Church, Churchianity, Patrick McIntyre, Prophecy, Prophesy

The Evangelical Establishment

From the Moderator: Wow! I have not seen these things which the Spirit has been showing me spoken more clearly as they are in this article by Patrick. Truly the bondage of Israel (the church) is coming to an end. As the latter rains are released and the second outpouring of the Holy Spirit hits Christendom then will the Philadelphia (Rev. 3:7) church era be born and go into the promised land led by Jesus Christ (just as Joshua led the children (Matt. 18:3; 11:25) of Israel into the promised land). The word Philadelphia means those who are friends, have a bond with each other, like brothers, in godly love (I John 3:10). This can only happen with and through the Holy Spirit (I Cor. 12). Enjoy the following and search your own “Christianity” to make sure it is pure and of truth born of true conversion to God, baptized with the Spirit, a servant of Christ, ever hearing His voice and doing His works. If this is not you then seek God now while there is still light before the darkness comes (John 9:4; Jer. 13:15-17 ESV).

-extracts by Patrick McIntyre.

During the last 100 years, when Evangelical Christianity was waging war for converts, certain questionable practices were overlooked. But we’re no longer the “kook fringe.” We ARE the establishment. The frenzy of wartime mentality, characterized by wild claims of battle successes that never were, must be replaced with reasonable, honest results. And it’s time to take thought for the wounded. For every truly saved American, (the Holy Spirit lives in them) there are at least 6 more that have said a “salvation prayer” and think they’re saved as the result.

Many of these gave up on God and are now the cynical, “I tried that before” sinners that call people who go to church hypocrites. These are the most vocal haters of true Christianity. Their hatred is fueled by a dream that proved to be in their case, only a nightmare…

Tares In The Churches

If less than 10% of Americans are saved, (the Holy Spirit lives in them) then over half the people who go to church on Sunday are horribly deceived. Every poll, every statistical analysis, every internal and external church study shows what every evangelist and pastor knows: The majority of people who go to church in America are the moral equivalent of heathen.

Bill Bright, who should know (…see Blinded By The Bright) said, “…many who call themselves Christians are not really Biblical Christians at all. Although they may be religious people who attend church regularly, they have never experienced the new birth and a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.”

Dr. Rod Bell, president of the Fundamentalist Baptist Fellowship of America, believes 50% of people that go to church are lost.

Evangelist Luis Palau said of the 80% of Americans who claim to be Christian, “few live any differently from pagans or atheists, as though God has no claim on their lives.”

Dr. James Dobson admitted that, “The majority of Americans are dabbling in religious expression that has no substance.”

A.W. Tozer said “probably less than one out of ten evangelicals knows anything experientially about the new birth.”

While church leaders all acknowledge the problem, most think evangelical Christians live like heathen because of a “lack of sanctification.” Instead of trying to get them saved so they’ll be changed by the Holy Spirit, we try to get them to act like Christians. After 100 years, winds of doctrine have effectively buried the Bible teaching of holistic salvation. Forensic or legal salvation has been exalted above experiential salvation to the point where the landmarks of power over sin and the workings of the Holy Spirit are buried like treasure, waiting to be exposed.

The Evangelical church is at the same point the Catholic church was when Luther brought reformation. Like that reformation, this reformation will require a return to a Biblical understanding of holistic salvation. We need to stop putting a “salvation prayer” Band-Aid on cancer and telling people they’re healed. Like Luther, we have to return to a Biblical understanding of saving faith. Like Luther, we need to acknowledge that, “he who has been made righteous does works of righteousness.”

Just as Luther unmasked the deceptive practice of indulgences, we must unmask the deceptive practice of leading people in a formula “salvation prayer.” “When the penny drops, a soul is released from Purgatory” was almost as harmful as, “when you sincerely repeat this prayer, your name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.” The first practice gave sinners the confidence that their friends and relatives could buy their way out of Purgatory. The second statement offers the sinner no-fault insurance from Hell.

Most people who attend Evangelical churches ignore the “small print” and go right to the bottom line: Because they said a salvation prayer, God doesn’t see their sin…they’re covered by the blood of Christ. So they can go on sinning without the fear of God. In fact, most are taught there’s nothing they can do that will disqualify their free ticket to heaven. “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?” Rom 6:1 Yes, says modern evangelism. “But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?” James 2:20 No, says modern evangelism. Faith without works is normal for most American Evangelical Christians.

There is no longer a need for showing forth the fruits of repentance, (Matthew 7:18) or making your election sure. (1 Peter 1:10) A youth pastor I know told a group of mostly lost teens, if they committed suicide, they’d still go to heaven. What kind of distorted theology would cause a minister to say such a thing to a group of teens most of which had no evidence of being saved? This is the result of the scandal of modern evangelism. We have become arrogant with the Scriptures,.”… in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.”  -2 Peter 3:16. “God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?” -Rom 6:2-3.

No Evangelical evangelist or pastor before 1900 would have looked at the condition of people who go to church today and concluded their carnality was the result of “lack of sanctification.” They would accurately conclude that the vast majority were never saved. The next question they would ask is, “why do they think they’re saved?” The answer is the scandal of modern evangelism.

