Surrender

Proof of Discipleship

John 14:22-24 (ESV) Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?” 23  Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24  Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.

  *Derek Prince outlines four vital facts that are of vital importance for everyone who claims to be an authentic Believer/Disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ from verse 23.  They are:

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Categories: Authenticity, Discipleship, Disobedience, Following Through, Genuineness, Obedience, Saving Faith, Self Examination, Surrender, Truth, Word of God | Leave a comment

Holding Fast To The Truth

Heb 10:23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. ESV

In the face of all that is going on around us in the world, let us remain strong in our hope, in our confident expectation regarding the Lord Jesus Christ and His faithfulness, His promises, His Word of Life.

Let us not become those who shrink back, or draw back into fearful compromise, acquiescing to those who would threaten, be offended by the truth, or would attack the message and thus the messengers of the Word of the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us not surrender our genuine saving faith and its message for the sake of cultural acceptance or relativity, self-preservation, or even of a worldly appeasement, or worldly acceptance and approval.

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Categories: Authenticity, Calling, Christian Maturity, Church, Communion, Confidence, Encouragement, Following Through, Genuineness, Hope, Persecution, Perseverance, Readiness, Sacrifice, Spiritual Warfare, Standing in Faith, Steadfastness, Suffering, Surrender, Tenaciousness, True Love, Victory, Word of God | Leave a comment

My Personal Struggle With Writing

Writing is like preaching for me, without the anointing, I have an extremely difficult time doing it. So, I confess that I have shied away from it more often than not. In other ways, writing is much more difficult for me than teaching and or preaching. This is most likely because I have preached and taught far more than I have written. Come to think of it, I have always struggled with writing. I have never really ever seen myself as a writer and still don’t. Yet this last year there was a brief moment in time when I surely felt, in and before the Lord Jesus Christ, that I was to give myself to writing much more than I do. However, as is usual, there were so many others things that got in the way of this. There was for example, work and driving long miles to do so, fatigue, moving, pastoring, family, health concerns, lack of genuine motivation, and the list goes on and on.

I have imagined a time when I would have time sufficient to write more. I have imagined a time when I would have the finances to take the time to write more. I have imagined that the anointing of the Lord Jesus would suddenly fall upon me and I would write like there was no tomorrow. But alas, none of these realities are indeed mine. This leaves me with but one of two choices as I see it: to give up on writing more altogether, or to write anyway.

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Categories: A Simple Reminder, Absolute Dependency, Anointing, Being Built Up, Calling, Character, Dying to Self Will, Following Through, Gifts of the Holy Spirit, Noise and Distractions, Perseverance, Process, Righteousness, Seeking The Lord Jesus, Spiritual Barreness, Surrender, Work | 2 Comments

Will The Real Church Stand Up?

There is truly only one universal church. This universal church is, in spirit and in truth, The True Church or The Body of Christ Jesus. It is made up of many and varied members. These members are those found throughout the world in various local church fellowships, missions, organizations and denominations, etc.; a scattering of salt throughout the world. They may not be fully aware of their place strategically within the Body of Christ Jesus, but as genuine believers in Christ Jesus they should be aware that they are indeed a part of the Body of Christ Jesus. It is in so many ways a church without boundaries, for it is a church of the Spirit. For me, this is the bottom line.

Not everyone who says they are a believer is a believer in spirit and in truth. This is also true of the church, not everyone or every church, mission, organization, etc. is actually a genuine part of the Body of Christ Jesus just because they claimed to be. Having said all of this I am aware of a very real danger. This danger is that one would leap into trying to discern that which is the true church and that which isn’t? I am saying that this is a danger in that we are not exactly called to this. We could say as scripture says, that we shall know them by their fruit and this would also be true for the church or churches as it is for individuals or even nations, etc.

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Categories: A Genuine Heart Cry, Abiding, Absolute Dependency, Anointing, Authenticity, Awakening, Being Built Up, Belief System, Believer, Body of Christ, Boundaries, Breaking Forth, Calling, Character, Christian Maturity, Church, Death, Dependency, Disobedience, Dying to Self Will, Empowerment, Family, Fear of God, Finding the Right Church, Flesh, Genuineness, God's Righteousness, Grace, In Spirit and In Truth, Last Days, Loving One Another, Ministry Motivation, Now Word, Open Ears, Open Eyes, Presumptions, Priorities, Process, Prophetic, Readiness, Repentance, Simplicity, Spirit, Standing in Faith, Steadfastness, Surrender, Teaching, The Power of God, Training, Truth, Word, Word of God, Work of God, Worship | 2 Comments

Awaken To His Praise, His Worship, For Now!

In 2007, the Lord gave me this word and I wrote out what follows below. I ran across it again this evening and realized that this is already beginning to take place. There is, however, a very real concern, no, a very real growing burden that there will be, as there always seems to be, those who will stubbornly or even defiantly remain in what they know and have known for however long and won’t be open to nor respond appropriately to His, our Lord and Saviors call.

