Wednesday, November 6, 2013

NO TEXT CONFLICT

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IN DISCIPLE THERE IS A COMPLETE BAN FOR ALL DISAGREEMENTS THROUGH TEXT MESSAGE, FACEBOOK MESSAGE, FACEBOOK POST OR ANY SOCIAL MEDIA. ALL DISAGREEMENTS, ARGUMENTS ABOUT DOCTRINE, CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM, ARGUMENTS, CLARIFICATION OF ORDERS OR ANY OTHER DISSENTION IS ONLY IN PERSON OR ON THE PHONE.

If it is serious enough to bring up, then it gets brought up TO THAT BROTHER, IN PERSON, OR ON THE PHONE. Differing viewpoints is wonderful. We are diverse. However text messaging is not an appropriate medium for conflict resolution.

Resolution of Conflict: The defining attribute of Disciple is Unity. Other clubs may come and go, but Disciples stick together. Disciples DO NOT speak against each other, they SPEAK TO each other. Disciples do not speak against the leadership to other Disciples, they SPEAK TO the leadership. Disciples do not complain about the club to each other, they WORK TO make the club better BY TAKING THEIR COMPLAINT TO THE LEADERSHIP.

Taking offense at something another brother does or says to you is a sign of spiritual immaturity. If you are offended at another brother, or do not understand what they said or did, YOU GO TO THAT BROTHER. You DO NOT go to another brother and talk about what a brother did. YOU GO TO THAT BROTHER. Any Disciple who comes to you and talks bad about another brother is OUT OF LINE and IN REBELLION against the club and the Word of God. You must tell him that he is in the wrong, that he needs to GO TO THAT BROTHER and work it out.

WE FOLLOW WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT CONFLICT RESOLUTION If your brother wrongs you, go and show him his fault between you and him privately. If he listens to you, you have won back your brother. But if he does not listen, take along with you one or two others, so that every word may be confirmed and upheld by the testimony of two or three witnesses. If he pays no attention to them [refusing to listen and obey], tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a pagan and a tax collector. Truly I tell you, whatever you forbid and declare to be improper and unlawful on earth must be what is already forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit and declare proper and lawful on earth must be what is already permitted in heaven. Again I tell you, if two of you on earth agree (harmonize together, make a symphony together) about whatever [anything and everything] they may ask, it will come to pass and be done for them by My Father in heaven. For wherever two or three are gathered (drawn together as My followers) in (into) My name, there I AM in the midst of them. Then Peter came up to Him and said, Lord, how many times may my brother sin against me and I forgive him and let it go? [As many as] up to seven times? Jesus answered him, I tell you, not up to seven times, but seventy
times seven! (Matthew 18:15-22 AMP)

HOW DISCIPLES RESOLVE CONFLICT: Go to the brother. If you cannot resolve it, go to the brother again with the charter President or Vice President. If you cannot resolve it, the charter president takes it to the International President or Vice President. 

FAILURE TO FOLLOW THESE RULES may result in being kicked out, or being made
a prospect. 

THIS IS A PLACE WHERE WE LIVE THE BIBLE, not just a place where we talk about it. The Bible takes strife, people who cause strife, spreading dissension among brothers, backbiting and argumentative people very seriously. God says it is an abomination to Him (Prov 6:19) to spread strife among brothers. 

I understand if you have never been in a place where you are expected to follow what the Bible says about conflict resolution, and where those rules are rigorously enforced. But we are going to keep this club from going the route of churches that split, MCs that fall apart etc etc. WE WILL BE UNIFIED and YOU WILL FOLLOW THE RULES or you will be educated the first time, kicked the second time to earn your place back by being mentored, and you will be removed completely from the club the third time. No exceptions. Get it, or get out. We are DOERS of the Word, not just HEARERS!

DISCIPLES ARE UNIFIED IN BROTHERHOOD!

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

FOLLOW JESUS, NOT YOUR HEART!


The world tells us all the time to FOLLOW YOUR HEART! And it if FEELS GOOD IT MUST BE RIGHT! But the truth is far from that. If it feels good, it must be your flesh! 
Lets look at what the Bible says: 
Jer 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? Romans 7:18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. Prov 28:26 He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, But he who walks wisely will be delivered.

Dont follow your heart! Listen for the voice of God! Shut off the TV, the secular music, the voice of your 'friends'! Get in the Word, on your face in prayer, fasting weekly if only for one meal a day, get around MEN OF GOD and you will OPEN THE PIPELINE to hear the Voice of God!

