If love is the acid test of our Christian walk.....

[Not me]

Nearly all of the Christians I speak with will agree that we should love everyone and put on a pretty good show until you bring up patriotism, war, capital punishment, and sitting on juries condemning the enemies of society. The vast majority of these loving Christians are all about "love" until you cross the line of self-defense or gun ownership to protect against intruders. These loving Christians will invariably return to the Old Testament to prove that God is really okay with murder in certain circumstances of which they are so thankful. Constantine and Augustine opened this Pandora's Box and Christians jump for joy at this new freedom to kill and condemn.

Question;

Who is walking in love toward their brother. Someone who allows someone to kill them or someone who prevents someone from killing them?

Love always does that which is right. It is right that a person reap the consequences of their actions, whether those consequences are good or bad. For that is right, for that is righteousness, for that is love. For love does no wrong to it’s neighbor, and it is wrong to not allow someone to reap the consequences of their actions.

For this is God’s definition of love. For God always does that which is right. Not man’s weak and beggarly definition of love, that allows for evil.

Blessings,

Much love in Christ, Not Me

 

[Gideons300]

The western church is doing poorly; it is lukewarm. The eastern church is much healthier and there are people all over the world who are crying out for God. It is not a hopeless case, it just seems that way if you live in a western culture and you're surrounded by lukewarm believers.

I am in ministry and trying to get the body of Christ to pray even for a half hour is like fighting a mother badger protecting her young. It's also almost impossible to bring correction because of offense. Christians will break fellowship over silly nonsense at the drop of a hat.

I believe this is because there is very little discipleship. We receive people into church who make a proclamation of faith and allow them to warm the pews for years and decades without being challenged while the community around the church goes to hell.

I also believe that the church as we know it in America isn't biblical. It's churchianity, not Christianity. I don't find the idea of church in the bible that Christians in the community gather once a week to hear one man speak and then disperse. I think church is when believers gather to form a body and then minister Christ to a lost and dying community, making that their lifes priority. That's what I see in Acts. They had everything in common, and had one heart and one soul, and no one said their own possessions were theirs.

This can turn around, when, as you said, we begin to love God and one another. We also need to pray, continuously, for the church and this nation. God is not going to move unless there is repentance in the church.

I want to share what God has for me to share, but also know that when I say things, some will not receive it or be offended. So I pray you have patience with me as I reply to your post.

The deeper question that we are not asking is ‘Why?’. If Christ is in us, why are we not wanting to pray? To love? To serve Him with our whole hearts? Until we answer that question, we can try, mostly in vain, to duplicate what we see the pattern shown to us in the book of Acts, but we will be disappointed.

Ministry and discipleship must be an outflow of our discovering how to truly abide in Christ, with self and willful sin firmly in our past. Until we ourselves, even those in the ministry, are walking in victory over our old self nature, abiding in Christ, where we do not fulfill the lusts of the flesh just as we have been promised, any actions on our parts will simply be works that will not endure the fiery trials that are on the horizon.

But praise God, once we see we can literally step out of our old nature by a once-for-all reckoning that that old us is DEAD, not needing to die by our efforts, everything, and truly mean EVERYTHING changes.

And as we hold up our shields of faith that we really are new creatures, God guarantees they will quench ALL the fiery arrows of the enemy. We, all who truly love the Lord in sincerity of heart, are soon to discover that overcoming the world, the flesh and the devil is our birthright, and even the weakest among us can do it. In truth, those who are the weakest and the biggest failures among us will find the path to walking as overcomers first.... as it is written, from the weakest to the strongest. Glory to God!

Blessings,

Gideon

 

[Not me]

I want to share what God has for me to share, but also know that when I say things, some will not receive it or be offended. So I pray you have patience with me as I reply to your post.

The deeper question that we are not asking is ‘Why?’. If Christ is in us, why are we not wanting to pray? To love? To serve Him with our whole hearts? Until we answer that question, we can try, mostly in vain, to duplicate what we see the pattern shown to us in the book of Acts, but we will be disappointed.

Ministry and discipleship must be an outflow of our discovering how to truly abide in Christ, with self and willful sin firmly in our past. Until we ourselves, even those in the ministry, are walking in victory over our old self nature, abiding in Christ, where we do not fulfill the lusts of the flesh just as we have been promised, any actions on our parts will simply be works that will not endure the fiery trials that are on the horizon.

But praise God, once we see we can literally step out of our old nature by a once-for-all reckoning that that old us is DEAD, not needing to die by our efforts, everything, and truly mean EVERYTHING changes.

And as we hold up our shields of faith that we really are new creatures, God guarantees they will quench ALL the fiery arrows of the enemy. We, all who truly love the Lord in sincerity of heart, are soon to discover that overcoming the world, the flesh and the devil is our birthright, and even the weakest among us can do it. In truth, those who are the weakest and the biggest failures among us will find the path to walking as overcomers first.... as it is written, from the weakest to the strongest. Glory to God!

