Citizens of Heaven and the United States

Immature Christians and Citizens
Where are mature citizens of heaven who live in the United States that know the Word of God, and also know how the government of the United States works?

Jesus said to some of His opponents, "You do err because you do not know the Scriptures." Regretfully, many who profess to follow Jesus err because they not only do not know the Scriptures, they don't understand or live by what they do know of Scripture. They lean to their own understanding rather than being disciples of truth. They also err as citizens of the United States because they don't know the Constitution rightly divided, and they don't know and/or understand how the three branches of our government work.

True and mature Christians deny personal opinions, preferences, private interpretations, etc., to follow Jesus and live by His Word of Truth rightly divided.

True Biblical Morality
A righteous nation must have laws to govern its people. The founding Fathers intended for the United States to have laws to help govern its people. Laws in a righteous nation must be based upon morality. True morality is based upon God and His Word of Truth. The devil has worked long and hard to change this nation by changing its laws. Not everyone is a Christian in this nation. Not everyone in the Church, be they preacher or member, is a true Christian, but true Christians must stand for God and His biblical morality. Too many professing Christians are doing the devil's work by their own lifestyles and by how they participate in society, including how society is governed.

The members of the true Church that Jesus is building who are also citizens of the United States must not only be salt and light to those around them in the United States, but must also do what is necessary to ensure that the laws of our nation are based upon true godly morality. Until Jesus returns and His kingdom is fully manifest on earth, there will be earthly governments. If Christians in the United States want a righteous government, they must, as citizens of a heavenly kingdom, be salt and light to those around them. As citizens of the United States, they must also do what they can to ensure that our nation is a righteous nation.

The devil comes to steal, kill, and destroy, and he does each in many different ways. He will do all that he can to cause people and nations to break the commandments of God. He will make people call good evil and evil good. He will cause nations to make laws that break the commands of God. He is a master deceiver, and he will even enlist professing Christians to help him accomplish his purposes. He first deceives them and then uses them. He stops them from being true godly witnesses as salt and light, and he also stops them from working to ensure that the laws of our nation are based on true biblical morality. When a person's rights become more important than God's commands, that person is opposing God. When a professing Christian defends one's rights to oppose God's commands, they are fighting for the enemy.

Conclusion
I have seen some Christians write things like, “Where are the prophets to speak to the things of our day." I am not referring to ones who looked for some prophet to predict the outcome of an election. The ones who looked for that are carnal, immature, and will be easily deceived by false prophets. For those who are looking for the real, don't expect them to say or write what you want them to. God wants Christians who will cry out for what is in His heart. Too often those who release a cry of God are blasted by those who have been captivated by reasoning and other things. I saw this happen on a recent Charisma Online blog thread. Someone cried from the heart and was blasted immediately. Those who lead with reasoning and/or emotion may find some resistance but not like those who release a cry of God from the heart. Some who are expressing themselves may need to touch up on how they write things, but discerning hearts will recognize a cry that originated in the heart of God. Where are those with discerning hearts? Where are those who will stay true to God and His Word even when attacked (persecuted)?

Carnal, false, and immature Christians base decisions upon things like human reasoning, human emotions, and private interpretations. They can give eloquent arguments to defend their decisions. They are standing on sinking sand, and they are helping this nation sink because they are salt without flavor and they have no light.

Where are a few true and mature disciples who are really born again and have really been baptized in the Holy Spirit and fire? Where are true and mature disciples who don’t fall for the devil’s stupid way of reasoning? Where are true and mature disciples who have been sanctified by truth and will proclaim it from the housetops in the Church and in society? Where are true citizens of God’s kingdom who are going to be good representatives of God and His Word of truth in the United States?

True and Mature Soldiers

Soldiers of the Lord
Where are the true and mature soldiers in God's army? We are in a war that has more at stake than physical life and death. We are in a war that deals with eternal life and death.

Seek to know Jesus Christ intimately and all of His Word thoroughly. Put on your armor and make sure that your sword of the Spirit is sharp and out of the sheath! Draw near to Jesus Christ, and hold all to the Word of Truth rightly divided. Know and preach the good news of Jesus and of His kingdom. It is the good news of His kingdom that must be preached in all the world as a witness to all nations before the end can come. Those who are holding on to a rapture mentality to save them from hard times had better wake up and learn all of the Word and rightly divide it.

A Call to Wake Up
Everybody had better wake up and find out who the true people of God are. True people of God are any and all Jews and Gentiles who have surrendered all to Jesus Christ as the King of kings and Lord of lords. The day has come to quit focusing on places like Jerusalem and Samaria and start worshiping God in Spirit and in truth. It is time to focus on Jesus Christ and His kingdom. It is time to share truth with Jews and Gentiles. It is time to pray for peace for all of the earth and not just for Jerusalem. When Jesus was born, the angels sang, "Peace on earth and goodwill to all."

Learn that most preachers and most professing Christians presently do not know the Word of Truth very well. We are in trouble because of the lack of knowledge of God and His Word. We are in trouble because too many Christians are being trained by ministers who fall short in knowing Jesus Christ and His Word. We are in trouble because most Christians fall short in the same.

I am telling you again, wake up and repent. Seek God and find true and mature ministers. Find true and mature disciples, and unite with them in faith. Much is at stake, eternally and on earth. There will be godly restoration or unimaginable devilish storms. Look around you! Get a clue!

Do not give a fraction of space, time, or energy to those who seek to develop another Jesus and another gospel. Do spiritual warfare to pull down the strongholds that have captivated the minds of so many people, both in and out of the Church. Be a soldier who is not entangled with the affairs of life but pleases Him who has called you to be a soldier.

Be Discerning
The Holy Spirit knows all hearts and can give you what He knows. You can judge what is in anyone's heart by the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3-5 and Acts 8:21-23). The devil is trying to destroy the Church, from the inside and the outside. The devil attacks the church by all kinds of means from the outside, and he puts his ministers on the inside of churches to deceive people. The deceived people go and, unaware that they are doing the devil's work, deceive more people. They think they are right, but that is always what the spirit of deception does to deceived people. "There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death" (Proverbs 14:12; 16:25).

Conclusion
Find yourself a true and mature minister of the true Jesus Christ and let them equip you to become a mature disciple of Jesus Christ. Study until you know the Word of truth backwards and forwards. Be a good soldier of the Lord Jesus Christ! Help turn the world upside down for Jesus Christ. Fight the good fight of faith!

Which Gospel are You Following and Proclaiming?

Missing the Mark
Missing the mark (Hamartanein) is at the core of all problems of life and society. The Church that Jesus is building is made up of true disciples of Jesus Christ who live by His Word rightly divided. They live by and preach the "good news" of Jesus Christ, His kingdom, and His righteousness. They know that true righteousness exalts a nation! Carnal, immature, and false Christians live by a gospel of their own making, actually, it is the making of the devil. They yell about things being wrong, but they themselves are the problem. They are deceived and are deceiving others.

