Tag Archives: Christ

Sinner’s Prayer

Posted on by under Bible, Christian, Christianity, Disciple, Discipleship, Excellence, Faithful, LifeGiving, Mandate, Mature, Maturing, Message, Mission, Movement, Revolution, Righteousness, School Of The Spirit, Teamwork, Training, Transformation

I am not sure when the sinner’s prayer became the focus of a person receiving God’s free gift of eternal life that exists only in the Person of His Son the Lord Jesus Christ, but I think I may know where the “If you believe with all your heart” derived from.

That statement is found in an encounter between Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch as the eunuch traveled from Jerusalem where he had come to worship. We find the story in Acts 8:25-40.

Philip had just seen the city of Samaria transformed by his ministry and instead of being allowed to rest on the success of his ministry and enjoy the harvest of souls there he was directed by the Holy Spirit to go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza. As he traveled on that road he saw the eunuch and the Spirit said to him, “Go up and join this chariot,” so Philip ran until he caught up with the chariot where he heard the eunuch reading in the Book of Isaiah what we know to be chapter fifty-three, verses seven and eight. The original texts of the Bible do not have chapters, verses, or even punctuation marks.

Philip asked the eunuch if he understood what he was reading.

You do not have to ask complicated questions to lead someone to Jesus. Sometimes a simple question opens the door to leading someone to and through the One who said He was the door. The eunuch replied, “Well, how could I, unless someone guides me?” He then invited Philip up into the chariot to sit with him where he asked Philip who was Isaiah referring to, himself or someone else. This whole story is filled with extraordinary insights.

Philip began to expound on the text the eunuch was reading and obviously perplexed by, and beginning from that text Philip preached Jesus to him.

It was at this point the enuch saw water and askd Philip if anything prevented him from being baptized, which leads me to believe Philip included in his “sermon” the necessity of baptism in the salvation experience of the eunuch. This is where Philip makes the famous statement, “If you believe with all your heart, you may [be baptized].

It is interesting the text does not say the eunuch prayed asking Jesus to come into his heart. It says he declared, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” In essence he declared he believed God raised Jesus from the dead and confessed to Philip Jesus was Lord, meaning he was surrendering his life to Jesus’ lordship.

The chariot was ordered to stop and Philip baptized the eunuch right then.

Here are two questions I would like you to consider as it pertains to the “If you believe with all of your heart” statement.

1. Is your whole heart in this or are you holding out a part of your heart?

2. Are there portions of your heart you are keeping for yourself, or someone else?

If you are hanging on to something or someone that is more important to you than Jesus then that which you hang onto will hang you.

Ask Judas!

Judas believed in Jesus! Judas followed Jesus! Judas even walked in miraculous ministry with Jesus! But what he refused to surrender to Jesus eventually hung him.

Friend, did you say the sinner’s prayer meaning it with all your heart or did you mouth the words while hiding something or someone in your heart?

If you did then it is time you surrendered all of your heart to the Lordship of Jesus. If you don’t then Jesus is not the Lord of all of you, and if He is not Lord of all He is not Lord at all, to you!

Receive and steward God’s passion, power, presence, priority, process, promises, protection, provision, pruning, purging, purity and purpose!

Dr. Kevin M. Drury, DMin
A spiritual revolutionary

 

 

The Blood or the Boondoggle

Posted on by under Bible, Christian, Disciple, Discipleship, Excellence, faith, LifeGiving, maturity, Righteousness, School Of The Spirit, teaching, Training

There is a move afoot within certain segments of Christianity that gives intellectual, emotional and material support to something that is very grievous to God. This move is a counterfeit move to genuine moves of God.

That move is the reconstitution of the Law, Levitical priesthood and the animal sacrifices associated with it.

Christians who offer support for this move on any level are in danger of trampling underfoot the blood of Jesus. Christians need to take a serious look at their loyalty to the One who shed His blood to redeem them from sin, and a senseless religious culture that has no life in it.

Hebrews 10

“1 For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near. 2 Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have had consciousness of sins. 3 But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year by year. 4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. 5 Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says, “Sacrifice and offering You have not desired, But a body You have prepared for Me; 6 In whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin you have taken no pleasure. 7 “Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come (In the scroll of the book it is written of Me) To do Your will, O God.’ ” 8 After saying above, “Sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin you have not desired, nor have you taken pleasure in them” (which are offered according to the Law), 9 then He said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will.” He takes away the first in order to establish the second. 10 By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”

This text is just one of many in the New Testament that prove that the only blood that has ever counted in the court room of God’s Department of Justice is the blood of Jesus. Notice what Jesus is quoted as saying.

  • “Sacrifice and offering [of animals] You [Father] have not desired”
  • “A [human] body You [Father] have prepared for Me”
  • “You [Father] have taken no pleasure in whole burnt offerings and [animal] sacrifices for sin”
  • “You [Father] have not desired or taken pleasure in the Law’s requirement to sacrifice animals”
  • “[Father] I have come to do Your will”

The writer of Hebrews makes these stark statements:

  • “The Law was only a shadow”
  • “The Law was not the good things to come [future of when the Law was given]”
  • “The Law is not the form [image, likeness] of things [to come]”
  • “The Law can never make something or someone perfect”
    • Which infers what, or who was to come would make things perfect
  • “The Law kept the worshiper conscious of sin”
  • “The Law reminds the worshiper they are a sinner”
  • “It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins”
  • “Therefore when He comes into the world”
    • Inferring a Perfect One was coming into the world
  • “He [the Perfect One coming into the world] would take away the first [lifeless Law] in order to establish [set in permanently] the second”
    • The second is the sacrifice of Jesus’s body [blood] once for all

Jesus is called the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world. When He came into the world it was to bring into time that which was instituted in eternity past. The “once for all” statement is referring to the eternal aspect of His bodily sacrifice that manifested in time nearly 2,000 years ago. This truth tells us that the Law, the Levitical priesthood and all the animal sacrifices point people to an eternal past, present and future reality.

The Law, Levitical priesthood and all the animal sacrifices were a sign to a past decision that was going to manifest in a future time in the fulness of time. When the fulness of time came, as per God’s timing, Jesus entered the world as a human being to lay down His life as the life giving Lamb of God.

To reinstitute the Law, Levitical priesthood and the animal sacrifices associated with them is an affront to God the Father, the Cross and blood of Jesus, and the Holy Spirit by which Christ was sanctified to God. You cannot hold onto the resurrected Christ and hold onto a dead religious system. You must choose Christ or Judaism!

