Saturday, 12 April 2014

Faith—Elevators Can Let You Down



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2. Faith—Elevators Can Let You Down

Faith
Is the Bible completely accurate, or does it contain some inaccuracies about history and science? Answer
“Bible contradiction” Answers
Is the Bible really the final authority in all matters of faith and morals? Answer
More about the Bible
When a young man once looked at me and said, "I find it hard to believe some of the things in the Bible," I smiled and asked, "What's your name?" When he said, “Paul,” I casually answered, "I don't believe you." He looked at me questioningly. I repeated, "What's your name?" Again he said, “Paul,” and again I answered, "I don't believe you." Then I asked, "Where do you live?" When he told me, I said, "I don't believe that either." You should have seen his reaction. He was angry. I said, "You look a little upset. Do you know why? You're upset because I didn't believe what you told me. If you tell me that your name is Paul, and I say, 'I don't believe you,' it means that I think you are a liar. You are trying to deceive me by telling me your name is Paul, when it's not."
Then I told him that if he, a mere man, felt insulted by my lack of faith in his word, how much more does he insult Almighty God by refusing to believe His Word. In doing so, he was saying that God isn't worth trusting—that He is a liar and a deceiver. The Bible says, "He that believes not God has made Him a liar" (1 John 5:10). It also says, "Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief…" (Hebrews 3:12, italics added). Martin Luther said, "What greater insult… can there be to God, than not to believe His promises."
Stack of Books. Illustration copyrighted. I have heard people say, "But I just find it hard to have faith in God," not realizing the implications of their words. These are the same people who often believe the weather forecast, believe the newspapers, and trust their lives to a pilot they have never seen whenever they fly in a plane. We exercise faith every day. We trust our car's brakes. We trust our history books, our medical books, and we trust elevators. Yet elevators can let us down. History books can be wrong. Planes can crash. How much more then should we trust the sure and true promises of Almighty God. He will never let us down… if we trust Him.
I have often heard cynics say, "The Bible is full of mistakes." It is. The first mistake was when man rejected God, and the Scriptures show men and women making the same tragic mistake again and again. It's also full of what seem to be contradictions. For example, the Scriptures tell us "with God, nothing shall be impossible" (Luke 1:37). We are told that there is nothing Almighty God can't do.
Yet we are also told that it is "impossible for God to lie" (Hebrews 6:18). So there is something God cannot do! There's an obvious “mistake” in the Bible. The answer to this dilemma is to be found in the lowly worm.
Worm. Illustration copyrighted. Do you know that it would be impossible for me to eat worms, although I have seen it done. I once saw a man on TV butter his toast, then pour on a can of live, fat, wriggling, blood-filled worms. He carefully took a knife and fork, cut into his moving meal, and ate it. It made me feel sick. It was disgusting. The thought of chewing cold, live worms is so repulsive, so distasteful, I can candidly say it would be impossible for me to eat them, even though I have seen it done. It is so abhorrent, I draw on the strength of the word “impossible” to substantiate my claim.
Lying, deception, bearing false witness, etc., is so repulsive to God, so disgusting to Him, so against His holy character, the Scriptures draw on the strength of the word “impossible” to substantiate the claim. He cannot, could not, would not lie.
That means that in a world where we are continually let down, we can totally rely on, trust in, count on His promises. They are sure, certain, indisputable, true, trustworthy, reliable, faithful, unfailing, dependable, steadfast, and an anchor for the soul. In other words, you can truly believe them, and because of that, you can throw yourself, blindfolded, and without reserve into His mighty hands. He will never, ever, let you down.
To Next Page
EvangelismOur Most Sobering Task

Important principles that can save a great deal of pain

Previous…

  1. Feeding on the WordDaily Nutrition
    "A healthy baby has a healthy appetite. If you have truly been “born” of the Spirit of God, you will have a healthy appetite…" [Read more]
  2. Faith—Elevators Can Let You Down

Next…

  1. EvangelismOur Most Sobering Task
    "You probably have a limited amount of time after your conversion to impact your unsaved friends and family with the Gospel… Here's some advice that will save you a great deal of grief…" [Read more]
  2. Prayer"Wait For A Minute."
    "Surveys show that more than 90% of America prays daily… Here's how to be heard:" [Read more]
  3. WarfarePraise The Lord and Pass the Ammunition
    "When you became a Christian, you stepped right into the heat of an age-old battle. You have a three-fold enemy—the world, the flesh, and the devil… Let's look at these three resistant enemies…" [Read more]
  4. FellowshipFlutter by Butterfly
    "Pray about where you should fellowship… Don't become a 'spiritual butterfly.' Send your roots down…" [Read more]
  5. ThanksgivingDo the Right Thing
    "For the Christian, every day should be Thanksgiving Day. We should even be thankful in the midst of problems…" [Read more]
  6. Water Baptism
    [Read more]
  7. TithingThe Last Frontier
    "It was once said that the wallet is the 'last frontier.' It is the final area to be conquered—the last thing that comes to God in surrender…" [Read more]
  8. Troubleshooting: Cults, Atheists, Skeptics
    "When cults tell you that you must acknowledge God's name to be saved, that you must worship on a certain day that you must be baptized by an elder of their church, don't panic. Merely go back to the Instruction Manual…

What is the Biblical Definition of Obedience?

The general concept of obedience both in the Old and New Testament relates to hearing or hearkening to a higher authority. One of the Greek terms for obedience conveys the idea of positioning oneself under someone by submitting to their authority and command. Another Greek word for obey in the New Testament means "to trust."
According to Holman's Illustrated Bible Dictionary a succinct definition of biblical obedience is "to hear God's Word and act accordingly."
Eerdman's Bible Dictionary says, "True 'hearing,' or obedience, involves the physical hearing that inspires the hearer, and a belief or trust that in turn motivates the hearer to act in accordance with the speaker's desires."
So, biblical obedience means, simply, to hear, trust, submit and surrender to God and obey his Word.

Jesus Calls Us to Obedience

In Jesus Christ we find the perfect model of obedience. As his disciples, we follow Christ's example as well as his commands. Our motivation for obedience is love: John 14:15
If you love me, you will keep my commandments. (ESV)

Obedience is an Act of Worship

While the Bible places strong emphasis on obedience, it's important to remember that believers are not justified (made righteous) by our obedience. Salvation is a free gift of God, and we can do nothing to merit it. True Christian obedience flows from a heart of gratitude for the grace we have received from the Lord:
Romans 12:1
And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. (NLT)

God Rewards Obedience

Over and over again we read in the Bible that God blesses and rewards obedience: Genesis 22:18
"And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed—all because you have obeyed me." (NLT)
Exodus 19:5
Now if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own special treasure from among all the peoples on earth; for all the earth belongs to me. (NLT)
Luke 11:28
Jesus replied, "But even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice." (NLT)
James 1:22–25
But don't just listen to God's word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don't obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don't forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it. (NLT)

Obedience to God Proves Our Love

1 John 5:2–3
By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. (ESV)
2 John 6
And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it. (ESV)

