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Aug 21 2016
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The Sin Americans Are Unaware Of

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When it comes to America having to answer to God for the sins she commits, abortion and acceptance of homosexuality have to be what we would consider some very grievous sins in the sight of God. Yet it only takes one little sin, one that we call a white lie, to damn a man for eternity. So sin is sin. God is a gracious God and He will, if asked with a repentive heart, forgive the vilest of sinners. There is a hymn which says, “Come ye sinners, lost and hopeless. Jesus’ blood can make you free. For he saved the worst among you, when He saved a wretch like me. And I know, yes I know, Jesus blood can make the vilest sinner clean.” Just as no sin is too little to separate us from God, no sin is too grievous that God will not forgive those who come to Him in repentance. As long as a man still has breath, he can call on God to save him from his sins and be made a brand new creature. Let me take a moment to shout, HALLELUJAH!

Let me get back to America, she is turning to sin and adding “sin to sin.” There is another sin which America is openly promoting that is very grievous before God and that seemingly goes unnoticed by most Americans. The reason for that is because many Americans are made to feel guilty if they would argue against it. This sin is so grievous to God that He even put it in a different category than other sins. Again I want to remind you that all sin offends God, but some sins result in harsher judgment and severe consequences. Consider Sodom and Gomorrah, God rained fire and brimstone on them for their obsession with homosexual sin. Remember what happened to Egypt when Pharaoh refused to humble himself before Almighty God. So this sin which America is committing will bring severe judgment and consequences upon our nation.

Before I expose this sin, I want to say one more thing about it. This sin is encouraged under the banner of good will toward man. It has become a lecture to all Americans by the politicians of our day. So what am I referring to? Let the scriptures reveal it.

 

“But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel” ( I Timothy 5:8).

 

The word “infidel” means unbeliever. So what the scripture is saying is that the person who has responsibility for their household and does not provide for them, he is worse than an unbeliever. That poses a question. If an unbeliever is already going to hell, what can be worse than that? That is a good question. I will let you ponder on that. Certainly though, you can see that this sin of not taking personal responsibility to provide for your own is a grievous sin in the eyes of God.

So how is this sin committed in America? For several decades our politicians have been making it more and more convenient for Americans to depend upon their government. For example, during the Obama administration we have seen an increase, by over 50%, of those receiving food stamps. To some this is considered a good and compassionate thing to do. I agree that it is the duty of every American, especially Christians, to have compassion on their neighbor. It is the right thing to help those who are going through a time of need. But the underlying problem is that there is an encouragement coming from the top down to let the government and others take responsibility for your well-being. There is an effort to get all Americans to depend on the government. Those who want to go ahead and let the government take care of their lives don’t understand that they are also surrendering their freedom and giving control of their lives to some other people who really do not care about them. The talk of compassion by most of the politicians is all just a façade.

There is an attack on those who work hard and succeed in life. Much of the media makes it sound like every rich person is evil and every CEO of every company is out to put the common man under his thumb. There is this attitude being preached to our nation that if you are a business owner you are greedy and evil. I ran a small home remodeling business for 28 years before I retired to focus more on the church that I shepherd. I met all kinds of owners of construction businesses through the years. These men, for the most part, were decent, honest and hard working men. Of course, there are crooks in the remodeling business who give a bad name to the industry.

It is the entrepreneur spirit, the willingness to work hard to provide a good life for our families and the good will of many Americans that has made America a place of great prosperity and comfort. Of course, the number one reason America is blessed is because she has honored God and allowed the Bible to be the law we live by. America is also blessed because she has been a support and blessing to God’s chosen people, Israel. Today there has been a major shift. America is turning from God. America is breeding a new generation of Americans who are growing up being told that they are owed something. They are being told it is unfair that others have more than they do. They are being told that they are entitled to have things that they have not worked for. This is conditioning a generation of young people to be sluggards by excusing them of any responsibility for their own lives. Today we have quite a few babies being born with their mother and/or father expecting the state to provide for their child.

It is becoming more common for couples to live together instead of getting married. This again is another way people avoid personal responsibility. For some couples, if they would marry, it would mean an end to government handouts, so they just live together wanting the perks of marriage, but without the commitment. By the way, living in fornication is another grievous sin that is committed in our nation. You may be surprised how many people call themselves Christians and yet they live in fornication. I trust you are not one of them.

In conclusion, it is your duty before God, “…that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing” (I Thessalonians 4:11-12). When God created man, He created him right from the beginning to be workers with responsibility.

 

“And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it” (Genesis 2:15).

 

Jun 16 2016
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Prayer, The Greatest of Disciplines

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“Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice” (Psalm 55:17)

 

In my estimation, there is not a greater discipline in all of Christianity than to live a life of prayer. Prayer is not one of the favorite subjects of the church. Prayer is one of the most neglected practices amongst believers. On top of that, there are many Christians who do pray, but they don’t pray effectively.

After I was born, again I read my Bible with enthusiasm. Even though I didn’t care too much for reading, I loved my Bible. However, there was something I knew was lacking in my young spiritual life. It was that I didn’t have much of a prayer life. I tried making a commitment to pray one hour like the disciples were asked to do, but that lasted about a day or two. Well, it happened after I was saved a couple of years that I determined to get serious about a prayer life. I am not big on New Year resolutions, but the New Year was upon me so I decided to do a New Year resolution. The resolution was to start off every work day with at least five minutes of prayer. You are probably thinking wow, what an incredible goal. Now I know five minutes is not much time, but it was certainly more than I was doing. Besides that, the commitment was for at least five minutes; I could always go longer. Five minutes seemed very practical because I could miss my alarm, get up late, and still squeeze in my prayer time before heading off to work. I can tell you that I kept that commitment and only failed to miss my prayer time a few times that year. Most of the mornings when I would pray I would go down in my basement rec room. As I kept at it, my prayer time was starting to increase. I was starting to go fifteen and twenty minutes, even longer. I was learning fellowship with God. I was finding a delight in getting to know my God.

