Tag Archives: Jesus

Lying

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

Good morning from the glorious Golden Isles of Georgia, 


Today is December 1st. Thanksgiving is in our rearview mirror and Christmas is approaching at warp speed. 


Jesus wasn’t born on December 25th. In fact, many believe He was born in September or October. I have no idea when He was born. I don’t know anyone who was there that day.


I do know that He was born because I have personally met Him. Because I have met Him I celebrate Christmas daily. Giving gifts is a lifestyle, not a day. “It is more blessed to give than to receive [Acts 20:35].”


I have been thinking about lies and how they can become so normal in our life, as well as how we justify them so easily.


I have been in some type of ministry for four decades. I have worked with a lot of people through the years who struggled with lying. Many have the same problem with lying as they do with forgiveness. People tend to be able to forgive others all the while not being able to forgive themselves. In fact, most never consider they can and should forgive themselves. I have even met some that believed God would forgive them but they couldn’t or wouldn’t forgive themselves. That is tragic!


In the same way, many people who would never tell another person a lie, lie to themselves all the time.


Jesus called Himself THE Way, not just any ole way. Jesus called Himself THE Life, not just any ole life. And Jesus called Himself THE Truth, not just any ole truth. A half-truth is still a lie! 


The Bible says [Numbers 23:19], “God is not a man that He should lie.” God became a Man and He still hasn’t lied.


During the next few weeks, as you gear up to celebrate the birth of the Savior of all mankind, I encourage you to ask the Spirit of truth what lies are in your life. As He reveals them to you collect them in one container and give them to Him. Watch to see what happens to them. Lastly, ask Him if He has anything to give to you in exchange for all the lies you have believed.

Wait for it!

I believe He has some special gifts that are truly life-changing for you.


After all, it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Jesus is the Gift that keeps on giving!


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


Dr. Kevin M. Drury, DMin
Revolution Movement Co-Founder
http://www.revolutionmovement.org
kdrury@revolutionmovement.org
912.577.4837

You say you want a revolution? Join our Movement and turn your world upside down so that God can turn the world He loves and owns right side up!


Revolution Movement is a personal and personalized discipleship to the Lordship of Jesus ministry! Jesus is Lord of all or not at all!


For the time being Revolution Movement is a 501c3 ministry. All contributions to Revolution Movement are tax-deductible if you choose to take advantage of that option.

LENTIL FIELDS

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

Friday afternoon, after my son Matthew came to pick up his sons Ryder and Carver from our condo and left, I was sitting on the couch and had this thought: “It would appear COVID is my lentil field.”

Do you know what I am talking about when I say, “lentil field?”

Here is the text this thought comes from [2 Samuel 23]:

“11 And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. The Philistines had gathered together into a troop where there was a piece of ground full of lentils. So the people fled from the Philistines.12 But he stationed himself in the middle of the field, defended it, and killed the Philistines. So the LORD brought about a great victory.”

When God is involved, one man and God are a majority. Come on somebody! God is still looking for real men [not talking about a gender here folks]. Manhood in the kingdom is a level of spiritual maturity where childish things are removed from being a part of the person’s life.

“When I became a man I put away childish things.”

Paul knew he had reached manhood when childishness no longer was a part of his lifestyle. Children think about themselves and what they want. “Men” think about a lot of things and none begin with what do I need. “Men” live to serve others for what they need. And real men will die in that service before they would compromise their service.

Shammah was one of David’s 3 mighty men who did great exploits. The prophet Daniel said, “Those who know their God will do great exploits.” I guess Shammah really knew God. He should, he served under David, the God worshiping giant killer. If you want to defeat giant problems follow giant killers.

Shammah’s name means astonishment. Astonishment can mean surprise or to impress greatly. I don’t think Shammah surprised himself, or David, or God. He WAS a mighty man in the service of David, a mighty man! He did not need to prove he was mighty. Because he was mighty he did mighty things. His might proved invaluable to God and His purposes for His people.

The Philistines, on the other hand, were probably greatly surprised and impressed.

Agee means I will increase. Do you believe you will increase? One cannot increase if they keep doing what they have always done. I have said many times, “We will never do what we’ve never done if we only do what we’ve always done.” Even in doing great things, if you do not risk failure in doing even greater things you cannot increase. “And you shall do greater things than these because I go to the Father.” Jesus

Speaking of increase, Isaiah prophesied God’s government and peace would never stop increasing. “Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end.”

The real question we must ask ourselves often is this: “Is His government [governance] and peace continually increasing in us?” Has COVID put a halt to that increase in your life or has it created a longing to let it increase even more? I am all in for “the more!”

Hararite means mountain dweller. To climb a mountain takes great effort. Dwelling on one takes even greater effort. But the views are extraordinary. Caleb, at the age of 85, wanted the mountainous territory in the promised land. In his latter years he didn’t want what was convenient. He wanted what was challenging. Mountains can mean a higher place of authority, or rule. Usually, when God wanted to move through a man to advance His purposes in the earth He would first call, or take, that man up a mountain.

Isaiah said in the last days the mountain of the Lord would be the chief mountain. “Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the LORD’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; And all nations shall flow to it.”

Have you read this in Hebrews 12?

“18 For you have not come to the mountain that may be touched and that burned with fire, and to blackness and darkness and tempest, 19 and the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words, so that those who heard it begged that the word should not be spoken to them anymore.

20 (For they could not endure what was commanded: ‘And if so much as a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned or shot with an arrow.‘ 21 And so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, ‘I am exceedingly afraid and trembling.’)

22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, 23 to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, 24 to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.

25 See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, 26 whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, ‘Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.‘ 27 Now this, ‘Yet once more,’ indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.

28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. 29 For our God is a consuming fire.”

Terrifying and tantalizing isn’t it? Terrifying if you miss the important truths in the text and tantalizing if you see them.

Or how about this?

“My people have been lost sheep. Their shepherds have led them astray; They have turned them away on the mountains. They have gone from mountain to hill; They have forgotten their resting place.” [Isaiah 50:6]

According to God, mountains are safer resting places than hills! And woe to the leaders who lead God’s people the wrong direction. Hills take less effort to climb and are more dangerous than mountains. This means the greatest challenges are where the Good Shepherd wants us to feed. What is feeding you? Who is feeding you? Where are they feeding you?

If I am to die then I will die dwelling on the mountain of the Lord, for that is where God provides.

“And Abraham called the name of the place, The-Lord-Will-Provide [Jehovah Jireh]; as it is said to this day, ‘In the Mount of The Lord it shall be provided.'” [Genesis 22:14]

Whatever your beliefs about COVID there is one absolutely glaring characteristic, and that is nearly every thing about the messaging has been and continues to be manipulative. Witchcraft seeks ultimate control over people. This means a spirit of witchcraft is fueling the feeling of imminent danger. Witchcraft manifests in at least 3 main areas. They are:

  1. Manipulation
  2. Intimidation
  3. Domination

Have you noticed how from the beginning information about COVID has been so inconsistent and in a lot of cases outright false? This is a classic move by manipulators. Keeping people unsure of what is happening or what is going to happen keeps them unstable and feeling unsure and unsafe. This makes them more susceptible to being controlled by those who do not have their best in mind. Going along to get along gets everyone in trouble. God is not in this at all!

The next phase of witchcraft is intimidation. Once the spirit feels it has the person or people in a vulnerable place it begins intimidating them. The threats of the loss of opportunity or more freedoms is amped up, regardless if you have complied with the orders given at the beginning and throughout the process. The goal is to force everone into submission through threats. God is certainly not in any of this behavior!

The last phase of witchcraft is outright domination. If a person or people have complied they are not excused from this phase. In fact, they have contributed to its progression to this point. Acquiescing to this spirit at any point only encourages and empowers it. Where it really begins to manifest is with those who refuse to bow the knee to the seditious orders. Those people are targeted with harm, whether economic or physical. This is to increase the intimidation of the people on the fence.

I have staked a lot on my stance concerning COVID. I have an entire chapter in my book CHRISTIANITY THE WAY JESUS LIVED IT, Releasing the Christ Within You devoted to it. I could probably write a book just on COVID. I also know there are some people who want me to fail and are even rooting for me to fail. Isn’t it interesting how mediocrity, compromise, and cowardice are enemies of excellence, commitment, and courage. I choose to live like Joshua and Caleb who had a different [more excellent] spirit than all the others in their community.

