Take Heed that No Man Deceive You

Mat 24:4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
Mat 24:5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

The Word Christ means Annointed.

Now if someone came up to you and said, "I am Christ." would you believe it? What if someone came up to you and said, "Jesus Christ is in the field, let's go listen to him." Would you consider it? Maybe you would if you were unstable or blown about with every wind of doctrine, like some may be. But if you were a well-adjusted Christian, you would just shake your head at the stupidity of such a claim.

So why would Jesus say that? I believe there is an error here in translation. I believe what Jesus is saying here is "Many shall come in my name, saying, I am Annointed." There are alot of people who come in Jesus name, (say they are Christian), even going so far as say they are Annointed (claim to be born again filled with the Holy Spirit). They are the ones I think Jesus was trying to warn us about. They are the ones that will deceive many.

The last time I went to the little pentacostal church I was going to for a while, a traveling minister came to preach there. He stood on stage with his microphone and jumped up and down saying, "I feel the Annointing coming on" and he would speak in tongues, as if to prove his point. (Notice no interpretation which is not according to the Word.) He kept jumping up and down as if the Holy Spirit was a carbonated beverage you had to shake up in order to activate it. Like it would just get shaken up enough to pop and you would be filled with the Holy Spirit (it's bubbling, it's bubbling, it's bubbling in my soul.) That man came down and put his hand on a young girls head and tried to get her to be slain in the spirit and I was standing near praying that the Lord would protect her from any demonic impartation. Finally the man had to stop and nothing had happened and I thanked the Lord for His hedge of protection on her. I never went back to that church.

Jesus warned us against false brethren, wolves in sheeps clothing He called them. 1st John also warns against them. Testing the spirits is not putting your finger in your mouth and then up to the air to see which way the wind is blowing. It is testing the spirits of the brethren, whether they are of God or not.

A mistake I have made repeatedly on this trip is to openly trust people who say they are Christian. We are to love the brethren and our enemies, but that does not mean we have to open our hearts to them and tell them every detail of our lives. Satan has infiltrated every organization and there are many anti-christs out in the world posing as real Christians. It's not the pew-warming Laodician Christians I'm talking aobut either. It's the Christians that appear like strong spirit-filled talking the talk and walking the walk people, who are only spying out your liberty in Christ so they can turn and rend you when you least expect it.

Mat 24:9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.
Mat 24:10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
Mat 24:11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
Mat 24:12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
Mat 24:13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

Who is the they? The people who come in Jesus name and say they are annointed. They shall be offended and shall betray and hate one another.

This is why it is so very important to seek the Father. Learn to hear His voice, because we are in dark days and you will not be able to trust the people around you to be true brethren or not. I don't mean being overly suspicious or anything! Just guard your heart and only fully trust in the Lord Almighty. He will communicate to you where you should be and what you should be doing. Pray for those people around you to be saved, everyone you meet you should pray for and especially pray for the people who give you trouble and persecute you. The fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for always being trustworthy. Thank you for your many blessings and protections in our lives. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Be Ye Angry and Sin Not

Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil. Eph 4:26-27

This verse has been on my mind lately. Anger is an emotion. Jesus looked on the Pharisees in anger because of their hard-heartedness before He healed the man with the withered hand (Mark 3:5). So it is available to be angry and still not be sinning.

Some interesting articles on the subject are here:

Anger by Kevin Cauley from the Preachers File

Be Ye Angry and Sin Not By David Tavender of Berean Bible Fellowship of Australia

Our emotion of Anger must be controlled. Like anything of the flesh, it can become a door to other worse things such as wrath or hatred. Galations 5 is a good comparison between the works of the flesh and the fruits of the Spirit.

Gal 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Gal 5:20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
Gal 5:21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Gal 5:23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Gal 5:24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

"They that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts." We who are Christs need to be always sure that we catch that emotion of Anger at the moment it hits - in order to lead every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. If you are having a problem controlling your anger, or if your flesh still reacts in anger at certain things - it is possible to ask the Father for deliverance and victory over this area.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you so much for your Holy spirit and for making it available for us, your children, to walk after the spirit and not after the flesh. Please help me to overcome anger and all the other areas of my life where I am falling short. In the name of your son Jesus Christ. Amen.

The Wedding Planners - Part 2 Countdown: 25 Days

It is getting down to the wire, but the Lord is handling all the details so wonderfully.

Mom and I went to pick up the bridesmaids dresses. Since we were at the mall, Mom said, "Let's look at shoes. Maybe there is a pair of shoes you can wear with your bridesmaid dress." So the very first store we went to (J.C. Penny) had this excellent pair of shoes, with just the right amount of heels and exactly my size! Plus! They were regularly $45 on sale for $21.99! Thank you Lord.

Thank you Heavenly Father for handling all the details of my life and my sister's wedding. Thank you for loving me, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Listening to the Lord - Part 6 - Conclusion

The subject of Listening to the Lord is so vast, that I have barely even begun to scratch the surface in these last few postings. Everytime we read the Holy bible the Lord is speaking to us. He speaks to us in dreams, in visions. Sometimes He speaks to us in parables by the situations going on around us in our lives and the world at large. Sometimes the Lord speaks to us through other people.

