“I don’t want to hear any of you bragging about yourself or anyone else. Everything is already yours as a gift – Paul, Apollos, Peter, the world, life, death, the present, the future — all of it yours, and you are priviledged to be in union with Christ, who is in union with God.Don’t imagine us leaders to be something we aren’t. We are servants of Christ, not His masters. We are guides into God’s most sublime secrets, not security guards posted to protect them. The requirements for a good guide are reliability and accurate knowledge, It matters very little to me what you think of me, even less where I rank in popular opinion. I don’t even rank myself.” 1 Corinthians 3 & 4 -Message Bible.

What this is all about is Christ!
Who He is and what He did. Leaders and believers alike are to be stewards of that awesome revelation. “Christ in us the hope of glory”.
We should not relegate our relationship to and in this excellent Saviour, to only “our” church, and “our” pator etc.
We testify to Him, we are witnesses to what He is as has done for us. Jesus is the “hero” we want to see lifted up.
Let’s not “worship” the vessel and miss the excellency of the treasure within the vessel. God gave gifts to men for equipping of the saints , not so that we can boast in them and exalt ourselves or others because they have them.
Oh that Christ Jesus may be lifted up. That we may hear the True Shepherds voice.
“All I’m doing right now, friends,is showing how these things pertain to Apollos and me so that you will learn restraint and rush into making judgements without knowing all the facts. It’s important to look at things from God’s point of view. I would rather not see you inflating or deflating reputations based on mere hearsay.”
I always would, as pastor promote ‘our’ church and ‘my’ ministry. Like I was the one with the only good one around. How much I had to repent when I really saw who Christ is. How easily we inflatre and deflate leaders based upon our own opinions, not really knowing what the hidden motives and agendas of the heart are. Best friends have promoted me and defamed me , not knowing what was in my heart.
The HERO the world needs is the Christ.
Let’s promote Him at every opportunity.
Let’s testify to His work and ministry and goodness to our lives.

It’s so awesome to receive reports like this. Surely, we influence the world one person at a time, and especially when they are the next generation.

Marv, Bev and the team there are doing an amazing work among the kids in Reading Pennsylvania. At times they have felt discouraged not sure if their efforts was making any impression. But we should always remember that the Lord will never despise the 1 talent, as he will not despise the 10 talents.

When we receive a report like this then we realise we are on the right path.

Well done and keep up the good work!!

Hi, Shaun and Michelle…

We were really encouraged on Friday night as God ministered in a real way at Feet on the Street.  One of our faithful boys accepted Jesus as Saviour and another was ministered to with the Father’s love by Marv.  He said he so looks forward to coming on Friday nights because of the peace in that place.  (He’s been a Christian about 2 months.)  He cried and said he hasn’t cried for a long time.  Marv told him God heals in our tears.  The boy who got saved had been showing demonic influence in his life by saying different times lately that he just didn’t feel like he should be there, etc.  Marv said he got such a big smile on his face after prayer for salvation.
Bev & Marv

1Corinthians 4:15

For although you* shall be having countless tutors in Christ, _but_ not many fathers; for in Christ Jesus through the Gospel _I_ became your* father.
Therefore, I am calling on [or, pleading with] you*, continue becoming imitators of me.

Apostles, as a gift to the church, have as their DNA, a fathering spirit. Although, as Paul says, “one plants, another waters”, but we are all one, working and operating according to the grace of God. They are not the Heavenly Father, but reveal the Heavenly Father, in the measure that they have seen HIm and He has graced them to reveal. They are not , and cannot be, everything to all, but function as a gift to the Body of Christ, ‘fathering’ and guiding the Body. If we look at the family in its natural state, we can clearly see by design, that fathers set the boundaries of the home. When he functions in his grace and headship, by the order of God, he will bring balance, character, and boundaries, that will establish the family in its destiny, giving the family a sense of security. At a certain point, he will draw a line in the sand, if you may, and establish the measure of order in the home to maintain its protection.

Foundational And Constitutional

Apostles should be ‘constitutional’ in their fiber. In other words, they measure and maintain the foundations of the work. The work being the church. The church being, not the building, or the organisation, but the people, the saints. That’s what “fathers” are, constitutional, foundational, ensuring biblical, kingdom order and balance, to ensure its safety, its surety, its strength and its righteousness. Apostles are not those that ‘lord’ it over, demand honor, perform their ‘gifting’ to impress, and demand recognition.

Recently, we have had a “move” of God, that captured the worlds attention. Whole churches were caught up in its euphoria, and even the media. Special meetings were called to ‘receive’ from the man of God and see God move again. Web links were sent back and forth around the world as the saints shared the witness with all and sundry. My concern from the beginning, was who is ‘fathering’ this? Who is walking with this man in the hour prominence? Who is measuring the balance, the order, the character of it?

Too easily, we want to be impressed and swept up in another spiritual high. No denying God moves, and does signs and wonders. The Spirit of God is so desirous to manifest the glory of God, that we often times, mistakenly, assume that it is an approval of the lack of character and depth of leadership. That the Spirit of God ‘using’ a servant, immediately, is the stamp of approval for unrighteous, unsanctified and ungodly lifestyles. Now that, in the church , is where the spiritual fathers, need to and should enter.

