Paul B. Dyal

FORTY SIX YEARS

2012-01-28T09:54:00.005-05:00

Giving thanks to God, my wife and I celebrate our forty sixth anniversary today. We both acknowledge that except for the grace of God it is doubtful that we, of and by ourselves, could have fulfilled the vows of lifetime fidelity which we now celebrate. In this world of waste and disposable relationships, we without God, would too have probably have been another sorrowful statistic of failure culminating in divorce. We have had our problems, but our awareness of and commitment to God has sustained us. In this confused era of meaningless vows and irresponsible relationships we have much to celebrate. We promised that until death do we part. As we approach that inevitable conclusion of all living things we can do so with our heads held high, and arms lifted in praise. We promised to love, cherish, hold and keep. This we continue to do with the full knowledge of one anothers faults, failures, shortcomings, and the other vicissitudes life holds for all. As our bodies have aged and lost any similitude of youthful vigor and purpose our love for and commitment too one another has grown. Thank you Lord.

WHAT CHANGED ?

2012-01-24T14:38:00.006-05:00

In Galatians 4: 10-16, we find our apostle calling some disgruntled and disaffected former followers to task for forsaking the gospel he had preached to them. He reminded them that there was a time when, although they were aware of his imperfections, they had in the past honored and loved him so much they had received him as a messenger from God, saying they would have even plucked their eyes out and given them to him. Now they despised him as their enemy because he had spoken the truth to them.

As a minister of the gospel for almost forty years I can appreciate Paul's grief and dilemma on learning that persons he had rescued from the bondage of the world had returned to the beggarly elements of the world, and made both him and the gospel he preached despised. I, as no doubt do all ministers who have stood immovable for the truth of obedience, and righteousness, in holiness, have, and do suffer, the sadness and pain of the ignominy spewed forth by those who once knew and loved both me and the gospel that I preach. This is some of the price we pay for holding forth the gospel, Philippians 2:16, without compromise.

Standing for anything entails standing against other things. Standing against anything will incur the ire of those who love and want to be justified in that which you stand against. Everyone wants to be justified and redeemed, whether it be in truth or error. Those who forsake the truth of this gospel always have been, and do remain the worst enemies of both this gospel, and those who preach it. Those who once loved our order, standards, and teachings, and then turned their backs on us, returning to the things the gospel we preach saved them from, now hate both us and the truth we preach and love. What changed ? The truth we preach didn't. Their heart changed. When their heart was toward God they loved the truth we preach. Now, since their heart is no longer toward God they hate both us and our gospel.

NOT EVEN AMONG THE HEATHEN

2012-01-13T10:08:00.005-05:00

The day we live in is not entirely unlike days in times gone by. As I read, and listen, to the many news accounts of modern society's attitudes and amoral behaviors I cannot help but to reflect on the Bible, and secular humanities record of cultural histories. A person from my generation has at times difficulty comprehending the world of today. This world of technological miracles, and cultural disruptions where the concepts and values of old are being being dismissed as archaic and ignorant. The world is changing so fast that no one can keep pace, not even those most responsible for the changes.

What hasn't changed is the basic nature of mankind. The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? Jeremiah 17:9. The wickedness of man is great, and every imagination of the thoughts of his heart are is evil, Genesis 6:5. They are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge, Jeremiah 4:22. Then the Lord summarizes it all in, Mark 7:21-23. Whether we examine the personal, family, business, political, or spiritual doings of mankind we all too often have to conclude that its the fallen nature of mankind, and not the Spirit of God that orders the affairs of the lives of humankind, even those who know Christ.

Perversion of unimaginable considerations have overwhelmed the western societies of today's world. Homosexuality and un-natural sex acts are practiced and promoted by all strata's of America as it is throughout the world. Men marrying men, women marring women, all legal and approved by the decadent governments of this world. Even apostate religion has accepted, condoned, and applauded this that God esteemed an abomination, Leviticus 18:22. Paul in, Romans 1:21-32, clearly explains the New Testament attitude and position on these things. In another place he makes this statement concerning a certain immoral act, First Corinthians 5:1, "Some things should not be named even among the heathen".

THE YEAR TO COME

2012-01-07T08:13:00.007-05:00

Good morning, and I bid you a somewhat belated new year. Today, January 7, 2012, I begin with my usual cup of coffee and many meditations on the events and responsibilities of the day, while reflecting on those of the past. I'm in Orlando, Florida with my son Shawn and his family enjoying my granddaughters eighth birthday. We enjoyed the fellowship and service of the Walkers and the Lakeland Assembly Thursday night.

Last year was a much transitional year wherein I, we, and our nation, faced many tests and disappointments, but also many success's, blessings, and rewards. Should I choose to list my blessings I no doubt would in my enumerating them begin the listing with the healing of my son Shawn. As those who read this blog regularly know he severely injured his back in 2009 and was debilitated and bed ridden for the biggest part of the next two and a half years. God, with the help of medical science of the good doctors who competently practice that profession have healed my son who is now totally recovered and fully active in all areas of his life. He is also richly enhanced in the Spirit and Word of God. The Lord used his trial of fire as an affliction unto full salvation, Psalms 119:67. God proved His intention to work a perfect work into his life. For that I will be forever grateful.

Looking forward into the year to come I see much turmoil both in the things spiritual and the things natural. These times are transitional and are in a tumultuous flux. The comfortable consistencies of the past are no more. Our country, as is the whole world, is in serious trouble spiritually. morally, financially, socially, politically, and militarily. We as a nation have forsaken the God of our fathers and have turned to the gods of this world for purpose and solace. The gods of greed, avarice, sex, perversions, violence just to name a few, and they all in the name of enlightenment following the god of (godless science so called) have intoxicated this world into the numbness of mental distortion. The world today is redefining everything we once were confident needed no redefinition. Even marriage, and family are now of uncertain identity and purpose.

We in the Body of Christ are also in transition. We find ourselves faced with a new set of dynamics which are more perplexing and filled with more portent of disaster than anything our predecessors ever imagined. As a result of the (coming together) of our divergent groups,that were separated for some forty years, we find ourselves struggling for a common identity and Direction. We, though of common origin, are very factionalized, and are without enough commonality of doctrine, order, or standards, to facilitate a much sought and true oneness. The subject the Devil haunts our every gathering as does the promise of the resurrection of the dead in confounding the minds of those responsible for searching for finality in this ultimate and final promise of the Lord. There are numerous subjects of equal importance that elude us in achieving the harmony in the gospel we all desire.

I know that except God intervene and give us direction there is little we can do but hold on and remain faithful. There are some who would ask; "hold on to what?". I answer thusly. Hold on to the vision of Jesus Christ, the head of the church knowing that He is the Author and the Finisher of our faith. Hold on to the vision He has given us of the restoration of the church, and overcoming. Then let us hold on to one another as we continue to earnestly contend for the faith that was once delivered unto the saints, Jude 1: 1-3.

MY TESTIMONY OF THANKSGIVING

2011-11-27T08:19:00.016-05:00

By Shawn Dyal

As I have mentioned before I seriously injured my spine in June of 2009. I re-injured it and finished it off in March of 2010. I spent the remainder of 2010 mostly in acute and critical pain I was bedridden, only able to crawl to the bathroom and back to bed. I had two failed spinal surgeries one in April and one in August of that year leaving me in worse shape physically than before the operations. I started 2011 with a visit to a Doctor John Hawkins the head of the Neurosurgery department for Shand's Hospital (which is the teaching hospital for the University of Florida) at that visit he told me that there was no hope for my condition to improve, that I needed to find a good pain management doctor start taking stronger pain medication and learn to live with my pain.

This may sound strange and foreign but I now know that God placed me in this situation. God sent my affliction so that I might find him and learn to live in his presence. In Psalms 119:67 David writes before I was afflicted I went astray but now have I kept thy word. I laid in bed for almost two years and went through a metamorphosis, God began to change the very desires of my heart. Although I don't deserve it and definitely didn't ask for it God has used this physical process to cure a spiritual sickness. No I wasn't living a horrible life I had not left the church or denied God but I was traveling my own path working for but not with God. I attended all the services, was there for special events and workdays attended the occasional meeting, Ran the audio and video department, played in the band even went down front when the spirit moved but I was not serving him as Paul so eloquently describes in Hebrews 12:4 resisting unto blood striving against sin.

God put me in a position that forced me to slow down and consider my life's direction. He placed me on my back facing heaven. I began questioning him asking why. Next I began begging him asking for a healing after a short time I realized that He was working something into and something out of my life.

During this process God put me into situations where I had to defend what I had been taught and also determine if these things I was defending were actually my convictions and beliefs or something that I was only repeating and propping up. Through this process I have become irrevocably resolute and absolutely convinced of several things. First that without holiness no man shall see God. Second that God's people are to separated or set apart from this world and the things of this world. Third that sin should be defined as, and made known to be exceedingly sinful. Fourth that God is in the process of restoring his church back to the place where it was in the book of Acts. Fifth that judgement must begin in the house of God. That God is using his word spirit and ministry to guide, lead and judge his people.

In early June of this year my back had gotten to the point where I was spending all of my time in bed the pain was so great that I dreaded just rolling over from one position to another. I was suffering almost constant muscle spasms that were so intolerable they would drain the strength and will to fight from me. I was taking massive doses of muscle relaxers, pain medicine and Ibuprofen in a futile effort to control the spasms. Somewhere around that point in time I sent out a mass text while in my drug fogged pain riddled state asking for prayer (I needed relief). God's people responded I was inundated with text's, calls, emails and cards from all over the country and even overseas God's people rallied in prayer. Several assemblies joined together one Friday night and had an all night prayer meeting just for me. I am not worthy of the love that has been given me. I am humbled and grateful beyond words. I went to sleep that night firmly believing that God was going to reach down and miraculously heal me, I thought that I would wake up leaping and shouting the next morning. But God in his wisdom didn't choose to heal me that night.

About two weeks later I woke up around 4:00a.m. in extreme spasm that would not stop at about noon I finally crawled to the car and had my wife help load me up to take me to the hospital but the spasms became so extreme that we didn't make it out of the driveway before I was screaming for her to stop. I fell out of the car crawled back into the house made it back into bed and laid there in agony and unending spasm. after spasm. Around 4:00 I finally asked my wife to call 911 and request an ambulance to take me to the hospital.They kept me about 4 hours and filled me with some kind of industrial strength muscle relaxer that finally settled the spasms down some then said that's all they could do for me and sent me home. I felt hopeless.

The next morning my Dad came over and was sitting beside the bed praying with me. We were in sincere, heartfelt prayer begging God for answers. While in prayer God put a name in my mind a man that was customer of mine that I had not talked to or seen in several years. The name was DR. Timothy Groover he is an anesthesiologist but more importantly he is the son of the pastor of an apostolic church here in Jacksonville and he is a strong believer in Jesus. I haven't called him in years but I immediately picked up my cell phone and his name and number were for some reason still in my contacts. I asked my dad to please call Dr. Groover and see if he could find us some help. He answered immediately my Dad began to relate to him my plight and he immediately started off by praying for me. He told my Dad that there was a surgeon that was trying some unconventional surgery methods that was having amazing results and that he was going to speak to him for me. The next morning my Dad received a call from Dr. Javier Garcia-Bengochea my Dad again explained my plight and let him also know that my insurance was expired and I had spent my life's savings on the previous two surgeries. Dr, Garcia got my cell phone number from my father and said I'll call him. Several days later I was beginning to despair again he had not called me. It was after 10:00 at night on Sunday night he called my cell phone from his cell and said he wanted me in his office the next morning and that I was not to worry about the money. I arrived at his office he looked at my MRI and x-ray's turned around smiled really big and said I can fix you. two weeks later I was on the operating table. It has been right at four months since that surgery; I am able to walk several miles I am working full time today I in the course of my job had to climb 160 feet of steep stairs and climb out onto a catwalk above the local coliseum here in Jacksonville. I can do just about anything that I need to tackle. By the way God worked everything out so that the total hospital bill came in several weeks ago total medical cost $3.00.

To all of you that have been praying for me I am humbled and grateful beyond my ability to express. God has done a wonderful thing in my life he has used this time to heal me not just my body but my mind and spirit as well. I am so grateful that I have been placed in the midst of his people and have been called to be one of his chosen few. It's not because of anything good in me or for any other reason than I am committed to try to be worthy to be a vessel of honor in his house.

I am thankful!!!!!!!

CREATION

2011-11-14T20:52:00.004-05:00

All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made, John 1:3. He created man on the sixth day, Genesis 1:26-28, God created mankind. All mankind, all races of mankind. Red, yellow, black, and white, they were all beautiful in His sight, Genesis 1:3. However, there was no man to till the ground. That is to say there was no man to bring forth a cultivated product according to His plans and purposes. So God reached into the dust of the earth and formed Adam, Genesis 2:5-7. Dust ... Genesis 3:16, Genesis 18:27, Numbers 23:10, First Kings 16:2, Isaiah 41:2, Men are as dust, and great men are raised from the dust. Adam was formed from the dust of the earth. God reached into the masses of humanity and extracted a man for His purposes, to bring forth in His likeness, and in His image; a cultivated product.

All men without God are beasts, Ecclesiastes 3:18. Man without God are not so, (they have no spiritual relevance) but are like the chaff which the wind drives away, Psalms 1:4. Without God man is none of His, Romans 8:9. Until god breathes His life into man he has no preeminence above any other of the beasts, Ecclesiastes 3:19.

This is why a second birth is necessary. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit, John 3:3-6. Until someone is endowed with the Spirit of God all they have is natural life with all its natural purposes and propensities. They live, they breathe. they bring forth according to their kind, and they die, even as do all other natural living things. Without God man is a soul. With the breath of God man is a living soul, Genesis 2:7. A soul without God has mortal life and purpose. A man with God is endowed with the Spirit that has immortality is endowed with immortal life and purpose, First Timothy 6:16, Second Timothy 1:10.

CERTAIN DISAPPOINTMENT

2011-11-13T12:49:00.003-05:00

It is true, always true, if you hold too tight for too long, giving too much, while expecting too much, you are destined to be sorely hurt and grievously disappointed. All flesh is self seeking, self justifying, and self serving. Our adversary the devil takes whomsoever he will at his will, Second Timothy 2:26.

BETTER THAN

2011-11-06T09:23:00.002-05:00

Better a small strong Assembly, than a large weak Assembly. Better a dedicated holiness church than a undedicated worldliness church. Better a ministry with the message of restoration and overcoming than one preaching an entertaining charismatic message with religious overtones.

REJOICING AS I GO

2011-11-03T19:29:00.003-04:00

This morning I, my wife and my son Shawn with his wife and daughter loaded up in the motor home and are traveling to Ardmore, Oklahoma where we will be in service this weekend of the fifth and sixth. For the first time in almost two years Shawn is travelling, for the most part, pain free. For this I thank God, his people for their prayers, Shawn's customer and friend, Dr. Grover, and his friend and associate Dr. Garcia. The whole story belongs to Shawn and I want him to have the privilege of telling it. All I can say is that a series of miracles worked together to make the impossible, possible, Luke 18:27. I know God could have intervened and healed Shawn immediately without doctors. However I, through this ordeal of affliction, watched God raise my son up to a high spiritual place in God that he possibly never would have known had he not learned to suffer and give God the glory while he suffered. It's easy to praise God and be thankful when all things are going your way. However when you see someone suffer the loss of almost everything, health, livelihood, home, savings, insurance, and all other tangible evidences of being blessed, and then all the while increase in faith and praises, you know God is in the arrangement.

From Ardmore we are going to Russelville, Kentucky for service Thursday night the tenth so that he can evaluate the audio, projection need of that Assembly. Bro. Craig Jackson and the assembly have built a beautiful new Assembly Building there and given my son the privilege of supplying their sound and video needs. Our hearts are rejoicing as is our spirits as we go rejoicing in song and praise attempting to bless the people of God even as we are blessed.

SET FOR THE DEFENSE OF THE GOSPEL

2011-11-02T21:33:00.005-04:00

Posted By Shawn Dyal

Throughout the years the gospel of Jesus Christ in its purity and simplicity, as well as its completeness, has been attacked. Men have sought to destroy and set at nought "the power of God unto salvation". This evidently was true in Paul's day, for we find a statement of his in Phil. 1:17 to this effect, . . . "knowing that I am set for the defense of the gospel." So, it was evident to them that Paul had a fixed purpose, one carefully thought out and expressed, not only in word, but in action. This was manifested faithfully by Paul on a number of occasions by his defense of the word of God. It was not his purpose to defend the religion of the Jews, in which he was so well instructed, and in which he excelled, or the various positions handed down by tradition.

His avowed determination was to defend the truth and he was "set" for it. In defending the truth, he defended the positions that the faithful are to hold. Like Paul, we should "be set," not for the defense of inherited positions, pet projects, or previously espoused doctrines, but for the defense of the gospel of Christ, for it is the truth that "frees us from sin. To do so involves learning God's will that we may know what, and why, ... and that because it is authorized in the Divine Scriptures. Indeed, our position should be, and must be, to defend the truth, nothing more, nothing less, and nothing else.

When this is our position, we are at liberty to accept the truth as we learn it, and are not bound to try to defend and justify an un-scriptural position in which we may find ourselves.When one takes a stand for a certain position, he is obligated to attempt to defend it, regardless of what the word of God is. One can very easily find himself in difficult circumstances by not being careful about what he accepts. Truly there is a difference in defending the truth, and in defending a certain position or practice. To defend the truth is not only easier, but it is the honorable thing to do; so, may we determine to"earnestly contend for the faith once for all delivered unto the saints", Jude 1:1-3. By so doing we can save ourselves and them who hear us (1 Tim. 4:16). To do otherwise is to tread on dangerous ground which leads farther away from the Lord.

ITS ALL ABOUT THE MESSAGE OF A RESTORED CHURCH

2011-11-02T08:29:00.004-04:00

Of course firstly, and formostly, it's about God and His Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. With that said I now will attempt to begin to show what the work of God is in the earth today. Once someone understands that there is a divine mission for the Church today, and what that divine mission is, they are then situated to assist in the labor of accomplishing that mission. I say this because the scripture clearly teaches that no one can understand God, His purposes, or His way, unless they are of God, First John 4:6, Matthew 13:11, Second Corinthians 4:3.

The apostle Paul in, Acts 20:29-30, warned that after his departing grievous wolves would come and destroy what he had labored to build. He even went onto say that there would be traitors among themselves who would arise to split and devour the church. He explained how these grievous wolves would change the truth into a lie to draw away disciples and build their own religious systems. This is further corroborated in, Second Thessalonians 2:3, where he writes there will be a great apostasy, (falling away). The ministry of the Church that Jesus built raised the dead, cast out devils, healed the sick, made the lame to walk, the blind to see, the deaf to hear, and the dumb to talk. They also had the authority in the word and the Spirit of God to effect the believers of their gospel to attain to full maturity in Christ, (i. e. perfection). The apostolic ministry that Jesus established, Ephesians 4:8-13, got the job done. The Gates of Hell could not prevail against it. That ministry was what could hinder, and did hinder, the great apostasy until they were taken out of the way, Second Thessalonians 2:7.

In, Jude 1:2, we are admonished to, "earnestly contend for the faith because there are certain men crept in unawares etc. etc. . The prophecy of Paul had already come to pass at the writing of this epistle. The remnants of the Church Jesus built went into apostasy and has been there ever since.

Jesus is returning for a Church without spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but holy and without blemish, Ephesians 5:27. This is our commission. We are to build again that which has been torn down. We are a restoration ministry. This will be done through the fullness of the three powers of God using the fullness of the three elements of salvation, unto full holiness.

THE DEVIL AGAIN

2011-11-01T14:20:00.004-04:00

First Peter 5:8, The Devil (a noun) he, (a personal pronoun). Second Timothy 2:26, The Devil, (a noun) him, (a personal pronoun) his, (a personal pronoun). These scripture are among those often used by persons believing that the devil is personal entity endowed with body, mind, will, and emotions. Given as Bible text proofs with the devil as a person they emphasize the fact of the personal pronouns, he-him-his, as evidential proofs of the personage of the devil. With this article I will attempt to give a better and more correct explanation of what the writers were illustrating in their verbiage.

First Peter 5:8, The Church was, at the time of the writing of this epistle, under assault of the religious and civil powers of that time. The High Priest, The Sanhedrin, Herod, and Rome, were all seeking to stamp out the Church. In symbolism a (ROARING LION) is identified as being wicked rulers, Proverbs 29:5, and, Ezekiel 22:25. No one could reasonably offer that the term roaring lion is not figurative. With this knowledge and considering the time frame of the writing why would we resist this obvious conclusion?

Second Timothy 2:25-26, They oppose themselves. The obvious is that the adversary here is from within, Second Peter 1:4, Galatians 5:19-2, Mark 7:18-23. The snare is the carnal lusts that drive and ensnare those simple and unaware souls who are taken by their adversary at (his personal) will. His being the one who is opposing himself.

IN RESPONSE

2011-10-31T08:47:00.007-04:00

Matthew 12:31, completely sums up the position of the Lord regarding the forgiveness of sin. That is except someone who has sinned unto death, First John 5:16, and is therewith reprobate, Romans 1:28, which is to say God has seared their conscience and gave them over to a reprobate mind. To have a reprobate mind is to believe that the evil one does is not evil.

First Corinthians 6:9-11 clearly shows that even the worst of sinners can be forgiven and restored unto God if they will but confess their sin, First John 1:8-9. That confession is to realize and admit first to oneself, and then to God, that they have sinned and are in godly sorrow concerning the sin they have done; Second Corinthians 7:9-10, bringing forth a repentance not to be repented of. Which means they not only say they are sorry, but they cease from their sin. The key word of understanding First Corinthians 6:9-11 is found in verse 11 is the word (WERE). Past tense, not present tense. The second word of notice is (WASHED). When something is washed away it is there no more. As long as it is there, it hasn't been washed.

Romans 6:1, poses the question, (Must we continue in sin that grace may abound?) Which is answered in verse 2, (God forbid.) Hebrews 10: 26, should cause all believers to realize that God is not to be trifled with. God will not be mocked, Galatians 6:7-8. The wages of sin is death, Romans 6:23. Those who live after the flesh shall die, Romans 8:13. God requires His Church to be a sanctified holy people.

As regarding our response and relationships with persons who are wilfully sinning and refuse to repent and be washed from their sins we find the answer in Second Thessalonians 3:6, Then again in, First Timothy 6:5. Furthermore established in, First Corinthians 5: 9-13, all of which clearly establish the Christian position on our fellowshiping and sympathising with those who would be among us while living in wilful sin. We are to put them away from us. We withdraw from them and have no fellowship until they come to repentance and are again restored to Christian fellowship through the Blood of Christ.

DRESS STANDARDS

2011-10-30T10:20:00.002-04:00

Dress standards are important because they declare things that need to be declared. The declaration of these things may be true, or they may be false, this is entirely dependant on the individual making the declaration. There are, as always in all things, liars. This fact in no way deters from the need of making declarations. It is my considered opinion that standards of dress serve the following purpose.

(1) Keeping a standard of dress declares a respect of authority.

(2) Keeping a standard of dress declares a determination to be a part.

(3) Keeping a standard of dress declares a submitted spirit.

(4) Keeping a standard of dress declares a determination toward holiness

(5) Keeping a standard of dress declares a sense of modesty.

(6) Keeping a standard of dress oftentimes declares a sacrifice of ones pride.

(7) Keeping a standard of dress declares a refusal to be conformed to the world.

(8) Keeping a standard of dress declares that we are unashamed of who we are.

(9) Keeping a standard of dress declares a respect of those who went before us.

(10) Keeping a standard of dress is an act of obedience that is unto righteousness, unto holiness, unto everlasting life, Romans 6: 16-23.

SOME THOUGHTS ON NEW TESTAMENT MARRIAGE LAW

2011-10-29T13:01:00.008-04:00

God created one woman, for one man, and declared that the two, (one woman + One man = One, Genesis 1:21-23. One of the qualification of being a minister, or a widow in deed, is having been the husband of one wife, or in the case of the widow in deed the wife of one husband, First Timothy 3:2, & First Timothy 5:9. An obvious evidence of the law of marriage being between one man and one woman kept in faithful fidelity.

Jesus said, Matthew 5:31 that anyone divorcing saving for the cause of infidelity causes the divorced part to commit adultery, and that anyone marrying a divorced person commits adultery. The apostle Paul in, Romans 7:1-3, teaches us that a woman cannot be married to anyone than the one she first married without entering into an adulterous relationship. Adultery is unlawful sexual activity outside of marriage by two persons of opposite sexes. Homosexuality is the abominable act of two same sex persons engaging in the perverse activity of same sex fornication. Uncleanness, is any kind of unnatural and perverted sex acts. Lasciviousness is lewd and lustful behavior. Only the God ordained, intimate behavior of those married according to the creative purposes and law of God are lawful.

The marriage is honorable in all things ....... and the bed undefiled. This does not say nor imply that perverse activity is honorable or undefiled, it says marriage is honorable in all things, and the bed undefiled. I have heard of preachers using this scripture to give Christian license to all manner of perverse behaviors. I would ask those that do so this; Are there no boundaries to this interpretation? What about sadomasochism, what about cruel and abusive behaviors? Surely you would draw a line somewhere. With this being so why not agree to do so as God created it to be?

Someone said that the Bible does not teach someone can live in adultery. Romans 6:1-2, teaches that someone can live therein. Why then does one think that with adultery being sin cannot someone be living therein? Adultery is a sin, one can live therein if they are engaging in adulterous behavior. All sexual activity outside of marriage is sin. Fornication is any sexual activity without marriage.

ISSUES

2011-10-28T17:48:00.004-04:00

I have been accused of having issues. I admit it, I do. I am a man of many issues.

(1) My first issue is, I believe there is but one almighty God from whom all things consist. He and He alone is original, and He and He alone is the immortal almighty. He is the God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob. He is the creator of all things including Jesus Christ who is the Son of God. On this issue I am implacably resolute. I will not discuss with anyone any consideration of this not being true. This is an issue with me.

(2) My second issue is, I believe that Jesus Christ is The Son of God, and is the only Savior of mankind. There is Salvation in no other name than the name of Jesus. In this issue I am implacably resolute.

(3) My third issue is, I believe that if you have not the Spirit of God you are none of His. Without His Spirit you are dead in your sins and trespasses and without hope. In this I am implacably resolute.

(4) My fourth issue is, I believe in absolutes in right and wrong. I believe the Bible and the Bible alone is the final arbitrator in defining what is right, and what is wrong. In this I am irrevocably, implacably, resolute.

(5) My fifth issue is I believe the words of Jesus Christ, and His apostles are forever the finality of truth. In this I am again implacably resolute.

(6) My sixth issue is, I believe that The Body of Christ is a Corporate Revelation of Jesus Christ and only those chosen of God can realize and discern His Body. In this I am implacably resolute.

( 7) My seventh issue is, I believe that I am called and sent of God to restore some measure of His truth, and Order in this time. In this I am implacably resolute.

(8) My eighth issue is, I believe as Jesus said in Matthew 12:30, If you are not with me you are against me. With that said I offer these words of Jesus Christ, Matthew 10:40; He that receives you receives me, and he that receives me receives Him that sent me. In this I am implacably resolute.

(9) My ninth issue is, Jesus, our example, drove the money changers out of the Temple. I am commissioned of God to drive sin, disrespect, dishonor, and disregard out of the portion of His Church which He has given me the responsibility. God requires His people to be holy, and without reproach in this world. His Church is called to be a separated and holy people. Holiness is identified in modesty, chastity, obedience, sacrifice, and servitude. In this I am implacably resolute.

(10) My tenth issue of this writing is this, I believe that I am required to put God before all, and everything, including but not limited to family, friends, or any other persons. I believe that my human sympathies, ambitions, passions, cares, fears, and all other considerations are irrelevant when in comparison or contradiction to my faithfulness to God. In this I am implacably, irreversibly, resolute.

A CROSS HARD TO BEAR

2011-10-28T11:40:00.006-04:00

Matthew 10:34- 39, Matthew 12:30

REGARDING THE ABOMINABLE SIN OF HOMOSEXUALITY

2011-10-22T09:52:00.005-04:00

Leviticus 18:22, says it as plainly and conclusively as should be necessary. Paul, in Romans 1:22-32, elaborates in detail what should be the New Testament Christian attitude and position on this perverted lifestyle. All unrighteousness is sin, First John 5:17, and the wages of sin is death, Romans 6:23. In Galatians 5:19-21 we find an enumeration of different sins, all of which are concluded by the statement that those who do such things, "SHALL NOT INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD."

Was God unmerciful when He destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah? Was God unmerciful when He destroyed the world with a flood? Was God cruel and unmerciful when He commanded Joshua, Saul, and other's of the chosen leaders of His people to commit genocide? Was God in error and has He now, (in these enlightened times of tolerance) changed, or is He in need of changing?

How can anyone conclude the deviant passions of perverse copulations by same sex individuals are in any way expressions of natural, and God designed love is a bewilderment to me. More of a bewilderment is how any person believing the Bible to be the Word of God can conclude such behaviors as being either lawful or natural is incomprehensibly inconsistent with any reasonable rendering of what is written in the Bible. Unnatural sex acts between persons of the same sex are, have always been, and will always be, in rebellious contradiction to the creative purposes of our creator God.