Blessings,

Gideon

Wow, if you don’t mind me saying so, a great increase.

Blessings,

Much love in Christ, Not Me

 

[fhansen]

I want to share what God has for me to share, but also know that when I say things, some will not receive it or be offended. So I pray you have patience with me as I reply to your post.

The deeper question that we are not asking is ‘Why?’. If Christ is in us, why are we not wanting to pray? To love? To serve Him with our whole hearts? Until we answer that question, we can try, mostly in vain, to duplicate what we see the pattern shown to us in the book of Acts, but we will be disappointed.

Ministry and discipleship must be an outflow of our discovering how to truly abide in Christ, with self and willful sin firmly in our past. Until we ourselves, even those in the ministry, are walking in victory over our old self nature, abiding in Christ, where we do not fulfill the lusts of the flesh just as we have been promised, any actions on our parts will simply be works that will not endure the fiery trials that are on the horizon.

But praise God, once we see we can literally step out of our old nature by a once-for-all reckoning that that old us is DEAD, not needing to die by our efforts, everything, and truly mean EVERYTHING changes.

And as we hold up our shields of faith that we really are new creatures, God guarantees they will quench ALL the fiery arrows of the enemy. We, all who truly love the Lord in sincerity of heart, are soon to discover that overcoming the world, the flesh and the devil is our birthright, and even the weakest among us can do it. In truth, those who are the weakest and the biggest failures among us will find the path to walking as overcomers first.... as it is written, from the weakest to the strongest. Glory to God!

Blessings,

Gideon

Just my opinion-along with some historical teachings-but I'm sure we'll always struggle with sin in this life. And while sin often involves a failure to love in some way or another, we can still be growing in and practicing love at the same time. And remember that 'love covers a multitude of sins'. I think God is well-pleased to look down and see us growing in both faith and, most importantly, love, while helping us to overcome the sin that He opposes but knows that we deal with.

 

[Gideons300]

I wanted to respond in general to several of the posts. There is a common thread that I need to address.

This is not the time for us to stand back and point out the flaws and errors of others. Is there any among us that can say that they are fulfilling the command to love God with all their heart? We must realize what ALL means. There is no part of us left to love us instead. Can any here declare that they are truly loving others as they love themselves? I will be first in line to confess I do not. Is this not why that no matter the denomination, the world looks at our lukewarmness and lack of love and calls us hypocrites.

What defense do we offer? That no one is perfect? While our hearts are cold to the multitudes heading to an eternity without God and we continue on with OUR lives, with secret sins following behind us? Really?

I pray everyone reading these words gets it down deep in their spirits what a I am sharing here. We ALL have been asleep. We all have walked according to the way that seems right in our minds and hearts. Jesus did not tell us to love one another as He loves us as an impossible goal to hit, and that somewhat aiming for it with halfheartedness is enough.

Brothers and sisters, we all need to be awakened to the truth. Do we not realize? God has offered to not only walk WITH us but to live our Christianity out THROUGH us. Glory to God! But until we can get our eyes off of others and their failures and admit that we ourselves need a transfusion of divine love into our hearts, things will remain as they are now.

God is ready to do for us what He did for the early saints, to fill us so full that the world sits up and takes notice. Some will take up stones, no doubt, because without utter a word of condemnation our very lives will testify that their deeds are evil. But in the world, there are others who inwardly long for truth and light and who know full well they need a savior.

We must be careful to make this about us and God first and foremost. If we simply think we have our foundation sure, without ever digging down to the bedrock of self and exposing its true evil, we give great place to the devil.

I accuse no one. Our own actions and inactions testify against us. All God longs for from us is that we break before Him and admit our great lack, and look away from ourselves, whether it be our strengths or our shortcomings, and cry out to the Lord as wretched men to open up our eyes to our shallow state. As the scriptures say, we have been healed but only slightly, saying ‘peace, peace’, when there has been no real peace or true joy in our hearts.

I hope none take this in the wrong way. I realize the words God has given me to share may wound and offend, but He only shares them to get our full attention. My purpose is simply to show us there is a way to walk with the fire of God burning inside us, all day, every day, whether we be abased or abound. Overcoming sin and self is not only not impossible, it is assured! We are overcomers. Now we are asked to believe it. Will we? It seems to good to be true, but should we not expect anything less that that from Jesus our Lord?

But I beg you, make no mistake here. We must understand, when Jesus told us that unless we hate our own life.... our self nature.... we simply cannot be true overcomers, disciples of the King, well, He really meant it.

May God’s grace soften the words I share without robbing them of their importance. Every word I speak here is done so for our benefit and well being. God is for us, not against us, but He will do what He has to do to get our attention.

Amazing things are coming for us. Let us all open our hearts and cry out to Him to do whatever it takes to insure we walk in everything He has for us.

