In II Samuel 4:8, we read of two men who killed Ishbosheth (Saul’s son) and brought his head to David hoping that David would reward them for it. But David was so angry with them that he commanded that they be killed immediately. David believed that vengeance belonged to God and he would never take vengeance himself or permit anyone else to take it.

This is an important principle that we must remember at all times. Romans 12:19 is very clear on this. God does not need our help to administer justice or to take vengeance. What would you do if somebody fell down at your feet to worship you? You would do what Peter did - lift him up and say, “Don’t worship me, worship belongs to God.” Just as much as worship belongs to God, vengeance also belongs to God? When we try to take revenge on someone, that’s not any different from accepting worship. We have no more right to take revenge than to receive worship. Whatever harm anyone may have done to us, we must leave it to God to deal with him in His own way and in His own time. We must not even desire anything evil for that person.

When we serve the Lord, we will come across other believers who speak evil of us or try to destroy our ministry. I have discovered that we cannot serve the Lord effectively, without having many people speaking evil of us, spreading false stories about us, accusing us of teaching false doctrine etc. We will then be tempted to take revenge on them. We must resist that temptation firmly. Leave them in God’s hands. The Bible says that there is only one Judge who has the right to destroy (James 4:12). So we must leave their fate in the hands of that one Judge.

If the Lord has anointed you, no-one can destroy your ministry, because it has come from heaven. Many people accused Jesus and Paul of being false teachers. Jesus was even accused of casting out demons by the power of the prince of devils. But Jesus never wasted His time answering them. The sincere were not led astray by such false accusations either. Only the insincere went astray.

We read in James 2:6 that rich believers were oppressing poor believers in those days and personally dragging them to court. This is unbelievable. But it is happening today too! One has to be both rich and wicked to drag another believer to court. It is amazing how blind believers can be. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 6 that the same thing was happening in Corinth. Such rich believers have not understood that there is only one Judge who has the right to judge and take revenge. They are sitting on God’s throne. So Paul warned them that those who do such things will never enter God’s kingdom (Read 1 Corinthians 6:9 in the context of the first 8 verses). If someone has done wrong to you, hasn’t God seen that? Isn’t He able to deal with that person? If you believe that and you believe in an Almighty God, then leave it to God to deal with him.

from: http://www.sermonindex.net/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=46405&forum=34&1

The Testimony of Will Macfarlane by Keith Daniel

Topic: Testimony

http://www.sermonindex.net/modules/mydownloads/singlefile.php?lid=10738&commentView=itemComments


 An Opportunity to Glean  (February 10/2008)
Reviewed by: SimpleLiving
What an opportunity to glean precious gems from the heart of this man of God as he speaks about another man of God who was a great influence in his life. Reading a person's biography is a wonderful way of not only learning about that person's life, but getting a deeper understanding of the message of their life. Here, we get two for one in spoken word! This "sermon" is a thoroughly good time in the Lord. A great opportunity to laugh and learn.

Saints, a powerful message on abortion and the rights of the innocent.

Whoever lives like a happy and carefree child, completely dependent upon God, will experience God, as a Father, leading him in wonderful ways. He will see how

God solves all his difficulties and problems, cares for him and intervenes on his behalf in every situation. It is wise to leave behind all human security and to seek only the Kingdom of God, His righteousness, His approval. Those who do so will find that all their needs are met.

from: http://www.kanaan.org/international/daily_readings/august.htm

Here is a summary:

Western missions agencies have been producing Bible translations that remove “Father”, “Son”, and “Son of God”, because these terms are offensive to Muslims. For example, Frontiers worked with a Wycliffe/SIL consultant to produce True Meaning of the Gospel of Christ, an Arabic translation which removes “Father” in reference to God, and removes or redefines “Son,” e.g. the Great Commission in Mt 28:19 reads, “Cleanse them by water in the name of God, his Messiah and his Holy Spirit.” A Turkish translation of Matthew, produced by Frontiers and distributed by SIL, uses “guardian” for “Father” and “representative” or “proxy” for “Son.” Biblically and theologically, this is a tragedy, as removing “Father” and “Son” compromises our understanding of the Trinity, the person and work of Jesus, and the Bible itself. Despite years of internal protest, resignations, articles, private and group confrontation, these agencies remain committed to this agenda. But followers of Christ around the world are responding. Here is the link to the petition

http://livingoasis.org/?page_id=345

Taken from
Decade of nineties - 8:40 http://artkatzministries.org/decade-of-the-nineties/

Preached some more than 20 years ago:


"In a word, I am anticipating that we are going to see in this decade the alignment of the religious forces that will prevail until the end of the age, the age may end by the year of 2000, but if it goes on a little before that or a little longer than that, be assured that what happens between now and that time, this ten year period will cast the major and basic formation of the thing that will prevail until the coming of the Lord.

You are going to required to choose, you are choosing even now, but you are not conscience of that, where you are going to end up in terms of the church, as the great centrifugal and polarizing forces are going to move us into one camp or the other.

