Are You A Casual Christian?...........

In the Church today,  you have many people who claim to be Christians, and yet they don’t have the first clue what being a Christian is all about. They claim to represent Jesus on this earth and yet they have never truly met Him. You even have “Ministers” who follow this same path…..

There are 2 types of people who do this. There are casual Christians, and there are Sunday Christians…..

Lets look at a casual Christian first…….

The word casual is an adjective and a noun (and I thought those English classes would never come in handy J )..   The dictionary meaning for both the adjective & noun casual is:

Adjective

Relaxed and unconcerned.

Noun

A person who does something irregularly

When used as a noun, it describes those who go to Church on Easter & Christmas or for some life event such as a wedding or funeral, but otherwise wont step foot inside. Most times these people consider and will even call themselves “cradle Christians”…..  They have the erroneous belief that because they were born,  raised and baptized into whatever denomination they identify with, that is all they need, and that they can ride the coattails of their parents or others into heaven. There is no personal sacrifice or commitment to the Faith.

When used as an adjective, it describes those who go to Church every Sunday, but are relaxed and unconcerned about their Faith. They may even pay Tithes, teach Sunday School, and some even claim the title Reverend/Pastor/Minister/Bishop/Whatever, but they do so out of obligation or to make a living, and not out of gratefulness for the sacrifice that The Lord made for them.

 I have some news for them though, no matter how you use this word,  it does not work that way and is not something that you want describing your Faith.  You want your Faith to be a Verb…. Something that describes and denotes ACTION…..  Being a Christian is something you DO not something you are.

Matthew 7:16 (paraphrased)

  Ye shall know them by their fruits.

Many people throw this phrase around casually not knowing what it really means. The process of producing fruit is a lot of work. Any farmer or even a person who grows a garden in their home will tell you this. You cannot just throw seeds into dirt and ignore it hoping that in a few months good fruit will appear…. You must tend to the field watching for weeds that would pop up and choke your fruit, you must provide water and fertilizer. Farmers work from dawn to dusk to be sure that their crop produces good fruit that is desirable to the people……. That is exactly what we must do as Christians. We sow our seeds by telling people about the Gospel, but that is not enough. We must tend those seeds carefully to make sure that they grow strong and produce.

Jesus talked about casual and Sunday Christians in Matthews Gospel:

Matthew 7:21-23

21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Not a pretty picture……..

My friends today I tell you that you must live your life totally and completely sold out to The Lord. You must be a Christian 24 hours a day 7 days a week. The lost and dying world out there needs to see the light of The Lord shining through you at all times. Even those who don’t know The Lord should be able to see Him in you without asking.  You must be what The Lord told us we are in Matthews Gospel:

Matthew 5:14

14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

Ash Wednesday/Lent................

As today marks Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent, I thought I would share some thoughts….

I am sure that most of you are familiar with Ash Wednesday and the Lenten season, so I will not go into all the details and practices. This blog is more about the intention behind doing those things.

First I want to state the obvious…. Putting ashes on your forehead, abstaining from something or fasting CAN NOT save you… Only 1 thing can do that:

Romans 10:9

9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

So then why do people all over the world, not just in the Roman Church, but many Protestant Denominations observe this day? Because although it can not save you, it can (an if done in the right frame of mind) bring you closer to God…..

The key to this day is to listen to the Holy Spirit and what He is laying on your heart. There are things that we do in our everyday life that The Lord wants us to give up, and Ash Wednesday/Lent is a perfect time to do this.

Some of the things that many people struggle with and should (for their own health) give up are smoking and drinking.  Christians who are struggling with these things,  but know that the Lord has laid on their  hearts to give them up should take this opportunity to do so. There is also overeating which can be a big problem for a lot of people can do the same. Basically it can be anything that the Lord has laid on your heart to lay aside because it hinders your walk with Him.

So why Lent if you are not a member of a denomination that celebrates it?

1)      Its as good a time as any, and

2)      This is a time of reflection and prayer leading up to Easter, and many people fell that they are being drawn closer to God during this time. If you are feeling that way that obey that voice (the Holy Spirit). It will work much better than a New Years resolution (which for most people has already been forgotten)

This is where you get into the intent behind your actions.

If you are laying aside something that the Lord has been telling you to lay aside and have been finding excuses not to do so, then God will honor your sacrifice and will help you through it, because giving God a sacrifice in the right frame of mind is pleasing to Him:

Romans 12:1

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

 It does not mean that you will not be tempted, Jesus himself was tempted (Luke 4)  during his 40 day fast in the wilderness (the event in His life that Lent commemorates).

And just as Jesus upon returning from His 40 days was even MORE powerful than He was before, so can you be.

Luke 4:14
14 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.

On the other hand if you are doing it because of tradition or because it has always been done that way, your ancestors did it that way Etc., then it will have no effect. We are in fact warned by Jesus NOT to do things this way:

Mark 7:7-8

7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do

He also says (and these are some pretty strong words here):

Mark 7:13

13 Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.

So if you want to observe the Lenten Season, then I ask you to please search your heart and spend time in prayer. Ask the Lord to tell you what it is in your life that needs to be laid aside so that you can draw closer to Him.  If you choose to fast for part of this season then do so in the attitude of prayer and humility, not to be seen by other people…………. 

Are you putting yourself in chains?

We are going to continue on in the book of Galatians this week. This book is a road map for the pure Gospel of Jesus, the Gospel Of Grace that was given to Paul. As we study this book we will see a problem that still exists today………..

Galatians 1:6

6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:

When you study this book you will notice right off that Paul does not spend a lot of time on pleasantries… He writes a couple lines of greeting, but then get right into the subject of this letter. This shows that he was very concerned about what he was hearing from this Church that he had founded.

In our verse above the Greek word that is translated as “soon removed” is metatithesthe. In context, it means “ a deserter in the military or a turncoat”. By using this word we can assume that Paul was not only upset at what was going on, but was also broken hearted.  Paul was shocked that those in the Galatian Church would drop what he had taught them so quick. That they would listen to another person who was changing things was just unfathomable to Paul.