Blessings,

Gids

 

[Gideons300]

Just my opinion-along with some historical teachings-but I'm sure we'll always struggle with sin in this life. And while sin often involves a failure to love in some way or another, we can still be growing in and practicing love at the same time. And remember that 'love covers a multitude of sins'. I think God is well-pleased to look down and see us growing in both faith and, most importantly, love, while helping us to overcome the sin that He opposes but knows that we deal with.

I want to be gentle here, but I disagree with your supposition. I am sure those onjections will come to light in the near future.

However, even if what you say were true, should we not be found on our knees as Paul was, crying out to Him to free us from the imprisonment of self and sin? Our unbelief has led to acceptance of sin and self love as an immutable fact, but that is in no way walking in victory over the world, the flesh and the devil, is it? Has God not told us that He can do exceedingly abundantly above and beyond all we ask or even think. It is time....past time.... that we take Him to task and let Him decide how free He can make us.

God has told us that the heathen shall know that He is the Lord, when He shall be sanctified in us before their very eyes. They are still waiting. Should not we be crying out all the more to our all powerful Father to set us free indeed as He promised us?

Blessings,

Gideon

 

[SteveIndy]

I agree. You may be interested in this CF thread I created here:

Pacifism as Taught in the New Testament is Moral and Good.

I am not a pacifist I am non-resistant according to Jesus in Matthew 5:39. Gandhi was a pacifist; he fought a war of non-violence with every intention of winning that war according to his own selfish desires. Non-violent resistance is not the same as non-resistance to violence. Jesus says "Do not resist the evil person." Gandhi was playing a political game of chess and his moves won him recognition against a nation whose scruples were based on Christian values he would not have gotten to first base against Russia. Jesus lived the life that He wanted us to follow as did His disciples and as did His followers of the first 300 hundred years until Constantine merged the state with the church and Augustine blessed it with his Just War doctrine.

 

[fhansen]

I want to be gentle here, but I disagree with your supposition. I am sure those onjections will come to light in the near future.

However, even if what you say were true, should we not be found on our knees as Paul was, crying out to Him to free us from the imprisonment of self and sin? Our unbelief has led to acceptance of sin and self love as an immutable fact, but that is in no way walking in victory over the world, the flesh and the devil, is it? Has God not told us that He can do exceedingly abundantly above and beyond all we ask or even think. It is time....past time.... that we take Him to task and let Him decide how free He can make us.

God has told us that the heathen shall know that He is the Lord, when He shall be sanctified in us before their very eyes. They are still waiting. Should not we be crying out all the more to our all powerful Father to set us free indeed as He promised us?

Blessings,

Gideon

I would agree in this way: the more we want and pray for and seek purity or holiness-the more we seek love-the more we'll have of it. And like I said, from my belief we'll actually be judged on our love so I'm not minimizing it at all.

But I also know that God is patient and kind, so that when we fail He's right there to pick us back up and keep us moving forward once we come to our senses again.

His plan, from the beginning, is to get man to love as we should. If Adam truly loved God he would've obeyed Him, spontaneously. In a very real sense all of God's commands from Eden onward could be summed up with, "Thou shall love", both an obligation, and a gift as long as we enter into and remain in communion with Him, and do our own part in striving to achieve it.

 

[Bible Highlighter]

I am not a pacifist I am non-resistant according to Jesus in Matthew 5:39. Gandhi was a pacifist; he fought a war of non-violence with every intention of winning that war according to his own selfish desires. Non-violent resistance is not the same as non-resistance to violence. Jesus says "Do not resist the evil person." Gandhi was playing a political game of chess and his moves won him recognition against a nation whose scruples were based on Christian values he would not have gotten to first base against Russia. Jesus lived the life that He wanted us to follow as did His disciples and as did His followers of the first 300 hundred years until Constantine merged the state with the church and Augustine blessed it with his Just War doctrine.

The 1913 dictionary says:
n. 1. the doctrine that all violence is unjustifiable.
2. The belief that all international disputes can be settled by arbitration.

Source:
pacifism | Definition of pacifism by Webster's Online Dictionary

Webster's Dictionary:

1. Opposition to war or violence as a means of settling disputes specifically. Refusal to bear arms on moral or religious grounds; For Quakers pacifism is a major tenet of belief.

2: An attitude or policy of nonresistance; Efforts toward pacifism and civil rights.

Source:
Definition of PACIFISM

As for war or violence:

I believe God in the Old Testament had used His people (Israel) to go to war against enemy nations. I also believe Jesus will return and will destroy all nations that will come up against Him. I also believe that while God does not want the bride of Christ (Christians) to go to war under the New Covenant, God does use the police and military for His greater plan for good. Romans 13 comes to mind. For unbelieving governments can be God's ministers of righteousness to execute justice on those who do evil. This does not mean they are saved, but that they are an arm of justice for God. For God even used an enemy nation (Assyria) as a rod of correction against His own people (Israel) because they were being wicked.