Male and female made He them and then commanded that they be fruitful and multiply. To marry and bear children is the will of God, First Timothy 5:14. The marriage bed is un-defiled, Hebrews 13:4, but whore mongers, and adulterers God will judge. It is not good that a man live alone, so God made him a help meet, a woman, and brought her to him, Genesis 2:8 & 21-24. Galatians 1:8-9 is my position of discussion in this matter.

BORN AGAIN, BEING BORN AGAIN, SHALL BE BORN AGAIN

2011-09-30T08:49:00.001-04:00

The invisible things of God are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even unto the eternal Godhead so that we are without excuse, Romans 1:20. Simply stated the things that are spiritual can be seen and understood by the things that are natural if you know how to see them. God made everything that was made and without him was not anything made that was made. This includes the things seen and the things unseen, both spiritual and physical. For someone to understand the spiritual they must also understand the natural. The same unchanging God that created the physical also created the spiritual. I explain all this as a prelude to the subject that I am about to discuss.

Jesus told Nicodemus that for someone to see the kingdom of God he must first be born again. He then went further to say that for a man to enter into the kingdom of God he must be born again. Nicodemus, being befuddled at the words of the Lord answered,"How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mothers womb and be born?" I heard different secular and even some religious theorist make light of the concept of being born again. They, like Nicodemus of old, find the concept of rebirth incredulous. All they have to comprehend the thought with is their natural mind which Paul explained as being, 1 Cor 2:13-16
Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. Now with this in mind I want to present the understanding of a second birth, being born again.

In Galatians 4:19, Paul makes a statement that few people have considered to be pertinent to the teaching of being born again. I find it not only pertinent but intrinsic to the subject. The very verbage should alert any serious student that this scripture must be considered when approaching this subject. Lets read the scripture, My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you. What? Travail in birth again? Paul a minister travailing in birth again for those to whom he is writing, what can this mean? Now let me tie in another thought by another writer, John. In 1st. John 3:9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for His seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. Whosoever is born of God cannot sin? To say that someone cannot sin is to say they are no longer capable of sin.To say that someone cannot sin is to say that they have taken on the divine nature of God. To say that someone cannot sin is to say that they are an overcomer and have made themselves ready to be a part of the Bride of Christ. They have achieved the place of being perfect even as the Father in heaven is perfect Matt.5:48.

Natural birth is a process and so is spiritual birth a process. To be born requires a father and a mother, it requires conception and a time of gestation. The word born in all the above scriptures is translated from the Greek word, gennao which is referenced as 1080 in Strong's. It is one of those words that must be contextually understood because it has differing understandings by use of context. The word can be used to mean conceived, bear, brought forth, or any stage of the process of being born. To be born is a process, both spiritually and naturally. To further facilitate an understanding look now at what John says in the fifth chapter the eighteenth verse, We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not, but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself and that wicked one toucheth him not. The same word translated born in chapter three verse nine is here translated both born and begotten. to be begotten is to be in the process of being born. To be born is to have finished the process and have been brought forth alive. To be born is to be brought forth alive in His image and in His likeness. Jesus was the first born of many brethern, Romans 8:29. The whole world groaneth awaiting the manifestation of the sons of God. We are begotten of God who are in the process of being born. Until such a time as we are brought forth alive we must keep ourselves from doing the sin that we are tempted to do. When we are born as the manifested sons of God we will be like Him, Jn.3:1-3 and we shall see Him as He is. We, like Him will not be able to be tempted with evil, James 1:13. We will have achieved the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

FULFILLING PURPOSE AND PASSION

2011-07-26T10:56:00.004-04:00

This morning while in my daily prayers and meditations I considered the frustrations suffered by the young as they attain to their majority and are faced with the daunting tasks of embarking into the foray of life with all it's challenges, obstacles and opportunities. Every young person of any merit wants a life of purpose, and consequence. They all envision becoming a success and achieving admirable accomplishments by which they will be identified and remembered. Most are indoctrinated into thinking that success is measured by the accumulation of wealth, recognition, and power. Having spent sixty eight years in the personal pursuit, observation of others in the like pursuit of a successful life I have concluded this; Anyone supposing that the accumulation of stuff, properties, government issued bank notes, and the admiring opinions of others is destined to disappointment and the inevitable frustration of concluding life as being wasted.

The fulfilling of my life has not been found in the accumulation of things, money, power, or prestige. It has been in the giving of all that I hold dear to those whom I love and consider of more consequence than myself. These are God, the people of God, and my family. Jesus said it is more blessed to give than it is to receive, Acts 20:35. It is in giving that I have received the fulfilling of purpose and passion. In the heaping unto oneself I have witnessed only the agony of unfulfilled lives and lonely frustrated despair.

THE WAY I SEE IT

2011-07-16T16:50:00.006-04:00

The way I see it young people literally fall in love. The terminology fall couldn't be more appropriate considering the befuddled state of mind one finds oneself in when one becomes completely and hopelessly infatuated with someone enough to enter into a lifetime contract of total pledge. Then to vow, using such terminology as, "through sickness and health, richer or poorer, better or worse, until death do we part, is further proof of the lack of reason. Initially a marriage is the product of romantic fantasy, physical desire, unbridled imagination, and unreasonable hope. Marriage is a covenant contract instituted by God who determined that man whom He had made would be the husband of one wife for the duration of his life. God wanting to fill the earth with human kind designed that there be a woman for the man to bear his children, and be a helpmate for her husband.

After the initial stage of marriage when the fantasy of romance, grandiose imaginations, and physical desires have been either diminished, fulfilled, or forgotten the second stage of marriage ensues. The reality of personality differences, character failures, distasteful traits, and many other considerations too numerous to be listed, demand adjustments commensurate with need and responsibility. It is during this stage that maturity and the determination of commitment to ones vow is tested and proven. This stage of marriage is when two people are challenged with the overwhelming task of becoming one, not just in word but in deed. This is the period of life that the two who have so vowed to become one flesh are brought to the task of proving their vows. Here they learn to bear, and forebear. Here they learn to suffer and forgive. Here they learn that it is in fact more blessed to give than it is to receive. Here they learn patience. Here is where true marriages in the Lord are determined. Here our personalities, our character, and our vows either come to maturity, or suffer the ignominy of shame pain and failure. This is the stage that a Christian man and a Christian woman either become one and bring honor and glory to the cause of Christ and His Church, or shame and dishonor to it.

The third and final stage of marriage is found in the latter years of life. After the youthful fantasies and experiences of the first stage. After the trying and maturing experiences of the second stage. As our bodies fail and betray us, after our health departs us. It is then that the tenderness of true appreciation of one another's faithful service, respect and affections are realized. It is then that the two who are one can truly give and receive of one another without expectation or question. It is then that the inward reward of lives given in mutual consent can be appreciated.

THE GREATEST SIN

2011-07-14T18:08:00.005-04:00

The Bible in, First John 5:17, clearly states that all unrighteousness is sin. Simply stated if something isn't right it is wrong; and if it's wrong it's sin. We learned in verse 16, that there are different kinds of sin. There is sin that is sin unto death, and there is sin that is not unto death. with this in mind I ask; What is the greatest sin of all? Is it murder? Is it some sexual sin such as pedophilia, sodomy, fornication or adultery? Is it being a liar? Is it being a thief? What is the sin that John said that those who are guilty of such are such as we are not to pray for them. Jesus said, Mark 3:28-29 that to speak against the Holy Ghost is unforgivable. Apostasy is the denial of the faith. To deny the faith is to declare your unbelief of and opposition to the faith. To deny the faith is make yourself an enemy of the faith. No doubt the denial of the faith is the greatest sin of all. Consider the words of Paul in Galatians 1:8-9. To be accursed is to be eternally judged unto damnation.

MY PASSION

2011-07-10T14:46:00.001-04:00

By Shawn Dyal

Some of the synonyms for passion are zeal, ardor and fervor. In converse the antonym is apathy or lack of concern. The Apostle Paul in Colossians 4 mentions a man named Epapharas. He is telling the church in Colossus that this man is one of them. He is a servant of Christ. He is always labouring fervently for the church in prayers that they might stand perfect and complete in all the will of God. Paul goes on to say," For I bear him record that he hath a great zeal for you." That man was worthy of honorable mention in the Bible because he was a part of the church. He was a man that had a great passion to serve the saviour and his people. What a testimony!

I was formed in my Mother's womb, made up of a combination of the DNA from both my Mother and Father, then began the process of development, I was shaped by both genetics and environment. These ingredients together formed my character and shaped my nature. Life's experiences, both my own and my observation of others, further formed my identity. These are all things that make me unique and distinguishable but they aren't what I desire to be -- my identifying markers. I am intent on serving my Lord and His people and in so doing becoming identified as more like Him than like me until I am some day indistinguishable from or more correctly hidden in Him. If I could follow the example of Epapharas and be a part of the Body of Christ, labouring fervently in prayers that they might stand perfect and complete in ALL THE WILL OF GOD and then the record could show that I had a great zeal for the people of God. If I could just do these things I would be counted with the group named in Revelation 3:12."Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name." This is my passion. Apathy is not an option because with it comes death. The question is do you choose passion or apathy?

VICISSITUDES

2011-07-03T21:12:00.001-04:00

Life is a transitional sojourn that that is fraught with victories, joys, and good things of all kinds. It is also filled with problems, disappointments, sorrows, and griefs of all kinds. These I like to call the vicissitudes of life. Many years ago I determined that I would not be defeated by defeat. All of us, by reason of our being human are subject to the whole spectrum of human possibilities, both good and evil. Our faith demands that we accept that God is watching over us and is aware of all of our vicissitudes, (ups and downs) both good and bad. We must accept by faith that God according to His sovereign purposes and will is assisting us in the working out of our soul salvation, Philippians 2:12-13. with this confidence we can rest in the knowledge that,"All things work together for the good of them that love God who are the called according to His purpose's", Romans 8:28. In our carnal determinations we think that blessings only come in the things we call good. Good is defined by most of us as being the things that feel, look, taste, smell, or are otherwise esteemed as pleasant. In fact many things are good that satisfy none of these sensory gratifying considerations. We will be made perfect by the things we suffer. If we suffer with Him we shall reign with Him.

PLEASE CONTINUE TO PRAY

2011-07-01T17:56:00.003-04:00

My son Shawn is scheduled for spinal surgery at 7:00 A.M. on the 12th. of this month. This will be his third surgery, conventional wisdom says that the third time is a charm. We do not depend on charms or luck, conventional or otherwise, we depend on God. Although God has not deemed to perform a direct miracle in effecting Shawn's healing He has intervened in providing him with one of the finest spinal surgeons in the country, Dr. Javier Garcia-Bengochea. Dr. Garcia, is world renown as a leader in the medical field and has invented some of the most advanced techniques and tools in minimally invasive spinal surgery. He travels throughout the U.S.A. and the world teaching and lecturing. We believe God will continue to guide and assist him as he labors to cure one of His own. So it is this that we ask all believers to pray.

I have witnessed this terrible affliction suffered by my son raise him higher spiritually than he possibly ever would have been without the realization of his total hopelessness, absolute helplessness, and utter utter dependency on our creator, provider, and savior.

PSALMS 119:67, 71,75

2011-06-30T09:50:00.000-04:00

Afflictions are not pleasant, but they are a very necessary component in the bringing forth full salvation even unto perfection. John the Baptist said, Matthew 3:11, that we would be baptized with the Holy Ghost and with fire. Just as the Holy Ghost is an absolute prerequisite to a resurrection, fire baptism is an absolute prerequisite to our becoming an overcomer. We have an inherited sin nature that is exasperated by the ungodly and evil influences that have formed us from the cradle even unto the present. If we are to die to our sinful nature it will not be within a comfort zone. Read, Psalms 119 verses 67, 71, and 75 then consider Psalms 34:19, The Lord delivers us out of them all. The Lord does deliver us if He is the lord of our life and we walk by faith and not according to our own strength.

THE CAMPGROUND

2011-06-27T08:50:00.000-04:00

During the recent camp meeting at Shepherdsville, Kentucky I presented some thoughts that I for a long time have been considering. For many years Bro. Alfred Daves has worked both diligently and fervently to restore this place of our common and collective history and heritage into our hearts as a place where we all can come together and lay aside our differences of the past while celebrating our love of God, His Son, and His Gospel. He has repeatedly reminded us that it is not his Campground but is all of ours. He has consistently made it public that the Camp meeting is to be a place where the word of God can have free course and we the people who hold the truth in righteousness can preach, teach, pray, worship, praise, and fellowship regardless of our differences in doctrine.

Realizing there are certain extreme departures of order, standards, and teachings from that which identify us as a people who have been called out unto God there must be limitations even to this very broad reach in our determination of restoring the Church in the unity of spirit, and bond peace until we come to the unity of the faith. We know that our inclusive/exclusive perception of this concept will confuse and chagrin some detractors of our common goal but we also know that to do otherwise would frustrate the work of God that we are commissioned to fulfill. There are teachings that are damnable. There are behaviors that are damnable. There are associations that are damnable. Certain teachings, behaviors, and associations could only serve to deteriorate and frustrate our purposes thus causing us to fail in achieving the goal of the restoration of the truth and church that will predicate the coming of the Lord .

It should be realized that for the preservation, and continuation of the inheritance and ancestral heritage of the Camp Ground. There is an imminent and real need of addressing the how of preserving and perpetuating the maintenance and continued service of these facilities. I offer this; (1) Entrust seven men with the responsibility of administering the trust of the properties. These men are to serve on a rotating three year tenure of responsibility. The exception to this would be Brother Alfred Dave who would be entrusted with being a trustee and

Chairman of the trust until death or disability. The reason for there being seven is to insure there will always be a majority in opinion and that there will be enough diversity

to allow no one man unreasonable dominance.

(2) Delegate forty Ministerial advisers to the trust to assure broad interest and participation in the operations, maintenance, and continuance of our common ancestral place of gathering.

(3) Solicit as many Assemblies as would be consenting to financially support the Campground with monthly donations of one hundred dollars or more. This, if properly accomplished would effectively provide all the necessary monies needed to support the campground leaving only the need of receiving a meeting offering to cover the costs of the meeting itself. I pray that this advise will be considered in the spirit it is given. Perhaps there is a better suggestion. If so I would like it to be offered so that I, and all other interested and involved parties could consider it. I am an old man and seek no position for myself, I however do have a vested interest in seeing something done for the Assembly that I oversee as well as the whole of The Body Of Christ that hold this vision and this great heritage in the gospel dear. If offered I will refuse any office of authority, my interest here is selfless. I offer this just for consideration.

PRAY FOR KINGS

2011-06-26T11:53:00.000-04:00

The apostle Paul in his first letter to Timothy, First Timothy 2:1-3, admonishes us to pray for kings and all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. The qualifying definition of the purpose of our prayers are clearly set fourth in his statement, "that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life". Remembering that at the time of this admonition the church was living under the persecution of both the Jewish and Roman authorities give special meaning to this apostolic directive. Nero Caesar, Herod, as well as the Jewish religious hierarchy, all were intent on wiping the church from the face of the earth. The despotic, depraved, debauchery of mankind was at manifest epitome unparalleled since the time of Noah when it, "grieved God that He had made man", Genesis 6:6. Jesus Christ in, Matthew 24:36-39, allowed that generation to know that the pattern of understanding the imminent wrath of God was determined not by the righteousness of man, but rather by the depravity of man.

We are living in an era of depravity and moral degeneracy unimaginable since the destruction of the Jewish world. Sexual perversion, specifically homosexuality, has been by the government of this country legislated as being both acceptable, normal, and even extolled as worthy of being recognized as being natural enough to be considered as equal with what God intended when He made them male and female. This is a moral sickness that clearly identifies the imminent coming of the Lord to judge this untoward world. As we the informed read, and hear the news reports of how the political leaders of one State after another legislate the unnatural mating, (YES THAT IS WHAT IT IS ALL ABOUT), Romans 1:22-32, of males with males, and females with females, we know that the time is nigh. Calling their perverted evil lust love they have through determined and persistent collective finance and mutual agreement of social nepotism promoted and positioned themselves into educational, high governmental office, and judicial positions, affording themselves the power to propagandize and force the general society into not only acceptance of their perverted lifestyle but societal approval and support. This world is in defiance of the created order of God.

Yes I will pray for kings and all that are in authority that we may live a quiet and peaceable life in godliness, but I cannot pray that God will bless and prosper those whom God has turned over reprobate and are blinded with everlasting chains of darkness and are held there awaiting the imminent wrath of God on this wicked and perverted generation. Herod, the Jewish leaders of that day, and Nero were wicked despots given to every imaginable perversion yet the church prayed for them. so shall I pray for those who rule this wicked world. There is no use in praying that God will bless this evil world, He will not. For God to bless this world. including this governmental system He would have to contradict Himself in judgement against the worlds of Noah, Sodom and Gomorrah, and repent of His error in Judging those worlds.

WHAT RESTORATION MEANS TO ME

2011-06-18T19:00:00.001-04:00

Whenever I hear some people refer to the restoration of the Church I wonder if they are speaking of the same thing I have in mind when I speak of Church restoration. I am sure that some do not. With this publish I thought I would with specific detail define exactly what I am saying on this matter. I truly think there should be no ambiguity in our sharing of this one of the two central themes of our purpose's as a separate and definable move of God. Without definition something can only be left to the pondering and conclusions of the hearers. I am persuaded this can only lead to a diffused and ineffective conclusion.

The word restore denotes to bring back to the original value, purpose, and identity of that which is being restored. The church at its inauguration on the day of Pentecost in 30 A.D. had a power and glory that has been un-duplicated since. The ministry of that Church were directly taught of the Lord and endued with a resident functional ministerial authority. They preached a message that harvested and judged that world. They raised the dead, cast out devils, healed the sick, opened blind eyes, opened deaf ears, made the lame to walk and the dumb to talk. The operation of that ministry has been without parallel unto this day. They preached a message that enabled the hearers to come to full maturity in Christ; to have His mind, in short to be like Christ, perfect even as He was perfect. There was an operation of the Spirit of God such as to directly lead all men into the perfect will of God.

All this was given and did operate for a forty year period before the judgement of God was executed and that ministry was removed from that world. Paul, in Acts chapter twenty warned that the day would come, after the removal of the apostolic gifts, that a false ministry would arise speaking perverse things leading away disciples after themselves. He again made reference to this when in Second Thessalonians two he warned of a great falling away saying the the mystery of iniquity was already at work. This falling away of truth, power, and Spirit began during the early Church and found its final fulfillment by 325 A.D. with the Nicene Counsel.

God, in the early part of the last century spoke to a man about restoring the truth and gathering the ministry and the saints of the latter rain together in a restored Church before His coming to execute judgement on this world and and redeem his own unto everlasting life. With an enlightenment from God this man began to earnestly contend for the faith that was once delivered unto the saints in the unity of the Spirit in the bonds of peace until they came to the unity of the faith. He preached a body fitly compacted together with Christ as their head; not an ecumenical fellowship.

Ours primary calling and mission is to restore again that which was lost. This is a revealed truth that no one who is not chosen to hear and understand will be able to comprehend. Mainstream Christianity is doing what God has given them to do, let them do it. We have special calling which is peculiarly ours. He that has an ear to hear let him hear. Once we establish standards of measurements in all things so that we have just weights and balances to judge by we can then, and only then, establish the government of God which will restore the truth and usher in the judgement of God effecting the mercy of God.

ENCOURAGED IN THE LORD

2011-06-15T17:36:00.002-04:00

Posted By Shawn Dyal

David encouraged himself in the LORD his God. 1 Samuel 30:6

DAVID AND HIS BAND OF SOLDIERS HAD JUST RETURNED HOME TO ZIKLAG, only to find that it had been burned with fire, and their wives and children carried off by the Amalekites. “Discouraged” is not a big enough word to describe the state of their morale. The Bible says they wept bitter tears until they simply had no more power to weep. For David, it was even worse, for he was their leader, and his men were so consumed by grief that there was even talk of stoning him. He was in distress, and it might have destroyed him completely, except for this: David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.

This required a definite resolve on David’s part, an act of his volition. To default on this decision would only have deepened his distress, and discouragement would have rendered him helpless. What is more, the wives and children of him and his men would have been lost forever. So David chose encouragement, not only to be encouraged—for there was no one around him who could, or would, do that for him—but to encourage himself. The most important thing to notice here, though, is that David did not encourage himself in himself. Rather, the Scripture says that he encouraged himself in the LORD his God. You see, this was not just about David, for David had a covenant with God, and that made this whole thing God’s business. Having thus encouraged himself, David was then able to move on to the solution God had prepared for this problem.

BEFORE WE GO ON AND TALK ABOUT ENCOURAGEMENT, there are a couple of things we need to understand about discouragement. First, discouragement does not come from the Lord, it comes from our carnal minds. That is why David could encourage himself in the Lord, because the Lord was the source of his solution, not the source of his problem. Second, discouragement is an indication that we are walking by sight, not by faith. Paul said, “We walk by faith, not by sight” 2 Corinthians 5.7, and that was the source of his stability and strength. When we walk by faith, with our confidence in the Lord and his promises, it is impossible to be discouraged. But when we walk by sight, trusting in our senses, our feelings and our own understanding, we easily fall prey to all the deceptions of the world, and the flesh. When we find ourselves in discouragement, we discover where we have been placing our trust. The solution is to put our trust back in the Lord. Paul said that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God Romans 10:17. So when discouragement comes and you find that you have been walking by sight instead of by faith, head back to the Scriptures and let the promises of God build your faith back up to strength.

GOD WANTS YOU TO BE ENCOURAGED AND HE HAS GIVEN YOU THE MEANS BY which you can encourage yourself in Him.

1. Recognize that you do not have to stay discouraged. It may be like a bird that flies over your head, but you do not have to let it nest in your hair. You can be encouraged, and in fact, you can encourage yourself.

2. Remember that, if you know the Lord Jesus Christ, you are in covenant with God, and He has committed Himself to take care of you in every situation. When the circumstances of life pressed in on David, David pressed in on the benefits of his covenant relationship with God. He briefly outlined these in Psalm 103. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. Psalm 103:2-5

3. Stop giving voice to your discouragement and start giving voice to your encouragement. Stop repeating the lies of the carnal mind and start repeating the promises of God. Stop speaking out of fear and start speaking in faith. Stop talking about the problems and start talking about the solution. Find out what the Word of God has to say about your situation, then start living in it, rather than your feelings.

4. Meditate on the Lord. One of the Hebrew words for “meditate” literally means to murmur, and implies the moving of the lips. Another word means to converse with yourself. It is your “self-talk,” the way you speak to yourself about the things in your life. Everybody meditates on something, but often it is on the wrong thing, on the wrong person, or with the wrong focus. You see, meditation is not a matter of positive thinking, and neither is encouragement. Rather, they are both matters of faith. It is not about us, but about Him. Let your meditation be about the Lord, about His love, His Word, His promises, His goodness, His works. As you do, you will be able to cast your cares on the Lord, with strong confidence that He cares about everything going on in your life 1 Peter 5:7.

• Psalm 48:9 We have thought, O God, on Your loving kindness, in the midst of Your temple.

• Psalm 59:16 But I will sing of Your power; yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning; for You have been my defense and refuge in the day of my trouble.

• Psalm 77:6 I call to remembrance my song in the night; I meditate within my heart, and my spirit makes diligent search.

• Psalm 77:11-12 I will remember the works of the LORD; surely I will remember Your wonders of old. I will also meditate on all Your work, and talk of Your deeds.

• Psalm 104:34 May my meditation be sweet to Him; I will be glad in the LORD.

• Psalm 119:15,16 I will meditate on Your precepts, and contemplate Your ways. I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your Word.

• Psalm 119:97 Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day.

• Psalm 119:148 My eyes are awake through the night watches, that I may meditate on Your Word.

• Psalm 143:5 I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your works; I muse on the work of Your hands.

• Psalm 145:5 I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, and on Your wondrous works.

5. Get in the presence of the Lord. “Give thanks to the Lord. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise” Psalm 104:4. This requires a quality decision: I will give thanks. I will praise. Nehemiah said, “The joy of the Lord is your strength” Nehemiah 8:10. David said to the Lord, “In Your presence is fullness of joy” Psalm 16:11. When we get into the presence of the Lord we will find all the strength we need and encouragement for every circumstance.

6. Stand in the armor of God. Paul said, “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” You can find a description of this in Ephesians 6:11-18.

• We have the truth of God’s Word, the righteousness of Christ and the gospel of peace wholeness at work on our behalf.

• We have the helmet of salvation (salvation, healing, deliverance, prosperity and preservation) to guide and direct our thoughts.

• We have the shield of faith to quench the fiery darts. Make no mistake, discouragement is most certainly one of the fiery darts.

• We have the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. This is the offensive weapon that silences the voice of discouragement.

• We have all kinds of prayer in the Holy Ghost by which we can persevere and supply every need of the saints. Learn to pray as the Spirit of God leads.

DISCOURAGEMENT WILL TELL YOU THAT YOU HAVE NOTHING GOING FOR YOU and everything going against you. Encouragement tells you that you have everything going for you and it doesn’t matter what you have going against you. God is on your side, with the provision for every need and the answer for every problem you may have. That is why Jesus came, and why, like David, you too can encourage yourself in the LORD your God.

I CAN'T GO WITHOUT GOD

2011-06-14T09:57:00.002-04:00

Posted by Shawn Dyal

In Exodus 33 What the people came to realize was that because of their sins and because of Gods view of sin. God was withholding his presence from them and was telling them to go up to the land of Canaan without him. He was sending an angel but he wasn’t going to come with them. The God who had rescued them from Egypt, The God who’s power they had felt as they were traveling in the direction of the Red sea. The God who was present when they were trapped between the Red sea and Pharaoh’s army. The God who came down and divided the red sea, this holy presence, this glorious God, he was no longer going to be with them. Because of this they were filled with dismay. This caused them to be alarmed and to mourn. When the people heard these evil tidings “I will not go up with thee for thou are a stiff-necked people lest I consume thee in the way” The trouble was not being consumed the trouble was going up alone. He let them know he was sending an angel but he was not coming.

Men and women when they are truly awakened begin to realize that there is nothing so serious as to be without the presence of God. Do you get the full force of this experience? God was telling them I gave you this promise go on up to the land of milk and honey I will send an angel to destroy the enemies I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite. God said “go ahead I brought you out of captivity go get the milk and honey go, go, go”.

The people said no, “if you’re not coming with us we don’t want to go”. This is the point that we must come to. This is the essence of revelation that we must grasp. Given all these blessings if God isn’t with us what’s the value of Canaan? What’s the value of milk and honey? What’s the value of possessions if he is not with us? We must see that having the company of God is infinitely more important than anything else.

We can have successes over our enemies with our own prowess we can create a certain amount of temporary success but without this great realization of God in our midst what is the use? In Psalms 106 we are told that God granted their request but sent leanness into their soul. We can have prosperity, good finances, good attendance, good participation, everything going well the music sounding great but we must constantly ask is God in our midst? Is he really amongst us? Are we aware as we should be of his glorious presence? This cataclysmic proclamation is what got to these people in Exodus 33 what they said was Canaan is of no use to us, milk and honey is not what were after these enemies mean nothing Lord we want you.

David said as the Hart panteth after the water brooks so panteth my soul after you. David was not after blessings he was after God, the living God. I even as Apostle Paul cry out oh that I might know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his suffering. The people in the wilderness said no we cannot go on without you they came to the realization that the presence of God is essential. Their revelation was that no outward prosperity or success can compensate for the absence of God.

What shall it gain a man though he gain the whole world and lose his own soul?

The question isn’t am I happy or am I living a good life or reading my bible or whether I pray it’s not a question about whether I’m active in the work around and for the church. The question is this, do I really know God? Is he with me? Is he in my life? I desire to know him and to go with him.

I KNOW

2011-05-06T11:52:00.003-04:00

I know that we serve a God who can, and does heal. I have personally witnessed miracles that cannot be explained except by acknowledging that, "GOD DID IT". With this said I with this post ask all who know God and how to pray, to please do so. My son Shawn has been mostly bedridden for the last fourteen months, suffered two operations, lost almost everything he has, and is worse now than when he began. Please pray. As a father there is nothing that I would not give or do to see my son returned to the health and strength we all take for granted. To see him once again free of the constant excruciating and debilitating pain he suffers and able to worship God, laugh, and play with his seven year old daughter is worth more than any and everything I have ever had, been or hope to have or be. Please pray.

I KNOW

2011-05-06T11:52:00.000-04:00

HIS WAY WILL LEAD TO HIS WILL

2011-04-02T11:35:00.001-04:00

here are so many things that I want to share with the people who want to know the way and the will of God that I am oftentimes at a quandary as to where to start. I have discovered that there is a dearth of the understanding of the many hidden mysteries of God. The airwaves and Internet are crowded with voices claiming to be the dispensers of truth and righteousness. I have no desire to be just another discordant sounding voice adding to the already overcrowded religious cacophony. It is my daily prayer that He will inspire me with words and wisdom from above that will feed both His lambs and His Sheep. I know that without His wisdom and instruction guiding me I am better to say nothing than to transfer my own thoughts and opinions.