I heard Jesus say to me in March 2020: “Do not be afraid [of it]. It is not what they are saying it is.” From that moment on Donna and I have lived out in the open with our faith in His word. Many of God’s people fled in the face of the Philistines [COVID] onslaught, and are still running scared. What has Jesus said to you about how to navigate the treacherous waters we are all in?

I continue to seek God, for we are commanded to live out of every word that proceeds out of His mouth, not just those that preceded out of His mouth. Staying current with Christ Jesus is the only way to stay alive generally speaking, but absolutely with all that is going on in the world today. If He says something different than what He said last year then that is what I will obey. He may have a different lentil field for me to defend. Until then, His word has not changed and is therefore still proceeding out of His mouth and into my heart.

What is Jesus saying to you today? “Today, if you hear My voice do not harden you heart as you did in the rebellion.”

I believe, unless something changes, COVID is my lentil field, or my mountain, that I have staked my life in [on]. To me, this is about God’s honor. It seems many of God’s people believe COVID is omnipotent and God is impotent against it. With all the variants being released many people of “faith” are demonstrating they have more faith in big Pharma and their “protection.” Big Pharma is the new Jehovah Rapha. 

I am not anti medicine or medical doctors or medical science! I am anti manipulation! I am anti witchcraft that is now running rampant through the entire medical and scientific establishment. In fact, it is running rampant through every section of society, even the church.

Jesus never condemned or condoned doctors and medicine. He did not need to comment on them. He healed the sick and commissioned [licensed] His disciples to heal the sick too. Luke, who was a physician, became part of Paul’s apostolic team. I like to jokingly say that he left his practice because Paul was getting better results. Now, Jesus most certainly spoke to the political and religious elite of His day. Most of what He said to them was not affirming. He saved most of His harshest rebukes for those people.

Doctors have a license to practice healing the sick. So do Jesus’ disciples! I believe we are in the throes of seeing which group will see the most healing. I am game! How about you?

In case you are not aware, Jehovah Rapha is the first covenant compound name God gave the Israelites post deliverance from Egyptian bondage and the Red Sea crossing. It means: I am the Lord who will make you and keep you whole, among other things. It is the OT version of the NT word for savior, or saved. Why would this be the first name God identified Himself with after freeing His people from bondage? Well, Egypt represents  the land and life of sin and the bondages associated with it. Pharaoh represents the devil who is the god of that world [land and life]. So, once delivered and baptized in the Red Sea [1 COR 10:2] God promised their new life would be disease free [Exodus 15:26]. Obedience to Him would keep them free, meaning, if sinning was continued then God would not protect them. By the way, Jesus told the man at the pool [John 5] not to sin anymore or something worse would come on him.

Kevin, are you saying people are sinning in the way they are dealing with COVID? I am saying it is possible they are sinning. “Have no other gods before Me” is still valid today. What has God said to you? Did He say wear a mask that cannot protect you? Did He say stay at least 6′ from others when that does not protect you? Has He said take the shot that does not protect you from catching COVID or protect others from catching it from you? I doubt it! Those things at best give people a false sense of security, which is dangerous. Is that manipulation?

But Kevin, the shots minimize the symptoms for those who get COVID after getting the shots.” You mean they are less than the 99% of the people who do not get COVID or its variants, or if they do are asymptomatic, or have very mild symptoms? Better than that? I doubt it!

But Kevin, what about the most vulnerable? You know, those with comorbidity. Or, those who are afraid. Well, why are they afraid and where did the fear come from? God does not give anyone fear so that is a problem that must be addressed. As to the comorbidity issue, what are they and how did they develop them? Were they born with them? Or, has their lifestyle created them? People who have received the shot are still getting and spreading COVID. People who have received the shot are being hospitalized. And, people who have received the shot have died. I guess what you are saying is it is okay to gamble with your life by getting “shot.” Isn’t that the same as literally playing Russian Roulette?

For anyone who took the shot, did you take it because the Spirit of Christ said to, or did the spirit of fear say to take it?

God may tell someone to take the shot!

Obeying God is much different than surrendering to someone forcing [witchcraft] you to take the shot! Actually, they can’t force you to take it because you do have options. You may not like the options but options you do have.

Here is the dilemma a lot of people are in. The spirit of mammon is working in tandem with the spirit of witchcraft in backing people into a corner economically. Livelihoods are being threatened if people do not take the shot. By the way, people’s livelihoods have been destroyed from the beginning of this nightmare.

Let’s say for the sake of discussion you ask the Lord what you are to do and He says something like this: “I really need you to be in the position you are in because I need kingdom people everywhere. Take the shot and trust Me that My word to you will not fail. This is My word to you, ‘And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name . . . if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them.'” Is that a possibility? It very well may be but “you” better be sure it is the Spirit of God speaking and not the insidious spirits of deception that have free range in most of the areas in the world right now.

Satan knows scripture and appears at times as an angel of light!

“My sheep hear My voice and the voice of a stranger they will not follow.” Jesus did not say His sheep will not hear a stranger’s voice. He said, “They will not follow a stranger’s voice.” For almost a decade now I have been strongly encouraging people to get proficient at hearing from God and immediately obeying what He says. Now, it is even more crucial. Our very lives may depend on how well we do both.

I know this for certain, the lepers who Jesus healed were glad that He did not obey the contemporary rules concerning lepers. Would COVID keep Jesus from touching and healing those with it? I seriously doubt it! And I really can’t visualize Jesus with a mask on.

Jesus is the Mediator of a better covenant with better promises than the Old Testament and its promises. By the way, He is the one who was mediating the Old Covenant, just through angels [See Hebrews 2:2]. Think about this for a moment: In Egypt, for the first Passover God told His people to kill lambs and place their blood on the door frames of their homes. They were not instructed to place the blood on the threshold because that would be akin to treading on the blood, which is forbidden based on Paul’s revelation [See Hebrews 10:29]. Their obedience kept the death angel from entering their homes and killing their firstborn sons. Do we honestly believe the blood of those lambs are more powerful than the blood of Jesus, who is the Lamb that was slain before the foundation of the world? I hope not!

There are times in life when life requires a person to take a public stand. That is absolutely true for God’s people. Who is willing to be light in a dark world? Who is willing to be salt in a compromised world? The light that illuminates also blinds if it is turned up enough. Ask Paul [was Saul]. He testified he saw a light that was brighter than the sun. The salt that preserves also stings [hurts a lot] when it is placed in an open wound. So many refuse to be real salt and light for fear of offending someone or worse, not living up to the standard of what salt and light are. Jesus said this about salt that is no longer salty, “It is good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled under the feet of men.” Salty [informal]: Tough, aggressive. Do you know how offensive in that culture being discarded and walked on was?   

What is your lentil field to defend? What is your mountain to possess? I am convinced until a person is willing to die for what they believe they will never fully live what they say they believe!

And that is what I believe!

I leave you with this quote from Brené Brown: “The willingness to show up changes us. It makes us a little braver each time.”

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

Dr. Kevin M. Drury, DMin
Revolution Movement Co-Founder
http://www.revolutionmovement.org
kdrury@revolutionmovement.org
912.577.4837

You say you want a revolution? Join our Movement and turn your world upside down so that God can turn the world He loves and owns right side up!

For the time being Revolution Movement is a 501c3 ministry. All contributions to Revolution Movement are tax deductible if you choose to take advantage of that option.

Judgment Begins!

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

Judgment begins and when it begins it may not end for quite some time!

“For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?” 1 Peter 4:17

There are way too many people inside and outside of the church who see judgment as only punitive. Judgment certainly can be punitive but more times than not it represents a judicial decision that reveals divine purpose. Whether punitive or not when God issues His judgments they are always redemptive in nature and purpose.

Judgment has always been a part of keeping the church, and society in general, pure. The reason is simple, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God”, and “Pursue . . .  and holiness, without which no one will see God.”  God wants every person to see Him, so they can find Him, so they can encounter Him, so they can discover who He truly is.

In April 1980 when I was 23 years old I surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Therefore I cannot speak to what transpired before that magnanimous life changing decision concerning the process of purging that is to lead to purity. In the early 1980’s we began to witness the unveiling of impurity in the church. In fact, the TV ministry [PTL Club], and the minister [Jim Baaker] who influenced me to surrender to the Lord from what was talked about on several of their morning television shows was embroiled in a sex scandal himself.

