Persecution or a Great Awakening

Paul Washer

Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matt 5:10)

This message is 'almost' prophetic even with the Hate Crime Bill which President Obama will be signing soon. 'WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Senate passed groundbreaking legislation Thursday that would make it a federal crime to assault an individual because of his or her sexual orientation or gender identity.' (23 Oct as reported in CNN). This bill not just serve to protect individuals from violence but also mean that documents like the Bible which teaches against homosexuality, divorce, fornication, etc will be considered 'hate material'. Preachers who preach against sin and the need for mankind to turn from our wicket ways will be considered advocating 'hate crime'.

All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. (Matt 24:8-10)

Dear saints, in our generation we have seen unprecedented occurrences in wars, rumors of wars, earthquakes, tsunamis and the such. We have to be acquainted with the Word of Life to know what will soon come..... the son of perdition and his reign. 'Wherefore comfort one another with these words' (1 Thess 4:16-18) that Jesus is returning to rule in the Millennium Kingdom sooner that we think. Our Lord will answer the disciples question on the restoration of the Kingdom to Israel on Mount of Accession even in our lifetime (Acts 1:6).

Going Without Knowing


By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. (Heb 11:8)


The call to Abraham is the same as the call of Jesus for us to leave our ‘self-controlled environment’ in which we have the necessary experience and understanding to shape our own destiny. Leaving that past behind and being led by Another brings instability to our life and following as sheep in the pilgrimage He will show us, not as a complete blueprint but unfurling a little at a time (Gen 12:1, Luke 9:23). The taking up of the cross and deny self (not self denial, http://pursuinghispresence.blogspot.com/2008/12/denying-self-vs.html) is liken to leaving one’s country, kindred and father’s house (Gen 12:1) taking upon ourselves something that outside of us, the cross divinely given by Christ. Denying self is contrary to an unconverted life where another ‘lord’ reigns supreme.


To God, Abram was already Abraham when the first step of leaving was taken. ‘Faith can lay hold of blessings at a great distance; can make them present; can love them and rejoice in them’ (Matthew Henry). Living as a stranger and pilgrims (Heb 11:13) in tents (Heb 11:9) is one that is without any inward attachments to what can be grasp with human hands. Do we live with the same reality of a greater heavenly promise than earthly attainment before our descendents (dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise)? Could this account for some subsequent generations not able to living to the same promise and hope of their fathers but falter away further and some to the point of rejecting the God of their parents. Could this be the reason why revivals in our Christian history could not sustain because we desire permanency than ‘living in tents’?


After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: (Act 15:16)


Jesus said He will build His church (Matt 16:18), which is the tabernacle of David. Art Katz pointed out that this verse has been wrong interpreted as charismatic worship when truly it means the rule and reign of the Greater David over His church and that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord (Acts 15:17). Here again tabernacle or tent is used. Perhaps the Lord desires us to see that the first earth must pass away and make way for the new (Rev 12:1). The creation itself groans and labors with birth pangs for the final redemption of His church not to beheld by human perspective but through the eyes of faith (Rom 8:22-24).


Wherefore comfort one another with these words. (1Th 4:18)


We have to examine ourselves if we truly look forward to His coming or we, like the Jewish nation rejected His first, disqualifying ourselves from inheriting His Kingdom. What words do we comfort one another? Is it about the possibility of economic turn around, 'things is going to get better' or Jesus is coming….. soon! The call to Abraham and the call of Jesus is really about the cross, because those who seek after the restoration of the kingdoms to Israel (Acts 1:6) will be misunderstood and in extreme situations be counted as those ‘of whom the world is not worthy’ (Heb 11:38) thus possible heeding the call to martyrdom.

The Love of the Truth

Art Katz

Isaiah 28

Empowered by Grace

John Bevere

But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
(1Pe 1:15-16)

http://www.holydesperation.com/sermons/top/EmpoweredbyGrace.mp3

And They Crucified Him
Art Katz

For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
(1Co 2:2)

Working in Truth


Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! (John 1:47)


The Lord commends those who are devoid of deceit because such a man or woman has come to a place of oneness with Him (John 17:21). One of the claims of Jesus is that He IS the Truth, hence His words carry everything that bears truth (John 8:40). The oneness with the Father is exhibited in not speaking of Himself but of the Father. This is where preachers of the Word need to be sure that the place of their spiritual standing is with Jesus and not from humanistic perspective, as He is with the Father lest there is speaking of untruth. A speaking that is not founded in Christ is alien of Father and there is from another father (John 8:38), and the other father speaks out of deceit (John 8:44). Messages from the pulpit should draw us to the conformity of Christ, not self realization but Christ exaltation (John 3:30). Truth comes in the form of the double edged sword (Heb 4:12) before it brings comfort (Hos 6:1).


