Powerful Spiritual Warfare Prayer/Salvation And Repentance Prayer

Powerful Spiritual Warfare Prayer/Salvation And Repentance Prayer

GOD’S ARSENAL OF PROTECTION 
START YOUR DAY WITH THESE PRAYERS AND YOUR LIFE WILL CHANGE FOREVER!


Scripture: Read and meditate on EPHESIANS 6:10-18

Prayer: 

Father, in Jesus name, by prayer & faith, I put on Your whole armor that I may stand against the wiles of the devil. I put on Your Helmet of Salvation…let the same mind be in me that is in Christ Jesus. I put on Your Breastplate of Righteousness…the Righteousness of Christ. I put on the Girdle of Truth…Jesus is the Way, the Truth & the Life (John 14:6), the Truth, Integrity & the Holiness of God. I put on Your Sandals of the Gospel of Peace…Help us to stand on the solid ground of Jesus. Above all, I put on your Shield of Faith to quench every fiery dart, arrow, spear & missile the enemy shoots our way…& Lord, I put on Your precious Sword of the Spirit, Your Holy Word that’s alive & powerful, sharper than any two edged sword (Heb. 4:12)…our offensive & defensive weapon.

Scripture: Job 1:10 
“Have you not made a hedge around him, around his household, & around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, & his possessions have increased in the land.” (NKJ)

Prayer: 
Father, In the name of Jesus, I ask you to keep the same hedge of protection around me, my family, my mind, my heart & emotions, as it is written in Job 1:10.

Scripture: Psalm 34:7 
“The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear HIM, & delivereth them.” Psalms 91:11, 12 “For HE shall give HIS angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.” 

Prayer: 
Father, in Jesus name, I ask You to keep an encampment of Your powerful angels around me 24 hours a day.

Scripture: 
Hebrews 1:14 “Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?” (NKJ)

Prayer: 
Father, in Jesus name, I ask you to send a host of ministering angels (in addition to the one each believer has), to minister to our hurts, needs, pain and infirmities, strengthening us in every way.

Scripture: 
Zechariah 2:5 “For I”, says the Lord, “will be a wall of fire all around her, & I will be the glory in her midst.” (NKJ)

Prayer: 
Father, I just praise You & thank You that Your glory is my rear guard (Isaiah 52:12 & 58:8). In Jesus name, I ask You to surround me with Your supernatural wall of fire, to insulate me from any assaults of the devil.

Scripture: 
Genesis 15:1 After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.” (NKJ) (Also Ps. 3:3)
Prayer: Father, in Jesus name, by faith, I claim Your promise to be my shield & protector.

Scripture: 
(The mind is satan's playground. The battle to WIN your mind is in Vs. 5) 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments & every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” 

Prayer: 
In the Mighty name of Jesus, I command my thoughts to come under the obedience & captivity to Jesus Christ as it is written in 2 Corinthians 10:5.

Scripture: 
Matthew 16:19) “And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of Heaven, & whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, & whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” (NKJ) (See also Matthew 18:18)

Prayer: 
In the name of Jesus, the Name that is above every Name & ALL things (Phil. 2:9,10 & Eph. 1:20-23), I bind up every unclean spirit & assignment coming against me, (my children, family) from, by or through anyone or anything, named or unnamed, known or unknown, 7 generations back. In the name of Jesus, I bind up the principalities, powers, rulers’ of the darkness of this world, spiritual wickedness & hosts in high places, & the prince of power of the air. In Jesus name, I bind up the strongman, the old man, every prince & stronghold, the spirit of antichrist, every evil spirit & plague, the spirit of confusion, illusion & delusion. In Jesus name, I bind up the spirit of infirmity, sickness, disease, pain, addiction, affliction, calamity, the devourer, the destroyer, the accuser, the deceiver, the corrupter & every spirit of poverty. In the name of Jesus, I bind up the spirit of strife & division, back biting & gossip, critical & judgmental spirits, spirits of resistance & hindrance, every spirit of retribution, revenge & retaliation, & the lying, seducing, deceiving spirit of deception. (I TIM. 4:1,2) In the name of Jesus, I bind up every root of fear, doubt, unbelief, discouragement & every deadly D from despair to depression, the spirit of pride, rebellion, disobedience, self, ego, independence, unforgiveness, bitterness, lust & the flesh.

