tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30398351172187244912024-03-19T06:21:29.548-04:00Speaking Off The WallEzekiel 33:7,8 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. 8 When I say to the wicked, ‘You wicked person, you will surely die,’ and you do not speak out to dissuade them from their ways, that wicked person will die for[a] their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood.Darrell Dardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16510315080602062924noreply@blogger.comBlogger245125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3039835117218724491.post-58468841099522616732022-04-25T19:11:00.000-04:002022-04-25T19:11:16.508-04:00<p> Praise the Lord everybody!! let everything that has breath praise His holy name! Because He has done great things. Today God has put it on my heart to share again a post I first posted over six years ago, it was relevant then and unfortunately, it is still relevant today.</p>I pray that one day that will no longer be the case.<br /><br /><br /> <b> PASTOR CAN YOU TONE THAT DOWN A LITTLE!</b><br /><br /><br /> Through it all God has been faithful regarding His ministry, Speaking Off The Wall. Giving me eyes to see and giving me what to write concerning the Body of Christ. Lately, I have seen Preachers and Pastors like my own Pastor who preaches about living holy and forsaking sin, no matter if that sin is homosexuality, fornication, lying, or stealing. They are preaching Holy Ghost messages straight from the Throne and heart of God. Yet their Churches are not thriving, people are leaving and going where they can hear a more "user-friendly" message just like the children of Israel in Deuteronomy chapter five.<br /><br /><u><i><b>Deuteronomy. 5:22-27 22 These words the Lord spake unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice: and he added no more. And he wrote them in two tables of stone and delivered them unto me.</b></i></u><br /><u><i><b><br /></b></i></u><u><i><b>23 And it came to pass when ye heard the voice out of the midst of the darkness, (for the mountain did burn with fire,) that ye came near unto me, even all the heads of your tribes, and your elders;</b></i></u><br /><u><i><b><br /></b></i></u><u><i><b>24 And ye said, Behold, the Lord our God hath shewed us his glory and his greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire: we have seen this day that God doth talk with man, and he liveth.</b></i></u><br /><u><i><b><br /></b></i></u><u><i><b>25 Now, therefore, why should we die? for this great fire will consume us: if we hear the voice of the Lord our God any more, then we shall die.</b></i></u><br /><u><i><b><br /></b></i></u><u><i><b>26 For who is there of all flesh, that hath heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived? 27 Go thou near and hear all that the Lord our God shall say: and speak thou unto us all that the Lord our God shall speak unto thee, and we will hear it, and do it.</b></i></u><br /><br />They could not stand before God and His Holy glory because in their hearts they knew that they were carrying with them the idols and sin they picked up in captivity and they were not willing to forsake them. They knew that no flesh could stand before God and live and they wanted to continue to feed their flesh and not die to it. They were hoping that the sheer holiness of His glory would get lost in translation. "You speak to God and then you speak to us for Him so that we don't have to die!" meaning die to their sin.<br /><br />God is raising up a remnant of holy men of God, Holy Ghost-filled and uncompromising to preach to his people. Preaching with power and authority and the convicting power of the Holy Ghost. Now just as then there are those who count themselves as part of the body of Christ, Christians, who when they hear the anointed word of God coming from the pulpit with conviction and power refuse to die but rather say " Good word Pastor, that's telling them!" and continue on in their sin, or they say "Pastor can't you tone all that fire and brimstone down God is a God of love." Others just up and leave saying "It doesn't take all that, God knows my heart."<br /><br />Even though the Children of Israel said they would do everything that God would tell them through Moses God knew better and said in verses 29, <u><i><b>29 O that there were such a heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children forever!</b></i></u><br /><br />News flash! We must be willing to forsake our flesh and die to sin, God has called us to that. Paul said "I die daily" The things that Paul went through he could not do in his flesh. He had to die to self<br /> We must not run from the Holiness and majesty of God and the convicting power of his spirit and word but embrace it, asking God to deliver us from our secret sin, to help us mortify our flesh and appreciate the Godly sorrow we feel when we fall short of the mark.<br />You Holy Ghost Pastors keep preaching Holy Ghost fire until that day when God closes your mouth and says "well done".<br /><br /> God bless you all, Brother Darrell, Speaking Off The WallDarrell Dardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16510315080602062924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3039835117218724491.post-30872540706918257782021-04-26T17:38:00.000-04:002021-04-26T17:38:27.047-04:00THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST: AMERICAN STYLE!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Praise the Lord everybody, let everything that has breath praise His Holy name. I thought I had written my last blog almost two years ago, yet here I am again as God has given me a message straight from His own heart.<br />
<br />
America has been under judgment for a while now, just as Pastor David Wilkerson had prophesied some years ago. We dropped the ball long ago and have never quite gotten a handle on it since. We have created a hybrid version of the Gospel. Only in America can a Faith and prosperity gospel work or even be preached, only in America can there be debate over whether we are pre-tribulation or post-tribulation Saints, when in countries like China, Africa, North Korea, India, Pakistan, and the Middle East, etc. Christians are being martyred every day. They are being beaten, tortured, and jailed for the sake of the Gospel of Christ.<br />
<br />
It was Paul who said in <b><i><u>Romans 8: 35-39 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?</u></i></b><br />
<b><i><u><br /></u></i></b>
<b><i><u>36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.</u></i></b><br />
<b><i><u><br /></u></i></b>
<b><i><u>37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.</u></i></b><br />
<b><i><u><br /></u></i></b>
<b><i><u>38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,</u></i></b><br />
<b><i><u><br /></u></i></b>
<b><i><u>39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.</u></i></b><br />
<b><i><u><br /></u></i></b>
<br />
The Church in America for years has acted as if verses 35- 37 do not exist, and instead we concentrate on the love of Christ mentioned in verses 38 and 39.<br />
But things are changing and our persecution draws nigh. We are about to plunge into the thick of what other churches all over the world have been battling for centuries. Those who have "ears" let them hear what the spirit of the Lord has to say to the Church in America! America is under judgment, false Prophets and nearly reprobate evangelicals abound. Social media is inundated with preachers pushing false prophecies and new takes on the Gospel of Christ.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Church leaders are putting their faith in politicians and politics instead of God, the creator of all things. We as disciples of Christ must stay focused even when our "Church leaders" lose theirs. Even Apostle Paul said "follow me as I follow Christ," meaning we have to know when to ignore false prophets and alternative Gospels when we encounter them. There is only one faith, one spirit, and one baptism. It is up to us to study so that we know truth from fiction.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">God Bless you all, Brother Darrell </div>
Darrell Dardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16510315080602062924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3039835117218724491.post-6978601867756307802019-02-24T20:21:00.000-05:002019-02-25T18:02:12.202-05:00JUDGES!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<br />
Praise the Lord everybody!! Let everything that has breath praise His holy name!! God has been so good to me and my wife, especially since He moved us into our "promised" land three months ago. I just had my first checkup with my new Doctor and had all my blood test done. Praise God! all is well! I can't thank God enough for what He has done.<br />
<br />
Recently I read the following scripture from Paul in <b><i><u>1st Corinthians 2:9-16 9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.</u></i></b><br />
<b><i><u>10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.</u></i></b><br />
<b><i><u>11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.</u></i></b><br />
<b><i><u>12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.</u></i></b><br />
<b><i><u>13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.</u></i></b><br />
<b><i><u>14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.</u></i></b><br />
<b><i><u>15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.</u></i></b><br />
<b><i><u>16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? but we have the mind of Christ. </u></i></b><br />
<br />
I have read this scripture many times but this time I began to pay particular notice to verses 15 and 16. Most Christians are quick to tell others "don't judge lest you be judged" as a way of telling others to mind their own business. But the Lord says in His word that the spiritual judge all things! the word "spiritual" is the key here. The spiritual not only see things in the natural like the non-spiritual, but they are also able to discern what is going on in the spiritual realm, which is the driving force behind the natural world. The most important thing that God wants us to be able to judge, is sin.<br />
<br />
The spiritual Christian should be able to recognize sin, not only in others but more importantly in themselves. The time has come for spiritual Christians to start judging sin, wherever it may be found, sparing feelings, especially your own, can no longer be a concern. We must first be willing to discern sin first in ourselves. We have to stop condoning and making excuses for sin in our own lives and then the Church. God has given those who are spiritual the authority to judge all things that involve their lives. The spiritual Christian does not let certain behaviors destroy his or her anointing and their relationship with God. They judge it as sin and remove it from their lives.<br />
<br />
This generation of believers has to stop winking and blinking at certain behaviors and recognize them as sin, if we see it anywhere in our lives we need to call it what it is and avoid being associated with it. If that means the loss of friends and family so be it. Jesus is coming soon and if we want to go back with Him we have to live holy and rid ourselves of all sin.<br />
<br />
God Bless You All, Brother Darrell, Speaking Off The Wall.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Darrell Dardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16510315080602062924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3039835117218724491.post-30688764524407343092019-01-19T18:33:00.000-05:002019-01-25T15:16:53.887-05:00IS GOD LIVING IN YOUR GUEST HOUSE?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Praise the Lord! everybody!! Let everything that has breath praise His holy name. It has been a while since I last had the pleasure to share with you guys what is going on with me and what doth sayeth the Lord. Since my last post, God has instructed to not only leave my comfort zone but leave my home for a new home in a new state that I had never been or thought about. Two months before if you had asked me if we were leaving New York we would have said no, but God made a way out of what appeared to be no way. Just like that God blessed us with an apartment we could never afford or even be eligible for in New York. Praise His holy name! Please keep us in prayer because to whom much is given, much is required.<br />
<br />
I'd like to share with you something God has been dealing with me about. I was reading out of Haggai when I came across this in<br />
<b><i><u>HAGGAI 1:7-9 7Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways. 8Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house, and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the LORD. 9Ye looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith the LORD of hosts. Because of mine house that [is] waste and ye run every man unto his own house. </u></i></b><br />
<b><i><u><br /></u></i></b> God showed me how many Christians, including myself, go about daily looking to upgrade our position in life while at the same time allowing our relationships with God to fall into disrepair. I began thinking about how rich landowners often live on properties where they have their main residence, a large well kept home that is the centerpiece of the property. Then they have a guest house out back, a small, not so well kept, humble abode for staff and "certain visitors" deemed unworthy of the big house.<br />
<br />
How often do we do God the same way? We are always looking to increase our quality of life, better jobs, better homes, and better toys, but not so much concern about a better relationship with God. We want God with us, but not necessarily in the main house where He can be involved in everything we do, no, we regulate God to the guest house where we can call on him when we need him. We keep Him in our servants quarters where we want Him to serve us and not the other way around.<br />