I awoke at 4:30 this morning troubled in my spirit about the condition of several of our old foundation Assemblies who are facing crises in areas that the predecessors and founders of these great works would literally be turning in their grave's if they knew what was going on. Assemblies that personified the vision, strength, and stability of this Body are now standing in jeopardy of dissolving into extinction. Why, I cried out in my heart? How did this happen? Two good questions that demand an answer, ... the why, and the how. I believe I know the answer to both of these questions but am reluctant to present the, what should be obvious, answer. I am reluctant because I know that the answer will be taken as a personal attack against certain individuals. Even knowing this I feel that I must address the cause because not to address the cause is to be culpable in the perpetuation of the problem.

In all things there must be firstly leaders, secondly administrators, and then followers. If someone is to lead the people of God that someone must be called, they must have the gift of a leader. To be a leader someone has to be a visionary. They must be endowed with a strong power of conviction, be unafraid to make decisions, and must be able to transfer enthusiastic inspiration to others. The mechanics of administration are necessary for a leader to lead and must be a part of any group activity, but cannot ever be mistaken for leadership. Being a good administrator is a must for a second or third man, however an administrator is seldom able to function as a first man ... as a leader. This is not a fault it is a reality of any good, successful, Church, business, or government operation. Without administrators a leader cannot lead. These, administrations are what the Bible calls helps and governments,1st. Corinthians 12:28.

It is not a put down to be an administrator in the Church of God, it is a high honor to officiate in the work of God in any capacity. To covet an office that is not according to your calling is to stretch yourself beyond your measure, 2nd. Cor. 10:14. To officiate in the office of a leader without the gift and the authority is to do damage to the work of God. We frustrate righteousness when we ordain men into an office without the gift and calling of God. There is nothing wrong with desiring the office of a Bishop, but there is much wrong with occupying the office of a Bishop if God didn't give you the gift of the office. Being a good administrator, brother, friend, relative, giver, speaker, etc. etc. etc. is not qualification to lead the Church out of the wilderness and into perfection. We cannot mechanize the workings of God. The gifts of the ministry are something that only God can and does give, they cannot be earned, learned, bought or sold, they must be given by God, Eph. 4:10-14.

The Church of the Lord will advance no further until man gets his way out of the way, and learns the way of God. When the Church is in order it will find His way and then achieve His will. My mind often reflects on 2nd Chronicles 15;3-4. Now for a long season Israel hath been without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law. But when they in their trouble did turn unto the Lord God of Israel, and sought Him, He was found of them. We are the Israel of God today and we need a teaching priest who is sent of God. We need to be led into His way that we may achieve His will. The Church will not be restored as long as every man does that which is right in his own eyes, Dt.13:8, 1 Cor.14:26. If we despise governments and have no fear about speaking evil against dignitaries, 2nd. Peter 2:10, what are we?

FREE FROM THE BOX

2011-03-25T14:20:00.003-04:00

There's a popular term for a condition of mind that I've been accused of being guilty. Its called thinking outside of the box. It means to leave the accepted patterns of idea's and thoughts and to reach into areas of consideration that are unusual an unorthodox. To dare to make considerations that are not generally accepted is to dare to be different. To be different in this world of homogenized sameness is to risk losing all, reputation, position, as well as whatever else you can lose. I readily and unashamedly admit to being guilty as charged. I know that most thought, political, philosophical, religious or otherwise is no more that the product of traditional bias and emotional sympathies. With this understanding I am enabled to appreciate the need for escaping the mundane and unproductive confinement of the box.
Years ago I began to question the what and the why of all things, both the known and the unknown. Jesus said,"blessed or they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled." I find no difficulty in comprehending that righteousness is no more complicated than loving and doing the things which are right. To love and do the things which are right one must first know what is right. To hunger is to need with a passionate desire.
When I became a believer God and His Son He put a burning desire in me to seek and search for truth. This hunger for truth is what has driven me for almost forty years. I use the word driven with careful consideration knowing the implications of the word. Had I not been driven I am confident that I'd probably still be a contented member of mainstream religion. It is this passion for the truth that brought me to The Body Of Christ. It is this passion for truth that enabled me to hear the wonderful life changing message of the restoration of the Church. It is this passion for truth that compels me to continue to contend for the faith that was once delivered to the Saints. It is this passion for truth that keeps me from building my own box and crawling up into it. Jesus said you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.

JUDGES AND JUDGEMENT

2011-03-25T14:17:00.003-04:00

Law is good, to be without law is to be in a state of anarchy which is not good for anyone. For law to be functional there must be reward and consequence. Law should reward the keepers of the law with peace, security, and hope. Remove any of these benefits and you set the stage for rebellion. When people enjoy peace, security and hope they are content and will thrive and be patriotic to the law. Remove these elements and the people will be discontent and seek escape from the law.
Those who break or disregard the law that brings peace, security and hope to a nation must suffer consequence commensurate with their crime against the law of that nation. Where there is no consequence there is no law. No society be it political, corporate, business, secular, religious or otherwise can long exist without the consequence of punishment to those who would think to overthrow, disregard or break the law that brings peace, security and hope. Law is what holds any society together. A society is a nation which is by proper definition is a people bound together by common hope and principles. We, the members of The Body Of Christ are a nation. To survive as a nation we must have law that is common to us all that will bring peace, security and hope.
Jesus rebuked the Jewish leadership of His time by saying that they performed well in many good and right things but failed in the things that were of the greatest importance. Those things in the order of mention were, judgement, mercy, and faith Matt. 23:23. I find it no coincidence that judgement made first mention. Without judgement there is no need for mercy and faith will fail. Mercy rejoices against judgement because there must be judgement for mercy to exist. Mercy is the exception to the rule, not the rule. Mercy is unmerited favor given by grace and can never become the rule lest it become tolerance which will gender anarchy.
James writes in Jms. 2:14 For He shall have judgment without mercy that showeth no mercy, and mercy rejoiceth against judgement. Many who would make the church of the Lord a place of tolerance would use this scripture to vanquish judgement. They speak of judgement as though it were some ugly principle in conflict with mercy. Solomon in Ecclesiastes 8:11 gives this lesson ... Because sentence against an evil work is not speedily executed the heart of the sons of men is fully set to do evil. Were there no traffic policemen giving tickets I wouldn't dare drive on the public highways; would you? I appreciate mercy, and I appreciate the law that makes mercy an available option to those who deserve mercy. Which brings up another question; do all who break the law deserve mercy? The answer is obvious. Some must suffer the consequences of their actions or there will be no peace, security or hope. The law will be a farce, a mere idealistic philosophy that is without any real merit or meaning.Judgement cannot be accomplished by a democratic consensus. The concept of the rule of the people is in conflict with both reason, the order of God, and natural law. Mob rule is and always has been anarchist. To have law there must be order. Order demands principal men of principle who have the authority to judge between good and evil. These men must have the respect and support of the nation they judge. The judgements they make must be final and accepted. Take this away and you take judgement away. Take judgement away and there will be no peace, security, or hope.First Peter four verse seventeen says that judgement must first begin at the house of God. We are the house of God. Until and unless we establish judgement we are no better ofF than the religious leaders of old that Jesus rebuked. When every man does that which is right in his own eyes he violates the law of God Deut. 12:8. Some men despise government and fear not to speak evil of dignities. These are those who want only to do that which is right in their own eyes. There is a way that seemeth right to a man but the end thereof are the ways of death. Thank God for judges and judgement.

MARRIAGE VOWS AND WEDDING RINGS

2011-03-02T13:47:00.005-05:00

Posted by. Shawn Dyal

The Scriptures teach us that the marriage Union and relationship was inspired by God, instituted by God, is preserved by God, and can rightly be dissolved only by God. So God created man in his own image . . . ; one male and one female created he them" Genesis 1:27. "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh" Genesis 2:24. "What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder" Mark 10:9. Any two persons entering into the marriage union should realize that marriage is an institution of God and that the One who designed and authorized marriage has the authority to determine the standards of marriage.

The Biblical seal for the marriage union is the promise of exclusive, lifelong marital love and fidelity on the part of those entering into marriage. When these promises or vows are made, followed by the pronouncement of husband and wife by an God ordained, God authorized administrator of marriage, each marriage partner becomes a seal on the heart and on the arms of the other partner to seal in the life-preserving qualities of successful marriage, and to seal out the intrusion of love-destroying elements Song of Solomon 8:6. A certificate of marriage that is signed by witnesses and the minister will provide legal proof of the marriage union.

Marriage promises are made to be kept, not to be broken. Marital love and fidelity are designed to be preserved, not to be lost. The breaking of the marriage union in favor of another marriage partner is so serious that Jesus said, "Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery" Luke 16:18. The term committeth means "to continue in a condition or an act." Thus the remarried state of those who have former marriage partners living is declared by Jesus to be a state of continuous adultery.

When God's standards of character are upheld, it is not necessary to wear ornamental things for enduring attractiveness and attachment to each other. In fact, the Bible in a number of places condemns the wearing of gold and other items of jewelry. Neither does the Bible make any exceptions for the wearing of gold for symbolic reasons. When the wedding ring is worn because of its supposed or real symbolisms, it opens the way for the wearing of other jewelry, for there are all kinds of rings and pins which are said to have symbolic significance.

The apostle Peter wrote to Christian women that their beauty should not reside in "that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of fashionable apparel but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price" 1 Peter 3:3, 4. In this same context Peter says that omitting the wearing of gold and other ornaments, coupled with a life of inner purity on the part of a believing wife, will aid in the winning of an unbelieving husband. The absence of the wedding ring on the part of men and women of integrity and moral purity may also at times provide invaluable opportunities for witnessing to those who may wonder why they do not follow the customs of the world.

Modest appearance coupled with good behavior, and pure speech do much to motivate attitudes of purity of the sexes toward each other. A Christian woman properly veiled 1 Corinthians 11:1-16, and adorned "in modest apparel, with shamefacedness (reserve and timidity) and sobriety . . . which becometh women professing godliness" 1 Timothy 2:9, 10, will also contribute much to right thinking and right living on the part of both men and women.

A renowned Methodist minister has been quoted as saying. "Even in these times of looseness a woman with no earthly adornment. emblem, or symbol. but modestly clothed . . . and with the grace of God in her heart, may walk the streets of our land unashamed and unmolested. Her long dress, with sleeves, and decent-shaded hosiery, plus real womanly dignity and deportment, will proclaim to every honest hearted person, everywhere that she belongs only to God, and to her husband. Sinners will know a block away that she does not belong to them! Here is genuine protection more visible than a tiny metal loop, and recommended by a Power . . . greater than all worldly symbols and customs put together."

From secular history we learn that the ancient pagan Romans were probably responsible for beginning the use of engagement and wedding rings. Originally the ring was placed on the third finger of the left hand because of a superstitious belief that a vein from this finger runs directly to the heart. Although this superstitious idea is no longer believed by most people, wedding rings are still placed on the third finger of the left hand by the majority of wearers.

The roundness of the ring is said to represent eternity and to symbolize endless love and that the couple is forever united in the marriage bond. This is an un-Scriptural symbolism, for the Bible declares that marriage is only for as long as both of the marriage partners live physically Romans 7:1-3. From the Encyclopaedia Britannica 11th edition, Vol.23, p.351 we are told that "this use of the ring which was thus a purely secular origin received ecclesiastical sanction . . . from the eleventh century." This was the age of great spiritual darkness, when the church was practicing much corruption and many pagan customs, some of which were never dropped by many of the Protestant reformers.

God warned the children of Israel. "After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do: and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do: neither shall ye walk in their ordinances. Ye shall do my judgments, and keep mine ordinances" Leviticus 18:3, 4.

The prophet Jeremiah cried out, "Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen . . . For the customs of the people are vain" Jeremiah 10:2, 3.

John calls upon us to "love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. . . . For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever" 1 John 2:15-17. Apostle Paul says, "Be not conformed to this world" Romans 12:2.

The wedding ring has no Biblical sanction or sacredness. It finds its origin in paganism, which is against God. The wedding ring is an ordinance of the world. God says we are not to keep the world's ordinances. The wedding ring denotes a false symbolism of unending, eternal union. God says that the marriage union is only for time. The wedding ring has little protective and permanent value under test. This is proven by the more than one million divorces in America annually, of whom most of the involved persons were doubtless wedding ring wearers. The wedding ring is often worn by persons who have already forsaken their lawful marriage partners and are living in what the Bible declares to be an unlawful relationship. In such cases the wedding ring might well constitute a symbol of hypocrisy. The wearing of the wedding ring is the first step for many persons in the wearing of all kinds of other Biblically forbidden jewelry.

The wedding ring is not an essential part of a valid marriage. It is altogether unnecessary when marriage partners are guided by the Bible principles of true love and purity. It is less than worthless when marriage partners are not motivated by the Bible principles of love and purity and are not true to each other in their marriage union. "Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife [not some other man's wife] even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband [not some other woman's husband]" Ephesians 5:33.

Some will argue saying, "But my preacher says it is all right." Or "My church has promoted this practice for years. In fact, almost everyone does it." But the most important question is, What does God say?

Our Lord Jesus Christ "gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father" Galatians 1:4.

PREPARE FOR BATTLE

2011-02-23T21:29:00.004-05:00

By Shawn Dyal
To be prepared for war is the most effectual means to promote peace. All the great masterful races have been fighting races; and the minute that a race loses the hard-fighting virtues, then it has lost its right to stand as the equal of the best. No triumph of peace is as great as the supreme triumphs of war. It may be that at some time in the dim future of the race the need for war will vanish, but that time is yet ages distant. Diplomacy is utterly useless when there is no force behind it; the diplomat is the servant not the master of the soldier. There are higher things in life than the soft and easy enjoyment of material comfort. It is through strife, or the readiness for strife, that a nation wins greatness. No national life is worth having if the nation is not willing, when the need shall arise, to stake everything in the supreme arbitrament of war, and to pour out its blood, its treasure, and its tears like water, rather than submit to the loss of honor. -Teddy Roosevelt

The fight to establish and build the church must never be sacrificed for peace, material gain or comfort. If we are not battle ready we stand in grave danger of, in the best case scenario, being sidelined, at the worst disintegrated. We must abhor diplomacy and comfort; it is imperative that we prepare for war at a feverish pitch. War against our own natures, war against the creeping worldliness that abounds, war against all trappings of Babylon. We have been promised by God to possess the land, our spies have reported both the size, and the quantity of the grapes and pomegranates. We need to prepare ourselves to fight if we intend to possess the riches that are in the Promised Land.

We should have no care for the petty pleasures of this world, neither the endless gathering of stuff. We should passionately desire to spend the remainder of our lives working for God. I am acutely aware that we must exist on this earth, but our every waking moment should be building, defending, and enlarging the kingdom of God. We should have a singular commitment and a laser like focus on the goal. Our time, energy, substance and every thought should be on how to advance the gospel of Jesus Christ. I pray that God will help me accomplish this in my life to lead and encourage others to travel this path as we lock our shields of faith together, then with a concentrated effort fight the good fight of faith. With God on our side we can overcome.

THE TRUTH IS

2011-02-11T19:04:00.002-05:00

Everyone who believes in prophecy believes in predestination. Prophecy is the foretelling of events with a predestined conclusion. Everyone who ascribes to the thought that God is sovereign, and that He is the author, and the finisher of salvation; must also believe in a foreordained purpose and plan of God. With this said to believe these things does not conclude that we are not without choices, nor does it mean that salvation is without works.

A CONCEPT

2011-02-07T11:03:00.002-05:00

No authority, no responsibility. That one statement fairly well summerizes my philosophy regarding all things that pertain to any and all aspects of life. Don't ask someone to assume responsibility and then disallow them the authority to change, organize, or otherwise correct, the things that they are responsible for. Be it family, business, church, or otherwise one must have authority in any area of responsibility they are held accountable for.

I NEED YOUR HELP

2011-02-01T10:42:00.011-05:00

My books, (THE CHRONICLES OF MARCUS) BOOKS ONE, TWO, AND THREE are doing fairly well in the foreign sales market but not well at all here in the U.S.A. so I have a request to make of you my readers. All three titles are now available on amazon.com as Kindle e-book editions at a greatly reduced price of $4.99 per book or $14.97 for the entire set. What I am asking is that you would go online and download all three of these books today. What this would do is catapult them to near the top of the chart for kindle E-books thus provide me with the much needed advertising that is necessary to get my books in front of the buying public. You do not need a kindle to do this, you can download it on your computer or any device capable of internet reception by downloading amazons free kindle reader. All proceeds for these books go directly into the work of the Lord. To find the books just go to amazon.com then enter my name Paul B. Dyal into search.

ISRAEL OF GOD

2011-01-26T20:37:00.005-05:00

WHO ARE THEY?

What is Judaism and what is a Jew? Is there such a thing as a Jewish race? If there is such a thing as a Jewish race how is it identified knowing that there are people who profess to be Jews from all races of people? According to scripture the promises of God were made to Abraham and his seed. Who are the seed of Abraham that are the rightful inheritors of the promises of God? These are all questions that demand answers. There are those who honestly believe that anyone professing the Jewish religion are direct descendants of Abraham and are the chosen people of God. Judaism is a much divided and diverse religious entity. There are Caucasian Jews, Oriental Jews, Negro Jews, and Asian Jews. There are Jews who claim to be American, Mexican, British, Russian, French, Somalian, Egyptian, Ethiopian, Iranian, as well as untold other nationalities. I point these things out to emphasize the fact that Judaism is neither a race nor a nationality. Judaism is a religion just as Muhammadism, Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism, and Christianity are religions. Jews are adherents to the religion of Judaism just as Christians and all the others are adherents to their religions. Because of the fact of the diversity of race and nationality and the ability for anyone to become a Jew just as anyone can become a member of any other of the above mentioned religions, it is foolish to think of it as anything other than a religion. European Jews are distinctly genetically and culturally different from Middle Eastern Jews. The European or Ashkenazim Jew is in fact a proselyte Jew of mixed linage with no real claim to being direct descendants of Abraham. During the Middle Ages Judaism flourished in Muslim Spain where the rabbis of that day decided, without any justification, that the place, Sephard, mentioned in Obadiah 1:20 was a reference to Spain. Because of this decision the Jews of that region and their descendants are called Sephardim as opposed to Ashkenazim. After Rome destroyed Jerusalem in what the Jews call the great diaspora it became necessary for the Jewish people to prove their claim to ancestral purity through their mothers rather than their fathers. This was brought about because the women who survived the Holocaust of seventy A.D. didn't know who fathered their children. The Roman mercenaries utterly destroyed the identity of the Jewish people. To this day the Jewish people trace their heritage maternally, not paternally as it was done throughout the Bible. With their identity lost and what was left of the people scattered throughout the known world, survival demanded this adjustment. Malachi prophesying of the impending destruction of the Jewish world said that there would be left neither root nor branch, Mal.4:1. John the Baptist in Matt.3:10 declared that the axe was laid to the root. The Apostle Paul in, First Thessalonians 2:16 pronounced that the wrath of God is come unto them to the uttermost. These are just a few of the proof texts available as evidence of the judgment of God on Israel after the flesh, 1st. Cor. 10:18.So who is the Israel of God, Gal.6:16? To whom do the eternal promises of God belong? Who are the true descendants of Abraham? Can we consider these questions without prejudice and just look to and trust the scripture for the answer? I truly pray so.

FULFILLED

So who are truly the Jews of today, and what is the Israel of God? There is only one place that is legitimate to go to for the answer to this question and that place is the Bible. It is in the Bible that we find all the information there is concerning the beginning of Israel and it is there that we will find all the information there is concerning the continuation and conclusion of Israel. All other sources are dismissed as being opinion and conjecture based with presupposed conclusions.

In finding the answer to these questions first let’s consider the words of the Apostle Paul in Romans 2:28-29, For he is not a Jew which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter, whose praise is not of men but of God. This was written by a man with the pedigree of being an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin, Rom.11:1. I'm sure he wasn't anti-Semitic or biased against his own people. Paul, also the author of the book of Galatians made his position clear in the third chapter where he writes, beginning with verse sixteen, "Now to Abraham and his seed was the promises made. He said not to seeds as of many, but as of one. And to thy seed which is Christ. And this I say that the covenant which was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect. For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise. Now let’s move on forward in the same chapter to verses 26-29, For you are all children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized in Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s then you are Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise. One promise, one covenant, one plan, one people without national, racial, gender, or otherwise differentiating one from another. They that are Christ’s are the seed of Abraham.

All the promises of God are the seed of Abraham. The seed of Abraham is constituted in Christ. Isaiah in prophesying of the Lord said Isa.53:8 asks, "Who shall declare His generation?" This same prophet in chapter nine, verse six declared him the Everlasting Father. The answer is the Father of those who can look back to father Abraham as inheritors of the promises of God. John the Baptist in Matt. 3:9 rebuked the religious Jews saying, "Think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father. For I say unto you that God is able to of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. This is precisely what He did, He made something that had no life alive. The blood of Jesus has given us life in God wherein we had no life. We who are Christ’s are the children of Abraham by faith and as such are the one seed who inherit the one promise. We, The Church, The Body of Christ, are not spiritual Israel, we are the Israel of God, Gal.6:16. There is no such thing as two Israel’s, one being spiritual and the other being natural. There was once an Israel that was known according to the flesh but that ended with Christ and was judged in seventy A.D. to the uttermost. All anyone needs to do to understand this is to without prejudice read Romans chapters nine through eleven and the whole of the book of Galatians. If the words of the apostle Paul won't convince them I doubt that I could do any better. The thing that hinders someone from seeing this obvious scriptural truth are erroneous interpretations of certain scripture and applying meanings and time considerations that are interdependent on one another. One primary error of understanding is that God has somehow shortchanged the Jewish people and not fulfilled His promises to them. I think it first necessary to show with reasonable finality that God did in fact fulfill every promise He made to Abraham. To do this all anyone needs to do is to go to the book of Joshua, starting in chapter twenty one verse forty five, There failed not ought of any good thing which the Lord had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass. Then in chapter twenty three verse fourteen, Not one thing has failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spake concerning you; all are come to pass unto you, and not one thing hath failed thereof. Then I ask this; of all the things beyond that time what of them couldn't have been fulfilled in Jesus Christ? As it is written Jesus Christ fulfilled the Law and the Prophets, Matt. 5:17. If He is the fulfillment what part of Him didn't fulfill? He, Jesus Christ was and is the promised Messiah, there is nothing beyond Him. Jew's can be and are being converted, they are not forbidden salvation now, nor have they ever been. Salvation is to all that will call upon His name. The Times of the Gentiles was fulfilled in seventy A.D.

THE FULNESS OF THE GENTILES FULFILLED

There is a very popular teaching among what is called the evangelical churches which is based on the idea that God is indebted to the people of the Jewish religion and that He will again reinstate them as His most favored of People. This teaching is so broad, complex, and many faceted that to try and detail it in such a format as this daily blog would only frustrate both the writer and the readers. Suffice it to say that I do not intend to try to answer every question that can be posed or address every aspect of this religious theory. I do however think, that from time to time, it would be good that I bring out certain truths that may help those who are open to the consideration another idea. In the previous heading I established with scriptural evidence that, Judaism is a religion and nothing else. That the Church is the Israel of God, and that God has fulfilled all of His unconditional promises that He made to Abraham on Mt. Sinai.

For many hundreds of years God continued to talk to, and make promises to the Hebrew Nation; however all the promises after Sinai were conditional promises. Both Israel and Judah forfeited their entitlement to the continued promises of God through rebellion and disobedience. Their final rebellion against God was their rejection of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. This was when they made a covenant with hell and agreement with death. Hell is the grave and death is eternal destruction. They, as a nation not as individuals, chose eternal death in the grave over life with the Messiah, the Son of God.

In this posting I want to focus on what is called THE TIMES OF THE GENTILES. I think it prudent to begin by properly, that is scriptural, identifying exactly what a gentile is. During the time of the writing of the most of the Bible there were only two recognized types of people. You were either a part of Israel or you were a gentile. A gentile was therefore the designate title of anyone who was without God. A gentile was and is a ungodly person. When someone identifies themselves as being a gentile they are identifying themselves as being ungodly, a heathen, a person who doesn't have God.

The word Israel by correct and original definition is chosen of God. So we know that Israel is constituted of those persons who are chosen of God. Since the coming of Christ you cannot be chosen of God except through Christ. For someone of the Jewish religion to be a part of Israel they must be chosen of God. In simple terms they must become followers of Christ, they can no longer continue being a part of the Jewish religion, they must become Christians. Realizing this we know that the Jewish nation that calls itself Israel is not in fact the Israel of God. I know that asserting this will dismay some but I ask that you search it out and consider it before you reject it. God has not cast away His people which He foreknew, God forbid. They have, and have always had equal access to the throne of grace through Jesus Christ. The Old Covenant is past, it will not be revisited, the new covenant is for every nation, kindred and tongue. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, we are all one in Christ. Christ is not divided.

THE TIMES OF THE GENTILES

Now concerning the matter of what is called the times of the Gentiles, or as some like to call it The Gentile Age, let’s see what the scriptures have to say and understand what they mean. First let’s look at Rom. 11:25-32

25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in.

26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:

27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.

28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes.

29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.

30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:

31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.

32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

Now lets go to Luke 21:24

24 And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.

25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;

26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

Now to Dan 9:26-27

26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolation's are determined.

27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

Whenever considering the meaning of scripture it should always be done considering both the text and context and never be allowed to be subject to prejudice or sympathies. there are these questions to be asked; Who is talking? to whom are they speaking? What are they saying? Why are they saying it? When is it they are speaking of? How are they saying it? It should be obvious that do otherwise than this is to open the door for all manner of interpretations and opinions. The question of how are they saying it means, are they speaking literally, figuratively, symbolically, or is it a in parable. If not one of these, how else? I hope that everyone reading this posting understands the necessity of using this formula to assist them in understanding. With this said I will now briefly explain what the fullness of the Gentiles is. Daniel in the ninth chapter of his book of prophecies was prophesying of the final destruction of the world of the first covenant. He uses the word Consummation which means fullness, or if you will completeness. There can little reasonable question that the prophecy of the seventy weeks of Daniel found its fulfillment in seventy A. D. and is not in any way applicable to anything since then. Luke twenty one is the synoptic companion of Matthew twenty four and is a reporting of Christ' dissertation of the destruction of that first covenant world. In Matthews report of that dissertation it is written that the generation He was speaking to would not pass away until all the things He spoke of had come to pass, Mt.23:36, and Mt.24:34. What Jesus was telling them of was the same thing that Daniel had prophesied of, that is the end of that world. In verse Twenty Four of Luke's Twenty first chapter he chooses the word fulfilled rather than Daniel's consummated, but the words mean the exact same thing. Then in Paul's letter to the Romans in the eleventh chapter we find Paul explaining that God blinded most of Israel until the judgment of God on that wicked and perverse generation found its fulfillment in seventy A.D. with Rome being God' appointed executioner. Joel spoke of the four plagues that God would use as His instruments of judgment. The palmerworm which was Babylon, the locust which was Medo-Persia, the canker worm which was Greece, and the caterpillar which was Rome. These are the four kingdoms mentioned in Daniel 2:44 to judge the Israel of the first covenant. It was the caterpillar, Rome, that the Lord was speaking of in Mark 9:44-48 that wouldn't die. All the others were for the temporal judgment of the Israel of the first covenant. Rome executed the eternal judgment of that world. Paul in First Thessalonians 3:16 said that the wrath of God is come upon them to the uttermost. So it was that that the times, or fullness of the Gentiles were fulfilled by Titus and his armies in seventy A.D. with the destruction of that world. As a quick bonus thought let me present that the everlasting chains of darkness Peter was speaking of was the same spirit of blindness that happened to the apostate leaders of that world and that the judgment they were reserved to was the everlasting fire of seventy A.D., That was the times of the Gentile fulfilled. Oh my, what a can of worms I may have opened up.

WHAT DOES GOD OWE THE JEW?

There is a large segment of what is called fundamentalist Christianity that think God is still indebted to the people who practice the Jewish religion saying that He has never fulfilled His promises to Abraham. I do not agree, and with this brief paper hope to prove in a concise but exact way the fallacy of this notion. The essential premise of the concept that God must restore the Jewish people to His favor and give them a place of prominence in the world to come is almost entirely based on two basic misconceptions. The first misconception is that the Jews of today are the direct genetic descendants of Abraham. The second misconception is the afore stated idea that God did not fulfill His promise to Abraham. There is a third misconception which is that the New Testament makes this promise. Because of the lengthiness of the subject I will deal with this misconception in another post soon.

I will first deal with the second mentioned misconception and that is that God did not fulfill His promises to Abraham. All anyone needs to do to reasonably dispel this idea is believe what is written, Joshua 21:43-45 says that God gave them all the land he swore to them, all of it. It continues to explain that God did not fail to do any good thing He promised to them. Then in Joshua 23:14 it is reiterated again that God fulfilled His promises to Israel. However in verse fifteen we learn that they are also promised that because of their idolatrous ways they will be dispossessed of the land that God gave them. Then in 1st. Kings 8:56 we are again allowed to know that God fulfilled all His promises of land and natural inheritance to the descendants of Abraham and followers of Moses. To doubt or question this is, in my opinion, to quibble about words and create doubt about the promises of God thus disparaging the word of God.

