Called According To His Purpose

Blotting out His Name

2008-12-31T09:45:00.003-10:00

The atheists are at it again! I just read an article on CNN. com, which you can read here http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/12/31/inauguration.lawsuit/index.html, that has once again proved to me that forces of satan are trying to do all they can to combat the Kingdom of God. Here is a direct quote from the article:

"In a lawsuit filed Tuesday in Washington, the plaintiffs demand that the words
"so help me God" not be added to the end of the president's oath of office. In
addition, the lawsuit objects to plans for ministers to deliver an invocation
and a benediction in which they may discuss God and religion."

This a blatant attempt by non-believers, emboldened and empowered by demonic forces, to remove all reference to God from civil life. Remeber prayer in school? Remember invocations at graduation ceremonies? Remember the Ten Commandments at the courthouse in Alabama? There has been a move in this country to push spiritual and religous (no, it's not a bad word!) life out of the mainstream of society. The effort is to get people to forget about God. A nation that forgets about God will soon be forgotten by Him!

In the 4th chapter of Joshua, the Lord commanded him choose 12 men to take twelve stones from the Jordan River as they crossed it to set up a memorial. God instructed him that so when their children ask them "what mean ye by these stones?", they could answer and say that these stones are a reminder

The descration of the Word of God

2008-12-04T20:20:00.004-10:00

Haven't you heard? Man has improved upon the Word of God. No longer will we have to drudge through chapter after long-winded chapter of a 2 inch thick book to find God's truth. No longer will we have to be discouraged at the understanding of words and phrases that were popular in the 17th century. Can you imagine, having to read a book of eternal truths that doesn't contain a single picture? Doesn't God know that we are living in the the 21st century--the century of the Internet, the 24 hour news cycle, text messaging, video conferencing, the hybrid automobile, and video-on-demand? Why should we be forced to used an old, antiquated Bible in order to find out about God's plan for the world through His Son Jesus Christ?

Of course, I'm being facetious!

This new bible is called "Bible Illuminated: The Book New Testament". This book is a desecration of the Word of God. First of all it uses the Good News Translation of the bible--which isn't a translation at all! It is a paraphrase. The difference between the two is like night and day. A "translation" of the bible uses the oldest written manuscripts and scholarly research into the syntax and morphology of the languages in which the Bible was originally written. A "paraphrase" is not like that at all. A paraphrase is the author (or authors) opinion concerning what was written and what he (or they) Bible should say in today's language. Any serious Bible student should steer clear of paraphrases and use credible translations (KJV, NKJV, NIV, NRSV).

The second thing I have issue with are the photographs that are in the book. The choice to use pictures in a bible is not new (children's bibles use them all the time), but it is the nature, and the subject of these photographs that I find disturbing. I have attached a link to some of the pictures in the book:
http://www.npr.org/programs/morning/features/2008/dec/bible/index.html
Some of the pictures look very dark and Gothic. Some of them, I think, are just downright inappropriate. Take for instance the photograph of the faceless man in a hooded sweatshirt on the back cover. Or the woman tearing the head and neck off of a cooked goose. Or a picture of a protester who set himself on fire as the opening to the Book of Revelation. (The cover of their yet unreleased Old Testament has the faces of a man and a woman who are about to kiss each other) These pictures are bad enough...but they are not the worst of them. There are other pictures...of so-called "good people" that have helped to improve world peace or end world hunger. Included in this "bible" are photos of Bono, Muhammad Ali, Al Gore, Che Guevara, and Angelina Jolie of all people. What does it mean to have photos of these people in a bible? None of these people are confessed Christians! Do these pictures show that "good people" who do "good things" are on par with Jesus? Are we saying that these "good people" who have done"good things" can get into heaven? God forbid!

Lastly, this book has a more sinister message.

"The creators of the book ask you to support the United Nations and to donate money to it! I am referring to the portions that reference "Eight Ways to Change the World" which is a goal of the United Nations called the `Millennium Development Goals' which they hope will be realized by the year 2015. Readers are called to action by supporting initiatives of the United Nations and to donate money."

Did you just hear me?! The stated goal of the authors of this book is not to get people saved but to get people to donate to the United Nations!