Most of the revelations in the 1980’s had to do with Protestant, Pentecostal and or Charismatic impropriety, and then after that a deluge began to develop over the rampant sexual abuse within the Catholic Church.

Now, fast forward to today and the latest religious organization to be sucked into the sewer of sexual impropriety is the Jehovah Witness’. “Jehovah’s Witnesses who allegedly suffered child abuse accused denominational leaders of telling them not to report abuse, saying it ‘would bring reproach on Jehovah.'” [From an article on http://www.dailycaller.com 11/20/17]

Reproach on Jehovah? Think of the damage that is done when children are told not to tell when they are abused because the God [god for the JW’s] they serve and trust would be negatively affected if they were to come clean. That certainly adds insult to their injury.

The problem is most of the exposure of the church has been done by the secular world [people outside the church]. Why the church doesn’t police its own purity is bewildering to me. It really shouldn’t be a surprise because the early church in Corinth refused to clean out the corruption of sexual sin, so this problem has persisted for two thousand years.

1 Corinthians 5

“1 It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father’s wife. 2 You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst. . . . 9 I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; 10 I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world. 11 But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one. 12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? 13 But those who are outside, God judges. Remove the wicked man from among yourselves.”

Paul, as the apostolic founder and father of the church in the city of Corinth was appalled at how the leaders and members in Corinth were not dealing with the devilish behavior of one of its members. Paul’s unwavering wisdom maintains the standard the Savior of the Body laid out when He was setting the foundational teaching for the citizens of His kingdom. Paul went so far as to turn the man over to Satan to destroy his flesh [carnal, sinful nature and behavior] so that he might possibly be saved [forgiven, delivered and healed]. This is divine justice at its finest on display. The destruction of all that brings destruction in our lives for the purpose of us finding all that God has in store for our lives. What a deal that is!

“I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.” [1 Corinthians 5:5]

I want to remind you this was a member of the church Paul did this to. Paul took to task the leaders and members for not making purity in their community a priority. Either this erring “so-called brother” was a faux Christian or Paul is clearly communicating unrepentant sinful behavior endangers our connection to Christ the Head of the Body resulting in dis-membering, or disqualification of our membership.

The same can be said of the way the church, and more specifically the Catholic Church has handled sexual predatory behavior. Reassigning pastors or priests to other churches [parishes] only enables them to prey on unknowing innocent parishoners.

Whatever happened to:

Ephesians 5

5 For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not be partakers with them; 8 for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light 9 (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), 10 trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; 12 for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. 13 But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light. 14 For this reason it says, ‘Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, And Christ will shine on you.'”

Who is the “sleeper” Paul is talking about in verse fourteen? Some say it is those who are living in darkness while others say it is those who are not maintaining the culture of Light. Either way, God wants the atmosphere around His people to replicate the atmosphere around Him.

Paul is once again dealing with unholy behavior within the community of those who are called by God holy. “Sons of disobedience” are those within the church who live their lives replicating the behavior of the father of sin, the devil. Paul goes on to say, “Let no one deceive you.” This is fatherly love being lavished on the ones being deceived. Paul is saying you cannot live in darkness and the light at the same time. Believing you can is deception.

One advantage the early church had over the church of today is there was only one church per city or region. Today there are hundreds if not thousands in a relatively small geographical area. What happens many times when someone is “discovered” to be living like a sinner while claiming to be a saint and are confronted, they “hear from God” and leave the community they claimed as their spiritual family and find an unsuspecting one to infect with their faithlessness.

Now that at least forty years of recent judgment has been uncovering corruption in God’s church it is now moving onto the other mountains [high places] of influence that make up society’s standard bearers.

Media, politics, military, arts, sports, law enforcement, business, family and the education mountains are undergoing what the church has been facing for at least a generation. Forty years is the time of testing in Scripture, and now that the church is approaching the end of her forty year time of testing the rest of the world and its systems can expect to undergo its own season of soul searching. This is not to say the church is now exempt from continued judgment. Hopefully, we in the church will pick up the mantle of maturity and deal with this problem “in house.”

What we see happening in the world right now is nothing short of a spiritual showdown where the God who sees everything is uncovering the darkness the prince of darkness has kept in the shadows of the unholy. “There is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known” [Matthew 10:26; Luke 12:2].

Those who do not like President Donald Trump might not like what I am about to say but I will say it anyway. In the year since he was Constitutionally elected as our forty fifth president our superficial society is opening up and hidden horrors as coming into the light. The sewers in our society are no longer seeping. Now they are hemorrhaging.

I am convinced Donald Trump, with all of his personality quirks, weaknesses and past moral failures, possesses a fire that has been building in him for about as long as the house of God has been being exposed [1980’s – present]. Do your own research of his interviews that he did as far back as the 80’s, and see how he has been consistent in his open expression of love for this country and what he believes the solutions are that will bring us back to prominence on the planet God owns and loves. America, will all of her flaws, is still anointed by God to be a world leader for good.

It is interesting to me that since Donald Trump was elected our forty fifth president all sorts of sordid secret stuff is surfacing up from the sewer. And it is really interesting because his enemies sought to take him out with something he said years ago and with fake salacious smut. Many who were horrified at his crass conversation about “what certain women want” are now embroiled directly or indirectly in their own corrupt behavior. Hypocrisy on all levels are being highlighted right now.

In just over twelve months people in high places in academia, media, arts, politics and other areas of the social fabric of our society are being exposed for the hypocrisy they hid in plain sight. Now it is just in plain sight! And it is not pretty.

And the continued exposure is not the kind of exposure they desire, or are used to receiving!

“There is pleasure in sin for a season” is one reason people sin. “Be sure your sin will find you out” should be reason enough for all of us to constantly take personal inventory of what is hidden in our heads and hearts and should cause us to do due diligence in digging it up and doing away with it.

In my Book, Welcome To The Wilderness I write this as it pertains to Gomer. Gomer was a women looking for love in all of the wrong places.

Chapter 3, Page 63

“Now, what are the uninhabited areas of our lives that are uninhabitable?

That describes much of Gomer’s life. She was a mess. We don’t know why she was a mess. We don’t know why she could not be satisfied in relationships. We do not know what drove her to prostitution.

What we do know is God sent salvation to fix all of her problems!

All of us have areas in our lives that are uninhabitable. Each of us have stuff, baggage that we carry around with us, that God cannot bless. It may be ugly sin or it may be lies we believe, or places we refuse to look at, or just life in general that gets in His way.

The beauty of salvation is that those areas do not scare it. Salvation thrives in the junk rooms of people’s lives.

So God brought Gomer into those areas of her life in the wilderness.

Salvation never enters those areas to join them. Salvation enters in to reform, or transform them.

Salvation gives new life to old things that are dead.”

The fire Donald Trump possesses trumps the sanctimonious secretism of the social elite.

Isaiah chapter 45 clearly speaks of a leader God chose [anointed] for a special work that would be the precursor of a spiritual awakening in the land. Isaiah spoke concerning a man who wasn’t from the established Jewish order of leadership. God chose this man in spite of the established leadership community.

This man was named Cyrus. Cyrus means one who possesses the fire. This fire fueled his passion to find and fulfill his purpose. It drove him to heights of leadership excellence. Cyrus was the leader of Persia and Persia means pure or splendid. This man who was not considered pure or splendid by the establishment had been being established by God who does not look at the outward appearances of men like men do. God looks for what men possess that other men cannot see or refuse to see.

In spite of what you think of Donald Trump he possesses a purity and splendor that God chose to use and is using. In some ways Donald Trump is like king David. David certainly had serious lapses of judgment but God said David “was a man after My heart, who would do all My will.”

Donal Trump’s business acumen and vision enables him to see things way in advance and we might say God has graced him with a prophetic ability to see past the obvious into what is necessary.

President Trump, like Cyrus, is anointed for very specific goals. To accomplish these goals certain things must be uncovered, exposed and removed. One of the things that stands out about Cyrus is how Isaiah reports that God took Cyrus by the right hand. The right side represents authority and hand represents possession, or what we have responsibility for. In order for God to take Cyrus by the right hand God would have had to have been on his right side. This means God not only provided Cyrus His authority by being on Cyrus’ right side but he acknowledged what Cyprus possessed and anointed that for His purposes, even though Cyrus did not come from His “people.”

