Priority Over Provision

"Before the work on the Temple began, there were no jobs and no money to hire people or animals. No traveler was safe from the enemy, for there were enemies on all sides. I had turned everyone against each other. "But now I will not treat the remnant of my people as I treated them before, says the LORD of Heaven's Armies. For I am planting seeds of peace and prosperity among you. The grapevines will be heavy with fruit. The earth will produce its crops, and the heavens will release the dew. Once more I will cause the remnant in Judah and Israel to inherit these blessings."

There is a principle in the passage above that is confirmed in the words of Jesus in Matthews account of the gospel; "seek first the Kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you".

God told the Jews that they were struggling to survive day by day because their priorities were out of line with His will. They had no peace and strife was the constant among the people in the land. There was poverty and the threat of war from their enemies who surrounded them.

Until they realigned their priorities to the building of the Temple of God His hand of favor was removed from them and all their efforts to survive were fruitless. However when they realized what their purpose was and repented from being self centered and began to "Work" on building His Temple He once again moved on their behalf and poured out His blessing. He restored their land giving them an abundance of food in their fields, He caused prosperity to return to the people and He brought peace and security to them again.

Many today are experiencing financial difficulty and have no peace in their lives, there are many Churches that are struggling to make ends meet causing their pastors to live week to week (it is the fault of many but not all pastors) all because they have forgotten their purpose for being.

The Word of God is perfectly clear on what the purpose of every believer is and what the purpose of the local Church body is. We, the body of Christ, individually and collectively are called to be used by Him to build His kingdom.

If we would stop asking for what we perceive we need and for Him to pay our bills and heal our bodies He would fulfill His promise to us. If we start asking Him to use us to reach the lost and add souls to the Kingdom He will amaze us with a blessing we cannot imagine. Psalm 25:14 says that the secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him and He "WILL MAKE HIS COVENANT KNOWN TO THEM". If we are in that secret place with Him and seeking to please Him He will make His covenant known to us, we will not have to search for the blessing He makes it known to us.

Simply put we know that He desires only one thing, the redemption of His people. All men are His people and He has a love so deep for them that He gave up His divinity and took on the form of a man and walked among us to show His love to the world. He spoke truth without compromise in order that many would be saved and though it would cost Him His life He sought only to please God. He was killed for the salvation of Man and in giving up His life He gained His Kingdom for eternity establishing for us the principle of the blessing gained by "Seeking First His Kingdom And His Righteousness And ALL These Things WILL Be Added To Us".

So as the ramble ends all I am saying is if you or your Church is stagnant and floundering with no peace and if prosperity is the focus of your prayer time stop praying for the things you think you need and begin to focus on the desire of His heart. Begin assaulting the Throne Room of your God with persistent and fervent prayer for souls. Ask Him to use you and your Church to bring the good news to the streets and the lost and hurting who live there. I promise if the Kingdom is your first priority and making Jesus known is your desire God will make His covenant manifest in your life and that of your Church body. Invest all you have to reach the lost, support those who labor in His fields and He will pour out a blessing you cannot contain.....

“But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and he will stand upon the earth at last. And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God! I will see him for myself. Yes, I will see him with my own eyes. I am overwhelmed at the thought!"

The very fact that we as believers are able to believe He is alive is proof that our faith is real and trustworthy (Hebrews 11:3). Our faith is a gift from God that allows us to 'know' without doubt that our God reigns and that He will return one day.

He has put within our hearts, and in the hearts of all men, the knowledge of eternity and the ability to see from an eternal perspective. It is that eternal perspective that gives us the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen and it gives us the assurance of things we cannot yet see. Faith is something every believer should thank God for daily. He desires that all men everywhere would receive the gift of faith and He has entrusted us with the task of going into the world to tell of His love and the free gift of faith that brings salvation.

The Lame Duck

Mr. Obama is on the road for a couple days and he is acting really depressed. He has been saying things that make me wonder if maybe he is finally realizing he is not the "messiah" his base made him out to be.

