Here recently the Lord has been leading me to write out for further clarity the importance of discipleship and the vitality of recognizing the spiritual maturity of others before we speak. As we look upon the disciples we can recognize that not only did they go out to share the Good News but they also took responsibility for the new births. They did not just care about the “numbers” of who came to Christ but they understood their responsibility of continuing to teach Gods Word in order for each new child to develop a relationship with Jesus Christ.
The Ramp In Hamilton, Alabama…
Over the past couple of years I have been following the Ramp in Hamilton, Alabama. The reason for this was the impact on the youth and witnessing the affects on immature Christians once they returned back to the watered down world. Another reason for this was for my own children and for my own responsibility as a father and man of God. I must admit in the very beginning I was skeptical and deeply concerned but now over time God has given me peace in understanding the Ramps current position and intention to edify the Kingdom of God. Within this understanding the Lord has shown me the importance of preparation and teaching obedience within the Word of God in order to maintain the fire within this watered down world. There is a Balance between fire and water and the Ramp is full of fire where many of the American churches have fallen into a trap of complacency as Eli without speaking the full gospel.
Here is a gentle warning for every parent or leader that is seeking the fire of God. Do any of you recall the rebuke upon James and John in asking about calling down the fire? The fire of God is an all consuming fire that does not destroy but is balanced by water in His love and mercy. The Lord only sent the fire to to bring discipline and it is wise to know the difference between the fire in which we are seeking. As God taught us with Moses there was a reason that He led by cloud by day and fire by night but many without the spiritual eyes miss this lesson. For the Lord says,”Follow Jesus by day and I will keep you warm and protected by night.”
Think about it! A cloud is made up of H2O which is water and throughout the Word of God Jesus is referred to as living water, right? So, as we are taught in scripture to love thy neighbor as thyself and we are instructed to even love thy enemy this command is there not to bring division but unity. How we Honor others within our words and actions plainly shows in whom we serve and the part where I have found that the churches are slacking(not speaking of the Ramp) is the true teaching of the Word of God. Due to the lack of understanding within many leaders within the church and people in positions due to their popularity or for self recognition (like Eli’s children) this has left many of the youth in a discouraging situation when they return from a rally on fire for God.
Another vital part to teach in the lesson of Moses is when to move and when not. This comes by being in tune with God and knowing His Word before we make a step. This lesson was taught with the Israelites after they conquered Jericho and ran out in their emotions only for some to lose their lives up ahead in Ai. Staying in tune with God requires self discipline and having the eyes to see and the ears to hear. As we speak of the fruits within the spirit of God there is another that is vital to teach and that is long suffering. Learning to trust in God when we are in bad situations are under unrighteous leadership is a vital lesson to comprehend. It is vital to understand that God despises rebellion but glows in our obedience as we learn to walk in His Word.
Why did Jesus tell the disciples before He sent them out in pairs to be wise as a serpent and gentle as a dove? The reason for this is about spiritual warfare and how we are in this world but not of this world. When young Christians are on fire for God every believer should be behind them helping to fan the flames rather than smother them out, as well as the young need to understand the fermentation process of new wine in order to not explode. Learning to walk in this world and not be of this world is a process and without these children learning about the Balance within the the fire and the water of God then they are susceptible to dwindle out in this cold world.
Personally, I James seek the army of God and help train the special forces under His command. My passion comes from a controlled fire that is disciplined of when to ignite and when not with a special power source that comes as the breath of God blows upon the coals that are always ready to ignite. It is my prayer that every person within leadership receives this message in love to help prepare their flock for the before and after of what to expect as they attend the Ramp. For those parents in concern let me urge you to be ready to take your position as a parent and having a Godly home. A Godly home requires love and discipline along with time together as a family in the Word of God to magnify His name and what He is doing in your life.
We can all sit around and pick something out about someone else that brings division but when we learn to sit back in love and focus on Jesus is what will bring healing and unity to the body. For nothing was ever accomplished until there was one mind and one spirit as they learned to work together with the body of Christ. And”Woe To Thee” who tries to suppress the movement of God without looking below the surface to hear the heart of the message. It is time that we claim Victory in Jesus and begin to live our lives as God instructs! May God raise up anointed leaders in America that are willing to STAND up and proclaim HIS WORD without any fears for our children’s future generation….Amen
James A. Harrison
http://balancedlifeministry.org
http://specialdeliverybook.com
The Ramp Review In Hamilton, Alabama
It is very wise to recognize and know the spirit which we follow to insure that our children are being directed in the right direction. Satan is very clever in knowing how to deceive us when we lose sight of the steps that we take and we don’t take the time to know the message which is being delivered. For instance, Satan will sit back and allow us to go forward in worship because he knows what will take place when we get caught up in our emotions when we don’t have the spiritual wisdom and discernment to simply recognize what is right and what is wrong. This is where Satan often deceives us in the spirit because He wants us to think that we are following God when we could be leading to a division in the body of Christ.
