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Ok so as I have stated in the past, Christians should be able to talk about anything with other Christians who have open ears, heart, and eyes, without getting offended at all. Yes, it is a perfection of Christian behavior not seen so much but it is the mark that the bible sets for us spiritually related kinfolk.

Let’s get on with the bite:

Pro 1:7 - The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Ok I hear you, you want to know what despise really means:

To despise is to feel a strong sense of contempt, disgust, or disdain toward someone or something, viewing them as beneath respect or completely worthless. It is an intense emotion that often goes beyond simple hatred, typically involving strong moral disapproval.

For example: "She despised the way he treated others."

Key Characteristics

• Moral Condemnation: It usually involves judging someone as morally deficient or vile.
• Intense Dislike: It combines disgust with a very low opinion of a person or object's worth.
• Rejection: It frequently leads to feelings of loathing or the urge to completely dismiss and avoid the subject. 

Common Synonyms

• Loathe: To feel intense disgust or abhorrence.
• Scorn: To look down upon as unworthy or beneath notice.
• Detest: To dislike intensely.
• Disdain: To refuse or reject due to a feeling of superiority.

So when you despise wisdom and instruction, that is a doctrine or teaching from one called to teach, then you meet the definition of that scripture which states, “fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

So if tongues can be supported as being necessary and a gift from God and you reject it you are foolish. End of the story.

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In this message we were going to cover the final two of the five topics we should pretty much be in agreement with based on the ever-straight bible narrative. The first three were:

1.     The Holy Spirit Necessary Presence In Your Life

2.     The Rapture – 

3.     The End Times – 

 This message was to cover the church purpose and tongues.

 Now since the original church purpose message was over 115 pages, I thought it would be a significant enough of a challenge for me to cut it down to just 20 pages which equates to about one podcast message. If I also included the tongues message then I would have had to cut it down to just 10 pages and that would be near impossible considering how I like to yack on about these subjects. So, this message will cover The Purpose Of The Church, and the Speaking In A Heavenly Language, the tongues message, will be a separate stand-alone message. 

 The Purpose Of The Church – A message originally posted in 28 separate podcast messages beginning on July 20, 2022 and ending July 27, 2022. It will also be one of the first books this ministry releases later in 2026/27. Why you ask? Because we can do better as a church and but I feel this is only possible if we follow the bible model when it comes to doing the church thing the bible way so that we can get bible results. 

 In this message we will establish that the Church is not for the make-believers, fake-believers, non-believers, those stuck in the valley of indecision, false christs, false apostles, false prophets, wolves in sheeps clothing, or false teachers. It is only for those being saved and those who by a curious nature stopped by and got or are getting saved in the process.

 The primary purpose of the church is to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to make disciples, that is life learners, and to send them out in Ministry. Rinse and repeat turning the whole world upside down with the most effective kingdom results we ever could can. Yes we should worship God, collect tithes and offerings, and even do communion as a body of believers, but in addition to these type of things it should be our absolute primary objective to equip the saints for the work of ministry and to make life learners of all who commit to joining us for the ride. 

 Now if you’re tired of I can’t get my appetite satisfied through my church experience, including watching others do ministry, but yet, you do not even know what you’re going to be when you grow up, then enter through the narrow gate...and keep this in mind, I think Jesus stated the gate was narrow and even made narrow originally because of the condition of our minds and the difficulty we find as humans to change or to be challenged on a point we were sure would never be challenged:

Luke 13:23-25 - 23 Then one said to Him, “Lord, are there few who are saved?”

And He said to them, 24 “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 25 When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open for us,’ and He will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know you, where you are from,’

Matthew 7:13-14 - 13 “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

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So, I thought just maybe we could clean up on some things or topics that should in these days be non-issues within the body of christ. Are they salvation issues? I am not sure as I think the lack of some of these things could lead a person to fall away at a minimum which could then make it a salvation issue. And but is that really the position we want to take when it comes to learning and understanding the bible and the Lord of the bible. For me personally no. I want to know everything I can about God and learn how to receive everything He intended me to receive so that I can be the most effective Christian He intended me to be. 

 It’s simple math really. If you are a Christian who adamantly seeks to do the works of Jesus and greater works in faith then this message will encourage you and help you in any area that you might need more understanding in. But if you are a Christian who clutches your salvation ticket in your hands hoping that Jesus simply returns before you die having no intention of doing anything for Him then you are a risk. For what? For these end time deceptions which are being prepared right before our eyes. But even worse what crown will you be casting at the feet of Jesus (Rev 4:10-11)? What works will you have that will endure His judgement? 

