This book is filled with hard hitting, potentially life changing information. Some of it seems embarrassingly elementary because I touch on things you’d think people would have learned in kindergarten, but I’ve discovered many people don’t have a clue about God’s Kingdom and the things that we can have through the death and resurrection of Jesus (they’ve never heard the good news). Some have settled for a “hope-so salvation,“ the idea that everything will get better some glad day. Others, because they have a survival mechanism in place complete with drugs, alcohol, twisted sex, etc. have no interest in learning anything new. If you are bound up and spiritually dead and wish to stay that way, then read no further. This book is not for you. There is however, a small percentage of people who are seriously tired of being sick and tired, and this book was written for you.
You can trade your sorrows for the joy of the Lord, your sickness for health, and your turmoil for peace. However, be prepared for some opposition along the way because breakthroughs (oddly enough) can trigger emotions in others like jealousy, anger and fear. Satan will fight for every inch of ground that you take back from him, and often tries to use those closest to you to discourage you and keep you from going deeper.
So if you fit into one of those categories, the following information could begin to move you toward personal freedom, especially those in religious settings who discover they are in some sort of spiritual prison. Those who, for some unknown reason, are feeling unhappy and unfulfilled. You find these types in every town, city and country (and it seems, in every church across America). One place where you won’t find it is the true Christian Body of Christ. I believe the “Bride of Christ” is ready to meet the bridegroom (Jesus) right now. I believe there are people across the land and around the world who have “washed their robes” and prepared themselves for a wedding. They are sprinkled into every tribe, tongue, and nation, and if Jesus would return tomorrow, they would be ready to meet him.
Maybe you’re hung up (as I was in the past) on the idea that the fullness of Christ is found in one little denomination (most likely your own), but you’re not sure what to do about the inconsistencies and oxymorons (combined, contradicting ideas) or outright sin that you see in the camp. I have great news. Those who insist on continuing in open (or secret) sin, while going to church and “acting” like Christians, are not hindering the return of Jesus. God is not necessarily waiting for your little (or big) denomination to get its act together before He sends His Son to claim His own.
Obviously we all want to live in a perfect world where everyone is on the same team, headed in the same direction, and everyone in our circle is happy and trustworthy, but that is not reality. I wish there was some sure-fire way to keep Satan out of churches, but according to Scripture the “wheat and the tares” will always grow together until harvest time (Matthew 13:24-30). A lot of people don’t like to hear that, but it’s true.
Some people are caught up in the Old Testament way of relating to God through a human leader (such as a bishop, deacon, pastor, evangelist, you name it). It’s as if Jesus never fulfilled the old law, and today’s leaders still sit on the seat of Moses (which is no longer the case). Leaders today are supposed to be servants, not some Moses or John the Baptist wanna-be’s (Matthew 20:25-28). Any leader who does not encourage his followers to develop a personal relationship with Jesus is not what I would call a “Christian” leader. Preaching the true Gospel is not for the faint of heart. It can cause division and it’s not real popular. This is why some ministers promote themselves or a denomination rather than the true Gospel that might offend someone. Jesus said, “Blessed is he who is not offended because of me” (incredibly, even John the Baptist had some serious doubts, which is a whole sermon in and of itself (Matthew 11:1-6).
The true Gospel message is still powerful and life changing but it offends those who are hiding things or have their own agendas. If you happen to be related to, connected with, or bound by people who are more in love with themselves, their culture, or a good name than they are with Jesus, some changes may be necessary. Sometimes a situation is so awful that you have to put into action the words of Paul in 2 Corinthians 6:17-18. “Come out from among them and be separate says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty”.
In the following chapters, we’ll discuss what that could mean for those who haven’t experienced “real Christianity”.