It appears Cyrus had a reputation as a kind, gentle and merciful conquerer. During an excavation of ancient Babylon in 1978 a cylinder was discovered containing a charter written by Cyrus. This charter promised to treat all the inhabitants of Babylon and the other kingdoms he conquered with respect. He swore that he would allow all inhabitants of his empire to practice their own religious and social customs without persecution. Cyrus also promised to punish anyone who acted cruelly to the religious and social minorities of his kingdom. Cyrus forbade the seizure of farmer’s lands and properties and made slavery of any kind illegal. Cyrus’ commitment to fair and equitable treatment of his people is exemplary by modern standards and was unique during his time period. [http://study.com/academy/lesson/cyrus-the-great-facts-accomplishments-quiz.html]

Maybe this is why God chose him to release the Jews to rebuild in the land they had been banned from.

Again, Donald Trump has many obvious flaws. We might want to be gracious because most of us have many flaws too. In being kind maybe we could agree his life is complicated. Is your life complicated with complications? What if your words were recorded and revealed to the world? Would they eliminate you from public service or ministry?

Donald Trump also has a reputation of doing extraordinary acts of kindness. He also has a great reputation with many of his past and present employees in his real estate empire.

Judgment begins, and when it begins it may not end for quite some time!

Let’s look at what Cyrus was anointed to do and view them in light of what Donald Trump is doing in our day.

  • Subdue  [conquer] nations – Now, when we think of subdue and conquer we think of destroying and or reshaping what is conquered after the image of the conquering country. That is not what Cyrus was anointed to do [I remind you of that cylinder found in 1878] and that is not what President Trump is doing. Other administrations wanted to remake conquered lands in the image of the USA. President Trump is not like the other Presidents who have failed miserably at nation building and who unleashed untold misery in the lands that have been conquered. Donald Trump believes in the sovereignty of individual nations and the national pride of those nation’s citizens. Again, this sounds like Cyrus.
  • Loose loins – Loins are the reproductive areas of our body. It is where production originates. The reproductive and creative ability resident in the organs and systems of the people are to be loosed [make wide open and set free]. Donald Trump is not forcing other nations to be molded into the image of our Constitutional Republic. He encourages the people to find their best selves and strive for excellence in their personal pursuits.
  • Of kings – The royals, or leaders in various spheres of influence and their advisors. In other words, Cyrus was, and President Trump is, anointed to expose the God-given abilities inherent in the leaders of other lands that will cause tremendous transformation with the societies they lead.
  • To open doors – This is the same word Hebrew word used for “loose”. This can be seen in light of the promise that God will open doors no man can shut [Revelation 3:8]. I believe this is the main reason why all the attacks against President Trump have failed and will continue to fail because man did not create Donald Trump, no man anointed Donald Trump, and no man opened doors for Donald Trump. Also, these doors that God opens is for the purpose of gaining access to the movers and shakers [the leaders] in the lands where the doors open.
  • So that gates will not be shut – Again, what God opens man cannot shut. Gates are access and egress points into a city, state, region or nation. There are natural and spiritual gateways into people and places. Ancient gates are now being opened.
  • I will go before you and make the rough places smooth – This speaks to how President Trump is received and honored in the different nations where he has traveled. Apparently other nations’ leaders see leadership in President Trump.
  • I will shatter the doors of bronze and cut through their iron bars – Bronze and iron speak to the resistance to change and those who are presenting the resistance, among other things. One has to choose not to see all of the positive change that has happened in the first year of President Trump’s administration. Have we arrived? No. But we are way farther down the road to recovery than we have in at least 10-12 years. The tide is turning toward transformation!
  • Treasures of darkness – Speaks of things in people and the people themselves that have been hidden from sight. Scripture tells us “we [Christians] have this treasure in earthen vessels.” Treasure begins in the womb and President Trump is being called the most pro-life President in our history. Protecting the unborn will release a blessing on our land that has the potential to stay the slaughter that is so prevalent in our streets. Also, this speaks of the gifts, talents, and abilities inherent inside of people that has not had an opportunity to be revealed and released. We are on the cusp of historic discoveries and demonstrations. WINNING IS FUN!
  • Hidden wealth in secret places – A nation’s wealth is not necessarily in the material possession. Jesus said, “A man’s life does not consist in what he possesses.” Rather, a nation’s wealth is her people. People no one has heard of before will begin to come out of secret places and be recognized for their great exploits.

All of this was done so that Cyrus [and Donald Trump] would know the Lord like he never knew was possible. Donald Trump is growing in the grace and knowledge of God Almighty. Has he arrived? No! Neither have you or I arrived! So we, like Donald Trump, must keep moving closer to the heart of God who loves us with all of His heart.

Isaiah prophesied it was for God’s people’s sake that God called Cyrus and gave him a place of honor. He said that was in spite of the fact Cyrus did not know God when He called and anointed him. Donald Trump has made protecting Christians worldwide a priority. Not even George W. Bush, a “born again Christian” did that. In fact, it is without question W’s policies in the middle east unleashed hell on Christians throughout the region. That hell was exacerbated under #44.

Also, now in America Christian leaders are no longer afraid of speaking into the political arena because the Johnson Act has been neutered, and we can thank President Trump for that, not #43!

God is on the move again! God is on the rise again! I believe it is because God is being honored at the highest level of our government again!

Let us pray that the Sun of Righteousness, who rose with healing in His wings, will release His healing virtue throughout our land. God is revealing His judgments and the world is in for another renassaince. Only this time it will come with spiritual revival and reformation that will result in a transformation that does not destroy the ancient foundations. That failed and is being overturned. Now foundations are being restored and new foundations are being laid.

So, let the real building begin!

That is what happens when judgment begins!

Dr. Kevin M. Drury, DMin

A Hisstorymaker

 

 

Apostles & Fathers

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

There is much misinformation that misleads people in the area of apostles and fathers in the faith! I hope the misinformed will not continue misleading people, no matter how well intended they may be.

Just because someone is an apostle does not make them a father in the faith. There are a lot of apostles leading ministries and movements who are still children in the faith, and manifest childishness in their daily lives. If you are a genuine apostle you will genuinely grow up.

Even Paul, who was called an apostle from his mother’s womb, said he had to grow up spiritually. In fact, he said after he grew up he still had to make a decision to act grown up!

“When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.” 1 Corinthians 13:11

Paul did not say when he became an apostle he put away childish things! He said when he became as man he put away childish things. One manifestation of childishness is the need to be needed. Needing attention is a core value of someone who is immature, insecure, and suffering identity and image issues. There are an abundance of leaders who serve for what they need which proves they are still in the childish, carnal, self-centered, self-absorbed level of maturity.

Just because someone is not an apostle does not eliminate them from being a father in the faith. There are a lot of believers with no 5 fold office call on their life who have matured to fatherhood. Some have had a great impact on my life as I developed as a disciple of Christ.

Maturing into fatherhood is the call to every believer in Christ, regardless of their call, mission, office or lack there of! And at the father level of maturity the person is not interested in their personal needs. Their need is to pour their life out for and into a person who needs mature leadership and direction to help them become a mature adult.

“You are to become perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect” applies to all the disciples of Jesus of all ages! Perfect means perfect, not just mature and complete!

Fathering requires running with the person needing fathering in close enough proximity to monitor their progress, without impeding their personal creative expression. This allows the person being fathered to keep their eye on the father but not be encumbered as they run the race set before them.

The person needing fathering must be willing to enter into and embrace the process fathers put them in to develop them into a mature believer. The acceptance of that process verifies the person voluntarily accepts the person fathering them. If the person needing and or wanting fathering in their life constantly complains or resists the person and their process, they prove they are not ready for, or interested in genuine development as a disciple of Christ.

Every believer should look for and find someone who can father them without them needing to call them “father,” or the father being called their “father.”

Jesus said, “Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.” Matthew 23:9

If a “father” needs to be called father to feel adequate, or accepted by the ones they are fathering, then that father has some serious father issues.

I think some who call themselves apostles need to quit worrying about who is, and where are the apostles. If God calls someone to the office of an apostle then God is handling that apostle’s progress into Their purpose! And if God wants one apostle to align with others He is perfectly willing and able to arrange that connection.

