Jesus prayed we'd be 'ONE' with each other in Him that the world will know! (John 17)

Month: May 2008

Many Pastors Still Teach Old Covenant, Pre-Pentecost Tithing—Not Spirit-Led Giving

From: The Barna Group, New Study Shows Trends in Tithing and Donating, April 14, 2008

Tithing Since 2000

The percentage of adults who tithe has stayed constant since the turn of the decade, falling in the 5% to 7% range. The Barna tracking reported that the proportion of adults who tithed was 7% in 2006 and 2005; 5% in 2004 and 2003; 6% in 2002; and 5% in 2001.

Origins of Tithing

Strangely, tithing is a Jewish practice, not a Christian principle espoused in the New Testament. The idea of a tithe – which literally means one-tenth or the tenth part – originated as the tax that Israelites paid from the produce of the land to support the priestly tribe (the Levites), to fund Jewish religious festivals, and to help the poor. The ministry of Jesus Christ [actually, the arrival of the Holy Spirit – editor], however, brought an end to adherence to many of the ceremonial codes that were fundamental to the Jewish faith. Tithing was such a casualty. Since the first-century, Christians have believed in generous giving, but have not been under any obligation to contribute a specific percentage of their income.

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Amazingly, the disinfo continues in American churches. Notice the reasoning used in the following article, while considering the state of churches today—where the money comes in no matter what—where people aren’t being taught to be led by the Holy Spirit and common sense in the crucial issue of $money$—the love of money being the root….
Many pastors aren’t currently qualified to lead—so shouldn’t be getting any money. The money shouldn’t automatically come in. The law of tithing was set up so those who were born into the Levitical priesthood would have provision to be able to perform their old covenant duties.
Now we have “a better way”—Hebrews 7.

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From: Pioneer Press, June 23, 2008

The pastor should tithe, the church should tithe, and everybody that attends should tithe,” Matthews [pastor of the 1,200-member New Life Interfaith Ministries in Bessemer, Ala] said. “It’s fair for everybody, high income or low income. It’s still the first dime out of every dollar. It’s a management system. Do I trust God? If I can’t be trusted with that, how can I be trusted with more?

Many [pre-new covenant/pre-Pentecost – editor] passages in the Bible cite the command to set aside the first 10 percent of the harvest for God.

“It’s something God insti-tuted even before the Bible, with the tree in the Garden of Eden,” Matthews said. “You have every tree, but of one tree, don’t touch.” [This is even farther out there than the more commonly taught, if-pre-law-then-must-also-be-post-law fallacy, which states that because tithing happened before the law (once with Abraham & Melchizedek) it must apply after the law – editor.]

Pateo recalled how tight finances were when her children were in day care and her salary barely covered the costs. But she believes it’s a religious duty to tithe to her church, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton.

“It’s not easy,” she said. “But other blessings come to you if you are faithful.”

Read Entire Article
Related:
The Day that Tithing Ended — To Now Be Led By the Holy Spirit
Russell Earl Kelly, Ph.D.: Tithing is Not a Christian Doctrine — “Tithing, today, is reaching the levels of a modern scandal”
Russell Kelly, Ph.D.: Reply to Jim Feeney, Ph.D. on Tithing
Tithing or the Carriage Driver?
David Bercot CD teaching: What The Early Christians Believed About Tithing and Fasting? “You might be surprised to know…”
Teaching tithing keeps the little (and the big) children from coming to Jesus where they can have life!
All of my Tithing or Spirit-led posts

The Low-Cut Top Epidemic: May We Be Holy

I’d like to address the current ‘fad’ of women wearing low-cut tops, because I’ve spoken with both men and women who call themselves ‘Christians’ who actually told me that it’s okay for Christian women to dress this way.

Fairly recently, a pastor even responded: “how low is too low,” after I brought up to him that women on staff were wearing low-cut tops during church services. I probably wouldn’t have said anything, but this pastor had been emphasizing how he wanted us to do what Jesus did, and I was very enthusiastic about being a part of this. But then I started seeing a pattern that I hoped wasn’t a big red flag that would put a kibosh on what I had hoped would be real Christianity.
I noticed how he would teach over and over the promises that Paul wrote, while glossing over the adjacent passages that clearly mentioned the cost. He would expound on the glorious inheritance that is ours, now, as children of God without teaching what Paul stated is required to be a child of God.

