Category Archives: End Times

End Times, Spiritual

Witchcraft in the Church

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YouTube Poster

The video talks about witchcraft in the church drawing from Gal3.

Gal3:1 – “O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?”

One aspect raised concerns the tension of obedience led by the Spirit after the Law of the  Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus and the obedience after self-works and legalism after the Law of sin and death.

It offers a flavor of what this tension is all about and not how to navigate it.

At the heart of this tension is the central focus, or lack thereof, of Christ, crucified, His death, His resurrection, and His dominion in His return.

It is based on this central focus that the Christian fulfills the Law of Christ of bearing each other’s burdens (moral faults) mentioned in Gal6:2, and not by focusing on the rules themselves.

To do the latter is falling into the Law of Sin and Death, which would make one a victim of witchcraft.

End Times, Life's Journey, Spiritual

Spiritual Warfare

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Eph6:12 – “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

The unseen realm is where the war over our soul-mind (Rom12:2, 2Co10:3-5, Phil4:7) takes place. 

God wants the believer to be strong in the power of His might to fight this spiritual war, according to Eph6:10. 

What is this might of Eph6:10? It is found in the armor but are there practical truths about Eph6’s armour of God and the Word of God as a sword in Eph6:17 to support, clarify, access, or empower this might? 

Eph6:13-17 presents the whole armor of God. The actions of “stand” and “take” of the armor of God are employed to fight this spiritual battle.

Apart from Eph6’s strategy, one can flee (2Tim2:22) and watch and pray to be aware of the weakness of the flesh although the spirit is willing (Mat26:41).

This post is my noob reflections, taking baby steps in spiritual warfare, where  the focus is on the battle and leaving the outcome to God.

When I say focus on the battle, I do not mean that we are directly waging the battle in the unseen realm, not directly anyway. 

This focus invites and empowers the divine beings to come to our aid. They are the one’s doing the battle while we offer them the weapons of our faith in the Word.

This post explores what about the Word this faith needs to focus on for the spiritual battle.

The Focus

The Bible is overflowing with the consistent theme of God’s love (grace, mercies, and forgiveness) and God’s justice (righteousness, dominion, power, restoration) in His word and life circumstances

Rom10:9-10 Is the core salvation verse. To confess Jesus is Lord is about remission of sins thru His blood, Christ crucified. It is about God’s love.

And to believe in the heart, He was raised on the 3rd day, is about God’s justice, for He was raised for man’s justification (Rom4:15-Rom5:1). 

God’s love is manifested in Christ crucified and His shed blood for the remission of sins and foundation for justification (Rom5:9). 

God’s justice is manifested by the power that raised Jesus from the dead and the promise of His return, the coming of His dominion (His Kingdom come and His Will is done).

The above are the tools or weapons for the spiritual warfare that speaks of the double-edged sword of the Spirit of His Word in Eph6:17.

Drawing from Eph3:20 -” Now unto him, that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,”

The “think” is to perceive; visualize, and imagine. I imagine the love of God (faith in the love of Christ crucified and faith in His sanctifying blood) represents the shield (of faith) and is the defensive spiritual weapon for the divine beings (angles and NOT me) to reclaim and make holy the battleground.

This defensive shield, a spiritual weapon, creates a safe space, a clam in the storm offering respite for the weary and troubled soul from the spiritual attacks.

I imagine the justice of God (faith in the power that raised Jesus and faith-hope in His coming dominion) is the offensive spiritual weapon for the divine beings to overcome the forces of darkness (naming the spirits takes place).

Closing Statements

I am a lay Christian. The above are personal thoughts with some scriptural basis.

I embarked on the above after listening to Pt1 and Pt2 of Derek Prince’s video on this subject of spiritual warfare. There are 4 parts to this series.

