God Exposes Sin...So Why Shouldn't We?

In today's world, when we see someone being exposed, it is generally viewed as a negative thing.  Bad publicity.  A Scandal.

And-in the world-when the world exposes someone, it is usually with the intent to destroy the reputation and image of another.  They use the TRUTH they know about someone to totally ruin their image.

So this brings us to exposing someone in the church...

When we expose someone (and yes, there are times that we should!), it is supposed to be with the intent of bringing that person to a state of repentance.

Exposure:   The act or an instance of exposing, /Revelation, especially of crime or guilt.

Expose: To reveal the guilt or wrongdoing of/To make known.

It is only in the religious setting that exposure is deemed or looked upon as a bad thing.  But my grandmother used to say that a wound cannot heal unless you let sunlight shine on it and allow fresh air to hit it.  Her argument was that instead of putting bandaids on wounds, that we need to allow air and light to hit the wound, that it will heal faster.

I also have talked to some doctors that have advised me to let a wound 'air out,' that fresh air is actually better for some wounds than to try and cover it up or seal it up with gauzes or bandaids.

I chose the picture above because when we understand why the Ten Commandments were written-to show us that we have sin, it is our very nature-Romans 7:7, then we can also understand that GOD HIMSELF exposed ALL OF OUR SIN right then and there.  He had been doing it before then...we just didn't realize it til Mt. Sinai.

That is why the Levites were consecrated to make sacrifices for our sin.  Because THEN, we knew about our sin.  We were found GUILTY...every last one of us.

But God had a plan of redemption-a way of escape-for us ALL.  And that way was through Jesus Christ of Nazareth!

A priest forever after the order of Melchezidek.

But that way could NOT have been made had we not known that we had sinned.  Until it was EXPOSED that we are all sinners until we are born again.

The very nature of the Word of God is that of an EXPOSER.

Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Dividing soul and spirit and discerning the intents of the heart sounds like a fancy way of exposing sin to me...how about you?

If God Himself was not an exposer, we would all still be in our sin.  On our way to hell ...in a handbasket.

But because God LOVES us, He will show us ourselves.  He will show us FIRST...and if we don't get it-or refuse to repent-then He will allow our sin to be aired out in public.

He will allow whatever to whomever to get us out of sin and bondage.

Let the wind of the Holy Ghost and the light of the Word of God shine on our sin-I will for mine-and let GOD'S exposure bring quick healing and deliverance!

Out of Touch With Reality...The Mass Trend Towards Denial, Part 2

In my last article, I touched on the various ways masses and masses of people willingly place themselves in denial, or enter into altered states of consciousness.

Let me say this: denial is a comfort zone.  All of us have comfort zones.  A place where we are most comfortable, a place that is free from stress, confrontation, pain and worry.  Peaceful.  Relaxing.  Stress and Drama-Free.

We ALL want to be in this place, right?

So what some do is that by functioning in a perpetual state of denial, they are able to maintain a synthetic-or false-form of peace, even if it is only temporary.

People who tend to love to stay in denial or people who are out of touch with reality, true.

But I want to present to you that there is another group of people who are in denial as well.  And they didn't CHOOSE to be there either.

These are people who have been traumatized.  Either by child abuse, or other forms of traumatic events, such as participating in war, crime, being victimized by natural disasters, has suffered severe loss, and so on.

I also want to state that the ones most vulnerable to unintentionally enter into denial/altered states of consciousness-and be in danger to open up their spirits to demonic activity on an increasing level are CHILDREN.

Yes.

Children today face MORE trauma than ever before, whether it be by child abuse or any of the things I mentioned above....even in foreign countries, we hear of child soldiers.  Kids who strap bombs to themselves and commit suicide for their country.

Our brains-as fully grown individuals-are meant to only take so much trauma.  If this is true, it is even more true that the mind of a CHILD can handle signficantly less an amount of trauma and stress than the average adult.

Yet we live in a society that places MUCH pressure on our kids today, pressure to perform, pressure to succeed, pressure to achieve...on TOP of the pressure of living in this world today!

It is NO wonder that children are shooting one another in schools!

When these things happen to kids, they can get to a place of being in denial about what they are really dealing with.  Kids love escapism, forming alliances with imaginary friends, watching the Barney cartoons that sing songs like 'Just Imagine."

All we have to do is turn on the Disney channel to see all of the witchcraft that is being taught to our babies.

Why NOW?

Because our babies are more stressed NOW than ever before.  They are bombarded with all kinds of things-drugs, alcohol, sex, and the pressure to perform and be the best.  That can induce a lot of negative emotions in a kid...

And since most kids are not that adept in expressing and communicating their emotions, they take it out in a number of ways.

It is in that place of denial where these kids can unintentionally enter into an altered state of consciousness.

For example, a child is molested and goes to a parent and confides in them.  The parent does not believe them, scolds them and instructs them to never tell another person about it.  That parent has just induced a state of denial/denial of the truth in that child, that opens up that child's spirit to altered states of consciousness, or demonic activity.

When you hear of a child who was abused saying, 'they left their bodies while they were being molested,' that is a way of someone unintentionally entering an altered state of consciousness.

