3 John 1: 2 “Beloved I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health as thy soul prospers." Prosperity Redefined In The Life of the Believer 2 Timothy 3:1 “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.” Especially in the days ahead we are going to have to need to know what the true prosperity of God is. We are going into perilous times, as just stated in the Bible in the verse above in 2 Timothy. What is prosperity? Is there or should there be a difference in how the world views success and the believer views success/prosperity? What should it mean when we hear that God wants us to be prosperous? I truly believe that a loving God wants to bless His children during a time of chaos and calamity. His blessings are far superior and not designed just to make us wealthy. I do not believe that the end time church is getting the correct message. If we define prosperity as merely financial blessings or tangible goods or even “feelings” of well-being we will miss what Jesus has for His children in the end times. God cannot bless a twisted false doctrine that misrepresents who He is. He can only lovingly bring his errant children out of it when they turn around, listen to Him through prayerfully reading His Word and let the Holy Spirit lead them. The Bible says: 1 Timothy 6: 3-5 “If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.” I have an idea that this often preached message of prosperity that we are now getting in some of the church is not going to carry us through. I am concerned that those in the church who are buying into what is called “the prosperity gospel” are sitting complacently, propped upon a Western cultured throne. They are viewing the world through a rose-colored lens and shaded from the heat by fans of soon coming expected wealth. Many people have a desire to be rich or at least well off enough to never have to worry about their finances. This time in which we live is a time of grave uncertainty. Worldwide financial ruin is on the horizon in country after country. Even here in the United States many cannot seem to pull out of their financial problems. Those in the church are not exempt from these problems. Many of our brothers and sisters who truly love the Lord Jesus are also in dire need. The "prosperity gospel" is not the answer. Trusting Jesus is. Sometimes that is all we can do when we are going through a difficult trial. Sometimes it is the prayers and support of fellow believers that help us too. There is a deep sense in my heart that the judgment of God on a sinful land is either very near or has already begun. A perilous future, based upon the results of the judgment of God on a nation where many have their back on Him, requires an overcoming church. That church has the only answer for the remedy of sin plus the spiritual weapons to fight the Enemy; and faith to believe God for the impossible. That is our real prosperity message. Our hope is found only in Jesus Christ and only He is our source for all things. 2 Peter 1: 3 “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:” However, in the church world a different message is sometimes being preached. It is the apostate message that we, the church, are meant to be rich and powerful. One day, say some, we will take dominion of the entire world. The "prosperity gospel" is a fleshly, appealing message that requires little from us except a few of our dollars and a few "strokes" for the chosen few so that we might find favor of God. This message takes our eyes off of the cross and shifts our focus on gaining something. This idolatrous message is often void of true repentance from sin. The saving faith of Jesus Christ alone as the remedy for our sin is marginalized and overshadowed by promised “blessings” to the obedient. This message does not lead to the fruits of the Holy Spirit evidenced by a Godly lifestyle. With financial giving as its focus, it is a church message that requires little self-discipline in the life of the believer and promises everything to the giver. It is a church message designed to make promises it cannot keep to the struggling believer. It robs the believer of giving out of a pure heart: giving to help struggling believers everywhere or giving to reach a lost world to tell them about a God that died for them and wants to save them. We end up with a motive and goal that is not holy and is nowhere mentioned in scripture as the ultimate goal of every believer: to be rich in earthly things. We end up with a perverted gospel. Mark 8: 36-37 “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” Here enters the prosperity preacher with his mesmerizing message to an apostate church. He is one facet of this end time church that has been around for a while but is still being listened to and accepted by many. Some do not consider them a threat and even laugh at their antics. They appeal to some believers in our society because in America we equate wealth with blessings. They are products of these end times in which we live. However, this is not what is to be a spiritual fruit of the last day church. Worldly financial gains should not be our spiritual goals, as promoted by "the properity gospel". In the last day men will exhibit an ungodly character. This