Obedience to God Demonstrates Our Faith

1 John 2:3–6
And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments. If someone claims, "I know God," but doesn't obey God's commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. But those who obey God's word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did. (NLT)

Obedience is Better Than Sacrifice

1 Samuel 15:22–23
But Samuel replied, "What is more pleasing to the LORD: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams. Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft, and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols. So because you have rejected the command of the LORD, he has rejected you as king." (NLT)

Disobedience Leads to Sin and Death

The disobedience of Adam brought sin and death into the world. But Christ's perfect obedience restores our fellowship with God, for everyone who believes in him. Romans 5:19
For as by the one man's [Adam's] disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's [Christ's] obedience the many will be made righteous. (ESV)
1 Corinthians 15:22
For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. (ESV)

Through Obedience We Experience the Blessings of Holy Living

Only Jesus Christ is perfect, therefore, only he could walk in sinless obedience. But as we allow the Holy Spirit to transform us from within, we grow in holiness. Psalm 119:1–8
Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the LORD. Joyful are those who obey his laws and search for him with all their hearts. They do not compromise with evil, and they walk only in his paths.
You have charged us to keep your commandments carefully. Oh, that my actions would consistently reflect your decrees! Then I will not be ashamed when I compare my life with your commands. As I learn your righteous regulations, I will thank you by living as I should! I will obey your decrees. Please don't give up on me! (NLT)
Isaiah 48:17–19
This is what the LORD says—your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: "I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is good for you and leads you along the paths you should follow. Oh, that you had listened to my commands! Then you would have had peace flowing like a gentle river and righteousness rolling over you like waves in the sea. Your descendants would have been like the sands along the seashore—too many to count! There would have been no need for your destruction, or for cutting off your family name." (NLT)
2 Corinthians 7:1
Because we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God. (NLT)
The verse above says, "Let us work toward complete holiness." So, we don't learn obedience overnight; it's a lifelong process that we pursue by making it a daily goal.

How to Increase Faith

  1. Feed your faith: receive a measure of faith from God, through receiving the Word of God -- by studying the Bible. According to Romans 10:17, "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God."
    • Faith does not come mainly by praying, begging or fasting or Romans 10:17 would only be a suggestion.
    • The Bible does say "pray always"; so, an attitude of prayer is essential, but faith comes by hearing and then applying the Word of God.
    • You must continue to read and study the Word of God (The Bible) so that your faith will grow. II Thessalonians 1:3, "your faith grows exceedingly." by living in God's promises in the Bible
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    Check the Bible where it says Jesus Christ had the [full] faith of God without measure. He is the living word of God.[3]Faith is called a "fruit of the Holy Spirit" that Jesus promised to send after he went to the Father. This may be noticed in the reborn person's spirit even at difficult times; not just on your best days:

    ~ "...the fruit of the Holy Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ..."
    [4].
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    Be born again as a believer by repentance (turning around) and continuing in Christ, so that you will receive within you a measure of faith and the Spirit of God. That means that if you have been born again, then you will have some portion of the nature of God as the Word says. So no one has an excuse: Do not think of yourself more highly than you should, but rather think of yourself soberly, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given to [you] each person. (Romans 12:3)[5]
    • Let faith arise in you, and it can in the area of unseen things that you believe -- within God's will, so then it can be applied to you and actualized by you. You will see results by faith. This is not just a hope; it is the way of God for access to the things of God.
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    Love your brother. How can you love God whom you have not seen -- if you cannot love your brother whom you have seen. God will reveal Himself to you through His people, His love, through His son, His Word, and by the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ.
    • Galatians 5:6 says that faith works by love.
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    Having faith to move problems as mountains is simply trusting God to keep His Word. Believe that God cannot lie. You cannot trust God without knowing Him through fellowship of God's presence. This fellowship is quality time spent alone in study, praise and prayer with God, getting to know Him and His life, way and truth (presented in The Bible).
    • Abraham in Romans 4:19-21 had extremely strong faith by 1) Not concentrating on his circumstances, 2) trusting that God could do what God promised and 3) by Praising God.
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    Fellowship with Him and as this develops you will come to agree with those who trust God.

    ~ "Where two or three agree together in my name as touching any thing [in God's will] that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where there are two or three gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."(Matthew 18:20)[6]
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    Cultivate your faith by giving Him the opportunity to reveal Himself to you. You will know Him as He lives in your life. Fellowship with the invisible God gives birth to your spirit with a measure of the kind of faith that can change things in your visible, physical reality.
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    Act on your faith. Faith is expressed by actions not just thoughts and words, as you believe then you can receive through that, and then you will seek results like you expect real outcomes as you have expectations of favor with God. God told Joshua that we must be faithful to the scriptures:

    ~ "Never stop meditating on these teachings. You must think about them night and day so that you will faithfully do what is in them.

    Only then will you prosper and succeed." (Joshua 1:8)
    [7].
    • Notice in Mark 9:23 that Jesus said that all things are possible to him that believes. "To believe" is a verb and requires action. If no action were necessary, Jesus would have said, "All things are possible to him that has faith." Faith is a noun. Faith is a gift to us from God.
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    Think on the Word of God. That meditation on the Word then reveals how to act upon the Word. Your confessing, testifying of the Word and things of God is part of that prayer and meditation. When you read, digest and speak the Word to yourself, you are meditating on the Word.
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    Build your faith by saying one thing and thinking that same thing and acting it out honestly, not by just pretending. God's Word is already happening but not for you unless you truly believe it. What you meditate upon consists (is formed) of and constitutes (forms) what you believe:

    "Be careful of what you think.
    What you think determines what you do.
    Be careful what you do with your opportunity.
    Those actions determine your faith, identity and character.
    Be careful of those aspects of your character, for they determine what occupies your being.
    That content occupying your being determines who you are.
    So, it is true that: 'We become what we think about.'"
    (Based on a common saying.)
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    Edify yourself through faith which is also developed through praying in the language of the spirit (Jude 20). *Praying in other tongues is a kind of spiritual exercising according to the New Testament.
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    Spend time each day, praying and meditating in the Word in your native language and also in other tongues, and you can keep your spirit active instead of being passive. Scriptures say:

    ~ "But ye, beloved, building up yourselves in your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost."
    (Jude 1:20)[8]
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    Let God inhabit your meditations and praises and grow in your being. Meditating on the Word and agreeing together can cause you to be able to believe God's Word enough to act upon it in faith.
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    Refuse to accept doubt. Begin to praise God when negative thinking comes to your mind then replace that with praising God. If you do believe Him, then you will have plenty of praise for Him. He lives in and through His people who believe Him:

    ~ "God inhabits the praises of Israel [his people, the believers who do His will]." [9]
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    Investigate why God inhabits the praises of His people: It was an honor to God, that the tabernacle tent made way for the temple of stone, but now He is within you.[10]
    • So, the tabernacle makes way for the faithful spirit as God's favored dwelling:

      • But the universe is God's temple; so, what reason then is there for a temple in the human spirit?
      • Heaven is his throne, the earth is his footstool; also, none of man's service can profit Him, yet he seeks the faithful to serve him.
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    Follow Jesus by faith into the active nature of Christ in the chosen and anointed life, way and the truth: so the redeemed, contrite, faithful human spirit may represent his favored temple that He wants to inhabit.

