"The Tip of the GOSPEL SPEAR!"

"It is the ordinary people who are filled with the Holy Spirit."

A spear is a pole weapon used primarily for hunting, fishing and fighting in combat. It has two major functions, 1) to be used in melee hand to hand combat by thrusting and piercing with both hands, and 2) to be thrown like a javelin at an intended target or enemy combatant.

                                             

The tip of the spear is the most important part of the weapon because it the first part of the spear to engage and encounter the enemy. It is the tip of the spear that is the most feared because it can strike a vital organ and disrupt the confidence of the adversary. It can kill immediately upon impact or cause a long, slow death. Either way, the result is the same; elimination of the impending threat.

However, the "tip of the gospel spear" are those that the Lord God has set aside as the remnant that will collect the lost sheep and bring them back to the Shepherd. It is the Holy Ghost that will snatch these jewels from the clutches of the enemy and loose them in the earth as mighty spiritual warriors to be used for the advancement and protection the Kingdom of God.

There is a profound duality to this gospel spear. The same spear that can kill and destroy is the same spear that can prick the hearts of the wicked and bring them to the place of repentance through healing and deliverance in Christ Jesus. This spear (True Believers) can pierce and kill the heathen unto death in the spiritual realm, but avail him the grace to be raised from that death by faith to everlasting life in Christ Jesus.

Are you the Tip of the Gospel Spear or its Intended Target? Selah...

"To Those Walking In DARKNESS: It is YOU, Not SATAN!"

LIVING IN HOLINESS AND RIGHTEOUSNESS IS A CHOICE!

The Holy Spirit (HS) interprets God's will vs. Satan's will for the life of a Christian (those immature  in the faith). A Believer (those mature in the faith) understands this premise and knows that God's Word is the remedy for darkness (Psalms 119:105).

In many instances, choosing light over darkness is a function of the heart and the human condition. The "flesh" (our will to pursue sinful behavior with great enthusiasm and pleasure) is much more than our physical bodies wanting to be satisfied with various lusts. It will take you down a road so dark that "blackness" will be the norm and you won't even know that you are in the dark!

Blackness is that state of being black; of being soiled, dirty; a total absence of light; thoroughly evil and invoking the supernatural. Invoking is "an earnest request or petitioning for help for some outside source." By pursuing the things of the flesh, you are invoking help and support from the kingdom of darkness (thoughts, ideas, dreams and aspirations). It might feel good for a time, but the end is always destruction and death (separation from God) - (2 Cor. 4:1-6).

Appealing to sin gives the evil spirits authority over your heart, mind, body, soul and spirit. Your total being is coming into agreement with the realm of darkness. You are saying to the demons, "I hear what you are telling me to do, let's do it! Just let me know what I need to do to put your plan into action." The enemy inserts his will into the lives of those living in darkness by manipulating your flesh which, in essence, is your will. This is not rocket science, but the individual is hopelessly trapped in iniquity without the HS coming to their rescue! The choice to live a life of holiness and righteousness opens the door for repentance, redemption and reconciliation. In short, a life in the presence of God.

In every instance, while in darkness, you are doing exactly what you want to do, you enjoy it and you don't perceive the activity as sinful because you are blinded by selfishness. The flesh can't respond to God because it is the enemy of God. The flesh is hostile to God. It opposes, antagonizes and resists the things of God in our thoughts, hearts and deeds. God said no flesh would glory in His Presence (1 Cor. 1:29-31).

How corrupt and evil is the heart of man as he pursues life in the spirit of darkness and not the light? The answer can be found in Genesis 6:5-7, 11-13. You have to be dead to miss this! Selah....

"GOD vs. MAN: A WAR of WILL'S!"

Subduing and submitting our will to the Will of God is a major task for most Christians. "Free will" has been the calamity of mankind since the beginning. Our ability to make our own choices without interruption from the One True God has corrupted the heart, mind, soul and spirit of mankind. How often have we heard or said these words, "Not my will, but your will be done" (that is, until we find out that God's will is not what we want to take on at that time).