THE LORD JESUS CHRIST REBUKE YOU YOU EVIL, UNCLEAN SPIRITS. (Jude 9, Zec. 3:2) I loose, in the name of Jesus Christ, deliverance, freedom & liberation, peace, joy, hope, gladness of heart, love, healing & wholeness, mercy & grace, blessings & favor, restoration of the years that the locusts have eaten (Joel 2:25), the resurrection power of Jesus Christ, a mighty harvest, & a boldness to witness for Christ. Amen and Amen!!

ALWAYS REMEMBER, God hears ALL our cries and prayers (Ps. 34:4,6,15,17. His thoughts about us number more than the sands of the sea (Ps. 139:17,18), He loves us with an everlasting love (Jer. 31:3 & John 3:16). His promises are Yes & Amen (II Cor. 1:20). We know that satan’s a liar but God has never lied nor broken a promise or covenant (Heb. 6:18, Num. 23:19, Titus 1:2). He is the God of the second chance to infinity. Nothing is too hard (Jer. 32:17, Gen. 18:14), nor impossible for Him (Luke 1:37). With man it is impossible, but with God, ALL things are possible (Matt. 19:26, Mark 10:27). He is faithful (Ps. 89, Heb. 10:23), His Word does not return void (Is. 55:11,12), He magnifies His Word above His name (Ps. 138:2) & His Word is settled in Heaven forever (Ps. 119:89). We need to trust Him & His Word, no matter what trials or tribulations we are facing, whatever mountain, valley, desert, storm or goliath that is in our life. TRUST HIM! Naham 1:7 tells us, “God is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble & He knows those who trust Him.” He tells us we have worth & value in His eyes (Jer. 29:11-13), He is our helper (Heb. 13:6) who has compassion, mercy & grace for each of us. Gods’ forgiveness is bigger than my sin. If I confess my sins, God is faithful & just to forgive me of my sins & cleanse me of ALL unrighteousness (I John 1:9). Once I confess & repent, God remembers them no more (Ps. 103:12). They are put in the sea of forgetfulness (Micah 7:19). They are under the BLOOD of JESUS, and we are set FREE, with no condemnation (Rom. 8:1), especially from ourselves. We must learn to forgive ourselves. Praise and Worship must be included in our prayers. W

e have the VICTORY!

PRAYER OF SALVATION & BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Dear heavenly Father, I thank you for sending Your Son  Jesus Christ to die on the cross for my sins. I believe He  died, was buried, and on the third day rose again from the  dead. I do repent of my sins and come to You for mercy and  forgiveness. I renounce Satan and the kingdom of darkness.  I break every family curse over my family and me. By faith in  Your promise, I receive Jesus Christ personally as my Savior  and confess Him as my Lord. Come into my heart, Lord  Jesus, and give me eternal life and make me a child of God.  Thank you, Lord, for accepting me and now, Lord Jesus, I  am thirsty for more of You. I ask You, Lord Jesus, to baptize  me in Your Holy Spirit . By faith I receive Your Holy Spirit  now. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen.

TO YOU  John 1:12King James Version (KJV) 12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name John 3:16-17 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. John 6:47 47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. Ephesians 1:13 13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 1 John 1:9 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 5:11 11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 1 Peter 1:3-4 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you PRAYER OF REPENTANCE

Lord Jesus Christ, Yahushua, Son of the Father,

In all humility and with our love and holy fear, we bow down before You, our Savior. May our guardian angels bow before You and bring You the prayers of our heart day and night and may they protect us from all evils when we sleep and rest. Hear the prayers from our lips whether alone in our quiet places or among our Brethren; through tears of sorrow or songs of praise and joy. 

Lord, may we never ask for more than what is good for our souls and for our salvation. You showed us the Father and taught us how to pray and live as children of God. You said we should seek, ask and knock when we're in need. You said you would never leave us nor forsake us. Jesus, You alone made us worthy to enter into Heaven when our lives come to an end. We thank You and praise You for Your love, Your life, and the promises You made and kept.

