"The MAZE of TEMPTATION!"

"...There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus,[a] who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh,..." (Romans 8:1-3)

A man that pursues the "lust of the flesh" is subject (controlled and manipulated by it) to the point of the inability to recognize what they are doing. That man is carnal and condemned to death. The carnal man is an enemy of God. Carnality impedes our ability to see and "hear" the voice of God.

Every turn in a maze is confronted by a WALL.

Once you enter into a maze, you can never stop moving if you expect to get out. Inside of a maze, there is no charted direction. Using the analogy of a "mouse" as a "man", the mouse never stops and reflects, he just hits one brick wall after another.

God's perspective on our movements in this experiment reflects the similar perspective of the scientist as he observes the mouse laboring to figure his way out of the labyrinth of walls. Unlike the mouse, God can see the "way of escape." (1 Cor. 10:1-3)

God has afforded each of us a way of escape from temptation (through the leading and guiding of the power of the Holy Spirit). He also has given us examples of what has happened to those who have fallen prey to temptation. Most of us don't need any help in the area of recognizing and acknowledging the walls we have erected ourselves through lawlessness and disobedience.

The only way out of the maze is for the Hand of God to reach down and pluck us out AFTER allowing us to experience adversity, brokenness in our prideful spirits, immersion into sincere repentance and submission by faith into walking along side the Holy Spirit as He rescues us from ourselves and leads us into the Presence of the King of Glory!  Selah...

"The Nature of SIN and LIGHT!"

NO man truly knows what "sin" is until he is born again! Deliverance from SIN is predicated on the spirit of recognition that identifies the nature of the sin that I have within me. It takes the absolute impartation of God's perfection for any man or woman to know what sin is.

The "conscious sin" and the "unconscious sin" within me are both recognized, identified and understood by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit, in turn, activates the spirits of recognition, repentance and redemption within us. It is our obsession with pleasing God that forces us into righteousness. We are compelled to serve God because of our love for Him. The thought of enduring separation from God is unbearable for His sons. Sin separates us from the heart, mind and hand of God.

The Blood of Christ eliminates the need for God to censure me because the "light" will consume the "darkness." In doing so, the light in me can dwell with the "Light" (Christ) together in holiness. In this instance, the Light represents "unbroken fellowship" with the Father (1 John 1:7).

The key to being recognized as a son of God in the marketplace is for all Believers to "demonstrate" Christ through our lives, which is our most effective witness (1 John 3:1). The end result is the destruction of sin and the creation of light, which is the true nature of a child of God.

"FAITH without WORKS is DEAD!"

"...But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead." (James 2:20)

Have you not heard that "...without faith it is impossible to please to God." (Heb. 6:11). Do not confuse the fact that you will be qualified to enter into the Kingdom of God (KOG) solely on your "service" in the marketplace. Your service or "works" is the physical and tangible application of faith; faith and works maintain a symbiotic relationship.

Works is the "channel" through which the Holy Spirit (HS) works. It is the declaration to move forward in faith. Faith activates the Word of God (WOG). Faith is the "currency" in the KOG. Faith is the forward motion that creates glory for God.

The "glory" is created because God receives the manifestation of His original thought and intent. It is only glorified if it is what God desires, not what man desires for God. Anytime you are in a "dunamis" (Greek work for "dynamite" or "explosive power") or dynamic posture, applying the WOG, God is glorified because that is what He wants (Acts 1:8).

The "kerygmatic" (Greek for " a bold declaration of truth") call to "...Go ye therefore and make disciples" was NOT a request. It was a clarion call for men and women to move out and away from the comfortable and familiar into the unknown and unfamiliar to apply your faith to your works so He can receive glory from your movement.

In other words, FAITH + MOVEMENT = GLORY FOR GOD!

"The Passionate Devotion of SERVICE!"

In John Chapter 21, Jesus feeds his disciples and gives them yet another profound lesson in FAITH and SERVICE. Jesus proclaims that conversion to the faith comes through "passionate service to the sheep" which is "discipleship." Later on in the day, after they had eaten physical food, the Lord unctions them to "Feed My Lambs" (those young in the faith needing to be nurtured and cultivated in and by the Word of God) and then he asked Peter if he loved Him. Peter said, Yes Lord, you know that I love You." Jesus then answered and said, "If you love me, Tend My Sheep" (those more mature in the Word, yet still needing guidance to avoid the craftiness of the devil).

"Service"is NOT what we DO in the way of Christian work; Christ calls service in the KOG what we ARE to HIM, NOT what we do FOR Him. Discipleship is based upon "stewardship" to Christ not on adherence to a belief or creed.

