Signs Of The Times

Season of Signs Passover Through Pentecost 2008

Watchers Lamp has a great video pointing to the signs that are all around us. It is so close brothers and sisters! I can hear the footsteps at the door. Let us stand firm and keep the faith in the One who has promised to return and will grant us eternal life.

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How’s That Extra Money For Our Economy Working For Ya Arnold?

http://www.newsmax.com/insidecover/Schwarzenegger_marriage/2008/05/23/98593.html

 

What is the silver lining Arnold? Clearly, whether you did a “study” to determine what kind of economic impact this would have or not is irrelevant. You should have consulted the only One who matters, the God of the Bible. Clearly, had you sought His face He would have warned you on how this would impact your economy. I am glad you were speaking at the Enviromental Defense Fund when you gave your speech though. It will be appropriate when all of the money gained from mocking God and the Words of Jesus Christ need to be used to defend our economy (and enviroment) from burning up. Sadly enough this is what happens when you promote tourism that burns anger within God. You will have to trade one for the other!

http://my.earthlink.net/article/nat?guid=20080628/4865b740_3ca6_1552620080628-994795254

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,371922,00.html

http://abcnews.go.com/US/Weather/wireStory?id=5231557

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Is Repentance Neccesary?

Over the next few weeks I am going to be studying certain words in the Bible, due to the fact that there is such a wide view that is held on certain words. You would be suprised the teachings I hear, or even the articles I read by “pastors” who are supposed to be teaching the flock the truth about salvation and their walk with Jesus Christ. Instead, in this apostate day, you are hard pressed to find one truth, one interpretation. And the defense from the church today becomes, “We just agree to disagree”.  Well let me tell you, that is a lame cop-out and in the end could prove to be very dangerous. I have decided to look only at the Word of the Lord for the meaning, without someone else’s opinion. By faith we must believe that if we come to Christ hungry for the truth, with no personal agenda and ready to learn even if we were wrong that He will guide us into all truth.

So the many teachings I have heard on repentance go from one extreme to the other. One says repentance is absolutely neccesary, and the other says it dosen’t matter because that would be considered a work. One teaches repentance is from sin and you must change, the other says repentance is changing your mind about who can save you and you can’t quit sinning.  Okay, so what does the Lord say?

First I looked up the definition for repentace. Repent means- to turn, change in behavior, turning from sin toward God. A changed life has new, different behavior. This shows salvation is real.

Several times we see repentance mentioned in the Bible. John the Baptist, the forerunner to Jesus started with this same message. Yet Jesus in Matt 4 :17 starts His own ministry with that very word. If repentace was not a condtion for true salvation, then there would by no means be any reason to mention it. In fact He could have started with the very word, “Believe”.  I fear today, and all to often see that in the cheap grace that is preached, many individuals start by believing they can continue on the same path they are currently on. Someone tells them to say a prayer and believe. The preacher then tells them they are now a part of God’s family and are covered by grace. There is nothing they can do to be snatched away from God’s hands. So the so called “new believer” has been left with a feeling of security, from a human. They pick up that grace and continue on their same path, in the same direction. Now if somewhere along the way someone stops them on that path (which by the way really wouldn’t happen much today) and tells them their life is not pleasing to the Lord or that they must turn around and go in the opposite direction, they say “No, who are you to judge me or my salvation. I have grace, but your preaching works. That is legalism.”  So they continue on thier way, same direction and sadly I know to the same destination (if they do not truly repent.)  When John the Baptist came teaching about repentace what was the response of those who heard His cry? Matt 3:6 clearly gives us a picture of what that repentance was about. Confessing their SINS, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.  I realize there is such a broad belief about what sin really is. Sin has been so watered down today, that the Church as a building does not even agree on what are true sins and what are just genetic problems. In fact, just like with divorce many teach that the Lord is not against it, but will even bless it. How is that any diffrent than any other sin? Before to long, you can’t really define sin and then it all becomes excusable. Others teach we are forgiven of all our future sins. Will someone please email me a scripture where it says that. Not for a debate, but because I need something in the Word that says that. Romans 3:25 speaks of past sins and I am aware that 2 Peter 1:9 teaches that we have been cleansed from our PAST sins, allowing us a new start, but where does it say future sins?  The only thing I would ask is that the scripture “There is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus”,  not be used. After all my studies to keep it in context and just reading the scriptures around it, I see that this one scripture can be used to justify alot of wicked behavior. The Lord has already opened my eyes to the context of Romans 7 and 8. But any other verses would be great. Based on all the scriptures I have read once we repent and believe on Jesus Christ as our only Lord and Savior, we are cleansed of all our past sins and given a fresh start. We are also given a helper (the Holy Spirit). But we must continue to repent (meaning to acknowledge when we sin and turn from it) if our salvation is genuine and we would enter into eternal life with our Father. If repentance was not neccesary for one’s salvation or for the Church, then every letter to the Church in Revelation must be thrown out. Jesus was speaking to believers here, and yet in almost every letter He gave them a serious warning, Repent or else. For example, the Church of Sardis was warned to obey and repent. Those who repent and overcome will be dressed in white. Do you understand that just like the parable of the wedding banquet, you can not get in without the wedding garments. You must be dressed in white, not soiled garments.  Repentance was not just spoken of by Jesus, or John the Baptist, but by Peter, Paul and many others. Paul speaks of it in Acts 26:20 where He told King Agrippa, “First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds.”  Peter declared the same message to all who would hear in Acts 2:38. He asked for all to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.  What need was their for repentance to be forgiven of sins. Why not just declare, “believe and be baptized?” Because dear friends, without true repentance we will never see our need for a Savior.  Without true repentace and a disgust for what we once were, we will never feel the desire for Jesus to be Lord over our life. We will never want authority or “rules”, we will reject it. We will never be able to hear His way, we will only see our own way. The good news is not that Christ died to follow our path and cover us in spite of our sins, the good news is that while we were still sinners Christ died for us, to set us free from sin. It is not just pardon, it is power. Power to follow and obey His way, His desires and His authority over our lives. Equipped to obey, when we were once unable to because we were a slave to sin. There are many other scriptures on repentace that you can take the time to study if you would like. But I am firmly convinced, after prayer and the teaching of the Holy Spirit that repentance is not only neccesary, it is essential.

