WHAT DO THE MILLIONS OF SERMONS PREACHED DO FOR YOUR COUNTRY? Josimar Salum

WHAT DO THE MILLIONS OF SERMONS PREACHED DO FOR YOUR COUNTRY? Josimar Salum

Imagine: If we have 100,000 churches, we have 100,000 preachers who preach 100,000 sermons every Sunday. If these churches have two services a week it's 100,000 churches with 100,000 preachers preaching 200,000 sermons a week. At the end of the year, 10,400,000 sermons are preached each year. Where are the deep changes and transformations in the cities and towns where all these preachings are proclaimed?

This church of prosperity preaching, of giving campaigns on the radio, on TV, on the internet, of the millions of evangelical deals is lost, powerless, and cannot save itself.

It is necessary to humble ourselves and recognize that we are poor in the Power of God.

I hate poverty and misery in people's lives. I hate the sin that causes people to live like wanderers. But I also hate oppressive wealth, which makes others miserable.

Don't say that I'm against believers giving up their tithes and offerings, that I don't believe in the God who gives power to acquire wealth, that I don't believe in the God who wants me to be a head and not a tail, that teaches to lend instead of borrow and allows me to eat the best of this earth.

This insistence on asking for money non-stop in the lives of many leaders is only a symptom of an upcoming downfall. The answer they get from thousands is the reason they live: to enrich themselves and continue to despise the poor, the widow, the missionary work and the causes of the Kingdom of God.

We must recognize that we are in a terrible crisis of legitimacy in evangelical leadership, that this avalanche of leaders who get divorced, become involved in scandals, who live in unbridled competition among themselves, who build ever-larger empires around themselves, are symptoms of an apostate church that lives the manifestation of the antichrist in its bosom.

A church that needs to turn totally to God and His Word, to the simplicity of the Gospel, to the exclusive Preaching of the Message of the Cross.

A church that needs to abandon the fads, the exotericisms, the mysticisms, the amulets, the brightness of the stage and the platform and turn to the knees of the dark rooms, to the hills where broken hearts meet the Spirit, to live today as if Jesus was going to come today and work to earn resources to do His work while He is not coming.

 

A Church that is concerned exclusively with what it is in Christ – its identity – and not with what it has or what it wants. A church that learned only to seek the Kingdom of God and His Justice for what God is, and not for the things that will be added. Yes, a Church that seeks the face of Jesus more than it seeks his Hands. Because success with God is measured by who one is in Christ and NOT by what one has.

#ASONE

THE KINGDOM OF GOD SUFFERS VIOLENCE AND THE VIOLENT TAKE IT BY FORCE. Dr Paul Taylor

THE KINGDOM OF GOD SUFFERS VIOLENCE AND THE VIOLENT TAKE IT BY FORCE. Dr Paul Taylor

I have been meditating on this scripture for a long time.  

“The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the Kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it.”  Luke 16:16

The word “pressing” in the Greek is “biazetai”.  It means “force or pressing oneself into or to seize.”  It is the same word used in Matthew 11:12.  “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the Kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.”  The word “violence or violent” is the same word, “biazetai”.  

Why does it take force to enter the Kingdom of God?  What is the resistance to entering the Kingdom of God?  

Please, let me encourage you to read this Scripture before we continue: 

“Strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the Kingdom of God.” Acts‬ ‭14:22‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

I have often made the comment that their will be many who will be saved, but will never walk in the Kingdom of God here on Earth.  

I truly believe there is a great difference. There is no doubt that salvation is needed to enter the Kingdom of God. Salvation is freely given and freely received by those who have faith in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for the sins of the world. Jesus is the Door, there is no other way to salvation and a relationship with our heavenly Father.  However, I have no doubt that Jesus never intended the salvation message to be the end, but the beginning to a life relationship with God and His Kingdom or realm on the Earth!  

The great difference that I see between the message of salvation and the message of the Kingdom of God is that the first may prepare you for heaven but the second prepares you for a life long adventure here on Earth with God, and to live eternally in His Kingdom. The message of salvation is about heaven, but the message of the Kingdom is about the Kingdom. 

It should be noted that the message of the Kingdom reconciles you with your Heavenly Father and allows you to walk in the realm of heaven on Earth for a life long adventure with God!  However it is a journey, not a destination! It is not the end, but just the beginning.

This relationship with God is amazing, but comes with a price!  Not a price that you can purchase, because you do not earn it!  The price is effort, pressing, violence (spiritual), denying of oneself to enter in to the Kingdom realm. The apostle Paul said it comes through much tribulation or hardships.  The word in the Greek means, persecution, affliction, distress, tribulation. From the Greek word “thlibo”; pressure.

Again, my question is why?

I am sure there are many answers to this question.  When I read the context of scripture I see two enemies or powers that resist my walking in the Kingdom of God.  

Remember I don’t earn it and you don’t earn it.  It was purchased by the blood of Jesus and made available to everyone who is born again.  Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.”  John 3:3. 

You cannot even see the Kingdom of God without being born again!  This scripture also verifies that there is more to our relationship with God and our purpose here on Earth than salvation.

