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Tuesday, December 29, 2009


Ok, I think that it is time to review some wonderful Bible teaching. Pastor Jim Ewing always springboards from a single Scripture and expands on the thought and intent being conveyed. He has a solid teaching style that never meanders from the banks of the river contained in each Scripture that he shares with us here.

I have posted some of my favorites below. He has enough teachings to fill a devotional book. Just maybe... :-)

David

2 Corinthians 4:10,11- "Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh." ...verse 16, " For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day".

The life of the apostle Paul absolutely amazes me! Over and over again in his epistles, you cannot help but see his utter selflessness and devotion to Christ, and his God-given love for people. Today as I read through 2 Corinthians, I was again struck by his accepting- with joy- the pain and extremely rough circumstances in which he found himself. No complaining, no self-pity, no pining for physical comfort or better days. He had one focus, and that focus was Christ.

I pray that God will cause us to see- with our spiritual eyes- this incredible devotion, and that in seeing this, He will cause us to yearn for Him, to desire Him, to covet Him in such a way that it in turn causes a life-changing passion in our hearts that nothing on earth can quench!

Read Paul's epistles- any of them- and in every verse you can feel the pain, the agony, the anguish of soul that brought him to this deep love for his Savior. He never regretted any of what his Lord had brought him through to get him to the point of absolute surrender because he adored Jesus Christ so much that he did not regard his own life.....

Very different than so much of what passes for 'ministry' these days, isn't it? You don't hear any 'prosperity' or 'comfort' or 'your own rights', or even legalistic teachings coming from Paul, and you shouldn't be hearing these things from those who preach the Gospel today!

Why do we so desire comfort? Why do we covet 'respectability', or eloquence, or admiration? Why do we want to please man rather than God? We Christians are to preach and teach Christ- crucified and risen-NOW, while there's breath left in us. Please understand that my aim here is not to look for faults or to castigate ministers of today, but rather to contrast much of what we hear today with the truth of the actual Gospel of Christ, and in so doing, I fervently pray that God would take hold of the hearts of His people and move them back to Him. The apostle Paul would not tolerate error or false teaching concerning the things of God- His life was thoroughly Christ's, and he always pointed people to the cross. May we all imitate his example.
Pastor Jim Ewing
En Agape,

Philippians 3:10..."That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death..."

How about that? We can understand Paul's passion to 'know Him, and the power of His resurrection', but to honestly desire the fellowship of His sufferings? Most people prefer to flee suffering, yet the apostle actually YEARNS for it, because he knows that in it, he more perfectly identifies with his Lord, and the suffering that he refers to is all the direct result of his overt and aggressive stand for Jesus Christ.

What exactly is the secret to Paul's overwhelming devotion to Christ? We've seen that he had an uncommon passion for his Savior, and a sincere love that most Christians wish that THEY had. Well, the 'secret' (and the truth) is that every single believer who desires this passion, this devotion, this love- may have it, may experience it, may receive it and give it out freely to others (the natural outflow of receiving), but how?

I've already mentioned how greatly I admire the apostle Paul, but the truth is that the apostle himself was not the author of the divine love in his own heart! Let's look at Acts 9:1-6..."And Saul (the name he was then known by), yet breathing threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, and desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way (followers of Christ), whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven; and he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. An d he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do."

Here Paul (Saul) is spending much of his time and energy attempting to destroy all the Christians he can, yet in a second, he is on the ground asking Jesus what He would have him do! It was the Lord Himself who simply but powerfully intervened, and Paul was changed- forever changed- from that moment on- transformed from an enemy of God to a powerfully used apostle of that same Almighty God!

You see, only God Himself can truly change a heart and life by His Spirit, and He is able to take the lowest, the most selfish, the meanest, the most unlikely of people, and not only make him or her His child, but to give that believer a love that that one has never before known, or even thought possible!

Christian, do you want to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength? Do you want a Paul-like passion for Jesus that is genuine? Then understand that it is the Holy Spirit in you, drawing you to that desire for Him, and simply surrender to Him. You are not the author of this wonderful love, but you may have as much of it as you will, and as you receive it, you'll find that you're also giving it out to others, and THIS is true ministry! There is no telling what God will do in and through you- just ask the apostle Paul!

En Agape,
Pastor Jim Ewing

Galatians 6:12-14 "As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ. For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh. But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world."

The old testament, with the law and the prophets, the animal sacrifices, and all that they entail, points FORWARD to the cross of Christ. The new testament points BACK to the cross, but the entire Word of God does indeed point TO that cross. To the lost, Christ's death on the cross makes no sense, and is even ridiculed- 1 Corinthians 1:18 "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God."

Sadly, even in some Christian circles, the cross is minimized, with the preaching of the Gospel, in all of its power and glory, giving way to more pleasant, costless, self-gratifying teachings...

Oh, and don't forget the coffee, and the 'I'm OK, You're OK' pat on the back as you leave the church! I'll tell you, the world will never see the need for the cross unless and until WE see the need for it! The crucifixion of our Lord is not only a painful yet wonderful event which took place 2000 years in the past- it is a God-ordained way of life for the believer. The cross experience is something that every single believer will go through- God sees to that as the Orchestrator of all of our circumstances. No one escapes it, as our God loves us too much to let us. The cross in our lives brings us to maturity in Christ, causes to see life as we should and as it is (in reality, not mere fancy or opinion), and brings EVERYTHING that happens in this world into perspective.

The apostle Paul spoke so much of the cross- both the historical event and its work in his own life, because he was intimately acquainted with it. Are we? God have mercy on us, we MUST be! When we truly know the cross in our own lives, it will guard us from doctrines of demons and every false teaching that may be thrown at us, because it is what God uses to check us. Our emotions, our feelings, our intentions, our ambitions- they all must be put at the foot of the cross of Christ, and as they are, we experience life as we were intended to.

