WTW 2022
15 June
Ezekiel 15

The Vine

“The word of the Lord came to me: ‘Son of man, how is the wood of a vine different from that of a branch from any of the trees in the forest? Is wood ever taken from it to make anything useful? Do they make pegs from it to hang things on? And after it is thrown on the fire as fuel and the fire burns both ends and chars the middle, is it then useful for anything? If it was not useful for anything when it was whole, how much less can it be made into something useful when the fire has burned it and it is charred?

‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: As I have given the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest as fuel for the fire, so will I treat the people living in Jerusalem. I will set my face against them. Although they have come out of the fire, the fire will yet consume them. And when I set my face against them, you will know that I am the Lord. I will make the land desolate because they have been unfaithful, declares the Sovereign Lord.’ ”

…

The True Vine
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. John 15:1‭-‬8

WTW 2022
14 June
Ezekiel 14

Pray for Yaseen

Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God; Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations. Ezekiel 14:6

My sons had already been patiently waiting for me for about 45 minutes. They are such a blessing. What a privilege having them join me for our weekly park evangelism excursion. Our friend and evangelism partner Alfonzo had joined us at the appointed time and we had already scouted out a number of opportunities to share this message of life.

We had taken a couple basketballs and struck up a friendship with Shane who was at the courts with his young lady friend. In between friendly games of lightning, we had the opportunity to talk about faith and life, sin and eternity. At one point, when Shane was explaining his faith, he said his view is that all people should simply treat others how they want to be treated. I asked if he knew where this idea originated. He did not know so I gave proper credit of origin to that man 2000 years ago in contrast to humanity’s dog eat dog, eye for an eye law of the jungle.

We had also spoken with Kasem and Mo discussing the difference between relying on our own ability to do good and keep the requirements of the law versus the effective and free gift of forgiveness through JESUS.

Then there was Esteban and his kids as well as their cousin. What an opportunity that was to share with this catholic father the truth of daily instruction from God when we simply read His WORD daily. And so we introduced him to the Bible app, and by request shared just one golden nugget– the daily regalo: a packet between new morning mercies and sweet sunset forgiveness.

And who could forget Abel and his sincere heart. What a blessing hearing his testimony of coming to Christ from his own catholic upbringing and being baptized at the university campus congregation. This opportunity was perfect to share with his attentive heart what he almost did not recall regarding the LORD’s final instructions to us.

So now, aiming to get back to my sons as promised to leave at the appointed hour, I had about a minute to spare. And I said as much to the young man as we met walking toward the parking lot. I knew these faith conversations can take time but I also know we can share this good message in mere moments and so I struck up this one final conversation with him. I told him I wanted to chat for just a minute. His name is Yaseen. I asked him about faith and what he would say is the most important thing if he were to tell me the most important thing about life and faith.

Repent.

This was his message. We connected on this powerful common ground. And then in the few remaining moments before we parted ways, I told him about God’s promise to us of a new spirit. Yaseen had said we have to repent from new sins everyday. In light of this fact that our old sinful nature required constant repentance, I told him about the good message JESUS gave us that God will put His Spirit in us and make us a new person. I asked him if he had ever heard this, and he stopped still and listened with rapt attention.

He had never heard this WORD of life before.

Let us be in God’s WORD daily. Let us look closely and live out the message of this WORD
From Ezekiel to Ephesians.
Let us repent and live in the newness of this new creation, this new work God has done.

Let us pray for these who have heard this WORD.

Let’s pray for Yaseen and for all these new contacts in evangelism to whom we are all daily holding out this word of life.

Please pray for Yaseen.

---

WTW 2022
13 June
Ezekiel 13

Blind Guides

This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing! Ezekiel 13:3

Have you heard them? There are a thousand voices speaking in our day. We are surrounded by them. They speak to our wife and our children. They speak to us though we do not listen. They speak to our family and friends, to our coworkers and colleagues, our fellow evangelists and partners in ministry. They speak to our neighbors, our communities and to our leaders, governors and rulers.

And how do you discern truth?

There are a thousand lies and ten thousand falsehoods. We are surrounded by an entire people of lies and deception. We live among entire religions of falsehood and deception, hypocrisy and utter lies. And yet they continue to speak.

We however declare the Truth and we must beware that we speak only truth from the heart, bold truth and truth in love and with respect and kindness. For it is God’s kindness which leads to repentance.

So beware the lies.