While the apostles are strutting their stuff, why are they not, especially at this level of exposure, meeting with men being ‘used’ like this. Meeting their famly,their wives, their board, asking probing accountability questions, watching their behaviour outside of the ’spiritual’ times, “taking oversight of their souls” as Peter admonishes the elders to do. Are they too afraid that confrontation of unrighteousness may cut off their funding, especially if they are seen to be unpopular with the crowds or, heaven forbid, the leadership in the church today?

Where are the Fathers?

Where are the foundational men and women, that are prepared at the cost of their popularity, their ‘greatness’, sometimes their organizations, and even their ministries, to confront, to speak, to ‘measure’, and ensure the foundation that is laid, Jesus Christ, as the pattern, the measure, will be maintained in the church? What an embarresment to the bride of Christ again, because there were no fathers, that would speak out before, not after, but before, all of the character of the move was revealed.

1Corinthians 4:9-14

For I think that God displayed us, the apostles, last, as sentenced to death, because we have become a spectacle to the world and to angels and to people.
We [are] fools because of Christ, and you* [are] wise in Christ! We [are] weak, but you* [are] strong! You [are] esteemed, but we [are] despised!
Until the present time we both hunger and thirst, and we wear ragged clothing and are beaten with fists [fig., are harshly treated] and wander about without a home,
and labor, working with [our] own hands. Being insulted we bless, being persecuted we ourselves endure [it],
being defamed we speak words of encouragement; we have become like garbage of the world, scum of all until now.
I am not writing these [things] [to be] shaming you, _but_ as my beloved children I am warning [or, instructing] [you*]

The Revealing Of The Apostolic

A spectacle, fools, weak, despised, hungry and thirsty, ill clothed, ill treated, homeless, working in the market place, insulted, persecuted, defamed, garbage,  scum: Does this sound like someone who is preferred, accepted, prominent,  popular?  I don’t think so!

Now, I’m not saying every apostle will experience all this, but lets just look at the ’spirit’ of this gift. Somehow, today, apostles are and even at times demand a form of preeminent recognition, that at times has even led to men who supposedly carry this gift feel and behave as if they are not accountable to anyone and can do anything they feel is necessary for them regardless of the consequences to the Body of Christ. Or they don’t do anything they feel is necessary because it doesn’t fit their doctrine or their comfortability. Paul, however, as an apostle makes it very clear that this is not about a position or a title or some preeminent recognition and popularity show.

There needs to be some correction of this view that apostles can ‘lord’ it over , be in ‘charge’, strut their stuff. There is only ONE King and ONE Lord.Oh! Of course, we will never admit that its me, but watch the fruit and the behaviour and the way of the man. And please don’t insult the bride of Christ’s spirituality and intellectuality by excusing it to my ‘humanity’, and therefore, you cannot say anything because of my “deity”. If apostles have no godly character, how, oh, how, will the church of Jesus Christ know it.

Where Are The Apostles?

2Corinthians 12:19-21

Again, do you* think that we (the apostles)are defending ourselves to you*? Before God in Christ we are speaking. But [we do] all the things, beloved, for the sake of your* up-building [or, edification].
For I am afraid lest, having come, I find you* not such as I desire; and _I_ am found by you* such as you* do not desire, lest perhaps [there be] quarrels, jealousies, angry outbursts, rivalries, slanders, gossipings, conceits, rebellions [or, disorders];
lest again having come, my God will humble me in regard to you*, and I will mourn [for] many of the ones having sinned previously and not having repented concerning the impurity [or, immorality] and sexual sin and flagrant sexual immorality which they practiced.

Apostles, are to build up the Body. Right here, we find a problem, because some apostles seem to deem it their absolute assignment to destroy, break down and divide. But, there is this place where apostles will be, and should be, humbled and mourning, having deep disturb-ness regarding the condition of the church. This is not about everyone being right, and the gift being wrong. This is about the church in a condition that needs addressing, and the gift that needs to bring the measure, the order, the ways of God, to it. This is about the apostles doing and being what apostles are.

Again, if we view the natural family, we will see that when fathers do not take their place to ensure the ‘order’ of the home, there will be confusion, lack of character, strife, passivity of leadership, no regard or respect of godly authority. When the spiritual ‘fathers’ do not take their place the results are the same. Of course, I am generalizing, and thank God there are ‘fathers’ who will determinedly, ‘correct’ and speak out to those in their company, the Father’s will and heart for Godly character and behaviour, but  we need fathers to father, to address and  reveal .  We need  them to  care enough to stand together and as fathers and begin to work on the character of the bride and prepare her for the real, for her Husband, Christ Jesus Himself.

Romans 8:15 For ye received not the spirit of bondage again unto fear; but ye received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

We need to understand that our identity as the church is not found in an organization, or in a man, or in building. Our identity should be in what the Lord has established; What the Word establishes. If our identity is is wrongly associated, we will be constantly be trying to find our approval and acceptance in that which cannot give us any. By God’s design, we are only meant to find our significance, our identity in Him.

Identity is defined as:

Collective aspect of the set of characteristics by which a thing is recognizable or known.

Is it possible that many in the church suffer defeat and dysfunctionality due to a lack of identity? Identity to their Heavenly Father. We see Jesus although fulfilling all the law, never breaking the traditions of the elders, never identifying His Sonship, or who He was with any of these things, but with His Heavenly Father.