A Growing Contrast
As the day for the Lord's return draws nearer and nearer there will be a growing contrast between those who truly follow the Lord Jesus and His sayings and those who follow another gospel(s). There will be an evident group that is blatantly and flagrantly evil. That group will be obvious to most people; even some following other gospels will acknowledge and recognize their evil. Those following other gospels will speak of Jesus and the Bible, but in actuality they have created a Jesus and a Bible of their own making (delusions). They change the emphasis and exchange the truth for lies. Many will be drawn to them.

The ultimate end of those who are obviously evil, and the ones who follow another gospel will be the same—eternal separation from God—unless they wake up and repent. They will not wake up and repent unless there are prophets of truth shouting from the housetops. Most of those who are evil and/or follow another gospel will not only reject the true voices of the Lord God, but they will persecute them as well. But in the midst of it, there will be those who receive conviction and respond by true godly sorrow and repentance. They will spend eternity with Jesus Christ and His family! They will begin to bear true fruit for the Lord and store up true riches in heaven. Those who have ears to hear let them hear!

There is another group that hinders the work of the Lord and the truth of His Word. They know some truth, but they don’t know Jesus well enough to preach that truth in real agape love. They think they are bold and courageous followers of the Lord, but they are instead harsh, pharisaical people. They do more damage to the cause of God than the evil and other-gospel people put together.

True and Mature Disciples
Where are true and mature followers of Jesus Christ? They are bold and courageous but tempered by love, true love. They are as bold as a lion and as humble as a little lamb. They live by and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, His kingdom, and His righteousness. They strive to be holy as God is holy in all of their conduct. They preach the truth about sin, but are filled with love, compassion, and mercy. They fully realize what the blood of Jesus purchased for them. They speak against sin from a heart of love, appreciation, and understanding of what the Lord did for them. They reach out and help to restore their fallen brothers and sisters, but they will not follow the cheap grace gospel that causes people to make excuses for and overlook the sins of others because they, too, are living in unrepented sin.

Conclusion
The day of the Lord’s return is to be looked for and prepared for. Are you really prepared for His return? Are you really prepared for your going? Your going may take place before His return. Are you really following Jesus and His truth, or are you following other gospels that, in essence, develop another Jesus and another Bible? Your eternal state and possibly the eternal state of those you influence depends on which one you are following.

No Political Party is the Kingdom of God!

For many years, I have been saying that the Church is in great need of restoration. She needs to turn back to Jesus Christ, His kingdom, His truth, His holiness, and His righteousness. She needs to kick out cheap grace and become obedient to God and holy in all her conduct. She needs to obey the Lord's call for the unity of faith. She needs to repent for all the sectarianism, which has become traditional. Only Jesus Christ died for our sins; all true disciples must gather around Him and His Word of truth rightly divided.

The Kingdom of God is Not Found
Within a Political Party
No political party is the kingdom of God! Beware of socialism, but don't hide your head in the sand about the greed and corruption that has taken root and sprouted in our capitalistic society. In the long run, little was learned from the Great Depression because many parts of the Church became more greedy than society. When the Church that is formed in the image of Jesus Christ unites in faith, then and only then can she fully address the ills of society. The Church is largely responsible for the ills of society. She has not been mature salt and light, she has not presented a united front as a witness to the world, and she has not preached the same Word. At the root, she is at odds with herself over the Word, and she looks foolish (in the wrong way) to the world. She is reaping what she has sown! She will continue to reap more and more if she doesn't repent and live in obedience to God and His Word. I will say boldly, "You greedy people who are preaching cheap grace had better wake up! Everything around you is subject to falling apart."

Programs, Publications, and Music -
No Kingdom Found in Most
For the most part, the big so-called Christian television programs are not worth watching. Many of the leaders of these programs are carnal Christians, if Christians at all. Check their relationships and lifestyles. Many of those who are promoted on the programs fall into the same category. Christian-written publications—books and magazines, etc.—are a waste of time for the most part. Most modern music is straining at gnats and swallowing camels. I have a saying about ball games, "You win some, you lose some, and some shouldn't have been scheduled." Most modern songs should not have been written. Most of the singers should not be allowed to sing until they get their heart right with God.

Discerning the Kingdom at Work, or Not
The gift of discernment is not working in most places. Most Christians do not know the milk of the Word, much less the meat; therefore, their senses are not trained properly. If Christians had a mature gift of discernment, they would tell by the voice of certain ministers that something is wrong and would warn their brothers and sisters in Christ. If all Christians knew the Word, even though they might not have the gift of discernment to pick up on the voice, their senses would be trained to pick up on error that is being ministered by that voice. Listen long enough and they will betray themselves to you, if you know the Word rightly divided. Properly trained disciples definitely could pick up on what a voice is saying that is not in line with the Word of truth.

Out of all this mess, when will true disciples wake up, unite in faith, follow Jesus, and live by His truth rightly divided? Do not count on being raptured out of a mess that you have helped create.

The Kingdom of God is at Hand
True and mature preachers will lovingly but boldly minister truth to Jews, Gentiles, Reds, Yellows, Blacks, and Whites. They will not be stopped by satanic political correctness. They will keep things focused on Jesus Christ, His kingdom, and His Word of truth rightly divided. They may lose their job, and they may even lose their head eventually, but they will advance the kingdom of God, help unify and mature the Church, and gain rewards at the Judgment Seat of Christ. Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand!

True disciples will not read an article and ignore the core truth, and then jump on their political bandwagon. Selah!

Go On To Maturity

Let’s go on to maturity! Jesus Christ wants all of His disciples to go on to maturity. He calls and matures ministers through the Holy Spirit Who then works with them to make mature disciples who, in the unity of faith, can do the work of the ministry. The devil has sent his ministers to lead professing Christians astray and to prevent their growth to maturity.

Maturity Means Learning to Discern by Truth
Disciples must learn how to discern the false from the real, and then, forgetting the false and carnal ministers, they must find and join with true ministers. Great (and unnecessary) devilish storms are not far ahead unless the Church everywhere is restored, England and the United States included. A simple way of explaining restoration is that "it is a full return to the Lord, His Word rightly divided, His kingdom and righteousness, and His biblical way of doing all things."

Maturity Includes Milk and Meat
The restored Church will be in true unity of faith and will be saying the same things—truth and only truth. The restored Church will have only mature, godly ministers. Ministers who are called but not yet mature will be equipped properly and trained to maturity. All disciples, young and old, will be trained in all the milk doctrines (Heb. 5:12 through 6:2) shortly after conversion. They will then be trained in the meat of the Word and, before long, will be teaching others truth and only truth.

Maturity Recognizes "True Fire" and "Wild Fire"
Presently, most members of the Church are so weak in their study of the Word of truth that their spiritual senses are not trained to discern the real from the false or the good from the evil. Because of this, many cannot tell the difference in a mature minister of God and one who is of the devil disguised as a minister of righteousness. They don't know the difference in the "true fire" of God and the "wild fire" of the devil. The results in the lives of people touched by wild fire may look positive and good to the untrained eye. Even seemingly good works may abound from those touched by wild fire, but deep down a fire of devastation is smoldering and waiting to break out at an opportune time to do more of the devil's work.