These are the last of the last days, Jesus is coming soon and the time is not now for us to be expanding our own territories while neglecting our real assignment, to serve the Lord our God with all our hearts, minds, and our strength. We need to bring Jesus out of the guest house and restore him as the centerpiece of our lives. God will serve you when you start serving Him.<br />
<br />
God bless you all, Brother Darrell, Speaking Off the Wall</div>
Darrell Dardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16510315080602062924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3039835117218724491.post-11981198738895719912018-10-16T13:14:00.001-04:002018-10-16T13:14:06.939-04:00 THE NON-PECULIARITY OF THE BODY OF CHRIST!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
Praise the Lord everybody. As Christians, God has called us to be a lot of things. We are called to be Soldiers, Conquerors, and Holy, among other things. Today we’re going to discuss one of those things, and that is the non-peculiarity of the Body of Christ.<br />
1 Peter 2:9 “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light:”<br />
When God looks at us He sees a people constantly trying to be like the world and not apart from it. When you think of peculiar people you think of everyone but Christians. You think of the Jews, the Hasidic and the Orthodox, you think of the Muslim and Islamic faiths and so on. Christians, not so much.<br />
<br />
The Christian Church and its members for years have been seemingly trying to be non-peculiar rather than peculiar. We have been guilty on many occasions of trying to integrate worldly practices into our churches, from dancing to Rap music and mimes. If we feel that the only way to bring in the lost to Christ is by offering them entertainment and a listener-friendly Gospel, then we are in for a surprise when Jesus comes back for His Church.<br />
<b>Peculiar means:</b> 1. strange or odd; unusual.<br />
"his accent was a peculiar mixture of Cockney and Irish"<br />
2. strange · unusual · odd · funny · curious · bizarre · [more]<br />
particular; special.<br />
"any attempt to explicate the theme is bound to run into peculiar difficulties"<br />
synonyms: distinctive · characteristic · distinct · different · individual<br />
When people look at us do they say, “there’s something about those Christians, I can’t put my finger on it but there’s something about them I want.” Or do they say, “Those Christians, they aren’t so special, going to church with them is like going to a Broadway show, except on Broadway you only pay once as you enter.”<br />
God wants us to not only win people over by what we say but how we live. The world is in darkness, and those of us who live in the light must show a distinct and attractive alternative lifestyle to those lost in darkness. When all the world is walking to the left, they must see us always walking to the right, not down the middle or leaning to the left, but to the right.<br />
PRAYER: Father God, we thank you that you have called us out of darkness into your marvelous light. Help us to be the peculiar people you have called us to be, a Royal Priesthood, Lord help us to live lifestyles attractive to those that are lost. In Jesus name, we pray, Amen.<br />
God bless you all, Brother Darrell, Speaking Off The Wall.<br />
<br /></div>
Darrell Dardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16510315080602062924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3039835117218724491.post-22285508387232404982018-09-22T14:32:00.000-04:002018-09-22T14:34:27.276-04:00CHRIST'S UNIBODY CONSTRUCTION<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
Praise the Lord everybody, let everything that has breath praise His holy name. I just finished reading the chapter entitled “The Task of Church Planting” from the book, “Global Church Planting Biblical Principles and Best Practices for Multiplication.” A book I wouldn't normally choose for myself but a friend recommended it to me. I found “The Task of Church Planting” to be great as a history of 20th-century church planting.<br />
<br />
As a historical article, I found it very well written, loaded with facts and information on what it takes to plant a Church, not only how to plant a church but how to keep it alive and growing. Even more importantly it was filled with Scriptural references to back up its most important points, like for instance scripture on what is a church (Acts 2:46-47) (Acts 5:42) (21:20,26 basically the whole book of acts). It talks about the importance of putting together a proper team to carry out the task. It covers “the purpose of the Church” and even tries to answer the question, what exactly is “Church planting”?<br />
This is a very ambitious project that supplies its readers with a comprehensive Guide to establish a God-pleasing Church.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, it all comes a little too late. Especially for the Body of Christ in America, and other modern countries across the globe. The whole dynamic of Church planting has changed in America where there is no shortage of churches. Some neighborhoods have as many as four. Except for some small isolated areas of the world the body of Christ is not in need of more Church planting teams, instead, it needs Church unification teams.<br />
<br />
If all the different denominations of the Church would come together and be one as God intended, the Church would easily spread the Gospel of Christ to every corner of the world. The Gospel of Luke does end with Jesus giving us the “great commission” and the Church has been trying to carry it out ever since, sometimes effectively and sometimes not so effectively.<br />
Again, this article is full of great examples and ideas on Church planting, including, of course, Paul’s apostolic outline in<b><i><u> 1st Corinthians chapter 3 where he states, What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So, neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building. By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it.</u></i></b><br />
<b><i><u><br /></u></i></b> This scripture brings out an important point when Paul says, “I laid the foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it.” The time has come for the body of Christ to start building on, or perhaps rebuilding on what it has become. This is a well-written article that is rich in history and wisdom, but that is all that it is a history lesson.<br />
<br />
God bless you all, Brother Darrell, Speaking Off the Wall<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Darrell Dardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16510315080602062924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3039835117218724491.post-19767120930006090682018-08-18T15:21:00.000-04:002018-09-20T01:43:48.808-04:00 CAN YOUR FAITH PASS THE "SPIT" TEST?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Praise the Lord, everybody. Let everything that has breath praise His holy name!! The Lord has truly been moving in my life these days. I have been blessed in many ways and I can not thank Him enough for what He is doing in my life right now. God has been keeping me very busy these days, causing me to neglect this blog, and for that, I am truly sorry.<br />
<br />
Today I have a couple of questions to start off with. How strong is your faith? And, would you let someone spit in your eye?<br />
<b><i><u>Mark 8:23 King James Version (KJV)</u></i></b><br />
<b><i><u>23 And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought.</u></i></b><br />
Blind or sighted, it takes a special type of Faith to allow someone to spit in your eye and call it healing. To make matters worse, after He gave him the first “treatment” the man still could not see! Yet he allows Him to rub more spit in his eyes. Verses 24+25 tell us the results of the man’s faith, <b><i><u> 24 And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking.</u></i></b><br />
<b><i><u>25 After that, he put his hands again upon his eyes and made him look up: and he was restored and saw every man clearly.</u></i></b><br />
The man may not have known who Jesus was as far as His deity was concerned but he had enough faith in a man he heard could heal him of his affliction. How many times have we believers blown our healings and blessings because we wanted to control how God was going to heal us or bless us. How many of us today would let our Pastor or Church Elder anoint us with his saliva or “spit” today to obtain our healing? Most likely we would run out of the door, go home and get on FaceBook or Twitter and tell everybody how the Pastor or Elder has lost their minds, meanwhile, our pains and afflictions would continue. If Jesus himself came down to heal us personally, I believe some still would not believe, and we know who He is.<br />
<br />
The blind man did not truly know who Jesus was and is, but we have no excuse. If you read the Bible you know that God does not think like a man, His thoughts are not our thoughts. We must stop trying to assist God with His work. The blind man did not question God. He could have said “is that spit you’re about to put in my eye? You sure you want to do that? Why can’t you use water?” but he trusted Jesus, that He knew what He was doing. Today's believer has too many worldly options to choose from when something goes wrong in our lives. We run here and there, looking for help and answers, always turning to God as a last resort. God wants us to trust Him to the point where even if He asks us to let him rub spit in our eyes, we will say “whatever you will, Lord.”<br />
PRAYER: Father God, forgive us for our lapses in faith. Help us to trust in you in all things, for it was you who created all things. Let us not turn to created things for help but to the creator of all things that were created. We pray this in Jesus name, Amen.<br />
God bless you all, Brother Darrell, Spaking Off The Wall <br />
<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
Darrell Dardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16510315080602062924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3039835117218724491.post-49514627478311747032018-07-27T14:04:00.000-04:002018-07-27T14:04:25.949-04:00THE SELFISHNESS OF DISOBEDIENCE<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
Praise the Lord everybody. As a Christian, have you ever felt the Holy Spirit instructing you to do something, and you want to be obedient, but something does not quite make sense to you, trust God always because disobedience is a selfish act.<br />
<br />
<b><i><u>1st Kings 17:8+9 8) And the word of the Lord came unto Elijah, 9) saying, “Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon and dwell there; behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee.” </u></i></b><br />
Elijah’s survival in this incidence depends on the obedience of two people, himself, and the widow woman. Imagine if Elijah had traveled all the way to where God had instructed and found that the woman had been disobedient. He would have found the woman and her son dead from starvation, because this is what she had planned, her and her son were down to their last bit of flour and oil, and she had made up her mind that they were going to make one last loaf of bread, eat it and then die, but out of obedience she gave her last to Elijah and we see what happens in <b><i><u>verses 13+14 13 Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first, make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. 14 For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the land.’” </u></i></b><br />
There is a blessing in living an obedient life, but the blessing may not be just for you, so don’t be selfish, be obedient, and everyone will benefit. God Bless you.<br />
PRAYER: Father I want to thank you for loving us enough to let us know how selfish we are in our disobedience to you. Father help us to have an obedient spirit reminding ourselves that our obedience not only blesses you can be a blessing to someone else as well<br />
A little food for thought that the Lord gave me to think about and to share with you.<br />
God Bless you all, Brother Darrell, Speaking Off The Wall<br />
<br /></div>
Darrell Dardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16510315080602062924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3039835117218724491.post-82268254990678432612018-06-19T15:18:00.000-04:002018-06-19T15:18:40.353-04:00SALVATION: WHAT'S IN YOUR WALLET?!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
Praise the Lord everybody!! Let everything that has breath praise His Holy name! The Lord is surely moving me into a different place in Him. In these last and evil days, and I am letting Him have His way, gladly, since He knows whats best for me. I am truly looking forward to where He takes me.<br />
<br />
The Bible tells us in Job that Job gave sacrifices for his children just in case they forgot or were negligent.I often wondered what kind of believer they were, did they sit around thinking they were okay because their father had them covered, or were they working out there own salvation with fear and trembling.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><i><u>Genesis 15:6 Abram believed the Lord, and He credited it to him as</u></i></b><br />
<b><i><u>righteousness.</u></i></b><br />
<br />