Hebrews 9

“11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; 12 and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”

The writer of Hebrews states in this text:

  • Jesus appears as a high priest
    • In other texts this is explained in more detail
  • Jesus entered through a greater and more perfect tabernacle
    • This tabernacle was not made with human hands
      • This speaks both of the heavenly tabernacle that was the model for the tabernacle of Moses and the temple David wanted to build
      • It also speaks of the human body [temple] that God used to tabernacle with man through Jesus
        • Man did not build either of those tabernacles
    • This tabernacle is not of this [natural] creation
  • The blood of animals and the ashes of heifers are inferior to the blood of Christ
  • Those can never cleanse the conscience from dead works
  • Jesus shed His own blood to sanctify believers
  • Jesus offered Himself without blemish through the eternal Spirit
    • This qualified Him to be the Lamb slain to pay for all sin
    • Jesus’ offering is the only offering to clean a conscience from dead [worthless and lifeless] works
    • Jesus’ offering is the only offering where we can serve the living God

Why on earth are Christians supporting this failed religious system? They are either deceived or they have deserted Christ. Neither of those options are good.

With all the compassion I have I warn you to stay away from anyone who is providing support for the heresy of Jewish religious worship. There is no life in it and it will disqualify you from the life that is in Christ Jesus.

The Book of Hebrews was written to exalt Christ and dethrone Jewish worship. I encourage you to take the time to read this great Book. Read it slowly and pay attention to the warnings along with the exaltation of Jesus Christ.

Look at the early warning statements given by the writer of Hebrews.

  • 2:1 – “we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard”
  • 2:1 – “so that we do not drift away from it”
  • 2:3 – “how will we escape”
  • 2:3 – “if we neglect so great a salvation”
  • 3:6 – “whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end”
  • 3:8 – “Do not harden your hearts”
  • 3:12 – “Take care, brethren”
  • 3:12 – “that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God”

The writer of Hebrews continues throughout his epistle giving warning to his readers to remain loyal to Christ and run from those who were trying to draw them back under the boondoggle of Judaism.

And now those of you who read this blog are warned. Is it Christ or compromise?

Keep HIS Faith! Keep HIS Passion! Keep HIS Purpose!

Dr. Kevin M. Drury, DMin

A Hisstorymaker

 

 

 

 

Jesus Versus the Jerusalem Jews!

Posted on by under Bible, Christian, Excellence, LifeGiving, Righteousness, School Of The Spirit, Training

Luke writes that Jesus, while in Jerusalem, said this before He ascended into the dimension called heaven.

Luke 24

“46 Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.”

How could “all the nations”, not just the Jewish nation, hear the message of repentance if the people empowered to preach it refused to leave home and preach it? And why did they disobey Jesus who would die to secure the forgiveness every nation was supposed to receive?

The Jewish men who heard Jesus say these words didn’t leave Jerusalem until they were forced out by persecution perpetrated by the Pharisees’ angry hit man, Saul of Tarsus. They planted themselves in Palestine instead of going throughout the planet!

Acts 8:1

“And on that day a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.”

It was only after the gospel was being preached by members of the Church did the leaders [apostles] of the church begin venturing out of “their house”. Leaders are supposed to lead but these leaders became followers. They only provided “leadership” after the Holy Spirit circumvented their leadership and worked His work outside Jerusalem through those appointed by the “leaders” to serve tables and those fleeing for their lives. Those fleeing for their lives shared the faith that would save other’s lives.

It was almost a decade after Jesus told His apostles to leave Jerusalem and go into Judea, Samaria and then to the ends of the earth [into all the nations] before they obeyed His command.

I believe the answer to their disobedience lies in the lie they believed about the restoration of the kingdom to natural Israel. “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” [Acts 1:6]

It is interesting to me a decade passed and a decade is 10 years. The Law is made up of 10 Commandments. The Law reveals sin and brings death in disobedience to it. So, Jesus sent death into the house [Jerusalem] and His house [Church] because the apostles disobeyed His “command” to go into ALL the world and preach forgiveness of sin.

This is an Adamic [carnal, fleshly] mistake!

The first man Adam, the original apostle of Christ, failed to take Paradise to the planet and in doing so sucked the serpent into the Garden. The serpent sucked the Life out of God’s leaders when they were seduced by his schemes!

The 1st century Jewish apostles were more concerned with when God was going to restore His kingdom to natural Israel than in discipling to Christ the nations of the world Christ told them to invade. That command and commission is to fulfill the promise to Abraham in the gospel of Christ, “I will bless those who bless you [Abram], and I will curse those who curse you [Abram], and in you [Abram] all the nations of the earth will be blessed” [Genesis 12:3]

Galatians 3

“8 The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “All the nations will be blessed in you.” 9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer.”

The blessing of Abraham is salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. Or as Jesus said, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe the gospel.” [Mark 1:15]

Today, what God said to Abram has been hijacked by those who still believe God is going to restore natural Israel to a place of prominence! They say God said, “I will bless those who bless Israel and I will curse those who curse Israel.” Whether out of ignorance, naiveté or deception this belief is damaging to those it infects.

The blessing and cursing have everything to do with the acceptance or rejection of Jesus, who is the Son of God and Son of Man! It involves natural Israel or the natural descendants of Abraham, the Jews, but it is not just about them. “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” [John 3:36]. That applies to every person regardless of ethnicity, gender or socio-economic status.

And once the “He who believes” believes, he, along with everyone else who believes is one with Christ Jesus, and are Abraham’s descendants, his heirs according to the promise made to him in Genesis 12:3.

Galatians 3

“28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise..”

John, the Jewish disciple Jesus loved, said this:

John 3

“16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 21 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”

  • God so loved [loves] the world, not just Israel
  • God sent His Son into the world, not just Israel
  • God wants to save the world, not just Israel
  • God sent the light into the world, not just Israel
  • God does not want the world condemned, not just Israel

In fact, the entire New Testament revelation reveals that truth!

Palestine is not the prize. The planet is!

Romans 4:13

“For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith.”

That is why the meek will inherit the earth!

God had to convert a Jewish religious terrorist [Saul/Paul] before the Jerusalem Church got serious about the Great Commission! It got so bad that God moved the center of world evangelism from Jerusalem to Antioch of Phrygia in the region of Galatia!

