Podcasts about chastening

Pastor McMathBiblical LoveText: 1 John 3:10–16Preached at Valley Bible Baptist ChurchIntroductionEphesians teaches that we are sealed at salvation and that our lives should reflect that by how we love others.Related verses:1 John 2:29; 4:7Our new nature has a desire to please God.Chastening and discipline are signs of true salvation.Those born of God have the Spirit of Truth.Loving the brethren is a clear sign of God's love in us.God's Spirit transforms the life of His children.“God is able to love through you in a way that you cannot love on your own.”The world needs to see love in action.1. The Admonition from God to Love1 John 3:10–11, 23If God commands us to love, He will also empower us to do it.Christ's love separates us from mere religion.John 15:12 – Christ is the greatest example of love.1 John 4:7 – Love is of God.2. The Application (Attitude) of Love1 John 3:12A negative example is seen in Cain.(See Genesis 4 for context.)Cain's envy led to hatred.1 John 3:13 – Envy leads to hatred.Hatred is equated with murder.1 John 3:15Bitterness goes against the nature of God.Ephesians 4:22–32“Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God”—grief comes from a place of love.1 John 3:143. The Action of Love1 John 3:18a. Love's Sacrifice1 John 3:16b. Love's Compassion1 John 3:17Romans 124. The Assurance of Love1 John 3:19–20Matthew 18 – We must forgive as the Lord has forgiven us.Assurance in Prayer1 John 3:24Biblical love is not just an emotion;it is an action that reveals Christ in us to a world that desperately needs Him.Do others see Jesus in you?

Ministered by Pastor Jonathan Skiles at New Life Church of La Habra in La Habra, CA. God bless you and thank you for listening! If you would like to learn more about our ministry or give an offering, please visit our website at www.nlclahabra.com Visit us on Instagram: @nlclahabra Our Address: New Life Church of La Habra 740 E. Lambert Rd. Unit E  La Habra, CA 90631

00:00 - Intro02:00 - What is the flesh/soul/spirit and death?07:55 - Am I living in sin since I am divorced and remarried?18:00 - God's Chastening?26:08 - Thoughts on Judgment?36:47 - What study materials do you recommend?45:05 - How to handle someone who has stopped believing and coming to church?54:45 - Dispensational salvation?59:01 - What if we stop believing?01:04:30 - 1 John 3:14-15 murderer?01:10:25 - Witnessing to my Muslim friend?01:18:44 - How to go to heaven?01:20:20 - OutroHOW TO HAVE ETERNAL LIFE : https://youtu.be/t_6L7E_mfIwSUBSCRIBE https://www.youtube.com/c/biblelineLIKE https://www.facebook.com/biblelineminCOMMENT ask us a question!SHARE with all your friends and familyDo you have a Bible question? Send your question to questions@biblelineministries.org!Support Bibleline - https://www.calvaryoftampa.org/donate/Bibleline is a ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida and is hosted by Pastor Jesse Martinez.LIKE THIS? CHECK THESE GUYS OUT:https://www.youtube.com/c/Northlandchurchstc(Tom Cucuzza)https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdddWVKMcM9c-SjUR1LZTBw(Jim Scudder)https://www.youtube.com/@focusevangelisticministriesinc(Josiah Coile)https://www.youtube.com/user/biblelinebroadcast(Yankee Arnold)https://www.youtube.com/c/TheKeesBoerMinistryChannel(Kees Boer)#bibleline #liveqna #salvation #truth #callinshow #live #dispensationalism #muslim #witness #apostasy #apostate #stopbelieving #believe #church #1john #study #divorce #remarriage #sin #livinginsin

Series: N/AService: Gospel MeetingType: SermonSpeaker: Josh McKibbenTo download this video, go directly to the video page on Vimeo by clicking the in-video title above.Look for the download button below the video there.If you feel this was beneficial to you, please like and share this video.

Discover the profound truth behind God's correction and how it reveals His unconditional love for you! In this powerful message, Pastor Roderick Webster dives into Hebrews 12:6-11, explaining why chastening is a sign of being adopted into God's family and a pathway to spiritual growth. Learn how to embrace His discipline, find comfort in trials, and experience the peaceable fruit of righteousness. Whether you're facing challenges or seeking deeper faith, this teaching offers hope and clarity.

Deciding to follow God and stay the course requires endurance. Endure means to “suffer something painful or difficult, patiently.” The Bible's definition is “to bear up under hardship, to withstand adversity or persecution.” The most powerful picture of endurance is recorded in Hebrews 12:1-3. “Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the Joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews then leads us into a discussion about “not despising the chastening of the LORD.” To chasten means to correct. So many times, we are offended by correction, finding fault with the one who brings it. Correction is part of our perfection. It is part of what God is using to perfect that which concerns us (Ps. 138:8),  but if we resist it or take it personally, we will miss the benefit of the chastening. Join us in taking a deeper look at God's purposes and in the way He perfects us. Check out God On Trial and start listening today! Get your copy of "Spiritual Warfare and How Deliverance Can Change Your Life" on Amazon, and explore Marjorie's other books. "Because There Is A War For Your Soul"  liferecovery.com

Charlie Haddad, Pastor Video Sermon - https://youtu.be/XLpSj142j10?si=amdZBQzaBIp1JhLv

In this episode, I dive into Psalm 38 as it talks about ‘Prayer in times of Chastening'Psalm 38 is known as a confessional psalm, where David is literally pouring out his heart confessing his sins openly to God.‘For in You, O LORD, I hope; You will hear, O Lord my God'.…'

Richard Baxter:"Your afflictions may be sharp, but they are short. Your deliverance will be eternal.""Our sufferings are but God's tools to carve His image more clearly upon us.""Affliction opens our ears to the voice of God, and shuts our hearts to the allurements of the world."William Bridge:"Every affliction is a messenger from God, teaching and correcting the soul for its eternal good.""The worst that God ever does to His children, is to whip them to Heaven.""The waters of affliction, are often the means by which we are carried nearer to Christ."John Bunyan:"In times of affliction, we discover the sufficiency of Christ and the shallowness of the world."Thomas Brooks:"The promises of God, shine brightest in the furnace of affliction."Jeremiah Burroughs:"The bitter cup of affliction, is sweetened by the pierced hand that gives it.""Sanctified afflictions, are spiritual promotions.""The burdens God lays on us, are designed to press us closer to Himself."Stephen Charnock:"God's greatest mercy, is sometimes wrapped in His sharpest judgments.""Affliction is God's flail, to separate the chaff from the wheat.""In the furnace of affliction God burns away the dross of self-reliance, and reveals the gold of His sufficiency.""Afflictions drive the soul to its knees, where it finds the richest treasures of grace."John Flavel:"The believer's afflictions are God's pruning, not His lopping. They are to make them fruitful, not to destroy them.""God's strokes are strokes of love, meant to awaken our souls and draw us closer to Him."William Gurnall:"The greatest honor God can put on a soul, is to place it in the school of affliction."

