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Archive for July 2011

Don’t Cast Your Pearls Before Swine

Don’t Cast Your Pearls Before Swine

Have you been trying to reason with Holiness haters lately?

Did you get surprised when they actually said, “I hate Holiness”?

Does It surprise you that they tell bold faced lies about you now?

Some of your old friends left the Message and went Charismatic? And now they post negative stuff about you on their Facebook page?

Former Apostolics been trashing you recently and saying horrible things about you and you have been unsure how to handle their hostility?

Here’s your Scripture for today.

Matt. 7:6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

Give this Glorious Acts 2:38 Apostolic Message to a person Hungry for God! Give your Treasure of Truth to someone who will love it like you do. Even Jesus thought it was a waste of time to ‘talk’ to some folks.

(Have you ever seen an Apostate come back to Truth? Me either.)

This Gospel is too precious. Don’t waste your time on those that God is through with. They wouldn’t love the Truth. So God gave them something they would love… Delusion.

Written by Martyn Ballestero

July 26, 2011 at 12:13 am

Posted in Christian Living, Compromise, Critics, Deception, Doctrine, False Doctrine

Tagged with Casting Pearls Before Swine

Devil, I Hate What You Do!

with 6 comments

Part 1. Devil, I Hate What You Do

1Pet. 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

You Brought Sickness, Devil, I Hate What You Do!

Cancer
Strokes
Diabetes
Heart Episodes
Aids
HIV
MS
Depression
Emotional Disorders

You Create Addictions, Devil, I Hate What You Do!

Drugs
Meth
Crack
Alcohol
Nicotine

You Break Up Homes, Devil, I Hate What You Do!

With Sin
With Death.

You Bring Condemnation, Devil, I Hate What You Do!

Guilt
Shame

You Create Rebellion, Devil, I Hate What You Do!

Cause Many To Reject Truth
Cause Millions To Be Lost

You Discouraged Good People, Devil, I Hate What You Do!

Cause Many To Quit
Make Some Backslide
Tell Them They Are Unloved, Unwanted

You’re The Father of Lies, Devil, I Hate What You Do!

Because Of You

We have Murder
We have Crime
We have Skidrow
We have Jails
We have Crack Houses
We have Sin
We have Violence
We have Sex Crimes

1. Devil I Hate What You Do To Us.

2. Devil I Hate What You To Our Children

3. Devil I Hate What You Do To Our Parents

4. Devil I Hate What You To Our Friends

5. Devil I Hate What You To Our Churches

Bring Division
Divide Friends
Sow Discord
Vex The Church
You Are The Author Of Confusion

The Good News Devil, We Know What To Do About You

James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

The Good News Devil, Your Days Are Numbered

Rom. 16:20 And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

Part 2. Jesus, I Love What You Do.

Eph. 3:20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think,

1. Jesus, I Love How You Stop Lion’s Mouths

2. Jesus, I Love How You Take Heat Out Of the Fiery Furnace

3. Jesus, I Love How You Calm Stormy Seas

4. Jesus, I Love How You Speak Peace To The Storm

5. Jesus, I Love How You Give Me A WORD

6. Jesus, I Love How You Fight My Battles

7. Jesus, I Love How You Make A Way Where There Seems…

8. Jesus, I Love How You Are Always On Time

9. Jesus, I Love How You Heal My Body

10. Jesus, I Love How You Heal My Wounded Spirit

11. Jesus, I Love How You Deliver

12. Jesus, I Love How You Restore My Soul

13. Jesus, I Love How You Renew Me

14. Jesus, I Love How You Change Me

15. Jesus, I Love How You Encourage Me

16. Jesus, I Love How You Put Marriages Together

17. Jesus, I Love How You Bring Down Jericho’s Walls

18. Jesus, I Love How You Stop Funeral Processions

19. Jesus, I Love How You Give Me Hope

20. Jesus, I Love How You Do The Impossible

21. Jesus, I Love How You Open My Blinded Eyes

22. Jesus, I Love How You Comfort My Heart

23. Jesus, I Love How You Take Away Fear

24. Jesus, I Love How You Washed My Sins Away

25. Jesus, I Love How You Filled Me With The Holy Ghost

Jesus, I Love What You Do. That’s Why I Sing…

1. There’s No God Like Jehovah

2. Our God Is An Awesome God

3. He’s The Great I Am

4. How Great Thou Art

5. He’s An On-time God

6. He Is Able To Deliver Thee

7. He Brought Me Out Of the Miry Clay

8. What A Mighty God We Serve

Written by Martyn Ballestero

July 25, 2011 at 12:00 am

Posted in Christian Living, Thankfulness

Tagged with God's Power

I Hope You Brought Your Lunch

with one comment

“I Hope You Brought Your Lunch”

While that comment is normally made in jest, it is made here in great earnest.

