Frontier Harvest Ministries Blog (By Chuck King)

From Answers In Genesis: Evolution Not Possible...

2012-01-06T08:07:00.004-05:00

From Woody Barnette...

2011-12-28T13:58:00.000-05:00

"....One thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." (Fr. Philippians 3:13, 14)

Notice in Whom is, "the upward call of God." This wonderful, "upward call," is in none other, and in nothing other than, "in Christ Jesus."

Our text today is a favorite of preachers this time of year. Paul was stating his life's philosophy; whatever he had achieved by his own energy and efforts was in the past and needed to be put in the, "forgetting," file. One must always remember, however, that our minds are like computers; they retain data entered. As with computers, this data can be "good" and it can be "bad," and what we do with that data will affect the coming year, indeed, our coming lives.

There are things which I need to retain and things which I need to "forget." But the word for, "forgetting," in our text is not what it may seem. We really don't "forget" things, at least the things which have greatly affected our lives. One of the main problems in interpersonal and international relationships is directly related to "unforgetfulness." Yet what I can gather from the Greek word for, "forgetting," it fundamentally means "to neglect, to lose out of mind." This, my friend, is a conscious decision, difficult though it may be.

This coming year will be one of victory or defeat, depending on our ability and/or willingness "to lose out of mind, to neglect" all our self-willed achievements and the offenses of others. Jesus Christ made this possible in what He finished, "in His Cross,"
"My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought,
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul."
Now what more or less can I do with my own past as well as the past of all those in my life?!? "Put it behind you" is a common phrase, and this is exactly what the Holy Spirit, through the former Pharisee, is saying to you and me for the coming year. God put our life of sin "behind" Him, and in Him we can do the same. The thoughts will come back, some times horrible, depressing, haunting thoughts, but in Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit you and I can "neglect" them and lose [them] out of mind."

Father, in Jesus' Name, I choose to "lose out of mind, to neglect" all that is not of You in my life. Amen.

2011 December Kenya-Rwanda Mission

2011-12-15T14:18:00.000-05:00

2011 December Kenya-Rwanda Mission

I departed from Pittsburgh on December 4th and arrived in Nairobi (via Dulles and Zurich) Tuesday evening the 5th. This was 17 hours flight time! John Muchuri and the driver met me when I exited customs (no problems there!). We drove to the guesthouse where I immediately went to bed. Yet I could not sleep but a few hours, so I was up before 3 am on Tuesday the 6th for our 4:30 am departure to the airport for me to fly to Mombasa at 6:45 am. But the flight was delayed almost three hours! But I finally made it to Mombasa by about 10:30 am. I stayed with Pastor Tom Arati at his home.

In the afternoon we were able to track down and buy two solar panels and two motorcycle batteries for the Hays Generators at reasonable prices. Wednesday the 7th we will leave early for Bang’a to do follow up safe water training to a team of folks from Bang’a, Mwangaza, and Mombasa.

I had a very good (long 12-hour) day in Bang'a on Wednesday Dec. 7th! Bang'a is about 60 miles south of Mombasa, yet it takes about 4 hours to get there by car, due to bad roads and traffic. This village of about 300 families, or 3,000 people, received our team warmly. This was my fourth visit since 2007. I trained the entire church plus our Mombasa/Mwangaza safe water team in hygiene, sanitation, Hays Generators, and a review of biosand and Sawyer filters. We also distributed food to 150 families. I preached a salvation message before I did the safe water training, and 25 people received Jesus Christ!

Thursday Dec. 8th we held a safe water training at Mombasa Pentecostal Church. We reviewed all the material to reinforce the team’s grasp of the program. They are doing well and understand and do things correctly! We will press forward with the Hays Generators to many villages!

Friday Dec. 9th I flew to Kigali, Rwanda to meet Justin and spent the evening in my hotel, The Run Way, just a five- minute walk from the airport. It was very nice!

Saturday Dec. 10th, I taught a group of leaders concerning the “Last Days and the Coming of Jesus Christ.” We had a great time going through many Scriptures for more than three hours! Then we distributed food to 50 families---corn flour, potatoes, and beans. Simeon from Goma, D.R. Congo came to the meeting. I gave him six Sawyer filters and a Hays Generator to take back to Goma to grow his safe water ministry. Justin will pay $300 (from me) to the government here for a license so they can test the effectiveness of the chlorine solution for water disinfection. Once licensed, he will be able to sell and distribute the solution here in Rwanda! Our plan is to sell the chlorine solution, save up the money, and use the money to pay me for more Hays Generators (that I will bring to them on future trips). This is how they will become self-supporting as they spread this technology among their people! We also distributed Rebellion books in the Kinyarwanda language and Assurance books in English to those who attended the seminar.

Sunday Dec. 11th I ministered in Justin’s house church meeting. I continued the study on The Last Days for more than two hours. Then I trained them how to use the Hays Generator and to raise money for more generators by selling the chlorine solution. We spent the afternoon fellowshipping at Justin’s house.

Monday Dec. 12th I started my long journey home in the afternoon. I flew to Nairobi arriving a couple hours before my flight back to Zurich, then Newark and Pittsburgh. I arrived home Tuesday Dec. 13th in the evening.

This was a very fruitful trip! I was able to follow up on three safe water projects in Mombasa, Kigali, and Goma (Simeon). All are prepared to continue growing their outreaches to those who need the Lord and safe drinking water. It is a great joy to be used by the Lord in such ministry! I was able to preach and teach God’s Word in these places. About 25 folks received the Lord Jesus Christ in Bang’a, Kenya! The whole church in Bang’a was trained in safe water technology, as well as the Mombasa team. The house church leaders in Kigali, Rwanda were thrilled to receive the Scriptures I shared with them concerning the last days before the coming of Jesus Christ. And we distributed food to 150 families in Bang’a and 50 families in Kigali! House church leaders in Kigali received two different books. Simeon from Goma, D.R. Congo received six Sawyer filters and one Hays generator, the training, and the opportunity to reach another 5,000 people with safe drinking water! All glory to God!

Thanks for your faithful prayers. And without your financial offerings, this work simply could not be done! Thank you. May the Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Love of God, and the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you always!!!

2011 Mission Trip Summary...

2011-12-15T14:14:00.000-05:00

2011 Mission Trips Costs Summary
(Details are taken from my individual trip reports)
By Chuck King

Nations visited during 11 trips. Total of combined expenses below = $97,170:

Kenya (3x) China
Rwanda (2x) Peru (3x)
D.R. Congo Malawi (2x)
Burundi Vietnam
Ukraine (My total trip expenses = $25,000+)

Food distributions cost about $17,000:

(14 distributions) As many as 2,900 families received food for a week or more.

Sawyer filters cost about $4,200:

(94 filters) As many as 1,000 people are now drinking safe water (about 10 people per filter).

Biosand filters cost about $16,000:

(240 filters) As many as 2,400 people are now drinking safe water (about 10 people per filter).

Hays Chlorine Generators cost about $4,000:

(15 generators) As many as 75,000 people are drinking safe water (about 5,000 people are possible per generator).

Pastor conferences:

(8) Nearly 400 leaders taught the Word.

People saved:

(1,403) Most of these were in Peru.

Books translated and printed for distribution cost about $30,970:

(28,000 books) Rebellion and Assurance books in English, French, Burmese, Kinyarwanda, Urdu, and Chinese.

From Lee Grady...

2011-11-10T09:53:00.000-05:00

From Lee Grady:

I am no Luther, but I’ve grown increasingly aware that the so-called
“Spirit-filled” church of today struggles with many of the same
things the Catholic church faced in the 1500s. We don’t have
“indulgences”—we have telethons. We don’t have popes—we have
super-apostles. We don’t support an untouchable priesthood—we
throw our money at celebrity evangelists who own fleets of private jets.

In honor of Reformation Day, I’m offering my own list of needed
reforms in our movement. And since I can’t hammer these on the
Wittenberg door, I’ll post them online. Feel free to nail them everywhere.

1. Let’s reform our theology. The Holy Spirit is the third person of
the Trinity. He is God and He is holy. He is not an “it.” He is not a
blob, a force, or an innate power. We must stop manipulating Him,
commanding Him and throwing Him around.

2. Let’s return to the Bible. The Word of God is the foundation for
the Christian experience. Any dramatic experience, no matter how
spiritual it seems, must be tested by the Word and the Holy
Spirit’s discernment. Visions, dreams, prophecies and encounters
with angels must be in line with Scripture. If we don’t test them we
could end up spreading deception.

3. It’s time for personal responsibility. We charismatics must stop
blaming everything on demons. People are usually the problem.

4. Stop playing games. Spiritual warfare is a reality, but we are
not going to win the world to Jesus just by shouting at demonic
principalities. We must pray, preach and persevere to see ultimate victory.

5. Stop the foolishness. People who hit, slap or push others during
prayer should be asked to sit down until they learn gentleness is a
fruit of the Holy Spirit.

6. End all spiritual extortion now. Christian television ministries
must cease and desist from all manipulative fundraising tactics.
We must stop giving platforms to ministers who make outlandish
claims of supernatural financial returns, especially when Scripture
is twisted, deadlines are imposed and the poor are exploited.

7. No more Lone Rangers. Those who claim to be ministers of
God—whether they are traveling evangelists, local pastors or
heads of ministries—must be accountable to other leaders. Any
who refuse to submit their lives to godly discipline should be corrected.

8. Expose the creeps. Churches should start doing background
checks on traveling ministers. Preachers who have been hiding
criminal records, lying about their past marriages, preying on
women or refusing to pay child support should be exposed as
charlatans and shunned if they do not repent.

9. Stop faking the anointing. God is God, and He does not need
our “help” to manifest Himself. That means we don’t sprinkle glitter
on ourselves to suggest God’s glory is with us, hide fake jewels on
the floor to prove we are anointed or pull chicken feathers out of our
sleeves to pretend angels are in the room. This is lying to the Holy Spirit.

10. Let’s return to purity. We’ve had enough scandals. The
charismatic church must develop a system for the restoration of
fallen ministers. Those who fall morally can be restored, but they
must be willing to submit to a process of healing rather than
rushing immediately back into the pulpit.

11. We need humility. Ministers who demand celebrity treatment,
require lavish salaries, insist on titles or exhibit aloofness from
others are guilty of spiritual pride.

12. No more big shots. Apostles are the bondslaves of Christ, and
should be the most impeccable models of humility. True apostles
do not wield top-down, hierarchical authority over the church. They
serve the church from the bottom up as true servants.

13. Never promote gifts at the expense of character. Those who
operate in prophecy, healing and miracles must also exhibit the
fruit of the Spirit. And while we continue to encourage the gift of
tongues, let’s make sure we don’t treat it like some kind of badge
of superiority. The world needs to see our love, not our glossolalia.

14. Hold the prophets accountable. Those who refuse to take
responsibility for inaccurate statements should not be given
platforms. And “prophets” who live immoral lives don’t deserve a
public voice.

15. Let’s make the main thing the main thing. The purpose of the
Holy Spirit’s anointing is to empower us to reach others. We are at
a crossroads today: Either we continue off-course, entertained by
our charismatic sideshows, or we throw ourselves into evangelism,
church planting, missions, discipleship, and compassionate
ministry that helps the poor and fights injustice. Churches that
embrace this New Reformation will focus on God’s priorities.

2011 October Kenya Mission...

2011-10-31T21:32:00.001-04:00

2011 October Kenya Mission

Bill Groomes and I flew from Pittsburgh to Nairobi on October 24 and 25 via Washington D.C. and Zurich. We stayed over night the 25th in John Muchiri’s guesthouse not very far from the airport and returned by 4 am on October 26 to fly to Kisumu on our 6:30 am flight. Lawrence Omega picked us up at the Kisumu airport and took us to our hotel in Chavakali about 30 minutes away from Kisumu. We settled in at the hotel and then went shopping for several hours for the materials needed for the three-day Hays generator, biosand, and Sawyer safe water filter training that began on October 27th.

October 27th we began the first day of safe water training outside of Chavakali in the village of about 4,000 people called Galoni. First I exhorted them to make a commitment to work together as a team to use the money from the sale of 12 Sawyer filters, three biosand filters, and any profit made from selling the chlorine solution from the Hays generator to make plastic biosand filters continually without further help from me. They all stood to agree to do so! Then I taught them about the Sawyer filter and the Hays generator. We assembled 12 Sawyer filters and demonstrated the use of both the Sawyer and the Hays generator. We needed about 15 capfuls of the chlorine solution to purify a 20-liter bucket of contaminated well water. We also built the sand sieves and screened enough sand and gravel for the first plastic biosand filter. I also began the training on the biosand filter.

Friday, October 28th was the second day of our training. We spent the morning buying over $4,000 of corn and beans and candy for the food distribution on Saturday. Due to the severe hunger, drought, and higher prices in Kenya at this time, I bought 135 bags of corn at $28.57 each for a 198-pound bag! That was less than 14.5 cents per pound delivered! I also bought two sacks of 198 pounds each of beans for protein for the orphans in the village for $84.65 per bag. That was about 43 cents per pound delivered.

The team spent the morning washing gravel and sieving more sand. After lunch we assembled the first plastic biosand filter and covered each step carefully. We took the four buckets of fine sand, one bucket each of the gravel, and all the equipment we needed to a nearby house. There we installed the biosand filter as I taught them how to do so step-by-step.

Saturday, October 29th was the last day of training. We had to find larger gravel before we could continue, for the sand we bought did not produce enough of them. So after buying the three sacks of larger stones, we went to the training site. Enough of the two sizes of stones had to be washed and more sand sieved for the two other biosand filters. This is the most time consuming part of the work! Then we installed the filters in two other homes. I also taught them about hygiene and sanitation.

Afterwards, we distributed the food to the poor. It was an amazing experience! The people were extremely excited just to get corn! Nearly 500 families received about three pounds of dried corn, enough for about a week. And we still only distributed about 38 bags of the 135 bags of corn. So we will do another distribution at noon Sunday to reach more villagers. Then the balance of the food will be distributed in the next few weeks by Lawrence Omega’s team.

Sunday, October 30th was our last day in Kenya. We attended the morning worship service in Lawrence Omega’s church. Over 200 children and adults received the Lord after I preached! Then we spent some time at the food distribution before leaving for Kisumu. Bill purchased two bicycles there for Lawrence and Jared. Both of them walk several miles each day to their churches and then again back home. Then we went to the airport for our 8 pm flight to Nairobi. The flight to the USA began about midnight.

This group of folks in Galoni really seems to want to do the safe water project per my instructions. So they now have 12 Sawyer filters, three biosand filters, and a Hays generator to get started. They will collect the cost of the filters and the chlorine solution from those who wish to participate. Then they will use the money to make more biosand filters indefinitely without more help from me. Time will tell!

Thank you for all of your prayer and financial support! This is indeed a team ministry, and you are greatly appreciated. May the Lord’s will continue to be done among us.

Parody on contemporary church services...

2011-10-18T17:11:00.000-04:00

"A Burden" by Michael Carl...

2011-10-12T17:59:00.000-04:00

"A BURDEN"
-Michael Carl.

'Have you ever wondered how we can have million dollar church
buildings and pack-in huge crowds on Sunday, but have no power in our
witness? Do you wonder how about half of the people in this country
claim to have had a born again experience and how the churches are
having so little of an impact? Have you been amazed at the fact that
American society is becoming increasingly antagonistic to the church.

How can this be?

The answer seems to be that it's because the pastors in the pulpits
have sold out to the 'Seeker Sensitive' movement. We've opted for
programs, lights, smoke machines, stage props, and the prosperity
Gospel.

Pastors preach the Gospel of Self-Fulfillment and talk about how we're
destined to reign. Our pulpits echo with: 'God wants you to be happy'
and 'You can have your best life now'. We have major tele-preachers
holding 'camp meetings' where the 'preacher' shouts, 'Let's celebrate
you!'

I heard a preacher say once that if you have trials in your life, then
you don't have enough faith. What a ludicrous statement and how
utterly un-Biblical!

Paul had more faith than most of us and he never stopped going through
trials. We talk faith and prosperity while the church around the world
grows in not merely number, but in depth and maturity. They see
miracles and God's power; they sense His presence.

How? They've learned to persevere through trials. A Charismatic
Episcopal Church Bishop in Pakistan had a Muslim slit his throat,
throw him off of a bus and leave him for dead just because the Bishop
was a Christian. But the Bishop's ministry grows and he sees the fruit.

Christians in other parts of the world weep for revival in the
American church. What does that say about us?

It means that we are weak and self-absorbed.

I heard another television preacher turn the tables and suggest that a
preacher who focused on subjects like F. F. Bruce's The Hard Sayings
of Jesus was not preaching the Gospel and ignoring the truth of the
Word! 'They didn't want to hear that' he claimed!

What utter disregard for the truth! Jesus said, '"The Son of Man has
nowhere to lay His head,"' and told His followers of His coming
arrest, trial, torture and crucifixion.

This means we're deceived and taken with greed.

There are no tears for revival and the only One weeping is Jesus. He
bled and died for us and we proclaim that the Gospel is a means to
prosperity, power and influence. Church services look more like pop
concerts and the preaching is only a babbling collection of self-
absorbed slogans and how God wants us to be happy!

No, God wants us to be holy!

Where is the message of repentance? Where is the '"If anyone would
come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily and
follow Me"'?

Folks, the message of the cross is foolishness and offensive to the
world. Paul told us that 191/2 centuries ago.

Paul also told us that if he wanted to please the world, he would not
be a follower of Christ.

Can you imagine Elijah having a chat with the wicked King Ahab about
how we can 'Coexist'? Or, do you think John the Baptist should have
opened a dialogue with Herod about tolerance?

No, those mighty men of God were sent to confront the leaders of their
time about the sin in the society! Why is it that our evangelicals
spend their time trying to cozy up and make nice with our politicians
while there are souls perishing hourly and going into a Christ-less
eternity?

This is the message that will transform this culture and turn this
country around.

Ford City Area Hall of Fame induction Sept. 25th 2011...

2011-09-26T13:17:00.001-04:00

Chuck King is the fourth generation of his family to grow up in Ford City. One of five children, he graduated from Ford City High School in 1969. After graduation he attended Indiana University of Pennsylvania and it was at the college where he had a life-changing spiritual experience after a fraternity brother gave him a Bible to read. He left IUP to further his Biblical training, attending two Bible schools. He worked at Eljer in Ford City while pastoring churches in the area and in 1980 he left Eljer and was able to go into full-time ministry. While pastoring, he had a strong emphasis on world mission work and took his first mission trips to Europe and Panama in 1984.

During his early trips to Europe, five trips between 1984 and 1989, many of the eastern European countries were still under the Iron Curtain - Poland, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Romania and the USSR - to name a few. A friend from Ford City, Dennis Ortmann, lived in West Berlin and using Berlin as a base, they took trips into the Eastern Block countries. He took truck loads of items such as baby food and formula, and hidden items - Bibles and Christian literature and books, and money - which were strictly forbidden by the Communist authorities. He was always stopped at the borders, where the vehicles were searched and at times he was body searched. After some questioning, he was able to cross and was able to deliver these items to people in desperate physical and spiritual need. After the Iron Curtain fell, he still ministers in the Ukraine, teaching at a Bible school and visiting the poor with food, Bibles and financial support. He has made six more trips to the Ukraine since Communism fell.

He has made 18 trips to Panama. Here he has directly or indirectly been instrumental in constructing churches, buildings on mission bases, pastors' seminars and evangelistic outreaches, and feeding and ministering to the poor. A team from the church he pastored took materials down and built a bridge over a river that would swell during the rainy season and become almost impassable. It is still there and happily used by the Panamanians.

He has also ministered extensively in Africa. Here he has been to Kenya 14 times, twice to Burundi, three times to D.R. Congo, twice to Ghana, twice to Malawi, seven times to Rwanda, twice to South Africa, twice to Zimbabwe and once to Uganda, Zambia, Cameroon and Gabon. There is a great need in Africa for clean water. He has provided the finances from supporters to drill three wells in Africa. He has most recently focused much of his ministry on providing clean water filters and teaching those in the third world countries on hygiene and water filter construction. He promotes three water filtration systems - biosand filters, Sawyer filters, and Hayes Chlorine Generators. The biosand filters can be made from materials bought within the countries; the Sawyer filters can be attached to any bucket and filter the water through a tube into a bottle or container for immediate use; the Hayes filter uses electrolysis to make a solution to use in contaminated water. In addition to the clean water, he is also instrumental in providing food and microloans to many orphanages and widows, encouraging them to try to be self-sufficient.

In Asia, he has ministered in India six times, made seven trips to China, three trips to Myanmar and one trip to Pakistan and Vietnam. In addition to the clean water training and food distribution, he has Christian training books translated, printed and distributed in almost all the nations he visits. He has visited extremely remote, mountainous villages, particularly in China, that take many hours of travel to reach and where foreigners rarely visit.

He had made three trips to Paraguay and six trips to Peru. Early trips included two medical clinic ministries, utilizing nurses, doctors, dentists and medicine distribution. Lately, he has made boat trips on the Amazon tributaries, visiting indigenous Indian tribes only accessible by boat.

He has made seven trips to Cuba, one of the poorest nations on earth and still Communist. Here he had to be extremely careful in his ministry of food, money, Bible and clothing distribution, under the watchful eye of Communist government officials, even spending a night in a Cuban jail in Havanna for his Christian activities.

He was able to deliver more than 400 Sawyer water filters to Haiti following the earthquake in 2010.

Many faithful supporters enable Chuck to travel the world to fulfill his greatest priority, which is to preach the gospel. An important aspect of his ministry is to teach the third world nations, who live on $2.00 a day or less, to incorporate his filters, loans, etc. to become self-sufficient. At 60 years of age, he still makes 11 trips per year and hopes to continue as long as God enables him.

He has been the pastor of seven different churches over the last 36 years, both non-denominational and Assemblies of God. Chuck currently serves as pastor and missionary with Frontier Harvest Ministries of Ford City, PA, International Director with Heaven's Family of Pittsburgh, PA, and the pastor of First Covenant Church in Dawson, PA.

