Theology Archives - The Paraclete's Hammer

Turning the Sons Away….

20 September 2021 by theparacleteshammer, posted in Anthropology, Principles, Principles Of Relationships

Gang, for those of you who know me, I am an insufferable advocate of women in ministry, especially in the pastorate. I have never shied away from supporting a woman doing WHATEVER she felt called to do.

I set that up as a qualifier to frame what I am about to say, lest someone falsely accuse me of a track record of supporting women in anything other than a sterling and wholly-consistent manner.

There is a passage in Deuteronomy that struck me this morning and I wanted to share it with you.

“…for they would turn your SONS away from following me, to serve other gods. Then the anger of the L-RD would be kindled against you, and He would destroy you quickly.
Deuteronomy 7:4 ESV

Gang, the sons, the men, are critical to to the survival of the nation’s serving the L-rd. This is not diminishing the dignity of the women in a nation’s design, but, given the statistics regarding families who serve the L-rd, and the reality that when men serve the King, a greater percentage of the full family also comes to the L-rd, (according to one LifeWay study, as much as 93% chance likely that the rest of the family comes to the L-rd if Dad does) is something to consider.

Meaning, sons’ moving toward or away from the King has a greater impact on families than all other factors.

And when we castigate the men in a culture (not saying chauvinism or sexism toward females ought be our practice) we do so to our own peril.

So, ladies who follow the L-rd, pray pray pray pray pray, and believing men and children, pray.

G-d has an anchoring purpose for the men in your life.

Encourage them as often as you might.

And be at peace.

It’s Not About The Church, Or Church ≠ G-d

9 September 2021 by theparacleteshammer, posted in Ecclesiology, Principles

Someone missed the transition from communicating about church to communicating about G-d

The above image was seen on my personal wall and so I am re-posting it here with my thoughts:

As a pastor, I would like to address a notoriously faulty paradigm here.

How does “don’t make church a high priority” translate into “no concept of G-d”?

If we communicate truth, and we move from one concept to a different concept, without language for a smooth transition that connects the two realities, then the flow will be choppy.

We live in a church age where where church members and preachers have equivocated “G-d” and “church”, and subsequently used the two interchangeably.

Or G-d and Christianity, and then utter retardations such as “Christianity is the only valid religion” or “Christianity is the only way to G-d”.

And as we all know, Jesus said:

“The Church is the Way, the Truth, and the Life”.

And we have made the church responsible for spiritual growth. And we have abdicated our responsibility, to, flowing from our personal relationships with the Trinity, raise our kids up in the nurture and the admonition of the Church.

Are you getting it yet? Too many of my cynical Generation X are done with the “Church is G-d” Bolshevik.

The issue is not church, but growing up without parents who impart through the spirit to them, not the reality of church, but the reality of G-d.

If I impart knowledge of an institution and then farm my kids out to someone else in order for them to be instructed in Scripture without doing that heavy lifting myself first, then I don’t know how much good the church will do or be.

I will also say this.

Most of my wounds spiritually came from believers in institutional churches who refused to make discernment a priority or listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit also a priority, while judging me by my exterior, repeatedly and brazenly, which in turn led to slander and false accusations.

I’ve been a believer for 37 years, and have been raising my kids without an institutional church’s backing for the last several years, and it’s not because I have a theology degree, but because I listen to and hear Him.

It is amazing to me that, in the first 3 steps of this sequence, G-d HIMSELF, the Word of G-d, Jesus is not mentioned. Just a damn institution which may or may not get my kids closer to the L-rd if it does not know how to equip and release according to design.

So, if the sequence is to truly be logical, I would replace “church” in each step with “G-d”.

Over and over, I have seen all kinds of memes and posts that refer to institutions and seem to imply the institution is the same thing as the Man, and that simply is not the case.

A church is only as healthy as the strength of the personal relationships its members have with the Holy Trinity apart from the power and authority structures they attempt to place on one another.

The Big Book of BYB3

2 November 2019 by theparacleteshammer, posted in Theology

Arthur had a situation in which he today discussed how we have been stapled into big books of accusations by the enemy and how he has used those accusations against us.

We were, of all things, designed, not to be stapled into the enemy’s book and kept from shining and reflecting the Lord’s light, but to shine and reflect his life.

We are his mirror and his light.

You are the light of the word, and Jesus is the light of the world in you. You are his mirror and his light. To shine him and reflect him.

And you are designed to be full of his polychromatic light, not the fifty million shades of achromatic grey,

Into books have you allowed the enemy or others to staple you?

Do people have a judgment against you,b cause they believe they have heard a voice they think is the Lord that says, this is your unalterable calling or design, when it may not be your design, gang?

Have you been stapled into a big book of judgments?

