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InnerSeed
Hope City’s impact on the KC inner-city is getting ready to explode. 2010 will bring God’s power to the streets in the fullness of His LOVE!
Hope City is a prayer and justice organization addressing inner-city dilemmas such as: Homelessness and hunger; the ravages of drug and alcohol addictions; prostitution; as well as other areas of social and spiritual oppression. We are committed to the reconciliation and restoration of individuals and families into core moral values, vision and the fullness of God’s design for each life affected.
You can help me to keep my focus on this ministry by becoming a Financial Partner with a one time gift or a monthly commitment. For more information Click here.
Becky and Jerry...IN ACTION!!!
Prayer and Prophetic Gathering
Mi Casa Su Casa...Becky and Elsa in her home
g-g-boys Kayden & Skyler
G-G-PA & Skyler!!
joined as one before God and man!
HOPE CITY OUTREACH...Food, Worship & the Word
A recent message delivered by Daniel Lim at an FCF focused on a main reason why our country is headed in the direction it is:
I googled and found this Link to stats: http://www.baptist.ca/church/files/Functional%20Structures/the_bridger_generation.pdf which represent the stats regarding 4%…
There is a failure in the church…The failure is its washed down Gospel that promotes tolerance to the degree that we do not hold fast to that which is good. We live in the days of so much tolerance inside the “church” that we call “good evil and evil good”. “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Isa 5:20 This includes me as I identify myself with the “church”!
The point is that the “Bridger Generation” has no moral compass to make judgments regarding leadership of a country. As believers of Jesus Christ as our LORD and SAVIOR, we must hold the scriptures and its teachings to be true.
For instance (one of many), killing babies can be found no where in the bible as something God tolerates or delights in. (period) In fact God’s says He will require blood for the killing of the innocent. Today our nation as well as many other nations of this world (who will all answer to God) stand in judgment of “innocent” blood on our hands. (In more than one way).
God’s love may tell us to turn the other cheek but it does not tell us to TURN OUR BACK ON HIS WORD for the sake of tolerance. We have confused being persecuted with being tolerant, for instance we hold fast and proclaim His truth in “turning the cheek” to be the point of being tolerant. Not the same thing at all! A true and faithful witness speaks the truth in love and would even exercise judgment by their VOTE. For some reason the “church” has not taught that God judges nations as well as individuals. From Genesis to Revelation God judges the nations. Most of all we need to cast our vote inside the booth of our conscious before the LORD and do the right thing.
A country’s laws say a lot about it’s moral compass. I don’t believe we should need a law against abortion. I believe we should live our lives in such a way that abortion isn’t needed. However, a nation that turns it back on the “killing of innocent babies” sets itself to be judged by our God who judges nations and has since nations were born.
We have become a people that are more concerned about their pocketbooks than what is good and what is evil, a people who have removed their hearts from God and His love.
So we talk about the injustices in our country and is the earth. Even if you feed every poor person in the world they could “gain the world but lose their soul”. We need the understanding that each of us stand before God with the condition that says He is other than us. condemned in our sins without the work of Cross. We have all sinned and fall short of the Glory of God. If we feed the body but do not call the soul out to repent then we do an injustice to the eternal condition of that soul. When we feed the poor as a doorway to feed their spirit with the Gospel of the Kingdom then we have done the work of the Father. But to feed to poor to say we are all equal then we forget that a full stomach does not save. Humanistic justice could care less if God is glorified only that a guilty conscious of greed is temporarily soothed only to become greedy again.
I think it is very interesting that in Minnesota a tornado strikes the cross on top of the building where “homosexuals” were being welcomed into leadership as ordained to do the will of God. In the following link we see that LUTHERANS VOTED 66.6% (666) IN FAVOR OF HOMOSEXUAL ORDINATION In the article is it clear that God does judge this the nations and the world with plagues, weather patterns, disease, etc. It is all in the bible. We are foolish to think WE control the weather patterns of this world. We are very prideful as least to say we do!
True change is the change of our hearts before God not some sweeping change dictated by an individual or a political party. It is realizing the wretchedness of our condition without the LOVE of God! A people given to God and His ways is a state that is governed by God and so the converse it true. How shall we separate the two: by becoming a Godless nation.
Bottom line is that I personally as a believer have to repent because I have not cried out to God to change my heart as well as the hearts of this nation in regards to His ways. And even as I do today I see the error of my way and my contribution to the condition of this country before our Maker.
