Paper about the Apostolic lifestyle and culture.

Rev.Peter Tuchyna

 

Preamble:

This room is full of people filled with the Holy Spirit. People who love Jesus and his Word.

Those who study the Word and believe that all scripture is given by the inspiration of God.

For this reason I did not see the need to repeat scriptural references pertaining to the apostolic ministry and lifestyle.

Rather I was inspired to pay attention to the practical aspect of the apostolic ministry on every level and to highlight the spiritual condition of the last generation, we were called to reach with the power of the Word of God and in the demonstration of the Holy Spirit.

 

The word of God and the history are revealing unto us the ways of the wicked one and how he attempts to thwart the ways of the Lord trying to destroy God’s people.

The King of Egypt commanded to kill every Hebrew boy by drowning them in the Nile river.

God’s people were throwing their sons into water and killing them by hundreds and thousands because the king said so.

Until one mother called Jochebed stood up against the world and the king and the Lord honoured her faith by preserving and giving her and to us Moses.

 

In the days of Ahaswerus who reigned over 127 provinces from India to Ethiopia, he promoted Haman to be the second in charge over his kingdom. He disliked Hebrew man Mordocai because he would not bow down before him and acknowledge his lordship. Therefore Haman intended to destroy entire nation of Israel and only the supernatural intervention of the Lord preserved God’s people of Israel.

 

Nabuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon gave command to all people to worship the image he made and to bow down before it. Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah refused and as consequence they were thrown into the fiery furnace. Once again the Lord performed the miracle by preserving their lives.

 

Daniel was thrown into the lion’s den because he prayed to the only one true God.

 

God showed to Daniel a vision as described in Daniel 2:32 and 7:3 the future world’s powers and dominions. The Babylonian, Medio-Persian, Greek and Roman empires.

 

Our lives and ministry is in the time of the fourth best , that is restored Roman empire. It was the first empire based upon election. Roman Emperor was elected by the ballot casted by noble families.

Wow was upon them who would not vote for the aggressive candidate. The vote represents democracy.

This kingdom is the Western democratic system based upon election. The formation of the League of nation and the European union is the restored Roman empire. It consumes everything with its teeth. What cannot consume it crushes with its feet. We can see the interference in many nations. There were nations in our generation that resisted to be consumed by the beast representing the one world government. Their leaders were killed and the nations crushed.

 

But the ultimate goal is to crush the children of the Most High God. Revelation 12:17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which kept the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Revelation 13:7 and it was given unto him (dragon) to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and power was given to him over all kindred’s, and tongues and nations.

 

In the paper about the Apostolic lifestyle and culture are outlined points of the working of our enemy who wants to devour the children of God.

 

It works through several avenues like:

• multiculturalism with people without any religious involvement.

• Religious movement like ecumenical movement and the World Council of Churches.

• It extended itself through the multinational corporate world.

• It permeated the entire educational system and dominates the political parties of the world.

• Introduction of laws contrary to the Bible principles like equality of marriage and safe schools.

 

Many previous holiness movements lost its identity and the anointing of the Holy Spirit allowing spiritual and moral compromise to take place trying to appeal to the world to be like the world.

AOG, Presbyterians Salvation Army, Methodists and others are already in that category ever splitting into different groups .

 

The system was set to create database of all influential leaders of churches.

It is disguised behind list of license ministers performing marriages, all ministers must have record in government for working with vulnerable people. ACNC reporting has record of the church leaders etc.

 

As with Pharaoh and others, the order was to kill the remnant, which keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. It is the Word of prophesy.

 

Some will give in and spiritually kill their children thinking that compromise will preserve their lives and spiritual involvement.

Some will follow the example of mother Jochebed who will refuse to give in to the ways of the world represented by oppressing Pharaoh.

 

Ontario Canada passed the bill 89 allowing government to take children from the christian homes.

Families that oppose the LGBTQI and gender ideology agenda.

Gender identity and gender expression are factors to be considered in the best interest of the child.

Norway has already this law in force for some time.

 

There were legal challenges and court cases in several countries in the past against individuals and church leaders refusing to accept and participate in non biblical lifestyle.

 

Many more details and links could be presented but these a few points should help us to recognize and prepare ourselves and our children what we as holiness movement are dealing with.

