The Responsibility of Discipleship – A Word for Leaders

The Responsibility of Discipleship

Some time ago, I attended the leadership portion of Word Explosion here at Victory in Tulsa, OK.

A pastor that I had never heard of, who reportedly pastors a church of 15,000+ somewhere in the Eastern United States brought a word about the seasons of God in the church, and he was very articulate and relevant, in bringing out the various things Holy Spirit was accenting, decade by decade here in churches  in the United States.

From the Healing movement, to the Charismatic renewal, to teaching and the Word of Faith, to leadership, etc.

Then he made a couple of statements that confirmed things that Holy Spirit is screaming to me.

He explained that the day of a person simply accepting Jesus, receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and attending church, is not enough in this upcoming season of God, but that what must occur is discipleship.

He went on to say, that to the average pastor, you would look for someone saved, filled with the Holy Spirit, attending regular worship services, attending a small group, and then serving somewhere in the ministry as good indicators of what a disciple should look like, and I agree these are good indicators, but here is where he and I take a different path to the same objective.

I believe a true disciple of Jesus, is a person that is fully led of the Holy Spirit, all day, every day.

Historically, there has been grave excesses in what is called ‘the discipleship, or Shepherding movement’

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shepherding_Movement

Yet, what about true discipleship?

Jesus said: Matthew 28:19

Go out and make disciples in all the nations.

I think back on my own discipleship experience with my pastor, where, for a period of 5-7 years, he had me read every book in his library, develop a strong devotional life and Bible reading plan, and had me serve in every area of the church for 3-6months.

Was that the end of my spiritual growth?

Was I fully prepared for ministry by this process?

No, but it was a great foundation.

Luke 16:12

And if you have not been faithful in the use of that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own?

So let’s dig into this concept of discipleship a bit:

Let’s begin by looking at the definition of a disciple:

Full Definition of DISCIPLE

1

:  one who accepts and assists in spreading the doctrines of another: as

a :  one of the twelve in the inner circle of Christ’s followers according to the Gospel accounts

b :  a convinced adherent of a school or individual

2

capitalized :  a member of the Disciples of Christ founded in the United States in 1809 that holds the Bible alone to be the rule of faith and practice, usually baptizes by immersion, and has a congregational polity

 

For the sake of simplicity, I call a disciple ‘a disciplined one’.

For example, when I swam on the college varsity swim team, I was expected to make 7 swim practices a week, and we usually did 2 weight work-outs on top of this. In order to stay on the team, I had to be a full time student and maintain a ‘C’ average academically.

What this meant, was that literally every minute of my week, seven days/week was scheduled, so that we could survive not only the training schedule, but the weekends spent on buses travelling to inter-varsity swim meets all over the province.

I was a disciple of competitive swimming and robotics engineering, listening carefully to my Olympic coach on how to make all this possible.

Obviously I survived and completed three varsity seasons, and completed my BSc in robotics, by being a disciplined one…

I was a disciple of robotics and swimming. No Jesus anywhere though.

Yet, we are called to follow Jesus…

https://chrisaomministries.wordpress.com/2014/01/11/your-great-commission-embracing-your-destiny/

So what does a disciple of Jesus look like in today’s world?

Here are some thoughts:

1. Aggressively following Jesus, having established a morning prayer watch, deliberately seeking Him first thing, every day.
2. Walking in the Word in deliberate Bible reading, confession, memorization, study, and meditation.
3. Consistently demonstrating the power of the Holy Spirit, with signs, wonders and miracles flowing in everyday life, in spirit-led days. Flowing in God all day, every day, not merely on Sundays, or in devotional times. Walking with Holy Spirit, one day at a time, fully submitted to Jesus Lordship.
4. Consistently exhibiting the fruit of the Holy Spirit in our character, carefully watching over our words, that they be faith-filled, representing Jesus well, as an ambassador should.
5. Consistently witnessing and sharing the gospel.(Here is a way to do this on-line:https://chrisaomministries.wordpress.com/2014/11/10/the-gospel-the-power-of-god/)
6. Consistently growing their families in the call of God, through their example, love, consecration, and recognition and fulfillment of their responsibility in their role in the home
7. Consistently attending church, and seeking to serve and build it, growing in faithfulness and responsibility.  https://chrisaomministries.wordpress.com/2014/12/04/why-go-to-church/
8. Living a lifestyle of worship, singing, praying in the spirit, with an attitude of humility and gratefulness, demonstrating the acts of compassion the gospel commands: helping the poor, feeding the hungry, visiting the prisoner, the sick, clothing the naked, empowering the fatherless. https://chrisaomministries.com/2017/01/15/we-worship-by-serving-the-people-god-loves/
9. Consistently seeking to grow in their gift and calling, spiritually, academically, and physically. https://chrisaomministries.com/2017/01/03/the-chinese-bamboo-a-parable-of-growth/
10.  Consistently seeking to grow others in their gifts and callings, empowering, equipping, and encouraging them to hear and fully obey God in all things.
11.    Consistently giving and growing financially, learning how best to keep money under the Lordship of Jesus as a good steward.
12.    Deliberately seeking and pursuing our personal mandate, vocation, and assignment, individually, growing in responsibility levels, on purpose.

Jesus had 12 disciples.

These are simply 12 guidelines I seek to live by.

Yet, as I have meditated upon the concept of discipleship, I discover questions that have difficult answers.

I remember many years ago, an organization called Promise Keepers, encouraged us to find a Paul, and Barnabas, and a Timothy in our lives. The ‘Paul’ being a spiritual leader we could look to for leadership, mentorship, and instruction. The ‘Barnabas’ being a ‘son of encouragement’, another brother in the Lord we could look to for encouragement in the day to day battles of life, and the ‘Timothy’ being one we could pour life and wisdom into, one we were deliberately discipling.

This is a good start surely.

As we grow in our Christian walk, we surely need a pastor who can gently help us learn the basics of this Christian life and character development.

Through our growth process, God will bring the other 4 ministry offices to add strength and structure to the formation of Christ in us, the hope of glory.

Yet, as I have walked with God these years I see many of these ministers see the kingdom of God only through their particular ministry gift, and for humor I write:

The pastor:

GO TO CHURCH! Is it not written: Ps 122: I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go into the house of the Lord.”

Hebrews 10:25

not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

Psalm 92:13

Planted in the house of the Lord, They will flourish in the courts of our God

They are right! We all need to be part of a local church, https://chrisaomministries.wordpress.com/2014/12/04/why-go-to-church/

The apostle:

Then we have the apostle, often called the missionary today, whose favorite verse might be

Romans 15:20

And so I have made it my aim to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build on another man’s foundation

Kind like the old Star Trek television series, ‘To Go Boldly Where No Man Has Gone Before”

1 Corinthians 4:9

For I think that God has displayed us, the apostles, last, as men condemned to death; for we have been made a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men.

Since the greatest in the kingdom is the servant of all, the true apostles I have met over the years are often gentle, suffering, humble servants of Jesus, who almost glow when they walk, carrying great spiritual authority and power….

We call them missionaries….

The Prophet:

Then there are prophets:

Wild creatures!

