Admonish

verb (used with object)

1.  to caution, advise, or counsel against something.

2.  to reprove or scold, especially in a mild and good-willed manner: The teacher admonished him about excessive noise.

3.  to urge to a duty; remind: to admonish them about their obligations.

-   “This is not a political war at all. This is not a cultural war. This is a spiritual war. And the Father of Lies has his sights on what you would think the Father of Lies would have his sights on: a good, decent, powerful, influential country - the United States of America.”

-   "We look at the shape of mainline Protestantism in this country, and it is in shambles”

-   “America is primarily a Christian nation, and its churches and synagogues are filled with parishioners who are screaming for preachers and pastors and rabbis to speak the truth, and they’re not getting it.”

- “people in many churches and synagogues are getting only “mumbo jumbo…They don’t get the true stuff that they’re going to the churches for”

“Admonish” is not a word that is used commonly in today’s culture.  It is equally, not a practice that is practiced today in the churches in America today.  The quotes above, appeared in the national news yesterday. 

It is a sad commentary on our churches, that they were not spoken by any clergy, or someone considered to be a spiritual advisor.  The first two quotes were spoken by Rick Santorum in a 2008 speech at the Ave Maria University.  The last two were spoken by Michael Savage, a harsh, conservative, talk radio host of Russian Jewish descent.

It reminds me of the warning God spoke through the prophet Ezekiel to the leaders of Israel:

“God’s Message came to me: ²“Son of man, prophesy against the shepherd-leaders of Israel. Yes, prophesy! Tell those shepherds, ‘God, the Master, says: Doom to you shepherds of Israel, feeding your own mouths! Aren’t shepherds supposed to feed sheep? ³You drink the milk, you make clothes from the wool, you roast the lambs, but you don’t feed the sheep. ⁴You don’t build up the weak ones, don’t heal the sick, don’t doctor the injured, don’t go after the strays, don’t look for the lost. You bully and badger them. ⁵And now they’re scattered every which way because there was no shepherd—scattered and easy pickings for wolves and coyotes. ⁶Scattered—my sheep!—exposed and vulnerable across mountains and hills. My sheep scattered all over the world, and no one out looking for them!

⁷Therefore, shepherds, listen to the Message of God: ⁸As sure as I am the living God—Decree of God, the Master—because my sheep have been turned into mere prey, into easy meals for wolves because you shepherds ignored them and only fed yourselves, ⁹listen to what God has to say: ¹⁰“‘Watch out! I’m coming down on the shepherds and taking my sheep back. They’re fired as shepherds of my sheep. No more shepherds who just feed themselves! I’ll rescue my sheep from their greed. They’re not going to feed off my sheep any longer!”  Ezekiel 34:1-10  The Message

Mufasa

Remember the scene in the movie, The Lion King, where the hyenas are talking about the Lion King, Mufasa.  Shenzi, one of the hyenas says: “I just hear that name, and I shudder!”, referring to Mufasa.  

NEWSFLASH!!  There is a true Lion King, the Lion of Judah at whose name every knee shall bow:

“at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; ¹¹And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2: 10-11

It was the name for which Paul was willing to die for:

“I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”  Acts 21:13

What was it about that name?  Why was it to die for?

The seventy returned to Jesus after being sent out and said:

“Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name”

Jesus, after chastising the eleven disciples for their unbelief and hardness of heart, told them:

“And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; ¹⁸They 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.”

If that is true, which it is; then, the converse is also true:

“And these signs shall NOT follow them that DON’T believe; In my name shall they NOT cast out devils; they shall NOT speak with new tongues; ¹⁸They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it SHELL hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall NOT recover.”

WELL!  Do YOU believe that these signs (In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; ¹⁸They 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.”) follow them that believe?

Truth #6:  There is power in the name of Jesus and signs follow belief in that name.

The Most Annoying Question!

What is the most annoying question to be asked as a parent; or for that matter just the most annoying question to be asked anytime in any situation?

WHY?

When confronted with this question, often the final and only answers is: “Because I said so” or “Just because!”  That is basically the answer God gave Job, when he questioned God.  Sometimes that is the only answer we get when we ask God, “why?”

However, many times we are given the answers in the Word; but we have never spent the time or energy to search it out, or we don’t like the answer and just keep asking ”why?” hoping for an answer more to our liking.  This is often the case when it comes to spiritual warfare.  Why do we HAVE to fight?  Why do we HAVE to wage battle with the satanic realm?  Well, we are given the answer in Ephesians 3.  It is helpful to look at the entire book of Ephesians in light of the final chapter, chapter 6. 

Paul is explaining “the mystery” to the church at Ephesus.  This mystery had been hidden by God until he revealed it to the apostles.   SO, it was new news!  But, the church today is probably still no more knowledgeable than were the early Christians.  God, through the prophet Hosea tells Israel the “⁶My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge”.  The same can be said today.