God's has perfect knowledge of mankind. His will is perfect for our lives. "And this is the will of God, that I should not lose one of all those He has given me, but that I should raise them up in the last day." (John 6:39)

Our will keeps us in reverse; God's will keeps us moving forward!

The key to being in God's perfect will requires complete and total submission to His Will, His Word and His Way. Submission opens up all the vulnerable parts of our lives. In this posture, the Believer is not seeking the "position of God" but, rather, the "presence of God."

It is the small things that hinder our relationship with God; "Catch us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines, for our vines have tender grapes." (Song of Solomon 2:15) It is critical for the Believer to obey God at all costs. Obedience is better than sacrifice. The Believer must write a spiritual "Eviction Notice" to whatever they want to vacate their lives.

Once you enter into the presence of God, the war is over. The white flag is raised. You lay down your weapons of resistance (fear, pride, arrogance, wickedness and deception) and submit to the Father. Once you have been captured by Christ, you are free. Sounds like a paradox doesn't it? Well, it is. Everything in the Kingdom of Heaven works in reverse...

The conclusion of the matter is this, "Obey and be blessed" (Duet. 28:1-14); Disobey, and be...well, you already know how that story ends! Selah...

"True, Unbroken FELLOWSHIP with SIN!"

"But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son, cleanses us from all sin."  (1 John 1:7)

As a whole, mankind is fully committed to a lifetime of sin. Whether it is in a diminished capacity or a full blown assault on the kingdom of darkness, we have unbroken fellowship with sin. But there is a caveat.

No man truly knows what sin is until he is born again. Deliverance from sin is predicated on the spirit that recognizes the nature of the sin that I have inside me (or that you have inside of you). It requires the absolute impartation of God's Perfection (which is the Holy Spirit) for any man to really appreciate the depth and breath of his carnality. 

The conscious sin and the unconscious sin in me are both recognized, identified and understood by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit, in turn, activates the spirit of recognition, repentance and redemption inside of us. The Blood of Christ eliminates the need for God to censure me because the light consumes the darkness so that the light (me, as the new man created by abandoning conscious sin) and the Light (Christ Jesus) can walk together in true, unbroken fellowship with love, peace and joy.

My true, unbroken fellowship with God protects me from falling prey to the tricks of the enemy and creates an "aggressive resistance" to the devil's bag of deception and destroys the true, unbroken fellowship I once had with sin. My goal is the Son; His will and His way.

In the end, a holy and righteous life is our most effective witness to the world (sin). Selah...


"Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us that we should be called sons of God. Therefore the world (sin) does not know us, because it (sin) did not know Him." 
(1 John 3:1)

"FORSAKING the ASSEMBLY of NON-BELIEVERS!"

"And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembly of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching."  (Hebrews 10:24-25)

This scripture has sent an entire generation of Christians down the wrong path of revelation, interpretation and false condemnation for Believers who choose not to attend a house of worship on a consistent basis (for whatever reason). Most often, this scripture is used in reference to indict those wayward Believers without a "church home."

In the Kingdom of God, everything is opposite. You would think that being a non-member of a church would make you an "outsider." However, if you are "in Christ" how can you be "outside the Kingdom?" Since I am "in Christ," that is why I sit on the inside with Christ; 

"...And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus." (Ephesians 2:6)

The congregation (church folk) often misquote this scripture for a few reasons, 1) they heard their church leaders misquote it, 2) they probably never read it for themselves and, 3) they don't understand the revelation of the history, content and context of the scripture.

In the first century, the word "church" represented the "spiritual, invisible body of Believers" and had nothing to do with coming to a building since early Christians met in private homes, in local marketplaces and on hillsides, etc. The "forsaking" reference in this scripture was addressing the early Christians who stayed away from the fellowships out of fear of persecution by the Roman garrison. It was more about "staying alive" than "going to church." They were actually killing Christians for sport (see crucifixions, Roman Colosseum, lion's den, etc.). As a result, many of them were very cautious and afraid while others were bold and fearless.

