Articles (December 2009 - December 2014)

Part 1: Introduction

            I believe that "The Last Joel" is one of the most timely, most critical words for the body of Christ in this hour. The Lord made real to me parts of this book some forty years ago. But the Lord has gradually been evolving within me the impact of this specific word for many years.  The company of believers who make up the last Joel are known only to the Lord. The last Joel has been given an understanding of the ways of the Lord and has had wrought within them a heart of compassion for the Lord's people.  Two other characteristics of the last Joel are meekness and humility.

5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
7 But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men;
8 And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Philippians 2:5-8...

Part 2: The Beginning of the Last Joel

The word of the Lord that came to Joel the son of Pethuel. Joel 1:1

            Please note that the book of Joel does NOT contain Joel's word, but the word of the Lord! "Joel" means "the Lord is God," so the name has the same significance as "Elijah." There are 14 men mentioned in the Bible named Joel. The first person named Joel in the Bible was the first son of Samuel (1 Samuel 8:2). The last Joel mentioned in the Bible is called the son of Pethuel (Joel 1:1 and Acts 2:16). Nothing is known of this last Joel except what is stated in Joel 1:1, the opening verse of the book of Joel. He has sometimes been called "The Anonymous Prophet." Scripture is silent concerning his birthplace, training, and background, other than the fact that he was the son of Pethuel. But no one knows who Pethuel was either. "Pethuel" means "enlarged of God, or vision of God." The name comes from a root word which means "to open the eyes." This book contains NO references to datable historical events. In addition, Joel calls...

Part 4: The Snares of the Adversary

3  Tell ye your children of it, And let your children tell their children, And their children another generation.
4  That which the palmerworm hath left hath the locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the cankerworm eaten; and that which the cankerworm hath left hath the caterpillar eaten.  Joel 1:3-4

            Verse 3 is a commandment; it is the will of God; it still applies to us as Christian believers.  We are commanded to pass on the word of the Lord within our family forever.

            The four insects mentioned in Verse 4 are NOT four different insects but rather four stages of one insect ... the locust. The palmerworm is the gnawer; the locust is the swarmer; the cankerworm is the devourer; and the caterpillar is the consumer. This clearly states a progression in destruction.  Exodus 10 describes the plague of natural locusts that the Lord brought upon natural Egypt.  Verse 4 does not speak of natural locusts.  Locusts do not destroy the people of God.  In Joel 2:11 and 2:25, the locusts are...

Part 6: The State of the Church

 
            This Part is NOT the main thrust of this series.  It is added only for the sake of completeness.  In truth, this is NOT a time for "business as usual" or for "don't rock the boat." This is NOT a time to "sugar-coat" the word of God in order to keep the people coming in and keep the money coming in.  This is NOT a time for "feel-good" messages.  This is NOT a time to proclaim, "All is well."  Scripture records two events when a man (supposedly a man of God) proclaimed, "All is well."  In both cases, all was certainly NOT well.

            After Elisha healed Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, of leprosy, Elisha refused to take any reward from Naaman. 

20  But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, Behold, my master hath spared Naaman this Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought: but, [as] the LORD liveth, I will run after him, and take somewhat of him.
21  So Gehazi followed after Naaman. And...

Part 7: The Coming Day of the Lord

1   Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in My holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for [it is] nigh at hand;
2   A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, [even] to the years of many generations.
3   A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land [is] as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.
4   The appearance of them [is] as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run.
5   Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array.
6   Before their face the people shall be much pained: all...

Part 8: The Call to Repentance

12  Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye [even] to Me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:
13  And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for He [is] gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth Him of the evil.
14  Who knoweth [if] He will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind Him; [even] a meat offering and a drink offering unto the LORD your God?
15  Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly:
16  Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.
17  Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not Thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where [is] their...

Part 9: Repentance Re-Visited

            This word could not be complete without the following verse.

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 I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14

            "Humble themselves" speaks of a quality of the mind. It represents a decision on our part. There is no place in the life of an overcomer for pride. "Seek My face" and "turn from their wicked ways" speak of repentance, a turning TOWARD the Lord and His ways and a turning AWAY from our own pleasure and our own ways. I hope that no one who has read this word has said, "Repent?  Repent from what? I have not done anything evil." Just in case one reader had that thought, let us share one short word about repentance. Repentance is a turning away from our own works, no matter how scriptural and how good they may appear, and entering into His rest. On June 13, 1976, the...