Revival Or Irrelevance

The Evangelical establishment has a choice to make. Either recognize that churches are full of heathen, and try to make them into saints, or become as irrelevant as most European churches. Either return to God’s way – complete transformation of the individual by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, or continue throwing precious resources into worldly social reforms, becoming just another welfare program…

-SOURCE – ‘The Evangelical Establishment’ by Patrick McIntyre-
http://www.christianebooks.com/

—
YES! – You have permission to post these emails to friends
or other groups, boards, etc – unless there is a Copyright
notice above which says differently.

To subscribe, please send a ‘subscribe’ email to-
prophetic@revivalschool.com

See our website and discussion board-
http://www.JohntheBaptistTV.com/

To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: anzac-unsubscribe@welovegod.org

To send material for consideration for publication, send to-
prophetic@revivalschool.com

MODERATOR:
Andrew Strom.

Please feel free to reproduce, reprint and/or forward as desired. Altering or editing is strictly prohibited. To contact us, send a request to info@sharingtheway.com or visit our website at https://sharingtheway.com/.

Doctrine, Gregory Turner, Lee Grady

Is It Okay to be Gay and Christian?

STW Moderator: I believe that the scriptures speak even more strongly than what is mentioned below by J. Lee Grady in regards to perverted sexual behaviors which include homosexuality, lesbianism, fornication and adultery. None of the people doing these things will be included in the kingdom of heaven and we all have to make sure that we are pure in heart in relation to these things. Paul said in Romans that “since the creation of the world His invisible attributes[who and what God is] are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made[the human family], even His eternal power and Godhead[the Father, the Son, the bride of Christ and her children], so that they are without excuse,  because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened[by following reasoning that leads away from God like evolution they can no longer understand the light – which is God]. 
Professing to be wise[various PhDs], they became fools,  and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things[worshiping themselves and the world around them]. Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature[creation – the things around us] rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature[normal marital sex for lesbianism].  Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men[homosexuality] committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves[AIDS] the penalty of their error which was due. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting;  being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers,  backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,  undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful;  who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.” (Romans 1:20-32 NKJV). No minister, no congregation, and no society will escape the last sentence in what Paul said here – and that is death for supporting such things. The soul that sins shall die (Ez. 18:20; Rom. 6:23). God wants all to come to repentance and He wants the sinner to turn to Him and stop the sinning and then the death penalty will be lifted (Ez. 18:21-23). How are we helping these people by being politically correct? How is it being judgmental by hating the sin and not the sinner? We hurry them unto the grave if we say nothing and in some cases their blood can be on our hands (Ez. 3:18-19). Do you want to be politically correct and have their blood on your hands or will you do what the Lord says and pronounce these abominations as sins and cast the unrepentant sinner out of the body of Christ for the destruction of the flesh (see 1st Cor. 5)?

IS IT OK TO be GAY & CHRISTIAN?
-by J. Lee Grady.

Charismatic pastor Jim Swilley’s announcement that he is gay opened the door wider for a subtle delusion. Don’t believe it.

Many people were shell-shocked last week when Atlanta pastor Jim Swilley stood in front of his congregation, Church in the Now in Conyers, Ga., and announced that he is gay. The 52-year-old minister was abruptly removed from his position in the International Communion of Charismatic Churches—a network in which he served as an overseer. Some of Swilley’s members left his church, others stayed, and countless others are now scratching their heads.

We Americans are lost in a moral fog. Two major Protestant denominations (the Episcopal Church USA and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) have voted to ordain gay clergy. Meanwhile, gayness is celebrated in our media, and anyone who refuses to bow to this idol is painted as intolerant and homophobic.
Christians who still believe homosexuality is incompatible with biblical faith feel painted into a corner. If we defend Christian morality, and even if we speak with compassion to those who may struggle with same-sex attraction, we are accused of hate speech or branded as judgmental. So we tiptoe through the minefield of political correctness—and keep our mouths shut.

Sorry, but timidity on this issue is not acceptable. The sins we avoid addressing from the pulpit are the sins that will thrive unchallenged in our culture. We must develop some backbone and speak the truth in love. Here are four truths that should factor into any discussion on this topic:

1. Everyone is born with issues. King David wrote: “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me” (Psalm 51:5, NASB). David acknowledged that he had an inborn sin nature. This is true for all of us!

Many “gay Christian” advocates insist that some people are born homosexuals and therefore they have no hope of altering their orientation. But this is a lame argument since we all are born with a propensity toward certain sins. This is the human condition: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). Just because you are born with an inclination toward adultery, alcoholism, shoplifting or pride doesn’t mean you have to stay that way.

2. Christ offers forgiveness and sexual healing. The more strident voices in the gay community hate when Christians speak about homosexuals being healed or reformed. They insist that if you are gay, you must stay that way. They choose to ignore the fact that thousands of people have left homosexuality after coming to faith in Christ.

