UGW
Topic of discussion is Crucified With Christ -Life Comes as a Result of Being Dead. Galatians 2:20-21
To be crucified with Christ is to be dead (the power of the flesh, sin….etc no longer dominates you) to the world system, religion, self, sin and Satan. It means that we no longer strive to live for self, nor our old life as we have known it. The passions and lust which controlled us before Salvation should be nailed (destroyed) to His Cross. This is necessary so that the life of Christ can be manifested through us.
Too many of us give our lives to Christ and then try to live for God based upon our old way of living, thinking, traditions and self efforts. The only way that the life of Christ can be revealed through you and I, as believers, is if we place our focus and faith not on our ministry, not on our gifts and abilities, and not on works but on where we began this Christian life which is by faith in the Cross of Christ and where we shall end this life by exhibiting faith in the Cross of Christ.
Understand that just because one operates in a gift or ability does not mean that one is living a crucified life. Our character must be changed to match that of Christ and the process of denying self must be applied daily. This is a spiritual work which can only be done by the Holy Spirit when our faith is properly placed in the Cross of Christ.
Many have been offended/hurt in the body of Christ by fellow Christians and many believe that one has to put up with and continue in fellowship with the offender and keep moving as if nothing has happened. This isn’t the bible’s stance. The bible does expect the offended to forgive but fellowship may not be restored. The bible desires for us as Christians to admit our faults with the intent of not doing it again, and get it right with fellow believers. God doesn’t expect the offended to continue to be a door mat, but the goal is that we walk in fellowship with one another if at all possible. We can forgive the offender but sometimes the offender may not be willing to admit his/her faults and continue to walk in offending others.
~Shonette
ON RESTITUTION AND PRAYER
Matthew 5:23-26
23 Therefore if you bring your gift to the Altar (referring to the Brazen Altar as used in the offering of Sacrifices in the Law of Moses), and there remember that your brother has ought against you (is meant to describe our relationship with our fellowman);
24 Leave there your gift before the Altar (the intimation is that the Lord will not accept our “gift” unless we do all within our power to make things right with the offended party), and go your way (make every effort to bring about reconciliation, if at all possible); first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift (worship will not be accepted by the Lord, if we have wronged our brother, and have not done all within our power to make amends).
CHRISTIAN RELATIONSHIPS
25 Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are in the way with him (if we offend our brother and do not make amends, the Lord becomes our adversary, or opponent, which places one in a serious situation indeed); lest at any time the adversary deliver you to the judge, and the judge deliver you to the officer, and you be cast into prison (regarding a Believer who offends a fellow Christian, and will not make amends, God becomes that person’s Adversary, and thereby is Judge instead of his Saviour, and spiritually speaking, puts such a person in a spiritual prison).
26 Verily I say unto you (the absolute solemnity of this statement), You shall by no means come out thence (come out of this spiritual prison), till you have paid the uttermost farthing (the Lord’s method of teaching was symbolic and figurative; if the Believer doesn’t make amends with his fellowman who he has wronged, he will suffer one reverse after the other; God will see to it).
Topic of discussion is “Crucified With Christ” Romans 6, Galatians 2:20-21
To be crucified with Christ is to be dead (the power of the flesh, sin….etc no longer dominates you) to the world system, religion, self, sin and Satan. It means that we no longer strive to live for self, nor our old life as we have known it. The passions and lust which controlled us before Salvation should be nailed (destroyed) to His Cross. This is necessary so that the life of Christ can be manifested through us.
Too many of us give our lives to Christ and then try to live for God based upon our old way of living, thinking, traditions and self efforts. The only way that the life of Christ can be revealed through you and I, as believers, is if we place our focus and faith not on our ministry, not on our gifts and abilities, and not on works but on where we began this Christian life which is by faith in the Cross of Christ and where we shall end this life by exhibiting faith in the Cross of Christ.
Understand that just because one operates in a gift or ability does not mean that one is living a crucified life. Our character must be changed to match that of Christ and the process of denying self must be applied daily. This is a spiritual work which can only be done by the Holy Spirit when our faith is properly placed in the Cross of Christ.