He is married to the former Renee Monnot and they have three children, Jessica Linz of Pittsburgh, Bethany Volzke of Bethel Park, and Zach King of Harrington, DE. A grandson, Bryce Ryan, completes the family.

Christianity Is All About Relationships... by J. Lee Grady

2011-09-17T07:03:00.002-04:00

Jesus called us into friendship, not just with Him but also with His followers.

I don’t like goodbyes, especially on the mission field, because sometimes I get emotional. Last week it was really bad.

I had spent six days with a church in Tarapoto, Peru, and I invested a lot of time and energy encouraging the people—especially some young adults who are emerging leaders. When it was almost time for me to go through the security checkpoint at the airport, about 18 of these men and women burst through the lobby doors and gathered around me and my translator, Diego.

“Christianity, at its core, is about relationships. Unlike Eastern religions—in which individuals seek a solitary, Zen-like state to discover truth—Christianity calls us to follow God as a loving community.”

I lost it. I tried to walk around the circle to say goodbye to each person: Giancarlos, Jhor, Dalia, Juanita, Roberto, David, Cristian, Clavela, Rays. Each time somebody hugged me I sobbed. I was a slobbering mess by the time I hugged the last brother, Enrique.

People in the airport were staring at us, but that wasn’t the painful part. My heart was being ripped out of my chest.

When I got to my seat on the airplane and gained composure, I realized this is a normal part of Christianity. Our gospel flows from the heart. Our faith is based on the astounding truth that a loving God came to earth to repair our broken relationship with Him. And since then God has sent people across oceans and mountain ranges to tell others about His love. They have often had to endure painful goodbyes.

Christianity, at its core, is about relationships. While the Bible certainly contains theology, it is not a book of dry doctrines. It is a dramatic account of men and women who learned to love each other as they followed God. Unlike Eastern religions—in which individuals seek a solitary, Zen-like state to find truth—Christianity calls us to follow God as a loving community.

Jesus modeled this message by investing time in His disciples. He didn’t float around on a pillow like Yoda while dispensing otherworldly wisdom. He hiked through Israel with His friends. They got their feet dirty together. He fished with them, ate with them and just hung out with them.

Mark 3:14 says Jesus appointed the twelve “so that they would be with Him and that He could send them out to preach.” Notice that His relationship with them was not just about the task of ministry. He wanted their fellowship!

We sometimes get this backwards. We tend to value religious performance, yet we are often bankrupt when it comes to friendships. We sit together in countless meetings but never open our hearts to each other. Even ministers have admitted to me that they have no friends. We’ve created a robotic, programized Christianity that counts heads but lacks the heart of New Testament love.

I’ve had enough of this sterile religion. I’ve learned that ministry is not about getting big crowds, filling seats, tabulating response cards or eliciting raucous applause. It’s not about running on the church-growth treadmill. Religion that focuses on externals is performance-based.

How would you assess your friendship with God? Intimate? Professional? Distant? Cold? And what about your relationships with others? Do you have close friends? Or do you live out your faith in solitary confinement?

I tell Christians all over the world that they need three kinds of relationships in their lives:

1. “Pauls” are spiritual fathers and mothers you trust. All of us need older, wiser Christians who can guide us, pray for us and offer counsel. My mentors have encouraged me when I wanted to quit and propeled me forward when I had lost sight of God’s promise. In the journey of faith, you do not have to feel your way in the dark. God gave Ruth a Naomi and Joshua a Moses. Ask the Lord for a mentor.

2. “Barnabasses” are spiritual peers who are bosom friends. They know everything about you, yet they love you anyway. They are also willing to kick your tail if necessary! They provide accountability in areas of personal temptation. And they will stay up all night praying for you when you face a crisis.

3. “Timothys” are the younger Christians you are helping to grow. Jesus never told us to assemble crowds, but He did command us to make disciples. Relational discipleship takes a lot of time and energy, but investing your life in others is one of the most fulfilling experiences in life. Once you have poured your life into another brother or sister, and watched them mature in Christ, you will never settle for superficial religion again.

Jesus said it best when He told His followers: “No longer do I call you slaves … but I have called you friends, for all things I have heard from My Father I have made known to you” (John 15:15). The Christian life is a vibrant, love relationship with God—but it doesn’t end there. I pray you will open your heart and invest in the people around you.

J. Lee Grady is contributing editor of Charisma. You can follow him on Twitter at leegrady. His most recent book is 10 Lies Men Believe (Charisma House).

Safe Water Mission Summary...

2011-08-29T17:29:00.001-04:00

My top priority is to preach/teach God's Word. But the need for safe water is so great, I also do safe water training.

Our safe water training consists of three parts: Hygiene, sanitation, and water purification. So when I visit the poor who use unsafe drinking water, I first spend a couple hours teaching them how to improve their overall health by about 90%. This is possible by teaching about the basics of good hygiene practices that can improve their health about 30%, and the proper disposal of human excrement using latrines which can improve health another 30%. Finally I introduce three different options for safe drinking water that can add another 30% improvement in the overall health of the users: The Sawyer Point One filter that I can bring along from the USA, the plastic biosand filter that can usually be made from local materials, and the Hays Chlorine Generator that I can bring along that can service as many as 5,000 people in one village.

The Sawyer filter costs about $50 USD and simply attaches to a 20 liter bucket and filters the bucket full of water within about 40 minutes. It removes nearly 100% of all bacteria and parasites. It never needs replaced, only back-flushed periodically to remove debris that collects in the filter over time.

The biosand filter costs about $30 USD but takes more training to make and use, but also works well, removing 90 to 99 % of bacteria, parasites, and about 80% of viruses using specially sieved fine sand and a biological layer to purify the water that is poured through it 20 liters at a time, taking about 30 minutes per bucket. It also lasts for many years, but needs periodic removal of built up debris from the top of the sand by simply mixing up the top layer of sand about one inch deep, and removing the water/debris from the surface with a small container after stirring. This restores the flow rate.

The Hays Generator consists of an electrolysis device powered by a 12-volt battery that can be recharged with a solar panel. The generator, solar panel, and battery cost me about $265. But it can service a village up to 5,000 people! It uses ordinary salt water (just add 4 bottle caps of ordinary salt per liter of water), pour the bottle of salt water four times through the generator, and this produces a chemical solution made up of chlorine, ozone, and peroxide. We train them how much of this solution to put into a 20 liter bucket of river water to kill all parasites, bacteria, and viruses, which normally is about 20 bottle cap fulls of the solution. We use chlorine testing strips to verify the amount of chlorine solution needed for each water source. So someone in the village who is responsible and honest is chosen to maintain the equipment and distribute bottles of the solution to each family in the village on a weekly basis (the solution loses strength in about a week). The people need to pay a minimal amount for the salt and labor of this person.

So I provide the start up filters, equipment, and training. But then I ask the local team to become responsible for selling the filters I give them, just to recover the cost of materials, so that more biosand filters can be made and again sold indefinitely---making the team self-supporting and enabling them to train other teams to reach as many people as possible in other villages. I insist upon agreement with this plan before I come to do the training, otherwise I spend lots of money in personal travel expenses, filters, and equipment to help only a few folks. My desire is to help many, many, many people in each nation where I do this training THROUGH the multiplication of this technology BY THE TEAM I initially train.

I hope this makes sense to you. Please let me know if you need my services. I need about three or four days for a training. The first day is spent buying/gathering the materials needed for making the biosand and Sawyer filters. These materials are usually available in a larger town nearby where several kinds of hardware stores exist. The next two or three days are needed for training in a classroom setting and hands-on filter work to make and install the filters.

I travel 11 times each year doing this work to reach as many people as I can in different nations, so I do not stay for long periods during each trip. Usually a week or 10 days is the total duration of my visit.

Just got this good report from Rwanda...

2011-07-25T09:21:00.000-04:00

Hi Chuck,
We greet you in the name of Jesus Christ,let the peace and love of God be with you for the great work he is doing through you of extending Bio Sand Filters to people which has stoped many diseases caused by using poor water as well preaching the gospel of Jesus to the people.

From early June 2011 we have managed to help 75 people to get Water filters in a place of a population of 360,000(12 villages) and these filters have helped 1870 people living in these families of 75.as mentioned above and even their neighbours have atleast benefited from these people but not as if they may own theirs.
Due to the fact that 1994 Genocide affected our country,many infrastructures were damaged and the only solution for these people was to use water from dams,swamps,rainy water,stagnant water and this has caused many diseases like diarhea mostry for childlen under 5 years and because of this,conflicts would arise among people thinking that these are poisons and yet are diseases resulcting from using poor water.But thanks God that water filters has been a solution since it acted as a tool for unity and reconciliation among people who were hating each other.
We have managed to start 4 house churches and one is fellowshiping under a tree.
Concerning Hays generators has been used but we still have a challenge of geting certificate from RBS.The Rwanda Bureau of Standards.So as to extend the technology parts of the country.The Government of Rwanda has asked for some money as to get the certificate and I hope that they have finished carying out their measurement over standars of chlorine and this will enable access this remarkable thing of getting and using clean water throught Hays generator.

More thanks also goes to you over Rebellion books.These books have worked as a light because it is challenging ungodly teachings and from this,we have managed to give out 1400 books in 14 churches and most pastors are using these books in seminars teaching people.
The work you are doing is not for granted or for nothing because there is a reward from God.
Our country is changing spiritually waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus because as they get clean water,they also accept Jesus as their salviour.
On the next target our mission is to visit refugee camps for Congo people who fleed to our country escaping wars in 1998, educating them how to use filters and then extend filters with the Rebellion books for the church leaders.
God bless your efforts.
Justin.

Ministry to elderly, blind lady near Rivne, Ukraine May 2011...

2011-05-09T17:23:00.001-04:00

Food distribution near Rivne, Ukraine May 2011...

2011-05-09T17:21:00.000-04:00

Audio messages to listen to...

2011-04-25T16:04:00.000-04:00

Eighteen Villages in Eight Days on Lake Masisea Tipishca

2011-04-04T00:19:00.001-04:00

Mission to Nueva Alianza March 2011

2011-04-04T00:04:00.000-04:00

The fingerprint of God...

2011-03-19T22:24:00.001-04:00

By Daniel Kolenda: What are We Waiting For?

2011-03-13T17:41:00.001-04:00

What are We Waiting For?

by Daniel Kolenda

I heard a minister recently talking about the rapture and trying to make the point that every prophecy necessary to the return of Christ has already been fulfilled. One of his points was that the Gospel has already been preached in all the world according to the promise of Jesus in Matt 24:14 (And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.), “Now” he said, “We’re just waiting for Jesus to come back.”

If you are one of those standing in line waiting for the rapture like a ride at Disney World, consider these statistics on world evangelism that I have collected from a variety of sources. As you read these keep in mind that in the United States there is 1 ordained minister for every 200 people. Yet…

- For every million unreached Muslims there are less than 3 missionaries.

- In Afghanistan there are 17 million people, 48,000 mosques…but not a single church.

- In Turkey there are 44 million people, but less then 200 Christians

- In India alone 500 million people have yet to hear the Gospel

- 30% of the world’s population (more than 2 billion people) have had virtually no exposure to the Gospel.

- The New Testament has been translated into the mother tongue of over 80% of the world’s population. However the remaining approximately 20% will require over 5,500 new translations.

Jesus said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” (Matt 28:19). The word, “Nations” is “Ethne” in the Greek meaning ethnic people groups. Yet…

- There are an estimated 6,700 unreached or nearly unreached people groups.

- The countries with the most unreached people groups in descending order; India, China, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh.

- 98% of all unreached people groups are located in the “10/40 Window”.

THE GREAT COMMISSION IS STILL UNFULFILLED! Oswald Smith said, “We talk of the Second Coming; but half the world has never heard of the first.” Regardless if you are “pre-trib”, “post-trib”, “mid-trib” or some other “trib”, we must all confess that there is something desperately wrong with this type of doctrinal philosophy that makes us happy to escape with our own hides while the world burns and billions of people are lost. Where is the heart of Jesus in that? “…that none would perish, but that all would come to repentance.”

Here’s some food for thought; Jesus died more then 2,000 years ago. If it was God’s ultimate goal to rapture us all out of this “old god-forsaken world”, then why are we still here? What are we still waiting for? One person told me, “Jesus is building my mansion in heaven.” Really? It took him 6 days to create the entire cosmos, yet he’s been hung up with your “mansion” for 2,000 years? Not likely.

Heb. 10:12, 13 says, “but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, waiting from that time onward UNTIL HIS ENEMIES BE MADE A FOOTSTOOL FOR HIS FEET.” Since we are his hands and feet, then He must be waiting for…us. If He is waiting for us, and we are waiting for him, it would seem we are at an impasse. This is why Jesus told his disciples, “GO” into all the world and preach the Gospel. No more waiting and debating…just Go and PREACH.

“In the vast plain to the north I have sometimes seen, in the morning sun, the smoke of a thousand villages where no missionary has ever been” — Robert Moffat

Daniel Kolenda is an evangelist with Christ For All Nations working alongside Reinhard Bonnke, learn more at his website www.danielkolenda.com.

From AOG Missionaries to the Muslims...

2011-03-01T05:58:00.002-05:00

This is from some AOG missionaries to the Muslims overseas. I've withheld their names to protect them...

Greetings From the Land of Smoke,

A believer handed a Bible to a Northern Sudanese Muslim Arab who declined to
receive it saying, “I have a smoking problem. If I take the Bible, I will just rip out
The pages, make cigarettes, and smoke them.” Thanks be to God, the distributor did not stand on niceties
and responded: “No problem, go ahead and rip the pages out to make your cigarettes
but before you roll them, make sure to read the page you ripped out.”

The Muslim man agreed, took the Bible and began to contemplatively smoke his way through the
Gospels. Daily he would rip out a page, peruse it, then roll it into a cigarette and
puff away. Matthew, Mark, and Luke all were read and then immolated. By the time
the smoker had inhaled his way into John, the Spirit had begun to draw as well.
John 3:16 was the clincher – it was after smoking that chapter and verse that this Muslim man
Gave his heart to Jesus.

I guess it goes to prove that where there’s smoke, there is fire!

Some photos from Vietnam trip Feb. 2011

2011-02-26T03:45:00.018-05:00

Booby trap at Cho Chi

USA tank at Cho Chi

Tunnel opening

Model of tunnel levels

Area map of tunnel system

Food that was distributed

Former North Vietnamese soldier, now a brother in Christ

Church leader

Safe water seminar group photo

Vinh and Dan

Vinh and Ron

Ron and biosand filter

Four biosand filters

Vietnam trip report...sorry I have no Facebook here, it is blocked!

2011-02-26T03:05:00.000-05:00

February 20 to 27, 2011 Vietnam Mission

After 21 hours of flying between Pittsburgh, Newark, Tokyo, and Ho Chi Minh, we arrived safely about 11 pm Monday, February 21st to the Saigon airport. We stayed in Dai Ket Hotel. Vinh came to meet us at the hotel on Tuesday morning. We (Ron, Dan and I) spent the entire morning (Tuesday) successfully shopping for water filter supplies and equipment as we rode around the city on the backs of three 110 cc motorbikes with three brothers driving from here! There are 10 million folks in this city, and we saw many of them today. The rest of the day we relaxed to catch up on some much- needed rest after the long flights over.

On Wednesday morning, we began the safe water seminar. We introduced biosand filters, Sawyer filters, and the Hays chlorine generator and also made the three metal sieves and screened some sand. Over the next three days, we will make 25 Sawyer filters, five biosand filters, and assign a Hays generator to one village to provide safe drinking water to potentially 8,000 poor folks. This team has agreed to sell the filters, collect payments, and make more biosand filters indefinitely! If they follow through, our efforts will be greatly multiplied by the work they will do among their own people. Glory to God!

We again rode the motorbikes one half hour across part of the city in crazy traffic to the church building where we did the training today. But I requested we use a taxi from now on---I am just trying to extend our ministries.

Day two, Thursday, went very well for us in the safe water seminar. We were able to install three biosand filters in three different places in the city! Two more will soon be taken to a rural area where we are not permitted to travel. The team learned very quickly! So tomorrow will be the final day of safe water training. They already have a plan to put filters in all 67 of their organization's churches to demonstrate their effectiveness, and then to begin taking orders for sales of filters all over Vietnam! God is Good!

The last morning of the seminar on Feb. 25th was very fruitful. We covered the remaining training materials concerning both filters and the Hays generator. The team produced several bottles of chlorine solution. We took a group photo and distributed food to many of the 50 families whom Heaven’s Family blessed with enough food for two weeks. The group is very excited about going back to their villages where unsafe water is used by nearly everyone. I believe we will see great results from them! In the evening I preached in a church service that meets right next to our hotel. This was a wonderful church of committed young professionals and students, many who spoke some English.

Saturday was a day off for us before Dan and I departed for the USA early Sunday morning. We went on a tour of a place where the Vietnamese military hid in underground bunkers during the war. Ron will spend several extra days in Vietnam as a tourist before returning home.

Thanks for your prayers! Thanks for your offerings!

I plan to return to Vietnam within one year to hold teaching seminars in the Word of God in Saigon and Hanoi.

Blessings to all!

Chuck

From Woody Barnette...

2011-02-24T13:38:00.000-05:00

"For if God...did not spare the ancient world when He brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others; if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes,...and if he rescued Lot----- if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly...."
(2 Pet. 2, NIV)

Isaiah 24 is being fulfilled right before our eyes. "The earth mourns and dries up, and the crops waste away and wither. Even the greatest people on earth waste away. The earth suffers for the sins of its people, for they have twisted God's instructions, violated his laws, and broken his everlasting covenant. Therefore, a curse consumes the earth. Its people must pay the price for their sin." Don't listen to CNN, MSNBC, or even FOX pundits. What you have just read, my friend, is the current reality. The majority of the present generation in Christendom, however, does not believe this. These Bible Texts to most are merely an "Old Testament Reading" and a "New Testament Reading," readings and nothing more, nothing to, "take heed!"

Some people either teach or imply (and others just accept) that judgment expressed in our text will never happen again. Just listen closely to the message coming from modern liberal, evangelical, charismatic organizations and you walk away with the distinct impression that your life will just go on as usual, and mankind will just keep living in "sun rise, sun set, sun rise, sun set, swiftly go the years;" history is really headed nowhere. O, yes, we are "saved," going to heaven, are a worshipping people, doing missions, helping the poor, conducting self help conferences, just going about the same religious things, with variations on a theme, that so many others have been involved in for the last couple of generations. But Jesus said, "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come."

"....and then the end will come." What, "end"?-- the end of life as mankind has known it from the Garden, the end of humanist governments, 401(k)s, "the end," of conferences, worship seminars. The King is coming! He will be here on Planet Earth---- no campaigning, no elections, just King Jesus and the Earth under His reign. What comes after that in the universe is as debatable as the exact events of the "Second Coming." But we can be very sure of this--------- "and then the end will come," is written in the very "fiber" of both Old AND New Testaments------------ and, the earth.

Father, in Jesus' Name, I thank You that You know, "how to rescue." Amen.

From GotQuestions.org

2011-02-04T14:11:00.000-05:00

Question: "Women pastors / preachers? What does the Bible say about women in ministry?"

Answer: There is perhaps no more hotly debated issue in the church today than the issue of women serving as pastors/preachers. As a result, it is very important to not see this issue as men versus women. There are women who believe women should not serve as pastors and that the Bible places restrictions on the ministry of women, and there are men who believe women can serve as preachers and that there are no restrictions on women in ministry. This is not an issue of chauvinism or discrimination. It is an issue of biblical interpretation.

The Word of God proclaims, “A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent” (1 Timothy 2:11-12). In the church, God assigns different roles to men and women. This is a result of the way mankind was created and the way in which sin entered the world (1 Timothy 2:13-14). God, through the apostle Paul, restricts women from serving in roles of teaching and/or having spiritual authority over men. This precludes women from serving as pastors over men, which definitely includes preaching to, teaching, and having spiritual authority.

There are many “objections” to this view of women in ministry. A common one is that Paul restricts women from teaching because in the first century, women were typically uneducated. However, 1 Timothy 2:11-14 nowhere mentions educational status. If education were a qualification for ministry, the majority of Jesus' disciples would not have been qualified. A second common objection is that Paul only restricted the women of Ephesus from teaching (1 Timothy was written to Timothy, who was the pastor of the church in Ephesus). The city of Ephesus was known for its temple to Artemis, a false Greek/Roman goddess. Women were the authority in the worship of Artemis. However, the book of 1 Timothy nowhere mentions Artemis, nor does Paul mention Artemis worship as a reason for the restrictions in 1 Timothy 2:11-12.

A third common objection is that Paul is only referring to husbands and wives, not men and women in general. The Greek words in the passage could refer to husbands and wives; however, the basic meaning of the words refers to men and women. Further, the same Greek words are used in verses 8-10. Are only husbands to lift up holy hands in prayer without anger and disputing (verse 8)? Are only wives to dress modestly, have good deeds, and worship God (verses 9-10)? Of course not. Verses 8-10 clearly refer to all men and women, not only husbands and wives. There is nothing in the context that would indicate a switch to husbands and wives in verses 11-14.

Yet another frequent objection to this interpretation of women in ministry is in relation to women who held positions of leadership in the Bible, specifically Miriam, Deborah, and Huldah in the Old Testament. This objection fails to note some significant factors. First, Deborah was the only female judge among 13 male judges. Huldah was the only female prophet among dozens of male prophets mentioned in the Bible. Miriam's only connection to leadership was being the sister of Moses and Aaron. The two most prominent women in the times of the Kings were Athaliah and Jezebel—hardly examples of godly female leadership. Most significantly, though, the authority of women in the Old Testament is not relevant to the issue. The book of 1 Timothy and the other Pastoral Epistles present a new paradigm for the church—the body of Christ—and that paradigm involves the authority structure for the church, not for the nation of Israel or any other Old Testament entity.

