heed not the motivation of fear

Hear My voice, I am the True Shepherd of the sheep, the thief comes to kill and destroy, but he comes as an angel of light!  from John10 and 2Cor11

I accepted an invitation from my girl friend, to go to a Christian conference at a Church building. I went because I wanted to spend time with her, and hear news of the suffering saints. I was given liberty from the Lord, to go, to hear what was being said these days, to Christian people at Church.

It was the VOM regional conference; the subject was persecuted believers in communist and Muslim countries. There were videos, pictures, testimonies
of these saints, and stories the speakers told, of their lives and suffering. I am always glad to hear of them, it is a sweetness and bittersweetness at the same time, the believers in hostile lands are so dear and sweet, but it is so sad, their suffering. I wanted to participate in remembering them, and learning of their plight.

But there were some things I noticed that grieved me. I really went, with an open heart, assuming the best, hoping and trusting I would not hear anything that would grieve me, but alas, I did. But I’m not surprised (though I’m saddened) because the Church System really is Babylon….. and she cannot be healed. Thus fleeing and forsaking her is the only way……. it’s not safe because the truth is tainted and muddied with bondage or lies (or both!).

The main speaker (from Iran) said all kinds of concerning things, though he is very eager to reach muslims in Iran as a missionary. Now he did report that many Iranians are coming to Christ and are assembling secretly, quietly in homes and such, and are doing a lot of evangelism. But this man defined the sharing the gospel as getting someone to “pray the prayer” for God or Jesus to “come into your heart”.  That was concerning.

He basically pushed for political and religious Dominionism in Iran. His words and style reminded me of Campus Crusade for Christ and YWAM, as far as the ministry catchphrases.

He boldly promoted the 7 Mountains Dominionism! That is where the 7 Mountains of society will be ruled by a cultural and political Christianity. He said Iran will become a Christian country!  He said 2 kingdoms are clashing and Islam is a spirit. But then he said, “You can’t come against it (the spirit of Islam) with the military, well sometimes you have to use the military.”

With that statement, he went against Jesus’ words and promoted war and killing “if it is necessary”.

Further, he said that we want to evangelize the muslims and convert them for these reasons:
1. because if not they will kill us all
2. because they want to take over the world and make every nation Muslim, (submit to Islam) thus we must stop them by converting more of them to Christianity.

This is NOT to be our motivation. His motivation was unfortunately pure FEAR— fear of being killed, fear of jihad, fear of being forced to submit to Islam, fear of our country being taken over, etc. This is NOT of Christ.
That attitude is the spirit of the Holy Roman Empire of Christendom, which wanted to preserve the culture, earthly kingdoms, lands and power holdings of State-Christianity (Christendom).   This is not of the Spirit. This is of earthly Churchianity or what we call Babylon Church.

The motivation he promoted, is the same motivation that sent men to the Crusades to kill and shed oceans of so-called infidel or heretic blood (Christian, Muslim and Jewish blood, and also pagans of other indigenous local religions). This motivation is satanic, it is not of Love, it is not of Faith, it is not of Hope. It is not loving God and loving neighbor. It is pure fear, and determination to hold on to what we “have in this world” (lands, nations, freedoms, rights, our lives, our culture etc). This is not of Jesus Christ who told us to die to self, follow Him and make disciples.

The man did promote evangelism and making disciples, but for the wrong motivation, not out of obedience to Christ, not out of love for God and people, and not out of gratitude to our beloved Christ Jesus for our salvation, not out of compassion for the lost, not out of the willingness to die if need be, not to serve others and love enemies, to give to others, like Christ gave to us.

So his message of what motivates us to reach Muslims, was entirely political and carnal, fear based and worldly. And it feeds into satan’s plan to get us warring and killing, (Christians and Muslims) that the synthesis/ solution of world government and global syncretic religion might be implemented as the solution for world peace. Political-military Dominionist Christianity is being used right now to help this global plan along.