He got slapped down by the entire Supreme Court for the 13th time this week and his "Not even a smidgen" comment is not playing with the American people any more and the mainstream media is starting to question his possible role in the IRS criminal activity and cover-up. He is getting heat from a Congress that is beginning to develop something resembling a spine and his hand picked defensive blocker, Eric Holder, is being threatened with impeachment for his role in obstructing justice in several scandals within the administration.

Believing, as I do, that Mr. Obama is more of a narcissist than even Bill or Hillary Clinton, I would not be surprised to see him get so depressed and disillusioned with the presidency that he does nothing but go on more extended vacations and drop off the political scene letting the world burn because it is not 'worthy' of his greatness. I would not be surprised if he actually resigned for the reasons he condemned Sarah Palin for resigning as Gov. of Alaska. (I can hope can't I).

In any case, I have been watching him closely over the last few weeks and he seems more detached and discouraged than I have ever seen him. He, I believe, is either bored or the reality of who he really is is beginning to come into focus. As much as I detest what he has done and is doing to my country I cannot help but pray for his soul and that he has an encounter with his creator that will save him and the republic.......

Our Mission

  As the Middle East erupts into chaos, each day the scenario facing Israel appears to be more hopeless than the previous. Nearly every nation that has traditionally been her ally has either turned their back on her in deference to political correctness or has followed America’s example under President Obama’s administration and undermined her security for what appears to be nefarious reasons.

 Israel’s government is divided between those who are blind to the fact that there can be no negotiating with Islamists and those, who for the sake of survival, continue to compromise with them. Those who seek to co-exist with their enemies don’t seem to understand that because Israel is the home of the world’s three major religions violence in both the spiritual and natural realm is only a matter of time. The scriptures are clear that war is imminent but the left, being spiritually blind, refuses to accept the truth.   

 As both the spiritual and natural climate intensifies the Jewish religion and Christianity are coming together as never before. The Christian Church is experiencing a renaissance of a God ordained desire to understand their Jewish roots causing a real love for the chosen people of God by believers across the globe. It is obvious to those who are a part of this sovereign move of God that as the bond between Jews and Christians grows deeper the rage and ferocity of Islam against the Church and Jews grows more and more savage.

  Israel has always been surrounded by those who have a deep-seated hatred for her but it has never been faced with the circumstances looming over her today. Not only is the world turning a blind eye to Iran’s nuclear weapons development but the new Islamic terror group known as ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria), who are so brutal that even Al Qaeda has denounced their actions, is gaining numbers and territory as they move into Syria and Jordan. The group is openly declaring that they are rebuilding the Caliphate and that they will soon move against Israel.

 With all this “bad news”, and much more, the outlook for Israel’s security could not be more positive. The reality is that Israel will not be defeated by Iran’s nuclear weapons development or by ISIS’s vast army and Caliphate. Jesus said that when everything looked like the end was at hand to look up because He is about to bring redemption.

 I believe we are about to see prophecy fulfilled more quickly than at any time in history. As spiritual battles continue to intensify and manifest in the natural realm so also will the bond between Jews and Christians. It cannot be long before we see the “Great Mystery” of the “One New Man” come to fruition and the ultimate return of the Messiah.

  I titled this piece “Our Mission” as a message to Christians who believe as I do that Israel must and will return to being a people who put their trust in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. As one who takes scripture literally I believe the words Paul spoke to believers in Rome will play a role in Israel returning to faith in God.

 Paul said that gentiles would provoke the Jew to jealousy because of our relationship to ‘their’ God, but that cannot happen if we are not involved with Jews personally.

 While it is true that only a few believers can travel to Israel to develop relationships there is much that every believer can do. The most important thing is to obey the writer of the Psalms and pray for the peace of Jerusalem and to pray for Israel’s leaders to humble themselves and call on their Messiah. We can and should also find and financially support those who can travel there and already have ministry relationships developed.

