Whatever Happened to Sunday School?

 When I was growing up the churches I attended all had Sunday School classes for all age groups to learn the lessons of the Bible.  In fact when I was in seventh grade by own father was my Sunday School teacher. But when the 1990's came about Sunday School started to disappear.  The Church of Jesus Christ got away from the foundation of truth based on the written Word of God and got caught up into what is commonly known as the "seeker-sensitive movement".

During this time many a church got away from teaching the pure Word of the Lord and instead of using it as a hammer and chisel to convict hearts and bring change to those who would embrace it went in the direction of watering down the Word of God by making Jesus everyone's friend.  

As a result of this the Church lost its saltiness and it's message became ineffective in helping change the culture it was called to affect per the head of the Church Jesus Christ. 

I tend to believe that the gender confusion and other moral issues we are seeing manifesting in this nation is a result of the seeker-sensitive movement that emasculated the Church and left her without the voice of reason, hope, faith and truth that she needs to carry. 

Are we without hope because of what unfolded over the years?  I don't believe so.  For even now we are seeing a reversal occurring.  I believe that people are hungry for the Word of the Lord and that God is raising up a remnant who will not compromise the truth it proclaims. If our pulpits will recover this fire reformation and revival will be the result.  Will you join me in standing up for the Cross of Christ and proclaiming it's truth no matter what the cost?  For the time is now and eternity for many hangs in the balance.  For there is Life in God's Word!

Too much Flesh in the Church?

 Recently I had a dream where a church service was occurring. The service had drawn to a close and the people were going about fellowshipping with one another when I called out that we had not ended the service in prayer.

Once I spoke that out I people giving me a not so nice stare but reluctantly they quieted down and bowed their heads.  I said a strong closing prayer and as soon as I finished the people resumed their fellowship time with reckless abandonment.  Then I heard another voice say, " there is to much Flesh in the Church."

I believe for the Church to take its place in authority and power that it must humble itself and let the nature of the flesh to be crucified.  Instead of seeking God in prayer and fasting we rather have fellowship and feasting with the brethren.  

How many times we see Jesus go off to spend time with the Father God on His own?  To get what God wants to get over to His people will cost us something.  The cross of Christ is the starting point.  As we come through the cross we will eventually be lifted up to sit upon a throne of authority just like Jesus did.  Are we not to be pursuing the Master's path so we can be like Him in all our ways?  

Church let us humble ourselves under His mighty right hand and allow Him to take out our stony heart and give a heart of flesh full of compassion and grace to touch the world we live.  For to die to ourselves is to live as only one can truly experience life as God intended.  Let your flesh nature die so resurrection power can be demonstrated.  

Revival at Asbury . Is it of God?

 If you have heard the reports across social media a revival has broken out at Asbury College in Wilmore Kentucky.  From what has stated no one is leading the meetings but God Himself through the leading of the Holy Spirit.  

As this is happening word has spread and people across the country are heading there to participate in what God is doing.  I am grateful for this to occur but what does it say about the current status of the Church?

Should we not all be experiencing His manifest presence?  Why is that not the case.  Could it be that we have placed our agenda over His?  That we restrict His ability to move because we are on our own time table and not His?

I have been reading the newsletters that where produced by those who steward the Azusa street revival and in the testimonials that were given over and over it was God having His way in the meetings much like what is occurring at Asbury.  

I believe God is sending a message to His people in this hour.  Don't hold the reigns so tightly.  Allow Me my time and space to move.  For when He does ministry more can be in a short space of time then powerless rituals bound to religious traditions.

Have your way Lord! Come and refresh us again in Jesus name I ask it. Begin in me and may your fire ignite new passion for your glory among your people again. 

Why is Praying so difficult?

 I have embraced prayer most of my Christian life but I believe the reason it is difficult for most to do is the discipline it requires from the individual.  The earth bound nature of man wants to do his own thing and prayer is something that requires that nature to be submissive to the new born again nature of the spirit of man, which takes place when one accepts Christ as their personal Savior.  

Much like daily exercise, one must work on developing the discipline to pray.  As one spends time doing so you are able to enjoy spending time seeking after God and the wells of revelation and understanding will begin to open up. For it will not be something that  feel obligated to do but it will become something you look forward to doing.  

