Glen Hartline

Ex 32:4

And he received the gold from their hand, and he fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a molded calf.

Then they said, “This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!” -NKJV

    Israel’s desire was to worship God. They were not trying to form an idol and worship the gods they had known in Egypt, but desired to worship the One who had led them out of Egypt and out of bondage. They were doing things the only way they knew how, the way they had been taught. They created an image of God to worship and give them an idea of who He is. Unfortunately it was not a true representation. They had created false image that misrepresented God.

    Before we look at Israel with judgment, we need to put the stones down. The vast majority of those that profess to be Christians are doing the same thing Israel did thousands of years before. They may not have fashioned an idol with gold, but have attributed characteristics to God based on what they have been taught and what they think rather than what the Word of God says. Our traditional beliefs and mindsets are fine as long as they are consistent with who the Word of God says He is, and most of what is taught about God today is wrong. I call these areas of wrong theology, traditions, and mindsets that have been created by modern Christianity “Sacred Cows”.

    Now to grow strong we need meat to eat. So in order to grow strong, let us kill just a few “sacred cows” and eat steak!

1. God will not forgive our sins unless we confess them. Jesus entered into the holy place one time and sprinkled the alter with His blood. He does not enter in every time we confess a sin. (Hebrews 9:12) He paid the price, not only for the sins of those that receive Him, but the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:2, Titus 2:11) Jesus paid the price once and for all so that God would be reconciled back to man. (2 Corinthians 5:18-19) The price was paid and the old requirements of the law were fulfilled. We are no longer under the law but under grace, and under grace God does not impute sin unto man. (2 Corinthians 5:19, Romans 5:13, Hebrews 8:12, Hebrews 10:17) So, does that mean everyone is saved? Of course not, we must accept the payment for our sins, reconciling us back to God. God is already dealt with the issue of sin and reconciled Himself back to the world, but that doesn’t mean man has been reconciled back to God. God has forgiven sin, but have we received that payment? One drop of Jesus’ blood was sufficient to pay the price for every sin that was committed or will be committed. Sin is not an issue with God, but it will be with you if you continue in it. Even though sin doesn’t change God’s relationship towards you, it will change your relationship towards Him. It opens the door to satan, allowing him to destroy your life. Sin will bring self condemnation and the hardening of your heart towards God. God will not turn from you, but eventually you will turn from God. So confessing your sin and repenting doesn’t get God to forgive that sin, it does close the door to satan and keeps your own conscious from condemning you. This is really good news! You no longer have to be in bondage to guilt and condemnation! Satan is the one that stands condemned; you have been given eternal life!
   
   
   
2. Sometimes God doesn’t heal because He is teaching us a lesson. First of all, let me just make a personal statement. God is my father, He loves me, I am madly in love with Him, but I wouldn’t want a father that wants to watch me suffer or even die from a disease! Jesus bore the stripes on His body so that we would be healed. (Isaiah 53:5, 1 Peter 2:24, Matt. 8:17) The Bible says that when we confess Jesus as Lord we will be saved. The word saved is “sozo” and means to be completely whole, spiritually and physically. It includes healing as part of being whole. Just as Jesus paid the price for all sin, He also paid the price for all sickness, disease, and anything else that steals our happiness and joy in life. God does not use something to teach us a lesson that caused Him to send His Son to die. Satan is not God’s “messenger boy” he is God’s enemy. I don’t have time here to teach on healing or how to receive but I will say this. Twelve years ago the Lord clearly spoke these words to me. He said, “There is no difference between getting healed and getting saved. You receive your healing the same way you receive salvation.” Just as Jesus has already paid the price for your salvation, He has already healed you. You just have to believe and receive. Just as he doesn’t use sin to teach us a lesson, he doesn’t use sickness or disease.
   