The Bible story of Jesus feeding 5,000 men, besides the women and children, started out very simple. They were all hungry.

No food was in sight.
No manna fell on the ground.
No food was catered in.
No one knew what to do, except Jesus.

He asked them if anyone had any food. The Disciples made inquiries and discovered that some kid had brought his lunch and some cbd dog treats for his dog. What were the others thinking when they left home that morning?

Just one kid out of the thousands of listeners had brought his lunch.

It was his lunch that was the very foundation for a miracle.
It was his lunch that Jesus blessed.
It was his lunch that fed not only him but also everyone else.
It was his lunch that was the focal point of the day.
It was his lunch that blessed the hungry.
It was his lunch that he carried when no one else carried one.
It was his lunch that stood out.
It was his lunch that Jesus called for.
It was his lunch Jesus held in His hands.

John 6:9 There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?

John 6:10 And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.

John 6:11 And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.

John 6:12 When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.

It is possible to be intimidated by those we worship with at our church. People will sometimes stare and whisper because we are the only ones that brought our lunch.

Unspiritual people make a habit of coming before the Lord with nothing in their hands. According to this passage of Scripture, If all of us come with nothing, we all quite possibly may leave with nothing as well.

Any one of us could be the key to a miracle today in God’s House. Even if all we have is a little homemade, nothing fancy, lunch.

What did you bring today?

I Hope You Brought Your Lunch!

Written by Martyn Ballestero

July 24, 2011 at 10:06 am

Posted in Christian Living, Faith, Ministry

Tagged with Expectations, Miracles

When Men Forgive

with 6 comments

When Men Forgive

Matthew 6:14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:

Matthew 6:15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

My dear uncle was once asked to dismiss a Sunday morning service in prayer. He was momentarily caught off guard. During his prayer, a few of his words got tangled up and didn’t come out right. Someone behind him snickered. It was funny!

He was mortified however, that anyone would find humor in his attempt at prayer. My uncle didn’t come back to church that night. He didn’t come back that week, or that month. He didn’t come back that year. Actually, he didn’t come back for the next 54 years because he was offended.

With great joy I can tell you that as an old man, he walked back down the aisle and prayed back through. He died at 90 years of age, fully in love with Jesus, His church, and it’s people. But he wasted 54 years because he had gotten offended.

How long are you willing to let a war go on? When men forgive, it releases the forgiveness of God upon their lives. It’s not an accident; it’s how God planned it from the beginning.

Matthew 5:7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

An old pastor I know kept his prized gaited horses in a large stable. Outside his horse barn was an expensive horse trailer with living quarters and a one-ton pickup truck.

A drugged-up teenager set fire one night to the stables and burnt it down. The horse trailer and truck were destroyed too. Thankfully most of the horses were saved. It was a huge financial loss for the pastor.

The fire took place during a time when there was a 3-day lapse of insurance coverage. The culprit was arrested, tried and found guilty. The prosecutor asked the court for a minimum sentence of 40 years for the teen.

At the sentencing, the pastor stood up in court and asked permission to speak on behalf of the defendant. The judge raised his eyebrows and said; “You understand that the state is prosecuting him on your behalf?”

“Yes, your honor, I understand, and I thank you. But the state has not suffered any loss. I am the only one that has, so if anyone has a right to speak, I think I should.”

The judge nodded his permission.

“Your Honor, I beg you not to sent this young man to prison for 40 years. If you do, he may never get to hear about Acts 2:38, the only message of salvation. No one in prison may ever tell him that he needs to repent of his sins, be baptized in Jesus name and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost to be saved.

“Your Honor, this young man may never get to hear that God is able to deliver him from all of his addictions in one night. Don’t send him to prison, put him on probation for at least 3 years, order him to come to my church and sit on the front row every service. Allow me to try to reach him with the love of God.”

With tears welling up in his eyes, the judge brought the gavel down and said, “It is so ordered.”

Two years later, the pastor’s youngest son stood in the same courtroom with the same judge and prosecutor. The son was on trial for possession of drugs again. The prosecutor was asking for a minimum sentence of 25 years.

When the State finally rested it’s case, the defense attorney and the pastor’s son both stood up. The defense attorney never attempted to present a defense. He simply said, “Your Honor, we throw ourselves upon the mercies of this Court.”

The judge looked at the defendant and then at his attorney. He said, “Would you like to settle this today once and for all?”

“Yes your Honor, we would,” was the reply.

At that, the prosecutor got up and walked out of the courtroom. The judge with impassioned tones looked at the pastor’s son and then began.

“I hate everything about you. You are despicable. You are without any social redeeming value. You are a blight on this community. You are an embarrassment to the church your father pastor’s and you are a shame to him as well.

