The Time for Gleaners

The LORD Jesus when He walked this earth told those who believed on Him to, "Follow Me." They were to forsake all and follow Him wherever He led.

How many today are so attached to a home town, a farm, a job, a house, a business, that if Jesus impresses upon them to go to a certain place, they will say to Him, 'sorry I just can't get away'? Could that attitude and attachment to this world come back to hurt us in these perilous times?

I'm sure there are those whom the LORD calls to stay where they are planted. And they follow Him by bearing fruit where they are. But we need to learn to hold onto the things of this world loosely if we are to be ready to get up and go when God says go.

It seems as the time gets closer to His coming for His bride, the need to get out into the highways and biways is greater than ever before. If the harvest was ripe and the workers were few back in the first century, the need is even greater today. The harvest is almost over - the invited guests are busy with the world's affairs - and the gleaners need to be sent out to gather what's left.

We all need to pray that the LORD would give us our assignments for what could be the last call before He comes for His church. We need to loosen our grip on the things of this world if we are going to be vessels God can use while it is still day - before the night comes and no man can work.

This is where the scattered sheep need to come together, each bringing his/her gifts and abilities for the task. When the LORD says go, will we be ready?

LORD Jesus, please guide our steps and direct our paths to our assignments so we can be wise servants busy about our Father's business in this needful hour. May we be found so doing when You come to catch us up in the clouds to be with You forever and ever!

Amen!

“But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you. Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning; and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately. Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them. And if he should come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” - Luke 12: 31-40

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdRKPO9BZ_g

No Doom-And-Gloom

We who are looking for the coming of our LORD and Messiah Jesus Christ are often mischaracterized as negative doom-and-gloomers.

You and I know that is far from the truth. We have the joy set before us anticipating our reunion with loved ones and excitement that we will soon see Jesus face-to-face and come back with Him to rule and reign on earth with Him.

That does bring joy to my heart, along with love for the One who washed me from my sins that were many. I can relate to the woman who wept tears over Jesus' feet and dried them with her hair -

“Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.” - Luke 7:47

Our gratitude for what He did for us and our eagerness to see Him and bow before Him and cast our crowns at His feet is what really characterizes the watchful saints. Even though Jesus had to endure the cross for the joy set before Him, we too must endure the birth pangs and many of us are affected by them. But we endure those things knowing that the joy of the LORD returning and setting up His Kingdom is the end result.

So with that in mind - today is a day to be happy knowing His return is so near. So I've posted a happy song that we can sing with true joy, unlike those who mis-sing it at the Mardis Gras.

Maranatha!

"Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory" - 1 Pet. 1:5-8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nf61Vk-Q2mo

Weep With Those Who Weep

As we see the birth pangs - earthquakes, weather disasters, pestilence - taking place, like the typhoon that just hit the Philippines, you will hear many say this is God's judgment. They will say God is getting back at the Philippines for their Catholic idolatry or their tolerance of sin. No matter where the disaster hits, many will sit in judgment over that location with a self-righteous voice of condemnation thinking no storm will befall them for they are so good.

The book of Revelation reveals the coming wrath of God and this ain't it. For now, disaster befalls saints and sinners alike. We are in no position to look down upon people who are suffering as if we're up on some holy pedestal. When I see professing Christians make such pronouncements against victims of natural disasters, I can sense the Holy Spirit being grieved. Now is not the time to point fingers, but to lend a helping hand. These sorts of proclamations of condemnation against hurting people give all Christians a black eye before an onlooking world.

Jesus had to straighten out His followers when they made similar assumptions. 

"There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answered and said to them, 'Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.'” - Luke 13:1-5

We are all worthy of judgment and only pass out of judgment when we are redeemed by the LORD. But we all are still possible victims of coming tornadoes, hurricanes, illness, and towers falling.

It is an insensitive and ungodly response to those in pain to tell them God is judging them. Those who do that better look out for falling rocks or even towers.

From an aging regenerate hippie - We could all use a little bit more peace and love in a world filled with hate. 

"Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law." - Rom 13:8

"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God." - 1 Jn 4:7

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMnHutmo7OM

November 8, 2013 - Scattered Sheep Report Recap: Morris Cerullo - Who's Who in The Great Apostasy

Morris Cerullo has been in the spiritual sheep-shearing "ministry" for over fifty years. He has built himself quite an empire off the wool of the flock of God with an estimated worth of 100 million dollars. He is reported to live in the most expensive gated community in all of San Diego in a 12,000 square foot mansion valued at over twelve million dollars. He also owns several multi-million dollar jets and has two pilots on staff.

Most of his crusades are done in third world countries where his sullied reputation does not precede him. He has been thoroughly exposed and debunked in America and preys upon the most needy people giving false promises to those who give to him sacrificially. He takes along with him the most swarthy of all the prosperity gospel shysters such as John Avanzini and Mike Murdock to work their black magic on the poor of world.

