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The Base Things of The World - Boom, boom, boom no not that kind of base, but the base that is the bottom or defined as the bottom. Our first and primary scripture for this message comes to us out of a conversation Paul was having with the Corinthians. 

 So but now this goes out to all of those peeps that had lunch in high school alone, for all of those in whom the pop kids laughed at, for the kid who had to run home every day to avoid being ramble-rumbled by the football and gym rats. Oh this is a message to the nerds who well, migrated in camps in small herds being mocked for being smart. Hum, is this a sign of the times when the smart kids are made fun of because they are smart? Well, I am running out of examples so let’s get to scripturing:

 Base, base, base things:

 1 cor 1:18-31 - 18 For the [a]message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written:

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.”

20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the [b]disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 22 For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a [c]stumbling block and to the [d]Greeks foolishness, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

26 For [e]you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many [f]noble, are called. 27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29 that no flesh should glory in His presence. 30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption— 31 that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.”

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I was thinking of titling this message “Family First Bra” but however “Family First Braata” both mean the same thing, and but so but this message is about the dichotomy of this title, especially by those who have been authentically born again. Now if you are like me you want to know what dichotomy means as I am not really into using fancy language for the sake of the language itself, but because it actually says what I mean it to say and in this case in less words. 

 D”Com: dichotomy

1.     division into two parts, kinds, etc.; subdivision into halves or pairs.

2.     division into two mutually exclusive, opposed, or contradictory groups: a dichotomy between thought and action.

 You will see as we move through this message that there are two things at play here in this message. This word dichotomy covers both of those things. The first is that family does not mean the same thing after you get authentically born-again, it is in other words redefined. You can listen to my message titled family redefined for more on that. The other thing is that well over 95% of those who declare that their family is first does not actually prove it with action and the treatment of their family. Which shows and clearly demonstrates that we seem to always overestimate who we are in terms of having the right things in order in our lives. “I am a good family man” I say ok let’s interview the family and see if this statement is true. Ha, this is where we digress and say “well I try to be.” You see that statement should be our go to but instead we overestimate first hoping there will not be an interview following, but then hoping that people will actually believe what we say verbatim. Look I know, I am human and this also applied to me at one giant point in my life which was primarily, but not completely, but primarily, before I was born again. 

 Look, divorce is just one measure that proves this infallible. And the believer is subject to a different set of rules that ensures that their words are their bond, not comparatively, the non-believe doesn’t play by any set of “God-rules.” They are not required to. You see when you are destined for hell by your own choice you can do whatever you want on this earth providing you can get away with it. But the day comes when you will have to answer for it, and if you think about it now you will not have a sufficient enough answer to change your destiny, the very destiny that you thought you could avoid. And perhaps it is because you though that God would believe your every word about you. This is a grave error no pun intended. So in essence they are not held to the same standard. So don’t look for positive change from someone who is solely dependent on themselves to change. It cannot happen! The hidden heart is not seen by man but only by God and in His ability to do so He says of us unsaved folk in Genisis that their hearts are set on evil continually. 

 Ok so I just wanted my unbelieving audience to know I care for their very soul and would never hope that they die in any condition without the knowledge of God in their spirits. 

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I guess right out da gate we should define what a cult is. I will not necessarily define Christianity because yall should know it basically means Christ In Me. No other religion declares such a statement of truth or offers salvation resulting in forgiveness of sins and a wonderful future spent with God in a new heaven and on a new earth.  

1.    D-Com Cult : a particular system of religious worship, especially with reference to its rites and ceremonies.

 So that’s a big help right? If I said devils and angels I believe it would have been a little more help, yes even without context. Well, lets go to Google and see if we can do better:

1.     Google Cult: One not recognized as an established religion. And all of the angels and devils stand up and shout nope not a complete def man.

OK so well perhaps I can try and shed some light on this misunderstood mystery. Of course Hollywood and the movie industry does not help with the situation at all when you consider the amount of movie mis-information that is gurgitized by the watching public. 

Now if you have ever been a member or inquiring mind of any of the following religions that I will be sharing today, then hopefully you come away with understanding that you have some options. Now when I say options, I mean that you come to understand that Jesus Christ is the only God person to do what He did, so any other religion that doesn’t have that going for it, is out of contention, or should be out of contention for your attention and soul. 

