Have Your Own Revelation

1 Corinthians 2:7-10: “But we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; ⁸ the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory; ⁹ but just as it is written,

There is Nothing Boring in Doctrine

The teaching about God found in the Word of God: Doctrine=didache in Greek, it means 'to instruct'. Theology derives from Theos=God and logos=Word.

Luke 1:1-4  “Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us,² just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. ³ With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, ⁴ so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been instructed in.”

A WORLD IN MORAL COLLAPSE

The moral decline of our Nation is now accelerated by insecure politicians seeking to appease what they imagine are the majority of voters. In reality it is always an influential minority pushing their agenda for so-called social reform. We had better say what we think now because It will soon be illegal to comment on the decline of morality in any social issues without at least being labelled a bigot or risking imprisonment. We need to understand the age in which we live.

The rise of a new Conservative Party in NZ may be too little too late to stop the avalanche of unrighteousness we are now subjected to. For too long now we have enjoyed a selfish pleasure-seeking lifestyle that has become permissive and has passively enabled the opinionated to impose their extreme views without fear of contradiction.

The proposed re-definition of Marriage is but one step toward state-sponsored anarchy and this is a global trend. There is a satanic plot of world domination at the heart of things but there is little use in pointing things out to the blind. The whole issue is based in human selfishness that demands a lifestyle with all the material privileges depicted by advertising and film media that never reveal the true costs. For example the many goods we take for granted that are produced in conditions of human slavery.

The only real solution we have is for righteous people to call upon the Lord to intervene; for fresh moves of the Holy Spirit to sweep through our nation; for souls to be saved and for believers to stand together in holy unity. 

Compassion for the Prodigals

We all have some areas of mistrust we need to repent of. Pain springs from the events of our childhood and manifests throughout our life. For some it is defining and is more obvious to others. We don’t put a label on it but many exhibit the spirit and attitude of an orphan.

Early manifestations are evident when someone is caught taking something from others that gives them some sense of identity. They build an alter-ego (a second self). All kids do this from time to time but some covertly make this their chief passion.

These children carry a sense of being deprived or rejected. They consistently self-blame and become competitive about everything. They want it ALL! Because they feel they are missing out if they don’t get it. They can develop into raging control freaks or emotional manipulators.

Some simply never grow up. They lock onto this new projection of themselves that they find gets them what they want and live a self-centred life never able to give (or trust) themselves fully to any cause or even a marriage. They feel unloved and a deep need to prove their worth. Often rebelling and living a wasteful life, they can come to their senses and make a dramatic change sometimes years later. They are the ‘prodigals.’ But why do they become this way especially if they have grown up with contented siblings and/or excellent parents? 

Some moment of perceived abandonment or betrayal of trust is taken into their spirit and they become an Orphan. This happens to many children in circumstances of poverty and it becomes their identity, but it can happen in good homes also. The ‘evil-one’ magnifies the effect in a plan to discredit the Lord. He invented the term ‘identity theft’ and is the master of it.

The Bibles answer is 'Sonship.' It is this privilege that the enemy is trying to plunder from us. Jesus faced this test the moment the enemy could get him at a vulnerable point:  Matt 4:3-9 The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God…” But go back a few verses.. Matt 3:17 “A voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."  Jesus was already affirmed as a son, but the Devil tested him on this point immediately. We too are affirmed as ‘sons’ Romans 8:14-17 “because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.”  Embrace it and live it.

Coping with the Bad News

Deleting items from my inbox is becoming a ritual. How did all these fear driven, conspiracy motivated, condemning religious people get my email anyway? I am tired of hearing about ghastly Muslim extremists, gays, bad government decisions, bad priests and bad doctrine or just bad news in general. Stop!