covetous attitude was foretold as being a predominant part of the world in the coming days before the return of Jesus Christ: 2 Timothy 3: 2-5 “For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” Yes, a loving God wants to bless His children during a time of chaos and calamity, but these blessings are not the ones that we have been led to believe in. The days ahead will demand that we place our faith in Jesus Christ and Him alone. Our blessings may simply be the miraculous provision of God when there is not a human supply that we can see. It may be healing when we are sick and cannot obtain a doctor because there isn’t one available. It may be divine protection in times when natural or man-made disasters strike. It may come in the form of standing firm when our existence is threatened because of our faith. We may live to see a time when without the true blessings of God we will not make it at all. It may even be remaining steadfast when the outcome isn’t what we had prayed for. Prosperity may be your belief in God no matter what and the ability to draw strength from Jesus Christ when others around have lost hope. In such a case, there may be those that want to know about the Source of your strength. They possibly would not care about your money because for those in need a new definition of prosperity would arise. In extreme situations, prosperity is defined as what the person has the greatest need for. The preparation we believers must make in our lives is predominately a spiritual one and not a financial one. Regardless of what we have need of, we have this promise of our loving Savior: Phillipians 4: 19 "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." So which gospel is it? Are believers, who give their all, going to become very “blessed/prosperous” (rich) because of their giving to different ministries? Are we going to see days of increasing prosperity and blessings as we give and give? This is a works based message and I don’t believe so. How can a works based message be the “formula”? OR are we going to literally experience God’s definition of the word “prosperous” to include supernatural provision both physically and spiritually? Could it be that we are not going to be unscathed by the world around us in the days ahead and that we may experience many of the same things as others? If so, we will need a revised definition of prosperity for the believer as we await the coming or our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? Perhaps we will come to truly understand what real grace is as we watch Him work in our behalf. Consider what the Bible speaks about tribulation in these end times and weigh it against the prosperity message. Matthew 24: 21 “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.” Perhaps, there is a need to change one’s personal definition of the word “blessed” to go beyond what can be seen with the human eye. I see my personal need as this: I must become armed with the power of God to believe in Him no matter what the cost. If I can serve God even if nothing I see in the world around me seems to be right, then I will feel I am truly prosperous. I am truly blessed if He keeps my soul safe and my walk with Him free from deception. I am blessed if my friends and loved ones are serving God and no one chooses to believe the lies promoted by the antichrist spirit that even is now working in our midst. This is my final blessing: Matthew 25: 21 "Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” That, my fellow believer, defines what prosperity is. With Love In Jesus Name, Anne Add Comment
"It’s an opportunity for us to reflect on the triumph of the resurrection, and to give thanks for the all-important gift of grace. And for me, and I’m sure for some of you, it’s also a chance to remember the tremendous sacrifice that led up to that day, and all that Christ endured -- not just as a Son of God, but as a human being.” Barak Hussein Obama Jesus: Not Just Any Son But The Son of God He just couldn’t do it. Barak Hussein Obama just couldn’t (or wouldn’t) seem to admit that Jesus Christ is the SON OF GOD. Perhaps it was because he was appealing to a broad base of Christianity where some in his present company may have defaulted on WHO or what is the object of their saving faith. Maybe it is because he is really a Muslim, as is believed by many, and he repositioned Jesus to fit his own ideas. Perhaps, as a Muslim man, he was practicing Taqiyya (lying for the sake of Allah) on a group of infidels. His denial of Jesus as God in the flesh seems evident in that statement. It could be out of ignorance or out of design, but Barak Hussein Obama chose to put Jesus on equal footing with every other prophet in the Bible. Every human prophet has always had a message that they would live and die for. He chose to bring Jesus down to the level of a mere human being. At the very least, could it be that he doesn’t understand who Jesus really is because of the apostate condition of his home church? Please note this conversation that Jesus had with His disciples and Jesus’ own answer to their question: Matthew 16: 13-17 When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I, the Son of man, am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elijah; and