THE NUMBER ONE SIN OF AMERICA!!!!!!!

This fact of life—that we can’t find or make time to concern ourselves beyond our own orbit—we justify by pointing to our torrid pace in America today. But, no excuse justifies the incomprehensible blind eye turned from the horror of the abortion industry which the news, finally, brought to our attention this past week.

America’s greatest sin should burst with convicting fire into the concern center of every person made aware of the story. There are reasons, however, that the horrific information needed to prick the consciences of every American will not be forthcoming. The reasons are summed up in two words—mainstream media.

This unbelievably reprehensible lack of accountability for what has been going on can be laid at the feet of the nation’s news organizations. The reason they’ve gotten away with such journalistic malfeasance can be laid at the feet of the American public. Fifty-plus million abortions that have anesthetized U.S. citizens to the reality and horror of this holocaust have been willfully accepted with only moderate resistance since the Supreme Court decision in Roe v Wade on January 22, 1973.

The nameless children who have been murdered in their mothers’ wombs by the multiplied millions are screaming in deafening silence. Now it is learned just how heinous have been the murders of the aborted little ones outside their mother’s wombs as well as inside. Still, mainstream media remain silent for the most part about this infanticide that has taken place under their supposedly superior reportorial investigative noses.

The grisly abortion activities of Dr. Kermit Gosnell in his Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, abortion horror chamber—which, incidentally, has been known since 2011—have finally reached the trial stage, thus is forcing some degree of reporting by reluctant news media organizations. Gosnell is charged with the murder of one woman and seven born infants, in which he allegedly “snipped” with scissors the babies’ spinal cords once they were outside their mothers’ wombs.

The liberal champions of the woman’s right to choose are hard pressed to look upon the things being uncovered in that horrendous murder factory. All the agenda-driven pundits on the left can come up with is that Gosnell’s unsanitary, non-professional clinic shows all the more reason for increased federal funds and regulations to assure clean, “safe” abortions.

The above is almost precisely what I heard Alan Colms, the liberal pundit for Fox News, say in response to Gosnell’s trial. Here’s what one angry journalist against legalized murder of babies had to say in regard to Gosnell and the reporting of the atrocities involved.

Thus far, Gosnell’s wretched clinic, with its filthy speculums, jars filled with severed baby feet, and photos of female genitalia, has had a hard time piquing the interest of major news outlets. After all, racy, sexy murderess Jodi Arias is much more intriguing than some twisted biracial abortionist carrying out Margaret Sanger’s eugenic ministry on vulnerable people of color. Isn’t she? (Jeannie DeAngelis, “Kermit Gosnell: Secret Hero of the Left,” American Thinker)

So, the big-time news men and women are being dragged kicking and screaming into covering this vile representation of the industry of infanticide they so fervently champion.

The little ones who have died since Roe v Wade have no names. They have been treated as inconsequential refuse to be flushed or sent to the garbage dumps of America. But, just as I have the name of my little Stanley forever etched in my memory, and each of you who has lost a loved one have their names stamped indelibly upon your hearts, the God of Heaven has a name for every one of the little ones who are now safely with Him, carved in His omniscient memory.

While the Word of God tells us that tears will one eternal day be wiped from every eye in Heaven, the Heavenly Father must at the present time shed tears of sadness for what continues to be the most severe child abuse possible–abortion. More than that, He must have hot tears of anger as He watches this nation He blessed so mightily shed innocent blood by more than 3,700 babies per day —something those who sacrificed their children to Molech in ancient times came nowhere near matching. Jesus made it inescapably clear what would be the fate of those who dealt so egregiously with little ones:

“But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea” (Matthew 18:6).

—Terry  

BLACK ROBED REGIMENTS

"GIVE ME THIS MOUNTAIN"

"GIVE ME THIS MOUNTAIN"

Caleb was an old man now. Forty five years earlier he and Joshua were two of the twelve spies sent into Canaan to spy out the land. Both Joshua and Caleb had given a good report and recommended that Israel go up and take the land at once. But the other ten spies gave an evil report that struck fear into the hearts of God's people and as a result they did not have the faith to enter the land God had given them. For forty years Israel wandered
about in the desert under the until that entire generation below the age of 20 died . . . all except Joshua and Caleb.

After Moses left the scene and Joshua had led Israel into Canaan, where for five years they won victory after victory, one day Caleb approached Joshua and said, "You know what the Lord said to Moses concerning me at Kedesh-Barnea after we had spied out the land. And now God has kept me alive these forty-five years, and Moses gave me a word at that time that God would surely give me the land upon which my feet had trod. Therefore give me this mountain. For the Lord will surely strengthen me to drive out the inhabitants thereof." (Joshua 14)

There are seven things about this story that stood out to me and impacted my life:

First, here was a man of God who at the age of 85 was holding on to a word he had received 45 years earlier. Has God spoken a word to you that will require the same tenacity and courage to bring it to pass, even though the years have passed over you and the word you received seems to have died out there on the desert somewhere?

Second, the mountain Caleb had in his heart to possess was something his feet had already walked upon, the word of the Lord had only confirmed what was already in his heart concerning that mountain when Moses said, "Surely the land whereon your feet have trodden shall be your inheritance and your children's forever because you have wholly followed the Lord my God." The faith to possess that mountain came to Caleb by seeing and touching the land and by hearing the word of the Lord concerning what he
had seen and touched. True faith is not arbitrarily choosing a goal and then trying to speak it into being. It is only as we see it in the spirit and know that it is the will of God that we will have the faith to receive it, or to declare it, or to achieve it, or to just wait for it in quietness and in confidence.

