Are You Travailing In The Spirit?

I received this email in response to my Radio Invitation Post from what I consider to be a very astute responder.(by the way I will place the interview on the blog as soon as I am able) This was the comment:

"Pastor Burnett, is it just my imagination, or has something really serious happened to the church during this election? I have never seen so many mean spirited Saints as now. They use very awful names to refer to other Saints who are not voting for Obama. I actually heard one of our deacons say "in church" that he "can't stand that Palin" - even though she names the name of God just like he does. It is as if the Saints have been "gassed" or something. They refuse to hear ANYTHING negative about Mr Obama, but speak so awful about the others. I've even heard Pastors laughing about how Palin "claims to be some kind of Christian - Did y'all see that picture of her hanging in front of that house? ha ha ha! " Can you please give some perspective on this? I am so burdened by what I'm seeing. I can't help but believe that our leaders are going to pay a big price for some of the things they've done, condoned and said this year. Please address this if you can. Otherwise, I'll try to listen to your radio interview." ~ Corrie Richards Nov. 1st 5:26 PM

To Corrie and others that are feeling, witnessing and experiencing the same or similar things,

Your observations are exactly on point. The Spirit of the spiritual man/woman travails due to what is happening in the land. We are in the middle of a TOTAL paradigm shift of values and cultural change. This is similar to the D-Day invasion of WWII only in this case Christianity and it's principles are being overrun. Make no doubt that the CHURCH will prevail as Jesus promised but there is a sifting among leadership, followers and believers in the land.

John 16: 20-22 ~ 20-Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. 21-A woman when she is in travail (Tikto-metaph. to bear, bring forth) hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. 22-And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.

The leaders "so called" who have allowed and ushered in the deception of the ages and have also perpetrated lies in secret upon the people will cause our nation to pay the price for their sin, false leadership and indiscretion.

Isa. 9:16-17 ~ "16-For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed. 17-Therefore the Lord shall have no joy in their young men, neither shall have mercy on their fatherless and widows: for every one is an hypocrite and an evildoer, and every mouth speaketh folly. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still."

This has little to do with Barack Obama or John McCain for that matter. It has everything to do with leadership that has allowed the enemy to seduced the minds of the people with their assistance both actively by saying things such as you've witnessed and passively by creating an aura of silence. This has happened to many in the pulpit and to many in the the secular world by the masses. Additionally, so far as the church is concerned exclusively, this has everything to do with the apostasy and heretical teaching that has taken place within the realms and confines of what has traditionally been called "Holy". Our decisions are now being made based on personality, history, relationship, and association. Promises of grandeur, and being or becoming a part of history is often cited as the reasons to promote and stand by ideologies that we know, from minimal biblical reading, are absolutely contrary to the nature and will of God and totally destructive to the community at large and more specifically the black community in particular. The biblical basis for relationship is non-existent in most quarters and has been replaced by what one wishes or chooses to see and be engaged with, rather than by what is TRUTH without compromise.

In my upcoming book, Ministering Effectively, I actually deal with this very subject. As found and explained within scripture and referenced in the book of Revelation, it's called adherence to the "Doctrine Of Baalim" (Rev. 2:4). I wrote this:

"What has arisen is a doctrine of Baalim that is being taught by secular mega-stars and mega-church guru’s. This doctrine places saint and sinner on the same platform and receives from each fountain as it pertains to what "self" needs. This doctrine uses the bible as a means to an end with no consideration for adhering to the standards of it’s message. The doctrine of Baalim, blesses what God has cursed, reaps where it has not sown, and seizes control of spirits and minds by means of smooth talking, personalities that are larger than life promising great associations and fame. One thing is for sure, to follow the doctrine of Baalim ends in hopelessness, despair and utter destruction." ~ Pastor H. Burnett, "Ministering Effectively" 2008 Dunamis Publishing Pg. 22 [manuscript copy]

Similar to the tribe of Dan, (1 Kings 12: 25-33) today's church has erected it's own brand of Golden Calfs to replace the God of the Bible, and has offered sacrifice upon the alter of flesh, pride, arrogance and self-centeredness. The WORD of Truth within the church has become secondary to self-perceptions and social affirmations of the populace. Motivational speaking has replaced the gospel proclamation of truth and righteousness and declarations of "friendship" has become the gauge whereby ministry is judged among men.

So Corrie, you're not seeing things and you're not having some type of mental delusion. You are seeing plainly what many are refusing to see, because they are yet connected to this world, and similar to the "Matrix" would rather live apart from true spiritual reality.

