Last week whether you figured it out or not I was still on the subject of spiritual warfare, it could have been titled "the truth will set you free." When we learn the truth & put it into practice within our lives, we have freedom over both sin & self, hallelujah! That is spiritual warfare at its finest.
King David had the heart of a worshipper, even though his life was anything but perfect. Disfunctional family, accomplice to murder, hung out with a bunch of losers in a cave, hey there is still hope for both you & me. David knew the faithfulness of the Father, that was where he recognized his freedom through Christ.
In the Old Testament we read how the worshipper's led the armies of Israel into battle,why? When we believe that God is omnipresent (everywhere at once), omniscience (all knowing) & omnipotent (all powerful) He is worthy of our praise & worship in every situation we face. It was important in their eyes to show God their faith that He would be with them to bring about victory in battle and it is the same for us today.
Worship has to be a lifestyle not just something that happens when we are in church. Praise is to take our focus off the busyness of life we face in our day to day life while worship directs our focus to God's Word. True worship is a continual focus on the Lord & the things of the Lord. Knowing full well He & only He can direct our steps to accomplish the things in life He wants us too. Our part is to have a listening ear & thankful obedience.
Every good thing in life comes down from the Father of light. That in itself should bring us to worship Him, not for the things He does but just for who He is. He is our creator, our healer, our deliverer, our provider, our peace, our all in all.
God has made a way for all of mankind to reconnect to Himself, wow. He gave us His very Son to be the Sacrificial Lamb of God that would take away the sins of this world. Not just your mistakes & mine but all sin for all time & all we have to do is receive Jesus as our Lord & Savior. The grace that God disposes upon us is freely, has the ability to change us & take us from glory to glory in service unto Him. All because of what Jesus did on the Cross of Calvary, glory be to God!
As we live our lives focusing on God & His Word all hell shutters, because it knows it has lost its power over us, we are free. God is soooooo good & worthy of all of our praise & worship for He alone is worthy. I had a bumper sticker on one of my old cars "God said it, I believe it, that settles it! When you live that out people see it, because you become the light in this dark sin filled world.
Traditional Christianity just wouldn't cut it because it is focused upon outward change while God Himself looks at the inward person of the heart. There is an old saying "you can fool some of the people some of the time but you cant fool all of the people all of the time!" To this I add "And you cant fool God at all, fool!" People see right through traditional Christianity & its facade.
They want something that is real & JESUS IS REAL! They want truth & He is the way, the truth & the life & bless God we have the opportunity to present Him to them.
Our worship of God has to express more than just our love for Him, it also has to express our submission to His will. Not obedience because we have too but because we want too, in thanksgiving for who He is in our lives. Food for Thought!
Ken Gorham a servant of the Lord
Sunday, 5 February 2012
Saturday, 28 January 2012
The Abuse of Gods Grace
Today within the Body of Christ we have a new perversion on the Grace of God. Christians say the law has been fulfilled when Jesus was crucified, died, was resurrected & ascended into heaven. To this I say amen! We are saved by grace through our faith in Jesus Christ. But some have lost sight of the true meaning of Gods grace and say they as new testament believers can do as they choose, because they are under Gods grace.
The law was never designed as a means of salvation; no one could be saved by keeping it. The law was the means for the people of Israel to learn how to live as Gods holy people. In Galatians 3:24 we learn the law was to be our schoolmaster. The law was intended to reveal sin & not bring righteousness. Again our righteousness can only come by our faith in Christ. Righteousness in itself means that we are in a right standing with God but that will never happen when you are knowingly practicing something that goes against the Word of God.
Yes we are to be led by the unction of the Holy Spirit but once again I remind you that God the Holy Spirit will never, never, never get into an argument with Jesus the Word of God, like it ain't never going to happen. This is where some of the theology of today breaks down. I watched one of my favorite shows the other night "It's Your Call" which had a subject regarding sex ( a taboo subject in some churches.) Many of the callers took the perspective it was between the husband wife & the Holy Spirit what they did in the bedroom. That is fine as long as what they choose to do, does not go against the Word of God. Example #1 Matthew 5:28 But I say to you (Jesus talking) that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Fantasy is Out according to God! Yes worldly sex therapists say it is proper & OK even healthy but God says its OUT! Example #2 1 Corinthians 6:9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators (sex outside marriage,) nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. Anal sex is OUT according to God, no matter what the world or the sex therapist says! Check out Romans 1:26,27 for all the confirmation you need.
As I have stated before there are three voices we hear in our head or heart that want to give us direction in our lives. The voice of God, the voice of the devil & the carnal emotional voice of SELF and all three sound the very same. Within my personal experience I know this is not an easy thing to do, discern which voice I am listening too. We are emotional creatures & those same emotions can easily be mistaken for the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The only check & balance we have as Christians are the Word of God. How does that work if you think grace allows you to do anything you choose? Sorry I am a simple Christian & I will follow the direction laid out in the Word of God. God said it, I believe it, that settles it!
Another area I will touch upon to help explain this area is in the fact many times over my years of walking with the Lord I have met Christians (male & female) living together & witnessing to worldly people that it is wrong to live common-law. Like how weird is that, to the people of the world that is exactly what they are appearing to do. Yes God may have called them together I do not deny that, but to live together, never. And I am not doubting that they say they are not having sex ( none of my business, between them & God) but the scriptures state 1 Thessalonians 5:22 Abstain from all appearance of evil!
