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John 3 : Trust the Son, Receive the Gifts, Lead

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A second attempt at unpacking the John 3 passage that meant so much to me. Previous track spoke to Move-informed people. This addresses a wider audience. the whole church.

Again, we see that God loves us, gives us Holy Spirit without limit and all things.

Yet, Christians tend not to receive. Jesus expresses regret about this. He also speaks of coming judgement. Yeah, you are not going to hear this elsewhere.

Please connect! Looking for your encouragement and support.

We could have a sonship community here in Austin, too.  Could support each member’s vocation, as well as just be personal friends, and siblings in Christ.

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Bible Study Love of God Perfection Prosperity Sonship

God Loves You, Gives You…. ALL THINGS…. WHAT??? No, that is not what we were told.

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God Loves Us!

Wow! Huge revelation to me! Right there in John 3! A doctrine that I wondered about for a long long time. A shaft of light that set me free from the worst of the Move. Here it is, aimed at my Move-informed friends.

Posperity Gospel

God Loves You, Gives You…. ALL THINGS…. WHAT??? No, that is not what we were told.We were told that we were called to a life of death, of laying down the Christ life, of poverty, and no enjoyment. We were led to believe anyone who preached like this must be heart hardened and materialistic.

Quite aside from the possibility that some who preach prosperity are materialistic, what does the Bible really say? I unpack the Scripture today, from face value and what Holy Spirit illumined to me. I get personal, in hopes that it will help other Move and ex-Move friends.

Please let me Hear From You — Accepting Preaching Engagements

Please let me hear from you. I have pretty much fulfilled my God-given assignment of re-preaching the sonship message. I expected to get a lot more response. Actually, I expected to get lots of hate from those whose income, even if paltry, comes from the power they get in the Move. Maybe I have avoided that? Maybe not quite? Or maybe I have avoided any notice at all. LOL.  Well, please tell me if I am helping you.

Please reach out for preaching engagements, as well.  Limited time budget, as I am asked to speak and consult elsewhere, so please invite me quickly.

I have other projects and may move on if I don’t hear from you.  The ox shouldn’t be starved. And the worker should not all her life do more than 2 people could do! LOL  We are meant to share.

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Controversial Issues Discipleship Holy Spirit guidance Perfection Prayer

You Can Ask… the Lord… And Get an Answer

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You CAN ask.. the Lord… and get an answer. Now that is really good news. Unlike the “you can ask” I got from some woman, when it was evident both that I knew and that I could NOT ask the authorities…. who didn’t know, showed that… and thus would have been highly insecure and offended and dangerous for being “asked’!  But this, no, this is a revelation. I got it from some guy teaching Sunday school. He asked God about his walk with the Lord! How wonderful!

In so many situations, we need direction. And who can give it to us? The Lord God is the one who knows. The Lord God Holy Spirit is the one sent to teach us. Let’s ask!

HalleluJah!

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Imagine Gardening Again

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I am posting, wholesale, a recent email from Wilhite Seeds. Since it does function as an adverstisement, I don’t think they will mind. They are a Texan seed company, and we here in Texas do need some things and some timings different from New England! So, they may or may not be your go-to for seeds, but I do think you will enjoy the read.

“Gardening: Looking Back and Looking Forward”