They surround you. Yet we are surrounded by God alone.

Surrounded
https://g.co/kgs/TuhB5z

No Longer Slaves
https://g.co/kgs/4iinss

WTW 2022
12 June
Ezekiel 12

I will say it, and I will do it. Ezekiel 12:25

I Mean What I Say &
I Do What I Say

So, the WORD & visions to Ezekiel were unique, and the instructions regarding the understanding and fulfillment of the visions given to him were unique. And so we do in fact see that Ezekiel was indeed given instructions regarding the fulfillment of the visions he was given. The instructions and understanding themselves were unique and different than those given to Daniel and later to John, yet he was instructed that the visions were for his day.

For I am YHVH: I will speak, and the word that I shall speak shall come to pass; it shall be no more prolonged: for in your days, O rebellious house, will I say the word, and will perform it, saith Adonai YHVH. Ezekiel 12:25

The visions of Ezekiel were for his day. We are living in the days of Ezekiel. And these are the days of Elijah, Moses, Ezekiel & David.

Days of Elijah https://g.co/kgs/Gpfpii

“Son of man, the Israelites are saying, ‘The vision he sees is for many years from now, and he prophesies about the distant future.’ “Therefore say to them, ‘This is what the Adonai YHVH says: None of my words will be delayed any longer; whatever I say will be fulfilled, declares the Adonai YHVH.’ ” Ezekiel 12:27‭-‬28

What of all the prophecies and visions of our own day. Let us live and walk with full discernment and understanding, given to prayer and discretion, full of wisdom and the Holy Spirit of Revelation and knowledge according to the WORD of the Good Message of the Evangel.

Amen.

WTW 2022
3 June
Pneuma Conversations

We join these conversations in progress….

_____

~eny
Reading late 19th century testimony in a book titled Radiant Glory. I’m in cap. xi.

It hit me in cap viii that was a decade before Azusa so just now I thought to consider the first beginnings of the modern rediscovery of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Here is an indication this restoration began as early at the 18th century.

“Many Puritans believed that the conversion experience was followed by a later and distinct experience of the Holy Spirit. This experience was characterized by receiving assurance of one’s salvation. English Puritan Thomas Goodwin equated this experience with the baptism in the Holy Spirit and the “seal of the Spirit” referenced in Ephesians 1.”[34]

“John Fletcher, Wesley’s designated successor, called Christian perfection a “baptism in the Holy Spirit”.[1][38] On the subject, Fletcher wrote:

Lastly: if we will attain the full power of godliness, and be peaceable as the Prince of Peace, and merciful as our heavenly Father, let us go on to the perfection and glory of Christianity; let us enter the full dispensation of the Spirit. Till we live in the pentecostal glory of the Church: till we are baptized with the Holy Ghost: till the Spirit of burning and the fire of Divine love have melted us down, and we have been truly cast into the softest mould of the Gospel: till we can say with St. Paul, “We have received the Spirit of love, of power, and of a sound mind;” till then we shall be carnal rather than spiritual believers.[39]

~end
And all of that for the A/G.

~eny
This was all way before the assemblies

I never knew about anything pentecostal before 1900 and after Maximilla & Priscilla except for a couple obscure medieval instances. Did you know about the Spirit baptism connection building from the 18th century Puritans through Wesley and the Methodists and 19th century holiness leading up to but before Azusa?

…

Also, look at the history section here
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speaking_in_tongues

…

And now this… wow… the untold backstory of modern pentecostalism
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Fox_Parham

~end
How focused are you on HG baptism, and what about initial physical evidence? Is that Scripture?

~eny
The whole counsel is a treasure load far exceeding the tiny segments most consider daily

I long to know Him in the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His suffering

I see all these things so plainly and boldly presented to us in scripture with NONE of the modern day divisions

So as always it remains
Both/and
Never
Either/or
In regard to the narrow way of life abundant

My focus is abundantly on the WORD with a strong interest in history and currently Islam, now yesterday and today finding a new area of significance in the development of the modern holiness movements in the times from 1600-1900…I never knew these things

On the initial physical evidence question…I do not share that phrase because I always point to the boldness of speaking the WORD

Note in the initial tongues… the focus is often on the tongues yet this is looking at the surface of things…we do not look at the surface of things… what we do is recognize the the message is not of talk but of power… so what we see is that what happened in the initial instance was… they all heard them DECLARING THE WONDROUS WORKS OF GOD each in their own tongue. The message, the evangel is not mere talk. The message is the CONTENT.