We are going to be radicalized and there is not going to be any neutral ground for those of us who don't have stomach for that, who just want to be "Ordinary Christians", just get along, just be a Sunday pew-sitter, mind your business, not irritating anyone and just go on. I want to tell you, that that option wont be available to you.
To be an ordinary christian in this decade and the end of the age, will be to be apostate.
And God has never called us to be ordinary, He has called us to be extraordinary, he has called us to be apostolic.

It has always been God's intention for the church, from the beginning, how much more at the end.
A church of apostolic glory, of apostolic power, of apostolic integrity, of apostolic character, of apostolic service.
These are "they" that turned the world upside down.
These are also candidates for persecution and for martyrdom.

And we who have clucked our tongues at the reports of martyrdom that have come to us from distant places, "Iron Curtain" countries and Africa, need to embrace ourselves and to know, that that's not phenomena confided to the distant places.
It's a phenomena that will always take place, wherever God's people break in to a transcendent and real place with God that the world can not tolerate and abide. If we have got no way with it, it's a testimony to a our shame.
It's a scandal of western Christianity, that it has been so thinned, so inoffensive, so "going on with it's own Sunday business", that the world has not been required to take NOTE, let alone to OPPOSE it!

But I want to tell you that in a world that is coming to into consummation, in a SYSTEM that is OPPOSED to God, in it's very character and nature that is ANTICHRIST, those who will stand for Christ and refuse to take the mark of the beast, will find themselves candidates for martyrdom.

And if we cannot buy or sell, how then we shall subsist?
I think that we should now to begin to consider these things, and God is speaking these things now so as to prepare us and to feed us for the realities that shall shortly come to pass and are already working

I am not saying 'Thus saying the Lord' but I have suspicion that the issue of 'the mark of the beast' or 'the name of the Lord on our foreheads' is not the designation that is going to come to us in some final hour where we get stamped, but it is EVEN NOW being formed day by day and moment by moment in the transactions to which we give ourselves for convenience, for luxury, for security, in a SYSTEM that is that is increasingly HOSTILE and OPPOSED to God.
How much attenuated to luxury are we? How much do we need our security and how much we are willing to go with it?

As one who is possessed an American Express Card for about twenty years and paid my bills regularly, never paid the 18.5% exorbitant interest if you allow the debt to go beyond a month, I have finally broken it up and destroyed it.
Just felt constrained by the Lord to give it up, that there is something about it, that has .... a spiritual weight, a moral implication of a dependency on not upon God, but upon a SYSTEM established by men. I want to tell you something, it's a very naked feeling not to have that card in the wallet.

There is a whole intricate, complex SYSTEM that has been raised up in the world to which we have mindlessly subscribed!
And I suspect in my prophetic intuition that every time we get into that, we condescend to it, we go along with it, we buy and sell in it, we establish our security in it, we find our comfort in it, something is being embossed on our forehead and our hand, and the day of the Lord will reveal what number we bear!

You know what is apostate about the apostate church? It still continues to speak the vocabulary of the faith!
You still continue to use the terminology, you still call Lord, Lord, but the reality and the power have long ago disappeared, and not only that, it would be offended with that minority of the spirit that has not go along, and call them 'heretical'.



I am not saying these things to scare or to panic, but to prepare and to alert. We need to know what time it is, and it’s the Lord’s very mercy to speak to us in a such a way as to align ourselves with things as they in fact are.” And I am not saying things that non of us don’t know, but I putting it together by the grace of God to a such a way, that we might get a sense of totality of this in all inclusiveness of this and the direction toward which is going. You know many of us are Christians but are really humanists in heart. If we are scratched deeply enough we believe in inevitable progress, we think that the things will improve or the science has the answer. That is not the eschatological and apostalic sense of things as given into scripture. Scriptures indicate is winding down and coming to conclusion of an age that is helplessly and incorrectibly corrupt."

from: http://www.sermonindex.net/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=46198&forum=34

Excellent video message by David Ravenhill on the signs of the times and the call for the Church to wake up and be sober about the days we are living in. You can learn more about David Ravenhill at: http://www.davidravenhill.net

David faced many difficulties and trials over a period of about 13 years through which he finally became a man of God and a successful king.

Years later, he wrote these words: “You have tested me O God. You have refined me as silver is refined. You allowed me to be trapped in nets. You allowed heavy, oppressive burdens to be laid on my back. You allowed men to ride over my head. You took me through the burning fire and then through icy-cold water. But finally, You brought me out into a place of spiritual abundance and anointing, where my cup is now overflowing with blessing to multitudes of people. Praise the Lord” (Psalms 66:10-12 – free paraphrase).

Saul, on the other hand, grew up in a rich home, and went straight from that life of comfort to become a king. He never faced any trials or difficulties. So he never knew God and he was a failure as a king.

