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Anyone Want To Go Get Loaded?

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Are you feeling down and thinking things are not going your way? Do you feeling like you want to go get loaded this morning?   I did this morning and the Lord encouraged me with this verse. Let me invite you to get loaded with me but not like you think.

Psalm 68:19. Blessed be the Lord, Who daily loads us with benefits, The God of our salvation! Selah (NKJV)

Just like his mercies and grace are renewed each morning, so are our His blessing and benefits, He loads us with them daily. Praise God.

What are your blessings and benefits of Salvation?  Adoption in the family of God, Healing, Provision, Protection, and Prosperity.  These are yours when you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior. So let’s go and get loaded with God’s benefits!

Let these words encourage you today

Written by Dennis Stauffer

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I invite you to become a partner today?

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Stop Anxiety and Panic Attacks Forever! No Meds Needed!

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Do you struggle with fear, anxiety, and worry?  I used too!  Until I learned how to fight with the Word of God!  Let me give you a testimony.  Since I was a small child, I used to be plagued with anxiety and night terrors, (waking up from a deep sleep in complete terror).  They were so bad, they contributed to me becoming a teenage alcoholic. That is how I got to sleep at night by passing out from drinking.  When I got sober at the age of 21, they seemed to have gone away. Then around the age of 24, I started waking up in complete terror and panic.  It was like I was a child all over again, completely frozen in fear. Then after having a series of bad nights.  I went to the Lord in desperation. He said: “Dennis, You need to use your sword!”  I said: “HOW?” When those attacks happen, I want you to quote:

Isaiah 41:10:  Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea,  I will help thee; yea,  I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

At first, The battle would take a long time and it was hard to get back to sleep, then I learned, the more it happened and the more I used the sword of the Lord. The attacks started shortening in length. They started to happen less and less! Then after a month or two, they went away.  If one did happen to start and I felt it coming on. I immediately drew my sword (quoting Isaiah 41:10) and it stopped it right in its tracks.  I have not had an attack of anxiety or night terrors in 33 years ever since the Lord showed me this truth.

Then the Lord showed me what was happening in the spirit realm:

At first, I when started speaking this verse out, the devil would see me and hear me quote this verse and laugh at me.  Then he would attack all the harder.  All I had, in the beginning, was a  spiritual penknife and not much faith.  It took forever to win the battle, about an hour or so.  But as I advanced in faith, my penknife became a bowie knife and then a full-on Roman sword and now it is the “Spirit of the Lord”.  Every time the devil would attack,  I would resist him with the Word, and he would flee after each battle. (James 5:7)  Now, when the devil attacks and I pull out the Sword of the Lord.  Now, the demons run in a panic attack and not me.  Like I said; “I do not even get panic attacks anymore.”

 In Summary:

  • If you are not a born-again Christian, I suggest becoming on!
  • Have faith (taking God at his word) not fear (taking the devil at his word).
  • Find a scripture, that you can stand on as your battle sword and learn to use it. Say (speak out loud) what God says (scriptures) not what the devil says! (fears, circumstances and constantly rehearsing your problem to all who would listen)
  • Be patient: (it takes time to learn to fight and win a battle.  God wants you to grow in faith and strength, He will not wave a magic wand and fight for you.  Also, remember at first, the devil will laugh and not take you very seriously!)
  • Take Courage and DO NOT EVER QUIT!  You are guaranteed the victory!  (It will get worse before it gets better! The devil is betting on you will relent the fight.  It is always the darkest before the dawn) But stay strong and praise God while you fight that the victory is near. For a two month battle, I have been free for over 33 years and I never had to take anxiety meds or antidepressants. Living free is so much better.

This is a condensed version for a devotional but I pray it will bless you and maybe give you the courage to fight back. Also if you are struggling.  Seek spiritual help from your Pastor and church. This is my testimony, my experience, strength, and hope, and it is not meant to be medical advice but spiritual guidance.  If you need help or want to become a Christian, please reply to this newsletter and I love to chat with you.

I also have a spiritual tool; my book titled: Whose voice do you listen too? The Battle of David and Goliath. It goes into much deep detail than this devotional. It is at Amazon Book for $4.15.

God bless
Dennis Stauffer Jr

June 10,1984: The Day I Met Jesus In Johnstown, Pa

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June 10, 1984

June 10, 1984, is the day that changed my life!  

I was 21 years old, and I just got sober six months earlier.  I was told the reason, I had no success in recovery for the past several years is the fact I was an atheist, and I refused even to consider that He even existed.  I also was told that I needed to find God and that He was my only hope.  So out of desperation and fear of dying from my addictions.  I began to seek God. So for six months, I was praying and asking: “Do you exist?”  Then on June 10, my sister and I had a horrible argument.  I was staying with her at her apartment, and she threw me out.  The rest of the day, I tried to find a place to stay with no avail.  It got late, and I returned to my old corner where I use to party and sell drugs with my friends.  It was just up the street from one of my favorite drinking bars.  At 1:00 am, as I sat on the corner, being homeless again.  I battled the demons of my addiction.  They tempted me to go to the bar and pick up a lady, and I would have a place to stay.  I was battling, but I was losing.  My addiction was still active even though I had not used in six months. Then in complete exhaustion and frustration, I called out to the Lord;

“If you are there, for once in my life, stop the invisibility and save me!”

Then! There He was!  Jesus was right in front of me.  Just like in Act 9, Paul was blinded by a light. This experience from the Apostle Pauls account is the closest I can describe it.  Instead of blinding light, He was pure joy, and it surrounds me. Like Paul once stated: I was not sure if I was in the body or out of the body.  It was just pure joy!

Psalms 16:11: You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

I could hear His voice, and we began to talk.  He let me know that He was always with me, and He would never leave me.  We spoke for about 10 minutes, and then before He left, He said: “Relax, I must do something for you!” I must cast out the demons that you have.”  Then, I could feel the Lord’s hand on my chest, and He said; “come out and never return.”  The weight of the world left me.  The addiction left and all the desires to use left. I was full of joy, and this is something I never felt before. He gave me some final instruction and then told me for the rest of the night He would be with me and I would see how He would begin to operate in my life.  That night after he left, I had five thoughts, and they were answered immediately.  
Since then, I have a personal relationship with the Lord. I can hear Him so clearly at times speaking to me.  Just last year, I lost my wallet, and it had all the debit cards for Guatemala ministry was in it.  What a disaster this was.  I searched everywhere I was the day before.  I even went back to the gym and seen if I lost it there and they were not as I was leaving the parking lot to go to the bank and cancel my cards.  I heard the Lord. He said; No need to cancel your cards! I found your wallet, and I placed it under your garbage can outside your home.”  I drove straight home in complete wonder!  Did Jesus put my wallet underneath the garbage can?  I got back and looked all around the garbage can, and the Lord said underneath it!  I move this big green can, and there it was tucked underneath. 

I have enjoyed this relationship for 35 years.  Jesus was there in Guatemala when the drug cartel came to kill my family and me several years ago.  I watch the Lord to protect us.  I could sense and feel His tangible presence that night, and I could hear Him talk so clearly as the drug cartel surrounded our compound.  As I prayed in tongues, as He directed, the cartel left in a confused state and I have never seen them again.

I also spent the last 35 years enjoying this relationship. I have many other stories to tell of how I interacted with the Lord.  These were just a few I have had. Most of all, I never had to retake another drink or drug.

I want to encourage you, stop believing in Jesus and get to know Him as Paul states in Philippians 3:10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death. 
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For the next several days, I am going to put out updates of my plans to leave for Guatemala. I am leaving on Sunday the 23 of June. I will be posting more this week. 

Go And Cast Your Nets Again!

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Luke 5: 4b-7: He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word, I will let down the net.”  And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.

 

Cast Your Nets Again

As I prayed to the Lord about our partners with DSI Ministry, I told the Lord, “I have talked to everyone I know.  I am out of people to talk too, and I need some new people to share our vision.  The Lord responded quickly; “Go cast your nets again!”  I responded just as Peter did: I been toiling for many years and there seems to be little interest.  He then brought Luke 5, to my mind and reminded me of Peters words: “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing!   My words were different words, but they were the correct response Peter gave!  Have you ever had this experience; You respond the same way they did in the Bible?   I sometimes think the Lord sets us up and then we walk right into it.

But as I opened my Bible to this story and read it in its entirety, I was able to see how I acted just like Peter.  Even though Peter (like myself) did not want to do it, he obeyed the Lord’s direction and launched back out to the same spot.  The results were amazing.  They caught so many fish that they had to call for help.  If you are not following this; this catch to these fishermen was a significant reward.  The reward was to boost their faith and their financial situation. 

This letter is a response to the Lord.  We are going back to the same friends that I have shared this ministry with for years.  I am going am share this message again.  We are going back to were we toiled for so long and recasting our nets.  