Maturity Means Realizing Costly Grace
The message of "cheap grace" has poisoned the minds of those who do not have trained and mature senses. Therefore, they make excuses for their own conduct and actions and for the conduct and actions of others, including those of false and carnal ministers. They end up calling good evil and evil good; they defend the false and carnal and sometimes ignore or even attack the real.

Maturity Means Learning to Recognize Deception
Recognizing that a particular minister or group of ministers is false and/or carnal does not guarantee that one is mature in the Word of truth. The devil works both ends and the middle of things. He deceives some professing Christians to the extent that they accept the false and carnal as being of and from God. He infiltrates the minds of other professing Christians who actually recognize some false and carnal ministers by causing them to go beyond and/or short of truth. For example, in their fervor to expose false and carnal ministers and their teachings, they actually renounce some things that are true. They do not understand that carnal ministers and even false ministers are sometimes ministering some truth. That is one of the main reasons that they are so deceptive. A minister of the devil in a Christian church or setting is not going to act, at least openly, the same way a minister of the devil acts in a satanic or occult church. He or she is not going to say the same things, at least openly, as the devil's ministers in an openly occult or satanic church.

Maturity Means Being Prepared for Judgment
All are going to be judged by the Word of God. It is time to become a real student of the Word. Lay aside all private traditions, interpretations and preferences and yield to truth and only truth. The time is short! Start now and go on to maturity!

Worship and Places

Loyal Disciple or Experience Seeker?
While many professing Christians are looking for something in places and experiences, the eyes of the Lord are looking for loyal disciples to make up a restored Church. While loyal disciples are denying self to follow Jesus, immature and/or carnal Christians and religious people are looking for places, experiences, etc.

Human nature is no different today than in the past; it is no different than when Jesus walked the earth and spoke truth to the Samaritan woman. Did she have ears to hear to become a true worshiper? Will you have ears to hear, or will you continue your journey and defend your position? Much is at stake!

Where to Worship
Jesus said that the hour is coming when true worshipers would worship the Father in spirit and in truth wherever they are, not in certain places like the mountains of Samaria or Jerusalem. That hour actually came a long time ago, but countless professing Christians still run to and fro looking zealously for something spiritual in places and experiences.

Many of those presently viewed as spiritual leaders feed this frenzy by example and word. They continually chase this and that. They chase this for a while and write or talk about how great it is, and then they will decide it is not so great after all and then they will take off looking for something else. They are really hindering the Church and the kingdom of God. They might even mean well but they are helping create a lot of unnecessary confusion and are distracting multitudes of people.

It is time to stop where you are, repent of all the chasing, and become a true worshiper of God right where you are. Our Lord is looking for those who will hear His word and become disciples who worship in spirit and in truth. Many of those who have been seeking places and experiences will continue on that path, but a few will have ears to hear and will heed the Lord's call for true worshipers. They will readily repent and begin the process of being transformed by renewing their minds. While those around them still hit and miss, mostly miss by chasing this and that, they will be in pursuit of God.

Conclusion
While the itchy ear generation runs to and fro looking for experiences that excite and thrill, a faithful remnant Church is forming. This faithful remnant wants to know God intimately and wants to fulfill the Lord's words concerning worship. They want to worship God in spirit and in truth.

True prophets and other ministers of God are calling for Christians to repent and return to their first love. They are heeding the admonition giving by Paul to Timothy: “Preach the Word of truth when they are ready for it and when they are not ready for it." Some will heed the call and others will resist and defend their present positions. Be among the faithful, do not be defensive and stubborn minded. Be humble and teachable rather than defending some religiously accepted position.

Become a disciple who seeks God rather than places and experiences. Become one who communicates the truth of God with whatever means available to you. The itchy-ear generation wants other things, but give them Scripture. Most of all walk among them as one who worships God in spirit and truth!

Godly Restoration with Intercession

(Updated from 9/25/08)

The Need is Restoration, but Some Fall Away
The Church is in great need of restoration, but not all of the Church is going to be restored. Part of the Church will fall away! Actually, part of the Church has already fallen away, and others are heading in that direction. There will be a portion of the Church, a faithful remnant, who forsakes all to follow Jesus. There are others who will continue to flounder in their present state. Hopefully, the faithful remnant will be a witness to those who are floundering and will cause some of them to wake up before it is too late.

Need Humble Intercessors, Not Prideful Attention Seekers
Prayers, supplications, and intercessions by humble disciples are needed to help make restoration a reality in the Church. God is looking for humble and obedient disciples who will deny self and cry out to God for the restoration of His people, the Church. I have been involved in prayer and intercession for much of my life. I have ministered and taught on prayer for years. Many of those who are well known in these areas deceive and lead people astray rather than really helping or instructing them. Subtle pride is a spirit that works in many of those who proclaim to be "intercessors." For example, some pridefully think they hear things before God’s true prophets hear them; they think the prophet is hearing because they are praying. The bottom line truth is that they are attention seekers more than God seekers! There is a great need for intercession, but there is a great need for humble and mature disciples who make intercessions. The Church must give herself to prayer, supplications, intercessions, and thanksgivings, but without humility, repentance, and obedience, very little, if anything, will be accomplished.

Overcome Fear and Discouragement
Those who decide to follow Jesus and help restore His Church will become targets for the devil. Fear and discouragement have been two of the devil's strategies for ages. He will try to use both of them against any disciple who answers the call to help bring restoration to the Church. Remember to stay close to Jesus and keep your sword sharp! The Word of God is a mighty weapon to fight against the devil and his tactics. The Word is a sharp two-edged sword and must be in our mouths; it must be released in prayer and in witness. Be encouraged! Be an overcomer! Overcome the devil and his weapons of fear and discouragement with the blood of the Lamb and the word of your testimony. Testify to the devil what the Word of God says that the blood of Jesus does for you. Fear not for Jesus Christ is with you.

Be Prayerful and Obedient
Without true obedience, little will result from your prayers. There are many prayers that are not answered because the one praying is not living in obedience to Jesus Christ and His Word of truth. In a time of cheap grace and love, many professing Christians will be shocked by such words, but the spiritual will hear. It is time to walk in the Spirit, cry out to God, and see great and mighty things take place. It is time to see true binding and loosing. There has been so much “binding and loosing” in the last several years that if there were any real, long-lasting results, there would not be anything left to bind. It is time to wake up and repent, find and listen to true prophets of God, and forsake all to follow Jesus Christ. It is time to have purified intercession. Purified intercession flows from the heart of humble, faithful, and holy disciples.