My friend Alan Chambers, president of Exodus International, came out of the gay lifestyle many years ago and now has a great marriage with his wife, Leslie, plus two beautiful children. The ministry he leads has helped countless people—including many Christian “strugglers”—find emotional freedom. Some of them experienced same-sex feelings from childhood; others developed these feelings because they were sexually molested or because of dysfunction in their families.

Whatever the cause of sexual brokenness, the gospel has always provided the solution. It was true for people in the Corinthian church, to whom Paul wrote: “Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals … will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God” (1 Cor. 6:9-11, emphasis added).

3. Discipleship requires self-denial. In his announcement to his church last week, Jim Swilley said he decided to come out as gay because he was tired of pretending. I’ve talked with others who told me they felt they were being “dishonest” by ignoring their gay feelings. They said they felt free when they accepted “who they really are” and got involved in gay relationships.

For a Christian, that’s a cop out. The essence of our walk with Christ involves denial. Jesus said: “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me” (Matt. 16:24). Jesus was not asking us to pretend we don’t have problems—He calls us to bring all of those problems into His light through repentance. But the Holy Spirit gives us the power to deny sinful desires. That quality of self-control is a fruit of the Spirit (see Gal. 6:22-23).

4. Homosexuality is not a protected category of sin. Many “gay Christian” advocates insist that if you are gay, then it’s fine to go out and have all the sex you want. They ignore biblical commandments against homosexuality (usually by saying that Old Testament law doesn’t apply today); meanwhile they advocate gay marriage even though most gay men are rarely monogamous. The message is clear: If you have same-sex desires, just go ahead and indulge because that’s how you were created.

This is what the Bible calls licentiousness—which means “lacking legal or moral restraints, especially sexual restraints; disregarding rules.” Actually, the Bible lumps homosexuality in with every other form of sexual sin—and says God will punish those who engage in it…

Regardless of how loudly the world trumpets its hedonistic agenda—and no matter how many backslidden preachers dance to the tune—God has the final say on this matter.

SOURCE- http://www.charismamag.com/index.php/fire-in-my-bones
—
YES! – You have permission to post these emails to friends
or other groups, boards, etc – unless there is a Copyright
notice above which says differently.

To subscribe, please send a ‘subscribe’ email to: prophetic@revivalschool.com
To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: anzac-unsubscribe@welovegod.org
To send material for consideration for publication, send to: prophetic@revivalschool.com

MODERATOR: Andrew Strom.

Please feel free to reproduce, reprint and/or forward as desired. Altering or editing is strictly prohibited. To contact us, send a request to info@sharingtheway.com or visit our website at https://sharingtheway.com/.

Church, Rick Furmanek, Suffering for Christ

The Fatal Compromise

Sharing The Way Moderator: Recently the Lord showed me that every single Christian is now or will soon have to choose between serving God or serving themselves. It will be a very clear choice. He showed it to me like this: jobs will be unavailable, food will be dangerously low or running out, your neighbor will come to your door with a gun and demand your food. You have a gun. Will you shoot them or will you give them your last meal and trust in God to provide? No Christian will be allowed to sit on the fence any more.
Jesus says “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot.  So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.  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— I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire[the test], 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” (Revelation 3:15-18 NKJV). Compromise is being neither hot nor cold – you sit on both sides of the fence. I believe Rick discusses this topic clearly in this article.

By Rick Furmanek.

Is Following Hard Really Worth All the Opposition?

If you follow Jesus for any length of time… and you pursue that relationship seriously… the Lord will eventually confront you will a choice… a choice of obedience… a choice of loyalty. This is part and parcel of what the Bible describes as counting the cost of following him. Yes, there is a cost involved… on both sides of the fence. Don’t let anyone try to convince you otherwise… and sometimes the cost is quite heavy.

Being confronted with a choice to unswervingly obey, or ignore the opportunity for obedience and simply compromise, is not an easy place to find yourself in… for, if we choose to compromise… eventually we must make our way back to the Lord’s throne and openly confess our wrongdoing. It is no simple matter to approach him with hat in hand knowing you must tell him why you did what you did in your moment of disobedience (not to mention carrying the Spirit of Christ that resides in you right into your disobedience)…realizing you have no plausible defense nor excuse for your actions/decisions as you stand before His perfection. God is merciful to the nth degree… but He will not be toyed with nor His grace taken advantage of nor presumed upon.

Mind you, it’s quite easy to compromise at first . . . and can even be seen as a little fun . . . as long as the price tag for the compromise can be removed for the moment.

Remember what the writer of Hebrews says . . .

“By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, */choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin/*. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.”

Compromise is serious business. It happens all the time… but it shouldn’t. Whether we disobey with the cost hidden or the price tag in full view, the consequences will be very real… and very experienced.

But note here also, as clearly described in the story of Moses, there is another side to this cost thing… not only is there a cost for compromise… that you must eventually do right by your God… but there is also a price tag for obedience. Moses chose to be abused, misunderstood, and ill thought of, opting to identify with the suffering people of God, rather than go the easy road of self-serving pleasure. He left riches, education and a long family heritage in order to follow God… for he had an understanding of the big picture and what mattered most.

From this example of Moses, we see that there is a cost involved in following.