Dreams, Visions, revelations, ‘This is the Way Walk Ye in It!’ people.

A couple of verses from the office of the prophet, you often hear, when they show up:

Numbers 11:29

Then Moses said to him, “Are you zealous for my sake? Oh, that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put His Spirit upon them!”

Acts 2:17

‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams

1 Corinthians 14:1

[ Prophecy and Tongues ] Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy

It has been my experience that true prophets stir up controversy by what they say, apostles by what they do…

Evangelists:

Repent, and get saved!

If you are not winning souls, I question your salvation!

These are the great soul winners, those called to train and equip believers for the work of winning the lost.

Biblically, they usually demonstrate great miracles to draw the crowds to the gospel.

Acts 8:6

And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did

A perfect modern day example of a firely evangelist is Rhinhart Bonnke, or now Danial King.

The Teacher:

Then there are the teachers

2 Timothy 2:15

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Isaiah 28:13

But the word of the Lord was unto them precept upon  precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.

There have been great studies in the life of Jesus, showing how He is the ultimate apostle, pastor, prophet, evangelist and teacher, but what is the purpose of all of these gifts?

Here is a passage of Scripture I continually come back to:

Eph 4⁷ But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. ⁸ Therefore He says:

“When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men.”^[b]

⁹ (Now this, “He ascended”—what does it mean but that He also first^[c] descended into the lower parts of the earth? ¹⁰ He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)

¹¹ And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, ¹² for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, ¹³ till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; ¹⁴ that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, ¹⁵ but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—

¹⁶ from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

So we are given men and women of God, from God, to grow us in the things of God, that we can be delivered from the trickery of men, that we can take our place in the Body of Christ, our particular spot, gift, place and calling, that the whole Body of Christ might grow as we edify each other in love.

Been thinking about some what a disciple might look like in 2015, and I see questions, not full answers before me.

Since Jesus only ministered on the earth to His 12 disciples for 3-1/2 years before appointing them leaders in His kingdom in the earth, as His representatives, can we as leaders raise up people to send, in a similar three and a half year time period?

Yes, He promised that we would perform greater works than His, yet He lived with His disciples 24/7 for His entire earthly ministry.

How many of us are willing to embrace twelve people, and lovingly live with, teach, train, equip, and work with for 3-1/2 years until they are raised up in their particular ministries?

As I thought about the church structures in place across the earth, I see churches that place pastoral staff on salaries, but then how are the other four ministry gifts supposed to ethically receive financial support?

Do they simply attend a strong local church, and then perform their particular ministries outside of it’s four walls?

Evangelists raising up evangelistic centers that receive donations from the Body of Christ to finance their living support, and to host the crusades and conferences that train and equip us in the work of evangelism.

Prophets, who host conferences, and produce books and teaching materials to train and equip us in the prophetic…

Missionaries who solicit support to GO and perform missionary assignments, and to raise their families on the missions field.

Teachers, who receive salaries for teaching in the various educational institutes where they are called.

Somehow all this must flow through the local church, and how I have seen cat fights over money!

Should never be. All of us should tithe where the Lord directs, and I honestly believe if the Holy Spirit is fully in charge of the finances of His people, there will be no lack in God’s work being fully supported…

I was speaking about this today with Richard Lyons, who pastors the church we are helping pioneer.

I asked him: ‘Richard, here, in 2015, what does a true disciple of Jesus look like?’

He replied:

John 13:34

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

John 13:35

By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

So we see the fruit of a true disciple of Jesus, is true love exhibited in the earth, unconditional love shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit!

John 15:10

If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.

John 15:12

[ Disciples’ Relation to Each Other ] “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.

John 15:13

Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.

John 15:17

This I command you, that you love one another

Romans 5:5

and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us

John 15:5

I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears muchfruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.

John 15:8

My Father is glorified by this, that you bear muchfruit, and so prove to be My disciples

So, as we deliberately seek to receive the love of Jesus, we find ourselves thrust out into this war-torn, sin-sick, broken world, with one great weapon, His love beating in our hearts.

This is the mark of a true disciple, loving people, with no strings attached, simply because He first loved us.

Love Loud Today Leader!

All the evangelism, miracles, works of the ministry mean nothing without love…and love never fails!

Neither will you or I, as we deliberately love…

1 Timothy 1:5

Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:

Come on disciple, let’s pray:

Father, I come to You today, knowing my needs! I need Your love, Your direction, Your strength and power to serve You in this, my generation. Flow through me to love loud today, those You have placed in my path today. I ask this, knowing I am loved and heard, for I ask in Your name Lord Jesus! AMEN!

True Prophet

True Prophets!

I have been thinking about true and false prophets and prophecy lately, and just read a couple books by recognized prophets in the Body of Christ. This verse kind of jumps out at me, so I’m posting it.

Ezekiel 33: (The Voice)
30 But you, son of man, your own people are talking about you everywhere—in the streets and at doorsteps—saying to their kinsmen, “Come listen to what Ezekiel is saying. He has a word from the Eternal.” 31 They come to you, just as people flock to see someone famous. My people sit at your feet and seem to hang on your every word, but they never apply those sacred instructions to their own lives. For they act as they speak—with lustful desire—and think only of how they’ll make a profit. 32 To them you are nothing more than a gifted singer of lustful songs, a teller of tales, a master of instruments! They hear what you say but fail to put any of it into practice. 33 But when the messages you’ve given them actually come true—and I assure you, everything you tell them is going to come true—they will realize a true prophet has been among them.

Quietly, daily, speak the voice of the Lord into the earth, and let Him shake that which His authority alone can shake…

Let’s Pray:
‘Father, I come before you today, and before You Jesus, God the Son, King of all the prophets, recognizing that the Spirit of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy. Jesus, lead me and guide me in all truth, and protect me from false prophets, shepherds, apostles, and those that would make merchandise of me, my gift, and my family. Bring into my life, present truth, and may I be rooted and grounded in Your Word and Your truth Father, that I not be led astray, in any way. In Your name, I pray, Lord Jesus, Amen!’

Praying for Weather Systems

A Word from HAPN regarding weather systems:

As we go through Passover, we are receiving strategies for war. Destructive weather is one of the areas during this time of the year that we are always aware of and war over. Then, as we prepare for the days of counting the Omer, one of the important steps is to develop your decrees from your mouth for your blessings ahead.

Apostle Sandy Newman from Kansas shared the decree below with us last year about the weather and atmospheric conditions over our regions. So, on purpose, we form and utter speech to the atmospheres in our regions, states and nations.

Decreeing with you,
Yolanda

Dr. Yolanda McCune
HAPN Kingdom Culture Coordinator

__________________________
Almighty God:

I offer repentance for the iniquities that have defiled the land and the atmosphere.

I repent for not stewarding the earth nor taking responsibility for the boundary You have placed me in.

I repent for not taking my place as a watchman over weather.

I speak with authority and power to the weather patterns over my sphere of influence (region, state or nation):
I say you must come into alignment with God’s original design for weather.
I speak to the jet stream and fronts that bring change and say “come into alignment.”
I take authority over weather manipulation and control by the occult and dismantle their assignments.
I render ineffective the destructive forces of nature that are operating unchecked.
I decree that weather patterns will submit to God’s order, sequence and seasons.
I say rain comes in the timing of God, breaks the drought and brings harvest and joy.

