Category Archives: Uncategorized

April 2, 2016 · 3:12 pm

The Search for One New Man (Part 3)

In the 1990s, spiritual warfare was the “in” revelation for us believers. Most of the hype was due to a fresh look at –

so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 3:10)

We sang spiritual warfare songs, waved banners, spoke in loud tongues (loud because somehow this seemed to have more power against demons), and shouted proclamations of liberty to cities, believing the demonic principalities and powers would loosen their holds on oppressed people. It was a heady time for loud warriors in the army of God.

But let’s be honest: can anyone name one city that was set free, like San Francisco? Or LA-Compton? Or Chicago? Or Philadelphia? Or Detroit? Or Washington D. C.? Or wherever?

No! Not one city!

Most of us Christians have moved on to the next “in” revelation and have completely forgotten our spiritual warfare efforts from this time period. Yet, the verse still remains in our Bibles, and if all scripture is inspired by God, then maybe we did something wrong back in the 1990s.

What may have been our error?

This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel…and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things (Ephesians 3:6,9)

Paul wrote his letter to the Ephesians in 61 AD. At the time, the Body of Christ was mainly Jewish with only a few Gentiles. Paul’s profound revelation showed that God’s plan was to join the Jews and Gentiles into one Body through the cross.

My dad’s favorite saying to me when I had a brainstorm idea: “Son, don’t go off half-cocked.” By this, he meant that I should not start a project without being totally prepared.

So, I think we believers went off half-cocked to fight spiritual warfare in the 1990s. We were missing half of the church: the Jews.

(Continued in Part 4……if you’re interested, the full series to date can be seen here.)

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November 20, 2015 · 11:23 am

If We Just Ignore Gays, They’ll Go Away, Right? (Part 10)

First of all, if we believers are going to get serious about ministering to the gays in America, we have to get rid of our hatred and dislike for them. The only way we can do that is by being cleansed by the Holy Spirit, but we have to initiate the process.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

Then, we have to ask for Jesus’ perfect love to fill our hearts for gays. His perfect love will drive us to fast and pray for gays and then be willing to be His vessels to them.

This may take some time, but we must get free of our hatreds and be empowered by His love before we move forward.

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)

The Greek word ethnos is translated into the English word nations in most versions of the Bible. The word nations is one translation, but the Greek word also means a people group or a group of people of the same nature.

Thus, I believe Jesus has commanded us to go to the gay communities of America and make disciples of them.

The gay communities we go to should include the Castro District of San Francisco, West Hollywood in LA County, San Diego’s Hillcrest Neighborhood, San Jose’s St Leo Neighborhood, and the cities of Oakland, Portland, Seattle, and other West Coast cities.

Will we make mistakes? Yes.

Will we have perfect plans for each city? At best, we may only know one step at a time for each city and have to wait on the Lord to tell us the next step, but to be honest, this is the safest route to victory.

Will there be trouble? Oh my yes! The kingdom of darkness will not open its gates so we can plunder it with the Gospel. We can expect fights, bad publicity, and maybe jail cells awaiting some of us.

The early Salvation Army provides us with examples of how to change cities by invading them with the Gospel.

“We are not sent to minister to a congregation and be content if we keep things going. We are sent to make war and to stop short of nothing but the subjugation of the world to the sway of the Lord Jesus.” (William Booth, founder of Salvation Army)

“Go for souls. Go straight for souls, and go for the worst.” (William Booth, founder of Salvation Army)

(Conclusion…if you’re interested, the full series to date can be seen here.)

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October 7, 2015 · 9:00 am

“Are We There Yet?” (Part 5)

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“Now on the tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. It shall be for you a time of holy convocation, and you shall afflict yourselves and present a food offering to the LORD. (Leviticus 23:27)

Yom Kippur (or Day of Atonement) is celebrated on the 10th of Tishri on the Hebrew calendar, which falls in the period between mid-September and mid-October on the Gregorian calendar. It is the most solemn and holiest day of the year and is not a feast as such, but rather a time of fasting and repentance.

What does atonement mean? The Hebrew word is kaphar. It literally means to cover. Think of a credit card, which doesn’t pay your bill, but covers you until you can pay the bill. So, the Day of Atonement covered the sins of Israel, but did not take them away. (Mark Biltz)

In traditional Judaism:

Yom Kippur marks the climax of the ten day period of repentance called the Days of Awe. According to Jewish tradition, on Feast of Trumpets (Yom Teruah) the destiny of the righteous are written in the Book of Life and the destiny of the wicked are written in the Book of Death. However, most people will not be inscribed in either book, but have ten days – until Yom Kippur – to repent before sealing their fate. Therefore, on Yom Kippur, every soul’s name will be sealed in one of the two books. (Hebrew for Christians)

When the Temple was still in use in Jerusalem, Yom Kippur was the only day of the year when the High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies and invoke the sacred name of Yahweh to offer blood sacrifices for the people of Israel. There were no “do-overs.” If mistakes were made, the sins were not atoned for that year and then carried over until the following year.

