Pillars of Fire

Exodus 13:20-22

“And they took their journey from Succoth, and encamped in Etham, in the edge of the wilderness.

And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:

He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.”

Hebrews 12:29

“For our God is a consuming fire.”

The Lord our God is a consuming fire and He is always faithful to lead us, guide us and provide for all our needs. As the people of Israel were led out into the wilderness and received instruction from God they were led by an awesome pillar of fire that would move as they were to move. They would pack up the tabernacle and move forth, obeying God following Him to the promise land. Today we have a new covenant and a new tabernacle of which the Lord has now pitched.

Hebrews 8:1-2

“Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens;

A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.”

Hebrews 9:11-12

“But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;

Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.”

Now we are made the holy tabernacle unto Him by the blood of Jesus, the gift of repentance, the baptism of water in the name of Jesus and then when that pillar of fire comes down we receive the gift of the Holy Ghost! The holy of holies dwells within us in the inner man when the Lord takes residence therein! Praise God.

1 John 2:27

"But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him."

We each have our own personal High Priest to intercede for our sins in Jesus Christ and it is His anointing that will lead us. We each have our own pillar of fire to lead us in this dark world we live in!

We each are a unique vessel called unto Him according to His design in us! A unique tabernacle in the wilderness, a holy temple for our God!

No matter where we are or where we have come from The Lord our God is there for us and can call down that pillar of fire to lead us and guide us to Him and the promise land. His light shines through each of us with a singular beautiful light as He has taken each one from the depths of the earth and removed the dirt and filth to reveal the gem he has placed with in. He refines us and through the precise cuttings of that two edged sword of the Word of GOD, He forms us into a precious jewel, a beacon of light unique to Him and His desires for each one and the callings He has instilled in the depths of each soul. A personal touch, a personal work taken with such deliberate care and love, carving out a special place for each one in His Living Temple that we might come together and finish our course with joy, and the ministry, which we have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.

How much more will that light shine as we follow our Lord Jesus Christ and allow him to bring us together, knitting our hearts in His love, perfecting us as His light shines on us from within our brothers and sisters in Christ. The Lord is doing His work in the wilderness in each of us that then we might come together joining each unique piece of His glorious work that is HIS LIVING TEMPLE!

When that happens then we and the world shall truly know the glory of our Lord and God.

There may be a darkness that is closing about the earth consuming all we see, our eyes have been opened!

OUR LORD WILL ANSWER THAT DARKNESS WITH HIS LIGHT IN US!

ARISE!

Let's go forth and let his perfect will rule our life and let that pillar of fire come down and lead us all together into the promise land and all the glories and riches that await us there!

Isaiah 60:1-2

"Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee."

1 Thessalonians 2:12  That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory. 

Praise the Lord our God forever and ever Amen!

Blessings for a Child of God, Forefront for the Globalists

Coming home from work today my brother in Christ, Steven Revealed this interesting video unto me:

What a truly amazing story of faith and love for our Lord Jesus Christ. Up until a few months ago, I had no clue what Islam was truly about. I and a couple of brothers in Christ went up to Green Bay to a conference to hear testimonies of persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ, and what they endured for their faith. The first three out of the four speakers came from countries where Islamic religion was the major religion of the country. The first speaker was a man by the name of Mujahid El Masih, a pastor which converted to Islam. Right at the beginning of his testimony he showed what would happen to a country once Islam has taken roots inside the governmental structure of a country. During his testimony he stated “People today have a misconception about the religion of Islam. It is not a religion; it is a way of life!"
After listening to the speakers, they had a stand where you can shop for merchandise and books from the speakers and from the holders of the convention. I picked up a few books one which caught my attention entitled, "Unveiling Islam" made by Ergun Mehmet Caner, and Emir Fethi Caner. The book opens up the understanding of Islam to where it started, why it started, what the people of Islam believe, and what Islam truly does to a person. Islam has two major books that they follow to the letter, the Quran and the Hadith All the words in the two books are written down by witnesses of Mohammed, the supposed prophet of Allah. In the writings of the Quran and Hadith you find allot of disturbing things that talks about what the people of Islam should do to infidels (nonbelievers) or people who convert from Islam.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith - 9.57
Some Zanadiqa (atheists) were brought to 'Ali and he burnt them. The news of this event, reached Ibn 'Abbas who said, "If I had been in his place, I would not have burnt them, as Allah's Apostle forbade it, saying, 'Do not punish anybody with Allah's punishment (fire).' I would have killed them according to the statement of Allah's Apostle, 'Whoever changed his Islamic religion, then kill him.' "