I call my spirit to attention to bless everything God has made.
I bless the atmospheric movements in the heavens, which reflect God, who created them.
I bless the weather over my (region, state or nation) and call it to fulfill its purpose of watering, refreshing and nurturing the earth.
I bless God who created the weather systems and called them good.

https://chrisaomministries.com/2014/07/03/redeeming-the-land/
https://chrisaomministries.wordpress.com/2016/01/28/god-men-in-the-earth/

The Responsibility of Discipleship

Some time ago, I attended the leadership portion of Word Explosion here at Victory in Tulsa, OK.

A pastor that I had never heard of, who reported pastors a church of 15,000+ somewhere in the Eastern United States brought a word about the seasons of God in the church, and he was very articulate and relevant, in bringing out the various things Holy Spirit was accenting, decade by decade here in churches  in the United States.

From the Healing movement, to the Charismatic renewal, to teaching and the Word of Faith, to leadership, etc.

Then he made a couple of statements that confirmed things that Holy Spirit is screaming to me.

He explained that the day of a person simply accepting Jesus, receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and attending church, is not enough in this upcoming season of God, but that what must occur is discipleship.

He went on to say, that to the average pastor, you would look for someone saved, filled with the Holy Spirit, attending regular worship services, attending a small group, and then serving somewhere in the ministry as good indicators of what a disciple should look like, and I agree these are good indicators, but here is where he and I take a different path to the same objective.

I believe a true disciple of Jesus, is a person that is fully led of the Holy Spirit, all day, every day.

Historically, there has been grave excesses in what is called ‘the discipleship, or Shepherding movement’

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shepherding_Movement

Yet, what about true discipleship?

Jesus said: Matthew 28:19

Go out and make disciples in all the nations.

I think back on my own discipleship experience with my pastor, where, for a period of 5-7 years, he had me read every book in his library, develop a strong devotional life and Bible reading plan, and had me serve in every area of the church for 3-6months.

Was that the end of my spiritual growth?

Was I fully prepared for ministry by this process?

No, but it was a great foundation.

Luke 16:12

And if you have not been faithful in the use of that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own?

So let’s dig into this concept of discipleship a bit:

Let’s begin by looking at the definition of a disciple:

Full Definition of DISCIPLE

1

:  one who accepts and assists in spreading the doctrines of another: as

a :  one of the twelve in the inner circle of Christ’s followers according to the Gospel accounts

b :  a convinced adherent of a school or individual

2

capitalized :  a member of the Disciples of Christ founded in the United States in 1809 that holds the Bible alone to be the rule of faith and practice, usually baptizes by immersion, and has a congregational polity

 

For the sake of simplicity, I call a disciple ‘a disciplined one’.

For example, when I swam on the college varsity swim team, I was expected to make 7 swim practices a week, and we usually did 2 weight work-outs on top of this. In order to stay on the team, I had to be a full time student and maintain a ‘C’ average academically.

What this meant, was that literally every minute of my week, seven days/week was scheduled, so that we could survive not only the training schedule, but the weekends spent on buses travelling to inter-varsity swim meets all over the province.

I was a disciple of competitive swimming and robotics engineering, listening carefully to my Olympic coach on how to make all this possible.

Obviously I survived and completed three varsity seasons, and completed my BSc in robotics, by being a disciplined one…

I was a disciple of robotics and swimming. No Jesus anywhere though.

Yet, we are called to follow Jesus…

https://chrisaomministries.wordpress.com/2014/01/11/your-great-commission-embracing-your-destiny/

So what does a disciple of Jesus look like in today’s world?

Here are some thoughts:

1. Aggressively following Jesus, having established a morning prayer watch, deliberately seeking Him first thing, every day.
2. Walking in the Word in deliberate Bible reading, confession, memorization, study, and meditation.
3. Consistently demonstrating the power of the Holy Spirit, with signs, wonders and miracles flowing in everyday life, in spirit-led days. Flowing in God all day, every day, not merely on Sundays, or in devotional times. Walking with Holy Spirit, one day at a time, fully submitted to Jesus Lordship.
4. Consistently exhibiting the fruit of the Holy Spirit in our character, carefully watching over our words, that they be faith-filled, representing Jesus well, as an ambassador should.
5. Consistently witnessing and sharing the gospel.(Here is a way to do this on-line:https://chrisaomministries.wordpress.com/2014/11/10/the-gospel-the-power-of-god/)
6. Consistently growing their families in the call of God, through their example, love, consecration, and recognition and fulfillment of their responsibility in their role in the home
7. Consistently attending church, and seeking to serve and build it, growing in faithfulness and responsibility.  https://chrisaomministries.wordpress.com/2014/12/04/why-go-to-church/
8. Living a lifestyle of worship, singing, praying in the spirit, with an attitude of humility and gratefulness, demonstrating the acts of compassion the gospel commands: helping the poor, feeding the hungry, visiting the prisoner, the sick, clothing the naked, empowering the fatherless..
9. Consistently seeking to grow in their gift and calling, spiritually, academically, and physically.
10.  Consistently seeking to grow others in their gifts and callings, empowering, equipping, and encouraging them to hear and fully obey God in all things.
11.    Consistently giving and growing financially, learning how best to keep money under the Lordship of Jesus as a good steward.
12.    Deliberately seeking and pursuing our personal mandate, vocation, and assignment, individually, growing in responsibility levels, on purpose.

Jesus had 12 disciples.

These are simply 12 guidelines I seek to live by.

Yet, as I have meditated upon the concept of discipleship, I discover questions that have difficult answers.

I remember many years ago, an organization called Promise Keepers, encouraged us to find a Paul, and Barnabas, and a Timothy in our lives. The ‘Paul’ being a spiritual leader we could look to for leadership, mentorship, and instruction. The ‘Barnabas’ being a ‘son of encouragement’, another brother in the Lord we could look to for encouragement in the day to day battles of life, and the ‘Timothy’ being one we could pour life and wisdom into, one we were deliberately discipling.

This is a good start surely.

As we grow in our Christian walk, we surely need a pastor who can gently help us learn the basics of this Christian life and character development.

Through our growth process, God will bring the other 4 ministry offices to add strength and structure to the formation of Christ in us, the hope of glory.

Yet, as I have walked with God these years I see many of these ministers see the kingdom of God only through their particular ministry gift, and for humor I write:

The pastor:

GO TO CHURCH! Is it not written: Ps 122: I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go into the house of the Lord.”

Hebrews 10:25

not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

Psalm 92:13

Planted in the house of the Lord, They will flourish in the courts of our God

They are right! We all need to be part of a local church, https://chrisaomministries.wordpress.com/2014/12/04/why-go-to-church/

The apostle:

Then we have the apostle, often called the missionary today, whose favorite verse might be

Romans 15:20

And so I have made it my aim to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build on another man’s foundation

Kind like the old Star Trek television series, ‘To Go Boldly Where No Man Has Gone Before”

1 Corinthians 4:9

For I think that God has displayed us, the apostles, last, as men condemned to death; for we have been made a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men.

