Taking Heaven by Force

Intense prayer in S. Korea

Some people are opposed to intense prayer, and they feel it is completely unnecessary.  They feel that it is rude and ungodly behavior.  But I want to show you from God's Word today that when you pray fervently, earnestly, intensely and with focused faith, your prayers are much more powerful. Jesus spoke of this, as recorded in Luke 16:16 and Matthew 11:12.  So let's take a close look at both of those passages.

According to Luke
Jesus said, “the Kingdom of God is being preached and everyone is forcing his way into it” (Luke 16:16).  Some people teach this passage to mean that in Jesus day and now there were bad guys who thought incorrectly that they could force their way into the kingdom.  However, the Greek word for pressing into it is biazitai.  It is nearly always used in the middle despondent tense.  According to the Bauer-Arndt-Gingritch Greek Lexicon, this word may either have a bad connotation of something being violently treated or a good one.  There is a wealth of information found in that Lexicon on page 140.  Among other possible meanings, it may mean:

“to occupy by force”
“is sought with burning zeal”
“makes its way with triumphant force”

Repentance is much like this, rather than a passive act carried out almost imperceptibly while in a neutral state.  It is a radical change of mind, and that’s the first step to entering the Kingdom.   We enter the Kingdom through repentance and faith, and biazitai depicts the forceful, zealous nature of that entrance.  In fact, as Luke recorded within the same grammatical context, Jesus taught, “unless you repent, you too will all perish” (Luke 13:5). 

Biazitai may also be understood as the “genteel constraint imposed on a reluctant guest.”  In other words, it may mean to invite urgently.  See Judges 13:15 and Genesis 33:11 for examples.  Any of these good connotations fit well with the context of the Luke 16:16 passage. 

All we have to do is go to Luke 14 to find the man who prepared a banquet.  Did he not use “genteel constraint imposed on reluctant guests.”  Yes, he did.  He sent his servant to tell his invited guests, “Come, for everything is ready.” (Luke 14:17)  In the end when they refused his genteel constraint, did he not in burning zeal send his servant to “bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame?” (Luke 14:21)  Yes, and when there was room for more guests, did he not tell his servant to go and “make them come in”?  Yes, he did.  This was Jesus way of illustrating the “feast in the kingdom of God.”  The burning zeal with which the host invited his guests illustrated the preaching of the gospel.  So did the forceful way he sent his servant to “make” more of them come in.

Or for additional context, we may refer to Luke 15 where we see the lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost son.  Were they not invited urgently and sought with burning zeal?  Yes, they were! Did they not make there way with triumphant force?  Yes, they did!! The lost sheep was sought with burning zeal, found with rejoicing, and returned to the flock triumphantly.  This was compared to the repentance of one sinner.  The lost coin was also sought with burning zeal, found with rejoicing, and returned to the owner triumphantly.  This also was compared to the repentance of one sinner.  The lost son was sought with burning zeal, as his father ran to him while he was still a long way off.  He was found by his father with rejoicing and celebration, and returned to his home triumphantly. 

As Luke went on to record in chapter 16, Jesus did not say the Kingdom of God is being preached and many are trying to force their way into it.  He actually said, “Everyone is forcing his way into it”.  I think he meant what he said, especially when we consider the context in which it was said.  The “everyone” Jesus referred to was “the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind” whom he urged his own host to invite when he gave a luncheon (Luke 14:13).  The “everyone” he referred to who was forcing his way into the Kingdom of God was the tax collectors and sinners that “were all gathering around to hear him” (Luke 15:1)

One of those tax collectors was a short man named Zacchaeus.  In fact, he was a chief tax collector, and we know that tax collectors were despised for their corruption.  But despite this man’s vast wealth, he wanted to see Jesus.  In order to do so, he “ran ahead” of the crowd and “climbed” a tree.  This corrupt man was seeking Jesus with burning zeal.  And when Jesus reached the spot where he was, the Lord looked up at him and said, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately, I must stay at your house today” (Luke 19:5).  The Greek here indicates that Jesus said, “Hurry! Come down!”  There was urgency, genteel constraint, and an insistence in Jesus’ request.  Zacchaeus came down at once, and welcomed Jesus gladly.  He didn’t hesitate for a moment, indicating his burning zeal.  When Jesus went to this man’s home, people said, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner” (Luke 19:7).  But Zacchaeus stood up and repented wholeheartedly, offering full restitution to the victims of his extortion (Luke 19:8).  Here was another violent man who pressed into the Kingdom and made his way with triumphant force. Jesus said salvation had come to his house that day, and that it was lost men like this one that he had come to save.

According to Matthew
Before we look at the companion passage found in Matthew 11:12, read the chapters preceding Matthew 11, and you will see numerous examples of people laying hold of the kingdom with burning zeal or triumphant force.  This is a perfect example of understanding a verse in its proper, larger context:

Matthew 8:2 - The leper
Matthew 8:6 – The centurion
Matthew 9:2 – The paralytic
Matthew 9:18 – The ruler
Matthew 9:20 – The hemorrhaging woman
Matthew 9:27 – The blind man

These people stood in stark contrast to that fickle and impenitent generation, who on the one hand complained that John the Baptist was too straight-laced and on the other hand complained that Jesus was a friend of sinners (Matthew 11:18,19). 

Now we come to the companion passage in Matthew’s gospel.  Since the two inspired writers were recording the same incident where Jesus spoke these words, we can better understand what Jesus meant by cross-referencing the passages.  Here’s a comparison of Matthew’s record and Luke’s record of Jesus' words:

Matthew's Record	Luke's Record
For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John	The Law and the Prophets proclaimed until John
From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing	Since that time, the good news of the kingdom of God is being preached
Forceful men lay hold of it	Everyone is forcing his way into it

Matthew 11:12 – “From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.”  The main difference in this passage is that instead of saying “everyone is forcing his way into” the kingdom, the term “forceful men” is used.  The term here for forceful men is biastas.  Whenever this term is used it is in a bad sense to mean violent, impetuous men.  This could be viewed as a reference to the fact that sinners were the ones repenting and entering the kingdom, not the righteous.  Was Jesus pointing out here that these violent impetuous people are laying hold of the kingdom now since the time of John the Baptist?  I happen to think so. It is not those who are righteous in their own eyes that are entering the kingdom, it is the sinners.  It is not the healthy that Christ came to save, but the sick.  There’s more rejoicing over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent (Luke 15:7). 

Once again, please note that Jesus did not say the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men try to lay hold of it. He actually said, “Forceful men lay hold of it.” I think he meant what he said.  If there is any question about what it means to “lay hold” of the kingdom, we can refer to the companion passage in Luke to see it means “press into it”.  If these men were simply trying to enter through some unauthorized means of violence, then they would never have successfully entered as Jesus said they did.

Determining the meaning of the phrase “lay hold of it” is further aided by a Greek word study.  The single word harpazo is used in the Matthew 11:12 passage, so let’s take a moment to see what it means. 

The Kittel’s Theological Dictionary of the New Testament states on p. 472 of volume I:
Since harpazo does not here mean either to bring in by force or to plunder, only three alternatives are open in the difficult saying at Matthew 11:12 [emphasis mine].  a. It may mean that the kingdom of God is stolen, i.e., taken away from men and closed to them; b. it may mean that violent men culpably try to snatch it to themselves; or c. it may mean that men forcefully take it in a good sense [emphasis mine].  Linguistically all three are possible.  The first and third are to be taken most seriously.  The former is suggested by the emphatic use of biazomai, by the correspondence between biazetai and biastai and perhaps by the Matthean context.  The latter is supported by the fact that the decisively new thing since the appearance of John the Baptist is the powerful irruption of the kingdom of God.  This is the presupposition for its being taken.  It demands resolute earnestness on the part of men if they are to enter it [emphasis mine].  Furthermore, the idea of men themselves taking away the kingdom of God is strange and is hardly supported by such parallels as Mt. 13:19, where the evil one snatches away the seed and not the kingdom, or Mt. 23:13, where closing the kingdom to men is not quite the same as taking it away.