Other ways to unintentionally enter ASC are:
- Sleep deprivation

- Oxygen deprivation
- Psychosis
- Having a high fever
- Near death experiences
- Deep lucid dreaming

Like I stated earlier, it is a dangerous thing to be in denial.

And it is even a more dangerous thing to make your child be in denial...or allow kids to not deal with the reality of their situations.

It is nothing more than a plot from the enemy to introduce demonic activity sooner and sooner to young, impressionable minds.

But also to address not just children, but all who have unintentionally open yourselves up to ASC, it is NOT your fault.  Whether it was trauma, or not getting enough sleep, being sick, almost dying...because of the sinful world we live in, a demonic doorway was opened in your life.

And that doorway MUST  be shut in order for you to obtain REAL, LASTING peace in your life.

Out of Touch With Reality...The Mass Trend Towards Denial, Part 1

Let's face it:  we live in a stressful world.  We have been told that stress is actually good for us.  So, in varying degrees, we either embrace stress, or we go to the other extreme and do whatever is necessary to get rid of stress.

How do YOU 'de-stress?'

Still others-no matter what their religious or spiritual backgrounds-find alternative ways to deal with stress.  I will say that a majority of the population deals with stress by denying that it is there, or that it even exists in their lives.

The ways that they deal with that stress varies.

Some do yoga, meditation, hypnosis. Some leave their bodies in spiritual exercises that is known as astral projection (Mental vacations, imagining you are somewhere else when you're really right there, etc.)  Some induce trances, either medically, spiritually, or naturally.

Some have plenty of sex-on the prowl for that orgasm or ejaculation that will propel them in another time and place, even if its only for a few seconds or minutes.  Some will participate in all kinds of sexcapades and dangerous sexual fantasies, because the last encounter only fueled a desire for MORE encounters.  Another realm of sexual satisfaction-reaching that next orgasm or ejaculation becomes just like a drug addict looking that their next high...

Some will do drugs.  Ectasy, crack, heroin, cocaine, reefer, and a host of other drugs are in demand as they are by a population of people who are looking to 'de-stress' from something.

Some will get drunk.  (Why do you think they call alcohol 'spirits?')

Some will go to church and participate in all kinds of spiritual exercises to allow themselves to be put in an altered state of consciousness.  Some call it 'in the spirit.'  What spirit is the million dollar question?

Some will allow preachers with DL lifestyles to lay hands on them to 'cast a demon out' of them.  Some will allow another language to come forth out of them, thinking that it is the Holy Ghost.  Some will run and dance all over a building.  (I have personally been in a church service where a man literally rammed his head into a wall, cracking the wall.  Actually putting a head-sized hole in the wall of the sanctuary! We had tauted that the Holy Ghost had 'moved' in that place....smh)

Some will allow their favorite mega preachers to call on gods, and then wave their hands over the audience, and then will fall to the ground, stating that they were 'slain in the spirit.'  Again, WHAT spirit slew you?????

What do ALL of these people have in common?

They ALL are looking for ways to get out of touch with THEIR REALITIES!

THEY are ALL looking for ways to de-stress.

We live in a society that does NOT want to deal with REAL REALITY.  With the amazing rise of so-called 'reality shows' that have cropped up on television, you would think that society embraces reality, thus, embracing TRUTH.

Isn't reality nothing more than THE TRUTH?

The problem is that society wants its own brand of reality-its own brand of truth, and NOT THE TRUTH.

Jesus Christ of Nazareth IS the WAY, THE TRUTH and THE LIFE!

When HE is rejected, then the ones rejecting Him have no other choice but to create their brand(s) of truth.

What better way to do that than to ALTER (OR CHANGE) THE MASSES STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS?

When you do not LOVE THE TRUTH, God promises that He would send a STRONG DELUSION, to make people BELIEVE A LIE! (Romans 1)

I asked God to reveal to me what was with the RISE in people being interested in being in altered states of consciousness?  Being an intellectual, I find it foolish and even dangerous to give our minds over to another power.  To allow another total control or access into our minds.  When we do this-no matter by what means-this gives the devil FREE ACCESS to implant demons in our lives to oppress and-in some cases-possess us.

And by writing this article, He has shown me why.

It is a very dangerous thing to be in denial, because then denial leads to deception.

Masses and masses of people are being deceived-in AND out of the church.

Whatever you do in this hour, don't lose your head.  Don't lose your mind.  Don't give ANYONE total access and control to your mind and spirit.  Be very aware of who prays for you, preaches or teaches to you.  Don't do drugs, drink, or get caught up in new age practices.  Stop chasing sexcapades.

Deal with your reality.  The truth of it, no matter how painful.  Allow yourself to feel the pain of whatever has come your way, then give it to God.

Let GOD allow you to de-stress and lay your burdens ON HIM.

Come OUT of Ichabod!

The Glory Of God has LEFT THE BUILDINGS!

How Do People Become Addicted???

Addiction has always been a mystery to me.  For as long as I can remember, I have always wondered what makes a person become addicted...whether it be to drugs, alcohol, sex, gambling, or anything.

ADDICTION: The state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming, as narcotics, to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma.

The fact of the matter is that anyone can become addicted to anything at any given moment in their lives.

What I have been trying to figure out is why they become addicted.