I pray the Lord will rise up and once again confirm His Word for His People to Awake and Arise in His Worship. May He continue to break forth His Anointing for His Worship, His Prophetic Worship Within and Through His Church. May we all by the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit surrender to all that He is saying and bless the Lord, doing today! May we once again so deeply hunger and thirst for the Lord Jesus Christ to have His Way With Us All, that we indeed not only cry out but yield, surrender in eyes wide open genuine and authentic saving faith. Blessed be the Lord Jesus Christ!

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Categories: Anointing, Authenticity, Awakening, Body of Christ, Breaking Forth, Calling, Church, Churches, Communion, Dependency, Dying to Self Will, Edification, Empowerment, Exhortation, Father, Genuineness, God Faith, Grace, His Gift of Love, His Praise, His Worship, Holy Ghost Burdens, Hope, Humility, illumination, In Spirit and In Truth, Intimacy, Mercy, Ministry, Now Word, Obedience, Open Ears, Open Eyes, Openness, Paradigm Shift, Pastor, Prayer, Presumptions, Priorities, Prophetic, Prophetic Actions, Prophetic Revelation, Prophetic Worship, Relationship, Spiritual Hunger and Thirst, Spiritual Warfare, Steadfastness, Stirrings, Surrender, Thanksgiving, The Lord Jesus, The Power of God, Timing, Transcendence, Word of God, Work of God, Worship | Leave a comment

The Vitalness of His Manifest Presence

Exodus 33:14-16 (ESV) And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” 15 And he said to him, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. 16 For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?”

Here in Exodus we see that the presence of the Lord was so vital to Moses that he said to the Lord that if the Lord was not going to come with them, then don’t send Israel up to the Promise Land. The Lord offered earlier to send up an Angel who would assure them of the fulfillment of the Lord’s promise in providing them the Promise Land. For Moses this was not enough. He wanted the Lord’s presence, not simply the presence of an Angel no matter how great the Angel was.

I find this so very significant for us today as well. The evidence of Gods manifest presence with and amongst His people is both that which confirms the favor of God concerning His people and that which makes them distinct from the rest of the World. This distinction is vital for us as the people of God. We’re to be in, yet not of the world. The question remains however, how far shall we go without His manifest, evident, or tangible presence?

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Categories: A Genuine Heart Cry, A Simple Reminder, Abiding, Absolute Dependency, Angels, Anointing, Authenticity, Belief System, Benefits, Body of Christ, Boundaries, Breaking Forth, Calling, Church, Church Forms, Churches, Communion, Confidence, Core Values, Covering, Dependency, Edification, Empowerment, Encouragement, Exhortation, Family, Father, Genuineness, God's Faithfulness, God's Love, Grace, Healing, His Chosen, Holiness, Holy Spirit, Hope, Humility, In Spirit and In Truth, Intimacy, Mercy, Ministry, Prayer, Presumptions, Relationship, Rest, Seeking The Lord Jesus, Signs & Wonders, Simplicity, Spirit, Spiritual Hunger and Thirst, Stirrings, Surrender, Teaching, Thanksgiving, The Lord Jesus, The Power of God, Transcendence, Truth, Waiting on the Lord, Witness, Word of God, Work of God, Worship | 2 Comments

I’m No Scholar, I’m Just a Guy

Acts 4:13 (NKJV) Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.

I can think of no greater compliment than that one was recognized as having been with Jesus. I believe that for me, this is genuinely my goal in life, to become one who is recognized as having been with Jesus. To become one whose life was so changed and impacted by the Life of Christ Jesus that while my other deficiencies may be noted, Christ Jesus is still readily visible and evident in and through my life.

 As was true of Peter and John, I would find myself, in regards to ministry, as fairly uneducated and common. I come from a line, albeit brief line (grandpa, dad and myself), of uneducated and common men who loved the Lord and believed that Jesus had called them to follow Him and so they picked up their Bibles and did so.

 My grandfather was saved out of the Navy shortly after World War 2 under Amy Semple McPherson’s ministry. He believed that he was called into the ministry as preacher of the Lord Jesus. He bought a tent, a flatbed truck (to use as a platform for services and to haul the tent), picked up his Bible and went preaching the Word of God.

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Categories: A Simple Faith, Abiding, Absolute Dependency, Anointing, Authenticity, Baptism of the Holy Spirit, Being Built Up, Belief System, Benefits, Body of Christ, Breaking Forth, Calling, Christian Maturity, Church, Churches, Confidence, Dad, Dependency, Empowerment, Encouragement, Faith, Family, Father, Following Through, Foundations, Genuineness, Gifts of the Holy Spirit, Growing in Faith, Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit Benefits, Holy Spirit Hearing, Holy Spirit Listening, Holy Spirit Seeing, Hope, Humility, illumination, In Spirit and In Truth, Inspiration, Ministry, Ministry Motivation, Now Word, Obedience, Open Ears, Open Eyes, Openness, Pastor, Pioneering, Prayer, Preaching, Priorities, Process, Promises, Reflections, Relationship, Rhema, Righteousness, Seeking The Lord Jesus, Simplicity, Source, Speaking in Tongues, Spirit, Surrender, Teaching, Thanksgiving, The Power of God, Theology, Training, Transcendence, True Love, Truth, Vulnerability, Waiting on the Lord, Word, Work of God | 2 Comments

Is It All About Knowledge, Really?