He claims to be a prophet and an apostle and his credentials for such a superior position in the church in his estimation is his claim that he was taken to heaven as an 8-year-old child by two angelic beings and was commissioned by God face-to-face. 

His message hasn't changed much in fifty years. He says he is building up God's army of overcomers and the manchild company of spiritual end times warriors, what is known theologically as Joel's Army or the Manifest Sons heresy. He stands up in front of huge crowds and tells them that he heard an audible voice that is giving them a direct message from God that usually included talk of a great last days outpouring of God's Spirit, upcoming miracles and signs and wonders or the biggest outpouring of God since Pentecost. And he delivers absolutely nothing.

I watched him in action in 1991 and reported on his miracle crusade for The Christian Sentinel magazine. In part, I wrote:

"As the crowds filed into the Philadelphia Civic Center, you could see the excitement on their faces. They came expecting a miracle, for the ads said there was to be a "miracle Explosion" and they believed it...Halfway through the service things started heating up. 'You don't serve theology,' Cerullo screamed. "You don't serve doctrine...you serve God who does not change.' The momentum increased. 'COME ON, GIVE IT TO EM RIGHT NOW!' he wailed as he began dancing a jig. 'IT'S LIKE LIQUID FIRE. Miracles are happening all over the auditorium. I have no control over what's happening! God is sending a new wave.'

"'Someone's being healed of emphysema,' the preacher proclaimed. Immediately the usher brought up a gray wrinkled old man along with his scuba-diver sized oxygen tank with a breathing apparatus in a leather carrying case. They handed it over to the faith healer who asked the man what he was healed from. 'Bronchitis' came the answer. 'I also used to have lung cancer.'

"Cerullo raised the tank over his head, parading it up and down the platform and then handed it over to the song leader. The old man was then 'slain in the spirit' as the healer touched him. He lay flat out on the floor until the preacher turned his attention elsewhere.

"After the rally ended I walked up to the platform and asked the song leader, John Price, what was to become of the oxygen tank. 'How would I know?' he snapped back. Just then an elderly gray-haired woman walked up on the platform and retrieved the tank. I ran over to her and said, 'What are you going to do with the tank?' 'Oh, does he need it again tomorrow night?' she responded, mistaking me for a crusade representative. 'Who?' I asked. 'Dr. Cerullo,' she said, 'because I have a $200 deposit on it.' 'Why would you need it if your husband is healed,' I inquired. 'Maybe he might want to uses it again as a demonstration of how God heals,' she said.

"After further inquiry the lady admitted that the tank was used merely as a demonstration of a healing her husband received several years ago. The old man probably saw nothing wrong in reenacting something he believed to be real, thinking it would inspire faith in others. The culprit though is Morris Cerullo who cashes in on the naivete of others by using them in this manner." 

One observer, Bob Liichow, noted that Cerullo often uses the language of the occult and new agers when describing spiritual experiences and practices. "Then Mr. Morris gets spooky, Liichow wrote in his article, The Last Great Anointing. 'God is going to take these folks into the spirit world!' This is occult language, it is not biblical language. The Bible does not speak of God ever taking His children into the 'spirit world.'"  

In a clip played on this blogcast, Cerullo can be heard telling his audience to get into their sixth sense, another occult term, not found in Scripture. Go to the link below to listen to Cerullo's own voice saying this, if you can tolerate listening to his twangy voice with the organ playing behind it and a ram's horn blowing with every mindless proclamation he dramatically screams to demonstrate his so-called anointing.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/rapturereadyradio/2013/11/09/scattered-sheep-report-with-jackie-alnor 

 

"Fall on Your Knees"

Have any of you noticed that the Christmas season has already begun as the stores remove Halloween candy and replace it with candy canes and stockings stuffed with goodies? They just can't wait to cash in on our culture's obsession with the holidays.

I myself do not hold one day above another. I'm very non-traditional when it comes to the 'church calendar.' Some Christians follow it religiously - but for most born-again believers, we don't take it too seriously but having the days off work are a nice benefit.

There is one Christmas carol I do particularly like - and I've posted it below. The line in the song that says, "Fall on your knees" gives me chills every time I hear it. It brings up a vision to my mind of the day when every knee shall bow - the entire world.

"For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God." - Rom 14:11

Many will bow their knee right before they are cast into outer darkness. Those who curse God and His Son now will regret it eternally. They will fare no better than the false god Dagon did when that statue was forced to fall prostrate before the Ark of God.

"And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the LORD. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again. And when they arose early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off upon the threshold; only the stump of Dagon was left to him." - 1 Sam 5:3-4

We are seeing today such blasphemy and cursing against God and His people in the world like never before - this post-Christian society not only denies He exists, but ridicules the very idea of a God. We who are not ashamed of Him before men are being marginalized and belittled in every sitcom, comedy program, and HBO special.

But, their day is coming soon - ALL will bow - every knee!

Do not delay, Oh my God!