Thank You Mom!

How was the apostle Paul going to encourage a young pastor who was facing a difficult season of ministry? Based on his extensive theological training, he could have quoted several passages of scripture challenging Timothy to keep the faith. Drawing from his multi faceted ministry experience, a message of perseverance could have been relayed to bolster Tim’s resolve. Or as a mentor and coach, he simply could have said, “Fight the good fight of faith”. But none of these responses would satisfy the depth of need Timothy was facing. The Holy Spirit instead directs Paul to the one place that would provide the necessary spark to recharge a weakening faith, the genuine faith of his Mother Eunice and Grandmother Lois.

Paul declares, “I am reminded of your sincere faith,   which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice   and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also” (II Tim. 1:5). You can’t lose Timothy. You are a direct manifestation of the seeds of faith that were sown by your mother and grandmother. There is a harvest of great faith that you can expect to be activated in your life because your mother and grandmother cultivated the ground that you now stand on. Their faithfulness enlarges your ability to be faithful. Their perseverance increases your strength to complete the task. Their genuine faith is a mirror of the faith that is in you.

Thank you Mom for setting the pace and for believing that I could keep up.

Defend Your Father’s Honor!

Queen Esther was a descendant of King Saul the first king of Israel. Haman was a direct descendant of King Agag who was the king of the Amalekites. Several hundred years prior, God instructed King Saul to completely destroy King Agag and the Amalekite people. King Saul obediently devastated the Amalekite nation, but stopped short of complete obedience by sparing all of the best animals, individuals, and the king. Ironically, this miscalculation would facilitate the death of King Saul, and cement the disgrace of his family name. Now Esther and Haman both find themselves serving in the court of Ahasuerus King of  the Medes and Persians, and once again some haunting issues resurface.

The temple of the Lord in Jerusalem has recently been rebuilt and the restoration of communion between Israel and Yahweh restored, but before they could take full advantage of God’s provision, a decree is issued by King Ahasuerus through the clever manipulation of Haman legalizing the slaughter of all the Jews throughout the kindom of the Medes and Persians. Haman is hellbent on stopping the Jews from returning to their place of blessing. Queen Esther is faced with a daunting task. Her silence would jeopardize the existence of her people, but speaking up could cost her her life. In the past her fathers chose poorly, but today she will confront generational issues and defend her father’s honor by doing the right thing. Queen Esther willingly places her life on the line and secures the salvation of her people. Her actions fuel a nation wide celebration and establishes an annual day of remembrance commemorating her bravery and the restoration of her family honor. (Esther 1 – 10)

Defend your father’s honor by doing the right thing. Destroy all of the generational curses that have plagued your life by confronting the very enemy that threatens your future. Restore the honor that the devil has stolen from your family line. Stand up and answer the call of God on your life. Turn your back on the lies you have come to accept as normal. You were born for such a time as this. Take your place and let God give back to you the honor the theif has stolen. Step up and rediscover the beauty and power God has reserved for you in Christ Jesus. What are you waiting for? Defend you father’s honor!

 

Take Cover! The End Is Near.

Take cover! The end is near. At the risk of sounding like an alarmist, I humbly put forth this clarion call to believers and unbelievers alike. I don’t claim to be prophetic, but I feel lead of the Lord to lay out three scenarios that I believe will be unfolding in the world very soon. These scenarios will impact everyone on the planet and mark the preparation time for the rapture of the Church and final call to sinners to find refuge under the cross of Jesus Christ. For the followers of Jesus Christ, this will be a time of testing, endurance, and revival; For those who refuse to submit under the leadership of Jesus Christ, it will be a time of defiance, violence, and rebellion against God.

The first scenario revolves around the shortage of water. Unprecedented shortage of drinkable water will plague the planet and cause massive migration of large population centers. Once overcrowded metropolises will become desolate ghost towns. Securing drinkable water sources will be priority number one for local and federal governments. Amos 8:11 decsribes another type of famine that will accompany the global water shortage, famine of hearing the Word of God. There is an increasing deafness towards the bible. More and more we are manipulating the bible to fit our lifestyle and justifying perversion in order to appear tolerant. A time is coming when believers will be killed or imprisoned for simply believing the bible.