A Weekly Devotional by Project Charis World Outreach (PCWO) for Week 4, 2025

Escaping Apostate Church Judgments (3) (audio) David Eells – 11/24/24 I'm going begin today by reading Hannah's prayer in 1Sa 2:1 And Hannah prayed, and said: My heart exulteth in Jehovah; My horn is exalted in Jehovah; My mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; Because I rejoice in thy salvation. 2 There is none holy as Jehovah; For there is none besides thee, Neither is there any rock like our God. 3 Talk no more so exceeding proudly; Let not arrogancy come out of your mouth; For Jehovah is a God of knowledge, And by him actions are weighed. 4 The bows of the mighty men are broken; And they that stumbled are girded with strength. 5 They that were full have hired out themselves for bread; And they that were hungry have ceased to hunger: Yea, the barren hath borne seven; And she that hath many children languisheth. So what did she mean, she had born seven? We know that Hannah had been barren. Well, we're talking about a Man-child here, but the Man-child is not an individual, is he? And why seven? When we read Mic 5:5 …When the Assyrian shall come into our land, and when he shall tread in our palaces, then shall we raise against him seven shepherds, and eight principal men. So we see that Micah prophesied that when the Lord returned to his people that He would raise up seven princes, “seven shepherds, and eight principal men,” or eight princes among men, to defend God's people from the Beast. It's seven because there are seven churches and God is raising up the leadership to go to the seven churches. The eighth is mentioned separately because He is the prince of Peace Jesus who is in the midst of the seven. 6 Jehovah killeth, and maketh alive: He bringeth down to Sheol, and bringeth up. 7 Jehovah maketh poor, and maketh rich: He bringeth low, he also lifteth up. 8 He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, He lifteth up the needy from the dunghill, To make them sit with princes, And inherit the throne of glory: (This is her Man-child, that she brought forth to inherit the throne of glory.) For the pillars of the earth are Jehovah's, And he hath set the world upon them. 9 He will keep the feet of his holy ones; But the wicked shall be put to silence in darkness; For by strength shall no man prevail. 10 They that strive with Jehovah shall be broken to pieces; Against them will he thunder in heaven: Jehovah will judge the ends of the earth; And he will give strength unto his king, And exalt the horn of his anointed. I believe this is talking about the Eli, Pharisee and Saul ministries, and a lot of ministers in our day who are going to resist and fight against the truth, as they have throughout history. In Jesus' day, the leadership over God's people fought with Jesus; they accused Jesus; they crucified Jesus. They did the same with His disciples, also. They strove with the Lord and He destroyed them. 1Sa 2:10 … And he will give strength unto his king, And exalt the horn of his anointed. Oh, praise God! Who is this king and His anointed? Well, in this case it was Samuel, but it was also Joseph, Moses, David and Jesus, all those good types. He will exalt the horn, the strength of His anointed. 11 And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. And the child did minister unto the Lord before Eli the priest. 12 Now the sons of Eli were base men; they knew not the Lord. How could they have been the priests of Israel and not know the Lord? Well, honestly, it doesn't take very long to read the Word of God to find out that a lot of ministers nowadays don't know the Lord. They don't know the Lord but do they have some kind of association with religion? Yes. When you come into the Kingdom and you get a born-again spirit, you have a consciousness of God, but, quite frankly, if you don't obey that born-again spirit, it soon dies and you become what the Bible calls twice dead, plucked up by the roots (Jud.12). Who was Jude speaking about when he said that? The apostate ministers and many they train. And so you can be in the pulpit and be dead as a doornail. Saul died at the hands of the Philistines and I believe that it's talking about being dead in the spirit while he lived. We know that many of you have come out of churches after you realized they were dead. They were really not walking in the spirit; they were really not sharing the living Word of God. They were dead and you came out because of that. Praise God! 1Sa 2:13 And the custom of the priests with the people was, that, when any man offered sacrifice, the priest's servant came, while the flesh was boiling, with a flesh-hook of three teeth in his hand; 14 and he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or cauldron, or pot; all that the flesh-hook brought up the priest took therewith. So they did in Shiloh unto all Israel that came thither. Shiloh, of course, was the house of God in those days, so this is basically the ministers gathering up their tithe, but these people were abusing it. And it's a very good type of exactly what's happening today. They were abusing their position as priests of the Lord, as ministers of God's house, by plundering God's people. Now he's going to point out two main things here about the sons of Eli that are exactly the problems with the leadership of the church in our day and how they are plundering God's people. 1Sa 2:15 Yea, before they burnt the fat, the priest's servant came, and said to the man that sacrificed, Give flesh to roast for the priest; for he will not have boiled flesh of thee, but raw. Of course, that wasn't according to their custom. 16 And if the man said unto him, They will surely burn the fat first, and then take as much as thy soul desireth; then he would say, Nay, but thou shalt give it me now: and if not, I will take it by force. So here you have some ministers taking what they feel belonged to them, by force. The only thing was, this was a sacrifice. This was a sacrifice made by the person who was freely giving it, but they were taking it by force. That's an abuse of a sacrifice. Do you know that in the New Testament God has a sacrifice? It's a freewill offering. There is nothing in the New Testament about taking something by Law. Who is it who takes by Law? Well, you're looking at it right here. It's the apostate Eli ministry which is robbing and plundering God's people and taking from them by Law, taking from them because of their position. We don't have any such custom in the New Testament of demanding a tithe. Jesus said, So therefore whosoever he be of you that renounceth not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple (Luk 14:33). He didn't say 10%; He said everything you have. And Jesus said in Mat 23:23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye tithe mint and anise and cummin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the law, Jesus said tithing was of the Law, not of grace. There's no commandment in the New Testament whatsoever for you to do this. Not one. And the rest of the verse says, justice, and mercy, and faith: but these ye ought to have done, and not to have left the other undone. Notice that Jesus spoke to the Jews of their Law as being in the past, Meaning the Old Covenant. He never commanded it in the New Covenant because it was “a shadow of the good things to come.” But here is what's commanded: 2Co 9:6 But this [I say,] He that soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he that soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. So it's just according to how much you give and that's really not according to the Law. The Law was 10% -- bring into the storehouse 10%. But now He's saying very plainly, “No, the more you give, the more you'll receive.” 2Co 9:7 [Let] each man [do] according as he hath purposed in his heart…. Well, that's certainly not the Law at all. That's not demanding it; that's a freewill offering. Do as you feel in your heart. This is a man's personal sacrifice to God and to the ministry, and, of course, the ministry today is abusing that because they are dragging people back under the Law, which is forbidden. The Law separates from Christ; it separates from grace and, if you seek to be justified by the Law, you have to keep the whole Law. Gal 5:3 … He is a debtor to do the whole law. 4 Ye are severed from Christ, ye who would be justified by the law; ye are fallen away from grace. So it's not good for ministers to say you have to keep the tithe because you can't be saved that way. If you're seeking to be justified by the Law, then you have to keep the whole Law in order to be justified, but we're justified by grace and God says this is what God wants from His New Testament, born-again people. These are not people who are lost people, who are just following rules and regulations. These are people who have the grace of God in their heart. God expects more as He says in Luk 12:48 And to whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be required…. Now, in the New Testament, when you're born again and you receive the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in your newborn temple; therefore He expects more because you have God in you and you are the temple. You don't go to the temple, you are the temple of God. God's in us. Col 1:27 … Christ in you, the hope of glory. God is the One Who is living the Christian life in us, you see. That's the whole point. So you would expect more from someone like that. You don't have to force somebody like that to do something and, if you had to, they obviously don't have God in their heart. So what does the Lord say? 2Co 9:7 Let each man [do] according as he hath purposed in his heart: not grudgingly, or of necessity … It's not even necessary as a law would be. Well, it's not going to be edifying to a person to not give because giving is the heart of God and giving is how, of course, God multiplies it back to us. 2Co 9:6 But this [I say,] He that soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he that soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. In other words, God wants to bless us and He's telling us that if it's in our heart to give, then good, do it. But He's not putting you under Law. It's not of necessity. Anybody who does put you under the Law is departing from the New Testament and they're doing exactly like Eli's sons, who were using the Law to force the giving. So he says, 2Co 9:7 … For God loveth a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound unto you; that ye, having always all sufficiency in everything, may abound unto every good work…. That's a powerful promise that covers everything, doesn't it? And it's just because a person gives out of the heart, not because they're under the Law. You know, sure, if you give under the Law, God will give back. When I first learned that the Lord wanted me to give, I did, and for a short time I went under the Law. But when I realized that it wasn't Scriptural, I started to give according to the Spirit because now I had the Holy Spirit to speak in my heart and tell me what to do. In the New Testament, that's why the Holy Spirit is given. You don't need a law because now we have …the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus (Rom 8:2). You don't have need to have anybody to tell you, “You must do this.” Instead, you want to do it because God is working in you to will and to do of His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13). That's what New Testament salvation is all about. God is putting it in your heart. That's the kind of person God wants. He doesn't want a person who has to be forced or they won't do it. What kind of a son is that? That's a servant, but it's not a son and God is creating sons. So if we look back in 1 Samuel 2, we see a problem with the overwhelming majority of apostate ministries nowadays. They want to force the people to give something that should be a sacrifice on the part of the giver. They should just want to give it out of their own heart. In other words, give them the freedom to make the sacrifice the way they see that they want to do it. But, in the apostate ministries, the giving is being forced and that's exactly what we're seeing here in 1 Samuel. But the priest's servant said, 1Sa 2:16 Nay, but thou shalt give it me now: and if not, I will take it by force. 17 And the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord; for the men despised the offering of the Lord. See, the offering of the Lord is holy because it comes out of holy hearts, people who want to give. They see a need and they are meeting that need. And it may be the need of their brother. Jesus said, Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of these my brethren, [even] these least, ye did it unto me (Mat.25:40). It may be a need of the brethren. It may not be bringing it into the storehouse, which is a church building or an organization, because the storehouse was not in the church. In the Old Testament, it was in the Temple and we are the Temple. God is going to judge His people by the way they treat His Temple, by what you do to the “least of these my brethren.” Did you feed them? Did you clothe them? Did you visit them in prison? See, that's how He judged the nations when He returned because that's His Temple. So it's very important that the sacrifice be a willing sacrifice in our covenant and not be demanded by Law. The people in ministry who force the giving are despising the offering of the Lord. Going on in 1Sa 2:27 And there came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Did I reveal myself unto the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt [in bondage] to Pharaoh's house? 28 and did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up unto mine altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? and did I give unto the house of thy father all of the offerings of the children of Israel made by fire? 29 Wherefore kick ye at mine sacrifice and at mine offering, which I have commanded in [my] habitation, and honorest thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people? An Eli ministry gets fat from the offerings of God's people because they have departed from the Word of God; they are plundering God's people. It's not permitted and they will be judged for it, exactly like Eli's sons were being judged for it. You know, we are warned over and over in the Scriptures: Isa 56:9 All ye beasts of the field, come to devour, [yea,] all ye beasts in the forest. 10 His watchmen are blind … Did you know, by the way, that Eli was blind? He became blind. 10 His watchmen are blind, they are all without knowledge; they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark (In other words, they do not know when the enemy's coming. They don't know how to warn God's people. They don't know that they are the enemy.); dreaming, lying down, loving to slumber. 11 Yea, the dogs are greedy, they can never have enough; and these are shepherds that cannot understand: they have all turned to their own way, each one to his gain, from every quarter. How many of God's people are supporting this debauchery in God's church? See, it's totally contrary to the Word of God. What you are supporting when you're doing that, is an Eli ministry. It's going down the drain fast at this particular moment. They're all dyeing. I'm not talking physically, I'm talking spiritually. If they're not dead already, they're going to die. They'd have to repent and come out of plundering God's people. There's nothing in the New Testament about being under the Law for giving. We are, of course, stewards of what belongs to God in the New Testament. Luk 14:33 So therefore whosoever he be of you that renounceth not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. We are stewards; we're not owners. So, therefore, a person who tithes is a thief because he thinks the 90% belongs to him and the 10% belongs to God. Well, you just stole 90% because Jesus said the rest of that belongs to Him, too. So, if we're not a thief, then we listen to the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit tells you what to do with your house, what to do with your car, and what to do with your money. He tells you not only what to give and how much, but where to give it and to whom to give it. He is the One. He is the Lord since you have the Holy Spirit. In the Old Testament, they did not have the Holy Spirit commonly, so they needed a rule and regulation to tell them what to do. It's not so now. The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus made you free from the law of sin and death, so you're free from that law and now you're under the law of the Spirit. And the Spirit is the One Who knows your brethren, He knows the needs; He knows exactly what He wants to do and how much He wants to do, so we have to follow the Holy Spirit with everything. The Sabbath is no longer one day; it's every day. We cease from our works and enter into His rest every day. Now, what about the tithe? It's the same thing. See, when Jesus came, He multiplied the Law. Did you notice that in Matthew 5? Everything about the Law He multiplied, He made it bigger, because now God works in us from the inside out to do His Will. He works a desire in us to do what before we were fighting against with our carnal nature. It's a wonderful thing. But the Eli ministries are greedy dogs; they can never have enough. It is astounding how they can see so many people in need, even in their own assemblies, and yet don't lift a finger to help them. Meanwhile, they're flying their personal jet planes and doing all these things. Going on again in 1Sa 2:29 … Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at mine offering, which I have commanded in [my] habitation, and honorest thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people? 30 Therefore the Lord, the God of Israel, saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me forever: but now the Lord saith, Be it far from me…. Wow! Did you know God could do that? Have you ever heard that doctrine of unconditional eternal security? Look at that big “but now” in the middle of that verse. Because God's promises are conditional and we have to have faith in Him. Our part is faith; His part is to supply the power. God can drop us like a rock any time. He can empower you to walk in His steps or He can give you up to this world and I'll tell you what: there is no promise for those who don't bear fruit. God is looking for the fruit of Jesus Christ. 1Sa 2:30 … But now the Lord saith, Be it far from me; for them that honor me I will honor, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed. Obviously, He's talking about these preachers who were plundering His people and abusing them, and taking an offering from them. You don't “take” an “offering.” That's an oxymoron. 1Sa 2:31 Behold, the days come, that I will cut off thine arm, and the arm of thy father's house, that there shall not be an old man in thy house. 