Build Your Bible Memory and Your Family

Build Your Bible Memory and Your Family

1 - Set a Goal

Memorizing one Bible verse a week is a reasonable goal to set in the beginning. This will give you plenty of time to establish the Bible verse firmly in your hearts and minds before starting to learn a new passage. Not every member of the family will memorize at the same pace, so try to set a goal that leaves room for flexibility and time for everyone to reinforce the verse in their memories. Once you've begun memorizing, you can increase your pace if you find one Scripture a week is not challenging enough. Likewise, if you decide to learn longer passages, you'll want to slow down and take as much time as you need.

2 - Have a Plan

Decide when, where, and how you will accomplish your goals. How much time a day will you set aside to memorize Bible verses? Where and when will you meet with your family? What techniques will you incorporate? We'll discuss specific techniques and reinforcement activities a little later, but 15 minutes a day should be plenty of time to memorize Bible verses. Family meal times and before bedtime are good opportunities to recite passages aloud together.

3 - Choose Your Bible Memory Verses

Take some time to decide which Bible verses you'd like to memorize. It might be interesting to make this a group effort, giving each member of the family a chance to choose Scriptures. Keeping in mind the younger children, you can select verses from more than one Bible translation, picking versions that are easy to understand and memorize. If you need help choosing your Bible memory verses, here are some suggestions:

4 - Make it Fun and Creative

Children memorize Bible verses quickly and easily through repetition, but the key is to make it fun. Be sure to incorporate some creative activities into your family project. Remember, the idea is not only to teach your kids about God and his Word, but also to strengthen the family by enjoying some quality time together.

Bible Memory Techniques

I recommend building the foundation of your Bible memorization plan upon a system of repetition, and then supplement with games, songs, and other fun activities. One of the best, proven methods to memorize Bible verses as a family is this Scripture Memory System from Simply Charlotte Mason.com. I will outline it briefly, but you can find detailed instructions with pictures here on their website.

Supplies You'll Need

  1. An index card box.
  2. 41 tabbed dividers to fit inside.
  3. A package of index cards.
Next, label your tabbed dividers as follows and place them inside the index card box:
  1. 1 tabbed divider labeled "Daily."
  2. 1 tabbed divider labeled "Odd Days."
  3. 1 tabbed divider labeled "Even Days."
  4. 7 tabbed dividers labeled with the days of the week - "Monday, Tuesday," etc.
  5. 31 tabbed dividers labeled with the days of the month - "1, 2, 3," etc.
Then, you'll want to print your Bible memory verses onto the index cards, making sure to include the Scripture references along with the text of the passage. Choose one card with the verse your family will learn first and place it behind the "Daily" tab in the box. Put the rest of the Bible memory cards in the front of the box, ahead of your tabbed dividers. You'll begin working with just one verse, reading it out loud together as a family (or each person individually) a few times a day according to the plan you established above (at breakfast and dinner time, before bed, etc.). Once everyone in the family has memorized the first verse, move it behind either the "Odd" or "Even" tab, to be read on odd and even days of the month, and select a new Bible memory verse for your daily tab.
Each time your family memorizes a Bible verse, you'll advance the cards farther back in the box, so that eventually, each day you'll be reading aloud Scriptures from behind four dividers: daily, odd or even, the day of the week, and the date of the month. This method allows you to continually review and reinforce the Bible verses you've already learned while learning new ones at your own pace.

Additional Bible Memory Games and Activities

Wednesday, 9 April 2014

9 Ways To Light The Spiritual Fire In Your Life

9 Ways To Light The Spiritual Fire In Your Life

9 Ways To Light The Spiritual Fire In Your Life
“Get on fire for God and men will come and see you burn.” ― John Wesley
For a large portion of my life I have lived and worked in snow country. It is only just recently that God has given me my heart’s desire to live in a warm climate near the beach. Only just the other week, it was a sunny 70 degrees here while it was -55 degrees with the wind chill where I last pastored. I have never been a cold weather guy.
Recently I have been thinking about what the Apostle Paul meant when He was talking about being fervent in spirit in Romans 12:11
not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;
The greek word for fervent is “zeo” which means to boil with heat. This means that we have a mandate to keep our fire for the Lord hot no matter what the spiritual climate is around us.
I am sure that all of you can remember the very pointed quote about being hot or cold in the book of Revelation.
Revelation 3:15-16
15 “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! 16 But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!
None of us want to be distasteful to the Lord. None of us want to make him sick. None of us want to be viewed as tasting like lukewarm coke that has lost it’s fizz. So what do we do to keep the flames of fire burning in our spirit? Here are 9 ways that will help you keep those revival fires burning.

9 Ways To Light The Fire Of The Lord In Your Spirit

#1 Feed The Flames With The Word Of God

Jesus said that man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. (Matthew 4:4) Now I am not talking about dutifully doing your daily devotion with sleep filled eyes every morning. I am talking about hungrily searching the scriptures for the voice of the Lord within their pages. Just like the disciples on the road to Emmaus who had their hearts blaze when the scriptures were explained to them by Jesus, (Luke 24:32) you need to dig into the scriptures and allow the Lord to start explaining the scriptures to you as well.

#2 Stoke The Furnace With Prayer

There are 3 things you need to have a blazing fire. Fuel, oxygen and heat. Prayer is the oxygen you use to stoke the flames high. Spending time in prayer is spending time in the presence of God and the presence of God  is the air that our souls need to be on fire.
Oswald Chambers put it bluntly: “Prayer is the vital breath of the Christian; not the thing that makes him alive, but the evidence that he is alive.” When you pray, you are breathing. You are taking in the vital element that gives life to your soul.

#3 Worship The Lord With Extravagance.

One of the things that keeps a fire small is containment. You cannot have a big fire in a small metal box. The way to break these walls of containment is to worship the Lord with extravagance. Go beyond your comfort zone. Offer up sacrifices of praise with your lips in greater degrees than you are comfortable with. Make praise and worship a true sacrifice of your self conscious and self inhibitions.
Make a decision that you will praise God in a more vocal, uninhibited way this year than ever before. If you need help praising God, play a recording by one of your favorite Christian artists and sing along. Challenge yourself to learn how to raise your hands, bow on your knees in worship, and even get flat on your face. These things will break down any walls of containment where you are keeping the fire in a small metal box.

#4 Allow The Holy Spirit To Move

The Apostle Paul gives us a very pointed exhortation in 1 Thessalonians 5:19.
19 Do not stifle the Holy Spirit.
Is there anything in your life that is hindering the Spirit’s work? Are you resisting doing something or giving up something that you know the Spirit is tapping you on the shoulder about? Do you have mindsets or mentalities that are contrary to allowing the Holy Spirit to move?
Some of the greatest breakthroughs I have had in my life have been when I stopped telling the Holy Spirit how He can operate. I am very good at setting up preconditions that the Holy Spirit has to fulfil before I will believe that it is Him. I may be good at setting those preconditions up, but I have found that the Holy Spirit will not jump through my hoops. Those preconditions were stifling the Holy Spirit.

