I'd Like To Dedicate This Next Song to Jesus

I'd Like To Dedicate This Next Song to Jesus

...They were also distancing themselves from his whole era of rebel signs and funky wonders—a convulsive period of uncorked spirit whose troubling urgency and sweet idealism is perhaps best accessed today through the curious and sometimes amazing music the Jesus People made.

http://www.slate.com/id/2171430/

Christian ministry wants to distribute Bibles with newspapers

Christian ministry wants to distribute Bibles with newspapers

A Christian ministry wants to deliver custom-designed Bibles to newspaper subscribers around the United States as part of an effort to find innovative ways to spread a Christian message. But not everyone thinks that is a good idea...

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/07/31/america/NA-REL-US-Bibles-in-Newspapers.php

My friend Joan

Hi, I just wanted to share a blessing with you. This is from my friend Joan...


Blessings David,

Wanted to let you know how much I have enjoyed your new site. There is so much valuable information presented there and it is a blessing to the body of Christ. Praise be to God! Hallelujah! Keep up the good work.

David, I also wanted to tell you that I have been unable to "comment" there. For some reason when I hit the "comment" link, it doesn't go much further than that without my computer freezing in the process. I can't tell you how many times I have tried to get in without any avail. I have also had trouble posting at another Christian site. Perhaps it is my computer that has a bug somewhere. Billy will be taking a look at it tomorrow while I am visiting my sister. Prayerfully, the problem will be resolved.

Please know that I appreciated the wonderful introduction and prayer request you made in my behalf. Truthfully, it's Jesus, all Jesus. It is a blessing to be a vessel of His, amen? AMEN! David, we will be keeping you, your son, your ministry in our prayers. It should be no shock the oppostion you all are experiencing during this time. Satan doesn't like to see God's people moving forward with kingdom purposes. But, greater is He that is in you than he who is in the world. Nothing is impossible with God and we must see ourselves of vessels of the impossible for His glory. Hallelujah! All things work to the good of those who love Him. Bless His Holy Name!

As always, you are a blessing. May God bless you back 100 fold as you press in to do His will in your lives.

Love from your sister in Christ,
Joan

How good it is to have the family of God encouraging one another in the Lord. Joan, if you are reading this...there is a "comment" link at the bottom of each post that should work for you. Thanks for your encouragement, I take every word to heart.

David Sloane

Bible

Bible

It has been decided by governing agencys that the Bible can not be printed any longer with out adding a full chapter airing the views of other faiths to satisfy their "balance" policy...

This has not happened yet, but ...

When is a Christian radio station not a Christian radio station? For the hour or so a day that it must air the views of other faiths to satisfy the CRTC's "balance" policy.

"It's ridiculous," says Bob Du Broy, vice-president of Ottawa's CHRI Christian music station. "It's like asking a rock station to play an hour of classical music."

http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/story.html?id=1d666b7e-3048-4572-a700-f09799f51005&k=36721

PRACTICING THE PRESENCE OF GOD

PRACTICING THE PRESENCE OF GOD

Although God is omnipresent, His presence comes and goes. Like faith, you can’t exactly figure it out, it comes without observation. You can’t see it because its faith. It just simply is. Let there be light, and light was, is just something beyond our finding out.

God, who created all things by faith, moves among faith to manifest his presence. He is always there, and yet He sometimes shows up. His presence cannot be evaded, and though He sees everything, His presence can increase to the point of manifestation; the revelation of His divine presence.

It sounds strange, and is impossible to reconcile with human logic, that God who is already everywhere can be somewhere, specifically.

What does Mathew 18:20 mean, "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." The Lord is with us always and according to Hebrews 13:5. He will never leave us or forsake us. Yet something unusual about His presence happens when two or three are gathered together.

We build the presence of God by our gathering together to worship Jesus. The Holy Ghost who manifests the Son of God brings glory to the Father. The Father is glorified in the Son by the Holy Ghost. The person of the Holy Ghost, who is the third person of the Holy Trinity heals our bodies and works miracles among us in Jesus name. When we gather, as Jesus said in Mt. 18:20, in His name, He steps out of each of us and without leaving us stands among us. Two or three of us gathered together produce the light necessary to project His presence, and someday, His visible image (the sign of the son of man). Similar to that of a hologram when light is brought together at various angles.

We as Christians are just beginning to scratch the surface concerning the abilities we have in Christ to project the light of God on any given situation and cause it to change. It’s called the miraculous. We are about to step into this miracle working power of God like no other time in history. When two or three worship in spirit and truth, Jesus comes. When this multiplies in one accord all over the world, it will generate the light necessary for the visible appearance of Christ. Every eye shall see Him.

Prior to this world wide visible presence of Jesus that appears in the sky, He will make several appearances to smaller groups of people where their light has permitted Him to manifest. The devil knows this and that is why he fiendishly manipulates the common Christian into constantly quenching the work of the Holy Spirit; especially when it comes to seeking the supernatural.

Satan has confused the subject by introducing concepts that are foreign to that of the Holy Scriptures, but logical to that of the human mind. God has not given us the spirit of fear. And yet the church at large will not allow the unknown, for fear of what might happen. Unknown tongues are a prime example. It seems that when we don’t know unknown tongues, we have nothing to do with them.

Yielding to the Holy Ghost is yielding to the, truth and light side, of the supernatural. That always leads one to leading others to yield. When young Christians are not led, by the established church, to seek and wait upon the Holy Ghost, Jesus will not appear and no signs and wonders will happen. The Holy Ghost confirms the word of God with signs following. Ultimately, the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. Jesus is Emanuel – God with us. He is in the midst of us.

Mathew 18:20, "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."

Pastor Tilson Schumate

Keith Green

Keith Green

Keith Green passed away 25 years ago today...

Keith Gordon Green (October 21, 1953 – July 28, 1982) was an American gospel singer, songwriter, musician, and Contemporary Christian Music artist originally from Sheepshead Bay, New York. Green is best known for his strong devotion to Christianity and his unwavering efforts to stir others to the same. Notable songs written by Green and/or his wife, Melody Green, include "Your Love Broke Through", "You Put This Love In My Heart," and "Asleep In The Light", as well as the popular modern hymns "O Lord, You're Beautiful" and "There Is A Redeemer".

You can sample some of his music here:

http://www.lastdaysministries.org/keith/music.html

The story I heard was that he was on a private airplane about to take off. They had made a foolish decision to fly any way, even though they were aware that they were overweight for the planes capacity. To much baggage and passengers aboard. They thought that somehow God would override the natural lays of aviation on their behalf. I was told that it was Keith that had made the decision to fly inspite of the weight overage factor. They were wrong...

"Keith Green died on July 28, 1982, when the Cessna 414 leased by Last Days Ministries crashed barely after takeoff from the private airstrip located on LDM property.

