Are we following Jesus or spiritual principles?

Greetings dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

After posting the last prophetic warning I received from the Lord (Time to prepare is almost over), concerned saints have written in to me and asked me to explain exactly what it means to prepare our hearts before Him.  And, what is our part in it and what is His part in the preparing of our hearts.

In my response to these dear saints, the Lord laid something on my heart to share with them along with answering their question.  After responding back to them, I cannot shake off what is on my heart that the Lord wanted me to share.  Therefore, I believe that there are many other believers out there that need to hear what the Lord laid on my heart, as it pertains to our making it through the days of darkness that are coming.

First, I would like to address those that may have the same question of how to prepare our hearts.  In the prophetic warning, the Lord emphasized the repentance of lukewarmness.  We MUST get all sin and weights out of our lives.  Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,.  Darkness is going to cover the earth and people like never before and even the smallest compromise in our lives will open the door for us to be overtaken by this darkness.  Is. 60:2 “For behold, darkness will cover the earth And deep darkness the peoples;

The second thing He warned us about is fellowship with the world.  Those that are friends with this world will be found on the side of darkness.  James 4:4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.  Of course we are not to go out from this world, but we are not to love this world or have heart fellowship with the unrighteous.  2 Cor. 6:14 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? John 17:15 I pray not that you should take them out of the world, but that you should keep them from the evil. 

And also, He said for us to separate ourselves unto Him.  Ever since Jesus died on the cross, saints have known Him as their savior.  Few have known Him as Lord and Master.  And fewer still ever get to know Him as their bridegroom.   We must all move on from just knowing Him as savior and learn to yield to Him as our LORD.  Those not wholly given over to Him will not make it in the days ahead.

Upon heeding the Lord to obey these warnings, we must keep ourselves away from all sin and stay alert in spirit.  1 Peter 5:8 Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.  So our part in preparing our hearts is to do these things and stay in obedience, fellowship and communion with Him in the secret chambers (our prayer closet) and keep our eyes (heart) fixed on Jesus (the word).  Then, He will protect us, provide for us, and keep us in the light and we will not be caught unaware.  1 Thes. 5:6 While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep (be unaware or not alert), as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. 

Now if we do these things in obedience to Him, then He will do the work in our hearts to keep His light shining in us so that we will be spiritually awake and alert at all times.  Also, we will have confidence toward Him that He is faithful to keep His promises.  1 John 3:21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 

Now I would like to share what the Lord laid on my heart when answering the concerned saints that wrote in to me.  This may offend some believers.  However, it is not my intention to do so.  Nor do I wish to start any debate about doctrine.  This is simply what the Lord laid on my heart to share because those that will have ears to hear will be greatly equipped by heeding to this.

As we all should know, we are in the last days.  And the bible tells us that in the last days there will be false doctrines in the church to cause believers to fall from the true faith.  1 Tim. 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;  Much of the popular teachings of today are no longer a gospel of taking up our cross and living a holy life.  We now have gospels of prosperity and success.  With these new doctrines, many Christians have fallen away from the true faith and don’t even know it.  I don’t wish to get into all of these false doctrines.  I just wish to share specifically what the Lord laid on my heart.

Years ago in my early Christian years I was so hungry for God that I read as many teachings as I could.  And I listened to many Christian television programs.  In listening to the programs and reading the current Christian books, I was introduced to what is commonly known as the “faith movement”.  Even though I was new in the Lord, I at least had enough discernment to know that some of what I was hearing was not true.  I knew that Jesus did not die on the cross so that we could all have big houses and drive expensive cars.  Of course I believed that He did bless some people with abundant finances.  But I did not think that it was so His children could consume it all upon their fleshly desires.  Also, I believed the scripture that says we are to seek His Kingdom and His righteousness, not the things of this world.  Matt. 6:33  But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.  And I knew that if we are seeking after His righteousness, then we will not have lust for the things of this world.

