Newsletter for Apr 2012
Jim Martin Ministries/Grace Ministries international
4184 East Patterson Dayton, OHiO 45430
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All Rights Reserved
www.jmmgrace.com
Dear Friends,
Recently I was ministering in Canada when the Lord gave me the following prophetic word:
What you believe is based upon what you think. What you think is based upon what you have chosen to receive. This is why so many Christians and so many churches embrace wrong doctrine.
What you think and what you believe directly impact your faith. You cannot live by faith unless you are living by a contextual understanding of God's word. Otherwise, you are living by a hope that has no foundation in the Kingdom of God.
A person can be born again and Spirit-filled for 30 years, have attended 10 different churches, gone to every revival and crusade that comes near the area, have served in several capacities in the churches attended, been used in the gifts of the Spirit, and even have pastored a church, but still be extremely spiritually immature. Christians nearly always define spiritual maturity according to a standard not established by God. Far too many of you believe a demonstration of power is a confirmation of maturity; but rarely are you spiritually mature enough to discern the source of the power being demonstrated. Did I not warn that in the last days false prophets would demonstrate false signs and wonders? Did I not say that if it is possible, even the very elect would be deceived?
A mature Christian is a discerning Christian, for there is no such thing as the gift of discernment; it is the result of a mature, born again spirit that has been developed in a Believer. You are much too quick to regard preachers as being highly esteemed in my kingdom because they have large ministries, big churches, a broad media presence, and numerous books to their credit. But I want you to know that the preachers who truly are highly esteemed and respected in my kingdom are those who do my will and preach truth, whether you know their names or not. After all, which do you think means more: a preacher's earthly popularity, or one who walks daily in the favor and exaltation of the Father?
But sadly, the world's standards have become my church's standards and I have watched as so many of you are blindly following modern-day scribes, Pharisees, priests of temples of error, prophets of self-promotion and fleshly anointing, and doctrines of religious foolishness, all of which are keeping you locked-up in a spiritual Corinth of gross immaturity. So many of you have minds that are corrupted from years of listening to sermons which were never birthed of my Spirit, but seemed to make some sort of human religious logic. When will you stop being influenced by the winds of every 'new thing' which sweeps through my church like an unfettered wave of the sea?
Did I not say that the man who builds his house on the rock of my sayings will endure every storm? Notice I said that he has to build his house on the rock of my sayings, not on the experience or observation of signs, wonders, visitations by angels, and manifestations of the supernatural. Listen to what I say: there is no genuine spiritual stability in any church, ministry, preacher or Believer where signs, wonders, visitations by angels, and manifestations of the supernatural are a focal point. These things cannot produce a mind wherein the mind of Christ dominates or a spirit wherein there is great maturity; rather, they produce an imbalance where human reasoning and doctrinal error dominate.
Study my life on earth in the four Gospels and the lives of the Apostles in the rest of the New Testament. Yes, power and anointing operated, but the focal point was always on the Word of God. Our goal was to lead people into a deeper walk with the Father, not hold services that resembled circus side-shows run by religious hucksters selling snake oil anointing. I pointed people to the Father and the Apostles pointed people to me; none of us pointed people to angels or strange behavior and manifestations. We focused on truth.
You look too much to man and not enough to me. After all, doesn't my word admonish you to look unto me, the Author and Finisher of your faith? Too many of you have become enamored with various prophetic and apostolic movements which have done nothing but introduce the strange fires of doctrinal error and led many Believers astray. I would ask: Why is my word not enough for you? Why is fellowship with the Holy Spirit not sufficient? Why do you believe you can mature spiritually in me without my word or the Holy Spirit? Why is submitting to the shepherding of a spiritually mature pastor not a priority?
I tell you that you need to sever the ties with those ministries which are not rooted and grounded in my word. You will only find stability in my word, not in the theatrics of shallow religion. You also need to closely guard your heart concerning other Christians with whom you fellowship: do not allow outwardly-impressive but inwardly lacking people sow their words of self-approved doctrine into your heart and mind. As I have said in my word, know those who labor among you.
Study my word to know what is in my word. Then, receive only that which is in my word. Mature in me and know my fellowship.
