A serving kingdom and a hunger for the supernatural in christian and non christians

deltadom Dec 11, 2010

Mark 10:44 KJV
And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all.

Mark 9:35 KJV
And he sat down , and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.

With the release of things such as Harry Potter and the World desire for the Supernatural but without God and even in things like Twilight and anything to do with Special Effects in which the real. With the void that the Atheists and current modern thinkers such as Richard Dakwins and others propagate that there is no supernatural realm but yet believing in aliens and such like! There is a general void in the supernatural realm among Atheist so Witchcraft in the form of say Harry Potter or vampires feels this alternative.

2 Thessalonians 2:9 KJV
Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders

Revelation 13
11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. 12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed . 13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,

What we have also got to realize is the nature of Gods kingdom,It says in scripture that the Anti christ can even call down fire from Heaven and Satan does all power and signs and lying wonders.

I am noticed a tendency in christians to go to say someone like the Faith like Potatoes guy or even other things such as Todd Bentley, I am not associating Todd Bentley with the Faith like Potatoes guy,

What I am saying people are desperate to hear anything concerning miracles in the christian faith but lest concerned with there saviour, or go to a film with special effects which blow peoples mind or church services with flashing lights and high emotions as if the drug scene, from one high to another high.

It is like People listen to sermons calling them to say pray or calling them but because of this mass of garbage that has been piled at them, the still small voice of god is left out.

Most People would not know say that the book of Numbers it probably one of the most exiting books in the bible! or other less known books.

In revival are we seeking Christ or the experience of revival! Do we want service or power?
From the verses up the top it talks about if you want to be great you have to be a servant of all,

Acts 6
3 Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report , full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. 4 But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word. 5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch: 6 Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed , they laid their hands on them. 7 And the word of God increased ; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith. 8 And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people. 9 Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen. 10 And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake . 11 Then they suborned men, which said , We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and against God. 12 And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and came upon him, and caught him, and brought him to the council, 13 And set up false witnesses, which said , This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place, and the law:

In Acts 6 we see the very first martyr to be one who served! I was trying to imagine a heaven in which everyone served one another rather than everyone was coveting and trying to gain everyone's wealth! or which people would converse with each other about the word of God in Church or in our local gatherings, people do not talk about the bible during the week rather it is the conversation of the world!

Imagine a Kingdom of Humble people rather than one of Pride! I have always been convicted of pride and unbelief!

Ezekiel 6
12 Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. 13 Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created . 14 Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth ; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. 15 Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created , till iniquity was found in thee.

The devil must have so hated the serving kingdom of God! The devil according to Ezekial 28 was so beautiful, I have been studying Angelology and the difference

John 6
56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. 58 This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead : he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever. 59 These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum. 60 Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said , This is an hard saying; who can hear it? 61 When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you? 62 What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? 63 It is the spirit that quickeneth ; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. 64 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him. 65 And he said , Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father. 66 From that time many of his disciples went back , and walked no more with him.

I have heard a recent commentary that Jesus was wrong in scaring all the People away from following him! They had seen the miracle but missed the Person!

Luke 16
24 And he cried and said , Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. 25 But Abraham said , Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted , and thou art tormented . 26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed : so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot ; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. 27 Then he said , I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: 28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. 29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. 30 And he said , Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent . 31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded , though one rose from the dead.

Jesus says in the parable say that if someone is even raised from the dead people would not believe in him!
I am not against the supernatural more I am against those who make miracles an idol more than God

Acts 15:20 KJV
But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.

It is interesting how idolatry is not preached in churches any more! Even thou it is a specific commandment by the Bible not to. In our western cultures

