The Prophetic Messenger
A Newsletter From Mysteries From The Word Of God Ministries
January/February 2016 - Volume 18/Issue 1
Persecution is Increasing in America - Part IV
"Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution" II Timothy 3:12
In this issue of The Prophetic Messenger, we will continue a message titled “Persecution is Increasing in America.”
In this issue of The Prophetic Messenger, we will continue a message titled “Persecution is Increasing in America.”
4. When Persecution Comes Through Government Christians Must Fight Spiritually
In II Corinthians 10:3-5 it says “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;”
Also, in Ephesians 6:10-12 it says
“10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
Even though we are in the last days, we as Christians must fight the spiritual fight to get the victory over all situations. To “be strong in the Lord” you need to have several things in your life. Two of these things are the baptism in the Holy Ghost, and the true word of God. We will be looking at both of these today.
a) You Must be Baptized in the Holy Ghost.
The baptism in the Holy Ghost is a fundamental requirement for any Christian who wants to be strong in the LORD. (The following section is from the Prophetic Messenger March/April 2001 - Why The Church Has No Power)
Many Churches Have Rejected The Baptism In The Holy Ghost -
If the church does not have the baptism in the Holy Ghost, it will never have any power. In Matthew 3:11 John the Baptist said "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:" We can see from the scriptures how Jesus Christ, the apostles and the new believers all received the baptism in the Holy Ghost.
Jesus Christ Was Baptized In The Holy Ghost -
We see Jesus Christ being baptized in the Holy Ghost after John the Baptist baptized him in water and the Spirit of God descended on him like a dove. In Matthew 3:15 -16 it says "15 And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. 16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:" Also, in Acts 10:38 it says "How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him." In Acts it shows this confirmation about Jesus Christ being baptized in the Holy Ghost.
The Apostles Were Baptized In The Holy Ghost -
After Jesus Christ was risen from the dead, He told his disciples to wait to be baptized in the Holy Ghost. In Luke 24:49 Jesus said "And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high." Also, in Acts 1:3-5, 8 it says "3 To whom also he showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: 4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. 5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.....8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." In Acts 2:1-4 the disciples received the baptism in the Holy Ghost. In Acts 2:1-4 it says "1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance."
New Christians In The Days Of The Bible Were Baptized In The Holy Ghost -
On the day of Pentecost, the apostle Peter preached a powerful message that pricked the hearts of many people. Through his message, many were saved, baptized in water, and baptized in the Holy Ghost. In Acts 2:37-39 it says "37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? 38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." In verse 39 it shows this promise is for people today.
Let's look at two more examples in the scriptures about people first being saved, and then getting baptized in water and baptized in the Holy Ghost. In Acts 8:12-17 it says "12 But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13 Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done. 14 Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: 15 Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: 16 (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) 17 Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost." Also, in Acts 19:1-7 it says "1 And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, 2 He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. 3 And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism. 4 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. 5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. 7 And all the men were about twelve." From all these scriptures it is very clear that without the baptism in the Holy Ghost there is no power in the church.
b) You Must Use Only the Old King James Version Of The Holy Bible
(The following section is from the Prophetic Messenger May/June 2005 - Apostasy)
The New Bible Versions
All throughout the history of man, satan has tried to change or pervert the Word of God.
Adam and Eve
In Genesis 3:1-6 it say "1 Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? 2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: 3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. 4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. 6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat." This passage of scripture shows how satan changed God's words to deceive Eve. Let's look at these scriptures more closely.
Here's what God said in Genesis 2:15-17 "15 And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."
Here's what satan said in Genesis 3:4-5: "4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." We see in Genesis 3:6 how Eve believed the lie of satan and disobeyed God. This passage states "And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat."
Jesus Christ
We see that satan tried to deceive the Son of God by perverting the scriptures to tempt him. In Matthew 4:5-7 it says "5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, 6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. 7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God." In this passage satan misquoted Psalm 91:11-12 to try to tempt Jesus Christ.
The Last Days
The apostle Paul warned us about doctrines of devils which the new bible versions fulfill. In I Timothy 4:1 it says "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;" In just the past few years we have seen the new bible versions get worse and worse. Here is a recent article showing just how bad they are getting.
An article titled "Canterbury Backs Updated Bible" (Note 1) says
"A new translation of the Bible which seems to contradict traditional Christian beliefs on sex has been backed by the Archbishop of Canterbury. The book, entitled Good As New, is aimed at refreshing the language and themes of the Bible for modern readers. In the new version, St Paul's advice that men and women should marry is replaced with they should have a 'regular partner'. Dr Rowan Williams says it is a book of 'extraordinary power.' But the Church of England leader admitted many readers would be startled by its content. The words of St Paul are likely to cause most controversy."
Below I compare this newest translation with the King James Version which is the Bible for today. This passage of scripture is from I Corinthians 7:8-9.
I Corinthians 7:8-9
KJV: "I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I. But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn."
Good As New version: "If you know you have strong needs, get yourself a partner. Better than being frustrated."
We see from this passage that this new Bible version is promoting fornication which is sin and the Archbishop of Canterbury is backing it. In Titus 1:15-16 it says "15 Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. 16 They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate."
In closing, Christians having the baptism in the Holy Ghost and the Old King James Version of the Bible will help them become stronger in the Lord.
Also, in Ephesians 6:10-12 it says
“10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
Even though we are in the last days, we as Christians must fight the spiritual fight to get the victory over all situations. To “be strong in the Lord” you need to have several things in your life. Two of these things are the baptism in the Holy Ghost, and the true word of God. We will be looking at both of these today.
a) You Must be Baptized in the Holy Ghost.