Move and hammer and ask Father to gather those evil documents and freeze-framing, and to have a book burning and remove those books off the shelves, and to demolish the shelves.

Be blessed.

WHAT?!?!?!? A/K/A The G-d Who Gives Us Real Choices…And a Bit O’ Daigle

5 December 2018 by theparacleteshammer, posted in Akouology, Current Events, Theology

and said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.”

Exodus 20:19 (ESV)

Question: What is worse than not being able to hear G-d?
Answer: Being able to hear G-d clearly and rejecting what He has to say.
You will read this a hundered different times in the average evanglical Sunday School classroom, and still it is possible to miss G-d’s heart for His people.
G-d clearly spoke, and the people of Israel clearly heard His voice. The problem here is that they did not want to hear His voice anymore.
The commands could have been too harsh-sounding to them, they could have imposed to much on the independent spirit of this Giver nation that liked to be in control, or they could have just thought, great, another master, and we have just gotten over our PTSD.
Whatever the issue, they basically told G-d to stop speaking to them.
And that is heartbreaking.
It is heartbreaking for the Father of Lights, to have created His people, and for His people to say, “we do not want this thing called relationship with You. Moses, the Exhorter, is much more user-friendly and approachable. He is easier to grumble against (Ex 15:24, 16:2, 17:3). We will speak with him.”
But the moment they stop wanting to hear the L-rd’s voice, out of a religious spirit, which is part of the Giver DNA, then trouble begins to happen, and it culminates for this same people in Numbers 13, where they reject the command of G-d to enter the Promised Land.
And my question for us today is, “have you rejected hearing His voice recently?”
In keeping with the spirit of Chanukah, have you rejected the deep voice of G-d? Have you chosen the shallow, partial, incomplete, and familiar voice of what you think is the fullness of His voice instead of hunting for the complete fullness is? You spirit knows when you have rejected that voice in some season or matter.
If so, I am being G-d’s prophet and exhorting you to repent, renounce your covenant with the Spirit of Deafness, and with Darkness, and come back into the light so you can do business with G-d. Not with religion, not with denomination. Your Father. He has things He wants to speak to you. Some of those things are fun. Some of those things are joyous. And some of those things are hard and sobering.
But He does want to speak to you, dearly beloved.
And now, I have some repenting to do…
The alternative is the Canaanite Iron Bowl, a structure that enforces your inability to hear G-d in not only the areas where you have rejected Him, but also in the areas where you want to hear Him.
Some of y’all have flat rejected His counsel concerning relationships. He has given some of y’all free will when it comes to a relationship and has told some of y’all, “You will be blessed if you move into this relationship, but I am not forcing you into this relationship. You are not required to have this relationship. But if you want it, I a completely fine with it.”
Some of y’all are so gung-ho about “obeying G-d” and wanting to know “the will of G-d”, that you cannot fathom the idea of G-d treating you like a son and giving you free will in a matter.
And you need to get used to the fact of not only being able to hear and accept the command of G-d, but also the times when G-d gives you a choice that he will bless, either way you go.
Some of you need to quit assuming that G-d’s a binary “yes and no” machine only, and need to get into, nay, dive into, and dig into, the G-d Who Gives Us Real Choices.
Discern when G-d has something clear to say for you to obey, versus when G-d has a choice for you to make and really is okay with the choice you make.

AND WHILE WE ARE AT IT…ESCAPING THE SNAKES DEN
And while I am at it, let me jump on the concept of Lauren Daigle briefly, and remind the church of something.
It was not a failure on her part, what she said about homosexuality being a sin.
Here is what it was, gang.
She was avoiding the trap of a snakes’ den.
Oh, I am sorry that offends some of y’all.
Unfortunately, some followers of Christ are so rabid for every public figure to denounce this or that sin, that our idolatry when it comes to holding one sin above all others for examination has kept us from the place of “being wise as a serpent”.
Daigle did just that.
Some of the church needs to get a freaking grip.
Some times, we need to recognize when the culture is setting us up for a trap, and ignore the trap.
Sometimes, we need to avoid some conversations, because there is bait involved.
The church in some places, has royally sucked at not taking the bait.
And it is our job to learn which unfruitful conversations to avoid.
Let me close with my paraphase of some of Paul’s final words to Timothy.
Avoid idiotic arguments that lead to more jackassery. Screen Shot 2018-12-05 at 5.55.53 AM
Gang, enough of our putting pearls out there before swine.
And good on Daigle for following Paul’s advice letter-perfect, and for increasing in Matthew 10:16 authority.
More of us would do well to emulate that principle.
Instead of wasting our time making rushing to worship at the altar of denouncing every sin.
Go right ahead if that (stoning believers without pondering their motives) is how you want to spend your time on earth.
But that will not build a lasting ministry in this Mercy season.