Listen to Paul, and listen intently- "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me." He knew that the wonderful relationship which he had with his Savior was due to Christ's death on that cross, and he knew that the cross worked in his life DAILY.....

Lord Jesus, let us see this precious truth for ourselves, that we may submit to it and therefore more passionately follow You!

Pastor Jim Ewing

Romans 8:11 "If the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you."

We have previously taken a look at the cross, both in terms of the historical event and of its continual work in the believer's life as we walk with Christ. Now we will take a look at the resurrection of Christ, for without the resurrection, the cross would have been incomplete- and God never does anything in an incomplete manner. We must always remember that the cross and the resurrection go together. Both were necessary to secure our salvation. God sent His Beloved Son to a cross to take away all of our sins, and three days later raised Him up from the dead, guaranteeing our own resurrection from death's ugly, but now temporary grip. Because of this, praise God, we now have eternal life.

In the garden of Eden, man died- remember? Genesis 2:17- "In the day that you eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall surely DIE." So the DEATH of Christ took away our sins, and the RESURRECTION of our Savior gave us back what man had lost way back in Genesis- LIFE. Give God praise for His unfathomable love! Catch a glimpse of that love and you will never be the same...

Just as the cross has both historical and constant, practical meaning in the life of the Christian, so also does the resurrection. God uses the cross in our lives to break us of our self-will, ordering our circumstances to bring us to a place of total surrender. He will not let up until we relent, so great is His love for us.

The resurrection experience, on the other hand, is what God gives us to overcome and be victorious in our circumstances. You will find yourself reacting, not out of your flesh, but with the power of God, and then wonder how you did that. That is the resurrection of Christ working in your life. Slowly but surely, you will find yourself looking THROUGH the painful experiences on to the complete victory, because you will tend to (more and more) see the whole picture, rather than just the momentary suffering. 2 Corinthians 4:17 & 18 - "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal."

The apostle Paul went through incredible and protracted suffering, yet he sees the hand of God in it so clearly that he refers to all of it as 'light affliction'! Can anyone say RESURRECTION POWER? I am humbled when I see the degree of the workings of both the cross and resurrection in Paul's life....Let us thank God now- for the historical reality of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and for its daily, moment by moment practical power in our own lives!

En Agape,
Pastor Jim Ewing

Matthew 28:20 "...and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen." ...Beloved of the Lord, I am about to delve into a subject that few believers even ponder, yet we all know the reality of it. I can remember listening to a taped recording of the rev. R. Brant Baker, original pastor of Shekinah Fellowship, just over thirty years ago as he said very simply, We forget that Jesus is always with us...".

Now, those words were so elementary, so simple, weren't they? I'm sure that they got a few 'amen's from the congregation to whom he was speaking at the time, but they caught my own attention to the point that my mind was absolutely fixed, as it were, on those words, and despite the fact that his message continued on, I could only keep hearing those words over and over again, "We forget that Jesus is always with us."

The reality of it all hit me that night- It is an absolute spiritual fact that our Savior is with us always...every moment of the day and night, and that fact will continue to be so until we either breathe our last and then die, or He returns to the earth, abolishing the ugly spectacle of death once and for all....

Did you just feel your spirit jump within you as you read those words? Christian, this is a fact which can never be taken from the believer, and it is as real as the cross of Christ and His resurrection from the dead! If you are in Christ, then His Presence never leaves you. Hebrews 13:5 says,"I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."

This fact was very real to the early, persecuted Church- real enough that they were willing to die for their testimony of the Beloved Savior. We've forgotten that, haven't we? We have gotten so comfortable in our faith that we forget that many of those who went on before us suffered greatly for the Gospel 's sake, even to the point of death, but they were never dissuaded from the truth that their Lord was WITH them unto the very end of their earthly existence, because they knew that His Presence was a fact, not as a principle, but as a total reality, one that they GLADLY staked their very lives upon.....

Jesus, when He was teaching His disciples, did not speak from the position of doctrine (we believers disagree on much of what we call doctrine, don't we?), rather, He spoke TRUTH, and He never spoke anything BUT the truth. He always lived the truth, and in fact, He WAS and IS the Truth- John 14:6- "I am the way, the TRUTH, and the life..." His very Presence, just after telling Peter to "launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught" following an unsuccessful night of fishing, was enough to prompt the fisherman to entreat Him, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord." (Luke 5:8)...

My point in all of this is that we as believers must see that, regardless of what we endure, no matter what or how we may feel at the present time (and times may indeed be extremely rough), He is, in absolute reality, our constant Companion. We needn't try to imagine that this is so, we mustn't merely hope that it's true, we must recon it so, and act upon that fact- FACT. As we do this, He will burn the reality of His Presence deep within our souls. It will never be because we try to 'visualize' it, it cannot be because we wish it into being, or because we believe that we've been good and faithful to Him. He is with us always, because He said He would be, and He is faithful to His Word, and to His people.....

Believe Him, move in that truth, Christian, and you will never be satisfied with 'wishin' and hoping'' ever again. You have His word on it!

En Agape,
Pastor Jim Ewing

Luke 9:62- "And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." Sobering words, aren't they? But our Savior has brought us into new life, and He intends for us to walk continuously IN that life, from the moment that He wonderfully apprehends us, to the very last breath that we take. The believer was never meant to be static in this faith that God has so graciously given us- rather, we are to constantly press forward, as the apostle Paul said- "I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:14).

