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Sermon 148 -You can’t get NEW Nature by fixing your OLD Nature

20 Jun

Most Christians believe that they’re good with a few character flaws. If these character flaws are ever challenged or exposed, they try their best to fix them.  Most often, the motivation for the fix is so one doesn’t look bad or feel bad. Consequently, old nature isn’t changed, just better camouflaged.

Old nature

Everyone is born with a nature that is prone to sin … all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). The thing that drives this sinful nature is our pride. Our old nature is really just an expression of our pride. Pride wants to be superior and look cool, but pride is also the mood of inferiority or failure. Ultimately, pride doesn’t like being told what to do, or told it’s wrong, but it likes to tell you that you are wrong.

Every time our pride rises up, our old nature will automatically show itself, and we will have a mood, either silently and internally with a smile, or outwardly with a change of facial expression, and quite often, conveniently ignorant that we are even having a mood. Fixing our old nature is simply just another self-tactic for reinforcing our pride and promoting one’s ability. Trying to get ourselves right by our own will power will never produce new nature … it’s just more pride.

The problem of Pride

The reason God hates pride (Proverbs 8:13) is that it gives Satan licence to dictate over your spirit (2 Timothy 2:24-26 KJV). Pride keeps you in old nature and makes you susceptible to operate under Satan’s evil works against the kingdom of God, whilst all the time you believe you are a Christian and a good person. Pride pollutes your heavenly walk and if left to run its course, will block you from heaven.

New Nature

New nature is the nature of God. This nature cannot be produced by our own effort. Rather, it’s a gift from God. The modern church teaches that this gift is free, but that’s not the whole truth. Yes, it cannot be bought with money or earned with effort or good works (Ephesians 2:8,9), but there is a price that you have to pay to receive it.

The price for New nature

The price for new nature is death. The death I’m referring to in this case is … saying NO to yourself. In other words, giving up your want because you trust what God wants is the best. You can’t enter new nature without this trust.

The old nature is quite capable of improving itself and stopping itself from doing wrong. You don’t have to be Christian to achieve that. Old nature can be made to look like new nature, but, it can never become genuine new nature.

The new nature of God is implanted in someone’s spirit when they decide to follow Christ, but this doesn’t mean they are saved for heaven. Judas and King Saul both had the new nature of God but they fell to their old nature, did not repent and return to new nature, and consequently missed out on heaven. You can lose the new nature of God and be cut off the vine, but you can also be grafted back into the nature of God.

How do we make sure we run the race to the end with God’s nature?

Jesus taught that you have to die to yourself, daily. Just about every Christian I’ve counselled believes that if they address a character fault or sin, then they’ve fixed it and it shouldn’t have to be dealt with again. But, that’s just a fallacy of pride. The reality is, that your character fault will live with you forever, and Satan will be forever tempting you to fall to it. Thus, Jesus said it’s a daily battle to say No to yourself, even if the issue is the same as it was yesterday or last month.

Why must I say No to MYSELF?

The only way you can enter new nature and also return to new nature after failing, is, via the cross. The modern church teaches that once you accept Christ as your Saviour, then you are under His grace, you’re a child of God and a son of God and joint heir with Christ, so therefore you should expect His blessing and His favour. This half-truth deceives the average Christian into thinking that Christianity is a casual and comfortable walk to heaven under God’s grace. The modern church doesn’t teach death as the path to heaven, but rather, it promotes only the benefits; namely, the pursuit of happiness and contentment, attached to niceness and helping.

The Cross

The cross is not the path to happy feelings. Rather, it’s a path of pain, and embarrassment, and put down for the name of Christ. It’s the path of being misjudged, of being mocked, of being hated, even by family. It’s having to wait for God’s plan instead of purporting your own. It’s the path of separating from the world even though you live in it. It’s the path of disciplining yourself to say No to yourself, and Yes to Christ. It’s the path of accepting correction, and not necessarily defending your rights.

The cross is serving God, not man, and setting your path to heaven, no matter the cost. The cross is hating your pride (Proverbs 8:13). The cross is trusting God with the unfair deal, and ironically, the peace of God only comes via this pathway of the cross.

The cross is the only way to heaven. You can’t get there by just asking Jesus into your heart. Without the cross, Jesus is just your buddy, but not your Saviour.

The cross is the action of your faith (James 2:17,18), yet, you can’t walk the pathway of the cross by yourself … it requires His faith (Galatians 2:20).

The easy path

Obviously, the false church is not going to promote this path. The easy path of happiness and fun and friends and purpose and wealth through giving, is far more favourable and enticing. The church promotes the broad way to heaven, not the narrow way. But God calls His disciples to be soldiers, not comfortable pew sitters and TV watchers. God calls His people to be separate in spirit from the world; not comfortable to mix and mingle with the world.

God calls his disciples to not expect the fair deal. God calls his disciples to object to the world’s moral decline (Proverbs 8:13), generally silently in our hearts, sometimes publicly, but always on alert, and never complacent and tolerant of sin, especially our own pride.

The reason for the problems we face is so we learn to not look to ourselves but turn to Christ and trust His plan. Problems toughen us against Satanic attack. We’re not fighting flesh and blood but demonic principalities and evil powers (Ephesians 6:12). You can’t fight Satan except through the cross. By saying NO to yourself, and instead, trusting God, you walk the path of the cross and inhibit the evil work of Satan.

The Fear of the Lord is to hate evil (Proverbs 8:13)

Who do you fear the most … God or man? God calls His people to fear Him, not man. The fear of God is the fear of missing out on heaven and ending up in hell. If you love the Lord, you must hate your pride; that’s the fear of God. Disciples must walk in the fear of upsetting God, not man; they must object to giving one’s self the right to have a mood, give up the right to expect fairness, give up the ambition of looking good in the eyes of people, and give up worldly position. This is the cross. The cross is God’s training ground for learning how to fear Him, because you have to face the fear of man. It’s a process of being born again and maturing into His faith. It can take years, but, if you don’t walk the way of the cross, you’re simply stating your lack of fear and love of God.

The primary objective of Christ should be the same for every disciple of Christ

Jesus came to earth. From the moment He arrived, He was targeted. He healed the sick and preached the gospel of good news, but, His primary objective was to die on the cross. If He hadn’t, no one would be saved. Despite all your goodness, is the cross your primary objective?

Friend of the world, enemy of God (James 4:4)

If you’re comfortable with the world, if you like the comforts of the world, the Word of God describes you as an adulterer. That is, a fake Christian who says they’re married to Christ but who is actually intercoursing with Satan.

Thy will be done, not mine

This is the prayer of Christ on the cross, this is the commitment of Jesus on earth (John 4:34), this is the Lord’s prayer, and this is the prayer of every genuine soldier of Christ.

