The Holy Spirit has been working on me big time lately. Today at work He was ministering to me what the problem is with small churches that cease to grow. The Holy Spirit told me the problem with these churches is that they don't want to change! So I said, "What do you mean?" Then the Lord said "Pride and stubbornness! These two things I can not work with." Then the Lord recalled to me the verse in James, God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.
So like I always do when the Lord ministers to me about something, I looked with in myself to see if there was any resemblance of this inside of me. Because if there was I want to get rid of it as fast as I can. I never want God to be resisting me! Then God spoke to my Spirit and said, "Never get tired of changing, no one has ever been as perfect as Christ and no one ever will! But the moment you stop changing as I direct you, is the moment you become of no use..." Wow! Immediately I thought of the parable of the fig tree branches that didn't produce any fruit and were cut off and thrown into a pile to be burned! Then I heard God say again to my spirit, "This is why there is a big falling away from me. Churches across the nation are not willing to adapt to the changing of the times and therefore their children grow up to lose interest in me because of the traditions of men are taking the place of my revolutionary leadings of the 'miraculous age!' People are losing their fire because I have snuffed it out due to their unwillingness to change." I asked Him, "wouldn't it be better for them to get the children saved in these churches even if they were unwilling to adapt to this age?" God said, "No! The problem with letting them go on teaching old traditions is that they will be ill prepared for the new tactics of the enemy! Then the enemy can lour them away from the flock easier, and then they are worst off than before they were saved!" Wow! I thought, "I never thought of that!"
You see this generation is fighting a more complex battle than our parents and grandparents ever imagined. At a click of a button sets before us anything we want, Pornography, Violence, Greed, Abusive speech, and the list goes on and on! We are living in a different world than the previous generation. Apostle Paul said in the last days more perilous times will occur. This is coming from a man who was beaten several times and left for dead! More perilous times? The battle raging inside today's youth is extreme, even compared to my youth! And I am only 27 years old! Children are being exposed and forced into making decisions that I myself would have never imagine! Homosexuality is running ramped through out this world and now you are cast down if you believe that same sex marriage is immoral! Drug and alcohol addictions are more common than pickup trucks! Premarital sex is the normal and now if you are a virgin when you get married you are the minority! A few years ago they made a movie that poked fun at a man who was a virgin till he was 40 years old. Comedy central wants to do a cartoon about Jesus Christ, and they want to portray Him as tired of being in His Father's shadow and turns rebellious! Foul language seems to be non-offensive, even to the ladies! This country alone has killed over 52 million unborn children since Roe V. Wade. That is almost 10 million more than Joseph Stallin! 10 million! Why should God help this nation of ours when we have kicked Him out of every public place for it may become offensive to those who don't believe in Him! More like, He may expose their wrong doings!
All these things are taking place right here right now, and as time goes on their momentum is going to gain! And more vigorous times will appear before us. Today, our youth must be on FIRE for God in order to take on the battles they are going to face on a daily basis. Hymns are wonderful, but a 200 year old hymn is not going to create the burning fire that they need to be victorious! Churches that look down their noses at the contemporary songs of worship need to step back and judge their own heart. Ask yourself if what they are doing is exalting the Lord Jesus? If so then what is the problem? If it keeps the kids on fire for God, is that not what we need in today's world? Many traditions of men have been held above God's word in significance and that is a part of why the youth of today are turning away. They think that these traditions are what God is about, and the Gospel couldn't be farther from the truth. But churches that refuse to change when God directs them to have been one of the biggest contributors to the "Great falling away." Now we need to be a big part of the solution!
God help us! For we have strayed from your word! We have abandoned your truth and exchanged it for lies! Lies of this world! God help us not because we are worthy or that we deserve it, but rather help us because you love us and you are merciful! God forgive us of our wrong doings as we gaze upon your face! Lead us and this nation out of the fiery pits of Hell, where we are bound for and set us back upon the Rock of your salvation! Give us the leaders and the voices to achieve you restoration, and please help your children old and young to unite in one effort together in fighting the battle for your glory and expose our indignant attitudes toward one another. Show us how to love one another as you love us. Teach us to tap into your power together as a nation, and lead us by your Spirit to change the world and turn it upside down! Father, I pray that your fire burns on these readers hearts, and that these words fall on good ground. And I bind the devil from trying to steal this harvest and any of his other tactics that might interfere with your plans. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless You!
