Mans’ Tradition versus Gods’ Truth

03/27/2012

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The hour is here my dear friends when traditions will crumble from your beautiful  foundations and when Gods’ Truth must be proclaimed to the nations without flaw  or blemish. Today is the day of Salvation, and it is the day when the Body of Christ must be about preparing for His coming! We cannot do that as long as our churches are filled with apathetic sin and love for only self. Unfortunately, this is the condition of the church
today. 

Throughout my traveling ministry, I have seen the sick condition of the church, and it breaks my heart to realize that Gods’ people are becoming numb to His Spirit.  Are you going to live by mans’ traditions or by Gods’ truth in your life? You do have a choice, and the choice you make will result in your eternal destination.

Jesus is speaking to the scribes and Pharisees. In this passage, He initially gives them a wakeup call, but they invariably press the snooze button. How many times do you do that to God? (Matthew 23: 13, 15, 27) 

v.13
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to. 15 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are.


You must understand that the Pharisees of that time were making it near impossible for anyone to find redemption in the law, as they continued to add more rules and regulations to abide by. In another attempt to help them realize their poor condition before God, Christ affirms that Mans’ tradition brings death. 27"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. 
 
Clearly, we can see that the church today has not strayed so very far away from our roots found here in Matthew. We can still find leaders who teach false doctrine, adhere to mans’ tradition and use such piety to influence others. However, beloved, there is a remnant that has nothing to do with such fanfares. You can find them thinly scattered around the world. I know, because I have found them about everywhere I have been. They are devoted followers of Christ who adhere to the TRUTH of His Word without compromise and religion. It is refreshing when I cross their paths because they love sincerely, have no ulterior motives, and serve others unconditionally. The Lord is pleased with their service and He delights in their relentless love to win others to Christ.
 
In these last days, and….these are the last days, let us be found blameless in our devotion to Christ and to others. Let us serve one another in gladness, and win those around us by exuding HIS perfect love in our lives. How do we do that? We must walk in Truth, seek the Truth, live in Truth, proclaim the Truth and love the Truth till death. For HIS TRUTH shall set the captives free, and liberty is available to those who walk away from mens tradition and wisdom and choose to align themselves with Gods’ Truth. Jesus said I am the way, the TRUTH and the life. Simply KNOW Jesus and you will know the TRUTH.

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Do You Watch and Pray or Pray Amiss?

03/19/2012

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Garden of Gethsemane
Recently  I was studying the scripture in the book of Mark where Jesus was taking his disciples into the Garden of Gethsemane. On my recent trip to Israel, I was privileged to see the garden and several 2000 + year old olive trees that still
cover the landscape.  It was easy for me to imagine, after knowing this passage so well, that Jesus had walked the  garden, and prayed there. eventually He was arrested there, and then led to a cruel death on my behalf.
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Mercy Gate from the garden perspective.
As you look straight west from the Garden of Gethsemane you can see the walls of Jerusalem and the only gate straight ahead called The Mercy Gate. I think to myself,how appropriate that the Mercy Gate was the main gate viewed from that garden, a constant reminder of who Jesus is. The Jews say that the Messiah  would first enter the city through  this gate. In latter years, the muslims blocked the gate off, for fear that He might very well do that.  I am sure he thought of the meaning of that gate many times as he went to the garden to pray and seek the  Father’s face. But in that hour of torment, I can only imagine the GREAT mercy He had on our behalf to follow through with His divine destiny.

Today I want us to reflect on Mark 14:37. Prior to this revolutionary passage we read that Jesus has taken his disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane and leaving most  of them in one place, takes Peter, James and John a little further ahead. He then said to them “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful unto death: tarry ye here, and watch.”

He goes ahead and after praying and being willing to do whatever the Father’s will was, he returned to them. Mark 14:37-38 says, “Then He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “Simon, are you sleeping? Could you not watch one hour?Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

I find it significant that Jesus said that we are to watch and pray.  we know that Jesus had already taught his disciples in John 5; 19-20. So Jesus answered then, "I tell you the solemn truth, the son can do nothing on his own initiative, but only what he sees the Father doing.  for wahtever the Father does, the Son does likewise. For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything he does, and greater deeds than these he will show him, so that you may be amazed."

When we pray beloved friends, we are to hear and judge and seek God’s will. We can only do that when we see what God is doing, and then walk therefore in it. We can only pray the will of the Father, once we know HIS will. How are we going to know unless we WATCH first what He is doing, then obey. We must watch first, know His will, and then pray. If we do not watch, we will most likely pray erroneously. 