Jesus’ own words affirm this again and again. In fact, he challenged, and even expected us to count the cost before we bend a knee to him. If the hearer didn’t think the cost is worth it… Jesus was willing to let them go their own way. And while he is always willing to receive them back… he doesn’t expect a person to do it blindly or without understanding what is involved and what is required in following him.

Remember the Disciples who left behind family, friends, jobs and homes for the sake of the Kingdom? I’m sure that was not easy to do… but they counted the cost and did it anyway… and most likely made the hard choice in the face of some pretty serious opposition.

I’m going to step out and make an assumption here… I’m going to assume that you have understood to some degree what I’ve tried to communicate up to this point… and I’m going to assume you understand at least the concept that there is a price tag attached to following Christ.

That said, what might the cost of following hard after Jesus in today’s world look like? First off, if we take our responsibility seriously and approach life with a desire to live a life for Christ without compromise… we can rest assured that, as the Bible promises, we will encounter opposition. To encounter no opposition and at the same time call ourselves a Christian should be cause for concern, for something is not right.

Note that opposition will come in many shapes and forms… some we won’t expect… catching us completely off guard, thus testing our obedience… and other opposition we will plainly see gathering on the horizon, thus testing our loyalty. No matter where it comes from, we mustn’t forget this truth, following Jesus Christ wholeheartedly will produce opposition from those around us… at times even from those we love the most.

In recollecting this afternoon from some recent experiences, I’ve come up with… what I think are key areas from which you can pretty much expect opposition for carrying the name of Jesus with you in an uncompromising way.

Here they are:

-* Your mere presence may make others uncomfortable. *

Therefore, because of this, some are likely to try to avoid you. The Truth shown forth in the Light is something that this world would prefer not to experience. Light reveals those secrets we have spent tireless years trying to keep tucked away in a dark corner. Expect that your desire to walk in the Light… to be open and transparent… to lead a no-compromise sort of life… will make others uncomfortable… not intentionally, but as a natural by-product of your taking the name of Christ with you into places where He’s not necessarily welcome… at least not the Lordship side of Him.

-*You as a person may be seen as unkind. *

No doubt about it… we are to love… we are commanded to love… we are told that without love our message is meaningless and worthless… we are told that our love is the telltale sign of our following Jesus… but how love is defined and fleshed out today is so different from the biblical description of love. We mustn’t let that important point… the change in the connotation of the word, love, trip us up in our Christian expression of love.

What you will find today is that those who watch you, listen to you and interact with you as you follow Christ… are likely to conclude that you are quite intolerant and inconsiderate of others. People today… even a lot of religious folk… really do have a problem with Jesus being the only way and the necessity of dying to self and forsaking all in order to have real life.

Fellow-follower, I don’t care how you package it, you can drape love all over it… but try rebuking, correcting, admonishing… again in love… and the likely reaction you’ll get from the 21st century man… and lots of religious folk… is that you are just not a very nice person. Again, with the concept of love being so misunderstood today and often defined as absolute toleration of everyone and every belief surrounding you… we must be patient and make a concerted effort to attach a proper definition to the word love for our listeners and observers to grasp and hold on to, and then demonstrate it before them as a witness for our Lord.

That in itself might be the greatest act of kindness we can show them. And that act of kindness is not random… no, it’s very intentional.

This week has been tough. I’ve experienced a few of these very things in my own life. Is it rewarding being misunderstood? Definitely not. Am I glad I was rejected? Not on your life. Would I prefer not to travel this route? You bet. But it really does come down to this simple statement that as a follower of Jesus I must confess again and again…

… yet not my will, but Yours be done.

Stay strong in Him… take courage… our redemption is drawing near.

… “Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.”

-Please comment on this article at the website below-

http://www.johnthebaptisttv.com/

-SOURCE: www.faith-contenders.net

—
YES! – You have permission to post these emails to friends or other groups, boards, etc – unless there is a Copyright notice above which says differently.

To subscribe, please send a ‘subscribe’ email to- prophetic@revivalschool.com

See our website and discussion board- http://www.JohntheBaptistTV.com/

To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: anzac-unsubscribe@welovegod.org

To send material for consideration for publication, send to- prophetic@revivalschool.com

MODERATOR:
Andrew Strom.

Please feel free to reproduce, reprint and/or forward as desired.   Altering or editing is strictly prohibited. To contact us, send a request to info@sharingtheway.com or visit our website at https://sharingtheway.com/.

Andrew Strom, Financial Failure, Prophesy

The Shaking is Growing

By Andrew Strom.

I want to spend most of this article talking about the massive SPIRITUAL shaking and sea-change that is underway. -And the OPPORTUNITIES for the true remnant of God in this. But first let us talk briefly about the “economic” shaking that is underpinning a lot of what is happening.

There are many signs appearing that another great “slowdown” in the world economy is underway. As you know, we have predicted “another wave down” and a “double dip depression”. Last week new US unemployment claims jumped back up to 500,000. The  figures for July ‘existing’ home sales look to show the worst slump  that has ever been seen. (California and Texas report a -23%  collapse in the space of just one month). The human cost of all  this unemployment and economic mayhem is truly awful to contemplate.

