Real Christianity in a Fallen World

For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ. - (Galatians 1:10 NAS)

To truly serve God, one cannot serve man's wishes and desires a majority of the time. In other words, a person cannot seek the approval of man and disregard God's desires. If God says to do something, you must complete what He desires and it will normally not line up with what anyone else thinks you should do. Anyone friendships lost because you are doing God's will was never a true friend anyway, the friendship was conditional to you complying to what they want you to do.

Man has an innate desire to have respect of others. However, this type of respect comes at a cost when it does not line up with what God's plan. When a man (or woman) of God pursues God rather than man, issues arise from those who wish to control people. Allow me to give an example that I have seen hurt many Christians.

God tells a Christian to leave his or her current church. Weeks, months or even years later a person runs into someone from that church and instead of embracing each other as friends, the person that continues to go to the old church shuns the person that left. The person that does the shunning is the weakest form of Christian there is, because their friendship is based on a building and not on being united through Christ Jesus. A true friend will stick with you until the end and His name is Christ Jesus. (Jesus said this after giving us the great commission: "...I am with you always, even to the end of the age." - (Matthew 28:20 NAS)

To the religious structure of Jesus' time, Jesus was a rogue man who did not do as they believed He should. The people of the religious order wanted to control Jesus and make Him just like them, totally powerless and not of God. In fact, that is the same thing Satan did when he tempted Jesus, which is try to get Jesus to do his will and not God's. (Matthew 4)

I am speaking to even myself when I say this. Can we true Christians get past trying to control others and allow God to use the “others”? Perhaps if we would stop trying to control others, we would stop being like the aforementioned religious structure that eventually put Jesus to death or even Satan.

To those who God has told to do something, do it no matter what the cost. God will honor you as He did Jesus who lost all in this earth, yet Jesus gained everything in the kingdom to come. So shall you reap your reward.

We admire a man who was firm in the faith, say four hundred years ago...but such a man today is a nuisance, and must be put down.  Call him a narrow-minded bigot, or give him a worse name if you can think of one.  Yet imagine that in those ages past, Luther, Zwingle, Calvin, and their peers had said, "The world is out of order; but if we try to set it right we shall only make a great confrontation, and get ourselves into disgrace.  Let us go to our bedroom, and sleep over the bad times, and perhaps when we wake up things will have grown better."  Such conduct on their part would have entailed upon us a heritage of error.  Age after age would have gone down into the infernal deeps, and the evil heeps of error would have swallowed all.  These men loved the faith and the name of Jesus too well to see them trampled on...

It is today as it was in the Reformer's days.  Decision is needed.  Here is the day for the man, where is the man for the day?  We who have had the gospel passed to us by martyr hands dare not tinker with it, nor sit by and hear it denied by traitor, who pretend to love it, but inwardly abhor every line of it...Look you, sirs, there are ages yet to come.  If the Lord does not speedily appear, there will come another generation, and another, and all these generations will be tainted and injured if we are not faithful to God and to His truth today.  We have come to a turning-point in the road.  If we turn to the right, perhaps our children and our children's children will go that way; but if we turn to the left, generations yet unborn will curse our names for having been unfaithful to God and to His Word. 1888 Charles Haddon Spurgeon (some words modernized)

It seems to me that man of God had it right. Many of this nation's churches have become parlors of disgrace to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. There is nothing like the word of God. However, any man who manipulates an entire body to error is not of God. Man can miss God at times by accident, but to manipulate others for ones own gain is completely wrong. I will no longer allow my Lord and Savior to be defamed by such men. I will no longer allow my God to be trampled on by such men. I must speak out, or I am not much better than those who pierced His side. You can visit my website: www.dwmontgomery.com

“For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. “Behold, I have told you in advance. Matthew 24:24-25

I am amazed at the “new year prophecies” that come out around this time every year. I searched the entire whole bible and cannot seem to find a “Rosh Hashanah”, or Jewish New Year prophecy. It is almost as if the people expect a man of God to give them something new for the new year. Yet, many “men of god” will pull something like that out of their hat to give the people what they want.