 

[Bible Highlighter]

I am not a pacifist I am non-resistant according to Jesus in Matthew 5:39. Gandhi was a pacifist; he fought a war of non-violence with every intention of winning that war according to his own selfish desires. Non-violent resistance is not the same as non-resistance to violence. Jesus says "Do not resist the evil person." Gandhi was playing a political game of chess and his moves won him recognition against a nation whose scruples were based on Christian values he would not have gotten to first base against Russia. Jesus lived the life that He wanted us to follow as did His disciples and as did His followers of the first 300 hundred years until Constantine merged the state with the church and Augustine blessed it with his Just War doctrine.

In either case, we both believe in not acting violently as a part of the call of following Jesus Christ. I would cooperate with the military and police but I would not want to join those institutions because Jesus calls me to non-violence towards even my enemies. Also, the police are not a hit squad. They don't shoot first and ask questions later. I see calling the police to stopping a violent situation as the same as praying to God for an angel to protect me. God may tell the angel to use violent force to protect me or God may tell the angel to not harm the person while they are protecting me. The police may use force or they may not use force. The same like an angel who is following orders. It depends on the individual that faces the police. I realize God has a role for them that is different than my position or role in life. My goal is not like Ghandi. I am not desiring anyone to be conquered by a worldly nation. My goal is to preach Jesus Christ to all and to lead them to keep His commandments. This would include the keeping of His commands on non-violence.

In any event, whether you agree or not, I provide lots of verses on non-resistance or Pacifism that you may find as a helpful resource.

 

[Gideons300]

I would agree in this way: the more we want and pray for and seek purity or holiness-the more we seek love-the more we'll have of it. And like I said, from my belief we'll actually be judged on our love so I'm not minimizing it at all.

But I also know that God is patient and kind, so that when we fail He's right there to pick us back up and keep us moving forward once we come to our senses again.

His plan, from the beginning, is to get man to love as we should. If Adam truly loved God he would've obeyed Him, spontaneously. In a very real sense all of God's commands from Eden onward could be summed up with, "Thou shall love", both an obligation, and a gift as long as we enter into and remain in communion with Him, and do our own part in striving to achieve it.

Here is the problem with this, at least in my mind. Who is doing it? Our legacy up till now as His church ever since the early rain dried up is that we have great intentions to begin with when we are first saved. We are excited and the joy of our salvation is palpable, and very catching. If you want to see someone witnessed to really take interest, notice what happens when they see us excited and full of joy and expectation.

But alas. What happens? Eventually, we cool off and become good Sunday-go-to-meeting Christians. We become more and more lukewarm, going through the motions of serving Him, but in truth our hearts are divided, and sadly the division is more of the world and less of God. I am just being honest here.

What good are the principles of love if no one actually does them? God tells us very clearly that if we abide in Him, we will bear much fruit, and that we will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. What is the only conclusion we can come to, however painful it is to admit it.

We simply do not know how to abide....yet.

And until that bothers us, and we don’t brush off the promises of God to make us overcomers with a “Yes, but we are only human.”, we will continue to walk far from the path God has for us.

All that is about to change. We must understand, the wheat and tares have grown together in what we call “church” for 1900 years, just as Paul shared would happen after his death. All of us have fallen asleep, myself for sure, both wheat and tares. And all will be awakened. But when they do, a separation will occur. The elect will hear the good news of who we really are.... new creatures, light in the Lord, and we will light our lamps. The tares will flee, for the cost of this walk is to lose our old nature, which many truly like. Most will likely pick up stones. What we have today is a Christianity of correct doctrines obit no life overflowing into us or out from us. What is about to happen is that life is about to be breathed breathed over them. We will never be the same again. Glory to God!

I fully understand how hard it is initially to wrap your head around what is being shared. And I know that it is hard for us to hear, but we have an incomplete gospel. We have the skeleton of doctrines meant to support the gospel message and our beliefs about the cross and the atoning blood of Jesus are perfect and right, but we do not have the life of Christ filling us to overflowing.

We are dry bones and have been taught that this is normal. We have assumed this is the best God can do for us. We have been taught wrong. But trust me, the dry bones are even now beginning to rattle and we shall soon see.... and be a vital part of.... the pure church that will arise from the of religious Christianity. Yes, we have all failed in our attempts to love with our whole hearts and to walk as overcomers, but this long dry spell is about to pass. The first drops of the latter rain are beginning to fall and the dry bones WILL live, bringing about an amazing final harvest.

Those who say “The old wine is better”, content with correct doctrines but lifeless gatherings Sunday after Sunday, will be soon faced with joyful victorious believers that will hopefully challenge their beliefs till they relent and cry out to God for real life.

But if you are one who even now somehow inherently knows that there must be something missing in our walk with the Lord, a sweet reality of the Lord living inside us, that we see the early disciples walked in, may I encourage you all to take heart? You may not yet understand how to walk holy before the Lord, and feel it an impossibility because of your weakness and frailty. You may not yet know the way to clothe yourselves with your new nature that can actually be changed into His likeness. But you do not have to find it. It.... He.... will find you, wayward sheep, and if needs be, He will carry you back to the safety and richness of abiding in Him. He will not fail any who cry out to Him for true abiding in the vine. Of that you can be assured.

