Foundational Podcast

Almighty God has given to us a covenant - that redeems us from sin and restore us to the creative position that God originally meant for mankind when God created us.

This covenant established that would be stewards of all of creation and ambassadors for kingdom of heaven.

The covenant that He has made with mankind and sealed in his blood is this:

“But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people." Jeremiah 31:33

But there is an enemy

"And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads." Revelation 12:3

• John saw our enemy
  • You are in a cosmic war
  • You are either walking in blessing or under a curse
  • It's time to arm yourself with the weapons God has given you
  • Stand by the covenant He has made with you
• There is only one way to deal with the Red Dragon
  • You have to destroy him
  • You cannot appease him
  • You cannot negotiate with him

"He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil." 1 John 3:8

Discover how you can walk in total victory in this spiritual war we are in and destroy the powers of darkness in my book Agape.

Get Agape 30% off today with the coupon code: Agape

"For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, " 2 Corinthians 10:4

You destroy the enemy by using your weapons of warfare. These are the two mighty weapons that will defeat your enemy.

“Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death." Re

I have been confronted many times for my position on the subject and even accused of being a heretic because I love to celebrate Christmas.

I have been asked, “How can you say that you believe in the inerrancy of Scripture and celebrate Christmas? Don’t you understand that it comes directly out of paganism?”

Next they remind me, “God said, ‘You shall utterly destroy all the places where the nations which you shall dispossess served their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree’” (Deuteronomy 12:2 NKJV).

Then they explain how the Roman Catholic Church established the Christmas celebration mixing Babylonian paganism with Christianity.

I understand where these good people are coming from.

It would probably surprise my children and grandchildren to learn I actually taught these things early in my ministry.

I did not always love to celebrate Christmas because of some very negative memories of the Christmas holiday, as a child.

Promises not kept; alcohol abuse and angry arguments fill much of my Christmas memories from childhood. So when decorations went up and the carols started playing in the stores I became depressed.

Wanda and I been married three years, our first child was ten months old. Walking through a shopping mall with carols playing I was in a cloudy mood.

Suddenly the music and the words broke through my negative thoughts.

Silent night, holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight.
Glories stream from heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia,
Christ the Savior is born!
Christ the Savior is born

Silent night, holy night!
Son of God love's pure light.
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus Lord, at Thy birth
Jesus Lord, at Thy birth.

I heard the Lord gently speak to my heart, “Will you allow the memories of sinful behavior by your dad and stepmother cloud out the true meaning of the celebration?

Over the next two weeks the music and the decorations took on a brightness they had not had before. That was a wonderful first Christmas with our daughter and some dear friends.

A whole new perspective of Christmas began to grow in my heart until I read a teaching in the late 1970’s explaining the paganism of the holiday.

Again, my attitude changed and I began teaching the paganism about Christmas.

I loved how the Christmas carols clearly told the Gospel story and I loved the Nativity displays.

Deep inside something was not reconciling. The spirit of Christmas, the biblical stories, the historical data of those who taught Christmas was pagan had a measure of incongruence that caused me to dig deeper.

My first discovery was the origin of putting lights on the Christmas tree did not come from pagan practices but the heart of the Reformation leader, Martin Luther.

While walking home one winter evening, with the words of a new song running through his mind, Martin was captured by the beauty of the stars twinkling on the boughs of the snow flocked evergreen trees. The beauty filled his heart so much he went home and wired candles on the branches of hi

It was the perfect storm.

Luke sets the stage for us.

“And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.  This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child” (Luke 2:1-5 NKJV).

The Apostle Matthew introduced the other players that are on the stage.

“Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.’ When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him” (Matthew 2:1-3 NKJV).

The powers of the Rome Empire set the stage for the convergence of this perfect storm. All of the elements seemed perfectly harmless and peaceful in the beginning.

Joseph and Mary his wife arrived in the City of David, Bethlehem, meeting the requirements of Rome in registering for taxation.

The journey from their home in Nazareth of Galilee had been slow and difficult because Mary was expecting her first child.

Upon arrival they found the city so overcrowded all of the hotel rooms, bed and breakfasts, and rooms for rent were filled.

Mary had begun labor pains, making the necessity of a room even more urgent.

