Matthew 23:15: "Woe to you, scribes and pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel about on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves." (NASB)
Now isn't that interesting! The scribes and pharisees knew the Word of God by heart, yet, according to Jesus Himself, all they were doing with their great knowledge of Scripture was solidifying the people's place in hell. How could this be? Well, just maybe it's because the only thing that can deliver you from hell is the gospel - is God's salvation - is Jesus. Satan just loves all forms of religion - yes, he'll even promote religion, because "religion" absolutely has no power to save.
So what is religion? In a nutshell, religion says: I have the power to save myself through my own works. In other words, thank you God for Your willingness to help, but I can take care of my own salvation through works. That's interesting, I thought Jesus prayed, as He sweated blood, Father, if there's any other way, please take this cup from Me. Well, obviously, there was no other way. Ergo, there is no form of "religion" that can save you. Unless, of course, you're ready to call God, God forbid, a liar or a masochist.
2 Corinthians 11:2-3: "For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin. But I am afraid, lest as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds should be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ." (NASB)
I find it so interesting that it's Satan's job to complicate the gospel. The writers of the New Testament did have a lot to say, but they never allowed the gospel (Jesus) to be out of sight for very long in their writings. After all, is it not written that the work of God - the power of God is the gospel, even Jesus.
We now have a lot of teachers - a lot apologists - a lot of "end time" studies - even great historians, but how is that working for us as we see things such as divorce and pornography ravish the "Church" at-large - even as we see this world becoming more hellish every day? Could it be because in all the clutter (knowledge) we're losing sight of God's work - God's power, the gospel? Don't get me wrong, there's a place for things like apologetics, but if we don't keep our eye on the work and power of God, the gospel, we've already lost the battle for souls. After all, God left us here on earth to proclaim the gospel, not to start a religion.
Titus 3:4-11: "But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that being justified by His grace we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy statement; and concerning these things I want you to speak confidently, so that those who have believed God may be careful to engage in good deeds. These things are good and profitable for men. But shun foolish controversies and genealogies and strife and disputes about the Law; for they are unprofitable and worthless. Reject a factious man after a first and second warning, knowing that such a man is perverted and is sinning, being self-condemned." (NASB)
Are we losing the battle for souls to Satan, because we're fighting over things which have nothing to do with God's salvation? Again, I find it so interesting it's written that a factious - a divisive man should be rejected and he is sinning, perverted and self-condemned. Factious? Look at the Church at-large today. Can it be any more divided than it is now? Let's be sure we're not part of the problem by keeping our focus on the good news - the gospel. After all, there's really only one thing that will keep anyone out of heaven: The rejection of God's salvation - Jesus
Through God's salvation we are born-again from within - reborn out of this world into God's kingdom. Yes, a supernatural change of our heart (nature) which was dead to God - to His holy heart (nature) which is vibrant and alive to God. Yes, a holy heart (nature) which desires to produce good fruit. Whereas, the Law could not reach our hearts (nature), now through God's salvation - through being born-gain, our hearts can now reach the Law without the Law being burdensome. Why? Because fruit is just the expression of a work that has already been accomplished.
Luke 17:1-2: "And He said to His disciples, `It is inevitable that stumbling blocks should come, but woe to him through whom they come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should cause one of these little ones to stumble.'" (NASB)
In these last of the Last Days, we better make really sure we're not trying to hang the ponderously heavy millstone of religion upon someone's neck, because if you are, in the day of God's judgment you will wish for that millstone to be around your neck as opposed to facing God's judgment - even His wrath.
This Blog post does not paint a pretty picture, but if I don't paint it for you, woe to me. Yes, woe to me as God's watchman if I do not give you His warnings and admonishments. For if I kept silent, how could His love - His nature be in me? You (we) must not be deceived anymore, for you (we) will surely be held accountable now that you (we) know.
Prayer: Father, may Your Holy Spirit open the eyes of those who read this Blog post. In Jesus' name. Amen and Amen!
I awoke this morning with this world's horrible economic condition upon my heart '" that it was extremely tenuous at best. It was then that our Lord placed three Scriptures upon my heart. As I dwelt upon them, I asked my Lord if I should share the Scriptures with others. His answer to me was yes, but I was to do so without comment.