Now let’s move on to the second issue, which is the matter of the adherents of the Jewish religion of today being the direct descendants of Abraham. The answering of the first issue should have negated any need for the consideration of addressing the second issue, but because of religious tradition and bias it doesn't. The fact that God doesn't owe the "Natural Jew" anything should dissipate any further argument.

For the purpose of being conversant with those who insist on their being two Israel’s I have condescend to the terminology "Natural Jew" although it is a misnomer. The terms "Spiritual Jew' and "Natural Jew", are contrived by those purporting and perpetuating the thought that there is yet an 'Israel after the flesh," (a bible term) 1 Cor.10:18, that God holds in special indebtedness and favor. I usually will not recognize these terms because they are not scriptural and only serve to give acquiescence to the idea of there being two Israel’s, one natural and the other spiritual.

The definition of the word Israel is chosen of God. Before Christ the only people who could rightfully claim to be chosen of God were those who could trace their heritage back to Abraham. That is why there are so many begets in the bible. It mattered and mattered immensely who you were a descendant of and that you could prove it. Every true Jew knew what tribe he was of and could trace his parentage from father to father all the way back to Abraham. There were proselyte Jews but they were the exception and not considered a Jew in the truest sense.

In seventy A.D. Rome laid waste of Israel fulfilling all the prophets and Jesus Christ. Malachi prophesied that they the Jews would be left neither root nor branch, Mal.4;1, Jeremiah said they would be as a potters vessel that could not be put back together, Jer. 19:1-15, John the Baptist warned that the Jews that did not repent and receive Christ they would be destroyed as chaff, telling them to flee the wrath that was to come to that generation, Matt.3:1-12, Jesus Christ foretold the total and final judgment of that world which would happen before that generation passed away, Matthew 23 & 24. The Jews stiffened their necks and refused to hear saying that they would have no king but Caesar and thus making a covenant with Hell and an agreement with death, Isaiah 28:15-18. Israel chose death over life and suffered the wrath of God to the uttermost 1st Thess. 2:15-16. When something reaches its uttermost there is no more.

As was the way of nations of that brutal and barbaric age whenever a nation was conquered the penalty for resistance to conquest was utter destruction. When Rome took Israel they not only devastated the land they devastated the population. The men and boys were killed and enslaved while the women and girls were raped and enslaved. The women soon found themselves giving birth to children who were sired in rape and were without fathers. They had no certain identity and were not the seed of Abraham. Because of this it became necessary to identify themselves as Jewish by reason of maternal parentage. To this day it is still so that the Jewish people reckon themselves Jews by maternal authority and not paternal authority. They became a people who were without identity.

There are essentially two kinds of Caucasian people who practice the Jewish religion and populate the world today. They identify themselves as either Ashkenazim and Sephardi. It is an easy research to find the origins of these two people. I suggest that anyone who is honest and wants to know what a true Jew is do the research and prove for themselves what is true. Neither of these two can trace their linage back to the time of the Diaspora much less Abraham. They are not of direct linage and they know it. One of their own, Isaac Asimov, a well known writer and scientist of the last century wrote extensively concerning this very subject. So who is a true Jew? Consider what a man born a Jew said, a man who knew his linage and even what tribe he belonged to, the apostle Paul, Rom.2:28-29, Gal. 3:29. We, The Church are the Israel of God, the true Israel, we are the continuation of the plan of God and there is no other. We are the direct descendants of Abraham and there are no other. I challenge anyone and everyone to find someone of the Jewish religion that can trace their linage back to Abraham. Further I challenge them to prove what tribe they were descended from by genealogy. They are Jews by religion which is a religion without Christ. I pray that they will be saved by the blood of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Lord, the Son of God, the head of the Church that now cries Abba, father. We declare His generations, Isaiah 53:8. He is the mighty God, the everlasting Father of Israel, Isaiah 9:6.

THE FALLING AWAY

Most of what is called Fundamentalist and Pentecostal Christianity when reading 2nd. Thess. 2:3 think of this as a prophecy not yet fulfilled. Because of modern dispensationalist teachings they fail to recognize the obvious statement of verse seven where the writer notes that the mystery of iniquity was already at work. They use this scripture to enhance their doctrinal agenda promoting teachings that didn't exist until the early nineteenth century. I with this post want to use the scripture in the attempting of clearing up this misconception. Paul in Acts 20:28-30 warned that there was an imminent danger to the church that would take place at his demise. That imminent danger he warned of would be caused by men whom he called grievous wolves that would bring in damnable doctrines causing the gospel of Christ to be perverted and the true church to be replaced by a false religious system, a counterfeit church representing itself as the Church of Jesus Christ. This counterfeit church has refined itself and adapted its doctrines and traditions according to need throughout the ages into what is thought to be the Church Jesus spoke of when He said I'll build My Church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. Things degenerated so badly and so fast that by the time of the writing of the book of Jude it was necessary that the writer adjure the readers that they were to earnestly contend for the faith that was once delivered to the Saints. He, proving what Paul had warned them of, said that certain men had crept in sneakily, men who were ordained as vessels of dishonor, and then they turned the grace of God into lewd uncleanness and which denied God and Jesus Christ. Damnable (destructive) doctrines which overthrow the faith of the people of God and cause them to serve their lusts and not God in the beauty of holiness. The church of the first century, the Church Jesus Christ built, lasted forty victorious years from Pentecost of thirty A.D. until the destruction of Jerusalem in seventy A.D. and was then taken away. During its forty year reign it functioned as no other move of God had before or has since. The twelve apostles sat on twelve thrones of authority and judged that world, they raised the dead, cast out devils, opened blinded eyes, made the lame to walk, the deaf to hear, the mute to speak, and performed miracles proving their ministry and the power of God. All that and they also did the greatest miracle of all by taking corruptible men and women producing perfect sinless over-comers for the Bride of Christ. They accomplished all this in a forty year period and were then taken away. Paul prophesied in 2 Thess. 2:7 that the forces of iniquity would be withheld until they who withheld those forces would be taken out of the way. The statement of Paul in Acts Twenty, verse Twenty nine allows us to know that what it was that was withholding the forces of iniquity; it was the apostolic ministry. When they were gone the floodgates of hell were opened and iniquity has from then until now abounded.

RESTORATION

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It seems peculiar that there are those who profess to believe in the restoration of the Church and do not also believe in the restoring to fellowship those who have been divided from us. It seems inconsistent to on the one hand, profess forgiveness and restoration, while on the other hand deny the return of some who may have veered off course. It would seem that we would all be rejoicing in the coming together of all of those elements that are the heirs of the gospel which was restored during the last century. Our declared determination is that we are gathering in the unity of The Spirit, in the bond of peace while, and until, we come into the unity of the faith. Excepting for those guilty of gross, and unrepentant immoralities, or heresies that would effectively serve to change the course and purpose of our vision I welcome whosoever will to come back, and lets join together in this pursuit of the goal God has set before us. We who have identified ourselves as The Brotherhood, The Campground Brethren, The Convention Center Brethren, The DesMoines Gospel Assembly Brethren, and all other factions and individuals would be well served to rejoin themselves into one body with one determination, and that is to restore the church into the oneness The Lord intended it to be.

There are those who would say, "how can you say this and dis-fellowship anyone"? As said except for the causes of gross immorality, or damnable heresies, Second Peter 2:1, that would bring about the loss of our God given identity I cannot. Should someone, become immoral or attempt to transform our identity into something that would effectively deny our gospel and take us into another direction other than that which God has given us I will advocate that we withdraw from that person, or persons, until they repent and return to the faith.

We are not walking backward, nor have we erred when we forgive, and restore to fellowship someone who has repented and returned to the Lord, and His Church from sin or heresy. There are, and always have been, many diversities among us in doctrine, order, and standards. This is why we keep the threshing floor format of proving doctrine. These differences are good as long as they are not moral sin, nor are they such as would lead us astray from the hope that keeps us focused on the goal of the total restoration of The Church of Jesus Christ.

GHENNAHO, BORN OR BEGOTTEN ?

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In response to the inquiry of Bro. A. Wilkinson I offer this explanation.

To be begotten of God, First John 5:18, is differentiated from being born of God, First John 5:18. Both the words, born and begotten, are translated from the Greek word ghennaho and are only understood contextually because the word ghennaho, (Strong's reference # 1080) can mean either to conceive, be conceived, brought forth, or be delivered of. Thus the statement, He that is born of God sinneth not, but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself and that wicked one toucheth him not. Salvation is a process. Just as we have always taught that we are saved, being saved, and shall be saved, Second Corinthians 1:10, we can with this knowledge teach that we are born, being born, and shall be born. The usefulness of this understanding is we can better see and explain what John was saying in, First John 3:9, when he declared that whosoever is born of God does not and cannot sin. When we are the full grown manifested sons of God we will be like Jesus, First John 3:1-3 and will be delivered of the sin nature. Until that time we must keep ourselves so that the wicked one will not touch us.

ARE THE PROPHECY'S OF JESUS FULFILLED?

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By Shawn Dyal

It’s important to note that there are more than 2500 prophecies in the Bible.

What is the importance of prophecy being fulfilled? Deuteronomy 18:21 But if thou shalt say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the Lord has not spoken? :22 Whatsoever words that prophet shall speak in the name of the Lord, and they shall not come true, and not come to pass, this is the thing which the Lord has not spoken; that prophet has spoken wickedly: ye shall not spare him. Isaiah 42:9 Behold, the ancient things have come to pass, and so will the new things which I tell you: yea, before I tell them they are made known to you. The fulfillment of prophetic Scripture is proof of their truth. The fulfillment of prophecy is the best defense for the legitimacy and relevance of the Bible, and gains great credibility when prophecies come to pass and are proven to be accurate. This makes the Word of God more important and relevant with every fulfillment of prophecy that is written. If a prophecy has not been fulfilled, then the prophet and the prophecy must be called into question.

What determines that a prophecy [prediction] is true? The only way of proof is an accurate fulfillment. ‘There is going to be a flood and a great fire in the world this year’ is not a prophecy. Prophecies are more detailed than that.

Are prophecies more relevant after their fulfillment? Luke 21:22 For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. Prophecies are important before the event, but they are more relevant and important after the fulfillment, because the prophecy is then proven. The prophecies in the Scriptures have greater value after the event than the foretelling of the event. 2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; If some scripture [prophecy] has not yet been fulfilled, then these prophecies are invalid because they have failed, and the whole Bible is fiction.

According to the Bible, have the “End Times” already occurred? The Bible is the best answer concerning the time when prophecy was to be fulfilled. The Bible clearly states that the end times would follow soon after Jesus’ death. Christian theologians will try to explain their opinions by saying Christ was talking about a far future, and not the one in his generation. The Bible states that all Scripture is for reproof, not part of it, or a theological point of view. 2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: If you claim to believe this verse, but stubbornly clings to the belief that the prophecies in the Bible have not occurred, then this single verse proves that your doctrine is in error. Christ, the disciples, and apostles taught that the end was soon to come. Jesus made many prophecies about the time of his appearing, and the end of the age.

What do the Scriptures say concerning a false prophet? Deuteronomy 13:1 And if there arise within thee a prophet, or one who dreams a dream, and he gives thee a sign or a wonder, :2 and the sign or the wonder come to pass which he spoke to thee, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which ye know not; :3 ye shall not hearken to the words of that prophet, or the dreamer of that dream, because the Lord thy God tries you, to know whether ye love your God with all your heart and with all your soul. :4 Ye shall follow the Lord your God, and fear him, and ye shall hear his voice, and attach yourselves to him. :5 And that prophet or that dreamer of a dream, shall die; for he has spoken to make thee err from the Lord thy God who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, who redeemed thee from bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which the Lord thy God commanded thee to walk in: so shalt thou abolish the evil from among you. Deuteronomy 18:20 But the prophet whosoever shall impiously speak in my name a word which I have not commanded him to speak, and whosoever shall speak in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die. If all of the prophecies that Jesus stated have not come true [when he said that they would] then the Sanhedrin was correct in having Christ killed. It is true that there were other motives, but in regards to the prophecies made by Jesus the fact still remains: If the prophecies of Christ have still not yet been fulfilled [for at least 2000 years?] then the Sanhedrin was correct; according to the Scriptures. If the prophecies made by Jesus did not come to pass as he said, then all else stated by Christ cannot be trusted either. The Kingdom of God; everlasting life, and his resurrection just to mention a few. If all prophecies made by any of the Old Testament prophets are not completely fulfilled, then they are all false prophets according to the Scriptures. As stated before: Isaiah 42:9 Behold, the ancient things have come to pass, and so will the new things which I tell you: yea, before I tell them they are made known to you. Take note Isaiah says that the ancient things did come to pass. He also states the new things will too. If they have not, then wouldn't Isaiah be a false prophet, according to the Scriptures?

If Jesus prophecy is all fulfilled, what now? Matthew 6:33 "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you. Luke 12:31 But rather seek ye the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you. Isaiah 9:7 Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end. His Government will continually be increased. This is a continual addition of those who are found worthy. Revelation 21:24 And the nations shall walk by its light, and the kings of the earth shall bring their glory into it. :25 And in the daytime (for there shall be no night there) its gates shall never be closed; :26 and they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it; :27 and nothing unclean and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life.

Ask yourself Is the Bible correct, or the theologians? 1 John 4:1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are from God; because many false prophets have have gone forth into the world. How does one test to know if a prophet is from God, or is a false prophet? The answer is always By the Scriptures.

SUCCESSION

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There are rules and laws of succession, and there is also the observable history of succession. Looking into the scripture we soon find several very pronounced examples regarding the history of succession. Moses was the anointed of God. God used Moses; and through this great man Moses delivered Israel from Egyptian bondage, gave His Law, and established government. Moses, at the time of his departure, layed his hand on Joshua naming him as the successive leader of Israel . Joshua, having received his vision directly from the visionary Moses, kept the vision and brought Israel into the promised land, fulfilling all His promises to Abraham, Joshua 21:43-45. Then Israel lost its visionary and its vision and soon entered into the period we know as the time of the Judges. All one has to do to realize the necessity of having leaders with a vision is to read the Book of Judges and see the sad situation that ensued. It was in The Book of The Judges, Chapter Eighteen that Jonathan, ,The son of Gershom, (who according to many Bible scholars and is reported in the Jewish Encyclopedia, was the grandson of Moses, hired himself out to a group of renegade Danites as an officiating priest of idols. Just two generations and we find even the direct descendant of the great lawgiver Moses given over to idolatry. Then the grandson of King David, Rehoboam the son of Tanakh, an Ammonitish woman brought ruin to the united nation of Israel. It was because of his implacable obstinacy that Jeroboam rebelled and divided the ten tribes into the northern Kingdom leaving only Judah, Benjamin, and Levi in Jerusalem.

The apostle Paul warned that after his departure grievous wolves would enter in among the flock and bring in perverse teachings leading away disciples after themselves, Acts 20:29-30. The same thing has happened over and over again throughout the history of the Church. God has raised up men, visionaries, restorers of the truth, men such as Luther, Fox, and Wesley, these as well as numerous others. These men lit fires of restoration that burned bright, only for later generations to snuff out and replace them with the ways of man.

As we watch this great restoration move of God, which was begun by Bro. William Sowders and those contemporary with him age, and go the way of the grave, are their successors who are charged with the continuance of this vision going to hold fast to that which they have heard? I cannot help but consider these examples of the past. Are we too doomed to repeat the pattern? Are we going to forsake the old paths of contending for the faith? holding forth the word? Establishing a standard of righteousness that will judge this world? Are we going to compromise this great vision for the acceptance of the religious world? Do we dare to stay the course and prove what is the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God? Will we produce The Bride of Christ, who at His coming will have made herself ready?

Those men of the early part of the last century ignited a fire of restoration even unto the promise of perfection. I wouldn't want to be a part of anything that would dim the light of that fire, much less put it out.

I CHOOSE LIFE

2011-01-06T22:19:00.008-05:00

By, Shawn B. Dyal

Deuteronomy 30:19-20 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: 20 That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them. Some have called this the 11th commandment, I believe that may be a bit of a stretch but it is the last thing Moses said to the Israelites as a group just before his death.

We find in John 11:25 that Jesus refers to himself as the resurrection and the life. Therefore I must understand and choose the revelation of Jesus Christ if I intend to live. Not just exist, mark time, die and be forgotten but live. It can only be done in through and by him. No man comes to God except through Christ, John 14:6. God adds to the church daily such as should be saved, Acts 2:47. As many as are ordained to life believe, Acts 13:48. With the reading of these scripture it seems apparent that to believe you must be called by the Spirit of God. There are those who believe that anyone can be persuaded of the gospel, and because of being so persuaded, are then inheritors of eternal life. I present that it is God, and only God who determines who truly believes. Just believing is not enough, James 2:19, the devils believe and tremble. Jesus clearly differentiates the reality of true believers, and those that worship God in vain in, John 4:23-24. It was in Matthew, 15:8-9, that The Lord allowed the pious Jews of that time to know that one can worship the true God in vain. John in, First John 4:6, allows us to know that they who are of God will hear His true ministry, who are the stewards of the mysteries of God, First Corinthians 4:1, and that they who are not will not.

Revelation 17:14 lists the called, chosen, and faithful. The Bible makes it abundantly clear that only God calls and chooses but it’s only by our free will and then even more importantly by the power of the Holy Ghost that we can remain faithful. It is by remaining faithful in holiness and righteousness that we will achieve life. I choose Life. I choose to love the Lord my God. I choose to obey his voice. I choose to cleave to him. I CHOOSE LIFE!

ABERRANT, IMMORAL, AMORAL

2011-01-04T16:02:00.005-05:00

It has always been true, since the beginning of time, that there were those who lived as adulterers, and adulteress's. it is also true that these immoral persons produced illegitimate children. Another truth is that there has always been homosexuals, and worse, among us. It is again however true that it has not always been that these behaviors were accepted as right, and approved as right and normal behavior. We live in an evil time when men and women are like the woman in Proverbs 30:20. Almost all sexual behaviors and perversions are now accepted as normal and called by euphemistic names such as gay, single parent, etc. As a boy when you said someone was gay you were simply saying that they were happy. These days to call someone gay is to say that they are (un-naturally) inclined to acts of sodomy with their same sex. Another word with a changed meaning was queer. This word was commonly used to describe something as being unusual or odd, including homosexual behavior. This word, queer, is now seldom heard because the homosexual agenda demands its abolition. The reason this is true is that it was understood that someone who practiced in homosexual behaviors was not considered to be gay but rather odd, strange, and un-natural, that is to say queer.

The bible clearly teaches us that homosexuality, adultery, and all other aberrant, immoral, and amoral behavior is sin. This nation, as has the entirety of what is commonly called the Western World, has changed their laws to make evil good, and good evil, Isaiah 5:20. Several ministers have recently asked me if I thought God would use the Islamic World to execute his judgement on this ungodly world. All I can say in response to this question is that it would be consistent and according to pattern if He did. Consider how God used Babylon, and Rome to do exactly that, and you will understand how this could be a real possibility, Proverbs 14:24.

We who God has kept need to pray for all the poor benighted souls that have been overtaken into this insidious web of deception Especially for those who are reigning as the rulers of this world that they will use their powers to return this nation back to the principles of godly morality it was founded on. We also need to pray for the poor souls of those who are caught up in un-natural lusts, asking God to save their souls and deliver them from their perversions.

Some would ask; Why are you so concerned with this matter, and why is it you are so vocal in your objections? I answer thusly. I have children, grandchildren, and soon great grandchildren, who will subjected to this perverse, pervasive, ungodly philosophy. I have witnessed this society as it has been subjugated to the constant barraging of the amoral and un-natural behaviors and philosophies of the entertainment world. I seen the effect of the political propagandizing of these evil concepts and now stand witness to the acceptance of the same by the majority of citizenry, including many who call themselves Christian. All this compels me to this determination, but mostly I do it because I feel that God will condemn me if I fail to condemn what He condemns. Isaiah 62:1, For Zions sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest until the righteousness, (Romans 6:16) thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth.

ITS A STRANGE TIME WE LIVE IN

2011-01-04T10:54:00.005-05:00

I just noticed that the Commander of the USS Enterprise has been relieved of his duties for denigrating sodomy. I find it unimaginable that sexual perversion of this degenerate and base consideration can be denigrated. As it was in the time of Sodom and Gommorah, so it is. It seems that God has turned this world including this country over reprobate, Romans 1:26-28. The prophet Isaiah said, Isaiah 5:20.

NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS

2010-12-31T11:20:00.006-05:00

By Shawn Dyal

Mark Twain put it succinctly: ``New Year's is a harmless annual institution, of no particular use to anybody save as a scapegoat for promiscuous drunks, friendly calls and humbug resolutions.''

The tradition of New Year's Day resolutions dates back to the early Babylonians. They believed that what a person does on the first day of the new year will affect what they do throughout the year.

Oscar Wilde wrote: "A New Year's resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other.'' It's true; statistics confirm that almost 97 percent of New Year's resolutions are never fulfilled.

I too have in the past fallen prey to the shameful tradition of making and breaking promises to myself. It occurs to me that resolutions made in my own strength about bettering my own life are useless. I believe we should throw them out and commit ourselves every day to asking God, what is your will for my life and how do I find your ways?

You may ask, How do I manage to do that? The best answer to that questions is stated in James 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. I once heard a wise man say "Do you want a closer walk with God? then just draw closer." It really is that simple.

If I will spend the year seeking and striving to walk in his ways and in his will the year 2011 will be a banner year for my life and for the kingdom of heaven.

BIRTH IS A PROCESS

2010-12-29T13:47:00.003-05:00

The process of being born is a painful travail, both for mother and child. It is my understanding that a woman and child both suffer immensely; approaching the very threshold of death, during the birth process. Paul writing in Galations 4:19 speaking of his (travailing in birth again until Christ be formed in them) gives us some insight into what the ministry experiences in their labor to bring forth a man child for the Lord. Natural birth is a process that begins with conception, continues with a long period of gestation, and (if all goes well) culminates with a healthy live birth. This is just one of the many Bible analogy's we have to help us in our understanding of how God is transforming us into His divine image. The word, "born" in the scripture is translated from the Greek word, Ghennaho, Strong's reference #1080, and is only understood in its contextual usage. Depending upon context it can be understood to mean any one of any of the three phases of birth from conception, to being in the womb of the mother, to the event of being brought forth. With this understanding we can, through spiritual eyes, better get some insight into scriptures that were before left to conjecture and private interpretation such as the words of John in 1 John 3:7-9 and 1 John 5:17-18. Beginning with 1 John lets read, Little children let no man deceive you he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He that commiteth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of god was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. To understand this scripture and not simply make apologies for it saying that somehow cannot does not mean cannot, but rather should not, we need to now read from the fifth chapter verses 17 and 18, All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not unto death. We know that whosoever is born of god sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not. The word born and the word begotten were both translated from the Greek word Ghennano, but represent two entirely different phases of the birth process. In 1st. Peter 1:23 we read, Being born again, not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible, by the word of God which liveth and abideth forever. The key word to the understanding of what Peter was saying is the word, BEING, as in the process of. We are begotten of God when we receive the Holy Ghost. This is the earnest of our inheritance which is eternal life, Ephesians 1:14. As begotten children of God we keep our self by His word and His Spirit that dwell within us. We can sin, but through the power of his gifts do resist the devil and flee evil. We, by His Spirit die daily to the Lust of the flesh, the pride of life and the lust of the eye. When the birth process is complete we will be born again and will no longer be tempted by sin. When the wicked one comes he will find nothing in us that can be tempted. James said that every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed, James 1:13-15. When lust is eliminated we will then be like Christ at the time of His crucifixion. We will have achieved sinless perfection having grown up unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, Ephesians 4:13.When brought forth by our mother Jerusalem, Galatians 4;26, Hebrews 12:22-23, we will have become the manifested sons of God, Romans 8:19. Our mother is now in travail, but joy cometh in the morning of that new day. The day in which we will be brought forth as the manifested sons of God.

AHHH THE DEVIL AND HIS ANGELS IS IT?

2010-12-26T23:27:00.016-05:00

I have received a few questions in my comment section regarding my post on the book of Job. There was one, comment/question, in particular with the petition to allow the questioner to remain anonymous that I felt worthy of response. For this reason, which was the spirit of uncontentious sincerity, and integrity of purpose by the questioner I have decided to respond. So here's the anonymous question:

Dear Brother Dyal, In regards to your blog about the book of Job I have a question about your statement that - "That there is no Biblical reason to believe that God ever called any of His heavenly Angels sons,". Are you dismissing, altogether, the fact that Jesus was the angel called Michael? Then, in reply to your statement - "It is fair to conclude that neither can Angels sin, because death is the consequence of sin,". How do you square that with Jude 1:6, and, Second Peter 2:4? Also do you not believe that the angels that kept not their first estate were the ones that sinned and were cast out of heaven? Isaiah 14:12, Luke 10:18, Revelation 12:4, and Ezekiel 28:1-19?

Firstly I think it fair and reasonable to point out to my questioner that I indeed do not feel that the common usage of Isaiah 14, and Ezekiel 28 as being a pictorial transcript of some pre-adamic rebellion against God is in any way justified or correct. I have on several occasions posted teaching on my insight into these scripture and I will, at the finish of this post, reference you to these posts.

Secondly it must be understood that the name, Michael, by definition is, He who is like God, Strong's ref. # 3588. In, Daniel 12:1 we learn that the Michael, the great prince, who was prophetically and illustratively pictured in Daniels prophecy was none other than Jesus Christ. This was a prophecy concerning his work of judgement at the end of that world. An angel is a messenger of God. Jesus Christ was, is, and always shall be, the foremost messenger of God. Thus I accept that Michael the Archangel is in fact none other than Jesus Christ. He is also the only pre-existant heavenly being who ever was called a Son of God. He, Jesus Christ, is the archangel of His Father, our God, who is the almighty God. Then we find Michael and His angels, in Revelation 12, fighting against the dragon and his angels. This is a figurative telling and foretelling of the spiritual warfare of the Early Church where the true ministry of God resisted, and fought against the false ministers who were ordained to the condemnation of bringing about the great apostasy that Paul spoke of in Acts 20:29-30, and in, Second Thessalonians 2:1-12, Also referenced in Jude 1:4. The twelfth chapter of Revelation is the telling of the great falling away that happened during the First Century after the last apostle of Christ was removed, Second Thessalonians 2:7, noting that the words, let and letteth, as interperted here in fact mean to hinder. To attempt to ascribe Revelation twelve as being some historical relating of an attempted supernatural coup wherein God could not maintain order in His own eternal realm is to disavow God as being omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient, thus demeaning God into a creature like unto ourselves.

As regarding my understanding of Jude 1:6, and Second Peter 2:4, I easily see and understand these angels who kept not their first estate as being the apostate Jewish ministry of that time. Note that Jesus called them blind guides, Matthew 23:16-24. Also remember that in Matthew 13:10-15 He made it clear that their minds eyes were blinded so that seeing they would not see. God blinded their eyes and held them in chains of darkness reserved unto the everlasting destruction of that Jewish world.

