Deliverance From the ‘Karen’ Spirit

Have you met ‘Karen’? You’ve seen her on social media memes, but you’ve probably met a Karen. Hopefully, you are not a Karen.

This teaching will make you laugh and may make you say ouch once or twice along the way. The reality is this: We can all be Karen.

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Prophetic Word: Reroute Unfruitful Efforts to Find Favor and Blessings

Recently in a time of prayer, the Lord spoke one word to me: “reroute.”

He wanted to show me what exactly He was talking about. As I took an assessment of several different business situations and ministry circumstances I personally have in the works, I asked the Lord to show me what needed to be rerouted.

As I followed the leading of the Holy Spirit, I began to reposition and redirect different things in those areas. Then the favor and blessing of the Lord suddenly began to flow in the areas where things had been stagnant or unfruitful.

There were also several things not producing fruit comparable to the amount of time and effort I was giving them. I shifted my focus and energy to several different areas I felt the Lord highlighting and immediately started seeing results. This is when I knew this word was not just for me but for every person in the body of Christ. Each of us must be willing to reroute different things in our lives to get into alignment with what God has for us in this season. In order to do this, we must lean in and hear what the Holy Spirit is saying to each of us!

Many times, when we think about allowing the Holy Spirit to flow freely, we think about it in the context of a church service or revival meeting. But what the Holy Spirit was showing me through this word “reroute” was that He wants to have that same kind of access and freedom in every area of our lives! Just as we leave room and space in a service to allow the Holy Spirit to do whatever He wants to do, we should also invite Him to do this in our families, relationships, business adventures, ministry opportunities and in everything we do.

Being led by the Spirit can sometimes mean making simple or small adjustments that redirect or reroute us to move forward into God’s plans for us. Just as a chiropractor makes small adjustments to realign your entire body, when we are obedient to take those small adjustments from the Holy Spirit, we find ourselves in perfect alignment with Him. And when you are in perfect alignment with the Lord, you will see His kingdom invade absolutely everything you do.

I believe the Lord is leading His remnant in the body of Christ to do great exploits for Him in this hour. If I have said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times, but I believe the greatest days for the church are ahead and not behind. We are about to see a major breakthrough and kingdom turnaround in America!

To step into our kingdom assignment as a part of what God is about to do, we must be willing to take the reroute, redirection and repositioning the Holy Spirit asks of us. In this hour, God is looking for those who will listen for and obey His specific instructions. My friends, spend extra time in prayer and in the Word of God. Leaning in to hear from the Lord is so critical right now.

If we want to see the powerful move of God that I know is coming, and be a part of it, then we must reroute. {eoa}

For the original article, visit joejoedawson.net.

Joe Joe Dawson is the founder and apostle of Roar Apostolic Network and Roar Church Texarkana. He is the author of Kingdom Mindset, Destiny Dimension, Living Your God-Sized Dream and Recipe for Revival.

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Boys Thrive in Trail Life USA, Which Sees Explosive Growth Despite COVID-19

Trail Life USA  exists to guide generations of courageous young men to honor God, lead with integrity, serve others and experience outdoor adventures. The year 2021 proves it’s working.

Trail Life USA has seen a 70% increase in new members over this time last year and a 30% increase over the same period of 2019. At a time when many businesses and organizations are seeing their numbers drop, Trail Life USA is experiencing explosive growth.

Mark Hancock, CEO of Trail Life USA, explained, “For much of the past year, boys were forced indoors as sports leagues were suspended, school became virtual, playgrounds were closed and the extracurricular activities boys enjoyed were shuttered. At Trail Life USA, we realized boys’ need for action, adventure and fresh air. We saw research showing that the outdoors was the safest place for a boy to be and declared that we are open for adventure. Troops across the country became a lifeline for many boys who needed some sort of active outlet.

“As America opens up again, I think Trail Life is continuing to thrive as families evaluate what activities they choose to reengage in,” Hancock said. “One of the positive things to come out of the past year has been the reconnection of families. Families had become so busy being busy. Many are evaluating what activities are worth giving up dinner table conversations, back-yard games and fun weekend trips. They are slowing down and looking for opportunities that maximize growth and relationships. At Trail Life USA, the twin emphasis on connecting boys with dads and dad-likes, and growing character and leadership through outdoor adventure are resonating strongly with parents and churches.”

