Come Home….

I read this story today, and it made me cry a bit, reminded me of the love of Jesus – Hope it blesses you:

Longing to leave her poor Brazilian neighborhood, Christina wanted to see the world. Discontent with a home having only a pallet on the floor, a washbasin, and a wood-burning stove, she dreamed of a better life in the city. One morning she slipped away, breaking her mother’s heart. Knowing what life on the streets would be like for her young, attractive daughter, Maria hurriedly packed to go find her. On her way to the bus stop she entered a drugstore to get one last thing. Pictures. She sat in the photograph booth, closed the curtain, and spent all she could on pictures of herself. With her purse full of small black-and-white photos, she boarded the next bus to Rio de Janiero. Maria knew Christina had no way of earning money. She also knew that her daughter was too stubborn to give up. When pride meets hunger, a human will do things that were before unthinkable. Knowing this, Maria began her search. Bars, hotels, nightclubs, any place with the reputation for street walkers or prostitutes. She went to them all. And at each place she left her picture–taped on a bathroom mirror, tacked to a hotel bulletin board, fastened to a corner phone booth. And on the back of each photo she wrote a note. It wasn’t too long before both the money and the pictures ran out, and Maria had to go home. The weary mother wept as the bus began its long journey back to her small village.

It was a few weeks later that young Christina descended the hotel stairs. Her young face was tired. Her brown eyes no longer danced with youth but spoke of pain and fear. Her laughter was broken. Her dream had become a nightmare. A thousand times over she had longed to trade these countless beds for her secure pallet. Yet the little village was, in too many ways, too far away. As she reached the bottom of the stairs, her eyes noticed a familiar face. She looked again, and there on the lobby mirror was a small picture of her mother. Christina’s eyes burned and her throat tightened as she walked across the room and removed the small photo. Written on the back was this compelling invitation. “Whatever you have done, whatever you have become, it doesn’t matter. Please come home.” She did.

Max Lucade, No Wonder They Call Him the Savior, Multnomah Press, 1986, pp. 158-9

No matter where you are, what you’ve done – Jesus still loves you, and is calling you back to Himself, today –

Friend, Come home!

Did Jesus Give the 2nd Amendment?

 

Should a Christian own a gun for self defense?

Answer: What does the Word of God say?

Luke 22: 35 And he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing.

Lu 22:36 Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one.

Here we see Jesus at the last supper, giving some final instructions to His disciples in his last teaching before He left the earth..I picture what that might have looked like. You know that a cloak to keep warm was pretty important during that season, because when Peter betrayed Jesus, people were huddled around a fire for warmth, yet Jesus said that procuring a sword was more important than even wearing a winter coat!

He sees the future, and sees that disciples are about to be sent into all the world, to preach the gospel. They had been sent originally to the Jews, who had hospitality laws, and had been provided for, in safety, wherever they went, but now, the great commission was to be given, and people without the Word of God as a basic premise of life, are dangerous. As He prepared to send them, he said you were going to need a weapon for self defense, in fact, He expected that everyone should know this and should own a sword. Yet his command is more urgent than mere passive fancy. If you do not have a weapon to defend yourself, get one, even if you need to sell your coat to buy it. Well, one of the disciples took this literally, and went out and procured a couple of swords.

Let’s continue reading in Luke 22:verse38 And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords. And he said unto them, It is enough.

These swords were not needed yet, for Jesus knew He was to be crucified, and it was not time to fight, yet.

Peter, as usual, was the impetuous one. He had a sword, and a weapon in ones hand, just like a young man with a gun, makes a man feel powerful. Peter had some radical life changes in his years walking with Jesus, and with a sword in hand, he was ready to go to war on behalf of his king. Remember, the Jews were expecting a conquering king like David to lead them into battle to overthrow the Romans.

Yet, Jesus kingdom is a kingdom not of this world, a kingdom of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Jesus needed no mere human disciple to defend Him: He is Lord of Heaven and Earth, He could have simply called 12 legions of angels to defend him, but He was determined to die on our behalf, willingly, for the sin of all humanity. There was no other way.

John 10:17-18

¹⁷ Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.

No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

Lets continue reading the account here in Luke 22:47 ¶ And while he yet spake, behold a multitude, and he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them, and drew near unto Jesus to kiss him.

48 But Jesus said unto him, Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?

49 When they which were about him saw what would follow, they said unto him, Lord, shall we smite with the sword?

50 And one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear.

51 And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him.

52 Then Jesus said unto the chief priests, and captains of the temple, and the elders, which were come to him, Be ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and staves?

So, we see here the two swords brought into the last supper meeting. Peter had one, and in passion and zeal, when Jesus was betrayed, and the soldiers came to arrest him, he acted impetuously, and cut off Malacus ear. Jesus, loving and understanding Peter, and the servant, healed the guys ear. In the natural order of things, He destroyed evidence, because Peter would have been charged with the equivalent of assaulting an officer, and been imprisoned or executed. Kind of hard to charge a guy, when there is no evidence. Can you see this case before a judge “This guy attacked me with a sword, and cut off my ear, your honour!” Well, where is the wound, says the judge. Well, this guy named Jesus, healed me, and miraculously recreated my ear back on my head. Yeah, riiiiiight! We don’t do this miracle thing you speak of, case dismissed.

Yet, there was another sword there that day, and Jesus is Lord, with obedient disciples, ultimate commander in chief of all the armies of the earth, Lord of heaven and earth.

Who held the other sword? I’m not sure, but I think it had to be John, the apostle of love, because look at the interaction in the heat of battle:

Lu 22:49 When they which were about him saw what would follow, they said unto him, Lord, shall we smite with the sword?

This should be the heart of every soldier and police officer on the planet. Shall I smite with the sword?

Lord, should I shoot? A man under firstly divine authority, and secondly natural authority. A man under command, under orders. This brother recognized Jesus as more than Saviour, but as commander in chief of all the armies that have ever marched.

You need to understand the mindset of this brother when he asked Jesus the question, ‘Shall we smite with the sword.’. His mind was instructed with the Torah, the mighty exploits of David who slew Goliath, and then there were David’s mighty men, men of courage, valor, warriors.

Here is a sample of a couple of them:

1 Sam 23:

⁸ These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb-basshebeth, a Tahchemonite, chief of the Three [heroes], known also as Adino the Eznite; he wielded his spear and went against 800 men, who were slain at one time.

⁹ Next to him among the three mighty men was Eleazar son of Dodo, son of Ahohi. He was with David when they defied the Philistines assembled there for battle, and the men of Israel had departed.

¹⁰ [Eleazar] arose and struck down the Philistines until his hand was weary and clung to the sword. The Lord wrought a great deliverance and victory that day; the men returned after him only to take the spoil.

¹¹ Next to [Eleazar] was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. The Philistines were gathered at Lehi on a piece of ground full of lentils; and the [Israelites] fled from the Philistines.

¹² But he stood in the midst of the ground and defended it and slew the Philistines; and the Lord wrought a great victory.

This brother, with one sword, now stood before an armed trained military unit, and he as the Lord for orders to open fire. He was convinced that if that order was given, he would not only attack, but wipe them all out: single-handedly if necessary!

Makes Rambo, and all those hero movies kind of pale in comparison, because this isn’t Hollywood, this is a true story.

