FOR THE LOVE OF GOD

Common Sense

Posted on March 15, 2015 by Roland Ledoux

COMMON SENSE, GOOD JUDGMENT AND WISDOM??

When was the last time you were witness to common sense? Or when someone demonstrated the use of, common sense? When was the last time you heard the statement, “Now that makes (good) sense,” or the opposite, “Wow, that sure lacked common sense?” Be honest now, think about it for a bit. How long has it been since it was demonstrated; in any area of our culture?

For a moment let’s start out by giving the secular definition of the word “Sense” and how it relates to the synonym, “Common Sense”.

• Sound perception and reasoning; correct judgment; good mental capacity; understanding; also, that which is sound, true, or reasonable; rational meaning.
• Moral perception or appreciation.
• Perception through the intellect; apprehension; recognition; understanding; discernment; appreciation.

Also;

• Capacity for effective application of the powers of the mind as a basis for action or response, e.g. Intelligence
• Sound mental capacity and understanding typically marked by shrewdness and practicality; also, agreement with or satisfaction of such power.
• Ability to make intelligent choices and to reach intelligent conclusions or decisions.

Synonyms: SENSE, COMMON SENSE, JUDGMENT, WISDOM mean ability to reach intelligent conclusions.

• SENSE implies a reliable ability to judge and decide with soundness, prudence, and intelligence, e.g. a choice showing good sense.
• COMMON SENSE suggests an average degree of such ability without sophistication or special knowledge, e.g. common sense tells me it’s wrong. Also; sound and prudent judgment based on a simple perception of the situation or facts.
• JUDGMENT implies sense tempered and refined by experience, training, and maturity, e.g. they relied on her judgment for guidance.
• WISDOM implies sense and judgment far above average, e.g. a leader of rare wisdom.

This, then is the secular, humanistic definition of what we “USED” to refer to as, common sense.

The truth of the matter is, that what we once recognized as ordinary, average, and yes, commonplace is no longer that. The lack of (common) sense is now the norm, hence you hardly ever hear the statement of something lacking, and when anybody acts at all with good judgment, wisdom OR sense, it is the exception and NOT the rule!

That’s a pretty strong statement to make and I can’t supply statistics or identifiable facts other than what we are ALL witness to and what is happening around the world. Not just in our own country and governments either, but in our churches, businesses and other organizations, and the lack of common sense seems to be truly epidemic!

When did common sense, good judgment and wisdom start to die? It’s easy to see if you can step back and look at the whole of current history as a whole. The Word of God is full of promises and assurances concerning the having and gaining (and yes, losing) of wisdom, judgment and good sense.

James 1:5-6 states, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.”

Our Heavenly Father desires that we walk with wisdom and good judgment before all men for that is what demonstrates a great testimony. 2 Peter 3:15 says, “and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation–as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you,—–.”

The Book of Proverbs is full of verses relating to the rewards of wisdom and good judgment and the folly of a lack of understanding. One of the major proponents of demonstrating wisdom is not JUST looking to God, the Author and Provider of Wisdom, which should be the first place to turn too, but also of turning to others who have demonstrated “common sense,” or good judgment. “Where there is no counsel, the people fall; But in the multitude of counselors there is safety.” — Proverbs 11:14. Proverbs also states this in verses 5-6 of chapter 24, “A wise man is strong, Yes, a man of knowledge increases strength; For by wise counsel you will wage your own war, And in a multitude of counselors there is safety.”

The key to these verses is that the having and the using of wisdom and good sense makes us strong and keeps us safe. Even in the personal battles that we all fight against the enemy of our souls. There is great support in the guidance of others who also possess good judgment and wisdom. That old saying that “a many stranded cord is hard to break,” refers to this very thing.

The writers of the Holy Bible, as inspired by the Holy Spirit of God, all confirm the same thing; God is not just the Author of Wisdom, He IS Wisdom! The term used for one of His Character attributes is Omniscience. I’ve stated it before, but it’s good to repeat it, simply put, He is ALL SCIENCE, or ALL KNOWLEDGE and WISDOM. Just as the Apostle James wrote, if we want wisdom, if we lack wisdom, all we have to do is ask of the Author of Wisdom and He will give it to any who ask, believing, in abundance. But, the key is to go before the God of all Creation and ask for it. You can’t get it in any other place.

So, with all this laid out, have you guessed yet or come to the conclusion of when we started losing “common sense” as a people?

Just like in the early days of Israel, when a country’s people abandon the God of Heaven for their own means and wants, the source of wisdom and good sense dries up. It is a nasty cycle of human nature that for some reason, the very source of our safety and guidance is neglected for man’s own perceived wisdom.

“No man is wise enough by himself.” –Plautus

“True wisdom consists not in seeing what is immediately before our eyes, but in foreseeing what is to come.” -Terence

When the God of Creation was removed from schools in the context of prayer, when anything relating to our Spiritual Heavenly Father was banned from the public under the pretext of “separation of Church and State,” – a false interpretation of the INTENT of the Constitution, which was FOUNDED on Godly principles, – then we cut off the very well-spring of wisdom, judgment and common sense! We wonder why our children started becoming more rebellious and undisciplined, when and why children started committing atrocious crimes only once attributed to adulthood!

With each passing generation, the problem increases exponentially due to the fact that those NOT taught the principles of good moral judgment and wisdom have nothing to pass on to the next generation. We see business leaders with no moral compass, their compass is based on the accumulation of wealth. We see politicians instead of statesmen who have no moral compass and whose compass is based upon the acquiring of more power and authority over others. We see church denominations splitting and dissolving, new ones rising up, following after every religious fad that happens to appeal to the masses. Our church organizations no longer know what it is like to fellowship with one another outside their own narrow-ruled denominations. Many forgetting that we ALL have gifts AND diversity in which the Church of Christ Jesus is truly established!

Our churches no longer care for those outside their four walls unless those outside are part of their “membership!” When they do take on circumstances outside the walls of their private “Jericho’s,” it is with a social gospel that is only concerned with the immediate, natural world around them. Forget about the temporal state of that very world and society, when so many are crying out for some eternal answers!

Our church leaders no longer allow themselves an accountability to others by seeking the “guidance and counsel of many” so that all they do can and will be in unison, as the Body of Christ is supposed to be.

Now don’t get me wrong, just as the lack of common sense, used to be the exception and not the rule, there still is good judgment and wisdom in play, but IT is now the EXCEPTION and not the rule. There IS a Body of Believers that does exist though, practicing good judgment and wisdom, seeking counsel among one another with continued guidance by the Holy Spirit. It IS the Body of Christ that the Holy Spirit is molding, using its diverse gifts and abilities, but its organization is spiritual and not in the natural. Christ Jesus is the head of this “denomination” and its membership is known to one another “as the Spirit bears witness with one another.”

When we abandon the Author of wise counsel, we also abandon the strength and safety that is a direct result of following wise and sound precepts. This is not just evidenced in the United States either; this is a WORLD-WIDE epidemic, and it is just as the Bible has prophesied would happen.

Daniel 12:3-4, “Those who are wise shall shine Like the brightness of the firmament, And those who turn many to righteousness Like the stars forever and ever. But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”

These verses have been interpreted in many ways, but it cannot be denied that the writer, as inspired by the Holy Spirit, is talking about the last days of man as he is known today. Our world is smaller due to the ability to travel “to and fro” and all in part to the “increase of knowledge.”

Our technology has allowed so much. We have gained so much knowledge and information and yet, that intelligence does NOT breed wisdom or good judgment. If anything, it fosters the very thing so many in the Bible’s writings have warned about; arrogance!

Job 32:9, “Great men are not always wise, Nor do the aged always understand justice.”

Proverbs 15:2, “The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly, But the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness.”

Proverbs 3:7, “Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil.”

Proverbs 17:18, “A man devoid of understanding shakes hands in a pledge, And becomes surety for his friend.”

Jeremiah 9:23-24, “Thus says the LORD: “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches; But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,” says the LORD.

Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. -Spurgeon

The doorstep to the temple of wisdom is knowledge of our own ignorance. -Spurgeon

Just as Daniel wrote and as John the Apostle put forth in the Book of Revelations, certain things WILL transpire and those circumstances won’t take place until common sense, good judgment and wisdom are on the decline. Well, if you have been totally honest with yourself, you can see the truth in what I have stated. We are on that highway that will lead to the Anti-Christ and the “end of days” and the second coming of our Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus. Christ WILL come in spite of the lack of wisdom, but man’s salvation through Christ Jesus will be due to his individual desire to walk in Godly, Spiritual Wisdom!

Common sense and good judgment are dead!
Long live exceptional Godly Wisdom!!

Posted in Pastor's Desk | Tagged Apostle, Bible, Bible Teaching, Body of Christ, Choices, Church, Common Sense, Counsel, Daniel, God, Gospel Truth, Guidance, Heavenly Father, Holy Bible, Holy Spirit, James, Jesus, Job, John, Judgment, Peter, Proverbs, Religion, Savior, Scriptures, Spirit, Spirituality, Strength, Truth, Wisdom | Leave a comment

Have a Blessed Season in the Lord!

Posted on November 30, 2014 by Roland Ledoux

To my wonderful brothers and sisters in the Lord, I would like to take this time to thank you for the past few months and also to wish you a most blessed season in the Lord! I will be taking a brief time off for the Holy-days and I might sneak a brief post in now and then but I have been working on some great new thoughts the Holy Spirit has given me for the New Year!

I will be spending this time with my family and just basking in the GOOD spirit of this time of year. I thank all of you, my new friends AND older who have followed me thus far. I will be reading blogs during this time and working on the side to finish some articles, but most of the time, I will be enjoying some much loved holiday movies with my wife and with my best companion, Bella! (our golden lab!!!)

There have been some remarkable things happen in just the last few weeks that have given me not only pause to reflect, but inspiration to share. As I said, all this will be posted sometime after the new year!! So for now, I ask that you continue to keep my family and myself in prayer, as I will be going down the list of those I follow and praying for all of you!!!

God bless you all so very richly and so very abundantly and may you prosper as your soul prospers!
Pastor Roland and Family

Posted in Holiday Inspiration | Tagged Choices, Christ Jesus, Christianity, Comfort, Communication, Encouragement, Faith, God, God's Love, Grace, Heavenly Father, Holy Bible, Holy Spirit, Holy Word, Inspiration, Jesus, Joy, Lord, Love, Religion, Scripture, Spirituality, Truth | 2 Comments

Sunrise Prayers

Posted on November 6, 2014 by Roland Ledoux

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Here is a simple but poignant poem from a while back sent in email circulations. If anyone knows the Author, please let me know so that I may give them proper and deserved credit.

This morning when I wakened

And saw the sun above,

I softly said, “Good morning, Lord,

Bless everyone I love.”

And right away I thought of you

And said a loving prayer,

That He would bless you specially,

And keep you free from care.

I thought of all the happiness

A day could hold in store,

I wished it all for you because

No one deserves it more.

Author Unknown

Posted in Poetic Praise | Tagged Bible, Choices, Christ Jesus, Christianity, Communion, God's Love, Heavenly Father, Hope, Jesus, Joy, Love, Prayer, Religion, Spirituality | 1 Comment

Through It All

Posted on September 15, 2014 by Roland Ledoux

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There are trials and temptations
which we face on every hand
situations we must deal with
which we just don’t understand;

But there’s one who has the answers
and he knows just what to do
If we’ll put our trust in him,
He will help us make it through!

Through all of life’s frustrations
and the trials that we face;
He is there for us to reach out for
His mercy and His grace!

He is never in a hurry
as patiently He waits
for the prodigal to give it up
and run to His embrace!

He’ll clean out all the rubbish
and make our hearts brand new;
In tender loving mercy
with a love that’s tried and true;

He’ll guide us in His pathway
If to him we’ll hold onto
The doors will all start to open
as He gently leads us through!

~Helen Johnson~
© Used with permission

Helen has since passed away,
but I would love to thank her estate
for the use of this poem.