Paul tells the Ephesians that he is in jail because he taken up the cause to explain this mystery.

“This is why I, Paul, am in jail for Christ, having taken up the cause of you outsiders, so-called.

²I take it that you’re familiar with the part I was given in God’s plan for including everybody. ³I got the inside story on this from God himself.”  Ephesians 3:1-3, The Message

He goes on to say:

^“4As you read over what I have written to you, you’ll be able to see for yourselves into the mystery of Christ.” Ephesians 3:4, The Message

And explain:

“None of our ancestors understood this. Only in our time has it been made clear by God’s Spirit through his holy apostles and prophets of this new order.” Ephesians 3:5 The Message

What is the “mystery”?

⁶The mystery is that people who have never heard of God and those who have heard of him all their lives (what I’ve been calling outsiders and insiders) stand on the same ground before God. They get the same offer, same help, same promises in Christ Jesus. The Message is accessible and welcoming to everyone, across the board.” Ephesians 3:6 The Message

But, what was the “Cause” that he was in jail for?

^“9My task is to bring out in the open and make plain what God, who created all this in the first place, has been doing in secret and behind the scenes all along. ¹⁰Through Christians like yourselves gathered in churches, this extraordinary plan of God is becoming known and talked about even among the angels!” Ephesians 3:9-12,  The Message

Think of it!   The angels are talking about this mystery!  But even more, the “Messsage” paraphrase falls short in making the full truth known.  Most translation say “made known now to the principalities and the authorities in the heavenly places”.  That includes the satanic realm. 

Through the CHURCH, God wants to show forth his power to both the angels and the demons.  Spiritual warfare is not for our benefit, even though we do benefit.  It is to bring glory to our Father!  Think of it!  It is one thing for Satan to be in subjection to God’s Son; it is the ultimate humiliation for satan to be subject to another one of God’s created beings, fallen men, all be it redeemed fallen men.

Truth #5 - Why has God given us this "spiritual warfare" responsibility?  God wants you to manifest His power to the satanic realm

Is It A Matter Of Perspective or Attitude?

Is the glass half full or have empty?  Depends on perspective or attitude!  Depends on what is in the glass!  If you’re a chocolate malt fan and just drank the first half, the glass is half empty and you have only a little bit left to enjoy.  If you doing a prep for a colonoscopy and are trying to drink that horrible stuff, the glass is still half full. 

If you are a Detroit Tiger fan, trying to get tickets to a sold-out White Sox/Tiger game and all you can get is standing room only tickets, you are elated; but would anyone ever buy a standing room only seat to a Lions game in the last ten years?

How does this relate to our recent discussions?  Well prior this, I had always thought of Paul’s command: “to stand against the wiles of the devil” and to ”stand therefore” meaning that it was referring to standing up versus falling down.  After reflecting on the church’s position relative to Satan.  We are not just “not falling”; we are not just “standing up to” Satan, we are “standing on top of” Satan.  It is not just a matter of perspective or attitude!  It is a matter of position!  We are “in reality” positioned over Satan.  We have been placed there by our relationship to Christ.  Our heavenly Father placed Satan under Christ, under His Body, our feet!  Once we know, grasp, and understand our positional place over Satan, we need to have a attitude adjustment. Its time to realize what we have been called to do!  Is it: “WOW, I never knew that! or “Wow, you mean Satan is really under my feet!” or “Wow, you mean my Father really did that for me!” or “Wow, I don’t know if I like all this responsibility!

It is probably a little bit of all!

But, the next time you feel overwhelmed, beat down, depressed, lower than dirt, read Ephesians 1:15-23

 “Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, ¹⁶Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; ¹⁷That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: ¹⁸The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, ¹⁹And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, ²⁰Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, ²¹Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: ²²And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, ²³Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.”

Paul prayed this for you also!  This is God’s will for you!

Is it just a matter of putting on your big boy pants?  

No! This is a spiritual warfare!  Big boy pants don't help! It is more than attitude!  It is more than perspective!  It is about knowledge! You can not win this fight without "the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him (Christ)".  Get to know your Father "and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe"

"Put on the whole armor of God!"  Stand Up!  Stand On!  Act like you believe it!

Everyone Check Their Shoes!

Every family has had the occasion when someone has tracked mud or something worse into the house.  Mom is usually the first one to notice and the word goes out, “Everyone check their shoes!”   Growing up on a chicken farm, every time we came back from the barn or one of the chicken coops, we would have to scrape the “you know what” from the bottom of our shoes.  I can remember sitting in church as a kid, crossing my legs, and seeing “you know what” on the bottom of my shoes.  To this day, I am very aware of the bottom of my shoes!

