The Spirit…

For you who have ears…

Many can and have heard the Holy Spirit in this season.
We are headed for an end to this season… as the next is unfolding and we are being encouraged by the Holy Spirit to move on in the unfolding plan of God.

The call of God to unify, to change the face of His church and to enter the ever waiting harvest has been underscored by men who are listening.
But more than hearing is required!
Many hear and either put off their duty to obey or reshape it to fit into what they’re presently doing in the flesh. Selfishness abounds in the face of God... and in His name!
We need to obey… not in our perception or presumption of unity, change and evangelization but to be free of our flesh and worldly values as we follow.
Deception is not something that happens to us… it is in our selfish choices.
Deception at its very root, is our yielding to our selfish flesh displacing the will of God with our own, yet decrying it is God.
Hearing God and choosing to do it our way will only lead to destruction… “Unless the Lord builds the house…”

God is looking for hearts open to change... love is required and the depths of it...

God requires death to self now… that we may be free to follow the Spirit as He desires…
And how can men follow until they let go?
Look carefully at what you are holding on to…
You are by your existence a part of the Church, what have you contributed to improve it or what have you failed to contribute or what have you denied it or held back willfully?
Look what you have lent to your present circumstance of half truths in the light of God and repent.

It’s time for the church… starting with the leadership but not leaders alone; to let go of all our preoccupation with the man made inheritance of what we call church.
It is adrift in affairs of buildings and money and timeliness of rites and rituals… holding quickly to the past in worldly man conceived traditions. Telling itself “it worked before”
Bound in what was passed down and added to, built on and rearranged to personalize it as to become even more selfish and thus removed even more from grace and mercy.

Or it has entered the extremes of technology with the sesame street mentality of keep them mesmerized; with the attitude at any cost, for nothing else will work, so let’s entertain them. Spend to gain, throw money at it, make it different and presto like magic though they may not believe, we’ve got them coming back for more? More of what; give us your money so we can keep the show going or take it on the road or we’ll sell you a CD or let’s try TV?

Jesus did not come to entertain us… those that use such methods don’t know the love of God nor do they exercise faith.

The issues of what is the church will not be settled until we let go of it. Each one of us should be seeking what God has called us to in following Jesus. Not by comparing ourselves to anyone but Jesus in our pursuit of His will. Let us finally put down the toys old and new and fall on our faces and hold to the hem of His garment, for the first time or once more and evermore seek Him alone.

Be loved by Him!!! and love like Him... in Him... of Him...

The hey look, we have numbers of people and we have adequate dollars has no bearing on your citizenship in the Kingdom of God. Success in these areas is fleeting. Only by faith can you please God. What you see and hold on to is not an act of faith. On a sinking ship telling each other that we’ll be alright making songs and shouting, will not save us, nor will holding onto the gold… it will just sink us quicker. Faith is that resolve to get out of the boat that may appear completely safe right now and begin to walk "in faith" on water to Jesus. The ship “Church” is adrift in a sea of worldliness… sin is more rampant within the church then without merely for its justification.

Where is the faith of a pastor that asks you to give to cancel his debt and he will pray that your debt is canceled? He should pray and believe for you and him.  

Where is the faith in a pastor that believes in divorce? Would he divorce himself from God? For that is where the vow is made in marriage, not to each other only but to God and no man or court can separate what God joins! Be reminded forgiveness is not justification. God will have mercy on us but that does not mean he allows us to sin because we are forgiven of it! If I sin and God forgives me that does not give me the right or privilege to teach others to do likewise.

Where is the faith in those that pursue God seeking his will but while seeking to hear neglects to hear the needs of his neighbor? Seeking the voice of God never put a hold on the command to love our neighbor! So seeking in effect is to be always in the act of loving our neighbor! Jesus never limited us to loving when we have time or when we feel comfortable. Submission requires us to act in faith. Love begins in submission… it is an act of love.

Where is the faith in hands out, palms up, give me your money? Jesus never asked for money in fact we have no record that He ever handled money… but pride and greed has caused men to rise past and over Him in their own pursuit to fill their outstretched hands for filthy lucre. When men think they earned it or deserve it then pride has consumed humility. Are we to be like Jesus?

Where is our faith in our daily walk? Do we trust in Him for our provisions and are about His work or do we provide for ourselves and do what little we can for Him when ever, if ever. Our answer generally being we go to church, we give what we can. Is this the faith that pleases God? You will be accountable where and how you spend your time.

Where is the faith in what we need? Do we need God above everything else? Is he truly our provision for our every need? Do we not need to worry about what we eat or what we wear or any other basic needs as Jesus instructed? Faith He said is in me… seek the Kingdom first, foremost and always and these things you need shall be given to you. This from Jesus who said He had no pillow for His head… that His food was to be about His father’s work! “Not my will but yours!” So whose will are you about, who will you, serve today and tomorrow?