Similar arguments are made using Priscilla and Phoebe in the New Testament. In Acts 18, Priscilla and Aquila are presented as faithful ministers for Christ. Priscilla's name is mentioned first, perhaps indicating that she was more “prominent” in ministry than her husband. However, Priscilla is nowhere described as participating in a ministry activity that is in contradiction to 1 Timothy 2:11-14. Priscilla and Aquila brought Apollos into their home and they both discipled him, explaining the Word of God to him more accurately (Acts 18:26).

In Romans 16:1, even if Phoebe is considered a “deaconess” instead of a “servant,” that does not indicate that Phoebe was a teacher in the church. “Able to teach” is given as a qualification for elders, but not deacons (1 Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:6-9). Elders/bishops/deacons are described as the “husband of one wife,” “a man whose children believe,” and “men worthy of respect.” Clearly the indication is that these qualifications refer to men. In addition, in 1 Timothy 3:1-13 and Titus 1:6-9, masculine pronouns are used exclusively to refer to elders/bishops/deacons.

The structure of 1 Timothy 2:11-14 makes the “reason” perfectly clear. Verse 13 begins with “for” and gives the “cause” of Paul’s statement in verses 11-12. Why should women not teach or have authority over men? Because “Adam was created first, then Eve. And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived.” God created Adam first and then created Eve to be a “helper” for Adam. This order of creation has universal application in the family (Ephesians 5:22-33) and the church. The fact that Eve was deceived is also given as a reason for women not serving as pastors or having spiritual authority over men. This leads some to believe that women should not teach because they are more easily deceived. That concept is debatable, but if women are more easily deceived, why should they be allowed to teach children (who are easily deceived) and other women (who are supposedly more easily deceived)? That is not what the text says. Women are not to teach men or have spiritual authority over men because Eve was deceived. As a result, God has given men the primary teaching authority in the church.

Many women excel in gifts of hospitality, mercy, teaching, evangelism, and helps. Much of the ministry of the local church depends on women. Women in the church are not restricted from public praying or prophesying (1 Corinthians 11:5), only from having spiritual teaching authority over men. The Bible nowhere restricts women from exercising the gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12). Women, just as much as men, are called to minister to others, to demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), and to proclaim the gospel to the lost (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; 1 Peter 3:15).

God has ordained that only men are to serve in positions of spiritual teaching authority in the church. This is not because men are necessarily better teachers, or because women are inferior or less intelligent (which is not the case). It is simply the way God designed the church to function. Men are to set the example in spiritual leadership—in their lives and through their words. Women are to take a less authoritative role. Women are encouraged to teach other women (Titus 2:3-5). The Bible also does not restrict women from teaching children. The only activity women are restricted from is teaching or having spiritual authority over men. This logically would preclude women from serving as pastors to men. This does not make women less important, by any means, but rather gives them a ministry focus more in agreement with God’s plan and His gifting of them.

From GotQuestions.org...

2011-02-02T06:26:00.000-05:00

Question: "Who were the early church fathers?"

Answer: The early church fathers fall into three basic categories: apostolic fathers, ante-Nicene church fathers, and post-Nicene church fathers. The apostolic church fathers were the ones like Clement of Rome who were contemporaries of the apostles and were probably taught by them, carrying on the tradition and teaching of the apostles themselves. Linus, mentioned in 2 Timothy 4:21, became the bishop of Rome after Peter was martyred, and Clement took over from Linus. Both Linus and Clement of Rome, therefore, are considered apostolic fathers. However, there appear to be no writings of Linus that have survived, while many of the writings of Clement of Rome survived. The apostolic fathers would have largely passed from the scene by the beginning of the second century, except for those few who might have been disciples of John, such as Polycarp. The tradition is that the apostle John died in Ephesus around A.D. 98.

The ante-Nicene fathers were those who came after the apostolic fathers and before the Council of Nicea in A.D. 325. Such individuals as Iraenus, Ignatius, and Justin Martyr are ante-Nicene fathers.

The post-Nicene church fathers are those who came after the Council of Nicea in A.D. 325. These are such noted men as Augustine, bishop of Hippo, who is often called the father of the [Roman Catholic] Church because of his great work in Church doctrine; Chrysostom, called the “golden-mouthed” for his excellent oratorical skills; and Eusebius, who wrote a history of the church from the birth of Jesus to A.D. 324, one year before the Council of Nicea. He is included in the post-Nicene era since he did not write his history until after the Council of Nicea was held. Other post-Nicene fathers were Jerome, who translated the Greek New Testament into the Latin Vulgate, and Ambrose, who was largely responsible for the Emperor Constantine’s conversion to Christianity.

So, what did the early church fathers believe? The apostolic fathers were very concerned about the proclamation of the gospel being just as the apostles themselves proclaimed it. They were not interested in formulating theological doctrine, for the gospel they had learned from the apostles was quite sufficient for them. The apostolic fathers were as zealous as the apostles themselves in rooting out and exposing any false doctrine that cropped up in the early church. The orthodoxy of the message was preserved by the apostolic fathers' desire to stay true to the gospel taught to them by the apostles.

The ante-Nicene fathers also tried to stay true to the gospel, but they had an additional worry. Now there were several spurious writings claiming to have the same weight as the established writings of Paul, Peter, and Luke. The reason for these spurious documents was evident. If the body of Christ could be persuaded to receive a false document, then error would creep into the church. So the ante-Nicene fathers spent a lot of their time defending the Christian faith from false doctrine, and this led to the beginnings of the formation of accepted church doctrine.

The post-Nicene fathers carried out the mission of defending the gospel against all kinds of heresies, so more and more the post-Nicene fathers grew interested in methods of defending the gospel and less interested in transmitting the gospel in a true and pure form. Thus, they began to fall away from the orthodoxy which was the hallmark of the apostolic fathers. This was the age of the theologian and endless discussion on arcane topics such as “how many angels can dance on the head of a pin.”

The early church fathers are an example to us of what it means to follow Christ and defend the truth. None of the early church fathers were perfect, just as none of us are perfect. Some of the early church fathers held beliefs that most Christians today consider to be incorrect. What eventually developed into Roman Catholic theology had its roots in the writings of the post-Nicene fathers. While we can gain knowledge and insight by studying the early church fathers, ultimately our faith must be in the Word of God, not in the writings of early Christian leaders. Only God’s Word is the infallible guide for faith and practice.

From an AOG missionary to the Muslims...

2011-01-31T06:33:00.001-05:00

Greetings from Afar, Afar Land.

This week I returned from a trip to Somaliland and Djibouti with three other
colleagues. We went in nervous and a little timid, we came out encouraged
and sobered. Neither risk nor obedience can be avoided in Somaliland. It
is time for us to send workers in.

Djibouti does not have the same risk level that Somaliland has, but this
does not mean ministry there is easy. Southern Djibouti is dominated by
Somalis, and northern Djibouti is home to the Afar. The Afar - an unreached
Muslim people group - number about 1.5 million. 250,000 in Eritrea,
250,000 in Djibouti, and the rest in Ethiopia. The Afar have a most unusual
way of dealing with recalcitrant members of their tribe.

If an Afar person does not conform to the norms of society, he is taken by
boat into waters of the Gulf of Tadjoura. A large rock is tied to him and
he is thrown into the deep to drown. After he drowns he is hauled out by
rope and revived. Upon recovering his life, he is asked if he will now
conform to what Afar society demands. If he refuses, he is again drowned,
Again revived, and again questioned. A second denial leads to a third
drowning.

If the man or woman survives being drowned for a third time, he or she is
then considered an outcast and forever shunned by the rest of his Afar
tribe. This has happened to at least one Afar believer.

Every time you see a swimming pool, a pond, a lake, a river, or a body of
water, would you pray for the Muslim Afar. They are very near to the
Fathers heart. Pray that God would raise up a church planting team to work
among the Afar. Pray about joining that team.

From Woody Barnette...

2011-01-28T12:15:00.001-05:00

"For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us (among many other things) that...we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ...." (Titus 2)

The news today is full of the Challenger disaster. The news every day is full of something which reminds us of the absolute frailty of human existence. I used to tell our children to never let their last words to someone be unkind words. I remember my Dad told me of an incident when he was a young pastor. A newly married couple had a fight just before the man left for work. The wife's last words to him were, "I hope I never see you again." She didn't. He was killed in an head-on accident. She never regained her sanity.

Every quarter I come to today's text I read it with the freshness of the first time's reading. It is one in a long list of Bible passages which affirms the Theology of the "Second Coming," referred to here as, "the blessed hope...." As I stood at the grave of our oldest son, it was only Our Father, in His indwelling presence in Jesus Christ by the hallowed presence of His Blessed Majesty, the Holy Spirit, Who sustained me, and sustains me to this very moment------- "Blessed Hope"!!

Every day is an expecting day for the Follower of Jesus Christ, one who accepts the Bible as, "the words of God," a day, "looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works." Today I greatly encourage you as one of the, "Special People," keep, "looking for the...glorious appearing of our Great God and Savior Jesus Christ," while you continue to in your zealousness, "for good works." Courage, weary pilgrim, the Day is fast approaching.

Father, in Jesus' Name, I pray that you sustain all today who have lost loved ones. Thank You so much for Your moment by moment sustenance. Amen.

From GotQuestions.org...

2011-01-21T21:32:00.000-05:00

Question: "What did Jesus mean when He said, “Take up your cross and follow Me” (Matthew 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23)?"

Answer: Let’s begin with what Jesus didn’t mean. Many people interpret “cross” as some burden they must carry in their lives: a strained relationship, a thankless job, a physical illness. With self-pitying pride, they say, “That’s my cross I have to carry.” Such an interpretation is not what Jesus meant when He said, “Take up your cross and follow Me.”

When Jesus carried His cross up Golgotha to be crucified, no one was thinking of the cross as symbolic of a burden to carry. To a person in the first-century, the cross meant one thing and one thing only: death by the most painful and humiliating means human beings could develop.

Two thousand years later, Christians view the cross as a cherished symbol of atonement, forgiveness, grace, and love. But in Jesus’ day, the cross represented nothing but torturous death. Because the Romans forced convicted criminals to carry their own crosses to the place of crucifixion, bearing a cross meant carrying their own execution device while facing ridicule along the way to death.

Therefore, “Take up your cross and follow Me” means being willing to die in order to follow Jesus. This is called “dying to self.” It’s a call to absolute surrender. After each time Jesus commanded cross bearing, He said, “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?” (Luke 9:24-25). Although the call is tough, the reward is matchless.

Wherever Jesus went, He drew crowds. Although these multitudes often followed Him as Messiah, their view of who the Messiah really was—and what He would do—was distorted. They thought the Christ would usher in the restored kingdom. They believed He would free them from the oppressive rule of their Roman occupiers. Even Christ’s own inner circle of disciples thought the kingdom was coming soon (Luke 19:11). When Jesus began teaching that He was going to die at the hands of the Jewish leaders and their Gentile overlords (Luke 9:22), His popularity sank. Many of the shocked followers rejected Him. Truly, they were not able to put to death their own ideas, plans, and desires, and exchange them for His.

Following Jesus is easy when life runs smoothly; our true commitment to Him is revealed during trials. Jesus assured us that trials will come to His followers (John 16:33). Discipleship demands sacrifice, and Jesus never hid that cost.

In Luke 9:57-62, three people seemed willing to follow Jesus. When Jesus questioned them further, their commitment was half-hearted at best. They failed to count the cost of following Him. None was willing to take up his cross and crucify upon it his own interests.

Therefore, Jesus appeared to dissuade them. How different from the typical Gospel presentation! How many people would respond to an altar call that went, “Come follow Jesus, and you may face the loss of friends, family, reputation, career, and possibly even your life”? The number of false converts would likely decrease! Such a call is what Jesus meant when He said, “Take up your cross and follow Me.”

If you wonder if you are ready to take up your cross, consider these questions:
• Are you willing to follow Jesus if it means losing some of your closest friends?
• Are you willing to follow Jesus if it means alienation from your family?
• Are you willing to follow Jesus if it means the loss of your reputation?
• Are you willing to follow Jesus if it means losing your job?
• Are you willing to follow Jesus if it means losing your life?

In some places of the world, these consequences are reality. But notice the questions are phrased, “Are you willing?” Following Jesus doesn’t necessarily mean all these things will happen to you, but are you willing take up your cross? If there comes a point in your life where you are faced with a choice—Jesus or the comforts of this life—which will you choose?

Commitment to Christ means taking up your cross daily, giving up your hopes, dreams, possessions, even your very life if need be for the cause of Christ. Only if you willingly take up your cross may you be called His disciple (Luke 14:27). The reward is worth the price. Jesus followed His call of death to self (“Take up your cross and follow Me”) with the gift of life in Christ: “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it” (Matthew 16:25-26).

From Woody Barnette...

2011-01-21T13:14:00.000-05:00

"Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine."
(1 Timothy 5:17, From Today's Epistle Reading)

I have never had a problem with receiving tithes and offerings from people, because I have always, "labor[ed] in the word and doctrine," and, I might add, prayer. Allan Vincent once said, "Prayer is hard work." Anyone who has ever been serious about praying knows what he was talking about.

First of all, one of the descriptions of the Greek word for, "rule," means "protector or guardian, to give aid, care for, give attention to." What a great description of our "Head Elder," and, "Chief Shepherd," Jesus, and, what a sobering reminder to elders, "who rule....!" Secondly, the word for, "labor," in our text means "intense desire, great trouble, grow weary, tired, exhausted with toil or burdens, bodily labor," yes, you read right, "bodily labor."

The cynics in the world (and in too many churches) think that a pastor, preacher/teacher does not engage in "work," especially, hard work. So many people are practicing "communists"-- if a man's fingernails are not dirty, he doesn't do real work. It is pathetically amusing to me that politicians' reference to "hard working families" is always the clock punching, coal digging, factory worker. I guess the rest of us are just lazy good-for-nothings. Well, sorry to those folks, but the Bible begs to differ. We elders who, "especially... labor in the word and doctrine," are just as much "hard working" as those who dig the coal, work the auto assembly lines, and drive those big rigs, and, horror of horrors to most people, we are, "worthy of double honor." And, yes, you guessed it; the word for, "honor," here means "a valuing by which the price is fixed." Hmm-- I guess I should be getting double pay.

People will pay very good money for what they want and what they value. What and whom do you value today?

Father, in Jesus' Name, thank You for the privilege of a life of, "labor in the word and doctrine." Amen.

From Woody Barnette...The Outlawed Prayer of Jesus

2011-01-06T13:11:00.001-05:00

"After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." (Matthew 6:9, 10- KJV)

The so-called "Lord's Prayer" is the prayer of Jesus, nothing more, nothing less. Up to 1963, every state (public) school in America began the school day with the prayer of Jesus, not a prayer of Mohammed, Buddha, or Hare Krishna. It was on the lips of every school child, every teacher. Since 1963, America, allowing reprobate officials to declare the praying of the prayer of Jesus in its schools an illegal act, has invited other "prayers" to rule in the school system and the nation itself, e.g., new age, the rebellion religion of the 1960s, Islam, and, yes, the religion of the Beatles.

It is no coincidence that the Beatles came to the United States in 1964 (within one year of the Supreme Court decision) with the spirit of their Hindu religion in tow, "My Sweet Lord," by George Harrison, and the reigning Christ-rejecting humanist song of the century, "Imagine," by John Lennon. I read an article of that era. "When a reporter asked John Lennon in 1969, 'Where do you get your strength?' he replied from Hare Krishna. Yoko Ono confirmed, 'That's where we get if from, you know. We're not denying it.' George Harrison said, 'I bought the Hare Krishna album in 1968 and John Lennon and I listened to it. I remember we sang the Hare Krishna mantra for days, John and I, with ukulele banjos, sailing through the Greek Islands chanting. Like six hours we sang, because we couldn't stop chanting once we got going. As soon as we stopped chanting, it was like the lights went out.'"

Well, America, your "lights" are in grave danger of going out. The American Supreme Court declared the prayer of Jesus illegal, and opened the door to the "new age." America is not only accumulating a growing financial debt of over $14,000,000,000,000.00, and becoming a laughing stock of nations, but worse. America is accumulating an ever increasing debt before the Judgment Bar of God. This is one of the reasons I am reading the Words of God into the atmosphere. They cannot and will not stop me, though if things do not change, they will try. This is motivating me to prayer more and more in my spirit by the Holy Spirit. Words are seeming less and less adequate to address the intensifying battle in, "high places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand."

Father, in Jesus' Name, as the battle heats up, may I also. Amen.

We are off again...

2011-01-05T08:02:00.001-05:00

Our team of seven from Heaven's Family is departing Jan. 10th on a four-nation ministry trip to Kenya, Rwanda, D.R. Congo, and Burundi. We return Jan. 27th.

This will be my 87th overseas trip since 1984 and my 12th trip to Kenya, 6th trip to Rwanda, 3rd trip to D.R. Congo, and 2nd trip to Burundi.

I will be teaching God's Word in several leader's conferences, dedicating a bore hole project near Mombasa, distributing food supplies to the poor, and four Hays chlorine generators in four different nations to purify drinking water for up to a total of 20,000 people.

Please pray for us as we step out once again to serve the Lord and His people (the least of these). Thank you for your partnership in prayer and finances! We can't do this work without folks like you! God bless.

Chuck King

From Woody Barnette...

2011-01-04T14:17:00.000-05:00

"The Lord has given me a strong warning not to think like everyone else does. He said, 'Don't call everything a conspiracy, like they do, and don't live in dread of what frightens them. Make the Lord of Heaven's Armies holy in your life. He is the one you should fear. He is the one who should make you tremble. He will keep you safe.'" (Isaiah 8:11-14a, NLT)

I have referred to this passage several times before. There is no Scripture which speaks more prophetically to the Church in this generation than this. The exhortation is very clear. God warns You and me as Followers of Jesus Christ to, "not think like everyone else does."

This is not the case in so much of the modern church; details are not necessary, just suffice it to say that The Word of God, Jesus Christ, says things, "to the Churches," which He cannot say to others. Their ears, minds, and hearts are clogged with what Paul told Timothy to avoid, "the profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called" (KJV). Too many in churches have more of an ear to "science" than to the, "the Words of God." Most who call themselves Christian today have been conquered by Darwinism, Oprahism, and trendy philosophies. As a result, they, "live in dread of what frightens," the "scientific" world, the political pundits, false prophets, and fellow workers around the water cooler.

I am absolutely committed to the, "Words of God," because it was the, "Words of God," not, "science falsely so-called" (the words of man), which saved my life 40 years ago after the passing of our son. "Empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called 'knowledge,'" could do nothing for me. But then came the, "Words of God," and power and deliverance and sustenance------ to this very day.

Try this for a New Year's Resolution-- "Make the Lord of Heaven's Armies holy in your life. He is the one you should fear. He is the one who should make you tremble. He [is the ONLY One Who] will keep you safe."

Father, in Jesus' Name, You know the battle and struggle with walking in the text. I pray, Holy Spirit, keep it before me. Amen.

2010 Mission Trips Review...

2010-12-30T11:58:00.001-05:00

2010 Overseas Missions in Review
By Chuck King

Trip #77 January 2010 Iquitos, Peru:

• Food Fund distributions to 50 families ($1,000).
• Thirty Sawyer filters and buckets ($1,440).
• Safe water training.

Trip #78 January 2010 Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic:

• Biosand filter and 101 Sawyer filters ($4,000).
• Safe water training.

Trip #79 March 2010 Penonome, Panama:

• Three days leader’s conference.
• Forty copies of One Heart Beat Away distributed.
• Hundreds of tracts distributed.
• Food Fund distributions to 60 families ($1,200).
• Evening services in local churches.

Trip #80 April 2010 Bujumbura, Burundi:

• Three days of safe water training.
• Twenty-nine Sawyer and three plastic biosand filters and equipment ($2,000).

Trip #81 May 2010 Kenya/Rwanda/D. R. Congo:

• Two-day conference near Kitale, Kenya.
• Food Fund distributions ($1,000) to 100 families (44 pounds of corn each).
• Twenty Sawyer filters ($900), a New Testament Proclaimer, and hundreds of tracts.
• To Nairobi, Kenya and delivered a laptop, a camera, 48 Sawyer filters ($2,000), a Proclaimer, and hundreds of tracts.
• To Kigali, Rwanda and delivered 20 Sawyer filters ($900), Food Fund distributions to 50 families ($1,000), two Proclaimers, and two days of preaching meetings.
• To Goma, D. R. Congo and delivered 20 Sawyer filters ($900), Food Fund distributions to 106 widows ($1,000), two Proclaimers, one day teaching seminar, and biosand filter follow up.

Trip # 82 June 2010 Penonome, Panama:

• Three days of safe water training and evening church services.
• Food Fund distributions to 60 families ($1,000).
• Twenty Sawyer and three biosand filters ($1,000).
• Six New Testament Proclaimers distributed.
• Forty-four Mark Cahill books distributed.
• Thousands of tracts distributed.

Trip #83 July 2010 Haiti:

• Two days of safe water training in Barbancou, Haiti.
• Two biosand filters.
• More than four hundred Sawyer filters were delivered to Haiti between January and March 2010 ($16,000). Thirty unused Sawyer filters were on site in Barbancou when I arrived.

Trip #84 August 2010 Mexico:

• Rural compound called The Village near Puebla, Mexico.
• Food Fund distributions to 60 families ($1,000).
• Two days of safe water training.
• Twenty Sawyer and two biosand filters ($1,000).
• Three New Testament Proclaimers.
• Forty-four Mark Cahill books.
• Twelve folks were saved in house church services.
• House church meetings.

Trip #85 September 2010 Pucallpa, Peru:

• Six different villages on Lake Masisea Tapishca.
• Safe water training in each village.
• Six biosand and 43 Sawyer filters (Joe Mercer paid for most of them).
• Over 400 people were saved in daily services.