This article was originally published in 2022, but is worthy of a reshare!
I grew up during an era when gardening and canning were not optional. They were instead, a way of life; a necessity for not just good nutrition, but for survival itself. Canning went beyond fruits and vegetables. We had no electricity, so refrigeration was not a consideration. We smoked meats in our own smokehouse, and we canned meats as well. In our little rural community, we shared canning equipment and we passed it around from family to family. We raised our own hogs and smoked the hams and bacon, but we also canned sausages that were not just breakfast foods but often were the main course for many an evening meal. My mother was very creative in how she prepared such basic fare and made it seem like gourmet fare.
Have you ever considered that we might see the necessity for such skills in today’s world? I certainly have. Look back no further than the devastating freeze of February 2021 and you will realize how fragile our lifestyle really is. We now know that the widespread power failures that many of us experienced could come upon our entire nation literally in the blink of an eye. At first you think, we have food. We can make it. Can you? You have food in the freezer, right? How long would that food last without power to keep it safely frozen? Then what?
Beyond natural catastrophes we have all become blindly controlled by computerization: our cars have brains that are programmed and controlled by computers; our fuel is routed and distributed electronically; communication has all but disappeared in the form of newspapers, letters, and telegraph. Now days we are basically blindly dependent on cell phones, television, and social media via the internet. So, when the power goes down, so goes our lines of communication, and our ability to travel. Terrorist activity could cripple our nation via a few strategic disruptions of our communication networks, or by destroying the fuel delivery systems from port sources or pipelines as well. So, what do we do, you ask? Grocery store? I don’t think so. Without fuel to run your cars you can’t get there. Furthermore, there would soon be no supply source to fill the shelves at your local grocery; no electricity to preserve the meats, milk and produce. Then what? Do you hunt? Maybe. Can you grow a garden? Sure you can! It’s easy to learn and very satisfying to boot. Then how can you preserve the food you grow or the meats you harvest? Forget refrigeration. For decades upon decades people lived and lived well by canning the foods that they depended on. They grew their produce. They hunted their primary protein sources and then they smoked, dried or canned all of it. Not only did they survive, but they flourished.
Am I preaching a survivalist doctrine? Absolutely not. I’m just reminding you that our lifeline system is fragile and as we have seen recently it can be easily disrupted. We do have choices and options. Re-learn what our society once excelled at and become more self-sufficient. Grow a garden. If you already garden, then kick it up a notch or two. Think long term. Learn the art of canning. It can all be very rewarding and satisfying. Let’s learn to share what we do and how we do it. Remember I said that the folks in my little community shared canning equipment and passed it around? We did the same thing with recipes for canning. We shared excess vegetables and fruits that we grew. We exchanged goods, and we all took pride in what we were able to produce.
As we listen to the today’s news, we hear of Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. The scenarios that I touched on could be just days away for the Ukrainians. When the Ukraine connection is disrupted, it will have a dramatic impact on our own economy. If you think not, just watch the prices at the gas pump. Prices are already soaring with no end in sight. I’m afraid you will see and feel the same devastating impact at the grocery store. Please understand that Ukraine is a very important agricultural country. They are:
·        1st in Europe in terms of arable land area.
·        3rd place in the world by the area of black soil (25% of world’s
volume).
·        1st place in the world in exports of sunflower and sunflower oil.
·        2nd place in the world in barley production and 4th place in barley
exports.
·        3rd largest producer and 4th largest exporter of corn in the world.
·        4th largest producer of potatoes in the world.
·        5th largest rye producer in the world.
·        5th place in the world in bee production (75,000 tons).
·         8th place in the world in wheat exports:
·        9th place in the world in the production of chicken eggs.
·        16th place in the world in cheese exports.
Could it happen in these United States? Certainly not – or could it? Please don’t think we are preaching doom and gloom. Quite the contrary, we are just trying to make sure our customers and friends across the country understand the possibilities that could lie before us. Our customers are truly like our family. We have been serving these great people now for a bit over ONE HUNDRED YEARS and we owe each of you our very best. If we can help prepare you for whatever might possibly beset us, then hopefully we have done our part. At the very least we have perhaps re-awakened you to the wonderful benefits of gardening and canning for your enjoyment and your peace of mind. It’s all something you can do and share with your family, your friends and beyond. In a best-case scenario, you will have created wonderfully delicious foodstuffs that you can enjoy every day of the year.
Simply, here’s all you need to do:
·        till the ground
·        plant the seed
·        tend the garden
·        harvest the crop
Enjoy the process, but more especially, enjoy the wonderful meals from those fresh fruits and vegetables that you have grown!
Happy Gardening and Bon Appetit’!
Joe Davis, COO
Willhite Seed Inc.
Austin events Bible Study Controversial Issues Current Events Politics Questions and Answers

What Does Christian Nationalism Mean?

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Second in our little series on what the Bible says about government, I answer the question, “What does ‘Christian Nationalism’ mean?” It is an important question for sure. At the end of our first face to face teaching session, on of the gentleman asked, and very insistently. The answer is “it depends.”  But! yes, it depends upon who is speaking.

