I've been in many discussions lately over the issue of a Muslim Center near the World Trade Center site better known as Ground Zero in Manhattan. I've been shocked by the anger, venom and hatred spewed by my brothers and sisters in Christ.
I'm shocked by how distracted the church is today in the politics of man and forgets the teachings of the head of the Church. Muslims are at this very time more vulnerable to the testimony of Jesus Christ more than any other time in History. In a time when we we as Christians are called to love our neighbor as Jesus summed up all the law into love your Lord with all your heart, and to love your neighbor as yourself, we find a way to get caught up in politics.
I get all the arguments, really I do. But, how does this show them, our neighbor and maybe even our enemy the love of Christ? How does opposing this give the power of the gospel any chance to glorify God in this situation? If we believe the words of Jesus, and I do, then how can we add the rhetoric up and justify the hate through our saviors message of how we are to win them over??
Who is our neighbor? Just the ones that look and sound like us? Agree with us? Dress like us?? Are they not also created in the image of God and didn't the blood of Jesus spill out for their salvation as well? Let us not also forget the blood of US young men and women in the armed forces that have died to give all citizens an equal opportunity for enjoyed freedom in this great land!
I say we win them over with the love of God! I say we show them the power of forgiveness as Christ has forgiven us and first loved us. I say to let the testimony of the only God that has given His life so we can live be shown to them as living testimonies. Our lives need to be grounded and led by the power of the Holy Spirit and not by Fox News or Facebook Groups that want to stir us up in our emotions.
We as the church need to do a better job when the world gives us an opportunity to shine in the crisis. 9-11, Katrina, etc. etc are all opportunities for us to show the real power of God alive on earth today and yet we sit by passively and let the government take front row center leadership. Let us respond to the call of action by showing our love for the Lord Jesus Christ by being his ambassador's and doing His will here on earth as it is already in Heaven.
In His Service!
Brian
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Friday, July 23, 2010
An Open Letter to the Church
AN OPEN LETTER FROM BRIAN WINOGRAD OF IN HIS SERVICE MINISTRIES, INC.
I have been in much prayer and sorrow for the mechanism of the church for many years now. The Lord has used me from a young believer until now to be part of pioneering three different churches at different stages of my life. My eyes have witnessed much and sadly the testimony and witness of these three places of worship have fallen short of the purpose, calling and instructions of whence they first began.
This letter is not to go into any details of the negative experience’s or to judge, condemn or crucify my brothers and sisters in the Lord. In His Service Ministries seeks to find the truth and teach on those findings from a Biblical perspective. I hope this paper encourages you to ignite a conversation within your church to come back to the heart of the function of the body of Christ.
From the beginning of time God looked to bless the world through His people. We see a picture of this in the story of Joseph saving Egypt and also Israel. Romans 1:21 says in the NLT, “Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn't worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. The result was that their minds became dark and confused.” We often look upon this writing as for the “unbeliever” but lets for this papers sake look at it as where the nation of Israel was spiritually when Christ arrived and then apply it the mechanism of the church today.
Israel had traded the intention of God for relationship with him and also being a blessing to the nations for religious ceremonies and sets of human structure. The law was given to Moses when Israel rejected the offer of relationship and to worship him in spirit and truth after being taken out of slavery. The law as we know was a taskmaster to show our need for Messiah Yeshua, Jesus Christ. Jesus said that he came to restore that which was lost. What was lost from Adam, to the Sinai failure till then was that relationship for a called out people of which God looked to bless the world.
Enter the church age! That is the purpose of the mechanism of the church today. We are called corporately to worship in spirit and truth and to be a blessing to a dying and lost world! The church then is God’s appointed society whose main function is to bless the world! As Joseph was used for the salvation of Egypt so are we to bring God’s saving truth, love, grace, mercy, compassion and so much more to all of mankind. Instead what man has done is once again fallen into ceremonies and human practices and doctrines of man.
The society of the body of Christ, the church, is supposed to be then a place of equipment of the saints for the salvation of the world. One might say from that statement that I believe Evangelism is the work of every saint and I would say, yes and amen. Are all evangelists? No! Are all Prophets? No! Are all Pastors and Teachers? No! Are all Apostles? No! But all are to be ready to give an account of the good news that is in them. All are supposed to be salt and light. All are supposed to live in such a manner that when we lift Jesus up people can’t help but come to us like an insect is drawn to a bright light.