The Results

And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them.  

That is what I am about to do and also believing for the same results.  Peter worked hard all night, probably at the same location.   He was exhausted and worn out, and he caught nothing but a few fish. Then the Lord said to do it again.  The results were extraordinary for Peter and the others with him, and I am in high expectation to what the Lord will do as I recast my nets and share the vision of a new community transformation in Villa Hermosa.  I believe those who partnered before will partner again.  Those who were not interested will find interest this time and will want to help us in our vision to reach Villa Hermosa in Guatemala for the Lord.

The New DVD of DSI Ministries Vision of Past, Present, and Future

This year, DSI Ministries produced a new DVD for our partners and future partners of the ministry.  It was also is available on Youtube for viewing.  I believe this DVD will answer a lot of questions for our partners of what has transpired for the past ten years in ministry.  What they planted seed into and the harvest we have had.

For an example of how Vista Hermosa has transformed from a violent neighborhood, where people lived in fear to a place were the police now patrol, and people now can walk the streets at night and attend evening services at their churches.

 

I Need Your Help!

I was sharing with one of our partners about this vision, and I also shared how I am like Peter.  I did not want to go back and work where I have been working for so long and had little success.   I am tired and weary, but I fight this like the enemy it is because I want to reap that harvest for the kingdom of God. 

Galatians 6:9: And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

I told him that I have been able to live in poverty invested neighborhood and also deal with shootings and murders and remain there.  I have dealt with robbers, drug dealers, and the cartel.  I did it with little problem but to deal with finances and raising funds.  Well, I rather deal with the murdering cartel.  I kid you not.  So, you can help me, if the Lord is moving your heart or even nudging it to think about partnering to transform another neighborhood in Guatemala.  Please call me!  I know this is not a typical way for missionaries to raise funds,  but it will help take the stress off of me.  I really would like to sit down and show you the video and share in detail what the Lord put on my heart about this transformation.  Please respond to this by email (dinostauffer@yahoo.com) or call me at 719 358-0376 and let me know if you like to pledge or hear more of this ministry. 

UPDATE:  The letter above was written in May of 2019 and today is June 2.  I have spent the last month helping other partners move to Missouri and Arizona. The past month the work was steady and hard, so it took me a while to finish.  This email was supposed to go out a month ago.  

Since then, I had obeyed the Lord and did some recasting.  I went to speak to a family I visited with a few years ago, this time they were excited about the ministry and decided to tithe several months of their income to DSI Ministries, and after that, another family did the same.  The new DVD is having some positive reaction to the ministry.  I have heard it said a few time now that the DVD has given them a clear understanding of what we have done and a clearer vision of the future.  The response seems to be: “we had no idea that you were doing so much, but we can see that now!”

Please contact me as I prepare to return to Guatemala for six months. I hope to leave by the end of June. So time is short to be a blessing to the single moms and children of Guatemala. I hope to have enough support to stay for six months and start the next phase of Hands In Action. A tamale factory to employ the single moms of Hands In Action.

Are You In Need Of Joy and Strength To Make It Through This Day?

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Nehemiah 8:10b: for the joy of the Lord is your strength.

Psalms 16:11b: In thy presence is fulness of joy 

If your strength is in the joy of the Lord then it is safe to say that to receive His strength, we must abide in His presence because therein lies His joy.  Being in His presence is always our answer-Dennis Stauffer

DO NOT GET PASS-OVERED (republished for the Passover season)

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Understanding the Passover

 

So many times in the Old Testament, God gives us a “type and shadow” of the things to come in the

images (1)future.  He provides us with a metaphor and with this metaphor, God loves to paint a picture with His Words.  In this article, I want to share a little on my favorite type and shadow in the Bible: The Passover from the book of Exodus.

Exodus 12:21;  Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Pick out and take lambs for yourselves according to your families, and kill the Passover lamb. 22 And you shall take a bunch of hyssops, dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. And none of you shall go out of the door of his house until morning. 23 For the Lord will pass through to strike the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over the door and not allow the destroyer to come into your houses to strike you.24 And you shall observe this thing as an ordinance for you and your sons forever. 

God is painting the picture and it an easy one to understand.  When we go through the story and understand what these words mean spiritually, they give us a deeper meaning of our salvation.

Egypt/World System

First, let us look at Egypt.  Egypt is a picture of the “world” in which we are all born.  We are children of God yes, but after the fall of Adam and Eve, we are no longer born into “Eden” but into this fallen world.  So after the fall of man at the garden, every man and woman born into this world is born spiritually dead.  This is why Jesus said in John 3;3 “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”   You might be alive physically, but your spirit is dead and can not understand the things of God or enter into His Kingdom.  When we are not born-again, our mind and thoughts are locked into this world view and system.  We simply can not grasp spiritual truths.

Here is an example we all have heard; “I read the Bible, but it is nothing but Greek to me!” The reason is: We need the help of the Holy Spirit to teach us the spiritual truths contained in the Word of God.  Without God’s aid, the Bible is reduced to a bunch of ancient stories written in an ancient culture.   So we need to be born again (our spirit-man becoming alive) to understand the Biblical truths and principles God set in His Word.

Which lead us to the next point. 

Living in Egypt Produces Slaves

For 430 years the Israelites lived in Egypt and Egypt made them slaves.  Being born into this world produces the same results; sin becomes our slave-master.  When we read of Israel suffering at the hands of slave-masters, this should be a wake-up call to all of us.  This is an excellent example showing us how living in this world will treat us.  Sin is a brutal taskmaster!

Roman 6:17; But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance.

Unfortunately, many find pleasure in this world with its many sins.  Because of this desire for pleasure many choose to stay in their sins. God will never force anyone to leave; remember God gives us our choice.  As long as we desire this world with its manifold pleasures, they are ours.  God gives them to us, including all the pains, problems and consequences that come along with sin.

Proverbs 10:2  A fool finds pleasure in wicked schemes.

Good News

God did not intend for us to stay in the world system and be slaves for our entire lives.  As He did for Israel, He does for us in this story.

“Pick out and take lambs for yourselves according to your families, and kill the Passover lamb. 

 The Lamb 

Genesis 22:8:  And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.”
I wanted to start with this verse, because from the beginning, God had a plan to rescue His children.  I especially like Genesis 22:8 when it is written in the proper sentence structure.  When the translators translated the Bible, they left out a comma.  Let us look at what God was saying.  Let us reread this with the comma in place:
And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide Himself,  the lamb for a burnt offering.”
This is what happened.  God provided Himself as the Lamb for the burnt offering.  Jesus is the “Lamb of God” who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29).  So when God needed to rescue us from these bonds of slavery, God became man and became the sacrifice to save us all.
 
Interesting fact: This is why Jesus was born in a stable.  God went so far as to be born in Bethlehem in a stable. These very lambs, born in these stables, were the exact ones used for the “Passover” in Jerusalem at the time of the Passover feast.  Jesus was born with all the other sacrificial lambs!   These same lambs which were offered for the atonement of Israel’s sins.

Dip the blood 

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Exodus 12:22  dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. 

If you look at the picture of the door, you will see that when the Israelites took the hyssop branch, dipped it in the blood, struck the top of the door and then moved this bloody, dripping branch left to right  they were looking at something very puzzling to them: “a picture of a bloody cross.” on their door.  To them, this was a mystery because the cross for crucifixion was not made for thousands of years later by the Roman Empire.  But for us today what a powerful picture this is.

The Results of the Blood

Nevertheless, when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over the door and not allow the destroyer to come into your houses to strike you.

This is the excellent news of the gospel.  Jesus sacrificed Himself for your sins and took all your punishment upon Himself!  This happened so that when it is time for judgment, God will do the same as he did in this picture story.  God’s judgment (the destroyer) will pass over you, and you will not die. (eternally)

When your life is marked by the “blood of the lamb,” God’s judgment will never come upon you.  It will pass over you.  When Satan wants to drag your spirit to hell, he will see that your spirit is reborn and the outer door of your heart is marked by the blood of Jesus.  He then has to pass over you.  He no longer has any claims on your life.  You have been purchased and delivered from his power by Jesus Christ.  Think about it, Jesus dying in our place is the best news there could ever be!

Remember, the Egyptians and the Israelites are the same; they are both members of this human race.  So what was the difference between the children of the world (Egyptians) and the children of God (Israel)?  In reality nothing!  But whoever applied the blood to their doorway was spared.  I believe if an Egyptian heard this and did the same, in faith with the people of Israel, they would have received the same blessing from God.  The judgment would have passed over them too.

I believe this would have gone the other way also.  If an Israelite that night, decided this was foolish and did not apply the blood of the Lamb to the doorpost, he would have received the same judgment as the Egyptians did that night.

