So I don't know really where to start right now, everything is very overwhelming. I believe that what Spirit has taught me through my experiences over the past couple of days is extremely important for believers who want to make an impact for the Kingdom in age that we live in. I used to be scared of getting critized by other believers about my beliefs in Christianity and the convictions I have, but now that is less of a concern to me. As I believe His sheep hear His voice and will not follow the voice of another (John 10) or John the Apostle as he writes to the believers
As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit--just as it has taught you, remain in him. 1 John 2:27
and as Christ Himself said
If anyone chooses to do God's will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. John 7:17
Basically the point of the verses is that those who truly are of God will know what is from Him and what is not!
I am willing to bear with criticism, something I have feared for quite sometime. As the Word says:
Do not fear the reproach of men or be terrified by their insults. Is. 51:7.
So...
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches Rev 2:7 (a line repeated multiple times in scripture)
Paul's letters contained so much spiritual wisdom yet most could not understand it and distorted it because they were trying to intepret it in the flesh with their own wisdom and not with the one that comes from above (James 3:9). If we just asked for understanding we would receive it (Luke 11:13)
He (Paul) writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. 2 Peter 3:16
How should I start? Lets start with the Spiritual reality North America is in today.
The reason why we have the story of the Israelites in the OT, is so that we can learn from the mistakes of the people who were a part of God's first covenant. We (believers) are part of the New Covenant that is much better than the first. Its like an upgraded version 2.0 (Heb. 7:22)! We can see that when the first covenant was first established, God's people would experience the blessings and the power of God to the MAX! The Israeites were led by a pillar of fire by night and a cloud by day. In the same way after Christ resurrected, the church in Acts was full of signs, miracles and wonders! The presence and power of God was so powerful in the church that Ananaias and Saphhaira were struck dead. It always starts out good...
but.... as time progresses the faithfulness of God's people diminishes. The Israelites started to follow other gods and so God sends prophets to tell the people to turn back. The power that was once with His people is no longer with them. This isn`t because God is faithless but because the people`s lack of faith. "He is faithful to those who are faithful to Him"
(as we put more of our faith in Him and are obedient, he shows Himself more and more. Peter had to take the first step onto the sea before he found that he could walk on water!)
When the faith of God`s people begins to go downhill, God starts to send prophets to turn the people back ! So in the first covenant Israel enters the age of the prophets. There were periods when the Israealites did repent in "mini revivals" Examples are see during the reign of Hezekiah and Josiah most notable as well as in the book of Haggai, Ezra and Nehemiah.
This is where we are now....a parallel time to that of the prophets. There have been revivals like those of Hezekiah, however it has been a long long time since the last one and things are getting progressively worse. In fact when you read the book of the prophets many of the things that the prophets were saying to the Israelites applies to us.
A few things that stick out to me....
Her priests do violence to my law and profane my holy things; they do not distinguish between the holy and the common; they teach that there is no difference between the unclean and the clean; and they shut their eyes to the keeping of my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them. Ezz. 22:26
My people are destroyed by lack of knowledge Hosea 4:6a
We don`t understand who God really is, we have such a distorted picture of Him that it allows us to live our lives without distinguishing what is holy and unholy, its all grey to us.
Truth is lost amidst a whole pot of different ideas, philosophies, religions, sociologies, psychologies. The tricky thing is that its not completely lost, its just changed tiny little bit or things are added so that it still looks right and feels right. The prevailing attitude is to accept everything and not to offend anyone by being exclusive.
(Its like the story of Elijah and prophets ``there is death in the pot!` 2 Kings 4:38-41
In this story the prophets had to be fed so someone went out and started to gather many different things to put in the stew. However they added a wild vine and used some of the gouards from it to make the stew. There were good things in the stew but also things that bring death making the whole thing bad! It was solved when Elijah put some flour in the pot, symbolizing bread as in Jesus the bread of life to make it good. The pot was saved in the end! There is still hope but more on that later )
So everyone is careful in what they say. Its easy for a Christian to accept these things as its not that people are against the beliefs of Christianity they just believe in everything else. Its only when we push for the truth that Jesus is the way the truth and the life and no one comes to father except through Him (John 14:6) that we run into trouble.