The only space available was a stable on the outskirts of town. Joseph made his way to the location, just as Mary was starting hard labor.

What was taking place in the barn that night would have gone unnoticed by the bustling crowds except for the event that took place in the fields of Boaz.

Shepherds, raising lambs for Passover, used those fields near Migdal Eder had an amazing experience they could not keep quiet.

And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!’” (Luke 2:9-14 NKJV)

After seeing the angel and hearing the message of the angelic choir, the shepherds had to go see what was taking place in the barn near their fields.

They quickly made their way to the stable and saw the heavenly child the angel had told them about. They just could not keep quiet about everything. Luke describes it.

“Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them (Luke 2:17-20 NKJV).

In spite of the shepherds, life in Bethlehem returned to normal.

The crowds dissipated after registering with the Romans and Mary and Joseph with the new born found a house in which to live. The storm was still brewing.

To the east, a cara

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It is interesting, is it not, that God would fail to make certain there was housing for Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem.

Every detail of the conception and birth of Jesus Christ was prepared with precision; from the order of the constellation to the political and military structure and perfectly matching the dates of Daniel 9:24-26, written centuries before.

How is it possible God forgot to ensure there was a hotel room for them in the town?

There have been Christmas plays portraying in the inn keeper as evil because he would not give the expecting mother a room.

Was this a major oversight by Joseph or a divine mystery?

Forced by need, Joseph found a quiet stable on the edge of town and in the fields of Migdal Eder for his wife to give birth to their son.

There were shepherds in those fields keeping night watch over their sheep.

Some have said this is a certain indicator the timing would definitely not have been December. However, a more detailed study reveals this is not so certain.

The law, in the Mishnah regarding sheep being raised for Passover, requires the sheep be in the fields year round. The sheep being raised in the fields of Migdal Eder were specifically for Passover.

The celebration of Passover is an “everlasting ordinance” given by the Father celebrating the night God delivered Israel from the death angel and from Egyptian slavery.

The first born child of every Egyptian family and the first born animal of every herd were to be killed that night. However, the death angel would pass over the home and herd of every Israelite home with the door post painted with the blood of a lamb

The instructions from God regarding the lamb and the blood were very specific.

“On the tenth of this month every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household. And if the household is too small for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next to his house take it according to the number of the persons; according to each man's need you shall make your count for the lamb. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats. Now you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight. And they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it. Then they shall eat the flesh on that night; roasted in fire, with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. Do not eat it raw, nor boiled at all with water, but roasted in fire — its head with its legs and its entrails. You shall let none of it remain until morning, and what remains of it until morning you shall burn with fire. And thus you shall eat it: with a belt on your waist, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. So you shall eat it in haste. It is the LORD's Passover. For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the l

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When a person takes their walk with Jesus seriously and they truly begin to believe, “I am a son or daughter of God and I am going to live like it", they set themselves against the powers of darkness and they set themselves apart from everyone around them except those who have made the same choice.

At that point you have set yourself apart exclusively for God’s use.

That is what the Apostle Paul was describing when he wrote to the believers in Rome.

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

Mary of Nazareth had a similar experience when God asked her dedicate her body exclusively for His use.

The angel Gabriel was “sent by God to a city of Galilee name Nazareth.”

Gabriel’s greeting startled Mary, just as it would you and me. "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!" (Luke 1:28 NKJV)

She had found favor with God.

Mary was just an ordinary young woman living in a small village on the side of a mountain, in Galilee, overlooking the Jezreel Valley. There was nothing she did to earn or to deserve this honor.

God chose Mary and gave her favor, the same as He chose the Patriarch Abraham and gave him favor.

• Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness.
• God chose Mary and gave her favor. She believed God and it was counted to her for righteousness.

“[J]ust as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:4-7 NKJV).

Why would God choose you?

The Scripture explains, “according to the good pleasure of His will.”

• You didn’t earn it.
• You certainly don’t deserve it.
• God chose you because He loves you and because He wanted to choose you.

He chose you to be holy, without condemnation and to be in a face to face relationship with Him. He made you acceptable and gave you favor by redeeming you from the slave market of sin and adopting you into His family as a son or daughter.

“Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you…”

Mary and Joseph had to wrestle with many things when they began walking this out. Just like you have to wrestle with many things when you make the decision in your life to live authentically sold out as a child of God.

If Gabriel’s greeting startled Mary, his message must have flooded her with anxiety. "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS” (Luke 1:30-31 N

In this new series of podcasts, we have been exploring our spiritual weapons of warfare. There is one weapon of spiritual warfare that is often overlooked.

And yet, when we understand the power of this mighty weapon, the enemy forces do not stand a chance against us!

The power of this mighty weapon will transform cities and countries; it will transform families; it will transform neighborhoods for Jesus Christ!

"But one testified in a certain place, saying: 'What is man that You are mindful of him, Or the son of man that You take care of him? You have made him a little lower than the angels; You have crowned him with glory and honor, And set him over the works of Your hands. You have put all things in subjection under his feet.' For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone." Hebrews 2:6-9

• God has made us to be warriors in His kingdom
  • The violent take it by force
  • We don't easily extend the kingdom of God
• Luke 16:16
  • Do you want to see family and friends come to Jesus?
  • You must recognize the authority you have and press the kingdom

Learn how to intercede for your city in my book Agape - a handbook for spiritual warfare and authority in everyday life.

Get Agape 30% off today with the coupon code: Warfare

"[God] raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus," Ephesians 2:6

• Our weapons are not carnal
  • This isn't a physical battle
  • This isn't a political battle
• We are in a spiritual war
  • We must fight it in the spirit
  • The battle is won in the spirit before it is won in the natural

"Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:5-11

• Jesus' name is exalted above every name
  • There is coming a day when every single knee will bow that Jesus

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God gave to us a mind, will, and emotions.

And then He gave us a spirit that has a conscience, a God awareness; that has the same 5 senses as the body and that help us live in relationship with the spirit realms - both demonic and heavenly.

Have you ever picked up a book, having never read it, but knowing something wasn't right about it?

That is your spiritual senses at work; and God created us to discern evil, not learn evil. That is why God put the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil in the midst of the Garden.

God never intended for the human race to know good and evil.

He gave to us a triune being, just as He is a triune being, so that we would discern evil, not learn evil; because when you learn evil, it creates a curiosity that will draw you to it.

"Vice is a monster of so frightful mien
As to be hated needs but to be seen;
Yet seen too oft, familiar with her face,
We first endure, then pity, then embrace.”

Alexander Pope

"What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels (Elohim), And You have crowned him with glory and honor. You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet" Psalm 8:4-6 Emphasis mine

• God made you in amazement and honor
  • With value and worth
  • God created us to rule and reign with Him
• We were created to be stewards over what God made
  • Sin damaged that
  • Jesus reversed what sin did

Learn how to intercede for your city in my book Agape - a handbook for spiritual warfare and authority in everyday life.

Get Agape 30% off today with the coupon code: Warfare

"[God] raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus," Ephesians 2:6

• Because you are born again, you are seated with Jesus Christ
  • You have a position of authority and power
  • God did that because He wants you to rule and reign with Him
• The enemy should not be beating up your home
  • You don't have to live in constant negative emotion
    • Inferiority
    • Insecurity
    • Jealousy
    • Worry
    • Fear
    • Anxiety
  • The world puts that on you, but Jesus has overcome the world
    • You are seated with Christ
    • You have overcome the world through Christ

• We are to be God's army
  • Gideon
  • You are God's mighty warrior
  </

Jesus came to earth with a mission, and it was the greatest mission of all mankind. But then, He commissioned us for a mission, and we find that mission in John 14:12.

"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father." 

Jesus is saying that the work of the church is exactly the same as the work He came to do!

The purpose and mission of the church is to do what Jesus did when He lived on earth

If you believe in Jesus, John 14:12 is talking about you. You're supposed to do the works that Jesus did. What does this mean about you personally?

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No matter what career you're in, it's not about that, its about what Jesus Christ says you are and what you do for His kingdom.

The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.”

Luke 4:18-19

1. What does the word anointed mean? 

Anointed - in classical Greek: to pour oil on something, to rub with oil; to appoint to an office.