Romans 10:13 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
 
God does not have favorites.  God does not pick and choose who gets saved and who doesn’t.  Salvation is for whoever calls on His name.  God will save them from their sin.  No person, no matter what he has done, will ever have God reject them if they repent and give their lives to him.   Repent today and receive the forgiveness he provides at the cross.
 
You too can become like the Israelites after they partook of the Passover meal.  They walked right out of Egypt and became free people going to meet God at Mount Sinai.  In the same manner, you can repent, ask God into your life and walk out as a free and new person.  This is where they became God’s people, and God promised them not an Egypt, but a “promise land” dipping with milk and honey.
 
So if you have never asked God to remove your sins, do so today.  It is a free gift, and it is for the asking.  God will break the slave masters chains and deliver you to freedom.  At this point, you may be asking what shall I do?
  1. Acknowledge you are a sinner, or if you are a religious person, you may be trying to earn your way to heaven through traditions and the law.
  2. Repent (this simply means that you’re going one way and you notice you are going the wrong way! Turn  Around!  Your life is leading you straight to hell.  Turn around and move toward God.
  3. Realize you can not save yourself!  Only Jesus can save you, and He already did 2000 years ago on the cross, He became that Lamb and shed his blood for you and me.
  4. Just like Israel, place (spiritually) the blood on the post of your heart.  You do this by accepting this free gift and giving your life to Jesus.  It is merely for the asking and God gives it.
  5. When you do this,  God’s judgment will pass over you because Jesus already received that punishment at the cross.  One final thing, this is not just a “get out of Hell free card.”  Going to Heaven and missing Hell is an excellent benefit of being passed over from God’s judgment, but there is so, so much more!
  6. John 17:3 (NKJV)  And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.  So what is eternal life?  We get to spend the rest of this life on earth and then the next in eternity getting to know God and Jesus Christ!  
So my friends do not live your life, Passed over.  Next weeks article is:
“What’s next?”  See what God has in store for those who leave Egypt.
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If you have any questions on salvation or this message. Feel free to write to me at Dennis Stauffer@dsiministries.com.  I love to hear from you.

Written by Dennis Stauffer

Edited by Gary Green (Omega House)

If you enjoyed this and other blogs please “SHARE” on Facebook. It is such a great blessing to this ministry when you share our post.  Who knows it might get someone you been praying for saved or have them return to Christ. 

DSI Ministry is also available to speak at your Bible study or your church. 

Please contact us at dinostauffer@yahoo.com 

We are a donor supported.  If you like to donate. Go to our “Facebook” Page and see the “GO FUND ME” LIKE ON FACEBOOK  AT  DSI MINISTRIES/HANDS IN ACTION OR MY PAGE AT FACEBOOK@DENNIS STAUFFER.  THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS. 

 

 

 

 

 

God’s Prophesy To The United States If We Do Not Stop Infanticide NOW! We Are Now Warned!

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I have been speechless ever since hearing of Governor Cuomo’s and New York’s decision that it was a good idea to murder babies outside the womb.  I used to think that as bad as abortion was we could not top that.  I was wrong!  In the United States as of 2015, we have murdered 46,000,000 babies. You heard me!  I did not say, we have aborted 46 million fetuses.  We committed genocide with our own children.  This is an unbelievable and horrific atrocity in the United States.

We as a people were sickened by the atrocities committed by Adolph Hitler in Germany.  He killed over 24 million people with 6 million of Jewish descent.

We have outdone Hitler in every way.  We have excused these actions with the right for a woman to choose what happens to her own body.  But the abortion does not affect her body, it kills the  baby inside her.  She continues on while the future of her baby has ended.  His/her right to live and the right to choose what happens comes to an abrupt and complete end.

 I believe God has spoken through my Spirit to the people of this nation. 

This is not the first time people have received God’s anger through their misguided actions.  Although we always have His attention, this is not the type of attention we want as a people.  What I am talking about has happened before and God stepped in then too, as I believe He is now.

In the Book of Exodus, the people of Eygpt did a heinous crime against the Jewish people.  The Egyptian Pharaoh invited the Israelites to come to Eygpt because Joseph saved them from a horrible seven-year famine.  However, after time passed, the people of Eygpt turned on them and enslaved the Israelites for over 400 years.  This slavery was not bad enough though.   The Pharaoh THEN did something that really got God’s attention in the worst way.  In Exodus 1, the King made a decree to the midwives of the Hebrew women and ordered them to kill every male child born.  The midwives refused because they FEARED the Lord.

In Exodus 1:20: Therefore God dealt WELL with the midwives. 

This emphasizes my point!  THIS GOT GOD’S ATTENTION.   IT WAS GOOD FOR THE MIDWIVES AND FOR THE HEBREWS BUT NOT FOR PHARAOH AND EYGPT.  IT STARTED A BALL IN MOTION THAT WOULD COMPLETELY DESTROY EYGPT IN LESS THEN 80 YEARS.  But the Pharaoh, after getting nowhere with the midwives, decreed that all the male babies of the Hebrew’s would be drowned in the Nile.  Egypt’s fate was now sealed.  A series of events was unleashed that freed the slaves, but at the same time destroyed the world’s superpower of the day.  We may have repeated that cycle.  However, this time in America through the atrocity of taking abortion to another level, the killing of born babies outside the womb.  I BELIEVE IN MY SPIRIT, THAT WE NOW HAVE THE ATTENTION OF GOD IN THE WORST WAY.

WE LIVE IN THE TIME OF GRACE!  HOW CAN GOD DEAL WITH US. 

I believe in Luke’s gospel account: Chapter 2:14: Glory To God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.  I also believe in Paul’s gospel account: 2 Corinthians 5:18-19: And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation.  To wit, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, NOT INPUTTING their trespasses unto them: and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 

God declared peace with humanity at the birth of Jesus and at the cross.  After Jesus paid for all the sins of mankind, He is no longer inputting our sins against us.  All punishment was laid at the cross of Jesus and Jesus paid that all for us all.

Luke 2:14 is the most misunderstood verse in the Bible.  Many critics and scoffers use this to prove the Bible is inaccurate because there has never been peace on Earth and good will between man.  The scoffers are correct!  However, they are also wrong in that they misunderstand the Bible, for their understanding is not what the Bible meant.  It means peace and goodwill between God and man.  God has declared a truce, God will not pour out His wrath on man during this age of the church.  The Time of Grace!

So when you hear misguided preachers share, after a horrific natural event happens, that “it was God’s punishment on them” or this is an act of God after a major hurricane, earthquake or tsunami, they are incorrect.  God is not sending punishment on us.  After 9/11 many said: “this was God’s punishment toward the United State because of our evil deeds including abortion”, but it was not!  God’s wrath was poured out on Jesus at the cross.

It now seems as though I just proved my own point to be wrong.    Because if I am right about grace and the truce of God, then God’s hands are completely tied!  These abortions and all the sins we have committed were paid for at the cross at Calvary!  We are safe from God’s wrath and judgment!

But slow down, not so fast!  You cannot outwit God with evil by using God’s grace against Him!  He will not be mocked or taken advantage of by evil of the worst kind!  We are not in the clear yet.

God brings another time to mind!

Let us go back to Moses, God delivered the people of Israel out of the hands of Pharoah and He took them into the desert en route to the Promised Land.  It should have taken 7 days but because of their unbelief, hard hearts and disobedience, it took them 40 years and that original generation did not even make it!  God had to raise up another generation because of their unbelief.

Here is my point, God could and did punish the Israelites for their rebellion and disobedience. However, they were not under the New Covenant, as we are today. They were under the Law and the Old Covenant.

But then God took me to another Biblical passage and this story showed me the truth for today.  I believe this truth can apply to us in the New Covenant today and also for us in America.  We are not safe from the atrocities we have commited against God and man.  Let me explain:

In Numbers 21:4-6: Then they journeyed from Mount Hor by the Way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; and the soul of the people became very discouraged on the way.  And the people spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread.” So the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, and many of the people of Israel died.

This is an event that took place and it was the result of a great rebellion against God and Moses. They were sick and tired of it all.  The lack of water, food and furthermore they hated God’s provision (manna.)  They were in revolt against Moses.  God then sent snakes into the camp and they bit many people and they died.  This was God’s punishment to them.  But there is a point that lays deep below the surface of this tragedy.

There were approximately 5 million people or more traveling through this desert. This is more than the population of Los Angeles.  This is a huge amount of people.  What lives in the desert more than anything else?  Snakes, scorpions, and spiders.  Even if a few people were hiking through the desert, you would be warned to watch out for the snakes and other deadly things.  But a population, the size of L.A. did not have a problem until this time.  Weird huh?

You see, they were brought out of Eygpt with and under the protection of God.  God healed all of them that left Eygpt.  He said their clothes and shoes did not even wear out.  He took care of them.  God fed and supplied water for a population of Los Angeles.  Is it not strange, that with that many people, they did not have a problem with snakes in the desert?  Snakes were everywhere and they had adults, children, and animals with them.  No snakes until Numbers Chapter 21.