In order to give visiting friends an aerial tour of the LDM property and the surrounding area, the small plane carried eleven passengers and the pilot, Don Burmeister. Green and two of his children, three year old Josiah, and two year old Bethany, were on board the plane, along with visiting missionaries John and Dede Smalley and their six children.

All on-board the seven-seat aircraft were killed.

Among several causes, the NTSB determined that the crash was largely due to pilot error. With eleven passengers on-board, the aircraft was considerably overloaded at nearly 450 pounds (202 kg) overweight. Additionally, the plane's lift-off from the runway was ruled to be premature.

The NTSB further determined that Last Days Ministries, as lessee of the aircraft, had not complied with their insurance company's requirement that the pilot attend a Cessna pilot training school before operating the aircraft.

Keith, Josiah, and Bethany Green are interred at Garden Valley Cemetery behind the Garden Valley Baptist Church, less than a half-mile from Last Days Ministries property. He was survived by his wife and two daughters, the youngest of whom was born after Green's death."

http://www.tylerpaper.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070728/RELIGION/707270326

Last days ministry:

http://www.lastdaysministries.org/keith/index.html

Keith was one of a kind...I miss him.

Oscar the Cat Predicts Patients' Deaths

Oscar the Cat Predicts Patients' Deaths

Another really strange story...

Can this cat see angels?

Oscar the cat seems to have an uncanny knack for predicting when nursing home patients are going to die, by curling up next to them during their final hours. His accuracy, observed in 25 cases, has led the staff to call family members once he has chosen someone. It usually means they have less than four hours to live.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/D/DEATH_CAT?SITE=CTNHR&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

THE HOLY GHOST WITNESS

THE HOLY GHOST WITNESS

Yes you heard from God, and yes He will bring it to pass when you have the seal of God’s approval - The Holy Ghost witness. When you have prayed through, you will know it. Faith, unwavering, happens when you have absolute conformation that what God has spoken, He will do. It may not come to you by chapter and verse, but you can fully trust His word.

The written word is absolute and so is the spoken word. When God speaks, His word is always true. God confirms His word with signs following. When you experience the Holy Ghost witness, it is God’s word confirmed. Out of the mouth of two or three witnesses let every word be established.

When God is speaking something to you and you share it with others who God is speaking to, you will all leap within your faith (jump for joy) at the marvelous things that God is doing. There is wisdom and safety in the fellowship of others who bear witness with you in hearing the same things from the Lord as you have heard.

My wife and I are hearing the Lord say that he is moving us to a new place of ministry. We don’t know where that place is, or who the people are. We just know that He wants us to pastor a church somewhere. God is preparing all of our hearts and I believe we are going to meet together very soon. The minute we meet, we will all know that I am to pastor that church. It will be the Holy Ghost witness.

When God called Abraham, he obeyed being faithful to his calling not knowing where it was he was going. By faith Noah prepared the Ark, even though it had never rained.
God is strategically placing each one of us for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Revival days are on there way; a total restoration of all the things that God has ever spoken since the world began. He will dot every I and cross every T.

The Lord bless thee,
Tilson Shumate

Senior Pastor Brant Baker

Senior Pastor Brant Baker

I have a real treat for you!

After much hinderance and a ten year search, we present to you a Worship service of Shekinah Fellowship that actually gets across the presence of Jesus Christ that manifested in our meetings. May you receive the touch that God has for you right now...

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1102384266227826270

I am going to leave this up for a few days because of its content.

Praise God!

David Sloane

Prayer

Prayer

Luke 18:1And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;

Jesus speaks of prayer as a continuous contiguous activity, to be done tirelessly by us.

Have you ever been tempted to regard prayer as just a ritual that usually doesn't do much, if anything. A ritual that we only exercise deeply in those moments when nothing else will do.

In actuality prayer is the "Atomics of God."

Prayer does do something beyond ritual. Prayer is one of the most powerful forces upon this earth. Every one has this mighty power available to them.

Satan would have everyone to believe that prayer is just another "religious" ritual practice. And not the true power that it actually is.

Lets look at a physical property in the natural world.

Experiment#1

Imagine we had an unlimited amount of dominos and we lined them up from here to Paris. Then we could tip the first domino with 10 grams of pressure; it will fall down and cause the second domino to tumble too, etc...

From this experiment we should understand that it is not the 10 grams action that causes all the dominos to tumble, but the ten grams action just creates an imbalance of the first domino. It is the natural power of gravity, however, that causes the dominos to fall. In other words, only a 10 gram action is required to triger a gravitational activity of all our dominos from here to Paris.

Experiment #2

Imagine we had an unlimited amount of special dominosod which only the first one we line up here is of normal size, and all subsequent dominos we line up again from here to Paris are of continuously increased size. By the time we reached Paris, the last domino would be 1000 meters high and weigh millions of tons. Again we tip the first domino here with 10 grams, which will fall down causing all the subsequent dominos to tumble. By the time the gravitational action reaches Paris, the last domino in Paris will smash the Eiffel Tower.

From this experiment we should understand that it is not the 10 grams action here that will smash the Eiffel Tower in Paris, but it is the gravitational energy that is picked up on the way to Paris that smashes the Eiffel Tower.

In other words, only a 10 gram action is required to trigger a non-linear gravitational activity which will cause destruction of the Eiffel Tower. The use of a natural process accomplishes this, a little in and BIG out effect...

There always is a spiritual counterpart to these things.

Concerning the domino affect, James, chapter 3 said:

3When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

We have been trusted with more power then we realize. Prayer is a very small thing that leads to very great things. If we don't give up and keep on persevering in prayer, much can be accomplished.

This is where our faith comes into play. Not our faith in prayer, our faith in Jesus. Jesus who answers our prayers. Our prayers of 10 grams get received by He in Whom we live and move and have our being. He who is everywhere all at one and the same time.

Jeremiah got it.

Jeremiah 32:17Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee:

The results are not in us, but in Jesus. Our little input and His powerful output.

So the next time Satan tells you that your prayers are puny and worthless with no real purpose or power, you will not stop praying because of him.

1 Kings 8:54And it was so, that when Solomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication unto the LORD, he arose from before the altar of the LORD, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to heaven.

1 Kings 9:3And the LORD said unto him, I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication, that thou hast made before me: I have hallowed this house, which thou hast built, to put my name there for ever; and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually.

Our prayer is that this place will be a place of much blessing and encouragment in the Lord Jesus Christ. A place where those who come in will leave refreshed in the Lord. So much so that they will catch spiritual fire from on high and be torch bearers of that fire to others. We desire the people of the Lord Jesus to be filled with His Holy Spirit and the power that the Holy Spirit has and is as the third person of the Holy Trinity. The Trinity wherein the One God Almighty there are three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

We give You praise! We worship You! We lift up Your Holy Name!

Tammy Faye Messner

Tammy Faye Messner

Tammy Faye Messner, the former televangelist and Christian singer who battled drug addiction and later inoperable cancer, died Friday morning...

http://edition.cnn.com/2007/US/07/21/tammy.faye/

She ran the race and will be missed.