Trip #86 November 2010 Myanmar:

• Yangon for three days of safe water training of 22 people ($800).
• Also spent $800 for biosand equipment for 17 projects in Yangon and on the Irrawady River.
• Twenty Sawyer and three biosand filters in Yangon ($900).
• Hays chlorine generator to Yangon ($365).
• Food Fund distributions to over 50 families in Yangon ($1,000).
• To Taunggyi for a three-day teaching seminar ($1,800).
• Food Fund distributions to poor families ($1,000).
• Motorbike for a missionary ($300 Bob King).
• Used laptop for a missionary.

This year was a very fruitful year of ten mission trips (I have ten more trips planned in 2011 by God’s Grace)! I was also able to oversee the translations, printings, and distributions of over $12,000 worth of Saving Faith and Rebellion books for Heaven’s Family. The total Food Fund distributions for Heaven’s Family were over $20,000, including our monthly commitments in Peru, Mexico, China, and Malawi. The Safe Water Fund distributions for Heaven’s Family for a bore hole in Kenya, all the Sawyer filters, biosand filters, and Hays chlorine generators was nearly $35,000. And I have not even included my personal support needs and my mission trip expenses!

It is very clear that without the faithful prayer and financial support of churches, ministries, and friends, nothing would have been accomplished! Thank you. May 2011 be even more fruitful in missions! May your treasure in Heaven increase as you serve the Lord and His people!

God bless!

Chuck

Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus!

2010-12-21T13:31:00.001-05:00

State favors are stronger than penalties....

2010-12-19T05:29:00.000-05:00

The Framers of America's Founding Documents relied heavily upon the writings of the French political philosopher, Baron de Montesquieu. Typical of Montesquieu's brilliant insight, he once wrote that:

“A more certain way to attack religion is by favor, by the comforts of life, by the hope of wealth; not by what reminds one of it, but by what makes one forget it; not by what makes one indignant, but by what makes men lukewarm, when other passions act on our souls, and those which religion inspires are silent. In the matter of changing religion, State favors are stronger than penalties.”

The Spirit of the Laws, Baron de Montesquieu (1748)

By Walter Williams...

2010-12-18T10:39:00.000-05:00

Where Best To Be Poor

By Walter Williams

Imagine you are an unborn spirit whom God has condemned to a life of poverty but has permitted to choose the nation in which to live. I'm betting that most any such condemned unborn spirit would choose the United States. Why? What has historically been defined as poverty, nationally or internationally, no longer exists in the U.S. Let's look at it.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the 2009 poverty guideline was $22,000 for an urban four-person family. In 2009, having income less than that, 15 percent or 40 million Americans were classified as poor, but there's something unique about those "poor" people not seen anywhere else in the world. Robert Rector, researcher at the Heritage Foundation, presents data collected from several government sources in a report titled "How Poor Are America's Poor? Examining the 'Plague' of Poverty in America" (8/27/2007):

— Forty-three percent of all poor households actually own their own homes. The average home owned by persons classified as poor by the Census Bureau is a three-bedroom house with one-and-a-half baths, a garage and a porch or patio.

— Eighty percent of poor households have air conditioning. By contrast, in 1970, only 36 percent of the entire U.S. population enjoyed air conditioning.

— Only 6 percent of poor households are overcrowded; two-thirds have more than two rooms per person.

— The typical poor American has more living space than the average individual living in Paris, London, Vienna, Athens and other cities throughout Europe. (These comparisons are to the average citizens in foreign countries, not to those classified as poor.)

— Nearly three-quarters of poor households own a car; 31 percent own two or more cars.

— Ninety-seven percent of poor households have a color television; over half own two or more color televisions.

— Seventy-eight percent have a VCR or DVD player; 62 percent have cable or satellite TV reception.

— Eighty-nine percent own microwave ovens, more than half have a stereo, and a more than a third have an automatic dishwasher.

What's defined as poverty is misleading in another way. Official poverty measures count just family's cash income. It ignores additional sources of support such as the earned-income tax credit, which is a cash rebate to low-income workers; it ignores Medicaid, housing allowances, food stamps and other federal and local government subsidies to the poor. According to a report by American Enterprise Institute scholar Nicholas Eberstadt, titled "Poor Statistics," "In 2006, according to the annual Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey, reported purchases by the poorest fifth of American households were more than twice as high as reported incomes." That additional money might represent earnings from unreported employment, illegal activities and unreported financial assistance. A proper measure of well-being is what a person consumes rather than his income. A huge gap has emerged between income and consumption at lower income levels.

Material poverty can be measured relatively or absolutely. An absolute measure would consist of some minimum quantity of goods and services deemed adequate for a baseline level of survival. Achieving that level means that poverty has been eliminated. However, if poverty is defined as, say, the lowest one-fifth of the income distribution, it is impossible to eliminate poverty. Everyone's income could double, triple and quadruple, but there will always be the lowest one-fifth.

Yesterday's material poverty is all but gone. In all too many cases, it has been replaced by a more debilitating kind of poverty — behavioral poverty or poverty of the spirit. This kind of poverty refers to conduct and values that prevent the development of healthy families, work ethic and self-sufficiency. The absence of these values virtually guarantees pathological lifestyles that include: drug and alcohol addiction, crime, violence, incarceration, illegitimacy, single-parent households, dependency and erosion of work ethic. Poverty of the spirit is a direct result of the perverse incentives created by some of our efforts to address material poverty.

From GotQuestions.org...

2010-11-26T12:07:00.000-05:00

Question: "What does it mean to be a living sacrifice?"

Answer: In Romans 12:1, Paul says, “I beseech you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing to God, which is your reasonable service.” Paul’s admonition to the believers in Rome was to sacrifice themselves to God, not as a sacrifice on the altar, as the Mosaic Law required the sacrifice of animals, but as a living sacrifice. The dictionary defines sacrifice as “anything consecrated and offered to God.” As believers, how do we consecrate and offer ourselves to God as a living sacrifice?

Under the Old Covenant, God accepted the sacrifices of animals. But these were just a foreshadowing of the sacrifice of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ. Because of His ultimate, once-for-all-time sacrifice on the cross, the Old Testament sacrifices became obsolete and are no longer of any effect (Hebrews 9:11-12). For those who are in Christ by virtue of saving faith, the only acceptable worship is to offer ourselves completely to the Lord. Under God’s control, the believer’s yet-unredeemed body can and must be yielded to Him as an instrument of righteousness (Romans 6:12-13; 8:11-13). In view of the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus for us, this is only “reasonable.”

What does a living sacrifice look like in the practical sense? The following verse (Romans 12:2) helps us to understand. We are a living sacrifice for God by not being conformed to this world. The world is defined for us in 1 John 2:15-16 as the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. All that the world has to offer can be reduced to these three things. The lust of the flesh includes everything that appeals to our appetites and involves excessive desires for food, drink, sex, and anything else that satisfies physical needs. Lust of the eyes mostly involves materialism, coveting whatever we see that we don’t have and envying those who have what we want. The pride of life is defined by any ambition for that which puffs us up and puts us on the throne of our own lives.

How can believers NOT be conformed to the world? By being “transformed by the renewing of our minds.” We do this primarily through the power of God’s Word to transform us. We need to hear (Romans 10:17), read (Revelation 1:3), study (Acts 17:11), memorize (Psalm 119:9-11), and meditate on (Psalm 1:2-3) Scripture. The Word of God, ministered in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, is the only power on earth that can transform us from worldliness to true spirituality. In fact, it is all we need to be made “complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16, NKJV). The result is that we will be “able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2b). It is the will of God for every believer to be a living sacrifice for Jesus Christ.

From Leonard Ravenhill...

2010-11-25T19:05:00.001-05:00

This generation of preachers is responsible for this generation of
sinners...Sin today is both glamorized and popularized, thrown into
the ear by radio, thrown into the eye by television, and splashed on
popular magazine covers. Church-goers, sermon-sick and teaching-
tired, leave the meeting as they entered it -- visionless and
passionless! Oh God, give this perishing generation ten thousand
John the Baptists!

From Woody Barnette...

2010-11-24T08:28:00.001-05:00

"But I will show you whom you should fear; fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!" (Luke 12:5)

How timely that I read an article earlier this morning which stated the Muslim belief that anyone who does not ascribe to the Islamic faith burns in the "fires of hell." Well, that is exactly what Jesus teaches about those who reject Him. Jesus mentions Hell more than anyone else in the Scriptures. I confess; much of my praying for the lost is motivate by the Hell reality. Of course, there is peace and joy in Jesus Christ, in our forgiveness of sin, in our redemption, but people find "peace" and "joy" elsewhere in this life. To argue with this is just an attempt to prove we are right and "they" are wrong. Likewise, too many people who deny that anyone can find happiness apart from Jesus Christ are jealous that they cannot indulge in the same kinds of sin. No, my friend, regardless of the joys in this life in Jesus Christ, the Church needs to see the lost as "Hell-bound sinners," nothing but the Eternal, "lake of fire," awaiting them. The "happiness" card deters far too many a Believer in witnessing to educated, wealthy, big house, three car people. They may have what carnal flesh desires, and in that having, have some sort of happiness, but without Jesus Christ they will be, "cast into Hell," as will the uneducated, poor of the world without Jesus Christ. "Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire."

Jesus said that, "no one comes to the Father but by Me." The converse is, if, "no one comes to the Father," in Jesus Christ, they just do not, "come to the Father;" and if one does not, "come to the Father," there is no eternal alternative but "come to" the, "lake of fire." Wesley said that before he ordained a man into Christian ministry, he would like to be able to dangle him over the fires of Hell for an hour-------- then turn him loose. The implication is clear; a great motivation to win the lost is rooted in their ultimate judgment, rejection, and condemnation to Hell, not some attempt to make them "happy."

"'Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?' says the Lord God, 'and not that he should turn from his ways and live?'" Deliverance is found in, "turn from his ways;" this is repentance. "....And live?"-- this is receiving Jesus Christ in His Cleansing Blood. Jesus is Eternal Life, indeed, "the Life." Physical death is only the beginning of a new dying, a dying which will never end. I can think of no greater motivation to win the lost to Jesus Christ------ "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life." (Jesus)

Father, in Jesus' Name, the hymn says of the Cross, "keep its scenes before me." I pray that somehow you keep the scenes of Hell before me. Amen.

Wonderful video!

2010-11-19T17:28:00.001-05:00

From David Servant---Faith Without a Test is Not Faith at All...

2010-11-16T11:37:00.000-05:00

Faith Without a Test is Not Faith at All

Actually, there is no such thing as faith without a test. Faith "is the conviction of things not seen" (Heb. 11:1). Faith means trusting God's promises in spite of what we see or how we feel or what our circumstances seem like. Faith means disregarding the testimony of our senses and holding fast to God's promises. If you are going to exercise your faith, it will be tested.

Jesus instructed us to "believe we receive when we pray," and if we will, He promised that we will have our request (see Mark 11:24). But answers to prayers aren't always instant, are they? We must often stand in faith for a length of time, believing God has answered our prayer before we actually see the answer. There is always a time when our faith is tested.

"Without faith it is impossible to please God" (Heb. 11:6). Without tests, however, it is impossible to exercise faith because faith is not needed for that which can be seen.

What takes the highest priority in your life? Is it what you see with your eyes and hear with your ears, or God's eternal Word? God's Word should be our ultimate source of truth. We should judge everything that comes into our minds with the question, "Does that agree with what God has said?" If it doesn't, then it's an imagination we need to "cast down" (see 2 Cor. 10:5, KJV).

The Bible promises, "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord" (Jer. 17:7). If you don't believe that, don't expect to be blessed!

From GotQuestions.org---How can I find joy in the midst of trials?

2010-11-16T08:04:00.000-05:00

Question: "How can I find joy in the midst of trials?"

Answer: James 1:2-4 says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” This is the very first thing James writes in his letter after his salutation. Why? Because of its import. Many Christians think once they’ve made that decision for Christ that everything will fall into place and life will be that proverbial bowl of cherries. And when trials and tough times come upon them or continue, they begin to question, “why?” Wondering how they could possibly endure horrible circumstances and consider it joy.

Peter also tackles this subject of joy through trials. “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls” (1 Peter 1:6-9).

In both of these passages, we see the instruction of what we should do. ‘Consider it pure joy…’ ‘In this you greatly rejoice…’ Why? Because trials make us stronger. The James passage clearly states that the testing of our faith produces perseverance. And the Peter passage states that our faith, which is priceless, will be proved genuine and result in praise to God. But how? How can we find joy in the midst of all the junk, hardships, and painful circumstances?

First, we need to understand that joy is not the same as happiness. Happiness comes and goes sometimes as often as waves hitting the shore. Happiness isn’t something you can cling to when you’ve lost a loved one, or are facing bankruptcy. Joy, on the other hand can stay with you for the long haul. The reason? Real joy is from God. For the believer, it is like a bottomless well of water—always an abundant supply. Even in the darkest days, when sadness, grief, and loss may threaten to overwhelm you, God’s joy is there.

Second, we need to understand that God’s joy cannot be taken away. Oh, you might think that it’s gone—that the hands of misfortune have snatched it from you—but it’s not. As believers, we are promised the constant presence of the Holy Spirit. We are promised His joy. Just as our salvation is assured through Jesus’ one-time sacrifice for all. Jesus’ words in John 15:11, “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” Other examples, Acts 13:52, “And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.” Acts 16:34, “The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole family.”

Third, we need to stop wallowing, whining and complaining and grab onto God’s joy. Just like salvation is a free and perfect gift from Him, we must reach out and accept that gift. Grab onto it. Like a lifeline. Choose joy. Over bitterness, anger, and sorrow. Make a decision to choose joy every day. No matter what. Look at these great examples in Scripture: “Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability” (2 Corinthians 8:2-3). “You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit” (1 Thessalonians 1:6). “Be joyful always” (1 Thessalonians 5:16). “You sympathized with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions” (Hebrews 10:34). And the best illustration of all, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).

All through Scripture we see the persecution of the church, the trials, and hardships that believers have faced. The challenge then is to truly learn how to consider each trial joy.

This topic is very near and dear to my heart because it is a lesson I’m relearning each and every day. My daughter has a rare nerve disorder, she’s had brain surgery, and we’ve faced seemingly insurmountable obstacles, mountains of medical bills, bankruptcy, and foreclosure. But you know what I have discovered? God’s joy really is there. You can consider each trial joy, you can greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory even when you feel like you are face-first in the mud puddle. You can endure whatever circumstances are making you quake in your boots right now. If you have been saved through faith in Jesus Christ—you have all you need.

Grab onto God’s joy.

If you'd like to learn more about our family's story and our incredible joy through trials, please purchase the suggested resource below:
Welcome Home! Our Family's Journey to Extreme Joy by Kimberley Woodhouse.

From Woody Barnette---Why? Don't try to answer it....

2010-11-10T13:42:00.000-05:00

"And the LORD also delivered it and its king into the hand of Israel; he struck it and all the people who were in it with the edge of the sword. He let none remain in it...." (Joshua 10:30)

Sorry, but I've been reading in Joshua. I'm just bringing you along with me. Now I know that good little devotional writers would bypass such passages and just pick the traditional "devotional stuff." But then, there is always that, "whole counsel of God."

Regardless, you must admit that every time you read of these mass killings, slayings of men, women, and children, cattle and oxen, deep inside there is a sort of, "WHY?" which shouts at you. Today, the arguments in most of the world, and even in the so called "church," are arguments with God on how He does things. How dare He say, "So it shall be, when the LORD your God brings you into the land of which He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give you large and beautiful cities which you did not build, houses full of all good things, which you did not fill"? etc. It is just not fair, not moral to take someone's land and give it to someone else. Really? What is that which Jesus said, "Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things?"

I once said that the Koran is a war manual. It is. But, if you read the Bible without your "Sunday School" glasses, you discover that the Bible is also a "war manual." Jesus said that in the end time, at a time of judgment, He will say, "But bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before me." Apparently God is not finished with making war. Yet a big difference between the "war manuals" is that there is nothing in the Koran which deals with the redemption of the lost, no assurance of the forgiveness of sin, no offer that you can know God personally, no, "and the Blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin."

Yes, there have been, are, and will be wars. Yet in the midst of the judgment and war words of Scripture, there is good "devotional reading," promises for all those who are the obedient ones, the ones who have surrendered their lives to Jesus Christ and His Reign in His Kingdom and their personal lives. We have promises in the "God- Breathed" Scriptures which no philosophy, no religion can ever match. In the midst of the judgment and the wars there are the multitude of promises which guarantee our provision, protection, and the King's invitation, "Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world."

Father, in Jesus' Name, I desire to be kept in the fear of You, the obedience to You, and love of You. Amen.

From Woody Barnette---Another prayer available for you and me...

2010-11-08T13:23:00.000-05:00

"Plead my cause, O LORD, with those who strive with me; Fight against those who fight against me." (Psalm 35:1)

This prayer reminds all of us that no matter how powerful an intercessor we think we may be, how much money we have, how big is our church, or "how" anything, victory in life is to those who abide in Jesus Christ to, "Plead my cause," and, "Fight against those who fight against me."

David was very good with a sling----- but so were many of his Israelite Brethren. Any number of them could have slain the giant that day, if they would have just had the same trust, faith, and obedience as David. In fact, David witnessed others slaying giants similar to the one he slew. David won many battles in his life time, but those victories came because of David's right perspective, "[You] fight against those who fight against me. [You] take hold of shield and buckler, and [You] stand up for my help."

In Psalm 18, David said, "God...makes my feet like the feet of a deer....He teaches my hands to make war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze." Too many in Christendom today think and live as though only the big "Davids" can slay giants, "bend a bow of bronze," prophecy to the nations, reach the lost, heal the sick, raise the dead. That is idolatry. The reason most live this way is that it is an excuse to take the pressure off us, the fear of failure perhaps, or just an unwillingness to "pay the price." The Amplified Bible says, "Elijah was a human being with a nature such as we have [with feelings, affections, and a constitution like ours]; and he prayed earnestly." This "super prophet" availed himself of nothing but the same "means of grace" which are available to you and me.

Whoever lives with their eyes, "Fixed on Jesus," whoever, "hungers and thirsts after righteousness," whoever has, "faith as a grain of mustard seed," whoever is born of the Spirit, baptized in water in Jesus' Name, baptized in the Holy Spirit, "and My words abide in you," can slay any giant, topple any mountain; "For by You I can run against a troop, By my God I can leap over a wall." I know your mind is probably arguing with you, but this is the none other than the "God-Breathed" Word speaking.

Father, in Jesus' Name, I confess my unbelief is based on my gaze. Holy Spirit, work in me the gaze which sees You, O Blessed Trinity. Amen.

From Woody Barnette---A Theology of Accountability...

2010-11-05T13:16:00.001-04:00

"And not a creature exists that is concealed from his sight, but all things are open and exposed, naked and defenseless to the eyes of Him with Whom we have to do ('give an account')." (Hebrews 4:13)

Otto Adolf Eichmann, SS number, 45326, was captured in Argentina by the Israeli Mossad in 1960. One year later he was put on trial in Israel, then in 1962 executed for "Crimes Against Humanity." His primary defense was that of most of the Germans in the Nuremberg Trials following the Second War--- "It wasn't me. I was just following the orders and policies of those above me." Yet today, this is the philosophy of the humanists. People are not really responsible for their actions. They are the product of their culture, of the society around them, an abusive parent, etc. They were born into unfortunate circumstances; therefore, they cannot be held accountable for their life. This defense did not work for the propagators of the Holocaust; it won't work for you or me.

The following you will not hear from the vast majority of ministries today. "The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books." Yet, this reveals, "the whole counsel of God."

I do not "pick and choose" texts for devotionals. I "pick" from my daily readings. I try to include things from the whole of Scripture; hence, today's text and references. They tell me that no one but me will be held responsible for my life lived here on earth, not my parents, my ethnic group, my society, my circumstances, no one, nothing. There I will stand, first before the, "great white throne," then, before, "The Judgment Seat of Christ." I was born into the Family of God and entered the Kingdom of God through repentance, receiving Jesus Christ into my very being, and going through the waters of baptism. Most of today's evangelical "theology," however, does not include repentance or water baptism, even though they have no Bible for this. Most "seekers" today are not told about the judgment before the Living Triune God, the truth that the New Birth is the beginning of life in Jesus Christ and His Kingdom, and at the end of that life there will be an accounting for, yes, that life, "I now live in the flesh," yes, that very life, "which I now live by the faith of the Son of God Who loved me and gave Himself up for me."

I submit that such truth from the "God-Breathed" Word should not "ruin your day." Rather than condemnation, His Word is what His Word Himself declares, "life to those who find it and medicine to all their flesh." If you are one in whom Jesus Christ lives, covered by and cleanse in the Blood of Jesus Christ, living, "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you," you will go through the "great white throne," judgment and the, "Judgment Seat of Christ," in your Heavenly Advocate, Jesus Christ the Righteous. He will say, "I know this person; he is Mine."

Father, in Jesus' Name, I am sobered anew today by Your Words.

From Woody Barnette...

2010-11-04T13:47:00.001-04:00

"For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former shall not be remembered or come to mind....Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed. And there was no more sea" (Is. 65:17; Rev. 21:1).

There is a powerful indication here of what Jesus Christ has, "planned for the maturity of the times and the climax of the ages" (Eph. 1:10). Few in Christendom speak of such things today. Yet I submit to you, right there in the midst of a busy schedule, that a person who is aware and even, dare I say it, motivated by the fact that all of this is headed somewhere, headed to the return of Jesus Christ, the consummation of the age, the dawn of the new age of the Kingdom of Heaven, "wherein dwelleth righteousness," King Jesus reigning from, "the throne of His father David," in, "the City of the Great King," Jerusalem, is a person who will overcome. Such a person will, "press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." He knows there is victory at the end of the pressing on.