Some of these prophecys read like a horoscope; this one I recall, “there will be opened doors and closed doors…” This was by a famous TV preacher a few years ago. You certainly cannot pin this man down as being a false prophet, but you can bet that he is no prophet. God’s prophets never prophesied in a way that had several “doors.”

I truly believe that God does give prophecies, but we are not to follow after a “new word.” In other words, the prophecy should always line up with the bible and should always come true. The Old Testament tells the people of Israel to stone a false prophet. I guess we need to throw the stone that the builders rejected, Jesus, at the false prophets of today, because they are not of God. If that seems harsh for a Christian, look at how Jesus talked to the Pharisees, Saducees, and scribes in His days on earth.

I have a prophecy for you, Jesus is coming back soon and many false Christ are already in the world, which is exactly what Matthew 24 is about, His soon return. If that is not quite what you wanted, it is God’s word and we need to thirst after God’s word rather than some charismatic man that knows some things of God, but not actual know the true God in an intimate way. Or perhaps he knew God at one time, but turned his back on God pandering to the people and not God.

We Christians better start reading the bible for ourselves, instead of letting some “man of god” tell us what we should believe or not believe. I don’t care if man’s church is made of one person, including the man, or one trillion individuals. Just because many follow a man, does not mean that he is a man of the true God. If you notice, a true prophet of God in the scripture usually was under constant threat of life and had a very small following.

Real faith reaches down and grabs a lame man expecting to see God work (see Acts 3:1-9). No one in the hall of faith, located in Hebrews 11, accomplished God movement without first over-extending themselves to what is beyond the natural man's reasoning. Even Jesus spat in the dirt and made some spiritual eye salve (John 9:1-7), put spit in the eyes of a blind man (Mark 8:22-25), and gave a man a wet willy (7:32-35) all in the pursuit of God's will. Real faith drowns out the fear of what people think is over-reaction and accomplishes God's will.

There is a way that seems religious to others that does not accomplish God's will. True faith moves beyond the desire to look spiritual to the desire to speak God's will into existence. To me, faith is like throwing a baseball. I know when I rear back with God's word, when I hurl it out of my mouth, it is going to make an impact. That word is going to hurt something; it is going to pop satan in the mouth. God's word trumps satan every time, not me.

I used to look at faith like jumping off a cliff into the water. You wait until you get enough nerve and then leap. I would wait until I felt my faith was the strongest and then pray. At times I walk in great faith and in others, I have little faith. True faith comes from living in the word and the word living in you. "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” (John 15:7 NAS If someone abides some place it dwells there. Many people know the word of God, but they are not at the point of it living inside them. The person is just a dwelling; the word of God is what actually lives. This is what Paul was saying when he said, "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” (Galatians 2:20).

Many people never seem to get prayers answered. Prayer is very simple. It is faith that God is going to perform His word, coupled with lining your will with God's.

I used to ask for things that would make me more powerful; make me more highly esteemed. Jesus asked for those things that would build God's Kingdom, not mans. That is the difference between a righteous man and a carnal man.

You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. James 4:3 NASB

Let's look at it through a message that Jesus gave.

"I (Jesus) am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 "Every branch (us Christians) in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. 3"You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4"Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. 5 "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. 6 "If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. 7 "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8"My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. John 15:1-8 NASB
Does the branch get to make a choice what fruit it will bear? It is only when the branch lines itself up with the will of the vine that it produces fruit. This is the act of abiding in verse 4-7. When your will becomes God's will, you can ask for “whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” At that point you are not asking for your own glory, but for His.
Notice that verse 2 tells us that our branches take must be pruned. That means that those things that are not for the production of fruit are removed (your dead wood). What is it that is not producing fruit in your life? It is either His will or your will.
Part three will be about the faith component.

Link to Darin's website and book is www.dwmontgomery.com

© 2009

God's word is His contract with true Christians. It is perfect, pure and flawless! However, we can contaminate God's word by our worldly thoughts and ambitions to the point that the Word has no affect on our lives, and His promises never reach His potential. By contaminate, I mean that we bring our beliefs and our desires that do not line up with God's word.

The cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. Mark 4:19

When we desire anything more than God, we are guilty of removing the power from His word. We can even desire the promises of God more than God and this infects His Word with our desires. God's first and foremost desire from us is that we “love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” (Matthew 22:37 ) What would you rather do than spend time doing the things of God?

Furthermore, we see in Mark 4:19, that the care of this world can over-ride God's Word. The children of Israel were guilty of this and they did not get to enter into the promised land. (Numbers 13-14) God told the children of Israel to go and possess the land and they believed their natural eyes more than they believed God's Word or His promise to them. We do this by looking at the circumstances rather than what God said. When God says it and we are in line with His word, it is finished.

Link to Darin's website and book is www.dwmontgomery.com

© 2009

Link: http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?section=ma%20gazine&id=3789373

There are times when someone does something for someone else that is touching. I would like to point you to what real Christianity is about by the above link to a story written in ESPN magazine. It is about showing love to those who do not deserve love by a Christian school. It is a perfect example of what my book, "A Membership Guide to the Body of Christ" is written for and about.

Please return to this blog after reading the story and think about these questions.

Did it cost anything for the Grapevine Faith team to do what they did?
Did the action help the kids of Grapevine Faith feel good about themselves?
Did it add value to the inmates life?
If high school kids can do things like this, why can't adults do things like this?

I would like to introduce you to a man that I met in my travels. George is in his eighties and I knew immediately that he was a man of God. He lives in a nursing home, however attends church every week. George loves to quote scripture and will pray publicly at a moments notice. He is truly an inspiration to me.

There is something that I dislike about marketing books, which is the marketing of me instead of the God who made me. My books are about my God and I try to put nothing of myself in them. It is my belief that one cannot be full of oneself and be full of God. However, if I need to market myself to promote Him, I will do it to the best of my ability.

We Christians need to realize why we do not have the power that Christ Jesus promised us. We need to realize that we are not lost in Christ. People want to have the anointing of Christ, yet keep Him at a distance in their lives. The Christ in us and His anointing are a package that cannot be separated.

Christians, we must realize that “in Him we live and move and exist...” (Acts 17:28). If there is no connection with God, we have not granted Him access. We want the benefits of marriage, without the commitment. If we honor our relationship with Him, He will honor us.

Let us get to a place where we care not for anything of this world: greed, man-given power and the lust of the flesh; pouring ourselves out for Christ Jesus. The world needs Christ here today, and that is why we are given His Holy Spirit, to show others to Him! It is not to make us powerful, wealthy, and famous; but to Glorify our God. When we make ourselves out to be great for self-benefit, we are accomplishing what Satan did and it led to Satan's fall.

Darin's book can be accessed by his website: www.dwmontgomery.com

© 2008

You are a one-of-a-kind painting that has more worth than any monetary figure. If a painting remains locked up in a dark vault, who can appreciate its' beauty? If you take the painting out of the darkness and expose it to light, one can appreciate the real beauty of the painting. The more light and exposure, the more the painting can be appreciated. In darkness, beauty remains unseen and there is no value to anyone, especially to the creator.

The Creator knows why He created you, for you are “...fearfully and wonderfully made..” (Psalm 139:14) Jesus said, “I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness.” (John 12:46 NAS) If you will expose yourself to Jesus, He can bring you out of the vault allowing you and the world to see the reason you are His finely crafted creation. The more you expose yourself to Him, the more your value.

If you have not been exposed to a real life in Christ Jesus, please go to my website www.dwmontgomery.com and hit the contact me link. I will call you and help you to the Light.

Copyright 2008

No government will stand and we are starting to see the end of time of worldly governments. The great empires of the past: Grecian, Roman, Egyptian, Persian, and the Babylonian have fallen along with many others. All great world systems must come to an end and it is exciting to those who believe in Christ Jesus, for His kingdom shall never end.