So my point is that God protected them in that desert from all those venomous creatures.  The snakes were always there but there is no account of people being bit before this.  I believe that with 5 million people, in the desert for 40 years, that this would have been a major problem to deal with.  God shut the mouths of the snakes as He did for Daniel in the lion’s den.  In Numbers 21, what happened?  God removed the protection that He had so blessed them with!  The blessings that allowed 5 million people to survive amongst the snakes and other things were removed and many were bitten and died.

Back To America

The United States has for over 200 years been blessed with unnatural protection.  We  saw this before with Israel in the desert, before He removed His hand of protection.  You can even be an atheist and agree, we have lived a long time with supernatural protection.  Just look at other countries that have not founded their principles on God.  As we say, we are One Nation Under God!  We have had a long run of unnatural and unprecedented protection from God.  No wars were fought on our land, and we have been protected from natural disasters.

If you just look at the past 25 years, many other countries around the world have suffered greatly from the consequences of natural disasters.  It is nothing to hear of an earthquake or tsunami that kill many thousands of people.  We simply do not see that level of devastation here in America.  Let’s look at a few examples, there are many more.  The Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004: 230,000 killed!  Haiti 2010: 160,000 killed!  Myanmar Cyclone 2008: 138,000 killed!  Kashmir earthquake 2005: 100,000 killed!  To see the worst disaster in the United States we have to go back to the Galveston Storm of 1900: 6,000–8000 killed!  In more modern history, hurricane Katrina: 1,833 killed!  Look at these numbers compared to the rest of the world!  In modern history hurricane Katrina vs the rest of the world.  1,833 compared to 230,000 killed in the 2004 Tsunami!  I call this God’s protection to a nation under God!  There is no other explanation for this!  How can we live for 200 years without the level of disasters we have seen in other countries?   200 years!   Don’t you think this is quite improbable?

What do you think will happen in the United States if God removes His hand like He did in Israel and sent in the snakes?  The snakes were with them all the time, just as natural disaster’s surround us all the time.  But they lived 40 years in the desert with no problems until God removed His protection.  We lived as one nation under God for 200 years and look at the great history and protection we have had!

I know that God spoke to me, but do I have more evidence, or is this still just my theory?

Even though the United States has been under God’s protection, this is not the first time God has had to deal with us as a nation.  God’s protection was removed previously, the Civil War.  Just like Eygpt, we held a people group in slavery.   For 246 years in Continental  America we held African Americans under the harsh and evil tyranny of slavery.  It is strange that those who were for slavery have also used that same ideology against blacks, the same as we currently do for the unborn.  “They are not really true humans, they are fetus’ only.  We have said similar things against the African American.”  There is more, but I will not go there for this article.  For years, many good people in the United States tried to end this evil against slaves.  But to no avail.  Until God stepped in!

If we go back in the history of the Bible, when God had to deal with evil armies who had turned against God and Israel, one of God’s favorite methods was to have the armies turn against each other.  God nor Israel had to get messy, so to speak.  He just sent a spirit of sorts and they killed each other. The most famous example in the Bible is 2 Chronicles 20.  The King sent praise and worshippers in front of the army when they got to the place of battle.  The enemy armies then killed each other.  This has happened numerous times in the history of Israel.

We also had it happen here in the Civil War.  When all else had failed to end the great evil of slavery, we turned on each other and for over 4 years we killed and maimed each other.  The bloodiest conflict ever to touch our continent was when we turned on each other!  God removed his protection and American soldiers turned on each other to end the great sin that covered this land.

Now we have abortion laws!  The pro-choice advocates were simply not happy with the killing of the unborn in the womb of the mother. Their blood lust has now moved to a born child.  A full-term baby who has left the womb!  I feel this message is a warning to my fellow countrymen. STOP this evil now!  This latest act of Governor Cuomo and New York has gained the attention of the MOST-HIGH!  As we saw with Pharaoh, when God took a strong disliking to this killing of babies in the Nile, then 80 years later the great superpower was destroyed.

God also did not ignore the African Americans caught under the evil tyranny of slavery.  He dealt with it without breaking His covenant with mankind at the cross.  He simply took away his protection and guidance and we have all seen the outcome.  God does not have to punish us with his wrath.  When sin entered the world it brought all the horrible consequences we see today in this world with all its evil and natural disasters that came upon mankind at the fall in the Garden of Eden.   Here in America, we have simply enjoyed a long-lasting precedent of safety no other country has ever enjoyed.  Even in World War I and II, except for Pearl Harbor, we were untouched on this continent compared to the vast destruction that occurred in Europe and Asia.

I believe what I heard in the spiritual realm is that God will remove his great protection from this country and we will see great misery such as we never have seen before.  America must repent now while we still have a chance.  If not we may find ourselves in a place like we were during the Civil War and 9-11.  We may find that they were nothing compared to what can happen.  We still have time to change and repent before God.

There are more frightening things in this world than natural disasters.  We witnessed that in World World II.  Today we have chemical, biological and nuclear weapons that can do things beyond our wildest nightmares.  We saw before what happens when humanity goes crazy.  This time we in America may not have the protection we have grown accustomed to.  We also cannot count on our military might.  We have seen previous superpowers brought to their knees, e.g., the Greek and Roman empires.  We have also witnessed what happened to The Soviet Union, Germany, and Japan.  Repent from these heinous crimes we have been committing since Roe vs Wade.  If not we may see firsthand what happened previously to nations when they stood defiant before Jehovah God.  He does not have to break his covenant.  He can leave us to ourselves.  That is even more horrifying!

Book of Revelation: The End Time:The Laodicean Church, What Made Jesus So Sick? Part IV

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What Is The Only Thing That Can Make Our Lord Sick and Vomit?

 

17. “Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’ — and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.

Another History Lesson

Laodicea was a city of extreme wealth.  They had become a city of great commerce, trading, health care, and clothing. They were famous for producing fine clothing of black wool and they also produced an eye salve that healed any eye diseases of their day.

During the time of Caesar, the king of Rome, Laodicea suffered a massive earthquake.  When Caesar offered assistance to rebuild, the people of Laodicea said to Rome:  ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing.’  I am not sure that was their exact words but I do have a feeling they knew what Jesus was referring to when he put that into the letter in the Book of Revelation.  They told Rome they needed no help or even wanted any!  They said they will rebuild themselves with no need of the Kingdom.  Now, what does this have to do with America and the Church?  Let’s continue.

The United States, The Laodicea of the End Times.

As I wrote in the past article, the name Laodicea meant a place of the people’s rule, (Democratic Rule).  They were independent people, who lived under the rule of Rome.  However, their attitude was one of democratic ideas.  They ruled themselves and felt they needed no help from Rome, even though in reality they were living in that kingdom and under Caesar, the king of Rome.  We the modern day church fall into that same category.  We will get more into that later!

The United States has fallen into the same type of attitude and the church has followed the ways of society, the same as the Laodicean Church did in its city.  We as the church have a very independent and prideful attitude and I will break down the similarities.

You say that you are “rich”!  In the United States, we have become the richest nation that ever has existed.  We are like the Laodiceans, who became rich beyond imagination.  With the accumulation of riches comes an idea of independence and pride.  There also comes an idea of self-reliance. This ideology has slipped into our churches in America.

The United States has become a world power, and until just recently, one of the greatest manufacturers in the world.  We were producing everything that the world needed.  We exported everything from cars, steel, clothing, and food.  The world looks to us for our wealth and also for our protection.  This has to lead us to our great feeling of independence.  Our wealth has produced the greatest health care in history with modern-day hospitals and research.  Our hospitals are amazing compared to the third world hospitals that I have seen.  We in America have become a nation second to none in the 20th century.  We are the richest of the rich in this world.  We as a church are of the same mindset.  So at this point, what specifically does this have to do with the church in the United States?

I once heard a story about a Bishop from Africa who came and visited America.  Some of our Church leaders gave him a tour of our wonderful churches and our ministries we had to offer here.  At the end of this wonderful tour, they asked him to make a statement of how impressed he was of our churches in the United States.

His response was shocking:

It is amazing how much your churches have accomplished without the work of the Holy Spirit. (paraphrased)

What an indictment against us a church.  The United States has the most wealth within the Church of Jesus Christ.  K.P. Yohannan of Gospel to Asia states that 95% of all the church wealth is in the United States and yet only 5% percent is used for the kingdom of God.  The best average is that only 3-5% of Christians in America tithe.  That means that 95 to 97 percent of all the money within God’s Kingdom is spent on ourselves!  With this idea in mind let us look at a parable Jesus taught about how He feels when His servants misuse the money entrusted to them.  