Notice that I often quote Paul? It is because he realized that he was 'plucked from the fire', as it were, by the Lord- and he didn't want to waste one moment of the new life that God had given him. He was always grateful to Jesus Christ for having saved him, and it was so apparent in everything that he wrote, from the first of his epistles to the last. He actually desired to 'depart and be with Christ', rather than to go on living in this world (Philippians 1:23&24), thou he knew that it was more beneficial to the young body of believers in Philippi (and no doubt to the rest of the early Church) if he remained for awhile......

There is nothing more unattractive than a static believer, especially when God has given us so much to do! There are Divine appointments that God places in every believer's life, yet some of us live as though we think that we were called to sit back, relax, sing hymns, and wait for the Lord to 'rapture' us out of our Cadillac on the way to the church picnic! How sad. Where is the passion? Where is the 'fire' that seems to characterize so few of us, when it is the same Savior who calls ALL of His people from EVERY age and time to an INTIMATE relationship with Him? Well, the blame certainly d does not fall on Christ! He has not changed (Hebrews 13:8- "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.") He still constantly woos us by His Spirit, but we must respond. Please RESPOND!.....

Now this is going to be a crude illustration, but it'll help get my point across. Back in the summer of '76, I worked in some wheat fields in eastern Washington. The farm that this man lives on had a bunch of chickens inside a short fence. One of my co-workers showed me something that amazed me- he climbed over the fence and grabbed one of the chickens, putting it's left wing over it's head (covering it's eyes), and moved that chicken in a circular, clockwise motion for just a few seconds- that's all it took. The chicken fell fast asleep, and when my friend put it back on the ground, it just lay there in a slumber. I was shown this a number of times, and even did it myself, grabbing one of the chickens, and putting it to sleep. The most fascinating about it though, was that every single time a slumbering chicken was placed back on the ground, one of the other chickens would see that it was sleeping, run over to it and 'peck' it awake! It was as if the other chickens were saying, "Hey, wake up! It's not evening- what do you think you're doing? It is daytime. You need to be awake!" ....

Well, I warned you that it would be a crude illustration, but I tell ya'- Sometimes I want to go and 'peck' certain believers awake, "Hey, wake up! It's still daytime- the night has not yet arrived...God has work for you to do! You still have breath in you- use it to pant after the Lord and to reach others while there's still time! Pursue this dynamic relationship that Christ draws you to, NOW! C'mon- wake up! For the love of our Savior, WAKE UP!"

Pastor Jim Ewing

John 4:24- "God is Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in truth."
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Now, here is a verse that we all know and can easily quote, but so few believers seem to know just what it means. I want to cut to the chase on the subject of idolatry, not because it is a characteristic of a lost and dying world, but because the Church herself is presently so involved in it.
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I do not want you think that I like 'picking' at faults among the Body of Christ, because I don't, and I do not believe in seeking out problems just to have something to write about. The fact is, though, that many, many of today's Christians have such misconceptions of the nature of God, that they do not realize that we require the leading of the Holy Spirit- even in terms of how to worship our Lord. Because of these misconceptions, believers (and non-believers as well) will often reach for 'tangible' objects to worship in place of our Holy God. Sometimes this is done with the best of intentions, but it is idolatry nonetheless, and must be thoroughly avoided.
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There is absolutely no substitute for the living God in the lives of believers, and we must see that. Not our own ideas of God, not 'images' of Him, but Almighty God Himself- as He IS, not as we would have Him.....

The Israelites had such a tough time just being without Moses for a few days that they managed to convince Aaron to "make us gods, which will go before us" (Exodus 32:1-6). A golden calf was the pathetic result. What an insult to our Holy, Righteous God! You would think we'd have learned over the years that only God could satisfy our spiritual hunger, yet history is replete with examples and stories of people attempting to reach God in their 'own way', completely ignoring the fact that "God is Spirit, and they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in truth".

I believe that the Lord has hidden the arc of the covenant purposely, for He knew that if it had been found, generations of people would have worshipped IT instead of HIM...

The shroud of Turin is a prime example of believers worshipping something other than Christ. So what if it is genuine? He's not there! He's not in the empty tomb either, and there's nothing sacred about a tomb, no matter who was laid in it.....

Did you know that Adolf Hitler searched for years for the spear that pierced Jesus' side? Why? Did he think that it would somehow bless or protect him? It was a stinkin' spear, for goodness sakes! ...

Do you remember the big movie, "The Robe"? If not, you can probably guess what it was about. But the robe that Jesus wore had no power- HE had power. Why has that always been so difficult for the Church to understand? I'm so glad that there were no cameras in the days when Jesus walked the earth, for if t here had been, then photos of the Savior would have been worshipped, sold, looked to for help, and put in peoples' tunics for good luck- and you know that!

I've previously mentioned that there are people in certain countries who actually whip and even allow themselves to be nailed to a cross for a while during 'special' times of the year in order to get closer to the Lord. What a ridiculous display of unbelief! Why is it so hard to believe that HE took our punishment, and that none of our own efforts are of any value whatsoever? We believe the Gospel, yet we feel that we must add this or that to it, don't we? It's so difficult and so cutting to our pride to simply believe and receive what our blessed Savior has done for us, so we look to other things to make us 'spiritual' IN ADDITION to the cross and resurrection. How can you truly adore Him when you can't even believe Him?....

2 Corinthians 5:19 "...God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation." Now, what does He desire that our response be? The next verse tells us- "Be ye reconciled to God." So simple, right? Then why do we insist on adding to His wonderful work? When you attempt to add to the cross and resurrection, you take away from them. When you try adding to God's grace (and there are so many ways that we try), then you take away His grace, because you refuse to see that HIS work is complete and quite sufficient to have dealt with your sin FOREVER. That refusal, beloved, is IDOLATRY, and it is a stench in the nostrils of God! Stop trying- start believing. Seek HIS face. Worship HIM in Spirit and in truth. Adore Him and only Him.......