1 Samuel 15:22 And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
John 4:23-24 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
In today’s church we find that the emphasis is often placed on serving, working, submitting but it’s all to an organization or a man or woman behind the pulpit. Oftentimes, it’s not stated verbally but it is insinuated and often expected of it’s members. We often tie belonging to a church with our Salvation, but if we were to read our bibles in the full meaning and context of scriptures, we will find that our loyalty and commitment is to the Lord. There is nothing wrong with going to a church or belonging to an organization, the bible encourages that, but our loyalty and commitment is to the Lord and His redemption plan, Calvary. Commitment ends when the word of God has been violated, misinterpreted, manipulated, and abused. In 1 Samuel 15:22, you can see where King Saul thought that his participation in a religious event and the offering of sacrifices to the Lord, but having to neglect to obey the Lord’s command, would bring about a favorable response from God.
In the Hebrew text, the words, “to obey is better than sacrifice” asserts in the clearest terms the superiority of moral to ritual worship, and that God can only be really served with the heart. This is what we are missing in most of our churches. We are more focused on externally building our kingdoms instead of allowing the Spirit of God to build us in character morally and internally. We have forgotten that Christ is the Head of the Church, that is the Body of Christ. Many as stated in Mark 7:7-13, have allowed the traditions of the church and man to hinder us in our relationship with the Lord by laying aside the commandment of God for the rules and traditions of men.
Notice that Samuel states that the Lord has a great delight in obeying the voice of the Lord. I have come to the conclusion that the reason we are so loyal to men is due to not knowing the voice of the Lord. The bible states that His sheep follow Him because they know His voice and a stranger they will not follow (John 10:4-5). I have seen many leaders upset with individuals because they will not follow them, their ministry, their planning and efforts outside of faith in Calvary. Those who are of Christ, follow His message, His voice and those of like faith…etc., and His alone. Why? Because Christ states that “If I be lifted up, I will draw all men”(John 12:32). The way in which He was lifted up was at Calvary where He paid the price for our redemption. It is not enough to lift up churches, ministries, works, activities, leaders ….etc., but this message of the atonement made at Calvary is where the power resides to save and deliver all men who will believe.
True worshipers, obey God by the power of the Holy Spirit when one’s faith is properly placed in Calvary, according to the Truth (as only found in the message of the Cross) of the Gospel which brings about true freedom and rest from all bondage. Follow Him!
~Shonette
and he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Beth-el, and pitched his tent, having Beth-el on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he built an Altar unto the LORD, and called upon the Name of the LORD (Gen. 12:8).
“Beth-el” means “House of God.” “Hai” means “garbage dump.”
The Altar alone, typifying the Cross, can keep the Believer away from the garbage dump.
It is virtually impossible for the Believer to know the difference between the “House of God” and the “garbage dump” other than by the Cross. That’s the reason we have so much false doctrine presently and so many Christians following false doctrine. For the last several decades, the Church has drifted so far from the Cross that it hardly knows any more where it has been, where it is, or where it is going. Because it no longer plants its doctrines on the foundation of the Cross, it has lost completely its moorings.
Without an understanding of the Cross, there is absolutely no discernment regarding false doctrine.
That’s the reason that Paul said:
“Now the Spirit speaks expressly, that in the latter times (the times in which we now live) some shall depart from the Faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils” (I Tim. 4:1).
A “departure from the Faith,” i.e., “Christ and Him Crucified,” is the reason!
Never forget:
Satan dresses up his “garbage dumps” to look like something else altogether. In other words, they look like anything but garbage dumps; and, without an understanding of the Cross, invariably that’s the way the Believer will go (Gal. 6:14).
~J. Swaggart
January 7
and the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto your seed will I give this land: and there built he an Altar unto the LORD, Who appeared unto him (Gen. 12:7).
Abraham is referred to as the “Altar builder.” Why did he build so many Altars?
Whenever the Lord spoke to Abraham, and Abraham heard and yielded, which was the moment of his conversion, the Lord also made it very clear to Abraham as to the manner in which man was to approach God. It only could be through the sacrifice of a clean animal, which necessitated the shedding of blood, all which symbolized Christ. That was the only way that God could converse with man—any man. God accepts nothing from humanity except it comes by the way of the Cross.
That’s the reason that Abraham had to build a new Altar everywhere he went. There was no other way to converse with the Lord.
It has not changed even unto this moment. Man can come to God only by the way of the Cross (I Cor. 2:2).
This means if the Church is not preaching the Cross, then whatever that particular Church is doing is totally unacceptable to God. This means every person who attends such a Church, for whatever reason they are attending, is not attending for the Lord, but for something else entirely. Such a course spells disaster!
Find a Church which “builds the Altar,” i.e., “trusts in Christ and what He did at the Cross”; there life and victory will be found (I Cor. 1:17–18, 21, 23; 2:2).