The Videos

The Videos

After some effort I finally obtained a U-Matic antique VTR on Ebay. It was dead on arrival. Somehow the Lord was able to show me how to fix it inspite of myself. Miracle.

As soon as I put the soldering iron away and the smoke cleared the air, I plugged the suitcase sized monster in and it actually worked. Giving out a soft whirring sound that was heavenly music to my tired ears.

To make a long story short, three VCR's later I was able to copy a tape. After I shift the videos from 3/4 U-matic to VHS I will be able to upload them to my computer where I will be able to work with them. Then I can upload them to the net for all of you to enjoy.

I couldn't help but feel hindered and resisted. Almost like some one doesn't want you to see these videos...hmmm.

You have no idea how incredible it is to watch these videos and realize that I am most likely the first person on the planet to view them in some thirty years. Whoohoo! Yaa! Glory.

Sitting there and experiencing the unique anointing from God that manifested during the Shekinah worship services. Seeing the joy and the love of Jesus Christ on those kids faces.

What happened to us? We don't see that to much these days.

Sure things went south and Shekinah folded...sure Brant blew it big time. Sure a lot of people walked away wounded and stumbled and disallusioned. Sure I don't have all the angle points of just what happened to Shekinah.

But at what point does grace, mercy and forgiveness enter into the picture? Are we to keep our hearts hardened till we leave this earth? Are we to stay wounded?

Are we Christians who are to be noted for our being forgiven of our sins and able to forgive others likewise? Or are we to hold tight to what has offended us and carry that anchor for the rest of our natural lives?

You know there are some really good people who are picking apart what I am and have been trying to do here. What's up with that? Why?

Like I said before and I will say it again...

I would rather do something imperfectly then to do nothing expertly.

Sure I don't have all the facts or details... but does it really matter...

At least I am trying to grab ahold of the spirit of Shekinah. The love and the fellowship all of us once enjoyed together in the days of our youth. What is wrong with that?

Get off our self centeredness and realize that we were in ministry! Thats right. There are people alive today who were ministered to at Shekinah Fellowship. Sheep of His pastures. They know nothing about the inner conflits and the moral failures of Shekinah.

All they know is that they experienced a real touch from God at Shekinah Fellowship. All they know is that they were healed and experienced miracles at Shekinah Fellowship.

You were there. You know. You have no excuse for the hardness of heart if you can't see the good that came from Shekinah Fellowship.

Shame on you. You can stay in your caves, we are sad for you.

Quite frankly, it has been a long time since the days of Brant Baker, plenty of time to move forward and be healed.

We want the Lord, we want the Shekinah glory.

Deuteronomy 4:29But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.

1 Chronicles 22:19Now set your heart and your soul to seek the LORD your God; arise therefore, and build ye the sanctuary of the LORD God, to bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and the holy vessels of God, into the house that is to be built to the name of the LORD.

2 Chronicles 15:12And they entered into a covenant to seek the LORD God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul;

Isaiah 51:1Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the LORD: look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged.

Acts 17:27that they should seek the Lord, if perhaps they might feel after Him and find Him, though He be not far from every one of us.

YOUR MOST HOLY FAITH

YOUR MOST HOLY FAITH

2 Kings 20:9 "…the LORD will do the thing that he hath spoken…" He will do what he said He would do. Many of us know for sure that we have heard from the Lord about a certain thing. Life has chipped away at us with many disappointments that have left us discouraged.

We no longer stand firm in our faith boldly claiming the things that we were once so sure of. Failure is constantly reminding us of our inability to actually live the promises of God. Our dreams have died and our vision is gone. All we have is the hope of heaven and getting out of here.

When you have run out of hope and are afraid to wake yourself from the numbness, begin to speak in tongues declaring the wonderful works of God. It will give you the interpretation of the things you once knew were true of you. Once again, you will begin to see yourself filled with faith and expectancy.

The truth of what God originally spoke to you will revive you and you will stop believing the lies that Satan has been speaking to you. The devil wants you dead. He is a liar and the father of lies. There is no truth in him. His name means slander and he is the accuser of the brethren.

You, as a child of God, are a major threat to the realm of darkness. You are not dead yet. Remember to let everything that hath breath, praise ye the Lord. Our very breath is in His hands and the very hairs of our head are numbered. You are in the hands of almighty God and His plans for you from the beginning are still true for you today.

At some point in your life He made you able to hear His word and now He is also showing you His faithfulness to perform it. He will do the thing He said He would do.

Pray in the spirit just as the apostle Paul did. He said, "I thank my God that I speak with tongues more than you all." He understood the power of encouragement that comes to believers when they humble themselves to pray in the spirit. That is why he said, "I would that you all spoke with tongues."

Every single gift of the Spirit was given before the Bible was completed. One is just as valid for today as another. They are all for the building up of the body of Christ, for the edifying of the saints. Build up your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost. Rejoice evermore, pray without ceasing, and in all things give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ concerning you.

Tilson Shumate

Pastor Shekinah Fellowship

Satan's Beginning...

Satan's Beginning...

"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth"

Genesis 1:1

When was this? No one knows. The Bible does not tell us, but it does tell us that God was before the beginning; that He personally acted in the creation process; that all we see and know of the universe comes specifically from His creative hand.

A study of the earth's surface has led many scientist to believe that it and the universe are very old. With this the Bible does not disagree. While the Scriptures do not state the age of the earth categorically, there is some evidence to support the view that the earth went through a long period of inactivity, perhaps as the result of the judgement of God. The geological ages might accurately describe the earth during that time. A very interesting speculative study is to be found at:

http://www.mt.net/~watcher/stones.htmlAnd just for fun: (O come on...can't be so serious all the time...)http://mars-news.de/life/


http://www.eridu.co.uk/Author/Achient_Astronauts/mars.html

In a segment of eternity, at the beginning of time, God planned and brought into existence both the earth and the universe surrounding it. God also brought into existence particularly gifted beings called angels. Spirit beings possessing spirit bodies, they are ageless.

The ministry of the angels seems to have been to fulfill the will of God by overseeing and controlling the star systems and heavenly bodies, and also to control the physical forces governing the earth, such as the seas, winds, rain, etc. Over this vast multitude of angelic beings, God placed a special being called Lucifer, meaning "Bright and shining one". This does not refer merely to his spirit body, but also to his mind, his wisdom, his power, his authority. Apparently, Lucifer was appointed by God as the authoritative leader of the vast host of angels.

An arresting passage in Ezekiel 28:11-19, the subject of which is the Prince of Tyrus, or tyre, reads as follows:

Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.

Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone [was] thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.

Thou [art] the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee [so]: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.

Thou [wast] perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.

By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.

Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee. Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee.

All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never [shalt] thou [be] any more.

As one examines the passage, it seems very evident that while the Prince of Tyrus actually is addressed (28:2,12), the message beginning with verse 11 goes far beyond an earthly prince to the king of evil who stood behind him and prompted him in his wicked doings, even Satan himself.