From that point you can see why Rifqa Bary was fearful for her life. Muslims are taught to obey the words of the Quran and the Hadith. To Rifqa's parents, she is a disgrace to the family and the only way to bring honor amongst the family and for her was to kill her. Well long story short by the grace of God, the courts found it not safe for her to return to her parents, for the sake of her life, and on August 10, 2010, Rifqa turned 18, giving her freedom from any parental control. This latest video on this story of this amazing story:



A lot of people here in the United States did not know much about Islam up until September 11, 2001. When the illuminati attacked American soil, under the deception that Islamic radicals flew two planes into the World Trade Center and into the Pentagon, the media pumped out lies and deception to make the people believe that a terrorist group named the Taliban planed the attacks on the WTC. There is so much evidence that those buildings were brought down by demolitions right into its foundations. Since then America has been blinded by the spirit of patriotism to attack Afghanistan, and eventually into Iraq. It is now 2010, the war started on October 7th, 2001, almost nine years and nothing has been accomplished except our economy being in shambles, and more of our rights that the Constitution states that we have are now being chipped away. During this time we switched presidency from a ruthless leader that people questioned his intelligence, to a world pharaoh, a Muslim, and a communist, Barak Obama. From the very beginning of Obama’s run for presidency, his past has been shrouded in terms of where he was born, and if he was a Muslim. During the campaign his birth place was in question. In order to be president of the United States you have to be born on American soil. What he wants people to believe is that he was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, his mother of course vouches for this, and however the twist to this is that Obama's grandmother states he was born in Africa. Interesting how his healthy grandmother all the sudden falls ill and eventually dies during the campaign. The second issue is that Barak Obama is a closet Muslim. Through many interviews and actions, you see signs that his true religion is Islam. For the sake on staying on topic, I would like to make an article addressing the statement of Obama being Muslim, at a later date.
To tie this together, recently in the news, people here in the United States are facing the rise of Islam with a new problem. Dating as far back as early summer of 2009 people began to take notice of a building two blocks away from where the World Trade Centers were. "The location was precisely a key selling point for the group of Muslims who bought the building in July. A presence so close to the World Trade Center, “where a piece of the wreckage fell,” said Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, the cleric leading the project, “sends the opposite statement to what happened on 9/11.”“We want to push back against the extremists,” added Imam Feisal, 61."( The New York Times) Ever since then the Muslim community wanted to go bigger then just a place for people to gather and pray, they wanted to build a mosque.
"We are in the planning stages," said Oz Sultan, spokesman for the center now called Park51. "We have just started the process of fundraising planning.” Sultan said it would take three to six months to establish a plan on how to raise the needed capital. He said any fundraising campaign would begin domestically, but he would not comment on whether it would extend overseas or to foreign governments."(abc News)
How are the people of New York responding? 67% of the people of New York do not want the Mosque to be built. People are of course still blaming Muslims for the attacks on 9/11 and view a mosque near ground zero to be a slap in the face to them, and to the families of those who had lost loved ones when the buildings collapsed.
A few political and religious people have stepped into the consideration on whether or not the mosque should be moved to an area where more people would feel less threatened of seeing a mosque so close to ground zero.
Governor David Paterson of New York talked with Larry King about how he wants to handle the situation,
"If people put their heads together, maybe we could find a site that's away from the site now but still serves the ... area. That would be a noble gesture to those who live in the area who suffered after the attack on this country, and at the same time would probably in many ways change a lot of people's minds about Islam, which is really a peaceful religion practiced by peace-loving people," he said.” There’s no attempt at pressure or coercion here. I'd just like to talk about what might be a magic moment in our history." (abc News)
A peaceful religion, with peaceful people? Already we know how they view converts from Islam But what about other people, like christians, or unbelievers?
Sura 2:193
Fight them until there is no [more] fitnah and [until] worship is [acknowledged to be] for Allah . But if they cease, then there is to be no aggression except against the oppressors.
Sura 9:29
Fight those who do not believe in Allah or in the Last Day and who do not consider unlawful what Allah and His Messenger have made unlawful and who do not adopt the religion of truth from those who were given the Scripture - [fight] until they give the jizyah willingly while they are humbled.
Sura 4:89
They wish you would disbelieve as they disbelieved so you would be alike. So do not take from among them allies until they emigrate for the cause of Allah . But if they turn away, then seize them and kill them wherever you find them and take not from among them any ally or helper.