ἄφες τοὺς νεκροὺς θάψαι τοὺς ἑαυτῶν νεκρούς.

For those that cannot read the above text, here is some help.

νεκροὺς (necrous) means “dead” and θάψαι (thapsai) means “I bury”.

Sometimes we need to quit arranging funerals. We are living, gang. And some wish to go on acting like they are dead.

Our Unrighteousness Vs. Christ’s Righteousness

9 November 2018 by theparacleteshammer, posted in Anthropology, Honor, Principles of the Trinity, The Trinity, Theology

Red Maserati
Let me offend some of you right out of the gate.
G-d is not that impressed with your unrighteousness or your real failures, not nearly as impressed as some of y’all are with them.
Now that I have said that, let me frame what i mean.
See, many of us enjoy making much of how much of a sinner we were/are/will be when we come to Christ. And yes, I know, there are some pretty messed-up things that we each did in our live BC (Before Christ).
However, what we end up doing is making the egregious error of saying we ARE sinners saved by grace.
We take our own unrighteousness, real or perceived, and make that the determining factor and lynchpin of our walk with Christ. “But I am going to sin every day. Even when Ben Franklin kept a list and tried to stop sinning, he came around at the end of the day and saw it was impossible”.
Um, how do I put not to fine a point on my response.
How about, “hell, no”, for starters?
The rat race of staying sinless as an end in itself is an exercise in futility.
And there is no reason to add sin to sin by saying we are filthy, miserable, bastard, sinners who are barely saved by grace, and then engaging in an attitude of self-spiritual-rape as if we are not good enough, and then inviting the enemy to do the same on a near-constant basis.
Your sin and your unrighteousness Before Christ, real or perceived, is not the Lodestone, lynchpin, North Star, or the Determinant of the Matrix (see Linear Algebra and Cramer’s Rule for an explanation) of your relationship with Christ after coming to know Him. Rather, his righteousness is. And He sanctifies you and makes you righteous. Romans 8 is an astounding exposition of this concept.
I WAS a sinner. You WERE a sinner. You have been redeemed, and are a new creation.
You ARE ravished by His affections, He deeply adores you and chases you and treasures you and HAS, even in your pre-Christian state, given you gifts from conception. One of these is called your Redemptive Gift.
He has foreordained you to chase after your destiny, not beat the hell out of yourself and focus on your pre-Christian state.
Sure if you mess up, you repent. I told the Prophetic Movement they neede to fix that mindset of near constant screw-ups. That is why 1 John 1:9 is in the book.
But overall, we move from glory to glory, and from faith to faith, not from glory to inglory, or from faith to obsession with dead carcasses and old bodies that Christ has buried.
Sure we may return from time to time and say, “did I realy screw up that badly before He found me?’. But we do not make that the reference point for our compass.
Rather, we make it True North. Or in Scripture, True East.
You were….
Now tell me and expound what you are.
And let me expound this with an appendix from my book on Ephesians.
DO not pit your unrighteousness against Christ’s righteousness and live as if your unrighteousness matters more than or somehow overcomes Christ’s righteousness.
It does not, not even close….

A List of the Benefits that Believers have as a Result of the New Birth
******NOTE: Before you go into this list, PLEASE STOP ASKING what is not possible, and begin to ask G-d what IS possible. Stop saying what always happens in your life and start believing for what CAN happen in your life. You can get all the information you want and get this stuff as head knowledge, but until you accept what G-d has promised by faith, it will not come alive in your heart. No eye has seen what is possible, no ear had heard, and it has not entered into our minds what G-d has prepared for us who love Him (1 Cor. 2:9).*********
“He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” -Ephesians 1:3-
“Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is not variation or shifting shadow.” -James 1:17-
Benefits merely as a result of the New Birth. Ladies and gentlemen, this is your identity as a result of being born again:

We have access to every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ (Eph 1:3)

We are chosen in Jesus. (Eph 1:4)

We are able to be holy and blameless in Jesus (Eph 1:4)

In tender love, we are predestined to sonship, which is adoption as mature sons that reflect the character and qualities of the Father that adopted us (huios) (Eph. 1:4-5)

“Predestined” is broken apart into “destined” and the prefix “pre-” which means, ahead of time. He has a destiny for us that is given to us ahead of time. (Josh. 1:8). That destiny is to succeed and not fail, to increase from glory to glory (2 Cor. 3:18), and to increase from faith to faith (Rom 1:17).

The question is, will we accept that path and destiny, or will we reject it, choosing instead a mediocre life that does nothing, says nothing, and is nothing. He did not call us so that we would constantly struggle with addictive sin, and constant nagging failures and regrets. He called us to a place of transformation (2 Cor. 5:17).

We were predestined according to the kindness of the Father’s will (Eph. 1:5).

