God's Favor Requires Embracing God's Truth!

Jeremiah 2:8, “The priests said not, Where is the LORD? and they that handle the law knew me not: the pastors also transgressed against me, and the prophets prophesied by Baal, and walked after things that do not profit.”

The priests, pastors and prophets lead the way for Judah into apostasy. Through the words of Jeremiah, God was revealing a pathway to victory. But there is only one way to secure God’s favor. Judah must acknowledge their defiance of God’s law and return to God in repentance and submission. Through the prophet Jeremiah, God was pleading with Judah to return to Him and to His Favor.

What is the parallel for today? The leaders of the churches in America have led the way toward apostasy! The leadership of the churches in this nation must bear the responsibility for the conditions in the churches. A congregation will not rise above their leader. Then, it becomes the responsibility of those leaders to represent God’s Truth in word and deed. Godly leaders will lift up God’s standard which is God’s Truth. True leaders are co-workers with the Lord Jesus Christ through the abiding presence of the Holy Ghost. God said that He would lift up His standard when the enemy comes in an overwhelming force. “So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.” Isaiah 59:19

We are experiencing now the onslaught of the dark forces released from the Satanic abyss. The enemy is angry that the Church of Jesus Christ would dare to rise up and oppose him. But now is the time for that very thing. Every pastor, leader and congregation has been pressed by the will of a carnal society to accept all people and lifestyles. This external influence has pressed into the Church creating internal conflict. The pressure of inclusion and compromise has led to a deviation from God’s Truth.

However, God has a standard for us to embrace, accept and model if we are to name the name of Christ. God’s standard is Holiness. God requires repentance and a turning away from sin to the holiness of God’s Truth. Ephesians 5:25, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” Godly leaders must preach the glorious Gospel of God’s Truth. Jesus is returning for His Church made ready by the washing of the Word that His Church may be presented to Him Holy and without Blemish.

The Light Of Jesus Dispels Darkness! by Myra Boozer

I love the mornings when I open my blinds and the sun comes pouring in. It just makes my day and I rejoice in the warmth of God's love to all mankind. It is not only warm it is beautiful and makes all things beautiful. Sometimes the clutter in my room doesn't look so challenging. This prayer came to me this morning for our world...

Lord may we open the blinds of our heart and allow you to SHINE in our world. Darkness has hovered for a night and the cries for help are getting louder. The lonely, the sick, the forsaken and forgotten cry out against the pit that has them bound. The prisoners held by sin cry out for freedom...Freedom to be forgiven, loved and restored!

Who will open the blinds Lord and reveal the rays of Hope, the Light of Jesus that dispels darkness? Who will ARISE and open the blinds, the shield that covers our windows. Lord we are given opportunity NOW in this season to be that person to allow YOUR LIGHT to come forth. It will come with a sudden burst of great force when we allow your Spirit to direct and strengthen us. I know only the strong will do this. Help us to be STRONG IN THE POWER OF YOUR MIGHT as we ARISE like a Warrior with the Helmet of Salvation, the Shield of Faith, and the Sword of the Spirit.

Help us Lord to equip ourselves with your Armor for the challenge before us..Our world is in great need of your LIGHT, the Light that dispels all darkness. Help us to be your hands reaching the lost and your feet to carry the "GOOD NEWS..." our mouth to speak Your Word which is Truth.... that it will set the captive free, heal the sick and bind up the brokenhearted....Lord help us, your Children to Arise at your command...Amen!

 

I Have Set Before You An Open Door! Part 2

Revelation 3:8, “I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it...”

The Body of Christ cannot continue today with business as usual! God has opened a temporary window for the Church to call upon His Name and return to Theocratic rule. God is calling us back to His leadership as the collective Body of Christ. Jesus commissioned the Church to preach the Gospel Message. In Matthew 28:19 Go...and teach all nations...20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you...” Christs’ command was to adhere to all that He had commanded them.

Jude felt it necessary to write to the Church in the 1^st Century and encourage them to earnestly contend for the faith. That faith being the Truth of God as spoken and exemplified in the life of Jesus Christ. Jude 1:3, “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. 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...11 Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core. 12 These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; 13 Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.”

Cain, because of his rejection of God’s provision positioned himself against God’s will and leadership. Balaam was a hired prophet who used deceit to further his own personal agenda. Korah rebelled against the Godly authority. All these were an issue in the 1^st Century Church and Paul warned of the same conditions in the last days. 2Timothy 3:1, “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, 7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 8 Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. 9 But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.” Jude observed these conditions inside the Church and Paul prophesied that these conditions would manifest themselves inside the Church in the last days.

Somewhere along the path to finish the commission given to us, the Church began to depart from the faith which was once delivered to the saints. Every pastor, leader and congregation has been pressed by the will of a worldly society to include all men in the Church regardless of their relationship with Jesus Christ. However, to be a follower of Christ, one must be a disciple of Christ. To be a disciple of Christ is to accept His Truth and reflect that Truth in one’s life as a reflection of Christ. Only then is one acceptable to Christ. That is what is meant by a person accepting Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Until such a time, one’s life is preserved solely by the mercy and grace of God. (to be continued)

 

An Open Window! by Myra Boozer

Many are talking about the reprieve that we in America have been given..A short window, the interval during which something can be done, in this case, concerning our freedom of religion and speech...It is because of the newly elected President who is pushing for Christian rights...No one knows how long this window will be open...It's not a pretty picture because evil raises its ugly head when the Word of God is spoken, through the reading or quoting of the Bible...or sung by an anointed ambassador of Jesus Christ.