I'm going to leave you with a beautiful scripture from the psalms. "When thou saidst, Seek ye My face; my heart said unto Thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek." (Psalm 27:8)...Make that your prayer as you worship Him in Spirit and in truth.

God bless you,
Pastor Jim Ewing

Psalm 139:7- "Where can I go from Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your Presence?" Proverbs 20:7- "The Lamp of the Lord searches the spirit of a man; It searches out his inmost being." Luke 24:49- "I am going to send you what My Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.".....


Who is the Holy Spirit? He is nothing less than God Almighty. We see from these verses that He is everywhere at all times and that we can never escape His Presence, that He searches the spirit of man and knows us to the very core, and that He desires that His people wait upon Him. He knows that we absolutely require His constant Presence and makes Himself known to us, but do we allow Him to move as He would in every detail in our lives? We believe Him, yes- but do we allow Him to be what He intends to be in our lives?

Remember that He always points to Christ, always testifies of Christ, always draws people, by His power, to Christ (John 15:26). He enables believers to be passionate witnesses for our Savior- and the power is HIS. Why then, do we act as if we we're ashamed of Him? Many of God's own children treat the Holy Spirit like the proverbial 'ugly stepchild'. We want to intellectualize everything spiritual and make the Holy Spirit fit into our nice, 'tidy', 'respectable' idea of our own churchianity- and then we have the gall to wonder why He doesn't move in and through us as we know He desires to!....

God have mercy on us, we must stop trying to be 'gate keepers' for the Spirit of God! We cannot use Him (remember, He is God)- rather, we have the incredible privilege of being open, willing, yielded vessels through whom He can move, yet we want to relegate Him to the back room for fear that He may do something among us which brings us out of our comfort zone- after all, what would we do if lives were actually touched and changed? What do we do if He steps out of the 'box' that we try to put Him into?....

Let's look directly into the mirror and ask ourselves, "How much of God do I really want in my life? Do I desire 'rivers of Living Water' gushing through my soul, as God would love to pour into me, or am I satisfied with an intermittent drip? We're the ones who limit Him- it is He who would do so much more in and through us, if we were only willing! Remember that as we receive, we also give out. We are the Body of Christ, and we were never meant to be stingy, either in receiving, or in giving out- that's simply not God's way of doing things. He is always robust, always so generous in His love, mercy and life changing power, and He would have us be the same- after all, we are HIS children!....

I urge every believer who senses a 'dryness' in his or her life to begin seeking- earnestly- the very heart of God. Allow His Spirit to move in you, first individually, then as a body, in a totally yielded and open manner, and ask Him to do all of the wonderful things in and through your life that He would. He will not lead you into anything silly or ridiculous, and He will never violate His Word. He WILL begin to move POWERFULLY in you, and He WILL give you a new-found adoration of Him, though. Are you up for it?

En Agape,
Pastor Jim Ewing
Something alarming has been happening since the dawn of time, which has been recorded in the history, holy books, and mythos of every great civilization. Ancient rabbinical authorities including Septuagint translators and early church fathers understood it. Sumerians, Assyrians, Egyptians, Greeks, the Hindus, the American Indians, and virtually all other civilizations wrote about it. Beings of super intelligence sometimes referred to as "gods" descend through openings of sky, earth, and sea to interact with this planet's creatures. According to Tom Horn, prophecy says they will return... and at a time much sooner than most people realize.

Tom Horn makes a very real presentation in his book that may explain a lot of the mystery surrounding Noah's flood and the true reason for it. Matthew 24:37But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

As always, we here have nothing to gain from the sale of this book. But it is a great book to read if you want to understand more fully these verses:

Genesis 6:2That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.Genesis 6:1-3 (in Context) Genesis 6

Genesis 6:4There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.Genesis 6:3-5 (in Context) Genesis 6 (Whole Chapter)

Brother Greg

Just when I think that I have seen it all.
I once came across a man with a true authentic prophetic calling. Instead of ministering to the Body of Christ, he opened a business on the east coast of America giving people prophetic words for a fee. Much the same as a clairvoyant psychic does. He could not understand why I thought it was so wrong.
And now I come across this fellow...

http://www.christvertising.com/how.html
What's up with these guys? Actually, I think that this one is just a spoof, mocking Christians.

I can't blame the world for mocking some of us for our marketing 'all things spiritual.' It truly defies my sense of reason to think that any human being who freely obtains revelation from Almighty God has the insensitivity to think that they can then 'package' that revelation and then market it to others.

Think about it. Earthly wisdom comes from below. Earthly wisdom is not heavenly wisdom that comes from above. Biblical wisdom is freely given to humankind by God through his servants.

It is not earthly wisdom that helps us spiritually, it is heavenly wisdom that helps us. Man never originates heavenly wisdom. Man gets heavenly wisdom from the Bible, "God's Word." Man gets heavenly wisdom by revelation from God. God gives all of this to us freely.

Christ's instructions:
Matthew 10:8Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.

Obviously Christ had it wrong, right? What He meant to say was, "Freely ye have received, now repackage what you received freely from Me and Profit from it, making gain in business activity for the benefit of yourselves and the business you make from it.
No? Well then...

Whole ministries are built from the marketing of things freely given by God to humankind. Marketing machines are employed to merchandise that which has been freely God given. And no one seems to see the truth. No one looks at the reality of 'freely' meaning freely.

