Tag

church

Feb 15 2016
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Eyesalve: Built on Christ

By | Eyesalve

“He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. 49But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great.” Lk. 6:48-49

 

Notice that the scriptures did not say “if the flood,” but instead “WHEN the flood.” Saints, you can be certain that the flood will rise and the stream will beat against you. Is your Christian foundation built on a favorite minister, favorite Christian author, favorite denomination or church, or is your foundation built on Christ? As certain as you can be that the flood and the stream will come, you can be certain you will stand if your foundation is built on Christ.

Feb 12 2016
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Eyesalve: An Unclean Place

By | Eyesalve

“Now if the plague comes back and breaks out in the house, after he has taken away the stones, after he has scraped the house, and after it is plastered, 44then the priest shall come and look; and indeed if the plague has spread in the house, it is an active leprosy in the house. It is unclean. 45And he shall break down the house, its stones, its timber, and all the plaster of the house, and he shall carry them outside the city to an unclean place. 46Moreover he who goes into the house at all while it is shut up shall be unclean until evening.” Lev. 14:43-46

 

If the Spirit of God does His work to purge any particular church of her carnal ways, but that church persists in her ways, it is no different than being infected with leprosy. Just as a house that has walls infected with leprosy has to be destroyed, so must the church that has spiritual leprosy. I am not talking about destroying the church building, I am talking about bringing an end to the gathering of those saints. When rebellious carnal people meet it infects those who enter and does more to make them unclean than clean.

Feb 02 2016
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Eyesalve: We Will Produce Fruit

By | Eyesalve

“They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.” Mt. 21:41

 

This verse is the conclusion of a parable Jesus spoke. The parable starts at the 33rd verse if you wish to read the whole thing. If you do you will understand that Jesus is teaching thru this parable that the vineyard will be taken away from the Jews and will be given to the whosoever will which is known as the church (Jew and Gentile). The words I highlighted are great words of encouragement. Jesus is saying that His church, in every generation, will give back to Jesus fruit. Hallelujah! That means that if we are going to give back to Him fruit there will be a production of fruit. Let us be confident that we the church will produce fruit in our generation.

Feb 01 2016
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Eyesalve: And Defiled Her

By | Eyesalve

“And Dinah the daughter of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land. 2And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he took her, and lay with her, and defiled her.” Gen. 34:1-2

 

The church for the most part suffers persecution because the world hates her, but not always. Just as Shechem was attracted to Dinah so much that he defiled her, some people are attracted to the church. The church has good things to offer, family values, practical biblical teachings and most of all love and friendship. But if the people aren’t there because they love Christ, they are there to defile the church.

Jan 18 2016
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Who Are You Affiliated With

By | Articles

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

By | Articles

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 28 2015
0

Eyesalve: More Perfectly

By | Eyesalve

“And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly.” Acts 18:26

 

I am the first to admit that the way we do church is the way we have been taught. Church all over the world is done in a traditional way. God is not against tradition; only when it forbids the Spirit to have His way. It could be that our way of doing church is so rooted in us that we have a built in resistance to the Spirit and don’t know it. It could also be that the way of doing church doesn’t keep the Spirit from moving, but the hearts of the people do. It may be that you are satisfied with the way church is done. So with that said, I pray; God teach us Your way more perfectly.

Dec 24 2015
0

America Needs revival

By | Articles

“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).

 

Dec 08 2015
0

Eyesalve: Are You Departing (#2)

By | Eyesalve

“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;” I Tim. 4:1

Only those who are born again through faith can depart from faith. We believers are warned, that in these last days, there will be Christians who will depart from faith in God. There is not one of us reading this that is beyond falling away. May I encourage you all to strengthen your walk in the Lord? Following are signs that may indicate you are in the process of departing from the faith or already have. (Sign number 2).

 

2. If church becomes a chore for you attend and you have little to no desire to be with the saints. One exception is it could be that your church is dead.

Dec 02 2015
0

Eyesalve: May Their Knees Knock

By | Eyesalve

“In the same hour came forth fingers of a man’s hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king’s palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. 6Then the king’s countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another.” Dan. 5:5-6

 

It seems few in our society fear anymore what God has written. Sad to say that even some of the church don’t fear what God has written. Lord, reveal the truth of your written word to men that they will tremble and their knees will knock.