In this this type of world we live in we must be lovers of truth and SEEK IT WITH ALL OUR HEART! Its only when do that we will find it (Jer. 29:13)
Let's talk about spiritual warefare:
In this type of enviroment, it is different than in places where the gospel is new or has never been heard.
NA has heard the gospel and knows what it is. They have just rejected it. We need to be prophets who will stand for the truth of the gospel 100%
(the Spirit of Glory in this type of warfare is different than the one of physical persecution and martydom (1 Peter 4:14)
it is beautiful and unique in the way the Lord has appointed the difference is similiar to Stephen vs. Jeremiah but not 100%. God is ALWAYS doing a new thing Is. 43:19 (but in the same way) haha God is just like that =) i.e. there are so many people that are the same but people are all so different in infinite ways ~ same with new creations!)
So after the background information onto what I have learned concering spiritual warfare and witnessing....
Monday:
Exams are finally done and now that they are I have no excuse not to go live my faith out more!
I keep thinking about Paul Washer's testimony of how he used to and evangelize for 12 hours completely spent out on the work of the Lord
So today I woke up early...well I planned to wake up @ 5:30 but ended up waking up @ 7:00 am
went to school and prayed for a good three hours. I was convicted on being ready for the day that I die. I was reminded of the backpack skit and how I need to pack up the worldy things.
kept thinking that I am not ready to see God I still have so many attachments
Our lives really are nothing and all the human connections that we have end the day we die
naked we come from out mother's womb naked we depart ecc.
spent a good hour and a bit working on a bible study/sermon
on trusting in the Kingdom of the world over --> story of asssyria invading Judah during Hezekiah's reign.....the world tempts God's people to cop out with an offer that seems like God's way but isn't! (more on that later)
then I walked out to the student center with the intention to preach.....didn't really get there. I sat in the stairway that overlooked the people and worshipped and prayed and started to read the bible outloud ....
But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. 2 Timothy 4:5
first a bit of Proverbs then the Beatitudes
It was heavy. Every second I read felt like death to my body yet Christ was giving me the grace I needed to continue...
read read read ...pray for strength keep reading. I thought what I was doing was pretty normal until my friend who told me afterward said it sounded unconventional to him at first. He was skeptical that it would work until he saw people going up to me to talk. He told me it was something that he wouldnt do because it sounds crazy and would make him look crazy.
For me I thought that looking crazy was sorta what came with being a Christian....
1. We need to see with Spiritual eyes
Seeing with Spiritual eyes (to me it actually seems pretty normal) I tend to always see things in the Spiritual. In the Spiritual His Words are a double edged sword, I can undersand how someone in the flesh will see it but In the spiritual I see it as "people who are spiritually dicerned" or the unspiritual man as Paul writes of in 1 Corinthians 2: 14-15
The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man’s judgment:
We cannot be spiritually discerned in this day and age but we must see with spiritual eyes through HIS Word and not anything else. Your Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. Sometimes we tend to use the lense of the world to read the bible and when we do that the Word fail us because there is no longer any power in it anymore. When we see with spiritual eyes, we ACT with spiritual eyes and when we act with spiritual eyes to the world it seems like complete foolishness.
As the wisdom of God is foolishness to man and the wisdom of man is foolisheness to God (1 Corthians 1:20-25)
That is why we are called fools for Christ. The light shines in the darkness and the darknnesss has not understood it" (John 1:5) so it looks like foolishness to them.
2. Lift Christ Up and depend on Him
When it comes to evangelizing, hit and run isn't always the most effective way of reaching out. There are so many people and there are some that are seeking God but many who do not have open hearts. When Paul was witnessing he would speak to all who would listen.
but "when Christ is lifted up he shall draw all men unto himself" John 12:32
Jesus says that He will make HIs diciples to be fishers of men. When we go into the world we are fishing people out from a huge sea of sin. When you go fishing, you never know what you are going to get and sometimes the fish dont bite. Now you can go and cast your line out randomly and hope that you will catch something (and eventually you will) or you can go to the spots where you know the fish are biting. Better yet what if you could attracts the fish that will only bite.