 

May the Lord stir His remnant to look beyond the pain, to look beyond the moral demise of society, to say No to one’s self, and be servants to His will only.

 

Pastor Frederick Jamieson

 

 

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Posted by on June 20, 2020 in new nature

 

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Sermon 147 – IMAGE

22 Mar

I was counselling two Christian men who were struggling with each other’s attitudes. I asked them if they thought they had an ‘image’ problem. They each declared that they didn’t think they had. I was flabbergasted at their blindness.

Truth

The truth is, everyone is born with an image problem. Satan has an image problem. He is full of his own importance. He hates Jesus Christ being the Son instead of him. When Satan manipulated man to sin, he implanted the lust for ‘image’ into our spiritual DNA.

When Adam and Eve hid from God, they were protecting their ‘image’. They didn’t have the problem before Satan sucked them into it. When they lied, they were simply protecting their ‘image’. When they blamed each other, they were protecting their ‘image’. When Cain killed Abel, he was simply envious that God liked Abel’s sacrifice and not his. Cain’s image was hurt.

Questions?

  1. Do you get offended if your opinion is challenged, mocked, or misunderstood? If so, you have an image problem.
  2. Does your inner self react with self-defense when you are intimidated, or made to feel stupid? If so, you have an image problem.
  3. Do you have a mood if you don’t get what you want or it doesn’t work out the way you want? If so, you have an image problem.
  4. Do you think you are stupid, or someone else is stupid, and do you crave to be someone special? If so, you have an image problem.
  5. Are you envious if someone is more intelligent, comes up with an idea you wish you had’ve thought of, is more popular than you, or more suave, or has more money than you? If so, you have an image problem.
  6. Do you think you are more intelligent, more creative, more capable, or more skilled than someone else? If so, you have an image problem.
  7. Do you believe you should figure it out yourself and asking for help is a show of weakness? If so, you have an image problem.
  8. Do you get offended if you’re corrected or told you didn’t do it right? Do you say … how come I’m getting corrected? They’re just as bad as me! If so, you have an image problem.
  9. Are you willing to share your knowledge and expertise and money, or would that threaten your ego? If not, you have an image problem.

Deceived

Image is really just ego. If you believe, like these two men, that you don’t have an image problem, then, the truth is, you have a serious image problem. To deny that you have an image problem, is the height of arrogance. This means your spirit is blind to God even though you think you serve Him to the best of your ability.

Fake

No one believes that God would reject them if they’ve tried their best. But, the truth is, that’s an image problem. That’s telling God how He has to do it. The Word of God says the opposite … by grace you are saved through faith. Not of yourself; it is the gift of God. Not of works lest any man should boast (Ephesians 2:8,9).

What’s this got to do with salvation?

The answer is … everything. The Word of God declares that you cannot be His disciple until you give up your image. Salvation lies on the other side of killing your image. That’s what God means when He says ‘hate your own life’ in Luke 14:26, and ‘die to yourself, daily’ in Luke 9:23.

How?

You have to make a choice but you can’t do it with just a choice. First, you need God to open your eyes to your lust of yourself, and see that you DO have an image problem. Then you have to repent of your selfish lust. Then you have to commit your will and life to His plan. The only way you can beat the image problem, is death. It’s only through death that your image is annulled.

Repentance

Sadly, most people say sorry for hurting someone’s feelings or for getting caught for doing something wrong, but they never repent of promoting or protecting their image. Consequently, they have never truly repented. They’re just practicing image defence, like Adam and Eve.

King Saul vs. David

Image is always the fruit of making yourself great in your own eyes (1 Samuel 15:17). Image is always more concerned with what people think of me (v.30), than what God thinks. King Saul was only interested in preserving his image in the eyes of others, whereas, David, by God’s grace, saw the evil of his image and repented. It wasn’t good deeds that saved David, because what he did was completely evil. It was the sacrifice of his image … the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit and a contrite heart (Psalm 51:17).

False teaching

Image is really the love of yourself. The modern church thinking teaches that you must love yourself first, before you can love your neighbour. That’s a lie. The Word of God teaches you must hate yourself first (not the hate of spite, but the hate of your evil image), before you can love God and your fellow-man. You can’t love God and love yourself at the same time; that’s a contradiction. Jesus came to save you from the love of yourself.

10 Commandments

Most people defend their image … I don’t lie, I don’t steal, I don’t kill, I don’t commit adultery, so I must be a good person. The problem is, image can’t see that it worships itself. It can only see that you are hurting my feelings or you are being unjustly nasty to me.

But, worshiping your image, blindly or not, is a fracture of the 2nd commandment. It may not be graven in stone or wood, but nevertheless, it is image worship. From that foundation, it’s impossible to worship God 1st, and whether you accept it or not, you are lying to yourself, you are killing your neighbour with hate and envy, and you are committing adultery in your heart. You are literally living in the deception of your image. It’s all a lie.

Consequence of your choice

If you choose to die to your image, Satan will hate you and throw everything at you … family, friends, employers, work colleagues, the church, the world … and you’ll have to rely on God to sustain you. It’s persecution that strengthens your will to His will (Mark 13:13; 2 Timothy 3:12). Stand up silently against homosexuality, divorce and re-marriage, abortion, and fornication and you’ll soon find out how unpopular is that position. If you’re not being persecuted, in some form or other, for your love of Christ, then know that as much as you say you love Him, the real truth is you love yourself more.

No persecution, no salvation.

If we be dead with Him, we shall live with Him. If we suffer (for Him) we shall reign with Him. If we deny Him, He will deny us. 2 Timothy 2:11,12

The modern church is doing its best to escape persecution by tolerating sin and calling it grace and love. Thus, it will never find my God, only the refection of its own image, and it will walk in the imagination of that image.

 

I suggest you get on your knees and cry out to God for Him to expose you to you.

 

Pastor Jonathan Samuels

 
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Posted by on March 22, 2020 in image

 

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Sermon 146 – OBLIGATION

16 Mar

Obligation = because I did this for you, you will do what I want.

It’s holding someone in debt to your goodness. It comes from the Latin word obligare = to bind.

Goodness, with debt attached, is a lie and a manipulative deception of Satan.

Over many years I observed a father destroy his family under the weight of obligation. God used it to show me a hidden spiritual truth.

Power

Every father has immense power over his children; the power to obligate them to be good for him so his image looks good to others; the power to obligate them to serve his agenda because he provides protection, or money, or gifts, or love; the power to obligate you to serve his will by the selfish application of intimidation and fear; the power to obligate you to serve his will by the manipulation of making you feel sad for him if he’s having a selfish mood.

Slavery

In every instance this power is selfish and contaminated unless the chain of obligation to his own father has been broken by being separated to Jesus Christ by faith.