others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.” It is true that the term 'son', son of God or sons of God is used in various places in the Bible. In speaking of the geneology of human bloodlines, it can mean a normal human parent to son blood relationship. (1Chronicles 1: 28) or it can mean a special relationship 'son', such as when Abraham had the son of promise, Isaac. That relationship of promise looked ahead to Jesus, the Savior of mankind, who would come from Isaac and from the tribe of Judah. (Genesis 21:12) Abraham was the father of many nations and had other sons so the relationship with Isaac was a special one with a divine purpose. Our eternal relationship with God our Father was established at the cross. Through Jesus Christ our relationship as sons (and daughters) is by adoption through that faith and is the only way we can obtain our relationship as the sons of god. If it is only through Jesus Christ that our sonship is obtained, that must make Jesus Christ truly unique and not just 'a son' among many other sons. In John 10: 30, it is Jesus that said: “I and my Father are one.” Ephesians: 1: 5-7 “Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;” 1 John 3: 1-2 "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." The term 'son' means something different when talking about Jesus. There are many things written about Jesus throughout Scripture that are unique and specific to Him and Him alone. Throughout the Old Testament He was prophesied about. The details of His birth, life, and death were foretold. In fulfillment of that Scripture, in the New Testament He was established to be the firstborn among many brethren (Romans 8: 29), one of a kind, the uniquely born Son of the Living God, who is the only 'son' born of a human virgin mother with the eternal God as the Father. Since Jesus was not conceived in the normal way that a human is conceived, He has no natural born human Father. He is true God and true Man. Jesus is the first one that was placed in a grave and defied death by rising again on the third day. He is the only one with all of these Biblical credentials. Therefore, as THE SON OF GOD, he stands alone. This week I have been thinking about the Lord and His sacrifice for my sins on the cross. I know that I could never have saved myself. Why would the great God who created all things humble himself by becoming a man? My sins would have separated me from God. No matter how hard I want to be perfect, even in my desire to follow Him, I can affirm in my own life that I fall short. What the Apostle Paul said rings true for me too: Romans 7: 18-19 “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.” We live in a time of great sin and sorrow. This is what we see as we look at the world around us. Judging by that verse in Romans above and also by what I see in things around me, that Biblical statement sums it up for all of us. We all sin even when that is not our goal. Although there are those that really do not care, many of us really don’t want to harm anyone. We are surrounded by a world that is growing increasingly dark as the end times rapidly bring this age to a close. To make it worse, the lines become blurred under our human condition. There are those in these end times that keep moving the line between right and wrong. The apostate church keeps shifting its focus. Without Jesus Christ in our lives, we are all hopelessly lost. This time of the year is the most important time of year for a Christian. Jesus, the spotless and sinless Lamb of God, was sacrificed for the sins of the world. Of His own impending death He said: John 10: 17-18 “Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.” To an apostate church that is running away from this grace, I say please come back to the importance of the message of the cross. Take away that emphasis on the Easter bunny, the egg-filled baskets and candy. Please return to your Lord and Savior, your first love. There is no hope outside of the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Perhaps if the church would preach the pure message of salvation, there would not be so many Barak Obamas who call Jesus Christ “a son of God.” Perhaps, in the lives of many, Jesus would resume His rightful place seated at the right hand of the Father. There would not be so many calling themselves Christians that do not fully appreciate who Jesus is and what He did for the world and for them as individuals. There would not be so many willing and ready to mix the religions of the world together into a common religion fit for the False Prophet. The unwary apostate church would not equate the three Abrahamic faiths as almost the same. Finally, in an age of great apostasy, we must put the words of the Apostle Paul written in the Bible to its greatest test: 1Corinthians 15: 14-15 “And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead raise not.” So, if Jesus did not raise from the dead, then truly this is the greatest apostasy of them all and the church exists for the reason of social justice and a parameter for morality. There is no power to save and we are all dead in our sins. We will just have to try harder with our good works. Praise God, this is not the case. Hallelujah! I know that Jesus is alive and is become the first fruits of them that slept. I will live forever with Jesus Christ because of what He did for me. I am adopted into His family. I long to see Him in all His glory. Yes, I truly believe…...... Blessings to all of God’s sons who have been adopted into this wonderful family through Jesus Christ. He is Risen!! With Love In Jesus Name, Anne