   
   
3. If we don’t repent as a nation God will judge us like Sodom. First of all I realize most of this will sound repetitive, but then it should because it all goes back to Jesus. He did it all, it is all what He did plus nothing. It’s either grace without works or it’s not grace at all. (Romans 11:6) In Luke 2:8-14 we read where the angels are proclaiming Jesus’ birth. Then they praised God and proclaimed peace and goodwill toward men. Some versions say peace among men but this cannot be accurate. Jesus Himself said that He did not come to bring peace between men, but to bring variance between a man and his father, a daughter and her mother, and so on. (Matthew 10:34-36) He declared there will be an increase in wars toward the last days. (Matthew 24:6-8) So the angels couldn’t have been declaring peace among men. They were declaring peace from God to men. Since the law, God had been pouring out wrath and judgment against man’s sin. The angels were declaring that the time of judgment was ending and we were entering an age of peace between God and man. In John 12:28-33 Jesus clearly states that when He was lifted up, He would draw all judgment to Him. I realize that it says all men will be drawn to Him, but men is italicized. That means it wasn’t in the original and was put in by man to try to be grammatically correct. They had enough integrity to italicize it to let you know it had been added by man. If you take men out it reads that He will draw all unto Him. The subject of the previous sentence was about judgment, and that is what He was talking about. The next sentence it says that He said this signifying what death He should die. Jesus was saying that when He is lifted up, like the serpent on the pole, He would draw all judgment to Himself. Romans 8:1-4 it states that sin was condemned in Jesus’ flesh. The word condemned means judged. God poured out the judgment for all sin on Jesus. Jesus took all the judgment, not just some. God will not judge this or any nation for sin because it would say that what Jesus did wasn’t enough. He would be saying that we need to add to Jesus’ sacrifice. It’s either by grace or it’s by works of the law. It can’t be both.
   

Jesus’ sacrifice was sufficient for all sin. God’s wrath and judgment against sin has been satisfied! (Isaiah 53:11) Nothing we do can take away or add to what Jesus has done. It is no longer a question of is He willing. The question now is, “what are you going to do with it?” You can believe and receive, walking in what He has provided; or doubt and do without. We can allow misconceptions of who He is and what He has done keep us in bondage or allow His true nature (TRUTH) set us, and those we come into contact with, free.

Last night I went to a revival to support a few of my friends. These are people who love the Lord with all their heart and have a real desire to see their city and nation changed for God. They have experienced the goodness of God for themselves and desire to see the lives of others changed for the better. But we have been praying and doing revivals, asking God to move on our behalf for years with little or no results. Why do we believe if we keep doing the same thing over and over we will, all of the sudden, get a different result. Will we be able to twist God’s arm or convince Him to move on our behalf by the sheer volume and intensity of our prayers? As you have already guessed; I have a problem with the way things are being done. I do believe in prayer, but prayer done properly, and with authority. The bible never tells us to beg God and hope He delivers. It tells us that He loves us and desires to give us good things. God wants this country revived more than we do. It is not God that is holding back, it is us. He has given all authority and dominion to man. He expects us to administrate His will in this earth through the guidance of the Holy Spirit. We will NEVER get revival by asking, we will only get revival by DOING. Revival is not a spirit, I AM REVIVAL and so are you if you will do what our Lord has commanded you to do. I’m tired of seeing people come to a meeting, get prayed for, and see them leave the same way they arrived. They are told to repent and they ask God to intervene in their lives and meet their need. They yell, holler, and shout that God is going to judge this country if we don’t repent. They tell people unless you repent you are under a curse. They’ve been saying these things for years and sin is more abundant, even in the church. That’s because they know they are sinners, even the unbelievers know that, but condemnation will never bring true repentance. It is the love of God that brings true repentance. Jesus paid the price for their sins, He became the curse for them, and by His stripes we were healed. That is the gospel. That is the good news. Sin is not a problem for God; His Son has already paid the price for all sin, and not only for those saved but for the sin of the whole world. Now I realize we must accept that payment, but it has already been paid. I understand we have to accept the healing, but we’ve already been healed. You can choose to live in sin and allow the devil to destroy your life but that doesn’t mean God is mad at you or is going to punish you or this country. We need to stop condemning people and this country and bring the good news of Jesus to them. Heal the sick, cast out demons, and raise the dead. Show them Jesus loves them and that is what will bring true repentance and revival. Go out and BE REVIVAL! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzoIKkqGbXo

For years I have watched and listened to people cry out for God to pour out His glory (I was one). Crying out and spending hours pleading to God for Him to visit us (I was one). After many years of waiting, and watching and not seeing His glory, I started thinking. If what we are doing is not getting the results we want, then something must be wrong. And if we are not seeing the glory of God manifested after all these years then were does the fault rest?

1. Is God not pouring out His glory because He chooses not to? Does He not want to touch or manifest His presence through signs and wonders to His children? If this is true then He must be saving up this outpouring for a time and place that is unknown to us, and if this is true then no matter how much we pray, fast, and beg, it won’t happen until that appointed time. Or maybe He is waiting for a time when we are more unified and have fasted and prayed enough; When the sum of all our prayers have tilted the scales enough to allow God’s glory to fall.
   