Part 11: Prayer and Intercession

             The words "pray," "intercede," and "repent" (from man's perspective) do not appear (but are certainly implied) in the book of Joel. "Cry unto the Lord" (Joel 1:14), for example, seems to imply prayer, intercession, and repentance. This Part is NOT a teaching on prayer and intercession. As we stated before, we believe that the ONLY path for the return of the glory of God must begin with our repentance, change of heart, and prayer and intercession. The result of this action on our part will be the return of the two missing items of the ark: Aaron's rod that budded and the golden pot that had manna, which are symbolic of apostolic authority and power and a new level of revelatory, anointed teaching. As we stated in Part 2, there is a critical need for more of the white cells (the prayer warriors and intercessors) to function today. Although some members of the Body of Christ seem to have a special anointing to pray and intercede, each of us has this responsibility (1 Timothy 2:1-3). Prayer and intercession must be led by the Spirit, with a humility and...

Part 12: Judgment of the Nations

 2   I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for My People and for My heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted My land.
12 Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about.
13 Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great.
14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision:  for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision. Joel 3:2, 12-14

            We believe that all of Joel, Chapter 3 is "down the road" a ways. We have NO word from the Lord as to how far down the road that may be, but the time is short.  Based upon the light that we have received to date, I doubt that we have more than 15 or 16 years before Joel 3 is fulfilled.

         ...

[This five-part series was recently prompted by the Holy Ghost to emphasize a serious epidemic in the visible church; namely the existence of false apostles, false prophets, false teachers, and false Christs, all of which are mentioned in Scripture, and all of which are present in the visible church today.  We conclude this series with that which the Holy Ghost has shared with us concerning what we can and must do about it.] 

9   The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.
10  Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new?  It hath been already of old time, which was before us.  Ecclesiastes 1:9-10

            The basic theme of the Book of Ecclesiastes is that all of life and all human striving is meaningless, useless, hollow, futile, and vain if it is not rightly related to God.  Only when based on God and His word is life worthwhile.  Jesus said,

35  Whosoever will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross,...

            As we stated in Part 1, Amos was NOT a professional prophet.  He never considered material gain. For many years I somewhat "struggled" with the "big-name" charismatic prophets and teachers of our day.  (In Part 5, we will share what we have received from the Lord as to what you and I should "do" about them.)  On the one hand I have never questioned that most of them are (or at least were at one time) genuine believers ... they certainly are sought after by thousands of charismatics and speak at many of the big and small conferences and conventions.  I assume they speak forth from the light that they have received.  On the other hand, they are somewhat blind in some areas that appear to disqualify them from the real action in these end times.  One such blind area has to do with money.  We believe that the word of God is free but the word of man costs money.  Jesus said,

If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?  Luke 16:11

            As I...

            Before proceeding any further, we need to define what we consider to be a false prophet or a false teacher.  They are those who attempt to minister to others but through the power of their own flesh.  They may or may not have been a true believer at one time.  Scripture speaks of that type of person in Matthew 7:21-23 and Jude 4-5, among other places.  Does that mean that the false prophets and teachers will not "go to heaven" one day?  That is for the Lord to determine, not you or me.  However, they will not enter the kingdom of God while on earth unless they repent.

            To further clarify, this series of words is NOT about bashing false prophets and false teachers!  Not at all, as we will see in Part 5.

            It is often difficult to spot a false teacher or false prophet.  Of course essentially every believer will say that they are not deceived and that they can discern the false from the true.  In reality, that is just not true.  It appears that tens of thousands, if...

In 1968 a western movie film was released entitled, “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly,” starring Clint Eastwood.  The Book of Jude, which is one of the shortest books in the Bible, from a purely natural perspective, seems to speak of the good, the bad, and the ugly for us as Christian believers.  We believers, because of our human nature, do not particularly like to hear about the bad and the ugly.  We much prefer to hear about the “good.” (In reality there is nothing in Scripture that is bad or ugly.  It is all good and all for our benefit.

Unfortunately, many pastors are aware of our bent toward hearing only the “good.”  All is well. That is why the pastor of reportedly the largest congregation (almost 50,000 folks) in America usually speaks only of the “good.”  That encourages “his” church to get larger and bring in a lot more money.  Just think … if each member donates only $1000 a year ($20 a week) then the church coffers swell by 50 million dollars a year!  That is BIG business!  That does not include all of the income from the selling of the pastor’s books, tapes, DVDs, speaking...