You said You would go and prepare a place for us in Your kingdom.
In Your kingdom Lord, hear our prayers now. You see and hear Your poor banished children of Eve. Before You, our world is so dark.

We Your children, Your people, see and hear the evils of our modern world. Families and children faithful to You tremble in fear of Your coming justice. Lord, we know Your Holy Words and love them. We repent of all our sins and call out to You our God. As You took pity on Abraham, Moses, Noah, Ruth and Naomi, the children of Israel, and all Your beloved disciples, so too take pity on us in our trials and tribulations in our lives of this modern and depraved world we live in. You said You'd never leave us nor forsake us. But Your Holy Words warned us of sorrows, persecutions, and even wars. Lord, we are weeping for ourselves, our families, and our children. We weep and repent of our own sins that wound You once more. Send Your Holy Spirit upon us, so that we may live more simple lives and be ever faithful, brave, forgiving, and charitable children of God the Father. Help us to shake off the ways of the world and be only faithful to You. 

When the world sees us, may they give all honor and praise to You. We are Your bride who await Your coming. May you find us worthy.

In Your name, Yahushua, we pray. Amen.

Faith and Repentance: The Doorway to The Kingdom of God

July 5, 2017 by Deacon Frederick Bartels Leave a Comment

Photo Credit: Anders Askevold [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Turning fully to Christ in faith is the solution to the greatest threats against humankind of our age.

By Deacon Frederick Bartels
5 June, 2017

In today’s gospel (Mt 8:28-34), Jesus exorcises the demoniacs, forcing the demons that previously possessed these men into a heard of swine, and then drives the heard into the sea, demonstrating Jesus’ divine power over the legions of Satan’s evil kingdom. It also provides a foreshadowing of the purpose of Jesus’ earthly, salvific mission: to defeat sin, evil and the devil, including the eternal death of the soul which participation in the works of the devil brings about as its end.

The gospel reveals to us that the greatest threats to our life—sin, evil and Satan—are overcome by turning to Christ in faith and giving our lives over to him in repentance of sin. It is through living a new life of holiness in Christ, as a man remade and spiritually renewed by his divine power (Eph 4:22-24), that the binding forces of evil are broken and the doorway to eternal life is cast open. We must avail ourselves of Christ in order to say, in union with St. Paul:

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Gal 2:20)

One essential component of turning to Christ in faith that is often overlooked or disregarded in today’s climate of deism and moral relativism, is the crucial need for sincere repentance. When Christ began his public ministry, his first words were: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Mt 4:17). One cannot belong to the Savior and his heavenly kingdom if he refuses salvation and union with Christ by persisting in knowingly deliberate grave sin, which is itself mortal sin and which destroys one’s relationship with God. Entering the kingdom of Christ presupposes repentance.

Note also that repentance entails a complete turning away from sin, a radical reorientation of one’s life in which there is given a firm determination of will to amend one’s life, avoid instances of temptation, and remain free from sin in the future. The repentant person, moved and aided by the grace of God, leaves sin behind permanently. In repentance, there is a dying to self and to sin that takes place as one’s whole life is given in its totality to Christ and a new way of living is begun. This is not something we do of ourselves alone, as some human project, but rather is accomplished primarily with the assistance of God’s divine power. Nevertheless, our own personal commitment and persistence is essential to opening the way for God’s transcendent and transformative power to work in our lives. Although it is true that, due to our wounded human nature, we tend to sin and will likely sin again, this does not mean that repentance consists in the mere half-hearted desire to “one day stop sinning.” Nor is it constituted in seeking forgiveness alone, apart from amendment of one’s life. Repentance must include a complete rejection of sin along with taking concrete steps to avoid it completely in the future.

The error so common today among many Catholics and other Christians, is found in thinking that God is permissive of grave and/or mortal sin, especially those sins involving sexual impurity and immorality. These include but are not limited to: cohabitation/fornication, adultery, the use of pornography, approval of same-sex “marriage,” and artificial birth control used to frustrate the procreative act. Other grave sins, often incorrectly viewed as no sin at all, include the willful rejection of public worship of God (participation at Mass and Sunday Eucharist required by the third commandment), receiving the Eucharist in a state of grave sin (see 1 Cor 11:27-32), and rejection of or indifference toward the sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation. This situation, in which the sense of the seriousness of sin has been in many ways lost, poses a grave danger to souls, and is responsible for the continued moral fragmentation of society.