One could argue that the things sold come from the sellers of them. And that those sellers have the right to sell their things. But that would then mean that it is only earthly wisdom being sold and not the freely given heavenly wisdom from above.

And the conclusion could be made that therefore nothing being sold is the freely given heavenly wisdom that we are told to "Freely give."
GIVE? What! Give out freely what we get freely...

See. We are being caught up in one of the biggest disobedience of what we have been instructed to do by Jesus Himself.

Would Jesus upturn their merchants tables today? You bet He would. All of the materialistic arguments to justify the sale of anything of heaven will not stand up to the laser beam of Matthew 10:8.

You want God's anointing? You want to be smeared with the oil of His presence? You want God to manifest His presence in your ministry to others? Then clean up your act and stop selling that which comes by revelation of the Holy Spirit to you. Stop grieving the Holy Spirit.
Ephesians 4:30And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God...

Just because others sell what they get freely from God, does not excuse you, O servant of God, from selling what you get freely from God.

David Sloane

Monday, December 28, 2009

On-Line Study Bible with Awesome Commentators

On~Line Study Bible With Awesome Commentators

For Christians, God is not just a powerful, unseen reality, somewhere out there.

God did something highly impossible to make Himself completely relevant to humankind. He doesn't just visit the earth, He becomes human and walks on the earth and interacts with humankind on their own level of existence.

Jesus Christ is God's Son and He is also uniquely Almighty God Himself in the flesh. It is remarkable that God became a real human being and lived among us as the historical Jew, known as Jesus of Nazareth, between 6BC and AD30 in Palestine.

No one could accuse God Almighty of not doing everything possible to make Himself known and revealed in such a way that any human could have known who He is and what He thinks. God bridged the vastness of His creation in such a way as only He could make happen. He took His high and lofty majesty, His Holy and Righteous presence and deposited Himself in an organic carbon based meatbag of flesh. He choose to come down here to be with us on our level of existence.

This is the nexus point of all Christian reality. That God became man.

John 1:14
14And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

What was truly kewl about all of this is that Almighty God touched some humans and gave them direct revelation into what He was going to do way in the future. We call this prophesy. Reading the prophecy's about this event we see that Almighty God will be a Jewish man from the tribe of Judah, in King David's lineage, born in Bethlehem of a virgin, and that this child would be Almighty God Himself.

Everything to do with God is not always smooth and uncomplicated. We humans think that everything is going to be smooth and uncomplicated if God is involved. Balony! Nothing could be further from the truth.

Put yourself in Jesus's mother Mary's place. Here she is, around fifteen years of age. Betrothed, as was the Jewish custom of that day and age, to a man, destined to become his wife.

Then she suddenly finds herself pregnant. This will make it appear to all around her, that she has been promiscuous. And to make matters worse, a woman found in adultery must be stoned to death according to Jewish law. Frightening and numbing would be her position in life. Her reputation in her village is surely going to be destroyed.

Holy Scripture tells it like this:

Matthew 1:18Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.

Now her future husband is put in a very awkward position. He knows what the Jewish law requires, but he also is a just man. He knows that there is no proof of Mary's infidelity. Her demeanor suggest to him that what she has told him about an angel telling her that she is pregnant by the Holy Spirit just might be the truth, but he is not sure. He agonizes on his bed, not able to sleep, just laying there thinking about this terrible turn of events...I imagine that he eventually drops off to fitful sleep.

Matthew 1:19Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.

While he is thinking about privately putting her 'away.' An angel appears to him in a dream. The angel fills him in on what is up with Mary.

Matthew 1:20But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

Revelation sent from God to Joseph, in his consciousness, in a dream. Wow! Can you imagine his relief and awe at what he is being told?

But still, even though now he knows the truth, his neighbors and family may not believe his story. He is still in a terrible bind of sorts.

But to him, the truth is valid, he is to take Mary as his wife inspite of what anyone thinks of the situation. On the natural, there will be those who look at Mary in disgust and rejection. There will be a figurative black cloud that will follow them.

Matthew 1:24Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:

He understood the truth now. All he could do is trust God, inspite of what others might think.

How many times have we been in a situation where others think ill of us. And we are tempted to try in our own efforts to set things straight.

I once had someone accuse me of a lot of things that had no truth behind them. Even so much as to go to the pastors of my church with the lies. I silently watched as my reputation as a man of God had aspersions cast against it. I watched as the recipients of the lies turned against me. But I had learned to trust in God and held my peace. I not once did anything to defend myself. For I knew that my God on His throne was greater then any lies sent against me.

Over a period of months the truth became known and the perpetrator of the attack against my integrity was cast out of the fellowship. All without me saying or doing anything.

So here is Mary and Joseph in a complicated situation. They know the truth, but will others believe the truth. To any average person, it looked like a couple of young people making up a crazy story to cover up their fooling around. Back in their day, such things were not treated lightly. Today, no one thinks much about this situation, happens all the time...right?

God Almighty comes to earth as a vulnerable defenseless baby. The heart of Christianity. The Muslim can't believe this. "Allah Akbar," God is great. They say this great God would never demean himself by becoming human. But that is exactly what happened.

Not only that, Jesus grows up and gives up His life for all of us to set us free from our sins.

John 1:29The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

John 15:13Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

Zechariah 13:6And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.

We celebrate the birth of the Christ child. We say Merry Christmas to one another in reference to this event in world history. Not 'Happy Holidays.' To those who know of the truth, it is the most incredible knowledge that God became flesh, born as a baby.

Christians should never be found guilty of saying 'Happy Holidays' when they know the truth of this event of a baby's birth. An event that changed the course of the world. An event that sent a message down through the ages to you and I. An event that was written in the stars above.

Matthew 2
1Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
2Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

We are told in this same chapter of Matthew:

10When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.

