Spiritual Archives - Dr. Brenda Rambo Author

Whatever Happened to Church, Again?!

September 4, 2023 Filed Under: Spiritual, Uncategorized

This homeless church lady has been wandering around looking for a church home. The quest thus far as stranded me in the land of disillusionment. It’s gone beyond disappointment into hopelessness.

Young pastors prancing around the stage covered in tattoos wearing sneakers and skinny jeans. The “worship team” singing over and over songs that have no rhythm or rhyme and lyrics that say nothing. Singing songs no one has ever heard. The band is so loud ear protection is provided.

Writing Songs (No One Wants To Hear)

The worship leaders get caught up in a loop singing the same song until the people grow weary, sit down, pull out their cell phones, or get up and leave. Count me in the group that gets up and leaves.

We wonder why millions of believers in America are sitting home watching “church” on TV that makes sense to them. These people find fellowship in home groups where real people share real needs. They have conversations that matter and experience the love and power of God.

Blackhall St Columbas Church | Home Groups

I look at the state of the Western Church and wonder how on earth can God pour out a move of the Spirit in the middle of these ridiculous situations.

Some of the apostles and prophets are great teachers, but they wouldn’t speak to you if their life depended on it. Other pastors are so important they have bodyguards to keep their people away from them. It appears many of them want to prance around teaching and prophesying—if they even know what that is—and run out the back door and head to lunch.

The “old guard,” which I count myself in, can sniff out the fake, false, and ridiculous. Many of us came into the Kingdom during the Jesus Revolution of the 1960’s and early 70’s. We know what real revival looks like. Real worship, real falling on our faces before God.

The Early Roots of the Jesus Movement, as Recounted by Connie Frisbee ...

The church nonsense today makes most of us crazy. Most of the old guard I know are doing TV church and they have thrown in the towel and said, “I am done.” Done with “wanna be” worship that makes their sensitive spirits cringe, prancing pastors, and pontificating prophets.

Oh God forgive us for being such a stench in Your nostrils.

Would real Church leadership please stand up?

Homeless Church Lady

March 29, 2023 Filed Under: Spiritual

The past several Sunday mornings I have found myself sad that I didn’t have an amazing church to attend. I miss true worship that leads our weary souls into the presence of God. A real message from a pastor who has actually spent time with God. A person who shows up in the pulpit with some dignity and not trying to be a “cool jerk” in his skinny jeans or cowboy clothes. A person who delivers a powerful word from God anointed by the Spirit of God without all the stupid irrelevant stories and jokes.

Over the past twenty-five years, I have wandered through all the Christendom nonsense (actually 50 years) and now find myself sitting at home on Sunday mornings the “homeless church lady.” Some of those years were spent in Belmont Church in Nashville with Don Finto. Those years were incredible.

I was raised in church, and I have spent my whole life attending church only to find myself church homeless. The sad thing is millions of committed sold-out people of God are in the same boat with me. Home churches are springing up everywhere, because people are so tired of the religious charade.

A few weeks ago Mario Murillo wrote a blog post about the “real church” coming out of the “dead church.” It was a powerful reminder this phenomenon is going on everywhere.

In the meantime, I have gone back to work as a psychologist and crawled into the miry pit where people really live and suffer. My daughter reminded me the miry pit has always been my “pulpit.” A place where I take the hand of the desperate and pull them out and love them into wholeness by God’s grace and power and into His plan for their lives.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”

We all need to shake off the shackles of false religion and empty pretense. The people of God are sick of doctrines of men, outright false teaching and empty “church” religion.

I have been writing to the “church” trying to get people to wake up and address the issues at hand for years. Many of them are probably too asleep to even read what I have written. Too preoccupied with their empty lives to care.

I am shifting from “church speak” to where the majority of the world really lives–in depression, debilitating anxiety, confusion, perversion, and hopelessness! Maybe these people will find hope for a new day! These people are looking for answers and not mired in religious anesthesia.

Onward to my pulpit where I provide knowledge that matters to hungry people who are desperate enough to care. A place where I can extend the love of God and the power of a risen Lord.

If you have enjoyed this writing, please share with family and friends, and go to my blog site and subscribe at Home – Dr. Brenda Rambo Author (drbrendaramboauthor.com). Comments and conversation are welc0me. Books Whispers of the Spirit and Understanding the Holy Spirit are also available on the website.

