- Blue Rose Tuesdays 05/11/2012
- What Love is This? 04/13/2012
- Rapture, Purpose, and the work of Jesus 05/12/2012
- The New Church System & Spiritual Sex-Trafficking 05/09/2012
A Culture & Understanding of True Honor
Over the course of our time in the public eye of Christendom, there has been a lot of opposition to the way we go about doing things–how we confront error, the delivery of some of our messages, and the aggressive nature towards certain doctrines, traditions, and mindsets that we have taken.
You will not see us malign anyone’s character or their intentions, their heart towards God or their heart towards other people. You will not see us do anything to seek to damage anyone’s reputation, accuse people falsely, or have any malicious intent towards others. You will not see us doing things to discredit the worth of people or their ministries.
That’s called slander. There are a ton of people who build their entire “ministries” by tearing down others. We will not do that. Ever.
What you will see and likely have seen is that we unashamedly confront mindsets and traditions that are very prevalent in the church today that keep people in bondage.
We wouldn’t have the majority of the New Testament if Paul didn’t think it was important to confront error and teach Truth. Most of his letters were letters of correction to well-intentioned but incorrect churches who were steeped in error.
The trouble and the tension with what we do is as follows:
Since so many people are so emotionally and mentally attached to what they do (performance) and the ministries/teachers they respect and listen to, if anything that those well-respected teachers preaches is even mildly confronted or corrected by anything we’ve put out, people have had a tendency to put up a huge wall and get offended, leading to them (the hearers) shutting down or slandering us.
So we are faced with an interesting dilemma–one that was shared, I am quite sure, with Jesus and the apostles as they came on the scene preaching a message that, quite literally, was diametrically opposed to the popular teachings of the religious leaders of their day.
They weren’t persecuted because they were nice to everybody and wandered around talking like Mr. Rogers.
They were persecuted because if what they were preaching was indeed Truth, that meant that everybody around them was wrong.
But Truth is Truth. And once you know Truth, it sets you free (John 8:32).
What most people don’t know, is that there is a condition on Jesus’ statement of Truth setting you free:
“…Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” – John 8:31-32
If you are not holding to Jesus’ teaching, by His own words, you aren’t really His disciple and you don’t know the Truth, and you are not free.
We try to do everything that is in our ability to show spiritually starved people what Jesus really said, what He really did, and the vastly amazing implications that has for you as one who profess Him as your Lord and Savior.
Unfortunately, a lot of what is taught in the church today is not what Jesus taught and actually is diametrically opposed to what He taught and especially the finished work that He did on Calvary to atone for sins and pay for your freedom.
So naturally, we get some pretty heated flack from those whose traditions and mindsets and doctrines we confront.
And two of the most frequently used oppositions to anything we have said, done, or teach are the following:
- “You must walk in ‘honor’…don’t be ‘dishonoring’!
- “You can’t just speak the truth…you have to speak the truth ‘in love’!
I am going to do my best to address this issue of honor.
The “speaking the truth in love” thing is so frequently thrown out it’s essentially the person saying:
“I am agreeing that what you are saying is true, but because the way you said it hurt my feelings a little bit, I am perceiving that as unloving, and therefore I am going to ignore the fact that what you said is true and thus stay the same in my lies.”
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In regards to HONOR
Centuries ago, honor meant standing up and fighting for what was right no matter the cost.
Honor was a whole lot more than treating someone nicely and being friendly and jovial towards that which defied freedom.
Honor certainly was not blindly accepting or believing something someone said simply because of who said it.
I believe that is called being naïve.
Honor meant openly defying tyrannical oppression and defending, sometimes violently, the cause of righteousness and truth despite the persecution that vehemently came their way.
Honor meant being willing to confront someone, unafraid of consequences, because that person was harming someone innocent. It meant loving a person so much that you were willing to have your intentions be misunderstood for the sake of standing for truth and setting them free with it.
That is honor.
Religion today teaches that “honor” is just blind, dumb submission that doesn’t ask questions.
Religion today teaches that “honor” is obedience to what man says, yet ignoring what God has already said.
Religion today teaches that “honor” is not correcting anybody, not standing up and saying that certain messages or teachings are wrong, all for the sake of “love” and “unity”.
And I would propose to you that is all a lie from the pit of hell.
The devil doesn’t have to work very hard to keep the church running in circles. Man-made doctrines about “honor” and “walking in love” are working a fine job doing just that by keeping Christians SILENT about the very issues that are keeping people in bondage.
