Isaiah 58 Ministries July 21, 2013
Pastor: Leah Svensson
Commentary by: Matthew Stoskopf
Scriptures: Mark 16: 15-20, John 7: 37-39, John 4:14, Rev. 22:17, Matthew 15:17-20, 2 Corinthians 6:14-18, James 1:27
Short Version
Jesus talked about rivers of living water coming up and out of the heart of those who believe in him. Rivers. Not just one but many rivers. There are people who's words are poisonous to anyone who hears their voice. You do not even have to believe what they are saying. I connected that to the scripture, John 7:18......... "if they drink deadly poison it will not hurt them." Then I connected the scripture john 4:14.... whoever drinks the water Jesus gives him will never be thirsty again and Revelations 22:17........the free gift of the water of Life. The short version of this sermon is this: people either have water or poison coming out of them. Each person has a river flowing out of them. Is it poison or good clean water? If we are rivers where is the source from which we flow? Where does our clean or dirty water start? This means there are smaller rivers flowing into our river. What if the tributaries flowing into my river are polluted? They will pollute my whole river.... So we have to be careful not only to stay pure and clean before God but we also have to make sure of who is flowing into me that they also keep their water clean and pure.
Sermon
A few years ago God called our little family to live in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. We heard God so clearly we thought we would never return to Ohio. We stayed there for 5 years, alone. We separated ourselves completely from everyone. We did our Christian duty and went to church Wednesday night and Sunday. We volunteered one month of our time a year. We cut out cable, TV, the internet, the phone, radio, CD's, cassette's, we gave a lot of our possessions away. We eventually sold everything that we had gained from living as a part of "the system", anything that came from "the world".
We learned how to keep our minds, spirits, healed, pure, and clean. James 1:27........to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
We didn't do it on purpose. It just kind of happened as we followed the leading of the Holy Spirit. But the results were dramatic. Mental, emotional and even physical healing happened to each of us. We heard God clearly! We were being cleansed, our minds purified from years of abuse. We lost all friends, family, etc. But we had God. His love. Our intelligence went off the charts! Michelle who was a fair student started to love English!!! Songs, poems, positive thoughts, ideas just flowed. Faith in God in all of us rose up, up and up. Love flow from each other. It was heaven on earth. Love, safety, peace, calm, health. Leah who struggled with a weight problem, healed, by God delivering our little family from those who abused us. We learned what healthy good relationship are and what unhealthy relationships are. We learned that women are called to be keepers at home. Children deserve to be born and be loved by their mother, raised by her, protected by her.24/7/365 every minute of every hour. Women deserve husbands who provide for them, protect them, care about their "virtue", purity of mind, body, spirit. (It is wrong for a man to lust after a woman and it is wrong for a woman to lust after a man. Yes, you can have sex without lust, without sin. Clean, holy and pure. To have children, to raise them to be Christians.)
The Promise of the Holy Spirit
John 7:37 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” 39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
15 He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”
19 After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. 20 Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.
| John 4:14 | But whosoever drink of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. |
Revelations 22:17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.
| 2Cr 6:14 | Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? |
| 2Cr 6:15 | And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? |
| 2Cr 6:16 | And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in [them]; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. |
| 2Cr 6:17 | Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean [thing]; and I will receive you, |
| 2Cr 6:18 | And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
James 1:26 Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. 27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
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When you turn on the radio at home, in the car, and at work what is being played? Is it uplifting and directed by the Holy Spirit? or is it of a demonic origin? Rock n roll, rap, and country are founded and directed by Satan. The artists therein sell their souls for rock n roll, to be rich, or to corrupt morals through grave sin and wretchedness that surrounds their lives. Clean flowing songs of purity, holiness, from the Spirit are healing, soothing, and bring you to a higher level of understanding of the world and its creator. Who is in your life? Are your family and friends positive and following the leading of the Lord? Many in this country are abusing their fellow family members. Around these people you cannot be yourself, or be of sound mind. They force you into being obedient to them, not God. They force you into tip toeing around their temper and their evil mindsets. It takes discernment, but there are those who force you into fellowship with the devil rather than God. You must separate yourself from these people as they have sold their souls out to the him. These people are polluting your river. They are keeping you from your promised land, God given means of provision, children, or countless other blessings. By keeping them in your social circle you are becoming less intelligent, as Satan's attacks have caused you to loose brain cells! Until you turn to God and your back to these people these brain cells are being held hostage. You are being held against your will. Turn against these people and like Michelle you will be blessed with true sound mind and extremely high intelligence.
A polluted river is stopped up and slow moving. All the toxic trash and debris of the world are causing it to become stagnant. As you begin to cleanse your tributaries, the Holy Spirit will begin to flow. You will receive the clarity and discernment for further purging in your life. It is easy to recognize the trash floating along, but what about the toxic waste as displayed above? By worldly outward appearance there are influences in our lives that appear to be water, but are only recognized as pollution upon further inspection. Be of good cheer, do not be deceived. Jesus has come to clean you up today. Take that first step and begin to feel the relief of your ails. Get set free from all that the world is using to hold you down!
1 comment:
jc We talked at dinner this even about how the church in the US is like the church under Hitler. Millions of Jews were murdered due to the church in Germany refused to speak out against the goverment under Hilter, instead the church befriended people in the government, compromised and supported them like we have had for the last 50 years. When the murder of 50 million children ends,( through abortion) the American church will find themselves guilty of these murders for refusing to speak out against their murderous country and country men.jc
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