If you are a soldier or police officer, or any type of law enforcement, you need to recognize that there is a greater authority, than even the government you serve. Jesus Christ is Lord, and He will speak to you what to do, even in battle:

John 10:²⁷ My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: ²⁸ and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

Even with bullets flying, and men screaming and dying around you, He will speak to you, personally, in your heart, what to do, when and where to fire, who to kill, who to let live

.Soldiers in combat, led of the Holy Spirit will be divinely empowered to stop evil attacks both from within or without.

Psalm 144:1

Blessed be the Lord my strength which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight:

The Lord is a warrior, make no mistake about it.

Yet, in this new covenant: He would have us win our battles like He did, in prayer, in faith, with His Word:

https://chrisaomministries.wordpress.com/2014/12/12/the-warrior-heart-of-god/

Remember the account of Elisha hearing the directions of God, to thwart every evil attack against Israel. The Spirit of God, literally revealed the battle strategies of the enemy army, to the king. So detailed was this knowledge, that the king was convinced there had to be a spy in their midst.

2Ki 6:12 And one of his servants said, None, my lord, O king: but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber.

Consider the following testimony from one of our US soldiers, serving in Afganistan, who had a mother who is a pastor, and who prayed for him daily, for protection and guidance. The man was trained as a sniper, and the story goes that they were on a routine patrol, when they came to a Taliban check point. There was a father and 12 year old son there, dressed in traditional garb, with flowing robes. The soldier claims that he heard a voice supernaturally speak to his heart, “Shoot the boy!” He immediately drew his weapon, and shot and killed the boy. When the father reached inside his tunic, he again fired, and shot and killed the father. There was immediate chaos, shouting, screaming, he was thrown to the ground and disarmed by his buddies, and there was an armed stand-off while his commanding officer order a cease-fire and investigated the bodies. Both of them were strapped as suicide bombers, waiting to enter the center of the platoon before detonating themselves. Clearly, many lives were spared that day, through the prayers of a woman of God, and the radical obedience of her highly trained son.

This kind of hearing and obedience, can prevent a soldier from responding to erroneous orders from even his own commanding officer, should his leader miss it. Each of us have to live with our own conscience before God, and killing a man is not a light thing to have to live with. I have had to minister to veterans that were given orders to open fire upon innocent civilians, the nightmares of children ripped apart by a 50 calibre still haunt them. Yet, Jesus heals PSTD – https://chrisaomministries.wordpress.com/2014/12/11/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-jesus-heals/

Much needs to be said here, about the heart of self defense, but Proverbs 16: 32 Better a patient person than a warrior,

one with self-control than one who takes a city.

God’s kingdom is within us, and the fruit of the Spirit within us are the strength and honor of this country. Self-control, meekness (strength under pressure), longsuffering, gentleness, patience. This is the heart of honor, the heart of the gospel, and the heart of America, that Jesus is developing in each of us. This is the love of God, and freedom worth defending.

This is the spirit of the 2nd Amendment, in right to bear arms. Should free citizens be allowed to own firearms to protect themselves, their families, and this country from enemies within or without. Emphatically, YES!

The question is, what is our intimacy with God like? Are we governed by the Word and Spirit of God, seeking to love our fellow man, as our primary motive?

What makes weapons dangerous, are the people that wield them. A trained, honorable police man or soldier, upholding that which is decent, honorable, and lawful, is entitled and responsible to carry a gun, responsibly. In fact, the Bible says that soldiers and police officers serving Jesus, are ministers of God, set in place by God to execute God’s justice upon the evil doer.

Romans 13:1-8 Authorized (King James)

13 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. (government) For there is no power (authority) but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. ² Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. ³ For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: ⁴ for he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. ⁵ Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. ⁶ For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God’s ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.

Notice here, that police officers are sent of God to do good for those of us doing right, yet for criminals, the police or military becomes the avenger to execute wrath on him that does evil.

It is when fatherless men, walking in pride, arrogance, and often a drug and alcohol induced lifestyle, own guns that we have problems.

Children should be taught to pray for God’s protection and given training in gun safety at a young age, that the best fight is the one that never starts. Any honest parent wants peace…

Psalm 34:14

Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.

One last thought from Romans 13, where the Word of God speaks about the role of police officers and soldiers acting as the agents of God, to keep order and peace in a country.

Rom 13:1 ¶ Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.

2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.

3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:

4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.

5 Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.

Basically, this verse states that we need to obey the laws of the land, and submit to the authority of righteous government, (and pray for them daily 1 Tim 2:1-4). Yet, see how this works: Policemen and soldiers are actually called of God as his ministers to prevent the spread of evil in the earth. (and our taxes should legitimately support them)

As a husband and father, I am responsible to act like Jesus, and to love, serve, and lead my family into the call and plan of God for our particular household. Yet, I am also called to defend my wife and children, if necessary. Primarily, this is done solely through the Word of God. I believe the 91st Psalm, and that no weapon (knife, gun, or bomb) fashioned against me shall prosper. This is our primary defense, and best defense for we are in a spiritual battle, where we wrestle not against flesh and blood.

We know that Satan is a mind blinding spirit, that works through the thoughts and deeds of people who are not walking with Jesus. The nature of Satan, is to kill, steal and destroy whoever, and whatever he can. He puts thoughts of ‘Go rob that house, that person, etc”, but for a tithing believer, walking in faith, God becomes our rock of defense, impenetrable.

When we deal with the spirit behind the wicked man, the man is no problem.

If more Christians, actually did what Jesus said to do in Matt 6:33, and sought first the kingdom of God daily, and served Jesus every day, there would be far less violence in the world, and our primary warfare would be spiritual, and our focus would be on preaching the gospel to all the nations, not ruling over them with a gun.

1 Tim 2: I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;

2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.

3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;

4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

I actually believe these verses, and I pray for our President (even when I do not agree with him), our government, military, police officers, and judicial system, daily. Why?

1. The man that wrote this, Paul, heard God,  loved us, and had our best interests at heart.

2. He said to do this first.

3. When we pray for the government, I believe God will honor this very word in our lives, and supernaturally grant us the reward of our obedience, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.

Yet, I had an experience some time ago, where we found our front door wide open in the wee hours of the morning. Guess we woke up, and the perpetrator ran off in the night. I now have a gun in the closet, that I honestly pray I will never have to use.

Shooting and killing someone is a rather permanent, and if you believe the Word of God, an eternal solution to a temporary problem, yet there are lines that cannot be crossed.

Someone breaking into a families house, has crossed that line, and just met the government of God, the right to bear arms in defense of our homes and families.

If called upon, I would shoot and kill an intruder, for I will protect my home, wife and children.

This is the heart of taking up the sword. We do not go out to conquer with it, but when enemies arise to destroy our homes and families, we will defend our freedom, come what may, here in the land of the free, home of the brave, where there is freedom, liberty, and justice for al

As Christians, we look for, pray for, and long for peace, for Jesus is the Prince of Peace. First in our hearts, then in our homes, communities and nation.

Our nature is love, and we long to forgive and turn the other cheek, but we meekness is not weakness. When evil people march, and begin slaughtering innocent civilians, women and children, then we are forced to rise up and defend our families and communities, our country.

This is our heart, to trust God for true vengeance, but when evil empires march, they quickly discover that God goes to war:

Each day I pray:

Psalm 91 Authorized (King James) Version (AKJV)

Psalm 91

¹ He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High
shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

² I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress:
my God; in him will I trust.
³ Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler,
and from the noisome pestilence.
⁴ He shall cover thee with his feathers,
and under his wings shalt thou trust:
his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
⁵ Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night;
nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
⁶ nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness;
nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
⁷ A thousand shall fall at thy side,
and ten thousand at thy right hand;
but it shall not come nigh thee.