Monday, October 21, 2013

BUILDING BROTHERHOOD - EVICTING THE CRITICAL SPIRIT

BUILDING BROTHERHOOD - EVICTING THE CRITICAL SPIRIT

I have a vision of a club with a conspicuous lack of cynicism and criticism, characteristics so common in the biker community and the world at large, that it's hard to imagine life without them. But we must. Ideas are so very fragile aren't they. Ideas have to be nurtured and encouraged, protected and given an environment where they can grow. The easiest task of our enemy is to cut ideas off before they become action. It's him you see at work in the world, criticizing, fault finding, picking away from the shadows, and generally being disagreeable. When you hear these things from people, you aren't at war with flesh and blood but powers and principalities. Tearing down dreams is the work of a critical spirit, a spirit of correction. 'Oh I was just trying to help'. But it's not help. Help is easy to see, help comforts and builds up, it doesn't irritate and cut down. Help comes from humility, not from the pride of being right. 

Rev 12:10 calls the devil the 'accuser of the brethren'. It's easy to spot him at work dividing the church. Anyone running down the brethren, operating out of a critical spirit, sneering at other Christians, giving a bad report about those who work in the ministry, trying to show how wrong a brother is about some obscure point, these are the ones operating with the enemy. Don't be surprised if they seem to otherwise be strong Christians themselves. A religious spirit often hides a condemning critical spirit. The Bible says a perverse man sows strife (Prov. 16:28); that death and life are in the power of the tongue (Prov. 18:21). Slander is not pretty. It means "to defame someone; to harm their reputation; to disgrace; or to accuse." Consider this: the word slanderer in 1 Timothy 3:11 is the same word for “devil.” When we slander someone, we are acting like devils. We are mirroring the character of Satan. We can’t walk in the anointing God has for us and mirror the character of Satan at the same time. We just can’t.

So how do we keep the club uplifting? Challenge the critical spirit. It will always reveal itself during the process of joining, it can't stand not to correct people and find fault for very long. This is why we search people out closely during prospecting. Poke them and see how they react. When you see fault finding, consider it. Someone trying to help does so quietly, directly with the person they are trying to help, never in a self seeking manner. A critical spirit does so publicly to see how many than get on their side, to look important or knowlegeable, to show how others are wrong and they are right. If you or others cannot discern some serious issue (ie the bro punched me!) that is clear, then go back to the source and challenge it. You are likely to hear a whole pile of complaints, with little substance. Correct them clearly the first time. Identify the correct way to deal with legitimate concerns. 

If it happens again, come against it spiritually. I'm not the slightest bit afraid of making a point of it. Pray for people, try to teach them. Some people get it after the first time, but if not you may need to be harsh. A critical spirit is harsh itself, and cannot stand to be confronted. This is after all an MC. The rules are the rules, and after being told twice, it it happens again, this is not a person who is cut out for true brotherhood, which includes submission to each other. It's better to cut them out early, than to let them take root and start destroying what we have. And that's what happens, I've seen it time and time again.

The fault finder will either quit because they don't appreciate being called on their familiar spirit, or will learn and allow God to work on the issue, change their heart. Either way, it's your job to protect your brotherhood from that person. This is not for everyone. If you let them get a foothold, satan will make it into a stronghold.

Some people say that prospecting under in the club was easy, and some people say it was hard, and call it rude, condescending and harsh. Both get the same treatment, the difference was in their heart. When you hold a mirror up to someone and they don't like what they see, their choices are to change or break the mirror. When they break the mirror they will blame you for making them bleed, and bleed they will. You aren't responsible, you're just doing your job.

Monday, October 14, 2013

WHAT IF?






















What if its all true? What if you can do all the works that Jesus did, and greater? 

What if you can raise the dead, heal the sick, talk in tongues, call fire down from heaven (when appropriate), and live an abundant blessed life of wealth and riches for you to spend on the Kingdom of God? What if you can tear down strongholds, cast out demons, be slain in the spirit, and Hear the Voice of God? 

What if you could just turn yourself over to God and be free to follow Him? What if you could get visions and dreams from God, and see angels and converse with them? What if ALL the stuff in the Bible that happened both in the Old and New Testament still really happened today, and not believing it when your told was really a sin? 

What if every time you prayed you got an answer, and the answer was able to make it through to you because you were fasting and praying like in Daniel 10, and the answer was brought by mighty angels? 

And what if the only reason it doesnt happen to you now is because you dont believe any of it, dont act on any of it, and you are missing out on the power of God everyday? What if?

Thursday, October 3, 2013

THOSE WHO ARE DOING IT!