May God bless you all.

Gideon

 

[Gideons300]

The 1913 dictionary says:
n. 1. the doctrine that all violence is unjustifiable.
2. The belief that all international disputes can be settled by arbitration.

Source:
pacifism | Definition of pacifism by Webster's Online Dictionary

Webster's Dictionary:

1. Opposition to war or violence as a means of settling disputes specifically. Refusal to bear arms on moral or religious grounds; For Quakers pacifism is a major tenet of belief.

2: An attitude or policy of nonresistance; Efforts toward pacifism and civil rights.

Source:
Definition of PACIFISM

As for war or violence:

I believe God in the Old Testament had used His people (Israel) to go to war against enemy nations. I also believe Jesus will return and will destroy all nations that will come up against Him. I also believe that while God does not want the bride of Christ (Christians) to go to war under the New Covenant, God does use the police and military for His greater plan for good. Romans 13 comes to mind. For unbelieving governments can be God's ministers of righteousness to execute justice on those who do evil. This does not mean they are saved, but that they are an arm of justice for God. For God even used an enemy nation (Assyria) as a rod of correction against His own people (Israel) because they were being wicked.

Hey guys, if you would be so kind, I do not want to see the direction of this thread go off on a tangent. Perhaps another post to discuss your views would be a good alternative? Thanks and God bless.

Gids

 

[Bible Highlighter]

Hey guys, if you would be so kind, I do not want to see the direction of this thread go off on a tangent. Perhaps another post to discuss your views would be a good alternative? Thanks and God bless.

Gids

Sorry for side tracking your thread, my friend.

May God bless you.

 

[Gideons300]

Sorry for side tracking your thread, my friend.

May God bless you.

I have done that myself in the past, LOL. No harm, no foul. It is however a very good topic. If you get a post up, I would love to be a part of it. Be blessed, dear brother.

Gids

 

[Pepper77]

That's not what the OP was getting at. If you love God then obedience is already there. If you have obedience then love is already there. If you have Jesus the Word dwells within you. You see? It's all like looking into a mirror and reflecting what He has taught us and is teaching us now.

Edit: I should also imply that young Samuel had learned obedience but did not know God. God made Himself known to Samuel by calling him 3 times. But because we are in the New Covenant, God has written His Word upon our heart.

Yes, exactly. It’s the obedience of faith. He has made us obedient from the heart.

 

[Gideons300]

The western church is doing poorly; it is lukewarm. The eastern church is much healthier and there are people all over the world who are crying out for God. It is not a hopeless case, it just seems that way if you live in a western culture and you're surrounded by lukewarm believers.

I am in ministry and trying to get the body of Christ to pray even for a half hour is like fighting a mother badger protecting her young. It's also almost impossible to bring correction because of offense. Christians will break fellowship over silly nonsense at the drop of a hat.

I believe this is because there is very little discipleship. We receive people into church who make a proclamation of faith and allow them to warm the pews for years and decades without being challenged while the community around the church goes to hell.

I also believe that the church as we know it in America isn't biblical. It's churchianity, not Christianity. I don't find the idea of church in the bible that Christians in the community gather once a week to hear one man speak and then disperse. I think church is when believers gather to form a body and then minister Christ to a lost and dying community, making that their lifes priority. That's what I see in Acts. They had everything in common, and had one heart and one soul, and no one said their own possessions were theirs.

This can turn around, when, as you said, we begin to love God and one another. We also need to pray, continuously, for the church and this nation. God is not going to move unless there is repentance in the church.

Brother, I pray my message back to you in no way came across as condescending or judgmental. That was far, far from my motive.

I loved the last line of your post concerning our overwhelming need for repentance. It struck me as I re-read your post this evening that it is important we know exactly what we are repenting about.

I am sure we could list a multitude of things.... lukewarmness, worldliness, secret willful sins, lack of love, lack of prayer, but what God has shown me is that these are but symptoms of our malaise, not the root cause from which they all spring forth.

So what is THE sin that we have up til now been blinded to? It is unbelief? Oh, we believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died in our place on Calvary. We believe that He rose again and now sits at the right hand of the Father in Heaven. And most believe He will return again to judge the world on the last day. What then are we missing?

We do not believe that when He died, our old nature died with Him and that when He rose to newness of life, so did we. Oh, we may believe it in a general sort of theological way, but this gives us no practical benefit in this life, does it? As a result, when we are told these hard facts and then told we are to ACT on them by appropriating them as ours, right now, this very hour, by reckoning them to be true FOR US, we have left a crack in the door for Satan to keep us earth bound.

We are told to yield ourselves to God as those who are alive from the dead, but how can we if we do not reckon that this amazing transaction has occurred and that we really are new creatures?