My final scriptural reference on this subject will be Romans 5:19 -- 6:2 Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? By the way just a thought, DEAD MEN CANT SIN!
Yes I do realize that the law was put into place for the lawbreakers but that does not make it OK for you & I and anyone else who calls themselves a Christian to do something directly against the Word of God? At that point in my estimation they have embraced the spirit of lawlessness that is ruling the mindset of the world of today. They have reverted back to following their lower carnal nature rather than the teachings of the most high, our beloved Jesus. Even if a person doesn't take the Word of God as the gospel on a subject(as I do) the warnings it gives should be a caution light going off inside anybody's brain. Food for thought!
Be blessed & I know you are
Ken Gorham a servant of the Lord
The law was never designed as a means of salvation; no one could be saved by keeping it. The law was the means for the people of Israel to learn how to live as Gods holy people. In Galatians 3:24 we learn the law was to be our schoolmaster. The law was intended to reveal sin & not bring righteousness. Again our righteousness can only come by our faith in Christ. Righteousness in itself means that we are in a right standing with God but that will never happen when you are knowingly practicing something that goes against the Word of God.
Yes we are to be led by the unction of the Holy Spirit but once again I remind you that God the Holy Spirit will never, never, never get into an argument with Jesus the Word of God, like it ain't never going to happen. This is where some of the theology of today breaks down. I watched one of my favorite shows the other night "It's Your Call" which had a subject regarding sex ( a taboo subject in some churches.) Many of the callers took the perspective it was between the husband wife & the Holy Spirit what they did in the bedroom. That is fine as long as what they choose to do, does not go against the Word of God. Example #1 Matthew 5:28 But I say to you (Jesus talking) that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Fantasy is Out according to God! Yes worldly sex therapists say it is proper & OK even healthy but God says its OUT! Example #2 1 Corinthians 6:9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators (sex outside marriage,) nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. Anal sex is OUT according to God, no matter what the world or the sex therapist says! Check out Romans 1:26,27 for all the confirmation you need.
As I have stated before there are three voices we hear in our head or heart that want to give us direction in our lives. The voice of God, the voice of the devil & the carnal emotional voice of SELF and all three sound the very same. Within my personal experience I know this is not an easy thing to do, discern which voice I am listening too. We are emotional creatures & those same emotions can easily be mistaken for the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The only check & balance we have as Christians are the Word of God. How does that work if you think grace allows you to do anything you choose? Sorry I am a simple Christian & I will follow the direction laid out in the Word of God. God said it, I believe it, that settles it!
Another area I will touch upon to help explain this area is in the fact many times over my years of walking with the Lord I have met Christians (male & female) living together & witnessing to worldly people that it is wrong to live common-law. Like how weird is that, to the people of the world that is exactly what they are appearing to do. Yes God may have called them together I do not deny that, but to live together, never. And I am not doubting that they say they are not having sex ( none of my business, between them & God) but the scriptures state 1 Thessalonians 5:22 Abstain from all appearance of evil!
My final scriptural reference on this subject will be Romans 5:19 -- 6:2 Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? By the way just a thought, DEAD MEN CANT SIN!
Yes I do realize that the law was put into place for the lawbreakers but that does not make it OK for you & I and anyone else who calls themselves a Christian to do something directly against the Word of God? At that point in my estimation they have embraced the spirit of lawlessness that is ruling the mindset of the world of today. They have reverted back to following their lower carnal nature rather than the teachings of the most high, our beloved Jesus. Even if a person doesn't take the Word of God as the gospel on a subject(as I do) the warnings it gives should be a caution light going off inside anybody's brain. Food for thought!
Be blessed & I know you are
Ken Gorham a servant of the Lord
Wednesday, 18 January 2012
Praise Stops The Enemy!
I've said it before but it is one of those statements that needs to brought to light often. If the devil can make people believe he doesn't exist, he will not have to go to war, as he has already won the battle. Right after that he twists every negative thing that happens in the world to make people believe that it was ultimately Gods fault. The Bible teaches us the devil is the father of lies & there is no truth in him. He comes but to steal kill & destroy the life of all of humanity.
His purpose is to tear us down to the place we will spend eternity in hell with him. He has perversity in his heart (if he has a heart at all!) He will set us up, have people say things about us, devises evil continually& even has the audacity to bring false accusations before God day & night against the brethren. We have to learn to stand & fight him according to the teachings of the Lord.
One of the most powerful forms of spiritual warfare is praise. One thing I know for sure is that the devil hates to hear us praise our savior, it drives him nuts. It has always amazed me that all of creation continually praises the Lord of Glory while we supposedly His servants are hesitant to do so.
Sorry to say we allow church traditions to dictate our actions even in regards to how we praise the Lord. Our personal inhibitions & fear of man also tend to shy us out. Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first & also for the Greek." Another scripture that excites me is the Lord inhabits the praises of His people.
I know many believe our relationship with the Lord, our very Christianity is to be something that is to be private & reverential. I believe there is time for that but let us lo0k at another scripture "the Lord inhabits the praises of His people." The book of Psalms continually puts us in remembrance we are to sing praise unto His name, play our instruments unto Him, our whole life is to be an expression of praise & worship unto Him, Amen!
In Isaiah 42:12 we read "Let them give glory to the Lord, and declare His praise in the coast lands. 42:13 The Lord shall go forth like a mighty man; He shall stir up His zeal like a man of war. He shall cry out, yes, shout aloud; He shall prevail against His enemies. Your enemies are His enemies.