THOSE WHO SAY IT CANNOT BE DONE SHOULD NOT INTERRUPT THE PEOPLE DOING IT. 
I saw this and I had to laugh. It's very much how I feel about Disciple Christian Motorcycle Club. I've been told many times that Christians should not wear a three-piece patch with an MC, because it's 'being like the world' and maybe it looks hard-core. I guess Christians shouldn't be hard-core? One prominent internet biker pastor in SC told me that he is seen lots of Christian clubs come and go, and prophesied that we be gone in three or four years. Thanks for the vote of confidence, we are still here and are going global.

But even more importantly this reminds me of how people view the Bible. Man-made traditions are accepted more than the Word of God in some quarters. We associate some kind of loose spirituality in saying that we don't feel 'led' to do what the Bible says. We escape any faith in our supernatural God by looking at things in the Bible and saying we don't 'believe' them, because we were 'taught' differently. But the Bible says what it says, in plain English, and there's no explaining it away. You don't abdicate your responsibility to read the word of God and do what it says by using the excuse that someone taught you the word of God isn't true. This isn't a pick and choose proposition, Where you can say I believe this page, but I don't believe that page. When people start telling you that things in the Bible aren't true, grab tighter hold your Bible! When they start trying to explain how the Bible wasn't written for you, but for some other people, shut them up. 

And why would people want to keep you from the things the Bible says? Because there is power in what the Bible says! If you look at the things people are trying to pick out of the Bible, you will find they are the things that give you the greatest empowerment and blessing! 

Living a life of sanctification? Oh no, just say a prayer once and you're going to heaven no matter how you live.
Giving money to the church? Oh no, my money is my money and I can't stand when pastors preach about it.
Laying hands on the sick and seeing them healed? Oh no, that takes faith, and I don't believe in that.
Speaking in tongues and the other gifts of the Holy Spirit? Oh no, I was taught that doesn't happen anymore.
Biblical prosperity? Oh no, I was taught that Jesus wants you to be poor, sick, and miserable.

Sanctification, the process of living holy, makes God more able to use you in more places, more powerfully! Giving to the church and the man of God in your life brings a blessing on you that is repeatedly spelled out in many places in both the old and New Testament. When you lay hands on the sick, prayed the prayer of faith and see them healed, it's God reaching down and showing then that he loves them in a powerful and personal way! The Bible says when you speak in tongues, you build yourself up in your most holy faith, and that you're speaking to God, giving thanks and praising him! The nine gifts of the Holy Spirit are used by God to bring glory to himself, to empower us to spread his word, and to show people that he is real! Biblical prosperity is Jesus fulfilling his word that he came to give us life, and life more abundantly.

Just because you saw the TV Minister preach prosperity out of order, does not mean you throw out the baby out with the bathwater!  Just because you were in the church where they were speaking in tongues incorrectly, does it mean it doesn't happen anymore? Just because you saw somebody pray for healing and not be healed doesn't mean the Bible is a lie.  Our faith does not come from circumstances we have seen, but from an unshakable belief in the word of God! When people preach you can be saved by works, do you throw salvation out the window?

So when you see some of us practicing the full Gospel, don't interrupt us, don't try to argue that we should regress, go backwards, and cut pages out of our Bible. Many of us were sitting where you are sitting, and making the same arguments you are making, when we were given the revelation that God still works in the supernatural! It would be impossible for us to go backwards! It's the height of human arrogance to use 'logical' arguments to explain away and nullify passage after passage out of the Bible. When you see us practicing the full Gospel, stay silent, or better yet ask questions, so that you too can see the supernatural happening. Because God hasn't changed!  It is time to start studying these issues diligently from both sides, rather than accepting what you were told without hearing all of the facts. Like it says in Proverbs 18:17 in a lawsuit the first to speak seems right, until someone comes forward and cross-examines.

Saturday, September 14, 2013

WE LOVE WOMEN SUPPORTERS IN THE CLUB!


  1. A WORD FROM THE PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER: This is an MC for men, and one thing I CAN TELL YOU FOR SURE, WHEN YOU ADD A WOMAN IN THE PATCH, YOU DONT HAVE A BROTHERHOOD ANYMORE, I DONT KNOW WHAT IT IS, BUT IT IS NOT A BROTHERHOOD!! WE love the ladies, we involve them, there is an awesome SUPPORT DISCIPLE back patch for them but the brothers run the club by how the Brothers Vote. And I am the tiebraker.......WWW.DISCIPLECMC.COM

THE PSALM 112 CONTRACT




The Psalm 112 Contract


Psalm 112 describes a righteous man and gives Gods earthly promise for a righteous man. Just like any contract, the things God promises come with some caveats. If you want to see these benefits, then you have to live up to your part of the contract. When people look at what the Bible says, they assume that if those benefits are not happening in their lives, then the Bible must be a lie and not mean what it says. But in reality, we need to LOOK AT OUR OWN ACTIONS and correct those, then we can expect God to fulfill his Word in our lives. 