Since the greatest in the kingdom is the servant of all, the true apostles I have met over the years are often gentle, suffering, humble servants of Jesus, who almost glow when they walk, carrying great spiritual authority and power….

We call them missionaries….

The Prophet:

Then there are prophets:

Wild creatures!

Dreams, Visions, revelations, ‘This is the Way Walk Ye in It!’ people.

A couple of verses from the office of the prophet, you often hear, when they show up:

Numbers 11:29

Then Moses said to him, “Are you zealous for my sake? Oh, that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put His Spirit upon them!”

Acts 2:17

‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams

1 Corinthians 14:1

[ Prophecy and Tongues ] Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy

It has been my experience that true prophets stir up controversy by what they say, apostles by what they do…

Evangelists:

Repent, and get saved!

If you are not winning souls, I question your salvation!

These are the great soul winners, those called to train and equip believers for the work of winning the lost.

Biblically, they usually demonstrate great miracles to draw the crowds to the gospel.

Acts 8:6

And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did

A perfect modern day example of a firely evangelist is Rhinhart Bonnke, or now Danial King.

The Teacher:

Then there are the teachers

2 Timothy 2:15

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Isaiah 28:13

But the word of the Lord was unto them precept upon  precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.

There have been great studies in the life of Jesus, showing how He is the ultimate apostle, pastor, prophet, evangelist and teacher, but what is the purpose of all of these gifts?

Here is a passage of Scripture I continually come back to:

Eph 4⁷ But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. ⁸ Therefore He says:

“When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men.”^[b]

⁹ (Now this, “He ascended”—what does it mean but that He also first^[c] descended into the lower parts of the earth? ¹⁰ He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)

¹¹ And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, ¹² for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, ¹³ till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; ¹⁴ that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, ¹⁵ but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—

¹⁶ from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

So we are given men and women of God, from God, to grow us in the things of God, that we can be delivered from the trickery of men, that we can take our place in the Body of Christ, our particular spot, gift, place and calling, that the whole Body of Christ might grow as we edify each other in love.

Been thinking about some what a disciple might look like in 2015, and I see questions, not full answers before me.

Since Jesus only ministered on the earth to His 12 disciples for 3-1/2 years before appointing them leaders in His kingdom in the earth, as His representatives, can we as leaders raise up people to send, in a similar three and a half year time period?

Yes, He promised that we would perform greater works than His, yet He lived with His disciples 24/7 for His entire earthly ministry.

How many of us are willing to embrace twelve people, and lovingly live with, teach, train, equip, and work with for 3-1/2 years until they are raised up in their particular ministries?

As I thought about the church structures in place across the earth, I see churches that place pastoral staff on salaries, but then how are the other four ministry gifts supposed to ethically receive financial support?

Do they simply attend a strong local church, and then perform their particular ministries outside of it’s four walls?

Evangelists raising up evangelistic centers that receive donations from the Body of Christ to finance their living support, and to host the crusades and conferences that train and equip us in the work of evangelism.

Prophets, who host conferences, and produce books and teaching materials to train and equip us in the prophetic…

Missionaries who solicit support to GO and perform missionary assignments, and to raise their families on the missions field.

Teachers, who receive salaries for teaching in the various educational institutes where they are called.

Somehow all this must flow through the local church, and how I have seen cat fights over money!

Should never be. All of us should tithe where the Lord directs, and I honestly believe if the Holy Spirit is fully in charge of the finances of His people, there will be no lack in God’s work being fully supported…

I was speaking about this today with Richard Lyons, who pastors the church we are helping pioneer.

I asked him: ‘Richard, here, in 2015, what does a true disciple of Jesus look like?’

He replied:

John 13:34

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

John 13:35

By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

So we see the fruit of a true disciple of Jesus, is true love exhibited in the earth, unconditional love shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit!

John 15:10

If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.

John 15:12

[ Disciples’ Relation to Each Other ] “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.

John 15:13

Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.

John 15:17

This I command you, that you love one another

Romans 5:5

and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us

John 15:5

I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears muchfruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.

John 15:8

My Father is glorified by this, that you bear muchfruit, and so prove to be My disciples

So, as we deliberately seek to receive the love of Jesus, we find ourselves thrust out into this war-torn, sin-sick, broken world, with one great weapon, His love beating in our hearts.

This is the mark of a true disciple, loving people, with no strings attached, simply because He first loved us.

Love Loud Today Leader!

All the evangelism, miracles, works of the ministry mean nothing without love…and love never fails!

Neither will you or I, as we deliberately love…

1 Timothy 1:5

Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:

Come on disciple, let’s pray:

Father, I come to You today, knowing my needs! I need Your love, Your direction, Your strength and power to serve You in this, my generation. Flow through me to love loud today, those You have placed in my path today. I ask this, knowing I am loved and heard, for I ask in Your name Lord Jesus! AMEN!

Test the Spirits – Love Truth!

Test the Spirits!

1 John 4:1 ¶ Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
4 ¶ Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

The problem with true prophetic ministry has always been deception. It’s the only weapon satan has left, for he has been stripped of all power and authority when Jesus rose from the dead.

2Co 11:14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

Ga 1:8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

Satan may be a liar and the father of all lies, and deception may be his only weapon, but he uses this weapon very well in the earth, even today. Just as there are true prophetic ministry and spiritual oversight, there are demonic spirits that emulate the gifts of God, with the sole intent, of causing ministries and the people of God to go astray.

De 18:10 There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch,
11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.
12 For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.
13 Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God.

Jesus warned us about false prophets:Matthew 7:15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. (Why? https://chrisaomministries.wordpress.com/2015/10/03/ravenous-wolves/)

Matthew 24:24
For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect

2 Corinthians 11:13
For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also are transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

John 10:12
But he that is a hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.

2 Peter 2 [Full Chapter]
But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.

From the time in the garden, satan knew that if he could just get the people of God to disobey God, he would have them in his power, for how well he knows the holiness and raw power of God!
Jas 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

He knows he has no power against God, and that we do have power with God, and authority from Him. He hasn’t changed, he still whispers, ‘has God really said?’, to attempt to get us off of the Word of God, to deviate from the authority of the Scriptures. In a large sense, he has been successful.

Mohammad went up into a cave to seek God. Supposedly, an angel claiming to Gabriel appeared to him, and put him in a spiritual stupor, after clasping him, and imparting to him, ‘the oracle of God’ which Mohammad then had written, and which is now known as the Quran. Islam now claims to have a billion followers in the earth, far from Jesus, living a life of fear, violence, hatred and strife, all because one man of God, listened to another voice, heard another spirit, that pretended to be of God.

Remember, demons lie, then deceive. Jesus said ‘by their fruits, you will know them.’ And the fruit of Islam has been a blood bath for centuries.

So it is with Mormonism. A strong leader named Joseph Smith, attempting to honestly lead his people into the promised land, had a vision where Jesus and Mary supposedly appeared to him and gave him ‘a complete revelation of the Bible’, and the book of Mormon was written. Though Mormonism is not as bloody as Islam, Walter Martin in his book, ‘The Kingdom of the cults’ cites 84 key differences between Mormon doctrine and the Bible, and so you end up with a moral people, devoid of spiritual power, anointing, and living truth brought alive from the presence and power of Holy Spirit.

