Three Keys To Releasing Life

For those that may not know who this man is, his name is Jack Hayford. Use to be a professor of mine while in college, later became our pastor for part of the time we lived in California. A brilliantly gifted man, compassionate minister, and teaches with God's heart, as well as the chansellor of a college that is based from the church he and his wife founded.

Pastor Hayford has a place on facebook that I've recently found....what a pleasant surprise. "Jack Hayford Ministries." He's offered a series on his Spirit Formed video ministry called "Three Keys To Releasing Life", that would really bless anyone that would wish to spend some time feeding your heart. There are three in this series:
The title of each of them are:
#1. Finding Release For A Strained Relationship
#2. Release From Tortured Circumstances
#3. Life-Long Release From Financial Bondage

Three Keys to Releasing Life

If you are interested, click on the link above. They are each only 30 minutes in length, and will encourage you and make a difference in your life. Two are made available at this time....I'm waiting for the third.

God Bless YOU!!!
Sharon

Obama's Plan to Sodomize America

White House being struck by lightening on Easter Sunday, 2011.

Sharon here,

This article I'm showing on my blog is authored by Noah W. Hutchings, is used here by permission, it was printed on the "Prophetic Observer" August 2011-Vol18, No. 8 Edition.

This is from Southwest Radio Ministries
P.O. Box 100
Bethany, Oklahoma 73008

While I am reproducing this article, it is not my intent to bring a doom & gloom message, nor do I use my blog as a political forum, but, again, to alert the CHURCH NOW to rise up and pray like she never has before, and to be who God has called her to be. She is to be a faithful watchman and make a difference while we are "occupying" this planet, this nation. We are to be the SALT and LIGHT of this globe. We're still here, we've not been taken to be with the Lord, yet, during these last and trying days. We're to make a difference with every breath we breathe, and every place we put our feet, and everything we put our hands to, by the help and grace of the Lord, in Jesus' Name.

Right?

Even though I've heard bits and pieces of these news items, Mr. Hutchings has done a good job at compiling the things he's used in writing the article.

So, please keep these things in mind, while you read, if you so choose to at this point. This is NOT the ONLY threat to our nation, but after reading this article, I hope it will renew your zeal for prayer.

Kindest Regards,
Sharon

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Obama's Plan to Sodomize America

One of the first official acts of Barack Obama upon becoming president of the United States was to issue a proclaimation designating June, the traditional month of brides, as LGBT (or homosexual) Month. According to Obama this was done to honor this minority segment of the U.S. population (1.7%) as this nation's most important citizens. The full text of the proclamation was carried in the June 27, 2009, edition of San Francisco Pride. The reason for dedicating a month to honor homosexuals was stated in the opening sentence:

LGBT [Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender] Americans have made and continue to make great and lasting contributions that continue to strengthen the fabric of American society; LGBT Americans have mobilized the nation to respond to the domestic HIV/AIDS epidemic, and played a vital role in broadening the country's response in the HIV epidemic.

This opening statement regarding the actual role homosexuals have played in the U.S. history and the president's appraisal of their alerting other citizens to the need of solving the AIDS curse on humanity is beyond rational comprehension. Obama's narcissistic mindset aims to change the truth into a lie and a lie into the truth. It is a known fact that AIDS was first recognized as a new disease in 1981, when a number of young gay men in New York and Los Angeles were diagnosed with symptoms not usually seen in individuals with healthy immune systems. Originally named GRIDS for Gay Related Immune Deficiency Syndrome, AIDS is mainly tranmitted through sexual activity and has already caused the death of hundreds of millions of people worldwide. In his book Real Change, Newt Gingrich shares that within three counties in Florida, AIDS victims hit Medicare for over $480 million in just six months. Evidence indicates that AIDS victims are bankrupting Medicare and robbing senior citizens of this insurance for which they have paid through salary deductions. The president continues in the next section of his homosexual proclamation:

I am proud to be the first president to appoint LGBT candidates to Senate-confirmed positions in the first 100 days of an administration. These individuals embody the best qualities we seek in public service.

