Monday, May 26, 2014

The Birdcage

    REVELATION 18:2 reads, "...Baylon the Great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird." It is the story of a once great nation that has declined and decayed into a rat's nest of demonic activity. Particularly disturbing is John's repitition of the word every.
   America was once a people that did fear God; they acknowledged the Bible as His true Word; they had standards of decency. Yes, we've always had evil with us: racism, imperialism, and greed, to name a few. And there have always been pockets of the occult. But we've reached a stage in our culture & society where devils feel right at home and act like they own the place!
   Look around! Our books, TV shows & movies, kids' cartoons & toys---what do you see? I could list specific examples: I'd be here all day! There's weird stuff going on out there! And we are opening doors to all kinds of evil.
   Roughly 70 years ago, America & her allies defeated Hitler. BUT DID WE WIN??? We imported the Nazi's evil here....took the treasures they had stolen from the Jews; put Nazi scientists to work for us; used their spies against the Communists. It's as if Satan transferred his headquarters from Berlin to Washington, D.C. Not long after the end of WWII, stange things emerged here. A new technology- television- came into every home. A new musical genre appeared: Rock 'n' Roll.....which parents had dubbed "the Devil's music".
Strange sights were seen in the skies, and the whole UFO pheomena took off. The 60's & 70's brought mind-bending drugs and legalized abortion.
   And here we are today, where many people believe we were created by alien races....that man himself is a GMO, a hybrid between aliens & apes. Where deceased Pop stars magically appear singing & dancing on stage. Where people believe in vampires, werewolves, ghosts, zombies, mermaids, dragons- you name it. Where they worship not only every god & goddess from ages past, but make up new ones for themselves.
   "...And I heard another voice from Heaven saying, Come out of her, My people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues..." (Rev 18:4) Amen.

Sunday, May 4, 2014

The Bottle or the Well?

In the 21st chapter of Genesis, we read the story of how Abraham & Sarah sent away Hagar & Ishmael. We're told Abraham gave her a supply of bread, and a jug of water for their trip to nowhere. After a while, the water was used up, and the woman and her son faced death by dehhydration. But God had already promised to make a great nation of Ishmael, so He sent an angel to help.
   Guess what? That angel didn't bring her another bottle of water!!! No, HE OPENED HER EYES so she could see the WELL that was right there! Now she could go and fill the bottle herself. Simple enough? Sure, but like most Scripture, there's a deeper meaning here. Jesus told the Samaritan woman, "Lady, if you knew Whom you were talking to, you would ask, and I would give you that Living Water!"(John 4) Your spirit needs God just like your flesh needs H2O.
   This imagery of water representing the Spirit of life is used throughout the Bible. Now notice that Abraham (a prophet) gave Hagar a bottle of water. So many believers walk into church Sunday morning to get their weekly bottle of water from their Pastors, then go their ways, and in a few days dry out again! They go to service, get refreshed & revived by the fellowship, the worship, and the teaching, but by mid-week they're running on fumes! Would to God they would learn, like Hagar, to go to the Well themselves!
   I want all Christians to reach that level of maturity where they're not dependant on the Pastor or others for their RDA of God's Word & Spirit! To be able to get into God's presence and tarry there, to get into the Word and get fresh revelation and a Rhema word on their own! Where they can find encouragement for themselves, and be able to reach out to others with God's power & grace!
  How can I help anyone else, either to reach out to the lost, or to edify the saints, if I myself am drying out? "I am the Vine, you are the branches" says the Lord, and unless I abide in Christ, I cant' bear fruit or be of any use to anyone. Pastors, teachers, elders: we've got to train our people, show them, teach them, how to get God's anointing and inspiration themselves: Our folks need to be "weaned" like Isaac was!
  Moses struck the Rock and water flowed out (foreshadowing Christ's crucifixion where blood & water flowed from His side). Afterward, Israel sang to it, "Spring up, o Well!"(Numbers 21:17) Let the Spirit of Christ spring up in all His children as it is written, "He that believes on Me, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water!" Amen! Grace, peace, and as always, thanks for stopping by!