It became necessary for me to look into and study this.  Pray about it.  And through a combination of not only study and prayer, but divine connections with those who have insight into these types of matters, I believe God has finally begun to help me to begin to unravel the mystery behind addiction (the mystery behind addiction within the 'church' as well).

People choose to become addicted to substances and behaviors because they are looking for a form of escapism from their reality (I touched on this on another post about the altered state of consciousness).

Everybody is looking for an escape.  An escape from busyness.  An escape from the rat race.  An escape from stress.  An escape from drama, problems, trials and tribulations.  An escape from the reality of our lives.

I called it in the last article on this "The Mass Trend Towards Denial"

The fact is this tendency is massive among the population.  We as a society are more stressful now than ever before.  We are living in the last days, when things are prophesied in the Word of God to be extremely perilous (1 Timothy 3:1).

And as we draw closer and closer towards the end of times, more stress is inevitable.  At least for those who don't know Jesus Christ of Nazareth!

And since religion has done a masterful job at getting the masses UNfamiliar with the REAL Jesus Christ and MORE familiar with the 'another' Jesus, it is no wonder that more and more people are seeking ways of deliverance, peace and relief from the stress and pressures of the last days.

When people keep denying truth-a love for the truth-God promises to give them over to a lie, to strong delusion.

Masses and masses of people deny truth.  Some willfully, intentionally...others unknowingly, ignorantly.  NO matter the intent, when the enemy sees the denial of truth, then he has access to the souls of man, to impart untruth, deception, false doctrine, false teaching and lies.

So people who are looking for relief from stress and relief from (demonic) torment in their lives seek relief through alcohol, sex, gambling, ...and even RELIGION.

YES...RELIGION and CHURCHANITY indeed can be addictions!

The subtleness of the enemy is to lull churchgoers into a false sense of security-to rationalize and justify their behavior by concluding that avid churchgoing is 'the right thing to do.'  Most have been raised in church all of their lives.  They know nothing BUT church.  I mean, if you listen to the average sermon preached on a Sunday morning, you can hear the preacher talk about 'leaving your problems at the door' and 'entering the sanctuary' with praise and thanksgiving.

In other words, the preacher (who is nothing more than an enabler) is encouraging people to get in denial about what they really are dealing with and going through-even if only for a few hours-and 'get your praise on!'

The praise and worship leaders, the altar workers, the prophets...they are all enablers, enabling churchgoers to become 'addicted' to attending church, churchanity and religion-with all its varied forms & products of placation, pacification and flattery.

Mega preachers are counting on the masses being 'stressed out,' so they pump out books, CDs, DVDs, conferences and the such supposedly centered around and promising 'deliverance.'  Psalmists with recording contracts have replaced YOUR voice, so now in order to get into the presence of God, you GOT to go and purchase your favorite gospel artist so they can 'usher you into the presence of God.'

And all they are doing is ushering in 'another spirit,' a spirit that is NOT God,  It is a fake anointing.  A fake glory.  A fake shekinah.

The Word tells us to sing OURSELVES in psalms and spiritual songs.  We ALL have access to the presence of God now.  No ushers are needed.  No third persons, no mediators needed...JESUS CHRIST of NAZARETH is IT!

But these 'preachers' profit off you needing them.  They profit off your dysfunction.  They profit off your 'needing a word.'  They profit off your need to escape from your reality.  They are counting on it.  As a matter of fact, these leaders start getting nervous when you start growing in the things of GOD, and start hearing from God FOR YOURSELF.  They get nervous when their conference attendance and sales dwindles.  So they got to tap into another form of escapism.

They GOT to get YOU addicted to their ministry!

They are nothing more than spiritual pushers, enablers, feeding your need to escape from reality.  Feeding your need to not see what YOU NEED TO SEE.  THE TRUTH!  

I came across a really good site that talks about the enabling personality.  I encourage you to read 'Enabling Personality' by J. Lawson and see the shocking similarities of the enabler as presented on this site and the actions and practices of leadership in mainstream Christianity.

You will be utterly amazed...

'I Need CONFIRMATION!' Part 2

In the last article, I talked about the rite of confirmation in the Catholic Church, as well as the tendency of many within the modern day Protestant church to 'need confirmation' or seek a sign after they have heard a word 'from the Lord.'

Seeing that I'm a history buff, I always like to do my research and study to find out where a thing or tradition originated from, how did it get started.  It is my conviction that when we do that, we will fully understand the SPIRIT behind a thing and proceed accordingly....WITH CAUTION.

In other words, when we know WHY something was started, if the ROOT of it was GODLY or UNGODLY, then we can make an informed and wise decision to NOT follow it or participate in it if we find it started out NOT FROM GOD.

Is 'needing confirmation,' 'seeking after a sign,' of GOD?

Or is that mindset and all proceeding ceremonies and rites instituted thereafter, a result of RELIGIOUS PROGRAMMING and DECEPTION????

The very first time in the Word of God where a man actually sought a sign from the Lord was in the book of Judges. (Yes, there were times when God spoke to the Israelites with signs and wonders, delivered them by such.  But Gideon is the first account where a man asked God to 'show him a sign.")

We are all familiar with the story of Gideon.