Isaiah 56 gives us a harsh picture of what happens when the leaders of the church are not in tune with what God’s purposes are. God is always calling and wooing people to His Mountain with the same offer of relationship, worship and salvation. The people suffer from well and ill intentioned leaders that have lost their way from the basic purpose and truth of what they are made to be. We are, as I heard a good Biblical teacher named Eugene Smith, say,” The current representation of Jesus Christ alive on earth today”!
Jesus did not stay inside the walls of the temples and synagogues only being with the “healthy”. Have you noticed how weak and impotent the mechanism of the church body has become from staying inside her walls? Remember King Zedekiah had to watch his own sons being put to death and then had his own eyes gouged out? How many leaders in the church today are watching their own being killed and are blind to the reasons or the remedies? Or worse….assigning the blame of their spiritual defeats on the congregation as if they are purposely trying to thwart them from succeeding.
Paul teaches us that the purpose of the church is to be the holding place of the love and grace of God poured out to all in a very apparent way. This is how I see Ephesians 3:10-11. We love the verse that says we can now come boldly in verse 12 but forget that it’s not for us to feel good about our position in him but to be a visible proof that the one we profess is manifest in our midst. Amen!
Another great picture of the church walking in its purpose can be found in Ezekiel 47:12 which paints this image of a healthy, vibrant body,” All kinds of fruit trees will grow along both sides of the river. The leaves of these trees will never turn brown and fall, and there will always be fruit on their branches. There will be a new crop every month, without fail! For they are watered by the river flowing from the Temple. The fruit will be for food and the leaves for healing." Let this be so even in our day is my prayer.
Let us repent of making the church about buildings, programs, leader’s ministries or anything other than to worship him, have fellowship with him and complete his work of freeing the captives from the gates of Hell. Let us get back to the encouragement of the Apostles to train, equip and send out to do that work. Let us lift our stiff necks up to heaven and also to the cross. Let us be the people that bless the nations with the God of our salvation.
In His Service and Under His Mercy!
Brian Winograd
I have been in much prayer and sorrow for the mechanism of the church for many years now. The Lord has used me from a young believer until now to be part of pioneering three different churches at different stages of my life. My eyes have witnessed much and sadly the testimony and witness of these three places of worship have fallen short of the purpose, calling and instructions of whence they first began.
This letter is not to go into any details of the negative experience’s or to judge, condemn or crucify my brothers and sisters in the Lord. In His Service Ministries seeks to find the truth and teach on those findings from a Biblical perspective. I hope this paper encourages you to ignite a conversation within your church to come back to the heart of the function of the body of Christ.
From the beginning of time God looked to bless the world through His people. We see a picture of this in the story of Joseph saving Egypt and also Israel. Romans 1:21 says in the NLT, “Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn't worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. The result was that their minds became dark and confused.” We often look upon this writing as for the “unbeliever” but lets for this papers sake look at it as where the nation of Israel was spiritually when Christ arrived and then apply it the mechanism of the church today.
Israel had traded the intention of God for relationship with him and also being a blessing to the nations for religious ceremonies and sets of human structure. The law was given to Moses when Israel rejected the offer of relationship and to worship him in spirit and truth after being taken out of slavery. The law as we know was a taskmaster to show our need for Messiah Yeshua, Jesus Christ. Jesus said that he came to restore that which was lost. What was lost from Adam, to the Sinai failure till then was that relationship for a called out people of which God looked to bless the world.
Enter the church age! That is the purpose of the mechanism of the church today. We are called corporately to worship in spirit and truth and to be a blessing to a dying and lost world! The church then is God’s appointed society whose main function is to bless the world! As Joseph was used for the salvation of Egypt so are we to bring God’s saving truth, love, grace, mercy, compassion and so much more to all of mankind. Instead what man has done is once again fallen into ceremonies and human practices and doctrines of man.