After I returned home, God gave another powerful word at the beginning of a Sunday morning service:
I've said in my word the days would come when the hearts of many would wax cold. Sadly, too many in my Church have believed that prophecy has to do with those in the world. But I say that the days are here when the hearts of many in my Church will wax cold.
My word contains many prophecies about things to come. If you will look at the world, you will see that even now Syria is on the brink of total collapse and absolute disaster. I foretold this through both Jeremiah and Isaiah. I described events that would take place in Damascus, and you are seeing those events take place in the nation of Syria. I said it will fall. Mark my words, great change is coming to that nation. It signals that you are closer to the end than ever before.
I also said that the hearts of many would wax cold. If you will think back ¯ even in this place [Grace Christian Center] ¯ I warned you in a prophecy that an attack was coming. It would be an attack to separate many from the work that I am doing. You are the witnesses of the manifestation of this attack.
>I warned you at that time to guard your hearts. I warned you at that time to prepare yourselves spiritually for that attack. Many did not; and many who didn't are now going through a period of time in their lives that represents great struggle. They don't even recognize the struggle, and it would not be wise on your part to try and define the struggle. But it is happening. Hearts are growing cold.
Even in this place, those who remain, there are those of you who no longer value the time of pre-service worship as you once did. You no longer value the time of praise and worship during the services as you once did. I challenge you this day to examine your heart; take a very hard look at where you are with me. For you see, a heart does not grow cold overnight; it takes time for this to happen. That is why I warned you and gave you advance notice that this was going to happen. I left it up to you to prepare yourself for this attack.
Your enemy has made inroads. This can be stopped and it can be turned. You can fight the battles through prayer, but you cannot change the attitude of another person. I did not call you to worry about those who have left; I called you to conform to the image of my Son. I did not say you are not to pray for those who have left; but I did not call you to worry over them, for that is another distraction of the enemy he is trying to impose upon your life.
I ask you to consider my Son. There were many, many people following Him. But there came a time when they did not appreciate the truth that He was sharing because they could not mentally figure it out. Instead of searching the Law and the Prophets, and instead of going to Him and asking for greater clarification, they just made the decision, "It's time to leave." They made that decision based on a religious mindset that said Jesus was wrong and that they were right.
They did not turn their backs on God, but they turned their backs on truth. When they left Jesus that day, they believed they were right. The very next Sabbath they were in the synagogue (or), they were in the temple; they were singing to me and praising me, believing that everything was okay, in spite of the fact they had walked away from truth.
Now I say to you, there is a great rumbling taking place in the spirit. The warfare is intensifying and I give you another warning this day. You may (become) a victim; you may succumb to this battle. I am not speaking specifically or exclusively of succumbing physically and dying ¯ although that could happen. I am speaking of your heart becoming cold and you not even realizing it.
I tell you this day, do not take lightly the things I've said in my word. Take me seriously; for I am telling you now, you are a target of the enemy and he is coming after you. I tell you this now to give you ample opportunity to not only guard your heart, but to get back on track where you once were. If you don't watch out, he will take you out. So hear me and hear me now: this is very, very serious. But the choice is yours and I cannot make it for you. All I can do is tell you what will happen if you make the wrong choice.
There are those who do not believe the prophecies that went forth before and they have suffered for it. Satan wants you to be in a comfort zone of self-confidence; I want you to be in a comfort zone of confidence in me. If your confidence is not in me, then that in which you have placed your confidence is going to fail you.
So do not worry about those who have made the wrong decision. Take heed unto yourselves to stay focused on me and to develop yourselves spiritually more than you ever have. If you do, you will stand strong in the days of trial.
So hear what I have to say and take it to heart. Do not take it lightly. Apply this to your life and I will be your ever-present help in a time of trouble.
The first prophecy in this letter is from a new series I taught while in Canada. The title of it is, Transformed to the Mind of Christ. This series is now available on an MP3 CD. If you would like to have a copy, complete the order form on the next page.
In closing, I encourage you to press deeper into your relationship with Jesus. His life and His word are the two stabilizing factors you need to make it every day!
Yours in His Love!
Jim
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