Why does the American Christian Church always give way to consumerism and go the way Balaam? In our efforts to make the bible (and church) more "likeable, tolerable, or readable" to non-Christians, we continue compromise the message of the Gospel. So much so that the line between the sacred and the secular is being blurred...and will eventually be erased. Now we have PowerPoint slides, laser light shows, and rock bands on Sunday morning. Our churches now have slick marketing campaigns, surveys and polls about what to preach, and when a message is preached, there is no mention of Jesus. The Christian church should be up in arms over this--but they won't be. Some prominent pastor or evangelical leader will stand up and defend this work of junk as a "tool of evangelism" to win the lost. They'll say that we have to make Christianity relevant to the culture and that we should become all things to all men so that we may save some. But my question is, when will the church awaken from her slumber? Matt 24:24 "...insomuch that, if [it were] possible, they shall deceive the very elect."

Getting to the root of the problem

2008-12-01T18:19:00.012-10:00

Human beings seem to be very good at picking fruit. In Genesis 3:6 Eve took of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and ate it and gave some to Adam and he ate too. This has been a problem for humanity ever since then. I am not just speaking about the curses pronounced on Adam and Eve due to their disobedience. I am speaking of the human propensity to pick fruit. What do I mean? Let me explain.

There are things that happen to us in our lives...and many of them are bad. These experience leave scars and imprints upon us. The ultimate problem with these experiences is that through them the enemy plants a seed in the heart and soul a person. Emotional abuse can leave a seed of self-doubt and negative self-image. Sexual abuse can leave a seed that can lead to having a lustful and adulterous spirit. Being constantly pushed by your parents to succeed can produce a seed of competitiveness and a feeling of never being able to measure up to the perceived standards of others.

As time passes, these seeds will be watered through future experiences and negative thinking. Before we know it, a sprout begins to shoot up and roots begin to dig deep within our souls and these roots draw nourishment for these negative trees by drawing nutrients from the soil of our very lives. This is the reason that so many people that suffer from these ingrained soul problems suffer so badly and think so little of themselves except they be delivered. Soon these trees reach a point of maturity and they begin to produce fruit. The problem with this is that the person will begin to pick of the fruit, meaning they will choose the fruit of this tree as a response to all situations. If the tree is anger, in every situation you will pick its' fruit. If the tree is lust, in every situation you will pick its' fruit.

Too often, when a person finally decides to deal with these fruit trees, either in Christ or without, there is a tendency to only deal with the fruit of the tree rather than its' root system. We tend to only look at a particular action and try to improve upon that action. Let me explain. If there is an outburst of anger, we will vow not to get angry like that again, rather than to look down deeper and find the root of the anger. We would rather look at the instance of lust, and say we will do better next time, rather than to take out our spiritual gardening tools, which is prayer and the reading of the Word, and dig down deep and take out its' root system.

The Lord began to show me some scriptures that speak to this. John the Baptist, the forerunner to Jesus Christ came on the scene in the 3rd chapter of Matthew. As he began to preach on the banks of the river Jordan, he said this to the Pharisees:

Matthew 3:10 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

One of the opening proclamations of what God was going to begin doing in His New Covenant with man is to lay His axe to the root of trees that produce bad fruit. God pledged through His prophet that He, with this new move, would bring a wave of deliverance to those who would believe on the Lord that he was announcing. To embody this, the Lord Jesus Christ showed how He would do this. In the 11th chapter of Mark, Jesus was hungry and He approached a fig tree that had leaves on it, expecting to find fruit. When He did not find fruit thereon, Jesus cursed the fig tree by saying "no man eat fruit of thee hereafter forever". In the 20th verse we see the disciples (and Jesus) as they pass by the fig tree...it was now dried up...from the roots! One word from Jesus can cause that tree of fear, bitterness, anger, lust, lying, or whatever you are dealing with to dry up and produce no more fruit.

The Lord wants to plant a new tree within you. The Bible speaks of the Word of God as a seed (1st Peter 1:23). The seed is watered by the Holy Spirit (John 4:10-11, 7:38). One other thing that is provided for us for this tree of righteousness to grow is sunlight or SON-light. The bible calls Jesus the Daystar (2 Peter 1:9) and the Sun of Righteousness (Mal 4:2). When these three things combine, this is what you get:

Proverbs 11:30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life...

