Erroneous Pathways

Topic: Erroneous Pathways

Greetings Firstborn Sons:

In as much as there is a "path" to spiritual immunity there are many paths of the unrighteous that they walk and how do we know this:

Matthew 7:13,14:  Enter ye in at the strait gate for wide is the gate and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction and many there be which go in thereat:  Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. 

The reason the path to spiritual immunity and everlasting life is narrow and few find it because it requires submission, obedience and most of all self denial to walk.  Self-denial is the biggest one because to be like Christ is to be selfless and love is selfless and places one in a extremely vulnerable position.  Many to seek their own provision and protection and at all cost, no matter what it takes or who it affects or hurts they will take care of number one.  This is the hallmark sign of a orphan, a fatherless individual.   But let's look at some erroneous pathways:

1. Way of Cain - Angry, Jealous and Murderous, toward their brother without cause

2. Way of Balaam - Ministry for Money

3. Way of Kora - Rebellion against Godly Leadership

4. Way of Ahab and Jezebel - Seeking to Control People

5. Way of Jeroboam - Seeking Isolation, Denying Godly Order 

6. Kings of Israel - Idolatry     

Jude 11:  Woe unto them! for they have gone the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward and perished in the gainsaying of Core

We must be conscious that we are not walking in any of these paths and understand it is very easy to get caught on these paths.  This is why the Bible tells us the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and wisdom is the principle thing!  There are many more but these are simply six of the most prominent that can lead a nation astray from serving the Lord.  In the next message we will at how the Scriptures tell us to walk in order that we experience this immunity.

Peace and Grace,

Calvin Calhoun, Jr.

Metaphoric Language of Job 28 in Spiritual Immunity

Topic: Metaphoric Language of Job 28 in Spiritual Immunity

Greetings Sons:

Understanding how God talks and communicates to us is important.  He knows we struggle to clearly hear Him since the fall.  Since the fall God could not speak to us Spirit to spirit so He speaks in metaphoric language and parables because Jesus would say:  Seeing they do not see and hearing they do not hear.  We can hear with our natural ear and be completely deaf to the Spirit of God or we can differentiate between our natural hearing and hearing the Spirit of God.  But let’s look at how God spoke through Job.

Job 28:9-11

This passage of Scripture is very unique and speaks of some very unique attributes and accomplishments of man.  This is a picture of the scientific man.  Yes, think about how much we try to use science to make our world and lives better.  We make things now that 50 years ago would have thought to be impossible.  But in the next passage of Scripture God speaks of the problem with this mentality.

Job 28:12-21

God asks the question, even with man being able to do all those things in vs. 9-11, God asks “Where is wisdom and the place of understanding?”  So man is looking for this path or this way that provides immunity from the demonic.  The first aspect that God destroys is the fact that no money can buy your way or help you find this path.  He destroys the thought that money will give you access.  He then speaks of the precious metals and jewels of the earth and regardless of their earthly value cannot equal this path.  In verse 20:  God asks the question again “Where is wisdom and the place of understanding?”   God speaks that this path is “hid” from the eyes of all living and kept close from the “fowls (demonic)” of the air.  

Job 28:22

This Scripture speaks that Death and Destruction have heard the fame of this “path”.  First notice the Scripture speak of Death and destruction as “beings”  and they are spirits.  Also notice it says that they have “heard” the fame of this path.  This means that death and destruction have not “walked” on this path but know that until the Lord returns we will have a date with death but where you are, whether in Christ or not, determines where you will be until the return of the Lord. 

So as you can see the Lord speaks in various ways to us. He uses types and shadows and metaphoric language to give us a road map to the reality of what He is revealing.

In the next message we will talk about the path of spiritual immunity!

Peace and Grace:

Calvin Calhoun, Jr. 

Spiritual Immunity

Topic:  Spiritual Immunity - Introduction

             

Greetings Sons of God:

Have we ever considered why do we see or why do we experience so many attacks in the spirit?  Why is it that Jesus seemed to not been affected by demonic attack?  Now understand that we are to be like Him. Jesus dealt with demons with the authority the Father gave Him so I am not talking about be completely oblivious to demons because that would be ridiculous considering we are told in Ephesians 6 that we wrestle with spiritual wickedness, forces and principalities in high places.  Considering the way Jesus walked in the Earth, is there a place or a position that we can walk that gives us spiritual immunity?  Let us search the Scriptures:

Job 28:7,8:  There is a path which no fowl knoweth and which the vulture’s eye hath not seen:  The lion’s welps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed by it.