⁸ Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold
and see the reward of the wicked.
⁹ Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge,
even the most High, thy habitation;
¹⁰ there shall no evil befall thee,
neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
¹¹ For he shall give his angels charge over thee,
to keep thee in all thy ways.
¹² They shall bear thee up in their hands,
lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
¹³ Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder:
the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.

¹⁴ Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him:
I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.
¹⁵ He shall call upon me, and I will answer him:
I will be with him in trouble;
I will deliver him, and honour him.
¹⁶ With long life will I satisfy him,
and shew him my salvation.

In whatever station of life we find ourselves, we must be trusting in Jesus personally, intimately for our protection. Yet, sometimes, Jesus calls free men to pick up the sword.

.

Let’s Pray:

‘Father God, I come to you now, seeking you for wisdom, peace, and protection. I choose to believe that You have indeed given your angels charge over me, and in Jesus I receive peace. Father, I desire to forgive and love all people, yet embrace my God given responsibility to protect my family and this nation from those who would do evil. By faith, I declare and decree Your Kingdom, in righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost over this country, trusting You to bring true freedom, liberty and justice for all. I ask this, knowing I am heard and answered, for I ask in Your name Lord Jesus, Amen’

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Give in faith!

1 Corinthians 9:11 If we have sown [the seed of] spiritual good among you, [is it too] much if we reap from your material benefits?

1 Corinthians 9:14 [On the same principle] the Lord directed that those who publish the good news (the Gospel) should live (get their maintenance) by the Gospel.

Paul goes on to say, that he did not use his position as a minister of the gospel to take up offerings, rather he worked, making tents, to support himself. You might notice here, that Paul was not married, nor did he have children. Family responsibilities take time, and just as you bust a move on your job to provide for your family, I work every bit as hard, doing this, faithful to the Lord in prayer and the ministry of His Word, to you.

I will never charge for this: it my responsibility to God, my calling. Freely I have been given, now, I freely give…

As you give, hear Holy Spirit what to give, and honestly expect God to reward you for your giving.

Matt 10: 41 He who receives and welcomes and accepts a prophet because he is a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward, and he who receives and welcomes and accepts a righteous man because he is a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. 42 And whoever gives to one of these little ones [in rank or influence] even a cup of cold water because he is My disciple, surely I declare to you, he shall not lose his reward.

I am a five-fold ministry gift and office – this is my life – I pray, I hear, I write, and wonderful things happen. You have your job description, I have mine – this is mine….

I have ‘see through’ faith for you, in this: Gal 3: 9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.

I believe I have a responsibility before God to be like Jesus, in every offering I receive. I receive it with thanksgiving, just like Jesus did the little boys lunch.

Then, because I walk and live by faith according to the blessing of Abraham, I believe that God will take your seed sown, and multiply it, according to what the blessing of Abraham promises:

Genesis 22:17 In blessing I will bless you and in multiplying I will multiply your descendants like the stars of the heavens and like the sand on the seashore. And your Seed (Heir) will possess the gate of His enemies

It has been a joy to me, to see the hand of the living God act in the lives of those of you who have supported us this year!

Many have seen tremendous blessing come into your households, and for this we give thanks, and give Jesus all the glory!

Influence of a father on the faith practice of his children

Just want to highlight results from this swiss study for all dads:

•Mother attends church regularly, father is non-practicing, percentage of children attending regularly as adults: 1.5%

•Both mother and father attend church regularly, percentage of children attending weekly as adults: 32.8%

•Father attends church regularly, mother is non-practicing, percentage of children attending regularly as adults: 44.2%

In short, if a father does not go to church, no matter how faithful his wife’s devotions, only one child in 50 will become a regular worshiper. If a father does go regularly, regardless of the practice of the mother, between two-thirds and three-quarters of their children will become churchgoers (regular and irregular)…

An unrelated survey in the USA also found fathers to be highly influential in church attendance. It found that if a child is the first person in a household to become a Christian, there is a 3.5% probability everyone else in the household will follow. If the mother is the first to become a Christian, there is a 17% probability everyone else in the household will follow. However, when the father is first, there is a 93% probability everyone else in the household will follow

Bottom line: MEN – LEAD!

Let’s Pray:

‘Father God, help us to become faithful in attendance at our local church, bringing our families with us. In Your Name I pray Lord Jesus, Amen’

You Will Not Die – Jesus WILL Deliver You! The Cure for Islam and ISIS

Today, as I read this article, I thought of all the people stuck in religions, countries, and situations, where it appears that to convert to Jesus, would get you killed: http://worldnewsdailyreport.com/isis-fighter-converts-to-christianity-after-allah-refuses-him-entrance-to-gates-of-heaven/

I have word of freedom from these verses:

Isaiah 28:15
because ye have said, “We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we in agreement. When the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us; for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves.”

Isaiah 28:18
And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it.Jesus is not only willing to forgive people in gangs, Islam, ISIS, masonic and secret societies, satanists, and others that entered into agreements through ceremony unto death if they broke them, but the Lord showed me that if you would turn to Him, He would deliver you and protect you from their retribution, when they came to kill you. He is Lord God Almighty, and He is not only the way, but the waymaker!

One of the names of Jesus is ‘The Lion of the tribe of Judah!’

^{Heb 2:13(The Voice)} And in the words of Isaiah,

I will wait for the Eternal One.^[c]

And again,

Look, here I am with the children God has given Me.^[d]

¹⁴ Since we, the children, are all creatures of flesh and blood, Jesus took on flesh and blood, so that by dying He could destroy the one who held power over death—the devil— ¹⁵ and destroy the fear of death that has always held people captive.

¹⁶ So notice—His concern here is not for the welfare of the heavenly messengers, but for the children of Abraham. ¹⁷ He had to become as human as His sisters and brothers so that when the time came, He could become a merciful and faithful high priest of God, called to reconcile a sinful people. ¹⁸ Since He has also been tested by suffering, He can help us when we are tested.

So how does He do it?

The reality is, if you leave a gang, they hunt you down and kill you.

Same with Islam, if you convert, they will kill you.

Same with the Masonic lodge, covens, satanism.

Many other religions, societies, and associations are exactly that way – attempt to leave, and we will kill you…

Yet, I hear the voice of Jesus speaking to me, that He will protect, deliver, and grant you freedom and life, if you will give Him your life and listen to what He says.

¹³ And in the words of Isaiah,

I will wait for the Eternal One.^[c]

And again,

Look, here I am with the children God has given Me.^[d]

¹⁴ Since we, the children, are all creatures of flesh and blood, Jesus took on flesh and blood, so that by dying He could destroy the one who held power over death—the devil— ¹⁵ and destroy the fear of death that has always held people captive.

¹⁶ So notice—His concern here is not for the welfare of the heavenly messengers, but for the children of Abraham. ¹⁷ He had to become as human as His sisters and brothers so that when the time came, He could become a merciful and faithful high priest of God, called to reconcile a sinful people. ¹⁸ Since He has also been tested by suffering, He can help us when we are tested.

¹³ And in the words of Isaiah,

I will wait for the Eternal One.^[c]

And again,

Look, here I am with the children God has given Me.^[d]

¹⁴ Since we, the children, are all creatures of flesh and blood, Jesus took on flesh and blood, so that by dying He could destroy the one who held power over death—the devil— ¹⁵ and destroy the fear of death that has always held people captive.