The church in Antioch was not formed by the forging apostolic force from Jerusalem. No, it was formed by believers who came from various places due to the persecution related to Stephen’s martyrdom, and preached to the Jews in Antioch. After that men from Cyprus and Cyrene came and preached the gospel to the Greeks!

Finally, the Jerusalem Church sent Barnabas to Antioch to encourage the Jewish and Greek believers there to remain faithful to Jesus. Barnabas was not one of the original apostles!

And by the way, it was the Antioch church that Paul was a leader in and was sent out to evangelize the world from. And it is the place the believers [Jews and Greeks] were first called Christians.

The Jerusalem Church produced the Judaizers who followed Paul around harassing the converts to Christ in his ministry. These Law based believers tried their best to pull the saints back under the Law of Moses.

There are contemporary Judaizers still trying to trick saints into slavery!

There are those today who have read Jesus’ words found in Luke 24 and still will not leave Jerusalem! If they do venture out beyond Jerusalem they attempt to persuade the gullible to come back under their control. Using the “Jewish root” lie they lie in wait for those who do not know their Bible.

The root of Christianity is Jesus, not Judaism!

Jerusalem and Judaism have never been Jesus’ focus. The nations are Jesus’ focus! Jesus is called, “Desire of the nations,” but some believers only see Jesus as the Savior of the Jews, or the Jewish Savior! Jesus came into the world He created as a Jewish person but let’s not go overboard with that truth.

First, God chose the Hebrew people out of all of the ethnic groups on the planet because He chose them, not because they earned that choice.

Deuteronomy 7:7,8

“7 The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples, 8 but because the Lord loved you and kept the oath which He swore to your forefathers.”

God made a decision and honored His covenant commitment to the forefathers [Abraham, Isaac and Jacob], who were all men of faith in God and faithfulness to God.

Second, God divorced Israel in the Old Testament because of their constant adulteries with other gods, who are not God.

Isaiah 50:1

“Thus says the LORD, “Where is the certificate of divorce By which I have sent your mother away? Or to whom of My creditors did I sell you? Behold, you were sold for your iniquities, And for your transgressions your mother was sent away.”

Jeremiah 3:8

“And I saw that for all the adulteries of faithless Israel, I had sent her away and given her a writ of divorce, yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear; but she went and was a harlot also.”

Third, Jesus abandoned them [Jerusalem] to seal their fate with God. Fourth, Peter and Stephen, two highly visible Jewish men of God laid the blame of Christ’s murder at the door of natural Israel’s house.

Matthew 23:38

“Behold, your house is being left to you desolate!”

And lastly, Paul said not to view Jesus, or anyone according to the flesh [ethnicity, gender, or any other natural status symbol].

2 Corinthians 5:16

“Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer.”

On the day of Pentecost Peter preached a scathing sermon in Jerusalem. It was so effective it pierced many Jewish hearts and 3,000 repented and received Christ.

Acts 2

“22 Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know — 23 this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and [you] put Him to death. 36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ —this Jesus whom you crucified.”

Peter said it was God’s predetermined plan and foreknowledge that the Jews would hand Jesus over to the Romans to be murdered. God chose the Jews to bring Jesus physically into the world and He chose them to physically take Him out of this world. So much for celebrating an elitist attitude.

Now, for all the idiots out there are looking for a reason to mistreat Jewish people because of their complicity in Jesus’ death, you need to check your heart and loyalty to the God you say you are defending. God orchestrated the entire plan!

Stephen, in front of the Sanhedrin who were after more blood from those who believed in this Jesus, released his own scathing sermon.

Acts 7

“51 You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did. 52 Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who had previously announced the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become; 53 you who received the law as ordained by angels, and yet did not keep it.”

This is painful to face, but it is more painful to listen to and or watch as these Jerusalem loving [preferring] and Christ hating [not preferring] Judaizers to this day defend the natural Jewish people, putting their interests above the Lord they say they love and serve.

And do not point to your “supernatural showmanship” to qualify you as a a genuine spokesman for Christ. Jesus said to watch out for those who over exaggerate their relationship to Christ by pointing to the supernatural. He called them false [misleading] prophets [spokesman] who are ravenous wolves [serve for what they can take from the saints not what they can give to the saints]. They destroy through their deception not even realizing they are deceived.

There is still an elitist spirit that permeates Jewish believers in Christ and that elitism manifests in several ways:

1.They won’t call themselves Christians

  • Are they anti-Christ?

2.They see Jewishness as the pinnacle of being the people of God

  • Paul teaches being naturally Jewish is irrelevant!

3.They label people antisemites who don’t bow at the feet of Zionism

  • Should they be labeled anti-Christ?

See how easy it is to malign someone’s integrity and character?

Forgetting that the gospel was preached to Abraham [Abram] in God’s statement about the nations being blessed, they reduce that revelation to fit their narrow narrative. And by the way, the Hebrews [Jews] are not the only semitic people on the planet. Jesus is the Savior of the Arab people too. The Arabs are semites, but you rarely if ever see them defend the Arabs.

They will not defend the non Hebrew semitic peoples, so – are they antisemites too?

Throwing that label out is indefensible and has no place in the Christian community, unless you are absolutely pure in you antisemitic and anti-Christ positions!

God promised Abraham that Ishmael would be blessed and the blessing of Abraham includes the salvation of all people, even the descendants of Ishmael!

These present day puritans are quick to label nonconformists to political Zionism antisemites. Memo to those people – we are not antisemites. We are pro Savior of the world! We are not anti Jewish or anti Jerusalem. We are pro Jesus the Christ!

Your immaturity and irresponsibility is showing and it is not pretty!

Jesus and the New Testament writers clearly revealed the world is God’s focus and the focus of His work, not just Jerusalem and the Jewish people! Jerusalem and the Jewish people were the starting line, not the finish line.

“Beginning from Jerusalem” is what Jesus said!

The word beginning denotes the first place, not the only place. It also means to rule over. Jesus never intends to rule from Jerusalem. In fact He is forbidden to be a priest or King in Jerusalem or any other city in the world.

“My kingdom is not of this world” is what He told Pilate! It is still not of this world and it will never be of this world. It is in this world! It has always been in this world! And it will always be in this world! But it is NOT of this world!

His rule from Jerusalem is based on that is where He lived, died, was buried, was resurrected and ascended, as a Man. When He returns He will hand the kingdom of heaven back to Father God, and then the end will come! The end will come, not the millennium!

Maturity in the things of God requires the people of God to leave where they began with God, and go to where God is leading them. Even Paul, the writer of Hebrews, makes this truth clear.