So while Kittel’s Dictionary acknowledges the difficulty in determining the meaning of harpazo in this Matthew 11:12 passage, it supports the meaning that men forcefully take the Kingdom in a good sense.  Likewise, the Bauer-Arndt-Gingrich Greek Lexicon acknowledges the difficulty in determining the meaning of harpazo in this particular passage. But it points out that the use of harpazo beside the word biasein probably means something like “seize” or “claim for oneself.”  Both these reputable and scholarly works help us to better understand the meaning of harpazo. 

Let’s return now to our comparison of the Matthew and Luke passages, aided by the table above.  When we carefully interpret these two companion passages in their proper context, and rely on each one to interpret the other, we find that Jesus basically spoke of two things that were successfully happening: 1) The first one was a good thing, which was that the kingdom of heaven was forcefully advancing.  This was happening through the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom.  Jesus clearly said, “the Kingdom of God is being preached.” 2) The second thing was that “everyone is forcing his way into it.” Or as Matthew phrased it under the anointing of the Spirit, “Forceful men lay hold of it.”  There is no reason to believe that this second thing that was successfully happening did not also have a good connotation.  Why was it good?  It was good because up until John the Baptist started preaching, all the prophets and the Law prophesied about this day. Now it was actually coming to pass! 

If we read this in context, I think this interpretation fits quite clearly.  Jesus was still responding to those the imprisoned John had sent to him asking if He was the one who was to come, or whether they should expect someone else.  Jesus was clearly saying that the Prophets and the Law had prophesied or spoken in advance about this day and now it was coming to pass.  What a wonderful report to send back to John to answer his questioning mind.  The “blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.” (Matthew 11:5). 

It’s often good to ask the question, “Why did the inspired Bible writer record this at this point in the text?”  We may ask this about verse 5 as was just mentioned and about verse 12, where he records Jesus saying, “From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.”  In answer to the question why Matthew recorded these statements at this point, first they were all part of Jesus’ response to John’s famous question. And secondly, they flow perfectly with Matthew’s previously documented the healings of the leper and centurion (chapter 8), the paralytic, the ruler, the hemorrhaging woman, and the blind man (chapter 9).  It was all good news (11:5 and 11:12), because it was all coming to pass as it had been foretold, and John could rest assured he had not missed the Messiah!

According to brother Yong Doo Kim

I've been blessed by the ministry of Yong-Doo Kim, pastor of The Lord's Church, in Incheon, South Korea. I'd like to share some of the things he says about this subject.  He states, "Sometimes a contemplative prayer is required, but when the person praying is dynamic, strong, and active, the Lord will powerfully work in us. The Lord often shouts to us, 'If you powerfully pray with a mind of a warrior, rather than in a contemplative way, I will become exclusive in your life!' The type of prayer that will make the Lord exclusive to us! The type of prayer in which forceful people can take the Holy treasures from heaven. The prayer that shouts in tongues all throughout the night with passion, which never wearies and perseveres. In heaven, there are many treasures a forceful people can take.

Putting it All Together
I strongly agree with brother Yong-Doo Kim, of the Lord's Church in South Korea, who says, "The violent take the kingdom by prayer...Your faith can change everything. You can take bread and fish, attack the Kingdom like a bank!"

We know that scholars have disagreed for centuries over the meaning of this passage.  But the correct interpretation of this passage can be rendered by studying the historical and grammatical context.

Its meaning is full of importance to us today.  It speaks of our Messiah, the good news about Him, His Kingdom, and how we enter it.  It shows how, once we enter the Kingdom of heaven, it causes violence on the inside of us, as we stir up that glory -- that resident power on the inside of us.  In this way, the violent take by force from the enemy that which is ours in Christ.  Through our powerful prayers, we possess our inheritance that God promised us. These are fundamental aspects of our Christian faith, and the passage is a great example of why we need to rightly divide the word of truth.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like "Crying Out Loudly to God."  Also see the following:

Baptized with the Holy Spirit
Link Between Two Realms
Holy Fire Baptism
The Spirit is Willing
Lifting Hands in Prayer
Holy Living in a Perverted World

You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."  

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Crying Out to God Loudly

In a previous post, I taught that praying with your hands lifted up is more powerful.  I realize that this is controversial, but I am going to teach and practice what the Bible says, not what's popular.

So today I'd like to ask another question.  Does it make a difference if we cry out to God loudly or if we simply pray softly?  Many would say it makes no difference at all.  Some feel they can pray just as powerfully when they pray silently.  Some say it is just a cultural thing, and that it doesn't matter to God.  Others say it depends on your temperament, and that we all have our own preferred style of prayer that we are comfortable with.  But I would like to show you what the Bible says about this.

Loud prayers
First of all, the Bible is full of examples of people praying loudly, as well as exhortations inspired by the Holy Spirit that instruct us to pray this way.

Brother Yong-Doo Kim, of The Lord's Church in Incheon, South Korea, says, "Jesus told me go to all nations to explain loud prayer...We, the Lord’s Church, pray with very loud music and very loud prayer...We need to pray loudly to experience Heaven and hell...But we also need to discipline and train our body...Cry out loud! Make sure your voice gets stronger...The louder it is, the more (is) your spiritual force...In these days more prayer is needed. Loud prayer with both hands in air."

I agree with him.  There is a Hebrew word found in the Old Testament, שׁוע  shâva‛.  It speaks of yelling for freedom from some trouble. It means cry (aloud, out), shout. Here are some Scriptures that teach us to cry out like this.

I cry aloud with my voice to the LORD; I make supplication with my voice to the LORD. (Psa 142:1)

I cried out to You, O LORD; I said, "You are my refuge, My portion in the land of the living. "Give heed to my cry, For I am brought very low; Deliver me from my persecutors, For they are too strong for me.  (Psa 142:5-6)

Hear my prayer, O LORD, Give ear to my supplications! Answer me in Your faithfulness, in Your righteousness! (Psa 143:1)

For if you cry for discernment, Lift your voice for understanding; (Pro 2:3)

Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the stomach of the fish, and he said, "I called out of my distress to the LORD, And He answered me. I cried for help from the depth of Sheol; You heard my voice. (Jon 2:1-2)

"Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; You will cry, and He will say, 'Here I am.' If you remove the yoke from your midst, The pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness, (Isa 58:9) 

I rise before dawn and cry for help; I wait for Your words. (Psa 119:147)

But I, O LORD, have cried out to You for help, And in the morning my prayer comes before You. (Psa 88:13)

As for me, I said in my alarm, "I am cut off from before Your eyes"; Nevertheless You heard the voice of my supplications When I cried to You. (Psa 31:22)

O LORD my God, I cried to You for help, and You healed me. (Psa 30:2)

Hear the voice of my supplications when I cry to You for help, When I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary. (Psa 28:2)

In my distress I called upon the LORD, And cried to my God for help; He heard my voice out of His temple, And my cry for help before Him came into His ears. (Psa 18:6)

Heed the sound of my cry for help, my King and my God, For to You I pray. (Psa 5:2)

A Prayer of the Afflicted when he is faint and pours out his complaint before the LORD. Hear my prayer, O LORD! And let my cry for help come to You. (Psa 102:1)

Brother Kim says, "Sometimes a contemplative prayer is required, but when the person praying is dynamic, strong, and active, the Lord will powerfully work in us. The Lord often shouts to us, 'If you powerfully pray with a mind of a warrior, rather than in a contemplative way, I will become exclusive in your life!' The type of prayer that will make the Lord exclusive to us! The type of prayer in which forceful people can take the Holy treasures from heaven. The prayer that shouts in tongues all throughout the night with passion, which never wearies and perseveres. In heaven, there are many treasures a forceful people can take."

Even Jesus Christ prayed like this!
About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "ELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?" that is, "MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?"...And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.  (Mat 27:46,50).  Someone may say that the only reason he prayed loudly was because of the pain.  Actually, when you are on your last breath, crying loudly does not come naturally, especially after hanging on a cross for six hours with your arms lifted up.  In fact, Jesus prayed loudly on other occasions, as well, such as when He raised Lazarus from the dead.

