Do you know the story behind and old Christian song, "Amazing Grace"? William Wilberforce first fought for the abolition of slavery and John Newton was a slave-trader. Both fought for nearly 20 years in England before the truth was honored. Take a peek at "Amazing Grace."
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Small Things Are Big Things by Teresa Conlon
Teresa Conlon, wife of Pastor Carter Conlon, speaks from the pulpit at Times Square Church in New York City. She is one of the most humble women I know in America. She is for real. I know of no other woman more dedicated, committed and pure in heart.
She speaks from the book Matthew, chapter 13, about how Jesus began the process of sowing the seeds of discipleship into the lives of 12 men. He started with a few simple truths using parables. God comes to a hungry heart, even if you feel only a tiny, tiny bit of faith to know God in a greater way, despite small things. In time, the smallest things can become the greatest. The tiniest seed of truth can grow into a tree. In God...it becomes greater.
No matter what the size of the seed is, it can produce greatness. God says wait! I will produce greatness. It is the seed of God, the seed of the kingdom...the seed of truth. Let God do it. God will never leave us or forget us.
She speaks from the book Matthew, chapter 13, about how Jesus began the process of sowing the seeds of discipleship into the lives of 12 men. He started with a few simple truths using parables. God comes to a hungry heart, even if you feel only a tiny, tiny bit of faith to know God in a greater way, despite small things. In time, the smallest things can become the greatest. The tiniest seed of truth can grow into a tree. In God...it becomes greater.
No matter what the size of the seed is, it can produce greatness. God says wait! I will produce greatness. It is the seed of God, the seed of the kingdom...the seed of truth. Let God do it. God will never leave us or forget us.
Monday, January 24, 2011
First Day On The Job
Teresa Conlon of Times Square Church in New York City (where Founder of Teen Challenge and Sr. Pastor David Wilkerson is located) speaks on the beginning of the work of the 12 disciples and what followed. Teresa is the wife of Pastor Carter Conlon, also of TSC.
First Day On The Job
First Day On The Job
Saturday, January 22, 2011
It all Starts With a Lie
Satan's 12 Step Program
Whether you believe that evil has a logical path is not what is being suggested here. But… Satan is the Father of all evil and....
• HE MUST BEGIN WITH A LIE. You must believe a lie to tell a lie.(Knowing the truth-Jesus, the Word, living the truth, faith in the truth, working by love, and discernment must start here, if you know Jesus and want to be armed for victory. IF you are not armed, you will be deceived). You have no alternative, but the world, the flesh, the devil, if you walk away from God and choose defeat.
• GOD HAS A PLAN FOR YOU TO WIN!
• THE WAY OF THE CROSS IS KEY! Die daily, take up your cross and follow Christ. This is the truth path for the "overcomer."
Satan's only strategy is to KILL, STEAL, AND DESTROY. We bring our vulnerabilities, (different from our weaknesses), weaknesses, limitations and also our strengths into every situation. It is what we do with them that determines if we are overcome, or WE ARE THE OVERCOMER.
Discontentment and emptiness in the USA have been labeled contentment and fulfillment. This is a delusion of reality which allows Satan to operate almost at will, it seems in the life of some believers.
So what's normal? Many who are born-again can no longer answer this question in the American church. Why? They have accepted doctrines of devils, having itching ears, and been allowed to believe a lie. They have been seduced and deceived. Without power in prayer, along with true faith, true agape love and heaven sent discernment in these last days, many will accept a counterfeit church, a counterfeit revival, a counterfeit life, counterfeit relationships, counterfeit blessings, and a counterfeit walk with God, based on lies that begin with Satan.
Antagonism, apathy and passivity have become the norm for a church that is disconnected from the head (Christ), and a church (the Body) that is disconnected from one another. 75% of all Americans say they have only 2 confidants. (This includes those within the church, as well as those outside the church). The average person lives to be 77 years of age, and spends only 7 months of their entire life with God in prayer, or other time with God. How tragic! Is there any wonder Satan defeats people so easily?
SO HOW DOES THE TWELVE STEP PROGRAM OF SATAN WORK?