Note the superlatives used in this description. He is said to be full of wisdom, perfect in beauty and in his ways ( 28:11,15). Coming from the prophet of god, this statement is a revelation of God's estimate of this infernal spirit being.

Moreover, this person is said to have been in Eden, the garden of God (28:13). Possibly this is a refrence to a former Eden which existed before the Garden of Eden was created, the beauty of which lay not in floral splendor, but in mineral radiance. Further, the special musical ability of this creature is noted. We have voices and are able to clap our hands to make sound, he had "tabrets and pipes". Sounds like an organ of some sort was a part of his being.

In addition, this person is described as being "the anointed cherub that covereth" or protects ( 28:14). God so appointed Lucifer to guard His throne. Lucifer was a created being, possibly the most amazing, the most gifted of all beings which God had created.

Yet, inquity was found in this originally perfect being, with the result that God promised to cast him out and to destroy him (28:16). The nature of his sin and the method of God's judgement against him are described to some degree (28:17).

A careful study of this and other passages seems to suggest to many Bible scholars that the being here depicted is none other than Lucifer, the captain and leader of the host of the angels. The judgments concerning him are predicted in this passage, but their complete fulfillment awaits the end of the present age and the further development of the program of God.

Obedience, above Sacrifice, cont.

Obedience, above Sacrifice, cont.

I Samuel 15 So Saul has victory over the Amalekites, because the Lord was with him, and had made a promise to Moses hundreds of years earlier that the Amalekites would be wiped off the face of the earth.

He keeps the best of the cattle and the king of the Amalekites alive, not following through with what the Lord instructed him to do.

The Lord told Samuel that He was grieved that he made Saul King, not only because he did not carry out His instructions, but because Saul turned away from the Lord.

In verse 12, Samuel goes out to meet Saul, but was told that Saul had gone to Carmel, to set up a monument to honor his self! Sounds like Saul was taking credit for the victory.

So Samuel goes up to Carmel to meet Saul, and when Saul sees him, he greets him with "The Lord bless you. I have carried out the Lord’s instructions."

Samuel hears the sheep and the cattle making their animal noises, and says, "what do I hear, if you have carried out the Lord’s instructions?" So Saul starts with the first excuse.

"The soldiers brought them." Then he says…yeah that’s it, the soldiers spared those sheep and cattle so we can give them up as a sacrifice to the Lord…yeah, that’s the ticket.
At this point Samuel stopped him.

Verse 17: Samuel said, "Although you were once small in your own eyes, did you not become the head of the tribes of Israel? The Lord anointed you king over Israel."

When did Saul become so exalted in his own eyes? Sometimes we can totally mess up our anointing when pride slips in. Lord keep us humble!

Saul sticks to his story that he took the best cattle to sacrifice them to the Lord. But then Samuel says:

Verse 22: Does the Lord delight in burnt sacrifices as much as obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. (whoa heavy huh?) Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He has rejected you as king.

Brothers, and sisters, we do not want to be like Saul and lose our anointing. We have to fully rely on the Lord for all that we do. We have to follow what it is that God has instructed us to do and we have to remember to not become arrogant about any blessings, gifts, or anointing He has bestowed on us.

Flesh or Demons

Flesh or Demons?

From the beginning, ever since man turned from God in rebellion, he has been subjected to two main spiritual evils: sin and demons.

Our "old man" is "the flesh" (Galations 5:24)
"The flesh" refers to our corrupt nature that is part of the inheritance each of us received at birth. The same Greek word is translated fleshly and carnal. Each describes our corrupt, fallen, sinful nature.

In the spiritual realm, as in the physical, correct diagnosis is essential. So it is important to know, in confronting our own problems or those of other people, what we are dealing with. Is it flesh? Or is it demons? The question is of vital importance because the remedies are quite diffrent.

The remedy for the flesh is crucifixion. By Jesus' sacrificial death on the cross, He canceled the claim sin has on our fleshly nature. Paul states this as historical fact: "Our old man was crucified with Jesus" (Romans 6:6)

But each one of us must make a personal application of the cross to our fleshly nature. Paul says, therefore, in Galations 5:24, "And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." Once we have made this personal application of the cross, we can echo Paul's words in Galations 2:20: "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me..." Crucifixion, then is the remedy for our fleshly nature. It is a remedy each of us needs to apply personally.

The remedy for demons, on the other hand- as often demonstrated in the ministry of Jesus- is to cast them out.

These two remedies are not interchangeable. It is not possible to cast out the flesh, and it is not possible to crucify a demon.

Discerning of spirits is a gift from the Holy Spirit that most Christians have in operation in their lives. They just know when its the flesh or if its demonic activity. We can only truly help people if we rightly diagnois the situation and apply the appropriate treatment.

Likewise, there is an urgent need for Christians to learn all we can about the nature and activity of demons. This knowledge is important for all believers, since none of us can claim immunity from the attacks of demons. Especially if we want to help others in our ministry by making a correct diagnosis. Crucify the flesh or expel demons.

THE MYSTERY OF SATAN

THE MYSTERY OF SATAN

The Christian faces a foe who is not appeased, relentless and pityless, he diabolically plots the Christian's overthrow. Filled with demonic hatred for God and the people of God, he is the Christians's arch-enemy.

It may come as a surprise to you to learn that Satan is the fourth person of importance in the universe; but unfortunately, it is true.

Consider:

First is the Holy Trinity, God the father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Next is Satan, the unholy devil, who is equipped with supernatural wisdom and power second only to that which God Himself possesses. Also, he has a burning ambition to exalt himself to the place of deity at the expense of crushing everyone in his path. He is cruelty, deciet, malice personified.

Yet, Satan always has sought to hide under a cloak of anonymity. His strategy is to hide his true identity. First, he suggests to susceptible men that he does not exist at all; that the idea of a devil is but a figment of imagination. Surprisingly enough, multitudes of people accept this lie. For them, evil is but the absence of good, and people do wrong simply because they do not do right. The conception of a wicked spirit who lures them to evil is unthinkable.

Next, Satan likes people to think of him as a leering, tempting joker. Dressed in a bright red suit, equipped with horns and a tail and carrying a pitchfork, he is pictured as the monarch of hell, surrounded by inmates enjoying a rollicking good time. This is the image gleefully seized upon and exploited by the press and comedians and tatoo artist etc... Nothing pleases Satan more than this unbelievable characterization of himself.

The true nature of Satan is understood by comparatively few. As a consequence, he has plied his nefarious trade to the eternal doom of billions. His particular targets for attack are those who are God's children by faith in Jesus Christ. He seeks to nullify their Christian testimony by leading them into sin, and by filling their lives with worldly pursuits and ambitions.

A large part of the answer to this ever present danger is an understanding of the truth regarding Satan. Every Christian should have firmily fixed in mind the devil's purpose, ambition, and strategy. Coupled with this should be a healthy respect for his power.

