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The Truth About..
 

A Special Thanks To Bruce Gunkle A Dear Friend Shared With Permission.

 

ABORTION  In the last third of the twentieth century, there has been an ongoing battle in this country concerning the status of the fetus in the womb and whether life starts at conception or at the time of birth. Many ‘liberated’ women feel that their bodies are their own and no one can dictate what they do with it, including having a child they don’t really want. The Bible is clear that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16) and that we are to be led by the Spirit (Romans 8:14) and not by our own wants or desires. The bible even goes further to unequivocally state that our bodies are not our own. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.” The Word is also clear that we are born of the will of God and not the will of man, and that He planned our coming and what we were to do before we ever existed. John 1:12-13 “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, {even} to those who believe in His name, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” Ephesians 2:10 “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Are we living beings in the womb? Absolutely. Note that John the Baptist was but six months in the womb when he recognized his Aunt Mary’s voice. Also, Jeremiah was called and consecrated in the womb. Luke 1:41 “And it came about that when Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.” Jeremiah 1:5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations." So, the bible indicates that the baby in the womb is life, and therefore abortion would be taking a life or murder; which according to scripture brings a curse on the land (Numbers 35:33).

ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD Romans 8:28 “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to {His} purpose.” This verse is often misquoted and misapplied. First of all, there appears to be a condition to be met for this principle to be true. It doesn’t say this is true for all those who claim to be Christians, but to those who love God. So we must define what loving God is so we know who qualifies. John 14:15 “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” This verse is very specific. If you love God, you are obedient to what He says (be a doer, in lieu of a hearer who is deluded James 1:22). This is because God is a covenant God and we abide in Him and in His covenant when we are obedient. This makes Him Lord in our lives and gives Him permission and control so He can cause all things to line up to protect, strengthen and bless. 1 John 3:24 “And the one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And we know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.” In the natural, we fail not by making mistakes, but by not learning from our mistakes. The Holy Spirit can show us the error of our way so we can change and avoid the same mistake again. This experience will make us stronger and smarter and better prepared for the future. We fail when we don’t listen and don’t respond properly when the errors we make are pointed out. If we get defensive and “bull headed”, refusing counsel or changing where God may want us to change, we won’t benefit by the lesson and will not grow or be stretched. Our mistakes become failures, as we are no better for them. Proverbs 24:16 “For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again, but the wicked stumble in {time of} calamity.” Notice that when the righteous gets up, it is the eighth attempt – eight is the symbol of new beginnings, new things. When we don’t get up or change, our stumbling will continue and we will not be prepared for every eventuality in the future.

ANGER  Anger is a somewhat controversial subject in the Christian church. Some say it is OK to get angry at someone as long as you don’t harbor it and deal with it expeditiously (don’t let the sun go down on your anger). Ephesians 4:26-27 “Be angry, and {yet} do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity.” Notice that the anger is not a good thing because it can open the door to demonic involvement in your life. So, you don’t want to practice it. However, the distinction here is whether you have a right to get angry at all, and if so, at whom? If this is looked at in the context of Ephesians 6:12, there would seem to be a conflict. Ephesians 6:12 “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual {forces} of wickedness in the heavenly {places}.” We are not to struggle against people (flesh and blood) – this would include getting angry at them. This would set us against them, instead of the devil who is the real instigator. It says, for instance, that the devil accuses us day and night (Revelations 12:10), not the people standing in front of us speaking the actual words. So we should focus on Satan and not be bitter towards others. There seems to be a righteous anger that Jesus displayed when He drove the sellers out of the temple. But in our fallen state of humanity, how many can actually walk in that kind of righteous anger without resentment, bitterness or condemnation towards the people we view as perpetrators? It would seem that James 1:19-20, an often quoted passage would seem to have the answer. James 1:19-20 “{This} you know, my beloved brethren. But let everyone be quick to hear, slow to speak {and} slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.” The reason we should be slow to anger is that we do not want to sin and come against a brother. We need to stop and realize who the real enemy is and be angry with him (the devil); we can be mad at him and even hate him. That would seem to be the righteous anger we could and should walk in – hate the devil all we want, but do not touch a brother.

ANOINTING/ANOINTED  The anointing speaks of the Holy Spirit. The anointing with oil was a symbol of the endowment of the Holy Spirit for the duties of the office to which the person was being consecrated, whether king or priest. If you have been born again, you are in the New Testament priesthood and the Holy Spirit (the anointing) dwells within you. 1 John 2:27 “And as for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.” The word anointing in the Greek means a special unction of the Holy Spirit. This being the case, there should be an obvious change – evidence of this anointing within. In Antioch, it was so evident that the people of God were singled out and called Christians (anointed ones). Acts 11:26 “and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. And it came about that for an entire year they met with the church, and taught considerable numbers; and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.” In the book of Luke, Jesus stated the purpose of the anointing that came upon Him was to enable Him do certain things. Luke 4:18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are downtrodden,” We too have been given the same Spirit – an anointing to do the same things that He did. It enables us to be true fellow kingdom workers (1 Corinthians 3:9) in working out His purpose to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8). Mark 16:17-18 “And these signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly {poison,} it shall not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” John 14:12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater {works} than these shall he do; because I go to the Father.”

AUTHORITY  Rebellion and independence characterize what many in our culture embrace and even boast about, evenly outwardly defying authority. This is not surprising, as the devil is the author of rebellion. We must realize that God is a God of order and He demands obedience. He is Lord and even being a friend of God requires obeying his commandments. John 15:14 “You are My friends, if you do what I command you.” Actually, friend is a covenant term and what this verse really means is that I am walking in covenant when I obey, recognizing His Lordship. In others words, my covenant relationship with Him is in order when I receive and treat Him as Lord in my daily life. It makes sense now why the entrance into covenant (salvation prayer) is: Romans 10:9 “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus {as} Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved;” God also says authorities are good things (Romans 13:4), not bad, and that resisting authorities puts you in a position of resisting God (Romans 13:2). This is because the Lord has selected those in authority (Psalms 75:6-7) and has delegated His authority to them to do their jobs. So when we fight authority, whether it’s our boss, our spouse, our pastor, or our government official, we oppose God and His order (this is assuming authority is not requiring you to sin, in which case you do not sin, but obey God). When we are submitted to God, that is, obedient to the things He specifically told us to do, obedient to His Word, and obedient to His authorities, we will walk in covenant blessings and the hedge of God will protect us from the devil. James 4:7 “Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”

BECOME LIKE WHAT YOU WORSHIP This is a biblical principle – you will become like what you worship. This is seen in Psalms 115 and 135, where the scripture is talking about idols. Even in the natural this is true. Have you seen children mimic their favorite sports idol and women dress like their favorite movie idol? Psalm 115:4-8 “Their idols are silver and gold, the work of man's hands. They have mouths, but they cannot speak; they have eyes, but they cannot see; They have ears, but they cannot hear; they have noses, but they cannot smell; They have hands, but they cannot feel; they have feet, but they cannot walk; they cannot make a sound with their throat. Those who make them will become like them, everyone who trusts in them.” In the New Testament, the New Covenant, this is also true. When we get saved, we will change, and this change is to make us look more like the Lord. Romans 12:1-2 “I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, {which is} your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” The word transformed in the Greek, is metamorphoo, which literally means to go through a process of metamorphosis or a complete change that makes you totally different. This is what will happen if you let the Holy Spirit have His way – you will gradually change, so that you will no longer look like the world, but like Jesus; so your light can shine in the darkness (Matthew 5:16). Jesus knew He was to look like His Father and said so to Philip: John 14:9 “Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been so long with you, and {yet} you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how do you say, 'Show us the Father’?’” Paul encouraged the Corinthians (and us) to imitate him as he imitates the Lord, that is, to look like Jesus, as Jesus looked like His Father. 1 Corinthians 11:1 “Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.”

BIG IS BETTER  Culturally, because of the prosperity and abundance we have, there has become an underlying belief in most people’s mind’s that truly big is better – and that rich is better also. In addition, if these are apparently good, then big and rich must be of God and reflect the favor of God. Biblically, this is not necessarily so. In Genesis 11, men in their own strength were erecting a massive tower (Babel) to reach the heavens. But, God confused them and the work stopped. God said, though, that nothing would be impossible for them if they continued to work in such agreement! Genesis 11:6 “And the LORD said, ‘Behold, they are one people, and they all have the same language. And this is what they began to do, and now nothing which they purpose to do will be impossible for them.’” In Judges 7, Gideon was choosing men for an army and after the selection process, there were too many – because God wanted to deliver by only a few. Judges 7:2 “And the LORD said to Gideon, ‘The people who are with you are too many for Me to give Midian into their hands, lest Israel become boastful, saying, My own power has delivered me.’” In Genesis 14, after covenant with Melchizedek, Abram meets the king of Sodom who tries to bless him. Abraham wisely refuses, indicating he didn’t want to be associated with him. In Matthew 4, the devil tries to tempt Jesus (second temptation) by giving Him the whole world, if Jesus would worship him. Matthew 4:9 “and he said to Him, ‘All these things will I give You, if You fall down and worship me.’” Jesus, of course, refused, but many people haven’t. They want the easy way and will use any method (theirs, another’s, or any other) to achieve their goal. Unfortunately, any way other than the Lord’s way is idolatry. You can build a big, successful reputation, ministry, business, etc. and without it being of God. His way is above our way (Isaiah 55:9-11) and we are to be led by the Spirit (Romans 8:14). To rely on our thoughts or another man’s thoughts results in a curse. Jeremiah 17:5 “Thus says the LORD, ‘Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind And makes flesh his strength, and whose heart turns away from the LORD.’” The measure is not their size or their finances but their fruit (Matthew 7:20).

CHANGE  The Bible says that God doesn’t change. Malachi 3:6 “For I, the LORD, do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed.” Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus Christ {is} the same yesterday and today, {yes} and forever.” This is good news for us. He is the same no matter the circumstances. He loves us (John 3:16) and will not change who He is or what He intends to do with and for the church. We can “take to the bank” what He says because there is no variation in Him; James 1:17 “Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation, or shifting shadow.” He does, however, change in the way He does things. That’s why the Old Testament saints always inquired of God about what He wanted or how He wanted them to do things. Often, for example, He would tell them to go into battle, but to use different tactics. He told the Israelites to march around Jericho seven times; He told David not to go up directly against the Philistines, but to circle around behind them (2 Samuel 5:23-25); He limited Gideon to 300 men and had them use trumpets, pitchers and torches (Judges 6). In all cases, it brought about victory. On the other hand, we are to be creatures of change. We must transform (completely changed – Romans 12:1), renew our minds (Romans 12:2), and completely put off our old selves and put on the new. Ephesians 4:22-24 “that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in {the likeness of} God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.” God doesn’t change because He is perfect. However, we are in the process of becoming like Him, so we must change. Our lifestyle must be one of repentance – turning away from sin and, instead, embracing righteousness. We are new creatures in Jesus and we are to walk out on the outside what has happened to us on the inside. 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man is in Christ, {he is} a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.”

CHURCH DISCIPLINE  Discipline in the church is pretty much shunned. Leaders fear it will cause people to leave their church and many church members, in their ignorance of scripture, feel it is not the Christian thing to do. It is not only a good thing when done properly; it is the right thing as commanded by the word of God. The intent is never to dismiss or condemn. The real purpose is to restore those who have become hardened in their hearts and refuse to mend their ways. Galatians 6:1 “Brethren, even if a man is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; {each one} looking to yourself, lest you too be tempted.” We are to admonish (I Thessalonians 5:14) and even confront (Matthew 18:15-17) when sin is evident and not being dealt with. This is done not only to restore the wayward Christian, but also for the sake of the body – it is a covenant issue. Being one in the Spirit, what affects one, will affect the whole loaf, so to speak. 1 Corinthians 5:6-7 “Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump {of dough} Clean out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, just as you are {in fact} unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed.” Delegated authority has been given the responsibility and authority to directly deal with these type situations. When a person doesn’t respond to attempts to restore, the authority must remove the bad leaven for the body’s sake. This means putting the stubborn person outside the jurisdiction of the delegated authority and directly under the authority of God, where God Himself will deal with that person. This includes a removal from fellowship (I Corinthians 5:11; 2 Thessalonians 3:6). If the person is not put out of the body, God does not act, but leaves the situation to the delegated authority He has placed there. 1 Corinthians 5:12-13 “For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within {the church} But those who are outside, God judges. Remove the wicked man from among yourselves.” Leviticus 14 talks about “stones” with leprosy that can infect the whole house. Here there is a quarantine period, after which there is an inspection. If the leprosy persists, the stones are removed and replaced by additional stones. If the leprosy spreads, there is a point where the whole house has to be condemned – this is a good picture of what sin in the body can do.

COVENANT  To better understand God and His Word, you must understand covenant. Much of the Bible is written with covenant terminology and involves covenant principles. There are also numerous references of covenants between men, and between God and man. As a Christian, we are in covenant with both God and other Christians and must be faithful to both to walk upright before the Lord: 1 John 1:7 “but if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” Marriage is also a covenant, which is why God hates divorce and adultery. Many problems plague marriages because of ignorance about what being a faithful covenant partner means. We were helpless in our sin until the Lord Jesus Christ came and made covenant with the Father for us - much like Abram who was put to sleep in the covenant process (Genesis 15:12). We go into covenant when we acknowledge and confess Jesus as Lord (Romans 10:9-10). Once in covenant, we continue to be faithful friends of God (covenant term) when we walk in obedience to Him. John 15:14 “You are My friends, if you do what I command you.” 1 John 3:24 “And the one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And we know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.” We actually go into the Name of Jesus Christ at baptism. When we walk according to His pattern and do things according to his direction, it is considered abiding in His Name (covenant term). Colossians 3:17 “And whatever you do in word or deed, {do} all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.” Covenant blessings occur, and even find you, (Deuteronomy 28) when we walk in obedience (abide in) Him. Deuteronomy 28:2 “And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you will obey the LORD your God”

COVERING Covering is a term that is used often in the body of Christ, although there is no real reference for such a word in scripture. It is a word used to describe one’s submission to authority and the protection that flows out of such a proper biblical relationship. Unfortunately, there have been abuses by those in authority in the body of Christ and, as a result, there has been a lording over (Matthew 20:25-26) of people. It is not surprising, therefore, that the term covering has been viewed more as a “smothering” than a covering. The true intended sense of covering can be seen in Hebrews 13: Hebrews 13:17 “Obey your leaders, and submit {to them} for they keep watch over your souls, as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.” Notice that the leader is to watch over, which in the Greek means literally to be attentive, to be sleepless, to be ready. The implication is a guarding or a protecting. This is further supported by the departing words that Paul spoke to the elders of Ephesus in Acts 20. Acts 20:28 “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.” The word ‘guard’ translates to pay attention to, have regard for, to be given to. The word ‘oversee’ means to be a guardian, to be in charge of, to watch over. The word ‘shepherd’ means to tend, to feed, to nourish. When you put them together the picture is of one who is watching over and protecting, providing an environment in which one can grow and function. This is what is involved in covering. Spiritually, there is a protection from the enemy who is committed to resist us in our purpose and kingdom endeavors, as well as totally destroying us. But to experience this, we must be in agreement with and under God’s authority, which includes those authorities He has placed over us. Being under the covering of delegated authority (properly submitted to) provides a hedge against demonic attacks. James 4:7 “Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”

COVERS A MULTITUDE OF SINS  The phrase, “love covers a multitude of sins”, is part of a biblical verse in 1 Peter that has been misinterpreted and, as a result, misunderstood and misapplied. 1 Peter 4:8 “Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.” The way most read this scripture is that God is telling us not to confront or address the sinner, but to leave the issue alone and love the person, despite what they are doing. This is only partly true in that we are to love the person. However, we are also to address the problem or we become an enabler that, in essence, approves of what is going on. Matthew 18:15 says that we are to go to our brother and address the sin. Paul says, in several places, that we are to admonish others (1 Thessalonians 5:14, 2 Thessalonians 3:14-15). In addition, Proverbs indicates we are truly someone’s friend when we tell the truth. Proverbs 27:6 “Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but deceitful are the kisses of an enemy.” The real meaning of the phrase “covering a multitude of sins” is explained elsewhere in the Bible – in James 5:19-20. James 5:19-20 “My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth, and one turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death, and will cover a multitude of sins.” The intent is for us to be restorers, that is, addressing issues and negative problems to help people get rid of them. Jesus came to set the captives free and we are called to do the same. In fact, according to the book of Galatians, we prove we are spiritual by being restorers. Galatians 6:1 “Brethren, even if a man is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; {each one} looking to yourself, lest you too be tempted.” Fear of man, fear of losing a friend, or fear of losing a family member would keep us from telling the truth and attempting restoration. 2 Timothy 1:7 explains that where fear is, love is lacking. This means that if we are afraid to address people’s issues, we are not restorers, are not spiritual, and really don’t love people.

CURSES The traditions of men invalidate the Word of God (Mark 7:13) and this is clearly seen in the way most of the church handles curses. Most believe we can’t have them because Jesus redeemed us from the curse (Galatians 3:13). At the same time they will instruct people that we suffer as a result of the curses from Adam and Eve and will strongly state that someone who doesn’t tithe will be cursed. The truth is that Jesus did redeem us from the curse AND we are redeemed from the curses when we appropriate the work He did at Calvary to release ourselves from the curse; just like we go to the cross to appropriate salvation, healing, deliverance, etc. It says we are to bless and not curse in Romans 14:4, indicating we are able to curse one another. It also says in James 3 that we bless God and curse men with the same mouth; and that this ought not to be. The truth is we have power in our words and can literally speak life or death, thereby empowering either angels or the demonic. Proverbs 18:21 “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” We also can be affected by what our parents and other ancestors did, whether negative or positive (Deuteronomy 30:19). The effects can be felt to the third and fourth generation and can even affect our physical bodies. Numbers 14:18 “The LORD is slow to anger and abundant in loving kindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He will by no means clear {the guilty,} visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth {generations.}” Deuteronomy 28:59 “then the LORD will bring extraordinary plagues on you and your descendants, even severe and lasting plagues, and miserable and chronic sicknesses.” Even the New Testament says we can be impacted by our ancestors’ sin. Such examples can be found in Revelation 2:23; Matthew 18:25: and Luke 11:50-51. Look specifically in 1 Peter: 1 Peter 1:18 “knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers” So, to find total freedom, we must recognize the reality of curses, go to the cross and break any curses that may be influencing us. Additionally, we need to follow biblical instruction and confess any ancestral iniquity in our ancestral line (Leviticus 26:40-42).