Eric R. Cox
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Defending our Foundation
If any of you have noticed that in the past 40 years or so Christianity has been under heavy fire by several humanist groups. Since Charles Darwin, the theory of evolution has been a topic of controversy for many Christian circles and has caused many to doubt their faith in God. As a result they walked away from salvation in Jesus Christ. So the question is, is it okay to be a Christian and still believe in evolution? The answer is absolutely no! Yeah that’s right, I said no! Why you ask? Evolution is completely contrary to what Genesis, the foundation of the Christian beliefs, teaches. For a Christian to believe in evolution would be hypocrisy! James said by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit in James 1:8, “Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.”
If we believers compromise on our beliefs and allow imaginative humanistic theories persuade what the truth is, then where do we draw the line of enough is enough. If we allow a theory to allow the truth to be revised, especially our foundation of the Bible, where will it end? G. Richard Bozarth, who wrote “The Meaning of Evolution”, American Atheist in September 20, 1979 pg. 30 said this and I quote, “The day will come when the evidence constantly accumulating around the evolutionary theory becomes so massively persuasive that even the last and most fundamental Christian warriors will have to lay down their arms and surrender unconditionally. I believe that day will be the end of Christianity.” I do not believe Mr. Bozarth has a clue about what he is saying here. You see these types of statements are made out of the mouth of someone who doesn’t have a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, and has never entered into the presence of God and has never experienced the power of God! These types of words come from a natural state of mind that is limited to circumstantial knowledge. The spiritual mind doesn’t communicate with knowledge but rather revelation from God the creator! That’s why God sent us the Holy Spirit, so He could tear the veil that fogged our view of the reality of truth! Scientist will even tell you that the human only functions with 10% of our brain. That is because of the fall of man separated us from the rest of the 90% and now without God to direct us we are limited! You can look around at what man has done with only 10% of his brain, and think of what the possibilities could be if he could use 100% of his brain? Now does it seem so foolish that Adam could name every single species on the planet in 1 day?
Why are humanist so intent on destroying the Christian faith? I am glad you asked. Inside the book of Genesis ch.1-11 we can find hidden every doctrine in the Bible. Inside these chapters along with the rest of the council of God lay the laws of morality. If the humanists can destroy the Christian faith which dictates what is right and wrong, then the laws can be altered and then humans can dictate what is right and what is wrong. There for there is no more submitting to God, and there is no more immorality. Then no one has to be accountable for their actions. We see an overwhelming evidence of this type of behavior already in the world. I for one have been plucked out of this carnal belief by God Himself and I praise Him for it. Jesus taught us that the foundation is what keeps a house stable in the midst of the storms. Now, the humanists want to try to destroy that foundation by getting us to compromise our foundational beliefs of creation. Basically the humanist represents the carnal side of the battle that goes on inside every human being that has walked the earth. Mr. Bozarth and others that share his opinion about Christianity remind me so much of the Pharisees in the days of the early church. One of the brightest teachers of religious laws made a statement that if these followers of Jesus are not genuine, then in a few months after killing them off, they will scatter and we will never hear of them again. Well Mr. Bozarth, that was over 2000 years ago and we are still here!
One more thing I want to share with you all, and I am very sincere about this. God has called His people, you and I, to be His testimony (Isaiah 43:12). Jesus told us in Mark 16:15-18, “Go in to all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned. These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages. They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won’t hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.” These miraculous signs that follow the believer Jesus said will follow, not might, but will! This is not voodoo or magic, but rather God confirming to the world that Jesus is the only way the only truth and the only way to eternal life! If these signs did not follow, then that would make God’s word a myth. The body of Christ is under fire Saints and we have got to get away from our carnal and natural mind sets. We need to tap into God’s revelation by seeking His will through our spiritual mind! We must feed our inner man with the living bread daily! The battle of salvation has been fought and won at the cross, but we believers are the soldiers of Christ, here on this earth with a mission from God to recruit souls for His Kingdom! It is time to get serious about the Bible and know what we believe in. Get it settled in your heart real good, because the day is coming when you are going to be put through the fiery trials. And that fire will do one of two things, 1) purify your genuine faith in God and make you stronger or 2) destroy your false front of faith and you will be consumed. If you do not let God’s word transform you by renewing your mind daily, your future is grim and be prepared to take on a struggle that can be avoided by a little daily discipline.