¹⁶ So notice—His concern here is not for the welfare of the heavenly messengers, but for the children of Abraham. ¹⁷ He had to become as human as His sisters and brothers so that when the time came, He could become a merciful and faithful high priest of God, called to reconcile a sinful people. ¹⁸ Since He has also been tested by suffering, He can help us when we are tested.

John 10:27The Voice (VOICE)

²⁷ My sheep respond as they hear My voice; I know them intimately, and they follow Me.

Sheep have Shepherds, that kill and protect the flock from predators. When you become His, He will protect, deliver, and fight for you, when you do what He says!

I could give multiple testimonies of people who were instructed by God in the Rwandese genocide, to hide in the jungle, and how they heard His voice daily, until they go through to the Congo, and other parts of the world. He spoke, He led, He delivered. Same thing happened in Uganda when Idi Amin was killing Christians,

Yet, the danger is real.

Jesus is alive, and all authority in heaven and earth has been given to him. It is devils working through people who want you dead. He rose from the dead, and those same devils could not stop Him, for He is Almighty Lord of Heaven and earth.

They cannot stop Him or us now either, when we follow Him.

Jesus did not come to make bad people good, or good people better, He came to make dead people alive!

Except a person become born-again, they cannot even see the kingdom of God.

Religion, any religion, is man’s set of rules that if followed, supposedly make a person right with God. Yet, there are no good works good enough to justify us before a holy God who can allow no sin in His presence. In order for Him to forgive, a price had to be paid for our sin, and Jesus paid that price upon the cross, when He the only pure and sinless person to ever live, took upon Himself the penalty for all the sin of humanity. The cross became an alter where His life was willingly laid down as a holy sacrifice before God our Father in heaven.

As I said before, religion is man’s attempt to reach God, but when Jesus died upon the cross, this was God’s attempt to reach man. It is not what we think about what Jesus did that is important, rather, what God thinks about it! He has accepted Jesus death as full payment for our sins, and sin of all humanity.

Now, it is up to us to receive what Jesus did on our behalf.

Eph 2:⁷ in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹ not by works, so that no one can boast.

John 1:12New International Version (NIV)

¹² Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—

Pray with me!

“Jesus, I receive You, and I need You to make a way for me, and give me courage to do what You say. I trust You to protect me, and make a way where there is no way. I choose Your life, and I will live and not die, and declare Your glory, Amen”

For prayer, comments, or to donate online:

Email: chris.aomministries@gmail.com

Donate on-line: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=95XHSDDXDS7MC

Give in faith!

1 Corinthians 9:11 If we have sown [the seed of] spiritual good among you, [is it too] much if we reap from your material benefits?

1 Corinthians 9:14 [On the same principle] the Lord directed that those who publish the good news (the Gospel) should live (get their maintenance) by the Gospel.

Paul goes on to say, that he did not use his position as a minister of the gospel to take up offerings, rather he worked, making tents, to support himself. You might notice here, that Paul was not married, nor did he have children. Family responsibilities take time, and just as you bust a move on your job to provide for your family, I work every bit as hard, doing this, faithful to the Lord in prayer and the ministry of His Word, to you.

I will never charge for this: it my responsibility to God, my calling. Freely I have been given, now, I freely give…

As you give, hear Holy Spirit what to give, and honestly expect God to reward you for your giving.

Matt 10: 41 He who receives and welcomes and accepts a prophet because he is a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward, and he who receives and welcomes and accepts a righteous man because he is a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. 42 And whoever gives to one of these little ones [in rank or influence] even a cup of cold water because he is My disciple, surely I declare to you, he shall not lose his reward.

I am a five-fold ministry gift and office – this is my life – I pray, I hear, I write, and wonderful things happen. You have your job description, I have mine – this is mine….

I have ‘see through’ faith for you, in this: Gal 3: 9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.

I believe I have a responsibility before God to be like Jesus, in every offering I receive. I receive it with thanksgiving, just like Jesus did the little boys lunch.

Then, because I walk and live by faith according to the blessing of Abraham, I believe that God will take your seed sown, and multiply it, according to what the blessing of Abraham promises:

Genesis 22:17 In blessing I will bless you and in multiplying I will multiply your descendants like the stars of the heavens and like the sand on the seashore. And your Seed (Heir) will possess the gate of His enemies

It has been a joy to me, to see the hand of the living God act in the lives of those of you who have supported us this year!

Many have seen tremendous blessing come into your households, and for this we give thanks, and give Jesus all the glory!

Seven Ways That God Speaks to You: Part 3 -VISIONS

Seven That Ways God Speaks to You: VISIONS

God speaks through Visions!

Let’s look at a couple of Scriptures, cause faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God….

2Co 12:1 It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.

Acts 2:17 and your young men shall see visions,

Ac 16:9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us.

Ac 16:10 And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.

Ge 15:1 After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.

Nu 12:6 And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.

2Sa 7:17 According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.

2Ch 32:32 Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and his goodness, behold, they are written in the vision of Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, and in the book of  the kings of Judah and Israel.
Jer 23:16 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you:they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD.

Eze 8:4 And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, according to the vision that I saw in the plain.

Eze 11:24 Afterwards the spirit took me up, and brought me in a vision by the Spirit of God into Chaldea, to them of the captivity. So the vision that I had seen went up from me.

Da 10:16 And, behold, one like the similitude of the sons of men touched my lips: then I opened my mouth, and spake, and said unto him that stood before me, O
my lord, by the vision my sorrows are turned upon me and I have retained no strength.

Na 1:1 The burden of Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.

Hab 2:2 And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.

Hab 2:3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.

Many of you know my story, my testimony. How I graduated college and went to work as a mechanical designer. I had served on the Carleton University swim team for my time at college, and in my final year, served on student government. Then, upon graduation, I was hired at Robotic Systems International in Sidney, BC, then when things did not work out there, went across to Vancouver, on the UBC campus, to work in the cyclotron for Nordion International, as a mechanical designer, helping design targeting stations in the cyclotron, to produce I123, a radioactive isotope, used in treatment of Thyroid cancer, that was shipped all over the world.

At school, I had studied under Dr. Marvin Glass, philosphy of atheism, and had pretty much discarded my Roman Catholic, or Christian upbringing. If God was real, and good, and all powerful, why did He allow so much evil in the world?

No, God could not be real, I reasoned, He was simply a crutch for the weak, an  opiate for the masses.

Yet, I had rented a room in a Baptist bed and breakfast in Sidney, British Columbia and the very loving older couple that ran it, invited me to church several times, to hear an evangelist. I dutifully went, and even went up to the alter call several times, but felt nothing….Religion I thought…

Then, a missionary named Louise, stayed a week. She was a missionary to the Aleutian Island Indians, and she spoke little when she visited with me, yet emanated a peace, joy, and unruffled calm in the face of my academic arguments, that stopped me in my tracks. She gave me two books: ‘Mere Christianity’ by CS Lewis, and ‘Prison to Praise’ by Merlin Carruthers. I read them, and they made sense.

I said the prayers at the back, but still, felt nothing. The older couple gave me a Bible, that I began to read.

Yet, suddenly, I was unemployed, and needed a job.

One of our suppliers, Mantek, a machine shop in Port Coquitlam, hired me to install a CAM system on one of their 4 axis mills. Four months of intensity, but got it done. During this time, I had found a basement apartment with a Eastern European couple, and began to work out in the pool in North Vancouver.

