The Primacy of Love - Part 1

Insights from Hebrews 11 and 12 - trials are what produces faith in our lives and yet most Christians do not have the right view, the Biblical view of the trials they face.

Natalie shares a powerful message that challenges the typical Gospel message and narrative that is so common in today's church. This is NOT one of those messages that tickle people's ears. Fasten your seatbelt. 

WHY IS THIS TOPIC/SUBJECT RELEVANT?
1. Because of a lot of Christian practices today
2. Because heavenly encounters are increasing and will continue to increase in the days to come
3. Because we need to understand God's role and our role in such encounters
4. Because we need to know how to stay safe and be protected
5. Because we need to be Biblically grounded

This podcast looks carefully at several angelic visitations - we look at what the people were doing, how they were living, and the nature of the visitations. Who initiated? Who addresses the other first? Who gives the instructions? Who obeys? 

In this podcast
- We look at Daniel's encounter.
- We look at Zechariah's encounter.
- We look at Mary's encounter.
- We look at all of the Apostle John's encounters in Revelation
- We look at Cornelius' encounter.
- We look at Peter's encounter
- We look at one of Paul's encounters

SUMMARY

We find the same pattern with Daniel, Zechariah, Mary, Cornelius, Peter, Paul and John

* Heaven initiates heavenly encounters

* Heaven initiates IN those encounters

* We respond to heaven’s initiation

*We can position ourselves by living godly lives, lives of prayer and fasting

*We do not command angels! How/when do we interact with them?

*We ASK GOD … we TALK to Him - For our own protection & the angels? 

*We deal RUTHLESSLY with envy & jealousy of those who have 'seer' gifts we do not.

*Remember: God has covered many of us in our foolishness 

Let’s REPENT tonight if we have tried to initiate encounters or have done any of these practices. If we have envied others. 

Disclaimer - This teaching is LONG.

Disclaimer #2 - it is important because many Christians believe it is their mandate to command/rebuke/bind so-called "Territorial Spirits". This practice has become known as doing Strategic Level Spirit Warfare (SLSW). Other parts of SLWS include "Spiritual Mapping" and Identificational Repentance".

I used to practice many of these things. Hundreds of thousands of Christians, if not millions, are regularly engaging in SLSW. 

In this message, I will be demonstrating that this type of SLSW is not only unBiblical, and was not done throughout Church History, but will make the strong case that we do NOT have the authority to do it, and because of that they are dangerous practices.

But, "Don't we have "all authority""? I deal with this all-important question. We do have authority  - to fulfill OUR MANDATE. And where is our mandate? ON EARTH. Not in the 2nd Heavens. 

We can and do have a role to play in prayer and I will make that point over and over again. We talk to GOD and GOD ALONE about these matters. We ask Him to battle, to release Angels to engage these entities. That is the Righteous Angels' mandate! Not ours. We pray. Angels engage.

#SLSW #bindingandloosing #fallenangels #angels #territorialspirits #authority #prayer #spiritualwarfare #intercession #princeofpersia #daniel10 #psalm82 #deuteronomy32 #divinecouncil #archangelmichael #theLordrebukeyou #secondheavens

RELATED WORDS/CONCEPTS to address our “self-deception”

Envy - painful or resentful awareness of an advantage or possession (situation) enjoyed by another and the desire to possess the same thing. Theological: Sin of jealousy over the blessings and achievements of others. 

Jealousy – synonym of envy
Covetousness - the feeling of having a strong desire for the things that other people have (situations/circumstances/ministries) 

Discontentment
FOMO – Fear of Missing Out Resentment
Bitterness

James 3:16  - For where you have envy (jealousy) and selfish ambition (selfishness), there you find disorder and every evil practice. (NIV)

For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. (NASB) 

“evil of every kind” (NLT) “confusion and every evil work.” (KJV) 
“every vile practice” (ESV) 

“every kind of evil.” (HCSB) “chaos and every evil thing.” 

“confusion and every perverse work.” “insurrection and every evil matter”

ORIGIN of DEMONIC REALM - Satan  / Satan’s Fall – Who? When? What?

Ezekiel 28:13-15 – 13 You were in Eden, the garden of God...14 You were an anointed guardian Cherub; I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God. 15 You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you.

Isaiah 14:12-14 - “How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star/shining one/O Lucifer, son of Dawn!

What was the devil’s 1st sin? Pride or Envy??

ANCIENT JEWISH COMMENTARY - But by the envy of the devil, death entered the world, and they who are allied with him experience it.  Wisdom 2:24

COMMENTARY OF THE EARLY CHURCH FATHERS

Irenaeus (AD 180) - For he [the devil] was envious of God's workmanship  
...becoming envious of man, he was rendered an apostate from the divine law. 

Tertullian (AD 210)  - the malignant being who, in the beginning, regarded them with envious eye. 