Through the righteousness of Christ, you can be reconciled to God, saved, healed, delivered, and set free. The new tree that the Lord wants to grow in you will become a tree of righteousness (Isaiah 61:3). This tree produce leaves that can provide shade for others and fruit that others can come and pick and find peace. May the Lord bless you.

The purpose of solitude

2008-11-30T16:52:00.009-10:00

The bible clearly says in Genesis 2:18 that "it is not good for man to be alone." The Hebrew word used in this verse is "bad" (yeah I know...it's not a typo!) which speaks of "being separated" or "apart from". These definitions produce the word picture of a tree branch that has broken off from the trunk of the tree and falls to ground. The bible also says that we are not to forsake the gathering together of ourselves together (Heb 10:25). This type of separating of ourselves away from people take us away from Body life and prohibits Body ministry. This is not the same as solitude. Solitude is getting away from distractions and spending some time alone with the Lord;not the rejection of people. This could be a specific devotional time or just stealing some time from your busy schedule to be alone with God. This is the difference between loneliness and solitude.

Our Lord Jesus Christ gives us an example of this principle of solitude. In Mark 1:35 the bible says:

"And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed."

Sometimes your time of solitude can be a planned morning devotional time. I believe that this is ideal. They say that every good day begins with a good morning...I agree. There is something very powerful about starting your day in the presence of God. Solitude and prayer are needed to prepare one's spirit for the trials, tribulations, and joys of the day.

There are other times when solitude is good for you. The Bible gives us this example:

Matthew 14:23 And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.

Jesus got away from it all and prayed. Sometimes solitude is needed to hear God clearly and precisely. The author Richard J. Foster put it this way, "In contemporary society our Adversary majors in three things: noise, hurry, and crowds." We need to cut out the noise and "hustle and bustle" of the world and tune in to God.

Let me give you yet another example of a time of solitude from the life of Christ. In the 6th chapter of Luke, Jesus proclaimed to the Pharisees that He was the Lord of the Sabbath. He then entered into a synagogue and healed a man with a withered hand...on the Sabbath no less! Verse 11 says that the Pharisees were "filled with madness and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus." But it is the next two verses that give us an insight into the need for solitude.

Luke 6:12 And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. 13 And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles;

There will come a time in the life of every christian that very important decisions must be made. The bible clearly say that in the multitude of counselors there is safety (Pro 11:14; 24:6) but the time will arise when important decisions must be made by you and your only counselor will be the living God (Isa 9:6). Some decisions are so vital that God alone must be the one in which you bounce things off of. It was at this very time that Jesus now had to choose 12 men from among the multitude. This was an important decision; for these 12 men would turn the world upside down (Acts 17:6). We need to get alone with God prior to making important decisions so that we do not make permanent decisions based on temporary circumstances.

Open doors

2008-11-28T14:16:00.005-10:00

We usually hear a lot about "open doors". People pray and fast for God to open doors for them--which is right; but do we understand what they are and why God opens doors for us. Ultimately, everything we do must conform to the will of God. Doors are only opened by God when He has finished preparing you and finished preparing what is on the other side of that door.

The bible says in Rev 3:8 "...behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it..." When these two words (open door) are used together in the Word it metaphorically means "to give access or to present an opportunity". Open doors allow entry for the people of God to step into greater opportuinities for ministry or personal growth. Open doors can also mark the entry into another season. Open doors can also bring a closer access to the presence and person of God (Acts 14:27).

Back to Rev 3:8--Doors that are opened by God are kept open by God, not by human endeavour. This verse also give the reason why God has opened the door "for thou...hast kept my word, and has not denied my name". There are prerequisites that must be met by God's people prior to Him opening the doors that He has prepared. Keeping His word and not denying His name equates to living for God and keeping the faith. It means that you have to wait a while but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength (Isa 40:31).