DEACONS There are only a few references to deacons in the Bible. The word deacon, listed several times in the New Testament, is the Greek word diakonos which means minister, servant, attendant, waiter. Therefore, this would be one who serves in the church – one who serves the body and meets the needs of the body, especially in the administration of goods, foods and administrative assistance. In Acts, the apostles were so involved in studying, preaching, praying and other spiritual matters that they didn’t have time for the more mundane, but much needed ministry of supplying the physical necessities or needs of the flock. Acts 6:2-4 “And the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, ‘It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables. But select from among you, brethren, seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task. But we will devote ourselves to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.’” So, we see the deacons as ones that are there for helping in meeting the needs of the body, and in doing so, freeing the priests to minister – a supporting role in which one may not be seen, but is crucial in everyday church operations The deacons are important as seen by the qualifications listed in Acts 6:3 above, as well as those enumerated in 1 Titus 3. 1 Timothy 3:8-13 “Deacons likewise {must be} men of dignity, not double-tongued, or addicted to much wine or fond of sordid gain, {but} holding to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. And let these also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons if they are beyond reproach. Women {must} likewise {be} dignified, not malicious gossips, but temperate, faithful in all things. Let deacons be husbands of {only} one wife, {and} good managers of {their} children and their own households. For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a high standing and great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.” One can see that deciding on a deacon it is a highly selective process. They are to be examples to the flock, be of good reputation and highly thought of in the church. The deacon is the consummate servant who is readily available and willing to go to great lengths behind the scene to make things go smoothly. This is a ministry that demands commitment, which can be very costly in terms of time, and will oftentimes be a thankless endeavor, as a good deacon “keeps the ship afloat” from the shadows.

DECEPTION  The devil is a liar from the beginning (John 8:44). His purpose is to confuse and distract us through misinformation so we will wander from God’s perfect will for us. Disguised as the serpent, he deceived Adam and Eve, and he is still up to it today. Revelation 20:2-3 “And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the abyss, and shut {it} and sealed {it} over him, so that he should not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time.” The devil is trying to deceive at every turn, using anyone he can find, including those who may be sitting next to you in church, prophets, teachers, even “angels of light.” The devil’s domain is darkness, so what he does is under cover, hidden, disguised. 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their deeds.” Matthew 7:15 “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” But we are not to be deceived or led astray. We are to listen to the Holy Spirit, who will lead us into the truth, showing us what is of God and what is not. 1 John 2:26-27 “These things I have written to you concerning those who are trying to deceive you. And as for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.” Hebrews 5:14 “But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.” So, we must judge prophecy (1 Thessalonians 5:20) and spiritually appraise all things (1 Corinthians 2:15).

DELIVERANCE Deliverance has become a confusing term and to some a fearful term. It envisions people screaming, throwing up, and even flying around the room. The devil has done a fair job trying to counterfeit and even make a joke out of the ministry of deliverance so that it is no longer credible. Why? Because it is viable when handled properly and will help people get free of bondages. In fact, the Bible indicates it is not only real, but all Christians should be able and ready to do it when necessary. Jesus did it (Mark 1:34), the disciples did it (Matthew 10:8), and we are supposed to do it. Mark 16:17-18 "And these signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly {poison,} it shall not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover." Deliverance is not really synonymous with exorcism. Exorcism is a ritual involving certain prayers, whereas deliverance is taking authority over and commanding a spirit to leave. The word cast out in the Greek is ekballo: ek meaning from, out of; ballo meaning to throw or cast. Therefore, it is really a spiritually violent, removing, tearing out, and casting out of spirits. This may, or may not, result in some outward physical manifestation by the person being delivered. The important point is that it is an authority issue. The demon doesn’t want to leave, even if it has no legal right to be there. He must be forced to go in the Name of Jesus. Luke 10:19 "Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall injure you.” The word for spirit in the Greek is pneuma which means breath or wind. It is not surprising, therefore, that when a spirit does leave during deliverance, it may be expelled by coughing, yawning, vomiting, etc., although this does not apply in all cases. Oftentimes, there is very little physical evidence a spirit is leaving, although the person will most likely feel a release. It might also be noted that the demonic can have a stronghold due to some sin on the part of the demonized person. Repentance is necessary, without which a spirit has a legal right to stay. So, it is most very important that the person be led in any appropriate prayers of repentance prior to addressing any spirit. Once released, the person must walk out his deliverance – not fall back into the same sin patterns and give entry to the demon again (Matthew 12: 43-45).

DESPISING PROPHECY  The Bible is clear that we must be careful in our handling the gift of prophecy. 1 Thessalonians 5:19-20 “Do not quench the Spirit; do not despise prophetic utterances.” The reason we must be careful is that prophecy is the Word of God just as the Bible is – and we know that God and His Word are one. In fact, Revelations 19:10 says that “the spirit of prophecy is the testimony of Jesus.” This being the case, the devil will go to extremes to get it out of the church - or abuse or pervert it so it will not have the impact it should have. This mishandling or despising of His Word also quenches the Spirit moving as indicated in the verse above. Remember: to despise means to lightly esteem, set at naught, have contempt for, have no reverence or respect for. How then can we despise prophesy? (1) Not pay attention / ignore it. (2) Fail to judge it (3) Not believe or receive it (4) Fail to give all the prophetic word the Spirit gave us to give (5) Add to what the Spirit gave us to prophecy (6) Make yourself seen, detracting from the prophetic word (7) Withhold a word God gave for someone (8) Try to force someone to receive a prophetic word (9) Prophesy to what we see in the natural on people (10) Receive a prophetic word based on who the person is delivering it. (11) Not recognize all modes / vehicles of prophecy (12) Not interpret prophetic words, songs, dance, etc (13) Merchandize prophecy (14) Prophesy out of order / out of control (15) Control people through what you prophesy to them.

DISCIPLINING CHILDREN  In today’s society, there has arisen an aversion to properly disciplining children. Spanking or any form of physical discipline is shunned and called abusive. This is a result of the child abuse that has taken place in this country, some of it under the guise of discipline. In response to this problem, there has been an over reaction to the point that our society, in general, strongly opposes any thing that looks like physical punishment. However, the Bible is clear that discipline is both good and necessary - and that lack of punishment is a sign of a lack of love. The absence of punishment or discipline indicates the parents don’t care enough or want to take the time to make sure a child learns to do the right thing; in other words, the child isn’t worth it. Hebrews 12:8 “But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.” Proverbs 13:24 “He who spares his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him diligently.” Today, there is uproar anytime a child has indications on his body that shows he may have received a spanking (red marks, etc). Parents can even lose custody of their children. This is not in accordance with God’s way (Isaiah 55: 8-9). He encourages us to strongly discipline, if necessary, to turn a child from his/her rebellious ways. Proverbs 22:15 “Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; the rod of discipline will remove it far from him.” Proverbs 23:13-14 “Do not hold back discipline from the child, although you beat him with the rod, he will not die. You shall beat him with the rod, and deliver his soul from Sheol.” Proverbs 29:15 “The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child who gets his own way brings shame to his mother.” We must be very careful when disciplining to make sure the child understands what they did was wrong/bad, but they are not bad. It should be carefully explained what exactly they did wrong and why it was wrong. And, after the discipline has been applied, they should be assured that you love them, which is the reason you applied discipline.

DIVORCE Because divorce is so common today, it is not politically expedient or even thought to be the Christian thing to do to speak against it – for fear that the truth might offend so many. The truth is, God hates divorce (Malachi 2:16) and says so in no uncertain terms. This is because God is a covenant God, who is faithful to keep covenant, and is looking for a covenant keeping (faithful) people. Matthew 19:5-6 “and said, 'For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and the two shall become one flesh'? Consequently they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.” In fact, God likens the marriage relationship to the relationship between Him and His bride, the church (Ephesians 5:23-32), and expects us to honor our covenant with our spouse, much like He expects us to honor the covenant with Him. Since we are in covenant with both God and our spouse, the way we treat our spouse is, in essence, the way we treat Him. This also explains His warnings to husbands in 1 Peter 3:7. Matthew 25:40 “And the King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, {even} the least {of them,} you did it to Me.'” Divorce is covenant breaking because it is the dissolution of the marriage covenant where two have become one in the sight of God. Much like running from Him to embrace other partners of the world (idolatry), He considers seeking out partners other than your spouse as adultery. James 4:4 “You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” Mark 10:11-12 “And He said to them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her; and if she herself divorces her husband and marries another man, she is committing adultery.” Adultery is not the unforgivable sin, but it must be repented for as with any other sin. Reconciliation should also be considered if neither has remarried.

EFFECTIVE PRAYER Effective prayer is something that needs to be understood by many Christians. If their prayers were more effective, then more would be answered and consequently, we would see more of the miraculous in our everyday lives. A key to effective prayer is in the book of James: James 5:16 “Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.” Notice, then, that there are effective and ineffective prayers, according to the NAS version (the KJV uses the terminology effectual fervent prayer). Many people try many different ways and techniques in an attempt to make their prayers more effective. However, the word to emphasize in this scripture is not effective, but righteous. What is really being said here is that the righteous man’s prayer is more effective - that’s why sins should be confessed before you pray for one another. One of the most quoted scriptures regarding prayer seems to substantiate this. 2 Chronicles 7:14 “and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” This verse states that when Christians (those called by His Name) humble themselves and repent (turn from their wicked ways), then the Lord will both hear and respond with an answer to what was prayed. So, the righteous person can touch God’s heart, whereas the not-so-righteous person cannot. It’s not surprising then that: the elders with idols didn’t get the response they are looking for from God in Ezekiel 14; the people’s prayers in Sodom were not heard in Isaiah 1; husbands who treat their wife without respect and honor will have their prayers hindered as in 1 Peter 3. The recipe for effective prayer seems to be this: the more righteous the life style, the more apt God is to respond to a prayer need. This could be because God says that those who truly love Him will be obedient, which means they will adhere to righteous standards. Luke 14-15 “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” Matthew 22:37 “And He said to him,’ You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’”

ELDERS  Elder is a term used throughout the Bible used to denote age, experience, authority, and certain specific leadership roles. In the Old Testament, the leaders associated with Moses in governing the nation were known as the elders of Israel. Later on, this term came to be applied to those who governed cities and tribes, as well. Eventually, the Sanhedrin arose which consisted of 71 elders having religious and political power. In the synagogues, and then also in the early church, the title continued and was used for those who governed in these areas. Today, the elder is supposed to be in charge governing the local churches according to the pattern in Acts. Paul appointed them in every church on his first missionary trip. Acts 14:23 “And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.” Another term meaning the same as elder, is overseer, as seen in both Titus 1:1-9 and 1 Timothy 3:1-7, where the qualifications for the elder (overseer) are clearly laid out. 1 Timothy 3:2-7 “An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, uncontentious, free from the love of money. {He must be} one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?); {and} not a new convert, lest he become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil. And he must have a good reputation with those outside {the church,} so that he may not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.” Paul, in his last conversation with the elders from Ephesus, outlines in general the awesome responsibilities of the elder, which are, basically, to take care of those the Lord laid down His life for! Acts 20:28 “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.” Peter also indicates this title applies to five-fold ministers, as he calls himself an elder in 1 Peter 5:1-4, which outlines the standards he feels an elder must maintain.

EQUIPPING/PERFECTING  The New Testament is clear that each believer has an integral part to play in bringing in the kingdom of God. Each has a purpose (Ephesians 2:10), each is gifted (1 Corinthians 12:18), each has an assigned time and place in which to fulfill the purpose (Acts 17:26), and all have been called to “GO” (Matthew 28:18-20). They also have been given the fivefold ministry as a gift to help achieve their purpose. Ephesians 4:11-12 “And He gave some {as} apostles, and some {as} prophets, and some {as} evangelists, and some {as} pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;” The key word in these verses is equipping (perfecting in KJV). The Greek translation for this word (katartismos) means equipping or complete furnishing. However, the Greek word from which this word was derived (katartizo) means to fit, frame, mend, make perfect (join together), prepare, restore. When you put all this together, it appears the word for equipping (perfecting) involves two things: equipping or training, but also healing or restoring. This says, therefore, that the job of the fivefold ministry is not just to train people, but to make sure they are also restored (healed). This makes complete sense. A Christian absolutely needs training and guidance to do God’s work. But even if they are trained, many wouldn’t be able to function freely due to their hurts, fears, or hindrances of the past. Therefore, it is incumbent on the church to make sure everyone is both trained and healed. This is why we are all called to disciple (Matthew 28:19) and heal and deliver (Mark 16:17- 18). We are to replicate ourselves, reproducing in others what we ourselves have received. Matthew 10:8 “Heal {the} sick, raise {the} dead, cleanse {the} lepers, cast out demons; freely you received, freely give.” 2 Corinthians 1:4 “who comforts us in all our affliction so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” By doing this, we ensure that those who follow us are properly equipped to carry on the work of the kingdom (produce healthy trees who in turn are able to reproduce themselves).

FAITH  Faith is fundamental to our Christian walk and involves a commitment to do His will in our lives. It is a belief in, and a total trust in God. Initial or saving faith is a gift of God and involves recognizing and confessing Jesus as Lord and repentance for past sin: Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, {it is} the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast.” Once saved, we have the Holy Spirit within, so faith is resident and available to us in all our endeavors. Since we are to be led by the Spirit (Romans 8:11), i.e. we are to let Him direct our daily path. Galatians 3:11 “Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, The righteous man shall live by faith.” As God speaks in any situation, we can “go to the bank” on what He says. However, we can’t “faith” things and expect God to move unless He has specifically spoken. Romans 10:17 “So faith {comes} from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” Even if what God says doesn’t seem to make much sense in the natural, we must be faithful to hold fast to what He says and not what we see or hear. Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the assurance of {things} hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Our good works attest to or prove our trust (faith) in Him. James 2:14 “What use is it, my brethren, if a man says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him?” What really pleases God is our trusting (being obedient to Him) in everything: Hebrews 11:6 “And without faith it is impossible to please {Him} for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and {that} He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.”

FAITH WITHOUT WORKS The Word of God is very clear that faith without works is dead. James 2:14 “What use is it, my brethren, if a man says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him?” This means that you can say that you trust God (have faith) but the proof of whether you trust Him is that you will do what He says - regardless of the circumstances. In other words, faith only goes so far and is only complete when you act out your faith. James 2:22 “You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected;” This is further confirmed by a scripture found in chapter one of the book of James, which talks about us proving ourselves doers. James 1:22-24 “But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for {once} he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was.” It says if you don’t follow through with the doing, then you are deceived. The deception is about whether you really have faith - do you really trust God - which is a questioning of your salvation. That’s why it states in James 2 that we are not justified by faith alone (meaning faith not leading to works). James 2:24 “You see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone.” Our obedience to what He wants, being led by the Spirit (Romans 8:14), will lead us to walk out the good works He has called us to (Ephesians 2:10). So, we have to trust He knows the way He ordained us to walk and lift up our hands, letting Him take us places we may not want to go (John 21:18). Without this type of faith, our works are of the flesh, not the works He wants, and our salvation may be questionable. James 2:26 “For just as the body without {the} spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.”

FATHERHOOD  Fatherhood is one of the most important positions/places a person can hold. In this place, the Lord has given a man the responsibility to bring up children in the nurture and fear of the Lord. The awesomeness of this responsibility is that the father represents fatherhood to the child, as well as authority. So, as the child grows up, he forms an opinion of fatherhood and authority based on how he sees his natural father. This in turn dramatically affects how the child sees God, who is the essence of fatherhood and authority. Therefore, how the child sees his father determines how he will see His heavenly Father. If he thinks his father loves Him, he will know God loves him; if he thinks his father was a good provider, he will believe God will supply all of his needs; if he thinks his father listens to him, he will think God always hears his prayers; etc. The Bible states we need to honor our father: Ephesians 6:2-3 “Honor your father and mother (which is the first commandment with a promise), that it may be well with you, and that you may live long on the earth.” First, this is important because all authority originates with the Lord. Opposing or touching authority (our fathers for instance) means we are opposing God. Romans 13:1-2 “Let every person be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore he who resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves.” Secondly, if we have negative judgments or perceptions of our father, we will have a negative way of perceiving or seeing God. This can create unworthy suspicions of God that greatly affect our walk with Him and our purpose here on earth by causing a separation from Him. Another issue is that our judgments of our fathers will cause us to become like him when we are in the position of fatherhood. The things we hated most about him will become evident in our own lives. We hated his abuse and we do it; we hated his drinking and we do the same; we hated his temper and we get just as angry; etc. This is a biblical principle that is seen in Matthew 7: Matthew 7:1-2 “Do not judge lest you be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.”

FEAR One of the devil’s favorite weapons against us is fear and, therefore, a majority of Christians experience it daily. Unfortunately, the church has not seen fear for what it is and has allowed it to become a legitimate excuse for not being obedient to the Lord. As soon as God tells us to do something, whether it is direct from the Spirit or from the Word of God, warfare usually results. There often arise many excuses for not doing it – many which involve fear: What will people think? Will I look foolish? How will I ever be able to do that? Did God really mean that? etc. We must recognize it for what it is – a smoke screen to distract us from God’s plan and purpose. God’s Word says that He did not give us fear, so guess where it comes from? In fact, the Bible says His perfect love casts out fear, which makes them opposites; I John 4:18 “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.” 2 Timothy 1:7 “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” (NKJ) Fear then keeps us from walking in and experiencing the power of God. It makes what we do unprofitable in God’s kingdom and makes us unstable in our thinking. Fear also takes away/steals our faith so we don’t do God’s kingdom works and makes us displeasing to God. Hebrews 11:6 “And without faith it is impossible to please {Him} for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and {that} He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” The totality of what God thinks about fear can be summed up by what is told to the slave that hid his talent in the ground because he was afraid (Matthew 25: 25-26). The strong response to this action was “you wicked and lazy slave.” So, fear is not acceptable and must be dealt with.

FIVEFOLD MINISTRY  The fivefold ministry is a term used to include the Ephesians 4 ministries of the apostle, prophet, teacher, evangelist, and pastor. These are gifts to the body of Christ, which the church must receive (Luke 10:16) to fulfill both individual and corporate destinies. Ephesians 4:11-13 “And He gave some {as} apostles, and some {as} prophets, and some {as} evangelists, and some {as} pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.” The Greek word here for equipping (perfecting in KJV) comes from two other Greek words: one that means to train/equip, and another that means to heal/restore. This, therefore, describes the job of all fivefold ministers who are, in reality, servants to the church. They are the ones that are to under gird the church, healing and discipling them for kingdom work – not to lord over them. Mark 10:42-43 “And calling them to Himself, Jesus said to them, "You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and their great men exercise authority over them. But it is not so among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant;” David, having the heart of God in this matter, clearly understood that God raises up, not only for the sake of the one being promoted: 2 Samuel 5:12 “And David realized that the LORD had established him as king over Israel, and that He had exalted his kingdom for the sake of His people Israel.” Peter also gives further guidance to the fivefold, as well as all elders: 1 Peter 5:1-3 “Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as {your} fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to {the will of} God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock.”