Posted in Poetic Praise | Tagged Christian Poetry, Embracing, Faith, Father God, Frustrations, God the Father, Guidance, Inspirational Poetry, Love, Loving Mercy, Mercy, Patience, Poetry, Spiritual, Tenderness, Trials, Tried and True | 1 Comment

Half-Truth, Whole Lie

Posted on September 15, 2014 by Roland Ledoux

Some time ago, before we even moved to Colorado, my wife and I were watching one of those television newsmagazines about a Colorado police officer who was fired for insubordination. The controversy that followed was over the fact that he wore a pin on his police uniform in the form of a cross. He wanted to visually acknowledge his Christianity, despite the fact that when he was hired, the guidelines stipulated that no pins or emblems of any kind were to be worn in plain sight without first getting written permission. He truly felt that as a Christian, he had a right to disobey because it was for a higher purpose. He disobeyed the guidelines, was fired, and is now claiming religious persecution and violation of freedom of speech under the first amendment.

On the surface, this looks pretty cut and dry, especially if you’re a Christian; but think about seriously, it isn’t. He wasn’t asked to denounce his faith or denounce Christ. He was asked to do anything immoral that would go against the law of God. But, this controversy divided a whole community, both religious and secular; it made national headlines, found a place on a national newsmagazine and stirred up controversy nationwide! Satan must be happy! First of all, it was obvious listening to this man’s interview that he is a God-fearing Christian, but it is also obvious that there is a lack of understanding and teaching concerning one’s testimony before others. This lack is becoming much more obvious, and especially all over the U.S. today. The real problem is that anyone can wear a symbol or say they are something; if being honest with ourselves we all know that doesn’t necessarily make it so. If you were to take a poll though, of Christians, concerning this subject today, you would get the same division as in that small Colorado town.

Christians today are more concerned about their “rights” than they are about seeking God’s direction concerning certain issues. Somewhere along the way we have lost sight of the true meaning and purpose of being a “Christian”, and the devil is having a field day. Instead of being a witness to the world with our lifestyles of love and obedience, AND YES, our surrender to God, our Father, we have nearly become a laughing stock to the world. No wonder the world looks at Christians as deceitful and hypocritical. We often say one thing and do another, and yes there is not a one of us who has arrived or who is perfect! We still make mistakes, but what we do after those mistakes and how do we right them for others to see will make all the difference?

The devil is a subtle enemy, though he isn’t wise, he is smart, and he hasn’t changed. Remember that when the devil tempted Jesus in the wilderness, he used scripture. The fault was that he used scripture for his own motives and not to fulfill the will of God. It’s still possible today to use Holy Scripture, take it out of context and twist it to suit our concepts and ideas, but it is still wrong; always was and always will be. That was one of the reasons, Jesus became flesh when He did and to appear during the time of religious unrest. The Pharisees were expert in manipulating Scripture to suit their needs and Jesus was constantly thwarting their attempts to trip Him up; why? Because they didn’t teach or even learn the spirit behind the letter of the Word.

This is what makes the enemy of our souls so devious; he is a master of manipulation. Remember, the enemy loves to use either omissions or even half-truths; but a half-truth is still a whole lie. Lacing a little bit of truth with anything that is contrary to God’s word is still a lie. The same thing applies to “making the means justify the end.” Either way it is a compromise to the truth. The only way to gain knowledge and understanding about how we should live is to immerse ourselves in God’s Word; all of His Word and not just the parts we want.

Roman’s 13:1-2 states this concerning our responsibility to society, “Let every person be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore he who resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves.”

God does not ask us to obey every corrupt device of government, but we are still to pray for those in leadership and we are to understand what we take upon ourselves when we CHOOSE to be employed by someone else. It is getting harder to remain calm as Christians with the state of our government and the aspect of our religious liberties eroding every day that passes. BUT – God DOES have a plan and like a Master Chessman, there are certain powers and governments that half to align to bring back the Son of God, our TRUE Redeemer and Savior. Don’t forget the history of Moses and Pharaoh and what it took for the Jewish people to finally be free. But let’s not forget the grumbling and complaining due to their lack of faith during their flight as well. We want to learn from history and not repeat it.

Now what about the root of the police officer’s claim, that he wanted the public to know that he was a Christian? He was relying upon the pin as his way of testifying to his faith; and nothing wrong with that in and of itself, but again, let’s look back at scripture.

I John 3:7, “Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.
8 He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.
9 Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.
10 In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.
11 For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another,-.” (Bold Emphasis Mine)

We are SEEN and perceived through what we DO, not what we wear or display; there is nothing inherently wrong with pins or banners, etc., but if you want to be a testimony to Christ, walk the walk; it takes a lot more effort, a lot more practice; displaying a pin or bumper sticker just won’t do it by themselves and especially in the age we are living in where everyone’s lives are under a microscope.

If you truly want to grasp the Christian’s lifestyle and how to portray our testimony and if you want to really find the main theme and purpose of why we have been Redeemed, then read Matthew 22:36-40, and the short Epistle of I John; I guarantee it will help keep you from being deceived by the enemy’s half-truths.

Posted in Vintage Messages | Tagged 1 John, Christ Jesus, Devil, Ends & Means, Enemy, God, Half-Truths, Holy Bible, Holy Scriptures, Jesus, Justification, Lies, Manipulation, Matthew, Omission, Religion, Righteousness, Scriptures, Spiritual, Spirituality, Teaching, Truth | 2 Comments

Prayers – A Poem

Posted on September 10, 2014 by Roland Ledoux

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Life without purpose is barren indeed.

There can’t be a harvest unless you plant seed.

There can’t be attainment unless there’s a goal,

And man’s but a robot unless there’s a soul.

If we send no ships out, no ships will come in,

And unless there’s a contest, nobody can win.

For games can’t be won unless they are played,

And prayers can’t be answered unless they are prayed.

So whatever is wrong with your life today,

You’ll find a solution if you kneel down and pray.

Not just for pleasure, enjoyment and health,

Not just for honors and prestige and wealth.

But pray for a purpose to make life worth living,

And pray for the joy of unselfish giving.

For great is your gladness and rich your reward,

When you make your life’s purpose the choice of the Lord.

*Author Unknown

*It is our policy to always give credit when a writer is known as we believe
in the fairness of copyright laws. If anyone knows the author and can show
who the author is, please let us know so we can give them credit.

Posted in Poetic Praise | Tagged Communication, Communion, Faith, God, God's Love, Heavenly Father, Humility, Love, Ministry, Poetry, Prayer, Religion, Service, Spiritual Intimacy, Spirituality | 1 Comment

Collateral Damage

Posted on September 2, 2014 by Roland Ledoux

*This is a very long lesson and though I could split it up, I would rather not due to its importance. However, if you would prefer to read or study this offline, you can download a copy of this lesson in either Microsoft Word Document, or as an Adobe PDF file. You can do so at the following links: Collateral Damage in Microsoft Word or Collateral Damage in Adobe PDF

**WARNING – If you believe in the Deity of Jesus Christ and you claim to be a disciple of His, known to brothers and sisters as “Christian” and yet you still believe that your denomination is either the closest to perfection or “more right” than others, you may not want to read what follows!

It is not my intent to hurt those I claim as brothers and sisters in the Lord and I am not condemning the “Lord’s Church” that Body of Believers that are bound together as a Bride, awaiting a Bridegroom. But – I will offend some who cling tenaciously to denominations that restrict who can and can’t worship together, who claim to be “non-denominational” yet have so many restrictions as to bind perspective worshippers under the very law that our Redeemer saved us from.

I have been in prayer for literally weeks, and this is the result. If you believe that true Agape Love is unconditional, that it is based in action, just as God’s love for us was shown in the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross, and that Agape Love is more concerned with eternal value than temporary worldly value, then please, read on.

Matthew 10:32-34 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven. Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword.”

Luke 12:8-9 “Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God. But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Before me sat a beautiful child of God, full of genuine love, mercy, compassion, kindness; you get the picture. She had just told me that a friend of decades told her they wouldn’t be visiting a media production because this child of God didn’t belong to the right “denomination” and they couldn’t be seen in this other “organization,” because this “denomination” was NOT a true Christian one!! (As with ALL churches, there are things right and things wrong, but Christ is loved and worshipped there.)

I was literally taken aback as you could see the tears starting to well in her eyes as my wife and I listened to this beautiful neighbor who had become such a good friend and awesome sister in the Lord! She had stated she had been to her friend’s church and countless other churches with friends and even a Jewish Synagogue, just to worship God with her friends whom she counted dearly.

It reminded me of my 40 plus years of trying to follow where the Lord led us due to a vow I had made when I gave my heart to my Redeemer at the age of 17. I had promised Him I would go wherever He led and learn and do whatever He wanted me too. Yes, I was naïve, but I was young and I have to admit, adventurous though it has been, I wouldn’t change a thing. Our Heavenly Father is always faithful to us and He takes pleasure in our faith in Him! Hebrews 11:6, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

Once married, and looking back after many years had passed, we could see that our Heavenly Father taught us (or tried too!) a lot; many things on how and why it was pleasing to Him for us to do, and many things on how and why we DON’T do things the way we learned.

We had an insatiable appetite to learn; learn about why we worship the way we do, why we congregate the way we do, why, why, why. The Lord knew our hearts better than we did and He was preparing us, just as He had started before I even knew He was teaching me. You see, I have always been a student of human behavior, or human nature as it were. I am an observer. I am fortunate to not be stuck with, as the saying goes, “not seeing the (whole) forest, for (the individual) trees.” But by the same token, I COULD “see (the individual) trees, despite the (expansiveness) of the forest.” I could see the whole forest, and yet I could also see the individual trees that make up the forest of human nature. This was one of God’s precious gifts or tools with which He has allowed me to be the vessel that HE chooses me to be.

This all leads me to HOW our Lord has chosen to teach my wife and I; and I never knew the price we would pay with loved ones and friends AND those we counted as brother and sister. Yes, there were times we faltered and questioned whether we really were hearing from the Holy Spirit. But, as the saying goes, “hindsight is so much better than foresight.” Looking back, we could see His hand in our lives, through what we considered the good AND the not so good. Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

The Holy Scriptures had been alive in our lives; sometimes we couldn’t recognize it immediately, but eventually, the Holy Spirit showed us where we succeeded in listening and where we might not have heard clearly. The Holy Spirit is not just Comforter, He is also a Convincer (older translations say Convicter) of what is true and what is false. When we “practice” following His lead, He is faithful to confirm to us whether we are where He wants us to be, but this takes a two-way relationship. He speaks (so often softly) and we listen, then do.

We have been involved in ministry in what I term “mainline” churches and independent churches, those with no affiliation to a denominational headquarters. There is good and not so good in all “brick and mortar” churches. Imperfect people make up a church body and we are all imperfect, yet as Christians, we are forgiven. The problem arises when a church strays from the fundamental principles of why a church is even formed. I hope you realize I am speaking now of the religious organizations and not the overall Body of Christ.

So many “brick and mortar” churches have become so ingrown that they have taken the gifts the Holy Spirit has given and sit on them inside with other believers rather than taking them to the communities they live in and have need of the true Agape Love of a Savior and Redeemer. It reminds me of what Jesus had said to the Pharisees and Scribes as described in Mark.

Mark 2:16-17, And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, “How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?” When Jesus heard it, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

We have churches that are only ministering to those already redeemed when a world outside their doors is perishing. Also, if you do have programs for outside evangelism, most churches want to make sure a person is in line with their beliefs before they can be accepted into their “fold.” Many of you know this is true for I see it in many of your writings as well. There is a part of the Body of Christ that is fed up with the way organized religious institutions are heading or have already headed!

There is a saying that “those who refuse to learn from history, are doomed to repeat it.” Human nature is such, that despite the centuries that have past, and despite the so-called advances in mankind’s social progress, our human nature still falls back to the same thing that the Bible was given to us to avoid. Don’t forget, the Holy Scriptures speak to the Children of God, Israel as well as Gentiles.