So the man was either knowingly or unknowingly (we don’t know) helping the plans of the wrong side, so to speak, rather than encouraging us: to NOT FEAR and LOVE NOT YOUR LIFE and LAY DOWN YOUR LIFE FOR ANOTHER, and to LOVE UNTIL YOU DIE in your service of bringing Christ to the lost world WITH JOY AND HUMBLE TRUST IN THE LORD. We do not try to save our life, lifestyle, limb, culture or physical nation. We lay it down, and love like our Father loves.

I would have been so edified to hear that from this Christian Leader.

The teacher  taught that the motivation (to try to convert them) is:
1. because of terrorism growing
2. because they want to take over nations and plan to take over all nations including USA
3. because Islam is the greatest threat to the world, to world peace.
4. because Islam wants to wipe (political-geographical) “Israel” off the map.  Yes he said this. This motivation seems entirely fleshly, earthly and political.

Then he said: Iran will be a Christian nation! Christianity will rule the (7 Mountains) business, government, family, religion, media, education, entertainment (the 7 mountains exactly as taught by Bill Bright and Loren Cunningham!). There you go folks, straight up Dominionism.

He said, The future of Iran and Israel are united! He had scripture to back this up. He was quite serious that he meant this literally, in the physical-political. !!

He said, over 25,000 documented “decisions” for Christ. (This sounds identical to Billy Graham and CCC).

His definition of sharing the gospel, shown repeatedly over his speech, was leading ppl in prayer for God to come into your heart. Salvation was praying “the prayer”.

He taught that 9 11 was done by muslims. He showed pictures of the “twin towers” in a ball of flames and other scary pictures.
He had a lot of power point pics and charts that fanned the flames of “fear of Muslims”,  and reiterated that the main reason for his evangelism was to hold back the tide of Islam and prevent them from ruling nations.  weird. This is not the motivation Jesus gives us.

Also, this statement, “You can’t come against it (the spirit of Islam) with the military, well sometimes you have to use the military”,
is a statement that reveals an unstable DOUBLE-MINDEDness.

It’s either one or the other.

We either obey Jesus Christ’s instructions and love our enemies, and war in the Spirit with Holy Spirit power against principalities (spirits), OR we war in the flesh with physical war machine weapons, against flesh (literal physical men).

One or the other.

The Earthly Church has no qualms promoting warring in the flesh, and killing enemies. “Fight the enemies and kill your neighbor.”

The spiritual church, those led by Jesus, does what Jesus says:  “Love your neighbor, love your enemy.”

Babylon Church has lied for far too long to the Christians, about this. It does mislead the sheep.

It is a lie that it is “God’s will” that we as Christians must war and kill in the flesh in order to survive or take out the enemy or save the country or Christendom or take back the ‘Holy Land’ for God.

Let God (JESUS) be true, and every man a liar.

I have heard this also, on Christian “God N Country” Crawford Broadcasting and Salem Communications radio stations, back when I used to listen to them. I heard very clear messages of “fear of Muslims” and promotion of politics and “war and killing” being necessary to deal with this scary “greatest threat” to us.  This is not of the instructional words of Jesus, nor of the Spirit of Jesus.

Dear friends, let us encourage one another in this time, to heed the voice of our Shepherd Jesus and do what He says, doing the will of our Father.

Let us not operate in the flesh, but in His Power.

Let us not live because of fear but because of Love.

private communications

These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete. 1John1:4

“No reasonable expectation of privacy”

This is what one “Big” Silicon Valley Tech company recently quipped, defending their right to scan private emails that use their services. Government agencies have admitted to their ability to crack encryption codes and “intrude upon communications”.

As we enter further into the brave new computer-enhanced world, there is no longer any “reasonable expectation of privacy protections”.

Your mail, email, phone calls, private blogs, files, photos, records, etc.  …… all are now potentially open and technically available for electronic or live perusing by  IT geeks and government powers that be.