The hatred continues on and on, and yet how can the people that participate in Islam, the religion of peace? Well of course there is opposition to the opposition of building the mosque,
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D- Calif., has called for an investigation into funding, not for the center, but for the conservative effort to oppose it. After all we are supposed to get along with all religions, and be a peace with our brothers of man right? Well what does the word of God say about coming together and being in peace:


2 Corinthians 6:14-17
14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.

1 Thessalonians 5:1-3
1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.
2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
From those above verses we know by the words of God, that we cannot be equally yoked with those of the world and of the devil, yet why is the Archbishop of Roman Catholic Archdiocese, Timothy Dolan , in New York weighing in on the building of the mosque? He urged both side to come to come together to find a "loving, respectful discussion." And would be more then happy to be part of further discussion about the plans for the mosque. In 1994-2001 Dolan went to study in Rome where he was a visiting professor at Pontifical Gregorian University and was a faculty member of the Department of Ecumenical Theology at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas. Even Rudy Giuliani weighed in on the matter calling it a tremendous pain for the 9/11 victims.
In closing we are seeing the rise of Islam in our country. More and more mosques are popping up nationwide, and companies are giving way to Islamic ideology at work, accomidating them for their beliefs:

How long will it be until Islamic Law is set full course in our government, how long will the children of God remain silent about this uprising? Take comfort brothers and sister, God is in control. How do we handle this situation? Prayer, fasting, and showing love unto our enemies:
Matthew 5:44-48
44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?
48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
Romans 12:17-21
17 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.
18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.
19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.
21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all, amen.

Brian Erickson
references:
http://www.archny.org/about-us/the-archdiocese/
http://rifqabary.com/
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/09/nyregion/09mosque.html?_r=1&sq=mosque%20ground%20zero&st=nyt&scp=1&pagewanted=all
http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local-beat/Giuliani-on-Mosque-This-Project-Is-Divisive--101062444.html
http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local-beat/Mosque-Developer-Says-No-Meeting-Scheduled-With-Gov-100967889.html
http://abcnews.go.com/US/Politics/islamic-center-backers-rule-taking-funds-saudi-arabia/story?id=11429998&page=2

Just Another Sign

I praise God for opening my eyes to the world around me, it has been a gradual process throughout my life. Music has been no exception. Gradually he has been filtering out was is not pleasing unto Him and I have found that my music library dwindled down to almost nothing as not much in this day was pleasing to a discerning ear. The Lord is most gracious and He does gift His people with His anointing in music, and what a glorious gift that is. The piano playing of our dear Sister Shirley is enough said about that, when her fingers hit the keys there is a harmony with heaven that comes about, thank you Lord for that glorious gift!

That being said this was brought to my attention. Here is a modern contemporary "christian" artist, one whom I did listen to probably just over a year and a half ago, Tobymac. A picture from his latest works.



The picture next to him is from the freemason handbook, notice too he has one eye revealed, "the all seeing eye."
"SIGN OF A FELLOW CRAFT"
The sign of the Fellow Craft alludes to the penalty of the Fellow Craft obligation. The sign is made by cupping the right hand over the left breast, drawing it quickly across the body, then dropping the hand to the side. The penalty that the sign alludes to is "having my left breast torn open, my heart plucked out, and given to the wild beasts of the field and the fowls of the air."
Explanation of the Fellow Craft sign: The action of cupping one hand over the left breast and drawing it quickly across the body signifies the heart being ripped out if the candidate should violate his Fellow Craft obligation.

Thought this was interesting and wanted to share.

For We Walk by Faith, Not by Sight!

2 Corinthians 5:6-8

Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.


While we are here we walk by faith, not by sight. If not then we are blind and how can we make it home to be present with the Lord, spending eternity with Him? How much more should we desire faith that we might see more clearly?



Romans 10:17

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Galatians 5:6

For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.


Faith cometh by hearing the word of God and worketh by love! I love my Lord and God with all my heart, soul and strength! I trust in Him completely knowing that I am nothing and can do nothing without Him. Without my faith and trust in Him to lead me, what possibly could I do in this life of worth? Nothing. I need to study the word of God to show myself approved before Him that I might know His promises therein. Obeying the Gospel that is written as in Acts 2:38 I can receive the Holy Ghost. Thank you Jesus! If faith cometh by hearing the Word of God, how much of the Word should I soak myself in! The River of Living Waters!


Through the gift of the Holy Ghost, the Lord pours His Spirit into us, God dwelling in us! It is a river of Godly Love pouring into us, changing us, purifying us, preparing in us the perfecting of Godly Love in Christ Jesus! All because we have first submitted ourselves completely to Him in faith and love!