FOLLOW/FOLLOWER  In the Bible there are many references to followers or those who follow Jesus. However, the definition of what a follower really is much stronger than we accept. Basically today, we think as any one who says they believe in Jesus as being a follower. Scripture indicates that there are those who follow Jesus by doing what He says, as well as those who follow Jesus by acknowledging what He teaches, but not walking in it. James 1:22 “But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.” Note the word to describe this latter category of people as deluded. This seems to say that they may give mental assent to what is heard, but they aren’t really followers as they aren’t convinced enough (not really believe) to follow through by doing. One conclusion may be that a better term than believer, for someone who has been truly born again, may be follower. There is another scripture which more clearly defines what a follower is: Luke 9:23 “And He was saying to {them} all, ‘If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.’” According to this, being a follower is conditional on three things: (1) “deny himself” – This is not surprising since we are here, not for ourselves, but for the purpose the Lord made us (Ephesians 2:10). We aren’t here to do what we want, say what we want, or get what we desire. The kingdom and righteousness are the top priorities in our lives (Matthew 6:33). We each have a part (I Corinthians 13:9) and are a joint who is to freely supply so that we can all grow together (Ephesians 4:16). (2) “take up his cross” – The Bible says that He laid down His life for us and we are to lay down our life for the brethren (I John 3:16). We are to prefer our brothers (Philippians 2:3) and even be willing to be treated unfairly or unjustly without cause (I Peter 2:19). In fact, the Bible says we were called for this purpose (I Peter 2:21). This is what makes the walk narrow instead of broad (Matthew 7:13-14). (3) “follow Me” – We are to be submissive to and obey Him. That’s how we walk after Him. Jesus only did and said what the Father was doing (John 5:19), and that is precisely how we follow Jesus – walk in His footsteps and do only what He wants us to do. Be a true disciple, look like Him, talk like Him, and do the things He did (John 14:12).

FORGIVENESS Forgiveness is a continual problem in the body of Christ. The devil is constantly trying to divide to prevent true covenant unity as talked about in Psalms 133. We cannot forget that in covenant, we are tied not only to God, but also to the brethren (1 John 1:7); so much so, that what we do to them (in thought and action), we do to Him (Matthew 25:40). We are not to fight with flesh and blood (Ephesians 6:12), but fight the devil’s attempt to separate us from the brethren, restoring our brethren if they have bondages or problems they can’t overcome (Galatians 6:1; 1 John 5:20). We must forgive – we have no choice if we are to remain a faithful covenant people. If we come against a brother (a friend) of God, it puts us at enmity with God. That’s why the Bible says that if we don’t forgive, we are not forgiven: Matthew 6:12 “And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” Matthew 6:15 “But if you do not forgive men, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.” If necessary, we must be willing to go to great lengths not to separate from our brothers/sisters in Christ – this includes forgiving them repeatedly. In this way, we are willing to lay down our life for a brother (1 John 3:16): Matthew 18:21-22 “Then Peter came and said to Him, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" Jesus said to him, ‘I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.’” God also wants to walk in the light with Him (1 John 1:7), confessing our disobedience so we can walk upright before Him. This demands being honest and calling things as He sees them, not as we want to rational them, or blame others. In fact, the Greek word for confess, in this verse, is homologeo, which means to say the same thing as. When we do this, we are cleansed, the sin is removed and we are no longer guilty in His eyes: Psalm 32:5 “I acknowledged my sin to Thee, and my iniquity I did not hide; I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the LORD’; and Thou didst forgive the guilt of my sin.”

FREEDOM In our country, freedom in a political sense means having liberty, instead of oppression, and includes many individual rights, such as the right to bear arms, the right to free speech and the right to worship as you please. This causes a problem when talking about biblical things. Biblical freedom does not have the same connotation as our political freedoms and can mislead Christians in their understanding of the liberty we are to walk in. We are warned in the book of Galatians: Galatians 5:13 “For you were called to freedom, brethren; only {do} not {turn} your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” The freedom that Jesus bought for us sets us free from the oppression of the devil, but we aren’t free to do whatever we choose. We are now free to submit and serve the One who saved us. Romans 6:17-18 “But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.” Romans 6:22 “But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life.” Paul saw himself as a slave to the Lord and His purposes. It is Jesus’ purposes and will that should override our own, since He is Lord. 1 Corinthians 7:22 “For he who was called in the Lord while a slave, is the Lord's freedman; likewise he who was called while free, is Christ's slave.” 1 Corinthians 9:19 “For though I am free from all {men,} I have made myself a slave to all, that I might win the more.” We are also warned by Paul to be careful how we walk; to realize we may not be able to exercise any liberty we have, should it offend or cause a brother to stumble. If we really love, then our brother is more important than any such freedom, and we must choose to give up this liberty on his behalf. 1 Corinthians 8:9 “But take care lest this liberty of yours somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.”

FRIEND  Friend has a different meaning biblically than it has in our society today. Today, any acquaintance could loosely be termed a friend. However, in the Bible, it refers to people in a covenant relationship, with God or with one another. Moses is referred to as a friend of God, for instance. A friend is to be dearer and more important than any other in one’s life. This is seen in marriage where our covenant partner (spouse) is to be closest to us. Proverbs 18:24 “A man of {many} friends {comes} to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” We come into friendship with God when we get saved. This relationship is based on His being Lord. Romans 10:9-10 “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus {as} Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.” To remain in proper relationship with Him and be a true friend of God means we must allow Him to be Lord - to direct us and have His way as King in His Kingdom, as Shepherd in His pasture, as God over His sons. This acknowledges His Lordship and our covenant position. John 15:14 “You are My friends, if you do what I command you.” Romans 8:14 “For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” John 10:27-28 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand.” He laid down His life for us and as covenant people (friends), we are to lay down our lives for Him (Luke 9:23), as well as our other covenant friends (Christians). 1 John 3:16 “We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.”

FRUITS IN KEEPING WITH REPENTANCE  The term “fruits in keeping with repentance” appears in the gospel of Luke when John the Baptist is talking to the Pharisees: Luke 3:8-14 “Therefore bring forth fruits in keeping with repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father,’ for I say to you that God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. And also the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. And the multitudes were questioning him, saying, ‘Then what shall we do?’ And he would answer and say to them, ‘Let the man who has two tunics share with him who has none; and let him who has food do likewise.’ And {some} tax-gatherers also came to be baptized, and they said to him, ‘Teacher, what shall we do?’ And he said to them, ‘Collect no more than what you have been ordered to.’ And {some} soldiers were questioning him, saying, ‘And {what about} us, what shall we do?’ And he said to them, ‘Do not take money from anyone by force, or accuse {anyone} falsely, and be content with your wages.’” Here we can clearly see that, for there to be real repentance, there must be evidence of a change in actions that backs up the words/confession of repentance. The word used here for repentance is the Greek word metanoia, which means a change of mind (heart); reversal of a decision. So, if there is repentance, there should be not only an attitude adjustment, but a turning around in what one does, a lifestyle change whereby I will no longer act as I did. That’s how you measure whether your brother listens to you when approach him in accordance with Matthew 18:15. Matthew 18:15-17 “And if your brother sins, go and reprove him in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. But if he does not listen {to you,} take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed. And if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax-gatherer.” When you repent and are changed in that area of your life, you gradually become the new person God intended – more like God. Ephesians 4:22-24 “that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in {the likeness of} God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.”

GOD’S ANOINTED  When reading the Old Testament without corresponding scriptures in the New Testament, you can come to a false conclusion about who God’s anointed really are. In the Old Testament, the prophets, priests and kings were ceremonially (and spiritually) anointed and therefore would obviously be referred to as God’s anointed. When David faced problems with Saul, he is noted for not harming Saul when the opportunity presented itself because he didn’t want to touch God’s anointed. 1 Samuel 24:6 “So he said to his men, ‘Far be it from me because of the LORD that I should do this thing to my lord, the LORD'S anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, since he is the LORD'S anointed.’” David says something similar in 1 Samuel 26:9, which strengthens a principle that has been misconstrued by some in authority. Some use it as “proof” that no one is to touch (or question) any thing they do or say. The truth, however, is balanced by the scriptures in the New Testament which shows we are all anointed ones; we are temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16), led by the Spirit of God (Romans 8:14), and the anointing is in us and with us always. 1 John 2:27 “And as for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.” Therefore, we who are genuine Christians are all anointed ones in the New Testament era because we have all received the Holy Spirit. This is seen in the book of Acts in Antioch where they were first called Christians (which means anointed ones), probably because of the anointed things they were seen doing. Acts 11:26 “and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. And it came about that for an entire year they met with the church, and taught considerable numbers; and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.” In addition, in the New Testament, we are all equal in God because we all have an important part (1 Corinthians 13:9) in his Kingdom. And God doesn’t see any of us less important than anyone else. So, we are in covenant and are not to “touch God’s anointed” by touching one another. Matthew 25:40 “And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, {even} the least {of them,} you did it to Me.’”

GRACE  God is certainly a God of grace and we as Christians are beneficiaries of this grace, as God generously pours it out on His covenant brethren. However, there is some misunderstanding that equates grace to mercy, and this is erroneous. Grace has a merciful component that is a result of the loving kindness of the Lord, but it is different than mercy. Grace is the enablement, ability, and capacity of God that is beyond our measure that we are to appropriate as we walk out our salvation and our purpose in Him. Hebrews 4:16 “Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need.” Ephesians 3:7 “of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of God's grace which was given to me according to the working of His power.” There is the grace that found us in our helpless state that we appropriated in faith to get saved (saving grace). Ephesians 2:8 “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, {it is} the gift of God;” There is also the grace we appropriate by faith to complete the good works we were made to do (Ephesians 2:10). This is done by getting out of the way and letting Him work through us the way He wants to – in His strength and not ours. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 “And He has said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.’ Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” This verse contains the key to walking in God’s grace, avoiding the snares of the devil, and acquiring the ability to walk out our salvation and complete his purpose for us. We are to get out of ourselves and into Him. We are to let Him lead us into the how, when, and where of the things He wants done - our ignorance swapped for His wisdom; our inabilities traded for His ability. Notice that power is perfected in weakness, meaning it’s all Him and not us. We are just the willing, yet empty vessels through which His abilities are allowed to function.

HEALING God’s intent is for us to be healthy in our bodies, and if we obey His voice and His commandments, He will protect us from sickness just like He promised the Israelites. Exodus 15:26 “And He said, ‘If you will give earnest heed to the voice of the LORD your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, the LORD, am your healer.’” Disobedience (sin) removes the hedge and opens the door to sickness in our body, just as the sins of our ancestors can. Psalm 38:3-5 “There is no soundness in my flesh because of Thine indignation; there is no health in my bones because of my sin. For my iniquities are gone over my head; as a heavy burden they weigh too much for me. My wounds grow foul {and} fester. Because of my folly,” Deuteronomy 28:58-59 “If you are not careful to observe all the words of this law which are written in this book, to fear this honored and awesome name, the LORD your God, then the LORD will bring extraordinary plagues on you and your descendants, even severe and lasting plagues, and miserable and chronic sicknesses.” Jesus brought healing at the cross, because man had been plagued by sickness, disease, and infirmity since the fall of man in the garden - which accompanied the sin. 1 Peter 2:24 “and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.” Healing comes through others, especially church elders (James 5:14). Not only should we be healed, but also become instruments of the Lord’s healing in His name, thereby freeing and healing others. Mark 16:16-18 “He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly {poison,} it shall not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

HIRELING The term hireling is used in the book of John to contrast the shepherd who cares for the sheep – the sheep obviously being the body of Christ. John 10:12-13 “He who is a hireling, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, beholds the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep, and flees, and the wolf snatches them, and scatters {them.} {He flees} because he is a hireling, and is not concerned about the sheep.” The word hireling in the Greek means someone who works for wages. This gives an indication of what the scripture is saying here. The hireling is more interested in himself than the sheep. It may be the wages or money, it may be the title or position, it may the sense of power over people, or it may be the chance of building his ministry. His concern and his focus is on him, not on the sheep. David realized that a position of authority is totally for the good of those under Him. John 10:15 “even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.” 2 Samuel 5:12 “And David realized that the LORD had established him as king over Israel, and that He had exalted his kingdom for the sake of His people Israel.” Jesus went to the cross for the sheep. He paid the ultimate price for them, so He has placed a high value on each one. It is, therefore, a wonderful, yet fearful thing to be given the responsibility to care for them. Paul reminds the elders from Ephesus of this in his last meeting with them. Acts 20:28 “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.” The genuine shepherd will stand with the flock as they weather storms, stumble through tests, sometimes taking one step back for every three steps forward. The hireling doesn’t see the need to go the extra mile with them. Additionally, Jesus indicates that the shepherd who loves the sheep is the one who loves Him. John 21:16 “He said to him again a second time, ‘Simon, {son} of John, do you love me?’ He said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.’ He said to him, ‘Shepherd My sheep.’”

HONOR  Honoring is a biblical principal and, according to the Bible, we are to honor God. After all, He is the Lord and it is He who has done everything in our lives. We honor Him with our offerings, our thanksgivings, and basically by our obedience. Proverbs 3:9 “Honor the LORD from your wealth, and from the first of all your produce;” Romans 12:1 “I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, {which is} your spiritual service of worship.” The New Testament Greek word for honor, timao, means to revere, value, honor, venerate. When we honor others, we indirectly honor God and what He is doing. We recognize God’s handiwork in them, the gifts God has given them, and any authority He has delegated to them. In other words, we agree with His Lordship and how He’s building His kingdom. We are specifically told to honor our parents that all will go well with us. Ephesians 6:2-3 “Honor your father and mother (which is the first commandment with a promise), that it may be well with you, and that you may live long on the earth.” Husbands are to honor their wives as fellow heirs, which makes sense since we are to honor all men. 1 Peter 3:7 “You husbands likewise, live with {your wives} in an understanding way, as with a weaker vessel, since she is a woman; and grant her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.” 1 Peter 2:17 “Honor all men; love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.” We are to submit to the authorities appointed over us, since God raised them up to function as His delegated authorities. Submitting “as unto the Lord” means submitting to those who walk in His authority, as we submit to Him. Romans 13:1 “Let every person be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.”

HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER  Most every Christian, especially children, know we are to honor our father and mother. The problem is that we haven’t really understood what honor means. This is further indicated by the fact many Christians are obviously not in walking the promises that accrue to a person who honors your parents. Ephesians 6:2-3 “Honor your father and mother (which is the first commandment with a promise), that it may be well with you, and that you may live long on the earth.” The Greek word translated honor here, timao, means to respect, to revere, to esteem. Therefore, those who do not respect and revere their parents will not have things go their way and will not live out the intended duration of their life. So the root of many people’s problems may very well be that they haven’t truly honored their parents, which is a heart issue. Additionally, the Bible addresses the problems accruing to those who dishonor their parents in the Old Testament, and Jesus Himself reaffirms this in the book of Matthew. Deuteronomy 27:16 “Cursed is he who dishonors his father or mother. And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’” Matthew 15:4 “For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and, ‘He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him be put to death.’” The Old Testament Hebrew word for dishonor here, qalah, means to despise, to lightly esteem, to condemn. Notice the penalty for dishonoring your parents is to be cursed, which would imply things are not going to go well for you. How do you dishonor? By hating, resenting, cursing, rebelling against, speaking badly of, having unforgiveness or bitterness towards, etc. There also appears to be no conditions included in the command to honor our parents. It doesn’t make any difference whether they were mean, not respectable, not Christian, or even abusive, we still have the requirement to honor them in our heart. Even after we are married and are not in our parent’s household, we still have to honor them. There doesn’t seem to be a statute of limitations on the command either.

HOPELESSNESS The Bible is clear that we have hope because we have Jesus. He opened heaven’s door through what he did at Calvary (1 Thessalonians 4:13). We also have a purpose that all who are saved can walk in (Ephesians 2:10) that gives us a future and hope (Jeremiah 29:11). In addition, we have the Holy Spirit (1 John 2:27) and are anointed to do the same things Jesus did (Luke 4:18). We are his instruments (1 Corinthians 3:16) to push back the gates of hell, bringing the gospel to the world (Matthew 28:19-20). We are the good Samaritans for the defeated and downtrodden; we are their hope. Colossians 1:27 “to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” However, the devil tries to counteract and counterfeit everything Jesus does. Instead of hope, he tries to make us hopeless. He robs and steals (John 10:10) causing us to see defeat, failure, closed doors, and impossible situations, resulting in our losing hope. We no longer can “see” coming to pass what was prophesied, what was promised, or what we expected (Hebrews 11:1). The future is dimmed and the light at the end of the tunnel is extinguished. We are in the darkness of discouragement and depression, feeling a grief about what we perceived has been taken away. Proverbs 13:12 “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but desire fulfilled is a tree of life.” We have been lied to because we have focused on the physical and believed the lie that our eyes have shown us: that it will never happen, or never get changed, 2 Corinthians 10:5 “We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,” Hopelessness can stymie or even stop us, putting us off to the side of the road in our own race, which renders us ineffective in the kingdom of God. We no longer go forward, because we don’t see where to go. This situation requires repentance – for believing a lie, for being mad at God (if applicable). We may also need deliverance from hopelessness and grief to release the depression and heaviness. Then we can ask God to renew us in our vision and what he has prepared for us, so we can walk in it now that we agree with Him again. Amos 3:33 “Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?”

HUMILITY  Humility is a place; a place in relationship to God; a place where God and His purposes are the focus and not us. When He is Lord and God, and we really recognize it, not just with our minds and words, but with our every actions, we walk in submission to Him; we walk in humility. When we take the position of bowing the knee (Philippians 2:9-11) and giving way to what He wants (Isaiah 55:8-9), we truly acknowledge His ways and thoughts are above ours. Jesus Himself said He only did what the Father was doing and said only what the Father was saying. John 5:19 “Jesus therefore answered and was saying to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless {it is} something He sees the Father doing; for whatever {the Father} does, these things the Son also does in like manner.” John 12:49 “For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me commandment, what to say, and what to speak.” In essence, humility is one not thinking more highly of himself than he ought to think. This being the case, we would honor and prefer God and others (Philippians 2:3-4), while not degrading ourselves or lessening our own worth. It is to be in a position free from vanity so we can be obedient to the Lord and not compare ourselves with others. 2 Corinthians 10:12-13 “For we are not bold to class or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves; but when they measure themselves by themselves, and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding. But we will not boast beyond {our} measure, but within the measure of the sphere which God apportioned to us as a measure, to reach even as far as you.” Humility, realizing His total Lordship, puts us in a position that allows us to be used by God in whatever He wants – a place of real relationship and trust, that brings the grace of God to grow and increase in Him. James 4:10 “Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.” It also permits a higher level of communication with a confidence that He hears and responds to our pleas. 2 Chronicles 7:14 “and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

IMMORALITY  In today’s society in America, we have regressed morally to the point that the public in general has no conscience, and what is allowed and condoned today would have been severely condemned a few decades ago. It is a sign of the last days as reflected in 2 Timothy 3: 1-7 when men will be: 2 Timothy 3:4 “treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God;” The Bible is very patently clear about this issue as stated in 1 Corinthians 6:18: 1 Corinthians 6:18 “Flee immorality. Every {other} sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body.” The word immorality, when translated, includes adultery, fornication, homosexuality, bestiality, incest, and metaphorically it stands for harlotry (idolatry). We are to literally flee these things, much like Joseph did with Potiphar’s wife, although this fights against what has become the norm in this country - people living together before or in lieu marriage, the rise of homosexuality, and an overall embracing of sexually explicit things. In fact, 1 Corinthians goes on to say that out bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit which are not made for such sin, and that we will be a witness for the Lord by living apart from and avoiding such behavior. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.” The Bible says it is the will of God to abstain from these things and that if any “brother” insists on doing these things he should be removed from fellowship and no one should associate with him. 1Thessalonians 4:3 “For this is the will of God, your sanctification; {that is,} that you abstain from sexual immorality;” 1 Corinthians 5:11 “But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he should be an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler-- not even to eat with such a one.”

