AUGUST NEWSLETTER 2015

Living Word

Christian Fellowship

“That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving...” Psalm 26:7

Vol. 24   No. 8   August   2015

Do you want to succeed in life? Well, who doesn’t? Then ask yourself a couple of questions: Am I willing to change?  Pro 4:7  “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.’’

Though it cost you greatly, get understanding of what needs to change.  We can forever change into something wonderful.  Your hunger for wisdom and knowledge determines your future. In order to keep giving out, you have to be taking in.

Second question: Do I enjoy what I am doing?  Sometimes our jobs become difficult with increased pressures and added responsibilities we did not foresee; but for the most part, do you enjoy what you get to do when it comes to your life?  You will never fulfill your destiny doing something you despise. Passion lies at the core of true success and fulfillment.  It is the fire in your life that keeps you going. When you grow tired, you rest and then resume the work because it is gratifying.  Enjoying the challenge helps you arrive at answers to those questions you have repeatedly asked yourself about life. In addition, it gives you courage to take risks when others no longer care.

When you lose your passion, two things happen: First, you fail to pursue with all your heart; and second, you begin to do things you never thought you would be doing, things that are outside the will of God for you.

If you love something enough to work hard at it, you will succeed.  Work at loving God with all your heart and watch your life succeed!

In Christ,

Pr. Steve

 Two Realms of Glory

 2Pe 3:3 (KJV)  “Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,”

2Pe 3:11 (KJV)  “Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,”

The emphasis of this chapter is on personal holiness and personal righteousness. The Bible itself sets forth three main points: First, is the supremacy of the Lord Jesus Christ; second is finding righteousness and eternal life through Christ  --  and by that I do not mean “imputed righteousness” (i.e. assigned righteousness that excludes our behavior).  When I say “righteousness in Jesus Christ,” I mean as opposed to finding righteousness through the Law of Moses. Paul taught the Jews and Gentiles that no longer could a person find righteousness through Moses, but that righteousness had to come through Jesus Christ.

The third major emphasis is finding holiness that makes us spotless, blameless and at peace with Him.  There are probably more verses on this third one than on the other two. The N.T. has much to say about personal holiness in character and behavior, a fact we need to keep in mind because in our day that part receives little attention.  What is emphasized is to accept Christ so you will go to heaven regardless of how you act.

The moral strength of our country is becoming weaker and weaker as we are placing self-seeking liars and thieves into positions of authority, largely because instead of preaching holiness, churches are expounding “assigned righteousness,” along with “a rapture-escape” mentality.

One of today’s prevailing trends is the avoidance of any negative or gloomy preaching that would state or imply judgment and destruction.  Regrettably, such a spirit of humanism voids what God is doing in His attempts to reveal Divine and impending verdicts. For example, some people called David Wilkerson “a prophet of doom,” but evidence has shown him to be a true prophet of God.  Almost all of his prophecies have come to pass except the one about the great earthquake of America that follows a great earthquake of Japan. As a pastor, he prepared his church for the attack on the Trade Center before it happened.  But now that voice is gone. Will God raise up another voice to prepare His people for what is coming? To make ready a people ahead of time so that they might be spared in the day of tribulation is not doom and gloom, but to ignore the truths of our day makes fools of those who do. The only way to find help from the Lord is to know and walk in truth.

You cannot cling to your life in this world and remain a Christian. In order to be prepared and not cling to humanistic ideas, we need to be aware of two realms of glory. Instead of being moved by what people think and how they feel, we must gain God’s perspective on everything. People are not the answer for our day. Only the Lord Jesus Christ is the answer. When we place human opinions and programs above those of God, we become guilty of humanism, a form of idolatry.

If we want to hear from the Lord about the days ahead, we are going to have to be willing to hear things that aren’t so agreeable.  And if you are willing to be used to share these things in order to prepare others, then people are going to hate and despise you.

The first realm of glory is the physical world with which we are acquainted. At present, we don’t know much about the second realm, that of the spirit world; but we want to know about it. Because of the mythology that has been spread, we must be careful not to limit the spirit world to heaven.

The physical realm came from the spirit realm. One of the things taking place today is that God is making the spirit realm more real to us. Col 1:27 “To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

In order for the spirit realm to become more real to us, we have to know the power of Christ that is in us. Until we do, we won’t be able to go through the tribulations of our day. When I say that God is making the spirit realm more real, I am saying that Christ in us is getting more powerful and revealing. As wonderful and exciting as that sounds, it requires we accept Him as King and therefore obey Him; for He is not going to make Himself known to those who ignore His ways and continue to do their own thing.

God wants to make Himself known to us so we can be His light to the world and draw people into the Kingdom of God.

People think they are acceptable to God today because of the humanistic teaching that is prevalent.  This form of humanism, known as Gnosticism, teaches understanding gained by the intellect instead of the heart. This construct holds that if you have the right knowledge, you will go into the spirit realm at a higher level. From the Gnostic view that the physical realm is bad, it follows that marriage is bad.  Just look at our society!  As a result of this premise, that to be married is less holy than to be single, Catholics do not allow their priests to get married.  Gnosticism treats the physical realm as evil, but that is not what the Bible says.  Genesis 1:31 records God’s estimation of the physical realm of His creation: “And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.”  And about marriage, the Bible states in Hebrews 13:4  “Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled.”  In contrast, some use the Gnostic belief to justify divorce, now at nearly a 60% divorce rate, under the guise that people can live however they desire because the spirit realm excuses it all.

 

In Romans 2:5-6 (KJV),  God says that every person will be judged according to what he has done:“But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasures up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God.  (6)  Who will render to every man according to his deeds.”

But then we add, “Unless you have accepted Jesus Christ.”  We add to the scriptures because of humanism.

Joh 5:28-29 (KJV) reads, “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,  And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.”