From a prophetic viewpoint, after the Tribulation has begun on a future Feast of Trumpets, the people of Israel will have their blinders removed on a future Yom Kippur and Jesus will return on that day. It will be that generation of Jews who will all be saved.

This is just a brief overlay of Yom Kippur. So, if you want to learn more, take the time to watch Mark Biltz’s great video here. You will be blessed for watching it.

Next, we will look at the Feast of Tabernacles.

(Continued in Part 6…if you’re interested, the full series to date can be seen here.)

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July 29, 2015 · 8:50 am

Say It Ain’t So, Joe! Say It Ain’t So!

Well, I’m not Shoeless Joe Jackson, but yes, it’s so. I’m taking a break from blogging until September because of another writing project.

So, let’s walk with Jesus until then and beyond. He’s the Answer for everything we need.

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July 8, 2015 · 10:24 am

Do We Still Cast Out Demons? (Part 3)

What did the Jews do when a person was tormented by demons?

Now the Spirit of the LORD had left King Saul, and the LORD sent a tormenting spirit that filled him with depression and fear. Some of Saul’s servants said to him, “A tormenting spirit from God is troubling you. Let us find a good musician to play the harp whenever the tormenting spirit troubles you. He will play soothing music, and you will soon be well again.” (1 Samuel 16:14-16)

In Jewish theology, the scholars believed that everything came from God, even tormenting spirits. They had very little insight on Satan and the kingdom of darkness. Thus, soothing music was sometimes used to stabilize a tormented person. This was, in fact, the reason David was first introduced to King Saul.

The Jews also had exorcists who traveled from town to town. These men were basically fortune tellers, conmen, and magicians who put on a show and received money for their services. Spells and enchantments were uttered by them to heal sick people and to cast out demons.

It’s interesting to note that these exorcists did use a name to command the demons to leave people. As stated by Josephus, the historian, the name used by the exorcists was supposedly that of Solomon because the king wrote a book on magical healing and exorcism.

“In the name of Solomon, we command the demons to leave you!”

How successful were these Jewish exorcists?

A group of Jews was traveling from town to town casting out evil spirits. They tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus in their incantation, saying, “I command you in the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, to come out!” (Acts 19:13)

Obviously, the income for the Jewish exorcists had dropped quite a bit when Jesus and the apostles arrived on the scene. To compensate for their losses, the above group quit using the name of Solomon and began using the name of Jesus in their exorcisms.

What then happened to the seven sons of a leading Jewish priest named Sceva is one of the funniest stories in the Bible:

But one time when they tried it, the evil spirit replied, “I know Jesus, and I know Paul, but who are you?” Then the man with the evil spirit leaped on them, overpowered them, and attacked them with such violence that they fled from the house, naked and battered. (Acts 19:15-16)

Why did this happen to the seven sons of Sceva?

(Continued in Part 4)

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April 28, 2015 · 8:13 am

Tuesday’s Prayers for Prisoners (4/28/2015)

Each Tuesday, I pray and fast for the nations of Asia, where 4.4 billion people live.

Why Asia?

1. 85.4% of world’s unevangelized people live in Asia. (Unevangelized means they may have heard the gospel but have no understanding on how to respond.)

2. The world’s three largest non-Christian religions – Muslim, Hindu, and Buddhists – are based in Asia.

3. Of the 37 countries of the world that are less than 10% Christian, 32 are in Asia. Of the 14 countries, that are less than 2% Christian, 12 are in Asia.

4. 85-90% of unreached people live in Asia. (Unreached means that they have never heard the name of Jesus.) (Operation World: The Definitive Prayer Guide to Every Nation)

On Sunday, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Nepal with the epicenter being fifty miles northwest of Katmandu. Parts of India, Pakistan, Tibet, and Bangladesh also were rattled. So far, 4,600 deaths have been confirmed, with the number expected to rise over the next few days.

Around a third of Nepal’s 29 million citizens earn less than $1 per day and 38% of the population are occupied with subsistence agriculture. 75% of the population is Hindu, 16% Buddhist, and less than 3% Christian.

“Always seek out the seed of triumph in every adversity.” (Og Mandino)

Today I prayed:

Lord, I cry out for mercy for all the people of Nepal and neighboring nations whose lives are torn to pieces by this earthquake and pray that You raise up laborers to bring hope to the suffering people.