It is time for us to rise up like the predecessors of our faith in the time of spiritual opposition and storm the gates of hell that will not prevail against the church of the living God.

 

Let the holy zeal, the action and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit take us to the heights we never experienced before seeking the face of the Lord in our individual lives that he would confirm our ministry of his word with the signs, wonders and miracles to his glory.

 

Culture.

From time to time we would make reference about the Apostolic culture.

Since the culture is not a biblical word, let us look at the meaning of it.

Some definitions:

Live science:

Culture refers to the cumulative deposit of knowledge, experience, beliefs, values, attitudes, meanings, hierarchies, religion, notions of time, roles, spatial relations, concepts of the universe, and material objects and possessions acquired by a group of people in the course of generations through individual and group striving.

 

Oxford:

The way of life, especially the general customs and beliefs of a particular group of people at a particular time.

 

Collins English:

The total of the inherited ideas, beliefs, values, knowledge, which constitute the share basis of social action.

The total range of activities and ideas of a people.

 

?

The system of shared beliefs, values, customs, behaviours and artifacts that the members of society use to cope with their world and with one another and that are transmitted from generation through learning.

the way of life, especially the general customs and beliefs, of a particular group of people at a particular time:

It is obvious that culture is influenced by certain beliefs, religion and customs.

To acknowledge and accept the human culture means to accept and acknowledge certain beliefs and customs!

To accept and acknowledge some of the Middle Eastern culture means to accept their beliefs and customs. Among other things there is polygamy and pedophilia ( marrying under aged individuals), honor killings and elimination of infidels, inequality of woman etc.

Hinduism is more than a religion. It is a culture, a way of life, and a code of behaviour. This is reflected in a term Indies use to describe the Hindu religion: Sanatana Dharma, which means eternal faith, or the eternal way things are (truth). Google for more information.

To accept and acknowledge the Hindu culture means to accept the religion – polytheism, incarnation etc.

Refer to Hindu customs and religion –( Google).

Some other cultures in the past practiced cannibalism.

The culture of Sodom and Gomorrah is described in the Old Testament.

Non biblical traditions:

Christmas tree

Halloween

Valentine day

Abstinence from certain foods etc.

 

Multiculturalism:

The deceit of the wicked one in the world is working in two avenues. The first through multiculturalism.

The so called multiculturalism is a myth and a way of the master deceiver working through the humanistic societies to deceive the atheistic masses of people and prepare them for the one world government and one world religion.

 

Ecumenism:

Is the second avenue to deceive people who are religious to bring them into the acceptance of the one world religion and government.

 

The foundation of ecumenism was laid in 1910 by the Roman Catholic church.

Wikipedia:

The Catholic Church saw itself as the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church, founded by Christ himself. ... Before the Second Vatican Council, the Catholic Church defined ecumenism as a relations with other Christian groups in order to persuade these to return to a unity that they themselves had broken.

 

World Council of Churches:

History : (Google internet).The historical roots of the World Council of Churches are found in student and lay movements of the 19th century, the 1910 Edinburgh world missionary conference, and a 1920 encyclical from the (Orthodox) Synod of Constantinople suggesting a "fellowship of churches" similar to the League of Nations. Leaders representing more than 100 churches voted in 1937-38 to found a World Council of Churches, but its inauguration was delayed following the outbreak of the second world war.

When the World Council of Churches came into being at the First Assembly in 1948, there were 147 member churches. At the end of 2013, the membership stood at 345 churches. Predominately Protestant and Western in its earliest years, the WCC's profile and identity evolved during the 1960s with the influx of many Orthodox churches from the East and newly autonomous churches from formerly colonial regions in the South. The Second Vatican Council greatly improved relations between the WCC and Roman Catholics.

The Roman Catholic Church abstained from the membership but was working behind the scene on the agenda.

Rockefeller and the World Council of Churches:

THE PLAN – Satan worship, the Coming One World Religion (Internet)

The long-term strategy: (1) splinter a religion into sects on the "divide and conquer" principle; (2) assault the religion's foundations, creating doubts among believers; (3) finally, herd the remnants together with other religions - i.e., ecumenism.
 Let's see how this played out in Christianity. Protocol 17:5 says of churches: "we shall fight against them by criticism calculated to produce schism." Over centuries, Christianity has been splintered into increasingly smaller sects. For example, the Jehovah's Witnesses were founded by a Freemason, Charles Taze Russell. 
 