2. Maybe we’ve got this all wrong. Maybe the fault doesn’t fall on God. Maybe it’s our fault and we haven’t been doing things God’s way. If this is true then we need to see what God says about it.
   

Acts 2:16-21

But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

17 ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God,

That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh;

Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,

Your young men shall see visions,

Your old men shall dream dreams.

18 And on My menservants and on My maidservants

I will pour out My Spirit in those days;

And they shall prophesy.

19 I will show wonders in heaven above

And signs in the earth beneath:

Blood and fire and vapor of smoke.

20 The sun shall be turned into darkness,

And the moon into blood,

Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.

21 And it shall come to pass

That whoever calls on the name of the Lord

Shall be saved.’

Here Peter, quoting the prophet Joel and is declaring that God has poured out His glory. If he is saying that they were in the last days, then we are definitely in the last days. If God poured out His glory then, He doesn’t need to pour it out now. We also read in John 17:22 where Jesus says that the glory the Father gave Him, He gave to us.

John 17:22-23

22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: 23 I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

Here we read that not only has the Father already poured out His glory, but that Jesus has given that glory to us who believe! We already have it in us! We can stop asking and begging God to do something He did over 2,000 years ago!

    So you may be asking; “if we already have His glory, how come we aren’t seeing more manifestations of it?” That’s because the glory is in YOU. If you’re not allowing it to flow out, nothing will happen. It’s not about God pouring it out; it’s about you letting it out. The glory of God is here for us to manifest the kingdom of God on this earth. We have been created in Christ Jesus to do good works. (Eph. 2:10) These works will manifest the glory of God on this earth. Out of our bellies should flow rivers of living water (glory). So if you desire to see God’s glory, to see your life and the lives of the people in your community revived, stop asking and begging God. Step out and you manifest the glory of His kingdom on this earth. Then you will see His glory “poured” out, and then you will see REVIVAL.

Gospel of the Kingdom

Rom 1:16-17

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ,* for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”*

Jesus is the sole mediator between God and man, and His sacrifice is all we need. It completely and totally (past, present, future) paid the price for all sin, including the sin of the whole world. (1 John 2:2) Because Jesus paid the price, God is not imputing our sin against us. (Romans 5:13) We don’t go to Hell because of our sin; we go to Hell because we don’t accept Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins. God is not mad at our nation or this world. He is not about to judge this nation or this world. All the wrath of God toward man and his sin was poured out on Jesus at the cross. Jesus took it so we would not have to. If God were to judge the United States for its sins, then He would have to apologize to Jesus. It would mean that Jesus’ sacrifice was not sufficient to pay the price, and that we must also pay. Either Jesus’ sacrifice paid for it all or it paid for none. We are either saved by grace, and that a free gift, or by works which is of the law. I don’t make light of sin but have an understanding of the completeness of Jesus’ sacrifice. It is this revelation of His love and the price He paid that draws men to repentance. (Romans 2:4) It is this love that compels us to hit the streets and proclaim the Kingdom of God to all who are sick, and under the bondage of our sworn enemy, Satan. Jesus Himself said that we were to heal the sick, cast out demons, and cleanse those who have leprosy. (Matt. 10:8; Mark 16:17) He also those that love Him will do all that He commands (John 14:15). If you’re not doing what He has commanded in His word, do you really love Him? I know it can be hard and because of fear we don’t do what we are commanded. Perfect love will cast out all fear. If you know you can heal them, wouldn’t you pray for them? If you understand how horrible hell is, wouldn’t you tell them about Jesus? If you’re reading this you probably say you love Jesus. So if you love Him, then get off your sanctified butt and start acting like the person you are – A SON OF GOD!

I realize that for some this will be hard to receive and that others will all together reject what I’m writing; but if you open your mind and allow the Holy Spirit to confirm it, you will see the truth just as I have. It is never easy when you are confronted with the realization that what you have believed for years, and even devoted your life to is wrong. But if we are honest with ourselves and earnestly seek out the instruction of the Holy Spirit; not allowing our personal theology and mindsets to blind us, He will reveal the truth first to us and then in us. As I recently saw in a vision, we must all step into the fire of the revelation of His love. The revelation of what Jesus accomplished through His stripes, crucifixion, and resurrection. We must renew our minds with the truth of scripture, casting down all mindsets of theology and traditions that exalt themselves above the reality which is in Christ Jesus.