Judges 6
1 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years. 2 And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel: and because of the Midianites the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and caves, and strong holds. 3 And so it was, when Israel had sown , that the Midianites came up , and the Amalekites, and the children of the east, even they came up against them; 4 And they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass. 5 For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as grasshoppers for multitude; for both they and their camels were without number: and they entered into the land to destroy it. 6 And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites; and the children of Israel cried unto the LORD. 7 And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD because of the Midianites, 8 That the LORD sent a prophet unto the children of Israel, which said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage; 9 And I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and drave them out from before you, and gave you their land; 10 And I said unto you, I am the LORD your God; fear not the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell : but ye have not obeyed my voice. 11 And there came an angel of the LORD, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites. 12 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour. 13 And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying , Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites. 14 And the LORD looked upon him, and said , Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee? 15 And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house. 16 And the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man. 17 And he said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, then shew me a sign that thou talkest with me. 18 Depart not hence, I pray thee, until I come unto thee, and bring forth my present, and set it before thee. And he said , I will tarry until thou come again . 19 And Gideon went in , and made ready a kid , and unleavened cakes of an ephah of flour: the flesh he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out unto him under the oak, and presented it. 20 And the angel of God said unto him, Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and lay them upon this rock, and pour out the broth. And he did so. 21 Then the angel of the LORD put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there rose up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. Then the angel of the LORD departed out of his sight. 22 And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the LORD, Gideon said , Alas, O Lord GOD! for because I have seen an angel of the LORD face to face. 23 And the LORD said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die . 24 Then Gideon built an altar there unto the LORD, and called it Jehovahshalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites. 25 And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him, Take thy father's young bullock, even the second bullock of seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the grove that is by it: 26 And build an altar unto the LORD thy God upon the top of this rock, in the ordered place, and take the second bullock, and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the grove which thou shalt cut down . 27 Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as the LORD had said unto him: and so it was, because he feared his father's household, and the men of the city, that he could not do it by day, that he did it by night. 28 And when the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was cast down , and the grove was cut down that was by it, and the second bullock was offered upon the altar that was built . 29 And they said one to another, Who hath done this thing? And when they enquired and asked , they said , Gideon the son of Joash hath done this thing. 30 Then the men of the city said unto Joash, Bring out thy son, that he may die : because he hath cast down the altar of Baal, and because he hath cut down the grove that was by it. 31 And Joash said unto all that stood against him, Will ye plead for Baal? will ye save him? he that will plead for him, let him be put to death whilst it is yet morning: if he be a god, let him plead for himself, because one hath cast down his altar. 32 Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal, saying , Let Baal plead against him, because he hath thrown down his altar. 33 Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the east were gathered together, and went over , and pitched in the valley of Jezreel. 34 But the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet; and Abiezer was gathered after him. 35 And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh; who also was gathered after him: and he sent messengers unto Asher, and unto Zebulun, and unto Naphtali; and they came up to meet them. 36 And Gideon said unto God, If thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said , 37 Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor; and if the dew be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the earth beside, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said . 38 And it was so: for he rose up early on the morrow, and thrust the fleece together , and wringed the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water. 39 And Gideon said unto God, Let not thine anger be hot against me, and I will speak but this once: let me prove , I pray thee, but this once with the fleece; let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew. 40 And God did so that night: for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground.

In this example we have exactly what People are wanting to do today but noone wants the cost of knocking down there idols in there house like Gideon because the Lord did not do any miracles unless he removed the Baal God of worship first! Are countries are worse than India with hidden Idols all over the place, we need to serve the Lord only and him only , We need to serve the Lord not foreign gods,
When I am talking here I am talking to myself I need idols destroyed in my life and to do God will?
What idols are in yours and my life? Are you a servant? When you go to church who do you serve? Are you after Jesus and maybe a better society or after Jesus himself?
What steps will it take to get every idol away and am I willing to do god will even thou I cannot do it!
Would you make this a personal thing rather than imposing it on anybody else and not turn into a thing of pride?

Jeremy221 Dec 12, 2010

Thank you for posting this delta, it blessed me. The Lord led me to this sermon by David Wilkerson entitled, "Christ, A Stranger," after reading your post.

https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/mydownloads/singlefile.php?lid=3858&commentView=itemComments

sermonindex Dec 12, 2010

AN EVIL AND ADULTEROUS GENERATION

John 2:23-24 (KJV)
23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did.
24 But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men,
25 And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.

Why would Jesus not commit Himself to these particualr followers? Were they not “believers,” and had they not seen miracles? What was it about these people that Jesus knew? Listen to what Mathew Henry says about these believers………

"They were tumultuous, and wanted discretion and management. These in Jerusalem perhaps had their expectations of the temporal reign of the Messiah more raised than others, and, in that expectation, would be ready to give some bold strokes at the government if Christ would have committed himself to them and put himself at the head of them; but he would not, for his kingdom is not of this world. We should be shy of turbulent unquiet people, as our Master here was, though they profess to believe in Christ, as these did., knew the wickedness of some and the weakness of others. The evangelist takes this occasion to assert Christ’s omniscience. 1. He knew all men, not only their names and faces, as it is possible for us to know many, but their nature, dispositions, affections, designs, as we do not know any man, scarcely ourselves. He knows all men, for his powerful hand made them all, his piercing eye sees them all, sees into them. He knows his subtle enemies, and all their secret projects; his false friends, and their true characters; what they really are, whatever they pretend to be. He knows them that are truly his."

IV. That the reason why he did not commit himself to them was because he knew them

Matthew 12:39 (KJV)
39 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:

The Lord will not commit to those who are not committed to Him. This present generation of loud and “tumultuous,” believers are seeking to establish the Lords kingdom here on earth. The sign the Lord gave them is not good enough for them. What sign did the Lord give them? He gave them the sign of the Prophet Jonah. When all aboard the ship knew that they were lost, Jonah was sacrificed to save them. He then spent 3 days in the belly of the whale. All of mankind was and is caught up in a great storm of darkness and tumult. It is to Calvary that one must look. In the quiet of faith, the Lord will respond to His own, He always has and He always will, but He will not respond to a crass church which seeks to gratify their own corrupt lusts. So all of the church’s that cry out for miracles, the Lord knows the motivations of their heart. Signs and wonders would follow. Follow what? The preaching of Calvary. The proclamation of the Truth. The bold witness for Christ. The unashamed stance of the one truly committed. The genuine love of the lost, expressed in practical terms. So, those who place the cart before the horse do so for a reason. And in doing so, they expose the fragile nature of the faith that they claim to have.