A Warning to Prepare
Always look for the glorious return of our Lord with personal and corporate preparation. Be prepared for the marriage of the Lamb in the future, and be prepared for opposition on this earth. Opposition may come before the Lord returns. To American and Western Christians, I say, "Don’t count too heavily on being taken out of situations that you have helped create." We have brothers and sisters all over this world who are better disciples than most American and Western Christians, and they are being imprisoned, beaten, tortured, and killed right now. It is time to wake up! There must be prayers, fastings, intercessions, supplications, but there must be repentance followed by true obedience that results in a Church who is holy as God is holy in all her conduct. There must be a Church that fulfills Ephesians 4:13-26; Ephesians 5:26-27, and John 17:17-22. There must be a Church that makes herself ready (Revelation 19:7). For this to take place, many are going to have to come out of where they are in relationship to the world and the modern Church. Be in the world as a witness, but be not of the world. Be in a local Church that has Christ formed within and is following Jesus Christ and living in obedience to all of His Word of truth rightly divided.

Those with ears to hear and eyes to see must examine themselves. They must repent where needed and dedicate themselves totally to God and His purposes. They must begin to turn the world around them upside down for Jesus Christ. If they don't, there will be a shaking that turns things upside down, but it will not be pleasant for them and those around them. There is a difference in being persecuted for righteousness sake and suffering from your own disobedience. Be prepared, be obedient. Get in the gap and cry out. Help restore the Church. Go out into the harvest fields and make disciples who will be living stones in a restored Church.

Be Encouraged, and Be Victorious
Be encouraged in the Lord! Be victorious in Christ! But be one who has denied self and forsaken all to take up your cross to follow Jesus the Messiah. Let’s have godly restoration that brings godly shaking! Amen.

What Does Restoration Mean to Christians in America?

Also see What Does Restoration Mean to All Christians (dated 1/15/2013)

Why Need Restoration?
Three of the main things that Jesus intends for the Church that He is building are: 1. To be filled with and led by the Holy Spirit; 2. To be one with Him and each other; 3. To know and live by His Word. There are other things but if one truthfully discerns the present Church, they will quickly acknowledge that the Church falls short in each of these areas. Therefore the Church is in great need of restoration.

What is Restoration?
A simple definition of 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.

Concern for Christians in the United States
At the present time most of the Church on earth is far away from God's intended purposes for her. Although my concern is for the Church throughout the earth, in this message I am asking you to focus on the Church in the United States. Most, if not all, parts of the Church throughout the earth need restoration, but none more so than the part that is found within the United States of America.

Because of the overall unrestored state of the Church in the United States, I have what could be called a progressive concern for the future of Christians in the United States. What do I mean by a progressive concern? I mean that, as each day passes, the window closes a little on our time to prepare for things and events of the future. I am referring to things that are coming on the earth, things that are coming in the United States that will change this country as you and your family know it.

Some Christians are counting on things like the rapture, or even death, to escape what is coming. This often prevents them from doing the things that are needed to be ready. I have a glorious hope of the return of the Lord, but I have a concern for life before He returns. I am concerned about things that you and your family, as well as mine, will face. As time passes, we will progressively face things that, as a whole, we are unprepared for unless the Church in the United States is restored to God, His Word of truth, and His biblical pattern of living and doing all things. Some things to face will be minor, and some things to face will be major, but remember that "little foxes spoil the vine." There are many different topics of concern, but at this time I will only mention the loss of freedom(s).

Loss of Freedom(s)
When undistracted and focused Christians take a discerning look at present conditions as well as at conditions of the near past, they have to acknowledge that many freedoms have already been lost. Unless true restoration occurs soon, the losses of the past and present will be miniscule compared to the losses of the future, the near future. Many who profess to be Christians are even going to make decisions that will cost them their freedoms. They have been blinded by the things of the world and of the modern Church and will submit to being led by the blind into the ditch of bondage.

Is there Hope?
There is hope! There is hope that true disciples will wake up and become salt and light, not only to the world around them, but to the modern Church. It is too late to stop some of the things, minor and major, that are upon us, but it is not too late to unite in faith and call on God. God will respond and see you through; He will use you to be a help to others. Will you deny self, forsake all, and unite in faith with like-minded disciples to follow Jesus and be and do what He always intended for His disciples? If so, there is hope. There is not only the hope of the glorious return of the Lord, there is hope for a glorious Church in His image to be waiting and prepared for Him.

Requesting a Favor
I am requesting a favor of you. Would you please consider responding and sharing with me what you think of when I say that the Church as a whole is in need of restoration? How does restoration apply to you, your family (present and future), your local church, and all of the Church? Do you really understand what Jesus means by being a disciple in deed? Do you understand unity of faith? Do you believe that there will be a Church with Christ formed within that unites in faith and witnesses the gospel of the kingdom to all nations (Matthew 24:14)? Do you know where to start?

Wake Up to the Need for Restoration!

Hard Times are here!
Hard times and devilish storms are no longer ahead; they are already here! Unless enough true ministers and disciples who clearly see the need for restoration of the Church quickly unite in faith to bring it about, hard times and devilish storms will only increase. Will you continue to follow the crowds of the world and/or of modern churchanity or will you forsake all to follow Christ and help bring forth a Church in His true image? If you decide to step out to follow Jesus Christ, don’t expect a big crowd to walk with you in the beginning. Actually expect opposition; there will be opposition! Be forewarned that to truly follow Christ will bring you persecution from the world and the modern church, maybe even from family members, but will bring glory to Jesus Christ and light in darkness. If you will have the courage and boldness to step out and maintain your faithfulness in the midst of opposition and persecution, your witness will open eyes of people in and out of the Church. Your witness may even open the eyes of that loved one you so care about!

Open Eyes and Ears to Need For Restoration
Jesus Christ spoke of the need for disciples who would have eyes to see and ears to hear. Will you be a disciple who has your eyes and ears open to the need for the restoration of the Church? The Church is in desperate need of restoration, and one of the main reasons is that her ministers and members have strayed from rightly dividing the Word of God. The failure to rightly divide God's Word of truth has produced a Church that is divided by traditions and interpretations, rather than being unified in faith. I cannot over emphasize the seriousness of this problem! It is a major problem that must be corrected; otherwise, restoration is impossible. Without restoration, the Church cannot fulfill God's plans for her on earth. Anyone or anything that hinders God's plans for earth opens the door for the devil's plans for earth.

Do I have your attention?
Are your eyes and ears open? The mind of many is so cloudy with other things that they can't focus or understand. The attention span of others is so short they may not have gotten to this point. Those two groups are part of the problem. Our prayer is that you have ears to hear and eyes to see and that others will join with you to be part of the solution.

Correcting the Course
How do we begin correcting the course of the Church? How do we change the present state of the over all Church? How do we get her on the right course? An important step towards correction of the Church is the recognition and acknowledgement of when and how she got off course. When and how did all of this start? A close study of the New Covenant (Testament) reveals two important things concerning our need. First is revealed the importance of the Church being washed and sanctified by God’s Word of truth (John 17:17 and Ephesians 5:26). Next is revealed that the devil will do anything necessary to cause people to not be washed and sanctified by God’s Word of truth. The devil began sending his ministers disguised as ministers of righteousness early on in the Church to lead her in the wrong direction. Rather than resisting him and his false words and holding fast to the truth many have bought into error of some kind or another. Many have added to and taken away from the Word of God.

