Reformers Unanimous of Grand Lake

12/02/2023

Come out to our 14th Annual Living Nativity here in Grove! Located 2 miles North of Sailboat Bridge.

Join us on the Journey as we walk to Bethlehem. Encounter the Shepherds, see the Angels, be accosted by Roman Soldiers, the Tax collector. Walk by our Marketplace to the Inn, and make your way to the Manger. Meet Live Animals and cast along the way, and even a Camel. Be sure to feed them some oats (provided).

Live music and entertainment. Free Refreshments. You will not want to miss this event! Tonight and Sunday Night only!

01/25/2022

Mental well-being and the Christian Faith

"And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Thess. 5:23

This is certainly not exhaustive and certainly has room for additional thought, but I wanted to bring out some general tenants I felt would be helpful for those of us that struggle with some level of balance in this area. This has been my personal experience and I am just passing along what I have learned.

Mental health is part of our emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being. You don't really separate these elements completely. Your hormones drive a huge amount of your brain chemicals. So physically they can be off, throwing out your other systems.

Conversely, the way you adapt and focus on situations in life as well as how you have learned to respond also drives your body hormones and brain chemistry. Thats why scripture says a merry heart does good like a medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones. Emotional and physical well-being as well as responses drive each other in the issues of mental health. Scripture goes on to say to keep the heart with all diligence, because out of it flows all the issues of life. Sometimes we need to reprogram how we think to respond emotionally in a biblical way. The truth sets us free from toxic emotions. We also can find much physical health and well-being from listening to God's dietary advice for the body. In salvation, our spirit can be regenerated.

So we see Scripture helps us navigate issues of body, soul (emotion, will, etc), and spirit. Sometimes spiritually we have a deep depressive state. Maybe We are not right with God and perhaps we are dealing with past sins, lies of the enemy, and past guilt or even current rebellion. God heals our inner man. Sometimes there in a spirit of some form that has attached itself to us, depressive, oppressive, or even demon possessive. There is not a one size fits all. We have to do a bit of investigative detective work to find the root. But then deal with it.

Whether we need to adjust our diet and routines to maintain proper physical health, or change the way we think by learning what God thinks, and replacing our thoughts with His, or dealing with a spiritual stronghold, whether demonic or otherwise. God has the authority (and has delegated that authority to us) to deal with these things on all levels. And remember, When in doubt, cast it out! 🙂 or find a spiritual brother that will agree with you to do this very thing. Spiritual oppression causes depression and is a very real thing. Much more common than demonic possession. Feel free to contact me about a situation you may be dealing with. God brings deliverance.

Proverbs 17:22 – A merry heart does good, like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones.
Proverbs 4: 20, 22 – My son, give attention to my words; For they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh.
Proverbs 3:8 – It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones. (This refers to wisdom and the fear of the Lord, which is necessary to our overall well being.)
Psalm 107:20 – He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.
Hebrews 4:12 – For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

04/24/2021

Come on out! Tonight (Saturday) at 6:30. Meal following.

02/14/2021

I used to live in a very ugly block of apartments. Right in front of these apartments was a psychic establishment that had been there for years. I would often experience spiritual warfare, specifically dark spiritual warfare, there. Attacks against my mind, etc. It became very very intense sometimes.

There were multiple squabbles in my neighborhood and fights, stabbings, even shootings would sometimes occur. I became extremely distraught over the time I was there because these spiritual attacks would happen frequently, often at night.

One night, in absolute frustration, I looked in my spirit towards this psychic establishment ( I felt this must have been the launching grounds for all the oppression for myself as well as the neighborhood. ) and because it directly affected me and my Christian walk, I commanded and forbid the evil spirits from ever operating in that location ever again, from that moment forward, in Jesus name. That psychic place closed shortly after that (had been there as long as I could remember) and moved clear to the other side of town.

Sometimes we must use what I call the keys of the kingdom. Taking by faith the victory Christ HAS WROUGHT already at the cross, and enforcing that victory where you live today in the Spiritual realm. The results are oftentimes very tangible, as the powers of darkness are literally driven back and we marvel that even the spirits are subject to us through the exercise of authority in His name.