My prayer life has grown a great deal since those early days. If there is any great lesson I can tell you about having a disciplined prayer life it is this, discipline will turn into delight. Yes, your prayer life can get to, if it hasn’t already, the place where you look forward to getting into your prayer closet and seek the Lord. It may not always be like that, but the more you know the Lord, the more you will take delight in spending time with Him.

If there is anything I would say prayer is, it is getting to know your God. So many believers think prayer is a list of requests that you bring to the Lord. I would never say that you shouldn’t do that, but quite often people bombard God with all their troubles, needs and desires and they don’t realize they have not taken time out to have intimate communion with the Lord. I have told my church that if they start off their prayer with praising God and seeking His face, then when they lift up their needs, the Lord is more pleased to answer them. It is like a child who wants to hit his dad up for five bucks, and he approaches his dad with a loving attitude before he asks for the money. I fell for that one quite few times. Jesus even gave us a pattern for that in what we call the Lord’s Prayer. It starts with, “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name” (Matthew 6:9). Jesus’ first two words teaches us that we are going before our Father. Praise God, He is not some distant crabby God who is always perturbed with everyone, but instead He desires to be a Father to us. Then Jesus’ next several words exalt the Father to the place that He deserves, He is to be hallowed. One of the meanings of hallowed is to venerate. Venerate means to regard with reverential respect and to honor. Basically you should start off your prayer time giving glory to God. We have prayer on Tuesday nights at our church and once in a while I say out loud to those who are there, “Let’s lift our hands and our voices unto God in praise and worship. Let’s not go barging into His presence, but let’s go before him with respect.” It is after we have done that, that we can ask for His will to be done and for our daily needs to be met.

It is such a shame that the Lord’s Prayer is not understood. So many have made it a prayer that people chant as a part of their church meeting. So many just mouth it without even giving any thought to what they are saying. Have you ever realized the damning effect the Lord’s Prayer can have on people? The prayer goes on to say, “and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors” (Matthew 6:12). Do you realize what is being prayed here? People are actually asking God to forgive them the same way they forgive. Anyone who prays that prayer with un-forgiveness in their heart is asking God to not forgive them. For in the same way they forgive, they are asking God to forgive. If they won’t forgive then they are asking God not to forgive. If they don’t. He won’t. Doesn’t that make you shudder? It does me.

Prayer is serious business. Prayer is one of the most important things a believer can do. Probably most Christians view prayer as something they must do instead of seeing prayer as a privilege. Through prayer, you have the privilege of a one on one relationship with the One who created the heavens and the earth. And even more than that, if your relationship is right with Him, He will hear your prayers and answer them. Of course, they have to be according to God’s will, and if they are, God will.

Jesus was the greatest example when it came to prayer. His ministry to the lost sheep of Israel and His prayer time with the Father were in perfect balance. Sometimes He would rise a great while before sun up. Another time he spent a whole night in prayer. Other times He would sneak off into the mountains to get away from the people so He could be alone with His Father. He knew He could not be effective around the people unless He got away from people to get into the presence of His Father. I think it is very important for believers to have a set time to pray, but Jesus had more than that, He lived a life of prayer. This is a practice I am learning more and more. This is a practice the church needs to learn.

Most of all, the church must understand that she must pray. She needs to pray and believe in the power of prayer. The “house of prayer” has a thousand things going on inside her walls, but very little of what is the most needed, PRAYER!

Apr 29 2016
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But In Demonstration

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“And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God” (I Corinthians 2:1-5).

 

Many Christians want to hear practical messages from scripture that teaches how to have health and prosperity and how to live successfully in our society. The preachers who master how to preach and teach these things as if that is what the word of God is all about, are the most popular preachers. The better they can do that, the bigger their churches are and greater is the number are those who follow them. Look at Joel Osteen, the pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, the largest Protestant church in America. The sanctuary seats 16,800 people. They estimate that over 45,000 people attend Lakewood Church every week. Joel is a master at making people feel real good. He is a bestselling author and has written many books. Here are the names of some of them. “You Can, You Will, The Power of I AM, Your Best Life Now, and Become a Better You” (emphasis added). Is there anything that stands out to you in these titles? I helped you see it by emboldening some of the words so they would catch your eye. Do you understand that these titles are all about YOU? All four of these books seem to focus on man and what is best for him. How is it that Christians who read the Bible, which is all about Christ, then go and write books that are all about man? I do have to confess that I have not read any of these books, and have no interest in doing so. The titles alone tell me what is in the pages of these books. When I first heard the title, “The Power of I AM,” it made me shudder. When I saw “Become a Better You” at the book store my immediate response was, “I don’t want to be a better me, I want the ME to die.” All the problems God ever had with me is the ME. I need to get ME out of the way.

I suppose if we could ask Christians, who regularly attend church, what they expect their pastors to preach and teach, some would say they would like more expository teaching. Some would say they want messages that apply to everyday practical living. Others may say they want the pastor to search out all the Hebrew and Greek words so they can get a better understanding of the scriptures. Others may want a fiery message with the preacher raising his voice. Some like a well-outlined teaching with worksheets to fill out. None of these things are necessarily wrong, but none of these are the answer to what is missing from today’s preachers. There is an incredible high regard for the teachers who are intellectuals. Our society is enamored with smart men with degrees. I think many Christians think that of all the men who have searched out all the Bible doctrines, that if anyone knows what they are talking about it has to be our intelligent Bible teachers. I have nothing against intelligence, even though I am not intelligent. You might not want to read anymore articles after I tell you this, but I only graduated from high school. I am just a dumb construction worker turned preacher.  However, I see far too many preachers and teachers trusting in their intellect and ability to articulate than in the power of God. The greatest thing we need from our preachers today is for them to preach with a demonstration of Spirit and power.