Hebrews 6

“1 Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God [See Luke 24:46,47 above], 2 of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. 3 And this we will do, if God permits.”

Paul explains what maturity looks like in chapter 5. Keep this in mind and go back and read these 2 verses in chapter 6 again, with the context in view.

“8 Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. 9 And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation, 10 being designated by God as a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek. 11 Concerning him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.”

Paul is saying these Hebrews should have matured and become teachers, but they were still carnal Christians [infants] in need of other people to supply them milk. He is saying they should have moved on from elementary school [pre-school] to graduate school! These carnal Christians [Hebrew believers] were not even getting their own milk. They drank milk from the breasts of those who were more than happy to keep them unhealthy and immature.

The saints have got to grow up!

The saints have got to get their own milk so that one day they can eat their own meat!

Meet me oh Lord, let’s eat!

Dr. Kevin M. Drury, DMin

A Hisstorymaker!

Context Is Crucial To Understanding

Posted on by under Bible, Christian, Excellence, LifeGiving, Righteousness, School Of The Spirit, Training

You will never understand me if you do not understand this blog. There are so many Christians that do not have the stomach for warfare. They have no situational awareness of spiritual dynamics or demonstrative tough love.

What I mean by what I just said is this, modern Christianity has been infiltrated by a political spirit which says we must “reach across the aisle” in order to come to an agreement we can all live with. Friends, that is not why Jesus came and it is most certainly not how Jesus lived His life. Jesus came to take over!

Jesus came for conviction, not consensus! So repent!

Everyone who does not surrender surrenders their right to represent Him in the world!

To the Christians wanting to “reach across the aisle”, doing good equals being nice, and being kind means never speaking into the spiritual malaise and compromise in a region.

By the way, there is only one verse in the Bible with the word ‘nice’ in it and it is not a nice verse.

Jeremiah 12:6 NAS

“For even your brothers and the household of your father, even they have dealt treacherously with you, even they have cried aloud after you. Do not believe them, although they may say nice things to you.”

There are prophetic voices today that are called to speak into the spiritual superficiality of the saints in their sphere of influence. People not in tune with the Voice the prophetic voices are proclaiming find it easy to sit in judgement, all the while railing against the judgment prophetic voices are adjudicating.

Can’t we all get along is not a Biblical or Christian core value. It is a seeker sensitive superficial substitute for kingdom love and confrontation. It is powerless to change a life for it only holds a form of godliness while denying God’s power. Paul said to have nothing to do with people holding on to that subversion of kingdom life. I choose not to hang around with or listen to anyone who has a form of being godly without really representing God.

Too many Christians and their leaders are more concerned with advancing their kingdom and padding their pocket book than advancing God’s kingdom and reproducing Him in His people. Convenience is their core value and making sure they have their supplies stock piled controls their ability to speak truth when truth is not in vogue.

There is a gross misunderstanding on what “doing good” means. Jesus went about “doing good” but He also healed all those “oppressed with the devil.” This means so much more than casting devils out of people. I believe it includes that but advances to the place of casting people out of the devil.

Kevin, what do you mean? What I mean is Jesus functioned in full deliverance mode. He delivered people oppressed by the devil but He told people to stop playing around with the devil.

Here is a verse that is quoted often but misunderstood, misdiagnosed and misapplied.

Galatians 6:10

“So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household  of the  faith.”

What does doing good mean? And do you see how the good that is done is done for the good of everyone?

First of all, doing good Biblically has everything to do with setting and upholding a righteous standard. It involves doing the honorable thing that brings forth excellence and accomplishes the greatest benefit for everyone involved! Sometimes ‘doing good’ means someone gets their feelings hurt. Like those folks in the Temple who watched as Jesus tossed them and all their stuff out of His House!

For those who are not getting it yet, our standard is the life and ministry of Jesus, and the Word of God.

Secondly, the word kindness in the New Testament has everything to do with being fit for service, being useful and making the most of God using us to represent Him in the world. It also means ensuring those in your sphere of influence are fit for service and useful to God. There is no room for the unfit or useless in the fight of faith, or the fight for faith!

Jude 1 Weymouth

“33 Dear friends, although I was eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I found it necessary to write to you and urge you to continue your vigorous defense of the faith that was passed down to the saints once and for all. 4 For some people have slipped in among you unnoticed. They were written about long ago as being deserving of this condemnation because they are ungodly. They turn the grace of our God into uncontrollable lust and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.”

The greatest danger to Christianity are Christians who “slipped in unnoticed.” To slip in unnoticed one would have to have an appearance that creates a sense of security, all the while carry dangerous core values of compromise.

These slippery pretenders turn the grace of God into uncontrollable lust and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. By the way, Jude was writing to “believers”. These false believers believe that because God has already forgiven every sin of every person in Christ they can continue living like they have never personally met Jesus, much less gotten saved.

Lust does not necessarily have to do with illicit sexual behavior, although it can include it. Lust is a heart matter than drives a person to pursue that which is not theirs, or those who are not theirs. A person can lust for happiness and pursue relationships with people who will meet their felt needs but turn them away from the Lordship of Jesus.

They also “deny” our only Master and Lord. They don’t deny His existence for that would immediately give them away as pretenders. No, these smooth talkers look like saints but live like devils, in the church.

Jude says they are “deserving of condemnation because they are ungodly.” In other words, they are not like God nor are they really God’s. Only those who are “in Christ” are free from condemnation. When someone says, “I am a Christian” but are living like a sinner then condemnation is their reward.

Paul writes stating these type of people “dilute” the message of the Cross. Reducing the powerful effect of the Cross of Christ can manifest in many ways. One of those is to lower love to a level less than how Jesus demonstrated love. Some of his “love” was very confrontational and emotional! God’s love is not benign, wimpy or without an expected end.

God’s love manifested in the Man Christ Jesus so God could redeem fallen man! God did not send Love for the sake of running a pointless errand. Some Christians have reduced Love to something without real meaning, or purpose. As I have said many times before, there are way too many Christians who have created a Jesus made in their image.

Love came for the purpose of redemption, reconciliation, restoration, reformation and especially revolution. If your love does not include those things then your love is pointless, and redemptively powerless!

Jude writes, “to continue your vigorous defense of THE faith that was passed down once for all.”