When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth." The man who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus *said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go." (Joh 11:43-44)

The apostles and early disciples raised their voices to God this way:
And when they heard this, they lifted their voices to God with one accord and said, "O Lord, it is You who MADE THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH AND THE SEA, AND ALL THAT IS IN THEM...And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness. (Act 4:24,31)

Then falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them!" Having said this, he fell asleep. (Act 7:60)

At Lystra a man was sitting who had no strength in his feet, lame from his mother's womb, who had never walked. This man was listening to Paul as he spoke, who, when he had fixed his gaze on him and had seen that he had faith to be made well, said with a loud voice, "Stand upright on your feet." And he leaped up and began to walk. (Act 14:8-10)

There is a Greek word, κραυγή (krauge) found in the New Testament.  It means "an outcry (in notification, tumult or grief): - clamour, cry (-ing)." -- Strongs.  Most people know how to yell at someone when they are angry, and have no problem doing so.  But they don't believe in making a loud clamor in prayer.  Yet this is exactly what Jesus did.

"In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety."  (Heb 5:7). Where it says, his prayers and supplications were with "loud crying," it means "loud clamor" or yelling. That's a holy clamor, which the Lord says we should make.

On the other hand, we must put away the sinful kind of clamor, which is yelling at other people, usually done in anger. As Paul said, "Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice." (Eph 4:31)

Loud voice
Just as God's Word teaches us to pray loudly, there is a strong, biblical basis for speaking with a loud voice, as well. When you proclaim God's Word or read it, lift up your voice and call it out.  When you say, "Amen" or "Hallelujah,"  shout it loudly!!  Brother Kim says, "If you speak loudly, you will have more power, and if you live a holy life."

After all, our Lord Jesus often speaks with a loud voice.  The apostle John described Jesus voice that way when he wrote, "I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet..." (Rev 1:10).  He went on to say, "...His feet shone like brass that has been refined and polished, and his voice sounded like a roaring waterfall." (Rev 1:15, GNB)

Likewise, in heaven they cry with a loud voice.  "When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained; and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, 'How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?' And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also." (Rev 6:9-11) In fact, all throughout the book of Revelation, a total of twenty-one times, it is recorded that John heard loud voices in heaven (Rev. 1:10, 15; 5:2,12; 6:1, 10; 7:2,10; 8:13; 10:3; 11:12,15; 12:10; 14:2,7,9,15,18; 16:1,17; 18:2; 19:1,6,17; 21:3).  I strongly encourage you to look up each of these verses, and see for yourself.

The prophet Isaiah wrote, "A voice says, 'Cry!' And I said, 'What shall I cry?' All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field." (Isa 40:6)

Loud praise
The same can be said for our praise as we have just said about prayer, proclamation, and declaration.  We could cite scores of Scriptures about this, but the following ones will suffice:

Clap your hands for joy, all peoples! Praise God with loud songs! (Psa 47:1)

Now one of [the lepers], when he saw that he had been healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice, and he fell on his face at His feet, giving thanks to Him. And he was a Samaritan. (Luk 17:15-16)

As soon as He was approaching, near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the miracles which they had seen, shouting: "BLESSED IS THE KING WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD; Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" (Luk 19:37-38).  The religious crowd wanted to shut these loud-mouthed people up.  But Jesus said that if these become silent, the stones will cry out!

And so he and all the Israelites took the ark of the Covenant up to Jerusalem with shouts of joy and the sound of trumpets. (2Sa 6:15)

When the priests came forth from the holy place (for all the priests who were present had sanctified themselves, without regard to divisions), and all the Levitical singers, Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and their sons and kinsmen, clothed in fine linen, with cymbals, harps and lyres, standing east of the altar, and with them one hundred and twenty priests blowing trumpets in unison when the trumpeters and the singers were to make themselves heard with one voice to praise and to glorify the LORD, and when they lifted up their voice accompanied by trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and when they praised the LORD saying, "He indeed is good for His lovingkindness is everlasting," then the house, the house of the LORD, was filled with a cloud, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the house of God. (2Ch 5:11-14).  The Hebrew in this passage indicates that they raised their voices up high and yelled.  And I'm sure it made a loud sound of praise since it was accompanied by all those trumpets and loud cymbals!

This is not just for special occasions.  The Lord loves loud praise that is full of love and joy. Shout out loud profusely and from the depths of your heart, "GLORY TO GOD! HALLELUJAH! HOLY, HOLY, HOLY! PRAISE YOU, JESUS!" In doing so, you are pleasing God and giving the enemy a headache, wreaking havoc on his kingdom of darkness.  The angels enjoy this kind of praise and will join in with you also.  If you need help with your praises, why not get some help from the Psalms and other Bible passages, like the ones I have listed on my other post, called "Praise the Lord!"

Loud shouting
There is another Hebrew word, רוּע (rûa‛),  in the Old Testament.  It means "to mar (especially by breaking); figuratively to split the ears (with sound), that is, shout (for alarm or joy): - blow an alarm, cry (alarm, aloud, out), destroy, make a joyful noise, smart, shout (for joy), sound an alarm, triumph." -- Strongs.  Here are some Scriptural examples of shouting:

So the people shouted, and priests blew the trumpets; and when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people shouted with a great shout and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight ahead, and they took the city.  Jos 6:20)

So David arose early in the morning and left the flock with a keeper and took the supplies and went as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the circle of the camp while the army was going out in battle array shouting the war cry. (1Sa 17:20)

O clap your hands, all peoples; Shout to God with the voice of joy. (Psa 47:1)

so that the people could not distinguish the sound of the shout of joy from the sound of the weeping of the people, for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the sound was heard far away. (Ezr 3:13)

O come, let us sing for joy to the LORD, Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation. (Psa 95:1)

Brother Kim states, "All Christians must awake through prayer. We need to be spiritually alert and on guard and prepare for the Lord's return. A prayer warrior is a guard on duty! Moreover, the time of the Lord's return is imminent! Wake up, you sleeping guards! Now is the time to wake up! Groups of secular men and the forces of satan are waiting for us to sleep. Therefore, you must open your sleepy eyes wide open and wake yourselves up by shouting. Awake by praying, singing hymns, and reading the word. Let us carry out the mission of guardianship!" (Yong-Doo Kim, Baptized by Blazing Fire Book 5, 206 )

Even the Lord Himself shouts with this kind of battle cry:
The LORD will go forth like a warrior, He will arouse His zeal like a man of war. He will utter a shout, yes, He will raise a war cry. He will prevail against His enemies. (Isa 42:13)

Shout for joy, O daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! (Zep 3:14)

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; He is just and endowed with salvation, Humble, and mounted on a donkey, Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey. (Zec 9:9)

Of course there are many more Scriptures you could look at.  Also see: Job 19:7; Job 24:12; Job 29:12; Job 30:20; Job 30:28; Job 35:9; Job 36:13; Job 38:41; Psa 5:2; Psa 18:6; Psa 18:41; Psa 22:24; Psa 28:2; Psa 30:2; Psa 31:22; Psa 72:12; Psa 88:13; Psa 119:147; Isa 58:9; Lam 3:8; Jon 2:2; Hab 1:2;

Delta IV Medium Rocket DSCS

A Prayer That Soars High Up To Heaven
Here is an interesting excerpt from the third volume of brother Kim's book, Baptized by Blazing Fire. One of brother Kim's church members, named Lee, Haak-Sung, gave this testimony called, "A Prayer That Soars High Up To Heaven."

While I was praying, Jesus came to me and He passed between all the praying individuals, and smiled, while mumbling under His breath. “I want to especially see whose prayer will soar highest to heaven, so let’s see,” and as soon as He said this, every single one of us simultaneously began to pray, trying to be filled with blazing fire of the Holy Spirit. I felt like we were firing a pistol of prayer.

Jesus said aloud, “Let’s see. That’s right, all right! As expected, Pastor Kim is doing very well! Yes, yes, you’re doing great. Be louder, more fire, much more earnestly! Oh yes, you’re doing great. Awesome… Sister Kang, Hyun-Ja, and is my bride to be also praying out loud? Yes, that’s it!” Then Jesus concentrated on hearing Joseph, Joo-Eun, myself, Yoo-Kyung, my mom, and Deaconess Shin. Jesus passed back and forth among us to examine how high our prayer was traveling. I can see visually that our prayer was like a race and how we performed was intensely displayed as bars on a graph. [end quote]

This is consistent with the testimony of another woman, who wrote a book called "Sunshine, Daughter of Sacrifice."  In it she describes how she was caught up into heaven during praise and worship.  And she saw people's prayers ascending from earth to heaven.  Some were like arrows.  Others were moving slowly and weakly upward and she wondered how they would ever make it to heaven.  Still other prayers were going up to heaven like rockets, front-loaded with praise.