" 17 And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.
18 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.
19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven." (Luke 10)

The song Set me Free from the Album Lifesong by Casting Crowns

01/13/2021

"And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force." Matthew 11:12

There are some things I have been thinking about in these days. We often have God put some things in place early in our Christian life in order for Him to build upon those principles and sometimes revisit them later in life. I spoke the other day about 'contending' for God's dominion, setting our eyes on the heavenlies in the Spiritual war we now see raging in the physical. That is what I want to discuss this morning.

I am not sure how many of you I have told these stories to, but when I was a young Christian (in the faith) when I had come back to God at the age of 24, God began to show me some things and move me in some directions that I had no understanding of or background in. I remember the first time after becoming a Christian and being under intense spiritual warfare. Satan was coming against me, very oppressive and strong. I remember God telling me to 'bind' these spirits in His name. I resisted because I had never heard of such a thing apart from the dark side. But the battle persisted. And I finally spoke the words God told me to speak, and instantly, the battle ceased.

As I continued my Christian walk, God allowed me to understand this principle on deeper and deeper levels. In conjunction with God, we have His authority to enforce the good of His kingdom. There was the issue of demonic dreams that came to an end using aspects of this same principle. I have exercised this principle with other people who were tormented by demonic spirits 'whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven' (Matthew 18:18) and saw God bring deliverance in a very tangible way.

God continued to expand my understanding and the application of these tenants as I continued to Grow as a Christian. Spiritual warfare is real, and very much at the root of our problems in society and government.

There have been multiple occasions God began to use me to bring judgement on different places of business that were very displeasing to Him. Using the principles of the fig tree. "Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered. And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away." Matthew 21:18-19

I have watched first hand as businesses closed, business move, buildings burned to the ground on multiple occasions according to the words of Judgement I had spoken over them. These were glaring blemishes in our communities like a massage parlor, a topless bar, a masonic lodge, a psychic establishment, a bar, an adult store, you get the idea. The actions were always very specific to the judgement pronounced. God used me in this way to uproot evils in the society in which we live that propagated evil.

These actions took place in Eastern North Carolina and North East Oklahoma. They were always taken with God giving a 'green light' for each action. I don't feel they can be done unilaterally just because we don't like something. But it does take an act of faith for me to step out into that potentiality.

Beyond all this, God has given me a deeper realization of the cancers that plague our society. The collective souls of men make up society and communities in which we live. When we give in personally to things like, let's just say po*******hy, but it can be any sin, we allow strongholds to develop in our personal lives where Satan can then have 'legal grounds' to further inflict havoc and evil in our lives. When this happens in a whole family, we often hear of the perversions that take place when it comes out in the news.

When an entire area is given to a particular sin, such as Greenville being given over to a spirit of fornication and sexual impropriety in particular, and a spirit of money, Satan is able to further set up strongholds related in those larger areas.

The scripture uses the term 'principalities and powers' dealing with specific areas Satan has ruling interest. Although he is already the god of this world, he has a pronounced emphasis where these strongholds exist in the collective hears of men. We remember places like S***m.

God grants us the legal right and access to promote righteousness in society through many ways. One being the exercise of spiritual authority based on the rules of engagement in the Spiritual war, such as something that is actively opposing God's kingdom work. This opens the way for legal grounds to launch a counter attack. This requires us to have clean hands and a clean heart, and to act in faith.

When the collective souls of men begin to edge towards major compromise in major areas, you can now see it begins to affect larger areas, and eventually the nation.

Revolution of war in a nation is like a taking a knife and trying to forcibly remove the cancer that exists in society on the surface. National Revival is like taking the antidote from the inside out. Obviously the cure is better than the knife. The gospel is the answer at the root level because it uproot and destroys these progressive strongholds Satan has set up in each 'principality' and cures the problem internally.

We can cut off cancers out of society, and we should, such as pronouncing God's judgements, at a personal, regional, and national level. But the only way to see lasting victory is by transforming the hearts of men through the gospel. This breaks the strongholds and brings freedom to us both personally and nationally. May God continue to bless the United States of America, and that she might remember her edict of the national song America the Beautiful, that she will find her liberty in His law. Amen 🙏 ✝️ 🙏 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 🇺🇸

10/21/2020

10/14/2020

Sometimes we loose a battle, but it doesn't mean we are loosing the war. When we begin to wallow in our guilt and shame, it makes us easy targets for the devil to get us to fall again and again, and finally give up hope that we are able to win. When we tune into the condemnation of the enemy, it only exacerbates the problem. We have to tune back into the voice of our commander again, and re-engage the battle. It hurts our pride, our self esteem, but we have to realize that God found us on the bottom, we found that victory following his commands and listening to his voice, and we shall triumph again because God didn't change his mind. We must encourage ourselves in the Lord, as David did, and pursue, hearing the voice of the commander saying you will recover all that was lost. His work is not done. He is still on the throne. Let's get in the game.