I had just ended a 4-1/2 year relationship through college to my fiance, in a messy break-up (is there any other kind?).

On the rebound, I met a blonde bombshell of a lifeguard, who was taking her pschology degree at Simon Fraser University.

Within 3 weeks we had moved in together, and then broke the lease on our basement apartment, to rent a loft in Kitsalano. Her dad was a stock broker, so we started to hit the trendy places around town, the wine tasting shows, dinner up on Grouse mountain, coffee on the boardwalk, trendy.

I was still attempting to read my Bible, and she would watch Dr. Robert Shuller, and we would talk Jesus, but our relationship was not working. The cyclotron where I worked, busted a water line, and to avoid a potential water leak of radioactive water into the city sewage system, our team of seven men worked a 40 day turn-around, ordering meals in, only coming home to sleep a couple hours. Because of the sensitivity of the repair, we were instructed to not tell anyone why we had to work such long hours, to avoid some sort of Media scandal. So, I did not explain my long absences to my fiancé’. Her way of dealing with this period, was to hit the clubs, get drunk, and go home with several other men.

Even in my madness, my parents had set the example of monogamy, and I was always a one woman man.

My way of dealing with pressure at college, was to blow it out in the pool, and then triathlon.

So, in my sleep deprived state, I tried to blow it out running, and tore out the patella tendon in my knee again. I had done this previously competing for triathlon, and had been in a tensor bandage and on crutches for nine months, wondering if I would ever walk pain free, much less compete triathlon, but God, through a Christian acupuncturist healed my knee, and I got a couple more seasons of competition in.

Well, my fiancé and I had no where else to go, but our relationship had degenerated from screaming fits, to simply hugging each other and weeping, as we could not speak without fighting.

After the turnaround, instead of being rewarded as conquering hero’s and promoted, our team was put in a basement lab, my boss was used as the scapegoat for this mess, and we were expected to come to work quietly, and make no waves.

I resigned, the pain too great for words, my idols shattered.

I believed that if you worked hard, got the degree, and got a job, that you would make a good living, get married, and have a happy family.

Believed that if you trained hard in sports, you could excel…

Yet, did not figure Jesus into the equation, nor the Word of God.

My engagement was doomed, for we violated about every rule in the Bible regarding relationships. My career was doomed, for except the Lord build the house, we labor in vain. My sports career was doomed, for our bodies are designed as temples of the Holy Spirit, not to be abused…

Well, the worst part, is that this season of my life was four months long. When I would come home, to discover my fiance out partying with her friends, I would try and read the Bible, and often hurl it against the wall in frustration. It just didn’t work…

Then, one dark night, when I drove across Lions gate bridge, I asked my fiancé why they had chain-link fence all the way across. She said that was because so many people had committed suicide by jumping off there. A seed had been planted in my thought life…

Night after night, I would walk Kitsilano bike path in the dark, quietly praying, and often ended walking all the way to Burrard street bridge. I liked standing there over the wind and the waves, the ocean often bringing peace to my troubled soul…

Yet, my engineering mind would not stop. I looked at how this bridge was built, and saw the massive concrete footings that ran deep down to the ocean floor.

A thought crossed my mind: I wonder why they don’t have chain link fence on this bridge? Someone could jump, and if they hit the footing, surely they could kill themselves here? The seed had taken root….

So, over the next four lonely months, almost nightly, I would find myself limping out into the darkness, alone, always ending up on Burrard street bridge, the seed had become a plan….

Well, as my knee healed, I insisted on following the running circuit, running 10km runs on Saturday mornings when I was able. In April of 1989, there was one in Victoria, B.C. and though I worked late, I decided to catch the ferry across, and run it the following morning. My fiancé had a night class anyway, and I would see her for brunch Saturday, I thought.

Yet, as usual, I worked longer than I planned, and traffic was slow, so, as God would have it, I missed the last ferry across. So, I called my fiancé on her cell, to discover that she was not home as we discussed, but had gone over to one of her ex boyfriends apartments.

In the pained silence, I asked her if she was coming home that night, and she said, she would think about it.

I remember, that we had that poster on our wall: ‘If you love something, set it free, if it comes back, it is yours, if it doesn’t, it never was..’

I quoted that to her, and told her to make her own decision, for I honestly believed that I loved her….

Yet, I got back to the apartment, went to the 24 movie rental place, rented a VCR, and a couple of movies, expecting her home any minute. Yet, midnight turned into one o’clock, then two, then three.

One of the movies I saw had Mel Gibson in it. I think he had been to Vancouver to film during that time, and his movie, Lethal Weapon, really spoke to me.

In one of the scenes he stuck a pistol in his mouth, planning to kill himself, and the phone rang, and he said: ‘Okay, not today…’, in another scene, where he was having flashbacks from the war, he was crucified on the mast  of a ship in the desert someplace, and somehow, I saw Jesus on the cross in that scene. Yet, as the clock ticked on, it became obvious that she was not coming home, and I switched into numb, analytic mode.

One by one, I evaluated my reasons for living, and they all came up short. Robotics, my belief that I could automate the mundane jobs of slavery, drudgery, that freed up more time for people to exercise, spend time with their families, and pursue higher education: destroyed when an automobile plant automated in Canada, and laid off 1500 employees, some of whom who had been there for over 20 years…My experience watching my intellectual physics professor boss get betrayed and spit out by the corporate machine.

Sports, having trained for seven years for an Olympic dream, to discover that the sport of triathlon was not accepted in Seoul, Korea, so it would be another 4 years for a potential chance to go…My dream of marriage, family, career shattered, and I knew I was in trouble. I thought of my friends and family, that I had isolated myself from in my tunnel minded pursuit of my goals, and there I was alone, with no God….

I was in trouble, and I knew it. I remembered that when my dad had been posted to Victoria, BC as a naval officer, as a young teen, my mom had volunteered on ‘Crisis Line’, a suicide intervention line, and she had always told us to call it if we were in any trouble. Had thought about calling her, but they had come to Vancouver some months earlier to meet my fiancé, and there had been a cat fight between both her and my mom, they did not approve of us living together, nor my marriage.

Bitter waters run deep, and we were not speaking…

So I called “Crisis line.” Looked it up in the telephone book. There were three of them in Vancouver. One was busy, one was out of service, and on the third, I reached a stressed out woman, who told me to call back later, as there were more serious cases on the line….The seed suddenly bore fruit…

With a sigh. I hung up the phone, and picked up a pen, explaining to my fiance and parents that I loved them, forgave them, but that I could not take the pain anymore, and I carefully placed it on the night table by the bed….

I guess, in a twisted cry for help, I even returned the videos, and VCR, but even in the business of street night life, no one seemed to notice nor care….

Truly there is no lonelier place, than to be surrounded by people, totally isolated, totally misunderstood, and totally alone in your pain…

I walked to my usual place on the bridge, and stood, above the wind and the waves, enjoying the breeze upon my face, carefully planning my trajectory unto the concrete footing that I was sure would end my life, when I thought to breath one last simple prayer: ‘God, if you are real, I am coming to meet You….”

Suddenly, my darkness was shattered by a blinding light, and Jesus, God the Son stood before me, in midair:
high above the wind and waves. His hair glowed, and His eyes looked right through me. He cared, He was not angry, He understood, and He spoke: “Chris, you have been an athlete all of your life, if you jump right now, could you handle the rest of your life in a wheelchair?”