Although the post-modern-autonomist philosophy of today, infused by the poison of relativism, displays near total indifference to the ugly reality of sin, the consequences of rejecting God through intentional grave sin are truly terrifying. This is the case because mortal sin, if left unrepentant to death, can result in eternal damnation since it is itself constituted by a definitive self-exclusion from the kingdom of God.

The Catechism of the Catholic Churchprovides definitive teaching on the nature of mortal sin and its destructive capability:

For a sin to be mortal, three conditions must together be met: Mortal sin is sin whose object is grave matter and which is also committed with full knowledge and deliberate consent.

Grave matter is specified by the Ten Commandments, corresponding to the answer of Jesus to the rich young man: “Do not kill, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and your mother.” The gravity of sins is more or less great: murder is graver than theft. One must also take into account who is wronged: violence against parents is in itself graver than violence against a stranger.

Mortal sin requires full knowledge and complete consent. It presupposes knowledge of the sinful character of the act, of its opposition to God’s law. It also implies a consent sufficiently deliberate to be a personal choice. Feigned ignorance and hardness of heart do not diminish, but rather increase, the voluntary character of a sin.

Unintentional ignorance can diminish or even remove the imputability of a grave offense. But no one is deemed to be ignorant of the principles of the moral law, which are written in the conscience of every man. The promptings of feelings and passions can also diminish the voluntary and free character of the offense, as can external pressures or pathological disorders. Sin committed through malice, by deliberate choice of evil, is the gravest.

Mortal sin is a radical possibility of human freedom, as is love itself. It results in the loss of charity and the privation of sanctifying grace, that is, of the state of grace. If it is not redeemed by repentance and God’s forgiveness, it causes exclusion from Christ’s kingdom and the eternal death of hell, for our freedom has the power to make choices for ever, with no turning back. However, although we can judge that an act is in itself a grave offense, we must entrust judgment of persons to the justice and mercy of God. (1857-1861)

When we look upon Christ crucified, the deadly and terrifying reality of sin is illuminated before our eyes and hearts. Christ calls each and every person to the life of holiness and virtue—to live as a “little christ.” He offers his forgiveness and grace to the repentant sinner who approaches him in faith and trust. Assisted by his divine treasures of grace and the Holy Spirit, the Sanctifier, whom he infuses into the soul, freely given in virtue of faith and baptism, we must strive to put on Christ and live an amended life, ardently following the impulses of the Spirit of truth and love. In this recreated life, free and loving adherence to the commands of God is primary because Christ is placed as the object of our life and love above all else.

Christ’s peace.

Fasting for three days can regenerate entire immune system, study finds

Researchers say fasting "flips a regenerative switch" which prompts stem cells to create brand new white blood cells CREDIT:  PEGAZ/ALAMY

•  Sarah Knapton, science correspondent 

5 JUNE 2014 • 7:45PM

Fasting for as little as three days can regenerate the entire immune system, even in the elderly, scientists have found in a breakthrough described as "remarkable".

Although fasting diets have been criticised by nutritionists for being unhealthy, new research suggests starving the body kick-starts stem cells into producing new white blood cells, which fight off infection.

Scientists at the University of Southern California say the discovery could be particularly beneficial for people suffering from damaged immune systems, such as cancer patients on chemotherapy.

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It could also help the elderly whose immune system becomes less effective as they age, making it harder for them to fight off even common diseases.

The researchers say fasting "flips a regenerative switch" which prompts stem cells to create brand new white blood cells, essentially regenerating the entire immune system.

"It gives the 'OK' for stem cells to go ahead and begin proliferating and rebuild the entire system," said Prof Valter Longo, Professor of Gerontology and the Biological Sciences at the University of California.

"And the good news is that the body got rid of the parts of the system that might be damaged or old, the inefficient parts, during the fasting.