Why? What was it about this star? It was not the star, but what they had located by the star. Almighty God incarnatio, God being in human flesh, entering the physical realm as a baby.

Jesus Christ, the God~man!

No one could make up such a story. No one could foretell of all events that would surround this birth, hundreds of years in advance and then have Holy men of God prophesy of the events.

This is what sets us Christians apart.
Notre Dame professor tries to solve mystery behind the Star of Bethlehem
For nearly 2,000 years, it's been the one puzzle astronomers haven't been able to fully solve. But now, one Notre Dame professor thinks he may have discovered the origin of the star of Bethlehem.

Sunday, December 27, 2009

Tongues Is Indeed For Today

Tongues Is For Today
The Bible mentions two kinds of tongues in 1 Cor.13:1: a. "tongues of men" ethnic languages with an interpretation; (spoken to men). b. "tongues of angels" devotional heavenly tongues, "speak mysteries in the Spirit" to God; (1 Cor.14:2).

2) Rom.8:26-27: Speaking in tongues enhances your prayer life. "We do not know how to pray as we should…the Spirit Himself intercedes with groanings…."

1 Cor.14:14 "If I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays…" (the mind doesn't comprehend)

When we are being tempted, attacked, or just confused, speaking in tongues is a powerful weapon.

 As we speak "mysteries" directly to God, even the demons do not understand!

3) Eph. 5:18-19: "spiritual songs" means singing in tongues.

The Baptism in the Holy Spirit enhances your ability to worship. Jn.4:24 : Worship in spirit and truth.

Results of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit
1) Will increase your revelation of the Word of God : Jn.16:13, "He will guide you into all truth."

2) Will give you power to witness, more effective evangelism. Acts 2:41 3,000 saved!

(see Jn.16:26-27, Acts 1:8)

3) Will give you power to minister in some of the Gifts of the Spirit (1 Cor.12).

4) Will increase the fruits of the Spirit in your life (ie. love, joy, faith, peace, etc.) See Gal.5:22.

5) Will increase purification in your life it is a baptism with fire! (Mt.3:11-12, Is.4:3-4) Speaking of the Holy Spirit, Jesus said, "He will convict the world of sin…" Jn.16:7-8

How To Receive This Baptism


1) Ask Jesus to Baptize you with the Holy Spirit and Begin Praising God Ps. 22:3, He inhabits our praises.

Praise out loud with abandonment ,get your tongue "mobilized"! Acts 10:44to48; they heard them speak with tongues and MAGNIFY GOD.

2) Activate your Faith ... We receive every experience in God by faith.

 As you sense the anointing of the Holy Spirit, step out in faith. (Take a risk.)

Stop speaking in English, but continue to vocalize. in another language ("seize, take hold off", Acts 8:15, Acts 19:2, Acts 2:38) It is a GIFT from the Father;

We do not have to do anything special to "merit" this gift, we simply receive.

Remember: Maintain what you Receive!

 Allow the Holy Spirit to fill you daily as you pray in the Spirit, worship, and speak or sing in tongues each day.

Use the gift He has given you!

Friday, December 25, 2009

Somewhere In Todays Post It Is Revealed That Jesus Christ True Birthday Took Place On June 17th at 8:30 PM Local Bethlehem Time.

See if you can find where this information came from by reading what I have posted...
David Sloane
The Star Of Bethlehem
http://www.bethlehemstar.com/

Star of Bethlehem - Legacy of the Magi
Star of Bethlehem - an astronomer's new book shows how the Christmas star was revealed from an ancient coin.

Christian Christmas: Christmas In Cyberspace A Christian Perspective
The Best Christian Christmas Sites: There are lots of Christ-centered Christmas sites, and you have only so many clicks. Which ones are the most useful?

Birth of Jesus
Matthew 1 - Genealogy and birth of Jesus .
Matthew 2 - Visit of the Magi and escape to Egypt.
Luke 1 - The birth of John and the conception of Jesus.
Luke 2 - The birth of Jesus, shepherds visit and early years.

Read the Old Testament prophecies related to Christmas and the birth of Jesus in five popular translations - AMP, KJV, HCSB, NIV, The Message:
Genesis 3:15; 49:10 Deuteronomy 18:15-19 - General prophecies of the coming Messiah.
Genesis 9:26; 12:3; 17:21; 28:14; 49:8 Isaiah 11:1 Jeremiah 23:5 - Genealogical prophecies of Jesus' birth..
.
Isaiah 7;14 - Virgin birth foretold named Immanuel (God with us).
Micah 5:2 - Bethlehem would be the birthplace.
Psalm 72:10-11 - Kings will present him gifts.
Jeremiah 31:15 - The massacre of Bethlehem's children.
Hosea 11:1 - The escape to Egypt.

Almighty God Became Man:
http://www.storyit.com/Bible/christmas1.htm

The Birth Of Christ - The Birth of Christ from Luke

Mary, Gabriel & the Birth Of Jesus - This story is based on the angel Gabriel's announcement to Mary of the birth of God's son, Jesus. Mary, a simple virgin from Nazareth, had enough faith to trust God's Word and be the mother to the world's Savior.

Mary Gives Birth to Jesus - A story of Christmas based on Luke 1:26-2:20.
Who’s in the Manger?
Manger scenes at Christmas, prayer in school and “In God we trust” are all under attack in America. If the story of Santa Clause has become a religion of sorts, it is the fastest growing religion in America. The Christmas story of the birth of Christ has been replaced with the glamorous story of Saint Nicolas. Each year children await his coming religiously. They have strong convictions that they had better be good, because Santa Clause knows all things and can be everywhere at once. The attributes that belong only to God are shared with none other than Santa himself. His countenance is as the sun and his skin shines like the face of Moses.