You say “Where in the world is he going today?”  Well, we were reading Ephesians 1,  Saturday night and as I lay in bed these thoughts came to me. 

Remember in Ephesians 6, Paul tells the Ephesians to put:

^“11Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. ¹²For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

When the Ephesians read this letter, they did not read it in chapters.  Paul did not write it in chapters.  It is a letter.  It took days, weeks, maybe months to get there.  It was a scroll, handwritten.  Letters were a big deal!  It was read aloud to the whole church! 

Paul starts out the letter telling them that he is praying for them and thanking God for them.

               ^““15Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, ¹⁶Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers”

         What is Paul praying for when he prays for them?

         “¹⁷That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him”

         He is praying that God will give them the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Christ.  He wants them to KNOW CHRIST!  But he wants them to also know who they are and what they are called to do.

                  ^“18The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling

        

         In order for them to fulfill this calling, he prays that they know and understand:

                  ” what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, ²⁰Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, ²¹Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: ²²And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, ²³Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all”

         He is talking about heavy stuff here, spiritual warfare.  He is telling them that they are Christ’s body.  Christ is the HEAD.  They are the body!  He trying to get them to understand the power that is working in them (us) through Christ.  The same power that raised Christ from the dead is working in and through them!  He tells them where Christ is, at the right hand of the Father.  Then he tells them where Satan is:

         “all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come and hath put all things under his feet”

         Satan is under Christ’s feet; but who makes up Christ’s feet?

         “gave him (Christ) to be the head over all things to the church, ²³Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all”

         SO, where is Satan?  Under the CHURCH!  Who is the church?  We are the church!  Where does that put Satan?  Under our feet!

         Just to make sure everyone knows, Paul tells them that they are the fullness of Christ.  They have every thing that Christ had.  We have everything that Christ had and has now!

        

         Can you see now why the truth is the first piece of the armor.

         Truth # 4:  Satan is under your feet if you are part of His church!

         CHECK YOUR SHOES!!!

Getting VERY Personal

It’s 6 am in the morning and I have been laying  awake in bed for the last 30 minutes thinking about you.  You ask, “me personally”?  Yes, if you are on my “blog family email list”.  You allow me to send you emails.  You allow me onto your computer.  You tolerate me to spam you.  That means a lot to me.  There have been a very small number of people, fewer than six, who have requested that they be removed from my “blog family email list”, none recently.  Each time I get a request, I feel hurt, asking myself if I have offended them.  I ask myself, “Should I continue you to blog?"  I continue to blog because I feel it is something led by God to do.  Everyday I pray for you.   I pray everyday for everyone of my family, my friends and everyone that I come into contact with.  Some of you, my family, are in all of those categories.  All the others of you are in two of those categories, you are my friends and you allow me to be in contact with you.  For that, I thank you.

What is my prayer for you?  Everyday I pray my spiritual warfare prayer for you.  I truly believe every thing that I say in these blogs and take it very seriously.  I believe that we, you, me, this country, our world, are under attack constantly by Satan.  Why?  It says so in the Bible!

Before I go any farther, I want to tell you what my prayer is.  Linda and I pray this prayer every night and every morning for you.   It is:

“Father, in the name of Jesus, I take authority over Satan and all of his demons, that he can not touch, Eric, Brenda, Lachan, Jade, Kyle, Danielle, Kaleb, Gracie, Jared, Linda, myself, our family our friends, their health, their finances, their possessions and everything they come into contact with.  I thank you Father that we have on your whole armor.  I thank you that I a have on your Belt of Truth, that I on the Breastplate of Righteousness, that I have my feet shod with the Gospel of peace, that I have your Shield of Faith that quenches all the fiery darts of the evil one, that I have on the Helmet of Salvation, that my mind is renewed by the Word of God, and that I have your Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, which is life, health and peace.”

We have prayed this prayer everyday for about the last 35+ years.

What I have just shared with you, I have never shared before with anyone.   I felt that it was time I shared it with you all. 

The reason I blog is that I want to share “me” with you, but I want to share someone else with you, Jesus Christ.  I want every one of you to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior, and join in this battle.  Many of you have already accepted Jesus as your Savior.  I hope all.  Some may not be sure.  Some may say, “Well I joined the church when I was teenager.”  Or, "I belong to a church".  Or, "I am not an atheist so I guess I’m a Christian".  Or, "I think I am saved, but who can know for sur"e.  If you can not say 100%, that you are saved, please email me and I want to talk to you.

If I have offended anyone today, I do not apologize.  I am, however sad.  Why do I not apologize?  Because I am doing what I am commanded to do in scripture.

“we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,  but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength.” (1 Corinthians 1:23-25)

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” Romans 1:16

Well, it is 7 am and I will quit blogging for today. 

Thank you for allowing me to get personal!