Here is a list written by James W. Goll of the Elijahlist:

"Ten Effective Tools for the Trade

• Number One: Don't Make Hearing God Complicated!
It is actually not hard to hear God. We tend to overcomplicate the whole matter. The following are three simple steps that help us, very simplistically, hear God's gracious voice.

# 1 — Submit to His Lordship
Ask Him to help you silence your own thoughts, desires and opinions. You want to hear only the thoughts of the Lord right now. Proverbs 3:5-7, "In all your ways acknowledge Him. And He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your eyes, fear the Lord and turn away from evil." James says, "Submit unto God, resist the devil, and he will flee from you." Before resisting always comes submitting.

# 2 — Resist the Enemy
Use the authority Jesus Christ has given you as His disciple to silence the voice of the enemy. Apply the Blood of Jesus over your life and resist the enemy. He will run in terror away from you. Great news! If you do what God wants you to do (first!), then He will do for you what you cannot do on your own!

# 3 — Ask your Question and Expect God's Answer
Ask the question that is in your heart, bring it before the throne of Almighty God. You must now wait for Him to answer. Believing that as you submit to God and resisted the enemy you can now expect that you will be filled with the knowledge of God's will with all spiritual wisdom and understanding (Colossians 1:9). Now, at times, an immediate reply will come—other times it is like a slow, simmering process—but the most important aspect is to ask, expect and receive.

• Number Two: Allow God to Speak in the Way He Chooses.
Don't try to dictate to God the guidance methods you prefer. Listen with a yielded heart. There is a direct link between yielding and hearing. He may choose to speak to you in a method that you are not accustomed to. He will speak through His written Word, through a person, through dreams, visions, through the quiet inner voice... Now having submitted, resisted and asked, do not dictate the way you want Him to answer your request. Allow God to speak to you in the way He chooses.

• Number Three: Confess Any Known Sins.
Psalm 66:18, "If I regard wickedness in my heart the Lord will not hear me." If the Lord doesn't hear you, then you're not going to receive the answer that you're hoping for, because He hasn't even heard the question yet. So the third point in hearing God's voice is one of the foundation stones of A, B, C Christianity—the confession of sins. Confess your sins. He is waiting to listen. He is waiting to forgive. Confess your sins to our Father in Jesus' great name. A clean heart is a prerequisite to hearing God.

• Number Four: Have You Obeyed the Last Thing God Told You to Do?
If you haven't obeyed His last orders, why do you think He would give you new ones? He's waiting for you to do what He's already told you to do. This alone is one of the main reasons people don't think they are hearing from Papa. He has already spoken—you already know what is required of you. Now go do, for Jesus' sake! It's the issue of obedience. Go back and finish your last orders could be a word of wisdom needed so that you can continue in life's journey.

• Number Five: Get Your Own Leading.
God will use others to confirm your guidance, but we must learn to hear the voice of the Lord for ourselves. God is a jealous God. He wants to talk with you. Become secure in your own identity in Christ. Realize that you are a son or daughter of the Creator of the universe in your own right. He has promises to lead His own and has given us His precious Holy Spirit to be our guide. Is He yours? Don't be wrongly co-dependent upon others. At the same time, don't jump in the other ditch by over-reacting and cultivating an independent and rebellious spirit. You've got to, and you will learn to, hear God for yourself.

• Number Six: Don't Talk about Your Word Too Soon.
This is a really wise one. I wished I had known this one a bit earlier on in my life! I think the dreamer Joseph might have wished he had heard this one also! The main purpose of waiting is to help you avoid the not-so-obvious pitfalls. Have you ever considered that God might like to share a secret with a trusted friend? Have you considered asking permission before opening wide your mouth and repeating everything you supposedly know?

Oftentimes, God does speak something to us ahead of time, before it comes into being. His word comes to prepare us and to change us to be the vessel qualified to do what has been spoken. He will prepare us for that which lies ahead.

• Number Seven: God Will Confirm What He's Telling You.
Realize God does use others to confirm His word. It's a part of a safety net of protection. Second Corinthians 13:1 wisely states that God will confirm His word by two or three witnesses. This particular truth is quoted three times in the Bible. God will confirm His word by the witness or testimony of two and three others. Isn't that wonderful! If it really is God, He will speak the same or similar thing more than once. So—in other words—you don't have to go running off with just a one-time word! If it really is from God, it will be confirmed. Rest in that fact.

Believe that the Lord will speak through those in relational authority in your life. Trust the Lord and pray for those in authority. There is safety in the multitude of counsel.

• Number Eight: Be Aware of Counterfeits.
Satan loves to counterfeit. He has no originality—He's just a copycat! If there's a counterfeit, what does that mean? It infers that there's something authentic and real out there. The enemy only counterfeits what is real. Counterfeit money...Why is there counterfeit money? Because there's real money and it has power.