The fact is that the Senate complained that Obama was appointing "czars" without confirmation. The record also indicates that he has appointed over 150 homosexuals to high government offices with administrative responsibilities. It is difficult to name anyone in the new administration who is not a homosexual and if, as Obama says, these are indeed the best people, he would seem to include himself. In 2008 a Minnesota man named Larry Sinclair came forward and claimed that in 1999 he took cocaine with the then-Illinois legislator and participated in homosexual acts with him. Sinclair charges Obama smoked crack cocaine in the limo while Sinclair snorted powdered cocaine provided by the legislator. He says the two met in an upscale Chicago lounge before leaving in Sinclair's limousine where the drug use and sex took place for the first time. Sinclair, who says he is willing to submit to a polygraph test to validate his claims, stated, "My motivation for making this public is my desire for a presidential candidate to be honest," Sinclair told WND by telephone. "I didn't want the sex thing to come out. But I think it is important for the candidate to be honest about his drug use as late as 1999."

As to future plans for the homosexual segment of the population, the president continued:

My administration has partnered with the LGBT community to advance a wide range of initiatives. At the international level, I have joined efforts at the United Nations to decriminalize homosexuality around the world....These measures include supporting civil unions...ensuring adoption rights, and ending existing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policies in a way that strengthens the armed forces and national security.

Mr Obama admits, or professes, that he is not just a member of the Democratic Party, but he is also a member of the LGBT Party and that he will work to accomplish all homosexual goals while in office. These goals were set forth in the Gay Community News puiblication on Feburary 15, 1987, in an article titled "The Gay Manifesto," written by pen name Michael Swift:

We shall sodomize your sons, emblems of your feeble masculinity, of your shallow dreams and vulgar lies. We shall seduce them in your schools, in your dormitories, in your gymnasiums, in your locker rooms, in your sports arenas, in your seminaries, in your youth groups, in your movie theater bathrooms, in your army bunkhouses, in your truck stops, in your all male clubs, in your houses of Congress, wherever men are with men together. Your sons shall become our minions and do our bidding. They will be recast in our image. They will come to crave and adore us. ....All laws banning homosexual activity will be revoked. Instead, legislation shall be passed which engenders love between men. All homosexuals must stand together as brothers; we must be united artistically, philosophically, socially, politically and financially. We will triumph only when we present a common face to the vicious heterosexsual enemy. If you dare to cry faggot, fairy, queer, at us, we will stab you in your cowardly hearts and defile your dead, puny bodies....There will be no compromises. We are not middle-class weaklings. Highly intelligent, we are the natural aristocrats of the human race, and steely-minded aristocrates never settle for less. Those who oppose us will be exiled. We shall raise vast private armies, as Mishima did, to defeat you. We shall conquer the world because warriors inspired by and banded together by homosexual love and honor are invincible as were the ancient Greek soldiers. The family unit -- spawning ground of lies, betrayals, mediocrity, hypocrisy and violence -- will be abolished. The family unit, which only dampens imagination and curbs free will, must be eliminated...All churches who condemn us will be closed. Our only gods are handsome young men.

There has been much debate over the intent of "The Gay Manifesto." Some in the gay community shrug it off as a sarcastic joke, claimaing it was written to mock those against the homosexual agenda. However, most in the gay community embrace it as a battle hymn for the LGBT movement. To those of us standing against the sodomizing of our nation and its values, "The Gay Manifesto" is a very real, and very terrifying, threat. (For a full copy of "The Gay Manifesto," call 1-800-652-1144)

One of the goals of the Commmunist Party in weakening the United States was to use homosexuality as stated in Agenda 21. One specific goal was to infiltrate the armed forces. This was started by Bill Clinton during his presidency through the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" program under which 16,000 homosexuals enlisted. However, some 12,000 had to be dismissed because they not only told, they did what homosexuals do.

President Obama got the bill passed to allow unrestricted enrollment in the military services for homosexuals by submitting a false report to a lame duck Congress. According to a June 27, 2011, report by World Net Daily, the presidential report to Congress stated that 70 percent of the military polled said it was alright with them for gays to enlist. According to the Inspector General, the White House wrote the report before any such poll was taken.

Likewise a recent poll which claims that there are no adverse effects of gays joining the military services has been labeled false by Robert Knight in a June 15, 2011, One News Now report. Knight states that this information is inaccurate because military personnel cannot voice open objection to military orders. The implementation was slated to begin at the speed and affirmation of the commanding officers, yet a federal court order for July 7, 2011, showed that implementation must begin at once, without the permission of the military. These reports indicate President Obama committed to complete the proposed programs of the homosexual organizations, even under subterfuge and lies.

