Having no fear of death is not simply doctrinal certainty making us children of God, but the Good Shepherd’s presence leading us. If He is truly leading us now, then He can be trusted to safely lead us in the end. The 23rd Psalm teaches us how to walk Home with God, beginning with a declaration of His possession and caring for us: “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want [literally, suffer need]” (Psalm 23:1 KJV). Both compelling and guiding, He determines the best place for us: “He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters” (23:2). Our strength is renewed, both for us and His reputation: “He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake” (23:3). In dangerous and life ending circumstances, He comforts us. “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me” (23:4). As a token of His favor in front of the enemy: “Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over” (23:5). The LORD watches our back and provides us forever a dwelling place with Him: “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever” (23:6). LORD, You are the Good Shepherd. We have no one but You to conduct us through life. May our certainty about You now lead us into Your joyful presence then, when You call us Home. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen and amen.
Spiritual Christianity
Firstfruits of All Thine Increase
The Law of Firstfruits is directed from the Unseen Realm of God upon all who honor the LORD with their substance and the beginning of their increase. “Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine” (Proverbs 3:9-10 KJV). Our “substance” (3:9) is whatever we already possess. The “firstfruits of all thine increase” (3:9) is the beginning of our income flow or material enlargement, but not all our future profit or increase. God seeks to promote our prosperity, not consume it. He seeks to take away the sickness of heart that is afraid to trust Him because of repeated past disappointments. “Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life” (Proverbs 13:12). The LORD desires a mindset and heart attitude excited and expectant of blessing to rest upon our home and offspring, because we understand and trust Him, when we give the firstfruits offering. “And the first of all the firstfruits of all things, and every oblation of all, of every sort of your oblations, shall be the priest’s: ye shall also give unto the priest the first of your dough [for bread baking], that He may cause the blessing to rest in thine house” (Ezekiel 44:30). We do not give to the Kingdom of God from OT legalism or to manipulate God, but He desires us to have a holy expectation of material blessing with His signature approval. Father, teach us the joy of giving the firstfruits of our increase that Your blessing may rest upon our house. May we walk as Your blessed ones prospering in whatever we do. May our preservation and blessing testify of Your goodness to the Church, the world, and all the Unseen Realm. In Jesus’ name, we ask it. Amen and amen.
Tithe Belongs to the LORD
The tithe was in existence before the OT Mosaic Law, since Abram paid tithes to Melchizedek (Genesis 14:20). “And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD’S: it is holy unto the LORD” (Leviticus 27:30 KJV). A “tithe” (27:32) represents a “tenth [1/10]” (27:32). All our income belongs to God, since we belong to God. But, the tithe is especially set apart for the service of the LORD or dedicated for the LORD’s purposes, since it represents our covenant of trust with Him. What we are saying when we tithe is, ‘I take care of Your business, LORD, and You look after my business.’ As Jacob said, “And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God’s house: and of all that Thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto Thee” (Genesis 28:22). Though tithing became part of OT Law, under the New Covenant, we still have an understanding of trust with the God of Abram. “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat [food] in Mine house, and prove Me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it” (Malachi 3:10). LORD, we take great delight in being called ‘one who tithes.’ We trust our tithe to You is not income lost, since we give from love and not necessity. Prosper Your servants, who tithe. Flourish the work of Your hands far beyond anything humans can accomplish. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen and amen.
Blindness of the Church (Part 2)
The most profound but simple truths are like Christ’s Beatitudes of the Sermon on the Mount, while the more complicated truths are like Paul’s explanation for Israel’s blindness. “For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in” (Romans 11:25 KJV). God is not finished with Israel, but His primary focus is presently on the Church, until the Church has been raptured. Doctrinal blindness separates the Church, such as the “doctrine of baptisms” (Hebrews 6:2). Some Church of Christ identify the necessity of water baptism for salvation in a First Principles studies in preparation for discipleship. “1 Therefore leaving the principles [literally, first principles] of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God: 2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment” (6:1-2).
My opinion, the doctrinal chasm between mainline evangelicals and the Church of Christ lies in the social significance of baptism as His appointed means: (1) for the Body of Christ to identify those who claim loyalty to Christ, i.e., “no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost” (1Corinthians 12:3), (2) for the new disciple to publicly claim his loyalty to Christ, i.e., “because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9 NET), and (3) for God’s supernatural-but-not-omniscient enemies to become informed, this disciple has switched loyalties to Christ, so ‘Keep your hands off,’ i.e., “Touch not Mine anointed, and do My prophets no harm” (1Chronicles 16:22; Psalm 105:15 KJV). The Father already knows who believes, but He requires us to be baptized before we can claim the Holy Spirit as our right of sonship, i.e., “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38).
LORD, may the Body of Christ’s understanding allow us to get beyond the “doctrine of baptisms” (Hebrews 6:2) and “go on unto perfection” (6:2). Let us see our similarities in Jesus are more than our differences. Return quickly, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
A Little Bird Told Me
Speaking maliciously of a king or powerful rich person has repercussions. “Curse not the king, no not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter” (Ecclesiastes 10:20 KJV). Simply testifying of evil conduct is not so much implied, as speaking maliciously with intent to harm, and certainly not “speaking the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15). “A little bird told me” would more be like gossip, for obvious political purposes, when speaking of a person of power. Moses wrote, “Thou shalt not revile the gods [Hebrew, elohim, as in lesser gods of the Divine Council, Psalm 82:1 ESV ], nor curse the ruler of thy people” (Exodus 22:28). Even the archangel Michael refused to speak boastfully against the devil from the Unseen Realm, but carefully watched his heart and directed his speech. “Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee” (Jude 1:9). Paul vilified Ananias the high priest for ordering him to be struck, contrary to the law, for simply speaking the truth. When informed his words were directed against a high priest, Paul respectfully replied, “I wist [knew] not, brethren, that he was the high priest: for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people” (Acts 23:5). He quoted again Moses, closing the circle of the argument, especially dealing with the powerful but lesser gods of the Unseen Realm, we need to be like Michael the archangel, by humbly resisting the devil “and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). LORD, we know You have already won the game, so we know how we play the game is the only thing of importance. Help us to remember to watch always our heart, that none can ever tattle on us, ‘A little bird told me.’ May our hearts stay pure in the midst of the political posturing and wrangling, of others. In Jesus’ name, we pray, for “Thou God seest me” (Genesis 16:13). Amen.