With this knowledge, the Christian will understand that he cannot live a successful life in his own strength. Then he will learn that God never intended he should, but that the power of the risen Christ would be available moment by moment to bring victory over Satan's wiles.

Lucifer's Sin...

Lucifer's Sin...

Admittedly, there are matters in the Scriptures difficult to understand. One of these, certainly, is the reason for the sin of Lucifer. Doubtless, both he and the angelic host were endowed with a free will ( Free moral agency). Yet, how it is possible for him, a being "full of wisdom" and "perfect in his ways" to sin so grievously against God is one of the major mysteries of all time.

A striking passage in Isaiah 14:12-17 seems to suggest the sinfulness of Satan and the enormity of his rebellion against God:

"How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!

"For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north;

"I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.

"Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.

"They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms;

"That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof, that opened not the house of his prisoners?"

The beginning of Isaiah 14 has to do with the restoration and blessing of Israel and the world. Suddenly, however, the spotlight is turned upon the underlying cause of sin and suffering, which is embodied in the person of Satan. He is addressed as "Lucifer," meaning bright and shining one.

Some Bible scholars believe that this Isaiah passage is prophetic, from the point of view of that coming time when Satan will come to know the full punishment of the wrath of God for his rebellion and transgression against His throne.

The particular interest of this passage lies in the minute examination of the innermost heart of Satan. Here is the key to his sin. Here exposed are the motivating forces which caused his mutiny against God.

We must bear in mind that this rebellion occured long before the time of Adam and Eve, apparently long prior to the period when the earth lay "without form and void" (Gen. 1:2). Open conflict raged between Satan and God, in heavenly places.

The character of the sin of Lucifer may be divided into five parts, all progressing from the lesser to the greater. Essentially, the nature of the sin was the desire for self-will. Lucifer wanted his own way instead of the way of God. Essentially, this is the root of all sin.

In striking contrast to this was the will of the Lord Jesus Christ when He came into this earth. During His ministry here, He declared His desire for the Father's will rather than His own.

The diffrence is sharply outlined when we note that Lucifer five times used the declarative statement, "I will." Against this we note our Saviour's earnest words, "Not as I will, but as Thou wilt"; "I come...to do Thy will, O God" (Matt. 26:39; Heb. 10:7 ).

It seems evident that the commission of Lucifer had been to direct the angelic hosts in their various tasks over the universe. His was also the high honor of guarding the throne of God. Yet, this did not satisfy him. As the scripture outlines Lucifer's sin, the desire of his heart seemed to be to rise to ever greater achievements, even to displacing God from His throne. (Sounds like "Suvivor" huh? You know with all of the competition and deceit stuff...)

Note that the first "I will" suggests that Lucifer coveted permanent residence in Heaven ( Isa. 14:13). The next "I will" indicates that he wanted precedence above all of God's creation. The term "stars of God" evidently refers to similar mighty angelic creatures, such as the archangle Michael and the might friend of Israel, Gabriel.

The third "I will" of the devil reveals that this creature sought even further recognition and exaltation in a particular part of heaven known as the "mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north." Perhaps it was in this place that the very high throne of God was located.

All of this wickedness led on to its inevitable conclusion. Lucifer, so generously endowed with beauty and wisdom, would not be satisfied with anything but the highest honor. He wanted to "ascend above the heights of the clouds." In fact, he plotted to be like the Most High. In this aspiration lay a naked desire to dethrone God, for no one can be like the Most High without displacing Him.

Although hidden in the heart of Lucifer, these virulent ambitions were known to God, before whose eyes all things are "naked and opened" ( Heb. 4:13). Swift judgement followed. Lucifer was cast down from his high position to become Satan, the deceiver, the adversary, the archenemy of God and the people of God. His final doom is sealed, but the execution of that eternal sentence awaits the time and place appointed by God.

Judgment...

Judgment...

All that was involved in the judgment of Satan is not stated in Scripture. We do know that he was relieved of his high position; that he lost his nobility, privileges, and glory; that his character became unspeakably despicable, so that he was spoken of by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself as " a liar and the father of it" ( John 8:44). However, he retained access to heaven as an accuser of believers ( Job 1:6; Luke 22:31,32).

It seems evident that in the fall of Satan, many other angels were involved as well. These are described as "the angels which kept not their first estate" ( Jude 6). Many Bible teachers believe it is these who are referred to as "the third part of the stars of heaven" ( Rev.12:4). This would mean that when Satan was driven from his high position, a third of the angelic host followed him in his rebellion against God and His authority.

Some Bible teachers think that these fallen angels are what are known as demons, who are still under the control of Satan, who do his will and war against the power and authority of God. Others seem to be mentioned as " the angels that sinned...delivered...into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment" ( II Pet. 2:4 ).

Three expressions are used to describe the evil spirit beings who are some of Satan's main agents in his warfare against humanity. First, demon ( Greek, diamonion ). This is the primary expression. The second expression used in the New Testament to describe an evil spirit is unclean spirit. The third expression is evil spirit.

There are many demons but only one "devil". The original King James Version regularly translates daimonion as "devil". Diamonion is a derivative of daimon. The refrence to the original Greek indicates that there are two distinct entities: diamon, which is primary, and daimonion which is derivative. The english word devil is actually derived from the Greek word diabolos, which has no direct relationship with diamonion. Diabolos means "slanderer". In all but three occurrences in the New Testament, it is a title of Satan himself. In this sense it is used only in singular form. There are many demons but only one devil.

Satan is given this title because his primary activity is to slander- that is, to defame a person's character. First and foremost, Satan defames the character of God Himself. He did this in the Garden of Eden, when he suggested to Adam and Eve that God was not treating them fairly by withholding from them the knowledge of good and evil. Second, Satan defames the character of all those who in any way represent God. This is his primary weapon against the servants of God.

Demons influence people.

Jesus expeled demons from people:

At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demonized. And the whole city was gathered together at the door. Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons, and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him. ( Mark 1:32-34 )

Believers expeled demons from people:

And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed [demonized]; and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed. ( Acts 8:6-7 )

This is New Testament evangelism: The Gospel is preached and the multitudes hear; they see the miracles and casting out of demons and they believe; they are baptized and the Church is established. A central element is the expelling of demons, which is often accompanied by noisy and disorderly manifestations. Other features of evangelism vary, but this element is central to evangelism as practiced in the New Testament, first by Jesus, then by His disciples.

What are demons? Demons are disembodied spirit beings that have an intense craving to occupy physical bodies. Apparently their first choice is a human body.

Some Bible teachers believe:

1. They are some of the fallen angels associated with Satan in his rebellion against God.

2. They are disembodied spirits of a pre-adamic race that perished under some judgment of God not recorded in detail in Scripture.

Scripture does not provide us with sufficient evidence to say which is correct.