            Do we have any responsibility toward the myriads of false teachers and false prophets?  Yes! The first suggested course of action is clear. We must diligently keep our own garments clean, particularly in these end times.  This is most important.  It is critical that we “Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues” (Revelation 18:4).  What is “her”?  the church united with the world.  Jude also gives us the answer. 

20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,
21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
22 And of some have compassion, making a difference:
23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.  Jude 20-23

            Jude says to build up ourselves on our most holy faith.  Of course that is not our faith as the false faith and prosperity teachers proclaim.  My faith plus $2 gets a cup of...

            On December 30, 1968, Frank Sinatra was the first person to sing publicly  a song, lyrics  written by Paul Anka called "My Way" (or "I Did It My Way").  In the UK that record, as recorded by Frank Sinatra, achieved instant popularity.  That rendition still has an unmatched record, becoming the recording with the most weeks inside the Top 40 (75 weeks, from April 1969 through September 1971).  There is no question that Frank Sinatra had an outstanding singing voice.  As a very young man, Sinatra was a lead singer for the orchestras of both Tommy Dorsey and Harry James, both of whom were leaders of the "big band" era of the 1940s and 1950s. One billionaire (Simon Cowell, producer of "American Idol" and other singing/talent TV shows) reportedly said recently that Sinatra was his all-time favorite singer/crooner.  Unfortunately, it appears that Sinatra's singing gift may not have been used for the glory of God.

            It is easy to find multiple renditions of that song by Frank Sinatra on the internet.  The lyrics are about a man, approaching the end of his life on earth, who looks back with pride and says that...

            The song, "A String of Pearls," was/is a big band and jazz standard, first recorded by Glenn Miller and his orchestra in November 1941.  It was very popular in the "big band" era of the late 1940's and early 1950's.  The song was so popular that it was also recorded by Benny Goodman, Harry James, Stan Kenton, and a dozen of other well-known orchestras.  The record was ranked number 1 in the United States for two weeks in 1942 on the Billboard Best Sellers chart in a chart run of 21 weeks.  I heard it played live by Benny Goodman, Harry James, and Glenn Miller around 1951.  However, this word is not about a natural-level song.

There is a knowledge of natural things

1   Surely there is a vein for the silver, and a place for gold where they fine it.
2   Iron is taken out of the earth, and brass is molten out of the stone.
3   He setteth an end to darkness, and searcheth out all perfection: the stones of darkness, and the shadow of death.
4   The flood breaketh out from the inhabitant; even the waters forgotten of the foot:...

            Have you ever noticed the number of words in Scripture that begin with "re?"  Some of these words are renew, restitution, remove, refresh, regeneration, reconcile, replenish, redemption, recall, recover, recompense, return, repent, revive, and restore.  The prefix "re" generally means "again."  So "restore" or "restoration" means to store again, or to bring back to a former position or condition.  People talk about restoring a car or restoring a house.  One of the major truths that is dear to the heart of God is restoration ... a restoration of the Church back to something that was always intended. In this series (of perhaps 9 or 10 Parts), we will be sharing different aspects of restoration as they primarily apply to believers individually. We will only briefly get into restoration as it applies to the corporate body for several reasons, not the least of which is the time element.  Further, we must see restoration as it applies to us individually first.

            A word of caution is in order!  What we present should not be interpreted as a cookbook approach to the restoration of the Church. Too many Christians today are...

11  And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set His hand again the second time to recover the remnant of His people, which shall be left from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.
. . .
16  And there shall be a highway for the remnant of His people, which shall be led from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt.  Isaiah 11:11, 16

            Verse 11 speaks of the second time that the Lord will sovereignly recover the remnant of His people.  That verse can NOT refer to the restoration after the Exile in Babylon which began around 600 B.C.  There was NO exile at that time in Egypt, Pathros, or Cush.  That verse also says, "In that day."  The events spoken of in Isaiah 11:6-10 clearly have not yet happened.  Therefore these events are prophetic of the end times ... the last days. Verse 16 compares the second (and last) recovering of the...

            A prophecy came forth in 1977 in a gathering of believers in North Carolina, the essence of which was:

            Out of chaos, God brings forth His order.