To “defend vigorously” literally means to enter into the struggle for the integrity of THE faith. If you are not willing to enter that battle then it is better for you to stay out of the struggle. It comes from two Greek words – 1] to endeavor with strenuous zeal, to contend with all adversaries, and to compete against all opponents; and 2] to position yourself in, on, near, above, against, across and before that which is being contended against.

This word literally means to engage in close hand combat! Are you up for that? If not, stay out of the way! Everything and everyone that resists THE faith and the faithful is to be exposed, uprooted and removed. It may take until harvest time but it will happen.

If you cannot believe it just read how Jesus and the apostles dealt with those who were in their way! You will have to read without all your religiously biased opinions.

This ‘the faith’ is the one Jesus lived, modeled, died to defend, rose from the dead for, ascended into heaven in order to pour the Holy Spirit out on saints who are called to go and represent Him to a world He loves.

There are a lot of “faiths” preached but they are not congruent with THE faith Jesus handed off to the saints.

For instance, Paul  exhorts Timothy, the apostle in Ephesus with this,

1 Timothy 1

“18 This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you fight the good fight, 19 keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their  faith. 20 Among  these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan, so that they will be taught not to blaspheme.”

Paul felt the need to “command” his spiritual son Timothy to do some very specific things.

  • Use the prophecies spoken to him to fight the good fight
  • Keep faith and a good conscience

But then he tells Timothy something so “not Christian”, at least to the “contemporary”, “relevant”, and “seeker” Christian. Paul handed Hymenaeus and Alexander over to Satan so they would stop blaspheming. To blaspheme means they were saying things that were not true. Misrepresenting truth can begin benignly but end up being a malignancy! Today we would call these men fake news reporters.

Hymenaeus’ name means belonging to marriage. He was a heretic because he presented himself as being a legitimate part of the Bride of Christ. He misrepresented Christ to people in the Body and misrepresented himself to the Body. He was a Christian in name only.

Alexander’s name means man defender. His sin must have been siding with Hymenaeus instead of upholding God’s honor and the honor of God’s man, Paul. Alexander was a man pleaser so he lived his life defending men who did not defend God.

Paul “handed” them over to Satan. Paul simply removed his apostolic covering from their lives and Satan had free reign to mistreat them. Paul had already turned a non repentant believer in Corinth over to Satan for not repenting of his grievous sin.

To “hand over” means to put into the use of another. In essence what this means is Paul’s feeling was – “If you want to behave like the devil then I take my hands off of you and place you in the hands of the one you are truly serving.”

How is that for seeker sensitive Christian love? The problem with this kind of loving discipline is in our day there are hundreds of churches a “Christian” can run to to escape the discipline of the Lord.

There are churches in every town that would love to have another body to count as they count the number of people attending their “worship” services. In the first century this type of behavior was not possible. There was one church in every city so it was very easy to pastor the population.

The writer of Hebrews details which faith Jude is writing about:

Hebrews 2 Amplified

“1 SINCE ALL this is true, we ought to pay much closer attention than ever to the truths that we have heard, lest in any way we drift past [them] and slip away. 2 For if the message given through angels [the Law spoken by them to Moses] was authentic and proved sure, and every violation and disobedience received an appropriate (just and adequate) penalty, 3 How shall we escape [appropriate retribution] if we neglect and refuse to pay attention to such a great salvation [as is now offered to us, letting it drift past us forever]? For it was declared at first by the Lord [Himself], and it was confirmed to us and proved to be real and genuine by those who personally heard [Him speak]. 4 [Besides this evidence] it was also established and plainly endorsed by God, Who showed His approval of it by signs and wonders and various miraculous manifestations of [His] power and by imparting the gifts of the Holy Spirit [to the believers] according to His own will.”

Look at the warnings and the instructions on the faith!

Warnings: About the great gift of salvation [THE faith]

  • We must pay much closer attention
  • We must not drift past
  • We must not slip away
  • How shall we escape
  • If we neglect
  • If we refuse to pay attention

Instructions: About the great salvation [THE faith]

  • It [message of salvation / message of THE faith]
  • Was declare at first by the Lord Himself – Originator of THE faith
  • It was continued by those who heard Him – 2nd generation of the keepers of THE faith
  • It was confirmed to us – 3rd generation of the keepers of THE faith
  • It was established and endorsed by God
  • God approved of it
  • By signs, wonders, various miraculous manifestations of His power
  • By imparting the gifts of the Holy Spirit to the believers according to His own will

My friends, that is THE ONLY Faith that is relevant! It was the only relevant faith in the 1st century and it is the only relevant faith in the 21st century.

Is that the faith that you profess?

Is that the faith that you defend?

If not, then you did not get the THE faith Jesus started or you are too compromised to defend God’s honor!

Dr. Kevin M. Drury, DMin

A Hisstorymaker

 

 

Globalism and False Worship!

Posted on by under Bible, Christian, Excellence, LifeGiving, Righteousness, School Of The Spirit, Training

Globalism, as it is being positioned, provided for and promoted today, is the tower of Babel poor substitute for the Kingdom of God in the earth and it’s King’s rule on earth.

Globalism, Judaism and Christian Zionism come from the same spirit where a centralized government rules the population on the planet.

Globalism wants to rule the world from Brussels, Belgium where the European Union is located, or possibly from the United Nations in New York!

Judaism and Christian Zionism postulates Jerusalem as THE place where God will rule the world.

Both of these “positions” are false and create a false worship among their followers!

Liberals support globalism because it leads to centralized power, thereby providing liberals with an easier way to gain control. It is far easier for liberals to persuade a handful of people in centralized government to rule in their favor than it is for liberals to push their agenda on a decentralized form of government.

According to the Oxford American Dictionary, globalism is the advocacy of “the interpretation or planning of economic and foreign policy in relation to events and developments throughout the world.” In its most extreme forms it is sometimes expressed using terms such as “one world,” support for a single world government, and/or terms such as “world citizen” or “global citizen.” Some globalist groups such as the World Federalist Movement, and some non-Christian religions such as Bahai, actively campaign for world government. “Global” is a currently fashionable term in business, where the term “international” would be more appropriate usage; the term “international” implies business operations between a few countries, while “global” implies worldwide business, making it an adequate term for some forms of business that do operate across the world. Many aspects of globalism fall under the umbrella of globalization, which refers to how local phenomena can become global phenomena.

http://www.conservapedia.com/Globalism

Jesus, the King of God’s Kingdom, rules over the nations of the earth right now, and these nations have distinct boundaries from heaven’s perspective.

