Old Dog V
Back to: Servants And Stewards
Contending For The Faith
Bob Neumann, 1.7.2002
Dear Stephen, Today someone forwarded to me the latest report from Bill Koenig. I usually enjoy reading his insights to the global and national events. He speaks as a “watchman” who looks out at the landscape and watches events unfold. But this time he says some things that are on my heart. Seems he too is looking in the right direction to see the clouds moving ahead of “THE STORM”. So let me share a slice of what i just read….
>NewsWatch: The New Year, Bill Koenig > >The New Year – Looking Ahead
>”But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For >yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord cometh as a thief in the night.” (1 >Thessalonians 5:1-2 KJV) > >As in previous years, a lot of “tickle the ears” personal prophecies are appearing. Last >year, we observed that many of these prophecies circulated, and a very large majority of >them turned out to be way off base. You might consider noting this year’s prophecies, >writing them down, or printing them, and setting them aside for later review. > >Readers should note that there is also a difference between “prophecies” and >”possibilities.” Prophecies assume an inspired Word from God, while possibilities >don’t; >even though they may have some divine insight associated with them.
This is some solid advice from a man who does not title himself or advertise himself in religious or spiritual forms. But what i really liked was the differentiation between “prophecies” and “possibilities.”. Most of what is coming forth titled as “STUFF FOR 2002” is almost all “possibilities”. Someone made a comment about “just one week into the NEW YEAR”….in a previous post. In their perspective they are right. The “western world” says the year just began. In China and Asia they would argue. Their years begin on NEW MOONS/FULL MOONS in relations to the equinoxes. And if, like me, are into the idea that GOD has HIS OWN calender and plan of events….we are 4 months into HIS NEW YEAR.
But that is not the issue…how we think is.
Mr. Koenig says “Prophecies assume an inspired Word from God”…which is TRUE. We “assume” it is from GOD. But Paul told the Church in Corinth to let the “prophets” judge all WORDS that are spoken before the “congregation”. So all of us should judge if a “word” comes from GOD….or not. In a post titled “mea culpa”….i mentioned Deuteronomy 18. For several years it has been on my heart because it, like all of GOD’S WORDS touch us. Paul says….”All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”
Now many people quote and teach this…..and it is indeed, some real good stuff. But….i know i like this conjunction….BUT….the whole chapter is dynamic…and rarely addressed….so let me start to address an issue….FALSE BRETHREN and THEIR FRUIT.
Many will refuse to believe that something labeled as “religious”, “christian”, “of god”….just may not be. Many want to “know” what the next year will be like. Many desire man to tell them things will be good, safe, happy….because they have never heard GOD before. And they have been taught GOD LOVES THEM and will BLESS them…even if they do not know HIM…have no covenant with HIM…and do the things GOD SAYS HE WILL CURSE. SELAH…please.
So if anyone really wants to know what GOD IS SAYING for the HERE and NOW….just study to show yourselves as approved workmen.…
2 Timothy 3
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,
7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of thetruth.
In his letter to Timothy Paul addresses a situation that would take place in some distant future. He describes it for young Timothy…and for whoever would read as led by THE MOST HOLY SPIRIT… He says, as directed and anointed by THE LIVING GOD, there would come a time called THE LAST DAYS….something spoken of by the major and minor prophets. It would hold great danger to believers. And “we” could KNOW that time by examples in verses 2-6. Paul also makes a statement that that for 2000 years has awaited this “time and season”.…
Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Today in amerika “secular humanism” replaced scripture in most seminaries and bible colleges 30-40 years ago. Men and women earn titles and degrees to put behind their names to impress the flocks. To impress “boards”. Yet throughout the “church” there is a famine. Children and sheep starve….because they can not turn away from those who have no knowledge of the truth.
8 Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.
Here Paul associates this church leadership with the magicians that contended against MOSES and YHWH…Paul says they “resist the TRUTH”. Powerful accusation. Then explains it as the fruit of corrupt minds and reprobate in their ways. Paul spoke on this in Romans also. In amerika today we have been reaping TARES planted in THE MASTER’S field 30-40-50 years ago. Tares can not be threshed and ground to flour for “BREAD” to feed THE CHILDREN OF GOD.