In Matthew 25:14-29 Jesus taught a parable about faithful and unfaithful servants?  I know that normally we talk of money in this parable, but Jesus is discussing their attitudes and faithfulness.  He gave one servant 10 talents, another servant 5 talents and to the last servant, one talent.  The first two servants doubled their investment for the King and the master was extremely pleased.  The last servant hid the one talent and gave it back to the Master.  Jesus said this laziness infuriated the master.  Think of this now!  The servant gave back what the master had entrusted to him.  There was nothing lost nor nothing gained.  He did not steal the money or use it in any other way.  The master did not gain or loss, he broke even.  Nevertheless, the servant’s course of action along with his reason greatly angered the master.  

Now give me some room here!  

Can you imagine if there was one more person added to this story?  What if this servant, when audited by the master were to answer in the following manner.  “Look, master, how do you like the new home I bought?  How do you like my new cars and all the fine toys we have collected because of the money you gave us”?

Can you just imagine the reaction the master would have to this response?  He was very upset that the unfaithful servant did nothing with his talent and then returned it with no gain or loss.  Now how do you think the master would have reacted to the servant who took his talent and spent it on himself and lost all that was entrusted to him? 

Is this not exactly what we have done here in the United States?  We have taken the prosperity (money) that God has given us and have spent it on our own luxuries.  If you are not aware, God makes it clear throughout His Word, He gives wealth to us so we can be a blessing to others.  God is not against us prospering and I am even a teacher of prosperity.  But God makes it clear throughout His Word, He prospers us: to spread the Gospel and aid the widows and orphans of this world.  You may disagree and say we have done that like no other country ever has!  Yes, we have done great things, but what could have been done if we had used the other 95%?   Remember only 3-5% of Christians use God’s money as He planned for in scripture. The other 95% used it for themselves and that leads us to the next point!

We Need Nothing!

We in America think we need nothing.  We have beautiful, air-conditioned, and comfortable churches.  We have every Bible translation imaginable.  The statistics show that those who actually study and spend time with the Lord, do so for less than 5 minutes a day.  We have online Bibles, commentaries and websites to make our life easier.  We have Christian movies, Christian music, and Christian concerts, along with programs of all sorts.  We have more than any other church in the world could ever begin to imagine.  In Guatemala, I have personally seen that most churches do not even have walls, they have four pillars holding up a laminated ceiling.  I have been to churches in the villages where you are eaten alive by the mosquitos and endure extreme temperatures in the rain to hear the Word of God.  I know, because I have preached in a few of them.

I have heard enough statistics over my past 30 years of ministry to make me wonder what this wealth has ever produced.  I have heard that we lose 5000 churches a year due to the fact that these churches have no one attending anymore.  Most missionaries only last for one year due to the lack of support, or the fact that it is simply just too hard to cope in a foreign land.  They are unable to get out of their accustomed comfort zone.

In America, we have 50 percent of all Christian marriages failing.  We have 60 percent of all professing Christian men addicted to pornography.  The credit card debt among Christians is no different from the rest of society.  The list can go on and on and we have the best of everything.  The best churches, resources and the greatest wealth.  How can this be?  How with all this great wealth are we failing to reach our cities, our country and the world for Christ?  How?   We have told our King (Jesus) that we are rich and we need nothing, to include the help of the Holy Spirit!

How Have We Done This?

Just like Laodicea, we are deceived!  Do you know the worse part of being deceived? You do not know you are deceived!

We are rich and we need nothing!  Yes, that is what we say, and yes we are deceived, because if we believe we need nothing, then we are indeed deceived.  And yet the Church in the United States does not recognize that we have been and are deceived!  We are very proud of ourselves with all our accomplishments, great churches, and great ministries.

There is another problem: Just like the Laodiceans, who told Ceasar, we do not need your help,  we also told Jesus, we do not need any help.  We will do it on our own!

If we did an honest survey of most of our major denominations in the United States, we would find that these major denominations have stopped making salvation a priority.  Most will tell you, get baptized, join our church, do sacraments and you will be accepted by our Lord.  We have made joining the church no different than joining a club.  The blood and cross of Jesus are no longer required for salvation.  We now have seeker friendly churches who refuse to mention sin, blood or repenting of one’s sin.  We do not want to offend anyone.  

Those who still except salvation in Christ’s work on the cross are split into two groups: Charismatic and Fundamentalist believers.  Those in the Fundamentalist group reject the work of the Holy Spirit.  He is not welcome or mentioned in their services. They have written off the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, along with His gifts and works as something that has happened in the past and has now passed away with the apostolic age.  They lump it into one work with Salvation, but if you read the scriptures, that theology is not written in the Bible. The gifts of the Spirit and speaking in tongues have not faded away.  Then after rejecting the work of the Holy Spirit, they wonder why their churches are so dead and why they do not see the gifts of healing and of power in their churches.  It is because His teachings and presence are not welcome in these churches.  Speaking in tongues is just too fanatic for many!  

Pastors are afraid to preach healing and miracles because they are afraid of the consequences.  What if someone happens to die while they are teaching healing.  So many argue that if you believe in healing; “why are there so many people in the church that are sick and dying?  They, therefore, come to the conclusion that healing cannot be for today!  Let us look at it this way using this illustration; 

Do you believe in salvation through Jesus Christ on the cross and the forgiveness of sins?  Most will say yes!  So if you use that mindset above: (if you believe in healing why is not everyone healed), this would also be correct for salvation.  If you without a doubt believe in salvation, why is not everyone saved in this world?  So if arguing that everyone is not healed makes it not true, then the same can be argued about salvation since everyone is not saved. 

Money Hides Our Lack of Power!

The problem is that all our money along with our beautiful churches does not produce the fruit or the works of the Holy Spirit!  

Yes, money can buy great cathedrals and beautiful sanctuaries.  It also buys us marketing strategists who can teach us about church growth and raising our attendance numbers through marketing techniques.  However, money cannot buy the power of the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit is of God and cannot be purchased.

These above marketing strategies enable our churches to disguise the lack of power that we are experiencing in the American churches today.  We try to glam it up and cover it with fancy worship services and well-polished motivational speakers.

We have even come to the place where many large churches have replaced the role of “Pastor” with a person who is nothing more than a business C.E.O.  His job is no longer shepherding “the flock” but one who is running a business that we call a church!  This is no different than we do in “corporate America”.

One last question or observation:

Read the Book of Acts and the birth of the baby church two thousand years ago. Then ask yourself:

Does the church I go to and/or do the majority of today’s churches in America look like those in the book of Acts?  

I want you to know that it was this question that led me to leave my Baptist church.  After reading the Book of Acts, I grew tired of the same dry, dead reality I lived in.  I repented and began to seek the reality of what I was reading in scriptures.

Today I have seen miracles, healings and the movement of God similar to what is written in the book of Acts.  I have seen people who would have otherwise died healed of cancer and other diseases.  I now speak in tongues and have heard the voice of God speaking to me; like Ananias in the 9th chapter of Acts when he healed and Baptized Saul in the Holy Spirit which gave birth to the new Apostle Paul.  Today I get to see and partake in what I read in those chapters.  I no longer dream or desire to want to be back in the first-century church.  I am in the 21st-century church and we can do the same as they did back then, if we would only toss out the theologian hogwash we are constantly fed and get back to the Word of God.

This is what makes Jesus so sick to His stomach and wanting to vomit!  We have replaced His church with corporate American tactics and have left out the need for the cross and the promises of the power of His Holy Spirit.  Paul warned us of this day in 2 Timothy: 3:5:

In the Last Days: having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!

V7-9: always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.8 Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith; 9 but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was.

 

Book of Revelation: The End Time:The Laodicean Church, What Made Jesus So Sick? Part IV

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What Is The Only Thing That Can Make Our Lord Sick and Vomit?

 

17. “Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’ — and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.

Another History Lesson

Laodicea was a city of extreme wealth.  They had become a city of great commerce, trading, health care, and clothing. They were famous for producing fine clothing of black wool and they also produced an eye salve that healed any eye diseases of their day.

During the time of Caesar, the king of Rome, Laodicea suffered a massive earthquake.  When Caesar offered assistance to rebuild, the people of Laodicea said to Rome:  ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing.’  I am not sure that was their exact words but I do have a feeling they knew what Jesus was referring to when he put that into the letter in the Book of Revelation.  They told Rome they needed no help or even wanted any!  They said they will rebuild themselves with no need of the Kingdom.  Now, what does this have to do with America and the Church?  Let’s continue.

The United States, The Laodicea of the End Times.

As I wrote in the past article, the name Laodicea meant a place of the people’s rule, (Democratic Rule).  They were independent people, who lived under the rule of Rome.  However, their attitude was one of democratic ideas.  They ruled themselves and felt they needed no help from Rome, even though in reality they were living in that kingdom and under Caesar, the king of Rome.  We the modern day church fall into that same category.  We will get more into that later!