What is interesting here is just like we travail over what is happening, the righteous are coming out with a new determination, a new dedication, and a new fruitfulness that will shape the future of their lives and the life of the community in which we exist. This is true decision time as the truth is being revealed. (read Psalms 91)

The questions are: will we continue to support and be a part of ministries that have allowed themselves to be overtaken and overrun by the enemy? Is it good enough for us to remain a part of apostate ideals and value systems as they have revealed themselves in many of our top leaders? These ideals and commentaries have arisen to reveal and illuminate the righteous as to who is actually a follower of Christ. Because there is a birth at the same time there is pain, those of us who see what is happening and understand what we are witnessing will run on to be the next generation of vessels fit for the master's use.

2 Tim. 2:19-21 ~ "19-Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. 20-But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. 21-If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work."

Yes this is a revealing time and Tuesday Nov. 4th will reveal even more than we see now. More so, the next few years will be further reaching and revealing as we experience an agenda that will be crafted by apostates and sealed with secularism.

Luke 22:31-32 ~ "31-And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: 32-But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren."

Blessed!

Sorry for an earlier version--I forgot to use spell-check-(LOL)

Read more!

When Worlds & World Views Collide

When there are two worlds moving in vastly opposite directions there will be controversy. We have all been made aware of the "watch woman" of the great northern state of Alaska, Vice Presidental hopeful, Governor Sarah Palin.

I wish to stop for a minute to affirm that this blog is not about the choice of political candidates this November. Although I have discussed problems associated with Senator Barack Obama's candidacy, I will not render equal time to Senator John McCain because I believe the problems he poses are far too many to innumerate at the moment. I will say however that he (Senator McCain) should be ashamed for taking what I feel is a good and sincere woman and attempting to use her as a pawn for votes. With that said, I'll get to the point of my article.

The firestorm began when MSNBC TV host/commentator or whatever he claims to be, Keith (Dry Bag-O-Bones)Olbermann decided to "expose the truth" about Vice Presidential hopeful Sarah Palin. In his TV "expose" he suggested that Mrs. Palin was a religious fanatic because she had been blessed by and was excited about a Pastor from Kenya, Africa named Bishop Thomas Muthee.

“We prayed, we fasted, the Lord showed us a spirit of witchcraft resting over the place,” ~ Bishop Thomas Muthee

Under normal circumstances, there would be no problem with any of this as we have noticed consistent religious questioning and supposed revelations on both sides of these campaigns from beginning until now. However, in this case Bishop Murthee, outlined in detail his spiritual views and biblical interpretations regarding his actions within his community.

In summary, the Bishop claimed that in 1989 God led he and his late wife to the town of Kiambu, Kenya where he founded Word Of Faith Church also called The Prayer Cave to address the spiritual cause of mysterious deaths that were occurring. God responded by leading him to a woman called "Mama Jane" and revealed that she was a "witch" divining and controlling the city with her craft. Mama Jane ran a center called the Emmanuel Clinic and made her profit by fortune-telling. He testified that he asked "Mama Jane" to quit her craft and repent to no avail. He then went back to his church continuing in fasting and prayer and verbalized that they as a church were in spiritual warfare against the principality of evil, and "Mama Jane" was the primary instrument that was being used of the devil. In fact the Bishop offered scripture as a foundation and basis for addressing the issue:

Ephes. 6:12 ~ "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."

Ultimately the church undertook round-the-clock prayer and intercession in the basement of a grocery store and "eventually", says the pastor, “the demonic influence – the ‘principality’ over Kiambu –was broken”, and Mama Jane fled the town.

Now, of course, this is way too much for the uninitiated and the unregenerate to digest. In fact most scriptural fundamentalists shy away from the thought that God will "speak" and give instructions according to HIS spiritual leading and that we actually ARE in war with spiritual and unseen forces and powers. The antisupernaturalist and metaphysical naturalist "supposedly" only believe what they can see and measure through scientific methodology. These events however, have made Governor Palin suspect in the minds of the naturalist and theistic fundamentalist and guilty of spiritual delusion by association. What association?

Well, it just so happens that Bishop Murthee gave about 10 sermons at governor Palin's church. At The Wasilla Assembly of God on June 8 this year, Mrs Palin described how Bishop Thomas Muthee had laid his hands on her when he visited the church as a guest preacher in late 2005, prior to her successful gubernatorial bid. He prayed for her finances and her success in obtaining the position and she was encouraged to proceed against the odds and won.