In a recent interview, Hancock said, “Troops are springing up as churches understand that Trail Life USA is not just a program seeking to meet at the church. Trail Life USA is a ministry of the church. We are, at our core, a Christ-centered program that utilizes the outdoors to draw boys and their families into a closer relationship with their creator. It’s a significant distinction, and we are seeing unprecedented growth. Churches are attracted to our model as a means to engage men, connect fathers and sons, impact families and grow the church.”

Trail Life USA is the premier national character development organization for young men producing godly and responsible husbands, fathers and citizens. Trail Life’s mission is to guide generations of courageous young men to honor God, lead with integrity, serve others and experience outdoor adventure. Troops exist in all 50 states and are growing as Trail Life USA expands around the country. Get involved in a troop near you, or start a troop in your community today.

Since Trail Life USAlaunched on Jan. 1, 2014, it has grown to over 30,000 members in over 850 Troops across the nation. The K-12 program centers on outdoor experiences that build a young man’s skills. A robust awards program motivates young men to grow on a personal level to become role models and leaders among their peers. Living the Trail Life USA is a journey established on timeless values derived from the Bible.  

Discover more about Trail Life USA at TrailLifeUSA.com, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube or Vimeo.

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Pastor Mark Burns Says It’s ‘Time to Be Bold’ and Contend for America’s Soul

“We’ve got to be bold in America.”

Pastor Mark Burns met with Charisma News content director Jeff Struss during a recent convention to discuss the deep need for believers to arise in Holy Spirit righteousness and take a stand for biblical values in the nation.

Burns believes critical race theory is “destroying this country.” And yet, not all hope is lost.

He says not only do believers, teachers, preachers and faith leaders need to pray about it, but they need to put their faith to action.

Watch the exclusive interview with Burns here to learn more about how Jesus’ coming should affect the daily lives of Christians everywhere.

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God Cancel Culture RFor more information on how you can fight back against cancel culture, make sure to get a copy of what Charisma founder and CEO Stephen Strang says is his most important book yet. God and Cancel Culture releases Sept. 7, the day after Labor Day, wherever fine books are sold. Pre-order it at stevestrangbooks.com or on Amazon.




If You Don’t Love People, You Don’t Love God

A lot of people ignore the last chapter of Paul’s epistle to the Romans because it’s basically a long list of ancient names we can’t pronounce. After Paul finishes his masterful teaching on grace and salvation, he sends warm greetings to his many friends in Romans 16.

Paul was apparently reluctant to leave anyone out of this list. He mentions Phoebe, Aquilla, Epaenetus, Mary, Adronicas, Junia, Ampliatus, Urbanus and “Prisca,” an endearing nickname for Priscilla. He greets Stachys, Apelles, Herodion, Tryphaena, Tryphosa, Persis and those in the household of Aristobulus. He says hello to Rufus, Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, Philologus, Julia, Nereus and Olympas.

Paul refers to many of these people affectionately as “my beloved,” “my kinsman” or “a choice man.” They were not casual acquaintances. They were Paul’s close friends, and he carried them in his heart. He had been in prison with some of them. He missed them so much that he wept when he thought of them.

And after mentioning these 26 people—plus Rufus’ unnamed mother and Nereus’ unnamed sister—Paul sends greetings from his co-workers, Timothy, Lucius, Jason and Sosipater. And he reminds everyone to “greet one another with a holy kiss” (16:16). Paul’s love for people was not just affectionate in a verbal sense. It was downright slobbery.

Paul began the book of Romans by telling his friends: “I long to see you…” (1:11a). Toward the end of the letter he says he looks forward to visiting them so that he can “find refreshing rest in your company” (15:32, NASB 1995). This miracle-working apostle and theological genius reveals another side of himself; he’s gushy, mushy and huggable. He’s the quintessential people person.

It makes me sad to think Romans 16 is ignored today because the fervent love Paul showed his Roman friends is the essence of biblical Christianity. God wants us to love each other with pure, over-the-top passion.

Paul’s love for people was not just evident in his letter to the Romans. He told the Philippians: “I long for you with all the affection of Christ Jesus” (1:8). He wrote to the Thessalonians: “Having so fond an affection for you, we were well-pleased to impart to you … our own lives” (1 Thess. 2:8). He told Timothy: “I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day, longing to see you, even as I recall your tears” (2 Tim. 1:3-4).

This is what the Bible calls “the love of the brethren” (see Heb. 13:1). Our love for each other is supposed to be sincere, not faked. It is supposed to be fervent, not cool or professional. It is supposed to be affectionate, not distant or clinical. It is supposed to be dripping with emotion, not dry and intellectual. Our passionate love for each other flows out of our love for Jesus.