It is important to point out here that the people who were doing this DID NOT deny the facts of the gospel- that Jesus died and rose again.  What they denied was that The Lords sacrifice was adequate....

 Sound familiar? The teachings that these people were bringing in to the Galatian Church were that a person is saved by faith plus keeping the law, and that the believer is sanctified and enabled to live a holy life by faith plus keeping the law. My friends this is a total and complete lie.

 The Grace Of God IS sufficient for Salvation. You do not need to keep the law, to follow a set of rules, regulations or rituals in order to be saved.

Dr. J. Vernon McGee made this statement in regards to this teaching:

"This is one of the oldest heresies known, and it is still with us today.  It is adding

something to the gospel of grace; it is doing something rather than simply believing something. It

is faith plus something rather than faith plus nothing.  Every cult and 'ism' has something for you

to do in order to be saved."

Now think about Dr. McGee’s statement for a minute….. What he said is true. I have studied religions extensively, and I can tell you that each one that departs from the true Gospel adds things. We are of course told NOT to do this. From the Old Testament to the New, we are warned not to add things to the Gospel….

You will notice that the other “Gospel” that these people were trying to get the Galatian Church to believe was not really another Gospel at all, it was a PERVERSION of the Gospel Of Jesus.

Galatians 1:7

7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.

These people used a tactic that is still used today. They take just enough of the Gospel as told by our Lord and then they add their own things into it so that it sounds plausible to those who are looking for a quick fix…..

 Do this, do that, give this, give that and you are saved. Why do they do this? Because by adding things in and by making it so you have to participate in a ritual or do a certain thing in order to be saved they can keep control of you. By making these rituals and telling you they are “mandatory” or that they are an “obligation”, they can withhold Salvation from you if you run afoul of their rules….

 When they do this they change the Gospel from what it truly is, a message (Good News) of FREEDOM, into the bad news of bondage. They do exactly the opposite of what the Gospel of Jesus is for, and that is to set people free from the bondage of the law.

 If a bunch of legalism, rituals and other mumbo jumbo could have saved us, then there was no reason for Jesus to suffer and die as He did. By adding this junk to the Gospel of Jesus, they make His sacrifice worthless……

We have to stay true to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul tells us in the next verse:

Galatians 1:8

8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

My friends, the Gospel message is the message of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Period.

 If you believe in that, and accept Him as your personal Savior that is all you need to do. Everything else is nothing but man made rules.

If we look in the book of Acts, where Paul and Silas were in prison and after praying and praising The Lord, they were set free by and earthquake, the jailer asked them what he needed to do to be saved. What was Paul’s reply?

Acts 16:31

 31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

Cant get much clearer than that…….

My prayer for you to take away from this message today is to stay true to the pure Gospel of Jesus Christ. There are way to many Churches and denominations that  do not preach to the pure gospel of grace alone for salvation. 

  They try to bring us under the law.  Some teach dietary restrictions, some teach certain days must be observed.  Others will try to say certain church affiliations are necessary to gain salvation. Still others will tell you that you have to follow their rules to the T in order to be saved…….

  They do this through not only through pressure, but also through misguided education of those who are new to The Faith. There are denominations out there that require you to take classes on their rules and regulations in order to become a member of their Church.

  These new converts are not grounded in the pure gospel and do not know any better, but if they pick up their Bibles and read them they will see that all these rituals, traditions, whatever you want to call them are nothing but a bunch of man made rules designed to keep these young ones in Christ under their thumbs.

 They do this to build their membership rolls and by building their membership rolls, they fatten their bottom lines through giving. Their purpose is to keep you in bondage, but the purpose of Christ is to set you free.

 If you are a new Christian and you see the Church you are attending in this message, my advice to you is to run and run fast. Find a Church that preaches the true Gospel of Freedom in Christ. A person who is in bondage will not grow, but a person who if free in Christ will have no limit as to what He will do with your life……….

God Bless You Alll!!!

Pastor Brian

Millionaire Jesus????

The Prosperity “Gospel”

I have written sermons and done an audio series on this subject before, but while reading through Paul’s letter to Timothy this morning, I read some  verse’s that,  although I have read  before, the true meaning of this them did not strike me until now…. This is a great reason why everyone (even those of us whose career it is to preach the Word Of God) should actually read it with an open mind and no pre-conceived notions beforehand or agenda (like writing a sermon) beforehand. Instead we should just read the Bible for the pure JOY of reading it…

ON to our topic though………………..

The verses I ran across in my opinion shoots a HUGE whole in those who preach this prosperity “gospel” and also in those who pervert the Gospel Of Jesus Christ to line their pockets.

1 Timothy 5:5-9

5 Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.

6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.

7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.

8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.

9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.

From the context of this letter, its seems that Timothy was dealing with some people who came into the Church that Paul had left him to oversee preaching that God wanted people to be wealthy.  The Apostle has some pretty strong words to describe these people (Verse 5).  The fact is my friends is that this kind of trash is nothing more than idolatry. These “Ministers” are making a mockery of our Faith for their own gain, and are collecting millions of dollars doing it. They come in, tell you to empty your wallet and trust that God will fill it back up as if by magic….. No work required….. It saddens me and it angers me when I see this thing going on.

While researching this blog, I listen to several videos of these “Preachers” taking about this subject. The worst one I saw was a man who was preaching in front of a large crowd, and instead of glorifying God in his “sermon”, he spent 45 minutes talking about the material possessions that he had. Everything from a Rolls Royce for him to luxury cars for his children to a $16,000.00 (no that is not a typo) DOG…..  Not once was giving to those less fortunate mentioned, not once was feeding the hungry mentioned, nothing. The only thing that was mentioned was that if you brought your money and gave it to them then God would bless you…. This is not only wrong on many levels, it is a PERVERSION of the Gospel.

Yes we are told to give, and if you are attending a Church you should give to that Church.  If you are attending a revival and The Lord lays it on your heart to give of the resources that He has entrusted you with then do it, but do not give expecting to get.

