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Hidden In Him

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Hidden In Him

March 15, 2024, 06:01:15 PM
Attention: To anyone viewing this site, I will be moving to another forum. I will leave this one up until the end of the year so viewers can still view the material here, but after that this site will be shut down.

If you have any questions, you can contact me privately by becoming a member.

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awe-inspiring first encounter girls
 
 
 
 
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ytmp3music

September 23, 2023, 12:39:24 PM
Titanic post! I couldn't coincide more with your points. It's happy to give some thought to such mindful insights shared here.
Youtube to mp3 converter
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Hidden In Him

March 02, 2022, 01:44:01 PM
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Hidden In Him

January 07, 2022, 06:49:10 PM
Alive and well!  :)

Happy 2022! This is gonna be a good one. I can feel it, Lol.
 

MoreBloodWine

December 30, 2021, 05:29:20 PM
You alive Chris ?
 

MoreBloodWine

October 14, 2020, 06:17:44 PM
But ya, any PM's sent they should be made aware of via email, if they have notifications set for receipt of a PM.

But even if so, my newsletter blast can ignore such settings so anyone registered will at least get my message. But I can name them specifically in it for *** & giggles.
 

MoreBloodWine

October 14, 2020, 06:15:17 PM
Still need to check some things but that will be easy enough to do via PM.

When the site is re-opened. It is now, but tech locked down... but when it's "back". I can send out a newsletter, anyone who has an email attached that they still use will be made aware / be able to come back if that's what they choose to do.
 

Hidden In Him

October 14, 2020, 05:56:59 PM
You're kidding... That would be something. Any way to contact ShadowKen and Indybones? And maybe Pineapple, LoL. I suppose if it's all intact I could just message and it would go thru to email.
 

MoreBloodWine

October 14, 2020, 01:53:33 AM
@HIM: The MP is back, but it will need to remain in maintenance mode until I can re skin it / fix some of the underlying addons, But it is loading again... all data should still be intact.

I've already alerted spddmn's wife to let him know ;-)
 

Hidden In Him

April 27, 2020, 06:37:28 PM
And after checking, it wasn't done yet, LoL. Looks like it is now (hopefully).
 

Hidden In Him

April 08, 2020, 10:37:46 AM
This one's pretty good, LoL. Should be fun to put on video some day.  :)
http://www.spiritualwarbiblestudies.com/index.php?topic=181.msg207#msg207
 

Hidden In Him

March 10, 2020, 12:43:23 PM
 :) :) :)
 

MoreBloodWine

March 10, 2020, 07:02:44 AM
Everything happens for a reason, even if it's rewriting old works ;-)
 

Hidden In Him

March 07, 2020, 07:12:18 PM
My wife dislikes the idea that I'm rewriting studies rather than writing new ones, but the Lord is now opening up Colossians to me like never before, and some work needs to be redone. Very excited about the new insight!  :)
 

Hidden In Him

February 29, 2020, 02:19:44 PM
...get back to making sure studies were ready to put on camera when the time comes.  :)

So how's life with you?  
 

Hidden In Him

February 29, 2020, 02:18:44 PM
I noticed you were still lurking around, LoL. Glad to see I'm not the only one happy about it.  :) Hard at work converting the garage into a recording studio & music room. Gonna be nice! The soundproofing is going to be work and money, but a lot of it is already purchased. In the meantime, I had to
 

MoreBloodWine

February 29, 2020, 01:59:43 AM
 :) :) :)
 

Hidden In Him

February 28, 2020, 05:43:50 PM
I'm officially going back to writing! Glory to God Almighty!! Having fun again already, and going to be going to work improving and the adding to the set on Colossians.

Blessings in Christ to all who visit,
Hidden
 

MoreBloodWine

November 02, 2019, 02:37:56 AM
I rarely ever used Tapatalk to log in to the site. Not sure if anyone ever actually did as the issue of it not working was never reported.

But for our mobile uses, certain things like this chat box will not be available through the app as this chat box is an addon itself. But all boards within the forum are available and currently confirmed working.