It is believed that the earth was the scene of Lucifers first activity, being, as it were, his headquarters. So, say some scholars, as a result of God's judgment upon the sin of Lucifer, the earth was cursed, too. Those who hold this belief say that this is intimated in the opening statements of the Bible where, after it is told that, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth," it is declared that the earth was "without form, and void" ( Gen. 1:1,2 )

It is unthinkable that God would create anything that was imperfect, formless, a desolate waste. His very nature is system and order. He is not the author of confusion. The difficulty is solved in the "substitution of "became" for "was" ( as allowed by the Hebrew), in Genesis 1:2. The thought is thereby conveyed that while the earth originally was created with all the beauty, precision, and perfection characteristic of God, something happened to it. Later, it was changed, possibly due to the fall of Satan.

Let us suppose for a moment that daimonions are spirits that once occupied the bodies of members of some pre-Adamic race who led ungodly and sinful lives. In their present condition, however, they have no way to give expression to the various lusts and passions and emotions they developed in their former bodies. It is conceivable that they could find some kind of vicarious release by acting out their lusts or passions or emotions through human bodies.This would explain one dominant characteristic of demons: their intense craving to inhabit and work through human flesh.

Jesus tells us:

"Now when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places, seeking rest, and does not find it. Then it says, "I will return to my house from which I came", and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept and put in order." ( Matthew 12:43-44 )

We need to remember that the Bible records only the history of the race descended from Adam. In this connection it uses the phrase sons ( or descendants ) of Adam. It was to redeem the members of this race that Jesus came as "the last Adam" (Corinthinans 15:45). If other races existed before Adam, the Bible makes no explicit reference to them.

It may be that neither of the two theories about demons is correct- that they are neither fallen angels nor disembodied spirits from an earlier race of beings. However demons do exist and they do exert influence over people. Demons manifest themselves through humanity under many diffrent names.

Although the problem of sin is universal, the problem with demons is not. Many members of the human race have come under the power of demons, but not all. There is a close connection between sin and demons. If mankind had never sinned, we would never have been vulnerable to demons.

And the remedy? Expel them. Jesus Christ is the answer

PENTECOSTAL CHAOS

July 18, 2007
PENTECOSTAL CHAOS

The chaos found among today's Pentecostals is far less humorous than the famed swinging from chandeliers. The money, money, money factor is not so funny. Most of the charismatic leaders can no longer say, silver and gold have I none, but neither can they say rise up and walk. It is almost impossible to mix fund raising with a healing ministry without it suggesting that your chances of being healed are better if you give.

Financial wealth gives the look of success and we tend to measure God’s blessings by it. We all understand that it takes a certain amount of money to support any type of lifestyle at any level.

From the poorest to the richest; it all takes money. How we spend that money, if it is to be in good conscience, depends on how we obtain it. Extracting large sums of money from the corporate body of Christ and then funneling those funds to a single member of that body creates an imbalance.

We as Christians collectively are a healthy, wealthy, body. But to heap that wealth upon one member of the body while another member of that same body suffers is an injustice to the body itself. The body of believers that continually support this imbalance are just as guilty of misusing their funds as those who fleece the flock are.

Charismatic abuses surrounding the subject of money are much more prevalent than the misuse of spiritual gifts. There are many deceiving charlatans in the ministry, and even more self deceived charlatans in the ministry. They deceive themselves by what they think is the higher good; the end justifies the means. They feel their worth in helping so many people as a noble reason to live extravagantly.

Many ministers are even using the congregation as a means to gain financially through multi level marketing programs. They travel around taping into a new circle of people at each new church they visit so they can sign them up. They mix their ministry with this other motive and justify it by saying the product is a blessing to the people, or the business opportunity will bless them. The churches invite these guest speakers for inspiration and encouragement to be brought closer to Jesus but there is an underlying theme of business lurking behind the scene, another agenda.

Remember to support the work of God, not the works of men. Put everything to the test of Holy Scripture. Matthew 7:16, "Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles."

Tilson Shumate
Pastor Shekinah Fellowship

Interview: Legendary Bible Smuggler

Interview: Legendary Bible Smuggler

Brother Andrew, the legendary Dutch missionary who smuggled Bibles into communist countries during the Cold War, took time away from promoting his new book, Secret Believers: What Happens When Muslims Believe in Christ, at the Christian Booksellers Association’s retailers convention in Atlanta last week to share with The Christian Post about the state of the Mideast church and what Christians worldwide can do to help fellow believers living in the hostile region.

http://www.christianpost.com/article/20070717/28476_Interview:__Legendary_Bible_Smuggler_on_Mideast_Christian_Converts_and_the_Real_Jihad.htm

Possible Reconstruction...

Possible Reconstruction...

It is undeniable, from the geological point of view, that earth reflects a long history of chaos and upheavel, and of conditions that are distinctly harmful to life rather than perfectly suited for it. It can be shown quite easily, from geology, that earliest record of the rocks fits the description of Gensis 1:2.

The six days that followed (1:3-2:1) are generally regarded, by those who hold the reconstruction view, as 24-hour days during which God placed His ruined creation back in order and made it suitable once again for human habitation.

Geologists have considerable difficulty in finding evidence for such a "reconstruction" immediately prior to the advent of the human race. It is conceivable, of course, that the brief period of the Garden of Eden would not be recorded in geological formations.

There is no universal agreement on the accuracy of the reconstruction interpretation, but it has been taught by some Christian geologists. It offers a plausible way of accounting for the vast span of geologic time, and of harmonizing that time with the Bible record, particularly as it relates to the fall of Satan and the possible cursing of the earth.

We read that the Spirit of God, who is the Holy Spirit, moved or brooded upon the face of the waters (1:2). Perhaps this was in preparation for the coming work of God upon the earth.

God caused, first of all, light to emerge. This was not the creation of the sun or moon, but probably the clearing away of the heavy blanket of foggy atmosphere which had covered the earth.

The work of the other days followed: the vapor was divided, with part remaining in the firmament-space, and part collecting as hugh seas. The dry land was raised; the earth brought forth its floral offerings; the sun and moon appeared; fish, birds, and animals were created; and finally, all was in readiness for man's habitation.

After God brought into existence all the creatures (uncounted as yet), He surveyed His work and pronounced it "very good" (1:31).

One more matter remained to be accomplished. The triune God held a conference (1:26) to plan for the creation of a person who was to have dominion over all the earth and its creatures...

Man himself.

Be a blessing to others.

Be a blessing to others.

First off, I (David) am doing this on my own, because I think this is something worthy of our attention. I don't usually do this. But this is so needful in these days that we are in. Let me explain...

I paint houses for a living. All of my customers pay me for what I do for them.

I never do what I do for them for no cost. I, like most house painters, can not afford to give away what I do for a living. I just simply can't do it.

It is not something I am called to do with my skills as a professional painter of houses.

Which brings me to my point. There are so many places where we send our gifts and offerings as Christians. Some are very worthy and some are not so worthy. We want to be wise in where you share what God has given into our care as good stewards.

