World Missions to Asia Blog RSS Feed

SEWING for HOPE

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 16:45:55 GMT

“SEWING THEIR WAY OUT OF POVERTY”

Never underestimate the power of a woman with a sewing machine!!!

WMA is making an impact, helping poor needy families by simply providing sewing machines to impoverished individuals giving them an opportunity to succeed.

You can provide a heavy manual sewing machine today. Our 2026 goal is 36 sewing machines at an average cost of $150.00 each.

March Newsletter

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 15:00:47 GMT

PRAYER REQUEST & HIGH-STAKES MISSIONS UPDATE

World Missions to Asia (WMA) operations, driven by the current, highly volatile situation in the Middle East, including reported missile strikes and intense conflict.

WMA Mission Trip Status (March/April 2026)

POSTPONED: THE Global Gathering in the UAE (Originally March 15–22) .

POSTPONED: Journey to Reach the Unreached (Nepal Mountains) (Originally March 21-31)

STILL ON SCHEDULE: Annual mission trip to Nepal to check on coordinators, church plants, and ministries. (April 13-28)

Specific Prayer Requests:

Wisdom & Discernment : For leaders and missionaries to have clear, godly wisdom in making critical, safe, and peaceful decisions regarding when to move or adjust ministry efforts.

Safety & Protection: A hedge of protection around all missionaries, families, and local believers (Psalm 91:10).

Guidance & Protection from Danger: Insight to navigate rapidly changing situations and avoid dangerous locations.

Peace: That the conflict would not escalate further, with leaders prioritizing peace over destruction.

Boldness & Hope: For teams to remain strong, courageous, and filled with hope, acting as lights in the darkness.

Please continue to pray.

Please stand with us.

The doors is still open — and when the time is right, we will walk through it together.

With urgency, with love, and with unshakable hope,

Fred J. Wynn

February WMA newsletter

Thu, 05 Feb 2026 19:44:29 GMT

Blankets of Blessings update and Upcoming events

UPCOMNG EVENTS

OPERATION BLANKETS OF BLESSINGS

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 19:44:16 GMT

“Meeting Basic Needs on the Mission Field.”

Blanket distributions in Nepal & India have provided critical, life-saving warmth to 125 Christian families in remote impoverished areas during the harsh winter. WMA coordinators delivered warm blankets, protecting vulnerable families and elderly individuals from cold-related illness, acting as both physical relief and a sign of hope.

Recipients expressed immense gratitude, with one beneficiary stating the blanket was a "great gift" that fulfilled an immediate, desperate need for her and her family.

These efforts, often delivered in winter, have brought not only physical warmth but also dignity and comfort to communities facing extreme weather conditions. I like to express my gratitude and thankfulness to every individual and church congregation that donated for this desperate need.

Thank you!!

Fred J. Wynn

2026 Jan. Newsletter

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 17:56:59 GMT

2026 New year and reflections Newsletter

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2025 Mission Update end of year

Fri, 19 Dec 2025 17:51:43 GMT

Mission Updates

Christmas Testimonies

Fri, 12 Dec 2025 18:07:54 GMT

Celebrating Christmas at the Labor Camps

The WMA Ministry Team has just returned from an unforgettable and deeply blessed mission trip to the UAE. Our greatest joy was hosting a Christmas celebration for the hardworking men and women living in the labor camps.

�� We were able to give 210 care boxes—each worth $50—to men and women who were truly in need.

�� WMA hosted a beautiful Christmas Celebration service with over 240 people in attendance from Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, all across Africa.

�� We shared the Gospel in two labor camps.

�� We preached in two local church services.

�� WMA hosted a pastors’ fellowship dinner.

�� Pastor Noman Sittar hosted and led a powerful leadership house-church service.

special prayer request for This Saturday

Mon, 10 Nov 2025 18:49:22 GMT

Time is of the essence....

‼️�� Prayer Request ��‼️ Hello friends, This is Fred Wynn, Executive Director of World Missions to Asia. From November 13–22, Brother Daren Downs, Brother Chris McGuire, and myself will be traveling to Lucknow, India, a region where the Church faces great persecution. We’ve already had to relocate our missions conference twice for safety concerns—but our hearts are on fire to share Jesus where He’s least known. This region of the world—India and its neighboring nations—represents over 40% of the world’s population, yet most have never heard the name of Jesus. We’re going to train and equip young believers to reach their own people with the Gospel. Please join us in prayer: • For God’s protection and guidance as we travel • For open hearts and a great revival • For strength to boldly share the love of Christ Your prayers make all the difference. Thank you for standing with us in faith and love. — Fred Wynn World Missions to Asia

November 2025

Mon, 03 Nov 2025 18:24:33 GMT

Christian Persecution

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GIFT OF A GOAT

Fri, 24 Oct 2025 17:05:28 GMT

Invest in a Livelihood

GIFTING GOATS is a way to empower impoverished families in Asia by providing them with an income-generating gift that can lead to greater stability and a pathway out of poverty.

Goats are often a good choice.

They are hardy and can live in almost any climate.

They have other benefits too: A pair of goats produces at least two kids each year, and their manure is a good source of fertilizer.

Donating goats helps families provide for their needs through the sale of milk, offspring, and meat, which can then be used for food, blankets, and education.

You can PROVIDE a goat today.

Our goal for 2025 is 36 goats at an average cost of $65 each.

“EMPOWER A FAMILY WITH A GIFT OF SUSTAINABLE HOPE”

October 2025

Tue, 14 Oct 2025 09:51:12 GMT

A HEART FOR NEPAL

Give them Water

Tue, 23 Sep 2025 15:35:39 GMT

Give water, Give life

For most of us, clean water is so common we hardly think about it. A simple turn of the faucet gives us safe water without fear of sickness. But many people don’t have that luxury.

WMA has served across Asia and beyond for years with a focus on Jesus.

Now, God has placed a deeper burden on our hearts to also meet physical needs. Countless families in remote areas are forced to drink from stagnant ponds or polluted rivers. Even where “clean water” is available, it’s often rationed to just an hour or two a day by local authorities.

These conditions cause daily suffering. We believe God is calling us to bring real help—clean water that transforms lives.

YOU CAN PROVIDE a manual hand water pump well today. Our goal for 2025 is six manual hand water pump wells @ average cost of $250 each.

“GIVE WATER, GIVE LIFE”

September Newsletter 2025

Wed, 17 Sep 2025 16:55:38 GMT

Water Baptisms' and so much more...

Thank you for being part of the WMA family. Because of your faithfulness, we are able to provide critical administrative and financial support to our missionaries. Our September newsletter shares inspiring reports from the mission field, and we are praying it will be a source of encouragement for you. With love in Christ, Fred J. Wynn Executive Director, WMA

Ministry on TWO wheels

Wed, 13 Aug 2025 16:40:07 GMT

Bicycle is a dream come true!

—Ministry on Two Wheels—

WMA (August) Monthly Ministry Promotional

For the missionary who shares the Gospel on foot, owning a BICYCLE IS A DREAM COME TRUE!

Many of us have enjoyed leisurely riding our bicycles on a Saturday afternoon to get a little fresh air and exercise. However, few of us would consider using a bicycle as our only mode of transportation. Many Pastors in third world countries spend many hours walking from one village to another. With a bicycle a national missionary Pastor can visit three to four times as many villages in a day. Owning a heavy duty made bicycle can be a wonderful blessing. Owning a heavy framed bicycle is a dream come true!

YOU CAN PROVIDE A BICYCLE TODAY. Our goal for 2025 is “36” heavy framed bicycles @ $100. This gift buys one bicycle for a national missionary.

AUGUST 2025 newsletter

Wed, 06 Aug 2025 16:01:26 GMT

WMA Farm animal ministries

Mission Report

India Back to School

fwynn@worldmissionstoasia.com (Fred J. Wynn) — Wed, 09 Jul 2025 16:00:07 GMT

—Gearing Up For Back-To-School Back-Packs—

As many children across the Asian countries are enjoying their summer break from school, WMA is gearing up to make sure as many children as possible return to school in the fall of 2025 equipped, and ready to learn! In many areas of India we serve, we recognize that a large part of the poverty cycle is due to lack of education and overall well-being. TOGETHER, WE ARE CHANGING THIS, ONE FAMILY AT A TIME!!

Due to the large number of children we serve, we will be working the month of July and the first two weeks of August to get all of the Backpacks and School Supply Kits ready!

Your generous donation will make a HUGE difference in gifting a child a back-to-school backpack. All Backpacks and School Supply Kits are hand-delivered with Love, Encouragement, and most importantly, the Gospel of Christ!

Your Missionaries to Asia

Fred J. Wynn

World Missions to Asia News Letter

fwynn@worldmissionstoasia.com (Fred J. Wynn) — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 20:25:30 GMT

MAKING THINGS HAPPEN IN NEPAL

WMA MISSIONS TRIP RECAP

We would like to express our deepest gratitude to everyone who made this trip possible. We cannot thank you enough for your generous donations, as well as all of your prayers and support, which enabled us to take advantage of this opportunity! Every little bit counted and we felt every prayer working with us.

You helped make our mission journey that much more powerful and possible! In this way, you, too, are a missionary. If you have a chance, we would love for you to read some of our past reports, which have been recently added to our Facebook page and will be added to our website, so you can find out more about Nepal Mission Trip 2025.

As the executive director of WMA, I appreciate teamwork—when Disciples of Christ from the United States, Nepal, India, and the United Arab Emirates can gather and work together as the body of Christ to accomplish the will of the Father.

“Teamwork divides the task and multiplies the success.”

Teamwork is all around us in life. We see it in marriages, businesses, neighborhoods, churches, etc. God loves to see Christians working together submitting to His will.

Thank you for praying for and supporting World Missions to Asia!

Each book of the Bible includes extensive book introductions to give you background information and so much more.
Trust me when I say that you are going to love the extra notes to help you understand the scriptures even more. The focus on the Spirit, Pentecost, and being set apart from this world are so important and vital for daily living.
Maps and charts. Maps help us see distance, terrain, and borders of nations. These details are important for understanding the journeys so many people in the Bible took, including Jesus himself. Charts are a great way to display information in a different, more visual way. The Fire Bible includes many maps and charts to deepen your understanding of the geographical context.
Cross references — verses and passages in the Bible that echo other verses in Scripture. References encourage the reader to see the Bible as one continuous story, instead of a collection of fragments, and point out connections you may not have noticed. This feature allows for a better grasp of biblical themes to enhance your Bible study.
Study Bibles are filled with notes that offer more explanation about the Scriptures. The notes provided in The Fire Study Bible give cultural and historical context in order to help the reader understand difficult passages and big theological ideas. Notes also highlight important takeaways to help guide your study. When we understand the Word, we can live it out better.

Study Bibles are resources that encourage us to grow in our Biblical knowledge and thus enrich our faith. Using the features provided in these bibles are great ways to learn and gain a more complete understanding of the Word of God.

Mission Trip Strengthens in many ways...

I’m excited to tell you about my recent mission trip to Nepal with my friends and fellow laborers, Bros. Fred Wynn and Josh Horn. I really felt like we were living out something similar to the apostle Paul’s missionary journeys as we ministered in 18 different churches, dedicated two new churches, and baptized 16 new believers.

They were strengthened financially through a variety of gifting. We gave bicycles to pastors, thus improving their ability to tend to their flocks. The farm animals and improved water access through hand pumps gave them a higher quality of life and greater financial stability. One of my favorites was passing out candy and soccer balls to the children. If utilized properly, these gifts will have a permanent impact on the individual believers as well as the churches they are a part of.

They were also strengthened spiritually in several ways. The gifting of Bibles to church leaders and Study Bibles to pastors is one. The anointed preaching of the word of God is another. Many encouraging words were spoken as well. Meals were provided by WMA after every church service, giving us a blessed time of fellowship with pastors, laity, children, and families.

I believe that all of this made a huge impact on the churches there.

Finally, I would like to give a very big heartfelt thank you to all who supported us throughout this mission trip. Your financial support made it possible.

Your prayers were crucial to its success. Most people don’t get to look behind the scenes and see the incredible team of missions coordinators, translators, and pastors that make it all happen, but they are worthy of much thanks.

Whatever part you played, the reaping will be tremendous. Most of all, thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (I’ll let you look that up) for a mission trip that was worthy of the book of Acts!

THANK YOU!

SERMON IN A STORY 39 Warriors

fwynn@worldmissionstoasia.com (Fred J. Wynn) — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 19:59:38 GMT

39 prayer warriors

One of the most powerful stories I’ve ever heard is about a Scottish missionary who returned home after years of ministry in Africa. He went back to his sending church in Scotland to share what God had been doing and to ask for more workers to join the mission.

It was winter—cold, wet, and dreary.

The turnout that day was small, mostly elderly folks. He was a bit disheartened. They were faithful, yes, but not exactly fit for the mission field. Still, he preached his heart out.

He ended with a simple but weighty question:
“Who will go? Who will go? Who will go?”

He didn’t know that up in the choir loft, helping the organist, was a little boy. When he heard the call, something stirred in him. He stood up and shouted:
“I will go! I will go! I will go!”

That boy’s name? David Livingstone.

The missionary encouraged him, saying, “If God’s calling you to Africa, become a doctor. Serve as a medical missionary.” David did just that.

Years later, deep in Africa, Livingstone’s team faced grave danger. A tribal chief sent a message: they would be attacked that night—killed, all of them.

We know this moment in detail because Livingstone kept diaries. That night, he wrote a desperate prayer:
“Lord, we’ve labored so faithfully. Please, please protect us. Please help us.” They waited. Nothing happened.

A couple years later, the very chief who had threatened him became a follower of Christ—and the entire village followed.

Later, David asked, “Why didn’t you kill us that night?” The chief replied, “We came. But as we approached the camp, we saw 39 giant warriors standing around it. We counted them. They were not of this world.”

Some time after, David shared this story back in Scotland. As he spoke, the church secretary approached him and asked, “Do you remember the exact date that happened?” He did. She opened the church prayer journal and pointed to the entry for that day: 39 people were gathered, praying for him.

Bringing the Word of God to Asia: A Mission with Global Impact

fwynn@worldmissionstoasia.com (Fred J. Wynn) — Thu, 08 May 2025 18:26:44 GMT

Across the vast and diverse continent of Asia, millions of people still lack access to the most important book ever written — the Bible.

World Missions to Asia (WMA) is answering the call to change that.

With a vision to freely distribute the Word of God across the nations, WMA partners with ministries throughout Asia to ensure that Bibles reach the hands — and hearts — of those who need them most. In a region that includes 48 countries, countless dialects, and a rich variety of cultures, the task is monumental… but so is the calling.

From the frozen landscapes of Siberia to the warm tropics of Southeast Asia, Asia’s spiritual landscape is as diverse as its geography . Some areas enjoy long traditions of written language and Scripture, while others remain unreached or underserved — not by desire, but by access. Many families and churches simply cannot afford to purchase Scripture on their own.

Why Bible Distribution in Asia Matters

�� Asia is home to over 4.7 billion people — nearly 60% of the world’s population.
�� Access to the Bible is still limited in many rural and persecuted areas.
��️ Language diversity and political restrictions often hinder the spread of printed Scripture.

WMA is uniquely positioned to navigate these challenges, working directly with trusted partners on the ground. Whether it’s delivering printed Bibles to remote villages or supplying Scripture resources to local churches, the mission is always the same: make the Word of God accessible to all .

How You Can Be Part of Our Mission

Your prayers and support make this ministry possible. Every donation helps print, ship, and distribute Bibles to people who are hungry for truth and hope. Whether you're called to give, pray, or simply share the message, you are part of this global impact .

�� Pray for a stronger international presence for WMA across Asia.
�� Give to support Bible printing and logistics in hard-to-reach areas.
�� Share our mission to help more people hear the Good News.

Want to learn more about how you can get involved?

Follow our updates on Facebook or reach out directly to see how your church or group can support international Bible distribution.

A Great Testimony

Tue, 07 Jan 2025 18:48:37 GMT

—THIS WAS A GREAT TESTIMONY—

A scene from WMA Food Distribution today.

16 poor families, mostly old and sick live in, have to manually draw water from this single well. Each family should use their own rope and bucket.

It's hard to have sufficient water in wells in elevated places here. It dries up in summer. No public water connection here. So called "colonies" where mostly the lowest strata of people live with almost nothing. Forsaken and forgotten by the madding, growing society.

When we got at the door of a small shed an old lady came out, astonished, saying, "so far no one has ever come in search of us with any help".

Yes. Proud to be saying, WMA is always in search of that strayed 1% like their Master.

Always filled and led by the Holy Ghost.

-Nelson Thomas

PRAY for WORLD MISSIONS TO ASIA

fwynn@worldmissionstoasia.com (Fred J. Wynn) — Wed, 18 Dec 2024 18:48:21 GMT

Our Mission is to Grow Christianity in Every Nation With Speed and Excellence

Dear WMA Friend,

I want to extend my deepest gratitude to you. Thank you for your unwavering support toward World Missions to Asia.

Your generosity and commitment to help spread the Gospel are truly inspiring, and we are blessed to have you by our side as we reach out to Asia and the world.

As we reflect on our ministries momentum, and as we intentionally and strategically plan for 2025 and the years that follow, we need your prayer and support now more than ever to sustain our growth and prepare a clear future for this ministry.

Our vision for next year on the mission field is incredibly promising, with exciting potential to reach more people and significantly impact the countries we serve in Asia and the world.

We break down our ministry in six categories.

1. Mission Trips

2. EvangelIsm

3. Planting Churches

4. Humanitarian

5. Sustainability

6. USA Home Missions •

We are particularly excited about the upcoming Mission trips to India and Nepal where we will be inaugurating and dedicating 3 new church construction projects. •

THE Global Gathering in the UAE is scheduled for the month of March and April. •

The annual youth conference in Jaigoan India is scheduled for the month of June •

And much more • We have a very strong faithful godly WMA international team.

Their partnerships is crucial in reaching more individuals and fostering sustainable growth within the countries, foreign cities, and villages we serve.

I believe that we are at a critical intersection with this ministry. I believe with your prayer and faithful support. We are going to navigate this ministry to a level for Jesus Christ that we have never reached before. Through Christ and being led by His Spirit we are going see more souls saved, and more churches planted than ever before.

Our Mission is to Grow Christianity in Every Nation With Speed and Excellence. With deep gratitude, your missionaries to Asia Fred J. Wynn

FALL GIVING CAMPAIGN

Tue, 29 Oct 2024 15:38:10 GMT

Join us in Our Fall Giving campaign....Let's make a difference!

Dear Friend,

This November, World Missions to Asia is excited to launch a dedicated social media campaign for our annual Fall Giving Campaign. Each day, we will share engaging content, including videos, Facebook Live devotionals, inspirational mission quotes, and impactful mission reports.

I invite you to be part of this effort by liking, sharing, and commenting on our posts. Your engagement will significantly expand the reach of our mission!

As our ministry continues to grow, we are strategically preparing for 2025. Your support during this campaign will help us build the financial foundation we need to move forward with strength and purpose.

Together, we can make a lasting impact in the coming year.

Helen Keller wisely said, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” Will you join us in promoting the vision of World Missions to Asia? Your partnership is vital, and we sincerely appreciate your commitment.

With gratitude,
Fred J. Wynn
World Missions to Asia

Church Construction in Inda

graphics@rdesignstxk.com (Ranessa Hendrix) — Tue, 01 Oct 2024 16:26:58 GMT

Happening now in Punjab, INDIA!!!

We are in the final phases of completing the church construction project in Punjab India!!! Praise the Lord!!! As of September 23rd, 2024 - we are leveling the floor, finishing bathrooms and building the stairs to the terrace

Witness the miraculous transformation that has unfolded through divine vision and steadfast faith! What began as a humble mission to support Pastor Madhu in Punjab, India, has blossomed into a beacon of hope for the poor and needy.

From the early days with just two family members, Pastor Madhu’s congregation has surged to over 250 devoted church members. We are thrilled to announce that we are in the midst of completing Phase 4 of our ambitious 5-phase church construction project.

The first four phases have seen the establishment of a robust foundation reinforced with iron-infused concrete pillars and brick walls, setting the stage for the future where we can build additional floors upwards as the Lord’s blessings continue to flow.

Our vision encompasses several key developments:

Bathrooms: These will be constructed on either side of the main entrance, ensuring convenience for all.
Terrace Access: A staircase will rise from the left side, leading to a welcoming terrace.
Missionary Quarters and Sunday School Rooms: The existing rooms from the old property will be enhanced to offer temporary accommodation for missionaries and serve as a space for Sunday School and other community activities.
Kitchen Rebuild: A new kitchen will be constructed to provide nourishing meals for special events and feeding of the poor.
Parking Facilities: Located next to the stairs, accommodating visitors who travel from outside the community.
Main Sanctuary: Designed to accommodate 500 members comfortably with the traditional Indian-style sitting-on-mat flooring, complete with ample windows and fans to provide relief from the heat and humidity.

Our goal is to complete all phases of this inspiring project by year-end while maintaining within our budget.

We invite you to join us in celebrating this remarkable journey and to continue supporting this vital work as we seek to fulfill the vision the Lord has laid on our heart.

Your prayers and contributions are instrumental in bringing this dream to fruition. By Pierre Braganza

Also in India & Nepal

GIFTING FARM ANIMALS… Goats are good source of income. Goats are sold for a good price in India & Nepal. Many people keeps goats for income generation. In August 2024, we provided 13 goats to needy families in Nepal and India. They were very happy for this blessing and were thankful to WMA for this provision!

Sermon in a Story

fwynn@worldmissionstoasia.com (Fred J. Wynn) — Thu, 19 Sep 2024 09:31:30 GMT

Victory

Stanley Praimnath, Vice President for Fuji Bank, was in his office in the South Tower at the World Trade Center when his phone rang. "Are you watching the news?' asked a woman in their Chicago office. "Are you alright?" "I'm fine" he said wondering why she had called. Just then he turned to gaze out the window at the Statue of Liberty, as had been his routine. The surreal sight of a low-flying commercial jet, heading straight for his tower, disrupted his view.

He dropped the phone in mid-sentence and dove to the floor. Curling under his desk he began praying to God, "Lord, help me," he prayed desperately as the aircraft smashed into the tower. The smell of jet fuel was in the air. Equipment was scattered all around with rubble covering the floor and dust in the air. He began clawing his way out. "Lord, I have to go home to my family," he wheezed. "I have to see my daughters."