“This is My Beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased. Hear ye Him“

This is…. Identity

In whom I am well pleased… Acceptance

Hear ye Him… Approval

“I and MY Father are one...”

“If you have seen Me, you have seen My Father“

And many more like this, show Jesus intimate identity with His Father, not with anything here on the earth. In the church, though, we will still direct people to a very earthly source and it gives the church no confidence, no security, no stability, no faith, no identity.

Christians

God did not call us “Christians”, the unbelievers in Antioch called the disciples, whom were constantly talking about the Messiah, the Anointed One, the Christ of God, called them this. Little Christ’s is what it means. Little anointed one’s. “Born-again” is a term Jesus used with a Pharisee in the night behind the scenes where no one was listening. Peter used the term to describe the work the regenerating Word would do in the spirit of man as he receives and believes that indestructible seed. And all these are good and right terms, but the one we do not hear a lot of. The one that we do not get identified with early in our walk with the Lord. The one can change our destiny and relationship spiritually, is our sonship to the Father.

Adoption
Romans 8:15 talks about the “spirit of adoption“. Hiuothesia: meaning – to be placed as a son. Not as an object or or some unknown entity, but as a SON. And then Father places the spirit of His Son in our hearts crying:”Daddy, Father”.

Romans 8:15 For you* did not receive a spirit of slavery again for fear, _but_ you* received [the] Spirit of adoption [i.e., the formal and legal declaration that we are His children] in which we cry out, “Dad [Gr. Abba], Father!”

At first we were in a bondage of fear. fear of what? Fear of death!

Hebrews 2:14 -15 Therefore, since the young children have shared of flesh and blood, He Himself also likewise shared in the same, so that through death He should destroy [or, render powerless] the one having the power of death, that is, the Devil,
and release those, as many as [due to] a fear of death, throughout all their life, were subjects of slavery.

Fear of Death

The fear of death always kept us in slavery and in bondage. Bound, tormented and identified with the wrong ‘father’.

John 8:44 “You* are from the [or, your*] father the Devil, and the desires of your* father you* want to be doing.

Ephesians 2:2-3 in which at one time you* walked about [fig., conducted yourselves] according to the age [fig., the practices] of this world, according to the ruler of the authority of the air, of the spirit of the one now supernaturally working in the sons [and daughters] of disobedience;
among whom also _we_ at one time lived in the lusts of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and of the thoughts [fig., senses], and we were by nature children of wrath, as also the others.

But now, Paul tells us in Romans 8 that the Father has Adopted us – placed us in the place of sons.

Price Paid

Firstly, we need to understand there is a price for this adoption; and legal ramifications. Jesus, as our Saviour and elder brother has covered it all. With His blood the legal price for our adoption has been covered so that we can stand legally and officially in the place of a son. Now, when we arrive in the Father’s house, we are acknowledged as a legal child of the Father.

Adoption is not a situation of in but not in, part of but not part of. No the true spirit of the Father’s adoption is that God places in our hearts, when we receive this wonderful privilege that Jesus purchased for us, the spirit of sonship, of childhood. So that, now we can call Him Father, Not just God out there somewhere, not just Lord, but Father. Oh! How intimate. Oh! What a sense of family identity. Much of the younger generation today suffers this lack of identity, because of no fathers in the home. Fathers are supposed to represent the Heavenly Father and bring identity, acknowledgment and acceptance to the next generation.

Free from slavery, the slavery of being left out of the Fathers family, not having any access, not having the right to approach, no right standing. But we have acceptance through the blood of Christ Jesus, we have right standing to approach, we have been adopted, accepted and acknowledged as sons in the Father’s house.

Secondly, begin to acknowledge today, that you, more than anything else, are a son of God,placed legally and officially in the Father’s house. That your identity is not in the brothers of the church, but in the Heavenly Father that Jesus came to reveal to us. He did not reveal some unknown entity, but a loving Father, who pours out and abundantly pours out, His favor on us to be called and have the place of a son.

Revelation 3:20

Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

We have seen that Jesus stands at the door of our lives and knocks, and IF we hear His voice we will open and let Him enter and with Him comes certain rewards. But now let’s look at how He enters, or in what form.

In the gospel of John it says:

John 10:2-8

But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
When he hath put forth all his own, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.
This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.
Jesus therefore said unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.
All that came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.

Jesus says He is the Shepherd that leads His sheep. How? With His voice. We need to see a few things here:

1. The sheep hear His voice. Jesus is constantly speaking to us, His sheep, and we can hear, but somehow we have enough distractions to deceive us into thinkig He is not, and cannot speak to me today.
2. We can know His voice. In fact, I do believe we do know Hs voice, but don’t often choose to listen.
3. We should not know the voice of, or listen to the voice of, anything else, except the true Shepherd.
4. Here, His voice comes as a shepherd to us.

We love that dimension of Jesus. That’s what we were taught about Him in Sunday school. The picture of the gentle Jesus , meek and mild, leading us as His sheep, is a very non-threatening picture. And yet, it is a true picture, because that He is. But we need to see there is another dimension to this Jesus we love and serve and follow.

Enter the book of Revelation.

Revelation 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ,..