Part 1 – https://youtu.be/r3q3GgIIONs

Part 2 – https://youtu.be/o348jdFeFOI

End Times, Life's Journey, Purpose and Meaning, Relationship

Discipleship and Spiritual Apathy (Part2 of 3)

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This post is partially extracted from the video link – https://youtu.be/lpiQdRd9DSc and blended with personal insights. The video is about Getting into Word to produce disciples of Christ, Part 1.

The video draws upon the parable of the Sower to expand on the nature and issues of spiritual apathy that is poison to the goal of being the discipleship of the Lord Jesus.

Mat13 – 1-15 Parable of the Sower is in the category of a Kingdom Parable is a foundational parable to understand all other parables. This parable draws attention to the heart condition of the believer in His Kingdom. Many view the parable of the Sower as relevant to the unbelieving world- but why would this parable of the Kingdom, where only believers can qualify to be Kingdom citizens, be directed to non-citizens unbelievers?

I am not saying there is no application for unbelievers, but the context of Mat13 appears to indicate its relevance for believers.

The parable in a nutshell-

  1. The Setting of the parable – About the Kingdom of God
  2. The Story – A Sower sowing the same seed in 4 types of ground (heart condition)- impenetrably hard by the wayside, the shallow rocky soil, the soil where thorns grow, and the good soil.
  3. The Significance – To teach the truth about the heart condition as foundational to spiritual growth and maturity.

 

Three existential reality shapes the heart dictating one’s response to the word of God. They are the deceived, discouraged and distracted hearts.

  1. The reality of one’s life pursuits- beware of the fallacy of pride that can hijack the life pursuit. This represents the hardness of the unconverted heart (along the hardened wayside), hardening in unbelief, and hardening in stubborn pride. This heart is deceived.
  1. The reality of one’s pain, a discouraged heart bearing the scars of trauma, represents the shallow rocky soil. The pain is expressed as the scorching sun of tribulation and persecution (Mat13:9).

The pain of life makes one forget about God as the root is shallow (not inclined to depend on God) and resorts to other means to solve the pain. God and His revelational truths become the emergency panic button of last resort to solve the pain. This heart is discouraged.

The heart’s shallowness is likely due to being traumatized by life’s pain to protect itself. But this same coping mechanism also results in a superficial relationship with God.

  1. The reality of one’s desire for pleasure, where the distractions and pleasures of life enchant the heart. This heart is represented by thorns, the cares of the world, and the deceitfulness of wealth. This person desires blessing over the God who is the source of blessing. Such a person forsakes their eternal values for earthly pleasures. This heart is distracted.

In the next post, the cost of discipleship covers the solutions to these heart conditions that impede the authentic discipleship of Christ.

End Times, Life's Journey, Relationship, Spiritual

Discipleship – The Need for Spiritual Maturity (Part1 of 3)

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This post is partially extracted from the video link – https://youtu.be/lpiQdRd9DSc and blended with personal insights.

The video is about Getting into Word to produce disciples of Christ, Part 1.

The video draws attention to the traits of a disciple of Christ, where their focus is on the divine alignment and divine assignment.

The topic of discipleship is close to my heart for a few reasons. Firstly, making disciples is the great commission of Mat28. 

Mat28:19 does not say to convert the unbeliever by saying the sinner’s prayer of Rom10:9-10 but to make disciples that observe the Lord’s commandments (Mat28:20).

This post is the 1st post of 3 posts.

To support this focus, the video posed the question – what is the critical issue facing the body of Christ (BoC)?

Spiritual maturity is the critical issue and need facing the BoC for the spiritual health of Christ-likeness. Spiritual maturity is not predicated on the age as a Christian or status in the 5-fold ministry.

The opposite of spiritual maturity is spiritual indifference or apathy. Spiritual apathy produces non-disciples believers and pseudo-disciple believers.

A non-disciple is indifferent and avoids the matters of God. Such a person calls on God and avoids the call of God. The pseudo-disciple lacks an adequate spiritual compass.

Spiritual maturity is not-

1.      Spiritual knowledge is not spiritual maturity. A person can have much spiritual knowledge but lead a carnal life.