Christian parents wouldn’t want to deprive their little ones of the magic of Christmas; after all its only make believe. Proverbs 22:6 instructs parents to, “Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” The idea of encouraging a temporary faith in Santa Clause, is not, as the scripture says, ‘training up a child in the way he should go‘.

In times past the grace of God tolerated such compromise, but is now commanding that all men repent. We are to have no other gods before Him. If we don’t drive them out of our homes, they will invade us and overcome us.

This new version of the Christmas story is unlike any of the other fun stories that we tell our children because it robs God of the glory of Christmas and leaves His only begotten son completely out of the equation. Can you imagine having a birthday party for someone and then not inviting them to their own party. Most younger children do not even understand that Christmas has anything to do with the birth of Christ, but they know full well the meaning of Santa Clause.

If this were to be the case under the Old Testament, they would have stoned Santa; killed all of his rain deers and had them burned. God said, “I am the Lord God, I change not.’ He is a jealous God. The Bible tells us that the customs of the people are vain and not to be like them. We are to come out from among them and be separate saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing. In Deuteronomy we are warned not to bring an accursed object into our house, lest we become a cursed thing like it.

Consider the Christian fish symbol. We use it to identify ourselves as Christians. The evolutionist comes along and reverses the direction of the fish symbol and adds feet to it. Do we as Christians think its cute and innocent and add it to our decorations.? Do we go along with the redefined meaning of the rainbow? If Saint Nicolas ever really existed do you think he would approve of whats going on with Christmas today?

Picture this: Your driving along the road with your family and see a manger scene. Its been a wonderful evening with the kids, looking at all the lights and Christmas decorations. The spot light has clearly been on Santa Clause all night; but now this manger. You are amazed at how well they built this manger scene and how authentic it looks. They have paid great attention to detail in the construction of it so you pull over to get a closer look. The kids are getting tired and fussy by now but this is incredible so you all get out of the car to see this wonderful sight. Upon approaching the manger, you get a sense of awe about the whole thing. Would you find it offensive to find that baby Jesus was replaced with a baby Santa Clause? If so why? What difference does it make in the grand scheme of things. As a Christian, you are already aware of how Christ has been X-mased from Christmas.

We Christians enjoy the light up Santa kneeling at the manger, but in effect Jesus has taken a back seat to Santa. It’s as if we have Jesus kneeling at the feet of Santa Clause. I say that because we the Church are representatives of Christ and if we bow before other gods by giving credence to them we desecrate the very Lord that bought us.

1 John 5:21 “Little children, keep yourself from idols. Amen.”

Pastor Tilson Shumate

Jesus was a June baby:
http://rt.com/prime-time/2008-12-09/Jesus_was_a_June_baby_.html?gclid=CNLf7c-W8p4CFQwTawodsHIEiQ
http://www.rapidnet.com/~jbeard/bdm/Psychology/xmas/celeb.htm

Monday, December 21, 2009

A professor emeritus of Philosophy of Religion and Theology at the Clarement School of Theology in California for 30 years , David Ray Griffin has today, through his books and lectures, become better known as one of the leading voices of the "9/11 Truth Movement." Through his investigation and analysis of the fall of the Twin Towers and mysterious collapse of World Trade Centre 7, the attack on the Pentagon and the final 9/11 Commission Report, Griffin continues to raise provocative questions about the inconsistencies and contradictions of the official version of the events of September 11, 2001.

Sunday, December 20, 2009

A man introduced himself as a prophet and the pastor ridiculed him for it.

School of the Prophets and Pastors

A man introduced himself as a prophet and the pastor ridiculed him for it. The prophet had attended a school to become a prophet and the pastor had attended seminary to become a pastor. Each had to pay a fee for their education. The pastor went on to say that no school of the prophets should charge people money to become prophets. The prophet replied that no man or school can decide the ministry office of an individual but it does take money to run a school. The pastor was certain of his own calling but felt the prophet was being presumptuous of his. Both the prophet and the pastor felt a strong calling to the ministry. They both began preparing for it by attending schools that charged a tuition.

Bible college, seminary, and prophetic schools of ministry for advanced Christian education are different names for the same thing. A pastor that attends Bible college is no different than a prophet that attends a school for prophets. The school does not make a person a pastor or a prophet, it only helps to equip them for what God has called them to be.

The pastor who ridiculed the prophet said that he could not think of anywhere in the Bible where a prophet called himself a prophet. The prophet said. “Come to think of it, I can’t think of anywhere in the Bible that a pastor called himself a pastor.”

Pastor, senior pastor, associate pastor, we hear it all the time and we see it everywhere in print; the sign at the church, the church bulletin, business cards and web-sites. With every church there is a pastor that calls himself a pastor, but where are the prophets?

The office of a pastor is not superior to that of a prophet. Both are listed in the five anointing s of Christ in (Ephesians 4:11). If there are true pastors, there are true prophets. If there are false prophets, there are also false pastors. Self proclaimed prophets are not any more dangerous to the body of Christ than self appointed pastors. A pastor is in the position of a shepherd and capable of leading his flock astray. To lead innocent sheep away from the prophetic anointing of Christ is against the Word of God, and sometimes God calls upon the prophets to point that out.

It is vital to every calling of God, that the one called knows the office of his calling. Paul the apostle was a man that knew what he was called to be and how to stand in the authority of that call. He said “Since ye seek a proof of Christ speaking in me…” (2 Corinthians 13:3). He continually reiterated the fact that he was an apostle called by God and not by man.