The story is found in Judges 6.  The setting is starting from about Judges the first chapter, Joshua and the generation who remembered what God had done for the Israelites in the wilderness before they reached their promised land had died out.  One of the last things God commanded the Israelites to NOT do is to forget the precepts of God, to intermarry with unbelievers and to worship their gods.

Yet, after God gave them 'their promise,' that is EXACTLY what the Israelites did.  Read Judges 1-3 to understand just where Israel was before Gideon was born.  They were in rebellion and disobedience.  They had forgotten God and all that He had done for them.  They got the bling, the power, the fame and the very allegiance they promised God in the wilderness they gave it to other gods and allowed themselves to 'fall in love' with-and intermarry-with unbelievers.

In the 6th chapther of Judges, God has given the Israelites over to the Midianites.  After hearing their cries for help, God calls Gideon as their deliverer-calling him a 'mighty man of valor' in vs. 12. Instead of responding in faith, believing what God has said, what was Gideon's response?

"...If now I have found grace in thy sight, then shew me a sign that thou talkest with me...." vs. 17

The Lord God 'confirms' His Word with a supernatural sign in vs. 21.

Then Gideon LACKED FAITH and TRUST in God again, seeking TWO more signs from God in vs. 36-40, signs that God wanted him to do what He said.

Now, we often make Gideon out to be this great man of faith and valor, taking the scripture completely out of context.  What we fail to realize is that God had already chided Israel because in spite of His MANY signs, wonders and deliverance(s) to Israel, Israel STILL went awhoring after other gods, STILL walked in blatant disobedience and rebellion to the things of God and STILL worshipped other gods.

Because God is long-suffering and merciful, He granted 'confirmations' here.  He sent signs and wonders...to confirm His word to His people...THEN.

But NOW?

God is NO LONGER sending signs and wonders for the purpose of feeding the faith of those who profess to be believers in Him.  God has a proven track record of HIS Faithfulness to man.  He does NOT need to confirm or prove ANYTHING to us.

We simply need to take heed to HIS WORD, trust implicitly in HIM, and NOT seek after signs and confirmations.

We hear preachers preach on the 10 plagues in Egypt.  We hear preachers preach on 'these signs shall follow them that believe...' We hear modern day apostles taut that they are supposed to have signs and wonders following them.

Well, I present to you that those who seek after signs and wonders are WICKED and EVIL.

Matthew 16:4A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it

The Word here actually calls this generation 'adulterous.'  Why?  Because seeking after signs is a form of idolatry!  And God sees idolatry as spiritual adultery.  Without FAITH, it is IMPOSSIBLE to please God.  When God speaks TO US, we simply must believe it, and act it out accordingly...(of course, trying the spirit is totally different than seeking a sign. God tells us to try the spirits, yes.  But He actually grows weary of people who seek a sign...)

Mark 8:11-12

And the Pharisees came forth, and began to question with him, seeking of him a sign from heaven, tempting him.

And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and saith, Why doth this generation seek after a sign? verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation.

It greatly displeases God when we keep asking for a sign.  Or even when we entertain 'confirmations' of words heard in the spirit merely by events that happen to occur, supernatural manifestations, prophecies, and the such.

Do you see where the Word says that God will NOT be giving signs to this generation?

God does not want us so caught up in signs, confirmations, miracles and the such in this hour.  We MUST understand that the enemy of our souls can perform signs, miracles and wonders, too.  The enemy can prophesy...ACCURATELY.  The enemy can raise folks from the dead, heal the sick, and the whole nine.  He got ALL kinds of tricks in his bag.

And he is waiting to pull one out JUST ON YOU, if you keep your spirit open to all kinds of confirmations...seeking a word...seeking a sign...stalking prophets and such.

That spirit of unbelief occurs in a people when they walk away from God in disobedience and rebellion to Him.  In sin, one cannot hear the voice of God.  NOT AT ALL.  So therefore, they have to rely on OTHERS to hear FOR THEM!

Whenever you find someone who cannot hear from God, who are always seeking a word, a sign, running from conference to conference, looking for that next prophetic 'fix,' they are in sin in some area of their lives.  SIN IS THE ONLY THING THAT SEPARATES US FROM GOD!

Another reason is that that person is IMPATIENT...which speaks to a LACK OF FAITH.

Faith requires you, at times, to WAIT ON THE LORD for an answer.  When we try to 'make things happen' in our own strength, in our own time, then that shows we don't trust God the way that we should.  So we go about trying to help God out...when HE DOES NOT need our help!

One of the gravest errors of the Word of Faithers is that they believe that if they merely 'utter the Word of God back to God,' then He is somehow 'obligated' to do their bidding, whether it be money, a mate, a job, a ministry, etc.

But when God does not grant them 'the desires of their hearts,' then they go about seeking signs and wonders to 'feed their faith' in a false word.  And religious spirits LOVE to feed false words!  Religious spirits will feed one's 'faith' in a word THEY believe it true ALL day, ALL year long!  By dreams, signs, wonders, prophecies, sermons, by ANYTHING they feel will keep them deluded and deceived.

Do you remember the movie, "Bruce Almighty," in one scene after Bruce gets God's powers, him and Grace, his girlfriend, has broken up.  He thought because he had God's powers now that he could make Grace love him and take him back.  But he finds out he cannot.