Shall we then stop speaking? Shall we then quiet our witness? How about encouraging the other saints?

We can choose now to be intimidated; to put a lid on it and quiet down……. or we can choose now, to continue on as usual with both our public and our private spoken and written communications….paying no mind to whoever may be listening or reading……….. (as if nothing were different)……… with trust and joy. Let us choose to continue in our witness and choose to continue on encouraging one another.

the fake & the real

And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Rev12:11

Fake country……fake news, fake reporting, fake crisis, fake wars, fake actors, fake blood, fake government, fake presidents, fake govt. leaders, fake laws, fake victims, fake show, fake savior, fake power,

fake Church….. fake worship, fake prayers, fake Christianity, fake actors, fake doctrines, fake believers, fake pastors, fake Church leaders, fake traditions, fake show, fake Christians, fake jesus, fake gospel, fake power,

real Babylon, real deception, real delusions, real crisis, real death, real evil, really satanic.

Real preaching, real judgment, real separation, real snakes and scorpions, real Judases, real “repeat”, real voice of the Spirit, real prophets, real witnesses, real kingdom of heaven, real wilderness, real Shepherd, real saints, real narrow path, real blood, real suffering, real persecution, real betrayal, real mocking, real tribulation, real martyrdom, real commandments of Christ, real teachings of Christ, real Master and Lord Jesus Christ, real discipleship in Christ, real conditions, really abiding, really following, really obedient

real devotion, real Israel, real Zion, real remnant, real bride, real gospel, real testimony, real temple, real ekklesia, real deliverance, real food, real drink, real covenant, real forgiveness, real Life, real resurrection, real Jesus Christ is come in the flesh (really),

real repentance, real love for enemies, real love for neighbor, real courage, real forgiving others, real love for one another, really caring for the saints, really serving them, real picking up cross, real dying to self,

real gentle, real humble, real meek, real poor in spirit, real hungry and thirsty for righteousness, really merciful, really pure in heart, real peacemakers, really persecuted for righteousness sake, real insults, really hated, really receiving false accusations of evil, real lonely, real tears, real rejection,

real Jesus, real Word of God, real edification, real rejoicing, real glad, real reward, real prophets, real salt, real light, real fellowship, real unity, real communion, real love, real power, real glory,

real faith, real obedience, real enduring, real overcoming….. real overcomers.

We will not fight

“Blessed is that servant whom his Master finds so doing! ” Matt.24:46

We will not fight, we will not kill, we will not hate, we will not fear. We will not curse, we will not take oaths, we will not pledge allegiance to the State, to Caesar, to the world, to the pope or to the gods.

We will not resist evil. We will not protect our other cheek. We will not take up arms of war. We will identify ourselves, but we will not defend ourselves. We will be harmless as doves.

We will be glad and rejoice! We will love our enemies and bless those who curse us. We will do good to those who hate us and pray for those who persecute us. We will bless when we are reviled. In our suffering we shall overflow with joy and praise and love and thanksgiving and prayer and trust in our Father. He will give us power and nothing shall hurt us.

We will speak and testify, or else we will be silent, as led by the Holy Spirit. We will not cease to preach of sin, and righteousness, and judgment, and repentance, and also the cross and the blood and the death and the resurrection and life and the power and glory of Jesus Christ. We will not cease to proclaim Jesus Christ and His Kingdom. We will not cease to pray, and to watch, and to hope and to rejoice in our God and Savior and King.

Oh the Rejoicing

Oh the joy, the dancing, the hugging, the celebration, the victory. Oh the awe, weeping for joy, the cheering, singing, hands raised up. Oh the worship, the blowing of trumpets, the laughing for joy. Oh the shouting, the celebration, the gladness, the triumph. Oh the elation, the rapture, the excitement, the intense love for all present, oh the rejoicing…

…when we are united with our King, our Husband, our Lord, our Beloved God and Redeemer. On that day.