            Out of order, God brings forth His harmony.

            We might add that out of harmony, God brings forth His restoration.   Restoration comes forth out of God's harmony.  God has His order in both the natural and the spiritual realm.  All of the planets in our solar system, our moon, and the sun are set in a very orderly manner.  A fruit tree will blossom, bud, and bring forth fruit, in that order.  We must sow before we reap.

For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself: first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. Mark 4:28

            God's order existed BEFORE He created man and BEFORE He created the heaven and the earth.  In fact, His order prevailed TWICE.  Before the creation of the material universe, God ruled in the spiritual realm and His order and harmony prevailed.  This was followed by: "In...

A Kingdom of Priests

            Let us consider what has always been, and still is, in the heart of God with respect to His chosen people.  First, the Lord said, during the Exodus:

If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in His sight, and wilt give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee.  Exodus 15:26

            Is that Verse still true?  Next, the Lord told Moses to say unto the people:

5  Now therefore, if ye will obey My voice indeed, and keep My covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto Me above all people: for all the earth is Mine.
6  And ye shall be unto Me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation.  These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel. Exodus 19:5-6

            Note that the people of God are to be a...

            The Most Holy Place, or Holy of Holies, was a perfect cube.  It represented God's dwelling place. Many have noted the dimensions of the sanctuary, or holy place, and the Holy of Holies.  The Holy of Holies was 10 by 10 by 10 cubits or 1,000 cubic cubits.  The sanctuary was 10 by 10 by 20 cubits or 2,000 cubic cubits. Does the 2,000 cubic cubits correspond with the time (2,000 years) from Jesus' first ministry on earth as a Man until His second coming?  Does the 1,000 cubic cubit of the Holy of Holies correspond to the millennium, when Christ reigns on earth for 1,000 years?  Only the Lord knows, but it is certainly a possibility.

            The Holy of Holies contained only "the ark of God, whose name is called by the name of the Lord of hosts that dwelleth between the cherubims" (2 Samuel 6:2).  The ark symbolized the presence and power of God.  The ark, for a period of time, contained three items: the two tables of stone, upon which were written the ten commandments and given to Moses; the golden pot that had manna;...

            We have previously spoken of the state of the visible Church today.  Believe me, it is NOT a pretty picture!  The majority of the Church in America today is in bondage to almost every foul spirit imaginable and does not know it.  The enemy has come in like a flood.  HOWEVER ...

When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.
Isaiah 59:19

20  And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers.
21  And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.
Isaiah 30:20-21

            Bread and water is the food of prisoners ... those who are in captivity ... in bondage.  But God offers a way of deliverance!  Where there is no way, Jesus is THE Way!  (We do not speak of being born-again; neither do we...

Repentance

            At the top of our action list is repentance!  The first word of the kingdom is repent.  Repentance is not just for those who do not know the Lord.  It applies to all of us today. To repent means to turn around, to change ones mind, to go in a different direction, to feel sorrow, regret, or contrition.  Repentance is the first principle of the doctrine of Christ.

Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on to perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works.
Hebrews 6:1

            Let us remember that the verse above is written to Christians, not heathens.  Dead works are works of the flesh.  We must repent from anything that is not led by the Spirit.  If we cannot get through that first principle, there is no reason to try going any further.

Come and let us return unto the Lord: for He hath torn, and He will heal us; He hath smitten, and He will bind us up.  Hosea 6:1

            That verse in Hosea is current events.  Why...

Intercession

I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men.  1 Timothy 2:1

             Paul tells us that the first priority of a Christian assembly is prayer of all kinds. 

It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer.  Matthew 21:13

            In addition, Paul says,

I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.
1 Timothy 2:8

            “Men” in the above verse is actually the Greek word for males, not the generic word for human beings.  Just as the Lord instructed every male to gather the manna each day for himself and his family, here again is an exhortation for men (males) to pray.  This does not diminish the importance and tremendous effect and fruit which springs forth from the prayers of women.  in the following verse, the word “man” is the Greek word for human being and thus includes both male and female.

The effectual, fervent prayers of a righteous man availeth much.  James 5:16

 ...

             In this word we want to share three (of many) matters of the restored heart, as it pertains to us as individual believers in Christ.