To walk by faith we walk with a comprehension of that which is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height, four dimensions, having seen the depth of all which is the spiritual realm. That is the reality that we walk in and if one cannot see that, they are blind. Everything is spiritual! Lest our Lord open our eyes to that, we will walk by mere sight not seeing the Truth of the reality around us, being blind to that how might we find our way home?


We need for the Lord to give us the Spirit of Jesus Christ, when His love fills us and saturates us, we can step forward in faith more and more gaining confidence in our stride with him! Glory to God! He has laid a path of golden light at our feet, a very narrow path that we cannot follow except by faith! The faith of Jesus Christ is a gift of God, Peter walked on water as he walked on the faith of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! So can we! He will sanctify us, separating us from the muck and filth of this world. He will give us all we need to walk as we step forward in faith and love in Jesus Christ, guiding each step of the way as He is the Way, the Truth and the Life!


Our Father in Heaven is so very gracious, so very merciful unto us, Praise the Lord our God for all He has given all unto us that we might be made worthy through His Son, Jesus Christ! That we might be filled with all the fullness of God very God, having faith that we might see and He might guide us home to life everlasting with Him! Glory to God Almighty!


Ephesians 3:16-19

16That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;

17That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,

18May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;

19And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

I’ll See You Again

Looking up, expecting to hear your voice,
Looking back, wishing I still had the choice,

To knock on your door, say hello how are you?
I miss you dear brother, did you know that I love you?

Expecting any moment you might walk through the door,
With a smile, a hello and as always a “Praise the Lord!”

You set such an example, a standard, it was exemplary and true.
In every deed and action, the Lord I could see, at work in you.

Always a thought for others, everything you did give,
Within our Lord Jesus, each day you did live.

Never more humble, a man have I known,
Listening at your feet, oh how much I have grown.

Problems always seemed small with you at my side,
The Lord’s wisdom you had, in him you did abide.

You met so much to me I wonder what I might do.
Looking to tomorrow, without you to turn to.

You taught me better, to my Lord I must turn,
Now more than ever for my Jesus I do yearn.

My heart hurts, missing you each and every day,
Yet my soul rejoices, knowing with my Lord, you’ll forever now stay

You stood your ground and you endured till the end.
When Lord Jesus returns, Praise God, I’ll see you again.

Until then my brother, until then…

2 Corinthians 5:8
We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

For my beloved brother in Christ, David J. Meyer...Called home to be with our Lord Jesus Christ, June 8th, 2010.

One So Unworthy

Oh Jesus what you have done ... for me?
Precious Saviour, suffered for one so unworthy.

What words could I offer to one such as you?
What can I give Lord, what can I can I do?

With my arms wide open I give you my heart!
I tear it asunder! I tear it apart!

Oh Lord shine your light into every crack, every crevice.
Reveal unto me my sin, that I might come unto full repentance.

I repent Lord! I am a sinner! It's awful, it's true!
I turn from this world I turn unto you!

Your Glory it shines from Heaven above!
Until this moment, only now do I know love.

Oh Jesus my Lord, my Master, my Teacher of Truth;
I submit my life, I abandon it all, I give it all to you!

I hunger; I thirst; so desperately to the utmost.
Fill me Lord; please fill me with your Holy Ghost.

Oh my Lord you are a wonder in all that you do.
With all my heart, soul and strength, I do love you.

Oh Lord your Grace, your Mercy, how can it be?
That you have done so much for one, so unworthy as me.

Praise you Jesus Christ, Thank you Lord, Amen.

Steven C. Moore

Unique Vessels

I decided to repost this article as I feel this matter on my heart so strongly as I feel the Lord working here to bring His children together in Him. I am so thankful that the Lord would see fit to use me at all, one so unworthy. I work hard in my life to draw closer to my Lord Jesus in the hope that the closer I get to Him the more He will manifest in my life. Recently I have been pressed upon by the Lord to go over my life with a fine tooth comb searching for any door that the devil is using, as the Lord reveals unto me, that I might slam that door shut. Precept upon precept, line upon line, I thank Him as He guides me through this process ever more. It is time to get serious, real serious about our walk with the Lord like never before, our Lord is on His way! The closer we draw unto Him, the more we submit our lives unto Him, the more we abandon unto Him, the more that we will see Christ our Lord and Savior manifest in our lives. Then the more His gifts will manifest and then He will be able to use us to bless us and our brothers and sisters, the Body, unto exhortation, edification and comfort. With the spirit of Love in our hearts as we come together in Him, then being of one mind and one accord, O! How His Spirit Will Flow!