People get tired of talkers after a while. They especially get tired of preachers who talk, but never say anything with substance. They are tired of preachers who talk and lack authority in their words. Worse than that, people get offended when preachers talk and then live a life contrary to what they preach. Our society does not need talkers, our churches don’t need a speech; they need a demonstration of Spirit and power. Did you notice in our scripture text the word “Spirit” is capitalized? This indicates to us that the demonstration is from God (and not from our own human spirit) which results in man being a spirited preacher. We need preachers who demonstrate through the power of the Holy Spirit. Our generation needs a demonstration not a hollow message. They need powerful messages, not just good ones. They need a message that is authenticated by the Spirit of God.

Those who listened to the Pharisees week after week and year after year, were greatly moved when Jesus spoke. “And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes” (Matthew 7:28-29). There was another time when the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to arrest Jesus. When the officers came to Him and heard Him speaking, they returned back to them without arresting Jesus. When asked why, “The officers answered, Never man spake like this man” (John 7:46).

The devil has mastered clever speech. The devil even used scripture when he was trying to tempt Jesus. Satan has a counterfeit for a lot of things. The devil can do a lot of things, but there is one thing he cannot do and that is speak with the power and anointing of God. It is only we believers who have such a privilege. Motivational speakers can speak to and move the emotions of men, but the Holy Spirit deals directly with the spirit of man. Feelings and emotions can, and often do follow, but feelings alone do not prove a message has authority.

The Apostle Paul was a highly trained and educated man, so again you don’t have to be stupid to be used of God. God uses the “whosoever.” However, God doesn’t call, “…many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble… (I Corinthians 1:26), but that doesn’t mean He doesn’t call any. So if you are highly intelligent, give God the glory for it and use it for His glory, just like Paul did. When it came down to it, Paul said his effectiveness wasn’t in being a Hebrew of Hebrews or in his great learning at the feet of the Pharisee Gamaliel. Paul said, “In mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and round about to Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ” (Romans 15:19). I remember coming upon this verse back in 1999 as I was preparing for a message. I read it and said, “Where has this verse been all my saved life?” Well you know it has always been in the Bible. Maybe it never stood out because few seem to believe it anymore and few dare preach it.

Saint of God, there is nothing more our preachers need then to once again preach with a demonstration of Spirit and power. There is nothing more this world needs from you as well than to preach with a demonstration of Spirit and power.

Mar 10 2016
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You Must Be Born Again

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The most deceived people on the face of the earth

are those who think they are saved, but are not.

 

There is a huge difference between people who believe they are born

again because someone told them they were and those who know

they are born again because they experienced the new birth.

 

A person who is lost in their sin and knows it, has a much higher percentage of getting saved than the person who thinks they are saved, but has never been born again. A person who gets comfortable in their religion or their status in the church would have no reason to call on the Lord to save them. They think that everything is just fine. It is the person who is drowning who calls for the lifeguard. Even more difficult is for a minister who is not born again to get saved. The ministers that have committed their life to serve the Lord in the ministry would be the least likely to ever ask themselves if they have ever really been born again. Besides that, who would ever confront a minister about his need for salvation? Do not be mistaken there are many unsaved ministers. I trust that yours is born again.

It seems to me that so many in the church, especially when it comes to soul winning, have forgotten what Jesus said.

 

“Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? 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” (John 3:3-7).

 

Nothing has changed since the days Jesus spoke these words to Nicodemus. Though man has tried to ignore, rephrase or redefine the whole concept (more than a concept) of being born again, it still stands true today; you must be born again to enter the kingdom of God. By the way, it is not a future kingdom, it is a kingdom you enter the instant you are born again. Jesus said, “..the kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21).

I have encountered many people who claim to be a Christian. Some of them are and some aren’t. Mind you, I am not the final judge of that as you know, neither are you. Some believers fear the thought of even trying to discern if someone is truly saved. Let me put you at ease, God will not be checking with me or you about another person’s salvation. However, the Bible teaches us that we can know a tree by its fruit. So when I encounter a person who claims to be a Christian, but there is much in their life that would testify contrary to that, (if I get a chance to,) I will ask them when they were born again. Some of their answers are, “I was a Christian my whole life,” or, “I became a Christian when I was baptized.” Millions of people have been told they are a Christian because they repeated the sinner’s prayer. Some churches teach that you are born again when you get confirmed. I was raised in the Roman Catholic church and I never even heard about being born again until I was in my twenties and it wasn’t the Catholic church that told me about it either. Nonetheless, at twenty seven years of age, married with three children, I was born again. I was made a brand new creature in an instant. It was something that happened on the inside of me. I can’t explain it, in fact no one can explain it, for it is something you just know when it happens to you. Jesus described it this way:

 

“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” (John 3:8).

 

What Jesus is teaching is that you can’t see the wind, but you can hear and feel the effects of it. When someone is born again, the Holy Wind who you cannot see, enters that person and causes them to be born of the Spirit.

Think how radical it is for a baby when it is born. It leaves the warm sheltered confines of a mother’s womb and is brought out into a whole different environment than what it was used to for the last nine months. The baby does not have the capacity to understand what happened to it, but it does know that something happened. So too, with a person who is born again, they know something has happened to them even though they do not have the words or understanding to explain it. It doesn’t take long for the real believer to realize what happened to them, they became a born again believer.

I fear for many that their salvation rests in having correct theological understanding of salvation. They believe all the doctrines that they are supposed to believe such as, the word of God is infallible, all men have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and Jesus is the only way to the Father. In fact, they can have those famous salvation scriptures memorized such as:

 

“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:9-10).

 

and still not be born again. I fear many find the confidence of their salvation in their church. They believe they are saved because they attend church regularly, listen to the sermon, pay their tithes and try to live a moral life. Hell is filled with Bible reading church attenders. Going to church makes you no more a Christian than walking into the courthouse makes you a judge.

Then there are those who believe they are saved because mom and dad are, or grandma and grandpa are. Some children grow up convinced they are saved because their dad is the pastor. But no one, I repeat, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they personally are born again.

Salvation is a miracle. Every real Christian starts out as a miracle. Salvation is radical, it offends every part of your carnal nature, but is sweet to your soul. Salvation isn’t just a changing of your mind, it is powerful transformation. It takes those who have used their body to fulfill all kinds of sinful lusts and turns them into a temple for God to live in. Hallelujah!