Join with me on Tuesdays to fast and pray for prisoners, according to Hebrews 13:3.

Click on to see MyGFA site.

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March 26, 2015 · 12:59 pm

Thursday’s Prayers for America (3/26/2015)

We Americans love superstars, big names, and flashy heroes who model their greatness at all times because the rest of us feel so common and live such ordinary lives.

But the truth is that if we have given our lives to Christ, we are royal sons and daughters of an awesome King who created the world and owns everything. We are more than conquerors, are living stones, members of a chosen generation, part of a royal priesthood, members of His holy nation, and heirs of all things through Jesus Christ. And besides that, we have open access to the Father and His throne at all times.

In God’s eyes, we are the superstars on earth because we said “yes” to Jesus and His grace.

Today, I prayed:

Lord, I pray that You open our American eyes to who You are in us so that we do the works You did and greater works because You went to the Father. (Based in part on John 14:12)

What do you think and has the Lord spoken to you?

Join with me on Thursdays to fast and pray for America.

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March 20, 2015 · 3:13 pm

Our World

Mark Pedder is a friend of mine who is a missionary to a large slum in Manilla. The slum is located on top of a garbage dump. Today, he showed photos of his home in BASECO. It’s an eyeopening experience for us Westerners.

Markpedder's Weblog

Today you get a look inside our little home. It’s cute, it’s quaint, very functional and is all ours…the bank does not own it…

First pic is our kitchen and a little bit of shelving for storage. To the right there are tools and stuff for the bike. We are very upper class, we have a fridge and a two burner gas stove.

Next the bed room and clothes storage area. The bed sits on storage containers with more sheets and towels, again, another practical storage area.

Over in the right hand corner, near the bed, is my office – laptop, light and stereo.

That’s pretty much it, one sizeable room.

This section is our private space, our home, then downstairs is a much more communal room.

This is used for all sorts of meetings, book club, Lego play room, tool storage for housing building, spare fire extinguishers and this…

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September 18, 2014 · 11:13 am

The Incredible Miracle

For all those who have waited and waited for a miracle, this is a great testimony, especially if you have suffered from allergies. Claire is one of a kind gal anyway that people love, just because of her enthusiasm. She is a stonkin’ fun type of Kiwi who loves the Lord.

One Passion One Devotion

Twice now I’ve hinted at an incredible life changing moment in my life. Again its still so amazing and I’m in awe of what has happened. Now that you know my backstory I’ll go into what happened on Saturday and since then.

Over the weekend our church, The River Christian Church (Auckland) held HIS PRESENCE Conference | UNCONTAINABLE.

It was phenomenal. The worship went off in every session. Each message was bang on and relevant and God’s NOW words for me and so many others. It was great to connect with River people and friends from other churches, and of course, make new friends. Our kids had their own River Kids conference and had an amazing time discovering more about God and His great love for them.

I felt that the message on Friday night by Paul Saunders was just for me. It was so where I was at…

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September 8, 2014 · 12:51 pm

Learning How to Pray Effectively in 59 Seconds or Less (Part 10)

Two men stood in the Temple praying.

The one had a wide metal box looped around his arm with a leather strap and also had extra long fringes on the edge of his cloak. He was fasted up, tithed up, prayed up, studied up, dressed up, and belonged to the religious party, which many recognized as the “Hope of Israel.” He was a Pharisee.

The other man was considered the scum of Israel and a turncoat who had committed treason by conniving with Rome to rip off God’s people: the Jews. He was a tax collector.

It would have been only natural for the Pharisee to look around and notice the tax collector. He opened his mouth and prayed:

“I thank you, God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else. For I don’t cheat, I don’t sin, and I don’t commit adultery. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! (Luke 18:11 NLT)

At the same time, it would have been perfectly normal for the tax collector to notice the Pharisee. He knew the Pharisees followed the Law and the Tradition of the Elders to the nth degree, and also knew what everyone said about tax collectors. So, he prayed with his head bowed down and beat his chest with sorrow:

‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ (Luke 23:13 NLT)

Jesus taught this happening as a parable and said:

I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Luke 23:14 NLT)

Okay, okay, I’m guilty.

I can’t say that I have ever compared myself to tax collectors, but I sure have compared myself to Baptists, Catholics, Methodists, Presbyterians, Pentecostals, Charismatics, Messianic believers, Jehovah Witnesses, Mormons, and everyone who doesn’t agree with me on all of my personal doctrines.

Do you know what sin I have committed when I compare myself to others? Pride.