Basically, it is an accusation, based on projection, that Christians want to control  the government from the far right. Of course, that is silly, comical, preposterous — and demonstrably false from the founding of this nation until today. Christians, by contrast, tend to stay out of the political arena. When they are adept and at the center of it, such as in the founding days, they work very clearly and competently to keep the discussion and the general political area open to diversity of opinions. That is why America was founded the way it was: with freedom of religion and freedom of speech first. With no establishment of religion. Because the people in the majority were Biblical Christians, and having known persecution from the Anglican and Roman churches, were not willing to engage in it themselves.

However, given this charge by authoritarian communists and world controllists, common Americans with either first or second naivete, have taken up the claim and called themselves Christian Nationalists.  Just like Christians and Methodists used the moniker that was meant to cast aspersions upon them. Some people will say, “Yes. I am a Christian. And yes, I am a patriot.”

But what about dominionism? What about the NAR?  Listen, I have all the answers for you.

And please share with you friends.

And, btw, apologies for late posting. We have had , indeed still have a very difficult situation of connection to the internet, molasses slow loading, and an impossibility of uploading. Please pray for this ministry to overcome these challenges.

Austin events Bible Study Controversial Issues Current Events Government Politics Questions and Answers

7 Mountains Apologia

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Finishing up our series on what the Bible has to say about government, let’s talk about this new idea, 7-mountains. The basic concept is also called, in different circles, “the cultural mandate.”  Given the perspective of those I know, this is an important topic to discuss when we consider how we should interface with society and with government. So often, conservative Christians,  pentecostals especially, and women, just thought they should stay out of politics. By contrast, some fundamentalist Baptists or conservative Reformed folks seem to hold political views co-terminus with theology. Both groups have, in my hearing, questioned this 7 Mountain Mandate talk. On the other hand, my Spirit-filled educated friends are thrilled with the opening of the door to application of Christian life, of Spirit, and of Bible, to all of life. They often felt stifled and hemmed in in the lower middle class perspective of separation defined as not getting involved, and simply staying quiet in a corner.

I can hear people get offended as I state this clearly and precisely. Read it again. Admit it. The upper middle class, mainline folks were in charge of civics and politics in the 1950s and 1960s. Since then, increasingly the secularist and socialists have been in ascendancy. But in the ’50s and ’60s, conservative Christians eschewed both education and civic involvement. With the advent of the charismatic movement more educated people joined these churches and adopted this theology. That portion of the church expanded its market share steadily. At the same time, these churches, along with their SES segments, experienced great economic growth.

In this century, however, growth slowed, and communists (meaning authoritarian socialists) arose to prominence in the marketplace of ideas as in politics. Socialism took a stronger hold in the mainline churches. The most conservative churches split off, but struggled for direction, carrying with them more leftest ideas than they realized. At the same time, pentecostal churches fell back into their ways. Word of Faith continued to grow and are a home for middle class pentecostal/charismatics. The upper middle class tended to search for a home mostly in the Apostolic and Prophetic movements, precisely the sector most likely to accept the 7 Mountain Mandate. Why? because they needed faith direction for vocation and civic engagement.

Then, the question arose: is this Biblical? Because neither of the two promoters of the 7 Mountain Message are either theologians or professional sociologists (tho both have in-depth Bible knowledge, and tremendous practical insight (one in management and the other I judge as a pastoral sociologist) — and both have a great following among business and government leaders — no apologia has been made. Detractors have popped up. So, here is the answer: yes: The 7 Mountain Message is Biblical and theologically orthodox.

Listen, and I will tell  you why.

While the last post was about 10 days late because of technical issues with uploading to the podcast platform, this episode is about a month early. Normally, this would be our June installment of our study on what the Bible says about government and politics. However, coincidentally, Johnny and Elizabeth Enlow have been able to publish their long-awaited documentary. So, since I had this made, and was successful at getting it uploaded, I decided to go ahead and publish it.

Recommended: https://www.restore7.tv/biggodmovie/

Other links/background

https://lancewallnau.com/category/7-mountains/

Hmm, although posting more links always helps ranking, I think I will refrain from embarrassing the recent detractors.

