Spiritual Warfare Part 4

Spiritual Warfare Part 4 What I'm going to do now is talk a bit about the local congregations. They meet in houses. They don't own worldly investments like corporations, real estate, stocks, bonds, etc. They also don't become corporations. The church need not have a bank account, a written charter, or any other physical manifestation. You don't need to get a license to be a church. What are you going to do if some government agency decides you shouldn't get a license, stop meeting. No. Giving need not be 10%. It can be more or less. Use the concept of a poor bag or box. Give in cash, only. Math.6:3 " But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly." If you are using a check or I hate to say it a credit card, the giving can't be in secret. It is error. Now the person preparing the bank deposit knows and so do the people at the bank. Forget the receipt business. Don't mingle giving to the Lord and secular government affairs. No one is supposed to know how much you give, not even the Pastor and the Elders or the government taxing authorities. Don't mess up your rewards from God, follow the instructions precisely. God has his reasons. In the Book of Acts they sold houses and lands and gave the money to the Apostles. Again, try to preserve the secrecy of the giving. Use reasoning. The pastor will normally handle the financial matters of his congregation. Ultimately Apostles are over every congregation so plan on seeing Apostles in the church. Exciting isn't it. Make it your immediate goal to get your own life and those in your house ordered correctly according to the word of God. You should also attempt to gather with other believers functioning according to the word of God and have God raise up people to fill the ministry offices and have a solid congregation with correct doctrine and practices. Rest assured when you get to this point the Lord will use you according to his will. 2Tim.2:20 - 21 " But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work." Note it says that you purge yourself. So start purging, you do want to be used of God, don't you? Heb.5:14 " But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil." As you have more experience with spiritual matters, when the sin is gone from your life, you'll very quickly see how much easier and quicker it is to recognize the snares and traps of the enemy.

The believers need to wake up. Eph.5:14 - 17 " Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. see then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is." Math.6:33 "But seek ye first the kingdom of god, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Here's a scripture that should prove useful. Lk. 10:5 - 6 "And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house. And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again." You will need to be learning to discern spiritual things and you have a useful scripture here. As you start to exercise your spiritual powers you will discern much more spiritually. When you go into a house you can speak your peace to the house (think family) and see if your peace returns to you or not. This was spoken to the seventy by Jesus when he sent them out but rest in belief that God will honour it for you. Your spiritually tools are very powerful. You read it, believe it and walk in it. 1Cor.12:3 " Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost." The last part of this passage that says Jesus is the Lord is not correctly translated. "and that no man can say Lord Jesus" is a better translation. This is found in some of the very old translations and in interlinear Bibles. I once went to a library and went through church hymnals, song books for churches, and could find no song, excepting one song in a book about 200 years old, using the words "Lord Jesus". Try it. 1Jn.4:2 " Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now is it in the world." Another useful scripture. Pray for illumination. The entire series and much more on www.messianic.biz