But there’s a problem. Everywhere I go today I hear Christians bashing the church and complaining that they can’t attend this or that local fellowship because of loveless, hypocritical believers. We’ve become experts at nitpicking; we are quick to find fault; then we are even quicker to judge and condemn. And we have figured out how to make these judgmental pronouncements sound super-spiritual.

Church dropouts today have a long list of reasons why they can’t worship with other Christians: 1) “We don’t agree with all their doctrines;” 2) “The pastor preaches too long;” 3) “The worship is too long;” 4) “The worship is too short;” 5) “The church closed during the pandemic;” 6) “The church never closed during the pandemic;” 7) “A church member posted something online that offended me;” 8) “A church member complained about something I posted online;” 9) “The pastor didn’t speak to me last Sunday;” or 10) “No one spoke to me when I visited.”

There are actually 1,001 ways a Christian can and will offend you at church. But your job is not to count the offenses; it is to forgive every time. That is what fervent love requires. Yet we have become experts at being offended, and our bitterness squelches the holy love God wants us to demonstrate.

The apostle John wrote: “The one who says that he is in the Light and yet hates his brother or sister is in the darkness until now. The one who loves his brother and sister remains in the Light, and there is nothing in him to cause stumbling” (1 John 2:9-10).

If we want to be spiritually mature, this is the bottom line: We must love people no matter how they hurt us. Canceling the church is not an option. If your love has grown cold, ask God to remove the offense—and invite His people back into your heart again. {eoa}

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Prophetic Word: The Call to Bring Forth the Seed of Elohim

Men and women in union of mind and heart, in agreement with God, carry the seed of Elohim. The fullness of the plan of God usually comes first to us in seed form, infused with the DNA of God, where the seed must be received, cherished, protected, watered with the Word and cared for until it comes into fruition and the fullness of maturity. The seed of Elohim is scattered over the earth awaiting those who will receive and care for it. These are those who will take hold of these seeds, and in union with God, bring it to birth to the glory to God.

The seed of Elohim is a spiritual principle founded on union with God through obedience to His Word; thus, it always produces the intentions of the Lord, and as a consequence, receiving the commanded blessing of the Father. With the full integration of the psyche of a person through maturity in Christ, the fullness of God integrates with man to birth glory. There is a mystery in union that sees the miraculous, produces accelerated answers to prayer and gives birth to the glorious plans of God. With Mary’s agreement with God, when she said, “May it be unto me according to your word” (Luke 1:38b) … union occurred, the seed of the word of Elohim united with the seed of Mary’s faith, was implanted within her womb and produced the Word of God—Jesus Christ.

Agreement with the Word of God through faith draws us into the mind and heart of God. Agreement pulls us into the supernatural realm and world of God, where creativity, the faith of God and every possibility exist. This is the mystery of union—nothing shall be impossible. Faith becomes substance.

When likeminded saints gathered in one accord at Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was poured out! Union with God and each other is the threefold strand that produces the sons and daughters of Elohim in majesty, glory and excellence. God is sounding the cry, “Agree with Me!” With this revelation, we now have insight into the devil’s plan for division in families, in marriages and in the church—with division nothing is possible.

Women are uniquely fashioned by God to birth through travail and labor the seed of Elohim, producing sons and daughters of God. In the same manner, and through intercession and travail, they birth the seed of Elohim—His purposes in the nations and our communities.

Genesis 3:15 says, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he will bruise your head, and you will bruise his heel.”

In this passage God declares that the seed of the woman would crush the head of the serpent. We know that this refers prophetically to Jesus—the seed of Elohim planted within Mary. Procreation is a gift given to women and one of the keys to understanding women’s roles in ministry. Women were created to birth the life of Christ and the will of God on earth.

Procreation means “to beget, to produce, to bring into being, to reproduce, to engender offspring, to create something new.”

God’s intention is to enlist His daughters to partner with Him to birth the seeds of His new thing in the earth. Women become the gates, doors and womb through which His will enters. God uses women to travail with Him, to birth His new thing and to initiate the beginning of new seasons of time in the epochs of God. Other examples are:

Hannah’s travail and willingness to give her child to God ushered in a new era for the people of God through her son Samuel.

Leah’s decision to give her fourth child to God with praise, brought forth Judah, whose name means praise. Judah was the chosen tribe through whom the Messiah would come.

Anna was chosen as the intercessor who would travail in prayer in the temple for eight years to birth the manifestation of the Messiah on earth.

Women are now being called out for this time of birthing God’s new thing.

“Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it?” (Isa. 43:18-19a).