Revelation 1:10-17

I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet
saying, What thou seest, write in a book and send it to the seven churches: unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamum, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.
And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And having turned I saw seven golden candlesticks;
and in the midst of the candlesticks one like unto a son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about at the breasts with a golden girdle.
And his head and his hair were white as white wool, white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;
and his feet like unto burnished brass, as if it had been refined in a furnace; and his voice as the voice of many waters.
And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth proceeded a sharp two-edged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.
And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as one dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying, Fear not; I am the first and the last,

A New Revelation

A different picture of Jesus, Amen! The same Jesus, but a totally different manifestation of Him, a different revelation. Now, you must understand that John knew Jesus in the flesh and wrote about the revelation of Jesus as Shephered and us as sheep hearing His voice. But, now, this same John who had walked and talked with Him in the flesh, who had handled the Word of Life, who had known Him and heard His voice, who by all we now was the disciple who lent against Jesus breast, now sees Him, but this time he falls as dead at His feet. The picture, the vision, the revelation of the Resurrected Christ is so overwhelming that he falls as dead. The Man, the Shepeherd is now manifested in glory as a KING!

What we need to recognize is that, how Jesus Christ, the King, is manifested here , is how He is addressng the churches, and the church. At this time, He is speaking to the seven churches, the stages of the church, the state of the church in its different forms, as King. Not as Shephered. He still does come to our lives, Praise God, as Shephered and deal with us gently, but we cannot keep Him in that form exclusively. Jesus comes sometimes, many times, as King of Glory. John sees Him arrayed in Kingly majesty, dressed for war. Eyes as flames of fire that see through all; feet like unto burnished bronze, speaking of judgement; His voice as the sound of floods of waters, not the gentle Shepherd we see in the gospels. His hand holds the 7 stars, the messengers of the church; from His mouth proceeds a 2 -edged sword, speaking of the living, powerful, effective, penetrating and severing Word of God; and He outrays the pure glory of God. You can hardly look at Him. John, who knew the Lord, intimately, when he sees Him, just falls, as dead. He could not presume even to stand before such a revelation of the Christ, of the Jesus he had known.

Truly, in the church, we have a wonderful and life-saving revelation of Christ as Savior and Shepherd, but we have to learn to discern the fact that Christ Jesus does come as King. We need a revelation of this fact. The wonderful thing is that when He manifests Himself as King ,can you imagine what it does to the heart of the enemy? You have this majestic and glorious King warring on your behalf.

But the flip side of this is, we need to be adaptable to the fact that He also comes to us, knocking at the door of our lives, at the door of the church, not as Shepherd here, but as KING.

Are we ready? Are we prepared? Can we discern the difference between when He comes as King, or as Shepherd? Do we have the revelation of His Kingship, so that we will recognize Him? Will we adapt?

The True Possession

We must understand that we are the possessions He purchased with His life and blood. We are His. When we declare and confess He is Lord, we are saying, “You are the Owner, the Possessor, the Boss of everything I am”. His wasn’t a small price, He is not asking a small price. He will not relent until He has it all. He is not looking for the lands, as in physical countries. He is going to put all that under His feet at the end, but He is looking to possess us. We are His land, His husbandry, His building. He will go to war for this “territory”, the church, you and me. We are His church, His bride, His body. Are you seeing the picture? We NEED a revelation! The King of kings and the Lord of lords is standing at the door, knocking….If you hear His voice. He is not tap, tapping, gently to get your attention, if you feel like it, and then you open, at your leisure. No! This King is coming in authority and majesty, knocking, banging, demanding attention, demanding what is His. Do you hear His voice?

Enter The King

If we go back a few verses in Revelation and see something here:

Revelation 2:12-17 (ALT)

“And to the angel of the assembly in Pergamos write: ‘These [things] says the One having the sharp, double-edged sword:
‘I know your works and where you are dwelling, where the throne of Satan [is]. And you hold fast to My name, and you did not deny My faith in the days {in} which Antipas, My faithful witness [or, martyr], who was put to death beside you*, where Satan dwells.
‘_But_ I have a few [things] against you, that you have there [some] holding to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to throw a stumbling-block before the sons [and daughters] of Israel {and} to eat [food] sacrificed to idols and to commit sexual sin.
‘In the same way, _you_ even have [some] holding to the teaching of the Nicolaitans likewise.
‘Therefore repent! But if not [fig., Or else] I am coming to you quickly, and I will wage war against them with the sword of my mouth.
‘The one having an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies:

I have underlined some key points I would like you to see.

Remember, who is speaking to the church here. That’s right! Jesus, but not of Nazareth, but of Kingly Glory. And He is saying to the church: “Listen you are doing great, holding fast to My name and your faith in the midst of difficult circumstances, BUT… ” Wow! Jesus has a but here. You would think everything is hunky dory. I mean, its a great church. They are standing for the Name of Jesus even in the midst of persecution. They are standing in faith. In fact, Jesus is commending their faith and their stand. But…

Some in their midst were “holding to”. Now the point is not what they were holding to, that is another teaching altogether. The point is, in their midst, in the church,  those amog them were “holding to” something. When we look at the the “holding to” and see what it means, I think we get a better understanding.

Hold to:

G2902
krateō
From G2904; to use strength, that is, seize or retain (literally or figuratively): – hold (by, fast), keep, lay hand (hold) on, obtain, retain, take (by).