He that winneth souls is wise Proverbs 11:30
We need to be wise when it comes to the method of winning souls! When we lift Christ up, He draws the fish that will bite and all we have to do is reel it in.
How do we lift Christ up, praise and worship, reading His Words, preaching, spoken word etc.
When Christ is spoken of it immediately demands a response in the hearts of the hearers. His name is an offence toward those who do not believe, but life to those who do.
His Words are living and active and will accomplish what He desires!
3. Dont trust in Human Wisdom
We cannot trust in our own human wisdom to win the battle. We cant trust logical arguments, archeological evidence, reason, philosophy NONE OF THAT! That stuff is from ourselves not God! The power of the gospel is in the message received through faith not anything else!
You see trusting ourselves is trusting in the WORLD even though it doesn't SEEM that way, remember the devi is a deceiver he masquarades himself as an angel of light. It seems SO RIGHT like its GOD'S way when its not. Check out the story of King Hezekiah Isaiah 36. It really gives a example to learn from when it comes to trust in the world (Assyria) vs God.
Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23but 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. 1 Corinthians 1:23-24
4. Understand the Spiritual World
Which Brings me to Tuesday. My second day aerrating lawns. I was placed in a van with a confused Muslim slash person who made up his own religion based off of that, 2 Mormon brothers and 2 Catholics.
Started to talk to to Mormons about Christ and they agreed to everything I was saying but.... its like they didnt get it. I felt like they were trying to hide. Everytime I said the word Mormon they would say Christian. It was interesting talking to them though they go on missions trips and yeah do the exact things as us. Its sorta scary. To a non-CHristian it would be exactly the same thing.
Anyways started to work and came across a house whose door was covered in Catholic literature. The main point describing the importance of Mother Mary.......I couldnt ignore it so I knocked on the door and asked about it:
A women had a large crucifix around her neck (heavy spiritual bondage) she was telling me that they pray to mother Mary because she is Jesus mother and Jesus cant refuse his mother. She used the story ofthe wedding at Cana to back it up. I explained how it says that Jesus is the mediator between God and man and then started to explain how Jesus says to pray to the Father in Heaven ...but she sorta shut the door on me.
I left sorta feeling discouraged first the Mormons than the Catholics both Christian both use scripture both not true. So I prayed and after walking around feeling discouraged the Spirit of the the Most High flooded in with faith and power and suddenly I was like wow this is real there is POWER behind the truth and FREEDOM everything else has nothing.
Spiritual forces are strong because we are so weak and oblivious in the flesh
Rampant decieving spirits are at work.
1 The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. 2 Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. 3 They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. 4 For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, 5 because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer. 1 Timothy 4:1-4
Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence. Colossians 2:23
the key difference between a fake spirit and the HS is that a fake one cant free people from sin!
Religion is the most deceitful spirit! (Whats scary is that the vybe is rampant in the protestant church today)
In the car on the way home, the conversation quickly turned religious
The Muslim --> religion is good everyone is against religion people need to believe in god
(to the secularist) "How come your so offended everytime I say Jesus" (implying that he is against religion)
Its so true right? but its coming from someone who doesn't have the HS but another thats really close.....
The problem is that it still originates in the flesh
The Muslim spirit is strong it just keeps going and going and no one can over power it --> (he kept being asked to tone down, in a polite way) but he kept going and going in Quaran it says this and that and all these stories.
secularist- Was trying to explain colonialism and how religion was used as a way to control people in a very detailed and well thoughtout way. He told the confused Muslim, you have a lot of good ideas but you need to get a university education.
Lets be serious its actually just another religion disguised to make it seem like it all has to do with facts but not really because it gets to the point where you need to have faith to fill in the blanks.
Mormon Spirit -> the spirt of religion but now as strong and driving as the Muslim --> very evasive, doesn't like the light so covers things up and runs away and say "No I'm Christian" but not really you just called yourself Mormon.
the seeker - just trying to listen to all the different opinions, they were catholic by name but were pretty much just uh pagan and were open to everything. Its interesting becaue they had a stronger interest and attraction to the gospel over everything else
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Eph 6:12
The Spiritual world is real, there are forces that influence people who do not have the Holy Spirit in them.
see whats crazy is that on the surface all these ideas, religions (spirits) all seem contradictory but they're actually all working together against the one truth --> the gospel of Jesus Christ
The devil is the mastermind behind all these things because "he is the father of lies" (John 8:44)
I guess he doesn't really care what people believe in as long as its not the true gospel, but I'm thinking he would want more people to believe in religions that have a stronger sway.....