To plant doubts in believers, Darwin's theory of evolution was introduced as a "scientific" alternative to creation by God. Protocols 2:3 flaunts "the successes we arranged for Darwinism." 
Attacks on the Bible achieved what Protocol 17:2 terms "the complete wrecking of that Christian religion." The Rockefellers funded seminaries that questioned the Gospel, most notoriously the Union Theological Seminary. In the late 19th century, Union Theological professor Charles Briggs introduced "Higher Criticism," in America claiming the Bible was error-ridden.

In 1922, Harry Emerson Fosdick, gave a landmark sermon which cast doubt on the Bible being God's Word, the Virgin Birth, the Second Coming, and Christ's death as atonement for sins. He declared those holding these beliefs "intolerant."

His sermon sparked outrage, and Fosdick was forced to resign. However, he was immediately hired as pastor of Riverside Church - attended and built by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. for $4 million. Rockefeller paid for 130,000 copies of Fosdick's sermon to be printed and distributed to ministers. Fosdick's brother Raymond was president of the Rockefeller Foundation.

The views expressed by theologians like Briggs and Fosdick were called "Modernism," which included denying Christ's divinity, miracles and resurrection. Modernism was not a quibbling over some gray area of theology; it was total repudiation of Christianity's major tenets. With Rockefeller funding, it permeated seminaries and churches.
 
Recently Modernism has gone further; the Jesus Seminar (financial backers unpublicized) declared over 80 percent of sayings attributed to Jesus weren't authentic. The Da Vinci Code - this century's best-selling novel, thought by John Coleman to be a Tavistock creation - claimed Jesus wasn't resurrected and married Mary Magdalene. Shortly after the film version's release, a Discovery Channel documentary claimed a tomb had been found containing the bones of Jesus and Mary Magdalene.
 
ECUMENISM AND SOCIAL GOSPEL UNDERMINING FAITH

Consolidation of churches required organizations. The Rockefellers funded the National Council of Churches. John Foster Dulles was chosen to spearhead the ecumenism drive.  Dulles was a Rockefeller in-law, chairman of the Rockefeller Foundation trustees, a founding CFR (Council of Foreign Relations USA) member who helped draft the UN Charter (which never mentions God.)
 
In 1942, Dulles chaired a 30-denomination meeting which called for "a world government of delegated powers." Not content with unifying America's churches, Dulles traveled to Amsterdam in 1948 to attend the founding conference of the World Council of Churches. Director of research for this foundation-funded conference was John Bennett - president of Union Theological and a CFR member ( Council of Foreign Relations USA).
- See more at: https://www.henrymakow.com/2014/04/one-world-relgion.html#sthash.kZ4ExXhc.dpuf

Rick Warren, author of The Purpose Driven Life (over 30 million sold) is America's current Social Gospel point man.  In 2008, backed by a $2 million Rupert Murdoch donation, Warren launched the PEACE Coalition. Time magazine headlined it: "RICK WARREN GOES GLOBAL." Warren said the coalition's goal was "to mobilize 1 billion Christians worldwide." 
Warren, who is a CFR member, gave the invocation at Obama's inauguration, and was dubbed "America's pastor" by CNN.  He's anointed, but by who?
 
Catholics:
The Illuminati haven't forgotten Catholicism. Protocol 17:3: "When the time comes finally to destroy the papal court...we shall penetrate to its very bowels."

Like other churches, Catholics have recently seen major ecumenical developments, such as: the signing of the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification by Lutheran and Catholic representatives (1999); dialogue with Eastern Orthodox churches, resulting in the Common Declaration of Pope Benedict XVI and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I (2006); an unprecedented Catholic-Muslim summit at the Vatican (2008); and visits of Pope Benedict XVI to Israel and to the Great Synagogue of Rome (2009).