Through out different times in my life the Lord has moved in me and given me opportunities to train and to teach people. I have learned so much as the Lord has brought me through these processes. I have learned by His grace that each of us who have been called and chosen by Him is uniquely designed by Him to fulfill the role He has designed for us since before time in His Holy Living Temple. Each of us has a brain that is designed differently receiving and processing information for a unique soul created by our Lord, our God. There are similarities in each of us but my point is this; first we cannot learn anything unless the Lord reveals it to us, second each of us learns differently. The bible tells us that each of us has a unique function in the body and a unique way that we may be used to bring forth the gifts given unto us by the Holy Ghost.

Romans 12:3-8
3For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
4For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:
5So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
6Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;
7Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;
8Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.

It is so important that everything be done with the love of our Lord Jesus in our heart, that that be our motivation, having our self removed. Then the Lord can truly manifest and the Holy Ghost can operate in our lives. It is so important that each of us can find this place of perfect peace and comfort in Him that His love might flow through us like a river of living waters.

John7:37-39
37In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
38He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
39(But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

Now our Lord is glorified and the Holy Ghost is given! Praise God! The Holy Ghost is given unto us that we might have a personal teacher and personal Saviour in Jesus. Inviting Him in with great hunger as each of us is a necessary block needed to make the temple whole as ordained by our Lord Jesus. Each of us learns things differently and understands things differently giving a unique perspective as revealed by the Lord to help bring forth a more complete understanding to the Body of Christ. The Lord being the designer knows us inside and out and how to best teach us what we need to know, by His grace, mercy and love we have the gift of His spirit the Holy Ghost to teach us, Praise Him!
There are many different ways to serve and many different tools and gifts He provides as we serve in His Living Temple. But there is one spirit and one way to enter into the Kingdom of God and that is Jesus Christ, amen! It is necessary that each of us seek the Lord daily to be cleansed a clean vessel unto Him, let the Lord refine us, remove the dross that we may be like unto a vessel of gold and silver. I think of how it describes the great city descending out of heaven made of pure gold like unto clear glass.

Revelation 21:18
18And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass

The Lord’s standard for the purest of gold, unlike anything we could imagine, yet think if we could be like that for the Lord vessels made of such pure gold, like clear glass, nothing hindering the light of the Lord from shining forth and nothing to hide what’s inside, an open example that all might see, a beacon for the Lord shining brighter than bright in this dark world, so full of sin.

It is such a blessing to have a spiritual family, brothers and sisters sharing the love of my heart which is my Lord Jesus! I am so thankful for each member of His body that he brings into my life and to see His gifts manifest in their lives that I might learn from them. I know that I cannot serve the Lord in this world alone; I cannot learn all I need on my own to fight these spiritual battles. I need my brothers and sisters serving next to me so that the Lord can point out their unique perspective and understanding in things that He may teach me through their examples. It such a gift to be a part of His design, a building block in His living temple held together by His everlasting Word. It is so important that we let the Lord lead us in coming together and sharing our lives and the things He is working in each of our lives that the body of Christ might come together and mature, being of one mind, one accord, all serving in one household with one master, Jesus Christ. Praise His Holy name! It is then that we will truly see the Spirit of God Move Mountains! I pray that He might use us as we come together to share what He is working in each of our lives that we may each learn from the Lord through our brothers and sisters as He refines each of us into His own unique vessel. Amen.

His humble servant,

Steven Moore

scm_tot@yahoo.com

Being a Bondservant and Maturing in the Body of Christ

March 2009

I Steven am a bondservant to my Lord Jesus Christ. I give all praise and glory to Him who is my Teacher, my Master, my Lord, my King, my God, my all and my everything. I have laid my life down before the Lord it is no longer my own, I live only to do His will. It is His will that I write this down and share and teach as He is calling me to do so as that is the need He sees in His body at this time, that His children might rise up in Him and walk with maturity in His Spirit, seeking Him in all things being fully equipped to fight in the spiritual battles we face in this day. I hear you oh Lord and I answer your call with all my heart, soul and strength, I pray that I might be a clean vessel for your will Lord, that your will may be done in all things.

Time is short. Our Lord Jesus Christ is on His way and time is running out.

Revelation 19:7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready.