But then we add, “except those who have accepted Jesus Christ.”  We cannot continue doing our own thing when we want and the way we want and still expect to be saved.

As the Lord is making the spirit realm more real to us, we should be learning more of what is expected of us and doing more of what is right before the King of all the earth. We can’t put off doing what we need to be doing in this life and then move into the spirit realm and expect to be something really great.  We are going to see an increase in the Kingdom of God on this earth.  God is going to have a people He will use to make a difference.  Now is the time to be prepared.

Rom 2:8-9 (KJV)  “But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,  (9)  Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile.”

No one escapes judgment for the way they act.  God wants decent people.  If we don’t surrender to the King, where do you think that leaves us?  We must accept Jesus as King, not just as Savior – and that means to obey Him and His Word.  Because there will never be two kings in the universe, it is going to be His way or no way.  The choice is ours.

God picked Israel to be His own possession.  But they wouldn’t listen to Him, so for two thousand years He cut them off and He brought forth a Gentile race of people to be His own.  But if we, as Gentiles, don’t listen to Him, He will cut us off as well.

Humanism says that God forgets about all our misdeeds and that He is going to save all out of their messes.  People have a false image of who God is and say that He will never be unfair.  Well, let me tell you something.  God is not fair, He is just and true.  And He will never go against His own character or Word.  And He has made it plain what is expected of His people.  If you want to be called by the name of the Lord, then you need to get to know Him and His ways and follow in a way that pleases Him –maintaining an obedient relationship is your salvation.

Rom 2:10 (KJV)  “But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile.”

Do we know what is “good”?  If you want to know what is “good,” don’t ask a Christian.  Ask someone who is not a Christian.  The Christian will tell you that “doing good” is not what you need; you just need to “accept Christ.”  This distortion of truth is destroying America and causes the world to look at us as the evil Satan because of the gross immorality our nation encourages and embraces.

This realm, the physical realm, is the valley of the shadow of death.  If you try to make heaven out of it, you are going to be deceived. Don’t live for this world. We are put here to learn about God and to know His Word and to live righteously.

The Spirit realm is becoming increasingly clear to us.  We are going to know it.  We are going to experience it more and more because we have to prepare and be prepared for the coming of the Kingdom of God to the earth.

In order to experience this we have to have more of the Holy Spirit until we are filled.  We have to have more of Jesus until we are filled with all the fullness of God.

Eph 3:19 (AMP)  “[That you may really come] to know [practically, through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge [without experience]; that you may be filled [through all your being] unto all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]!”

The way you get to know the love of God by experience is by doing what is right as opposed to doing what is fun. Make the right choices and you will live a meaningful and prosperous life.  Learn to do what is fun when it is the right time, but also learn what is right at the right time. 

We are in perilous times during which people are lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God (1 Tim. 3:4). So long as people live that way, they will never receive anything from the Lord.  In contrast, the rod of iron righteousness is being developed within those who exercise godly moral principles and do what is right, for these are being prepared to rule with Christ in His Kingdom.                     

-Pastor 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 2014

Aug.01: I am dead with Christ. (Gal.2:20)

Aug.02: O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy endures forever.  Let the redeemed of the Lord say so!

Aug.03: “ASSURANCE”

Aug.08: Do not be afraid of your adversary. For it is given unto you in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for His sake. (Phil.1:27-28)

Aug.09: I will take care of you!

Aug.10: I will bless you with people again!

Aug.11: I will show forth My salvation to LWCF.

Aug.15: PURE TRUST = “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not unto your own understanding.” (Pro.3:5)

Aug.23: The one who follows the way of integrity may serve Me. (Psa.101:6)

Aug.30: The devil is angry and is making war with the remnant which keep the commandments of God. (Rev.12:17)

 

Do Not Forsake the Word of God

Have you been reading the Bible regularly?  God has said that we are to teach the upcoming generations about all of His marvelous works that He has shown towards mankind throughout the ages.  God is alive and so is His Word. If our born-again spirit is to teem with His we must spend time in His Word, partaking of it to nourish ourselves and to share its truth with others.

2Pe 1:2-4 (KJV)  “Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,  (3)  According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue.  (4)  Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”

Simply put: We Christians need never forget that we must stay in the Word of God!

Psa 78:1-37 (KJV)  “Maschil of Asaph. Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.  (2)  I will open my mouth in a parable. I will utter dark sayings of old.  (3)  Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.  (4)  We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done.  (5)  For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children.  (6)  That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children.  (7)  That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments.  (8)  And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not steadfast with God.  (9)  The children of Ephraim, being armed, and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle.  (10)  They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in his law.  (11)  And forgot his works, and his wonders that he had shewed them.  (12)  Marvellous things did HE in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.  (13)  He divided the sea, and caused them to pass through; and he made the waters to stand as an heap.  (14)  In the daytime also he led them with a cloud, and all the night with a light of fire.  (15)  He clave the rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink as out of the great depths.  (16)  He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers.  (17)  And they sinned yet more against him by provoking the most High in the wilderness.  (18)  And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust.  (19)  Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?  (20)  Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread also? can he provide flesh for his people?  (21)  Therefore the LORD heard this, and was wroth: so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel.  (22)  Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation. (23)  Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven,  (24)  And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven.  (25)  Man did eat angels' food: he sent them meat to the full.  (26)  He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven: and by his power he brought in the south wind.  (27)  He rained flesh also upon them as dust, and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea.  (28)  And he let it fall in the midst of their camp, round about their habitations.  (29)  So they did eat, and were well filled: for he gave them their own desire.  (30)  They were not estranged from their lust. But while their meat was yet in their mouths,  (31)  The wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen men of Israel.  (32)  For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous works.  (33)  Therefore their days did he consume in vanity, and their years in trouble.  (34)  When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned and enquired early after God.  (35)  And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer.  (36)  Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues.  (37)  For their heart was not right with him, neither were they steadfast in his covenant.”