I believe there are apostles who take out of context Paul’s statement in 1 Corinthians 4, “14 I do not write these things to shame you, but as my beloved children I warn you. 15 For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. 16 Therefore I urge you, imitate me.” Paul would reiterate the “imitate me” instruction later in chapter 11 of 1 Corinthians.

Paul did not say the Corinthians did not have many “apostolic” fathers. He just said they had an abundance of people teaching them, not fathering them. This tells me there is a difference in those who teach and those who father. All fathers teach but not all teachers are fathers, even to those they teach. Fatherhood is a maturity level and function, not an office or title. There is no office or title called fatherhood, except in the Catholic Church, which connects apostolic succession to fatherhood! This is, and should be rejected by all believers everywhere.

In addition, Paul, who operated both as an apostle and father to the Corinthians believers, demonstrated apostolic and fathering discipline when needed to those who chose to follow [imitate] his discipleship core value of following [emulating] the lifestyle of Christ Jesus. Purity is paramount in the development of a maturing disciple [son or daughter] of Christ. Discipling a person to Christ is the same as discipling a person to Father God. “The Father and I are one.”  Biblical fathering has everything to do with modeling Father God to the person being fathered so they will become like the Father who is perfect.

“Follow [imitate] me as [in the same way that] I follow [imitate] Christ [the ultimate leader]” should be the standard every kingdom leader lives by. Paul is saying he was following Christ so that he could lead people to Christ. All kingdom discipleship has that core value or it is not kingdom discipleship. Christ is the

Good gracious, Paul said he received, accepted, embraced, and developed his apostolic call, mission and revelatory message apart from the apostles in Jerusalem. He said it was developed on his sabbatical in Arabia.

Galatians 1

“11 For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. 12 For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. 13 For you have heard of my former manner of life in Judaism, how I used to persecute the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it; 14 and I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my countrymen, being more extremely zealous for my ancestral traditions. 15 But when God, who had set me apart even from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, was pleased 16 to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood, 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went away to Arabia, and returned once more to Damascus. 18 Then three years later I went up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Cephas, and stayed with him fifteen days. 19 But I did not see any other of the apostles except James, the Lord’s brother.” 

If Paul were alive today he would not be accepted into some apostolic brotherhoods by some of those who see themselves as the brotherhood’s gatekeepers. Paul went to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Peter and James, not to surrender his apostolic credentials to them.

I think some modern ministers who consider themselves apostles, see themselves erroneously in that select group of original leaders who were called to the closed, select community of the apostles of the Lamb!

All the apostles, even the original 12 called personally by Jesus, volunteered their ministry connections! And the 12 did not require obedience to them as a qualification into the post apostle of the Lamb apostolic office. The nonsensical heresy called “the shepherdship movement” was debunked in the 1970’s. I am concerned some of its tenets still exist and its tentacles are still reaching out trying to entrap unsuspecting saints.

Honor and respect does not require connection or obedience! It is given and received voluntarily! And for that matter, submission is voluntary too. If someone demands submission run as fast as you can. That is called slavery!

Everyone should focus on their personal relationship, call, mission, mandate and message with the Apostle and High Priest of our confession who died, was raised, ascended, and called us into our respective relationships, call, mission, mandate and message for Him.

“Do not think more highly of yourselves than you ought” is a really good verse right now! Especially for apostolic fathers!

In conclusion, if you need a father figure in your life look for one who will look for your loyalty, not require your loyalty. Again, loyalty cannot be demanded. A father who looks for loyalty more than likely will demonstrate loyalty to you. Loyalty is discovered in disagreement just like faithfulness is discovered when there are other options to choose from. If you want and need someone to father you, you must accept the responsibility of being a child [son or daughter]. That responsibility includes but is not limited to recognizing and admitting you do not have all the answers and you volunteer to be parented.

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!

Israel’s Rejection

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

There is much written and said about natural Israel’s rejection of God, but very little is written or said about God’s rejection of natural Israel. If natural Israel is the apple of God’s eye then through their repeated provocations have continuously poked the God of Israel in the eye!

To understand Paul’s statements in Romans chapters 9 – 11 one must understand the core texts have to do with the salvation experience that only comes through a personal faith in Christ Jesus, and its corresponding faithfulness to God the Father. That truth is woven all the way through the Scripture from Genesis to Revelation!

Paul, in Romans 10 reveals how to be saved. “8 But what does it say? ‘The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart’ — that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, 9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, ‘Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.’ 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; 13 for ‘Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.'”

Paul begins in verse 8 referencing Deuteronomy 30:14. “Doing the word” in Deuteronomy is believing and confessing the word [Jesus] in Romans.

Deuteronomy is the chapter where God lays two choices before the children of Israel. Those choices are: life and death, and blessing and curses. In that chapter God also states their rebellion will result in their removal off of the land of promise. Refusal to repent of the rebellion against God disqualifies them from living in the land of promise.

Paul ends in verse 13 quoting Joel 2:32 – “And it will come about that whoever calls on the name of the LORD will be delivered; For on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be those who escape, as the LORD has said, even among the survivors whom the LORD calls.”

Those who call on the Lord for salvation are those who respond to the Lord’s call to receive salvation, period! Those who responded in the first century escaped the hell that the Roman legions rained down on Judah and Jerusalem between 67-70 AD! No Christians lost their lives because they obeyed Jesus and fled to safety. While over 1,000,000 Jews lost their lives and nearly 250,000 more went into slavery.

Jesus said in the Olivet Discourse that the great tribulation would never be matched again! And that includes the holocaust during WWII!

In chapter 9 of Romans Paul cleans up the confusion when he says, “6 But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel; 7 nor are they all children because they are Abraham’s descendants, but: ‘through Isaac your descendants will be named.’ 8 That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants. 9 For this is the word of promise: ‘At this time I will come, and Sarah shall have a son.’ 10 And not only this, but there was Rebekah also, when she had conceived twins by one man, our father Isaac; 11 for though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that God’s purpose according to His choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls, 12 it was said to her, ‘The older will serve the younger.’ 13 Just as it is written, ‘Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.'”

There is a lot to unpack in those 8 verses out of Romans 9! I will not take the time to give the full history lesson due to time and space. Suffice it to say Paul was reaching into the rich history of God’s dealings with humanity going back into Genesis before there was an Israel, and ending with the quote out of Malachi that refers to the Genesis account he is referencing. God’s word has not failed nor will it ever fail! To qualify for the title of Israel obedience to the will of God is the requirement!

“Jacob I loved [preferred], but Esau I hated [did not prefer]” refers to a prophetic strategy that speaks of the coming Savior, who as humanity’s older brother would serve in such a way that promotes His younger siblings to a place of honor above Him. Jesus would die to give us the privilege of the Life He possesses, and the Life He had and has with His Father. That my friends is a serious upgrade!

God’s initial rejection began in the womb of Rebecca as two boys, representing two distinct people groups, and two very distinct destinies were contending for the blessing of God which included the name of Israel! Esau would despise it and Jacob would stoop low and deceive to receive it. Even in his deception Jacob proved how hungry he was to receive it! It took a returning [repentance] to receive it. It was at the place of emptying [Jabbok] that Jacob would find a crossing and meet the Man who would later be called the only Mediator between God and man, the Man Christ Jesus. That Man is the Mediator of a better covenant with better promises!

Two huge keys in Paul’s revelation to the Romans are: 1] “They are not all Israel who are descended [naturally] from Israel [Jacob, the man with a destiny but who lives in deception],” and 2] “Nor are they all children [of God] because they are Abraham’s [natural] descendants.” Those keys are summed up in this: “It is not the children of the flesh [natural descent] who are children of God, but the children of the promise [faith who] are regarded as descendants.”

If you miss that message you miss the mandate of the Messiah! And you will misunderstand and mistreat everything else Paul says in the Romans 9 – 11 context. “All Israel will be saved” is not saying every Jewish person will be saved. It is saying all who are Israel will be saved!

John the apostle makes this truth transparently clear when he writes in chapter 1 of his Gospel – “11 He came to His own [Jewish people], and those who were His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many [Jewish and non-Jewish] as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

There is a birth that is a special spiritual birth that God Father, who is Spirit, has willed! That is the ONLY birth that counts when the rolls are called “up yonder!” That birth is the new birth! The right, honor, privilege and responsibility of being a child of God are reserved for those who respond to the will of God. Jesus would later state exactly what  God’s will involved. “For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life” [John 6:40]. Seeing Him as He is and for who He is is a prerequisite for believing Him, and in Him.

