The Lion's Tooth

Well, it is Spring again. My favorite time of the year. Things start changing for the better. The trees start budding, the grass is getting greener, the temperature is rising and before you know it you start seeing little yellow flowers popping up everywhere. They are called Dandelions.

The origin of the word "dandelion" is from the 14th century. The  French word "dent de lion", which literally means lions tooth. It was named after its root, which is shaped like a lions tooth. They are very difficult to get rid of. People try to get rid of them by pulling them up when they see them, but when we do that never get all the root out of the ground. In time it simply grows back; usually bigger .  Well it is the same way in our  lives. We have things popping up in our lives and we try to "pull" them up. It works for a while, but hey usually grow back bigger, because we did not get all the root out. In order to get rid of our fleshly 'dandelions' we must get to the root of the problem.  The root of the problem is SIN. That is where we need help from our GOD. After all, he has made the way for us to be delivered from sin. He paid the price for our sin at Calvary.

Colossians 1:20 KJV  "And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven."

So, the first step in getting rid of our lions tooth is to obey the word of GOD, and follow the "PLAN" GOD has made for us. Jesus tells us in John 3:5, "Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and [of] the Spirit, he cannot enter into the  kingdom of God." To be born of the water and the spirit you must follow His plan in the book of Acts.

 Acts 2:38, "Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost."

Once we have done that then we can start to learn about our GOD and follow him. This will start to kill the root of sin (our fleshly dandelion) and help us to live an overcoming life in him! GOD has given us power to overcome, but it is up to us to use the power we have been given. For he tells us in the last part of LUKE 24:29, "...but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem , until  ye be endued with power from on high." That is the Holy Ghost....the Power from on high!

He tells us that he has come to give us life. In John 10:10 is says, "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have [it] more abundantly." 

During this Easter season, remember that the price has already been paid, So walk in the power that has been given to you and live the abundant life that has been promised to you.

May GOD richly bless you !!

Old Paths and Vineyards

Jude 1:3-- Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

Jeremiah 6:16--Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.

A recent interaction on an Apostolic Forum I am part and some reflection on things I have been allowing in my own life, afforded me for an important lesson on the need to be far more cautious with my own thinking and attitudes as regards the things we hold dear and which make us distinctly 'People of the Name." It was a lesson I will not soon forget.

Hebrews 6:9--But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation….

The true people of God are Pentecostal in experience and Apostolic in doctrine. This is what Jesus taught and lead His disciples to be. BUILDING UP the teaching of the Apostles and our Elders is wise as their intention is better things for us. Such as a father to his children, we should see the safety and security of the ordinances passed down as good pasture.

Isaiah 5:1-6
(1) Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill:
(2) And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes.
(3) And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard.
(4) What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes?
(5) And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down:
(6) And I will lay it waste: it shall not be pruned, nor digged; but there shall come up briers and thorns: I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it.

God has given us a very fruitful hill in the Apostolic Message. He fences it, He removes the stones, plants it with the choicest vine (point to yourself), He builds a tower, and He puts in a winepress. All He expects in return for His investment is for the vineyard to bring forth good fruit.

However, when the inhabitants of the vineyard:

TEAR DOWN the walls (Standards, Ordinances)

IGNORE the tower (Ministry)

AVOID the winepress (Sound Doctrine, Enduring Faith)

Then God does just like He did back in the example to the people in Moses time. They were getting Manna, (food from heaven), but instead chose an earthly diet (Quail) and God flooded them with their desires until it was coming out of their noses.

If we do not BUILD UP the things of the kingdom, we will become WILD GRAPES, and the Spirit of God will remove the wall, the tower, and the winepress, and ALLOW the wild animals to come in and completely destroy the fruitful hill.

Let us choose to BUILD UP the things of the kingdom of God. What sets the Apostolic Church apart from the rest of Christendom is not merely its emphasis on Acts 2:38 salvation and worship of the One True and Living God in Jesus Christ but also a unique approach to scripture. Our actual goal as Christians is merely to be Apostolic. We strive to "weed out" traditions and doctrines of men which were added later. Basically, we try to take what Martin Luther started, to its logical conclusion, true biblical reformation.  We see many doctrines and beliefs not as Apostolic, but as a later development. Even my learned seminary professors would agree with this, but they put much authority in church history, creeds and councils. They see the goal of the Bible scholar/theologian to develop the seed left by the writers of the New Testament. They think it arrogant to even question the wisdom of the church fathers. We on the other hand see our job description as one of recovery of truth which has been lost or distorted, to "earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints" (Jude 3). We are at heart, restorationists, trying to help restore the Church to her original belief and power. Of course we don't want to ignore what others have written or said about the Bible, but we understand this merely to be the thinking of fallible men. We believe that the church has gotten away from what the apostles taught in many respects and that we need to get it back.  We need to stop seeing the church in Acts as in an “infant stage,” and start seeing it as the model upon which to base our belief and practice. Only when we return to New Testament patterns, principles and practice, will we experience true New Testament power.

Springing Up Into Everlasting Life

John 4:14 KJV  But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

March 20th is almost here and a time many people look forward to. Grass is back, flowers are blooming, the air is warmer, spring has sprung! Many feel all new again when this season gets here. September 22nd represents the beginning of fall and showing spring has come and gone.

The word tells us whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; whosoever lets me know the water is for all and the price was paid on Calvary. But how can I get a drink of water and not be thirsty later? This isn't just any water. This is a drink into everlasting life, of living water, of Jesus himself!

Like spring bringing out the flowers and all God's beauty surrounding us and giving us a new look, so is the living water springing up inside of us when we partake of it. He is everlasting, where you will never thirst again. God's ways are forever settled in heaven. 

As we go through different seasons in our life, we have a God who is like a tree planted by the water. He said, "I am the Lord thy God, I change not". If you want new and tender mercy in your life every morning, let the Lord Jesus Christ spring up in your life. Without Him, I will surely fall!