Ty & my apologies !
 

Hidden In Him

August 05, 2019, 03:21:06 PM
An excellent passage I am now writing a study on in the Book of Colossians.

"And I am now rejoicing in [my] sufferings over you, and filling up in my flesh what is lacking of the afflictions of Christ for His body's sake, which is the church, of which I became a servant
 

Hidden In Him

August 05, 2019, 03:20:49 PM
... of which I became a servant according to the administration of God having been given unto me, for you to fulfill the word of God, the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations but which has now been made manifest to His saints, to whom God wished to make known what

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Author Topic: 1 Corinthians 4:14-21  (Read 3933 times)

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Hidden In Him

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1 Corinthians 4:14-21
« on: January 20, 2014, 02:35:37 PM »
Judgment Is Soon Coming To The Household Of God

     The warning the apostle now gave the Corinthians is still applicable today. As we shall see, the Spirit of God is again warning that judgment is coming to those who have presumed to positions of leadership in the church yet have been leading men into sin rather than turning them away from it. It is important to understand, however, that Paul was here warning them with the spirit of a concerned father, not with the condemnation of the Accuser:
 
     I am not writing these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children. For if you should have ten thousand instructors in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for I begot you in Christ Jesus through the gospel. Therefore I exhort you to become imitators of me. And for this cause I sent Timothy to you, who is my child, beloved and faithful in the Lord, who will remind you of my ways in Christ just as I teach everywhere in every church.
     But some were inflated with pride in light of my not coming to you. But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord wills, and I will know not the word of those who have become inflated with pride but the power. For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power. What do you wish? Should I come to you with a rod, or in love and in a spirit of meekness? (1 Corinthians 4:14-21)


     What kind of rod was the apostle Paul referring to that would he would discipline the Corinthians with if they continued to sin? Specifically, he was referring to apostolic declarations of the Lord's discipline upon sinners. This is clear from what Paul says next. The Corinthians, thinking they might no longer need to fear judgment since Paul himself hadn't returned to them but had sent Timothy instead, were now becoming emboldened and inflated with pride. But Paul warned them that God's judgment would still be pronounced upon them even if he himself was not present to do it.
     As he now gave orders regarding the brother caught up in sexual immorality:

     Sexual immorality is commonly being reported among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles, such as for one to have sex with [his] father's wife. And here you are having become inflated with pride, and rather did not mourn because the one having done this deed might [soon] be removed from your midst!  For, indeed, I being absent in the body but present in the spirit have already judged regarding the one having done this thing as being present: In the name of the Lord Jesus, when you have been gathered together in the power of the Lord Jesus, and with my spirit, you are to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit might be saved on the Day of the Lord Jesus. (1 Corinthians 5:1-5)

     The pronouncement of Divine judgment by apostolic authority was a common occurrence during New Testament times. When necessary, as the Lord willed it, they would "punish every act of disobedience" (See 2 Corinthians 10:1-6, 10-11, 17-18). This is what Paul meant when he told the Corinthians, "I will come to you shortly... and will know not the word of those who have become inflated with pride, but the power. For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power." (1 Corinthians 4:19-20). The kingdom of God - His Power and Kingship - were being manifested among them through apostolic declarations of His judgments.
     Another instance was when Peter pronounced judgment against Ananias and Saphira in the Book of Acts:

     Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to men but to God.”
     When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died...
     About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. Peter asked her, “Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?” “Yes,” she said, “that is the price.” Peter said to her, “How could you conspire to test the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.”
     ...Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband. Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events. (Acts 5:1-11)



The Consuming Fire Of God: Still The Context Of 1 Corinthians 4:21

     That he was warning them here about Divine judgment is entirely in keeping with what Paul has been saying to the Corinthians for two Chapters now: Fear God, and understand that the Fire of God's judgment will consume everything that was not of Him. 