Your source of DEVOTION is directly correlated to your ability to say, "Now I see who Jesus is!" when touched by the Holy Spirit (this would include being provoked by the spirit of recognition, spirit of conviction and/or the spirit of correction). Why are so many Christians committed to "personal beliefs and causes" versus "spiritual maturity and total submission to Jesus Christ?"

The answer is this; people want to be devoted to Jesus, but NOT to His "CAUSE." The Body of Christ (BOC) DOES NOT WANT JESUS in any other way than as a "comrade." The "Cause of Jesus" equals obedience to the will of God the Father; not the needs of wicked men. Serving the cause of humanity will lead to exhaustion, frustration and carnality for the Believer. Subsequently, our love for our brothers and sisters may falter.

However, if I am devoted to Christ I can serve humanity tirelessly though I be unappreciated, lied on, used and scorned. Persecution goes with the territory. It is that part of fellowship with the Savior that in INESCAPABLE! By serving God's people in the marketplace, we glorify Him. By loving God's people in the marketplace, we love Him.

On the subject of persecution, it is the Believers "badge of honor." Selah...

"...I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains [just one grain; it never becomes more but lives] by itself alone. But if it dies, it produces many others and yields a rich harvest." (John 12:24 AMP)

"Do You Smell SMOKE?"

Many Christians are under the impression that the apparatus that stands on the stages of most churches around the nation are "altars" when, in fact, they are "pulpits." There is a profound difference between an altar and a podium.

The one is orchestrated by God (altar) and the other is orchestrated by man (pulpit).

                                              Do you have one of these in your church?

Wait a minute, you mean to tell me that all this time I have NOT been going to the altar in prayer? And that I have been laying my tithe on the "steps" and not the altar? I am sad to report that you have been duped, bamboozled, run-a-muck and just plain 'ole snookered!

You see my friend, the purpose of the altar was to present a worthy or "qualified" sacrifice to God to atone for the sins of mankind. In the OT, it was the brazen alter specifically although many believers built altars of various kinds in order to honor God for His goodness. In our case, the Lamb that was slain from the foundation of the world (Jesus Christ) was placed on the altar by God (Elohim) to reconcile mankind back to Himself. The Word of God said He (Christ) did this "ONCE" for "ALL."  It was the "SMOKE
?"
So the question on the floor is, "Why are you still going to the altar when you have direct access to God?" Don't you know that your DEBT has already been PAID IN FULL? How many times have you gone back to the dealership to make a payment on your car after your debt has been paid in full? How do you think the GM at the dealership would look at you if you continually came back time after time? I submit to you that your Pastor should be looking at you the same way!

When are you going to graduate from the elementary things in Christ and become a mature Believer?

The purpose of the altar was to generate a fire so intense as to literally consume the flesh (symbolic of persecution and suffering) of the animal. The burning of the flesh generated "smoke" that ascended to the spirit realm into the nostrils of God! The smoke of the burning flesh was pleasing to God as it symbolized the "reconciliation of mankind" back to Himself, the atonement of sin and pure worship for a Holy God.

The futility of the pulpit is that it is created by man and therefore it has no power to reconcile sin. It is only a platform for a man or women to preach. The pulpit cannot absorb the weight of man's folly or disseminate the glory that comes from intimacy with God. The pulpit cannot generate any real fire to consume the flesh of our wretched hearts, foul mouths and filthy minds. It is merely a piece of wood, metal frame or block of Formica to hold the bible, water and notes of the speaker. It will one day fade away and break into pieces and need to be replaced. It will be discarded and forgotten.

But when God places you on the altar in the "Secret Place" in the Presence of the Holy Spirit, it is His intent for you to burn. He glories in our suffering and persecution as it builds character and qualifies us as "Kingdom Citizens." God has zero concern for our mortal bodies. He is not enamored with our flesh. The fact that you are uncomfortable or stressed out means absolutely nothing to the King of Glory!

So as you enter in through His gates into His courts, gird up your loins as He simply asks the Believer the hard question, "Do you smell smoke?"

"FIND your SECRET PLACE: Don't CALCULATE Without GOD!"

"Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass." 
                                                                            (Psalm 37:5)

CALCULATE: figure out, surmise, reason, quantify, qualify, predict, manage, reconcile, tally or conclude...

This scripture admonishes us not to calculate without God. It encourages us not to calculate with "evil" in view. It implores us not to calculate with a "rainy day" insight or perspective. The one thing that keeps us from the possibility of worry is bringing God into the "equation" as the greatest "factor" in all of our calculations.