God I thank you for your truth and your Holy Spirit that has revealed the truth here today. I pray that it has fallen on good ground that will create a harvest for your kingdom Father. And I pray that your words that were typed and read here today will spark new fires and rekindle old ones for your glory! You have called us, your holy people, to be world changers and so Lord, direct us as we yield to your lead. Thank you Lord for our salvation through faith in your Son Jesus Christ, and it’s in His precious name we pray, Amen!
Thank you all and God bless you,
Eric R. Cox
If we believers compromise on our beliefs and allow imaginative humanistic theories persuade what the truth is, then where do we draw the line of enough is enough. If we allow a theory to allow the truth to be revised, especially our foundation of the Bible, where will it end? G. Richard Bozarth, who wrote “The Meaning of Evolution”, American Atheist in September 20, 1979 pg. 30 said this and I quote, “The day will come when the evidence constantly accumulating around the evolutionary theory becomes so massively persuasive that even the last and most fundamental Christian warriors will have to lay down their arms and surrender unconditionally. I believe that day will be the end of Christianity.” I do not believe Mr. Bozarth has a clue about what he is saying here. You see these types of statements are made out of the mouth of someone who doesn’t have a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, and has never entered into the presence of God and has never experienced the power of God! These types of words come from a natural state of mind that is limited to circumstantial knowledge. The spiritual mind doesn’t communicate with knowledge but rather revelation from God the creator! That’s why God sent us the Holy Spirit, so He could tear the veil that fogged our view of the reality of truth! Scientist will even tell you that the human only functions with 10% of our brain. That is because of the fall of man separated us from the rest of the 90% and now without God to direct us we are limited! You can look around at what man has done with only 10% of his brain, and think of what the possibilities could be if he could use 100% of his brain? Now does it seem so foolish that Adam could name every single species on the planet in 1 day?
Why are humanist so intent on destroying the Christian faith? I am glad you asked. Inside the book of Genesis ch.1-11 we can find hidden every doctrine in the Bible. Inside these chapters along with the rest of the council of God lay the laws of morality. If the humanists can destroy the Christian faith which dictates what is right and wrong, then the laws can be altered and then humans can dictate what is right and what is wrong. There for there is no more submitting to God, and there is no more immorality. Then no one has to be accountable for their actions. We see an overwhelming evidence of this type of behavior already in the world. I for one have been plucked out of this carnal belief by God Himself and I praise Him for it. Jesus taught us that the foundation is what keeps a house stable in the midst of the storms. Now, the humanists want to try to destroy that foundation by getting us to compromise our foundational beliefs of creation. Basically the humanist represents the carnal side of the battle that goes on inside every human being that has walked the earth. Mr. Bozarth and others that share his opinion about Christianity remind me so much of the Pharisees in the days of the early church. One of the brightest teachers of religious laws made a statement that if these followers of Jesus are not genuine, then in a few months after killing them off, they will scatter and we will never hear of them again. Well Mr. Bozarth, that was over 2000 years ago and we are still here!
One more thing I want to share with you all, and I am very sincere about this. God has called His people, you and I, to be His testimony (Isaiah 43:12). Jesus told us in Mark 16:15-18, “Go in to all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned. These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages. They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won’t hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.” These miraculous signs that follow the believer Jesus said will follow, not might, but will! This is not voodoo or magic, but rather God confirming to the world that Jesus is the only way the only truth and the only way to eternal life! If these signs did not follow, then that would make God’s word a myth. The body of Christ is under fire Saints and we have got to get away from our carnal and natural mind sets. We need to tap into God’s revelation by seeking His will through our spiritual mind! We must feed our inner man with the living bread daily! The battle of salvation has been fought and won at the cross, but we believers are the soldiers of Christ, here on this earth with a mission from God to recruit souls for His Kingdom! It is time to get serious about the Bible and know what we believe in. Get it settled in your heart real good, because the day is coming when you are going to be put through the fiery trials. And that fire will do one of two things, 1) purify your genuine faith in God and make you stronger or 2) destroy your false front of faith and you will be consumed. If you do not let God’s word transform you by renewing your mind daily, your future is grim and be prepared to take on a struggle that can be avoided by a little daily discipline.