And Catholicism has experienced its own "social action" movement - comparable to the tactics of Harry F. Ward and Rick Warren - as in the doctrine of liberation theology, which was prominent in Latin America beginning in the 1950s and 60s, where the Gospel took a back seat to fighting poverty and social injustice via Marxist precepts.
- See more at: https://www.henrymakow.com/2014/04/one-world-relgion.html#sthash.kZ4ExXhc.dpuf

 

The reason for the above introduction is the need to recognize that the cultures, customs and religious essence were hijacked are used to dictate the values and expectations of people from the places of worship to push them into social gospel interaction only.

 

Apostolic Teaching:

 

Philippians 3:20 ...for our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Cor. 5:17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation, old things have passed away, behold all things have become new.

Now all things are of God....therefore we are ambassadors for Christ as thou God were pleading through us we implore you on Christ behalf – be reconciled to God.

1 Cor. 1:23 ... but we preach Christ crucified...

1 Cor. 4:5 .. For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.

2 Cor.5:15 ... and He died for all that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.

Philippians 3:8. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.

 

Only two families in the world:

Brother D.K Bernard wrote that there are only two families in the world. The family of God and the family of Satan.

The beliefs, values, cultures, customs, habits , lifestyle, speech, actions, motives, involvements, presentations etc. are derived from the origin of our identity.

 

For that reason Apostle Paul declared that all things before Christ he considered a dung. He never propagated customs and culture.

He lived and propagated the values of the kingdom of God.

As man think in his heart, so is he.

To know God:

Judges 2:10  And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel.

That generation was physical continuation of the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph. They claimed the heritage. They heard about God’s deeds in the lives of their predecessors, but they did not know God and did not experience deep, intimate, personal and miraculous intervention of God in their lives.

The biblical expression “to know” is describing the very personal and intimate relationship.

Genesis 4:1  ¶And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.

Daniel 11:32  And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.

The Apostolic lifestyle and culture.

Jesus said to his disciples to go to Jerusalem and wait there to receive the power when the Holy Ghost has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.

 

Thou the disciples saw the miraculous ministry of Jesus, that did not qualify them to be his witnesses.

They needed the anointing of the Holy Spirit. They needed to have intimate and personal relationship with Him.

To be witness of Jesus takes more that verbal proclamation of the Word. There must be power and demonstration of the Spirit as apostle Paul declared.

The power and demonstration of the Spirit comes through the anointing. It is the anointing that breaks the yoke of spiritual slavery.

I would like to repeat that to be witness of Jesus Christ involves more that verbal description of some experiences in the presence of Jesus.

Thousands upon thousands, great multitude of people had some supernatural experiences in the presence of Jesus, yet they did not qualify to be his witnesses in the biblical sense.

John 2:23-25 declares that many in Jerusalem believed in his name when they saw the miracles – but Jesus did not commit himself to them, because he knew all men.

 

The Bible reveals to us that to be a witness to Jesus consists of:

• Having first personal New Birth experience (John 3:3,5)

• To recognize the identity of Jesus Christ ( Matthew 16:16 thou art the Christ.. Matt: 13:11 unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom).

• To have power to overcome temptation and sin (Rom:6:12,14 – let not sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey it in the lusts therefore/ ( do not yield your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin) for sin shall not have dominion over you…).

• To have power over sicknesses , diseases even death ( Matthew 10,Luke 10).

• To have power over the demonic spirits ( Matthew 10, Luke 10).

• To bear (display) the image of our heavenly Father ( 1Cor:15:49).

 

The recognition of the identity of Jesus is prerequisite for salvation.

• John 8:24 You shall die in your sins if you do not believe that I am he. John 8:36 If the son therefore shall make you free…

• John 4:22 Samaritan woman.. You worship, you know not what you worship…

 

To have power to overcome temptation and sin.

• Be ye holy for I am holy. Hebr.12:14 Follow peace and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. v4 ye have not resisted unto blood, striving against sin.

 

To have power over the demonic spirits.

• 1 John 3:8 for this purpose was the Son of God manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil. John 15:16 I have chosen you and ordained you, that you should go and bring forth fruit. John 14:12 He that believes on me that works that I do shall he do also…

 

The OT Scriptures are revealing unto us the divinity and the essence of God:

Deut.6:4, Hear o Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord.