Third, this mountain was given to Caleb because of one single act of obedience. He had fully obeyed God in one particular instance and it secured to him a reward that would not be denied to him though it did not come to him for forty-five long years. Many of the blessings that we now enjoy are the rewards of certain acts of obedience that we fulfilled in the past. A very big door will swing on very small hinges. The seemingly insignificant
little acts of obedience we do from day to day may be the hinges that govern the outcome of important and weighty matters in the future. This was the case when Abraham offered Isaac on the altar. Once that was done it never had to be done again. Abraham passed the test and the blessing was pronounced that would never be nullified. You may be right on the verge of entering into blessings that are rewards for some act of obedience
completed years ago, or you may be in a test today that will yield benefits later if you will obey now.

Fourth, Caleb realized that he would have a part in bringing the promise to fulfillment. He had to go out and take the land that had been promised him. He went, he warred and he won! It is a rare thing for God to bring to us a ready-made victory that does not require of us some act of faith. Most of the time we find ourselves in the boat with a word from the Lord like Peter heard that stormy night . . . "Come." Jesus bid him step out of the boat and walk on the water with Him. Peter had to get down out of the boat and walk on the water by his own faith. It was not Jesus' faith, otherwise Peter would not have sunk into the sea.

Has the Lord called on you to leave the comfort zone of your boat and do something that will require miracles to accomplish? If he says, "Come!" it is safe to get out of the boat. Even if you do sink, he is there to rescue you and get you back to safety. The only way you will ever walk on water is to take the risk of getting wet. Peter did get wet, but he also walked on water.

Fifth, Caleb did not allow his age to become a negative factor. "Lo, I am this day 85 years old, but I am as strong this day as I was the day Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now . . . " Many spiritual giants in the Body of Christ down through the years did not get started in their life's calling until they were well past their youth. Smith Wigglesworth started his worldwide miracle healing ministry at age 55. Overholtser was past 50 when he started Child Evangelism Fellowship. Moses was 80 when he received the call to go to Egypt. Abraham was 100 and Sarah was 90 when Isaac the son of promise, was born.

God will use you without regard to your age. He is calling men and women of all ages to step out of their comfort zone and walk on water with Him to help disciple the nations. Do you hear the call?

Sixth, Caleb's obedience brought blessing upon his children unto many generations. None of us know how many of the good things we now enjoy are the direct result of some act of obedience on the part of our fathers or forefathers. Conversely, many of the hang ups and bondages we struggle with may be because of some act of disobedience on their part?

Seventh, Caleb served with his brothers to secure the land of Canaan for the entire nation before he made mention of his own individual portion. His example speaks for itself. God wants us to concentrate on how we can be a blessing to others and not always to be thinking about our own things. As we do this, God will secure to us our mountain and fulfill our dreams, and in the process will bless our children and their children unto a thousand generations.

A Life Prepared for God

BY FRANCIS FRANGIPANE

I love the Word of God. I have a burning passion that my words, whether written or spoken, might be filled with the substance of God. I love comparing translations, researching commentaries and then using that holy information to prepare teachings. Several years ago, however, I found myself being corrected by the Lord. I had spent too much time preparing my message for a service. Suddenly, the Holy Spirit interrupted my study to recalibrate my focus. He said, "I have called you, not just to prepare sermons, but to prepare people."

This was a subtle, but profoundly significant correction. I was reminded of John the Baptist who was sent as a "forerunner before [the Messiah]." God had called John "to make ready a people prepared for the Lord" (Luke 1:17).

There is a difference between preparing a message about God and preparing a people for God. Obviously, sermon preparation is very important, but it is not an end in itself. The goal is to equip and train people to represent Christ.

As we approach the end of this age, I believe our Father is in the process of training people to serve during the last great harvest. Our destiny as Christians is to "grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ" (Eph. 4:15). This means, we must not only know that Jesus heals but know who He intends to heal and how He wants to heal them.

You see, our quest is not only to possess accurate theology, but that the actual "life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh" (2 Cor. 4:11).

Reward or Reproof
Our success in life is determined by one primary objective: how functionally transformed into Christ's likeness have we become? This reality - man created in the image of Christ - is the core purpose of our existence (Gen. 1; Rom. 8:29; etc). In my opinion, the Lord does not need to examine every individual thing we have ever done, good or evil. All things are already "open and laid bare" before Him (Heb. 4:13). What He will probe is the cumulative effect of our life's choices; He will measure how Christlike we have become.

If He sees that we were forgiving even when wounded; if He sees in us a heart that holds fast its faith even in times of adversity; if He finds us to be truly repentant and genuinely humble, even when we could boast; and if He sees we are committed to a life of love, we will have fulfilled the purpose of God. We will receive a great reward.

If, however, the Lord sees in us a soul easily offended or that we blame others for our joyless, angry attitude; if He scans our inner man and finds we are self-righteous and judgmental; or if our conscience alternately either accuses or defends ourselves, then we will render an account for our life at the judgement seat of Christ (Rom. 1:29, 2:5; 2 Cor. 5:10; Heb. 9:27).

Thus, it is of the utmost importance that we settle the eternal goal for our lives. Are we seizing life's opportunities to appropriate Christ or are we mostly coasting? Let us say with vision and assurance, I am preparing myself for God!

VALUE TIME

VALUE TIME
Every day, every second, carries with it its own finality. Time is our one indisputably nonrenewable resource. 'Where did the time go?' we ask when we sense we have spent the years wrongly or have taken some great gift for granted. And the answer, of course, is that it went to the same place it always has. At the end of every day, one more box in the calendar has been shifted from the future column to the past column, from possibility to history. And all of its moments can be remembered, can be celebrated or regretted, but can never be retrieved. The philosopher Simone Weil wrote, 'All the tragedies that we can imagine can be reduced to just one: the passage of time.' Life is one of those games in which you can only move forward. Life does not have a rewind button, so we must seek to get it right the first time."
~John Ortberg, When the Game Is Over, It All Goes Back in the Box

Grace Magnet

Greetings lover of God!