Faith too often ends with “I believe in Jesus!” when this should be the beginning of following and picking up your cross daily. Self-serving deeds shows no faith in Jesus.

To depend on the love of God, we need to receive it and if we have received it then we will share it… remember you can’t share what you don’t have. So many are sharing a loveless message and we have because of the numbers of us supporting this concept, think it’s Jesus.
Jesus is God and God is love! It’s not in our efforts but in His mercy!
Men dead to self, yield to the loving work of God in faith.

What we have perceived has worked yesterday; the lukewarm if not tepid administration of what is presumed spiritual will be bypassed by God today! Can you hear!
Wake up you halfhearted; loveless action will lead you to destroy those who are trying to follow in love and trying to love you! You will deceive yourselves into thinking we can destroy life in the name of Jesus. You will exceed the inquisitions of the past in your loveless search to justify your selfish concepts. You will seal your fate with your anger and hate for the brethren. It is time for the church to kneel before Jesus fasting and praying for mercy for our failure to love as He has commanded us.
Turn from all your ways and follow the path of love!

Oh where is our first love?

God is about to work in the baptism of His Holy Spirit and fire!
The imitators will be in league with the devil and the proof is that they will usher in the persecution of the church on fire in the labor of the Lord.  Yes it will happen as before for rather then change, blind pride shall rear its selfish head in justifying its cause to the destruction of those who labor in love.
Why did Cain strike and kill his brother?
Why did they kill Jesus?  

Those who refuse to love shall harden their hearts and evil shall overcome them just as it did Judas. Judas chose to betray Jesus. No one set him up… no one coursed him… no one lured him or gave him a deal. He made his own deal. His selfish flesh had found a better way then Jesus… he would do things his way and he was well paid for it. Getting the picture?… he was led by his own fleshly thoughts that rose above his faith and he convinced himself he was right in what he was doing and set his hand to having Jesus destroyed. You will convince yourself by your mind overcoming the spirit within you… this is real self-righteousness just as Judas did. No matter what his motive was it did not come from a heart of love and an attitude of humility. Judas motive was fleshly, he indulged in selfish love but no matter what man conceives of his actions, he rose up against God in his willful act of betrayal.

Think what did it take for someone who was called and had the hands of Jesus laid on him confirming him and walked and had intimate relationship; to overcome all that grace present before him and reaching out to him. In light of all that and the fellowship of the others who were following he still returned to his selfishness and chose the world over Jesus; betraying Him for silver. And you think you are above this? Is it arrogance or just your pride showing? Where are you?

A simple test; what is your opinion?
First did you see the movie “The passion of Christ”?
If not what does that say?
If you listen to the voice of the worldly, of those Christians in the flesh this is their view.
It was too harsh. It was too gory. What about the resurrection? It will not convert anyone. It was anything but Godly. I don’t need to see it to know what my relationship with God is. It was not exactly scriptural. It was too dark and dreary, too violent. It will be used against the Jews. It’s just a movie. These and the many other remarks have missed the point; even for those who did see it and came away without identifying with His suffering. The movie without saying so draws a line in the church for those who identify with His suffering… His passion! Can you see yourself suffering for Him?
“Unless you suffer with Him you shall not be glorified with Him!”

Now in view of this where are you?

 The division is already in affect… the hard of heart; will presume and work from their pride; their authority will be launched in their destruction of those following Jesus, just as those in power at the time of Christ, had to eliminate Him! They are the antichrist that comes out of us… for once they did believe but they will return to their selfish love.
They would not change and they would not suffer… “Let one man die…”
If you believe you are pursuing God or His will for your life and have no love or have not had a heart change or have not found yourself humbled before the brethren, then your pride shall overtake you. This is not about how much you know or what you know. It’s not about gifts or how gifted you are or how you have developed the gifts or have used them. It’s about the fruit of love… You can have the Holy Spirit and still lack love!
You can preach, teach, prophecy, cast out demons and heal the infirmed but without love you have done nothing. “But Lord we healed in your name and cast out demons… but I don’t know you…”

Beware if someone asks you to be humble or if they instruct you to love or do any of the labors of love for those in need but have not set an example of it themselves. These then  are the false teachers and false prophets foretold.
Without love we are not in Christ!
Fruit!
You cannot change what have or have not done in past opportunities but you can change what you do today and tomorrow and don't just do something seek the love of Jesus in the bowels of your heart!
Those in Jesus bear the fruit of love!
The excuse of today without change will be your destruction tomorrow.
There is no middle ground there is rock and sand…
What are you building on?

Your not asked to nor given a choice; you were not consulted as to where or when you were commanded to follow the selfless sacrificial loving acts of Jesus...

Love one another… or perish…

Jesus Christ’s Community at Hebron

 www.jesuschrists.com