The Bible calls that “fear of man”, “people pleasing”, “ear tickling”, and “flattery”.
HONOR is to do to others what you would have them do to you.
HONOR is to fight for what is RIGHT, and GOOD, and TRUE despite the cost and despite all of the slanderous accusations and lies that will be railed at you for doing so.
“He has honor if he holds himself to a [righteous] ideal of conduct thought it is inconvenient, unprofitable, or dangerous to do so.” – Walter Lippman
“Nobody can acquire honor by doing what is wrong.” – Thomas Jefferson
I would add that it is not honoring to sit idly by when you know that something is being spread or taught that is not in alignment with the teachings of Christ.
“All that is required for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing.” – Edward Burke
It IS honoring to ask questions. It IS honoring to confront error with Truth. It IS honoring and it IS loving to stand up for Truth because that is precisely what Jesus, the apostles, and so many martyrs throughout the ages have done as they have given their last breath to stand for righteousness and the finished work of the cross.
How “honoring” were the apostles by today’s standards in Acts 4:18-20 and Acts 5:29 when they boldly and brazenly refused to “submit to leadership” or “honor the authority” of those ‘churches’?
How “honoring” was Jesus when He called the leaders of His day “sons of the devil” for how much they were burdening other people and teaching man-made tradition? (Matthew 15, Matthew 23, Mark 7)
How “honoring” was Paul when he said if anybody taught a gospel contrary to the one he taught, that they should be eternally condemned? (Gal. 1:1-10)
“The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And recovery of sight to the blind,To set at liberty those who are oppressed;To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.” – Luke 4:18-19
Honor is setting the oppressed free and bringing good news to those who have been downtrodden and heavy-laden.
THAT is honor.
Anything less falls miserably short of what God ever designed “honor” to be.
And now that you have seen what the Father sent Jesus to do:
“…Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent ME, so I am sending YOU.” – John 20:21
Real honor fights for what is right and good.
Real honor fights for what is True.
Real honor fights despite people misunderstanding intentions.
Real honor stands up against that which enslaves the innocent and helpless.
Real honor opens the eyes of the blind and unstops the ears of the deaf.
Real honor defies tyranny.
Real honor does not compromise for the sake of making people feel good.
Real honor cares more about the freedom of people than the comfort of those who spread lies and are in bondage.
It always comes back to JESUS.
“Honoring people does not mean putting up with lies, it means dismantling them no matter who says them. It’s not honor or love to defend stupid stuff because your pastor or favorite preacher says it. It’s quite the opposite.
The kind of “honor” that is so popular in church today kills people; it’s a devil.
Real honor will never compromise the Truth of Jesus just so it can get along with people, but it will die fighting for Him. Hebrews 11 is what real honor looks like. The life of Jesus is what real honor looks like.” - Daniel Silva
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I hope you have been as impacted by this as I was by writing it and the understanding of what it really should look like to “be honoring”.
If you enjoyed this post, please consider donating.
Maintaining this site and everything it is connected to takes up a lot of time and we greatly appreciate any and all help that you can extend our way!
Our Journey – The Motivation for All of It
This is a cross-post from Brandon’s site that sums up where we are at right now and where we are going. Make sure to read to the end to figure out why we’ve been so silent lately:
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Here are some of the motives people have when doing signs and wonders (obviously not comprehensive).
- because they want to get over their own fears
- because they want to see what they’re capable of
- because they want to see the miraculous
- because they want to be seen by others
- because they want attention
- because they want money
- because they want to build up a ministry/name/reputation
- because they want to prove someone else (or group) wrong
- because they want to validate/prove their own beliefs
- because they want to prove their identity
- because they want approval from God
- because they hate the devil
- because they want to do what Jesus said
- because they want to steward what they have been given
- because they want to provoke others to good works
- because they have compassion for the lost and broken
Reading through this list, I am sure you can pick out the “good” and “bad” motives. But the point I want to make is that there is a “good,” “better,” and “best.”
There is only one motive that Jesus repeatedly mentioned and demonstrated in the gospels, and that is, compassion. He did do what His Father said, He did have a hate for the work of the devil, He did provoke others to good works, but the only one he preached was compassion.
Every one of those motives that I listed, I’ve done at one point (good and bad), but I have since found that compassion must be the first and foremost motive while I am demonstrating this gospel.