“Now, if you start with a system heavily damaged by chemotherapy or ageing, fasting cycles can generate, literally, a new immune system."

Prolonged fasting forces the body to use stores of glucose and fat but also breaks down a significant portion of white blood cells.

During each cycle of fasting, this depletion of white blood cells induces changes that trigger stem cell-based regeneration of new immune system cells.

In trials humans were asked to regularly fast for between two and four days over a six-month period.

Scientists found that prolonged fasting also reduced the enzyme PKA, which is linked to ageing and a hormone which increases cancer risk and tumour growth.

"We could not predict that prolonged fasting would have such a remarkable effect in promoting stem cell-based regeneration of the hematopoietic system," added Prof Longo.

"When you starve, the system tries to save energy, and one of the things it can do to save energy is to recycle a lot of the immune cells that are not needed, especially those that may be damaged," Dr Longo said.

"What we started noticing in both our human work and animal work is that the white blood cell count goes down with prolonged fasting. Then when you re-feed, the blood cells come back. So we started thinking, well, where does it come from?"

Fasting for 72 hours also protected cancer patients against the toxic impact of chemotherapy.

"While chemotherapy saves lives, it causes significant collateral damage to the immune system. The results of this study suggest that fasting may mitigate some of the harmful effects of chemotherapy," said co-author Tanya Dorff, assistant professor of clinical medicine at the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center and Hospital.

"More clinical studies are needed, and any such dietary intervention should be undertaken only under the guidance of a physician.”

"We are investigating the possibility that these effects are applicable to many different systems and organs, not just the immune system," added Prof Longo.

However, some British experts were sceptical of the research.

Dr Graham Rook, emeritus professor of immunology at University College London, said the study sounded "improbable".

Chris Mason, Professor of Regenerative Medicine at UCL, said: “There is some interesting data here. It sees that fasting reduces the number and size of cells and then re-feeding at 72 hours saw a rebound.

“That could be potentially useful because that is not such a long time that it would be terribly harmful to someone with cancer.

“But I think the most sensible way forward would be to synthesize this effect with drugs. I am not sure fasting is the best idea. People are better eating on a regular basis.”

Dr Longo added: “There is no evidence at all that fasting would be dangerous while there is strong evidence that it is beneficial.

“I have received emails from hundreds of cancer patients who have combined chemo with fasting, many with the assistance of the oncologists.

“Thus far the great majority have reported doing very well and only a few have reported some side effects including fainting and a temporary increase in liver markers. Clearly we need to finish the clinical trials, but it looks very promising.”

5 Signs There's Idolatry in Your Church

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5 Signs There's Idolatry in Your Church

8:00AM EST 12/18/2014 JOSEPH G. MATTERA

Is there idolatry in your church? (Demi Brooke/Flickr)

The greatest sin in the Bible by far is the sin of idolatry. Idolatry is the main reason why God rebuked and judged the nation of Israel. (Read the major and minor prophets as well as the books of Kings and Chronicles.) Idolatry is when we violate the first of the Ten Commandments (Ex. 20:3), which says, "You shall have no other gods before Me." It is when we put something or someone first in our life, before the living and true God. Idolatry is the root cause of all other sins—which is why the first two commandments dealt with this. While the church today is focusing on various sins related to human sexuality and lifestyle choices—many in the church who may not fit into these two categories may be deluded into believing they are OK even though they may be breaking the greatest commandment.

The following are five signs of idolatry in the church based on my perspective of serving as a lead pastor for 30 years as well as extensive extra-local apostolic ministry to churches.

1) The idol of celebrity preachers: There are believers who run all over the country attending conferences of well-known preachers. Often, when they meet them in person, they fawn all over them and almost faint. Some well-known ministers cannot even go out in public without constantly getting stopped by admirers so they can take "selfies" with them. (Since I know and have worked with many of them, I have seen this first hand.) Although I am a proponent of having a culture of honor and respect for those leaders who labor among us (Heb. 13:7, 17), some people have stepped over the edge into idolatry. They follow everything they say without question and irrespective of scandal, and they do not search the Scriptures themselves to see if what is preached aligns with God's Word. When Cornelius met the apostle Peter and bowed down before him, Peter rightly told him to get up, that he was only a man like himself (Acts 10). There is nothing wrong with emulating or following a leader, but there is something wrong with idolizing a Christian leader. There is such a pervasive "celebrity preacher" culture in the body of Christ today that some huge churches and enterprises have literally closed down when their celebrity preacher stepped down. If churches and ministries would build according to the New Testament pattern in which the whole body exists to edify and minister to one another in love, then we would not depend merely upon one leader for the congregation to function (Eph. 4:16; 1 Cor. 12). 