We all remember what happened when Paul & Silas were locked in prison PRAISING THE LORD. An earthquake opened the jailhouse doors their shackles fell off & ultimately even the Philippian jailer got saved (he & his household.) Glory be to God there is power in PRAISE.
We are told to praise Him at all times in all situations. Is it because He is an egomaniac, no but He is the light at the end of the tunnel for those in a very dark place. Don't forget we are to also praise Him in the good times because He is the author of every good gift & every perfect gift is from above. Paul & Silas in the natural had every reason to be caught up in one mega big pity party BUT they CHOSE to Praise the Lord!
Shake off the discouragement, the weariness & quit listening to the lies of the devil. Get with Gods program & get on with praising Him no matter the situation you may face. God is still the God of deliverance, He still sets the captives free no matter what your captivity may be. He is all powerful, all knowing & ever present & when you tap into His power through Praising Him (He inhabits the praises of His people) you too can make a difference, Food for Thought!
Ken Gorham a servant of the Lord
His purpose is to tear us down to the place we will spend eternity in hell with him. He has perversity in his heart (if he has a heart at all!) He will set us up, have people say things about us, devises evil continually& even has the audacity to bring false accusations before God day & night against the brethren. We have to learn to stand & fight him according to the teachings of the Lord.
One of the most powerful forms of spiritual warfare is praise. One thing I know for sure is that the devil hates to hear us praise our savior, it drives him nuts. It has always amazed me that all of creation continually praises the Lord of Glory while we supposedly His servants are hesitant to do so.
Sorry to say we allow church traditions to dictate our actions even in regards to how we praise the Lord. Our personal inhibitions & fear of man also tend to shy us out. Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first & also for the Greek." Another scripture that excites me is the Lord inhabits the praises of His people.
I know many believe our relationship with the Lord, our very Christianity is to be something that is to be private & reverential. I believe there is time for that but let us lo0k at another scripture "the Lord inhabits the praises of His people." The book of Psalms continually puts us in remembrance we are to sing praise unto His name, play our instruments unto Him, our whole life is to be an expression of praise & worship unto Him, Amen!
In Isaiah 42:12 we read "Let them give glory to the Lord, and declare His praise in the coast lands. 42:13 The Lord shall go forth like a mighty man; He shall stir up His zeal like a man of war. He shall cry out, yes, shout aloud; He shall prevail against His enemies. Your enemies are His enemies.
We all remember what happened when Paul & Silas were locked in prison PRAISING THE LORD. An earthquake opened the jailhouse doors their shackles fell off & ultimately even the Philippian jailer got saved (he & his household.) Glory be to God there is power in PRAISE.
We are told to praise Him at all times in all situations. Is it because He is an egomaniac, no but He is the light at the end of the tunnel for those in a very dark place. Don't forget we are to also praise Him in the good times because He is the author of every good gift & every perfect gift is from above. Paul & Silas in the natural had every reason to be caught up in one mega big pity party BUT they CHOSE to Praise the Lord!
Shake off the discouragement, the weariness & quit listening to the lies of the devil. Get with Gods program & get on with praising Him no matter the situation you may face. God is still the God of deliverance, He still sets the captives free no matter what your captivity may be. He is all powerful, all knowing & ever present & when you tap into His power through Praising Him (He inhabits the praises of His people) you too can make a difference, Food for Thought!
Ken Gorham a servant of the Lord
Wednesday, 11 January 2012
Revive Us Oh Lord
Everybody needs to be revived, to have new life breathed into them. It doesn't matter if that is in a persons work place, your sporting team, in their marriage or relationship. There are simple ways to work towards this but with humanity we are normally extremely shallow in work ethics or consistency. The other thing that holds us back is our pride, thinking it is wrong for us to ask for help or even call upon God for strength to continue on.
I do not believe that there is a 12 point system for you to follow when you are dealing with the things of the Lord. Let us look at Jacob who is also known as Israel. To his knowledge his favorite son Joseph was torn to shreds by a wild animal, imagine his feelings when they could not even find his body to bury. Then this ruler of Egypt keeps his son Simeon as a hostage & now he wanted his youngest son Benjamin. Then in Genesis 45 we read how Jacobs sons came back from Egypt saying Joseph is still alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt." And Jacob's heart stood still, because he did not believe them. But when they told him all the words which Joseph had said to them and when he saw the carts which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father REVIVED! Then Israel said "It is enough Joseph my son is still alive, I will go and see him before I die.
Not many of us have had to live through the events Jacob did & I thank God for that, but we all have life experiences that take the wind out of our sails. Discouragement is one of the main tools of spiritual warfare that the adversity uses against believers. If he can get us to believe we will never succeed in anything we do, he knows he is a winner. Galatians 6:9 tells us to not become weary in well doing, for in due season we shall reap "if we do not lose heart."
Joseph was a wonderful example of keeping on no matter what. First his brothers threw him into a pit & sold him into slavery (brotherly love--not.) Then he goes to Egypt & becomes a servant in the house of Potiphar the captain of the guard for Pharaoh. Potiphar saw something in Joseph & made him overseer of his house, not bad for a slave. Then Potiphars wife decides this good looking Hebrew should join her in her bed. He said "how then can I do this wickedness & sin against God!" Potiphar knew he didn't do it (if he believed it, he would have killed Joseph" so off to prison Joseph goes. Bummer, bummer, bummer!