Are you a living miracle? Are you truly born again? If not, humble yourself before Almighty God, repent of your sins, surrender your life to the Lord Jesus Christ and trust Him with your life.

Jan 18 2016
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Who Are You Affiliated With

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One Saturday morning many years ago, while preaching in front of an abortion clinic with some other ministers, an elderly lady came up to me and asked me who I was affiliated with. In a quick response to her answer I said, “Jesus.” I really knew what she wanted to know. She wanted to know what denomination or organization I was affiliated with. For the first 16½ years of my Christian life I was a member of two different denominations. Since then I have been what is referred to as nondenominational. Some call it independent. I like to call it “dependent,” dependent on the Holy Spirit.

It is only natural for many believers to want to know what denominations or groups other believers associate with. This would not be the case if the body of Christ would have never divided themselves up into schisms. No doubt, the intention behind many of those who form new denominations, fellowships and affiliations is an attempt to honor God by having the most accurate doctrine or trying to resemble the first century church. One of the problems this creates for us is that many of the saints do not seem to quite know how to have true fellowship with those outside of their particular denomination or fellowship. Those in the nondenominational, independent ranks don’t always have it right either. They can have an attitude of excluding others who do not believe exactly as their church scripted as well. And, of course, those who want to gather disciples unto themselves will form their own church that foolish sheep will flock to. Thus we are left with the body of Christ, who is supposed to have one head and function as one body, being divided into many fragments and often unable to cooperate, much less get along with each other. Being on the outside of the denomination structure of the present day church has given me a little insight to this question of who I am affiliated with.

So with that said, I will tell you who I am affiliated with. I will mostly do that by telling you who I am not affiliated with. I am not a Lutheran because I don’t follow Martin Luther. I am not a Wesleyan because I don’t follow John Wesley. I am not a Roman Catholic because I don’t follow the pope nor the false teachings of that church. I was born into a Catholic home, but learned this religion had no power to set me free. I am not a Calvinist or an Arminian, I am a “Bibleist” (I made that word up).

I am not a Puritan, but “unto the pure all things are pure” (Titus 1:15). I do not belong to the Reformed Church, but I believe our God is sovereign and that He did predestinate me to be conformed to the image of His Son. Besides that, we don’t need the church to be reformed, we need her to come back to her original form of holiness, righteousness, unity and power.

I am not a fundamentalist but I believe in the fundamentals of the word of God. I am not liberal, but I am liberated in the Spirit. I am not a conservative because a Christian is to be more conservative than many that call themselves a conservative.

I am not a Baptist, though I believe in getting baptized. I am not affiliated with the Church of Christ; even though I believe in baptism, I don’t believe baptism saves you. Yet if you are in Christ, you belong to the spiritual church of Christ. I am not a Pentecostal, though I believe in the experience and power that was given to the church on the day of Pentecost to reach the lost, and I expect what happened on that day to continue until the Lord comes. I am not a charismatic even though I believe in spiritual gifts, all of them. I do not affiliate with the Word of Faith teachings or teachers, yet the faith I have is often heard in the words I speak.

I don’t belong to the United Pentecostals / Jesus Only, yet I do believe, Jesus is the only way to the Father, who He and the Holy Spirit are One with. I also believe in the authority that is given to me in the name of Jesus Christ and use it often for God’s glory. I am not a member of the Brethren Church, but all that are in the church are my brethren and I am theirs.

I certainly don’t belong to any of the cults. I don’t belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, although I am a member of the church of Jesus Christ and I am living in the latter days. I don’t belong to the Watchtower Society also called Jehovah’s Witnesses, yet I am a living witness of our great Jehovah.

I’m sure you know I am not a Muslim. Allah and my Heavenly Father are not the same God. The God of the Bible never threatens people to convert or else be killed. Instead He loves, invites and even woos people to come. He says, “That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:15). Instead of killing people in attempts to convert them, He sent His Son who demonstrated His love for fallen rebellious sinful man and went to the cross and died for all.

I don’t belong to the Holiness Churches, yet I know that I must, “….put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness” (Ephesians 4:24). Holiness is a life I live because the Holy One is inside me. That is what the HOLY Spirit does, He makes unholy people holy.

I am not a Seventh Day Adventist. In regard to the “Seventh Day” I believe in keeping the Sabbath day holy right along with keeping the other six days of the week holy. I can’t imagine that we can wake up one morning and say, “I don’t have to keep this day holy.” I read and pray all seven days of the week. About resting on the seventh day, I have entered into God’s rest when I was born again. No more burden of sin nor weight of guilt. Since I have been saved, I have had my rest seven days a week, twelve months a year. In regard to “Adventist,” I am convinced that we are the generation that will witness the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.

It is recorded that the early church met daily from house to house. Well, at this present time I have fellowship with the saints at least three days a week. But I believe the day is coming when we will meet more often because of the evil that will prevail around us all. We will need to meet because we will need one another.

I am not attracted to the Hebrew or Messianic Jewish influence on the church in that I rejoice in the consolation that I do not have to come under the bondage of the Law of Moses with its ordinances and feasts that cannot perfect me. Yet I am a Gentile who loves the Jewish people and still believes they are God’s chosen people. I have willing submitted myself to a new royal law. It is the law of love which fulfilled and continues to fulfill all the law of God.

So the question was asked to me, “Who are you affiliated with.” I trust you can see that I am affiliated with Jesus, just as I told that dear sister that Saturday morning many years ago. Who am I affiliated with? I am affiliated with you, if you are a born again believer. The word of God is my final authority, not as I perceive it, but as the Spirit of truth teaches and reveals it. I am in unity with you, if you do believe the truth and are willing to believe all the truth. Without a determination to know all the truth, our unity at best will be just some ecumenical thing, which really is not unity.

Please forgive me if I overloaded your brain with all these different aspects of man’s organized religion. However, I didn’t invent these; this is the mess the church is in today. Do you want to simplify your walk with the Lord? Then why don’t you too be satisfied to be affiliated with Jesus and let the word of God and the truth fully establish your life.