The Prophets of God didn’t have a “we, they” cry unto the LORD, they cried unto God with “repentance” in their hearts and identified with the sin of their nation (even if they were walking in purity). This is what happens when we have seen great revivals like the 1st and 2nd Great Awakenings. Another Great Awakening is coming to this earth it is the final Awakening called the end-time harvest. There is also coming the Great Falling Away where many who have proclaimed to believe will become offended towards God and turn their backs on Him.
This is also another indicator that the return of Yeshua is soon. (no date predicted) Just soon or sooner than MOST think!
God’s Kingdom does not and will not have a political bone in its structure. It will have no need of two or more parties. He will reign in truth, righteousness and peace! Until then we exercise by our vote judgments regarding what earth should be like until Heaven comes to earth as it says in the Book of Revelation and throughout scripture.
When we pray “Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name; Thy Kingdom come, They will be done ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN” Then we proclaim a Kingdom, a state, a nation, if you will, that does the will of the father because of our Love of HIM.
Let us love in good deeds and works of righteousness….let us exercise God’s judgments in our abilities to vote.
For the record I can no longer identify with any “party” only with the judgments of God. Obviously that will make it difficult to choose in the days ahead. So I am left with much study (of the word of God) and much prayer to cast judgment according to the will of God.
We are living within the Last Generation before the Messiah returns. Let us all seek to understand the “times and the seasons” as Christ commanded us to do! Jesus said to “Watch and pray!” many times. The Great deception is coming upon us. It is real, as real as unemployment!
Another interesting verse in the bible: “For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?” 1Pe 4:17
Christ the Lamb has been slain but it is Christ the Lion who is coming next.
Serving By His Grace For His Glory In His Love Until He Returns!
with love,
Jerry
Our God is the All consuming Fire. His fiery love in not neutral in its effects upon our hearts. When we come into this Fire, we do not remain the same. His jealous love burns away all the things within us that are not everlasting and purifies all that will remain forever. There are places in each of our minds that stand in oposition to the truths of His love and His character. These areas of accusation stand agaist thetrue knowledge of His heart. When we purposefully labor to daily set our hearts before this God of raging desire, He burns away the false understandings and imparts living knowledge of Himself.
a quote from Deep Unto Deep by Dana Candler
A. When Jesus taught on the end times, He warned us to beware of false teachers who could gain a large following, thus starting new cults. A cult is a group with an unusual devotion to one leader and his set of beliefs that are not found in Scripture (as affirmed in historic Christianity).
4 Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many…11 Manymany…24 False christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. (Mt. 24:4-5, 11, 24) false prophets will rise up and deceive
B. The conflict in the end times will be a battle for truth. Satan’s weapon will be deception and our defense will be love for the truth. This battle will focus on defining who Jesus is and how we are to love Him. We must love God on His terms. Our love for God must be expressed in allegiance to Jesus and the Bible. The Spirit exalts Jesus by guiding us into all truth about Him.
13 The Spirit of truth…will guide you into all truth…He will tell you things to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. (Jn. 16:13-14)
C. Truths about Jesus that offend humanists include His right as God to establish absolute standards to which the nations will be held accountable to Him for. Second, Jesus is the only way of salvation. Third, Jesus possesses the wisdom and love to judge sin in time and eternity.
D. Paul warns us of a falling away in the end times that can be avoided by loving the truth.
3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day (Jesus’ return) will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin (Antichrist) is revealed…9 according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth. (2 Thes. 2:3-10)
E. Love for the truth is more than adherence to it. We take a firm stand for it regardless of what it costs us. Loving truth requires that we commit to accept any new ideas as long as they are substantiated in the Scripture regardless of how different they are from our religious background.
F. Some will fall away in the end times as people pay attention to doctrines inspired by demons.
1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 speaking lies in hypocrisy… (1 Tim. 4:1-2)
G. Paul spoke about false teaches who would start cults by drawing people after themselves. He admonished the elders to be alert to this (1 Tim. 1:3-11; 4:1-8; 6:2-7, 20-21; 2 Tim. 3:1-17).
29 For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. 31 Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears. (Acts 20:29-31)
H. Peter warns of the dangers of false teachers who deny the main tenets of our faith. They can be detected most easily by their covetousness and immorality (2 Pet. 2:9-14; Jude 8-10).
1 There will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord…2 Many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed (ridiculed). 3 By covetousness they will exploit (manipulate) you with deceptive words…14 having eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease from sin…They have a heart trained in covetous practices…18 For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness… (2 Pet. 2:1-18)
I. False teachers do not hold to the main and plain doctrines of Scripture. They pervert the teaching about the grace of God by either legalism or lewdness. Legalism seeks to earn the grace of God. Lewdness reduces the message of grace to receiving forgiveness without turning from our sin. The true grace message inspires us to deny lust and empowers us to walk godly (Titus 2:11-12).