Today, my Fellow Believer, there is Light at the end of this seemingly unending tunnel of life, the same, "I am the light of the world," Jesus Christ, Who has been dwelling in you on the journey. And though I make no claim to know much detail about the coming, "new heaven and...new earth," I do know they are a place, "wherein dwells righteousness," and that righteousness is not some moral achievement of mankind, but Jesus Christ Himself, "who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption."

He awaits you, my dear weary traveler. All those seemingly unanswered prayers, frustrated dreams, yes, even the ones you have felt were based on Biblical truth, but nevertheless those which you have never seen fulfilled --- some day, my friend, some day, all that our King, Savior, Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ has planned will be fulfilled in their entirety. "For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal."

Father, in Jesus' Name, deliver me from the evil of "everything must be now." Amen.

From CT Studd...

2010-11-03T15:10:00.001-04:00

"Too long have we been waiting for one another to begin! The time of
waiting is past! The hour of God has struck! War is declared! In God's
Holy Name let us arise and build! 'The God of Heaven, He will fight
for us', as we for Him. We will not build on the sand, but on the
bedrock of the sayings of Christ, and the gates and minions of hell
shall not prevail against us. Should such men as we fear? Before the
world, yes, before the sleepy, lukewarm, faithless, namby-pamby
Christian world, we will dare to trust our God, we will venture our
all for Him, we will live and we will die for Him, and we will do it
with His joy unspeakable singing aloud in our hearts. We will a
thousand times sooner die trusting only our God, than live trusting in
man. And when we come to this position the battle is already won, and
the end of the glorious campaign in sight. We will have the real
Holiness of God, not the sickly stuff of talk and dainty words and
pretty thoughts; we will have a Masculine Holiness, one of daring
faith and works for Jesus Christ."
- CT Studd

David Ravenhill---The Anvil: The New Apostles

2010-10-31T08:18:00.002-04:00

The Anvil: The New Apostles

from David Ravenhill

HELPING TO SHAPE A BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE

‘You put to the test those who call themselves apostle and they are not, and you found them to be false.’ Revelation 2:2
Original Apostles

23 ‘Are they servants of Christ? (I speak as if insane) I more so; in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death.

24 Five times I received from the Jews thirty- nine lashes.

25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep.

26 I have been in frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren.

27 I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure

28 Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure upon me of concern for all the churches.

29 Who is weak without my being weak? Who is led into sin without my intense concern?

30 If I have to boast I will boast of what pertains to my weakness.’

2 Corinthians 11:23-30 NASB.

The New Apostles

23 ‘Are they Apostles of Christ? (I speak the truth) I more so; in far more luxuries, in far more resorts, never beaten in golf, often in danger from overeating.

24 Fifty times I received massages at the Country Club where I play.

25 Three times I suffered heartburn, once I suffered sunstroke, three times I had to fly coach, a night and a day I have spent without my bodyguards.

26 I have been on frequent cruises, in dangers from jetlag, dangers from the Stock Market, dangers in my private jet, dangers from the IRS, dangers in my limo, dangers on my Harley, dangers on my yacht, dangers from rival televangelists.

27 I have been in spas and hot-tubs, through many six star nights, in buffets and steakhouses, often without my Perrier, or without ice in my Coke.

28 Apart from all these carnal pleasures, there is the daily pressure of counting my seed faith contributions.

29 Who is rich without me being rich? Who is led to give to my ministry without my intense joy?

30 If I have to boast I’ll gladly boast about myself and my mailing list.

New Apostolic Version

From Woody Barnette---Let the righteous strike me...

2010-10-30T08:10:00.001-04:00

"Let the righteous strike me; it shall be a kindness. And let him rebuke me; it shall be as excellent oil; let my head not refuse it. For still my prayer is against the deeds of the wicked." (Psalm 141:5)

The Hebrew word translated, "strike," means "hammer." I'm sure you have encountered this O:-). The word for, "rebuke," means "to correct, to reason." None too popular, but much needed in today's Christian Community.

I'm not too sure that most of us would really sign on to this "style" of Christianity. Yet this is key to holiness. I'm convinced that most of us know what are our weaknesses or outright sins------- but most do little about it. Yet, "let the righteous...rebuke me; it shall be as an excellent oil...." This attitude will keep me accountable in the Church, a delicate matter which can only have the Christ-centered affect if true, "righteous," people are involved. It is a central ministry, i.e., service of the local church.

Okay, "it shall be as an excellent oil." But am I prepared to receive the, "strike," the, "rebuke (of) the righteous"? Oil is a symbol of healing in the Scriptures, and awareness, repentance, and cessation of sin is the health of the Church. Even a cursory reading of the Gospels reveals that Jesus "struck" and "rebuked" people, and not just the religious leaders. Commensurately, the key to a person's destiny in the Kingdom of Heaven was, and is, based on their response to the, "strike," and, "rebuke," of Jesus Christ.

You and I have a choice today. The love of God will bring "strikers" and "rebukers" into our lives; we all need them. The remaining question is, Will we see them as, "an excellent oil"?

Father, in Jesus' Name, "Let my head not refuse it." Amen.

From GotQuestions.org--- "What does the Bible say about ghosts / hauntings?"

2010-10-29T16:08:00.000-04:00

Answer: Is there such a thing as ghosts? The answer to this question depends on what precisely is meant by the term “ghosts.” If the term means “spirit beings,” the answer is a qualified “yes.” If the term means “spirits of people who have died,” the answer is “no.” The Bible makes it abundantly clear that there are spirit beings, both good and evil. But the Bible negates the idea that the spirits of deceased human beings can remain on earth and “haunt” the living.

Hebrews 9:27 declares, “Man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.” That is what happens to a person’s soul-spirit after death—judgment. The result of this judgment is heaven for the believer (2 Corinthians 5:6-8; Philippians 1:23) and hell for the unbeliever (Matthew 25:46; Luke 16:22-24). There is no in-between. There is no possibility of remaining on earth in spirit form as a “ghost.” If there are such things as ghosts, according to the Bible, they absolutely cannot be the disembodied spirits of deceased human beings.

The Bible teaches very clearly that there are indeed spirit beings who can connect with and appear in our physical world. The Bible identifies these beings as angels and demons. Angels are spirit beings who are faithful in serving God. Angels are righteous, good, and holy. Demons are fallen angels, angels who rebelled against God. Demons are evil, deceptive, and destructive. According to 2 Corinthians 11:14-15, demons masquerade as “angels of light” and as “servants of righteousness.” Appearing as a “ghost” and impersonating a deceased human being definitely seem to be within the power and abilities that demons possess.

The closest biblical example of a “haunting” is found in Mark 5:1-20. A legion of demons possessed a man and used the man to haunt a graveyard. There were no ghosts involved. It was a case of a normal person being controlled by demons to terrorize the people of that area. Demons only seek to “kill, steal, and destroy” (John 10:10). They will do anything within their power to deceive people, to lead people away from God. This is very likely the explanation of “ghostly” activity today. Whether it is called a ghost, a ghoul, or a poltergeist, if there is genuine evil spiritual activity occurring, it is the work of demons.

What about instances in which “ghosts” act in “positive” ways? What about psychics who claim to summon the deceased and gain true and useful information from them? Again, it is crucial to remember that the goal of demons is to deceive. If the result is that people trust in a psychic instead of God, a demon will be more than willing to reveal true information. Even good and true information, if from a source with evil motives, can be used to mislead, corrupt, and destroy.

Interest in the paranormal is becoming increasingly common. There are individuals and businesses that claim to be “ghost-hunters,” who for a price will rid your home of ghosts. Psychics, séances, tarot cards, and mediums are increasingly considered normal. Human beings are innately aware of the spiritual world. Sadly, instead of seeking the truth about the spirit world by communing with God and studying His Word, many people allow themselves to be led astray by the spirit world. The demons surely laugh at the spiritual mass-deception that exists in the world today.

Recommended Resource: The Truth Behind Ghosts, Mediums, and Psychic Phenomena by Ron Rhodes.

Francis Chan...

2010-10-28T10:20:00.001-04:00

The Story

2010-10-26T09:12:00.000-04:00

A must-see video!

2010-10-26T08:24:00.001-04:00

2010-10-24T07:46:00.000-04:00

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

From Woody Barnette---

2010-10-22T13:13:00.001-04:00

"And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said: 'The kingdom of heaven is like......'" (Matthew 22:1)

In Matthew 13:10, the disciples asked Jesus, "Why do You speak to them in parables?" One of the reasons Jesus, "spoke...by parables," is that He did not "offer" The Kingdom of Heaven to the flippant, those caught up in the heat of emotion, to get out of some kind of trouble, the casual religion seeker. The Kingdom of God/Heaven is for, "those who hunger and thirst after righteousness," those who, "hunger and thirst after," the Living Triune God Himself, those who hunger to be obedient Followers of Jesus Christ, in short, "those who hunger." Vine says that the Greek word for, "hunger," means, "to crave ardently, to seek with eager desire."

If you ever study the revival meetings of Charles Finney, you will notice that he did not allow entrance into the Kingdom, responses to the message of salvation, the "born again experience" to be a casual decision. Many times Finney would tell people who responded to the Gospel message, "If you are sincere, come back this evening." Wesley instituted "the mourners' bench," a place and attitude of, "For godly sorrow produces repentance, leading to salvation, not to be regretted of; but the sorrow of the world produces death." It was not a time of, "Well, I really messed up my life," but a time of, "against You and You only have I sinned."

Henry Clay Morrison, the president of Asbury College in the early twentieth century, once said, "There are many thousands and tens of thousands of souls in Paradise today who found Jesus Christ as a personal Savior at the mourner's bench. It will be well understood that there is not virtue in a bench, by whatever name it may be called, but it was good for the sinner, before the congregation and community, to rise up in open surrender and come forward and kneel at that humble little altar, as a confession of sin before his fellow beings, throwing him or herself upon the mercy of God."

Father, in Jesus' Name, I earnestly desire to be a fisher of men as You were and are. Amen.

The 1857 prayer revival...

2010-10-20T05:28:00.001-04:00

The 1857 PRAYER REVIVAL in AMERICA
-extracts by Wesley Duewal.

A quiet, zealous forty-six-year-old businessman in New York was
appointed on July 1,1857 as a missionary in downtown New York
at the Dutch Church. Jeremiah Lamphier had been converted in
1842 in Broadway Tabernacle, Finney's church that was built in 1836.

Lamphier felt led by God to start a noon-time weekly prayer meeting
in which business people could meet for prayer. Anyone could
attend, for a few minutes or for the entire hour. Prayers were to
be comparatively brief. Lamphier's group met on the third floor of
the old North Dutch Reformed Church on Fulton Street in New York.
Lamphier printed some handbills announcing the prayer meetings
with the title, "How Often Should I Pray?"

The first day, September 23, 1857, Lamphier prayed alone for half
an hour. But by the end of the hour, six men from at least four
denominational backgrounds joined him. The next Wednesday
there were twenty. On October 7 there were nearly forty. The
meeting was so blessed that they decided to meet daily. One
week later there were over one hundred present, including many
unsaved who were convicted by the Holy Spirit of their sin.

Within one month pastors who had attended the noon prayer
meetings in Fulton Street started morning prayer meetings in
their own churches. Soon the places where the meetings were
held were overcrowded. Men and women, young and old of all
denominations met and prayed together without distinctions. The
meetings abounded with love for Christ, love for fellow Christians,
love for prayer, and love of witnessing. Those in attendance felt
an awesome sense of God's presence. They prayed for specific
people, expected answers, and obtained answers.

Newspapers began to report on the meetings and the unusual spirit
of prayer that was evident. Within three months similar meetings
had sprung up across America. Thousands began praying in these
services and in their own homes.... By the end of March over six
thousand people met daily in prayer gatherings in New York City.

Meetings began in February in Philadelphia. Soon Jayne's Hall
was overfilled, and meetings were held at noon each day in public
halls, concert halls, fire stations, houses, and tents. The whole
city exuded a spirit of prayer.

Almost simultaneously noon prayer meetings sprang up all across
America in Boston, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Richmond,
Charleston, Savannah, Mobile, New Orleans, Vicksburg, Memphis,
St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago, and in a multitude of
other cities, towns, and in rural areas. By the end of the fourth
month, prayer fervor burned intensely across the nation. It was an
awesome but glorious demonstration of the sovereign working of
the Holy Spirit and the eager obedience of God's people.

INVISIBLE CLOUD of GOD'S PRESENCE

A canopy of holy and awesome revival influence - in reality the
presence of the Holy Spirit - seemed to hang like an invisible cloud
over many parts of the United States, especially over the eastern
seaboard. At times this cloud of God's presence even seemed to
extend out to sea. Those on ships approaching the east coast at
times felt a solemn, holy influence, even one hundred miles away,
without even knowing what was happening in America.

Revival began aboard one ship before it reached the coast. People
on board began to feel the presence of God and a sense of their
own sinfulness. The Holy Spirit convicted them, and they began
to pray. As the ship neared the harbor, the captain signaled,
"Send a minister." Another small commercial ship arrived in port
with the captain, and every member of the crew converted in the
last 150 miles. Ship after ship arrived with the same story: both
passengers and crew were suddenly convicted of sin and turned
to Christ before they reached the American coast.

HOMES, SHOPS, FIELDS and CHURCHES

Reports came in of hundreds being converted in prayer meetings,
private homes, workshops, and fields. Often the doors of businesses
held signs reading, "Closed, will reopen at the close of the prayer
meeting." Five prayer meetings took place daily in Washington,
D.C. Five thousand or so attended daily services in the Academy
of Music Hall.

In Philadelphia, Jayne's Hall removed partitions and added space
for six thousand people to attend daily meetings.... The services
consisted of simple prayer, confession, exhortation, and singing.
But it was "so earnest, so solemn, the silence. ..so awful, the
singing. ..so over-powering" that the meetings were unforgettable.
A canvas tent was erected for outdoor meetings, and it immediately
filled with people. In four months' time, a total of 150,000 people
attended the ministry in the tent, with many conversions..... the
best estimates are that 6.6 percent of the entire population of the
United States was converted during the revival.

From Woody Barnette---Losing precedes finding...

2010-10-18T13:09:00.001-04:00

"For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it." (Matthew 16:25)

Man has been attempting, "to save his life," since the Garden. We see it today in the religious, political, social, economic, and ethnic arenas of life. Most succumb to such charges as racism or narrow mindedness by sacrificing what they know to be Biblical correctness to politically correctness. The motivation in it all is quite simple, "desires to save his life." If you pray for elections, pray our text. Pray for leaders in every area of your nation and culture who, "loses his life for My sake." (See today's article on the EU)

Biblically, the first "spiritual law" in salvation, the New Birth, entrance into the Kingdom of God is repentance. Bonhoeffer spoke of "cheap grace." Among other things, it is the offer of grace which does not, "lose," old cultural beliefs and life styles, or the dominant plague among Christians today, political correctness. It is simply a "grace" which says you can believe and do what you have always believed and done. Just say a "sinners prayer," and everything will be alright. Jesus said, on the other hand, "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven...." If we do not begin with repentance, we will not end with salvation. Whatever transpires will birth a "religious experience" of citizenship in our own kingdom, but will not birth a life changing conversion, a Follower of Jesus Christ whose, "citizenship is in Heaven."

The grace of which you and I partake is indeed a "costly grace." It is grace which comes to me and you by way of the Blood Stained via dolorosa, "painful path" to Golgotha, and "The Old Rugged Cross." There and there alone do I see who I am, and, whom I may and can become. Only in Father's Grace manifested in the Blood of Jesus Christ and his bruised body can I come into the Kingdom. Only by losing my life for the, "sake," of Jesus Christ, i.e., repentance, will I, "find it," in the New Birth, the Salvation which is Jesus Christ.

Father, in Jesus' Name, help me to see life as You see it, to, "find out what pleases [You]." Amen.

From GotQuestions.org...

2010-10-16T07:07:00.000-04:00

Question: "Can a Christian be demon possessed? Can a Christian be demonized?"

Answer: While Bible does not explicitly state whether a Christian can be possessed by a demon, related biblical truths make it abundantly clear that Christians cannot be demon possessed. There is a distinct difference between being possessed by a demon and being oppressed or influenced by a demon. Demon possession involves a demon having direct/complete control over the thoughts and/or actions of a person (Matthew 17:14-18; Luke 4:33-35; 8:27-33). Demon oppression or influence involves a demon or demons attacking a person spiritually and/or encouraging him/her into sinful behavior. Notice that in all the New Testament passages dealing with spiritual warfare, there are no instructions to cast a demon out of a believer (Ephesians 6:10-18). Believers are told to resist the devil (James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:8-9), not to cast him out.

Christians are indwelt by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9-11; 1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19). Surely the Holy Spirit would not allow a demon to possess the same person He is indwelling. It is unthinkable that God would allow one of His children, whom He purchased with the blood of Christ (1 Peter 1:18-19) and made into a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17), to be possessed and controlled by a demon. Yes, as believers, we wage war with Satan and his demons, but not from within ourselves. The apostle John declares, “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). Who is the One in us? The Holy Spirit. Who is the one in the world? Satan and his demons. Therefore, the believer has overcome the world of demons, and the case for demon possession of a believer cannot be made scripturally.

With the strong biblical evidence that a Christian cannot be demon possessed in view, some Bible teachers use the term “demonization” to refer to a demon having control over a Christian. Some argue that while a Christian cannot be demon possessed, a Christian can be demonized. Typically, the description of demonization is virtually identical to the description of demon possession. So, the same issue results. Changing the terminology does not change the fact that a demon cannot inhabit or take full control of a Christian. Demonic influence and oppression are realities for Christians, no doubt, but it is simply not biblical to say that a Christian can be possessed by a demon or demonized.

Much of the reasoning behind the demonization concept is the personal experience of seeing someone who was “definitely” a Christian exhibiting evidence of being controlled by a demon. It is crucially important, though, that we do not allow personal experience to influence our interpretation of Scripture. Rather, we must filter our personal experiences through the truth of Scripture (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Seeing someone whom we thought to be a Christian exhibiting the behavior of being demonized should cause us to question the genuineness of his/her faith. It should not cause us alter our viewpoint on whether a Christian can be demon possessed / demonized. Perhaps the person truly is a Christian but is severely demon oppressed and/or suffering from severe psychological problems. But again, our experiences must meet the test of Scripture, not the other way around.

Recommended Resource: The Handbook for Spiritual Warfare (Revised & Updated) by Ed Murphy.

From Woody Barnette...What are we watching?

2010-10-15T13:04:00.001-04:00

"But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief." (1 Thessalonians 4:4)

There is enough history of God's faithfulness to His Words which should be a warning to all humanity that, "this Day," is coming as sure as anything will come------ and it will come, "as a thief in the night." As the foolish maidens whose oil supply was shortsighted, so will be those who, "this Day should overtake...." The good news to you and me in our text today, however, is that you and I need not be afraid, because we are, "not in darkness....[We] are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others, but let us watch and be sober." This sobriety will ensure our deliverance in, "That Day."

There are distractions all around us today which are designed to keep us from vigilance and sobriety. The answer is not to cloister ourselves in some religious "retreat." In Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit, we are commissioned and empowered to walk the streets of the town or city in which we go about our daily lives, but warned to, "watch and be sober." Central to this is obedience to the "God-Breathed" Word, which of course we cannot do if we do not know the Scriptures. Also, watchful prayer is integral to, "watch and be sober," as is regular fellowship with other Followers of Jesus Christ and serving others, "means of grace," which are far too underrated in today's Christian Community.

The days and hours are ticking by towards the close of our sojourn in this life and towards the close of, "this present age." Do not let, "this Day... overtake you as a thief....For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together ("in union") with Him."

Father, in Jesus' Name, in the Holy Spirit keep me ever mindful of the walk of sobriety and vigilance. Amen.

From Woody Barnette...

2010-10-12T12:54:00.001-04:00

"In God, whose word I praise, in God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid. What can mere man do to me?" (Psalm 56:4, NASB)

The Psalm begins by David speaking of his enemies. They, "would swallow me up; fighting all day he oppresses me." They, "would hound me all day, for there are many who fight against me...." Literally, the enemy, "pants as a raging beast." David's response?-- "In God, whose word I praise,..I have put my trust...." Or, "In God I will boast in His word," or, "shine forth His word."

As I read some news today I prayed Psalm 56 for the safe rescue of all the Chilean miners, "When I am afraid, I will put my trust in you," and for the total failure of the human embryonic stem cell experiments, "All day long they distort my words." Adult stem cell treatments have already proven successful and require no murder of human life. The abortionist, however, pushes for embryonic stem cell procedures because if successful they will then advocate even more murderous procedures. He, "pants as a raging beast." The panting, "raging beast," is the slave of the Satanic world view which rejects or distorts the Word of God, Jesus Christ, "whose word I praise." If the Christian church continues to praise/obey anything or everything above, "His Word," the resulting world will make Nazi Germany and Stalinist Russia look like Sunday School picnics.

The coming US election gives America one more chance to, "praise His word," by bringing forth, "fruits worthy of repentance," a repentance for the embrace of a president and a deceptive Congress, both of which advocate embryonic stem cell procedures and the murder of even late term children, "as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother." People sitting in church buildings on Sunday mornings who continue to mouth songs, "worship," preach, or do anything else which has the appearance of godliness, yet continue to approve of those who are the exact opposite of Jesus Christ, and praise and approve everyone and everything but, "God, whose word I praise," will not be able to, as the Psalm concludes, "walk before God in the light of the living." This is reserved for the obedient, for those who not only say, but live, "In God, whose word I praise," i.e.,----- obey.

Father, in Jesus' Name, I thank You that You have manifested Yourself In Your Word, Jesus Christ, Whom, "I praise." Amen.

From Woody Barnette...

2010-10-07T14:47:00.001-04:00

"But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing...." (Acts 7:55)

My Dad once said the reason Jesus was, "standing," was that He was honoring Stephen. Would to God that He could "stand" for me.