Assuredly we have been watching and can see that our adversary is moving and stomping in the world he is preparing for our Lord’s coming as even he knows the time is coming soon and soon his destruction will come. Satan is preparing and his ministry is moving. That is our enemy, even he is preparing. We must prepare ourselves as it says; His wife hath made herself ready. As a bride we the body must prepare individually and as a body for our Lord and Bridegroom’s return. This marriage is happening here on earth, even now, as the Lord says in Luke 20:34 And Jesus answering them said unto them, The Children of this world marry and are given in marriage: 35 But those which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage: There is a deeper meaning here we can see as the Lord opens our eyes, Praise the Lord! This marriage of the Lamb is happening now! In the present tense it is an ongoing thing!

How and what must we do to prepare for this marriage to our Lord? Two things we must do one before the other. First we must prepare individually, strengthening in the Word and growing to a new level of maturity in our walk where we walk in the righteousness of our Lord, the fullness of the protection He provides therein, walking on the straight and narrow path he provides at our feet lighting our way. Second, as mature believers walking in the might of the Lord we must join together as one, the Body of Christ, each of us strengthening one another as spiritual ligaments and muscles join us together through the covenant of His blood, bringing us to even new levels of understanding and maturity as a body, as one in Him with Christ at the Head. It refers to the body of Christ, the bride of Christ, singular not plural. Together we strengthen each other. But it runs deeper than that. The Lord has a grand plan, a great design to all His work; a chunk of eternity that He carved out in the universe in which we live, precisely timed according to His precision. No one person can see the entirety of the big picture, our God’s all-knowing mind with such infinite wisdom went into it. We are not capable of even containing such a thing in our limited brains as they are. As the body with Christ our Lord and God as Head, He can share with each of us a part of this grand mural as the brain passes information to parts of our bodies so that they might do their part in the whole, Christ does this in His body so that we might do our part to make the body whole.

Gen 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female…

It is written that we are created in his own image; the word image means shade, phantom or shadow in the Hebrew. Think about when we stand in the light and cast a shadow, that shadow is two dimensional. Our bodies are three dimensional to the human eye and we are shadows of the Body of Christ which is four dimensional having breadth, length, height and depth, the fourth dimension, depth, being the spiritual realm.

2Corinthians 6:16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Think on this; how beautiful is the design of the human body and all its systems and functions that each part plays and how the brain coordinates it all, that is but a shadow of the body of Christ and how the Body of Christ is intended to work. The Lord needs us to mature so that we may fulfill the function in the Body that He has designed for us. What would happen if one of our organs or limbs stayed the same since we were born? Never growing or only growing partly but not reaching full maturity? The body would be handicapped. Or if infection were left that decay might take over, amputation would be needed. The Lord needs us to run to Him in service that we might repent and be washed clean by His blood of the sin of the world which tries to infect us, that we might receive the spiritual food and discipline we need that we might mature to the fullness of His desire!

How can we as individuals rise to this level of maturity? It is simple we must lower ourselves. We must get on our knees, prostrate ourselves before our Lord and offer our lives in service to Him! Let go of all pride, all our selfish desires, empty ourselves so that we may be clean vessels ready to receive His Word, His Will and His Commandments. Make a solemn vow at our Lord’s feet to give our lives in service to Him. This opens the door wide for the Lord to move in our lives, for the Holy Spirit to fill us as He sees fit to do so, empty ourselves and commit to His will, commit to a single desire, to do His will, to serve Him! All praise and glory to our Lord and His plan for us! If we do this for our Lord with all our heart, soul and strength, we commit to a life of service and servitude, we are set free! Free from all the chains of sins and ministries of devils that confine this world and we soar with our Lord as we rise above to do His will! Amazing! We must understand that we are not allowed an opinion or a point of view, if we are to follow God. Our Lord is the author of truth and absolute truth comes from Him. His is the only true opinion and point of view. Therefore if we wish to walk in righteousness and in service to our Lord, we must bring all aspects of our life into the Lord’s point of view as to how we should live. Think of it like this; you are standing on a narrow bright shining path that extends as far as you can see in front of you.

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14)

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” (Psalms 119:105)

There are many different categories in your life, some are in the boundaries of the path and others extend outside the boundaries of the path. Our God is a loving God and He sets boundaries in His Word, rules, laws and commandments so that we may find our way to Him and receive all the blessings and protections He wishes to bestow upon us. When areas of our life are not within these boundaries, it limits what the Lord can do in our life. Picture yourself on this path and then gradually work to bring each part of your life in line with the Lord’s Word onto the path He has set before you. As you do this and summit to His will you can move forward with the Lord guiding your way. The Lord our God has called each of us and is waiting for us to answer Him and put ourselves in a position to receive all the gifts and protections He is waiting to bestow unto us. The less we have hanging off this path sopping up the ways of the world dragging behind us, the faster we can move forward in our understanding and learning on this path of righteousness. This path of golden light He has laid at each of our feet is covered and protected by the righteousness of our Lord Jesus Christ; it is available to be free of sickness, disease and calamities. Free from the tribulations in the world now and to come, where no one can even lay hands on you! The Lord has given us all that we need to make it through this day and every day until our Lord does return! He has provided us a way out through the Covenant of the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ! Think about this the Lord wants us to be free to move to do His will and when we put ourselves in the position to openly receive His will and move forward with it on the chosen path He has designed for us He will give us all the protection we need to do this without hindrance! What a glorious God we have! Praise Him!