IN THE NAME This is an often-used phrase in the New Testament and one that Christians have tagged on to the end of their prayers hoping to get their prayers answered. In truth, it is a reference to covenant, because when making a blood covenant in ancient times, two men often exchanged names. This meant they were giving themselves (all they were and had) to the other covenant partner. In new testament times, we are baptized in(to) the Name of Jesus (Matthew 28:19) and the wife takes and begins to walk in the name of the husband in marriage. “In the Name” has an implication of abiding in, being one with, submitting and being obedient to. In everything, we are to be directed by (Romans 8:11), in the light with (I John 1:7), and in unity with the Lord (John 17:21). This means being in agreement not only with His plan, but also His strength and His timing – in other words, His Lordship. Colossians 3:17 “And whatever you do in word or deed, {do} all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.” Since Christians are all in covenant with Him, we are all His covenant friends and are in covenant with one another (I John1:7; John17:21). This means we are to love one another (Matthew 22:29) and receive one another. We all know in part (I Corinthians 13:9) and each has a part of Jesus, for each other, that will help us grow in Him (Ephesians 4:16). Matthew 18:5 “And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me;” Luke 10:16 “The one who listens to you listens to Me, and the one who rejects you rejects Me; and he who rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me.” When we pray we are to pray in His Name. That is, we are to pray walking in obedience to Him and our authorities, and in right relationship with one another. Then, we are in covenant with Him and one another, and our prayers will be received and will be effective. John 14:13-14 “And whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do {it.}” When we really walk in His Name, in right relationship with Him and one another, then we will see the truly awesome anointing of God fall with miracles and blessings - because brothers are dwelling together in unity (Psalms 133:1).

ISOLATION One of the schemes the devil likes to perpetrate on Christians is the tendency to pull back or isolate them. This is often the result of the self preservation that arises out of rejections that have been encountered. The inward hurts cause the person to focus on themselves and to forget any sense of unity, any sense of belonging or any sense of responsibility in the body of Christ. The Bible clearly speaks to this subject, especially in the amplified and New American Standard versions: Proverbs 18:1 “He who separates himself seeks {his own} desire, He quarrels against all sound wisdom.” First of all, this tendency to isolate fights directly against the basic principles of covenant we are to live under in Christ – we are to be concerned about one another, even to the point of our laying down our lives for one another (1 John 3:14). We are not to be solely concerned about ourselves, but are to love our brothers as ourselves (Matthew 22:39), and actually make the kingdom of God our first priority (Matthew 6:33). The Bible says we are not to forsake assembling (Hebrews 10:24-25) and that we are to be trained/equipped (Ephesians 4:11-12). As viable joints, we are to be supplying so the whole body can benefit from our presence. Ephesians 4:16 “from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by that which every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.” This is in consonance with 1 Corinthians 12 where the Word specifically states that our gifts are for the common good. So, we can’t let fear overcome us and put ourselves in the position of the servant with the one talent. Matthew 25:25-26 “And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground; see, you have what is yours. But his master answered and said to him, 'You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I scattered no {seed}.” So, God wants us as one body, in unity working together – helping one another in concert to bring in the kingdom of heaven on earth as we take the land for Him. The devil wants to thwart this by separating us, so the church loses our individual input and the synergism of us all working together.

JEZEBEL  Jezebel is a well known, infamous character from scripture who was married to Ahab, the King of Israel. She killed the prophets (1 Kings 18:4) and was Elijah’s perpetual enemy. She is also known for using and abusing the king’s authority to eliminate Naboth so the king could possess Naboth’s vineyard. She fostered the worship of Baal and Asherah, and was most well known for taking control and dominating the king; so much, that anyone who tends to be dominating or controlling today is often labeled a “Jezebel.” Interesting also is that her daughter, Athaliah, who married the king of Judah, acted much like her in her dealings. In fact, she eventually attempted killing her 70 grandchildren so she could become queen (2 Kings 11:1-3). In today’s church environment, we often hear people talk about Jezebel or the spirit of Jezebel, and the reference is almost entirely to women. However, we are talking about a spirit which can operate through either a man or woman. The person being used by the spirit needs a place or to be seen, and will often try to get close to the pastor, sometimes trying to get between the pastor and his wife. Much like the original Jezebel, this person seeks authority and may even use various forms of seduction to obtain it in order to control and dominate people. If prophesy exists in the church, it too will be the target of this spirit (or person). Remember that the spirit of prophesy is the testimony of Jesus (Revelations 19:10) which, by definition, opposes Jezebel, her tactics and all she stands for. Prophesy (and the Bible) are truth, which exposes Jezebel for who she really is. Her rebellion, deception, and error all become apparent to one who is in the light of the truth. Idolatry and immorality are also the end result of an infestation of this spirit. The Lord is concerned about us being mature enough to discern so that we don’t fall prey to the schemes of the devil, especially this spirit. Hebrews 5:13-14 “For everyone who partakes {only} of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.” In fact, in Revelation 2, He warns the church at Thyatira about her. Revelation 2:20 “But I have {this} against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray, so that they commit {acts of} immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.”

JUSTICE  Justice is a biblical concept that needs to be understood by all Christians. God is a loving God, but also a just God. Because He cannot deny Who he is, there is love in His every action, but there also has to be an aspect of justice. That’s why Jesus had to come and be our substitute at Calvary. The Father, out of His love, wanted humanity back in relationship with Him, but His justness demanded a penalty be paid for the sin that separated Him from man. Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Since God is a just God, He is also an impartial God. He is not for or against anyone because of economic status, gender, race, etc. He wants all to be saved, but this can only happen for those who receive justice through the work of the cross. Galatians 3:28-29 “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.” The devil comes to rob, steal and destroy (John 10:10), but Jesus came to bring justice; to undo what the devil has done, to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8). We, being his fellow workers (1 Corinthians 3:9), are His ambassadors to do the same things (John 14:12). Luke 4:18-19 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are downtrodden, To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.” There will also be a final, unbiased accounting known as the final judgment, where everyone will be judged and justly rewarded – those rebellious and disobedient to the lake of fire, and those saved and obedient to the eternal inheritance prepared from the foundation of the world. John 5:28-29 “Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs shall hear His voice, and shall come forth; those who did the good {deeds} to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil {deeds} to a resurrection of judgment.”

KINGDOM The kingdom of God must be an important subject, because Jesus spent the 40 days after the resurrection speaking about it: Acts 1:3 “To these He also presented Himself alive, after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over {a period of} forty days, and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God.” During His earthly ministry, Jesus often taught about it, as did the disciples and those who followed them. Luke 4:43 “But He said to them, ‘I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, for I was sent for this purpose.’” Acts 8:12 “But when they believed Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized, men and women alike.” In addition, His disciples were taught to pray that His kingdom would come on earth… Matthew 6:9-10 “Pray, then, in this way: 'Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name. ‘Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.’” Where there is a king, there is a kingdom, there is his authority, and there is a domain wherein his authority prevails. Such is the kingdom of God - it is the rule and authority of the Lord that starts to take place at salvation, when we make Him Lord (Romans 10:9-10). Colossians 1:13 “For He delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son,” We are impacted by His authority when we are saved, healed, and delivered; and we walk in the delegated authority of God to do the same for others, thus increasing the government of God (Isaiah 9:7) in our lives, our families, our cities (Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, etc.) and the remotest parts of the earth. Luke 10:19 “Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall injure you.”

LEAVENS THE WHOLE LUMP  In 1 Corinthians 5, the Bible uses leaven as a metaphor to describe how sin will spread, much like leaven does when it is in a lump of dough. In fact, leaven is used several places in scripture to represent sin, probably most notably in Luke 12:1 where it describes the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. 1 Corinthians 5:6-7 “Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump {of dough} Clean out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, just as you are {in fact} unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed.” This is also a covenant issue – we all share in what each other has, whether good or bad. 1 Corinthians 12:26-27 “And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if {one} member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. Now you are Christ's body, and individually members of it.” That’s why it is imperative that verse 7 of 1 Corinthians 5 (above) be strictly followed so that all will not be adversely affected by sin or impurity in the body. The sin in a body, church, or nation must be dealt with. If the person refuses to repent/change, the sin still has to be removed. To clean out the leaven would, therefore, include removing the person unwilling to give up the sin. An example of this is found in chapter 7 of the book of Joshua. Achan, of the tribe of Judah, took items from Jericho that God forbid anybody touching. As a result, Israel was defeated by a very small army from Ai with 3,000 men being killed. Joshua indicated he understood that Achan had to die to cleanse the nation. Joshua 7:25 “And Joshua said, ‘Why have you troubled us? The LORD will trouble you this day.’ And all Israel stoned them with stones; and they burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones.” We are to be a holy priesthood (1 Peter 2:5) and, therefore, are to avoid sin and even flee from immorality (1 Corinthians 6:18). God is a holy God and he wants us all to be holy, both individually and corporately. 1 Peter 1:15-16 “but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all {your} behavior; because it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’”

LORD OVER  The Lord delegates His authority to men to fulfill the responsibilities He has assigned them. They are, in essence, representatives of Him and His authority. That’s why you oppose God when you oppose authority (Romans 13:2). At the same time, those in positions of authority are to act in a manner that indicates they fear God and walk humbly in the position He has put them, much like David. 2 Samuel 5:12 “And David realized that the LORD had established him as king over Israel, and that He had exalted his kingdom for the sake of His people Israel.” The Lord is adamant that His authority not be abused by using it to lord over people, but instead, used constructively in accomplishing one’s responsibilities and advancing the kingdom of God Matthew 20:25-26 “But Jesus called them to Himself, and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and {their} great men exercise authority over them. It is not so among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant,’” The Greek word translated lord over, katakurieuo, means to hold in subjection, to bring under one’s power, to subdue. As you can plainly see, this heavy handed approach is expressly forbidden by the Lord. It must always be recognized that all authority is delegated and that the one walking in delegated authority is accountable to the one delegating the authority. So, all in charge must eventually answer as to how they functioned in directing others. Ephesians 6:9 “And, masters, do the same things to them, and give up threatening, knowing that both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him.” Remember, too, the principle from the book of Matthew (7:2) and the book of Luke (6:38) which basically assures we will receive back what we dish out. Matthew 7:2 “For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.” Peter was adamant that church elders shepherd, but not lord over the flock. 1 Peter 5:3 “nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock.”

LOVE YOUR BROTHER  There has been quite a bit written in the New Testament regarding loving your brother. It is much more involved than people ordinarily would think. For instance, the first passage that might come to mind is the Second Great Commandment: Matthew 22:39 “The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” This is difficult for most people and is validated in the book of Philippians, where Paul even goes so far to say we are to prefer one another. Philippians 2:3 “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself;” But let’s look further, in 1 Corinthians 13, for instance: 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 “Love is patient, love is kind, {and} is not jealous; love does not brag {and} is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong {suffered}, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” This seems all encompassing and is a tough standard to live up to, unless of course we are led by the Spirit - who will lead us to love in this way. But this is also a covenant walk and we have to love our brothers as covenant partners, taking our covenant responsibilities seriously. In fact, the Lord states we are to love one another just as He loved each of us (John 15:12). It also means we are to be there and demonstrate our love by meeting their needs and helping them when they are down; if necessary even laying down our life for the brethren (1 John 3:16). 1 John 3:17-18 “But whoever has the world's goods, and beholds his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.” James 5:19-20 “My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth, and one turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death, and will cover a multitude of sins.”

LOVING GOD  If you ask most Christians, they would say they love God. The real question is, how do they know they love God? The truth is that many don’t understand the true indication that they love Him. The “feeling” of God in the midst of praise and worship or crying over the things He has done for them is not a true test. Jesus addressed this in John 14: John 14:15 “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” What a shock to some - the measure of your love for Him is your obedience. Also, we are commanded to love Him with our entire being. Not just with an outward, rote following, but with a submitted attitude of the heart. Matthew 22:37 “And He said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’” We walk in covenant (covenant love) when we are obedient to him, which is also an indicator of our salvation: 1 John 3:24 “And the one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And we know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.” James 1:12 “Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which {the Lord} has promised to those who love Him.” Therefore, for those who so prove their love for Him, walking in covenant with Him, they can expect Him to work on their behalf, especially when things get tough. He will protect, He will provide, He will get them through and bring to pass all that’s been prophesied to come, much like Abraham in Genesis 22. Romans 8:28 “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to {His} purpose” Genesis 22:16-17 “and said, ‘By Myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son, indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens, and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies.’”

LUKEWARM  Based on scripture, lukewarm is definitely one thing a Christian doesn’t want to be, especially when reading the letter to the church of Laodicea in Revelation 3:17-18: Revelation 3:14-18 “And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this: ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I would that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire, that you may become rich, and white garments, that you may clothe yourself, and {that} the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes, that you may see.”’ “Lukewarmness” is actually a characteristic that is opposite of the commitment required by covenant. Jesus laid down his life for us and we are expected to have the same level of commitment to Him. Matthew 22:37-38 “And He said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and foremost commandment.’” In addition, we are to be totally committed to one another, willing to die for one another and, therefore even to a lesser degree, give all if necessary to meet the need of a brother in Christ. 1 John 3:16-17 “We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has the world's goods, and beholds his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?” There is to be oneness, love, and caring one for another that comes from the unity and commitment attained in covenant - one that the world would notice and be favorably impacted. John 17:21 “that they may all be one; even as Thou, Father, {art} in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be in Us; that the world may believe that Thou didst send Me.”

MAMMON Mammon is a transliteration of the Aramaic word mammon, which means wealth, riches, or earthly goods. It is an idol that can easily capture the hearts of men and cause them to make choices that put them in opposition to God. In fact, the Bible warns that we must choose between God and this idol: Luke 16:13 “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other, or else he will hold to one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” Money (wealth) by itself is not evil, but it has the ability to turn a person’s heart from the Lord. Those who have a strong attachment to and desire for money open the doors to foolish temptations that can have disastrous consequences. 1 Timothy 6:9-10 “But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith, and pierced themselves with many a pang.” When money becomes so important, like any other idol, it starts to control us. It becomes our friend in place of God. James 4:4 “You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” It can cause you to turn from God in your heart and, like the Pharisees, not even want to hear the truth. Luke 16: 14 “Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, were listening to all these things, and they were scoffing at Him.” Since this idol can have such a powerful effect on man, it is something that all will often be tested in; a Mammon test. Basically, it tries to get you to compromise and choose wealth/finances over righteousness in daily choices – making us back off from what we know is right because it is more financially advantageous. Luke 16:11 “If therefore you have not been faithful in the {use of} unrighteous mammon, who will entrust the true {riches} to you?”

MAN PLEASING  A common problem today, and a tendency for most people, is man pleasing. It must be noted that we are to please our authorities through our submission and commitment to do the best job. We are also to prefer others in love. But, man pleasing is something all together different. It is a heart/motivation issue where we play up to people to ingratiate them to us or bend to their desire (compromise) when it might conflict with what we know is right. Rejection seems epidemic in our society and with the rise of rejection, man pleasing rises in direct proportion. This need for people to say or do the thing that will make them more acceptable can also set them at odds with God. Galatians 1:10 “For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.” Everything we do should be for the audience of One (Colossians 3:16), which won’t make us popular with the world. In fact, it will cause us to be in conflict with the world (Matthew 5:11-12). Saul sought to please men doing most of what God required, but not all. He didn’t follow the Lord’s direction fully (1 Samuel 15:24) and it cost him. God could not trust him. That’s why the Lord had removed the kingdom from him and his descendants (1 Samuel 13:13). Our everyday compromises arising out of the fear of men can cost us, as well. When the Lord sees us faithful, even in the little things (Luke 16:10), He will promote us and use us. We are the clay in the potter’s hand and He wants us to let Him mold us. If not, we can face a similar fate to Saul’s – we can become spoiled and have to be used somewhere else. Jeremiah 18:4 “But the vessel that he was making of clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter; so he remade it into another vessel, as it pleased the potter to make.” Abraham on the other hand was not one to compromise. When God told him to sacrifice his most valued possession, he did not hesitate. The Lord knew He could trust him and would, therefore, bring about all He had previously told Abraham. Genesis 22:16-17 “and said, ‘By Myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son, indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens, and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies.’”

MARRIAGE Marriage is a covenant and as covenant people, we are expected to be faithful to our covenant vows, just like we know our covenant God is faithful to his covenant promises. Because it is a blood covenant, it is enforced until the death of the one who made it (Hebrews 9:16-17). That’s why God hates divorce, according to Malachi 2:16. Therefore, in marriage, the man and woman become one (Genesis 2:24) and no one may separate them. Matthew 19:5-6 “and said, ‘For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and the two shall become one flesh’? Consequently they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.” There are very few legitimate reasons for divorce, with adultery being the obvious one. Matthew 19:9 “And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.” Marriage is supposed to be a picture of Jesus and the church, where the man is the head and the wife is submitted to Him; a picture of the body of Christ submitting to the Lord. Ephesians 5:23-24 “For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself {being} the Savior of the body. But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives {ought to be} to their husbands in everything.” That’s why women are to respect their husbands (Ephesians 5:33) and, when necessary, appeal to them in a quiet gentle manner. Meanwhile, men are to love their wives and receive and honor them as fellow heirs. 1 Peter 3:1-2 “In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any {of them} are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives, as they observe your chaste and respectful behavior.” 1 Peter 3:7 “You husbands likewise, live with {your wives} in an understanding way, as with a weaker vessel, since she is a woman; and grant her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.”

MEDITATE  To know God, Christians should read (actually meditate) on the Word every day. Unfortunately, there is a tendency to turn reading every day into more of a religious exercise than a spiritual discipline. This is because reading the Bible often leads to a lower level of comprehension and understanding than is intended, which is not effective for changing one’s life. The Bible itself indicates we are to meditate. Psalm 1:1-3 “How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. And he will be like a tree {firmly} planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers.” The word meditate in the Greek translates to utter, muse, meditate, ponder. The implication is to contemplate over and over. This is very similar to the picture of a cow chewing the cud. In this process, the cow chews the same thing over and over again until it is ready to digest. So, it is with meditating on scripture; the more we ponder over it, the more it becomes life (a part of us). This is further implied in Deuteronomy: Deuteronomy 6:6-9 “And these words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart; and you shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. And you shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” According to these verses, we should be constantly mindful of the Word, applying it to each of our everyday experiences; and we should especially use these experiences as a teaching opportunity for our children. To do this, we have to be ever mindful of the Word and see everything we do as somehow relating to scripture. At times, the Bible will explain to you why you experienced what you did; at other times, the experiences will show you what the Bible really means in verses that were previously a mystery to you. The Bible is our source, our benchmark, our guide. Only by understanding the world through the looking glass of the Word of God will we avoid the pitfalls of the world, and the irregularities of life will make much more sense.