 1 Cor 3:12-15 - 12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

 You see where this is going? You were doing things before your salvation and but after your salvation as you grow and mature you do the kingdom things that make an eternal difference. You no longer waste your time in fetching any and all of the worlds goods anymore:

 1 John 2:15-17 - 15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

 James 4:4 - 4 Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

 Additionally, Matthew 6:24: Teaches that "No one can serve two masters". You cannot fully devote yourself to God while simultaneously loving material wealth (money/possessions). And 2 Timothy 3:4: Warns of the "last days" when people will become "lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God". 

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Ok so we are going to get strange and funky but stick with me and it will all come around.

I asked Google AI the following question:

“How many people have been convicted of murder with only one witness?”

There is no exact national database tracking the total number of murder convictions that rely on a single witness, but the number is estimated to be in the thousands. In the United States, a jury can legally convict someone of murder beyond a reasonable doubt using only the testimony of a single witness, even if there is no physical or forensic evidence. 

The reality of these convictions highlights significant flaws in the justice system:

• The Scale of Misidentification: According to the Innocence Project, approximately 69% of DNA exoneration cases and hundreds of non-DNA exonerations involved eyewitness misidentification. 
• Leading Cause of Wrongful Convictions: Faulty witness testimony is the leading contributing factor to wrongful convictions in the U.S.
• The "One Witness" Standard: Statistically, tens of thousands of felony suspects are targeted yearly in cases where the only critical evidence is a single eyewitness

Then because a one witness world can be unreliable, I went to see what the bible stated about witnesses.

The Bible requires two or three witnesses to establish any charge, accusation, or unrepentant sin. This principle serves to protect individuals from false accusations, ensure fairness, and provide a clear, step-by-step process to restore relationships and address wrongdoing. 

The Scriptures outline this standard across both the Old and New Testaments:

• The Old Testament Standard: The Law of Moses strictly forbade convicting someone of a crime or sin on the testimony of a single witness. Matters had to be confirmed by the mouth of two or three witnesses (e.g., Deuteronomy 19:15).
   
  • Deut 19:15 - 15 “One witness shall not rise against a man concerning any iniquity or any sin that he commits; by the mouth of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established.

The New Testament Application: Jesus and the apostles repeatedly reinforced this rule (e.g., 2 Corinthians 13:1). 

• 2 Cor 13:1 - 13 This will be the third time I am coming to you. “By the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established.”

The Process of Addressing Sin

When a fellow believer falls into sin, the Bible lays out a specific progression of how witnesses and church members should be involved (Matthew 18:15-17):

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Well so what happened to the Podcast Preacher, I mean we haven’t had such a gap in messages for quite a long while. I was in the Coronary Care Unit (CCU) at Enloe Hospital in Chico for eight days. 

Hey Mr. Podcast Preacher don’t you preach on divine healing and didn’t you get healed of a pile of illnesses a couple of years back? So, what are you doing back at the hospital?  

I intend on answering those questions using this season of my life to further discuss divine healing and but also mixing it with wisdom, not fear or a lack of faith but wisdom (Heb 11:6). And but also I feel that in some of my previous healing or miracles, signs, and wonder messages, I may have come off too one sided, which is to say or imply that if you didn’t get healed then it is all on you. That way of preaching is too God-in-a-box and can come off as judgmental and even be wrapped up in this idea that I am more spiritual than you because I got or get healed and you may not have. No, I still believe in a God who has already healed us and does indeed still perform miracles, signs, and wonders, but for the journey that each of us takes to receive and to give out I believe it is here that God works distinctly and uniquely with each of us (Acts 2:22, Heb2:4, Mark 11:22-24, James 5:14-15, Mark 16:17, 1 Cor chapter 12). I would not want anyone to ever go away from one of my messages feeling like they don’t measure up to any sort of religious qualification for God to move in their life. Please forgive me if I have been the source of any spiritual frustration or discouragement to you. 