So in an attempt to win Grace back, Bruce uses his newfound, supernatural abilities to create all kinds of signs and wonders around her that hopefully will point to her taking Bruce back.  The 'Bruce & Grace Forever' carved on every tree stump she passes on a morning jog.  The numerous TV commercials that play messages that encourages Grace to take Bruce back.  Their dog who gives Grace the phone and encourages her to call Bruce!

That is much how a religious spirit operates.

EVERYTHING around you will seem to point towards 'what God said' or 'what God promised.'  You think, 'I mean SURELY, if ALL of these signs are pointing towards this, this MUST be God, right?'

I know what you're thinking: 'But hey! In the movie, Bruce and Grace DOES get back together..'

Yes.

But that was NOT because of Bruce's supernatural manipulations and control, trying to 'make' Grace take him back.  It had to be her choice.  Anything other than that would have been nothing more than witchcraft...and if the reconciliation began out of witchcraft, it would only be maintained by witchcraft as well.

I go into all this to help you realize one thing.

When we ask God to show us a sign, we are actually trying to control and manipulate Him, attempting to relegate God to be nothing more than our Magician, to do our bidding whenever WE want.  Most of the time, when people seek after signs and wonders, it is out of an unhealthy desire within them for control and power.  Two very powerful yet dangerous entities when combined without the Holy Ghost to temper them both.

And people who seek ultimate power and control REALLY not only lack faith in God, but are weak, and feel powerless over their situations and circumstances.  Instead of trusting God, they trust in their control of things.  This is another form of self-righteousness that nullifies the work of the Cross AND the power of the resurrection in our lives.

And any spirit that does NOT embrace AND confess that the resurrection of Christ is legitimate is of the AntiChrist. (1 John 4:2-3)

We must also be aware that the Antichrist WILL perform signs and wonders.  This is how he will be able to get so many people to follow him. (Revelations 13:13-14)

If you are 'addicted' to signs, wonders and confirmations, it is time to get 'detoxed' from them, FOR REAL!  Continuing to seek after them can cost you your life!

I encourage those who love God to TRUST the voice of God speaking to you.  Try the spirit and see if it is of God.  ALWAYS.

"I Need CONFIRMATION!" Part 1

Many have been found saying this very thing to themselves. Usually, they are at a crossroads, where they are trying to get an answer to prayer, or have received an answer to prayer, and want a 'sign' from God that what they heard was actually from HIM.

And most of the time, these people will heavily rely upon outward (supernatural) signs or 'prophecies' to back up what they have previously heard.

We all have been there, at that place where we heard from God, but thought we didn't.  So we didn't walk out the word we heard, at least not until someone 'confirmed' what the Lord God said to us.

For some, it took the pastor preaching on what we heard in the next sermon, or a prophet called us up to the front of the church and the prophecy 'confirmed' what we already had heard from God.

Or what we THOUGHT was from God...

What IS confirmation, anyways?

I found two different definitions of confirmation.  The first I was already aware of: confirmation is the act of confirming or verifying something.  It is additional proof that something that was previously believed is, in fact, true.  It authenticates a previously known truth or belief.

But did you know that a confirmation is also a rite of passage among the Catholic Church where a baptized person is given 'full membership' into the church?  According to www.catholicism.com, the confirmation 1) unites one firmly to Christ; 2) increases the gifts of the Holy Spirit; 3) renders one's bond to the church more perfect; and 4) gives one special strength to become witnesses.

I had never heard of this ceremony within the Catholic Church.  It is usually performed by a bishop, but sometimes bishops delegate authority to priests to conduct the confirmations within their respective dioceses.

Right away, I can tell you that this ceremony reeks of religiosity.  It feeds the notion that one needs a mortal man-i.e. a priest-to stand between us and God...to speak for us.  To pray for us.  To 'sacrifice' for us, much like the Levitical priests did in the Old Testament.  They take on the role of the Holy Ghost and demand loyalty and commitment NOT TO GOD, but to the local church.

I liken the rite of confirmation to these 'impartation' services held with pentecostal, non-denominational and word of faith churches and ministries that encourage people to come to the altar and get hands laid on them so they can receive 'an impartation,' healing, deliverance, revelation knowledge, and the works.

I believe ALL such ceremonies and tendencies to 'need confirmation' are totally unnecessary, and actually hinders one in their own growth in their relationship with God.  

1) You don't need to 'pledge allegiance' to a church, a denomination, a man, a woman, a fellowship and the such to be deemed faithful TO GOD.  God does NOT require such religious obligation from you.  HE SIMPLY REQUIRES YOUR FAITH.  WITHOUT FAITH, IT IMPOSSIBLE TO PLEASE GOD (Hebrews 11:6).

2) You cannot be a member of the church.  You ARE the church, if you are born again.

3) There is NO ceremony that magically bonds us closer to Christ Jesus.  NONE.  All ceremonies are man-made traditions that actually open you up to be tormented by demons.  Most of these 'bishops'-in both the Catholic and Protestant realms-are doing nothing more than imparting demons into unknowing people who think they are getting closer to God by participating in them.