I NOW OFFER MORE ENLIGHTENMENT THROUGH THE SCRIPTURE WITH THIS RE-POSTING OF SOME OF MY EARLIER WRITINGS ON THIS SUBJECT. I HOPE YOU READ AND ENJOY THEM AND I PRAY THAT THE EYES OF YOUR UNDERSTANDING BE ENLIGHTENED, EPHESIANS 1:18,

PRINCIPALITIES, POWERS, SPIRITUAL WICKEDNESS

In my last article I warned that we are under increasing attack from the Powers and Principalities without. Paul, in Ephesians 6:12-18 noted that these four powers were what we are fighting against, and are not something we can defeat with our natural defenses. The forces of the governments of this world, (and those who with their wealth control them) combined with entrenched organized religion have always dominated this world and do until this very day. The monetary, military, political, and ecclesiastical powers of the world, (the four winds of Revelation 7:1) are what crucified Christ, persecuted the early Church, and have continued to harass and persecute us throughout the ages, even until now. Ancient Rome had an entire pantheon of gods to worship; to name just a few there was Apollo, Jupiter, Ceres, Diana, Juno, Mars, Mercury, Minerva, Neptune, Vena, Vesta, Vulcan, and of course all the Caesars after their death. Not only that they were very accommodating to allow all the nations they conquered to continue to worship their own gods just so long as they did not deny or interfere with the worship of the Roman gods. The Romans were in fact a very religious and broad minded people when it came to religion. It was the matter of the Christians and Jews saying there was only one God and that all the others were no more than idols that infuriated Rome. That, and their, the Jews and Christians, refusing to worship and pay homage to the gods of Rome, especially the Caesars. It is a historical fact that many Jews were in Rome and were even recognized as being Roman citizens. Paul of Tarsus, the apostle, was himself a Roman citizen, Acts 22:25-29. It is also a well known historical fact that many Jews were very involved in Roman politics and were also extensively intertwined into the economy of Rome. There were Roman banks and even a stock exchange into which Jews were very instrumentally invested. The Christians, of whom most were mostly converted Jews, were first recognized as being just another Jewish sect, Acts 24:5, and as such tolerated as being nothing more than a bother in an otherwise stable society. It was the Jewish rejection of the Christians that began the persecution of the Church and then the Jewish insistence that Rome assist them in eradicating this new and bothersome sect. The leaders of the religion of the Jews, Galatians 1:14, were the ones that Paul was alluding to when he mentioned, spiritual wickedness in high places, Ephesians 6:12. The principalities he spoke of was the Roman government, whereas the powers was the Jewish puppet government. All these powers, (authorities) soon joined forces to focus their attention against the Christians. Today we see a government, and governments and a host of religious movements agreeing to agree in eradicating any who do not succumb to their mutual ideology of there being of no absolutes, as they view religion in the context of relativism saying that all religions are equal and there can be no finality of beliefs. We live in an era of amalgamation where all peoples, ideas, philosophies, morals, religions, etc. etc. are purposely being homogenized into one massive controllable identity. This of course is logical if you have no absolute convictions and desire to see societal tranquility. The problem is, we cannot do this. Our belief that it is necessary to worship God in Spirit and in Truth forbid us any compromise, John 4:24 forbids us any consideration of acceptance of any teaching that is in conflict with what we believe to be truth. This being true we must accept that to remain faithful to the gospel we must stand ready to be labeled as being a cult and face the consequences that are sure to follow. We will be hated of all men, Matthew 10:22,Mark 13:13, Luke 21:17. Look for false witness's to arise bringing terrible allegations against both ourselves and the things we believe. Where will these witness's come from? Let me ask this; What is a witness? A witness is someone who claims to be either a victim or a witness to a wrong against another. In short the witness's will be those who were once among us, Matthew 10:36, and are now bitter and angry against us for whatever reasons, real or imagined, but for sure exaggerated and embellished. If you have ever stood for anything, or against anything you can be certain there are those who hate you for it. If you have ever said "no" to anyone who wanted you to say yes, you have enemies. If you have ever administrated with any authority you have enemies. There were witness's against all the righteous men and women who proceeded us; Why would would we think we should be exempted? It is when we are betrayed by those we have known, labored with, sacrificed for, and loved that we are really tested. Those we labored with, gave our energy and love too, it is they who will be, if they are not already, our worst enemies. It is they who will be the most credible, of all the incredible, witnesses which will be brought against us before the principalities, powers, and spiritually wicked in high places. It is they who will rejoice to see us persecuted and even destroyed. Years ago as a young minister I was told by men who were contemporary to, and with him, that Brother William Sowders warned of these things saying they will take everything from us, our buildings, finances, etc. and that they would seek to destroy us. He also warned that before the end came this society would become so corrupt that nakedness and immorality would be the normal. Another thing he said was that all these things would be signs that the end was near and that we should rejoice to see them. As I see men and women lining themselves up preparing to do the evil they are foreordained to do, exactly as prophesied, I know that the end is near. As they blaspheme and mock us ... let us look up and be thankful to be a part of the generation chosen to be so honored, and let us endure unto the end, Matthew 10:21-23.

WE WRESTLE

Ours is not a physical battle, and our weapons are not carnal, Second Corinthians 10:3-5, we cannot expect success by our own strength or cunning. Paul in Ephesians 6:10-19, clearly lays out that we are in a spiritual war and we must arm ourselves spiritually with the whole armor of God. We, as did they did not, do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against spiritual wickedness in high places. We are at war, both within and without, with rulers of darkness, principalities, and spiritual wickedness in high places. If we are to win this warfare we must be appropriately prepared.What were, and are the principalities Paul spoke of? Who were, and are the rulers of darkness? What was, and is spiritual wickedness in high places? I hope with this article to dispel some of the myths and superstitious fears that hold so many people captive. A principality is a civil or political power. A ruler of darkness is someone who is authority and teaches lies, myths, and false doctrines thereby keeping his hearers in the darkness of ignorance. Spiritual wickedness in high places is when wicked men who are not representing God function in spiritual places where they with authority can use and abuse the people of God.Caiaphas, Ananias, the Sanhedrin, Pilate, Herod, Nero, all these and more were fitting of the description given by Paul in Ephesians as being principalities, Powers, spiritual wickedness in high places. Today there are also political and religious leaders who easily qualify for this ignominious designation. Men who pass laws that are designed to limit if not thwart the influence of God and His word in this earth are men who are powers of darkness. Men who Legislate evil as being good. Men who officiate in religious office but deny the truth of the word of God, these men are the spiritually wicked that sit in high places. These are they who persecuted the early church and these are they who will persecute us. They are not supernatural beings but it will take God to defeat them. We, with natural weapons, cannot fight the Federal Government, nor can we fight the religious powers of this world . We must be armed with the weapons of God.

THE SNARE OF THE DEVIL

In Second Timothy 2:26 we find something called "The Snare Of The Devil" referenced where those who oppose themselves and are taken at his will. Exactly what is the snare of the devil? Perhaps Ephesians 2:1-3 would shed a little light on this subject. The prince of the power of the air is the spirit that works in the children of disobedience which is defined in First John 2:16 which is the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. As James explained in James 1:13-15, all sin is a product of lust, pride, or greed. As regarding the genderizing (him at his will) of the spirit it is is common in almost all languages, except English, to make all things both animate and inanimate either masculine or feminine. Even in the English language storms, ships, trains, and many other things are often times genderized. In answer to Mary Anne Sumner I would have no problem with the explanation you gave. I however do think that his complimenting them for their accomplishments rather than rebuking them for them being less than perfect in the accomplishing of the being lambs among wolves and rejoicing about the devils being subject to them is more plausable. Thank you for your comments. I value the thoughts and opinions of all who seek the truth.

THE DEVIL WALKETH ABOUT AS A ROARING LION

The writer of Proverbs 28:15 says that a wicked ruler is like a roaring lion and a ranging bear. In First Peter 5:8 we learn that the devil walks about as a roaring lion. Could it not have been that Peter was speaking of the evil rulers of Jerusalem and Rome who were at that time persecuting the church? To have used scriptural symbolism in writing a letter would have been prudent seeing that should the letter have fallen into the wrong hands it would have brought increased persecution. Surely we can agree (no matter how we disagree on who the devil is) that the terminology, walketh about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour, is figurative in any case. Another thing that you may wish to take into consideration is the angel of light in Second Corinthians 11:14. It is a known truth that the High Priesthood and Sanhedrin were the chief opponents of Christianity. There were those who, thinking they were doing God a service, took oaths to kill Paul, Acts 23:12-14, saying that they would not eat or drink until they had killed him. Jesus said of them that they sit in Moses seat, Matthew 23:2, and to do whatsoever they bid. When Paul was taken prisoner and commanded to be smitten by the evil High Priest Ananias, Paul called him a whited wall that God would smite him only to repent of it once he realized it was the High Priest he was speaking to. False religion today represents itself as being the church with its principal leaders as being the messengers of light, and ministerial followers as righteous men.

WALKING ABOUT AS A ROARING LION

At a recent meeting it soon became evident that there were those who had an agenda of pushing the concept of the devil being a personal entity. They without embarrassment pulled no stops in forwarding the idea. One scripture used to give credibility to this teaching was First Peter 5:8 where we read, " be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. Of course they, and those who agree with them, see this devil who is here portrayed as a roaring lion as a supernatural, fallen angel, spiritual entity who is invisibly lurking about tempting people and causing general havoc among the people of God. The promoting of the agenda of there being a personal devil was so prevalently obvious that at one point, when the sound system became troublesome, the moderator suggested, with a chuckle, that perhaps it was the work of this devil being.I with this article would like to suggest that those who hold the scripture as the final and absolute evidence of all truth consider all of the other passages where the figurative analogy of a roaring lion are used, and with this determine who it that is being likened unto such a ravenous beast. In Psalms 22:12 we find the Psalmist David using this terminology in prophecy concerning the Lord in His Sacrificial death. The roaring lion here is obviously not some supernatural being but rather the leaders of apostate Israel who tormented and crucified our Lord. Then in proverbs 28:10 we read,"As a roaring lion, and a ranging bear, so is a wicked ruler over my poor people. Again notice that we are not speaking of something supernatural but rather something, or rather someone, very natural, a wicked ruler such as the Roman Emperor Nero, Herod Antipas, and the High Priest Caiaphas, all of whom sought to devour the Early Church. Now we come to Ezekiel 22:25 where the Prophet Ezekiel specifically identifies the apostate religious rulers of Israel as being,"like a roaring lion ravening the prey." Now I ask; with these three witnesses just how many more evidences do we need to know who Peter was alluding to with the scriptural symbology he choose to identify those who were at the time of the writing seeking to destroy the Church? Absent of preconceived religious notions there is little to conclude.This article has been slightly modified on 9/17/09 by the author for reasons of concience.

THE CASTING OUT OF DEVILS

There is a host of scripture proving that Jesus cast out devils, and that He commanded His disciples do likewise. All of the apostles including Paul cast out devils. One of the signs given as proof of the ministry is the casting out of devils. With all of this in mind I cannot see how anyone can deny the necessity of casting out devils. Some have even said that they neither believe in devils nor the casting out of devils. Then there are those who attribute all the problems of the world to the Devil and his army of devils. I consider both of these positions extreme and scripturally untenable. It is commonly believed that I do not believe in either the Devil or devils, this of course is error.I confess that I do not believe in the devil as being a fallen Third Heaven angel nor do I believe that God ever lost control of His Kingdom or any part of it. The thought that there was a insurrection led by an arch angel with a full third of the heavenly beings participating in it is an ancient pagan myth pseudo Christianized by the scrapping together of scriptural statements with a lot of conjecture by the prejudicial misreading, and misunderstanding of those who know no better. However to say there is no devil or devils is also an error as great, or perhaps even greater than the belief in the ancient Zoroastrian myth of a galactic pre-adamic war between supernatural gods and demi-gods. It is the true identifying of the devil and devils in general that is needed before we can ever hope to fulfill the commandments concerning the casting out of devils and the final defeating of the devil.In several previous posts I feel that I adequately explained the correct understanding of the scriptural references that are most commonly used to prove the myth of Lucifer and the idea of myriads of fallen angels supposedly enlisted by this imagined supernatural would be usurper. I will now attempt to show some of the characteristics of the devils, (demons) dealt with by Christ and His apostles. A careful and objective study will show that the preponderance of what are popularly assumed to be disembodied entities are in fact nothing more than physical and mental maladies. The ambiguity of the writers and the inconsistencies in recall make it sometimes difficult to sort through the available information and get a clear picture of what was happening. For instance the story of the demonic man at the tombs of the Gadarenes, or men, depending on the account you prefer were obviously insane. Chained to tombs outside of the city,without clothes, crying and lacerating themselves.
In ancient Persia the Zoroastrian religion everything from deafness, muteness, epilepsy, and insanity was explained as being caused by evil spirits. While in captivity in Persia the Jews were favored and because of the benevolent considerations of their captors inter-married and adopted many of their customs and concepts. The books of Esther, Nehemiah, and Ezra clearly illustrate the magnitude of favor the Jews enjoyed from the marriage of Hadassah, (Esther) to Ahasuerus, to the king Cyrus liberating them and assisting in the rebuilding of Jerusalem. It was during this time of mostly benevolent captivity that the Jews succumbed to many of the teachings and traditions of the Persians. One in particular was the many washings which they, (the Persians) believed would keep them from ingesting evil spirits through their mouths. Beelzebub, the god the Jewish leaders accused Jesus of casting out evil spirits by was and is yet a Hindu/Zoroastrian god, the lord of the flies. The very word superstition is by definition the belief in the supernatural. Paul standing on Mars hill, Acts 17:22-23, declared the believers in more than one God superstitious. If Beelzebub in fact does exist Paul was remiss in his judgement of the Greeks. Jesus, in His patience did not try to rectify all the error taught by the apostate religious leaders of that time, however He did rebuke them for teaching as doctrines the commandments of men, Matthew 15:9. He knew that Beelzebub, nor for that matter any other of the imaginary pagan gods, didn't exist. and He also knew that to enter into an argument with those steeped in pagan tradition would be futile. So He used the occasion to bring forth a greater truth, Matthew 12:27-32, concerning the blaspheme of the Holy Ghost. Back to the two men chained to the tombs, Matthew 8:28. Mark says that he night and day cried and cut himself, Luke said he wore no clothes, Now I ask you in all honesty; If you today met someone in the cemetery naked, crying, attacking passers by, and without clothes, what would you think their problem was? Come on be honest, you would know that they were insane. Those poor men had so many problems that they when asked of Jesus asked for their name they cried legion for we are many. With that Jesus illustrating His authority and ability to heal any and all conditions drove the spirits of insanity from the men into a herd of nearby pigs who immediately drowned themselves in the sea. I know that those who are predisposed to believe in disembodied spirit beings will find this explanation as incredible as I do the traditional explanation but I respectfully offer it for their consideration. More later.

WAR IN HEAVEN

The idea that the Almighty God of Heaven who is from everlasting unto everlasting, who created all things and knows all things is somehow subject to human vanities and frailty's is somehow incomprehensible to me. Equally incomprehensible is the thought that God was ever in a position of having to defend His eternal habitat from an insurrection. It seems to me that to reduce God to these considerations is to in fact attempt to make God into our image and our likeness. In a previous post I pointed out the obvious fact that Isaiah fourteen and Ezekiel twenty eight were not historical accounting's of a Pre-Adamac galactic holocaust but were pictorial, figurative narratives of the imminent judgement of the kingdoms of men. I proved that Jesus, when complimenting the seventy that he sent out to evangelize, was not boasting of his having witnessed a greater victory than they but was illustratively complimenting them on their success, Luke 10:17-18. The twelfth chapter of Revelation is another scripture that should be obvious to all except those steeped in tradition as being a figurative and not a literal narrative. The woman clothed in the sun was obviously the church, the sun is the light which is the Word of God (Jesus), the moon is the reflection of the light, the law and the prophets, The crown of twelve stars are the apostles, the great red Dragon was the ecclesiastical powers of darkness that made war with Christ and His Church intent on to destroying it. All this happened during the first century.

THE DEVIL AND HIS ANGELS

For those who believe in the Devil as a personal being but do not believe in a literal hell as a place of eternal torment I have a question. My question is taken from the words of Jesus Christ in Matthew 25:41 where He said, "Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the Devil and his angels. My question is, "How do you make a part of this literal and the other part figurative or symbolic?" It seems inconsistent to differentiate the two when they are used in conjunction with one another. To help you in reasoning this out I offer this understanding. The Devil here is the High Priest of apostate Israel and the angels are the entirety of the priesthood who rejected and crucified Christ. The everlasting fire was the judgement of seventy A.D. which was the fire that could not be quenched. Those on the left who were to join in the eternal judgement were any and all who were not a part of the remnant element mentioned in Romans 11:5. They were the ones who were reserved in the everlasting chains of darkness awaiting the judgement of the great day, Jude 6.

LUCIFER, THE KING OF BABYLON

The thought that the prophet Isaiah, in the fourteenth chapter, or the prophet Ezekiel, in the twenty eighth chapter, are relating a historical accounting of a galactic warfare between the Almighty Creator God, and some supernatural lessor god, then called Lucifer, and now called the devil, is when read contextually hard to believe unless you are predisposed to that conclusion. Within the confines of the context of these writings there is not a shred of evidence supporting the popular pagan originated, Catholic teaching of God being challenged and losing a third of His Heavenly Angels in such a Pre-Adamic attempt of a Coup d'etat. The very idea of something overthrowing God that any Creature, Heavenly or otherwise, could ever think they even could overthrow God is absurd. God who is everywhere, here, there, past, present, future, all the time. God is all knowing, all seeing, all powerful. God knows every thought and every intent of every living thing He created which is everything that exists. Everything that exists only exists at the will of God. Without God nothing has life. All life is dependant on God. Without God all life ceases. Only God has immortality, and there is but one God. Jesus Christ who was and is the beginning of the creations of God would not, and could not exist without God. The king of Babylon was a mortal man as was the prince of Tyre. The writings of the prophets were prophesies against two natural men. The writings were figuratively and symbolically written which is obvious unless someone is superstitiously prejudiced to the disregard of the obvious.

THE PRINCE OF THE POWER OF THE AIR

Ancient pagan myths taught there existed a spiritual underworld ruled by a supernatural evil being. Many of the ancients believed in multiple gods, a virtual plethora of gods in the cases of the Greeks, Romans, and Hindu's. Some of the gods were thought to be good, kind, and benevolent, while others were evil, treacherous, and mean. What does the bible teach when presented independent of ancient and preconceived thought? For many years I was taught, believed, and did teach that when Paul spoke of the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that worketh in the children of disobedience, Ephesians 2:2, that Paul in fact was making reference to the supreme Devil of devils, that is the person of Satan. I with this post hope to present a more accurate and enlightened perspective of this concept. I ask only that the readers consider my presentation without prejudice and pray about this insight with the thought that it may be worth consideration.
The spirit, ( Strong's ref. 4151 =breath, or life) that works in the children of disobedience. What is the life of the children of disobedience? Is it not their lust? Consider verse three where Paul goes on to say, We had our conversation, (i.e. lifestyle) in times past in the lust of our flesh. We before God intervened into our lives,, nor they of times past, had to succumb to any supernatural forces of evil to do evil. To ascribe all the evil deeds of the ungodly (Gentile's) to some outside supernatural being is a conclusion without foundation. All anyone needs to fulfill evil is a carnal mind. In Galatians Five we find an accurate enumeration of the works, (conversation) of the flesh, all these capacities are independent of the need of an outside force. With this understanding I can see no reason, other than a predisposal to the conclusion, that anyone would think that the prince (governing force) of the power of the air should be considered anything except as here stated. The all pervasive governing force of this world is the lust of flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life, 1st. John 2:16.

THE DEVIL

The Devil is said to be a supernatural being with mind, will and emotion. It is commonly believed by most of religion that he once inhabited Heaven and was in the hierarchy of the government of God. The teaching is that he became rebelliously ambitious and attempted to overthrow God and assume the throne of his creator. Using certain scriptures, out of context and by way of interpretation, Isaiah 14: 12-14, Ezekiel 28:12-19, Luke 10:18, Rev.12:7-12, the teachers of this concept promulgate the idea that God couldn't control His angels. I realize this is a harsh sounding way of saying it but you would have to agree that in the finality of saying it that if the United States lost a full third of its citizens in an open rebellion that the would have lost control of its citizenry. Even if they regained control by squelching the rebellion they would have lost control of for at least for a season.
My question is, how could God who is omnipotent (all powerful), omnipresent (everywhere), omniscient (all knowing), He, who knows the beginning from the end and on whom all life is dependant lose control? Especially when He is the very source of life, even the life of those who would think to overwhelm Him. God is the beginning of all life, He spoke everything into existence, everything was made by Him and for Him, John 3:3, and He is the continuing source of all that exists. Without Him there is no life. How is that, that which exists by Him could or would imagine to conquer Him. Upon the conquest, they would cease to exist.
The Hindu Sanskrit is the oldest of religious writings known to man and is the original source of the concept that there are multiple gods in existence, both good and evil. Prior to the Persian captivity the Jews had no such teaching as there being a supernatural being known as the Devil. Beelzebub, the lord of the flies was and is one of the Hindu gods. While in Persian captivity the Jews adopted many of the teachings and customs of their captors. One of the beliefs of the Persians who practiced Zoroastrianism, which was and is a branch of Hinduism, was that evil spirits were transmigratorial and could be consumed through the mouth. This pagan and superstitious belief was the reason for all the ritualistic washings of hands by the the Jews after their deliverance from captivity. Hygiene, as we know it, had nothing to do with ritualistic washings.
Jesus, in Matthew fifteen rebuked the religious leaders of Judaism for teaching for doctrines the commandments of men and making the word of God of none effect. Other scripture allude to the diverse washings, teachings, and customs of apostate Judaism as being of no effect. Another thing they picked up from Zoroastrianism is the concept of the Devil being a fallen evil angel who is at war with God. It is time for true believers to dispose of this age old myth and realize that there is but one God and that He is God. If there is an entity that has the personal identity of the Devil he was created by God for the purposes of God. God is the creator of all things both good and evil, Isaiah 45:6-7.
There is no question of scripture concerning the matter of "THE DEVIL" that dosen't have a reasonable and obvious answer. When the blinders of religious tradition and bias are removed all scripture is easily understood with answers that just make sense. Superstition dosen't make sense and cannot be easily explained. There is only one supernatural force and that force is God. All other things that are supernatural are extensions of God and His power and according to His will. Miracles, healings, and all other things supernatural are by God and none other. There is but one God, all other gods are man made and false gods. The god of this world is lust which according to Jesus and His brother James is where all sin originates.
If you like to hear more on this subject please let me know by commenting your wishes. If you would are so inclined, you can reference particular questions on this subject and I will try to answer them.

Sincerly given by: Paul B. Dyal

THE PEOPLE OF GOD

2010-12-23T16:04:00.002-05:00

The Parker family from the assembly in Jacksonville lost their oldest son in a tragic head on collision this past Monday night and stand in serious need of prayer. During this time of grief I have watched in admiration as the people of God have rallied around them in prayer, concern and support. I have no idea how people can survive a tragedy of this magnitude without God and his people. Please pray for comfort and strength for this wonderful and faithful family.

MY PASSION

2010-12-22T13:02:00.011-05:00

By Shawn Dyal

JUST FOR CONSIDERATION --- THE BOOK OF JOB

2010-12-16T14:40:00.009-05:00

By Paul B. Dyal

The Book of Job is a poetical, allegorical, parabolic Bible story about a man who lived long ago whose name was Job. It a story of his fiery trials wherein he proved himself faithful to God. It is in Job 27:1, and Job 29:1 that we find the word parable explicitly used. There is no Biblical reason to believe that God ever called any of His Heavenly Angels sons, Hebrews 1:5. Neither is there any Biblical reason to suppose that the Heavenly angels can die, Luke 20:36. With this understanding it is fair to conclude that neither can Heavenly Angels sin, because death is the consequence of sin, Romans 6:23. With this knowledge in mind let us consider that the sons of God in Job 1:6, were not supernatural spiritual entities, but rather the three friends of Job, Job 2:11, (Eliphaz the Timanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Namathite). These men, who being envious of Job in his prosperity and relationship with the Lord brought complaints and accusations, (in their hearts and amongst themselves) against Job when they came together to worship God, Jeremiah 17:9, Mark 7:21, Matthew 15:18-20, Galatians 5:19-21. These men later proved themselves adversaries to Job by their many subsequent accusative and discouraging words spoken to, and against Job.

How often is it today that when the sons of God, they being those who are the chosen children of God through Christ, (John 1:12, Romans 8:14, Philippians 2:15, First John 3:1-2, appear together before the throne of God, (I.E. when we gather in His Church to worship and learn of Him) there are bitter envying, strife's, and evil speakings? Why should we think it was any different in Job's day than it is today?

So why did God allow Job to be tested so severely? Consider this; Job, although equated a man who was perfect, (COMPLETE), a man who who feared God, and one who eschewed evil, was in fact a man who suffered from pride and exalted in his own righteousness, Job 31:1-40, so much so that he justified himself, He also did not have control of his own household. His wife in, Job 2:9, advised him to curse God and die. His Children were so rowdy and riotous that he was compelled to offer sacrifice for them, Job 1:4-5.

Then Elihu, who I think authored the book of Job, spoke rebuking Job and his three comforters.

It should be noted that Job and his three friends were rebuked by the Lord, but not Elihu. It should also be noted that Elihu when speaking, spoke in the first person and not as an observer. These two evidences are enough to convince me that Elihu was both the prophet of God to Job, and the author of the parabolic story of Job's suffering and faithfulness.

A QUESTION I RECEIVED BY EMAIL

2010-12-16T13:57:00.004-05:00

By Shawn Dyal

Question from Clyde Semo, From your last two blogs...1)"submitting to his ministry"... and 2)"fellowshipping only with the Godly". Please explain these two statements.

1) What if the pastor is wrong, over bearing (ex; not just long hair but never cut her hair) , or perhaps wants to burden the saints with instructions he received from God that were intended for the pastor alone (ex; celibacy within marriage.)

2) Can I have the people next door over for a BBQ? Can I serve on the city council? Can I go to a co-workers birthday dinner?

Answer

Submitting to his ministry. I am blessed to sit under a pastor that was called and sent of God to build a church in the city of Jacksonville. There were and still continue to be positive proofs that God is directing the steps of the righteous man that I follow. I know that God has called me to be here and place my life in his hand. (the hand being his ministry). With that in mind it is not my place as a member of the Body of Christ to question or second guess the things that I am told I should do to be saved. If a person is not being led by a man that is being led by God then he needs to seek counsel from the elders and find Gods will and then do it without question.

As regarding having fellowship with the ungodly consider these scripture, 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. An infidel by definition is literally one without faith. We are told to be in the world but not of it. Can darkness and light abide together? We have to go out and work and interact with the world but when we do it should be with the focus of shinning the light of Christ not just to be accepted, or perceived as good hearted. All of my friends go to church with me, I have many acquaintances with whom I am friendly, courteous, and considerate, that aren't children of God but they should never be in doubt of who and what I am.

THE NARROW WAY

2010-12-14T12:07:00.014-05:00

By Shawn Dyal

The commandment of Jesus is enter in through the strait gate. A large portion of so called protestant religion confesses the name of Jesus and many even recognize him as the strait gate or entrance way to heaven. Bowing their knees and confessing him as their lord, but then they attempt to bypass and deny the narrow path. Matthew 7:14 Because strait the gate, and narrow the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. If you want to get into heaven there is only one gate that gate is Jesus. If you try to enter any other way you will find destruction. All those who miss Christ miss forgiveness, Miss right standing with God. All of this is true but it's only half of the truth.

After that gate is the way. A narrow way. Judeo Christian religion will teach you that Jesus is the only gate but then they will tell you that the way is broad. Matthew 7:13-27 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide the gate, and broad the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Throughout the history of Christianity there is a pattern that continues to repeat itself. When a work first appears it is vibrant people are experiencing life changing revelations and Christ is everything to them. But as the generations that follow after them the original message and vibrance becomes nothing more than a creed. People believe they are saved because they can quote the creed. They believe they have salvation because from infancy they have been ingrained with the creed. We can fall into this pattern just as the catholic who was baptised as an infant or the baptist who repeated a prayer onetime believe that they are secure. You are not OK! You are saved only by going in through that narrow gate named Jesus and following that straight way that leads to heaven. You may have at some point came through the narrow gate but if you look talk act walk like the world you have chosen the broad way. Your lifestyle will be the very thing that condemns you on the day of judgement. Going to meetings, fellowship, singing the "Body" songs and then living a unholy, unseparated, unconsecrated life will not save you.

The only means of salvation is by faith. This is not a multiple choice question. All roads may lead to Rome but the only road to salvation is through repentance of sin and turning to God through faith in Jesus Christ. The evidence that you have truly passed through the small gate is that you are walking the narrow way. The narrow way is the pathway of holiness without which no man shall see God. The evidence that you are following him is that you have changed your conversation your passions and your dreams are all about Christ. I know that I'm striving because I am looking unto Jesus Christ and have great assurance because I can see the changes being wrought in my life and the way he disciplines me zealously and guards my life.

How do we know we truly believe? If we are following the narrow way. If you return to the world and it's ways you are actively demonstrating that you never truly knew him. Salvation is a super natural work of God that is a complete transformation of the heart. If your heart is being transformed your lifestyle will be transformed. The bible tells us that the very thoughts and intents of the heart will come out of your mouth. You will be judged by your words. You may say you can't judge a book by it's cover. Jesus said you can. " you will know them by their fruits" The heart according to scripture is the core essence of what a man is. If you say I love Jesus with all my heart you are saying my life has been dedicated to him he has control of the very essence of me and his will is my will. That love if it is true will affect every part of your life.

When Jesus said in Matthew 7:16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? He is pointing out the absurdity of anyone thinking that you can be one thing and act like another. If you are to produce good fruit you must always be a good tree. It is impossible for you to have an encounter with a log truck and not be dramatically changed. How is it possible to have an encounter with the God of all the universe and not be changed? You cannot continually abide in the carnal elements of life and call yourself a disciple of Christ. This is not six flags over Jesus.

We occasionally ask people who aren't living right. You've had an experience with God why don't you act like it? We should be saying you act like you don't know God and it's because you don't know him. Examine yourself test yourself to see if you are in the faith. Every good tree bears good fruit. Bad trees bear bad fruit.

The will is always in subjection to or ruled by nature. A pig acts like a pig by it's very nature. A tiger is going to hunt and kill by it's inborn nature. If a tree is an apple tree by nature it will bear apples. Nature and fruit. Nature and action. Nature and will are always connected. Men are by nature radically depraved. Men are born hating God. Men cannot come to god. Because they will not come to God because they hate him. The bible says of Josephs brothers they could not speak a kind word to him. It was because they hated him.