32 And thou shalt behold the affliction of [my] habitation, in all the wealth which [God] shall give Israel; and there shall not be an old man in thy house for ever. 33 And the man of thine, [whom] I shall not cut off from mine altar, [shall be] to consume thine eyes, and to grieve thy heart; and all the increase of thy house shall die in the flower of their age. 34 And this shall be the sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas…. Do you know what “Hophni” and “Phinehas” mean? “Hophni” means “stiff-necked, self-willed,” and “Phinehas,” I understand, means “a trustworthy face, but the mouth of a serpent.” Isn't that interesting? You know, a lot of people see what they see standing in their pulpit, but that's all they see. They see what they're supposed to see and they see what they are permitted to see, but they don't know what's really going on there. You may remember how I shared with you about one of the first churches I was invited to preach in Pensacola, while I was there I did a lot of teaching. The pastor of that particular church was an Eli pastor and, no doubt about it, he was doing everything that these guys were doing and more. There was a man who came in and he got saved; he came in totally drunk and he got sobered up. Shortly after that, God gave him a vision of the pastor as a serpent standing up behind the pulpit, speaking through a microphone. He did not understand it and he brought it to me and I told him, “Well, it means just what it says, you know.” And that pastor's last name meant “dragon.” He was the dragon, the old serpent. Well, “Phinehas” means “a trustworthy face, but the mouth of a serpent.” 1Sa 2:34 And this shall be the sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas: in one day they shall die both of them. I'm going to back up a little bit here. 1Sa 2:22 Now, Eli was very old; and he heard all that his sons did unto Israel, and how that they lay with the women that did service at the door of the tent of meeting. Do we ever hear of that happening nowadays? Yes, quite often, don't we? Evidently, sex and money seem to get hold of an awful lot of people who put themselves in a position of ultimate power over God's people. It seems like men who are not full of God cannot stand too much power, too much authority, too much money, too much esteem of the people, before they begin to take advantage of it. What it's saying is that a person shouldn't seek a position in God's Kingdom unless God puts them there. You know how God puts them there? He prepares them first. They are overcomers. Rev 2:26 And he that overcometh, and he that keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give authority over the nations. Nowadays, “You can just go to Bible school and you pay for that certificate and now you're a preacher.” You can do this, but you're in trouble because there is not the nature of Jesus Christ there. After all, you have not overcome by going through trials yourself. And so what happens when you get out there and you get all this temptation? Because the Nicolaitan error is a great temptation. Putting a man in a position that is not Biblical is a great temptation that most people cannot stand. And the proof is showing up. I mean, they are lying with the women who do the service of the door of the Tent of Meeting. They're doing it now. The money, the women, the power, the abuse of their power, it's still the problem. We know God never designed a Nicolaitan ministry, anyway. He called for a five-fold ministry. That's what He called for. He distributed the authority among the five-fold ministry. That's His way of doing things. God's going to raise up the five-fold ministry. Remember, Jesus the Man-child raised up the apostles who raised up the five-fold ministry. The apostles ordained the five-fold ministers. They are the ones who started that. Once again, history is going to repeat in these days because the Man-child is going to raise up apostles who are going to raise up the five-fold ministry. He is going to restore the real five-fold ministry this time. I'm talking about people who have overcome, who are given a position by God, who were ordained to that position by God. In the Bible, it was apostles who ordained the five-fold ministry, but nowadays Bible schools can do it, so we have gone astray. We've fallen into what the Bible calls the “Nicolaitan error” (Revelation 2:6). We've gone far, far astray, and the ministers who put themselves in that position, and the people who put the ministers in that position, are not doing them a favor because they really can't hold up to that. God has to do this. God is the One Who ordains ministers, not men, not organizations and not religions. And so we've ended up with quite a lot of the Eli ministry out there. In Jesus' day, how many of the Pharisees, who were Eli ministers, how many of them recognized Him and obeyed Him when God sent His Son? Well, God is doing it again and they're going to do the same thing. The Lord told me that this is where we are right now, in the midst of a Pharisee, Saul and Eli ministry. But coming right down the road is this Man-child reformer ministry led by the Holy Spirit. Looking at the news concerning the church and the pastors and teachers and prophets and so on, we can see the great falling away going on around us. We know that it's happening again and we can tell where we are. God has pronounced judgment upon the Eli ministry and what's going to happen to it. 1Sa 2:31 Behold, the days come, that I will cut off thine arm (this is speaking of Eli and his household), and the arm of thy father's house, that there shall not be an old man in thy house. 32 And thou shalt behold the affliction of [my] habitation, in all the wealth which [God] shall give Israel; and there shall not be an old man in thy house for ever. 33 And the man of thine, [whom] I shall not cut off from mine altar, [shall be] to consume thine eyes, and to grieve thy heart; and all the increase of thy house shall die in the flower of their age. 34 And this shall be the sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas: in one day they shall die both of them. 35 And I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in my heart and in my mind…. Oh, praise the Lord! This is what we have coming, folks: faithful priests “that shall do according to that which is in my heart and in my mind.” That's not a small statement there. God will give grace. He will send new leadership. Of course, we know that this priest represents a corporate body in our day, spread throughout the earth, that God is sending to restore His people. 1Sa 2:35 … And I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before mine anointed forever. Oh, praise the Lord! What do you think that means? Well, most people think it means he'll walk before the Lord. I think that's true, no doubt that this new, faithful ministry will walk before the Lord, but I believe that there's something deeper than that here. Let's turn to the New Testament. 2Co 1:21 Now he that establisheth us with you in Christ, and anointed us, is God. Stop and think about that. God establishes us in Christ and anoints us. You know, the word “Christ” means “the anointed.” And Christ was the anointed, but Jesus left an individual body to come back in a corporate body in order to be able to do all over the world what He did in that first body, so the body of Christ is to be anointed. 2Co 1:22 Who also sealed us, and gave [us] the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. The “anointing” is “to be filled with the Holy Spirit.” I dare say most of the church is not filled with the Spirit but, then, most of the church is not anointed. The Lord told me years ago that if we get what the apostles got, we'll do what they did. Read the book of Acts and find out what they had. When Jesus was ministering to the disciples, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Spirit (Joh 20:22) and there came from heaven a sound as of the rushing of a mighty wind Act 2:2 and… they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues 4, etc. Now, if you get that, you'll do what they did. Most of the church today is very dead because they feel that they have been anointed but they haven't. It's just words, you know. So, if you don't want what they have, you won't do what they did. So “he … establisheth us with you in Christ, and anointed us.” Why does God anoint us? It's so that we can walk in the steps of Christ, so that Christ can live through us to the world. We need to be anointed. We have to have this anointing, you see. What it said about Samuel was that, “He shall walk before mine anointed forever.” In other words, in this case we're talking about him being the leadership of God's anointed body that God is sending in the earth. He's walking before them as the leader of His anointed body to do His works. The Man-child, in whom Jesus lives, will be a leader of the anointed body of Christ in our day, just as Jesus was in His day. 1Sa 2:36 And it shall come to pass, that everyone that is left in thy house…. What does “left in” mean? Well, we haven't gotten that far yet, but his house was wiped out and the people who followed his house were wiped out, at the hand of the Philistines. We know the Philistine represents the old man who lives in the land. There's a war going on between our spiritual man, who is an Israelite and the old man, who is a Philistine, and the war is for the land, which Hebrews 6 tells us is this physical life; this life is that land. Now when he says here, “everyone that is left in thy house,” it means, in other words, there are some people who are going to repent of the Saul ministry and not only of the ministry, but of following the Saul ministry. They're no longer going to be a part of that house and they're going to survive because their old man is not going to conquer them. 1Sa 2:36 And it shall come to pass, that everyone that is left in thy house shall come and bow down to him for a piece of silver and a loaf of bread, and shall say, Put me, I pray thee, into one of the priests' offices, that I may eat a morsel of bread. We are the priests of God. As we sacrifice unto the Lord, as we make this burnt offering of flesh to the Lord, each one of us presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice, we are the priests of God. You're not sacrificing your life unto the Saul ministry. That's the whole problem; the Saul ministry refused to sacrifice the old man and, therefore, died at the hands of the old man. Now we're seeing the same thing about Eli. And so if we want to be priests, we have to be following the Samuels. There are people who are going to come out from under the Eli and Saul ministries and follow the David and Samuel ministry, and they will be priests of the Lord. Notice how this sounds very much like Joseph. Remember how, after selling Joseph into bondage, his own brothers came into the kingdom and it was he who kept them alive during the seven years of famine? He fed them. They came to him. All Israel, as a matter of fact, came to Joseph because the sons of Jacob, or Israel, all came to him in Egypt and Joseph served them; he met their needs. And we saw, also, that as soon as Saul died on Gilboa, along with the part of Israel that followed him, all the rest of Israel followed David. 1Ch 11:1 Then all Israel gathered themselves to David unto Hebron, saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh. Wow, they're actually saying they're the body of David! And so we see that this is about to repeat, folks. These people are dying; not physically, but spiritually they are dying. They're dying at the hands of the old man because they've refused to make war against the old man. 1Sa 3:1 And the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was precious (or “rare”) in those days; there was no frequent vision. It's the same today. There is “no frequent vision” from the Lord. Yes, many people have visions and the frequency of the vision of the Lord is something that the prophetic office is supposed to be sending forth, but it's all been polluted. 2 And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place (now his eyes had begun to wax dim, so that he could not see). Notice that when Samuel arrives, the Word begins to speak about Eli's eyesight being poor and it seems to get worse and worse the longer that Samuel is on the scene. There's a reason for that and we'll look at it. But what does it mean for his eyes to begin “to wax dim, so that he could not see”? Well, I think this is talking about a lack of perception, a lack of discernment. As Jesus said, Therefore speak I to them in parables; because seeing they see not, and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand (Mat.13:13). They lost their eyesight in the days of the coming of Jesus and now it's speaking about the Eli ministry losing their spiritual eyesight. 1Sa 3:3 And the lamp of God was not yet gone out, and Samuel was laid down [to sleep,] in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was. So here's Samuel in the presence of the Lord and here's Eli losing his spiritual eyesight, meaning his prophetic gift. Now if we go back to one of the verses we read earlier, it says, and the man of thine, [whom] I shall not cut off from mine altar (1Sa 2:33). We see that there are some people who are “under” the Saul ministry who are not going to be “of” the Saul ministry because they're going to repent. There's a multitude of God's people who are going to come out of these apostate churches and follow the David ministry, follow the Samuel ministry, and we praise God for that. This is going to be a reformation that's coming. Those who stay will die. There's no doubt about it. If they continue to follow that which is not the leading of the Holy Spirit, not ordained of God, not the Word of God, they will die. 1Sa 2:33 And the man of thine, [whom] I shall not cut off from mine altar, [shall be] to consume thine eyes, and to grieve thy heart; and all the increase of thy house shall die in the flower of their age. Remember, David was raised up under the Saul ministry, but he was David; he continued to grow. And here Samuel is raised up under the Eli ministry. This seems to be a parallel all the way through the Scriptures. So he's saying that there are people who are of that house, who will not be cut off from God's altar, but they will be “to consume thine eyes.” Why is this? How could it be that somebody who is righteous and who is going to outgrow that ministry, and who is going to repent, how could it be that these people will consume the eyes of the Eli ministry? Well, believe it or not, Jesus made a statement like that. Of course, we know Jesus was the Samuel, was the man-child of His day. Joh 9:39 And Jesus said, For judgment came I into this world, that they that see not may see; and they that see may become blind. So here's the Samuel ministry coming upon the scene and suddenly somebody's becoming blind. Joh 9:40 Those of the Pharisees who were with him heard these things, and said unto him, Are we also blind? 41 And Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye would have no sin: but now ye say, We see: your sin remaineth. In our day, those people who say they see are becoming blind, but the people who don't claim to have the understanding, the perception, or the discernment, they're the ones like the kind of people whom Jesus gathered around Him. It was those fishermen, those tax collectors, those harlots, those sinners, it was they who became His staunch disciples and they didn't say that they could see. They didn't claim to be theologians, they didn't claim to know everything about God, but the people who did were becoming blind. In John 9 there's a really neat story about a blind man who's blind from birth and whom Jesus healed of his blindness. Jesus made mud, He smeared it on his eyes, sent him into the pool of Siloam and the blind man came back seeing. When the Pharisees heard of this, they basically called the healed man on the carpet and wanted to know who it was who had done this. So he said it was the one called Jesus. Then they wanted to know how it was that he was healed, so he related the whole story. Of course, they were just trying to pick holes in the story because these were the jealous Eli ministry that really didn't want anybody coming in and taking away their position, their kingdom. Jesus spoke of their ministry in Matthew 21 through the parable of God sending His Son and then those people who wanted the vineyard for themselves killing the Son. Well, it's pretty neat how this man rebuked those Pharisees. After they asked him a couple of times in a row, “How did he do this?” he said, “I told you already. You weren't listening. Why didn't you hear?” And they said, “We know this man's a sinner, that he couldn't possibly be from God.” To which the healed man replied, Joh 9:30 Why, herein is the marvel, that ye know not whence he is, and [yet] he opened mine eyes. 31 We know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and do his will, him he heareth. 32 Since the world began it was never heard that any one opened the eyes of a man born blind. And how is it that these people didn't know that this man was from God? The healed man told them, “We know that God doesn't hear sinners, but he opened my eyes.” So this man, who didn't say he was a theologian, didn't say he knew everything about God, had a lot more wisdom than these people who were going against the Word of God in trying to justify themselves. This man who was under their ministry, under this Saul-Pharisee-Eli ministry, was now being delivered and it was making them angry. Actually, they excommunicated him; they threw him out of the church, basically because he told the truth, but they didn't want to hear the truth. There are some of you today who are coming out from among them. Like the Shulamite in the Song of Solomon, you have tried to bring this Jesus Whom you've found back to your “mother” and some of them really don't want to hear about it (Song of Solomon 3:4). You know what I'm talking about, right? Well, every time that you come out from under those ministries and you bring back the truth to them and they reject that truth, they become a little bit more blind, a little bit more blind. Jesus the Man-child came so that these people would become blind. When Samuel came on the scene, the anointed of God, the Man-child of that day, born of Hannah, then we begin reading over and over that the Eli ministry's becoming blind. You see, in this day, folks, notice that God says, 1Sa 2:33 and the man of thine, [whom] I shall not cut off from mine altar, [shall be] to consume thine eyes, and to grieve thy heart. You know how grieving it is to those ministries when you go back and try to share truth with them, simple truth from the Word of God, and they don't want to hear it? And when they deny the Word that you bring to them they become more blind every time. It's interesting, you know, when the man who was healed mildly rebuked the Pharisees, they answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out (Joh.9:34). Who's not born in sin, right? But they're obviously pointing out that if he was blind from birth, his blindness was because of sin. Blindness from birth was quite common in those days. But they wouldn't let anybody teach them, they didn't want to hear from somebody who was not educated, not puffed up because of their religious system, or not somebody who went through their theological training. They don't want to hear anything from those people. You can bring them simple, simple truth; every time they deny it, they get more and more blind. They lose perception and discernment, just as this verse says: 1Sa 3:2 And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place (now his eyes had begun to wax dim, so that he could not see), 3 and the lamp of God was not yet gone out. Now the “lamp of God” here, in a sense, means his prophetic ministry to the people of God, or it could also be talking about the lamp of the eye, as Jesus spoke about it (Matthew 6:22). But, either way, we know, for instance, in Zechariah, that God is going to raise up a foolish shepherd in the land Zec 11:15, 16. God has done it in every generation and in every cycle. Zec 11:15 And the Lord said unto me, Take unto thee yet again the instruments of a foolish shepherd. 