Cyprian (AD 250) - he broke forth into jealous and malevolent envy. ...How great an evil it was... that caused an angel to fall!

THE SECRET OF THE AGES - CONTENTMENT  - Phil 4:11 - ...I have learned to be content (to be satisfied) regardless of my circumstances 

1 Cor. 13:4 - ...love does NOT envy (therefore envy = hate)

Gal 5:19-21 - Envy = work of the flesh

Overcoming Envy?
 
1. Agree that it is SIN, MY SIN? (the devil’s original sin). Serious. 
2. Know/Believe = open door for ALL evil
3. Learn to be content (wage war on discontentment)
4. Grow in love (love does NOT envy!) 
5. By the Spirit...STOP - Galatians 5:25-26 
6. Put it away/Get rid of it (1 Pet. 2:1) – So, put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander 

7. Fixing our eyes upon Jesus! (not on others) – Social Media? 8. Thankfulness 

This is an unusual message. And even the title will be confusing to some as we are NOT in the year 5784 as many believe. According to the most ancient Hebrew calendar, we are actually in the year 7576. A change the rabbis made to the Hebrew Bible's chronology and therefore the Jewish calendar nearly 100 years AFTER Christ. And they did that for a very specific reason that I explain at the beginning of this message.

Advent has all but been lost in our day and age. We begin celebrating Christmas often right after Thanksgiving. By the time we get to Christmas, everyone is mostly ready to think about the New Year. Historically, Advent was the season leading up to Christmas wherein believers reflected upon what it was like BEFORE Jesus came. Advent songs are somber and reflective.

In this message, I attempt to capture the dire situation humanity was facing before Christ came to earth. I look at the effects of sin, of angelic rebellion, and the pollution/corruption they introduced. Advent was a time when Christians focused on the problems that Jesus came to address, to solve.

I stopped the recording to cast a personal vision for our church to REDEEM Advent this year. If you'd like to hear that, email me at: joel2generation@gmail.com and I'll send it to you. 

It is incredible how we can read Acts and see a verse like Acts 15:41 - "And he [Paul] went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches." And what we don't realize is that there were NO CHURCHES at that time as we would envision or experience churches today. Paul wasn't doing "conferences" at First Baptist Berea or Philippi Pentecostal Assembly. He was visiting churches that met in people's homes. This was the center of 1st-century Christianity.

In a series entitled, Houses of Fire, we continue working through the Book of Acts looking at the phenomenon of the House Church. Paul's 2nd Missionary Journey is the focus of this message - beginning at the end of Acts 15 and ending in Acts 18. 

One of the greatest theological questions that has ever faced the church (or should I say "the church since the 5th century"?) is, "What did the Apostle Paul mean when he penned Romans 7?"

Was Paul talking about his present struggle with sin in the passage or was he referring to either his life before Christ (or the life of someone else outside of Christ)?

For many years of my Christian life, I sided with St. Augustine (who actually changed his position) and the Protestant Reformers that Paul was talking about his current life struggle with sin. 

And due to that "tradition", many Christian leaders today continue to teach that the Apostle Paul was simply being honest in his ongoing battle with sin. It seems so humble of him and teachers will argue provides a great example for us. 

HOWEVER, was that the way Paul intended his chapter to be interpreted? The ENTIRE EARLY CHURCH for over 300 years with a single, uniform voice (whenever they addressed this passage) did NOT BELIEVE PAUL WAS WRITING ABOUT HIS CURRENT STRUGGLE WITH SIN.

In this podcast, we look closely at Romans 7 (and also Romans 6 & 8) to arrive at the Apostolic Understanding (yes, and by 'Apostolic', we mean what the Apostle Paul himself meant when he wrote Romans). Get ready to have your 'tradition' challenged as it may not be Paul's!

In this message, we consider Acts 14 and slay the "myth" that the Christian life is somehow problem-free. Paul's life was anything but problem-free. Somehow through nearly 2000 years of Church History, a "version" of Christianity has been (is being) preached that gives people the impression that following Jesus amounts to life enhancement and the disappearance of problems. It may not be stated as such, but it is often implied. It is a version of the so-called "Prosperity Gospel" which Paul's life completely undermines. It is truly ANOTHER Gospel that is being presented by advocates of the Prosperity Gospel (ironically, they completely misuse/abuse Old Testament promises that not only do not apply to them, but as part of a covenant that required the death penalty for multiple reasons - something they "conveniently" overlook!!!)

Can we eliminate many of the problems that might be a part of life? - Sure, if choose NOT TO LIVE as radical disciples of Jesus preaching the Gospel! But, if we live as faithful followers of Christ who preach the Gospel (that demands repentance), then we will be persecuted - we will face tribulation.

Philippians 2:1-17 (ESV)

1 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count
others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing, 15 that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. 17 Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all.

Natalie shares a powerful teaching from John 15.

It is time to bear fruit. If the pruning time is over, then it is FRUIT TIME!