The United States has fallen into the same type of attitude and the church has followed the ways of society, the same as the Laodicean Church did in its city.  We as the church have a very independent and prideful attitude and I will break down the similarities.

You say that you are “rich”!  In the United States, we have become the richest nation that ever has existed.  We are like the Laodiceans, who became rich beyond imagination.  With the accumulation of riches comes an idea of independence and pride.  There also comes an idea of self-reliance. This ideology has slipped into our churches in America.

The United States has become a world power, and until just recently, one of the greatest manufacturers in the world.  We were producing everything that the world needed.  We exported everything from cars, steel, clothing, and food.  The world looks to us for our wealth and also for our protection.  This has to lead us to our great feeling of independence.  Our wealth has produced the greatest health care in history with modern-day hospitals and research.  Our hospitals are amazing compared to the third world hospitals that I have seen.  We in America have become a nation second to none in the 20th century.  We are the richest of the rich in this world.  We as a church are of the same mindset.  So at this point, what specifically does this have to do with the church in the United States?

I once heard a story about a Bishop from Africa who came and visited America.  Some of our Church leaders gave him a tour of our wonderful churches and our ministries we had to offer here.  At the end of this wonderful tour, they asked him to make a statement of how impressed he was of our churches in the United States.

His response was shocking:

It is amazing how much your churches have accomplished without the work of the Holy Spirit. (paraphrased)

What an indictment against us a church.  The United States has the most wealth within the Church of Jesus Christ.  K.P. Yohannan of Gospel to Asia states that 95% of all the church wealth is in the United States and yet only 5% percent is used for the kingdom of God.  The best average is that only 3-5% of Christians in America tithe.  That means that 95 to 97 percent of all the money within God’s Kingdom is spent on ourselves!  With this idea in mind let us look at a parable Jesus taught about how He feels when His servants misuse the money entrusted to them.  

In Matthew 25:14-29 Jesus taught a parable about faithful and unfaithful servants?  I know that normally we talk of money in this parable, but Jesus is discussing their attitudes and faithfulness.  He gave one servant 10 talents, another servant 5 talents and to the last servant, one talent.  The first two servants doubled their investment for the King and the master was extremely pleased.  The last servant hid the one talent and gave it back to the Master.  Jesus said this laziness infuriated the master.  Think of this now!  The servant gave back what the master had entrusted to him.  There was nothing lost nor nothing gained.  He did not steal the money or use it in any other way.  The master did not gain or loss, he broke even.  Nevertheless, the servant’s course of action along with his reason greatly angered the master.  

Now give me some room here!  

Can you imagine if there was one more person added to this story?  What if this servant, when audited by the master were to answer in the following manner.  “Look, master, how do you like the new home I bought?  How do you like my new cars and all the fine toys we have collected because of the money you gave us”?

Can you just imagine the reaction the master would have to this response?  He was very upset that the unfaithful servant did nothing with his talent and then returned it with no gain or loss.  Now how do you think the master would have reacted to the servant who took his talent and spent it on himself and lost all that was entrusted to him? 

Is this not exactly what we have done here in the United States?  We have taken the prosperity (money) that God has given us and have spent it on our own luxuries.  If you are not aware, God makes it clear throughout His Word, He gives wealth to us so we can be a blessing to others.  God is not against us prospering and I am even a teacher of prosperity.  But God makes it clear throughout His Word, He prospers us: to spread the Gospel and aid the widows and orphans of this world.  You may disagree and say we have done that like no other country ever has!  Yes, we have done great things, but what could have been done if we had used the other 95%?   Remember only 3-5% of Christians use God’s money as He planned for in scripture. The other 95% used it for themselves and that leads us to the next point!

We Need Nothing!

We in America think we need nothing.  We have beautiful, air-conditioned, and comfortable churches.  We have every Bible translation imaginable.  The statistics show that those who actually study and spend time with the Lord, do so for less than 5 minutes a day.  We have online Bibles, commentaries and websites to make our life easier.  We have Christian movies, Christian music, and Christian concerts, along with programs of all sorts.  We have more than any other church in the world could ever begin to imagine.  In Guatemala, I have personally seen that most churches do not even have walls, they have four pillars holding up a laminated ceiling.  I have been to churches in the villages where you are eaten alive by the mosquitos and endure extreme temperatures in the rain to hear the Word of God.  I know, because I have preached in a few of them.

I have heard enough statistics over my past 30 years of ministry to make me wonder what this wealth has ever produced.  I have heard that we lose 5000 churches a year due to the fact that these churches have no one attending anymore.  Most missionaries only last for one year due to the lack of support, or the fact that it is simply just too hard to cope in a foreign land.  They are unable to get out of their accustomed comfort zone.

In America, we have 50 percent of all Christian marriages failing.  We have 60 percent of all professing Christian men addicted to pornography.  The credit card debt among Christians is no different from the rest of society.  The list can go on and on and we have the best of everything.  The best churches, resources and the greatest wealth.  How can this be?  How with all this great wealth are we failing to reach our cities, our country and the world for Christ?  How?   We have told our King (Jesus) that we are rich and we need nothing, to include the help of the Holy Spirit!

How Have We Done This?

Just like Laodicea, we are deceived!  Do you know the worse part of being deceived? You do not know you are deceived!

We are rich and we need nothing!  Yes, that is what we say, and yes we are deceived, because if we believe we need nothing, then we are indeed deceived.  And yet the Church in the United States does not recognize that we have been and are deceived!  We are very proud of ourselves with all our accomplishments, great churches, and great ministries.

There is another problem: Just like the Laodiceans, who told Ceasar, we do not need your help,  we also told Jesus, we do not need any help.  We will do it on our own!

If we did an honest survey of most of our major denominations in the United States, we would find that these major denominations have stopped making salvation a priority.  Most will tell you, get baptized, join our church, do sacraments and you will be accepted by our Lord.  We have made joining the church no different than joining a club.  The blood and cross of Jesus are no longer required for salvation.  We now have seeker friendly churches who refuse to mention sin, blood or repenting of one’s sin.  We do not want to offend anyone.  

Those who still except salvation in Christ’s work on the cross are split into two groups: Charismatic and Fundamentalist believers.  Those in the Fundamentalist group reject the work of the Holy Spirit.  He is not welcome or mentioned in their services. They have written off the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, along with His gifts and works as something that has happened in the past and has now passed away with the apostolic age.  They lump it into one work with Salvation, but if you read the scriptures, that theology is not written in the Bible. The gifts of the Spirit and speaking in tongues have not faded away.  Then after rejecting the work of the Holy Spirit, they wonder why their churches are so dead and why they do not see the gifts of healing and of power in their churches.  It is because His teachings and presence are not welcome in these churches.  Speaking in tongues is just too fanatic for many!  

Pastors are afraid to preach healing and miracles because they are afraid of the consequences.  What if someone happens to die while they are teaching healing.  So many argue that if you believe in healing; “why are there so many people in the church that are sick and dying?  They, therefore, come to the conclusion that healing cannot be for today!  Let us look at it this way using this illustration; 

Do you believe in salvation through Jesus Christ on the cross and the forgiveness of sins?  Most will say yes!  So if you use that mindset above: (if you believe in healing why is not everyone healed), this would also be correct for salvation.  If you without a doubt believe in salvation, why is not everyone saved in this world?  So if arguing that everyone is not healed makes it not true, then the same can be argued about salvation since everyone is not saved. 

Money Hides Our Lack of Power!

The problem is that all our money along with our beautiful churches does not produce the fruit or the works of the Holy Spirit!  

Yes, money can buy great cathedrals and beautiful sanctuaries.  It also buys us marketing strategists who can teach us about church growth and raising our attendance numbers through marketing techniques.  However, money cannot buy the power of the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit is of God and cannot be purchased.

These above marketing strategies enable our churches to disguise the lack of power that we are experiencing in the American churches today.  We try to glam it up and cover it with fancy worship services and well-polished motivational speakers.

We have even come to the place where many large churches have replaced the role of “Pastor” with a person who is nothing more than a business C.E.O.  His job is no longer shepherding “the flock” but one who is running a business that we call a church!  This is no different than we do in “corporate America”.

One last question or observation:

Read the Book of Acts and the birth of the baby church two thousand years ago. Then ask yourself:

Does the church I go to and/or do the majority of today’s churches in America look like those in the book of Acts?  

I want you to know that it was this question that led me to leave my Baptist church.  After reading the Book of Acts, I grew tired of the same dry, dead reality I lived in.  I repented and began to seek the reality of what I was reading in scriptures.

Today I have seen miracles, healings and the movement of God similar to what is written in the book of Acts.  I have seen people who would have otherwise died healed of cancer and other diseases.  I now speak in tongues and have heard the voice of God speaking to me; like Ananias in the 9th chapter of Acts when he healed and Baptized Saul in the Holy Spirit which gave birth to the new Apostle Paul.  Today I get to see and partake in what I read in those chapters.  I no longer dream or desire to want to be back in the first-century church.  I am in the 21st-century church and we can do the same as they did back then, if we would only toss out the theologian hogwash we are constantly fed and get back to the Word of God.