Another of the stated goals of the homosexual conspiracy is the destruction of the family untit. God made Adam first and then Eve and the couple subsequently had two children, Cain and Abel. God established the family between one man and one woman. While this order may vary in some religions and cultures, all still maintain that the family begins with a man and a woman. Without family, no civilization, social order, or government can exist. Without this continuing relatonship between the sexes, humanity degenerates to the level of animals. President Obama ordered that the Defense of Marriage Act not be defended by the federal government, and in a statement referenced by Yahoo! News on June 23, 2011, President Obama indicated he saw no difference between marriage of a man and a woman to the marriage of two of the same sex.

Seven states have made same-sex marriages legal, the latest being New York. Catholic Bishop Dimmarzio stated in a June 30, 2011, CNS news item that the Christian marriage has been demonized by both Democrates and Republicans, that the pillar of civilization has been destroyed, and that no senator, congressman, or government representative be allowed to enter any Catholic church in his parish.

This nation of some 300 million does not yet realize what is happening. According to the Department of Defense budget report on July 7, 2011, the spending will increase greatly due to the Defense of Marriage act being trashed and the president's acceptance of same-sex marriages because homosexual mates will now have the same rights to home expenses and support as Army wives.

A typical appointee of Obama is Chai Feldblum, a lesbian whom he selected to head the Equal Employment Commission. In fact, everyone who heads the federal employment agencies seems to be homosexual, according to the press recordings at the beginning of the president's term in 2009. According to the Traditional Values Coalition, Ms. (or whatever) Feldblum is not only a homosexual, she is polyamorous, meaning having more than one intimate relationship at a time with the knowledge and consent of everyone involved. Feldblum is a strong believer in gay-marriage rights. Chai is quoted as saying, "I'm having a hard time coming up with any case in which religious libery should win. Gays win, Christians lose!"

A CNS news item on June 27, 2011, reports, "Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Monday that the U.S. State Department played an instrumental role in 'selling the deal' for pop rock musician Lady GaGa to perform at a gay pride parade in Rome, Italy." What are we doing here? Paying our secretary of state to act as an entertainment agent for homosexual affairs where participants openly commit the most vulgar acts known to the devil or mankind.

Obama's appointment of Kevin Jennings (founder of GLSEN [Gay, Lesbian, & Straight Education Network} and one of the most outspoken homosexual activists in the world) to head the department of Education has now led to the demand that all schoolbooks include the history and lives of so-called famous homosexuals (Fox News, July 6, 2011). CNS reported a homosexual party sponsored by the Department of Education and Kathleen Sebelius, another Obama appointee, stated this party was to "insure that LGBT students' rights were protected." Now, many universities in the United States are granting LGBT degrees. A federal tax grant (your money) was given to the Gay Straight Alliance Network to teach homosexual youth to perform safer sex to keep the AIDS statistics down.

Many major government departments in Washington D.C. now have inner homosexual departments with websites. When was our Constitution amended to allow separate inner subversive units, paid for by taxpayer's dollars, whose purpose so stated is to teach our children how to "safely" sodomize each other and close our churches? The Department of Justice has a homosexual department and website headed, "DOJ PRIDE - The Official Web Presence for LGBT Employees and Their Allies." The website is composed of eight pages on the mission and purpose for the Department of Justice, but summarizes it as follows:

Besides conducting outreach to prospective employees, DOJ Pride sponsors brown-bag lectures featuring experts in the LGBT community discussing issues of importance in DOJ members, such as marriage equality. Finally, through its yearly Pride Month Celebration and Award Ceremony, DOJ Pride has taken an active role in recognizing the work of LGBT supporters inside the Department of Justice, the Federal Government, and the Nation.

Even the CIA is jumping on the pro-LGBT bandwagon. A news item dated July 11, 2011, on DallasCaller.com is headlined, "CIA TO Sponsor LGBT Advocacy Group Summit." The reason stated for this CIA diversion is "to promote diversity within CIA ranks," says CIA spokeswoman Marie Hart. Evidently promoting homosexuality takes precedent above protecting our nation against terrorists and spies. The president and his offices have been bought by the homosexual conspiracy. As Oklahoma representative Sally Kern states repeatedly in her book, The Stoning of Sally Kern, this is the greatest danger to the freedom and sovereignty of the United States in our nation today.