God’s children as stated in the Old Testament were constantly having to be chastised due to their unbelief, stubbornness and willful waywardness. In the New Testament, of which we are still apart, until Christ Jesus returns, is experiencing the same types of situations. The writings of the Apostles and disciples expressed concerns over how the church was heading and the Word of God is still prophetically speaking to the churches today!

All we have done with our institutionalized religious systems, is to replace the Old Testament Jewish Pharisees and Scribes with modern day Pharisees and Scribes. Churches that believe that if you don’t follow the “laws” of their organization or the doctrines of their belief system (aside from the repentance and living in Christ Jesus as Redeemer) then you cannot be considered a brother or sister in the Lord; AND the sad part of this is that the world sees this selfishness in full display! Yes, I said selfishness, because it shows concern for only themselves and their “righteousness” and not that of those on the outside looking in!

You have read my writings for the most part and know that I believe selfishness, not necessarily hate, is the opposite of love, real Agape Love. This is evidenced not just in the literal word of the Scriptures but in the Spirit of the Word itself. Remember, Jesus IS the Word, and He came in the flesh, died on the cross, but He then arose that death itself would not be an end to the Heavenly Father’s creation. This sacrifice, was LOVE in action, LOVE expressed in actual deed. It was un-selfish of the Father to send His only Son and it was un-selfish of the Son so that mankind would have a payment for the LAW of sin. Our God’s Love was unconditional, and total. Through His whole plan, He never causes man to lose his ability or freedom to choose. That IS unselfishness like nothing else is.

But, in our churches today and our religious institutions set up to edify, encourage, instruct and support one another, IN CHRIST, we find something akin to the good-ole-boys club. If you don’t renounce how you believe concerning the doctrines that stand apart from Redemption, then you can’t be considered to be a “brother or sister.”

One denominational church that we attended for almost two years, because we were led by the Holy Spirit, was a prime example. We taught and ministered, plus we learned some of their doctrinal beliefs that differ from other mainline churches. They were highly into debating other religious organizations just to try and “prove” that they were the only ones with all the right doctrinal beliefs. Did they love Jesus Christ as Lord and Redeemer? Yes, they truly did. They believe they were totally redeemed and “saved.” The problem was, they also believed you had to follow these other rules or your redemption was not total and could in truth be lost.

We knew what we were getting into when we went, but our insatiable search for learning AND the leading of the Holy Spirit led us where we were to be. After a little over two years we felt the Holy Spirit gently calling us again, wanting us to move to another field of learning and training. As stewards befitting of the Lord, or so we thought, we went to the Pastor and explained to him the calling and leading we felt from the Lord. He didn’t say much and we could tell he was very somber upon our exiting his office. That last Sunday service, as I had always played with the other musicians, I took my place and then was politely asked not to play this Sunday. So I took my seat with my wife in the pew and what became very obvious is that nobody, and I mean nobody sat in the same 12 foot pew as us.

We found out why quite quickly for as the service began, the Pastor had an announcement to make just prior to the opening Praise and Worship began. He stated he was changing the order of the service that Sunday morning because of a very serious situation that had arisen. Two people and their two children, whom they considered to be members were “leaving the light, to go back into the darkness.” Yes, that is exactly what was said. We were leaving the light and willingly going back into the darkness from which we came.

I had seriously thought that the love we had shown to them, the willingness to work side by side as an Ambassador (as it were) for Christ, that it would show them the seriousness we give to the ministries that Christ through the Holy Spirit had called us too. Guess again! I was so wrong. During the couple days before our last Sunday Service, the Pastor had gotten on his phone and roused everyone to “pray” for us that we would see the error of leaving. No wonder nobody sat near us that Sunday morning. Everyone had been warned that an “apostate” was among them.

This Pastor, whom we loved dearly and worked side-by-side with, now considered us apostate; someone who knows the “truth” but is willing to walk away and leave it behind. We never had a chance to make a case. We sat through the very minimal Praise and Worship part of the service and even listened to a sermon that was very obviously geared towards us. When service was over, there were no hugs, no farewells, we waited, but no show of love or affection or acknowledgement or anything. Yes, it did hurt. It hurt immensely and we did question our decision. We prayed and prayed and asked family to pray and yet we still KNEW that we were following the Lord’s leading.

That following month, we ran into some of the people we used to worship with and we were literally “shunned!” It must be how the Amish and Mennonite feel when they are shunned from their communities, but this was a mainline denominational church! It hurt because we truly did count these people as brothers and sisters in Christ. Actually after about two and a half decades, I still do count them as brothers and sisters. But I have learned a lot, about not just denominations, but any church that is willing to place the sacrifice of Christ and our Heavenly Father below their doctrinal differences. Our Father in Heaven must be in great sorrow even as He continues to love all of us in our imperfections.

This is only one moment in mine and my wife’s lives attempting to serve our Lord and Redeemer. This is what I was remembering as I spoke and exhorted to this dear Sister in the Lord who had experienced the same thing from someone she had considered a dear and close friend AND as a sister. This media production was an inspiration in what the Holy Spirit can do to the lives of teens and adults facing obstacles. But because they relied not just on the Word of God for inspiration, they also used inspiration from other books and media that was meant to inspire and encourage one another in the Lord! Jesus Christ was the main focal point. His love for all and because of His love, our ability to love one another was the key point in this production.

My wife and I were invited. We are secure in our relationship with our Heavenly Father AND our Redeemer. We walked away feeling uplifted and inspired. We felt like we had just been to a great worship service at church! This caused my wife and me to look back at a time when our two boys were teens and I was an associate Pastor at a Calvary Chapel. We had helped in the production of a musical called High Tops, based on a very popular Christian musical of the time. This musical was based on Biblical principles aimed at helping teens cope with the temptations and obstacles usually present at that age. It was a great experience, but it wasn’t a production ABOUT the Bible; it used Biblical principles.

We just watched a very popular faith-based movie, “God’s NOT Dead” that has been well received by the “Christian” community. It too was based on Biblical principles and it was aimed at ALL people as it tried to show the relevance of the Word of God AND the acceptance of God no matter your race, ethnicity or religious belief. There was a young Chinese student in search of the truth. A Muslim girl who had accepted Christ as her savior. A young woman who faced a life and death situation and her quest to know about faith in God. It concerned a self-proclaimed atheist philosophy professor who was known for putting down anyone who said they had a belief in God and especially Jesus Christ.

This movie has been hailed as just one of many faith-based movies of recent that has been well received by the “Christian” community because of the portrayal of Christ Jesus’ love for ALL who are willing to come to Him; and yet—some of the same people who express such great pleasure in this movie and others like it, will deny fellowship to another child of God, just because of a denominational label!!

This leads me to my father-in-law who was considered a man’s man by this world’s standards. He played rough as a young man, and he worked hard as a steel-worker almost all his life. He faced many of the same obstacles as so many others on this journey we call life. He lost a son at a very young age, he had a father who was abusive, yet a “Christian” and yet despite his many years of not wanting to have anything to do with “religion and church” he had married a Godly Christian woman of ministering parents.

I really didn’t know my father-in-law at the times when he was hard-hearted. I met him when I was 17 years old, just a short time after I gave my own heart to the Lord in complete surrender. I dated, became engaged and eventually married his daughter, my now precious and Godly wife. I can remember sitting in the early morning hours and talking at length with him about all sorts of different subjects; some we agreed upon and others, we had differing views. I was the young man being taught by the elder and I listened with respect. Not that we didn’t have some rocky times, but he WAS at that time a true spiritual father to me, both of us growing together despite each having our own imperfections.

He’s gone to be with the Lord now and I still miss him, greatly; but one thing he used to say that I will never forget, “the Christian army, those who call themselves soldiers of Christ, are the only army that kills its own and it’s wounded.” The sad part about it, is he was right and even to this day it still goes on and even more so than ever. This is what I mean when I say collateral damage.

We ARE at war, make no mistake about it and if you don’t believe me then you have not been listening to the local and world news! But people, those that confess Jesus is the Christ, the Holy Son of God and that He shed His blood for our redemption, these ones are not the enemy despite the labels that they carry just because of the name of the church they choose to worship in. As I said before and I will state it again, there is NO perfect church that has all the answers, but we ARE a part of the Body of Christ, the Bride, that part of the Universal spiritual church that Christ Jesus is returning to reclaim and when that day DOES come, and it surely will come, our Redeemer is not going to ask you what church you attended. He IS going to know whether you have love in your heart, whether you abide in love and love abides in you!

This will be the “stamp” of His approval:

1John 4:1-3, Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.

1John 4:4-6, You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

1John 4:7-13, Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.

1John 4:14-16, And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.

1John 4:17-21, Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us. If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.

Brothers and Sisters, we ARE at war, but the enemy is one of lies and divisiveness since the very beginning of our history. We are at war with our human nature, that nature that demands rule, that wants and wants some more; and, as the Bible also says, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day,——.” – Ephesians 6:12-13a.

So I ask you this question; is it really love, Godly love, Agape love that turns someone away who says they Love the Lord Jesus Christ and their fellow man, because they go to a church deemed NOT truly Christian? I love it when church-going Christians bandy about the part of Scripture that states, “Judge not lest you be judged.” Especially when it suits their needs of the moment. You see, it’s not “politically correct” in this day and age to “judge” another and yet church goers do it all the time. If you don’t agree with certain doctrine, it doesn’t matter if love abides in you and you in love. Some “Christians” have taken only the Scriptures that fit their ideology. Sadly, yet truthfully, it is NOT your ideology that will win you a place in Heaven with Christ Jesus! It is accepting Him for Who He is and loving exactly like He loved; unconditionally! It takes practice yes; no one arrives at that kind of love overnight, but we must strive to ACT in love.

Instead of “conforming to the Holy Word of God, you conform the Holy Word of God” to your thinking. This is what happens when you rely totally upon the “letter” of the word literally, just as in the days preceding the Son of God’s arrival in the flesh, the Pharisees and religious leaders were able to find “loop-holes” and “round-about” ways to make the Law conform to their ideas. It allowed them to maintain control over the community and it massaged their egos and human nature when it made them appear “Godly” before other men.

This is one of the main reasons Jesus came to mankind when He did; to make right what was wrong and to bring the SPIRIT of the Word of God back into men’s hearts and minds. Besides, Salvation FROM the Law and death, His sacrifice also accomplished allowing His Spirit into every heart that believes! He IS the Word of God, and His death allows us to go beyond the “letter” of the Word and to understand the Spirit of Word.

2Corinthians 3:4-6, “And we have such trust through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” – (Bold emphasis mine)

Yes, Matthew 7:1-2 does say, “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.” The verses from 1-14 though are speaking about SENTENCING, that which comes after judgment before our Heavenly Father. This is why study is so important and not just taking someone’s word for Gospel! We have no right what-so-ever to sentence another. In fact the only power applied to that will impart the same sentence to us; and why is that? Because we cannot read another’s heart as only our Heavenly Father can. And furthermore, we don’t have the wisdom to temper sentencing with mercy or grace. The very act of sentencing another is a selfish act; in other words, an unloving act!

On the other-hand, the following verses in Matthew 7, 15-20, DO speak of judging in the sense of determining truth from falsehood. This type of judging, is to protect the flock of the Lord from “wolves in sheep’s clothing” and “false prophets.” Yet even this action, carries with it some very grave responsibility. But this is not sentencing, it is only making an informed decision to protect others. This is sadly, the part that most churches today DO NOT do. Because of this, fads, New Age beliefs, divisions and every other thing is allowed into our churches watering down the true love that is meant to be demonstrated to the world!!

The Scribes and Pharisees and the religious lawyers of Jesus’ day were always trying to trip Him up, because He did speak with authority and He spoke “as one having the truth.” But Jesus gave us all a truth that is easy to apply, or at least to try and apply if we would only adhere to His simple message as found in Matthew 22, verses 35-40 state, “Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus said to him,” ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ “This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ “On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

This Scripture which sums up the WHOLE Bible, both Old and New Testament, doesn’t command to just love God and your brothers and sisters who agree and believe like you. It states to LOVE your neighbor as yourself! It doesn’t mention labels, denominations, religious organizations and institutions; it says your neighbor! If you can’t accept this simple truth for the SPIRIT behind the letter, than JUDGING by your actions, perhaps you should reconsider your standing as it pertains to true Agape Love!

