Many years ago when I was a boy, I can remember my father, an electrical engineer, coming home from work and telling me that he was working on a top secret project for the military. He couldn't share details about it but said it was a weapon that could shoot a plane out of the sky with a guided missile. Of course, as a young boy, I was amazed. Years later after the thing had been developed, tested and put into practical application he was able to tell me it was called a Sidewinder Missile that used a heat seeking guidance system to fly up the exhaust of a jet engine and blow up the plane.........wow........how ingenious.
I got to thinking about that time in my life and wondered what that had anything to do with what I am doing today. Then it hit me.......the Sidewinder Missile was designed to take out a target that could do some extensive damage to our military forces. That really has been the goal of wartime anyway.......to come up with ways to take out your enemy before he inflicts damage on you.
Now I want to tie all of this into SALVATION. The whole idea of spiritual warfare is to take out your enemy before he takes you out. Our enemy is Satan and his demonic forces. Any enemy that is worth their salt, so to speak, will develop ways to take out his enemy's major targets (as in the case of the Sidewinder Missile). The major target of Satan's war machine is TRUE SALVATION, because when TRUE SALVATION is put into play he loses some of his forces. Developing strategies to take out this target is what he does best, remember, he is a "crafty schemer". One of the best weapons he has developed is "pseudo salvation", to literally render the person useless in the spiritual war. The person is rendered useless because he or she can't fight a spiritual war without God's Holy Spirit inside of them. The enemy has no respect for your church attendance, or your musical ability on the worship team, or your PhD. in Religious Studies..........and on, and on, and on. He only respects one thing in a person's life.......God's power within.
It is really this simple. TRUE SALVATION is being regenerated through God's Holy Spirit, or Christ In You. PSEUDO SALVATION is simply a decision you (as an individual) make one day, and everything in your life is based on that DECISION. There is no regeneration in a decision, only when a person dies to him or herself and allows God's Holy Spirit within to take control. Without the Holy Spirit's power IN your life, you are cannon fodder for the enemy. If you would like a good, short, periodical to read about this DECISION vs TRUE SALVATION tactic, please send me an E-mail at cppinstitute@windstream.net and ask for it. I can send it to you as an attachment that you can download and read at your leisure. But........if you do nothing else.........please make sure you are operating your Christian walk with TRUE SALVATION......because just as sneaky as the Sidewinder Missile is.........so is your spiritual enemy. The missile blows up the whole plane, with all on board, in a fiery explosion.............PSEUDO SALVATION gives the false impression that you are truly saved.....and blows up your life in hell's fire.
Think about it.
John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God."
1 Pet 1:23 for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, {that is,} through the living and enduring word of God.
John 14:17 {that is} the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, {but} you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. (emphasis added)
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Monday, August 27, 2007
No FEAR
Saints:
I have pasted below a portion of a short study I received from a ministry working in Israel at this very critical time. I found it to be very appropriate for "taking a practical stand" in these difficult days. What was so interesting about it was before he encouraged all to consider this study he shared about the "feel good church" not even being able to consider something like a terrorist attack.........they are too busy "living" to "die". Take a few minutes of your day and go through this short reading & study, it should help all of us prepare to "stand firm" in Jesus.
If you click on the highlighted verses it will take you to a great website study bible.
Read and study Hebrews 2 this morning and then link it together with I John 2. Be quick to notice that being perfected or matured in Abba's love (i.e. Romans 8 mindset) will drive out all fear. And this word to drive out is the same word used to drive out demons in the NT! Abba's love will flush out this fear of death with a forceful entry into your soulish realm, that if you are not renewed to this lifestyle, it will hold you prisoner to a slavery of fear-induced paralysis at every corner! As you understand and get matured in His great love you will know how to conquer terror because you have entered into the no-man's land of Romans chapter 9! It is not about your life but rather giving up your life and salvation if need be...for the awakening among the Jewish people!!!! And it is when you have crossed over into this post-Gethsemane realm of living you are now pre-conditioned and pre-prepared to take on terrorism of all forms in this late hour!
I have pasted below a portion of a short study I received from a ministry working in Israel at this very critical time. I found it to be very appropriate for "taking a practical stand" in these difficult days. What was so interesting about it was before he encouraged all to consider this study he shared about the "feel good church" not even being able to consider something like a terrorist attack.........they are too busy "living" to "die". Take a few minutes of your day and go through this short reading & study, it should help all of us prepare to "stand firm" in Jesus.
If you click on the highlighted verses it will take you to a great website study bible.
Read and study Hebrews 2 this morning and then link it together with I John 2. Be quick to notice that being perfected or matured in Abba's love (i.e. Romans 8 mindset) will drive out all fear. And this word to drive out is the same word used to drive out demons in the NT! Abba's love will flush out this fear of death with a forceful entry into your soulish realm, that if you are not renewed to this lifestyle, it will hold you prisoner to a slavery of fear-induced paralysis at every corner! As you understand and get matured in His great love you will know how to conquer terror because you have entered into the no-man's land of Romans chapter 9! It is not about your life but rather giving up your life and salvation if need be...for the awakening among the Jewish people!!!! And it is when you have crossed over into this post-Gethsemane realm of living you are now pre-conditioned and pre-prepared to take on terrorism of all forms in this late hour!