After Peter’s confession and recognition of the identity of Jesus Matt 16:16 Jesus declared that to be the revelation of the heavenly Father and upon this revelation he said, I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

 

Upon this revelation and declaration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ by the first apostles and the apostolic church, that Jesus is both the Lord and Christ (Adonai, YHWH and Messiah) God confirmed his Word preached by those preachers with signs, wonders and miracles to such a degree that people were bringing forth to the streets their sick that the shadow of Peter passing by would overshadow some of them. Acts 5. Multitude came out and they were healed everyone.

 

Form of godliness:

The Word is speaking about some having the form of godliness but denied power thereof.

• The life conduct does not match the verbal profession.

• God does not confirm his presence by performing supernatural deeds at the profession of a man (sons of Sceva and others).

• Not everyone that shall say to me Lord, Lord shall enter into the kingdom of heaven.

 

Apostle Paul declared:

1 Thes: 1:5 For our Gospel came not to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance.

1 Cor 2:4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that you faith should not stand in the wisdom of man but in the power of God.

 

Many fundamental principles of the Word are challenged and questioned today especially by people who would like to have the best of both worlds.

Just at one invitation to follow Jesus the disciples left their families, the places of dwelling, their jobs and income and placed their lives into the hands of Jesus fully trusting him for everything.

The book of Acts is describing the lifestyle and spiritual involvement of the apostles with the demonstration of the signs, wonders and miracles as the Lord confirmed His Word through their ministry.

 

The Acts of the Apostles and the Old Testament ministers.

God’s expectation from his children is total love, trust and dedication.

Jesus said: If you love me obey my commandments.

Both the Old Testament and New Testament requirements is: You shall love your God with all of your heart, souls, mind and strength.

Any violations, compromise, double mindedness and pursuit of own human will reflects upon our conscience.

We either live with full confidence of the confirmation of God’s Spirit to our spirit that we are pleasing him or the doubt and uncertainty is robbing us of the confidence that the Lord will confirm our ministry and his presence with the demonstration of the Spirit.

 

Both the Old and New Testament scriptures are describing events when the individual vessels were acting upon the command of God either proclaiming- thus saith the Lord or acted upon God’s instruction.

There are also events where there is absence of declaration thus saith the Lord and the ministers were acting in faith and holy zeal wanted to see the Lord’s will being transmitted into the lives of God’s people.

 

God did not command Elijah to go up on the Mt. Carmel and offer sacrifice with the consequences described in the Word.

Neither is there direct command to Elisha to perform many deeds he did. Nehemiah did not receive order from the Lord, nor Mordecai to resist the king. Jochebed the mother of Moses did not see vision of Deborah did not receiving instructions to take the scissors and thus slay the enemy’s king etc.

They all have clear conscience and zeal before the Lord nothing hindering their faith and confidence. They all acted in the holy zeal with desire to see the will of God to be done in their personal life and of a nation.

The Lord confirmed their word, which was aligned with his will attended by his supernatural intervention.

 

The Lord did not instruct apostle Peter to go and meet the lame man . Peter was aligned with the will of God and the Lord honoured it when Peter declared in the name of Jesus raise up and walk .

Apostle Paul acted in holy zeal when the opposition and hindrance arise and he declared blindness upon Elymas.

There are many more stories revealed unto us in the Word that when a man and woman acted in total faith and submission to God the Lord intervened in a supernatural way.

 

Commandment of Jesus to disciples:

1 John 3:8 For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

John 14:12  ¶Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

Matthew 10:5  ¶These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:

6  But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

7  And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.

8  Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.

Matthew 28:18  And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

19  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

20  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Mark 16:15  And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

16  He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

17  And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

18  They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

19  ¶So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.

20  And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.

 

Our generation Pentecostal ministry:

The Word of God is forever settled in heaven.

The power of the Holy Spirit is not diminished. The demonstration of the Holy Spirit must accompany the ministry of the Word.

The Word of God is universal for all ages, all cultures, all races and places. We cannot alter it because of cultural consideration, wrote Bro. Bernard in his book.

The Pentecostal movement must not fall into the compromise in attempt to please the world and seek its approval upon our ministry.

The holy zeal, the fire of the Holy Spirit, the unction and inspiration of the Holy Spirit and the anointing must be sought by every believer, every preacher, every minister and every witness with the prayers, fasting and studying of the Word.

