Everyday in the world people are saying nice things to other people, but in private and public ways their actions show that they are out to fleece the people in one way or another. Some false teachers will say true biblical things about Jesus, but their words and actions will misuse the Word of God in key places. Silly women get pregnant out of marriage almost daily because they are listening to deceptive words and ignoring other key things. Silly (gullible) women (and men) who are ever learning and never coming to the truth are daily being made captive by false teachers disguised as ministers of righteousness (2 Timothy 3: 6, 7; 2 Corinthians 11: 12-15).

These false ministers are talking about Jesus, but betraying Jesus by their actions and words concerning other things of Scripture. They are adding to and taking away from Scripture. They are deceiving and fleecing those whom Jesus gave His life for.

Another thing about this verse (2 Peter 2:1) that is used to deceive people is the part about things being done secretly. Some people think, “This is very public, it is on television; this is not being done in secret.” There are other Scriptures that show that not all the works of the devil are done in a way that is secret as far as the natural eye is concerned, but secret also has more than one application. Secret things can take place in the wide open public. In the midst of a wonderful and public meal people can and have been poisoned. In the midst of a seemingly wonderful and public service people are regularly being poisoned with ungodly leaven. Some times it is done a little at a time just as some one can be poisoned in their food a little at a time. There are other things about this verse, but hopefully this will get you started. (If interested, take a look at swift destruction and how it can be used to deceive people).