They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham.
(John 8:39)


The works of Abraham was that he believed God in obedience and it was imputed unto him for righteousness (Jas 2:23) and further more ‘this is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom he hath sent’ (John 6:29). Truth is the work of God ‘which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure’ (Phil 2:13) before working out with fear and trembling. ‘In the beginning Moses had realized that he was the one to deliver the people, but he had to be trained and disciplined by God first. He was right in his individual perspective, but he was not the person for the work until he had learned true fellowship and oneness with God….We must also learn that our individual effort for God shows nothing but disrespect for Him— our individuality is to be rendered radiant through a personal relationship with God, so that He may be "well pleased" (Matt 3:17)’ (Oswald Chambers).


For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
(Mat 24:5)


Those who preach outside of the oneness with Jesus can preach another Jesus, another gospel (2 Cor 11:4). Listeners require the nobility ‘in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.’ (Acts 17:11). Notice how many followers of preaching icons we have today. Do these icons speak of themselves or of Jesus, as Jesus speaks of the Father? Have some of these icons subtly usurped the Lordship of Jesus? Sadly people pursue the messenger more than Message Himself.


If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
(1Jn 4:20)


How do we know that we are in the truth or in deceit? A life lived founded in truth prefers another. Firstly for Father and second for others, however we should take note that the measure of our love for the Lord is in how much we love the brethren. The pilgrimage of a believer living in truth will take him or her to the conformity the image of Christ (Rom 8:29). The truth of Christ has the power to make us free (John 8:32) from sin (not in sin) with the grace and freedom to forgive the vilest offender, to love our enemies, to bless those who curse us, pray for the best of our persecutors, esteeming others better than ourselves…. These demonstrate the love and meekness not of us, but that which proceeds from our oneness in Christ. We cannot deny God the privilege of working in truth, we shouldn’t be surprise that God uses the most unlikely and uncomfortable situation and people to do so… because He wants to bring many sons to Glory (Heb 2:10).

Wake Up Church!
www.holydesperation.com

The True Grace of God

John Bevere

Antinomianism was coined by Martin Luther and in our time Dietrich Bonhoeffer preached against cheap grace by reminding us that there is a cost to discipleship (Luke 9:23).

For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. (Jud 1:4)

Sadly even in the time of the Apostles, Jude has already warned us that cheap grace will be the enemy of the discipleship of Jesus Christ. Cheap grace easily creeps into any body of believers that refuse to yield to the converting power of God.

The Proper Seeing


Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I said, I see a rod of an almond tree.
(Jer 1:11)


The key qualification of a prophet is to the ability to see from God’s perspective not man’s viewpoint and the prophet was commended ‘Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it.’ (Jer 1:12). If we are able to behold in accordance to His divine wisdom we will not be stumped by unfurling world events. There are many ‘prophetic’ voices today, but how many have actually seen things the way that God wants us to behold. If we hear from prophets who are truly seers than we will not be caught unawares (Amos 3:7).


….. I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
(Rev 19:10)


Jesus is being preached and testified today by many but is there another 'Jesus' that is being preached or we have received another spirit or another gospel (2 Corr 11:4)? There is only One Way that leads to eternal life and it is entered through a straight gate and trod on a narrow way which few find it (Matt 7:14). We have somehow gotten the picture that the way to eternal life is a crowded one. It is not that salvation is exclusive but in the heart of hearts is His willingness that none perish but all should come to repentance (2 Pet 3:9). Interestingly Peter did not say ‘all should come to salvation’. Salvation is not merely a prayer uttered to ‘accept Jesus into my heart’ but to be conformed to the image of Christ (Rom 8:29). Jesus is returning for His bride, not to some form of unfamiliarity to His likeness. Adam was created in God’s image (Gen 1:26) but sin has cost man that divine image, thus Jesus had to come as the Last Adam (1 Cor 15:45) so that through Him we can return to the place of originality. He is called the ‘Last Adam’, because it’s His finished work and no more Adams (another Jesus or another gospel) need come .


The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
(Psa 19:7-9)


Antinomians and preachers of cheap grace want to do away with the law which in their opinion is bad. Today the fear of the LORD seems to be an unnatural response and that God’s holiness drive people away from the ‘gospel’. But truth is beyond fact, because the latter can change but truth is eternal. How do we know we are truly saved and conversion has begun to take place? This Psalm tells us if salvation has indeed come to us and the conforming into His image has begun.


That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.
(Mar 4:12)


We may have eyes but seeing doesn’t take place in the absence of light. However there is another ‘seeing’ that comes in a different light (2 Cor 11:14) and that with an angelic nature (don't be deceived!). Seeing in the true light of the Lord Jesus Christ will inevitably bring us to the place of conversion. Strangely the word ‘conversion’ is hardly used in Christian circles today. It is because the ‘other gospel’ preaches that we can be saved ‘in’ sin and not ‘from’ sin. This ‘other Jesus’ permits a living in the unconverted lifestyle and yet still have a valid ticket to heaven. If this is true then where is the conforming to the image of His Son? Where is the forming to the likeness of originality as with God’s initial intent in the Garden of Eden?