Just then he saw a light. "I am here to help you." He thought, "This is my guardian angel! The Lord sent somebody to help me!" Stanley's guardian angel was Brian Clark, a Christian who was an executive three floors below. The two miraculously climbed out of the rubble to safety.

Stanley stated, "My Lord has some unfinished tasks for me." "I took the tattered clothes I was wearing that day, put them in a box, and wrote DELIVERANCE all over it. I told my wife, 'if I ever get spiritually cold, I want you to bring this box to me, open it up, and show me what the Lord brought me from."

Stanley used the bombing as a positive motivation to face the past.

(Source: James Botts, from a sermon by Leland Patrick, "Trading Sorrow for Singing" 7/14/08)

Sermon in a Story

fwynn@worldmissionstoasia.com (Fred J. Wynn) — Sun, 04 Aug 2024 03:30:00 GMT

Unexpected Miracles: The Power of Divine Appointments

A Divine appointment is a moment in time, in which:
• You encounter God
• You come across a person or group that is significant in God’s purposes for you, or
• A circumstance take place, that you realize has been set up by the Holy Spirit

It is a miracle moment.

You may have entered a Divine appointment, knowing it is one. But often, a Divine appointment is unexpected! It is only during or afterwards, that you become aware of its significance.

A Divine appointment is an event that has been orchestrated by God.

Mid year Update: Exciting 2024

fwynn@worldmissionstoasia.com (Fred J. Wynn) — Fri, 19 Jul 2024 03:14:29 GMT

Thank you for supporting our vision in Asia with your generous offering! We deeply appreciate your affirmation of our mission in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Uganda, the UAE, and across the entire continent. We pray that our service honors both your contribution and the Lord Jesus Christ. Please continue to keep the entire WMA mission team in your prayers as we serve the Lord in Asia.

"Jaimasi," meaning "Praise the Lord," is how hundreds of Nepali Christians greeted us recently.

I had the privilege of traveling with Brother Fred Wynn and four other dedicated men of God to Nepal and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on a phenomenal mission trip. Witnessing firsthand the great work WMA has done in these places was overwhelming and brought me to tears of joy. God is moving powerfully—churches are being planted, needs are being met, lives are being transformed, and souls are being saved through WMA's ministries.

The Nepali people were hungry for the Word of God, and it was a pleasure to preach and pray with them, seeing their humble, loving, and appreciative nature. I felt a deep desire to give more, preach better, and pray harder to fill their spiritual hunger. The pastors, coordinators, missionaries, and interpreters were some of the finest people I've ever met, and being part of this mission team was an incredible blessing.

From preaching and praying to gifting farm animals and distributing Bibles, this experience was profoundly rewarding. Thank you, Brother Fred, and WMA for this opportunity!

Zach Gray

2024 Ministry Accomplishments for the First Six Months

One Children's Play-World Playground (India)
Fish Farming, Nepal (fifth season)
Computer Lab for the Kairos Bible College in Lucknow, India
Pre-built Chicken Coop with 25 laying chickens (India)
Dedication of Four Church Plants in Nepal
Supporting 24 WMA Coordinators Monthly
Supporting 10 Church Planters Monthly
Purchase of a Three-Wheel Rickshaw (Nepal)

Recent Updates

Sermon in a Story

fwynn@worldmissionstoasia.com (Fred J. Wynn) — Mon, 24 Jun 2024 15:43:50 GMT

“If history were taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten.”
—Rudyard Kipling—

• Stories are memorable.
• Stories engage emotion.
• Stories inspire action and belief.
• Stories remind people that they’re not alone.

Jesus told stories...
He would tell stories people understood to help them grasp something they didn’t understand.

Lessons from Geese and Unity

Have you ever wondered why geese fly in a very organized V Formation? Winging their way to a warmer climate, they often cover thousands of miles before reaching their destination. We can discover a lot about teamwork by studying geese – their flight patterns & in-flight habits.

Those in front rotate their leadership. When one lead goose gets tired, it changes places with one in the wing of the V-formation and another flies point.

By flying as they do, the members of the flock create an upward air current for one another. Each flap of the wings literally creates an uplift for the bird immediately following. One author states that by flying in a V-formation, the whole flock gets 71 percent greater flying range than if each goose flew on its own.

When one goose gets sick or wounded, two fall out of formation with it and follow it down to help and protect it. They stay with the struggler until it’s able to fly again.

The geese in the rear of the formation are the ones who do the honking.
I suppose it’s their way of announcing that they’re following and that all is well. For sure, the repeated honks encourage those in front to stay at it. As I think about all this, one lesson stands out above all others: it is the natural instinct of geese to work together. Whether it’s Rotating, Flapping, Helping, or simply Honking, the flock is in it together…which enables them to accomplish what they set out to do.

Do you know that with the present technology we are more connected to everyone than anytime in human history, but at the same time we are disconnected than any other time as well.

Millennials would rather text someone than talk to them.

So just like Nehemiah, there must be unity in our work.
We are one body. Even though we are diverse, there is unity. Even though we are different, yet we are all called to be working together for God’s glory.

Does not that make us glad. That we are all part of one family. That changes the way we look at each other. If there is a conflict between any two of you, we do not look at each other as enemies, we are one and we still work together for God’s glory. That is the focus.

If someone hurts, we feel the hurt for them. If someone rejoices, we rejoice with them. And if someone is happy and progressing, we are very happy for them.

“Unity in Christ is not something to be achieved, it is something to be recognized.” A W Tozer

May 2024 Newsletter & updates

Sat, 18 May 2024 20:15:00 GMT

Empowering Hope

The fact is, brethren, we must have conversion work here. We cannot go on as some churches do without converts. We cannot, we will not, we must not, we dare not. Souls must be converted here, and if there be not many born to Christ, may the Lord grant to me that I may sleep in the tomb and be heard no more. Better indeed for us to die than to live, if souls be not saved.

- Charles Spurgeon

Recent Trip to Nepal

Josh Horne shares

PLAYGROUND

Sewing for Hope

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Sermon in a Story

fwynn@worldmissionstoasia.com (Fred J. Wynn) — Fri, 26 Apr 2024 17:30:00 GMT

The Extraordinary Life and Death of 25 Year-Old Millionaire William Borden

In 1904 young William Borden graduated from a high school in Chicago.

As heir to the Borden Dairy fortune, he was already worth millions. As a graduation present, his parents gave the 16-year-old Borden a trip to sail around the world. As he traveled through Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, he sensed a growing burden to reach the lost in nations cut off from the gospel. Finally, Borden wrote home to his parents, expressing, “I'm going to give my life to prepare for the mission field.” One of his friends was completely shocked, letting Borden know he felt he was "throwing himself away as a missionary." When Borden heard that, he wrote two words in the front of his Bible: “No reserve.”

Even though Borden was fabulously wealthy, he arrived at Yale University in 1905 attempting to appear like any other freshman student. But soon, his classmates noticed something unique about Borden. One of them wrote: “He came to college far ahead, spiritually, of any of us. He had already given his heart in full surrender to Christ. We learned to lean on him and find in him a strength that was solid as a rock, just because of this settled purpose and consecration.” Another entry in Borden’s journal explained what the other students were seeing in his life. It simply said: “Say 'no' to self and 'yes' to Jesus every time.”

During his first year at Yale, Borden started something that impacted the entire campus for Christ.

He challenged a friend to pray with him before breakfast each day, and soon a second joined them, and a third, and a fourth, and others.

One of the participants shared, “William would read to us from the Bible, show us something that God had promised and then proceed to claim the promise with assurance.” By the end of his first year, 150 freshmen were meeting for prayer and Bible study each week in small groups. By the time Borden was a senior, one thousand of Yale's 1,300 students were gathering every week for this purpose. He had divided the classes up into smaller groups and assigned key student leaders to reach out and witness to a certain number, with a goal of extending salvation to every student. Borden and his leaders would go over every name and ask, “Who will take this student?” When the name of a hardened or “incorrigible” student came up and no one wanted to take them on, Borden would chime in by saying, “Put him down to me.” Young Borden’s ministry extended beyond Yale, as he sought to help widows, orphans, cripples, and drunks in the area, forming the Yale Hope Mission.

Borden felt the missionary call to reach out to one of the hardest to reach people groups of all, the Muslim Kansu in China. Once that goal was in sight, Borden never questioned his destiny and consistently challenged his classmates to consider missionary service, even hosting a huge student missionary conference at Yale. Even though Borden was very involved on campus and served as President of Phi Beta Kappa there at Yale, he chose not to join a fraternity. One student said, “Although he was a millionaire, William seemed to realize always that he must be about his Father's business, and not wasting time in the pursuit of amusement.”

He never even owned an automobile, and when others asked why, he would casually respond, “Because I can't afford one.” But during his undergraduate years at Princeton he gave away hundreds of thousands of dollars to Christian ministries. Once he graduated, Borden turned down several lucrative career opportunities. After one especially tempting job offer, he went home and wrote two more words in his Bible: “No retreat.”

Borden instead went on to complete a masters degree at Princeton Seminary, and then newspapers across the nation published articles about this young millionaire who raised his own support to go to China as a missionary. It was 1913 and the entire country was fascinated by this wealthy and gifted young man who turned his back on affluence and comfort in America to risk everything and go to China. On his way there, he stopped first in Cairo, Egypt to study Arabic because he was going to be reaching Muslims. While there, he contracted spinal meningitis and died a few weeks later in a hospital room—all alone.

When news was cabled back to America that 25-year-old William Whiting Borden was dead “a wave of sorrow went round the world . . . Borden not only gave away his wealth, but himself, in a way so joyous and natural that it seemed a privilege rather than a sacrifice” wrote his biographer. Many people though, thought that Borden had thrown his life away. He could have had everything, but instead met an untimely death of his own doing. As his associates were packing up his belongings to ship them back to the states for his burial, they found his Bible next to his hospital bed . In the front cover, underneath the words “No reserve” and “No retreat,” they were astonished to see the dying Borden had also scrawled two final words: “No regrets.”

No reserve, no retreat, no regrets.

Although William Borden’s life appeared to end prematurely, he had accomplished everything God had planned for him. In his heart of hearts the young 25 year old millionaire missionary must have reconciled his destiny there on his death bed and made peace with God—and himself.

How about you and I? There are a hundred things we could do with our lives, a hundred pursuits for which we could exchange it. But how many of them will enable you to say at the end of your life, “No reserve, no retreat, no regrets”?

Epilogue: The story of his life and early death became a rallying cry for hundreds of college students who ended up spending their lives on the mission field all because of Borden of Yale

Upcoming April Ministry & Missions Trips

fwynn@worldmissionstoasia.com (Fred J. Wynn) — Fri, 05 Apr 2024 00:11:11 GMT

Please join us in lifting up Rev. Fred J. Wynn and his family in prayer during their many travels in the month of April.

Nepals Missions Trip - April 1st - 11th, 2024
United Arab Emirates Missions Trip - April 12th - 15th, 2024
Way to Victory Church - April 21st, 2024
Tabernacle of Praise - April 28th, 2024

Your thoughts and prayers are greatly appreciated as they minister this month.

Let us come together as a community to offer support, strength, and encouragement to the Wynn family.

Sermon in a Story

Wed, 06 Mar 2024 17:43:31 GMT

Why Sermon in a Story?

“If history were taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten.

—Rudyard Kipling

• Stories are memorable.

• Stories engage emotion.

• Stories inspire action and belief.

• Stories remind people that they’re not alone.

Jesus told stories...

He would tell stories people understood to help them grasp something they didn’t understand.

"Angels All Around"

NEWS LETTER

dfellers@worldmissionstoasia.com (Debra Fellers) — Wed, 06 Mar 2024 17:43:25 GMT

TO GIVE VIA CHECK:

WORLD MISSIONS TO ASIA

Attn: Debra Fellers

PO Box 890634

Oklahoma City, OK 73189

CONTACT US:

405.702.3603

WorldMissionsToAsia.com

fjwynn@hotmail.com

We need your prayers

Wed, 25 Oct 2023 15:45:00 GMT

I'm calling on you to pray for our current and upcoming mission trips to, India, UAE & Nepal.

These mission trips are intentionally and strategically planned for right now. There is a potential for a great harvest of souls in the Labor camps in the UAE.

The WMA teams are preparing and planning and seeking the face of God for an outpouring of His Spirit.

Dubai & Sharjah - Global Leadership Gathering

November 28-December 5, 2023

Nepal December 5-12, 2023

Daily, WMA will hire three buses to transport migrant workers from the labor camps to the conference hall for evening evangelistic service. The doors will open at 6 p.m., and the evangelistic service will begin at 7 p.m.

After the evening's meeting, WMA will provide a free meal for all in attendance.

WMA is making prayerful plans to advance into a powerful evangelistic ministry to reach these men for Christ. Our vision is to convert and disciple as many men as possible to the eternal Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The new disciples of Christ will then carry the good news of Christ back to their respective countries and families all over Asia.

The Gift of Sewing: Special Thanks

dfellers@worldmissionstoasia.com (Debra Fellers) — Wed, 06 Sep 2023 15:10:16 GMT

Praise The Lord!

Greeting in the name of our Lord and Savior,
Jesus Christ.

Thank you so much for WMA mission supporters and pastor Fred Wynn for having gifted sewing machines for poor believer's.

This month two widow's sisters from my church one sister has four children another one has one daughter both of this families faithfully serving God for several years. This going to be great support and blessing for their survival and have a additional income!

They were so excited to received that gift. This is going to make impact in their life for years to come.

Once again Thank you so much WMA mission and Pastor Fred Wynn for making this possible, we are deeply appreciative for your love and Concern.
Thanks a lot.

Mission Memories: 2014 First Project PREACH Meeting

Thu, 10 Aug 2023 19:04:56 GMT

MISSION FIELD MEMORIES—

December 2014 WMA hosted our very first Project PREACH in beautiful Partridge Kentucky.

What is Project Preach?

WMA helps

dfellers@worldmissionstoasia.com (Debra Fellers) — Fri, 21 Jul 2023 15:11:50 GMT

WMA HELPS... WMA provide study Bibles, bicycles, goats, water buffalos, chickens & distributes food.

If you would like to be a part of this ministry you can give through any of our links below. God Bless!

http://PayPal.me/worldmissionstoasia

https://www.worldmissionstoasia.com/give

Gearing up for School

Wed, 12 Jul 2023 02:35:49 GMT

Gearing up for School Back-to-School back-packs

As many children across the Asian countries are enjoying their summer break from school, WMA is gearing up to make sure as many children as possible return to school in the fall of 2023 equipped, and ready to learn! In many areas of India we serve, we recognize that a large part of the poverty cycle is due to lack of education and overall well-being.

TOGETHER, WE ARE CHANGING THIS, ONE FAMILY AT A TIME!

Due to the large number of children we serve, we will be working the month of July and the first two weeks of August to get all of the Backpacks and School Supply Kits ready!

Your Missionaries to Asia

Fred J. Wynn

July 2023 Newsletter

Tue, 11 Jul 2023 21:45:56 GMT

I want to express my deepest

gratitude for your contribution to World

Mission to Asia. Your donation is very

important to us and is accepted and

appreciated.

I know that God is faithful in

returning the blessing to you for this

great kindness. His Word declares,

“Give and it shall be given unto you,

good measure, pressed down, shaken

together, and running over,” and this is

my prayer for each of you!

We pray that the Lord leads us to

those we can help and we wisely use

the resources that He faithfully

provides. To serve and grow the body

of Christ. Please know how much you

mean to us. God Bless you and your

faithful support.

—Kimberlin Wynn

UAE Trip was LIFE-CHANGING:

We are diligent ministers preaching, teaching, reaching, training and touching the lives of the

people of Asia and the world with the message of Jesus Christ.

ONE-WEEK MISSION TRIP OPENS DOORS IN UAE

Our June 2023 Mission trip to Dubai was a great success:

We shared the Gospel in churches, labor camps, and house churches, including new locations and with some pastors and leaders for the first time! Souls were saved, and hearts and lives touched by the presence of the Lord.

We were blessed as the Lord strengthened connections with leaders, while meeting pastors and missionaries from many countries and ethnic groups.

Chickens, pigs

and goats...

oh, my!

NEWS LETTER 4.2023

Mon, 01 May 2023 22:32:22 GMT

Extraordinary Growth, Extraordinary Need, Faithful Support

Spring is truly the season of renewal. After a cold, harsh winter, nothing lifts our spirits like seeing early spring flowers popping up around us. As the weather warms and days get longer, our whole perspective shifts.

WMA PURCHASING PROPERTY IN INDIA

In February 2023, WMA took a team of U.S. Pastors to dedicate a recently purchased property in Jalander, Punjab, India.

This property was purchased to expand a house church that has grown in attendance from 10 to over 250. The dedication service was over-the-top, Pastor Brian McDonald preached an on-time message. The worship and the presence of Christ were powerful. The attendance of the dedication service was packed to capacity.

As the WMA team, we realized that we must purchase the adjacent property so this church can reach even greater potential. To buy this property for this growing and expanding church, we needed to raise $47,000.00 US Dollars. THANKS TO PASTORS, CHURCHES, AND WMA FRIENDS, WE HAVE RECEIVED DONATIONS AND PLEDGES TO MEET OUR GOAL OF $47,000.00 TO PURCHASE THIS PROPERTY.

In addition, there will be a large budget for renovation, such as:

• concrete work

• adding and remodeling the bathroom facilities

• expanding the kitchen

• adding a rooftop at the verandah area so folks can worship during the rains, adding fans during the hot summers.

I’m asking two things from you:

First, please consider giving to this great cause.
To give text "Give" to 1-844-923-3915
Second, please pray for Pastor Harjinder Madhu, his family, and the church congregation!

Lastly, I want to thank Brother Pierre Bragaza for taking the lead in purchasing these properties in Jalandhar, Punjab, India. From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU to all the WMA supporters!

Your missionaries to Asia,

Fred J. Wynn

WORLD MISSIONS TO ASIA PASTORS AND LEADERS FELLOWSHIP (BANQUET)

Tue, 24 Jan 2023 22:22:06 GMT

WORLD MISSIONS TO ASIA PASTORS AND LEADERS FELLOWSHIP (BANQUET)

This WMA event banquet took place on Wednesday, November 30th. at the Al Nawab Restaurant Mahatta in Sharjah, UAE. It was a honor to connect and make new friends from different countries.

WMA wants to expand our labor camp ministry by connecting to pastors and other ministries in the UAE and the Middle East. It was a honor to have representatives from four different countries.

This event was aimed to network with pastors and church leaders that share a common vision of the Gospel of Jesus Christ

Do You Hate Buttermilk?

Tue, 17 Jan 2023 19:56:07 GMT

“If history were taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten.”—Rudyard Kipling

Why Sermon in a Story?
• Stories are memorable.

• Stories engage emotion.
• Stories inspire action and belief.
• Stories remind people that they’re not alone.

Jesus told stories...
He would tell stories people understood to help them grasp something they didn’t understand. Lord, I HATE Buttermilk.........

One Sunday morning at a small southern church, the new pastor called on one of his older deacons to lead in the opening prayer. The deacon stood up bowed his head and said, "Lord, I hate buttermilk."

The pastor opened one eye and wondered where this was going. The deacon continued, "Lord, I hate lard." Now the pastor was totally perplexed. The deacon continued, "Lord, I ain't too crazy about plain flour. But after you mix’em all together and bake’em in a hot oven, I just love biscuits."

"Lord help us to realize when life gets hard, when things come up that we don't like, whenever we don't understand what You are doing, that we need to wait and see what You are making. After you get through mixing and baking, it'll probably be something even better than biscuits.

Amen.

Romans 8: 28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

—Unknown—

Come Home for Christmas

Mon, 19 Dec 2022 07:56:00 GMT

" Where we love is home - home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts." ~ Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.

I grew up in a humble home where money was scarce, but love, joy, and peace were abundant. Christmas was a wonderful time that was always eagerly anticipated. We always had a real tree that my dad would chop down from the hill behind our house. Every child would get one gift and a treat bag filled with candy and fruit. The house would be filled with tantalizing smells coming from the kitchen, and the walls reverberated with the sound of talking, laughing, singing, and praying from the voices of my large family. I long for the simplicity and the child-like wonder of those long-ago Christmases.

I was an avid reader, and books allowed me to travel to exotic places that, as a child, I could only dream about. As an adult, I have been blessed to see some beautiful places, but my heart yearns for home this Christmas.

In the South American country of Columbia, something miraculous happened. In 2010, the news program 60 Minutes aired a story titled " Operation Christmas." According to the report, Columbia was one of the most violent countries on earth for over fifty years. The government and the military had been in a fifty-two-year civil war with revolutionary guerillas that had left 220,000 dead and millions displaced.

The Columbian military came up with an unusual idea to stop the warfare. The military hired a creative ad executive, Jose Sokoloff, to convince hundreds of fighters to give up without firing a shot. In December 2010, Sokoloff launched a campaign called " Operation Christmas." Black hawk helicopters took Columbian special forces deep inside the forests into rebel territory. They found nine 75-foot trees near guerilla strongholds, and they decorated them with Christmas lights. They rigged each tree with a motion detector. When a rebel guerilla walked by, it triggered the detector and lit the tree and a banner that read, " If Christmas can come to the jungle, you can come home. Demobilize -- at Christmas, everything is possible!"

Mr. Sokoloff located the mothers of some of the rebels and asked them for photos of their sons and daughters. They strung the photos across the jungle with this message from their mothers, " Before you were a guerilla, you were my child. So, come home for Christmas because I will always be waiting for you at Christmas." Over five hundred rebel guerillas laid down their weapons, walked out of the jungle, and came home for Christmas.

All across the world, people celebrate Christmas. They know there is something special, maybe even miraculous, about Christmas, but many have no clue what it is.

" And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1:14

The real meaning of Christmas is a person -- Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace!

For thousands of years, God's people waited for the coming of the Messiah. The scribes pored over the prophecies concerning Him. One night He quietly came, but only a few were aware of His birth. Because He did not fit the picture of what the Jewish people were expecting, they missed Him and then dismissed Him. He came, He went, He's coming again! Are you ready?

"A Christian home! What a power it is to the child when he is far away in the cold, tempting world, and the voices of sin are filling his ears and his feet stand on slippery places." ~ Abbott Eliott Kittredge

So many people have walked away from Christian homes and the local church. But no matter how far they go in sin, they can never escape the power of the prayers of mothers, fathers, grandparents, pastors, and a host of friends and loved ones who intercede on their behalf in prayer. These people have forsaken Christ for the pleasures of sin and have become prodigals who need to return home.