1-Disguise (Counterfeit) - a lie, an ungodly belief, a generational curse, spirit/soul tie or demonic oppression are at the beginning of the program. "Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free (John 8:32). We are also told, "My people perish for lack of knowledge." (Hosea 4:6). If you're kept from the truth, then you are vulnerable to a disguise.
2- Deception…This is his continual pattern. Offer a counterfeit, seduce, to be sly as a fox, as in the Garden of Eden, and appear to be truthful. Adolph Hitler said, "The bigger the lie, the more that will believe it." History has proven that statement to be true. Satan counts on a lack of discernment, a lack of knowledge and a lack of wisdom among those called to be "wise as serpents, and harmless as doves." If you weren't valuable to God and a threat to evil, Satan wouldn't waste his time on you. But...he does roam to and from throughout the earth, seeking whom he may devour.
3-Disappointment...no matter how little, Satan wants to build your disappointment inventory, hoping to get you to focus on your failures, and others who have failed you. The more he can chip away at your faith, hope, love, and victorious Christian living, the less encouraged you will be. He doesn't want you to share encouragement with others, so his goal becomes finding anything, and everything, anybody and everybody to disappoint you. Building this tower to the point it reaches discouragement is what wants to do. This world will never offer anything but temporary pleasure. It will always disappoint you. There are many dead-end streets. That's where Satan wants you to travel. When a pattern or cycle of disappointment comes, Satan's goal is to take you to a place beyond disguise, deception and disappointment.
4-Discouragement-Although things don't always go right as we see them; Satan wants you to think God is not for you. (Jeremiah 29:11) says different. If Satan can get you to believe "I can't," even though Philippians 4:13 says you "can," and also get you to believe God "won't" when Philippians 4:19 says God "will," then Satan's goal is to cut you off from your source of encouragement and strength.
5-Displeasure-Satan just generally wants to be unhappy. He wants you to find fault with everything around you, and everybody around you. The world does not center around you and me. "Happy" is the man who obeys the commandments of God, Scripture tells us this. Don't seek to derive pleasure from this world. It lasts only a few moments before the emptiness sets in. Unsaved people will always disappoint you. Never expect from man, what only God can give.
6-Distraction and entanglement-(Think of a spider's web). Satan wants you confused, stepping out of the will of God, tantalized by what looks like Godly opportunities, but they are really traps. Satan wants you off the gospel road, and on "rabbit trails" so you lose your way. The Bible says "the steps of a good man are ordered of the Lord." God's order is confirmed through His peace, His stillness and His rest. Satan wants things to "get in your way" to prevent you from prayer, fasting, fellowship, growth, evangelism and maintaining an eternal perspective.
7-Detour-A good sign you're on the right track, is when you feel Satan tempting you to "get off track." We must persevere, and stand during those times. Know what the blueprint is. Look at it often. The Father will always "lead you down the paths of righteousness" for His name's sake. Satan always wants you to take "the easy way" out. God will never detour you from obedience unto Himself. The detour leads to your downfall. No matter how it looks, or feels, God will never in His infinite wisdom, detour you, or mislead you. He confirms the truth of your path through His word and through His Spirit.
8-Displacement-Moving you into another area that you shouldn't be walking in will completely upset the plans of God temporarily. Usually a temptation that looked "Godly" led to this and you submitted. It wasn't God; I assure you. You’re completely where you don't need to be. You will remain "stuck" there apart from the power of the Holy Spirit to deliver you. Avoid relationships of any kind, at any time that will displace you.
9-Discontentment-Satan does not want you to experience the joy of the Lord which is your strength. At this point, you're starting to feel like giving up. Church and the body of Christ you avoid. The Word has lost its power for the moment in your life. Nothing "fresh" is happening. You're miserable. You feel abandoned by God during this time. Maybe you feel alone or lonely. Where did God go, you might ask? Maybe you feel forsaken. Satan wants you at a point of total discontentment so that you will be totally disillusioned about church, God, the Word and Christians, and Satan wants you to stop praying. He knows if He can get you to this point, he can cut off your "supply line" as occurs in the military, as a strategy to defeat the enemy. We are the enemy of Satan. He is our enemy.