As you probably know, the undimming vision of this ministry is to possess the nature of Christ. Yet, even as we've sought to provide training resources as inexpensively as possible, we still felt that there were some to whom the Lord was reaching out to, but were currently low on finances. Yet, the Holy Spirit has burdened my heart that Christ has many whom He desires to train and empower, and that the calling of God should not be limited to only those who can afford it.

As I sought the Lord, it occurred to me that we could offer the complete text of In Christ's Image Training for free. While this opportunity will not include audios, testing or certification, it will put the powerful core training of ICIT right there into your hands.

Let me say something about the training itself. Over the years, many have asked at different times if I would be able to mentor or personally train them. In response, I felt the Lord underscored four realities I personally experienced that were fundamental to my ongoing spiritual development. I'll call these "grace magnets." What I mean is that walking in these four truths actually attract the grace of God to my life. Remember also that grace is not just unmerited favor, it is the workmanship of God in our lives (see Eph. 2:8-10). We are saved by grace and also changed by grace.

So, what things attract grace (that is, the workmanship of God) to our lives? I narrowed my grace magnets to four principle realities:

1). Passion to be like Christ. Rom 8:28-29. God works all things for the good of our conformity to Jesus Christ. If we expect grace to change us, we must have a vision for the goal God has for us. That goal is Christlikeness.

2). Humility. The Bible says repeatedly that God gives grace to the humble but resists the proud. If we want to change, we must desire humility.

3). Prayer. It is one thing to humble ourselves and become dependent upon God, but prayer liberates us to obtain the promises and provisions of God to meet our needs.

4). Unity. Oneness with other Christians is the first expression of spiritual maturity. We must know the power of Christ in us as individuals, but also the corporate manifestation of Christ, which is actually the substructure of revival. We are to be perfected "into a unit" (John 17). Without the revelation of Christ-centered unity, we have no hope of seeing citywide revival.

It is my heartfelt prayer that you will consider taking the In Christ's Image Training course. Please consider the full training as it comes with 39 audio messages and will lead to certification and eligibility for Level II training . Yet, the free course will bring all four of the above themes into focus, attracting the workmanship of God into your life on a new level.

See below for more information.

Sincerely yours

Francis Frangipane

Serve the Lord with gladness and be grateful for all things

Serve the Lord with gladness and be grateful for all things

Submitted by Howard Barnes on Mon, 06/06/2011 - 19:18

"Whenever I'm disappointed with what is happening around me, I stop and think about little Jamie Scott.
Jamie was trying out for a part in his school play. His mother told me that he'd set his heart on being in it, though she feared he would not be chosen. He was so anxious and being 'chosen' meant so much to him.
On the day the parts were awarded, I went with her to collect him after school. Jamie rushed up to her, eyes shining with pride and excitement. 'Guess what, Mom,' he shouted, and then said those words that remain a lesson to me: "I've been chosen to clap and cheer."
Whatever God has called you to do this week - even if it's just to "clap and cheer" - do it with all your heart, as unto the Lord.....and to the glory of God.
"Whatever you are called to do, do it with all your heart." Colossians 3:23
God bless
Have a great week!
Howard Barnes

PLAYING YOUR ROLE

John 4:37-38 (NKJV)
For in this the saying is true: ‘One sows and another reaps.’ I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors.”

Playing Your Role

Your unique characteristics, capabilities, gifts and resources were provided to you with the intent that they be used. More than that, if you are to please God, you must use them in His service. By reading the parable of the talents in light of Luke 12:47-48 we can see that He takes this charge very seriously. Remember, though, that the use of what God has given us, in His service, will fit us well and not feel burdensome. We each fit uniquely into His plan and have a role to play in the spiritual battle that is raging.

All He asks of you is your obedience, using what you have been provided to achieve His goals. Others depend on you, perhaps for their eternal destiny.

Pray
Praise God that He cares about you so much that He created a unique plan for you that relies upon your use of your talents. Ask God to continue to refine you and direct you as you walk in His service.

Ask Yourself
Are you using ALL your talents and resources to His glory? Are there any that you hold back from His service in order to serve only you?

Take Action
Identify one area where you could more fully use your talents or resources in His service. Come up with a plan to use them THIS WEEK in a way that will bring glory to Him. Make sure you pray over their use and ask Him to guide these decisions.

HOW We SHORT-CIRCUIT the POWER OF GOD

HOW We SHORT-CIRCUIT the POWER OF GOD
-J. Lee Grady.

We can't have New Testament power if we don't walk in New
Testament love.

The New Testament church was characterized by exciting miracles
and supernatural anointing, but it was not immune to division. The
earliest churches suffered splits—not only because of doctrine but
also because of bitter personal disputes.

Even the apostle Paul, who modeled Christian affection and
implored his followers to preserve the bond of love, had an
unfortunate disagreement with his close colleague, Barnabas,
early in their ministry partnership.

The exact nature of their argument is a mystery. We only know
that Paul did not want to take John Mark, Barnabas' cousin, on
his second missionary journey because the young disciple had
deserted the team in Pamphylia. Acts 15:39 says: "And there
occurred such a sharp disagreement that they separated from one
another, and Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed to Cyprus. (NASB)"

“Many Christians nurse grudges for years; others collect offenses
like packrats. Many people are wounded in one church and then
move to another—carrying their resentment and bitterness with them.”

We can only speculate about what happened. We know that Mark
was Peter's spiritual son (1 Pet. 5:13), and it is possible that Mark
took sides with Peter in his awkward controversy with Paul over
the practice of Jewish traditions. Whatever the case, Paul went
one way from Antioch and Barnabas went another. For at least a
season, an effective ministry team was fragmented.

When we piece the entire story together, however, we discover
that Paul and Mark eventually reconciled. In the letter to Philemon,
Mark is mentioned as part of Paul's team (v. 24). In Colossians 4:10,
Paul says of Mark: "If he comes to you, welcome him." And in
Paul's last epistle, he tells Timothy: "Pick up Mark and bring him
with you, for he is useful to me for service" (2 Tim. 4:11).