     … if anyone builds upon the foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay or straw, the work of each will be made manifest, for the day will disclose it, for it is being revealed in fire, and the fire will prove it. If the work of anyone abides which he built, he shall receive a reward. If the work of anyone shall be consumed, he shall suffer loss, yet he himself shall be saved, but so as through fire.
     Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells within you? If anyone brings the temple of God into corruption, God shall bring him to corruption, for the temple of God is holy, which temple you are. (1 Corinthians 3:12-17)


     As described in Study 7, Paul wasn't here talking about future events that would occur on "the Day of the Lord." He used a present indicative passive verb to say that "the work of each man… is being revealed in fire [i.e. presently]." The Holy Spirit was revealing every man's work, and exposing those whose work, i.e. whose leadership, was not of God. Thus, Paul was now simply repeating again what he'd been saying for two Chapters: Destruction of the flesh will come upon those who bring the temple of God into destruction through a corrupting influence. Of necessity, they will be removed for taking Christian leadership lightly.
     But the question that remains: Why is God no longer disciplining us so strictly? Why don't we see similar judgments being carried out against sinners today, both among those in leadership and those in the pews? The answer to this question is a simple one: The church is no longer as close to God as she was back then, with the result that God is no longer disciplining us like sons as He once did. But this will not last forever. God's judgments are now prophesied to return in the near future, and with them He will once again begin disciplining His children like sons.
     As Joyner prophesied back in 1980:

     A fire is soon coming upon the church which will remove the wood, hay and stubble, but it will leave behind gold, silver, and precious stones. Of the works that were done in His name but not by His commission, not one stone will be left upon another. Everything that can be shaken will be shaken. That which is His will be purified, that which is not His will be removed. There is not a church, a ministry, a minister, or an individual who will not be touched by this fire. We will all be humbled before the Lord, before each other, and before the world. Pride and presumption started the fall, and its removal from the church will begin her exaltation. (Joyner, The Harvest, P.81)

     Unfortunately, the steps the Lord will have to take may be even more extreme than those He took back in New Testament times. As we shall see, many more deaths may have to occur this time around before the Lord is finally able to purge the church of her sinfulness.
 

The Vision Of The Sword And The Serpent

     The following vision was given to L. Vere Elliott in the late 1970's, and describes in detail the judgment that is coming upon those who have presumed to positions of leadership in the church without having God's authority. It is disturbing, particularly given that it exposes pride and presumption as again being responsible for bringing many to destruction. The Spirit of God has both the power to give life and to take it, and He is prophesying clearly through this vision that he will again begin taking life from those who are corrupting His church and keeping His people in bondage:

                                                           