Now there are other more crafty religions that, instead of out-and-out rejecting the entire truth of the bible, they either take parts out and put other parts in, mixing it with the other spiritually considered thought-oh-man writings, or we have those who add to the original text, and simply change what the text means, and yet others including some of these that will be mentioned, just writing their own bible. This way they have full control of what goes in and what goes out. And lastly, as I understand lastly, we have the dearly departed who simply wrote their own version of what they believe a holy book is and run with that such as Baha’I World faith or Buddhism. Unfortunately for its followers their sin is left unchecked. That is when they get to heaven with their “I lived a good life and did not believe in you, as the only way to the Father, Jesus baloney, they will stare in His eyes, the eyes of all life and know their mistake, an eternal mistake, and boom-flash, their mind will see all of His attempts to win them to His eternal love and their rejection thereof. 

John 14:6 - Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

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So let me begin after I have been clicking away at this complex message for a minute or so. I do get why so many shy away from taking on such issues as this because it could be a real barn burner. And what, why should I say this among so many professing Christians who by all means ought to be the most humblest bugs on the face of this earth? Because we too often fight to be right by the show of evidence that things must be approved by God because of the ministry success I have had.  Ha don’t we know that the tree of the knowledge of good and evil is the same tree? Well. Hummm. No signs and wonders from John the Baptizer and yet Jesus had this to say about a man who lost his head and his disciples:

Matt 11:11 - “Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

So let me start again. I feel ill-equipped to be one speaking on such a topic, and but I do so because it is on my heart to do so. I have been under the authority of a woman pastor and she eventually, in part, and had a very big part in dismantling a 14-year church. Funny thing is that I gave her a word, which I still believe is accurate, which is that she would be a pillar in the church. May God restore her properly and in so doing advance her ministry in its proper position, and that is under authority. 

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So no I am not opening up this message implying that we can actually discover God as an unbeliever. Ha Nope, and as silly as it sounds that I would even have to say something like this, the reason is that there is a devil who has a principality assigned to the airwaves (Eph 2:2), and so but the ignorant or stupid, and I mean Pro 12:1 stupid, not the other kind, will buy into anything that is said about God because they are God stupid due to any desire to learn about their self-proclaimed Christianity. Ok Scripture time before I get to far ahead of myself, and I don’t want you to think I am hard-charging out the gate to offend anyone. I consider myself to have been the dumbest person on the planet for waiting so long to allow God into my train-wreck of a life so that I could hold Him personally accountable for all of my sins, and little did I know that is exactly why He wanted in:

2 Cor 5:21 - 21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

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First, you must be authentically born again before any of the next things take in your life. Hey Ken, how do I know if I have been born again and, yes and have received the Holy Spirit? Well, some Pentecostals would say that if you speak in tongues then that would be the sign. So, but first, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord over your life, and you receive His free gift of salvation, then you have a lock on the first knowing, which is about your being born again (Rom 10:8-9 / Eph 2:5-8). Now I have heard some say that God specifically pointed out that some who were speaking in tongues were not even saved. Ha we know this can happen if you remember we chatted about it in other scriptures already. And, this does not give you a license to proclaim your own Pentecostal narrow mindedness and overlook the fact that I said some. Not all people speaking in tongues is from the devil. It might say so in your by-laws but it doesn’t say so in the bi-ble. So what is it already Ken? Well ok so the basis for it can be found in Romans let's look:

Rom 12:1-2 - 12 I beseech[a] you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your [b]reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Now there do you see it? You cannot possibly be born again and carry out this portion of scripture without a thorough assistance from the holy Ghost. 

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So, in this message we open with a testimony as I believe as believers we should have testimonies about how we are interacting with God and how He is interacting with us all the time. He is a daily available God, as you should also be, a daily available child of His. God is after all moving in your life all the time and as we grow in Him this activity should become detectable on the regular. When He moves privately it usually causes a stir in your spirit, and if He moves publicly it can often times make the front pages of whatever. He is not usually looking for attention as we often do, but He is looking specifically for our attention in what He does for us and even for what we do for Him. We ask like a child to a parent and He responds. And when He does our heart and spirit smiles. So but let’s camp here a minute so that we really understand what it is that makes a testimony so significant. Not only ours of others including Jesus, but also what others say about us which is their testimony of us.