4) You do NOT get the Holy Ghost by natural means.  ANY group that claims you can get it by means of participating in their 'rites' are lying to you.  You will NOT be receiving the HOLY Ghost.  You WILL be receiving 'another spirit.' (2 Corinthians 11:4-6)

The need for confirmation really speaks to the lack of faith in the one seeking confirmation.  They lack faith that God will do just what He said He would do.  It could be out of immaturity.  It could be because they have not gone through enough-and watch God bring them out enough-to have developed a healthy, mature, unwavering faith and trust in God.  It could be for a whole lot of reasons.

In 'To Curse The Root' by Pamela Sheppard, she further discusses people's need for confirmation:

"...By losing all confidence in our self esteem, we will gain His esteem. We will not be tossed to and fro by pride and vanity because He will cause us to be immovable, unshakable trees that are tooted and grounded in Him. His acts of consolation will serve as a confirmation that He can be trusted in every crisis, every temptation, every trial."

Please continue on to Part 2 to understand where this mindset of 'I Need Confirmation' first originated, and why it has survived the test of time...

How Do You Ride The Judgment Wave??? The Similarities between Katrina...and the Church

This picture is a giant wave from Hurricane Katrina crashing down on the Gulf Coast seven years ago.

New Orleans is my hometown and we lost everything in Katrina.  I can remember barely escaping the ravages of Katrina.  I evacuated with a group of church members; a caravan of three vehicles filled with approximately 20 people.  We waited so late to leave N.O. that we had to drive east instead of west...right into the storm.  Riding along the Gulf Coast and near Mobile, AL, I can recall us driving across a bridge that was flooding, the waves and water was crashing on the bridge.  I could barely see where I was going, but we knew we had to keep driving, or we would drown.  Or tornadoes spawned due to Katrina would hit us.

I recall I was not going to leave New Orleans.  I sent my three kids along with relatives to Texas and I was going to ride the storm out, right in the house with a cousin who initially had decided to stay back as well on what is known as the Westbank of New Orleans.  The pastor of the church I was attending called us and told us that we should all leave...that was Sunday afternoon.  My cousin did not want to leave and I remember having to almost force her to come along.  She didn't want to leave a brand new house, her brand new business.  She said she wanted to 'stay behind and believe God will spare her house and business...'

Seeing that she had like four babies, I wasn't trying to hear it.  "Girl!  You better COME ON here!"  I scolded her.

She decided to come along.

I remember as we left out of New Orleans, I saw many people who chose to stay behind.  I visited another church and the pastor was sitting in the church as it got dark....I asked him if he was going.  He said 'he didn't know...'

I guess he felt obligated as the pastor to stay.  I was glad to later find out that he chose to leave N.O., too.

Once our caravan made it to shelter-a hotel with the lights kept going out about 50 miles outside of Mobile-we all watched the news in horror and looked outside the windows where the threat of tornadoes was still very real all along the LA, MS, AL and FL coasts.  The next morning we made it to another shelter, we saw the news again and couldn't believe what we were seeing.

ALL of New Orleans was flooded!

All of N.O. East-where I grew up...a whole mall...GONE!  Ninth Ward-where I stayed for a bit with another church member at one time....GONE!  Spain St....our first home after I was married....House was GONE!

We watched in horror at the littered bodies all up and down I-10, floating in the waters.

We watched as Canal St begin to look like something out of the riots of the 60s and 70s...folks looting stuff out of Walgreens to survive.

I would later hear of stories of people who actually saw the flood waters rush in literally down their streets when the levees broke.

They described it as a 'wall of water'-a wave-just rushing down after them.

I remember Garland Robinette from WWL-TV on the radio asking survivors to call in so he could send help to them.  One lady just had a newborn baby like a week before.  When they heard the BOOM of the levees breaking and the waters rushing in, flooding their home, her and her family climbed into the attic.  An elderly relative had already died.  The water was coming into the attic and the girl sounded so tired.

She was begging  them to help them, so her baby could survive...

I cried and prayed that her and her baby with the relatives, made it out ok.

I think of all those people who stayed behind.  Who didn't heed the warning(s).  Boats were sent out to rescue folks even AFTER the levees broke, and yet they chose to stay behind.

Now, I know.  A lot of folks COULDN'T leave due to no finances, no resources.  They didn't have money or a car or knew anyone who they could ride with.

But help -however inadequate-was sent to them and they got out.  They suffered trauma and unmentionable horrors, but they got out.

All because they wouldn't heed the warnings to GO!

This makes me think of the church and how there are millions of people who have heard the warning(s) to GO.  To COME OUT from among her...and yet for whatever reason, they make excuses and stay.

GOD WILL ALWAYS MAKE A WAY OF ESCAPE!

The Church may be all you know.  You may feel like if you leave the church, all your support systems will go.  You won't have anywhere to turn.  You don't even know HOW to go.

You may be like my cousin: you have seen the inadequacy of the church-and know that she is under judgment even-but yet you have decided you are going to stay and 'pray away the storm.'  You think your intercession is going to stop the judgment of God, when God says in His Word that judgment BEGINS at the house of the Lord.  NOT the world.  THE CHURCH!  God's word is the same...forever!  If He said judgment is going to hit the house FIRST, then IT IS...