Whenever God says, “Behold, I will do a new thing,” it is most certainly a great, mighty and wonderful thing, a surprising and unexpected thing, a thing that has not entered the heart or mind of man for that moment in time, a thing that is brought forth to initiate the changing of times and seasons as it has been known.

Continue reading the rest of this prophetic word here. {eoa}

Faith Marie Baczko is the president of Headstone Ministries International—a ministry that is rich and robust in the purposes and plans of God. She is a prophetic teacher and author, bringing significant revelation to mobilize, equip and strengthen the body of Christ for this momentous hour of history. Faith is an international speaker and has garnered enduring relationships with leaders united in passion for truth and enduring revival. Faith is an author of several books. Her latest release, now available on Amazon, is called A Rising Called For!

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The Church Must Build Its Relationship With Law Enforcement, Pastor Caleb Cooper Says

A pastor, charged by God to “keep your lighthouse open” despite COVID-19 restrictions.

A sheriff, charged by his oath of office to enforce the law.

A recipe for conflict? In many cases, yes. But as Pastor Caleb Cooper tells host Dr. Steve Greene on a recent episode of the Greenelines podcast on the Charisma Podcast Network, this situation catapulted him into a strong relationship with his local sheriff—and later propelled him into the writing of a new book, The Call for Strong Godly Leadership: A Compilation of Leaders from the Church, Marketplace and Law Enforcement.

“We received a voicemail on the phone, and it clearly said that the church is nonessential and must be shut down,” recalls Cooper, pastor of New Hope Revival Church in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. “From that moment, I went straight to the sheriff’s office, knowing that the sheriff is really the last line of defense concerning our constitutional rights.

“I sat down and I said, ‘Sheriff Glenn Hamilton, I’ve watched you fight for the Second Amendment, you and 29 sheriffs in the state,'” Cooper says. “You fought for gun rights; I want to know if you’ll fight for God rights.

“And he looked me right in the eye; he said, ‘Pastor, I will defend your rights to have church, even if that means I have to go to jail,'” Cooper says.

That began a continuing relationship between Cooper and Hamilton that included Hamilton deputizing members of Cooper’s congregation and helping him stand up against New Mexico Gov. Michelle Grisham for the church’s right to worship. More recently, it has included Cooper choosing to include chapters from law enforcement officials, including Hamilton, in his new book.

“Give those in blue a voice,” Cooper says the Holy Spirit told him as he set out to write the book.

His hope, he says, is to “build or rebuild the relationship between the church and law enforcement today,” and he has already gotten the book, with its many contributions from law enforcement officers, into the hands of a number of law enforcement officials. “They’re also going to hear godly leadership,” Cooper says. And so the hope is we’ll build a bridge between the church and law enforcement; we’ll labor together.”

Strong Godly LeadershipFor much more from Pastor Caleb Cooper on the church, law enforcement and the bond the two share under God, listen to this entire episode of Greenelines, and be sure to subscribe to the Greenelines podcast on your favorite podcast platform. Check out Cooper’s new book, The Call for Strong Godly Leadership, wherever fine books are sold, and listen to his podcast, Uncompromised Revival Fire, also on the Charisma Podcast Network. {eoa}

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Modest Is Hottest, Says Matthew West in Sincere Satire

Raising daughters in a world too focused on outward appearances is a battle singer-songwriter Matthew West is just starting to fight.

The father of two took to social media to proclaim a familiar message to the masses on how to represent Christ well as a daughter of the King: “Modest is hottest.”

West, who created semi-serious satires “Quarantine Life” and “Gobble Gobble” in the past, used the music video trend to teach his daughters a critical message.

“The boys are coming around,” West sings to his daughters. “And it’s all your mother’s fault.”

His solution to keeping the boys at bay? Turtlenecks and sensible slacks.

He posted on Facebook ahead of the music video release that while the song is meant to be lighthearted, there is a heartfelt message for his girls behind it. “This song is my ridiculously silly way of reminding them that their appearance doesn’t define them,” he wrote.

Watch the full music video here for more of West’s tips on how to best encourage teenagers to dress modestly.




Shift of Spiritual Realm, Prayers for Healing Mark Re-United as One Summit

Global prayer leaders say the spiritual realm shifted over Turtle Island, Canada, the United States and Mexico, as intercessors and watchmen extended love, offered forgiveness and released blessings over every tribe, language, people and nation at a summit in Colorado.