That being said, an honest reading of Acts does find that even 25 years later the indication, the seal certifying God’s approval on the non Jews and indeed certifying salvation and new creations was water baptism and spirit baptism and like you said before fire baptism

~end
Then many ask yet do not receive this gift

RMFJ 2022
1 June
Eternal Wisdom

What an amazing time together with the RMFJ brothers in God’s WORD tonight.

We rejoice with AR in his following the LORD in water baptism today!
We gleaned from DS in the medicine of joy and wisdom He always shares as our spirits are joined with the LORD Who alone sustains us in our sickness.

We also delighted to see NN in the wings.
And we were especially blessed to have BT join us just glowing as Moses was from his mountain top encounter!

We prayed and read, discussed and dug deep.

We zoomed in close to Ephesians 1:19 and then gradually zoomed out to take in some of the great depths hidden in the scope of 15-23.

We talked about brokenness and God’s economy which is worth so much infinitely more than man’s 2 cent pair-o-dime.

We considered how God’s ways and thoughts are so much higher than ours, how sin is a trap, a fowler’s snare.

We reflected on that quote from Brother Taylor

“Condemnation does not get you out of sin. It keeps you in sin.”

Finally, we reflected on a spontaneous closing question.

Will we be learning from Jesus for all eternity?

Here is the hidden passage shared by Brother Sutton

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever! Amen. 2 Peter 3:18

And we continued to reflect on these and many other passages of great wisdom from the authorized 1611 and through many other READ letter passages.

1611
You make known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand. Psalms 16:11

I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in His holy people, and His incomparably great power for us who believe. Ephesians 1:17‭-‬19a

Chasing AGAPE & Desiring SPIRIT

Follow [Gr. diōkete: CHASE AFTER] the way of love and eagerly desire [Gr. zēloute: BE JEALOUS & ZEALOUS AFTER] gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy. 1 Corinthians 14:1

For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 1 Corinthians 13:12

My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in Whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Colossians 2:2‭-‬3

Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable His judgments, and His paths beyond tracing out! “Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been His counselor?” “Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them?” For from Him and through Him and for Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever! Amen. Romans 11:33‭-‬36

1 Corinthians 2 – the deep eternal wisdom of God

There is none like You
No one else can touch my heart like You do
I could search for all eternity long and find
There is none like You

…

“Oh the deep deep love of JESUS”

---

WTW 2022
29 May
Unbelieving

Faithlessness
Fear, Worry & Doubt

Today we may call it being negative.
It can come from fear, worry and doubt.

JESUS calls it faithlessness, unbelieving.
And this was the active opposite of that faith which is such a keystone of His ministry.

We recognize what JESUS calls out as lack of faith, and we can understand some of the resulting characteristics as fear, worry and doubt. Common as they may be, these are bad enough but listening closely to JESUS, it is clear that He goes even deeper. As always, JESUS points right to the heart of things. What we may simply refer to as people being negative, we could perhaps even recognize as fear, worry and doubt. We would generally identify each of these incidents as people being generally negative. A better assessment would have us recognize them as coming from fear, worry and doubt. And each of these is dangerous enough.

However, JESUS goes for the juggler of these enemies of truth and pinpoints the root resident in human hearts: faithlessness, rather unbelieving. He points not so much to lack of faith or presence of fear, doubt and worry but actually to a littleness of faith, a smallness of faith working in people’s hearts, minds and lives as well as an active unbelief. What He points to is less a matter of negative outlook, and not even a matter of lacking something like faith but actually a dangerous active function in people driving us to live in faithless ways. That is to say, these encounters show the contrast between JESUS powerful action from faith and the people’s actions from faithlessness, little faith and unbelieving.

“Stop unbelieving!”
John 20:27

It is like our language does not even have the right words to express what He expresses. We call it a lack of faith as an absence, a passive void, something missing. He calls it out as itself an active faithlessness, little faith and unbelieving. Our nature acts in advancing things which come from faithlessness. His nature advances things which come from faith. Our fallen nature not only lacks His active faith but actually works to advance faithlessness and those things which come from faithlessness. It is merely the evidence of this faithlessness, this unbelieving, which shows up as lack of faith, doubt, worry and fear.

Also, as opposed to common modern doctrinal positions like Calvinism or end times views, faith and lack of faith were much more the focus of JESUS ministry and message. We too should be focused much more on prayer, faith and doing the work of our Heavenly Father rather than on these other arguments. Let us draw living water from the WORD of life in these passages.