Putting it All Together
This is not meant to imply that we should never pray quietly, or that there is no value in contemplative prayer. However, I hope this post has helped you to see the greater power of praying loudly, crying out to God, proclaiming and declaring loudly, praising loudly, and shouting to God.  If you have never been baptized with the Holy Spirit, then you should seek this gift from the Lord.  Ask Him to also baptize you with fire.  Then you will have the blazing fire of the Holy Spirit all over you, which will will enable you to live a holy life, and you will be able to pray and praise God in tongues.  This will transform your prayer life in a way you never imagined! 

Your voice should be strong and confident.  Your prayers must have a red-hot fervency!  This is the way David, our Lord Jesus, the early apostles, and many others in the Bible prayed. When you are living a holy life and pray with a strong voice like this, your prayers will be more powerful.  If you agree, then right now you can loudly shout, "AMEN!"

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, please also see the following:

Loud Voices and Shouting in God's Kingdom
Baptized with the Holy Spirit
Link Between Two Realms
Holy Fire Baptism
Taking Heaven by Force
Lifting Hands in Prayer
Lifting Your Face in Prayer
Holy Living in a Perverted World
The Spirit is Willing 

You may find the Main Directory for this blog at Home, and you may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Avoid Becoming a Corrupted Christian

Silver being refined

In a separate study, called Drifting Away, I wrote about the various words in the original Greek New Testament that refer to the possibility of apostasy for a Christian.  Today I would like to specifically discuss the apostle Paul’s personal walk with the Lord.  After all, he said to follow his example as he followed Christ.

Paul said: "Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified." (1Co 9:24-27)

I want to focus on his final sentence in this passage.  He said he disciplined his body, which literally means to hit under the eye or subdue.  Paul knew what it meant to deny himself, mortify his flesh and take up his cross daily.  It was a way of life for him. 

So That I Myself May Not Become a Castaway
He did this so that after he had preached to others, he himself would not be disqualified.  I would like to draw your attention to the word “disqualified.”  It comes from the Greek word adokimos.  Here is a little word study on adokimos from Bruce Hurt on his Precept Austin website:

Worthless (96) (adokimos from a = without + dokimos = tested and thus reliable or acceptable) refers to that which is rejected after a trial or examination because it fails the test. It means to put to the test for the purpose of being approved, but failing to meet the requirements.

The basic meaning of adokimos is that of failing to meet the test or not standing the test. It describes that  which does not prove itself to be such as it ought and which is therefore disapproved and useless. For example, "sterile soil" (see Hebrews 6:8 below) is unfit for fulfilling its purpose.

In short adokimos describes that which is worthless, spurious, unqualified, disqualified, corrupted, not approved.  Adokimos was commonly used of metals that were rejected by refiners because of impurities. The impure metals were discarded, and adokimos therefore came to include the ideas of worthlessness and uselessness. -- from Bruce Hurt’s Precept-Austin commentary on Titus 1:16

Old Testament Use of Adokimos
In the Greek Old testament, known as the Septuagint (LXX), the word adokimos occurs twice in Pr 25:4 and Isa 1:22.

The Lord said to unfaithful Israel, “Your silver has become dross, Your drink diluted with water.”  (Isa 1:22)

Solomon wrote, “Take away the dross from the silver, And there comes out a vessel for the smith;” (Pro 25:4)

In both of these passages, the word adokimos is translated “dross,” literally meaning refuse or scoria (rejected matter, that which is thrown off), or worthless.

Other New Testament Uses of Adokimos 
The word adokimos is used elsewhere in the New Testament as well, in the following passages (see underlined words):

And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper,  (Rom 1:28)

Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you--unless indeed you fail the test? (2Co 13:5)

But I trust that you will realize that we ourselves do not fail the test. (2Co 13:6)

Now we pray to God that you do no wrong; not that we ourselves may appear approved, but that you may do what is right, even though we may appear unapproved. (2Co 13:7)

Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, rejected in regard to the faith. (2Ti 3:8)

They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed. (Tit 1:16)

For ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned. (Heb 6:7-8)

but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified. (1Co 9:27)

Losing His Reward or Missing Heaven?
Now let’s look at the context of our main text in 1 Corinthians 9.  We need to determine whether Paul was talking about losing his reward for his labor in the Lord, or missing heaven.  We know that he had written earlier in this letter about a man's reward being burned up, if he builds incorrectly, but he himself will be saved as through a fire (1 Cor 3:18). 

But in this passage, Paul is speaking about the need to run the race of a disciple in such a way as to win the prize.  This requires strict discipline in much the same way that an Olympic athlete requires strict training.  Then Paul goes on to talk about the Israelites who were laid low in the wilderness, because God was not well-pleased with them.  He warns the Corinthian Church against immoral living, and craving evil, for which the Israelites were destroyed (1 Cor 10:9).  He also warns about grumbling, for which the Israelites were also destroyed (1 Cor 10:10).

We know that Paul is talking about the possibility of Christians missing heaven here, because he clearly stated in chapter six that those who live such lives will not inherit the kingdom of God.  He said, "Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God." (1Co 6:9-10)

He goes on to say, “Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall.” (1Co 10:11-12)

There are two important points here in 1 Cor 10:11-12 that are directly relevant to what he said in 1 Cor 9:27.  He said that the destruction of the Israelites in the desert for their sin is an example meant to warn us, so that we do not likewise fall.  Then he says that if any disciple of Christ thinks he stands, he should take heed that he does not fall.   This word “fall” means to fall down or fail.  So if you are a Christian, be careful you don’t fall.  This would be a completely useless and unnecessary warning in Scripture, if it were impossible for a Christian to fall.

Refiner's Fire
The Lord says that before He comes, He will send His messenger to prepare His people.  We know that He did this through John the Baptist before His first coming, and He is doing it again now right before His second coming.  "He will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may present to the LORD offerings in righteousness." (Mal 3:3)

I for one desire the refiner's fire to burn up all the worthless dross within me.  I hope you do also. Please read my other blog called Holy Fire Baptism for more on this.

Putting it All Together

If even the apostle Paul disciplined his body and made it his slave, so that he would not become corrupted, depraved, unapproved, disqualified or worthless, then we know this applies to every believer -- no matter if they are a pastor, elder, deacon, teacher, or simply a disciple of the Lord.

Let's receive this warning for what it is and examine ourselves to make sure we are living in such a way that is consistent with Jesus Christ living in us.  Let's be sure we are not living in such a way that is corrupted, depraved, unapproved, disqualified or worthless.  We don't want to be corrupted Christians and fail to receive the prize.  Don't receive God's grace in vain! (2 Cor 6:1)

This requires taking up your cross daily, denying yourself, mortifying your flesh, and following Jesus.  Paul called it beating his body and making it his slave.  You need to ask the Holy Spirit every day to apply the cross to your flesh to hold it in a place of death.  Ask the Lord to send His holy fire to refine you and remove all the dross from your heart, everything that will not pass through the fire as purely from Him.  Ask Him to do whatever it takes to prepare you for His soon coming.  And He who began a good work in you will be faithful to perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

Author's note:  A related song I'd like to share here is "I Don't Wanna Fall Away from You" by Keith Green.  Here are some related articles you should check out:
Taken to Hell
Angelica Zambrano Heaven and Hell
Obedience by the Spirit
Salvation with Fear and Trembling
Costly Grace
Is Obedience Optional
The Apostasy Parables 

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Silver refining from Malachi 3:3 puzzle on Rock4Jesus.