1John 1:15 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light and in him is no darkness at all.

God is holy and He is light, no darkness, no sin can exist in His presence. When we move to walk on this path of righteousness, we are to turn our thoughts captive to Christ and free from sin and bring each category of our life captive to the boundaries set by this path, set by the Lord’s Word, the Lord’s commandments. By doing this and repenting, abandoning all to our Lord, we are cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ and are able to run freely as the Lord wills it a clean vessel that the Holy Spirit can move through freely as He desires it guiding us, protecting us so that His will might be done. The Holy Spirit desires to fill a clean vessel that has been cleaned thoroughly by the blood of our Savior Jesus Christ. When we work to bring all of our life under the covering of the righteousness of Jesus Christ we will feel the fullness of the Holy Spirit more and more. This is what we need to hunger for with all our mind, soul and strength! Ask yourself to what do you really hunger for? To what do you give your ear to hear?

Revelation 2:17He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

To him that overcometh through Jesus Christ will the Lord give to eat of the hidden manna which is the Holy Ghost! By listening to what the Lord says, obeying the scriptures, being baptized in the name of Jesus Christ and feeding not of any of which this world has to offer; being free then to hear the calm whispering voice of the Lord that we might follow Him and His ways. It is then that we can begin to really move and mature with the Lord and the Holy Spirit begins to teach us in earnest. We will become like well used vessels unto the Lord, that His Spirit might move through freely to take care of our needs and the needs of the Church, the Body of Christ.

1Corinthians 2:10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

This is where to start, do these things and the Holy Spirit will begin to teach you and instruct you in the deep things of the Lord. This is how we are weaned off the milk of the Word and move on to the meat, praise Him! The Holy Spirit gives us words, visions and dreams, this is the way He teaches us. Hold unto these things and keep them to yourselves as the most precious pearls of wisdom from the Lord. Wait be patient and the Lord will give you understanding as you compare the spiritual with the spiritual.

1Corinthians 2:13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with the spiritual.

In Acts 10 when Peter received the vision on the roof of the tanner’s it says he meditated on it and he didn’t understand it fully till he did so and then obeyed and moved forward in faith as the Lord took him to Cornelius’s and showed him that the Gentile’s were to receive the Holy Ghost also. The Lord will instruct you and show you what to do with the things he teaches you.

Isaiah 28:9-10 Whom shall He teach knowledge? And whom shall He make to understand doctrine? Them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. 10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little and there a little:

This is the way of the Lord, bit by bit He reveals His wisdom to us so that we may soak in the depth of it and in time as you grow in your trust in the Lord and learn to step out in faith; then the Lord will see that He can trust you with the gifts He gives you. Then there is a deeper relationship to be had with our Lord and this is described in Deuteronomy 15. It talks about the relationship between a slave and master when a Hebrew chose to sell themselves into slavery to pay off a debt. All of their needs were taken care of; they had want of nothing as they labored for their master. Then after the sixth year they were set free and sent away with everything they would need so that they would not have to sell themselves again. But there were those who loved their masters so much that they chose to stay.

Deuteronomy 15:16-18 And it shall be, if he say unto thee, I will not go away from thee; because he loveth thee and thine house, because he is well with thee; 17 Then thou shalt take an aul , and thrust it through his ear unto the door, and he shall be thy servant forever. And also unto thy maidservant thou shalt do likewise. 18 It shall not seem hard unto thee, when thou sendest him away free from thee; for he hath been worth a double hired servant to thee, in serving thee six years: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all that thou doest

Those that chose to stay and serve their master out of love became a special bondservant, attached to the house forever by the aul. They became part of the family and were especially trusted by their master. This is the relationship that our Lord Jesus Christ desires with us, to have that special bond of trust. That He may attach the ear of our soul to the door of His house and keep us forever close to Him. Imagine the Body of Christ, the Holy Temple full of the Lord’s special bondservants that trust their Master Jesus Christ completely and the He trust explicitly with the matters of His House moving with His will as He instructs! Now that would be awesome to behold! This is available as we submit to His will, as we listen and obey, as we step forward in faith and grow in confidence with our Lord!