Wall Street's Destruction of Wealth:
Matthew 6:19-21: "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." (NASB)
Losing or Lost Your Job:
Luke 16:4-9: "'I know what I shall do, so that when I am removed from the stewardship, they will receive me into their homes.' And he summoned each one of his master's debtors, and he began saying to the first, 'How much do you owe my master?' And he said, 'A hundred measures of oil.' And he said to him, 'Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.' Then he said to another, 'And how much do you owe?' And he said, 'A hundred measures of wheat.' He said to him, 'Take your bill, and write eighty.' And his master praised the unrighteous steward because he had acted shrewdly; for the sons of this age are more shrewd in relation to their own kind than the sons of light. And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the mammon of unrighteousness; that when it fails, they may receive you into the eternal dwellings." (NASB)
Your Savings Account:
Luke 12:15-21: "And He said to them, 'Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.' And He told them a parable, saying, 'The land of a certain rich man was very productive. And he began reasoning to himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?' And he said, 'This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.' But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?' So is the man who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." (NASB)
He who has ears, let him hear what the Spirit is saying!
October 5, 2008, I was abruptly awakened from a very sound sleep three times by a very troubled spirit - heart, which just does not happen to me. At the time, I could not figure out what my Lord was trying to tell me. Nonetheless, being it happened three times I inherently knew it was very important. It was as if the Father, Son and Holy Spirit had witnessed to my spirit during the night.
That Sunday morning, as it is my custom to do, I proceeded to spend at least an hour with my Lord in prayer in order to prepare myself - my spirit to hear and receive what my Lord had for me that day. As I did, the following Scripture came to mind:
Luke 22:39-46: "And He came out and proceeded as was His custom to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples also followed Him. And when He arrived at the place, He said to them, 'Pray that you may not enter into temptation.' And He withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and He knelt down and began to pray, saying, 'Father, if Thou art willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Thine be done.' Now an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him. And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground. And when He rose from prayer, He came to the disciples and found them sleeping from sorrow, and said to them, 'Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.'" (NASB)
I then immediately knew what my Lord was trying to tell me by waking me up three times. Although, it is written in the Old Testament by God's foreknowledge that the Shepherd would be struck down and the sheep would be scattered, could it be by Jesus saying, "Pray that you may not enter into temptation," He was telling His disciples that the fleeing (scattering) did not have to happen? I believe so! If they stayed awake and prayed with Jesus would they have entered into this temptation and fled from Jesus' side? Jesus seemed to be saying, no!
Although Jesus is the Son of God - Emmanuel (God with us), it is also written that He also identified with us by coming in a body of flesh and blood. Therefore, in order to have the strength that He needed to face His temptation - His cross, a temptation so great that His sweat turned to blood resisting the temptation to turn away from His cross - His cup, He relied solely on prayer.
Yes, Jesus received the strength to face His cross - His temptation from His Father only after He endured in prayer, thereby, giving us an example to follow. If that is what Jesus had to do, how much more do we need to endure in prayer to find the strength to face our temptations?
Now what I'm about to say next is not from me, but from God. And yes, I'm very aware of the consequences I face if I attribute something as coming from God which is not from Him. So let me reaffirm this to you again. The following is not from me, but it is from God: "Temptation and deception, and the evil one are now afoot - on the move globally in a mighty way - more powerful than ever before, because he knows his time is short. So why then are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation and deception so you will be kept safe from the evil one and his lies!"
He who has ears, let him hear what the Spirit is saying!
Prayer: Father, during this church age we are Your ambassadors of light in this world - there is no other light. Darkness cannot overcome light, yet we see darkness doing just that; therefore, we must conclude that the light through Your Church is becoming dim - going out, or perhaps even false, i.e., proclaiming an adulterated gospel, ergo, darkness is filling the void that is left. Father, as Your prophets of old felt alone and brokenhearted so do I - even knowing, according to Your word, there always remains a godly remnant. Father, even if a few - or none are willing to listen, don't allow us to fail in these last of the Last Days. Fully equip us in Your Holy Spirit so that we may burn bright with Your glorious unadulterated gospel message; as You have given us Your heart for those who are lost, or those who merely profess being a Christian without Your Spirit. My Lord, is there anything I - we have left undone? If there is, please my God, show us now! Father, may we hear Your voice clearly and be found in the exact center of Your will - and doing Your will when your Son returns for His bride. Father, as our Lord instructed us to pray, also keep us from temptation, deception and the evil one. May Your Holy Spirit give us ears to hear and eyes to see. In Jesus' name. Amen and Amen!