God is good men are evil. Unless the spirit of God comes down and regenerates the heart with power nothing is going to happen. Matthew 7:18 A good tree cannot produce bad fruit and a bad tree cannot produce good fruit. Your nature is evil therefore you cannot produce fruit pleasing to god. If you are not striving toward the mark of the prize of the high calling then you are serving your carnal wicked lustful evil nature. You may ask why do you proclaim such a harsh and cutting message? Because in the next verse Jesus tells us that every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire.

Every man woman and child is born with the route to destruction in their very nature. The only thing that can stop them from fulfilling that natural path is a life altering encounter with Jesus and then continuing in his word, abiding in his spirit and submitting to his ministry. To lose all hope in their own will and nature and throw themselves on the mercy of Jesus.

Christianity is not morality. Christianity is not about being good people. It's about God redeeming us through his spirit unto himself and changing us into his image. That will take a process of change from the corruptible man you were born to be into an incorruptible son of God.

You will know them by their fruits. Not every one who says to me lord lord will enter into heaven. But he who does the will of the father will enter into heaven. When you fail and sin the evidence that you are a good tree is that you are humble and broken you fall on your face and repent begging his forgiveness. He is just and merciful and will take his strong hand set you back up dust you off and give you the strength through his spirit and word to keep going.

I for one have caught a glimpse of Jesus and I want to make it in. I've caught a glimpse of Jesus and I want to be like him. So I will strive with all my might to make my spirit blend. I've caught a glimpse of Jesus and I want to make it in.

BE A MAN BIBLICALLY

2010-12-12T13:40:00.003-05:00

By Shawn Dyal

1 Cor 10:31 tells us that whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God. We are new creatures who have been given the ability, through the spirit of God dwelling in us, to walk in His will. The inclination of our lives should be to walk in His will. We, as followers of Christ, and men in the Body of Christ, have been given a restored purpose. Several important things must be done if we intend to be men of God.

The first is to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. We should be constantly reminded that it is our duty to love Him. Deuteronomy 6:4-9 says, Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and withall thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which Icommand thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou

sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house,

and on thy gates. This commandment or direct order is so important that God said it should be written on the door post of our house "to love the lord our God. Everything that we do see and say as Christians should be boiled down to the commandment to love the Lord our God.

Secondly, I'm to have one great passion. Matthew 6:33 says to seek ye first the kingdom of heaven and all these things will be added to you. Jesus is telling us not to be concerned about worldly possessions or even food and clothing, but seek the kingdom of heaven and God will take care of the rest. We must pursue Him and be single minded, focused only on

Him. How different would we be if we only followed this verse? If wewere in constant remembrance of this commandment? As Christians everything we do should be kept sacred. We cannot divide our life between secular and spiritual. We are admonished, whatsoever you do, do

it with all your might.

You should ask yourself when was the last time you did something to the glory of God. Consider this—everything comes from Him, and should be returned to Him in praise. We should do even the smallest things in our life to the glory of God. We must constantly be aware of the fact

that to live above sin you have to love God as He should be loved. If you want to live above sin you must love Him as He ought to be loved, glorify Him as He ought to be glorified. This means living a life of holiness. Holiness is separation from the things that displease God in

order that we might be separated unto God. We must esteem God as valued above all things and live in accordance with that estimation. We must grow and learn to do all things in such a way as to glorify God.

How foolish am I that I can be so quickly drawn away from my one great passion to do the will of God. Every time I am drawn away I find myself empty, wondering what should I be doing.

I have found that when I am nonchalant about the will of God I bring my own family into great danger. The best example that I've ever heard given to express this point was that when you are outside of the will of God you have done the equivalent of loading your family in a car with a trunk full of dynamite and heading the wrong way down the interstate at 90 miles per hour. We must strive every day to be in the center of God’s will. My brothers, please consider—it is a terrifying thing to be responsible for a daughter of God and her children.

We live in a world of darkness, death, and evil. We are not like most men who are only called to the natural. We were made to fight for righteousness. We were made to strive for the high calling. We were made to conquer the evil that dwells within the heart. We were made to give ourselves for something that is eternal. We were not called to

ourselves to the trifling concerns of this world; we were called to advance a kingdom and restore the church. We should live with a passion to fight for this cause and our God. It often occurs to me that because of the ease and comfort of the age we live in, we work so

hard at hiding the fact that we are at war.

Adam was given the task to subdue and bring everything into blending and harmony with God’s will. Even as Adam, we as men of God, are to do the same. We were made to work and fight for him. Mathew 28:18-20 says, And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the

world. Amen. The kingdom of heaven is built not through comfort but bygoing out and fighting for it. Rise up, oh men of God; stand and fight! While fighting, be sure you know that it's going to cost you everything. The true man of God is called to death of self, and to the love to God and his fellow man. He should have a passion for the honor of God, a passion for the kingdom of God, and the doing of the will of God. You might ask, How do I change? How do I become a man of God? You must strive. Romans 8:29 says that God’s purpose is for you to be conformed to the image of His Son. This is God’s plan for you. To become a man of God we must direct all of our endeavors to becoming like Jesus. Here's a question to ask yourself. Could your wife say that you are trying to be like Jesus? Wives, could your husband say that you are following

him into the will of God? The most important trait in a man is not giftedness, but Christ likeness. Sometimes I feel like standing up and screaming ... Enough! I already have more truth than I'm able to obey!

I want to change. I want to be made in his likeness.To do this I must practice self-domination. It's extreme. It's deliberate. It's demanding. II Corinthians 10:5 tells us to bring every thought into captivity. The apostle Paul is definitely extreme. The deepest expression of who

you are is your thoughts. Is my heart, is my mind, are my eyes, are my ears, all slaves to God? If you truly seek God’s will He will never mislead you, but when you follow your own ways you will always be misled.

We must exercise Godliness. I Timothy 4:7,8 says, But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is

to come. Discipline yourself toward Godliness. Could your children testify that their father disciplined himself towards Godliness? If you neglect the discipline of walking with God you will find yourself empty, and then inevitably to not being Christ like. We should want to

be known as someone focused on the things of God. We are all slaves to our body. We must fight to make it our slave lest we be disqualified. This passage scares me. I Cor 9:26-27 says, I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. I look back on my life and see so much aimless running. Is this real to you? These are directions for your life, without which you will not see

the kingdom of heaven.

The basic means of bringing ourselves into submission:

1. Avoiding evil influences.

2. Protecting our eyes.

3. Avoiding evil men

4. Being Innocent

5. Renewing of the mind. (Getting the truths of the word of God firmlyplanted in your mind.)

6. Prayer (communion with God, not intersession)

7. The Holy Ghost power dealing in your life.

8. Do not grieve God.

9. Fellowshipping only with the Godly.

Our responsibility to our wife:

How you treat your spouse can affect your relationship with God. I Peter 3:7 says, Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as beingheirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered. Ephesians 5:23 makes it clear that husbands have a clear responsibility directly linked to insuring the salvation of their wives. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. I must point out that the wife is responsible to be submitted to the husband and this is directly related to their holiness and trust in God. 1 Peter

3:5 says, For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands. Backing up one verse, in verse 4 we see that a meek and quiet spirit is counted of great price to God.

Men, we must lead our homes in righteousness and holiness if we desire to see Him some day.

IT WILL NOT BE EASY

2010-12-07T20:06:00.004-05:00

By Shawn Dyal

Trouble exists. It is. Problems are a fact of life. We will always have trouble. It began in Eden. It comes with the territory. All our experiences tell us that. History verifies it. Murphy's Law legalizes it. And the Word of God confirms it, "Man that is born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble;" also, Job 5:7 "Yet man is born unto trouble as the sparks fly upward." No one said that it was going to be easy.

God condemned Adam to a life of toil and sweat, of thorns and thistles. This is our lot; and the Christian life will involve even more problems than those common to all. You can count on it.

So then, problems are just part of life... we are not being picked on! We are all in the same boat; we all live in the same world. Anyone is subject to having a flat tire or a headache. God is no respecter of persons; for, "God maketh His rain to fall on the just and the unjust alike." His natural laws are impartial. Solomon said, "Time and chance happeneth to them all."

If you go out the window on the 44th floor, you are going to splatter just as hard whether you are rich or poor, old or young, black or white, male or female, smart or dumb, saint or sinner; and the result is the same whether you were pushed, or stumbled, or jumped. However, when disaster strikes, we gain little comfort from the knowledge that we are not being singled out...that it could have easily happened to someone else.

Actually, life would be rather boring without problems. No one would buy a puzzle book if all the puzzles were already solved. It is effort against resistance that builds our strength. Ask any sports trainer..."No pain, no gain." Without a struggle there can be no victory! However, we all still dream of a carefree life. We often think we would enjoy a life with no problems, peaceful and secure; with no toil, no taxes, no rent, no meals to fix, no utilities to pay, no eviction notices, no car payments to worry about, no lawn to mow, no arguments with the spouse, no medical bills, etc. That kind of life is available, of course.. it is called prison! When we think about it like that, we soon decide that a few troubles might be acceptable... but very few.

Thus, trouble is the norm and besets ordinary people. It is, however, the problems, trials, troubles, afflictions, oppressions, and persecutions above and beyond the ordinary that identify the true Christian. It is the Christian trademark. Make no mistake, every real Christian will be persecuted. Jesus said, "You shall be hated by all men for my name's sake." The true Christian will have the animosity of the entire secular world, plus the religious people... and this is in addition to his standard quota of inherent human trouble.

The Bible tells us to, "Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you." We can expect it. Peter said, "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you as though some strange thing happened to you." This conflict with the world and its leadership is a fact; it is absolutely going to happen. We can depend on it. Therefore, it becomes the acid test of our faith. If our Christianity is real, we will face trials that are real... painfully real.

You have probably heard the question, "Why do bad things happen to good people?" Quite simply, because as Jesus said "there are none good no not one" people are basically evil. We are in a war; a very dirty war. Our sinful nature is the enemy. And it is a very, very, formidable foe... cunning, crafty, resourceful, resilient, determined, and absolutely vicious. The flesh abides by no rules. It is like rust... never sleeps. In short, it is mean, powerful, sneaky, horribly vicious... and doesn't fight fair.

We, however, as Christians must fight the good fight of faith and persevere, or we will surely lose our individual battles. He that overcomes shall be saved. How goes the battle?

Are you oppressed and persecuted? If not... better check it out. Have your friends turned their backs on you? Has your family deserted you? If not... better check it out. Have you been cheated, lied about, and stolen from? Are you sick, sad, lonely, broke, or depressed? If not, better check it out. Do most people consider you strange, weird, "different," or extreme? Do more and more people, especially "church people," point an accusing finger at you? Are you constantly being told how "bad" you are; how God is obviously judging you for some unconfessed sin? If not... better check it out. Have any rich men dragged you into court lately? Do you still have a burden for the lost? Do you still get an excited tingle at the opportunity to witness? No? You need to check on it. Your fire could be dying. Any embers left?

Remember, if you are getting along just fine in this present world system... it is simply because the world does not consider you to be an enemy. If you pose no threat to their ways or purposes, they will surely leave you alone. James tells us that "friendship with this world is enmity against God." We cannot serve two masters. But we can be victorious. We can be "more than conquerors through Him that loved us." However, no one said it was going to be easy.

What we are talking about is the epic struggle of the true Christian against evil in its every form. The Bible has a tremendous number of scriptures pertaining to this conflict, but a very high percentage of those proclaiming a desire for perfection do not even have a clue. Since their commitment is to religion rather than to the Almighty... then they are not involved anyway. The Word is specific; "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivereth him out of them all." Our struggle is not in vain; we have powerful help. We have access to the Holy Ghost, which is essential to our survival.

Paul tells us that, "We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed." Jesus says that we are "blessed" when persecuted for righteousness sake; and that we should "Rejoice and be exceeding glad" when men revile us and slander us for His sake... for ours is the Kingdom of Heaven and great will be our reward.

We are encouraged to endure, to persevere, to occupy, to keep the faith, and to overcome.

It all sounds good, but how do we do it? Just how do we go about "fighting the good fight," or enduring, or overcoming? In fact, how can we just survive from day to day in this exhausting struggle? And the struggle is exhausting... very exhausting.

First of all, we must realize that we cannot successfully overcome our sinful natures in our own strength. We are absolutely no match for this enemy. We have no chance if we try to fight this by ourselves. We are born to be servants of our insecurity, doubt, fear, envy, pride, greed, jealousy, selfishness, laziness, lying, lust, appetite, and all the other aspects of our sinful human nature. As long as we live in this body of flesh, we are subject to all the weaknesses of the flesh. On our own, these things would overwhelm us in no time.

Actually, many Christians pose such a minor challenge to the world that using no other weapons than "public opinion," half-truths, logical lies, confusion, and the ever powerful, "popular acceptance"... they can reduce most to doubting, denying, depressed, discouraged, defeated globs of despair. We must have help in our struggle or we are lost. Those folks who are striving to defeat the downward pull of their human nature and this evil and wicked world in their own strength are doomed. They are deceiving themselves and denying the Word of God. So, what must we do? We must utilize the help of the Spirit of God the Word of God and the ministry of God.

Remember what the Bible said about the many afflictions of the righteous? It said, "The Lord delivereth him out of them all." Notice that it said all...not some, but all! And how is that we become more than conquerors?

Through Him that loved us... that is how! There is one that sticks closer than a brother; that will never leave us nor forsake us. This is the one who can save us; who holds us in the palm of His hand... so that no man can pluck us out. We, however, having free will, can leave or forsake Him. But, if we deny Him, He will deny us. Therefore, it is up to us.

Do we choose life or death? The world or the Savior? Popularity or Paradise?

We must all face the fire... the refining fire of this life. In the final analysis, all we can do... or need to do... is to keep the faith. Faith is the key. We must trust our Savior completely and cast our cares upon Him... this is the only way. Absolutely nothing else will work.

It is important to remember that we have been given freedom of choice... and God will not violate this freedom. God will not save us against our will! As long as we stubbornly cling to our problems and cultivate our self-pity; God can, and will, do nothing to help us. We must let go of every vestige of self, and come to Him as a little child; helpless, needy, and completely trusting... then He will deliver us. We must empty ourselves to be able to receive God's blessing.

If our mind is full of doubts and fears and guilt; if it is packed with condemnation, accusations, and bitterness; if it overflows with worry, strivings, and failure... then we have no capacity for the good things of God. Thus, we have no room at our inn. Until we are purged of self, the Spirit of God has no place to reside.

It takes empty hands to accept God's promises.

We know, therefore, that two things are necessary in order to live a victorious life... complete faith in God and total denial of self. And these things are very closely related; it is extremely difficult to have one without the other. How can we totally trust God as long as we trust in our own abilities and cling to this world? You will never learn to swim as long as you maintain a tight grip on the edge of the pool. But without faith, it is hard to let go. Faith is the essential element.

We must have faith. We are told that, "Without faith it is impossible to please Him." By grace are we saved. How? Through faith. David said, "Let all those who put their trust in Thee rejoice, let them shout for joy, because Thou defendest them." We know that the just shall live by faith, and that all things are possible to him that believeth. The shield of faith will quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And we learn in Proverbs that, "Whoso puts his trust in the Lord shall be safe." John tells us that, "Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world, and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." Paul told the Corinthians, "For by faith ye stand."

How tall are we standing?

With faith we can move mountains. Without faith, even all our prayers are in vain. And where does this faith come from? We are told that Jesus Christ is the Author and Finisher of our faith. These, then, are the contestants; the principals of our struggle. We are the soldiers in this war.

Are we faithful or confused?

We are caught in the middle of a conflict between good and evil; between God and this world; between faith and self... and we cannot be neutral. Lukewarm will not work. There are no conscientious objectors in this fray. Friendship with the world is enmity toward God. Jesus said, "He who is not with me is against me." These are simple scriptural truths that tradition, religion, apathy, and this world's logic have managed to make rather hazy to most

Every desirable thing in life (even life, itself) has a single source. We are plainly told that every good and perfect gift comes down from above, directly from the Father of Lights.

So, do you see how it works? Stuff happens. But bad stuff is definitely going to happen to God's people. In fact, you could probably write a mathematical formula to the effect that the volume of bad stuff increases in direct proportion to one's nearness to God. However, once we are right by God's side, and can stand under His sheltering wing; we have gained refuge from self forever!

We are in a vicious, deadly battle, with eternal consequences. Our souls are at risk. But we have a Friend, an Ally, a Savior, a Defender, and Advocate. We can win or, we can concede.

The decision is ours.

BE ENCOURAGED AND PRAY

2010-12-04T15:10:00.016-05:00

By Shawn Dyal

As most of you know I have been struggling with severe back problems for the past year and a half, I have gone through two failed spinal surgeries and am now in discussions with the surgeons about the third attempt. I have been confined to the bed for most of the past nine months with a few short reprieves before things deteriorated once again to the point that I was forced flat of my back. I sincerely appreciate all of the prayers, concern and get well cards from the people of God all across this country. God has placed me in the Body of Christ with a group of people that truly love me and for this I am inexpressibly grateful.

This group of people I have been placed with, then in turn cast my lot with, is not the only thing God is doing in this earth today, but we have been given a special and unique mission that does set us apart from the rest of religion, and I want to pledge myself in my entirety to this mission.

I must with some shame admit that I, of recent, have allowed myself to give in to a bit of mental depression due to all of the circumstances that are spiraling out of control due to my physical condition. A good friend of mine gave me some help with my mental state, and the following is a combination of his counsel and my thoughts I hope and pray it helps others as much as it has helped me.

A man that has a love of money will invest in his wealth. A teenager that loves his car will invest in his car. A woman that loves her garden will invest in her garden. I find that what a person really loves, that is what they invest in.

Matthew and Luke both stated this: " where your treasure is, there will your heart be also".

In other words, what you love and desire, that is where you invest your time, energy, and substance. I also find that the more a person invests in what they hold precious, the more it controls and consumes them.

If a man loves his business, it is easy to be controlled by it. If I love my family, I will find myself dwelling on how I can benefit them. What a man loves, he will nurture, caress, admonish, encourage and establish. But in so doing, it will nurture, caress, admonish and encourage him in return.

If the three powers of God which is the word, spirit and ministry are truly our most valuable assets, we must encourage them to fulfill the course they need to take in our lives and the lives of others. We will find solace in this.

I am a man that has been given much, in return there is a lot required of me. I have a lot to give in return .Although I at times feel myself undeserving I have garnered a certain amount of respect in the body of Christ.

We have a ministry that has been criticised much; because of this I know they need a lot of encouragement now in the good but admittedly hard and tough decisions and judgments they are making. I have been handed control of what is arguably the most powerful media outlet being viewed by the members of this body of people and here I am stuck flat on my back....? OH the encouragement I could be to the ministry and people of God.

A man can invest only the portion he is in possession of. But if he does not invest that portion to it's fullest, the increase will be stunted.

Ecclesiastes 9:10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest. Mat 20:6 And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?

The emphasis is not on "why stand ye here" but it is on idle. I'm considering is this my God given mission? If so I am obliged to stay focused. Encourage and be encouraged by the ministry, word and spirit. Be controlled and consumed by them. God has placed me in a position to do it. Please pray for me that I can stand fast and be found faithful in the work that God has for me.

A scripture that I have found encouraging lately is Psalms 119:165 Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them. I am daily thanking God for the love and peace he has constantly showered on me and I am striving daily to learn and love his law. We serve an awesome God!

CALLED A CULT

2010-12-03T16:50:00.005-05:00

The first time someone called the church that I love a cult I was shocked, appalled, and angry. The idea that someone would, by that one word, associate this peoples determination toward holiness with such evil and sinister things such as the (Jim Jones Peoples Temple) or (David Koresh and his Branch Davidian movement) along with all the ugly and terrible events associated with them was just unacceptable in my mind. There is a lot to be conveyed in a word when it is used by association. The describing of us by the use of the word cult, or sect if you wish, is probably not inappropriate when used to describe us if not used in negative association and is used by proper dictionary definition. We are not in agreement with mainstream or orthodox religion, we are disengaged from the attitudes, amoral philosophies, vulgar behaviors, and we (hopefully) are totally disengaged from the affairs of this world. It is our intention to neither love nor be a friend to this world. We are in the world, but we are not of the world, Second Peter 2:20, James4:4, First John 2:15, John 15:18-19. We are Pilgrims here, we are just passing through and only ask, "let us pass in peace". We love holiness which demands that we be separated from this world and all that is in it, First John 2:16-19.

OUR SUSTAINABLE HOPE

2010-11-21T09:37:00.005-05:00

posted by Shawn Dyal

Last night, Saturday 11/20/2010, while preaching my father enjoined two words in a term that I had never before heard him, or anyone else, use exactly and contextually as he used it. He referenced his vision as being his sustainable hope. Through troubles, toil, disappointment, sorrow, pain, affliction, and persecution he said what keeps him focused and going is the vision God gave him so many years ago. It is that vision of the resurrection of the dead, and his opportunity to be a part of those who will be in the first resurrection, that constitutes his sustainable hope.

I began to contemplate that the news media is constantly reporting and editorializing about our need for sustainable energy telling us that there is not enough oil under the ground to support a continuation of the levels of consumption that we maintain. I confess that the Gulf oil spill where millions of barrels of crude leaked into the sea in just a few short days causes me to question this theory but that's another subject. The thought that the hope we have of a Resurrection that Jesus through his birth, life as a man even as you and I, death, burial, resurrection and then promise of a comforter that would abide with us forever. A hope of life everlasting as an heir and joint heir to the very throne of glory. This is a hope that will sustain us through the good times and the bad times this is a hope that will set me free indeed. Not free to fulfill the lust of the flesh but free to be like Jesus. to be made one with him. Free to overcome my sinful beastly nature and take on the nature of Christ. This is the hope of which the apostle Paul speaks about in Philippians 3:10-14 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Paul had a hope that sustained him even though he confessed that he wasn't there yet he was confident and resolute in his pursuit of the goal. Here is a sustaining hope that will never fail me. This great hope will keep me when the shout and feelings of euphoria fail me!

NO COMPROMISE WITH THIS WORLD

2010-11-06T14:13:00.006-04:00

Posted by Shawn Dyal
Didn't the Lord warn us that those who bore no fruit would be "taken away", and those who bore fruit would be pruned so they would bear even more fruit (John 15:1-2)? Do we truly understand this principle? How many times does God draw near with intent to prune us, and we run for our spiritual warfare manual, asking God Why me? Or, put another way, how many times does the Lord draw us to the cross, and we desperately look around for another route? After all, everyone knows that "Jesus did it all" for us, don't they? Don't we just need to believe, receive and sigh with relief!
The message of the cross to the world is salvation, healing, and deliverance. However, the cross carries a further message for those of us who have already believed on the Blood of Christ and entered the kingdom. That message is "no compromise with the world" and it is achieved through the power of God (1 Cor. 1:18) For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is, "the power of God UNTO SALVATION". Tragically, some churches have for the most part traded that very clear message for the more attractive comfort and apparent security the world offers. Even more tragically, the world looks at these "contemporary" churches and they see - the world.

URGENT MATTERS

2010-11-06T11:24:00.005-04:00

As I make my way toward Tyler, Texas I am filled with certain anxieties about this meeting of the Brotherhood. There are so many issues of concern within the Body of Christ, and with the host Pastor, and Assembly still in recovery from an unspeakable tragedy I wonder just how we are going to be able to address and conclude some very urgent matters. What, with some men defying judgement and making mock of ministerial order, I feel that we have to address the issue of defiance or disavow any future authority of judgement. If we are to be no more than a loose knit fellowship with no defining order, standards, and doctrines, without judgement, or respect of judgement, I ask this; WHY BOTHER?

Pernicious doctrines are invading us. Particularly I bring to focus the teaching that we are in no way responsible for our continuing salvation, or if you will, Greasy Grace. Men who should know better are turning the grace of God into lasciviousness, Jude 1:1-4. These men appear to have lost their vision and are casting away restraints, Proverbs 29:18. For further thoughts on this issue consider the thoughts given by my son, Shawn, in the article below.

ARE STANDARDS NECESSARY?

2010-11-01T22:18:00.014-04:00

By Shawn Dyal

Having been raised in the Body of Christ from the age of 4 years old, I have witnessed the ebb and flow of the customs, traditions, and standards that have been held by some, and discarded by others. It seems in the past few years we, as a group of people, have been forced into examining, and re-examining, our beliefs, values, and convictions concerning this subject. I want to go on record with this post acknowledging publicly that I believe in Holiness, not just as a vague concept or a simple moral code of ethics, but as a defined prescription of how to live every aspect of my life while on this earth. My innermost thoughts and desires, as well as my outward expressions of those things define who and what I am. Furthermore, I want to declare that I believe that the Bible clearly teaches us the principles and methods to achieve a state of holiness. The definition of holiness is to be sanctified or set apart. In Leviticus 11:44 & 45 God tells the Israelites be ye holy for I am holy, then in the New Testament Peter quotes this same passage from Leviticus in 1 Peter1:17 saying, for it is written be ye holy for I am holy. Holiness is extremely important, so important in fact, that Paul in Hebrews 12:14 says, Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.

The sign that my relationship with God has changed is directly proportional to the changes in my relationship with this world. My relationship with Jesus is of such portent to me that I want to constantly and publicly proclaim that I am striving to align my life with him. I want to look like, walk like, talk like, act like, and eventually be like him. The things that define me are those to which I give my time, energy, emotions, and strength. When someone begins to lose their focus on God it is always attributed to the influences they have allowed this world to have on their mind. The dress standards that this Body has long held as the example of what a faithful follower of this order should look like are both a statement of identity and a declaration of unity. I believe that this group of people that God has placed me in has been called and chosen by him to do a special work during this season in history. The ministry that he is qualifying and proving is learning to follow and walk in his will and in his way. I choose to take a stand for holiness, righteousness, and obedience by following God's chosen people and living a life separated from this world and its temporary pleasures, and by keeping my mind focused on him. There seems to be self-ordained critics of the ministry of the Body of Christ popping up everywhere questioning, criticizing, and complaining about rules, traditions, customs, and doctrines. We are living in the information age, there is more instant access to opinions, information, entertainment, and social programming than ever before in the recorded history of mankind. The world’s philosophies are bombarding us from every direction, and without help from above we are in danger of being swamped and swallowed by the tidal wave of worldly thoughts, philosophies, and pleasures.

Under the law, holiness was strictly defined by laws and commandments that were given by God for his chosen people. These directives were what sanctified or set them apart from all of the other people that inhabited that region of the world. The strict adherence to the law determined whether or not you were Holy. We are no longer under the Levitical law but are bound to God under a new covenant. Yet the Old Testament commandments from God are still in effect and are required of us if we are to see him. Rev 22:14 says, Blessed are they that do his commandments that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

We hear so often that it's only by grace that we are saved and there are no works required of us. As it says in Titus 2:14, we must be zealous of good works. I do believe in grace as a gift freely given; grace is the Holy Ghost, which is the spirit of God dwelling in us, giving us the power to overcome this sin nature that was given us at birth. The apostle Paul made it abundantly clear that there is still a dying to self that is required under grace. Romans 8:13, For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. Exactly as we are seeing today, people were troubled also during the era of the early church. They experienced men teaching the grace message and using it as an excuse to live an unholy and self-gratifying life. Jude 1:4, For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. (Lasciviousness is a big word that simply means lustfulness or lewdness.)

We are being told that it’s not the job of the ministry to legislate standards of dress, but we have record of the ministry of the early church dealing with dress and apparel. One such example is found in 1 Timothy 2:9-10, In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; 10 But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works. Another example of the ministry dealing with what should or should not be worn can be found in 1 Peter 3:3, Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel. I understand we are living in the 21st century, and it would be ludicrous to expect us to go back to the robes and sandals that were the style of dress in the days of the early church. God has always used men to lead his people and I see no proof of change from that method of dealing with his people. I will follow the ministry, this multitude of counsel that God has given us for our safety.

In Galatians 5:20, emulations is named as one of the works of the flesh. Emulation is synonymous with imitation, the point of this being named alongside the other works of the flesh such as idolatry, adultery, fornication, and witchcraft (just to name a few of the evil things mentioned) is that imitating the world is equivalent to all of the other terrible sins listed with it. Again, I don't want to look like, talk like, dress like, act like, or be anything like the world. I want my identity to be instantly recognizable as a follower of Christ.

The standards we hold are a trademark that stamp us with a declaration of conformity and obedience. We are, or at least we should be, striving to lose our identity and identifying with our brothers and sisters as we all strive together to identify with Christ.

COMPLETE, FINISHED, LIKE HIM

2010-10-30T14:32:00.003-04:00

Posted by Shawn Dyal

For all practical applications, the basis of the concept of a finished work is derived from the completion of Jesus' ministry, when he freely gave His life for the sins of the world.

John 19:30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. There is no disputing the absolute completion of Christ's work. There was nothing left undone. His work is finished. He is seated at the right hand of the Father.