G2904
kratos
Perhaps a primary word; vigor [“great”], (literally or figuratively): – dominion, might [-ily], power, strength.

Repent!

So, these members in the midst of the church were “holding to” with strength; retaining; with great vigor and might and power. They would not relent. they were holding to something that Jesus, the King, did not approve of, was not pleased with, and yet they would not relinquish, they would not … Repent! Therefore, He says, He will come and what? WAGE WAR! With who? With those in their midst. How? Using the sword of His mouth-the Word of God.

Is it possible that some of the stuff we are blaming on the devil, that goes on in church, is just maybe, just possibly, The King of Glory Himself, Jesus Christ, warring for His throne in your and my life and the church, that is His prized possession? Is He, or is He not, talking to the church here? Well, we may say that’s not for us brother, not today. But do you sill believe we need to repent? Do you believe in the promises of that Jesus gives here as The King to His church. then it is necessary to believe that He also wants to remove all obstacles that stop Him from setting up His throne. We need to give Him all. We need to relinquish those things that are not of Him. We need to adapt and change at the Kings command. WE NEED TO HEAR HIS VOICE AND OPEN UP FOR HIM. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want this King warring with me. We sing a worship song in Reading- He will not relent until He has it all; I give You my heart…

Let’s give Him all today. Let’s repent quickly – change our minds, our thinking, our opinions, have an about turn in what we “hold to”, and adapt to the King and let Him come in and have it all. Let Him set up His throne in your life and in the church.

Message Sunday night 07/20/08

2 Peter 2:6 – 9 (ISV)

and if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and destroyed them by burning them to ashes, making them an example to ungodly people of what is going to happen to them;
and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man who was greatly distressed by the immoral conduct of lawless people-
for as long as that righteous man lived among them, day after day he was being tortured in his righteous soul by what he saw and heard in their lawless actions-
then the Lord knows how to rescue godly people from their trials and to hold unrighteous people for punishment on the day of judgment,

Lot had chosen to live in the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. But there he began to experience great distress (wear with toil; harass; oppress; vex) because of what he saw and heard there – their immoral conduct. Their lawless conduct tortured his moral upright soul. Are you maybe in a situation today where you are tormented and harassed by what goes on around you? Are you feeling the oppression of living in this world system? Do you feel overwhelmed by your surroundings because they are distressing your moral stand or belief system? Do you feel that you cannot take anymore? Are you oppressed to the point that you feel you will not get off it at any stage in the future?

IF…and…THEN…!

The good news is that IF the Lord rescued righteous Lot, THEN He knows how to rescue and deliver you too. From what? From the temptation: Every test and trial. We have to recognize that tests and trials will and do come. The word for temptation or test and trial here is- Peirazo -meaning to test or try. Now the sense of this word is to cause to stumble or fail. Doesn’t it just feel like that many times (or most of the time) that the devil is out to cause you to fail? He will try our faith, but the Lord says in the Word, that ” the trying of your faith works patience, and when patience has had its perfect work, you will be entire, complete and without lack” ( James 1: 3-4) – fully mature, grown-up and complete in a sense, in your faith.

But if He did , Then He will. He can and will rescue you.

READ GENESIS 19:1-29

Now, in this passage I would like to point out a few points that, I believe, are pertinent to where we are today, that applies, and that we can apply, that will see the deliverance of the Lord and his rescue of our soul when oppressed.

Genesis 19: 6-7. “But Lot went out to them at the doorway, and shut the door behind him, and said, ‘Please my brothers, do not act wickedly.”

1. Don’t ever try and negotiate with your tormentors and those causing oppression or even with the circumstances. The Devil is the accuser of the brethren, and when he goes to court , his legal ability is more than you can deal with. You will lose, hands down, every time. His mastery in this area of debating and negotiating with you is a developed skill from ages of dealing with man-kind. See how he negotiate with Eve and Adam and tried with the Lord. never, ever try and discuss or debate or negotiate with the situation. The result of Lot trying was that he nearly ended with a worse situation. ( Genesis 19: 9) now they were prepared to ravage him, and the visitors. If not for the angels rescue, Lot would have been in all sorts of trouble. The result of trying to negotiate.

Genesis 19: 15. “And when morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying,’Up, take your wife and your two daughters, who are here, lest you be swept away in the punishment of the city’“.

2. God will give direction and guidance for escape and deliverance. Psalm 43:3 “O send out Thy light and Thy truth, let them lead me; Let them bring me to Thy holy hill, And to Thy dwelling places. then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy;“

Trust in Him to supernaturally show you the way out. Can you see this whole incident of Lot’s deliverance and rescue is a SUPER-natural event? Meaning it was above natural. You see, the Lord Knows how to do supernatural things on your behalf to rescue you. We need to expect it, and trust Him for it.

Genesis 19: 16. “But he hesitated“.

3. Hesitation means you halt, you pause, you hold back. That’s what DOUBT is, to hesitate, or halt between two points. It could be this, or it could be that. You have to act on what you know, what you are convinced of, what you know the Lord has spoken to your heart. He who hesitates is lost. Doubt will leave you like a wave of the sea. It’s a device of the enemy, to leave you unstable in all your ways. You begin to hesitate and your sense of direction and purpose is lost. Don’t hesitate, move forward with what you know. Don’t question the voice of God, press on. The angels had to intervene to give Lot help, otherwise, again, it could have been catastrophic for him, and his family. For some, it seems, that oppression, torment and vexation they know, which is familiar,  is more comfortable than the realm of deliverance and liberty they don’t know.

