Living Word Christian Fellowship
“That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving...” Psalm 26:7
Vol. 16, No. 2 February 2007
The fire of God has spread nationwide, even worldwide. Everyone is experiencing this. What we must remember is why?
Do you remember Nebuchadnezzar’s arrogant pride of building a 60 foot statue of himself so everyone would worship him? Of course, we know three fellows that refused. So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown into the fire with their hands bound. Now God shows us what is happening. The people of God have had their hands tied, waiting and waiting for deliverance. So God is now answering that request. Of course, it is His way and not ours. As the fire burns all the bondages are burning as well. Everything that cannot withstand the fire is burning. If we hold too tight we might get burned. But for those who have found the freedom that comes in trusting the Lord we gladly let go of those things that have tied our hands in service to the King.
Since the Lord has been so gracious to prepare us for this time I am finding a new level of wisdom and release. I am not afraid of what is coming. I fear the Lord greatly and am excited to see His glory being revealed. For you, my friend, quickly let the fire of God burn away that which holds you from entering into a new day with the Lord. You might as well learn to accept the ways of God. We have had our way long enough.
In Christ,
Pr. Steve
What Are You Preparing For?
Amos 5:18-19 “Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! to what end [is] it for you? the day of the LORD [is] darkness, and not light. (19) As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him.”
Two very distinct messages are going forth today from the church. The one is heaven, the other is the earth. One is not the scriptural land of promise, the other is. So what are you prepared for? Muslims believe heaven to be the goal of salvation. Are Christians any different from the religions of the world?
Satan wants us out of here so he can continue to “eat the dust” of human flesh. Satan believes the earth is his so he will pervert the truth, because there is no truth in him. So he will continue to rule over this place until the church wakes up.
This text, along with others, shows the day of the Lord as something horrendous. Joel 2:1-2 says it is a day of “darkness and gloom, clouds and blackness.” Revelations reveals the terror of that day, but it culminates with an army of believers prepared in righteousness and truth and glory.
Most of the teaching today does not prepare us for the day of the Lord. I want to share some myths that have been preached about eternity that are not Biblical:
· Praising God for 10,000 years. (Most people can’t do it for 15 minutes at a time.) Are you really looking forward to this or does it make you tired just thinking about it?
· Mansions that you get to do anything you want with. (Do you really want to be alone or would you rather live in a shack with someone who loves you and cares about your deepest needs?)
· Play sports. (Who is going to win? Does everyone win, where is the competition?)
· Eating fruit. It has been said, that in heaven when you eat fruit the juice doesn’t soil your robe.
· Armageddon. When you fight in the war you don’t get dirty. Besides only Christ does the fighting. Does anyone care if he gets dirty?
· Eating anything, without getting fat or having a heart attack.
· No income tax in heaven.
Can you imagine going from mansion to mansion having barbeques and eating ice cream and watermelon and never getting a stomach ache. Then mounting your white stallion and running off to confront antichrist and the evil of the earth. C.S. Lewis says in his book “A Grief Observed” there is no Biblical evidence that there is no suffering in heaven. But now I’m sure he is in heaven playing his harp floating on a cloud.
After wearing golden slippers and walking on streets of gold for a while, do you think you will desire to be barefoot in the grass again. The story is told about the beggar who was asked what he wanted when he got to heaven. He said, “A hot roll and butter.”
WHAT ARE WE PREPARING FOR?
Certainly our sins must be forgiven, but do we really need to get victory over worldliness, lusts and self-will?
I don’t want to rob anyone of his or her hope. But it is time for the body of Christ to come into the fullness of the Spirit of Truth.
The Bible clearly teaches the earth will be our inheritance, and yes, we also will get the best of heaven because heaven comes down to us forever – and the Throne of God and the Lamb are in it.
· The Bible does not teach we go to heaven and live there forever
· The Bible does not teach Jesus is coming to catch His bride away
· The Bible does not teach we are raised from the dead to go and live in heaven
· The Bible does not promise me a mansion in heaven
· The Bible does not teach the Father’s house is heaven
What does the Bible teach? It teaches that 6000 years ago man lost what we think of as heaven, but he had it on earth. God was here. Everything here had all that man could ever want. But we lost it. We invited Satan and his angels to live among us. And so the Lord told us in: Romans 16:20 (KJV) “And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly.” This is what we must prepare for. The Bible says the Lord is coming with a shout, the voice of Michael and the trumpet of the Lord and those who have died in Christ will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. We are going to return with Christ and release the creation from the bondages of sin and corruption.
How must we prepare? Learn to live in righteousness, holiness, and obedience to the Father.