The society of the body of Christ, the church, is supposed to be then a place of equipment of the saints for the salvation of the world. One might say from that statement that I believe Evangelism is the work of every saint and I would say, yes and amen. Are all evangelists? No! Are all Prophets? No! Are all Pastors and Teachers? No! Are all Apostles? No! But all are to be ready to give an account of the good news that is in them. All are supposed to be salt and light. All are supposed to live in such a manner that when we lift Jesus up people can’t help but come to us like an insect is drawn to a bright light.
Isaiah 56 gives us a harsh picture of what happens when the leaders of the church are not in tune with what God’s purposes are. God is always calling and wooing people to His Mountain with the same offer of relationship, worship and salvation. The people suffer from well and ill intentioned leaders that have lost their way from the basic purpose and truth of what they are made to be. We are, as I heard a good Biblical teacher named Eugene Smith, say,” The current representation of Jesus Christ alive on earth today”!
Jesus did not stay inside the walls of the temples and synagogues only being with the “healthy”. Have you noticed how weak and impotent the mechanism of the church body has become from staying inside her walls? Remember King Zedekiah had to watch his own sons being put to death and then had his own eyes gouged out? How many leaders in the church today are watching their own being killed and are blind to the reasons or the remedies? Or worse….assigning the blame of their spiritual defeats on the congregation as if they are purposely trying to thwart them from succeeding.
Paul teaches us that the purpose of the church is to be the holding place of the love and grace of God poured out to all in a very apparent way. This is how I see Ephesians 3:10-11. We love the verse that says we can now come boldly in verse 12 but forget that it’s not for us to feel good about our position in him but to be a visible proof that the one we profess is manifest in our midst. Amen!
Another great picture of the church walking in its purpose can be found in Ezekiel 47:12 which paints this image of a healthy, vibrant body,” All kinds of fruit trees will grow along both sides of the river. The leaves of these trees will never turn brown and fall, and there will always be fruit on their branches. There will be a new crop every month, without fail! For they are watered by the river flowing from the Temple. The fruit will be for food and the leaves for healing." Let this be so even in our day is my prayer.
Let us repent of making the church about buildings, programs, leader’s ministries or anything other than to worship him, have fellowship with him and complete his work of freeing the captives from the gates of Hell. Let us get back to the encouragement of the Apostles to train, equip and send out to do that work. Let us lift our stiff necks up to heaven and also to the cross. Let us be the people that bless the nations with the God of our salvation.
In His Service and Under His Mercy!
Brian Winograd
Monday, May 31, 2010
To Legit to Quit
That title is for all you MC Hammer fans.lol! Just a quick entry today to let everyone know that In His Service Ministries is now an offical 501c3 non profit organization. I have been blessed to have many speaking engagements and a 2 week trip in November to Ghana Africa. If your church or organization is looking for a speaker and a time of worship feel free to contact me at 717-515-0913. I have a new study ready to go on the Bride and the Bridegroom as well as the two other studies that have been well received, the Cannanites and Rebuilding the Walls. These are exciting times we live and I am blessed to be alive in this time.
In His Service and Under His Mercy!
Brian
In His Service and Under His Mercy!
Brian
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Shall a Man Rob God? A different idea
Keeping with my tradition of searching for truth in the scriptures I have to visit a most often quoted and in my opinion abused scripture. Malachi 3 is used to beat people into tithing money to a church or an organization. It has been used to bully people and guilt people into handing over 10% of their income to the church. I am not going to teach on the tithe and how we should support our churches today in this blog entry but to just hint that God was not talking about money here.
Let's go back and set a foundation. God created everything. We know the Earth is the Lords and it is also his footstool. We know he is the same yesterday, today and always. God in the creation week looked and saw everything was good except one thing. He said it is not good for man to be alone! Spiritually we know it is not good to be alone. God knows this very thing and has created mechanisms to bring his people together to celebrate with each other the fullness of who He is.
The tithe was a celebration and a feast all together. It was a way God provided for the sons of Aaron but also to draw close and gather the people he called his own together to celebrate and worship! Today we miss that part. We have made it all about money. Will a man rob God? Right before that the Lord charges that he never changes and that his people have constantly failed to obey his commands, laws and decrees. They had moved from this celebration to "religion" or a phariseeical approach to giving.