It is how you live in Christ Jesus that is all important, not just what you know. Having said this, there has been many times in and throughout history when this issue of knowledge for knowledge sake, came to a head. It was this issue of Knowledge first, over the simplicity of Knowing Jesus first that seemed to be what the battle was about.

For example, there was a time in the later middle ages when the theologians of that day had gone so far as to create a theology that no one but they themselves could understand or relate to. Their theology had become increasingly complex and stood in direct contrast to the simplicity of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. As this gap widened, so did the reactions of the people. Their reactions were focused upon a theology that was fraught with an over emphasis of subtleties, developing its own exclusive and elitist language with an insistence upon precise definitions and fine distinctions, theologically.

In the book, “Imitation of Christ”, we discover what was the commonly held belief’s of the day, beliefs that were reactions against the theologians and their theology of the day. Here is a taste of it (1.1.3):

“What good is it for you to be able to discuss the Trinity with great profundity, if you lack humility, and thereby offend the Trinity?”

“Verily, high sounding words do not make one holy and just. But a life of virtue does make one acceptable to God.”

“It is better to feel repentance, than to be able to define it.”

“Were you to memorize the entire Bible and all the sayings of the philosophers, what good would this be for you without the love of God and without grace?”

“Vanities of vanities. All is vanity, except loving God and serving only God.”

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Categories: A Simple Faith, A Simple Reminder, Abiding, Absolute Dependency, Anointing, Authenticity, Character, Church History, Communion, Confidence, Core Values, Dependency, Edification, Elitism, Empowerment, Faith, Foundations, Genuineness, Grace, Growing in Faith, His Chosen, History, Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit Benefits, Humility, Intellectualism, Intimacy, Knowledge, Ministry, Ministry Motivation, Obedience, Priorities, Questions, Readiness, Reflections, Relationship, Rest, Resurrection, Resurrection Life, Revelation, Righteousness, Rock, Seeking The Lord Jesus, Separatism, Simplicity, Source, Standing in Faith, Steadfastness, Surrender, Teacher, Teaching, Tenaciousness, The Lord Jesus, The Lord's Fullness, The Power of God, Theology, Training, Transcendence, Transformation, Truth, Victory, Word, Word of God, Work of God | 2 Comments

The Truth and Nothing But The Truth!

Why is it that when we speak to unbelievers that we do not tell the whole truth concerning Salvation?

26  “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. 28 For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? … 33 So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:26-33 (ESV)

Why is it that if we do tell others the whole truth, it isn’t until we think that we have gotten them in to the Kingdom of God that we then explain to them that yes, that there is more, there is a whole lot more to this living in the Lord Jesus Christ than we first explained to you?

So, again, why is it that we do not tell the whole truth concerning Salvation, upfront, allowing them to genuinely count the cost?

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Categories: A Simple Faith, Alone, Authenticity, Body of Christ, Church, Commands, Dependency, Dying to Self Will, Empowerment, Exhortation, Faith, Foundations, God Faith, His Chosen, Hope, In Spirit and In Truth, Mercy, Ministry, Obedience, Open Ears, Open Eyes, Preaching, Priorities, Salvation, Saving Faith, Self Justification, Surrender, Teaching, The Power of God, Theology, Truth, Witness, Work of God | 3 Comments

Not Everyone…

Matthew 7:21-23 (ESV) Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

Let us have a brief look at this very disturbing text. I do not know about you but whenever I read this text it is convicting and confronting. It convicts me to never, by the grace and mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ, presume upon my relationship in and with the Lord Jesus Christ. It also confronts me in the area of obedience. Am I genuinely doing the will of the Father God Almighty? It is a text that stirs up within, a very real and genuine re-examination of my heart and personal faith, in and with the Lord Jesus Christ. And, this isn’t a bad thing at all. No, it absolutely isn’t.

Not everyone who simply says, repeatedly, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven; how convicting, how confronting, how challenging. This is especially true when you consider what the Lord then goes on to address. Even though there were mighty things seemingly being done through them, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, He will still drive them away because He did not actually know them. There was never any genuine relationship, of  God faith, saving faith or righteous repentance. It was simply a profession, of words rooted in presumptions.

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Categories: A Genuine Heart Cry, A Simple Faith, Abiding, Alone, Authenticity, Belief System, Believer, Churches, Commands, Communion, Confidence, Disobedience, Dying to Self Will, Exhortation, Foundations, Genuineness, God Faith, Grace, Hope, Humility, illumination, In Spirit and In Truth, Lies, Man's Faith, Obedience, Openness, Presumptions, Priorities, Repent, Repentance, Righteousness, Salvation, Saving Faith, Self Justification, Selfishness, Signs & Wonders, Simplicity, Spirit of Truth, Spiritual Barreness, Surrender, The Power of God, Transformation, True Love, Unrighteous Ambition, Word, Work of God | Leave a comment

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