Jan 09 2016
1

Why I Love Going To Church

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Though I am a pastor and am expected to be at church, when it comes down to it, I love going to church. Following are many reasons “Why I Love Going to Church.” If you don’t love going too, then following are reasons why you need to go to church.

Reason 1

“And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18).

Though a gunman could go into a church and gun down people, it is still the safest place to be. The gates of hell cannot prevail against Christ’s church. Christian beware, if you think you do not need to belong with a fellowship of believers. Jesus made this promise to the church that the gates of hell will not prevail against it. I am not so sure there is a promise for those that are outside the church. It is possible that the gates of hell may prevail against those who want to remain independent of the church.

 

Reason 2

“He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed” (Proverbs 13:20).

There is no better place to find wise men than in the church. I love going to church because I can be with these wise men. For those that are independent of the church, they will be wise in their own eyes.

 

Reason 3

“Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him” (Acts 12:5).

When you belong to a church, you have the peace of knowing that the saints will be praying for you when you really need it. They will know your needs and you will know theirs, if you stay in fellowship. Those independent of the church have none to very little prayer support.

 

Reasons 4 and 5

“That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it” (I Corinthians 12:25-26).

It is in the nature of Christ to care for others. If I belong to a fellowship of believers, then there will be many others I can care for. There will also be others that will care for me. Those that are independent of the church, for the most part, will only care for themselves and their family and will have few believers that care for them.

If I am committed to a fellowship of believers, I will be there to suffer with those who suffer. I will also rejoice with those who rejoice. So too, will those brethren that are committed to the same fellowship suffer and rejoice with me. Those that are independent of the church will suffer alone and rejoice alone.

 

Reason 6

“Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church” (I Corinthians 14:12).

God gave each of us spiritual gifts. It is when I gather with the fellowship of believers, provided that the pastor doesn’t forbid it, that I can use my gifts to bless the brethren. I will also be blessed by the brethren who use their gifts. For those who are independent of the church, they really have no use for their giftings. They might just as well hide their gift in the earth or store it in a napkin, so they can give it back to the Lord later. YIKES!

 

Reasons 7 and 8

“Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone? And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12).

I love going to church and I need to because I fall down sometimes. Sometimes I grow cold. I need someone to pick me up when I fall and warm me up once in a while when I grow cold. I love being around fiery people. Those that are independent of the church need one of those gadgets that you can press the button and say, “I have fallen and I can’t get up.”

I love going to church because my brethren strengthen me so I cannot be “quickly broken.” Those that are independent of the church are like a single strand of string.

 

Reason 9

“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it” (Ephesians 5:25).

I love going to church because it’s a gathering of people who get the focus and attention of Christ’s love. He gave Himself for the church. For those who are independent of the church, they miss out on that special corporate love.

 

Reason 10

“That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” (Ephesians 5:27)

How would you handle it if you went for a routine physical and an x-ray of your lungs only to hear a report from the doctor that he detected a spot on your lungs? Would you just shrug it off and go about your business? Or would you have enough concern and to find out what you can do to be healed from that unwelcomed spot? In the same way, Jesus Christ is concerned with our spots and wrinkles and is at work removing them from His church. I love going to church and I want to go because I need that work done in me. Feeling a little spotted and wrinkled lately? Get to church this Sunday, or whenever you can go.

 

Reason 11

“And when this epistle is read among you, cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and that ye likewise read the epistle from Laodicea” (Colossians 4:16).

I love going to church because I don’t want to miss out on any reading that will be shared amongst the church. Those who are independent of the church will only hear what they read.

 

Reason 12

“And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches” (Acts 15:41).

I love going to church because, when an anointed man comes to the church, he confirms the Word and the things of the Spirit to me.

 

Reason 13

“And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily” (Acts 16:5).

I love going to church because there is an establishing of faith going on there. I also love to welcome in and rejoice with those that are being born into the kingdom of God. Hallelujah!

 

Reason 14

“He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches” (Revelation 2:29; 3:6,13,22).

I want and need to be in church so I can hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches.

 

Reason 15

“And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:31).

The reason I love going to church is because I am afraid I might miss out on a mighty visitation from God.

 

Reason 16

“I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD” (Psalm 122:1).

The main reason I love going to church is because I DO. It makes me glad.

 

Dec 24 2015
0

America Needs revival

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“Hezekiah began to reign when he was five and twenty years old, and he reigned nine and twenty years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah. And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father had done. He in the first year of his reign, in the first month, opened the doors of the house of the LORD, and repaired them. And he brought in the priests and the Levites, and gathered them together into the east street, And said unto them, Hear me, ye Levites, sanctify now yourselves, and sanctify the house of the LORD God of your fathers, and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place” (II Chronicles 29:1-5).

 

One of my mentors said a statement in one of his sermons that went something like, “As the preacher goes, so goes the church, as the church goes, so goes the nation.” No doubt the preacher has a huge impact on the church. One of my brothers in Christ used to tell me that the pastor sets the tone for the church. It makes sense to think that if the pastor is spiritually strong, so will the church be; if the pastor is spiritually weak, so will the church be. However, saint of God, you will not be able to blame your pastor for your spiritual shortfalls because you have a Bible and the Holy Spirit teaching and strengthening you. I have seen Christians in dead churches rise above the prevailing attitude of that church and go on to be men and women of God. None of us have a legitimate excuse.

When it comes to the thought that the church impacts a nation, there is great truth to that. Yet I would not be too quick to make an absolute out of it, especially when we know Rome was a morally wicked nation that persecuted Christians. In the midst of Rome; the early church was united and powerful. I am sure that the early church had some impact on Rome. When Rome did concede to the church, we got the Roman Catholic Church out of it.

You don’t need super spiritual eyes to see that America is corroding at an incredible rate, and that the church in America is turning carnal and lukewarm. It seems that many of us are quick to blame the church for the deterioration of America. In some ways, we are making a correct judgment. It sure looks like America is failing because the church is failing. As we see moral failure in the church, we see America falling even deeper into the pit of moral degradation. As we see the church downplay and skirt around the truth, we see a nation with politicians bankrupt of integrity. I do think it is safe to say that as the church in America is, so is America.