Genesis 19: 16. ” … for the compassion of the Lord was upon him; and they brought him out, and put him outside the city“.

4. Trust the Love, compassion and loving kindness of the Lord for you. God will deliver you and your righteous soul, the godly, because He loves you. Romans 8: 37 “But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who LOVED us“. When you don’t know what else to believe in. Believe in His love for you. Believe He loves you too much to abandon you.

Genesis 19: 17-18. ” And it came about when they had brought them outside, that one said,’Escape for your life! Do not look behind you, and do not stay anywhere in the valley; escape to the mountains, lest you be swept away’. But Lot said to them, “Oh no, my lords!‘”

5. Don’t question God’s leading and direction for your life.  Now that Lot has seen the kindness of the Lord for his life, he presumes to begin to question and debate the will of God for him.  Again, this has catastrophic implications.  Listen to the voice of God. Trust that the Lord knows more than you. The Lord may be changing the people you hang out with. He may be changing your geographical location. Whatever it is, we need to say “YES!” to the lord’s direction because He knows what, where and why. Children that constantly question their parents and presume to tell them why it shouldn’t be that way and how it should be, maybe cute now, but in time will be a constant source of conflict when older.

Genesis 19:26. “But his wife, from behind him, looked back; and she became a pillar of salt.”.

6. Ok. We have heard plenty of this one. But it bears repeating.  Don’t look back. Whatever caused the oppression, the torment, the vexation, is still there. Let the Lord rescue you supernaturally, in soul. Don’t let that soul of yours keep desiring that which was there. The period you are in process of rescue is the most “dangerous” time for this. If you have heard from God, if you are experiencing His supernatural deliverance, if you have set yourself with conviction to obey, the DON’T LOOK BACK. Our past will always high-jack our future.

Genesis 19: 29. “Thus it came about, when God destroyed the cities of the valley, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in which Lot lived.“

7. Do , associate with those who will pray for and encourage you. We cannot be church on our own, its not possible. We are all members of one body, set in place according to the will of God. Paul, the apostle, says we cannot say to any member , we don’t need them, or any member cannot say because they are not some part of the body therefore they aren’t . No! every part and every member is necessary. And you and I need them. We need the other members and parts of the body to pray and encourage us. That’s why its says that we should encourage one another while it’s called Today. And we should not forsake the gathering together. What it’s talking about is, you and I needing each other. And not just the “great” ones, but each and every member.

What are you facing?

What situation do you find yourself in?

With whom do you find trouble for your soul?

What tests and trials are seemingly overwhelming for you?

IF the Lord could deliver Lot, THEN He knows how to deliver

YOU!

Notes from Shaun Smit, Tuesday evening, June 17, 2008

We are pressing for something.  We have an Apostolic Encampment because I don’t like conferences.

Jesus sets the pace as Chief Apostle.  We love Him as the Friend of sinners, Savior, and Healer, but He’s also the Apostle.

What is first shall be last; what is last shall be first.  God is releasing “the apostle” today.  But I have seen what has been done in the name of apostle that is sickening.  The true apostle is a man of war.  They set free and bring people to full measure.  We need this dimension of Jesus’ ministry.

For those who went camping this weekend, I don’t like resorts.  The idea of camping was as an army of God encamped.  To begin to declare the atmosphere of the region.  The message last night was not “feel good” stuff.  It was meaty stuff.  I love to talk about business strategy and vision, but I like to sit with people and help them work it out.  In the church there is still stuff going on that messes up the Church.  In the home, the dad needs to rise and set boundaries.  In New York city, Governor Juliani stopped jaywalking, etc., and crime dropped!  The apostle sets the boundaries of the Church.  “Come out and be ye separate,” says the Lord.  The Greek word means to come out and be marked with boundaries.

The theme God gave me for these meetings was “Rebuilding the Walls”.  I asked God why this.  Rebuilding is to restore.  In Isaiah the walls are salvation and praise.  A diamond goes through tremendous heat and pressure to become a gemstone.  Sometimes I wish I had been easier on my kids when they were younger.  But I’m not sorry because they will be trained to face the future.  But what are we doing in the Church?  Are they equipped to handle persecution?

Revelation 1:1.

The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show unto his servants,

It’s a book about the revelation of Jesus Christ.   Revelation is about who Christ is.  Salvation doesn’t come on knowledge, but on the revelation of who Christ is.

We have to bring this generation to an encounter of who He is!  People will run to seek God, not another message and more knowledge.   It makes you want to not continue.  I say to ministers, “It’s not about you.  When you show the nation who Jesus is, they’ll meet Him.”  We want to advertise all over the city when a healing happens, but Paul didn’t share his revelation for 14 years!  Gospels show Jesus as Savior, and we need Him as such.

The other dimension of Jesus in Revelation is as King. A king has dominion in his territory.  A king owns real estate.  The queen of England could actually kick everyone out.   All land is leased to the people.  A king rules in his kingdom.

Jesus as Savior shows love, as King He shows majesty.

In the gospels He is dressed in a seamless garment;

In Revelation He is dressed in a robe to His feet, speaking of Kingly majesty.

in the gospel He is girded with a servants towel.