This is what makes Jesus so sick to His stomach and wanting to vomit!  We have replaced His church with corporate American tactics and have left out the need for the cross and the promises of the power of His Holy Spirit.  Paul warned us of this day in 2 Timothy: 3:5:

In the Last Days: having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!

V7-9: always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.8 Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith; 9 but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was.

The Book Of Revelation (The End Times): Is America the Laodicean Church? Part II

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Laodicea: The Lukewarm Church

(NKJV: Revelation 3: 14 – 23) 14. ” And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, ‘ These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God:
15. “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot.
16. “So then, because you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.
17. “Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’ — and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked —
18. “I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, [that] the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.
19. “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.
20. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come into him and dine with him, and he with Me.
21. “To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
22. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ‘ “

Are We Living in the Last Days? Are we the last church before Christ coming?

As I sit here and read commentaries about this church, I am personally convicted and very concerned about the church I belong to.  I do not mean what church I go to but the Church of Jesus Christ in America as a whole.

In the book of Revelation, there is a list of seven churches and I, like most theologians, believe these represent the seven church ages through-out church history.  The Laodicean Church is the last one before the great tribulation.  Laodicea is located in modern day Turkey, biblically it is located near Colossae.  This is where we get Paul’s letter to the Colossians in the Bible.  This is the only church out of the seven Jesus says nothing good about.  It is a hard indictment against His own children.

Let us begin this verse by verse study:

14. ” And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write:

This is to the church – the people of Laodicea.  They were a church with the very name which means “rule of the people” or the “DEMOCRATIC CHURCH.”  (Joseph Seiss)  I find this interesting that the name has an idea of “democratic rule”.  Furthermore, this whole section is where Jesus points out their flaws, and that is through the very things they believed about themselves.  I also believe this lends a hint to what this church is at the end times, it is a church in a democratic society. 

The problem with living in a democratic society as we do in America is the fact that we have a vote and also have opinions on everything. This is both a blessing and a curse.  It is a blessing in that we are free to voice these opinions and be able to vote our beliefs.  However, on the other side of this is the fact that most things in our country are swayed by popular opinions and in the polls.  Politicians do not make a move without weighing in on public opinions.

This is the very problem this church has from the start: it has a democratic mindset, this, however, is at odds with the truth.  The truth is that we do not live in a democratic kingdom in the church.  The church is built and based on a sovereign kingdom, run and ruled by a KING, hence the word king-dom.

God does not ask for our opinions, and although He cares what our thoughts are concerning his commandments and decrees, (because He loves and cares for us) He does not alter His plans because of our thoughts.  He is a King and the only options for living in a kingdom is obedience or disobedience. There is no middle ground when you deal with a Sovereign King.

Their name is their first flaw and it is our problem in the church of United States. Why do you think we have so many different denominations in our country? Why have we seen the birth of the seeker-friendly churches?  Why is there a different church on every corner and none of them agree with the same Bible?  The reason we do see so many different churches is because of people’s opinions,  they go where they preach what they want to hear.  So many only read what they believe, they do not believe what they read in the scriptures.

v 14b: These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God:

This is Jesus speaking, He is the Amen, the Faithful One, the True Witness.  This is the very opposite of the Laodicean Church.  The Laodicean church is not faithful nor true to their word.  We live in an “age of grace” and although I believe in grace wholeheartedly, because of Grace teaching however, we tend to look at Jesus as a pushover.  Bad mistake!  Jesus is far from being a pushover!  He does make judgments and he does, in fact, discipline his children.

Hebrew 12:5-6: “My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline, and don’t give up when he corrects you. For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.”

Are You Hot, Cold or Lukewarm?

V15. “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot.

Everything Jesus says to this Church is a type and shadow to what they are and are experiencing in their life.  The city and the people of Laodicea were the best of the best.  They had it all but one thing, and that one thing was a major problem for them. They had no water.  They had to import water from nearby hot springs.  By the time this water got to the city, it was neither hot nor cold, it was nauseating lukewarm water.  They had to drink it all the time.  They understood all too well what Jesus was saying to them.  They had no “living water” and the water they did have, was second-hand water so to speak.  This has a strong implication to this church, and at the same time is a strong indictment against them.

The Laodicean Church had no fresh water of their own, it was all second-hand lukewarm water.  So how does this apply to our Church here in America today?  I have noticed that we have more ways to get the Word of God than ever before in the history of the Church.  You have blogs, podcasts, Christian TV and many Christian radio stations.  We are inundated and pumped full of God’s Word.  You may say Hallelujah.  The problem is that we listen to so many people we do not know if they are really teaching the word of God.  For so many, they accept whatever their denomination is teaching or their favorite Bible teacher.  I will give you an example, I hear so many denominations teaching the law, they are teaching we should be keeping the law and sabbath days.  When you read the book of Acts, Romans, and Galatians, e.g., it is clear we the Gentile church are not under the law nor were we ever, the law was for the people of Isreal under the Old Testament. There is a strict warning from Paul in Galatians that those who adhere to the law after we have received grace, has fallen from grace. (Gal. 5:4) But how many denominations are teaching the very opposite that is written clearly in the Bible?

I have found that the typical layperson has very little actual knowledge of God’s Word.  I find so many times people quote this pastor or this teacher whom they have heard.  They go to church and are taught what to believe.  Why do you think so many Christians run for the hills when they have to face a Mormon or a Jehovah Witness?  They cannot even defend the doctrine of the deity of Christ on their own.  I know this to be true for at one time I was guilty of the same lack of knowledge, that is until the Lord dealt with me on this issue.  Many know what their favorite Bible teacher teaches, but could not explain doctrine or their own personal beliefs directly from God’s Word.  This is a second-hand Word, which is really the type and shadow of second-hand water.  Jesus spoke of this when He spoke to the women at the well.

 John 3:13-14: Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again,14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” (This is fresh water)

So as we close this week’s blog I want to encourage you.  If you do not know the Word of God and you would love to be more acquainted with it, then open your Bible and read it like it was your first time.  If you are not sure about a topic or what to believe, open your heart to the Holy Spirit and let Him guide you, or begin doing a study on healing.  If you’re not sure what to believe about the Holy Spirit, study and see what the Bible says, not your religion or denomination.  We will continue this study on the Laodicean Church in the next blog.  Please join us.

When Did Christianity Become Safe For the Whole Family? A Study of the End Times: The American Laodicean Church; Part I

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Laodicea: The Study Of The End Times Church Before The Return Of Jesus. Part I

When Did Christianity Become Safe For The Whole Family?

If you have never heard of the saying; “Safe for the whole family” you have probably never listened to a Christian radio station.  Here in Colorado Springs, Colorado, we have a Christian radio station and it is their theme.  I understand their point, you can turn on their station and everyone can listen without the fear of obscenities and profane remarks and jokes.  Nevertheless, that saying has always gotten under my skin, not because of the radio station itself, but rather because I began to realize how we as Christians have taken this saying and incorporated it into our lives and our churches.  We are living in the American Laodicean Church and although we want God, we also want our lives to be safe and sterile for the whole family.

History Lesson

If you open up your Bible starting in Genesis and read through Revelation, where do you ever see it was safe?  Was it safe for righteous Abel to offer a perfect sacrifice, or Abraham to travel with his family into a hostile and dangerous world at the command of God?  Was it safe for Moses to oppose the world’s superpower of his time; Egypt?  Do you think it was safe for Samson?  How about a shepherd boy named David who took a small country and turned it into a world power?  Now think of all the prophets of the Old Testament who spoke the words of God to the kings and leader of Israel and were either killed or exiled for those very words they spoke.  Elisha is a perfect example when he had to flee from the voice of Jezebel when he killed all her prophets.

In the New Testament, John the Baptist spoke of King Herod’s adulterous relationship and lost his head for standing for righteousness.  Was it safe for Mary to appear as a harlot to her community when she became pregnant with Jesus and had no husband?  How about this same family, when King Herod sent his army to kill all the males of Bethlehem 2 years old and younger in order to kill Jesus.  

Were Jesus’ life and words an example for the church to play it safe for the whole family?  Can you tell me one apostle who escaped persecution and or death for spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world?  How about Stephen?  Paul?  Did they want to play it safe for the whole family?  

Finally, how about the various churches of the New Testament?  In Corinth, they used Christians as human waxed candles to light their gardens.  In Ephesus, Timothy faced great abandonment in the Church due to the extreme persecution from Rome.  How can we forget the Roman Coliseums where whole Christian families were used for the Roman games and became food to the lions?  Now, where oh where America do we find it is safe for the whole family to follow Jesus?