A Time and A Way for Everything

February 4, 2023 Filed Under: Spiritual, Uncategorized

“Those who are wise will find a time and a way to do what is right, for there is a time and a way for everything, even when a person is in trouble.”

Ecclesiastes 8:6-7 (NLT)

Lately I have been dwelling in the Word. As we dwell, we have time to meander through the richness of the scripture and find the hidden treasures. Recently, I found myself combing through Solomon’s wisdom from Ecclesiastes. When I landed on Ecclesiastes 8:6-7, the words leapt off the page and into my heart. Now on to this writing.

Wisdom comes with a price.

Wisdom evolves over a span of time where we have lived in the crucible of life. God’s wisdom can change us and give us insight and direction that comes no other way.

Proverbs 1:3 and 7 says, “Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives, to help them do what is right just and fair. Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.”

“Wisdom allows us to find a time and a way to do what is right, for there is a time and a way for everything.”

It is refreshing to me there is a “time and way” to do everything. God wants to give us wisdom for the NOW. Our problem is we don’t want to listen to His wisdom.

We are bent on living our lives the same ole way destroying our health our relationships and families without even realizing we are the problem.

I have some non-serious health issues I created from lack of obedience and discipline in eating and exercise. We create our problems then turn around and blame it on the devil, a demon, a generational curse, or some person when we are the problem.

There is so much “God speak” and religiosity wrapped around everything that people can’t see the obvious.

God may be saying to all of us stop all this “God speak” and religious verbiage that makes our families “sick” and get real and call things what they are.

Seek His wisdom for our lives and He will make clear to us what we are to do and how we are to do it.

During these winter months of hibernation, let God transform you and retool you for the days ahead.

“There is a time and a way for everything.”

If you have enjoyed this writing, please share with family and friends, and go to my blog site and subscribe at Home – Dr. Brenda Rambo Author (drbrendaramboauthor.com). Comments and conversation are welc0me. Whispers of the Spirit and Understanding the Holy Spirit are also available on the website.

Contaminated Milk

January 24, 2023 Filed Under: Spiritual

Several weeks ago, I had a dream about contaminated milk. In the dream I could see into the bottle, and it was filled with mold and slime. When the milk poured out of the container it looked fine. After the dream, I asked the Lord what this dream meant. He said,

“the contaminated milk” of most pastors is “mold and slime.”

WHAT THE WORD SAYS ABOUT SPIRITUAL MILK

Paul says in I Corinthians 3:2, I fed you with milk, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Even now you are still not ready.

For by this time, you ought to be teachers (because of the time you have had to learn these truths), you actually need someone to teach you again the elementary principles of God’s word (from the beginning), and you have come to be continually in need of milk, not solid food. For everyone who lives on milk is (doctrinally inexperienced and ) unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a spiritual infant. But solid food is for the (spiritually) mature, whose senses are trained by practice to distinguish between what is morally good and what is evil. Hebrews 5:12-14

In Paul’s day, the milk was probably pure. Today church denominations and pastors who do not teach truth about the Holy Spirit are teaching the “milk of the Word.” Most pastors believe the Holy Spirit exists, but they only give lip service to His gifts, fruits, role and power.

IT’S A FORM OF GODLINESS WITHOUT POWER.

What’s worse in our culture is that spineless church pastors throw in corny jokes and simpleminded stories to waste time because they have nothing of significance to say.

Many of these churches have gone rogue into endorsing godless agendas being shoved down the throats of Americans by radical anti-God groups.

The last two times I went to a mainline denominational church, the pastor started out with a 10-to-15-minute story about a local tractor pull in a nearby community. My husband and I said we would never do that again. But being a good church lady, I went back on an Easter morning hoping for something edifying. Once again, the sermon was so ridiculous, I walked out about ten minutes in.

This was contaminated “milk of the Word” at its finest.

Many of you reading this may feed yourself in a “milk Word” church where you are starving to death for spiritual food.

Others of you may be languishing in a “woke church” where they are pretending to be of God, but the pastors are feeding you contaminated milk.

All of us need to be responsible for what we subject ourselves to. If you are willing to know the truth about something, God will reveal it.

Are you living on contaminated milk?

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The Mystery of the Incarnate Christ

December 24, 2022 Filed Under: Spiritual

26 “that is the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but now has been manifested to His saints,

27 to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles which is Christ in you,

the hope of glory.”

Colossians 1:26:27

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The incarnation is the belief that Jesus Christ came in flesh conceived in the virgin Mary’s womb by the Holy Spirit. The word incarnation means the act of being made flesh.