However, the Bible also teaches us that in the last days, evil will abound and love will grow cold. This is happening right before our eyes. It is a fearful thing to witness, yet it is also exciting to see the very words of the Bible become such a reality in our day. Have you ever heard the term “relevant?” I am sure most of you have. It is a term that is used quite often in church advertisements. They want to let everyone know that they are relevant to today’s culture and that their preacher preaches relevant messages. I was having lunch one day with a pastor who was passionately telling me how he wants to preach relevant messages. I was a little confused by this statement, so I asked him to give me an example of how the word of God isn’t relevant to our day. He immediately replied back, “Well, the word is always relevant.” To that I say amen, to that I say then preach the word. So I encourage any preacher who wants to preach a relevant message to just preach the word of God. Have you ever considered that I Timothy 4:1-3 and II Timothy 3:1-5 speak more of the day we live in than the day that Paul penned those scriptures? The things that Paul wrote in those portions of scripture were pointing to a future day. We are in that future time right now and these scriptures are being fulfilled in an incredible way. How much more relevant can the word of God be than that?

So I make the point that the church does have an impact on the nations, yet I am convinced we are living in the days that nothing can stop the increase of iniquity because the Bible says it is going to happen. I am not suggesting that we all lay back and do nothing, for the Lord could delay His coming for some decades. I can’t help but to see that the signs are all around us and I believe that we are in the very closing hours of this church age. While society is deteriorating at an alarming rate, we must understand that we are still called to be light and salt to our nation, no matter what condition she is in. It seems that the nation is having a stronger influence on the church than the church is having an influence on the nation. If that be the case then the church is in desperate need of revival.

I believe revival of the church in America is the greatest need of this hour. The American church has become so Laodicean in that she thinks she is rich and in need of nothing, but knows not that she is wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked. Yet God never chastises His people without leaving them with great hope. God invites us to buy gold tried in fire that we can be spiritually rich. He invites us to buy white raiment to cover our spiritual nakedness and anoint our eyes with salve that we can see the kingdom of God.

The southern kingdom of Judah had its ups and downs. The northern kingdom mostly had its downs. The northern kingdom was the first to fall because every king, since and including Jeroboam, did evil in the sight of the Lord. Judah had twenty kings. Eight did was right in the eyes of the Lord and twelve didn’t. One of those kings that did what was right was Hezekiah. He was the son of Ahaz. Ahaz was wicked and closed the house of the Lord. Hezekiah opened it back up and brought revival to Judah. He had all the filthiness removed from the holy place. Saints, we need this kind of revival here in America. America may have gone off the deep end, but we can still experience a revival amongst the church. Revival isn’t for the spiritually lost, though it affects them. Revival is for the church. You can only revive something that once had life. You can only wake up a people after they have gone to sleep. You cannot revive someone that hasn’t been born again. There has to have been life at one time. However, when the church does experience revival, it has a great impact on the lost. When saints are revived there is a renewed desire for evangelism and there is a holy fearful conviction that flows from God’s people. PRAY FOR REVIVAL!

 

“And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things” (Acts 5:11).

 

Nov 16 2015
2

Hypocrisy, Satan’s Greatest Sermon

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Merriam Webster’s dictionary defines hypocrite as: a person who claims or pretends to have certain beliefs about what is right but who behaves in a way that disagrees with those beliefs.

 

Hypocrisy is Satan’s greatest sermon; hypocrites are Satan’s greatest preachers.

 

In my estimation there are few things that are as effective for turning people off from being a Christian than hypocrisy. Jesus showed great mercy on the Samaritan woman who had five husbands and was living with a man who wasn’t. He extended mercy to the woman caught in adultery when He said to her, “neither do I condemn thee.” However, when it came to the hypocritical Scribes, Pharisees and Priests, Jesus really laid into them. He had no problem openly calling these men hypocrites. If you look up the word “Pharisee” in some dictionaries you will find two meanings for the word. One meaning is that a Pharisee was a member of a Jewish religious group that followed the Torah. You will find a second meaning for the word Pharisee to be a self-righteous hypocritical person. This definition came about by the observation of the hypocritical life that the Pharisees lived. They said one thing, but did another. Jesus plainly described them.

 

“Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.” (Matthew 23:2-3)

 

One of the biggest complaints that heathens have against the church of Jesus Christ is the rampant hypocrisy they see in those who profess to be Christians. Even worse, is when they see it in those that are ordained ministers. One reason for that hypocrisy, at least here in America, is we have far too many people that claim to be Christians that are not even born again. They cannot help but to live a hypocritical lifestyle to some degree, especially if they are trying to be religious. Those that are born again are promised power over sin, those that are not born again have no power over sin.

 

“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the

sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:” (John 1:12).

 

No matter how much a lost person may hate hypocrisy, they can’t help but act in hypocritical ways at times. For the true born again believer, we have power over sin and therefore hypocrisy must be far from us. The devil is waiting around every corner ready to expose every Christian that acts in hypocritical ways. People hate hypocrisy. They hate it when a Christian preaches to others how they need to quit acting like a sinner, but then will go and live like one themselves. Jesus said of the Pharisees:

 

“… Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy” (Luke 12:1).

 

Jesus had no problem openly reproving the Pharisees. He spoke out, not just to His disciples, but to the multitudes of people of just who these Pharisees were:

 

“For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders;

but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers” (Matthew 23:4).

 

The scribes and Pharisees were quick to make up their own rules and use them to oppress others, but for some reason they never intended for those rules to apply to their own life. The Pharisees were very judgmental of others, but thought judgment would pass them by. The whole twenty third chapter of Matthew is a record of Jesus warning the people of the scribes and Pharisees and exposing who they were. Jesus even resorted to name calling, something you would think is strictly forbidden for any Christian to do. However, He wasn’t calling them anything that wasn’t true. Jesus called them blind guides, fools, whited sepulchers full of dead men’s bones, serpents and a generation of vipers. It might be hard to see Jesus in this light, but He did not tolerate open hypocrisy.