But in the CHURCH I believe a great “shaking” is underway that will ultimately bring about a great ‘purging’ and cleansing. You may have noticed that a number of big-money ministries are suddenly  in trouble. I am hearing reports of others that I regard as “spreading deception” falling into serious financial difficulty as well. I believe God is going to use this economic crisis to “clean out” His church. There is going to be a massive change at the top. The ‘Saulish’ leadership is going to be dethroned and the “Davids” will come forth.

We published a vision some time ago of the giant “trees” crashing  to the ground and the little sprouts suddenly springing forth. The church has been dominated for too long by voices that have abused and stolen and spread deception amongst the sheep. God is coming to clean house, and it will not be “gentle”. The whip is in His hand and He is about to drive the money-changers out. His house is to be a “house of prayer” once more.

Two of my books from the past were spent prophesying of this very time that we are now entering. The first was in 1996 – “The Coming Great Reformation – New Insights into the Coming Worldwide Shaking, Reformation and Street Revival.” The most recent was in 2008 – “Survive the Depression – The Shaking Has Begun.” (Links for both of these at the end of this article).

A lot of people say to me, “Give up hope of the church being cleansed or the false leaders being dethroned. We are in the time of great Apostasy,” they say, “So just give up on any of that.”

And I say, “NO! I will not give up on the evil being dethroned from God’s church, and the Body being cleansed, and the true gospel being restored. Yes – we are in a time of great Apostasy (no-one knows this more than I). But that does not mean that God has  lost His desire for a church that is “without spot or wrinkle or any such thing.” I still believe we have time for one last great “cleansing” and one last great Harvest. But it will come during a time of great “storms” and hardship.”

POSITION Yourself

There are several ways that those who believe they have been  called into God’s ‘remnant’ for this hour can “position” themselves  to be part of what God is doing. Of course, PRAYER is the most vital thing, but also-
(1) Get out of DEBT. Do not “hang on”, deep in debt for year after year, hoping things will improve. They will NOT improve for YEARS. Use whatever means possible, cut your losses and GET OUT. The debt alone can prevent you from being where God wants you to be in this crucial moment.

(2) Don’t get into a “bunker” mentality. Don’t be tempted to hide yourself away with food and ammo in some basement somewhere. For true Christians this crisis is a GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY to show forth Christ to a dying world. Get INVOLVED – helping the poor, preaching the true gospel. This is not a time for “hiding away”.

(3) Stop thinking of this crisis as a “doom and gloom” scenario and start thinking of it as a time where God is setting things to rights – purging the church and the nation of years of excesses and poison. For the Christian who truly loves God and His kingdom, this is literally the OPPORTUNITY of a LIFETIME to be involved in this whole process. Only DEBTS or FEAR or an unwilling heart can rob you of your place in this.

There is no time I would rather be in than right now. There is no environment I would rather be in. This moment and this crisis are exactly what God has been preparing us for. We are not to just “survive” – we are to ‘THRIVE’ in this time. Many of the big ministries are not designed to make it through such a crisis. When
finances drop they will fall apart. But many of us have been specifically designed for this. Don’t waste it. A total “changing of the guard” is underway. A revolution in leadership. Be about the Lord’s work. Remember the long-forgotten promises and dreams the Lord gave you years ago and prepare to enter into all that He has promised. AMEN!!

Links to the books I mentioned are below. Also – please comment
on this article at the following website-

http://www.johnthebaptisttv.com/

E-BOOK (online) – “The Coming Great Reformation” –
http://www.johnthebaptisttv.com/2010/04/10/the-coming-great-reformation-2

BOOK – “Survive the Depression – the Shaking has Begun”-
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0979907381/

God bless you all.

Andrew Strom

Please feel free to reproduce, reprint and/or forward as desired. Altering or editing is strictly prohibited. To contact us, send a request to info@sharingtheway.com or visit our website at https://sharingtheway.com/.

Gregory Turner, Hear God's Voice, The Walk, Visitation of God

Be Ready

By Greg Turner
greg@sharingtheway.com

There are times when the Holy Spirit just leads us through a sequence of scriptures to share a message with us. I share what was shown to me this day in the following.

Matthew 5:14-16(NKJV) You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.  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.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
Matthew 25:1-13(NKJV) “Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins[a part of the bride of Christ – the church] who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.  Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish.  Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil[Holy Spirit] with them,  but the wise took oil in their vessels[your body] with their lamps.  But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. “And at midnight[the end of this age] a cry[from God’s prophets] was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out[see Heb. 13:13] to meet him!’  Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.  And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’  But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell[the churches], and buy for yourselves.’  And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. “Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’  But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.

Luke 13:23-28(NKJV) Then one said to Him, “Lord, are there few who are saved?” And He said to them,  “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.  When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open for us,’ and He will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know you, where you are from,’  then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank[communion] in Your presence[where two or more are gathered together in His name], and You taught in our streets[the churches].’  But He will say, ‘I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.’  There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out.