This ministry God has called me to do is directed toward both the professing Christian and nonbeliever alike: To warn as many as I can before the great and terrible Day of the Lord.
This has become a very, very, heavy burden upon my heart as I look at the fruit which is produced by the "Church" at-large. Its fruit is identical to this world! The "Church" at-large is actually reflecting the world in its overall behavior! Using statistics, there is NO appreciable difference.
Where is the light? Where is the witness? Where is the Gospel?
I humbly come before you with this request: I would deeply appreciate it if you can help in any way to encourage people to visit this ministry's website, and/or please consider giving a donation to this 501(c)3 nonprofit ministry. Either would be a great help in my effort to reach the lost both within and without the "Church" at-large.
Thank you and God bless you for your prayerful consideration.
Although it would take away from this ministry, about four weeks ago I was considering a part time job. I sought our Lord for direction. Over those few days as I was seeking Him, I have never felt such a heaviness '" a solemnness in His answer. Four times in different ways and through different people, His message to me was the same: "If I do not warn the people, their blood will be on my hands." Needless to say, doing anything else is just not an option for me anymore.
Shortly thereafter, during this last National Day of Prayer, our Lord seemed to tell me that this nation, and this world in general, have gone past the point of no return. Although, the individual will still have an opportunity to be saved, this world will be going from bad to worse very quickly now. Surely, His return for His bride cannot be far off.
Please continue to keep me and this ministry in your prayers, because even if I take my eyes off our Lord for even a second, I begin to sink with a heavy heart as I see more and more people turn away with a deaf ear '" unwilling to hear what God is saying.
Just a thought: I wanted to share with all of you a response that I sent to a dear friend. I feel that we, as God's earthly Ambassadors, need to rethink some things concerning this word, process.
Knowing that my friend was hurt deeply, yet innocent, i.e., did not deserve the pain and abuse that were afflicted, nonetheless, how much more could Jesus say the same thing.
I know I'm going to sound very unfeeling '" uncaring '" cold and hardhearted, but to the contrary, I actually care so much that I'm willing to be vilified in your eyes for the sake of the truth. I also know I'm not being very diplomatic, but I believe time is too short for me to be so with you, or even to my own fleshly desires as I look into the mirror of God's awesome holiness.
Reference: Grief Process:
My friend, I do understand, yet it is also written that we are a new creation in Christ Jesus.
My example to follow after is Jesus Himself. Through excruciating overwhelming grief, He never lost sight of reflecting His heavenly Father in both word and deed. I could also say the same for the Apostle Paul. Therefore, we must also have that same objective, that is, if His spirit is now dwelling within us. Or, do we choose to manipulate God's Holy Word to validate us not reflecting our Lord for a period of time '" for a time to process?
Easy? No! Denying ourselves and taking up our cross daily is no easy task. Yet, although I found it to be the hardest road I've ever traveled '" I also found it to be the most blessed as well.
The Church in every way today is reflecting the world. Does that not indicate that we are doing something very wrong? Yes! If so, let's throw out the old way of thinking and take a fresh second look at the Holy Scriptures '" saying to ourselves, show me not my way, Lord, but Your way.
We must give no room for our flesh to wallow in self-pity while people are going to hell. Since the Church is called to be Jesus' earthly Ambassadors, where else will the lost hear about or see Jesus '" their only hope of salvation? We who call ourselves "God's Church" must get this right in these last of the Last Days.
Time is too short! Therefore, let's just eliminate the word "process" from our vocabulary and move into the very high calling of God in Christ Jesus. If we don't, then where is our light '" our saltiness during this time we use to process? Where is the Gospel? Where is the Great Commission? Since we do not know for sure the time or hour, would it not be wise for the servant to always be about his Master's work? If the Master returned suddenly, would it be a good thing to tell the Master that you could not be about His business because you were in the middle of some kind of a process? Would it not be better, and Scriptural, just to nail your hurt '" your grief '" your grievances to the cross and get on with the Master's business '" the salvation of mankind? Is that not a better reflection of Jesus? Is that not being salt and light to a dying world? Is that not our collective calling?
That said, this can only be accomplished in the power of the Holy Spirit, ergo, to God be the glory! God bless you. Minister Raymond D. Sopp
Prayer: Father, may You completely equip us with Your Holy Spirit in these last of the Last Days in order to fully fulfill Your will and calling in and through our lives. May Your Holy Spirit be in '" be upon '" be beside us every moment of every day according to Your will '" according to Your Word. In Jesus' name! Amen and Amen!