And IT HAS!

Or you may be like those 1000s of people who wouldn't leave their houses, even when help was sent.  The National Guards, boats, FEMA, help was sent, yet they rejected help and thought it best to stay.  And some of those same people perished with their stuff, too!

Sometimes, tough-love or radical intervention is needed to save someone who doesn't know they need saving. This was the case with my cousin.  I wish sometimes I could go into some churches and just 'snatch' folks outta there...lol!  I really do!  Its not to talk bad about them.  Its just that they are so brainwashed, bamboozled and deluded that they really cannot see how much danger they are in.  This was the case with my cousin.  She got mad with me..(truth be told, she still is angry with me, just not for that!)...but as our relationship is...I told her the hard cold truth...whether she liked it or not, whether it agreed with her theology or not (she is a whole elder in the full gospel church, btw).

But I know she is glad she listened to me!

Anyway, you say 'I'm gonna stay at my church and ride the wave out!  I'm a faithful servant and I'm gonna pray that devil away...'  And you just don't realize it isn't the devil!

It IS the Judgment of GOD!

When a place is under judgment BY GOD, there is NO prayer warrior that can pray judgment away...especially if that house is unrepentant.

Again, I know.  You're scared.  You don't know how to go.  You have been in your church for 20 years.  You feel like people are depending upon you.

But think about it:  what alternative do you have?  Stay?

How Do You Ride the Judgment Wave?

At your OWN RISK!  God can save you, rescue you.  Send Help.  But because you won't take heed to the warning(s) He has sent TIME and TIME again, you may suffer loss, tragedy, trauma...

All UNNECESSARILY.

Why?

Because of your FEAR and DISOBEDIENCE!

Take it from someone who has literally driven through a hurricane and experienced and seen things she should NOT have seen...

I could have spared myself MUCH trauma...I could have spared my kids and family the horror of thinking I may be dead...I could have spared myself years of spiritual abuse (this church was one of the churches I went to that put me THROUGH!)....I could have spared myself MUCH DRAMA had I just listened to that still small voice of God that was telling me to GO!!!

It all worked out.

But...I share this to encourage you.  You DO NOT have to ride out the judgment wave with your church.  GET OUT BEFORE THE WAVE HITS...BECAUSE ITS COMING!!!!

Once it hits, it may be harder-if not impossible-for you to escape!

Judgment Against The Church...GUILTY!!!

1 Peter 4:16-18

 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.

 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?

There are many that cringe at the thought of judgment hitting the 'house of God.'  They fight statements that say that the church is under judgment.  They hold onto to error and teach people that the church is 'under attack' and 'the gates of hell shall not prevail against the church' every time another scandal about a leader in church comes out, or their actions are brought into scrutiny.

Or criticism.

Criticism and judgment are two words that have taken on a bad meaning in what is known as the 'church' today.

To criticize means 'to pass judgment on the credibility of a thing.'  To judge means 'to objectively, wisely and authoritatively form an opinion upon. '

Another word in the dictionary for JUDGE is TO DISCERN.

I hear many pray for the 'gift' of discernment.  They erroneously think that discernment is this ethereal force we pull out of the air that breathes upon us and automatically gives us wisdom on all things.
And, yes...the Holy Ghost DOES give wisdom.  But obtaining wisdom is a PROCESS.  Sometimes, the Spirit will give words of wisdom...that is wisdom that comes from God.

But the Holy Ghost is also a TEACHER.  And the process of obtaining wisdom is by way of KNOWELDGE.

You obtain facts.  You obtain truth.  You measure it against the authenticity of the Word of God.
Sometimes, a LOT of times, actually, we get knowledge based upon EXPERIENCE.  Now experience NEVER trumps the Word of God.  EVER!

But the Word of God says ALL things work TOGETHER for the good of those who love the Lord...who are called according to HIS purpose.

God is so amazing that He can take everything in our lives and allow us to work for our good.  By allowing us to learn from them!

Life is a learning process.  Lifelong pursuit.

We gain knowledge by what we have experienced.  We gain wisdom by knowing HOW to apply the knowledge we have gained.

Knowledge are FACTS.  TRUTH.  Pillars.  Foundation.

The Bible is stock FULL of facts.  Events.  Circumstances.

But how we apply the Word to our lives....THAT'S wisdom!

Even in our mess ups, if we are willing to allow God chastise us and show us where we messed up, then He can cause that thing to turn around and be for your good!!!!

But its when we don't confess our sins-individually or collectively-that God has no other choice but to pronounce judgment!

The corporate lack of discernment in the Institutional Church is because of the mass denial of truth...and the masses denial of judging ourselves as individuals.  The very nature and culture of the I.C. is such that it lends to covering up sin more than it does to dealing with and healing sin.

And the only way healing of sin comes is when it is confessed.

Because many fail to judge themselves as individuals, they gather together corporately to further play along in this mass denial of sin in the camp.

And since they won't deal with sin, but deny it, and cover it up...with programs, conferences, mega ministries, making stars out of preachers, religious cliches and phrases and gross error...THEY LOVE NOT THE TRUTH as stated in Romans 1, God has given them over to reprobate minds.