The first resistance is that of the religious system, the law.  Read how the Pharisees despised Jesus for preaching the Kingdom of God.  Why?  The law allowed you to manipulate it.  You can keep the law and be far from the Kingdom of God!  Today it may not be the law by the Pharisees, but it is by the church through legalisms, rules and systems.

Jesus doesn’t want your sacrifice of works.  He wants your heart!  The law will allow you to justify yourself before men!  But that can’t happen in the realm of God.  You must press past the resistance of religion!

“Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him. And He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭16:14-15‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

As you can notice it is the same problem today. Some leaders are lovers of money and through the preaching of works they make money. As my beloved friend Josimar Salum says: “There is no way someone can make money by preaching the Grace of God.”

The second resistance is your mind, yourself.  My greatest enemy is not the devil.  He has been defeated at the Cross.  My greatest enemy is ME!  My mind!  

“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.” II Corinthians‬ ‭10:3-6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

I have to battle against my mind and what I know to be true in my flesh.  This is where repentance takes place. I have to change my thinking by God’s thoughts. This is where the battle of faith intensifies.  I know what I see with my eyes or know with my intellect, but the things of God are spiritually perceived!

 “However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. For “who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.” I Corinthians‬ ‭2:6-16‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

This is an extremely important portion of scripture.  You cannot know God and His Kingdom realm with your natural mind.  You must press past the resistance of your human flesh to SEE THE KINGDOM OF GOD!  

Walking in the Kingdom of God is a constant battle between flesh and spirit.  I wish I could say I win that battle every day, but it is my desire to walk in the Kingdom realm of God on Earth, as it is in heaven.  The answers to today’s problems are found in this realm of God!  It is not by an escape from this world fed by the rapture mentality. It is a solution to the problems that mankind faces here on Earth.  It is not super spiritual, but it is supernatural! We are all on this journey together.  

I pray you will join me as I press into the Kingdom of God.

#ASONE

THERE IS NO FREEDOM IN ANY RELIGION. Josimar Salum

THERE IS NO FREEDOM IN ANY RELIGION

Josimar Salum

It is not in God's nature to control anyone. Granting Freedom is God's means. The greater the Freedom you have in God, the more submissive you want to be to Him.

Jesus was anointed by the Spirit to set the oppressed free and open the prison for all inmates.

Sinners today leave their lives of oppression and demonic suffering and become evangelicals to continue living under an even greater weight of oppression from an entity they call "god."

Everything is nothing but a personal and human projection, an oppressive religion that took its inspiration from the threat of hell and judgment, which imposes a fear and a dread of sin based on “it may be the consequence of sin”, the curse of the police-priests of the religion who oppress their followers, making them more miserable than they were when they lived in the “world”.

And the world is still the world, but now religious - decorated with lamps (the established legalisms) and conventional clichés (the idioms of the evangelical: "you're tied up", "go on in victory, the blood of "jesus" have power, get out satan, shalom, peace of the lord, etc.).

It's all just a hypocrisy to maintain themselves with a so-called transformed status, when all they experienced was a botched reform. They live under an infernal charge to stay in the group and to be promoted in it, almost having to sell their souls to the devil again.

The Grace of Freedom in Jesus is that anyone could be whoever they were and strip themselves entirely before the One who not only probes the deepest of hearts, but has the Power to transform any heart, no matter how corrupt. 

Jesus came to give Freedom to the Children of God. And Liberty never matches Religion. There is no freedom in any religion.

#ASONE

THE IMPORTANCE OF FATHERS BEING OBEDIENT TO THE LORD AND TRAINING THEIR FAMILIES IN RIGHTEOUSNESS. Dr. Paul Taylor

THE IMPORTANCE OF FATHERS BEING OBEDIENT TO THE LORD AND TRAINING THEIR FAMILIES IN RIGHTEOUSNESS. Dr. Paul Taylor

Josimar asked me to write a message since business has slowed and I have a little more time.  

I have so much to say and want to give just a short message on the importance of fathers being obedient to the Lord and training their families in righteousness.   

I want to encourage you. We can often be hard on ourselves, but your love for God is pleasing to the Lord.  

Your obedience sets you apart from others.  Your family is an amazing blessing and such a testimony of your spiritual leadership as a father, and husband.  This qualifies you to listen in on the plans of God.  

“Then the men rose from there and looked toward Sodom, and Abraham went with them to send them on the way. And the Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing, since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice, that the Lord may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him.””

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭18:16-19‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

 One of my favorite stories.  There is a conversation in heaven and it is recorded here.  

God says, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing...”  The answer is no.  Why?  “For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice, that the Lord may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him.”  

There is so much in this conversation that we are allowed to listen in on with God.  

The bottom line is the obedience of Abraham to teach his children and household allows God to bring to Abraham all that He had spoken to him previously.  In your case, your obedience will allow you to receive all that God has for you.  This includes the promises of Abraham!!!  

Being a godly husband and father allows God to share with you His plans!  If you can be trusted with earthly things, such as training your children and raising them in righteousness, then God will trust you with some of His plans.  He is looking for faithful men!  

“For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. “ 2 Chron. 16:9. 

Do not think your faithfulness to the Lord goes unnoticed.  

#ASONE