How can we fight off the arrows of the enemy.... accusations and temptations with our shields of faith up that old things are passed away and all things have become new?

How can we overcome the world, the flesh and the devil if we believe it impossible? And why do we believe so? Is it not because we have seen our sanctification as something that lies squarely on our shoulders rather than His?

I pray we all here what God has promised us. He tells us that He will cause us to walk obediently! Glory! You can find that amazing promise in Ezekiel 36:27. And in the New Testament, we are told it is God working in us as to master potter to cause us to will AND to do of His good pleasure.

And because we have limited the holy One, sins of the flesh have allowed our faith to be further eroded, to the point we do not even want to hear the word HOLY, for we know how far we are from that standard. We have seen it as something WE must do, but we are wrong.

All God asks is that we admit our error, and confess that after all the time that has passed since we were first saved, we are still carnal believers, lacking love, unable to abide in Him, for He dwells in our hearts by faith! We are to overcome the world, the flesh and the devil by faith? The obedience He asks for is the obedience of faith! And without faith we simply cannot please Him.

God is calling us out by name, encouraging us that if we will simply admit our guilt and ask Him to do for us what we have shown we cannot do, kill our old fleshly nature, He will then roll up His sleeves and show us His strength IN US as new creatures and bring us into the land of promise that is our birthright.

Oh God, take my failing words and fill them with your loving conviction. God is for us and not against us. Repentance is good, but He asks us to repent AND BELIEVE. He awaits our decision. This is the valley of decision spoken of in the word. Light and darkness have dwelt intermixed long enough. God is slowly but sure separating the two, and we need to decide.... are we light in the Lord or are we darkness? There is no middle ground. He is willing to take full responsibility for changing us and freeing us from our habits and sins. How can we resist such amazing good news as that?

Live, bones, live.

Blessings to all, Gideon

 

[Gideons300]

I most love hearing your testimony to what and how the Lord opened up these truths to you. It blesses me so to hear of a believer entering into the freedom we have in Christ. Though, I believe, it is each believers personal journey that must bring them into this freedom that these truths produce. To have and see someone who is brought into these truths and testify that these truths do in fact exist, and are for all believers is a most blessed thing to see.

(Forgive the following boldness.)

As far as being thought a fool. What does it matter to a dead man what others say or think. Obedience to your personal relationship with Christ is our/your everything. This truth you have been brought into, is just the doorway to actually walking in newness of life. Now you need to walk in these/this truth. It is a life long walk. From now on, it will be to the degree(s) of death to self you appropriate to yourself that your growth in Christ consists. For just being set free from the bondage of self is not Christ being formed in the you the believer. It is just getting rid of the hinderances that prevent Him from forming Himself in the you, the believer. Which is something that only He can do. (For how can a created being form their Creator in themselves? They can’t. It has to be done by God Himself, in and to the creature.) Death to self is just the doorway that opens the possibility of it being brought to manifestation. It, actually being brought to manifestation, is to the degree the believer reckons themselves dead to sin and alive unto God (to all things and circumstances.) So that God would have free reign in the believers life to bring the believer into all the Mystery of Christ, at His speed, according to His timetable, (which is in fact to the degree the believer is capable of growing) that He could move the believer where and how He wills and the believer being pliable in His hand. We as believers are asked to “present ourselves as living sacrifices to God which is our reasonable service. It is the willingness to be a “living sacrifice” before God we are called to. Knowing that God only works and blesses righteousness, so righteousness being walked in, is the soil He needs, to grow Himself in the believer. For of a truth, nothing matters but the new creation.

Forgive the boldness, you know you are much loved.

Blessings,

Much love in Christ, Not me

My dear friend and brother, your words are always appreciated and the points you make are very true. If I have seen to have focused on the initial “ignition” point, and seemed to neglect the resulting abiding in Christ, and our growing up in Him in all things, forgive me. Overcoming sin by putting off our old nature is simply the door to glory. It is the true beginning of our walking in the Spirit, not the end goal.

But abiding in Him, where He truly is our best friend and an ever present (think on that... wow!) help in time of need, that is where the glory lies. How often our prayer closets are one sided conversations. Eventually, we retreat into more and more prayerlessness, simply because we feel it unprofitable, and if we are truly honest, unenjoyable. All that can change, but unless we see that it is our failure to believe we are really are... new creatures.... we can never break through and mount up with eagles wings.

I so appreciate your faithfulness in posting and sharing on the truth. Your gentleness and joy in the Lord is unmistakable and I see Christ in you and your words easily. You are a great blessing and encouragement to me. Thank you, my dear friend

Gids

 

[Gideons300]

There is a lot that you shared, and a lot that will need to be thought about seriously from those reading (including myself). I won't parrot what you shared, but I will simply say I agree.

I can appreciate the feeling of being shunned by others when you say you are speaking on God's behalf. This concept was very understandable back in Bible times, but because of the growing deception in the world today, people turn a blind eye (or should I say ear) to those that are speaking what God wants people to hear. Modern day prophets. Most often then not these people are looneys with their own delusions of grandeur; but the genuine doesn't have to apologize for the counterfeits.