Then just like Potiphar the keeper of the prison saw something in Joseph & committed all the prisoners into his hands. Then the baker & the butler of the king of Egypt asked him if he could interpret their dreams, so he said do not interpretations belong to God so he listened to their dreams. The bakers dream said he would be hung & he was but the butlers said he would be restored to his position. Yet the chief butler did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.
Again Joseph could have got caught up in a major pity party but he did not, he continued to serve in his position in prison faithful, faithful, faithful in all areas (are we?) It took two years before the butler remembered him because Pharoah needed an interpreter of his own dreams. The long & the short of it was God used Joseph to interpret those dreams & because of it he became #2 man in all of Egypt, not bad for a Hebrew shepherd boy.
What was it that people saw in Joseph that encouraged them to put him in a place of responsibility? Continually we read in Genesis that "The Lord was with Him!" Even though he lived in a pagan society he remained faithful to His God, to the point others could see the difference in him. Let us hope we too can show the world around us our Savior through a life set aside for service unto Him. We are in this world but not to be of it.
Each one has their own path in life, bumpy as it may be & we may get off the beaten path & even go in the ditches of life but thanks be to God that He has a Holy Ghost tow truck that can pull us out of those ditches "if we will but ask & believe." We all have times of doubt & unbelief, that feeling of where did you go Lord, pick up His Holy Word & immerse yourself in it. This is the one way I know of to revive "to breathe new life into my soul!" Our hope, our very life, is in His most excellent hands. Know matter how good or bad things are going, God is still with you! Food for thought!
Ken Gorham a servant of the Lord
I do not believe that there is a 12 point system for you to follow when you are dealing with the things of the Lord. Let us look at Jacob who is also known as Israel. To his knowledge his favorite son Joseph was torn to shreds by a wild animal, imagine his feelings when they could not even find his body to bury. Then this ruler of Egypt keeps his son Simeon as a hostage & now he wanted his youngest son Benjamin. Then in Genesis 45 we read how Jacobs sons came back from Egypt saying Joseph is still alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt." And Jacob's heart stood still, because he did not believe them. But when they told him all the words which Joseph had said to them and when he saw the carts which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father REVIVED! Then Israel said "It is enough Joseph my son is still alive, I will go and see him before I die.
Not many of us have had to live through the events Jacob did & I thank God for that, but we all have life experiences that take the wind out of our sails. Discouragement is one of the main tools of spiritual warfare that the adversity uses against believers. If he can get us to believe we will never succeed in anything we do, he knows he is a winner. Galatians 6:9 tells us to not become weary in well doing, for in due season we shall reap "if we do not lose heart."
Joseph was a wonderful example of keeping on no matter what. First his brothers threw him into a pit & sold him into slavery (brotherly love--not.) Then he goes to Egypt & becomes a servant in the house of Potiphar the captain of the guard for Pharaoh. Potiphar saw something in Joseph & made him overseer of his house, not bad for a slave. Then Potiphars wife decides this good looking Hebrew should join her in her bed. He said "how then can I do this wickedness & sin against God!" Potiphar knew he didn't do it (if he believed it, he would have killed Joseph" so off to prison Joseph goes. Bummer, bummer, bummer!
Then just like Potiphar the keeper of the prison saw something in Joseph & committed all the prisoners into his hands. Then the baker & the butler of the king of Egypt asked him if he could interpret their dreams, so he said do not interpretations belong to God so he listened to their dreams. The bakers dream said he would be hung & he was but the butlers said he would be restored to his position. Yet the chief butler did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.
Again Joseph could have got caught up in a major pity party but he did not, he continued to serve in his position in prison faithful, faithful, faithful in all areas (are we?) It took two years before the butler remembered him because Pharoah needed an interpreter of his own dreams. The long & the short of it was God used Joseph to interpret those dreams & because of it he became #2 man in all of Egypt, not bad for a Hebrew shepherd boy.
What was it that people saw in Joseph that encouraged them to put him in a place of responsibility? Continually we read in Genesis that "The Lord was with Him!" Even though he lived in a pagan society he remained faithful to His God, to the point others could see the difference in him. Let us hope we too can show the world around us our Savior through a life set aside for service unto Him. We are in this world but not to be of it.
Each one has their own path in life, bumpy as it may be & we may get off the beaten path & even go in the ditches of life but thanks be to God that He has a Holy Ghost tow truck that can pull us out of those ditches "if we will but ask & believe." We all have times of doubt & unbelief, that feeling of where did you go Lord, pick up His Holy Word & immerse yourself in it. This is the one way I know of to revive "to breathe new life into my soul!" Our hope, our very life, is in His most excellent hands. Know matter how good or bad things are going, God is still with you! Food for thought!
Ken Gorham a servant of the Lord
Friday, 30 December 2011
A Moment In Time
This will be a two part message, first I would like to present a simple teaching on spiritual warfare. I remember challenging our old congregation to pray a simple prayer "Lord show me to others as I truly am!" Some congregation members could not pray it as they knew their walk with the Lord was as phony as a $3 bill. My belief is that our lives should be transparent for all to see. When someone asks me about my past I share it as it was but, reminding them that the person they see today is not that person, thanks to the life changing power of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I realize not many are willing to reveal their past or even their present flaws because our carnal nature would choose to hide those things we don't want others to see or know about. HELLO people let us not forget God sees all & knows all. What is hidden in darkness will eventually come to the light, WHEN YOU LEAST EXPECT IT! Honesty & integrity unique virtues in this day & age but also spiritual weapons, even though truth often hurts, but only for the moment, it will win out in the long run.