I watched as this man’s children struggled to break free from a bondage they didn’t know had them chained by obligation to their father’s image, because he was chained to the value his own father’s image. Beneath the cover of this fine family lay hate for each other. They silently competed over each other for the father’s favour and thus chained themselves to the obligation of servitude to their father’s will. Eventually, the fake happy family crumbled under its lie of dysfunctionality.

Don’t tell me what to do

Humanity hates being told what to do. Whilst you remain chained to the obligation to keep your parents happy, your inner self will be tormented by having to be obligated to honor your parents, which you want to do and are designed to do, but you crave the freedom to do it without being told you have to. Thus, in your inner hidden confusion, you lie to yourself that you are serving in love, when it’s really chasing favour, and serving your own image, too. You end up being chained to the evil spirit of obligation and trying to make your children do the same for you. Consequently, envy and hate become the roots of your love. You call it love, but it’s really envy and hate masquerading as love, and at a point of correction, you will defy authority with ‘don’t tell me what to do’, and thus your lie will be exposed, and underneath the fakeness will be the envy of anyone who has a higher position of favour.

If you sew it, you will reap it

If you complain about being obligated by others, then you will ignorantly, and automatically, and uncontrollably obligate others to serve your will. The thing that you’re offended by is the thing you blindly practice against others.

That’s exactly what I observed eventually spew out of this fake Christian father. He had a silent mood about being obligated, but couldn’t see that it was him practicing it against others. He obligated others and got offended if they didn’t comply. The pride of his own image blinded him to see himself. He could only see what others weren’t doing for him, and unfortunately it drowned him in his own hatred. He hadn’t separated to God, he had manipulated others to serve him and used Christianity to validate this service so they would serve him, but it was all a lie.

Chained

If you’re chained by obligation to your parent’s will, then you will chain your children under your obligation, too. When you obligate your child to serve your will, you expose your chained servitude to your parents’ will, and at the same time, you ignorantly serve others with the expectation that they will be obligated to serve your will. Thus, when anyone opposes or contradicts your will, especially after you have served them, it causes your selfish spirit to be angry with the injustice, according to your perverted vision. You will either openly rebel against the injustice, or silently surrender to it and exist in a spirit of begrudgingness. Either way, it’s not love, but selfishness parading as love.

Cranky, outwardly or inwardly, about being obligated, just means your serving begrudgingly. It means you’ve never loved God by cutting the chains, and you selfishly obligate others to do your will. You will serve Him on a foundation of envy and hate and label it ‘love’, and create a ‘lie’ to support your fake truth, and no one will be able to tell you otherwise.

Hate

I always wondered why the Word of God uses ‘hate’ in Luke 14:26, to describe separation love. It’s now clear to me.

The greenies hate humanity because it hurts the environment. The vegans hate humanity because it hurts animals. This is the fruit of spite.

But, I hate humanity because it hates my God. It’s not spiteful hatred, but the hatred of their love for evil in spite of my God. I could not have stood at the cross and watched humanity crucify my God just because He wouldn’t comply with their religious dogma. It would have crushed my spirit. Because I love my God, I hate, not spitefully, but painfully, any humanity that hates Him.

Irony

This hate doesn’t stop me loving humanity; it stops me bowing to humanity’s lusts and enticements. God himself hated humanity and destroyed it all with a flood, but loved it so much he sent His Son to die for it.  He even sent his Son to hell to preach to those who hadn’t had a chance to hear about Him before the flood (1 Peter 3:19,20); that’s how much He loved humanity. But, He won’t tolerate humanity’s hate of his Father; especially hate that’s expressed by defaming His Father’s commandments.

Consequences

If you call homosexuality, love; if you legalise abortion, divorce, and defacto, ungodly religions, and if you control people to your will, do you naively think God is going to turn a blind eye and bless your evil. Earthquakes, floods, wars, bushfires, economic chaos, the rise of Communism and Islamic State, domestic violence, drugs, climate change and corona virus are the fruit of man’s selfishness, whether he thinks he’s good or bad. But, no one’s facing the warnings, they just blame God and dig further into their own inner strength.

The hatred of man’s evil is the expression of your love for God

I hate humanity for legalising homosexuality in defiance of my God’s instructions. I hate humanity for legalising the murder of unborn babies in defiance of my God’s instructions. I hate humanity for legalising divorce and adulterous defacto relationships against my God’s instructions. I hate humanity for endorsing and supporting demonic religions in defiance to my God’s instructions, John 14:6 … I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but by Me. And, Acts 4:12 … there is no other Name given among men whereby you can be saved.

I hate any humanity that is taught about the true God and then turns their back on Him and goes and serves other gods. But, my hate is driven by my love for Him.

True Serve will always require a price

It’s impossible to serve Jesus Christ whilst you remain obligated to serve your father. You can’t be free to serve God until you break the chains of obligation to your father, and you’ll know it’s chains when you feel the fear of contradicting your father’s selfish will … the fear of what others will think of you; the fear of what the church will say against you; the fear of what your family will say against you; the fear of being wrong; the fear of hurting his feelings; the fear of his aggression. But, fear is just a threat to your image and that’s why it’s also the door to freedom, and until you walk through it you won’t find salvation.

Fear

There is no fear in love, and God is love, so God is on the other side of fear. That’s why fear is a spirit force of Satan to stop you finding God. Bound parents are chained to fear and the spirit behind them will try and chain you to the same fear. They can act like they love God, but if you truly choose Christ, you’ll soon feel the threat of their fear.

Fake

A genuine Christian parent will give you the freedom to serve God without requiring you to love them as well. A fake Christian parent will give you the right to serve God as long as you don’t stop serving them too. The fake parent will dictate over you with fear, and the fake child will seek the value of their parent to boost their selfishness, and gain points over their siblings, and thus be chained to that fear.

Persecution

Hopefully, now you can see that you can never truly serve God until you break the chains of obligation to serve your parents. In most instances, the parent has never broken their chains of obligation to their parents, and they will thus demand, either openly or silently, your servitude to their wishes. When you face the intimidation to stay under a parent’s will, you will experience the honor of being persecuted for the Name of Christ. The Satan trick is, no child expects a Christian parent to be Satan’s defiant and opposing force. You’ll need the faith of Christ to help you get free.

Even Jesus had to tell His mother to back-off because she was interfering in His commitment to the will of His Father, God. He had to tell Peter to back-off because Satan was working through him to entice Christ to not go to the cross.

How do you break free to serve God?

By faith, you have to face the fear of upsetting your parents and trust God. If you’re seeking to serve Him, the demonic will be seeking to scare you from serving Him. The most powerful weapon Satan has to inhibit your service, is a parent. You actually have to hate the evil of their obligation to hold onto you for their selfish value, and if they won’t let you serve God, then there is only one pathway; the pathway of complete separation.