     In this Vision/Revelation, I was in the midst of a great meeting hall (a church), and the walls and ceilings were covered with jewels and ornaments, and the windows were made of colored glass (a typical cathedral or church). The hall was full of people, some rich, some poor, some sick and crippled, mute and blind; but all had chains on and were hand-cuffed, and no one was free, (a picture of today's church, they are in church but they are not free). In front of the meeting hall was a large platform, with a pulpit on one side and a large cage on the other, with a huge green serpent in it; and hanging over where the speaker would stand, was a great sword suspended by two strings horizontally; and on the platform were several ministers, 8 or 10, clothed in clerical robes, sitting one behind the other, one seated just a little above the other. The assembly looked upon these men and they looked upon the church. There was silence for a while, until a thundering voice sounded from the pulpit, as if it came directly from God, saying, "Who will declare the whole counsel of God?"
     And the first clergyman arose with a Bible in his hand, and when he did, the old green serpent uncoiled and stretched out hissing against the man with sparkling eyes and protruding fangs; and the man of God, falsely so-called, sank back into his seat and placed his Bible under the chair. And when the serpent stretched up his head and touched the sword, he said to that man, "Anyone who obeys the voice of God, I will kill with this sword."
     And for a little while, there was silence again. And then the Voice sounded from the pulpit again, "Who will declare the whole counsel of God?"  And then the second man in clerical robes arose as if he would step forward, and again the serpent uncoiled against him, and he tumbled back with fear and sat down and placed his Bible under his chair (hiding the Word). The serpent again touched the sword, and with the same remark said, "I will kill you if you obey the voice of God."
     And for the third time the Voice from the pulpit thundered, and a third man arose and sat down like the two before him. And again and again the Voice sounded until each of the clergyman had had an opportunity to resist the serpent, but fear overcame them all, like the first three had been overcome. And the serpent smiled with his evil smile.
     And then the Voice sounded again from the pulpit saying, "Oh if there were a man, Oh if there were a man; Oh if there were a man who would declare the whole counsel of God, that these chained men might be set free! Is there not one man?"
     Then a man of little stature (meaning he was nothing in the sight of the world), ascended the platform and stood under the sword, and he lifted up his eyes toward heaven and said, "Into Your hands, Oh God, I commit my spirit." Then he opened the Bible and read. He didn't add anything to It, and he didn't take anything from It; he read the Word, and spoke as a man having authority.
     And when he had finished, the old serpent stretched up to the edge of the sword and cut off one of the strings holding the sword in place, and the sword swung down and missed him and passed over his head; because he was a man of "little stature"; and the weight of the sword made the other string to break, and the sword swung back and pierced the hearts of those clergymen who were lined up and nailed them to the wall. And a great scream of despair sounded from the pulpit; but an even greater cry of joy sounded from the assembly, for every man's chains were loosed and they were set free! (By the word they were set free).
     When this vision had vanished, I saw another vision of the Savior in a cloud, just above my head. He spoke saying, "Hear my son the meaning of these things. The meeting hall which you saw is the secularized church, having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof. They are all covered with the jewels of the joys of this world, and there is no end to their silver and gold. The people which you saw, are those for whom I died, but My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; they have eyes, but they do not see; they have ears, but they cannot hear. They are truly in bondage and must be set free! The platform in which you saw, on which the clergymen were sitting; the platform is the preconceived ideas, having their origins from the pit of hell. The pulpit is the throne of God; and the serpent, old Lucifer himself. The sword which you saw, is the Word of God; and the strings on which it was hanging, mean the power of the Word to give life or the power of the Word to take life. Life was given to the man of little stature and life taken from the clergymen that did not preach My Word! The clergymen that you saw, are men (& women) from every church who pretend to know Me, but they teach My people things which are not written in the Book of life; and their pride and their presumption, and their worldly spirit force them to obey Satan, who is a liar and the father of lies; and each of the clergymen try to exceed the other in elegance, in extensive writings, argumentation and the like; but they only consider the" letter" of the Word, and leave out the "spirit" of the Word. And the day will come and now is at hand, when they shall all perish, just like these.
     After having considered this horrible scene, the Lord spoke again with these words, "Do you remember My words in the prophecy of Jeremiah 23, as well as My words in the prophecy of Ezekiel 34?" Jesus said, "Read it."
     And I opened my Bible and read, "Woe unto the shepherds that destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture, saith the LORD. (Jeremiah 23:1) In the prophets I have seen a horrible thing, they commit adultery and they walk in falsehood: (a perversion of the Word of God), and strengthen the hands of evil doers. (Jer 23:14). Jesus said, "At the end of days you shall understand this. Woe to the shepherds that feed themselves, should not the shepherds feed the flock! (Ezek 34:2). The weak you have not strengthened, nor have you healed the sick, you've not bound up that which was broken, and neither have you sought that which was lost; but with harshness and with rigor have you ruled over them. (Ezek 34:4). I will destroy the fat and the strong shepherds; and I will feed them with judgment. (Ezek 34:16). Then He said to me, "These false shepherds shall in no wise escape when the sword falls upon them. But My sheep must be warned, they must be set free!" And again He said, "Do you remember My words in the prophecy of Jeremiah in the latter part of chapter 25? Read it!"
     And I read these words, "And the slain of the LORD shall be in that day from one end of the earth, even to the other end of the earth: (Jer 25:33). Howl ye shepherds, for the day of your slaughter is come!" Then He said to me, "These days shall come quickly, the shepherds shall howl, yea, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth; but when the sword has fallen it will be too late forever. The man whom you saw who was of little stature is every man and woman who will humble himself or herself, and be obedient even to the death of the cross, putting his or her trust in God, and going forward declaring the whole counsel of God! Oh, if I could find such a man, can you tell Me where there is one? With such a man I could shake heaven and earth," saith the LORD.


