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Colossians 1:9-13 " 9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard [it], do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;
12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: 13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated [us] into the kingdom of his dear Son: "

THERE IS A WALK THAT IS PLEASING TO GOD THAT IS FRUITFUL IN EVERY GOOD WORK THAT INCREASES YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND SPIRITUAL STRENGTH.  YOU AND I CAN HAVE THIS WALK WITH GOD!

There is a walk of joy and power that you can have as a Child of God that most Christians frankly do not have. You see, you can be born again and not have the victory. The victory is in walking with Jesus ! The victory is in the faith in Jesus ! You need a walk in the Spirit with Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 2:5-6 " 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6 And hath raised [us] up together, and made [us] sit together in heavenly [places] in Christ Jesus: "

There is a quickening... He has made us alive again.... there is an energy to do something that lets us sit in heavenly places with Jesus.

But that kind of walk isn't the only walk we see in the church world. Many who are in the church... both those who are just in church but not born again, and even many who are born again, do not have a walk that is pleasing to God. They are not walking in power.

LET'S LOOK AT THE 4 KINDS OF BEHAVIOUR YOU SEE IN CHURCH BESIDES THE WALKERS, FIRST THERE IS THE GAWKERS !

Many come to church and sort of just sit there. They don't get involved in the altar service, and they are hard to get to worship in the worship service, and while the preaching is going on they kind of just stare out at you... sometimes with their arms crossed and you wonder what is going on through their mind.

There is an air of not caring, of having a convenient relationship with God. Many of us have fallen asleep in these last days, and there is a spirit of unconcern that is gripping many. The presence of the Lord can be manifesting in your midst, and you still don't worship.

1 Thessalonians 5:5-6 " 5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as [do] others; but let us watch and be sober"
 

Ephesians 5:14 " Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. "

If it is convenient we will come to church... even if the presence of God is strong. If it is convenient we will worship and if not, or if the worship isn't just what we prefer it to be, we will just sit there. If it is convenient we will get into the preaching and teaching, and if it is something we don't like, we will reject it. If it is convenient, we will answer the call of the Spirit and get into the altar... or maybe not.

You never know what's on a gawker's mind, because there's not enough commitment to see !

THE SECOND CLASS IN THE CHURCH ARE THE TALKERS. THE TALK A GOOD TALK BUT THERE IS NO FOLLOW THROUGH. THERE ARE NO WORKS TO FOLLOW THEIR KIND OF FAITH.

James 1:22 " But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. "

James 2:18 " Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. "

James 2:26 " For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. "

You aren't saved by works, but if you are saved it is as natural for them to come because you are a new creature created unto good works.   There are works involved in this relationship with God.

Ephesians 2:8-10 " 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. "

Sometimes it is easy to say, let's do this and let's do that. But when it comes to not only putting up our money, but our time and efforts and hearts into it, we come up short. Some people can talk a good talk, but when it comes time to be there to do the work they can't be found.

When we have the heart of Jesus, we will give. You cannot love without giving. When the time to tithe and give comes up, we will put up. When time to come and lift one another up comes up, we'll put up. When time to open a new ministry... maybe knocking on doors, we will put up.

When it comes time to start something new, sometimes the 20 or 30 who committed to do it ends up being 3 or 4 who really are committed. We need to count the cost before we say that we will support something for God.  But if we have the love of Jesus energizing us, then we will go for it and follow through.

Luke 14:27-28 " 27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. 28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have [sufficient] to finish [it]? "
 

THE SQUAWKERS.... YOU'RE NOT DOING IT MY WAY SO I WILL RESIST YOU. I DON'T LIKE WHAT'S GOING ON HERE AND I'M GOING TO LET EVERYONE KNOW ABOUT IT.
 

So, we come to the "Pastor's buddy":  the squawkers!

I believe that there are people who think that it is their job in the body of Christ to resist the pastor, the teachers, the worship leaders, the men's council and everything else that goes on in church unless it is done their way. It probably is their job; only God isn't the one who gave it to them.

There is a last days spirit of Jezebel that is infiltrating the church that says, do it my way. It will complain and murmur against the leadership and everything that God is doing. You can have healings and it will get up and complain about how it was done and it don't work that way.

I literally saw a few years ago a sight that I would have been happier not seeing.  I witnessed 2 or 3 families in a church that would literally become angry is someone was born again in a service and storm out because of the person coming to the Lord.  And they did it each time someone was born again.  They got angry that God was saving someone because things were not going their way.  Sin will make you foolish!

1 Samuel 15:23 " 23 For rebellion [is as] the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness [is as] iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from [being] king. "

"It won't work, we tried that before." " All that pastor wants is his way..." no, I want God's way! "It's too hot, it's too cold, the music's not loud enough, it's too loud." " Pastor preaches too long, he preaches too hard," " he's too ugly to be pastor." " He's too good looking to be pastor." It doesn't matter, this attitude will rise up against everything.

They squawk about everything.

Jude 1:16 " These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling [words], having men's persons in admiration because of advantage. " - they are political... they have clicks, and complain about everything else.

Squawkers are perpetually unhappy unless they have the attention of others !


THE WALKERS: THEY TALK THE TALK, BUT THEY ALSO FOLLOW THROUGH AND WALK THE WALK.

You can walk in the Spirit, and you can walk in the strength and power of the Lord being pleasing unto Him in your walk. When faith rises up and you act upon it, you please God...

2 Corinthians 5:7 " (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) "

Jesus told the 500 to go and tarry at Jerusalem until the promise of the Holy Ghost came... one quarter of them or about 120 of them made it to Jerusalem. I don't know how many gawkers, talkers, squawkers that he had there in that 500, but I do know that He had about 120 walkers.

God took the walkers and built a church with them.... we are here to day because of those in the upper room. We in the Protestant circles can thank such reformers like Martin Luther, and John Wesley for helping the church get more scripturally aligned. And we in the Pentecostal movements can thank the movers 100 years ago in Azuza Street and Cane Creek for getting a hunger for more of God and following through and receiving the Empowering Baptizing of the Holy Ghost.

We need to get past the I'm in it for the blessing, or I'm here for curiosity, and get to become a walker..... someone who walks with power and purpose in the Spirit.

Galatians 5:16 " [This] I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. "

Galatians 5:25 " If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. "

Be a walker in the Spirit and not a talker only....

James 1:23-25 " 23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: 24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. 25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth [therein], he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. "
 

James Dale Coldiron
Voice of the Watchman
and Warriors of God

Copyrighted © 2004 by James Coldiron and Voice of the Watchman
Textual part of the message may be freely reproduced and shared as long as
these notices are kept intact.  For copies of the audio portion, contact me at firestorm_five@yahoo.com