To say that Mark was "useful" was an understatement. After all, it
was Mark who, years after he disappointed Paul with his bad
behavior, wrote the gospel that bears his name. Most scholars
believe Mark based his account on Peter's firsthand experiences
with Jesus.

The story of Paul and Mark is a dramatic picture of forgiveness,
redemption and second chances. An ugly conflict was resolved. A
bitter dispute was reconciled. And a young man's ministry was
restored after he made an embarrassing mistake.

This is the way New Testament Christianity is supposed to work.
Jesus constantly taught on the primacy of forgiveness, and the
early apostles urged their disciples to keep short accounts.

Paul, especially, asked his followers to soak their lives in love. He
told the Colossians: "Put on a heart of compassion, kindness,
humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and
forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone...
Beyond all these put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity"
(Col. 3:12-14).

That is the New Testament's gold standard, but what we practice
today falls short. Too often, pastors who parted ways years ago
still don't speak to each other. The necessity of forgiveness is
rarely preached. Many Christians nurse grudges for years; others
collect offenses like packrats. Many people are wounded in one
church and then move to another—carrying their resentment and
bitterness with them.

What we don't realize is that unresolved conflict can short-circuit
the power of God in our lives, and it makes the church weak and
irrelevant. Many of us have prayed that the Holy Spirit would
unleash a fresh wave of revival in our midst. But perhaps we need
to ask these simple questions first:

Am I carrying any personal resentment in my heart toward anyone?

Am I still carrying around baggage from previous conflicts?

Have I judged a person because of their mistakes, and determined
in my heart that they can never change? If they are willing to
repent, am I willing to release them?

Has my love for people—especially other Christians—become cold,
artificial and hypocritical, rather than warm and affectionate? If we
want New Testament power, we must also pursue New Testament
love. We cannot expect to reconcile sinners to God if we have not
practiced reconciliation with each other.

Please comment on this article at the website below-

http://www.johnthebaptisttv.com/


SOURCE- http://www.charismamag.com/index.php/fire-in-my-bones

Are You God’s Choice Today?

Are You God’s Choice Today? by James Ryle
“Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall show judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not strive, nor cry…” (Matthew 12:18-19).

Is it possible that God is even now looking for that man or woman whom He may place His hand of blessing and anointing upon, raising them up in our time of need to serve as a Deliverer, a Judge, a Hero, or a King? And is it possible that it might be you?

Do you have what it takes?

Jesus shows us by His example what a chosen and anointed servant is like. First, He shall not strive, now cry. The word strive means, “to contend, to dispute; to argue with irritating persistence.” This, Jesus never did; nor should we who seek to follow His way. He spoke the truth in love, and what He said stood on its own merits — needing no wrangled argument to attest to its authenticity.

The word cry means, “to make a clamor; to protest insistently and noisily.” You know, it’s that obnoxious and dominating style of pontificating that so often shows up in public debates. In fact, the distinction between striving and crying is the one is private, and the other public.

Striving is how one individual acts when speaking to another individual, particularly if the other disagrees with what is being said. Crying is how an individual acts when speaking to a crowd; using hype and emotion, and force of opinion, as a cover for his lack of truth and substance.

Thomas Carlyle said, “In any controversy, the moment we feel anger we have already ceased striving for the truth and have begun striving for ourselves.”

When God puts His Spirit upon a man or woman they will be marked with a composure that sets them apart from the standard fare of public converse and clamor. They will speak in such a manner as to educate, enlighten, engage, and empower those who listen to them.

I pray that you may be such a person — someone whom God would choose to use; in whom He is well-pleased, and upon who He would put His spirit. Someone so anchored in truth and covered with love that there is no need for striving and crying — just serving all who cross your path for the great good of man and the greater glory of God.

Yep…that’s God’s choice today.

CONFUSION ABOUT GRACE

Misunderstanding grace

jOHN fENN

There is much confusion and wrong teaching out there about grace, which in part has led to the behavior mentioned in this week's Charisma magazine email (link to full article at the end of this email):

A group of traveling ministers routinely met for weekend getaways that included wife-swapping The male leader of a "prophetic" church on the West Coast seduced several men in his core leadership team. (The church shut down after the sin was exposed.) A pastor learned that members of his staff were having sexual affairs in the sanctuary of his church, and he did nothing to stop the debauchery. A church in the Southeast hosted a marriage seminar in which Christian couples were encouraged to install poles in their bedrooms so wives could engage in pole dancing prior to sex.

I could add: Christian couples who have lived together for years, even with children, saying they are married in Christ and don't need a minister to make it official. Christians who say their use of marijuana is freedom in Christ and a sin against no one, Christian homosexuals living that lifestyle, Christian businessmen and women caught up in greed and think nothing of lying, cheating, being dishonest in the name of God blessing them with prosperity, etc. (You could probably add your own examples)

These all qualify under what Jude 4 says: "Some turn the grace of God into a license for sin..."
Rather than a license for sin, we'll see that grace is actually empowerment to live a holy life.

Remember that the whole of the New Testament, as mentioned in the past few week's series, is about the fact that we are the temples of God now, not a building: He lives in us, so we have to learn to walk in that grace, a grace that carries God around with us wherever we go, whatever we do.

No gender, no social status, no racial differences - If I'm a temple and you are a temple, then we are equal in every way. In Galatians 3:28 Paul said: "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus."

In II Corinthians 5:16-17 Paul said this is how he lives his life: "From henceforth I will know no man according to fleshly standards, for if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation. Old things are passed away, behold, all things have become new."

To the Colossians in 2:16-17 he said it this way: "Let no one judge you in food or drink, or in respect to holy days or the new moon or Sabbath day, which are shadows of things to come, the reality however, is found in Christ."