Oh America, the lady statue is swaying. Her foundation has crumbled. The Chief Cornerstone was there, but He has been removed and replaced with sand. Sand washes in the hourglass of time and there will no foundation for her. She will fall and so will her children in due time.

The parallels of America and the biblical Israel are almost unbelievable. Both nations escaped persecution and were built on biblical principals. They completely left where they were to escape religious persecution and came to a new land filled with natural resources. Once they both stopped honoring God, problems began from both inside the country and outside the country. Both became very prosperous, which was the beginning of the fall. Yes, America and capitalism will fall and we are beginning to see the end of it unless we turn to God as a nation.

We have completely taken God out of our country, out of our economic system, and out of our lives. Few starve for God’s word today even though many go through the rituals of church on Sunday. Unless we worship Him in Spirit and truth and our heart is for God, we are doing nothing but rituals. Listen to the few choice words God had for Israel in Isaiah 1: (NLT)

2 Listen, O heavens! Pay attention, earth! This is what the LORD says:
“The children I raised and cared for, have rebelled against me.
3 Even an ox knows its owner, and a donkey recognizes its master’s care—
but Israel (America) doesn’t know its master. My people don’t recognize my care for them.”
4 Oh, what a sinful nation they are—loaded down with a burden of guilt.
They are evil people, corrupt children who have rejected the LORD.
They have despised the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on him.
5 Why do you continue to invite punishment? Must you rebel forever?
Your head is injured, and your heart is sick. (economically, natural disasters, spiritually)
6 You are battered from head to foot—covered with bruises, welts, and infected wounds without any soothing ointments or bandages. (we are like homeowners that keep borrowing more to get ourselves out of trouble, but it is catching up to us)
7 Your country lies in ruins, and your towns are burned. Foreigners plunder your fields before your eyes and destroy everything they see.(Foreign governments are purchasing our land from the money that we are borrowing from them)
10 Listen to the LORD, you leaders of “Sodom.” Listen to the law of our God, people of “Gomorrah.”
11 “What makes you think I want all your sacrifices?” says the LORD. (don’t appease God)
“I am sick of your burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fattened cattle.
I get no pleasure from the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.
12 When you come to worship me, who asked you to parade through my courts with all your ceremony?
13 Stop bringing me your meaningless gifts; the incense of your offerings disgusts me!
As for your celebrations of the new moon and the Sabbath and your special days for fasting—they are all sinful and false.
I want no more of your pious meetings.
14 I hate your new moon celebrations and your annual festivals.
They are a burden to me. I cannot stand them!
15 When you lift up your hands in prayer, I will not look. Though you offer many prayers, I will not listen, for your hands are covered with the blood of innocent victims.
16 Wash yourselves and be clean! Get your sins out of my sight. Give up your evil ways.
17 Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans.
Fight for the rights of widows.
18 “Come now, let’s settle this,” says the LORD.
“Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow.
Though they are red like crimson. I will make them as white as wool.
19 If you will only obey me, you will have plenty to eat.
20 But if you turn away and refuse to listen, you will be devoured by the sword of your enemies.
I, the LORD, have spoken!”
21 See how Jerusalem, once so faithful, has become a prostitute.
Once the home of justice and righteousness, she is now filled with murderers.
22 Once like pure silver, you have become like worthless slag.
Once so pure, you are now like watered-down wine.
23 Your leaders are rebels, the companions of thieves. All of them love bribes and demand payoffs, but they refuse to defend the cause of orphans or fight for the rights of widows. (Would this be political PACs (Political Actions Committees) where our
leaders give away the peoples power via campaign contributions?)
24 Therefore, the Lord, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, the Mighty One of Israel, says,
“I will take revenge on my enemies and pay back my foes!
25 I will raise my fist against you.
I will melt you down and skim off your slag.
I will remove all your impurities.
26 Then I will give you good judges again and wise counselors like you used to have.
Then Jerusalem will again be called the Home of Justice and the Faithful City.”
27 Zion will be restored by justice; those who repent will be revived by righteousness.
28 But rebels and sinners will be completely destroyed, and those who desert the LORD will be consumed.
29 You will be ashamed of your idol worship…
31 The strongest among you will disappear like straw; their evil deeds will be the spark
that sets it on fire. They and their evil works will burn up together, and no one will be able to put out the fire.