In the 80s, I was blessed to be able to attend a church in which some the elders’ wives [thank you, Carol & the others!] taught the women specifics on dressing modestly. It wasn’t over-the-top stuff like women could only wear dresses, never pants, but rather practical ways to live out what the Bible teaches, to dress modestly. Basically, tight and revealing clothing were not appropriate for Godly women, because inappropriate attire could be a stumbling block for guys.

And in this setting, we guys and gals saw God move in many significant ways during some of our Bible school classes and during “Prayer and Praise.” It was great!

Today, few churches have the conviction and courage to teach the truth about modesty. And lust reigns in many a “Christian'” heart—both men and women. And this is not just one of the issues that will keep the kingdom of God happening among us, this is absolutely also a salvation issue, which I cover in Who-Goes-To-Heaven Scriptures.

This is very serious; though, many who have truly been born-again now have their consciences so seared by the lack of modesty in our society that they no longer feel shame when wearing revealing clothing or when willfully looking. And it’s come to the point that some “Christians” will actually say that ‘Christian’ women wearing low-cut tops is no big deal.

Perhaps there are some women who don’t understand how visually God made most guys to be—how attractive the female form is to most guys. I say “most guys,” because perhaps there are some men who really do have the gift of singleness, and aren’t in this way attracted. But most of us do not have this gift.
I’d like to share an experience that I had about 20 years ago, long before the low-top craze. I was attending an exercise class in a small studio. The instructor was female. I was doing just fine, concentrating on her instructions until she bent over, facing us. I freaked! She was close to my type, and I was seeing things I shouldn’t see.

I think she saw in the expression of my face my reaction. And I never returned; though, doing these exercises probably would have benefited my health greatly.
Since then, I’ve learned to train my eyes to quickly look away (some call this bouncing the eyes), for when in close proximity, the field of view of non-peripherial human vision is so narrow that we can look at a woman’s face without seeing clearly what is below. But ladies, most guys are not going to be this careful. But every Christian man should be. For example, Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount teaching is so crystal clear. Lust is adultery and a damming sin:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery;’ but I tell you that everyone who gazes at a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart. If your right eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it away from you. For it is more profitable for you that one of your members should perish, than for your whole body to be cast into Gehenna. If your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off, and throw it away from you. For it is more profitable for you that one of your members should perish, than for your whole body to be cast into Gehenna. (Matthew 5:27-30)

Likewise, Paul was clear in his teaching toward Christian women:

I will therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting. In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works. (1 Timothy 2:8-10)

One author interprets shamefacedness (Greek: aidos) this way:

The word shamefacedness comes from a Greek word which means literally “downcast eyes,” but it is meant in a good sense and refers to one who is ashamed to overstep the limit of womanly reserve.

In my Let Us Be One prophecy, God said it this way in the chapter I call Jesus’ Dress Code:

My people, live as ONE, not judging one another, being critical of how they dress, one more popular than another. We are all different. Everyone is unique.

Give people space, as long as it’s holy. You need to have righteousness girded about your loins. Hide yourself. They don’t need to see everything. That is for your husband, only him.

Be careful; this is right.

God designed women to be very attractive to men. And there are certain things that only the woman’s husband should see—no matter what the Devil through society is telling us.

Freedom in Christ is in part freedom from actual lust demons that drive probably the majority of Americans to not be free in the lust area. Not giving the demons a place at all is the only way to be lust-demon free.

We need to “be careful. This is right.”

Praise God!

Jeff Fenske : )

Related:

[Lust FREEDOM — “The Poison that Kills the Soul”] My experience: How DEMONS DRIVE heterosexual and homosexual lust in ‘Christians’ — The bad news is that demons drive lust. The good news is that demons drive lust, because freedom lies straight ahead!

2014 Pornography Survey of ‘Christian’ Men: MAJORITY not only lusting, but into porn!!

[ video ] Jessica Rey: The Evolution of the Swimsuit — Can Modesty Make a Comeback?

Bikini Facts: The bikini was introduced by inspiration of Satan. When the bikini was first invented…

Survey of Christian Men on the Subject of Women’s Clothing — Men responded: “This area is the greatest challenge in my life!” • “Men are created in such a way as to be stimulated by sight.” • “Demon influence and demon possession is rampant. Evil triumphs when the church does nothing!” • Many more

[FreedomQuote] “Women, the way a man looks at you is out of your control, but what you reveal is up to you.”