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I Agree Obama, Change Is Coming!

Truth About Obama, A Speech Is A Speech & Reality Is Reality

Yes America, Change is coming! Our judgement is here, even now it stands in front of us. I pray many will have eyes to see what is about to begin. Once it has started, it can not be stopped. Oh, and for the seeker-friendly, emerging, social justice church, your leader is here!

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To Judge Or Not To Judge

Judge Not

 

My devotion this week is going to be about my learning time with the Lord due to some personal comments I have had thrown at me over the last few years. As I hear from many facing the same criticism, I felt it best to look through the lens of scripture so as these attacks come we know how to deal with them. The very first comment that always comes back at me after I warn or rebuke or confront others of false teachings is this: I don’t think you are being very loving Stephanie. In fact that is dividing the Church and you better be careful about slander or defaming someone’s name. Sometimes I admit I just walk away or don’t respond, because I almost feel like I would be arguing a moot point with some.  John MacArthur could not have put my thoughts any better though. We must also look at the definition for slander or defame first. It is a word thrown around today by people who are either lazy and do not want to discern or have had others who do not want to be corrected throw that same attack at them.

Slander –a false and malicious statement or report about someone. To slander or defame someone’s name would mean that you knowingly have malicious intent to harm someones reputation with a false accusation. ( Please note, this does not mean teachings or writings that are available to anyone who will test for themselves. Testing someone’s teachings and writings is not making a false statement about something they said, if it can be verified.)

Gossip would be different. If we gossip then we take information around just for the sake of talking about others and pass it from person to person. There is no purpose for this information, except to share someone else’s business and should be avoided at all times.

With that being said, exposing others for their false teaching that is open for all to read, hear or see and warning others to flee from them is neither slander nor gossip. We must look at Scripture instead of opinion to see whether we are free to judge a person’s fruit and what they teach and if we should expose them.

Ephesians 5:6 says: Let no one decieve you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with them.

Ephesians 5:11 says: Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.

1 Corinthians 5:12-13  What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. Expel the wicked man from among you.

Romans 16:17 says: I urge you brothers, to watch out for those who cause DIVISIONS and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the TEACHING you have learned. KEEP AWAY from them. For such people are NOT serving our Lord Christ, but their OWN appetites. (emphesis mine). These men are the dividers not the exposer or the one who flees. Yet I can promise you the world and the enemy will certainly want to make you the divisive one. Keeping you involved and silent allows them to continue in their ways and for Satan to continue his job. Fleeing and exposing, causes a roadblock for them. If you are a false teacher or the Lord has revealed that you are dividing a church for false reasons or out of impure motives then you must get before the Lord now and repent. But if you are being obedient and exposing false teachers you are doing what must be done. Paul also says in 1 Timothy 1:20- Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.  Was Paul wrong for calling these guys out by name? We must always keep our motives and hearts open before the Lord, but judgeing someone’s fruit and teachings helps us to guard ourselves from false teachings and the snares of Satan, but more importantly it helps us warn others so that they are not taken captive by Satan to do his will. That my friends is what true love is all about!

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And The World Was Amazed Pt. 3

     It seemed as if the next few months flew by for Ella. There was so much going on in the world and in her own life, she could hardly keep track of it all. The real estate company she worked for had closed its doors in November, so Christmas was going to be pretty tight this year. The major hurricane that had hit the U.S. had caused gas prices to soar beyond what they origianlly were. Ella thought $4.75 a gallon was looking pretty good, and she certainly longed for the days when groceries didn’t equal a mortagage payment. Even as she thought of how bleak things were looking for the country and her own family, she reminded herself of the hope she saw coming in Baker Owens. He was set to enter office in January, yet there were already glimpses of the miraculous things he was doing for the U.S. and the world. Syria and Israel were now in a major battle, and it seemed as if the whole Middle East was about to errupt. Damascus being totally oblitereted had been the shock of the century and had the world in total disaray.  Russia and Iran were up in arms over what was happening and what had happened to its allies in Syria, major war was about to break out and Baker Owens had emerged from out of nowhere, victorious, and was calming the storm. Even before his term started he was in Israel meeting with the Jews and many other Middle Eastern nations strengthing an agreement for them to live in peace. He was even getting both sides to claim Jerusalem as the Capital of their joint states. And what amazed Ella the most, was that there were talks of letting the Jews build their third Temple! Could he be the one the Jews had been waiting for? Could he be the one the nations would finally be able to put their hope and trust in? Could he unite this broken world and heal it? Ella thought so, and it seemed so did the U.N.  Before he even took his oath as President of the United States, there was already talk of him filling the role of the President for the U.N. in the future. The world could not get enough of this man and all he was starting to do for them. Emerging out of nowhere, with little known of him, seemed to come this worldwide savior who had the answers for everything. Truly the world was amazed.

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Speechless!

So, this is where the world has gone over the years with followings and allowing false teachers in? I will keep quiet on this and just let scripture and Todd Bentley speak for themselves.

Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions. He has lost connection with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow. (Col 2:18-19)

Another link!  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eX9xdw6aT9c# 

Don’t you remember the diciples and their violent fits of rage and healing?

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