Jesus addresses this in Luke’s Gospel:

Luke 6:35
But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil

Even some who do not identify with totally with this perversion of the Gospel still in some ways are influenced by it. I was told by the leader of an online Christian Church that I should DEMAND tithes and donations from those who I provide a “service” to.  Serving the poor and those in need is not conducive to this type of “theology”, and it goes against EVERYTHING that I stand for.  By demanding money from those who have nothing or by demanding that people give money to get a blessing, these false prophets are trying to one up the promise of our Lord:

Luke 6:37

Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

This verse is Jesus telling us that if we give, then HE will cause people to give unto us. He DID NOT say to give and you will get a Mercedes….  Paul reinforces this teaching by telling us in our Verses above that we need to be happy with what we have. If we have food and clothing then be content.  Paul also mentions it again in his letter to the Philippian Church:

Philippians 4:11-13

11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: everywhere and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.

13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Notice the key words here are in verse 13, doing all things THROUGH CHRIST. Not through some preacher selling you some kind of program. My friends, these people are not true Ministers, they are motivational speakers who use our Faith to get rich.

You may ask me why it is a bad thing to have nice clothes or a nice car or a big house.  It isn’t. IF GOD HAS CHOSEN TO GIVE YOU THESE THINGS then rejoice in His blessings. The problem comes in when you get caught up in this mess and obtaining things becomes the primary focus instead of telling people that God sent His only son that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life. And from the videos I have watched and even from the meetings from these type of preachers I have personally attended, I can tell you that the focus is not on God supplying our needs, it is on (as one of these guys so “eloquently” put it, “releasing the money”.  

A final thought on this, and perhaps the worst thing of all. Some (in fact most) of these prosperity preachers say that poverty is a curse and that Jesus himself was rich because He could not have been cursed…. This goes against the teachings of Jesus… If He was rich then why did He have Peter catch a fish with a coin in its mouth to pay the temple tax? I mean come on folks, even if the treasurer (Judas) who held the common money bag for the Ministry was not with them at that point, it stands to reason that they would not have been walking around broke. I do not know any person who is rich or even well off that does not have SOME money with them at all times for expenses like that.  Why did he have to use the upper room of another person’s house to celebrate the Passover when he could have paid for a room at an inn? There are many other examples, but I will stop here. The fact is my friends that The Lord DOES want you to be blessed, but this does not justify pursuing material things at all costs.

I have included a link to one of the many videos I watched while researching this blog. I think you will be shocked when you view it…..

Get That Money???

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Be A Light In The Darkness...........

A candle is a small thing, but one candle can light another. When it does this,  it’s own light increases, and the original candle does not loose anything by giving its light to another……

And a candle, no matter what its size, provides light no matter how deep the darkness is around it. As Christians, we are called to be like a candle,  not only shining our own light in a world of darkness, but also giving that light to another who needs it.

When you are a Christian, and you truly have Christ living within you, you will be full of light. You will never again be in darkness because He provides light for your path and for the path of others. Jesus tell us in John’s Gospel:

John 8:12

 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

Candles come in all different shapes, sizes and colors, and each one has a purpose. There are candles meant to light a whole room, there are candles that relax you, there are big candles, small candles, long and skinny candles, short and fat candles and  on… BUT all candles, no matter their shape or size all share the same traits.

They give light where there is darkness.

A candle that is not lit is just a piece of wax. The sole reason that a candle exists is to give off light. Now I know that there are “decorative” candles that people put in their homes because they like the shape or the color, but that candle never fulfills its true purpose until it is lit and starts burning. Paul talks about this in his second letter to the Church at Corinth:

2 Corinthians 4:6
For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Think about that for a moment…. The Creator of all things, the One who commanded light to be created is shining in our hearts. We then have an obligation to make sure that this light that is the Gospel of Jesus Christ shines bright in our lives and gives light to all who we would encounter.  How do we do this? By making sure that we are a shining example of the light of Christ. Once a candle is lit, it needs to be put in a place or on a candle stick so that the maximum amount of light is given off and can be seen by all. We cant just hide that candle… If we do, it is nothing but a waste. Jesus tells us this in Luke’s Gospel:

Luke 11:33

No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light.

Way too many people whose lives have been lit by the light of Christ are putting their candle in a secret place. They let their light shine on Sunday’s and Wednesdays when they go to Church and are around other Christians, but when they leave the building, they put that light away.  The only way that people know they are Christians is if they see them walking into a Church building. Otherwise you could never tell by the way they live their lives.

 Why is this? Because they put that light in a secret place…. This my friends should not be. We must let that light burn bright. From the front pew of the Church to the daily grind of our jobs. If we do not show that light that The Lord has caused to burn within us, we are not doing anyone any good.  

Think for a moment about a lighthouse that would guide a ship into a safe harbor. When lighthouses first came into being, the light that came from them was little more than a huge candle (although made of wood and other materials instead of wax, but the principle was and still is, the same). A light was burned and reflected onto the water so that the ships captains would see where the rocks were and not run aground. As the old story goes:

A battleship lookout noted a light in the distance on a dark, foggy night. After noting the light’s coordinates, the captain recognized his ship was on a collision course with the light. The captain instructed, "Signal the ship: We are on a collision course, advise you change course 20 degrees."

 The return signal countered, "Advisable for you to change course 20 degrees."

The captain signaled, "I’m the captain of this vessel, change your course 20 degrees."

The response from the light was, "I’m a seaman second class, you’d better change your course 20 degrees."

By this time the captain was furious. His signal curtly ordered, "I’m a battleship, this is the captain speaking. Change course 20 degrees, this is an order"

 The reply: "I’m the lighthouse and if you do not change your course, you are headed for a shallow reef that will sink your ship”.

How many people do we know today that are in our lives who are like the stubborn captain? Family, friends, co workers? All headed for the rocks of destruction. WE, who have the Light Of The World shining through us, must stand steadfast and let that light shine so that those we come in contact with will not crash on those rock, but instead will be guided safely into the harbor that is the love of Christ. Like the stubborn captain, they may argue, the may refuse to change their course, but if we stand firm, if we keep showing them the light, it will make a difference……

In closing today, I want to share a couple things about candles and how we need to aspire to make our lives like a candle. 