Be very encouraged That God meets you where you are at, and as long as you stay away from comparisons with others, you will be on the straight and narrow path (Matt 7:13-14). Maybe in this season God is just showing me that He is not a formula to understand in order for us to get what He Himself has promised whenever we want it. He is ever so deeply committed to us that we would simply become as children who could enter His kingdom as I am sure that otherwise in any other condition we cannot enter (Matt 18:3, Mark 10:15). Testimonies are not challenges directed at us. It is not a measuring bar insofar as to gauge our spiritual maturity. Every Christian is uniquely called and equipped to do what God has called them to do (1 Cor chapter 12). So, stay away from spiritual works competitiveness and trying to one-up someone on testimonies, they are destructive and very relational harmful thus turning God into nothing more than a spiritual miracle, signs, and wonders slot machine. And well besides it has been my experience that we have way too many of us sharing testimonies that elevate or glorify us and not God. God testimonies should reveal the workings of the supernatural, not efforts that you made to bring about something. Again, this happens when we have fallen into a spiritual competitiveness instead of really being grounded in our relational personal walk with the all-ever-living God of everything (Acts 8:18-20, 1 Tim 3:1-10, Titus 1:5-9).

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Well, so well, well, this is not going to be a feel-good message, but one that is necessary for continued growth. I was reading the final book in a four-book series titled the Ethiopian Bible and I was noticing how authentically born Christians really rub against the religious mindsetted peeps. Meaning those who think that God approves of their lifestyle regardless of what they do, because after all they have been in church their whole life. Oftentimes these types are simply minded in that they believe if you believe in your heart and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord you will be saved, no additional action items necessary.

Rom 10:9 - that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

You see it says it so it must be true. Well let’s look at some other samples and see if we can see a pattern or way of thinking that is expressed in the bible:

God said:

Gen 2:16-17 - 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

Gen 3:1-5 - 3 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”

Watch the twixy-conundrum. God said, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat. But satan repeated it back in a weird sort of way right: “You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” Look if you had to listen to that again, that is the catch or hook that satan intended to use.  Verse 2 - let’s see if we can see the author of confusion’s plan at work (1 Cor 14:33):

2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; 3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ” 

Ok so like satan she did not quote God accurately and that is what created the crack so to speak. “You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die. In Gen 2:16-17 God didn’t say, “nor shall you touch it.” And but now before you say awe that is just being semantical, listen again to the words and how each time God is quoted they move away from what He originally stated. Hey look, she ate it and we are, all of humanity, born into sin, so I cannot be too far off of this point right?  

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Ok so wow, I didn’t see that coming you might say when all of a sudden you are challenged by a brother or sister in your church, ministry, family or friends so abruptly that the communication sits the Holy Spirit right down and you seem to be the only one that is aware that it has happened. 

Allow me to try and unpack this end-time ever increasing behavior as it is complex involving a wide range of emotions, spirits sometimes, and even revealing cracks in our spiritual foundation.

James tells us in an entire chapter the primary communication problem that we have. Let’s see if we can pick it up along with some other communication issues.

James 3 - My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. 2 For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body. 3 Indeed, we put bits in horses’ mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body. 4 Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires. 5 Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things.

Ok so right away we see that we are cautioned not to let, or you could say, “allow” many of us to be teachers? Why? Because a teacher needs to be accurate, publicly observable, able to teach, emotionally mature, confident in their calling and craft, humble, able to teach from the anointing and the Holy Spirits leading, able to teach on the whole bible especially on difficult subject matter. And but then we have two issues in todays Christian world or maybe three. We have people trying to teach from a lack of knowledge of the bible, we have others who are unable or unwilling to teach because they do not read their bible, and we have an open willingness for the spiritually proud to try and teach over one called and assigned to teach. In a strange way it is like some sort of knowledge competition and it usually comes from insecurity. 

Now to help out a minute there are two levels of teaching, the first is that we are all supposed to be able to teach others even if it is at a milk level with baby Christians. The other is the office of a teacher which is usually someone who is at a higher level spiritually speaking. When I say level I mean that they simply exhibit an insatiable appetite to read, study, do research, and to read their bibles usually with lots of cover-to-cover reading journeys. Now within these two groups there are also differing levels or expertise’s so to speak. I could not teach a college course that is pre-scripted as that is not my preferred teaching style. I really rely on the holy Spirit to bring scripture into remembrance so that I can go and flow. Others are the opposite and that is just fine. 

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Well so after that title reading we should define fear and awe as it relates to God to kick things off:

Fear - In the Bible, fearing God generally means having profound reverence, awe, and respect for His holiness and power, rather than being terrified of Him. It is described as a 360-degree awareness of His presence that motivates believers to obey His commands, hate evil, and live in a way that pleases Him.