In this video above, it is interesting how the speakers are encouraging listeners to market their flawed gospel product in a way that is appealing to both believers and nonbelievers alike. It is suggested that it is best to use one set of words when speaking to each other and a different set of words that appear less threatening when speaking to those outside of their circle. This is the same idea practiced in Islam known as taqiyya which is deception for the sake of Allah, their false god. Much information is given on this website expounding on the deception of Islam. What these men are encouraging is also based upon deception: an idea that is not of God. We must adhere to what the Bible says in Romans 12: 17 especially when presenting the gospel: “Provide things honest in the sight of all men.” (So with great joy, I can throw their idea into File 13.) Flawed Foundations of a One World Church Have you ever considered what steps would need to be taken to build this one world church? What would be the most important step to take to appeal to unwary Christians? After all, Christians are the only ones who claim to serve a risen Savior. Undermining that claim would be the place to start. Therefore, it would be imperative to go after the claims of the cross. You could not erase Jesus’ claims from their minds entirely, so instead you would need to change it. You would need to make the claims of Jesus Christ seem irrelevant or secondary next to the idea you are presenting. It is the old “Bait and Switch” routine. This subtle process of offering a similar product to replace the old one, would produce the desired effect of offering you a shiny new product. It would be inferior to the original but designed so that more people will buy it. For the average person, it would be good enough. In time your desired result would be realized: most people would not remember the original product. That would be true for most people, but that would not true for those who love the original. They would yearn for the original and they would be in the minority. In the context of the gospel, those of us who love Jesus will not deviate from the original message of the cross. We want the original. We will not settle for an inferior gospel. We do not care if we are not in the majority because we long for the pure original gospel. In Acts 4, Peter’s words to the High priest attest to the fact that salvation only comes through Jesus Christ and Him alone: Acts 4: 11-12 "This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” I will never forget where I was on the day the World Trade Center buildings fell. No one can forget where they were. It was terrible. In an instant our nation was shaken to its core by an enemy that seemed insignificant at the time. The planes traveling at high speed, upon impact caused a lot of damage to the main structural components. The buildings themselves contained designs that helped them to withstand the original impact. It was the intense heat of multi-floor fires and the burning insulation (fireproofing actually built to protect!) that compromised the two buildings’ integrity and they fell. What should never have happened, sadly enough, did. Based upon the solemn example above, the church of Jesus Christ, as a body, needs to remind itself of this: there is only one foundation that will maintain our structural integrity: 1 Corinthians 3: 11 “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” Please note that an apostate church is building a one world church. It has the wrong foundation and will end up being lead to destruction by the False Prophet. It lacks the true foundation of Biblical salvation. By offering many new “goodies,” this spiritual harlot is attractive to the masses. It is that shiny, new product produced by the bait and switch tactic. As the Bible predicted in Mattew 24: 11, there are false prophets arising to deceive many. These apostates are offering us a lot of “stuff”. They have replaced the pure truth of the original gospel. They have forgotten that salvation is only through the finished work of the cross. This overwhelming thought comes to me: what will it take for each one of us to stand in these end times? We can only stand with spiritual fortitude if we remember that firm foundation: Jesus Christ died for the sins of each one of us. He rose again, conquering death for every man. There is no saving message outside of the cross. Saving faith is an individual thing. Salvation is not a collective process. It is meant to be personal. Again, it is that relationship with Jesus Christ. Yes, you can stand in these troubled times. It will take a personal commitment on your part even if it goes against the tide of popular opinion. Jesus is the only one who can offer his church what it needs to survive. It is He alone that can help