Christian Fellowship
“That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving...” Psalm 26:7
Vol. 21, No. 11 November 2012
Here in the Midwest the fall season gives us something to look at as all the trees begin to change their color. They are beautiful and exquisite to behold as they reveal the splendor of God’s creation. It is a blessing to be a part of this transition.
We are told the leaves change color because there is less light. In actuality, by the time winter has arrived we have less light than we do darkness.
This is the way it seems in these days of uncertainty. Where has the light gone? Why is it so dark spiritually? The answer is US! If we don’t shine forth the splendor of Christ Jesus, there is no light for the world to walk with. Mat 5:14 “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.”
Strange things happen in the dark. Dangerous things happen in the dark. But we are the light of the world, so we should be able to see and discern what is taking place around us.
If Jesus lives within you, then let Him fill your life with the light. Mat 5:16 “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Then the world may see and bring glory to the Father of lights. Oh the glory that will be revealed in these days of darkness!
In Christ,
Pr. Steve
CLOSE TO JESUS
Rev 22:12-16 (NIV) "Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. (13) I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. (14) "Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. (15) Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. (16) "I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star."
We are the elect of God. The word “elect” simply means “those called out from the world.” Because we are of the elect we have to understand that God treats us differently than He does everyone else. He expects more from us and out of us. He chastens us because we have been chosen so that we can become like Him. There is a tremendous price to be paid for this calling. We ought not listen to or think about the lies from Satan that tell us God doesn’t care what happens or how much we suffer. Not only does He care, but He allows what happens to us to sanctify us unto holiness.
Our nation has been brought up on the idea of democracy – which is a word used for “the rights of individuals” or “fairness” or “equality.” But when you are chosen of God, nothing seems to be fair any longer. You lose your rights that once seemed to guide you. And when you experience the disappointments that take place because of being chosen, you get the idea that God plays favorites; somehow it seems that God is not fair! That idea comes because we look at others and think, “Boy they don’t have to go through what I go through.” With that kind of understanding people will back away from the calling of God and they will not walk in the will of His salvation.
The Bible is inarguably clear that God rules the hearts of men: “God hardened Pharaoh’s heart; Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated.” It doesn’t seem fair. But we also have to understand what Jesus said, “No man can come unto Me unless the Father draws him.” (Jn.6:44) That is hard for us. Paul resolves this by saying God is the potter, and He has control over how He wants to make us – one vessel to honor and the other to dishonor. But the clay cannot say to the potter, “Why did you make me this way?” You see, that questioning indicates arrogance, self-centeredness, and the influence of humanism all combined.
Once you begin to understand this concept, you won’t question so much why you are going through what you go through. I have said this over and over, but I’ll say it again. Until you accept the things that happen in your life to draw you closer to Jesus, you will keep throwing fits of rage or anger at what you don’t like or understand, and you will lash out at others. God wants you to be blessed. But He allows things to test your spirit man, your soulish nature, and your pride. [What if you lose money in this economic failure? Are you going to get mad? What if things continue to fall apart all around you? Are you going to hold a grudge? If so, then you don’t know God and you don’t trust Him. Instead, your trust is in money, the god of this world. Hasn’t God brought you this far? Will He abandon you?]
So you have physical problems! Are you going to let them control how you serve the Lord? Doesn’t Jesus get touched by the feelings of our infirmities? Does it matter that others don’t have what you have? Was not Job alone in his plight of life? Yet did not God bless him in the end with more than he ever had?
Every generation has had a people who have paid the price to be with God. The purpose of the church age is to build up the church so the Kingdom of God can come to the earth. It is not about how many get saved; rather, it is about how many become one with God. The Father draws whom He wants, the Holy Spirit brings the conviction, and Jesus makes us one with Him.
But when human reasoning gets involved, we are more concerned about people going to hell. Our emphasis on just getting them saved seems the most important thing, but that is not the Biblical emphasis! You can’t keep anyone out of hell. My job is not to increase the flock. My job is to get people to follow Christ so they can be transformed. And when others see the transformation, they, too, will come and want to know Christ.
If the evangelists have done a great job baptizing people, why then is there so much sin operating in our land? Because there has not been a change into the image of Christ. In fact, the world looks at America today as the great whore of Revelation.