Matthew 25:24-30(NKJV) “Then he who had received the one talent[spiritual gifts – see I Cor. 12 & Rom 12) came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed.  And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground[did nothing]. Look, there you have what is yours[he still had it when Christ came – he had it all the time since it was given to him].’ “But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew[we know that we are to use our spiritual gifts] that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed.  So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers[do something – anything], and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest.  So take the talent[Spirit] from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. ‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.  And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

Matthew 25:33-40(NKJV) And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.  Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed[those who were chosen and received the Holy Spirit] of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:  for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in;  I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?  When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?  Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’  And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

John 10:14(NKJV) I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.

John 10:23-27(NKJV) And Jesus walked in the temple[the church, His body, is the temple now – see I Cor. 3:16-17, 6:19-20; 2 Cor. 6:16], in Solomon’s porch[any place where people meet to talk about God].  Then the Jews[the church people] surrounded Him and said to Him, “How long do You keep us in doubt? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me.  But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you.  My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.

My friends if you believe in God then prepare yourselves by doing His works for you do not know the day and time of the visitation (I Peter 2:12) of Jesus Christ for neither did the Jews during their day (Luke 19:42-44). By your fruits will you be known (Matt. 7:16-20). It takes more than communion to enter into the kingdom of God. Remember that the Jews were expecting the coming of the Messiah (Luke 3:15) and so it is today that all of Christendom is expecting the coming of Christ again. Will we miss Him like the Jews of His day? Hear God’s voice and do His works and you will not have to worry about it.

In His name,
Greg Turner
greg@sharingtheway.com

 

Please feel free to reproduce, reprint and/or forward as desired.   Altering or editing is strictly prohibited. To contact us, send a request to info@sharingtheway.com or visit our website at https://sharingtheway.com/.

Christian, Church, Church Leaders, Church System, Churchianity, Gregory Turner

Where did the bible and the church system come from?

By Greg Turner
greg@sharingtheway.com

This is a question that people fight and argue about to defend either their belief in God or their belief that God does not exist. Those who believe in God need to remember that “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Heb. 11:1 KJV). We can forget this “motto” of believers when we are trying to prove certain things. Nevertheless, we are to “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good” (I Thess. 5:21). We depend on the scriptures as the Word of God. The Word tells us that “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (II Tim. 3:16-17). Jesus Christ is the Word of God (John 1:1) and it is by Him that all the words in scripture were given (Heb. 1:1-2, 2:3; 2 Peter 3:2; I Peter 1:11). Yet, it can be useful to know how the scriptures came to the form that we see today in the bible. Much of what I include in this letter comes from the work of others as they were inspired of God and I share it here as it was shared with me (Matt. 10:27).
Continue reading Where did the bible and the church system come from? →

Doctrine, Gregory Turner, Holy Spirit, The Walk

Spirit of God

By Greg Turner
greg@sharingtheway.com

“Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38 KJV).

After baptism we have hands laid on us to receive the Holy Spirit. This was exemplified by Jesus putting His hands on the little children and then blessing them(Mark 10:16). It was a type to show that we (the children of God) are to be blessed by having hands laid on us and then receiving the Holy Spirit which is a gift from God.

The Holy Spirit is known in the New Testament as the “Spirit of God”, “Holy Ghost”, “Holy Spirit”, “Spirit”, “Comforter”, and the “Spirit of the Lord”. It was given to signify that a person was a part of the kingdom of God and given spiritual gifts or talents for doing the work of God, and to be in us as a seal until we are born when Jesus returns with the kingdom of God in power.

The Spirit is proof to us that we are part of God:

“Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before,This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more” (Hebrews 10:15-17 KJV).

 

God the Father gives out the Spirit to us if we ask:

“If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” (Luke 11:13 KJV).

“… but God, who hath also given unto us his Holy Spirit.” (1 Thessalonians 4:8 KJV).

Once we have the Spirit we are then to be led by the Spirit:

“Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil” (Matthew 4:1 KJV).

“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God” (Romans 8:14 KJV).

“But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law” (Galatians 5:18 KJV).

We are the temple of God where the Spirit of God dwells and the Spirit in us registers us as sons and daughters of God:

“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16 KJV).

“What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” (1 Corinthians 6:19 KJV).

“That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us” (2 Timothy 1:14 KJV).

“Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit” (1 John 4:13 KJV).

“Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:19-22 KJV).

“But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you“ (Romans 8:9-11 KJV).

“The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together” (Romans 8:16-17 KJV).

“And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits[a portion] of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body” (Romans 8:23 KJV).

“And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us” (1 John 3:24 KJV).

The Holy Spirit seals us until redemption:

“In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory” (Ephesians 1:13-14 KJV).

“And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption” (Ephesians 4:30 KJV).

“Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts” (2 Corinthians 1:22 KJV).

“Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads” (Revelation 7:3 KJV).

Now the Holy Spirit gives many different gifts (I Cor. 12:4) including different types of service (I Cor. 12:5) and different types of works (I Cor. 12:6). The gifts or manifestations are given to help everyone in the body of Christ (I Cor. 12:7). Different people are given different gifts (I Cor. 12:8-11). There are different jobs that have different gifts that go with those jobs (I Cor.12:27-31; Rom. 12:5-8) and we are to desire the best gifts. The following lists some of the features of these gifts.