Where some of Christianity have made a quantum leap of presumption, is in applying Christ's finished work to themselves. The redemptive work of our Lord, does not in any way, shape or form, absolve us of our responsibility to "follow HIM." Throughout the four gospels, Jesus repeatedly states what is required. He clearly enunciates exactly what will make us accepted, and what will cause us to be rejected. Our names can be written into the Lamb's Book of Life, they can also be blotted out again. Our choices determine our condition. We must willfully choose to believe God. We must daily choose to walk in obedience. We determine just how much of our flesh we will die out to; how much of this world we will still cling to; whether or not we will press in all the way...or not.

There is no easy, painless, cost-free express on which to hitch a ride. Because Jesus paid the price, does not mean that we get a free pass. He is our example. It is His footsteps that we are to walk in. We will generally concede that this was the case for the Apostle's and Prophets of old. We read of the things they suffered as a result of believing and following Christ. We accept that they suffered, but how many of us apply the same requirement to our own walk?

Hebrews 12 is a good place to start:

Verse 1 - Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. Do we recognize that we are called by God to lay aside every weight? Every sin? That we are called to run with patience the race that is set before us? Hebrews 12:2-4 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.

Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith. We are to do as He did, enduring our own cross, despising the shame. How much consideration have we given our own calling? Have we thought beyond the aspect of appearances? Beyond the goose-bumps and tingles, the admiration of others, the power and the glory? According to this writers rendition, we can expect contention and strife. We are charged to guard against becoming wearied, tiring, becoming relaxed in our thinking and attitudes. We are to struggle against sin, in our own lives first, and in the world at large, to the point of the shedding of blood. How many of us have the notion that it is not necessary for us to get that radical about our salvation? After all, haven't we been taught that God is love? So what's this all about?

Hebrews 12:5-8 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.

Remember this, as you read the Bible, that these words are written to the Church, to the called out ones, to the believers down through the ages; not to the ungodly. We can no longer afford the luxury of applying the parts of the Word that make us uncomfortable or that we find unpleasant to "the other guy." We can no longer afford to overlook, ignore, or dismiss as "for another time" things that we don't want to incorporate into our own walk. Another way of saying 'Despise not the chastening of the Lord' might be, "to show little regard for the education, training, and discipline of the Lord." If we are committed to following Christ, we can rest assured that we will make mistakes, we will be tested and tried, and we will experience the correction, albeit with love, of the LORD. If we do not, then we are, illegitimate imposters, and not sons at all.

Hebrews 12:9-11 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

God does not expect us to enjoy His correction and discipline, yet He promises that if we submit to the training we must receive, we will enjoy the fruits of it. We will experience the joy of being justified before God by the training we receive.

Hebrews 12:12-13 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.

We are charged here to lift up our hands which hang down, and our paralyzed knees. We are to make an honest, direct course of conduct for our feet. In order that we do not cause the limping, crippled souls Jesus died for to be pushed away, but rather be instrumental in their being cured and made whole.

Hebrews 12:14-16 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.

Do we really comprehend that without holiness, we will never see the LORD? From both the Old Testament and the New, God has commanded us...Leviticus 11:44-45 For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.

And 1Peter 1:15-16 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

We are charged to beware, to oversee ourselves, lest we fall short of the grace of God. The grace of God here is speaking of God's divine influence upon our hearts, and it's reflection in our lives, including gratitude, acceptance, joy, thanks, and graciousness. Lest, or God forbid, that any root of bitterness germinate or grow in our hearts, crowding in and thereby contaminating many. We must conform to God; God is not going to adjust His plan to accommodate our flesh, our wants, or our perspectives. (No where in the Bible does God even suggest that holiness is optional).

Hebrews 12:18-21 For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, and the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard entreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more: (For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart: And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:)

We cannot even imagine what the Israelites witnessed so long ago. Modern man has received such a polluted and watered down concept of Who God Is, that we have a hard time conceiving Holiness or the fear of the LORD. Every instance of individuals recorded for our benefit declare that when they are confronted by God's presence, they fall on their faces as though dead; they are fully aware of their total lack and weakness before their creator.

Hebrews 12:22-23 But ye are come unto mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,

Can we comprehend this? God, the Judge of all. Have we been guilty of glibly saying that our names are among those written in heaven, without understanding what that means? If we have, then do we also know that we must then meet the requirements of being counted among such a company? To stand among the spirits of just men made perfect, means that we are also: innocent and holy, having been made complete.

Hebrews 12:24-25 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:

Thank God, that we do have the shed blood of Jesus to cleanse us. That absolute work of grace which is the Holy Ghost We do have Jesus as our mediator before God. If we refuse, reject, and disdain Christ, there is no other remedy.

Hebrews 12:26-29 Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire.

Only what is of God will stand. Even now, the stage is being set for the consummation of all things. The entire world will be participants. Individually, each one of us must choose: what we will believe, who we will follow, and who we will serve.

Do we still believe that we can reject reverence and godly fear, and serve God acceptably? Are you still holding to the mindset that Jesus paid it all, I don't have to do anything? Does the admonition given in Philippians 2:12-13 have more significance for you? Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

Can we agree with Paul, "For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;" (Phi 1:29).

Even more importantly, are we willing to believe what Jesus said in John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. Only as we "Follow Christ," walking in His commandments, will we be conformed to His image. Romans 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Jesus finished the work He was sent to earth to accomplish. He made the way for us to follow HIM, giving us the Holy Ghost to enable us to do what is impossible in our own strength. Now it is our turn to finish the course. We have a once in a lifetime opportunity set before us. Will we join the ranks of those who have pressed in and believed God? 2Timothy 4:7-8 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

May we run our race in such a way that we too, may obtain the prize set before us....

Col 2:6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:

Col 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

Col 4:12 ... always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.

Phi 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

IT GOES AGAINST GOOD LOGIC

2010-10-30T12:09:00.001-04:00

To me It seems like a contridiction of faith and a conundrum against good logic for anyone confessing to be a Christian to think that any politician who considers Mohammedism, Buddaism, and all other religious orders equal with Christianity, and believes that human are no more than an evolved higher form of ape; then to know that this person has no compunction about abortion, and euthanasia, as being someone we can trust with our health care.

COUNTING THE COST

2010-10-28T18:28:00.010-04:00

By Shawn Dyal

"For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? “Luke 14:28.

There is something drastically wrong with any doctrine or teaching that encourages people that they do not have to change. Any teaching that proposes that God loves us just as we are and we can remain in the state we are in; that we will rule and reign with Christ when we die, go to heaven without ever dying to our flesh and living unto the Spirit of God while in this world, is a lying doctrine of devils.

Let's put a little perspective on "free." There is one reason why salvation is free, because only God could make a way for mankind to be brought back into right standing with Him. There is no amount of money that could purchase our redemption back to God. The earth is already the Lord's, and everything in it. There is no amount of material things that we could offer as payment. The only thing that we have to offer God is our heart, mind, love, and our obedience (our life). Jesus came into this world and lived as a man, subject to the exact same weaknesses and temptations that we face, yet He did not sin. He was the only sacrifice acceptable for all of mankind, and He willingly chose to lay down his life for our redemption.

Free does not, however, mean that we have no duties or responsibilities. God's requirements of man have not changed. From the beginning, God has set boundaries that are not to be crossed. As in any household, there are rules meant not to be broken. As early as the Garden of Eden, God set one stipulation within the paradise He made for man's enjoyment. "And the woman said unto the serpent, we may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die." That one tree was forbidden to man. We all know what happened when man disobeyed God and ate of the tree. Man was driven out of the garden and no longer had free access to God's presence. All of mankind fell because of the disobedience of one man. Cain committed the sin of offering an unacceptable sacrifice, and suffered the consequences of his rebellion and disobedience. We have hundreds of examples throughout the Bible of God's commandments to man, and the results of man's refusal to keep those commandments. Modern man is no different. We are no more exempt from keeping the commandments of God than Adam or Cain was.

Each progressive generation have imagined themselves to be more enlightened and advanced than the generation that preceded them. This is simply vanity and pride. Throughout God's Word we are told what the commandments of God are; we are told what the reward will be for keeping His commandments, and what the punishment for rebelling against them will be. And in each generation man thinks that somehow he is different than those who have gone before him. The same lessons must be individually learned in each life.

More often than ever before it seems we are hearing religious voices telling us that God doesn’t require us to follow any rules or commandments That he doesn’t have an annointed ministry to define and regulate any do’s and don’ts in our lives. They are quick to tell us that it is all in grace there is nothing required of us it was all paid by him. In Galatians 5 the Apostle Paul gives a long list of things that are not to be done and then in verse 21 he states they which do these things shall not inherit the kingdom of heaven. In 1 Corinthians 6:9 he again tells us that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of heaven. In Ephesians 2:10 we learn that we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus UNTO good works. I agree that it’s by grace that we are saved but not the grace that the religious voices of today are proclaiming. The grace that will give me the strength to pay the cost is the Holy Ghost. A question I must ask is this. If there is no cost why bother counting the cost?

The Lord exhorted and cautioned those he spoke to concerning obedience. In, Luke 14:26-33, Jesus made three cautionary statements regarding who can and who cannot be his disciple. "If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. For which of you intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?

It is important that we comprehend the importance of what Jesus is saying to us here. He is plainly telling us that we must give Him the preeminence in our lives. Loving Him and being obedient to all of His commandments to us, more than we love our family and friends, more than we love the things of this world. We must willingly take up our cross; we must allow the powers of God to do the purging work within our hearts that results in the death of self. When we come to Jesus, we must count the cost. There is no "free ride;" there is no other way to be a disciple of Christ. We cannot say we accept the salvation that Jesus offers us and then fail to follow him in obedience unto righteousness, Romans 6:16.

Jesus said, "If you love me, keep my commandments." (John 14:15 & John 15:10) Consider the lives of the Apostle's, the things that they accomplished by walking in obedience to the Lords commandments. God used them to deliver the Gospel of Christ to the people of the entire known world. They went where the Spirit directed them to go; they said what the Spirit directed them to say; they turned their world upside down; and they loved not their own lives to the point of death to self. They suffered torture and imprisonment, counting it a privilege to suffer for Christ. They did not go out into the world armed only with a casual acquaintance with Jesus; they went out with the full power and authority of God.

We are denying Jesus when we don't believe His Words. We are denying Jesus when we walk in disobedience, when we fail to keep His commandments. 1 John 2:3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.

As believers we need to consider the cost. Are we willing to comply with all that Jesus commanded us? Look at what Jesus said in Mathew 10:32-39 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it

We need to ask ourselves if we will follow Jesus, even if our family is against it? Will we follow Jesus and what the Spirit is showing us, even if it costs us everything? We should know that we will all be tested and tried, to see whether we will serve God or not. Not all of us will be required to be martyrs and die a physical death, but we are all required to die to self and live by the Spirit. There is no other way to follow Christ. May we all honestly examine our own hearts. I pray that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in your inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.

What a small price to pay my life for eternal life with him. As for me I have determined that I'll make that trade.

I WILL MANAGE THIS BLOG FOR A WHILE

2010-10-26T20:20:00.022-04:00

By Shawn Dyal

On October 8th my Father declared his intentions to take a hiatus from this blog; at that time he stated that he felt that the inspiration from God to continue this labor had left him. In that same blog post he explained his concerns and fears about writing uninspired and valueless words. Although I agree that uninspired and valueless words are best left unwritten I must confess that I have missed the regular sharing of thoughts, opinions and doctrines that I had grown accustomed to reading on this blog. My daily pattern was to begin each morning with a quick check to see if there was anything new that I could chew on and consider, and then I/d check again in the afternoon, just in case something popped up during the day. I miss the thrill of seeing a new post because it was to me somewhat comparable to opening a wrapped gift and discovering a new and exciting surprise inside. I am of course aware that some of the things that were posted were at times considered by some to be controversial, and there were some who even believed adversarial, but I know that the intentions and impetus behind the thoughts were and still are driven by a desire to build the Body of Christ, protect the treasures that God has given us as a people and promote a deeper and fuller understanding of the doctrine of Christ.

I am aware that the accusation arises that I am partial and biased, and that due to my familial relationship am disqualified as a fair commentator. I would have to reply that this is exactly the commodity that establishes and accredits me as being qualified to know the intentions, and heart behind the words. Many times I have heard his friends, acquaintances, critics, detractors, and even enemies express their admiration for how my brother and myself have supported and stood with our father our whole lives. I can explain why in two simple words, love and respect. The foundation of love originally stems from the family connection but the continuation and growth of this emotion is and has been from the beginning of my memory up to and including today based on a conscious effort and diligent perseverance on his part to express his love for us. In return I too have made a studious and conscious choice to return that love and affection with the same. To respect someone is to esteem or honor them. The respect I have for my father is not dependent on or caused by my love for him but rather is caused by, and dependent upon his strength of conviction, moral character and unswerving dedication to God and his people. I know he isn't a perfect man, and am sure he would be the first to tell you that he has faults, failures and shortcomings which plague him constantly, but I have watched him closely, and with admiration observed him stand true to his deep seated convictions even when it was inconvenient and painful. I cannot remember an instance during my lifetime that either of my parents compromised their principles, convictions or dedication to God It is for this reason that I respect both of them.

God has blessed me through the reading and sharing of this blog and I do not want to see it just go away. My intentions are to try to post once or twice a week as the Lord and life's circumstances permit. Perhaps from time to time I hope that I will be able to persuade my father to write something and maybe even eventually he will feel inspiration to post regularly again.

I do want to let everyone that has been praying for, and asking about me know that I greatly appreciate your prayer and concern. I am improving and feel confident that in time I will be all the way back to full speed. God has allowed me to go through this trial to work some things out of me, and into me. On March 15th of this year God gave me the opportunity to spend the next seven months laying on my back facing heaven and seeking his face. I started out begging for a healing of my body but at some point in my ordeal of His affliction realized that he was touching my mind. God allowed me to know through this process that he loves me enough to hold me down and keep me there until I am willing to say Whatever it takes. If it takes a lifetime of physical pain and debilitation to totally submit to his will I am willing. He has given me a mind to work, pray, study, and build his kingdom. I will always heed the words of the apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 4:16-17 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. My salvation is and must become even more important than my comfort.

2010-10-16T14:40:00.001-04:00

GO TO AMAZON.COM AND ENTER BY AUTHOR OR TITLE TO PURCHASE ALL THREE.

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2010-10-16T14:37:00.000-04:00

2010-10-16T14:26:00.001-04:00

BE SURE TO READ ALL THREE

BY INSPIRATION

2010-10-08T15:39:00.004-04:00

After almost two years of blogging I find myself exhausted with the writing of words. There is no end of things to either talk or write about, and I have come to realize that as the writer said in, Ecclesiastes 12:12, there is no end to the making of books, and a fools voice is known by his multitude of words, Ecclesiastes 5:2. I have never been one who was satisfied to just say something; but I rather have always wanted to have something to say. Without inspiration, conviction, and purpose there is no significant value in the speaking or writing of words. I do feel that after nearly forty years in the ministry that I have many worthwhile things to offer, but I also know that without inspiration from God my words will be of no more value than the words of any of many others who could ramble endlessly on inexhaustible subjects . Words that are fitly spoken, Proverbs 25:11, are beautiful things. They are like apples of gold, in pictures of silver. Words spoken out of season, and without inspiration or conviction of purpose, are not words fitly spoken.

I do appreciate all of those who read and enjoy the things I write and who have asked me to continue to do so. I would be rude and remiss in good manners and common respect if I disregarded your kind and respectful consideration. I however must confess that it seems the Lord has taken away my inspiration to continue laboring in this medium. I have, for several months now, repeatedly sat down to write something that would be of some significant value only to find myself lost for inspiration and in a quandary. I ask that those who would want me to continue in this effort to do two things; (1) Pray that the Lord will give me inspiration in the Spirit, and by subject to do so. (2) Contact me in the comment section of this blog and allow me to know if the writing of these articles are of value to you.

A LESSON LEARNED

2010-10-01T15:34:00.009-04:00

I recall as boy there were boys who were bullies. These boys would always single out the weak, innocent, naive, and vulnerable for abuse of every kind. At the age of twelve the State of Florida placed my brother, my sister, and I into an orphanage where the bullies reigned supreme. During the middle of the night of my arrival I was snatched out of bed, thrown against the wall, slugged in the stomach, then repeatedly slapped across the face by a particularly large and violent boy of sixteen who allowed me to know that it was he, and not the (Home) overseers who really was in charge. I soon learned that what he said was true. The next several months was hell on earth as I was the object of ridicule,and abuse by all. One day, a day I'll never forget, things got worse, a little boy from another dormitory came running up to me to let me know that the brother of the boy who had brutally welcomed me to the (Home) on the night of my arrival now had my younger brother on the ground, and was sitting on his chest while beating him in the face. Running to find them with the intent of helping my brother I arrived at the scene to find my brother curled up in the grass, bloody, and crying. His assailant was nowhere in sight. Enraged I started screaming for the boy who had assaulted my brother to come out and fight me. Standing at the foot of an outside staircase I shouted his name until he finally sailed out the screen doorway landing on top of me; then doing exactly to me as he had done my brother. Now gripped by fear I, for the following year lived in cringing terror as abuse upon abuse continued.

It was on a cold Sunday morning that while at the breakfast table this same boy decided, as he so often did, to reach across the table and take the bacon off my plate while laughing at my cowardice. Something snapped and before I knew what I was doing I stabbed his hand with my fork, turned the table over on him, sat on his chest, and commenced to pound him in the face, all to the joy and encouragement of the crowd of boys who gathered around us shouting encouragement to me. To my amazement the supervisor of the Home was also standing above us, with his ever present half chewed cigar in his mouth, and a wide grin on his face, shouting hit him again Paul, hit him again! I did, again and again, releasing all the pent up fury and shame of a year of disgrace.

Do I think this action was ideal? No but it was necessary. The beastly nature of man without God is to use and abuse, and once tasting blood they are never satisfied. I learned that day that a coward dies thousands of deaths while those with courage only have to die once. From that day until the day I left at sixteen I never again had to fight, cringe in fear, or walk in shame. It was soon after that that I was converted and fell in love with Christ and His Word.

I despise violence, abuse, cruelty, and lies and pray continuously that God will deliver me from evil, but I however also pray that God will give me the courage to face the adversaries of righteousness boldly, whether they be physical or spiritual. I refuse to be bullied. I want to die daily, not for the glory of evil, but for the glory of God. Not in fear and shame, but in love and confidence. If afflicted or persecuted, I want it to be for righteousness sake, not my, nor another's, folly's sake.

THE RENEWING OF OUR MINDS

2010-09-26T13:07:00.005-04:00

Contributed by Shawn Dyal

Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

We are all too familiar with conforming to this world. From childhood on we are taught how to get along with our peers, how to climb the ladder of success, what is expected of us in the society in which we live. As believers we must learn an entirely new set of criteria, based on faith and believing in Jesus Christ. We can be transformed. We can have our minds (thinking) renewed. We can prove to ourselves and know with assurance what the acceptable, perfect will of God in our lives is.

This transformation is an ongoing process. We must learn to hear the voice of God, and then be obedient to what we hear. At the same time we must put down our flesh, and die to our own carnal reasoning, wants and desires. This is a spiritual process, and can only be accomplished as we submit to God. We cannot bring any transformation about by our own strenuous efforts; it is all the work of God, by the power of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes it is easier to comply when we have a little better understanding of what the process involves. This process happens within our hearts, and is then manifest outwardly. It is brought about as we submit to the spirit, word and ministry of God.

The beginning of our transformation (from a self centered individual to a God centered individual) is grounded in our love for God. Man's focus has long been centered on God's love for us; what we can get from God. It is important for us to reciprocate God's love, by loving Him in return. As we focus more and more on how we can love God; we will draw ever closer to Him in an ever increasingly deeper relationship. The simplicity of this is that all we have to do is love and obey. Not putting our trust in man or material things, but resting in a personal knowledge of God's love. The more real God becomes to us, the easier it is to obey. The things of the Spirit will become more of a reality in our lives than this physical world we live in. Ephesians 4:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. This is what we are saved for!
If we will seek to know God with all our heart, we will know the truth and we will be set free. So the choice lies with each one of us. Do we love God, or are we only willing to believe that God loves us? Do we want to continue conforming to this world, or do we want to be transformed into the image of Christ?

John 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

Romans 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

John 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

John 20:22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost.

We must understand that our flesh is always going to be at enmity against our spirit. Our flesh is the avenue by which we are attacked. Just as Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, the avenue of attack is always through the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life. When our flesh is in submission to our spirit, there is no avenue of attack. Notice what Jesus did when he appeared to the disciples after his resurrection.

He breathed on them (imparted Spirit unto them). God is a Spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and in truth. The only way we can commune with God is by our Spirit. Our body will return to dust but if we are made perfect our spirit can live for eternity. The Words that Jesus spoke are Spirit and they are Life. As we accept, absorb and believe all that Jesus said, His life is imparted into us. God said in 1 Samuel "obedience is better than sacrifice." Jesus said, "Those that love me will keep my commandments." Obedience is a form of worship. May we not be guilty of the same thing that Cain did, offering an unacceptable sacrifice. May we be fully aware of what Paul meant in Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. We become a living sacrifice as we walk in the Spirit rather than from our flesh. We become transformed, as we believe the Words that Jesus said above the clamor of our reasoning mind.

Many begin this journey only to quit when they encounter opposition. We must accept that we are called to follow the example set by our Lord. Hebrews 2:10 For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. We too must suffer many things if we would come to spiritual perfection. 1 Peter 5:10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle you. If we would try to preserve our flesh; to avoid any kind of suffering; we will never be changed. Suffering brings perfection. As Peter stated above, as we endure whatever suffering has been appointed for us to experience, we will come through stronger, securely established in the knowledge of God.

THE DEVIL AND HIS ANGELS

2010-09-24T18:43:00.005-04:00

In, Matthew 25:41 we learn that there is an everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his angels. Those who believe in a literal entity, (rebellious and fallen heavenly angel) as being the devil, but do not believe in everlasting fire as being a literal fire, I ask; How do you reconcile this statement?

To be fair and open I confess to seeing the devil here as being Caiaphas the High Priest, and his angels as being the officiating Sanhedrin and the other leaders of Israel. The everlasting fire was the eternal judgement of the wrath of God executed by the heathen Roman Army from 66-70 A.D., which Paul said in, First Thessalonians 2:14-16, was the wrath of God which was to come unto them to the uttermost. Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, Jude 1:6-8, suffered the vengeance of eternal fire so did those filthy dreamers who were reserved in everlasting chains of darkness, Romans 11:5-8. They were held in the captivity of blindness until the time of judgement. If they had known who he was they wouldn't have crucified him, First Corinthians 2:7-8.

OUR VISION

2010-09-22T15:19:00.003-04:00

Contributed by Shawn Dyal

Proverbs 29:18 Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.
The area where the biggest battleground lies. Is not "out there" somewhere, but right within our own earthen vessels. Jesus repeatedly charges us to follow him, to walk after the example he set, to keep all of his commandments. He repeatedly warned and admonished that in this world we will suffer persecution, we will be hated for his name's sake, but then exhorts that he has overcome the world. Our overcoming is not achieved only by study, by memorization, or by following formulas. We will only overcome as we daily crucify our flesh and learn to give the Holy Ghost that dwells within pre-eminence in all things. We are called to walk, not after the flesh but after the Spirit.
For centuries the focus of Christian religion has been on Satan. People are more in fear of the devil than they are in possession of a reverential fear of the Lord. What they are totally failing to comprehend is the awesome, greatness of God. What we don't realize is that evil can only overtake a believer as long as there is an area in the believer's life that has not yet been brought into subjection to God. Any area where our intellect or will or emotions are still in control, where we are not surrendered to the will of God but think we can handle this area ourselves - that is where the enemy of our souls finds a target. Self is the weak spot in the armor. Once we have put the carnal man within down, and given the Spirit control in every area of our life, the enemy has no more avenue by which to attack us. Christ is living in and through us, and the devil must flee. (This is true however you may believe the Devil subject)
We are surrounded with knowledgeable men, who have everything all figured out, and self-proclaimed prophets prophesying out of their own imaginations. The Bible says 'the people love to have it so.' What is the vision of the Church today; more specifically, what are our individual expectations? What are we looking forward to, what do we anticipate that God is going to do? Despite the multitude of seers promising that God only wants to bless you, that God is only looking for charity and we will never be held accountable, many people still have a nagging little fear, "What if they are wrong?" We have all kinds of visions today. For the most part they are carnal. We should understand that not everything is of God, simply because it is talking about God. Everyone is using the same lingo. We all have the same limiting words (vocabulary) to express our visions with. What is having a vision? In the opening verse vision is: to see or have mental sight, that is a dream, a revelation, an oracle. We have many with great visions of grandeur, of building great churches. How many of us are in possession of the vision of God? (as defined biblically) Since God's perspective is the only one that matters, why aren't we seeking to see as God sees? All of our visions are little more than shadowy wisps of smoke, they have no real spiritual substance or value if they are not in absolute alignment with the will and purposes of God. We can know the will and purposes of God if we are walking in the vital, living, relationship with Him that we have been called to walk in. Man is supremely adept at proclaiming what God wants or doesn't want. Do we realize that we can do nothing of ourselves to promote the Kingdom of God in this world? If we are caught up in doing great works using the name of Jesus Christ, then we need to know we will be called to give an accounting of all that we have said and done using his name.
What does it mean to perish? We see that without the proper vision the people perish. Perish means to expose, make naked, uncover, set at nought. We desperately need to know that our righteousness is as filthy rags. Self-righteousness is an abomination. We see with carnal eyes. There is only one way we can see with spiritual eyes, and that is by being led by the spirit instead of the flesh. Our carnal thinking must be brought into total subjection to the mind of Christ. There is no other way. If we don't want to be found standing naked and exposed before the world, we must be clothed with the righteousness that comes from above.
Man is forever attempting to bring spiritual things to pass by the arm of the flesh. Romans 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. What is our vision today? Is our vision to become the sons of God, to be lights in the midst of gross darkness? Or is our vision to build a name for ourselves as a man of God, to be lifted up and admired by men? Without a relationship we cannot discern one from the other. We can be deceived into thinking that we are doing God's will when the spiritual reality is that we are working in opposition to God, while using His name. That is a very sobering realization. Everything we do in our own strength, from our own mind, is flesh. All of our wonderful good works are nothing more than wood, hay and stubble and will be consumed by fire at his appearing.
Only what is done under the unction and guidance of the Spirit of God in accordance with the word of God and in obedience to the ministry of God will remain. The standards of this world are not the standards we are called to meet. The world already has its own ideas and organizations to do good works. We as Christians and members of the Body of Christ we are called to attain to a far superior standard than that set by the world. We are called to zealously strive to be as Christ is in the world. 1 John 4:17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. Not to imitate Christ in our own strength, but to die to our flesh and live by the Spirit within, allowing Christ to live through us.
We will never comprehend the mysteries of God with our carnal understanding. 1 Cor. 2:13,14 Which things we also speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things to spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit of God: for they are foolish unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
It is only by the Spirit of God that we can hope to know the mind of God. 1 Corinthians 2:16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ. God doesn't need our ideas to help Him win the world. He requires our obedience to all of His commandments. He requires of us that we deny the world and all that is associated with the world (the lusts of the eyes, the lusts of the flesh, the pride of life) and live by the Spirit. Know that we can live in this physical world, in these physical bodies and yet be dead to the world. Know that we can be just as alive by the Spirit as Christ Jesus was on this earth. The spiritual must supersede and vanquish the carnal in our lives. When this happens we will live Christ-like life. When we are no longer longing after anything this world has to offer, is when we become an instrument through which the Spirit of God can set the captives free. But he that keepeth the law, happy is he. Keepeth means to guard, protect, attend to, take heed, observe, preserve. Law is a precept or statute. All of Jesus' commandments are the Law of Christ that we must keep. Happy or blessed is he.
The carnal mind cannot receive or comprehend the things of the spirit. We all want blessings in our life, and wonder why our backward approach fails to bring the desired results. The flesh will always try to find another way, any way other than death, the death of our fleshly, carnal nature. We wonder why we aren't blessed and happy? Have you ever considered that it is because we are seeking after the things of the world rather than the things of the Spirit. We cannot comprehend that to spiritually live we must first carnally die. Many are convinced that they are doing the will of God, that they are walking in full accordance with God's plan. And just as many are deceived. Romans 8:14, "As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God". We have a choice before us. We must choose which voice we will listen to; which path we will walk; whether or not we will suffer for the sake of the Gospel of Christ. Our life is not our own, we have been bought with a price.
Romans 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. The freedom we so earnestly desire is found when we embrace the commandments of Christ, when we lovingly guard them in our hearts. As we do this, we are no longer subject to feeding the desires of the flesh, our flesh has been made subservient to the Spirit of God within our inner man. Self no longer sits on the throne of our hearts. Romans 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. If we are not led by the Spirit, how can we call ourselves sons? Phil. 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. We already saw in Corinthians that we can have the mind of Christ. There are many voices today that will try and tell you otherwise. The carnally minded way is to discourage you from even seeking to know God personally.
The way of the (religious) world is to immerse you in works and activities that originated in the hearts and minds of men, not in actions that originated from the throne room of God. The way of the world is to reinforce the belief that we can never be perfect, so why even try. Unconsciously perhaps, many believe that it is not possible to attain any degree of Godliness while in this world, that somehow after we get to heaven we will suddenly be free to be Christ like. That is a lie from the pits of hell. We can be led by the Spirit of God while still living in these earthen bodies. We can grow up to be full stature sons of God in the midst of the gross darkness of this world. The only hindrance to growing up in Christ is unbelief, and refusal to die to self. People today have a greater fear of the devil than they have of God. They have a greater fear of being rejected by others than of failing to walk in Christ's commandments.
What is our vision today? What is God's vision? If we would have the mind of Christ, then we will have to surrender our thoughts and ideas, our preconceived expectations, our wants and desires and bring them into alignment with God's purposes. Why do we find it so difficult to let go of the things we have been taught? Why are we so threatened by the possibility that what we have been taught could be wrong? Do we really want to cling to something that is not of God? Look down through history. It is only in our own minds that we see ourselves as more enlightened than all those who have gone before us. From leadership on down mankind has never had it right when it comes to properly discerning a prophesied move of God. From the exodus from Egypt to the coming of the Messiah man's expectations and God's visitation have always been at odds.
We know from the Word that God's ways are not man's ways, yet we consistently continue to think we know what God is about and how it will happen, and we are always wrong. There is only one way to be in possession of God's vision for the world, and that is by zealously pressing into a fullness of the truth, obedience unto righteousness and then righteousness unto holiness and the path that leads to this is a spirit controlled relationship with the Savior. Stop trying to have all the answers and seek to know the source of all life. We can't change ourselves, but He can change us from within, by His Spirit. We can't figure out the mysteries of God, but He has promised to be all things to us if we will but walk in obedience. One day at a time is all we can handle. The choice is ours as to what we will believe, whose voice we will heed. Without a vision the people perish. May we all humbly seek God's face, may we be in possession of God's vision.
1 Corinthians 3:1-3 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
I Corinthians 13:11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
As long as we refuse to die to the flesh, as long as we fail to live by the Holy Spirit within, we are operating carnally. This is the reason we see such pitiful results for all of our valiant efforts to accomplish spiritual things. It is not that God's arm is shortened. It is not the lie that God doesn't do miracles today. It is that we are not as righteous as we assume we are. We have not grown up in Christ, but are still babes unable to digest the meat of the Word. Be not deceived, there is a price we must pay. It is equally true that the rewards for laying down this self-life so far exceed the cost as to make it seem totally irrelevant. So what will it be? Will we seek to know the truth as revealed by the Holy Spirit directly to our hearts from the throne room of God? Now is the time to decide what your vision is. May we choose wisely.