Dead Men Walking: Signs That God's Judgment May Have Already Begun

     Signs are now emerging that God's judgment may, in fact, have already begun. While none of the following stories may be attributable to God's judgment, they highlight a new trend that has emerged within just the last 5 years: Pastors are now being shot while preaching in the pulpit, and sometimes killed.
     The following incident occurred in September of 2013:

Pastor Shot and Killed In Pulpit – Pastor Carl Gallups Weighs In

                                              

     Today, we read in the news of a pastor in a Louisiana church being shot dead while he was in the pulpit preaching. Pastor Ronald J. Harris Sr is reported to have been preaching a special Friday night service in St. Charles, Louisiana when the gunman, Woodrow Karey Jr. (53), allegedly walked into the church and shot Harris twice with a shotgun. The report says that Karey has no known criminal history and the motive for the killing is unknown. It seems that attacks upon churches, members, and pastors is on the rise. We read of them more and more often. The trend is alarming. The trend has many church goers and even pastors – packing heat. (Freeinews.com, Pastor Shot And Killed In Pulpit, Carl Gallups Weighs In)

     While the murderer's wife had filed rape charges against the pastor just a few days before shooting, none of us knows for certain why God allowed this pastor to die. Yet the fact remains that God did allow him to die, and it suggests that the time for judgment to begin with the household of God may now be in its earliest stages.


Why Was A Pastor Shot To Death During Church Services In Maryville, IL?

     Yet another shooting death occurred in 2009. A Baptist minister from Illinois was murdered during an early morning service.

                                                     

     The pastor of a Maryville, Illinois, church was shot to death during a service Sunday in front of horrified church members who then tackled the gunman, state police said. Fred Winters, the pastor of the First Baptist Church, was shot and killed during the 8 a.m. service, and the attacker and two church members suffered knife wounds in the attack, authorities said.
     The gunman entered during the service and walked up to the pulpit. Winters and the gunman apparently exchanged words before the 27-year-old man fired four shots, hitting the pastor's Bible and then the pastor, said Illinois State Police Director Larry Trent. "The only thing we know is that the suspect said something to the pastor, and the pastor said something back to him -- we don't know what that was," Trent told reporters Sunday afternoon. "It was almost as if the pastor may have recognized him, but we're not sure about that at all."
     The gunman's .45-caliber pistol jammed after he shot Winters, Trent said. The man then pulled out a knife before being tackled by some of about 150 worshippers attending the service in southern Illinois, near St. Louis, Missouri...
     Witness Claudia Bohley told CNN affiliate KSDK-TV in St. Louis that she was in the church's foyer waiting for the service to begin when she heard "pop, pop, pop. ... We just couldn't imagine what had happened." She said she ran into the sanctuary and saw what looked like paper scattered on the pulpit. She said she was later told that a bullet hit Winters' Bible. "It was like confetti. It went everywhere," she said. "People were down on their knees and on the floor, screaming and praying."
     She described Winters as "such a pleasant pastor." Trent said police are still trying to determine a motive in the shooting and that church members did not recognize the gunman. First Baptist Church is fairly large, with about 1,000 members, KSDK reported. The church holds four Sunday services. (CNN, Church pastor killed during service, police say)

                                                 


Pastor Shot At The Pulpit

     Still others have had near misses, as the following story from MS News Now in 2010 described:

GARLAND, TX (NBC) -
     A Texas youth pastor is recovering after being shot at point-blank range while giving a sermon to dozens of teens. Pastor Eddie Contreras was in the middle of a sermon to about 50 teenagers at the Walnut Park Casa De Mi Gloria Church in Garland Friday evening when Jose Pablo walked in, visibly distraught.
     Eyewitnesses say Pastor Contreras ignored the interruption and preached on. Cesar Valenciano was standing nearby. "He reached to his belt, and back belt and pulled out a gun and told everyone to back up," he recalls. "He shot him and he fell and everybody scattered."
     Police say that Jose Pablo had no criminal history, but was having some family problems. His mother and sister attend church at Walnut Park and they brought him there to address some of those issues. Police have charged Pablo with attempted murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. (WLOX,com, Pastor Shot At The Pulpit)

     Again, no one knows for certain about the personal lives of these men. What cannot be refuted, however, is that these were clearly not natural deaths. Whether it was because of the Lord's judgment that these men were shot, no one knows. But it is without argument that He certainly allowed it, which leaves us to wonder if His judgments may have, in fact, already begun, or if we are now on notice that they soon will.


Myles Monroe Dies In Plane Crash In Bahamas

     Religious and political leaders across the globe on Tuesday continued to mourn Myles Munroe, the evangelical pastor and motivational speaker with a devoted following who was killed in a plane crash in the Bahamas Sunday.
     Munroe, 60, founder and president of Bahamas Faith Ministries International, died along with his wife, Ruth, co-pastor Richard Pinder and six other people when the small plane they were flying in struck a shipping crane on approach to landing in stormy weather Sunday night at Grand Bahama International Airport, the ministry and Bahamian authorities said. Prime Minister Perry Christie called Munroe "indisputably one of the most globally recognizable religious figures our nation has ever produced." In a briefing with reporters Tuesday, he said, "I ask myself why would God take the life of someone who was one of his angels, one his disciples, one of his apostles." (NBC news.com, Evangelical Preacher Myles Munroe Mourned Around The World)

     I'm sure many of his followers were asking themselves the same question, and sadly the answer is that Myles Monroe was possibly the world's foremost promoter of Kingdom Now theology in the world today, as discussed in Study #2. Thus, judging by recent events, it appears God is now sending clear warnings to His people that judgment may indeed already be starting at the household of God.

                                                       

Why The Current Priesthood Must Be Removed

     But some might ask, "Why would God be so strict? Is He not a God of love?" The answer is provided in The Sword and the Serpent: Much of today's Christian leadership now unfortunately keeps the faithful in bondage rather than delivering them from sin. Hell is rarely if ever peached, which through the fear of God might lead many to repentance. But many ministers fear the ridicule of the world, and the threats of persecution Satan whispers in their ear, so they remain silent. Sin is even regarded in some circles as a "turn off" to the seeker-friendly approach to ministry, so many don't even preach on sin at all anymore.
     Instead, they flatter the people, which can be traced to a single, yet very subtle deception of the enemy: Much of Christian preaching today focuses upon who WE are in Christ, rather than on who HE is in us.
     As Joyner stated over 30 years ago, and it holds true even more so today:

     One of [Satan's] most effective delusions has been to get us to devote our attention to who we are in Christ, instead of who He is in us. This leads us to the worshipping of ourselves, the creature, instead of the blessed Creator… The church was called to be the bride of the Lamb... but what groom would be pleased with a bride who was more consumed with her own beauty and person than she was with him? Such self-centeredness would be repulsive.
     Regardless of our pretense, we are worshipping that which has our attention. Satan knows we will never become "who we are in Christ" as long as that is our motivation. We will be changed only by seeing His glory, not our own. (Joyner, The Harvest, P.110-111)   

     This simple deception has led us to the place where sermon after sermon is now filled with appeals to soulishness: WE walk in supernatural power, WE are "blessed" of God, WE are rich, WE are heirs of the Kingdom, etc. etc., word without end. In reality, it's just flattery, and this is not merely my opinion but that of the Holy Spirit Himself.
     As is prophesied in A Divine Revelation Of Hell, (together with another warning to today's ministers):