MONEY God gives us the ability to make wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18). Money can be a real blessing (Deuteronomy 28:1-13) of God, but if not handled with a good heart, it can mislead and control people that are not completely sold out to the Lord. 1 Timothy 6:10 “For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith, and pierced themselves with many a pang.” Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” Knowing that too much comfort and ease can easily corrupt a man, God warns us many times over not to let it turn our hearts away from Him. Revelation 3:17 “Because you say, ‘I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,’ and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,” Deuteronomy 8:13-14 “and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and gold multiply, and all that you have multiplies, then your heart becomes proud, and you forget the LORD your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.” Money is good and powerful and can be used to finance God’s kingdom work, but it also can be a true litmus test of someone’s qualification for kingdom work. Luke 16:11 “If therefore you have not been faithful in the {use of} unrighteous mammon, who will entrust the true {riches} to you?” In the end, God’s Word says that whoever has money is to be poised to be ready to use it wherever needed for kingdom work, and to meet the needs of kingdom people. 1 Timothy 6:17-18 “Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. {Instruct them} to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share,”

NARROW WAY In our culture, we want everything quick and easy. This fights biblical reality, which indicates we are living in the midst of a war and, as a result, must often fight spiritual battles to move on to where God wants to take us. Some trying to appeal to what pleases people, rather than what pleases God, are teaching a different gospel. In hopes of getting and keeping people so they can have a large ministry or church, they will tell people only what they want to hear. This sounds like what is described in Second Timothy about the last days: 2 Timothy 4:3 “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but {wanting} to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires;” This type of teaching is a gospel of the broad way as opposed to the gospel Jesus preached – a gospel of the narrow way: Matthew 7:13-14 “Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it. For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it.” The word narrow (verse 14) has a different meaning from the same English word narrow in the previous verse. This word in Greek means to press hard because of persecution and affliction. So, the way to life is hard and not easy, and we must count the cost if we are going to walk like Him (Luke 14: 26-35). Matthew 10:22 “And you will be hated by all on account of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.” John 15:18 “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before {it hated} you.” The devil will fight all we do for God (in His Name), especially by using the world and the religious church to thwart us. Immature, ignorant Christians that do not understand this truth will fall away if they aren’t properly discipled. Mark 4:17 “and they have no {firm} root in themselves, but are {only} temporary; then, when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they fall away.”

NEW CREATURE  When we are born again, we are transferred from the domain of darkness and are delivered into the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ (Colossians 1:13). We are no longer the same person, as we see differently (John 3:30) and are being transformed (Romans 12:2) into the image of our Lord. 2 Corinthians 5:16-17 “Therefore from now on we recognize no man according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know {Him} {thus} no longer. Therefore if any man is in Christ, {he is} a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” We are a spiritual being, our spirit regenerated by the Holy Spirit (John 3:6), and are being led by the Spirit in all endeavors. Therefore, we are no longer to see according to the flesh nor fight flesh and blood, but will recognize the real battle and war is on a spiritual plane. Ephesians 6:12 “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual {forces} of wickedness in the heavenly {places.}” There is no partiality with God, because He sees us all as equal. There are no longer any restrictions placed on us, as is the case in the natural world, because we are not of the world (John 17:16). There is no preference either by gender, nationality or any other natural distinction. God looks at the heart. Romans 2:28-29 “For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly; neither is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God.” We are spiritual and our inheritance is spiritual, as we are sons of Abraham who is the father of faith. Galatians 3:26-29 “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.”

NOT AGAINST FLESH AND BLOOD  The devil is very sly in the spiritual warfare we face. One of the things he tries to get us to do is focus on the natural. This would cause us to miss what’s going on behind the scenes in the spiritual – what the devil is really doing. That’s why the scripture tells us not to battle with flesh and blood. Ephesians 6:12 “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual {forces} of wickedness in the heavenly {places.}” When we put our eyes on people being the problem, we totally miss the real war as we fight with our neighbor. The Bible says, for instance, in Revelation 12:10 that the devil accuses day and night. None of us actually see the devil accusing us. The face we see is our neighbor, relative, etc., who the devil is working through to pull us down. Satan wants us to take offense and have unforgiveness and bitterness towards other Christians, so we see them as the problem. Worse yet, is the fact that when we do this, we put ourselves at odds with God – in a place of not being forgiven (Matthew 6:14-15), as well as out of covenant with the brother who is in covenant with God (I John 4:20-21). 1 John 4:20-21 “If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also.” We are to be restorers (Galatians 6:1) and to function in that capacity that we shouldn’t take offense in the first place. We should forgive automatically so that our love will cover a multitude of sins. James 5:19-20 “My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth, and one turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death, and will cover a multitude of sins.” Additionally, when a brother does sin against you or anyone else, you should forgive him right away. If not, you will not be able to go to him with the right heart – one that wants to restore (Galatians 6:1) rather than one that wants to merely confront. Matthew 18:15 “And if your brother sins, go and reprove him in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother.”

NOT OF THIS WORLD  The Word of God is pretty clear that Christians are not of this world (John 17:14). But, we are spirit (John 3:6) and are part of the Lord’s kingdom (John 18:36), having been delivered from the domain of darkness. This does not mean we are not to be here or have no purpose. In fact, we were sent here with a purpose out of the love of God as His representatives. John 17:18 “As Thou didst send Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.” 2 Corinthians 5:18-20 “Now all {these} things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were entreating through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” The world has been taken over by the evil one (1 John 5:19) who has deceived the inhabitants and have them bound in darkness (2 Corinthians 4:4). We are the Lord’s ambassadors to break the power of the evil one (John 3:8). However, we must be careful not to be conformed to the world. Do not get caught up in the ways or systems of the world, for you either love God or love the world. Romans 12:2 “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” 1 John 2:15 “Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” We are set apart and are to be the light of the world (Matthew 5:16), a peculiar people, a holy priesthood (1 Peter 2:9). This is not easy because we are God’s temple; the devil hates us and will cause the world to persecute us. Matthew 5:10-11 “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when {men} cast insults at you, and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, on account of Me.”

OBEDIENCE  Obedience is the key to being a good Christian and walking uprightly in the kingdom of God. We abide in Him (in covenant) when we obey His commandments and will bear much kingdom fruit. 1 John 3:24 “And the one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And we know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.” John 15:5-6 “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch, and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.” Walking in disobedience puts one outside of the will of God and in agreement with the devil, who is the author of rebellion. 1 Samuel 15:23 “For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry.” If we allow the Spirit of God to lead us (Romans 8:14), God can grow us and use us for the purpose He intended for us (Ephesians 2:10). He calls us His fellow workers (I Corinthians 3:9). Obedience indicates we love God (John 14:15); shows we trust Him (James 2:17); relates to our health (Exodus 15:26) and the fear of the Lord (Exodus 20:20); and is proof we are truly a friend of God (John 15:14). It is through and because of our obedience the Lord will bless us: Deuteronomy 28:2 “And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you will obey the LORD your God.” James 1:25 “But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the {law} of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man shall be blessed in what he does.” The Lord frowns on disobedience (rebellion) and in the end will judge those who do not repent for it. Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven.”

OPEN DOORS  Christians talk about “doors” opening up to them and it is true that doors of opportunity do open at times. However, there seems to be some misunderstanding about who actually can open and close a door for us and if we are to jump every time we think we see something we want to do. Revelation 3:8 “I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name.” If He has put an open door there, no one can shut it. Many times, opportunities pass us by and we blame our husband, boss, pastor, or any number of others for closing a door or holding us back so we can’t go through it. He can change anyone’s mind or heart, including a king’s (Proverbs 21:1). Other doors can be opened that aren’t God. The devil tried to open an easy door for Jesus to take control of the world (Matthew 4:8-10), but Jesus recognized the ploy. Our own desires and ambitions can cause us to try to make things happen or jump at opportunities that aren’t God - we have to discern and be as wise as serpents (Matthew 10:16). The only one who can shut a door on us that God opens or wants to open is ourselves. Sometimes our fear or unbelief can keep us from stepping out and walking through the open door. This equates to disobedience and is not pleasing to the Lord, as in the case of the slave holding on to the one talent. Matthew 25:25-26 “And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground; see, you have what is yours. But his master answered and said to him, ‘You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I scattered no {seed.}’” At other times, we may not have a prophecy come to pass or a door open due to outright disobedience or rebellion, causing God to change His mind. Jeremiah 18:9-10 “Or at another moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to build up or to plant {it;} if it does evil in My sight by not obeying My voice, then I will think better of the good with which I had promised to bless it.” In any event, we are under obligation to walk upright before Him to prove to Him that He can trust us; much like Abraham had to do in Genesis 22. Once he passed the test about his son, the Lord felt released to bring to pass what had already been promised (implying it was conditional to start with).

OPPOSING GOD  Many Christians have difficulties in their lives and can’t understand why. They can’t reach God and there’s not the favor of God others seem to be walking in. The truth is there may be issues between them and God that they are not totally aware of. Jesus said in Matthew 12:30 that he who is not with Him is against Him; many people are not totally agreeing with Him as much as they think. In Jeremiah 15 (amplified) for instance, the Lord admonishes the prophet, saying that he will have to give up the unworthy and unwarranted suspicions concerning God’s faithfulness if he wants to be God’s mouthpiece. Such suspicions, accusations, or judgments against God are commonplace, with many arising out of past hurts, disappointments or losses that seemed unfair or that God should have prevented. These must be identified and dealt with if we are to walk in all God has for us, as it says in Amos 3:3: Amos 3:3 “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” (KJV) This includes all implied judgments against God, which arise from our judgments of ourselves, the church, women/men, and the fivefold ministers. These types of judgments include a judgment of their Maker (who doesn’t make a mistake) for not making a very good thing when He made them. In addition, when we are rebellious, hate authority or despise prophecy, we despise (or oppose) God, who is the author of all authority and is the same as His Word. Romans 13:1-2 “Let every person be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore he who resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves.” 1 Thessalonians 5:19-20 “Do not quench the Spirit; do not despise prophetic utterances.” Other areas where we can oppose God include: 1. Suicidal thoughts or attempts – these are rebellious against God and His purpose for us 2. Choosing things over God (idolatry), which includes money as indicated in Matthew 6:24 3. Not honoring God with our sacrifices, which includes not giving Him our best or what He really deserves (Malachi 1:6-8).

PERSECUTION  The word persecution in the Greek is translated to be mistreated, to make one run or flee, or to drive away. In the book of Acts, we see that persecution is what drove the disciples from Jerusalem to the rest of the world with the Gospel. Acts 8:1 “And Saul was in hearty agreement with putting him to death. And on that day a great persecution arose against the church in Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.” Acts 11:19 “So then those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose in connection with Stephen made their way to Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except to Jews alone.” It is logical to expect the devil to resist all efforts to exalt the name of Jesus in any way, especially when it threatens to turn the lost from the domain of darkness to the kingdom of our Lord (Colossians 1:13). Persecution is not necessarily something someone seeks after, but it is something that should be expected and experienced if we look, like, or sound anything like Jesus. Matthew 5:10-11 “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are you when {men} cast insults at you, and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, on account of Me.” Notice, also, that persecution is more narrowly defined here as occurring because of a stand for righteousness or anything associated directly associated with His Name. This is not only a good thing, but something that makes us blessed. However, this can only happen when we put Him and His kingdom first - that is truly becoming a disciple of His. John 15:20 “Remember the word that I said to you, 'A slave is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also.” We are also enjoined to accept persecution as a fact and not wrestle (Ephesians 6:12) with those through whom the persecution comes. Matthew 5:44 “But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you.”

PERVERSION The terms perverse, perversity and perversion are used to describe one’s heart, mouth, thoughts, or actions, although in our culture, we associate this word primarily with aberrant sexual behavior. The meaning of these words are to distort, twist, crook, pervert. Any lie, therefore, is a perversion of the truth, and since the devil is the father of lies (John 8:44) and is the deceiver, he is behind perversions of all kinds. The devil twists the truth, hoping to deceive with a partial truth that will mislead those who aren’t careful to discern or aren’t well grounded in the Word of God. Many hold on to traditions that invalidate the Word (Mark 7:13), are controlled by others’ convictions (Romans 14:23), and/or are led astray by the devil’s counterfeits, such as false prophets, teachers, etc. 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their deeds.” The intent of the devil is to turn a person away from the Lord, or keep those who don’t know Him ignorant of His ways. Proverbs 11:20 “The perverse in heart are an abomination to the LORD, but the blameless in {their} walk are His delight.” That’s why it’s extremely important to know the truth (John 8:31-32), learn to take every thought captive (2 Corinthians 10:3-5), and be a Berean to examine every thing we hear or see each day. Acts 17:10-11 “And the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea; and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily, {to see} whether these things were so.” This is especially important in these last days when sound doctrine will not be tolerated and people will want others to tell them what they want to hear. 2 Timothy 4:3 “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but {wanting} to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires;”

POWER  The power that the first century church in the book of Acts and Jesus walked in is not something that has run its course, but something for us today, as well. In the beginning of the book of Acts, it says that the disciples were to wait for the power on high, and then they would be the Lord’s witnesses. This basically indicates they were qualified to represent Jesus once they had power. Acts 1:8 “but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” This is confirmed by the Apostle Paul, who certainly walked in miracle power, who indicated it was supposed to be a kingdom expectation. He demonstrated what he taught, not trying merely to persuade others. 1 Corinthians 4:20 “For the kingdom of God does not consist in words, but in power.” 1 Corinthians 2:4 “And my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,” The word for power here is interesting; it is the Greek word dunamis, from which our word dynamite comes. It means miraculous power, implying miracle-working power. Jesus obviously walked in this kind of power and indicated that the disciples (and us) would do what He did and even greater things! John 14:12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater {works} than these shall he do; because I go to the Father.” This is further attested to in the New Testament when Jesus spoke to His disciples in Mark 16. He specifically said that the power of God and the power to push back the gates of hell was not just for Him, His disciples, or for the fivefold ministry, but for all believers. Mark 16:17-18 “And these signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly {poison,} it shall not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

PRAYERS NOT HEARD  Somehow many Christians have been deceived by believing God hears all the prayers of Christians and will respond favorably. Unfortunately, this is far from the truth. When we violate Biblical principle, we can place ourselves in a position that our prayer is not answered (or even heard). Read Matthew 7:2 for instance: Matthew 7:2 “For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.” An example of this is the person who is asking the Lord for mercy. If that person hasn’t been merciful (measured mercy) to others, how can he expect the Lord to measure mercy to him? In 1 Peter 3:7, the Lord indicates a husband hinders his prayers by not treating his wife correctly (honoring her, for example). In Matthew 6:14-15, the Lord says that if we don’t forgive, we are not forgiven. Therefore, our prayers of confession, in essence, fall on deaf ears. Elsewhere, in Isaiah 1, the Lord says he won’t listen to the prayers of those in Sodom, even though they have made elaborate sacrifices trying to entreat God. Why? It was because of their sin and the fact their hands were covered with blood. Isaiah 1:13-16 “Bring your worthless offerings no longer, incense is an abomination to me. New moon and sabbath, the calling of assemblies-- I cannot endure iniquity and the solemn assembly. I hate your new moon {festivals} and your appointed feasts, they have become a burden to me. I am weary of bearing {them.} So when you spread out your hands {in prayer,} I will hide My eyes from you, yes, even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood. Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from My sight. Cease to do evil,” One of the most well known verses having to do with prayer says that God will hear us when we humble ourselves and turn from our sin. 2 Chronicles 7:14 “and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

PROPHECY  The Bible is clear that spiritual gifts are distributed to each of us by the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:7 “But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” 1 Corinthians 12:11 “But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.” It is evident that the disciples, after going through the upper room experience, walked in a new dimension of the Spirit, including operating in the gifts of the Spirit, tongues, prophecy, miracles, etc. They set the pace for the first century Christians and us, as well. Paul even says in 1 Corinthians 14:1 that we are to earnestly desire spiritual gifts and especially to prophesy. Speaking specifically about prophecy, Acts clearly indicates it is for today and for all of us. Acts 2:17-18 “‘And it shall be in the last days,’ God says, ‘That I will pour forth of My Spirit upon all mankind; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; Even upon My bondslaves, both men and women, I will in those days pour forth of My Spirit and they shall prophesy.’” Jezebel killed the prophets while many others suffered a similar fate as they tried to bring God’s Word to a stiff-necked people in different generations. Even today, the devil hates prophecy and doesn’t want the testimony of Jesus in the Church (Revelation 19:10). He especially doesn’t want Christians edified, exhorted, or consoled, which is why the Holy Spirit gives it. 1 Corinthians 14:3 “But one who prophesies speaks to men for edification and exhortation and consolation.” 1 Corinthians 14 gives the basic pattern to make sure order is maintained when prophecy does begin to flow in a body or assembly. For example, prophets or those prophesying are to maintain control of themselves and not burst forth with words whenever they want (verse 32); all prophecy is judged/examined for accuracy (verse 29); and all who prophesy are to do it in an orderly fashion, one by one ( verse 31). Remember, God is a God of order, not of confusion (verse 33).

PURPOSE  We have a purpose in God, which sets against the very intent of the devil. Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8) and made us His fellow workers. 1 Corinthians 3:9 “For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building.” In truth, the devil is not directly at war with Jesus, because Jesus soundly defeated him at the cross. The devil’s intent is to stop us in an attempt to foil God’s purpose that He is bringing about through us. Colossians 2:15 “When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.” We not only have a purpose, but we were planned ahead of time to come at just the right time and place to fulfill our purpose. We were no evolutionary accident, nor were we born of the will of man, but the will of God (John 1: 13). Ephesians 2:10 “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Acts 17:26 “and He made from one, every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined {their} appointed times, and the boundaries of their habitation,” The Lord has also anointed us, given us authority for us to carry out our individual missions, and commanded us to go to the nations; Luke 10:19 “Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall injure you.” Acts 1:8 “but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” Matthew 28:19-20 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

REAL ISRAEL  There seems to be quite a controversy in the church about who, in fact, is Israel. Some think it is natural Israel, some think it is the church, while others say it is a combination of the two. The Bible makes it clear in several scriptures, although depending upon one’s religious background, it may be difficult to hear the truth on this sometimes heated issue. Romans 9:6-8 “But {it is} not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are {descended} from Israel; neither are they all children because they are Abraham's descendants, but: ‘through Isaac your descendants will be named.’ That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants.” This scripture appears to succinctly define the issue. God, in the New Testament, under the new covenant, is not referring to natural Israel, but to the children of promise. The question is then, who are the children of promise? Galatians chapter three speaks to this: Galatians 3:28-29 “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.” As you can see the promises of Abraham go to his spiritual heirs, those who have accepted Jesus. It has nothing to do with race, nationality, gender, etc., because in Christ, we are new creatures. The new creature being the spiritual Jew, who may have been either a Jew or a Gentile in the natural, but is neither now that they are in Jesus. 2 Corinthians 5:16-17 “Therefore from now on we recognize no man according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know {Him} {thus} no longer. Therefore if any man is in Christ, {he is} a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” Galatians 3:7-9 “Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, {saying} ‘All the nations shall be blessed in you.’” So then, those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer.

