My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. 1 John 3:18
If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? 1 John 4:20
Believers who have succeeded in walking in love have endeared themselves to God. They have won His heart and cannot but make a mark on the earth. David was described as a man after God's heart. He loved God deeply, therefore God said concerning him:
I have found My servant David; With My holy oil I have anointed him, With whom My hand shall be established; Also My arm shall strengthen him. The enemy shall not outwit him, Nor the son of wickedness afflict him. I will beat down his foes before his face, And plague those who hate him. "But My faithfulness and My mercy shall be with him, And in My name his horn shall be exalted. Psalm 89:20-24
In David God located a man who was truly in love with Him and anointed him. Those who are truly the greatly anointed men of our time are men with a love connection with God and with others. Those who claim to love God, must be reflective also in their love for men, otherwise their claim of love is a lie. No one can claim to love God when he does not love his neighbor. Whosoever hates his brother is a murderer: and we know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. God's word is unchanging:
We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. 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. 1 John 3:14-18
The sad part is that many deceived religious ones are waiting for others whom they hate to change and repent and God is waiting for them to change and repent.The forgot that their love for men is a pointer to the depth of their love for God. That is why they must guard their heart against hatred, jealousy, envy, bitterness and other vices; because every evil they habour against someone gets them in trouble. Unforgiveness, bitterness, hatred, and the likes disconnects them from the flow of eternal life. God’s word is unchanging:
Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled; lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears. Hebrews 12:14-17
For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses' law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord. And again, "The LORD will judge His people." It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Hebrews 10:26-31
Those who sin willfully after they have received the knowledge of truth will not receive grace but a certain fearful expectation of judgment and fiery indignation which devours God’s adversaries. While those who think they have an option to live life as they choose with out paying the resulting consequences of judgment from God are greatly mistaken. For there are consequences even in the current time of life, such as a shorten life span, suffering, poor health, financial losses, and other negative things. Heaven is not short of anything including health, wealth and wisdom while men suffer these kinds of losses and lacks. Men do not understand the fear of the Lord even though God’s word states:
Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. Who is the man who desires life, And loves many days, that he may see good? Keep your tongue from evil, And your lips from speaking deceit. Depart from evil and do good;
Seek peace and pursue it. The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry. The face of the LORD is against those who do evil, To cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. Psalm 34:11-16
The face of the Lord is against those who do evil to cut off their remembrance of them from the earth. Judgment delayed by God is not judgment denied. It is just God showing His mercies and His grace for people to repent and to change their ways. But inevitably through what is called the Act of God such as war, famine, pestilence, storms and other disasters judgment does come to people and when they least expect it. For the words of Jesus are true:
There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answered and said to them, "Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? "I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.
"Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? "I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish."
He also spoke this parable: "A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. "Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, 'Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?'
"But he answered and said to him, 'Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. 'And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.' " Luke 13;1-9
Unless people repent sooner or later they shall perish. Sooner or later the keeper of the vineyard shall cut down the tree which is not bearing fruit and is just wasting space. God is patient, loving, kind and but even this has its limits. Every thing comes to and end and there is a new season or a new time. For God’s word is true:
To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven: A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted; A time to kill, And a time to heal; A time to break down, And a time to build up; A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones; A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing; A time to gain, And a time to lose; A time to keep, And a time to throw away; A time to tear, And a time to sew; A time to keep silence, And a time to speak; A time to love, And a time to hate; A time of war, And a time of peace. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man's all. For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil. Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
God does send the devil sometimes so that we can learn to overcome evil but He also sends the devil so that He can whip us when we are not in the will of God. What we need to do is look behind the devil, who is only a vessel of dishonor, and see God who rules over all! In all circumstances God has promised us victory over the devil. And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. (Romans 16:20). If we are not having real victory over the devil it’s because we have given room to the devil. We cannot cast out unclean spirits from others if we ourselves have unclean spirits? God’s word is unchanging:
Therefore, putting away lying, "Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor," for we are members of one another. "Be angry, and do not sin": do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil. Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:25-32
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. Matthew 28:18
Jesus has given us authority and power over the devil’s power and all negative circumstances. And if we are not observing all that Jesus has commanded us, including about not causing offenses to others, we will not be able to overcome the devil but he will overcome us for God’s word is unchanging:
"You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.' "But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, 'Raca!' shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be in danger of hell fire. "Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, "leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. "Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. Matthew 5:21-25
God will use the demons to make us pay for a sin of the will of not observing what He has commanded us to observe. The prison here is spiritual bondage to sin and the curse, administered by the demons. Jesus came “. . . to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; (Isaiah .61:1). Willful disobedience throws us back into the prison that Jesus delivered us from. Jesus bore all sin; He also bore the penalty for all sin, except willful disobedience. Notice that there is “no more a sacrifice” for that sin. We should have “a certain fearful expectation of judgment.”
Many of us have been lied to about the cleansing of the blood. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. (1 John. 1:7) The blood cleanses the one who walks in the light of the Word, not in the darkness of willful disobedience. Willful disobedience will bring certain judgment. We will pay the penalty for this sin here and now. David sinned willfully with Bathsheba. When he repented, Nathan the prophet said, “The Lord also hath put away thy sin,” but he also said, “The sword shall never depart from thy house.” This proved true, for David lost three sons and many people. His own son Absalom won the sympathy of the people and usurped the kingdom. David had to flee for his life. We do not spank our children for failure or mistakes, but for willful disobedience. God’s word is unchanging:
"Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. "And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. "But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. "The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, 'Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.' "Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.
"But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, 'Pay me what you owe!' "So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.' "And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. "So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done.
"Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. 'Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?' "And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. "So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses." Matthew 18:23-35
Everything we need has been made available to us through Jesus who is our all sufficient one (Romans 5:1; Romans 6:23; Romans 11:36; Ephesians 2:7). We have power (authority) over the power (ability) of demonic forces (Luke 10:19). Although we cannot stand against the Enemy in our own power (Ephesians 6:10) but our authority is through Jesus. Hence we can command the devil to cease all His attacks against us through our authority that is in the name of Jesus. We can demand the Devil submit to the Word, to loose his hold and to stop his operations against us and our loved ones. The Enemy doesn’t want us to use our right of the New Covenant of Faith to demand, forbid and permit but God’s word is unchanging:
"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. "And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. "If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. John 14:12-14
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Ephesians 6:11-13
Yes we don’t have to tolerate sickness, diseases, poverty, lack, oppression or depression but we can take authority over it. We can do what God’s word commands us to do;
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. Matthew 28:18-20
And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. "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."
So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen. Mark 16:15-20
http://billyburke.org/PrayerMinistryRoom/JourneyofYourPrayerRequest/tabid/142/Default.aspx
EXTRACT FROM Called To Inherit A Blessing
http://walthope.tripod.com/called.htm
http://walthope.wordpress.com
https://plus.google.com/u/0/100302133262254344211/posts
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