 The time to take action on behalf of Israel is now, so don’t put off the opportunity to advance the Kingdom for another day or wait for someone else to take action. As we invest our prayers and finances in Israel we will also see our heart for her grow in passion and it is often the passion in our heart that moves the hand of God. We are indeed living in exciting times and the return of the Messiah, Yeshua, is at hand. If we invest what the Lord has given us to help cause the Jew to say ‘Blessed are you who come in the name of our Messiah’ we will be assured that we will hear the words “Well done my good and faithful servant”.

Political pundits seem 'confused' as to why President Obama did not keep troops in Iraq which would have been able to prevent ISIS from taking back the ground so many of our soldiers died for. The reason is quite simple actually, Mr. Obama is a Sunni supporter, if not a member himself, and G.W. Bush put the Shia sect in office in Iraq.

I back that statement up with the fact that while the Muslim Brotherhood was in control of Egypt and killing thousands of Christians, this president pumped billions of dollars into the regime but as soon as they were deposed he cut ties with them.

Mr. Obama has overtly supported the Muslim Brotherhood (Sunni Muslims) since he was elected. His allegiance with Islam and his opposition to Christianity is well documented (Wall Builders) and indisputable.

Because political correctness has shackled our government from being able to see and take action against a clear and present danger from our own president and his administration we will see fundamental Islamist attack us again soon. Our president and our spineless Congress are the greatest threat to national security we face today.

PaperTiger, Pink Kitten

I have heard the media call America a "Paper Tiger" at least a dozen times in the last couple weeks and sadly this president has made us just that in the eyes of the world.

 We have the strongest fighting force in the world but Obama will not only not deploy it to destroy our enemy he refuses to say that fundamental Islam is our enemy. Islam, Russia, China and North Korea are laughing at America because the "Paper Tiger" they see is being ruined by a "Pink Paper Kitten" wearing his now famous 'mom jeans', Barack Obama.

I fear that unless there is another massive terror attack on our homeland the majority of Americans will remain asleep and willfully blind to the danger of Progressivism. Recent history proves that as a people we are weak minded and detached from reality. We have become content to allow corrupt politicians manipulate policies to line their own pockets while throwing candy to their useful idiots like circus clowns marching down main street. 

America needs a strong and fearless leader who will not bow to political correctness or special interest groups with profit as their motivation. I dread the thought of us electing another establishment Senate this fall and the House electing another John Boehner as speaker. My prayer, and I hope that of those reading this, is that the media will grow tired of being humiliated and belittled by this administration and begin exposing the corruption on both sides of the political isle.

God have mercy on America.........

"So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. Surely we don’t need to start again with the fundamental importance of repenting from evil deeds[a] and placing our faith in God. You don’t need further instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And so, God willing, we will move forward to further understanding."

Jesus said to the spiritual leaders of His time that they had made the traditions of man of greater importance than obedience to the commands of God. I believe that many churches today are doing just that on a weekly basis. I do not believe that they are intentionally violating His commands in a rebellious act but rather through traditions that have been being followed for hundreds of years in many cases. I believe the majority are sincere in their hearts and minds but I believe that tradition has put shackles on many congregations and on entire denominations. I believe that tradition is very often (not always but often) used by the enemy of the gospel to keep men from thinking for themselves.

I may be challenged for what I believe but from what the writer of Hebrews said I can come to no other conclusion. There is of course an exception to the 'rule' for some congregations. For instance if a congregation has nothing but people who have never heard the gospel of salvation through grace before then it is perfectly fine to preach salvation week after week. If however a congregation is made up of mainly Christians who have been believers for many years and all they hear from the pulpit is the basic gospel message week after week they are missing the purpose of gathering together around the scripture. Don't get me wrong it is always good to revisit the fundamentals from time to time but it should not be our steady diet.