Paul was constantly dealing with unbelief concerning his anointing in Christ, yet he never allowed it to detour him from what he was called to be. In the New Testament account, Paul knew who he was, and in the Old Testament, so did Elijah. Paul called himself an apostle of Christ, and Elijah called himself a prophet of the Lord (1 Kings 18:22).

When Ahab, the king over Israel had forsaken the commandments of the Lord, he said to Elijah, “Art thou he that troubleth Israel?” Prophets of the Lord have a long history of rejection because they are known to stir up and agitate a situation that God is about to judge.

Pastor Tilson Shumate

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

My "Clouds" Video

This is a different view of clouds.

These days we very rarely see actual real clouds. 

Sometimes we see them with out noticing them.

I felt the need to document a winter's days worth of real clouds as I view them through my lens.

 Here you have tons of water vapor gently floating by as if they are light as a feather.

Clouds relaxes the mind and calms the soul.

I wanted this film to be therapy for anyone who views it...

I think you will agree I have achieved my goal.

I want to give my gratitude to Adam Fielding for his very inspirational sound track that he contributed to the project.

Adams talent makes this film come alive.

Relax and enjoy the Master Creator's sky paintings...
HARP BLUES TUESDAY
David Sloane
Jason Ricci takes a solo during "The Way I Hurt Myself", February 28, 2008, Mexicali Blues, Teaneck, NJ
http://www.archive.org/deta...
Jason Ricci playing through a HarpGear Double Trouble 1/20/07 at a seminar in Ocala, FL.

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Redemption

REDEMPTION FOR ALL
Jesus Christ

2 Peter 3:9The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Rick Warren Biography Uncovers Rocky Marriage, Depression

WANTED

JESUS CHRIST

ALIAS: THE MESSIAH, THE SON OF GOD, KING OF KINGS, LORD OF LORDS, PRINCE OF PEACE, ETC.

> Notorious leader of an underground liberation movement

>Wanted for the following charges:

—Practicing medicine, winemaking and food distribution without a license.

—Interfering with businessmen in the temple.

—Associating with known criminals, radicals, subversives, prostitutes and street people.

—Claiming to have the authority to make people into God's children.

APPEARANCE: Typical hippie type—long hair, beard, robe, sandals.

> Hangs around slum areas, few rich friends, often sneaks out into the desert.

BEWARE: This man is extremely dangerous. His insidiously inflammatory message is particularly dangerous to young people who haven't been taught to ignore him yet. He changes men and claims to set them free.

WARNING: HE IS STILL AT LARGE!

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Cancer in Christians
On 12.08.09,

Cancer is one of Satan’s prized trophy’s. It hides in the safe haven of the Christian mind-set of today. Most Christians do not believe in demons for Christians and that’s a good thing, but unfortunately somewhere along the way they have picked up the idea that cancer is. They recognize it as some sort of an attack on their life and at the same time accept it as something that God is doing. When I command the spirit of cancer to depart, it has no other option. Jesus has given me power over the devil and to cure all manner of sickness and disease. When I tread upon serpents, I effectively destroy the work of the devil because I am acting on what Jesus has commanded me to do.

Cancer cells cannot survive in the healing presence of Jesus. However, they can and do thrive in the absence of faith in His willingness to heal. If Satan can get you to believe that God does not want you healed, he can defeat you and eventually kill you. “For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep” (1 Corinthians 11:30). The apostle Paul’s teaching on why so many Christians were sick and dieing was because they failed in discerning the Lord’s body. He was speaking of Holy Communion which ties to Isaiah 53:5 “…and with his stripes we are healed.” And 1 Peter 2:24 “…by whose stripes ye were healed.”

If religion with all of it’s misconceptions and philosophical doctrines can cause doubts about the scourging of Christ for our physical healing, it can cause well meaning godly people to accept sickness, remain sick, and even die. Jesus said, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). If you don’t believe the truth about your healing, you may never get free of your sickness. “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge…” (Hosea 4:6).

We drive out sickness in the name of Jesus and every demonic disease is subject to us. We must stand in our authority as servants of the Most High God and break the curse of cancer. Satan is a defeated foe and he knows it.

In the mighty name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth I command cancer cells to die and they must die. God gave me this authority and everywhere I go I am going to look for opportunities to use it. He said to “Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give” (Mathew 10:8).

A walk with God with this kind of authority is not for every born again Christian, it is only for those who believe. “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover” (Mark 16:17-18).

When you read this, you might say “Who does this guy think he is” but remember, it is what Jesus has to say about anyone who will believe Him.

Pastor Tilson Shumate

While we sell nothing here and ask for nothing, I do like to share this with you from time to time.





While we sell nothing here and ask for nothing, I do like to share this with you from time to time.


 We have no interest or benefit from these sales other then to alert you to their existence for blessing to you and to Ben.

If you would like to read some of Brant Baker's incredible sermons here is a resource.

The Governed of God: A Series of Sermons by R. Brant Baker Transcribed by Ben P. Morgan

I have been told that Ben was Shekinah Fellowship's bus driver during Brant's watch.

And I was told that Ben has health issuers and could use the income to help pay his med bills etc.

I don't know if this information is correct since I have not been able to verify it.

From Rags to Raiment: A Collection of Sermons by R. Brant Baker by Ben P. Morgan (Paperback - Jul 2001)

Brant had a preaching gift that stirred the hearts and presented the living Christ in all His glory.

Wednesday, December 02, 2009

Erik Janson has made available a rare audio file from Brownsville revial. Almost everyone who listens to it in its entirety ends up in tears. There are sound clips from some of the finest revivalist of all times. This will impact you in a way that you may not have experienced before. The texture of overlapping revivalist anointings will take you to the very throne of God!
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5123898248076447734