REPENTANCE  Repentance is a very important principle that is greatly misunderstood and therefore, greatly abused. Repentance is not just confessing or acknowledging you were wrong (I’m sorry is not good enough). It is a deep regret for what you have done; a realization you have been wrong before God and may have hurt others. As a result, there is a heartfelt commitment not to continue or repeat the sin or action. It follows, then, that you won’t rationalize what you did or in any way blame others for your sin. It also follows that you will do what ever it takes to get right with God and make it right with others, especially if you have hurt or offended them. Psalm 51:17 “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise.” 2 Corinthians 7:9-10 “I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to {the point of} repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to {the will of} God, in order that you might not suffer loss in anything through us. For the sorrow that is according to {the will of} God produces a repentance without regret, {leading} to salvation; but the sorrow of the world produces death.” The word for repentance in the Greek is metanoia, which means a change of mind (heart), a reversal, to think differently. So, repentance is a brokenness of heart that brings about an outward change in attitude and action. That’s why John the Baptist said in Luke 3:8 to bring forth fruit in keeping with repentance. There can be a confession without repentance that can be deceiving, since there may be an outward appearance of contrition. However, the real test is whether the person has actually changed and no longer exhibits the sinful behavior, or at least is actively engaged in battling to overcome it. A truly repentant person admits wrongdoing regardless of the situation. There is no hedging by blaming others or justifying themselves in any way. They are not concerned what people think, so they will do whatever is necessary to rectify the problem or make restitution, if the situation calls for that. We can’t sin intentionally and presume on the kindness of God to grant us repentance (Romans 2:4). Esau sought repentance with tears and didn’t receive it. Hebrews 12:17 “For you know that even afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears.”

RESTITUTION There is a scriptural pattern of restitution that is enumerated in the Old Testament, with some evidence in the New Testament. Restitution involves restoring to the rightful owner something that has been taken away, stolen, lost or surrendered. Leviticus 6:1-5 “Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ‘When a person sins and acts unfaithfully against the LORD, and deceives his companion in regard to a deposit or a security entrusted {to him} or through robbery, or {if} he has extorted from his companion, or has found what was lost and lied about it and sworn falsely, so that he sins in regard to any one of the things a man may do; then it shall be, when he sins and becomes guilty, that he shall restore what he took by robbery, or what he got by extortion, or the deposit which was entrusted to him, or the lost thing which he found, or anything about which he swore falsely; he shall make restitution for it in full, and add to it one-fifth more. He shall give it to the one to whom it belongs on the day {he presents} his guilt offering.’” There are other references, too. A stolen sheep was to be repaid with four sheep (Exodus 22:1). For every breach of trust, whether involving an animal or another possession, the guilty party was required to pay double (Exodus 22:9). Slander against a woman by her new husband resulted in a 100 shekel fine (Deuteronomy 22:17-18). The person harmed was reimbursed for the loss and in some cases compensated over and above the loss. In the New Testament, the term restitution is not mentioned, but the idea of restitution is seen in the story of Zaccheus, a tax collector. Luke 19:8-9 “And Zaccheus stopped and said to the Lord, ‘Behold, Lord, half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham.’” Notice that Zaccheus just had an encounter with Jesus and was about to accompany him to his house. His comments were not made out of necessity or with anyone’s prompting. He wanted to make restitution four-fold to anyone he had defrauded. This was the heart of someone who had just become a true son of Abraham, evidently prompted the Spirit to make restitution. So, we too must be alert to make restitution if our sin has defrauded anyone – whether the loss involved a possession, one’s reputation, or a financial loss.

RETURN EVIL FOR GOOD  In the book of Proverbs, there is a very powerful verse that can have a devastating effect on people’s lives if they aren’t aware of how this principle could bring negative consequences. The verse is Proverbs 17:13: Proverbs 17:13 “He who returns evil for good, evil will not depart from his house.” While this is a short verse, the obvious impact on someone’s life could be large. There are no apparent conditions, so the verse must stand as is and mean exactly what it appears to mean. One obvious example of this principle is when Saul became jealous of the people attributing more slain to David than to himself (1 Samuel 18:7). Immediately, he became suspicious of David. An evil spirit from the Lord came mightily upon him and he tried to kill David – returning evil for David laying down his life for his king and country in battle. 1 Samuel 18:10-11 “Now it came about on the next day that an evil spirit from God came mightily upon Saul, and he raved in the midst of the house, while David was playing {the harp} with his hand, as usual; and a spear {was} in Saul's hand. And Saul hurled the spear for he thought, ‘I will pin David to the wall.’ But David escaped from his presence twice.” Another example involves David’s wife, Michal. David had just successfully brought the Ark back into Jerusalem in the midst of much joy and celebration, which included David wildly dancing in the streets before the Lord. She despised him for the “show”, returning evil for him leading the people in praise and thanksgiving to the Lord. She became barren as a result. 1 Chronicles 15:29 “And it happened when the ark of the covenant of the LORD came to the city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window, and saw King David leaping and making merry; and she despised him in her heart.” 2 Samuel 6:23 “And Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death.” How do we return evil for good? This can be done in numerous ways. Should someone come seeking forgiveness, he is doing good; should you not forgive him in your heart, you are returning evil for his good intent. If someone is selected for a place or position and did an upright and honest job getting there, they did good. If you despise them for beating you out, you are doing evil. If you gossip about someone, spreading a lie without provocation, you return evil for good. These are only a few possible examples.

SCHEMES God created us with a purpose in mind (Ephesians 2:10), but the devil has other plans for us. Knowing we are supposed to be God’s vehicles (temples, 1 Corinthians 3:16) here on earth, the devil is attempting to stop us so he can hinder the kingdom of God here on earth. He has devised schemes (wiles in KJV) that are hidden, perpetrated, individualized, and destructive against each of us to thwart us finding and walking in our intended purpose. Ephesians 6:11-12 “Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual {forces} of wickedness in the heavenly {places.}” Notice that we are to be alert to the devil’s efforts, wise (Matthew 10:16) enough to identify and war against them in the spirit, and not be distracted by fighting flesh and blood (men). We must fully expose and understand these schemes so we won’t fall prey once we are delivered from them. Ephesians 5:13 “But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light.” The devil is relentless in his endeavors. He can’t let us be free, for we are here not only to hold back the gates of hell, but to break his power in the Name of Jesus. Matthew 16:18-19 “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Even if we discover his schemes and break free from their grasp, the devil will ever attempt to regain control of our lives. Just as he departed from Jesus in the desert, he will return at our weakest moments – so we must be ever alert and ever on guard. At our most inopportune (weakest) times – in the midst of our testing, afflictions, failures, and emotional traumas – he tries to take advantage and catch us totally off guard and unaware. Luke 4:13 “And when the devil had finished every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time.”

SELF PRESERVATION The Bible is very clear about what our priorities are to be – the kingdom is to be our first priority, even above our own desire; even possibly above our concerns for our own safety (Matthew 6:33). That’s why the devil will try to keep us focused on the natural and what we think is most important for us – especially protecting ourselves because we have been hurt or abused in the past. This is what is described in John 12 and is termed self-preservation. John 12:23-25 “And Jesus answered them, saying, ‘The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by itself alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. He who loves his life loses it; and he who hates his life in this world shall keep it to life eternal.’” Self preservation will cause people to pull away rather than being relational and involved in the church and kingdom business. Their concern for themselves overrides obedience and makes them see everything through the eyes of how it will affect them – in other words, it’s all about them. This tendency to isolate is addressed in Proverbs, most clearly in the amplified and NAS versions. Proverbs 18:1 “He who separates himself seeks {his own} desire, He quarrels against all sound wisdom.” (NAS) Because of hurtful past circumstances, the tendency is to look at present and future events through the eyes of the past. In accordance with Luke 9:62, this makes one not fit (translated in the Greek not in place or ready for use) for the kingdom of God. Luke 9:62 “But Jesus said to him, ‘No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.’” Self preservation will keep one from being open and trusting anyone. This prevents healthy relationships and hinders spiritual growth and ministering to others. They won’t be able to encourage (Hebrews 10:24-25), function in their gifts (1 Corinthians 12:7), nor be the asset to the body of Christ they were designed to be. Ephesians 4:16 “from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by that which every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.”

SEX  The Bible has many references to sex and sexual behavior, especially improper behavior. The Song of Solomon, which is a picture of Christ and His bride, has many sensual references that show the closeness of the relationship in terms of the intimacy in the natural between a man and a woman. In other places, there are references to fornication and adultery – even incest and rape (2 Samuel 13:1-14). The Bible is very clear on the subject of sexual immorality, regardless of the permissiveness that has arisen in our society. It is a sin and we are to flee from it, much like Joseph did when confronted by Potiphar’s wife (Genesis 39: 7-12). 1 Corinthians 6:14-20 “Now God has not only raised the Lord, but will also raise us up through His power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take away the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? May it never be! Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a harlot is one body {with her} For He says, ‘The two will become one flesh.’ But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit {with Him.} Flee immorality. Every {other} sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.” Regarding marriage, the Bible is clear that it is a covenant relationship and, therefore, neither spouse is to withhold themselves from their partner. 1 Corinthians 7:3-5 “Let the husband fulfill his duty to his wife, and likewise also the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband {does} and likewise also the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife {does.} Stop depriving one another, except by agreement for a time that you may devote yourselves to prayer, and come together again lest Satan tempt you because of your lack of self-control.” The scriptures are vague about permissible sexual behavior in the marriage bed. Without specific guidance, one’s own conscience has to be listened to, as well as the conscience of one’s spouse. Hebrews 13:4 “{Let} marriage {be held} in honor among all, and let the {marriage} bed {be} undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge.”

SHEEP The Bible often mentions sheep and many times this refers to people. Those who have the Lord (born again) have the Good Shepherd. Those who do not know the Good Shepherd are lost sheep without a shepherd. Mark 6:34 “And when He went ashore, He saw a great multitude, and He felt compassion for them because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and He began to teach them many things.” The Bible clearly defines what the characteristics are of true spiritual sheep. Much like natural sheep, they recognize their shepherd’s voice and obediently follow wherever he leads. They do not give credence to a stranger’s voice, because they are familiar with the shepherd and therefore will follow him only. So, there is a clear differentiation between a sheep and who He calls My sheep. John 10:27-28 "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand.” John 10:4 “When he puts forth all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.” This is in agreement with what the Word says about Christians in the book of Romans: Romans 8:14 “For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” Sons of God are not all those who claim to be Christians, but those who bow the knee and let Jesus be Lord. This is in agreement with the true confession of both the heart and mind when we are truly born again. Romans 10:9 “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus {as} Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved;” A true sheep or a son of God is in covenant with the Lord because he follows (or is led), which indicates he is a true friend of God. John 15:14 “You are My friends, if you do what I command you.”

SHEPHERDS All leaders are shepherds to some extent, but pastors and elders particularly are shepherds over the people in their care (Hebrews 13:17). The Lord is so concerned about the welfare of those He died for, that He has appointed His representatives who will also lay down their lives for His flock. Acts 20:28 “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.” King David, who was a man after God’s own heart, realized, as a leader, that it wasn’t all about him personally. He knew it was all about God’s people – the reason he was exalted and established as king by God. 2 Samuel 5:12 “And David realized that the LORD had established him as king over Israel, and that He had exalted his kingdom for the sake of His people Israel.” In Ezekiel 34, the Lord strongly warns shepherds about abusing and dominating His sheep, and verbally chastened them for not caring for the sheep and their needs. Ezekiel 34:2-4 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and say to those shepherds, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, ‘Woe, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flock? You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat {sheep} without feeding the flock. Those who are sickly you have not strengthened, the diseased you have not healed, the broken you have not bound up, the scattered you have not brought back, nor have you sought for the lost; but with force and with severity you have dominated them.’” Note also the job description of the fivefold ministry, which specifically includes pastors: Ephesians 4:11-12 “And He gave some {as} apostles, and some {as} prophets, and some {as} evangelists, and some {as} pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;” The Greek word katartismos, used here for equipping (or perfecting in KJV), means to train, but also to restore/heal.

SPIRITUAL ADULTERY  The standard of righteousness is higher than our culture would accommodate. Jesus often redefined or better defined Old Testament standards in His teachings with His “but I say unto you” comments. This can be easily seen when He was talking about adultery in the Sermon on the Mount. Matthew 5:27-28 “You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery'; but I say to you, that everyone who looks on a woman to lust for her has committed adultery with her already in his heart.” Notice that the determination is not limited to a physical involvement, but rather the intent in the heart. This is consistent with marriage being a covenant, where one totally gives him or herself (all he or she is) away – and what was theirs now totally belongs to another. 1 Corinthians 7:2-5 “But because of immoralities, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. Let the husband fulfill his duty to his wife, and likewise also the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband {does} and likewise also the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife {does.} Stop depriving one another, except by agreement for a time that you may devote yourselves to prayer, and come together again lest Satan tempt you because of your lack of self-control.” Therefore, the spouse owns the body of his/her partner and is, technically, defrauded or robbed if the body is given to another. However, we also know that covenant involves everything we are and possess, which includes the heart. In our covenant with the Lord (Matthew 22:37), He wants us to give Him everything, including our heart. In our marriages, our hearts must also be toward our spouses and not toward any other. Even desiring another’s wife/husband is considered being unfaithful, just as tying yourself emotionally to someone other than your spouse. While married, if you give yourself physically (or intend to) or emotionally to anyone else, you are technically an adulterer. So, becoming emotionally dependent, focusing your attention on, or wanting someone else dilutes the bond or unity within a marriage and is termed spiritual adultery. No one is allowed to take the place reserved for the spouse unless that partner dies. Even divorce doesn’t really release someone, unless it was due to physical adultery, which is biblical grounds for divorce (and even remarriage, if desired).

SPIRITUAL WITCHCRAFT  Spiritual witchcraft is a form of witchcraft that is very prevalent, even in the church. Most that are guilty have no idea that they are operating in a form of witchcraft. They get people to do what they want by manipulating them. This can vary in intensity from the cult leader who has absolute control over those in his cult to the person who dominates another - husband over his wife, parent over a child, a “friend” over someone passive and fearful. The devil controls, forces, and dominates to get us to do what he wants. This can be seen in such things as sexual, drug, and alcohol addictions, as well as less obvious areas like uncontrolled eating, pornography addictions or habitual lying. He wants to control us instead of the Holy Spirit leading us. Although the Lord wants us to do what He wants or directs, He doesn’t force us, but instead gives us a choice – to choose life or death. Deuteronomy 30:19 “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants,” Examples of the most common forms of spiritual witchcraft include someone getting their way by: intimidating another to action with anger; making someone feel guilty enough to do something; seducing someone into action; or even a strong emotional display in an attempt to move another. The boss who, through fear, controls his employees or the mother who has beaten her daughter down through total domination are examples of this. The controlling person, in essence, becomes lord over the other, directing what they will do. This violates the scripture that says we are to take every thought captive and to be obedient to Jesus: 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. {We are} destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and {we are} taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,” The person being controlled by spiritual witchcraft will often exhibit some of or all of the characteristics normally associated with witchcraft. These include depression, confusion, fear, disorientation, and loss of vision. At the same time, there is often a soul tie established in these type situations that must be broken for the one under the influence of another to get free.

STEALING  The church has walked in darkness and has not seen the power and glory it once experienced in the first century. This is due to the devil’s stealing basic truths that have gone by the wayside over the centuries. That’s why he is described as a thief. John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy; I came that they might have life, and might have {it} abundantly.” Thus, the church suffered many losses, including the truth about fivefold ministries, healing, deliverance, baptism in the Holy Spirit, spiritual gifts, and even the truth about salvation through faith. He steals the truth by replacing it with something that looks and sounds good, yet is a lie; for he is the father of lies (John 8:44). Scripture meanings are twisted (perverted), some are only half quoted, and others ignored altogether. Hosea 4:6 “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being My priest. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.” Isaiah 5:13-14 “Therefore My people go into exile for their lack of knowledge; and their honorable men are famished, and their multitude is parched with thirst. Therefore Sheol has enlarged its throat and opened its mouth without measure; and Jerusalem's splendor, her multitude, her din {of revelry,} and the jubilant within her, descend {into it.}” The most deceptive part is that he steals what we are to have before we have a chance to receive it. In other words, he deprives us of what should be rightly ours. This is due to the deceptions that have been handed down from ages past. Mark 7:13 “{thus} invalidating the word of God by your tradition which you have handed down; and you do many things such as that.” Luke 12:39 “And be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be broken into.” Proverbs 6:30-31 “Men do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy himself when he is hungry; But when he is found, he must repay sevenfold; He must give all the substance of his house.” Proverbs 1:32 "For the waywardness of the naive shall kill them, and the complacency of fools shall destroy them.

STEWARDSHIP Stewardship is a divine principle that emphasizes our acceptance of responsibility for the possessions entrusted to us by someone else. We are all called to be stewards in the kingdom of God. We are to subdue the creation and have dominion over it as representatives of the Creator (Genesis 1:28). In Genesis 2:15, God put man in the Garden of Eden: Genesis 2:15 “Then the LORD God took the man and put him into the Garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it.” The word keep, here, is the Hebrew word shamar. It means to hedge around something to keep, to guard, to watch as a watchman, to protect. That is our responsibility – to keep what God has entrusted to us just as Adam was to keep the land. In Luke 12:42, Jesus refers to a steward, in this case a manager. Luke 12:42-43 “And the Lord said, ‘Who then is the faithful and sensible steward, whom his master will put in charge of his servants, to give them their rations at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes.’” Notice, however, in the very next verse he calls him a slave – the point being that, although he may have been a manager, he was still a slave in relation to the master. We too are stewards of what God has given us – our time, gifts, possessions, money, etc. – yet we are slaves of Him who is the Lord and owner of all things: Psalm 24:1 “The earth is the LORD'S, and all it contains, the world, and those who dwell in it.” Our time, talents and finances all belong to God. In fact, everything we have is from God; He has been generous to give us what we need and more. We must remember that all we have been “given” is really His and we will be answerable as to how we used it. It is incumbent upon us to use these things for the kingdom of God and the purposes that reflect favorably on Him (bring Him glory). Stewardship, therefore, is not just a responsibility or a principle; it is a way of life. Even our bodies are not our own: 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.”