Notice that none of this is in the context of salvation. Only repentance and the blood of Christ can give you salvation. Salvation is the eternal reward for faith in Christ. But also, Proverbs 11:31 says the righteous are rewarded here on earth. Once you are saved, you are expected to crucify the flesh and become a new creature. So, what does the new Creature look like? And what is the reward for a righteous life?


The text of Psalm 112 is at the bottom, lets look at the things God promises one by one, and then what your part is you want to see these things operating in your life. Note that if you are not keeping your part of the deal, God is not obligated to provide these blessings in your life.



GOD PROMISES: In order of how they appear in the text
1. Happiness: twice the text promises happiness if we keep up our end of the bargain! Happiness cant be bought, you cant find it in a bottle or a pill, it only comes from a life truly submitted to God.
2. Children will be powerful in the land; his descendants will be blessed: God obligates himself to watch over our children and provide the same blessing we have. They take their own path, but how we live impacts Gods protection over them to some level
3. His family will be wealthy and rich, and he will be prosperous forever: Run it in the Hebrew, it says the same thing. God is talking about money here. Yup, it's a promise.
4. Light shines in the darkness for good people: TOUGH TIMES ARE PROMISED, darkness happens. But God will always provide a way out! Psalm 34:19 repeats this: Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but The Lord delivereth him out of them all! How awesome is it to know that God has promised you a way out, if you stay on the path! 
5. Will never fail; he will always be remembered: The KJV says "He shall not be moved forever", people will remember your contribution even after you pass on. What a legacy!
6. He is certain to see his enemies defeated: God doesnt say YOU have to do the defeating! He says you will SEE the defeating! So sit back and give your enemies over to God, because HE promises that they will be defeated, how cool is that??
7. He will be powerful and respected: nuff said! When you stand up and live a righteous life, people will notice and respect you. You will be put into positions of power. I see this in my business and personal life.
8. The wicked see this and are angry: God isnt talking about secret blessing here, He is talking about open blessing that even wicked people can see, so blessed that they HATE it! When they have positive results from their wicked ways, they can count on losing it, unhappiness, just the opposite of what God promises you!



SO WHATS MY END OF THE BARGAIN?



1. Praise the Lord! No matter the circumstance, no matter the trial, no matter the success, you have to remove a negative tongue and CHOOSE to praise God. I submit to you that somtimes, your trials and tribulations are just a test to see if you choose to praise God anyway. Just ask Job.
2. Honor The Lord: there is a lot to that. Talk to Him. Live worthy of the sacrifice of Christ. You dont just get to do whatever you want, you were bought with a price. If you choose to live in sin, the Bible says that is like crucifying Christ all over again. Honor God in your relationships, what you look at on the internet, in your money and giving. In every area of your life, acknowledge Him.
3. Takes pleasure in obeying his commands: If tithing is a big chore and you act like a baby about it, complaining about giving a back to God after all He has done for you, then dont expect a blessing. No matter how hard the task, take pleasure in it, and He will reward that. 
4. Merciful: You dont just get to unload on every idiot. Mercy means treating people better than they deserve. That is a hard one. Its not taught in school, instead we are taught to be merciless and cruel, careless, thoughtless, never thinking of the needs of others. Imagine what a shift that is to be merciful. No wonder we dont see all the blessings of God, happiness, riches and wealth. How often do we make a point of being merciful?
5. Be Kind: that means friendly, tolerant, warm hearted, considerate. Again, this is important to God, but how often do we ACT this way?  
6. Just: honorable and fair in ones dealings, consistent with what is morally right. In our marriage, in our business, in our personal relationships.
7. Generous with his loans: Marked by abundance in giving or sharing, knowing that God gave so much to us, that we are willing to open it all back up to him. Again, this is not what the world teaches. 
8. Who runs his business honestly: Another thing God wants to see out of someone who He is going to bless. How are you treating others? Are you getting a sense of how important this is to God?
9. Not afraid of receiving bad news; his faith is strong, and he trusts in the Lord. He is not worried or afraid: Hebrews 11 says Without Faith, it is impossible to please God. If you truly believe that God has your back, why would you be worried about circumstances? If God has a contract to bless you, why not sit back and trust Him to take care of things rather than freaking out about them? Can the Emperor and Creator of the universe not fix anything He wishes?
10. He is certain to see his enemies defeated: Vengeance is mine says The Lord. If you are holding a grudge, harboring unforgiveness, choosing to try to rectify things yourself, then YOU are the one who is in charge. Why not sit back and let God handle it. Isnt He capable? I dont have to get revenge. I honestly feel sorry for people who do me wrong, because i know that God will repay them for their deeds so much harder than i can. 
11. Gives generously to the needy: Do you make a habit of giving to the needy? If not, God notices that. It a key part of Him being able to trust you with wealth and riches. If he knows He can get money THROUGH you to others, He knows how to get money TO you. If you hold on to all of it like its yours, you will see it be harder to get. Read Proverbs 11:24 One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want.
12. THIS ONE IS MENTIONED TWICE: his kindness never fails. So when God mentions it twice, you really need to focus on being that kind of person.