All things flow from this spiritual truth. Because we are equal temples, saved by the same blood of Jesus, the different ways we function in the body of Christ is how we honor one another. We don't wear our call (function) or grace as a badge of honor, rather we walk out the grace given us through service to one another.

The flow of three truths: Equal in Christ, then creation order, then cultural issues
In Christ we are equal, that is the spiritual truth, yet the Lord made Adam first and then Eve rather than making them both at the same time, establishing as Paul noted, an organizational structure in which this truth may function: The husband lays down his life for his wife as Christ did the church, and she in turn honors him as the body of Christ lives for Christ. This mutual submission in love of a husband and wife both equal in Christ, makes a marriage in Christ work. (Eph 5:21-33)

So the highest truth is that we are equal in Christ - no male/female/bond/slave/Jew/Greek - only Christ.

Second to that is the creation order God established by making first Adam and then Eve, so these equal believers, or as Peter said "joint heirs in Christ", can function in marriage which forms the bedrock of all societies.

God did not make Adam and Eve and Betty - not a threesome in the garden. Neither did He make Adam and Larry. He made Adam, and then Eve, and he made them to fit together spiritually, emotionally, and physically, so God established by creation His divine parameters and order.

People mistake freedom in Christ (spiritual truth) for the freedom to violate divine order (creation truth), taking relationships to a level God never intended, and thus end up in the sin outlined in the aforementioned Charisma article (violating cultural truth).

The Holy Spirit only flows within the boundaries of what the Father establishes, and there is great freedom within these boundaries, but to go beyond what He intended relationships to be is to leave Him out of the equation.

Third are the cultural issues that must be observed, and in which we 'equal temples' must live in the divine creation order within various societies, each with local customs and culture.

Being equal in Christ, neither male nor female, and having a marriage in creation order, means nothing if that marriage cannot function in a culture people live in. The same is true of single people; being equal in Christ to anyone else in the body of Christ, and being free to live for Christ alone without concern for a spouse, means nothing unless that person can function in the culture they live. All 3 truths are grace, and must be balanced in their function, and that balance is maintained and flows by love.

If you can learn to pick out the 3 truths when dealing with conflict along these lines in our day, you will be able to rightly divide the Word of truth and live in grace and peace by making right decisions.

Veil issue of Paul's day
See if you can pick out how Paul deals with all three in the following examples. That's why Paul advises wives in I Corinthians 11:2-16 to wear the veils which were the custom of the day in that region.

He plainly states they may pray and prophesy in the (home) church meetings because they are equal in Christ (spiritual truth), but they must consider if they don't wear the veil they dishonor their husbands (creation truth), and 3 times mentions the custom and culture of the veils and that they should judge from that and dress according to the custom (cultural truth).

They had been thinking 'we are free in Christ, we don't have to wear these things anymore" - spiritually true, but they lived in a culture that said they needed to wear the veils, and if they didn't they gave the appearance of their marriages being out of order. (v6, 13, 16)

So spiritually we are equal, but in function God established Adam/Eve order, and lastly we have cultural issues to observe - it works if our underlying foundation is that we are all equal in Christ, and we honor one another according to the grace given each, understanding this freedom mean responsibility, not a license to flaunt freedom in the face of society's customs.

Grace is about being responsible for being a temple of God
In the 1980's when I was an Associate Pastor we had a situation with a prostitute who got saved, and became an enthusiastic member of the church. Though she was thoroughly saved and Spirit-filled, her over- the-top eye make-up, her barely 'over the top' tops, and her very short skirts made more than one church member roll their eyes! Did she have the freedom in Christ to dress like that? Certainly, but she was in a different culture now and needed to be taken aside by some ladies and advised about her clothing.

At another church we had a worship team member who insisted he wear his work jacket, complete with sewn on name tag, and work pants and boots often still with mud or dirt on them, while he led worship on Wednesday nights. Did he have the freedom in Christ to dress like that in church? Certainly, but when he became part of the worship team the 'culture' changed, and he didn't like growing in this area, and quit.

I'll have mine medium-rare, hold the salad, on a Saturday
In Paul's day the issues were meat sacrificed to idols, being a vegetarian or not, and which day to worship on; Saturday (Jewish Sabbath) or Sunday (Resurrection day).

In Romans 14 (all) Paul dealt with this issue, saying those who ate only veggies or considered one day more holy than another were weak in the faith. He makes the point that both those strong in the freedom in Christ and those weak in the faith, do what they do unto the Lord, so honor one another accordingly for "every one shall give account of himself to God." (v13)

The Corinthian church began in Acts 18 with a mix of Jewish, Roman, and Greek members, so there was a tug of war over which day to meet on, the Jewish Sabbath which meant nothing to the Greeks and Romans, or the day that meant something to them, Resurrection day (Sunday).

Since there was no cultural truth to observe, and the creation truth flows from the spiritual truth of what Jesus did on the cross, Paul deferred to the spiritual truth that we are temples carrying Christ around in us in a 24/7 Sabbath rest between us and God, therefore any day worked to choose as a day of rest. (See my article under 'recent posts' on our web site home page for more on the Sabbath rest)

In Corinth another issue was meat that had earlier been sacrificed to an idol offered for sale in restaurants. Some believers were bothered by this, others were not. Both in I Corinthians 8 (all) and 10:23-33 he dealt with the issue saying "...we know that an idol is nothing...to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ by whom are all things, and we by Him (spiritual truth)...however not everyone has this knowledge..." (v4-7)

He speaks of their weaker conscience and how those who walk in liberty need to be sensitive to those who think eating a steak offered to an idol is a sin (cultural truth) - so if someone weak in the faith invites you out, don't order the steak for their conscience sake! (8:10-13; 10:25-28)

You can see confusion in the body of Christ over these 3 elements I shared today: Spiritual equality, creation order, and cultural issues. Many in the name of grace have instead found themselves in the midst of darkness clueless how 'freedom in Christ' and 'grace' could have taken them down this path.