The world has the Obama victory. It has the World Series victory. We have Jesus’ victory. We have Him.

But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. Gal.6:14

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1Cor.15:57

For what is our hope or joy or crown of exultation(rejoicing)? Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming? 1Thes.2:19

And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. Is.35:10

With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought: they shall enter into the king’s palace. Ps.45:15

related post: https://witnessingencouragement.wordpress.com/2008/11/07/christ-our-king/

 

Preparing For the Age to Come

Jesus spoke of the age to come. Are we preparing for this? Are we preparing for the judgment seat of Christ and living in light of eternity? Are we confessing our sin to Him? Are we living a life of continual and increasing repentance? Are we putting to death the deeds of the flesh, killing sin, taking up our cross and following Him? Are we putting to death SELF? Is our cry, “Not my will O Lord but THY will be done!”? We are exhorted to not sin willfully nor walk after the flesh. Are we devoted to Him, living for Him, suffering for Him? Are we listening to Him? Do we obey Him? Paul talked about pressing on toward the goal for the prize. Are we being sanctified through trials and suffering? Are we reproached at all for obeying and representing the Lord Jesus? Are we being tried and purified by His refining fire- now? Are we abiding in Him and bearing good fruit? Are we obeying His commandments and walking in the Spirit? Are we staying on the narrow road? Are we loving and serving the saints of God? Are we bringing people to Jesus and making disciples? Are we doing whatever He is telling us to do? Are we loving NOT the world? Are we separating ourselves unto Christ? Are we doing the deeds and will of our Father?

When He is done wiping the tears from our eyes, after the fire has burned through to judge the quality of our work, then whatever worthy part that remains, we shall lay that down at His feet. And then.. the age to come.

Audio: Have you heard this yet? The Judgment seat of Christ

Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. 2Cor5:9

If I Went to Jail Would You be Ashamed of Me

I admit sometimes I lack patience with a certain group of people and rather than press the “ignore” button and keep walking, I do sometimes choose to take on the situation. Some would say this is a major fault of mine, even sin, and others would say this is the desire to Defend the Faith and Contend for Truth (which again, many would say is wrong to do because it causes division and is ‘unloving’). The particular group I’m referring to here is professing Christians who do not believe the Bible is sufficient, but must be mixed with Humanism and Psychology, who think that pleasing and blending with the world is more important than faithfulness & obedience to Christ, who play footsie with New Age Spirituality, and who dislike the authority of scripture, the exclusivity of the Gospel, and evangelism. I’m talking about the apostacy.

Of course the DMV was closed today.

I bumped into a man who is on staff at a Ne0-E megachurch. He was telling me that he is in seminary so I thought he might be preparing to be a pastor. But he is taking advanced Counseling and Psychology courses. I asked him if he did “Christian Counseling” which utilizes Psychology primarily, or “Biblical Counseling” which utilizes the scripture. He was telling me that now these two camps are now blended together. He kept dropping the word “Spirituality“–and I gave him the benefit of the doubt –at first, although that buzzword set off my alarm bells. Then he started sounding more like a New Ager. He said, “Things are different now” (referring to the many beliefs of the clients, and the new methodology); “if someone comes in saying they do crystals or moon rocks (or such), then we work with that.”

I asked him to affirm what I was hearing: that what he was telling me was that he must operate as a functional Universalist in his counseling sessions. He did not deny. I challenged him, asking why he cannot just operate as a Christian, and he said, “It would not work” (because they want to help people). Then I asked him if he was telling me that Pragmatism was more important than faithfulness to Christ? That did not go over well.

The old city jail bars, in use for 40 years, are now a museum display.