This second half you are talking about sharing, but haven't yet, intrigues my curiosity, because after I read what you are sharing, the natural question that comes to mind is, "what's next?" While I am interested to hear what you still have yet to share, I do want to share a warning that I can see take place in your own spirit. It is the problem that everybody that has been used by God deals with at one time or another... that is... pride. Once we feel like we have this message that nobody else is preaching, then after we get a couple of people to listen to us, we forget about God and make ourselves, our personality, etc., become what it is all about. It no longer focuses on Jesus. Furthermore, since WE are the ones that received this revelation, then WE are the only ones that can have this type of connection with God. Excluding others from hearing from God the same way we feel like we CAN, puts us on a pedestal for people to worship from. This, is, the trap that the devil wants us to fall into. He wants us to put ourselves at the top, while we use God to bring people, not to Him, but to ourselves. Please understand, this is not an accusation, rather a warning to where things can/will lead if we keep our focus away from Jesus, and on ourselves. Just something to consider.

With regards to this spiritual army being built consisting of sold out, red-hot soldiers for Christ. Believe me when I say, God has already started to build the foundation for this army, and He is looking for people that are willing to lay down everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, for the sake of the gospel. He is looking for people that are willing to sacrifice their own son, if God tells them to do so. The faith of Abraham as Hebrews put it.

But where are people with this kind of faith today? Where are the people that will forsake houses, mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, children's, lands, and even their own LIFE for the gospels sake? I am sorry to report, that through my time searching for such individuals, they are few and far between. Jesus' words are true... "when the Son of Man returns, will He find Faith on the Earth?" Jesus is questioning whether or not there will be one soul on this planet that will have the faith of Abraham when he returns.

Luckily, I have found a small hand full of people that are willing to take Jesus at His word and start building His Kingdom of love, while forsaking everything else that holds us down. I think you put it as "having one foot in the world, and one foot in heaven." What we are doing, is the opposite of this analogy. We are putting aside our will, for the sake of His will to be done.

So take courage, brother Gideon, this task that God has set before you isn't an easy one; we will be hunted down for our faith, but you are not alone in it. Whether in the flesh or in the spirit, fellowship can be attained, and words of strength can be given and exchanged on both sides. Let us let go and let God take control of us as we head to the most exciting part of Earth's history.

In peace

Brother, forgive me for taking so long to respond to your words of wisdom. Your post was excellent, and the warning you offered is taken and accepted in the kind spirit with which it was offered.

We are not to be ignorant of the devices of the enemy, and pride is a biggie. Andrew Murray once said that of all the sins, religious pride is the hardest to spot and uproot. I covet your prayers and the prayers of others, that I may share the words God has given me to share in humility and lowliness.

After struggling and failing for 38 years to even approach respectability in my behavior as a Christian, I have been a hard judge of myself, I deserve nothing and still do not. I do not long for the accolades of men and for sure, the message I preach doesn’t exactly garner them, LOL.

The truth is, these past six months, I have been running from my calling as a watchman, for I know the resistance that is sure to arise from someone with the audacity to say that we have all been missing the boat and here is the answer. I start to here tar bubbling and chickens sqwaking if you get my drift, lol.

No one likes to not be liked. I am no exception. But God patiently waited me out, chastened me as needed to relent, and to fully yield to the calling He had for me. Your wise words of warning are very appropriate and were delivered in a kind and godly manner. Thank you. I receive them.

As to what is next, that is the question of the hour, isn’t it? in future posts, I will begin to share what God has shown me. There are some things I share that are nailed down truths straight from God. But as to how this will play out, I have some general leadings, but without full clarity. I would love to discuss these further and get the feelings of others who may have light on the subject.

Again, thank you for your post. It really stood out to me and I wanted to give it the time it deserved in my response. So I simply waited till three in the morning, lol, and got up to write back.

Blessings,

Gideon

 

[UnprofitableServant]

Brother, forgive me for taking so long to respond to your words of wisdom. Your post was excellent, and the warning you offered is taken and accepted in the kind spirit with which it was offered.

We are not to be ignorant of the devices of the enemy, and pride is a biggie. Andrew Murray once said that of all the sins, religious pride is the hardest to spot and uproot. I covet your prayers and the prayers of others, that I may share the words God has given me to share in humility and lowliness.

After struggling and failing for 38 years to even approach respectability in my behavior as a Christian, I have been a hard judge of myself, I deserve nothing and still do not. I do not long for the accolades of men and for sure, the message I preach doesn’t exactly garner them, LOL.

The truth is, these past six months, I have been running from my calling as a watchman, for I know the resistance that is sure to arise from someone with the audacity to say that we have all been missing the boat and here is the answer. I start to here tar bubbling and chickens sqwaking if you get my drift, lol.