2) The idol of worship/entertainment: There are many believers who flock to churches that have skilled singers and music primarily to get entertained. Consequently, many of the believers don't realize that they are putting self-gratification and entertainment before true worship. Years ago, many churches would not even have musical instruments and people would flock to churches anyway—even though the congregation only used hymnals and sang a cappella for worship. Now, it is very common for pastors to budget a large amount of money to pay for professional singers and musicians in order to fill their church services with people. In my opinion, even though we are called to worship with excellence and skill—we have gone too far in the church and have mingled as a core value the entertainment culture of the world. At the end of the day, whether we have worship performed by professionals, use merely a CD or sing a cappella, congregations should worship and adore Him just the same—in spirit and truth—which is the only kind of worship God seeks (John 4:23-24). Those who leave their local church to attend another church with better "worship," in my opinion, are often guilty of idolatry since they cannot worship God from their heart without being entertained by professionals.

3) The idol of personal prosperity: There are believers whose main motive is to use their faith to leverage influence with God for personal gain. Although God delights in blessing all of His children (3 John 2), Jesus told us to seek first His Kingdom and righteousness for our material needs to be added to us (Matt. 6:33). Many attempt to use the benevolent character of God to live a myopic life in which Christianity orbits around the universe of self. God has given us power to get wealth so we can spread His covenant to the whole earth—not merely so we can live a life of ease. I believe that using our faith to put our own needs first is a form of idolatry. 

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4) The idol of objectifying God: Although this point is similar to the previous point, I felt there was enough of a distinction to separate them. Through the years I have seen many in the church preach and promote an "I," "me" and "my" culture. That is to say, much of the preaching deals with self-actualization, fulfillment and therapy rather than sound, biblical theology calling believers to live a life of service.

Pastors have often fed into the cultural idolatry of the people in order to attract people into the church—something that displeases God (see Ezek. 44:10, 12). I have observed that there are too few "cross-carrying" disciples attending churches—but many use God when they need Him. Many come to church to "feel" the presence of God but are not committed to knowing and loving the "person" of God.

Many come to church merely to feel good instead of being equipped to do good works (Eph. 2:10). Many come to "get a word" instead of coming to "give a word" of edification to somebody (Is. 50:4; Eph. 4:29). Many come to listen to rhetorical messages that excite the emotions with no intention of walking out the word.

Many come to shout amen, being deceived into believing that because they shouted, they have already obeyed. Consequently, there are many believers who live no differently than their unbelieving neighbors, which is why megachurches do not always result in "megacultural" influence, and why church growth doesn't always result in personal and societal transformation. Although many have attended church for decades, they have never matured and are still drinking pabulum, never having digested the meat of the Word (1 Cor. 3:1-3).

5) The idol of ethnicity: There are many believers who have allowed their ethnicity and culture to trump the Word of God. Jesus said culture is even stronger than the Word of God in some people's lives (Mark 7:7-8). Consequently, people read the Scriptures through their Caucasian/Western, Afro-centric, Hispanic or Asian lenses. One of the most important things to do in regards to receiving the Word of God for personal transformation is to attempt to take ourselves out of our own skin and read the Bible through the eyes of the authors original intent—something only the Holy Spirit can accomplish. There is no such thing as a Western European Caucasian Bible or an Afro-centric Bible. We need to stop reading the Scriptures merely through our ethnic lens because the truth is that the Bible was written with a Hebraic mindset and it is foolish to think we can fully understand it with our contemporary ethnic mindset. Consequently, believers often act and react no different from non-believers in regards to things that happen in contemporary society. White, black and brown believers have generally reacted far different from one another when it comes to interpreting immigration reform and the tragedies of the Ferguson shooting and Eric Garner death. Truly, I believe that the gospel is so powerful that it is possible for diverse Christians to come together with one voice and prophetically interpret, speak into  and bring solutions to these painful and controversial issues!