Solomon, who came after David, also never faced any trials or difficulties. He grew up in ease and comfort as a prince in the royal palace. He also became a failure as a king.

These examples teach us that it is only through trials and difficulties that we can know God and be effective and successful in our ministry. This was what made Paul such a successful apostle too (Read 2 Cor.1:4-11; 11:23-33). This is why many preachers today, who have become rich by preaching the gospel, and who live in comfort, are neither spiritual themselves, nor godly examples to their flock.

God may have called you to be His servant. But don’t imagine that you are ready to serve Him, just because you were called. If you don’t go through long periods of trial faithfully, you cannot be a spiritual leader of God’s people. You will only end up like Saul and Solomon, and destroy yourself finally. So God will have to first take you through long periods of trial and difficulties. He will allow others to misunderstand you and to be jealous of you. He will allow them to suppress you and to oppress you. If you humble yourself (like David did) and trust God, in all these circumstances, God will bring you forth one day, into a place of abundance and blessing.

He, who has ears to hear, let him hear.

from: http://www.sermonindex.net/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=46183&forum=34&2

We are extending the dates for our give-a-way! We are now giving it away at least through Aug 17th. The Lord is really spreading it around and the demand is growing day by day - praise God that His Word never returns void of accomplishing His plan!

"If we are not living for Christ and reaching out to the lost, sick, starving, hurting, persecuted people of the world, then it would be better for us that we never took the name of Christ upon ourselves. For on judgment day it would have been better if we had not been born."

Simply email me at: jeremybstrang@gmail.com and let me know that you would like a FREE copy of the e-book.

You can also visit: www.time2stand.com

Peace and blessings,

Jeremy B. Strang

PS. A special thanks to Greg Gordon for his willingness to share. He is a wonderful brother in Christ and fellow worker with Gospel for Asia.

from: http://www.sermonindex.net/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=46113&forum=35

Do not let happiness pass you by. You are being offered a life of joy and happiness, love and spiritual authority. This offer comes with a guarantee against disappointment — because the One making it is the Lord your God, who keeps His promises. In no time at all you could be happy and fulfilled. Just reach out.

When you open your hand, though, you first have to release your grip on whatever you are holding on to, possibly things incapable of ensuring happiness anyway, perhaps things which are not even good. Let go and place them beneath the cross of Jesus. God the Father has erected this cross out of love — the cross on which His Son hung so that we might find salvation and happiness. Only there can you find healing for your soul. Come to the cross daily with your sins and burdens. At Calvary they will be taken from you, and God will bless you and make you happy. Come to Jesus. He will fulfil the deepest longings of your heart.

from: http://www.kanaan.org/international/daily_readings/august.htm

Powerful video, well worth listening to this 20 minute segment of Paul Washer sharing on the power of the Holy Spirit.

You keep thinking, ‘Why does God, who says that He is a Father of love, lay this cross upon me?’ Do not keep your eyes on yourself but on Jesus, who entered glory through the cross. Your cross is meant to be a ship carrying you to the City of God, where you want to go. To this day there is no other way to glory.

It is the cross and suffering that prepare eternal blessedness for us, according to Scripture. So look forward with joy to the heavenly glory. In faith live even now as though already having attained the heavenly goal. Then the things that are difficult to bear will become easy.

Acts 14:22; 2 Timothy 2:12

from: http://www.kanaan.org/international/daily_readings/august.htm

This Sunday Al Whittinghill will lead our prayer call. Call is 9pm EST, 8pm CST, 7pm MST, 6pm PST. U S callers please call in on 209.255.1000. Canadian callers please call in on 559.670.1000. Access code for both numbers is 109083#. Please join us as you are led by the Spirit.

Saints,

I am excited to announce I have ran across some old recordings of Paris Reidhead giving 2 series of sermons at Bethany Fellowship. He is the speaker who preached: "Ten Shekels and a Shirt" that you can download from the front page of the website which has over 150,000 downloads.

We will be working on uploading all of these but for now here is one of them:

(So Great Salvation - Part 1 ) Awakening by Paris Reidhead
http://www.sermonindex.net/modules/myvideo/photo.php?lid=2961

Saints,

It has been wonderful to see these sermons spread over the last 10 years across the entire world. We have never and will never by God's grace sell any of the sermons: 'Freely you have received; freely give.' (Matthew 10:8). This is a work of God and not man. We are thankful for all the testimonies that have flooded in bringing much glory to the Lamb of God. Of recent some radio stations have been contact us desiring to brodcast some of these sermons freely as a show on their station. We see this as a further example of how God is spreading these messags that have such value in our day. If you are a radio station owner or operator do consider using these sermons on your station to bring great spiritual impact to your listeners. Read some of the commendations from ministry leaders of the impact and uniqueness of the ministry of SermonIndex.net

Currently there are 2 stations that are carrying SermonIndex.net sermons. Do check these out live and consider praying over the radio times that God would use them mightily for His glory:

http://www.sermonindex.net/radio.php