2Ti 3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

Since these two deceptions were the crux of the 2012 US Presidential election, I mentioned them as examples, but I greatly encourage you to get a copy of Walter martin’s book, Kingdom of the Cults, (http://www.amazon.com/Kingdom-Cults-Walter-Martin/dp/0764228218/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1415565001&sr=1-1&keywords=walter+martin+kingdom+of+the+cults)  to protect yourself from error.

Dig deep into the Word of God to discover what you believe, based upon the Bible:

John 8:31-32 (AKJV)
31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 32 and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
Jer 14: 14 Then the LORD said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart.
15 Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the prophets that prophesy in my name, and I sent them not, yet they say, Sword and famine shall not be in this
land; By sword and famine shall those prophets be consumed.
16 And the people to whom they prophesy shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and the sword; and they shall have none to bury
them, them, their wives, nor their sons, nor their daughters: for I will pour their wickedness upon them.

In this verse, we have prophets that should have been speaking by the Holy Spirit, the revelations of God, yet they were hearing and seeing by another spirit, a spirit of divination, and they became deceived in their hearts.

This sends chills down my spine, in the fear of the Lord, for I seek holiness, the fear of the Lord, and truth above every other thing. None of us are immune to error, and as we studied church history in the lives of some of the most powerful servants of God, we see some that went off. William Branham denying the Trinity, and perhaps moving in a mix of true prophetic, and divination or familiar spirits,

John Alexander Dowie, claiming to be ‘a reincarnation of John the Baptist’ in his latter years, and on it goes. What about many today who ‘prophesy’ money out of people’s pockets, in the name of the Lord? Surely there are true prophets that move in the financial realm, but how many times have we heard an offering taken up, that just doesn’t sit right in our heart?

Act 16:16 ¶ And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:
17 The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.
18 And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.

We must listen to our hearts and test the spirits. If something doesn’t seem right, it probably isn’t right.

1 John 4:1 ¶ Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should
come; and even now already is it in the world.
4 ¶ Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

Just finished a great little book, given to us by Billye Brim, called The Authority of the Believer, by John A. Macmillan. It is a great book on spiritual authority and warfare, but the last couple of chapters talk about many cases of demonic interaction with people. One chapter talks about the rise of modern day spiritualism stems from actual communication with spirits claiming to be the souls of loved ones who had died some years previously. As these spirits communicated through tapping, and other methods, the group of adherents to this mess, went from two teenaged girls, to over 10 million.

Just because an experience is supernatural, does not mean it is of God!

Remember Moses, when he appeared before Pharaoh and God turned his staff into a serpent? The Egyptian priests did the same thing by demonic power.

Please stay grounded in truth, as you move in the revelatory gifts of the Holy Spirit. I have to believe that as I stay rooted and grounded in the Word of God, that God Himself will send both laborers and teaching materials about demonic errors to keep us clean spiritually.

Like any Bible doctrine, there is a ditch on either side.

With this teaching, the two ditches are demonic deception resulting in supernatural revelation coming from demons instead of God, and then on the other side, strict legalism, resulting in no tolerance, or allowance of prophetic ministry and guidance to the church of the living God.

There is a straight and narrow way through these perils!

The cure for misuse of a gift is not “no use”, rather, “correct use”.

1Co 14:1 Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.

1Co 14:39 Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues.

These are the last days, the season when the anti-Christ spirit will manifest in a man. He is described here in

2 Thess 2:⁹ This man will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles. ¹⁰ He will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them.

If we determine to love truth and embrace it, we will be protected from sinister ministers, and snakes in pulpits, wolves in sheep’s clothing.

Let’s pray:

‘Father, I take my place in your kingdom, determined to walk in truth. Open my eyes to the true state of the ministries you have called me to, and give me wisdom on how best to pray, preach, feed, and lead your people, to best grow them up in you, and your perfect plan for us, and deliver me and protect me any others from all false prophetic, dreams, visions, or manifestation. Keep me in truth, at all cost, and prevent me from going astray. In any case that I have heard or seen things in the spirit, that are not from you, but are demonic deception, please show me, cleanse me, and keep me pure and holy in your sight, and submitted to your Word, in your name I pray Lord Jesus, Amen’

Seven That Ways God Speaks to You: Part 7 – Prophesy!

Seven That Ways God Speaks to You:

Prophecy

God leads through prophecy!

2Ki 8:1 Then spake Elisha unto the woman, whose son he had restored to life, saying, Arise, and go thou and thine household, and sojourn wheresoever thou canst sojourn: for the LORD hath called for a famine; and it shall also come upon the land seven years.

Notice here, that if this Shunnamite woman, had not listened to the prophet of God here, great hardship would have come upon her family in the famine that was about to hit the earth.

Num 11:27 And there ran a young man, and told Moses, and said, Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the camp.
28 And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his young men, answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid them.
29 And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the LORD’S people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them!

1Co 14:39 Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues.

1Co 13:9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

Prophecy can reveal mysteries, and unlock revelation that will allow us to enter areas previously closed to us.

Isaiah 22:22

And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open

Revelation 3:7

And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;

Luke 11:52

Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.

Prophetic words, cannot provide keys of knowledge, that unlock doors in the realm of the Spirit, and in the earth.

Ac 11:28 And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit that there should be great dearth throughout all the world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar.

There are many books written on prophecy, but know this: prophets and prophecy are very much alive in the New Testament!

Basically, prophecy falls into two categories: foretelling, and forthtelling.

Foretelling is where the Holy Spirit shows us things to come, future events.

John 16:13
Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

Forthtelling is where a person of God sees or hears into the heavenlies, and knows by the Spirit of God, exactly what God is doing in an individuals life, or in a certain setting, and they tell forth, or utter what the Father is saying or doing at that very moment.

John 5:30

I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

Any person can prophesy at some level. Simply telling the story of something Jesus has done in your life, is prophesy. Revelation 19:10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: 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.

Jesus loves us, and Holy Spirit will speak that love through you and I to encourage people in our day to day lives:

Holy Spirit is called the comforter, and most prophecy, reveals His comfort:

1 Corinthians 14
Follow after charity,(love) and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy. For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries. But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort. …
Yet, there are levels of prophesy, that range in depth, insight and authority from simple testimony, to prophecies that will literally cause signs in the heavens:

Act 2:18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:

Any born-again believer can prophesy, but not everyone is called to the five-fold ministry of the New Testament prophet!

Just for the sake of godly order in churches, 1 Corinthians 14:40 Let all things be done decently and in order.
If a prophetic word is given publicly, let it be judged publicly. If a pastor or leader asks you not to prophesy, DON’T DO IT!