Praise the Lord! Happy is the person who honors the Lord, who takes pleasure in obeying his commands. The good man's children will be powerful in the land; his descendants will be blessed. His family will be wealthy and rich, and he will be prosperous forever. Light shines in the darkness for good people, for those who are merciful, kind, and just. Happy is the person who is generous with his loans, who runs his business honestly. A good person will never fail; he will always be remembered. He is not afraid of receiving bad news; his faith is strong, and he trusts in the Lord. He is not worried or afraid; he is certain to see his enemies defeated. He gives generously to the needy, and his kindness never fails; he will be powerful and respected. The wicked see this and are angry; they glare in hate and disappear; their hopes are gone forever. (Psalm 112:1-10 GNT)

Thursday, August 15, 2013

WHAT IS A MA?



WHAT IS A MA?
To join Disciple Christian Motorcycle Club, a member must sponsor you. Their job is to check you out, get a feel for you, make sure you are legit, answer your questions, and help you through the process of joining the club. In Disciple, we call that person your ma, and its always a tighter bond formed between a ma and their son in the club. You will be assigned a ma by the club by the time you reach the hangaround stage.

WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO?
Call your ma once a week. Texting or a facebook message is not the same thing. If you call, leave a message. Your ma is trying to keep you in communication, make sure they are there to handle any problems, issues or questions you have, and teach you the Disciple way. The only way that can happen is if you are following through with your ma. For every week you miss calling your ma as a prospect, you get an additional week of prospect time.  Do what your ma suggests, even it you don’t understand it.

WHAT DOES A MA DO?
1.       Keep out the bad seed:  weed out people who aren’t right for Disciple. That may mean they just want a patch but don’t want brotherhood, drug users, cops, folks who don’t understand or want the commitment etc.
2.       Water the good seed:  Bring your sons into the club. Call them, reach out to them, nurture their interest. Teach them to call you. Don’t just expect that supporters are going to call you because you posted your number on facebook. Dont be lazy, bossy and demanding. By the time someone is a prospect they should understand the concept of calling their ma, but don’t expect every brand new supporter to get it. While we have to be hard on some prospects, many men are experienced and serious enough that they don’t need that treatment and will be turned away by being unnecessarily pushed.  You need to reach out to them and SHOW brother hood to teach them brotherhood.
3.       Teach you the Disciple way: Teach MC Culture, make sure they understand what kinds of pics to post or not post, what kinds of things to say and not say, how to introduce themselves, and the hierarchy of the club. Make sure they know the rules and what to expect.

4.       Bring your sons up for a vote to be a hangaround, prospect or full patch when their time is up, or when you feel they are ready. If it needs to be longer then you are the one that decides that.

A ma should never be the closest bro to somebody who's coming on board. If you bring your buddy to the club, you should not be his ma. 

Same goes for  the only full patch in the area. An example would be our new full patch in Maryland, as he brings other guys on board, he should not be their ma.

Remember the ma is there to bounce issues off of. If you are the set man, the only full patch in the area, and the ma, then if there's any conflict between you and that new guy coming up, he doesn't have someone else to go to.

The idea of the ma is that it's somebody who's geographically nearby. But he isn't necessarily going to see you everyday, or be your closest bro. A ma is a confidant, someone to go to when there are issues. This gives a series of checks and balances for conflict in the club between bros.
GOD IS GREAT 888




Sunday, September 30, 2012

GETTING SAVED IS JUST THE BEGINNING!

Too many have gotten it into their heads that inviting Christ into their hearts is the end of the Christian walk, that once they walk the aisle, say the prayer and get dunked in the baptismal, its all over, and they should go back to living exactly how they were before.