About 8 months ago when I was first starting up, there was a point where I got bored even in the midst of seeing many, many miracles. Everything somehow started to become routine and the luster of seeing the impossible happen began to wear out.
I started from pure excitement to see what else I could do with resurrection power (Rom 8:11), to feeling completely satisfied because it felt like I was on top of the world, to feeling bored because I wasn’t seeing the “bigger” breakthroughs.
I was pondering this to myself when Holy Spirit matter-of-factly said, “You’re not walking in compassion, you’re not serving, you’re being selfish. This has been all about you you you.”
Ouch.
I thought for a few minutes and realized what I had done. I was healing the sick for my own satisfaction rather than having compassion for people and serving them.
Healing the sick had become about me, rather than the person in front of me.
“Which miracle I can see today?” rather than “How can I serve my brothers and sisters?”
“I can show you a miracle” rather than “I want you to experience the freedom that Christ has paid for.”
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Why is this relevant?
Jesus placed a very high value on motive.
1.) Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. (Matthew 6:1)
Jesus never said charitable deeds were bad, but if you’re doing it with the wrong motive, “you have no reward from your Father in heaven.”
2.) Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread… If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down… All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.” (Matthew 4:1-11)
Jesus never denied his ability to do any of those things. The issue was not about the task, but whose voice He was listening to.
3.) And though I have [the gift of] prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed [the poor], and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. (1 Cor 13:2-3)
You can read someone’s mail, you can have the greatest revelation, you can have mountain-moving faith, you can feed the poor, you can die a martyr’s death, but if it isn’t because of the outworking of love, you’ve missed it.
Let me explain…
1.) If you are healing the sick for the purpose of getting a name or reputation, or building a ministry (to be seen by other people), you’ve missed it.
2.) If you are healing the sick for the purpose of proving your identity, or to prove someone else wrong, or prove your theology right, you’ve missed it.
If someone challenges you by saying “If you are who you say you are, prove it” or “If you can really do what you say you can do, prove it” you are being tempted on the level that Jesus was tempted.
My friend Cornel said this recently:
The greatest temptation is not porn, alcohol, drugs, success or wealth.The greatest temptation you will face is when you are asked to prove your identity by supernatural manifestations.
The devil tempted Jesus in the wilderness, and the Pharisees tempted him twice (Matt 12:38, Matt 16:1). Both times, Jesus passed the test and didn’t comply to their request.
3.) It is possible to do signs/wonders – even other things we have been commanded to do – without love and compassion.
‘Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ – Matthew 7:22-23
You can do everything Jesus did, but not actually know Him. You can mimic His acts, but still miss His ways. You can have all the supernatural signs and wonders, but not have supernatural Love.
“By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” – John 13:35
Again, to reiterate, not every single motive is bad. Healing the sick because you hate the devil and his work or because Jesus said to do it are both good motives. But let it first and foremost be because you have compassion for people.
“And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” – 1 Cor 13:13
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If you’re walking in resurrection power, it is very easy to go back to your church to “prove” that healing is for today. It is easy to confront powerless preaching by demonstrating power.
It is easy to do miracles just because it’s exciting, but if compassion is not your first motive, people can tell when you are treating them like projects rather than a person.
It is easy to see miracles everyday, but it’s just as easy to get to a point where you do it mechanically, “Ok, be healed. Awesome. Jesus loves you. Bye” rather than flowing in compassion and actually caring about the person.
If you’re just starting out, it’s very easy to get caught up with seeing more miracles. That’s not bad in itself, but don’t stay there, learn to walk in compassion for people.
If you’re around old friends or skeptics and you want to show them real power, it’s tempting to get caught up in trying to prove that what you have is real, rather than walking in compassion.
If you’re praying for someone that seemingly isn’t getting better, it’s easy to get angry at the devil and have that become the driving force instead of having compassion.
If you didn’t think “outreach” wasn’t good/successful solely because you didn’t see anyone get healed, something is off.
If you feel like you can’t minister to a person just because that person doesn’t have a sickness or ailment, then you’ve missed the point. The point is to demonstrate Jesus and have compassion for the person you are in front of.
If the only reason why you’re doing the Great Commission is because Jesus told us to do it, rather than it being an overflow of the Greatest Commandment, you’ve missed it.
The point is NOT to build a healing ministry, the point is to have a life that looks like Jesus; to walk as he walked (1 John 2:3-6) and re-present Him (1 John 4:17). In the context of the whole book of 1 John, it is overwhelmingly clear that “love” is the command.