~J. Swaggart
The Idol of Ethnicity
The idol of ethnicity: There are many believers who have allowed their ethnicity and culture to trump the Word of God. Jesus said culture is even stronger than the Word of God in some people’s lives (Mark 7:7-8). Consequently, people read the Scriptures through their Caucasian/Western, Afro-centric, Hispanic or Asian lenses. One of the most important things to do in regards to receiving the Word of God for personal transformation is to attempt to take ourselves out of our own skin and read the Bible through the eyes of the authors original intent—something only the Holy Spirit can accomplish. There is no such thing as a Western European Caucasian Bible or an Afro-centric Bible. We need to stop reading the Scriptures merely through our ethnic lens because the truth is that the Bible was written with a Hebraic mindset and it is foolish to think we can fully understand it with our contemporary ethnic mindset.
Consequently, believers often act and react no different from non-believers in regards to things that happen in contemporary society. White, black and brown believers have generally reacted far different from one another when it comes to interpreting immigration reform and the tragedies of the Ferguson shooting and Eric Garner death. Truly, I believe that the gospel is so powerful that it is possible for diverse Christians to come together with one voice and prophetically interpret, speak into and bring solutions to these painful and controversial issues!
God is not color blind, since He made humans black, brown, yellow, red and white in His own image. Hence, He designed us to have distinctions in culture regarding food, dress, language and other things based upon ethnic nuances. However, these distinctions are not where believers should derive their primary identity or anchor their biblical ethics, for in Christ there is neither male nor female, black, white or brown, for we are all one in Christ (Gal. 3:28). When our ethnic thinking trumps our biblical thinking, we are guilty either of ignorance or ethnic idolatry. Unless or until the body of Christ gets over its idolatry according to ethnicity, we will never become the generation that can disciple the nations (or in other words, ethnic people groups as shown in Matthew 28:19). Since there is no neutrality, either the church will disciple the nations or the nations will disciple the church!
Joseph Mattera
by Donnie Swaggart
SEDUCING SPIRITS AND DOCTRINES OF DEVILS
Timothy 4:1 “Now the Spirit (Holy Spirit) speaks expressly (pointedly), that in the latter times (the times in which we now live, the last of the last days, which begin the fulfillment of Endtime Prophecies) some shall depart from the Faith (anytime Paul uses the term the Faith, in short he is referring to the Cross; so, we are told here that some will depart from the Cross as the means of Salvation and Victory), giving heed to seducing spirits (evil spirits, i.e., religious spirits, making something seem like what it isn’t), and doctrines of devils (should have been translated, doctrines of demons ; the seducing spirits entice Believers away from the true Faith, causing them to believe doctrines inspired by demon spirits ).”
This Verse, as given by the Holy Spirit to the Apostle Paul, expressly warns us what is going to happen in the Church in the Last Days.
“NOW THE SPIRIT SPEAKS EXPRESSLY”
This speaks of the Holy Spirit. The words, “speaks expressly,” refers to the fact that it was not by mere hints or even symbols, but given to Paul in an open and plain manner. In other words, there was no hesitation or waffling on the part of the Holy Spirit. What He stated to Paul was unmistakably clear.
In Revelation, Chapters 2 and 3, seven times it says, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the Churches.” It is the Work of the Holy Spirit to reveal what is going on and what is going to happen, and whatever the Holy Spirit says will come to pass, then it will come to pass.
“THAT IN THE LATTER TIMES”
This statement refers to the last years ending the Church Age and before the Millennial Reign of the Lord Jesus Christ. Actually, it is speaking of this present time. The problems the Holy Spirit mentioned have always existed in the Church; however, as we grow closer to the Rapture of the Church, these problems will be more pronounced and common. In the Greek, the word “latter” means “afterward, at the last of all.” What is being said here is that the Church is in the last great apostasy of the Church Age.
“SOME SHALL DEPART FROM THE FAITH”
This speaks of a departure from the Word of God, but more particularly to the major Theme of the Bible, the Finished Work of Christ, the Cross. Today, Doctrine is laughed at, dismissed, and lampooned. But without correct Biblical Doctrine, the Church is like a ship adrift at sea with no engine. Where there is an absence of Doctrine, Satan will always see to it that which is false will fill the void. The Message of the Cross is being openly attacked and dismissed as never before.