When we do the letter of the law without the spirit of the law we Rob God! We rob ourselves too! Those that fear the Lord talk with one another, pray with one another and celebrate the God that is inside each other with love. Remember Paul taught on this another way by comparing our corporate spiritual organization as a body? Pauls inspired of the Holy Spirit reiterates that it is not good for man to be alone and that we have need of one another. We have need for fellowship and need of encouragement and prayer. When we try God and not do what he has commanded and then complain we rob God of His Testimony on the earth as we are the current representation of Christ alive on earth today. How many have something the world would buy? Even have interest in?
Its not about money! Its about obedience to the decrees and laws of God in the spirit they were and still are meant to be followed today. When we disobey God we Rob him. And its not about the 10% you may or may not feel compelled to put in the plate. Its not about how many books you read or how many home groups or seminars you attend. It is letting Yeshua Jesus Christ be the focal point of who you are and what you do and what your world view is. It is all about him and zero about you. When we serve him with wreckless abandon and foresake all others we then become the bride of Christ and no longer the flirting woman who changes with every season. I encourage you today to re-think on how much we have robbed God and to come to Him in a pleasing manner.
In His Service and Under His Mercy!
Brian Winograd
Let's go back and set a foundation. God created everything. We know the Earth is the Lords and it is also his footstool. We know he is the same yesterday, today and always. God in the creation week looked and saw everything was good except one thing. He said it is not good for man to be alone! Spiritually we know it is not good to be alone. God knows this very thing and has created mechanisms to bring his people together to celebrate with each other the fullness of who He is.
The tithe was a celebration and a feast all together. It was a way God provided for the sons of Aaron but also to draw close and gather the people he called his own together to celebrate and worship! Today we miss that part. We have made it all about money. Will a man rob God? Right before that the Lord charges that he never changes and that his people have constantly failed to obey his commands, laws and decrees. They had moved from this celebration to "religion" or a phariseeical approach to giving.
When we do the letter of the law without the spirit of the law we Rob God! We rob ourselves too! Those that fear the Lord talk with one another, pray with one another and celebrate the God that is inside each other with love. Remember Paul taught on this another way by comparing our corporate spiritual organization as a body? Pauls inspired of the Holy Spirit reiterates that it is not good for man to be alone and that we have need of one another. We have need for fellowship and need of encouragement and prayer. When we try God and not do what he has commanded and then complain we rob God of His Testimony on the earth as we are the current representation of Christ alive on earth today. How many have something the world would buy? Even have interest in?
Its not about money! Its about obedience to the decrees and laws of God in the spirit they were and still are meant to be followed today. When we disobey God we Rob him. And its not about the 10% you may or may not feel compelled to put in the plate. Its not about how many books you read or how many home groups or seminars you attend. It is letting Yeshua Jesus Christ be the focal point of who you are and what you do and what your world view is. It is all about him and zero about you. When we serve him with wreckless abandon and foresake all others we then become the bride of Christ and no longer the flirting woman who changes with every season. I encourage you today to re-think on how much we have robbed God and to come to Him in a pleasing manner.
In His Service and Under His Mercy!
Brian Winograd
Thursday, November 19, 2009
What are you Hungry for??
I am not looking for sympathy but I feel like I am on the island of misfit toy's sometimes in my walk with God. In some circles I walk in I am the most liberal and in others the most conservative. I am too academic for some and looked down on by others. I'm too "free" or pentecostal for some and to "uptight" for others. I'm too Jewish for some and not Jewish enough for others. Get my point???
This morning I was thinking to myself that I am for the most part, flaws, frailties and all the person God has created me to be in this time. Don't hear pride or too much self confidence here but I believe the person of Jesus Christ who began a good work in me Will continue to do so until I look and act like he wants. For I and you were created by Him and for Him and for His pleasure. We are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works. And listen to me....God don't make junk!
I know that in my walk with God I am always letting the "light" of Jesus penetrate me and expose the darkness in me that sometimes I was not aware of. I am always taking personal inventory of my walk and more importantly studying to know what it is I am supposed to be doing and whom it is I am supposed to be. You see and this is a point that is far lost in the church, if I call Jesus Lord, I am not my own. As Paul said it is no longer me that is living but Jesus living in me.