16 For, lo, I will raise up a shepherd in the land, who will not visit those that are cut off, neither will seek those that are scattered, nor heal that which is broken, nor feed that which is sound…. Of course, we need to be fed the unleavened bread because that's the Seed of God that brings forth Christ in us, which is the only kind of fruit that God is interested in. 16 … Nor feed that which is sound; but he will eat the flesh of the fat [sheep]…. Once again, we see the plundering of the sheep, living off the sheep, getting fat off the sheep. 16 … And will tear their hoofs in pieces. The Lord pointed out to me one time so eloquently that hooves are what separate sheep from the world. This represents sanctification, which means separation from the world, and separation unto God. God wants us separate from the world, but connected to Him. When Moses went up on the mountain to meet God, He told him, “Hey, take your shoes off, Moses. You're standing on holy ground” (Exodus 3:2). In other words, God didn't want Moses separated from that holy ground. “Holy” and “sanctified” is the same word, right? God did not want Moses separate from holy ground, but out there in the world, God wanted Moses to keep his shoes on because we want to be separate from the world, we want to be sanctified. Well, when you take the foolish shepherd who is breaking the hooves off of the sheep, that means they're doing anything but sanctifying them from this world. Instead, they're making them worldly. Now, I'd like to share a few revelations with you.     The Church Emerging from Religion Servant - 12/30/2010 I see a huge iron structure --mountain-like. It is smooth and brown with bronze tones; smooth, glossy, shiny. It is warm and strong in appearance. Underneath and in the ground a little shoot cries, “Oh, Father, we desire Your presence!” Over and over the little shoot cries, “Oh, Father, we desire Your presence!” SUDDENLY their cry is heard of the Father. He sits forward on the throne. His eyebrows are shaped in a “V” as He looks at the mountain of religion preventing the little shoot. All the balconies of Heaven stand at attention. The earth begins to move to and fro. The mountain begins to sway as the shoot emerges from under the mountain by the power of God. GOD STANDS UP! Shaking, reeling such as never seen before! Then, with a mighty noise, the mountain reels, rips in half and falls in two pieces. The earth shakes: Destruction! Shaking! Such loud noise! Darkness; then all is still. The shoot, the true Church, emerges from the ground. God's glory -- bright, white, brilliant -- covers the shoot and the true refreshing begins. Joy! Strength! Power! The shoot rapidly grows in strength and power. Arms form, much like a mustard tree. This is the true refreshing; this is the power, glory, joy of the Lord. The earth will see and the earth will marvel at the strength, power and glory of the end-time Church. All this must be fulfilled. The Church is arrayed and ready for Jesus. Amen.   Destruction Comes for Apostate Leadership B.A. - 06/23/2015 (David's notes in red) I dreamed that I found myself in Jerusalem, back in Jesus' day, and I was looking up at the temple (a temple made by man's hands which God does not inhabit). Act 17:24 The God that made the world and all things therein, he, being Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; 25 neither is he served by men's hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he himself giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; 26 and he made of one every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed seasons, and the bounds of their habitation; 27 that they should seek God, if haply they might feel after him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us: 28 for in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain even of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. 29 Being then the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and device of man. 30 The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked; but now he commanded men that they should all everywhere repent: 31 inasmuch as he hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. There were stone steps leading down from the temple and the steps were being occupied by Pharisees and Sadducees. I was standing with a crowd of people in an open area a little ways from the temple and the stone steps, and just as I was looking around me in this crowd of people, I saw a man come forward out of the crowd who began to sternly address the men who were standing up (or exalting themselves) on the stone steps of the temple. I knew that the man speaking was Jesus. Pro 25:6 Put not thyself forward in the presence of the king, And stand not in the place of great men: 7 For better is it that it be said unto thee, Come up hither, Than that thou shouldest be put lower in the presence of the prince, Whom thine eyes have seen. And Mat 23:12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled; and whosoever shall humble himself shall be exalted. As Jesus began to speak, I began to recognize the “Word” He was speaking to these men, since I had heard these same words before. Here is what I heard: Mat 23:15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he is become so, ye make him twofold more a son of hell than yourselves. When Jesus spoke the first “Woe”, I heard a loud pop-like sound and what sounded like a crackling sound. I looked down upon the stone steps of the temple that these Pharisees and Sadducees were standing on and I noticed a large, deep crack had gone right up through the middle of those stone steps, and they were beginning to crack and crumble. I noticed that the deep crack was between the feet of a rather large and extremely overweight man. (This is the apostate leadership overcome by their flesh.) 16 Woe unto you, ye blind guides, that say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor. Then, when Jesus spoke the second “Woe”, I heard another much louder pop-like sound and more of the crackling sound. I looked around to see where this sound was coming from and I saw that a large, deep crack had gone all around the temple foundation and it was cracking up and crumbling as well. 17 Ye fools and blind: for which is greater, the gold, or the temple that hath sanctified the gold? 18 And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gift that is upon it, he is a debtor. 19 Ye blind: for which is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift? 20 He therefore that sweareth by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon. 21 And he that sweareth by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein. 22 And he that sweareth by the heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon. 23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye tithe mint and anise and cummin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the law, justice, and mercy, and faith: but these ye ought to have done, and not to have left the other undone. 24 Ye blind guides, that strain out the gnat, and swallow the camel! 25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye cleanse the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full from extortion and excess. 26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup and of the platter, that the outside thereof may become clean also. 27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchers, which outwardly appear beautiful, but inwardly are full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. 28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but inwardly ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. 29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye build the sepulchers of the prophets, and garnish the tombs of the righteous, 30 and say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we should not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. 31 Wherefore ye witness to yourselves, that ye are sons of them that slew the prophets. 32 Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. 33 Ye serpents, ye offspring of vipers, how shall ye escape the judgment of hell? 34 Therefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: some of them shall ye kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city: 35 that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of Abel the righteous unto the blood of Zachariah son of Barachiah, whom ye slew between the sanctuary and the altar. 36 Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation. 37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that killeth the prophets, and stoneth them that are sent unto her! how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! 38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. 39 For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. Just as Jesus had finished His Words to these men, the stone steps gave way and all of those men standing on the crumbling stone steps fell down into a deep pit that had opened up under the stone steps. And just after that happened, the entire temple came crashing down on top of them and covered them up. I noticed that from Matthew 23:15 through verse 39, there are “six” woes – “six” being the number of man. Also, I found it interesting that there is a “Woe” in Mathew 23:23 and the date of this dream is the 23rd and 23 means “death.” (This is clearly a reprobation of the apostate leadership and their fake temples, as Jesus pronounced in His day, and now we see a repeat of history in our day.)     Apostate Leaders Fleecing the Sheep B.A.- 04/01/2012 (David's notes in red) I dreamed I was in some type of city. It was strange because there were no people on the sidewalks or cars on the streets. There were these strange-looking brick buildings (buildings made by the flesh) everywhere I looked. (Sounds like the people of God slaving to make bricks for Pharaoh's buildings.) I decided to go inside one of these buildings. Once inside, I saw a familiar female TV preacher who was hosting an event. I also recognized several other female preachers as well, and others whose faces I recognized but could not remember their names. (Father said, 1Ti 2:12 But I permit not a woman to teach, nor to have dominion over a man, but to be in quietness. Read Word, Women and Authority.) There were elaborate tables set up with all kinds of party food and they were all playing games. Each time the hostess presented a new game, she would have on a different outfit. I watched this for a while, then I decided to leave and go see what was going on inside one of the other buildings. Once back out on the street, I saw a long, rectangular, brick building so I decided to go check it out. It was very dimly lit; I could barely see where I was going. This building was huge inside and it appeared to be some kind of art gallery. There were statues on the floor and statues mounted on the walls. Further on up ahead, I saw some people standing around a picture on the wall, so I went to see what they were looking at. As I got closer, all of these people were dressed up like pilots and they were looking and admiring a picture of various airplanes. Some were elaborate jets and some were small Cessna-type planes. I recognized some of these people to be leaders in the apostate church. (Big time prosperity preachers can't fly with us common folks. They have to have at least one private jet. Poor Jesus, He walked or rode a donkey.) Further on up ahead, I saw another group of people standing around a picture on the wall. As I got closer to these people, they were all dressed up like gladiators and they were looking at a picture of a large coliseum (I believe this to be representative of megachurches) and bragging about their own personal coliseum. (The competitive spirit is always trying to best those who are also a part of the body to see who is the greatest, as Jesus rebuked the disciples for.) Then, all the way to the back of the art gallery, I saw several rows of people seated and listening to a man standing at a podium. Behind this man was a large mural of TV and radio stations (the apostate leadership use the media to steal from God's people). He was teaching these people how to successfully get more money from their viewers and God's people in general. (Representing, using mass media to make mass money and live in luxury while not doing the works of the kingdom. Jesus said, Mat 10:8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons: freely ye received, freely give.) As I stood there listening to this, I cried out to the Lord, “Do you see what they are doing? They are scheming and preparing a plan on how they are going to fleece your sheep during tough economic times!” Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Don't be concerned; their days are numbered.” Then I woke up. (Their greed, debt and sins against God's people will take them out.)     Last House Cleaning Shelly Lynch - 06/23/2013 (David's notes in red) I had a short dream this morning. I saw myself taking a speck out of the corner of my eye. Mat 7:5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye. Then I saw myself cleaning the corners of a building (Representing cleaning up the last hidden places of leaven), removing the last scraps of spoiled dog food (leaven of false teaching) from the building with a white paper towel (representing the pure Word). Php 3:2 Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the concision: (This could be the Bride's last cleansing before the anointing! And the Bride's ministry of removing the speck out of their brother's eye (which can only happen when she has the speck out of her own). Hallelujah!) (However, for Israel, which is a type of the Church and is not cleaned up at the beginning of the tribulation but through the tribulation, this text was given as a warning of coming tribulation.) Eze 7:1-10 Moreover, the word of the LORD came to me saying, And you, son of man, thus says the Lord GOD to the land of Israel, 'An end! The end is coming on the four corners of the land. 'Now the end is upon you, and I will send My anger against you; I will judge you according to your ways and bring all your abominations upon you. For My eye will have no pity on you, nor will I spare you, but I will bring your ways upon you, and your abominations will be among you; then you will know that I am the LORD!' Thus says the Lord GOD, 'A disaster, unique disaster, behold it is coming! 'An end is coming; the end has come! It has awakened against you; behold, it has come! Your doom has come to you, O inhabitant of the land. The time has come, the day is near-tumult rather than joyful shouting on the mountains. Now I will shortly pour out My wrath on you and spend My anger against you; judge you according to your ways and bring on you all your abominations. 'My eye will show no pity nor will I spare. I will repay you according to your ways, while your abominations are in your midst; then you will know that I, the LORD, do the smiting. Behold, the day! Behold, it is coming! Your doom has gone forth; the rod has budded, arrogance has blossomed. (Chastening will bring the elect to righteousness. Isa 26:10-11  Let favor be showed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness; in the land of uprightness will he deal wrongfully, and will not behold the majesty of Jehovah.  11  Jehovah, thy hand is lifted up, yet they see not: but they shall see thy zeal for the people, and be put to shame; yea, fire shall devour thine adversaries. Including their flesh. (The persecution from the apostate Church toward the faithful in the Lord can be seen here.) Act 5:28-29 Saying Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us. Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, 'We ought to obey God rather than men'. And verses 40-42 And to him (Gamaliel) they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name. And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ. (Considering these two paths, it would be good for the disciples of Jesus to heed our instructions to be spotless and blemishless in the Bride company.) 2Pe 3:14 Wherefore, beloved seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. 1Th 3:13 To the end He may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints. Eph 5:27 that He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing (speck); but that it should be holy and without blemish. And 2Co 7:1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God. Sandy Shaw shared at this same time while in prayer she heard, “This is the last cleaning”, and we all believed this would be the cleaning of the Bride of the Lord before the tribulation. She then asked for a word and got by random: 2Ch 29:15 And they gathered their brethren, and sanctified themselves, and went in, according to the commandment of the king by the words of Jehovah, to cleanse the house of Jehovah. 16 And the priests went in unto the inner part of the house of Jehovah, to cleanse it, and brought out all the uncleanness that they found in the temple of Jehovah into the court of the house of Jehovah. And the Levites took it, to carry it out abroad to the brook Kidron. 17 Now they began on the first [day] of the first month to sanctify, and on the eighth day of the month came they to the porch of Jehovah; and they sanctified the house of Jehovah in eight days: and on the sixteenth day of the first month they made an end. 18 Then they went in to Hezekiah the king within [the palace], and said, We have cleansed all the house of Jehovah, and the altar of burnt-offering, with all the vessels thereof, and the table of showbread, with all the vessels thereof. 19 Moreover all the vessels, which king Ahaz in his reign did cast away when he trespassed, have we prepared and sanctified; and, behold, they are before the altar of Jehovah. 20 Then Hezekiah the king arose early, and gathered the princes of the city, and went up to the house of Jehovah. Hezekiah, as a type of the Man-child, “went up to the house of the Lord on the third day” and this was after the failed Senacherib Beast attack on the Bride when they were smitten. She then got by random, “into the ark” in Gen 7:13 In the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark; and we read back in verse 9 there went in two and two unto Noah into the ark, male and female, as God commanded Noah. 10 And it came to pass after the seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the earth.