 

Methods:

Much is heard about changing methods of propagating the Gospel in our generation.

Unchangeable method of God in propagating the Gospel of Jesus is revealed in the Word.

Ephesians 4:8-15 ..God revealed His method of propagating his Word.

There is no substitute for the anointing of God and accompanied sacrifice.

 

The power of God is not in advertisement, no in picnics fellowship, no in copying the ways of the world in music as attraction for young people, it is not even in charitable works.

The power of God is revealed in deliverances of souls from sin, deliverances from the devil possession and various addictions of the flesh.

The power of God is revealed in the newness of life which is led by the Holy Spirit after the individual soul become the vessel of God following the instruction of the Word.

 

Influence of the World:

Under the influence of the Ecumenical movement and the multiculturalism the general population is introduced to and indoctrinated to have certain expectation from the churches. It leads to the introduction of the:

Social gospel - it propagates help to the underprivileged individuals and families. That includes accommodation for homeless, food parcels and various counselling for alcoholics, drug addicts and gambling addicts based upon humanism.

Establishment of nursing homes, hospitals, recreational and sport facilities and camp grounds and orphanages. It extends to facilities like cheap accommodation in units and houses as well as having various merchandise facilities selling cheap donated goods.

It grows to establishment of businesses, cafeterias and restaurants.

There is acceptance of unbiblical and sinful lifestyle called unity in diversity.

Christian education with kindergartens, primary and secondary schools performed with non believing teachers and some having even abominable lifestyle.

Propagation of love and tolerance only, leaving the holiness and judgment of God out of focus.

Introduction of incorporated churches, where the Incorporation rules supersede the biblical concept of spiritual leadership and membership of the body of Christ.

 

All the above mentioned involvements are noble causes but not at the expense of the Rightly dividing the Word of God and forfeiting the anointing.

Therefore apostle Peter said, it is not reason that we should leave the word of God and serve tables…..But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word. Acts 6:2,4.

Our generation of Pentecostals must guard against the spirit of the world to creep into our lives, homes and churches.

We are facing the expectation of individuals and families coming to our fellowships to have the same pattern and involvement than the other organizations and churches.

1 King 20:23 speaks about the king of Syria and defeat he sustained when he attacked Israel.

His servants told him, Their gods are gods of the hills. Therefore they are stronger than we; but if we fights against them in the plain, surely we will be stronger than they.

 

There is a danger among young generation of Pentecostals to believe in God of big cities only.

Their understanding is that they cannot survive in smaller cities. They cannot find employment with salary to cover their expected lifestyle.

They cannot offer to their children appropriate education and entertainment.

They are unable to provide presentable cars and houses and clothing for themselves and combine it with holiday and travel like it is in the corporate world.

They cannot change cars every so often and to have the latest electronics for themselves and their children.

Many young families even leaders and ministers relocated from the smaller towns and churches to big cities for that reason to pursue the values of the world like Demas.

Therefore apostle Pauls said to 2 Timothy 2:3-4 Endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man warreth entangled himself with the affairs of this life…

The corporate thinking and approach wants to permeate the church and neutralize its power in anointing.

This is not applicable for the license ministers only but for every Holy Spirit filled individual. The Word of God speaks about other gifts of the Holy Spirit not only the fivefold ministry.

 

Daniel declared that they that know their God shall be strong and do exploits.

What exploits are we doing in the spiritual realm?

 

Hebrews 11:24 By faith Moses when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.

Elijah was not wearing the designer clothing to impress the world around him to show how blessed he was.

He was girt with the girdle of leather about his loins. Not an executive style.

Elisha left the business of 12 yokes of oxen never going back to corporate business world.

Neither was John the Baptist having the latest and impeccable suit. Just a plain camels’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist and his food was locust and wild honey.

Jesus did not ride the latest edition of decorated camel with shade cloth above its back, just a little donkey as a king coming to Jerusalem.

Apostle Paul was not traveling around in the 1^st class corporate vehicle to represent the King of kings.

The apostles were not driving or riding in top coaches to show the glory and blessing of God.

But they all had the anointing and favor of the Lord.

 

There is a danger to claim the Pentecostal heritage but not to know God personally and intimately.