God I thank you for your truth and your Holy Spirit that has revealed the truth here today. I pray that it has fallen on good ground that will create a harvest for your kingdom Father. And I pray that your words that were typed and read here today will spark new fires and rekindle old ones for your glory! You have called us, your holy people, to be world changers and so Lord, direct us as we yield to your lead. Thank you Lord for our salvation through faith in your Son Jesus Christ, and it’s in His precious name we pray, Amen!
Thank you all and God bless you,
Eric R. Cox
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Living for Christ
Paul said in Philippians 1:21-24,"For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don’t know which is better. I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live."
This is a very bold thing Paul has said and he says it with confidence. After reading this I am disturbed that I do not see many people with this type of bold confidence. And to tell you the truth I don't see a whole lot of people living to do fruitful work for Christ. This is not condemnation this is an awakening! So many people go to a building called a church and leave feeling like they did their good deed for the Lord, then till next Sunday nothing was done for Christ. Right here I want to pause and give the Lord praise for He is patient and He is merciful with us. Now, these same people are the ones who are afraid to die or have trouble coping when their loved ones die. To them heaven is not real, hell is not real, life after death is not real. But why? Because their relationship with the Lord is non-existent. The promises of God are not real to them (good or bad). They live with a veil over their heads that distort their view of the truth. This veil can only be removed by having faith in God and entering into a relationship with Him through Jesus Christ.
It is amazing to me how someone can go to church every weekend or every so often, and yet live a life believing in the lies of the world rather than the reality of God's word. These people can be compared to the heathens in the book of Isaiah when he says they cut down a tree and use half of the tree for fuel to cook their food and the other half to carve an image and worship it. It is foolish. These same people believe and invest much of their lives to go to a building every weekend and sit through countless hours of sermons, but there is no fruit because there is no relationship! Without relationship there is no salvation! I repeat without relationship there is no salvation! Not one time between Sundays was their Bibles ever opened. Not once was the name of Jesus ever mentioned to anyone. Why do people continue to live a life of vain. What scares the living daylights out of me is the day they try and enter the gates of heaven, and the look on their faces when they hear those words, "Depart from me you who do works of iniquity, I never knew you!"
I challenge each and everyone of you who claim the Lord Jesus as your savior this week to talk to 3 people about what He has done for you. If you find this task to be difficult, I encourage you to look inside and ask yourself, is Jesus really the Lord of my life? Or are there areas in my life that I have neglected to surrender to Him? Jesus said to go into all the world and preach the good news! He was talking to you and me! This, "I don't want to offend anyone" attitude must stop! Us not obeying Jesus is offending Jesus! So who would you rather not offend?
Father, I thank you for your truth that was typed here today, and it is my prayer that these words fall on good ground that will produce a harvest of 30, 60, AND 100 fold in return. Cover us with your grace and direct our steps by your Holy Spirit as we live our lives with the intent of producing much fruit for Christ. In Jesus' name Amen!
God bless you all,
Eric R. Cox
This is a very bold thing Paul has said and he says it with confidence. After reading this I am disturbed that I do not see many people with this type of bold confidence. And to tell you the truth I don't see a whole lot of people living to do fruitful work for Christ. This is not condemnation this is an awakening! So many people go to a building called a church and leave feeling like they did their good deed for the Lord, then till next Sunday nothing was done for Christ. Right here I want to pause and give the Lord praise for He is patient and He is merciful with us. Now, these same people are the ones who are afraid to die or have trouble coping when their loved ones die. To them heaven is not real, hell is not real, life after death is not real. But why? Because their relationship with the Lord is non-existent. The promises of God are not real to them (good or bad). They live with a veil over their heads that distort their view of the truth. This veil can only be removed by having faith in God and entering into a relationship with Him through Jesus Christ.
It is amazing to me how someone can go to church every weekend or every so often, and yet live a life believing in the lies of the world rather than the reality of God's word. These people can be compared to the heathens in the book of Isaiah when he says they cut down a tree and use half of the tree for fuel to cook their food and the other half to carve an image and worship it. It is foolish. These same people believe and invest much of their lives to go to a building every weekend and sit through countless hours of sermons, but there is no fruit because there is no relationship! Without relationship there is no salvation! I repeat without relationship there is no salvation! Not one time between Sundays was their Bibles ever opened. Not once was the name of Jesus ever mentioned to anyone. Why do people continue to live a life of vain. What scares the living daylights out of me is the day they try and enter the gates of heaven, and the look on their faces when they hear those words, "Depart from me you who do works of iniquity, I never knew you!"