The Father bestowed His grace freely upon us (Eph. 1:6).

The Father bestowed this grace on us in the Beloved (Eph. 1:6).

If there is any confusion as to the identity of the Beloved, it is the Beloved Son, in whom the Father is well-pleased (Matthew 3:17, 17:5, Mark 1:11, 9:7, Luke 3:22), Jesus.

In Jesus we have redemption through His blood (Eph. 1:7).

Forgiveness of sins (Eph. 1:7, Isaiah 53:5).

Healing of sicknesses and deliverance from demonic oppression (Matthew 8:16-17).

Healing of sorrows (Isaiah 53:4).

We have forgiveness of sins (Eph 1:7).

We have access to the riches of His grace. This grace has been lavished on us (Eph. 1:7-8, 1 Jno. 3:1).

Is there anything the L-rd’s grace cannot provide?

We have access to all wisdom and insight (James 1:5, Eph 1:8).

By His wisdom and insight, we have access to know the mystery of His will (Eph. 1:9).

As His sons, we have no need to ask, “what is the will of G-d for my life”? He will give us the answer. We will never be left in the dark as to His will (John 10:27).

We have access to this will, specifically as a result of the Father’s Kindness.

His will for us as individuals is given with a view to the end of days. He wants to fit His plan for our lives into the larger plan of the ages. We play a part in that plan. But we have to agree and get our will in alignment with His will. Eph 1:10)

We have an inheritance that is multifaceted, comprising many different things (Eph 1:11).

We have a destiny that was written for us ahead of time (Eph. 1:11).

We have been sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13).

The seal of the Holy Spirit is the pledge of our inheritance. He is the Father’s down-payment to us, the first installment, and the entry-point into that inheritance. Hence, we are responsible to get to know Him really, really well. (Eph.1:14)\

We have the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation who give us the knowledge of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Our knowing G-d does not come merely or only from reading about Him in a book, and acquiring a bunch of information, rules, and regulations. It comes from encountering Him as we read, as we pray, as we worship, as we meditate on Him and the Scriptures. We can know Him. He reveals Himself to us and gives us flowing Wisdom (Eph. 1:17).

Our eyes have been enlightened (Eph. 1:18).

He has a rich and glory-filled inheritance in us (Eph 1:18).

Are we using the riches and the glory He has put in us?

The greatness of His power is pointed toward us who believe (Eph. 1:19).

We have working in us the strength of His might (Eph. 1:19).

We have this same strength working toward us and on our behalf (Eph. 1:19).

All demonic authorities and rulers and principalities and dominions are under His feet. We are His body and He is our head, therefore these things are placed under our feet (Eph. 1:21-23)

We have been given Christ, by the Father, as our head (Eph 1:22).

If Christ is our head…what are the implications?

Christ fills us with His fullness, therefore nothing in us need be lacking, missing, or incomplete in Him. You are not incomplete until He makes you one with your husband-to-be or wife-to-be. You are complete and fulfilled in Christ, when He comes to live in you. The sad truth is most believers refuse to apprehend that truth, much less appropriate that truth (Eph. 1:23).

You are no longer dead in sins (Eph. 2:1).

You are no longer walking according to the course of this world (Eph. 2:2).

You are no longer children of wrath (Eph 2:2).

You are no longer living in the lusts of the flesh (Eph. 2:3).

You are the recipient of infinite and tenderest affections, and the fullness of His heart. You have unhindered access to the fullness of the depths of the heart of the infinite creator of the universe. This relationship with the Lord can grow like nothing else. Think of the most lush, verdant garden in the midst of spring. This is much greater than that (Eph 2:4, Song of Solomon 4:16, Psalm 23:2-3).

We have been saved by grace, which is more than just freed from eternal separation from God. We are the recipients of a birthright, a calling, a destiny (Romans 8:29), deliverance (See Exodus), healing from all issues emotional and physical, and a whole compliment of commanded blessings (Psalm 133).

We are raised up in Jesus, (Resurrected) and full of the power of His resurrection (Eph. 2:6, Romans 8:11)

We are seated with Jesus (See #23, Eph. 2:6).

Given that the L-rd is G-d Most High, and given that Melchizedek was priest of G-d Most High, if we are seated with Christ, and if we are a royal priesthood, then we are seated in the highest places and we are therefore as a result of that, made priests after the order of Melchizedek. We are thus priests after that shadow and type. We are priests of G-d Most High (Genesis

In the ages to come, the Father will show the surpassing riches of His grace and kindness to us. What does that mean now? A portion of those riches, the down payment of His inheritance in us, is available to us now, as this list details. How much of His kingdom is available? Let us see (Eph. 2:7, 1 Cor. 2:9).