I know of one man who lives in a very awesome private community and is currently building a beautiful estate out in the desert. All on the gifts and offerings of other Christians. I know of another man who sends bibles printed in Chinese to China for those who are hungry for the Word of God, this same man supports children in Africa as if they were his very own family.

Which one of these men would you support? A no brainer for me...

If you are looking for a very worthy cause to invest your gifts and offerings in, a cause that actually helps people and doesn't build mansions and estates, then Genesis Counseling is that place.

Joe Dallas helps people through his counseling ministry. It is his job and it is his ministry. He gets paid for it.

But unlike me, Joe also makes his services available to those in need. He helps those who are in financial distress. This is a personal sacrifice that he is willing to make on the behalf of others. He does this because he is a Christian man of God. But he needs our help to accomplish his task more fully then he could on his own.

" Your gift helps insure that we can continue to assist men and women in need, consult with Pastors and Church leaders when emergencies arise, and continue to develop and offer quality products and services to the Christian community."

If your of a mind to enter into the blessing of helping Joe to help others, here is how you can do that:

http://www.joedallas.com/donate.cfm

Thanks and God Bless you
David Sloane

Joe Dallas Shares

Joe Dallas Shares

Many of us in full time ministry can trace the beginnings of our work to those early days at Shekinah Fellowship. Like the other Elders and Deacons, I was unusually young for the ministry - 17, in fact! - when I came on staff in 1972, and I marvel at the level of work and responsibility we took on at such an early age. But we'd come together with incredible zeal, a striking variety of gifts, and a conviction that Christ was coming soon, so we charged ahead, certain of our calling. And who but a bunch of bold, naïve, spirit-filled kids would have dared to do it?

There are, of course, any number of failures that can be attached to Shekinah, mine included. But whatever we think of this ministry with the benefit of hindsight and age, I doubt any of us will forget the lessons and experiences we had with God and each other, nor the fruit those experiences still yield. I deeply regret the lack of oversight we had, and my own reluctance to question and even challenge when I felt we were off track. But I thank God for the "greenhouse" effect Shekinah had, in that it provided a place for many of us to discover, exercise and hone our gifts. And I will always remember Brant as one of the most engaging and passionate men I've ever known. When I attended his funeral I felt a sense of loss that's with me today, as he etched himself on my life, and on so many others, indelibly.

Joe Dallas

Joe Dallas can be reached at:

17632 Irvine Blvd. Suite #220

Tustin, CA

92780

714-508-6953

http://www.joedallas.com/

Adam and Eve...

Adam and Eve...

The account of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden is factual. It is neither a myth nor an allegory. God planted the Garden, and then, taking the dust of earth, He formed the body of Adam, breathed into his nostrils the breath of life (God's life) and man became a living soul ( Gen. 2:7). After this, God made Eve from a rib of Adam. Thus, the first family began.

One of the distinguishing characteristics of mankind is free will. Man is a creature with power of choice. He may choose the will of God or his own way.

To emphasize this, God placed a special tree in the Garden, there were other trees too. But this one tree was forbidden. It is called the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

The necessity for such a tree is clearly seen. Adam and Eve were to be called upon to choose for God. But there would be no choice if there was not a possibility to choose against God.

But God did everything to make obedience wholly desirable. He created Adam and Eve with strong mental faculties. They were neither beasts nor barbarians. Their minds were keen, discerning, and they must have known instinctively what it takes years of schooling to accuire of the knowledge of the universe today.

God provided abundantly for man's needs. Food was in generous supply; the climate was ideal. Adam lacked nothing. The climax of God's gifts to him was a companion, Eve.

Futhur, God warned of the consequences of disobedience. He solemnly set forth the penalty which would accompany any deviation from His revealed, perfect will.

God gave Adam work to do. Far too often lives are wrecked from idelness. It was not so much with our first parents. "And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the Garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it" (Gen. 2:15). God entered into fellowship with man, and they talked together in the cool of the day (Gen. 3:8).

Then came the test. Satan, smarting under God's judgement, sought to wreck the Lord's new program. Man had been given dominion over that which formerly had been Satan's domain. How would the enemy of God proceed?

This was far from any isolated incident. As it were, all heaven held its breath. The test was not simply whether Adam and Eve would eat the fruit of the tree, but whether the authority of Almighty God would prevail against determined Satanic attack.

Satan wins...

Satan wins...

Time, as we know it, had begun. Satan was now operating in the realm of human life on earth. His tactics, as shown in the Garden of Eden, were the very same that He uses against the children of God today.

First, note that Satan came first to the woman. In the Scriptures, woman is designated as "the weaker vessel" ( 1 Peter 3:7). This does not discredit her. It is part of the plan of God, revealing His wise, benevolent attitude toward the human race. But, in approaching the woman with this temptation, Satan showed not only his cunning, but also his dishonorable intent.

We must keep in mind that Satan is a spiritual being, with a spiritual body. He spoke through the serpent, using a creature which before the fall, must have been attractive and appealing. Because of the use of this creature, Satan acquired another uncomplimentary title, "that old serpent, the devil" ( Rev. 20:2 ). His first approach then, as now, was to discredit and question the Word of God ( Gen. 3:1 ). What, he insinuated was, "Is this really what God meant?" The woman's answer was definite, but her fatal fault was in not calling her husband, that they might face the temptation together.

Satan, having secured Eve's attention, pressed the attack by specifically, categorically, denying God's dictum. Blantly, boldly, Satan said to Eve, "Ye shall not surely die" ( Gen. 3:4 ). He was calling God a liar, and that should have been enough for the woman. She ought to have fled, to secure the support of Adam. But sadly enough, she stayed to listen.

The next thurst was a subtle one. Satan's strategy was to show that Adam and Eve were missing something desirable. They were being denied by God, who was, he insinuated, withholding what should be theirs. Satan told them their eyes would be opened if they would eat the forbidden fruit ( Gen. 3:5 ). In this was a dangerous half-truth. Their eyes were opened, but with what consequences!

All of Satan's reasoning was along the strongest line of temptation. Herein lay the very essence of sin, which is love of self. The woman touched, picked, and ate, then gave to her husband, who also ate of the forbidden fruit. The foul deed was done, and death passed upon the whole human race. Adam and Eve had disobeyed the will of God. Satan had won this round of the battle.

In I Timothy 2:14, we read that " the woman being deceived was in transgression," but that the man was not deceived. Adam knew what he was doing. He entered the gate of sin with his eyes wide open. He deliberately sinned. Yet Eve was at fault as well...

Pastor Tilson Shares

Pastor Tilson Shares

Today, my wife Melodi and I experienced that amazing love...

As first time visitors of a small church with a new pastor, we heard someone say the name Brant Baker as we were leaving. Melodi said, "Did you hear that?" We were amazed at God’s love and timing to hear a wonderful healing testimony of how God healed their ten month old son.

They shared how Brant said to them, "I have been waiting for you" and then he stretched his hands toward their baby and prayed. They said they could still see to this day Brant’s hands stretching toward their child.