4 For certain men (false teachers) have crept in unnoticed…ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny…our Lord Jesus Christ. (Jude 4)
J. We must accept the main historical Christian doctrines which include:
Jesus as God’s only son who is fully God and fully man, born of virgin birth, without sin Jesus’ death and bodily resurrection and ascension to the Father’s right hand Salvation is by faith alone, through grace alone and in Christ alone The one true God exists in three persons (Trinity) as Father, Son and Holy Spirit The infallibility of Scripture as our final authority for all matters of faith and practice The unity and diversity of the Body of ChristK. See the Apostle’s Creed, the Nicene Creed and the Westminster’s Confession for more references
1. Cults teach: Their members must accept what they believe without challenging their doctrines. They do not want their members to think critically for themselves.
2. The Bible teaches: We must all challenge each teaching that we hear by the light of Scripture. Loyalty to a ministry involves challenging it with humility. Do not believe a teaching that you cannot see with your eyes in your Bible. Think for yourself and do not quickly accept ideas. Do not say, “Our leaders say…” but rather say, “The Bible says…”
21 Test all things; hold fast what is good. (1 Thes. 5:21) 11 They (the Bereans) received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. (Acts 17:10-11)1. Cults teach: People will be judged by God or will lose God’s best if they leave. Rejection, shunning and warnings of judgment are given. People are taught to make lifelong commitments to the group and/or to seek permission to join another ministry.
2. The Bible teaches: The first concern of a leader is for what is good for the people under them. Therefore, leaders are to help them succeed as they seek to follow God’s will for their life, regardless if it means joining another ministry. The foundational value is that God owns the people, not the leader or the group in which they serve.
1. Cults teach: Cults emphasize the special revelations of their “anointed” leader who presents himself as having unique insights that no one else has.
2. The Bible teaches: We must emphasize supremacy and infallibility of Scripture as the final authority of truth. We matt emphasize the main and plain themes of Scripture as the love Jesus, the Sermon on the Mount lifestyle, prayer, reading the word, winning the lost, healing the sick and serving others, etc.
1. Cults teach: Cults require loyalty to the leaders instead of to Jesus. Faithfulness is defined as supporting the leader instead of obeying Jesus. This loyalty is expressed in forbidding them to correct the leader (who does not freely admit his faults or errors). They warn the people to “not touch God’s anointed”.
2. The Bible teaches: Our first loyalty and connection is to Jesus. We serve together with weak and broken leaders who do not have all the answers and who are in need of insight and correction from others.
1. Cults teach: The children are taught to be more loyal to the leaders than to their parents. The women are taught to be more loyal to the leaders than to their husbands and the husbands are taught to accept this as normal behavior.
2. The Bible teaches: The first relational priority of commitment is to one’s marriage, children and parents. The sanctity and identity one’s family is far more important than the ministry in which they are involved.
1. Cults teach: Cults emphasize special revelations that especially allow their leaders to cross biblical boundaries in areas of immorality. They usually insist on owning the money and property of their members who “join the community”.
2. The Bible teaches: Sexual purity and private ownership of finances and property. In Acts 4, the disciples laid their money and property at the apostle’s feet as a one-time free will offering, not as a permanent economic arrangement.
1. Cults teach: Cults criticize and exclude the larger Body of Christ and claim to be the only ones truly saved. They separate from the wider Church with an elite spirit.
2. The Bible teaches: We love God by loving the whole Church that is so dear to Him. We are to cultivate a culture of honor in our midst that emphasizes blessing other ministries without criticism and a spirit of inclusion without elitism.
15 Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits….17 Every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit…20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them. (Mt. 7:15-20)
A. Jesus compared false teachers to wolves because they are dangerous in their effect on people and deceptive in how they influence people. A wolf is a natural enemy of sheep who can not defend themselves. A wolf disguises himself as a sheep by claiming to uphold the Scripture.
B. Jesus changed his metaphor from wolves among sheep to fruit on trees. We may not immediately discern a wolf, but it is clear if edible fruit is on a tree. We must know or test fruit in a teacher’s life. There is a moral and a doctrinal test. Sound doctrine and holy living are the sure fruit of a good leader. It is not possible to examine fruit from a distance. Thus, Jesus is not exhorting us to become critical of others as a self appointed “heresy-hunter”.
19 Holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God. (Col. 2:19)
This is the voice of the bride inspired from the Song of Songs