But the opposite is the case. Getting saved is the BEGINNING of the Christian walk.
Now comes the part about sanctification, being set aside for the work that Christ needs done, being set aside and living on a different level than unbelievers. You are supposed to be WALKING IN GOOD WORKS that were prepared for you beforehand (Eph 2:10). Works dont save you, the blood of Christ does, through faith. And Faith without works is DEAD (James 2:14). Continuing in the same sin that we were in before we were saved, failing to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit and prophetic words from the Godly men around us, Heb 6:6 calls this deserting Christ. They are crucifying the Son of God again and publicly disgracing him. Therefore, they cannot be led a second time to God. Thats powerful stuff. 

Each day the Bible calls us to crucify our flesh, seek to grow closer to the image of Christ, be perfect as God is perfect (Matt 5:48), to meditate on things that are beautiful, good and pure. For note, that is exactly the opposite of worldly music and TV. Men of God dont waste time on foolish things as we did when we were not mature (1 Cor 13:11), because we realize that the time is short, and the time wasted on foolish things is another soul going to hell that we didnt reach but were supposed to, another destiny step missed, another opportunity to be studying and learning.

Fill your mind with the things of God. Theres nothing wrong with watching a football game or whatever, but would a man of God waste more time on football that what he was in the Word for the day? Would a man of God become the next Billy Grahm by playing video games, watching more TV that he was in the Bible and praying for the day? 

If we never miss an episode of our favorite show, but dont think a bit about missing a day in the Word (or a week, or a month), if we can spend 6 hours catching up on our show, but would never consider spending an hour in prayer and worship, WHAT ARE WE TELLING GOD? What are our priorities? Which one is more important to us? If we always fill our minds with fantasy and false TV shows, but would never consider a regular monthly/weekly fasting schedule before God, why would it surprise us that we never walk in the power of the Holy Spirit, teach and disciple other men, see the unseen world, pray with power against demonic forces, operate in the 1st Corinthians 12 spiritual gifts, lay hands on the sick and see them healed, or lead people to the Lord on a regular basis?

Instead, we go on filling our mind with crap, and saying that none of these things ever happen any more.

And we miss out on them when they do, because they are happening to men who push further into the mysteries and deep things of God, that we can ever imagine doing. 

Its time for men to make a committment, step up, and signal God that they are ready to leave weakness behind, and walk in power.

Saturday, July 14, 2012

Biblical Prosperity




Let me start with a blanket statement: If you are not a Christian, seeking Gods will daily through Bible study and prayer, abiding in Him, serving Him, and living a  righteous life of forgiveness, stop reading now, because that is who this is for, the prerequisite for even understanding this!

Are you financially blessed by God per Dt 8:18, that you can pay all your bills, tithe, give offerings, and bless others? Can you afford to attend all the runs your Christian motorcycle club makes, on your motorcycle, to further the ministry, and minister to the hurting? Are you able to bless another brother so he can too, per the scripture in 1 Tim 6:18? Can you afford to send your pastor to that out of state men’s conference this year, and maybe replace his threadbare shoes, and send him and his wife on a much needed romantic cruise, per the scripture in Phil 4:16 about blessing the man of God? Can you provide a good percentage of the funds for the food bank in your community for the next year, per the text of Prov 28:27? Does your wife have a few properties per Prov 31 that she can make a profit on, and sell them when the church has a need? Are there wealth and riches in your house per Psalms 112, so that you can afford to bless those of the household of God as it says in Gal 6:10?
If not, then you can see, God can enlarge our vision! Churches may serve the kingdom of God, but the light company doesn’t give them power for free! The ministry moves forward when God gives you money, and you direct the flow of money into earthly ministry! When the Bible teaches prosperity doctrine, it isn’t so you can save up for yourself treasures on earth (Matt 6:20) to spend on your lusts (James 4:3)! It is so you can use it to further the kingdom!
You are going to need to ENLARGE YOUR VISION if you are going to make a large impact in the kingdom of God! It’s not about you and your greed; it’s about the Will of God, and His Kingdom!!