One of the great mysteries and teaching concepts the Lord uses that we miss is metaphoric language.  Believe it or not you have seen this language before but may not have connected the dots but in order to understand Spiritual Immunity, God locks this up in metaphoric language.  Let me show you this because there can be no mistake about what God is saying and the Scriptures will confirm it. 

Examining Job 28:7,8 fowls and vultures are predatory birds.  Unclean or predatory birds are a picture of demons.  Now let’s prove this using Scripture:

1.   Revelation 18:2: And he cried mightily with a strong voice saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. 

2.   Matthew 13:4,19:  And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side and the fowls came and devoured them up;  19-When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart.  This is he which received seed by the way side.

In verse 8 it speaks of the lion’s welps nor the fierce lion.  Some would say this could be talking about Jesus because He is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah but if you read the context of the entire passage we will clearly see the answer is no.  But also lion is a picture of the devil. 

1.   1 Peter 5:8:  Be sober, be vigilant because your adversary the devil as a roaring lion walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. 

So we must understand when God is using plain language or metaphoric language and Job 28:7,8 is in metaphoric language.  Now let’s look at it understanding the metaphors.  There is a path that the demons do not know, nor have they seen.  In turn, the demons have not walked it nor passed by it.  So there is a path that we as the sons of God can walk that will give us immunity from demons.  To the oppressed this is some of the best news but you have to read the entire passage for understanding of how to access this “path”. Let me give you a word of encouragement if you think this sounds impossible:

Jesus Christ walked this path!  How do we know?  When you study the Gospels noticed Jesus “appeared” immune to demonic attack.  Oh when he encountered demons he exercised the authority the Father gave Him to send them or cast them out of people.  No demon could touch him because He walked the path of spiritual immunity.  If Jesus Christ could walk this path and He is our example of who we are to become then we also have access to this path.  Before we reveal this path in the next message we will continue to look at Job 28 and examine more metaphoric language to show even then there was a search for this path.  I urge you to stay with us and study with us. 

Peace, Love and Grace,

Calvin Calhoun, Jr.

The Birthright Experience

Topic:  The Birthright Experience

Greetings:

How does one become a firstborn son?  Let’s look at a familiar Scripture and tie this all together.

John 3:5-8 Jesus answered, verily, verily, I say unto thee except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, He cannot enter into the kingdom of God.  That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.  The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. 

We have read this and this Scripture is unfolding more and more through every age of man and here we are again and let me show you how you are a firstborn son.   Let’s begin with the birth of a son. One must be born of water and of the Spirit.  Water is a symbol of the Word of God so one must be born from the Word of God and of the Spirit.  That Spirit is the Father.  The Father gives birth to sons.  Now we know the Father has given birth to only one Son.  But wait there are millions of sons through the ages of time and you are telling me there is only one son?  Yes.  That Son is Christ and we are one with Him.  Let me show you how this is Scripturally true

 1 Corinthians 12:12: For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many are one body: so also is Christ.  For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. 

Jesus prayed in John 17 that we be one even as He and the Father are one.  In addition Paul spoke to the church at Ephesus and taught that we are seated IN CHRIST in heavenly places.  Now if this is the case then we are seated in Christ at the right-hand of the Father.  Which leads me to this: 

Romans 8:29:  For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 

Hebrews 12:22-23: But you are come unto mount Zion and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect. 

This concept and reality of the sons of God being the firstborns is unfolding before our very eyes.  It is shaping and maturing us into our proper identity as firstborn son but perfecting the image and likeness within us that we are the exact representatives of the Father in the Earth. 

Walking as a firsrtborn son means we have journeyed through sonship and matured from a child to a matured son.  It took Jesus 30 years, so how long do you think it will take us?  Do not think that it is impossible because with God all things are possible and Jesus did not show us all of this for us not to believe that we will be able to do what Jesus did plus some.  Jesus did say, greater works shall we do.  The matured sons are lead by the Spirit of God.  Maturity comes by fire, challenges and trials.  We are being tempered into the image of God.  The image of God is Spirit and His likeness is His character, the seven spirits of God (Isaiah 11:1,2)

Peace and Grace

Calvin W. Calhoun Jr.

Concepts of the Firstborn in Scripture: Battle of the Seeds

Topic: Concepts of the Firstborn in Scripture: Battle of the Seeds

Throughout Scripture especially in the Old Testament after God prophesied that the seed of the woman would crush the authority of Satan, Satan has sought to contaminate the bloodline so that this would not be possible.  Now keep in mind as we show these examples you will see the importance of the firstborn. 