Our Lord Jesus Christ loves us more than we can possibly imagine. There was a time in my life not so long ago, where I stepped forward in faith trusting the Lord, listening to His own quiet voice. He took me to a small town in Arkansas where I ended up alone in a shack with no power or running water, barely any money left to my name, I was injured and crippled unable to moved from a couch even to feed myself or relieve myself. I had left all my family and friends behind several states away, the one whom I had trusted and moved in with turned on me as he gave himself over to the enemy. I had moved there giving everything up that I knew because the Lord had instructed me that He had something to teach me. You see I had torn the ligaments in my knee while moving in and it was the size of a soccer ball, I was in more pain than I can possible explain. While laying there on that couch unable to move or eat, gout arthritis set in both my feet and moved up to my knees and it seemed that that pain was even greater than the injury before. The man I had called friend whom was also living there gave into all kinds of temptation as I lay there and could only scream at me for not being quiet as I could only lay there moaning and crying out in pain. His angry grew as the enemy tempted his mind and he threw things around the house being gripped by tempestuous emotions as the devil invaded his thoughts to come against me. It is in that place that the Lord, our gracious God, brought me that I might learn what I needed the most; an utterly desperate hunger and need for Him, to completely and solely rely upon Him for all my needs! I cried out for Jesus my Lord! Jesus! I need you! It was then, graciously that He came to me and took me away, away from all the pain and torment to a small quiet place. He carried me away and comforted me placing my head upon His chest and wrapping his arms around me telling me it was all going to alright now, as I no longer felt the pain it was like a tiny prick linking me yet to my body which was in such a fevered state. He told me He wanted me to feel what He felt for me and He stood before me and like a river of living waters His love poured forth and I wept and wept. It is more than words can ever describe what I felt then. I cried out not thinking I could stand much more feeling that it might consume me so great was His love, yet I was so astounded with utter joy and wonderment of it all. It was then that my eyes opened to see the sun coming through the window in which I was in and I was a changed being and I cried for joy and wonderment in our Lord Jesus that He would grace me with such an experience, one so unworthy as I. I knew from then on I would do absolutely anything for my God who loved me so much. The Lord healed me, I was up and walking within two weeks, I did go to the hospital and they found nothing wrong with my knee, they thought it was a slight sprain, when before I knew something in it had torn as it was completely useless and I was unable to even move it, Praise His Holy Name! JESUS!

The Lord had filled me with His love, His peace, His comfort, His Spirit; the Holy Ghost! That was my baptism of fire! Praise God for His mercy and grace that He led me to such a place in my life and that I was able to listen to His whispering voice that He might have worked such things in me. I had a new outlook, a new point of view, as it was now Jesus our Lord who was given the reigns and guiding me as I had given my life to Him. I looked back and realized how little I had tried to serve Him in my life and let Him lead me back home to Wisconsin, where he took me to a new place called Beaver Dam. I found out from a sister in Christ who lives in Singapore half way across the world about a man named Pastor David J. Meyer, and read a newsletter online finding that he preached in a little church which was literally in my back yard, across the way. I walked through those doors the first time that Sunday just over a year ago having never heard a sermon, knowing this is where the Lord would have me serve now. I stand here today with the love of the Lord in my heart, serving next to a man in Pastor David who shares my love of the Lord and a passionate fire to serve the Lord with truth and conviction. Some days the Holy Ghost wakes me up and if not I wake up with a desperate hunger for the fire of the Holy Ghost to return that our Lord Jesus Christ might continue to guide me home. I pray that you too will come to know such hunger and be filled with His Spirit, His love, peace and comfort. I pray that these words might invigorate you and strengthen you, helping you find your way to the pathway that He has designed for you, that you might learn from Him and rise to a new level of maturity in Him, and your eyes be opened to the fullness of His desire to what is your function in His Holy Temple, Praise the Lord! Remember time is short, run to the Lord, run with a desperate abandonment as your very life depended upon it, because it does! We must repent on our knees and come to know Jesus Christ! That He might lead us and fill us with the Holy Ghost and the we may come together as mature Christians, tried and true servants for our Lord, ready to receive His instruction and ready to serve one another. He is coming so very soon! We must make ready for our Lord!

All Praise and Glory to Our Lord in His Holy Name, Jesus Christ. AMEN!

Humbly your servant,

Steven Moore

scm_tot@yahoo.com