#5 Do A Spring Cleaning Of Your Heart

The Bible says that in the last days the love of many will grow cold. Many times this is caused by unforgiveness and bitterness taking hold and growing in your heart rather than love. Take time to do a spring cleaning of your heart and let go of any unforgiveness you may hold towards someone and remove any roots of bitterness that might have sprung up.
Nothing puts out the flame of God’s love faster than bitterness. Don’t allow unforgiveness to freeze your soul. Guard your heart and deal with offenses quickly.

#6 Bring Your Flame Closer To Other Flames

Have you ever gone camping and had a raging fire at night. Many times in the morning there will still be coal embers that are in the fire pit. If you want to build a new fire, the first thing you do is gather all the coals together.
This is why we should never live the Christian life in seclusion. God called us to be in community. But make sure you are in a church that is on fire for God—because a dead church could put out what is left of your fire. If your church compromises God’s Word or ignores the Great Commission, you should find a new church home.

#7 Start Making Your Fire Useful

Spiritual passion is ignited when it is being used to serve others. Start using the gifts and talents that God has given you to help others. Every believer in Jesus has been given gifts and talents and you are no exception. You must face your fears and stretch your faith as you begin to step out, but soon you will find there is no greater joy than being an instrument of the Holy Spirit to bless people.
When you become obedient to stop burying your gifts and talents and start investing them into the lives of others, then you will be given even more to give. (Matthew 25:14)

#8 Find A Personal Firebrand

Everyone has to learn how to make fire. We do not normally discover it naturally. My dad showed me how to build a campfire. He taught me how to light a furnace. We need spiritual dads and moms to teach us how to light our spiritual fires.
I sometimes ask these firebrands to lay hands on me and pray. Sometimes I make appointments with them so I can glean from their wisdom and experience. You can be sure that when Elisha saw Elijah go to heaven in a fiery chariot, he was affected by the heat. Get as close as possible to those who are burning for God, and you will be ignited.

#9 Spread The Flame

The biggest thing you can do to raise your spiritual temperature and light the fire of God in your life is to spread your flame. There is nothing more exciting, in my opinion, than leading a person to faith in Christ. Yet statistics show that 95 percent of Christians have never led one soul to salvation. I guarantee if you step out of your timidity and share the gospel with a neighbor, a co-worker, a server at a restaurant or a stranger on the subway, your spiritual temperature will instantly rise 30 degrees—and you will want to share with someone else.
Just as John Wesley said that if you light yourself on fire that men will come for miles to watch you burn. Part of that is spreading the flame to the spectators. Challenge yourself this year to speak of your faith, share you testimony, and pray with people who need the reality of Jesus in their life.

What does it mean to live a Spirit-filled life?

What does it mean to live a Spirit-filled life?

Living a Spirit-filled Life

Live a Spirit-filled life with the Holy Spirit
With the Holy Spirit in our lives, it is truly possible to live an abundant life.
This photo is of a decoration in St Joseph Church, Toruń, Poland, by kojotomoto.
When you became a Christian the Holy Spirit came into your life and filled you. This is a basic truth because the Bible says that if we do not have the Spirit, then we do not belong to Christ (Romans 8:9).
It is the Spirit of Christ that seals our redemption and gives us the guarantee that we belong to Him (2 Corinthians 1:22). However, we can also have special and separate ‘fillings’ of the Holy Spirit in order to accomplish special tasks and live in a powerful way, led by the Spirit of God.
By being continually filled with the Holy Spirit we can live a life under the control of the Spirit, which empowers us to live as Christ has directed us. Here are five ways that God equips us to live life in His Spirit.

The Holy Spirit guides us

The Holy Spirit within us guides us through life and shows us what it means to be led by Him. The guidance of the Holy Spirit leads us to avoid and shun our selfish motives and frees us from being a slave to sin and simply trying to follow rules and laws and into a life of true inner peace and into a deeper relationship with God, our Father.

The Holy Spirit empowers us

Our Father knows that it is not sufficient for us to be only shown what is right and wrong and how we should live, but God the Father and God the Son have given us God their Holy Spirit to bring us power – we have the very power of God in our lives.

The Holy Spirit gives us the victory

By being led by the all-powerful Spirit of Christ we can have the victory over every challenge in life. The Christian life is the life of a warrior – we are all soldiers in a battle against our natural urges and against the evil influences that try to affect us on every side. The Spirit of God gives us the victory in these battles and so we must rely on Him to win each and every time we are tempted to do anything other than the perfect will of God.

The Holy Spirit teaches us

Through the illuminating ministry of the Holy Spirit each and every child of God is able to understand the Bible. The individual authors of each book of the Holy Bible were originally inspired by the Holy Spirit and it is the same Spirit that lives in every believer.
We therefore do not need a special form of mystical revelation or insight in order to understand the Scriptures because this same Author lives inside us and has promised to reveal and explain what the Bible says to us.

The Holy Spirit prays for us

Another way that the Holy Spirit counsels and comforts us is to pray on our behalf. There are often times when we do not know what or which outcome we should pray for; at other times we may be at a loss as to what words we should say. At these times we have the blessing of knowing that God Himself, through His Holy Spirit, will put what we need to pray about in our minds or make the correct prayer in our place.
Read the Bible verses about the Holy Spirit and be encouraged by the power available to live a godly and Spirit-filled life.

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The Steps to Being Filled with the Holy Spirit


By faith, you can trust God right now to fill you.
By Bill Bright
We are filled with the Holy Spirit by faith. How did you become a Christian? By faith. "It is by grace you have been saved, through faith -- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God -- not by works, so that no one can boast." "So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him."
You receive Christ by faith. You live by faith. Everything you receive from God, from the moment of your spiritual birth until you die, is by faith. Do you want to be filled with the Holy Spirit? You can be filled right now, by faith.
You do not have to beg God to fill you with His Holy Spirit. You do not have to barter with Him by fasting or weeping or begging or pleading. For a long period of time, I fasted and cried out to God for His fullness. Then one day I discovered from the Scriptures that the "just shall live by faith." You do not earn God's fullness. You receive it by faith.

An Illustration of Faith

Let me illustrate. Suppose that you want to cash a check for a hundred dollars. Would you go to the bank where you have several thousand dollars on deposit, place the check on the counter, get down on your knees, and beg, "Oh, please, Miss Teller, cash my check?" No, that is not the way you cash a check. You simply go in faith, place the check on the counter, and you wait for the money which is already yours. Then you thank the teller and go on your way.
Millions of Christians are begging God, as I once did, for something which is readily available -- just waiting to be appropriated by faith. They are seeking some kind of emotional experience, not realizing that such an attitude on their part is an insult to God -- a denial of faith. But faith is the only way you can please God.
Though you are filled with the Holy Spirit by faith and faith alone, it is important to recognize that several factors contribute to preparing your heart for the filling of the Spirit. First, you must desire to live a life that will please the Lord. You have the promise of our Savior, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled."
Second, be willing to surrender your life totally and irrevocably to our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul admonishes in Romans 12:1, 2: "I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God -- which is your spiritual worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is -- his good, pleasing and perfect will."
Third, confess every known sin which the Holy Spirit calls to your remembrance and experience the cleansing and forgiveness which God promises in 1 John 1:9: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."
I call this process "Spiritual Breathing." Just as you exhale and inhale physically, so you also breathe spiritually. You exhale spiritually when you confess your sins.