A candle, being made of wax is mold able. It can be shaped into any form that the person doing the molding want it to be. So must our lives be. We must let The Lord mold our lives into whatever shape He wants them to be. Not all shapes will be the same and they shouldn’t be, but each shape will have its specific purpose.

Also, as I mentioned before, candles are just pieces of wax. In order to be used properly, they must be lit. But before they can be lit, they must have something inside them, something that can not be removed and that carries the flame.  In a candle it  is a wick, in our lives, it is Jesus Christ.  So get out there, find some darkness, and light it up with your candle.  There is a world in darkness that is waiting for the light and we, as Disciples of Christ are called to be that light….

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Moving Forward In Christ, New Year's Sermon, 2013

As we stand here in the final 48 hours of 2012, and we look ahead to 2013, it is a good time to reflect on the year that is ending and to look forward into the year that is soon to begin. It is also a good time for God’s people to take inventory of their walk with the Lord. Of course just like every year, people all over the world are at this very moment pre-occupied with planning their celebrations for New Year’s Eve, and also are busy writing down their resolutions for the New Year. I ask you today that as we go through this sermon and more importantly, after the service has ended, the lights are off and we go our separate ways for the last time this year, to take some time and just be still, be with God, and reflect on what He has done for you this year and what He will continue to do in the coming year.

People celebrate New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day in different ways. For some it is the “last hurrah” of the Christmas season, with a last party or dinner to be planned, cooked and served. Others attend a Church service (usually know as a “watch night” service. Some go to a fireworks show that is put on in many cities across the world.  Some don’t do anything special, maybe spend the last few hours of the year with family and maybe watch the fireworks from across the world on TV.

My wife and I (and sometimes the kids) usually spend New Year’s Day taking down the Christmas tree and packing away the decorations. I enjoy doing this (even though I do get a little sad because I love Christmas time), but it is a great time to reflect and remember special times and blessings not only of the Christmas season that has just passed, but also of Christmases from years past. For me doing this not only has a practical side in getting the lights and decorations taken down and put away, but also a spiritual side as we will see in going through our sermon today.

Some things must be kept; some things must be thrown away

While taking down the Christmas lights and decorations, I check them before packing them away. In the case of the lights, if I find frayed or exposed wires, or strands that have had one to many staples put through them, then these are thrown away because they are a danger.  In our walk with Christ, it is much the same… We must get rid of the things which are a danger to our Christian walk, the things that if we continue to use them become a danger that could hurt us. Paul tells us in his letter to the Church in Colossae that we have to put off these things:

Colossians 3:8

 8 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.

These things are like the exposed wires on the Christmas lights. If you keep them around and plug them in, they could cause you a nasty shock and even start a fire. So you need to throw them away.

Think about Paul’s words in this verse above:

 Anger, wrath, malice:

 How many people who claim the name of Christ do we know that are full of these things. It is sad but it is true. This past year, we have really started to expand our presence on the various social networks online, and I see these things on a daily basis on the Christian and Church pages. People writing angry things toward one another, fighting over some small point of doctrine that they do not agree with, people fighting and ready to come to blows over insignificant things that they (NOT THE LORD) turn into this huge deal. This happened to me early in 2012 when I made a reference (based on a story that was told to me) of people using something other than “consecrated” hosts for communion (this story was of soldiers getting ready to go into battle not knowing if they would survive taking communion using what they had available which was their C-rations). I was blown away by the response from a “Christian leader” that was so full of anger, wrath and malice. It saddened me greatly that this person would be this way, but all I could do as turn the other cheek and not lower myself to that same level.  We need to take stock of ourselves and if we have these things against anyone, we need to throw them away and start fresh. We have to get rid of these things and live in the love of Jesus

Colossians 3:14

 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.

Then there are the other two:

Blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth

When we think of blasphemy, we normally think of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (Mark 3:29), but the context that Paul is using here in the letter as translated from the Greek writing means “to slander”. It can refer to slanders directed at God, but Paul is talking about slanders directed at other people, specifically other Christians. This happens when we insult and belittle others through gossip or when we put others down behind their backs.

 This goes right along with filthy communications…. Again when we thing of this we may think of Christian Brothers and Sisters telling dirty jokes or lusting after a person (either in their lives or that they see on TV). This of course should not be, and if that is in your life I tell you to throw it out as well. However, the translation from the Greek and the context that Paul is talking about in this letter means: “abusive speech”.  Words that are thrown around in an attempt to hurt or wound someone.   How many times do we see this in the Church?  Sadly, too many.  And my friends those who listen to such garbage without calling the person speaking it on the carpet, are just as guilty as those who utter it out of their mouths.

What else do we need to throw away out of our lives? In Chapter 2 verse 8, we are given some examples that we need to follow to make sure that our lives are pleasing to God:

Colossians 2:8
8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

All of the things here could fall under the heading if false doctrines….

Philosophies – This refers to wisdom of men. Man has invented some strange belief systems over the years, and every single manmade belief system is at variance with Jesus Christ. If what a person teaches is not backed up by the Word of God; that system is to be avoided by the believer.

Vain Deceit – This phrase means “empty tricks”. It refers to those who deceive through trickery or through a slick message. Again, if the message is not Jesus it is not of God. If the focus is not on Jesus and His shed blood, it is not of God!

Traditions of Men – Believers are warned to be careful of long held beliefs. Just because people have believed something to be true and have been taught that something is true, does not make it true! We are not to base our faith and our walk on the traditions of men, no matter how godly or worthy of respect the man may be. We are to base our belief system on the Word of God alone!

The Rudiments of the World – Again, believers are warned against falling away from a mature faith to accept a simplistic doctrine. This phrase refers to an alphabet, or things in a row. It speaks of simple things in contrast to deeper truth. We are to stay with the Bible and try every teaching against the clear Word of God.

Then we have probably the hardest one for a lot of people to understand, and even harder for a lot of people to let go of:

Colossians 2:16

16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days.