Whenever I'm out witnessing for Christ I've noticed there are a lot of would be Christians out there with other peoples credit cards. I don't want to say they're stolen because they may have picked them up by mistake or maybe they thought it was okay to use them.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%;">It all starts when I ask them this one question, "Are you a Christian?" They immediately replied "yes I am" and then they go on to tell me about how their mother has been a member of Mount so and so's for twenty-five years and is head of the usher board, volunteers twice a week to give out food at the food pantry. Or they tell you how their father has been a deacon at the same church for thirty years etc but when I ask them about themselves they start making excuses about why they themselves do not go to church nor do they feel the need to set aside a day to fellowship and to worship the Lord.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"> They are under the mistaken impression that their parents or spouses relationship with God is automatically accredited to them also. Then I have to pull out the word and give them the bad news. First I read <b><i><u>Genesis 15:6 "Abram believed the Lord, and He credited it to HIM as righteousness." </u></i></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%;">Not his son, not his wife, not his daughter or anybody else. Then I tell them <b><i><u>about Philippians 2:12 12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.</u></i></b> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%;">We must work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, then read to them <b><i><u>Romans 10:9+10 9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.</u></i></b></span><b><i><u> </u></i></b><b><i><u><span style="line-height: 107%;">10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.</span></u></i></b><span style="line-height: 107%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%;">They have to make their own confession of faith with their own mouths and their own lips. Thank God for your mothers and fathers and spouses salvation, but you can't get into heaven using their credit cards. Most were surprised to find out that their salvation wasn't covered by birthright and allowed me to pray with them and start them on their way.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="line-height: 107%;">Check your pockets and see whats in your wallet</span></b><span style="line-height: 107%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%;">God bless you all, Brother Darrell, Speaking Off The Wall</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<br /></div>
Darrell Dardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16510315080602062924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3039835117218724491.post-76239643134006154522018-06-06T13:27:00.000-04:002018-06-06T13:27:04.767-04:00LET GODS WORD BE TRUE...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Praise the Lord!!! Everybody!! Let everything that has breath praise his Holy name!! As I've been saying all year, these have been challenging times for the body of Christ. I have been nudged to higher and higher levels in Christ by the Holy Spirit in recent times, ready or not, here it comes seems to be the theme this past year, and I thank God for the nudging.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><i><u>Galatians 1:11+12 11) I want you to know Brothers, that the gospel I preached is not something that man made up. 12) I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.</u></i></b><br />
<br />
<br />
While out witnessing I hear it all the time, “men wrote the bible” or “the bible was changed by men to fit their purposes.” Paul had to address the same accusations from the Galatians. People then and today don’t want to hear the truth. They want to soften Gods word by saying “God never said that! Men just put that in there because it was a popular idea at the time of the crusades.” A lot of homosexuals said that about scripture condemning homosexuality. The truth of the matter is, yes, homosexuality was an accepted practice among men pretty much since the beginning of time, especially during biblical times. So was prostitution, human sacrifice and a plethora of other unseemly practices, they were called SIN, and God Spoke against sin from the very beginning when Adam and Eve committed the first one allowing sin to enter the world. Even before God gave Moses the law He Gave man a sense of right and wrong, a conscience that’s how Joseph knew to run and not sleep with Potiphar's wife.<br />
<br />
I’m sure back then just as today there were plenty of men who would have gladly taken his place. We, believers, have more than just a conscience we have the Holy Spirit indwelling us, leading us into all truth. Paul says “we have the mind of Christ”So I say to you “who is making up what?” The Bible tells us in <b><i><u>2nd Timothy 3:16 16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:</u></i></b><br />
<br />
Next time a nonbeliever tells you that the Man made up the Bible; just hold your head high and say “all scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” “ Gods word says it and I believe it. Let God be true and every man a liar.” Ever since it was written, people have tried to Question the authority of the Bible. It is an attack ordained by Satan to undermine God's plan of redemption cause once you start to doubt even one part of Gods word, it's only a matter of time before you doubt the whole thing, and the devil knows this, so he tries to plant that seed as early as he can.<br />
<br />
<u><i><b>2nd John 1:7-10 states 7 For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.</b></i></u><br />
<div>
<div>
<u><i><b>8 Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.</b></i></u></div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<u><i><b>9 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.</b></i></u></div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<u><i><b>10 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:</b></i></u></div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<br />
God Bess you all, Brother Darrell, Speaking Off The Wall<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
Darrell Dardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16510315080602062924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3039835117218724491.post-76915471172206684852018-05-15T12:53:00.001-04:002018-05-15T12:53:56.607-04:00FLINT FACED MEN: FROM FLINT TO TIN<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Praise the Lord everybody! let everything that has breath praise His holy name!! For God alone is worthy to be praised. I am so grateful to God that He exposes our shortcomings. He does not allow them to continue to fester like an old splinter, possibly leading to a major infection in our spiritual life. God gives us the opportunity to avoid having to amputate that part of our lives that are festering. He does this by showing us where it is, then Gives us the chance to heal, whether it be through repentance, or just stepping up, and reaching for the next level in Him.<br />
<br />
The other day God began to deal with me about one of my shortcomings that had begun to fester in me. He started by reminding me of the following scripture.<br />
<br />
<u><i><b>Isaiah 50:4-7 4) The Sovereign Lord has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught. 5) The Sovereign Lord has opened my ears, and I have not been rebellious; I have not drawn back. 6) I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting. 7) Because the Sovereign Lord helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore I have set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame.</b></i></u><br />
<br />
I once wrote an article called "flint faced" men. I was inspired by the above scripture. The article was about men such as Noah, Abraham, Daniel, David, Joseph, Isaiah, Job, Paul, and the list goes on and on. They were men who were determined to serve God. Were They perfect men? No, but they were fully persuaded that they were going to serve the Lord, in season and out of season. They were not influenced by environment or circumstance. I used to like to think of myself as one of them, but now, looking back over the past few years, I realize I've been more like Tin then flint.<br />
<br />
Flint is a very hard stone that is not very malleable, which besides being used to provide the spark to start fires, some used it to fashion daggers from, it can take a licking and keep on ticking.<br />
Tin is weaker and a lot more malleable, it can be easily molded to conform to different shapes. I find myself being influenced more and more by the distractions of the world, and anything that my flesh is attracted to. I have subconsciously let my relationship with Christ be shaped by my flesh and not by the Holy Spirit. Paul warned us in <u><i><b>Romans 12:2 (NIV) Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.</b></i></u><br />
<u><i><b><br /></b></i></u> It is so easy to allow the world to wear you down, and like a small drip, drip, drip, of water over years can lead to a large sinkhole, and also carve out grooves in rock. Paul lets us know that the best way to combat this is to have a renewing of our minds. David said in<i style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: underline;"> Psalms 119:11 - Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.</i> We keep our minds renewed by Keeping Gods word fresh in our hearts and minds. The key word here is "fresh". Sometimes we find ourselves slacking off in our studies as the years go by, after the 5th or 6th times of reading the Bible from cover to cover you begin to think you can ease up a little now, or maybe you just memorized a couple of popular scriptures and feel they should be enough to see you through. To keep Gods fresh in our minds we have to continuously stay in it, not trying to remember some old bible study from years earlier where all the scripture kind of fades all together into a bunch of miss quoted scripture. How can you get any power out of that?<br />
<br />
A "flint faced" man does not conform, he is constantly in touch with who and what he is in Christ, and he remembers what Apostle Paul taught in <b style="font-style: italic; text-decoration-line: underline;"><u>Philippians 4:8 8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.</u></b> Gods word is all of these things. The word of God is alive and active and because it is alive it has the ability to appear to mature as we mature, revealing it’s deeper truths to us as we become mature enough to receive it. We can’t stand on our early revelations of Gods word. We must continue to study to show ourselves approved as He guides us to the levels we are called to be in him.<br />
<br />
So if your Flint Face is starting to turn you into the "Tin man." Or whatever your shortcoming is, remember that God wants to bring you up, not take you down.<br />
<br />
God bless you all, Brother Darrell, Speaking Off The Wall<br />
<br />
<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Darrell Dardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16510315080602062924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3039835117218724491.post-53538195692671897502018-05-01T16:18:00.000-04:002018-10-18T22:26:06.359-04:00THE CONSECRATION OF BROTHER DARRELL<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Praise the Lord everybody. Let everything that has breath, praise His holy name!! God is great, and greatly to be praised! I will bless the Lord at all times and His praises shall be continually in my mouth.<br />
<br />
This has truly been a time of reflection and introspection for me. God has been dealing with me about a lot of things lately and I've had to make some painful admissions. One of those admissions is the fact that I have begun to slip recently when it comes down to our special time together.<br />
<br />
For years, every Tuesday and Friday I have been fellowshipping with God, which I have been calling "consecrating," but God has been dealing with me about my so-called "consecration." To me, fasting means just turning your plate down and mortifying your flesh as unto the Lord, but you continue to do your normal daily routine.<br />
In my opinion, consecrating meant more, It meant not only mortifying the flesh by observing some sort of fast but also ceasing all your other activities of daily living and spending quality time in the presence of the Lord. The dictionary says the act of consecrating is; dedication to the service and worship of a deity. I was dedicating that day to the service and worship of God, but now I find myself doing more "fasting" and less "consecrating". I find myself more and more carrying on my usual everyday routine and spending less and less time in prayer, meditation, and worship.<br />
<div>
<br />
God began to Bring back to me the words and life of Jesus who said in <u><i><b>Luke 9:23+24 23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.</b></i></u></div>
<div>
<div>
<u><i><b>24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.</b></i></u></div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Jesus was telling His disciples and us today that to be His followers we have to commit our lives to Him daily, daily forsaking our old lives and living every day in consecrated service to God. In truth, we can not pick and choose which days we will be consecrated and which days we will not. God was letting me know that the things I do when I call myself "consecrating," I should be doing every day. Does that mean we have to be walking around all day looking stern, trying to convey a pious attitude, no, The Bible tells us in <u><i><b>1st Peter 1: 7,8,9 7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:</b></i></u></div>
<div>
<div>
<u><i><b>8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:</b></i></u></div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<u><i><b>9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.</b></i></u></div>
</div>
<div>
<u><i><b><br /></b></i></u></div>
<div>
Yes, the joy of the Lord is our strength. But our joy should be in Him always, we need to stop trying to replace it with worldly joy when we feel the world is having what seems like more fun. jesus was living a consecrated life every day. Jesus tells us in <u><b><i>John 4:34 34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his </i></b></u><u><i><b>work</b></i></u><i style="font-weight: bold;">.</i> Jesus said this to His disciples after they saw that He appeared tired and hungry, and they had been emploring Him to eat. I'm sure Jesus was tired and hungry, but I'm also sure that even in that, Jesus found joy and contentment. Paul states in <u><i><b>Philippians 4:11-13(NIV) 11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength. </b></i></u></div>
<div>
<br />