You can access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." Now I'd like to ask a very important question.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

The End Has Come

I know that people don’t like to hear doom and gloom.  They want to hear messages that comfort them.  But the Word of God contains warnings of gloom and doom for the wicked. There is only one solution – only one remedy that will bring comfort -- if we don’t want to experience the gloom and doom in those warnings, and that is to repent. So if you are afraid of these messages, then examine your heart, and repent before the Lord.  Don’t look at any sin as being small.  They are all great in God’s sight and if you continue in them, they will land you in hell.  Only the righteous will be spared.  The Lord spoke to me recently through the following verses in Ezekiel:

The end has come!
The Lord is saying, "The end has come! The end is now upon you."  Here is the passage:

“‘The end! The end has come upon the four corners of the land! The end is now upon you, and I will unleash my anger against you. I will judge you according to your conduct and repay you for all your detestable practices. I will not look on you with pity; I will not spare you. I will surely repay you for your conduct and for the detestable practices among you. Then you will know that I am the Lord."

“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘Disaster! Unheard-of disaster! See, it comes! The end has come! The end has come! It has roused itself against you. See, it comes! Doom has come upon you, upon you who dwell in the land. The time has come! The day is near! There is panic, not joy, on the mountains. I am about to pour out my wrath on you and spend my anger against you. I will judge you according to your conduct and repay you for all your detestable practices. I will not look on you with pity; I will not spare you. I will repay you for your conduct and for the detestable practices among you. Then you will know that it is I the Lord who strikes you.'"  (Ezekiel 7:2-9)

This was the warning given then to Israel, the people of God.  And it applies just as much today to the Church, God's people.

We need to realize that the Lord Jesus is coming back right away.  In 2009, He said to Angelica Zambrano,  "I am no longer at the door; I am beyond the door.  I will come soon; My coming is near.  My people have left Me and gone back to worldly things...Tell My people to return to the old paths."

The apostle Peter said the same thing, "The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer." (1Pe 4:7)

Silver and Gold in the Streets
People will throw silver and gold into the streets.

“‘They will throw their silver into the streets, and their gold will be treated as a thing unclean. Their silver and gold will not be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord’s wrath. It will not satisfy their hunger or fill their stomachs, for it has caused them to stumble into sin." (Ezek 7:19)

Gold will be considered an unclean thing.  So if you're putting your trust in gold, silver, or other precious metals, you need to know which direction that's headed in. The Word makes it clear that it's not a good direction.

Wicked Abominations in the Church
The Lord showed Ezekiel some things that shocked him. There were wicked abominations committed in the temple.  The elders were guilty of these things!

He said to me, "Son of man, now dig through the wall." So I dug through the wall, and behold, an entrance. And He said to me, "Go in and see the wicked abominations that they are committing here." So I entered and looked, and behold, every form of creeping things and beasts and detestable things, with all the idols of the house of Israel, were carved on the wall all around. Standing in front of them were seventy elders of the house of Israel, with Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan standing among them, each man with his censer in his hand and the fragrance of the cloud of incense rising. (Eze 8:8-11)

It's sad to say, but today in the Church, there are wicked abominations being committed by those who profess to be Christians, even elders and pastors! That should bother you.  If it doesn't, you're in a dangerous place.

Grieve and lament
We need to grieve and lament over the detestable things done in the church. Begin with yourself and your own sins, and then cry out to God concerning the sins of others.

Ezekiel said, "Now the glory of the God of Israel went up from above the cherubim, where it had been, and moved to the threshold of the temple. Then the Lord called to the man clothed in linen who had the writing kit at his side and said to him, 'Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it.' As I listened, he said to the others, 'Follow him through the city and kill, without showing pity or compassion. Slaughter the old men, the young men and women, the mothers and children, but do not touch anyone who has the mark. Begin at my sanctuary.' So they began with the old men who were in front of the temple." (Ezek 9:3-6)

The "men" in this passage are angels.  One man has a writing kit with which to place a mark on the Lord's people who grieve and lament over these abominations.  And the other men have deadly weapons to kill all those who profess to be people of God, but do not have this mark.  And the Lord has instructed the angels to take no pity on the people without the mark.  They are to show no compassion.

The Lord has determined to pour out wrath.  It's coming and all who are walking in sin in the Church will be struck by it.  Judgment must first begin with the house of God (1 Pet 4:17).

Holy Fire
We need to love the fire of the Holy Spirit and desire it in our lives, so that we may be purified by it.  The Lord is sending His fire to the Church now to purge us of all that will not pass through the fire as purely from Him.

When the Lord commanded the man in linen, “Take fire from among the wheels, from among the cherubim,” the man went in and stood beside a wheel. Then one of the cherubim reached out his hand to the fire that was among them. He took up some of it and put it into the hands of the man in linen, who took it and went out. (Under the wings of the cherubim could be seen what looked like human hands.) Ezekiel 10:6-8

I encourage you to read more about the fire of the Holy Spirit in my blog on this topic (see here).

Worldly Standards
The people of God conform to worldly standards today, just as in the days of Ezekiel.

"Thus you will know that I am the LORD; for you have not walked in My statutes nor have you executed My ordinances, but have acted according to the ordinances of the nations around you."'" Ezekiel 11:12

There are still those who walk in obedience to the Lord, obeying His commandments as Jesus taught us to do.  But many in the Church today copy the behavior of the world, and conform themselves to those standards, rather than God's Word.

It will not be delayed any more
The prophet Ezekiel had to deal with an attitude among the people of God.  While they may have believed he had the word of the Lord, they thought it was for the distant future.

The word of the Lord came to me: “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 Sovereign Lord says: None of my words will be delayed any longer; whatever I say will be fulfilled, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”  Ezekiel 12:26-28

The same is true today.  There are those who say that this message in this blog is not a "now" word for today.  There is still plenty of time, and the Lord is delaying His coming.  But the Lord says that none of His words will be delayed any longer.

Angelica Zambrano

A young lady from Ecuador, named Angelica Zambrano, had a visit to heaven and hell in 2009.  While in Heaven, Jesus said to her, "I will come for a holy people and I will come soon for My church."  But later, following her return to earth, the Lord told her, "Daughter, I take pleasure in what you are doing, that you are fulfilling what I have given you, but do not tell My people that I am coming soon.  Tell My people that I am coming right away." Again the Lord said, "Tell My people that I am coming right away and that I am coming for a holy people.  Tell My people that only the holy ones, only the holy ones will see Me!...And do not be silent: Keep on declaring what I have told you."

The Lord allowed her to see what the early Church was like, so she could see the stark contrast with the current state of the Church.  He pointed with His finger and said, "Daughter, look, they praise Me; they worship Me!  My people no longer do as they did before.  My people no longer praise, no longer worship Me; no longer seek Me as before.  That is why I told you, Daughter, to go and tell My people to seek Me, for I will go, I will go, I will go - for a people that seeks Me in spirit and in truth, for a people that are ready, for a holy people!" And weeping He said, “I am coming, I am coming!"  Angelica said, "Then I understand why He was weeping, because He is coming, but not for those that are half-hearted.  He will return only for a people that is seeking Him in spirit and in truth."

This is consistent with what the Lord has been saying through many other people, who have seen the Lord, had visions, been to heaven, and been to hell. This is definitely a now word, if there ever was one!

Warning to the false prophets
Just as there were false prophets in Ezekiel's day, there are such people today in the Church.

The Lord gave a warning: “Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who are now prophesying. Say to those who prophesy out of their own imagination: ‘Hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing!" (Ezek 13:2-3)

The Lord is still speaking through His holy prophets on the earth today.  But many of these prophets are no-name, unheard-of, little people of no account.  And most of the big, important people in the Church are not listening to them.  Instead they listen to the big-name prophets, who are recognized and who have their own ministry, website, or television program.

Be careful, people!  If the devil wants to take out a lot of people, what is easier -- for him to go after a single sheep or a leader?  Obviously it is easier to take out a leader.  If he can compromise a well-known prophet that people trust as a reliable voice for the Lord, then he can use that person to deceive many people.  Test every prophecy.  These famous prophets with big ministries are under pressure to hold back negative words, because people don't like to hear such things.  This could affect the prophet's ministry support.  Not all prophets are affected by this financial pressure, but I'm sure some are.  They are human and subject to these common temptations, especially in a day of financial crisis.  So if they give words from their own imagination, which the Lord is not speaking, it may sound like a bright future lies ahead.  But that's not what the Lord is saying, my friend. 

“Peace” when there is no peace
The false prophets say, “Peace” when there is no peace. But for a few years now, the Lord has been consistently warning us of impending judgment and His soon return.