Seven times in the twenty third chapter of Matthew, Jesus said “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!” It is clear to see how much Jesus hates the sin of hypocrisy. Jesus also gave a very strong warning to those who are hypocrites.

 

“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation” (Matthew 23:14).

 

Saint of God, let me get right to the point. You can fool people, but you will not fool God. He knows your heart, He knows your mind, and He knows exactly how you live your life. Do you pretend to be something you are not? Do you try to portray yourself to have a greater love and devotion for God than you do? If you have been living a hypocritical life, God knows it, and with great grace He is willing to forgive you of your hypocrisy.

Hypocrisy doesn’t just offend God and irritate people, it is one of the most destructive things when it comes to raising children. I have pondered on why God gives us children while we are so young. You would think that we should have children toward the end of our lives when we have so much more wisdom. Although it may take more energy than wisdom when it comes to raising children (ha ha). It can seem overwhelming for a young couple to be given a child, which is such a wonderful gift from God, and face the responsibility of raising it. Mom and dad can feel so proud of their young one and yet feel so inadequate when it comes to raising the child. I want to give you some advice since I am a father that raised three boys. You may fail your children at times during those child rearing days, but one of the greatest things you can do for your children is DO NOT LIVE A HYPOCRITICAL LIFE. DO NOT BE A HYPOCRITE. Be the same in church as you are in the home; be the same when you are with other believers as you are with your family. I can’t help but to believe that hypocrisy by parents, especially dad, has caused more children to hate Christianity than any other thing they could do.

One thing that hypocrites do really well is talk spiritual. They quote scripture and say all kinds of spiritual things to get the attention of others, but yet their hearts are far from God.

 

“He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me” (Mark 7:6).

 

I wonder how many proclaiming Christians are in church Sunday morning, singing the praises of God and offering up worship and then the rest of the week are living for the devil. That is called hypocrisy and again I will say, God is not fooled. He will reject those songs of praise and worship. Fellow believer, walk in the light God has given you. Be true to God and your fellow man and you will not have to hear, “Woe unto you.”

Oct 07 2015
1

Sensual, Having Not The Spirit

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“How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit” (Jude 1:18-19).

The book of Jude is not a book you hear quoted too often. No doubt it’s because it only consists of twenty five verses. However, these two verses are extremely important for every Christian (in America) to read and take to heart.
First I want to start by expounding on what we read at the end of verse nineteen, “sensual, having not the Spirit.” It is important for you to know that people who are sensual are people who are regulated by their senses. The sensual and spiritual are in direct opposition to each other. Thus, one who is sensual is not spiritual, and one who is spiritual will not be subject to or governed by the sensual. The sensual separate themselves from the spiritual. The sensual and spiritual are, and always will be at odds with each other.
When we hear the word “sensual,” many apply it to sexual enticement. No doubt about it, sex is highly sensual. Millions are being seduced by all the provocative TV shows, advertisements, billboards, magazines and internet sites. The porn industry (I hate to use the word industry) generates billions of dollars in sales annually. I have heard several statistics on how many Christian men are bound by pornography. I suppose there are different reports by other groups, but one research group claims that over half of Christian men view pornography at least once a month. Another report said that 37% of pastors struggle with pornography. If you are a Christian who is struggling with pornography, repent before the Lord and ask Him to strengthen you. God did not send His Son to the cross just to save your soul, but to deliver you from the power and stronghold of sin. Perverted sex is highly sensual, but in God there is enough power to deliver anyone from the clutches of any and all sexual addiction.
As powerful to the senses as sex can be, to be sensual doesn’t just apply to that. As I stated earlier, to be sensual means to be governed by your senses. Seeing, hearing, smelling, feeling and tasting. The Greek word that sensual was translated from means to be sensitive. It indicates that when one is sensual their senses are keenly aware of that which is around them and happening to them. Then, as the senses dictate, the sensual person responds. By the way, this is directly linked to self-centeredness and self-awareness.
With that established, there is something of the utmost importance that we all must see. It is imperative for the church (in this hour) to see what we are facing in these last days. In the last days people are going to be ruled by their senses. Jude says men will walk after their own ungodly lusts. The scriptures teach that iniquity will abound in the last days, so none of us should be surprised at what is going on in our society and the world. Sadly, it seems the same sensual spirit that is in the world has made its way into the church.
More and more churches are expected to offer music, drama and entertainment to satisfy the sensual desires that many proclaiming Christians have. I had heard that Barna did a survey and found that 75% of Christian pick their church by the music. Why is that? Because music is a very strong stimulant to our senses. I am not against music. I am a musician and often play instruments in our church, but I also understand the power that music has on our senses. People can easily mistake feelings and emotions for the Spirit of God.
I want to tell you something I learned early on as a believer. Before I became a born again believer I used to play the drums in a seven member wedding and supper club band. The bass player and I use to take a little pint of whiskey or brandy with us so we could add it to some coke or other soda which was usually offered for free. We were being paid to perform so we had to be careful we didn’t drink too much. Nonetheless we drank enough to loosen up and get in the groove. By the way, I don’t drink alcohol anymore because “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise” (Poverbs 20:1). I just had to throw that in. Anyway, there were times when we would be playing a song and I would come out of a roll in precise timing. The whole band was playing exceptionally well. Upon completing that roll I would get goosebumps because I was feeling good and liked how we sounded. To be honest I probably was just impressed with myself.
After I got saved I became a church musician. Now I know many of you will know what I am talking about when I say that I have experienced goose bumps in church when something powerful was said. I have experienced them while playing instruments during worship too. I don’t always get them, but when I do get them I like it. I believe goose bumps can happen at times when we experience a strong presence of the Lord. However, I also know that you can get them when you are serving the devil. One danger we face today is that some churches go through great efforts to put on a show. They work hard at giving the people the best sensual experience they can. Of course they want them to feel good so they will come back again. What is worse than that is they teach the people that all those goose bumps and great feelings they are getting is a result of the Holy Spirit. Then the people go away thinking the Holy Spirit is a feeling and as long as they get a good feeling, then God is present. Thus we have a generation of Christians who are not spiritual, but sensual.
Then there is the other side of the pendulum where we have those in the church that deny experiential Christianity. Non-experiential Christianity, is a false Christianity that teaches that salvation is just something you believe in the mind. True salvation is an experience. When a person becomes a born again believer it is because the Spirit of God has entered them. When this happens a person cannot deny that they experienced new life. The only reason a person could deny that salvation is an experience is because they never experienced the presence of the Lord. Christians are not to deny their senses for even Jesus rejoiced in spirit for what God has done (Luke 10:21). Instead we must bring our emotions under the constraint of the Spirit. If we are to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, then aren’t we to love God with our emotions? That is what the soul of man is. It is the emotional center of man’s being. God made us that way. The problem is when Christians let the soul regulate their life instead of the Spirit. That is what happened to Adam when he ate the fruit. He became a soulish creature, keenly aware of his senses. He even saw himself in such a different light that he wanted to cover himself up.
This article is not meant to deny the senses, but warn you of the danger of becoming a sensual person instead of a spiritual one.

