The Real Christ and False Discipleship

May 27, 2012June 6, 2016 / thesouldoctor / 1 Comment

Being a disciple of Christ is the life of one who loves, watches, learns and imitates Jesus by relationship through grace alone. They constantly see their existence as living in the presence of One who totally loves, accepts and forgives them. He also blesses them and empowers them freely because of that relationship.

They walk in the truth that it is no longer them but Christ and for them to live is Christ and to die is beneficial because that would mean uninterrupted fellowship in heaven with Christ. We were chosen that we might be with him and there is summation of the Christian life.

Christ is all in all.

It is the burning focus of the disciple of Jesus Christ that they may know him intimately, dynamically and continually.

I am sad, that modern day discipleship is nothing more than proselytism in religion that plagiarizes the words of scripture and uses it for it’s own means. We read with joy the release of the slaves from Egypt by the final stroke of the blood of the Lamb. But we fail to see that Pharaoh and the priests of Egypt were skilled religionists and they made slaves out of their citizens through their legalistic teachings, magic and powerful entertainment. The only thing that could set the people free was the blood of the spotless Lamb upon the doors of their houses as they waited for release wearing their travelling clothes.

The Jews of Christ’s day had such rigid rules based on the law they literally emptied the scriptures of their power and shut the doors of the kingdom of God with access into God’s blessings! It was only by Calvary’s Cross that the thick suffocating, unyielding veil of religion was torn and the heavens were opened to men and women. It was only by the precious body and blood of Christ that sin and the handwriting of ordinances which stood against us were taken out of the way. When the heavens were thrown open the publicans, harlots and outcasts were waiting with travelling clothes to force their way into the kingdom of heaven for forgiveness and salvation and freedom.

The mass religious marketing of today enslaves church people to a business mentality that sells church and Christianity as a product. They bash, threaten, arrest people for not keeping their principles with condemnation and hurt. They have many of us bamboozled. They take the whole joy out of living for Christ and walking with Jesus. They forget it is by knowing Christ personally and deeply people serve and change things. It is not by magic prayers, experts, books and instructional videos that we can be better Christians. It is being by loved by Christ.

When we took the preaching for the need for the Holy Spirit’s work in our hearts revealing Jesus to us, we took the very transmission out of the heart of what it is to be a Christian. We need to preach the mighty baptism of the Holy Spirit, the refreshing with which he causes the weary to rest. We need to bring people back to Jesus, especially church people.

Get your coat and shoes on. Jesus has released you from the bondage to religion by his blood. Who can stop you now? Sin has been forgiven and religions magnetic pull has been broken. Don’t be afraid to love him and serve him in his freedom of acceptance and power.

Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.

Limited Trials versus Unlimited Deity

May 26, 2012October 4, 2012 / thesouldoctor / Leave a comment

“With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people gained confidence from what Hezekiah the king of Judah said.” (2 Chr. 32:8).

It is only a man or woman who knows God as victorious in battle that can speak like the old King of Judah. It is one thing to go around “confessing” victory, pretending that you made spiritual conquests and carry a fake résumé of success and it is entirely another thing with grime and mud on your gun and uniform coming back from the field of battle alive and talking.

What is all this talk of victory without any fighting? For instance, we can study and report on the Operation New Dawn campaign in Iraq and recall all the facts about it, but nothing replaces the perspective of a soldier who has been in such a war. How can we say he always causes us to” triumph in Christ” and thanks be unto “God who gives us the victory” if there has been no struggle against the unseen forces of darkness. Let me state as I have previously, struggle is not loss; it is a sign of life. Scrapes and scratches are proof of a scuffle. Wounds, injuries and bruises are only proof of greater fighting. But none of these are a sign of defeat, just challenges that could not stand against us as God’s children.

Hezekiah’s words put courage and life back into his people. The people “rested upon his words.” They relied and trusted in the word of the king. It put confidence and life back into the battle weary people. Your heavenly King has given you a life giving word in the scripture. Oh that we could rest upon the words of the Lord. As we ponder and contemplate his Word he calms us down spiritually, mentally and physically. Then our soul would quiet itself like a weaned child, we would see God is more than enough and being afraid of anything else is a waste of time.

All of the weapons, the difficulties and the trials we go through are described under one heading: flesh. King Jesus said this: “The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.” (John 6:63). Here is a huge army as far as the eye can see outnumbering Judah and the demonic words of the enemy army’s general screaming at them. All the odds are against them, but hell is overpowered by the omnipotent Holy Spirit and the Spirit inspired words of the king. Matthew Henry comments, “…a believing confidence in God will raise us above the prevailing fear of man.” What others are afraid of, we will not be afraid of. The Bible says a few verses later, “And the Lord sent an angel, who annihilated all the fighting men and the leaders and officers in the camp of the Assyrian king. So he withdrew to his own land in disgrace.” (2 Chr. 32:21).