"The First Time Jesus Came

He came veiled in the form of a child. A star marked His arrival. Wise men brought Him gifts. There was no room for Him. Only a few attended His arrival. He came as a baby.

The Next Time Jesus Comes

He will be recognized by all. Heaven will be lit by His glory. He will bring rewards for His own. The world won't be able to contain His glory.

Every eye shall see Him. He will come as Sovereign King and Lord of all." ~ John F. MacArthur Jr.

If you are a prodigal, remember, if Christmas can come to a manger in Bethlehem, you CAN come home! Jesus Christ is waiting for you with outstretched arms.

O, come, let us adore Him...Come home for Christmas!

Have a blessed, Christ-filled Christmas!

High Talk, Low Walk

Tue, 11 Oct 2022 07:20:00 GMT

"He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked." I John 2:6

Is there anything worse than a hypocrite? For the past two and a half years, the elite in Washington, Hollywood, and social media giants have told the common people what we can or cannot do. We were expected to wear masks, limit church attendance to ten, and refrain from social contact with family and friends. Yet, the rules did not apply to them, as they were often photographed in public without masks and attending parties and other functions.

Hypocrites often have a high talk but a low walk!

Hypocrisy is bad enough in the world but even worse in religion. In Matthew, Chapter 23, Jesus Christ gives a scathing rebuke to the scribes and the Pharisees. Jesus was characteristically meek, loving, and gentle, but His blazing wrath erupted as He warned the crowd and His disciples against the Jewish religious leaders.

"All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say and do not. But all their works they do for to be seen of men." Matthew 23:3, 5a

The scribes and the Pharisees were teaching the law of Moses. Generally, their teachings were dependable, but their practice was not. It was a classic case of high talk, low walk.

On the fateful night of September 1, 1983, Korean Airlines flight KE007, carrying 240 unsuspecting passengers and crew members, was shot down by the Soviet Union. The trigger man was Major Osipovich, a pilot who wasn't scheduled to be in the air during this international travesty. The Major was slated to talk about peace at his daughter's school, so he volunteered for night duty to free up enough time to speak during school hours. He patrolled the eastern skies when that Korean passenger jet strayed into Soviet airspace. Major Osipovich followed orders and shot down the commercial airliner. Not only were 240 innocent lives lost, but this act pushed world powers dangerously close to catastrophic results because military missiles were fired at a civilian airplane by a pilot who was preparing to teach children about peace.

Many people are going through the motions of living for Christ. They go to church and say all the right things, but they are fakes. If we profess to be followers of Jesus Christ, we must realize that our actions, not mere words, can only support our character and Christian testimony.

Many years ago, a man wanted to play in the Imperial Orchestra but couldn't play a note. Since he was a man of great wealth and influence, the conductor agreed to let him sit in the second row of the orchestra. Even though he couldn't read music, he was given a flute, and when a concert would begin, he raised the instrument and pretended to play. This deception went on for two years. Then one day, a new conductor took over the orchestra. He announced that he would personally audition every musician to weed out those who did not meet his standards. One by one, the orchestra members performed in his presence. Finally, it was the phony flutist's turn. Shamefacedly, the man had to admit that he was a fake. He had to " face the music!"

The day is soon coming when the Judge of Heaven will call everyone to stand before Him. Jesus Christ will know those who are truly His. Christ will separate those who have been " talking the talk , but not walking the walk " from the faithful followers of the Lord.

We're living in a day of gross, spiritual darkness and deception. False preachers and teachers deceive many into believing they can embrace their sin and still be safe. Jesus said, " Take heed that no man deceive you." Matthew 24:4

Hitler was a natural in deception. "He made free use of Christian vocabulary. He talked about the blessing of the Almighty and the Christian confession, which he said would become the pillars of the new government. He showed his tattered Bible and declared that he drew his strength for his great work from it as scores of pious people welcomed him as a man sent from God. Indeed, Adolph Hitler was a master of outward religiosity -- with no inward reality." ~ Today in the Word, June 3, 1989

High Talk, Low Walk

I Thank God that Adolph Hitler failed in his aspirations to rule the world!

We are speeding toward the seven-year Tribulation when a diabolical, demon-possessed Anti-Christ will set himself up as God and rule the world. Many will be deceived. But Jesus Christ is saying to His faithful followers who are not just " talking the talk" but walking in obedience to His Word.

" Let not your hearts be troubled...I will come again and receive you unto Myself: that where I am, there ye may be also." John 14:1, 3b

"But be ye doers of the Word, and not hearers only." James 1:22

" He does not believe who does not live according to his belief." ~ Thomas Fuller

Living Between the Two Easters

Thu, 14 Apr 2022 13:02:00 GMT

" He is not here: for He is risen, as He said." Matthew 28:6a

The late, British minister, William E. Sangster, was stricken with a progressive illness that was taking his voice and would eventually rob him of the ability to preach to his congregation. One day he said to a friend, "It is going to be a terrible thing to be unable to stand in a pulpit on Easter and say, 'Christ is risen.' But I can think of something much worse. That is to stand in a pulpit on Easter Sunday and say, 'Christ is not risen.'"

This coming Sunday, Christians worldwide will gather to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We can do so because Christianity begins where other religions end. Different religions may point to a founder, but they must also point to a founder's grave. Only Christianity can point to an empty tomb.

During the Tang dynasty, some bones from Buddha's fingers were sent to the emperor of China. They were later forgotten about and then found in 1981. The finding was a sensation to Buddhists everywhere, and the bones are now visited by many of Buddha's faithful followers.

Our faith is founded on the fact that there are NO bones to find - Christ rose from the dead! If someone claimed to find a bone that belonged to Christ, no Christian would believe them. Buddha is in the grave; Christ is in heaven.

The German theologian, Erich Sauer, wrote:

"The present age is Easter time. It begins with the resurrection of the Redeemer and ends with the resurrection of the redeemed. Between lies the spiritual 'resurrection' of those called into life. So we live between two Easters, as those who have been raised between two resurrections. And in the power of the First Easter, we go to meet the Last Easter. The resurrection of Christ, the Head, guarantees the resurrection of the members, His followers."

What a glorious thought: we are living between two Easters!

Forty days after the first Easter, Jesus Christ returned to heaven, sent the Holy Spirit, and on the Day of Pentecost, His Church was born. The last Easter will be when He returns for His Church. Believers who have died will be resurrected and, together with those still alive, will be 'caught up' to meet the Lord in the air.

In the meantime, what does He expect of His Church?

On the evening of the first Easter, Jesus suddenly appeared to His disciples. They were assembled behind closed doors for fear of the Jews. He said to them, " Peace be unto you: as My Father hath sent Me, even so send I you." John 20:19,21

This commission is for His followers everywhere, and there are lessons to be learned from our Lord's statement.

1. It means that Jesus Christ needs the Church.

The Apostle Paul called the Church 'the body of Christ.' Jesus had been sent with a message. He was going back to His Father. If the Church does not take His message to all men and women, who will? Jesus needs the voice of every member of His Church to speak His Word. He needs our hands and feet to do His work. Jesus Christ depends on His Church to get His gospel message to a lost and dying world - He died for our sins, was buried, and rose again!

2. It means that the Church needs Jesus.

Messengers need power and authority to back the message. Without Jesus, there is no message. Without Him, the Church has no power. The Church is entirely dependent upon Jesus.

Thomas missed the first appearance of Jesus after His resurrection. The disciples saw proof that Jesus was alive, yet Christ found them hiding in fear. Thomas was missing from the group. On the first Easter, he made a mistake; he withdrew from the Christian fellowship of his brothers in Christ.

We have just come through two unprecedented years in the history of our country. There is no doubt we are living in frightening, uncertain, and perilous times. Sadly too many in the body of Christ have chosen to withdraw from the fellowship of their local Church. There are many in the body of Christ praying for revival, myself included. Many are joining the cry of the prophet Isaiah, "O God, rend the heavens and come." Any day I am expecting that to happen. His glory will come into our small, local assemblies and fall upon those who are crying out to Him night and day. Are you going to be like Thomas and miss it?

From the beginning, Christian fellowship was one of the top priorities in the early Church. The Bible instructs believers not to neglect fellowship, especially as the day of Christ draws near (Hebrews 10:25). The early Church faced the imminent threat of beatings, imprisonment, and even death, yet they continued to assemble for fellowship. If they had chosen to hide in their homes, the gospel might never have reached you and me.

In 1799, the armies of Napoleon appeared on the heights above the town of Feldkirch, Austria. It was Easter Sunday, and the fully armed French army covered the hills to the west of town. The Town Council hastily met to decide what to do. After much discussion, the dean of the Church rose and said, "My brothers, it is Easter Day! We have been reckoning our strength, and that fails. Let us turn to God. Let's ring the bells, have service as usual, and leave the matter in God's hands." They agreed to do as he said.

As the church bells rang out, the streets filled with worshipers hastening to the Church. Before the bells ceased ringing, not a Frenchman was seen! The French heard the sudden ringing of the bells with alarm, and thinking the Austrian army had arrived, they hastily fled.

Christian believer, you need the Church; the Church needs you. My prayer is that believers all over this nation will fill churches this Easter Sunday, and church bells will ring so loudly across the land our leaders in Washington, D.C., can hear it!

I urge you this Sunday morning to put on your best suit, your Easter dress, and your hat. Ring the bells! Go to Church and celebrate your risen Savior. Take advantage of the liberty we still have and leave the rest in God's hands!

Lift up your head; the Last Easte r is drawing nigh!

From my heart to yours,

Happy Easter!

Awake, Ready, and Watching

Tue, 15 Mar 2022 14:05:00 GMT

"And that, knowing the time and now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed." Romans 13:11

A gentleman visiting a certain school announced that he would give the pupil whose desk he found in the best order when he returned a prize. "But when will you return?" some of the children asked. "That I cannot tell," was the answer. A little girl, noted for her disorderly habits, announced that she intended to win the prize. "You!" her classmates jeered, "your desk is always a mess." The girl replied, "Oh, but I plan to clean it the first of every week." "But suppose he should come at the end of the week?" someone asked. The determined girl answered, "Then I will clean it every morning." "But he may come at the end of the day," someone said. For a moment, the little girl was silent. "I know what I will do," she said decidedly, "I'll just keep it clean!"

For two years, Americans have watched as our nation has imploded internally. We are in a time of great instability across the entire world. The gas and food prices are higher than I have ever seen in my lifetime. We go to bed at night knowing we may awaken to the news that we are in a third world war. But, amid chaos, fear, and uncertainty, there is one thing I am sure of, my salvation is nearer than when I first believed!

Jesus Christ is going to return for His church. He made the promise to His anxious, downcast disciples the night before His death.

"Let not your heart be troubled: you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I WILL come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there you may be also." John 14: 1-3

I may not trust what I hear on the news or coming from Washington, DC, but I trust the words of Jesus completely...He is coming for me! I don't know the day or the hour, but I know it is soon, and I plan to stay awake, ready, and watch.

A mother was explaining to her little girl the death of her father. The mother said, "God has sent for your father and will send for us, but I do not know just when." Finally, the little girl said: "If we do not know just when God is going to send for us, do you not think we had better pack up and get ready to go? God might send when we are not ready."

The " Guinness World Book of Records " contains all kinds of record-setting events and accomplishments. Some years ago, a group of people set out to break the record in standing dominos up in such a way that when a key domino was tripped, all the rest would fall. The event was aired on television. They showed a large room with what looked like millions of dominos set up on end. For this group to break the record, every domino had to fall.

The time came to trip the first domino. It touched the next, which in turn fell onto the next, and so on. Viewers were amazed as they watched this chain of events transpire. In the end, every domino had fallen, the group had set a new world record, and their names were placed in the "Guinness World Book of Records" for toppling the most dominos over at that time.

As spectacular as that was, the chain of action by those dominos is nothing in comparison to what will happen at the Rapture of the church. When Jesus returns in the clouds to resurrect the believers that have died and "catch up" those still living, it will set off a chain of events like this world has never seen. It will be the beginning of the Great Tribulation.

If you are reading this and are not ready to meet the Lord, I implore you to get ready. The Bible says the Rapture is going to happen in "the twinkling of an eye." There will be no time to repent. Today is the day of salvation.

Nearly twenty years ago, I was battling aggressive cancer that threatened my life, but God intervened and miraculously healed me. It amazes me to realize that I have lived to be part of the generation that very well could see the return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to catch away His bride!

"For such a time as this," you and I are here. We need to be faithful to our local churches, continue to share the good news of the gospel, and be "salt and light" to this lost and dying world. We need to work while we still have time, and most of all, pray as we have never prayed before.

In Matthew chapter 24, the disciples asked Jesus what the signs of the end times would be. Three times He warned them to guard against deception. One of Satan's main objectives in this day is to get Christians to believe his lie. That lie is, "Christ has delayed His coming." Jesus Christ, THE TRUTH said, " Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as you think not the Son of Man cometh." Matthew 24:44

In June 1940, in Nuremberg, Germany, nearly a quarter of a million Nazi party faithful were assembled to hear their great Fuhrer, Adolph Hitler, speak. German troops had defeated France only the week before, meaning that practically all of Europe lay at the feet of Hitler. The only feeble pocket of resistance was a tiny island, separated by a few miles of North Atlantic water from Hitler's mighty empire. The little island was occupied by Great Britain, which the entire world was certain would soon be invaded. The only question was when.

As Hitler approached the microphone, he began: "I hear the British are asking, 'When is he coming? When is the coming?' Well, tonight I say to the British, be patient, for, I AM COMING!" According to witnesses, Hitler screamed out the phrase, "I am coming," three times. The results of the third time were as if a bomb had exploded, causing those thousands of Nazis to leap to their feet and scream out until many lost their voices: "Sieg Heil, Sieg Heil, Sieg Heil!" (Hail victory)

Nearly two thousand years ago, Jesus Christ ascended to heaven. (Acts 1) He promised He would return. The skeptics and infidels have scoffed and mocked His followers, demanding to know, "When is He coming? When is He coming? He'll never come!" (2 Peter 3:3,4)

If you are spiritually awake, ready, and watching, you should be able to hear that still, small voice speaking to your heart: "I say to you, My child, let not your heart be troubled, be patient, for I AM COMING! "

The cry of the church should be resounding forth in jubilation: "Maranatha, Maranatha, Maranatha!" O, Lord Come!

"How sweet is rest after fatigue! How sweet heaven will be when our journey is ended." ~ George Whitefield

"He which testifieth these things says, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus." Revelation 22:20

The Baby That Changed Everything

Thu, 23 Dec 2021 15:00:00 GMT

"For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger." Luke 2:11-12

" The Luck of Roaring Camp" is a short story by American author Bret Harte. According to the story, Roaring Camp was supposed to be the meanest, toughest mining camp with more murders and thefts than any other camp in the West. It was a terrible place inhabited entirely by men and one woman who tried to serve them all. Her name was Cherokee Sal. She died while giving birth to a baby boy. With the birth of this tiny baby, regeneration came to Roaring Camp.

The rough, coarse, vile men began to care for the baby. They put him in a rag-filled box, but that didn't look right to them, so they sent one of the men eighty miles to buy a rosewood cradle. The baby was wrapped in the rags and placed in the cradle. The rags didn't look right, so they sent another man to Sacramento and returned with beautiful silk blankets. They wrapped the baby in the new blankets and placed him in the rosewood cradle. It looked fine until someone happened to notice that the floor was filthy. So these hardened, tough men got down on their knees and scrubbed the floor until it was clean. Of course, the clean floor made the dirty walls and ceiling look terrible. So they washed down the entire cabin and put curtains on the windows.

They began to take the baby outside in his cradle to see him as they came up from the mine. Someone noticed how dirty the entrance to the mine was, so they planted flowers and soon had a beautiful garden. Everything was slowly being transformed. But the biggest change was in the men themselves. They stopped brawling and fighting so the baby could sleep in peace. They stopped cursing and using vulgar language.

When they reached out to pat the baby, they noticed how dirty their hands were. The general store was soon sold out of soap and shaving gear. That little baby boy changed everything!

Over two thousand years ago, another baby boy quietly entered the world. Angels announced his birth to a group of rough, dirty shepherds watching over their flock. They decided to go to Bethlehem and see this baby for themselves. They left the field where they had heard the astounding news that a Savior, who was Christ the Lord, had been born. They had seen the glory of God and heard angels singing His praises.

They found this baby in a stable, lying in a manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes. They had to be shocked to find the Savior, the Son of God, lying in such dirty, smelly, crude conditions. But, the shock was quickly replaced by awe and wonder. The shekinah glory of God emanating from that baby transformed the dirty stable into a glorious temple. It affected the shepherds. They returned home, glorifying and praising God for all they had seen and heard.

Babies change everything. Last week a young couple in my church was blessed by the birth of a baby boy. Life has changed for them. Babies bring a lot of joy, but they also require plenty of attention and care. All any new mother wants for Christmas is a good night's sleep!

Jesus Christ came as a helpless baby into a very dark, sinful world. He came to bring truth, life, and regeneration to sinful mankind. The Infinite became the Infant --- the baby that changed everything!

Sir Edwin Landseer was one of the most famous painters of the Victorian era. One day as he was visiting a family in an old mansion in Scotland, one of the servants spilled a pitcher of soda water, leaving a large stain on the wall. While the family was out for the day, Landseer remained behind. Using charcoal, he incorporated the stain into a beautiful drawing. When the family returned, they found a picture of a waterfall surrounded by trees and animals. The master artist used his skill to make something beautiful out of what had been an unsightly mess.

"Longfellow could take a worthless sheet of paper, write a poem on it, and make it worth six thousand dollars -- that's genius!

Rockefeller could sign his name to a piece of paper and make it worth a million dollars -- that's capital!

Uncle Sam can take gold, stamp an eagle on it, and make it worth twenty dollars -- that's money!

A mechanic can take material that is worth five dollars and make it worth fifty dollars -- that's skill!

An artist can take a fifty-cent piece of canvas, paint a picture on it, and make it worth a thousand dollars -- that's art!

God can take a sinful life, wash it in the blood of Christ, put His Spirit in it, and make it a blessing to humanity -- that's Salvation!" ~ Paul L. Han

If God seems far away this Christmas season, take the time to re-visit Bethlehem, and hear again the echo of angels singing. Let your heart experience the wonder, awe, and peace, but most of all, the overflowing presence of Jesus Christ -- the baby that changed everything!

God grant you the light in Christmas, which is faith; the warmth of Christmas, which is love; the radiance of Christmas, which is purity; the righteousness of Christmas, which is justice; the belief in Christmas, which is truth; the ALL of Christmas, which is Christ. ~ Wilda English

From my heart to yours --- Merry Christmas! May the baby, the Lord Jesus Christ, change your fear to confidence, your anxiety to peace, and your stress to sweet rest.

Thankfulness is Almost a Lost Art

Wed, 24 Nov 2021 08:58:00 GMT

"First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all." Romans 1:8a

In 1860 the Lady Elgin was rammed by the Augusta and sank in Lake Michigan near Evanston, Illinois. A ministerial student named Edward Spencer waded again and again into the frigid waters to rescue passengers. In the process, his health was permanently damaged. Some years later, at his funeral, it was noted that not one of the people he rescued ever thanked him.

A few days ago, I was checking out at Wal-Mart, and as the cashier handed me the receipt, I thanked her. She made no response back, and I left the store thinking, "What's wrong with this picture? Shouldn't she be thanking me?"

We are living in a society where thankfulness is fast becoming a lost art. Over the last two years, many people in this country have made it clear that they have no appreciation for our law enforcement, the United States military, or the many lives lost while ensuring our safety and preserving our freedom. The same people have chosen to ignore the fact that America's blessings and prosperity have come from the hand of our Creator, Jehovah God.

In 1988, a Polish worker named Jan Grzebski was hit by a train. For the next nineteen years, he was in a coma. He awoke in 2007 to a whole new world. At the time of Grzebski's accident, Poland was a communist state. The meat had been rationed, and there were long lines at gas stations. But nineteen years later, Grzebski awoke to a free nation. He said, "There were people on the streets with cell phones, and there were so many goods in the shops it made my head spin. What amazes me is all these people who walk around with their mobile phones, and yet they never stop moaning."

These people had freedom, food, and wealth greater than Poland had had for decades, and yet Grzebski awoke from his coma to find that all they seemed to want to do was grumble. Sound familiar?

We live in the greatest nation on earth, yet so many are not thankful for that privilege. The America we see on the news bears little resemblance to the nation founded by Almighty God that I love and cherish.

Many people, including myself, cannot tell fourteen-carat gold from eighteen-carat. The jewelers of Goldsmith's Hall in London, England, wanted their customers to know what they were buying, so they devised a mark of quality. When a piece of gold was stamped with a little crown and the figure 18, everyone knew it was eighteen-carat, "The mark of the hall" guaranteed it.

Thankfulness should be a significant hallmark for Christians. We cannot allow it to become a lost art in the church.

In Apostle Paul's epistles, he always gave thanks to God for the churches, the believers he was writing. In this blog, I desire to thank God for my family and the body of Christ. I'm thankful for my husband and my children. They are my biggest cheerleaders. I'm thankful for my parents, Henry and Georgia Lipps, that took me to church and taught me about Jesus. I'm thankful for the love, support, wit, talent, and individuality of each of my eight siblings. We all loved each other, our parents, and we loved the Lord. I'm thankful for my brothers and sisters-in-law, nieces and nephews, and my extended family of uncles, aunts, and cousins. There are too many for me to count.

I thank God for my maternal grandmother, Clara Bowling, who lived to be one hundred and one and always made each of her many grandchildren feel as if they were her favorite.

I'm thankful for the many great men and women of God that I have had the privilege of knowing in my lifetime. When I was a very young, bashful girl, two pastor's wives, Alma Brigmon and Rhoda Webb, spoke words that profoundly affected my life. I thank God for both of them and their godly husbands.

I'm thankful for Bro. Fred Wynn and WMA. They have definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone and given me opportunities to work for the Lord that I would never have had on my own.

I am so thankful for the pastors and congregations that God has blessed me to be a part of in my lifetime. My former pastors include Reverend Leonard Hacker, Reverend Bige Carnahan, Reverend Wayne Grace, and Reverend Tinsley Rector. They were all faithful, dedicated, godly men.