Part of our daily consecration should be that as soon as we open our eyes in the morning we should give thanks and determine to do God's will that day, that should be our sustaining force throughout the day, fasting or not. I am determined to daily live my life "consecrated," in service and in the worship of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. PLEASE KEEP ME IN PRAYER.<br />
<br />
God Bless You All, Brother Darrell, Speaking Off The Wall</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Darrell Dardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16510315080602062924noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3039835117218724491.post-21595032834679170462018-04-09T16:50:00.000-04:002018-04-09T16:50:10.770-04:00THE YOUNG LIONS DO LACK!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Praise the Lord! Let everything that has breath, praise His holy name. God is great and greatly to be praised. In this time of resurrection and Pass over, I have been reflecting on Gods grace and mercy in my life. I look at myself and I see a man so unworthy of it. I would really like to live my life more like a living sacrifice like I once did many years ago when I first believed. I'm sorry to say I'm not as committed as I used to be. I've become too comfortable in my flesh, making it harder and harder for me to keep Gods spirit as the strong man in my house, meaning my body. Again I am recommitting myself to strengthening my spiritual man and cutting off my flesh.<br />
<br />
One of the things I am doing toward staying spiritual is participating on a prayer line at night. It really has been a blessing to me to be able to pray and look into the word of God together with my fellow saints. The other night we were going over Psalms chapter 34, and as we read verses 9+10 the spirit of the Lord started showing me some things concerning the young lions, verses <b><i><u>9-10 state: O fear the Lord, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.</u></i></b><br />
<u style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">10 The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing</u>.<br />
<br />
I was stuck on the phrase "the young lions," Why only the young lions I asked myself a few times before the Lord began to show me in the spirit why the young lions "lack" and "suffer hunger." When the young lions were born, they were cubs and they depended on their parents for everything, for food, shelter, and for protection. As they got older they got stronger, making them bolder and more independent. They began to gain a little knowledge and they ran with it.<br />
<br />
Instead of staying in the "pride" or family group with the older more mature lions who have learned over the years how and when to hunt, and how to lead and protect himself and his family. The young lion starts to feel that self-confidence that comes with youth. They stop trusting in the wisdom of the older lions who blazed the trail before and know the way, and they trust only in themselves. They do not know God nor fear him, for they count themselves as King of all they see, they are reckless and proud. They rush after their prey with no plan or structure at all and usually come up empty-handed, lacking any success for their effort. Then they go hungry.<br />
<br />
Then God showed me His Church, the Body of Christ. He allowed me to see that the body of Christ is full of young lions. They get saved, they are new converts, babes in Christ. They come in as cubs and depend on the church elders and those seasoned saints who know the way. They begin to get a little word in them and before long they are not satisfied with just sitting and learning, they want to minister and preach, and teach. They are full of new ideas and visions, then, because they know better, they want to break away and start their own church. <br />
They have yet to learn the fear of God, and their faith is in their youth and their own strength. The young lions of the body of Christ split churches, and challenge their elders. They strike out on their own and they often suffer lack, their ministries fail. Verse 9 of the 34th Psalm again states <b style="font-style: italic; text-decoration-line: underline;">O fear the Lord, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.</b> The Bible tells us that there is no "want" to them that fear the Lord. This is why it is so hard for the young to give their lives to Christ and serve and follow Him. <u><i><b>Ecclesiastes 11:9+10 states 9 Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.</b></i></u><br />
<div>
<u><i><b>10 Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity.</b></i></u></div>
<div>
<u><i><b><br /></b></i></u></div>
<div>
Here King Solomon was reminding us basically the same thing, that the young, or young lions follow their own minds and the way they see things. He makes a point to say that it is all vanity. This is why God calls us His sheep and not His lions. Sheep never change, young or old they follow their leaders. <u><i><b>Psalms 100: 3 states 3 Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.</b></i></u></div>
<br />
And we all know what David said in Psalms 23, "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want..." When the Lord is your shepherd you will never be in want or lack because He promises to supply all our needs. God wants to protect us from the "Young Lions," He doesn't want us to be young lions. There is only one lion in the body of Christ, and that is the head, Jesus Christ, the lion of the tribe of Judah!<br />
So, are you going to be a young and foolish Lion? Or are you going to be a wise young Lion that is obedient and lives to be a wise old lion? Remember "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom."<br />
<br />
God bless you all, Brother Darrell, Speaking Off The Wall</div>
Darrell Dardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16510315080602062924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3039835117218724491.post-50674015728718076382018-03-20T13:10:00.000-04:002018-08-26T17:26:50.257-04:00KEEP YOUR ARMOR POLISHED!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Praise the Lord everybody!! Let everything that has breath praise His holy name!! God is great, and greatly to be praised!! I can truly say that I have been tested these first few months of the new year. Most recently was when my wife had surgery. We had one vicious attack that really put us to the test. It took a lot of prayers to get to this point where I can even share it with you all.<br />
<br />
Actually, I'm going to share what God taught me concerning this incident, and that is the importance of keeping your armor polished and not to let it get rusty. The devil is constantly on the lookout for holes or soft spots to get in. Of course, I'm talking about the full armor of God. Paul talks about it in<u><i><b> Ephesians 6:11+12 11 Put on the whole armor 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.</b></i></u><br />
<u><i><b><br /></b></i></u> We see here Apostle Paul telling us about the importance of putting on the Armor of God so that we will be able to stand up to the many tricks of the enemy. He stresses the point of putting on the "whole" armor of God, not half or two-thirds of the armor but the 'whole" armor, because when your dealing with the enemy you can't face him half-naked, you must be fully covered.<br />
<br />
It is not only important that we put on our armor but that we also take care of it. We must keep it polished and clean because as with most metals they tend to get rusty and become easily compromised. The enemy is constantly probing our armor for weak spots, so we must not let our armor fall into disrepair. "How do we keep our armor polished?" you might be asking yourself. First, we must make sure we have a "whole" set of armor on. Paul goes on to tell us what that is in <b><i><u>Ephesians 6: 13-18 13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all, to stand.</u></i></b><br />
<div>
<div>
<b><i><u>14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;</u></i></b></div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<b><i><u>15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;</u></i></b></div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<b><i><u>16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.</u></i></b></div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<b><i><u>17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:</u></i></b></div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<b><i><u>18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;</u></i></b></div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
The first thing Paul mentions is the belt of truth, and how we keep it polished up is by keeping ourselves bound about with the truth. The truth must be with us and in us always. We can never take it off because everything else is held together by the belt of Truth. <b><u><i>Ephesians 4:25 states 25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor: for we are members one of another.</i></u></b><br />
<div>
Truth is one of the pillars of our faith. Jesus says in<u style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> John 14:6 6Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.</u> He also states in <b><i><u>John 4:23 23 But the hour cometh, and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.</u></i></b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The next piece of armor mentioned is "The Breastplate of righteousness". This piece of armor guards the chest and abdominal areas on a soldier. It guards the heart and other vital organs against the fiery darts of the enemy and the finality of death.<u style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> Proverb 11:4 states 4 Riches profit, not in the day of wrath: but righteousness delivereth from death.</u> What is righteousness? It means to be living holy, according to divine law, justified, free from guilt or sin. In order to stand against the enemy, we must be living a righteous life, righteous does not mean perfect. We must be walking upright before the Lord, confessing our sins and repenting with Godly sorrow whenever we fall short of the mark. That is how we keep our Breastplate clean and polished.<u style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> Matthew 6:33 states 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.</u> Self-righteous destroys, Gods, heals and delivers.</div>
<div>
<u><i><b> Psalms 34:15 also tells us 15 The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.</b></i></u></div>
<div>
<u><i><b><br /></b></i></u></div>
<div>
The next piece of armor mentioned is the footwear, "the preparation of the Gospel of peace." There is a saying in the world that "an army travels on its stomach" But the army of the Lord travels on its feet. The bible states in<u><i><b> Isaiah 52:7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!</b></i></u><br />
<u><i><b><br /></b></i></u> Our feet carry us and we carry the Gospel of Christ, as we prepare the world for His coming. The Gospel will take you places you never dreamed you would go, I am a witness. To keep our feet in good shape, clean and healthy we must always be ready to bring the good news of Christ to people everywhere we go, always remembering we are Ambassadors of Christ, always prepared, in season and out of season. We might be the only Jesus some will ever see.<br />
Next is the "Shield of Faith." Paul says "above all" to take up the shield of faith because it quenches every fiery dart of the enemy. What is faith? some might ask. The bible tells us in <u style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Hebrews 11:1 - Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.</u> It also tells us in <u><i><b>Hebrews 11:6 - But without faith [it is] impossible to please [him]: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and [that] he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.</b></i></u></div>
<div>
<u><i><b><br /></b></i></u></div>
<div>
The bible also says in <u style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Romans 10:17 17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.</u> We must keep our shield polished by staying in Gods word and trusting in it, living it, and hiding it in our hearts. Like it says, "without faith, it is impossible to please God," and if we don't please Him, what can we expect from Him? </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Next is the "Helmet of Salvation and the Sword of the spirit, which is the word of God." The Helmet protects the brain/mind. Our brain controls our thought process, our decision making, and our bodily functions, and our salvation should do the same thing. The word of God tells us in <u><i><b>Philippians 2:5 </b></i></u><u style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:</u> It also says in <u><i><b>2nd Corinthians 10:5 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. </b></i></u></div>
<div>
That is how we keep our helmet polished and fully functional. The main battlefield is the mind, and our minds should be in sync with the mind of Christ at all times. Lastly, we have the "sword of the spirit" which really is the only part of our armor that acts as an offensive weapon. we know from Gods word that says in <u><i><b>Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.</b></i></u></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The word of God can "cut you down to the white meat" as they used to say back in the day when it was used to bring about repentance or change. Jesus used the word of God against the Devil while He was being tempted by him in the desert for 40 days and nights when He told the devil in <u><i><b>Matthew 4:1-4 1Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. 2And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungered. 3And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. 4But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.</b></i></u><br />
<u><i><b><br /></b></i></u>
<br />
<div>
The word of God has power and as Jesus pointed out, it is just as important that we live by it as it is important for our daily bread. Paul also states in 2<u><i><b> Timothy 3:16 states- All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:</b></i></u></div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Finally, I leave you with this from <u><i><b>Isaiah 55:11 11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.</b></i></u><br />