Here is the word of the Lord for you today my friend, “I, even I, am he who comforts you. Who are you that you fear mortal men, the sons of men, who are but grass, that you forget the LORD your Maker, who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth, that you live in constant terror every day because of the wrath of the oppressor, who is bent on destruction? For where is the wrath of the oppressor?” (Isa. 51:12-13). No matter how great the enemy, no distress has Almighty power. They are embarrassingly limited, confined and restricted. God asks where are they? God metaphorically says that they are so small he cannot see them! How can he take their threat seriously? The Lord is so great; his majestic power cannot be measured or gauged.

Yes, your difficulty is very real and that God sees and go through it with you. He does see your pain, that is very clear to him. That is why JESUS is so wonderful. “…He had to enter into every detail of human life…all the pain, all the testing—and would be able to help where help was needed.” (Heb 2: 17-18MSG). Jesus was not just an object lesson or an example he went through things vicariously, he suffered for us so he could help us with understanding and compassion.

Yet we must rest upon the words of the King. “All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; he’ll always be there to help you come through it.” (1 Cor. 10:13MSG). The trial has an end, it is not forever though it may seem that way. It will lose its strength and the clock is ticking. It is almost over. It can only go as far as the Lord says and that is it!

Marked By God

May 9, 2012May 26, 2012 / thesouldoctor / Leave a comment

He said to him, “Walk through the streets of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of all who weep and sigh because of the detestable sins being committed in their city.” (Ezekiel 9:4).

In reading this I agree with some commentators say that this mark was – literally, TAU the name of the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

It was the first letter of the word Torah (the law of God) and being the last letter in the Hebrew alphabet is signified complete obedience.

TAU in it’s original form was that of a CROSS.

“Christians, noting the resemblance of this letter in its most ancient form to a cross, have seen herein a reference to the cross with which Christians were signed.” (Barnes).

This was a sign of signs and a mark of marks. In Exodus 12 we see the Passover event where the blood of the Lamb was sprinkled on the door jams and door posts of the Israelite homes as a notice to the destroying angel what house he should not destroy.

Now this saving sign the cross, has marked the minds and hearts of God’s people as the seal of the Holy Spirit (2 Cor 1:22; 2 Tim. 2:19).

They grieve over the obscene detestable things done in this world because sin has no agreement with the temple of God, and they are his church who really worship God in the power of the Spirit.

We have the Only true Perfect Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ who perfectly obeyed his Father and we have been sealed by his Holy Spirit. His Heavenly Father’s name has been placed in our foreheads (Rev. 7:3, 14;1).

Clinically Proven

April 29, 2012May 26, 2012 / thesouldoctor / 3 Comments

I have to rant and rave every once in a while; it is quite therapeutic for me.

There is no doubt that you have seen infomercials advertising products as “clinically proven.” Clinically proven may mean any number of things and on the other hand, it can mean absolutely nothing. You see, when you really want to sell something just throw in that “clinically proven” statement which is usually a vague claim that requires no hard evidence and isn’t easy to disprove. Most people do not realize that as long as the product has, “These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA” disclaimer on the label, it’s not necessary to have evidence to back it up.

Scary.

My concern is for the “clinically proven” claims made by so called mega-churches, celebrity pastors and ministries. These guys and gals are some of the best salespeople I have ever seen. They advertise health, wealth and blessing through religious products. The anointing oil from Gethsemane, water from the Holy Land, a mustard seed in a necklace, at home communion sets, books, CD’s and DVD’s with the promise of blessing-all of this with a very generous love offering. Not convinced? You can watch the what testimonies of people who say they got it and it does everything from fixing their flat tire to paying off their mortgage.

Then there are the commercials. I have found it interesting that preaching has segments now. You even see it in church. Preaching is not enough so we throw a video in the mix. Then the new breed of televangelists have interview formats, in the name of making Christianity more interesting and conversational. The interviews even include celebrities who do not claim to be Christians but have tips on being successful. After a few minutes of preaching you have snippets of religious commericals advertising the message you are watching or future conferences and we even have pay-per-view preaching.

The emphasis of much Christianity today is all about results or being practical. Pastors and leaders are not immune from buying into the “clinically proven” church growth strategies from men who went from 40 to 4000 in a year or two. That is all that is pumped into the minds, conferences and groups of any denomination in the name of evangelism.

But who defines this?