“24 The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands . . . 26 and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, 27 that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; 28 for in Him we live and move and exist.” [Acts 17]

Imagine that, God is into boundaries [borders]!

And, God determined and appointed the boundaries every person is to live within, including the time they live!

John in the Book of Revelation said this in chapter 7, “9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; 10 and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.’ 11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying, ‘Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen.'”

God is even into the distinctions that each and every person and culture possesses. God is into unity, not uniformity!

For those who think Jesus MUST return to earth to BEGIN his rule I have a text for you to ponder.

“20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. 21 For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming, 24 then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. 25 For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be abolished is death. 27 For He has put all things in subjection under His feet. But when He says, ‘All things are put in subjection,’ it is evident that He is excepted who put all things in subjection to Him. 28 When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all.” [1 Corinthians 15]

This is just one text that can be used to prove that Christ is ruling and reigning at this very moment and has been since He was raised from the dead and ascended into the realm  [dimension] called heaven.

Jesus will not begin His reign when He returns! When He returns He hands over the “reigns” of His reign to His Father!

Jesus, as I taught in my Jesus and Jerusalem series which began in October of 2013, said this that so many have missed ~

“21 Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.’” [John 4]

Jesus reduced the importance of a specific place [Samaria and Jerusalem] to worship the Father and elevated the way to worship the Father [in spirit [no geographical boundaries and limitations] and truth [no deceptive agendas].

Jesus tells the woman He was speaking to:

  1. “An hour is coming when neither on this mountain [in Samaria] nor in Jerusalem will you [the woman] worship the Father.”
    1. Jesus spoke of an imminent change of reality in the place, posture and purpose of worshiping the Father!
    2. Jesus spoke of ignorance in worship!
  2. “An hour is coming, and now is”.
    1. My how fast time flies!
    2. An “hour” “is” [was] coming and before Jesus finished what He was saying to the woman that hour arrived.
    3. That was 2000 years ago!
      1. Today we have people telling us there is a future time where everyone who does not go to Jerusalem to worship the Father will have bad stuff happen to them.
      2. That is not the revelation [truth] Jesus gave this woman.
      3. That is a portion of the truth the “true worshipers” must use in worshiping the Father.
      4. Why? Because the Father seeks worship from those worshipers! “For such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.”
  3. “God is spirit” and therefore is not bound to a geographical location, nor does He bind true worshipers to a geographical location in order for them to worship Him.
    1. Worship in spirit can happen any time and any place the true worshiper chooses!
    2. The only limitation that is on the true worshiper is the limit placed on them by them!

I encourage you to go to Bethel Church Brunswick, GA’s YouTube channel and watch the series Jesus and Jerusalem. It follows another provocative series titled, WHO IS THE ISRAEL OF GOD, And What Does That Have To Do With Me?

Please keep in mind this very important point as it pertains to studying Scripture ~ Everything said [written] in Scripture must be viewed in the light of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ.

“1 God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.” [Hebrews 1]

“In these last days” began when Jesus arrived on the planet as a baby in a manger! People misdiagnose Scripture because they misunderstand when the last days began [begin].

If you believe the last days began when the State of Israel for formed you are already deceived!

Do due diligence and do what the Berean believers did – ” Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.” [Acts 17:11]

Keep HIS Faith! Keep HIS Passion! Keep HIS Purposes!

Dr. Kevin M. Drury, DMin

A Hisstorymaker

 

Foolish Preachers Versus The Foolishness Of Preaching!

Posted on by under Bible, Christian, Excellence, LifeGiving, Righteousness, School Of The Spirit, Training

God is pleased with the foolishness of preaching but not with the foolishness of preachers!

There are way too many examples of how preachers are foolish to cover them all in this blog but I do want to focus on some of them.

There is not a lot of evidence in the Scripture explaining the phrase “foolishness of preaching” so I will not be spending much time trying to detail how that plays out.

Preaching styles vary for many reasons and may create the sense of it being foolish.

A preacher’s style may be staid, or animated. Preaching may come through a monotone preacher or one whose voice fluctuates between the extremes of shouting and a whisper.

Some preachers use notes and never vary from their notes, and others may never use notes. Some use notes as launching platforms where the wind of the Holy Spirit takes off through them and they end up “preaching prophetically”. Some stand stationary behind the pulpit and others roam all over the place.

The phrase “foolishness of preaching” may simply mean that the idea of someone presuming to speak for God is considered foolish by certain people who have no value for the verbal communication of the Word of God, or for those who say they speak for God.

I mean, “You actually believe you hear from God?” That is totally foolish to some people!

Here is what Paul said in Romans 1:18 KJV – “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.”

Paul would later say that he “preached Christ and Him crucified.” The cross, the crucifixion, and everything purchased on it should always be central and the core value of any message taught. I do not mean that every message should specifically mention the cross. But the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus is the message of the gospel we teach.

The cross and the “foolish” preaching of it is foolishness to those who are perishing because they refuse to accept and embrace the power of the cross.

The message of the cross is so much broader than a get out of hell message. It is a get out of hell and a get hell out of you message. That is the power of the cross!

1 Corinthians 1:21 KJV

“For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.”

This verse reveals a lot and one main aspect of the revelation is that God only saves those who believe.

There are foolish preachers preaching that everyone is saved by God because God in Christ is not counting people’s sins against them. They provide the verse of Scripture to prove their point.

2 Corinthians 5:19 NKJ [In Part]

“God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them.”

There are key phrases in Scripture that foolish preachers miss, misuse, mistake, and mis-represent. Some of them are “in Christ”, “through Christ”, “with Christ”, “by Christ”, etc.

Everyone is not saved unless they are “in Christ”. Jesus is the Savior of all mankind but only those who believe are saved.

1 Timothy 4:10 NKJ

“For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe.”

Foolish preachers rarely if ever suffer for their labor, much less suffer reproach. To be reproached means to be criticized for your refusal to compromise your experiences in God for the pleasure of man, the popularity with men, or for a position or paycheck from men.

It means to have people be disappointed in you and disapprove of you because of your stand for God and not with them or for them in their unwillingness to grow up in Christ. Immaturity and irresponsibility seems to be chic in certain Christian circles.

I am long over the people who think the mission of the church is to “have fun” and everyone just “get along”.

There is only One Savior and that is Jesus Christ. Jesus came to save everyone but only those who “believe” will be saved.

How can we know we or someone else is really saved, or that we are a believer in Jesus?

Persuaded To The Point Of Persecution!