Gift of Physical Life
The ability to sense our surroundings gives us self-awareness, and acknowledging God’s presence is essential to appreciating God’s gift of physical life. “For in Him we live, and move, and have our being” (Acts 17:28 KJV). Laying down our physical life for a selfless cause is both loving and heroic. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). But, the hopeless taking of our own life is both suicide and unpardonable. What then is the best thing to do with our gift of physical life? “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:1-2). LORD, You are the giver of all good gifts. May we not consider ourselves as our own, but to be used for whatever gives You the greatest benefit, for then we will have our greatest happiness. Return quickly, and accomplish all your will on earth as it is in Heaven. Amen.
Joy of Our Heart
God’s words are our unspeakable joy. Are they not? Or, can they be? Even when commanded to bring the difficult message of coming judgment to fellow Judeans, Jeremiah reminded himself of the unwavering joy that comes only by embracing God’s words. “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and Thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by Thy name, O LORD God of hosts” (Jeremiah 15:16 KJV). Spirit of God, work to make Your words the joy and rejoicing of my heart. In the film “The Rookie” (2002), Dennis Quaid plays an older baseball rookie (Jimmy Morris) trying to make it into Major League Baseball (MLB) through the minor leagues, but he was getting discouraged. Watching a little league field of young players, he remembers his enjoyment of the game and is inspired to make another (and successful) attempt into the major leagues. The next morning, he announces to his friend, “Brooks, you know what we get to do today? We get to play baseball!” Pray that God’s Spirit would give us that kind of enjoyment in seeking Him, His Word, and His message.
Come Out From Among Them
Where does God draw the line for you? When you make a decision to move away from a circumstance, which would cause you to compromise truth you have received, then the LORD will receive you. “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you” (2Corinthians 6:17 KJV). Holiness unto the LORD is our set apartness unto God. The Holy Spirit gives us our guidance. How close can we get to God? The question is never how close to the world can you get and still be a Christian? Unless God has your whole heart, you are none of His. “My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways” (Proverbs 23:26). Remember the warning to the Professed Christians at Laodicea. “Because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of My mouth” (Revelation 3:16). Profession is not possession, unless there is heart obedience. LORD, make us to be holy for You are holy. Cause us to see how close we can draw to You, and not the world. Return quickly, and deliver us. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
Awakening the Church
The Holy Spirit has always been the Church’s greatest secret, but especially for the fragmented Church, its greatest mystery. Our most valuable connections are not man’s devices, such as the internet or social media — which have their place — but the Holy Spirit. We are accustomed to other means because of their obvious utility. What has the Church always had as both its Source and resource, but the Holy Spirit? How did the Early Church achieve such incomprehensible results without our modern devices, but through the Holy Spirit? “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:13 KJV). Disconnected from man’s devices, God is able to replicate and communicate His intentions and movement through the Holy Spirit. His Word is used to communicate to us by His Spirit. And, prayer is used to communicate with Him — and, to the rest of the Body of Christ. When His Spirit is moving upon us, then we can believe and pray He is similarly moving upon others. Use the assembling of the local church and the fellowship of disciples and believers, where possible and available, but do not neglect the Holy Spirit and prayer. Naturally, the enemy does not want us to fully appreciate our advantage. We neglect prayer because we do not well understand nor control it. “Through God we shall do valiantly: for He it is that shall tread down our enemies” (Psalm 60:12). LORD, inspire us to pray like we believe prayer is more effective and valuable than man’s devices. In Jesus’ name, we ask it. Amen.
Blindness of the Church (Part 1)
All of history has been building up to today, when the Church faces the god of this world and the minions of his demonic horde, long ignored in western biblical exposition. Jewish rabbis would rejoice to find the difficult passages to interpret because then they would have the most opportunity for discovery. “Open Thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Thy law” (Psalm 119:18 KJV). We will either lose our faith or go mad, if we continue to seek solutions without elevating our thinking about the Scriptures. Genesis is the beginning of most of our misunderstandings that only multiply throughout Scripture. Without debating six literal days of creation or Noah’s worldwide flood carving the Grand Canyon, trouble appears in Genesis 6, where 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 6:4 KJV). In the OT, benai elohim, “sons of God” (6:4) always refers to angelic beings (Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7). Angels (also called elohim, Psalm 82:1,6) who “kept not their first estate” (Jude 1:6) produced an unnatural, ungodly hybrid known as Nephilim. “The Nephilim [KJV, giants] were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown” (Genesis 6:4 ESV). The significance of this ungodly hybridization manifests itself throughout Scripture, e.g., Goliath; but ultimately, it will demonstrate itself in the fulfillment of Bible prophecy concerning the Antichrist. Already, the Church has been blinded concerning this because it has been mired in establishing the First Truths of the doctrines of Christ. “1 Therefore leaving the principles [Greek, archē, elementary instructions, first truths] of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, 2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment” (Hebrews 6:1-2). More about this later. LORD, grant us the gift of a willing heart to remove our blindness about what You are about to do in fulfillment of Prophecy. In Jesus’ name, amen.
For more information on the Nephilim, see our book, Understanding Spiritual Warfare.
We Need A Miracle 
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