So here is my biggest study and struggle and why I feel like a misfit. Jesus said if you love me keep my commandments. Pauls first reaction to the blinding light of the Holiness of Jesus when he was thrown from his horse was this....LORD WHAT WILL YOU HAVE ME DO? I don't hear that cry from the people in today's church. I don't hear that cry from the church leaders, elders and pastors. What I do hear is God BLESS ME IN WHAT I WANT EVEN IF ITS NOT YOUR WILL!! That is so opposite of the correct attitude we are to have and why I feel so alone in the church.
I also feel alone in that people excuse away the commands of God and yet confess and claim almost God Like capabilities and have this special gift from God that they can act in anyway they chose. I have asked men to come close to me and pray and seek God together and reason together as the word of God say's and for the most part that plea has gone unanswered. There is not a hunger out there except when people want to ask God once again to bless them. Matthew 5:6 says and this is Jesus talking,"Blessed are those that hunger and thirst after righteousness for they will be FILLED."
I'll say this and agree with the Bible again that there is none righteous except for the Lord. So we are to hunger and thirst after Him and we will be filled;we will be satisfied. In the day Jesus spoke these words there was a lot of physical hunger so the appeal to the natural hunger and equating it to being filled and satisfied meant something to the origination hearers more than it does to the western church goer. There are so many things that we hunger and thirst after and 99% of it has little to nothing with Jesus. I'm hungry! I'm thirsty! I'm hungry and thirsty to know God as he defines himself and not a way I can make myself feel good about him and justify what I do and still call myself a believer. Again, Jesus said if you love him to follow after him with all you are and deny yourself and pick up your cross. These are the basic truths of our faith and yet where are they being taught and followed in our church culture??
Please hunger and thirst for the things of God in the way he has designed them and not in the way that is pleasing to your flesh designed by a man. Find others that are just as hungry and seek Him, reason together and pray. If you are near to my location of Southern York County Pa. I invite you to do that with me. To seek Him together, pray and hunger and thirst after His righteousness. I hope there are others like me looking for something different. There must be or I am alone on the island of misfit toys!
In His Service!
Brian
This morning I was thinking to myself that I am for the most part, flaws, frailties and all the person God has created me to be in this time. Don't hear pride or too much self confidence here but I believe the person of Jesus Christ who began a good work in me Will continue to do so until I look and act like he wants. For I and you were created by Him and for Him and for His pleasure. We are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works. And listen to me....God don't make junk!
I know that in my walk with God I am always letting the "light" of Jesus penetrate me and expose the darkness in me that sometimes I was not aware of. I am always taking personal inventory of my walk and more importantly studying to know what it is I am supposed to be doing and whom it is I am supposed to be. You see and this is a point that is far lost in the church, if I call Jesus Lord, I am not my own. As Paul said it is no longer me that is living but Jesus living in me.
So here is my biggest study and struggle and why I feel like a misfit. Jesus said if you love me keep my commandments. Pauls first reaction to the blinding light of the Holiness of Jesus when he was thrown from his horse was this....LORD WHAT WILL YOU HAVE ME DO? I don't hear that cry from the people in today's church. I don't hear that cry from the church leaders, elders and pastors. What I do hear is God BLESS ME IN WHAT I WANT EVEN IF ITS NOT YOUR WILL!! That is so opposite of the correct attitude we are to have and why I feel so alone in the church.
I also feel alone in that people excuse away the commands of God and yet confess and claim almost God Like capabilities and have this special gift from God that they can act in anyway they chose. I have asked men to come close to me and pray and seek God together and reason together as the word of God say's and for the most part that plea has gone unanswered. There is not a hunger out there except when people want to ask God once again to bless them. Matthew 5:6 says and this is Jesus talking,"Blessed are those that hunger and thirst after righteousness for they will be FILLED."
I'll say this and agree with the Bible again that there is none righteous except for the Lord. So we are to hunger and thirst after Him and we will be filled;we will be satisfied. In the day Jesus spoke these words there was a lot of physical hunger so the appeal to the natural hunger and equating it to being filled and satisfied meant something to the origination hearers more than it does to the western church goer. There are so many things that we hunger and thirst after and 99% of it has little to nothing with Jesus. I'm hungry! I'm thirsty! I'm hungry and thirsty to know God as he defines himself and not a way I can make myself feel good about him and justify what I do and still call myself a believer. Again, Jesus said if you love him to follow after him with all you are and deny yourself and pick up your cross. These are the basic truths of our faith and yet where are they being taught and followed in our church culture??