The moment is that instance were something interrupts our normal life. It could be an accident, a sickness or words some person speaks, whatever. Our reaction at that moment rises up from deep within us. In other words what we have put in us through reading, watching or listening to will formulate our response to whatever has transpired. If you choose to focus on what the media & parts of the church telling us, fear will rule your life. A simple checklist of what you are feeding into your soul is the new testament perspective on prophesy, it will exhort you (lift you up,) edify (teach you) or comfort you (1 Corinthians 14:3.)
"Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks" Not a comfortable scripture to ponder, especially after you have just lost it & you are totally ashamed of what had come out of your big mouth. The first thing we have to do is ask God to forgive us & PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE Holy Spirit help me not to lose it again. If we do not do that odds are we will sink lower & lower + be filled with self loathing & condemnation (neither of which are from God!) Do not be so foolish as to think you or anyone else has arrived at some spiritual sainthood. We are all a work in progress, IF we will allow the potter to continue to mold us into a useful vessel for the Lord.
What shows up in the moment is possibly frustration or anger from the frustration, unforgiveness, bitterness, to name but a few of the negatives that can so easily rise up. There can be many reasons for these wrong thoughts but guaranteed they are something rooted in your past or something you have been inputting into your soul. The Bible refers to these thoughts as a stronghold of the mind. It may have been words spoken over us again & again, these are curse words. Many times a person tries & tries but never seems to succeed, it doesn't take long before you start to believe you're a failure. If you are a born again believer YOU ARE NOT A FAILURE! But if you do not learn how to defuse these wrong thoughts you start to expect those negatives & actually believe you deserve them just because of who you are, sad eh! Another reason is you feel you were born on the wrong side of the tracks or within a disfunctional family. Naturally the next step is to bow down to the plum syndrome (poor little unloved me) which will guarantee you a big old pity party.
What we have to do is take these curse words from our past to the foot of the cross. It could be your relationships, marriage or past marriages, manipulative controlling family members or friends, past failures to the foot of the cross. Remember it is not the person (flesh & blood) we battle but the spirit that is driving them. Ask Gods forgiveness for any mistakes you have made, any & all sin, for even believing the lies of the devil & plead the blood of Jesus over the foul root that has held you in bondage. Believe you are free once & for all & start to praise Him for His deliverance as He is worthy of all our praise.
The next time that negative thought tries to rise up rebuke it, GET OUT IN JESUS NAME. Devil you are a liar I am a child of God, He has given me the power to become an overcomer, more than a conqueror. Trust in the Lord & lean not on your understanding. the devil is real & he has power, but Jesus is the highest name in heaven, on the earth & under the earth! He is all powerful & like the old hymn is titled we have Victory in Jesus! As God proves Himself to us it is now our duty to reach out & help others around us.
We are to be people of compassion, that is someone who sees a need & then steps out to meet that need in other lives. It is not up to us to judge them for the state they are in but to help lift them out of that pit. Do not sit & pick them apart or try to figure out why they are the way they are, just love them for who they are. The love of God within us should compel us to find a way to be an encouragement rather than a discouragement to them. Lift them up rather than tear them down through our words. As Christians everything starts with prayer & a smile is a excellent followup.
Everything comes down to what we have been putting on the inside. That is what will dictate what comes out in the moment & if we will be equipped to meet the need whether in our own life or someone else's. For me the Word of God is the positive I choose to put in. One scripture that God has prompted me to memorize is Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. This also is spiritual warfare. When I was in public school we had to memorize stuff but now I choose to do so to make myself not only a better person but useful to God in reaching out & helping my fellowman.
Can you but imagine what an impact we the church would have on the world around us in 2012 if we put this simple message into practice. Food for thought!
The moment is that instance were something interrupts our normal life. It could be an accident, a sickness or words some person speaks, whatever. Our reaction at that moment rises up from deep within us. In other words what we have put in us through reading, watching or listening to will formulate our response to whatever has transpired. If you choose to focus on what the media & parts of the church telling us, fear will rule your life. A simple checklist of what you are feeding into your soul is the new testament perspective on prophesy, it will exhort you (lift you up,) edify (teach you) or comfort you (1 Corinthians 14:3.)
"Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks" Not a comfortable scripture to ponder, especially after you have just lost it & you are totally ashamed of what had come out of your big mouth. The first thing we have to do is ask God to forgive us & PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE Holy Spirit help me not to lose it again. If we do not do that odds are we will sink lower & lower + be filled with self loathing & condemnation (neither of which are from God!) Do not be so foolish as to think you or anyone else has arrived at some spiritual sainthood. We are all a work in progress, IF we will allow the potter to continue to mold us into a useful vessel for the Lord.
What shows up in the moment is possibly frustration or anger from the frustration, unforgiveness, bitterness, to name but a few of the negatives that can so easily rise up. There can be many reasons for these wrong thoughts but guaranteed they are something rooted in your past or something you have been inputting into your soul. The Bible refers to these thoughts as a stronghold of the mind. It may have been words spoken over us again & again, these are curse words. Many times a person tries & tries but never seems to succeed, it doesn't take long before you start to believe you're a failure. If you are a born again believer YOU ARE NOT A FAILURE! But if you do not learn how to defuse these wrong thoughts you start to expect those negatives & actually believe you deserve them just because of who you are, sad eh! Another reason is you feel you were born on the wrong side of the tracks or within a disfunctional family. Naturally the next step is to bow down to the plum syndrome (poor little unloved me) which will guarantee you a big old pity party.