The Command and the Promise

If you have wronged a brother or have taken that which is not rightfully yours, the Holy Spirit may lead you to make restitution to right your wrong. If so, obey Him, or you will miss His blessing. The blessings of the fullness of God's Spirit come only to those who willingly obey Him.
Jesus promised, "Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him."
Again, you are not filled with the Holy Spirit because you desire to be filled nor because you confess your sins or present your body a living sacrifice -- you are filled by faith.
There are two very important words to remember.
The first is command. In Ephesians 5:18, God commands you to be filled: "Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit." Not to be filled, controlled and empowered by the Holy Spirit is disobedience.
The other word is promise -- a promise that makes the command possible: "This is the assurance we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us -- whatever we ask -- we know that we have what we asked of him."
Now, is it God's will for you to be filled and controlled by Him? Of course it is -- for it is His command! Then right now you can ask God to fill you -- not because you deserve to be filled, but on the basis of His promise.
If you are a Christian, the Holy Spirit already dwells within you. When you purchase a mechanical item that runs on battery power, frequently the notice "Batteries Not Included" is printed on the box. The Holy Spirit -- your Source of power for living -- is "included" when you receive Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord. Therefore, you do not need to invite Him to come into your life. He did this when you became a Christian, and Jesus promised that He will never leave you.
The moment you received Christ, the Holy Spirit not only came to indwell you, but He imparted to you spiritual life, causing you to be born anew as a child of God. The Holy Spirit also baptized you into the body of Christ. In 1 Corinthians 12:13, Paul explains, "We were all baptized by one Spirit into one body."
There is but one indwelling of the Holy Spirit, one rebirth of the Holy Spirit, and one baptism of the Holy Spirit -- all of which occur when you receive Christ.

Being Filled Happens Over and Over

Being filled with the Holy Spirit, however, is not a once-and-for-all experience. There are many fillings, as is made clear in Ephesians 5:18. In the Greek language in which this command was originally written, the meaning is clearer than that in most English translations. This command of God means to be constantly and continually filled, controlled and empowered with the Holy Spirit as a way of life.
I cannot control myself and be controlled by the Holy Spirit at the same time. Christ cannot be in control if I am on the throne. So I must abdicate. This involves faith. As an expression of my will, in prayer, I surrender the throne of my life to Him, and by faith I draw upon His resources to live a holy and fruitful life.
The command of Ephesians 5:18 is given to all believers to be filled, directed and empowered by the Holy Spirit, continually, every day of our lives. And the promise of 1 John 5:14, 15 is made to all believers that, when we pray according to God's will, He hears and answers us. If you claim the fullness of God's Spirit in prayer, He will hear and answer you. He will fill you. And in the process, you will "inhale" spiritually.
Do not think that you have to have an emotional experience or that something dramatic must happen to you. How did you receive Christ? Was it because of some great emotional pressure brought to bear upon you? Your emotions may have been involved. But ultimately, you became a Christian, not because of your emotional experience, but because of your faith. For the Bible says, "It is by grace you have been saved, through faith."
The Holy Spirit is not given to you that you might have a great emotional experience, but that you might live a holy life and be a fruitful witness for Christ. So, whether or not you have an emotional experience is not the issue.
There is no place in Scripture where you are told to pray for the filling of the Holy Spirit. You are filled by faith. However, since the object of your faith is God and His Word, I suggest that you pray to Him claiming the fullness of His Spirit as an expression of your faith in God's command and in His promise.

Pray to be Filled with the Holy Spirit Right Now


Have you met God's conditions? Do you hunger and thirst after righteousness? Do you sincerely desire to be controlled and empowered by the Holy Spirit? If so, I invite you to bow your head and pray this prayer of faith right now. Expect God to fill you. Without begging or pleading, just say:
"Dear Father, I need You. I hunger and thirst for a more vital relationship with You. I admit that I have been in control of my life. As a result, I have sinned against You.
"Thank You for forgiving my sins through Christ's death on the cross for me. I now confess and turn from my sins and surrender the control of my life to the Lord Jesus. By faith I invite You to fill me with the Holy Spirit as You commanded me to be filled. You promised to fill me if I ask according to Your will. I pray this in the authority of the name of Jesus Christ.
"To demonstrate my faith, I now thank You for filling me with Your Holy Spirit and for taking control of my life. Amen."
Now, if you sincerely prayed that prayer, you are filled with the Holy Spirit. You will begin to experience a greater love for God. You will want to spend time with Him in studying His Word and in prayer. You will want to trust and obey God and His Word. You will want to share your love for Christ with others who do not know Him.

How to be Filled with the Holy Spirit


Receive power now!

Just before He ascended into heaven, Jesus said, "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you" (Acts 1:8).

This page will give you the instructions of how to be filled with the precious Holy Spirit of God Himself, the manifest power of God.

This is not for our own purposes and is only to serve Him. However, this same power enables us to be what God wants us to be in this life and to be an overcomer.

IMPORTANT: This power is not available unless you have already been born of the Spirit by receiving Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Otherwise it does not work. Don't try. In fact, it may even be dangerous. If you have not received Christ, stop now, and click here.

All believers are indwelled by the Holy Spirit; however, not all believers are "filled" with the Spirit and His power, otherwise God would not have to command us to be. The lack of spiritual power is all too evident among believers.

Not an option. If you have already received Christ, in Ephesians 5:18 God commands all believers to be filled with the Spirit; therefore, we know it is God's will for everyone. It is really a command from God and really not an option.

Before His ascension into heaven, in Acts chapter 1 Jesus prophesied that this phenomenon would happen to believers. He called it "the promise of the Father," told the disciples that they would receive power when the Holy Spirit came on them, and He also referred to it as "the baptism with the Holy Spirit." It happened a few days later on the day of Pentecost as described in Acts 2:4, and there it is called being "filled with the Spirit."

In several others places in the book of Acts it happened to other believers and different terminology is used, but in all cases the Holy Spirit came "on" or "upon" people.

It doesn't matter what you call it. The important thing is that it brings the fullness of God's power and releases the gifts of the Spirit in your life to be a witness for Christ and to do His will. This happened to me many years ago and is the power behind this message you are reading, as well as other ministry in my life.

Here is how you can be filled with the Spirit, right now:
First, you must sincerely desire for God to fill you with Himself, which really means you must want God to totally have His way in your life. Because God is total love and total wisdom and He always has our best interest in mind, we all should want that. Anything else is irrational. Therefore, present every area of your life to God.

Second, confess to God any known sin in your life and by faith thank Him that He has forgiven your sins -- past present and future -- because Christ died for you. By faith claim His promise of forgiveness and cleansing according to 1 John 1:9.