Samuel was free to serve God because Hannah gave him up to God. Thus, Samuel could stay, not attached to Hannah, but connected with her by the love they both shared for God. If the parent won’t allow this to happen, there has to be a leave and cleave, and that’s the price of salvation.

Separation

The church no longer lives by this principle because it needs numbers and money to run its business. Separation is a price that costs everything to walk with Christ (Luke 14:33). It’s easier to believe in grace, because grace just means to the average Christian that you have the free-will to love Christ and the free-will to tolerate sin in others without the legal obligation to be too intense to faithfully submit to his laws. This is a lie of Satan propagated by the church. Have an honest look at Matthew 5:18,19.

If you’re tolerating sin in others, then it just means you obligate them to tolerate the sin in you.

Many called, few will choose

If you genuinely have a call on your heart to serve the living God, know that you won’t be able to fulfil that call until you love your parents by disobeying them if they are blocking that call. This is what God calls ‘hate’.  If you feel obligated to serve your parents’ will, then know you are being dictated to by a demonic spirit. The Spirit of God in a Christ-like parent will give you freedom to serve God without obligation. That pull to stay chained to your parent is so strong that God said … many are called but few are chosen.

Myway or Yahweh

Jesus doesn’t obligate; it’s your choice. Love Him and do what He wants because you love Him, or serve Him and do what He wants your way. They’re miles apart. One is free, the other is chained.

 

Pastor Jonathan Samuels

 
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Posted by on March 16, 2020 in intimidation

 

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Sermon 135 – I HURT, I HATE, I WON’T

10 Feb

After 24 years in ministry I’ve concluded that just about every modern Christian has come to Christ because they’re hurting. They’ve come to get God to fix their hurt.

The hurt is pretty-much always some mis-treatment or mis-understanding from a parent. More often than not, the general hurt is the child’s perception, right or wrong, of the father liking a sibling more than themselves.

Once a person takes on the hurt, their spirit will automatically hate the person who hurt them. Everyone will admit they’ve been hurt, but few will admit they hate. Everyone knows hate is wrong so we cover our hate with niceness and politeness, and helps, and call it love. Eventually their fruit verifies their hate. In God’s eyes we’re lying to ourselves.

Everyone I’ve counselled has come to Christ and practiced the love of God on a base of HATE. How can that possibly work and invariably it doesn’t, it’s all built on secret hate. In truth, their love is fake; it’s just a pretense. You can prove it’s fake by their fruit. Sooner or later, their real fruit will ooze out behind the nice façade.

POWER = control over others

It’s not really hurt or hate that’s the real problem. Hurt and hate are just excuses to justify my right for self-power. Satan wants power. Women want power over men. Men demand their power. Humanity is just a competition for power. Everybody lusts for power so no one will tell them what they can or can’t do. Power means you serve me, not me serve you. Power means I control my environment so you serve my wants for ME = no hassles for ME.

Techniques of Evil Power

The lie … if I remain calm and you lose it, I win. The truth … Jesus picked up a whip and went for it in the temple.

The lie … if you hurt me, then I have the right to hurt you. The truth … resist not evil.

The lie … I know, I’m right you’re wrong, so I have the right to intimidate you with fear. Truth … there is no fear in love.

The lie … I’m hurting, you’re responsible to make me happy. Truth … I’m just moody.

BOSS

Everyone under the origin of Satan wants to be their own boss. By hating the hurt from authority, you can justify your want. The problem is, once you set that precedent based on hate, you block God being the boss. I’ve challenged fake Christians about their fake love and in some occasions had the person state … “ok, you’re the boss”. Once somebody declares that, they confirm they’re into ‘position’. You see, a pastor isn’t the boss, he’s a servant, and servants can never be the boss, but a fake Christian evaluates everything through the eyes of who’s the boss, because they envy the boss, because they want to be the boss so they can tell everyone what to do instead of being told. They hate being told what to do. If you won’t be a servant as He instructs, then you won’t be told by God what to do = defiance.

Genesis 3

This all started in the Garden. Satan conned Eve to get smarter by eating the forbidden fruit. She knew it was wrong but what the heck. She shared it with Adam to make sure he was involved in the crime. When God came visiting, they hid. Instead of taking the blame for their actions, they BLAMED the one that made them do it. Adam even blamed God that it was His fault for making the woman.

Multiple times I’ve been thanked for helping people and then been blamed for pointing out that they were not obeying God’s laws. Hate always turns a blind eye to the help it was given and always ends up showing its appreciation with blame.

Selfish humanity always blames God and mother nature when things go wrong; they never blame their own sin, and they certainly never place the blame at Satan’s feet; they always have a go at Jesus first. Hate always lays the blame at Jesus’ feet.

You can’t blame authority and then say you are under authority. Blame is the evidence of your contradiction.

Satanic plot

Satan hates God’s authority. He can’t change that, but what he can change is man’s authority. If he can get a man or woman to hate authority and lift up their own sceptre, then he can control them, and make a mockery of God’s creation and thus question God’s right to rule. That’s exactly what happened in the Garden.

In every single case of hurt-hatred, as in the Garden, Satan uses the woman to defame the man. When the man takes the bait and tries to defend his authority his hatred of authority back-fires against him and he becomes hated by his children. And, so the hatred just keeps flowing. Hate attracts hate.

You HURT me. I HATE you. You WON’T TELL me what I can and can’t do

Once you allow your hurt to turn to hate, you immediately defy the law of God. You’ve just broken the 5th commandment of God to respect your parents. Once you break the law, the consequence is sin and death. Satan’s now got you. You’re his. You can cover your hate with as much good works and niceness as you like but it’s just fake love and false salvation. Jesus came to save the BAD. Fake GOOD covers the BAD, and thus your good blocks your salvation.

You see, HATE YOU simply means, I LOVE ME. That’s ANTI-CHRIST! So, love built on hate is the love of you, not the love of God. That’s Satan, not Holy Spirit.

Human love = love ME = hate anyone that loves someone else more than ME.

God love = love God = hate ME (Luke 14:26) = regard your neighbour more important than you.

Everyone gets married on the presumption that it’s your role to make me happy. How selfish we are! Marrying Jesus is exactly the opposite … it’s how can I serve Jesus for His happiness? Marriage isn’t to make you happy; it’s to address your will through the clash of two wills.

The LOVE of God

What’s the difference between a genuine Christian and a fake Christian when it comes to hurt?

  1. A fake Christian hates the person who hurt them. A genuine Christian hates the evil behind the person. There’s a massive difference between hating the evil and hating the person who’s done the evil. Hating the person will increase the love of yourself; hating the evil will increase your love of God, and it’s impossible to find this love unless you willing cop the hate for Him.

Unlike the 1st Adam, a genuine Christian will feel the hurt and recognise Satan behind the hurt and leave the person to God. They don’t take the bait, they take the blame. That’s dying to self and trusting God. That’s the pathway set by the 2nd Adam. This is impossible for anyone, fake Christian or non-Christian, who retains hate against an authority. Hate will always blame and retaliate, love will cop the hurt and trust the Creator and stay free from Satan.