What we have to do is take these curse words from our past to the foot of the cross. It could be your relationships, marriage or past marriages, manipulative controlling family members or friends, past failures to the foot of the cross. Remember it is not the person (flesh & blood) we battle but the spirit that is driving them. Ask Gods forgiveness for any mistakes you have made, any & all sin, for even believing the lies of the devil & plead the blood of Jesus over the foul root that has held you in bondage. Believe you are free once & for all & start to praise Him for His deliverance as He is worthy of all our praise.
The next time that negative thought tries to rise up rebuke it, GET OUT IN JESUS NAME. Devil you are a liar I am a child of God, He has given me the power to become an overcomer, more than a conqueror. Trust in the Lord & lean not on your understanding. the devil is real & he has power, but Jesus is the highest name in heaven, on the earth & under the earth! He is all powerful & like the old hymn is titled we have Victory in Jesus! As God proves Himself to us it is now our duty to reach out & help others around us.
We are to be people of compassion, that is someone who sees a need & then steps out to meet that need in other lives. It is not up to us to judge them for the state they are in but to help lift them out of that pit. Do not sit & pick them apart or try to figure out why they are the way they are, just love them for who they are. The love of God within us should compel us to find a way to be an encouragement rather than a discouragement to them. Lift them up rather than tear them down through our words. As Christians everything starts with prayer & a smile is a excellent followup.
Everything comes down to what we have been putting on the inside. That is what will dictate what comes out in the moment & if we will be equipped to meet the need whether in our own life or someone else's. For me the Word of God is the positive I choose to put in. One scripture that God has prompted me to memorize is Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. This also is spiritual warfare. When I was in public school we had to memorize stuff but now I choose to do so to make myself not only a better person but useful to God in reaching out & helping my fellowman.
Can you but imagine what an impact we the church would have on the world around us in 2012 if we put this simple message into practice. Food for thought!
Tuesday, 20 December 2011
The Day That Love Was Born
December 25 is the day the Christian Church celebrates the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. The gift God gave mankind, His own precious son was the supreme act of love. It would have been far easier, less painful to have chose to come Himself, but instead He gave up His only begotten Son. Jesus left His rightful place in Glory knowing He would be crucified. By Jesus selfless act of obedience He allowed His love to open the door for mankind to receive forgiveness for their sin & come into a personal relationship with their creator.
God Himself saw the necessity of a sacrifice that would be all inclusive, the Sacrificial Lamb! But the lamb had to be perfect, unspotted, which meant in a spiritual sense, uncontaminated by sin. For this to take place He would have to be tempted & tested by sin itself & found sinless. Jesus came through with flying colors, tried tested & true!
As we learn in John 3:17 Jesus did not come to condemn the people of the world but to save them from themselves & sin. He totally disregarded their ethnic, religious or sordid backgrounds. This could only be possible from someone who has a love foreign to this world, unconditional. By this act of love He has forgiven us our sins, no matter how horrendous they were or undeserved we may be, or feel we are. All we have to do is ask Gods forgiveness in Jesus name & the slate is wiped clean as if we had never committed them (l John l:9 forgiveness & Romans 5:1 justification) Too good to be true you say, agape love I say!
The love this world knows is perverted beyond comprehension in comparison to Gods love. It is self-centered & only sees through the eyes of lust, rather than compassion. What this world refers to as love is actually focuses on sex, materialism & power. Sex has been turned into a dirty word, while even the sacredness of marriage has been stained & tarnished & opened to make way for what God refers to as abomination, homosexuality. Materialism is a big word, I believe it to be the reason for every war, you know like the war in Iraq, which in all likelihood have nothing to do with anything but OIL. And the root cause of every war is the rule of supremacy "we want to be numero uno! Sorry for this rant in the midst of my Christmas message.
Each time someone receives Jesus into their lives His love explodes in their heart. It is as if the life that life itself had molded them into is shattered & a new person filled with Gods love & compassion starts to be transformed into what God calls a NEW CREATION. Gods love is needed today more than ever before. His love looks beyond faults & differences to see the needs. His compassion within us compels us to do something to offset those needs.
Gods gift to mankind His love, truly is the gift that keeps on giving. The love God has placed within a believers heart is FOR-GIVING! He has forgiven us our sins, does not hold our past against us, does not focus on our mistakes or family history but only looks upon our heart & what motivates it. Christmas comes but once a year but Jesus wants us to share His gift of love numerous times each & every day to all those we come into contact with. As we help to meet the needs of our fellowman they see a Christ-like-ness within us & they in turn are drawn unto Him, praise the Lord!
Merry Christmas!
Ken Gorham a servant of the Lord
God Himself saw the necessity of a sacrifice that would be all inclusive, the Sacrificial Lamb! But the lamb had to be perfect, unspotted, which meant in a spiritual sense, uncontaminated by sin. For this to take place He would have to be tempted & tested by sin itself & found sinless. Jesus came through with flying colors, tried tested & true!
As we learn in John 3:17 Jesus did not come to condemn the people of the world but to save them from themselves & sin. He totally disregarded their ethnic, religious or sordid backgrounds. This could only be possible from someone who has a love foreign to this world, unconditional. By this act of love He has forgiven us our sins, no matter how horrendous they were or undeserved we may be, or feel we are. All we have to do is ask Gods forgiveness in Jesus name & the slate is wiped clean as if we had never committed them (l John l:9 forgiveness & Romans 5:1 justification) Too good to be true you say, agape love I say!