[Princeton study] Is it wrong to wear a bikini? — The fully-clothed women were seen as being in control of their own actions, whereas the immodest ones were objects to be acted upon

How Premarital Sex Rewires the Brain — Knowing how these neurochemicals interact and change the brain help us understand why sex is meant to be kept within the boundaries of marriage

To my homosexual friends: May we all be ‘ONE’ in Christ! What is the ‘fury fire’ that Piper Perabo talks about? How can it be tamed? What is God’s true perspective in “The Homosexuals Will Arise” prophecy and what does Romans 1 really say?

What does God say? Women, children and men exposing themselves to TSAs in NAKED BODY SCANNERS!

[Lust Freedom!] As Cautiously as Folding Our Own Parachute — “We ought to think out each step with the same kind of rationale and determination that a man uses when he folds his own parachute. Small, careful decisions can save his life. 5 minutes of pleasure earned Esau the loss of a lifetime of blessing and the enmity of God. Is it worth it?”

David Bercot’s CD teaching: Separation from the World — What the Early Christians Believed About Separation from the World. D. Bercot. The Bible exhorts us: “Adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” So…
 
 

A Nation ‘Bewitched’: Farrah Fawcett — “When the show [Charlie’s Angels] got to be No. 3, I figured it was our acting. When it got to be No. 1, I decided it could only be because none of us wears a bra”

Fox: Not quite porn… or news — Distracting viewers with mis-information and ‘info-babes’

[ video ] Reality-check comedian Russell Brand points out MSNBC’s female anchor’s IMMODESTY, while exposing MSM’s ‘superficial’ bias — “Be careful. That’s a LOW-CUT DRESS. I’m only flesh and blood. I’ve got instincts” — Mika Brzezinski actually changed her dress after this segment — Why don’t more men speak up for what is right?

1942 Minnesota: Bathing beaches prior to the low-cut top epidemic
Amazing Dress: India Arie singing with Carlos Santana on The Tonight Show. This is grace!

Paul’s Elders’ qualifications revisited: What does ‘BLAMELESS’ mean? — Most pastors are biblically disqualified

All of my Lust Freedom! posts [latest appear first, 10 posts per page]

Who-Goes-To-Heaven Scriptures — Narrow is the Way

It's Okay To Be Lonely For Now: The Spiral Staircase Vision

I hope this encourages those who are currently really seeking God, but who aren’t getting a lot of positive feedback, because so few are really climbing the staircase together. This has encouraged me, ever since I first heard it. It’s okay to be lonely—until real Christianity happens among many—which I hope is soon to come.
This is based upon my memory of what I saw a man share at a Vineyard Church about 15 years ago. I don’t remember if he said it was a dream or a vision.
He saw a spiral staircase that someone, possibly himself was climbing. God was at the top. The higher the person climbed, the closer he or she got to God—but also the lonelier he or she became, because there were so few people climbing very high on the staircase, actually getting close to God.
Gleanings:
The important thing is to climb, whether people go with us or not. Climbing is always the right thing to do. We shouldn’t determine how high we will climb based upon how many are willing to climb with us.
And we should always remember that climbing the staircase toward God will never be in vain; though, it may be lonely on the journey until real revival comes.
I long for that day when many will worship the Lord in Spirit and in TRUTH, but until that day, may we not grow weary of well doing, endeavoring to love the Lord, our God, with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength—and all of our neighbors as ourselves—whether they’re climbing the spiral staircase or not.
May the joy of the Lord be our strength as we climb upstream, regardless the pull of the opposition.
Jeff Fenske : )
Related:
Rich Mullins: “It’s okay to be lonely as long as you’re free”

Another Reason To Be Holy: Purity Attracts Angels (Filth Repells) | The Coming Healing Revival

Excerpted from: pdf transcript of Sid Roth It’s Supernatural! — April 28-May 4, 2008

Sid: …my guest, Steven Brooks, wakes up one evening, and not, not 2, not 3, not 4, but 5 angels are in a circle around him! … Why were they there? What was there purpose?

Steven: Well they came to talk to me, they said “we want to talk with you about the spirit of Holiness.” And for 30 minutes, they did most of the talking, I was allowed to ask a few questions, but for 30 minutes, they told me how important it is to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord with Holiness. That an individual has a responsibility to do there part,

Sid: Is Holiness the way you dress? Is Holiness, an external thing? What were they telling you?