It wasn't until the third century, during the reign of Constantine, that temples became prominent throughout Christendom and church membership became the paradigm of mankind and not God. Christians demanded temples, idols and gods they could see and touch. I often say, "God doesn't take attendance!" Modern day church membership is inextricably connected to one main ideology; the more members you have, the more money you can make! This is certainly not the kingdom mindset which says, the more members you have, the more you can serve God's people in the marketplace.

The power of Believers' coming together can be great no matter where they meet as long as the focus of the gathering is to point others to Jesus. For the Christians that choose to attend their local churches and fellowship with one another, more power to you. If you believe you are growing spiritually and have discovered your gift and are using that gift to edify the body; keep on keepin' on. 

In my opinion, the preoccupation with church membership is overrated. By overrated I don't mean being a member of a church, I am talking about the concern over how many people attend your church. Too many churches are fixated on numbers. How many people are members. How many "giving units" they have. How many seats are empty at first service. How many people came to the Easter play. This stuff is meaningless. These things are the focus of non-Believers. I will forsake them.

Greedy, man-centered activities and lifeless congregations are rampant inside the Body of Christ. The persistence and prevalence of evil, wickedness and perversion have contaminated the Body and corrupted its witness, influence and integrity. Church leaders fighting over church members leaving, plummeting youth attendance and participation in church activities, bishops sending out eviction notices to delinquent tithers and "down low" ministry leaders leading double lives and deceiving the elect have the modern day church in a downward spiral. 

Again, this appears to me to be the activities of a group of non-Believers. What do you say to this? Are these people and activities something you would forsake? I will never apologize for my forsaking the assembly of non-Believers. I don't want to be anywhere near a group of non-Believers unless they want to hear and learn about the Gospel of Peace. I will forsake them.

So when someone says to me that they are praying for me to find a church home, I have to chuckle. What do I need with a church home when I am a citizen of the Freakin' KINGDOM? Are you kidding me? I am walking out Matthew 25 with other men and women who truly love God. We are impacting systems. We are making a difference in the lives of the disenfranchised. We are a blinding light to the kingdom of darkness.

As for me, I choose to stay in Christ Jesus. He is the Shepherd and Bishop of my Soul (1 Peter 2:25). The spirit led, invisible church is just fine for me. I can't get enough of the fellowship and worship I have with the Holy Ghost. 

The individualized attention ain't bad neither!

"The PATMOS Experience: Adversity in the Spirit!"

When John the Revelator was banished to the Island of Patmos in the Greek Isles 2000 years ago, he took with him the most valuable survival kit one could have...the Holy Spirit! When Rome sent John away in the latter years of his life (around 92 years old), he was the last active member of the original twelve disciples teaching and preaching the gospel. He was banished by the Roman government for believing the Word of God and for giving the testimony of Jesus Christ (Rev. 1:9-11) as Messiah, Savior and Lord.

The Island of Patmos ("my killing" in Greek) was a Roman penal colony created to punish religious and political opponents of the Roman Empire. It was a rocky, desolate and sterile place on the Aegean Sea where most of the inhabitants labored in the local quarries under arduous conditions for life! In Patmos, there was no coming back for most everyone; that is, except for the "Beloved Disciple!" However, a later Roman Emperor who succeeded Domitian freed John from Patmos and he returned to Ephesus where he died of natural causes at almost 100 years of age.

John is a picture of a man with his mind made up. No matter what, he was going to finish the race that God had placed before him. He suffered incredible adversity, hardships and near death experiences. Keep in mind, this was during the time of the pinnacle of Christian persecution amidst the backdrop of the slaughters in the Roman Colosseum, lion dens, crucifixions, banishment's, etc. John even survived being dipped into a cauldron of boiling oil! 

He stood flatfooted in the midst of the pot preaching the gospel of peace to the amazement of the crowd! They were waiting for him to scream, but he never cried out. He just kept on preaching Jesus as the Messiah, Savior and Lord! It is recorded that he won many souls to the kingdom that day. It was his survival of the boiling oil that sent Domitian off the deep end and he subsequently sent John to Patmos as further punishment.