I quickly replied: “Lord, I don’t even believe in You!”

He said, ‘Call Chappy!” and disappeared, but there was peace in that place.

I have thought back many times about this event, for a man with an experience, is never at the mercy of a man with an argument. I believe I had either an open vision, or Jesus literally appeared to me, it doesn’t matter. He knows my name, He knew what I was doing in my life, and He is Lord, for He told me exactly what would have happened had I jumped. I would not have died, but spent the rest of my life in a wheelchair.

Out of the mouth, the heart speaks, and in hindsight, I saw my problem. I did not believe.

Romans 10:10

For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

I had said the prayers before, but I had not believed them. Evidently though, Jesus had…He loves us!

So, I walked back to my apartment, thoughts still screaming in my head, but the experience revolutionized my life.

When I got back upstairs, the phone was ringing. It was my mom. She was crying and said: “Son, come home!”. I was so tired of her emotional outbursts, I said: “Why would I do that, I have to go to work on Monday?”

She replied: “Son, this is more important than work, I just had a nightmare that you killed yourself tonight, and I have been praying for you…”

Perhaps, when I come to speak in an area near you, the Lord will let me tell you the rest of the story, but for the sake of this lesson, let’s just say: Jesus is Lord, and He is well able to speak through visions and dreams…

In summation, a vision may be as simple as a mini-pic that flashes across your mind, or a movie explaining supernatural events, but visions are part of what God has surely promised for us that believe. I remember some years ago, a series of all night prayer meetings, we would all meet for dinner at 6PM, and would eat together, then would begin to worship God until midnight.

We had learned that we were the ‘Bride of Christ’, so we called these meetings ‘date nights with Jesus’. Now, any good date would include dinner and a movie. We cooked the dinner, and fell in love with Jesus, in worship. He would supply the movie, with many, if not all of us experiencing some sort of supernatural visions during those times…

He still gives visions!

Let’s Pray:

“Father, please grant me heavenly visions, for You promised that Your young people shall see visions. I ask in Your name Lord Jesus, Amen”
If you need prayer, right now, there are several 24 hour prayer lines here in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Here are some telephone numbers:

Abundant Life Prayer Group 918 495 7777
Victory Christian Center Prayer Line 918 496 0700
After Hours: 866 295 8442

Or simply email me at chris.aomministries@gmail.com

Our faith journey on Social Media…

Beginning Jan of 2013,  the Lord directed me to use Facebook and Social Media on purpose to  share His love and life through our family, and our daily Bible readings. We presently use the One Year Bible and it has been much fun, as the Word has come alive again, as He flows through us to meet needs of people around the world! Just for fun, I’m going to add some family pics of some of our missionary trips at the end of this blog.

We pastored in Canada, and have used FB to stay connected with family and former church members, but had around 500 friends.

Now, using this WordPress blog, there are well over 10,000 people that follow us, as we serve as full time missionaries in an organization we pioneered called AOMMinistries, a name taken from Psalm 2:8 – Ask of me, and I will give the nations for and inheritance..

Assignments from the Lord have changed, but His Word is the rock solid foundation upon which we build, and the book Is ALIVE!

Here is what we are working on in 2015: https://chrisaomministries.wordpress.com/2015/05/05/aomministries-2015-master-plan/

It is great to get to know all of you!

I do a lot of the posts, but Karen, and now the children post too. (She usually signs her name, so people know its her.)

There is an amazing truth, that has again amazed me this past year, as we have shared God’s love over social Media.
The Word of God is ALIVE!

Heb 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

As we have shared, and commented, tweeted, posted, and walked in faith, God has opened many doors for us to speak, teach, or simply just pray with people who are needing a touch of heaven.

Truly, the Word of God has gone places over the internet, that I had no idea it would go.

There have been some exciting discussions, that Holy Spirit used to generate some often brutal dialogue around the Word of God. Two of my favorites have been a simple question I posted, that received 80 comments in the first 15 mins: The question was: Should every Christian speak in other tongues?

The article I wrote to answer this question can be read here: https://chrisaomministries.wordpress.com/2014/11/27/is-speaking-in-other-tongues-of-god/

Another, that went viral pretty quick, was my response to gun control. The article was written after a discussion with some Christian retired servicemen, and is pretty strong:

https://chrisaomministries.wordpress.com/2015/01/21/did-jesus-give-the-2nd-amendment/

These quips, quotes, and in-depth Bible studies, have now gone around the world, to the point that I see this verse come true in our lives:

Ac 12:24 But the word of God grew and multiplied.

We have transitioned too!

We have gone from being part-owners in two construction companies, to now, full-time missionaries, teaching, writing, and praying for many things each day.

We registered a ministry in 2009, called AOM Ministries, from Ps 2: 8 Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.

We have asked, and God has given us friends and opportunities to minister His Word, in many nations now, and it gets more exciting each day.

In 2013, I completed my first book: Parable of the Sower: A Kingdom Parable.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Parable-Sower-Kingdom/dp/1491207825/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1399065758&sr=8-2&keywords=parable+of+the+sower+Christopher

Was a lot of work, but now I have now published my second book, based on the continued flow of revelation and insight from the Word of God, and my continued Holy Spirit directed studies.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_0_16/188-3411623-1118809?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=worship+not+just+a+song&sprefix=worship+not+just%2Caps%2C1016

In 2013, I disciplined myself to read 2 books each week, and I learned some things, after I completed the 100 book mark.

In 2014, the Lord gave us an assignment to the Navajo nation, to do what we could to bring reconciliation between the main-line church, the US government and the Navajo nation. This involved a total of 8 trips to Arizona and New Mexico, where many incredible things occurred. You can read about them in my upcoming book – Welcome to the Grand Illusion – A prophetic prayer strategy to take American back.

.http://www.amazon.com/Welcome-Grand-illusion-Prophetic-Strategy/dp/1497594839/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1429722053&sr=8-1&keywords=Welcome+to+the+Grand+Illusion

Now, it is time to apply the knowledge to practical application, and much have what I have learned is so in depth, that only a book can give you the time to read, assimilate, and digest the deeper truths from the Word of God, that I have learned.

https://chrisaomministries.wordpress.com/2015/01/05/why-publish-the-word-of-god/

I am still passionately in love with Jesus, determined to take His Word, with signs following, to the uttermost parts of the earth!

I have now published over 1000 articles on the blog site, on many, many relevant Christian topics!

There are teaching series on Christian Leadership, Healing, Spirit Led Living, Evangelism, Native American issues, Racism, Our Identity in Christ, Faith and many other topics! Truly, everything we need for life and godliness is in the Word of God!

Today, I saw this post on Twitter, and it prompted me to respond with the series I wrote on ‘Who we are in Christ’

https://chrisaomministries.wordpress.com/2015/02/06/in-him-we-live-and-move-and-have-our-being/

https://chrisaomministries.wordpress.com/2015/02/10/seeing-ourselves-as-god-sees-us/

https://chrisaomministries.wordpress.com/2015/02/11/youre-who-affects-your-do-until-we-are-through/

If you want a some more highlights from the blog, check out:

https://chrisaomministries.wordpress.com/2015/06/26/the-blog-approaching-1000/

There are many articles in there, designed to answer often tough questions, quickly. Use them however you see fit. I find it easy to simply cut and paste links on various Social Media, rather than recreate the wheel so to speak.

Let continue to walk together in Jesus!