I am so thankful for my current pastor, Reverend Perry Fouts, and our Faith Trinity Pentecostal Church congregation. For thirty-six years, Bro. Perry has been a faithful, dedicated, loving shepherd over God's flock. Most of all, he still holds fast to the inerrant Word of God. I'm thankful to worship with a body of believers that love the Lord, love each other, and also have a hunger for the Word of God. I stand before the adult class on Sunday morning, knowing that they have open ears to hear and hearts that are prepared to receive the Word. And for that, I am thankful!

This summer, our church was hit hard by COVID. We lost an irreplaceable member - Reverend Steve Biddle. Bro. Steve was a minister in our church and a substitute teacher for me. Any time Steve was asked to preach or teach, he never refused. Steve was a man of many abilities and always willing to help anybody or anywhere he was needed. He always made a point to tell me he appreciated my teaching. Bro. Steve preached the Sunday morning service on his last Sunday with us. I am so glad I said to him that I appreciated his message. Steve was a dear friend and brother, and he is sorely missed in our congregation. My life has been enriched by knowing Steve Biddle, and for that, I am thankful.

I am thankful for everyone that takes the time to read these blogs and faithfully supports WMA. May God richly bless you and your families.

Most of all, I am thankful for the Lord Jesus Christ - Jehovah, Savior, Messiah. I am grateful that I am in the called of Jesus Christ and beloved of God. I consider it the highest honor and privilege to be a Christian. I am not ashamed of His gospel!

I could write for days and never be able to name all the people who have been a blessing in my life. I am thankful for every brother and sister in Christ around the world. I could never list the blessings God has bestowed upon me. Helen Keller said, "So much has been given to me that I have no time to ponder that which I don't have." That sums up my feelings; I couldn't have said it better!

Be Thankful for Life

"Even though I clutch my blankets and groan when the alarm rings each morning, thank You, Lord, that I can hear. There are those who are deaf.

Even though I keep my eyes tightly closed against the morning light as long as possible, thank You, Lord, that I can see. There are many who are blind.

Even though I huddle in my bed and put off the physical effort of rising, thank You, Lord, that I have the strength to rise. There are many who are bedfast.

Even though the first hour of my day is hectic, when socks are lost, toast is burned, tempers are short, thank You, Lord, for my family. There are many who are lonely.

Even though our table never looks like the pictures in magazines and the menu is at times unbalanced, thank You, Lord, for the food we have. There are many who are hungry.

Even though the routine of my job is often monotonous, thank You, Lord, for the opportunity to work. There are many who have no job.

Thank You, Lord, for the gift of Life!" ~ Source: Unknown

Don't lose the art of thankfulness!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Beware of the Enchanted Ground

Mon, 01 Nov 2021 15:36:00 GMT

"Therefore let us not sleep as do others; but let us watch and be sober." 1Thessalonians 5:6

I grew up in a home without television, and as a result, I developed a great love of reading. One of my favorite books was John Bunyan's, The Pilgrim's Progress. It is an allegory about the Christian walk from earth to Heaven. On his way to the Celestial City, Christian is joined by another pilgrim named Hopeful. They entered a country called the Enchanted Ground.

Bunyan wrote, "I then saw in my dream that they went on till they came into a certain country, whose air naturally tended to make one drowsy, if he came a stranger into it. And here Hopeful began to be very dull and heavy of sleep; wherefore he said unto Christian, I do now begin to grow so drowsy that I can scarcely hold up mine eyes. let us lie down here and take a nap."

But, Christian is afraid that if they sleep, they might never awake. He reminds Hopeful that one of the Shepherds warned them to beware of the Enchanted Ground. It was too dangerous to sleep in this place; they must press on.

Spiritual sleep causes desensitization; we lose the ability to feel.

Spiritually asleep Christians go to church in body, but their heart is not in the prayer, singing, or worship. They are not moved by anything they hear. They feel no burden for the lost. When was the last time you heard mothers crying out for their unsaved children?

Charles Spurgeon told of preaching to a congregation on Sunday afternoon. They had eaten too much dinner and came to the church very sleepy. He tried to arouse them. Spurgeon said, "Finally I shouted with all my might, fire, fire, fire! Some of the congregation rose from their seats, asking where the fire was. I told them it was in hell waiting for such sleepy sinners as they were."

Why are so many in the American church spiritually asleep? I don't know about you, but when tornado warnings are issued, lightning is flashing, and thunder is booming, I don't sleep!

People have trouble sleeping when there is no money for the bills, food is scarce, or no health insurance for their families. In The Pilgrim's Progress, you never read that Christian slept when lions were in the way or fighting Apollyon, but when he came to the Pleasant Arbor , he went to sleep.

The road has been far too easy for Christians in America. We have gone through things we never dreamed of for nearly two years, but are we fully awake? Will it take churches being shut down for good, pastors arrested, or even Christians being persecuted for us to awaken out of our sleep?

Beware of the Enchanted Ground! Christian heeded that warning because he found Simple, Sloth, and Presumption asleep earlier in the story, not far from the cross. Christian warns them of the danger from their adversary, the devil. Simple responded, "I see no danger." He represents the person who sees no need for the armor of God or to arm himself with prayer and knowledge of the Word of God.

Sloth responded, "Yet a little more sleep." He represents the person who believes he can put everything off until another day. Tomorrow he will get serious about prayer, witnessing, studying, and applying the Word of God. He also represents the person who thinks he has plenty of time to get right with God. "By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through." Ecclesiastes 10:18

Presumption responded, "Every vat must stand upon his own bottom," which is to say, "I don't need any help from you!" He represents those who refuse to heed godly counsel. Presumption also represents those counting on works, rituals, or religion to get them to Heaven. He proves that the natural man cannot understand the danger he is in. He over-estimates his own abilities and under-estimates the bondage of his sin. There is no peace or safety apart from Jesus Christ.

Beware of the Enchanted Ground. Beware of complacency, carelessness, and lethargy; beware of fatigue!

I live in the country, and I love to walk. There is a spring in my step when I first start out, and my stride is brisk. The walk back is another story! As I near the end, my steps get slower and slower, and I am more than ready to sit down and rest. In Bunyan's allegory of the Christian's walk from earth to glory, the enemy places the Enchanted Ground near the end of the Pilgrims' race. Why? Because he knows that is where they will be the weariest and most likely to sleep.

Someone once said, "Satan does not stop nipping at the heels of the saints until they draw their last breath."

Charles Plumb was a US Navy pilot in Vietnam. After seventy-five missions, his plane was destroyed by a surface-to-air missile. Plumb ejected and parachuted into enemy hands. He was captured and spent six years in a communist Vietnamese prison. He survived the ordeal and was eventually released. One day when Plumb and his wife were sitting in a restaurant, a man came up to their table and said, "You're Plumb! You flew jet fighters off the aircraft carrier, Kitty Hawk. You were shot down!" "How in the world did you know that?" asked Plumb. The man replied, "I packed your parachute! I guess it worked!" Plumb assured him, "It sure did. If your chute hadn't worked, I wouldn't be here today!"

Charles Plumb could not get the man off his mind. He said, "I wonder how many times I might have seen him and not said anything to him because you see, I was a fighter pilot, and he was just a sailor. I thought of the hours the sailor had spent at a long table in the bowels of the ship, carefully weaving the shrouds and folding the silks of each chute, holding in his hands each time the fate of someone he didn't know."

If you cannot see end-time Biblical prophecy unfolding, then you are hiding your head in the sand.

We are nearing the finish line. Don't expect life to get easier. Satan knows his time is short, and he has unleashed his fury. He is trying everything in his power to wear down the saints of God. Living in a world filled with sin is hard. Fighting the battle against sin can cause us to grow weary, and that's where we must beware of the Enchanted Ground.

The story of the fighter pilot and the sailor leaves no doubt that victory in physical warfare depends upon every soldier doing their job to the best of their ability. What if the sailor had gotten careless or been sleeping on the job? Charles Plumb would have died in the jungles of Vietnam, and his name would be on the Vietnam Memorial in Washington D.C.

Every member of the spiritual army of Jesus Christ is valuable! Don't grow complacent, careless, or insensitive; someone is counting on you! You may be packing the spiritual parachute of someone who will never land safely on Heaven's shore unless you stay awake, watch and pray!

Davis Wilkerson said, "We may never see the impact of the work we do for Christ, but that does not mean the efforts are fruitless."

If we remain faithful and awake, continue to fight the good fight, and pray without ceasing, I believe we will see people in Heaven who will say, "If not for you, I would not be here."

" How sweet is rest after fatigue. How sweet will be Heaven when our journey is ended." ~ George Whitefield

Thirsty for God

Thu, 07 Oct 2021 07:35:00 GMT

"My soul thirsteth for Thee, my flesh longeth for Thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is." Psalm 63:1b

My dad, Henry Lipps, supported his family of nine children by working in the log woods. In his day, logging was done with a saw and a team of mules. It was hard work. The kind of work that could quickly create a thirst in the human body. One particular day, my dad sat down under a tree to rest, and as was customary for him, he began talking to the Lord. My dad said, "Lord, I sure would love to have some good cold water." He said the Lord spoke to him and told him to look to his side. He saw a patch of moss, and coming up from it was a stream of water. My dad said that no water had ever tasted better. He went back later to the same spot, and there was no sign of the water.

Working in the heat gave my dad a lifelong appreciation for water. He never testified in church nor prayed without thanking God for good water.

The medical profession tells us that we can go days, even weeks, without food, but we need water every day. Thirst is a powerful urge. I saw this first-hand last week. Our elderly cat Roxy became ill and quickly stopped eating. She began showing signs that she was nearing the end of her life. She had no interest in food, but we watched for several days as she forced her weak body to get up and drink water.

If only my thirst for God was that strong and compelling!

Much of the United States has suffered drought this year. Our community went for several weeks this summer with no rain. The lack of water caused the ground to become dry and cracked, and the grass began turning brown. Natural droughts can cause serious problems: a shortage of food, higher prices, and wildfires, to name a few.

Those things are alarming, but as Christians, the thing that should concern us the most is the spiritual drought in the body of Christ. There is a lack of the presence and rain of the Holy Spirit in our churches.

David said he had a thirst for God. His body, soul, and spirit longed for God. Thirst is an insatiable longing for water. If thirst becomes strong enough, it cannot be ignored or conquered by willpower. The church needs to wake up and realize that nothing will satisfy the spiritual body except the " Living Water" Jesus Christ.

In the last year and a half, we have gone through things we never imagined would happen. Some things cause natural thirst: hard work, the sun, exercise, fever, even salt. Could it be possible that God is allowing things to occur that will create a thirst for Him in the hearts of His people?

The Coronavirus pandemic has exposed the spiritual drought that has existed for several years in the American church. It's probably safe to say that every church in this nation has members that have never returned since the government ordered shut-down last year. The fall-out from COVID-19 has revealed the dry, apathetic, lukewarm condition of many churchgoers.

We need a thirst for God to survive spiritually. David wrote Psalm 63 while hiding in the wilderness of Judea, but his heart longed to be back worshiping in Jerusalem. His entire being was crying out for fellowship with God. He craved the presence of God that he had experienced in the sanctuary.

"To see Thy power and Thy glory so as I have seen Thee in the sanctuary." Psalm 63:3

Those of us who have been saved for several years know that we do not have the power of God in our lives and churches that previous generations had. David's spiritual longing for God was as intense as the thirst of a traveler in a waterless desert.

Sometimes it takes a mountain,

Sometimes a troubled sea,

Sometimes it takes a desert,

To get a hold of me

Songwriters: Mark Mathes/Gloria L Gaither

God will allow trials and tests in our lives to create a thirst for Him, but if all else fails, He will lead us to a desert.

In the book of Genesis, when Hagar fled in fear from her mistress Sarai, the Angel of the Lord found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness. She named the well Beer-la-hai-roi in honor of the Lord. Beer-la-hai-roi , or "the well of the living One who sees me," is deep in the Negev desert. Even though Hagar found water in this dry, barren place and had an encounter with the Lord, she did not remain there. Hagar is an example of people who only pray and seek God in times of trouble.

On the other hand, the Bible says, " Isaac dwelt by the well Beer-la-hai-roi." Genesis 25:11b The well of the all-seeing God became his constant source of supply. Too many Christians are fearful, anxious, discontented, empty, cold, and indifferent. Their spiritual reservoir has dried up. The problem is that they are not living at the well. Jesus wants to be to us, "a well of water springing up into everlasting life." John 4:14b

There is an ancient tale from India about a young man who was seeking God. He went to a wise old sage and asked, "How can I find God?" The old man took him to a river, and they waded into the deep water until it was just under their chins. Suddenly the old man seized the young man by the neck and pushed him under the water. He held him down until the young man was flailing the water in desperation.

Up out of the water, the two of them came. The young man was coughing and gasping for air. When they reached the bank of the river, he asked the old man indignantly, "What did that have to do with my finding God?" The old man quietly asked, "While you were under the water, what did you want more than anything else?" The young man answered, "I wanted air! I wanted air more than anything else!" The old man replied, "When you want God as much as you wanted air, you will find him."

"And ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:13

"Many people seem to be interested in knowing God for what they can get out of Him. They do not seem to understand that God wants to give Himself. God being Who He is must always be sought for Himself, never as a means toward something else. The mighty God, the maker of Heaven and earth will not be one of many treasures, not even the chief of all treasures. He will be all in all or He will be nothing." ~ A.W. Tozer

Tozer also prayed, " O God, I want Thee. I long to be filled with longing, and I thirst to be made thirsty still."

My prayer is that God will create a thirst within me so intense that I cannot drown out its voice, and my entire being will yield to its power!

A Pleasant Arbor

Fri, 03 Sep 2021 16:02:00 GMT

"Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling." Jude 24

In May 2019, filmmaker Elia Saikaly scaled Mt. Everest while filming a documentary. He described a gruesome scene at the summit, where climbers had to go past a dead body to reach the top of the mountain. In a Facebook post, Mr. Saikaly wrote: "I cannot believe what I saw up there. Death...Carnage...Chaos. Dead bodies were on the route and in the tents at Camp Four. We walked over dead bodies. Everything you read in the sensational headlines all played out on our summit night."

I have never had a desire to mountain climb, and at my age now, I don't need adventure. But, the Christian life has many similarities to mountain climbing. We should constantly be striving to grow spiritually and trying to go higher or closer to the Lord. Living the Christian life has never been easy, but the last year and a half have brought trials, tests, and difficulties that have never been experienced before in the American church. I don't know anyone that has not been touched in some way by COVID-19. It seems every day brings more bad news of suffering, pain, and sorrow.

As I was reading the story of Mt. Everest, it reminded me of a section from John Bunyan's Christian allegory, The Pilgrim's Progress. On his journey, Christian reaches a place called "Hill Difficulty." He starts with great energy and enthusiasm to overcome the hill, running the first part of the way. His running soon becomes crawling on his hands and feet. Bunyan writes, "Now, about the midway to the top of the hill was a Pleasant Arbor, made by the Lord of the hill for the refreshing of weary travelers."

On Christian's challenging climb up the hill, the Lord provided a pleasant arbor where he could rest and refresh himself. God's goodness and provision will never abandon His children in their times of trouble. He will always provide an arbor. The arbor represents a Word of grace -- a truth or promise of Scripture that applies to our present situation.

In 2002, I found myself climbing the hill of difficulty. I was battling aggressive, third-stage breast cancer. I sought the Lord for a Scripture that I could stand on my faith. He gave me Psalm 118:17 , " I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord." He miraculously healed me, and I have declared His works to many people. His Word was a pleasant arbor to me.

According to the dictionary, an arbor is a shelter or a shady resting place. Are you tired and weary? The Lord wants to be your arbor. He's saying, " Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28

Are you facing a crisis? Invite Christ into that crisis with you.

In the OT book of Daniel, three Hebrew boys, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, found themselves in a crisis. The Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar had erected a huge, golden image and commanded everyone to bow to it or face death. The three boys refused to bow, and the king had them thrown in a furnace that had been made seven times hotter. To the king's amazement, there were no screams, no smell of burning flesh. The three boys had been joined by a fourth man that had the appearance of the Son of God. Jesus Christ had come into their crisis!

Jesus did not come into the Hebrews' crisis to impress a heathen king. He came into their crisis to be a shelter, their shade from the heat of the furnace.

What kind of crisis are you facing? Is it spiritual, financial, mental, physical? Is it your marriage, job, or your children? People are facing things that have no human solution. We need the Lord, but how can we get Him to commit to our crisis? By becoming committed to Him. The three Hebrew boys, as well as Daniel, had made three significant commitments.

1. They committed themselves to live a pure lifestyle amid a wicked, ungodly society.

We live in a society that now calls "good, evil" and "evil, good." and grows more anti-Christian every day. No matter how ungodly our nation becomes, we must be committed to living our lives according to the Word of God.

2. They committed themselves to seek God and become men of prayer.

"And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications with fasting." Daniel 9:3

Faithful praying will not always keep you out of a crisis, but prayer will prepare you to face it with trust in God.

In 1985, my sister Ann was facing colon cancer surgery. On the morning of her surgery, many members of our family lined the hallway as nurses wheeled her to the surgery department. We were there to comfort and support her, but she looked at us with a big smile and said, "I've already prayed this morning; I'm not afraid." Prayer didn't start when Ann heard the word cancer . She had committed at a young age to live a life of prayer and seeking the Lord faithfully. As a result of that commitment, Ann often found the Lord to be a pleasant arbor to her.

3. They committed to trusting God--live or die completely!

These men were facing the biggest crisis any human being could face, yet they told the king, " If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning, fiery furnace and He will deliver us out of thine hand...But if not, be it known unto thee, O King, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up." Daniel 3: 16-18

Will the hatred of Christ ever reach the point in America that we will be forced to either renounce Him or die? None of us know, but now is the time to commit, live or die; I will trust the Lord. When we make those commitments to Him, He will meet us in every crisis. He will walk through the fire, flood, sickness, even death with us.

In May 2001, Erik Weihenmayer accomplished something that only about 150 people per year do--reaching the top of Mt. Everest. What made Erik's achievement unusual is that he was the first blind person to succeed in scaling the tallest mountain above sea level in the world. Rather than focus on what he could not do, Erik chose to focus on what he could do. Erik Weihenmayer's autobiography is Touch the Top of the World: A Blind Man's Journey to Climb Farther Than the Eye Can See.

You may be facing a mountain so tall that the summit is obscured by dark clouds or a valley so deep that you see no way out, but don't stop climbing!

Let your faith go farther than your eyes can see. Look to Jesus; He will provide a pleasant arbor! He is exceeding, abundantly able to keep you from falling! A Word of grace may come through reading His Word, a sermon, a song, or a word from a friend.

"If you can't see His way past the tears, trust His heart." ~ Charles Spurgeon

These Last Days

Thu, 26 Aug 2021 08:53:00 GMT

II Timothy 3:1 "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come."

Matthew 24:7 "For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences and earthquakes, in divers places."

Luke 21:25-28 "And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh."

As I write this post, I have been reading alarming news articles from news outlets worldwide. As of this writing, Israel has been battling wildfires on the outskirts of Jerusalem, started likely by incendiary balloons launched by terrorists. Iran is reportedly within two months of obtaining a nuclear bomb. The Russian military conducts operations about an hour from Syria's border with Israel, only a two-hour drive from Megiddo. Russia is attempting to persuade Iranian-backed militia members to surrender without reprisals. The Palestinian Islamic Fatwa Council is accusing Israel of weakening the foundation of the al-Aqsa Mosque through archaeological exploration nearby, the renovations of the Western Wall, and the acquisition and development of nearby land. The Council accuses Israel of planning to destroy al-Aqsa to rebuild the Third Temple on the Holy Site of Solomon's Temple.

The US Geological Survey reports the world has experienced 2,407 earthquakes with a magnitude of 2.5 or greater in the past month. Of course, we continue to pray for Haiti, which lost over 2,000 souls during the August 14th earthquake. They are suffering unimaginable hardship. There have been numerous tsunami warnings issued because of these earthquakes. Furthermore, this summer, the world has experienced unprecedented droughts. The only continent spared this affliction is Antarctica.

Other news articles feature the chaotic events in Afghanistan as the United States and its allies feverishly work to evacuate civilians from a war zone and terrorist haven. Several reports from various news outlets refer to the "end of the American Empire." Many of these outlets point back to a meeting between US President Biden and Russian leader Putin. Putin told Biden to get America out of Central Asia because Russia was taking over that region of the world. Russia announced the rebuilding of its navy. Furthermore, Russia and China have announced joint naval exercises in the Persian Gulf. The political world is turning upside down.

Of course, Covid-19 and the Delta variant are still infecting people at a record pace. Around America, hospitals are filling with more sick patients. People are living with the torment of fear and an incredible lack of courage. With a rise in Covid cases, there is the possibility of more lockdowns and unemployment. Every day is fraught with uncertainty.

Welcome to the last days.

My concern is the Church seems unprepared for these times. Have pastors prepared their flocks for these moments? Are Christians walking closely with God and seeking His guidance for these trials? Are we leaning upon God enough so we are not frightened by the turmoil? Instead, do our lives reflect our faithful obedience to God and shine the light of Christ's love in the darkest hour of humanity?

II Corinthians 11:2 "For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ."

We are witnessing the final hour of the Church. Christ is coming for His bride. Is she ready? Is she pure and holy? Does her countenance reflect the joy of seeing her Savior? These days are our last days to be witnesses for God. When other people look at us, what do they see? Is it fear, worry, anxiety? Do we project quiet confidence in our Lord and Savior? Does our faith in God and hope for tomorrow shine forth amidst the turmoil and chaos of today?

In the last days, the pain, suffering, anguish, and death will get worse. We must prepare ourselves for the new normal. For too long, we have enjoyed the comfort and ease of life created by the advancements in technology and innovation. We have forsaken our devotion to God and replaced it with enjoyment, comfort, and relaxation. Satan has coddled the Church to sleep with materialism, entertainment, immorality, and iniquity. We have not prepared our hearts for the days ahead.

Our worship services should reflect the jubilation of a bride on her wedding day. Soon, we will be caught away to be with our Savior! We should live with anticipation, not anxiety. Worship should replace worry. Our love for God and neighbor can warm the coldest of hearts. Rather than being consumed with fear, our lives should shine in the freedom of knowing we do not belong in this mess. We are witnessing the end of life as we have known it. We are on the verge of tasting the newness of eternal life in our glorified bodies.