LORD, we believe. Help our unbelief. Remove our faithlessness, our unbelieving. Thank you for giving us Your faith. Help us walk in the power of Your Spirit by this same faith which You have placed in our hearts, now working in us even as You show us in everything You do.

Oligopistoi
little faith

Matthew
6:30 – daily cares
8:26 – lake storm
14:31 – water walker
16:8 – Pharisee yeast
17:20 – possessed boy

Luke 12:28 – daily cares

Apistos
Unbelieving

Matthew 17:17 – possessed boy
Mark 9:19 – possessed boy
Luke 9:41 – possessed boy
Luke 12:46 – apistos atheists
John 20:27 – stop apistos

RMFJ 2022
25 May
The Holy Seal

We have been talking about

1. accountability
2. freedom in prayer
3. freedom from sin

We have also been digging for gold truths in Ephesians, starting in chapter 1.

Today, we want to look deeper again into this amazing journey of faith, first being set free from sin by JESUS powerful work defeating sin, death and the grave. Let’s take a look at how this same power is at work in our own lives by faith and in action.

Look at this

Cuando oyeron y creyeron
When you heard & believed

En ese momento mismo
En este momento mismo

That can always be right now

Hear and believe
Believe and do

En él también ustedes, cuando oyeron el mensaje de la verdad, el evangelio que les trajo la salvación, y lo creyeron, fueron marcados con el sello que es el Espíritu Santo prometido. Este garantiza nuestra herencia hasta que llegue la redención final del pueblo adquirido por Dios, para alabanza de su gloria. Efesios 1:13‭-‬14

And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory. Ephesians 1:13‭-‬14

RMFJ 2022
18 May
Ephesians 1

Powerful RMFJ men’s discipleship zoom group last night

Right in the middle, this verse clearly spoke to that earlier sinner question from other groups.

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
1 John 1:8

We dealt with real heart issues in our group, and we were all deeply impacted

As noted before, one key point is the point of reference

Let another’s lips praise you
We only become like Him insomuch as we are daily broken before Him so He can raise us up in becoming ever more like Him

They did not call themselves Christians or saints. Others called them that. Paul called the Ephesians saints. He called himself chief of sinners, in truth.

One older brother last night encouraged a younger saying he believes God is pleased with the younger brother’s efforts. He said it was hard to express what he was trying to say. After he finished, we agreed his heart seems aimed at the right truth and that the WORD would give clarity so we read R9:16 and were able to discover literally how step by step from works to efforts to desire to heart hunger, the LORD stripped back the requirements until the only true requirement for receiving His justification is faith in Him because nothing at all of our own is anything but filthy rags. Then He wants us daily to be broken before Him so His righteousness can begin to grow and we can actually begin to be recognized by Him “in His sight” as holy and as saints not because of our own efforts or actions but because of his righteousness and actual refining of our lives.

As this older brother then repeated a number of times, echoing the words of John B:

Less of me
More of Him

WTW 2022
29 April
Matthew 5

Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
John 3:3

Peter, James, John & Paul all wrote about the new birth and being born again. Paul also wrote about adoption into God’s family. To the Jews, new birth. To the ethnics, adoption. We’ll just leave that there for now.

Matthew was a companion of Peter, as we understand it. His account does not say anything about new birth, at least not directly.

What can we learn about new birth and the new creation as we continue reading, studying, discussing and living out the message passed on to us in Matthew?

Were those JESUS was speaking to in the Sermon on the Mount born again? They were Jews so they had no need of being adopted or grafted in. Were they all born again? Were the disciples? Were the crowds?

This is not merely for discussion. This has to do with life and death, even today.

Can Jews today be born again without any of the usual evangelical trappings and procedures? Can Hindus be born again simply by hearing and receiving and beginning to live according to JESUS’ WORD? Muslims too?

Share what you see in Matthew (and for that matter in Luke & Acts too) which pertains to being born again. And share the insights the LORD gives you both here and with those you see today.

Let us be active in sharing THE Faith, and listen closely too. We likely need to unlearn and relearn some things in order to recognize that God does not follow our plan for salvation. Rather, He works new birth in hearts by the simple hearing of His WORD, and He will do this miracle whether we cooperate and colabor with Him or not.

Let us not quench the Spirit, but find out what pleases the LORD.

Amen.