You got it-the times and culture of the day redefine faith and religion in a whole new way. Scripture is reinterpreted in line with the zeitgeist (a word meaning the “spirit of the age”). The only problem is that such concepts of sin and atonement may become out of sync with the culture and so we have seen even Christianity redefines God, sin and forgiveness and church in light of the world around them. They will spend time on issues such as practical living, family, marriage and health rather than on “doctrinal” issues in order to really “help people.” That is their selling point and they say, “it works and you get results with our new religious product.”

It is all boulderdash!

Here is what matters to Christ-doing the will of God from your heart (Eph. 6:6). It is God’s desire that we, “may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured.” (Col. 4:12). That understanding of will of God is found in the clear teaching of the scriptures by gospel ministers in the meeting of the people called the church (Acts 2:42; 1 Cor 14:26). No sales, no cheesy punch lines, no dramatics, just a determination to do the will of God. It is after we have been persistent in doing God’s will that we will receive the promise of heaven and eternal life (Heb 10:36). All of this worldly flim- flam religion cannot last under the times of molten trials and fiery testing that will come (1 Cor 3:10-15). John makes it clear: “The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.” (1 John 2:17).

Here Comes Christ the Warrior King!

April 22, 2012June 26, 2020 / thesouldoctor / Leave a comment

“Open up, ancient gates! Open up, ancient doors, and let the King of glory enter. Who is the King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty; the Lord, invincible in battle. Open up, ancient gates! Open up, ancient doors, and let the King of glory enter. Who is the King of glory? The Lord of Heaven’s Armies—he is the King of glory.” (Psalm 24:7-10NLT).

This psalm demonstrates clearly who is the rightful Owner, Ruler and Creator of the universe! The earth and all that is in it belongs rightfully to the thrice Holy God (24:1)! We live our lives for the glory of God and the crown rights of King Jesus. “Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.” (1 Chr. 29:11).

Jesus Christ is King of Glory is the Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle seen in a human being (John 1:14). He only had clean hands and a pure heart. He only could ascend into God’s hill and stand in his holy place (24:3-4). He comes to open up gates that were barred to men and women since the fall of Adam. God was coming to earth in Christ opening up the gates that false religion and sin had closed. When John baptized Christ, “he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. (Mk 1:10). The Warrior King’s battle cry was, “Open for me the gates of righteousness. ” (Psa. 118:19).

Charles Spurgeon says, “We know the might of Jesus by the battles which he has fought, the victories which he has won over sin, and death, and hell…” The disciples saw Christ the Warrior King and even touched his wounds after his death in battle yet who rose again for them victorious over death (Luke 24:39; John 20:24-26). You also see Christ the warrior King coming to you by the reading of scripture and witness of the Holy Spirit. There you see his wounds and scars proving that He is your King of Glory, your Lord strong and mighty, your Lord who is mighty in battle who says, “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.” (Rev 1:17-18).

What are these ancient doors? These gates are the everlasting doors, the eternal gates of heaven. Like the old portcullis gate and doors as seen in this article, so the doors burst open wide and the gate was lifted for Jesus Christ the overwhelming Victor. Here comes Christ the Warrior King back from Mount Calvary’s bloody hill of battle, the silence of the borrowed tomb, the earth shattering power of his resurrection and then his triumphant ascension to heaven to take the highest seat in the universe that only the God-man could keep without being dethroned. He went out weeping and he went to plant the precious seeds of Calvary but came back with singing as he returned with the harvest, bringing back in chains those who enslaved the souls of people and disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He publicly embarrassed them by his victory over them on the cross (Eph. 4:8; Col. 2:15).

Your warrior King has opened up heaven for you. Right now a door is standing open for you in heaven. Christ opened it up for you and left it ajar (Rev. 4:1). The heavens are opened for you and God is waiting. “These gates lead to the presence of the LORD, and the godly enter there.” (Psa. 118:20). Jesus says he is that door (John 10:9). Take his offer now, that door will not remain open forever.

Divine Skill and Strength

April 16, 2012April 28, 2012 / thesouldoctor / 1 Comment

“He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze.” (Psalm. 18:34).

God gives His extraordinary strength and skill to his children in spiritual warfare. He gives us his strength to fight the Battle, for as Paul says we are to “be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.” (Eph. 6:10). There is no sane reason one can give to functioning and operating in one’s own powers of will, influence of wealth, mental effort and human talent. We, “put no confidence or dependence [on what we are] in the flesh and on outward privileges and physical advantages and external appearances.” (Phil 3:3AMP).

God has given us his best weapons for the fight of faith and daily life: truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, the holy scripture and prayer in the Spirit. These are weapons he himself used for they are referred to as the armor that God wears (Eph. 6:11) and we are told, “clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Rom 13:14).