Our attitude towards the correction of God in our life determines how far we will go in our journey of faith. Pastor Cory begins in Proverbs 3 and transitions to Psalms 23, highlighting the love of our Good Shepherd in correcting us.

If we endure the Chastening of The Lord, we are His Children

Dr. Krystal Pierce and Dr. George Pierce continue to examine the Jaredite's journey to the Promised Land, the Promised Land Covenant, and God's relentless pursuit of each of His children.SHOW NOTES/TRANSCRIPTSEnglish: https://tinyurl.com/podcastBM46ENFrench: https://tinyurl.com/podcastBM46FRGerman: https://tinyurl.com/podcastBM46DEPortuguese: https://tinyurl.com/podcastBM46PTSpanish: https://tinyurl.com/podcastBM46ESYOUTUBEhttps://youtu.be/S610l9WUPKsALL EPISODES/SHOW NOTESfollowHIM website: https://www.followHIMpodcast.comFREE PDF DOWNLOADS OF followHIM QUOTE BOOKSNew Testament: https://tinyurl.com/PodcastNTBookOld Testament: https://tinyurl.com/PodcastOTBookWEEKLY NEWSLETTERhttps://tinyurl.com/followHIMnewsletterSOCIAL MEDIAInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/followHIMpodcastFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/followhimpodcastTIMECODE00:00 Part II - Dr. Krystal Pierce and Dr. George Pierce04:28 Chastening is love and “relentless pursuit”07:34 Third crisis - Barges need air and light10:25 Problem-solving as a divine attribute11:59 Lit stone parallel in Noah's Ark13:23 Ether 2:2-5 - Love of God15:26 Ether 2:16-23 - footnotes zohar16:27 Ether 2:16 - Barges built to plan21:33 Ether 2:13-22 - 16 stones25:19 God helps us solve problems28:52 Ether 3:19-25 - Preparing the way33:05 Ether 3:9-15 - God as Heavenly Parent35:13 Dr Krystal Pierce shares a story about her brother's death39:46 Ether 5:1-5 -  Moroni addresses Joseph Smith44:08 Ether 3:9 - The words of the book are the important part48:55 Dr George Pierce shares his thoughts about the Book of Mormon53:34 Dr. Krystal Pierce shares her testimony of Jesus Christ in the Book of Mormon58:18 End of Part 2 - Dr. Krystal Pierce and Dr. George PierceThanks to the followHIM team:Steve & Shannon Sorensen: Cofounder, Executive Producer, SponsorDavid & Verla Sorensen: SponsorsDr. Hank Smith: Co-hostJohn Bytheway: Co-hostDavid Perry: ProducerKyle Nelson: Marketing, SponsorLisa Spice: Client Relations, Editor, Show NotesJamie Neilson: Social Media, Graphic DesignWill Stoughton: Video EditorKrystal Roberts: Translation Team, English & French Transcripts, WebsiteAriel Cuadra: Spanish Transcripts"Let Zion in Her Beauty Rise" by Marshall McDonaldhttps://www.marshallmcdonaldmusic.com

Sometimes the Lord may provide for his children by bringing chastening in their life to bring them to repentance. We…

Studies Thru Hebrews   ** Sorry for the poor sound the last few weeks. I have a new phone, and my mobile microphone no longer works. I just got a new microphone, so improvements are coming.    ALSO... Changes will be made to the podcast in the next few months. (for the good) I'll be making some announcements in November!

Chastening never seems to be joyful in the moment, but painful. However, when it's over, it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who receive it. When God rebukes His children, it is always for their benefit and their long-term success.

Join us in our live Sunday broadcast as we addressed questions on mental, emotional and relationship health, helping believers to experinece healing and freedom in their life. Our passion is to ground believers in the love of the Father and the grace of Jesus Christ. I open with a question from someone feeling burnout and […]

Hebrews 12:4-13 focuses on the theme of discipline and endurance in the Christian life. The passage encourages believers to persevere through struggles and hardships, reminding them that these difficulties are a form of God's loving discipline, meant to shape and strengthen their faith. It calls for endurance and trust in God's purpose, as His discipline leads to growth in righteousness. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dr-vincent-g-valentyn/support

Jesus will chasten you until you lay down that weight or sin you refuse to lay down. His chastening is not because He's against you but rather because He's for you. He wants you to run your “faith race” with endurance. The chastening of the Lord is not the same as punishment. It's a word that means discipline and correction. As God's children, Jesus took all our punishment for all our sins. As a born-again child of God, He doesn't punish you for sin but rather disciplines you for it. The evidence you are truly God's child is that He convicts you and corrects you for sin. But conviction is different than guilt. Guilt, condemnation, and shame are from the Devil. Conviction and chastening are from God. How should we respond to the chastening of the Lord? 1.) With humility and submission. 2.) By trusting God loves me and is for me. In times of chastening, God wants to empty us of ourselves and fill us up with Him. The pain is for our gain! The abundant life is the obedient life. The Lord's chastening is painful, but it leads to a life that is peaceful. Join Pastor Phil Hopper as he shares what Hebrews 12 tells us about the chastening of the Lord. Don't forget to click the “bell” to SUBSCRIBE to get more videos like this to grow your faith! ● Connect with us on Social Media ↴ Facebook: / abundantlifels Instagram: / abundantlifels ● Connect with Pastor Phil ↴ Facebook: / philhopperkc Instagram: / philhopper_kc Web: https://livingproof.co/resources/books/ ● Be a part of the Great Commission: https://livingproof.co/irresistible/ More information on our sermons: https://livingproof.co/sermons/ Do you want to see your life changed by Jesus? Visit our website: https://livingproof.co/ Do you want to go deeper in your study of the book of Hebrews? Get our FREE Book of Hebrews Study Guide—a comprehensive video series with weekly questions to see and know Jesus better. #AbundantLife #Sermon #studyofhebrews #Jesusisbetterthan #ChasteningoftheLord

Ministered by Pastor Jonathan Skiles at New Life Church of La Habra in La Habra, CA. God bless you and thank you for listening! If you would like to learn more about our ministry or give an offering, please visit our website at www.nlclahabra.com Visit us on Instagram: @nlclahabra Our Address: New Life Church of La Habra 740 E. Lambert Rd. Unit E  La Habra, CA 90631

Support | STORE | Podcasts | Jail/Prison Ministry | Mexico Mission here | Because You Care Page | H.O.T. Bible Study [podcast] | Divine Blessings | Exhort One Another Daily | The Return of Christ | The Joy of Fulfilling the Great Commission | The Love of Many Shall Wax Cold | Lie of the Ages (book) | Soul Damning Sins (small book) | Why We Need not Fear Death | Revelation Bombshell!HOMEPAGE:   https://safeguardyoursoul.com/MAKE PEACE WITH GOD NOW: https://safeguardyoursoul.com/peace-with-god/SUPPORT:  https://safeguardyoursoul.com/support/STORE:   https://safeguardyoursoul.com/store/ABOUT:  https://safeguardyoursoul.com/about/email Todd:  info@safeguardyoursoul.comBackground Music by: Thad Fiscella https://www.thadfiscella.com/ Support the Show.Support the Show.

“Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty.” (Job 5:17) One of the fascinating paradoxes of Scripture (and of human life) is the oft-re... More...

“Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty.” (Job 5:17) One of the fascinating paradoxes of Scripture (and of human life) is the oft-re... More...

Discipline, rebuke, chasten, punish. Does Love come to mind when you think of these words and actions? They do for God! Check out this message for more. Share to encourage/challenge others. 

Irish Guineas weekend saw both the colts and fillies' classics go for export and in the process dispelling any doubt about the health of flat Racing in the UK. Team Hannon hit the bullseye while Fallen Angel was a celestial spectacle. Haydock, Goodwood and what's happening at Epsom?

Anchored in the Word Morning Reflection- Season 3 Episode 95- Hope for the Broken- Chastening- Final Thoughts- Psalm 38-1-22 -anchordintheword -morningreflections -tragedy -discernment -growth -hope

Anchored in the Word Morning Reflection- Season 3 Episode 94- Hope for the Broken- Chastening- Psalm 38-1-22 -anchordintheword -morningreflections -tragedy -discernment -growth -hope

"Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." (2 Corinthians 3:17). But liberty is not the right to scream and shout and act wild in the house of the Lord. It is the right to strive for holiness righteously. Building on Wednesday's lesson, "Developing Christ," Brother Sam reminded us that God has a reason for everything in our lives (good or bad). Chastening is necessary, for the Lord disciplines the one he loves.