God wants us to know that He says what He means and Means what He says, and by faith, so should we. There is so much more to be said about keeping your armor polished that I could go on forever but let me just say this one last thing, Keep all your armor buffed and shiny with Prayer.<br />
<br /></div>
God bless you all, Brother Darrell, Speaking Off The Wall</div>
Darrell Dardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16510315080602062924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3039835117218724491.post-43250890722761379742018-02-20T14:32:00.000-05:002018-02-20T14:32:07.605-05:00WHAT GOD WANTS FROM US.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Praise the Lord everybody! Let everything that has breath praise is holy name!! Because He has done great things!It is amazing to see what God is doing these days in His church, He is exposing everything that is not like Him.The time has come for the Church to "put up or shut up!" I know it is for me anyway and for a lot of other believers out there.<br />
<br />
I guess we have all heard about the High School shooting that happened the other day in Florida, 17 lives were lost and many injured. These things are happening too often in this country. What bothered me also is that our President, Mr. Trump, got on T.V. to address the issue, he began by saying all the things that Presidents say at times like these, and then he decided to throw in some scripture, I'm paraphrasing (I'm sure he was too) but basically, he said "God said, I have heard the cries of the people, and I will heal them." It struck me right away because first he never said where it came from. Second I felt in my spirit that God wanted to Hear something else from him and from us. I believe God wants us to be thinking more like this.<br />
<br />
<u><i><b>2nd Chronicles 7:14 14 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.</b></i></u><br />
<br />
You see God has heard the cries of the people when things don't go our way. What He has not heard is our cries of repentance. What He has not heard is our cries to draw closer to him, God has not heard us forsake our wicked ways. What God has heard is Him being blamed for every tragedy, every disappointment, and every evil thing that happens in some of our lives. He has heard us demand that " in God, we trust" be removed from our money. He has heard us demand that prayer be removed from our schools, and He has seen His son's name become an offense and a curse.<br />
If we want healing for our land we must Begin to humble ourselves before God, confess our sins and turn from our wicked ways and seek His face with all our hearts, mind, and strength, Then God will hear our cries and heal our land. Trump left out the most important parts of God's word, he only spoke about what we expect from God, and left out what He expects from us! Once again we have fallen short of the mark. Time is short, and even if Jesus does not return in our lifetime, we have to realize that time is definitely getting short in our personal lifetimes. So If the whole country has gone off and lost its way, we, the household of faith must stay the course and carry on the faith. A little food for thought.<br />
God Bless You All, Brother Darrell, Speaking Off The Wall<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Darrell Dardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16510315080602062924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3039835117218724491.post-48226494165906960182018-02-09T15:13:00.000-05:002018-02-09T15:13:06.756-05:00 TRUE OBEDIENCE: TRUSTING GOD ON A HIGHER LEVEL<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Praise the Lord everybody!! Let everything that has breath praise His holy name, for He alone is worthy!! God has been so good to me and my wife over the years, with this year shaping up to be the best year of all. We believe God is going to move in a special way in our lives this year, as long as we hold on.<br />
<br />
The last few weeks and maybe months the Lord has been dealing with me, and with us about obedience. He has called us to a higher level of obedience in these last and evil days. And while God is calling us to obedience, the enemy is calling us too. The devil is pulling out all his tricks to cause our disobedience. His job is to make us fall, and sometimes we make it easy for him. We keep going back and forth into enemy territory, flirting with disaster, letting fear and anger, the devil’s calling cards, creep in and out of our lives. We allow time for all kinds of distractions, while slowly slipping away from spending quality time with God.<br />
Today God is saying “enough is enough!!”<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
He is not just speaking to the Church, He is speaking to the whole country, a country that continues to call itself “God-fearing” even as it stands on the precipice of being totally backslidden. The words He spoke to His people centuries ago in his word, He is speaking again to us now. </div>
<br />
<u><i><b>Proverbs 1:24-31 tells us 24But since you refuse to listen when I call and no one pays attention when I stretch out my hand, 25since you disregard all my advice and do not accept my rebuke, 26 I, in turn, will laugh when disaster strikes you; I will mock when calamity overtakes you- 27when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind, when distress and trouble overwhelm you. 28Then they will call to me but I will not answer; they will look for me but will not find me, 29since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the LORD. 30Since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke, 31they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.</b></i></u><br />
<div>
<br />
This is a hard saying, but as I look around this country and the Church, I can understand it. We need to get ourselves together and fast. God has plans for us, He tells us in<b><i><u> Jeremiah 29:11 11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.</u></i></b><br />
If we want to remain in those plans we have a lot of work to do. We need to be more obedient, to His word and to His voice. Jesus tells us in John chapter 10 that His sheep know His voice, and another voice they will not follow, That being true, if we really are His then we have no excuse for not being obedient. Even tonight, I put this together along with the Holy Spirit out of obedience to Him. God said to do it, so it is done, to the glory of God. We have to trust God more. The reason we don't just listen and obey Him a lot of times is because we don't trust Him enough. We are afraid that God could be wrong, imagine that, God wrong. We need to stop holding back our trust and start being obedient on another level than the one we are on. Just a little food for thought.<br />
<br />
God Bless You All, Brother Darrell, Speaking Off The Wall<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
Darrell Dardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16510315080602062924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3039835117218724491.post-38801550081836060302018-01-23T16:25:00.002-05:002020-07-11T20:04:19.219-04:00RENEGADE CREATION PART 2: WHY GOD ALLOWS WHAT HE ALLOWS<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Praise the Lord everybody!! Let everything that has breath praise His Holy name!! Even though the new year has started off with a test for my wife and me, I am still looking forward to what He has in store for us and our marriage and in our ministry. We love the Lord and we wouldn't have it any other way.<br />
<br />
Jesus tells us <u><i><b>John 16:33 33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.</b></i></u><br />
Jesus doesn't say we may have, but that we will have trials and tribulations in this world. In my last post "Renegade Creation: part 1" we talked about the fall of man and how this led to sin and evil entering the world and how that affected the World when it came to something called "moral evil", the evil that comes about because of man's inherent sin. We must remember, God is not the Creator of suffering and evil.<br />
We will be discussing something called "Natural Evil" and it's effect on the tragedies that the world likes to blame God for, These are things like wildfires, earthquakes, tornadoes, and hurricanes that cause suffering for people. These things are also an offshoot of man unleashing sin on the world. When Man turned "renegade" and went his own way, God for all intents and purposes let us go, and to a certain extent removed His hand from over us. All of Nature was thrown out of kilter, set free from its original constraints. The earth was cursed. Genetic breakdown and disease began. Pain and death became part of the human experience.<br />
<br />
The bible tells us in <u><i><b>Romans 8:18-23 18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.</b></i></u><br />
<u><i><b> 19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.</b></i></u><br />
<div>
<div>
<u><i><b>20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,</b></i></u></div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<u><i><b>21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.</b></i></u></div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<u><i><b>22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.</b></i></u></div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<u><i><b>23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.</b></i></u></div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In other words, nature, and all creation longs for redemption to come and set things back to its natural order, until that happens there will continue to be chaos and disorder in this world. Think about it, all earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis, and climate changes are groanings of God's creation, longing to be freed. Let’s make this crystal clear once more: God did not create evil and suffering. Now, it’s true that he did create the potential for evil to enter the world because that was the only way to create the potential for genuine goodness and love. But it was human beings, in our free will, who brought that potential evil into reality.<br />
<br />
Why doesn't God intervene against evil? you might ask.<br />
Because God loves us and wants to have a true and real relationship with us, one that includes freedom of choice, He had to allow evil to exist.<br />
<br />
We may say that God could still give us free will while at the same time preventing the consequences of evil. This becomes a question of degrees. We may want God to intervene in the case of murder or rape. But do we want God to intervene in the case of our own idolatry? Sin is not graded on a sliding scale. All sin is an offense to God, and it all separates us from Him equally. An unsaved person whose worst sin is that of gossip is just as unsaved as a nonbeliever who is a serial killer. If God were to intervene and prevent evil, He would have to remove us from the picture. Plus, if God were to prevent all the negative consequences of our actions, would we really have free will?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Because God desires a relationship with us, and we are sinful people, our sinful natures lead us to do sinful things. But praise be to God He has redeemed us! We need not live in slavery to our sinful inclinations (Romans 6:16-18), though we still battle against our sinful desires (Romans 7:14-25). Yes, we live in a sinful world over which Satan has been given dominion (1 John 5:19). We as Believers are not immune to the consequences of evil. But Jesus has overcome (John 16:33)! God is faithful to redeem the evil that happens in our lives just like He did for Joseph after he was sold into slavery after by his brothers, read Genesis chapters 37-50.</div>
<div>
<u><i><b>Romans 8:28 states 28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.</b></i></u></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
God allows evil, but He also restrains it. He does not allow too much evil, only that which can be redeemed and can lead to good. Sometimes we think it's more than we can bear, but God is faithful and will not give us more than we can bear. God is a God of justice and love, and evil will not go unpunished, nor will saints who suffer evil at the hands of others go without His help. In fact, the bible is constantly telling us to avoid all evil that comes our way, and avoid sin and to live in righteousness. We are called to help the needy and the victims of evil.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<u><i><b>Micah 6:8 8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?</b></i></u></div>
<div>
One day God is going to eradicate all evil, but until then, we must learn to accept what God allows, because number one it was us/man who started the evil ball rolling, and number two God allows evil because he loves us and wants to commune with us, but Praise be to God, for our redemption draweth nigh, and order will be restored to God's kingdom.<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
God bless you all, Brother Darrell, Speaking Off The Wall</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
Darrell Dardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16510315080602062924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3039835117218724491.post-85959592218887449242018-01-09T16:04:00.000-05:002018-01-09T16:04:39.907-05:00RENEGADE CREATION: WHY GOD ALLOWS WHAT HE ALLOWS. part 1<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
Praise the Lord everybody!! Let everything that has breath praise His holy name!! Happy New Year!! to everyone out there, I am believing God for a wonderful and blessed new year in Christ, and looking forward to what He gives me to share with you all.<br />
<br />