The Spirit teaches us all things, the mysteries and the deep things of God and the Holy Spirit will bring all those things that Christ says and teaches us into our memories:

“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (John 14:26 KJV).

“But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you“ (Matthew 10:19-20 KJV).

“But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me” (John 15:26 KJV).

“But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:10-14 KJV).

“But the anointing [Spirit] which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him” (1 John 2:27 KJV).

“How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit” (Ephesians 3:3-5 KJV).

The Spirit gives us access to the Father (by prayer):

“For through him[Jesus] we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father” (Ephesians 2:18 KJV).

It helps us in prayer:

“Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered” (Romans 8:26 KJV).

It helps us do signs and wonders to show God to unbelievers (John 4:48; I Cor. 14:22; Acts 14:2-3):

“Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ” (Romans 15:19 KJV).

Demons are cast out by the Spirit of God:

“But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you” (Matthew 12:28 KJV).

God’s love is transferred from us by the Holy Spirit in us:

“And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us” (Romans 5:5 KJV).

Jesus compared the Holy Spirit to water which will flow out of us:

“In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)” (John 7:37-39 KJV).

The trees in Isaiah 41 are God’s people (Matt. 3:10, 17-19, 12:33; Ps. 1:3) watered by the rivers, fountains, pools, and springs all a type of the Holy Spirit (see also Is. 43:19-21; Ez. 34:11-16; Ez. 47:2-12):

“When the poor and needy seek water[spiritual knowledge], and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the LORD will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them. I will open rivers[Holy Spirit] in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys[meek people]: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water. I will plant in the wilderness[the world] the cedar, the shittah tree, and the myrtle, and the oil tree; I will set in the desert[places without God] the fir tree, and the pine, and the box tree together: That they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the LORD hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it” (Isaiah 41:17-20 KJV).

The Spirit is the water of life (eternal life):

“And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, … And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely” (Revelation 22:1-2, 17 KJV).

God’s Spirit gives us power, love and sound mind:

“Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind ” (2 Timothy 1:6-7 KJV).

The Spirit is a witness of things that we do:

“And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him” (Acts 5:32 KJV).

Men who serve must be full of the Spirit:

“Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business” (Acts 6:3 KJV).

The Spirit chooses the overseers of the flock:

“Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood” (Acts 20:28 KJV).

God chooses when to give the Spirit even though the laying on of hands is required:

“While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word” (Acts 10:44 KJV).

Spirit gives perception:

“Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him” (Acts 13:9 KJV).

The Spirit blocks us in some cases:

“Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia, After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not” (Acts 16:6-7 KJV).

The Spirit speaks to us through people:

“And when he was come unto us, he took Paul’s girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles” (Acts 21:11 KJV).

“And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias [talking about Is. 6:8-9] the prophet unto our fathers” (Acts 28:25 KJV).

The Holy Ghost is the voice of the Lord:

“Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not” (Isaiah 6:8-9 KJV).

Prophecy is speaking by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit:

“For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (2 Peter 1:21 KJV).

“Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into” (1 Peter 1:10-12 KJV).

This list shows some of the capabilities of the Spirit of God, but in no way is limited by this list nor what is listed in I Cor. 12. It does show that things get done if we are led by the Spirit of God. The Spirit of God is what makes us sons and daughters of God and gives us the ability to work in His kingdom. We must not “quench the Spirit” (I Thess. 5:19) if we are to remain a part of His kingdom. Finally, we must walk in the Spirit for we are both flesh and Spirit and if we follow the flesh then we will be doing the things of the flesh (Gal. 5:19-21, 6:8), but if we are doing the things of the Spirit we will show the fruits of the Spirit (Gal.5:22-23).

In His Name,
Greg Turner
greg@sharingtheway.com

 

Please feel free to reproduce, reprint and/or forward as desired. Altering or editing is strictly prohibited. To contact us, send a request to info@sharingtheway.com or visit our website at https://sharingtheway.com/.

Lee Grady, Prophesy

The Power and the Pain of True Prophetic Preaching

Sharing The Way Moderator: I found what Lee Grady is saying to apply to me as well. I am not a public speaker and can only do so by the help of the Holy Spirit. Truly walking forward and speaking by direction of the Lord and through the Holy Spirit can be difficult and very discouraging at times as most people do not believe the message. I rarely see true and lasting change in people. Most people think what is being said is either cool or offensive and either way they only believe for a short time and then go back to what they were doing. Prophets like Elijah and Jeremiah experienced this same lack of true hearing and change in people. Elijah even wanted to die. Most people will not change and continue on just as in the days of Noah not knowing that the flood is very nearly upon us! I know all those who are sent out to speak feel the same way because we know that those who do not change (repent) and turn to God will die in the flood. Nevertheless, as Lee says below we must go forth and preach just like Noah did. Greg Turner

THE POWER & the PAIN of TRUE PROPHETIC PREACHING
by J. Lee Grady.

No true message from God will flow through a person who is smug and self-confident. If you want to speak for Him, prepare to die! I did it again. This past Sunday I stood in a pulpit, looked out over a congregation of mostly strangers, cleared the lump in my throat and preached a message that the Lord had laid on my heart from the Bible.