Suffering Brings Fruit David Eells– 4/21/24 (audio) We must suffer the loss of our old life to bear the fruit of Jesus.  We must take up our cross daily to suffer the death of the flesh in obedience to the Word. Patiently enduring our cross brings quick results. Many have been going through suffering and the Church is about to go through great suffering. We all need to learn how to handle suffering the right way, because it's one of God's greatest tools for bringing about the righteousness of Christ in us. As disciples of Christ, we learn from the examples we have from Him and His apostles and many Christians throughout history.   We are told in 1Pe 2:18 Servants, [be] in subjection to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward (“unreasonable”). 19 For this is acceptable (Greek: “grace”), if for conscience toward God a man endureth griefs, suffering wrongfully. It's okay with God, and should be with us, to endure grief and suffering, even wrongfully, as it was with Jesus. 20 For what glory is it, if, when ye sin, and are buffeted [for it,] ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer [for it,] ye shall take it patiently, this is acceptable (“grace”) with God. 21 For hereunto were ye called (We are called to suffer for doing right): because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that ye should follow his steps:   22 who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 23 who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, threatened not; but committed [himself] to him that judgeth righteously. He left it all in the hands of His Father. When we're suffering, that's when our lowest instincts – all sorts of pride, rebellion and anger – come up in our mind, especially when we're suffering at the hands of another who we think should know better. But God brings us through suffering because of the lusts of our own flesh. For example, Christ, suffered for doing good and we are going to suffer for doing good, too. 1Pe 3:14 But even if ye should suffer for righteousness' sake, blessed [are ye:] and fear not their fear, neither be troubled; 15 but sanctify in your hearts Christ as Lord … So we get blessed by Father for suffering wrongfully.  Our first temptation when we suffer at the hands of a person or circumstance is to not make “Christ as Lord” in our heart; instead, it's every other fleshly desire that comes to mind. Jesus “committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously” when He was suffering. In other words, He wasn't taking thought of vengeance or falling into the mind of the flesh; He was leaving it up to God and He tells you the same thing: “sanctify in your hearts Christ as Lord.” 1Pe 4:1 Forasmuch then as Christ suffered in the flesh, arm ye yourselves also with the same mind. Consider it your privilege and Christian duty to suffer in the flesh as Jesus did.  Do we have a mind like that? The fleshly mind is to run from any kind of suffering, to avoid at all cost the thing that we need the most. Christians in the United States, especially, need suffering because God wills it and people need to be delivered from their selfish interests and self-centeredness. 1Pe 4:1 … for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin … When our flesh is suffering, it's because it's not getting its way. When the flesh isn't getting its way, we're not sinning. It's so simple. We're called to suffer in the flesh and we need to know that suffering is our most precious friend. 1Pe 4:2 That ye no longer should live the rest of your time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. We need suffering so we can live the rest of your life as a servant of Jesus Christ, free from the bondage of the flesh.   How do you know suffering is from the Lord? When you understand God's purposes in suffering, it makes it a lot easier for you to endure because you see the good purposes behind it. We are no longer deceived by Satan into wrestling with flesh and blood, or into blaming, or anger. 1Pe 4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial among you, which cometh upon you to prove you … The problem is that we see it as strange; we think that there is something not quite right about suffering but we need to change our mind. We need to have the mind that is in Christ and we need to expect that we're going to suffer for the name of Christ so that His name, His nature, can be manifested in us to prove, perfect and purify us.   1Pe 4:12 … as though a strange thing happened unto you: 13 but insomuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings, rejoice; that at the revelation of his glory also ye may rejoice with exceeding joy. If we can manage to rejoice in the midst of suffering, it will make it a lot easier. The Bible commands us to rejoice in our suffering. Rom 5:3 … We also rejoice in our tribulations: knowing that tribulation worketh stedfastness (perseverance); 4 and stedfastness, approvedness (character); and approvedness, hope. Suffering is all about bringing about the revelation and manifestation of the glory of God in us.   It goes on to say, 1Pe 4:14 If ye are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed [are ye]. 19 Wherefore let them also that suffer according to the will of God commit their souls in well-doing unto a faithful Creator. Why does it say “Creator”? Basically you're like the clay in the Creator's hands when you do this. It says “Creator” for a purpose because that's how God creates in us the righteousness of Christ.   You know, suffering can be wasted. In the midst of suffering or a trial, you need to commit your soul in “well-doing,” in doing what is right in the midst of that trial. The suffering is coming upon you for a reason to prove you and to bring about the righteousness of Christ in you. Don't waste suffering because you don't want to have to go through it again like the Israelites who had to go back through the wilderness because they didn't pass the test. You need to make it useful by committing your soul in well-doing in the midst of it. We can't stop the suffering but we can do what's right in the middle of it.   1Pe 5:8 Be sober, be watchful: your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 9 whom withstand stedfast in your faith, knowing that the same sufferings are accomplished in your brethren who are in the world. The world suffers from the same things that we suffer from, but here's the difference: 10 And the God of all grace, who called you unto his eternal glory in Christ, after that ye have suffered a little while, shall himself perfect, establish, strengthen you. God has promised that through suffering, He will perfect you.   If you look on suffering as God's method of perfecting you, that makes it much easier to endure the suffering and it also makes you not so willing to run away from it. The thing that we need the most is the thing that we seek to run away from or avoid the most. If you have a mind to please the Lord in the midst of suffering, if you have a mind to live Godly, first of all, you are going to suffer. 2Ti 3:12 … All that would live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. Those who desire to live godly are going to suffer and persecution is only one area of that suffering, but you can't avoid it. Suffering is God's method of deliverance and of setting us free.  There's all kinds of suffering because there's all kinds of flesh that needs to be brought forth. Don't waste the suffering that you go through on self-pity, animosity, anger and, especially, don't waste the suffering that you go through on rebellion. The first rebellion that you have when you go through suffering is you want to run from it. Jesus didn't do that. When Jesus was going to the Cross, He said in (Luk 22:42), Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me. What “cup” was that? It was the “cup” of suffering. Jesus wasn't going to take it away or run from it and, finally, He came to the revelation that it wasn't God's Will to take it away. So He went through it patiently. He didn't stand up for Himself.  He stood up for the people. He stood against the Pharisees. He stood up for the truth they were trying to destroy. They defamed him to try to destroy the credibility of that truth. 1Pe 2:23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, threatened not; but committed [himself] to him that judgeth righteously. That's suffering that was not wasted. Suffering that's wasted is if you get in the flesh in the midst of it because then it will just come around again. Jesus didn't waste suffering; all of it was useful and that's what we want. We want all the suffering that we're going through and that we're going to go through, to be useful and to have the right effect in our lives.   You need to stop and think. Php 2:5 Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. When you're suffering in the flesh, you're ceasing from sin. 1Jn 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. You get a cleansing either way. If you're humble enough to confess your sins, He is faithful enough to cleanse you of all unrighteousness, so have faith that you're going to get your cleansing. You cannot waste suffering in depression and self-pity, if you're rejoicing. You can't do both at the same time and that's why He commands you to rejoice in the midst of suffering. If you realize what suffering is for, then you can give thanks because it is for your perfecting.   Even Jesus became perfect through the things that He suffered. 1Jn 3:16 Hereby know we love (agape), because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. Now this speaks of laying down our old life, which is the lusts of the flesh, anger, rebellion; this is agape love. Agape lays down the flesh life; agape is the opposite of the flesh life.  We become perfect, which is obeying the Word and learning to agape, through suffering. Agape comes from the inner nature of the spiritual man and it is conquering the carnal man; it is giving up your life according to 1 John 3:16. Suffering brings about this agape love, which is the nature and way of God's Kingdom. If that is God and what we are looking for is godliness, then we can't help but be as an end result, agape.   In fact, you'll know that love is nothing less than obedience. “If you love me you will keep my commandments.” It's not mushy feelings; it's just obedience. When Paul described agape to you 1 Corinthians 13, he said that it's more important than speaking in tongues, more important than knowledge, more important than faith. In fact, he said that if you had these things but didn't have love, you were nothing. The end result of everything that God wants to do in you is agape. 1Co 13:13 But now abideth faith, hope, love, these three: and the greatest of these is love. Notice, the thing that is going to get you into God's Kingdom is love because the King is Love.   Paul said you can make the greatest sacrifice but if you don't have love, there is no profit. 3 And if I bestow all my goods to feed [the poor,] and if I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profiteth me nothing. Paul says that “love suffereth long.” How do you get longsuffering? You get longsuffering by going through a lot of suffering with people and circumstances; otherwise, you aren't going to get it. 1Co 13:4 Love suffereth long, [and] is kind; love envieth not (because self is the opposite of agape); love vaunteth not itself (not self-centered or egotistical), is not puffed up, 5 doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not its own, is not provoked …   Do you know how not to get provoked? You can get hardened to being provoked by having an opportunity over and over again to be provoked. You suffer with it so long that you give up. By this repetitive thing that comes against us, we can become hardened to our bad reaction to it. All we have to do is desire to please the Lord and see Jesus in the mirror because He exchanged His life for yours and you will overcome. It is not always overnight like you want, but eventually, if you desire to please the Lord in suffering, you will because suffering has that kind of work on you. That's why nobody is going to escape suffering.  I know people may still have questions about their suffering, but it is necessary, and our actions can determine how and when they end. Suffering is also for the purpose of bringing an end of sin so we can live to the Will of God. 1Pe 4:1 Forasmuch then as Christ suffered in the flesh, arm ye yourselves also with the same mind; for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; 2 that ye no longer should live the rest of your time in flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. Suffering “in the flesh” here is not necessarily in your body but in the carnal nature, the old man. We are partakers of Christ's sufferings to be proven and to manifest His glory.   12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial among you, which cometh upon you to prove you, as though a strange thing happened unto you: 13 but insomuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings, rejoice; that at the revelation of his glory also ye may rejoice with exceeding joy. Christ's sufferings brought Him to obedience and perfection, and they will bring us there, also. Heb.5:8 Though he was a Son, yet learned obedience by the things which he suffered; 9 and having been made perfect, he became unto all them that obey him the author of eternal salvation.   Suffering comes in order that our Creator may finish His new creation work in each of us. 1Pe 4:19 Wherefore let them also that suffer according to the will of God commit their souls in well-doing unto a faithful Creator. We must cooperate with God in this process in committing our souls to Him. We will suffer in order to be perfected, established and strengthened. 1Pe 5:10 And the God of all grace, who called you unto his eternal glory in Christ, after that ye have suffered a little while, shall himself perfect, establish, strengthen you. Notice suffering has an end.   Walking by faith and patience in suffering will cause us to be counted worthy. Also, we need to keep in mind that this suffering is only a token of what we deserve. 2Th 1:4 So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions which ye endure; 5 [which is] a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God; to the end that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer.   Scripture tells us that all of God's true children will suffer chastening. What is chastening? Chastening is suffering evils and calamities in order to reveal sin and motivate us to serve God. It manifests the fruit of righteousness and causes us to be partakers of holiness. Suffering is necessary if we want to come into sonship. Heb 12:5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which reasoneth with you as with sons, My son, regard not lightly the chastening of the Lord, Nor faint when thou art reproved of him; 6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, And scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 7 It is for chastening that ye endure; God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is there whom [his] father chasteneth not?   8 But if ye are without chastening, whereof all have been made partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. 9 Furthermore, we had the fathers of our flesh to chasten us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? 10 For they indeed for a few days chastened [us] as seemed good to them; but he for [our] profit, that [we] may be partakers of his holiness. 11 All chastening seemeth for the present to be not joyous but grievous; yet afterward it yieldeth peaceable fruit unto them that have been exercised thereby, [even the fruit] of righteousness.   Our attitude in physical suffering should be that Jesus bore our curse on Himself and therefore we are delivered. Gal 3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us; for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: 14 that upon the Gentiles might come the blessing of Abraham in Christ Jesus … The curse here covers all of the curse of the Law mentioned in Deuteronomy 28, which is everything detrimental that came upon man for his sins. If a person in the midst of chastening does not believe that Jesus took away the curse, he will not be delivered in many cases but, instead, suffers from an evil heart of unbelief. Our flesh goes through a suffering as we endure to the end of the trial of faith, to see the manifestation of the healing or deliverance we are believing for. Some get delivered through another's faith – one who has responsibility for them, as with Jairus, the Centurion, the Syrophoenician woman, mom or dad, etc.)   Heb 3:12 Take heed, brethren, lest haply there shall be in any one of you an evil heart of unbelief, in falling away from the living God: 14 for we are become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our confidence firm unto the end. 1Pe 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his body upon the tree, that we, having died unto sins, might live unto righteousness; by whose stripes ye were healed. Jas.5:13 Is any among you suffering? let him pray. Is any cheerful? let him sing praise. 14 Is any among you sick? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: 15 and the prayer of faith shall save him that is sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, it shall be forgiven him.   Abraham and Sarah were under a curse of barrenness many years until they believed God's promise. This faith justified, in other words, reckoned or accounted them righteous, and gave them access to grace to be delivered. Rom 4:21 … And being fully assured that what he had promised, he was able also to perform. 22 Wherefore also it was reckoned unto him for righteousness. 5:1 Being therefore justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ; 2 through whom also we have had our access by faith into this grace wherein we stand …   Abraham received grace to be delivered from this Deuteronomy 28 curse because he believed. We are told that we must agree only with the Word of God when we are under judgment in order to be justified and to prevail. Rom 3:4 God forbid: yea, let God be found true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy words, And mightest prevail when thou comest into judgment. “Prevail” as used here means to come through the chastening victoriously and be delivered from it.   Let's look at Mat 16:21-27 From that time began Jesus to show unto his disciples, that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and the third day be raised up. Jesus was willing to suffer at the hands of these wicked men and even lose His life to do the will of the Father. We too must suffer to lose our carnal life to please the Father. 22 And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall never be unto thee. (And there's your prosperity gospel. It's something we all have to get rid of, and Peter had to get rid of it. He understood suffering before it was over. And we have to understand it too, so we can cooperate with God and thank Him in the midst of it.) 23 But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art a stumbling-block unto me: for thou mindest not the things of God, but the things of men. (Whenever anybody wants to escape the suffering of the death to self, this is where they're at.) 24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man would come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. And that is to the painful death of “self”. Self is who you were before you knew God in His fullness, self is there and dying out as Christians who walk as disciples discover. It's not a sudden thing, it's a progressive thing. You have to make choices to give up the old life and accept the new life. And of course, you've got a lot of people around you that don't like that and don't want that and become angry with you because you don't follow with them anymore. 