There are sixteen references in the books of the prophets to warn nations against committing the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah. Israel's two good kings, Asa and Josiah, begain their reigns by trashing the sodomites' houses, probably bath houses, and chasing them out of town. There are six references to Sodom and Gomorrah in the Gospels and Jesus was not exactly suggesting these cities as vacation resorts.

Paul began his letter to the Christians in Rome to warn them against becoming morally and spiritually corrupted by that homosexually saturated society. Paul warned the Christians about homosexuals who sin against God's created order:

For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change their natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;...Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. -Romans 1:26-28, 32

When Peter wrote his last epistle he knew that within a few days he would be crucified, and he evidently felt he had to leave the warning to Christians that they must not follow the example of Sodom and Gomorrah (II Peter 2:6). I did not teach from the Southern Baptist Quarterly lesson for July 3, 2011, because it indicated that the sin Peter referenced was gluttony or over-eating.

Jude, the half-brother of Jesus, was determined to write an epistle on the love of God in sending his brother Jesus to die for the sins of the world. However the Holy Spirit stopped him and told him to write to the churches warning about sodomites in the pulpit:

For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into laciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ....Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities. -- Jude 4, & 7-8

The Bible says that homosexuality is a sin, and the fear of homosexuality is a concern that every Christian should have. Today sodomites are being ordained as decons and pastors in many churches. There is only one pastor in Oklahoma City that I know of who has the courage to stand up on the pulpit and teach what God says about homosexuals and the destruction that this sin against nature brings to any nation that does not heed the example of Sodom and Gomorrah. That pastor is Paul Blair of the Fairview Baptist Church in Edmond, Oklahoma. Even Glenn Beck, O'Rilly of Fox, or Rush Limbaugh, recognized voices for conservatism, dare not mention one negative word about homosexuals.

Our president has made a commitment to fulfill the homosexual agenda for the sodomization of the United States. He is being paid to do it. Pastors and teachers are scared to touch the subject, hiding in fear behind their pulpits. Over and over Sodom is given in the Bible as an example for nations who act likewise. It is up to Christians like me, an 88-year-old WWII verteran who spent three years in the South Pacific, to warn our nation that God is going to give up on us unless there is an awakening in our nation and repentance in our churches.

The Bible describes the homosexual lifestyle as "unseemly," meaning wicked beyond imagination. Yet the homosexuals among us do have the right to vote, own property, and engage in business with only ecclesiastical limitations, as should be understandable. They also have the right to live together and pursue their particular lifestyle. Yet this is not enought for our government who is now trying to force the acceptance of this unhealthy, immoral, even deadly lifestyle on all of us. I love my country, so please join me in prayer to our God who hears when no one else does.

I believe that the next half century will determine if we will advance the cause of Christian civilization or revert to the horrors of brutal paganism. The thought of modern industry in the hands of Christian charity is a dream worth dreaming. The thought of industry in the hands of paganism is a nightmare beyond imagining. The choice between the two is upon us.
Theodore Roosevelt

History fails to record a single precedent in which nations subject to moral decay have not passed into political and economic decline. There has been either a spiritual awakening to overcome the moral lapse, or a progressive deterioration leading to ultimate national disaster.
General Douglas MacArthur

Is Your Church Going "Purpose Driven?" - How Can You Tell?

Sharon here,
I'm sure that there are some Bodies of Believers that have/are making some changes within their churches that are not pernicious. However, as this article points out, there some alarming changes that they, as an organization, have produced in their "format" to remove basic tenants of our faith, and wanting to give a dangerous "facelift" to the GOSPEL. This is what I thought made this article worthy of passing along.

I ask God to HELP US to be able to distinguish between the holy and the profane. In Jesus' Name.

Kindest Regards,
Sharon

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Is Your Church Going Purpose Driven?
How Can You Tell?

In the past ten years a large percentage of churches in America, and in other countries, have changed from a traditional New Testament church model to a contemporary Purpose Driven model, many with sorrowful results.

Contrary to Purpose Driven Church porponents, millions have been leaving their churches after the change occurred.

It is important that every church member know if their church is targeted for a Purpose Driven Church takeover.

Initially, a small clique of church staff, possibly including the pastor or a new pastor, plans the change without telling the rest of the church membership.