Stephen was a young deacon, serving at tables, taking care of widows, etc. He was not what some call today a "full time worker." He loved Jesus Christ and bore witness to Jesus Christ. He took the Jews through their history, showing the faithfulness of God and their unfaithfulness. The purpose was to bring forth repentance and surrender to Jesus Christ. For this he was murdered. The future Apostle, who was to write most of the New Testament Epistles, guarded the clothes of the murderers.

Anyone who is "prophetic" will have enemies. Their enemies will be people who are quite satisfied with their lives, and all they wish to hear is how wonderful they are, affirm their present life style, no challenge to, "bring...fruit to perfection." But friends of the prophetic realize that man lives, "by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." As difficult as it might have been to listen to Stephen's exhortation, it was for their good. The purpose was to bring them to repentance, a change of mind and heart, which brings obedience to Jesus Christ. This is the purpose of the Word of God.

If I want anyone to stand for me in honor, may it be Jesus Christ. If I could just see Jesus standing for me, all will be well.

Father, in Jesus' Name, grant me such favor. Amen.

Message of the three angels...

2010-10-07T09:21:00.000-04:00

MESSAGE of THE THREE ANGELS
-Randy Ailie & Maurice Smith.

We have spoken a bit in the past about "false" angels - 'Emma'
the glittering female angel and the like. But are there true angels
bringing messages from the Lord for His people today like in the
Bible? If so, what kind of messages would they be? One thing we
see in Scripture is that when true angels came, they were "holy"
messengers from the very presence of God. People often fell on
their face because of this holy presence of the Lord. And of course
the content of the messages was biblical and holy also.

Last week someone posted an account of a real "angelic visitation"
on our website. At least it had the ring of authenticity about it.
I believe the message it contains is important enough to risk
sending it out - despite a possible "backlash". Below are two
accounts of this exact same event. I would be interested in your
responses, my friends.

(1) THREE ANGELS With THREE MESSAGES
-by Randy Ailie.

There is a huge crisis coming that is going to purge the system.
We as leaders need to recognize and address this. He is promising
to visit his church in a way we have never seen before.

A few years back I was in a meeting with other well known leaders
to pray about what the Lord wanted us to hear. 3 angels visited us.
This was witnessed by everyone there! They spoke to us concerning
this coming visitation and what we had to do to prepare for this... it
left an indelible mark on almost everyone there for years now. Most
of us walked around in stunned silence with bouts of crying for months.

They told us to shun or stay away from the big things that were
being promoted by the church. They talked to us directly about
spending quiet intimate time with Him, alone!... This intimacy is
the foundation of everything, and the hardest! The second Angel
talked to us about the Lord bringing his Holiness back to the church.
And the third talked to us about the Lord himself bringing the very
Terror of God back to the church. This has left an indelible mark
on me. The entire church as we know it in every form and manner
has departed from these thoughts...

The third angel was (I am fighting tears here) standing as a flame
of fire. Just fresh out of the very presence of God. I do not know
how to explain or even try to use words here describing this, it
seems outside of my scope of words. He was overwhelming in his
appearance. He was the one telling us about the coming of the
terror of the Lord in his visitation on His church. I guess the Lord
wanted to make a point. I try not to spend much time thinking of
this, it kind of freaks me out. It is an unspeakable flashlight into
my existence and leaves me in a true state of awe in every sense
of the word. My perception of who God is has now and forever
been unalterably changed. Especially by this one.

(2) "THE MEETING" - Published May 2nd, 2007
-by Maurice Smith.

The following took place at a recent house church gathering... I will
only say that I know and trust the people involved, people not given
to "pushing the envelope" or "flights of fancy". The meeting lasted
approximately four hours. What I am about to relate began roughly
an hour into the gathering. According to half of the people who were
present and actually witnessed this, three angels appeared, each
bearing a specific message.

The First Angel.
According to those present who witnessed this, the first angel was
clothed in crimson and purple and had a regal nature about him.
His message, as recorded by one person present, was as follows:

"This is what the spirit has to say to the 1st Church: Listen! The
1st angel of the church first established in the Lord says this.
Repent, for my heart is broken, for I have broken the staff of
correction over the backs of my sheep who long for different
pastures and whose heart is fat on that which is not holy, for I will
now let them pursue their own lusts and (I will now) stand out of
the way!"

The Second Angel.
According to those who witnessed this, the second angel was
clothed humbly and "non-descriptly" with simple robes. His
message was as follows:

"The 2nd angel has to say in a still small voice, be quiet, for only
those who seek to drink from the still small brook and who are not
afraid of persecution, who love the Lord more than life and thirst
not for the glory and the big things that profit only the flesh, who
hunger for intimacy, shall enter in! For in such is true power found -
in the quiet clearings where the River of God’s brook quietly
murmurs shall peace and purpose be found. Clothe yourselves
in humility, for I shall be found there in peace and tranquility!"

The Third Angel.

"When the 3rd angel approached me I trembled in fear (!) for he is
an all consuming fire. His eyes are ablaze with God’s glory and
his robes are a burning furnace - for he is fresh from the Lord’s
Presence, shrouded with His glory and holiness! And his presence
is a terrible thing, for he has to say:
‘Go tell my people to Repent, for they have lost their fear of the
Lord, they no longer desire to hear what He truly has to say (It will
cost you everything!). Holiness - Holiness - Holiness. Be Holy, for
I am holy! Tremble in fear for I am coming!’"

The Meaning

The people involved in this meeting/visitation were deeply affected
both then and for several days afterwards... One of them called me
on the verge of tears, "I’ve been pondering this all day. Maurice,
what does this mean?" Good question. I believe it means several
things, and I want to try and summarize what I think is happening...

God is still calling His people to repentance (two of the three angelic
messages contained exhortations to repent)... but they have
resisted the "staff of correction" and so He is preparing to send
them one of the worst forms of judgment; He is going to stand
aside and let them have their own way: "I will now let them pursue
their own lusts and (I will now) stand out of the way!" It is a terrible
day when God gives us over to the lusts and desires of our own heart...

We are entering a season of divine visitation and God is driving a
stake in the ground (one of those "Remember this day!" moments).
He is calling His Church back to repentance, to intimacy and to
holiness. These three messages are not new. We’ve heard them
before... repentance, intimacy and holiness.

From GotQuestions.org...

2010-10-01T14:06:00.000-04:00

Question: "Who am I in Christ?"

Answer: According to 2 Corinthians 5:17, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” There are two Greek words which are translated “new” in the Bible. The first, neos, refers to something that has just been made, but there are already many others in existence just like it. The word translated “new” in this verse is the word kainos, which means “something just made which is unlike anything else in existence.” In Christ, we are made an entirely new creation, just as God created the heavens and the earth originally—He made them out of nothing, and so He does with us. He does not merely clean up our old selves; He makes an entirely new self. When we are in Christ, we are “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4 KJV). God Himself, in the person of His Holy Spirit, takes up residence in our hearts. We are in Christ and He is in us.

In Christ, we are regenerated, renewed, and born again, and this new creation is spiritually minded, whereas the old nature is carnally minded. The new nature fellowships with God, obeys His will, and is devoted to His service. These are actions the old nature is incapable of doing or even desiring to do. The old nature is dead to the things of the spirit and cannot revive itself. It is “dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1) and can only be made alive by a supernatural awakening, which happens when we come to Christ and are indwelt by Him. Christ gives us a completely new and holy nature and an incorruptible life. Our old life, previously dead to God because of sin, is buried, and we are raised “to walk in newness of life” with Him (Romans 6:4).

If we belong to Christ, we are united to Him and no longer slaves to sin (Romans 6:5-6); we are made alive with Him (Ephesians 2:5); we are conformed to His image (Romans 8:29); we are free from condemnation and walking not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit (Romans 8:1); and we are part of the body of Christ with other believers (Romans 12:5). The believer now possesses a new heart (Ezekiel 11:19) and has been blessed “with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 1:3).

We might wonder why we so often do not live in the manner described, even though we have given our lives to Christ and are sure of our salvation. This is because our new natures are residing in our old fleshly bodies, and these two are at war with one another. The old nature is dead, but the new nature still has to battle the old “tent” in which it dwells. Evil and sin are still present, but the believer now sees them in a new perspective and they no longer control him as they once did. In Christ, we can now choose to resist sin, whereas the old nature could not. Now we have the choice to either feed the new nature through the Word, prayer, and obedience, or to feed the flesh by neglecting those things.

When we are in Christ, “we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us” (Romans 8:37) and can rejoice in our Savior, who makes all things possible (Philippians 4:13). In Christ we are loved, forgiven, and secure. In Christ we are adopted, justified, redeemed, reconciled, and chosen. In Christ we are victorious, filled with joy and peace, and granted true meaning in life. What a wonderful Savior is Christ!

Recommended Resource: Who am I in Christ by Neil Anderson.

From Woody Barnette...

2010-10-01T13:42:00.000-04:00

"Yet I have set My King on My holy hill of Zion." (Psalm 2:6)

The last quarter of 2010 and back to the beginning of the "God-Breathed" Word. God will now repeat Himself to me. I have been accused of repeating myself quite a lot over the years, but I'm in good company. The Word of God has been repeating Himself for 2000 years. Blessed Repetition; blessed Word of Life; blessed, "Daily Bread."

Our text today is found in the Second Psalm where the Blessed Trinity addresses, "The kings of the earth...and the rulers," who have been plotting against King Jesus ever since the Fall. How utterly stupid. How vain to fight The Eternal One, Who is, "from everlasting to everlasting... God." Alas, all who fight against the King, all who plot, all who practice deception, all who work covertly or overtly to overthrow the King and establish their own little fiefdoms have heard and shall hear nothing but laughter from the Throne, "He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The LORD shall hold them in derision," literally, "by implication (as if imitating a foreigner) to speak unintelligibly." Rebellion and resistance to King Jesus is the most, "vain thing," ever attempted by man. A person in such a state cannot understand the things of the Ever-Present One. His Word will be foreign, unintelligible, not because God does not desire their fellowship, but because of setting their "king" on their "hill."

But, my dear fellow disciple of Jesus Christ, I am convinced you are not of such. You are of those who, "kiss the Son," embrace the Son, and submit to the Son. Root words infer, "join" Jesus, "fasten upon" Jesus, "catch fire with" Jesus. To those who "trust in, rely upon, cling to" and obey, King Jesus, His Word is not unintelligible because, as He has said to us of His Spirit, "But you know Him for He dwells with you and...in you." The, "kings of the earth...and the rulers," the presidents, Prime Ministers, Parliaments, and Congresses, or any church hierarchy who prioritize anything ahead of, "the Son," Who is Father's, "King [set] on My holy hill of Zion," will be objects of nothing but derision and annihilation. You and I, however, will hear, "Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world...."

Father, in Jesus' Name, such grace and mercy that I should be grafted into the King. Amen.

From Woody Barnette...

2010-09-30T13:40:00.001-04:00

"Praise the LORD! Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty firmament!" (Psalm 150:1)

It is fitting that I finish the Book of Psalms today along with the Book of Revelation, the New Testament "Book of Psalms." There was a, "Praise Him!," before the worlds were made, and there will be, "Praise Him!," when there is, "a new heaven and a new earth." O, earth, "Praise Him!"

I still have my horn, and over the years I have noticed an interesting phenomenon. After playing it for a short time, I always then begin to pray in tongues, praying in my spirit energized by the Holy Spirit. When I first noticed that, it was quite curious. Then I remember thinking, Why not? After all the last psalm of the Great Book of Psalms exhorts, "Praise him with the sound of the trumpet, lute, harp, timbrel, dance, stringed instruments and flutes, loud cymbals, clashing cymbals." It is as though the horn ignites praise, quite Biblical, I might add. I do not play the horn very much any more, and you may not play an instrument, but no matter. Just, "Praise Him!"

The Book of Psalms ends with the word, "Praise," mentioned 13 times in 6 verses. For the Follower of Jesus Christ, life will also end in, "praise." Until then, when we enter, "the age to come," Father, I pray, in Jesus' Name,

"Finish then thy new creation;
pure and spotless let us be;
let us see thy great salvation
perfectly restored in thee:
changed from glory into glory,
till in heaven we take our place,
till we cast our crowns before thee,
lost in wonder, love, and 'praise.'" Amen.

Almost Christian...

2010-09-03T07:12:00.002-04:00

Author’s note: This is the first article in a mini-series of articles reviewing Almost Christian by Princeton professor Kenda Creasy Dean. All quotes without direct links are directly from the book’s first few chapters.

A large-scale departure from a biblical understanding of what living as a follower of Jesus looks like in the lives of modern adults has brought about an epidemic of young people whose basic concept of religion is centered around a sense of enhancing their own, and others’ emotional well-being, which has almost created a new religion, though its “followers” still outwardly identify with the name of an existing religion. Kenda Creasy Dean, a professor at Princeton’s theological seminary, published a book called Almost Christian: What the Faith of our Teenagers Is Telling the American Church that explores the emerging ramifications of the lack of passion and faith in God in previous generations. This book is based on the National Study of Youth and Religion by Christian Smith and Melinda Denton which gave this new religion the name of moralistic therapeutic deism:

As described by Smith and his team, Moralistic Therapeutic Deism consists of beliefs like these:

1. “A god exists who created and ordered the world and watches over human life on earth.”

2. “God wants people to be good, nice, and fair to each other, as taught in the Bible and by most world religions.”

3. “The central goal of life is to be happy and to feel good about oneself.”

4. “God does not need to be particularly involved in one’s life except when God is needed to resolve a problem.”

5. “Good people go to heaven when they die.”

These recent studies testify to the fruit that decades of a consumer-driven, therapy mentality have brought into our churches. Dr. Michael Brown’s books, How Saved Are We and The End of the American Gospel Enterprise, point to a very similar attitude that was already entrenched in the American Church over twenty years ago:

The American Church at the end of the twentieth century is experiencing a crisis. For years we have preached a cheap gospel and peddled a soft Savior. We have taught salvation without self-denial and the crown without the cross. We have catered to the unsaved and compromised with the world. Now we are paying the price. (How Saved Are We.)

Our contemporary gospel has bred complacency instead of compassion, success instead of sacrifice, prestige instead of Prayer. We no longer ask what we can do for Him, but rather what He can do for us. (American Gospel Enterprise.)

Dean says there are four things that deeply religious teenagers, whose faith affects their day to day lives have in common:

Dean says committed Christian teens share four traits: They have a personal story about God they can share, a deep connection to a faith community, a sense of purpose and a sense of hope about their future.

Recapturing a passionate, articulate faith in teenagers and young people requires not simply a new “method” to reach them, but rather a revitalization of faith and devotion in the day-to-day living of adults. According to Dean,

Since the religious and spiritual choices of American teenagers echo, with astonishing clarity, the religious and spiritual choices of the adults who love them, lackadaisical faith is not young people’s issues, but yours… So we must assume that solution lies…in modeling the kind of mature, passionate faith we say we want young people to have… We have successfully convinced teenagers that religious participation is important for moral formation and for making nice people… Yet these young people possess no real commitment to or excitement about religious faith.

What is the one thing that truly differentiates faith from religion? Dean says this:

Faith is a matter of desire, a desire for God and and a desire to love others in Christ’s name…Love gives Christianity its purpose and meaning. Religion functions as an organized expression of belief… Yet Christianity has always been more of a trust-walk than a belief system…Faith depends on who we follow, and that depends on who we love.

John Wesley, whom Dean quotes, experienced in his own life a time when he called himself “almost a Christian,” while living with the same kind of approach many do today:

I did…good to all men; constantly and carefully using all the public and all the private means of grace…and…doing all this in sincerity… Yet my own conscience beareth me witness in the Holy Ghost, that all this time I was but almost a Christian... The great question of all, then, still remains. Is the love of God shed abroad in your heart? Can you cry out, “My God, and my All”?… Is he your glory, your delight, your crown of rejoicing?

Another crucial question is this: how can we experience this passionate love of God if we have not seen the man Jesus tortured, bleeding, dying, and abandoned because of the depths of sin in our own hearts? The only true knowledge of the incredible love of God that evokes such devotion can come through a changed heart which has been wrung by a deep conviction of sin and repentance, and has seen the cost God afflicted on Himself in order to rescue us from the power of sin and bring us into fellowship with Himself.

Dr. Michael Brown reviewed the first few chapters of Almost Christian on his Line of Fire Radio show, and here is a quote from his closing remarks:

We are fundamentally off: with much of our preaching, with much of our emphasis…we’ve been in the wrong direction for years. We have soft-peddled the gospel, we have by-passed the cross. We haven’t preached a faith which is glorious and wonderful, and a savior who is so extraordinary, who delivers us from a wrath which is so terrible, that we JOYFULLY give up everything to have Him!

Changed hearts in the church as a whole is the only way to see the transformation that so many adults in the church have said they desire to see in their children, as Dr. Brown stated in The Jesus Manifesto:

The dawning of the 21st century finds the church of America in a moral and spiritual crisis. Decades of self-centered living and worldliness have taken their toll. Years of compromise and toothless gospel preaching have had their effect. And now we have reached the moment of truth: Either we wake up, stand up, speak up, and act up, or we run the risk of becoming a mere historic curiosity, an irrelevant religious sideshow, an entertaining, harmless spectacle. Something must change, and it must change now. There is no other choice.

© Bethany French for Voice of Revolution, 2010

From Woody Barnette...

2010-08-31T06:53:00.000-04:00

"So it will be at the end of the age." (Matthew 13:49)

There are so many, "so it will be at the end of the age," in Scripture. Four times in the NKJV of Matthew's Gospel alone our Lord Jesus speaks the words of our text, "the end of the age." It is coming as sure as anything in the universe. All of the Bible Prophets gave encouragements and warnings of the time to which all of history is headed. Some people spend great money and time preparing for their retirement, but so very little in preparing for, "the end of the age." Churches too spend much money and staff nerves preparing for their particular kingdom's future, but how much in the preparation of their people for, "the end of the age"?!? Some "spiritual" people will say, "But no one knows when that will be." Precisely.

At, "the end of the age," the reality of, "For whoever desires to save (literally, "protect") his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it," will manifest more intensely. Today in America there is the so-called Right and Left. The Left just hates the America they were handed and is fighting to change the cultural base. The Right, on the other hand is fighting to preserve "the American way of life." And many in the Right "camp," which includes many sitting in church buildings all across America every Sunday, are those who are no more interested in the Kingdom of Heaven than those of the Left. For Followers of Jesus Christ in any culture, however, it is going to be increasingly a choice between, "desires to save his [own] life," i.e., comforts, security, and, "the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ."

Bonhoeffer faced precisely this choice in 1933 when he wrote to his grandmother referring to the gathering storm in Germany. It is prophetic particularly for the American Church today.

It has become ever more evident to me that we are to be given
a great popular national Church, whose nature cannot be reconciled
with Christianity, and that we must prepare our minds for the entirely
new paths which we shall then have to follow. The question is really:
Christianity or Germanism? And the sooner the conflict is revealed
in the clear light of day the better.

Later when Bonhoeffer was asked why he did not work within this "popular national Church" for the survival of the Church in Germany, he said,
"If you board the wrong train, it is no use running along the corridor in
the opposite direction."

Father, in Jesus' Name, I pray in these days that I will not "board the wrong train." Amen.

From Bryan Purtle...

2010-08-29T07:46:00.000-04:00

The Essentiality of a Secret Life With God

“But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.” -Matt. 6.6

There is something most holy and precious about obediences and acts of loyalty that are carried out unto the Lord in secret. The real discrepancy in modern ministry is not a lack of activity or enthusiasm, but a woeful lack of true foundations, and this malady stems from the neglect of a secret life with God.

At the end of the day, all our anxieties, fears, compromises, moral collapses, and worldly strivings can be traced back to a threadbare secret life. We may be gifted in some form of ministry, waxing eloquent in spiritual talk, and impressing our friends and colleagues, but when the heat and press of real life strikes our hearts, our best facades wither for want of the reality of Jesus Christ. “Beholding Him, we are changed,” but when we the secret place of prayer is forsaken for other things, we are “mere men” with no heavenly distinctive in the earth.

The Lord has never cared much for religious performances. Feverish and self-conscious attempts at spirituality are ever and always driven by the desire to be seen and approved by men. He has always been the great Purist in terms of a jealousy for reality and “truth in the innermost parts”, and this can only be established and maintained when we are engaging Him in the secret place. It takes time to cultivate a secret life, for we are an inwardly itchy and distracted people, always yearning for recognition and praise. But during Jesus’ earthly sojourn, He left us with the preeminent example of Sonship, living out a seemingly mundane 30 years of submission to earthly parents and carpentry work, while abiding with His heavenly Father when there was no one to pat Him on His back. His identity was found totally in the favor the Father, and so He was able to live in a distinctive manner, “full of grace and truth”, unmoved by criticism and unaffected by flattery.

He did not strive for the recognition of His name or His spirituality, but lived a common life in a radically uncommon way. If anyone had the earthly right to “toot” their own horn it would have been Him, but He demonstrated the wisdom of God by glorying in that which only His Father could see. And when the day of His showing forth came, He emerged from the Jordan waters as One upon Whom the Spirit rested “without measure.”

Dear saint, get your eyes off of men, and cease this deathly cycle of seeking their praise and acceptance. As you fix your eyes upon “Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith,” you will be delivered from strife and brought into the real rest of sonship. All things will be made new. He will bring you into His heart and purpose, and your secret life with God will become your supreme treasure.

The great enemy of the Lord Jesus Christ in the present day is the conception of practical work that has not come from the New Testament, but from the systems of the world in which endless energy and activities are insisted upon, but no private life with God. -Oswald Chambers

(Oswald Chambers: Abandoned to God, by David McCasland; Discovery House Publishers, 1993; p. 187)

© Bryan Purtle for Voice of Revolution, 2010.

What is simple church?

2010-08-28T08:54:00.001-04:00

From missionary Dick B...

2010-08-26T07:38:00.000-04:00

Greetings from the land of Dynamo.