The love this world knows is perverted beyond comprehension in comparison to Gods love. It is self-centered & only sees through the eyes of lust, rather than compassion. What this world refers to as love is actually focuses on sex, materialism & power. Sex has been turned into a dirty word, while even the sacredness of marriage has been stained & tarnished & opened to make way for what God refers to as abomination, homosexuality. Materialism is a big word, I believe it to be the reason for every war, you know like the war in Iraq, which in all likelihood have nothing to do with anything but OIL. And the root cause of every war is the rule of supremacy "we want to be numero uno! Sorry for this rant in the midst of my Christmas message.
Each time someone receives Jesus into their lives His love explodes in their heart. It is as if the life that life itself had molded them into is shattered & a new person filled with Gods love & compassion starts to be transformed into what God calls a NEW CREATION. Gods love is needed today more than ever before. His love looks beyond faults & differences to see the needs. His compassion within us compels us to do something to offset those needs.
Gods gift to mankind His love, truly is the gift that keeps on giving. The love God has placed within a believers heart is FOR-GIVING! He has forgiven us our sins, does not hold our past against us, does not focus on our mistakes or family history but only looks upon our heart & what motivates it. Christmas comes but once a year but Jesus wants us to share His gift of love numerous times each & every day to all those we come into contact with. As we help to meet the needs of our fellowman they see a Christ-like-ness within us & they in turn are drawn unto Him, praise the Lord!
Merry Christmas!
Ken Gorham a servant of the Lord
Friday, 9 December 2011
Three Christmas Nuggets
I want to look at three different Christmas nuggets & how they line up according to the Bible. The first one I will be looking at is Merry Xmas. Oh boy, oh boy I can still remember how that ticked me off when I was a new believer. My statement was nobody but nobody is ever going to take Christ out of Christmas. Many a Christian find their blood pressure rising when we see this saying in one store window after another. Let us go to one of my favorite reference books Websters Dictionary for an answer. Websters defines Xmas as, the X is the Greek letter for the Christos, the Christ & the word Xmas originated in the early 1600's. Oops, guess we allowed ourselves to get more than a tad carried away before checking out what we were getting so stewed up about.
As Christians we know Jesus is the way, the truth & the life & accept the Bible as the standard we are to live by. Then why is it such a large percentage of the Christian church continue a tradition that is a falsehood? The common nativity scene has the baby Jesus with His mother Mary & Joseph , the shepherds & the wise men from the east gathered around the manger. In Luke 2:7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger , because there was no room for them in the Inn. In Luke 2:16 And the shepherds went with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. OK this obviously lines up with the traditional nativity scene but let us now look at the wise men from the east In Matthew 2:11 And when they (the wise men) had come into the house they saw the young child with Mary His mother, and they opened their treasures, they presented unto Him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. (King James translation) Key words being HOUSE and the YOUNG CHILD, totally different then the baby in the manger. This passage of scripture is further explained in Matthew 2:16 Herod was furious when he learned that the astrologers had disobeyed him. Sending soldiers to Bethlehem, he ordered them to kill every baby boy two years old and under, both in the town & in the nearby farms, for the astrologers (wise men) had told him the star first appeared to them two years before. (Living translation) After reading these scriptures it is obvious that the wise men (astrologers) were not present at the manger scene, thus not Biblical.
My son Jedediah gave me the third tidbit I want to look at the announcement given by the heavenly host at the birth of the Savior Luke 2:14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. (King James Version) now let us look at the Living same verse Glory to God in the highest heaven, they sang peace on earth for all those pleasing Him. One of our most common sayings at Christmas time is "peace on earth & goodwill to men," yet is it in agreement with the Bible? I don't think so!
In my NKJ study bible this verse is explained as "the promise of peace & goodwill would come to those who welcome God's only Son." The Matthew Henry Commentary says If God be at peace with us, all peace results from it. All the good we have, or hope, is owing to God's goodwill; & if we have the comfort of it, He must have the glory of it.
The Anti-Christ spirit has been on the earth since the time of the Bible, possibly from the garden of Eden. It runs hand in hand with the lawlessness we see so rampant in the earth today. I recently received an e-mail in regards to the "Religion of Peace Demonstration" in England. Here are some of the signs carried by extreme members of the Islam. Europe take a lesson from 911, behead who insult Islam, butcher those who mock Islam, Islam will dominate the world are but a few. Hello that is not peace!
In Matthew 10:34 Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. This is the sword of the Spirit Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living & powerful & sharper than any two-edged sword piercing even to the division of soul & spirit, and of joints & marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts & intents of the heart. Conviction comes upon us when we hear or read the word of God & we then have the opportunity to change accordingly. But until His revelation comes upon us the Bible appears to be total nonsense.
Matthew 10:35 "For I come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter in law against her mother in law. Matthew 10:36 and a mans enemies will be those of his own household. Again Peace on Earth Goodwill to Men? Studying out 35 & 36 you will find Christ has to be first & foremost in our lives. Many a child has been born into Christian homes to become an idol. I have met people who worship their spouse or parent. Yes we love our family members but this love can not surpass our love of our Savior! Again it brings us back to picking up our own cross & living the Christ-like rather than the self-centered life of this world.