Understand this: the Cross of Christ is the dividing line between the True Church and the apostate Church. Take note of my words. Those who reject the Cross and disdain it, they will be lost. If you don t embrace the Truth of Christ and Him Crucified and Resurrected, and proclaim that great Truth as the only means of Justification and Sanctification then you are going to lose your soul and you will spend eternity in Hell.
Joshua 24:15 still says, “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served who were on the other side of the Flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” And you can t serve the Lord outside of Calvary.
“GIVING HEED TO SEDUCING SPIRITS”
This statement tells us the cause of the Church s departure from Truth. “Seducing” in the Greek is “Planos” and means “wandering, roving, misleading, leading into error.” The word “spirits” refers to evil spirits actually putting into motion human agents of the “spirit of error.” “Seducing spirits” means exactly what the word implies. Evil spirits actually seduce preachers and laity, just as a harlot seduces a man. These seducing spirits appear as Angels of light. These seducing spirits move one away from the true Word of God, the King James Bible, to the perverted translations that literally change the meaning of Scripture. As seducing spirits, they blind the Church to what is the real truth to the point where truth is called a lie, and the lie is called the truth.
After these seducing spirits blind the Church, the next step is to bring the world and its ways into the Church until the people become so blind and in such a stupor that they are worshipping Satan thinking it is Jesus. Satan is no longer outside of the Church, but he is literally in charge of far too many pastors and their congregations.
Today, preaching is laughed at. The Holy Spirit is no longer welcome. Instead of singing the great songs of Faith, we have substituted secular, worldly music. We have brought Hollywood movies into the Sanctuary of God. Too many services resemble nothing more than a night club. But I remind you of the Word of the Lord in Ezekiel 5:11, “. . . because you have defiled My Sanctuary with all your detestable things, and with all your abominations, therefore will I also diminish you; neither shall My Eye spare, neither will I have any pity.” God s Sanctuary has been turned into a gathering place of demonic spirits.
“DOCTRINES OF DEVILS”
This phrase should have been translated “Doctrines of Demons,” for there is only one Devil, a fallen Angel, and many demons who are Satan s servants. It is important to note that Paul finds the source of false doctrine in these demons who entice God s Children away from the True Faith, causing them to believe doctrines inspired by demon spirits.
Never forget that what is preached and taught from behind the pulpit is always empowered by a spirit. If it is Truth, then it is backed by the Holy Spirit and the Bible. If it is false doctrine, then it is empowered by demon spirits. There is no middle ground. The modern church has been by and large seduced by demon spirits.
THE ANSWER
The only hope for the Church is Revival and one can only have Revival by returning to the old paths. The Church must come back to the Cross and repent.
What I have written is negative, but I am going to end on a positive note. In spite of the worldliness of the church, there is still a remnant left. There are still 7,000 who haven’t bowed the knee to Baal. There are still some Daniels out there who won t stop praying. There are still some Moses out there who will look Pharaoh right in the eye and proclaim, “Let my people go.”
I do believe we will see a great Move of God. I still believe in II Chronicles 7:14, “If My People, who are called by My Name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My Face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from Heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
January 6
and Noah built an Altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered Burnt Offerings on the Altar. And the LORD smelled the sweet savor … (Gen. 8:20–21).
Noah built an Altar and worshipped; not the Altar, but God. The Altar was the instrument of his Salvation, as the Cross was Paul’s, and of every other Believer who has ever lived. But the Apostle did not worship the Cross, as multitudes do today, but worshipped Him Who died upon it.
The “Altar” built by Noah and the sacrifices offered upon it were symbols of Christ and what He would do to redeem the lost sons of Adam’s fallen race. When Noah offered up his sacrifices, even as commanded by the Lord, the Scripture says that “the LORD smelled a sweet savor.”
What could have been “sweet” about the carcass of an animal being burned to a crisp on an Altar?
The “sweet savor” had to do with what it represented, which was the Coming Redeemer, Whose Coming and Sacrifice of Himself would redeem fallen humanity.
Let the Reader understand:
The Lord “smells a sweet savor” only as it regards our Faith in Christ and what He did for us at the Cross. This means that everything else is repugnant to Him, coming up rather as a “stink” in His nostrils.
That rules out every fad, every scheme, anything and everything for that matter, which is not anchored solely in “Jesus Christ and Him Crucified” (I Cor. 1:23).
Every single Believer should, therefore, check very carefully as to what his Pastor is preaching, or his favorite TV Evangelist, etc. If he or she is not preaching the Cross, there is no “sweet savor” going up to the Lord, but something else entirely!
~JSM