We can agree to disagree on the purpose for gathering weekly. Some believe the weekly gathering is a time for fellowship and to worship together, encouraging one another to do good works. Some believe it is the time for them to be taught scripture by their pastor. My personal belief is that the job of a pastor is not to necessarily 'feed the sheep' but to lead them to where the 'green grass and calm water' is and to protect them while they 'graze and drink'.

Paul writes in Ephesians that God gave gifts to the church; apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. He says that those 'gifts' were given to the church for the purpose of training and equipping believers to do the work of the ministry. Church leaders should be training and equipping the people God has given them to minister in the private sector. The purpose of training and equipping is to bring the body to maturity in the faith.

If week after week pastors only teach and remind believers of the basics of the faith we will not mature and fulfill the mandate to make disciples of all nations. A large part of training is allowing for and providing a platform for ministering to the body and to the public. It is a messy process and sometimes quite ugly, but it must happen because the pastor cannot go into the workplace of each of his "sheep" and reach out to their co-workers.

The preaching of the gospel, by believers to the people in their sphere of influence, is the power of God to salvation. "Preaching" does not necessarily mean standing on a platform and preaching to co-workers but rather being so familiar with the word that they can easily share it when the time is right, very often it is a 'one on one' situation in a casual conversation. Church leaders should provide times for practicing that ministry.

Believers need to move to a deeper understanding of the word of God so that we mature in the faith and become relevant in our society.

One final observation in this rambling rant... when the woman at the well, the demoniac, and several others Jesus healed, delivered or otherwise brought to a saving knowledge of Himself he didn't tell them to go to a Bible college or seminary for a few years, He simply said go and tell what He did for them. He gave them the assurance and confidence to share what God did for them without being worried about them messing things up. Church leaders should be doing no less today.....

Suicide Mission (Deployment To Their Deaths)

The estimate is that there are 8,000 ISIS members heading to Baghdad armed with weapons abandoned by the Iraqi Army, including Apache Helicopters, tanks and Stinger Missiles. Obama sends 275 Marines to defend against them at the embassy and airport.

Not to worry though we never leave anyone behind.....

How do the Joint Chiefs continue to stand with this 'president'? Don't they understand that the men they are sending into the buzz-saw of ISIS are on a suicide mission? When will the generals confront this president and tell the American people that what he is doing is treason? When will congress send the U.S. Marshals to the White House and serve an arrest warrant on those responsible for undermining our service men and women.

Our government on every level is a total disgrace and an embarrassment to everything America stands for.....

Artificial Light

"At the end of their rule, when their sin is at its height, a fierce king, a master of intrigue, will rise to power. He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause a shocking amount of destruction and succeed in everything he does. He will destroy powerful leaders and devastate the holy people. He will be a master of deception and will become arrogant; he will destroy many wit...hout warning. He will even take on the Prince of princes in battle, but he will be broken, though not by human power." (Daniel 8:17, 23-25)

I don't think we are here yet and I think we should continue to resist and try to reverse the trend. We are fast approaching the coming of the "end of their rule" and there is, in my opinion, a fierce king rising but it is not yet the day described, it will get much worse.

The time is soon to be here when it will be too late to choose sides, the decision will have been made through our actions or lack there of. If you have allowed the oil to run low in your lamp get it filled and keep it filled because the light it provides will be the only light available and the only light able to penetrate the dark.

The darkness I 'see' coming will be like a thick cloud that can be felt by the human spirit and body, it will be much like walking in dense fog on a dark rainy night. I see many people with huge "Artificial" lights that produce millions of candle power but the light from those artificial lights reflects off the darkness and the 'fog' and blinds them, like driving in the fog with high beams on.

Only the simple light of your personal little candle will be able to guide you through the darkness. Many who were without a light will be drawn toward the low light of our candle because unlike the ultra powerful light ours will not blind but will illuminate.

Our light will not shine great distances through the fog of darkness but will only be seen by those we are close to. We must go to the darkness now and make ourselves known to those who are unaware of the times we are in so that when the cloud of fog comes into the dark we will have connections with those fumbling for a way out.