God is not color blind, since He made humans black, brown, yellow, red and white in His own image. Hence, He designed us to have distinctions in culture regarding food, dress, language and other things based upon ethnic nuances. However, these distinctions are not where believers should derive their primary identity or anchor their biblical ethics, for in Christ there is neither male nor female, black, white or brown, for we are all one in Christ (Gal. 3:28). When our ethnic thinking trumps our biblical thinking, we are guilty either of ignorance or ethnic idolatry. Unless or until the body of Christ gets over its idolatry according to ethnicity, we will never become the generation that can disciple the nations (or in other words, ethnic people groups as shown in Matthew 28:19). Since there is no neutrality, either the church will disciple the nations or the nations will disciple the church!

Joseph Mattera is overseeing bishop of Resurrection Church and Christ Covenant Coalition, in Brooklyn, New York.

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The Two Marks Of A Truly Wicked Person

The Two Marks Of A Truly Wicked Person

March 18 2017

Written by: Prophecy in the News

• 

How can you tell if someone is truly wicked?  

I have always thought you could tell by looking into a man’s eyes. But, a man’s actions always speak louder than his words. Most time you will find that his words are total lies, and you may find that you are the one who has been deceived. Be wise, don’t let the devil overcome and allow you to be deceived.

In the Bible, the psalmist describes two sides of the character of a wicked man in Psalm 10:2–11. Structurally each description is five verses long and ends with the inner thoughts of the unjust oppressor, “He says in his heart” (10:6, 11). Two words summarize these wicked oppressors: arrogant and aggressive. Their pride and violence spell disaster for anyone who stands in their way.

#1 – Arrogant

First, the wicked oppressors are arrogant. The trouble they cause flows out of self-importance.

In arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the poor; let them be caught in the schemes that they have devised. Psalm 10: 2 (KJV) “The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor: let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined.”

Where does this abusive pride come from? For one thing, they forget that the rich and poor were both created by God. We did not make ourselves. We did not choose which family we were born into and the opportunities we were given. We did not decide how intelligent we would be, how wise we would be, how self-motivated we would be. All this is from God’s hand.

The writer of Proverbs says in Proverbs 22:2 (KJV) “The rich and the poor meet together; the Lord is the maker of them all.” The wicked forget this. They like to view themselves as self-made men, like sharks made to swim at the top of the food chain. This pride is Darwinian at its core—a survival of the fittest that grinds the poor into the dirt. And in their arrogance, they think God will never do anything. They have nothing but contempt for God and laugh at any idea of judgment.

Many evil men do not worship God. Some use God to hide behind, but both types of these men only worship themselves.

Psalm 10: 3, 4 (KJV) “For the wicked boasteth of his heart’s desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the Lord abhorreth. The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.”

What does it mean to boast in your desires?

That is an unusual phrase. The wicked are proud of their desires. Their cravings are a virtue. After all, didn’t they succeed because of their will to win? Their greed got them where they are. They desire to be better than anyone else, to always be first in everything they do. They are pure evil, only thinking of themselves, cutting down anyone in their path, sometimes by their actions and sometimes by their words. Mocking and ridiculing others, all while praising themselves. As a Christian, don’t be deceived by evil people who act this way.

The evil spirit of materialism declares that greed is a virtue, the foundation of success. This is the mind-set of a man who boasts of the desires of his soul. They boast because they believe it is a good thing never to be content, never to be satisfied, always to want more. And in their greed, they grind other people into the ground to get what they want.

Greed and pride can turn your heart away from God. You may have grown up knowing the Bible; you may have worked much of your life in a church or in a ministry, but a truly evil person is only living for themselves.

Jesus said in Mark 8:36 (KJV)…“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”

You might assume that someone who openly rejects God or even quietly within their own soul would be struck down by lightning, but atheists often prosper. People who give themselves to gathering money often get rich. And because they have laughed at God and have still been successful, their arrogance grows. They assume that they must be invincible.