Now to God’s rejection of Israel!

1 Samuel 15:26-28

The second rejection!

“26 But Samuel said to Saul, ‘I will not return with you; for you have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel.’ 27 As Samuel turned to go, Saul seized the edge of his robe, and it tore. 28 So Samuel said to him, ‘The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to your neighbor, who is better than you.'”

This rejection of Israel’s king [Saul] was in response to Saul’s rejection of God’s authority to rule Israel through him. Israel wanted a human king to be like the rest of the world, and in wanting a king they rejected heaven’s King who is the Lord Jesus Christ.

Being like the world will disqualify you from being like God! For, “You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” [James 4:4].

Isn’t it interesting how James inserts adultery into the relationship between God and man? Natural Israel has always been an adulteress when it comes to her relationship to God!

God rejected Israel’s king and turned to the forerunner of heaven’s king, David, who was “better than Saul.” David was not better because he was flawless and faultless. David was better because he was a man after God’s heart, in spite of the issues in his heart that were not Godly. If Israel was going to have a human king it would be someone from the tribe of Judah. So God set out to set His man on the throne of Israel. David would undergo ungodly testings and even have to settle for the lowly leadership position of king of Judah before he ascended to the prize position in the Palace.

1 Kings 11:31-37

The third rejection!

“31 He said to Jeroboam, ‘Take for yourself ten pieces; for thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Behold, I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon and give you ten tribes 32 (but he will have one tribe, for the sake of My servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen from all the tribes of Israel), 33 because they have forsaken Me, and have worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of Moab, and Milcom the god of the sons of Ammon; and they have not walked in My ways, doing what is right in My sight and observing My statutes and My ordinances, as his father David did. 34 Nevertheless I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand, but I will make him ruler all the days of his life, for the sake of My servant David whom I chose, who observed My commandments and My statutes; 35 but I will take the kingdom from his son’s hand and give it to you, even ten tribes. 36 But to his son I will give one tribe, that My servant David may have a lamp always before Me in Jerusalem, the city where I have chosen for Myself to put My name’.'”

God tore 10 of the 12 tribes of Israel away from Solomon and gave them to Jeroboam leaving only 1 tribe to pass on to David’s descendants. That tribe was Judah! Remember, the tribe of Levi belonged to God as His priests until Jesus would come and fulfill all the Law of Moses and the Prophets. That fulfillment changed everything as God would no longer deal with man according to the Law of sin and death, but according to the law of liberty that is in Christ Jesus. This was done so that David’s descendant Jesus would be able to sit on David’s throne and rule from heaven as the Lion of the tribe of Judah, and function under the priesthood ministry of Melchizedek at the same time!

Jesus is unable to serve on earth as a priest because He is not from the tribe of Levi! Jesus is not able to serve as King on earth in an earthly temple either.

Matthew 21:33-45

The final rejection, phase 1!

“33 Listen to another parable. ‘There was a landowner who planted a vineyard and put a wall around it and dug a wine press in it, and built a tower, and rented it out to vine -growers and went on a journey. 34 When the harvest time approached, he sent his slaves to the vine-growers to receive his produce. 35 The vine-growers took his slaves and beat one, and killed another, and stoned a third. 36 Again he sent another group of slaves larger than the first; and they did the same thing to them. 37 But afterward he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38 But when the vine-growers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’ 39 They took him, and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. 40 Therefore when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vine-growers?’ 41 They said to Him, ‘He will bring those wretches to a wretched end, and will rent out the vineyard to other vine-growers who will pay him the proceeds at the proper seasons.’ 42 Jesus said to them, ‘Did you never read in the Scriptures, ‘The stone which the builders rejected, This became the chief corner stone; This came about from the Lord, And it is marvelous in our eyes‘?” 43 Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people, producing the fruit of it. 44 And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust.” 45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they understood that He was speaking about them.” By speaking “about them” He was speaking about the whole house of Israel they were the leaders of.

Matthew 23:37-39

The final rejection, final phase!

“37 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling. 38 Behold, your house is being left to you desolate! 39 For I say to you, from now on you will not see Me until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!'”

The final rejection resulted in desolation!

That desolation would happen 40 years later with the total destruction of Jerusalem, Judaism, the religious system, culture and its hallowed physical temple in 70 AD. And it was all because they were “unwilling.” In other words, they would not bring their will under the will of God.

“Your house is being left to you desolate!”

“Your house” is a complete repudiation that their physical temple was God’s house!

“Is being left” is a complete abandonment of them by God!

“To you” is a complete handover for all the responsibility for the desolation!

“Desolate” is the completed divorce proceedings and punitive damages that followed!

From heaven’s perspective there is no more life in a natural Israel or a natural Jerusalem!

Jesus made clear that Jerusalem was not the place for the worship of God. In fact, Jesus removed any and all geographical associations with the worship of the Father.

John 4:21-24

“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. 24 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.'”

There is more to come that cannot be fit in a blog or really a series of blogs, even though I have blogged many times on this subject.

I am currently writing two Books that will deal with both the Israel and the Jerusalem issues! They are: WHO IS THE ISRAEL OF GOD, And What Does That Have To Do With Me; and Jesus and Jerusalem.

If you don’t want to receive God’s rejection don’t reject God’s salvation through His Son, who is the Savior of all mankind, especially those who believe!

Dr. Kevin M. Drury, DMin

A Hisstorymaker

Come And See

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

“5 Come and see the works of God, Who is awesome in His deeds toward the sons of men. 6 He turned the sea into dry land; They passed through the river on foot; There let us rejoice in Him!” Psalms 66

The psalmist chose two specific historical events in ancient Israel to invite every reader of the Bible to “come and see”.

Have you ever wondered why he chose those two out of the multitude of events available to him?

Here is what I believe –

1. “He turned the sea into dry land” speaks of deliverance from Egyptian bondage.

Egypt is a type of the world, sin, and being in bondage to a tyrant [Pharoah / devil]. To escape, God dried up the Red Sea so the children of Israel could walk on dry ground to begin their 11 day journey to the Promised Land [the place God wanted to deliver them into].

Unfortunately they turned that 11 day trek into a 40 year journey!

2. “They passed through the river on foot” speaks of the people having to take a risk to enter the place God delivered them out of Egypt to enter.

The river Jordan was at flood stage so the risk was great. If it had been at a time or place where there was not much water the risk would have been much lower. God did not dry up the river like He did the Red Sea.

God never delivers a person just to get them out of something or some place. He always wants to deliver people into something or some place. That place is the place of freedom and blessing. It is the place He created you to be.

It is the place where His purpose for your life can be fully lived!

In order to get into the place God wants to deliver you into [the place of your divine purpose] you will have to step into the water [that which is inconvenient and risky] to enter into it. It is at that place [“there”] that the greatest rejoicing takes place. “There let us rejoice in Him!”

It is interesting to me that the psalmist said to rejoice at the place you enter your purpose, not at the place of pain you were delivered out of.

When the children of Israel stepped into the flood waters the water rolled all the way back to a town called Adam.

Adam is the man who lost sight of who he was [made in the likeness and image of God], why he was [to work and protect the Garden God placed him in charge of, and to export the blessings of the Garden to the rest of the world]. When he lost focus he sucked the serpent into his world and became lost, or separated from the God who made him.

Adam did not get lost until he lost focus! When he lost focus he lost his identity and his purpose.

Are you lost? Have you lost focus? Have you forgotten who God says you are? Have you failed to enter into the work God called you to do? Have you been living irresponsibly by either never entering your place of purpose, or by being irresponsible in your area of responsibility?

Rolling the water back to Adam speaks of the removal of all that Adam passed on to you so that you go into your place of purpose free, clear and clean as you fully appreciate and appropriate all that you are in the last Adam, who is Jesus Christ.

What is standing in your way keeping you from stepping into God’s purpose for you?

What are you afraid to step into?

What is God not removing from you for you because it will be removed when you take the step of faith required to see it removed?

Is your identity in the first Adam, who failed miserably?

Is your identity in the last Adam, Jesus Christ, who is a faithful Son over the household of God?

“Come and see the works of God, Who is awesome in His deeds toward the sons of men.”