My favorite time of day is the time I get to seek God in prayer.  In fact I am disappointed that it must end and I have other tasks that I must do.  The devil doesn't want you to pray because he is afraid of the relationship you are developing with God plus your prayers are targeting his kingdom and destroying that which he is hoping to accomplish. I believe that prayer also helps to bring boldness and confidence to the believer as they learn to trust God with that they are petitioning Him for.  

So don't let your old man nature and the devil steal from you the blessings of seeking God the Father in prayer.  Open your heart and just talk to Him as your best friend and as you do you will discover just how much He wants to hear from you and He will speak to you as well.  For prayer is a two way street.  And who doesn't want to spend time the all knowing, all powerful Creator of mankind.  For there is hope and life in His presence.  He is waiting.  Just step into that place where He is and your amazing journey will take you places you never thought possible. 

Where is the Altar?

 When I was much younger I remember invitations given by ministers for people to come to the altar at the church I was attending asking for people to come meet Christ for salvation or for a prayer need.  But as time has progressed I rarely see or hear that invitation given.  Why?  

I believe that seeker friendly approach has much to do with it.  As ministers embraced this anti- biblical approach it began a process of destroying a foundation that was necessary for helping people see their need for a Saviour from their sins.  For the seeker friendly approach wanted people to feel comfortable with the Church and instead of preaching holiness and the need for repentance it preached greasy grace. 

This caused the Church to lose it status in society as Salt and Light and made it irrelevant to society in general because by trying to fit in instead of pointing towards a different path to travel on the power and the glory left as God was not allowed to have His way in our services.  

We must have a return of the Altar in the Church so that the business of the Kingdom of God can be carried out as He intended.  The message of John the Baptist, "Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand" needs to be our cry.  For as John prepared the world for Jesus's first coming so let us emphasis the message of the Altar as Christ readies Himself for His soon coming return.  Will you join me at the Altar?

Exalting Jesus

 In the Christian world I have seen and noticed a trend where we like to exalt the gift that God has given over the one who has given it.  What do I mean by this?  How many times have you heard or seen people exalting preachers that they enjoy following over the Lord himself?  

I have fallen into that trap as well, especially in my early days of my faith walk.  Rod Parsley was the preacher that I wanted to be like and though I see nothing wrong with following a man or woman of faith when you place them upon a pedestal you are only setting yourself up for a potential fall.  For in a sense Rod Parsley became an idol to me. 

As I grew in my faith the Lord began to deal with me about making Him the center of all I do and say.  I still enjoy the minister gifts that God has placed in the body of Christ that I now listen to, but I don't emphasis them as my source of my faith and belief.  I choose to exalt Jesus Christ and God the Father and welcome the Holy Spirit to lead and order my steps on a daily basis.  

If you recognize that this something you need to change I encourage you to humble yourself before the Lord and allow Him to become the center of your faith.  Stay in the Bible and let the Holy Spirit direct your steps.  For the goal is to more like Jesus. And as you submit unto Him the more He will become a part of you.  And that will bring God glory.  

Here is a song by a friend and fellow believer that sums up what I have spoken about.  The link is https://youtu.be/OUiJ7x108rU

The Fear of God

 In the world today there is many who don't fear who the God of the Bible is.  Because of that lack of respect for Him we see it trickle down into all aspects of society.  How many times have you seen individuals disrespect their boss, a co-worker or someone that is serving them by either insulting them or by acting as if they don't matter.  

The reason we are seeing this is because the Church has become to friendly with the world and doesn't want to confront them with the gospel of Christ but instead wants to be wishy washy and not cause those who are outside the flock to be offended.  

The Church needs to repent, pick up it's cross and begin to decree whom are God is.  He is a God of holiness, a God of righteousness and a God of truth. 

What the Church has done is promote love as all inclusive but does not true love not require boundaries?  When one is rebellious isn't discipline required?  Love requires it as a parent teaches a child what is right and wrong.  The same applies here to those who the Church is attempting to win. We must show and uphold the standard the Father God requires.  If we don't than we misrepresent the Father God to the world and the fear ,or respect He deserves is not given.  

Church it is time to humble ourselves and to declare who are Father God is in His fullness so that the truth of who He is can set the world free.  Will you join in this endeavor?