Over 12 years ago the Lord, through visitation, prophetic words, dreams, and visions, and in His word, showed me how His children will be in the last days. I saw a people walking in a level of understanding, power, authority, and a trust in Him that has not been seen on this earth since Adam. At that time I decided to devote myself to allowing the Holy Spirit to teach me so that I could be one of those I was seeing. Even though I was having tremendous experiences with the Lord I was very immature in spiritual matters. Everyone I knew was telling me I needed to serve under someone and allow them to teach me the ways of God. The Holy Spirit was daily telling me that He would teach me all things and lead me into all truth. But because of my immaturity I submitted to the instruction of others whom I believed had a greater understanding of the gifts, and who were more seasoned than I. Even though it is wisdom to seek council and to surround yourself with those you trust to be accountable to and learn from, that should never supersede or take the place of the instruction of the Holy Spirit. Because of that decision, my vision for what God wanted to do with me and in me was lost to the theological beliefs and mindsets of those around me; most who had beliefs in many ways contrary to what the Holy Spirit had taught me. Because of that decision I lost 10 years of walking with God the way He wanted me to, and it nearly cost me the relationship with Him I’m called to walk in. Approximately 18 months ago the Lord started gently reminding me of the precious times we used to have and how much He missed them. I have once again started fanning the flame of passion for Him, and during this time He is bringing back all that He showed me. Here is a brief glimpse of some of the truth He has shown me.

When Jesus came to earth it was not just to reconcile man back to God. That was just the way to get us to His true goal. God has always desired to have children that choose to love Him and that would administrate His kingdom into this earth. Jesus did not come to show us what God can do on this earth; but what man, filled with the Spirit of God, can do on this earth. He desires to have children that will subdue and have dominion on this earth; to bring the Kingdom of Heaven into this world. To be the gods of this world. (King of Kings and Lord of Lords) We are one spirit with Him (1Cor. 6:17) and as He is so are we in this age! (1Jn. 4:17) If you are a child of God then you are presently sitting at the right hand of the Father in Christ Jesus.  We are sitting in that position will all the power and authority of He who sits on the throne. Our Father, who has absolute power, chose to relinquish that power in this earth and give it to man. When God rested on the seventh day He was finished with all His creation on this earth. Anything that has been created after Adam was given authority has been created by man. God placed the spirit of life in man and now we have the ability to create true spirit life. We choose if we will create a child (body, soul, spirit), and by our actions life is created. Animal can create a living being, but not a being with a soul and a spirit. God created man in His image and we can create in that same image. Do you realize that God even required man to create Jesus’ body? Now as a spirit Jesus is without beginning, but His body had to be created; and God gave that power to man. And since Jesus would be born of a virgin, man would have to create that body in a different way. So God, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, had man speak out (prophesy) everything Jesus would be and do. Then when all was spoken an angel appeared to Mary and then every prophetic utterance concerning Jesus was gathered together and place into Mary with the Holy Spirit brooding over her. Then the Word became flesh. Just as God spoke all things into existence, so He had man speak Jesus’ body into existence so that the Word would become flesh and dwell among us. Are you starting to understand the authority He has given us through Jesus? And with authority comes responsibility. In John 17 Jesus says that He has given us the glory that the Father gave Him. He not only shares His glory with man, He gave man His glory, now we must use it to glorify HIM.

So how do we glorify Jesus? It is real easy, Jesus told us what to do in John 20:23 and Mark 16:15-18. In John He states that as the Father sent Him, so He is sending us. And in Mark He says:

5 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

He never told us to sit around and pray that He would change the situation we are in. He never told us to pray and ask Him to set our neighbor free. He told us to go and use the authority and power He gave to us. We are to speak to the situation and demand it change, or break the power over our neighbor with the word of God. We are to heal the sick, not wait on Him to do it. We are to set the captives free, not sit around fasting and begging God to do what He has given us the power and authority to do. The reality is that everything is already done through the stripes, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus. He has already done it; we’ve just got to walk it out, to enforce it. To ask God to please heal someone, when He has already healed them makes no sense. We should go lay hands on them and know that they will recover. It’s not God’s unwillingness to heal; it’s our unbelief and religious traditions that keep people sick and hurt. It’s easy to blame God for someone not being healed when in reality it’s our fault. I realize that may sound harsh, but He told us to heal the sick, not pray and ask Him to heal them. He has already done it; will you step out and believe? We are not waiting on God to release a healing power. He released it over 2,000 years ago when by His stripes we were healed. Again we just enforce it.