Consider your ways, of those who were once the land of the free. The enemy is at the gate, the walls are breached and our God is waiting for us to turn our ways toward Him. Shall we take up His cause, or shall we be consumed in His wrath? It is not God that has done this to us, it is us, the people of America, that have abandoned Him and His protection. Let us turn to Him and he will heal our land!

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” 2 Chronicles 7:14.

One government will stand the test of time. It will be set up by God, a perfect government. If you want to be a part of that perfect government, ask Jesus to come into your heart. Contact me and I will call you and pray the prayer of salvation with you.

© Copyright 2008
Darin’s book and evangelistic speaking information can be obtained at www.dwmontgomery.com

I played games with God. There was a calling on my life and I would sin, just a little bit, to where guilt would not be a problem, but the pull of God would be more distant. We all know better, but a majority of people play the same type of games with God. Either we sacrifice our flesh to the things of this world, television, sports, shopping…or we sacrifice our flesh to the things of God. When we Christians give ourselves to the things of this world (idols), we give our authority to Satan. Although not all health problems are because of this issue, I believe mine were.

Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD) began to develop in 1996, just four years after graduating from college. RSD causes the sympathetic nerves to over-fire, which causes swelling, poor circulation, muscle and bone deterioration, and it is very painful. In fact, on the McGill Pain Index, RSD’s pain level is right above having a finger or toe cut off, except it is constant and is wherever the RSD has spread, which was every extremity and in my lower back. I had seven doctors that diagnosed the condition and an array of medical test and treatments.

I worked for ten years with that pain. I once had to take a part-time job making only $10,000 per year just to provide for my family. There were times when I could not sit still in a chair because my body went into emergency mode and it was impossible to sit still with that much pain. There were times when I threw up because of the pain. I worked through all of that, but when the medications started to make it impossible to concentrate or even remember conversations, I knew that I was in trouble. The final straw was two automobile accidents from falling asleep at the wheel. No longer could I work.

No one can truly understand the shame you feel when you have a chronic illness and how it affects your family and daily activities. Dreams are lost completely. I had a degree with several honors, but all of that was worthless. A man does not feel like they can fulfill their role as a father and husband. Many times, to keep from hurting the ones they love, they push them out of their life. I tried that with my wife, but she would not let go, thank God. I worked through lunch and late to compensate for the deficiency that I felt in my work. I pushed myself to hide my poor health from acquaintances, only to end up soaking in the bathtub for hours later to help ease the pain. Everything in my life was affected.

Then there is the shame that people put on a person with chronic illness. Many people are heartless when it comes to poor health, especially in churches. This adds to a person’s feeling of worthlessness. It eventually destroys all hope in a person. Thank God, I knew I always had some hope, Jesus Christ.

Finally, I submitted to God and started writing A Membership Guide to the Body of Christ. Submission and digging daily into God’s word started to stir something inside me. I could not pray because of the inability to concentrate. However, I just started telling God, “God I Love You”. Finally, my prayer life began to deepen and my love for God grew.

I had written several chapters of the book, but kept running into the same problem: I could not remember what I wrote even the previous day and tended to copy thoughts. However, in May of 2007, something rose up in me, that was in me, but not me. It was the Holy Spirit. It was cursing Satan aloud, with the word of God. “You have no authority over this body Satan, this body belongs to God.” “You were defeated on Golgotha and you are still defeated here this day.” “Satan, you are under my feet.” “No weapon formed against me shall prosper.” ….. It was with a pit bull mentality; it was attacking with the two-edged sword (word of God) without stopping.