Church Transitions, an associate of Saddleback Church in California, trains the clique initiating the change in eight published steps. The church membership is not to be informed of the transition until the fourth step. After the sixth step in the process of change, if there are some in the church who voice concerns, the following is suggested:

1. Identify those who are resisting the changes;
2. Assess the effectiveness of their opposition;
3. Befriend those who are undecided about the changes;
4. Marginalize more persistent resisters;
5. Vilify those who stay and fight;
6. Establish new rules that will silence all resistance.

This means the church membership is not told until it is too late to make a difference. In other words the members either accept the changes, or leave the church, which they may have served and given to build.

Dr. Rick Warren, author of The Purpose Driven Church and The Purpose Driven Life has stated: "When you reveal the vision to the church, the old pillars are going to leave. But let them leave...they only hold things up."

Dr. Warren is right in one way. It is the senior members of the church who do indeed hold a church up and keep it from falling into apostasy. While some PDC initiators may not implement the full PDC format, generally these are the signs indicating that your church may be targeted for a Purpose Driven Church format:

1. Change in music to a contemporary rock style.

2. Removal of hymn books; eliminating the choir.

3. Replacement of organ and piano with heavy metal instruments.

4. Repetitive singing of praise lyrics.

5. Dressing down to casual attire.

6. Eliminating of business meetings, church committees, council of elders, board of deacons, etc.

7. The pastor, or a new leader with a few assistants, usually four, takes charge of all church business.

8. A repetitive 40-day Purpose Driven Church study program stressing psychological relationships with each other, the community, or the world, begins.

9. Funded budgeted programs are abandoned, or ignored, with ambiguous financial reports made.

10. Sunday morning, evening, and/or Wednesday prayer meetings are changed to other times; some may even be eliminated.

11. Sunday School teachers are moved to differnt classes, or replaced by new teachers more sympathetic with the changes being implemented.

12. The name "Sunday school" is dropped and classes are given new names.

13. Crosses and other traditional Christian symbols may be moved from both the inside and outside of the church building. The pulpit may also be removed.

14. In accordance with Dr. Warren's instructions, new version Bibles are used; or only verses flashed on a screen are referenced during regular services.

15. Purpose Driven Church films, purchased from Saddleback, precede or are used during regular services.

16. The decor, including the carpets, may be changed to eliminate any resemblance to the former church.

17. The word "church" is often taken from the name of the church, and the church may be called a "campus." Denominational names may also be removed.

18. An emphasis on more fun and party sessions for the youth.

19. Elimination of altar calls or salvation invitations at the close of the services.

20. The elimination of such words as "unsaved," "lost," "sin," "Hell," "Heaven," and other gospel verities from the pastor's message.

21. The reclassification of the saved and lost to the "churched" and "unchurched."

22. The marginalizing, or ostricizing, of all who are not avid promoters of the new Purpose Driven program.

23. Closed meeting between the pastor or chosen staff members without any reports made to the general membership.

24. Open hostility to members who do not openly embrace the new program, or who may have left for another church.

What You Can Do

If your church is in the initial stages of change (music or the first 40-day program), your church could be saved by talking to other church members, and with activist intervention by 10-20 percent of the membership. If nothing is done at this early stage, then by the time the program advances to step four, there is little that can be done except look for another church. Your church has become a Purpose Driven entity in association with Saddleback Church of Orange County or Willow Creek of Chicago.

You must educate yourself, and others, so that you can mobilize the membership to effectively resist. "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind" (II Timothy 1:7).

Dr. Warren in his world peace plan has stated intentions of sending one billion Christians into the world to eliminate human problems. The number one characteristic of a cult is a messianic, charismatic leader.

Purpose Driven Church books are published by Zondervan, one of Rupert Murdoch's many properties, including 175 newspapers and international television and satellite communications, including in China. Various reports indicate he is building his third wife, Windi Deng, a 22,000 foot mansion in the Forbidden City in Beijing.

Dr. Warren stated on May 23, 2005, at the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life: "The word 'fundamentalist' actually comes from a document in the 1920's called the Five Fundamentals of the Faith. And it is very legalistic, narrow view of Christianity."

