Growth- A Spiritual Look at Our Standing (or Running)

GROWTH

One of the biggest, if not the biggest problem that Christians face is a lack of growth. So many just, kind of stop. Wherever they happen to be in life, they cease going to Bible studies, and prayer meetings, and the worship thing that all your friends were going to at that other church, and… You get the idea.

I’m not saying its your fault or their fault, I’m just pointing it out. Maybe the church put the men’s group on hold for the holidays and just never picked it up again. Maybe the prayer meetings were canceled for the summer when the leader was out of town and they haven’t restarted. Maybe the worship thing is too far away, or maybe, whatever it is, just fell off your radar. That happens. Unfortunately, though, life goes on. The world continues.

The thing we need to do, is find another place to plug into. What group, activity, fellowship, etc. could-

a.) benefit from your presence;

b.) be a blessing to you;

c.) act as a continuance of your worship and/or exaltation of the Lord

The first thing to do in order to find the right fit is to find what’s missing. While you’ve been “doing your thing”, the planet has been spinning. That means that there have been multitudes of people answering God’s call without you. Thousands around the world, even millions, have been praying, fasting, worshiping, studying; all to keep up the work of the Lord. For you to plug back into that, think back. Think of the time when you feel that you were doing the most for God. Meditate on that time and remember what it was that you were active in. Was it High School? College? When you joined a new congregation? When was growth at its peak; when did you shine the brightest?

Take that time and hold it in your mind. Now, from then to today, divide that in half. For example, if my high point was 3 years ago, then my half way point is 1 ½ years ago. Measure your growth as a Christian from beginning to halfway, and from halfway to now. Which has the bigger growth? If you said the first half, then you are behind schedule. What stopped? What took place to move you from that place of substantial Spiritual growth to a stunted growth? That is what you must rectify. If you cannot return to the same group, for whatever reason, find another one that is both available and Biblical.

In some cases, it isn’t the group that had problems; it might’ve been you. Perhaps you weren’t ready to go to the next level at the time when everything else seemed to be doing just that. Perhaps the growth is in an area that you are now able to achieve. Here is a list of things that every believer should strive for. Not only to do, but to do better.

1.      Forgive others freely

2.      Worship God wholeheartedly

3.      Be readily available and willing to witness your faith to others

4.      Serve God unselfishly in any capacity

5.      Give cheerfully, not just monetarily, not just materialistically, not just emotionally, but entirely

6.      Generously offer encouragement

7.      Be a Scriptural leader (maybe that means you lead the new Bible study)

8.      Receive correction humbly

9.      Accept thanks respectfully

10.  Pray over others in any circumstance (even if you have to find one to pray about)

11.  Discern spiritual traps, don’t give the devil an inch

12.  Overcome addictions and pleasures of the world

13.  Control the tongue

If you constantly work at these, you will become increasingly better equipped to serve God, your church, and others. You will notice a distinct difference in your life and the lives of people you encounter. You will be able to look back and see that the last half has had an increasingly improved Spiritual growth, and that it will continue to grow even more. The beauty of growing with God is that we never quite arrive; we just keep improving in ways that we may never have thought possible for us. Remember what Jesus said, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26)

Don’t hesitate. Now that you know what you need, and where you need it, go to God with it. Whether you are at home or sitting in a coffee shop or online with your phone, humble yourself before God in prayer right now (or as soon as possible). Shut the door and turn your phone off for a few minutes and just talk to God. He will always welcome you back and He always has more for you.  In closing, carefully read this selection of Scripture and meditate on it as you consider God’s faithfulness to His prodigal, even when that prodigal is you.

 From Luke 15:

 11And He said, “A man had two sons.

 12“The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me ‘ So he divided his wealth between them.

 13“And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey into a distant country, and there he squandered his estate with loose living.

 14“Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began to be impoverished.

 15“So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.

 16“And he would have gladly filled his stomach with the pods that the swine were eating, and no one was giving anything to him.

 17“But when he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger!

 18‘I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight;

 19I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men.”‘

 20“So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.

 21“And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

 22“But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet;

 23and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate;

 24for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’ And they began to celebrate.

25“Now his older son was in the field, and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing.

 26“And he summoned one of the servants and began inquiring what these things could be.

 27“And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has received him back safe and sound.’

 28“But he became angry and was not willing to go in; and his father came out and began pleading with him.

 29“But he answered and said to his father, ‘Look! For so many years I have been serving you and I have never neglected a command of yours; and yet you have never given me a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends;

 30but when this son of yours came, who has devoured your wealth with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.’

 31“And he said to him, ‘Son, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours.

 32‘But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.’