If we look at this Verse in context, Paul is talking about Foolish Demands that some Church leaders put on people.  As believers, we are to watch out for these people who would place us back under the Law. Jesus came to deliver us from legalism, and we are to stand in the liberty that we have been given in Jesus Christ. At the moment of His death, when He said the three most powerful words ever uttered by a human being, all that legalistic mumbo jumbo was put to rest there and then. When Jesus said IT IS FINISHED, the law was fulfilled once and for all time. Because that was the purpose for Jesus coming to this earth. So here now Paul is telling us that “no man has the right to be their judge”. If you have been saved by Jesus, then you have been delivered from the demands of the Law and are now under Grace.

I know I am stepping on some toes and so was Paul, but this is directly from the Word Of God, so if this offends, GOOD. That means that The Holy Spirit is pulling at your heart and telling you to lay these things aside and get back to The Word, because being a Christian does not consist in the keeping of man-made rules and rituals, but in a personal, relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

When we are taking stock of our lives and throwing those things out that hinder us in our walk we also have to remember those promises that will help us in our walk and keep these things in our hearts.

 When I pack away the Christmas decorations, I find ornaments and trinkets that remind me of good times and events. The ornaments that we purchased for each of our children for their first Christmas, Ornaments that belonged to my Grandmother or my Mother and Father in law, ornaments that my wife and I purchased for our first Christmas together and each time we purchased a new home….  

When taking these off the tree, and before they are packed carefully away, I pause and reflect on those events and remember the joy of watching my children open their gifts on Christmas Morning, and the joy of planning where the decorations would go when we had moved into a new home.  And even though these special things may be packed away, I know exactly where they are and could get to them if I needed to at any time of the year.  

So it must be with the Spiritual things. We must remember that God has given us things to keep in our hearts. The fact that there has been a death for all of us, and more than that, there has been a resurrection!! That we, by believing in Jesus and crucifying our old lives along with Him have also been raised with Him to a new life in Him:

Galatians 2:20
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Not only that, but we have a promise from God that this world is not the best that there is. That although we may live here for a short time, our hope lies in spending eternity with Him!! Everything we do must be filtered through this promise. And even though we may face battles with the flesh and with the devil here, we know that we have already won!! 

Through Jesus Christ we are truly destined to win and we can not be defeated!! One day we will stand in His presence, and no matter what we may have to go through here, when we look upon His face it will be worth it all!!

I know that this may be a lot to take in, but as we stand here on the cusp of a New Year, let us take a good, hard look at our lives and at our walk with the Lord.

Let us retain & remember those things that assist us in our walk with The Lord, and lay aside anything that would hinder it.

 Let us move forward into this New Year listening to the Voice Of God and asking Him to remove the blinders and open our hearts and minds to a greater understanding of His Word. 

Let us listen to Him as He calls us out from behind those stained glass windows and back into the streets so that we can carry His message to a lost and dying world.

 Let us make 2013 the best year of our lives to the Glory Of God!!

God Bless you all and Happy New Year

Pastor Brian

Its A Wonderful Life, 1st Sunday Of Advent, 2012

The classic Christmas film “It’s A Wonderful Life” is beloved the world over. It somehow manages to do something that most filmmakers today are not capable of, kind of a “lost art” if you will. What this film does is take us back to a simpler time. A time where God was honored, where children still prayed in school, when The Bible was a textbook, where most everybody young or old honored Jesus and knew without a doubt that He was there and strived to live as if he was standing right next to you.  Even most of those who “strayed from the path” knew that God was still there and admitted such in public. As we go through the next four Sundays, we will be using this film along with some other literary works to illustrate how even though these films and books were made or written for entertainment, they can and should teach us a lesson on how to live……


We come into the film during the last dinner that George Bailey and his father will ever have together. Georges Father (Peter) had spent his life laboring away at a small building and loan (what we would call today a credit union). They had more lax rules for lending to people who wanted to buy a home, and generally were more involved with their customers. Peter Bailey was a good man and was hoping that his eldest son would one day take over this business. George of course, wants more out of life. He wants to travel and have adventure. He does not see himself sitting in that small business in that small town for the rest of his life. But sometimes The Lord has other plans for you even if they are not your plans……

If we turn in our Bibles and look at Joseph when he finds out that Mary is pregnant, even though they were not married, we will see a prime example of this.

Matthew 1:18-20
 18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.

19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.

20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

Just as George Baileys life changed when his Father died in our film, so did Josephs life change when he found out that Mary was pregnant.

There are two schools of thought on how Joseph felt after getting the news. One is that he thought Mary had been unfaithful to him, the other is that she had told him what happened and he was blown away by it. Either way, the fact is that he pondered or considered all that had been presented to him and also pondered what to do about it. Now according to the law, Joseph could have had Mary stoned to death for being unfaithful, but he did not want to do that. Why? Because as the Scripture tells us, he was a just man. I am sure that (if he did believe that she had been unfaithful to him) he was very sad and probably angry, but still his love and devotion to her would not allow him to make a public spectacle of her and see her die because of a mistake. On the other hand, if he did believe Mary and believed that she was pregnant through an act of God, he was probably a bit overwhelmed and feeling unworthy to be the earthly Father of the Son Of God……

Either way, we see that he had determined to send her away privately so that she could avoid a public scandal at best and death at worst. Even if it meant that he would have to endure some shame or ridicule, so be it. His love for Mary and  his devotion to God would not allow him to subject this young girl to that.

But then God sends an angel and tells Joseph not to be afraid and that the child is in fact the Son Of God. Can you imagine how overwhelmed that Joseph must have been?  What thoughts must have been going through his mind? That he was to be the earthly Father of Gods Son? I don’t know about you, but I think I might have passed out…….. But what does Joseph do?

Matthew 1:24

24 Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:


  So Joseph gets up from bed and takes Mary into his home so that everyone around them would think that the marriage had already taken place. In Biblical times a couple that were engaged were not considered married until the husband took the wife into his home to live with him. Of course it was assumed that the couple would have sexual relations and that the wife would bear children. So by Josephs act of obedience to God, even though I am sure this was not what he had planned for his life, the way was set for the Savior to be born and for the world to be redeemed…..


As you start this Christmas Season, and things get busier and busier as the big day approaches, do not forget to take time out and reflect on the real reason for the season…….