09/16/2020

The Keys to the Kingdom

"And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." Matt. 16:19

Shortly after Peter's confession of Jesus as the Son of God, the Christ, Jesus makes this promise to him. "I give you the keys of the kingdom". These keys were no doubt to be used to prevent damage to the kingdom of God.

There is much debate over the meaning of these passages of scripture. Some, as the Catholics purport, believe that this passage gives the church special ecclesiastical powers, generally wielded upon its own members to govern or otherwise enslave them. This is so far off track with the other New Testament passages, one cannot maintain this view without ignoring things like servant leadership, the equality of the believers, etc.

One thing is clear, the keys are to be utilized. This was not something automatic. We can gather that Christ is leaving believers with certain authorities. I will suggest, not to be wielded upon each other, but against powers and principalities, against the rulers of this present darkness.

We tend to live as victims in a world of endless circumstance. I don't believe this is necessarily God's will. If we think about the police, the police are there to enforce what? The law. So if there were no rule of law, no rights of citizens, there would be nothing that could be done about it. This is something like how it is in the spiritual realm. Things that happen in the spiritual realm affect and otherwise control things in the physical world to some extent. An obvious example of this is a demon-possessed person. But its not just demon possession that creates and causes chaos. There is another thing that goes on behind the scenes that most believers deal with called 'oppression'. This is by far the type of demonic activity that believers face. Neither of these are God's will, but we need to understand how we are to deal with this issue.

Persecution is defined as pursuing with pressure. That is what oppression is. External pressure pressing us to make decisions. Possession is inside pressure controlling the exterior of a man. It is a big difference but both are big problems. For the believer, the primary concern is oppression. Satan pursues us with pressure. Left unchecked, this can create quite a hardship for the believers. Just like satan uses this against believers, He also uses the method of external pressure to fight against believers through other people. In Revelation the Scripture says the antichrist tried to wear out the saints of the most high. That same spirit operates in the world today.

It is in this realm, the Spiritual realm, that Jesus has given us His authority. But even though this might be you right to be free from this oppressive spirit, it is not going to automatically dissipate. The scripture says that the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and that the violent take it by force. There is a certain 'enforcement' if you will of your 'birthright' privileges as a believer. Just like the police enforce the law, we as believers are to take the kingdom by force. We enforce the rights that already have been given to us at the cross. There have been many instances I have utilized this authority in various ways. For myself, for other believers, against the principalities being lived out in the community, against wickedness in high places. I have seen very clear and tangible results by taking authority over these powers that be. We have Jesus promise of His authority accompanying this. Our exercising of HIS authority. I'm not saying name it and claim it. Understand it is dealing with the Spiritual realm, that often affects things in the physical world. I have seen radio signals jammed, businesses burn down, close down, go out of business, oppression cease instantaneously for myself or other believers, demons cast out of house, demonic dreams stop, there are so many instances, when we will actually take Jesus at His word and Bind in heaven and on earth satan's strong holds. He has truly 'delivered us from darkness into the kingdom of His dear son'.

06/02/2020

I had a Dream

No really, it was a real dream. In my dream, I was at an international missions conference event, the magnitude of which I have never seen. There were Christian workers there from all over the world, every tribe, tongue, and nation by scope and inference. Chinese, Vietnamese, American are ones I remember. It reminded me of international bible conferences I've been to in the past, but on a greater scale. It was interdenominational. Baptists, mennonites, and I'm sure many others were present. I could tell that there was some a little unrest and bickering among the people. But God was moving. And I began to become burdened for real revival among God's people in order for them to go out and take the gospel to the ends of the earth. In my dream, I began praying gutwrenching prayer, that God would send revival. Prayering like we prayed in the prayer room at the fellowship church I was once a part of. I woke up praying that prayer. Lord send revival. Let it begin with me.

Let it be Lord!

"After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands" (Revelation 7:9)