There is unity in the body and harmony in the spirit of God that teaches each of us in love to learn from one another and how to respect each parties function within the direction of God. There is nothing wrong with us enjoying the spiritual high of God but if we do not recognize the importance of staying in tune with God in our emotions then we are setting ourselves up for a hard fall. We learn this in the lesson of Joshua and the Israelites when they ran out in front of God in their emotions after conquering the city Jericho.
It is vital for our youth and for every child of God to understand how to handle our emotional highs with our emotional lows that we face in this journey of life. Jesus Christ (NEVER) separated himself from the sinners nor the world and Paul supported the church that was first established by God with Moses as he lead the people out of captivity to reach the freedom that we receive in God’s promise. Jesus Christ and the apostle Paul addressed the people and the church not to bring division but to correct what was wrong by God in not properly following the Lord’s instruction. Division came because of Satan in the people for not humbling themselves to receive the Truth in the Word of God. Our Lord taught us how to walk in this world through Moses and the Israelites in order for us to maintain the freedom that has been given to each of us today in the spirit of God through Jesus Christ by having order and self discipline to keep our homes and our nations intact.
The Lord plainly teaches us how to listen, when to move, how to run, how to respect, and even how to walk in order to maintain our balance in this life. For if we just jump out on a tight rope without knowing how to reach the other side when the winds of Satan come our way then we really need to take a step back to learn how to walk with God rather than trying to do it on our own. Life has good times and life has very hard times and if we don’t know how to walk on our own under God with the love of Jesus in our hearts then Satan is just waiting at the door to hold us down when we fall.
It is very easy to speak out against what we see, but in true love that is directed by God we are to stand in faith while sharing the love of Jesus Christ. God shows us what is not right by others to help shape us into who He wants us to be. As we mature and learn to trust in God it is our duty to standfast in love within the winds of sin in this fallen world. It is when we take matters into our own hands that we cause divisions in our relationships to the point that they can cause anger and separation.
As long as we know the steps that we take in the Word of God and know how to act in love when we face confrontation then we are on the way to understanding how to follow God rather than acting out in our emotions. Regarding the Ramp in Hamilton, Alabama there are good points as well as there are bad points which we can find in any church or in any human being. It is great to see our youth speaking of God rather than chasing the world and watching them be set free from their suppression of Satan who wants them to lose hope in this life. But the part which is raising a flag of concern is the gift of speaking in tongues due to the confusion that it is bringing in the body. Speaking in tongue is a gift from God that no man can give or is to teach to another. The dangers of this practice in public display comes when someone does not know how to stand on their own under God and wants to be accepted into a group to feel loved by the people instead of learning to receive the gift in faith.
The Word of God teaches us in 1 Corinthians 14 about the gift of the Holy Spirit and we also learn the importance of decent and orderly worship. For there is a time to speak and a time not due to the confusion that it can bring upon the people. In reference to someone claiming to be chosen or to be a prophet this should be addressed with caution to insure that Jesus Christ is being properly edified and to insure that we lean on God rather than man. It is not our place to reveal something to someone but we are to lead by example and allow the Holy Spirit to give the confirmation rather than trying to reveal something for our own glorification. There is a big difference between being called and actually being chosen and many people have misled the people with this misunderstanding in the word of God.
There are good things taking place at the Ramp as well as some things that are causing some confusion in the church. This is where we as parents must understand the places our children attend and we as leaders in the church teach others how to recognize the proper spirit of God to insure the steps that they take. For God is not the author of confusion and if someone doesn’t understand what they are walking into then they need to take a step back to prepare for what they might face. We all encounter things in life that are different from time to time but one thing that we all must recognize is the importance of the unity within the body. It is vital to teach our children how to live in this world and not of this world through the love of Jesus Christ as they learn to hold on to the cross to maintain their balance in life… amen
James Harrison / Servant
Voice Your Opinion!