Also, although I have in the past spent A LOT of time posting links to books in Amazon.com, since I can no longer shop there because I will not tolerate the forcing of Prime, alas. Anyway, both Wallnau and the Enlow s have books. Enjoy.

 

addition: Oh! Lance posted mention of “dominionism” today:

https://rumble.com/v41yqcz-the-religious-spirit-is-a-real-thing-and-its-fighting-the-next-revival.html?e9s=rel_v1_b

 

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Bible Study Controversial Issues Current Events Holy Spirit guidance Leadership Sam Fife's Body of Christ Move of God Sonship

The Government of God

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Here is a new perspective on the Government of God, different from what we were used to hearing in “The Move of God.” I think it is more in line with growing to maturity that what we have heard, and a good deal less tyrannical.

The government of God is aimed at being primarily self-governance, directly under God, through the Holy Spirit. The more self governance one has, the less family government one needs, and the more family government one has, the less church government one needs, and it all of that is working well, then one needs very little civil government indeed.

Notice, that this is different from other systems. One would put church government over all, substituting themselves even for God. Another would put civil government overall, again substituting themselves over all. This is upside down. And evil.

This was constructed for the sonship discussion, but may be useful for anyone interested in topics relating to Bible and government.

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Austin events Bible Study Controversial Issues HIlter

Study on How the Bible Relates to Culture and Politics Today – monthly in Round Rock, Texas

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I was at a couple of meetings this past week and between us we could not name a single pastor who would address issues of the day, from Jarrell, Georgetown, Round Rock, or Cedar Park. Therefore, I was asked if I would lead such a study. Of course! So we had our organizational meeting today. Here is the plan: we will meet every 2nd Saturday at 4:00 pm in Round Rock. You must call, leave your name, phone number and email in order to get the location. This is aimed at straining out those who would make trouble. Anyone is welcomed who wants to come and learn. People who act in an illegal, dangerous fashion will face the police. Preferrably we will not face that. So call and leave a message at 512-534-5425.

Topics may include:

  1. Dominion(ism): What the Bible says, what theologIES say, and what the Leftists say we say.
  2. The Importance of Words And How Political Correctness is Being used to Steer Society
  3. The 7 Mountain Teaching: Biblical?Good?Bad?
  4. How to Talk to Infected Youth, How to Get Your Pastor Involved.
  5. Government of God
  6. Romans 13: Does it mean that we must obey ungodly orders?
  7. Is this a Christian nation?
  8. Metaxas’ Letter to the American Church
  9. Lutzer’s books warning Americans based on history of church in Germany during rise of Hitler

Let’s work up to a stable group, large enough to invite guest speakers.

Okay, Sharon, but why do you think you are the right person? Besides that fact that there is a great need and no one else will do it? Maybe because I have a Master’s Degree in Divinity, have a broad understanding of a wide range of theologies and denominational viewpoints, and a Master’s in Sociology, with a long history of running fair and balanced discussions? Well, maybe because at Lifetime Learning Institute, when I taught comparative religions, at the end of the semester, I was given a standing ovation for finishing without a fist-fight or even a quarrel. Or maybe because I am a nut case with already too many things to do.

So, here is the deal. I will teach/facilitate discussion. But YOU must bring people. Next meeting: April 13th 4:00p. Please let me know you are coming, because I have 3 other places to be that day!

Disclaimer: this meeting is open to all, and is not necessarily related to any other JesusNameAustion initiative. You are welcomed to disagree: you will be encouraged to think; you will not be permitted to endanger anyone. Thanks y’all!

 

Bible Study Leadership Replication Sam Fife's Body of Christ Move of God

Paul’s Last Word to Leaders in Ephesus About how to be Good Leaders

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Today, we work through the story in Acts 20. These are Paul’s last words to the leaders in Ephesus, telling them how to be good leaders. Indeed, Ephesus was then, and remained, a very important congregation, not only in a large city, but also having very influential leadership.

This message was quickened to me. In my usual morning reading, I noticed what Paul had to say to the leaders at Ephesus. He was in a hurry, but took time to see them. He called them to travel to come to see him. (Remember, no cars back then.) He had something important to tell them. He would not see them again. So, what did he tell them? He told them how to be good leaders, pointing out his own example. Strong words and sweet.

Let’s go through them together.

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