How Do We Play It Safe?

We as a church in America, as a whole, have let this ideology slip in, and just like water constantly dripping on cement, it will slowly but surely erode away our very existence.  Where we see in the Bible, God so loved the WORLD (not only us Christians), that He sent his only begotten Son to save the world by dying on the cross; in contradiction, “we so loved ourselves,” we separated ourselves into a sub-culture protected by ideologies and nice cozy Christian services, in order to protect us from the dark and evil world that surrounds us.  We form so-called “seeker friendly churches” and then water-down the Gospel to fit into a politically correct world, so we do not offend anyone.

We see in the Bible that God sent Jesus into the world, whereas we the church have retreated from the world, and from all its darkness and sinfulness.

Then we take it a step further by refusing to speak the truth to a lost family member or to our parents when we know they are going to a religious church – that does not preach and teach salvation according to the Bible. It seems we would rather let them go to Hell instead of offending them!  Then to top it off, we rationalize to ourselves;  “We all get to go to heaven if we go to church (regardless what they believe) and if we love Jesus!”

In Contrast

When Jesus talked to His believers, he asked this question: 

Matthew 5:15; Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. (NKJV)

The reference was to believers, who are supposed to be a light into darkness.  We today in the church, do exactly what Jesus was saying not to do: “we put our lights under a basket!”  How do we do that?  We do that by not speaking out, tactfully through the Holy Spirit’s guidance but at the same time truthfully – Heaven forbid we offend someone!  We go to church every Sunday, have a wonderful so-called; “spirit-filled service” and then go out and live our lives without making an impact in our world and in most cases, not even our own families!  

I have seen statistics that say a large number of teens who have been raised in the church, go to college then drop their church upbringing within 2 years (notice I did not say their faith, they probably never possessed it, to begin with).  Think about that, we spend 17-18 years raising a child in a church and then an atheist, worldview college professor can turn them in less than two years!  

Why?  I believe it is because although we took them to church and taught them nice bible stories, we never introduced them to the REAL AND LOVING GOD!   We were too busy teaching theology and Churchianity (traditions and denominational teachings) and not pointing them to an intimate real relationship with God.  We only touched on the polite, easy, and surface teachings without giving them any meat.  So many of us are dedicated to our denomination and our theologies that we have never considered having an intimate, deep relationship with God!  For so many, what we call faith is no more than an”I hope so or I hope God really exists theology.”

Another one of my favorites is how we offer eternal life or salvation;  “please come down the aisle and say the prayer” and then one day off in the future, we can get to go to heaven.  In the meantime, go to church, read your bible and get your life straight, then wait to die or for Jesus to come back, whichever happens first.  Rather, the Bible teaches that eternal life is a one on one intimate relationship with God and his Son Jesus; not that one day we go to heaven. 

John 17:3: And this is eternal life, that they may know You (a deep, intimate relationship), the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. (parentheses mine)

Paul also wrote in Philippians:

Philippians 3:10: that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,
This is where I believe, and it is my opinion, we lose ourselves and our children.  We become saved, and we then take our kids to church and we teach them Church;  what we do in church, how we act in church and what we believe in our church (theology).  We never get ourselves or our kids to the point where we have an intimate personal relationship with God,  – this is crucial!   We must let them see how God works in our lives and watch Him guide us, protect us and provide for us when we include Him in our actual lives.  

I know this is going to sound strange, but I love it when we as a family have a major financial crisis or just a plain crisis.  When this happens I tell my kids to watch how God meets us and solves this particular problem.  Then they personally, for themselves, get the opportunity to see how God comes in and solves our problems.  I cannot tell you how many times I have seen God make the impossible possible.  What is better than this?  Seeing my own children watching God in action!

I believe many in the church today only have a mental assent to God, we have head knowledge of God but we do not know God as we do other people in our lives.  Yes, we know many great facts and have many ideas about God, and yes we can quote Bible scriptures one after another but do we know Him?  Do we hear His voice speaking to us and directing us?  Do we feel His great love for us and His great desire to have a relationship with Him?  I believe that many in the church believe God is off in the distance, somewhere in the cosmos running the vast universe.  Many do not believe that God is really interested in our particular lives, whereas the Bible says he even knows the number of hairs on our head.

You might be thinking what makes me an expert on this?  I spent my earliest childhood in a religious school and church until I was in the 9th grade.  I was in church all the time the doors were open.  I was also the head altar boy, I learned all the catechisms, all the proper prayers to pray and all the head knowledge I could attain.

However, there was one major problem!  I never met God!  It was nothing more than a religious exercise I did.  Where was God in this?  I had no proof, I just had a hope or great wonderment if He really existed.  Did He really care or was I just off on my own in this universe?  Did I just hope one day, that if I lived this life good enough to go to Heaven I would meet Him?

I even believe those who claim to be “born-again and go to church every week, live in this very mindset.  It becomes nothing more than a lifestyle, a way of life – going to church and living the Christian life.  So many in Church live with only a hope that God exists but, in reality, they have no real clue or proof if God really exists!

As for me, after I left my religious church I spent years in street gangs, alcoholism, and drug addiction, only to become a hardcore atheist.  I had all the head knowledge but I had resigned God to be nothing more than an adult “Santa Clause,” to keep us adults in line. You know the song ” He knows when you’re sleeping and he knows when you’re awake, you better be good for goodness sake….. OR YOU’RE GOING TO HELL!  This is no joke, this was my belief as an atheist.  God was nothing more than something to keep us adults somewhat in line so we would not destroy this planet.

I share this to point out that on my way back to recovery I had to find out without a doubt that God really exists!  I had to know.  Was God some fairy tale, some legend, just an adult Santa Claus or did Jesus really exist!  Then it happened.  On June 10, 1985, after 6 months of a hard bout of sobriety and praying and seeking God, Jesus appeared to me and spoke to me and removed my addiction from my life.

So how do I know God and Jesus exist?  I have met Jesus personally and for the past 30 years I, like Paul have made it my priority to “know Him.”   I have listened to and have heard His voice every day of my sober life.  He has directed my life when I was following him closely or even when I wandered away from Him.  He has never left me or forsaken me.  Jesus is as real to me, as my wife, my children or any other relationship that I have.  He is closer to me than a brother.  He is no longer someone I believe or hope in.  I can honestly say He is someone I know and have a very personal relationship with.  He is my reality!

So you might be asking, what is your point on the subject of “safe for the whole family and living a Laodicean lifestyle?  This is my point; if God is nothing more than some church activity and a Christian lifestyle that we are living, then Yes indeed, you might want to play it safe for the whole family!  

You might want to ask; Was playing it safe for the Old Testament Saints, the Apostles and the first century Christians who gladly gave their lives to Jesus and boldly proclaimed the risen Christ in their lives and in their deaths?  NO!  Why did they not play it safe?  Why did they not devise a subculture for themselves instead of facing a harsh barbarian world and the fierce persecution of the Romans?  The reason was that Jesus Christ was a reality to them!  Jesus was real – as real as you and me.

They understood that the Gospel was so much bigger than saving their own lives. They knew what was at stake, and to them, God was in this as much as they were.  He was real and someone who directed them.  God gave them courage and strength to face the Romans, and face all that the devil would throw at them.  They understood that to gain Christ and the next world was so much more important than saving their own skins and even their own children.  We can only do that and be as bold as they were when Jesus stops being a far off deity or just some belief we live for!

We can only do that and be as bold as they were when Jesus stops being a religion, a lifestyle or a subculture.  Jesus needs to become an intimate being in our lives.  We must have a one on one relationship with Jesus, our Savior, friend and the creator of the universe.  When He is as real as any other person in your life, then He has the right to speak to you and rule over your life as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  This is the first step to ending a cold Laodicean lifestyle, the one written about in the Book of Revelation!

The Lukewarm Church

Revelation 3 14-16: “And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, ‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God:  “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. 16 So then, because you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. 

He gives us the answer at the end of the chapter to our problem just as I did earlier……..

Revelation 3:19-20  As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone HEARS MY VOICE  and OPENS the door, I will come into him and dine with him, and he with Me.

I know this last verse is often used to reach the lost but here Jesus is NOT talking to the lost, He is talking to His Church.  Those who have received Him as Lord and Savior but who have turned lukewarm He will spit out!  They have let this world become more important to them than Jesus.  They have learned how to go through the motions of Christianity, they know all the right theology but they are not listening to his voice, his direction for their lives.  They are not listening to Him knocking on our hearts to turn back to Him and open that door.  They have let the world gain more importance to them.  They have allowed the deceitfulness of this world to blind them to reality.  They want what this world has to offer while parading as super-spiritual Christians who have it all together.  I will talk about that in the next blog as we continue the Church of  America, the Laodicean Church of the end times.

Written by Dennis Stauffer

Edited by Gary Green (Omega House)

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