Saturday, April 14, 2018

The Sin of Racial Prejudice


 
The Sin of Racial Prejudice

 

The Lord gave me several dreams that I need speak out against the sin of racial prejudice. I am a white man who grew up in the south, as well as the mid-west, and I have witnessed the ugliness of racial hatred. I remember a song that I sang in Sunday school many years ago, “Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world, red, and yellow black and white, they are precious in His sight, Jesus loves the little children of the world.” This song reflects God’s love for His children of all races. We are all God’s creation and we should love one another, regardless of race, culture, dress, or economic status. If you hate your fellow man, then how can you love God? If love is not perfected in your heart, then you don’t know God. If the love of God is in your heart, then you truly are born again, and are both salt and light. If God’s Holy Spirit dwells within you then His attributes should shine forth from you. Hate is the highway to hell, but unconditional love for your fellow man, will provide entrance to God’s eternal kingdom.

 

This nation has a very dark past. America is called the land of liberty, but slavery existed in the south until 1865. African people were forcefully removed from their homelands, and were sold like livestock, to rich plantation owners. Husbands, wives, as well as children, were separated from each other, and sold, to become beasts of burden. The Lord raised up Abraham Lincoln to free the slaves. Although it took a bloody civil war to accomplish this, finally the oppressed people were set free. Unfortunately, President Lincoln was assassinated, but his legacy lives on. However, the oppression of African Americans continued. Black Americans were denied basic civil liberties. African Americans were forced to sit at the back of the bus, to use separate bathrooms, drinking fountains, swimming pools, as well as restaurants. This segregation of a race of Americans was immoral, shameful, as well as unconstitutional. The Lord raised up a minister named Martin Luther King JR, to speak out against this oppression. Although this man of God was assassinated like President Lincoln, his words of freedom cannot be silenced. The Lord has instructed me to remind everyone of these facts.

 

The Lord gave me a dream about this. I dreamed that God was an African American person made to sit at the back of a bus. A black female angel also on the bus was conveying a message from the Lord about how unjust this was. I understood that to segregate a person based upon their race, was to segregate God. If you oppress God’s children, you have oppressed God. In another dream, I was witnessing the civil war. The Lord said, “I hate slavery, the south was in rebellion against me.” I understood that the blood of the oppressed, cries out to the Lord God maker of heaven and earth.

 

The Native American peoples have also been severely oppressed by the so-called civilized. Many tribes of aboriginal peoples of this land were lied to, and moved from reservation to reservation. Many tribes were slaughtered. Men, women, and children, were viciously killed like animals. At the Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota, American troops made promises to the Sioux people. They were told to turn over their rifles to the troops in exchange for provisions. As soon as the Sioux men turned over their rifles to the troops, the soldiers opened fire and murdered these defenseless men. Many Cherokee died on the trail of tears from forced relocation, which resulted in starvation and sickness. The Native American people did not see the love of true Christianity, rather the oppression of Satan, from the self-righteous. However, there were many Christian missionaries who showed the love of Christ to the Native American peoples. Some missionaries gave their lives for the people whom they ministered to.

 

During world war two, Japanese Americans were put into concentration camps.  Most of these Americans were patriotic citizens. Many Japanese Americans were hid under the streets of Baker City Oregon and elsewhere. This is another example of the sin of racial prejudice. All over the world, people are persecuted because of their race or ethnic group. As Christians, we should speak out against all forms of hatred.

 

(1 Cor 13:1) Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. 4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. 13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Sunday, April 8, 2018

Dreams and Words Concerning the Power of the Tongue


 
Dreams and Words Concerning the Power of the Tongue

(Ephesians 5:3) But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; 4 neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. 5 For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.

I recently dreamed that I was visiting a church that claimed to be Spirit-filled. There were young people with weird hairdos and tattoos all over them. They were talking about watching movies like Harry Potter, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, etc. I overheard some of them telling dirty jokes, swearing, using profanity, as well as God’s name in vain. They were also talking about playing video games based on magic, wizards, and witches. Their Pastor had just finished preaching a message on grace without repentance. He was telling them to come as you are, and accept Christ, and you will receive grace. He was afraid of offending his flock. He refused to preach on repentance or holiness. He was shaking the hands of these young people and saying God bless you. The angel of the Lord was standing next to me and he said, “Did you hear them? The sinful culture is well ingrained within them, unless they truly repent, they are going to hell.” The angel then instructed me to confront the Pastor about his perverted grace message.