Church, God has blessed our generation in many ways, but it is now more apparent than ever that there is beginning a great falling away, so we must not think of ourselves as if we have arrived, or have become exempt from our obligations to God and His Word. Rather, we should be all the more diligent to the call that God has placed upon our lives concerning the keeping and the proclaiming of His Word.  

-Kurt Thurston

 

Quotes: by Leonard Ravenhill

 

"A popular evangelist reaches your emotions. A true prophet

reaches your conscience."

 

“A true shepherd leads the way. He does not merely point the way."

 

"Your doctrine can be as straight as a gun barrel-and just as empty!"

 

"I doubt that more than two percent of professing Christians in

the United States are truly born again."

 

 

Next course from Christian Life Educators Network -  Richmond Center:

A Study of Faiths and Religions by:  Dr. George Myers

This course provides students with a knowledge of world religions and biblical Christianity. Distinguish religious strengths from weaknesses, break down doctrinal components, categorize and evaluate overriding motifs of each religion in comparison to biblical Christianity.

September 10-12, 2015

 

JULY NEWSLETTER 2015

Living Word

Christian Fellowship

“That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving...” Psalm 26:7

Vol. 24   No. 7   July   2015

How do you manage your mind? You must be careful what you allow into your mind because your thoughts run your life. Yes, they come at you from every direction: at home, at work, through the media, in your relationships, and in your private life. So there is only one thing that works: Give and submit your thoughts to the authority of Jesus. If Jesus is in control of everything, then He can be in your thoughts as well. No matter what the enemy tells you, no matter how bad things seem to be, Jesus says, “I am in control,” and He has the authority to rule over your thoughts.

When you learn repentance as a way of life, condemning thoughts will  not rule your thinking. When Jesus is in control, you will not walk an unruly life doing what you know is wrong.  All you have to do is submit your thoughts to the authority of Christ. And with practice and commitment your thoughts will be under control and you will not be defeated in your mind.

Isa 26:3  “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.”

In Christ,

Pr. Steve

 

Ambition’s Death

 Mat 20:17-23 (KJV)  “And Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples apart in the way, and said unto them,  (18)  Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death,  (19)  And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again.  (20)  Then came to him the mother of Zebedee's children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him.  (21)  And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom.  (22)  But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able.  (23)  And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.”

Jesus sought to prepare His disciples for the hardships that awaited them.  He warned them that a time was coming when He would be mocked, scourged and crucified for the sake of redemption.  In the midst of this utterly sober warning, the mother of James and John requested Jesus to fulfill her family’s ambitions.  She said, “Grant that these my two sons may sit, one on Your right and one on Your left.”

At that moment, she’s thinking of advancement, posterity, position, and place; while Jesus is thinking of scourging, mocking and death.  She’s looking for a crown, while Christ was preparing for the cross!  Jesus silenced her ambitions.  He said, “You don’t know what you are asking for. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?”

And of course, not understanding, they said, “We are able.”  The truth was that they had no idea what Jesus was talking about.   We have the same problem today.  The church doesn’t understand what Jesus talks about when He tells us to bear a cross and follow Him.  Yet Jesus said to them, “You shall drink of my cup, but to sit on my right hand and on my left, is not mine to give, but it is for those whom it is prepared of my Father.”

We want very much to see the fulfillment of God’s Word in our lives.  We follow the Lord for a time; but when things don’t happen the way the preacher said they would, we begin to stray and give up hope and wonder if it is all worth it.  But all the while God is bringing us through preparation for dying to self and for learning patience and maintaining vision through our testing before the fulfillment can come.

Ambition is the first motive that God must deal with when we want more of God.  Ambition is very deceptive.  It can seem like obedience; yet because we don’t truly know the Lord; the voice we are obeying is not God’s voice, but our own.  Our vision can be of God, but our motive is self. Jas 3:16 (NIV) 
“For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.”

Why? Because we begin thinking we can accomplish the will of God through the strength of man.  We are seeking a breakthrough; while God wants to give us brokenness. 

Because they are immature, the spiritually immature don’t recognize they are immature They become impatient, fearful, and demanding.  Pride blinds the ambitious.  Our actions generate strife.

Ambition seeks to put to death what stands between it and spiritual fulfillment.  But it is ambition that must die.  AMBITION is an “earnest desire to achieve something and a willingness to strive for it.”  The word “ambition” is rendered “strife” in the KJV.  It is ambition that causes strife and conflict in the church.

Without character we don’t have faithfulness, with a grateful heart.  These things have to be worked in us before God can fulfill His promises to us and His purposes for us. What I become for God is more important than what I do for Him.

With every advancement in the Kingdom of God we have to die to self and live unto Christ.  If you want to advance spiritually, you must go through a crucifixion. God will arrange opportunities for you to die to self. You must discern them. Dying to self and its ambition is the means of reaching true spiritual fulfillment. If you resent the opportunity to die to these things, you will fail to reach fulfillment.  But if you can maintain your vision while ambition is dying, you will succeed.

Having a true vision is not the same thing as having a godly motive. A person can have a vision directly from God, but still be driven by ambition in seeking to fulfill it. Jesus preached the Kingdom of heaven was at hand. This is the vision.  But he also taught, “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross” (Mat.16:24).

Jesus said that each of us has our own unique cross, “Take up his cross…” God has a cross specifically designed to crucify our fleshly ambitions so that we can reach our vision.

God had given Joseph a dream about his future.  But in his immaturity, Joseph exalted himself to his 10 older brothers.  He assured them one day they would bow, like stacks of wheat, in submission to him.  What was the outcome?  They tried to kill him.  Joseph’s vision was from God, but his motive lacked character and nearly cost him his life (Gen.37).