There ARE those out there that profess to know Christ Jesus, but their actions belie the truth of their confession. We ARE to be on the lookout and to be wary for Peter states rightly so, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” – 1Peter 5:8. But the Bible in 1John 4 does say to “test the spirits” and testing isn’t always immediate. Sometimes actions have to be played out to reveal truth and falsehood. But this goes for “brick and mortar” church policy also. Are you judging individuals or groups based on their labels? Remember, especially in the United States, there is a lot of professing to know God, but by the same token, there is a lot of denying His power also.

Don’t look at denominations anymore as a means of determining the standing of someone who claims to be a brother or sister, because you may never know what our Heavenly Father is doing in the life of a person who loves Him more than anything, and you don’t necessarily know the gifts and calling on the life of that one that you might be rejecting because you have been “taught” that a denomination or organization is bad. Why not as Paul told Timothy, “Study to show yourself approved,” before God and man.

The author of Acts states in chapter 17 verse 11, “These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.” The Bereans, whom the writer is talking about, were more fair-minded, or noble as some translations say. This is a great principle when learning from others, myself included, from Scripture. But it is also a great principle when you are taught something about others that may or may not be true.

This beautiful Sister in Christ, has healed from her hurt, and yet, she is still confused at how someone who is supposed to be another sister in the Lord AND a friend, could be so judgmental because of where she chooses to worship, when where she chooses does place Jesus Christ first. If we are going to be the Bride that Christ is coming for and all the more so in this treacherous and dangerous time we live in, then we better learn to love beyond labels, beyond doctrinal differences, beyond race and ethnicity and we better start loving like the Word of God commands.

As long as modern day church leaders and leaders of religious organizations choose to place their ideology above the Love of God, human nature and NOT the Spirit will continue to reign in our so-called places of worship, just as was taking place when our Savior preached to the hungering masses outside the “brick and mortar” establishments of His time on this earth.

There are still many churches and many religious organizations that minister to those hungering and searching after truth and those attempting to live a righteous life, but sadly that number is slowly diminishing as it seems the age we live in is quickly ushering in the apostate church of the last days as prophesied by the Apostle John in the Book of Revelation.

Finally in closing, I want to share again this telling and Spirit-led writing from the Word of God, 1John 4:7-8, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”

15-16, “Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.”

Posted in Pastor's Desk | Tagged Bible, Bible Teaching, Body of Christ, Christ Jesus, Christianity, Church, Communion, God, God's Love, Grace, Heavenly Father, Holy Bible, Holy Spirit, Holy Word, Jesus, Lord, Love, Religion, Scripture, Scriptures, Service, Spirituality, Teaching | 5 Comments

Bible – No Alterations to Truth

Posted on August 8, 2014 by Roland Ledoux

anecdotal stories
The Bible Has Never Changed

Proverbs 119:152; 2 Peter 1:16

All speeches on the floor of Congress or in committee meetings become part of the Congressional Record. But you can’t always be sure that what was originally spoken or decided will be in the Record. This is due to the exercise of one of the most rigidly guarded privileges of House and Senate members: the right to “revise and extend” their remarks. It was granted originally to allow minor technical corrections in bills and speeches. Congressmen now use it to delete erroneous statements and claims and to add to or subtract from bills that are passed.

The Bible’s Author wrote and, having written His record, never changed a word. He is never embarrassed by an untimely remark; He never apologizes for anything He said. He never said anything in haste and, consequently, never has to repent in leisure. What is written stands written. We may teach all that God has revealed through Christ in His Word – nothing less and absolutely nothing more.

Man Shall Not Live By Bread Alone!
But By EVERY Word That Comes From God Above!

Psalms 119:152, Concerning Your testimonies, I have known of old that You have founded them forever.

2 Peter 1:16, For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty.

FAVORITE QUOTES

No one ever graduates from Bible study until he meets the Author face to face.-Harris

The book to read is not the one which thinks for you, but the one which makes you think. No book in the world equals the Bible for that. -McCosh

I know the Bible is inspired because it inspires me.-Moody

Posted in Anecdotal Stories | Tagged 2 Peter, Bible, Bible Author, Bible Teaching, Bible Unchanging, Christ Jesus, Comfort, Communion, Congress, Faith, God, God's Word, Guidance, Holy Word, Jesus, Proverbs, Quotations, Religion, Scriptures, Spirituality, Strength, Teaching | Leave a comment

You Can Be Set Free

Posted on August 5, 2014 by Roland Ledoux

poeticpraisehdr

Jesus was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
Just for you, God’s sons and daughters,
The blood of the Lamb was shed for the nation,
When we believe this, we are a new creation,

The blood of the Lamb can set you free,
Let your eyes be opened as you bow your knee,
God has created you in His own image,
Yet, the enemy holds you all in bondage,

The truth is in God’s word and it will set you free,
Jesus was crucified, He was hung on that tree,
What does it take for you to realise,
You are listening to the enemy, and he’s telling you lies,

The sins of many were born by God’s Son,
The battle with the enemy is already won,
You can be set free from the curse of the law,
The path with Jesus is so safe and so sure,

God still loves the world so much,
He is just waiting to give you that tender touch,
Just step out now, be bold, have faith, you will see,
That Jesus is waiting to set you free,

Yes, Jesus Christ is Lord of all,
And, He’s waiting to catch you after your fall,
If you confess with your mouth and believe in your heart,
You can be sure that you have already made that new start,

Posted in Poetic Praise | Tagged Being Free, Blood of the Lamb, Christ Jesus, Confession, Curse of the Law, God, God's Love, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Lamb of God, Liberty, Lord, Love, Poetry, Religion, Repentance, Spirituality, The Law | 1 Comment

Bible English (Language)

Posted on August 4, 2014 by Roland Ledoux

Dear Fellow Brothers, Sisters and Blogger Friends;

This is something that I believe the Lord has placed upon my heart since long before the Hurricane Katrina disaster and 9-11. I just haven’t really addressed it and it is over this last week, (13 – 14 years later, I know!) and with everything going on in the world right now I felt “convicted” to finally teach what I feel the Holy Spirit has placed on my heart. It is in regards to what so many others who call themselves Christians are saying about these circumstances and disasters happening all over the world.

First though, I want to share some thoughts about what I like to call “Bible English.” I could call this “Bible Language” for my non-English brothers and sisters, but the principles that I explain to you will most likely apply to just about any language. First and foremost, I must tell you that I am not an English major; I’m not even an English teacher! But——-

I believe my many years of writing, reading and speaking have prepared me for some of the basics that I want to share with you.

Now I know that many of you will think that I am a broken-record with some of what I am wanting to share with you, but I have found that repetition is one of the best ways to learn. Also, I want to build upon some of what I have taught in the past, not just in this blog, but in forum’s and websites I have had.

Most of you have heard or read my articles upon understanding the written Word of God. Paul writes in Romans 2:28-29, “For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.”

Romans 7:6, “But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.”

He also tells the Corinthian church in 2 Corinthians 3:5-6, “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” (Bold Emphasis Mine)

It is interesting that the English language holds so many words that are written the same but can have such different meanings. English isn’t the only language that does this, but it is the one that has the most usage of same words with different meanings, and by the accounts of many of our foreign brothers and sisters it is one of the hardest to learn for that very aspect.

Now in contrast, the Greek language for instance, (which is the predominant language of the New Testament) let’s you know that when you are speaking or writing about love, they have different words to identify the type of love so that you understand the context with which the speaker or writer is expressing themselves.

In the English language however, you need to be able to read or hear a sentence in the context of the other sentences to get the meaning of a certain word that is used that could have more than one meaning. I will give you an example I love to use in teaching.

Remember, I am not an English teacher so what I am giving you is simplified principles, but principles that work none-the-less. Now we know that a sentence must be made up of at least two things; a noun (or pronoun) and a verb (or adverb). For instance, the shortest sentence in the Bible is this one found in John 11:35, “Jesus wept.”

Two words; one pronoun and one verb. Very simple. The problem with this sentence by itself though is that we do not know the context with which it is stated. Was Jesus weeping for joy, for sorrow, etc. The answer to those questions can only be answered by reading what is written before and after the sentence. It is only then that we realize the context of why the Apostle John recorded this event.

Now, I am going to give you another example of a two word sentence but one that can have more than one meaning when relating to the Bible. I want to remind you that it is in the context of Bible reading and understanding for this reason: even though we have modern English translations, there are still patterns of archaic speech that we use when referring to Biblical references.

The sentence for instance is; “God convicts.” This is a two word sentence. It has a pronoun and a verb. Now, we can conclude in this simple sentence that the word convicts is not used to denote “cawn-victs” or persons who have been sentenced to jail or prison for crimes committed. Why? Because the word convicts can actually be another noun. So, we know that in this day and age that this simple sentence is speaking about something God does or is in the process of doing.

So now we are in a dilemma. If I am teaching and I tell you that God convicts, there are two things that can cross your mind. One, that God passes or is passing sentence and is sitting is active judgment or the more archaic meaning, that God convinces or is in the process of convincing someone of something. This is the very reason I have told you this is in regards to how English applies to Biblical understanding. In today’s society, when we talk with one another, I would hope that when you discuss God’s role as Father and Creator, you don’t use the word convict without some form of clarification and that your explanation expresses what it is you are trying to get across.

The statement, “God convinces men of their sinfulness so that man would have a heart to change,” is far different than, “God sentences men for their sinfulness so that man would have a heart to change.” Now look at those two sentences. If I were to substitute the words, convinces and sentences, to strictly “convicts” it still takes the addition of only one letter to change the meaning.

Example:

God convicts men of their sinfulness so that man would have a heart to change.
God convicts men for their sinfulness so that man would have a heart to change.

Simply by adding the letter “r” and changing the word “of” to “for” changes the whole context, But, it is such a subtle change that when you are reading or quoting the Word of God, many times your mind has already drawn a conclusion before you comprehend the difference.

One sentence denotes our Father’s convincing ability to turn us away from sin and another denotes our God’s role in judgment for sin. Two very different ideas from one word; convicts!

At this point you might be saying to yourself, “Brother Roland has really lost it” and you might start scratching your head. But, I am leading up to a point of why I wanted to clarify this. Convicts, conviction, etc., is just one of the English words used in the Bible that so many Christians stumble over because they aren’t understanding the word in the context of the rest of the Bible. Either they do not read the Word themselves, or they do not mediatate or contemplate it.

When we as teachers, and this goes for anyone who shares the Word of God with another, are stuck to the letter of the Word only, you can see with the examples given, where this can lead. But, when we read the Word of God and allow the Spirit, the Holy Spirit to teach us the principle behind the Word, and we read each sentence in the context of the other sentences and paragraphs, etc., we then come away, not with just an intellectual understanding of the Word of God, but with a spiritual, life-changing understanding! It is that spiritual understanding that changes hearts and lives.

Now, I want to move on and share with you another word that is a real stumbling block to Bible readers, especially if you are prone to the “letter” of the law or word as compared to the Spirit of the Word; and this is what brings me to my mention of catastrophes and the situations that are going on in the world and affecting so many today.

I was living in Washington State many years ago when Mount Saint Helens erupted. I was in church that Sunday morning when the major eruption hit and from the reaction of those who only looked at spirituality as an obligation to fulfill, you would have thought the world was ending. Many Christian’s even were saying that this was God’s judgment on the people of the area.

This same teaching, philosophy is happening right now and was prevalent soon after disasters of the early 2000’s. People were crying out, “God is pouring out His judgment upon the people of the affected areas!!!!” I will tell you first hand that this is a human, carnal nature that is common to all mankind!

I praise God that His Holy Spirit has revealed to myself and others some spiritual truths. You see, the war we fight is not flesh against flesh, it is spirit against flesh, as well as spirit to spirit. The flesh, the carnal nature of man wants to believe what is base, easy and quick to condemn. But, the spiritual man wants what is on the mind of His Father, God Almighty! The more mature we become in the Lord, the quicker this spiritual battle is over! Why? Because practice makes perfect (so the saying goes) and as we “practice” surrendering our wills to His, the spiritual battle within ourselves becomes easier to win.