But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his [Eliab's] countenance, or on the height of his stature: because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.
1 Samuel 16:7

(1)       Do All to the Glory of God

            The first requirement on our part is a heart attitude of giving all the glory to God.  The glory and honor of God must be habitually and in reality the chief end of all of our actions.  To give glory to God should be the greatest desire of every believer.  This should be the supreme goal for our individual lives 24/7.  This means much more than a mental agreement!

Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31

            Every thing and every one...

            The following represents a few thoughts with respect to how, we believe, the restored church should operate.  We are fully aware that much of the following may sound radical to many believers, primarily because of the traditions of men.

Freedom and Liberty, But Under Control of the Holy Spirit

             There should be a freedom and liberty for each gift and ministry to function.  Avoid getting into the same routine at each gathering of believers.  A gathering of believers should be anything BUT something routine or mechanical.  We have believed for 45 years that there should be fresh revelation coming forth in EVERY gathering of believers!  We have seen it happen too many times.  We have also seen the fresh revelation unable to come forth because of the traditions of men.  We need to be careful not to frustrate the grace of God.

             At the same time, we must be careful not to use that liberty for an occasion to the flesh (Galatians 5:13).  Unfortunately, the Corinthian spirit pops up through supposedly "mature" believers in a multitude of charismatic churches and...

(Part 1: God's Order)

          This is the first in a series of perhaps ten words pertaining to Matthew 6:13b, namely, "For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever.  Amen."  We will present these words in the order they are written; i.e.., For, Thine, kingdom, power, glory, and for ever.  First, however, let us consider "order" itself.  Scripture is very orderly.  There is always a reason why some words occur in scripture before other words. As we read the Scripture, it is good to ask the Holy Spirit to shed His light on various verses as to the significance of the order.  God is very orderly.  In 1977 a prophecy came forth in a gathering of believers in eastern North Carolina, as follows.

Out of chaos, God brings forth His order.
Out of order, God brings forth His harmony.

            Years later, a mature man of God told me that he could still quote that prophecy (there was more) word for word. We might add to the above prophecy that out of harmony, God brings forth His restoration.   Restoration comes forth out of God's harmony.

            The word "harmony" does not appear in the Bible...

(Part 2: For)

            There came a time when the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray.  Jesus responded by saying,

9    After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name.
10  Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
11  Give us this day our daily bread.
12  And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
13  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.  Matthew 6:9-13

The first "for"

            In Verse 13, the first "for" means "because."  In other words, Verse 13b explains why we should pray in this manner.  Verse 13b explains the purpose for this prayer, given in Verses 9B through 13a. That purpose is not so that I may receive something for me.  The purpose is so that He may be glorified in all things.

            Clearly, Jesus never intended for us to simply repeat some words.  That would constitute "having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof."  That was a big problem with the Pharisees when Jesus...

 (Part 3: Thine)

            The reality of  "Thine" must be made flesh in our hearts.  Nothing is "mine."  All is "Thine."  This speaks of the centrality, supremacy, preeminence, and sovereignty of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Until this truth is made real within us, we can proceed no further in our Christian walk.  The early church, as recorded in the Book of Acts, wanted to glorify the Lord more than life itself.

1  This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3  Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4  Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5  Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.  2 Timothy 3:1-5

            The word translated as "perilous" mens "hard, difficult, grievous, rugged, furious, or ferocious."  The only other time this Greek word is used is in Matthew 8:28, where it is translated as "exceeding fierce," to describe two who were possessed with devils.

            These Verses clearly apply to those in the...

(Part 4: The Sovereignty of God)

            God is sovereign.  Make no mistake ... it is God who does all things by His Spirit.

6  I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
7  So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.
1 Corinthians 3:6-7

            The word "sovereignty" does not appear in the Bible; neither does the word "sovereign."  However, make no mistake, God is Sovereign!  And every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord!  Scripturally, historically, and experientially, God can (and does) save people all by Himself!  He can (and does) heal people all by Himself!

            The Lord sovereignly closed the mouths of the lions when Daniel was thrown into the lions' den.  He sovereignly did not allow the 3 Hebrews to be burned when they were thrown into the fiery furnace.  He sovereignly caused the flood in the time of Noah.  He sovereignly created the heavens and the earth, everything in it, and man.

He works all things after the counsel of His own will:  Ephesians 1:11  

            God can do all things!  He is all seeing,...