Third, ask God to fill you with His Spirit. In a moment I will suggest a prayer. But remember, from Ephesians 5:18 we already know that it is His will for you. And we know that in 1 John 5:14-15, it says, " This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him." I repeat: it says, "…we know that we have (present tense) what we asked of him."

Fourth, remember that we always receive from God by faith, so receive this gift by faith, as an act of your will, and thank and praise God for answering your prayer and filling you with His Spirit.


Based on what God says about being filled with the Spirit, His command and His promise to give you what you ask according to His will, here is a suggested prayer. If you agree with these words, pray them now, then believe, and you will receive. Remember that in Mark 11:24 Jesus said, "I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."
Here is the suggested prayer:

"Dear Lord Jesus, your Word says that you are the 'baptizer in the Holy Spirit.' Thank you for forgiving my sins because you died on the cross for me. Thank you for offering the fullness of your Spirit to me. As you commanded, I desire to be filled with your Spirit, so I know it is your will. And your promise says that if I ask anything according to your will, and if believe that I receive, then I can have what I ask for and it is mine. Therefore, I ask for the fullness and power of your Holy Spirit to come upon me right now. I receive Him by faith, right now. I now thank you for answering this prayer and filling me with your Holy Spirit. Now use me for your purposes and your glory. In Jesus' name. Amen."

Continue to worship and praise God. You may or may not experience physical or emotional feelings. That is not important. It is not based on feelings but on faith. Feelings may come now or later. The gifts of the Spirit may begin to flow through you immediately, or later, also by faith.

In the book of Acts, most or all of whom the Holy Spirit fell upon began to speak in unknown languages (e.g. 2:4, 10:46, 19:6). This manifestation of the Spirit continues widely to this day, as attested to worldwide by believers in virtually all denominations. Doubt and fear from poor teaching often blocks this manifestation, but doubt and fear are overcome by faith. Step out in faith and do not doubt.

Allow the life of Christ to flow through you and use you for God's purposes.

God bless you


Tuesday, 8 April 2014

CHARISMATIC DELUSION: KENNETH HAGIN AND THE "SPIRIT OF THE SERPENT"

" -- Video
Resources to aid your Understanding




Subtitle: Hagin is shown as not being able to discern between the 'paranormal' and the 'supernatural', between that which is from Satan and that which is from God. The entire 'Word of Faith' movement fails to properly discern the difference; thus, as the world moves closer to the ultimate deception of the Antichrist, this movement has become more deluded than ever and more of a participant in Satan's 'paranormal' activity, all the while thinking they are serving Jesus.

From Paw Creek Ministries, video tape, Pastor Joe Chambers narrating.

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THE CUTTING EDGE
Kenneth Hagin began to wander off the Biblical "Narrow Path" early in his ministry -- 1938 to be exact! In December, Hagin tells of a young girl about 16 years of age that went into a trance and remained over eight hours in a frozen position. The pastor of the church where Hagin was preaching this revival weighted over 200 pounds and the two of them tried to pick this young lady up; they wanted to move her near the single stove heating the building. Hagin said that this poor girl was "glued to the floor " so that these two strong men could not budge her. He called this manifestation the Power of God, but the truth is that this incident was absolutely the result of the "paranormal" activities of demons.
Paranormal Versus Supernatural
To understand what appears to be the root, the foundation of Kenneth Hagin's departure from Biblical truth. We must start with these two concepts: paranormal and supernatural. The entire "Word of Faith" movement, as it is called, fails to discern the difference, and from this failure, their doctrines have systematically moved in a downward spiral, away from the true God of the Bible and toward the Abyss of the Pit. The "spirit of the serpent" has gradually manipulated this crowd of otherwise sincere individuals until now the serpent can manifest himself in their midst while they appear oblivious to his presence; but, worse, the power of the serpent is manifesting himself in their midst, while they believe they are following and serving Jesus Christ! This great deception is the deception of Antichrist and it is running rampant in these type of churches.
Paranormal activity operates in an in-between world of the natural and the supernatural. This activity is above the natural world but below God's supernatural dimension. The Bible has many examples of Satan and his fallen helpers appearing and performing their activities. The word paranormal means, "Not within the range of normal experience or scientifically explainable phenomena." {Tormont Webster's Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary].
Satan can appear before God to push his cause and defend his legal standing (Job 2:3-7) that Adam and Eve surrendered to him in their act of disobedience. Satan's temptation of Jesus was loaded with paranormal activity. No natural powers could have accomplished such feats as taking Jesus to the pinnacle of the Temple, or showing Him all the nations of the world (Matthew 4:1-11). Satan and his ministers can transform themselves as angels of light and ministers of righteousness for the express purpose of deceiving the undiscerning!
"For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness..." (2 Cor 11:13-15)
When you understand the difference between the paranormal and the supernatural, you can very easily discern between a false prophet and a man of God. Jesus healed a woman who had been bound with paranormal powers for eighteen long years. She was bowed over into a state of crippled existence by severe demonic power.
"And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. 11 And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. 12 And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity ... ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day? " (Luke 13:10-12)
Did you understand who had held this woman in physical bondage for 18 years? Satan had demonically forced this woman into this physical infirmity through the outworking of his paranormal power. The early church understood the principles of Satan's power opposite the powers of God. If Satan is supernatural, then the contest between he and God would be on an equal footing, which is the belief of occultists throughout the world even today. Thankfully, this has never been the case, and Holy Scripture is filled with Biblical certainty, that God is infinitely greater and more powerful than Satan.
"To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me." (Acts 26:18)
The supernatural power of God is never manifested to titillate the flesh or to win favor for God's ministers. One has only to study the life of Jesus and the history of the New Testament church to confirm the absolute absence of paranormal activity by the Holy Spirit! You will never see in the Bible a young girl "glued to the floor" so tightly no two men could budge her. You will also never see people slithering to the floor as serpents, apparently losing total control of their bodies, nor will you see the minister "hissing" like a snake and the audience "hissing" back! Not one time does the Bible record the early Church as displaying such strange happenings that would satisfy the appetite of curiosity seekers. In fact, Jesus said:
"And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet. 30 For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation." (Luke 11:29-30)

Supernatural powers are exactly what the word suggests. While the word, supernatural, does not appear in the Bible, the closest equivalent may to be "eternal". God takes "eternal" actions and his existence in the eternal dimension definitely qualify as supernatural. Satan, by his very nature, cannot operate in the eternal realm, and so his actions are termed paranormal. ALL God's acts are eternal acts. To even imagine God doing things of a paranormal nature is to completely miss His holy nature and His eternal characteristics.
Colossians 1:19 may also contain all the elements of "supernatural". Let us review this Scripture:
"For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven." [ Col 1:19-20]
The key word in this passage is "fulness", which in the Greek is "pleroma", (Strong's # 4138). This Greek word means to completely fill up, to fill. For example, "fulness of time" denotes the completion of a particular period of time before ordained and appointed"; this term also "denotes a fullness of the Godhead in Christ, as it was constituted, God was in His fullness ..." ["Key Word Hebrew-Greek Study Bible, p. 1749].
This word, "pleroma" denotes a dimension of being that only God can fulfill. Thus, this may come as close to "supernatural" as any other word in the Bible. God clearly operates in the "supernatural", while Satan operates in the lower dimension, "paranormal".