So, by now, you must realize that I am talking about what so many call “judging!” At least I hope you realize this. Judging is another one of those Bible words that has more than one meaning and the only way that you can tell which meaning the Bible is speaking about (aside from becoming fluent in ancient Greek and Aramaic) is to look at the context within which the word is used.

For instance, I will share with you one of the most used and one of the most misunderstood passages concerning judging and judgment in the Bible.

Matthew 7:
1 “Judge not, that you be not judged.
2 “For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.
3 “And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?
4 “Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye?
5 “Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
6 “Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.

(7-14 Not listed for clarification purposes.)

15 ¶ “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.
16 “You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?
17 “Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
18 “A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.
19 “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20 “Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
21 ¶ “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
22 “Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’
23 “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
24 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:
25 “and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.
26 “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand:
27 “and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”
28 And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching,
29 for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

Now I only removed verses 7-14 for ease of clarification. In reality those verses are what connects these two thoughts, but they also have been taken out of context so much that they now mean something totally different to people who use and read them. For the sake though of this article on judging, the two thoughts that are expressed here will suffice.

In verses 1-6, Jesus is speaking about judging, passing judgment, or sentence upon a brother or sister, in other words, condemning them. He is telling us that we all have our faults and that before we CAN HELP another, we first have to take care of our own problems that cause us to stumble and to sin! The way Jesus ends this particular paragraph in verse 6 shows us this one principle. It doesn’t do any good to offer your spiritual services or gifts to those that have no regard for them or to those that do not understand the value of them. Since Jesus is speaking about removing sin and faults, it does no good to try and give what is the greatest treasure we have, REDEMPTION, to those that have no understanding of the preciousness of this gift!

This then takes on a couple of meanings concerning judging. We are not to pass sentence or condemn our brothers and sisters, but we are to discern (judge), or be able to determine with a certainty of truth, who can and will appreciate the priceless gift of redemption.

So how does one “determine” another’s appreciation of the GIFT that Christ Jesus offers? I’m so glad you are wondering! Now we can see the value of the verses I removed, the ones explaining the gift and how one receives it. They have to ask, seek and knock for it. In other words, IT CAN’T BE FORCED UPON SOMEONE.

So back to “judging” and continuing in verses 15 on, we see a different type of judging, although the word itself is not used. It is still judging, but now, Jesus is explaining the kind of judging we are to do and HOW to do it correctly!

How do we judge correctly in the instance of false prophets, teachers, etc.? The key is in verse 20. I can paraphrase it so that it can be easily understood and it doesn’t make it any less the Word of God, in Spirit and Truth. “Actions speak louder than words!” This is verse 20 paraphrased so modern man can understand it. It is the same thing. We will know the false, not by what they say, but by what they do.

You see, a true believer, even though he stumbles and falls, will not stay down. He will get up, dust himself off by repenting of wrong doing and continue to move ahead, moving forward in the Lord. The more a true believer stumbles, the more he falls the longer it does takes for him to mature, but mature he will, to the point where his stumbles become less and less.

Now, a false “believer” may appear for a long time to never fall, but eventually they will do so publicly and the difference is that they won’t repent of it. You will not see a change that reflects a changed heart. They may not “dust themselves off” but rather just put on a new change of clothing, so to speak.

A false prophet can’t and doesn’t truly love. Again, I am not talking about a feeling of love, I am talking about a demonstration of love that is unchanging, unselfish and patient. Someone with a hard heart will always be looking for a way to receive something for what they do, be it praise, recognition, fame, or even material goods, in other words, there is a very selfish nature at work. To love like Christ, takes a “spirit” of unselfishness AND we have to have Love abiding in us and us in Him, God, our Father. That is the only way our carnal nature can turn from a selfish nature to one of unselfishness. Remember what John says in his epistles, “God IS love” and when we have Him abiding in us, our flesh may stumble, but our spirit will always pick us back up, repent and then move forward.

So, we as true believers, true followers of Christ have to know how to “JUDGE” truth from false. This is judging. It is not a contradiction in terms, or in the Word of God. But, it is important to understand the truth in the context of the Bible.

We live in a world today where man has taken the “bait of Satan” to quote the minister and author, John Bevere, in so many seemingly benign ways. Well-meaning, but spiritually blind religious leaders have made a doctrine of Matthew 7:1-5 and have forgotten or ignored all the verses that follow. On the surface this seems right. It seems the religious and loving thing to do. Don’t judge. But, we aren’t called to be religious, and so judging has been taken out of context and it has crippled the “religious” church all in the modern term of being “politically correct!” Paul stated we are a “NEW creature in Christ,” we have become a part of the spiritual Church, the Body of Christ!

So, because of religious nature, when a minister, motivated by love for his fellow brothers and sisters has to provide correction or reproof, instead of accepting it in the spirit with which it is given, we are told that we are “judging” and we have no right. In essence, the lack of vision, the lack of spiritual discernment, or judgment, has tied a teacher’s hands. But, things ARE going to be changing.

Just as in the days of Jesus, where His authority was confirmed by power, so shall it be in the last days, when those who are moving in the spirit of love speak His Word with authority. The authority of the Word, NOT the speaker, will be confirmed again with miracles and healings and prophesy etc., and it will be as much and more (in quanitiy) than during Jesus’ day. Why? Because Jesus abiding in us by His Holy Spirit will be able to reach out and touch so many more than when Jesus alone walked this earth!

Now, how does this all tie in with the catastrophes of the last few years and the catastrophes that are bound to continue in the coming months and maybe years? First, the Lord prophesied these things would happen centuries ago. Again, why? Because He wanted His children to be prepared and to recognize the time for what it was, (the season, not the exact time), not to judge, condemn and sentence mankind (for that is not our job) but to understand the need for His power and authority to be demonstrated in love once again! These disasters and conditions that were set into motion all through His Creation. These are a result of the laws of science (nature) that He created running its course! These events are not His judgment, YET!

For a true Christian, someone who is truly a follower of Christ, to say this is God judging men because of where they live or what they do, is not loving, not understanding and not discerning (or proper judgment) but rather callous, selfish and unforgiving. Remember, it is God who says that He wishes NONE to perish. It isn’t His will or wish that mankind perish, in a catastrophic way or any other way, but He WON’T circumvent man’s will to do as he man’s carnal nature dictates. Man still retains his ability to choose. We all can still choose our own will or we can choose to surrender to God’s will. In absolute truth, either way will not make Him love us any less. It’s just that our choices lead us to a destination of our own choosing.

Remember also, that in all these instances, true Christian’s as well as unbelievers are perishing. The real judgment comes because as the Word says, “it is appointed for man to die once and THEN the judgment” (or sentencing). For the Christian, judgment will be eternity with the Father as His sons and daughters. For the unbeliever it will be eternal separation from the ONE who truly loves them! Remember that the Bible tells us that it rains and shines on the just and unjust alike. This is the world we live in. But—as Christians, as true believers and followers, we have sign-posts showing us what this all means, not judgment or sentencing, but timing; a change of seasons! This is why Jesus always said, “to him who has ears to hear, listen, and to him who has eyes to see, see!”

The Christians in the early church, as it grew, were known by their demonstration of love for one another and to others. In the face of catastrophe and disaster, they loved others. Today, we put up signs and billboards condemning whole cities for the acts of just a few. Instead of demonstrating love, we turn people away AND turn them off (to the truth) by condemning them. Condemnation and teaching with authority are two extremely and vastly different principles. I can teach about the consequences of a sinful nature without condemning the people whom the Lord has chosen to give freely the gift of redemption, after all, as the popular saying goes, Christians are are just sinners forgiven.

How can you win a person’s heart to yours if you are telling them they are no good, the scum of the earth, not worth the dust they are made of, and so forth? They already know of their sinful nature. The Bible tells us that we are all aware of it. Some choose to ignore it, others are searching. This is where verses 7-14 in Matthew 7 come in. It’s only the ones who are willing to ask, seek and knock that the door will be opened too. It isn’t to the ones that have already made up their minds! Yet, we today want to chase off those that may be asking, seeking and knocking when and in the midst of disasters and catastrophes striking all around!!

Spiritual discernment, love of others as ourselves, and totally giving over to love our God as a Heavenly, Merciful and Gracious Father is the only way we can “judge” between who is seeking and who has already made up their minds. When we as believers start to realize it takes more than believing in A God to truly be Christian, then and only then will we start to see His love through us flow outward to those that truly need it, are searching for and want it.

In the meantime, we need to look at the Word of God, which is living and powerful, able to change lives, in the light of the Spirit with which it was written, not by just what someone else says who may be witty and charismatic or a good speaker. The Bible is full of truth, but also hope, compassion, mercy and grace to those that will share it like it was meant to be shared, in Spirit and Truth, with power and authority, rather than in letter and condemnation.

When you see disasters happen like this world has experienced from the early 21st century on, don’t be quick to condemn and sentence, rather be quick to love; and if you are unable to help in any physical way, the most powerful demonstration of that love is to pray for all the victims and families and government workers and officials who are able to do the physical work. Prayer will not only change the hearts of those affected, it will change the hearts of those truly praying out of a spirit of LOVE!!

Posted in Pastor's Desk | Tagged Bible, Bible Teaching, Choices, Christ Jesus, Christianity, Church, Corinthians, Faith, God, God's Love, Heavenly Father, Holy Bible, Holy Spirit, Jesus, John, Love, Religion, Romans, Scripture, Scriptures, Spirituality, Teaching | 2 Comments

A Note From God

Posted on July 19, 2014 by Roland Ledoux

poeticpraisehdr
This is a poem from a friend of many years ago and one of the few that inspired my love of poetry even to this day!

Do you doubt that God is watching
as you go about each day?
Do you think He only listens or sees
if you bow your head to pray?

My random thoughts I write down –
each day there is something new;
They don’t bind together right away –
not ’til there are a few.

From these scribbled pages of “just words”,
sometimes a poem is born.
Who would think that something unique
might come from papers so worn.

One day when I was feeling low
and nothing seemed just right,
I came across an old, worn scrap
with words all cheery and bright.

I remembered that day, as I read;
I was busy in the yard.
I heard the children playing;
they were giggling and laughing so hard.

The words were few but I still could hear
the sounds that I heard last year,
And now I was smiling as I wrote
a memory through a happy tear.

Now tell me, do you not think
that God had me find that note –
That He wanted me to remember
a day that was worth a quote?

I know in my heart He watches me
and knows about my scraps;
Perhaps He hides one here and there
so I’ll find it as He maps.

I thought about my note from God
today – at my room I looked;
And bits of papers I was going to toss
I put carefully inside a book.

Joan Adams Burchell
Along Poetry Road
© June 16, 2004

Posted in Poetic Praise | Tagged Calm, Closer Than a Brother, God, God Watches Over Us, Joy, Knowing, Knows Us, Peace, Religion, Remembering, Sadness, Spirituality, Strength, Watching | Leave a comment

Honesty, Subject To Conditions

Posted on July 19, 2014 by Roland Ledoux

To Harm for Gain

Proverbs 19:9; John 8:44

The 1828 presidential election campaign seethed with heated, hateful innuendoes. President John Quincy Adams was the bull’s-eye. After the election, which Martin van Buren won, the new president admitted Adams’s absolute integrity. “Adams was an honest man,” he wrote, “not only incorruptible himself, but an enemy to venality in every department of the public service.”

For political gain, Van Buren had taken the lead in smearing Adams. He was the first to unleash charges of outrageous corruption. Apparently, honesty to Van Buren was relative. If being honest about Adams would lose the election, Van Buren preferred to lie. Later, in his autobiography, he declared Adams scrupulous honesty, perhaps as a means of apologizing for the scurrilous tactics he had employed to defeat him in 1828. However, a later apology is a poor substitute for original honesty.