In Revelation he is revealed as one girded with a band of gold about the chest, signifying a king going to war.

In the gospels, Jesus’ mild eyes melted Peter’s heart.

In Revelation His eyes were flames of fire.

In the gospels, His gentle voice calls the sheep.

In Revelation His tongue is a two-edged sword that brings down enemies.

In the gospels, Jesus’ feet were washed with tears and dried with hair.

In the gospels his feet are washed with tears and dried with the hair of Mary;

In Revelation His feet are glowing as in a furnace and bringing judgment.

In the gospels He looks like any other man.

In Revelation He looks like the sun shining at its brightest.

In the gospels the disciple leans on his breast.

In Revelation they fall as dead men.

We like Him as the Shepherd with two lambs under Him arms.

But Revelation says He’s dressed for war.   He’s mild and gentle when we need Him like that, but we haven’t learned to adapt to Him as a King!  As King He brings the government of God into our lives.  Jesus is pulling out the sword.  But we’re thanking Him for the great life! He’s asking if we will have His government!

Christ, The Apostle, removes things that get in the way of His rule.  In 27 years in leadership, I’ve seen people get saved and some things just don’t change.  As Jesus reveals Himself to all the churches in Revelation, I think, we see Him in all eras of the Church in each message to the churches.  When we see Jesus as King, the fear of God will come into our lives and not this buddy-buddy stuff.  Try telling President Bush what you think!  In Revelation there are elders casting crowns, lightnings, thunders.  When I see Him like that, I say, “What do You want?”

The Church in Pergamum, verse 12.

And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These things saith he that hath the sharp two-edged sword:

But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there some that hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit fornication.

So hast thou also some that hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans in like manner.

Repent therefore; or else I come to thee quickly, and I will make war against them with the sword of my mouth.

Is it possible there are things going on in church Jesus doesn’t like?  The word here hold to,  comes from root word meaning dominion with strength.  These people were holding onto with might and dominion, not relinquishing at any cost.  Some people’s opinions about spiritual things are more important  to them than the Word.  Jesus will “fight” them in this.

Apostolic warfare is demolishing imaginations and strongholds in our minds that set themselves above Christ.  Satan uses thoughts in your mind to set up citadels to destroy your life.  Some people’s strongholds are so entrenched that they hold onto them with all their might.  Christ cannot confront them.  We need to relinquish the old ways of unbelief and put on the new image of Christ.  How?

Be transformed and changed in your minds! 

Repent! Greek word means to change or adjust your thinking and imaginations. We need this revolution in our thinking because the wicked one had control and now we have a new King.  God sent Jesus, and we had better obey.  Don’t get set in our concept of who Jesus is.  He wants us to make the adjustment.  What do we do if a stronghold is so entrenched in someone?  If we bring the King to one person at a time, a city changes, governments topple.  Roman rule toppled, but they had built roads, thank God, to spread the Gospel.

We have a King who rules in kingdoms of men.  What does He do when we hold to our thinking?  Christ will become the confronter in our lives.  He will not relent until all is His!  Allan said last night the Scripture about repenting for the Kingdom of God is at hand.  I thought, that’s it!  We have to end one and bring the other form of  thinking.

God is lover of our souls, but we need His severity.  I love my boys more than anything in the world, but they’ve come under my correcting hand many times.  Jesus won’t leave us either.  Jesus will not come the same in this next revival!  He’s coming as King!  I want my kids to maintain the culture of my home.  The King on His throne wants His people to do the same.  People should know something changed when we’ve been in a room.  Our words need to represent something more…His Kingdom, His rule.  This is not an easy message.  It cuts a little harder.  It’s the sword!  We’ll be having more encampments to bring the apostolic, but we leave this one understanding that Jesus owns it all!  No one owns his church.  He didn’t buy it.  His name’s not on it.  The Church is Christ’s real estate.

Christ wants people, not lands. People are the real estate Jesus purchased with His blood.

Notes from Allan Chambers, Monday, June 16, 2008

Romans 1:2-5.  Paul came to impart a spiritual gift.  It’s worth more than rubies or diamonds.

Last night we heard about the apostle and warfare.  An apostle is in the career of military service.  He prepares himself as such.  Why would God want a man as such?  A drive to be military-type?   God sent Jesus as the first apostle.  The key to an apostle is in the classical Greek.  How was the word used?  All five-fold ministers should be “sent ones”, so it’s more than that.  It should be a calling that you can’t help but do.  The usage of the word is extremely important.  Military people defend or attack.  They defend, attack or push into the land to push the enemy out.  An ambassador was the apostle, but not like our ambassadors today.  He was the admiral of a fleet of ships.  The fleet was apostolos.  Every person on the ship was apostolos.  The fleet was sent to start a colony.  Apostles have a great desire to “colonize”, but the problem is the current residents.  You need the military to conquer.

What will the “colony” look like?  It will look like the country establishing it.  Hebrews 3:1 says Jesus was sent to establish a “colony” on earth.  In a Greek colony, all spoke Greek, there were Greek-style houses, and Greek law.

An apostle had to be faithful to sending country.  If he wasn’t, the colony wouldn’t look like the sending country.  Jesus was faithful and created a “colony”.

An apostle is sent with authority to represent the purposes and intents of the one who sent him.  Jesus established those of God here on earth.