The Lord says, "My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and utter lying divinations. They will not belong to the council of my people or be listed in the records of Israel, nor will they enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord. Because they lead my people astray, saying, 'Peace,' when there is no peace, and because, when a flimsy wall is built, they cover it with whitewash."(Ezek 13:9-10)

The Lord goes on to say, "Her prophets whitewash these deeds for them by false visions and lying divinations. They say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says’—when the Lord has not spoken."

A true watchman is supposed to warn the people.  If the wall is weak in a certain place, the watchman should instruct the people to fortify it, so that the enemy will not be able to break through that weak spot during a future attack.  But a false watchman will simply put a fresh coat of paint on the wall to make it look good.  This is what some prophets do today.  They give a word that makes it seem as though the Church is in good condition, and they cover over the dangerously flimsy sections of the wall.  They cover over and beautify the sins of men. And they do so as if the Lord has spoken through them, when in fact He has not spoken. Beware of those who say there will be peace and prosperity, because that's not what the Lord is saying. 

When a righteous person has gotten into sin, and hears the message of peace and prosperity from these false prophets, he is encouraged not to turn from his sin.  He thinks that all will be well.  When the righteous person who is living right hears such words, they discourage him from continuing to walk this way.  He may be tempted to think, "What's the use!  Why bother?  I see all the wickedness around me in the Church, but the Lord doesn't seem to care.  He is going to bless us with peace and prosperity anyway!"

Don't be led astray by these lies uttered by false prophets.  There is no peace outside of a truly righteous life in Christ.

Idols in their hearts
The Lord showed Ezekiel that the elders had set up idols in their hearts.  He said, “Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and put wicked stumbling blocks before their faces. Should I let them inquire of me at all?" (Ezek 14:3)

Brother John Mulinde

The same is true today.  There are elders, pastors, prophets, and others in places of influence in the Church, who have set up idols in their hearts.  I'm sure these people may say, "I have no idols in my life!  I have never bowed down to a statue or any kind of image.  I worship God alone."  But they have set up idols in their hearts.  This is what happened to brother John Mulinde, who was a famous pastor in Uganda with a successful ministry.  The Lord showed him that he had idols in his heart, which he didn't even realize were there.  I encourage you to listen to his whole testimony, which will surely change your life! (see here).

No Holiness
The Lord went on to tell Ezekiel, "Her priests do violence to my law and profane my holy things; they do not distinguish between the holy and the common; they teach that there is no difference between the unclean and the clean; and they shut their eyes to the keeping of my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them." (Ezek 22:26).

Again, this is true today, not only of Christian priests, but pastors and elders in the church.  They don't distinguish between that which is holy and the common.  This is true of music, clothing, videos and various other forms of art and entertainment, just to name a few.  The Lord says there is a difference.  But when we do not act like it and we teach that there is no difference, the Holy Spirit is grieved. For more on this, please see "Holy Living in a Perverted World" and "Garments of Godliness."

And the same priests and pastors shut their eyes to keeping the Lord's Day holy.  They mix common activities in with holy ones on Sundays, including spending money, working, and playing games.  They don't teach people how to properly keep Sundays holy.  The Lord says He is profaned by this, which means He is treated with irreverence. For more on this, see "Keeping Sundays Holy."

Arrogant, Overfed, and Unconcerned
Listen to the charges God made against unfaithful Israel.

“‘Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen."  (Ezek 16:49-50)

Israel would never consider Sodom to be her sister, but the Lord said she was indeed related.  And the Lord named the sins of Sodom.  We all know Sodom was filled with homosexuality -- a sin which God still hates (Rom 1:24-28; 1 Cor 6:9).  But here the Lord singles out the sins of Sodom: They were arrogant, overfed, unconcerned, not helping the poor and needy.  They were haughty and did detestable things. That's why He did away with them. He said that unfaithful Israel had more corruptly in her conduct than Sodom and her daughters (Ez 16:47-48).

The same is true today in the Church.  The Lord is grieved at what He sees.  His Church is dirty. I encourage you to watch the testimony of a sister from Cameroon, named Claire Andoun.  The Lord showed her that His Church is dirty (see here).

Many professing Christians today are arrogant, overfed, and unconcerned, not helping the poor and needy. They are haughty and do detestable things. The only solution is to repent.

The righteous may perish, the wicked may be saved
I know that some people do not believe a righteous person can perish.  But it does happen when a righteous person continues in sin.  For more on this, please read my post on "Drifting Away." (see here).

Here is what the Lord told Ezekiel: "If a righteous person turns from their righteousness and commits sin, they will die for it; because of the sin they have committed they will die. But if a wicked person turns away from the wickedness they have committed and does what is just and right, they will save their life. Because they consider all the offenses they have committed and turn away from them, that person will surely live; they will not die." Ezekiel 18:26-28

The Lord told Ezekiel that he MUST warn the people.  If he did not warn them, then their blood would be upon his hands.  When the apostle Paul finished his ministry, as an old man, he said that he did not have any man's blood on his hands, since he had faithfully preached the full counsel of God. This was the same thing the Lord told Angelica Zambrano.  He allowed her to see her own relatives headed for hell, and he said, "Daughter, they are walking to this place, but go and them where they are walking, go and tell them they are walking to hell.  Go and tell them that I have chosen you as my watchman...I have chosen you as my watchman, for it means that you are to tell the truth.  You must go and tell all that I have shown you.  If you do not speak out and something happens to that person, his blood will be poured over you, but if you go and do as I have told you, then that person has an account with me.  If the person does not repent, then the responsibility resting upon you will be lifted, for the account will rest upon that person and his blood will not be poured over you. "

The Lord said, "Daughter, there are also people who know Me, that are walking to this place." I asked, "Lord, how can people who know You also come here?"  He replied, "That person who has left My ways and that person who is living a double life."

My friend, don't keep this word to yourself!  Share it with others!  You must warn them, even if they know the Lord or are a professing Christian.  If you are a pastor, don't hold back from declaring anything the Lord gives you. Warn the people.  That's why I am writing this blog, in spite of it's unpopular message.

Repent! Turn from your idols
The message the Lord gave Ezekiel for the people was simple.  “Therefore say to the people of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Repent! Turn from your idols and renounce all your detestable practices!" Ezekiel 14:6

He also said, “Therefore, you Israelites, I will judge each of you according to your own ways, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, people of Israel? For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live!" Ezekiel 18:30-32
 
This is the same message John the Baptist preached, and the same message Jesus preached.  The apostles also preached it.  This is a now word for today!

There are different kinds of repentance.  There is half-hearted, insincere repentance.  God sees right through that kind.  You cannot fool God.  Forgiveness can only follow true repentance, which is the true, sincere, deep, heart-felt kind.

Listen to some more of the words the Lord spoke to Angelica Zambrano:

The sin of unforgiveness --

During her visit to hell, the Lord said, "There is no other opportunity [for those in hell]; there is still opportunity for those who are alive."  I asked Him, "Lord, why is my great-grandmother here?  I don't know if she ever knew you.  Why is she here in hell, Lord?"  He replied, "Daughter, she is here because she failed to forgive...Daughter, he who does not forgive, neither will I forgive him."

I asked, "Lord, but You do forgive, and You are merciful." And He answered, "Yes, Daughter, but it is necessary to forgive, because they have not forgiven many people, and that is why many people are in this place, because they failed to forgive...Go and tell humanity that it is time to forgive, and especially My people, for many of My people have not forgiven.  Tell them to rid themselves of grudges, of resentment, of that hatred in their hearts, for it is time to forgive!  If death were to surprise that person who has failed to forgive, that person may go to hell, for no one can purchase life." When we left that place, my great grandmother was engulfed in fire and she screamed, "Aaaah," and began to blaspheme the name of God, she would curse Him; every person in hell blasphemes against God.

Fornication, idolatry, greed, and lying --
She was very surprised to see Pope John Paul II in hell, and she asked about it.  Jesus replied, "Daughter, no fornicator, no idolater, no one who is greedy and no liar will inherit My Kingdom."

Jesus said, "Look, Daughter, there are many idolaters in this place.  Idolatry will not save, Daughter.  I am the only One who saves, and outside of Me, no one saves.  I love the sinner, but I hate sin, Daughter.  Go and tell humanity that I love them and that they need to come to Me."