Today I want to share with you something God revealed to me while I was talking to a friend of mine about witnessing to nonbelievers and how to answer some of the Questions they always seem to ask when the concept of whether there is a God or not comes up. A lot of times I've heard it said "there is no God, how can any God allow so many bad things to happen to innocent children and people? What kind of God is that?" they ask me and when I try and take them to the Bible, they begin to point to how the God of the bible had people and even whole cities wiped out, women and children, everything, put to the sword or drowned by floods or burned up by fire. "what kind of God would do that?" they asked.<br />
As my friend and I began to discuss how to answer these questions, God began to tell me that they needed to begin to see those situations and this world the way that He saw it, and He brought me back to the beginning, to Genesis and the creation. God's word tells us in <u><i><b>Genesis 1:26-31 26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.</b></i></u><br />
<u><i><b> 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.</b></i></u><br />
<div>
<div>
<u><i><b>28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.</b></i></u></div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<u><i><b>29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.</b></i></u></div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<u><i><b>30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to everything that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.</b></i></u></div>
</div>
<div>
<u><i><b>31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth days.</b></i></u></div>
<br />
<br />
As we see here God created everything, including man. The man was special in God's eyes because He created man in His own image, and gave him dominion over all His other creations. God was pleased with the man and saw that he was "very good."<br />
When God saw man He saw a reflection of Himself, the man walked naked before God at that time because there was nothing between man and God, he was pure, clean, and holy unto his creator. When the man disobeyed God and sinned against his creator, that was no longer the case. That sin became a barrier between the two, now when God looked upon is creation He no longer saw a reflection of himself but a lawbreaker, not worthy of his current position, a covenant breaker who God could no longer see as His finest creation. So God covered man in the skins of dead animals, one reason I believe God did that was that at that point I believe He saw the man on the same level as the animals, as He angerly drove him out of the Garden and into the world controlled by the prince of the air, Satan.<br />
<br />
As time went on and man began to multiply throughout the Earth, they reflected God less and less and their sinful nature became more dominant until God tells us in<u><i><b> Genesis 6:5-8 5 And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.</b></i></u><br />
<div>
<div>
<u><i><b>6 And it repented the Lord that he had made the man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.</b></i></u></div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<u><i><b>7 And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.</b></i></u></div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<u><i><b>8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.</b></i></u></div>
</div>
<div>
<u><i><b><br /></b></i></u></div>
<div>
When people ask me about the existence of "God," or the God of the Old Testament and how could He allow certain things to befall so-called "innocent" men, woman, and children, I tell them they must learn to see things the way God sees them. When God looked at man all He could see was a renegade creation that was mutating into something He could not recognize.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
The dictionary describes a Renegade as 1. One who rejects a religion, cause, allegiance, or group for another; a deserter.<br />
2. An outlaw; a rebel.<br />
<br />
In God's eyes, we were deserters, outlaws, and rebels, who had bitten the hand that fed them in order to go their own way, do their own thing. When God disowned man He cursed His creation. in <u><i><b>Genesis 3:14-19 14 And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:</b></i></u><br />
<div>
<div>
<u><i><b>15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.</b></i></u></div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<u><i><b>16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow, thou shalt bring forth children, and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.</b></i></u></div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<u><i><b>17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;</b></i></u></div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<u><i><b>18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee, and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;</b></i></u></div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<u><i><b>19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou has taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.</b></i></u></div>
</div>
<div>
<u><i><b><br /></b></i></u></div>
<div>
God gave man free will, but here he lets him know there is a price to be paid for the sin of disobedience. He turned us over to our own devices and choices, thus the evil that befalls the so-called "innocent" is, for the most part, the direct result of man's choices.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
First let me say that there are two types of evil, Moral evil, and natural evil. first, let us begin with "moral evil. Moral evil is the immorality and pain and suffering and tragedy that come because we choose to be selfish, arrogant, uncaring, hateful and abusive. <b style="font-style: italic; text-decoration-line: underline;">Romans 3:23 says “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So much of the world’s suffering results from the sinful action or inaction of ourselves and others. For example, people look at a famine and wonder where God is, but the world produces enough food for each person to have 3,000 calories a day. It’s our own irresponsibility and self-centeredness that prevents people from getting fed.</div>
<div>
In other words: look at your hand. You can choose to use that hand to hold a gun and shoot someone, or you can use it to feed hungry people. It’s your choice. But it’s unfair to shoot someone and then blame God for the existence of evil and suffering. Like that old cartoon said: “We have seen the enemy, and he is us.”<br />
<br />
God tells us in His word that "my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge" see Hosea4:6. God is not only talking about believers but also about His creation.<br />
I'm going to end here, but next time we will pick up with "natural evil" and a few other things connected with God and His "Renegade Creation."<br />
<br />
God bless you all, Brother Darrell, Speaking Off The Wall<br />
<br />
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<u><i><b><br /></b></i></u></div>
<br /></div>
Darrell Dardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16510315080602062924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3039835117218724491.post-17662227691154456072017-12-26T15:27:00.000-05:002017-12-26T15:27:45.104-05:00THE GOOD FEAR: IN CONCLUSION OF THE WHOLE MATTER<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Praise the Lord everybody! Let everything that Has breath praise His holy name!! As this year winds down, I have been sitting here contemplating how much God has blessed me this past year. From the outside looking in it might appear to some that all He has given me is a lot of trials, tribulations, and physical pain. In the natural, that would be true, but in the spiritual realm, he has given me so much more. I'm truly looking forward to the coming year where I believe God will allow me the opportunity to put into play the wisdom and understanding He has blessed me with this past year.<br />
<br />
I'd like to share with you about something that can hinder your walk and progress in the Lord or enhance your walk and relationship with God, and that something is the "Fear Factor." The use of the word "Fear" in the Bible can lead to confusion if you are not careful in your study of God's word.<br />
<br />
I can remember a time when I was newly saved, working in fulltime ministry for the Lord. God was providing for all my needs, I was on fire, fasting, praying, and consecrated unto God. God was using me to win souls by blessing my testimony and anointing my preaching, all was right in my world as far as I was concerned. One day all that changed when I fell back into drug use, and when I fell I fell hard. During that two day run, I brought shame on myself and on God's ministry. It was then that I came to my Pastor and he said to me something I will never forget "Brother Darrell, this happened because you don't fear God."<br />
<br />
The words he spoke stung me, and immediately I began to defend myself. "What do you mean? I fear God! I do, I just don't understand how I let the devil trick me." I did not understand what he meant, and that statement haunted me as I went back into rehab and discipleship as God began to restore me.<br />
<br />
To me the spirit of fear was a bad thing, didn't the bible say in <u><i><b>2nd Timothy 1:7 7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.</b></i></u><br />
I knew that we were not supposed to be afraid of God, and I knew that I loved Him, so what did my Pastor mean "You don't Fear God." I knew the Devil tries to bring fear and paranoia into our lives as he tries to destroy us and hinder our walks with God, but what was I missing? What did I need to do to improve my walk with God?<br />
God's word says in <b style="font-style: italic; text-decoration-line: underline;">Proverbs 1:7 7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. </b> I knew this scripture, but I did not fully understand the meaning behind it. This went on for a few years, I made many mistakes and bad decisions. I left the program and fulltime ministry and returned to the working world. It was then, that God began to teach me what it meant to "fear" Him.<br />
<br />
First of all, He stripped me down. I had no job, and could not get one, no matter how many degrees or nursing licenses I had or experiences I had. To make a long story short, God used this situation as a teaching tool. For all my love of God, my brokenness when He saved me, all my service, and sacrifice in His name, the bottom line was I did not "respect" God. That was the "fear" that was missing from my life with Him.<br />
<br />
I had yet to realize that it was God who was in control of every aspect of my life, not me. There is no job, no career, no life, no anything without God's okay. The fact that I wake up every morning was at His pleasure, not mine. The reality of who God is finally became real to me. I had been trying to hold on to some of my own control, thinking I was doing something, achieving something in my own strength, I had to realize that my WHOLE life was in His hands, and once I did that I felt another burden lifted from me, now I understood what Jesus meant in <u><i><b>Matthew 11:28 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. </b></i></u><br />
<u><i><b><br /></b></i></u> Once I put down the burden of trying to do things in my own strength, wisdom began in my own life. I realized what my Pastor meant back then, you don't want to anger or disappoint the one who has your life in His hands. He was right, I probably would not have done what I did if I truly had "feared" or respected God totally for who He was and still is back then. God had mercy on me and allowed me to avoid learning this lesson in jail. He allowed me to learn from my mistakes.<br />
The fear of the Lord is a good thing. I just would like to leave you with the following scriptures.<br />
<br />
<u><i><b>Matthew 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.</b></i></u><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<u><i><b>Job 28:28 And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that [is] wisdom; and to depart from evil [is] understanding.</b></i></u></div>
<br />
<u><i><b> Proverbs 14:27 The fear of the LORD [is] a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.</b></i></u><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<u><i><b>Ecclesiastes 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this [is] the whole [duty] of man.</b></i></u><br />
<u><i><b><br /></b></i></u>
God Bless You All, Brother Darrell, Speaking Off The Wall</div>
</div>
Darrell Dardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16510315080602062924noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3039835117218724491.post-5209372618150166512017-12-19T14:42:00.001-05:002017-12-19T14:42:12.063-05:00HOW THE REAL GRINCH IS STILL STEALING CHRISTMAS<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY!! AND AGAIN I SAY MERRY <u style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">CHRIST</u>MAS ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON!!! When I was a child I thought as a child, I thought of Christmas trees and Santa Clause, stockings and toys. As an adult, I thought of Gifts and Secret Santa's and Grab bags and sales. One day I came out of darkness into God's marvelous light. Now I think of Jesus Christ, God's gift to the world, The Lamb of God who was slain from the foundation of the earth, the real reason for the season.<br />
I FIRST PUBLISHED THIS IN 2013, BUT FELT IT WAS WORTH REVISITING, GOD BLESS!!<br />
<br />
There is a spirit in America that is getting stronger each and every day. All you have to do is look around during this time of year. Signs exclaiming Merry X-mas, Happy Holidays!! and Seasons Greetings!!, all accepted salutations for this time of year but the real reason for the season, the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ seems to diminish every year. Regardless of what His actual birth date is, this is the Churches appointed time to celebrate that occasion. The world has commercialized this Holiday and is trying to remove Christ from the equation. They have also banned Nativity scenes in front of Churches and town squares in many cities. they have X'd out Christ.<br />