10-Disgusted-Satan likes to weaken your resistance to evil, and for you to reduce your attacks against evil by using failure and other factors to minimize your efforts. Wearing you down by multiple attacks, particularly "getting hit with everything at once" is one of his favorite schemes. Completely overwhelming the saint is what Satan is frequently doing in these last days. You’re not alone. Ask for help from those you trust, who trust in God so they may share your struggles. Seek Godly counsel. God has a breakthrough right around the corner.
11-Disillusionment-You've failed so much you're ready to give up, so you stop looking to God, others, and you don't have faith or confidence in yourself. You are almost backslidden, if not there. You are living in defeat. You're miserable. You are powerless. You are ready to "hang it up." Life has lost its meaning. Nothing is working. There is nothing but the world, the flesh and the devil to draw from. Emptiness fills your life. Remember...this all began with a disguise: A COUNTERFEIT OFFER ---- A LIE!
12-Despair-disease-hopelessness, severe depression, being at wits end…all may have set in, which LEAD TO DEATH. That was the enemy's plan all along: Destroy your mind, your emotions, your body, your finances, your relationship with God, your family and others, wreck your job, create unusual trials and circumstances through continually weakening you, draining you of your resources, day after day, until you can not overcome. You are powerless. You need deliverance. Most likely you are up against principalities. You will need help to get out of this "pit." Deliverance is the only thing that will work. Some who have tasted of the fruit of heaven do not return to God, and even go as far as to commit suicide.
** Pray, fast, repent, confront the enemy and tear down the strongholds. These are 5 strategic answers to always defeat the devil. If we are to do greater things than Jesus, we were meant to have as many or more victories. Otherwise, we are all stepping into one of these 12 steps that lead to death at some point along the journey. We don't have to take this journey. Victory in Christ Jesus is ours. If we have a spirit of humility, submission and obedience, Satan will always flee.
David Hammock. Copyright © 2007. All Rights Reserved.
Whether you believe that evil has a logical path is not what is being suggested here. But… Satan is the Father of all evil and....
• HE MUST BEGIN WITH A LIE. You must believe a lie to tell a lie.(Knowing the truth-Jesus, the Word, living the truth, faith in the truth, working by love, and discernment must start here, if you know Jesus and want to be armed for victory. IF you are not armed, you will be deceived). You have no alternative, but the world, the flesh, the devil, if you walk away from God and choose defeat.
• GOD HAS A PLAN FOR YOU TO WIN!
• THE WAY OF THE CROSS IS KEY! Die daily, take up your cross and follow Christ. This is the truth path for the "overcomer."
Satan's only strategy is to KILL, STEAL, AND DESTROY. We bring our vulnerabilities, (different from our weaknesses), weaknesses, limitations and also our strengths into every situation. It is what we do with them that determines if we are overcome, or WE ARE THE OVERCOMER.
Discontentment and emptiness in the USA have been labeled contentment and fulfillment. This is a delusion of reality which allows Satan to operate almost at will, it seems in the life of some believers.
So what's normal? Many who are born-again can no longer answer this question in the American church. Why? They have accepted doctrines of devils, having itching ears, and been allowed to believe a lie. They have been seduced and deceived. Without power in prayer, along with true faith, true agape love and heaven sent discernment in these last days, many will accept a counterfeit church, a counterfeit revival, a counterfeit life, counterfeit relationships, counterfeit blessings, and a counterfeit walk with God, based on lies that begin with Satan.
Antagonism, apathy and passivity have become the norm for a church that is disconnected from the head (Christ), and a church (the Body) that is disconnected from one another. 75% of all Americans say they have only 2 confidants. (This includes those within the church, as well as those outside the church). The average person lives to be 77 years of age, and spends only 7 months of their entire life with God in prayer, or other time with God. How tragic! Is there any wonder Satan defeats people so easily?
SO HOW DOES THE TWELVE STEP PROGRAM OF SATAN WORK?
1-Disguise (Counterfeit) - a lie, an ungodly belief, a generational curse, spirit/soul tie or demonic oppression are at the beginning of the program. "Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free (John 8:32). We are also told, "My people perish for lack of knowledge." (Hosea 4:6). If you're kept from the truth, then you are vulnerable to a disguise.