One Thing Is Needed

One Thing Is Needed
by Chip Brogden

“And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her (Luke 10:41,42).”

We often sacrifice God’s one thing in favor of many things. There is something more significant to be seen in Mary who sits at the feet of Jesus versus Martha who is “much serving”. Jesus is not contrasting service and worship and saying that worship is better. No, Jesus is contrasting “many things” with “one thing”. We are consumed, absorbed, worried and vexed with many things – serving, witnessing, preaching, giving, writing, singing, attending meetings, reading, studying, building churches, fellowshipping – when Jesus says only one thing is needed, and Mary has discovered it, and it will not be denied her. What is the one thing?

In order to grasp God’s purpose for all things let us look at several Scriptures.

“Having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in Him: In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will” (Ephesians 1:9-11).”

What does this passage tell us? First, that there is a Will, and it has been revealed to us. Second, that God’s Will is “all things in Christ”. Third, that everything is working according to this purpose. Let us look at these three points more particularly.

THE REVEALED WILL OF GOD

There is a Will, a purpose, a reason, a goal towards which God is moving. Something is intended. A result is sought after. God is not floating us along aimlessly towards everything in general and nothing in particular, but He is moving us towards something. Since He exists outside of time, the End is already accomplished from God’s perspective. To us, who are still bound by time, things do move forward. We have a past, a present, and future, while God is all of these at once. Knowing that there is a Will and that the Lord is bringing us towards something is clearly for our benefit. God wants us to know His Will that we may enter into it and work in harmony with Him, cooperating together. Why does He not just do what He wants? Why bother to reveal it to us at all? Because we are part of the Will.

Most of the world’s philosophy is based on man’s attempt to answer these questions: who am I, where did I come from, why am I here, and where am I going? These questions can only be answered when we consider them in the light of God’s ultimate Will. There is a purpose, a reason for being, a reason for creating, a reason for living, a purpose which is larger than us, but includes us.

I ate breakfast in a diner once that had a sign on the wall that read, “If there is a will, I want to be in it.” I’m not sure what the intended message was, but it immediately resonated with me. I want to be in the Will of God! And I believe every Christian wants the same thing.

ALL THINGS IN CHRIST

What is the Will of God? “That… He might gather together in one all things in Christ.” God only has one need, one desire, one thing He wants to accomplish, and once we see this we will find everything else is peripheral to this one thing. What does God wish to accomplish? God’s ultimate will and desire is to sum up everything into Christ, so that Christ is All in All.

From henceforth when I talk about God’s Will I am speaking of His eternal purpose and plan of summing up everything into Christ and putting everything under His feet. I am not talking about God’s will for you personally, or God’s will for your ministry or business. These may be terribly important to you, but what we are considering now is something which transcends these matters and touches upon the ultimate Will of God for all generations, all people, all nations, the whole of creation – the one thing He is after.

Now we understand why Mary is said to have discovered that one thing that God wants, that one thing that He is after, and why she has forevermore taken her place at the feet of Jesus. Food, fun, fellowship, friendship, all is forgotten. She exists to wash His feet with tears, anoint His feet, and hear Him there at His feet. “Kiss the Son,” Psalms 2 says. In this matter it is not a kiss of greeting on the cheek, or even the kisses of His mouth which speak of the love between the Bride and the Bridegroom (Song of Solomon). It is kissing the feet in subjection to the One Whom God has appointed as the Heir of All Things. The kissing of the feet of the Son and the sitting at His feet is the acknowledgment of all that the Father has vested into the Son and the recognition that everything has been placed below His feet, beginning with US.

EVERYTHING RELATES TO THIS WILL

Thus far we have seen that there is a Will, and that God’s Will is for Christ to fill all things. There is a third thing to be seen: “[God]… worketh all things after the counsel of His own will.” Everything which is spoken, revealed, or done by the Lord is connected in some way to the one thing. We might call it the Cosmic Will, or the Universal Will, or the Mind of the Spirit, or the Prime Directive, or simply the One Thing. However we choose to describe it, that is what God is after. It is His Will, His Desire, His Purpose, His Need, His Heart.

If we read and apply ourselves to the Scriptures – the books of Moses, the Law, the Prophets, the Gospels, the Acts, the Epistles, and the Revelation – we will eventually see one thing taking shape and coming into being. It is this one, continuous, unbroken thread of His Will which weaves its way throughout all of God’s dealings with man for the past six thousand years, having its beginning in eternity past and reaching its conclusion in eternity future towards one thing.

But more importantly, we see that everything is moving in relationship towards God’s End. It is the why which explains God’s reason for creating the world, heaven, hell, the devil, and man himself. It is the motive for sending the Word to be flesh and live as a Man, to die on a cross, to be raised to life, and to be exalted to God’s right hand. It is the impetus which caused God to pour out His Spirit on all flesh and establish the Church. It is His purpose in judging the world and creating a new heavens and earth.

In his letter to the Romans, Paul describes it as the Mind of the Spirit:

“And He that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because He maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren (Romans 8:27-29).”

Einstein wanted to know the Mind of God. Here, we have it. If we change the order of the first verse it may help us to see it more clearly without changing the meaning. “He makes intercession for the saints according to the Will of God BECAUSE He knows the Mind of the Spirit.” We know from the Book of Hebrews that “He that searcheth the hearts” is Christ, and “He that maketh intercession for the saints” is Christ (Hebrews 4:12; 7:25).

Because Christ knows the Mind of the Spirit and He is making intercession for us according to the Will of God, “we know that all things are working together… according to His purpose.” And to leave no doubt as to the purpose, we are told that the purpose is “to be conformed to the image of His Son.” Christ as All in All.

We frequently quote these verses and interpret them to mean that no matter what happens, good or bad, God is going to make it all work out for our good, and it will all turn out right in the end. That is not what Paul is saying at all. What he is telling us is that all things are moving in relation to God’s purpose of summing up everything into Christ. God’s End is Christ as All in All. Everything in heaven and on earth is moving in relation to this.