Please hunger and thirst for the things of God in the way he has designed them and not in the way that is pleasing to your flesh designed by a man. Find others that are just as hungry and seek Him, reason together and pray. If you are near to my location of Southern York County Pa. I invite you to do that with me. To seek Him together, pray and hunger and thirst after His righteousness. I hope there are others like me looking for something different. There must be or I am alone on the island of misfit toys!
In His Service!
Brian
Monday, September 28, 2009
How's the View?
I am overwhelmed today in the goodness of God and what he has provided for us! I have an awesome privilege of marrying a couple later this afternoon and I had a chance to hang out with their families last night at the rehearsal dinner. Observing the different families and the conversation it was obvious in an instant that God was showing me something. Have you ever noticed that people talk about any situation from "their point of view"?
Don't you love it when an answer comes your way that starts out sounding like this....Well, from where I sit or from where I stand or from how I see it...blah blah blah.? LOL! Probably not if you are like me. For so long I have been searching and seeking Gods point of view from the scriptures but then in an instant that spiritual light bulb lit up last night.
And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus! I think that is what Paul said in Ephesians 2:6 (if not I need to look it up) ... We are seated with Christ at the right hand of the Father in Heaven right now and never take advantage of that vantage point. What is the view from there? What does our situation that we are so burdened with look like from the seat of authority? What point of view do we have and have not understood that we are at Abba's ear and better yet his face to seek a heavenly position to our earthly condition? The passage does not say we will be one day at that place BUT are PRESENT TENSE are IN HIM IN THE HEAVENLY REALMS!
We can change the view from looking far out from earth to heaven and hoping we can get something to fall on us like a dog waiting for a crumb to fall from the table or we can change our "Amish" thinking and accept this fact that we In Christ have the best access and viewpoint ever. Better than all the wisdom of this earth! Better than all the advise of "religion" and systems of man! Better than seeing ourselves as that lowly dog waiting for a crumb! We need to train our Spiritual eyes and ears for the view from on HIGH! Having eyes to see and ears to hear! Isn't that what Jesus kept saying? Now it makes sense that part of his victory on the Cross was not just for Salvation, Justification and Sanctification but a seat at the table right now. On earth as it is in Heaven! WOW! Thank you Jesus! I pray you help us today see and hear from your seat down to earth and that we learn this mystery of your kingdom and apply it to our lives.
Hows your view today? Look down from the seat of Jesus at your life, your problem, your issues, your loved ones and see it from a different vantage point!
Don't you love it when an answer comes your way that starts out sounding like this....Well, from where I sit or from where I stand or from how I see it...blah blah blah.? LOL! Probably not if you are like me. For so long I have been searching and seeking Gods point of view from the scriptures but then in an instant that spiritual light bulb lit up last night.
And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus! I think that is what Paul said in Ephesians 2:6 (if not I need to look it up) ... We are seated with Christ at the right hand of the Father in Heaven right now and never take advantage of that vantage point. What is the view from there? What does our situation that we are so burdened with look like from the seat of authority? What point of view do we have and have not understood that we are at Abba's ear and better yet his face to seek a heavenly position to our earthly condition? The passage does not say we will be one day at that place BUT are PRESENT TENSE are IN HIM IN THE HEAVENLY REALMS!
We can change the view from looking far out from earth to heaven and hoping we can get something to fall on us like a dog waiting for a crumb to fall from the table or we can change our "Amish" thinking and accept this fact that we In Christ have the best access and viewpoint ever. Better than all the wisdom of this earth! Better than all the advise of "religion" and systems of man! Better than seeing ourselves as that lowly dog waiting for a crumb! We need to train our Spiritual eyes and ears for the view from on HIGH! Having eyes to see and ears to hear! Isn't that what Jesus kept saying? Now it makes sense that part of his victory on the Cross was not just for Salvation, Justification and Sanctification but a seat at the table right now. On earth as it is in Heaven! WOW! Thank you Jesus! I pray you help us today see and hear from your seat down to earth and that we learn this mystery of your kingdom and apply it to our lives.