Key Aspects of Fearing God:

• Reverence and Awe: It is a recognition of God's supreme authority, glory, and majesty, acknowledging Him as God while recognizing our place as His creatures.

Ah, but now I must include a definition within a definition – let’s look at the word awe:

• The Bible calls for an awe of God primarily through the concept of "fearing the Lord," which implies deep reverence, admiration, and wonder, rather than mere terror. Key verses include Psalm 33:8, which instructs all inhabitants to stand in awe of Him, and Hebrews 12:28-29, which commands worship with reverence and awe.
• Ps 33:8 – 8 Let the whole world fear the Lord,
   and let everyone stand in awe of him.
• Heb 12:28-29 - 28 Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe. 29 For our God is a devouring fire.

Key Scriptures Stating or Encouraging Awe of God:

• [Psalm 22:23 (ESV): "You who fear the LORD, praise Him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify Him, and stand in awe of Him..."
• [Psalm 119:161 (ESV): "Princes persecute me without cause, but my heart stands in awe of Your words."
• [Psalm 4:4 (ESV): "Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. Selah" (this is often interpreted as "Stand in awe/tremble and sin not") 
• Context of Awe in Scripture:
• Reverence vs. Terror: The biblical "awe" (or fear) of God is an attitude of total admiration and respect for His power and holiness, not a paralyzing terror.
• Awe of His Works/Word: Examples include being awestruck by His creation such as described in Psalm 8 or His profound truth as described in Psalm 119:161.

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What a song? Yes, and but my sister Debra Avey, who is also a board member of Applied Strengths Ministry wrote a song called “Podcast Preacher.” The link is included in this intro, click on it and thump it up for Jesus!

https://hyperfollow.com/DebraAvey 

So why a song for a ministry, I mean churches don’t have songs about themselves. Ha, could you imagine listening to a song about this or that denomination. No, but so I did because it popped into my head one day that this whole ministry is about getting people to read and apply their bibles. I am not looking to build large groups of followers, well unless they were all doing what the bible says, then well maybe, but no. Reading your bible is the most important thing you can do even above going to church, although one should be done without the exclusion of the other. 

The message is a shorty sporty but hits a major milestone in this ministry. What's the milestone podcast Preacher? It was coming up with a song that represented the ministry not in totality but yes definitely in part. In totality the assignment of my life is to equip the saints for the work of ministry and to make disciples eventually releasing them through others into operating and miracle signs and wonders while serving in love in meeting all of the elements discussed or that represent the fruit of the spirit.

Listen, there are times when truth doesn’t just come through teaching; it comes through sound.
 
 And it carries the same call we talk about here—which is that we go deeper, beyond the surface and into the place where truth is found. 

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Ok so this message might initially come across as weird, and I say so what if it does as I have biblical examples of highly weirdnesses. When Lazareth climbed out of the grave, that, just a few days earlier, he was placed in, with the expectation that he would, well stay there, it was weird (John 11:1-44). And well when a big fish swam nearily close to the shore and burped up Jonah after he had died in his belly, well that too was weird; and well you might even say a bit stinky weird (Jonah chap 1-2). Ok one more and then we must go on. What about the walls of Jericho coming down with a shout and the blowing of some shofars (Joshua 6:1-21). Weird? Ah, but no wait, it gets weirder; what of a girl named Rahab:

The story of Rahab surviving the fall of Jericho is primarily found in Joshua chap 2 and chap 6 of the Old Testament. She survives because she hid two Israelite spies, and in return, she and her family are spared when the city walls fall, marked by a scarlet cord in her window, as promised by the spies. 

Key Details of Rahab’s Story

• Location: Rahab, a Canaanite woman in Jericho, lived in a house built into the city wall. (could this have been a city built by giants? Ah, maybe later on that one)
• The Agreement: She hid the spies on her roof under flax and later allowed them to escape via a window, asking for safety in return. (in this she underestimated the plan of God for her life)
• The Sign: She hung a scarlet cord from her window, which the Israelites used to identify her home for protection during the destruction.
• Survival: While the city fell, her home remained standing. She was later integrated into Israel and is listed in the genealogy of Jesus.

Rahab is also highlighted as an example of faith in the New Testament (Hebrews 11:31, James 2:25). We will get to those scriptures in a minute.

How did she survive the great crumble? It’s a miracle big city time. She must have been hidden under the hand of the Almighty. And why? Why would God protect a harlet, after all, she was not living a clean life. Because well we will see it in the next bit in the message and well it just ads to the already weirdnesses:

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