25 For whosoever would save his life shall lose it: and whosoever shall lose his life for my sake shall find it. Life here is the word, psuchē (Greek) It means soul-life, which is synonymous with self-life.   Comparing this verse to one in Luke where Jesus is talking about us giving up our own self, you see that self is synonymous with the soulish life. Luk 9:25 For what is a man profited, if he gain the whole world, and lose or forfeit his own self?   We have to give up our old soulish self-life. It is identified as the way that we've always been and done things. That person has to die in order to take on the life of Christ. The higher life is the born again soul life of Christ. Well, the devil wants us to grow in the self-life. To gain the things that promote the self-life, to run after the things, the idols, that promote the self-life. But we must go the other way to cooperate with God in the death of self. And this is painful to the old man. And he's out to gain the whole world even after he becomes a Christian. He has to have a renewed mind to understand that he needs to crucify the self-life.  Back to Mat 16:26 For what shall a man be profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and forfeit his life? or what shall a man give in exchange for his life? 27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then shall he render unto every man according to his deeds. So if we don't take up our cross and follow Jesus, we cannot be his disciple as He said. And this is suffering and painful, but it is the price we pay for bearing fruit unto eternal life. The world comes against us. Sometimes we may think God has forgotten us, or he's left us in the hands of the wicked or whatever. It takes these people to put us on our cross; a crucifixion of the old self life. Of course we can have as much of the new life of Christ as we want but we must expect this suffering. Let's look at Act 9:10-16 Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and the Lord said unto him in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord. 11 And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go to the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for one named Saul, a man of Tarsus: for behold, he prayeth; 12 and he hath seen a man named Ananias coming in, and laying his hands on him, that he might receive his sight. 13 But Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard from many of this man, how much evil he did to thy saints at Jerusalem:   Well, as you can imagine, Ananias was fearful and questioning the Lord. He was about to put his life on the line here but he decided, the Lord knows best and He'll take care of all that and He did. He was willing to sacrifice his life in order to see the will of God done here. So he was questioning the Lord because Saul was a Pharisee of Pharisees and demanding the penalty of the Law on the Christians who had come to know Jesus. And the nature that Paul had was antichrist, although he was very religious. There are many very religious people out there that are antichrist, and they're quite willing to put you on your cross if you're devoted to the Lord and you're devoted to keeping His word even to the death of self.    Continuing in verse 14 and here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call upon thy name. 15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles and kings, and the children of Israel: 16 for I will show him how many things he must suffer for my name's sake.  (So Paul was going to suffer the same thing as Ananias.) So here's a man that is a about to become a great man who reflects the life of Christ, but he had to give up everything. He considered it all dung for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ, and he was willing to walk away from it all. He had prestige, he had the respect among his people. They, of course, turned on him when he turned to follow Christ and go down that road of bearing his cross, and it was painful. He went through many things. He mentioned them many times, but he was willing to do it for the great result that was coming in his life and for the sake of the elect.  Now look here in Rom 8:12 So then, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh: 13 for if ye live after the flesh, ye must die; Truly living after the flesh is very simply living the way you always lived to please self. Everybody who doesn't know Christ, even religious people who claim Christ, walk after the flesh. It's the natural thing to do. But Paul said it's the way of death. He's talking to brethren here when he says, but if by the Spirit ye put to death the deeds of the body, ye shall live. 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.   When you walk after the Spirit, He will lead you to sonship. He is the Spirit of adoption. He that delicately bringeth up his servant from a child shall have him become a son at the last. We start out a child of God, but as we mature in our death to self, believing we have been given His life, we become sons.  Notice; he that delicately bringeth up his servant from a child shall have him become a son at the last. First we are a servant who is a child. In a household there are servants but they are certainly not sons who have special privileges and authority over servants.. And that's exactly what he's talking about here in this teaching. 15 For ye received not the spirit of bondage again unto fear; but ye received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.  So it's the Spirit that brings us to adoption, first spirit, soul and then body; the fullness, of course, is the new body. But He brings us to this adoption if we follow His Spirit, if we're led by the Spirit of God, we will manifest our sonship. In fact, we have our sonship by faith if we follow the Spirit, and that's how we're empowered by the Spirit to go and manifest sonship. 16 The Spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are children of God: (That's where you start out as children of God.) 17 and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; (and here's the condition) if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified with him.   We've talked about glorification many times and how it comes to us as we behold Jesus in the mirror and become transformed into that same image, which is a son of God. 2Co 3:18  But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit.   When we accept the fact that we don't live anymore and Christ lives in us, the Spirit can begin to use that Gospel faith to empower us to grow to the place of sonship. He says, “if so be you suffer with him.” We're going to be joint heirs if we suffer with Him, as Jesus already said in Matthew 16, if you lose your life, you will gain your life.   And you can begin walking that way by faith as a baby in Christ. Every baby Christian should walk that way, denying self in order to obey the word of God. If you obey the word of God, you are bearing your cross because it is contrary to the natural life. If you use your reason that you've received from your natural parents, you'll follow the flesh and you will lose out. You have to drop your reasoning and take on the reasoning of Jesus Christ through the word of God. It doesn't make sense to your carnal man because he's contrary to God. The flesh is actually called the enemy of God. If you want this sonship that we're talking about, you're going to have to receive and be led by the Spirit of God. Romans 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. Read Acts to be filled with the Spirit the Biblical way. Rom 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed to us-ward. Notice: The sufferings are miniscule compared to the glory of sonship. Now I mean when we moan, we groan, we try to avoid suffering all we can and when you avoid suffering, guess what? You're avoiding the death of the old man and the resurrection life of the new man, Jesus Christ in you. You're not choosing to have more of Jesus.  Now there is suffering that we shouldn't glorify because if God says, by whose stripes you were healed and you think, ‘No, I'm going to suffer this infirmity because it will glorify God,' you're wrong because the Bible says by whose stripes you were healed. You're supposed to avail yourself of the healing of God and that's what gives glory to God as Jesus clearly showed. When you read all the wonderful stories of Jesus healing the sick, you glorify Him because He heals the sick. You don't glorify Him because He leaves them sick. And 19 For the earnest expectation of the creation waiteth for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to vanity, not of its own will, but by reason of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the liberty of the glory of the children of God.   22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. 23 And not only so, but ourselves also, who have the first-fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for our adoption, (The adoption of sons. Yes, we are in this process of crucifixion of our self-life. You've already got a born again spirit so you're a child of God, but the old soul life, the old mind, will and emotions has to die in order that you have the renewed mind of Christ and sonship. And he goes on to say, to wit, the redemption of our body. Now that's the full manifestation of sonship is when you get the new body. In order to get the new body, you need to have the new soul. And this new soul is the mind, the will and the emotions of Christ, and will gain you a new body.   We've already talked about how that there are different bodies; star glory, moon glory and sun glory in the Kingdom, and we all would like to have sun glory, which is a body likened to His body. Not everybody will have that. Not everybody will have the same reward, contrary to popular opinion. 24 For in hope were we saved: but hope that is seen is not hope: for who hopeth for that which he seeth? 25 But if we hope for that which we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. We're entering into this process, and even in the midst of this process, we don't see the end of our salvation. We see the beginning of it and you know Peter called it “the end of your salvation,” and that is the full manifestation of sonship. As long as we're on this earth, we're going to come into this manifestation in spirit and in soul and, to the extent that you have manifested Christ in your soul, you will have a body accordingly.  Now, how many things did the apostle Paul have to suffer in order to become a true representation of Christ? I mean, you can't give away something you don't have. He wasn't the great apostle in the beginning. He had to first learn these things and he learned them very quickly, and he became a great man because he did not refuse the suffering that the Lord sent his way. The suffering of the loss of self and religious life, etc.  Let's look at 1Co 4:9 For, I think, God hath set forth us the apostles last of all, as men doomed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, The more you look like Christ in what you do, say, walk the more the world will hate you and the more the religious world will hate you. As Jesus said, “if they hated me, they will hate you.' Because the natural mind is so contrary to the spiritual mind and the spiritual walk, you're a spectacle, because there are many critical people out there who've refused the way of the cross. They have become persecutors, even though they still call themselves Christians. This is the way, this is the pattern and so these people, of course, are going to criticize you. The more they go down that road, the more corrupt their mind becomes, and they begin to be competitive and to lie and to slander and to come against you.  This is the way it happened to every apostle and Jesus Himself and to all the prophets and all of the men that were men of God, they had to go through this. And so it is with us, you become a spectacle. Your lost friends and lost family look on you critically and you become a spectacle to the world and the worldly church. Now continuing for we are made a spectacle unto the world, both to angels and men. 10 We are fools for Christ's sake, (Yes, if you're going to be a fool to them, follow Christ and count the cost, sonship is great. The suffering is nothing compared to the great glory that is to come as we've seen.) but ye are wise in Christ (Now he's correcting their worldly thinking in a very sarcastic way.); we are weak, but ye are strong; ye have glory (Well, if you have glory in the world, guess who's giving it to you?), but we have dishonor. In other words, if you're going to follow in the steps of Jesus, like the disciples, and the apostles did, you're going to have dishonor in the world and you can count on it.   11 Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling-place; Now, he's not saying that through faith you can't receive everything you need. My God shall supply every need of yours according to his riches and glory. He's has gone through the trial and the test. And many times you will go through the test too before you receive what you need and you want. It's not that God's going to let you go without if you walk by faith. 12 and we toil, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure; 13 being defamed, we entreat: Everyone who walks in the steps of Jesus is going to be defamed, just like He was, just like the prophets were, just like the apostles were. You can see who's doing the defaming and it's their job. These are the crucifiers, these are the Judases, these are the apostates. He goes on to say, we are made as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things, even until now. And so you can see that even in our day, we're following in the steps of people like Paul and all that would live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. If you don't want to suffer, you are not going to be following Christ.  So now let's look at 2Co 4:7-18 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, (The treasure, of course, is that born again man, who is who is in the image of Jesus Christ. It's various sizes in various people because some are given over more or less to Christ. But the outer man's decaying while the inner man is being renewed day by day. We must give Christ room by the death of the old man because you only want one person to live in you and it's your spiritual man. The soul which is your mind will and emotions must be given over to your spirit by the power of the Holy Spirit. That's your spiritual man.) that the exceeding greatness of the power may be of God, and not from ourselves; (What can you do of yourself that is not corrupted and fallen? What we want is the power of God because we are weak to bring about righteousness, purity, good works and so on. Therefore, we must depend upon a higher power which is God to give us this gift as we walk by faith.)  8 we are pressed on every side, yet not straitened; perplexed, yet not unto despair; (Yes, we must suffer these things and it's confusing sometimes, which is the spirit and which is the flesh and which one are we following. The confusion comes in that our soul is somewhat double minded because we're partially in, partially out, partially spiritual, partially carnal, and so it is perplexing. But if we have a desire to live for God, He knows it and He will empower us and give us faith. And He will bring it to pass. But we go through these things to make decisions. Every time you make a decision against the flesh and for the spirit, you're gaining Christ and every time you make a decision for the flesh and against the spirit, you're gaining more flesh.)  9 pursued, yet not forsaken; smitten down, yet not destroyed; 10 always bearing about in the body the dying of Jesus, (Jesus went to the cross and His flesh died but His spirit man did not die. I don't care what some people say. His spirit man did not die. His flesh bore our curse and died and we also must lose our flesh.) that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our body. (Well, if you have Jesus manifested in your body, what is that? Sonship; yes, and to get there, the old self life has to die. You need to make up your mind that you'll believe the promises to obey the word of God. Put your faith in the Lord constantly, because He's the one that brings it to pass by His power. In other words, as we just read the exceeding greatness of the power may be of God and not of ourselves. Self has no way to please God.)   11 For we who live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh. (The false religions deny that Christ cometh in the flesh, which is antichrist. Repentance and faith is the means to come into the image of Jesus Christ, to bear His fruit, as in the parable of the Sower, 30, 60, and 100-fold. This is what we choose to go after and it is sonship.) 12 So then death worketh in us, but life in you. 13 But having the same spirit of faith, according to that which is written, I believed, and therefore did I speak; we also believe, and therefore also we speak; (So when you believe, and you speak it, you can have what you say.)   14 knowing that he that raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also with Jesus, and shall present us with you. 15 For all things are for your sakes, that the grace, being multiplied through the many, may cause the thanksgiving to abound unto the glory of God. 16 Wherefore we faint not; (And of course, you know when we're going through this suffering, the devil's going to tell you that God's forsaken you. But the truth is God is with you. Walk by faith and see the end from the beginning.   Remember, there's an end to every trial and it should be when you overcome it. Because once you overcome it, you don't need it, right? but though our outward man is decaying, yet our inward man is renewed day by day. So there's this reversal process here you see. You're losing the old man, the outer man and you're gaining the new man. The new man's coming to maturity, and the old man's passing away. And ultimately, the end of the process is there's nobody left but the new man, Who is ‘Christ in you, the hope of glory' and the old man has passed away. You must cooperate with God in this process. It's a suffering of a death to self.  17 For our light affliction, (We think it's pretty terrible, but he calls it our light affliction, which is for the moment. In other words, it's not going to last very long. Don't worry God's not going to leave you in the oven. You know you're in there to burn up the wood, hay and the stubble.) which is for the moment, worketh for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory; (Who is Christ in you, the hope of glory. He is the glory. He is the shining forth from us.) 18 while we look not at the things which are seen, (In other words, get your eyes past the problem, and on the salvation that God provided.) but at the things which are not seen (Christ in you): for the things which are seen are temporal (The flesh is temporary); but the things which are not seen (Jesus in you) are eternal.  Let's go back to the apostle Paul again and look at some of the things he suffered, because there are many who say we cannot expect God to always deliver or heal us because of the example of Paul's thorn in the flesh. 