 I have heard many Christians swear, tell dirty jokes, as well as talk about the sinful movies that they watch. They would tell me that they were saved, and believed in grace. According to (Eph. 5:3-5), no unclean person has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Filthiness, foolish talking, and coarse jesting, will send you to hell, unless you repent and turn from it. Faith without works is dead. (James 2:26) For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. The Lord said that those who endure unto the end shall be saved. A lukewarm church will be vomited out. (Rev 3: 15) I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. 16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. If you believe that God gives you grace to live like the sinful world, I encourage you to study Revelation chapters two and three. If that does not convince you, then I can list dozens of other passages that may. To be born again is to become a new creation in Christ, for without holiness no man shall see the Father.

The Lord also gave me this dream about those who claim to know Christ, but swear like a sailor. I dreamed that I was standing in an office-building lobby, and there were around a dozen elevators that led to Heaven, but only two were in use. There was a man standing there that was using God’s name in vain, as well as, cussing like a sailor. He walked away, and then was replaced by a lady, who represented the modern church. I said to the lady, “If this guy does not repent of his swearing he will go to hell.” She said, “This man is saved, and his salvation is secure, but his swearing may cut him off from the Holy Spirit.” I told the lady, that the grace message that is being taught by most churches, is way out of bounds, and does not line up with the Word of God. I also told her, that holiness preaching has been replaced, by a lukewarm message. As I walked away from her, she exclaimed in a loud voice, “Thank you Lord for your grace!” and she repeated herself several times.

I then was walking through the lobby in a large crowd of people, the people were following evangelist Billy Graham, who has recently passed away. Billy Graham has preached the eternal security doctrine for many decades. The large crowd of people refused to take the two elevators that led to Heaven, and were content to follow this evangelist to Hell. Although there were twelve elevators, the two that were functional, were symbolic of the few churches left that preach holiness. There is grace for those who repent of their sins, as well as turn from them, but grace is not automatic. The Lord has given me many dreams, as well as visions, concerning how serious sin is in the life of the Christian. The Lord shows me people wearing clothes covered with spots and wrinkles, as well as their skin covered in layers of dirt. The Lord then tells me to instruct people to take a spiritual shower and get their lives in order. Without holiness, no man will see the Father.  

(James 3:1-12) My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.  2 For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.  3 Indeed, we put bits in horses’ mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body.  4 Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires.  5 Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles!  6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell.  7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind.  8 But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.  9 With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God.  10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.  11 Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening?  12 Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh.

The tongue of man is capable of great evil, as well as of great kindness. (James 3:2) states that we all stumble in many things, and if anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body. At times, I can be outspoken and I often remind myself of this teaching of James. The control of the tongue is a very difficult thing to be mastered. James compares the small tongue who boasts of great things, with bits put into horse’s mouths, as well as a rudder on ships, in order to show how the tongue steers the direction of the body. It is very true, that relationships are both formed, as well as, destroyed by our words. As ambassadors for Christ in this fallen world, it is important for us to reflect his light to others. You may be the only lifeline to Heaven that someone has in their life, and your words may lead them to Christ.

 James also compares the tongue to a little fire capable of starting a forest fire, as well as an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. I have met many people that consider Christians to be offensive, because of words they spoke, that reflected vanity, arrogance, or cynicism. I have also known people who claimed to know Christ, but used all forms of swearing, as well as profanity, and that will most certainly push people away from Christ.

The words that we speak, will also reflect the level of faith that is in our lives. The old saying that misery loves company is very true. I have known people that are continually pessimistic, and their words reflect the fear that consumes them. God’s Word says that perfect love will cast out all fear. Even when we feel faithless, we need to speak words of faith, as well as stand upon the promises that are in God’s Word. Regardless of how we feel, or what we are going through, God’s promises for us will remain true. When we are under spiritual attack, we need to quote scripture with faith, because God’s Word is the sword of the Spirit. I have entered homes after family members have quarreled, and you can feel a tense atmosphere within the home. An evil tongue that attacks others, is an open door to demonic spirits. I have also entered homes with anointed praise and worship music playing, and you can feel the presence of the Lord, for the Lord inhabits the praises of his people. If a person needs a breakthrough from the Lord, or is in need of healing, speak words of faith, combined with scripture. Don’t  claim your illness or distress, because words produced from fear are the opposite of faith. Fear will empower the enemy in your life, but faith will move the hand of God.