    So if you are waiting on some special anointing or for God to pour out His glory so that you can see miracles or revival– STOP! Step out and allow the glory He poured out into you to invade this earth. Allow the rivers of His glory to flow out of your belly and declare that the kingdom of God is at hand. Then heal the sick, cast out demons, and raise the dead!

The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath (Mark 2:27)

We first get introduced to the Sabbath in Genesis when we read how God created the earth, every living creature, and man in six days. It was actually at the end of the sixth day that man was created. It says that after that, on the seventh day, God rested. It was this time after He had created everything for man, and provided for Adam and Eve there every need, that He rested. Adam and Eve could begin their existence knowing that their Father had anticipated everything they would need and provided for them. This is the Sabbath; it is a covenant from God to man, not a day. He was saying, Adam, you will enter into this rest with me, you will have dominion over all the earth, and you will not have to toil for the benefits. This rest was lost through sin, and because of the law, religion has tried to make the Sabbath works. Religion says that unless you keep the Sabbath (a day) you will not be blessed by God. That you cannot work (defined by each religious group) and this day because it is the Lord’s day. Meanwhile ignoring the fact that every day is the Lord’s day, and we are to worship Him, honor Him, and fellowship with Him every day. He did not walk with Adam and Eve in the cool of the morning on Sundays, or Saturdays only. He walked with them in the cool of the day every day. Making the Sabbath specific day has changed a covenant of rest and provision into a religious obligation. David, because of his intimate relationship with God, knew of this covenant. He foresaw it being re-established through Jesus, and because of that dared to enter into the temple and eat the showbread. Jesus understood His father’s heart and the purpose of the Sabbath. That is why He had no problem with His disciples “working” on the Sabbath which is contrary to religious law. He understood that God had established the Sabbath as a covenant of promise that He meets all our needs. Today when we accept Jesus as savior and Lord of our lives, we too can step into this Sabbath rest. Like Adam and Eve before us, God has already provided our every need through Christ Jesus. Trust God, step into His rest.

The early part of 2000, the Lord started showing me and speaking to me about a group of people, a remnant that He was calling forth. This remnant would gain a greater understanding of our authority and power in Christ Jesus. They would begin to walk in that authority and power and it would be a light to the world. This light would not only draw the unsaved to Jesus but would serve as a contrast between what man has called the church and what God calls the church. Many that are held in bondage to man’s religion will see the light and liberty that this remnant will walk in and will break free to run back to their first love. Much of the calling of this remnant is to turn the hearts of the children back to the father. The remnant will not only teach on the Father’s extravagant love but will demonstrate it. They will minister as ones with both authority and power.

I realize that many are prophesying this now, and this seems a little after the fact. This however, is not my reason for writing. For over ten years I have been waiting to see the manifestation of this group. Waiting for the time appointed by God to bring this remnant forth. Seeking God and praying, trying to rid myself of anything that would keep me from stepping into my calling. Waiting for the “sign” or the timing. Then about 6 months ago God started in various ways showing me that while I, and many others, have been “preparing” for this time, we allowed it to pass us by. He showed me that I had basically wasted the last ten years of my life. Now He did it slow, because this was extremely hard for me to take. But it was necessary.

Just like when He had to speak to me in an audible voice in 1998, calling me to serve Him, because I had ignored the gentle callings for years. He is now dealing with me because I missed it before and He doesn’t want me to miss it again. Years ago when He was instructing me about the remnant and His sons beginning to manifest, it wasn’t a teaching but a call to action. To step out and believe Him for what He was promising and for what Jesus had done. Not part way, but in every way. I taught this message, declared it, and prayed to see God bring it into being. I did everything that religion tells you to do, but I failed to put action to my words. In the same way, He is declaring His desires through words given by many different people. This isn’t just a declaration of what He wants to occur, it is a call to action. We must not miss this, and if we don’t step out and start acting like the sons of God we are called to be we will miss it. Not that the call and desires of God will be revoked, but our sensitivity to the calling and to the spirit will be dulled. Now is the time for action. Let’s not sit around having meetings and gatherings just declaring what God’s will is, let us put action to God’s will. Let’s not just be hearers of the word, but doers also.