Following Their Own Ungodly Passions

“But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They said to you, ‘In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.’ It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit. But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.” (Jude 1:17-23 ESV)

This morning the Lord Jesus reminded me of a situation which took place in a gathering of the church where my husband and I had attended for a while back in 2008. We were actively participating in the church gatherings, and by singing in the choir, and we were enjoying the fellowship of the other professers of faith in Jesus Christ. And we regularly attended their Wednesday evening Bible study and prayer time as well as their Sunday services and their senior (for senior citizens) group activities.

It was a Tuesday in October of that year that I attended one of their senior gatherings while my husband was at work. At this gathering they had special guest artists who mimicked famous singers and dancers throughout history. This was in honor of the church’s 100th anniversary. And they had senior citizens lip syncing and dancing. One number had the women tap dancing. I like tap dancing. Yet, they were wearing skirts that were slit high up on the sides and they were shaking their legs in a sensual manner in front of men. I had to look away. 

And, then they had a woman lip sync the song “Can’t Say No” about a woman who could not say “No” to men’s sexual advances. And, the people of the church applauded, including the pastor. Then, they had a woman dressed up like Marilyn Monroe singing “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend.” I had to walk out on that one. We all know what she stood for and yet the church people “clapped their hands.” I went upstairs and cried and prayed. For they were applauding the grasp (bondage, addiction) that sin had on the lives of people instead of weeping over it. 

The following evening at church the pastor talked about the “evil” that was in the world and he directed all his judgmental comments to the evil existing outside the church. I knew as surely as I knew anything that this was one of those times the Lord said, “speak.” Now I was in complete submission to those in authority, and in this setting both men and women were encouraged to participate in the discussion with the raising of a hand and after they were called on to speak. I raised my hand, and I was given permission to speak.

I opened my mouth and allowed the Holy Spirit to speak through me concerning the evil that they had brought right into the church and how they applauded it the day before this day. The Lord said that they would not have brought this same “show” into the sanctuary of the church, and yet they did because I am the sanctuary and you are the sanctuary and he is and she is the sanctuary of God, if we believe in Jesus Christ. This outside group, then, basically desecrated God’s sanctuary, and the people and the church leaders clapped their hands and stomped their feet, rejoicing over this.

When the Holy Spirit finished speaking through me, I stopped. The pastor just ignored what was said and went on with his lesson as though I was a bug that was on his shoulder that he just flicked off. And that was the end of the discussion at that time. Nothing ever came of it that I am aware of, and business went on as usual, as far as I know. But this was one of those situations like with Paul and Peter when Peter was acting hypocritically in public and Paul had to speak to him to that issue, also in public.

Now I am well aware that I am not Paul, and I don’t have the kind of authority that Paul had, and I am fully aware of my position as a woman. But God has called women to prophesy, i.e. to share God’s messages to the people, as well as the men, and he has gifted us equally as men with the gifts of the Spirit. And since we live in a day and time when so many of our men are spiritually AWOL and are not leading the church in the ways of the Lord, but in the ways of the flesh, God will use whoever is willing to speak his messages when they need to be spoken, but in the correct context.

For we live in the days of Noah and in the days of Sodom and Gomorrah, and we are living in the days that are described for us here in the book of Jude. For so many of our leaders have gone the way of the flesh and not the way of the Spirit, and they are shepherds who are feeding themselves without concern for how they are influencing their people in the ways of the flesh and not in the ways of the Spirit. So we need people who will speak the truths of God’s words to the people to warn them against living to the flesh.

We need people of God who will “save others by snatching them out of the fire” and who will, to others, “show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.” And if God can use a donkey to speak to a false prophet he can use a woman of God to speak to men who are leading God’s people in the wrong direction, even though she has no authority over those men. And it requires great humility and submission to the Lord Jesus to speak out on these issues knowing that we will probably be ignored and/or rejected and cast aside as though we are worthless. Glory to God!

[Romans 12:1-8; 1 Corinthians 12:1-31; 1 Corinthians 14:1-5; Galatians 6:1; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:1-16; Ephesians 5:15-21; Ephesians 6:10-20; Philippians 2:1-8; Colossians 3:12-16; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:13; Hebrews 10:23-25; James 5:19-20]

My Sheep  

An Original Work / June 24, 2012  

Based off John 10:1-30 NIV

My sheep hear me. They know me.

They listen to my voice and obey.

I call them and lead them.

They know my voice, so they follow me.

They will never follow strangers.

They will run away from them.

The voice of a stranger they know not;

They do not follow him.

So, I tell you the truth that

I am the gate, so you enter in.

Whoever does enter

Will find forgiveness and will be saved.

Nonetheless whoever enters

Not by the gate; other way,

He is the thief and a robber.

Listen not, the sheep to him.

Oh, I am the Good Shepherd,

Who laid his own life down for the sheep.

I know them. They know me.

They will live with me eternally.

The thief only comes to steal and

Kill and to destroy the church.

I have come to give you life that

You may have it to the full… 

They know my voice, so they follow me.

https://vimeo.com/114938263