9 But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as their’s also was.
Paul says that there will come a time where this all we come to light, be exposed. And then does something interesting…
10 But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience,
11 Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me.
Paul sets a “standard” on how to judge APOSTLES and TEACHERS…by using himself as an example. The TRUE SERVANTS we will know from seeing their lives and hearing their words upheld by scripture. We will know THAT GOD’S HAND is on them.… And then he makes a prophetic line in the sand…
12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
Persecution….not prosperity…is a sign of those who as PAUL STATES….”live godly in CHRIST JESUS”. BUT.…
13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
Paul is clear…those who are evil and serve the enemy will only get worse…..please remember this…
But Paul is not really a “doom and gloom” guy….he shines some light here…
14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
Paul tells Timmy that THE HOLY SCRIPTURE, THE WORD OF GOD will through FAITH IN JESUS make us wise…but not in our own eyes. And Paul gives us the reason why…
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
Now that is how verses 16 and 17 should be discussed, explained….because it has a purpose. So should we.
We should be able to discern what is of GOD….and what is not. But most do not.
GOD’S CHILDREN should differentiate between ABBA’S VOICE, and the voices of THE LYING SPIRITS that were sent to the false prophets. For me the question is why would someone want to be a false prophet. Why would anyone want to hear anything not of GOD? There is an answer…from long ago. But it addresses more than false prophets. Boy does it ever….Deuteronomy 18
1 The priests the Levites, and all the tribe of Levi, shall have no part nor inheritance with Israel: they shall eat the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and his inheritance.
2 Therefore shall they have no inheritance among their brethren: the LORD is their inheritance, as he hath said unto them. Here it is MOSES instructing a nation, as Paul was teaching Timothy. And Moses starts with the LEVITES….the professional clergy. GOD tells MOSES that the LEVITES are GOD’S responsibility and have no inheritance as the other tribes. But GOD will provide…
3 And this shall be the priest’s due from the people, from them that offer a sacrifice, whether it be ox or sheep; and they shall give unto the priest the shoulder, and the two cheeks, and the maw.
4 The firstfruit also of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the first of the fleece of thy sheep, shalt thou give him.
5 For the LORD thy God hath chosen him out of all thy tribes, to stand to minister in the name of the LORD, him and his sons for ever.
It is GOD’S IDEA that the LEVITES are chosen and set apart for service to HIM. In the New TESTAMENT we have a “chosen generation”, but “service only to GOD” is seldom tied that “royal priesthood” thing. That is error. Anytime man “preaches” about being a chosen generation and a royal priesthood and the message is not on obedience and service it is deception. SELAH.
6 And if a Levite come from any of thy gates out of all Israel, where he sojourned, and come with all the desire of his mind unto the place which the LORD shall choose;
7 Then he shall minister in the name of the LORD his God, as all his brethren the Levites do, which stand there before the LORD.
8 They shall have like portions to eat, beside that which cometh of the sale of his patrimony.
In other words, the Levites get a daily portion. Divided equally. They have no land, or house, or property to call there own. They do not build personal ministries and take the fleecings of the whole flock. But today the PASTOR stands above all else. Asks for money all the time. Has everyone bow to them…figuratively speaking. Why? It sure was not from the pattern GOD ESTABLISHED for HIS SERVANTS…the LEVITES. So where did they get their theology and religion from? God tellsus.…
9 When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations.
Among the heathens…the priests and magicians were elite, elevated, especial….and liked it. So do today’s clergy.
10 There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch.
When you try to tie verses 9 and 10 together we see the abominations of the nations as idol worship…passing their children through the fire. Isaiah and Jeremiah confirm that this happened in GOD’S LAND by “his people”. Then HE speaks of “users of divination”, “astrologers”, “witches and people who use “enchantments”. Today most people will say they are modern and do not believe in “hocus pocus”. So why does GOD? HE tells MOSES to warn the people. SELAH.