Over the centuries, countless individuals and groups have come together and spawned various man made Christian traditions and private interpretations of Scripture resulting in vast numbers of churches and denominations who call themselves Christian, but in fact are divided from one another because they have not been washed and sanctified in truth. The devil messed up the Garden of Eden and he has worked hard to mess up the Church. It is time to boot him, his ministers, his traditions, and his private interpretations out of the Church. It is time to correct the course!

To be continued ...

Who Will Forsake All to Follow Jesus and Be Stripped to the Core?

I wonder if anyone would be part of a local Church that was stripped of all the amenities to which professing Christians have become so accustomed, whether they are Baptist amenities, Pentecostal amenities, or Charismatic amenities. Who would go where there is no choir, no special singers, no great pianist, and no organist at all, but where all people were expected to worship in Spirit and in truth? Who would go where truth and truth only was preached, where Christians would be reproved, rebuked, and exhorted both when they were ready for it and when they were not? Who would go where the group is presently very small? Who would go where they would be expected to learn the basics of the Word and quickly move on to the meat of the Word?

Where are parents who are disciples that would attend a local church where they would be expected to teach and live obediently to the Word, beginning in their own home? They would be students of the Word and would train their children at home, and together with their children would be ready to sit and listen to a prophet preach when the Church gathered. In such a Church the children would not have to be sent out to children’s church or given a children’s message by the pastor and then be sent out because they couldn't sit still or understand what was going on. They would have developed ears to hear and eager hearts to learn of Jesus Christ and His Word by sitting under the teaching of their parents and their church.

The children would be taught at home first, every day and night, and they would be trained in the Bible in Bible study courses when the Church gathered. In the home and in Bible studies, they would learn the Word; they would learn to pray in the spirit and understanding; and they would learn to worship in Spirit and in truth. They would then sit and learn more when the prophet preached. They would worship corporately in Spirit and truth along with their parents and the rest of their local church body. They would learn to move in the gifts of the Spirit and, with their parents, would release the gifts and edify their brothers and sisters in Christ when they gathered for corporate meetings. All would be done to the glory of God, and all would be done decently and in order.

Unbiblical practices, such as drunkenness, being slain in the spirit, or other false manifestations would not be tolerated, but the true power of God would be present. All would be expected to grow in the character of Christ as exemplified in the fruit of the Spirit and the Beattitudes. All would be expected to move in the power of the Lord. All would be expected to be students of the Word. All would be expected to be given to prayer with their spirit and with their understanding. Parents and children would have their senses trained to discern both good and evil in the Church and in the world.

Adults and children would be taught how to minister to others about Jesus and Him crucified. They would be taught how to minister the gospel of the kingdom, which is the message the Lord Jesus ministered. They would release the gifts of the Spirit to edify the body when they gathered, and they would minister the good news of Jesus and the good news of His kingdom in the harvest fields that are white for harvest and waiting for them. The Lord would confirm their faithful ministry with accompanying signs—the sick being healed and demons being cast out of those in bondage.

There would be none of the false prosperity junk, none of the feel good and motivational junk, or any other present or future junk that the devil is trying to put in the Church, but there would be truth. There would be no “godliness for gain” in the pulpit or the congregation. People would be taught to think “the Word of God” when they hear the word “seed” instead of thinking “money.” Disciples, young and old, would be trained to deny self, forsake all, unite in faith, and always follow Jesus, to be witnesses to the world but not as the world.

In this kind of local church, Christians would be expected to know both the basics and the meat of the Word. They would be expected to go out and minister the good news of Jesus and the gospel of the kingdom and come back rejoicing because of bearing fruit for the Lord and His kingdom. The young people would quickly be taught the basics of Hebrew 6:1-2 and then move on to the meat. They would never be entertained but would be taught to deny self, forsake all, and follow Jesus.

These things are by no means exhaustive but just a start. Who really wants to follow Jesus? Who really wants to say no to the man-made traditions and teachings of the Church and the ways of the world? Who wants to say yes to forsaking all to follow the Lord, live by His Word, and do all thing to glorify Christ? Who wants to be real salt and light to the glory of Jesus Christ? Who wants to go on to perfection (maturity)? Who will count the cost and pay the price? Jesus did! Will you?

Getting Things Straight: Day of Pentecost

Let's get what happened on the Day of Pentecost straight once and for all! No one — apostles, disciples, or anyone else — among those in the upper room acted like they were drunk. I am so astounded by the ignorance of some who claim to be Christian that I want to ask, “Who are you people learning from? What are you thinking when you read the Bible? Do you even read the Bible? Are you even studying to show yourself approved? Are you a worker who should be ashamed at the way you handle the Word of truth?”

It was the mockers, get it clear, the “mockers” who said they were full of new wine. They were mockers! They were mockers! Read your Bible — they were MOCKERS. (Yes, I am raising my voice as I sit in front of this computer!)

I am called of God, and my spirit is grieved at the spiritual junk so many professing Christians have given themselves over to. My spirit is grieved because professing Christians are being trained by ministers who neither know Jesus Christ intimately nor His Word thoroughly. By now, some who are reading this may be getting upset and reacting against me, saying, “Well, who and what are you?” What really matters is Who God is, and Who and what He has called any of us to be and do. If you want to know what God has called me to be and to do, ask Him; study what I write. You will discover who and what I am in my writing, if you know anything about the characteristics of certain ministers and what they do. Find out Who God is, who He wants you to be, and what He wants you to do. Let’s do it together, in the unity of faith.

The emphasis in Acts Chapter Two ...

Concerning the eleven and the other disciples, is upon the following:

1. They were all with one accord in one place (v. 1);
2. A sound from heaven filled the whole house (v. 2);
3. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared and sat upon each of them (v. 3);
4. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Holy Spirit gave them utterance (v. 4);
5. Peter, standing up with the eleven [not falling down or getting up after falling down], raised His voice [without stammering like a drunk], and said to them … [in clear and precise language] (vv. 14-40). In verse 15 he specifically said, "For these men are not drunk, as you (unbelieving mockers) suppose...

Note: A new lie of the devil about the emphasis being upon the hearing rather than the speaking is taking root and spreading like "wild fire" in places where people, ministers and professing Christians, don't really know the Word of truth.

Concerning those who came together to see what was going on:
1. When this sound occurred (the only sounds mentioned in verses one through five are found in verses two and four — one being a sound from heaven (v. 2), and the other a result of the utterance given each disciple by the Holy Spirit (v. 4);
2. Those in the multitude who came were all amazed and heard the disciples speaking in the native languages of the hearers (vv. 7-10);
3. They were hearing the disciples speak the wonderful works of God in the language of the hearers (v. 11);
4. They were perplexed at what this could mean [what they were hearing; not seeing people falling all over themselves and others like stupid drunks] (v. 12).