The baptism in the Holy Ghost is a fundamental requirement for any Christian who wants to be strong in the LORD. (The following section is from the Prophetic Messenger March/April 2001 - Why The Church Has No Power)
Many Churches Have Rejected The Baptism In The Holy Ghost -
If the church does not have the baptism in the Holy Ghost, it will never have any power. In Matthew 3:11 John the Baptist said "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:" We can see from the scriptures how Jesus Christ, the apostles and the new believers all received the baptism in the Holy Ghost.
Jesus Christ Was Baptized In The Holy Ghost -
We see Jesus Christ being baptized in the Holy Ghost after John the Baptist baptized him in water and the Spirit of God descended on him like a dove. In Matthew 3:15 -16 it says "15 And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. 16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:" Also, in Acts 10:38 it says "How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him." In Acts it shows this confirmation about Jesus Christ being baptized in the Holy Ghost.
The Apostles Were Baptized In The Holy Ghost -
After Jesus Christ was risen from the dead, He told his disciples to wait to be baptized in the Holy Ghost. In Luke 24:49 Jesus said "And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high." Also, in Acts 1:3-5, 8 it says "3 To whom also he showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: 4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. 5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.....8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." In Acts 2:1-4 the disciples received the baptism in the Holy Ghost. In Acts 2:1-4 it says "1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance."
New Christians In The Days Of The Bible Were Baptized In The Holy Ghost -
On the day of Pentecost, the apostle Peter preached a powerful message that pricked the hearts of many people. Through his message, many were saved, baptized in water, and baptized in the Holy Ghost. In Acts 2:37-39 it says "37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? 38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." In verse 39 it shows this promise is for people today.
Let's look at two more examples in the scriptures about people first being saved, and then getting baptized in water and baptized in the Holy Ghost. In Acts 8:12-17 it says "12 But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13 Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done. 14 Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: 15 Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: 16 (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) 17 Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost." Also, in Acts 19:1-7 it says "1 And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, 2 He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. 3 And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism. 4 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. 5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. 7 And all the men were about twelve." From all these scriptures it is very clear that without the baptism in the Holy Ghost there is no power in the church.
b) You Must Use Only the Old King James Version Of The Holy Bible
(The following section is from the Prophetic Messenger May/June 2005 - Apostasy)
The New Bible Versions
All throughout the history of man, satan has tried to change or pervert the Word of God.
Adam and Eve
In Genesis 3:1-6 it say "1 Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? 2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: 3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. 4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. 6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat." This passage of scripture shows how satan changed God's words to deceive Eve. Let's look at these scriptures more closely.
Here's what God said in Genesis 2:15-17 "15 And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."
Here's what satan said in Genesis 3:4-5: "4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." We see in Genesis 3:6 how Eve believed the lie of satan and disobeyed God. This passage states "And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat."
Jesus Christ
We see that satan tried to deceive the Son of God by perverting the scriptures to tempt him. In Matthew 4:5-7 it says "5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, 6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. 7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God." In this passage satan misquoted Psalm 91:11-12 to try to tempt Jesus Christ.
The Last Days
The apostle Paul warned us about doctrines of devils which the new bible versions fulfill. In I Timothy 4:1 it says "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;" In just the past few years we have seen the new bible versions get worse and worse. Here is a recent article showing just how bad they are getting.
An article titled "Canterbury Backs Updated Bible" (Note 1) says
"A new translation of the Bible which seems to contradict traditional Christian beliefs on sex has been backed by the Archbishop of Canterbury. The book, entitled Good As New, is aimed at refreshing the language and themes of the Bible for modern readers. In the new version, St Paul's advice that men and women should marry is replaced with they should have a 'regular partner'. Dr Rowan Williams says it is a book of 'extraordinary power.' But the Church of England leader admitted many readers would be startled by its content. The words of St Paul are likely to cause most controversy."
Below I compare this newest translation with the King James Version which is the Bible for today. This passage of scripture is from I Corinthians 7:8-9.
I Corinthians 7:8-9
KJV: "I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I. But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn."
Good As New version: "If you know you have strong needs, get yourself a partner. Better than being frustrated."
We see from this passage that this new Bible version is promoting fornication which is sin and the Archbishop of Canterbury is backing it. In Titus 1:15-16 it says "15 Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. 16 They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate."
In closing, Christians having the baptism in the Holy Ghost and the Old King James Version of the Bible will help them become stronger in the Lord.
Notes:
Note 1: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/3833693.stm
Note 1: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/3833693.stm
Coming Up In The Next Issue
Persecution is Increasing in America - Part V. Read this article in the next issue of The Prophetic Messenger.
Memory Verses
As Christians if we want to live in victory and if we want to be able to share the Word Of God with others we must know the Word of God ourselves. Let's see what the Bible says about this. "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." Psalm 119:11. "If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you." John 15:7. "Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed." John 8:31. We encourage you to put the following scriptures in your heart: Genesis 11:1, Matthew 28:18, I Kings 17:1, Philippians 2:9, Numbers 15:32, John 13:16, II Kings 2:22, Matthew 19:14, Philippians 1:11, Genesis 18:20. Use only the Old King James version of the Holy Bible. (If you have any questions about this please see the book New Age Bible Versions, by G.A. Riplinger ©1993, ISBN 0-9635845-0-2.)
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