But God was with Joseph despite his lack of spiritual knowledge. And we can rejoice because God is with us in spite of us.  But never forget:  A true vision will kill you before it will fulfill you.

God chose to bring Joseph to Egypt for thirteen years to face and overcome repeated experiences of dying inwardly to self. He faced betrayal, abandonment, slavery, sexual temptation, slander and imprisonment.  Sounds pretty hopeless.  And on top of that, he faced being forgotten about. Yet, Joseph trusted God and grew in wisdom and spiritual integrity.

God didn’t want a man who could just interpret dreams.  He wanted a man who could rule and still remain a man of God.

Joseph kept his heart free from bitterness that overwhelms the soul when you suffer repeated heartache.  Joseph kept his heart from becoming hardened.  He was a man who wept when he finally saw his brothers, the same men who had laughed while he cried to them from the pit.  They would have left him to die a slow agonizing death had God not ordained a caravan of traders to buy him.  Joseph could have had his revenge. But scripture records that five times Joseph turned away and wept when his family came.  One time he wept so loudly that “the Egyptians heard it, and the house of Pharaoh heard it” (Gen.45:2).

Joseph became a man of character:  a man whose ambitions died, but whose vision lived.  He drank the cup given him by God, and his dream became a reality.  Jesus drank the cup given to Him, and we now experience salvation.  But each of us has a cup to drink on our way to our destiny. There are no shortcuts to power.  No matter what we experience, even death, won’t be us; it will be Christ living in us.

Listen, you who desire true spiritual fulfillment, Jesus was saying, “I cannot fulfill your ambitions, I can only show you how to die.”

He says, “You shall drink the cup.”

If we are to advance with Christ, we must become a servant (slave)…who ministers (serves)…to give our life as a ransom for others (Matt. 20:27-28).   Jesus did not point out the rewards, which are many.  He showed them the way to true resurrection power: GIVE YOURSELF AS A RANSOM: for the sake of your family, your church or your city. [ransom = root – to break up and loose] Position yourself in prayer, fasting and faith for others. Stand in the gap so others might live. This is the cup that leads to spiritual fulfillment.

This is not a gloomy path.  This is the life of heaven in your heart.  For when Christ lives in us, He comes with an overwhelming, sustaining joy.

Heb 12:2 (KJV)  “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Christ endured his cross because of the joy set before Him. The cross delivers us from a prison of self-absorption. It releases us into the “presence [of] fulness of joy and at [His] right hand pleasures forevermore” (Psm.16:11).

Don’t let self-pity keep your old nature alive.  We all experience heartache and disappointment.  Instead of carrying the cross, we end up carrying offenses. Get rid of self-pity and be followers of Christ.  Forgive offenses and let them go. That is the basic path of Christ.

2Co 4:7-10 (KJV)  “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.  (8)  We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;  (9)  Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;  (10)  Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.”

What is this dying?  When offenses come and when people betray us, we pray mercy and cry out as Jesus did: “Father, forgive them.” Death has a work to do in us.  It is not what we desire above other things, but it is what manifests the life of Christ through us for others.  So in this regard death is not our enemy.  It is what an ally becomes in the transformational process of our souls. It performs a work in us that we otherwise can’t fulfill.

This is the true spiritual fulfillment, not our striving to create a place for ourselves, but in laying down self to create a place for Jesus.

It is what makes you a real Christian, one who expresses who Jesus Christ really is. It is where people can see you are not one to promote yourself, and you have nothing to prove, but that Christ is risen and glorified.

God is preparing us for glory, but for us to attain to that glory requires that we each bear our cross. 

-Pr. Steve Ross

 

 

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 2014

Jul.04 – For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.  For what Glory is it if, when you are buffeted for your faults, you shall take it patiently? But if, when you do well, and suffer for it, you take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. (I Peter 2:19-20)

Jul.05 – Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanks giving, present your requests to God. (Phil.4:6)

A wise man keeps himself under control. (Pro.29:11)

Jul.13 – Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles; that when they speak against you as evil doers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. (I Pet.2:12)

Jul.19 – Be zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that you may excel to the edifying of the church.

Jul.22 – For me to live is Christ. I want to depart to live with and be with Christ, but to remain in the flesh is more necessary. So I will stay. (Phil.1:21-25)

Jul.26  - True Godly love is self-sacrifice. (Eph.6:2 & I Jn.3:16)

 

Quotes

 "A true revival means nothing less than a revolution, casting out the spirit of worldliness and selfishness, and making God and His love triumph in the heart and life."

-Andrew Murray

 

"A revival is nothing else than a new beginning of obedience to God."

-Charles Finney

 

"If the whole church goes off into deception, that will in no way excuse us for not following Christ."

-Leonard Ravenhill

 

 

Next course from Christian Life Educators Network -  Richmond Center:

Living by Faith: by Dr. Frederick Wilson

Three major areas of faith are highlighted: the biblical, the theological and the practical. God’s master plan of faith, the eternal perspective, the importance and power of faith, the believer’s relationship to God and His word, the home, the church and the market place are emphasized.

                                                                                   August 13-15, 2015

 

JUNE NEWSLETTER 2015

Living Word

Christian Fellowship

“That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving...” Psalm 26:7

Vol. 24   No. 6   June   2015

There is nothing more important than recognizing and walking in the will of God. When you don’t know His will, then you will be very insecure.  Oh, you might cover it over with all kinds of carnal or worldly concepts; but inside, you will be empty.  Knowing you are walking in His will enables you to rise above all the differences that invade your life.

Pro 3:6 (NLT)  “Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take.”

The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of your life.  God will even address your smallest concern.  There is no place for two wills in one person. If you want God’s will, then you must be prepared to surrender your own will.  Wills frequently clash, so there are choices you must make and maintain if you want to walk in obedience to God.