2.      Spiritual zeal is not spiritual maturity.

3.      Spiritual activism that leads to spiritual titles or valued positions is not spiritual maturity.

4.      Spiritual giftedness is not spiritual maturity.

Spiritual maturity is about divine alignment and divine assignment as measured by the Word of God.

1.      Divine alignment – About submission and obedience to God’s will by valuing the truth in His Word through revelations and spiritual awakening.

This alignment will take the view as created spiritual beings and not only physical beings.

2.      Divine assignment – About living a life of repentance, meekness, and having a servant’s heart. By taking this view, we are carrying out earthly assignments with eternal value.

To expand on the challenges of spiritual apathy, the video draws from the Parable of the Sower expounded  in post 2 out of 3, titled Discipleship and Spiritual Apathy.

End Times, Wealth

Gold and Silver

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Gold and Silver have been money for a few thousands of years. But today, we do not appreciate them in the same way anymore.

Nonetheless, these precious metals have been referenced in the Bible as valuable items.

If one intends to own some gold and silver, what amount should one buy? While there is no perfect or universally correct answer, the profile of existing precious metals owners may offer some clues.

These 3 videos estimate the amount to be within the top 20%, 5%, 1%, and 0.1% (for Silver only) precious metals (PM-coins and bars) investors in the world.

This video is not financial advice. These key statistical estimates give some insights into the general profile of PM investors.

1. https://youtu.be/vthprFLyPNY

(World 20%, 5%, and 1% @ silver)

2. https://youtu.be/UXENdkmapAY

(the USA vs. the World, top 1% and 0.1% @ silver)

3. https://youtu.be/BUHpbIyHCLc

(World 20%, 5% and 1% @ gold)

End Times, Relationship

Love and Good Works in End Times

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As a follow-up to the post https://sincerelawrence.com/2022/08/04/fellowship-agenda-in-the-end-times/,this post expands the context of Heb10:25 to encourage one another as the Day of the Lord is approaching, explicitly concerning, provoking to love and good works of Heb10:24.

Mat24 about the end times offers relevant context concerning the issue of love.

Mat24:12 -“And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.”

The word iniquity means lawlessness. The scope of the law in Mat24:12 can include the Laws of the OT without harming this verse.

The OT foreshadows the NT (Heb10:1), where the NT clarified that the whole Law of the OT rests on the laurels of love.

These are the 3 love commandments of love God, love your neighbor, and love one another (among believers) (Mat22:40, Jhn13:34).

Thus Mat24:12 causative relationship of lawlessness producing the absence of love makes sense in light of these love commandments.

Gal6:2-6 reinforces the immutable relationship between the law and love. Gal6:2 says this –
“Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”

God treats this law of Christ of bearing one another burden’s seriously, for Gal6:6-8 says this –

“Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.
Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption, but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.”

It appears violating the law of love is sowing in the flesh and reaps corruption.
How has the above got to do with anything with the end times?

Mat16:27 reveals the answer –
“For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.”

Note that the “reward” means repaying for the good and bad works.

These realizations underpin the importance of Heb10:24 as an end-time agenda for fellowship.

Heb10:24 says this -“And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:”
What is the evidence of love waxing cold?

Heb10:24 offers the answer – love without good works is evidence of love waxing cold.

End Times

Fellowship Agenda in the End-Times

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The Fellowship Agenda for Believers in the End-Times

 

Heb10:25 -“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”

 

Heb10:25 has a context that flows from Heb10:22-24, where the author exhorts us to do three things –

1. Heb10:22 – “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.”

This verse speaks of the purification of the soul and body, as part of the repentance-sanctification process of falling short of God’s will.

2. Heb10:23 – “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)”

This faith is the belief in the resurrection hope as Heb11’s context that follows Heb10 talks about this faith of the OT saints looking forward to the hope of the resurrection, believing in this hope.

3. Heb 10:24 – “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works.”

 

Against this context, it would appear that the exhorting among the gathering as believers see the Day approaching is referring to these 3 “Let us”