The second scenario revolves around the unleashing of unclean spirits throughout every facet of society. We are going to experience an unprecedented barrage of violent and sexually motivated crimes that will spark chaos from one end of the country to another, and produce mobs of deviants that will terrorize cities and families.  Unrestrained passion will rule the day, and survival of the fittest will be worshipped.

The third scenario revolves around the unleashing of evil spirits that will plague the mind and soul of mankind. We are going to witness unprecedented psychotic behavior among the young and old. Local governments will be paralyzed by the sheer number of their citizens bound by debilitating psychosis. Spiritual darkness will enslave multitudes of people and yet refusal to turn to God for relief will be rampant.

These scenarios are only the beginning of sorrows. There is still time to return to God for the forgiveness of sins. You can still take cover under the safety of the cross of Jesus Christ. Ask Him into your heart to cover you before it is too late.

Biblical Sexuality Can Save The Planet

Former American Vice President Al Gore claims that global warming is destroying the planet. Several others assert resource depletion, overexploitation of nature, overpopulation, war and political corruption are the main culprits.  Weather watchers are reporting a spike in severe storms. Earthquakes have rattled the Pacific rim creating deadly tsunami’s, volcanoes have leveled villages, tornadoes destroyed whole towns, and the USGS are observing an increase in activity in once dormant volcanoes. What is causing this stirring in our planet? What does the Bible have to say about this situation? 

Take a look at Leviticus 18: 24-28, “‘Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, because this is how the nations that I am going to drive out before you became defiled. ²⁵ Even the land was defiled; so I punished it for its sin, and the land vomited out its inhabitants. ²⁶ But you must keep my decrees and my laws. The native-born and the foreigners residing among you must not do any of these detestable things, ²⁷ for all these things were done by the people who lived in the land before you, and the land became defiled. ²⁸ And if you defile the land, it will vomit you out as it vomited out the nations that were before you.?” What were these “ways” that Israel was to refrain from in order to protect the land?

The answer is given in verses 1 – 23 of Leviticus 18, “Sexual Immorality”. Sexual immorality was defiling the land and causing it to vomit out it’s inhabitants. Moses lists five sexual perversions that were corrupting the land and intensifying it’s convulsions. 1. Incest. 40 percent of girls and 30 percent of boys have been molested by a close relative in the United States. 2. Adultery/fornication. Recent studies have shown that between 30 to 60 percent of married couples will have an extramarital affair. By age 20, 75% of Americans will have pre-marital sex; By age 44, that number jumps to 95%. 3. Abortion. 50 million babies have been murdered since the legalization of abortion. 4. Homosexuality. Seven states including several US territories have legalized gay marriage. Movies, sitcoms, plays, and advertising are desperately trying to normalize this behavior. 5. Beastiality. The planet is simply reacting to the rampant sexual immorality in our world. What can we do about it?

Return to biblical sexuality and we will save the planet. Unrestrained passion is polluting the land and wreaking havoc on the earth. The apostle Paul says in Romans 8:19-21 that all of creation is waiting for the revelation of the sons of God so it can be freed from the bondage it has been subjected to.  If you really love the planet, then give your life to Jesus Christ and begin to restore the sanctity of sexuality that God has instituted to protect humanity, society, and the planet.

  

Can Religious Freedom Survive?

Can Religious freedom survive  the current onslaught of sexual devaluation? Today in Washington state the Legislature is votitng to limit religiuos freedom through the passage of gay marriage legislation. She is poised to become the seventh state to legalize gay marriage, which would put her in the same grouping as Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire, New York, Iowa, and District of Columbia.