4.1- Demolishing Spiritual Stonghold with truth and love!
I was filled with so much love for them. They really needed to know the truth of the one true living God amidst all of the LIES.
I wanted to show them love so badly so I ended up buying hamburgers from MCDs for all of them.
This verse makes so much sense now
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ Matthew 25:34
The love we have for Christ is seen in our love for others. Our love for others shown through our actions. We love because He first loved us. So we give back to Christ by caring for his people. Jesus says to Peter: Do you love me and then says feed my sheep if you do!
So my act of love is like giving hamburgers to Christ! LOL
I really wanted to tell them what the truth was! But I couldnt get the message in everyone else was so loud. I felt the love of Christ so strong and I knew that He was so much stronger! I just needed a chance to speak. So I started to pray and as I did I decided that I would ask for a chance to voice my opinion at the end of the car ride.
Whats interesting is that because of how I acted at work and the hamburgers I had gained favour with the boss and he new I was a Chrisitian. When I asked to give my opinion he wanted to hear what the Christian perspective was and made every else shut up.
Its like Agrippa with Paul or Caesar with Jesus. The person in the position of influence is open and supportive. Jaeson Ma talks about having someone in the position of influence to help you.
4.2 - Wait on God
Gods voice is quiet and constant it does not force itself on people, it needs a platform to be heard.....
I was really tempted to jump in and argue with the conversation. My flesh really wanted to refute all the arguments. But there are these two verses from Proverbs that stuck out to me.
Answer a fool as his folly deserves, That he not be wise in his own eyes. Proverbs 26:5
Gods wisdom is foolishness to man so when we answer arguments from God when things are heated we will not look smart
but if we speak the Words of God with ears that are open then a seed can be planted.
It is not good to have zeal without knowledge, nor to be hasty and miss the way.
Provebs 19:2
When it comes to ministering to people we must WAIT on God.
Slow to speak quick to listen and slow to become angry is key (James 1:19)
Many times we fall in the temptation to just refute and blurt out our own ideas. Speaking truth is good but it needs to be done in love and humility that comes from the wisdom Spirit and not from our flesh. We need to keep in mind it is not how much we say but the power behind them brought to life with the breathe of Spirit. One grain of truth is enough to pierce into the heart when used effectively. We do not fight as one BEATING THE AIR AIMLESSLY! But we speak with purpose!
Slow down and listen in love.
When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise. Proverbs 10:19
4.3 He that is in you is greater than he that is in the world
For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world . They have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Cor 10:14-15
Continuing my story.... I kept it really simple I shared my testimony of how I called myself a Christian but wasnt free form sin and asked the people in the car if they were free from their sin because it is for freedom that Christ set us free and it says not to be yoked any longer by a yoke of slavery. I also addressed the issue that Jesus says He is the only way and that all religions are not the same, since it was the religious people who killed Jesus. I spoke really plainly and honestly and at first people would try to interrupt but my boss would make them stop but afterward the Word was doing its thing and everyone had nothing to say after I was done.
Weapons of righteousness: Shield of faith that presses into enemy ranks and defend from their opposing ideas. Sword of the Spirit to cut through the lies. BOOM all other ideas and spirits are nothing when faced with the true gospel power through the Spirit of TRUTH
5. Keep Watch and Pray to have oil to burn
Its important that those who want to stay awake with oil in their lamps are PRAYING. "Watch and pray so that you do not fall into temptation" Peter did not pray so he fell away. If he did pray he would not have. I don't want to be legalistic and tell people how long they should pray, but honesty the more time you spend in the presence of God = how much you are changed by Him the degree that you are changed by Him = how much of His Kingdom you can bring to the world around you.
In other words we should be people who go into the presence of God and come out broken so that we can go out with that power on us into the world. The kingdom of heaven a not a matter of talk but of power! The degree to which you are humbled is is the degree to which God's power can be manifested through you.