Dr. Kevin M. Drury, DMin

A Hisstorymaker

Moses’ Veil & Blindness

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

There is renewed interest in the State of Israel again now that Barack Obama “stabbed them in the back” at the United Nations several weeks ago by not vetoing a resolution against their West Bank developments.

Of course in some Christian circles there is a constant interest in “Israel” and the unsaved, natural Jewish people that really does not carry the weight of heaven as it pertains to their present day predicament – being without God and hope in this world.

There is the constant admonishing to “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem” because of the promise, “May they prosper who love you.” [Psalm 122:6]

This verse is used to mislead the immature masses into thinking that if they don’t pray the proper prayer then not only will God not prosper them He might just pound them into either submission or oblivion.

My main issue with the constant droning of those desperate to prosper because of their prayer for Israel’s peace is they totally forget “Israel” forsook and eventually murdered the Prince of Peace Jehovah sent to save them. They seem to also conveniently forget Jesus spoke Ichabod over Jerusalem by stating, “Behold, your house is being left to you desolate [abandoned, divorced].” [Matthew 23:38]

He continued His rebuke by telling “Jerusalem”, “From now on you will not see Me again until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.'” [verse 39]

Jesus was not inferring a future revealing He was declaring they would not see Him UNTIL they confessed His being there then was in the “name of the Lord.” For the Jews of our day, just like the Jews of Jesus’ day, must confess He came 2000 years ago in the name of the Lord. This means repenting for rejecting Him and receiving Him and His work on the Cross that paid for their salvation.

Praying for peace now looks like praying for them to genuinely repent for their sin of slaying the Savior of the world, and prosperity becomes promoting proper relationship protocols!

The Jewish prophet Isaiah said this, “But he [Messiah] was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” [53:5 KJV]

There can be no peace with God without agreeing with and surrendering to the God who presented His terms for peace.

Also, there is another verse that is so badly misrepresented that it is becoming laughable to those liberated in the Kingdom lifestyle Jesus inaugurated when He emerged out of His water and Spirit baptism at the Jordan River.

That verse is found in Genesis 12, and so many leaders and scriptural “authorities” completely misuse it and its context.

“I will bless those who bless you and I will curse those who curse you.” What is left out is this portion of this verse, “And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.” [verse 3]

This verse has nothing to do with the State of Israel, or unsaved Jewish people. Israel is not mentioned in the verse or its context. Abram was the recipient of the promises God proclaimed and Paul would write in Galatians 3 that the gospel was preached to Abram in the last line of that verse. [verse 8]

The context of Genesis 12 is salvation through the gospel message that would bring God’s blessings upon the entire planet through all the people on the planet who received and accepted the gospel. That is why Paul said in Galatians only those in Christ are of Abraham’s Seed and heirs to [all] the promises God made to Abraham.

I have an 11 part teaching series that can be found on YouTube called Who Is The Israel Of God, And What Does That Have To Do With Me. I also have a 14 part teaching series on YouTube called Jesus and Jerusalem. I hope both these series’ become Books because there is so much misinformation that leads to the misdiagnosing and eventual mistreatment of these very important subjects.

I am continually in prayer for revelation as to the “Why” question I have concerning why the unsaved Jewish people and “saved” Christians cannot see the obvious truth about Jerusalem and the Jewish people.

I feel God just dropped a nugget into my noggin [head] as I watered the plants this morning at Bethel Church in beautiful Brunswick and the glorious Golden Isles of Georgia.

This is what I believe I heard Him say to me: “The blindness from Moses’ veil keeps people from seeing the obvious.”

I was immediately reminded of this text Paul wrote to the believers in Corinth.

“12 Therefore having such a hope, we use great boldness in our speech, 13 and are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face so that the sons of Israel would not look intently at the end of what was fading away. 14 But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ. 15 But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart; 16 but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.” [2 Corinthians 3]

Here are some things of importance that stand out to me in this text.