I challenge each and everyone of you who claim the Lord Jesus as your savior this week to talk to 3 people about what He has done for you. If you find this task to be difficult, I encourage you to look inside and ask yourself, is Jesus really the Lord of my life? Or are there areas in my life that I have neglected to surrender to Him? Jesus said to go into all the world and preach the good news! He was talking to you and me! This, "I don't want to offend anyone" attitude must stop! Us not obeying Jesus is offending Jesus! So who would you rather not offend?
Father, I thank you for your truth that was typed here today, and it is my prayer that these words fall on good ground that will produce a harvest of 30, 60, AND 100 fold in return. Cover us with your grace and direct our steps by your Holy Spirit as we live our lives with the intent of producing much fruit for Christ. In Jesus' name Amen!
God bless you all,
Eric R. Cox
Saturday, June 5, 2010
True Followers of Christ!
As some of you well may know, one of the followers of this blog has since now gone to be with the Lord. And as I sat the other night and pondered on her life, I could not but help see a true example of how we as believers of Christ are to carry ourselves. The late Sharron Weems has been a rock steady example of how we are to serve our wonderful Creator. She was always exhorting as well as compassionate for everyone she came into contact with. She truly realized that each and everyone of us weather lost of saved were put here on earth for God's own divine purpose. She was always encouraging me no matter if it were on the little league football field or in my walk with the Lord. Though I didn't spend a huge amount of time with this godly woman, she has made a profound impact on my life that will forever change the way I view this world and the people in it. Thank you so much Lord for bringing this woman into my life!
With that being said I would like to go on to say that so many times in our busy lives we tend to put the things of God on the back burner to pursuit other less important things. In this great nation of ours we have so much liberty to do as we feel and sometimes without thinking we can let God slowly fade out of the picture. We as believers need to guard our hearts by taking time out of each day to sit before the Lord and enter into His presence. This verse in Proverbs jumps out at me, 3:5 says, Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding... We all hear this verse all the time, but I believe the real power of this scripture comes in the next three verses, he says: Seek his will in all you do,and he will show you which path to take. Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil. Then you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones... God has promised us something here that if you are not careful you will skip right over. God promises us that if we seek His will, He will direct us and we will be in good health! But back to what I am saying, this country offers so much liberty to do as we want, that we lose focus sometimes on what God would have us do. Saints, this is, if not the biggest snare of the devil, then close to the top! God tells us to never lose sight of His word in Proverbs 4:21, He is protecting us from this very trap! When we lose sight of Him and His will for us, then we leave the door open for the tempter to have place in our lives and everything that he stands for (sin,sickness,addictions,death,etc.) To keep that door shut to Satan we have to use preventative maintenance. If you want to live a life of abundance like Sister Sharron did, then you MUST everyday sit before the Lord and enter into His presence and never lose sight of His Word! God bless all of you!
In Christ,
Eric R. Cox
In loving memory of the late Sharron Weems
With that being said I would like to go on to say that so many times in our busy lives we tend to put the things of God on the back burner to pursuit other less important things. In this great nation of ours we have so much liberty to do as we feel and sometimes without thinking we can let God slowly fade out of the picture. We as believers need to guard our hearts by taking time out of each day to sit before the Lord and enter into His presence. This verse in Proverbs jumps out at me, 3:5 says, Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding... We all hear this verse all the time, but I believe the real power of this scripture comes in the next three verses, he says: Seek his will in all you do,and he will show you which path to take. Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil. Then you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones... God has promised us something here that if you are not careful you will skip right over. God promises us that if we seek His will, He will direct us and we will be in good health! But back to what I am saying, this country offers so much liberty to do as we want, that we lose focus sometimes on what God would have us do. Saints, this is, if not the biggest snare of the devil, then close to the top! God tells us to never lose sight of His word in Proverbs 4:21, He is protecting us from this very trap! When we lose sight of Him and His will for us, then we leave the door open for the tempter to have place in our lives and everything that he stands for (sin,sickness,addictions,death,etc.) To keep that door shut to Satan we have to use preventative maintenance. If you want to live a life of abundance like Sister Sharron did, then you MUST everyday sit before the Lord and enter into His presence and never lose sight of His Word! God bless all of you!
In Christ,
Eric R. Cox
In loving memory of the late Sharron Weems
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