Here is the purpose of the church age: Eph 4:11-13 (NIV) It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, (12) to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up (13) until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. The purpose that God has spoken about is to build up a tabernacle so that He can come and fill it with His glory: Rev 21:3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God [is] with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, [and be] their God.
Another way of explaining the purpose for the ministry of the church is to prepare a bride adorned for her husband. This readiness cannot happen until sin is removed from us and until we live a life filled with righteousness. But this change doesn’t happen after we go to heaven. It happens while we grow in Christ. Unfortunately, the necessity of Christian maturity has not been the emphasis of our generation. God is not going to accept our falling short of His holiness any longer. He must have a people whose heart is repentant before Him, who walk in humility and holiness.
The church is filled with immature children who refuse to grow up. If you have been saved for twenty years and you still gossip and murmur at every little thing that affects you, then you are but a child. You don’t know how to come in and you don’t know how to go out. You haven’t changed. Why haven’t you changed? Because you don’t study to show yourself approved of God! You remain the same year after year after year. [Someone recently said, “I still like to go to nightclubs and the bars.”] This statement comes after ten years of being a Christian. Why? Because we have not taught that such behavior is inconsistent with having a Christian character and that as believers, our behavior must undergo a radical change God wants you to become a part of Jesus Christ, you cannot remain in sin and be a part of Him. A new nature must come forth, the old must die.
There is only one solution to all that I am saying: DRAW CLOSER TO CHRIST THAN YOU EVER HAVE BEFORE. Above all, desire to be close to Christ; and don’t allow anything to steal your soul. When the Father sees this determination, you will change and find all the protection you ever need.
The key to today’s troubles, problems and worries is to get closer to Jesus. You can’t add anything to your life that will protect you except Jesus Christ. But you can suffer immense loss if you don’t keep pressing into Him.
To get closer to Jesus you have to be built up in your faith and in the knowledge of Christ. That means you get a changed identity, you walk humbly with God, and you love your neighbor as yourself so that your walk demonstrates that God is first in your life. We become an integral part of Him as we are built up.
Jesus said, “On this rock I will build my church.” He didn’t say, “On this rock, you will build my church.” The Lord will build His church, but you build yourself up in the faith (Jude 1:20). We don’t have to help God out, we have to be obedient. God has all the power, but He does need obedient people.
It is not belief that counts but obedience. We have a lot of believers; but without obedience, believing doesn’t mean a thing! Statements of faith won’t change you. Obedience will!
Ephesians 4:13 says, “Until we all come in the unity of the faith.” That statement doesn’t mean until we all agree on the same doctrines. It means until we all have Christ built up in us. That means you can be a Baptist, Pentecostal, Presbyterian or Lutheran – but you have to have Christ built up in you. Your testimony is “I am looking to Christ every day for all my decisions; I am walking humbly before Him.”
We don’t have to agree on doctrine; but if I have Christ growing and ruling my life, when I find others who have Christ growing and ruling their life, I am one with them. I don’t care their background. We bear witness by the Spirit of God, and we don’t allow our doctrines to separate us. But when we find those who do not have the Spirit of God ruling their being—even though they have all kinds of doctrinal knowledge--I can’t be one with them because their life does not reflect the image and knowledge of Christ.
That is what unity of the faith is. The just shall live by faith, not by doctrines.
If a person is not walking by faith, what is he walking in? He is walking according to his own mind, his own knowledge, and his own ideas about what He has learned. He lives by his experiences, his talents, his desires and his feelings. All these are the opposite of walking by faith. The Christian walk has to do with the way the righteous live: They live by faith, and they do not lean on their own understanding.
When you are living by faith and I am living by faith and we are asking God to guide us, then we are one in Christ in God; and then the world will believe.
We are not to walk according to our brain, but according to our walk with Jesus. “What are you doing today, Lord?” What do you want me to do?” If you have a problem, talk to Him the way you would your best friend. You do that all the time. (You say you don’t have friends – but that confession comes because you listen too much to the enemy. You will have friends if you show yourself friendly.)
All of this will come to pass as you get CLOSER TO JESUS. That is what it is all about today.