Love is not contained in healing the sick, but healing the sick is an act of love. If you feel like you can’t minister to someone if they don’t have a sickness, you have not learned to love [fully]. Some people just need a glimmer of hope (Proverbs 13:12), some people need Wisdom from God (Eph 3:10), some people need some cash to buy food, and some people just need a listening ear.
Let me reiterate, most of these motives I have listed are not bad (or evil),and I have done them myself at one point, I’m just saying there is one motive that we are told to operate in.
“By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” – John 13:35
My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and intruth. – 1 John 3:18
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On a different point, we, at the house, have decided to take an indefinite amount of time off from the internet to answer some questions that we have. We understand that many people have been impacted by what we are doing, but we have failed when we have created a following that looks to us rather than the Teacher Himself.
Self-educate. Take responsibility for the world around you. Get answers for yourself. If you have something to say, say it. It is not pride to shout something you know is true and/or if you know that it will set people free.
When Paul said, “Imitate me, for I imitate Christ,” I think he was saying, “Do what I am doing, I am following Jesus; you should follow Jesus.” He was NOT saying, “Copy me, because I copied Jesus.” He was saying, “Copy me, in the sense that all I am doing is learning to be like Jesus.”
If you make a copy of a copy of a copy, eventually you will look quite different than the Master.
“In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being.” – Hebrews 1:1-3
Jesus is perfect theology… Anything you think you know about about God, that you can’t find in the person of Jesus, you have reason to question. – Bill Johnson
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If you guys really need to connect with us, email will work and you can use the contact page on our site to do that.
So until next time, peace to you, grace to you.
- Ryan, Laura, Brandon, SueEllen
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Maintaining this site and everything it is connected to takes up a lot of time and we greatly appreciate any and all help that you can extend our way!
What Does Love Look Like?
What is love?
What does it REALLY look like?
A lot of people talk about it, say you have to walk in it, that you should tell people that Jesus loves them, etc.
But do they really know what it means to walk it out?
Love is not all about emotions. Yes, there are romantic feelings and such, but I’m talking about agape love–unconditional love which is compassion in action.
Love is not about “I like you” therefore I help you. It’s not based on emotions and feelings.
Do unto others as you would have them do to you.
If love and compassion are really in your heart, you will do something. Pretty simple aye? It’s just an overflow of your heart.
It’s the love of Christ that compels you.
1 John 3:16-18 says, “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.“
Let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.
I’ve been thinking about this phrase a lot lately, “Love looks like something.” Heidi Baker talks about it.
Here are some quotes from one of her messages:
“There’s something about the Good News that is tangible. Love looks like something and we need to know what love looks like.”
“We need to carry radical love. We don’t just jabber…who wants to hear jabbering? Unless we’re carrying the love of Christ Jesus, we’re not carrying anything that means anything.”
“People don’t want to be handed a tract. They want to know what love is. The whole world is looking for love. They want to know what it means to love and be loved. They want to know what it means to know that God is their Papa, that they are His Beloved.”
“Here’s Jesus—he saw the crowds. What does that mean? He looked at them in the eyes. He didn’t just see a big multitude and look above them all and just speak. He saw their faces, he saw their pain, he saw their need, he saw their anxiety, and he saw their sin. He had compassion on the crowds. He had authority to do something. Compassion without power is a very sad thing.”
So, what was the love of Jesus Christ?
Action.
Yes, he preached, but he also demonstrated power and compassion.
There’s a lot of people out there who could care less about doctrines, opinions, “turn-or-burn” or “pro-life” signs with dead babies on them, etc. There’s a lot of people, young people especially, who really don’t care much about church because there’s nothing there for them.
It’s been dry, uneventful, powerless, condemning, and full of man’s traditions.
I don’t blame them for not going.
They are looking for something tangible, not just words and religious traditions. And they don’t really care what you have to say. It’s meaningless unless you can back up your words with action and demonstration. If you’re going to talk about the Kingdom of God and his goodness, you better be able to back it up with tangible proof and action.
I know too many people who stopped going to church altogether and who would rather associate with being agnostic or atheist because there was too much hypocrisy in their church and not enough people actually acting like Jesus and doing what he said to do.
During the spring semester of my sophomore year at a Catholic University I was miserable and wanted to quit school. I told God, “There’s got to be more to my life and my faith than this.”