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."
Matthew 5:15-17

Rise Of The Caliphate

I started warning of the danger to America posed by Islam in earnest about 4 years and was pretty much ignored. I spoke of the reestablishment of the Caliphate that was broken up when the Ottoman Empire was ended in the early 20th century and of the formation of the Muslim Brotherhood, and again very few people took what I said seriously.

Today we are witnessing the fastest advancement of the Muslim Caliphate in history. The new caliphate is being lead by a former Gitmo detainee that Obama freed in 2009. He was picked up on the battlefield while waging Jihad and has returned to the battlefield with a vengeance and a promise to his former jailers at Gitmo to "See them in New York".

There have been at least 1,700 beheadings by ISIS in the last week and 1,000's more murdered after they were forced to dig their own graves in Iraq. The 5 "animals" Obama let out of Gitmo in a "Trade" for Bowe Bergdahl are going to join this war on infidels and the war is coming to America soon.

 If we do not take action and demand that Congress take action soon we are going to see things on our own soil that even Hollywood can't imagine .

We must demand an immediate end of foreign aid to all Muslim nations that harbor Islamists and the freezing of all their assets in America. We must also demand that drilling for gas and oil and the building of new refineries begin now. If we do not flood our representatives with phone calls and emails demanding immediate action the end of America as we know it is certain.

The Obama administration is complicit with the growth of Jihad and must be stopped. I wear the badge of being a conspiracy nut with pride and will not stop trying to warn of the danger we are in and if anyone doubts the threat of Islam I have no other argument. I advise that those who can should prepare for the worst because the worst is about to happen.....

"Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts; let them proclaim your power."

This command from scripture has no expiration date attached to it. The command to teach "each generation" of His mighty acts is the way to keep the knowledge of Gods 'ways' alive in our children and their children. The Lord has done great things in each of our lives and our children must be told of those things. Revelation tells us that we overcome the enemy by the blood of the Lamb, the word of our testimony and because we love the truth more than our own lives.

The 'word of our testimony' is the story of God's works in our lives and our children must know of them. Revelation 19:10 says that the essence of prophecy is to give a clear witness of Jesus Christ, which to me, says that when I tell of things God has done in me it encourages my children to seek Him for themselves.

It is my desire that my children would be inspired by what I tell them the Lord has done in my life and what they have seen Him do in and through me and that they would seek Him for themselves, not just to see and know His works but to know His ways personally. I want them to know why He has done the things he has so that His faithfulness is where their faith rests and not in their own abilities.

One of the great examples in scripture of a people who had not told of the history of the Lord in their lives is the story the Gibeonites. They had entered covenant with God through deceit but because Joshua and the elders of Israel made covenant with them they were allowed the same promises and protection given to Israel. When king Saul began to murder them they were nearly destroyed because they had forgotten that they were a covenant people. Had they kept the history of their relationship with God and the things had done for them alive they would have known that they merely needed to call on Him and He would have delivered them from Saul's hand.

We must repent for not teaching our children of the things God has done, not just in our personal lives, but of the great and powerful things He did to bring our nation into existence and why He established us. If we continue to allow our children to be taught revisionist history they will not know that they and their nation are a covenant people who can call on God to protect, provide and preserve them and their nation. The story of the Gibeonites is recorded in scripture to remind us of why it is important to know who our God is and of our right to call on Him to protect us from His enemies........