How is your prayer life? Do you watch and pray, or pray amiss? Are you tuned into what God is doing in your life, or are you casting out numerous prayers in hopes that God will answer some of them. The bible tells us that we can know  His will when we watch, seek, and ask. Find God’s will for your life and then pray, and see your prayer unfold before your eyes. It will revolutionize your prayer life ----leaving you never the same.



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When the IMPOSSIBLE meets GOD!

03/12/2012

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That the trial of your  faith, being much more precious than of gold that perishes, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: ( 1 Peter 1:7)

We had an eventful weekend. My husband had some health issues that required immediate attention in the emergency room and then he was admitted to the hospital. He is still incurring some tests today to rule out a life threatening situation. Anyone who knows us knows that God is the center of our home and heart. As I watched five of the medical team rush around him and begin treating him, my initial reaction on the inside was panic, and on the outside I just smiled to reassure him all will be well. 

As my husband’s condition was serious---he continued to be his witty, joking self through the whole process keeping doctors and nurses laughing and surprised by his demeanor. He is a bit of a corn-ball, but he makes you laugh, and you  just can’t refrain from it. I suppose being the baby of the family made him that way. Regardless, he has a deep walk when it comes to allowing the joy of the Lord resound from his lips.

As I am writing this, he is having another medical tests performed. I can tell you this, that through his health crisis, we have concurred that we are in this together. For sicker or poorer, and I have to say reluctantly that I have been the one who has had four major surgeries through the years of our marriage. He has always withheld a stellar medical record. So, imagine my surprise when we did a role reversal. 

We experienced nothing short of a miracle during the most critical phase of this event. God is moving, and we recogonize it for what it is. I told my husband that people all over the planet were praying---and they were! I alarmed my prayer warriors who spread the news globally. 

I am saying all this to say one thing---Take your impossible situation to God today! He will use it to develop His character in you. Once you go through a trial, you should be a little more like God. If you are not, get ready to go back to the starting line and run the race until you do it right. I pray that God finds our response and resolution to this trial to be found as Praise and Glory unto His SON!

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Worship Equals War+Ship

03/06/2012

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This week I want to write something about a friend of mine named  Chris Bolor Batkhuyag in Mongolia. He recently emailed me and shared his heart and  what God revealed to him about worship. Chris is a worship leader, and he desires to move in the prophetic. I have mentored many a worship leader, but I have to say, very few catch the true vision of worship as Chris has. I have already written about prophetic worship, but he asked me specifically how to hone that skill. My first response was,“You must be in the Word of God, and you must know the Word of God.” When I received an email from him this week he was overjoyed to share with me what God revealed to him. He said, “Jane, God showed me that we are to praise HIM at all times, and that worship is War+Ship!” 

Wow---that was a powerful statement, and I have to say I have been pondering on his words for the better part of the day. Anyone who is a worship leader knows the spiritual warfare that takes place in the midst of praise and worship. This is mainly because the enemy hates for God’s children to exalt the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ and to declare victory over this present darkness.

Ephesians 6: 12 says, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” 
 
As a worship leader we should have three objectives:

•To lift up the Name of Jesus 
•To humble ourselves before a Mighty God
 •And to destroy the work of the enemy.

Many a naïve Christian soldier has yet to reconcile that they have a relentless enemy who is determined to stop them from relinquishing their devotion to the One True God. You can bury your head in the sand, but it does not make the battle disappear. Many a commanding officer has one objective, and that is to win the battle! If we as commanding officers in uniforms as worship leaders approach the platform of praise and worship with the intent to win the battle, than we are setting ourselves up for a victory. If we enter the platform of praise and worship in our own strength and lack humility, we are overcome by the snares of the enemy, leaving God’s people void in the midst of worship. It is an awesome responsibility to lead God’s people in praise, and it should never be accomplished with arrogance or boastfulness. We must have the mindset that we are a “Warship”.  Together, as the Body of Christ we cannot be penetrated by the darts of the enemy, and no weapon formed against us will be able to stand. Once the battle is won, the Word of God is received, and souls are saved, people are set free, the lame walk, the blind see…etc.

Leading worship is not for wimps. So remember worship (warship) leader, to put on the Armor of God and to realize that your position in the Body of Christ is to equip, support, encourage, and lead other worshippers into spiritual warfare every time you gather together. If you maintain that attitude, you will remain successful in your ministry and every other area of your life.

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