"The ROMANS ROAD versus the DAMASCUS ROAD!"

The Romans Road (RR) and the Damascus Road  (DR) are controversial subjects within the Kingdom of God; but for several different reasons...

The RR has long been the course of travel for the wandering soul looking for salvation and redemption from a life of sin and darkness. This road has been paved with the smooth words of the evangelist seeking to sway the lost to the feet of Jesus by quoting several scriptures and water baptism. The individual can travel the RR with little or no resistance. This road is safe and devoid of peril and darkness. It is the road of deception, Salvation is NOT the end game; not the end of the road; it is NOT the culmination of your journey...not by a long shot. This road has rest stops and way stations and exits with all the creature comforts for the distressed individual...but where is the Lord God?

                                                                        Romans Road

The DR however is is a different "kettle of fish" altogether.  The DR is a road replete with danger, treachery, deception and adversity. This road is winding, rough and dangerous. It changes elevation and is riddled with strangers seeking to do harm to the weary nomads who unsuspectingly take a turn down the wrong path. On the DR, the individual will encounter the Lord God. You see, the DR is the road of choice for Christ Jesus. It is the road of testing, trials and probation. The road of communion with the Son of God. The road of redemption and, ultimately, peace. The inescapable road where He will meet you and confront your sin...He'll even take it (your sin) away if you give it to Him.

                                                                     Damascus Road

When the Lord met Saul on the DR, He simply asked the question of him, "Why do you torment Me?" The Romans Road keeps you at the "Man Level" (physical realm) where man is limited in all he does as contrasted to the Damascus Road which promotes you to the "God Class" (spiritual realm) where there are no limitations!

Too often, Christians become "innocent bystanders" on the RR and leave little or no impact on the lives of people they come in contact with. The Believer who is entrenched on the DR is an "active participant" in the defense and demonstration of the Gospel among God's people in the marketplace.

Which road are you on in your spiritual walk? What answer will you have for Christ when He asked you the same question He asked Saul on the DR? "___________ (Your name goes here) why do you torment (resist, deny, ignore and defy) me? Selah...

"STEWARDSHIP of the GOSPEL!"

The Holy Spirit has entrusted each Believer with "stewardship" (care taking) of the Gospel of the KOG (Kingdom of God) (1 Cor. 9:17). We are to DEFEND the Gospel (by becoming astute readers of the Word of God so that we have the ability to RECOGNIZE and CORRECT ERROR in the administration, dispensation or teaching of the Perfect Law of Liberty (Gal. 2:7) (Acts 15:1-21).

God's stewardship marks us as ministers of the Gospel (Col 1:25) and as such, we have been APPROVED by God and conversely we are to be COMMITTED to that same Gospel that was entrusted to each of us from the foundation of the world (Titus 1:3).

Stewardship is ("sar") in Hebrew, #8269 (Strong's Concordance) and is defined as a head person of any rank or class; a captain (ruler ship); chief; general, governor, keeper, lord, task master, prince, principal ruler, steward. It denotes the ability to exercise dominion. In the Greek, the word is translated "epitropos" #2012 or "full power."  I love that! That delineates the fact that we have been given the same power (not a diluted version) from God that He gave to Christ. THE VERY SAME POWER TO REIGN, RULE AND DESTROY THE KINGDOM OF DARKNESS! 

Wow! You have to be dead to miss that! The question remains, "Do you want the power?" And, if He gave it to you what would you do with it?

God has given us PERMISSION to TRANSFER that same power and AUTHORITY. It is a LICENSE to DOMINATE in the marketplace paid in full by the sacrifice of Jesus on Golgotha...Selah!

"LAZARUS is NOT DEAD!"

So much of what we experience as Believers has to do with our "toggling" back and forth between "perception and reality" or more specifically, FEAR versus FAITH!

In the Gospel of John, Chapter 11 we have no better example of how selfishness and fear can obliterate faith and totally alter our present realities. Here we have Martha and Mary in a panic because their brother Lazarus ("God has helped" in Hebrew) is sick unto death. They wanted Jesus to come to Bethany and be in their presence "physically." As if His wonder working power could only be activated if He was in their proximity. There is a profound lesson here. Don't miss it! (The Lord is omnipresent)!

Jesus' message of belief in the Father and His Word seemed to have fallen on deaf ears. Never mind the wonders and miracles that they had witnessed first hand at the feet of the Lord. They had totally disregarded that this was the Man that the Chief priests, Pharisees and Sadducee's wanted to murder because of His opposition to their wicked hearts and religious manipulation of God's Law. That His countless acts of love and grace and peace that had liberated thousands had somehow been forgotten in this one moment in time. What does the Lord have to say to you to get you to remove your "grave clothes?"