So in Romans we are told that God is “working all things together… according to His Purpose” and in Ephesians we are told that God is “working all things after the counsel of His own will.” The key phrase here is “all things”. How do we judge if a thing is of God or not? We need only determine its relationship to the one thing. Either it is in harmony with the one thing or it is one of the “many things” which may be good, spiritual, or moral, but does nothing to move us towards God’s eternal purpose.

GOD’S GOAL: THE PREEMINENCE OF CHRIST

Of course, there are other Scriptures which refer to God’s Will in Christ:

“And [Christ] is the head of the body, the church: Who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things He might have the preeminence (Colossians 1:18).”

Does Christ have the preeminence in this world? In the Church? In our family? In our heart of hearts? No, and no, and no, and no. Sinners rule the world, “saints” rule the church, we rule our own families (which accounts for our failed marriages and broken homes), and we govern our own hearts, doing as we see fit. Yet the Will of God is clear: that Christ would have the preeminence in all things. Obviously we are not there yet:

“For now we see not yet all things put under Him, but we see Jesus… for Whom are all things and by Whom are all things (Hebrews 2:8).”

Do we see it yet? Not in its fulness, no. We have a little here, and a little there. Where this has already happened, where we actually see and experience Christ having the preeminence, it is called the Kingdom of God. It is not a visible thing, but an invisible thing, for Jesus said the Kingdom is not seen, but is within you. Eventually the Kingdom of God will swallow up the entire Creation and Christ will have the preeminence in all things. Why? Because all things are for Him, and all things were by Him. That is what this verse is saying.

For now, when we abide in Him we are full of His Life individually, and this is a beginning, but it is largely invisible. He fills us and to some extent He is seen in us once we are conformed to His Image. But filling the Church is not the end, but the beginning. The end must include “all things”, not just the Church:

“Wherefore God also hath highly exalted [Christ], and given Him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:9).”

The key words in the verses we have discussed thus far are “every” and “all”. In these Scriptures our eyes are opened and our vision is enlarged to understand that God’s ultimate purpose is that Christ would have the preeminence in ALL things, that He would fill ALL in ALL, and that ALL creation would reflect His glory.

May the Lord continually open our eyes to give Him the One Thing He desires. Amen.

Two Sets of Books

Two Sets of Books
By Francis Frangipane www.frangipane.org

It was not a dream. It was simply a thought in the middle of the night, but it came into my mind with such clarity that it roused me from my sleep. It said, "He keeps two sets of books: one is exact and the other forgiving."

I barely had time to wonder who it was that kept these mysterious two accounts when the parable of the wise, but wasteful, steward surfaced in my mind. The story, which comes from Luke, chapter 16, tells of a manager who was about to be dismissed for squandering his employer's wealth.

"What shall I do," the steward pondered, "since my master is taking the stewardship away from me?" (vs 3).

To secure his future, he shrewdly contacted his employer's debtors. To the one that owed 100 measures of oil he said, "Write fifty." He reduced another's debt from 100 measures of wheat to eighty. So clever was his plan that even the steward's master praised him because he acted shrewdly, with wisdom and prudence (vs 8).

The parable becomes even more meaningful when we consider that, in ancient Palestine, a steward's wage was a hidden commission added to the total debt. It is likely that the steward was actually canceling some portion of the debt that was owed to him. By canceling his share of the bill, he made friends for himself and, in so doing, he prepared for himself a future.

God Is Calling Us To Account
In many ways, American Christianity has been like the unrighteous, wasteful steward. Our Master has given us great wealth. With it, He expected His church to better care for the poor; we could have supported a hundred times the number of missionaries. Instead, we have squandered much of what the Lord has given us on personal pursuits and possessions.

The Lord has also given us each other. But, again, instead of using our diversity for our common good, we fell into jealously and selfish ambition. James tells us that when jealousy and selfish ambition exist, they create "disorder" and open the door for "every evil thing" (James 3:16).

If we look honestly at the church today, whether it is in regard to ourselves, our cities or our environment, we are guilty of squandering our Master's possessions. What was written of Jerusalem applies also to us: "the adversary and the enemy could enter the gates of Jerusalem - because of the sins of her prophets and the iniquities of her priests" (Lam. 4:12-13a).

If we had not wasted our resources, we could have easily remedied many of society's needs. The Lord, I believe, is holding the church accountable for that part of our national decline which is due to our neglect. Yet, although we are in trouble, God has not abandoned us. Indeed, He desires us to see that a way into blessing still exists, but it depends upon on how wisely we respond to our failures. Though we have made a mess of the past, the Lord tells us there is still hope.

Through this very parable of the "shrewd steward," the Lord reveals that He anticipated our wastefulness. Using the steward's actions as our model, Jesus offers a profound, yet simple strategy. He concludes the parable offering us a remedy. He says,

"Make friends for yourselves by means of the mammon of unrighteousness; that when it fails, they may receive you into the eternal dwellings" (vs 9).

Perhaps we have been seeking answers for our cities that are too sophisticated. Maybe God's antidote for healing the conflicts in the world begins with healing the conflicts in the church. By canceling what others owe us, we are actually working to create an "eternal dwelling" which shall endure when all else fails.

Our future is connected to the quality of our Christian friendships. You see, a healing initiative has already come from Heaven, and it is beginning to descend into the historic wounds between peoples in America. Furthermore, the Lord is not only interested in our canceling what others owe us, He calls us to become friends with one another, and He’s telling us that our future hinges on how we care for each other.

There is a day coming when, according to the Lord, the "mammon of unrighteousness" shall fail. When it does, in city after city where the church has truly united in Christ - where debts have been forgiven and where churches communities are friends - a habitation of eternal life is emerging.