We have not been saved by law, though the law is a good thing and not to be despised. We are saved by grace (Eph. 2:8, 1 Jno. 3:1).

We have been given such a large gift of grace from G-d (Eph. 2:9).

We are His workmanship (Eph. 2:10).

We are not separated from Christ (Eph. 2:11).

We are included (part of) in the commonwealth of Israel (Eph. 2:12).

We are no longer strangers to the covenant with Abraham (Eph. 2:12).

We have hope (Eph. 2:12).

We are with G-d (Eph 2:12).

We have been brought as near to G-d as we want to be, so long as we want to draw near, and to the extent to which we want to draw near (Eph. 2:13, Jas. 4:8).

We need not fear drawing near to G-d, as if we need to fear Him punishing or spanking us at random or on a whim. G-d is not in a bad mood, nor does He experience mood swings. He is not an absentee drunk, or abuser.

We are not given some ethereal, intangible peace. The Father Himself is our peace, and the Son Himself is our peace. The man, Christ Jesus is our peace. The Prince of Peace is Himself our peace (Eph. 2:14).

We who are non-Jews are made one with those who are Jews (Eph. 2:14-15). He has made peace between Jews and non-Jews.

We have been placed in one body with the Jews because of the cross, and thus have access to the covenants given to the children of Abraham (Eph 2:16, Gal 3:29, Romans 4:16).

We are reconciled with Israel in one body to the Father (Eph 2:16).

We have access by the power of the Holy Spirit to the Father (Eph. 2:18).

We are not strangers, aliens, bastards, or second-class stepchildren who are tolerated a corner in heaven (Eph 2:19).

We are CITIZENS (Eph. 2:19).

We are part of G-d’s household (Eph. 2:19).

We are built on the right foundation in this household (Eph. 2:20).

We are being fit together (Eph. 2:21).

We are fitted with the capacity for growing (Eph 2:21).

We are part of a holy temple, and the temple of the Holy Spirit (Eph. 2:21, 1 Cor. 3:16, 1 Cor. 6:19).

We are being built into a dwelling for G-d’s Spirit. Combined with #54, this makes us “already” and “not yet” a temple for the Spirit. Scripture is full of many of these “already/not-yet” paradoxes.

If we yield our lives to Jesus, deny ourselves, we have access to become prisoners of Christ Jesus, for whatever people groups He has called us to minister to. (Eph. 3:1).

Your “cross to bear” is not a sickness or a mental disorder, or some imperfection, or some handicap. There is only one “cross to bear” according to Scripture. The only “cross to bear” is the cross of self-denial, period. If you take up that cross, and only that cross, you will find the life He has always wanted you to have.

The statement “whatever does not kill you only makes you stronger” is not biblical. Whatever does not kill you is not from G-d, because G-d wants to kill you. Deny yourself. A sickness is not you denying yourself. A malady is not denying yourself. A handicap does not make you humble. You can be a quadriplegic and still have pride up to your eyeballs. You can live below the poverty line and still be entrenched in greed as high as the sky. What does the trick in carrying your cross is denying your rights whatever those might be. Your right to fornicate, be offended, walk in pride, walk in lust, etc.

We can receive revelation in order to know the mysteries of G-d (Eph. 3:3).

We can understand insight into the mystery of Christ (Eph. 3:4).

We can walk in the same revelation that the apostles and prophets walked in (Eph. 3:5)

We are fellow heirs of the promises given to Israel in Christ Jesus through the gospel (Eph. 3:6).

We have access to the unfathomable riches of Christ (Eph. 3:8).

We have access to the manifold wisdom of G-d (Eph. 3:10).

We have access to G-d’s boldness and confident access to the Father (Eph. 3:12).

We can be strengthened with power through G-d’s Spirit (Eph. 3:16).

Christ can dwell in our hearts through faith (Eph. 3:17).

We can be rooted and grounded in love (Eph. 3:17).

We have the capacity to comprehensively know the breadth, length, height, and depth of G-d’s love which surpasses knowledge. We can know what surpassess knowledge (Eph. 3:19).

We can be filled with all the fullness of G-d (Eph. 3:20).

We have access to more than we ask or think according to the power at work in us (Eph. 3:20).

We can walk in a manner worthy of our calling (Eph. 4:1).

We can walk with humility (Eph. 4:2).

We can walk with gentleness (Eph. 4:2).

We can walk with patience (Eph. 4:2).

We can preserve the unity of the Spirit (Eph. 4:3).

We are each given grace (Eph. 4:7).

We have each been given gifts (Eph 4.8).