No one likes to not be liked. I am no exception. But God patiently waited me out, chastened me as needed to relent, and to fully yield to the calling He had for me. Your wise words of warning are very appropriate and were delivered in a kind and godly manner. Thank you. I receive them.

As to what is next, that is the question of the hour, isn’t it? in future posts, I will begin to share what God has shown me. There are some things I share that are nailed down truths straight from God. But as to how this will play out, I have some general leadings, but without full clarity. I would love to discuss these further and get the feelings of others who may have light on the subject.

Again, thank you for your post. It really stood out to me and I wanted to give it the time it deserved in my response. So I simply waited till three in the morning, lol, and got up to write back.

Blessings,

Gideon

No worries on the late response. I was looking forward to hear your response to my last email, so when it came in, my heart was overjoyed to hear your agreement to what I shared.

I can understand the feeling of running away from a calling that God put on our hearts. If I can say one thing on that subject... it is to not delay... not even one second. Someones life could be on the line... this I know from experience...

The person wielding the sword of truth is never liked, nor will be liked, in a world that has almost universally rejected the truth. This has been something that has been on my mind for a long time now. I think the truth is still out their, and people are waking up to it, but the question still remains... How do we get this message across to the four corners of the earth? This is a real head scratcher to me, and something that I believe will take the supernatural help of God to accomplish.

Even this idea causes another question to mind: If God wants a world-wide revival, then He needs people that are willing to let go of what they thought was the truth, so they can be open in hearing the real truth that God wants to reveal to us? This, however, is the predicament that we are faced with. Many people are not willing to 'hear what they don't want to hear', so they close their ears off from hearing any further revelation from God; because they are content (like me) with what they received from the past.

I'm thinking out-loud at the moment, but maybe this could be what Jesus meant about being 'born-again' in John 3? He was talking to a religious leader (Nicodemus) who was someone steeped in the Jewish customs and traditions. Maybe what Jesus wanted Nicky to do was to let go of the old ways of doing things, so He can be able to hear the new things that God wanted to share with Him? It's kinda like being born-again, isn't it? We are born into this world physically not knowing anything and are under full dependence on our parents for answers and survival. So when we become born-again in the spirit, shouldn't we have the same dependence that we had physically to our earthly parents, to our Father in Heaven. Is this the same dependence that God wants from each of His children? The willingness to start all over and say," I am coming to you as a fool knowing nothing, and I want to be trained by you in how I should walk and think?" Food for thought.

I look forward to hearing your future threads, and please do continue with the same spirit that is driving you thus far. The devil waits for an opportunity to attack us at our weak spot, so it is imperative that we have others that can cover us in those areas, or we are in tune enough with God to have Him chastise us, if we are going off the rails.

In peace

 

[Not me]

My dear friend and brother, your words are always appreciated and the points you make are very true. If I have seen to have focused on the initial “ignition” point, and seemed to neglect the resulting abiding in Christ, and our growing up in Him in all things, forgive me. Overcoming sin by putting off our old nature is simply the door to glory. It is the true beginning of our walking in the Spirit, not the end goal.

But abiding in Him, where He truly is our best friend and an ever present (think on that... wow!) help in time of need, that is where the glory lies. How often our prayer closets are one sided conversations. Eventually, we retreat into more and more prayerlessness, simply because we feel it unprofitable, and if we are truly honest, unenjoyable. All that can change, but unless we see that it is our failure to believe we are really are... new creatures.... we can never break through and mount up with eagles wings.

I so appreciate your faithfulness in posting and sharing on the truth. Your gentleness and joy in the Lord is unmistakable and I see Christ in you and your words easily. You are a great blessing and encouragement to me. Thank you, my dear friend

Gids

By focusing on the starting point or the entrance is (I believe) where you should start. Which you did, and a fine job at that. Seeing (Lord willing) as scripture says “My word will not return void” the fruit, and the hearts prepared for the “first step” will have a seed planted, and produce the fruit at the proper season. My words were just to be a continuation of yours. Though I personalize them to you, (forgive me if I came across as to abrupt, which I think I did, for I am getting checked in my insides) I transitioned into “you the believer” meaning (hopefully) to all that (when ready) to see the on going “life” that was set before them. Which indeed it is a life long walk, but a joyous one. Which, joy only gets deeper with each time we “reckon ourselfs dead” when called on to do so. (which is continual, but another time with that message) With the result in victory over the “old man and his deeds.”
To the end result that we can walk before Him in perfect peace and joy with no interruptions in our fellowship with Him. Or as scripture says “from glory to glory”.

Bless you my fellow laborer in Christ. May we see fruit from the larbors of the Body of Christ, in the land of the living.

Such a pleasure to see Christ growing in you. Which I see abundantly.

“That when Jesus died, I died. That I may be a New Creation, created in righteousness, by righteousness, for righteousness. Lord cause righteousness to reign in your creation, and I am your creation”

May these words be written on our hearts.

Much love in Christ, Not me.