(Luke 15:11-32)

 

 

Javier Solana – Candidate for Antichrist

Are you American or Canadian? Ever here of Javier Solana? If not, its not surprising, there seems almost a coordinated effort to not mention him on this side of the Atlantic.

There was so much good info floating around on this man, but what seems to be almost a news blackout of his coming and goings, I thought it deserved its own topic.

And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate (Daniel 9:27 New America Standard Bible).

It is commonly believed the passage above foretells the rise of a strong leader from out of a revived Roman Empire who will make, or confirm, a covenant with the many for seven years. Israel will be included in this covenant. As far as Israel is concerned, he will violate his covenant 3 1/2 years later. In other passages from Daniel, we learn this leader will rise from among a 10-nation alliance (Daniel 7:7-8 ) and subdue three of the 10 kings (Daniel 7:24). In the New Testament book of Revelation, we learn that this leader will somehow be identified with the number 666 (Revelation 13: 18 ).

In December of 1998, at their Vienna summit, the EU’s heads created the new Office of High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy for the European Union. The holder of this Office would direct their common foreign policy toward Russia, Ukraine and the Mediterranean. Out of over 1150 documents they generated at the summit, the document that created this Office happened to be numbered 666.

On June 5, 2000, the WEU adopted its Assembly Recommendation 666. This document recommended keeping the 10 Brussels Treaty Powers together as the EU’s new military wing and giving the EU’s High Representative emergency powers over the whole EU, putting the office holder over the EU presidency.

In March of 2005, one year after the Madrid train bombings, world leaders met in Madrid to discuss the EU’s and the international community’s war against terror. The EU decided the U.S. war was going nowhere, nothing much had been accomplished over that last year. It was noted that the EU member states were reluctant to give Solana what he needed to get the job done. What this really meant was, the EU “big three” — France, Germany and the UK — were still standing in Solana’s way. In other words, in order for Solana to do his job leading the EU’s foreign and security policy, the EU “big three” must somehow be subdued. (See Bible quote above) Interestingly, the EU “big three” leaders were all on the scene in 1999 when the Office of High Representative was first occupied by Solana. And, they were all members of the 10-nation alliance. Could these three super countries be the three kings who are destined to be subdued according to Daniel 7:24?

Since the start of his 7 year period peace and safety initiative, we should see him make some big strides in bringing peace to the middle east very soon. The 3 1/2 year, or halfway point, checkup is scheduled in 2010. I also wonder about some of the other things that seem to be sparked by this same belief of middle-east peace and prophetic fulfillment. The Catholic church for one seems to have come to the conclusion that the start of the Tribulations are just ahead and that the church must now work out its battle plan. You see it in how this latest global war seems to methodically be ramping up with no real way to end it. You see this in how fundamental freedoms we all grew up with, are being locked away for our “safety”.

Please see my previous articles, ‘The Job Title for the Antichrist”  https://justinlessard.wordpress.com/2008/12/02/the-job-title-for-the-antichrist/

and “Who Is the Antichrist? How Will We Know Him?” https://justinlessard.wordpress.com/2008/11/28/who-is-the-antichrist/

For more on possible ‘Marks of the Beast’, see “Mark of the Beast Part 1- Barcode 666”  https://justinlessard.wordpress.com/2008/10/03/mark-of-the-beast-part-1-barcode-666/ and “Mark of the Beast- Part 2- RFID Chip” https://justinlessard.wordpress.com/2008/10/05/mark-of-the-beast-part-2-rfid-chip/ 

For info on signs of the end, to know how things will be and when to expect them, see “The End? Let’s Review” https://justinlessard.wordpress.com/2008/10/11/the-end-lets-review/

Original Source for bulk of article: “Wassabi; a member of AboveTopSecret.com” in form of message thread called: Javier Solana – candidate for Antichrist or setting the stage for the Beast; http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread183503/pg1#pid1836234.

Links from articles on https://justinlessard.wordpress.com

The Job Title for the Antichrist?

According to certain “sources”, there has already been signed a 7 year peace treaty with Israel.

The WEU (Western European Union) was formed in 1995 as a 10 nation military alliance. In Dec 1999, they created a position called the ‘High Representative for Common Foreign and Secure Policy’, which directs the Union’s affairs toward the rest of the world, including the Middle East. Of the 1,150 documents generated at that summit, this one, creating this position, was number 666. The man given the position (so far, first and only) is Javier Solana.