Hows your view today? Look down from the seat of Jesus at your life, your problem, your issues, your loved ones and see it from a different vantage point!
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
How low can you go?
An old rabbi said to his students,"In days of old men used to see God". In which one student replied why is that not so today? The rabbi answered,"Because men don't know how to bow down that low anymore".
Jesus said in the best sermon ever on the Mt. of Olives in Matthew 5:3 "Blessed are the poor in Spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. We are to proud! Americans are loud, proud, arrogant and self sufficient. We rely on ourselves and put the trust of all into the hands, intelligence and capabilities of men more than the power of the kingdom of heaven. Humble is not a word that is put into action.
Jesus is telling us that we must take on the attributes of the kingdom of God and that those things we have learned from this world are in total contrast to "the way". Watch our good friends the tv preachers and they will tell you that you are little gods that have so much power, authority and glory that you can create things as God did by just speaking. Never seaking, never hearing and never getting into that lowly position that all those things can happen.
I believe in the power of Pentocost and the work of the Holy Spirit. I fear that most of what my eyes have seen in the "Pentocostal" movement has been driven by human emotion and not the sustaining power of God. We are in my opinion at the point where the Prophet Elijah was before he confronted the so called prophets of Baal. Here is what the Bible says...And Elijah came to all the people, and said,“How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people answered him not a word.
People, stop wavering between two opinions. Stop being tossed to and fro by the tickling of your ears and emotional appeals that look like there is the power of God in it. How low on the knees is the person having spiritual input into your life???? Maybe they are a dynamic speaker, or maybe they can sing really well or maybe they can stir things up and bring so much emotion into a service that you are moved to Feel something but your life is UNCHANGED! Let me tell you something that I've said 100 times before. You can not have an encounter with God and stay the same. So after all is said and done if you are unchanged it was probably not the power of God moving but something in your mind, will or emotions.
How you can get the wisdom to discern the difference is again in that lowly position our friend the rabbi told his student. Get on your face and pray to your God. Stop chasing the Hot air baloon waiting for it to land on you to get some excitement. God is exciting enough if you find Him right were you are....In your prayer closet. How low can you go? Hopefully right where God wants you to be!
In His Service and Still Under His Mercy!
Brian
Jesus said in the best sermon ever on the Mt. of Olives in Matthew 5:3 "Blessed are the poor in Spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. We are to proud! Americans are loud, proud, arrogant and self sufficient. We rely on ourselves and put the trust of all into the hands, intelligence and capabilities of men more than the power of the kingdom of heaven. Humble is not a word that is put into action.
Jesus is telling us that we must take on the attributes of the kingdom of God and that those things we have learned from this world are in total contrast to "the way". Watch our good friends the tv preachers and they will tell you that you are little gods that have so much power, authority and glory that you can create things as God did by just speaking. Never seaking, never hearing and never getting into that lowly position that all those things can happen.
I believe in the power of Pentocost and the work of the Holy Spirit. I fear that most of what my eyes have seen in the "Pentocostal" movement has been driven by human emotion and not the sustaining power of God. We are in my opinion at the point where the Prophet Elijah was before he confronted the so called prophets of Baal. Here is what the Bible says...And Elijah came to all the people, and said,“How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people answered him not a word.
People, stop wavering between two opinions. Stop being tossed to and fro by the tickling of your ears and emotional appeals that look like there is the power of God in it. How low on the knees is the person having spiritual input into your life???? Maybe they are a dynamic speaker, or maybe they can sing really well or maybe they can stir things up and bring so much emotion into a service that you are moved to Feel something but your life is UNCHANGED! Let me tell you something that I've said 100 times before. You can not have an encounter with God and stay the same. So after all is said and done if you are unchanged it was probably not the power of God moving but something in your mind, will or emotions.
How you can get the wisdom to discern the difference is again in that lowly position our friend the rabbi told his student. Get on your face and pray to your God. Stop chasing the Hot air baloon waiting for it to land on you to get some excitement. God is exciting enough if you find Him right were you are....In your prayer closet. How low can you go? Hopefully right where God wants you to be!
In His Service and Still Under His Mercy!
Brian
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