In 2nd Cor 2:12, the Apostle Paul is speaking about when he came to the city of Troas. He said that "Now when I arrived at Troas [to preach] the good news, (the Gospel) of Christ, a door of opportunity was opened for me in the Lord". There are times when God opens a door to allow for the sending forth of His word which is directly proportioned to an increase in our ministry. God is passionate about the salvation of souls (1st Tim 2:12). This is done through preaching, which is conducted by people called by God (Rom 10: 13-15). This is without a doubt the number one reason for the Lord to open doors...for His glory...and to meet His purposes. We would be wise to remember that.

Lastly, let's take a look at 1st Cor 16:9. Paul said "...a wide door of opportunity for effectual [service] has opened to me [there, a great and promising one], and [there are] manyadversaries". This verse shows the duality of the open door of the Lord. On the one hand, it is a great opportunity for the increase of gospel preaching and in the progression of our ministries. But, on the other hand, we must remember that our advesary the devil roams about as a roaring lion (1st Pet 5:8). The Lord knows what is awaiting us on the other side of the door (Rom 8:28) but often we don't (1st Cor 13:9). We must be prepared for not just the joys but also the agonies of walking through open doors. Are you prepared to walk through any door that the Lord is preparing to open for you?

We walk by faith

2008-06-02T17:35:00.005-10:00

The bible says in Gen 5:24 that "Enoch walked [in habitual fellowship] with God; and he was not, for God took him [home with him]." Talk about a walk of faith! The bible says that Enoch had been in a relationship with God for 300 years and the next thing you know, God interrupted their usual routine and invited Enoch into a new dimension. The writer of the letter to the Hebrews recounted this story in Heb 11:5 and stated "By faith Enoch was translated..." The Greek word for translated is actually a combination of two Greek words. The first word is "meta", which denotes "a change of place or position". The other word is "tithemi", which means "to place".

There is a wonderful revelation here. When God calls us to walk by faith, He plans to change our position or to put us in another place. Sometimes our walk with Christ can become mundane and there will come a time when God will call us to follow Him in a new and different way. The walk of faith is a challenge and there will be times when God brings about a shift in that walk because He wants to take us to a new place in our faith or change or position in the Spirit.

I used to be a soldier in the U.S. Army, in fact, both me and my wife were in the army. We are both committed Christians (she actually helped me to find the Lord). We were stationed together at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii for about four years. My wife had been saying to me that she felt that the Lord was telling her that we should stay in Hawaii. To be honest, I was hearing none of that! I had my own plan and I didn't want anything to interfere with that plan. One day while worshipping God at the altar at our church, I heard the voice of God just as plainly as if He were standing next to me (Exodus 33:11). The Lord said "stay here and help the Bishop"!

This statement was a jolt to my system. Didn't God know that it was very expensive to live in Hawaii? Didn't He remember the plan that I spoke to Him so much about? Didn't He know that the average single-family home price was $625,000? What about the $9 gallons of milk, the $5 loaves of bread, and the $4 gas? God was inviting me (and my wife) to the walk of faith; the questions was, would we follow.

Once we said "yes" to God, He put a series of things in motion that would test our faith, stretch it, and cause it to increase. The Lord gave us a miracle house that we saw built from the ground up on the island of Oahu. We have seen God make our money stretch in the early days when we only had one household income with a mortgage of $25000/month. We have a surplus of money every month now and we have never missed a mortgage payment nor have we ever skipped the giving of our tithes and offerings.

When it comes to ministry, my wife and I have had continued growth and success. We both teach the word of God and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. We grow closer to the Lord each day and closer to one another. We are on our way to more fruitful ministry in the future and look forward to the Lord using us in powerful apostolic and prophetic ministry as well as becoming financial stewards that the Lord can use to bless the nations.

We, as Christians, are called to walk by faith and not by sight (2 Cor 5:7). This means that when God tells us to do something for Him, that is not the time to look at our physical surroundings, our bank accounts, or our [perceived] shortcomings. I have said all this to report that I have put in my two week notice at my old job and I officially have no job as of Monday, June 2nd, 2008. If there is one thing that I am sure of, it is that God is a provider. I look forward to blogging about the good report that God has opened a new door for me. Although we may never be taken away by God like Enoch or go off to heaven in whirlwind like Elijah (2 Kings 2:9-11) we can experience what it is like to be "translated" by God when we walk with Him by faith!