When hearts are touched and tears are shed, when wrongs are made right and the paths are made straight the enemy gets MAD... Angry enough to destroy property and set fires, to curse and talk of bombings, to pull innocent people into their arena and plunder this country with filthy talk and posters... Degrading this country by declaring the right to take innocent lives... to adamantly go against the Laws of God and push their agenda to be free to commit murder.

Some are saying time for actions from the Christians. Our actions must come from our Commander n Chief. His Word tells us that the Battle is the Lord's...We are only to be ready with our armor in place...Ready to Stand and be the Standard that the Lord himself will raise up against this flood of the enemy..

We are to sanctify (to make free from sin) ourselves by submitting ourselves unto God...so God can use us in the last day's Harvest of souls. We must be fueled by the fire of the Holy Spirit and armed with the Word of God. Loving the sinner but hating the sin...Becoming the Light on the hill for all to see Jesus...We know how this all ends...Good will win...Truth will prevail over evil...Justice will be served BUT those not repentant will be doomed...So the battle cry is to stand in the power of HIS might and speak HIS Truth...Don't seek revenge because vengeance is mine saith the Lord...Souls are at stake and we must be wise during this hour to proclaim the word of God. According to the book of Acts, we need to give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word...As God shut the window in the Ark...He will shut this window and no man will be able to open it...Time to get READY...

I Have Set Before You An Open Door!

Revelation 3:8, “I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. 9 Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. 10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. 11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.”

The Body of Christ cannot continue with business as usual! God has set the stage for His final events. The Church in America bears the responsibility for the destiny of this nation. Will we continue our prayer meetings and with our whole heart seek God for Revival in America? Are we willing to sacrifice our time and energy to bring a Spiritual Awakening and a breaking forth of the Light of God? Are we willing to commit our all to the work of Christ that we can have Revival in our local churches and in our families?

The Body of Christ cannot continue with business as usual! There is too much at stake. Satan is angry because the Children of God would dare to rise up against him. He is releasing the powers of darkness in every venue in the public and private arena. But, Satan, the Name of the Jesus is against you! 1 John 4:1, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: 3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. 4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. 5 They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. 6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.”

The Body of Christ must rise up in the power and authority of Jesus Christ and proclaim victory in Jesus Name. Jesus said, “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;” Isaiah 61:1. He conveyed the same power to the Church in Matthew 28:18, “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20Teaching 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.” We are challenged to receive the power of the Lord Jesus Christ in the person of the Holy Ghost and to GO and bind up the brokenhearted, bring liberty to the captives, open the prisons to them that are bound. Go and go in the power of Jesus Name! Amen!

(continued)

Jesus Is Our Standard!

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 fulness of Christ: 14That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 15But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: 16From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.”

A bench mark is something that serves as a standard by which others may be measured or judged. Jesus is our bench mark, He is our base line, He is our standard for living. We must go to Him every day to put our lives and all things in them into proper focus. We must begin in Him and with Him. It is there that we receive insight and instruction for our assignment. It is there that we receive spiritual strength and motivation for the mission ahead. We should not attempt to move forward without His guidance and anointing. He prepares the table before us in the presence of the enemy. We shall eat and drink from His table and prevail before our enemy. Jesus is our strength and our victory. He leads us beside the still waters and restores our soul. He is our source, our strength, our redeemer and in Him we can trust today and every day as Christ Jesus, our Lord. Thank you God for the assurance that only you can give!

Jesus is our bench mark. He established His position in Gethsemane. He came to die but all flesh is appointed to death. But in Gethsemane, Jesus submitted to death, He chose to die as the Son of man to prove that He is the Son of God. The fleshly man would die but the Spirit man would live on. That is what happens when we meet Jesus at the cross. We submit to death. We choose death to the fleshly man so the Spirit man can live on. But, we must go through our Gethsemane to get there. We must come to the end of ourselves and allow Christ to take charge of our lives. We are literally consenting to the death of the flesh that we can experience life in the Spirit through Christ. Gal. 2:20, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

Truth Is God's Standard!

Isaiah 59:14, “And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter. 15Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey: and the LORD saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment.”

There is a delicate balance in pursuing God into the revelation of His Truth and pursuing our own inspiration. The determining factor is the anointing of the Holy Ghost. God will anoint His Truth and Holy Ghost inspiration but He will not anoint human concepts that are born out of our carnal intellect. His anointing signifies recognition and approval, therefore, He will not anoint theology born out of the flesh. We must secure the anointing of God upon our message. If not our message is not God's message and is not His Truth. The goal for all should be to be one with Christ and a herald of His Truth.

There is much to be said about the influence of our religious heritage. However, we must not be stuck (consumed) in religious tradition. But neither can we lose the spiritual virtue of past generations. Consequently, let us mine the golden nuggets of Truth left for us by those who have preceded us and reach to God with our greatest determination to receive revelation of His Truth. Only then can we walk in fullness of joy!

It is important to understand that all of us are continuing to evolve into the people that God desires that we become. And just as important that we understand that the Bride of Christ continues to evolve. Eph. 5:25, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” Paul says that Christ loves the Church and gave Himself for it that the process of making herself ready might be accomplished by washing of the Word. God's plan for the Body is set in stone IE., in the Word. The Word is God’s Truth and it will not change but we, the frail human characters that we are must find His perfect plan. (continued)