Set your eyes up on High

 When it comes to seeing what we are faced with in this world it is easy to become discouraged by what we see if we look at everything from a worldly view. With rioting and a pandemic and race relations being our focus there appears to be no hope for peace and for justice to be served properly in this world.  

However if we get our eyes focused on our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and begin to see things of our world from His perspective than fear and worry will flee.  The Lord wants us to look to the hills where our help comes from. Colossians 3:1-4 says the following, " If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God.  Set your mind on things above, not on things of the earth.  For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. " Church our God has not failed us up to now and He will not us down.  Renew your mind with His Word and keep your perspective not on what you see and hear from the news outlets of the world, but get your eyes on the Lord most High because we may be in this world, but our Kingdom, the Kingdom of Heaven trumps all that the enemy of mankind can do or attempt to do to me or you.  For He is Risen!  And if you behold Him so shall you be raised so you and I can be where He is.  Hallelujah!!

Why so Negative?

Negative news sells but why?  Could it be that people like to gossip and hear about others are suffering to feel better about themselves?  Or is just the nature of humans to hear something that is negative because of the shock value that it generally brings? I tend to believe that people like to use this type of information to help them feel that though they may be suffering, that someone is in a worst situation than what they are experiencing, which makes them feel better about themselves as a result. 

I believe that humans in their fallen state like to gossip and talk about what is wrong with a person before finding anything good to say because it appeals to the sin nature that we all have been born into.  Do you ever find yourself having a difficult time resisting the urge to gossip?  When the rumors start flying isn’t easier to participate than to resist the temptation?  I know from my experience it always has been a difficult one to stand up against.  When God allows us to hear something that is negative could it be that He is asking to stand in prayer for the person or people involved so that He can get glory out of a situation that the enemy of mankind, the devil is trying to snuff out and defeat.  Because the believer who is truly linked to Christ, has the spirit of an Overcomer living inside of them.  For Christ overcame it all to give us life.  Thus if we will tap into that power source that He provides we can overcome any and all opposition that opposes us and instead of becoming a casualty that the devil is able to sway and defeat, we can provide light in the darkness that reflects the Overcoming King who is able to shine through us into a world that needs hope and belief that there is One who truly cares.  

 

So the next time you are faced with an opportunity to fall into the trap of gossip and negativity just recognize it for what it is and resist the temptation.  The Bible says to “submit yourself unto God, resist the devil and he will flee from you”.  For to become like Christ we must take on His nature.  And as we recognize the devil and how he tries to play us then we are no longer held in bondage to this because “light and darkness cannot be in the same place” So shine the light on these situations and resist the devil and victory will be yours.

Why is Sacrifice Necessary?

What does the world have to offer that people try to run after it and thinks that it will provide them with the satisfaction that they seek?  Jesus said to seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you.  Could the answer that we all are seeking is to know God and to be in His presence, because in the presence of God there is fullness of joy.  Money, fame, possessions are all nice to have and enjoy, but if they are you are pursuing than you are not in a place that God would want you to be.  Greed will eat your soul alive and as you continue to try and feed it, you will find that you can’t be satisfied and eventually it will lead you to the death of you.

However if one should pick up his cross and follow the example of Jesus Christ, by laying everything down, by not making your pursuit of worldly possessions your goal in life, but instead be willing to get to know the Savior of mankind with all your heart and soul, then the things that God will bring unto you will be able to meet not only your needs , but the needs of others because your heart will be free to give unto those who are less fortune than what you are.  The biggest thing that God is after is the heart of man because He wants relationship with us.  If we get our hearts aligned with Him and His way of doing things than we can enjoy life to the fullest because we will no longer be controlled by our sinful passions and desires and will live a life that is full of peace and joy in Him. 

Remember the two great commandments that Jesus Christ taught.  To love the Lord your God with all your heart, your soul and your strength and your neighbor as yourself.  Love covers a multiple of sins and if we as the Church are going to be relevant in the world we live in today than we need to allow His love to permeate us and be the reason why we exist so that the power of the cross can be properly demonstrated in a world that is looking for an answer to its sufferings and the power of evil which is keeping them suppressed.   For all of man is yearning to know God and we as His body must be willing to lead the way to hope and freedom by laying down our lives so that His name and person will be lifted up so that all men will see and know of the hope of salvation that only comes through Jesus Christ.  Will you join me in this crusade?  The choice is yours.