<br />
This spirit is not only prevalent during the Christmas season but abides all year round. The country is about to remove "In God We Trust" from our money and you can not talk about Christ in most public schools when speaking in a general assembly and they have already removed prayer and movies have been made questioning Christ's Deity and His Holiness. 1 John 4:2-3 talks about this spirit, the spirit of the Anti- Christ. <b><i><u> 1 John 4:2-3</u></i></b><br />
<b><i><u>King James Version (KJV)</u></i></b><br />
<b><i><u>2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:</u></i></b><br />
<b><i><u><br /></u></i></b><b><i><u>3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.</u></i></b><br />
<br />
It is here and it is getting stronger every day. Man in his own wisdom has decided that the name of Jesus Christ and Christianity is divisive and an affront to other peoples beliefs and therefore it is getting to be politically incorrect to use His name during His own holiday season. In part, they are correct Jesus himself said He was coming not to bring "peace but a sword" in <b><i><u>Matthew 10:33-35 </u></i></b><br />
<b><i><u>King James Version (KJV)</u></i></b><br />
<b><i><u>33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.</u></i></b><br />
<b><i><u><br /></u></i></b><b><i><u>34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.</u></i></b><br />
<b><i><u><br /></u></i></b><b><i><u>35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.</u></i></b><br />
<br />
He also came to reconcile Man and God, giving us a chance at redemption and everlasting life. He came down from glory to die for our sins. No greater gift has ever been given nor ever will be. Celebrating jolly fat men in Red suits and red-nosed reindeer and toys instead of the Birth of our savior, yes I said OUR savior because He is whether you believe or not, is a heartbreaking shame. In this country that still claims to be a "God-fearing" Christian nation, this should not be happening, just like people leaving their families and running out to shop on Thanksgiving Day should not be happening.<br />
<br />
Jesus could have cared less about being "politically correct" as He squared off against the Pharisees and the keepers of the law during His earthly ministry and neither should we. Let's stop dressing up in Red suits and hats during this season and clothe ourselves in Christ. Make Christ visible this Christmas!<br />
<br />
God bless you all, Brother Darrell, Speaking Off The Wall<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Darrell Dardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16510315080602062924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3039835117218724491.post-5110057013121945812017-12-11T12:53:00.000-05:002019-01-14T20:35:56.508-05:00GOD IS OUR AUDIENCE!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Praise the Lord everybody! Let everything that has breath praise His holy name! Praise Him in the morning, praise Him in the evening, praise Him when the sun goes down! I love to praise Him, and if that is wrong, I don't want to be right.<br />
<br />
God showed something to me the other day while I was talking to a good friend of mine and I would like to share it with the Saints of God. He was recounting to me a conversation he had with his Pastor one Sunday after he had led the praise and worship that service. The Pastor began to mention some of the comments made by the congregation concerning his singing and or style of leading the worship and praise. After listening to the comments he told the Pastor, "I can't be concerned about those things because when I'm up there, the Lord is my audience." That statement stuck with me and brought to mind what David did and said in <u><i><b>2nd Samuel 6:12-23</b></i></u><br />
<u><i><b><br /></b></i></u> <u><i><b>12 And it was told king David, saying, The Lord hath blessed the house of Obededom, and all that pertaineth unto him, because of the ark of God. So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obededom into the city of David with gladness.</b></i></u><br />
<u><i><b><br /></b></i></u>
<br />
<div>
<div>
<u><i><b>13 And it was so, that when they that bare the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, he sacrificed oxen and fatlings.</b></i></u></div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<u><i><b>14 And David danced before the Lord with all his might; David was girded with a linen ephod.</b></i></u></div>
</div>
<div>
<u><i><b><br /></b></i></u></div>
<div>
<div>
<u><i><b>15 So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet.</b></i></u></div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<u><i><b>16 And as the ark of the Lord came into the city of David, Michal Saul's daughter looked through a window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart.</b></i></u></div>
</div>
<div>
<u><i><b><br /></b></i></u></div>
<div>
<div>
<u><i><b>17 And they brought in the ark of the Lord, and set it in his place, in the midst of the tabernacle that David had pitched for it: and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord.</b></i></u></div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<u><i><b>18 And as soon as David had made an end of offering burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts.</b></i></u></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<u><i><b> 19 And he dealt among all the people, even among the whole multitude of Israel, as well to the women as men, to every one a cake of bread, and a good piece of flesh, and a flagon of wine. So all the people departed every one to his house.</b></i></u></div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<u><i><b>20 Then David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, How glorious was the king of Israel today, who uncovered himself today in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the vain fellows shamelessly uncovereth himself!</b></i></u></div>
</div>
<div>
<u><i><b><br /></b></i></u></div>
<div>
<div>
<u><i><b>21 And David said unto Michal, It was before the Lord, which chose me before thy father, and before all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the Lord, over Israel: therefore will I play before the Lord.</b></i></u></div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<u><i><b>22 And I will yet be more vile than thus, and will be base in mine own sight: and of the maidservants which thou hast spoken of, of them shall I be had in honor.</b></i></u></div>
</div>
<div>
<u><i><b>23 Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no child unto the day of her death.</b></i></u></div>
<u><i><b><br /></b></i></u> David had it right and so did my friend, our praise and our worship is not for the onlookers here on earth to give their opinion or be a judge of it, it is for God. Praise and worship is not entertainment, it is a way for us to show our love and devotion to God. the Gospel music industry has corrupted what was once pure praise, and has made it just that, an industry, a money-making machine. Gospel Artist are pushing out album after album in order to meet the terms of their contracts, anointed or not it doesn't matter because it's not for God to enjoy, it's for the people and to make money.<br />
<br />
We have shows like "Sunday Best" where contestants compete over who can sound more anointed and more consecrated, but God knows who is faking it and who has really consecrated themselves unto Him, Who's about fame and fortune and who are truly worshipping Him out of true love. He knows who wants to be seen and heard by people and those who only want to please Him.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
One particular pet peeve of mine are those churches that open their doors to tours of people, especially in Harlem New York, Where Pastors make deals with tour services to bring in busloads of people to their Church services whose only reason they come is to be entertained by the choirs and soloist. They bring food and snacks and sit in the back and get up and leave as soon as the preacher gets up to preach, but he doesn't care because at least they were there for the offering.</div>
<br />
The spirit of praise falls on everybody differently, our praise of God is a personal thing, it’s not for entertainment but it can be entertaining. It can not be judged by man, only God.<br />
<br />
God is our audience! and not just for our praise and worship but also in our everyday life He is there watching. Jesus tells us in <b><i><u>John 4:23 23 But the hour cometh, and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.</u></i></b><br />
<u><i><b><br /></b></i></u>So worship God in spirit and in truth, worship Him for who He is and what He has done you and for His people, and don't let anybody tell you there's something wrong with your worship or your praise as long as it is in <u>spirit and in truth.</u> Our audience is God, not men.<br />
<br />
God Bless You All, Brother Darrell, Speaking Off The Wall</div>
Darrell Dardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16510315080602062924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3039835117218724491.post-34230196335212737412017-11-27T14:29:00.000-05:002017-11-27T14:29:28.514-05:00 WHOSE SHEEP ARE YOU?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Praise the Lord everybody, let everything that has breath praise His holy name! The Lord is truly moving in my life right now, showing me what's inside of me. God has put things in me, some things I did not even know were there, things needed for such a time as this.<br />
<br />
These are perilous times for the body of Christ. God is preparing the Church for His son's coming, and He is preparing me so that I can do my part in the preparation.<br />
<br />
Lately, God has been showing me that what King Solomon said in Ecclesiastes, that there is "nothing new under the sun", is still true today. Today we have our own version of the Pharisees and Sadducees, and we also have another issue that Paul talks about in 1st Corinthians 1:10-13, and that is the confusion of men following other men or Pastors instead of Christ. <u><i><b>Verses 10- 13 state 10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.</b></i></u><br />
<div>
<div>
<u><i><b>11 For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.</b></i></u></div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<u><i><b>12 Now, this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.</b></i></u></div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<u><i><b>13 Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?</b></i></u></div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
There are many so-called pastors and Church leaders out there preaching and teaching all kinds of doctrine and versions of the Gospel, one more charismatic and mesmerizing than the next. Saints are going around saying "I'm into Olstien", "I'm a Jakes man" or "I'm into Prince or Bernard" and so on. We have become consumers of style and soothing doctrine, instead of consumers of the Gospel of Christ. Paul said "follow me as I follow Christ"(1st Cor. 11:1) But we have become so attached to men that we have been remiss in our duty to make sure our leaders, our Pastors are doing just that, following Christ.<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
Jesus states in<u><i><b> John 10:1-5 1 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.</b></i></u></div>
<div>
<u><i><b> 2 But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.</b></i></u></div>
<div>
<u><i><b> 3 To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.</b></i></u></div>
<div>
<u><i><b>4 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.</b></i></u></div>
<div>
<u><i><b> 5 And a stranger will they not follow but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.</b></i></u></div>
<div>
<u><i><b><br /></b></i></u></div>
<div>
Our ears are becoming more and more out of tune with the voice of the "Good Shephard" because we have become distracted by the many voices of the world and our desires to keep the status quo, to not rock the boat or be seen as a "troublemaker" instead of taking measures to "right the ship" and get things back on the right path, using the guidelines given to us by God. The Bible tells us in 2nd Timothy chapter about men "5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof:" it tells us as a last resort "from such turn away." <u>2Peter 2:1 states 2 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them and bring upon themselves swift destruction.</u></div>
<div>
<u><br /></u></div>
<div>
The Bible is full of scripture on false prophets and teachers, I'm sure they all started out on the right path but for whatever reason, they lost their way, whether it be from slackness in study or secret sin in their lives, we can not continue to follow them blindly into the abyss, that leads to our and their destruction just because we like their style, or because we've followed them for years. Jesus tells us that HIS sheep know his voice and another they will not follow. It also tells us in<u><i><b> Jeremiah 50:6 - My people hath been lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go astray, they have turned them away [on] the mountains: they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their resting place</b></i></u></div>
<div>
We cannot allow ourselves to be led away by undershepherds who have forgotten their resting place, causing us to forget ours.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We have to ask ourselves "WHOSE SHEEP AM I?" If you are the sheep of God's pasture, then follow His voice and His word. If your Leader sounds like someone other than Christ and he refuses to get back in tune with Christ, do whatever you have to do to hear God again. Remember, HIS sheep will not follow another's voice.<br />
<br />
God Bless You All, Brother Darrell, Speaking Off The Wall</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<u><br /></u></div>
<div>
<u><br /></u></div>
<div>
<u><br /></u></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