The only way to prepare for this day is to get very close to Jesus. And those who are a part of Him will rejoice through it all. The tests are going to continue, so just get closer to Jesus.
-Pr. Steve
I am going to be sharing with you thoughts from my journal over the past few years. This is to show you how the Lord has brought about His Word in my life to minister to you and to show you how real this walk can be. Please read and understand by the Spirit about ...
. . . My calling as a pastor
Pastor’s Journal 2011
Nov. 1: Be joyous always. (1Thes 5:16)
Nov. 3: The demonstration of God’s Word in power is His LOVE!
Nov. 5: I will love thee, O Lord, my strength. In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried unto my God; He heard my voice out of His temple and my cry came before Him.
Nov. 8: Hereunto were you called because Christ suffered for us, leaving us an example – you should follow His steps. (1Pet 2:21)
Nov. 11: You exalt Your word above Your very name (Psm 138:2) So, I will delight myself in Your word!
Nov. 12: Because you believe it to be the teaching of God’s Word and heartily desire it, speak the truth by faith, and the experience will follow.
Nov. 14: If our hearts condemn us, we must turn at once to God, confessing our sins.
Nov. 15: Your love governs my heart, my mind, my soul.
Nov. 18: If you want to increase in prayerfulness, give yourself to fervent love to those around you, helping to bear their burdens.
Nov. 19: You make everything beautiful in Your time.
Nov. 28: Your peace is the most important thing. There is too much interference in this life. But to walk in Your peace is sufficient for me. This is what the Lord says, “I will extend peace to you, like a river.” (Isa 66:12)
Don’t Limit God’s Life-Changing Power
Every truly born-again Christian has a testimony of the healing power of God through His Son Jesus Christ. So we can never doubt, nor should we ever limit His life-changing power.
Mat 8:1-3 (KJV) “When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him. (2) And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. (3) And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.”
Although we often times cannot see the things that need to be healed within us as well as we can those that are outwardly obvious, the signs that something is wrong inside are frequently outwardly revealed. Therefore, the way to start praying for healing would be to ask God to lead us in how to pray. Jesus died so that we would no longer have to be slaves to sin, and His instructions were that we should cease from sinning lest something worse come upon us.
Luk 5:22-24 (KJV) “But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts? (23) Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk? (24) But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house.”
Jesus did not just tell the man that He had healed him; Jesus gave the man instructions to get up and to go forth! The Lord does not just heal, He also restores. A new walk, and a new talk-- these are part of a new life.
Mar 7:32-35 (KJV) “And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him. (33) And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue; (34) And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened. (35) And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain.”
We need to see that when God heals He puts things back into order. This deaf man with the speech impediment did not just speak, he spoke clearly. We must not limit God’s life-changing power.
Mat 8:5-13 (KJV) “And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, (6) And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. (7) And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. (8) The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. (9) For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. (10) When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. (11) And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. (12) But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (13) And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.”
In every case of His healing people, Jesus spoke, and people responded. So let us walk with Jesus, and talk with Jesus, and live for Jesus, touching Him with our hearts filled with faith in God.
-Kurt Thurston
QUOTES:
"There are no crown-wearers in heaven who were not cross-bearers here below."
- Unknown
"I consider that the chief dangers which will confront the twentieth century will be: Religion without the Holy Spirit; Christianity without Christ; Forgiveness without regeneration; Morality without God and Heaven without Hell."
- William Booth
"The Lord gets his best soldiers out of the highlands of affliction."
- Unknown
"The wicked of today hate to hear the word 'repent!' The wicked of the past wish they could hear it just once more."
- Unknown
"Any objection to the carryings on of our present gold-calf Christianity is met with the triumphant reply, "But we are winning them!" And winning them to what? To true discipleship? To cross-carrying? To self-denial? To separation from the world? To crucifixion of the flesh? To holy living? To nobility of character? To a despising of the world´s treasures? To hard self-discipline? To love for God? To total committal to Christ? Of course the answer to all these questions is no."
-A. W. Tozer
Next course from Christian Life Educators Network - Richmond Center:
Winter Break! Classes Resume in January!
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