Why does the enemy have counterfeit voices, counterfeit occult, counterfeit experiences, and even counterfeit supernatural encounters? Why? Because our Lord of Hosts has the real power, the real dreams, myriads of angels, and the true guidance system.

God is a supernatural Being. People are born with a void that only the voice of God can fill. But beware of counterfeits from the dark side. They exist to trap you; flee from them in Jesus' name!

• Number Nine: Practice Hearing God's Voice.
Yes, practice hearing the voice of God, and it will become easier. It's like picking up the phone and recognizing the voice of a friend. You know their voice because you've heard it so much.

If I want to know His voice, I've got to spend some time with Him. The voice of the Holy Spirit is so lovely to me today. I would never want to grieve Him. We must get to know the voice of our Master and it only comes by spending time with Him. The more you practice, the easier it becomes!

• Number Ten: Cultivating an Intimate Relationship.
From God's perspective, the most important reason for hearing the voice of God is not just to know the right things to do—it is knowing the Source Himself! If you don't have good communication with a person, you don't have a vibrant relationship with them.

True guidance is getting closer to the Guide. We grow to know the Lord better as He speaks to us. As we listen to Him and obey His word, we make His heart glad. Our relationship with our Papa God goes so far beyond information, guidance, dreams, visions, angels, and all the wonderful supernatural stuff. It goes so far beyond that.

It's all about intimacy with Jesus. The gifts of the Spirit are appetizers to whet our desire for more of God Himself. The voice of God is used to create a deeper hunger within us so that we might come into closer communion with Him. The reason to hear His voice is really simple: to cultivate an intimate relationship with our Abba Father. Our Daddy wants to commune with us even more than we want to commune with Him. Draw near, He is drawing near to you.

So, that's some simple foundational thoughts on hearing the voice of God. I hope these tools will get added to your tool chest 'cause it's time to listen up! The Holy Spirit has something He wants to say to you!

Blessings to You! James W. Goll"

One last thing. There is an excellent podcast from The Full Armor of God Podcast website that you should listen to.

It is called Full Armor of God: A Danger Signal - Unanswered Prayer.

Thank you Merciful Heavenly Father for desiring to have a relationship with us, wanting to talk to us and have us hear You clearly. Thank you for the gift of Holy Spirit and for your plan of redemption for us. In the name of your son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Sunday Update - Corbett Report

Listening to the Lord - Part 5 - Fasting

Ezr 8:21 Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance.

Ezr 8:23 So we fasted and besought our God for this: and he was intreated of us.

I don't remember where I read that Matthew 6 is about the Christian walk: Give, fast and pray. Fasting should be a crucial part of our walk. Fasting is a way of sanctifying yourself before the Lord with a view to getting an answer on a specific petition. Here are some online resources concerning fasting:

Releasing God's Power Through Fasting by Bill Bright

Jentezen Franklin Fasting Movement

But you can find more resources by doing a google search and also a word study in the Bible concerning fasts and fasting.

Some things to keep in mind when considering a fast:

1.) It is recommended that you see a doctor before entering into any fasts. I personally disagree because I trust my Heavenly Father more as my physician than any earthly doctor, but you need to make your own decision concerning that.

2.) DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT do a 40 day fast your first time out, unless specifically told to by the Lord. Work up to it by doing some 3 day and 10 day fasts before hand. Do not do a no water fast for more than three days, that is very dangerous.

3.) Don't make excuses. I hear the "I can't because I am diabetic" or whatever. I come from a family of diabetics, and believe me, we can EAT! There are many ways you can fast and still maintain your blood sugar levels. If needed you could just fast between meals (or do a Daniel Fast which is: Eat no meat, no sweets and no bread. Drink water and juice. Eat fruits and vegetables.) It is recommended that you allow yourself juices on some of the longer fasts.

There are several different types of fasts:

1.) Fasting till evening - Many times the congregation of Israel as a whole would fast all day and then break the fast at evening.

2.) One day, 3 day, 7 days, 10 days, 21 days and 40 days.

Frankly you can do a fast for how ever long you want, but do not go over 40 days because that is very dangerous. You should seek the Lord as to what kind of fast He would have you do. I tried to do a fast where I only drank water and I got such an extreme headache that I ended up having to eat something. So now I usually allow myself juices in order to not have a headache, and if I just want to drink water and have no coffee or juice, I will only fast until 3pm because I can do that length of time without a headache.

I personally like a 3 day fast with juices and water. Recently I had the house to myself while my parents were away so I did a two day fast with one or two specific situations in mind to bring before the Lord. I had answers to both before the end of the 2nd day. (But finish your fast, don't just break the fast because you got your answer!)

There is much much more on the subject of fasting that I do not have space for in this blog post. Seek the Lord and be smart - do not put yourself in danger.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you so much for the fast, for a way to sanctify ourselves and draw close to you. thank you for being so awesome and wonderful. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

New World Next Week