People seem to be confused about what the Will of God is, and because they are confused, they stop seeking His will and living in it. It seems people feel the Will of God is something wishy washy and mushy, and that it changes all the time. Somehow, people think the Will of God might be that you are going to be sick, broke, busted and disgusted. However, the Will of God is clearly spelled out in the Bible. God wants you to be Happy, Rich, Healthy and Righteous! Let’s look at some scripture: 

3 John 1:2 Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers. That pretty well clears it up in one verse! The definition of prosper is: Succeed in material terms; be financially successful. That some Greek word is used in 1 Cor 16:2 in reference to tithes and offerings to the church, its talking about money in that scripture too! After he makes it clear that God wants you to have material joy, he makes it clear that God wants you to be in Good Health. Finally, he mentions your soul (Greek for the seat of the feelings, desires, affections, and aversions) should prosper as well, that means Happy! Its right there is the Bible! People want to give many churchy spiritual explanations that may sound good, and explain all that away as if the Bible doesn’t say God wants you to be wealthy, healthy and happy, BUT IT DOES! And it says it again, and again and again. Let’s look: 

Psalm 112:1 Praise the LORD! How blessed is the man who fears the LORD, Who greatly delights in His commandments. 3 Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness endureth forever.
Don’t let anyone tell you that it doesn’t mean exactly what it says! You do not need a degree in Bible study to understand God's Word clearly here! These scriptures go on and on. Read Deuteronomy 28 if you want to really understand how God wants to bless people. 

Notice that each of these scriptures is very clearly in context of HOW YOU HAVE TO LIVE, and HOW YOU USE THE BLESSINGS. Go back and read the context of the scriptures, and we see that you have to fear God(also means RESPECT), and delight in His commandments, that means love reading and obeying the Word of God. You have these blessings, not for your selfish lusts, but to further the Kingdom of God!

So the question is, why don’t I have these things in my life? The answer is right in the Bible.
Love the Word! Psalm 112: I need to be someone who greatly delights in His commandments: that means read His word, and follow Gods instructions when He gives them to you.

Ask and Serve! James 4:2-3: You do not have because you do not ask, you ask, and receive not, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it upon your lusts: We need to be using our blessing to serve God wherever we can! It is easy for God to bless His servant, we are blessed so that we can be a blessing to others! Look at Psalm 35:27, God takes Pleasure in the Prosperity of His servant!

Believe and Forgive! Mark 11:24“Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you. 25“Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions. 26[“But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your transgressions.”]

When it comes to experiencing the Will of God, It’s a lot easier to say “It must not be the Lord’s will”, than to admit we are not walking in line with the Biblical context of these verses.
Experiencing the Lord’s will is rooted in seeking His voice and following His commandments.

In closing, God wants to bless you with health, wealth and joy. This is not to say that there may not be seasons of trials in our lives. Overall, it is up to you to get yourself into the spiritual condition that allows these promises of God to be active in your life. If you pursue God, His Will begins to happen to you. Ask, Believe, and Live Righteously: Then you can expect the Will of God in your life!


God Wants You to Prosper
3 John 1:2 That you prosper and be in health as your soul prospers
Heb 11:6: He rewards those who seek Him
Ps 1:1-3 Whatsoever he does will prosper
Ps 23:1 I shall not want
Ps 35:27 Pleasure in the Prosperity of His servant
Ps 73:25-26 the desires of your heart
Psalm 85:12 No good thing shall He withhold
2Chr 31:21 Working for the house of God
Pr28:13 He who covers his sin will not prosper
Deut 8:17-18 God gives us the power to get wealth
Prov 10:27 The blessing of the Lord brings wealth
Pr10:24 What the righteous desire will be granted
Deut 28:1-15
Psalm 112: Wealth and Riches
Prov 15:6 Much treasure in the house of the righteous
Psalm 75: 6 For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. 7 But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.
Prov 22: 22 The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.
Job 36:7 He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous: but with kings are they on the throne; yea, he doth establish them forever, and they are exalted. 8 And if they be bound in fetters, and be holden in cords of affliction; 9 Then he sheweth them their work, and their transgressions that they have exceeded. 10 He openeth also their ear to discipline, and commandeth that they return from iniquity. 11 If they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures. 12 But if they obey not, they shall perish by the sword, and they shall die without knowledge.
Psalm 35:27 The prosperity of His servant
Psalm 122:6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.
Prov 28:13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.
Deut 8: 18 But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, 10 When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the Lord thy God for the good land which he hath given thee. 11 Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God,
Job: 22:22 Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart. 23 If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up; thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles. 24 Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust, and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks. 25 Yea, the Almighty shall be thy defence, and thou shalt have plenty of silver. 26 For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God.