Steven: Sure, that is a good question, because when they talked with me, there wasn’t a trace of what we would call legalism, or you can’t do this or you can’t do that. Because in our heart we know the Holy Spirit will lead us to do things, that are pleasing to the Lord. But there is an element of doing things, there are certain things that you don’t want to put into your ears. There are certain things that you don’t want your eyes to see. You want to maintain purity as much as possible, because that also will attract the angels. An impure thought life, the angels pick up on that, In the spirit realm, they are able to see, what we are emanating, what’s radiating out of us,

Sid: I have to ask you a question. What happens if someone watches TV, that is very violent, are we talking about something like that, or are we talking about something much deeper?

Steven: Yes, No those types of things bring a type of spiritual defilement, and the person may think, that doesn’t affect me, but in the spirit realm, those things are very easily distinguished. Angels can tell what a person is emanating, If you’re emanating the love of God, and that purity, they want to be around you. But if a person puts all kinds of garbage and filth inside of there mind, and inside of there thinking, evil spirits are able to tell what a person is emanating and they will be attracted to that. Impure thoughts, they will gather around that. Thoughts of self-centeredness, depression, that draws them. So there’s ways that we need to live, that are holy and pleasing to the Lord, to please the Lord, and to create and atmosphere that’s conducive to the Holy Spirit.

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Sid: Now man looks at someone on television someone that has a meeting with 10,000, 100,000 people in attendance, but I think God’s measurement is different then man’s.

Steven: It can be completely different, the way the Lord measures success. It’s really being obedient to the Lord and doing what he told you to do, whatever that might be, that’s where the reward is at, that’s where the anointing is at.

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Sid: Hello Sid Roth here, with Steven Brooks, and Steven had a visitation from Jesus. Jesus described to him the next, the greatest, move of the God’s Spirit in history for healing and miracles that’s about ready to happen. Steven, what did He tell you?

Steven: Well, the interesting thing, Sid, is that the Lord said “I want to talk with you about the coming healing revival,” and I was very interested in that. And so, He began to share some things with me, and one of the things I want to share is that it’s America’s turn.

______________________________

Sid: I hear so much bad stuff about America, it’s good to hear some good about America.

Steven: Well praise the Lord, there’s some great things coming. The Lord has provoked the American church to jealousy. We’ve heard about the great miracles, even the creative miracles, in South America, in Africa, and different parts of the world, but we’ve only seen little tidbits of that here in America. But that is coming to America. These great creative miracles are coming to America, and a healing revival is going to hit a level that will surpass anything that’s ever happened in church history. It’s going to be very powerful.

Sid: Give me some specifics He told you of the types of healings.

Steven: The Lord gave me several specific examples. He said one thing that will happen in these meetings, they’ll run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. He said they’ll run around the clock. It’ll just be a total outpouring of His Spirit. He said one thing that’ll take place is that people that have suffered sever burns, even third degree burns which can even be fatal, they’ll be brought into the meeting and laid out in the meeting, He said they’ll be completely healed and receive brand new skin. …

Sid: What did He tell you about brain damage?

Steven: He told me even children that have Down’s syndrome, or people that have suffered mental retardation, they’ll come into the meetings. The Lord told me this, He said they will sit under that glory and sit in that glory that will be in those meetings, and He said in two weeks they’ll be completely healed; their mind will be completely restored to them.

So we shouldn’t fret or give up if healing doesn’t take place immediately. The key is to maintain an atmosphere of holiness—where we are one with Christ and one with each other, 24/7—and then bask in the glory of God, which will be there because: “Draw near to God, and He’ll draw near to you” (James 4).
The angels and God, the HOLY Spirit will draw near to us—as we are in Christ together—Jesus’ heart-cry for us in John 17!!!
And for right now, individually, It’s very exciting to me that not only does God draw near to us when we draw near to Him, but the angels do too. It’s not just a God thing; angels are involved also. Our own homes can be environments of healing—living in LOVE!
And especially when we get together, our own personal holinesses will become a group holiness, which will bring about the setting in which phenomenal miracles will take place—to the glory of God!
“Then the world will know….” (John 17)!
Praise God!
Jeff Fenske : )
Transcript pdf

Watch the Video

Transition Announced at Abbott Loop CC (Anchorage, Alaska)

From: AbbottLoop.org

2008-04-11: Elders Report

The elders met on April 8 at the home of Rick and Deloris Benjamin. We prayed for Val Hirschberg and other prayer needs. We reported on the progress of the transition to Josh Tanner becoming our next senior pastor. We will explore ways to bring similar reports to the congregation.
The elders will meet again on May 13 at the home of Carlos and Janet Guerra. Thank you for praying for the elders.