Christ suffered and died to give us this opportunity. Since the Ascension, Jesus is preparing a special place for us to live. There is nothing on this earth equal to the majesty of heaven, nothing except souls. We have become too wrapped up in things and possessions. The only part of this earth we can take with us is our souls. Not one ounce of our possessions will enter heaven. Only the lives we have touched for Christ will be able to remain for eternity. We have everything to gain and nothing to lose.

In these last days, make them your best days for Christ. Be encouraged in the Lord. Find strength in Scripture. Cling to hope in prayer. Experience the light of God's love and grace amid this dark and evil world. Listen for the Holy Spirit's guidance daily. Finally, share Jesus with others. May our lives be living testimonies of Christ's love, mercy, grace, and forgiveness for others to follow. Eternity is on the horizon. Jesus, our Lord and Savior, is coming soon. Maranatha!

Nothing To Draw Water With

Fri, 30 Jul 2021 13:43:00 GMT

" For with God nothing shall be impossible." Luke 1:37

" God is looking for people through whom He can do the impossible. What a pity that we plan only the things we can do by ourselves." --- A.W. Tozer

The Apostle John records an incident in the 4th chapter of his gospel in Sychar, a city in Samaria. In the heat of the day, a Samaritan woman comes to the community well to draw water. A Jewish man is sitting on the well, and as she approaches, He asked her for a drink. She is shocked at His request for two reasons: men didn't speak to women in public, and the Jews hated the Samaritans. In essence, her reply to Him was, "Why do you ask me for a drink? I am a woman and a Samaritan."

Jesus replied, "If you knew Who was asking for a drink, you would have asked Me, and I would have given you living water." The woman responded, "Sir, Thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep."

The woman was stating the obvious. She didn't know she was talking to the Son of God. "You have nothing to draw with," she said to the One the Psalmist said, "He causes the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth." Psalm 135:7

From her point of view, there were two significant hurdles to overcome. She stated the scope of the problem; the well was too deep. She noted the apparent lack of provision; He had nothing to draw with.

The Samaritan woman was only doing what people down through the ages have done when faced with seemingly impossible situations - limiting the Infinite to our finite understanding.

When told she would conceive a child in her old age, Sarah laughingly asked, "Shall I of a surety bear a child when I am old?"

Upon hearing that he was God's choice to confront Pharaoh, Moses responded to the Great I Am, "I am not eloquent, but I am slow of speech."

When Jesus told His disciples to feed the five thousand men plus women and children, it was late in the evening, and they were in a desert place. There was no place to buy food. The disciples looked at the scope of the problem; too many people. They took note of the lack of provisions; five loaves of bread and two small fish. They said to The Bread of Life, "Send them away that they may buy food."

The automobile genius Henry Ford once came up with a revolutionary plan for a new kind of engine, which we know today as the V-8. Ford was eager to get his incredible new idea into production. He had his plans drawn up and presented them to his engineers. As they studied the drawings, one by one, they came to the same conclusion; their visionary boss just didn't know much about engineering. They gently told him his dream was impossible.

Ford said, "Produce it anyway!" They replied, "But it's impossible!" "Go ahead," Ford commanded, "and stay on the job until you succeed, no matter how much time is required." For months they struggled with drawing after drawing and design after design. They kept telling Ford that what he was asking for was impossible, but he just told them to keep going. It took over a year, but Henry Ford finally got his V-8 engine.

Henry Ford got what he wanted because he had confidence in his vision and the ability of his engineers. He got what he asked for because he would not accept the word impossible !

As Christians, we know what God can do. There is nothing impossible for Him. His power is infinite. But God does not want us to place our faith in what He can do. He wants us to put our faith in Who He is!

Faith is not intelligent understanding. It does not even depend upon my understanding. Faith is a deliberated commitment to a Person -- the Lord Jesus Christ! If the woman of Samaria had known who Jesus was, she would not have worried for one second over the depth of the well or the lack of a bucket to draw water with.

There is no more extraordinary Biblical example of faith than Job. Everything in Job's life contradicted what He knew about God. Yet, the most inspiring expression of faith in the Bible was spoken by Job, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him." Job 13:15a

A young boy traveling by plane to visit his grandparents sat beside a man who happened to be a seminary professor. The boy was reading a Sunday school paper, and the professor thought he would have some fun with him. "Young man," said the professor, "If you can tell me something God can do, I will give you a big, shiny apple." The boy thought for a moment and then replied, "Mister, if you can tell me something God can't do, I'll give you a whole barrel of apples!"

No wonder God wants us to trust Him with the faith of a little child!

The church is facing many things. COVID cases are spiking again this summer. The world is not a good place right now, and people are hurting. Don't limit God. Don't bring Him down to your finite understanding. Don't look at God through your circumstances, but look at your circumstances through Whom He says He is.

Charles Spurgeon said, "I would recommend you either believe God up to the hilt or else, not to believe at all. Believe this Book of God, every letter of it, or else, reject it. There is no logical standing place between the two. Be satisfied with nothing less than a faith that swims in the deep of revelation; a faith that paddles about the edge of the water is poor faith at best."

We have something to draw from -- the depth of God's Word!

We have Someone to draw from -- our Infinite Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

Three Words

Fri, 25 Jun 2021 09:50:00 GMT

" Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away." (Matthew 24:35)

Over the past year, we have witnessed words and ideas change the world we live in. In today's woke, politically correct environment, someone will be offended by anything you say.

One fourth-grader had to report on the origin of the Thanksgiving holiday. Feeling the pressure of the political and cultural insanity, the student said, "The Pilgrims came here seeking freedom of you know what. When they landed, they gave thanks to you know Who. Because of them, we can worship each Sunday, you know where." That would be funny if it weren't so sad.

Words have power. The words we write or speak can have a lasting impact, either good or bad, so they need to be chosen wisely.

President Calvin Coolidge was famously known as a man of few words. His nickname was "Silent Cal." His wife, Grace, told the story of a young woman who sat next to her husband at a dinner party. She told President Coolidge that she had a bet with a friend to get at least three words of conversation from him. Without looking at her, he quietly retorted, "You lose." President Coolidge understood very well the value of using only carefully considered words -- and these being few in number.

The power of just three words can change a life forever. For example, "I love you" can cause a young girl to begin dreaming of bridal gowns, bouquets, and wedding cakes. On the other hand, " I hate you" can send someone's life spiraling down into depression and despair. Several years ago, my life was changed

forever when a doctor spoke the three words, " You have cancer."

Many men and women in history have spoken great, powerful words that left an impact, but none greater than Jesus Christ!

Since His death and resurrection, more words have been written about Him than any other person in history. But more importantly, are the words that Jesus spoke about Himself. Jesus Christ made over one hundred and seventy claims about Himself. The power of these claims has convinced well-known, brilliant atheists to become His devoted followers. Former atheist C.S. Lewis chaired departments in two of the world's most prestigious universities. After his conversion to Christianity,

he became one of the world's greatest Christian novelists. Lew Wallace, another atheist-turned-Christian, destroyed his anti-Christian manuscript titled The Myth of Christianity and replaced it with the most celebrated historical novel of all time, Ben Hur: A Tale of the Christ.

The Bible says that those who heard Jesus firsthand marveled at His teachings. (Mark 1:22)

He spoke with authority and confidence, and He backed up His claims with actions that proved them to be true. He was a man of few words. Jesus performed some of His greatest miracles with just three words.

In the town of Bethany, in front of eyewitnesses, Jesus Christ, with just three words, revived a corpse that had been rotting in a tomb for four days: " Lazarus, come forth!"

Mark records a storm so violent that the disciples, many of whom were seasoned fishermen, feared for their lives. Yet, it only took three words from Jesus to calm the wind and waves: "Peace, be still!"

In John's account of the Passion of Christ, he began in Gethsemane. A band of Roman soldiers and temple guards, led by Judas, came to arrest Jesus. Jesus steps forward and asks, "Whom do you seek?" They answered Him, "Jesus of Nazareth." Jesus Christ said to them, " I am He!" John said when He spoke those three words, " I am He," they all drew back and fell to the ground. (John 18:4-6)

Those three words were so powerful that an entire cohort of soldiers and guards were lying helpless on the ground! Jesus could have walked out of that garden, and they would not have been able to lift a finger to stop Him.

With our finite minds, we cannot begin to comprehend the infinite power of Jesus Christ. Hebrews 1:3 says that He upholds everything by the word of His power. The entire universe is contained in its proper place by His word. His words of life can still revive dead marriages, deliver the alcoholic and drug addict, break the mighty chains of sin and breathe spiritual life into lost men and women.

With three words, " Peace, be still," He can calm the storms of fear, uncertainty, anxiety, depression and give His people perfect peace.

On March 4, 1841, William Harrison, the 9th President of the United States, delivered what proved to be the longest inaugural speech on record. It was nearly nine thousand words long, and despite efforts from his staff to shorten it, President Harrison insisted that the nation needed to hear the whole thing. So for nearly two hours, in the rain, on an unseasonably cold day, the President stood and delivered his address, word for word. History records that President Harrison got pneumonia in the days following his inauguration and then died exactly one month later, on April 4, 1841.

Jesus Christ spent six hours on the cross, and during that time, He spoke forty-five words. His last words were spoken just before He completed His mission and died. He uttered three words that would change the world for all eternity: "It is finished!" (John 19:30) This statement is from the Greek word tetelestai , which means, "It is finished; it stands finished, and it always will be finished."

Tetelestai was a word commonly used in Jesus' day. If you purchased something on credit and paid the debt off completely, the receipt would say, "Tetelestai, the debt is paid in full." It is finished. Three words that proclaim the debt is paid' it stands paid, and always will be paid. Jesus paid our sin debt on the cross.

It is finished! The three words that proclaim, Mission accomplished! It is finished! The three words that joyously resound, "Praise the Lord, salvation has been brought down!"

President William Harrison will probably always be remembered as the man who said more and did less than any President in American history.

Eternity will tell the story. There has never been a President, Prime Minister, King, or Queen that has said less and done more than Jesus Christ. "The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." (John 6:63b)

If you were told today that you could only speak three words, what would they be?

Would you tell someone dear to you, "I love you?"

Would you compliment a co-worker with the words, "You look nice?"

Would you seek out someone that is discouraged and say, "Don't give up," or to the depressed, "There is hope?"

In 1985, I sat by the bedside of my best friend, Mollie Bowling, as she was dying from cancer. Her last three words to me were, "Are you coming?" I answered her back, "I'll be there shortly."

Choose your words wisely; we never know when they will be our last.

"A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver." (Proverbs 25:11

The Heart of a Father

Fri, 18 Jun 2021 13:18:00 GMT

Recently I was shopping for Father's Day at a department store in the mall and was appalled by the display of shirts. The shirts referenced subjects that supposedly are important to fathers these days. Logos such as "Time Flies When You're Having Rum" displayed themes of activities that are against the Bible. The first Psalm gives clear teaching on what a good father should be. His delight is in the law of the Lord instead of distractions such as business, pleasures, hobbies, and technology. The many Scriptures from the Bible teach the importance of the role of the father. These precepts do not change. Our world is suffering from a lack of godly leadership in the home.

Hollywood does much to downplay the Father's role. In movies, fathers are often disrespected. Little children are being taught that the moms are actually the leaders and that the dad's ideas and plans do not work. Moms in the home can add to this belittlement by commenting to their children, "Your Father should not have done this; Your dad works all the time; He never goes anywhere with us; Your dad is not capable of making this decision."

What about the young person in the home whose dad is not a godly leader? Some of the best men and women that I know are people who did not have a godly father in the home. God called Gideon to be a leader to the people of Israel even though his father was a man who hewed idols. God saw that despite the flaws in Gideon's father, Gideon, through Christ became a "mighty man of valor." I believe Gideon realized that God was His Father and courageously won great victories through the power of God. Gideon did not let his father's occupation as an idol builder keep him from obeying God's command to tear down the idols.

It is also amazing how often the faith in God that a son or daughter has can soften a parent's heart to Christ over time. After Gideon had torn down the idols, his father protected and defended him against those who were angry at Gideon. Gideon's obedience to God affected his father. It is remarkable to me that Gideon's name was changed to "Jedediah," which means "Let Baal plead for himself." Amazingly, the very last words of the Old Testament are, "And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers...." (Malachi 4:6)

The institution of the family, which began in the garden of Eden and carried through the Old Testament years, shows its importance by being the last subject of the inspired Scriptures for four hundred years. When the father takes the initiative, the son is inclined to follow Christ, which is shown by this Scripture stating the father's heart before the children's heart. The father must model wholehearted commitment to God to his children. Before the father attempts to save the world, he must realize his first priority is to make sure his children are saved. God calls on fathers today to stand for what His Word teaches is right and boldly stand against wrong issues. Today's culture teaches that it "is unloving to stand against sins of the Bible." Men of God must be willing to be the object of laughter. "It is no disgrace for a man to be laughed at but to deserve to be laughed at that is the disgrace." (Matthew Henry)

Consider Jesus Christ and His willingness to stand against hypocrisy in the church, his preparedness to be a man and to stand even during hunger, physical suffering, and mockery. Jesus Christ came on a mission to do His Father's will to save the world. A father must realize his responsibility to ensure his family is ready for Heaven no matter the cost. He must realize that Satan is on the warpath to take all fathers down. If the devil can get the father, he can more easily get the whole family for his kingdom. The father must be willing to fight on his knees and endure hardness as a good soldier for Jesus Christ.

Rise up, O men of God!

The church for you doth wait—

Your strength unequal to the task,

But Christ in you is great!

Lift high the cross of Christ;

Tread where His feet have trod;

As brothers of the Son of Man,

Rise up, O men of God! (Phil Keaggy)

Let the Fire Fall

Wed, 19 May 2021 07:38:00 GMT

"He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire." Matthew 3:11c

In the summer of 1872, the owners of the Glacier Point Hotel in Yosemite National Park started a new event that lasted for almost a century. It was called the Yosemite Firefall. At 9:00 each evening, in Curry Camp, a crowd would gather below the three thousand feet cliff called Glacier Point.

On top of the mountain, a fire would be lit. History has it that David Curry, founder of Camp Curry, would stand at the base of the mountain and yell, "Let the fire fall!" A faint reply could be heard from the top of the mountain, and then a great bonfire of red fir bark would be pushed over the edge of the cliff. It appeared to the onlookers below as a glowing waterfall of sparks and fire as it cascaded down the mountain.

This Sunday, May 23, is Pentecost Sunday. Pentecost is the day when Christians celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit, as recorded in the Book of Acts.

Before Jesus ascended back to heaven, He commanded His followers to tarry in Jerusalem until they were endued with power from on high. The 120 that prayerfully waited in the Upper Room had an encounter with the Holy Spirit that changed their lives and empowered them to take the gospel through Judea and Samaria to Antioch, Asia Minor, Greece, and finally to Rome.

The word "Pentecost" means " the fiftieth." In the Old Testament, Pentecost occurred fifty days after Israel left Egypt. In Acts, it occurred fifty days after Christ rose from the dead. In the Old Testament, this day was a celebration of the birthday of Israel. In Acts, we celebrate the birth of the New Testament church. For Israel, Pentecost was a celebration of the harvest of grain. For the church, Pentecost is supposed to be a harvest of souls.

When the Holy Spirit came, His arrival was sudden. The Christians sitting in the house heard the sound of a rushing, mighty wind. They also saw a phenomenon that Luke described as cloven tongues of fire that sat upon each of them. Acts 2: 1-4

Fire symbolizes the power of God. Fire transforms, refines, and purifies. Fire changes whatever it touches. On the Day of Pentecost, the fire of the Holy Spirit fell upon those men and women, transformed them, and they, in turn, changed the world!

A woman's watch had stopped working, so she took it to a jeweler to be repaired. He disappeared into a back room and soon returned with the watch running perfectly. The surprised woman asked how he fixed it so quickly. He told her it only needed a new battery. The woman responded, "A battery? Nobody told me I needed a battery. I've been winding it up every morning!"

That's a good illustration of the modern-day church trying to operate without the fire, the power of the Holy Spirit. For too long, we have depended on training, education, talents, and abilities. Your knowledge may impress people. Your talents and abilities may bring people enjoyment, but without the anointing power of the Holy Spirit, they will not be effective in changing lives.

It's time we stop winding ourselves up! It's time we begin crying out to God to endue us with power from on high. O Lord, let the fire fall!

On April 9, 1906, William Seymour and seven men were gathered on Bonnie Brae Street in Los Angeles, California. These spiritually hungry men were praying and waiting on God. Suddenly, like a bolt of lightning, the fire of the Holy Ghost fell upon them, and they began to speak in tongues. Word spread, and the crowds grew until they had to move to a bigger building. These meetings became known as the Azusa Street Revival that lasted from 1906-1915. Today, historians considered the revival to be the primary catalyst for the spread of Pentecostalism in the twentieth century.

In the 1970s, the Charismatic Movement burst on the scene. A new wave of the Holy Spirit swept through Catholic, Episcopalian, Methodist, Lutheran, Presbyterian, and Baptist churches. Many of these denominations were steeped in the belief that sign gifts and the extraordinary manifestations of the Holy Spirit ceased with

the end of the Apostolic age. Pastors, priests, and church leaders found themselves struggling to explain this new wave of the Holy Spirit in their midst.

We now come to the church in 2021. For the most part, it is a well-oiled machine. We have learned how to " do" church. In many congregations, the Holy Spirit departed a long time ago, but no one has noticed.

At the last Yosemite Firefall, the official park bulletin proclaimed,

"The Firefall, a fancy of James McCauley that caught on and was popular for almost a hundred years, died Thursday, January 25, 1968, in a blazing farewell.

"It was a dandy Firefall, fat and long, and it ended with an exceptionally brilliant spurt, the embers lighting the cliff as they floated slowly downward."

There weren't many people around to watch. Maybe fifty. Hardly any congestion at all.

The parking lots and sanctuaries of most local churches are not congested in 2021. But, for many churchgoers, the Coronavirus has given them a perfect excuse to leave the house of God. Some have returned; many never will. We are living in very dark, perilous times. People are hurting financially, physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. What we are experiencing in this nation cannot be fixed by Washington; man cannot fix it. We need God to rend the heavens and come with a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon His people.

Several years ago, on New Year's Day, a beautiful float suddenly sputtered and stopped in the Tournament of Roses. It was out of gas. The entire parade was held up until someone could get a can of gas. The embarrassing thing was that the float represented the Standard Oil Company. With its vast oil resources, its truck was out of gas.

In the Old Testament tabernacle, God gave instructions that the fire on the altar should never be allowed to go out.

"The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out." Leviticus 6:13

Is the fire still burning in your church, your life?

Jesus told His disciples, "But ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you." Acts 1:8a He has equipped us with all we need. The power of the Holy Ghost and the vast resources of heaven are at our disposal. How it must grieve His heart to see how powerless much of the American church has become.

We represent Jesus Christ, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Are we willing to let His Name be put to shame because we have allowed the fire to go out?

My fellow Pentecostals, it's not enough to trace our roots back to the Azusa Street Mission. It's not enough to talk about past experiences.

The crucial questions are, "Is the fire of the Holy Ghost burning within me today? Am I living a Spirit-filled life based on the Word of God?"

Do you want to see souls saved? Do you desire to see revival in your home, community, and your church?

If your answer is yes, then this coming Sunday, let's all raise our voices in churches across this nation, crying out to God for a fresh Pentecost!

O Lord, Let the fire fall!

A Mother's Heart

Fri, 07 May 2021 19:22:00 GMT

"But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart." Luke 2:19

Throughout history, when the world became filled with evil, God sent a child. But before the child, God chose a mother. God created mothers with a special bond with their children. During the pregnancy, a mother bonds with her child and develops chemical and physical responses that last a lifetime. God designed this relationship and has used the unique nature of a mother's love to change the course of history. So God chose Mary, a young woman who obediently followed God's choosing and direction, both of which changed her life and ours forever.

The bond of a mother with her newborn is almost instantaneous. One particular study found that 90% of new moms could identify their newborns by scent alone within ten minutes of cuddling time with those babies. After sixty minutes of bonding time, 100% of mothers could identify their newborns by smell alone ( https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3691966/ ).

God gave mothers a special kind of love for children. A mother has a heart for her children. She aggressively fights to protect, tenderly strives to nourish and lovingly cuddles to nurture her babies. God designed a mother's heart with unique and life-changing gifts for her children.

Mothers have a protective heart. In Exodus 2:1-10, we read how Moses' mother hid her baby from the evil edict of Pharoah, which demanded the slaughter of Hebrew babies. She creatively made an ark in which to place her son and hide him along the river bank. Few people could conceive of such a plan or effectively implement such an idea. However, this mother had an unquenchable desire to protect her chosen child. Similarly, Pharoah's daughter instinctively saved the babe from her father's maniacal plans. Because of the protective nature of these women, God used Moses to change the course of history for His chosen people and lead them out of bondage to the Promised Land.

Likewise, mothers watch over the souls of their children. They prepare a way of safety for their children to live. Just as a grizzly bear mother can protect her cubs from male grizzlies twice her size, mothers possess great strength and fortitude while protecting their young. Mothers have a sacred responsibility to protect their babies. No wonder no matter how old children become, they are always their mother's baby.

Mothers have an obedient heart. They are willing to sacrifice personal welfare for the sake of their children. So in I Samuel 1:9-28, Hannah prayed earnestly for a child and promised God she would give the baby back to God in return for the blessing of experiencing motherhood. Deep within her soul, she knew she should bear a son. But, what Hannah did not realize, God needed a special son for the years ahead to lead His chosen people from the transition of Judges to the Davidic monarchy.

Hannah's heart was so heavy in prayer; she did not realize just how bizarre her praying looked to others. She poured out her soul in humility before God; much like Christ in Philippians 2:7, Christ "made himself of no reputation" literally means he poured out or emptied himself to take the form of a servant. She came in prayer with a humble heart, went away in peace, and became a woman God prospered.

God burdened Hannah's heart with the desperation of the tumultuous times that lay ahead. The willing sacrifice she made reveals the dire circumstance of her time; yet, few if any other people recognized the urgency of the hour. Nevertheless, Hannah obeyed God, who blessed her with children and prospered a nation because of her sacrifice.

Mothers have a wise heart. So in Proverbs 31, King Lemuel publishes "the prophecy that his mother taught him." This proverb guides a young man on what to look for in a young bride. The descriptive words provide detailed characteristics and behaviors to find in a prospective bride. No doubt, Lemuel's mother wanted the best possible wife for her son. However, she also gave him practical advice on avoiding pitfalls as a leader and cautions him to avoid personal mistakes that could derail his monarchy.