That righteousness is being created in us right now through grace as we contend with God to overcome every obstacle of evil. We will live perpetually with the consuming fire of a holy God. Everything must be fireproofed. Each day we must press into holiness and be cleansed from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. We must be obedient to the Father. If there were one disobedient person in the army of the Lord the invasion would be jeopardized. Remember Achan! All self-will must be brought down. Christ must be brought to maturity. Too many believers are disobedient to Christ.
Corporations have bought up all the Christian publishing companies. Secular companies own them because it is big bucks. The number one best sellers are “end times” books. If the Christian bookstores had integrity they would offer money back guarantees. People could live through 7-years of tribulation just on the returns. For those who have itching ears there will always be someone to scratch them for you.
What you are preparing for today has a direct effect on what you will do tomorrow in the day of the Lord. If this is truly the time of preparation there will be no reprieve from the shaking of our economy. It is time to get ready. The world is collapsing around us. Amos 5:18-24 tells us what to prepare for. Let judgment run as waters (remove all waste matter from your life [bodily fluids]) & righteousness as a mighty stream (moral transformation [mighty = permanent]) stream = river of life.
To keep something for eternity you have to be given it, lose it and then get it back again the hard way. Adam was given the earth, lost it and we have the hard road to travel to get it back. HOW? Lay down your life, take up your cross and follow hard the Lord Jesus Christ without reservation. Prepare for the day of the Lord. Philippians 3:8 (KJV) “Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,” To gain Christ, give all your energy and hope and devotion to look to Jesus and serve Him. The servants of the Lord who do not do this are told they will lose their talents, be cast into outer darkness, have the door shut in their face, be driven from the Presence of Christ, and be beaten with many lashes.
If you goal is to inherit heaven there isn’t much to do once you are saved. But if what I have told you is true then you must undergo transformation. God is not saving what you are but saving you from what you are. If we go to heaven by grace, we remain unchanged, and we praise God for 10,000 years we are still morally corrupt. But if we inherit the earth, and are transformed into the fullness of God, and given the nations to rule over, perhaps we will become all that God wants us to become in this life.
One final note: when Christ is formed in us there is such a love for the truth, for obedience we will do whatever it takes to please our Maker. For it is the meek who will inherit the earth.
-Pr. Steve
. . . My calling as a pastor
Pastor’s Journal 2006
Feb. 3: The warfare is not just to maintain, but to advance. With every victory you must advance the Kingdom of God.
Feb. 4: I will say of my soul it is well with the Lord!
Feb. 6: I have struggled much within myself. There is a warfare that brings me to the end of myself. I cry out for truth and deliverance. I only want truth. You say: “The righteous will live by faith.” The promise is the Spirit of Truth through faith. (weapon)
Feb. 7: The steps of the righteous are ordered up.
Feb. 11: We need to come to the place where we give people what they need from the Lord instead of just praying for them. This is relationship with Christ.
Feb. 13: “The weapon of love conquers all. Let love flow freely in every thought and attitude and you will find Me in the center of every situation.”
Feb. 14: “I am drawing closer to My people. If they are not prepared they will flee. My coming affects you each in ways you are ready for.”
Feb. 16: “Rejoice with Me. I am singing over you. Rejoice with Me. I am dancing over you. Rejoice with Me. I am your salvation. I am your weapon to defend you and keep you from all harm.”
Feb. 17: “May the Lord add to you members, both yours and your children’s and may you be blessed by the Lord both now and forever.” (prayer for RA) (Psm. 115:14)
Feb. 18: “I am visiting My church today. I am marking her with My image and sealing her in the Spirit of God to protect her from that which is to come. Walk circumspectly knowing the times and seasons. Continue in that which pleases our Father. Let holiness rule your steps and godliness your decisions.”
Feb. 20: “You will not be moved by what you see or hear as long as you remain in Me. Deliverance will flow freely. My redemption is taking place in the hearts of people. Salvation is still extended to those who come when you move in Me. It is My salvation.”
Feb. 21: “When you have no strength left for the battle let me be your strength for whom should you fear. Am I not your salvation?” My times are in your hands. You are My God.
Feb. 25: “I have given you a rod of authority to rule with. Do not tolerate wickedness or allow evil threats to remain. Rise up with My authority to a level of victory and hold your position till I come and reign righteousness upon My people.”
Feb. 26: Do not stay (weaken, dishearten, forsake) the hand (strength) of judgment.
Feb. 27: “I am giving you everything you need when you need it, materially and financially. I am also pouring out corporately upon My people. The faithful as well as the unfaithful will receive blessings from Me. The individual work of My Spirit will show others that I am who I say I am that they might turn to Me with all their hearts. This will be a sovereign move of My spirit.”