Source
Related: Anchorage, Alaska: Josh Tanner Now Head Pastor of Abbott Loop CC

May the Lord Strengthen Your HEART—Behold the BEAUTY of the Lord

I had a heavy dream this morning in which certain people were actively trying to take me out.
Normally, I try to wake myself up enough in order to write down all dreams that I think are probably from the Lord. It’s so easy to talk myself out of doing this to go back to sleep, even though I make sure my laptop is by my side.
This time, this was obviously a warning dream from the Holy Spirit, but I reasoned in my sleepiness that all I needed to remember is that these people were serious in their evil activity against me. But in hindsight, I probably would have learned significant things from the details of the dream, which I don’t remember.
Afterward, I heard very clearly: “Psalm 27.” I thought, “Great! God is giving me the solution!” I really was going to read it, but then went back to sleep and forgot about it until now—when thankfully, probably by the grace of God, I remembered.
What a beautiful answer to this yukky dream!
The New King James version showcases the heart as the focal point (v. 13, 14):

I would have lost heart,
unless I had believed that I would see
the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

Wait on the Lord;
Be of good courage,
And he shall strengthen your heart;

Wait, I say, on the Lord!

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<< Psalm 27 >>
World English Bible

1 Yahweh is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? Yahweh is the strength of my life. Of whom shall I be afraid?

2 When evildoers came at me to eat up my flesh, even my adversaries and my foes, they stumbled and fell.

3 Though an army should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear. Though war should rise against me, even then I will be confident.

4 One thing I have asked of Yahweh, that I will seek after, that I may dwell in the house of Yahweh all the days of my life, to see Yahweh’s beauty, and to inquire in his temple.

5 For in the day of trouble he will keep me secretly in his pavilion. In the covert of his tabernacle he will hide me. He will lift me up on a rock.

6 Now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me. I will offer sacrifices of joy in his tent. I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to Yahweh.

7 Hear, Yahweh, when I cry with my voice. Have mercy also on me, and answer me.

8 When you said, “Seek my face,” my heart said to you, “I will seek your face, Yahweh.”

9 Don’t hide your face from me. Don’t put your servant away in anger. You have been my help. Don’t abandon me, neither forsake me, God of my salvation.

10 When my father and my mother forsake me, then Yahweh will take me up [“then the Lord will take care of me” – NKJV].

11 Teach me your way, Yahweh. Lead me in a straight path, because of my enemies.

12 Don’t deliver me over to the desire of my adversaries, for false witnesses have risen up against me, such as breathe out cruelty.

13 I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of Yahweh in the land of the living.

14 Wait for Yahweh. Be strong, and let your heart take courage. Yes, wait for Yahweh. By David.

Praise be to Jesus!!!
– jeff fenske : )

Heartquotes: Happiness

“I am more and more convinced that our happiness or our unhappiness
depends far more on the way we meet the events of life
than on the nature of those events themselves.”

– Karl Wilhelm Von Humboldt

Click for the Sunflower Version

An Evangelical Manifesto: 'Christians' Have Become 'Useful Idiots' for Political Parties—Creating a Backlash Against Religion

From: CNN

Conservative Christian leaders who believe the word “evangelical” has lost its religious meaning plan to release a starkly self-critical document saying the movement has become too political and has diminished the Gospel through its approach to the culture wars.

The declaration encourages Christians to uphold traditional marriage, as in this Massachusetts protest.

The statement, called “An Evangelical Manifesto,” condemns Christians on the right and left for using faith to express political views without regard to the truth of the Bible, according to a draft of the document obtained Friday by The Associated Press.

“That way faith loses its independence, Christians become ‘useful idiots’ for one political party or another, and the Christian faith becomes an ideology,” according to the draft.

The declaration, scheduled to be released Wednesday in Washington, encourages Christians to be politically engaged and uphold teachings such as traditional marriage. But the drafters say evangelicals have often expressed “truth without love,” helping create a backlash against religion during a “generation of culture warring.”

“All too often we have attacked the evils and injustices of others,” the statement says, “while we have condoned our own sins.” It argues, “we must reform our own behavior.”

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