Remember, Jesus had to surrender His will to accomplish the Father’s will at Calvary.  So surrender; then focus your heart and mind on God and His Word. Once you do, His will, will come forth, and joy will be your strength and victory.

In Christ,

Pr. Steve

  

What is Holding You Back?

 2Ki 7:3 (KJV) “And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate: and they said one to another, Why sit we here until we die?”

There were four lepers sitting outside the city of Samaria in a quandary.  They couldn’t go into the city because there was a famine.  They couldn’t stay where they were because they were starving to death.  And the Syrian army was camped in siege around the city of Samaria, which is why it was in a famine.  And they were fearful what to do because they were lepers.  So what were they going to do? They were in a dilemma.  And so I want to ask the question today: What is holding you back?  Verse 3 says: “Why sit we here until we die?”

This is a story about faith.  The background is 850 B.C. The Assyrian army under Ben-Hadad had laid siege to the city of Samaria.  Elisha had come and declared deliverance for the city.  He was inside the city in the middle of the famine, but he told the people not to worry because the Syrians would not destroy them.

These four lepers were sitting outside in-between the enemy and the famine-ridden city.  They were in misery because they had no food and were dying.  Notice, the MISERY of the lepers preceded the MIRACLE of the Lord; for when they started walking, God started working.

Some people spend a whole lot of time “waiting on God” while God waits on them.  As they started walking, God started working.  Panic, poverty, pain  -- these were tools to get them moving.

I want to share with you three things that hold us back from our miracle.

1. THE FEAR FACTOR: Run toward your fear, never away from it.  We are in a state of change and transition.  Do not fear it. Fear the status quo. Change is a constant in life.  If change isn’t occurring in your life, then you are dead.  Fear death or fear remaining the same.

The fear factor will do three things:

A.) Fear will paralyze our actions. Courage is not the absence of fear; it is purposeful action in spite of fear. There is a story of a young man in Argentina.  This young man’s family lived in such a state that their refrigeration needs were behind the house, and it was his job to go out before each meal to get the cold drinks.  The lad was only six years old, so he usually got the drinks for breakfast or lunch because dinner was served after dark.  But this one day he was asked to go and get the drinks for supper.  On this particular night the wind was blowing, the path was overgrown with weeds, and he had to walk about 75 steps to the building.  When he got about half way and the light of the house was no longer visible, he froze in his steps.  He couldn’t move because he was so terrified.  He couldn’t turn around and run back into the house, and he couldn’t walk any further on the path.  His father, who happened to see him out the window, came out and grabbed his little hand.  Immediately all of the boy’s fears vanished, and he walked straight down that path without any more thought of fear because his father was with him. Fear will paralyze our actions if we allow it.

2Ti 1:7 (KJV) “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

Fear is a spirit that can attack us and lodge itself within us and immobilize us. God wants to hold our hand if we will just start walking.

B.) Fear will not only paralyze our actions, it will also stifle our creativity.  Creativity is the ability to operate outside the box.  Fear paralyzes us from acting creatively. We lose our ideals and our ideas. We are not able to think clearly. We lose the ability to get the best out of our circumstances.  We might be able to move, but it is like a puppet without any life. We lose our ability to be who we are.

2Co 10:5 (KJV)  “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;”

Most fear is imaginary.  It is in our minds.

C.) Not only does fear paralyze our actions and stifle our creativity, it also limits our vision. Fear makes a person near-sighted; he cannot see the big picture around him.

The children of Israel had just left Egypt (Exodus 14:13-15), and Pharaoh had brought the army of Egypt with him to bring them back into captivity.  There they were, camped at the Red Sea.  The army was drawing closer and the water was a big wall in front of them. They had no place to go, so they started to complain and curse Moses, their leader.  They couldn’t see because fear had limited their vision. “Tell the children of Israel to move forward and when they start walking, I will start working.”  They were allowing fear to limit their vision.

We, too, must deal with the fear factor.  Those lepers asked, “Why are we sitting here until we die?”  They dealt with their fear. Then they moved toward their fear and God gave them the victory.

When Goliath looked at David, he wasn’t afraid, but he had limited vision.  He only saw a little boy with two sticks in his hand (as he called it).  And Goliath laughed. David, on the other hand, got the big picture; he wasn’t afraid of Goliath’s words or his size. David didn’t have a sword, so how was he going to cut off Goliath’s head?  But he had courage and he knew his God. Don’t let fear hinder your actions or stifle your creativity or limit your vision.

The second thing that can keep us from our miracle is:

2.  THE FAITH FACTOR:  The lepers sat and talked back and forth to each other, thereby building up their faith.  Build up your confidence in God, not in yourself.

Jud 1:20-21 (KJV)  “But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,  (21)  Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”

Three ways to build up your faith: Pray in the Holy Ghost (You need to be one of those people).  Eph 6:18 (KJV)  “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;”

A true woman or man of God walks in prayer. And when those hard and difficult times come, you will have discernment by the Spirit. Rom 8:26-27 (KJV)  “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.  (27)  And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”

The Holy Spirit down inside of us knows exactly what we need and brings it up so we can pray and get hold of God.

The second way to build your faith is to “Keep yourself in love.” That is the heart of O.T. faith. Deu 6:5 (KJV)  “And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.” [Heart = inner man; Soul = your middle man; Might = your outer man, your presence.]

So pray in the Spirit; keep yourself in love and expect God’s favor upon your life.  Jude says, “Look for the favor of the Lord Jesus Christ. Look for it! Expect it; anticipate it.” 

Luk 2:52 (KJV)  “And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.”

As Jesus built Himself up in His faith with God, He grew in favor.  As you grow in God, God will grow in you; and you can expect more and more of God’s favor in your life.

Build yourself up in the Holy Ghost, and the love of God, expecting the favor of God upon your life. That is what the lepers did.  And as they built each other up, God began to work on their behalf. They dealt with the Faith Factor!