Keep Smiling!

Jesus is Lord!

Chris Walsh

For prayer, comments, or to donate online:

Email: chris.aomministries@gmail.com

Donate on-line: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=95XHSDDXDS7MC

Give in faith!

1 Corinthians 9:11 If we have sown [the seed of] spiritual good among you, [is it too] much if we reap from your material benefits?

1 Corinthians 9:14 [On the same principle] the Lord directed that those who publish the good news (the Gospel) should live (get their maintenance) by the Gospel.

Paul goes on to say, that he did not use his position as a minister of the gospel to take up offerings, rather he worked, making tents, to support himself. You might notice here, that Paul was not married, nor did he have children. Family responsibilities take time, and just as you bust a move on your job to provide for your family, I work every bit as hard, doing this, faithful to the Lord in prayer and the ministry of His Word, to you.

I will never charge for this: it my responsibility to God, my calling. Freely I have been given, now, I freely give…

As you give, hear Holy Spirit what to give, and honestly expect God to reward you for your giving.

Matt 10: 41 He who receives and welcomes and accepts a prophet because he is a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward, and he who receives and welcomes and accepts a righteous man because he is a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. 42 And whoever gives to one of these little ones [in rank or influence] even a cup of cold water because he is My disciple, surely I declare to you, he shall not lose his reward.

I am a five-fold ministry gift and office – this is my life – I pray, I hear, I write, and wonderful things happen. You have your job description, I have mine – this is mine….

I have ‘see through’ faith for you, in this: Gal 3: 9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.

I believe I have a responsibility before God to be like Jesus, in every offering I receive. I receive it with thanksgiving, just like Jesus did the little boys lunch.

Then, because I walk and live by faith according to the blessing of Abraham, I believe that God will take your seed sown, and multiply it, according to what the blessing of Abraham promises:

Genesis 22:17 In blessing I will bless you and in multiplying I will multiply your descendants like the stars of the heavens and like the sand on the seashore. And your Seed (Heir) will possess the gate of His enemies

It has been a joy to me, to see the hand of the living God act in the lives of those of you who have supported us this year!

Many have seen tremendous blessing come into your households, and for this we give thanks, and give Jesus all the glory!

Protocol – giving a copy of my first book to pastor Willie Jock with chief Kenny Blacksmith, in Ottawa, ON Canada

With President Ben Shelley of the Navajo Nation, in Window Rock, Arizona

Keila preaching in Juarez, Mexico with evangelist Daniel King

Stopped at Natural Falls, OK enroute to pick up a donation of tables and chairs for Navajo Nation, with ‘uncle’ Harry Hayes.

In Quebec City, Quebec, with Chateau Frontenac in background (where I was born)

At Rhema at Christmas lights, in Broken Arrow, OK, where Karen and I graduated Bible school and were married

With my last true pastor, Billy Joe Daugherty, getting pictures taken before Africa trip

At Victory Christian Center, Tulsa, Ok, where we attended 8 years.

 

Love Never Fails

Love Never Fails.

THE FEAR OF MAN BRINGS A SNARE:

The fear of man brings a snare:

Proverbs 29:25
The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe.

Eight things that the fear of man will bring:
1. Lack of persistence or follow through of God given dreams or desires.
2. Stifling of God given gifts, talents and abilities.
3. Lack of peace.
4. Anger, frustration, depression.
5. Hopelessness and despair.
6. Lack of passion, zeal, and purpose.
7. Lack of courage to lead.
8. Stifling of creativity.

In reading Napoleon Hill, I read of one of his hindrances to success, defined as a lack of persistence. One of his reasons for this he calls: “FEAR OF CRITICISM – a failure to make plans, and put them into action, because of what other people will think, do, or say. This enemy, belongs at the head of the list, because it generally exists in one’s subconscious mind, where its presence is not recognized.

In examining this fear he states: The majority of people permit relatives, friends, and the public at large to so influence them that they cannot live their own lives, because they fear criticism…

Millions of people neglect to acquire belated educations, after having left school, because they fear criticism.

Countless numbers of men and women, both young and old, permit relatives to wreck their lives, in the name of DUTY because they fear criticism. (Duty does not require any person to submit to the destruction of his personal ambitions and the right to live his or her own life in his or her own way)

People refuse to take chances in business, because they fear the criticism which may follow if they fail. The fear of criticism, in such cases is stronger than the desire for success.”

Paraphrased, from ‘Think and Grow Rich’ p 219

Again, I recite from Proverbs, the wisdom of God:

Proverbs 29:25
The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe.

Here we see an insight from heaven that confirms Mr. Hill’s thoughts. Notice this verse is very succinct, yet pertinent. It diagnoses a condition, and immediately presents the cure:

THE CONDITION: The fear of man.

THE SYMPTOM: A captive life, ensnared in relationships or commitments contrary to the vision or God given ambition or desire of one’s heart.

THE CURE: Faith! Deliberate turning away from people, places, or things that would fetter one from your God given destiny and desire. Delilberate trust in God Himself.

This is not irresponsible, or negligent, as many would love to throw the net of guilt upon one set upon running the race of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus; rather, is simply obeying God, not man, any man, even if that man is a close relative. We cannot, indeed, MUST not be fettered by the ungodly tyrannical chains, of family tradition.

Honor our family, our relatives, and definitely our parents and elders, YES!

Yet, honoring them, does not mean obeying them, as adults. We can gently, with strength, humility, and purpose, choose our own way to fulfill our God given destiny, whether they agree or not!

I remember one morning in devotions, when I knew clearly that Jesus Himself had spoken to me, to leave a certain person close to me, who was obviously going a different direction to what I knew to be the specific plan and will of God for me, personally. As I prayed about what to do, in anguished prayer, I heard Him say: ‘Leave them, and you will be of use to them, in years to come!’

Ultimately, one day, we will each stand before God to give an account of our lives, alone.

So, we run our particular race, with passion, zeal, purpose, for that which WE have been created to do, not what others might think we should be doing!

It is a fight!

Remaining free from the tyranny of ungodly expectations of others!

This is why, as parents, we must be careful to diligently pray for our children, inquiring of heaven, the will of God for them, nor necessarily what we would desire for them:

Proverbs 22:6
Train up a child in THE WAY HE SHOULD GO: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

Ecclesiastes 12:13
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

1 Peter 1:17
And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:

Obey God, not man…

Let’s Pray:
‘Father, deliver me from every fear of criticism, of what people might think, and may I fully embrace the purpose, destiny, and desires YOU have for me. Set me free from the insane tyranny of ungodly expectations, that I might find the rule and reign of Jesus, the Prince of peace, and follow His peace, all the days of my life here in the earth, Amen’

Victory Daily Bible Reading

Dec 13th, 2013

Please Join us this weekend for the dramatic production: ‘Believe!’
Sat at 5PM, Sunday at 9,11, and 6PM,

At Victory Christian Center, 7700 S Lewis, Tulsa, OK

https://www.facebook.com/#!/victorytulsa

Luke 6, and Zechariah 9 and 10 are today’s readings!

Listen here: http://easterlingtribe.com/audiobible

Get the whole year schedule, here: https://www.victory.com/assets/v6/resources/brp/BibleReadingPlan.pdf

The Sin of Sodom

The Sin of Sodom
Ezekial 16:49 “‘Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.