There is a danger to let children play with mobile phones and I pads during the worship service and neglect to teach them how to worship the Lord and how to have personal relationship with God. The consequences are revealed in the book of Romans 1.

Don’t be surprised when there will be occurrences of reprobate minds among some family members in the future, where they know God but do not worship him as God.

There is a danger not to plan and have church services and activities when the world is organizing its entertainment like the matches of the State of Origin, cricket, Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, various shows in the city etc.

There is a danger to involve children too much in the sport allowing them to develop pride and competitive spirit and to neglect the Bible.

Some children of believers are acting like visitors in the church not interacting with the body of Christ but demanding their ways and will just to play games in the house of the Lord.

 

If that would not be so, if the culture, the values of the world would not have tendency to influence us, what would be the reason that in 75 years of history we concentrated predominantly on capital cities and not on many smaller towns that do not have the fullness of truth throughout the entire land?

 

If the corporate culture would not influence us what could be the reason that somehow we were helping indirectly in a greater measure the establishment of fellowships in the big cities giving them greater incentives than in smaller cities and towns?

If some would not believe in God of big cities, what would be the reason that some established churches with retiring pastors in smaller towns are struggling to attract younger pastor families to step in and to relocate?

If the above would not have its effect, what would be a reason that younger people are pursuing higher education and corporate work with above average salary at the expense of entering into the ministry of the Word to reach every city, every town and settlement that is without the truth?

In the past time, there were many individuals that left well remunerated work and entered into the ministry of the Word nor other way round.

 

Apostle Paul said to Timothy:

2 Timothy 1:15  ¶This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me; of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes.

Could the reason be as stated in Philipians 2:20 For I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state.

 

If the ecumenical social gospel would not influence us, what would be a reason that the church picnics are more attended than the prayer meeting?

If the corporate world would not be so attractive, what could be the reason for apostle Paul and us to ask, where are the wise, where are the prudent, where are the disputant?

Why we do not see them to use their talents and skills to take Gospel to places with no churches?

What is it that there are thousands and hundreds different fellowships throughout the land but the people of the Name cannot “survive there”?

It was God who said to Joshua 13:2 You are old and stricken in years and there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed.

It took Joshua some time to identify it. Then he declared: Joshua 18:3 How long are ye slack to go to possess the land, which the Lord God of your fathers hath given you?

 

Personal challenge:

There is a challenge that you would not use your talents and abilities to advance the benefit of your family only because the Lord said, Seek ye first the kingdom of God and its righteousness and everything else shall be added unto you.

Some are attracted to big involvements and enjoy to be seen, but Jesus said, he who is faithful in little things shall be given much.

You will not have the latest and the best of everything the world is offering. Therefore Jesus said: you cannot serve two masters God and mammon.

You may not change your car every so often and have the best of the best like the world.

You will not have the best quality of clothing of food .

Therefore apostle Paul said to Timothy : if we have food and clothing that suffices us.

You may not visit your family living away very often or have a holiday.

There will be struggle to cover ever increasing prices for travel and accommodation to conferences and retreats from your distant mission field .

There will be struggle to cover education expenses for children in new places for obvious reason.

Doing outreach and work at the same time will leave you with little time for your household work.

You would hear remarks about the condition of your earthly possession from those who do not support the ministry and your church, just pursuing their own personal agenda.

Peter said to Jesus, we left everything what benefit do we have Lord? We know the answer.

 

It is a package of leaving the world and its values behind and falling in love with the Lord Jesus discovering the treasure that belongs to the field.

In order to own the treasure you have to own the field. You must have your own field to own the treasure.

He who have the ear, let him hear. God chose to manifest himself in the smallest settlement in Israel being born in Bethlehem. We may not be surprised if the greatest awakening and revival would come from the smallest places.

Be faithful in little things for our Lord is rewarding faithfulness in greatness.

 

Anointing does not come without sacrifice!

Every vessel in the house of the Lord (the Tabernacle) was anointed by the blood of sacrifice.

Your anointing is a result of sacrifice – the Lord’s and yours following Him.

Jesus said that the harvest is plenteous but the laboures are just a few.

What is the treasure of your heart and where is your heart right now?

That transmits into the values and involvement of our lives.

By their fruit you will know them said Jesus.

What is the fruit of our life and ministry?