People, Get Ready

[just-us-2]

We know the last days are upon us and that we must “redeem the time” while we still can (Ephesians 5:16, Colossians 4:5) There are many things God wants accomplished but many hindrances are standing in the way. The church – not just one particular religion– is stagnant and accomplishing very little today.
Many will disagree with this statement. They are blinded by their own “good works” – mission trips, feeding the homeless, church dinners and other functions – all good things in their own right, but... we are not called to “busyness.” Multitudes of these very people will be the ones the scriptures speak of inMatthew 7:21-23 where it says, “Not everyone who says to me, `Lord, Lord!' will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, only those who do what my Father in heaven wants. On that Day, many will say to me, `Lord, Lord! Didn't we prophesy in your name? Didn't we expel demons in your name? Didn't we perform many miracles in your name?' Then I will tell them to their faces, `I never knew you! Get away from me, you workers of lawlessness!'”
[As I was writing out this passage the words awoke a question – if Christ says He doesn’t know these people, how could they cast out devils and prophesy and do miracles in His name? We know His power is greater than anything else and just His name is immensely powerful, so consider the implication here – Christ doesn’t know these people – they are not His – these people claim to have cast out demons and prophesied and performed miracles. Perhaps the key is that the people claimed to have done these things and they didn't really happen. We know that today it is common for people to have an inflated idea of how much good they are doing. In Acts 19:14-16 there were exorcists using Jesus’ name but the demons caused the man in whom they lived to beat them up and run them off naked and bleeding. They were unable to cast out these demons using Jesus’ name so, who are these people talked about in Matthew 7? Did they really do these wonders? He knows His sheep (John 10) and they know Him and even the demons know Christians: “And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?” Acts 19:15 --- As much as I would like to say that I completely understand this, I have to say I don’t.]

 

[Angela53510]

I think you missed these important verses, before you put down people who are actually doing what Jesus commanded.

"[SUP]39 [/SUP]And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ [SUP]40 [/SUP]And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’[SUP]41 [/SUP]“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. [SUP]42 [/SUP]For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, [SUP]43 [/SUP]I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ [SUP]44 [/SUP]Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ [SUP]45 [/SUP]Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ [SUP]46 [/SUP]And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Matt 25:39-46.

As for "the end is nigh!" it's been said a thousand times before in as many centuries. God will come when he is ready, not when we misinterpret the word of God. There is only one sign that really counts for the end times. That the gospel is preached to the whole world, not just to one country or continent.

[SUP]14 [/SUP]And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole worldas a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come." Matt. 24: 14

Here is a good link to see how many people groups need to hear the gospel. That is what we all need to be part of, either in prayer or going!

Operation World | Home

 

[follower2]

Wow according to the link you gave we arent even close to end times XD 2% in libya? 12% in most other surrounding countries? barely scratched the surface.

Nothing scares me more than that line: " I never knew you"
I just pray that he will, and does know me!!!
I have not done any real works, I have not helped the sick, or converted anyone, or even shared a testimony, I get baptised in a few weeks. So I hope I have at least enough time to do that.

P.S. Thanks for the link by the way, ive been wanting something that showed that information.

 

[notconformed2theworld]

Just follow the spirit and God's work will be accomplished.

Romans 8:13 KJV
For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

 

[follower2]

Wow, i was looking around on that site, 92% in congo DRC in africa vs our 75% chrisian here in n america, we need more missionaries HERE lol.

 

[xFuSioN]

wow we are suppose to help the poor and spread the gospel

 

[follower2]

Wow so lets do it, you dont need a plane ticket to africa, go out to your local town and do it!