The Guest Room, Sunday Sermon, 09/09/12......

Mark 14:12-15
12 Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they killed the Passover lamb, His disciples said to Him, “Where do You want us to go and prepare, that You may eat the Passover?” 
13 And He sent out two of His disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him. 14 Wherever he goes in, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is the guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?”’ 15 Then he will show you a large upper room, furnished and prepared; there make ready for us




These verses are, of course, detailing the events leading up to the Last Supper (The Passover Feast). Most everyone knows the story of the Last Supper and the events that transpired during it, so our focus today is not going to be on The Last Supper itself, rather we are going to look at how Jesus got to the upper room, and how we can apply this to real life……..


It is evident from many scriptures in the synoptic Gospels that in addition to helping Jesus teach and being sent on missions, the Disciples were also charged with taking care of the day to day needs of Jesus himself and the ministry as a whole.  We still see this even today where most traveling Evangelists (specially the ones who have a large following) have a team of people that support them during the meetings as well as go ahead of the Evangelist into the next city/town where they will be holding a meeting to make sure everything is in order so that when the Evangelist gets there, he or she can concentrate on delivering the message.


So it was with Jesus and the Disciples. We see them in 12 coming to Jesus for instructions as to where they should go to celebrate Passover. Having no set home or even a set “base of operations” for any period of time, they bounced around from place to place wherever Jesus was lead by The Father to go and preach. Jesus’ answer to them when they ask about preparing a place for the Passover is to go into a city, meet a man carrying a pitcher of water, follow him and when you see his house, ask him where is your spare room so that The Master (Jesus) and his disciples can celebrate the Passover.


We are not told anything about the man who let them use his room, the Bible does not record anything about him other than the fact that he would be carrying a pitcher of water. SO then what is so significant about this man? Why am I devoting an entire sermon to him? Because of his REACTION.


When the Disciples came to him and followed him home, Jesus was very precise in his instructions. He told the Disciples to ask him where is your spare room so that the master (Jesus) can celebrate the Passover there. Again, we don’t know who this man was, whether he followed Jesus or the Pharisee’s, nothing….Now this man could have reacted in a lot of different ways. Two guys that he doesn’t know follow him home and say hey, where is your guestroom, we are gonna celebrate the holiday there. In todays world he might have called the cops and reported them for stalking….. The room was already set up for the celebration, so it is not to far of a stretch to think that the homeowner may have had plans to use it himself for his celebration. He could have said uh no, I don’t think so, I was gonna use that myself. Or he could have said, who is your master? Who are you? But he does not do either of these things, instead he shows them to the room, says here it is, you are welcome to it, and that was that.


What we can learn from this man is to be ready to receive The Lord without asking questions, or without making excuses. Sometimes, in fact a lot of times, the Lord just shows up, or sends his disciples with a message telling you to do something. As with the man here in these verses, no choice is given, just an offer…. Could this man have refused? Of course, God gave us all free will. Had he refused, they would have went elsewhere to celebrate. So it is with us… At some point Jesus will send His messengers to you with an offer. A chance to do something for Him. How will you react? When they come to your door, will you show them the upper room, inviting them in without question, even if you had other plans, or will you turn them away and tell them that you have other plans for that room (portion of your life)?


 No matter whether it is The Lord wanting to work in a different way in your life, or something as simple as putting up the guest Preacher that is coming to your church this weekend, I urge you to show Him the upper room and tell him “it’s all yours, use it as you will”. If you do this, you will be blessed beyond measure. God will do great things with what you give him. You may have to change your plans a bit, but the reward will far outweigh any little problems you may have to deal with…..

Give 6 2012................

The Give 6 Project 2012


Think about it….. $6.00 doesn’t buy much. If you do not pack your own lunch, then chances are you will spend more than that just on your midday meal today.  You will spend more than that if you buy a cup of coffee more than 4times a MONTH, and are just buying from a gas station or convenience store, NOT a large coffee shop chain).

I am challenging everyone to bring a sack lunch just 1 day a week or to forego that cup of coffee 4 times this month (in most places you can buy a refillable travel mug for a few dollars and you even get your first cup free J ). Then take the money you would have spent on these items and donate them to help our food bank.

Here at Pacific Life Church, we are very adept at turning a small amount of money into a large amount of food for a hungry family.  In fact, because of our agreements with grocery stores and other food distributors, we can take your $6.00 and turn it into enough food for a hungry family for a week. Your money will not be wasted, and I can assure you that no one here drives around in a luxury car or lives in a million dollar home…….

Our goal from now until the end of the year is to provide  food for 1000 families as well as special Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners for them.

Please help us help others. That $6.00 will go along way no matter if you can donate it every week, every month, or even one time. IT WILL HELP!!!

As a special thank you gift to those who make a donation of $24.00 or more (either all at once or through weekly $6.00 increments) we will send you this beautiful Christmas ornament. Crafted of wood in elegant marquise shape,   this work of art beautifully displays the true story of Christmas, the birth of Christ.

Please check out the link below for all the information and to help us help others.

To get things started, Pastor Brian will donate all personal honorariums from Weddings, Funerals, Speaking Engagements etc that he receives from 09/07/12 through the end of the year,  directly to this project.

God Bless!!!

Pastor Brian & Staff

The Give Six Project, 2012

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”Online Christian Ordination- become a Wedding Officiant and so much more”

Start your own Church or Ministry. We can help you. 

We are a REAL CHURCH that hold’s regular services at a physical location as well as online.

Don’t be mislead, if you are looking for Ordination as a Non-Denominational Christian Minister, but do not want to be Ordained by a Church that only exists in cyber space,  click on the link below.

Get Ordained

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Statement Regarding LGBT People & The Church......

 I have been trying to stay above the whole Chick-Fil-A flap and the ensuing debate over LGBT Christians, even though I have been bombarded with requests for a statement. I made one statement in regards to a Church blaming LGBT teen suicide victims and their parents stating that it was somehow their fault. That statement can be found here:http://devotions4reallife.wordpress.com/2012/08/07/the-victims-fault/ .  It was my hope that this would suffice….. However due to some recent events I must now make the statement that follows in the hopes that this will once and for all put this matter to rest……

Pastor Brian


There has been a lot of bickering among Christians lately in regards to Marriage Equality and the question of whether or not a person who is a member of the LGBT community can be a Christian. There is pressure to choose a side, and this issue has the potential to divide the Church even further than it already is….