Thousands of men and women speak publicly like this every week. It’s what preachers do. No big deal.

But even though I speak often, I’ve found that preaching the gospel is one of the most difficult, frightening and painful assignments anyone could possibly attempt. It is not fun. I feel as though I die a thousand deaths right before I do it, and I die several more times after I go home and evaluate what happened.

After one particularly discouraging experience in which an audience stared coldly at me with their arms folded, I determined that preaching surely must not be my calling. I shared my struggle with an older pastor.

“Sometimes I feel really discouraged after I speak,” I told my friend. “Does that ever happen to you?” I was sure he would counsel me to stop preaching, since it obviously was not my spiritual gift.

His answer shocked me. “Son, I have felt like that every Monday morning since I’ve been in the ministry.”

When I tell my friends that I never felt I was gifted to speak, and that I stubbornly resisted the call of God on my life because of my lack of confidence, they act surprised. Most of us assume that people who stand in pulpits want to be there.

Think again!

The power of prophetic preaching actually works in the opposite way we assume it should. If we view things carnally, we believe God chooses gifted orators who hone and shape their skills like a doctor who learns surgery or an actor who learns to perform on stage.

But true preaching is not a natural exercise—it is actually one of the most supernatural tasks anyone can ever be called to do. It requires an imperfect human vessel to yield himself (or herself) to speak the very words of God. If we do it in the flesh, the results will be miserable; but if we wholly trust the power of the Spirit, prophetic preaching will unleash God to move however He desires.

If we fail in this process, we are humiliated. Why would anyone want to preach?

No wonder most of the leaders we encounter in the Bible were reluctant to speak. Moses made excuses about stuttering, Gideon tried to disqualify himself and Jeremiah complained to the Lord about the weighty responsibility of carrying a prophetic burden. Jonah bought a one-way ticket to the other side of the Mediterranean Sea so he wouldn’t have to give his unpopular sermon.

And the apostle Paul, who was a silver-tongued Pharisee before he met Christ, was stripped of his worldly eloquence before he preached throughout the Roman Empire. He told the Corinthians: “I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God” (1 Cor. 2:3-5, NASB).

Charismatic revivalist Arthur Katz, who died three years ago, wrote about the power of true preaching in his 1999 book Apostolic Foundations: “The only one qualified to preach … is the one who wants to run the other way, like Jonah. The man, however, who loves to talk, loves to be public, and enjoys being seen and heard, need not think that a word like this will ever be emitted from his mouth. The man who sighs and groans when called upon to speak, who does not want to be there, who feels terribly uncomfortable, who knows that he is not going to be understood, is the man out of whose mouth the word of true preaching is most likely to come.”

That is certainly not the way most of us view pulpit ministry in contemporary America. We celebrate the smooth and the polished. We measure the impact of a sermon not by whether hearts were slain by Holy Ghost conviction but by how loud the preacher shouted or how high the people jumped when the preacher told them what they wanted to hear.

That kind of carnal preaching may win the accolades of men, boost TV ratings and even build mega churches. But the kingdom is not built on smug self-confidence. We need God’s words. The church will live in spiritual famine until broken, reluctant, weak and trembling preachers allow His holy fire to come out of their mouths.

If this is your assignment, die to your fears, doubts and excuses and drink the cup of suffering that accompanies the genuine call of God.

YES! – You have permission to post these emails to friends
or other groups, boards, etc – unless there is a Copyright
notice above which says differently.

To subscribe, please send a ‘subscribe’ email to-
prophetic@revivalschool.com

Please feel free to reproduce, reprint and/or forward as desired. Altering or editing is strictly prohibited. To contact us, send a request to info@sharingtheway.com or visit our website at https://sharingtheway.com/.

Eric Wheeler, Holy Spirit, Jerry Olson, The Walk

A Mystery/ Jesus Actually Lives In Us

By Jerry Olson, Eric Wheeler eric@sharingtheway.com

The scriptures you will read presented here are scriptures that were given to Eric Wheeler and I and we came together and have combined them for you.

“We speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory … But as it is written: ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.'” (I Corinthians 2:6-7, 9)
Continue reading A Mystery/ Jesus Actually Lives In Us →

Dave Shobe, Inspiration

Rejoice

By Dave Shobe

Today is a day for love and for peace,
Today is a day for rejoicing in the streets,
For all God’s children near and far,
Bringing their best, placed on the altar.

The Lord is mighty,
Able to save,
The Lord Almighty,
Is His holy name.

Troubles upon us,
His nation of kids,
Trying and testing,
Is what He did,

We must take courage,
And not lose heart,
The Lord is mighty,
And knows the finish from the start.

So don’t give up,
And don’t give in,
Your hope has arrived,
And He lives within!

Dave Shobe

Please feel free to reproduce, reprint and/or forward as desired.   Altering or editing is strictly prohibited. To contact us, send a request to info@sharingtheway.com or visit our website at https://sharingtheway.com/.

This site is for sharing information related to the Bible and the Kingdom of God.