In the Beginning

When God created Adam and Eve and placed them in the Garden there was no rules stating on how they should live their lives.  They were in a perfect relationship with the Father and thus they communed with Him constantly.  The Ten Commandments were not necessary because they were loving the Lord their God with all their heart and each other as Jesus spoke about in the New Testament.

When they fell into sin they became separate from God and lost that intimacy with the Lord.  They could not find their way back as their spirit man lost the connection to the Lord.  But not only was that affected but so was their soul, which is their mind, will and emotions.  The Lord had to find a way to get His creation to realize just how far they had fallen.  He was able to begin that process by establishing the Law of Moses.

When the Ten Commandments came into play they were able to show mankind just how holy and good God is and how far we were separated from Him.  Before that time there was nothing established that could show us just how much we needed Him.  The Ten Commandments spoke to our souls and awakened us to that need. 

As men like Moses, David and Jeramiah tried to live up to what was laid out by the law they all fell short.  No matter how hard they tried God saw that mankind could not live up to the holy standard that He had set for them so He then proceeded to put phase two of His plan into action, the death of the Son of God.

God the Father had to find a man who could pick up the mantle that Adam had lost but every man after Adam was stained by the sin nature Adam had created by his disobedience so He had to find one who did not have that nature to pick up where Adam dropped the ball.

God knew that before Adam fell that He would have to send His Son to take Adam’s place, after all Adam was created in their image and since that image had been marred the only one who could fulfill the legal requirements of being sinless would have to come from the Godhead. Obviously God the Father could not go or the Holy Spirit, so Jesus chose to take the assignment and bring redemption for mankind by hanging on a cross and taking the punishment that man deserved for losing its position as God’s children through its disobedience. 

God’s plan has been to bring His children back into right relationship with Him since the Fall of Adam.  What He wants us to have is the same relationship with Him as it was in the Garden, where we are walking with Him and have deep intimate conversations with Him.  We are seated with Him in heavenly places so let us continue to pursue that which He died to give so that we may one day have the testimony of Enoch, “for he walked with God and he was and was not.”  In other words God will rapture us to Himself because He can’t wait to have us in His presence all the time.

Deliverance

Jesus Christ came to set men free from the effects of sin and the symptoms of that include sickness, depression, fear, and ultimately death.  When a person gets born from above and accepts Jesus as his Savior one’s spirit is alive unto God but their soul is not.  The soul of man contains one’s will, emotions and their mind or how they think.  And this is where deliverance needs to come so that the believer may walk into the fullness of who Christ made them to be.  The apostle Paul wrote that we need to renew our mind by the washing of the Word of God.  Deliverance will come as we align ourselves with God’s Word and the Spirit behind the Word.  

I am one who believes that a Christian can be oppressed and held captive by a demon in their thinking or in there body.  The spirit of a Christian cannot be held captive because the Holy Spirit lives there but the other parts of a man which includes his body and soul can be troubled by evil spirits.  I have seen this personally with people who have been under severe depression and yet were born again.  The spirit of depression held them in such bondage that suicide was one of the thoughts that was entertained.  God brought a supernatural deliverance during the night and they were free from the powers of hell as the Holy Spirit power surged through them.   Per Dr. Lester Sumrall, who was one of my father’s in the faith, there is seven steps to demon possession.  These steps are, regression, repression, suppression, depression, oppression, obsession and possession.  

As one can see from this list the steps of demon possession starts from a place where a person back slides from where they are in God and as the spirit of heaviness weighs them down they are further submerged into the darkness that the enemy brings. At the first couple of levels a person can get them own self free, but as they slide further down into the deception of the enemy the bondage becomes too great for them to get themselves free and it is at that point they need someone else to free them.
It is at that point those who are ministering deliverance need to be led by the Holy Spirit.  It is easy to do things in the power of the fleshly nature and not to be sensitive to what the Holy Spirit is revealing to help bring about the deliverance that the individual needs.   In fact one can bring harm instead of help because of this.  I have witnessed some of these moments and the wounds that are caused in the emotions of people can help to further strengthen the stronghold, instead of freeing a person.