John 1:14 says, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the

Father, full of grace and truth.”

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The Son of God came to fulfill God’s foreordained and predestined plan of salvation for the world. By His sacrifice of His life on the cross, He made a

way for His people both Jew and Gentile, to be reconciled to God.

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and

on earth, visible and invisible whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities – all things created through Him and for

Him. He is before all things and in Him all things hold together.”

Colossians 1:15-17

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“resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and

knowledge.”

Colossians 2:2b-3

Now the angel Gabriel was sent from God to Nazareth to a virgin named Mary. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for

you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son and you shall name him Jesus. He

will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.” (Luke 1:26 – 32

paraphrase).

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As we celebrate Christmas this year let us ponder the mystery of Jesus coming into the world as a baby. Let us also marvel at

God’s unveiling of His plan of salvation, the mystery of the incarnate Christ our hope of glory.

Fruit Inspector

December 17, 2022 Filed Under: Spiritual

So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and throw into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits. Matthew 7:17-20

Through the years I have had many conversations with people who were defending a friend, a relative, a politician or whomever about their standing with God. I have never been quick to take someone’s word for their commitment to Jesus if there is no fruit.

People who love God have fruit in their lives that is visible for all to see. Does a person’s behavior line up with the Word of God?

That’s not a judgment—just a question!

Is their life filled with mixture and compromise, so that you don’t know what they believe. What is the fruit?

God has called us to be fruit inspectors and not easily deceived. If you are not well grounded in the Word, you can be easily deceived. Deception is rampant in the Body of Christ, because people don’t know the Word. Or they know the Word and they don’t care that there is mixture.

It’s easy to believe people who profess to be one thing only to find out later they are not as they represented themselves.

You Can’t Pick Your Tribe

December 13, 2022 Filed Under: Spiritual

In the past several years, I have come to appreciate my tribe.

Our tribe is a group of people of like mind, focus, purpose and people who enjoy seeking God in certain ways and in unity.

When God directs our paths and sovereignly brings people together for His purposes, our unity and community feel like family. Sometimes we meet people with whom we have an automatic bond, and other times people who seem to be “part of us” really are not.

The people God brings into our inner circle feels like family. At times I have invited someone into our circle, but it turned out not to be a good fit. Watching God include and remove people who are and who are not like-minded is fascinating.

We all have places in the body of Christ. It’s up to us to let God move us on His chess board of life wherever He wants to go. The more we yield, the more we find ourselves in the middle of His will.

Missing the Next Move of God

June 16, 2022 Filed Under: Spiritual

Interestingly, many of my friends who have participated in every move of God since the Jesus Movement of the 60’s may actually miss the greatest outpouring of the Holy Spirit since the day of Pentecost in the book of Acts.

Those of us who came into the Kingdom in the 60’s and 70’s are now old(er) and many are stuck in their ways. They believe the vineyard they have sown and plowed in for the past 5o years is the only one. They have no desire to step into the “new Kingdom apostolic” move that is coming forth because it represents spiritual authority.

Most Americans don’t want authority of any kind in their lives. They are content with being lone rangers and living unto themselves.

Many moves of God come in the midst of great darkness. The wickedness in our culture is unprecedented. When abortions can be performed “at will,” including healthy full-term babies, you have evidence of a decadent and wicked society.

America is poised for another great awakening of God or absolute destruction because of our wickedness. I choose to believe the greatest days of human history lie before us.

I believe God is in process of bringing justice and judgment on the wicked and revival and righteousness to His people.

The question for you is will you be ready to be part of this great move of God?

For decades many Christians have been half committed, compromised, and all about themselves. The independent attitude in the body of Christ could cause many to miss the next move of God.

As we navel gaze and drag our feet, the Kingdom of God marches on. As we “do our own thing” whatever that might be; the Ekklesia moves forward without you.

If there has ever been a time to wake up and come into unity in the Church, it is now. God wants to break off of us our independent spirit, and bring us into greater unity.

We need to be healed, cleaned up and out, trained and empowered for His next great move. I believe if we try to maneuver through the days ahead as “lone wolves,” we are putting ourselves in great danger.

If we move together as a mighty force as the Army of God, we will conquer and dominate and destroy the powers of darkness with the authority God has extended to us.

We need to prepare for the outpouring and refreshing that is coming and join what God is doing. Our independent spirit could hamper the fullness of what God wants to do in our lives.