  1. A genuine Christian knows that God has called us to be hated (Matthew 10:22). A fake Christian can’t hack that; they reserve the right to hate back.

A fake Christian will take the hurter on and resist them. A true Christian will take the hate on by copping it and Christ will be his strength.

  1. A fake Christian uses the hurt as an excuse to hate, but the real agenda is so they can be the BOSS of themselves. A genuine Christian is a servant, not a boss.

Love is not doing good deeds or being nice (1 Corinthians 13). Love is doing what God wants, not what you or others want = dying to self. Good deeds are only good if they flow from love. Good doesn’t cut it; only love does.

The FRUIT of hating an authority is always …

  1. ELEVATION … I’m special, I’m important
  2. ENVY … I hate you because you like them more than me (James 3:14,15).
  3. STUBBORNNESS … You’re not going to tell me that I’m wrong. I’ll wait till you understand my point of view.
  4. BLAME … If you’ve got a problem with me, then it’s your fault; and, if I’ve got a problem with you, then it’s your fault. You won’t listen to ME. You don’t understand ME.
  5. TELL … You can correct me, but don’t TELL me what to do; I’ll TELL you whether you’re right or wrong. I’m the BOSS of my life, not you. You won’t tell me I’m stupid!
  6. FEAR … eg. being left out, being put-down, being found-out
  7. LIE … to protect not being exposed as a fraud.
  8. MOOD … hate is always offended at correction or any suggestion they may be wrong (Hebrews 12:8). Moodiness is a craft to manipulate you to do my will.

I’ve observed this fruit in every single case of a fake Christian.

Dysfunctional Family … man vs. woman boss

Ever since the Garden, every woman is under the influence of Satan for the purpose of defaming the man. If the man resists the woman through hurt-hate-blame she will take him to hell. If he humbles himself by turning to the Lord, he can save the woman from hell. It’s the man’s responsibility to humble himself by trusting the Lord’s will. Society is failing simply because men won’t humble themselves to the Lord. Most men either resist a woman’s control, or withdraw for peace and harmony and surrender their authority to the woman’s control, never realising that they actually surrendered to Satan’s control.

The transferal of hate

  1. Intimidating fathers will drive boys to hate their father and thus to seek comfort and understanding from their mothers.
  2. Wives that hate men will drive their sons against their father by stirring the father to retaliate against the wife’s disrespect and the sons will automatically support the mother and hate the father.
  3. Boys hate BOSSY mothers and run the risk of loving men instead of a woman, and girls will hate intimidating fathers and fathers that favour other siblings over them and run the risk of loving women instead of a man.

The objective of Satan is to make sure that women hate men and men hate men, and men hate women and woman hate woman, and thus to make everyone their own boss, and thus dismantle the God-given authority of man over woman (Genesis 3:16) and thus destroy God’s plan. Just have a look at both modern Western and Eastern society and you’ll see that Satan is winning.

The family only changes when the father lets go his hate and submits to the will of the Father.

I have observed either the hatred of women or the hatred of men in every single case of a fake Christian.

The real issue

Humanity doesn’t like to be TOLD; it likes to TELL. Everybody is vying for a higher position so I can TELL you what to do instead of you TELLING me.

Consequently, the real issue is WILL. My will vs. your will and ultimately, God’s will. Everybody is willing to give up their will where they’re willing. That counts for little. What God wants is what you won’t give up. Humanity uses the hurt as an excuse to retain one’s will, then protects its will by blaming, mocking and intimidation, education, money and popularity all for the purpose of being its own BOSS, so your hurt can’t touch me. It then runs to its DRUG to appease its hurt. Humanity loves its sin.

As a consequence, I’ve discovered that the modern church is saltless and selfish, seeking prosperity rather than death. Its love is fake, simply covering its evil with good works, social fun and emotional worship.

Stubbornness is just self-worship

The truth is, if you choose to focus on the injustice of the hurt instead of focusing on God and trust His plan, you’re simply using the hurt to hide the fact that YOU are the centre of You and that you are too stubborn to bend your will. God calls stubbornness, “idolatry” (1 Samuel 15:23), the worship of yourself … “No one’s going to TELL me what I can and can’t do!” If you’ve ever said those words in your heart, then you’re into idolatry … the worship of yourself. There’s no way you’re a Christian until you repent.

Repent

Repent = I give up my hate; I acknowledge that I’m the one who’s evil; I give up my will to Christ. I’m willing to be hurt for Christ’s sake. I’m willing to take the blame for Christ’s sake.

“Not my will but thine be done”

Like Christian in Pilgrims Progress, you can walk along the Christian walk from the wicker gate to the cross, but you can never cross-over to the celestial city until you lay your hate at the cross, until you sacrifice the drug that’s sustaining your hate, and fully surrender your will to His. There has to be PAIN for GAIN. The cross is painful. The cross is fearful. There’s no POSITION at the cross.

If you were sucked in by the half-truth that you are saved by inviting Jesus into your heart, then know that you’ve been conned. True salvation is on the other side of your greatest fear. By faith, that fear has to be sacrificed to the will of God, before you are saved. Jesus faced this dilemma. Abraham faced this dilemma, and Jesus said you cannot be His disciple until you pick up your cross and follow Him (Luke 9:23). He also stated that as they hated Him, they will also hate you (Luke 10:22-25).

Copping the blame, right or wrong, is a sign of Christ. Blaming someone else is a sign of Satan.

If you’re going to serve Christ, then like Christ, you have to cop the blame. If you decline to cop the blame then you are not saved, no matter how good you declare yourself to be. It’s not based on fairness, it’s based on God’s love that keeps you free from Satan.

When the prodigal son came to his senses and returned, he didn’t say to his father “you’re the boss”; he said “I have sinned against heaven and you and am not worthy to be called your servant.” To be a nothing for Christ was his whole objective; not to negotiate to get back the boss position of sonship.

The DRUG

What’s the drug you run to, to pacify your hurt or pain when it all gets too much?

Many Christians I have counselled confirmed that they run to things like … surfing, animals, women, money, helps, drugs, alcohol, business, pornography.

In every person’s heart who’s taken the bait of hating authority, there will be a drug that you use to pacify your hurt, and protect your hate, camouflage your fears and elevate your position over others. At the cross, you’ll have to give it up. The drug is your idol. If the sacrifice is not painful or fearful, then you haven’t picked the right drug. You can’t love God and keep your drug of self-glorification.

The IRONY

Adam wouldn’t take the blame. Eve wouldn’t take the blame. Satan wouldn’t take the blame. So, Jesus took the blame, and God exalted Him above every creature in heaven, on earth and under the earth (Philippians 2:7-11).