 

[just-us-2]

There are also many who will agree that the church is of little effect at this point in time. Though they see this fact, they mistakenly lay blame on the church as a whole. The church consists of individuals, none of whom are without fault, each of whom has a part to play as explained in the scriptures. We are only one body with many parts, many callings. (I Corinthians 12:12, Ephesians 2:10 Consider a machine – if one part doesn't work the entire machine doesn't work properly. This is what is going on in the church today. The church/machine is barely functioning because of so many non-working members/parts. And as a remedy, the owner of the machine (in this case God Himself) initiates repair/revival when the machine is not working right. This is why “scheduled” revivals usually don't produce lasting fruit. Plenty of warm fuzzies at the time but lasting fruit is largely MIA. It is up to the machine owner to determine when a machine needs fixing, and spontaneous revival from God is real repair for ailing churches and individuals.Each individual must be maintained. As a squeaky hinge needs oil so we also need spiritual as well as physical maintenance if we are to do our part as a component of the true church.​

 

[HoldingOn2013]

We know the last days are upon us and that we must “redeem the time” while we still can (Ephesians 5:16, Colossians 4:5) There are many things God wants accomplished but many hindrances are standing in the way. The church – not just one particular religion– is stagnant and accomplishing very little today.
Many will disagree with this statement. They are blinded by their own “good works” – mission trips, feeding the homeless, church dinners and other functions – all good things in their own right, but... we are not called to “busyness.” Multitudes of these very people will be the ones the scriptures speak of inMatthew 7:21-23 where it says, “Not everyone who says to me, `Lord, Lord!' will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, only those who do what my Father in heaven wants. On that Day, many will say to me, `Lord, Lord! Didn't we prophesy in your name? Didn't we expel demons in your name? Didn't we perform many miracles in your name?' Then I will tell them to their faces, `I never knew you! Get away from me, you workers of lawlessness!'”
[As I was writing out this passage the words awoke a question – if Christ says He doesn’t know these people, how could they cast out devils and prophesy and do miracles in His name? We know His power is greater than anything else and just His name is immensely powerful, so consider the implication here – Christ doesn’t know these people – they are not His – these people claim to have cast out demons and prophesied and performed miracles. Perhaps the key is that the people claimed to have done these things and they didn't really happen. We know that today it is common for people to have an inflated idea of how much good they are doing. In Acts 19:14-16 there were exorcists using Jesus’ name but the demons caused the man in whom they lived to beat them up and run them off naked and bleeding. They were unable to cast out these demons using Jesus’ name so, who are these people talked about in Matthew 7? Did they really do these wonders? He knows His sheep (John 10) and they know Him and even the demons know Christians: “And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?” Acts 19:15 --- As much as I would like to say that I completely understand this, I have to say I don’t.]

This is how I understand this. And just like I don't take what people say at face value, I'm sure you will do the same as I do and go look, study it more. But here is my opinion.

We can pretend to be Christians to the world. We play the part, say all the right things, but God knows our heart. There are plenty of people in churches today who are corrupt, immoral and twist the word of God to their benefit. Demons know God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit personally. They knew Paul also. So here you have these "Christians" who may have appeared to be good and were in a way trying to do good, but God was not with them. God never leaves us, EVER. I believe evil knows and runs when it sees a Christian. These men here may have appeared to be one thing to the world, but God knew their heart and was not with them. Just my take!


[h=3]Matthew 7[/h]13 “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 Because[a] narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

 

[jerusalem]

when people lie to themselves and each other long enough they begin to believe it themselves. how many christian organizations and churches are receiving funds from the government? no seperation of church and state here. that is a self deception. once those funds are accepted regardless of the rational you cease to be a christian entity and become a social service agency for the government. the government now tells you what you can and cannot preach from the pulpit and how you are required to run your affairs. the church that you once were is now second place or less to what it once was. you have become a secular entity in disguise. this is the heart of the churches becoming ineffectual and the fire of the Holy Spirit being put out. you can't serve both....God and money....yet in spite of this churches are selling out in order to receive funds and maintain a tax exempt status. the price is too high.......He surely won't know us if we continue on this wreckless course

 

[just-us-2]