When you go into the presence of God you cannot leave unchanged.
When you are broken the holiness of God you come out with the holiness of God on you
When you are broken by the sovereignty of of God you come out with the sovreignty of God on you
When you are ravished with the love of GOd you come out with a love for those around you.
and its translates into the way that you talk and the way that you live.
We literally bring the Kingdom of Hevaen to the people as it is in our hearts. and from there come the signs wonder's and miracles that follow those who believe.
Prayer is also important because it gives you the tools needed to fight in this kind of enviroment. ``You fight your battles on your knees`` Its in prayer that your sin and doubts surface. Its these times that you need to persevere through. Many times in prayer we go through times of dryness where many doubts come in and we feel discouraged. This is God`s way of preparing us. We fight the doubts and bring them before God so that when we go into an enviroment of relative truth we can be full of faith to speak the FULL truth.
Other thoughts and Prophetic Insights....
I remember when I first recieved the Spirit, the Lord called me a few days later through a legit prophet. I was called to my people.
At first I did not know what it meant I thought that I just had to go to the front of the stage and pray and people would get saved, but not really. It was a longterm calling. After a whole year of praying and fasting I think things are becoming more clear.
I really believe that my people first refers to the Chinese Chritian Community, but even more so my generation (millenials) and to be even more specific "the people" that is emerging in Canada RIGHT NOW.
Canada is a Nation of MANY Nations from almost every tribe, tongue and people from around the world.
Right now everything is so segregated and people are very cautious and protective because of the many differences. This makes it extremely hard to share the gospel. However that is with the first generation of immigrants, the second and third generation however are starting to be form a new cultures of different cultures. Ideas and philosophies are clashing and something is going to emerge amidst all the rubble....will it be Christ?
Again in these days we are scattered
the church in North America is under underground and the lack of unity dimishes the power of the body.
praying and worshipping together is key to BREAKTHROUGH!
I believe that the next generation needs to rise up. It is already starting to stirr bit by bit according to God's timing but we need to pray and ask for Him to send a FLOOD of righteousness!
Already the generation before us is passing away....
Paul Washer, John Piper, David Wilkerson, John Mccarthur,Francis Chan, Lou Engle, Mike Bickle, Jaseson Ma, Mark Cahill and many others......
These are all men that God has chosen to lead the true body during the times that we are in now and of course many others not mentioned, but these are the ones He has made well known according to His purpose.
From what I know all of these people are of the baby boomer generation or older, the youngest (Jaeson Ma) is Generation X (the generation preceding ours) The thing is these people are getting old! They won't be around much longer. Jaeson is the youngest I think, he's like 30.
In the next few years we will see a shift. I don't think the Lord is going to raise up big "generals" in His army, but rather small commanders or as Lou Engle put it "fighter jet pilots" Its just logical when we look at it from a battle perspective. With so many more people in the world its hard to mobilize so many people if they are under one general. They need to start breaking off into smaller units to be versatile and fast on the HUGE battlefield!
It has been pretty much guerilla warfare in NA for the longest time. Small attacks on enemy flanks here and there, but its like hit and run. There have been a few complete victories but nothing on a massive large scale. A few mini revivals ex. UCLA.
Don't get me wrong there's a place for the "generals" there have been many in the past William Booth, Jonathan Edwards, Amy Carmicheal, Watchman Nee and many others. We're gonna see people rising up at their proper time as God sees fit
Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him Psalm 115:3...... and what pleases Him is ALWAYS GOOD!
But it is God who judges: He brings one down, he exalts another. Ps. 75:7
and a man can only receive what is given to him from heaven. John 3:27
I am not quite sure how things are going to play out but this I do know..
6“This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. 7I will shake all nations, and the desired of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the Lord Almighty. 8‘The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ declares the Lord Almighty. 9‘The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the Lord Almighty.”
Haggai 2:6-7
And afterward,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your old men will dream dreams,
your young men will see visions
Joel 2:28
One of my greatest desires is to be able to meet together with all the youth God is calling to pray and worship. Hes gonna SHAKE the NATIONS and the desired of all nations will COME! WOAHHHH