Since he was sounding very New Age, I asked him about sharing the Gospel with the clients and he told me he always leaves them (the unbelievers) with “the Golden Rule”- encouraging them to “do unto others”. When I said that is not the Gospel, he told me he would only talk about that “when the door is open”. He had an expression and tone that indicated, “That is not appropriate”. I asked him if Jesus’ words in Mark 16:15 and Mat. 28:18-20 were not the open door? . He got agitated and challenged me: “Well why don’t YOU go down to the DMV and preach! And when they throw you in jail, well, how about that!” (He made it sound like it would be the most contemptible and dreaded thing that could happen.) But raising my arms up in an attitude of victory,

I told him joyfully, “Wonderful! That would raise up more and more bold courageous evangelists who would be glad to go to jail for the Gospel!”

He shook his head, as if I did not get his point. He explained, “No! No! We would….” ( he indicated in word and facial expression that the rest of the Christians would be disgusted and look with disdain and embarrassment upon me.)

One of the new beefed up high security city jail cells.

If choosing Truth and faithfulness to the Lord Jesus Christ lands me in jail someday, the Compromising Christians will be ashamed of me. But those who believe the Word and trust and follow Jesus regardless of the consequences, will not be ashamed. I trust that by the Spirit, God will have you either visit me in jail, or else he will move you out on the street, preaching and telling the Gospel, to your joy, and His glory.

Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God.. 2Tim1:8

For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed..2Tim1:12

Listen! Sermon Jam: John Piper UNASHAMED!!

Verses of Encouragement: Ps.119

Even though princes sit and talk against me, Thy servant meditates on Thy statutes. v23
My soul weeps because of grief; strengthen me according to Thy word. v28
I will also speak of Thy testimonies before kings and shall not be ashamed. v46
This is my comfort in my affliction, that Thy word has revived me. v50
I have remembered Thine ordinances from of old, O LORD, and comfort myself. v52
I am a companion of all those who fear Thee, and of those who keep Thy precepts. v63
It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I may learn Thy statutes. v71
They almost destroyed me on earth, but as for me, I did not forsake Thy precepts. v87
The wicked have laid a snare for me, yet I have not gone astray from Thy precepts. v110
Depart from me, evildoers, that I may observe the commandments of my God. v115
Trouble and anguish have come upon me; yet Thy commandments are my delight. v143
Many are my persecutors and my adversaries, yet I do not turn aside from Thy testimonies. v157
Princes persecute me without cause, but my heart stands in awe of Thy words. v161
I hope for Thy salvation, O LORD, and do Thy commandments. v166
Let my lips utter praise, for Thou dost teach me Thy statutes. Let my tongue sing of Thy word, for all Thy commandments are righteous. v171-172
I long for Thy salvation, O LORD, and Thy law is my delight. Let my soul live that it may praise Thee, and let Thine ordinances help me. v175

The King on His Wedding Day

The wedding approaches. The King will be so glorious, handsome, celebrated and blessed.

Grace is poured upon His lips. Mighty with sword on thigh, He is victorious in splendor and majesty, reigning forever in His Kingdom. He defeats His enemies, loving righteousness and hating wickedness. God anoints Him with the oil of joy and clothes Him in garments with beautiful fragrances. Music is playing and He is glad.

Forget your people and your father’s house! The King will desire our beauty. Because He is our Lord, we bow down to Him. We will be glorious within and clothed in stunning beauty. We will be brought to Him. We will be led to the King with gladness and rejoicing! We will enter into the King’s palace! We will declare His name and give thanks and praise to Him forever.

Risk-Taking Adventure!

Reading God's Word out loud in public in San Francisco amidst listeners and hecklers

(Desiring that )…” your life and ministry would have a radical flavor, a risktaking flavor, a gutsy, countercultural wartime flavor that makes average American people in your church uncomfortable! …A strange mixture of tenderness and toughness that keeps people a little bit off balance… a pervasive summons to something… hazardous, a saltiness, a brightness… like Jesus. Salt and light…a joyful embrace of suffering…”

~John Piper

Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate. Hence, let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach. Hebrews 13:12-13.

Audio: How the Supremacy of Christ Creates Radical Christian Sacrifice, from the T4G conference.