The five fundamentals of the faith to which Dr. Warren objected are:

1. The inerrancy and full authority of the Bible.

2. The virgin birth and full Deity of Jesus Christ.

3. The bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

4. Christ's atoning, vicarious death for the sins of the world.

5. The literal second coming of Jesus Christ.

Are we to believe that Christians who hold to these basic foundational doctrines of the Christian faith are narrow and legalistic? According to the New Testament definition, those who believe otherwise are not Christians.

To start a Purpose Driven Church or change to one with the full knowledge and consent of the membership is one thing, but to practically steal a church from Christians who have given and served to build it without their knowledge or consent is quite another.

Don't be fooled by the Saddleback website. You don't catch many fish unless you have a look-alike bait!




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This article is used by permission, and was taken from a tract published by:
Southwest Radio Ministries
Box 100, Bethany, OK 73008
1-800-652-1144
www. swrc.com

Dear God, Thank You

Dear God, thank You!

I want to thank You for what You have already done.
I am not going to wait until I see results or receive rewards;
I am thanking You right now.

I am not going to wait until I feel better or things look better;
I am thanking You right now.

I am not going to wait until people say they are sorry or until they stop talking about me;
I am thanking You right now.

I am not going to wait until the pain in my body disappears;
I am thanking You right now.

I am not going to wait until my financial situation improves;
I am going to thank You right now.

I am not going to wait until the children are asleep and the house is quiet;
I am going to thank You right now.

I am not going to wait until I get promoted at work or until I get the job;
I am going to thank You right now.

I am not going to wait until I understand every experience in my life that has caused me pain or grief;
I am thanking You right now.

I am not going to wait until the journey gets easier or the challenges are removed;
I am thanking You right now.

I am thanking You because I am alive.

I am thanking You because I made it through the day's difficulties.

I am thanking You because I have walked around the obstacles.

I am thanking You because I have the ability and the opportunity to do more and do better.

I'm thanking You because, Father, YOU haven't given up on me.

(forwarded by Johanna Boman
mikeysFunnies.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I Chronicles 23:30 - ... Stand every morning to thank and praise the LORD, and likewise at evening

I Thessalonians 2:13 - ....We also thank God without ceasing...

When Sin and Religion Become Friends

WHEN SIN AND RELIGION BECOME FRIENDS
by Carter Conlon - Pastor of Times Square Church, New York, New York.

“The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!” (Matthew 6:22–23).

What did Jesus mean when He said, “If the light that is in you be darkness?” Taken in context, we see that He was speaking about the impossibility of serving two masters at the same time. He continued, “…either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24).

Jesus used the example of money here, but He was illustrating a much deeper principle—a struggle that all of us face from time to time. It occurs when we come to even a minimal understanding of the ways of God, yet in our own hearts think we know a better way. For instance, when we believe we can secure a better future if we simply follow our own reasoning. Or when we believe we can achieve greater happiness if we don’t take the pathway God has prescribed, but instead take an easier and more attractive one. In other words, it is the constant struggle between either serving God or serving ourselves as god.

It is possible to have a clear vision of what is of true value, yet still choose to set our affections on something we know to be potentially harmful. It is possible to sit under the Word of God, to know what He is saying, but inside still wonder, “How close can I get to the fence before I am outside? How close can I walk to the line before I am rejected? How much do I really need to obey God?”


CHOOSING ANOTHER PATHWAY
In the book of Ezekiel, a prophecy was given to the king of Tyrus; this is believed by many to actually refer to the fall of Satan and his subsequent corrupting of the human race. The Lord said through Ezekiel, “You have been in Eden, the garden of God, and every precious stone was your covering. You had an anointing, and you were put in an appointed place. You walked in the presence of God—in holy places with an unhindered view of who God really is. You were perfect in your ways until the very ability which I gave you corrupted you” (see Ezekiel 28:13–15).

Satan was in the presence of God and had an unrestricted view of the perfect Light. The Scriptures seem to bear witness that there was a specific beauty about Satan. He was granted great gifts and was perhaps one of the finer created beings in heaven at that particular moment. However, these very gifts from God corrupted him, which we see occur in the human race over and over again.

For example, people with brilliant minds become absolutely corrupted by that intellect, using the thought process to stray farther and farther away from the kingdom of God.

Just as Satan had an unrestricted view of the Lord, we as children of God have the Holy Spirit within us, enabling us to understand the Scriptures and discern between right and wrong. So in another measure, we too have an unrestricted view of God. That means if we want truth, we can have it; if we want freedom, it can be ours; if we want life, it is promised.