PREACHERS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

2010-09-20T16:07:00.003-04:00

Posted By: Shawn B. Dyal

I believe that God wants to make a statement concerning the phenomenon of the preached word, not only for those who are responsible for bringing the word of God, but also for the whole church at large. In my observation, we do not adequately esteem the spoken word as being the word of God. We do not understand what 'preaching the word' means or the condition of the vessel that brings it. It is the responsibility of the church to provide the environment and atmosphere conducive to bringing the word of God. When I say 'word of God,' I am not speaking about a biblical message. It is better understood as the appointed and express word that God Himself gives.
I have therefore entitled this essay, Preachers of Righteousness. The thing that makes any preacher righteous is that he is not speaking his own word. The word is not his own; it is from God, and that alone is what makes the words he speaks the divine word of God - in the refusal to speak out of his own capability and savvy. It is a phenomenon that has been so little addressed by the church. There is hardly any understanding of the dynamic and great weight of the divine things between God and man involved in true proclamation.
While the world may have its oratory, it is only in the church that the phenomenon of true divine proclamation is to be found. Preaching is a divine function; it is a phenomenon that needs to be respected, esteemed, cherished, prayed, and travailed for. True preaching of the word of God can only be proclaimed by a preacher of righteousness. It means that a divine perspective is being brought to men on the earth, and more often than not, in the earth. It is a collision between perspectives and value systems. When God speaks He is not speaking to adorn, support or endorse what is in the world or earthly. He is bringing a heavenly perspective unique to Himself. It is a divine perspective. And invariably that perspective is at odds or at enmity with that which prevails as the conventional and acceptable wisdom of the world. God 'turns over the apple cart' of those things that are cherished, esteemed and held dear by men - even in the church.
The church are called to be pilgrims, strangers and sojourners in this world. And not the least of the functions of preaching is to stir God's sleeping people into an awareness of the degree to which they have unconsciously succumbed to the world and its values. One of the functions of the church is to 'blow the whistle' and to reveal the farce, the falseness, the charade, and the whole deceptive mechanism that constitutes the world. God is in complete opposition to the conventional wisdom of this world. And if we knew it and were hearing that kind of word and receiving it, we ourselves would also be in opposition with the world. We ourselves would be uncomfortable and know our pilgrim status and know that we are here for certain purposes. Are we agitated in our spirit like righteous Lot? Are we exacerbated by the evil all around us?
It takes courage to preach a message from heaven because even within the church itself there is a vested interest in its own self-perpetuation. It does not want to have its apple cart turned over. And in order to continue the vices by which it is sustained - often the gifts, offerings, tithes of its members - it shrinks therefore from offending. But the word of God in its essence is an offense. So, for a man to bring such a word, and threaten his own security by upsetting those who are paying his bill, is almost a contradiction in terms. To compound the predicament, many preachers themselves are so ensconced in the system that they do not see the necessity for a connection of this kind. They could not even conceive of it, let alone deliver it.
For this reason, the preached word will be resisted and unwelcome. It brings a heavenly view into the earthly place. This means that there will be every kind of powerful opposition by the world's powers of darkness. They want to retain or allow their wisdom to be accepted as normal. The world and its system trivialize the things that are ultimate and absolute and make absolute and ultimate the things that are trivial. It seeks to diminish the solemn and significant things of God - even to keep them from consideration. It is a complete turning of things upside down. The function of preaching is to set them right.
True preaching is to bring the divine perspective to bear in a way that will affect men's understanding and their lives. A plumb-line has dropped from heaven, and adjustments will have to be made with the word that has come. You cannot go on with 'business as usual.' One of the ways in which I know whether the word that proceeds out of my mouth has been received is to see to what degree men will continue with 'business as usual' after the word. If the word that is preached makes no requirement, it is not God's word. It can be correct according to Scripture, it can be a wonderful homily, it can encompass biblical themes, but if it makes no demand, it is not the word of God. God will not send His word into the earth that we should be amused and entertained. His word requires, and invariably it is a radical requirement. And for that reason we hear so little of a true preached word, for men do not want to be required of, or require of others what they would not have required of themselves.
One of my great complaints about the church is how little it requires of its members. And therefore it is essentially a passive 'pay-the-bill,' 'come-for-our-Sunday-fix' and go home with nothing really altered. Our witness is therefore almost negligible. We do not constitute an island of reality in a sea of unreality. We are so much at one with that unreality that we cannot distinguish the voice of God when it comes. We are not attuned to hear a word that calls us into the heavenly perspective in order that we might live a heavenly life while in the earth. Such a word would occasion an opposition if not a persecution to those who bring it - as well as upon those who receive it. So we intuitively shrink from hearing and considering the word, which if taken seriously would invite an opposition from the powers of darkness.
God says that it pleased Him "through the foolishness of preaching" to save them that would believe. We need to know that preaching is the epitome of foolishness. If we do not know it as that, we do not know what true preaching is. God entrusts a heavenly word to proceed out of earthly lips, out of a man who is dust and who knows it, and who is so aware of his frailty. For the true preacher of righteousness, the proclamation of the word is always an urgent issue of life and death. He feels that it is a once-and-for-all moment that will not be given again. He sees it not as a sermon but that very eternity is at stake. And that is the way we ought also to feel who are hearing that word. The proclamation of the word is not the exclusive responsibility of the speaker; there is also a responsibility put on the people who are hearing it, so as to draw it out of God's very heart as something cherished.
It makes a world of difference what the attitude of the congregation is. If they are sitting with arms folded, looking cynical, looking at their watches, thinking that it is 'just another sermon,' then that is exactly what they will get. But if they feel that this is a once-and-for-all occasion that will not be given again and that the man who has come has been sent, then it will affect the character and the quality of the word that issues out of the man's mouth. A lot of us, who are mumbling under our breaths and holding the preacher at fault for the failure really to deliver the goods, do not know to what degree we are affecting the spoken word. The Lord may be chastening an entire church by the diminishing of the word through the minister, who accepts it as being somehow his own failure. It is a humiliation that he has to bear in the office that he is functioning in. It may be the result of his own failure, but equally that of the listeners that fails to understand the significance of the spoken word. What we do on Friday night or before a service will adversely affect our ability to hear the word and respond to it. If we are immersed in carnality and think nothing of indulging ourselves in totally nonspiritual conduct, and think that the pastor will bring the goods the next service, then we will be dulling our spirits. God will not accommodate an attitude of indifference or carnal mindset. We should be up the night before on our knees, if not our faces, praying for the word the next day. Do we see the word as mere instruction, or do we strive to live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God? We ought to be bearing the speaker up and identify with him in the peculiarity of his calling. We should be sensing his trembling and frailty. We are in something together, and we have got to know it and pull together if we want the true word of God. And God is not going to allow it if He sees a heart that is not willing to be changed by the word or even suffer its inconvenience.
The preacher of righteousness therefore has an unwelcome task. It is a task of an ultimate kind that requires an ultimate anointing, lest it be dismissed as merely something interesting or moving. It is God speaking through a man that requires a man's life. Something is at stake in the hearing of the word. Those who heard Paul at Mars Hill were eternally accountable to God for that hearing. To hear an apostle once is enough to be held responsible for that word and its eternal consequence. The whole atmosphere of church life and the whole corporate character of church would be elevated, deepened, made more serious, and made more significant if we rightly understood the phenomenon of preaching. Not least would be the giving of ourselves in prayerful support of those who are called to this remarkable and awesome task.
The man who delivers the message is at the same time himself the message. You cannot disassociate the one from the other. He is not some kind of antiseptic, impartial mechanism with a voice that God happens to employ. He is a living organism, the credibility and power of penetration are altogether related to the truth of the man who is bringing the message. If he himself has not lived it, if he himself is unwilling for the cost of it, then his word will fall to the ground. It may be an interesting talk, but it will not be requiring. He is for that reason a candidate for the dealings of God and the sifting that the requirements of God necessarily call for. You cannot require of others what you have not given yourself.
The proclamation of the word is not a professional function but spiritual. The man is integral to the word he proclaims. It may well be that we are getting shallow talks because the men who are speaking are living shallow lives. They have kept their defenses up. They have kept themselves safely from the kinds of challenges and threats that would have deepened their knowledge of God in the school of suffering. They are unwilling to enter the fellowship of Christ's suffering. They do not want to suffer humiliation and disappointment. And so they guard their lives in such a way that keeps them from the imprint of God, and therefore they cannot conceive of the kind of heavenly inspiration that requires. In a word, the true preacher is a sufferer. He not only suffers while he brings the words of life, but there has also been a necessary history of suffering that has preceded it.

The first function of the word is death. It is a word that must necessarily kill before it makes alive. It is a word that cuts and wounds before it heals. But if you are a nice guy and don't want to offend anybody, then you void any possibility of life being ministered. If you cannot bear to see anyone made uncomfortable and you therefore refrain from the cutting, you disqualify yourself as a preacher. The true preacher of righteousness needs therefore to have had the experience of the pain of death in himself that enables him to bring the word of death. Only then can it become the word of life. If he is self-conscious about how he is being received and understood, he can forget about any redemptive word of life. He has got to be dead, both to the rebuke and rejection of God"s people, as well as their praise.
We can void the word of God as being the word of God whenever there is any unwillingness to suffer disappointment, and even an unwillingness to bring pain. We live in a kind of a patsy, religious culture that wants the people to go home happy. And the pastors who are acting out of their pastoral concern do not want to see the congregation agitated or offended. But often the man of God delivers a message that is not going to send the people home happy; he may send them home disturbed or perplexed and let them steep in the death of the word of God. In contradistinction, our whole culture is instant and pleasure-oriented. It avoids pain and suffering, which is another way of saying it avoids death. And so the service has got to be an enjoyment, not an agitation that leaves people with unanswered questions.
Much can be said of the preparation of a preacher, not in the shaping of his message, but the shaping of his character, his life, and his own relationship with God. He needs a private, personal, unseen, relationship with God on a daily basis. What the man is publicly is altogether a statement of what he is in private. If there is no authentic, daily, continuous and devoted life, then there is little likelihood of being the message bearer of God. That is why we can hear the same message from two different speakers. We yawn at the one as it goes over our head or bounces off harmlessly, while the other man is gripping and penetrating. The difference between the two is that the latter has a continuous, daily connection with God in prayer and study. And devotion is not devotion if you are going before the Lord for the express purpose of finding a text or a message for the day. That is a utilitarian spirit; it is a commercial transaction and no longer a true devotion.
While it was yet dark and before the daybreak, Jesus was with the Father in a communion of prayer. It was not for the purpose of receiving instruction for the day. But when the daylight had broken and the demands came down, what had been wrought in His private devotion would then be expressed throughout the rest of that day. If you are a religious professional, you will not have the time for that kind of devotional life. You would be too busy with a multitude of details, and therefore that neglect will be reflected in the lack of authority and penetration in the word that is preached.
The preacher of righteousness will trust the Lord for the word to be given. If the Lord is giving the unction, He will be the Alpha and the Omega of it. Preachers like that don't grow on a tree. Their first and early messages are usually an admixture of flesh and Spirit. He needs, therefore, a loving environment that can bring correction to his attention at the appropriate moment. And he can hear and receive because it is not calculated to shoot him down, but to encourage his growth and maturity. The church itself is a key factor, providing an environment in which proclaimers of God's word come forth. The Body of Christ has been referred to in the past as an incubator.
The bringing forth of the preachers of righteousness is an exquisite work of God. But it will not take place without the participation of saints who understand the drama and the significance of it and are willing to give themselves in encouragement in the bringing forth of such men and their covering. There needs to be a bearing with him because he is often going to be ungainly and frequently speak at the wrong time. He may even spoil an otherwise good service! So it takes maturity in a people that are not service or success-oriented to bear with such a man over a process of time, till he comes to a place where he can bring the word of God to the people.
The preacher of righteousness brings not only the word of God, but also the voice of God. How often do we hear those scriptures in God's lament over Israel, "They failed to heed my voice..." There is something about the texture of God's voice that comes forth in true preaching. The word brings a dimension, a cogency and a seriousness in its sounding. You can almost tell where a man is in the realm of the Spirit by the timbre of his voice. It is an index of the depth of God's working in that man that will affect in a personal way how his voice comes forth. The man is caught up with the word. The voice of God and the word of God that comes forth are a statement of the proximity of that man to God over a long course of time. It will reflect his willingness to bear the dealings of God that have dug deep and sifted, and refined him. Obedience to speak the words of God implies that even the expression of those words be in the mood which God Himself gives - not our own more acceptable mood or disposition. Our life is not our own; our mood is not our own; our emotions are not our own. Therefore God has to have the full possession of mind, body, soul, and spirit.
Something needs to go forth to raise up men who will bear the word of the Lord, preachers of righteousness, in every locality in this final generation - men that are willing for the 'school of preaching,' for the dealings of God, To bear the Cross of God and for the sufferings of God. The word of the Lord needs to go forth out of mouths that can be trusted in order that God's people can be fed, nourished, nurtured, challenged, changed, prepared, and fitted for the Last Days' obligations upon the church. There are requirements and mandates called for, especially to cynical, rationalistic Jews. They will need to see a demonstration, even in the spoken word, that indicates something more than mere oratory. They need to see a heavenly discourse coming down from above, incarnate, being expressed through man.

FUNDALMENTALISM

2010-09-19T11:43:00.003-04:00

Firstly I would like to thank Brother Michael Corley for forwarding me a very timely and astute article on the current problem that fundamentalism is having. I have for many years denied being a fundamentalist for many reasons that all of us who believe in the reality of the Bible as the sole source of written spiritual guidance, but do not accept it as a (literal) inerrant transcript. We see the Bible as being the inspired word of God, but not as being written singularly in a literal understanding. It is poetical, it is allegorical, it is parabolic, it is symbolic, it is a book of history, prophecy, guidance, imagery and often in figurative description and meaning. More often than not prophecy is written figuratively, and historical considerations literally. That is not always the way of it, but it is the usual way of it. There are exceptions such as the story of creation, the flood, and Jonah to name a few.We believe in the literal act of God creating all that is, but we do not ascribe to the simplistic concept that most western religions purport. The same is true with the flood, and the story of Jonah. Yes the stories are true, but there is a much deeper and more lasting significance to them than what our childhood Sunday School teachers afforded us in the literal reporting . Evolution is a anti-religious unproven blind faith that denies religion. Religion is blind faith of a anti-reality religion that demands the denial of the obvious. Both are dangerous enemies of truth. I pray that God will soon harvest those who can and will have the eyes of their understanding enlightened, Ephesians 1:18, so that they then can receive the inheritance of the saints, which is the mind of Christ.

STUNNED WITH GRIEF

2010-09-16T11:26:00.002-04:00

We all lack the words to express the shock and grief we all feel today as we awake to the shocking news of a tragedy too horrible to imagine, I can only say pray. Pray for the family of, Amanda Anderson, and the entire Tyler Assembly. We weep, we weep, and we pray, and we pray.

THE DOCTRINE OF ELECTION

2010-09-15T11:24:00.004-04:00

The doctrine of election, (as distinguished from the doctrine of predestination), affirms the sovereignty of God, clarifies the true grace of God while dispelling the greasy grace teachings of those who would turn the grace of God into a license to sin. It also defines divine mercy, and denies the Calvinistic concept of unconditional salvation, and condemnation. The doctrine of election is simply the teaching that God is sovereign and it is He, and He alone, who has, is, and shall always be the sole author, and arbitrator of soul salvation. It is God, and only God who determines who will be called, or chosen . Many are called, but only a few are chosen, Matthew 22:14, and even fewer are proven to be faithful, Revelation 17:14.

Many think that Calvinistic Predestination, and the teaching of the sovereignty of God in choosing those whom He elects to become the Bride of Christ, the manifested sons of God, joint heirs with Christ, kings and priests forever with Christ, etc., etc., as being one in the same. This is not so. The biblical teaching of election is simply summed up in this; there are an elect few who God has chosen to to be separated, nurtured, and nourished into becoming fit to be called The Bride Of Christ. They are in fact conditionally predestined to that determination, with the caveat that they remain faithful and endure unto the end, Matthew 10:22, James 1:12. These will be those who have become the sons of God, John 1:12-13. This is the work of this ministry. We are charged with the restoration of The Church, and The Gospel, that will purify those who are called to this destiny.

THE ELECT OF GOD

2010-09-14T19:48:00.005-04:00

God, according to His sovereign purposes and will chooses whomsoever He will, for whatsoever He will. There is a popular and common idea in religion that eternity will be a place where all who inhabit, what is commonly called Heaven, will be equal in all things with there being no differences in authority or responsibility. This idea is easily proven to be totally in-congruent with scripture. According to scripture there will be those who will co-reign with Christ as Kings and Priests, and there will be those who will be subservient to those who are chosen to reign with Christ throughout eternity. There is now, and there has been from the time when God began to deal with mankind those that are called to be a part of the second resurrection, and there are those who are chosen to be the elect of God, and are to be in the first resurrection, Revelation 20:6. These are the elect. These are they who are chosen and who are are to attain to the High calling of God in which is in Christ Jesus.

The elect are called unto holiness, and as such are compelled by the Holy Ghost to the conclusion of becoming holy, for He is holy. These that are called to this purpose are called to make their calling and (election) sure, Second Peter 1:10. They are to wash their robes and make them white in the blood of the Lamb. These robes are represented as being fine linen which is the righteousness of the saints, Revelation 19:8. These are they who have overcome and will sit with Him in His throne of judgement, Revelation 3:21. The elect are they who have been called to become like Him. They have been called to the predestined purpose of being conformed into the divine image of the Son of God, Romans 8:28-39. Yes, these are they who are predestined, not guaranteed unconditionally, but have the predestined purpose of achieving the divine purpose of God. They are to be conformed into the image of the Son.

God, who called the elect for His purpose also endowed those who are called to be the elect with both the will to do, and the ability to do, according to His good pleasure, Philippians 2:12-13. It is because of this that those who are called to become like Him have a passion to become like Him. They are not satisfied to simply believe and live a good and moral life, but rather have a burning desire to live holy until they become holy, even as He is holy Matthew 5:48.

I challenge anyone doubting that there is an election of God which is limited and pre-determined according to His purposes to simply take advantage of any good concordance and research the words elect, and election. If you can do this, and still not see the obviousness of the plan of God in election to a high calling separate and exclusive I will bother you no more. There will be a second resurrection of a number that no man can number, (simply stated a resurrection for the untold many who are called to be believers, but not to rule and reign with Christ; these nor their number are predetermined).

I am not teaching Hyper-Calvinism wherein we have no choice, and what will be, will be. I am teaching election and that we who are called to be the elect can make the high calling of God. We are part of a predetermined plan and are chosen to fulfill that plan. The plan is predestined. We, who have an ear to hear, are chosen to be a part of it. We are the elect of God who can, if we will, fulfill the purpose of the predestined plan of God and be made into His image and His likeness. This is our predestined purpose.

THE HIGH CALLING

2010-09-11T13:15:00.009-04:00

Contributed By:Shawn Dyal

Philippians 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

WHERE ARE YOU? AND WHO ARE WE.
Hebrews 12:22-23 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect.
We as members of the Body of Christ must reconcile in our minds the fact that we are and must become even more so, recognizably different from the rest of the inhabitants of this world. Jesus told us in Luke 6:22 that we would be hated and separated from the company of men and they will cast out our name as evil, but then He tells us to rejoice and leap for joy because in that day our reward shall be great in heaven. We are striving for a prize. If we intend to obtain what we are striving for we must maintain constant vigilance, have laser like focus, total commitment, and unswerving dedication to the task at hand.
What it takes to be a champion:
All Olympic gold medalists have one thing in common. They allowed nothing to distract them from the training and preparation that was required to achieve their goal. That goal is to be recognized by the entire world as being the absolute best at their chosen vocation. If you research any articles, biography’s, or documentaries about Olympians, you will discover that the path to the gold medal required great personal sacrifice in every area of their lives.They had to abandon any semblance of a normal life. It required that they forsake all social relationships and any extracurricular activities. Most Olympians begin training at a very young age usually by the time they are four or five, their career path has already began to take shape. The financial burden to pay the necessary coaches and the membership fees to the right training centers, the entrance fees to all of the local, state, national, and international competitions just to get a possibility to try out for the chance to be chosen by the National Olympic Committee as a possible candidate to represent their country. These costs burdens normally bankrupt the families of most Olympic hopefuls. The chances of career ending injuries are so large that the percentage of probable Olympians disqualified due to sports related injury are over 70%. The average amount of practice hours a day is counted in the teens. In some countries such as China, if they see Olympic potential in a child they are taken away from their families locked in training camps and drilled and trained in their sport every day and every night without distraction. When you see someone receive the Gold you can know with absolute assurance that they have sacrificed everything else to get it.
We are in a race. The prize is much more important than a gold medal. The winner is going to become adopted into the Royal family and made a joint heir with Jesus. They will be a true son of God invited to rule and reign with Him and made above the Angels. Romans 8:14-17 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
Hebrews12:1-4 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.
It is so easy to get weary and begin to lose our focus on the goal. If we allow distractions to come into our lives we begin to lose focus on our training regimen. This is a training ground. We are not here for a social gathering or to appease our religious sensibilities, or do our religious duties we are here to train. An athlete, if he intends to win, brings his natural body under subjection to the point that it surpasses all of his competitors. We must train constantly to bring our minds, bodies and spirits under subjection and hone them until they are completely under control. I Corinthians 9:24-27 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
We are not running in a little local friendly competition. We are running to win and if we lose this race we will die. In Galatians 2:2 Paul says if by any means I should run or have run this race in vain. This indicates that it’s possible to put in a lot of effort and not win, a wise man once told me it’s not about the effort it’s about the results. God wants us to remain faithful constantly striving until we reach the finish line. We’ve sadly all witnessed those that ran alongside us , give up. Whether from injury or just plain lack of control of their members, they threw in the towel and pulled out of the race. We cannot let the actions of others distract us or cause us to lose our confidence. Times like this are when we must rely on our training. Consider the Olympic gymnast. They practice the same routine thousands of times and hundreds of hours for a performance that last less than five minutes. But if they make the slightest mistake all of those hours of repetition are for nothing. We must exercise,practice and repeat what we’ve been taught over and over again until it requires no effort of concentration. It is what we are. It replaces our will and way with the will and way of the routine that we have been taught and trained to follow.
Human nature is something that every one of us are born with. The world celebrates and praises this nature. They teach you to nurture and cherish and celebrate who you are. God tells us that we must eliminate this nature and put on another nature.

THE GOAL IS PERFECTION
Matthew 5:48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
When you start talking about perfection, people immediately become very uncomfortable. None of us are perfect, as in flawless. We all make mistakes, we all do and say things we are sorry for. So what is the perfection our LORD is referring to in the above verse? We see the translation for perfect is: complete, of full age. How do we come to completion? How do we arrive at full age, or maturity? We grow up in Christ. We die to our flesh, our carnal thinking and reasoning, and learn to live totally under the guidance of the Spirit of God. That is why Christ gave His life for us. He paid the price for mankind to have the opportunity to become fully reconciled to the Father. When we think of perfection as an unattainable goal, we are rejecting the truth of what Jesus' sacrifice bought and paid for.
Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed, by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. We know all too well how to conform to this world. We know precisely how to be accepted and fit in with those around us. What we have to learn is how to allow the comforter to change us into the new creature in Christ we are called to become. This is accomplished by the renewing of our mind. It takes a major renovation to change the way we think, our perspective of all things. But the resultant change is that we will learn to test, discern, examine and try all things that come to us. We will know by His Spirit what is good as in beneficial, what is acceptable and well pleasing to God. We will know by the Spirit what pleases God and what displeases God. Only the Spirit can accomplish these things in our lives. To be fully transformed will mean we have fully died to our flesh, and now live by the power of the Spirit.
Today there seems to be an almost casual acceptance of all of our shortcomings. A general attitude, if you will, that we will never be perfect till after we die and get to heaven. Well, we certainly will never become Christ-like if that is the way we think. The faith many exhibit is one of defeated acceptance, rather than a desire to walk in the fullness. Can you personally relate to what Paul said? That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:10-12. Paul concedes that he is not there yet, but does he then just lay down and accept that he will always be imperfect?
No! verses 13-15 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.
This plainly states what the vision and goal of each and everyone that is truly running this race should be.
Either we are growing up in Christ, or we are stagnating. Either we believe every Word that Jesus spoke, or we reject His Words. Either we are daily dying to our flesh, or we are finding ways to justify its survival. There is no middle of the road in following Christ. There is no comfortable fence we can sit ourselves upon to watch and see how things will work out. Either we are striving for perfection, growing up in Christ, or we are settling for the status quo of man, and falling short of the requirements of God.
How do we accomplish this? James 1:4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
Matthew 5:6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled. We have to desire to know God with our whole heart. We have to believe, we have to obey, and we have to grow in the fear and knowledge of the Lord.
How ironic is it that we fear everything but the Lord? If we would grow up in Christ, if we would live by the power of the spirit instead of the power of our flesh, we would walk in victory, resisting would no longer be an insurmountable obstacle. 1 John 4:17 Herein is our love made perfect (complete), that we may have boldness (frankness, bluntness, assurance) in the day of judgment (justice, divine law): because as he is, so are we in this world.
Jesus overcame, and by the power of Christ in us, we too, can overcome. We fear what others think. We are more concerned with pleasing others, with gaining their approval and admiration, than we are concerned with pleasing God. We need to understand that pleasing God, being obedient to the things He shows you, will not endear you to others.
The heart of man without God has not changed down through the centuries. People today are just as adept at rejecting the True Word of the Lord as they ever were. Isaiah 30:10 Which say to the seers, See not, and to the prophets, Prophecy not to us right things (truth), Speak unto us smooth things (flattery), prophecy deceits (delusions).
The Word of the Lord is not always going to be flattering. The prophets of old were not welcomed with open arms. The true prophet of God will speak truth, and will be just as rejected and ridiculed by the people today as the prophets of old were. Isaiah 5:21 Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! If we are not walking in the fear of the Lord, just how wise are we? Prov. 9:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. Ps. 111:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: His praise endureth forever.
Prov. 1:7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
It is not a random accident that we have been called and chosen, that we were born into this world in the latter days. Yes, we face great obstacles, yes there is great unbelief, and rampant evil in these days. But we can be more than conquerors, if we will strive for perfection. Not the perfection of the world, or the fluctuating standards of man’s ideal, but the completeness found in Christ. Paul ends his letter to the Church at Corinth with this summary, Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? But I trust that ye shall know that we are not reprobates. 2 Cor 13:5-6

MAY OUR PRAYER BE.
Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be the glory for ever and ever.... and may we zealously strive for perfection.

A PEOPLE 'PERFECTLY' PREPARED.
And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
Luke 1:17.