Situational ethics offers nothing substantial to competition or personal relationships. It’s as fluid as mercury and as impossible to grasp. Moral ethics result from faith in God; situational ethics occur in the absence of faith. Obviously, when 90 percent of Americans affirm belief in God to a Gallup Poll, yet situational ethics have never been more pronounced in our culture, either we have lied about our faith or we haven’t taken seriously its demand for moral rectitude.

Man Shall Not Live By Bread Alone!
But By EVERY Word That Comes From God Above!

Proverbs 19:9, A false witness will not go unpunished, And he who speaks lies shall perish.

John 8:44, “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.

FAVORITE QUOTES

Ay, sir: to be honest as this world goes, is to be one man picked out of a thousand.-Shakespeare

The liar’s punishment is not in the least that he is not believed, but that he cannot believe any one else. -Shaw

A liar is not believed even though he tells the truth.-Cicero

Posted in Food For Thought | Tagged Bible, Choices, Dishonesty, Faithfulness, God the Father, Holy Bible, Honesty, John, Lies, Lying, Past Presidents, Presidents, Proverbs, Public Service, Quotations, Religion, Scriptures, Spirituality, Teaching | 2 Comments

Now That’s Love!

Posted on July 19, 2014 by Roland Ledoux

You know, when people tell you long enough that you are a trouble maker, that you “preach” love but no love they have ever heard, you begin to feel after a while that maybe, just maybe your teaching is just a little off kilter. So you go back to the Bible, you get on your knees (even if it’s metaphorically) you ask God to forgive you and to illuminate His Word to your Heart. You ask the Holy Spirit to lead you and the next message you preach is just like the last one.

Oh yes the content is different, the passages are different, but for some reason that Word always comes back to Matthew 22:36-40;
“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”
Jesus said to him,” ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’
“This is the first and great commandment.
“And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’
“On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

AND then to top it off the Lord throws this one out to the listeners through you as well:

Matthew 7:21-23;
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
“Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’
“And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

That’s when it starts again; Well brother so and so, you aren’t loving at all. You twist the Scriptures, you’re just MEEEAAAANNNN!

That’s when you get done with what your Master tells you to do, you get by yourself and you pour your heart out and shed those tears and shed some more of those tears because you CAN see it so clearly and why can’t others. Why can’t they see that you do LOVE them. You love them enough to tell them the TRUTH knowing full well what the comments are going to be, knowing full well what the reactions are going to be.

You know what your family already thinks, your just a wannabe, a crack-pot, someone who has a “hobby” ministry and thinks it’s real! After all you didn’t go to Bible College, oh no, you just humbled your heart and said “Lord I want to follow after You and not man, show me, teach me, cleanse me, purify me!!”

Those Words!!! That’s what did it! That’s what keeps doing it. You see, the Holy Spirit takes you at your word. He sees your heart at it’s deepest and knows you really mean them (even though maybe not knowing their full extent) and so He acts in your behalf accordingly. Sure, sure, once in a while you give a message or an exhortation or something that’s a real hit, something that gets “kinda” popular, the true message is still in there, it’s just wrapped up a little different, then when you draw it out into the light—–oh THAT’S what you meant—ohhhhh! You’re unloving, you’re harsh, you need to have more compassion!

And the tears start again. Oh please, don’t get me wrong, those tears AREN’T for me totally, the real sorrow is for the family that you love, for the friend that you love oh so dearly, for that person you have worked for all those years, that’s who the tears are for really for; the gut-wrenching, stomach-aching, sobs that just wrack your chest and leave you hurting and weak. That’s what and who those tears are for.

And then—

Along comes an *Andrew Strom, a John and Lisa Bevere or a Chuck Smith or some other anointed man of God, the name really doesn’t matter, but there’s that message. It’s the same message. Oh yeah, it gets the same reaction, but it’s someone else who is giving it, and tomorrow it will be another someone else and the next day, yet again another someone else.

*See the transcript below of his 2008 broadcast that inspired this article.

You start to pray for Andrew Strom and the Beveres and the Chuck Smiths, then you also pray for the other guy and then the next guy. You know what they are going through even though you’re not as notable as they are. Some of them you can see what they are going through in the message and the way they deliver it. You SEE the desperation with which they write it, they HAVE to write it. It was given to THEM to write. Yeah, you know the feeling and you realize that you have no control on how the message is received; you can only give it, and give it again, and then again as long as the Holy Spirit takes you at your word!

Love??? Where does love fit in a message like this? Where did love fit when Jesus said this:

Mark 8:33;
But when He had turned around and looked at His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, “Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” – or Matthew 16:23 and Luke 4:8

Or where was the Love when Jesus spoke to the disciples after James and John the sons of Zebedee asked to sit at His right and left hand when He enters in Glory as stated in Matthew 20:21 and Mark 10:37. The Bible makes it seem like it was just a ho-hum conversation and yet Jesus turns to the disciples who are decidedly upset at the two men and tells them they are going to have to be servants then. Do you think that is what they wanted to hear?

There are so many other instances where the demonstration of love was not given in such an oh-so-nice and oh so sweet way!! Real love is more concerned with eternity, with tomorrow, than a person’s feelings today! Real LOVE sends a Son to a murderous cross to be humiliated and tortured!! That is NOT the LOVE that the world wants to hear and if you preach that kind of love you are twisted!! (by the world’s standards, that is).

No, people there is a big change coming and people are going to die, they are going to hurt, they are going to cry and weep in desperation and I love my family and friends enough to want to tell them that it is at the door right now, knocking, just waiting for the latch to open, that is how close we are. That is why I teach on Godly, Agape Love the way I do. That is why Andrew Strom, the Beveres and Chuck Smith and others teach the way they do. That is why the next guy will teach it the next day and so forth and so on.

The Holy Spirit instilled that kind of love in me as a young man and yes, I’ve stumbled and made mistakes, but the Holy Spirit ALWAYS led me back to the “straight and narrow!” But He also instilled that love in ALL of us who call Him Lord and I could no more stop loving like that then I could stop being a human being. I am what I am. In this case, because the Lord loves you even more than I can, and He loves us ALL that much, each one individually. He’s God, only He can love like that; and so we go on until it is time to go home.

I really have to say this, I want to say it; God bless you all for being who you are in God! I appreciate you and all you do in the Name of the Lord and for His children. I appreciate your prayers, I appreciate your words, I appreciate your smiles and your tears. (Yes, you can see them in your writing believe me you can!) I appreciate you for continuing on day after day after day doing what the Lord tells you to do. We are family and we are community but we are more than that; we are the Bride, we are One and becoming more One the closer the Bridegroom gets to us and soon we WILL be One with Him!

That day, will be worth all the tears, and worth all the misunderstandings and words, that day will be GREAT!

In Christ’s love for you;
Pastor Roland

Disclaimer: Like many Evangelists and Teachers, there is a lot of Controversy around some of his teachings and such. I have not followed him a lot, but this particular article
inspired me. The Bible tells us to “try the spirits to see if they are from God” and
also that a test of a true prophetic ministry is if they are right or wrong in their
prophecies. Please read with these thoughts in mind. Not all his beliefs are mine, but
then, not all mine are others! — Pastor Roland

Transcript by Andrew Strom from 2008

Ten months ago in November 2007 while preaching in Wisconsin
USA, I felt a strong unction from the Holy Spirit to speak about
the future of the United States and the imminent Crash. As often
happens under that kind of anointing, a real boldness came over
me, and for the first time I found myself clearly putting a “date”
on the coming financial Depression – something I had never done
before – except in the vaguest of terms. I found myself predicting
that tragically within six months America would be in Recession,
and within 12 months the actual Depression would begin.
(-This audio is on our website – http://www.revivalschool.com )

So let us look at the evidence. It is now ten months later. Has the
Depression begun? Sadly the answer has to be “Yes”. In the last
two weeks the two largest mortgage giants in the world (Fannie
Mae & Freddie Mac) failed, the largest Insurance Company on earth
crashed (all taken over by the US Government), Lehman Brothers
went bankrupt (almost taking the entire financial system with it),
Money Markets reeled, the two remaining giant Investment banks
sought protection as “holding banks” – which means the end of
Wall Street as we know it, etc, etc. Stocks are in turmoil, Oil leapt
on Monday by the most ever recorded, gold is volatile – and on it
goes. -The most shattering two weeks since the Great Depression.
Meanwhile the US Treasury is seeking 700 billion dollars in a
forlorn effort to put Humpty back together again – tragically too late.

THERE ARE “JONAHS” on THE BOAT

Why is this storm hitting America at this time? There are certainly
many reasons – most of which we have discussed before. But let
me put something else before you that I believe God spoke to me
not long ago:- There are “Jonahs” on the boat – and they are
sending the nation down.

Who are these Jonahs? I believe they are the “prophets” of America
who will not preach the truth – who sleep comfortably in the bowels
of the nation while chaos reigns all around them. Too afraid to
deliver God’s word ‘Repent’, they run the other way – toward smooth
talk and pleasant sayings – “Peace peace” when there is no peace.
And the depths of this great crisis can be laid directly at their door.

Yes – that’s right. A big reason why the ship of America is sinking
is because her prophets ran away from their God-given task and
message at the crucial moment.

If only these prophets had preached the TRUTH when the nation
so desperately needed to hear it. If only they had begun – way
back in the 1980’s – to call the lukewarm church to repentance,
to rebuke the people for their love of money, their greed, their sin.
But no – the siren call of “popularity” was too strong. The call of
“grace, grace”, of mass acceptance, of big reputations and even
bigger offerings. And so they sold out. And now they sleep bliss-
fully in the midst of the ship, while the storm whips to fury all
around. How do you sleep, O Jonahs, who would not cry “Repent”?

And it is not just the “prophets” either. It is the televangelists too.
Caught up in a world of fakery, hype and money-grubbing unseen
in the church since the Dark Ages, these hucksters are spreading
their garbage to every Third World Revival nation around the globe.
Greed, manipulation and pride on a scale that only America could
generate. Where is your shame, O charlatans of greed?

And so God is forced to act. And just like Jonah, the storm will
not abate until the wayward preachers are thrown overboard. Until
America is rid of these international thieves and prostitutes, she
is finished. And she will not recover until they are gone.

You see, it is not just the leaders who are at fault here. It is also
the people, who “love to have it so”. And thus until the heart of the
people is scourged and purged they will accommodate the “Jonahs” –
even seeking more of their ear-tickling fables to comfort themselves
in this time of breaking.

Until the heart of American greed is shattered – until her people
act of their own volition to throw these Jonahs overboard – this
storm will go on and on. In fact, it is about to grow a whole lot worse.

Mark my words, America: Until you remove these Jonahs, your
nation cannot recover. They have held the whole world in thrall by
their apostasy. And God cannot have it so any more. How long will
it take you to realize? How long will it take you to act?

THROW THE JONAHS OVERBOARD and be done with them!!
Only then will this mother of all storms subside.

-Comments welcome. -Send to- prophetic@revivalschool.com

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Andrew Strom.

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Posted in Vintage Messages | Tagged Agape Love, Apostolic Authority, Christ on Cross, Crucifixion, Eternity, God, God's Son, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Judgement, Love, Luke, Mark, Matthew, Religion, Seeing the Heart, Sincere of Heart, Sincerity, Spiritual, The Cross, Tough Love, True Believers | Leave a comment

Encourage One Another

Posted on July 14, 2014 by Roland Ledoux

anecdotal stories

Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room.

One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room’s only window.

The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back. The men talked for hours on end.

They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation.

Every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window.

The man in the other bed began to live for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside.

The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance.

As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene.

One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man couldn’t hear the band – he could see it. In his mind’s eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words. Days and weeks passed.

One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away.

As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window.

The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.

Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the real world outside.

He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed. It faced a blank wall. The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window.

The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall. She said, “Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you.”

Epilogue:

“There is tremendous happiness in making others happy, despite our own situations”

“Shared grief is half the sorrow, but happiness when shared, is doubled”

“If you want to feel rich, just count all the things you have that money can’t buy”

“Today is a gift, that’s why it is called the present.”