"...and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen." Revelation 1:5-6

• God has appointed us to be kings and priests. We are appointed to this work.
• We need to come into agreement with God and what He says about us and who He says we are. And He says that He has placed us in office as a king and priest in His kingdom.
• Rise up and be who He has appointed you to be!

“And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Matthew 16:18-19

• God has given us the authority of that appointment
• He has given us the keys of the kingdom, which equal authority.

"But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness

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We are never at the mercy of our enemy.

But the church must rise and be more than just religious; she must be what Jesus intended her to be. She must stop trying to be a religious institution and become a life-giving organism.

Show Notes For This Foundational Podcast:

Luke 4:18-19

• Jesus came to bring into reality the Year of Jubilee
  • Every 7th year was a sabbath year of rest
  • The 49th a year was a sabbath of sabbath's
  • The 50th year was the Year of Jubilee - a year of great liberation
  • Jesus has come to bring a year of liberation
    • Not just a year, but from now until eternity
    • To set men free
• Jesus came to bring liberty to the oppressed
  • Despair ,discouragement, depression, anxiety, worry, fear, insecurity
  • Whatever harasses and suppresses our emotions and ability to take hold of what God intended for us
    • God never intended for us to live this way
    • Jesus came to set us free

• Jesus came to give sight to the blind
  • Physical and spiritual blindness
  • Living far less than what God intended us to live
    • Because we can't see
    • Don't take hold of God's promises
  • Living in limited blessings of God
• Jesus came to give liberty to captives
  • • Prison of phobias
    • Prison of identifying with past addictions
    • Prison of past failures and hurts
    • Jesus came to set you free!
  • • • Jesus came to heal the brokenhearted
        • Abandonment
        • Divorce
        • Broken spirit
        • Jesus heals us so we can love authentically
      • Jesus came to preach gospel to the poor
        • Spiritual poverty
        • Blessed are the poor in spirit
          • Greek word: no means to be able to change their poverty
          • No way out
          • You are blessed when you recognize your condition
        • Jesus came to preach the gospel to all in that condition
          • Every human being is in this condition
          • None not righteous

  John 14:12-3

  "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son."

  More Articles Like This: 

  3 Ways Worship Defeats the Enemy

  9 Hebrew Words for Worship

  5 Things the Church Must Do to See the Fire of God

  4 Things the Churc

If the kingdom of God is a culture of worship, and we go to church on Sunday and worship, we need to develop a culture of worship in our own lives personally.

If Sunday is the only time you worship, then you're out of step with the kingdom of God in your life.

Show Notes For This Foundational Podcast:

1. Worship Drives Out Evil Spirits

1 Samuel 18:10-12

David would play and sing and worship God before King Saul, and while he worshiped God the demonic spirits that were harassing the king would leave.

Could it be that in your home personally, the reason why there is so much harassment going on is because you don't have enough praise and worship going on in your home.

If you would develop that in your family, you would drive those tormenting spirits out the door!

2. Worship Sets the Captives Free

Acts 16:24-26

• There will be times that the enemy will come against you
  • Try to imprison you
  • Try to oppress you
    • Suppress your emotions
    • Suppress your thinking so that you are confused and in a fog
• The way to break out of it is to develop a personal culture of praise and worship
  • Break your chains
  • Release you from the enemy's bondage

3. Worship Breaks Strongholds

Joshua 6

2 Chronicles 20:1-24

• The enemy is developing a strategy right now to destroy you and your family
  • You are never at the mercy of your enemy
  • If you will develop a personal culture in your life, as you worship God will give you a strategy to defeat the enemy every time.
• God has given us a promise
  • When the enemy comes against you one way, he will flee before you seven ways.

God wants us to take our personal culture of worship and learn how to express it through our love language

• Set aside 5-10 minutes each day to worship
  • Just worship
  • Not to read the Bible
  • Not to ask God for anything
  • Use some worship music and sing with it
• Practice using the 9 Hebrew Words for Worship

More Articles Like This: 

9 Hebrew Words for Worship

5 Things the Church Must Do to See the Fire of God

4 Things the Church Must Do to Refocus Worship

Two Mistakes Being Made in Worship Today

Which Jesus Do You Worship

Three Ways to Know if Worship Music is Biblical

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