If we are not taking heat for our “believing” there is a good chance we are not a Biblical believer.
2 Timothy 3:12 NAS
“Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”
Demonstrations Of Miraculous Signs!
Mark 16:15-20 The Message Bible
“15 Then he said, ‘Go into the world. Go everywhere and announce the Message of God’s good news to one and all. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized is saved; whoever refuses to believe is damned. 17 These are some of the signs that will accompany believers: They will throw out demons in my name, they will speak in new tongues, 18 they will take snakes in their hands, they will drink poison and not be hurt, they will lay hands on the sick and make them well.’ 19 Then the Master Jesus, after briefing them, was taken up to heaven, and he sat down beside God in the place of honor. 20 And the disciples went everywhere preaching, the Master working right with them, validating the Message with indisputable evidence.”
What are the indisputable evidences that validate that we are Biblical believers in Jesus Christ?
Are there miraculous manifestations of God and His power in our teaching ministry?
Does our preaching attract God? Does Jesus come to work with us? Or is the work we are doing for Him devoid of Him? Are we are relying completely on our own prowess to convince the people we are teaching that God is real?

Are We New Or Are We The Same Old Person?

2 Corinthians 5:17-20 NAS

“17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 18 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”

There must be a reconciliation with God that results in a radically new life in Christ. This is implying there has been a breach in the relationship and a new connection must be made between the one who disconnected and God who waits for the wayward one to come to Him.

This new connection to God results in the person becoming new in every aspect. That person may not perfectly live out their “newness” but the change is such that those that know them the best know they are “new.”

You may be able to fool members of a church you hide in but you cannot fool the ones you live life with.

Our “being new” and “living new” should cause consternation in the people we used to live life with. If it doesn’t how new are we?

1 Peter 4:1-4 NKJ

“1 Therefore, since Christ suffered for us  in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. 3 For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles–when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. 4 In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you.”

Do we even believe we can cease sinning? Not if we are sitting under the ministry of foolish preachers who teach we cannot overcome temptation and sin.

We have wasted too much time already and there is not enough time to keep wasting time.

Here again, is our new lifestyle attracting persecution, reproach, and or criticism?

If not, why not?

What is the problem?

Paul, in our 1 Corinthians 1:21 text, states that the world did not know God because of the limitations of the wisdom of the world. God, in His wisdom chose to make Himself known through the foolishness [by man’s standards] of [the] preaching of His gospel, so that the world could be saved by God, in Christ.

How do preachers become foolish?

Paul reveals one way in verse 17 of 1 Corinthians chapter 1 [KJV] – “For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.”

Here are some other translations of this very important verse:

God’s Word Translation

“Christ didn’t send me to baptize. Instead, he sent me to spread the Good News. I didn’t use intellectual arguments. That would have made the cross of Christ lose its meaning.”

NET Bible

“For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel–and not with clever speech, so that the cross of Christ would not become useless.”

International Standard Version

“For the Messiah did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, not with eloquent wisdom, so the cross of the Messiah won’t be emptied of its power.”

Aramaic Bible In Plain English

“For The Messiah sent me not to baptize, but to preach The Good News, not in wisdom of words, lest the crucifixion of The Messiah would be rejected.”

Weymouth New Testament

“Christ did not send me to baptize, but to proclaim the Good News; and not in merely wise words–lest the Cross of Christ should be deprived of its power.”

Living Bible

“For Christ didn’t send me to baptize, and even if my preaching sounds poor, for I do not fill my sermons with profound words and high sounding ideas, for fear of diluting the mighty power there is in the simple message of the cross of Christ.”

Preachers become foolish by preaching their own wisdom founded on their own ways and word, and not the wisdom of God which is centered on the Cross of Christ.

The Cross of Christ involves so much more than Jesus hanging on it for 6 hours until He gave up His life for the world.

The Cross of Christ is the place of payment for all that Christ purchased for the world. Jesus demonstrated all that He would purchase prior to His purchasing it all on the Cross. He did it by teaching [using words] and by demonstrating [not using words but using God’s authority and power] to intervene in the helplessness and hopelessness of mankind’s condition.

Friends, the message of the Cross can be watered down [Living Bible] and made of “none effect” [King James].

The preaching of the Cross of Christ must be accompanied by demonstrations of the Spirit and power or it is watered down to the wisdom and natural abilities of men.

The preachers who preach without demonstrations of the Spirit and power are foolish.

Jesus was known as a preacher [teacher] who moved past just talking about God’s message to man. He proved what He taught by performing signs and wonders and miracles.

“1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; 2 this man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs  that You do unless God is with him.” [John 3 NAS]

The proof that God was with Jesus in His teaching [preaching, proclaiming and explaining God’s message to man] ministry was the “signs” that He did in conjunction with His teaching.

Even the foolish preacher Nicodemus had enough character to acknowledge God set Jesus apart from the traditional teachers in Israel.

Did you notice Nicodemus did not say the proof God was with Christ was the way Jesus used words to teach the people? That is not to say Jesus did not have a way with words as we will see later.

It is interesting to me how a teacher in Israel recognized a teacher sent by God. Signs always point to the greater reality the sign represents.

Where are the present day foolish preachers who will acknowledge there is a lack of completeness in their personal teaching ministry if there is no “signs” accompanying their messages. Where are their messages pointing the people they are teaching?

Look at what Luke says in Acts 1:1 NKJ – “The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach.”

Luke confirms the teaching ministry of Jesus was broader than a vocal ministry. There was a “doing” and a “teaching”. This is real kingdom ministry.

Why Are People Attracted To Our Ministry?

Luke 5:15 NAS

“But the news about Him was spreading even farther, and large crowds were gathering to hear Him and to be healed of their sicknesses.”

There are a lot of preachers and teachers who through their motivational speaking abilities, their natural charisma, or their business acumen   attract a lot of people to their meetings. But how many of the people who come to hear also come to be healed?

Foolish preachers create church cultures that “believe in the miraculous” but never give people an opportunity to be healed proving they do not truly believe. If there is not corresponding activity of our “belief” then what we “believe” is useless.

Some say, “Well, we don’t want anyone to be disappointed if they do not get healed so we don’t “focus” on healing or other miraculous activity.”

My God folks! Do they not realize they are disappointing the very people who need God’s miraculous intervention, whether it be physical, emotional or spiritual?

Do The People We Teach Recognize God’s Authority On Our Teaching?

Matthew 7:28,29 NKJ

“28And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, 29for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.”