While on Patmos, John suffered great adversity, however he endured. It was in the midst of his trying times that he stole away from the intense middle eastern heat into a cave where the Revelation of Jesus Christ came to him in a vision. 

Most Christians avoid their Patmos Experience like the plague! They don't want the hard times. They don't want the trials and tribulations. They don't want the thing they have most in common with their big brother Jesus; and that is He was roasted, stewed and barbecued for our sin (iniquity: inclination toward sin and manifestation: the act of walking your sin out in real time). Jesus embraced His destiny. His life. ministry and truth was an offense to the hypocrites of His day. Even today, the Word is the same; it still offends those living in darkness!

The hard truth is this: If you don't want adversity, you can't have Jesus! Selah...

"The Spirit of WHITE SUPREMACY!"

There are more than 100 scriptures in the Bible about casting out demons. In fact, demonic possession is very real. More than 25 different scriptures in the New Testament testify of Jesus casting out demons more than any other "miracle" He performed. The demons trembled at His Name and were subject to His every command. He rebuked the spirit of white supremacy even then! I'll tell you how in a few moments; keep reading.

The hard reality is that the spirit of White Supremacy is a very old spirit. It's not new. It didn't just appear out of nowhere and land in the old South. They weren't born during the Civil Rights era and weren't conjured up by Jim Crow. It was not a creation of Adolf Hitler or David Duke. They have been around a very, very, very long time!

Demons are disembodied spirits. They need the permission of a weaker vessel to enter in and occupy that body. The weaker vessel then becomes the host for the demon and ultimately executes all the evil, wickedness and mayhem they can muster. When the demon is through with the weaker vessel, it vacates the host because it has either killed the body or the body has been delivered by the Holy Spirit and therefore cannot coexist in the same body. 

These are the characteristics of the spirit of white supremacy: it is insecure, it is a liar, it is a manipulator, it hangs out with gangs, it is a coward, it hides his face, it is a fear monger, it is ignorant, it is blind, it has an evil heart, it is violent and it has no relationship with the Lord God! 

The simple truth is that the spirit of white supremacy is born of Satan! It is the formation of a legion of demons and imps organized and dispatched by the devil. He gives them their assignments according to the DNA of the demon. I believe that all demons were created at the same time and that they have been waiting their turn in eternity until the heart of man devolved to a new level of perversion or wickedness in order for them to gain entrance into this realm and occupy the body of the host. 

In short, an alcoholic spirit requires an alcoholic body to welcome it in to be its host. The same holds true for a white supremacist spirit. Once the hate, venom and ignorance exceeds a certain level in the heart of man, the imp looks to Satan and shouts out, "Put me in the game Coach!" He then dispatches a legion of angels to that area to overwhelm the citizens and captivate the hearts of those individuals living in darkness. They quickly become a mob; they become agitated and unruly and seek to steal, kill and destroy. Sound familiar?

Satan is the deceiver. He is the father of lies. Satan is an old spirit. He has been around from the foundation of the world. Don't think that the spirit of white supremacy is a new spirit, it is just Satan disguising  himself as the spirit of white supremacy through his evil flunkies to deceive the people, create fear and destroy your faith.

Satan is the modern day "bone collector." How many dry bones can he add to his collection before the sons of God rise up against him and destroy his kingdom? The Holy Spirit spoke to the Prophet Ezekiel and asked him a very profound question, "Son of Man, can these dry bones live?"

The Spirit directs us to prophesy to the "bones" (flesh) and to the "breath" (spirit) of mankind.  Speak to the spirits in God's authority, not your own authority. Speak with boldness and clarity as did Zeke and Jeremiah. As we minister with the love of God, we have been given the opportunity to have our graves opened, be raised from the dead, receive His Spirit and regain the land that we lost (regain our place in His heart) as sons of the Most High. (Ezekiel 37:1-14)