3. THE FEASIBILITY FACTOR: The third thing that can hold us back is the feasibility factor. Learn to turn your liabilities into assets. It was the lepers’ very liability that made them available and strategic to be used of God for this miracle.  They weren’t in the city because they couldn’t go into the city; neither were they a part of the siege.  So they could move between the city and the enemy. 

They turned their liability into an asset. Instead of cursing their circumstances, they made use of them.

God doesn’t always use the logical solution.  Elisha was in the city – God didn’t use him. He had prophesied that deliverance was coming.  But how did God do that?  He sent fear among the Syrian army, and they fled in the middle of the night. But in order for that miracle to produce fruit, God used the lepers to bring forth the prophetic word of God.

God sometimes uses the most unlikely people to bring about His miracles.

Think about Rahab the harlot.  According to Joshua 2 this  woman was not an ex-harlot or a converted harlot.  She practiced her livelihood.  But God used her because she dealt with her fear, turned her liability into an asset, and saved the spies from Israel.

Then there was Gideon – he was a coward according to Judges 6. He didn’t want to fight.  He was just trying to survive. And all of a sudden the Angel of the Lord came and said, “Hail, you mighty man of valor.”  I am sure Gideon looked around to see who he was talking to.  God took this wimpy man and turned him into a mighty deliverer of the people of Israel.

Then there was a nameless child maid of Naaman’s wife in 2 Kings 5.  Naaman had leprosy and needed help.  He was dying.  When he asked, “What can I do?”  this little maid responded, “Why don’t you go to the man of God and ask him for help?” We don’t know her name, but God used her. God uses unlikely people in order to perform great things.

So let me ask you a question, WHAT IS HOLDING YOU BACK?  Are you just sitting by waiting for something to happen until you die?  Remember, when you start walking, God starts working. Don’t let fear immobilize you. Don’t let the lack of faith hold you back. Build up your faith by praying in the Spirit, keeping yourself in love and expecting the favor of God. And don’t let the feasibility factor hold you back.  Don’t wait for your circumstance to be perfect. They never will be.  God will use the most unlikely people to do great things.  Why don’t you be one of those people?

 

-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 2014

Jun.02: I count all things loss that I may know Jesus Christ my Lord. Because of Him I have suffered the loss of all things so that I may gain Christ.

Jun.07: You shall go out with joy and be led forth with peace; the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. (Isa.55:12)

Jun.10: Say to one another “Take courage.” Do not fear. I am with you. Do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you.  I will hold on to you with My righteous right hand.

Jun.14: O Lord, please help me to pray by the leading of the Holy Spirit because You are Spirit and we must worship in Spirit and in Truth.  Often times my fears and worries lead me in prayer.  I want to know You so much.  I will ask according to Your will. AMEN.

Jun.17: Faith is to “press forward.” Don’t go back.  I am not pleased when My people draw back. So press forward in Me and the blessings will follow.

Jun.20: All the power you need comes through the Holy Spirit in you.

Jun.23: Do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. (Heb.10:35)

Jun,28: If you abide in Christ, then walk like Christ, as He walked.

(I Jn.2:6)

 

A Change of Heart

As Christians we should always be grateful for the new life that God has given us; and at the same time, we should embrace with gratitude the fact that we will all face many changes as we grow spiritually.  As long as we live, there will always be “issues” and “changes” stemming from areas such as health, wealth, location, job, and with many other aspects of our lives.  Thank God, we don’t have to go through the changes alone, for He is with us.

Jas 1:5-8 (KJV)  “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.  (6)  But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.  (7)  For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.  (8) A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.”

Growing in our relationship with God and understanding His ways involves a lifetime quest, one that can be especially challenging when things don’t go the way we think that they should. While for us there will continually be changes that need to be made, we should never forget that God does not change; nor does He need to change. Sometimes, when God does not let our circumstances change, it is because He is trying to change our heart.

Mal 3:6-12 (KJV)  “For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.  (7)  Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?  (8)  Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.  (9)  Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.  (10)  Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.  (11)  And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts.  (12) And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts.”

Second Corinthians chapter 4:4….sites the devil as being the “small g” god of this world, and it states that we can be blinded to the truth if we willingly walk in error.  But when we find that we have compromised or have been just plain disobedient, then we know that we must change.  God is full of mercy to those who are willing to humble themselves and turn from wickedness. However, we must do it His way and not try to do it our way; remembering always that compromise opens the door to the deceiver.

1Sa 15:22-23 (KJV)  “And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.  (23)  For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.”

God is good, there is no shadow of turning in Him, and His ways are just.  So if we are found to be in error, it is critical that we should humble ourselves and pray for a change of heart.

-Pr. Kurt Thurston

  

Quotes:

 "Revival, no matter how great or small in its ultimate scope, always begins with individual believers whose hearts are desperate for God, and who are willing to pay the price to meet Him."

                                                                - Del Fehsenfeld Jr.

 

Next course from Christian Life Educators Network -  Richmond Center:

 Summer Break! Classes resume in August

 

MAY NEWSLETTER 2015

Living Word

Christian Fellowship

“That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving...” Psalm 26:7

Vol. 24   No. 5     May    2015

Heb 2:1 (NLT)  “So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it.”

Today we live with an attitude of instant gratification and acquiring more stuff. But what does your credit bills show you?  Are the blessings of God turning into curses because you can’t keep up? Materialism doesn’t satisfy because it is oppressive.  We don’t own anything.  Even our homes own us because of all the upkeep and expenses.  We have become slaves to gadgets and garments. We have a fleeting moment of pleasure and then we are off for the next thing.  Things dictate our time, and they dominate our desires.  We spend most of our years working for things until there is no time left with which to pursue God and His plans for our life.  There is little time left to do good deeds, see places of creation, or visit people who give us great inner joy.