At three locations along the Continental Divide, prayer warriors built altars of reconciliation, asked God’s blessings and decreed Scripture over the nations during the Re-United as One Summit June 17-19 in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

From Israel and at least 15 states including Alaska and Hawaii, watchmen celebrated their diversity in race, tongue and gender with dance, worship, praise and gifts. They declared unity within God’s family before heading to a mountain summit in Colorado, while other prayer warriors gathered at locations along the Continental Divide in Mexico and Canada.

At 11,539-foot Hoosier Pass in Colorado, intercessors built an altar of stones from the Holy Land, Africa and states from East to West Coasts and from northern to southern borders. Members of Native American tribes locked arms with brothers and sisters of Black, Brown, red and white skin, declaring love for God and one another as they danced around the altar of stone and read Scriptural decrees.

As the host people of Turtle Island, tribal representatives emphasized the importance of honor and protocol by acknowledging that Colorado Springs is situated in Southern Cheyenne territory. A Southern Cheyenne chief sent a note through Jean Steffenson, a “mother of reconciliation,” to prayer summit leaders and guests.

Kiowa Apache and born in Oklahoma, Francine O’Brien prefers to pray inside a closet at home in Missouri, but she decided to add her voice in worship with spiritual warriors in Colorado.

“We’re at the beginning of what God’s wanting to do,” O’Brien said. “He’s always looking for obedient ones who come along to finish what others began before,” she said.

O’Brien’s husband Tim, who stayed home, always asks about the fruit of prayer events she attends. “Things were accomplished,” she said. “We’re in faith, believing for unity. The apostle Paul said, ‘Let there be no division among you,'” O’Brien pointed out.

In native dress, Shelley Haupt read the words of James 1:20: “For the anger of man does not work the righteousness of God.” She then placed a stone from Mesgwaki-Thawgeeuhkuk territory in Michigan at the newly built altar in the Rocky Mountains.

“I pray that my native people would get through the deception about Jesus being white man’s religion and get to the other side,” said Haupt, who believes Christ alone heals the native nations. “We have to somehow bring Him into the very inner circles of our ceremonies,” she said.

Communion and worship sealed the summit on Saturday morning which, by divine orchestration, was Juneteenth (June 19), a federal holiday that commemorates the final vestige of African slavery in Texas.

Dr. Venessa Battle, a ministry leader in Kenya and Liberia, highlighted the prophetic significance of hosting the Re-United as One summit on Juneteenth, a new federal holiday.

“We thank God it [Juneteenth] is in place to celebrate a time when God intervened,” said Battle.

Telling how her ministry broke “a spirit of poverty” off people on the east and west coasts of Africa, Battle incited people in Colorado Springs to give in a spontaneous cash offering that overflowed a wicker basket at Calvary Baptist Church.

Co-founder of the Global and USA Watches, Dr. Susan Rowe said Battle’s testimony of provision in both Liberia and Kenya “is going to produce stewardship where there’s been poverty.”

“There’s a shift of mindset,” said Rowe, a prayer leader and author of prayer and prophetic books, including one that predicted the 9/11 attacks on America.

Rowe issued an exhortation to intercessors to share the goodness of God with their communities when they returned home. “The time is now,” she said.

Mary Faus, an Ojibway Cree from Canada, heads up the Native American Prayer Watch. With USA Watch leaders hosting, the summit was marked by unity, honor and love, she said.

“We came in a place of partnership where the ancient roots of our people—the hosts of the land—were honored,” Faus said. “The person of Yeshua is the living Word in our midst. There’s a connecting of heaven and earth,” she added.

As the Native American Watch host, Faus received a thank-you gift from a member of the Kiowa Apache tribe—a dark blue T-shirt with a white buffalo imprint.

As a charter bus carried intercessors down from the summit of Hoosier Pass, the driver pointed out a white buffalo, which is a good sign to many tribes.

“The return of the white buffalo is a sign that prayers are being heard, a sign of prosperity, plenty and abundance,” Faus said.

Apostles and pastors Jack and Terri Brown, who lead The Table Church in Colorado Springs, prayed for an end to hate before their guests received emblems of Jesus’ broken body and shed blood as a demonstration of His love for all the nations. {eoa}

Steve Rees is a former general assignment reporter who, with one other journalist, first wrote about the national men’s movement Promise Keepers from his home in Colorado. Rees and Promise Keepers Founder Bill McCartney attended the Boulder Vineyard. Today Rees writes in his free time.

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Messianic Rabbi: When Our Worship Isn’t Worship

Sometimes when I read the Bible, I like to imagine that I am standing inside the text, and I try to think what it would have been like or felt like to see and hear the events that I am reading.