2Co 12:7 And by reason of the exceeding greatness of the revelations, that I should not be exalted overmuch, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger (Greek: angelos) of Satan to buffet me, that I should not be exalted overmuch. (To humble) 8 Concerning this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it (the angel) might depart from me. 9 And he hath said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for [my] power is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.   10 Wherefore I take pleasure in weaknesses (KJV: Falsely translated “infirmities”), in injuries, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. Notice the four places I have underlined. In both the Received Text and in the ancient manuscripts, these are the same Greek word. The KJV translated only the third word “infirmities,” leading people to believe falsely that Paul had a sickness that God would not heal.   The same Greek word is used in the following verse: 2Co 13:4 For he was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth through the power of God. The KJV correctly translated this “weakness” because, of course, Jesus was not crucified through infirmities. We can also find the same Greek word here: 1Co 1:25 … The weakness of God is stronger than men. Since no one can say God is sick, we know this translation is correct.   We do not have to guess what these buffetings are because they are listed in the previous chapter and we can read them. 2Co 11:23 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as one beside himself) I more; in labors more abundantly, in prisons more abundantly, in stripes above measure, in deaths oft. 24 Of the Jews five times received I forty [stripes] save one. 25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day have I been in the deep;   26 [in] journeyings often, [in] perils of rivers, [in] perils of robbers, [in] perils from [my] countrymen, [in] perils from the Gentiles, [in] perils in the city, [in] perils in the wilderness, [in] perils in the sea, [in] perils among false brethren; 27 [in] labor and travail, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. 28 Besides those things that are without, there is that which presseth upon me daily, anxiety for all the churches. 29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is caused to stumble, and I burn not? 30 If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things that concern my weakness (KJV: “infirmities”).   You will notice that not once in his list of weaknesses did he list a sickness! Although the words “weak” or “weakness” are all the same Greek word in all the manuscripts, the KJV translates only the last word “infirmities.” Paul's “thorn in the flesh” was an angel of Satan that “buffeted” him, meaning “to hit with many blows,” not just one blow, such as a sickness that would not depart. Four times in the Old Testament there are references to thorns in the flesh (Numbers 33:55; Joshua 23:13; Judges 2:3; Ezekiel 28:24) and not one of them refers to a sickness.   Was God saying that He would not deliver Paul from these places of weakness? No! 2Co 12:8 Concerning this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. “It” here was the demon that brought the buffetings. Paul said God delivered him out of all these places of weakness where he could not help himself. God's power was made perfect in Paul's weakness and He will be in ours! 2Ti 4:17 But the Lord stood by me, and strengthened me; that through me the message might be fully proclaimed, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. 18 The Lord will deliver me from every evil work, and will save me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom [be] the glory forever and ever. Amen.   As soon as God delivered Paul out of one trial, the demon brought another. Let's let God be found true, but every man a liar (Rom 3:4). Psa 34:4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me, And delivered me from all my fears. 6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, And saved him out of all his troubles. 17 [The righteous] cried, and the Lord heard, And delivered them out of all their troubles. 19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous; But the Lord delivereth him out of them all.   The Lord may not keep you from tribulation but He certainly will save, heal and deliver you from it, if you walk by faith. In fact, this is His method for maturing our faith. Am I saying God cannot use sickness to chasten and bring trials? Absolutely not, but God already guarantees your healing if you believe 1Pe 2:24  who his own self bare our sins in his body upon the tree, that we, having died unto sins, might live unto righteousness; by whose stripes ye were healed..  If your sins were taken away and Ye were healed then you are healed. Let God be true and every man a liar. The Father sent the curse to motivate us to repentance and He sent the Savior to bring deliverance from the curse, but only to those who believe. Rom 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth …  Here is a good example of what is happening in these days to bring people to repentance. An angel appeared to Dumitru Duduman (“Three Scrolls” – 7/01/94) and “took out a scroll which he began to unroll very quickly. It was so long that I could not see its end. On this first scroll of paper were written all kinds of names. Beside each name was listed their punishment – a type of disease (all kinds were listed), trial or torment. He said, ‘Those named will have to go through what is listed by their name in order to be cleansed and be able to stand.'”   In the second century, before much of the gifts of the Spirit gave way to ceremony and traditions of men, there lived a prophet named Hermas. His writings were famous among early Church fathers who still believed in prophecy. Many considered his writings a part of the Scriptures. Though I do not hold them on that level of inspiration, I do consider them the finest of the gift. Consider Hermas' revelation on chastening.     Excerpts from The Shepherd of Hermas.   Similitude Sixth   Of the Two Classes of Voluptuous Men, and of Their Death, Falling Away, and the Duration of Their Punishment.   Chapter I   Sitting in my house, and glorifying the Lord for all that I had seen, and reflecting on the commandments, that they are excellent, and powerful, and glorious, and able to save a man's soul, I said within myself, “I shall be blessed if I walk in these commandments, and every one who walks in them will be blessed.” While I was saying these words to myself, I suddenly see him sitting beside me, and hear him thus speak: “Why are you in doubt about the commandments which I gave you? They are excellent: have no doubt about them at all, but put on faith in the Lord, and you will walk in them, for I will strengthen you in them. These commandments are beneficial to those who intend to repent: for if they do not walk in them, their repentance is in vain. You, therefore, who repent, cast away the wickedness of this world which wears you out; and by putting on all the virtues of a holy life, you will be able to keep these commandments, and will no longer add to the number of your sins.   Walk, therefore, in these commandments of mine, and you will live unto God. All these things have been spoken to you by me.” And after he had uttered these words, he said to me, “Let us go into the fields, and I will show you the shepherds of the flocks.” “Let us go, sir,” I replied. And we came to a certain plain, and he showed me a young man, a shepherd, clothed in a suit of garments of a yellow colour: and he was herding very many sheep, and these sheep were feeding luxuriously (Editor's note: that which we cannot afford to do because of the high cost to our soul), as it were, and riotously, and merrily skipping hither and thither. The shepherd himself was merry, because of his flock; and the appearance of the shepherd was joyous, and he was running about amongst his flock. [And other sheep I saw rioting and luxuriating in one place, but not, however, leaping about.]   Chapter II   And he said to me, “Do you see this shepherd?” “I see him, sir,” I said. “This,” he answered, “is the angel of luxury and deceit: he wears out the souls of the servants of God, and perverts them from the truth, deceiving them with wicked desires, through which they will perish; for they forget the commandments of the living God, and walk in deceits and empty luxuries; and they are ruined by the angel, some being brought to death, others to corruption.” I said to him, “Sir, I do not know the meaning of these words, ‘to death,' and ‘to corruption.'” “Listen,” he said. “The sheep which you saw merry and leaping about, are those which have torn themselves away from God forever, and have delivered themselves over to luxuries and deceits [of this world.   Among them there is no return to life through repentance, because they have added to their other sins, and blasphemed the name of the Lord. Such men therefore, are appointed unto death. And the sheep which you saw not leaping, but feeding in one place, are they who have delivered themselves over to luxury and deceit], but have committed no blasphemy against the Lord. These have been perverted from the truth: among them there is the hope of repentance, by which it is possible to live. Corruption, then, has a hope of a kind of renewal, but death has everlasting ruin.” Again I went forward a little way, and he showed me a tall shepherd, somewhat savage in his appearance, clothed in a white goatskin, and having a wallet on his shoulders, and a very hard staff with branches, and a large whip.   And he had a very sour look, so that I was afraid of him, so forbidding was his aspect. This shepherd, accordingly, was receiving the sheep from the young shepherd, those, viz., that were rioting and luxuriating, but not leaping; and he cast them into a precipitous place, full of thistles and thorns, so that it was impossible to extricate the sheep from the thorns and thistles; but they were completely entangled amongst them. These, accordingly, thus entangled, pastured amongst the thorns and thistles, and were exceedingly miserable, being beaten by him; and he drove them hither and thither, and gave them no rest; and, altogether, these sheep were in a wretched plight.   Chapter III   Seeing them, therefore, so beaten and so badly used, I was grieved for them, because they were so tormented, and had no rest at all. And I said to the Shepherd who talked with me, “Sir, who is this shepherd, who is so pitiless and severe, and so completely devoid of compassion for these sheep?” “This,” he replied, “is the angel of punishment; and he belongs to the just angels, and is appointed to punish. He accordingly takes those who wander away from God, and who have walked in the desires and deceits of this world, and chastises them as they deserve with terrible and diverse punishments.” “I would know, sir,” I said, “Of what nature are these diverse tortures and punishments?” “Hear,” he said, “the various tortures and punishments. The tortures are such as occur during life.   For some are punished with losses, others with want, others with sicknesses of various kinds, and others with all kinds of disorder and confusion; others are insulted by unworthy persons, and exposed to suffering in many other ways: for many, becoming unstable in their plans, try many things, and none of them at all succeed, and they say they are not prosperous in their undertakings; and it does not occur to their minds that they have done evil deeds, but they blame the Lord. When, therefore, they have been afflicted with all kinds of affliction, then are they delivered unto me for good training, and they are made strong in the faith of the Lord; and for the rest of the days of their life they are subject to the Lord with pure hearts, and are successful in all their undertakings, obtaining from the Lord everything they ask; and then they glorify the Lord, that they were delivered to me, and no longer suffer any evil.”   Chapter IV   I said to him, “Sir, explain this also to me.” “What is it you ask?” he said. “Whether, sir,” I continued, “they who indulge in luxury, and who are deceived, are tortured for the same period of time that they have indulged in luxury and deceit?” He said to me, “They are tortured for the same time” (Editor's note: compare Revelation 18:7). [“They are tormented much less, sir,” I replied;] “for those who are so luxurious and who forget God ought to be tortured seven-fold.” He said to me, “You are foolish, and do not understand the power of torment.” “Why, sir,” I said, “if I had understood it, I would not have asked you to show me.” “Hear,” he said, “the power of both. The time of luxury and deceit is one hour; but the hour of torment is equivalent to thirty days. If, accordingly, a man indulge in luxury for one day, and be deceived and be tortured for one day, the day of his torture is equivalent to a whole year. For all the days of luxury, therefore, there are as many years of torture to be undergone. You see, then,” he continued, “that the time of luxury and deceit is very short, but that of punishment and torture long.”   Chapter V   “Still,” I said, “I do not quite understand about the time of deceit, and luxury, and torture; explain it to me more clearly.” He answered, and said to me, “Your folly is persistent; and you do not wish to purify your heart, and serve God. Have a care,” he added, “lest the time be fulfilled, and you be found foolish. Hear now,” he added, “as you desire, that you may understand these things. He who indulges in luxury, and is deceived for one day, and who does what he wishes, is clothed with much foolishness, and does not understand the act which he does until the morrow; for he forgets what he did the day before.   For luxury and deceit have no memories, on account of the folly with which they are clothed; but when punishment and torture cleave to a man for one day, he is punished and tortured for a year; for punishment and torture have powerful memories. While tortured and punished, therefore, for a whole year, he remembers at last his luxury and deceit, and knows that on their account he suffers evil. Every man, therefore, who is luxurious and deceived is thus tormented, because, although having life, they have given themselves over to death.” “What kinds of luxury, sir,” I asked, “are hurtful?”   “Every act of a man which he performs with pleasure,” he replied, “is an act of luxury; for the sharp-tempered man, when gratifying his tendency, indulges in luxury; and the adulterer, and the drunkard, and the back-biter, and the liar, and the covetous man, and the thief, and he who does things like these, gratifies his peculiar propensity, and in so doing indulges in luxury. All these acts of luxury are hurtful to the servants of God. On account of these deceits, therefore, do they suffer, who are punished and tortured. And there are also acts of luxury which save men; for many who do good indulge in luxury, being carried away by their own pleasure: this luxury, however, is beneficial to the servants of God, and gains life for such a man; but the injurious acts of luxury before enumerated bring tortures and punishment upon them; and if they continue in them and do not repent, they bring death upon themselves.”      Similitude Seventh   They Who Repent Must Bring Forth Fruits Worthy of Repentance.   After a few days I saw him in the same plain where I had also seen the shepherds; and he said to me, “What do you wish with me?” I said to him, “Sir, that you would order the shepherd who punishes to depart out of my house, because he afflicts me exceedingly.” “It is necessary,” he replied, “that you be afflicted; for thus,” he continued, “did the glorious angel command concerning you, as he wishes you to be tried.” “What have I done which is so bad, sir,” I replied, “that I should be delivered over to this angel?” “Listen,” he said: “Your sins are many, but not so great as to require that you be delivered over to this angel; but your household has committed great iniquities and sins, and the glorious angel has been incensed at them on account of their deeds; and for this reason he commanded you to be afflicted for a certain time, that they also might repent, and purify themselves from every desire of this world.   When, therefore, they repent and are purified, then the angel of punishment will depart.” I said to him, “Sir, if they have done such things as to incense the glorious angel against them, yet what have I done?” He replied, “They cannot be afflicted at all, unless you, the head of the house, be afflicted: for when you are afflicted, of necessity they also suffer affliction; but if you are in comfort, they can feel no affliction.” “Well, sir,” I said, “they have repented with their whole heart.” “I know, too,” he answered, “that they have repented with their whole heart: do you think, however, that the sins of those who repent are immediately forgiven? Not altogether, but he who repents must torture his own soul (Editor's note: compare 1 Corinthians 9:27), and be exceedingly humble in all his conduct, and be afflicted with many kinds of affliction; and if he endure the afflictions that come upon him,   He who created all things, and endued them with power, will assuredly have compassion, and will heal him; and this will He do when He sees the heart of every penitent pure from every evil thing: and it is profitable for you and for your house to suffer affliction now. But why should I say much to you? You must be afflicted, as that angel of the Lord commanded who delivered you to me. And for this give thanks to the Lord, because He has deemed you worthy of showing you beforehand this affliction, that, knowing it before it comes, you may be able to bear it with courage.” I said to him, “Sir, be thou with me, and I will be able to bear all affliction.” “I will be with you,” he said, “and I will ask the angel of punishment to afflict you more lightly; nevertheless, you will be afflicted for a little time, and again you will be re-established in your house. Only continue humble, and serve the Lord in all purity of heart, you and your children, and your house, and walk in my commands which I enjoin upon you, and your repentance will be deep and pure; and if you observe these things with your household, every affliction will depart from you. And affliction,” he added, “will depart from all who walk in these my commandments.” 

An elect child of God ought never to despise chastening. "My son or daughter, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth" (Hebrews 12:5-6). God never errors in judgment! He does not spoil His children to raise brats but disciples them. The elect cannot get away with anything in this life.  Chastening has a purpose. "Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby" (Hebrews 12:11)

A new MP3 sermon from Bethel Reformed Baptist Church is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: A trial or the chastening of the Lord? Subtitle: Lamentations Speaker: Pastor Chalan Hetherington Broadcaster: Bethel Reformed Baptist Church Event: Sunday - AM Date: 4/7/2024 Bible: Lamentations 2:1-11 Length: 52 min.

Another comforting gem by Charles Simeon-

Pastor Seth Wetter teaches us, to Receive the Chastening of God's Word. Quick and Swift? Covet Not this World or Anything if it, Jesus is All you Need. From the Book of 1st Timothy, the 6th Chapter. On December 10th, 2023 God's Word is Truth!

Sunday evening message from the New Life Meetings at Falls Baptist Church