Ok so I'm sitting at Starbucks in Paradise reading my 998 book outside in their front courtyard when someone comes out of the store talking very loudly on their cell phone. Normally this wouldn't be a big deal as I love to read in public and usually have no problem with all the noise going about. But his voice was particularly loud and obnoxious and it unintentionally interrupted Him and I and the animals. I felt in my spirit that it was the devil trying to disrupt my reading and God time, so I asked God, “hey if it's okay with you, can we drop that man's call so that he can move on?” About 5-seconds later I hear the man saying hello, hello, can you hear me, hello. I smiled and chuckled because I knew what had happened and was excited that my God in heaven helped that man to be socially polite. Anyway, he went back into the store and peace was restored.

Ok so I know you want to know what is the meaning of this title Ghosted twice? Yes, this title, but not like your mad or anything, it’s just that you want to know, you know, like my Podcast listeners would and should wanna know, even the new listeners who may not yet even know that they are or will be my very near and dear future listeners... 

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I like statistics because it proves men both liars and truth-tellers. If you are one that uses “Always” and “Never” in sentences other than when speaking to God or about the devil then you may be a liar, or to soften it up a bit, one who exaggerates to defend a usually very week position. I mean if your position was strong you would not have to use such verbiage right? Ha but this is not about lying or telling the truth. Nope, it is about how data helps us to make informed decisions as Christians. You can be for something or against it until you see the numbers and then they can perhaps keep you from making that unintelligent and highly emotional bad decision. Yup I have done this plenty to the point that I could be considered an expert in bad decision making at one point in my life. 

 You see I was one of those who overheard a data-ignorant person say something to the effect that statistics can be manipulated and therefore should not be trusted. Psshhh like dah right? I mean anything can be done this sort of way. Doesn’t the bible say that the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one? (1 John 5:19) And if that is true and it is then is it not also true that the devil is the father of lies (John 8:44) and if he is the father of lies then he also has kidletts who also lie like him (1 John 3:8-10)? And cannot it be said if I give you the scripture references to these things that I say then they are as good as statistically supported as they can be? Oh shoe drop…no wait wrong thing, Mic drop, well mic swing ha just havin’ fun this morning. But that was good right? Scripture is as good as statistical data that is 100% accurate.

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Ha rain, weeds, seeds, soil, and harvest. Is this a trip to the garden? Nope not at least to the natural garden but to the spiritual one. 

 Joel 2:23-24 - Be glad then, you children of Zion,
 And rejoice in the Lord your God;
 For He has given you the [a]former rain faithfully,
And He will cause the rain to come down for you—
The former rain,
And the latter rain in the first month.
24 The threshing floors shall be full of wheat,
 And the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil..

 Former Rain, Latter Rain, Rain Rain come again to show us whose been born again.

 Ha what a funny start eh, so what does this mean? Well it means that the rain falls on the just and the unjust. What how did you drift into that transition? Ha I don’t know maybe drifting is a spiritual gift. If not formerly then perhaps latterly. 

 Ha but so now we have a parallel thing going on in this message so let me explain almost right out of the box. The former rain and latter rain is used to define God more or less pouring out His spirit on all flesh. This is an angle but not the whole triangle, meaning there is more of God’s former and latter rain stuff but I am not trying to go big here.

Acts 2:17 - ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams.

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Time For A Minute What? I know it’s me doing me right? Ok so but I took a minute off and headed to San Diego to receive an answer to a pray regarding this very ministry which in part was launched because of confirmation I had received both in Chico, San Diego and San Marcos through the Elisha Ministry. I asked God what’s next from my very grave and He said, this is that. That is the Podcasting thing. And thus a teacher was launched from the halls of heaven. 

So after finishing just over 420 podcast messages, I was wondering what I might be doing now to continue to reach even more than the 1000’s we currently do. I mean I had been hearing from some of my listeners that it would be good to have some books, but not just another Christian experience book, or a workbook, or even a journal, and none of these things are bad, it is just that perhaps we could have something that will help us put legs on the Word of God and also require, if this is even the correct use or application of this word, the reader to actual set goals, create action or actionable steps, take those steps and applying what you are reading in a specific chapter, and then documenting the results. Yes, measuring your Christian effectiveness by holding your own self accountable for results. If obtaining or developing spiritual fruit is one of our missions down here, don’t you think we ought to be taking into account if we are actually bearing it? Yes, right I knew you would agree. 

You see this ministry centers around equipping the saints for the work of ministry while also helping you to make disciples that can stand through anything earth has to throw at them as well as to be a disciple... 

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