They have the responsibility of governing the whole congregation, not just you and your gift. Sometimes, words are given by the Holy Spirit to direct you to pray and intercede over a particular body, discern: Do I say? Do I pray? What I have done over the years, when I do not know leadership and the Lord gives me a word, is to write it down, and quietly give it to them. At that point, they are fully responsible for the Word, not me. I am fully submitted to God’s authority in that church, yet have fully obeyed God in discharging my responsibility to give His Word.
In short, here is my general counsel on prophesy:

1. Love people, and encourage and comfort them with the Word of God.

2. Judge prophetic words you receive from either the Holy Spirit, of from another person of God, by the Scripture.

God should speak to you directly. If a person of God should speak a ‘word from God’ into your life, it should confirm something that God has already spoken to you, and should edify, exhort, and comfort you to obey God.

1Co 14:3 But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.

3. If a prophetic word does not bear witness to you, (https://chrisaomministries.wordpress.com/2014/11/06/seven-that-ways-god-speaks-to-you-part-5/)  nor does it confirm something God has already spoken to you, simply ‘put it on the shelf’. If it is of God, He will bring it to your remembrance at the right time. If it is not of God, don’t worry about it, it will not come to pass.

Refuse to be manipulated, controlled, or led by another person’s prophesy!

Jesus is your Lord, no man or woman of God.

True shepherds lead God’s sheep, not drive them!

There are times and seasons in God, and God’s timing is always perfect!

Ecclesiastes 3:11

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.

God may actually be speaking something, but it may be years before He brings it to pass. Timing is everything in the kingdom. Right people, right place and right timing, make for a sucessful life in Jesus!

Daniel 2:21

And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:

1 Chronicles 12:32

And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of them were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their commandment.

2 Chronicles 20:20 (KJV)²⁰ And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper

A ‘NOW’ Word from God, can bring you great blessing in your life.

4. Test the Spirits. 1Co 14:10 There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification.

There are many voices in the earth, and many spirits: human, divine, angelic, and demonic. Just because you hear a voice in prayer, does not mean what you are hearing is God speaking. This is an important topic, so I have written more about it here:  (https://chrisaomministries.wordpress.com/2014/11/10/test-the-spirits-love-truth/)

In summation, any preacher truly sent of God, will want you to grow, to develop, to become all that you are created to be in Jesus. God is a good God, and He wants to be trusted and believed, and He loves to partner with us in vision that is far greater than any of could possibly accomplish in our own strength. Great ministers stretch us, and cause us to rise up and grow, and do exploits for God in our generation. Calling forth nation shakers and history makers! Training and equipping us to grow into our destiny and calling, learning how to supernaturally move in our world….

Let’s Pray:
“Father, grant me prophetic utterance. Holy Spirit, I ask You for Your gift of prophesy to operate in my life, today, in Your name I pray 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!

Balaam – Prophet for Hire!

Balaam

Okay, let’s look at this Bible character named Balaam, who is probably in hell today, to see if we can learn what not to do as leaders.

The Word of God is wonderful, in that it tells the truth, and we can learn from even bad examples, what not to do.

Ps 19: 8 The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes….

11 Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.

Here we see the end of the story, Balaam the prophet, being killed by the people of God:

Numbers 31:8 And they slew the kings of Midian, beside the rest of them that were slain; namely, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, five kings of Midian: Balaam also the son of Beor they slew with the sword.

Joshua 13:22 Balaam also the son of Beor, the soothsayer, did the children of Israel slay with the sword among them that were slain by them.

Question is, why did God have Balaam killed?

Num 13:
15 And Moses said unto them, Have ye saved all the women alive?
16 Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the LORD.
17 Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him.

Numbers 31:16 Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the LORD.

What was the counsel of Balaam?

Jude 1:11 Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.

Here we see the error of Balaam, and his motive. He was greedy, and sold out the gift of God for reward.

Revelation 2:14 But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.

Yet, here, we see what he did, he counseled the enemy of God to tempt the people of God, to eat food sacrificed to idols, and to have sexual relationships out of marriage.

Numbers 25:1 ¶ And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab.
2 And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods.
3 And Israel joined himself unto Baalpeor: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel.

Deuteronomy 23:4 Because they met you not with bread and with water in the way, when ye came forth out of Egypt; and because they hired against thee Balaam the son of Beor of Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse thee.

Deuteronomy 23:5 Nevertheless the LORD thy God would not hearken unto Balaam; but the LORD thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because the LORD thy God loved thee.

Joshua 24:9 Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and warred against Israel, and sent and called Balaam the son of Beor to curse you:
Joshua 24:10 But I would not hearken unto Balaam; therefore he blessed you still: so I delivered you out of his hand.

Nehemiah 13:2 Because they met not the children of Israel with bread and with water, but hired Balaam against them, that he should curse them: howbeit our God turned the curse into a blessing.

Micah 6:5 O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal; that ye may know the righteousness of the LORD.

2 Peter 2:15 Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;

16 But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man’s voice forbad the madness of the prophet.
17 These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.
18 For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.
19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.
20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.
22 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

Jude 1:11 Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.

Revelation 2:14 But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.

So, we see it. Balaam, the prophet, the one who heard and knew the voice of God, sold out his gift for money and position. It cost him his life, and he is eternally in hell today.

What he did is amazingly wicked!

Three times Balak hired him to curse the children of Israel, and 3 times, God flowed through him pronouncing a blessing instead of his intended curse. Had he been smart and righteous, he should have left Balak, and joined the people of God, and won every battle, and lived for God.

Yet, he got greedy. Obviously, the Midianites and Moabites had material wealth, and he wanted him some of it.

He was once a broke prophet, living peacefully in his hut, now he has kings knocking at his door.

So what does he do?

He knows that God is holy, and cannot lie. In fact, he had even prophesied it: Nu 23:19 God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

20 Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it.
21 He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: the LORD his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them.
22 God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn.
23 Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel: according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought!

Do you see it?

God was with Israel! His manifest presence, His glory, His power, His blessing, His anointing, and surely the host of heaven, angel armies protecting His people.

Yet, in this verse we see why.

The children of Israel are living according to the law of God. They are fully separated unto Him, so that the prophet, by the Spirit of God proclaimed: ‘He beheld no iniquity in Jacob, nor has he seen perverseness in Israel’

Holiness produced power!

Fully obedient people, were met, blessed, protected, delivered and prospered by the person and presence of the living God, Creator of heaven and earth!

Here is where amazing wickedness occurred:

Balaam knew God, and knew His word. He saw this by the Holy Spirit, and knew that the people of God, with God, were unstoppable.

So what does he do? He counsels Balak, to throw a party for the men of Israel. Get your best delicacies cooking, and the prime cuts of meat that you have sacrificed to your gods, demon spirits. Then, get your women dressed seductively, and have them seduce the men of God, and have sex with them.

When you do, God Himself will withdraw from His people, and will destroy them Himself.

This he did, and Scripture records:

Number 23: 16 Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the LORD.

Now, what are we to learn from this today?

We, that bear the holy offices of God, five-fold ministry gifts, set into the earth to train, equip, and edify the people of God, the Body, the Bride of Christ.

Well, we are to prepare a holy bride for Jesus: one without spot or wrinkle.

Jas 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

2Co 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

2 Corinthians 10:6

and having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

God is still holy, and again I find myself stuck on this theme.

I am convinced that a holy, obedient people, in the hands of our God is unstoppable.

Strong, healthy, wealthy, blessed, joyful, loving, victorious in the trials of life!