Paid In Full

“And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, so also Christ died once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him.”
Over the years I have spent many hours with the dying and with their families and friends. It is never easy for those who are not certain of what is ahead of them after leaving what most perceive to be life. Something I always try to do when I minister in those circumstances is to speak truth while at the same time bringing comfort and peace.
The reality of life is that death is very much a part of it, a fact that many people cannot face because they do not have faith in the creator and sustainer of life. I believe there is a spiritual reality that every human being is, at some level, aware of but do not understand so they try to define the spirituality they sense using human terms and personal experiences. (Ecc. He has put eternity in the heart of man)
The problem many have with Christianity is that there is no second chance to “get it right”, once this part of life is over you stand before the creator and face judgment. The thought of being condemned is outside the realm of possibility in the human mind because of our instinct for self-preservation and our fear of pain and suffering.
I believe the Bible is absolute truth and that everyone is destined to die (something that cannot be disputed). I also believe that the Bible is accurate when it says that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. I have no fear of dying because I know that the penalty for all the sin in my life has been paid in full.
Though I will stand before the judge guilty of every sin the devil will be charging me with I will not be condemned to hell. Before my sentence is pronounced Jesus will act as my defense attorney and will prove that my sentence has already been carried out through His crucifixion and there is no “Double Jeopardy” or condemnation for me. Because I am eagerly awaiting His return I will receive my final salvation at His appearance should that happen before my death. Only those who can say that they have accepted Jesus can face death with no fear but with expectation of eternity in the presence of God…

History Matters

"And do not forget the things I have done throughout history. For I am God -- I alone! I am God, and there is no one else like me."

I am one who believes history repeats itself and that if man does not study and learn from it he will repeat the same mistakes over and over. In the New Testament we are told that everything Israel went through was for us to learn and benefit from. Throughout the Old Testament we are shown how Israel was continuously turning away from God, going through judgment, then repenting and turning to Him for deliverance.

God has told us over and over to teach our children the things He has done for Israel so that they will have faith in Him to meet their every need. It was not just so they would go to Him for their needs but that they would desire to know Him as their Father not just their provider. The scripture says that Moses knew His ways but the people only knew his works. The people knew He would deliver them and provide for them but they did not know why He did. Moses knew not only what He would and could do but why He did because he had a relationship with Him.

I believe the Church has a responsibility to teach not only our young people but everyone the necessity of knowing history so that we do not repeat it. If we encourage the study of history and God's role in it we will be able to avoid much suffering. I believe that if our children and their parents are taught the history of America and the role God played in establishing her as a light to the world there would be a revival of patriotism and of gratefulness to Him for His blessings on us.

Very few Churches teach about the faith of our founders and how their trust in Him and His provision for them as they fought for liberty was, to them, evident in many miraculous interventions against a seemingly insurmountable adversary. We have left the education of our children to politicians who have and are rewriting history to eliminate any possibility of a god playing a role in Americas founding. We have left the truth that Paul, Peter and Jesus all taught history as well as the gospel, in fact they very often taught history as a lead in to the gospel message. (Romans 15:4)

The gospel of Jesus Christ is the power of God for salvation without question but part of that message is history, and part of the history that must be taught includes America and God's role in establishing her. That message must be taught in our Sunday Schools and from the pulpit. The goal is not to exalt America but to show how God intervened on her behalf. It is a Biblical principle and indeed a command of God to teach history to our children. He requires that we teach history not just so we would know about Him but that we would "Know" Him personally.

Each trial a nation goes through is a test for them. In Israel's case they failed the test many times and because of those failures they wondered in the desert for 40 years. The lesson learned is that God will not allow failure from those He has chosen and established, both as nations and individuals, He just keeps giving the tests over until success is achieved. If we continue to ignore the responsibility to educate our people we are likely to condemn our nation to undue suffering.....

How To Screw The People And Look Good Doing It

The other day at West point the president said some interesting things (ridiculous, stupid and insulting to most Americans, but interesting). One of the things he said was that he was committed to closing Gitmo. I find it to be no coincidence that we learned today that he traded 5 of the worst Taliban leaders for the soldier that was captured 5 years ago. While it is good to have this young man back it is frightening to think about what precedent this president just set. We can no longer say we don't negotiate with terrorists and those terrorists now know if they can capture our troops this president will trade at least 5 to one to get them back. He broke another law in releasing Gitmo detainees without notifying Congress, something this administration seems to have no problem doing. It would seem to me that Mr. Obama has found a way to fulfill his first promise as "president", empty Gitmo.