I got healed of depression right after that and then I got saved and started searching Him out. There was a lot missing in my walk with Jesus and I was determined to find out what it was–I was looking for something real.
I was looking for the REAL Jesus, not this distant guy I heard stories about for 15 minutes on a Sunday morning.
People are looking for something real too, and Jesus has empowered US to show Him to them.
If people are thirsty, love looks like water. If they are hungry, it looks like food. If they are homeless, it looks like shelter.
If someone needs a friend or someone to talk to, it looks like quality time and a listening ear. If someone is messing up, it looks like correction and advice.
Love doesn’t always feel good. If you were crossing the street and a truck was coming towards you and I ran and pushed you out of the way, it would probably hurt. You might even break a rib or two. But I just saved your life. Why? I care more about the preservation of your life and those who care about you than I do about whether or not you will enjoy the method in which I just saved it.
And sometimes love corrects, rebukes, and even gets in your face and says, “HEY! You’re better than that!” Or ”Hey, those are lies you are believing, let me show you the truth.” You may not like what I have to say, but you’ll thank me later. 
If someone is sick/diseased or injured, love looks like physical healing. If they are being emotionally or mentally tormented, love looks like deliverance. If they’ve died prematurely, love looks like being raised from the dead, etc.
Jesus went about, setting everyone free (Acts 10:38), and He said, “Now follow me.”
1 John 2:6 says, “He who says he abides in Him [Christ] ought himself also to WALK JUST AS HE WALKED.”
God has empowered you to deal with sickness, depression, financial circumstances, etc.
You are royalty and have been given dominion over the earth (Gen. 1:26-28, Luke 10:19) and over your life to live like Jesus and treat people the way you would want to be treated. Jesus came for us to be reconciled to him and the Father. And it’s vital to let people know who don’t know yet!
If you’re not excited about Jesus, what he did for us, and what he empowered you to do on this earth, I suggest you figure out why that is.
What have you been taught? That you need to do a ton of stuff to get God’s love if you are a Christian?
That’s a lie.
You are a saint, completely righteous and holy. God doesn’t remember your sin (2 Cor. 5:19) and there is nothing you could do that would separate you from his love (Romans 8:38-39).
His love is unconditional.
2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
What else…that healing and miracles don’t happen today?
1.) That’s not what Jesus said (Matthew 10:1-8, Luke 10:8-9, Mark 16:17-20, John 10:37-38, John 14:12)
and
2.) I’ve seen them happen over and over.
Why? Because I believe God to be who He says He is and I don’t let situations override his promises.
He’s taught me who I am and that through my hands and faith, He heals.
So many people ask, “Why would Jesus heal people then but not now?” They ask it because they’ve had situations in their lives that make them feel like God either doesn’t care, that he allows it, etc.
And all it really boils down to is that Christians stopped following Jesus.
In Matthew 10:8 Jesus says, “Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.”
Matthew 28:18-20 says, “And Jesus came and spoke to them saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Amen.”
Mark 16:17-18 says “And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they WILL recover.”
These signs will FOLLOW those who believe–if you are a Christian (yes, this includes Catholics too), you should be looking like Jesus in everything he did. He cared for the poor, He spent time with people, He healed people, He taught and discipled people, He delivered them from tormenting spirits, He raised the dead.
Jesus is LOVE personified.
James 5:14-15 says, “Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith WILL SAVE the sick, and the Lord will raise him up.”
Remember, you have the spirit of the living God LIVING inside of you!
If the ‘elders’ in your church aren’t doing this, perhaps you might want to bring up that passage of Scripture in James to them and find out why?
Romans 8:11, “If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”
You have been equipped to be a solution for every problem people face because it is no longer you who lives but Christ who lives in you (Gal. 2:20) and you are now one spirit with Him (1 Cor. 6:17).
Love looks like us being just like Jesus to all of those around us and showing them every aspect of His life through us.
So GO! Set people free with the power and love of the resurrected Christ in you!
“In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like Him.” – 1 John 4:17
If you enjoyed this post, please consider donating.
Maintaining this site and everything it is connected to takes up a lot of time and we greatly appreciate any and all help that you can extend our way!
- Healing In Eternity 05/16/2012
- Are You In Need Of Rest? 05/14/2012
- How Deep is Your Relationship with God? 04/12/2012
- Organic Church Introduction 01/30/2012
- The 7 Most Popular Verses in the Bible 05/16/2012
- The Way 05/04/2012
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