When you finally submit to the will of God and stop defending your own, the irony is, love knows it has the freedom to hate, the freedom to retaliate, the freedom to run, the freedom to fight back, and the power of position through Christ (Ecclesiastes 3). Love never loses, only hate loses.

Solution

Stop trying to be important, by letting others be important. Transfer your trust from yourself to the Creator and cop the hate. Sacrifice what you won’t, and sacrifice your drug.

“Ah Lord God, Thou hast made the heavens and the earth by Your great power. Nothing is too hard for Thee.”  Jeremiah 32:17

 

Pastor Frank Whistler

 

 
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Posted by on February 10, 2019 in Authority, Blame

 

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Sermon 125 – The NEB Syndrome

10 May

In Daniel chapter 2, 3 and 4 we read the story of Nebuchadnezzar and his interactions with Daniel and Shadrack, Meshack and Abednego. The Neb Syndrome is based on the behaviour pattern of King Nebuchadnezzar. Everybody has this syndrome inherent in their sinful nature. Everyone’s born a Neb at some level depending on one’s social position, family position, wealth and education. You can pretend to hide it but sooner or later it will be exposed when you don’t get what you want. If you truly want salvation, the Neb in you has to be killed.

Nebs put you up and then pull you down.

In Chapter 2:49, Nebuchadnezzar promoted Shadrack, Meshack and Abednego, but when they wouldn’t comply with his demands, he tore them down; no discussion, no enquiry, just intimidation. The inherent Neb in us hates people who won’t do it our way. Nebs will promote you if it’s to their own advantage, like making you a special friend, or puffing you up to create envy against a more popular opponent, but they’re always ready to pull you down when you offend or challenge their self-worth.

Nebs have a golden image of themselves

In Daniel 3, Nebuchadnezzar built a huge golden image to himself and demanded everyone bow when he played the music. Similarly, in their deceived mind, Nebs think they’re special, or important, or gifted, or educated. They appear to worship God, but they love themselves and expect others to treat them with the respect they believe they deserve whenever they play their music. They think they are good, making themselves equal with God, and thinking themselves blessed if things work out to their advantage, and look for others to blame if they don’t. Nebs believe that if they’re in trouble, it’s everyone else’s fault.

They live by their feelings. Their selfish belief is … I’m good and special, so if you hurt my feelings, you’re bad, so I’ll wait till you change your mind and you realise I’m right and you’re wrong.

Nebs blame you for upsetting them, or not listening to them, or not respecting their opinion. Everything’s based on how they feel and how someone makes them feel. It’s MY feelings first, God second.

Nebs think they should have the No.1 position

Nebs want the limelight. If you seem to be above them, Nebs try to pull you down, and if you seem to be below them, Nebs try to keep you down there. Nebs envy anyone who threatens their position. Nebs hate people who are positioned above them. They live for their own happiness and despise anyone who’s more happy, or more popular, or more successful than themselves, or more intimate with God.

Nebs love power and control

Neb’s are so self-important they can’t believe you won’t agree with their point of view. Nebs hate you if you won’t comply with their thinking. If they had the ultimate power like Nebuchadnezzar himself, they would kill you for not complying, and throw you into their furnace. They eventually object to any rules that put controls on them … as far as they’re concerned, they’re the one who should be in control; they’re the one who has the right to control what they want and how others should behave towards them.

Nebs are bi-polar

One minute they’re nice, and the next they’re unexpectantly intimidating. One minute everything seems to be ok and co-operative, and the next they’re demanding you dance to their music and bow to their thinking. You never know where you stand with a Neb. Nebs have one foot in the world and one foot in God. Thus, as in James 1:8, Nebs are double-minded and unstable in their heart.

Nebs can’t afford to be wrong, so they believe everything they do is somehow always right. So, when they’re corrected, they are flabbergasted at the suggestion that you would think them bad; besides, they think they’re always good, so you must be wrong.

Nebs think that they’re so good, God will obviously save them, bless them and protect them. Their ingenuine goodness is just a manipulation to get God to be good back to them. Their pride puts them in fear of being thought of as bad, or a failure.

Nebs often use obedience or generosity to obligate you to conform to their wishes or ignore their short-comings, when all the time, in their heart, they’re resistant and defiant of your authority.

Nebs can act religious, even think they keep the commandments by not practicing adultery or murder or steal, but they always fail the God first test, the bear false witness test, and the covet test.

Nebs are anti-Christ’s

They may agree they’re wrong so you can’t argue their defiance, but they won’t change their position. They can appear to be in sheep’s clothing, but ultimately, they’re wolves, controlled by Satan, and anti- the Holy Spirit.

Nebs think they’re good, but … Ezekiel 33:31

They come unto you and sit before you as My people, and they hear your words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they show much love, but their heart goes after their covetousness.

It’s important to note, that Nebuchadnezzar was not good. He didn’t find God based on his goodness, but rather, when he killed his own self-image and replaced it with God’s Spirit.

The bottom line

Nebs won’t be told; rather, they tell others what’s right and wrong.

On the other hand …

SMA’s = full of the Spirit that inhabited Shadrack, Meshach and Abednego

SMA’s are not full of their own importance. They don’t chase position, or value, or human recognition, but leave position to God. Any position is attributed to God, not self. Self-position has been shattered. They serve God because they love Him; not for a deal.

They don’t think they’re good. They know that only God is good and they’re thankful for God’s grace towards their bad.

Like Shadrack, Meshack and Abednego, in Daniel 3:17 & 18, SMA’s don’t demand or expect God to fix their problems. Rather, they trust God’s outcome and rest in His plan.

Probably the most defining factor about SMA’s is that they are envied by Nebs, and sooner or later are confronted by Nebs so their faith is tested.

SMA’s are called and chosen.

SMA’s don’t bow to intimidation when challenged to change gods.

Neb to SMA

Everyone has an image of themselves to worship themselves. If you want to be an SMA your image has to be shattered, broken and destroyed. You can’t serve God and worship your own image at the same time; it’s contradictory and satanic.

If you’re not an SMA then somewhere in the crevices of your heart lies a Neb. SMA’s are few and far between. Most of the so-called Christians I’ve met in my life are really just Nebs in some form of nice disguise. The good news is, Saul became a Paul, so anyone can be changed. You can change if you want to, but you can’t because you won’t. To a Neb, ‘ME’ is too important, and what people think is more real than what an imaginary God thinks; besides, a Neb doesn’t really think it needs to change because it’s already basically good.

If you want to be an SMA it requires God to put you on a cross and embarrass your self-image and shatter all your self-plans. No wonder there’s hardly any SMA’s. God is looking for an empty vessel; not one that’s already full of its own importance.