Book: The Portrait of a Christian by Raymond D. Sopp
Just a thought: I'm continually told that more than 80% '" perhaps even 90% of the people within the USA say they believe in God, but is that enough? James 2:19-20: "You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?" (NASB)
Oops! I guess just believing in God isn't enough. So what is enough? John 6:29: "Jesus answered and said to them, 'This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.'" (NASB) Why? So you can be born-again with God's Holy Spirit. (Ezekiel 36:26-27)
When are we going to stop trying to do the work of God when God has already done the work through His Son Jesus? What kind of sense does that make? Particularly when, even from the start, our works of righteousness are doomed to failure. The Law tells us '" shows us that much.
Prayer: Oh Lord, deliver me from my works to Your work through Jesus' sacrifice and resurrection, before I miss You completely '" before I'm estranged from You for eternity. Amen and Amen!
Is it worth a little of your time and $18.99 to make sure you don't miss God's glorious salvation?
Guided by God's calling upon my life as His Watchman, I spent six years and countless hours in prayer to give you an opportunity '" to give you a device to examine yourself '" to give you a spiritual mirror to see if God's Holy Spirit now dwells within you before it's too late.
Seeing that God's judgment is now upon us, would you please take advantage of this opportunity afforded to you? Utterly consumed by this burden God placed upon my heart, I just do not know how I can make this any clearer to you.
Book: The Portrait of a Christian by Raymond D. Sopp
You can order my book anywhere books are sold, and all royalties go toward helping this ministry reach the lost.
Note: You can read an unedited version of my book online for free, but if you can afford it, I'm told by everyone that the book is a much easier and better read.
The following quote is taken from my book, The Portrait of a Christian by Raymond D. Sopp:
Note: I awoke with the following chapter from my book upon my heart. My heart was so burdened that tears came into my eyes. So burdened that words fail me as to how to encourage you to click on the link below to read the entire chapter, and then perhaps, prayerfully consider ordering a copy of my book through the other link offered to you below. So allow me to say it in this way: By the authority given to me by my calling as God's Watchman, I encourage you '" no, I implore you to at least read this entire chapter from my book, and if possible, order a copy of my book for you or to give to a friend. And please, please encourage others to do the same. Whatever your response is, thank you and God bless you for at least reading about the burden God placed upon my heart.
Chapter: Jesus said in John 8:32, ". . . the truth shall make you free." But, how can you know what the truth is with so many voices saying so many different "truths" about God, and Christianity in general? The first thing you must do is place such a great value in your heart for the truth that you will seek it with all your heart. Matthew 13:44-46: "The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has, and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had, and bought it."
The truth can only become that valuable to you if you come to understand that you have a need to be set free. For example, we see that the Pharisees thought they had no need to be set free in John 8:33, "They answered Him, 'We are Abraham's offspring, and have never yet been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, You shall become free?'" The Pharisees knew the Scriptures inside and out; they could quote volumes of Scriptures at the drop of a hat. Almost every day they spent the day debating the Scriptures but somehow they did not know they were slaves to sin and needed to be set free.
John 8:34-36: "Jesus answered them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. And the slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. If therefore the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.'" In the pride of their heart the Pharisees thought they already had the truth; they were Abraham's offspring, holy, and God's chosen people. Therefore, Jesus' statement, "the truth will set you free" had no real value to them; upon seeing no value in the truth, (being unteachable - unyielding - stubborn) they turned away from the truth and embraced a lie. The Pharisees' pride blinded them to the truth. Jesus had said something to them that they did not want to hear; after all, they already knew the "truth" - or so they thought.
But you might say, "That was the Pharisees; what does that have to do with me?" The Apostle Paul, talking about the last days in 2 Timothy 4:3-4 said, "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires; and will turn away their ears from the truth, and will turn aside to myths." If this is indeed the last days, should we not be careful that we do not reject the truth simply because it was not what we wanted to hear? Millions are going to hell, because they (like the Pharisees) don't like being called a sinner, and therefore, they accept the myth, "it's an alternative life style." Beware that you don't reject the truth for a lie because you are too proud and hardhearted to accept it. If you think that cannot happen to you - think again. Jesus told us - no, He commanded us, that we must forgive. But how many of us quickly reject that truth because that is the last thing we want to hear after someone has deeply hurt us?