2- Deception…This is his continual pattern. Offer a counterfeit, seduce, to be sly as a fox, as in the Garden of Eden, and appear to be truthful. Adolph Hitler said, "The bigger the lie, the more that will believe it." History has proven that statement to be true. Satan counts on a lack of discernment, a lack of knowledge and a lack of wisdom among those called to be "wise as serpents, and harmless as doves." If you weren't valuable to God and a threat to evil, Satan wouldn't waste his time on you. But...he does roam to and from throughout the earth, seeking whom he may devour.
3-Disappointment...no matter how little, Satan wants to build your disappointment inventory, hoping to get you to focus on your failures, and others who have failed you. The more he can chip away at your faith, hope, love, and victorious Christian living, the less encouraged you will be. He doesn't want you to share encouragement with others, so his goal becomes finding anything, and everything, anybody and everybody to disappoint you. Building this tower to the point it reaches discouragement is what wants to do. This world will never offer anything but temporary pleasure. It will always disappoint you. There are many dead-end streets. That's where Satan wants you to travel. When a pattern or cycle of disappointment comes, Satan's goal is to take you to a place beyond disguise, deception and disappointment.
4-Discouragement-Although things don't always go right as we see them; Satan wants you to think God is not for you. (Jeremiah 29:11) says different. If Satan can get you to believe "I can't," even though Philippians 4:13 says you "can," and also get you to believe God "won't" when Philippians 4:19 says God "will," then Satan's goal is to cut you off from your source of encouragement and strength.
5-Displeasure-Satan just generally wants to be unhappy. He wants you to find fault with everything around you, and everybody around you. The world does not center around you and me. "Happy" is the man who obeys the commandments of God, Scripture tells us this. Don't seek to derive pleasure from this world. It lasts only a few moments before the emptiness sets in. Unsaved people will always disappoint you. Never expect from man, what only God can give.
6-Distraction and entanglement-(Think of a spider's web). Satan wants you confused, stepping out of the will of God, tantalized by what looks like Godly opportunities, but they are really traps. Satan wants you off the gospel road, and on "rabbit trails" so you lose your way. The Bible says "the steps of a good man are ordered of the Lord." God's order is confirmed through His peace, His stillness and His rest. Satan wants things to "get in your way" to prevent you from prayer, fasting, fellowship, growth, evangelism and maintaining an eternal perspective.
7-Detour-A good sign you're on the right track, is when you feel Satan tempting you to "get off track." We must persevere, and stand during those times. Know what the blueprint is. Look at it often. The Father will always "lead you down the paths of righteousness" for His name's sake. Satan always wants you to take "the easy way" out. God will never detour you from obedience unto Himself. The detour leads to your downfall. No matter how it looks, or feels, God will never in His infinite wisdom, detour you, or mislead you. He confirms the truth of your path through His word and through His Spirit.
8-Displacement-Moving you into another area that you shouldn't be walking in will completely upset the plans of God temporarily. Usually a temptation that looked "Godly" led to this and you submitted. It wasn't God; I assure you. You’re completely where you don't need to be. You will remain "stuck" there apart from the power of the Holy Spirit to deliver you. Avoid relationships of any kind, at any time that will displace you.
9-Discontentment-Satan does not want you to experience the joy of the Lord which is your strength. At this point, you're starting to feel like giving up. Church and the body of Christ you avoid. The Word has lost its power for the moment in your life. Nothing "fresh" is happening. You're miserable. You feel abandoned by God during this time. Maybe you feel alone or lonely. Where did God go, you might ask? Maybe you feel forsaken. Satan wants you at a point of total discontentment so that you will be totally disillusioned about church, God, the Word and Christians, and Satan wants you to stop praying. He knows if He can get you to this point, he can cut off your "supply line" as occurs in the military, as a strategy to defeat the enemy. We are the enemy of Satan. He is our enemy.
10-Disgusted-Satan likes to weaken your resistance to evil, and for you to reduce your attacks against evil by using failure and other factors to minimize your efforts. Wearing you down by multiple attacks, particularly "getting hit with everything at once" is one of his favorite schemes. Completely overwhelming the saint is what Satan is frequently doing in these last days. You’re not alone. Ask for help from those you trust, who trust in God so they may share your struggles. Seek Godly counsel. God has a breakthrough right around the corner.