Prayer is one of the weapons one can use when it comes to bring deliverance and with that comes the authority that a believer has in Christ.  When setting captives free don’t mess around with the spirit but command that spirit to lose its hold over the individual by using the authority that Christ has given you.  Praying the Spirit is also a most powerful way to tap into the mind of the Holy Spirit and follow His leading as you look to set the captive free.  Remember not all deliverance is instantaneous, sometimes deliverance can be a process so don’t be discouraged if you don’t see immediate results.  Remember you can only set someone free who wants to be free.  You can’t violate their will.  When deliverance is a process it is because there may be more than one evil spirit involved and one has to get to the foundation of that evil to bring complete freedom.  So you may be engaged and free them of some spirits that are a part of the main culprit but until he is found out freedom will not come.
As a believer don’t be afraid to minister in this area.  Like anything else it takes time to develop your gifts in this.  Continue to surround yourself with men and women of faith who have journeyed down this path to learn how to be more effective.  Let the Holy Spirit lead you and as you are obedient you will see captives get free.

Is Love a Weapon?

When one thinks of love in general one does not really think about the power it truly possesses to change the lives of people.  When I think of weapons I think of things like guns, or missiles, or cannons.  Thinks that can destroy or move an object out of my way.  But when one thinks about the Love of God and the power it possesses one begins to realize that it is the most powerful force in the universe when it is operating within the faith of God.  Paul teaches us in 1 Corinthians 13:13 faith hope and love abide but the greatest of these is love.  The Bible also declares that God is love.  Christ spoke of the love of the Father God between Him and Christ and prayed in John 17 that the love they have for one another would be manifested in the life of the Church among believers.

If we as Christ followers could truly tap into the love of God the way Jesus did we would be able to change entire cultures and atmospheres  because the love of God brings the manifest presence of the Lord unto the seen.  The Bible also teaches us if we hate our brother but say we love God we are a liar and the truth is not in us.  As we learn to pray for those who misuse use and who brings us harm we are manifesting forgiveness which is tied back to love.  For Christ and the Father God want us to show this love to the world at large.  If we are able to do just that we will change the world, because the most basic need of humans is to be loved by someone. God created that need within us so that we would seek Him out.  As we give of ourselves to others we are motivated to do so by love.  Love is a weapon that some may call a weak approach, but in reality it is the force that when used in the context God calls us to walk in that has and will continue to revolutionize mankind and bring the kingdom of Heaven to earth.  Who will want to join me in this?

The Kingdom of Heaven. What is it?

If you read through the Bible you see the phrase " The kingdom of Heaven is near or is upon you", what does that really mean.  For the past year the Lord has been teaching me about the Kingdom of Heaven and I am not saying that I fully understand everything about it what I do know I would like to  now share. 

Most people believe that we as believers are looking to make our way to heaven and that once we get saved and give our lives over to Christ that we must hold on and wait for Christ return or our passing from this life into the next.  Along the way we are suppose to help others find Christ but basically our mindset as believers has been one of holding the fort.   This is not the Kingdom of Heaven!  The Kingdom of Heaven is summed up in the Lord's prayer, " Our Father who  are in heaven hallowed be thy name, thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as in heaven..."  Does Christ suffer sickness, fear, depression etc., in heaven?  No.  Christ has called us to be ambassadors of heaven to bring the atmosphere of heaven to earth.  He has called us to represent Him where ever we go. We are called to engage this world systems and to make it like Heaven.  After all, the Garden of Eden was like Heaven on earth before the fall.  Now if that was God the Father's originally plan for the earth than what we are called to help bring about is the reestablishment of this planet.  

That means we as believers need to bring heaven into our workplaces, into our homes, into government, educational systems, media and business.  We are called to be salt and light.  Is salt and light needed in heaven?  No these things are needed where things may be rotting and where darkness dwells.  God has called us to be Kings and Priests unto Him.  We as Kings exercise authority to make changes in the place that He has called us to dominate.  We are priests because we change the spiritual atmosphere where we are at by our worship to God. 

Church are you ready to renew your mindset and begin to think Kingdom?  I challenge you to pursue this.  If you do, it will change the way you see things and will help you realize the potential that God has given unto you.