Concerning the mockers (THOSE UNBELIEVING MOCKERS!):
The MOCKERS said, “They are full of new wine.” The emphasis should be upon the truth that there are MOCKERS. Don’t give them too much credit because they only get one verse (v. 13). False and/or carnal and immature prophets, preachers, pastors, teachers, and disciples have taken that verse and given the devil’s message and manifestations.

Concerning those who gladly responded to everything, and specifically Peter’s clear and precise message:
About three thousand souls were added to the number of disciples (v. 41).

Concerning the follow up:
They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers (v. 42).

Concerning you:
1. Will you deny self, forsake all, unite in faith with true and mature ministry gifts and disciples? Will you, together with them, follow Jesus and do His will?
2. Will you become a real student of all of the Word of God?
3. Will you do what is necessary to find true and mature ministers to teach you truth?
4. Will you help bring restoration, revival, and awakening?
5. Will you have your senses trained to discern the false and carnal ministers, run from and stay away from them?
6. Will you have the courage and fortitude to break free from traditions that have made the Word of God of no effect?
7. Will you preach Jesus and Him crucified, and will you learn and preach the message that He preached — the gospel of the kingdom?

Conclusion:
There were no apostles or disciples falling down, shaking, or speaking with slurred speech. There were apostles and disciples who had just been baptized in the Holy Spirit after being in one mind and accord and after hearing a sound from heaven. There were people who gathered and heard the apostles and disciples speaking about the wonderful works of God in their native languages, languages not learned intellectually by the speakers. If any preachers from any kind of groups tell you otherwise, they are lying to you. They are guilty of adding to and taking away from the Word, and they are guilty of misleading God’s people. Neither sin is small in God’s eyes! If you are listening to and believing their lies and then passing them on to others, then you are adding to and taking away from God’s Word of truth. You are adding to the problems in the body of Christ.

My prayer is that the eyes of many will be opened to see that certain things that have been happening in some segments of Western Christianity that mimic drunkenness and animalistic behavior is not of the Holy Spirit. Let’s all get things straight; let's have our senses trained to recognize good and evil, and let's be about the Father’s business of making true and holy-in-conduct disciples. The time is short! The hour is urgent! Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand!

Godly Restoration

The Need is Restoration but Some Fall Away
The Church is in great need of restoration, but not all of the Church is going to be restored. Part of the Church will fall away! Actually, part of the Church has already fallen away, and others are heading in that direction. There will be a portion of the Church, a faithful remnant, who forsakes all to follow Jesus. There are others who will continue to flounder in their present state. Hopefully, the faithful remnant will be a witness to those who are floundering and will cause some of them to wake up before it is too late.

Need Humble Intercessors, Not Prideful Attention Seekers
Prayers, supplications and intercessions by humble disciples are needed to help make restoration a reality in the Church. God is looking for humble and obedient disciples who will deny self and cry out to God for the restoration of His people, the Church. I have been involved in prayer and intercession for much of my life. I have ministered and taught on prayer for years. Many of those who are well known in these areas deceive and lead people astray rather than really helping or instructing them. Subtle pride is a spirit that works in many of those who proclaim to be "intercessors." For example, some pridefully think they hear things before God’s true prophets hear them; they think the prophet is hearing because they are praying. The bottom line truth is that they are attention seekers more than God seekers! There is a great need for intercession, but there is a great need for humble and mature disciples who make intercessions. The Church must give herself to prayer, supplications, intercessions, and thanksgivings, but, without humility, repentance, and obedience, very little, if anything will be accomplished.

Overcome Fear and Discouragement
Those who decide to follow Jesus and help restore His Church will become targets for the devil. Fear and discouragement have been two of the devil's strategies for ages. He will try to use both of them against any disciple who answers the call to help bring restoration to the Church. Remember to stay close to Jesus and keep your sword sharp! The Word of God is a mighty weapon to fight against the devil and his tactics. The Word is a sharp two edged sword and must be in our mouths; it must be released in prayer and in witness. Be encouraged! Be an overcomer! Overcome the devil and his weapons of fear and discouragement with the blood of the Lamb and the word of your testimony. Testify to the devil what the Word of God says that the blood of Jesus does for you. Fear not for Jesus Christ is with you.

Be Prayerful and Obedient
Without true obedience little will result from your prayers. There are many prayers that are not answered because the one praying is not living in obedience to Jesus Christ and His Word of truth. In a time of cheap grace and love many professing Christians will be shocked by such words, but the spiritual will hear. It is time to walk in the Spirit and cry out to God and see great and mighty things take place. It is time to see true binding and loosing. There has been so much “binding and loosing” in the last several years that if there were any real, long-lasting results, there would not be anything left to bind. It is time to wake up, repent, find and listen to true prophets of God, and forsake all to follow Jesus Christ. It is time to have purified intercession. Purified intercession flows from the heart of humble, faithful and holy disciples.

A Warning to Prepare
Always look for the glorious return of our Lord with personal and corporate preparation. Be prepared for the marriage of the Lamb in the future and be prepared for opposition on this earth. Opposition may come before the Lord returns. To American and Western Christians I say, "Don’t count too heavily on being taken out of situations that you have helped create." We have brothers and sisters all over this world who are better disciples than most American and Western Christians, and they are being imprisoned, beaten, tortured, and killed right now. It is time to wake up! There must be prayers, fastings, intercessions, supplications, but there must be repentance followed by true obedience that results in a Church who is holy as God is holy in all her conduct. There must be a Church that fulfills Ephesians 4:13-26; Ephesians 5:26-27, and John 17:17-22. There must be a Church that makes herself ready (Revelation 19:7). For this to take place, many are going to have to come out of where they are in relationship to the world and the modern Church. Be in the world as a witness but be not of the world. Be in a local Church that has Christ formed within and is following Jesus Christ and living in obedience to all of His Word of truth rightly divided.

Those with ears to hear and eyes to see must examine themselves. They must repent where needed and dedicate themselves totally to God and His purposes. They must begin to turn the world around them upside down for Jesus Christ. If they don't, there will be a shaking that turns things upside down, but it will not be pleasant for them and those around them. There is a difference in being persecuted for righteousness sake and suffering from your own disobedience. Be prepared, be obedient. Get in the gap and cry out. Help restore the Church. Go out into the harvest fields and make disciples who will be living stones in a restored Church.

Be Encouraged and Be Victorious
Be encouraged in the Lord! Be victorious in Christ! But be one who has denied self and forsaken all to take up your cross to follow Jesus the Messiah. Let’s have godly restoration that brings godly shaking! Amen.

Where Are the True Prophets of God?

"When will Christians begin to seek out and find true and mature prophets and other ministers of God who are making true and mature disciples of Jesus Christ?"

Mourning Over the Church
Blessed are those who mourn. Recently, someone who was teaching about the Beatitudes during our Wednesday night gathering shared that she was mourning over the ungodly things taking place at a church she was aware of. I responded by saying that as part of God’s call on my life, He has put in my heart a concern for the Church as a whole. The Church as a whole is far from what Jesus Christ intends for her to be and, in many cases, things seem to be progressively growing worse. Actually, things are in a crisis state and need urgent attention.