Darrell Dardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16510315080602062924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3039835117218724491.post-82921364458599561912017-11-13T13:34:00.000-05:002017-11-13T13:34:26.450-05:00 DON'T PLUCK OUT YOUR EYE; JUST CUT OFF THE T.V.!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Praise the Lord everybody! Let everything that has breath praise His holy name!! As the Lord continues to take me to another level in Him, it still amazes me to see Him at work in me. I'm constantly moaning about my need to spend more quality time with God, in His word, in prayer, and just walking with Him in the "cool of the day".(see my previous post)<br />
<br />
My wife and I have about 13 weekly T.V. programs that we enjoy watching together. I DVR them so that we can enjoy them together at our leisure. As you can guess, after a while we begin to fall two and three weeks behind in some of our programs for one reason or another, leading us to have to try and cram in our shows whenever we find ourselves with a little free time. This, of course, causes us to spend less quality time with God.<br />
<br />
Many times I have determined to cut down on my television watching only to break my vow to God. I enjoy "The Black List", "NCIS", "Law and Order SVU" and all the other Shows we have bonded over these past six years. The Word of God says that He is a "jealous" God, and I am feeling His jealousy burning against me whenever I spend extra time with the television rather than with Him. God's word tells us in<br />
<u><i><b> Matthew 18:9 (KJV)</b></i></u><br />
<u><i><b>9 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.</b></i></u><br />
<br />
Now, I like having two eyes, so I went before God and prayed that it would not come to that. I asked God not to do anything rash because of my weakness and disobedience, and the Lord spoke back to me just as clear, "do not pluck out your eye my son, just turn off the T.V.". He made it sound so simple, and after I thought about it a bit, I realized it was just that simple in my case.<br />
<br />
I realized that as much as I loved those shows, I loved the Lord even more. God knows the heart of man and He knows mine. God knows that I would trade in all my favorite shows just to spend some quality time in His presence. I know my wife would do the same thing. I know she would not be upset with me if we were to cut out some shows in order to spend more time before the Lord, together and separately.<br />
<br />
So why do I find it so hard to do just that? God's word says in <u><i><b>Galatians 5:19-25 (KJV)</b></i></u><br />
<u><i><b>19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,</b></i></u><br />
<u><i><b>20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,</b></i></u><br />
<u><i><b>21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.</b></i></u><br />
<u><i><b>22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,</b></i></u><br />
<u><i><b>23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.</b></i></u><br />
<u><i><b>24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.</b></i></u><br />
<u><i><b>25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.</b></i></u><br />
<u><i><b><br /></b></i></u> The answer to my earlier question is <b>too much flesh!</b> Television provides everything mentioned in verses 19 through 21, and my flesh wants to experience those things, but verses 22 to 25 speaks about the fruit of the spirit and the one I lack the most when it comes to watching television, is "temperance".<br />
<br />
Temperance means 1. Abstinence from or moderation in drinking alcoholic beverages. See Synonyms for abstinence.<br />
2. <u>Moderation and self-restraint, as in behavior or expression.</u><br />
<br />
My flesh is always trying to overthrow the spirit of God in me for control of my life. To me, temperance or self-control is one of the most important fruit of the spirit because without it the flesh would quite simply destroy us with all of its desires and lust. Flesh is on parade every Sunday in the body of Christ in America, we have jealousies, lust, pride, envy, and wrath, among other issues. The time is now for Us to live and walk in the spirit as God's word tells us to.<br />
I for one have begun to take back control of how much time I spend watching T.V. and how much time I spend seeking God. Yes, I'm still going to watch SVU and NCIS, but not at God's expense. So no matter how far we fall behind in our shows, so be it. I'm keeping my eyes and just turning off my T.V. whenever He wants me to.<br />
God Bless You All, Brother Darrell, Speaking Off The Wall<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Darrell Dardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16510315080602062924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3039835117218724491.post-19497193162338611972017-10-27T12:37:00.000-04:002018-08-29T01:44:47.613-04:00 THE COOL OF THE DAY: WALK WITH GOD<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Praise the Lord everybody!! for He alone is worthy to be praised! I want to thank the Lord for allowing me to live to see Him moving and confirming His word in these last and evil days. These are truly exciting times that we live in as God's word comes to life right before our very eyes.<br />
<br />
The time to seek God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength is now while He can yet be found. God is asking us to give Him more now than ever before. He wants more than our scheduled devotions and our time on the prayer line, more than our Sundays, and our weekly prayer services. God wants that time when we're riding the train or bus on our way to work or school, or just out walking and enjoying the fresh air. God wants to be included in our activities of daily living.<br />
God's word tells us in <u><i><b>Genesis 3:8-9 8 And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.</b></i></u><br />
<div>
<div>
<u><i><b>9 And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?</b></i></u></div>
</div>
<div>
<br />
God wants to walk with us in the "cool of the day" when we are just relaxing and "chilling out", that time when we are usually talking to ourselves, making decisions and plans for the day and the future. He wants to be in on those inner conversations we have about our jobs and our relationships. It is obvious from the previous verses that God was used to just walking with His creation in the cool of the day, fellowshipping with him and was greatly disturbed when that bond was broken by the fall of man.<br />
<br />
Prayer lines, church services, and devotions are great, but God wants to re-establish that bond with us that He had with Adam and Eve in the beginning, before man's fall. <u><i><b>Genesis 5:23-24 states 23 And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years:</b></i></u></div>
<div>
<div>
<u><i><b>24 And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.</b></i></u></div>
</div>
<div>
<u><i><b><br /></b></i></u></div>
<div>
<u><i><b>Genesis 6:9 states </b></i></u><b><i><u>9 These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.</u></i></b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<u><i><b>leviticus 26:12 states 12 And I will walk among you and will be your God, and ye shall be my people.</b></i></u></div>
<div>
<u><i><b><br /></b></i></u></div>
<div>
It is apparent from these Old Testament scriptures that God desired to walk amongst and be one with His creation, especially those who were obedient to His statutes and sought His face diligently. In the New Testament God by His spirit dwells in all believers who have accepted His son Jesus Christ. A dwelling is one thing, to walk with is quite another. <u>To dwell means: 1. To live as a resident; reside.</u></div>
<div>
<u>2. To exist in a given place or state: </u></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
The building I live in is a large multi-family building with many families living together but even though we dwell together in one building I barely know the other residents and we rarely even say more than "hello" to each other. God wants to do more than dwell with us, He wants to walk with us and be involved in every part of our lives. God wants to listen to our daily concerns and give us advice on how to handle whatever life throws our way.<br />
<br />
It's always the cool of the day now when it comes to my relationship with God, we talk everywhere about everything, not just about what I want or what I need.<br />
Open up to God, He's a good listener.<br />
<br />
God bless you all, Brother Darrell, Speaking Off The Wall</div>
<br />
<br /></div>
Darrell Dardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16510315080602062924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3039835117218724491.post-78654765590217444562017-10-17T12:40:00.000-04:002017-10-17T12:40:31.147-04:00SOMETIMES GOD NEEDS A WARRIOR!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
Praise the Lord everybody! the Lord our God is truly worthy to be praised! I can't thank Him enough for what He has done and is still doing in my life. God is truly loving as He demonstrates to us every day, but then there are those times when God requires a Warrior to carry out His will.<br />
<br />
The Bible is littered with the accounts where He has raised up men of God to be warriors. Elijah for one, he was zealous for the Lord, in <b><i><u>1st Kings 18: 36-40 we see an example 36 And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word.</u></i></b><br />
<div>
<div>
<b><i><u>37 Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.</u></i></b></div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<b><i><u>38 Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.</u></i></b></div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<b><i><u>39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The Lord, he is the God; the Lord, he is the God.</u></i></b></div>
</div>
<div>
<b><i><u>40 And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.</u></i></b><br />
<b><i><u><br /></u></i></b> Elijah was a man of God, and like all men, he had his moments of frailty and doubt, like when he ran and tried to hide from Jezzabelle, (see 1st Kings chapter 19) but he was able to call on that inner warrior when he needed it, as we see in the previous scripture.<br />
<br />
In the old testament, God needed men to be warriors in the natural, like David and Samson. Today He is looking for natural and Spiritual Warriors, as His word tells us in <u><i><b>6:12 Ephesians 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, a</b></i></u><u><i><b>gainst spiritual wickedness in high places.</b></i></u><br />
<br />
We have to be ready to do battle in the spiritual realm, always wearing the full Armor of God. Peter Had that warrior spirit and it was never more evident than in<u><i><b> John 13:7-9 7 Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.</b></i></u><br />
<div>
<div>
<u><i><b>8 Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.</b></i></u></div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<u><i><b>9 Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.</b></i></u></div>
</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
This to me is the sign of a true warrior, Someone totally sold out to the cause, who is willing to go above and beyond the call of duty. Peter was that guy, "If just washing my feet is going to help us be closer then wash my hands and head also" in other words "I want it all, all that I can get." Peter was a true believer, no turning back and like every man he had his moment of fear and doubt, where he denied Christ but he came back stronger than ever after the holy ghost had come upon him.</div>
<div>
Paul is another example of a true warrior, God even used him to write about the full armor of God. When you read the epistles of Paul you can feel his warrior spirit. As in Romans 1:18- 32 where he lays down the law to a Roman Empire that at the time condoned all kinds of debauchery and sexual immorality including homosexuality also in<b><u><i> 1st CORINTHIANS 4:14-21(NIV) he states 4 I am writing this not to shame you but to warn you as my dear children. 15Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. 16Therefore I urge you to imitate me. 17For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the LORD. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church. 18Some of you have become arrogant, as if I were not coming to you. 19But I will come to you very soon, if the LORD is willing, and then I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have. 20For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. 21What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a rod of discipline, or shall I come in love and with a gentle spirit?</i></u></b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Peter and Paul were men of God who meant what they said and said what they mean. They didn't worry about pleasing men, A warrior cannot be a people pleaser but must always be a God pleaser. Peter on the day of Pentecost preached in<u><i><b> Acts 2:36 36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.</b></i></u></div>
<div>
<u><i><b><br /></b></i></u></div>
<div>
Peter didn't pull any punches and sometimes as men and woman of God we have to be warrior strong, pulling no punches when God requires us to be His warriors. A soldier carries out his orders, trusting that his leader knows what he's doing. In the thick of the battle as with God, there is no time to hesitate. God always has "a ram in the bush" ready to carry to carry out His plan if we falter. God calls on His warriors because He knows He can trust them to deliver.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-size: 21.3333px;">We all have that inner warrior so when God calls on you for that seemingly overwhelming assignment, let your inner warrior come out because sometimes God needs a warrior.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 21.3333px;"> God Bless You All, Brother Darrell, Speaking Off The Wall </span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<br /></div>
Darrell Dardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16510315080602062924noreply@blogger.com0