Paul says, 1Ti 6:6 (KJV)  “But godliness with contentment is great gain.”

In order to experience that contentment, you need to count your blessings every day and thank the One who made all things possible for what you have been given.

The objective to Col 3:2 “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth” is so that we can understand and experience the measure of God’s greatness to us. Become an eternal person living in the unseen realm, and the things of this earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.

In Christ,

Pr. Steve

 

Fullness of God

 Eph 3:14-21 (KJV)  “For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,  (15)  Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,  (16)  That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;  (17)  That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,  (18)  May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;  (19)  And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.  (20)  Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, (21)  Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.”

Paul was praying for people who were already saved and filled with the Holy Spirit, yet he is pointing out a further work to be done. The Bible teaches there are three works of redemption, and we are entering that third work in our day This third work of God comes after Pentecost,

These Ephesians probably thought they had come to maturity and had received everything that they needed, until Paul shows up.

Paul says, “I am praying, I kneel before the Father, where the whole family in heaven and earth derive their name.”  He is talking about God’s elect.  He is talking about what God will do, not what we do. But you have to know that with the Lord it is always an invitation.  He wants people in His Kingdom who want to be there. So it is never a case where He says, “You do this, and you do that.”  It is the same way with giving.  God loves a cheerful giver. Therefore, you are not to give out of compulsion but because it is what you want to do. God wants you to want to give because you love Him with all your heart.  First, He invites us to give, and then He invites us to receive.

Out of God’s glorious riches, He promises to give to everyone who answers His invitation. As intensified temptations confront us, we will experience an increased need for His enabling through a power greater than our own. In response to our calling out and placing our dependence on Him, God promises to strengthen us in our inner being.

Sadly, Barna reports that 55% do not believe in the devil. Unprepared, unaware and lacking the inner power to overcome, those who refuse to believe the Word of God and who live their lives void of a growing relationship with Jesus will be taken captive.

Paul tells the Christians at Ephesus that he is praying for them to be strengthened with power through the Spirit of God in their inner being.  How many today need more inner strength?  You will need that empowerment to resist temptation.  “So that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith” doesn’t mean that faith is an alternative.  How do you keep the Presence of the Lord with you?  By talking to Him all the time!  If you never want to be lonely, then learn to talk to Him all the time about everything.  Try it.  It is not hard because Christ is very present and He loves to converse with you. That is how you have Christ dwell in your heart.  The faith part means you can’t see Him, so you are communicating with Him by faith.

“That you be rooted and grounded in love.” The love referred to here is God’s love, not humanistic love, not superficial love, but supernatural love that comes through the Spirit of God as we converse constantly with Christ.

Eph 3:18 (NIV) “…may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ…”

The issue of righteousness is always a question of power.  If you had your way, you would live a perfectly godly life, so why don’t you?  Because you don’t have the power.  You think if you had the power, you wouldn’t sin and you would stop others from sinning.  Don’t we just want righteousness to rule?  But it is always a battle. You are battling against the world, your own sinful nature, and against Satan – it is a constant fight to do what is right.

What marks the passage from child to adult?  A major sign occurs when a person does what he believes to be right, no matter how difficult or painful. Those who will do only what is pleasant are children. Doing what is right is evidence of maturity into adulthood.

The problem here is that while there are actually four dimensions, most of the time we live in only three. The fourth dimension that we need the life of Christ dwelling and working in us. Think about it – is Christ real to you?  If not, it is because He is in a fourth dimension that you have yet to discover.

“And to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge.”  When God touches you with His love, it changes you forever. It is so overpowering you can’t handle the intensity for very long.  It will mess with your emotions; causing you to cry at the least prompting. People today are not touched by the things that happen because they have been hardened in their hearts. (Pray that your conscience is not seared during these days because you need to be able to be moved by the Spirit of God.) Your degree of sensitivity to the Holy Spirit can affect your ability to respond properly to difficulty.

God’s love will put within you such a compassion for the people of the world it will change you forever. This love goes beyond your knowledge.  In fact, it has nothing to do with knowledge.

“THAT YOU MIGHT BE FILLED WITH ALL THE FULLNESS OF GOD! ”
That fullness is spoken of in another place concerning the Lord Himself. “For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.” (Col 2:9) 

Therefore, this passage is inviting us to be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God today. [a Profound truth!]

How can a human being like Jesus be filled with the fullness of the Godhead?  If God can dwell in a human being in His fullness, then we are much larger than we understand.  We can’t see what really is true of us. All we can see is the physical form, but there is much more going on than we understand.

God wants people who are so in love with Him that they will persevere by faith in this valley of the shadow. Even though they can’t see, they just believe.  As Daniel says, they will be as stars that shine forever. So there is much more at stake here than we understand.  We have the Bible and you can go by that; so when it says you can be filled with all the fullness of God, that is what it means, and nothing less. Therefore, our attitude needs to be – “I want it, Lord.”

Vrs.20 says “abundantly” = more than can be measured (Remember, this is coming from His glorious riches.) You have to want this abundance!  It isn’t going to be handed out, like food in a soup kitchen.  If you desire something else, which is always something less, you can be like Esau who traded his inheritance for a bowl of soup.  Are you one who trades spiritual riches for worldly pleasures?

This fullness of God is the third great platform of redemption. It comes after the baptism.

John 14:23 describes the fullness of God. In Jn.14:15-16 Jesus says He will give you another Comforter – that is the Holy Spirit.  But in verse 23, He is no longer talking about the Comforter: “My Father will love him, and we will come to him.”  Not “I”, but “we” (more than one). He is talking about the fullness of God. 

The condition is that you have to obey the Word.  “My Father” (not the Holy Spirit; they are not the same) The Holy Spirit is a person, that is why it says, if you speak against the Holy Spirit it will not be forgiven you, not if you speak against the Father.  And in water baptism we are baptized in the name of three people: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They work together and are one, and we are being invited into that oneness –the enlargement of God.