What is so wrong with gay marriage? Shouldn’t two people of the same gender who love each other be allowed to express their devotion by getting married? Where’s the harm in that? Several concerns can be voiced that have legitimate pause regarding the legalization of gay marriage such as, survival of the human race, sexually transmitted diseases, redefinition of marriage, unrestrained redefinition of marriage, and most importantly, Biblical integrity, but I would like to focus my remarks on an issue that is inevitably headed for a violent collision; ’the coexistence of two diametrically opposed rights’. How long can two legally upheld laws that contradict one another continue to compete before one consumes the other? Sexual freedom and religious freedom are vying for the soul of our country. As more and more states legalize gay marriage, Americans are being forced to choose between religious freedom and sexual freedom. There are noble efforts to synthesize the two, but it will only prolong the unavoidable. In order for the two laws to coexist, freedom of religion must be eradicated or significantly compromised. There is no middle ground. Proliferation of sexual freedom will come at the cost of a foundational principle in this great country. Unless Christians rise up and pray and seek the face of God for America, then we are seeing the beginning of the end.

Let the Battle Begin!

God told the serpent in the garden of Eden, “I will put deep seated hatred between your seed and the seed of the woman. He will bruise your head and you will bruise his heel.” (Gen. 3:15) Since the fall of humanity in the garden of Eden, Satan has been hell-bent on destroying the human race. With reckless rage he roams around seeking whom he may devour. His ultimate goal is to take as many people as possible into eternal damnation with him by deceiving them into believing that he is their friend and God is their enemy. Scores of humanity mistakenly raise their fist against God and continue to drink the “kool-aid” of demonic lies. Without question they follow the drumbeat of the enemy of their souls.

Stop the music! Wake-up! This is a FIGHT not a dance! God said, “We (seed of the woman) will bruise the devil’s head (seed of the serpent)”. Refuse to tolerate satanic harassment of your walk with Christ. God has a divine purpose for all of humanity that was preordained before the foundation of the world (Eph.2:10). The devil is working overtime to derail your destiny because he hates you and longs to see you burn in hell for etenity. But God so loved humanity that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him (Jesus) will not perish but have everlasting life (Jn. 3:16). Don’t get punk’d this year, instead STORM THE GATES OF HELL IN TWO THOUSAND AND TWELVE!

The Anti Christ Spirit Is Alive And Well

The Apostle John in his second epistle verse seven says, “For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an anti-christ.” Several years ago I attended a rally on the campus of Sacramento State University sponsored by a local chapter of the ’Nation of Islam’.  I patiently waited, as the speaker addressed the packed gymnasium. During his speech, he referred to Jesus as a “Prophet” and a “Good man”.  After his presentation, an opportunity was given for questions and answers, so I immediately took my place in line. When I reached the microphone I asked him a few questions. “Do you believe that Jesus was a prophet?” The speaker responded, “yes”. “Do you believe that Jesus was a good man?” “Yes” he said. If Jesus is a prophet and a good man, shouldn’t we listen to what He said about Himself? He agreed. Then I used a bible from  the audience to show him from John 14:1-11 that Jesus describes Himself as God. He shook his head in disagreement and adamantly refused to accept Christ’s own description of Himself as God.

The anti-christ spirit is willing to tolerate a good Jesus, but not a God Jesus. World religions all affirm that Jesus was a good man but they refuse to acknowledge Him as King of kings and Lord of lords.  Mormonism, Hinduism, Islam, Budhism, Jehovah Witnesses, and some sections of the church have all fallen prey to the deception of the anti-christ spirit. Do not settle for a lesser Jesus in order to appear more acceptable to peer and society.  There is an intense and agressive attack by this spirit against the church. Stand up and affirm the testimony that Jesus gives about Himself. He is God and there is no other way to heaven except through Him. Don’t allow the anti-christ spirit to minimize the price Jesus paid on the cross. He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquity, the punishment for our peace was upon Him, and by His stirpes we are healed.  Come to Jesus and receive your spiritual and physical healing. (Isa. 53:5) Blessings!