His body barely reaches 5 feet, his spirit soars above most men. His name is
Benjamin Terah.

Sent by the Anglican church of Southern Sudan to study theology in Kenya in
the Early 1970's Benjamin encountered the Spirit dramatically. Returning to
South Sudan he received permission from his uncle - who happened to be the
Archbishop - to hold an outdoor meeting. Hundreds came and the blind saw,
the deaf heard, and the lame danced. The archbishop got nervous and denied
Benjamin permission to hold the second night of services. The people
gathered anyway bringing their sick, and the Archbishop conceded. "But this
is the last night!"

Well more miracles attended the preaching of the word and on the third night
the people again assembled - an even larger crowd by now. The archbishop
arched his eyebrows, flexed his will and did not allow Benjamin to preach.
People around town were flabbergasted, they assembled everywhere talking of
what God was doing, muttering against the archbishop for closing the
meetings. The archbishop called the council together and they decided that
Little Benjamin was to blame and expelled him from the Anglican communion.

Benjamin was thus free to preach, and he did - everywhere. He stood on
tables in the street and preached. He rode his little motor bike around
southern Sudan, stopping to preach everywhere and always. In 1981 and 1982
my father rode behind him, and they preached all over Juba, Bor, and Yei in
Southern Sudan. Devoid of the benefit of the Anglican song book he just sang
"God is so good" as loud as he could and then preached his heart out. He
had one song of God's goodness, and one theme, God's gospel. People were
saved, fellowships were formed, and the church was known as the "God is so
good" church. Rapidly the believers grew into hundreds and then thousands.
Thus the Sudan Pentecostal Churches were born.

In 1986 Sheriah law was imposed, and Big Little Benjamin stood again on
street corners to denounce the imposition of Islamic law. Little David took
on the Giant. The head of security (Zubeir) summoned him to Khartoum - and
he went unafraid. He returned to Juba and continued to denounce Sheriah law
and preach the Gospel of grace. The churches - including the one that had
expelled him - rallied behind his courage and Benjamin became known as the
preacher leading the resistance to imposed Islamic law. The President of
Sudan (Nimeri) informed security - "Either bring him to me alive, or cut off
his head, and bring his head to me."

Benjamin refused to flee, but like Paul was overruled by the brethren. They
smuggled him to the Ethiopian border and after walking across started street
preaching. He quickly had many disciples and started a Bible School under a
tree. The first class had one teacher (Benjamin) one book (his Bible) and
174 students. Those students duly went out and planted numerous churches.

Benjamin returned to Sudan this month after years in exile. He is still
small in stature and stout in spirit. He is so simple, so humble, and so
focused on the lost. He preaches the scripture and he prays for the sick
and he loves Jesus. Forty years of evangelism have not changed him, other
than to make him sweeter.

I thank God for this little dynamo. As it has been for him, may it be for
us. No matter our size, let us take on the giants and the evils of our age.
With a simple song of God's goodness and a single devotion to proclaiming
God's gospel, let us stand for truth and justice against all earthly and
demonic powers. Let us arrive at the end of the journey, unchanged save
that we are sweeter.

In that hope

Dick

From Woody Barnette...

2010-08-24T14:47:00.000-04:00

"But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world." (1 Corinthians 11:32)

There is the way of Jesus Christ, and then there is the way not of Jesus Christ. This is the simple, fearful, clear division of humanity. It is not tags and cliches, not catch phrases, and insider talk. It obedience to Jesus Christ and His Word, the Bible, which determines condemnation or freedom from condemnation. What keeps me in this thinking is the "God-Breathed" Word Himself. Regular, daily reading, not just of favorite passages, but a reading which takes me frequently through the Bible keeps me focused on, "not my will, but Yours be done."

The battle of the Church historically always has been the conflict between the will/agenda of Jesus Christ and the will/agenda of men. Indeed, impure men have attempted to use the Church of Christ for their own purposes, their own will, their own "kingdoms" since the beginning. During his rise in the German political scene and even after his election to the German Chancellery, Adolph Hitler used Christianity to further seduce the German people. "We are determined, as leaders of the nation, to fulfill as a national government the task which has been given to us, swearing fidelity only to God, our conscience, and our Volk." He would declare, that his government would make Christianity "the basis of our collective morality.....May God Almighty take our work into his grace, give true form to our will, bless our insight, and endow us with the trust of our Volk." History is the judge.

Yet in these same days, Bonhoeffer was also rising to prominence in Germany. He once stated, "The church has only one altar, the altar of the Almighty... before which all creatures must kneel. Whoever seeks something other than this must keep away, he cannot join us in the house of God....The church has only one pulpit, and from that pulpit, faith in God will be preached, and no other faith, and no other will than the will of God, however well-intentioned."

It is no different today, politicians, friends, religionists attempting to use smooth talk to seduce, and men of God proclaiming the Truth of the Word of God. I have lost friends over the years because of this. We all have sin in our lives and sooner or later the Word of God will deal with it in our lives. Now we can choose to attempt to justify ourselves, and in the process deceive ourselves, or we can face the Word of God and embrace Him, His purposes, His will, His "assessment" of our lives, and the victorious way out. This struggle will either unite us or divide us. I pray God, it will be the former.

Father, in Jesus' Name, if I ever try to justify my sin or the sin of others, convict me deeply. Amen.

Mexico mission update...

2010-08-13T19:36:00.001-04:00

I was without internet all week until today when I returned to Mexico City. I fly home tomorrow.

I had a wonderful time with Jason, NicoIe, Sed, and Jasmine Fitzpatrick in their remote community, called "the Village" in the mountains of rural Puebla, Mexico.

I preached the Gospel in two house church meetings and about a dozen folks came to Jesus, over 60 poor families received food supplies from among about 10 house churches, 20 Sawyer and two plastic biosand filters were delivered after training a new team in safe water filter technology, and three New Testament Proclaimers and 44 Mark Cahill books in Spanish were given to Jason for distribution.

Thanks for your prayers! And your financial support of our mission work continues to be a tremendous blessing to those we serve overseas!

God bless!

Chuck King

By Tom Sine from The New Conspirators...

2010-08-06T16:34:00.001-04:00

"When Jesus began teaching he made it clear that his new empire would be unlike any empire the world had ever seen. It came on a donkey's back. Its imperial council was comprised of a handful of unemployed fishermen, a couple of IRS agents, a prostitute and some hangers on. Jesus demonstrated how to wield his imperial power by washing feet, telling stories and playing with kids. Jesus' empire is based on the absurd values that the last should be first, losers are winners, and the most influential in the empire should clean the toilets. Members of the empire are are instructed to love their enemies, forgive their friends, always give twice as much as people ask of them and never pursue power or position. Jesus insisted that those who are part of his empire shouldn't worry about finances, but simply trust God. The resources to run the empire were basins, towels, and leftover lunches. This empire also developed a reputation for constant partying - almost always with the wrong kind of people."

From Woody Barnette...

2010-08-04T06:56:00.001-04:00

As I prepare to leave for Puebla, Mexico on Monday, this seems to be an appropriate message (from Woody Barnette) for those of us who keep going out to serve the poor brethren among the nations...

Chuck King

"'For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now I will arise,' says the LORD; I will set him in the safety for which he yearns.'" (Psalm 12:5)

"It was a dark and stormy night"-------- literally. I was walking/jogging along a dike just about a mile outside Dinteloord, Holland. There was a drizzly rain; it was quite cool, very normal Holland weather. I was preparing to leave the next day to head deep into Romania with Bibles and a new "system" which only one team had tried before. As I passed a house which had smoke coming from its chimney, I saw a family around the fireplace, kids playing games, mom sewing, dad reading a paper. I had a deep longing to be home with my own family (I had already been in Morocco and Czechoslovakia for a month). In those days, we knew of the terrible pressure under which the Believers in Jesus Christ lived in Eastern Europe, one out of three citizens, for instance, spying on their neighbors for the Securitate (secret police) in Romania. Earlier that day I had read a report of a Romanian Follower of Jesus Christ who had been put in prison for delivering Christian literature to other Believers for an "underground" seminary (When the leaders in Vienna realized that it had become too dangerous for the Romanians themselves to do such work, they set up teams from the West to do the work of distribution within the country. The next year I would be a part of a two man team going into Romania to participate in that endeavor). But now, the Bibles were "packed," and armed with our text, the other guy and I were ready.

I tell this little story as a testimony. That morning, just after reading today's text, I read of the Romanian Believer to whom I referred earlier, of the day when his wife and brother came to visit him, how when they entered the room, he was standing facing the wall with his hands over his eyes. When he turned around, his family saw that he had been crying. He had been humiliated and beaten; he had been threatened with a long prison term, even the possibility of death, never to see his wife and children again. Our text today was a great encouragement, an incentive, if you will. "Because of the devastation of the afflicted, because of the groaning of the needy, Now I will arise,' says the LORD." (NASB). Yes, I was missing my family; yes, I was tired; yes, I wanted to be home. But remember the Word of Jesus?-- "....Where I am, there My servant will be also"----------------------------------------- What else could one do?

Father, in Jesus' Name, You have arisen for Me more times than I can number. Please help me to always, "arise," with You. Amen.

July 2010 plastic biosand reports from Justin in Rwanda...

2010-07-28T07:34:00.004-04:00

These reports from Rwanda demonstrate how our team leaders remain accountable for the filters they are distributing from the funds we send to them:

15 Sawyer filters distributed in Mtsamviani, Kenya

2010-07-27T10:40:00.001-04:00

Mwangaza, Kenya Sawyer filters...

2010-07-06T08:23:00.004-04:00

In May, 2010 I delivered 40 Sawyer filters to James Bidii in Mombasa, Kenya. James is working in a rural community near Mombasa, Mwangaza. Here are the first 10 Sawyer filters to be distributed. Good work, James!

Bryan Purtle---The Knowledge of God and the Hideousness of Sin

2010-05-30T06:22:00.001-04:00

“Against You, You only, I have sinned
And done what is evil in Your sight,
So that You are justified when You speak
And blameless when You judge.” -Ps. 51.4

The degree to which we have come into a true knowledge of God is directly related to the measure of our own awareness of sin. There is no true repentance, and thus no true salvational experience in the delivering sense, until the hideousness of our own sin has flashed before our souls, and the radical requirement of Jesus’ crucifixion comes into view.

A great number of Church-going people in our nation have never come to this place, for the most popular message of modern preaching has been totally devoid of this reality. It’s no wonder, since a man cannot rightly call others to this place unless he himself has passed through the press and crisis of conviction and come into the personal event of receiving mercy.

We have heard more about the Gospel than any other generation, and yet scarce few have come into the inward-transaction of the Gospel in the way that David the Psalmist did. It had everything to do with his own knowledge of God as He is, and the corresponding awareness that his sin was not merely a mishap or an accident to be swept under the rug, but a heinous crime committed straightforwardly against the Lord of glory. This acute knowledge of the sinfulness of sin revealed that even though he was the great psalmist of the Holy City, his heart still had the propensity to despise the One to whom he sang.

“Against You, and You only,” was David’s true lament. Our problem is that we do not know the “You.” We have an inward image of a lesser God who is not as requiring. David’s sin was all the more grievous because his knowledge of God was so much deeper.

(Art Katz, The Cross; Forthcoming, Chapter 1; Art Katz Ministries/Burning Bush Press)

If we are inwardly winking at sin, and have grown numb to its hideous nature, it is only because we have had an inadequate revelation of God. If we are self-righteous, and thinking too highly of ourselves without being continually aware of our own propensity for sin, we have fallen just as short of the glory of God.

David could have swept things under the rug, or fallen back on his heritage and anointing as the King of Judah. There were more than enough “yes men” surrounding him to appease his conscience and lull him into a sleepy indifference towards the gravity of his sin. But when the word of the Lord came through Nathan, “you are the man,” the hideousness of his sin flashed before him, and he cried out from the marrow of his being, “Against You, You only, have I sinned….”

Even the anointed King and Psalmist could not play the game of reputation once his sin was disclosed. He did not shift blame or water down the hideousness of his crime. He saw himself as facing the high courts of heaven, and his transgression was not merely against men, angels, saints of old, or the heavenly creatures surrounding the Throne of God. His offense was acutely and directly against the Lord Himself, and he knew that this kind of ultimate confession and repentance was the only gateway to cleansing and redemption.

We need, like David, to come into an awareness of the depth of our own sin. We need to be convinced that regardless of our spiritual history, our religious heritage, and our pious consistency, we still have the propensity to sin, and our blackness of heart is no less black than David’s was. When we are made aware of our depravity, by the grace of God’s speaking, we are then standing upon the proper foundation of truth, by which we are enabled to cry out for purification and restoration. If we have yet to be brought to that place, we have not repented, nor have we been saved from the stranglehold of our sin.

We do not hear sufficient prophetic preaching these days, not the kind that addresses the issue of sin, and we need desperately for that kind of proclamation to be restored. Our ministries have discouraged an adequate consideration of sin, and we have striven to extend comfort to those who have yet to come into a revelation of their own offense against God. We cannot live lives of mercy until we are actively receiving mercy, and if we have failed to cry out to the Lord over our own fallenness, we have not come to that place.

But when we have been convinced of the hideousness of our sin, we will cry with the psalmist:

Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me to hear joy and gladness,
Let the bones which You have broken rejoice.
Hide Your face from my sins
And blot out all my iniquities. (vv. 7-9)

We will not only cry out about a particular and embarrassing sin, but about our very tendency to stray from His ways, and when we have cried out from that sacred ground of revelation, God Himself will cleanse, restore, and deliver us to the uttermost, and we will be like Jacob- unable to walk again as we had theretofore walked- awed and jolted by the fact that we have “seen God and lived.” His mercy will be altogether merciful to our souls, and His goodness altogether good. The intimate knowledge of His mercy in light of the hideousness of our own sin is the essence of the Gospel of God. What about you, dear saint? Have you cried out from that place?

© Bryan Purtle for Voice of Revolution, 2010.

Would the discovery of Noah's Ark be important?

2010-04-30T17:02:00.001-04:00

Question: "Would the discovery of Noah's Ark be important?"

Answer: There have been numerous claimed discoveries of Noah's Ark in recent years. The discoveries have been in various locations, ranging from Mount Ararat in Turkey, to a mountain range in Iran, to an entirely different location on Mount Ararat (with a visitors' center). It is not the purpose of this article to evaluate whether or not the Noah's Ark discovery claims are legitimate. Rather, the question at hand is: If Noah's Ark was discovered, would that be significant? Would the discovery of Noah's Ark cause people to turn to God in faith?

The discovery of a boat-like structure in the mountains of the Middle East, carbon dated to approximately the time of the biblical account of Noah's Ark (2500 B.C), with evidence of animal life once having been aboard would surely be a tremendous discovery. For those who believe in God and trust in the Bible as His inspired Word, it would be powerful confirmation that the Bible is true and that early human history occurred precisely as the Bible describes it. A verified discovery of Noah's Ark would likely cause many seekers and open-minded skeptics to at least re-evaluate their beliefs. For the close-minded critic and hardened atheist, however, the discovery of Noah's Ark would not make one bit of a difference.

Romans 1:19-20 declares, "For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For His invisible attributes, namely, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse" (ESV). If a person is rejecting the clear evidence of God in the universe, no biblically-related discovery would change his/her mind. Similarly, in Luke 16:31, Jesus declared, "If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead." No discovery, no argument, and no miracle will change the mind of a person who has been blinded by Satan (2 Corinthians 4:4) and is, with a hard heart and closed mind, rejecting the light of the Gospel.

Conversely, would it matter if Noah's Ark is never discovered? No, it would not matter because the Christian faith is not built on every biblical account being explicitly/conclusively proven. The Christian faith is built on faith. "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed" (John 20:29). With that in mind, though, there are two primary explanations for why Noah's Ark might never be discovered. First, the wood of the Ark would have been very valuable post-Flood. Noah and his family would have needed wood to build their homes. It is possible that Noah and his family, or their descendants, deconstructed the Ark and used its wood for other purposes. Second, even if Noah and his family left the Ark intact, approximately 4500 years have passed (if the biblical account is interpreted strictly literally). A wooden structure exposed to harsh elements for 4500 years would, for the most part, decompose/decay into virtual nothingness.

While the discovery of Noah's Ark would be a tremendous and powerful archaeological find, it will never be something Christians should place their faith in. The discovery of Noah's Ark, or the Ark of the Covenant, or the Garden of Eden, or any other biblical artifact will not prove the Christian faith and will not change the mind of anyone whom God is not drawing (John 6:44). "Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1).

© Copyright 2002-2010 Got Questions Ministries.

Wake Up Church!

2010-04-21T17:12:00.001-04:00

From Woody Barnette---The Call...

2010-04-19T16:34:00.000-04:00

"A bishop then must be...." (1 Timothy 3:2)

The reading of our text today reminded me of a classic statement of Oswald Chambers. In speaking of the missionary call, He said it is "first a call to 'be' and second a call to 'do.'" There are many in Christendom who are good doers, but place little emphasis on being. Yet the qualification of leadership, or any "call" for that matter, is not preaching, singing, charming personality, or organizational skill. It is, "first a call to 'be.'" Being and doing, by the way, are not necessarily synonymous. Someone once said of a prominent pastor, "He's a great preacher, but the toll collectors on the turnpike have another opinion of him."

This "be" and "do" theology is not just New Testament. A "Spirit led" reading of the Old Testament reveals the same. I read in Psalm 95 today, "For forty years I was grieved with that generation, and said, 'It is a people who go astray in their hearts, and they do not know (are not "endued with) My ways.'" The purpose of the New Birth is, "in their hearts," and, "know (to endue with) My ways," to bring me into the Kingdom of God, to begin a life of conversion, a conversion from my old ways, life style, thinking, to, "the mind of Christ," the life of Jesus Christ within.

This call "to be" is for our good. When a person has an operation to remove some destructive tissue, the question we all ask is, "Did they get all of it." This is the question for ourselves and pastoral care for others. I will not be content with any operation of the Holy Spirit until he "gets all of it," all which keeps me from being that which the Godhead created me to be. This is what our Lord Jesus speaks of when He says, "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that you may have life and have it more abundantly." The, "more abundantly," does not mean feel good religion. It is the "religion" of the whole man. The, "more abundantly," of which Jesus speaks is the work of the Holy Spirit to "get all of it," all which comes, "to steal, and to kill, and to destroy."

The thief has triumphed in American society. What a person achieves which appears to benefit the people has nothing to do with that person's character; a person's personal life does not matter. The Word of God is quite clear---------------------------- "A bishop must be...."

Father, in Jesus' Name, thank You that You "get all of it." Amen.

From Woody Barnette...Mercy and Truth...

2010-04-13T18:35:00.000-04:00

"Oh, prepare mercy and truth, which may preserve him!" (Psalm 61:7b)

"Mercy and truth," are interwoven. Both, "may preserve him!" One without the other, however, may destroy him. "Mercy triumphs over judgment," but not over truth. The translations which say, "For we can do nothing against the truth, but only for the truth," are correct. The Greek construction contrasts, "against the truth," with, "for the truth."
Truth cannot be changed. Judgment can. Truth is the "immovable object" against which there is no "irresistible force." Everyone wants mercy, but few want truth. Yet our text indicates the relationship of the two. Maybe the reason men cry so much for mercy is that they walk so little in Truth.
The popular quote, "It is easier to ask forgiveness than it is to get permission," is the modus operandi of pop Christianity.

One of the most powerful dialogues in cinematic history is from, "The Godfather III." In irony of life, Michael approaches a cardinal in the Catholic Church about corruption in the Vatican. The Cardinal begins the dialogue with an illustration. He takes a small stone from a water bowl and breaks it. He points out that the stone has been in the water for a long time, but the water has not penetrated the stone, "Inside it is completely dry." He then says, "The same thing has happened in Europe. For centuries they have been surrounded by Christianity, but Christ has not penetrated, Christ doesn't live within them." It is still true today. With all the confessions, indulgences, absolutions, catechisms, all the worship, dancing and shouting, all the praying, all the prophetic declaration, all the good works------------------------------------ "Christ has not penetrated."

Our Lord Jesus Christ asked Father to, "Sanctify them in Your truth. Your word is truth." It is Truth which saves me and sanctifies me. Of course I need Christ's mercy at all times. Most of the time, however, mercy is what I need when I fail to walk in Truth. To many it sounds so "compassionate" to speak of mercy, and so harsh to speak of truth. I confess, I need all the mercy I can get, but so of truth. The summation of our text for me is---------------- "Mercy and truth preserve [me]."

Father, in Jesus' Name, I am continually amazed at Your Word, "lamp to my feet, light to my path." Amen.

From Woody Barnette...

2010-04-07T06:02:00.001-04:00

"Jesus said to them, 'My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.'" (John 4:34)

There is absolutely nothing of life which is not included in, "the will of Him," nothing. The Bible is very clear that Jesus did not just come to save man's soul. He came to convert man from living for himself to living for Our Heavenly Father, Who, "has delivered and drawn us to Himself out of the control and the dominion of darkness and has transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of His love." If "born again" life is not this, it is not Biblical, "born again." Kingdom reality check--- "the will of Him," is not for ordering our daily schedule. It is, "to finish His work."

There is a dispute in a congregation in our area between the pastor and the church board. They have taken the dispute to a local court. A friend of ours suggested that I read an article in a local paper about the situation, and as I did, I took note of a comment of a member of that congregation. "I think it hasn't affected me at all....It's important to remember that this is a business aspect of the church, it's not spiritual." It is this compartmentalizing of life which allowed recent generations of church-goers to vote for presidents carrying Bibles out of church meetings, one even teaching a Southern Baptist Sunday School class, while also writing an anti-Semitic book, one who loved press photos of himself coming out of church meetings carrying his Bible, while concurrently carrying on an affair right in the White House, several who support the murder of the unborn, and all of them carrying out policies which weaken the State of Israel. Remember the popular comment, "Oh, it really doesn't matter what the president does in his private life, just as long as he is a good president"-- Translation: "Mr. President, just take care of me, and I will love you and vote for you. Christianity is only feel good stuff for me anyway."