My friends division within the Church is a tool of the devil plain and simple. If he can divide the body of Christ and make them fight over trivial matters than he has won. Jesus himself told us that “if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand“. the devil knows this and seeks to divide and conquer wherever he can, and is, sadly, doing pretty well at dividing The Lords house.

The most popular Scripture’s that are used to do this come from the book of Leviticus, specifically Leviticus 18:22 & Leviticus 20:13. These people take Scriptures from this book that was given by God as instructions on how Priests were to live prior to the coming of Jesus, outlining the way animal sacrifices were to be done for the atonement of sins, dietary laws, and a host of other things  out of context and use them to justify their hatred.  Again, these instructions were given prior to the death of Jesus.  Leviticus also contains all sorts of rituals that are no longer followed, prohibitions against eating shellfish, cooking a steak on the some stove or grill that has ever cooked a pig, eating bacon, etc, etc…..  James in his letter to the 12 tribes had this to say: “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all” (James 2:10).  So that person who spends time bashing people for being members of the LGBT community and then goes out and enjoys their ham dinner or their steak and lobster is just as guilty as they think the LGBT person is. Also you wont see anyone going into the Holy Of Holies once a year to atone for the sins of the people. Why? Because Jesus did this for us once and for all time when He died on the cross. When Jesus said “It Is Finished”, that meant that the law was no longer needed. This is further evidenced by the fact that the veil covering the Holy Of Holies was torn in half.

The fact is that people trying to justify themselves and condemn others by using the law is not a new thing. Paul wrote in his letter to the Galatian Church:   I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. (Galatians 2:21). 

We could go on and argue this until The Lord returns, but there would be no point, and I refuse to do it. My response then to all of those who are condemning people with the law and/or judging people is this:  Until there is not one hungry person left in the world, until there is not one person that is in need we should not be spending our precious time arguing about this or any other trivial issue. Instead we should be about The Fathers business of providing hope and help to a lost and dying world. Get out from behind your stained glass windows and get out into the street and do something.

Pastor Brian Linebarger, 08/15/2012

Matthew 25:40
 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

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”Online Christian Ordination- become a Wedding Officiant and so much more”

Start your own Church or Ministry. We can help you. 

We are a REAL CHURCH that hold’s regular services at a physical location as well as online.

Don’t be mislead, if you are looking for Ordination as a Non-Denominational Christian Minister, but do not want to be Ordained by a Church that only exists in cyber space,  click on the link below.

Get Ordained

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Sunday 07/15/12 Sermon- Dont Look, Just Leap......

The server that hosts the Pacific Life Church website is down for maintenance today, so I am posting todays Sermon here and also on wordpress. Once the server comes back up, I will also post it (as normal) at the Pacific Life Church Home Page. Until then, God bless you all!!

Pastor Brian




 The Impala
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Pastor Brian Linebarger

The African impala can jump to a height of over 10 feet and cover a distance of greater than 30 feet. Yet these magnificent creatures can be kept in an enclosure in any zoo with a 3-foot wall. The animals will not jump if they cannot see where their feet will fall.

Like an Impala in a zoo, Christians and people in general can find themselves in their own enclosures when they forget to have faith.  And what is faith?

Hebrews 11 provides perhaps the best explanation of this. Read the entire chapter, you will find much strength & wisdom there. For our purposes today, we will only use verse 1, which sums up in a nutshell what faith is:

Hebrews 11:1 (NLT)
 Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.

Like the Impala, Christians can forget that we have evidence of the things we don’t see. We know, by faith, that we will have firm ground on the other side of that little wall. We know that God will be there and guide us to a perfect landing. Sometimes we may not land where we thought we were going to, but we can be assured that the place where we do land is where God wants us to. By faith we can get out of that enclosure that keeps us penned in and move forward towards the place that God wants us to be.

Every person in the world puts faith in something every moment of their lives. If you are sitting at home, you have faith that the guy who built it was properly trained, & knew where to place the boards that hold up the roof and how to properly nail them so that they will be strong. When you get behind the wheel of your car, you are putting your faith in people you don’t know that they will follow the rules of the road, that they will not have had to much to drink before they drive. When you go to work you are putting your faith not only in the builders of the office/store/whatever building you work in, but also in the hope that your company will not be the next one to file for bankruptcy & that there will be enough money in the bank so that you will be able to cash your paycheck…..

There are many other examples, but I will close with this question: You have to put your faith in something, no matter who you are. So would you rather put your faith in the creation or in the Creator?

God bless!!!


 Faith is the ability to trust what we cannot see, and with faith we are freed from the flimsy enclosures of life that only fear allows to entrap us. - John Emmons 


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”Online Christian Ordination- become a Wedding Officiant and so much more”

Start your own Church or Ministry. We can help you. 

We are a REAL CHURCH that hold’s regular services at a physical location as well as online.

Don’t be mislead, if you are looking for Ordination as a Non-Denominational Christian Minister, but do not want to be Ordained by a Church that only exists in cyber space,  click on the link below.

Get Ordained

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Pastors Without Portfolio, The Work Of A Chaplain....

Our series on demonology will continue soon. Today I present to you this topic that is near and dear to my heart and should be near and dear to the heart of every Minister......
Pastor Brian


On any given day if you were to go to a Hospital or Hospice facility, you would see them. Walking the corridors with a smile and a kind word. People seek them out for advice. When a loved one is near passing or about to go into surgery they are called in. Are we talking about Doctors? Nurses maybe?  No, we are talking about Chaplains..........

The role of Chaplain is not an easy branch of Ministry, but it is a vital one. Chaplains perform most of the duties that a Pastor would, but many times the people that they serve they have never met before. Most times it is a volunteer position, so you must be willing to do this work without expectation of any compensation. You also may be called in to serve a person who is of a different denomination than you are, and you must be willing to lay aside your denomination and serve the people in need until a Minister from their own Church or denomination can get there.