The salvation test

I’ve lost count how many Nebs I’ve encountered who believe they are a good Christian. They’re deceived. Salvation is not just being a Christian, but also sacrificing your Neb position and having it tested by fire. In fact, where there’s no fire test, there’s no salvation … all that live Godly in Christ will suffer persecution … 2 Timothy 3:12. Also, your reaction to a Neb will reveal what god you really serve.  SMA’s don’t compromise to keep the majority happy; they stand on God’s Word, for God, and cop the defaming consequences. The modern church systems are not training soldiers to die for Christ, they’re collecting numbers for money.

Demons use Nebs

As confirmed in Ephesians 6, we’re not fighting flesh and blood, but principalities and powers. It’s important for an SMA to know how demonic spirits operate against them. A Neb is under the influence of demonic spirits and ultimately their design is to attack and discredit, or discourage, or kill SMA’s. SMA’s should be encouraged that a demonic attack is a positive process to strengthen their faith in Almighty God.

Thankyou God, that even though heavily outnumbered, You live through your called and chosen humble SMA’s, and that Your plan is higher than Satan’s.

 

Pastor Jonathan Faranze

 

 

 

 
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Posted by on May 10, 2018 in arrogance

 

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Sermon 123 – It’s Simple

21 Apr

If you’re into position, you’re NOT saved. It’s that simple.

Jesus made Himself of no reputation and took on Himself the form of a servant … Philippians 2

Jesus said … if any man will come after Me, let him DENY himself daily, carry his cross and follow Me. For whoever will save his life shall lose it.

Jesus said … no man is above His Master. If they called the Master of the house Beelzebub, don’t be surprised what they will call you.

‘Special’ is opposite Jesus

If you think you are special, if you think you have an important job to do for God or the country or the political system, if you think that God is blessing you because you’re special, if you think that God has given you special skills because you’re special, you’re NOT saved, you’re simply listening to satanic voices appealing to your pride.

 “I think I’m important” is the voice of Satan, not the Holy Spirit

Satan is the spirit that’s into position. Satan hates Jesus because he has a higher position. His whole objective is to take Jesus’ position and ultimately get the Father’s position. Satan’s into destroying your relationship position with Christ because he hates you having it when he can’t … we’re not fighting flesh and blood but principalities and powers (Ephesians 6).

Jesus pursues the exact opposite desire. If Jesus said … deny yourself daily, carry your cross and follow Him, but you believe you’re something special, don’t kid yourself; your thoughts are opposite to Christ. They are therefore thoughts from ANTI-Christ. They’re thoughts of PRIDE, not humility, and you’re faking your relationship with God.

Holy Spirit is not into position. A fully surrendered spirit to the Holy Spirit has no thoughts about position. He will be tempted with them, but he will not live in them.

Delusions of Grandeur

If you think you’re important or have an important job to do somewhere down the track, then you’ve been deluded by your own pride of grandeur. You won’t find Daniel employing this lie, nor Moses, nor Elijah, nor Jesus, nor Paul (once he gave up Saul). You will find King Saul deluded by his own grandeur, as well as Samson, Miriam, Peter, and Judas. The one’s who were saved for eternity, had to give up their position.

Position hates position

If you compare yourself to others, then you’re into position and if you’re into position, you’re into hate. You’ll hate people for being above you; you’ll hate it that you can’t do what others do, or can’t get what others have. Position hates; it can’t love, even though it pretends to love so it gets position.

The “I’m not special” lie

If you think you’re special, then you won’t want to be found out that you think that, because your spirit already knows that it is wrong, so most people will deny that they are special. Consequently, most people won’t admit that they think they’re special, but it’s a lie to cover-up your pride so you look like you’re humble. Generally speaking, everyone thinks they’re special, even the ones who are down and out and hurting and use their moodiness to manipulate you to make them feel sad for them.

However, the moment you compare yourself to someone in rank or skill or knowledge (2 Corinthians 10:12), or the moment you judge someone, or the moment you mock someone, or the moment you use moodiness to manipulate people to do what you want, then you’re automatically saying that you are more special than them. That’s position and you can’t have position without thinking you are special. That’s why God said the second great commandment is to love your neighbour as yourself. Competing for position is ant-Christ to God’s instructions.

Stop kidding yourself that you’re a Christian and get real with Christ

You won’t be saved until you get real and stop pretending. The Word of God declares that a genuine Christian lives content in whatever situation … good or bad (Philippians 4:11,12).  On the contrary, the modern Christian lives for good to get the benefits of good because they think they are special to God. It’s fake and it’s a lie.

Stop listening to the lies of the religious systems

If God gives you position, serve Him with gratitude. If He gives you poverty, serve Him with gratitude. You signed on for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness or health, so learn to trust Him, whatever.

I’ve lost count how many Christians I’ve observed who are in it for position. When the crunch comes, they walk away and either give up or try another religious technique, always looking for the next level of spiritual experience, or else believing in the validity of their current feelings, pretending to be respectful, but all the time living in their own agenda and beliefs, conveniently turning a blind eye to the truth of their wounded resistance. These Christians are called, but not chosen.

It’s PRIDE that makes you susceptible to Satanic voices

It’s easy to blame someone else for our situation and hassles, but the fact is, it’s pride that blames and it’s our pride that makes us susceptible to judging others for our hassles. Pride think it’s everyone else’s fault. It’s our pride that wants position. It’s our pride that makes excuses for our hate … you like him more than me, or, those Christians are hypocrites so I’m not going to be a Christian.

Pride holds others in our debt

Our pride stores up credits against people. It accumulates debts that people owe you … if I help you then you have to help me, or, if I feel sorry for you then you have to feel sorry for me, or, if I apologise then I expect you to apologise too. God calls this holding people in debt, which is why the Lord’s prayer is … forgive us our debts as we forgive those who are indebted to us; but pride holds onto the debts, it can’t forgive and it can’t repent, and it won’t be forgiven by God.

Jesus said … He’s drawn to the humble and contrite in spirit; He resists the proud … James 4:6.

Pride hates correction

Pride is not quickly open to correction. Like King Saul in 1 Samuel 15, like Adam and Eve in the Garden, and like Cain vs Abel, pride defends itself from looking bad. Pride measures correction as rejection pain. It only concedes to the correction when it’s cornered and has to admit its error.

Pride uses moodiness to manipulate others to do what it wants, and the demonic spirits behind your pride stirs others to react inappropriately so that it can control you with guilt. Our pride is demonic. It needs to die.

Once you are susceptible to voices, it’s proof that you have upped your position and got proud about yourself

One of the ladies in our fellowship was hurting, emotionally. Everyone started to feel sorry for her; but what was really happening? The woman was hurting because she was envious of someone else’s position. She submitted to satanic voices of unfairness, and then in her pain, manipulated others to support her position. The other Christians thought it was a good thing to empathise with her, but they couldn’t see that they were inadvertently supporting a demonic spirit. Why couldn’t they see this? Because each one had fallen already to some previous pride that had elevated their own position.