Yet, how many of us fail the money test?

We get an extra couple of dollars, and we spend it watching a worldly movie, or attending a worldly event.

We say: ‘Father, if You give me an extra $50 this week, I will spend it on (missions, orphans, our ministry building program, or whatever financial need is before us in the kingdom), yet we flunk the prosperity test.

God gives the money, and instead of using it for the work of God, we go out whoring with the world.

Does God give prosperity?

Yes!

Deut 8:18 But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.

Money with a mission, wealth given to establish His covenant in the earth, or in this dispensation, the gospel.

Mr 4:19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.

Ro 13:14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

Ga 5:24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

1Ti 6:9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.

Do I preach prosperity?

Yes!

I cannot see in the word of God, anywhere that people of God, fully serving God, were not prospered.

Yet, beware the sin of Balaam.

That is compromising the Word of God, in any area, for financial gain.

To whom much is given, much is required.

In my life, I have withdrawn for many great business opportunities, simply because I do not feel strong enough in my office and calling, to take the chance of mixing ministry and business. I fear God, and seek purity of heart and holiness, and I am coming out of the business world, having stepped again into full time ministry.

My message will always be, holiness unto the Lord, be pure, and ALL IN, 100% sold out to Jesus, without compromise. I will use all of my position,, influence, words, wealth, and teaching to promote only the cause of Christ, for I feel that the time is short, and there is no time to do anything else in these last days.

Yet, I have seen the sin of Balaam at work, yea even here in Tulsa, Oklahoma, bless the holy city.

I drove a friend home from Friday night prayer one night, and he lives in an apartment complex, known for weekend partying and gang activity. This man is sold out for Jesus, and is doing great things in reaching people with the gospel. As we drove, he shared his vision of raising up a strong ministry in the North side of Tulsa, to reach youth for Christ.

When we pulled into his parking lot, full of the Holy Ghost and fire, I rolled down my window as four youth with a case of beer on one guys shoulder, were approaching the truck, obviously on their way to party somewhere. So, I called out to them: ‘Hey, my friend and I were talking about getting some sort of ministry going around here, that would be relevant to your lives, to reach you for Jesus, what do you think would work?’

Now I wouldn’t try this approach in an area other than Tulsa, where there are 1400 or so churches, and many Christian television and radio stations. You would think that everyone here, has at least heard the gospel, once.

Well, one of the guys, kind of gave me a dirty look, and kept walking, but the two girls with them approached the truck. One of them sat cross legged on the ground beside my driver’s window, and we began to talk.

She said: ‘Are you serious? Do you really want to know what it would take?”

I said, ‘Yes, tell me sister!”

She said, ‘I am 19 years old, pregnant with my third child. The first two children are from youth pastors who I slept with, who will not admit we had sex. I’m not saying that what I did was right, but if you want a ministry to reach youth here, in this community, you gotta solve the zipper problem with most of the ministers.’

Ah, the old fashioned Billy Graham statement comes alive:

‘As a man of God, don’t touch the girls, the gold, or the glory!’

Charisma does not equal character.

Balaam had charisma. Imagine if you will, the great pomp and ceremony, by which he built the alters of God, and ceremonially sacrificed before the Lord, the animals required. He had anointing. He had the gifts of the spirit. He had reputation as a prophet of God. He had a heavenly office.

Yet, he did not develop the character to carry the call.

Here is where I live: fighting daily, to watch over my words to fulfill them. Fighting to avoid any appearance of evil with women, money, or pride. To allow Holy Spirit to go deep inside my heart, searching my deepest motives, and transforming me, so that even my motives are right before the Lord.

I am not content to only do the right thing, but seek to do the right thing, for the right reason: that is for the glory and love of Jesus.

I shared my heart for a reason, man of God.

You are right there with me. The pressure, the subtle flirtatious innuendo’s of seductive women (yes, they are real, it’s not personal, it’s just demons working through carnal women, to destroy you and your ministry), the business deals and multi-level ‘opportunities’ that flood your inbox, the praise of flatterers testing you, are common to every leader, and you must not fail!

Proverbs 27:21 KJ21

As the refining pot for silver and the furnace for gold, so is a man tried by praise

Whether you are called in ministry, business, government, education, or media, whatever your vocation, holiness is the standard: a clean, pure life, free from sin.

Isaiah 52:11

Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord.

 

Jesus spoke of the differences between hirelings and true shepherds who lovingly lay down their lives to protect God’s people:

John 10:12

But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.

v13

The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.

Be strong, courageous, pure, holy, and fulfill your heavenly office and calling, without compromise.

This is not a job, or any mere earthly vocation, but a heavenly office and calling.

Be the true shepherd you are created to be.

If you are compromised, let God forgive, purge, prune, and deliver you from your unhealthy relationships and business deals that make merchandise of the flock in your care.

I am not sure who this is for, my ramblings…but let’s pray:

‘Father, I pray for the brother or sister reading this today. May they fully consecrate to holiness, obedience, purity, and excellence of conduct, in whatever you have called them to do. Bring Your power, and truth, to extricate them from situations, relationships, business dealings, and distractions, that are contrary to Your will for their lives, that they might live, led by You, in purpose, passion, joy, and victory. I ask this, knowing I am heard, for I ask in Your name Lord Jesus, Amen.’

Why Should I Start a Bible School?

Why Should I Start a Bible School?.

Divine Logic – Truth or Consequences…

If…Then

In Boolean logic, or in mathematics, or especially in computer programming, we learn how to quantify logical expressions, using the famous IF/THEN type of reasoning.
IF (it is raining outside) THEN (bring umbrella). The computer then blasts through all the possible IF conditions, to decide what to do, and it only does, what it finds to be true, in the IF condition.

As I read this passage in today’s reading, it brought this whole line of reasoning back to my remembrance in an almost sarcastically, comical kind of way. It would be funny, if it were not so serious…
Let’s look at it:

Jer 26:2 Thus saith the LORD; Stand in the court of the LORD’S house, and speak unto ALL the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the LORD’S house, ALL the words that I command thee to speak unto them; diminish not a word:
Jer 26:3 IF so be they will hearken, and turn every man from his evil way, (THEN) that I may repent me of the evil, which I purpose to do unto them because of the evil of their doings.

Jer 26:4 And thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD; IF ye will not hearken to me, to walk in my law, which I have set before you,
Jer 26:5 To hearken to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I sent unto you, both rising up early, and sending them, but ye have not hearkened;
Jer 26:6 THEN will I make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth.
Jer 26:7 So the priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the LORD.
Jer 26:8 Now it came to pass, when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking all that the LORD had commanded him to speak unto all the people, that the priests and the prophets and all the people took him, saying, Thou shalt surely die.
Jer 26:9 Why hast thou prophesied in the name of the LORD, saying, This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate without an inhabitant? And all the people were gathered against Jeremiah in the house of the LORD.

In this chapter, God had called ALL of His people together at Jerusalem, and told them IF you listen and obey me, AND turn from your wicked ways: THEN I will spare you the evil that is about to come upon you.