     The holy people of God have been led away by flatterers. Do not be deceived; God is not mocked. Understanding will come to you if you will open your ears and listen to Me. This is the Lord's message to the churches. Beware of false prophets who stand in My holy place and deceive with flatteries. O earth, My people have fallen asleep to the sound of false doctrine. Awake, Awake! I tell you that all unrighteousness is sin. Cleanse yourself from all sin of the flesh and the spirit.
     Listen you ministers of My Holy Word. Do not teach my people to sin against their God. Remember that judgment begins at the house of God; unless you repent, I will remove you for the sins you have taught My people. Do you think that I am blind that I cannot see, and deaf that I cannot hear? (A Divine Revelation Of Hell, P.138-139)

     That God should remove His ministers for teaching His people to sin is actually nothing new. He has done so before, such as when His priests were misleading the Israelites.
     As the Lord told them through the prophet Malachi:

     "And now this admonition is for you, O priests. If you do not listen, and if you do not set your heart to honor My Name," says the Lord Almighty, "I will send a curse upon you…"  “My covenant was with [Levi], a covenant of life and peace, and I gave them to him; this called for reverence and he revered Me and stood in awe of My name. True instruction was in his mouth and nothing false was found on his lips. He walked with Me in peace and uprightness, and turned many from sin. For the lips of a priest ought to preserve knowledge, because he is the messenger of the Lord Almighty and people seek instruction from his mouth. But you have turned from the way and by your teaching have caused many to stumble; you have violated the covenant with Levi,” says the Lord Almighty. (Malachi 2:1, 5-8 NIV)

     What was God's judgment upon these men? The same as will befall those who do likewise in the future: The fire of God will eventually consume them.
     As the Lord promised the faithful later in Malachi's letter:

     You will again see a distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not. "Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and that day that is coming will set them on fire," says the Lord Almighty. "Not a root or a branch will be left to them. But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall. Then you will trample down the wicked; they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when I do these things," says the Lord Almighty. (Malachi 3:18-4:4)

     By removing arrogant, self-consumed leaders from their positions of power, the Lord Himself will again make a distinction between those who truly serve Him and those who do not. The self-consumed will themselves be consumed in the fires of God's judgment.


God's Heart Vs. The Heart Of The Accuser

     Make no mistake. Though he knew judgment might soon befall the disobedient, Paul did not write the Corinthians as an accuser. He wrote as a loving father trying only to warn them. It is Satan who condemns the brethren, and seduces immature believers into doing so themselves from a sense of superiority. But these are NOT expressions of the heart of God, not even in judgment.
     Though the Lord's words in the following prophecy to current church leadership are stern, they nevertheless offer hope, and are written to encourage leaders in love, just as Paul was doing with the Corinthians:

     Listen you ministers of My Holy Word... You who hold the truth in unrighteousness and line your pockets with silver and gold at the expense of the poor - repent, I say, before it is too late. On the day of judgment you will stand alone before Me to give an account of what you did with My Holy Word. If you call on Me in repentance, I will remove the curse from your lands, and bless you with a mighty blessing. If you will repent and be ashamed of your sins, I will have mercy and compassion on you, and I will not remember your sins anymore. Pray that you may be an overcomer.
     Awake to life and live. Repent to the people you have led astray and taught false doctrine. Tell them you have sinned, and that you have scattered My sheep. Repent to them. (A Divine Revelation Of Hell, P.139)

     If we have the heart of our heavenly Father - the same heart the apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians with - we will pray for church leaders rather than condemn them. As God gives us opportunity, instead of shaming them publicly,we will exhort them in love privately to continue doing the good, but repent of the bad, before judgment comes, for God's command is that we show one another mercy and forgiveness. The humble never forget that they, too, have sinned, and fallen short of the glory of God.


Links to articles:

http://www.freeinews.com/politics/pastor-shot-and-killed-in-pulpit-pastor-carl-gallups-weighs-in
http://askville.amazon.com/pastor-shot-death-church-services-Maryville-IL/AnswerViewer.do?requestId=41328356
http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/03/08/church.shooting/index.html
http://www.wlox.com/story/13229795/pastor-shot-at-the-pulpit
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/evangelical-preacher-myles-munroe-mourned-around-world-n246576














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