It’s your own pride that deceives you. The hurts from other people are just doorways for Satan to trap you in your pride and focus on your rights, instead of trusting Christ in the hurt.

Christian Maturity

Everyone is susceptible to their pride, but a genuine Christian moves on to maturity in Christ and learns to sacrifice one’s selfish demand for position. God calls it ‘eating meat’ instead of ‘drinking milk’ (1 Corinthians 3). He calls it ‘growing up’ instead of staying a ‘baby’.

The solution

Give up your position.  Every Christian has a choice between being a Peter or a Judas. You may be a Christian like King Saul, but you won’t be saved until you give up your position-pride. God calls it … dying to yourself, and if you won’t listen, like King Saul and like Judas, time will run out for you.

 

Pastor Michael  Kasanzgi

 
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Posted by on April 21, 2018 in position, Pride

 

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Sermon 119 – The Hatred of Feel-Good

24 Feb

Time and time again I’ve watched Christians chase the god of “feel good”. The priority of their life is to feel good, and to feel happy. The church has told the people that God makes you feel good; He makes you happy, so people come to church looking for the happiness because their life is empty. They want some value, some love, some warmth, some purpose, something that will fill the void, and the church promises it in Jesus, but the people can’t find it.

The world is chasing the same mirage

Everyone is looking for the good feelings. So, if you’re doing the same then you’re of the world, not of Christ. You may not be into drugs, sex, and alcohol, but if you’re chasing it through acceptable Christian means such as friends, success, money, or position, then it’s the same outcome of vanity.

God says … love not the world nor the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world then the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world (lust of the flesh and eyes and pride of life) is not of the Father, but is the world. The world passes away and the lusts thereof, but he that does the will of God shall abide forever … 1 John 2:15-17

If God’s good, then surely He wants me to be happy

Godless Christians conveniently assume that God’s into good feelings and thus selfishly expect that getting good feelings is God’s way for them. Thus, they judge others by whether they make them feel good or bad, and they make deductions based on whether it feels good or not.

Use the happy lie to control others

Ultimately, this deduction process gives selfishness the right to always feel good and consequently these people control everyone and everything around them so that their objective of feeling good is always achieved. They end up convincing themselves that they’re always good and always right. In reality, this person does whatever they want as long as it makes them feel good. Thus, when they’re corrected and put in their place, they object to the correction because it doesn’t gel with their feel-good rights. They assume they’re correctable, but at the intersection of correction they object. Thus, they fail to take responsibility for their sin; preferring to excuse away their wrong by conversely judging the corrector as wrong because he made them feel bad. They then look for faults in the corrector to justify their often polite but resistant defiance.

God’s formula for your feelings

God doesn’t promise happy feelings here on earth. That’s part of His heavenly kingdom. He promises life through pain which is why people chasing happy can’t find Him, and that’s why it’s called the narrow way, because few want to travel that path.

If any man will follow Me, let him DENY himself, take up his cross DAILY, and follow Me. Luke 9:23

God is the judge, not you

God doesn’t judge you for your sin, because the wages for sin is already hell. He judges you for your repentance, so He can save you from this hell judgment. It’s His blood that cleanses the repentant sinner, not your apology or penance. He does punish you for sin to wake you to righteousness. He punished David for his sin but saved him for eternity because of his repentance, whereas, God let the sin of King Saul drift and saw him miss heaven, for hell.

No correction; no salvation

Correction is a painful experience, Hebrew 12:6. It has to be or it isn’t correction. It’s painful because it’s hurting your pride. If you’re into feel-good, you’re going to diffuse the correction with excuses and thus you’ll fall for the satanic tactic of feel-good so you’re blocked from heaven. Instead of addressing your pride you’ll reinforce it.

If at the point of righteous correction, you fail to bend your spirit to own your sin, you lose the right to stay on the Vine. Adam and Eve were removed from the Garden, not because they sinned, but because they chose to blame rather than bend. The same is true of King Saul, whereas, David repented.

If you endure chastening, God deals with you as a son. If you are without chastening, then you’re a bastard and not a son, Hebrews 12:7,8.

The search for life and value is only found when the vanity of feelings is sacrificed for His will.

Envy

The world and the false church can’t help being envious of those that have found the “good”. Eventually, their envy and anger will be exposed against those who have a real relationship with Christ, simply because others seem to have got the ‘good’, and they haven’t and can’t seem to get it. In their heart they hate those who have the heart of the Father. God calls this murder, and thus they inadvertently pronounce hell judgment on their own head.

If you’re in Christ, you don’t have to say anything, the godless church will hate you because they envy the peace of Christ in your heart, irrespective of the circumstances around you. It’s exactly what they’re looking for but can’t find it because they’re not really looking for Christ but rather they’re chasing the good-feel.

I’m always right, so if you think I’m not, you’re the one that’s wrong

I recall a young Christian who seemed to have all the facets of being genuine, including generosity and helps. In time, however, correction exposed the falseness of his spirit. He pretended to be a Christian but he wasn’t. The problem was he had convinced himself about his own goodness to the point that he honestly believed he was never wrong; everyone else was.  Thus, he could never hear the truth about himself; he could only see the fakeness in everyone else. This is a satanic imagination that blocks the correction which would get you back onto the right path, so you continue on the path to hell; and unfortunately, it’s all too common.

Fake goodness is always to gain self-value; never for Christ.

Hated because you love Christ

A genuine Christian doesn’t have to chase the feeling of good and happiness. They know they’re in- Christ and the feelings are irrelevant. Their spirit is content in the knowledge of His grace upon them and learns to rest in His abiding love.  The spirit of the world is satanic; thus, the world and the fake church will automatically hate them just like they hated the Master. This hatred is designed to put you in fear and force you to give up the fight, but if you face the temptation to go the easy path, this hatred is actually the confirmation of the genuineness of the connection between the true servant and His Lord.

The Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God; and if children, then joint heirs with Christ, if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be glorified with Him.  Romans 8:16

Hatred is the gel that connects you to Christ

Goodness is not the sign of Christ. Non-Christians can act good. Hatred is the sign. If you want to walk with Christ you have to accept the hatred that will be fired at you. You can’t do this if you’re chasing good feelings. The good-feelers will often be the ones that throw the hatred. The purpose of being hated is to see if you will suffer with Christ or defend yourself against the injustice by throwing the hatred back. Hatred for Christ is the blessing Jesus talks about in Matthew 5. It’s the common denominator with Christ and the evidence of your love for Him and His love for you.

 

May the remnant sense His presence no matter the pain and burden of the attacks against their spirit.

 

Pastor Nick Clarence

 
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Posted by on February 24, 2018 in Correction, Happy

 

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