“Get into the car and drive off into all G-d has for you.”
-David Falls-

From the Desk of Carlene Prince: Maturity In the Kingdom

9 November 2018 by theparacleteshammer, posted in Basilology, Slavery to Sonship, The Deeps, Theology, Uncategorized

Carlene didn’t entitle this one, but I imagine something like the above might be somewhat apropos.
She writes:

Just read this: “God taught me that I needed to come to Him as a child. Then I needed to grow up.”
I began to ponder this and loved the conclusion I came to. These two stages are exactly how God loves to intersect with our lives.
Coming to Him as simply as a child allows you to come to Him as you are – (PRESENT).

Growing up in Him deals with where you’re going (FUTURE).
Don’t you see? God doesn’t deal with you based on your PAST. All that needed to be said about that aspect of your life – was said at a place called Calvary. All you need to know about your past is it’s covered by the blood.
From here on out all God is concentrating on and committed to intensely is: 1) where you’re at, and 2) where you’re going.
Glory to God in the Highest.
~11/8/13 Author: Carlene “CeCe” Prince

Wow….just, wow. On-point at so many levels. This might be one dynamic that is the issue in many places in the church. The use of immaturity or child’s mentality and simplicity as an reason to shy away from deeper responsiblities of the kingdom.
First we come to him, and then we mature, whatever that looks like.
His deep calls us deeper (Ephesians 3:18).
Dive, dive…

The Destiny That Would Have Established and Redeemed the Tribe of Benyamani.

9 November 2018 by theparacleteshammer, posted in Anthropology, Christology, Redemptive Gifts, Servant, Theology

Saul’s obedience would have established Benjamin forever.
Just think about that…..
Back up in the text of 1 Samuel, and read chapter 13.

Saul would have had an eternal kingdom.
Just think about that the next time you think so little of yourself.
From chapter 15:

Saul thought little of himself. Insecurity as a marker for the Servant.
Gang, this post is short and sweet. And to-the-point.
Think deeply about this tonight.
In the same way, think about it the next time you are tempted to think your own unrighteousness or smallness is of greater consequence than Christ’s righteousness and greatness in you.
And consider what would have happened if…
More on that tomorrow…

Receiving the Gifts We Don’t Want, Regular Signs, And the Coincedences That Sometimes Happen

31 October 2018 by theparacleteshammer, posted in Akouology, Exhorter, Redemptive Gifts, Theology

I really hate to burst some bubbles in the minds of some of my friends, but this is one of those posts. And DISCLAIMER: these thoughts are more my own, and may not reflect the views of my friends. In fact, there is something offensive in here for everyone, so without further adieu: If I have Not Offended You.jpg
THE PROBLEM
An inability to hear G-d’s voice can be one of the most devastating things we can experience.
And yet, in John 10:27, there is no pause and no symbolism in the L-rd’s words, nor does He appear embarrassed by the idea that we should be able to clearly hear His voice.
He said:

My sheep [actually and literally do] hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. -John 10:27-

Somehow along the way we got lost in the idea, and allowed the damnable idea to take root and grow into our theologies that G-d only somehow speaks unclearly sometimes.
Some believers have been known to take John 10:27 and we adjust what it means. They take it as a narrow band of literal speech, or they metaphorize it into something ethereal and symbolic, when it is supposed to be straightforward and clear.

THE ASIDE ON COINCEDENCES AND HEARING G-D’S VOICE
Personal viewpoint here: Sometimes, believers also CAN get lost in the nonsense that “there are no coincidences”.
Let me say that one more clearly so my audience can get my meaning.
Coincedences do exist.
“Uh, oh. David just run off the rails. There is no Hebrew word for ‘coincidence’.”
My response: just because the word does not exist in a particular language does not mean that concept does not or cannot exist.
And, from my vantage point, they do happen, even for the Spirit-Led believer, and we need to have the capacity to distinguish when they are happening versus when they are not happening.
Sometimes things do just happen. And how does this concept tie into this post? Here you go.
We need to have the sharpness of discernment to know the difference between when something is a coincedence and when something is not a coincedence. When you see that number 22 (or pick your favorite number), please don’t get so glassy-eyed that you think every occurrence of your favorite number or other phenomena is the L-rd speaking. One is a data point; two or more is a pattern. Look for the patterns. If there is a pattern, mark it, but don’t assume it is the L-rd speaking, unless you know it is the L-rd speaking. If you think He might be speaking, ask Him, and if He replies that He is, then search out what he is communicating.
There are indeed times when the L-rd is intending to speak to you in phenomena.
There are times when He just wants to hand you a phenomena just to say He is present and with you.
And there are actually just times when said phenomena is just happening.
Just as there is not a demon behind every bush, though there are demons behind some bushes, also understand that there is not an angel behind every cloud, though there are some behind some. Our responsibility is to know the difference between the supernatural occurrences, and the natural occurrences.
Please understand, I am not trying to make fun of those who have experienced deep and mighty things in the context of meteorlogical phenomena. If it comes across that way, I apologize. My concern truly is that we don’t make everything mean something just because it is there. This is no El Capitan, we don’t climb it just because it is there (well, okay, some might). We talk to Dad, and ask Him, “hey Dad, is this you?”