For instance, I have tried to imagine what it would have been like to be both inside Noah’s ark and outside of the ark when the rains were flooding the earth. I wondered what it would have been like to watch Moses raise his rod and see the waters of the Red Sea part. I have visualized Samson breaking down the pillars in the Philistine temple.

Another biblical experience I have imagined and tried to place myself into the story is the rebellion of Korach. Recently, I was thinking about this event and once again trying to do so as if I was watching the narrative transpire in front of my eyes. I saw Korach and those men with him walking up to Moses to shout their accusations.

I saw the cloud of G-D’s presence above the heads of Moses and Korach as I thought about the words in Numbers 16:3b: “You’ve gone too far! All the community is holy—all of them—and Adonai is with them! Then why do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of Adonai?”

In the middle of my visualization of Korach’s rebellion, I heard within my heart the words: “Too many believers are siding with Korach today.” This thought shocked me, and I stopped imagining the rebellion of Korach and began to consider Korach’s rebellion and the words he spoke.

First, it is important that we realize that Korach wasn’t trying to lead the children of Israel into harlotry or infant sacrifice. He wasn’t challenging Moses’ military or even governing leadership. Korach was challenging Moses’ spiritual leadership. Look at the accusations being made. Korach said, “Everyone is holy and Ad-nai is with them.”

Korach’s dissent was focused singularly upon the spiritual role that Moses held. Korach challenged Moses as the spiritual leader of the people of G-D by saying: “Everyone is holy,” and Korach’s proof from his statement was: “Ad-nai is with them.”

In other words, Korach’s proof that everyone could worship G-D without Moses’ leadership was that G-D was present. Korach made the same mistake that many believers are making today by confusing G-D’s presence with G-D’s approval.

We forget that it is impossible for G-D not to be present because He is omnipresent, everywhere all the time. We also conflate G-D’s moving in our midst with His agreement with our actions. Don’t forget G-D was visibly present when the Israelites made the golden calf.

The more I thought about this statement made by Korach and the dramatic response G-D had to Korach’s rebellion, the more concerned I became about the statement. I felt so strongly: “Too many believers are siding with Korach today.”

Korach was leading a rebellion of worship. He didn’t want to be the leader; he didn’t want there to be a leader of how to worship G-D. After all, everyone is holy. As I sat there broken in spirit and thinking about Korach’s worship rebellion and his desire to remove Moses’ leadership of worship, two other biblical events popped into my mind.

The first was the story of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16, and the second was the Jerusalem council we read about in Act 15. Within both of these stories, we find similar statements made. In Luke 16:31, we read Yeshua saying:

“But Abraham said, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead!'”

And in Acts 15:19- 21, we read these words from Jacob:

“Therefore, I judge not to trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God—but to write to them to abstain from the contamination of idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what is strangled, and from blood. For Moses from ancient generations has had in every city those who proclaim him, since he is read in all the synagogues every Shabbat.”

While these two events are separate situations, the statements are very similar in that both direct those hearing to Moses. The first says if they do not listen to Moses; the second says they will hear Moses read in synagogue. While it is important to note that all four of the items that Gentiles were to abstain from were parts of pagan worship rituals, the focus should be that they will hear Moses read in synagogue.

Why? Because Moses/Torah was provided to instruct us on how to worship G-D. In reality, the purpose of Torah is to instruct us on how to worship G-D because, in truth, everything we do should be an act of worship, as we read in Colossians 3:23-24:

“Whatever you do, work at it from the soul, as for the Lord and not for people. For you know that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as a reward. It is to the Lord Messiah you are giving service.”

The bottom line is that there are many believers today who have joined the ranks of Korach by deciding they can choose how they want to worship G-D, rather than following Moses. People think of Torah as a list of dos and don’ts, but the truth is that G-D used Moses to lead us in the proper way to worship Him.

If we choose not to follow Moses, we are choosing to follow Korach, and if you read the rest of the story, that doesn’t end well. When we choose to worship G-D our way instead of His way, we change places with G-D. When we choose to worship how we want to, it simply isn’t worship. {eoa}

Eric Tokajer is the author of Overcoming Fearlessness, What If Everything You Were Taught About the Ten Commandments Was Wrong?, With Me in Paradise, Transient Singularity, OY! How Did I Get Here?: Thirty-One Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me Before Entering Ministry, #ManWisdom: With Eric Tokajer, Jesus Is to Christianity as Pasta Is to Italians and Galatians in Context.

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