Unknown Author or source – from past email circulation

Posted in Anecdotal Stories | Tagged Beauty, Beauty Outside, Comfort, Contentment, Encouragement, Food For Thought, Friendship, Health, Help, Hospital, Illness, Nursing, Religion, Service | 2 Comments

Revival Prayer

Posted on July 7, 2014 by Roland Ledoux

The power of prayer is intimacy with the Lord, but it is and should also be communal, drawing His children together in oneness of spirit as led by His Holy Spirit. This is how the Body of Christ, the Church gains strength and stands waiting for the Bridegroom’s return!

Posted in Prayer and Praise | Tagged Come Quickly Lord Jesus, God, Heavenly Father, Help in Strength, Holy Spirit, In Jesus Name, Prayer, Prepare our Hearts, Religion, Revival, Spirituality | Leave a comment

The Present Moment

Posted on July 7, 2014 by Roland Ledoux

poeticpraisehdr

The Present Moment

I may never see tomorrow;
There’s no written guarantee
And things that happened yesterday
Belong to history.

I cannot predict the future,
I cannot change the past,
I have just the present moments,
I must treat them as my last.

I must use this moment wisely
For it soon will pass away,
And be lost forever,
As part of yesterday.

I must exercise compassion,
Help the fallen to their feet.
Be a friend unto the friendless,
Make an empty life complete.

The unkind things I do today
May never be undone,
And friendships that I fail to win
May nevermore be won.

I may not have another chance
On bended knee to pray,
And so I thank God with a humble heart
For giving me this day.

Author Unknown

Posted in Poetic Praise | Tagged Compassion, History, Living Life, Love, Poetry, Prayer, Present Moment, Rejoice, Religion, Show Love, Spiritual, This Day, Today, Trust in God, Wisdom, Yesterday | Leave a comment

This IS the Day the Lord Has Made!

Posted on July 7, 2014 by Roland Ledoux

I hope that everyone had a great and wonderful weekend celebrating the 4th of July. I don’t want to undermine the importance of this great American tradition, but I want to share with you all the reasons we can celebrate EVERY day in the Lord!

Psalm 118:24 This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it. (NKJV)

For many centuries theologians, teachers and preachers translated this to mean that the day that the Lord made and the day we should be glad in was the Sabbath day. Some taught that it was the day that the Jewish people would be redeemed and finally acknowledge Jesus as the Christ. Still others taught that it was the day Christ was resurrected from the dead as that ultimate day to rejoice in.

Yet as time has past and knowledge has increased, both in the natural AND in the spiritual, our discerning of the Scriptures by the gifting of the Holy Spirit has also increased as foretold by the writers of the Good Book under the Holy Spirit’s very inspiration.

Also, and this is something that I believe being an observer and student of human behavior over the years, as we have matured spiritually as a Church universal, as a Body of Christ or as the Bride of Christ and as we have as a group become more intimate with our Redeemer and Master, we have also increased that way individually. Most likely the increase as a Body of Believers has come about because we have first increased in maturity as individuals first and those individuals then coming together in communion led to the coming together as a Body more complete in Christ.

Whichever way it transpired, it has been by the leading and inspiration of the Holy Spirit within our hearts, spirit and lives! This has done one thing greatly for sure, and that is viewing the Scriptures and viewing the Character of our Heavenly Father without limits! In other words, as we have matured, we have gradually ceased to “put Him in a box” so to speak spiritually.

This has led to new revelations or maybe the better term is “illuminations” into the Word of God as it is written. This opens up Scriptures such as Philippians 4:4 “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!”

We don’t wonder anymore as to HOW do we rejoice in the Lord always. Because we know that number one, Joy, the very root of rejoicing is a Fruit of the Spirit and is something that is already seeded in us when we surrender to the Character of Christ Jesus. What we do with that seedling from that time on determines how much joy there is for us to spread around and to have multiply. Rejoicing is one of those avenues or ways in which to accomplish this.

We also know and realize now that rejoicing, or proclaiming joy is not based on an emotional feeling but rather on a spiritual fact! Joy, despite what the secular dictionaries try to describe it, is NOT based on happiness which is dependent upon the circumstances that surround us. Happiness is a natural, or “fleshly” emotion that is based on how I am feeling at any given time which is determined on our perception that everything is going my way. If I am not happy, then I am sad, and so forth.

Joy on the other hand is based on our relationship with the Father as the Prophet Nehemiah told the children of Israel when he stated, “—the joy of the Lord is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10). That joy is based on relationship for it isn’t just our joy in the Lord that gives us strength, but it is also the Lord’s joy IN US that gives us strength. Understanding this is a fairly new concept that has just started to be taught because we are realizing that in the past we have limited the Lord and to a degree His relationship with us. We thought the strength came only from us having joy in the Lord, when you open your heart AND understanding to the Holy Spirit; you see that it is also the LORD’S joy, His pleasure, His desires towards US that we gain strength from! In turn, when we realize that His joy is so much greater and so much more powerful, it is almost automatic that we want to proclaim that joy which in fact is the very act of REJOICING!

This brings me back to the Scripture that we love to quote in Psalm 118:24. No longer are we limiting the days that belong to the Lord. No longer do we realize that just ONE day is for Him and it is in that one day that we proclaim His joy, for that again would be limiting not only Him, but also limiting OUR joy in Him! If joy truly IS a Fruit of the Holy Spirit (and that is a rhetorical statement!) and is something that is expected to grow within us individually, why would we limit it? In fact, we would do all we could to allow it to grow and to spread, multiply and blossom in others!

So now, I am able to look at EVERYDAY as a day that the Lord has made (when in actuality this is and has been all along the truth!) and now I can REJOICE or proclaim the Lord’s Joy within me and my Joy for the Lord, each and every day!!

So, from now on, when you quote that Scripture and when you are proclaiming it as an encouragement to your brothers and sisters and those around you, recognize the truth that is inherent in that statement and proclaim it not just believing anymore but proclaim it KNOWING it to be a fact of TRUTH! Then you CAN and WILL truly rejoice in the fact that the day I am living today, has been made for me by my Lord and Redeemer. Don’t forget, each day that the Lord has made is also another day for HIM to have joy in each of us!!!

God bless you each and everyone on this day that the Lord has made, this day that we are rejoicing in and finding gladness in!!

Posted in Vintage Messages | Tagged Bible, Day of the Lord, Fruit of the Spirit, God's Word, Joy, Joy of the Lord, Nehemiah, Philippians, Psalms, Rejoice, Rejoicing, Religion, Teaching | Leave a comment

Give Me Liberty, or Give Me . . . . Part Two

Posted on June 28, 2014 by Roland Ledoux

“But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.” –Romans 7:6. Praise the Lord! The freedom that was once lost, as stated in part one, has now been regained for us through faith in Christ Jesus.

Paul further states in 2 Corinthians 3:4-6, “And such confidence we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who also makes us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”

The “letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” The written commandments lead to death, but the Spirit of the commandments leads to life! I will get into that a little later on, but suffice it to say, this is what Jesus came to proclaim!

Romans 8: 1-2 states, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.” We now have the freedom of choice; we can choose to be obedient to God, allowing our spiritual man to have dominance over our carnal nature. We no longer have to choose the bondage of disobedience, thanks to the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, our Lord!

Paul writes in Romans 8:5-10, “For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so; and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. And if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness.” Notice that in verse 9, Paul states that you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. In 2 Corinthians 5:17 the Apostle writes, “Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.”

Paul is saying to us that while we are in Christ, or Christ is abiding in us, we are a new creation. The word used in the Greek for our English word new, as used with new creature, means fresh, alive, no “oldness” but brand new. You have become fresh and alive, as compared to the old nature, stale and deathly, as Christ dwells in you. You are literally changed, metamorphosed, just as a caterpillar changes to a moth or butterfly, from your old sinful, fleshly nature into one that is spiritually fresh. The key words in this scripture are in Christ. In Christ the old standards of judgement are passed away, and in Christ new things have come! The freedom to make the right choices is part of the new things that weren’t there in the old nature!

At this point you might be asking the importance and application of this ability that we have been discussing, the ability to choose. In Galatians 5:1 Paul tells us, “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.” Notice that Paul is letting us know that we do have a choice, as we are in Christ; freedom IN Christ or, subjecting ourselves again to bondage, just as our human ancestor, Adam had. He tells us to keep standing firm. Think about that. If Eve, and then Adam had stood firm in their freedom, they would not have forfeited the liberty that was first given to them. Understand also, that standing firm is not just resting in an upright position. Standing firm is very much an action. In the original Greek, it means to persevere. Our English dictionary defines persevere as: to try hard and continuously in spite of obstacles and difficulties. We are to keep fighting for this freedom by acting upon it. Do not under any circumstances relinquish it. In practice, you continue to make the choices that gives you continued liberty. Remember in part one the scripture in 2 Corinthians 3:17, “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”

You now have the ability to continue to choose the Spirit over the flesh. In Galatians 5:16-18, Paul continues to declare the advantages of this freedom of choice. “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.”

When we were in bondage to sin, sin was our master, and in turn we were it’s slaves. We could only do what our master, the flesh, dictated to us; like automatons, or robots, something created for only one purpose, to obey. Galatians 5:19-21 describes what our lifestyle was. “Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you just as I have forewarned you that those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”

Paul was tell us that those deeds of the flesh WERE our legacy! Thank God, that now that we have a choice, our new Master, the Holy Spirit, provides us with not only a new lifestyle, but also an abundant life, as described in verses 22-23. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

Think on these scriptures a minute. Take time to meditate on them. As you read Galatians 5:19-23, what are the feelings that are stirred up when reading about the deeds of the flesh as compared to the fruit of the Spirit? If you’re a Christian, the deeds described in verses 19-21 should bring about a sense of revulsion; whereas the attributes listed in verses 22-23 should bring about a longing, a desire to attain them.

Now I want to point out another aspect of your choices. Paul makes a significant distinction between the deeds, or works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit. Works are produced by human or natural energy. Fruit is produced as we follow Jesus’ teaching as written in the Gospel of John 15:4-5, “Abide in Me, and l in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself; unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing.”

Okay; apart from Christ we can do nothing. Not work, not produce; there is then no such thing as “good works” because no work truly exists, apart from Christ. So what is it, that I, as a Christian, am supposed to DO? This is the question that plaques all men. Man feels he has to DO something. We forget that aside from Christ, again, we can do nothing. The answer is that apart from the specifics that God has called you as an individual to perform, there are things that are common to all of us as Christians that are pleasing to God as our Father. Galatians 5:6, 13 says, “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love. For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” In other words, just as Hebrews 11:6 states, “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, …” God is looking for people who’s faith is working through love. Faith is an active attribute; it is not idle or abstract as some people think or surmise. You only have to read the Epistle of James to see that. Faith manifests itself in unselfish service to God and to man. Service that is motivated by love. Love that is based on complete dependence in God. God is not interested in ritual obedience based on obligation, but in the reality of a godly life based on love.

I like to use the example of the wind, in the natural. You can have a beautiful day admiring all that God has created. The laws and sciences that keep our world and universe in top order are many times unseen. You can’t SEE the wind, but you know it is real, you can hypothesize why it is real and what causes it, but you can only SEE it’s effects! So it is with faith, love and so many other attributes of a Christian’s walk with the Lord. Faith and Love is not tangible EXCEPT in it’s manifestations, it’s results!

In Galatians 6:2, Paul says to, “Bear one another’s burdens, and thus fulfil the law of Christ.” Because of our freedom in Christ, we can now fulfil the law of Christ. The Pharisees were always wanting to test Jesus to trip Him up, and at one point they asked Him what the greatest commandment in the Law was, and in Matthew 22:37 -40 Jesus says, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and foremost commandment. And a second is like it, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.” But in John 13:34-35, this is what Jesus told His disciples, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” Again when teaching His disciples about fruitfulness, Jesus commanded His disciples, “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. This I command you, that you love one another.” –John 15:12, 17.