“If I had my way, I’d put you in prison for the rest of your life, throw the key away and sleep good every night. DO YOU HEAR ME?” He shouted!

“Yes you Honor,” said the son with tears streaming down his face.

“Two years ago, another young man stood in this courtroom and was found guilty. Your father begged for mercy for him, even though he didn’t deserve mercy. Because of that I am going to give you mercy.” He paused for effect.

“That will be $50.00, and don’t you ever come back to my court again!” The sound of the gavel concluded the trial.

The old pastor and his son stopped by the church on their way home from court. The backslidden son prayed back through to a renewing of the Holy Ghost. Today, he is an Assistant Pastor!

It pays to forgive!

Matthew 18:23-35 tells a story of a King who checked his records and found that a certain servant owed him a large sum of money. (Approximately $3 billion dollars at today’s values.)

When the servant could not pay the King back, he was sentenced to prison and all his possessions to be sold. He begged for mercy, and forgiveness was granted. The debt completely wiped out.

The forgiven servant walked away from his own session of mercy and soon found a man who owed him the modern equivalent of $15.00 dollars. He grabbed the man around the neck and ordered him to pay. When he couldn’t, he had him thrown into the debtor’s prison.

The King heard about this and called the servant before him again. In anger, the king took back the forgiveness of the debt. He does to the servant, exactly what the servant had done to his fellow-man. He threw him into prison until he could repay the debt.

This story explains to us that King Jesus has forgiven us a debt of sin that we could never repay. Yet we get enraged over the $15 dollars someone ‘owes’ us, and we won’t forgive them of that small debt.

You may think your problem with a brother or a sister is a major injustice to your world. Your bitterness will overwhelm you to the point that you are eaten up with your hurt and have no peace in your spirit.

What was done to you may be a mountain so big you can’t get over it. But according to this parable, in heaven’s estimations it’s just a $15 dollar problem. Don’t die bitter and unforgiving. Forgive your brother fully and completely, just like Jesus forgave you of your sins. You do not want Him to take back his forgiveness of your sins, just because you wouldn’t forgive your brother.

Matthew 18:35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

Hell would like nothing better than to see God’s people destroyed because of unforgiveness. Some folks say they’ve buried the hatchet. They may have, but they must have forgotten to bury the handle too.

Deer hunters know that a sure way to get a trophy deer is to use camouflage. Give the deer what it wants, by putting out bait. It won’t be long then before the deer is hung on the wall. The hunter then brags on his trophy for the rest of his life.

Even non-hunters understand the principle. Why can’t we see that is also how Satan kills us with bitterness? He camouflages a situation, puts out the bait. He then shoots us down, and hangs our hide on his wall. He will brag on what he did to us forever.

Being offended is a choice. We choose to be offended. We can also choose not to be offended. Now, go forgive your brother. Don’t let Satan brag on you.

Written by Martyn Ballestero

July 17, 2011 at 12:04 am

Posted in Bitterness, Forgiveness, Mercy

Tagged with Forgiveness, Mercy

Learning To Live Without God.

with 5 comments

Learning To Live Without God.

Living without God in our life would be, without argument, the hardest thing anyone could ever do! It would not just be hard, it would be terrifying, it would be heartbreaking, and it would be filled with pain… so much pain.

To those who are accustomed to the blessings of the Lord’s daily presence, His absence would leave a void too great for words.

I cannot imagine trying to live even one day without the Lord in my life. Every time I finish reading the Bible, those that were foolhardy enough to try, still amaze me.

Day One without God… I wonder what that felt like? Did Day Two or Three get any easier? Imagine living the rest of your life without God’s approval or blessing. Imagine Him turning His head when you pray.

Saul

Saul was the King who at first was so humble and small in his own eyes, but later crossed an invisible line and walked on the side of arrogance until he died. He crossed over into the spiritual realm of service unto God that belonged to the ministry, and God immediately rejected him. God lifted His blessing, approval and support. God even refused to ever speak to him again.

His fatal mistake happened early in his reign. Saul’s 40 years on the throne was spent without God’s help. The prophet Samuel no longer prayed for him or prophesied to him. He had to learn to live without God.

He ignored the office of the man of God in his life.
He thought his kingdom authority gave him spiritual authority.
He made that mistake only once.
Repentance was not an option.

Day one without God… I wonder what it felt like?

Esau

When Esau showed his disdain for the Birthright and sold it for a bowl of pottage, he angered God. The Lord called him a profane man because he saw no value in that which included the covenant blessings of Jehovah.

It may not have seemed all that important to Esau when he sat at the table, but God never forgave him. Esau even tried to repent, but God wouldn’t let him. He cried, but God turned his back on him forever. He had to learn to live without God.