What is interesting is the character of God revealed here. He is not some screaming Meany hurling lightning bolts from heaven, rather, I see Him here as a good God, a loving Father, who sees consequences to actions coming down the pipe, and who honestly tries to avert them, to prevent them from happening to the people He loves.
Back to my logic again: IF, THEN, AND, and OR are logical terms, whether you encounter them in Boolean Logic, Computer Programming, Circuit Design, or Mathematics.
This passage of Scripture goes like this:
IF (condition1 AND condition2) THEN. (Disaster Prevented)
People respond clearly that they are not willing to do (condition1 OR condition2) THEN (disaster).
Guess tutoring my daughter in math these days has my engineering and math mind kicking in again…
Ok, back to the Word of God for a second.

God is alive!

God is also Holy!

Just as there are scientific laws that govern the universe, there are also moral laws that govern the earth.

This is the Word of God, or the Torah.
God is very loving and merciful, but also totally knowable and trustworthy. His moral laws have never changed, nor will they.

Just as ignorance of a natural law, will not prevent the consequences the breaking of it will incur, so it is with moral law.
Take gravity for instance: if a child did not know about gravity, yet stepped off a building, they would still go down. The law is fixed.
It is the same with respect to the Word of God. There are moral absolutes, and there are consequences for breaking these laws.
In this passage, God saw that the consequence for the people of Judah breaking His laws, was about to cause Him to ‘I make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth.’
In the Old Testament, God spoke two ways, with the same intent in each.
He has given the Torah, the written word of God, which explains His standards, and gives commandments to be obeyed. It is always His intent that we walk in holiness, obedience, love towards Him and our fellow man.
Yet, people have free will, and choose to do their own thing.
When they do, there are consequences to their actions, which may not be readily apparent, initially…Just like the child who jumps off the roof, things look fine while in the air, its the sudden stop at the bottom that hurts!
The second way that God spoke under the Old Covenant was through his servants, the prophets.

(This is why Moses and Elijah appeared to Jesus on the mount of transfiguration, because Jesus fulfilled both the law and the prophets)
All that a prophet did, is hear the voice of the Holy Spirit, and when people departed from the written Word of God, they brought correction or direction, for people to return to God and His Word.

Matthew 11:13
For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied up until John.

In this passage, my logic example holds true.

The people, had disobeyed God, and were not living according to the Word of God. So, God sent Jeremiah, the prophet, to bring them back to Himself, and to His Word.

IF (condition1 AND condition2) THEN. (Disaster Prevented)
People respond clearly that they are not willing to do (condition1 OR condition2) THEN (disaster).
The cynical humor of this, is not so much that the people rejected the Word of God, but the way they did so.
God sends Jeremiah, in love, in tears, to prevent disaster. He tells them what to do, and how to prevent it.
Instead of taking responsibility for their actions, they immediately decide that:
1. We are not going to listen.
2. We are not going to turn from our wicked ways.
3. We do not want to listen to Jeremiah.
4. Jeremiah must be the problem, so let’s kill him!

We read that:
Jer 26:8 Now it came to pass, when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking all that the LORD had commanded him to speak unto all the people, that the priests and the prophets and all the people took him, saying, Thou shalt surely die.
Jer 26:9 Why hast thou prophesied in the name of the LORD, saying, This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate without an inhabitant? And all the people were gathered against Jeremiah in the house of the LORD.

Their implied reasoning is that ‘We had no problems until you showed up Jeremiah! You are our problem! We did not cause this, you did! You need to die, because you said that the city was going to be destroyed!’

Bad logic. Faulty reasoning. Horrible consequences.

Ever had something similar happen? You quietly, methodically tell someone, or group of people the truth, and instead of attempting to process what you stated, they immediately revile, attempt to discredit, insinuate against, or try to destroy you!

The good news is that you are not the problem. We who love Jesus and who love people are instruments of God’s love, not His wrath. Yet,

Proverbs 19:3
Amplified Bible (AMP)
3 The foolishness of man subverts his way [ruins his affairs]; then his heart is resentful and frets against the Lord.
I think this thought is more plainly translated, here in the NIV:

Proverbs 19:3
New International Version (NIV)
3 A person’s own folly leads to their ruin,
yet their heart rages against the LORD.

You bring truth to a person, in love, that corrects them.

Instead of recognizing that they might be wrong, they get angry.

They are really angry at God, but because we serve Jesus, they generally vent their anger, at us…

So what do we do? How do we handle it?

Do we go into a deep funk, and get depressed?

Not if we want to meet the approval of God. It’s time to sing a song, shout unto God with a voice of triumph, and get happy!

New International Version
Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Matthew 5:11-13

When the Apostles were thrown in prison, did they go into the depths of despair for being beaten or falsely imprisoned or accused?

Act_5:41 And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.

Acts 16:24-30
New International Version (NIV)
24 When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.
25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose.

So, bust loose a little! Give Jesus some glory today in your world. Bless Him, praise Him, laugh a little bit, and lighten up. It’s a great day to be making headlines in heaven!
Let’s pray:
‘Father, I come before you today, and trust You to breath through me by Your precious Holy Spirit, Your truth, Your love to this generation. As I gently bring correction and direction, encouraging folks to quit lying, cheating, or acting contrary to You and Your Word, grant me joy unspeakable and full of glory, when they revile, lie about, or attack me. In your mighty name I pray Lord Jesus, Amen’

Tripped by the lip, Hung by thier Tongue!

Tripped by the Lip, and hung by the tongue!

Read this verse, and it made me think:
Hosea 7:16 They return, but not to the most High: they are like a deceitful bow: their princes shall fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue: this shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.
Old Testament, is the New Testament concealed, the New, the Old Testament revealed.
In Hosea, we see the judgment of God, falling on a people of wicked intent, revealed by ‘the rage of their tongue’
Jesus said it this way:
Matt 12:34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.
36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.
37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

These people were literally judged by God, by the Words they spoke.
In this case, it cost them their lives.
Hosea 6: 5 Therefore have I hewed them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth: and thy judgments are as the light that goeth forth.
6 For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.
In this day, the last of all days, the ministry of the prophet is still in the earth. Great hearted, pure, weeping, merciful saints of God, full of love, compassion, wisdom, humility, brokenness, and deep, deep relationship with our Father.
Yet, do not mistake mercy, love and compassion for weakness.

They still speak the literal word of God into the earth, and God backs up that word, with power.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and God will still ‘hew with His prophets’, wicked people…

I know, you are thinking: Chris, you are a faith preacher, why not talk about building our lives upon the word of God, and calling those things that be not as though they were….These are truths also, and good news for those of us walking with Jesus in faith, exercising His authority. https://chrisaomministries.wordpress.com/2014/01/16/the-spirit-of-faith/

Yet, for those people, nations, and governments who refuse Jesus, His covenant, and the Word of God:

Isaiah 26:9

With my soul I have desired You in the night, Yes, by my spirit within me I will seek You early; For when Your judgments are in the earth, The inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

Let’s pray:
“Father, I pray for mercy and Your love revealed in the earth today. That You would reveal the love, and forgiveness of Jesus, to wicked people, bent on doing evil. That You stop them, whatever it takes, in the name and authority of Jesus I pray, Amen’