The problem is that because the Bishop is not ashamed of the bible and its message he has suffered at the hands of critics. Sarah Palin, no doubt at the pressure of political advisers, has disassociated herself from her church and claimed up regarding bishop Murthee. What is astounding is that many of the critics also claim salvation. One thing is certain, most if not all of the critics don't know about spiritual warfare in countries similar to Africa. Bill Donohue said,

"Witchcraft is a sad reality in many parts of Africa, resulting in scores of deaths in Kenya over the past two decades. Bishop Muthee’s blessing, then, was simply a reflection of his cultural understanding of evil. While others are not obliged to accept his interpretation, all can be expected to respect it. More than that—Muthee should be hailed for asking God to shield Palin from harmful forces, however they may be manifested. And for this he is mocked and Palin ridiculed?"..."We know that many cultural elites have a hard time embracing religion, but is it too much to ask that they at least show some manners when discussing subjects which most Americans hold dear?”~ Bill Donohue The Catholic League

Secondly, too many individuals, Christian and non-Christian, don't have a clue as to what the bible teaches about witches, diviners and mediums:

Deut. 18:9-14 ~ "9-When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations. 10-There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, 11-Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. 12-For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee. 13-Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God. 14-For these nations, which thou shalt possess, hearkened unto observers of times, and unto diviners: but as for thee, the LORD thy God hath not suffered thee so to do."

Third, there are individuals and groups that operate in principalities that rule and govern certain areas and communities many claiming to have communion with Christ. Isaiah speaks against those that use the WORD of God as a validation for their evil practices:

Isa. 8:19-20 ~ "19-And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead? 20-To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them."

I have my own personal experience in addressing the Principalities that exist in certain communities. (Pastor H. Burnett of New Bethel COGIC & Pastor Bob Randle of Higher Dimensions Worship Ctr. pictured)

In 2007 in the City of Peoria, Illinois the murder rate was on pace to set a city record. per capita, the rate was higher than the much larger city Chicago and the year was not half way over. The Lord instructed me to organize a community march and rally against violence with one exception that was different than any other effort taking place. I was to gather the Pastoral community and ask them to lead the community in this march and rally and in prayer representing taking the lead in spiritual warfare.

The week of June 25th 2007 there were 3 murders in the city. That Saturday June 30th, Christians from all over the city met at 8:30 AM in front of City Hall. The Mayor, City Councilpersons, and other city administrators were present voluntarily. Before we marched, we had prayer and scripture reading and I made certain declarations and proclaimations as follows:

• We declared the Liberty and freedom from the oppression of the spiritual power that was endangering our children and causing fear within the community.
• We declared that the power of the enemy displayed through crime and violence would be brought under subjection and stamped out.
• we declared that the Christian community would gain strength, and rise to combat the enemy


• We declared that we would march as representative to taking back our community from the hands of the devil himself.


• I read this scripture: James 5:16 ~ "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."

I was in recognition that we were dealing with a principality that wanted to destroy our community. Even though no single individual was responsible for the problems, we looked beyone the natural to see what we were dealing with spiritually. We addressed the problem directly. I still believe in pulling down and destroying "strong holds" Our event led to other events some of which which we sponsored. Additionally the city gathered themselves in prayer vigils throughout the community culminating in a 40 days of prayer celebration led by various churches and groups. Those prayer meetings yet continue to this day.

Result:

To THIS DAY, there has never been another week like the week of June 25th 2007 in Peoria, IL. In fact, crime in most categories is more that 60% LESS than it was last year. The murder rate has decreased by 75% and is not even potentially what it was previously.

What happened? To the skeptic, it's all coincidental. However to those of us who know better and have open eyes to the battle that we really fight, we dealt with and gained the victory over a principality, power and spiritual wickedness that tried to choke out our community. Plain and simple. To the religious critic I simply ask who's side are you really on? To criticize an individual for applying the bible and biblical instruction to an area where obvious spiritual warfare is essential is similar to a Sadducee in Jerusalem on the Passover---You just refuse to participate...But I ask this:

Exodus32:26 ~ "Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the LORD’S side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him"

I gladly clash with the culture to be on the Lord's side. The secular critic can criticize all he or she wants but the proof is in the metheod, which is the WORD, the events which destroy yokes off of the lives of the people and the results, which change communities, families and restores hope. All the natural programs in the world won't change the heart of an individual, only God can do that, and he does it by the power of HIS Spirit. Jesus is Lord!

Blessed!

Read more!