“This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16)

Sep 18 2015
1

The Lord’s Burden

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“Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:29-30)

For anyone to be told, that if they become a Christian, they will no longer have any burdens, they would be told a great lie. There is no doubt that after we become a Christian God helps is in our troubles and cares of life, for Peter said:

“Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” (I Peter 5:7)

However, in this life we will have much tribulation. God will comfort us in it, but mark it down, you will have it. Trials, tribulations and temptations come to every true born again believer. Then add to that, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (II Timothy 3:12), you can see the Christian is under a lot of pressure. However, as hard as it may all seem to be to walk after the Lord at times, Jesus did say, “My burden is light.”
When we think of burdens we tend to think of the pressures that come from the devil, this world and just life in general; But according to our opening text, there is a yoke and burden that comes from God Himself. He has a burden for each of us to carry. His burden is different than the burdens we face. His burden doesn’t come from the pressure of being overwhelmed with something, His burden comes from the love He has for his fallen creation. He has such a great desire to see them restored to Himself that he sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die and purchase men’s souls. This desire that God has for restoration is what I call the Lord’s burden. For example, when God calls someone to go to the mission field in another country, the person who is called will feel and share the burden the Lord has for the lost souls in that country. They will share in the burden to such a point that they will give up their life back home to go and labor amongst the people. They will labor with the hope of seeing them come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
As I mentioned before, God has a burden for each of us to bear. Some burdens may be heavier than others, but we all share in the Lord’s burden in some way. I want to share a burden the Lord has put on my heart. This burden is real and I especially feel it the most when I am in my morning prayer time, though that is not the only time. Most days when I get into serious prayer, I feel that burden. As the months go by, I feel the burden grow even stronger. What is that burden? It is a burden that God has for His church here in Wisconsin. God doesn’t just have a burden for the lost, but He also has a great burden for His church. I tell my church often that there are two main works of God toward mankind. The first is to see fallen man restored to Him. The second is for his born again children be conformed to the image of Christ. Much of what God does is working toward these ends. When souls are lost, the Lord has a burden toward them for repentance. When souls get saved, the Lord has a burden toward them for conformity to Christ.
The burden that is so ever pressing on me from the Lord has to do with His church. So many Christians are willing to settle for a church lacking life and having a low impact on society. Many Christians would just as soon get in and get out of a church meeting as quickly as possible, so they can get on with other things they feel are more important. You can hardly blame some of them that attend a dead church, for if the Lord is not present when the church meets then it will be a very boring religious meeting.
The burden the Lord has put on my heart is for his church to once again have the life that she had back when she was first established. It is important that you understand that the Lord holds us accountable for the condition of His church. The ministers that He has called are the ones that are the most responsible for the condition of the church. If the pastor of a church is not spiritual, for the most part the church won’t be either. Yet no believer can stand before the Lord and blame their spiritual shortcomings on the pastor. Here in Wisconsin, I am sure every believer has a Bible and they can have access to the Holy Spirit who will teach them all truth.
Every one of you believers have the ability to rise above the prevailing attitude of the church today. This is what the Lord desires to see. He wants to see his church be totally devoted to Him, to repent of unbelief and rise up and be the church that God has intended for His church to be.
Do you believe the church can be like the church we read about in the book of Acts? I do. We can never be that if we don’t believe this is God’s will for us. God ordained His church to go forth with unity and power. So many believers have given up on unity. They figure there are so many denominations as well as many independent churches, all having their special doctrinal beliefs, that they don’t see how the church could possibly be like-minded again. Well I want to tell you, I am sincere as can be when I say this, I am convinced that the Lord is going to bring many of us believers together that will be like-minded. It will because we have allowed the Holy Spirit to correct or strengthen everything we believe. If we believe wrong then the Holy Spirit will correct what’s wrong, and the humble saint will receive that and make that correction in his heart. The proud stubborn believers will go on to believe what they want to believe.
For the church to be like the church in the book of Acts, we need to have the power and authority of God like they had. The early church had brought fear on their society.

“And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things” (Acts 5:11).

However, we are such a self-sufficient and creative people that we have come up with our own soul winning techniques. We rarely see miracles today because so much of the church doesn’t even believe in them anymore.
Today the church at best is a nuisance to our society, and often times a laughing stock as the lost of this world see ministers fall into immorality or be nothing but money grubbers. I ask you to share this burden for the church here in Wisconsin with me, and diligently and fervently pray that we would all yield to the Holy Spirit and give Him complete control of Christ’s church again? I ask you to believe with me that we really can have true spiritual unity. Believe with me for a return of power and authority that the church can do more than preach, THAT WE CAN DEMONSTRATE WITH SPIRIT AND POWER THAT OUR GOD LIVES AND REIGNS.

Terry Fischer