We often fall victim to the “pillar syndrome” - always having to be the one with all the answers. You know what I mean – I've been a Christian for however many years – I no longer struggle - my actions and reactions are always the correct action or reaction for a Christian – I can't let anyone see I am weak today or they won't think I am worth listening to - people won't look up to me for my wisdom in spiritual matters if I don't have all the answers or appear weak, etc. In essence, without saying, or even consciously acknowledging it, our egos can't stand the thought of not being “the answer man/woman.”There is a desperate need for mature Christians to disciple new believers and “babes in Christ.” Discipleship is nearly a lost art today. Few there are who are equipped and willing to disciple others. There seems to be far greater glory or notoriety for the one who “leads a person to Christ” than for the one who nurtures that new convert to a level of usefulness for God's kingdom – especially in the eyes of that troublesome ego we all have. A pitiful, pathetic truth is that we all know the right words to say but are devoid of the essential substance to back them up, rendering us incapable of nurturing a new believer.Another bitter truth is that we, who have been Christians for many years, get complacent. We have read the Bible a lot over the years as we attended the adult Sunday School classes and some of the “extra-curricular” Bible studies, seminars, retreats, etc. We become hypocritical as we verbally endorse daily Bible reading – all the while our own Bibles lay in the car from one church service to the next – and daily prayer so we can communicate with God and He with us – as we rattle off a quick “grocery list” type of prayer every day...well, nearly every day. But those “right” things to say are well-memorized and at our ready disposal so we can easily maintain our saintly image.
We are sadly remiss when it comes to maintaining our spiritual health. God is not pleased with our arrogance toward living “for Him” as we would say it. We cannot reasonably think we can thrive and at the end of this life hear our Lord say to us, “Well done good and faithful servant”, without constant infusion of God's Word, without serious “quality time” in prayer and meditation. This is vital maintenance.We substitute conversation with other people and an occasional looking up of some particular Bible verse to validate our point, for reading God's Word. Others of us read ten or maybe even twenty books in the course of a year by Christian authors, and that becomes a convenient substitute for the vital communication with our Father. Or are you a deacon, or an elder, or a youth pastor, or any one of a number of available titles? No, a title bestowed by men does not equal an acceptable substitute either. None of these are acceptable substitutes because there is no such thing as an “acceptable” substitute for what God has already outlined so plainly in His Word.​

 

[xFuSioN]

how about we focus on our lord and savior jesus christ and wait for his return which is very soon ?

 

[Elizabeth619]

how about we focus on our lord and savior jesus christ and wait for his return which is very soon ?

Even the apostles were criticized by angels for looking into the sky. They had a job to do. To spread the gospel. Sitting and waiting isn't our job as Christians.

 

[just-us-2]

I agree! Sadly, I have found that many professing Christians are immobile - they are sitting around waiting to get raptured out before the tribulation and thus don't actively disciple other, etc.

 

[xFuSioN]

yes but we are so close that if we ourselves get distracted we could miss it

 

[1still_waters]

if Christ says He doesn’t know these people, how could they cast out devils and prophesy and do miracles in His name?.]

It's called self deception.
They really weren't casting out demons or healing, they just thought they were.

For example, those in the charasmania "deliverance" ministries who see a demon behind every bush, and as the cause of every fleshly struggle. They'll yell at "demons" in Jesus name. In their mind they believe they cast out a demon. But in reality all they did was yell at a demonless bush.

Another example, the heretics in the name and claim, blab and grab movements, who are really just teaching a christianized version of the mind sciences aka The Secret. They'll pray for someone who's sick. They'll "claim" the healing. Then they honestly believe the person is healed, but they aren't.

I think Jesus is talking about self deception, not actual people who healed or cast out demons.

 

[jerusalem]

please go to you tube and type in the words exposed talking to satan. the video of various false teacher's doing this in front of believer's while they are completely unaware of it will shock you but will also explain alot. please watch the entire video because it begins with hand signs which could be seen as incidental and not as proof of anything

 

[dyingeveryday]

I think that in Acts the ones who were casting out demons were obviously doing so on their own without the power of Jesus. I would have to think that if the demon said to them that they knew Jesus but not them, that they did not have Jesus in them. We have no power of our own we have the power of Jesus who is in us.