The Apostle Matthew warns us not to worry about our lives (Matt. 6:25-34).  In this sense, "worry" equates to "calculate." Worry leads to "double-mindedness" which forces the Believer to make a choice; do I choose my way or God's way? Where do we make the investment? Do we wallow in the pleasures of today or do we store up our treasures for eternal glory in the Presence of the Lord God? It's hard to say. The choice would be easy if we weren't trapped in these wretched physical bodies. Praise be to God that He has delivered us from these carnal "earth suits" with the promise of eternity.

The "congregation" contaminates the process of fellowship with God! I know this is hard to hear, but just check the record. Like a sheep being led astray by a wolf (the wolf leads the sheep AWAY from the Shepherd), the behavior in a "group dynamic" does not promote "individualism." If an individual truly desires an intimate relationship with God, he MUST seek Him in the "secret place."  God has reserved a secret place in Himself for every Believer. That place might be walking alone on a warm, sandy beach, a long drive in the country, doing laps in the pool or just sitting quietly in the early morning before anyone else in the house is awake.

Corporate worship does not satisfy our individual thirst for God; nor does it satisfy God's desire for fellowship with us. I always say the "church" is appealing to the sinner, because it is "very easy to hide in a crowd." I am not being cynical, but it's just the hard truth. Crowds are great for sinners and cowards. You see my friend, when you enter into the Most Holy Place, there is no where to hide! When you go "mano a mano" (hand to hand) with the Creator, you MUST come correct. 

The reason why most "Christians" shy away from the "secret place" is because they know for a fact that if they take their sin into the Presence of God, HE WILL DEFINITELY TAKE THAT SIN AWAY! We LOVE OUR SIN too much to risk entering into the Presence of the Lord God! Therein lays the "illusion of safety" created within a congregation.

The true miracle of fellowship with God is that He is omnipotent (all powerful), omniscient (all knowing) and omnipresent (ever present). The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is our spiritual connection to God's heart, voice and ears. Spirit man to Spirit man. 

This is the essence of fellowship with God in the secret place; that you have the ability to remove yourself from the "glory of self gratifying corporate dalliances" under the guise of "worship."

"The ELIMINATION of the MIDDLE MAN in the BOC!"

I know we all remember the game as a kid in grade school when the teacher would whisper something in the ear of one of our classmates and then tell that kid to "pass it along" to the next person. As you know, by the time the message traveled around the room to the last person it had little or no resemblance to the "original message."

When the teacher told us what the "original message" was, we all laughed in disbelief trying to figure out which one of the 25 miniature "middle men" misinterpreted the message. We can learn a few things from this childhood exercise:

1. All people "hear" things differently.
2. Everything is subject to "personal interpretation",
3. Messages can be easily manipulated when using an "intermediary," and,
4. You can never truly know the "intent of the heart" of the messenger (except Christ).

In many instances, a "middle man" can be an unreliable witness. There are far too many variables that can effect one's life that can corrupt their personal message to another individual or group. As a "Believer," God has given us "unfettered access" to the Throne of Grace. 

The Word of God says, "Then behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom..." (Matt. 27:51a)

The "veil" represents uninterrupted "access" to an intimate fellowship with God. You see, the Old Testament temple had two veils or curtains; one in front of the "Holy Place" and the other separating the Holy Place from the "Most Holy Place." It was the second of these veils that was torn, which demonstrated that God had opened up access to Himself through the "blood sacrifice" of Jesus Christ at Calvary (Heb 6:19; 10:19-22). "ONLY GOD" could have torn the veil from the TOP!

As a result, there was no longer a need for a priest (middle man) to go before the Lord to "represent" you or me. We no longer have to trust that the behavior of others would be upright so that our lives would be spared. Most importantly, the tearing of the veil introduced the paradigm of "FAITH" in real-time which afforded us the opportunity to relinquish "FEAR" and freed us from the shackles of the enemy.

The modern day example of this is that believers DO NOT have to wait until Sunday morning or Wednesday evening to encounter the Lord. He made the incredible "deposit" of His Spirit in EVERY BELIEVER! You also have the "mind of Christ" (which is His Word)!

It is imperative that men and women of faith seek the Lord God for themselves and NOT rely on any man or woman exclusively (pastors, prophets, apostles or bishops) to convey the message of the gospel to them without being sure to "test the spirits (1 John 4:1)."  That is not to say that we cannot learn from others or strengthen one another as iron sharpens iron, but rather, be "intentional" about your fellowship with God and take the time to study the Word and meditate on its precepts for yourself in order to "show yourself approved "(qualified to enter into the Presence of God, receive His instructions and then GO into the marketplace to complete your assignment by serving God's people in need). 

Selah...