If you have enjoyed this writing, please share with others and go to my blog site and subscribe at drbrendaramboauthor.com. Comments and conversation are welcome.

When God Says No, Again

June 1, 2022 Filed Under: Spiritual

There are some themes which seem to come up over and over again. The truth of when “God Says No” is always ever present in the life of those I know and love.

A friend was enticed to believe she would be given an opportunity to teach part-time in a school, but the opportunity never came. This woman is a God lover and is serving Him to the best of her ability. God blocked that “good idea” and “opportunity” from coming to fruition, because the school was not as represented. It was promoted as one thing only to be something totally different. He did not want her influenced and compromised.

My oldest grandson was headed to the University of Kentucky to major in mining engineering when God made him take a “U-turn” three months before starting school.

Wrong direction, wrong school and wrong major—so God stepped in and said “no!” Once again, the hand of God directing and redirecting His child.

I learned years ago that a “NO” means God is saying “no” and redirecting my path. Praise God for the ability to discern His ways and hear His voice!

My latest “no” came in the form of God saying “no” to relationships.

Many relationships are for a season. They are initially wonderful, full of blessings, and fulfilling, and then a day comes when something or someone makes a shift where there is no longer unity in the friendship. Everyone moves on to wherever they think God is taking them.

If you don’t walk in unity, you cannot walk together. People enmeshed in religion or dogma will not be able to march with the army of God into battle. Most of them don’t even know there is a battle! They want to keep on doing more of the same old thing the same old way.

When God says “no” to anything, we need to embrace the “no” and the redirection or “lack of opportunity” and realize God’s infinite love for us is taking us into a more perfect way.

If you have enjoyed this writing, please share with others and go to my blog site and subscribe at drbrendaramboauthor.com. Comments and conversation are welcome.

Read the Word and Keep It Simple

May 10, 2022 Filed Under: Spiritual

Of late, it seems I read incessantly. I have always been a reader, but in the past couple of years I have gone on a quest to learn as much as I can about all things concerning the new Apostolic Church Era we entered several years ago. I have been reading about the second coming of Christ, the book of Revelation, many books concerning these topics, and hundreds of pages of teaching notes from reputable Bible teachers/pastors. The list of topics seems endless.

My point with this post is it seems like even the best teachers step into supposition and stretch what the scripture says. It has concerned me for some time. I guess the reason I feel compelled to write about this is because on Easter Sunday one of my favorite pastors stepped over the line.

There’s no need to go into detail about his message and what I thought went amiss. For as long as I can remember, I have been reading about the crucifixion, death, resurrection, ascension and Jesus’ days on earth after His resurrection in all the Gospels the week prior to Easter. I know what the Word says, and I know what it doesn’t say.

My point is that supposition is not necessary. Stay with the Word and keep it simple. If God didn’t allow the scripture to be interpreted perfectly from the Hebrew and Greek, I guess He thought that was not necessary. What interpretation He did give us should be enough. If most of us would read what He did give us, our lives would be transformed.

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The reason this issue is stirred up in me is because I have read so much lately and heard teachings that just are not true. You don’t know it’s not true if you have not read the Word.

When someone starts teaching something that isn’t true, your spirit immediately knows something is not right. You will hear yourself saying, “That’s a stretch.”

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When you hear a teacher/pastor pontificating about what the rapture/second coming of Christ is going to look like, be CAUTIOUS. If someone is taking one verse of scripture and building a doctrine, mandate, a theology around that one verse, be wary! So much of what I have read lately is absolute nonsense. Do not be deceived!

God has given us information He thinks we need to know. He does not explain the second coming of Jesus, the millennial reign, great white throne judgment, et cetera in great detail.

God is shrouded in mystery, and so is His eternal Kingdom.

Read the Word, believe it to be true, and don’t stretch the truth beyond what the Bible says.

Keep it simple. The Word of God stands on its own. We can stand on the Word of God.

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If you have enjoyed this writing, please share with others and go to my blog site and subscribe at drbrendaramboauthor.com Comments and conversation are welcome. You can also purchase Whispers of the Spirit, a devotional book, at this website.

Whatever Happened to Church, Again?!

Homeless Church Lady

A Time and A Way for Everything

Contaminated Milk

The Mystery of the Incarnate Christ

Fruit Inspector

You Can’t Pick Your Tribe

Missing the Next Move of God

When God Says No, Again

Read the Word and Keep It Simple

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