  • Verse 12 – Paul and his team were bold in declaring the truth of God’s new day/new thing He had announced to the Jewish people in the Old Covenant and that day was upon them all
    • The boldness Paul refers to is traced back to verse 4, “Such confidence we have through Christ toward God.” Their boldness is directly tied to the hope they possessed
  • Verse 13 – Paul and his team were not going to live in the limitations of what God had done that was temporary
  • Verse 13 – Moses realized in the days of his glorious encounters the glory of his day [experience] was temporary
  • Verse 14 – The sons of Israel’s hearts hardened against God and His glory
  • Verse 14 – Paul and his team knew that hardening remained in their present day
  • Verse 14 – The Old Testament was the source of that hardening and the persistence of the veil that veiled the minds of those who depended on Moses for their revelation
  • Verse 14 – Paul and his team revealed that only in Christ would the veil be lifted for those who are in Christ and who do not rely on Moses for their revelation of what God was doing in their day
  • Verse 15 – Paul and His team reiterated that every time Moses was read the hearts of the hearers are covered with a veil that hides the new day/new thing God is doing. This hinders them from coming to the knowledge of the present tense reality that removed the problem
  • Verse 16 – Paul and his team reiterate the present tense truth that only turning to the Lord [Jesus] is the veil, cover, hindrance removed from the head and heart of the hearers

~~~ My conclusion is simply this ~~~

There are so many well meaning Christians who are blinded by the blindness from the veil Moses used to cover his decline. The result is they cannot see the truth of God’s new day/new thing that began with Jesus.

Concurrently, because of their unhealthy soul ties to old information and revelation and the possessor, protector and propagator of the old thing [Moses] they still live within a reality that is no longer real.

If you are presently tied to what faded away I whole heartedly encourage you to jettison the veil and proceed to the Person who now fully represents the present tense reality of heaven’s influence in the earth!

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

Dr. Kevin M. Drury, DMin

HIS Hisstorymaker

So Close & Yet So Far!

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

Did you know ~

At some point during the journey from Nazareth [the guarded one, the place we place guards thinking we are keeping ourself safe] to Bethlehem [the house of bread, the house where we get fed what we need to grow up] the caravan Joseph, Mary and the unborn Jesus traveled with would have traveled through Jerusalem [the teaching of peace].

It is quite possible they passed by, or very near Golgotha [the place of the skull: comes from a word that means to remove the head].

It is interesting to me how close Mary [rebellion], Joseph [God will add, God will do it again] and the not yet born Jesus [God is salvation] may have come to Jesus’ ultimate place of destiny on their way to the place of His birth, and never knew it.

Have you considered that God chose a Mary to bear the burden for His answer for all of our rebellion?

And Joseph, who name is pronounced yo-safe’ [come on somebody], was the man who protected God’s investment when it was more popular to run away from what looked like rebellion to him.

One of my prayers is that in the new year we will be acutely aware of the places  and people [geographically, literally or metaphorically] we pass by, through or near that are significantly important to our finding and fulfilling our destiny, even though they may, at the time, be entirely insignificant to us.

There are way too many people in [the ‘in’ crowd, or residing in the ‘inn’] places they think are the place to be in, not knowing the people who will help them find and fulfill their destiny are near by in a place that looks below them.

The greatest move of God man has ever witnessed began in a stall!

Have you stalled your progress toward your prophetic destiny by staying in a place that will never prepare you to process God’s process of preparation for your life?

Have you settled in a place where there are a lot of people, just not many people really in tune with what God is doing, or where God is moving?

Mary, Joseph and the unborn Jesus settled in an insignificant place off the path where the people collected. They were not part of the ‘in crowd’. They were just part of the Cloud!

Heaven’s ‘new thing’ was fast approaching and the mass of people who made their way to Bethlehem thought they were there to pay tribute to Rome, all the while not knowing they were invited to witness the wonderful wind of change that the Christ Child would bring.

Heaven was nigh but the crowds cared less!

The people positioned all around this Glorious One were too busy with their worldly responsibilities to be aware of heaven’s imminent invasion. So God’s solution was to move just outside the city to break in on the faithful shepherds keeping watch over their flocks by night.

Are you so busy being ‘responsible’ with your worldly responsibilities you are not being responsible with the opportunity God is giving you as the Master moves masterfully in the least likely of places?

Are you so busy being with worldly people that you are missing the mission of the Mighty One in your midst?

Are you so busy worshiping at the altar of convenience where the crowds collect you are missing the convergence of heaven on earth?

How close are you to what God is doing?

How far are you from what God is doing?

What is more important to you ~

  • being in the crowd or
  • bringing in the Cloud?

Keep HIS Faith! Keep HIS Promises! Keep His Passion!

Dr. Kevin M. Drury, DMin

A Hisstorymaker

Is Jesus Worried About A Wall?

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

Jesus is not anti-security or anti-wall!

Apparently the Pope is! At at least as it pertains to us and not him! He lives behind a huge wall, literally and metaphorically! He believes if you believe in a wall you cannot be a Christian. Okay?

The Pope believes he is the Vicar of Christ. I mean no ill toward the Pope or anyone who is Catholic, but he is not the Vicar of Christ and he is not the head of Christ’s Church. But that is another blog! Stay with me though and you may discover why the Pope feels it is okay for him to live behind a huge wall and restrict access to his domain.

I have been accused on many occasions of being black and white and that I am dangerous as a result of it. Those accusations are accurate, just not in the context of how they have been used. I am dangerous to the status quo of rote religiosity and unhealthy requirements to tow a company line that Jesus the Christ has not given me to tow.

Let’s take a stroll down memory lane!

“3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. 4 And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day.” [Genesis 1]

Several things jump out at me as I read this text again.

  • God said let there be light and there was light!
  • God did not say let there be darkness! Why?
    • I believe I know but I want you to think about that question.
  • God saw the light and said that it [the light] was good!
  • God saw the darkness but He did not call it good! Why?
    • Again, I want you to think about the question.
  • God divided the light from the darkness! Why?
    • Once again I want you to think!
  • God called the light ‘day’ [hot]!
  • God called the dark ‘night’ [to twist, to roll back and away from the light. Or, the opposite of hot which is cold]!

Are you following me here? If not follow on with me!

14 “And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, ‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: 15 I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. 16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot,  I will vomit you out of My mouth.” [Revelation 3]

There must be a clear delineation so that God, and people can know exactly where we stand on important issues that relate to heaven and earth! Lukewarmness is an affront to God and those who will not make a clear stand in the light [hot] or the dark [cold] must repent or be spewed [puked, vomited] out of Jesus’s mouth!

To be intellectually honest I see at least two meanings here:

First and foremost, Laodicea sat between an area of hot springs and an area of cold mountain bodies of water. Both of these two places were known for their refreshing and therapeutic characteristics. So, if we are not refreshing and therapeutic then we are in danger of being vomit. That is the context of what Jesus is saying in this text.

Two, you have to decide what you are going to be and where you are going to stand. I find it interesting in the Book of Beginnings [Genesis] and the Book of Revealings [Revelation of Christ] we find references to hot [day] and cold [night] as it pertains to a clear delineation of our posture, position and representation of Jesus Christ.

Therefore, in the Revelation text darkness as it pertains to displeasing God is living in compromise where you are unwilling to make a stand that is clear cut, consistent and capable of being helpful to others looking for and needing refreshing and healing.

Jesus is not into allowing our being abused unnecessarily!

“But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.” [Matthew 5:39]

But wait just one minute. How did Jesus respond when He was slapped at His mock trial?

 22 And when He had said these things, one of the officers who stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, “Do You answer the high priest like that?” 23 Jesus answered him, “If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; but if well, why do you strike Me?” [John 18]

Did you notice the obvious in what Jesus said and did not say? Jesus said there are times when “slaps” are not appropriate. In His case at that time it was not appropriate for the officers to slap Him. So He did not turn His cheek and take another blow!
Jesus said, “If I did not speak evil [a falsehood] why did you slap Me?” It is a fair question to ask was He inferring a “righteous” slap would have been appropriate?
“Faithful are the wounds  of a friend, but deceitful are the kisses  of an enemy.” [Proverbs 27:6]
I believe Jesus was also inferring that we don’t have to just stand by and get slapped because someone wants to wound, hurt and or offend us. This was a religious trial that was not legal according to the Jewish law. Jesus defended His position and did not turn the other cheek.
When Jesus stood before Pilate and was being interrogated by him Jesus did not “stand down.” He spoke truth to the one [Pilate] who believed he was in charge of that conversation.
Yet, later when He was being mocked and abused [slapped] by the Romans He did turn the other cheek. That was part of God’s redemptive plan for man!
I have been slapped by people when I needed it and I have been slapped by people when it was not justified.
I have been wounded by friends when I needed it and I have been kissed by enemies disguised as friends when I did not deserve it! Some of the most vocal “Amener’s” have been some of the most vehement and violent “slappers”.
We need to know when to justify our position and when to turn the other cheek!
“When you are persecuted in one city flee to the next.” [MT 10:23]
“15 Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 16 then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains.” [MT 24]
These texts indicate Jesus did not want His people [followers, disciples, brothers and sisters according to God’s redemptive plan] to die foolishly or prematurely, in the upcoming and impending destruction of Jerusalem.
“But the king was enraged, and he sent his armies and destroyed those murderers and set their city on fire.” [MT 22:7]
This is a prophetic parable revealing the impending destruction of Jerusalem, Judaism and the unrepentant people in the city. Jesus is saying once again, as He did all through the Old Testament, that God [the king] would send [use] foreign invaders to destroy the Jewish people because of their arrogance and absolute rebellion against the king [Him].
“And Jesus said to them [His followers, disciples, brothers and sisters according to God’s plan of redemption], ‘Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.’” [MT 24:2]
The reason for this prophetic revelation was because the Jewish people had reached the tipping point of rebellion against God and Jesus was responding to and answering specific questions from the disciples He called and trained for 3 1/2 years.
What if the Jews [all the house of Israel, not just a small remnant] had repented of their conspiracy to kill Jesus?
What if they as a nation had accepted Jesus as the Savior of the world?
Would the Romans have still come and slaughtered over 1 million Jews, destroyed Jerusalem and the hallowed Temple, and torn down that wall?
We will never know!
If Jesus was anti wall then why didn’t He say, “Do you see that wall? I don’t like it or what it represents. So, I am going to give you My closest allies a plan to bring it down just like I  brought down the wall of Jericho!”
The only reason that wall came down was because of the absolute arrogance of those who hid behind it. It was not an impediment to what Jesus was there to do or would ever do.
If a wall is built in the USA to provide a safe boundary for the citizens to live in peace and real productivity, Jesus will not be upset and His purposes for the USA and the world will not be encumbered in any way! To insinuate otherwise is simply arrogance on display!
By the way, the New Jerusalem, the Heavenly City, the Bride of Christ, has a huge wall and only 12 gates.
2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, 11 having the glory of God. Her brilliance was like a very costly stone, as a stone of crystal-clear jasper. 12 It had a great and high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels; and names were written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel. 13 There were three gates on the east and three gates on the north and three gates on the south and three gates on the west. 14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.”[Revelation 21:2; 10-14]
And God will not allow anyone or anything unholy into His walled city.
“And nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose  names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” [Revelation 21:27]
To me, it is absolutely ridiculous for religious people and especially religious leaders to insinuate God would not be pleased with the government of the USA’s attempts to secure our borders even if it meant building a wall with limited number of gates to control entry into and exiting out of this wonderful land.
And just in case you are not sure of what I feel, believe or where I stand on this critical issue – I am over the mockers in ministry who think that love means not having conditions to being in relationship with God or other people, and especially Christian people.
My goodness folks, read the Bible without preconceived and predetermined biases.
God has always had conditions to relationship!
Read the Bible slow!
Read the Bible as if you have never read it before or ever heard someone teach it before!
Read it like the Berean believers in Acts 17! They received the taught word with gladness but searched the Scriptures themselves to see if what was being taught as truth was true!
And please, develop critical thinking! I am not talking about having a critical spirit or giving yourself over to criticism. I am talking about being able to think for yourself and not blindly follow someone because you are in agreement with what they say or teach because that is what you have been taught to do.
Stop following those who tell what to think! Find someone who will teach you how to think!
Just because you agree with what your favorite teacher says is true does not mean what you believe to be true is truth.
I learned that lesson the hard way! I learned that you can honor man [authority] and dishonor God and that you may have to disobey man in order to honor God. The tension is in the knowing which is appropriate!
The church suffers from the Moses syndrome – “Moses, go up on the mountain and hear what God is saying and then come down and tell us what He said.”
You are responsible for your own self!
Dr. Kevin M. Drury, DMin
A Hisstorymaker
Keep HIS Passion! Keep HIS Purpose! Keep HIS Faith!