In heaven, she saw Mary, and Jesus told Angelica, "Daughter, she is Mary.  Mary, who gave birth to Jesus Christ, Who I am.  Daughter, I want to tell you that she has no knowledge of the things happening on Earth.  I want to tell you that you must go and tell humanity, tell idol worshipers that hell is real, and that idolaters will not inherit My kingdom, but go and tell them that if they repent, they can enter My heavenly dwelling place.  Go tell them that I love them and tell them that Mary has no knowledge of anything [happening on Earth] and the only One that they must exalt is Me, because neither Mary, nor St. Gregory nor any other saint can offer salvation.  I am the only One who saves and outside of Me – nobody, nobody, nobody- saves!" He repeated it three times - that nobody could save; only He saves. 

Animated cartoons --
Jesus said, "Daughter, these animated cartoons, those movies, those soap operas that are seen daily on TV are satan's instruments to destroy humanity...

The Lord told me something that is very sad and very painful.  He said, "Daughter, there are many children in this place because of animated cartoons, because of rebellion."  I asked Him, "Lord, why are animated cartoons to blame for this?" And He explained, "Because they are demons that carry rebellion, disobedience, bitterness and hatred to children; and other demons enter these children, so that they do not do good things, but do that which is bad: whatever children see on TV, they want to do in reality." 

I encourage you to read or watch her entire testimony, and take to heart what she says.  (see here and here)

Ask the Lord to give you true contrition for your sin.  Ask Him to give you tears of repentance.  Cry out to Him with mourning and wailing for your sins.  Change your ways!  Don't just say you're sorry, but stop what you've been doing.  True repentance always produces fruit.  God is looking to find the fruit of repentance in our lives.  But we need to produce that fruit.  John the Baptist said to produce fruit in keeping with repentance.

The Rapture
I would like to share with you one final word regarding the rapture -- the moment when all the holy ones will be snatched up to meet the Lord in the air.

"For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord." (1Th 4:16-17)

I realize many do not believe in the rapture, and others think there are still many signs to be fulfilled before the Lord returns.  I am here to tell you that it may happen at any moment, so be ready.

The Lord told Angelica Zambrano, "Daughter, you have to return to Earth...Daughter, I am going to show you something: How I am coming to Earth for a holy people.  I am going to show you how the day of the Rapture will be." 

The Lord told me, "Daughter, in those days, death will flee; Daughter, in those days the Holy Spirit will no longer be on Earth." (See Rev 9:6)

He told me, "Daughter, look, this is how everything will happen."   And He showed her how terrifying it will be on that day, when many professing Christians, and even pastors, are left behind.

But sadly the Lord said, "It will be too late.  The time to repent is now...Daughter, go tell humanity to seek Me, for during that time there will no longer be opportunity.  (Isaiah 55:6)  Daughter, it will be too late for all those that stay behind." When Jesus observed how people were left behind, He began to weep and said, "Daughter, I will go to Earth as it says in 1 Thes.  4: 16-17."

Putting it All Together
I wrote this warning under the leading of the Holy Spirit on June 11, 2012.  Then on June 25, I happened to find the following prophetic warning of the exact same thing, when I wasn't even looking for it (see here).  I believe this confirms with certainty that this is a word from the Lord, so please be sure and read it!

When Jesus came the first time, it was to bear sin.  Now He’s coming again, but this time, He’s coming to save the righteous and punish the wicked.  He’s coming in anger and wrath. I'm not giving any dates.  But the day of the Lord hastens! The end of days have come.

John the Baptist was God’s chosen vessel to prepare the way for the Lord.  He paid the price (no wine at all, no fine clothes, no social life, no comfort, no pleasant foods, constant fasting, etc).  He didn’t fear men or seek to please men in what he preached.

He could have said, “I will still preach the message, but I will have a glass of wine now and then.”  Or, “I will still obey God, but I will live in Jerusalem and live in a normal home. I will have a preaching point in the city.”  Or, “I will eat like everybody else, but preach with all my heart.”  Or he could have avoided any scathing remarks to the hypocritical religious leaders of his day, so that he could win their approval, and improve his ratings with the people.  Or he could have avoided saying anything to King Herod about his adulterous relationship with his brother’s wife.  But he made no compromise.  He delivered everything the Lord gave him to say.

Because of his faithfulness to the call of God, not just in speaking the right words, but also in his lifestyle, when he preached, people were cut to the heart.  He preached with fiery passion from the Holy Spirit.  He was full of the Spirit.  The Holy Spirit convicted his listeners.  They repented and prepared their hearts for the Lord’s coming. 

Today we need men like John the Baptist.  We need men who will prepare the way for the Lord. He is coming back immediately, and many people who profess to belong to God are not ready.  It’s just like the days of John the Baptist.  The Lord has sent the spirit of Elijah into the land once again.  He is turning the hearts of His children back to the Father.

The message is still the same: “People, get ready! Jesus is coming! Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near. Turn from your wicked ways.  Forsake the world.  Pursue righteousness.  Seek holiness.  Seek His face.  Seek the Lord while He may be found.”

Regardless of what you think of Angelica Zambrano and her experience, this message is still true.  Even if you remove from this post all excerpts from her testimony, the Word of God still warns us clearly.  But if you reject her message, there are many others to whom the Lord has been speaking the same thing.  Hers is not an isolated incident. It's one of many things the Lord is doing to deliver the final warning message to wake up the Church and call us back to holiness. So be careful what you say about Angelica and the others through whom the Lord is speaking this message.  In the same way, they treated the prophets of old.  This may be your last opportunity to turn back before it's too late.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Author's note: Another key article I discovered several days after I wrote this post is called The Most Annoying Shofar, written by Hannah Weiss and posted on Christians Together. I urge you to read that one, too. You may also want to read my other post called, "Very Few Will Hear the Trumpet".  Then check out "Grieve and Lament for the Church" and "Are You Rapture Ready?

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Garments of Godliness

Many preachers have gotten into trouble mentioning certain topics from the Bible.  One such topic is that of modesty, particularly in the way women dress.  People have contemptuously branded such men as "clothes line preachers" and will not tolerate such preaching.  But the Lord has plenty to say in His Word about how His people should dress, and we had better take heed.  He is coming back for a holy Bride, and this is part of the holiness He requires. Just look at some of these Scriptures:

Proper Clothing
The apostle Paul wrote to Timothy: "Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments, but rather by means of good works, as is proper for women making a claim to godliness. A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness." (1Ti 2:9-11)

The apostle Peter wrote: "In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives, as they observe your chaste and respectful behavior. Your adornment must not be merely external--braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God. For in this way in former times the holy women also, who hoped in God, used to adorn themselves, being submissive to their own husbands; just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, and you have become her children if you do what is right without being frightened by any fear." (1Pe 3:1-6)

Both Paul and Peter were explicit about what godly women should and should not wear on their bodies, which also applies to men.  The apostles were equally as clear about how the women should wear their hair, even the types of garments to wear, and which ones to avoid.  They also gave instruction on what kind of godly attitude should adorn holy women.

A Symbol of Authority on Her Head
The apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians: "But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ. Every man who has something on his head while praying or prophesying disgraces his head. But every woman who has her head uncovered while praying or prophesying disgraces her head, for she is one and the same as the woman whose head is shaved. For if a woman does not cover her head, let her also have her hair cut off; but if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, let her cover her head. For a man ought not to have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man. For man does not originate from woman, but woman from man; for indeed man was not created for the woman's sake, but woman for the man's sake. Therefore the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels." (1Co 11:3-10)

There are many opinions about this.  Some believe this refers to a woman's hair.  If a man grows his hair long, that is considered a head covering, according to this passage. Certainly I think it's important for a woman to take care of the veil God gave her, and not to cut it off like a man or to shave her head.

At the time of this writing, my wife and I did not believe she needed to wear a head covering, but we were open to being adjusted by the Lord. So we prayed and asked Him to show us, and subsequently we heard some testimonies that have changed our mind. Now we believe that a woman should cover her head when she is in the presence of the Lord.  This means she should cover her head when she prays, worships, prophesies, reads the Bible, or enters the house of worship. Also see my article Is a Woman's Hair Her Head Covering? for more on this. 