The great battle of the Follower of Jesus Christ is to bring all of life under the Lordship, Control of Jesus Christ, not just going to the hospital and praying for the sick, but kindness to the check-out clerk, not just preaching and testifying in church meetings, but honesty in business dealings, not just loving my wife, but staying away from the woman across town. Why are so many religious people depressed, divorced, in prisons, voting and doing taxes just as the world? Their "food" is to live for themselves. Here it is, my friend, the key to life as the Blessed Trinity intended, "For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus; that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again.... Therefore,...anyone...in Christ...is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new"-----------------------------
"spiritual" and "business."

Father, in Jesus' Name, May it be!! Amen.

Two year update on the Sawyer and biosand filter ministries...

2010-04-02T09:36:00.001-04:00

I am rejoicing today over this two year historical update on our Heaven's Family Sawyer and biosand filter ministries: total Sawyer filters = 1,073 and total biosand filters = more than 350 (20 total projects in 12 different nations through this coming August). As many as 110,000 poor people serviced with safe drinking water. Over $50,000 spent on these filters. I thank the Risen Lord for the many generous donors who made this all possible!

From Woody Barnette...

2010-03-30T13:31:00.000-04:00

"Know therefore that they that are of faith, the same are sons of Abraham." (Galatians 3:7, ASV)

This year Passover and "Holy Week" coincide------------ as they always should. The Jews celebrate Passover because it rescued them from the bondage in Egypt. I celebrate it because it rescued me from the fires of Hell! "For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us."

The Greek word for, "faith," means, "a personal surrender to [Jesus Christ]," and, "conduct inspired by such surrender," aka, obedience. And the Bible teaches that this obedient faith in Jesus Christ is what enables us to be, "sons of Abraham." Our text tells us of what Paul later refers to in the Letter as, "adoption as sons." Every Gentile Believer in Jesus Christ is an adopted child of Abraham--- "And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." Another great promise to celebrate at this season and always is, "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree'), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith."

Biblical Theology teaches that our identity with the Jews is our identity with the "Root," Jesus Christ, "the Root and Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star." It is not "replacement theology;" it is inclusion theology. Barnes says, "The tree, even with a part of the branches removed, and others ingrafted, retains its identity, and is never regarded as a different tree." I celebrate Passover because I am, as the Bible says, "included in Christ," included as one of the "sons of Abraham." I embrace the Covenants, the promises, and my position as an ingrafted branch. And, I take seriously, "But you must be careful not to brag about being grafted in to replace the branches that were broken off. Remember, you are just a branch, not the root."

Every Follower of Jesus Christ today is thankful to be, "included in Christ," grafted into His Church, His Kingdom, the Redeemed from the "land" of bondage, "sons of Abraham," Children of God, "and heirs according to the promise,...heirs according to the hope of eternal life."

Father, in Jesus' Name, place Your Blood on the doorway, lintels, and posts of my heart. Amen.

From Dutch Sheets...

2010-03-28T22:13:00.000-04:00

Consider the true condition of America. This assessment is bleak but accurate.
1) Our government is in decay. The current leaders of Congress promote homosexuality, abortion and socialism, while arrogantly ignoring God and the wishes of the people. They are proud, power-hungry, self-serving, career politicians, not the statesmen/women we so desperately need. Our President fits the same description. Along with the above, while honoring—in the White House—the Muslim day of prayer, homosexual activists and a coalition of atheists, he refused to honor the time-honored traditions surrounding the National Day of Prayer. And along with Congress and the President, we have many Judges with no regard for God’s word, the Constitution or our true history. The predictable verdict is in: America is in a moral and spiritual crisis of such magnitude that it is almost unbelievable.
2) What does this look like practically? From my grandparents’ day until now, we have gone from 65% of Americans having a biblical worldview to now 4% of today’s young people sharing these beliefs. This is staggering! Apart from an absolute miracle, which I believe is still possible, we have lost a generation of Americans to Satan and secular humanism. Generally speaking, we are a narcissistic, self-loving nation that has accepted a culture of death, perversion, drugs and violence. We have murdered 51 million babies in the womb and to satisfy the cry for a toleration of immorality and perversion, we are ready to throw away 6000 years of honoring God’s definition of marriage and family.
3) The church, which is supposed to be salt and light for this mess, is neither. Though a remnant has remained faithful, for the most part the church of America has become totally irrelevant and completely ineffective. We have produced lukewarm Christians and a generation that doesn’t know God or His ways. Our pulpits are filled with smiles, not tears; entertainment, not passion; and self-help stories, not prophetic truth. Our feel-good messages and mega fun-centers have anesthetized us to the reality of our condition and, as opposed to offering solutions, are actually part of the problem. We, the church, are not changing our world, we’re being conformed to it. It’s easier to find the truth about our condition as a nation on talk radio than in our churches. We have left our first love and abandoned our cause. In short, an apostate church, an ungodly government and a culture of death, perversion and self-centeredness has earned us an appointment with judgment.

From Woody Barnette...

2010-03-28T19:31:00.001-04:00

"Son of man, prophecy to Israel's Mountains. Give them this message: 'O Mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD....I have raised My hand in an oath that surely the nations that are around you shall bear their own shame.'" (Ezekiel 36:1, 7-NLT)

No nation on the earth, the USA, European Union, Africa, Latino Nations, China, or any other, who opposes Israel will escape this, "shame." The Hebrew word means, "disgrace, reproach, confusion, dishonor, insult, ignominy." Barrack Hussein Obama and the American people had better take warning. This text is not just for Sunday School lessons, or Christian Television. It is for the whole earth----------------
And it will be fulfilled!

I have posted Prime Minister Netanyahu's speech to the AIPAC convention on our Blog Site. With all the stupidity and lies coming from the US Administration and news organizations, people need to hear this perspective. Today whatever, "The New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God," whatever, "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away," you and I who love and, "follow the Lamb wherever He goes," need to know the destiny of The Land in this time/space world. For however long, someday we will be there with our Living Lord Jesus Christ. And when, "The New Jerusalem...and...a new heaven and new earth," appear, rejoice; we will be there also.

Father, in Jesus' Name, I pray that Your People, "who are called by [Your] Name," the Name of Jesus, will believe You. Amen.

From GotQuestions.org...

2010-03-27T14:54:00.001-04:00

Question: "What is the significance of the triumphal/triumphant entry?"

Answer: The triumphal entry is that of Jesus coming into Jerusalem on what we know as Palm Sunday, the Sunday before the crucifixion (John 12:1, 12). The story of the triumphal entry is one of the few incidents in the life of Jesus which appears in all four Gospel accounts (Matthew 21:1-17; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:29-40; John 12:12-19). Putting the four accounts together, it becomes clear that the triumphal entry was a significant event, not only to the people of Jesus’ day, but to Christians throughout history. We celebrate Palm Sunday to remember that momentous occasion.

On that day, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the back of a borrowed donkey’s colt, one that had never been ridden before. The disciples spread their cloaks on the donkey for Jesus to sit on, and the multitudes came out to welcome Him, laying before Him their cloaks and the branches of palm trees. The people hailed and praised Him as the “King who comes in the name of the Lord” as He rode to the temple, where He both taught the people, healed them, and drove out the money-changers and merchants who had made His Father’s house a “den of robbers” (Mark 11:17).

Jesus’ purpose in riding into Jerusalem was to make public His claim to be their Messiah and King of Israel in fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. Matthew tells us that the King coming on the foal of a donkey was an exact fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9, “Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” Jesus rides into His capital city as a conquering King and is hailed by the people as such, in the manner of the day. The streets of Jerusalem, the royal city, are open to Him, and like a king, He ascends to His palace, not a temporal palace, but the spiritual palace which is the temple, because His is a spiritual kingdom. He receives the worship and praise of the people because only He deserves it. No longer does He tell His disciples to be quiet about Him (Matthew 12:16, 16:20), but to shout His praises and worship Him openly. The spreading of cloaks was an act of homage for royalty (see 2 Kings 9:13). Jesus was openly declaring to the people that He was their King and the Messiah they had been waiting for.

Unfortunately, the praise the people lavished on Jesus was not because they recognized Him as their Messiah. They welcomed Him out of their desire for a deliverer, someone who would lead them in a revolt against Rome. There were many who, though they did not believe in Christ with a spiritual faith, nevertheless hoped that perhaps He might be to them a great temporal deliverer. These are the ones who hailed Him as King with their many Hosannas, recognizing Him as the Son of David who came in the name of the Lord. But when He failed in their expectations, when He refused to lead them in a massive revolt against the Roman occupiers and those who collaborated with them, the crowds quickly turned on Him. Within just a few days, their Hosannas would change to cries of “Crucify Him!” (Luke 23:20-21). Those who hailed Him as a hero would soon reject and abandon Him.

The story of the triumphal entry is one of contrasts and those contrasts are the application to believers. It is the story of the King who came as a lowly servant on a donkey, not a prancing steed, not in royal robes, but on the clothes of the poor and humble. Jesus Christ comes not to conquer by force as earthly kings, but by love, grace, mercy, and His own sacrifice for His people. His is not a kingdom of armies and splendor, but of lowliness and servanthood. He conquers not nations, but hearts and minds. His message is one of peace with God, not of temporal peace. If Jesus has made a triumphal entry into our hearts, He reigns there in peace and love. As His followers, we exhibit those same qualities, and the world sees the true King living and reigning in triumph in us.

Abraham Lincoln...

2010-03-24T07:54:00.001-04:00

GENERAL ORDER RESPECTING THE OBSERVANCE OF THE SABBATH DAY IN THE ARMY AND NAVY

EXECUTIVE MANSION,
Washington, November 15, 1862

The President, Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy, desires and enjoins the orderly observance of the Sabbath by the officers and men in the military and naval service. The importance for men and beast of the prescribed weekly rest, the sacred rights of Christian soldiers and sailors, a becoming deference to the best sentiment of a Christian people, and a due regard for the divine will demand that Sunday labor in the Army and Navy be reduced to the measure of strict necessity.
The discipline and character of the national forces should not suffer nor the cause they defend be imperiled by the profanation of the day or name of the Most High. “At this time of public distress,” adopting the words of Washington in 1776, “men may find enough to do in the service of God and their country without abandoning themselves to vice and immorality.” The first general order issued by the Father of his Country after the Declaration of Independence indicates the spirit in which our institutions were founded and should ever be defended:

The General hopes and trusts that every officer and man will endeavor to live and act as becomes a Christian soldier defending the dearest rights and liberties of his country.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN

John Jay...

2010-03-24T07:40:00.001-04:00

John Jay

PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS; DIPLOMAT; AUTHOR OF THE FEDERALIST PAPERS; ORIGINAL CHIEF JUSTICE OF THE U. S. SUPREME COURT; GOVERNOR OF NEW YORK

Condescend, merciful Father! to grant as far as proper these imperfect petitions, to accept these inadequate thanksgivings, and to pardon whatever of sin hath mingled in them for the sake of Jesus Christ, our blessed Lord and Savior; unto Whom, with Thee, and the blessed Spirit, ever one God, be rendered all honor and glory, now and forever. 56

Unto Him who is the author and giver of all good, I render sincere and humble thanks for His manifold and unmerited blessings, and especially for our redemption and salvation by His beloved Son. . . . Blessed be His holy name.57

Mercy and grace and favor did come by Jesus Christ, and also that truth which verified the promises and predictions concerning Him and which exposed and corrected the various errors which had been imbibed respecting the Supreme Being, His attributes, laws, and dispensations.58

By conveying the Bible to people . . . we certainly do them a most interesting act of kindness. We thereby enable them to learn that man was originally created and placed in a state of happiness, but, becoming disobedient, was subjected to the degradation and evils which he and his posterity have since experienced. The Bible will also inform them that our gracious Creator has provided for us a Redeemer in whom all the nations of the earth should be blessed – that this Redeemer has made atonement “for the sins of the whole world,” and thereby reconciling the Divine justice with the Divine mercy, has opened a way for our redemption and salvation; and that these inestimable benefits are of the free gift and grace of God, not of our deserving, nor in our power to deserve. The Bible will also [encourage] them with many explicit and consoling assurances of the Divine mercy to our fallen race, and with repeated invitations to accept the offers of pardon and reconciliation. . . . They, therefore, who enlist in His service, have the highest encouragement to fulfill the du¬ties assigned to their respective stations; for most certain it is, that those of His followers who [participate in] His conquests will also participate in the tran¬scendent glories and blessings of His Triumph.59

I recommend a general and public return of praise and thanksgiving to Him from whose goodness these blessings descend. The most effectual means of securing the continuance of our civil and religious liberties is always to remember with reverence and gratitude the source from which they flow.60

The Bible is the best of all books, for it is the word of God and teaches us the way to be happy in this world and in the next. Continue therefore to read it and to regulate your life by its precepts.61

[T]he evidence of the truth of Christianity requires only to be carefully examined to produce conviction in candid minds... they who undertake that task will derive advantages.62

Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian nation, to select and prefer Christians for their rulers.63

Patrick Henry...

2010-03-24T07:37:00.002-04:00

Patrick Henry

REVOLUTIONARY GENERAL; LEGISLATOR; “THE VOICE OF LIBERTY”; RATIFIER OF THE U. S. CONSTITUTION; GOVERNOR OF VIRGINIA

Being a Christian… is a character which I prize far above all this world has or can boast.49 The Bible… is a book worth more than all the other books that were ever printed.50 Righteousness alone can exalt America as a nation. Whoever thou art, remember this; and in thy sphere practice virtue thyself, and encourage it in others.51 The great pillars of all government and of social life [are] virtue, morality, and religion. This is the armor, my friend, and this alone, that renders us invincible.52 This is all the inheritance I can give to my dear family. The religion of Christ can give them one which will make them rich indeed.53

John Hancock's Christian testimony...

2010-03-23T19:21:00.001-04:00

John Hancock

SIGNER OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE; PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS; REVOLUTIONARY GENERAL; GOVERNOR OF MASSACHUSETTS

Sensible of the importance of Christian piety and virtue to the order and happiness of a state, I cannot but earnestly commend to you every measure for their support and encouragement.38

He called on the entire state to pray “that universal happiness may be established in the world [and] that all may bow to the scepter of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the whole earth be filled with His glory.”39

He also called on the State of Massachusetts to pray . . .

* that all nations may bow to the scepter of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and that the whole earth may be filled with his glory.40
* that the spiritual kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ may be continually increasing until the whole earth shall be filled with His glory.41
* to confess their sins and to implore forgiveness of God through the merits of the Savior of the World.42
* to cause the benign religion of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to be known, understood, and practiced among all the inhabitants of the earth.43
* to confess their sins before God and implore His forgiveness through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.44
* that He would finally overrule all events to the advancement of the Redeemer’s kingdom and the establishment of universal peace and good will among men.45
* that the kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ may be established in peace and righteousness among all the nations of the earth.46
* that with true contrition of heart we may confess our sins, resolve to forsake them, and implore the Divine forgiveness, through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, our Savior. . . . And finally to overrule all the commotions in the world to the spreading the true religion of our Lord Jesus Christ in its purity and power among all the people of the earth.47

Testimony of the U. S. Congress in 1854...notice any difference today??

2010-03-23T07:40:00.001-04:00

The great, vital, and conservative element in our system is the belief of our people in the pure doctrines and the divine truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Congress, U. S. House Judiciary Committee, 1854: Had the people, during the Revolution, had a suspicion of any attempt to war against Christianity, that Revolution would have been strangled... in its cradle... In this age, there can be no substitute for Christianity... That was the religion of the founders of the republic and they expected it to remain the religion of their descendants.

God is moving in Haiti!

2010-02-25T17:19:00.001-05:00

Be holy!

2010-02-12T07:04:00.000-05:00

Lev. 20: 7-8 - 7 Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the LORD your God. 8 Keep my decrees and follow them. I am the Lord, who makes you holy.

1 Peter 1: 14-16 - 14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."

As I was reading this morning from Leviticus, the Lord's repeated commands to be holy simply jumped out at me! And whether you read the Word in the Old or the New Testaments, God's command to be holy (set apart by Him and for Him) is the same. We cannot ignore God's standard and will for us---obedience to His Word. That's what holiness really is. Whatever God reveals in Scripture for us is to be taken so very seriously that we walk in reverence and holy fear to carry out His will. No excuses, justifications, distractions, or lukewarm responses are acceptable!

Banga, Kenya bore hole project update...

2010-02-11T10:02:00.003-05:00

We are finally ready to drill the bore hole in Banga, Kenya! Since July 2007, three churches (Mombasa Pentecostal Church, New Life Center, and Frontier Harvest Ministries) and one mission organization (Heaven's Family) have been raising funds for the $15,000 project that must drill hundreds of feet deep through hard rock to find water. Thanks to all who donated funds! Now we need to pray for a successful water supply from this effort.

Chuck King

From James Bidii who is overseeing this project:

Praise the Lord Jesus brother Chuck and how are you?

I just wanted to update you on how far we have gone regarding the Banga borehole project.We thank God that Mombasa Pentecostal Church has actually paid the difference on top of the $10,000 that you gave us.We have also had discussions with the contractor, and he will be moving his equipments to the site as soon as we get a permit to drill from the Government of Kenya,we have done all the paper work and the necessary payments,just awaiting for their approval and the work will commence soon. I want also to assure you that everything is now on good progress in spite of the previous delays. I am certain that the Banga people will have sufficient water in the very near future. Please, continue to pray with us. I will be giving you updates as we progress.

God bless you!

James Bidii

Safe water project update...

2010-02-09T10:30:00.001-05:00

Just revised my notes this morning concerning our safe water projects mid-2008 to February 2010...

Safe water projects: 18

Project nations: 9
(Burundi, Dominican Republic, D.R. Congo, Haiti, India, Kenya, Pakistan, Peru, and Rwanda)

Total Sawyer filters: 840 (Enough for 84,000 people!)

Total biosand filters: 332 (Enough for 3,320 people! And many other filters we have not funded have been made from the sales of these filters we did fund.)

Thanks for your prayers and financial support! Blessings!

Chuck King

From the Barna Group...anyone troubled by these findings?

2010-02-08T16:12:00.000-05:00

"One measure of American generosity that has stayed relatively consistent – despite the economic turmoil – is the practice of tithing. This is the concept embraced by many Christians of giving ten percent (or more) of one’s income. Overall, 7% of all adults reported donation levels equaling at least 10% of their income. The percentage of adults who tithe has remained constant since the beginning of the decade, falling in the 5% to 7% range.

Tithing levels, which could include both church and other charitable giving, were highest among evangelicals (24% of whom give at least 10%), non-mainline Protestants (13%), churchgoers (11%), and non-evangelical born again Christians (10%). Those over the age of 45 (9%) were nearly twice as likely as those under the age (5%) to tithe. Also, the study showed that income level was not correlated with tithing: just 9% of upscale adults gave at least one-tenth of their income, while 11% of the downscale set gave an equivalent proportion."

Man raised from the dead!

2010-01-19T06:44:00.001-05:00

January 2010 Iquitos, Peru Mission...

2010-01-10T21:17:00.002-05:00

Monday, January 4th, 2010:
• Flew Pittsburgh to Newark to Lima.
• Stayed overnight at Ruben Cano’s home.
Tuesday, January 5th:
• Early flight to Iquitos for Ruben and me.
• Stayed at Oro Verde Plaza Hotel ($35 USD five nights per person = $350 USD).
• Purchased food supplies for 50 families ($1,100+ USD) and 30 buckets for Sawyer filters ($150 USD) after exchanging money (2.85 Soles to 1 USD) and paid for flights to Iquitos ($500 USD).
• I preached in the evening service at Aleluya Church with Pastor Manuel Del Aguila who is also the president of the pastors’ fellowship in Iquitos. He organized the meetings all week. The text was from 2 Tim. 3:10 to 4:5---we must teach, preach, and live the New Testament revelation, not the teachings of men that merely entertain or distort the Gospel message.
Wednesday, January 6th:
• Three-hour pastors’ seminar in the morning. Introduced biosand and Sawyer filters and taught about working hard to support yourself and others.
• Visited a river village on an Amazon tributary.
• Visited a small zoo on the river.
Thursday, January 7th:
• Two-hour morning seminar on hygiene, sanitation, and Sawyer filters.
• Developed a plan to distribute filters and recover money to be used for biosand filters.
• 30 Sawyer filters will help 3,000 people.
• 60 plastic biosand filters will result from the Sawyer filter payments. Perpetual biosand filter ministry will be the result.
• Afternoon preaching service in Manacamiri village on the Nanay River (by boat) with Pastor Pablo Sahuarico from El Shaddai church and Bible institute. Good response at the altar after preaching from Matthew 25.
Friday, January 8th:
• Two-hour morning seminar to finish the pastor conference. Taught on missions and how we should send the workers into the harvest.
• Distributed the food parcels.
• Chose two men to oversee the Sawyer filter ministry.
• Also met with the Mortimers, a USA missionary family here in Iquitos. They are interested in biosand filters for the river ministry they have.
• Evening ministry in Ramon Sahuarico’s church. Preached on the New Testament priorities of sending workers to the harvest and helping the poor. Good altar response after the preaching to repent of giving poorly for these priorities.
Saturday, January 9th:
• Spent the morning and early afternoon helping the John Mortimer family here in Iquitos to make one complete plastic biosand filter. These folks have been missionaries here from Wisconsin, USA for over 20 years! They normally drill wells for the river folks many hours from Iquitos via their airboat. But the expense and labor and practical problems associated with drilling wells caused them to be looking for a safe water alternative. So they heard about my visit to Peru from Joe Mercer, and we made the connection here in Iquitos.
Sunday, January 10th:
• Flew back to Lima in the morning.
Monday, January 11th:
• Met with Joe Mercer for lunch.
• Reviewed biosand filter production with Ruben.
• All night flight to USA.