In my time as an Emergency Response Chaplain, I have served the entire spectrum from Catholic to Pentecostal and everyone in between. When a person is about to meet The One who created them, denominations dont really seem to matter, what does matter is that there is a person of God there with them.

Many times the Chaplain is called in when people are going through some of the toughest times in their lives. It is a 24 hours a day, 7 day a week, 365 day a year Ministry.

As a Chaplain you must be willing to listen, you must have a thick skin, and you must be prepared to answer the tough questions when it comes to 'Why is this happening to me".  As I said, it is a tough branch of Ministry, but a vital and needed one.

Here in the US, there is a shortage of Ministers willing to take on this role, and yet being a Chaplain is the very definition of helping others.  The shortage is even more acute in Hospitals that are located in Urban areas. In these Hospitals, they are desperate for anyone who is willing to take on this role, while Hospitals in more affluent areas many times have a waiting list...... This my friends SHOULD NOT BE.

The Lord tells us in Matthew 10:8, freely ye have received, freely give. So what is Jesus telling us? If you read a little further in Matthew 10, you will find the answer.....

I have heard other Ministers bragging about how they can "clear $500.00 or more by providing communion to people in nursing homes and Hospitals". THIS IS WRONG. These same Ministers say that they consider communion, praying for/anointing the sick and dying to be Sacraments, so why then would you charge for them??

As Christians, you are already authorized by The Lord to perform these duties, but most time the Hospitals want you to be Ordained and/or have an authorization from your Church to serve as a Chaplain. If you are Ordained through Pacific Life Church, you are authorized by the Church to serve in this capacity by virtue of your Ordination with us. It should also be mentioned that if you are Ordained by Pacific Life Church, you are Ordained by a "brick and mortar" Church, not a Church that exists solely in cyberspace (this is important to a lot of Hospitals). We will work with you and help you complete anything that you may need in order to serve. This can range from verification of your Ordination, a letter of good standing (included when you order your Ordination Credential, Photo ID Cards, filling out/Notarizing any paperwork required by the facility that you are going to work with, whatever it takes, we will help you get it done so that you can serve these people who are in need. We will also be offering a Certificate Course in Chaplaincy very soon through our Minster Training Center.

The Lord is calling, will you answer?

Pastor Brian

Matthew 25:34-40 (KJV)

 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.



_________________________________________________________________________________

”Online Christian Ordination- become a Wedding Officiant and so much more”

Start your own Church or Ministry. We can help you. 

We are a REAL CHURCH that hold’s regular services at a physical location as well as online.

Don’t be mislead, if you are looking for Ordination as a Non-Denominational Christian Minister, but do not want to be Ordained by a Church that only exists in cyber space,  click on the link below.

 Get Ordained

_________________________________________________________________________________

Voices From Hell Part 2, Figures From Hell........

Some types of demons and how they operate

Intro to Demonology, part 2.…………

In this part of the series, we will look at what demons are, what powers they have and do not have, and how they operate in human lives.

A demon is a disembodied spirit who are always on the look out for a home. They find this home in a human, a building or piece of land or even in an animal. They can not find a home in inanimate objects (think “Chucky”, the doll from those movies.). They were once Angels, created by God, but they chose to rebel and align themselves with satan. Pride got the better of them. Their heavenly form is beautiful (as are all angels), but that is not usually how they appear in this realm (although they can).

In order for them to come into this realm, they must be given a doorway. There are various types, some that seem very innocent, but are anything but. Communicating with “the dead” (necromancy), Ouija boards, symbols, tarot cards, “psychic mediums” and the like are just a few of the doorways that when opened give the demon access to a person or property.

Once that door is open, the demon can appear in our realm as shadows, mists, orbs, and other things. They can sometimes look human, but can not truly replicate the human form, that is to say they can not become human. You may have heard of “shadow people”, these are demons that appear in human shape, but are completely black almost like living darkness. Demons can also appear in the form of an animal and again, like the human form, it will not be a perfect replica, it will be a shadow.

A couple things to note about demons; when they do appear in this realm it is only temporary, because they can not create anything. They can only take the shape of something that already exists, and even this will only last for a short period of time. This is why they seek to possess a person or an animal, because that is a permanent home for them (until they are forced out by the power of Jesus Christ). Demons will also appear to a person who they are tormenting in a form that the person recognizes and is very frightened of, because that is one of the ways it will break down your defenses is by fear. For example, if a demon were to appear as a kitten, most people would laugh it off and some would try to give it a bowl of milk. But if you are afraid of kittens (yes some people and entire cultures are), then it is plausible that that little ball of fur at your door could be more than it seems. It is though much more likely that it would appear as a big cat, a snake, a large dog, anything that makes you afraid. Once it appears that way and makes you afraid, then it can work on making you give yourself over to fear. Fear is the devils number one tactic because it is the opposite of Faith. Fear will bring bondage (Romans 8:15), and when you are in bondage, you are open to oppression and possession.

Another tactic that a demon will use is to appeal to your vanity and/or pride. We are warned many, many times in the Bible against pride and vanity. Pride and vanity caused the fall of man (Genesis 3), and has destroyed (with the help of demonic influence), many people and Ministries. There is nothing wrong with feeing proud of your children, your family, friends or even yourself for a job well done (say graduating from High School/College, or a promotion in your job etc), as long as it is done in the knowledge that The Lord was a key factor in these things. It is when you start to think that you can do things on your own, when you desire to be like God that things go bad. Frank Peretti, Author of “This Present Darkness” said it better than I can:

“whatever shape, whatever form it takes to win a person’s confidence and appeal to his vanity, that’s the form they take. And they tell the deluded seeker of truth whatever he or she wants to hear until they finally have that person in their complete control.”

Again my friends, this is just an introduction to the subject, and is meant to equip you against the most common types of demons. A complete study of this subject would fill several books and still not be complete. In the next blog, we will look at how to combat these spirits and keep them away from you. Until then, guard your hearts my friends.

Pastor Brian

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