11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. AND HERE it is…FAMILIAR SPIRITS. Other voices….and they are not holy. JESUS called them FOUL SPIRITS….i’ll go with that.
12 For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee. Have we driven out all who play with foul spirits? Who hear and speak what lies they hear? SELAH.
13 Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God. GOD calls us to be “perfect”. Many say it can not be, so why try.
That i think is the whopper….WHY TRY? GOD will just have to take us as we are. YUCK…. But that is why we have to get away from the liars and mockers…by following JESUS and learning “OF HIM” once we give HIM our burdens as HE has asked us repeatedly to do. But then we have to pick up HIS YOKE. Now JESUS said all that HE SAID for reasons and purposes. None of HIS WORDS were idle or pointless. In spite of what men and demons say. Following HIM has a plan and a purpose…and that is to be perfected. In spite of the stuff around us.
14 For these nations, which thou shalt possess, hearkened unto observers of times, and unto diviners: but as for thee, the LORD thy God hath not suffered thee so to do.
GOD…our ABBA wants us listening to HIM. HE SENT HIS SON so we can learn to walk and to follow JESUS away from the world. AND JESUS SENT US THE MOST HOLY SPIRIT so we can hear with our own ears. All of this has a reason and a purpose.
15 The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;
16 According to all that thou desiredst of the LORD thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not.
The descendants of Abraham, GOD’S FRIEND, did not want GOD to speak to them. So GOD used Moses. No one else….yet people were prophesying in the camp. Korah tried to depose MOSES. And DIED. Later Miriam got Aaron to go with her against MOSES and GOD CURSED HER….now it is all in the BOOK. For that reason YHWH said HE would send HIS SERVANTS…prophets like MOSES who GOD WOULD TALK TO….and then they would speak to those people hiding idols in their saddle bags. Which makes what GOD says next more than interesting…
17 And the LORD said unto me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken.
18 I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.
19 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.
20 But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.
21 And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken?
22 When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.
We are not to be “afraid” of the man or woman that speaks, as GOD says “presumptuously”. Why does GOD say “afraid”? Maybe it is that so many who call themselves “prophets” and “prophetesses” claim to be from GOD, but whenever questioned spew curses in all directions. In the time of MOSES there was a dude called BALAAM. Now this “dude” had a big REP going among all those pagans. Why? Because he had a record of achievements all had seen. Scripture says ol’ BALAAM had the “power”. The power to bless and to curse.
Now BALAAM lives today in “his doctrines”. In Rev 2 JESUS tells Pergamos that HE holds against them that they “hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.”
Anyone who causes GOD’S CHILDREN TO STUMBLE….to worship idols….to commit spiritual fornication is into BALAAM. The real problem with Balaam is he claims GOD’S POWER and POSITION….he claims to bless and curse. Things only GOD can do…..or so we claim.
There is a war going on outside the church, and inside the church. Many intercessors will tell of “curses” sent against them. Of schemes and snares set for them. These are facts. The BIGGEST LIE of the enemy which the liberal church bought hook, line and sinker is “THERE IS NO DEVIL”….no ENEMY…no ACCUSER of the BRETHREN. The second biggest lie comes from the secular humanists…THERE IS NO SIN. The secular humanists claim man was made flawed. Man can not be held accountable when GOD…if there is a GOD….made man flawed and weak. So sin is wrong. Now if you buy into that…you do not need a Savior. THE SON need not have been born. THE LAMB WAS SLAIN FOR NO REASON.
See how the lies build on themselves. The WORD of GOD tells us to STUDY…..scripture. The WORD of GOD tells us to seek first HIS KINGDOM. The WORD OF GOD SAYS HIS YOKE IS EASY and HIS BURDEN IS LIGHT. So why do so many struggle and are worn out all the time? Maybe they have not taken HIS YOKE? Just maybe they never heard HIM SAY…”FOLLOW ME….COME UNTO ME….”. ANY THOUGHTS…..selah
bob neumann
Up Next: Looking Back, Looking Forward