Adam (Genesis 4:1-5)

Adam and Eve had three sons that we will talk about in particular.  The first two in order was Cain and then Abel. Cain was a tiller of the ground and Abel was a keeper of sheep.  Now understand Cain is the firstborn of Adam and Eve so he has the birthright.  When it came to offering to the Lord Cain and Abel were very different.  The Scripture says Cain offered fruits from the ground but Abel offered the firstlings of the flock.  The Scripture said the Lord respected Abel because he gave the firsts of his flock but Cain gave what he thought he wanted the Lord to have and the Lord had no respect for him.  Because of this Cain killed Abel and because of his carnality and sin, he lost the firstborn birthright.  Adam and Eve conceived another son and named him Seth and this what was said about Seth:

Genesis 4:25,26: And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel whom Cain slew.  And to Seth, to hi also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos:  then began men to call upon the name of the Lord. 

Cain did not value his birthright by the offering he brought to the Lord and out of anger and jealousy he killed His brother Abel.   Just to think about how important this story is let me show you:      

Hebrews 11:4:  By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh. 

Abel was counted as righteous in Scripture for the offering he offered to God being the firstborn of his flocks.

Noah: Genesis 9:18-29

Noah had three sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth.  After the flood the Scriptures said after a night of drunkenness, Noah’s son Ham defled the marriage bed, this is what the Scripture speaks of seeing the nakedness of his father.  Ham was cursed by Noah for what he had done.  But Shem and Japheth went backwards and covered his father’s nakedness and they themselves did not see their father’s nakedness.  This is a picture of the firstborns restoring the honor to his father.   So the role of the firstborn is to show honor to his father and never dishonor him by uncovering his nakedness.  Let me share this Scripture with you about honor:

Malachi 1:6:  A son honoureth his father and a servant his master: If then I be a father, where is mine honour? And if I be a master, where is my fear? Saith the Lord of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name.  And ye say, wherein have we despised thy name? 

For many there is a lack of honour to the fathers of the faith but moreover to the Father.  There is a lack of the fear of the Lord. The respect and reverence for the Lord because of the lack of concern towards obedience to His Word.   

Abraham (Genesis 16-21)

We know that Abraham had two sons.  We know that Isaac represents the son of promise and Ishmael represents the son of the flesh.

Isaac (Genesis 25:19-34)

Isaac had two sons.  Esau and Jacob respectively.  Now this story

is one of the best as describing the firstborn.  Because Esau broke

the womb first he was the firstborn.  In the story one day Esau was

hungry and Jacob suggested that Esau sell him the birthright for the

pottage of stew.  Esau said these words about his birthright:

Genesis 25:32: And Esau said, Behold I am at the point to die: and

what profit shall this birthright do to me?

So Esau sold his firstborn birthright for a bowl of stew.  Can you imagine the disrespect that was to God.  Esau totally devalued his birthright in being the firstborn and God said this about Esau:

Malachi 1:2,3: I have loved you, saith the Lord.  Yet ye say Wherein has thou loved us?  Was not Esau Jacobs’s brother? Saith the Lord: yet I loved Jacob.  And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness. 

Hate is a very strong word, especially coming from the mouth of God but Esau did not value his birthright and remember the firstborn belonged to God so devalued being owned by God..Hard to think but that is what he did by selling his birthright. 

Jacob (Genesis 49:1-4)

Here we have Jacob giving out the patriarchal blessings.  We know that Jacob had two wives, Leah and Rachel.  Leah give birth to Reuben, Simeon and Levi. And Rachel gave birth to Joseph and Benjamin.  Of course there are other sons because there was twelve but for the sake of time let us look at these to explain the firstborn. Reuben was the firstborn (vs. 3) Reuben was the son that was to wear the coat of many colors that is given to the firstborn.  However, Reuben defiled his father’s bed by sleeping with one of his concubines and because of this he lost his firstborn status, but to who?  Well you would think it would go automatically to Simeon because he is the next oldest but the next person to break a womb was actually Joseph.  He was the firstborn to Rachel, hence he got the birthright and of course the coat of many colors. And we know the rest of the story how he had dreams and his bothers would betray him ultimately to come under his rule as the dream stated.    

These are a few to show the concepts of the firstborn in the Old Testament. And how there was a constant battle between the seeds as it pertain to being firstborn.  Within many of our own households we have this battle between the sons of promise and the sons of the bondwoman and let me show you this in Scripture. 

Galatians 4:28-31: Now we brethren as Isaac was are the children of promise.  But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit even so it is now.  Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. So then brethren we are not children of the bonwoman, but of the free. 

I do not see that being any clearer.  The bondwoman and her son persecuted the sons of God and even so it is now.  We need to come into our identity as firstborn sons that we may see who the bondwoman and her son is within our households and cast them out.    

In the next message we will examine the birthright experience and how we become firstborn sons.