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Dependence
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source
de·pend·ence /dɪˈpɛndəns/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[di-pen-duhns] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun
1.
the state of relying on or needing someone or something for aid, support, or the like.
Both Darcie & I were really "brought up short" this weekend in regard to this whole "DEPENDENCE" thing. On Friday morning I went to turn on my computer and it had decided to rebel in the night and would not accept any power from the power source......thus it would not turn on. This morning, 20 minutes before Darcie was going to speak in a church service, her computer rebelled and would not boot up. We both realized, about the same time, how DEPENDENT we had become on these machines. I spent all day Friday & half of Saturday getting our back-up computer configured to where I could even do E-mail and connect to the Internet. Darcie is, at this very moment, having to speak without the help of her pictures she shows as she tells of the testimonies of these persecuted saints.
Now you are probably asking "what's this got to do with anything"..........DEPENDENCE upon anything but God, and His Holy Spirit, is an effort in futility, especially as we move closer to the end of the age. A classic principle that is given by the apostate is being INDEPENDENT in nature. In fact, the word "apostasy" gives a connotation of "a rebellious walking away from the TRUTH to embrace a 'feel good' ideology". Now if we know that the APOSTASY must come first then I believe it would behoove all of us (Darcie & myself included) to become less dependent on this world and it's trappings and become more dependent on God and His Holy Spirit's leading in our lives. I'm not saying that we are to shuck off all the useful things in the world that help us "tell the story", but I am saying we need not become so dependent on those things that we become unable to function without them..........I guess in this case you should have a "Plan B"..............as long as that plan is Holy Spirit given.
I guess the following says it all about this admonition;
Show Spelled Pronunciation[di-pen-duhns]
de·pend·ence /dɪˈpɛndəns/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[di-pen-duhns] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun
1.
the state of relying on or needing someone or something for aid, support, or the like.
Both Darcie & I were really "brought up short" this weekend in regard to this whole "DEPENDENCE" thing. On Friday morning I went to turn on my computer and it had decided to rebel in the night and would not accept any power from the power source......thus it would not turn on. This morning, 20 minutes before Darcie was going to speak in a church service, her computer rebelled and would not boot up. We both realized, about the same time, how DEPENDENT we had become on these machines. I spent all day Friday & half of Saturday getting our back-up computer configured to where I could even do E-mail and connect to the Internet. Darcie is, at this very moment, having to speak without the help of her pictures she shows as she tells of the testimonies of these persecuted saints.
Now you are probably asking "what's this got to do with anything"..........DEPENDENCE upon anything but God, and His Holy Spirit, is an effort in futility, especially as we move closer to the end of the age. A classic principle that is given by the apostate is being INDEPENDENT in nature. In fact, the word "apostasy" gives a connotation of "a rebellious walking away from the TRUTH to embrace a 'feel good' ideology". Now if we know that the APOSTASY must come first then I believe it would behoove all of us (Darcie & myself included) to become less dependent on this world and it's trappings and become more dependent on God and His Holy Spirit's leading in our lives. I'm not saying that we are to shuck off all the useful things in the world that help us "tell the story", but I am saying we need not become so dependent on those things that we become unable to function without them..........I guess in this case you should have a "Plan B"..............as long as that plan is Holy Spirit given.
I guess the following says it all about this admonition;
Show Spelled Pronunciation[di-pen-duhns]
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Knowing your TRUE ENEMY
Saints:
There are several warnings throughout scripture to "be on the alert" or "being watchful", and they are there for an express purpose. One of the scriptural principles relating to standing firm in your faith is knowing who your true enemy is. There are many expressions of evil, violence and deception, but if you take is all back to the root cause you will find a being.........not a religion or an ideology........it's a being. Satan and all of his fallen angels are doing what they do best within the world system (aion GR). If we as true believers intend to stand firm we will need to know the "enemy" and the tactics he uses.
I would highly recommend listening to Crosstalk click here on the August 24th program entitled Islam: America's Trojan Horse. Dr Don Boys does an excellent job in giving a really good overview of Islam and it's intentions for America. He also gives some excellent statistics about the growing appeasement that the apostate church is involved in with Islam and Muslims. I have added Dr. Boy's website to the LINKS section on this blog, it's called Common Sense for Today.
Please consider this as we work together in preparing for the "difficult times" that lie just over the horizon.
2 Timothy 3:1 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.
There are several warnings throughout scripture to "be on the alert" or "being watchful", and they are there for an express purpose. One of the scriptural principles relating to standing firm in your faith is knowing who your true enemy is. There are many expressions of evil, violence and deception, but if you take is all back to the root cause you will find a being.........not a religion or an ideology........it's a being. Satan and all of his fallen angels are doing what they do best within the world system (aion GR). If we as true believers intend to stand firm we will need to know the "enemy" and the tactics he uses.