He let his hunger of things of the moment override his hunger for the things of God.
He treated the Word (of God’s covenant) lightly.
He traded the eternal for the temporary.
Repentance was not an option for him.

Day one without God… I wonder what it felt like?

Ichabod

Even the name still scares us. The Ark of the Lord was stupidly and unlawfully carried into battle and lost. A birthing mother heard the news and named her newborn son Ichabod, meaning ‘the glory has departed.”

The Ark was gone and stayed gone a long while. No wonder David danced wildly and with great joy when he saw the ark finally coming to it’s proper home. What was it like for a nation, knowing that the Ark was missing? It seems like all of the congregation would think about that every time they went to the tabernacle to sacrifice. The Mercy Seat was missing. They had to learn what it was like to live without God.

Day one without God… I wonder what it felt like?

The 400 Years

When Malachi laid his head down to rest for the last time, it was all over for Israel. They loved picking up the ways of the heathen. They incorporated the heathen’s ways into their worship. The freely married them as well.

Israel seemed to delight itself in dressing like the rest of the world and ignoring the pleadings of all the prophets. God had sent them prophet after prophet, but nothing changed. So God got tired of wasting His breath and His men. God quit. For 400 years God never spoke to Israel. His mercy and patience wore thin.

How many years went by before someone said, “I can’t remember when I last heard a prophet”? Generations passed without one correction from God. They had turned their back on Him; He turned His back on them.

No preacher in their life.
No direction or correction from God must have brought peace to their deluded minds.
Did it ever dawn on them that they were living with less of an experience with God than before?

By the end of the first year without God… I wonder how much further they had slipped?

You Think God Can’t Get Serious?

You Think The God Of Love And Mercy Will Let You Do Whatever You Want?

Is The Only Scripture You Want To Hear Quoted Is ‘God Is Love”?

The following scriptures are just a few of the passages that shows the other side of God.

“If You Love Sin, God Won’t Listen To Your Prayers.”

Psa. 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:

“If You Kill Your Neighbor With Your Words, God Will Hate You And Your Prayers!”

Is. 1:14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them.

Is. 1:15 And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.

Is. 1:16 Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;

“God Won’t Listen To Their Prayers!”

Is. 59:1 Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:

Is. 59:2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.

Is. 59:3 For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness.

“If You Mistreat Your Wife And Disrespect Her, God Won’t Hear Your Prayers.”

1Pet. 3:7 Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.

“Don’t Even Pray For Them!”

Jer. 7:16 Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to me: for I will not hear thee.

“Don’t Pray For Them, I’m Done!”

Jer. 14:11 Then said the LORD unto me, Pray not for this people for their good.

Jer. 14:12 When they fast, I will not hear their cry; and when they offer burnt offering and an oblation, I will not accept them: but I will consume them by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence.

“I Don’t Want Your Worship!”

Amos 5:23 Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols.

Life Today!

Many church members have turned their backs on God of late. They have rejected the essentiality of Repentance, Baptism in Jesus Name and the infilling of the Holy Ghost evidenced by the speaking with other tongues. They make fun of Holiness and those that are living separated from the world. They attach names of mockery to those that carefully follow Biblical principles of Holiness. They call them “Ultra Cons” and other names of derision. They make fun of Godly women and their long dresses and long hair. There is a falling away.

Sadly, quite a few former Apostolic Pentecostals now live like they have never been inside of a Holiness church. Their dress, their lifestyle, their language, and their social activities show no evidence of Godliness or God mindedness. Their Facebook pages do not identify them as Apostolic. God Is not pleased.

They have explained away, rationalized and cut off any scripture or preacher that speaks against their ‘enlightened’ freedoms. In their delusion, they feel God will accept them as they are, because they don’t plan to change. They want God to change His word so that it will adapt to them.

They continue to go through the motions of having church kind of like Israel did in the Old Testament after God quit talking to them. God doesn’t approve.

Sadly, many that once were submissive to God’s Word have now turned aside to follow after their own lusts.

Does God keep dealing with them? I can’t answer that. I do know that the ones I have seen leave, have no desire to return. I do not know of anyone that has left this truth for an “easier” way, that has ever recovered, come back and God gave them another chance.

It seems to me that they have no choice but to live without God. Live without Him now, and live without Him later.

Backslider? What was Day One like? Are you still trying to live without God? It won’t get any better! The way of the transgressor is hard. I don’t know if repentance is an option.

Written by Martyn Ballestero

July 10, 2011 at 12:07 pm

Posted in Baptism In Jesus Name, Deception, False Doctrine, False Prophets, Fear of God, Holiness, Holy Ghost, Obedience, Old-Time Pentecost, Submission

Tagged with Rejecting Truth