SUBMISSION Since rebellion is abounding in these last days, especially in this country where “independence” is so highly extolled, it is not surprising that submission would be a problem to many. In addition, there is a misunderstanding regarding the difference between obedience and submission – they are not the same! Hebrews 13:17 “Obey your leaders, and submit {to them} for they keep watch over your souls, as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.” Notice the two are separate in this verse. Obedience is an outward response or action in accordance with our authorities’ instructions, whereas submission is the inward heart issue or attitude towards authority. We can be obedient in our actions while having a bad attitude; or we can agree to do something, but procrastinate and never get around to doing it. Both are rebellion. The Lord is concerned with our heart’s attitude in all things (1 Corinthians 4:4-5). We are to be obedient to Him from the heart (Matthew 22:37). It follows we would be expected to be obedient in the same way to those to whom He has delegated His authority – those in authority over us. This is a protection and limits the devil’s access to us. James 4:7 “Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” Additionally, when we posture our lives to submit in this way, we will prosper and the devil won’t be able to steal from us. Isaiah 1:19-20 “‘If you consent and obey, you will eat the best of the land; But if you refuse and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.’ Truly, the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” The Lord is looking for unconditional submission, but not necessarily unconditional obedience. We are always to be submitted to our authorities in our heart, but if our authorities ask us to do something that is sin or totally against scripture, we must obey God and not men. Acts 4:18-20 “And when they had summoned them, they commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said to them, ‘Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; for we cannot stop speaking what we have seen and heard.’”

TAXES  Tax is a subject of debate among some Christians. They feel it is unfair and even unchristian that they should have to pay taxes. Some claim the IRS has no legal authority to tax us and, therefore, feel freedom to avoid paying taxes wherever they can. Scripture addresses this subject: Romans 13:7 “Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax {is due;} custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.” It would seem only fair that everyone in a community or a nation would want to pay their fair share of taxes for the services that the community or nation provides. This may include roads to drive on, a military to protect us, and a multitude of others – not to exclude the salaries of those full time officials who work for us in different departments and levels of government. In fact, the Bible addresses this indicating we are to pay taxes to support them. Romans 13:3-6 “For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same; for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath upon the one who practices evil. Wherefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience' sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for {rulers} are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing.” Jesus himself evidently paid the appropriate taxes and, when tested by the Pharisees about the poll tax, he was quick to respond in Mark12: Mark 12:15-17 “‘Shall we pay, or shall we not pay?’ But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, ‘Why are you testing Me? Bring Me a denarius to look at.’ And they brought {one.} And He said to them, ‘Whose likeness and inscription is this?’ And they said to Him, ‘Caesar's.’ And Jesus said to them, ‘Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.’ And they were amazed at Him.” Although there doesn’t seem to be a lot of references to taxes, it can be safely argued that Jesus thought we were to be examples of good citizens and pay our share of taxes.

TEMPLE  The Old Testament is often a physical picture, even a foretelling of what was to come: first the natural then the spiritual (1 Corinthians 15:46). A good example of this is the temple, which housed the Ark of God. This is a picture of God’s intention for us, which we now experience – we are the temple of God and the Holy Spirit dwells within us. 1 Corinthians 3:16 “Do you not know that you are a temple of God, and {that} the Spirit of God dwells in you?” Notice here it says God lives in us and no longer in a box (Ark) or a building. This is designed to enable us to be led by the Spirit (Romans 8:14), to have all things disclosed to us (John 16:13), and to be taught as we go (1 John 2:27). 1 John 2:27 “And as for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.” Our bodies are special and something that we are to be of good stewards; not defiling through immorality (1 Corinthians 6:18), abuse in any way; not through excessive use of alcohol, food, or through any other practice that could harm it, like smoking. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.” 1 Corinthians 6:12-13 “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything. Food is for the stomach, and the stomach is for food; but God will do away with both of them. Yet the body is not for immorality, but for the Lord; and the Lord is for the body.” Our bodies (temples) are not bad, but good. We are God’s workmanship, created for good works (Ephesians 2:10). God makes no mistakes, so we must embrace all we are, including our own bodies and not be in disagreement with God about it. Romans 9:20 “On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, ‘Why did you make me like this,’ will it?”

TEST FOR COVENANT KEEPING  The Lord is a covenant God and He is looking for a covenant people. We are to be committed to and in covenant with Him and one another. This includes our marriages and our church relationships; and the proper stewardship of our finances and possessions. The result is a oneness and agreement that is the level of unity that describes us walking in His Name (Psalms 133). • Do you honor your wife as a fellow heir? • Is your spouse your partner in family financial planning, and aware of what you buy and how you spend money? • Do you withhold your body from your spouse? • Have you been faithful in repaying debts/loans (verbal or written contracts)? • Are you responsive to a brother/sister in Christ with a genuine need? • Are you committed to and tithe to your local church? • Do you love your brother and sisters in Christ? • Are you obedient in your heart to the Lord’s commandments? • Do you hold resentment/unforgiveness towards any Christian? • Will you stand up for the Lord and truth despite public opposition? • Have you spoken against a brother? • Do you keep your word when you make promises? • Do you take the Lord’s Name in vain? Scriptures: Matthew 22:37,39 1 Corinthians 7:3-5 1 Peter 3:7 Ephesians 5:31 1 Corinthians 1:6-7 Matthew 6:14-15 1 John 3:16-17 John 15:14 1 John 4:20-21 Matthew 12:30 James 4:11 Matthew 25:40

TEST FOR MAMMON Mammon is potentially one of the biggest heart problems many will face (1 Timothy 6:10) in this society where the standard of living is high and so many luxurious and beautiful things are available. The Bible says that where your treasure is, that is where your heart is (Matthew 6:21). Therefore, our houses, cars, clothes and many trinkets seem to be what’s emphasized, instead of the kingdom. We invest too much time worrying about or trying to accumulate worldly pursuits and possessions. • Is money/making money more important to you than kingdom work? • Do you tithe? • Have you knowingly neglected the poor or a brother with a genuine financial need? • Is money really important or the true measure of success to you? • Have you been liberal and cheerful in your giving (above the tithe)? • Have you paid your employees an adequate wage and in a timely fashion; or ever withheld what was justly due them? • Have you cheated/stolen money in the past and not made restitution? • Have you not given when prompted by the Holy Spirit? • Do you give when it’s only to your benefit: to endear people to you, to obligate them to you, or to look good in front of others? • Have you cheated on your income tax? • Have you always paid back what you’ve borrowed in a timely fashion? • Do you withhold information about your salary/spending from your spouse? • Do you or your spouse work extra hours/job to achieve a higher economic level at the expense of your children? Scriptures: 1 Timothy 6:9-10 Matthew 6:24 Matthew 6:21 1 Timothy 6:17-19 Luke 16:10-11 Malachi 3:8-10 1 John 3:16-17 Romans 13:7 Matthew 6:33

TEST FOR TRUE REPENTANCE Repentance is taken for granted by some Christians, thinking that it is automatic for them whenever they decide to confess something. However, the Bible indicates it is a gift from God. True repentance involves brokenness in a person, an awareness of a holy God and the ugliness of one’s sin. It involves taking full responsibility for what was done, a willingness to walk through the consequences, and a desire to undo any harm or injustice that may have occurred as a result of the sin. Here are some questions that should help determine if people are simply sorrowful or are truly repentant: • Are they accountable or willing to be accountable to someone for the purpose of restoration? • Are they blaming anyone else in any way? • Are they justifying themselves in any way? • Are they willing to do anything, within reason, that may be necessary to make things right? • Are they willing to restore anything stolen? • Are they willing to go to the people they sinned against? • Are they afraid of what people may think or say about them? Scriptures: Psalm 51:1-18 2 Corinthians 7:9-10 Romans 2:3-11 2 Chronicles 7:18 1 Samuel 15:15, 21 Exodus 22:1 1 Samuel 15:25-30 Proverbs 8:13 Luke 11:4 1 Samuel 13:11-14 Proverbs 6:37 Luke 3:8-14 Hebrews 12:17 Note: Words of confession really don’t mean anything. It is the genuine change or turn around that is the proof or fruit of repentance. Time is needed to indicate whether there was only sorrow or actual repentance.

TEST FOR UNFORGIVENESS Forgiving people is an issue all Christians face. The devil wants us to focus on the natural, rather than realizing that he is behind the scenes pulling the strings to set us against one another. The danger in unforgiveness is that it separates, which fights true unity; but it is also a covenant breaking issue. The Christian we don’t forgive is a friend of God, so when we touch him, we touch God. That’s why scripture says we ourselves are not forgiven if we don’t forgive others. In fact, 1 John 4:20-21 says that you can’t hate a brother and love God. These questions should help determine if there has been true forgiveness from the heart. • Can you pray for them without difficulty? • Does it bother you when they succeed or get blessed? • Do you feel they owe you an apology? • Do you feel they have to repent first to be forgiven by you? • Do you feel they don’t deserve to be forgiven? • When you think of them, do you experience anger? • Would you go out of your way to avoid seeing them? • Can you, in all truth, say you love them? • Do you feel justified in isolating or holding back from them? • Do you feel they’ve gotten away with something? • Could you meet a genuine need the person may have? Scriptures: Matthew 6:14-15 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 1 John 4:20-21 Mark 11:22-26 1 John 1:6-7 John 20:23 Matthew 5:44 Galatians 6:1 Ephesians 6:12 Matthew 18:21-35 Luke 23:34 Ephesians 4:32 NOTE: Forgiveness is often not easily or quickly realized – sometimes it takes days, weeks or months, and often requires regularly praying for the person or persons you are trying to release (Matthew 5:44; Luke 6:28).

TEST FOR WITCHCRAFT Witchcraft can affect Christians who are coming out of their worldly life patterns and/or whose ancestors have witchcraft backgrounds. Obviously, involvement in satanic worship or witchcraft rituals constitutes witchcraft. However, rebellion to authorities (originated by the devil) is another form of it (1 Samuel 15:23) – that’s why non-submission makes us an open target for the devil (James 4:7). Control and domination through the use of intimidation, guilt, anger, and emotional displays are also forms of witchcraft. Fear, depression, confusion, disorientation, loss of vision, nightmares and headaches are some of the characteristics that may result from the influence of witchcraft (although most of these can also arise from other issues). • Have you been dominated or controlled by anyone? • Did you control or dominate someone else? • Have you been experiencing fear, depression, confusion, disorientation, loss of vision, or nightmares? • Are there witchcraft practices in your family background? • Do you have objects of witchcraft in your possession – in your house or on your property (including drug paraphernalia)? • Have you been rebellious to authorities in your life? • Are there things God has specifically told you to do that you haven’t? • Have you been involved in known satanic or witchcraft practices? • Have you been involved in illegal drug usage? • Have you ever submitted to hypnosis or been involved in a cult? • Have there been any witchcraft rituals performed against/over you? • Have there been false prophetic words (divination) spoken over you? • Have word curses of death, destruction, or negative things been spoken against you? Scriptures: 1 Samuel 15:22-23 James 4:17 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 Deuteronomy 18:9-14 James 4:7 Romans 13:1-2

TEST TO SEE IF YOU LOVE GOD Loving God is more than just “feelings.” It involves loving His Word, as He is His Word; it is loving His church corporately and individually, as they are in covenant with Him; it includes honoring prophecy (also His Word) and embracing His delegated authorities; and it includes obedience to Him. • Are you obedient to the Lord’s commandments? • Do you really love your brothers and sisters in Christ? • Have you totally surrendered your will to the Lord? • Have you despised prophecy? • Do you have a hunger and thirst for God’s Word? • Do receive and honor those in authority over you? • Do you like you? • Do you have suicidal tendencies? • Do you abuse/misuse the Name of Jesus? • What has priority in your life: God, or your finances/possessions? • Are you mad at or blaming God for anything? • Do you have any strong judgments against Christians, the corporate church or church leadership in general? Scriptures: Amos 3:3 Matthew 22:37, 39 Romans 9:20 Romans 13:1-2 1 John 4:20-21 Luke 10:16 James 4:4 Philippians 2:9-11 1 Thessalonians 5:19-21 John 15:14 John 1:1 Matthew 6:33

TESTING We are to love the Lord with our whole heart, mind, strength (Matthew 22:37), but we are also told in scripture how deceitful our hearts can be; so much so, that even when we examine ourselves, we can easily fool ourselves. Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?” 1 Corinthians 4:4-5 “For I am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this acquitted; but the one who examines me is the Lord. Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, {but wait} until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of {men's} hearts; and then each man's praise will come to him from God.” The Lord Himself will test us. Deuteronomy 8:2 “And you shall remember all the way which the LORD your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.” Sometimes the test is to see if we will be faithful, obedient to what the Lord directs. Passing qualifies us for the fulfillment of what He has promised to bring about (Luke 16:10). If we go through the fiery ordeals faithfully, we will be blessed (1 Peter 4:12-14). Abram was tested and passed: Genesis 22:12 “And he said, ‘Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.’” God also expects us to spiritually appraise all things (1 Corinthians 2:15) to discern between good and evil. We need to know from what spirit things are said or done, so the spirits must be tested. 1Thessalonians 5:21 “But examine everything {carefully} hold fast to that which is good;” 1 John 4:1 “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”

THE CHURCH The church is God’s plan for the human race, even before the foundation of the world. Knowing Adam and Eve would fall, He made provision for redemption through Jesus for a covenant body of people (John 17:21). He laid down His life for these, expecting them to be willing to lay down their life for one another (1 John 3:16); those who are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16); those called to labor with Him (1 Corinthians 3:9); those who are first-born and who have their names written in heaven. Hebrews 12:22-23 “But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the general assembly and church of the first-born who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of righteous men made perfect,” The Lord Himself is building a body of people, His household, to carry on His work here by carrying the truth and gospel to a dying world, thereby destroying the works of the devil (1 John 3:8). Matthew 16:18 “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it.” 1 Timothy 3:15 “but in case I am delayed, {I write} so that you may know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.” The church is also known as the bride of Christ, who will live and reign with Him through all eternity. In fact, in the book of Ephesians, the Bible indicates that the model of the proper relationship of the husband and wife is the picture of Christ and His church (Ephesians 5: 22-32). Revelation 19:7 “Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.” Revelation 21:2 “And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.”

THE LAST DAYS  In accordance with scripture, we are in the last days; those days before the coming of Jesus. This was recorded in Acts 2 when Peter, newly anointed and boldly preaching in Jerusalem, announced that the outpouring of the Spirit was the sign of the last days. Acts 2:17-21 “‘And it shall be in the last days,’ God says, ‘That I will pour forth of My Spirit upon all mankind; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; Even upon My bondslaves, both men and women, I will in those days pour forth of My Spirit And they shall prophesy. And I will grant wonders in the sky above, and signs on the earth beneath, Blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and glorious day of the Lord shall come. And it shall be, that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’” Later, in the book of 2nd Timothy, Paul describes the increase of rebellion and demonic activity in the same last days: 2 Timothy 3:1-7 “But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God; holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; and avoid such men as these. For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” We are also assured, in John 14:18, that we would not be left as orphans (we will have the Holy Spirit) and that where sin may abound, grace will abound all the more. So, we need not fear, but instead, continue to be strong, regardless of what may be going on around us. Romans 5:20-21 “And the Law came in that the transgression might increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

TITHING  Tithing is not legalistic, as many people want to think. In fact, it came before the law. In Genesis, Abram met Melchizedek and gave him a tenth of all the plunder. Genesis 14:19-20 “And he blessed him and said, ‘Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; And blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand.’ And he gave him a tenth of all.” God specifically designated the tithe as a proper sacrifice to be given to Him, as well as offerings above and beyond the tithe. Malachi 3:8-10 “‘Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, 'How have we robbed Thee?' In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing Me, the whole nation {of you} Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,’ says the LORD of hosts, ‘if I will not open for you the windows of heaven, and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows.” With the tithe, we acknowledge the Lord as our provider and give Him the honor due Him. Proverbs 3:9-10 “Honor the LORD from your wealth, and from the first of all your produce; So your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.” Some feel that tithing, as well as other Old Testament principles, is outmoded and no longer applicable since there is little emphasis on it in the New Testament. However, once God establishes something, it is only undone or changed when God does it. Just like praise and worship, tithing is still a requirement, though hardly referenced. Matthew 23:23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others.” Hebrews 7:4-5 “And those indeed of the sons of Levi who receive the priest's office have commandment in the Law to collect a tenth from the people, that is, from their brethren, although these are descended from Abraham.”

TO OBEY IS BETTER THAN SACRIFICE  The phrase, “to obey is better than sacrifice”, is used in 1 Samuel by a prophet talking to Saul, referring to his disobedience. 1 Samuel 15:22 “And Samuel said, ‘Has the LORD as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, {And} to heed than the fat of rams.’” This is an interesting scripture, because it goes against people’s natural tendency to avoid dealing with their sin issues. If a person can make up for their sin habits or rebellion by doing good things, giving more money to the Lord’s kingdom, or getting more involved in church programs, then maybe everything will be OK. However, we cannot get around God’s desire for our hearts to be right towards Him (Matthew 22:37), measured with our outward obedience (John 14:15). In the New Testament, this is clearly stated in Mark 12 where Jesus and a scribe are having a conversation. Notice it says that love is desired more than sacrifice, but as love equates to obedience (John 14:15), it really says the same thing as 1 Samuel 15:22. Mark 12:33 “and to love Him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as himself, is much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” A living example of this principle was King David. In 2 Samuel 6, he decides to bring the ark of the Lord into Jerusalem, which was a good thing. He had the ark loaded on a cart and wheeled it towards Jerusalem with a multitude of instruments playing and much singing, shouting and dancing taking place in the streets – much celebration and praise. 2 Samuel 6:5 “Meanwhile, David and all the house of Israel were celebrating before the LORD with all kinds of {instruments made of} fir wood, and with lyres, harps, tambourines, castanets and cymbals.” However, the cart started to teeter and one man steadied it with his hand; and he was struck dead. David was appalled and was afraid of God that day. However, he soon realized that he had not obeyed the direction of the Lord. The Law of Moses specifically stated that the ark was to be moved only on the shoulders of the priests (not on a cart) – a symbol of man’s effort and works. The lesson is that God demands obedience over sacrifice – and no matter how much one praises, dances, or gives, it can be for naught in the midst of disobedience.

TRADITIONS  One of the most powerful things working against us in the kingdom of God is our traditions. According to the Bible, they can even invalidate God’s word in our lives, which makes them extremely dangerous. Mark 7:8, 13 “Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men.” “{thus} invalidating the word of God by your tradition which you have handed down; and you do many things such as that.” From our youth we have been instructed by many people about many things, some in agreement with God’s word, some in the world’s thinking and methods. Mindsets have been established that dictate our lives, which are not in agreement with God’s thoughts and ways (Isaiah 55:8-9). 2 Corinthians 10:5 “{We are} destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and {we are} taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.” Whether it be false teaching, a conviction (Romans 14:22) that is someone else’s, or a practice that worked once before for us, we must be careful to be led by the Spirit and not by what we think we know or have done before. God doesn’t change in His nature or purpose (Hebrews 13:8), but the way He does things may change dramatically. When we do anything based on our traditions – thoughts, perceptions, methods, timing, etc. – we trust in ourselves and what we know. This is not trusting in God and submitting to His will. Jeremiah 17:5, 7 “Thus says the LORD, "Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind and makes flesh his strength, and whose heart turns away from the LORD.” “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD and whose trust is the LORD.” So even when we do know what God wants us to do, we still have to consider when and how it is to be done. His wisdom is reflected in the “when and how”. 1 Corinthians 3:18-19 “Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become foolish that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God. For it is written, ‘{He is} the one who catches the wise in their craftiness’;”

TRINITY  The Trinity is a Christian doctrine that is not specifically stated in scripture, but, through inspection of scripture, is apparent. This means that, within the being and activity of the one true God, there are three distinct persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. One obvious mention of this is in the Great Commission: Matthew 28:19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,” The relationship between them and how they work doing their part can be seen in the coming of Jesus. The Father sent the son; the Son was conceived by the Holy Spirit coming upon Mary. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” Luke 1:35 “And the angel answered and said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy offspring shall be called the Son of God.’” All three can be seen in the verses describing the baptism of Jesus: Matthew 3:16-17 “And after being baptized, Jesus went up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, {and} coming upon Him, and behold, a voice out of the heavens, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.” Several scriptures refer to both Jesus and the Spirit being God, yet the Bible is clear there is only one God. This is totally inexplicable in human terms and, therefore, is an issue of belief in the Bible rather than proof in the natural. 2 Corinthians 3:17 “Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, {there} is liberty.” John 20:27-28 “Then He said to Thomas, "Reach here your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand, and put it into My side; and be not unbelieving, but believing. Thomas answered and said to Him, ‘My Lord and my God!’”