A mother who humbly dedicates her children to God will offer spiritual wisdom to them to guide them closer to God. Just as baby ducklings follow their mother wherever she goes, a mother leads her children in the paths of righteousness.

Reverend Billy Graham told a young and rebellious Franklin Graham that his parents knew he had a choice to make. They said Franklin could choose to rebel against their wishes and choose a life apart from Christ, but they reminded him that they were praying for him and hoped he would choose to follow Christ. Giving children the opportunity to follow Christ for themselves is the best gift you can give them. The example of a godly life should prepare the way. And the opportunity should be shown for the child to enter into the way God has prepared.

Susannah Wesley was the 25th of 25 children. She was the mother of John (her fifteenth child) and Charles Wesley (her eighteenth) and called the "Mother of Methodism;" her dedication and sacrifice put the "method" in Methodism. She bore 19 children, with nine dying as infants. Only eight were alive when she died. Her Sunday school class had over 200 people in attendance. Susannah homeschooled all of her children and taught them the classics along with Greek and Latin. Much of the child-rearing was done by herself as her husband traveled frequently. Twice her home was burned with fire, and her children separated to live with other families. But her desire to give them to God and impart unto them godly wisdom preserved them so they could accomplish great things for God. Today, John Wesley is considered to be one of the top 50 Britons to have ever lived.

"And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women." Luke 1:28

Finally, Mothers possess a loving heart. Mary experienced a special honor through God's grace. Just as God favored Eve with being the mother of humanity, God bestowed His blessing upon Mary as the mother of God's only Son. Mary understood the precious nature of her calling and cherished her memories of this special time in her life. Just as Christ was the embodiment of God's love for humanity, God chose Mary to love and nurture His only begotten Son.

Jesus humbly obeyed the wishes of his mother. Possibly, Christ performed miracles for Mary years before He turned the water into wine, the healings, and the feeding of the multitude with the loaves and fishes. Before Jesus ministered unto humanity, he ministered to the needs of his mother. This ministering comes from a heart of love. Christ loved his mother.

"Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home." John 19:27

One of Christ's final acts on the cross was to care for His mother. He knew His time on earth was coming to an end. Soon, He would rise again and ascend into heaven. Yet, He provided for Mary's needs on the darkest day of their lives together. So, rather than waiting until after the resurrection, Christ tasked the Apostle John to care for His mother. Although the suffering of the beating and crucifixion were unbearable, Jesus thought of His mother just before He died.

The Apostle John always refers to Mary not by name but by title: "the mother of Jesus." Thus, John demonstrates the importance of Mary within history and her special relationship with Christ.

Mary would always possess the joy of Jesus' birth, the marvel of Jesus' life, the pain and horror of Christ's death, and the triumph of Christ's resurrection and ascension. No doubt, when she tasted the pain of death, she was reunited with not only her Savior but also her Son.

A mother's love is unconditional. Every child is a part of her heart; they capture her heart and never relinquish it.

When a mother passes her love for her child to that child, she demonstrates God's unconditional love for us. Through our mother's love, we can learn to love too. One of the greatest privileges a mother can have is to love unconditionally.

"We love him, because he first loved us." I John 4:19

Through parenting, God allows us to experience His relationship with us.

Just like a conversion experience, once you hold your child in your arms, you will never be the same again. Though you can remember your life before parenthood, you cannot imagine life without your children. Life is new again.

Like a finely crafted jewel, a mother's heart has many facets. The experiences of life are passed down to the next generation by the loving embrace of motherhood. It is to be celebrated and lived out through adversity and accomplishments, joy and sorrow. Being a mother has no expiration date; instead, it is a state of being: you are a mother. Embracing that role in life is the greatest accomplishment achievable.

When on your deathbed, you will not look back at awards, degrees, or medals won. Instead, you will want to look into the eyes of those you love. A mother's love for her child is a perfect bond; a mother's heart for her children is a testament of God's heart for us.

He Knows Your Name

Sun, 25 Apr 2021 07:04:00 GMT

" And He calleth His own sheep by name, and leadeth them out." John 10:3b

A Sunday school teacher was trying to help her class of young children memorize the Lord's Prayer. She thought they were doing very well until she heard one little boy. He began praying, " Our Father which art in heaven, how'd You know my name?"

Much like that little boy, my finite mind often struggles to comprehend that the Infinite God of the universe, the Creator of everything, knows my name.

In the summer of 2012, I visited Washington, D.C., and toured the Holocaust Museum. There were no guided tours. Visitors are given a booklet resembling a passport that tells the story of one Holocaust prisoner. At the end of the tour, the fate of the prisoner is revealed - victim or survivor. The atrocities Hitler and his Nazi army inflicted upon the Jewish people are almost more than the human mind can grasp.

There was one particular exhibit that had the most profound effect upon me. Some of the Jews were taken to Majdanek, a prison camp in Poland. Eight hundred thousand pairs of shoes were taken from those Jews. Thousands of the shoes have been loaned to the National Museum in Washington.

As I stood in that room tinged with the faint smell of rubber, looking at piles of shoes, the victims became more to me than a number or a tragic statistic. Each pair of shoes had a story to tell. I looked at tiny, baby shoes and in my mind, I could see a young mother being herded into a train car, carrying a crying, frightened baby as she tried to comfort it. There are men's work shoes and every pair representing a father or husband going off to work for his family. There are Mary Janes that some happy, carefree Jewish girl wore to school or synagogue.

The women's shoes reveal the cruel deception by the enemy. Many of them are elegant high heels. Young wives and single girls had worn their best shoes because they had been told they would be building new lives somewhere in the east. To the unfeeling Nazis that made them strip off their shoes, each victim was just a number. But as I stood there that day, I knew that God knew every one of them.

He knows the gender and name of every baby. He knows the name of every father, mother, grandparent, son, or daughter. He knows the name of every woman who wore her best because she thought she was going to a better life. They are not numbers nor nameless victims. Every pair of shoes represents a human being, and God knows their name.

God knows your name; He knows your address. He knows your problems, burdens, pain, and your sorrow. He knows your dreams, desires, needs, and your prayers. You are not invisible, and you are not just filling space; God knows exactly where you are.

"The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous and His ears are open unto their cry." Psalm 34:15

On the day Jesus Christ arose from the grave, He changed the lives of two individuals with just the mention of their names.

The first one was Mary Magdalene. She had been an outcast of society, a broken, ruined woman possessed by seven demon spirits. The type of woman that respectable Jewish men and women would have avoided. But, Jesus Christ saved her, released her from the power of Satan, and made her a brand new creation. Mary was so grateful; she devoted her life to following Him.

We can only imagine the pain, shock, and disbelief Mary Magdalene felt as she watched Him die. That Sabbath morning, she went to the tomb early. When she found the tomb empty, her grief was more than she could bear. She thought someone had moved His body. Jesus appeared to Mary and addressed her, but she doesn't recognize Him until He utters one word -- "Mary!"

When He spoke her name, darkness turned to light, despair to joy, and her world was made right again. Society would have thrown her on the garbage heap, yet Jesus appeared first to Mary Magdalene and gave her the honor of spreading the good news of His resurrection.

"Now when Jesus was risen early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons." Mark 16:9

The second life that was changed that day was the Apostle Peter. On that Sunday morning, Peter was a broken soul. The boastful words he had so confidently spoken to Jesus must have kept playing over and over in his mind. He had promised his Master to follow Him to death, yet at the first test, he had failed miserably. Peter not only abandoned his Lord, he denied even knowing Him. Ministry was a thing of the past. There was nothing left for him to do but go back to what he knew best, fishing.

Peter had no idea, but that morning, an angel sent him a personal message from Jesus Christ at an empty tomb.

"And He saith unto them, be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: He is risen; He is not here: behold the place where they laid Him. But go your way, tell His disciples and Peter that He goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see Him, as He said unto you." Mark 16:6-7

He knows your name!

Why did the angel specifically add the words "and Peter?" Because in Peter's eyes, he was washed up. His actions had disqualified him from being a disciple of Christ. Jesus knew Peter inside and out. He knew Peter would never have responded if the invitation had been issued "for disciples only."

In the June 14, 1968 issue of LIFE magazine, a picture of young David Kennedy had been taken by his Aunt Jacqueline and was inscribed by his Uncle John with the words: "A future president inspects his property --John Kennedy."

The world tells us that success depends upon "who" you know. David Kennedy came from one of the wealthiest, most prominent families in America. Yet, sadly, in 1984, David was found dead by his own hand at the age of twenty-eight.

For a Christian, the opposite is true. The majority of us will never know the rich, famous, and influential people of the world, but that pales in comparison to the glorious truth that the King of Kings, Jesus Christ, knows our name!

The story of Mary Magdalene and Peter reveals that He's a God that restores, rebuilds, redeems, and reconciles. He supplies strength to the weary, gives the light in the darkness, and offers hope to the hopeless.

He's the God of the second chance; He's the God of the NO chance.

Let not your heart be troubled --- He knows your name!

The Resurrection Changes Everything

Sun, 04 Apr 2021 00:00:00 GMT

"He is not here, but is risen..." Luke 24:6

How often do we search for meaning and fulfillment in empty promises and aspirations? We are often confident we will find purpose, happiness, and satisfaction in our pursuits only to discover bewilderment, confusion, and emptiness. We invest large amounts of time and effort in willful preoccupation without considering the possibility of futility. Sometimes God wants us to cast our eyesight heavenward and ask for directions.

As the women entered the area surrounding Christ's sepulcher, grief for the crucified Jesus obscured their vision. Overwhelmed by loss and the horror of the brutal suffering Jesus endured, these women were unable to focus on their surroundings. Preparing their minds for the shock of caring for the broken and battered body of their beloved Master, they were too focused on the pain and sorrow to comprehend the possibility of the moment.

"Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain other with them. And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre. And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus. And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments: And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?" Luke 24:1-5

A few days prior, Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead. The events before Passover had drowned entirely out the rejoicing of Lazarus's reunification with his sisters. The shock and suffering of Jesus' death blotted out the miracle of Lazurus' new life. Witnessing the horror of the Roman crucifixion, these women could no longer remember the miraculous. Physically, emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually these women were exhausted.

"He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. And they remembered his words" Luke 24:6-8

In times of rejection, bewilderment, fear, or even despair, we should focus on God's promises. The uncertainty and shock of dire circumstances often obscure the meaningful words of encouragement found in Scripture. Searching for these promises requires a conscious effort. Just as remembering to breathe is vitally essential when in shock, gleaning the truths of God's Word in critical situations sustains and renews our spiritual lives. Through these circumstances, our faith and love for Jesus deepen, and our testimony of His faithfulness grows.

Without the Resurrection of Christ, none of these words would have meaning. Just as these women's future changed in an instant because of the Resurrection, Jesus being alive is our eternal hope and destiny. The promises of God have validity because the Father did not abandon the Son in the grave. Salvation is meaningless if Christ does not rise. The hope of eternal life vanishes into vapor without Resurrection Sunday. Our hope is intrinsically woven into the living Christ.

When we find ourselves depleted, discouraged, or depressed, we can look to the Resurrection for hope and assurance. All too often, we pursue our desires above God's will for our lives. Sometimes we need to reset, rethink, and reestablish the direction of our lives. The Resurrection is a constant reminder of how everything changes when God intervenes. Now more than ever, we need Christ to intervene in our lives. He always provides the guidance, gifts, and grace to accomplish His will in us. Obstacles may still occur, but Jesus delivers assurance in times of difficulty.

Resurrection Sunday is a marvelous time to reflect upon the meaning of salvation. Eternal hope resides in our risen Savior. Instead of centering our lives around temporal aspirations, this season offers us the opportunity to refocus our goals and realign our priorities. God wants to be our primary focus. Jesus wants us to place Him and His will for us first in our lives. He suffered, bled, died, and arose from the dead to demonstrate His love for us. This Resurrection Sunday is a blessed time to reciprocate our love and devotion to Him. May Christ always be the primary focus of our purpose in life.

Good Friday, Our Daily Calling

Fri, 02 Apr 2021 00:00:00 GMT

"And he said to them all, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." Luke 9:23

Good Friday is a time to remember the sacrifice our loving Savior made to free us from the bondage of sin. Jesus became the Paschal Lamb for all humanity. Instead of routine cleansing rituals of animal sacrifice, the Son of God became the ultimate sacrifice once and for all. Christ's suffering became our healing, and His death became our eternal redemption.

"And it came to pass, as he was alone praying, his disciples were with him: and he asked them, saying, Whom say the people that I am? They answering said, John the Baptist; but some say, Elias; and others say, that one of the old prophets is risen again. He said unto them, But whom say ye that I am? Peter answering said, The Christ of God. And he straitly charged them, and commanded them to tell no man that thing; Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day. And he said to them all, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away? For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and the of holy angels." Luke 9:18-26

Jesus used an essential opportunity with the disciples to share this truth of cross-bearing. In Luke chapter 9, Christ asked the disciples whom others thought He was. He also wanted to know who they thought He was. His identity is the basis of salvation. His pathway to Calvary is the way of the cross, a road whereby others follow the sinless Son of God, not a mere mortal or political outcast. Jesus expressly told the disciples of His coming rejection, suffering, death, and resurrection. In Acts, the apostles preached "the way" to others who had not heard of Jesus. In this passage, Christ is teaching the disciples the essential truths of salvation. Then, Jesus tells them to follow Him by taking up their crosses. The purpose of salvation is not power through military intervention or social reform through political change. Salvation is accepting Christ for who He is, what He has accomplished, and following Him daily on the new way of eternal life.

Good Friday is the annual reminder of our daily calling, take up your cross and follow Jesus. Today, most people turn away from a call to sacrifice something. We want our desires met above everything else. Our mortal desires are for the here and now, personal gratification above patience and discipline. Our immature voices complain and bemoan waiting or denial of our requests and demands. Jesus calls us from our human desires leading us to a mortal life into spiritual desires of following Him to immortal, eternal life. We are too focused on the here and now. Christ's sacrifice points to the above and beyond, a spiritual place we cannot achieve of ourselves without His death and resurrection.

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us." Romans 8:35-37

Christ's death on the cross has no equal in demonstrating His love for us. That love is the essence of God and cannot be separated from those who love and follow Jesus. Yet, His love compels us to taste victory through death. We are to lose everything to gain everything and more. Jesus calls us to sacrifice this short-sighted mortal life to gain eternal life.

Still, there is a paradox. Although Christ physically died so we might live, and He calls us to take our crosses leading to sacrifice, He does not call us to certain physical death. While the disciples would have understood the horrifying imagery of the cross, our death is different. As Christ explained to Nicodemus in John 3, we are spiritually dead while simultaneously physically alive. Christ calls us from spiritual death into eternal life. This transformation extends beyond the physical grave into an eternal reward. We choose to relinquish our selfish desires and motivations for a Christ-like way of life. Christian is not a placeholder of ideas or beliefs; we are Christians when we, through faith in Jesus and by God's grace, live according to Christ's example. It is more than a cognitive admission, emotional attachment, or willful adoption of a list of beliefs. When we are Christian, we enter into a relationship of eternal significance. Jesus transforms us into His image.

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." Romans 12:1

Furthermore, Christ reminds us we are to follow Him daily. Just as He sacrificed Himself on the cross, we should be living sacrifices unto God. We have eternal life because of His death. Our lives are now living examples of His gift on the cross. We are not examples of suffering and death; on the contrary, we are living testimonies of conquerors, triumphant followers of Jesus who have tasted the water of everlasting life. Serving Christ introduces God's love, joy, and peace into our lives and the lives of those we meet.

As we remember the sacrifice Christ made for our sins this Good Friday, may our hearts be filled with gratitude for His suffering and death, and may our thoughts be consumed with the magnitude of Christ's sacrifice. Finally, may our lives be continually renewed in taking up our crosses and following Jesus.

Christ the Conqueror

Sun, 28 Mar 2021 06:34:00 GMT

Sucked In, Washed Up, Blown Over

Fri, 05 Mar 2021 19:53:00 GMT

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." Psalm 46:1

Chippie, the parakeet, never saw it coming. The problems began when Chippie's owner decided to clean Chippie's cage with a vacuum cleaner. She removed the attachment from the end of the hose and stuck it in the cage. The phone rang, and she turned to pick it up. She'd barely said "hello." When "sssopp," Chippie got sucked in.

The woman gasped, put down the phone, turned off the vacuum, and opened the bag. There was Chippie -- still alive but stunned! Dirt covered the poor little bird. She grabbed him, headed to the bathroom, turned on the faucet, and held Chippie under the running water. Then realizing that Chippie was soaked and shivering, she did what any compassionate bird owner would do. She reached for the hairdryer and blasted Chippie with hot air! A few days later, someone called Chippie's owner and asked how he was doing. "Well," she replied, "Chippie doesn't sing much anymore -- he just sits and stares."

Poor Chippie never knew what hit him. One second he was peacefully perched in his cage; the next he was, "sucked in, washed up, and blown over."

If you are reading this, you have survived 2020, and Chippie's story is your story. Our world was turned upside down by COVID-19, lockdowns, shortages, riots, looting, killings, and one of the worst election years in our history. You are not alone if you are feeling "sucked in, washed up, and blown over." Stress, anxiety, and depression are at an all-time high.

Storms of life can come quickly. One minute we are in peaceful, familiar territory, and the next, we are sucked into a place we never imagined we would ever be. I have been sucked into many of those dark places that are full of doubts and questions without answers in my lifetime.

My first experience was at the age of nine in October 1963. Life couldn't have been better. It was a sunny autumn Saturday in Kentucky, and my cousin had invited me to go to town with him and his mom. On the way home, we stopped at a grocery store. My uncle's car was in the parking lot, and my parents were sitting in the backseat. My mother was crying. They had received word that my two older sisters that lived in Indiana had been in a car accident. My sister Ann was in critical condition; tragically, my niece Linda was killed instantly. That was my first experience with death. It affected me profoundly because she was only three years younger than me. We had spent two weeks that summer playing, laughing, and, yes, even quarreling together.

Storms of life are inevitable. We can't always help being sucked into them, but the good news, as Christians, we don't have to be washed up nor blown over!

On Labor Day weekend, 1979, all across the country, Americans were celebrating, except for the citizens in Miami, Florida. They were preparing for Hurricane David. No one had to tell them to prepare. The locals had seen the damage hurricanes could do, so they had boarded up windows and bought extra food, water, flashlights and

batteries.

But there were a group of young, single men that had rented a houseboat for the weekend. None of them had ever seen a hurricane. They went to the store and bought enough rope to tie up a cruise liner. They tied that boat to trees, the moorings, and anything else they could. When they were finally finished, the boat looked

like it was caught in a spider's web.

An old, weather-beaten fisherman came along and stood looking at the boat. He said, "Boys, tie her to land, and you will regret it. Those trees are gonna go when she hits. Your only hope is to anchor deep. Place four anchors in different locations and pray for the best."

We have no control over the storms, but we can do things to prepare that will help us ride out the storm without being washed up or blown over.

1. Anchor Deep

The old sailor recommended dropping four anchors. It just so happens that Christians have four: Jesus Christ, the Word of God, the Holy Spirit, and Prayer.

"We have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope that is set before us: Which hope we have as an anchor for the soul, both sure and steadfast." Hebrews 6: 18a - 19a

The writer is speaking of real, tangible hope. It's not wishful thinking like a child saying, "I hope I get a new bike for Christmas." Our hope is sure and steadfast because it is anchored in the immutability of Jesus Christ and His Word.

"Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and forever." Hebrews 13:8

"Forever, O Lord, Thy Word is settled in heaven." Psalm 119:89

Jude wrote in verse two of his epistle that we are "preserved" in Jesus Christ. Preserved means to be "kept or guarded." The story of Noah's ark is an excellent example of being "preserved" in Christ. The storm came; it was inevitable. The wind and torrential rains beat upon the ark, but inside, Noah and his family were safe from the judgment that God was pouring out on the sinful world. Amid the chaos and trouble in the world today, the safest place to be is in Jesus Christ.

Noah had no control over the storm, but he was not washed up nor blown over because he had prepared.

We can re-enforce our stability by faithfully reading, studying, and heeding the Word of God and by developing a life of prayer. We were not born with habits -- good or bad; we develop them.

We also have the anchor of the Holy Spirit. He is our teacher, helper, exhorter, encourager, and He is the administrator of the gifts and blessings of God. He empowers us to stand and to live the Christian life steadfastly.

2. Attitude

How we emerge from a storm is greatly determined by our attitude during the storm.

The Apostle Paul said, "Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice." Philippians 4:4

Good news seems to be a thing of the past. You certainly won't hear any from the news media. But, even sadder is the negative doom and gloom we often hear from many Christians.

A couple of weeks ago, I received a letter from my great-nephew, James Kleyn. He is enrolled in a discipleship program in Louisville, Kentucky, preparing him for mission work. His letter was one of the most uplifting things I have read in a long time.

King Solomon said, "As cold water to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country." Proverbs 25:25

Louisville is not that far away, but this letter was refreshing to my heart and soul. James had nothing negative to say. Here was a young man so excited, so enthusiastic over being allowed to serve the Lord. How inspiring and uplifting to see a young person who has realized that it's not about America or what's going on in this nation; it's all about the Kingdom of God.

We must keep our eyes, our focus upon Jesus Christ. World leaders rise, and they fall, but Jesus Christ is coming back to rule and reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

I have studied faith; I have taught on faith. I have come to realize that faith does not depend upon my understanding. Faith is a deliberate commitment to a person - Jesus Christ- even where I see no way possible.

A conference was held in a church where the members could not say, "Hallelujah, Praise the Lord!" Those present were given helium-filled balloons and told to release them at some point in the service when they felt like expressing the joy in their hearts. Balloons ascended all through the service, but one-third of the balloons were unreleased when it was over.

You may be sucked into a storm today, but remember that in the good or bad times, God is with us "always." In every situation, He is working all things for your good. He is still able to do exceeding, abundantly above all you ask or think. He will not allow you to be "washed up, nor blown over!"

"Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labor of the olive fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: YET I will rejoice in the Lord, I WILL joy in the God of my salvation." Habakkuk 3:17-18

No matter what's happening in your life today, let your balloon go -- REJOICE!

Be Careful Of What You Glean!