We see events in the Bible where God did eternal things that men interpreted them to be paranormal matters. The Bible states that God made Ezekiel dumb (Ezekiel 3:26); that an angel made Zechariah dumb when he believed not the angel's message (Luke 1:20); and that He made Saul of Tarsus blind (Acts 9:8, 18). When we try to interpret these acts of God's judgment or His method of dealing with an individual into a pattern for New Testament Church life, we create an absolute theological mess. This kind of Biblical interpretation is at the heart of the Kenneth Hagin doctrines. The very idea of using one's faith to acquire earthly riches is nothing more, nor less, than paranormal manipulation. The following verse describes Kenneth Hagin and all his ilk, as they not only use their dangerous type of "faith" to gain riches, they use the spirit of the serpent to deceive their followers.
"... in their covetousness (lust, greed) they will exploit you with false (cunning) arguments. From of old the sentence of condemnation for them has not been idle; their destruction (eternal misery) has not been asleep." [2 Peter 2:3; Parallel Bible, KJV/Amplified Bible Commentary]
Kenneth Hagin And His Doctrines
It appears that Mr. Hagin's doctrines were developed in his early years and were acquired from a man named E.W. Kenyon. Much of Mr. Hagin's writing and radio broadcasts are labeled by some excellent scholars as plagiarized materials from Kenyon's writings. Page after page of the actual writings and materials from Hagin are exact, word for word, from E.W. Kenyon. Mr. Hagin claims God gave these doctrines to him, and they just "happen" to be exactly like Kenyon's writings. If Mr. Hagin received doctrines from God, that would place him on a level of the men through whom God wrote the Holy Scriptures.
Kenneth Hagin: "Physical Death Wouldn't Remove Your Sins"
This statement should tell you all you need to know about the error of Kenneth Hagin. On the surface, you might ask why Hagin would even dare to say such a thing! The answer is in his paranormal approach to Christianity. If men are going to have this kind of power in their tongue or words, they have just elevate themselves to be on a level with Jesus Christ. That is impossible, unless you bring Jesus down to a different, a lower, theological position. Kenneth Copeland , one of Hagin's stars, offers an excellent example of bringing Jesus down to a lower level; he actually states that if the physical death of Jesus could have saved, then any prophet, including himself could have saved the human race. Notice that Copeland just elevated himself to the level of "religious prophet", at the same time he lowered Jesus.
Remember one of the End Times prophecies concerning Antichrist and his minions? Listen:
"Then he will blaspheme the High God ..." [Daniel 7:25; Parallel Bible, KJV/Amplified Bible Commentary]
Here are Kenneth Hagin's actual words: "He (Jesus) tasted spiritual death for every man. And His spirit and inner man went to hell in my place. Can't you see that? PHYSICAL DEATH WOULDN'T REMOVE YOUR SINS. He's tasted death for every man, lie's talking about tasting spiritual death." - KENNETH HAGIN (Christianity In Crisis. Hank Hanegraaff, p. 60; Emphasis added)
The entire doctrine of the virgin birth of Jesus Christ and His eternal Sonship is effectively denounced or rendered valueless by this statement. The Biblical truth is that Jesus Christ was the 'Passover Lamb," the very sacrifice that God the Father required and offered to pay the price of sin. His sinless, physical body and blood was the price He and His Father paid to redeem us back to their heart. To deny this is to remove man's only hope of escape from the horrible penalty of sin. The Bible leaves no possibility of denying His blood sacrifice as a "finished work" necessary to redeem us from our sins and restore us to Right Standing with God the Father.
Read these verses carefully so you will know the Truth and be not deceived by this workers of iniquity!

"Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, bath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him." (John 6:53-56).

"Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood." (Acts 20:28).

"Whom God bath set forth [to be] apropitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God." (Romans 3:25).

"How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" (Hebrews 9:14).

"By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once [for all)." (Hebrews 10:10).

The last verse noted makes it clear that it was His body and the natural blood (sanctified) by the virgin conception that was offered for us. There is no cleansing or salvation in any of the acts of Jesus separated from His blood sacrifice. I believe Kenneth Hagin is a lost man plunging his way toward hell.
Kenneth Hagin: "They Had Jesus Within Their Powers."

This strange heresy does more than deny the power of Jesus Christ as our substitute sacrifice. Remember it was in His substitute death that He was able to take our judgment upon Himself. Hagin - Copeland says that His spirit went into hell under the powers of Satan and the demon world and by His victory of being "born again," we are redeemed. This means we are not redeemed on the cross by the shed blood of Calvary in this dimension, but by Jesus descending into Hell under the power of Satan, where He was "born again" during his suffering in Hell. When Jesus' spirit left His body on Calvary, man was not yet redeemed!
This is a totally unbiblical approach to both man and the Lord Jesus Christ. This kind of metaphysical approach to mankind is New Age, New Thought, or whatever name the deceptive world of Satan may be using at a given time. Here are Mr. Hagin's own words (or Mr. E. W. Kenyon's):
"Here is a picture of Christ in awful combat with the hosts of darkness. It gives us a glimpse of the tremendous victory lie won before He rose from the dead. The margin of the King James reads, 'He put off from himself the principalities and the powers.' It is quite obvious and evident that whole demon host, when they had Jesus within their power, simply intended to swamp Him, to overwhelm Him, and hold Him in fearful bondage." (Metaphysical Elements In The Faith Movement, Compiled by Leon D. Stump, p. 98-99, taken from "The Word of Faith", "The Name Of Jesus, " April, 1976, pp.4-6).
These words are actually plagiarized from a book by K W. Kenyon, "The Wonderful Name Of Jesus", pages 8-9. Even the reference to the King James margin came from Kenyon. (Notice that Mr. Hagin said that this victory was won before Jesus arose from the dead, not when He bled and died on the cross.)
This theological thinking has Jesus spending three days in bondage to the devil. There are several problems with such an impossible idea. First, Jesus stated the following, "Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me." (John 14:30).
Jesus said this before His death on the cross, clearly expressing the fact that Satan had "nothing in me" or no power over Christ and His death.
Jesus stated on the cross, "It is finished." He also told the repenting thief, "Today shalt thou be with me in paradise' (Abraham's Bosom).
The veil of the temple was rent when He Died, not when they say He was born again at the end of three days, or at His resurrection.
Kenneth Hagin: "The Believer Is As Much An Incarnation As Was Jesus Of Nazareth."

It is impossible to know whether Mr. Hagin is denying the deity of Jesus Christ or proclaiming the deity of all born-again believers -- or perhaps, both! This idea of "manifest Sons of God" was part of the Latter Rain Movement in the 40's and 50's and has certainly become big again in the present charismatic confusions. Again, this shows the paranormal powers and ideas that undergird Kenneth Hagin's entire theology and methods. Man is raised to some kind of spiritual creature that can actually evolve into glorified saints/spirits and establish the kingdom of God on earth. This belief brings Hagin into alignment with New Age Movement, who claims that man can evolve into a "god" that can then establish Paradise of Earth! Ken Hagin then may be thought of as a "serpent-led" New Ager!