We need Christians who will respond to the Spirit of God and mourn in spirit in a way that will touch the heart of God to bring change, whether it is over part of the Church or the Church as a whole. The Lord is looking for faithful disciples who will mourn and weep over the Church as He mourned over Jerusalem. Jesus followed through on His mourning and went to the cross. Perhaps it is time to ask, “What am I willing to do?”

Seeking out True and Mature Ministers
One of the most important things that any true disciple of Jesus Christ can do is to seek out true and mature ministers of God. Specifically, they need to seek out true prophets of God! Each true disciple needs the ministry of a true and mature prophet of God. "When will Christians begin to seek out and find true and mature prophets and other ministers of God who are making true and mature disciples of Jesus Christ?

We need true prophets who will call the Church to repentance and point her in the right direction, the direction of taking up her cross and following after Jesus. We need men who are real prophets and look humble, loving, and bold, rather than men who are false prophets and look like proud, strutting peacocks! There are many people in the Christian Church who are presently following immature, carnal, and even false teachers, false ministers, and false prophets. When will Christians realize that false prophets are using the lusts of the flesh and the pride of life to hook them into feeding their greed? When will they begin to discern wolves in sheep’s clothing? When will the Church begin to seek out and find true prophets and ministers who are making true disciples of Jesus Christ? Is there a faithful remnant who are not being taken in by carnal, deceitful, greedy, and errant ministers and prophets?

Heed the Warning!
There is an ever growing need in the body of Christ for discerning believers. I recently observed some men on television who are perceived as moving in the prophetic. As I watched them, I was reminded of hearing a true, and proven, minister say that several years ago some men posing as prophets moved from country to country saying to each country that revival would uniquely begin with them and then spread. Regretfully, people in each country were taken in by these men, these false prophets as it were. Well, my discernment says that people are still being taken in. They were definitely being taken in by the ones I observed on TV. We do need true prophets, but we do not need this stuff that is currently taking place. My heart was grieved when I saw a young person in the clutches of one of the “prophets.” He was asking personal and inappropriate questions about a condition on their body. A real prophet would have been sensitive enough not to ask, and discerning enough not to have to ask. The crowd didn’t seem to have a clue; in their desperation for help, they were spiritually blind and undiscerning about all that was taking place.

I heard a minister on tape teaching on the spirit of the Antichrist. He said that the Charismatic movement was a likely place for the spirit of the Antichrist to work because it was largely ignorant of the Word of God, lawless, and crazy about spiritual gifts. He went on to say that in spite of this, he does think that the Charismatic movement is of God. This minister has since gone to be with the Lord, but I do believe his discernment was correct. I am not singling out the Charismatics just so the other parts of the Church can say I told you so. There are some issues, major issues, in all parts of the Church that God wants to address. I am looking for Baptists, Methodists, Charismatics, Pentecostals, etc., with maturity and discernment who will unite in faith as disciples of Jesus Christ and mourn and weep over the present state of the Church.

Where Are the true Prophets of God?
Many are in the wilderness or on the edge of the wilderness. Seldom are they presently well known or accepted, but they are out there for those who are willing to seek for them. If you do not want to accept that there are still true prophets of God, just cry out for real ministers who will address the issues with truth and power, and will move the body of Christ in the right direction. Let the Church be the Church! Let there be a Church with Christ formed within, united in faith, holy as God is holy in all her conduct, ministering truth, and shining for Jesus Christ.

Conclusion
When will true prophets be received, accepted, and listened to? When will enough people in the body of Christ wake up and unite in faith to be what Christ called His Church to be? Until this happens, the types of things I warned about are going to grow and spread like a cancer, or a wildfire. Will you please understand that you cannot ignore what is going on? Will you please understand that what happens in one part of the Church affects all of the Church? Will you wake up and look beyond your personal situation and/or group? God, help us, please!

_____________________________
BIBLICAL APPLICATION:

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'" Matthew 23:37-39 NIV

A Very Precarious Time

This is an update of a Truth For Today message that was first posted on our internet ministry site on August 13, 2007.

I am seeking God to help me choose my words very carefully. In my spirit I hear that we are in a very precarious time. During this time the Holy Spirit is doing two things simultaneously: He is revealing the love, grace, mercy and truth of God; and He is warning of judgment.

I must caution those with ears to hear that not all messengers who share these two messages are true messengers of God. Some will pervert and twist these truths and cause many people to miss what God is saying about love and judgment. For example, there are many professing Christians who are being deceived and blinded by a message of cheap grace, cheap justice and cheap mercy. One of the Scriptures that they pervert and twist is Micah 6:8. Others are being taught that God is not involved in any type of judgment. There are ministers who are not living as they should and of course they do not want to think or say that God judges. The truth is that God is love and He is judge. The truth is if you love Him, you will obey Him.

I remind you again that there are Too Many Voices in the Christian Church. This means that the devil has infiltrated modern day Christianity with his ministers who disguise themselves as ministers of righteousness. (The spirit of Antichrist works in the church; don’t look for this spirit in the world). Unless one is very intimate with Jesus Christ and thoroughly knowledgeable of His entire Word, they are absolutely subject to being deceived. Many professing Christians who have bought into a cheap grace message are in for a rude awakening unless they wake up and rightly divide God's Word of truth. They need to find true and mature ministry gifts who preach the Word in season and out of season!

I encourage and exhort you to draw near to God; start now seeking Him with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength. Lay aside all weights that have beset you! Give yourself to prayer and the study of His Word. Ask Him to give you His mind and His heart. Walk in the Spirit only! The mine fields are treacherous and only the Holy Spirit can lead you on the safe and narrow pathway. If you call on God, He will answer you and will show you the way. The Bible warns in the Old and New Testaments not to think that things will not happen because time has passed and all goes on as it has. Jesus waits for all who will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.” He waits for all who will repent, deny self, forsake all and take up their cross to follow Him.

For those who forsake all to follow Him and live by His Word of truth be assured that Jesus Christ is with you in and through all things. For those who are following watered down messages the message for you is "Warning: Impending Judgment!" unless you wake up and repent. He and she who has ears to hear, let them hear!

Let the Church Be the Church

Political Parties and the Kingdom of God
No political party is the kingdom of God! No political party has the answers or solutions to the needs of society! Christians who attach themselves to a particular political party are not being very wise. I do not care who they are, what Club they lead, or how much influence they seem to exert. Can you just see Jesus Christ or Peter, John and Paul involved in politics like professing Christian leaders and Christians are today? O, it is alright to vote, but keep everything in a biblical perspective; too many professing Christians are voting color, culture and/or gender rather than by the Spirit. If God leads a Christian, a true Christian, to be involved as a candidate then praise God, but keep all things in godly perspective.

True disciples are citizens of another kingdom. It is time for those disciples to seek that kingdom and represent it by flavoring their environment and shining as lights. To do this will require restoration of a remnant Church because the overall Church is presently in great need of restoration. I say remnant because there will be a portion of the Church that will not only not be restored, but will fall away. There is a portion of the Church that is already falling away.