Two Sets
As we enter the year 2010, we must learn the principle of keeping two sets of books. One set is toward God. With the Lord we must be exact and fully accountable; but with others let us cancel all debts. The outcome? We can see healing, friendships and transformation occur between people of color and the white community. What the church lives is what the church gives, and our healing can spread quickly into the larger society around us. Imagine, evangelicals and pentecostals forgiving each other, uniting in Jesus according to John 17 and 2 Chronicles 7:14, seeing God begin to "heal our land!"

How do we get there? We must "make friends" with Christians from other churches and other cultures. If we have the "mammon of righteousness," let us use at least some to bless other churches. Take an offering for the pastor or church down the street. Pastors, if you know another pastor is hurting, befriend him. Intercessors, let's unite in prayer, perhaps weekly or at least monthly and pray corporately for our communities.

The Bible calls this "eternal dwelling" the "habitation of God" (Eph. 2:21-22 KJV). It is where Christ-centered relationships manifest Heaven on earth (see Ps. 133). You see, until the rapture occurs, God's ark of safety for us is us -- friends, united in the life and love of Christ. It is true, God calls us to keep two sets of books: one exact and the other forgiving.

"GIVE ME THIS MOUNTAIN"

"GIVE ME THIS MOUNTAIN"

Caleb was an old man now. Forty five years earlier he and Joshua were two of the twelve spies sent into Canaan to spy out the land. Both Joshua and Caleb had given a good report and recommended that Israel go up and take the land at once. But the other ten spies gave an evil report that struck fear into the hearts of God's people and as a result they did not have the faith to enter the land God had given them. For forty years Israel wandered
about in the desert under the until that entire generation below the age of 20 died . . . all except Joshua and Caleb.

After Moses left the scene and Joshua had led Israel into Canaan, where for five years they won victory after victory, one day Caleb approached Joshua and said, "You know what the Lord said to Moses concerning me at Kedesh-Barnea after we had spied out the land. And now God has kept me alive these forty-five years, and Moses gave me a word at that time that God would surely give me the land upon which my feet had trod. Therefore give me this mountain. For the Lord will surely strengthen me to drive out the inhabitants thereof." (Joshua 14)

There are seven things about this story that stood out to me and impacted my life:

First, here was a man of God who at the age of 85 was holding on to a word he had received 45 years earlier. Has God spoken a word to you that will require the same tenacity and courage to bring it to pass, even though the years have passed over you and the word you received seems to have died out there on the desert somewhere?

Second, the mountain Caleb had in his heart to possess was something his feet had already walked upon, the word of the Lord had only confirmed what was already in his heart concerning that mountain when Moses said, "Surely the land whereon your feet have trodden shall be your inheritance and your children's forever because you have wholly followed the Lord my God." The faith to possess that mountain came to Caleb by seeing and touching the land and by hearing the word of the Lord concerning what he
had seen and touched. True faith is not arbitrarily choosing a goal and then trying to speak it into being. It is only as we see it in the spirit and know that it is the will of God that we will have the faith to receive it, or to declare it, or to achieve it, or to just wait for it in quietness and in confidence.

Third, this mountain was given to Caleb because of one single act of obedience. He had fully obeyed God in one particular instance and it secured to him a reward that would not be denied to him though it did not come to him for forty-five long years. Many of the blessings that we now enjoy are the rewards of certain acts of obedience that we fulfilled in the past. A very big door will swing on very small hinges. The seemingly insignificant
little acts of obedience we do from day to day may be the hinges that govern the outcome of important and weighty matters in the future. This was the case when Abraham offered Isaac on the altar. Once that was done it never had to be done again. Abraham passed the test and the blessing was pronounced that would never be nullified. You may be right on the verge of entering into blessings that are rewards for some act of obedience
completed years ago, or you may be in a test today that will yield benefits later if you will obey now.

Fourth, Caleb realized that he would have a part in bringing the promise to fulfillment. He had to go out and take the land that had been promised him. He went, he warred and he won! It is a rare thing for God to bring to us a ready-made victory that does not require of us some act of faith. Most of the time we find ourselves in the boat with a word from the Lord like Peter heard that stormy night . . . "Come." Jesus bid him step out of the boat and walk on the water with Him. Peter had to get down out of the boat and walk on the water by his own faith. It was not Jesus' faith, otherwise Peter would not have sunk into the sea.

Has the Lord called on you to leave the comfort zone of your boat and do something that will require miracles to accomplish? If he says, "Come!" it is safe to get out of the boat. Even if you do sink, he is there to rescue you and get you back to safety. The only way you will ever walk on water is to take the risk of getting wet. Peter did get wet, but he also walked on water.

Fifth, Caleb did not allow his age to become a negative factor. "Lo, I am this day 85 years old, but I am as strong this day as I was the day Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now . . . " Many spiritual giants in the Body of Christ down through the years did not get started in their life's calling until they were well past their youth. Smith Wigglesworth started his worldwide miracle healing ministry at age 55. Overholtser was past 50 when he started Child Evangelism Fellowship. Moses was 80 when he received the call to go to Egypt. Abraham was 100 and Sarah was 90 when Isaac the son of promise, was born.

God will use you without regard to your age. He is calling men and women of all ages to step out of their comfort zone and walk on water with Him to help disciple the nations. Do you hear the call?

Sixth, Caleb's obedience brought blessing upon his children unto many generations. None of us know how many of the good things we now enjoy are the direct result of some act of obedience on the part of our fathers or forefathers. Conversely, many of the hang ups and bondages we struggle with may be because of some act of disobedience on their part?

Seventh, Caleb served with his brothers to secure the land of Canaan for the entire nation before he made mention of his own individual portion. His example speaks for itself. God wants us to concentrate on how we can be a blessing to others and not always to be thinking about our own things. As we do this, God will secure to us our mountain and fulfill our dreams, and in the process will bless our children and their children unto a thousand generations.