The prince of the air is Satan.  Man had authority on earth but gave that authority to Satan and became his slaves.  Satan took possession of earth.  God sent Jesus to create colony on earth.  We pray “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”  The enemy is out to rob, kill, and destroy.

Matthew 3:1 says John the Baptist said the Kingdom of heaven is drawing near.  Matthew 4:17 says Jesus began to preach the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.  It was so close you could grab it if you knew where to grab.  Matthew 4:23 says Jesus healed.  There is no one sick or diseased in heaven.  Jesus was trying to establish on earth what heaven looked like.  Matthew 10:5-7.  Wherever God is King, that place is part of His Kingdom.

A false apostle starts with a great idea and commission.  It grows, but then he takes it for himself.  No longer is it a part of the Kingdom of God.

A spiritual kingdom is not stone or brick.  Do we know how to grab it?  Matthew 6:9-10.  Are we praying for God’s Kingdom to be established on earth?  Do we ask, if we were in Heaven now, would this or that take place?  “Lord, I hate those people at the end of the block.  Take them out of here.”

People in South Africa used to say they were more British than the Brits.  They obeyed the letter of the law, whereas the Englishmen didn’t care.  Jesus only did what He saw His Father do.  Even at death He wanted God’s will.

Matthew 11:11-12 and Luke 16:16.  Are violent men taking the Kingdom?  What does it mean?  Violence means pressing into the Kingdom.  Force is energy.  It won’t just happen!  A car won’t go without gas.  It needs energy.  Since John, the Kingdom is preached, and people are pressing into it.  How do I do that?  Lots of us can’t even find the first step.

Jesus didn’t say to repent for the kingdom of heaven has fallen on you.  We have to push into it.  Hebrews 11:6 says it is impossible to please God without using faith.  My son and daughter-in-law moved from the United States to another kingdom.  My grandchildren now speak Dutch.  They don’t use English anymore.  To make a call in the United States, you must use US currency in the telephone booth.  No dollars, no call.  To make a call we pay with dollars.  We talk to God and pay with faith.  We must believe He is.  We must believe God is a rewarder of earnest seekers of Him.  The reward is the Kingdom of heaven coming into your life.  Use faith to get stuff that never disappears.  The Kingdom says there’s no sickness here, no poverty here.  Do you want to live in the kingdom of man or the Kingdom of heaven?  With faith nothing is impossible in Kingdom of heaven.  On earth dollars can buy anything.  If we diligently seek, we get the reward.  Some say they must clean up their lives first.  No!  Get into the Kingdom and He will sort you out.  God will touch you.

John 4:23.  God is seeking men to worship Him who will worship Him in Spirit and truth.  We speak Spirit when calling Heaven.  We do not speak English, but speak Spirit.  Our spirits will speak to God in groanings that cannot be uttered in a known language when we can’t pray in English anymore.  Is there somebody in Reading who will worship in Spirit and truth?  Is there someone who will believe God is and be rewarded?  We can take hold of the Kingdom.  Operate in our spirit being, not natural thinking.

When Daryl started playing tonight, what happened in this building?  God dwells in the praises of His people.  He is everywhere, but He’s looking for people worshipping.  We become a focal point, and God begins to operate in the affairs of man.

Ezekiel 1:4-7; 13-14.  Symbols are wonderful things.  Lightning is a symbol of God ministering to man on earth.  Ezekiel 1:24-26; 28.  Major fire from the sides of the north, where God’s throne is.  Angels have wings here and carry the throne.  God sits on the throne.  Calves’ feet symbolize praise.  Our praise starts lightnings, etc., in heaven, and God begins to move towards earth.  He comes to praise like lightning.  The angel comes and lands on praise and judges it.  Bronze symbolizes judgment.  If praise is Spirit and truth, it lasts.  If not, it’s gone!  Just a noise!  Form of godliness and no power.  Some come to praise, believe God, cry out for God and His Kingdom.  God’s angel comes like lightning to that.  God speaks and establishes the Kingdom of God in that life.  God moves.

Healings, deliverance, financial problems…gone!  We must be energetic in our spirit-man.  Not just bodily exercise.  God is spirit, and we must worship in spirit.  How can we show what the Kingdom of God is like if we have never been there?  God wants to be there.  We need to push into it, not to have just a good meeting.

My grandkids are in Holland now.  They are different.  They speak Dutch, no more English.  Do we have a form of godliness with no power?  In the middle of Elizabethtown, there’s an old house that is now a restaurant.  It used to be part of the underground railroad for slaves going to Canada.  They were safe in Canada.  There’s a river between Canada and US.  It looks the same over the river, but the laws are different.  Are we pushing into the Kingdom energetically?  Or are we saying okay, whenever we get there?

Can we believe God can reward those diligently seeking Him?  I can’t do it for you.  You can go into a fantastic auditorium with great seats and a great band, and you can still do nothing but physical aerobics.  But you can go into a filthy, miserable barn and meet God!  The angels are flapping their wings and asking, “Do we put down our wings or not?”

The apostolic ministry is to bring the Kingdom of God on earth.  Each one can come boldly to the throne room of God.

Some pics of the Encampment:

Where we meet;

Chris and Naomi who were our hosts;

Worship & ministry @ Feet on the Street