A Purified and Restored Remnant
If enough disciples are not restored to Jesus Christ and His biblical Way, then among other things it may eventually be better for the purifying of the Church that she loses some of her freedoms, including the freedom to vote. I do not want loss of freedoms, but I do want to see in the United States and other nations a purified, mature and united in faith Church who has Jesus Christ formed within. Some of the most dedicated disciples on earth are living in countries and/or nations where they do not even have the freedom to assemble. I want above all else to see Jesus Christ glorified by a glorious Church. I want to see a Church that is salt and light! I want to see a Church that has forsaken all to follow Jesus Christ and is seeking His Kingdom and righteousness. I want to see a Church that is built on the Word of truth without any of man's leaven being anywhere involved. The Church that does these things will be salt and light influence to society for God, whether she has the right to vote or not.

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 herself is the main culprit preventing the Church from being restored! 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.

Conclusion
Most professing Christians are not dedicated enough to learn truth and identify the errors in their part of the Church. Many of those 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.

Who will have ears to hear without having to go through hard times? Who will deny self, forsake all and take up their cross to follow Jesus? Who will study all of the Word of truth on a regular basis so that truth will wash away all of the junk and garbage that they have picked up from the unrestored Church and from society? Let the Church be the Church!

God’s Biblical Truth Confirmed by God’s Biblical Signs

Jesus said that certain religious people always wanted a sign. The devil and his magicians (gold dust quartets, etc.) will send signs for immature, fleshly, and carnal Christians to chase.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He is looking for disciples who will deny self, forsake all, take up their cross, follow Him, and minister the gospel of His kingdom in all the nations. He will confirm His Word with the accompanying signs, but they will be biblical signs.

Let's be disciples who preach Jesus and Him crucified, and preach the message that He preached which was the gospel of the kingdom of God. When true disciples fulfill His command, He will send the accompanying signs with which He promised to confirm His Word. The signs He is sending as confirmation to truth being preached are laying hands on the sick so that they are healed, and casting out demons so that people are free from the devil's bondage. He promises that, if in doing His will, you accidentally drink bad water, etc., or get bitten by a snake, He will take care of you.

Let’s look to Jesus Christ, and let’s look to His Word for truth and for the signs or type of signs that He sends to confirm His Word of truth. In order to not be deceived and led astray by false words and false signs requires that you know Jesus intimately and all of His Word thoroughly. This requires much time in prayer with the spirit and with the understanding, and it requires much time in personal study of the entire Bible on a regular basis as well as being ministered to by true and mature ministers of God. Those who do not will fall for false and/or carnal ministers who mix truth and error. The false and/or carnal ministers may astound you with some of their biblical knowledge and teaching, but they will entrap you with their error in Word and character.

The Church is in need of restoration! Get ready for godly restoration or for devilish storms! Help bring about restoration by being a true disciple, by being equipped by true and mature ministers, and by joining with like-minded disciples. Be warned that the devil wants you to spend a lot of time focused on what he and his ministers are doing. Some people like to chase fire engines; some professing Christians like to spend too much of their time focusing on false ministers and their false teaching. They justify it by saying they need help. They need you to work with true ministers and true disciples, which will provide them with light to get out of the darkness. Learn to use your time and energy carrying out the Lord’s work.

Let’s Go On to Maturity

Discernment
One of the gifts of the Spirit found in 1 Corinthians 12 is the gift of discerning of spirits (v. 10). This gift, like the other gifts, is to help the body of Christ. All local churches need one or more disciples who are gifted by the Spirit in this gift as well as in the other gifts of the Spirit. This gift enables the Church to discern good and bad spirits. It enables them to discern good and bad hearts within people (Acts 8:21). Note: This will dispel the false teaching that one cannot know what is in the heart of another. God knows what is in the heart and mind of all people, and, by the Spirit, He can reveal what He knows to anyone He chooses. It is ridiculous what non-biblically-trained disciples have been fed to keep them immature and under fleshly control. Enough is enough! Wake up! Wake up!

Not all Christians are gifted by the Spirit with the gift of discerning of spirits. All can, however, grow in the Word and have their senses trained to discern good and evil. Hebrews 5:12 to 6:2 is very relevant for all of the Church. It is greatly needed by those who call themselves Charismatics. In Hebrews 6:1-2, one can find listed the six basic teachings of true Christianity. They are the milk teachings (doctrines). Unless a disciple is thoroughly equipped in the six basic doctrines, he or she will never go on to becoming a mature disciple.

Restoration and Maturity
The Church as a whole is immature, divided and in great need of being restored to Jesus Christ and His Word. We need disciples and local churches who will be restored by returning to their first love and to rightly dividing and living by the Word. This is absolutely necessary for individuals and local churches to grow to true maturity in Christ.

The restored Church will grow to becoming a mature Church in Christ Jesus. One of the important needs for a disciple to be a living and mature stone in the Church that Jesus is building is for that disciple to be trained in the milk and in the meat teachings. Each disciple is responsible for personal and prayerful study of the entire Bible on a regular basis under the teaching of the Holy Spirit. Each disciple is also responsible for finding true ministry gifts (Ephesians 4:11) who will equip that disciple for the work of the ministry.

Wake Up
You Baptists and other denomination followers who have believed what someone wrote about there no longer being apostles and prophets need to wake up. You need to wake up and begin studying the Bible by the Spirit of God and not by someone's notes in a Bible or their writings in a book. The founding apostles and prophets are now with the Lord, but the Lord has sent apostles and prophets along with evangelists, pastors and teachers to equip you for the work of the ministry.

Stop rejecting the Lord's gifts and stop taking away from His Word. Realize that there are true apostles and prophets today. The original apostles and prophets are not here today, but there are real ones on this earth sent by God and not by man. You Charismatics, Pentecostals, Independents, Non-Denominationalists, House Church people, etc., wake up and find the real! Don’t let the devil close you off to the real because you were exposed to and even deceived and/or hurt by the false. Everybody be discerning! Find the real and reject the false.

Discernment of the difference between false, carnal, immature, and mature ministers is needed in all parts of the Church. This is especially true in what is called the Charismatic movement. It is amazing what the devil has done in this so-called movement. Disciples cannot accomplish their God-given work without the truth of God, the character of Jesus Christ, and the anointing and power of God. All of these are sorely lacking in many who call themselves Charismatics. This includes those in leadership positions! In place of truth, there is error; in place of godly character and holiness is carnality; in place of anointing by the Holy Spirit is personal charisma; in place of godly power is a counterfeit power; in place of true riches in God is mammon; many Christians have been conditioned to think that when the word “seed” is used, it means giving money.

Conclusion
Who will wake up and have their senses trained by personal study and by true ministry gifts? Who will discipline their time to study? Who will take the time and make the effort to find the real and mature apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers? Who will deny self, forsake all, and take up their cross to follow Jesus? Let's go on to maturity in Christ!

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).

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?

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.

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?