Proverbs 1:7: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction." If you want to be blessed with the discernment to know the difference between truth and error, you must be humble and teachable. The word "fear" as used here just means you respect God - respect God enough to take His Word seriously. To fear (respect) God enough to esteem His Word even if it is not what you want to hear; allowing God's Word, and not your emotions, to be a lamp unto your feet.
Psalm 32:3-4: "When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night Thy hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer." (NASB)
1 John 3:7-10: "Little children, let no one deceive you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, that He might destroy the works of the devil. No one who is born of God practices (lifestyle) sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot (remain in) sin, because he is born of God. By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother." (NASB)
Just a thought: There has been a movement formed within God's Church called "accountability" in an attempt to keep people, pastors, and ministers from sinning. This movement pairs you up with another person to keep you accountable '" to keep you from sinning. Can I ask you this question: Why? In my Christian walk there have been times in my past when I've stumbled and sinned, but when I did, the above passages of Holy Scripture came alive within me. Oh, there were times that I tried to be recalcitrant, but as my vitality drained away from within me, I soon found myself face down in repentance. I think the record for my recalcitrance was about thirty days. Believe me when I say that thirty days is a very, very long time to remain beneath God's heavy hand. And that's an experience that I never want to repeat as I felt my heavenly Father's heart break '" yes, even His heart within me; through which, I've learned the meaning of being constrained from sin by His love '" by His Spirit within me. How can I remain in sin as it now breaks my heart '" His heart within me? I'm kept from sin by knowing its sinfulness '" by knowing its ability to bring death and separation.
So I ask again: Why do we need to pair up with mankind to keep us (mankind) accountable when we have God's Holy Spirit within? By using mankind, isn't that a little like leaving a fox to guard a hen house? After all, we can hide from and lie to man, but not so with the Holy Spirit. Did we need to begin this movement because most people, pastors, and ministers within the Church at-large are not born-again with God's Holy Spirit? I'm asking, because you cannot find such pairing up in the Holy Scriptures. I see pairing up in the Holy Scriptures to eliminate the possibility of accusations, but not for the purpose of keeping someone "accountable" '" of keeping someone from sinning. Isn't that the Holy Spirit's job? If you need mankind's presence to keep you from sinning, perhaps '" just perhaps, you need to be born-again with God's Holy Spirit!
Prayer: My Father, my Lord, search my heart to see if You see Your Holy Spirit within me. Lord, if I'm not sure, may I stay on my face until I am, because it is written that no one will see Your Kingdom '" Heaven without being born-again with Your Holy Spirit. It is also written that without holiness no one will see You, and that holiness must be produced from within '" not from without. Therefore, may I also seek You without delay, for again it is written: Today is the day of salvation '" the day of Your favor. Amen and Amen!
1 Corinthians 11:28-32: "But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself, if he does not judge the body rightly. For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep. But if we judged ourselves rightly, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord in order that we may not be condemned along with the world." (NASB)
Before I even begin, I want to make sure I'm not misunderstood so I'm making the following statement: I do believe all sickness and death began with the original sin of Adam and Eve. However, in the following paragraphs I'm not saying that all personal sickness is due to personal sin and/or personal lack of faith, and may God forbid anyone from saying I do.
Just a thought: Being personally heavily involved in prayer networks for more than twenty-five years, I've noticed a seemingly vast increase of sicknesses within the Church at-large over the past couple of years. And now, for the past couple of weeks, I have not been able to get the above verse of Scripture off my heart and mind. If I combine the above Scripture with the fact that the Church at-large is now statistically identical to the world, ranging from divorce to pornography, the above verse of Scripture has to give you pause, doesn't it?
That said, perhaps if we find ourselves sick, we should at least take a spiritual examination before we do anything else. This is something that only you can do. And perhaps, we should not be so quick to encourage someone to even take communion without first encouraging that person to take the time to look within '" to reflect '" to take a spiritual self-examination.
Prayer: Father, it concerns me greatly to see so many sick among us. If we fall sick, please my Father, and my Lord, help us by way of Your Holy Spirit to spiritually examine ourselves, before we even take our next step '" our next breath. Help us to at least eliminate the above possibility first '" not only for the sake of our temporal lives, but more importantly, for the sake of our eternal lives. Amen and Amen!