Sun, 31 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Introduction:

Famine is defined as "a great shortage." We may find ourselves in famine. Definitionally, Covid caused a great famine around us. The great famine caused the loss of livelihood, emotional turmoil, relational disturbances, social disruption, and spiritual decline.

Though this great famine did not affect everyone equally yet, there were some common denominators of loss, turmoil, disturbances, disruption, and decline in varying degrees. The great famine not only had losses, but it also necessitated gleanings or pickups; whether positive or negative, they were "gleanings" nonetheless. The gleanings affect not only one's experience of famine but also the life afterward, the life after the "famine."

First Examples:

Abraham undertook an Egyptian sojourn when hit by the famine. But he gleaned an Egyptian maiden named Hagar. (Genesis 16:1)

When God's promise was delayed, and Abraham experienced the famine of delay. The gleanings of Egypt took the place of God's promise.

Paul comments, "His son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a divine promise. These things are being taken figuratively: The women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar. Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother." (Galatians 4:23-26)

Second example:

Jesus was in the Spirit-driven famine. (Luke 4:1,2). Forty days of abstinence from food resulting in acute hunger. Jesus gleaned a relationship with God in the famine. The author of Hebrews comments, "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin." (Hebrews 4:15)

And He rejected "the gleanings offered by Satan." John Milton comments:

"I Who e're while the happy Garden sung,

By one man's disobedience lost, now sing

Recover'd Paradise to all mankind,

By one mans firm obedience fully tri'd

Through all temptation, and the Tempter foil'd

In all his wiles, defeated and repuls't,

And Eden rais'd in the wast Wilderness." ( Paradise Regained, Book 1)

Conclusion:

Covid is an unprecedented famine. Everyone has a choice to glean."

BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU GLEAN!

Forward Never Backward

Tue, 26 Jan 2021 15:58:00 GMT

"And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the Kingdom of God." Luke 9:62

The Australian coat of arms displays two creatures - the emu, a flightless bird, and the kangaroo. The animals were chosen because they share a characteristic that appealed to the citizens of Australia. Both the emu and kangaroo can only move forward, not back. The emu's three-toed foot causes it to fall if it tries to go backward, and the kangaroo's large tail prevents it from moving in reverse.

I hear so many people saying, "I just wish things would go back to the way they were." I'll be the first to say; there are aspects of everyday life that I would love to see a return to normal, but I also know in my heart that God does not want His church to go back to the way we were.

He has been awakening us with a call to battle. In the unseen realm, there is a war being waged. The prize, the issue of this war, is the souls of men and women. Satan is destined for Hell, but he is not going to go quietly. He is determined to destroy God's work and His followers. We see adequate proof that Satanic powers have infiltrated many world governments, including the United States of America. The legalization of abortion, same-sex marriage, the growing opposition against Christians, the Bible and Jesus Christ are just a few examples that lead us to conclude that Satan has a firm grip on many of our leaders.

None of us have the luxury of remaining neutral or sitting on the sidelines. We need every follower of Jesus to be actively engaged. Whether you realize it or not, you are in this war; the question is, which side are you on? Is your life being used as a factor for good or evil? Are you being used by God or Satan?

In the fourteenth chapter of Exodus, after escaping Egyptian bondage, the children of Israel faced a seemingly impossible situation. The Red Sea lay before them, and fast approaching from behind are Pharaoh and his army. There is no way to escape - nowhere to hide. The Israelites became very afraid, and they cried out to the Lord.

When faced with their first major test, the children of Israel's first instinct was to go back. They began to complain to Moses, saying, "Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness." Exodus 14:12

But God had no intention of leaving them to die. He already knew what He was going to do. "And the Lord said unto Moses, wherefore criest thou unto Me? Speak unto the children of Israel, that they go FORWARD." Exodus 14:15

Harry Truman said, "Men who live in the past remind me of a toy I'm sure all of you have seen. The toy is a small wooden bird called the Floogie Bird. Around the Floogie Bird's neck is a label reading, backward; I don't care where I'm going. I just want to see where I've been.'"

The command God gave His people in the Old Testament is the same directive He is giving His church today - go forward, never backward!

We cannot live in the past. We cannot dwell on the revivals or moves of God that we have experienced in years gone by. We do not have the luxury of looking back where we have been; we have to see where we are going with clarity.

In 1999, golfer Payne Stewart's jet crashed. It appears that the pilot and copilot became unconscious during the flight. Air traffic controllers could not communicate with the pilots, and the Air Force sent two jets to investigate. As they pulled alongside Stewart's plane, they could see that the windows were fogged up. It appears that somehow the cabin lost pressure allowing cold air from the stratosphere in the aircraft. After the plane ran out of fuel, it plunged to the earth below. One of the pilots who flew alongside the plane said, "It's a very helpless feeling to pull alongside another aircraft and realize the people inside are incapacitated and racing toward death. And even though I am only fifty to one hundred feet away, there's nothing I can do to help them."

There are millions of people today who are hindered by sin and ensnared by Satan. They are like that plane, swiftly plunging toward Hell. They may live on our street, work beside us, or even live in our homes. Unlike the pilotless jet, you and I can rescue them. Without question, in this year 2021, we are facing things we never imagined could be possible. But God is still God, and His commission to His church has not changed.

The changing of the guard at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery is one of the most moving things I have ever witnessed. The relief commander accompanies the oncoming guard. The relief commander orders the guard being relieved to "pass on your orders" to the oncoming guard. The guard being relieved will say to the oncoming guard, "Post and orders remain as directed." The oncoming guard's response is always, "Orders acknowledged."

Our orders have never changed. We are to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the lost.

In August, I visited Arlington, and the temperature was in the nineties, with the humidity near one hundred percent. The soldier guarding the tomb was in full military dress, including gloves. The conditions were miserable, yet for thirty minutes, he fulfilled his duty and walked the mat. They do this twenty-four hours a day, three hundred and sixty-five days a year, in the heat, cold, rain, sleet, and snow.

There are things taking place in our nation that will likely make it harder to be a Christian. But, "for such a time as this," you and I were born. We have many words of encouragement from those who have gone before us and faithfully endured hardship for the gospel's sake.

" Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf." ~ Apostle Peter (I Peter 4:16)

" Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins." ~ James (James 5:20)

"It was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints." ~ Jude (Jude 1:3)

" Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life." (I Timothy 6:12)

"Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." (Galatians 6:12)

"Forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of Godin Christ Jesus." ~ Apostle Paul (Philippians 3:13-14)

"These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)

"Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." ~ The Lord Jesus Christ! (Mark 16:15)

" Cheer up, Christian! Things are not left to chance: no blind fate rules the world. God hath purposes, and those purposes are fulfilled. God hath plans, and those plans are wise and never can be dislocated." ~ Charles Spurgeon

God does have a purpose and plan for His children in 2021 - GO FORWARD!

A Look Back at 2020

Thu, 31 Dec 2020 15:49:00 GMT

The Night God Came

Thu, 24 Dec 2020 09:08:00 GMT

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." John 1:1, 14

Over two thousand years ago, dawn was breaking in the town of Bethlehem. Homemakers were starting to prepare breakfast for their families, men were caring for their animals, and shopkeepers were putting out their wares in the market place. The sounds, smells, and bustling activity were all signs that the sleepy, little town was awakening to a new day.

I wonder if the innkeeper gave any thought concerning the weary couple that had knocked on his door in the night? They were looking for shelter and a place for the woman to give birth - they found it among the animals.

The citizens of Bethlehem had no idea that while they slept, the impossible occurred. Sometime during the night, God came! Through the womb of a virgin lying on the floor of a filthy stable, MAJESTY, DEITY, GLORY entered the world and was placed in a manger!

Consider some of the circumstances surrounding His birth.

1. He came as a baby.

Jesus could have come as a great archangel, a conquering warrior, or even on a cloud, but the eternal God-head, from before the dawn of time, determined He would come as a baby.

Is there anything weaker or more helpless than a baby? The omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent Creator who spoke everything into existence, laid aside His power and authority and came to earth as a helpless baby with only a cry to express His needs.

Jesus Christ came as a baby so He that He could experience everything that we experience from birth to death in His humanity. He came as a baby so that as our High Priest, He can minister to us in our weakness.

2. He was wrapped in "swaddling clothes."

This birth marked His low station in life. Every baby was wrapped when it was born. Babies from prominent homes were covered with expensive scarves, robes, and shawls. An ordinary cloth was used for "swaddling." It was torn into strips and wrapped around the baby like bandages. Only the poorest of families used "swaddling" to cover their babies. God did not send His Son into the home of the high priest or a palace where He would be wrapped in the finest and want for nothing. He sent Him to a poor family who had nothing to wrap Him in but a common cloth, so that the next time you do not know how you are going to provide for your family or pay the bills, you can know with certainty that your Great High Priest understands how you feel.

3. He was born in a stable.

Mary had no access to a sanitized, sterile, germ-free hospital. Stables are dirty and reek of urine, dung, and smelly animals. Into this atmosphere, a baby, God incarnate, was born, wrapped in common cloth, and placed in a feeding trough. The place He was born proves He did not come seeking worldly glory.

He came as an outcast; he would die as an outcast. The world had no room for Him, and His own people would not receive Him. As His followers, we should not think it strange when the world does not receive us.

4. He came first to lowly shepherds.

Caesar Augustus and King Herod were asleep in their palaces. The scribes, the high priest, and the Sanhedrin family were in bed sleeping the deep sleep of the self-righteous. None of them realized that Light had come. The world would be forever changed because of a lowly birth taking place in a stable in Bethlehem!

God chose to announce the birth of His Son to shepherds. Shepherds were at the bottom of the social ladder. As Jewish men, the dirty work of caring for animals made them ceremonially unclean. Possibly, those shepherds were tending sheep that would be sacrificed on the temple altar for the sins of the people. How befitting they would be the first to hear the birth announcement of the Lamb of God that came to die for the sins of the world.

In those days, when a Jewish woman was giving birth, it was common practice for friends, family, and neighbors to gather outside her home. When the birth was announced, if the baby were a boy, singers and musicians would sing songs of joy and praise to God.

The night God came, no one gathered outside the stable. There were no singers or musicians, and unless Joseph sang, there was no song of joy inside the stable. But, God the Father did not let the birth of His Son go unheralded. He lifted the veil that separates heaven and earth, and for a few glorious moments, a song pf praise and joy from angels rang out across the Judean hillside, " Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, good will toward men." Luke 2:14

He came as a baby so that we could know that the hand that touched the leper was a human hand that spilled forth blood when it was nailed to the cross. The voice that raised Lazarus from the dead and commanded the wind and waves to be still was a human voice. The tears He shed came from a broken heart that suffered the same grief and sorrow that we do.

He came to lowly, outcast shepherds to show that He didn't come for just the rich and powerful; He came to the poorest. Jesus said, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me because He hath anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor." Luke 4:18

In C.S. Lewis's book, The Lion, the Witch, And the Wardrobe, he describes a beautiful place called Narnia under the spell of an evil character (the White Witch), who symbolizes the devil. Lewis writes that it was she who has made it " always winter, and never Christmas."

We are nearing the end of 2020, and it will probably go down in the books as one of the worst years in America's history. For months there have been people that have been trying to make it "always winter." In many states, governors and local officials have declared war on Christmas. They have shut down churches and even family

gatherings.

But try as they may, they cannot stop Christmas! Christmas is not a season, nor a holiday; Christmas is a person - Jesus Christ. Christmas has already come!!

For those who do not know Him as their Savior, it is always "winter ," but for us who belong to Him, we have Christmas in our hearts all year long!

I know I am writing to people who are suffering. We have all lost family, friends, church members, and even pastors to this terrible virus during this pandemic. Many of you have loved ones in nursing homes and hospitals that you cannot visit. My aunt, Dora Hacker, died yesterday, and my heart is heavy because I cannot attend her funeral due to restrictions. I dearly love my cousins and wish I could be with them as they have been with me so many times.

We face unprecedented, uncertain times, and we long for a day when all will be made right. But for now, we can rejoice and celebrate because God came!

Jesus is still the " Christ" of Christmas!

To the weary, He's the Burden Bearer. To the anxious, He's the Prince of Peace.

To hearts that are lost, Jesus speaks, "I am the Way."

To lives of confusion, He says, "I am the Truth."

To a dying world, He says, "I am the Life."

We want answers; we want explanations. Jesus may not give them to us - but He has given us HIMSELF!

The essence of Christmas can be summed up in this verse, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16

"Joy to the World, the Lord has come!"

From my heart to yours - MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

No Pain, No Gain

Fri, 27 Nov 2020 00:00:00 GMT

" O Lord, revive Thy work in the midst of the years...in wrath remember mercy." Habakkuk 3:2

"When God intends great mercy for His people, the first thing He does is set them to a-praying." ~ Matthew Henry

In 1949, two elderly sisters, Peggy and Christine Smith, one nearly blind and the other bent over by stenosis, begin to pray for the Lord to send revival. They lived off the coast of Scotland on the island of Lewis, in the Hebrides. The two sisters were no longer able to attend services, but they were concerned and burdened for their church. There were no young people in the church. The congregation had become complacent, apathetic, and nearly spiritually dead.

Despite their handicaps, the two sisters persevered in prayer - no pain, no gain! Peggy received a vision in which she saw her church filled with young people and an unidentified minister leading the awakening. She encouraged her pastor, Reverend James Murray Mackay, to exhort other pastors in the area to begin praying with them.

Reverend Mackay organized a group of pastors, and they developed a resolution to all the Free Churches of Scotland, stating their concern for the 'barrenness of the parishes,' urging everyone to "turn again to the Lord Whom we have so grieved with our waywardness and iniquities." They asked for many to be "visited with a spirit of repentance."

It was not enough to write a resolution and send it to all the churches; results require sacrifice - no pain, no gain.

Weeks of prayer followed the resolution, sometimes in unheated buildings during the winter. They had a growing sense of desperation for God to move in their midst with power.

One night at a prayer meeting in a barn, a young deacon read from Psalm 24: 3-4a. "Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who shall stand in His holy place? He that hath clean hands and a pure heart." Then he prayed, "God, are my hands clean? Is my heart pure?"

About 3 a.m., the Holy Spirit fell with power on those fervent intercessors. It was still dark when they left the barn, and they were shocked to find men and women kneeling along the roads, crying out to God for mercy. Lights were on in almost every home because the Holy Spirit had awakened people!

Scottish evangelist Duncan Campbell was asked to come and preach on the island. On the first night, three hundred people filled the little church. Campbell preached, but nothing happened. After everyone left the building, a young deacon said to Campbell, "Nothing has broken out tonight, but God is hovering over us, and He will break through any moment." The young man lifted his hands and began to pray, "God, You made a promise to pour water on the thirsty and floods upon the dry grounds, and You are not doing it." He began to intercede in prayer until he collapsed on the floor - no pain, no gain!

At around 11 p.m., the back door of the church burst open, and a man entered saying, "Mr. Campbell, something wonderful has happened! We were praying that God would pour water on the thirsty and floods upon the dry ground and listen, He's done it! He's done it! Will you come to the door and see the crowd that is here?" When Duncan Campbell opened the door, he couldn't believe his eyes. A crowd had mysteriously appeared that no one had invited. They had been drawn sovereignly by God!

That same night, they were about a hundred young people at a dance. At the time the young deacon was praying, the music came to a halt. The conviction of the Holy Spirit suddenly overcame the young people. They left the dance hall and began running to the church. The hunger and thirst for God seemed to overtake everyone in the area. Over eight hundred packed the church. People in the aisles and the pews were on their knees, crying out for God to have mercy. The meeting lasted till 4 a.m. It was a sovereign work of God that spread all over the island.

What brought about this revival?

First, there was a burden that began in the hearts of two disabled sisters. Instead of ignoring it, they began to pray fervently. Their prayers moved God to burden others to pray. Pastors became concerned over the barren condition of their churches. It wasn't long till the burden resulted in desperation for a sovereign move of God.

Instead of pointing the finger of blame at the pastor, the deacons, the singers, people began searching their hearts and asking, "God, are MY hands clean? Is MY heart pure?"

There is no doubt we are living in the darkest, most desperate hours of our lifetime. The year 2020 has been like nothing we have ever seen. In the last six or seven weeks, my husband and I have both had the coronavirus. On October the 2nd, I walked out of the emergency room, knowing it could very well be the last time I saw him alive. He was admitted to ICU with COVID pneumonia in both lungs and spent eight days on a ventilator. For weeks I had to sit at home in isolation, not allowed to see him, and only getting limited information by phone a couple of times a day. Thankfully God brought him through, and he is well on his way to recovery!

Many families have lost loved ones to this horrible virus; many are still being affected. It's safe to say that COVID-19 has changed life as we know it.

I don't know what's going to happen in our nation. Washington, D.C. cannot fix our problems. But one thing I do know, we need a sovereign move of God!

Are you sick of the corruption, fraud, hatred, lies, and news media bias? Are you troubled by the violence and anarchy in our streets? Are you concerned about the loss of your religious and civil liberties? Are you worried about the outcome of the election? Do you hate the murder of unborn babies and the destruction of God-ordained marriage and families?

Most importantly, are you burdened for millions of souls in this country and around the world that are lost without Christ and headed for hell?

The prophet Habakkuk cried out, " O Lord, revive Thy work." What is the work of God? The salvation of souls!

The only solution for COVID-19 is God. The only hope for our government, for America, is God. The only answer is an awakening, an outpouring of the Holy Spirit that will first fall upon the church and, in turn, grip the hearts of sinful men and women with conviction so strong, God will compel them to cry out in repentance.

We will never see revival if our motives are wrong. God will never send revival just so men and women can make a name for themselves or boast about the size of their church. We will never see revival until we get a burden and begin to travail for lost souls.

"Could a mariner sit idle if he heard the drowning cry? Could a doctor sit in comfort and just let his patients die? Could a fireman sit idle, let men burn and give no hand? Can you sit at ease in Zion with the world around you DAMNED ?" ~ Leonard Ravenhill

"For as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children." Isaiah 66:8

Who better to love and care for a baby than the mother who travailed in labor and pain to give birth to it? Who better to encourage and train a new, born-again Christian than someone who travailed in prayer for God to save their soul? Travail prepares and qualifies you to care for new converts. We see people come and pray at our altars, and in a few weeks, they are gone.

Charles Spurgeon said, "The church that never travailed if God should send her a hundred converts, would be unfit to train them."

For a long time, I have been praying for a move of God that no flesh could receive glory. What would that look like? Less than a century ago, on the island of Lewis, in the Hebrides, Christians began praying for God to visit them, and He came! Hundreds were drawn to the church by the power of God against their will. There were no solos, choirs, or musical instruments, just the congregation in one accord, singing the Psalms. Services would last till the morning hours; no one wanted to leave.

Here is how one writer summed up the Hebrides Revival, "The drawing power of God blanketed the island of Lewis. This power created a longing for God, a hunger for His Word, and an overwhelming conviction of sin -- leading many to accept Christ as their Lord and Savior!"

The Hebrides Revival is just one among many in history. Still, every revival, every awakening has had two things in common: someone got a burden and then began to travail in prayer.

While growing up, one of our favorite pastimes was to play church. The day of playing church is over. God has tried to awaken His church with gentle warnings; we have not heeded. He has now brought us to the point of crisis where we have to decide - for or against Christ. Will we stand for Christ, whatever the cost?

Will we play or pray? No pain, no gain!

"O for a passionate passion for souls, o for a pity that yearns!

O for the love that loves with death, o for the fire that burns!

O for the pure prayer-power that prevails, that pours itself out for the lost!

Victorious prayer in the Conqueror's Name,

O for a PENTECOST!" ~ Amy Wilson Carmichael

Thanksgiving

Sun, 22 Nov 2020 00:00:00 GMT

Humility

Fri, 06 Nov 2020 15:22:00 GMT

II Chronicles 7:14 "If my people which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sins, and will heal their land."

Preface:

God will soon send revival. It is time for us to follow this Scripture verse and humble ourselves and pray. Humility is the key to spiritual revival and restoration. Humility is the first step we must take to unleash the power of God. We will be examining the necessity and power of humility.

I. Humility is a test of our will for obedience and worth.

Deuteronomy 8:2 "And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no."

The Hebrew word anah is used for "humble" and means to bow down or become low. It is derived from the word, awnaw , which means to look down.

God allowed the Hebrews to wander in the desert for forty years to remove their ancestors' prideful rebellion. If those ancestors had only humbled themselves, they would have entered the Promised Land in a matter of weeks instead of never setting foot in Israel. Humility will lead us into new avenues of experience with God; a lack of humility will lead us astray and prevent us from ever experiencing the power of God moving through us.

The Hebrew word nasah is used for "prove" and means to test, prove, or assay value.

God uses humility as an opportunity to prove our worth. Sometimes God leads us in paths of humility; however, He prefers to see us humble ourselves in submission to His will and guidance. Once God has humble followers, He can convey to them their actual value and worth. We already know Christ died for us because He loved us. Through humility, Christ shows us why He died for us, as we see ourselves through His eyes. Without humility, we cannot experience the fulness of Christ's love for us. We are unable to comprehend how the Son of God could willingly die for sinful humanity. Christ chose to die for everyone, especially those who hate Him. If we never experience humility, we fail to understand the love of God for us.

The word shamar is used for "keep" and means to guard, observe, keep watch as in a watchman. It refers to memory and retention. This word derives from the word shawmar with means a thorny hedge for protection.

Jesus taught his disciples to demonstrate love for Him by obedience to God's commands. God uses humility to examine our commitment to Him and His desires for us. Humility protects us from prideful mistakes and defiant disobedience. When we humble ourselves, we carefully guard the commandments of God and hold them as sacred, not to be compromised.

II. Humility strips us of pretense, pride, and performance.

Matthew 18:4 "Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven."

The Greek word for "humble" is tapano-o . It is derived from a word meaning to be ranked lower than others. It involves lowering oneself below others.

Within this chapter, the disciples wanted to know who was the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Like a group of eager teenagers wishing to show off their talents and abilities, these disciples wanted to have bragging rights within their group. Jesus called for a small child to demonstrate the profound manner in which God views us. Instead of promoting competition among the disciples or inspiring them to complete grandiose feats of human ability, Christ chose the smallest and weakest to confound the more potent and more significant.

When we humble ourselves, God can strip away the layers of varnish we apply to our lives to insulate us from insecurity and fear. We tend to look at our accomplishments, awards, achievements, and accolades; whereas, God chooses to see the core of our being, warts and all. God looks at the eternal while we focus on the temporary. God sees our hearts and souls when we would prefer that He examine our talents and strengths. Jesus sees us in entirety. He knows our best qualities, as well as our worst traits.