Feb. 28: “You are in My fire being tempered. This will bring a hardness to those areas that bother you and affect your walk. I am absolutely in control of what is happening so use this time for victory over those weak areas that offend. There will always be someone who doesn’t understand My ways. Some never will, but you know them. Be sure and steadfast. Take up the shield of faith that brings the confidence of My Spirit and be not afraid of these days. Greater works are forthcoming.”
The Battle
I found myself on a path,
Unsure of which way to go.
I dare not go back but
Must go ahead into the battle,
I hear so near.
Yet which way is ahead?
It’s so hard to tell,
In the darkness surrounding me.
Fear closes in,
It senses my uncertainty
And draws close to strike.
What if I go the wrong way?
What if I miss the battle so close by?
What if I fail in my mission?
Then I hear the still small voice,
So hard to hear with my ears,
Yet so strong and sure in my Spirit.
Fear not, He says to me.
This battle is not yours but Mine.
This is our time together.
A time of refreshing for us both.
Your praise and worship refresh Me
As I refresh and strengthen your Spirit
With My love and peace
And compassion.
Come this way,
Let’s walk together.
And the sound of the battle so near,
Fades behind into silence.
-David Oakley
Building the Church part 1 of 3
1 Cor 6:19-20 (KJV) "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? {20} For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."
Religious people in this world are getting saved over and over. Where’s the commitment?
They need to understand it is a life decision as important as who they will marry. The decision is who will they serve?
The WORD from the Lord is: Do Not Give Up. God’s hand is working in your lives. Who knows where God will use us. If we are serving God and times are Hard, it is God’s hand. It isn’t easy to learn new things. It isn’t easy going where we have never been.
Don’t give up with others. The same God you serve is the same God they serve. If they are a mess, and their mess makes your neatness messy, then to God be the glory. He put you two together.
Teenagers comment that good looking people say they’re ugly. Who is God, the one who made us? We all have defects. That is what makes us beautiful. Alone we are in the image of Adam, but together we are in the image of God.
1 Cor 3:10-15 (KJV) "According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. {11} For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. {12} Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; {13} Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. {14} If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. {15} If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire."
This fire is what judges our works. If we do what we want to do and are not led by God in our decisions (agendas) we can do what we want, but these works will be destroyed. The good news is we will still be saved by this very same fire.
We must build this tabernacle within. This being must be made holy and clean unto the Lord.
Not by natural things but by spiritual things. (HOLINESS)
We need to be working for the Master Builder; building upon the foundation which he has laid before us. Let us use precious stones which he will provide. He is not a task master making us make our own bricks. If we use hay, wood and stubble, we will not pass the test. These things which we make ourselves will be burned up, yet those precious stones which he gives us will not be destroyed they will last.
-Pr. S. Chad Ross
The Test of Time
By now we all should have discovered whether or not those New Years Resolutions we made were able to stand the test of time. The point made is that we all have good intentions of doing the things which we purpose to do, but many times fail to accomplish them. Failure has a deeper and more profound effect on us than we can imagine. The greatest unseen fact is that it is harder to try a second time to accomplish something that you have already failed at. Therefore, many give up, lose hope, and find the situation they had tried to remedy is actually worse now than when they started. In 2 Peter 1:3 the Bible says that God has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness by His divine power, and through the knowledge of God who has called us to glory and virtue. So, with that ray of hope we must go to the next step to find out how, or what, we must do to operate in that divine power.
Mat 13:23 (KJV) “But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth [it]; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”
Anyone who knows God knows that He is not a crutch, but rather He is our complete source of life. It is by His written word, and by His spoken word, that we live and move and have our being. So if we are to live by His word our hearts must be prepared to receive it. If the seeds of God’s word fall upon a hardened heart there will be temporary relief that will not endure. If His word falls upon a heart that is full of desires for riches and cares that come from worldliness the truth will be choked out and deception will soon follow. The question is: How do we prepare our hearts for His saving and powerful word?
Jer 4:1-4 (KJV) “ If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the LORD, return unto me: and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my sight, then shalt thou not remove. (2) And thou shalt swear, The LORD liveth, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; and the nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory. (3) For thus saith the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns. (4) Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench [it], because of the evil of your doings.”
Even naturally, when seed is planted in the earth, the earth must first be prepared to receive it. There are things that must be removed or rendered ineffective that will hinder germination, and gestation. The word of God will also accomplish what it is sent to do if the ground of our hearts is prepared. We can try any of the solutions the world offers, but they will not stand the test of time if they don’t involve the Lord Jesus Christ, and His word, accompanied by our relationship with them.
-Kurt Thurston
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