Why is that number important? The Bible warns, “ If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast [a.k.a. Antichrist], for it is man’s number. His number is 666.” (Revelation 13:18 )

He also became the Secretary General of the Council of Europe- a true seat of power in Europe. He was also made Secretary General of the 10 nation WEU military alliance. The importance of this is also prophesied in the Bible:  “The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but they receive authority as kings with the beast…” (Revelation 17:12)

On June 5, 2000 (I’ll bet you know that date- the anniversary of Israel’s 6-day war) the WEU granted the High Representative (Javier) “emergency powers”. Correct me if I’m wrong, but that gives Javier Solana complete authority over the militaries in the event of an emergency, as well as the authority and discretion to declare an emergency. Who wrote the recommendation? –Javier Solana. Now guess what it was called? –“WEU: Assembly Recommendation 666”. Is this actually true? You bet. Here’s the link to the official page with that document:

http://www.assembly-weu.org/en/documents/sessions_ordinaires/txt/2000/jun00_txts_adopted.php#P51_3072

The following month, the “Solana Decision” was implemented. That hides from public view any EU documents or reports that are deemed “sensitive” by Javier Solana.

Supposedly, in November of 1995, Solana successfully negotiated the “Euro-Mediterranean Partnership for Peace”, which includes the EU member states & countries around the Med- including Israel and the Palestinian Authority. When that failed to get the desired results, it was revived by Solana as the “European Neighborhood Policy”. The first nation to sign it was Israel, giving economic incentives if they all behave themselves. “Peace and Safety” (ring any bells?)

“He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.” (Daniel 9:27 note: one ‘seven’ equals a seven year period)

This confirmation, along with many nations of previous peace treaty, took effect on January 1, 2007. It runs for SEVEN years! It is supposed to have a built-in “Check up” at the half-way mark to evaluate everyone’s compliance. That would be 3 ½ years, at Summer of 2010.

Again, that’s a seven year peace treaty with Israel and a re-built Roman empire, with a man who was twice associated with the number 666. I don’t know his middle name, but his first and last both have 6 letters.

Also, I’d appreciate if any of you have any information on Solana’s support of something called the “Alliance of Civilizations”, which is supposedly goaled at ridding the world of “religious fundamentalism” by “whatever means necessary:, and to institute a common faith whereupon all can agree and accept. Anyone who claims to have a lock on Truth would be deemed a threat to “peace”.

Coincidentally, the North American Union is scheduled for 2010 (but that might not happen. It will depend largely on our new president), as is the removal of the phrases “One Nation Under God” and “In God We Trust” from all currency and public/government items, documentation and places.

Allow me to be clear: I am not predicting or prophesying that Javier Solana is the Antichrist. I am merely pointing out that all the statistics are lining up according to Biblical prophecy. For all we know, it may just be this position, but a successor of Mr. Solana who takes up the mantle of the son of perdition. I am not saying that this particular treaty of peace is the covenant with Israel, for there could be another, or several. We do know that the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem will be a largely obvious sign. For a more complete list of signs of the Antichrist, visit Who is the antichrist? How will we know him? 

As far as the information here, these sites will offer more insight:

 

Here is a source of much information. http://www.fulfilledprophecy.com/workspace/upload/images/rec_666.pdf

Javier’s acceptance of position: http://www.unaoc.org/content/view/168/199/lang,english/ also http://www.unaoc.org/images/articles/solana_on_HR.pdf

Related Article of religious “extremism threatening the world“ http://www.presstv.ir/Detail.aspx?id=39008&sectionid=3510212

Article on the religious spiral of hatred and obfuscation that, in itself, constitutes a threat   http://www.unaoc.org/content/view/236/200/lang,english/

Recommended “Peaceful groups” reading- http://www.unaoc.org/content/view/72/105/lang,english/

From one site: “…the veiled Muslim woman appears to symbolise the perceived Islamic threat, as nuns once epitomised the evils of popery. She seems a barbaric affront to hard-won … ” [the misspellings of  both “symbolize” and “epitomized” are as written on their web page.]

Politics. Stand for someting.

Politics. So many of us are just sick of it. Neither candidate has been telling the whole truth. Neither of them has a perfect voting record. Both of them love to sling mud. Its part of the job. One has to wonder, though, if being in the position of a presidential candidate requires such, let call it cruelty, and a heartlessness that you can publically attack another in front of millions, what else must that person have done to be in that position? Did they have to lie? Cheat? Break IRS tax codes and commit mass corporate deceptions? I’m sure that they did. You can’t get all the way to the top without stepping on a few toes.

 

He taxes too much. If you vote for him you’ll be homeless. If you vote for the other one, your children will starve. But if you vote for the first guy, they’ll lose all their education and become stupid rejects, begging for day-old scraps behind the ghetto bakery. But the other guy will take your job. And the other one will tax your new raise so you actually come home with $5 less every week. One of them will date your mom. The other will shut down her nursing home. One will have dinner with terrorists at Arby’s while the other just sends him a check at Christmas, even though they don’t celebrate Christmas.