I’m sure I could create a long devotion, on the sin of Sodom, their wickedness, and many have used the destruction of Sodom, as a text for preaching against homosexuality. I understand how the gay predators tried to rape the angelic strangers that visited Lot’s house, as the traditional interpretation of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Homosexuality is wrong, as is any sex outside of a marriage covenant in the eyes of God, but look at this verse, tucked away in the book of Ezekiel.

The real sins of Sodom mentioned here are:
1. Pride and arrogance.
2. Gluttony, and being overfed.
3. Unconcern for the help of the poor and the needy.

Let’s Look at these some:

Pride: Holman’s Bible dictionary has a long definition: http://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/hbd/view.cgi?number=T5098

Yet, I have a very simply one: Pride is simply having a better idea than God, in any area of life.

2 Corinthians 10:5

casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

Any time, any where, any person has thoughts opposed to the word of God, they are in pride. They may be sincere, yet in God’s eyes, they are sincerely wrong. Someone might not have their chest puffed up, or be walking in arrogance of way, yet be proud nonetheless, in that they are doing their own thing, not God’s.

This past couple of years has been interesting for me and my family, as we went from a comfortable income, able to go and eat whatever we wanted, to no income, having to eat at food banks, to finally turning my truck back into the bank, and then our house as we went through foreclosure.There has been a wonderful walk of discovery from what is truly a need or merely a want. Things that I had taken for granted, when removed, become prayer points, where I discover where my heart has really been at.
Learning to survive for weeks, without a dime in our pocket, no vehicle, eating at food banks, has quite honestly changed me, and made me a far better human being, far more accepting, willing to help, non-judgemental, and grateful for the little things in life. Now, I am able to simple see and listen to the poor of this nation, and learn many things, that I could never have heard before.

I remember hearing the story of Heidi Baker, after receiving her PHD from seminary, asking Jesus what He would have her do, and receiving the instruction to go to Mozambique with her husband, with nothing but faith in God, and to ‘sit with the poor and learn of my kingdom’
As I reach out internationally, to Christian brothers and sisters serving the Lord who honestly have to trust the Lord not only for their next meal, but in many cases, the meals of those orphans that have come to them for their daily sustenance, sacrificial living at a level that we here in America cannot comprehend, and as I cry out to God for our daily needs, I am acutely aware that the God I am praying to loves them, exactly as much as He loves me and my children. The nature of my prayers has radically changed. The old cliché’ is true: ‘You never truly discover that Jesus is all you need, until He is all that you have!’.
He can create a humble pathway of provision, that requires a radical, strict obedience, and I am convinced that He is doing exactly that in my life. I am a prosperity preacher! I honestly believe that one of the benefits of serving Jesus is financial prosperity:
3 John 1:2
King James Version (KJV)
2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.
Yet, as I have walked this pathway of radical obedience, I have discovered that many, many things in my life were simply wants, soulical desires, that were often born in the world and this culture, not birthed in the fire of the Holy Spirit, and the Word of God.
Let’s talk about a couple of these:
Fitness: I love to stay in shape. My body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, and I like to be strong in the Lord and the power of His might. To do this, used to live P90X, for those of you who know what that is. This involved 6-10 work-outs/week, a structured diet, many protein and body-building supplements, and of course high dollar multivitamins. These all cost money, usually around an extra $200-300/month, plus a gym membership fee. Money has been non-existant, and in many cases, so has food, any food, so work-outs have been in my make-shift gym in my back yard, 3-4 times/week, and then, and only then, when we actually have enough food in the house to justify it, because I have children to feed.

Coffee: I love me some good coffee. Yet, the days of exotic coffee’s have long gone, and I drink regular Folgers when we have been able. I can live with it, or without it.
Desserts: When we have ice-cream or some sweet for dessert or at a church function, I am simply grateful. I’m fighting for healthy meals for the family, simply putting decent calories on the table, with nutrition in them, sweets are low on the priority.
Pets: We have two dogs, a cat, a rabbit, and an aquarium. They eat well, but as I see orphans around the world starving, can I justify the expense of feeding pets, when I should be feeding people, starving children that honestly need food?
Entertainment: Used to hit the movies, and watch the latest and greatest flicks at the theater. Netflix, internet access, and movie nights have not been possible, which has led to family time together where we actually talk to each other, read the Bible, have tickle fights, and love on one another. A walk by the river, and building sandcastles is free, yet builds memories for a lifetime. We still hit movies at the dollar theater as we are able, but my appetites have changed. We enjoy the things of God far more now, because Jesus draws close to us there, as we have drawn close to Him.
Vehicle: For many years, we have had two vehicles. For over a year, we had none. We walked each day to the library for internet and home school, and viola, accomplish a fitness activity, and often skip and sing our way here, laughing as we go. I have believed God for another reliable vehicle, and He has surely heard and answered that prayer, but know this: I will be far more grateful to Him, and far more sensitive to driving others around, for I know intimately what it is like to walk by faith. (He has answered, providing for us a 1998 jeep Cherokee, for which I am very grateful)
Utilities: Never been without them before. Over the past year and a half, we have been without water, gas, and electric for several extended periods of time. Nothing like dark nights, cold showers, or hauling water to simple flush the toilet to make you appreciate services that up until now, I have simply taken for granted. After we moved from our home in November, we have lived with friends, learning that there are radically different ways to do family life than we knew, and we have learned much from each family home we have stayed in. As we travelled to Indian reservations, and spent time with natives, we discovered many have no heat, nor running water, in often extreme climates, yet they are a resilient people, with a deep joy and peace, that has been a great example to us.
The sin of Sodom was in my face, for I now see how I have not only committed all of these three sins, but have lived in them for many years.

1 Timothy 6:17

Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;

We cry out for revival, that we are willing to pay any price, yet the price God requires, is heart change.
There is financial prosperity in the kingdom of God,
2 Corinthians 8:9
For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.

Jesus died upon the cross for our poverty, our sin, and our sickness.
Yet, during this season of my financial poverty, I am changing, where human eyes cannot see. Deep in my soul, I am prospering, and in my due season, wealth and riches shall again be my portion in life. Gratefully, humbly, in wisdom, will I again walk in the wealth of this world.
Why? Because I believe, no longer blindly, but because Jesus has spoken to me personally about my finances. One morning, in fervent prayer, He reminded me of who He is, King of the Universe, and He said: ‘Son, you cannot seek me the way you have these past years, and come away diminished!’
True faith always has a good report!
James 2:5
Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?

This season too, shall pass, and Jesus, my faithful Lord, shall again honor His Word in my life, and cause me to prosper, increase, and walk in wealth, for I have believed.
Ecclesiastes 3
3 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
11 He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.
12 I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life.
13 And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.

How about you?

I think in my testimonies I have discussed how gluttony has died its horrible death in my life, but let me talk about concern for the poor.

I have honestly not been able to give anything to the poor, despite the thousands of requests we receive for financial aid from those who read this blog. Not one goes by, unnoticed any more. I honestly fervently pray with compassion for every need, trusting Jesus to do what I personally cannot.

I have faced many days of trouble, and I need the Lord to deliver me as the days have come. Jesus said the poor you will always have with you. Consider them, love them, do not oppress them, and help wherever you can to alleviate human suffering.
Let’s pray:
‘Father, in every season of life, there are lessons to be learned. Help us to recognize the season You have us in, and to be content and faithful in it. May we be quick to learn the lessons we must learn, now, deep within our soul, that in the season of our promotion and favor, we remain humble, grateful, and fully dependent upon You Lord Jesus, Amen’