 

[soldierofchrist4ever24]

We often fall victim to the “pillar syndrome” - always having to be the one with all the answers. You know what I mean – I've been a Christian for however many years – I no longer struggle - my actions and reactions are always the correct action or reaction for a Christian – I can't let anyone see I am weak today or they won't think I am worth listening to - people won't look up to me for my wisdom in spiritual matters if I don't have all the answers or appear weak, etc. In essence, without saying, or even consciously acknowledging it, our egos can't stand the thought of not being “the answer man/woman.”There is a desperate need for mature Christians to disciple new believers and “babes in Christ.” Discipleship is nearly a lost art today. Few there are who are equipped and willing to disciple others. There seems to be far greater glory or notoriety for the one who “leads a person to Christ” than for the one who nurtures that new convert to a level of usefulness for God's kingdom – especially in the eyes of that troublesome ego we all have. A pitiful, pathetic truth is that we all know the right words to say but are devoid of the essential substance to back them up, rendering us incapable of nurturing a new believer.Another bitter truth is that we, who have been Christians for many years, get complacent. We have read the Bible a lot over the years as we attended the adult Sunday School classes and some of the “extra-curricular” Bible studies, seminars, retreats, etc. We become hypocritical as we verbally endorse daily Bible reading – all the while our own Bibles lay in the car from one church service to the next – and daily prayer so we can communicate with God and He with us – as we rattle off a quick “grocery list” type of prayer every day...well, nearly every day. But those “right” things to say are well-memorized and at our ready disposal so we can easily maintain our saintly image.
We are sadly remiss when it comes to maintaining our spiritual health. God is not pleased with our arrogance toward living “for Him” as we would say it. We cannot reasonably think we can thrive and at the end of this life hear our Lord say to us, “Well done good and faithful servant”, without constant infusion of God's Word, without serious “quality time” in prayer and meditation. This is vital maintenance.We substitute conversation with other people and an occasional looking up of some particular Bible verse to validate our point, for reading God's Word. Others of us read ten or maybe even twenty books in the course of a year by Christian authors, and that becomes a convenient substitute for the vital communication with our Father. Or are you a deacon, or an elder, or a youth pastor, or any one of a number of available titles? No, a title bestowed by men does not equal an acceptable substitute either. None of these are acceptable substitutes because there is no such thing as an “acceptable” substitute for what God has already outlined so plainly in His Word.​

Not to go off topic here, but i have been reading your posts here, and while i may not agree with it all as a whole... just wow sis you really have a gift for writing and if no one at this point has encouraged you to write, let me be humbly the first to say go for it sis write, write for His names sake

in Christ
Brother Travis

 

[soldierofchrist4ever24]

It's called self deception.
They really weren't casting out demons or healing, they just thought they were.

For example, those in the charasmania "deliverance" ministries who see a demon behind every bush, and as the cause of every fleshly struggle. They'll yell at "demons" in Jesus name. In their mind they believe they cast out a demon. But in reality all they did was yell at a demonless bush.

Another example, the heretics in the name and claim, blab and grab movements, who are really just teaching a christianized version of the mind sciences aka The Secret. They'll pray for someone who's sick. They'll "claim" the healing. Then they honestly believe the person is healed, but they aren't.

I think Jesus is talking about self deception, not actual people who healed or cast out demons.

Amen my brother and you just didn't tell it but you boldly told it. being a moderator and all that took God given courage im sure i also agree 100% here thank you for marking them stilly may we all learn something here. James goes deep in how sin manifest as did our Lord pointing to the corrupt flesh way more than satan/demons. and for those caught up in this crud i pray you come out, Bad company corrupts good Morals, Abstain from every instance of evil. and as for your demons i will leave you with an exhortation from the book of James Resist the devil and he will flee from you. please dont get caught up in the Acts20:29 situation also here is a link it is over a hour long but really neat Stilly if you havent watched it yet im sure you will enjoy it. https://youtube.com/watch?v=Ne34FMXm2XY&feature=youtube_gdata_player

In Christ
Brother Travis