Psalm 10:5 (KJV) “His ways are always grievous; thy judgments are far above out of his sight: as for all his enemies, he puffeth at them.”

Because he is affluent, he is convinced that nothing can touch him. He has the latest tech gadgets; he drives a flashy sports car; he goes on the best vacations and he boast of having the finest of everything. Success has blinded his eyes to God’s judgment—it is too high for him.

Here is what he thinks in his heart of hearts:

He says in his heart…Psalm 10:6 (KJV) “…I shall not be moved: for I shall never be in adversity.”  Adversity meaning difficulties, misfortune, trouble, hardship.

The wicked man is thoroughly deceived. He thinks that the blessings God reserves for the godly belong to him! It is the blameless man who shall not be moved.

Psalm 15:5 (KJV) “He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved.”

Psalm 16:8 (KJV) “I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.”

The wicked “are like chaff that the wind drives away” Psalm 1:4 (KJV). “The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.”

#2 – Aggressive

The wicked man is not only arrogant and proud, he is aggressive and sometimes violent. This is the second part of the psalmist’s description.

His mouth is filled with cursing and deceit, his tongue with mischief and iniquity. Psalm 10:7 (KJV) “His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is mischief and vanity.”

A wicked man’s words are like a spark that ignites violence. In fact, sins of the tongue are the most common kind of violence in the Psalms.

C. S. Lewis notes…

“I think that when I began to read it, these surprised me a little; I had half expected that in a simpler and more violent age when more evil was done with the knife, the big stick, and the firebrand, less would be done by talk. But in reality, the Psalmists mention hardly any kind of evil more often than this one, which the most civilized societies share. One almost hears the incessant whispering, tattling, lying, scolding, flattery, and circulation of rumors.”

Evil shows itself most often in verbal violence. You see it every day in post and comments on Facebook and other social media. You see it on television. The Apostle Paul quotes Psalm 10:7 to show that everyone, Jews and Gentiles alike, are under the power of sin.

Romans 3: 13, 14 (KJV) “Their throat is an open sepulcher; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:

Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:”

James 3:6 says… “And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature, and it is set on fire of hell.”

The wicked man is treacherous. He cares nothing about the people he attacks.

For one thing, his heart is bad. In Matthew 12:34 (KJV), Jesus said, “…for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.” His words are full of “cursing and… oppression” because his heart is full of cursing and oppression. His very nature is to use whatever power he has to use and exploit others.

Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But because of your hard and impenitent heart, you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed as spoken in Romans 2:4, 5.

If God doesn’t stop you or strike you down when you sin, don’t think this means he doesn’t know or doesn’t care.

Romans 2: 4, 5 (KJV) “Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;”

God is kind and patient, and he offers the evil one every opportunity to turn away from his sin. The wicked mistake God’s patience for negligence. The godly recognize God’s kindness and run to him, but those who are evil are truly arrogant and aggressive in everything they do.

What they don’t realize is that a wise man can see right through them.

However, only the foolish will follow them.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.

Matthew 5:6

(6) Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.

Desire is an inward longing for something we do not have but feel we need. Hunger and thirst are appetites God gave humans to make us aware of a need. Hunger for God's Word and His attributes are the spiritual appetite God gives Christians to make us aware of spiritual needs. Do pagans pray to their idols and ask them for love, joy, internal peace, kindness, gentleness, goodness, meekness, or self-control? They ask for other things—material things, material blessings.

God has given us faith to make us aware of spiritual needs. We are aware of our physical needs by nature, but we would never be aware of these spiritual needs unless God, by His Spirit, makes us aware. It is a loving gift from Him. He expects us to think about these needs and ask Him for them. Our very awareness of the need is a proof that God is working with us.

This adds another step to the process of answered prayer: There has to be an awareness of need followed by the desire to have what we need. The desire moves us to make it known to God, and if it is really earnest and fervent, it fixes our minds on the object of our longing, motivating our pursuit of it. In other words, desire sets the will into action.

What God really wants us to seek after, to desire, is Him, what He is.