The thing that identifies us as unique more than anything else (not our fingerprints) is our will. Your will is essentially you.  Jesus said in Gethsemane, “Not my will but yours be done…”  That is two people.  They are not the same person.

“We will come and make our abode with him.”  If you have the Spirit with you forever, and you have the Father with you forever, and you have the Son with you forever, are you filled with all the fullness of God?  There is nothing left out. That is fullness of God. That is what we have to look forward to.

Isaiah 12 is what the Jews chanted at the Feast of Tabernacles.  They had an instinct for God.  This will be your testimony when you have the fullness of God. (Vrs.1 – you will go through a time when you feel like God is mad at you; but your pain is not a grave, it is a tunnel.)

Vrs.2 – “God is my salvation”.  We are used to hearing, “God will save me.”  There is a transition that occurs in our life, one that is difficult and confusing as you pass from holding God’s hand to His holding your hand.  “God is my salvation,” not that He gave _{(past tense)} me or will give _{(future tense)} me, He is _{(present tense)} my salvation. That is the fullness of God. 

“I will trust and not be afraid.”  He will bring us through situations that we cannot understand. We will trust Him no matter what.  God cares about our wellbeing, so we can trust Him and not be afraid.

“The Lord JEHOVAH is my strength and my song and is become my salvation.”  You need more than the average church member has today.  You need this strength. You need to trade your life for His life.

Gal 2:20 (KJV)  “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

When you have to live by His life, you are not holding His hand; instead, He is holding yours. To make it, you have to live by the life of Jesus.  Lay your life down, find out what Jesus wants, and grow in His salvation.  Today is the day of salvation in which God wants to fill you with the fullness of Himself so that you will have not mere religious strength, but you will let Him become your strength. 

 

-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 2014

May 05: Give us help from trouble; for vain is the help of man. Through God we shall do valiantly; for it is He that shall tread down our enemies. (Psm.108:12-13)

May 10: But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear Him and his righteousness unto children’s children. (Psm.103:17)

May 15: If they obey and serve Him, they shall spend their days in prosperity and their years in pleasures (Job 36:11)

May 16: Have faith in God.  Say to this mountain be removed. Believe and it shall be done. Forgive when you pray that your Father in heaven may forgive you. Let no attack of Satan keep you from the fullness of God that is being created in you. Resist the devil and he will flee from you!

May 17: This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles. O taste and see that the Lord is good, blessed be the man that trusteth in him.  Keep thy tongue from evil and thy lips from speaking guile.  Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.

May 19: I will be your defender and shield. Remain quiet and deliverance will come.

May 22: The blood cleanses your conscience that condemns you. The blood lifts you into a heavenly realm that you may experience His Presence and love.  You do not have to live with an evil conscience by the blood of the Lamb.

May 26: A man’s steps are directed by the Lord. How then can anyone understand his own way? (Pro.20:24)

May 27: Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep Your word (Psm.119:67)

May 31: You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You because he trusts in You! (Isa.26:3)

 

Bloom Where You Are Planted

 Sometimes, even as good Christian church-going people, we can get the feeling that we are just warming a church chair, or filling a spot on a pew, when all the while the truth is that we are being seasoned.  As we are taking in the Word of God, our roots are growing, and we are being strengthened in the faith.  And because that Word is the living Word of God we are being transformed! Our minds are being renewed; that we would no longer be conformed to this world; but instead we are becoming living proof of that which is the good, and the acceptable, and the perfect, will of God.  Most of the time during this season of setting the roots, people tend to get restless; and the temptation to uproot and move can be overwhelming; but rest assured, God does not change. Unless we jump ship and completely refuse to abide in Him, He will soon have us going through the seasoning process as planned once again Ecc 3:1 (KJV)  “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:”

Just as it is in nature, some seasons of our spiritual growth in the Lord are more desired than others; but whether it be in the natural or in the spiritual context; following God’s procedure is the only way that will bring forth Life.  However, when we get out of sync with God, we cease to progress; lose potential growth; miss our blooming season.  As Christians, it is greatly important that we stick with the process and bloom where we are planted; for that is the only way that we can bear new fruit.

Joh 15:4-6 (KJV)  “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.  (5)  I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.  (6)  If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.”

These days it seems that people want everything to be easy, but the Lord never said that abiding in Him and His Word was going to be easy. In fact, as one of Jesus’ disciples, Matthew, quoted Jesus as saying:                   

Mat 11:12 (KJV) “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.” 

There will be inward and outward, spiritual and fleshly battles; but the whole plan is that we stay the course!  Don’t Give Up!     The apostle Paul wrote in: 2Ti 4:7 (MSG),  “This is the only race worth running. I've run hard right to the finish, believed all the way.”

The Apostle Paul did not just run the race so that he could say that he had made it!  In fact, he was constantly getting information from God and sharing it with the believers in all of the churches.  And though we may or may not have a title in front of our names, if we stay in the growth process, we also will have inspirations from the Lord when we bloom that will bless and strengthen others in their Christian walk.  Don’t let discouragement rule you and thus rob others.

Psalm 1:2-3 says, “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.” 

-Pr. Kurt Thurston

 

Quotes: 

"This much is sure in all churches... the smallest meeting numerically is the prayer-meeting. If weak in prayer we are weak everywhere."

 -Leonard Ravenhill

 

"A true revival means nothing less than a revolution, casting out the spirit of worldliness and selfishness, and making God and His love triumph in the heart and life."

-Andrew Murray

 

"A revival does two things. First, it returns the Church from her backsliding and second, it causes the conversion of men and women; and it always includes the conviction of sin on the part of the Church."

-Billy Sunday

 

 

Next course from Christian Life Educators Network -  Richmond Center:

  

Summer Break! Classes resume in August