Even with the pureness of that Light before him, Satan chose another pathway, following his own reasoning. He began to chafe at what he considered to be narrowness, convinced that he knew a better way. He mistakenly believed that he could be his own god, create his own reality, and live by his own concept of right and wrong. That was his downfall.

Cast out of heaven, Satan then came down to Adam and Eve and sowed his own logic into the human race. “Listen, God created you and put you in this garden tending these plants and naming a few animals, but don’t you think you were created for more than this? If you just do it my way, you can become as gods, knowing what is good and evil. I know God says that certain things are good and certain things are evil, but you don’t have to live in this narrow way.”

In his own mind, Satan had become god, the same danger you and I face today. He sowed into all of humanity this desire to be as God—to create our own concept of good and evil. An example of this would be when we refuse to forgive a person who has wronged us and conclude, “It is fine that I have not forgiven him. I know what God says, but this person just does not deserve to be forgiven.” Or when we steal in the workplace and say, “They don’t pay me enough, and last year I did not get that vacation I deserve, so this is good.” All the while we are well aware that the Scripture says no thief will inherit the kingdom of God.

Beloved, there is no deeper darkness than when sin and religion become friends. There is incredible power in this deceptive state. The Bible tells us that Satan succeeded in taking one–third of the angels with him in his rebellion, and he is still at work today attempting to incite a similar rebellion among those who claim to be followers of Christ.


A COVERING OF RELIGION
As the apostle Paul put it, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness” (Romans 1:18). In other words, they hold the truth with a heart that is not surrendered. They read God’s Word but will not obey it, even when it is plain and clear.

“…they worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator… and God gave them over to a reprobate mind…” (Romans 1:25, 28). A reprobate mind means corrupt thinking, a crooked mind. You and I should always pray that we never reach such a point! Unfortunately, I have met people like this—sitting in the house of God with all kinds of practices that are very clearly prohibited in Scripture. Yet after years of refusing to obey God, it is almost as if their thinking cannot be straightened. They choose instead to worship the thoughts of their own hearts, and sin and religion eventually become friends, bringing them to a place where they begin to call evil good.

There is no greater darkness than when that which is inwardly corrupt takes on a covering of religion. Jesus said to the Pharisees, “You serpents, you generation of vipers, how can you escape the damnation of hell?” (Matthew 23:33). In other words, “You have so covered yourselves in corruption and religion that you have bought yourselves a ticket to hell. How will you escape? How will you change? You have embraced this corrupted reasoning of Satan, covering death and decay with fine clothing and sweet religious words, but inwardly you hate God!”

At another point, Jesus also said to them, “You are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father you will do. He was a murderer from the beginning…” (John 8:44). He basically told the Pharisees, “I know that you are going to kill Me. I have come to you with words from God to bring you into freedom, but you have fallen for the deceptive strategy of Satan. Now you are entrenched in a wrong way of thinking, leaving you with two alternatives—either you will repent of your sin, or you will kill the voice that has been sent to draw you to the presence of God.”

It is amazing when sin and religion combine. That is what Jesus meant when He said, “If the light that is in you be darkness—if you have sat under truth but embraced a lie—how deep that darkness is.” It would be better to be the most overt, reprehensible sinner and know it; at least then you would have a chance to be redeemed. Unfortunately, many people reach a place where they sit in the house of God, having put on a covering of religion while embracing a wrong view of God and His ways.


KORAH'S REBELLION
The Lord gives us another picture of this intertwining of sin and religion in the book of Numbers. As Moses was leading the people of God through the wilderness, a man named Korah succeeded in rousing two hundred and fifty of the Israelites to stand in opposition to divine order and God’s leadership through Moses.

As Korah assembled those in rebellion, “So they each took his own censer and put fire on it, and laid incense on it; and they stood at the doorway of the tent of meeting…” (Numbers 16:18, NASB). There they stood, each holding a censer—a type of prayer and holy devotion to God—completely unaware that they were about to be burned by the presence of God. Notice that the Scripture says they were men of renown! How did they get to that state?