So that they have to believe the LIE!

No discernment is operating because NO TRUTH is there.  In the buildings.

Only lies and cover-ups.

So God HAS to pronounce judgment on the church...He said He would in the Word...and because the church won't pronounce judgment on HERSELF!

God gave her space to repent...and she would not.

It became easier to placate sin, to make excuses for it, to cover it up, to blackmail one another, and to murder one another...than to deal with the harsh reality that...

GOD HAS JUDGED THE CHURCH!

In 'Come Out of Her, My People,' Pamela Sheppard goes into detail about the judgment the church is facing today and what you as a believer can do to get OUT and not be partakers of her plagues.

The nature of a plague is that it spreads rapidly.  Plagues are contagious.  No matter what measures one takes to not catch a disease, if it is highly contagious, they will get it, sooner or later.

Remember getting the chicken pox as a child?  If a sibling or someone else in the house got it, it was only a matter of time before someone else would get it, too.  No matter what measures were taken to prevent it from spreading.

The plagues in the church are not airborne.  They are spirit-borne. Spirits transfer.  No matter how anointed you are, no matter how holy and righteous you are, no matter how obedient to the Word you are, if you stay in that contaminated atmosphere long enough, sooner or later, that 'chicken pox' is going to get you, too!

You could have stayed celibate in your church for 23 years.  If you stay there, you will fall into sexual sin.

You could have been faithful in tithes and offerings all your life.  If  you keep 'sowing' into a church or TV network that's under judgment, your finances will get WORSE.

You could have done all the right things in church, faithful, hard worker, the whole nine.  But if you stay there and YOU KNOW God said GO, judgment WILL hit your house.

You could be on the road preaching 8 times a week.  But if God said DON'T GO, you better not go!  The enemy got a trap waiting for you!

You could sing like a mockingbird, bring tears to balling and wailing all in the floor...but if God said STOP SINGING-cuz they're not worshiping ME-you better zip it!  And don't sign another contract!

Remember the plagues in Egypt?  ALL who were disobedient to God suffered the plagues, man, woman and child.  NO one was spared!

If the Israelites had not followed the instructions of the Lord to the TEE, they would have suffered right along with the Egyptians in those plagues.

The church was given space to repent and she would not.  So she is under judgment...and all the 'attacks' you see going on in the I.C. are nothing more than plagues.

Do you want to partake of her sins?

If not, then it's time you came OUT of the church.  She is under judgment...

PAY ATTENTION!

Having worked mostly in a secondary educational setting, I noticed a trend towards the younger generation that I had not noticed before.

The best way I can explain it is by example.  When working in one college institution, I worked in student outreach.  We were constantly trying to create new ways of recruiting new students to our campus.  The Director came up with a brilliant campaign to send text messages to to prospective students on campus events such as recruitment and retention drives, as well as other campus events meant to draw crowds.  We sent text messages in text lingo to 1000s of people, in opposed to sending email messages like we had done the previous semester:  recruitment increased by almost 50%!

And retention had increased by 30%.

What the outreach team had come to realize is that many people today have short attention spans, not to mention limited time.  Harried, busy schedules keep people from taking the time needed to read and research matters.  Now, people hire people to do what -40 years ago-we did on our own, i.e., clean our houses, drop off and pick up dry cleaning, carpool, babysit, etc.

I have personally worked for people who didn't have time to read their own emails!

It is the way of the world as we know it today.  But is it a good thing?  A progressive thing?

There have been times when I missed an important email message-one I had been expecting-because I hadn't taken the time to check my email.  I have even worked as a personal assistant where our main mode of communication was text.

Text messaging and email is not the point here.  It is why are we as a society SO BUSY, SO DISTRACTED, SO in A HURRY, that we cannot PAY ATTENTION to the things we NEED to pay attention to????

The Word of God says that we are to WATCH and to PRAY.  In other words, PAY ATTENTION!

I do believe it is a ploy and a trick of the enemy to get people TOO BUSY and TOO DISTRACTED so that they are not able to WATCH what needs to be watched.  And if we don't watch what is needed to be watched, then we won't know HOW TO PRAY!

My heart goes out to today's teachers, for their job is truly a challenge.

They must get as much information into the kids as possible in a society that is too fast-paced, and too distracted, to sit down and have a good teaching session with them.  Nowadays, kids have Wii, Nintendo, PS3, and a host of other gidgets and gadgets that keep them overly occupied.  But this phenomena is not exclusive to kids...the kids learn this behavior from the parents.

Parents got their own gadgets, too. iPads, iPhones, laptops, PCs, Androids, and $500 cell phones are a household common commodities.

Instead of 10 TV channels on TV-like when I was a little girl-now there are over 500.  Access to all kinds of information (Distractions) are at the fingertips of most of the population.

And while we are distracted with our gidgets, our gadgets, our entertainment, our social lives, our religions and church services, our careers and education, our relationships/marriages, the enemy is behind the scenes, counting on the masses to stay ignorant of his devices.

And while we are all distracted-even with religion-the enemy will have 'the attention' of the masses...and they will do whatever he commands...thinking it is God!

ONLY those who PAY ATTENTION...who WATCH and PRAY...will not fall for the tricks of the enemy in this hour.