There are also many instances were a person receives Christ into their life & all those around them seemingly fall away. With some extreme religions when one of their own receive Christ they are considered dead & in some instances they will even hold their funeral. Yet Christ does bring peace into his followers lives by reading His Word, through our prayer life, in our times of praise & worship & the privilege of fellowshipping with Him & sharing Him with those around us (evangelism). If we have loved ones & friends unsaved they have to be targets of our prayers. Even though they may not be believers at present doesn't negate their being Christians in the future. Can you see how that brings peace into our lives? And the glorious promise for each of His followers of eternity in glory, Praise God!
I am not saying we are not to be peacemakers in fact the Good Lord has instructed us in Romans 12:8 "If it is possible, as much as depends on you live peaceably with all men. As I said earlier those who are thorns in our flesh become targets of our prayers. Another scripture that comes to mind is Matthew 5:44 "love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you & pray for those who spitefully use you & persecute you."
There will never be Peace on Earth until the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. You will hear of & even believe you are witnessing a universal peace but this will be a false peace.
Lots of food for thought in this one, look forward to your comments. More on Christmas in the upcoming blog.
Blessings as always
Ken Gorham a servant of the Lord
As Christians we know Jesus is the way, the truth & the life & accept the Bible as the standard we are to live by. Then why is it such a large percentage of the Christian church continue a tradition that is a falsehood? The common nativity scene has the baby Jesus with His mother Mary & Joseph , the shepherds & the wise men from the east gathered around the manger. In Luke 2:7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger , because there was no room for them in the Inn. In Luke 2:16 And the shepherds went with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. OK this obviously lines up with the traditional nativity scene but let us now look at the wise men from the east In Matthew 2:11 And when they (the wise men) had come into the house they saw the young child with Mary His mother, and they opened their treasures, they presented unto Him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. (King James translation) Key words being HOUSE and the YOUNG CHILD, totally different then the baby in the manger. This passage of scripture is further explained in Matthew 2:16 Herod was furious when he learned that the astrologers had disobeyed him. Sending soldiers to Bethlehem, he ordered them to kill every baby boy two years old and under, both in the town & in the nearby farms, for the astrologers (wise men) had told him the star first appeared to them two years before. (Living translation) After reading these scriptures it is obvious that the wise men (astrologers) were not present at the manger scene, thus not Biblical.
My son Jedediah gave me the third tidbit I want to look at the announcement given by the heavenly host at the birth of the Savior Luke 2:14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. (King James Version) now let us look at the Living same verse Glory to God in the highest heaven, they sang peace on earth for all those pleasing Him. One of our most common sayings at Christmas time is "peace on earth & goodwill to men," yet is it in agreement with the Bible? I don't think so!
In my NKJ study bible this verse is explained as "the promise of peace & goodwill would come to those who welcome God's only Son." The Matthew Henry Commentary says If God be at peace with us, all peace results from it. All the good we have, or hope, is owing to God's goodwill; & if we have the comfort of it, He must have the glory of it.
The Anti-Christ spirit has been on the earth since the time of the Bible, possibly from the garden of Eden. It runs hand in hand with the lawlessness we see so rampant in the earth today. I recently received an e-mail in regards to the "Religion of Peace Demonstration" in England. Here are some of the signs carried by extreme members of the Islam. Europe take a lesson from 911, behead who insult Islam, butcher those who mock Islam, Islam will dominate the world are but a few. Hello that is not peace!
In Matthew 10:34 Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. This is the sword of the Spirit Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living & powerful & sharper than any two-edged sword piercing even to the division of soul & spirit, and of joints & marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts & intents of the heart. Conviction comes upon us when we hear or read the word of God & we then have the opportunity to change accordingly. But until His revelation comes upon us the Bible appears to be total nonsense.
Matthew 10:35 "For I come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter in law against her mother in law. Matthew 10:36 and a mans enemies will be those of his own household. Again Peace on Earth Goodwill to Men? Studying out 35 & 36 you will find Christ has to be first & foremost in our lives. Many a child has been born into Christian homes to become an idol. I have met people who worship their spouse or parent. Yes we love our family members but this love can not surpass our love of our Savior! Again it brings us back to picking up our own cross & living the Christ-like rather than the self-centered life of this world.
There are also many instances were a person receives Christ into their life & all those around them seemingly fall away. With some extreme religions when one of their own receive Christ they are considered dead & in some instances they will even hold their funeral. Yet Christ does bring peace into his followers lives by reading His Word, through our prayer life, in our times of praise & worship & the privilege of fellowshipping with Him & sharing Him with those around us (evangelism). If we have loved ones & friends unsaved they have to be targets of our prayers. Even though they may not be believers at present doesn't negate their being Christians in the future. Can you see how that brings peace into our lives? And the glorious promise for each of His followers of eternity in glory, Praise God!
I am not saying we are not to be peacemakers in fact the Good Lord has instructed us in Romans 12:8 "If it is possible, as much as depends on you live peaceably with all men. As I said earlier those who are thorns in our flesh become targets of our prayers. Another scripture that comes to mind is Matthew 5:44 "love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you & pray for those who spitefully use you & persecute you."
There will never be Peace on Earth until the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. You will hear of & even believe you are witnessing a universal peace but this will be a false peace.
Lots of food for thought in this one, look forward to your comments. More on Christmas in the upcoming blog.
Blessings as always
Ken Gorham a servant of the Lord
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