11-Disillusionment-You've failed so much you're ready to give up, so you stop looking to God, others, and you don't have faith or confidence in yourself. You are almost backslidden, if not there. You are living in defeat. You're miserable. You are powerless. You are ready to "hang it up." Life has lost its meaning. Nothing is working. There is nothing but the world, the flesh and the devil to draw from. Emptiness fills your life. Remember...this all began with a disguise: A COUNTERFEIT OFFER ---- A LIE!
12-Despair-disease-hopelessness, severe depression, being at wits end…all may have set in, which LEAD TO DEATH. That was the enemy's plan all along: Destroy your mind, your emotions, your body, your finances, your relationship with God, your family and others, wreck your job, create unusual trials and circumstances through continually weakening you, draining you of your resources, day after day, until you can not overcome. You are powerless. You need deliverance. Most likely you are up against principalities. You will need help to get out of this "pit." Deliverance is the only thing that will work. Some who have tasted of the fruit of heaven do not return to God, and even go as far as to commit suicide.
** Pray, fast, repent, confront the enemy and tear down the strongholds. These are 5 strategic answers to always defeat the devil. If we are to do greater things than Jesus, we were meant to have as many or more victories. Otherwise, we are all stepping into one of these 12 steps that lead to death at some point along the journey. We don't have to take this journey. Victory in Christ Jesus is ours. If we have a spirit of humility, submission and obedience, Satan will always flee.
David Hammock. Copyright © 2007. All Rights Reserved.
HOLY HOLY HOLY
In these perilous times we now live in, prior to the return of Jesus Christ, like never before, we have before us an urgent plea from Heaven's throne of grace to become holy as He is holy...the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The Bible tells us without holiness, NO MAN..shall see God.
Through humility, submission, genuineness, repentance, faith, grace, and obedience...we can obtain the gift of holiness of God, only because of the redemptive power of the blood of Jesus Christ 2,000 years ago in Jerusalem. The holiness prescribed by the works of the flesh or the expectations of the world church are not what I'm talking about.
At the essence of who God is we find the truth, love, HOLINESS and the absolute, sovereign authority of El Shaddai...The God who said to Moses in the Old Testament, "I am that I am."
Enjoy the video by Donny McClurkin. Sense the presence of God and allow Him to touch you while you watch.
Through humility, submission, genuineness, repentance, faith, grace, and obedience...we can obtain the gift of holiness of God, only because of the redemptive power of the blood of Jesus Christ 2,000 years ago in Jerusalem. The holiness prescribed by the works of the flesh or the expectations of the world church are not what I'm talking about.
At the essence of who God is we find the truth, love, HOLINESS and the absolute, sovereign authority of El Shaddai...The God who said to Moses in the Old Testament, "I am that I am."
Enjoy the video by Donny McClurkin. Sense the presence of God and allow Him to touch you while you watch.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Deception in the Media
We live in a nation that continues to sink further and further into a pit of deception. Many profess themselves to be wise and they have become fools. Once upon a time in America we knew ourselves, one another, what right and wrong meant and what good and evil meant. Now...sadly the lenses of most have become blurred.
This did not happen overnight. Slowly we began to depart from the vision of our founding fathers and the words of stability that once anchored our nation. In 2011, many even dare to question the validity of the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution. Some are saying the writers didn't know what they were talking about, while others are attempting to reinterpret the original intent of the authors. When America has to question if a marriage is really between a man and a woman, and we have to wait for the Supreme Court to overrule what God has already declared to be natural...we're in a desperate state...a very desperate state of deception. Even our churches are denying the validity of the Bible.
Young people feel ostracized from the truth. They feel that one of the primary characteristics of a successful person in America is to be a good liar. Young people as well as adults feel betrayed by Washington because of a departure from the truth in favor of easy believe-ism, political correctness, situation ethics and simply ignoring common sense and reasoning, while substituting truth with what feels good, what is easy, what is convenient, and what works for the moment instead of what is solid, and has been proven to stand the tests of time.
(You may discover a recent survey conducted among 1,000 of America's young people quite informative and revealing.Go to: http://www.davidhammock.blogspot.com to read "Research Study Refutes Popular Ideas About Young Americans". Your comments are welcomed.
Where did it all begin? Propaganda! Mostly from the media. If one third of the angels in heaven could be deceived, I wonder....just how many people on the Earth can be deceived before the return of Jesus Christ?