Sometimes the leaves just turn red in the fall because G-d wants to paint them because they look pretty.

WHEN BLOODY MOONS CATCH OUR EYES
Let me point you out a more solid example of this where I take exceptional issue: the “blood” moons. Look with me at verse 14 of Genesis 1.

“And G-d said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.” And it was so.”

Genesis 1:14–15 ESV

The SMS (my shorthand for Sun, Moon, and Stars) were set as regular phenomena in the expanse of the heavens on the fourth day to occur and go through phases and eclipses at regular, predetermined, intervals. Like the hands of a clock, where we can tell precisely when 3:33 PM is going to occur across the various timezones, we also can predict the position of the sun and the moon in a given moment, and where Orion’s belt is going to be in the sky relative to what time of year it is. Every. Single. Day.
Now, am I attempting to bash those who look up at the clock every day and see the same time pattern every day? Absolutely not. I have had those patterns myself, such as when my firstborn son was born at 22:22 on September 5. I get it. And there are those seasons where it does legit happen. And we ought to recognize it as such. But sometimes we engage in the task of overreading, and we need to have the capacity to discern if and when that is happening.
Back on the subject of the blood moons
We know when the eclipses are going to happen 8500 years from now. Every partial eclipse, every total eclipse, every pattern. And those patterns are not out-of-the-ordinary.
When Dad speaks, and it comes to the Joel 2 and Acts 2 types of things, He will speak using the out-of-the-ordinary phenomena.
So, no, Yeshua is not coming during blood moons on the Feast of Trumpets in accordance with your interpretation of 1 Thessalonians 4:16 and Matthew 24. And no, the moons over the US and the various towns named Salem are not going to be the signs of His appearing. And no, the appearance over the US or an appearance over Israel means diddly-squat. And, no, you may not make money off of the fact from me. The L-rd will come when He is darn well ready, and I think before that, we are going to have to learn to understand, know, and be wise to a few principles. Go home and actually just spend time with Him. And don’t try to predict his coming based on regularly occuring phenomenon.
And look at the phrase “the moon will turn to blood”. That has NOTHING to do with a regularly occuring, predictable astrological event. When the moon turns to blood it will be unlike anything we have ever encountered, and we will know it.
And “the sun will become dark” does not mean solar eclipse. It means something we have NEVER seen before.
And, no, Mark Biltz didn’t get it. I am sorry. And the Shemitah and the Harbinger aren’t what we should be looking for.
Our eyes should be FIXED on Him, not regular events, Him. Not current events. Him. Not attacks upon this nation or that nation. Him. Not this or that false christ ot denounce. Him. Not people saying “I am the Christ” or “Jesus is the Christ”. Him.
Anything besides Him is a paltry substitute.

WHAT THIS HAS TO DO WITH RECEIVING GIFTS WE DO NOT WANT
If we are not clearly hearing His voice, then we will find cheap substitutes for that voice. He has not left us without clarity or a solid voice to discern. So why the lack of hearing G-d’s voice? What is the vacuum that is sucking us dry in the area of His voice.
We call this the Canaanite Iron Bowl. Iron was connected with the Canaanites, and as the fourth of the seven enemies in the book of Judges, we see the Canaanite Curse (and perhaps Canaanite structures) hit Exhorters most keenly. And this bowl is something like a structure that fits over the head and keeps the one under it from hearing clearly what the L-rd is trying to say.
I wonder if there are six other structures. Maybe an opportunity for another teaching.

EXHORTERS AND HEARING G-D
Exhorters are the Redemptive Gift that, above all the other gifts, is designed to hear new revelation about the nature of G-d that is missing from the current revelation, and that is transformational to our understanding of the nature of G-d. Exhorters TRAFFIC in revelation and can effortlessy pull new revelation faster, bigger, more quickly, than the others (Seven Principles). As a result, they are in need of hearing G-d’s actual, certifiable voice more keenly than the other gifts. That is one of their jobs and that is why they sparkle so radically as witnesses to the nations and influences of great crowds. That is why they are the go-to for G-d’s chosen instruments as world-changers.
Take Moses the Exhorter for example:

“And he said, ‘Hear my words: If there is a prophet among you, I the L-RD make myself known to him in a vision; I speak with him in a dream. Not so with my servant Moses. He is faithful in all my house. With him I speak mouth to mouth, clearly, and not in riddles, and he beholds the form of the L-RD. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?”

Numbers 12:6–8 ESV

And oftentimes this structure that blocks us from hearing the voice of G-d, comes upon us for a number of reasons. But the one that I want to highlight more than any other is this one.