His church to stand when the enemy attacks. Finally, in these end times, we all must be able to recognize and then withstand an attack of the Enemy of our soul, Satan. According to the Bible in Ephesians 6: 13-17, we have been given mighty spiritual weapons with which to fight. We are equipped in Him and prepared for battle. I have been given the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God with which I can forge ahead. (Ephesians 6: 17). I will not be afraid. Romans 8: 38-39 “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” I can rest in His great love for me. He did not leave me Comfortless. He sent me the Holy Spirit to lead me and guide me into all truth. (John 16: 13) It is a lot to think about as I contemplate the immediate future. However, the end is glorious. Oh, how I want to see Jesus. See you soon. With Love in Jesus Name, Anne
The church of the living God is in trouble, saints. We are under attack but our collective actions show that we are oblivious to it. It seems we are not the spiritual watchmen on the wall observing for any signs of danger. Crying out to the people to beware of the enemy of their soul is a thing of the past. The church world is much too advanced for that. Instead we are looking at any perceived enemy to see if he “looks safe” so we can see if we can find common ground. If he is smiling and peaceful, it’s all good! If he quotes scripture then he definitely could not be an enemy (especially if he is smiling). The conclusion is that perhaps there is no such thing as an “enemy”. He probably has something to offer us. Maybe we should talk to him and negotiate a spiritual peace agreement. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is, as is the case here. Those who propose that idea believe we can have one big happy world if we throw our differences aside and all worship the same god. Is that the answer? To an unwary soul, putting all of our doctrinal issues aside seems to be the best thing. If we all come to the same spiritual table and create a universal application for a god that each of us know in our own way, that will solve everything. In the spirit of love and reconciliation, let us take a little bit of everything from every religion so everyone will be happy and accepted. As a Christian, is this what Jesus said for us to do? No. No. No. If Jesus Christ abdicates the throne of the church as our Lord and King, who do you think will assume the leadership position? Who will call the shots? You don’t suppose the smiling enemy we deem harmless could come to the table and lead this mighty worldwide church? I’m afraid so, saints. He not only could but he will and he is in the process of doing so now. His spirit is already at work in the world luring many away from the message of salvation through the death of Jesus Christ on the cross and replacing it with the idea of many paths to the same God. Consider what the Bible says about this: 1 John 4: 2-3 “Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.” Yes, that spirit of antichrist is here. That evil but smiling Enemy who deceives the whole world has not yet been unveiled as the liar he is. It used to be predominately the non-churched world that was deceived. But now deception has crept into the church. In my many years as a Christian, my observation has been that those who claim the name “Christian” usually would never deny Him outright. Instead, they are more likely to either add something to the message of the cross, or change the message the cross, in essence stripping the Lord of his deity. The end result is a totally different Jesus void of the power to save a lost and dying world. If you look around at the church world in general, this is what you will see. Fortunately, not all church groups are doing this, but many are unwarily deviating from the exclusive message of the cross with an emphasis elsewhere. This is the end times. In the Bible, 2 Timothy, chapter 3 gives a wonderful account of what is happening and refers to this period of time as “the last days”. The fifth verse of this chapter describes this scenario followed by a stern warning to the believer: “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” (2 Timothy 3: 5) As I have been observing the time in which we live and comparing it with what the Word of God says, I have decided it is time for me to get up on the wall. I am usually not a person that speaks out simply because of my awkward inability to do so, but my Bible speaks to me and reminds me of this: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,” Philippians 4: 13. Therefore, I will set the trumpet to my lips and sound the alarm. I wonder how many will be with me. There are others that see what I see but I suppose we will not be the majority. I hope to cover many pertinent subjects as I search the scriptures in hopes that this may help us all get through this maize of confusion and stand until the very end when God calls us home. It is with this purpose that I now begin to write: The trumpet is my keyboard and this blog is my alarm. See you soon. With love in Jesus Name, Anne www.littlechapelofpraise.weebly.com | Kristie: End Times and Islam, Anne: Apostasy
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