Recall that God supernaturally brought the children of Israel out from slavery in Egypt, and along with the deliverance imparted giftings and leadership ability. However, this led to an inner corruption, and all it took was for Satan to use that strategy once again and say, “This is too narrow! Think of the glory that could be yours! You are meant to lead, you are not meant to follow!”

Do you understand the power of your own heart to deceive you? Each of us has an inner capability to walk away from God and develop completely corrupted scriptural reasoning around it. Bear in mind that it was the most religious nation on earth that cried out for the death of the Son of God. They had the Scriptures and a revelation of God if they had wanted it. They chose, instead, to form a religion to cover their inner corruption. Jesus looked at the leaders and said, “You appear righteous but you are full of death inside. You clean the outside of the cup, but inwardly there is simply decay” (see Matthew 23:25). Just as they had a choice, today you and I must decide either to believe God and what He says, or to embrace ourselves as God, considering our own covering as sufficient.


IF YOUR EYE IS SINGLE
“In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not” (John 1:4–5). It is important to realize that the light shone in a religious darkness—that was the darkness that didn’t comprehend it. Isn’t it strange that the lepers comprehended it, the prostitutes responded to it, and even the dead could hear it? Yet religion has a certain death about it, making it almost impossible to hear the voice of God.

“…if your eye be single, your whole body will be full of light” (Matthew 6:22). You will not be in darkness if you are singly focused, standing before God, saying, “Lord, whatever You say is wrong, I will regard as wrong; and whatever You say is right, I will follow. By Your Spirit I will do what You ask me to, and wherever You lead me, I will follow.”

Paul spoke these words regarding Israel,“But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same veil untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which veil is done away in Christ” (2 Corinthians 3:14). Religion had blinded their minds, and they had created a system operating outside of truth.

“But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the veil is upon their heart. Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away”
(2 Corinthians 3:15–16). Yes, a day is coming when Israel will turn to the Lord, but this is also a principle that applies to us today. When we turn to the Lord, the veil that hinders us from the fullness of life that God offers us is taken away. “Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Corinthians 3:17–18). Here the meaning of “liberty” is generosity. As we are willing to surrender with an honest heart before God, we suddenly become aware of His incredible generosity. The Lord says, “I am willing to give you a new heart and a new mind. I am willing to put love, joy, and longsuffering inside of you. I am willing to give you peace in the midst of the storm; strength in the midst of your weakness. I am willing to do what cannot be done apart from My strength within you.”

We are changed from glory to glory as we behold Him, and the veil of incomplete religion and deceptive reasoning of the human heart is taken away. Our hearts are changed, and the whole focus of our lives is to honor God and see fallen men brought to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. It is a miraculous life that we enter into. Religion is obnoxious and ultimately leads to death, but in Christ is life, joy and peace.


“If your eye be single, your whole body will be full of light.”
In other words, every chain, every wall, every enemy, and every power of hell begins to be broken. You will be given strength that can come only from the Lord, and your body will be a declaration of His keeping power. Your whole body—everything you are, all that you say, whatever you touch, everything you do—will become an expression of God. Your entire body will be full of light if you choose to do things God’s way.


WHAT IS GOD SPEAKING TO YOU?
So now the question arises: What is God telling you to forsake, and what is He calling you to go toward? There is a distinct call to each of us, and this is where we will either cover sin with religion, or throw off that false garment and move toward a holy God, saying, “Lord, I am going where you are calling me. I will not create a religion in my own heart that allows me to move in the direction of death, thinking it is life. I will walk the pathway that You have set before me.”

Beloved, don’t fall into the religious trap of becoming your own god and justifying wrong. Don’t put off what God has called you to do, for the more you put it off, the greater the chance that you will make peace with it and eventually call it good. If you are under conviction, if you are reading your Bible and the Holy Spirit has His finger very clearly on an area of your life, don’t harden your heart to His voice! Over time you will end up making peace with it—covering it and calling it holy, as is the habit of our fallen nature.

I encourage you today to do what you know God says is right and to forsake all that you know to be wrong, no matter how difficult it may be. We all are going to need the strength of Christ to get through the coming days. We will need our inheritance in Christ, which God desires to give to us—but everything that is a reproach to God must be put away. As we make the choice to do things God’s way, allowing no friendship between sin and religion in our lives, the absolute outworking of it will be joy and strength, direction in the storm, provision in famine, victory in the battle. Hallelujah!

Carter Conlon
©2011 Times Square Church