Later that night, I laid down in bed and told my wife that we were going to pray, much as we did many times before. I said, “God, you called me to write this book, but I cannot even remember what I wrote yesterday. I am doing my part; I need you to help me. Suddenly, I felt it lift off me and I quickly fell asleep. When you are in constant pain, two hours of uninterrupted sleep is huge! Therefore, to be pain-free for just a couple of minutes put my whole body to rest. I slept the first entire night that I had in over 10 years!

The next morning I awoke, rested, without any pain. I went outside and even the grass seemed greener and the sun was brighter. I started to stop taking the Durgesic Patches, Methadone, Oxycodone, Mexilatine and all of the other medications.

Satan knows when he is in trouble! A couple of days after my healing, the pains started again. I would go to my prayer room every time that it happened and bring out that pit bull, which is the Holy Spirit. Satan was defeated repeatedly. We must learn how to attack Satan and not just let him attack us. This is done by the word of God.

I had gone to the doctor about three or four days before my healing. I had been doing so poorly that one of my medications was increased and the doctor wanted to see me in two weeks instead of four, which was a first for that specialist. By the time that I went to see the doctor, I was off most of my medications.

I will never forget the trip to see the doctor for the first time, being healed. I went to the window at the doctor’s office and the woman said, “Aren’t you some kind of preacher or something?” I had not even told her about the healing! The next person I saw took my information and she was a believing Christian and we rejoiced together. Soon the Doctor came in and I told him what had happened. He said, “Now, I am a Christian, a Methodist, but I have only had one person healed like that in my practice and it did not last with her. I will believe it if it lasts through the winter.” Winter was always a hard time for me but nothing is impossible for God! The doctor went on to ask me if I had any withdrawals from stopping all of those narcotic medications that I had been on for over 10 years. When I told him that I had not, he said, “that tells me what a strong person you are.” My strength did not come from me, but my savior!

It has been over a year and I still cry when I write or tell this story to others, but I will not stop until everyone knows that Jesus Christ is a loving, saving and healing Savior!

Feel free to visit my website at www.dwomontgomery.com

Hate destroys both the person who is the giver of hate and can destroy the person hated. Nothing good can come from hate, yet people hate because it is part of the “fallen man’s” nature. Only through a true Christian life, can a person overcome the “fallen man” and become a new creature, with the attributes of their Father, God.

Satan is the exact opposite of God. God creates and Satan hates God so much, that he destroys what God builds. God created man and the rest of the world and saw that it was good. Satan, wishing to destroy creation, beguiled man and brought death to a perfect world. Satan does the same thing today, “he comes to kill, steal and destroy”. (John 10:10)

Let us look at the love chapters in 1 Corinthians 13.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

What would hate look like? Hate is not patient, and hateful. It envies, boasts and is proud; it is a “all about me” position. Hate is rude, seeks self over others, is easily angered and records every wrong so it can later be used to destroy the person. Hate wants worthless gossip and lies to destroy people. Hate is not protective, unless it is lording over something and will protect self-interest. Hate cannot trust because it is not giving, but takes. Hate worries about everything, destroys and will some day fail when our Lord and Savior returns.

Clearly, God is love (1 John 4:8) and Satan is the exact opposite or opposing force. When a person is saved, he is a “new creature” born into the image of God. However, Satan will always try to destroy what God has made. We Christians must continually renew our minds with the word of God and with His Spirit so we do not allow other’s hate to destroy us, making us hate too. Satan will try to destroy God’s man or woman, we must learn to see his devices and not let him take us away from God’s Spirit.

I have some great news that is in John 10:10! “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.” No matter what your circumstances, Jesus is the only way.

Feel free to visit my website at www.dwmontgomery.com

The word of God is just another book to most people. They read the bible like a storybook. Once you read it, you know the story. However, to some, including myself, the word of God is alive. It lives as He (Jesus) lives.

The word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

I have seen this power many times; it is the power of God’s word. I have seen it in such a way that the power cannot be denied, it is most powerful. The power contained in the word of God is for anyone that seeks God with all of their heart.