However, even though I didn’t take teachings of the faith movement for selfish gain, I did believe some of it’s teachings like “standing in faith” for God to do something I was asking for.  Then during one season of my life, the Lord lovingly corrected me and had me to repent and renounce the false doctrine that I had been following.  He showed me that for us to believe that if we stand in faith for anything and believe that He is obligated to honor our faith, even if it is one of His promises, then that is pride and not true faith.  This belief makes Him subject to us.  It cannot be true because He is OUR Lord and Master and is in no way subject to us.  Another thing He showed me about this false doctrine is that it has believers following so-called spiritual principles instead of a living person and Master.  Also, this is not true faith because faith works by love and true love is never self seeking.  Gal. 5:6  For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.  1 Cor. 13:4-7  Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 

Now we are to trust in His promises.  However, we are not to use His promises in some formula or principle to get our way.  The way we trust in His promises is that we trust and believe in Him, and that He is who He says He is.  We do not put our trust in so-called spiritual principles in place of a living being and Lord of our lives.

One good example to dismantle these false beliefs about our faith is the story of Peter walking on the water.  When Peter saw Jesus walking on the water he did not step out of the boat in faith.  He said “Lord, if that is you, bid me to come to you on the water”.  Jesus said “Come”(Matt. 14:28-19).  It was only AFTER Peter had Jesus’ will and spoken word to that situation; could he then walk on the water.  Without that, he could not have walked on the water no matter how much faith he had.

Now I know that some may argue that we already have Jesus’ will and spoken word (the bible) to stand on.  However, I disagree.  The scriptures by themselves are the letter that kills.  2 Cor. 3:6  He who made us worthy to be Ministers of The New Covenant, not in The Scripture, but in The Spirit, for The Scripture kills, but The Spirit gives life.  We do not follow scriptures.  We follow the living word which is Jesus Christ.  Only when He gives us a scripture for our circumstances is it then His SPOKEN will and word to us for our situation.  There are many believers that lay claim to His promises of prosperity, provision, healing or whatever, when He is trying to tell them to repent of something.  In that circumstance, His only spoken word to them is REPENT and no matter how much they may claim or stand on His other promises, He will not honor them.

Now the main burden on my heart about these false teachings is that they have caused many believers to become what I call self-confident fools.  They follow principles instead of a living Lord and believe that their faith will move God’s hand on their behalf.  They have confidence in their faith and believe that their faith will get them through the coming days of darkness.  In these days all that can be shaken will be and that includes doctrines and the foundation of our faith.  Unfortunately, these self-confident fools that have confidence in their faith will be like the foolish man that built his house on the sand in Jesus’ parable.  It would behoove all who are still confident in their faith to repent and learn to rest in His mercy.

When thinking of these poor deceived people, I am reminded of Jesus’ parable of the Pharisee and tax collector. Luke 18:9-14  He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”   In this parable, it speaks of those that are confident that they are right with God when they truly are not.  It was the tax collector that cried out for God’s mercy that was justified.  Unfortunately, these self-confident fools are convinced that they are right with God though they are not.

We must all learn to humble ourselves and cry out to Him for His mercy.  Technically speaking, it will NOT be our faith that gets us through the days ahead.  It will be our Lord Jesus Christ as we put our trust and faith in Him as a person, not any so-called spiritual principles. I pray that all reading this will pray about it and see if they have confidence in their faith instead of relying on God’s mercy.

Now to any that may be offended at this.  The fact that you are offended should tell you something about your faith because the cross is an offense to our flesh.  So if this offends you, then possibly you have faith in your faith and not true faith in Jesus as Lord of your life.  Before shunning all of this as foolishness, I would ask you to seek the Lord in this and see if what I am saying is true.

I send this letter out in love to all that would have ears to hear as it is my desire for all of us to help each other as one body get through the days of darkness that are just ahead.  I truly believe that ONLY our Lord Jesus Christ will be the ark of safety.  Any trust in ourselves (faith in our faith) or principles will cause us to stumble and may even be our demise.  I pray that all reading this will see that I say all of this out of love and concern for my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ and not as an argument against other’s doctrines or beliefs.

Blessings to you all,

A servant of Jesus Christ,

Kevin Barrett