WHEN WE REJECT PART OF WHAT G-D WANTS TO GIVE US
The Canaanite Iron Bowl has license to come upon us when we or an ancestor rejects the voice of G-d.
I would like to give Arthur Burk full credit for discovering this concept, by the way. His series “Hearing G-d” is critical to understanding how this structure works. You can grab the teaching here (for the CD’s) or here (for the MP3’s).
The Canaanite Iron Bowl can come upon us when we take the revelation that G-d wants to give us and we only accept part of that revelation. So, if G-d gives 100 units of revelation, and I decide to keep the 90 units with which I am comfortable and toss aside or junk the 10 units with which I am not comfortable, then what that does is it gives the enemy a blank check to later nab the revelation I do have and put me into a deficit of owing him the revelation that I do have.

To him who does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.

And earlier in John 10:

the enemy does not come except to steal…

If you reject what G-d wants to give, you will wonder why you have less than what you did accept.
Here is the kicker, gang, and the attitude we need to assert with the L-rd. In order to get the revelation I want, I need to be willing to accept with it the revelation I do not want.
In order to keep and maintain the gifts I want from the L-rd, I need to be willing to handle and steward the gifts I do not want that G-d wants to give me.
This means, I have to be sharp as a boxcutter when it comes to knowing the difference between a coincedence and revelation. And yes, stuff does just sometimes happen.
The Canaanite Iron Bowl can come because we or someone in our family line was content to receive this revelation here, but that revelation (especially if it had to deal with suffering or correction) over there was to uncomfortable to integrate into our lives.
If we want the sharpness to clearly hear His voice, we have to be willing to drink whatever cup He assigns us.
Do we accept the bits we like and reject the ones we dislike, or do we take everything He has for us?
When we fail to hear his voice, we sometimes like to sub in those things that are cheap imitations.

“You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let G-d speak to us, lest we die.”

That right there, was their mistake. “We do not want G-d to speak to us, lest we die.”
If you do not want to hear His voice, then He will actually stop speaking. He will honor your request. And rejecting His voice when He sends you servants to speak to you, is
If you believe a lie, then you will have the lie you want. If you believe no man can behold the glory of G-d, then that is the lie you will have. If you believe that your lot is only dark sayings, and not “face-to-face, as a man speaks with his friend”, then that is what you shall have. If you believe that only the prophets of the Tanakh were able to speak with precision and accuracy, and not you, then that is what you shall have. If you believe that Elijah was more holy or more special than you, and it is not your birthright to hear as he heard and walk as he walked, then that is what you shall have, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS CLEARLY WRITTEN

Elijah was a man with a nature like ours,

Hey, gang. These men and women were identical to us; they were humans.
Let me flip-flop that statement. We have a nature like theirs, and we are identical to them.

For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory. Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it. For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory.Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

2 Corinthians 3:9–18 ESV

We have a better covenant, and a better set of promises, and our capacity to hear G-d and do mighty exploits is somehow less and with less clarity? Seriously? Is that what Yeshua died for? So we could merely go to church once a week and tithe?!
And we have a “maybe that was G-d I heard, maybe not.”
And we settle for clouds and witching rods, and tea leaves and a choked and semi-alive communication line which that bastard snake can choke out anytime he feels like it is getting too strong?
Gang, there is more. I challenge each of you. There is more. He has more for you to hear. Reject the mentality that you have to hear less because you deserve less.
Reject the lie that says “I occasionally hear him from time to time, maybe. Stupid Samaritan dog am I.” As if your L-rd is saying “it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”
This is not about begging off the crumbs that fall from Lance Wallmau’s or Jeremiah Johnson’s or Lou Engle’s or Arthur Burk’s tables. This is about you baking your own bread and butchering your own steaks.
And so what if the word Father gives you does not mirror their words?
It wouldn’t be the first time that one prophet disagreed with the mass of the rest.
And L-rd knows, we have had enough psychic doors opened in the prophetic that we need to start repenting of ours, closing them, and pointing out when a word is off. Even if the speaker is Lou Engle, or Jeremiah Johnson, or Arthur Burk, or me, or anyone else.
Grab that teaching and remove the bowl and reject the non-reality that hearing G-d has to be a chore or something labor-intensive; t does not have to be.
And for your chewing, here is the NRSV on Genesis 1:6-8. That word for “expanse” or “firmament” can mean “dome”.

“And God said, “Let there be a dome in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.”So God made the dome and separated the waters that were under the dome from the waters that were above the dome. And it was so.God called the dome Sky. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.”

Genesis 1:6–8 NRSV

So, question. Do we want the dome of the expanse of G-d’s clarity and revelation and truth, or do we want the suffocation of the Canaanite Iron Bowl?