Could it be that we all suffer from the same disease? It is called being "myopic" or "shortsighted." It is not our eyes but our words that set us free from the bondage of sin and death. It is the words, "I BELIEVE!" that catapult us into new dimensions in relationship with Christ Jesus and bring joy to God Almighty. In John 11:35, "Jesus wept." was a seismic reaction by the Master to His disgust that even the people in His "inner-circle" didn't KNOW HIM! He wasn't sad over the death of Lazarus because He had just said, "Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake Him up." (John 11: 11) 

Faith is a verb. It is an action word. Faith is ambulatory (always moving forward). The words of Christ preceded Him that day to Bethany. When He said, "Lazarus is not dead, but only sleeping" it was the words that He spoke that sealed the fate of His dear friend. What words has the Lord God spoken over your life that you have ignored, doubted or rejected? What are you afraid of? What part of your life has the spirit of Lazarus taken hold?

Lazarus was "raised from the dead" (but later he died) but Jesus stated boldly, "I AM the Resurrection and the Life!" (the owner of the keys to the Kingdom). There is a profound difference between these two declarations.

...It is matter of LIFE or DEATH!

"DEBT-FREE in LOVE!"

When I contemplate all of the reasons why we as humans have such a difficult time getting along, it almost always comes back to the conclusion that we DO NOT LOVE OURSELVES. A cursory review of the dynamics of human interaction confirm my contention. War, rumors of war, chaos, despair, murder, vanities, covetousness, bribery, thievery, etc. all point to the rapid deterioration and unraveling of the fabric of love.

Remember the commandment from the Moral and Ceremonial Laws decreed by the LORD in Lev. 19:18, "...you shall love your neighbor as yourself." It was and is a clarion call to all Believers (and mankind as well) to hold oneself in high regard, be respectful and carry yourself with dignity and humility. It is the perspective of God that an individual who cares for himself would and should do the same for others.

The first Commandment is for all Believers to LOVE GOD above all things (Mark 12:28) and through obedience to this declaration, the Believer will find peace in loving his neighbor; both familiar and unfamiliar.

The Prophet Isiah contested that we do not love one another (that is, serve one another) because we do not view one another as our own flesh and blood. In short, if we don't know you, we don't love you. If your last name ain't Martin, we can't help you! So we go on as nomads wandering with no place to call home or to be embraced and nurtured during our time of desperation and pain.

I love it when the Apostle Paul says this, "Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law." (Romans 13:8) The transference of love is a "free gift" from God. The emotion of love is innate (born in us). It is CULTIVATED through relationship with MAN and PERFECTED through relationship with GOD.

If you don't owe anyone anything then you are "DEBT-FREE." And since love is FREE, there are no limits to its access or its transference. My simple question is, "Are YOU debt free in LOVE?"


"...And now abides faith, hope and love: these three. But the greatest of these is LOVE." 
                                                                                                                 (I Cor. 13:13)

"The Spirit of ELIJAH: Follow the ANCIENT PATH!"

The Spirit of the Lord is always in pursuit of the generations. The sons and daughters who are willing to take the vision of the Kingdom of God and run with it! There is ONLY ONE VISION in the KOG and that is of the Lord God! 

The KOG is in dire need of "FATHERS" whom the entire earth travails for the revelation of these sons to take their rightful place as leaders in our homes, families, communities and governments (Romans 8). 

These spirit-filled Fathers are fearless to the desperation of this world and its opposition to the things of God. Their presence evokes trembling to the spirit of darkness and their authority creates power and glory for God's people in the marketplace. The spirit of Elijah manifests "Fatherhood." It represents peace, love and joy in the Holy Spirit; it fosters the mindset of the Fathers turning their hearts to their children (not only their biological children...but ALL CHILDREN!) You cannot "take the city" without the MEN (Fathers)!

The Body of Christ requires men who have an intense desire to be made disciples and, in turn, make more disciples. This same spirit is rooted and grounded in "duplication" whereby the individual must replicate Christ in the earth; His Way, His Truth and His Life! Elijah represents the "ancient path" (foundation, structure, reverence) of God's original intent for His sons and daughters. The ancient path of Elijah will place the "heart of a Father" in ALL MEN! The ancient path will always honor the "Order of God" and will create an obsession with building stronger families.

Abraham's response to his "call to Fatherhood" claimed the Lord God, not only for his household but, for ALL NATIONS to this very day and forever! The "generational transfer" of faith, love and hope from fathers to their children sustains the power, presence and peace of God in the life of a Believer.

Elijah as an OT patriarch is an effective model because of his relationship with his son Elisha who, not only "walked with God" but did twice as much as his father did to advance the KOG. Elijah is also a "type and shadow" of Christ!

The Spirit of Elijah is simply a "portrait" of a Father who knows how to love his sons..."