Jewelry, well-set hair, headbands, veils, headdresses, fine clothes, and sweet perfume
Please look at the heart of God and what He is after here. The prophet Isaiah wrote:

Moreover, the LORD said, "Because the daughters of Zion are proud And walk with heads held high and seductive eyes, And go along with mincing steps And tinkle the bangles on their feet, Therefore the Lord will afflict the scalp of the daughters of Zion with scabs, And the LORD will make their foreheads bare." In that day the Lord will take away the beauty of their anklets, headbands, crescent ornaments, dangling earrings, bracelets, veils, headdresses, ankle chains, sashes, perfume boxes, amulets, finger rings, nose rings, festal robes, outer tunics, cloaks, money purses, hand mirrors, undergarments, turbans and veils. Now it will come about that instead of sweet perfume there will be putrefaction; Instead of a belt, a rope; Instead of well-set hair, a plucked-out scalp; Instead of fine clothes, a donning of sackcloth; And branding instead of beauty. (Isa 3:16-24)

The Lord is after every proud, vain, and seductive heart among the daughters of Zion.

The Woman Dressed Like a Whore
King Solomon warned his son of the seductress..."In the twilight, in the evening, in the middle of the night and in the darkness....behold, a woman comes to meet him, dressed as a harlot and cunning of heart. She is boisterous and rebellious, her feet do not remain at home." (Pro 7:9-11)

We know from Scripture that the Lord is not pleased with any woman dressed as a harlot.

Cross Dressing
Does God condone cross-dressing?  Certainly not! In fact it's detestable to Him.

"A woman shall not wear man's clothing, nor shall a man put on a woman's clothing; for whoever does these things is an abomination to the LORD your God." (Deu 22:5)

But hasn't cross-dressing crept into the church and doesn't it now abound in the Church?  Trousers are clothing for men, and yet many Christian women wear trousers, even during worship and prayer.  Some will say that they only wear so-called "Ladies trousers."  Well, if you do so, I encourage you to take that before the Lord to see what He says.  Just because some clothing manufacturer has changed the labeling to increase sales does not mean God has changed His mind.  We all need to let Him evaluate our wardrobe and make the necessary adjustments.

Worldliness
The world has fashions and trends.  But in adopting those, the Church seems to have forgotten that worldliness is a sin. Let's take the lead in showing the world what godliness looks like, rather than adopting those fashions and following the latest trends.

Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. (1Jo 2:15-16)

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
(Rom 12:2)

You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: "He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us"? But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, "GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE." (Jam 4:4-6)

Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world. (Jam 1:27)

"You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. (Mat 5:13)

Poorly Clothed
Here was the testimony of the apostle Paul: "To this present hour we are both hungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed, and are roughly treated, and are homeless." (1Co 4:11). "I have coveted no one's silver or gold or clothes. (Act 20:33)

Does this mean we all need to be poorly clothed and homeless?  Certainly not. But if your emphasis is on outward adornment, on wearing gold jewelry and fine clothes, compare yourself to the life Paul lived and ask the Lord to correct you.

Special attention to those wearing fine clothes
For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, "You sit here in a good place," and you say to the poor man, "You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool," have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives?  (Jam 2:2-4)

Do you pay special attention to those who are adorned well outwardly? Do you want to look like them? Do you treat them differently than those who are poorly clothed?   

White Garments to Cover Your Nakedness
You can be clothed in the finest clothes, and yet be naked before God.  Jesus says,

"I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see." (Rev 3:18)

Garments Polluted by the Flesh
Our garments can become polluted by the flesh that wears them, if we are carnal-minded and worldly.

And have mercy on some, who are doubting; save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh. (Jud 1:22-23).

We should hate the garments polluted by the flesh, and refuse to wear them.  Think of the fleshly spirit at work in those who design and produce such immodest garments.  We should be disgusted and reject such things.

What God is Saying to sister Claire Andoun
There is a woman, named sister Claire Andoun Atongo, from Cameroon, who says the Lord has been speaking to her about the dirtiness in His Church (see video testimony). He's been showing her that there is a strange power that has come into the Church, because this unclean spirit has been invited in by the women of God, and the pastors will not preach against it.  This strange power is the Queen of the Coast, who leads the sisters in the Church to dress immodestly.

She says this spirit has taken the fire out of the men of God.  I did not watch her entire Warning from God to All Women, but only the first 20 minutes or so, because someone pointed it out to me.  However, I think it's a message that every woman of God and every pastor needs to take before the Lord, seriously asking for the heart of God regarding dressing modestly with purity and holiness.

Wesley on Godly Dress
We need to go back to the old way, and preach holiness once again like John Wesley, the famous eighteenth-century holiness preacher did. He removed the ring ceremony from the Anglican wedding manual.  And in his article, 'Advice to the People Called Methodists with Regard to Dress,' Wesley wrote: “Wear no gold, no pearls, or precious stones; use no curling of hair, or costly apparel, how grave soever. I advise those who are able to receive this saying, buy no velvets, no silks, no fine linen, no superfluities, no mere ornaments, though ever so much in fashion. Wear nothing, though you have it already, which is of glaring colour, or which is in any kind gay, glistering, or showy; nothing made in the very height of the fashion, nothing apt to attract the eyes of the by-standers. I do not advise women to wear rings, ear-rings, necklaces, lace, or ruffles, which, by little and little, may easily shoot out from one to twelve inches deep. Neither do I advise men to wear coloured waistcoats, shining stockings, glittering or costly buckles or buttons, either on their coats, or in their sleeves, any more than gay, fashionable, or expensive perukes.” [1] [2]

Wesley's original advice on attire and adornment became part of the Methodist church manual, known as Doctrines and Discipline of the Methodist Church, and remained unedited until 1852. The early Methodists took their founder's admonitions seriously, and lived a plain lifestyle. They avoided gambling, dancing, makeup, and jewelry, including rings. It's high time for the Methodist people and the rest of the Church to return to the Word of holiness. Those who don't want to preach holiness will never see Jesus. Without holiness no man shall see God (Heb 12:14b). Let's Ask for the Ancient Paths once again.

Putting it All Together
So as we see, both Peter and Paul addressed this topic.  Today perhaps they would be labeled as "clothes line preachers."  Yet they were not afraid of speaking about how we dress, and exhorting us to live godly and modest lives.  There are also plenty of other Scriptures to support their positions.

If you are honest, you'll have to admit that it’s fashionable today for the women of the world in general to dress like whores. That's not to say that all women dress that way, but they are encouraged to do so. The women of God must not be worldly. We disciples of Christ are supposed to keep ourselves unstained by the world. Friendship with the world is hostility toward God. The people of God must not be conformed to this world.

This doesn't just apply to women, but men as well.  I remember watching Christian music videos in the 1980's of Christian rock bands performing on stage wearing, form-fitting, spandex body suits.  And then there's the obsession many guys have with their muscle-bound bodies and showing them off.  Somehow I don't see how that fits the standard of God's Word. Another example is men wearing expensive designer clothing, earrings and other jewelery, or expensive suits. The Lord is after every spirit of vanity, conceit, immodesty, pride, arrogance, sensuality, and seductiveness. So it's up to each of us to ask the Lord to examine our hearts and show us anything that is dishonoring Him or keeping Him away.

Footnotes: [1] What Should We Wear, Wesley Experience. [2] Cited in The Encyclopedia of World Methodism, 1977 edition, s. v. "Dress" (vol. 2, p. 717).

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Author's note: Also see Godly Attire and Adornment -- Seven Divine Revelations, Carrying Your Cross or Cross Dressing?, Is a Woman's Hair Her Head Covering?, Claire Andoun Solomon's Encounter with Jesus, The Forgotten Sin of Worldliness, and The Wardrobe of the Saints. This post is a follow up on the following articles I've written recently:

Is Obedience Optional?
The Cost of Discipleship
Salvation with Fear and Trembling
Faith Works!
Pleasing the Lord
Called to be Blameless
Pleasing the Lord

Here is an excellent site where you can find attractive head coverings.   You can also find my complete collection of blogs at Writing for the Master.

Image: Photo courtesy of Garlands of Grace.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.