Christ himself not only bent but broke the bronze like weapons of Satan and confiscated his armor driving out demons by the power of the Spirit of God (Matthew 12:28-29). God in Christ leveled the mountains, lifted up the valleys and made a clear road to victory for his children (Isa. 40:1-3)! He broke down the hellish gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron and plundered the enemies vaults where all the stolen items since Adam’s fall were stored and gave them back to his royal family (Isaiah 45:1-4).

On the Eve of Battle

April 11, 2012April 29, 2012 / thesouldoctor / Leave a comment

“When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them, because the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with you.” (Deut. 20:1).

We often feel the pressure of what the world calls odds and statistics. Many times we intimidated by what life throws at us, evil ambushes and anxieties attempt to choke the life out of us.

We see governments, media and the culture itself massing great numbers against the Christian faith and we seem outnumbered.

God tells his church, to stop being afraid of them because God who saved them and redeemed them is with them. His presence is salvation. His friendship means invincibility.

We must realize that individual salvation is no small accomplishment, it is a miracle, considering the hold the Devil and sin has on the will and minds of men and women. Imagine the salvation of thousands and even millions. This is nothing for God to do, it is beyond words and emotion.

The God who delievered them from Egypt would be with them. No earthly power or government, no human strategy could have made Pharaoh and the undefeated armies of Egypt even negotiate a release for its working class of slaves. But God made Egypt an offer they could not refuse. The sting of God defeat of Egypt was felt for a long time after even on the godless nations (1 Sam. 4:8).

We must understand that it was by not only the great calamities with which the Lord pounded all the gods of Egypt that released them (Ex. 12:12), but the decisive victory was by the blood of the passover Lamb did they overcome Pharaoh who was a type of Satan and Egypt which was a type of the world (Ex 12:27). The gospel of Christ and his precious blood levels all the powers of darkness, sin, death and all false gods (1 Pet. 1:19; Rev 12:11).

We smile and march with confidence into gospel battles and Paul says “stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God.” (Phil 1:27-28).

The power of God in the gospel is so awesome, so powerful, it is laughable to think anyone can stop it.

We should glow with a confident faith! As we stand for God, the Son of Man stands at the right hand of God (Acts 7: 56) for his church! In fact he sist at the right hand of God and from that position neither he nor we can be defeated.

We are on the Lord’s team and we march in his army. The regiments of hell can sneer and mutter all their lies against you. They can shoot bullets of guilt at your conscience, lay IED’s of anxiety in your path and broadcast threats of terrorism and evil kill the body, but never can they touch your soul nor can the thwart the authority of the gospel witness!

As these demonic hordes see the LORD GOD leading His armies, it is they who will be afraid. “The LORD will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven.” (Deut. 28:7).

The Trouble With Our Theology

May 17, 2009May 24, 2011 / thesouldoctor / Leave a comment

pointing-finger

“After that four hundred years of stillness there came this amazing man, John the Baptist. He shocked their culture. He upset their theology.

Nobody’s going to church. Why? Their all going out to hear a man in the wilderness.

What’s he doing-raising the dead?

No, he isnt.

He’s raising hell.

Did he raise the dead? No he did not raise a dead man but he raised a dead nation. Dear Lord, we could do with a John the Baptist in every city of the nation tonight…

Oh, they loved to hear him because he believed in..but not only believed it but actually raised the dead. The trouble with our theology, its all on the blackboard. Our theology is all in textbooks. It has no life, it has no breath, it has no power, it has no authority…

How in the world could Jesus stand in the middle of the crowd of angry vexed people? He’d antagonize them. He’d reveal their spiritual bankruptcy. They were just getting over the shock of John Baptist standing there in the wilderness. They couldn’t fathom it.

Why are people going?

Read the third chapter of Luke…even the Roman soldiers went…they were fascinated when they heard him.

Nothing like this in Rome, Caesar has nothing like this.

Here is a little strange man with a leather girdle wrapped around his loins and an old camel skin wrapped around his neck and people are swarming from everywhere…

He uses that nobody likes, “Repent…repent!” Not only confess your sin, forsake your sin, repent, run away from it!

Then Jesus comes up afterwards…Don’t you think the next day after he turned water into wine that everywhere they were saying. “Didn’t you hear what he did? They ran out of wine last night and he turned water into wine.”

“This is the man that tosses people out of the synagogues…this is the man that kicks over the extortioners.

This is the man that says to learned men, “You are the enemies of God.”

Merciless.

We are preaching an acceptable gospel today, making it as painless as we can. All we do is give people a shot to put them to sleep so they’ll get to hell quicker. We need some hell fire preaching on repentance.

The was a portion of a video message preached by Leonard Ravenhill called, “Are We Longing For Repentance?”

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