I would highly recommend listening to Crosstalk click here on the August 24th program entitled Islam: America's Trojan Horse. Dr Don Boys does an excellent job in giving a really good overview of Islam and it's intentions for America. He also gives some excellent statistics about the growing appeasement that the apostate church is involved in with Islam and Muslims. I have added Dr. Boy's website to the LINKS section on this blog, it's called Common Sense for Today.
Please consider this as we work together in preparing for the "difficult times" that lie just over the horizon.
2 Timothy 3:1 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
And who is my neighbor?
Some very interesting things emerge when you do a word study on the word "neighbor". First, it's mentioned over 100 times in scripture and almost always in reference to how a true believer is supposed to behave in relationship to their neighbors. Jesus had much to say about this issue especially as it referred to ones eternal position (Luke 10:25-37). Most of the New Testament writers also pointed back to this phrase "love your neighbor as yourself". So this got me thinking; how could this have an effect in our practical "standing" for Jesus amongst a hostile worldly culture? I think the most glaring thing that stands out would be; if your neighbor doesn't know (GR. ginsko) Jesus like you know Jesus then chances are they will be hostile towards you if and when times get difficult (as prophesied by brother Paul in 2 Timothy 3).
It may behoove all of us to do a reality check on our own lives in regard to this "loving your neighbor as yourself" thing, this writer included. Who really is my neighbor? Do we really look at them as lost and going to hell? Do we really see their needs, physical & spiritual? Do we care? These are all good questions to ponder as we see these "difficult times" just over the horizon. Also, as stated in the first post, it may behoove all of us to continue to pray for each other in regard to this as well........it's not easy to walk 180 degrees from 2 Timothy 3:2, and following. Check it out for yourselves.
2 Timothy 3:1 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.
G5467 χαλεπός chalepos
khal-ep-os'
Perhaps from G5465 through the idea of reducing the strength; difficult, that is, dangerous, or (by implication) furious: - fierce, perilous.
Philippians 3:10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;
G1097 γινώσκω ginōskō
ghin-oce'-ko
A prolonged form of a primary verb; to "know" (absolutely), in a great variety of applications and with many implications (as shown at left, with others not thus clearly expressed): - allow, be aware (of), feel, (have) known (-ledge), perceive, be resolved, can speak, be sure, understand.
It may behoove all of us to do a reality check on our own lives in regard to this "loving your neighbor as yourself" thing, this writer included. Who really is my neighbor? Do we really look at them as lost and going to hell? Do we really see their needs, physical & spiritual? Do we care? These are all good questions to ponder as we see these "difficult times" just over the horizon. Also, as stated in the first post, it may behoove all of us to continue to pray for each other in regard to this as well........it's not easy to walk 180 degrees from 2 Timothy 3:2, and following. Check it out for yourselves.
2 Timothy 3:1 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.
G5467 χαλεπός chalepos
khal-ep-os'
Perhaps from G5465 through the idea of reducing the strength; difficult, that is, dangerous, or (by implication) furious: - fierce, perilous.
Philippians 3:10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;
G1097 γινώσκω ginōskō
ghin-oce'-ko
A prolonged form of a primary verb; to "know" (absolutely), in a great variety of applications and with many implications (as shown at left, with others not thus clearly expressed): - allow, be aware (of), feel, (have) known (-ledge), perceive, be resolved, can speak, be sure, understand.
Friday, August 17, 2007
First and foremost
As I was in prayer this morning, I felt compelled to add one more element to the CPP Ministries website. Where CPP stands for "Christian Persecution Preparedness" I wanted to give some practical things that most of the existing persecuted church does on a regular basis. Right now in the state of Florida, where I live" we are in a "preparing mode" for the hurricanes that may come our way. We don't know when or where but you still prepare as though it will be in your backyard. It really is the same way with Christian Persecution.........you don't know when or where but you still prepare as though it will be in your own church's backyard.
So, understanding this, I will attempt to put some practical steps to things we are admonished in the Word of God to do. With prayer being first and foremost it really should be a no brainer......but unfortunately it is the one area that is neglected the most in a Christians life. We are instructed to "make the most of our time because the days are evil" (Eph 5:16). The one who "makes the days evil" understands the power behind prayer so he will fill your days with so much stuff that prayer becomes an afterthought. So you need to get creative. My best prayer time is when I am cutting my 5 acres of grass with a 42 inch cut lawnmower...........hours and hours of pretty much mindless toil.........it doesn't take much brain power to steer a stinkin lawn mower. This new blog & post was actually birthed about an hour ago on that very lawnmower. Let this be the "practical" tip of the day.
So, understanding this, I will attempt to put some practical steps to things we are admonished in the Word of God to do. With prayer being first and foremost it really should be a no brainer......but unfortunately it is the one area that is neglected the most in a Christians life. We are instructed to "make the most of our time because the days are evil" (Eph 5:16). The one who "makes the days evil" understands the power behind prayer so he will fill your days with so much stuff that prayer becomes an afterthought. So you need to get creative. My best prayer time is when I am cutting my 5 acres of grass with a 42 inch cut lawnmower...........hours and hours of pretty much mindless toil.........it doesn't take much brain power to steer a stinkin lawn mower. This new blog & post was actually birthed about an hour ago on that very lawnmower. Let this be the "practical" tip of the day.
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