Take a look at the following video with Oprah. What do you think?
David Hammock
This did not happen overnight. Slowly we began to depart from the vision of our founding fathers and the words of stability that once anchored our nation. In 2011, many even dare to question the validity of the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution. Some are saying the writers didn't know what they were talking about, while others are attempting to reinterpret the original intent of the authors. When America has to question if a marriage is really between a man and a woman, and we have to wait for the Supreme Court to overrule what God has already declared to be natural...we're in a desperate state...a very desperate state of deception. Even our churches are denying the validity of the Bible.
Young people feel ostracized from the truth. They feel that one of the primary characteristics of a successful person in America is to be a good liar. Young people as well as adults feel betrayed by Washington because of a departure from the truth in favor of easy believe-ism, political correctness, situation ethics and simply ignoring common sense and reasoning, while substituting truth with what feels good, what is easy, what is convenient, and what works for the moment instead of what is solid, and has been proven to stand the tests of time.
(You may discover a recent survey conducted among 1,000 of America's young people quite informative and revealing.Go to: http://www.davidhammock.blogspot.com to read "Research Study Refutes Popular Ideas About Young Americans". Your comments are welcomed.
Where did it all begin? Propaganda! Mostly from the media. If one third of the angels in heaven could be deceived, I wonder....just how many people on the Earth can be deceived before the return of Jesus Christ?
Take a look at the following video with Oprah. What do you think?
David Hammock
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Spiritual Changes are on the Way
On the Brink of Waves of CHANGE in the Spirit
By David Hammock on Saturday, January 15, 2011 at 11:59pm
Something is fixing to change in the Spirit. God is preparing to move mightily in those who will completely surrender....becoming prostrate before God to the point we've never gone before. It is a purer place of holiness. It is a place of true "holy" power, not something worked up in the flesh or in our carnal minds. We must be moved and flow with this move of the Spirit and not resist. It will be a new place of power. This is a "now" move. We should not be distracted. There is more that we all must lay down and do it without questioning God. If we are to be a voice in the wilderness as John the Baptist; it is a place of separation UNTO God, NOT AWAY FROM Him.
God is calling us to holy repentance, not religious repentance. We have been intellectually taught what repentance is, but we have not fully stepped into the on-going death of the “old man” that must occur for true repentance to be present. If there is no true repentance there is no true holiness. God desires as David prayed, a "clean heart and the renewal of a right spirit within."
For far too many years the religious church has looked upon the outer appearance, and tried to mold the inner man into a holy creature. Yet...every work of God is done from the inside out, not the outside in. Have we not lived within the kingdom of the church rather than the kingdom of God? "Man looketh upon the outward appearance but God looketh upon the heart." Nothing takes place as far as spiritual growth is concerned if it is not birthed in the heart or spirit of man.
David Hammock. Copyright © 2011. All Rights Reserved.
By David Hammock on Saturday, January 15, 2011 at 11:59pm
Something is fixing to change in the Spirit. God is preparing to move mightily in those who will completely surrender....becoming prostrate before God to the point we've never gone before. It is a purer place of holiness. It is a place of true "holy" power, not something worked up in the flesh or in our carnal minds. We must be moved and flow with this move of the Spirit and not resist. It will be a new place of power. This is a "now" move. We should not be distracted. There is more that we all must lay down and do it without questioning God. If we are to be a voice in the wilderness as John the Baptist; it is a place of separation UNTO God, NOT AWAY FROM Him.
God is calling us to holy repentance, not religious repentance. We have been intellectually taught what repentance is, but we have not fully stepped into the on-going death of the “old man” that must occur for true repentance to be present. If there is no true repentance there is no true holiness. God desires as David prayed, a "clean heart and the renewal of a right spirit within."
For far too many years the religious church has looked upon the outer appearance, and tried to mold the inner man into a holy creature. Yet...every work of God is done from the inside out, not the outside in. Have we not lived within the kingdom of the church rather than the kingdom of God? "Man looketh upon the outward appearance but God looketh upon the heart." Nothing takes place as far as spiritual growth is concerned if it is not birthed in the heart or spirit of man.
David Hammock. Copyright © 2011. All Rights Reserved.
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