God takes care of needs already:
Mt 6:31 Take no thought
Phil 4:19 My God will meet all your needs
Ps 1:1 How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
Ps 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.
Ps 1:3 He will be like a tree {firmly} planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.


y the way, I am not talking out of theory or opinion here. I have literally received EVERYTHING I prayed for. I asked for a wife with several specific spiritual characteristics and received her. I prayed for a specific type of job, that I am not qualified for, I have no degree etc, I got it. I prayed for financial increase, and followed some biblical principals like tithing, sowing and diligence, and saw over $1k come to me a month almost immediately. Test Him now in this. Literally within a few years doubled my income. I planted a $1k seed at a church who was having a large annual offering, as I laid it down I asked God for a house down south, I was renting at the time and didn’t have the money at all. Three weeks later I was moved by my job to SC and given $7k to move. We received a home with $30k in equity, zero down, bad credit and all, with the 10 specific things we asked for, including a lot of land and a prayer room. I didn’t have a motorcycle for 7 years (study 7 and you will find it as a number of completion and renewal) and God gave both my wife and I nice bikes. I asked for a Christian MC and have one now, and im ministering in it. 
Call this coincidence if you like. Ignore the hand of God in this story. But the Bible is true. If you study the poverty doctrine from the monks of the 1200s, you will find that they reacted against the greed of the church. Satan has used this poverty doctrine to great effect. 
You see, if it was true that Deut 28 is no lie, it would change how we live. So, how would the devil try to fool you into thinking it was a lie?


Here is an interesting look at the beginning of the Poverty Doctrine, that attempts to take away Gods promise all throughout the scripture of an abundant life, and tell us that we cannot desire THINGS. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apostolic_poverty

God didn't make STUFF and MONEY for unbelievers! They just happen to be able to get it too, because of the fall of Adam. Stuff and Money are for people who are walking with God! God is not some weird tyrant that created all of this stuff, and then holds it away from us!! 

Proverbs 13:22 ‘A sinners wealth is stored up for the righteous’ 

Proverbs 28:8 ‘He who increases his wealth by exorbitant interest amasses it for another, who will be kind to the poor 

Ecclesiastes 2:26 ‘To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God’


Monday, June 4, 2012

Not Taking Offense


Christian Biker

In the biker world its all about respect. What did you say to me!? Do you know who I am!? You can say the wrong thing to the wrong guy and end up in a lot of hot water. In the Christian biker world, it isn't much different. I wont go into details, but suffice it to say that in some states, no Christian club can wear an MC patch, because of what some guy did years ago that another club took as disrespect.

As well, there is a tragic history of Christian clubs breaking up, splitting off, fracturing or ceasing to exist at all, just over what one bro said to another, or how one bro took offense to something. That is a crying shame.

The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 13 that we Christians should not be easily angered, or keep a record of wrongs suffered. If someone says something out of line and you get all offended, the Bible indicates that you are an immature person. That's heavy.

So what should you do if you are offended by something someone does? The Bible says in Matthew 18 (copied below) that you talk to that person. Very often such things end in a 'sorry bro, didn't realize that offended you, i wont do it again". If they wont listen to you the Bible then says you go to them with another brother, and if they wont listen to you then, you take them to the elders of the church.

Lets contrast this with how things often happen in the real world, and how this destroys motorcycle clubs. In the real world, when we take offense, we don't talk to the person who offended us. Instead, we go around to our closest bros and tell them about what made us mad. We see who we can get on our side. We build it up and build it up in our own minds, playing it over and over until it becomes a big deal and there is no turning back, or hope of reconciliation. We try to turn others against that bro, we spread rumors, gossips and half truths until everyone knows that we are dissatisfied. This is how many friendships and motorcycle clubs have been broken up.

If this is how you operate, the Bible says you are not mature, you are operating out of ignorance and spreading dissension among brothers. The Bible says in Proverbs 6 that God sees spreading dissension among brothers as an abomination, a word reserved for the worst sin imaginable. However, the good thing is ignorance can be fixed!

When you find yourself offended by someone take these steps:
1. Pray for forgiveness in your heart toward that brother.
2. Genuinely pray that brother receives a blessing.
3. Go to that brother in sincerity and tell them you were offended and how. Give them a chance to see it from your perspective, and apologize. Take the opportunity to see if from their perspective.
4. If you feel there is no resolution, follow the Biblical step of taking it to ONE other brother.
5. If that brother and you feel its needed, take it to all the bros.

Finally, remember that you are Biblically OUT OF LINE if you go talking to all the other brothers BEFORE you have taken these steps, and you will be in sin against God for doing so. Love for the brothers is first and foremost. If you see a brother who is out of line with this, you need to stop him and correct him, and not allow him to sow division in you, or in any other bros.

READ what the WORD Says: 

Matt 18:15 If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. 16 But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

18 “I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

19 “Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.”
21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times”.

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