UNFORGIVENESS Unforgiveness is a significant problem in the body of Christ because it is divisive and destroys the covenant unity that the Holy Spirit wants to function through. It is deadly and can severely limit the one who harbors it. First of all, it sets the person against God – the person we are against in our heart is a friend of God (in covenant), and all who become his enemy also oppose God. Therefore, we are not forgiven ourselves! Matthew 6:15 “But if you do not forgive men, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions” Matthew 25:40 “And the King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, {even} the least {of them,} you did it to Me.'” Unforgiveness opens the door for the devil to disrupt and bring destruction in one’s life, especially if he takes the Lord’s Supper in that condition. Matthew 18:34-35 “And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. So shall My heavenly Father also do to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.” 1 Corinthians 11:29-30 “For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself, if he does not judge the body rightly. For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep.” Besides the ramifications listed above, the person’s prayer life and the ability to walk in God’s power is limited. Mark 11:23-26 “Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it shall be {granted} him. Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they shall be {granted} you. And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your transgressions. ["But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your transgressions."]”

UNITY Unity is a greatly misunderstood term in the church. Many think that when we agree on something, as in a prayer for the sick, we are in unity. Unity that is biblical is much more than just simple agreement, it involves relationship; it is a heart issue and oneness (covenant) issue. As a result of the covenant that Jesus made for us, we are baptized in(to) His name and are to abide in Him (1 John 3:24). Therefore, we are in covenant with Him (Matthew 22:27) and with each other (Matthew 22:39), which makes us as one. John 17:23 “I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, that the world may know that Thou didst send Me, and didst love them, even as Thou didst love Me.” Notice that we are to have right covenant relationships with both Him and other believers. When we do, we are truly friends of God, we all walk in the light, and the power of the cross is appropriated in our lives to include forgiveness of sins. 1 John 1:7 “but if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” When we judge or come against another, we come against their covenant partner (God) and this sets God against us. Matthew 25:40 “And the King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, {even} the least {of them,} you did it to Me.'” When we are right with God and one another, the devil hates it because we can overwhelm him with a powerful spiritual synergism – he is aware of this and that’s why he brings division to prevent any such unity on that level. God, on the other hand, loves it and will bless it with an outpouring of His Spirit. Psalm 133:1-3 “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, coming down upon the beard, {even} Aaron's beard, coming down upon the edge of his robes. It is like the dew of Hermon, coming down upon the mountains of Zion; for there the LORD commanded the blessing-- life forever.”

VIRGIN BIRTH  One of the basic tenets of the Christian faith is that, by the Holy Spirit, Jesus was born of the virgin, Mary, who was, at the time of his conception, engaged to Joseph. There can be no wavering of this belief. To believe otherwise would say that Jesus was not the Son of God, but an ordinary man or even a prophet and would indicate, in essence, you are not truly a Christian. Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.” Matthew 1:20-25 “But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for that which has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for it is He who will save His people from their sins.’ Now all this took place that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet might be fulfilled, saying, ‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ which translated means, ‘God with us.’ And Joseph arose from his sleep, and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took {her} as his wife, and kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus.” When confronted with the fact she would give birth, Mary was perplexed, since she was not married and had known no man at that time, wondering how this could be (Luke 1: 29). The angel responded: Luke 1:35 “And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy offspring shall be called the Son of God.” In the natural those days, very few understood this and Jesus was accused of being illegitimate. John 8:41 “‘You are doing the deeds of your father.’ They said to Him, ‘We were not born of fornication; we have one Father, {even} God.’” Even today there is much spiritual warfare over the fact of Jesus being born of a virgin. The devil wants to take away any credibility of who Jesus was in the world. This is because He carried our sins at Calvary; and if He were not God, He wouldn’t qualify to be the substitute to take the sins of all mankind. Only God Himself was large enough and righteous enough for this covenant task.

WAIT UPON The phrase “wait upon” (KJV), “wait for” (NAS), and “hope in” (NIV), from Isaiah 40:31 has been often preached, but is generally not very well understood in the body of Christ. Isaiah 40:31 “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” This does not literally translate to the word “wait” as we know it in English. This mistake has caused many to stop functioning the way they were in the body of Christ, while waiting for the Lord to intervene in a certain area of their life that they have been praying and fasting about. This action plays right into the devil’s hands. The Greek word used here is qavah which means to bind together (perhaps by twisting), to expect, to collect, to wait for. This being the case, the word wait can be confusing in the translation. The real meaning is more than just waiting but a holding fast to or on to. This implies continuing in obedience to all we know to do and not any straying or letting go of Him – much like Jacob did when he wrestled with the angel of the Lord until day break, when he finally got blessed (Genesis 32:26-29). This is particularly important when a promise or prophecy is received, but a considerable time lapse between the promise and the fulfillment. The devil wants to steal the word (parable of the sower and the seed – Mark 4, Matthew 13, and Luke 8). We must wait on (holdfast to) the Lord so that we may not forfeit the promise. Abraham held fast in obedience and received it all – Genesis 22:12-18. We must hold on, not stopping, in all the kingdom things we know we are to be doing while we are “waiting” on Him, much like is referred to in Isaiah 58: Isaiah 58:6-10 “Is this not the fast which I choose, to loosen the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free, and break every yoke? Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into the house; when you see the naked, to cover him; and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? Then your light will break out like the dawn, and your recovery will speedily spring forth; and your righteousness will go before you; the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’ If you remove the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, And if you give yourself to the hungry, and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then your light will rise in darkness, and your gloom {will become} like midday.”

WARFARE  The Christian walk is one of continual warfare. We have a purpose in Jesus (Ephesians 2:10) and the devil doesn’t want us to find it or contribute in any way to advance the kingdom of God. When we are born again, we can see spiritually (John 3:3). The battle is for us to remain in the spirit instead of reacting against natural circumstances. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. {We are} destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and {we are} taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,” It is easy for us to get angry at people by focusing on them, which leads to judgment and bitterness. When we war in the natural against people, we are distracted away from the real culprit, the devil. Ephesians 6:12 “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual {forces} of wickedness in the heavenly {places.}” Daily, we are bombarded by temptations that are designed for us to sin and fall under the devil’s control, giving way to our fleshly nature, rather than being led by the Spirit of God (Romans 8:14). The apostle Paul addresses this battle in his own life: Romans 7:23 “but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind, and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members.” But, the Lord has endowed us with power to be overcomers in Him and authority over the enemy, both in our lives and in ministering to others. Revelation 12:11 “And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even to death.” Luke 10:19 “Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall injure you.”

WATER BAPTISM  Water Baptism is an ordinance in the Christian church that varies somewhat between denominations and churches. The proper way to be baptized is by immersion, which is what the Word itself implies and what Jesus did as an example for us (Matthew 3:14-17). In addition, we are to be baptized subsequent to accepting Jesus as Lord. Examples abound in scripture to include those saved at Cornelius’ house (Acts 10: 44-48), Lydia and her household (Acts 16:13-15), and the jailer’s family (Acts 16: 29-33). Water baptism is a command and is not really optional (Matthew 28:19). It is the equivalent to the circumcision required in the Old Testament and is a spiritual experience, not just an outward sign of an inward change. There is a cutting away or removal just as there was when Israel went through the Red Sea – a removal of the enemy and the world. Colossians 2:11-12 “and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.” There is a very strong covenant implication in water baptism. Ephesians 5 compares Christ and the church to a husband and wife and in marriage – and as the wife goes into the name of the husband in marriage, we go in (into) the name of Jesus in water baptism. Matthew 28:19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,” Coming out of the waters of baptism we start anew, able to throw off the things of the world and walk in newness of life. Romans 6:3-7 “Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with {Him} in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall be also {in the likeness} of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with {Him,} that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin.”

WIDOWS  The Bible is clear that the Lord is concerned about all injustice. One particular group of people that He specifically mentions is widows. There are scriptures that say we are to be concerned about Christians’ needs (1 John 3:17-18), however, the Lord mentions in a number of places His desire that we be specifically attentive to the needs of widows. Acts 6:1 “Now at this time while the disciples were increasing {in number,} a complaint arose on the part of the Hellenistic {Jews} against the {native} Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving {of food.}” James 1:27 “This is pure and undefiled religion in the sight of {our} God and Father, to visit orphans and widows in their distress, {and} to keep oneself unstained by the world.” The real problem in the modern day church is actually identifying who truly are widows. Every adult Christian female who is single or divorced are often included in a generalized definition of widow and, therefore, accorded a place not afforded them by the Bible. But this is not what the Bible says are widows indeed. 1 Timothy 5:3 “Honor widows who are widows indeed;” 1 Timothy 5:9-10 “Let a widow be put on the list only if she is not less than sixty years old, {having been} the wife of one man, having a reputation for good works; {and} if she has brought up children, if she has shown hospitality to strangers, if she has washed the saints' feet, if she has assisted those in distress, {and} if she has devoted herself to every good work.” And while looking at widows indeed, the church is to take up the burden for them only after looking to the widow’s family as the primary people responsible for her. 1 Timothy 5:4 “but if any widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to practice piety in regard to their own family, and to make some return to their parents; for this is acceptable in the sight of God.” 1 Timothy 5:16 “If any woman who is a believer has {dependent} widows, let her assist them, and let not the church be burdened, so that it may assist those who are widows indeed.”

WISE AS SERPENTS AND INNOCENT AS DOVES  When Jesus summoned the twelve disciples, He sent them out to do several things (Matthew 10:7-8), but He added something interesting several verses later. Matthew 10:16 “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; therefore be shrewd as serpents, and innocent as doves.” He didn’t say just be wise (shrewd), but wise as serpents! In other words, we are to be aware of the schemes of the devil and his attempts to thwart what God intends for us to do. 2 Corinthians 2:11 “in order that no advantage be taken of us by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his schemes.” These may be personal issues he trips you on or stumbling blocks he may put in your path. He hides and tries to catch you unaware – with prophets that are wolves in sheep’s clothing (Matthew 7:15); with angels of light (2 Corinthians 11:14-15); with schemes of darkness (Ephesians 5:11); with other schemes that even the elect would be deceived. Matthew 24:24 “For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect.” At the same time we are to be innocent, which does not mean naïve. Being naïve would imply ignorance of what is going on around you, even in a childish fashion. Proverbs warns those who are naïve (Proverbs 1:32; 14:15, 18; 22:3; 27:12). The Greek word here for innocent means pure, simple, free from guile, unmixed. So, we are to be wise and holy, not a carnal Christian and not wise in a worldly way. There is a big difference between being godly and worldly, and between worldly wisdom and the wisdom of God. 1 Corinthians 1:25 “Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” At the same time, we are to be a holy and righteous priesthood (1 Peter 2: 5, 9) 1 Peter 2:9 “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for {God's} own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;”

WITNESS  A very common Christian cliché, one that you will hear nearly every day around excited, turned-on believers, is “being a witness” for Jesus. To most, this means taking a Bible or evangelistic tract, going out and trying to convince people to receive Jesus as their Lord. In their exuberance, some have forgotten or never realized what a witness really is. It is not just telling about Jesus, but it is demonstrating, by what you do and what you are, that He has profoundly affected your life and you are becoming like Him. One of the overlooked scriptures in this regard is Acts 1:8. Acts 1:8 “but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” The word witness here is the Greek word martus, which means martyr, record, and witness. In a historical sense, we are to be witnesses that we have seen and encountered the Lord and His power in our life. In a legal sense, we are to be witnesses that can attest to the fact He is real and has the power to change our lives. In a spiritual sense, we are to be witnesses that we are, in fact, changed and it is no longer us who lives, but He who lives through us. We are martyrs in the sense that He laid down His life for us and we will lay down our lives for others. 1 John 3:16 “We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” We also attest or witness to who He is and His resurrection power by doing the same things He did. Notice, in Acts 1:8, that the disciples were to wait in Jerusalem until they received what the Father had promised (Acts 1:4) – this was the Holy Spirit which came upon them (they received power). Then, they were to go out as witnesses. Therefore, we are witnesses when we have the evidence of the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Mark 16:17 “And these signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues;” This seems apparent in the New Testament, as the 1st century Christians saw healings, deliverances, and the miraculous daily. It is supposed to be a part of our every day life, too, because the Lord is alive in us and wants to work through us to demonstrate who He really is to a fallen, lost, and impotent world.

WOMEN  The ‘woman’ issue has been hotly debated in religious circles and is still an unsettled issue in the Christian body at large. The various interpretations of some controversial passages have further confused the issue. Historically, women have been held back and were less than second-class citizens; they were property to be owned and discarded. Jesus came into the picture and through Him, justice and dignity were visited upon the woman’s plight. Insecure men continue to try in vain to relegate women to the place of past cultures, but the Lord has come to set the captives (including women) free. Galatians 3:28 “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Clearly, the Bible states that there is no man or woman in Christ Jesus, and 1 Peter 3:7 further states the husband is to treat the wife as a fellow heir. Although the woman is made for the man’s sake (1 Corinthians 11:9) and is to submit to her own husband (Ephesians 5:22), it does not make her less. It only means that her purpose in the family unit puts her under the authority of her husband, but not under any other man, unless that man is another of her authorities (boss, pastor, etc.). Each person, including women, has gifts to be exercised for the common good (Romans 12:6 and 1 Corinthians 12:7) and are obligated to supply as a joint in the body (Ephesians 4:16). And in the last days (today), the Holy Spirit will be poured out upon all flesh and all, including women, will prophesy (Acts 2:17-18). Are women to evangelize? Are women to pray for the sick? Are women to operate in the gifts God gave them? Of course! The only legitimate concern is about women in governmental positions in the church (elders, pastors, and apostles). Since the scripture says elders are to be the husbands of one wife (1 Timothy 3:2), and that the women are to be submitted to their husbands in all things (Ephesians 5:24), it makes it difficult for the woman to be in spiritual authority and be obedient to the entire Word of God. However, we must be careful to receive all women and all their gifts, so we will receive that part of God each possesses for the good of the whole. Matthew 10:41 “… and he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward.” Luke 10:16 “The one who listens to you listens to Me, and the one who rejects you rejects Me; and he who rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me.”

WORKS The Lord created us, each having a distinct purpose. This purpose involves us being His coworker, bringing in the kingdom of God here on earth. 1 Corinthians 3:9 “For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building.” In fact, He designed us for specific tasks (good works) He foresaw before the foundation of the world. Ephesians 2:10 “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” There is a difference between good works and dead works. One is directed by God with His grace – all good things come from above. Works of our own doing and strength are dead works. They arise out of the desires and motives of our fallen natures. They are not inspired by love (1 Corinthians 13:1-3) and usually spotlight us, rather than bringing glory to God. Hebrews 6:1 “Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,” In the end, all we have done will be judged by God: 1 Corinthians 3:13-15 “each man's work will become evident; for the day will show it, because it is {to be} revealed with fire; and the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work. If any man's work which he has built upon it remains, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work is burned up, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, yet so as through fire.” A tree bearing no fruit, having no good works is an indication of no salvation: John 15:5-6 “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch, and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.”

WORSHIP  The word worship, in both the Greek and Hebrew, basically means to bow down, to reverence, to pay homage to, to prostate oneself before, etc. In essence, we humble and bow down as we submit to His will and direction, sacrificing our ways, our plans and our desires – not only at designated praise and worship times, but in our everyday lives. In other words, we acknowledge Him and let Him be Lord. Matthew 4:10 “Then Jesus said to him, ‘Begone, Satan!’ For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.’” Actually, the word ‘serve’ here, in Greek, means to render homage, minister to, to do the service, worship. So, the inference is that we are to worship Him with more than our lips or our instruments. Our daily lives are to be an acceptable sacrifice of worship to Him. Said another way, worship is a lifestyle. Romans 12:1 “I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, {which is} your spiritual service of worship.” We are also cautioned that worshipping with our mouth without confirming it with our actions/lives is not acceptable to the Lord. Not only is it not acceptable, it is a waste of time. Matthew 15:8-9 “‘This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far away from me. But in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.’” So, we are to worship Him with our various forms of praise (Psalm 148, 149, 150); Psalm 150:3-6 “Praise Him with trumpet sound; praise Him with harp and lyre. Praise Him with timbrel and dancing; praise Him with stringed instruments and pipe. Praise Him with loud cymbals; praise Him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD!” with the expressions of thanksgiving from our mouths; Hebrews 13:15 “Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.” and also with a life that is a fragrant aroma to His nostrils.

LOVE COVERS A MULTITUDE OF SINS This phrase, which is part of a biblical verse in I Peter, has been misinterpreted, and as a result misunderstood and misapplied. 1 Pet 4:8 “Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.” The way most read this scripture is that God is telling us here not to confront or address the sinner, but to leave the issue alone and love the person despite what they are doing. This is only partly true in that we are to love the person. We are to love the person, but we are to address the issues, or we become an enabler, in essence approving of what is going on. Matthew 18:15 says we are to go to our brother and address the sin. Paul indicates in several places that we are to admonish others ( I Thessalonians 5:14 and II Thessalonians 3:14-15). In addition, proverbs states that we are truly someone’s friend when we tell the truth. Prov 27:6 “Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but deceitful are the kisses of an enemy.” The real meaning of the phrase “covering a multitude of sins” is clearly explained elsewhere in the New Testament – in James 5:19-20. James 5:19-20 “My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth, and one turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death, and will cover a multitude of sins.” The intent therefore is for us to be restorers, that is addressing issues/ negative problems and helping people get rid of them. Jesus came to set the captives free and we are called to do the same. In fact, according to the book of Galatians, we prove we are spiritual by being restorers. Gal 6:1 “Brethren, even if a man is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; {each one} looking to yourself, lest you too be tempted.” Fear of man, fear of losing a friend, fear of losing a family member would keep us from telling the truth and attempting restoration. That is explained in 2 Timothy 1:7 where the scripture indicates that where fear is love, is lacking. This means that if we are afraid to address people’s issues, we are not restorers, are not spiritual, and really don’t love people.

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