 

Here’s what I’m saying: There are bigger issues than whose face is on the front page. Every day 6000 kids are killed by mid-term or later abortion. They refuse to allow Bibles in schools, so Christian parents teach home school, allowing their children to learn math and moral values at the same time. While the schools are taking a massive dump when it comes to value and ethics and crime and teaching self-worth, the state of California just outlawed Christians from their God-given right to teach their own kids. Now they have to send them to the cesspool of a school that will teach anti-creation science, thereby infringing on the rights of students to practice their own religion freely (but don’t worry, they won’t attack Muslims, Buddhists, atheists, agnostics, pagans, wiccans, Scientologists, etc. Just the Christians.)

 

Let’s see, what else? Lets talk about gay marriage. I’m all for gays to have the right to choose their lifestyle- its their choice. (Just like my kids schooling used to be.) But I’m not for the whole gay-marriage thing. Sure, they can practice it, but that doesn’t really make it a marriage. I know, I know, they’ve redefined what “marriage” is, but it used to be a union before God between a man and a woman. Since most homosexuals don’t believe in or care for God, they can’t really have a union before Him that He will honor. But, what they hey, they ignored my right to practice my faith (only if it’s from the Christian Bible) by ignoring the 1^st amendment, why not ignore the other principals too.

 

So who is going to do what to help me out? Am I personally going to benefit from either party being elected? Maybe, but probably not. There aren’t a whole lot of things that are going to actually make a difference in the way I daily live my life. I could be wrong, but here’s how I look at it:

If one side is accused of overtaxing and the other of allowing abortions, I will sacrifice a couple bucks, even a couple hundred, per year to vote for the sanctity of life.

If one side is accused of sending jobs overseas and the other of limiting free speech, I’m probably going to have to go for free speech. There will always be a need for jobs on the US. They may not be the best, but we have too many people not to need a ton of jobs. We also have a lot of politicians going after free speech, even though the ones attacked are the churches and the right. Hmm.

If one side wants to build a thousand mile fence at the borders and the other wants to let gays marry, I will go for the fence. Those guys are great climbers and if they can get in through, over or under a military fence, then they deserve to stay. For those that can’t, they can still come here, but have to go through the legal process. Meanwhile, I stand up for what I believe regarding gay marriage. I’m not anti-gay, but I’m not pro-gay. I’m just ok-gay; they can do their thing, but I don’t want tax dollars going toward something I find immoral.

Bottom line, I can’t do anything about the politicians. But, then again, I will probably never have to answer to them. I will, however, have to answer to God. I will stand before Him and be able to say that I voted for the things and the principles that are on His side, His Law, and His eternal purpose. I will say that I stood up for hundreds of thousands of innocent children and supported their right to life. I will say that I voted against the activity that led to His destroying Sodom and Gomorrah, the activities that He calls an abomination. I will be able to say that I stood up for His Word, His teaching, for the right to exhibit by faith, to speak freely the gospel. I will say, “Jesus, I stood up for you.”

What do you stand for?

Purpose of the Church- A short answer

Question: “What is the purpose of the church?”Acts 2:42 could be considered a purpose statement for the church, “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” So, according to this Scripture, the purposes / activities of the church should be: (1) teaching Biblical doctrine, (2) providing a place of fellowship for believers, (3) observing the Lord’s supper, and (4) praying. But there is even more:The church is to teach Biblical doctrine so we can be grounded in our faith. Ephesians 4:14 tells us, “Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.” The church is to be a place of fellowship, where Christians can be devoted to one another and honor one another (Romans 12:10), instruct one another (Romans 15:14), be kind and compassionate to one another (Ephesians 4:32), encourage one another (1 Thessalonians 5:11), and most importantly love one another (1 John 3:11).

The church is to be a place where believers can observe the Lord’s supper, remembering Christ’s death and shed blood on our behalf (1 Corinthians 11:23-26). The concept of “breaking bread” (Acts 2:42) also carries the idea of having meals together. This is another example of the church promoting fellowship. The final purpose of the church according to Acts 2:42 is prayer. The church is to be a place that promotes prayer, teaches prayer, and practices prayer. Philippians 4:6-7 encourages us, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Answer:

 

 

VERSES TO READ:

Ephesians 4:14; Romans 12:10; Romans 15:14; Ephesians 4:32; 1 Thessalonians 5:11; 1 John 3:11; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; 1 Corinthians 12:12-27; Acts 2:42; Philippians 4:6-7