Here is a further statement of the above words by Mr. Hagin, "Every man who has been born again is an incarnation and Christianity is a miracle. The believer is as much an incarnation as was Jesus of Nazareth." (Christianity In Crisis, Hank Hanegraaff, p. 175, taken from "The Incarnation", Kenneth Hagin, p. 12). Mr. Hagin's use of familiar Scriptural terms and the very Biblical phraseology of these words is planned to cloud the entire picture. If you look carefully you will see that Hagin does not just place us as "Sons of God", but we are placed on the same level as our Lord Himself! This kind of arrogance about man's position breeds the very spirit you will see when try to reason with persons caught in this trap.
This is a form of White Magic that has invaded the this church movement!
Kenneth Hagin: "If You Will Lean, To Follow That Inward Witness I Will Make You Rich."

This statement that Hagin says came from God only serves to strengthen the context of this entire article. He is talking about a kind of human that the Bible knows nothing about, a paranormal human. Look at the broader picture in his statements.
"Then the Lord said this to me in a vision in 1959, which is not just for my benefit, but for yours. 'If you will learn to follow that inward witness I will make you rich. I will guide you in all the affairs of life, financial as well as spiritual' . I have followed that inward witness and He has done just what He said He would. He has made me rich (p.33)... The inward man, who is a spirit man, has a voice - Just as the outward man has a voice. We call this voice 'conscience'. We call this voice the still small voice. Your spirit has a voice. Your spirit will speak to you (p.47). .. Your conscience is the voice of your spirit (p. 49)." ("Metaphysical Elements In The Faith Movement", Compiled by Leon D. Stump p.55, taken from "How To Be Led By The Holy Spirit", Kenneth Hagin.)
Hagin also stated, "The Lord said, 'I'll have to correct your theology a little' (I'd been indoctrinated with all that 'religious' thinking, and unconsciously I still thought that maybe it was wrong to have the things of this world.) 'In the first place-and this will help you-don't pray about money anymore; that is, the way you've been praying. Claim whatever you need " ("Metaphysical Elements In The Faith Movement", Compiled by Leon D. Stump, p.55. taken from "The Word of Faith Magazine", 'How God Taught Me About Prosperity', Kenneth Hagin
I have heard and read a lot of efforts to show how unbiblical this idea is, but Kenneth Hagin is nothing more, nor less, than a guru of a metaphysical, paranormal cult and his ideas are similar to other New Age proponents. It is basically a religion of White Magic that is directed by demons. It is not even similar to Christianity, except in a vague way. This crowd uses a host of Scriptures taken out of their context to weave a tapestry of deceit.
The true child of God will enjoy many wonderful blessings as they faithfully follow the truth of Scripture. Every promise of God is yea and amen. The Psalmist wrote as moved by the Holy Ghost, "But his delight [is] in the law of the LORD ; and in his law doth he meditate day and night And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth fruit in its season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper." (Psalm 1:2-3).
Kenneth Hagin And The Spirit Of The Serpent
The final chapter of Mr. Hagin is being written even as I write this article. This video -- Kenneth Hagin And The Spirit Of The Serpent -- tells the whole truth. The serpent spirit has grown in his teaching and methods until I believe this real occult source is being made manifest. Kenneth Hagin has just conducted a "Holy Ghost" meeting in Chesterfield, Missouri. The meeting was held from October 12th to October 24th, 1999. On the third night he began to manifest this serpent spirit with his tongue sticking out and writhing in and out just like a serpent's tongue. He also began to hiss. On Thursday night, as he began to hiss, many of the people began to slither down out of their seats feet first. Some of the people would hiss back at him. The emotional response of the audience is indescribable.
When Ken Hagin began to hiss like a serpent, demons began to pour out of him, as he was their channel; he was literally offering his body as a channel between the paranormal realm and this physical realm. By "hissing", Hagin was allowing demons to pour out of his mouth, into the audience, "demonizing" each member of the audience. Remember, each member at this meeting had already "given permission" to the demons to pour into them. This spiritual reality is the reason so many people began to slither out of their seats, flowing on to the floor like serpents, and totally losing normal control of their body and mind.
Kenneth Hagin and many of the people then became insanely " spiritually drunk."
On the last night of the meeting, the demonstration became extremely bizarre as he began to "bless" the people for the closing. Three men could not hold him up because of his spiritually drunken state. Hagin became incredibly heavy, a most definite sign of demon possession.
Hagin declared that this was the first filling demonstration of this new spiritual anointing he said God had promised. Kenneth Copeland was present and got right in the middle of this final insanity. You will see his eyes suddenly rolling up into the top of their sockets revealing the whites of his eyes, a definitive sign of demon possession.
This entire meeting reflected the judgment of God on this ministry and its supporters.
It is apparent that God the Father is ready to judge this entire deception and the whole crowd that has given glory to such heresy. He calls those caught in its web "mad". "Babylon [and Mystery Babylon] hath been a golden cup in the LORD'S hand, that made all the earth drunken: the nations have drunken of her wine ; therefore the nations are mad." (Jeremiah 51:7).

The Book of Revelation saw this religious system and called it "Mystery Babylon" [Revelation 17]. This system will certainly be larger than the Kenneth Hagin ministries, but he is clearly a part of it. Revelation warns:
"And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when! saw her, I wondered with great admiration. And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns. The beast that thou sawed was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is." (Revelation 17:6-8).
This beast is the False Anointing by the false spirit masquerading as the Holy Spirit. The Hagin Ministries has destroyed thousands of churches that once were bastions of Biblical truth. Tens of thousands of church members have been spiritually martyred and those who have resisted have been lambasted as inferior or worse. Her judgment is coming. But, Antichrist must needs come first!
The Spirit of the Serpent has lifted his head. Pray for those caught in this web that as many as have not blasphemed the Holy Ghost may be reproved and delivered. This spiritual occult outpouring within apostate christian churches is one more huge sign of the End of the Antichrist. Remember, Antichrist can only arise as the apostasy of the church grows to its "fulness".

Are you spiritually ready? Is your family? Are you adequately protecting your loved ones? This is the reason for this ministry, to enable you to first understand the peril facing you, and then help you develop strategies to warn and protect your loved ones. Once you have been thoroughly trained, you can also use your knowledge as a means to open the door of discussion with an unsaved person. I have been able to use it many times, and have seen people come to Jesus Christ as a result. These perilous times are also a time when we can reach many souls for Jesus Christ, making an eternal difference.
If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, but have been very lukewarm in your spiritual walk with Him, you need to immediately ask Him for forgiveness and for renewal. He will instantly forgive you, and fill your heart with the joy of the Holy Spirit. Then, you need to begin a daily walk of prayer and personal Bible Study.
If you have never accepted Jesus Christ as Savior, but have come to realize His reality and the approaching End of the Age, and want to accept His FREE Gift of Eternal Life, you can also do so now, in the privacy of your home. Once you accept Him as Savior, you are spiritually Born Again, and are as assured of Heaven as if you were already there. Then, you can rest assured that the Kingdom of Antichrist will not touch you spiritually.
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