So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth;
It will not return to Me empty,
Without accomplishing what I desire,
And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:11

The consecration of yourself to God will determine the power of the Holy Spirit in your life. If the Spirit of the living God leads you, when you speak the word of God, it will be as if God says it and it will perform His purpose. Read the word of God and commune with the Father through prayer, and He will anoint your life.

Nothing of the Spirit is to glorify you, only God. You are nothing but an instrument, a mouthpiece for God and your usability is determined by your complete devotion to your purpose. The hammer does not say to the builder, look at the house I built and it certainly does not say today I am going to be a saw, find another hammer! Neither should we say to anyone look at what I did, but look what the Father has done. As God can use you, you will become more a multi-functional tool for His purpose.

For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe. 1 Thessalonians 2:13

Feel free to visit my website at www.dwmontgomery.com
Posted by A Membership Guide to the Body of Christ at 9:58 AM 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: 1 Thessalonians 2:13, Consecration, Hebrews 4:12, Holy Spirit, Isaiah 55:11, Jesus, Two-Edged Sword, Word Alive
Friday, July 18, 2008
Hate is a Destructive Force
Hate is a Destructive Force

Hate destroys both the person who is the giver of hate and can destroy the person hated. Nothing good can come from hate, yet people hate because it is part of the “fallen man’s” nature. Only through a true Christian life, can a person overcome the “fallen man” and become a new creature, with the attributes of their Father, God.

Satan is the exact opposite of God. God creates and Satan hates God so much, that he destroys what God builds. God created man and the rest of the world and saw that it was good. Satan, wishing to destroy creation, beguiled man and brought death to a perfect world. Satan does the same thing today, “he comes to kill, steal and destroy”. (John 10:10)

Let us look at the love chapters in 1 Corinthians 13.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

What would hate look like? Hate is not patient, and hateful. It envies, boasts and is proud; it is a “all about me” position. Hate is rude, seeks self over others, is easily angered and records every wrong so it can later be used to destroy the person. Hate wants worthless gossip and lies to destroy people. Hate is not protective, unless it is lording over something and will protect self-interest. Hate cannot trust because it is not giving, but takes. Hate worries about everything, destroys and will some day fail when our Lord and Savior returns.

Clearly, God is love (1 John 4:8) and Satan is the exact opposite or opposing force. When a person is saved, he is a “new creature” born into the image of God. However, Satan will always try to destroy what God has made. We Christians must continually renew our minds with the word of God and with His Spirit so we do not allow other’s hate to destroy us, making us hate too. Satan will try to destroy God’s man or woman, we must learn to see his devices and not let him take us away from God’s Spirit.

I have some great news that is in John 10:10! “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.” No matter what your circumstances, Jesus is the only way.

Feel free to visit my website at www.dwmontgomery.com

It is amazing to me how a person can put on a face of love and give hugs, all while slipping a knife into the back of another person. It is even more amazing that this goes on in the church, what is supposed to be for the glory of God, is of Satan. Those who practice such activities will have their reward some day!

It is funny that I have a book coming out that has a chapter on Love in August, 2008. (A Membership Guide to the Body of Christ) However, since I have written the book, I see more that I wish I could put into the book. I always wondered why people wrote a second book about the same subject, now I know.

People get jealous (also covered in the book) when another person might have a more respect from other Christians or knowledge about God than they do. They see God working in a person’s life and they try to squash what they do not have. In doing so, that person kills anything God can do in his or her own life. The world handles jealousy by trying to kill the other person’s joy. Christians are to handle the situation by praying for the “blessed” person to receive more blessings and ask God what it would take to receive what the “blessed” person has. This is against human nature, but it is necessary for the kingdom of God, which does not operate on worldly, or Satan’s principals.
What have I learned from this type situation? Never allow the person to pull you out of the perfect will of God for your life. God knows your heart and if you remain pure (sinless) in the situation, your reward will be great and the person with an issue of hate will be greatly rewarded if he or she does not repent. The difference is that the hateful person will not enter heaven.

Have a great day in the Lord and remember, always do His word.

Please feel free to visit my website at www.dwmontgomery.com