The doctors said that if the baby lived, he would never have teeth, he would be weak, dwarfed and never able to have children. Today their son is tall, strong, has two healthy children and beautiful straight white teeth.

These people knew nothing of Brant’s personal problems, or even that he had passed away. They asked me how he died and I answered briefly, "Health reasons." We spoke only of the faith that Brant Baker imparted into our lives.

If anyone has a healing testimony, could you share it with us? There were thousands of people healed at Shekinah healing services, where are you?

We praise God for all of you who were touched by God Almighty at Shekinah Fellowship. Give God the glory.

Pastor Tilson

Shekinah Fellowship

For sharing your testimony email David at:

david.surfer51@gmail.com

Why Doesn't God?...

Why Doesn't God?...

God was forced to bring upon man the punishment He had decreed for disobedience. Mankind is now possessed of a sinful, fallen nature. "The wages of sin is death." (Rom. 3:23). Heartache, sorrow, disease, disappointment are now the lot of the human race. Apparently Satan has triumphed.

But the question arises: If this is a moral universe, why is a creature like Satan allowed to exist? Why is he not confined to eternal torture? If God is all-powerful ( and we know He is), why does He permit Satan's continuing rebellion against Him and His people? Why doesn't God interfere? To answer, we must view life, and particularly eternal life, from the divine perspective, not the human.

God is concerned with bringing many sons home to glory ( Heb. 2:10 ). But there must be a right basis on which He can do this. He has determined that man must choose whether he will love the good and turn from evil; take His way instead of Satan's. This ability to do good cannot be based upon the inherent righteousness of man, for since the Fall, no man is good. "There is none righteous, no, not one" ( Rom. 3:10). Nevertheless, God can inpute full and complete righteousness to sinful man on one basis. This is the act of faith which man exercises when he accepts the substitutionary sacrifice of the Son of God on his behalf. It is Christ's righteousness which God inputes to man. Herein is the grace of God.

On the other hand, already God has decreed the doom of Satan. His sin is unforgivable. There is no redemption for fallen angels. The devil's place of everlasting incarceration and torment is in readiness ( Matt. 25:41). God's reckoning with Satan will take place in God's good time and will glorify Him.

So God permits Satan to proceed with his nefarious works. There may be in the mind of God another reason: It must be demonstrated, as well as decreed, that sin is a damning, blasting, blighting thing. It is necessary for God to display its horrendous effects; and even in the eons of endless eternity, the background of the horrors of sin will remain as a contrast to God's perfect righteousness.

The earth, too, will furnish an object lesson of the failure of Satan to govern through the Man of Sin, the Antichrist, his tool in the ages to come. While for a season it seems that God has withdrawn His hand, He is showing Satan's incompetence.

Meantime, God holds the reins. Satan would seize more power if possible, but God allows him so much and no more. Let no one, however, underestimate the devil's hatred and contempt for God and His people, Satan's ability to seduce and ruin.

Satan's Ambition...

Satan's Ambition...

Many people in this world hold to the idea that everything vile, despicable, and wicked comes from Satan. This is not wholly true. The heart of man is in itself responsible for a multitude of sinful thoughts and deeds ( Jer. 17:9; Matt. 15:19; Gal. 5:19-21).

The burning desire of Satan is to be worshiped. This was revealed plainly in his rebellion against God ( Isa. 14:13,14); in his tempting of our first parents in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:5); in his subsequent tempting of the Lord Jesus Christ when He was on earth (Matt. 4:9).

The immorality, the disgrace, the degradation of mankind are not necessarily gratifying to Satan. Probably he would like to disclaim the drunkard, the prostitute, the theif, the gangster. Nevertheless, these are all part of his realm.

Doubtless the devil would perfer to espouse the good, the true, and the beautiful. He would sponsor all causes of charity and humanitarianism. Arts and sciences he would desire to control. He wants to be highly respectable.

Nor does Satan despise the vast field of education. Schools, colleges, universities he would direct subtly into goals of his choosing. Even religious enterprises without spiritual power he would like under his special direction.

What Satan loathes with deadly hatred is truth of God. What he utterly detests and seeks to abolish is the Gospel, which proclaims that all men are by nature sinners, incapable of saving themselves. He abhors the truth of Christ's incarnation, of His glorious resurrection which made valid that death.

Satan's ambition is rather for peace than conflict. He is not desirous that the world become a shambles. Men might call upon God in their desperation! No, Satan's policy is to foster an orderly, spiritually dead civilization. He does not object to "big business" and technological advances as long as Christ is left out of the picture.
Although the Scriptures definitely outline Satan's coming doom and the failure of his plan to take over the earth, in some mysterious way the devil hopes to defeat God. Although Satan must be aware of his eventual fate, such is this egotistical, self-worshiping, audacious foe of God and man...

Satan's Names...

Satan's Names...

In the Scriptures there are more than 40 titles and descriptive names given to the devil. They are highly revealing of his character. Most frequently he is called Satan, meaning adversary; next, the devil, or slanderer . In the New Testament, this word is often used in the plural. In every case it refers not to Satan, but to demons, or fallen spirits who do the will of Satan. Properly, they should be designated as demons, not devils.

Other descriptive designations are: Abaddon (Hebrew) and Apollyon (Greek) (Rev. 9:11); accuser of the brethren (Rev. 12:10); Beelzebub, the prince of the devils (demons) (Matt. 12:24); Belial (II Cor. 6:15); the deceiver of the whole world (Rev. 12:9); the wicked one (Matt 13:19); a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44).

Satan's relationship to the world, with particular refrence to his power and authority, is shown in names like these: the god of this world ( II Cor. 4:4); the prince of this world (John 12:31); the prince of the power of the air (Eph. 2:2). His tremendous prestige is revealed strikingly by his being called the one in whom the whole world lies ( I John 5:18, 19).

The scope of the devil's evil machinations is shown further by such titles as: the great dragon, that old serpant (Rev. 12:9); the tempter (Matt. 4:1-10); a murderer (John 8:44); the sinner from the beginning (I John 3:8).

It is impossible to underestimate the malevolence, the importance and the influence of this person. The Scriptures give wide recognition to his desperate, deadly character. While moral evil is his basic attribute, at the same time he is the very embodiment of all sorts of evil. His cruel, wicked nature was best described by the Lord Jesus Christ in calling him "a murderer from the beginning" (John 8:44). Murder, in his case, was the first intention he had in trying to separate Almighty God from that which was eternally and rightfully His: the first place in the universe He had created. Further, Satan abode not in the truth. His was a total turning from integrity. Consequently, there remained no truth in him at all. All of his utterances are lies, and he has coined his own fabric of falsehood. All untruth proceeds from him, who became the very father of lies, he has his own infernal vocabulary.

To add to the horror, this malicious, murderous creature is loose in the world, aided and abetted by unnumbered groups of fallen spirit beings. Thank God, "greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world" (I John 4:4).