We now know the commands of Jesus and hence, of God, for Jesus Himself stated in John 12:49-50, “For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me, has given Me commandment, what to say, and what to speak. And I know that His commandment is eternal life; therefore the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told me.” This is true liberty; liberty that was once ours, then squandered and is now ours again. If you ever desired to hear God or to know His will, the choice is now open to you.

Under the Law, proper behavior was motivated by fear of punishment. In Christ, however, love is the motive of all. True liberty does not permit sin, but rather encourages loving service. I John is one of the greatest letters written on love. I want to examine a few of the scriptures that this spiritual liberty has made open to us in practical ways. In chapter 3, verse 11, John writes, “For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.” In chapter 4:7, 11, 21, he writes, “Beloved, let us love one another ,for love is from God; and every one who loves is born of God and knows God. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also.” Furthermore, in I John 5:2-3, he also writes, “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.”

John makes a bold statement that applies to not only these scriptures but every one that God has set before us; and he speaks to us as God, our heavenly Father, would speak to each one of us. I John 3: 18 says, “Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.” We are children of God, heirs through Jesus Christ, by the grace and mercies of God. Try to fathom the importance of this truth. This is exactly why we need to persevere in our liberty; and that liberty manifests itself in deeds, not just words or “feelings.” John said, “In deed and truth!” Good deeds won’t cut it, but loving deeds done in faith WILL! Hopefully your are beginning to see, heart motive, but that is another lesson.

The choices are ours; we still have our wills; the choices are clear. We can line up our wills with that of the Lord’s if He is Lord to us, or we can choose willfulness. I have heard it said, “You don’t seek the will of God in prayer to determine if you want to do something, you seek the will of God in prayer to know what He wants you to do.” This couldn’t be any more the truth. Because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, we have the freedom to choose; continue to choose the Spirit, where therein lies our liberty. “Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” –2 Corinthians 3:17.

In colonial America, the statesman, Patrick Henry spoke out for American freedom and liberty when he uttered the famous words, “Give me liberty or give me death.” He may or may not have understood the spiritual significance but in the scheme of eternity, those are the only two choices available.

Posted in Vintage Messages | Tagged Bible, Bible Teaching, Choices, Communication, Communion, Darkness, Faithfulness, God, God's Love, Heavenly Father, Holy Bible, Holy Spirit, Holy Word, Jesus, Kingdom of Righteousness, Love, Religion, Righteousness, Savior, Scripture, Spiritual Intimacy, Spirituality, Teaching, Walking with God | Leave a comment

Give Me Liberty, or Give Me . . . . Part One

Posted on June 27, 2014 by Roland Ledoux

Choices, choices, choices. In America we pride ourselves on the number of choices we have and the freedom we have to make them. The truth of the matter is, this is just a myth. The freedom to choose was given away a long time ago, and only a certain few understand the true concept of freedom. If you are a Christian you need to realize and have a deeper understanding of true freedom. If, on the other hand, you are not a Christian, then to experience true freedom, you need to know the source of that freedom. The bottom line is this; the choices we make today can and will effect our future into eternity.

The text that I want to concentrate on is found in 2 Corinthians 3:17, where Paul writes, “Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” In and of itself this statement is fairly self-explanatory, but I want to give you some background so as to keep this scripture in context. I’m going to share with you some of what Paul had been discussing with the Corinthians, leading to this statement. Keep this scripture in mind as we unfold God’s plan for true freedom.

Since he had last been to Corinth, and since his first letter to them, Paul had heard some good news and some bad news coming out of the church at Corinth. The most troublesome to his heart was the fact that false teachers had crept in trying to “peddle the word of God”, as he wrote in 2 Corinthians 2:17. These false teachers were trying to profit from the word of God as well as diminish it by adding their own slanted doctrine. An example of what they were doing would be a wine merchant adding water to wine to increase its volume for greater sales. The problem with this widespread practice is that it not only weakened the wine, it watered it down, thus increasing the volume and allowing them to charge for more. For instance, they sought to mix law with grace to make it seem attractive to more people; thus compromising the word in the process.

Continuing on with 2 Corinthians 2:17, Paul reminded them that he taught, ”as from sincerity, as from God, speaking in Christ in the sight of God.” He then proceeded to contrast the Old and New Covenant. A covenant is a promise, an agreement or testament, thus the terms, Old Testament and New Testament.

The Old Covenant was the legal system delivered by God to Moses, whereas a blessing was conditional upon obedience. It was in essence, an agreement of works. If man does his part, God will do His. The New Covenant, by contrast, was the Good News to man or the gospel. In it God agrees to bless man freely by His grace through the redemptive work of One, that is His Son, Jesus Christ. In this agreement, everything depends upon God and nothing depends upon man. Even the faith to accept this agreement would be given by God.

Paul goes on to further contrast the Old and New by showing that the real purpose of the Law was to show our inability to be obedient to God in all things, and thus recognize the need for a savior. In Romans 3:20 Paul writes, “By the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His (God’s) sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.” Furthermore in Galatians 3:10 Paul says, “For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, to perform them.”‘

Paul calls the Old Covenant the ministry of death, and the ministry of condemnation, for that is exactly what the Law brings. But the New Covenant he calls the ministry of the Spirit, and the ministry of righteousness, for that is what it accomplishes. Paul continued to comment that even to the time of his written letter, many people were still blinded concerning the real significance of the Law when compared to Jesus as Messiah. Only when one turns to Christ Jesus is the evil of darkness lifted and the types and shadows of the Old Testament are finally revealed in the being of Christ, the Anointed One.

This is where the significance and importance of the scripture in 2 Corinthians 3:17 comes to play. “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” That liberty is the freedom from the chains and shackles of the Law, which couldn’t save us from sin, but only revealed sin to our eyes as well as in us. That freedom also released us from our lack of understanding scripture. Our eyes were spiritually opened. “But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.”–1 Corinthians 2:14. A further benefit of that liberty in the Spirit is our freedom once again to make right or righteous choices.

You might be asking, “Wait a minute, when did we lose our right to choose? I thought we had that right all along.” The truth is, we lost our right to choose a long time ago, and the Law, in reality drives home the fact that we haven’t been free at all, but in actuality have been in bondage, a slave to our natural tendency to sin. Man actually started in the beginning with two choices, to be obedient to God, or disobedient. Man made the choice to be disobedient and all of mankind has suffered the consequences since.

In Genesis 2:16-17 it says, “And the Lord God commanded the man saying, ‘From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die.” I want you to see two very important things about this scripture. First, God commanded the man, Adam. Where there is no freedom to choose, there doesn’t need to be commands, authority has no need to be present. A person without the freedom to choose is under no authority because in essence he is no more than a slave or robot. Directions, or commands are given and they are just carried out. There is no questioning, no hesitation because the capacity to question is just not there. But God created Adam with the ability to choose! To paraphrase this verse, you could say, “Adam, when you eat of this tree you will die, so don’t eat it.” Or another way could be, “Adam, the choice is yours, here’s the terms.” At this point in his relationship with his Creator, Adam had a choice, he was given the RIGHT to choose. To eat of the tree meant death, and conversely, to not eat of the tree meant continued life as he knew it.

Now another aspect of this scripture; God said. “For in the day you eat from it—“ He didn’t say. “If you eat from it.” We have a tendency to believe that God is not aware of what is going on in our lives. In fact there are teachings today that say God did create man but then stood back to see where he would go and what he would do. How much farther from the truth could that be?! We serve a God Who is neither asleep, blind nor ignorant. In fact God’s very nature and character is to know all, see all, and be all. God fully knew the capabilities of man. He knew what Adam would do all along, it didn’t catch Him by surprise, but —- in His infinite Wisdom, Love and Mercy He had a plan!

God created man to love Him, by choice. Not as the angels do, where they were created each with a purpose, but freely and fully, and not out of coercion, but out of a genuine desire to have the Father’s love returned to Him freely, unconditionally. Man in and of himself does not have this ability, he never did, otherwise the goal of our Father for unconditional love could never happen. Adam proved that. But what greater love can we give, than the recognition that we are unworthy and incapable of that kind of love, outside of the Lord’s help. The only way to give that kind of love back is through the person of His Son, Jesus Christ, the ULTIMATE EXAMPLE of God’s Love! Only when we recognize our great need for Him in all things, then submitting to His ability and will, can we freely return God’s love back to Him. Adam chose not to love God through his act of disobedience, thus relinquishing his freedom to choose right over wrong, as well as his ability to love God, as he was meant to, from that time on.

Up to this time, keep in mind, man talked with God, he literally walked with Him one on one. God created man in His image. God is Spirit. Man is a spiritual creation. It was only logical that a loving God would want to communicate with the creation that He loves. Adam, through his unloving act of disobedience, severed the spiritual side of that relationship. Because man chose to allow his flesh dominance over his spirit, and because disobedience is sin, and God cannot be in the presence of sin, man’s attempt to hear God as well as talk to Him and walk with Him became less and less. This is evidenced in the scriptures as you see that fewer and fewer people were hearing the Lord.

Notice that at the time of Noah and the flood, only Noah and his family were saved. It stands to reason that if others were talking and listening to God, Noah would not have been the only one saved. Even after Noah and up to the time of Jacob (Israel), God chose to reveal Himself to His people. But soon after Jacob’s death, at least as revealed in scripture, the Lord did not communicate directly with man again until He called Moses. This appears to be more of man’s doing because of his continued disobedience, than God’s will. God has always desired relationship with mankind.

God called Moses and gave him the Law for mankind and especially His chosen people, to show them their inability to reach a just God who is incapable of associating with sin. Because of his self-centered nature and carnal dominance, man could no longer commune with God as was his God created ability in the beginning.

The Law had now become God’s words to man and the few chosen prophets spoke to the nations as God spoke to them. Man as an individual was now obligated to reach God through ritual and sacrifice. Man’s only hope was his trust in the precious promises of a redeemer that God promised to and would send.

Paul tells us that the Law was given not to put trust in our ability, but to recognize that we can’t make it on our own, thereby making it easier for us to have faith in God’s promises to redeem us. In Galatians 3:11 he says, “Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, ‘The righteous man shall live by faith.”‘ Paul goes on to state in verses 12 and 13, “However, the Law is not of faith; on the contrary, ‘He who practices them shall live by them.’ Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law,— “

The sacrifice that Jesus made has purchased for us so much more than just redemption alone, and that is not belittling the gift of salvation by any means. The very word, salvation has so much more meaning than just redemption. Jesus fulfilled the terms of the agreement, the Old Covenant. He bought back for us, at great price, that which we had so carelessly given away. He completed the terms of the contract which allows us the ability to regain what we lost, plus so much more!

END OF PART ONE

I Love You Lord

Posted on June 27, 2014 by Roland Ledoux

poeticpraisehdr

I love you Lord; you are my Lord,
My Saviour, and my friend,
You are my beginning and my end,
You set my feet upon a rock and I know,
Along your path I must go,

You fill my life with all good things,
And, when I mount up with you on eagle’s wings,
I can fly, I can sing, and I am free,
I am so happy to be with thee,

You gave me joy instead of sorrow,
I thank you Lord, for my tomorrow,
I love you Lord; you are my all,
You saved me when I was about to fall,

When I reached out, you were there,
Ready to tell me how much you care,
You walk with me, and talk with me,
Turn me into the person that I should be,

You are the potter; I am the clay,
Each step I take is day by day,
With you there is no fear,
When you draw ever so near,

I can smell your sweet, sweet perfume,
Each time that you enter my room,
You catch the tears,
Shed over all the years,

To keep them in a jar,
In you there is a love that is the best by far,
My love is for you, and not for me,
Thank you Lord, for setting me free,

I never knew a love like this,
To love you Lord, it is sheer bliss,
I love you Lord, my Saviour, my friend,
And I will walk with you until the end.

Posted in Poetic Praise | Tagged Bible, Christ Jesus, Church, Faithfulness, Footsteps, Glorify, God's Love, Heavenly Father, Inspirational Poetry, Jesus, Joy, Kingdom of Righteousess, Love, Magnify, Poetry, Praise, Spiritual Intimacy, Spirituality, Walking with Jesus | 2 Comments

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