The Lord will not commit to those who have built their houses on sinking sand. This is why we see the “house,” of ”believers,” come tumbling down when faced with “unanswered prayers.” For they are not established on the solid Rock of Jesus Christ and the cross of Calvary. “On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.” Does your faith depend upon you seeing a miracle? Or does your faith stand upon the finished work of the cross of Calvary?

So, who are today’s “John 2,” believers? Who is it today that the Lord will not commit too? Who today run after signs and wonders? How many churches today, have as their main focus, signs and wonders? Show me a church whose main focus is on signs and wonders, and I will show you a church that neglects the central tenet of Christianity, Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Show me a church whose main focus is on signs and wonders and I will show you are church where the majority reject “dying to self.” Show me a church whose main focus is on signs and wonders and I will show you a church with pseudo fellowship. The sinking sand of the modern Pentecostal church is their inordinate love of external signs. This love of extraordinary manifestations, is a compensation for a lack of a true faith which would lead to the death of self. The end results of those who follow this path is a life of self-indulgence, an inability to adhere to sound doctrine, no change in their lives, and no fruit of the Holy Spirit. And so the few converts that they may see are converts after their own likeness, after there own shallowness. Tozer says that anemic Christians produce anemic converts. Bloodless Christians producing bloodless converts. Only by returning to the foot of the cross can the church find its way back to God. This evil and adulterous generation, that is without Lordship, needs to come to the cross of Christ and commit themselves to death. Only by adhering to this sign, the sign of Jonah, can the Church of Christ hope to see a reformation of its powerless state. The Church today is caught in a great storm, and it is sinking. There is much noise as the Church thrashes in the heavy seas. As the Church began to sink, tossed from a boat carrying them in the wrong direction, they suddenly have found themselves enveloped in a great darkness that is devoid of light.

Here is the answer to the current crisis that the Church is in. When we realize that “I am cast of from your eyes,” we will finally ,” look towards your Holy Temple.”

If we as a Church will follow these words, we will live again in His presence………

Jonah 2:1-10 (KJV)
1 Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish’s belly,
2 And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.
3 For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me.
4 Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.
5 The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head.
6 I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God.
7 When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.
8 They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.
9 But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD.
10 And the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.

sermonindex Dec 12, 2010

Madam Guyon writes…………….I am deeply grieved that so many in this day(she lived 300 years ago, people never change)even some good people, allow themselves to be led astray by the enemy. Has not God warned us against false prophets and lying wonders of the last days? All true prophets have spoken in the name of the Lord-”Thus says the Lord.” The enemy gains great advantage because people love extraordinary manifestations, signs and wonders. I believe the inordinate love of external signs is used of the enemy to draw people away from the Word of God and from the inward way of faith.The signs that come from God encourage you to die to yourself. (Intimacy with Christ..p21)

sermonindex Dec 16, 2010

Brother Dom - this thread is so timely. You know I don't watch TV or movies and not because I'm holier than anyone else, but because it's NOT REALITY and anything that is not reality is from the pit of hell to distract humans from the Only Reality.

Last week, I was at my Dad's. He wanted to watch the Hallmark channel. I thought, from way back when, "How bad could that channel be? - OK - I can do this with him."

Talk about "supernatural" - it was a Satan Claus movie and so filled with high tech special affects to emphasize supernatural powers - even given to regular children who joined with this Claus man. I could feel how this would instill the belief of supernatural powers in the children that this movie was meant to reach.
Even psychiatrists, years ago, said that "fiction" - allowing the mind to go anywhere that's not based upon reality, leads to disorders, nonetheless how we know it affects people spiritually.

I understand the power of Sci-Fi movies and the technology they possess in media presently - but sadly enough, we're not being educated on it's dangers, because most christians watch a screen.

I'd like to quote from an add For hypnosis here -

"Hypnosis is a naturally occuring state which all of us experience on a regular basis. A natural hypnotic state occurs when we daydream, meditate, become deeply immersed in thought or absorbed watching a movie.
Hypnosis is a state of condition in which the subconscious mind becomes highly responsive to suggestions. The conscious critical function of the mind is bypassed and the subconscious mind can be addressed directly."

I can only disagree with the first line that says - "which ALL of us experience on a regular basis" ..... No, Not true. 'That' is when we allow our minds to become "passive" and that is not something we are ever encouraged to do. THAT is when we are "open to anything". Even in prayer - we are never to allow our minds to become passive in order to "hear a reply", etc..

True research on TV & movies has come out and stated that we definitely are in a passive state while watching - that our ability to "reason" is decreased by 80% or more, that it lowers our IQ, that we (as the hypnosis add says) are taking in opinions, beliefs, etc. whether we are conscious of it or not and we know who is the god of this world and what type messages he'd want to serve us.
There is more "Intelligence" even behind childrens programs than most of us realize. ".... for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light."

Thank you once again for a timely topic.