Foolish preachers can say all the right things but if what they are saying is not releasing God’s authority then they are wasting their time and the time of those who came to hear them.

Is Our Teaching Tickling Ears Or Transforming Lives?

2 Timothy 4:1-4

“1 I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, 4 and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.”

Paul is speaking to his spiritual son Timothy and former world traveler on his apostolic missionary team. He gives Timothy a solemn [serious] charge where God the Father and Christ Jesus are witnesses and the Ones who will be the ultimate judges of the living and the dead.

Folks, teaching for God is a serious calling. Paul tells Timothy to preach the word; be ready when you feel ready or not. Then he raises the bar for those who are not settling for being a foolish preacher.

Preach the word of God – With gravity and authority which must be listened to and obeyed.

Reprove – With conviction in order to convict by exposing the fallacy of false beliefs, to reprehend severely, to reprehend and call people to give an account of their behavior.

Rebuke – To censure severely to reveal the true value of those being taught. To honor by not allowing people to live below the price Jesus paid and the standard that price provides them.

Exhort -To call people up to their rightful place in Christ.

How? With great patience [endurance] and instruction [foundational and revelational teaching that creates an inner structure within those being taught that will be able to support everything God want to release to and though them]!

Why? For the time will come when they will NOT endure sound doctrine but will constantly want their ears tickled.

The result will be those who sit under the teachings of foolish preachers will only seek out those teachers who affirm their immaturity based on what they desire, not what God desires for them.

These fools will turn their ears away from the truth [what they need to hear and what God wants them to hear] and those preachers of foolishness who proclaim the truth to them, and ultimately they will turn toward myths [false fables].

What a sad commentary of the culture of compromise that began with a foolish preacher who compromised his or her personal call.

Paul differentiates between the foolishness of foolish preaching and God’s definition of the foolishness of preaching in 1 Corinthians chapter two verses 1-5 KJV –

“1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. 4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: 5  That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.”

When preachers reduce their preaching to what they can do through their own enticing words their preaching has become man’s wisdom and not God’s. God’s wisdom is revealed in the manifestation of the demonstration of the Holy Spirit and [His] power.

Paul came in “weakness”! This means he recognized his human limitations and allowed for God’s strength to manifest.

Paul came in “fear”! Paul had a holy reverence for God and the responsibility the call of God to represent Him posed for him!

Paul came in “much trembling”! Paul knew the work of God must be executed in the power of the Spirit of God and he dealt with the anxiety that his responsibility at times was overwhelming!

The result of that kind of teaching ministry is “your faith should not stand on the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.”

This is startling to me. The goal of preaching [teaching] is that people’s faith would be in the power of God and in the God who possesses all power. Teaching ministry should be not be in the wisdom of the natural intellectual or oratorical abilities of the one teaching for God.

Going back to the original text in 1 Corinthians 1:21 we see how God chooses to save people and His choice is through the foolishness of preaching.

How can we tell when those who preach are foolish instead of operating in the foolishness of preaching?
Galatians 6:12 NAS
“Those who desire to  make a good showing in the flesh try to compel  you to be circumcised, simply so that they will not be persecuted for  the cross of Christ.”
In other words, a key motivation of a foolish preacher originates in the flesh, not the Spirit. They substitute and propagate outward appearances  instead of inward transformation.

One last text I want to share with you in this blog to test the theology of Biblical preaching  of foolishness is found in Romans chapter 15:

“15 But I have written very boldly to you on some points so as to remind you again, because of the grace that was given me from God, 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, ministering as a priest the gospel of God, so that my offering of the Gentiles may become acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17 Therefore in Christ Jesus I have found reason for boasting in things pertaining to God. 18 For I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed, 19 in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit; so that from Jerusalem and round about as far as Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. 20 And thus I aspired to preach the gospel, not where Christ was already named, so that I would not build on another man’s foundation.”

Foolish preachers rarely if ever write or teach boldly, much less very boldly!

Paul is emphasizing how daring he was in his writing to the believers in Rome. He was boldly courageous, not worrying about how people may “feel” about the way he communicated truths to them.

Foolish preachers couch their communication in non-confrontational ways so as not to “hurt” the feelings of the people they are teaching.

Paul is saying he wrote to them as if he would never have the opportunity to “speak” to them again. This created a sense of urgency in what he said and how he said it. What he communicated needed to have maximum impact, especially if he never spoke to them again.

He goes on to say many things in this text.

Verse 15

Paul tells them that it is God’s grace that gives him the boldness. Foolish preachers and foolish people think God’s grace gives them license to be immature and irresponsible.

Verse 16

Paul says that he is a servant [minister] and priest [representative of the people to God and a representative of God to the people] to the Gentiles. He continues by stating his ministry is an offering that he wants to be acceptable to and sanctified by the Holy Spirit. This is so much different than the man pleasing ministry of the foolish preacher.

Verse 17

Paul says that his boasting in Christ pertains to the things pertaining to God, not man. Foolish preachers boast in the things that pertain to themselves, or other people. Primarily they complement the people they surround themselves with who facilitate their foolishness. Their primary subject is themselves and what they have accomplished.

Verse 18

To Paul presumption is not a good plan. He does not dare to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through him. In other words, he upholds the standard of His many experiences in Christ uncompromisingly, and the evidence of his commitment is the obedience of the Gentiles to God in how they live and in what they say. Their lifestyle does not contradict or betray their lips.

Verse 19

Once again Paul speaks of the importance of signs, wonders and miracles in the ministry of teaching in every place he traveled for Christ. Paul said he “fully preached the gospel”. The gospel is never fully preached where signs, wonders and miracles are absent.

Verse 20

Paul did not want to minister on another man’s foundation. Foundations are vitally important to the overall success of what is being built. In order to endure the tests of time Paul made sure his ministry was built on the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, the One who authored Christian ministry.

If all gospel teachers followed Jesus and Paul’s methodology of ministry there would not be any foolish preachers.

Lord, help us to raise up a massive army of preachers of foolishness, and fire all the ones who are just foolish preachers.

This is a huge subject that I have only scratched the surface in this blog! As always in my writing and speaking ministry I hope, pray and expect you will do your own research to verify that what I am saying is Biblically correct.

My reason in writing and teaching is so that your life and ministry will be as effective as the Holy Spirit who calls you to minister for Him desires it to be!

Keep HIS Faith! Keep HIS Passion!

Dr. Kevin M. Drury

One Of HIS Hisstorymakers