Humility allows us to see ourselves from God's perspective. By lowering ourselves off of the narcissistic pedestal where we prefer to stand, we can allow God to reveal our faults, weaknesses, strengths, talents, and other aspects of our lives through His viewpoint. During this time, God imparts His love and grace to us and assures us of our value to Him.

III. Humility lowers us so God can raise us.

James 4:6-10, "But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up."

Proverbs 15:33 "The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom; and before honor is humility."

The Greek word for "resisteth" is antitasomai. This word comes from a root word meaning to prepare for battle against an opponent.

When we fill ourselves with pride, God treats us as an adversary. Instead of being a part of the solution, we become the problem. Pride leads us into rebellion, anger, rage, and suffering. God hates pride so much that He is forced to remove us as an ally and treat us as a hostile. Rather than our lives being used to bring about a solution, we become the enemy of God who marshals forces against us to prevent us from destroying the work He intends to accomplish.

On the other hand, when we humble ourselves, we are positioned to receive God's favor and attention. We identify ourselves as allies and ready to serve according to God's will.

In the military, recruits endure the trials of boot camp. During the weeks of intense training, the military tears down the individuals to their core through challenging physical, mental, and emotional exercises. After these individuals are broken down, they are quickly molded and rebuilt into a fighting unit. Through the humiliation of training, these recruits emerge as a unified force capable of carrying out the missions military leaders excogitate.

Like the military, humility to God conforms us to the purpose He has for us. As we surrender our will, mind, emotions, and desires to God's will, we become usable for the kingdom of heaven. This continual process requiring replication daily. However, the less of self we have, the more of God we can possess. As we become humble, God honors our sacrifice with exaltation. We advance within the kingdom of heaven by lessening our status within ourselves.

Humility is not self-deprecation for the sake of promotion through personal holiness. Humility lacking sincerity and purity is merely deception of oneself and others. Instead, humility grows from our love for God and a desire to be closer in our relationship with God. If we love God, we will prefer Him over selfish desires. If we love others, we place them ahead of ourselves. Love for God and others is a defining characteristic of genuine humility.

IV. Humility vs. Pride: the Life of Peter the Apostle

Mark 8:27-38 "And Jesus went out, and his disciples, into the towns of Caesarea Philippi: and by the way he asked his disciples, saying unto them, Whom do men say that I am? And they answered, John the Baptist: but some say, Elias; and others, One of the prophets. And he saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Peter answereth and saith unto him, Thou art the Christ. And he charged them that they should tell no man of him. And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. And he spake that saying openly. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him. But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men. And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."

Within this passage of Scripture, we see a demonstration of humility versus pride. At first, Peter accurately answers Christ's question of authenticity. Peter's response was a humble observation revealed to him by God. Suddenly, Jesus changes topics and expands upon His purpose on earth. Once Christ mentions the suffering and death He will experience, Peter rises to rebuke Jesus, the One Peter just confessed was the Messiah. This prideful response triggers Jesus' instant and forceful rebuke, "Get thee behind me, Satan." When Peter responded with humility, he experienced God's favor. As soon as Peter answered in pride, Jesus rebuked him. Peter went from a favored apostle to Satan in a matter of seconds. Peter would not fully comprehend this exchange until his repentance after denying Christ three times during His trial. Like Peter, pride keeps us clueless to God's designs and will for our lives.

Conclusion:

If the church is to experience a revival, it is time for humility. We have been blinded by pride, lulled to spiritual slumber by prosperity, and stunted by complacency for too long. It is time to recognize our mistakes and return humbly to God and seek His face for revival. Humility changes our priorities and realigns our focus on God's perspective. If we humble ourselves before God, we will experience a move of God's Spirit in a powerful and life-changing way.

True Pastor

Fri, 16 Oct 2020 00:00:00 GMT

" And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labor among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; and to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake." I Thessalonians 5:12-13a

October is traditionally the month many churches celebrate Pastor Appreciation, and I have been asked to write about the importance of honoring our pastors and showing them in some way how deeply they are appreciated.

My mind went back to the very first pastor I can remember. I was very young when my family began attending Manchester Pentecostal Church in Manchester, Kentucky. The pastor was Brother Johnny Roberts. He was an elderly, white-haired man in a wheelchair. He was no longer able to carry out the pastor's duties physically, but he was always there. My most vivid memory is of him calling the children around and giving us candy and chewing gum. I can't tell you if he was a good preacher or an efficient administrator, but I remember his kindness and love for me as a small child.

My pastor, Perry Fouts, keeps candy in his office, and the little kids are always around him after church asking for a treat. They will never forget him for that.

According to Pastor Care Network:

80% of pastors believe ministry has negatively affected their families.

50% feel unable to meet the demands of the job.

70% do not have somebody they consider a close friend.

50% of those who go into full-time ministry drop out in five years.

It has never been easy to be a pastor, but 2020 has been a year that has put unprecedented pressure upon faithful shepherds of God. They have had to close their church doors, learn to live stream services, and preach to audiences they can't see. They have had to sit helplessly at home as beloved members of their congregation were hospitalized with COVID-19. Many pastors have performed funerals wearing masks and unable even to reach out and touch grieving family members. They have had to cancel revivals, camp-meetings, youth rallies, homecomings, and a host of other events. If ever they needed to know they are appreciated, they need to know it now.

I believe Satan has launched an all-out attack against the church of Jesus Christ and his primary targets are pastors, ministers, and leaders in the church!

More than he needs gifts, a meal, or a celebration, the thing pastors need the most is for their members to be like, "Aaron" and "Hur." In Exodus chapter 17, the Amalekites came against Israel. Pastor Moses stood on top of the hill, holding up the rod of God. As long as he held the rod up, Israel prevailed, but when he got tired and let the rod down, Amalek prevailed.

Aaron and Hur, representing church members, put a stone under Moses to sit on, and they got on each side of him and held up his hands. Israel, the church, was victorious.

That's what your pastor needs; that's what your pastor desires. When church members become like Aaron and Hur by praying, being faithful, making his load lighter, interceding for him, the pastor will be blessed, and the church will prevail!

A "true" pastor has been called by God.

Paul told Timothy, " Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of the Lord...Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our

works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began." 2Timothy 1:8-9

A "true" pastor is chosen.

"Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain." John 15:16a

A "true" pastor is sent.

"How then shall they call on Him in Whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of Whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach except they be sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!" Romans 10:14-15

Acts 13:22 says that God removed Saul as king and raised up David to be king because he was a man after God's own heart.

A "true" pastor will have the heart of God for his congregation.

The heart of God is "agape" love. The kind of love that suffers long and is kind, vaunteth not itself, seeketh not her own, and is not easily provoked, I Corinthians 13:4-5. A true pastor will have selfless agape love, a love that looks past the faults and sees the need.

It's one thing to love to preach; it's quite another thing to love those to whom you preach.

A gem dealer was strolling the aisles at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show when he noticed a blue-violet stone the size and shape of a potato. He looked it over, then, as calmly as possible, asked the vendor, "You want fifteen dollars for this?" The seller, realizing the stone wasn't as pretty as others in the bin, lowered the price to ten dollars. The stone has since been certified as a 1,905 - carat natural star sapphire. It was appraised at $2.28 million!

It took a lover of stones to recognize the sapphire's worth. It takes a pastor with the heart of God to be a lover of souls and to see the value and worth of every individual member of his congregation.

The heart of God is faithful.

A "true" pastor will be faithful to God, his wife, calling, and congregation.

God said, "And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding." Jeremiah 3:15

If the man in your pulpit has been called, chosen, and sent by God, and he is serving his congregation with a loving, faithful heart, then you have much to be thankful for. He is a gift from God to you.

Even in these trying, unprecedented times, I challenge you to find a way of letting your pastor know how much he is appreciated!

The prayer of a "true" pastor:

"I do not ask that crowds may throng the church, that standing room be priced.

I only ask that as I voice the message, they may see Christ!

I do not ask for churchly pomp or pageant, or music such as wealth alone can buy,

I only ask that as I voice the message, He may be nigh!

I do not ask that men may sound my praises or headlines spread my name abroad,

I only pray that as I voice the message, hearts may find God!" ~ Harry S. Cushman

Woke or Awake

Sun, 20 Sep 2020 07:23:00 GMT

"And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed." Romans 13:11

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness,

it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us."

That is part of the opening paragraph in "The Tale of Two Cities," the historical novel written by Charles Dickens, set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution.

Dickens begins this tale pointing out a major conflict between good and evil, light and darkness, wisdom and folly, and rich and poor. He wrote his novel in 1859, but it could easily be written today in 2020.

American city streets are filled with depraved men and women, blaming someone else for what they consider their victimhood. But in the end, the moral of Dickens' story is that every person must be responsible for their own choices, the people they trust, and the actions they take.

We are in serious trouble; many people are predicting terrible things that are coming this fall.

I am not a prophetess; I have no predictions for you. But, I do know that God is trying to awaken His church.

First, we have to acknowledge that there is a tale of two churches in America. They both claim to belong to Jesus Christ, but there is a vast difference in them. One church is the "woke" church. They are easily identified because they have been very vocal. The "woke" church has proclaimed Jesus is okay with same-sex marriage in 2020, and abortion is a human right.

The "woke" church has filled their buildings with thousands by tickling their ears and making sure to preach nothing that would make anyone feel uncomfortable. The "woke" church professes Jesus Christ, yet denies His Incarnation and His deity. Members of the "woke" church have called for the removal of Franklin Graham as the head of Samaritan's Purse because they did not like his prayer at the Republican National Convention. Believe it or not, Jesus Christ had something to say about the "woke" church.

"Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name? And in Thy name have cast out devils? And in Thy name have done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity." Matthew 7: 20-23

Those are sobering words of judgment but thank God there is a true church. A body of believers not only call themselves Christians, but they are indeed "in" Christ. They love God and obey His Word. This church belongs to Jesus Christ, and He expects us to be "awake!"

I heard someone say, "There cannot be a great awakening until we have a rude awakening!" It is safe to say that God has given us a rude awakening.

The Apostle Paul said, "And that, knowing the time, that NOW it is high time to awake out of our sleep."

That is a battle cry to the church! Undoubtedly, we are at war. We are facing a movement, birthed in hell, and the main objective is to shut out, shut down, and shut up the church of Jesus Christ!

What distinguishes the "woke" church from the church that is "awake"? In Ephesians chapter 6, Paul gives a detailed description of a Christian that is awake and prepared. Drawing from the image of a fully-equipped Roman soldier, he describes the armor of a Christian soldier ready for battle.

Paul begins in Ephesians 6:10, telling us to be strong in the Lord and the power of His might. Jesus said in John 15:5b, "without Me ye can do nothing." Paul then commands us, "Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." Ephesians 6:13

In verses 14-17, he describes the Christian armor.

1. The belt of truth - Jesus said, " I am the truth." John 14:16

2. The breastplate of righteousness - "But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, Who of God, is made unto us...righteousness." 1 Corinthians 1:30

3. Feet prepared with the Gospel of peace - " Christ is our peace." Ephesians 2:14

4. The shield of faith - "The life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God." Galatians 2:20b

5. The helmet of salvation - "He only is my salvation." Psalm 62:2a

Many of the anarchists in our streets are highly educated young people. Lacking the protection of the helmet of salvation, they have been hit over the head with atheism, socialism, and Marxism.

I saw Kayleigh McEnany, President Trump's press secretary, being interviewed, and she was asked how she was able to go through modern universities and come out still believing in God. She gave a detailed answer giving credit to her parents for her godly upbringing. The main reason Kayleigh McEnany is still a believer is she went through college with her mind protected by the helmet of salvation!

6. The sword of the Spirit, or the Word of God - "And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us." John 1:14

During the English Civil War, Oliver Cromwell's Ironsides fought with a sword in one hand and a Bible in the other.

There is a common theme running through our armor - Jesus Christ! If you have "put on" Christ, you have put on the armor of God!

J.B.Phillips gives a detailed translation of this passage. "We are up against the unseen power that controls this dark world and spiritual agents from the very headquarters of evil. Therefore you must wear the whole armor of God that you may be able to resist evil and stand your ground. Take your stand then with truth as your belt, righteousness as your breastplate, the Gospel of peace firmly on your feet, salvation as your helmet, and in your hand the sword of the spirit, the Word of God. Above all, be sure to take faith as your shield for it can quench every burning missile the enemy hurls at you." Ephesians 6:10-17

Robby Robins was an Air Force pilot during the first Iraq War. After his 300th mission, he was surprised by permission to get his crew together and go home. He reached his house just after sun-up and was shocked to see a big banner across the garage -- "Welcome Home Dad!" How did they know? He had not told them. Robins said, "When I walked in the house, the kids, about half-dressed for school, screamed, 'Daddy!' My wife Susan came running down the hall - she looked terrific - hair fixed and wearing a bright yellow dress. 'How did you know?' I asked. 'I didn't know,' she answered through tears of joy. 'Once we knew the war was over, we knew you'd be home one of these days. We knew you'd try to surprise us, so we were ready every day.'"

We were ready every day! Paul said, "Now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for NOW is our salvation nearer than when we believed." Jesus is undoubtedly coming soon, but He has told us to occupy until He comes and to work while it is still day.

Every member of the true church of Jesus Christ needs to heed Paul's warning to wake up because we only have a tiny window of time. We can no longer be passive and apathetic; we must fast, pray, and vote. While it is true to say that God has everything under control, for reasons known only to Him, He works in response to fasting, praying, and intercession. That is why Chronicles 7:14 begins, "If My people...."

"God of His own motion placed Himself under the law of prayer and has obligated Himself to answer the prayer of men. He has ordained prayer as a means whereby He will do through men as they pray, that which He would not otherwise do." ~ E.M.Bounds

I implore you, do not just quickly read that quote. Read it slowly and let the full meaning sink in.

"Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit." Ephesians 6:18

Where are the Smiths?

Sat, 12 Sep 2020 04:50:00 GMT

"Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel: for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears; But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his share, and his coulter, and his axe, and his mattock. Yet they had a file for the mattocks, and for the coulters, and for the forks, and for the axes, and to sharpen the goads. So it came to pass in the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people that were with Saul and Jonathan: but with Saul and with Jonathan his son was there found." I Samuel 13:19-22

On 15 March 2020, the CDC recommended limiting all people's gatherings for eight weeks due to Covid-19. The next day, President Trump issued guidelines to avoid groups of ten or more people and limit travel to prevent the coronavirus's exposure and spread. Since then, individual states have taken the lead in determining the extent of personal travel, gatherings, etc. according to the governors' directives. The level of government interference in the lives of its citizens has varied wildly. Some states are fully open for travel, business, and gatherings. In contrast, other states remain in lockdown.

These lockdowns have directly impacted churches throughout this pandemic. This weekend, there will be a clash of church and state within California. Pastor John MacArthur of Grace Community Church has been ordered by a state judge to comply with Los Angeles public health officials' directives, including the prohibition of indoor church services. The church has declared they will not abide by this ruling. Please pray for these believers.

Some government officials have taken a hostile stance with churches during this pandemic. Many governors have chosen to keep alcohol and retail sales open while shuttering churches during lockdowns. Many state governments have openly declared churches are nonessential. We are at a crossroads in America.

In the above Scriptural passage, Israel was at a crossroads. The Philistines had begun a military campaign against them. Many Israelites hid in caves, behind rocks, and even in pits to escape the coming army. Other citizens crossed over the border to flee. These people were at a severe disadvantage. Because there were no skilled blacksmiths, the Israelites had to depend upon the Philistines to sharpen their agricultural implements. Consequently, once the Philistines launched their military strike, there was no one to make weapons of war needed to defend themselves. The men and women of Israel were utterly unprepared for conflict.

Now is the time for churches, pastors, evangelists, missionaries, and Christians to prepare ourselves and our tools for work. Before a harvest season arrives, farmers perform routine maintenance on their farm implements in preparation for constant work. Blades need sharpening, machines need oiling and inspections, laborers need to be hired, and other preparations must be arranged before the days and weeks of continual work are to be done. Failing to prepare is preparing to fail when you only have a small window of time for success.

Like Israel, the Church needs blacksmiths to sharpen our tools for the harvest. For too long, complacency has dictated our actions or lack thereof. God is sending us forth into His harvest. Unfortunately, we are grossly unprepared for the tasks at hand. It is time to remedy this nonchalance.

Make a list of what you need for your ministry to grow. How much training do the believers you work with need to advance God's kingdom? What forms of technology would you need to use? Are there physical items you need to improve your outreach within your community? What areas of ministry would you need to focus? How many additional workers are needed? How can you bless other churches or ministries? The list can go on and on. However, it is urgent to make preparations.

"Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept." Matthew 25:1-5

Like those virgins in Christ's parable, many Christians are asleep and unprepared for what lies ahead. The wise virgins prepared in advance. Because of their foresight, they went with the bridegroom, while the others were turned away.

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. If ye love keep my commandments." John 14:12-15

All too often, we uncouple verses fourteen and fifteen. We want to be able to ask anything and watch Jesus do it. Yet we fail to prove our love for Christ with obedience. Contrary to our desires, these verses are not mutually exclusive.

Having a close relationship with God to receive answers to prayer, there must be a bond of love between myself and God in which I prove my love through obedience. Of course, God often proves His love for us by answering our prayers regardless of our response. However, now is the time to prove our love for Him. When we demonstrate our love for Christ through humble obedience, we can expect the miraculous.

Some "Christians" may choose to run and hide, sit and casually wait, or even flee from the work ahead. Those Christians who love Jesus with their whole hearts will eagerly accomplish the tasks ahead.

Now is the time for preparation; soon, the great harvest will begin. God is looking for followers who are loving, willing, and able to fulfill His calling.

Christ is calling all smiths to the forge!

Perfect Peace

Wed, 05 Aug 2020 15:35:00 GMT

"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee." Isaiah 26:3

A former president of the Norwegian Academy of Sciences and historians from England, Egypt, Germany, and India have come up with some startling information: Since 3600 B.C., the world has known only 292 years of peace. During this period, there have been 14,351 wars, large and small, in which 3.64 billion people have died.

My heart is breaking for what I see happening in America. We are at war; there is no peace. But for Christians, there is good news. The Bible has promised us "perfect peace" if we keep our minds stayed on God and trust in Him.

The words "perfect peace" in the Hebrew language are rendered shalom shalom or "peace, peace." God gives us double peace!

According to the Scriptures, we can have peace with God and the peace of God.

For nearly twelve years, I lived safe and secure under the false assumption that God would not send me to Hell because of my parents' godly lives. But on a Sunday night in August of 1965, I had an encounter with the convicting power of the Holy Ghost, and I realized that God has no grandchildren. I knelt at an altar, repented of my sins, and accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior. I was no longer under the wrath of God. I was born again. I had peace with God.

Do you have peace with God? If not, that peace can be yours today. Peace with God happens instantly to every person that repents and accepts Christ as their Savior.

"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Romans 5:1

Sadly, every Christian does not always possess the peace of God. Philippians 4:7 says, "The peace of God passeth understanding." It is hard to comprehend God's peace because it can be had during times of great turmoil, trials, sorrow, persecution, fear, and even death.

In 1555, Nicholas Ridley was burned at the stake because of his witness for Christ. On the night before Ridley's execution, his brother offered to remain with him in the prison chamber to be of assistance and comfort. Nicholas declined the offer and replied that he intended to go to bed and sleep like a baby. How was that possible? He had the peace of God!

God's perfect peace is promised to those who keep their minds stayed on Him. I find that I can only take the news in small doses. If I continually watched the news media, my mind would be bombarded with fear, discouragement, and possibly even despair. I have to strengthen my mind every day by getting in the Word of God.

The Apostle Paul gave us the prescription for a healthy thought life in Philippians 4:8-9. He said, "Whatsoever things are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of a good report; think on these things." You will not hear those words on the evening news.

God's perfect peace is promised to those who also trust Him. The word "trusteth" is from the Hebrew word batach , which means "confidence in something."

A few days ago, I was sitting in my backyard, under the trees, praying and reading my Bible. I was deeply troubled over the things going on in our nation. I read Psalm 104, the beautiful hymn that celebrates the Creator and the greatness of His creation. I read verse twelve, which says, "By them shall the fowls of the heaven have their habitation which sing among the branches."

I stopped reading and began to listen. The trees were filled with the symphony of birds singing to their Creator. They were "taking no thought for tomorrow." They had full confidence they would be taken care of. That's how our heavenly Father wants us to trust Him.

The Hebrew word for "trusteth" goes a step further. It also means "careless security that comes from confidence. It means to be totally at ease."

Long ago, a man sought the perfect picture of peace. Not finding one that satisfied, he announced a contest to produce this masterpiece. The challenge stirred the imagination of artists everywhere, and soon paintings arrived from far and wide. Finally, the great day of revelation arrived. The judges uncovered one peaceful scene after another, while the audience cheered and clapped. The tensions grew. Only two pictures remained veiled. As a judge pulled the cover from one, a hush fell over the crowd. It revealed a mirror-smooth lake reflecting green birches under the soft blush of the evening sky. Along the grassy shore, a flock of sheep grazed undisturbed. The audience thought that surely this was the one. It was a portrait of peace and tranquility.

Then the second painting was uncovered, and the crowd gasped in surprise. Could this be peace? A tumultuous waterfall cascaded down a rocky precipice; the crowd could almost feel its cold, penetrating spray. Stormy gray clouds threatened to explode with lightning, wind, and rain. Amid the thundering noises and bitter chill, a spindly tree clung to the rocks at the edge of the falls. One of its branches reached out in front of the torrential waters. A little bird had built a nest in the elbow of that branch. Content and undisturbed in her stormy surroundings, she rested on her eggs.

I love that story! I wish I could tell it to you in person so I could make it as dramatic as I believe that portrait was. With her eyes closed and her wings ready to cover her young ones, that little bird was the perfect picture of peace that surpasses understanding and transcends all earthly turmoil. Amid danger, she displayed a trust that enabled her to have "careless security" and be totally at ease!

Paul wrote in II Thessalonians 3:16, "Now the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always by all means."

This Scripture lets us know that the peace of God is possible for His children in any circumstance.

1. We have the source of peace - "The Lord of peace Himself."

2. We have the channel of peace - "by all means."

The world may be imploding around you, but God has the means of giving you perfect peace.

3. We have the duration of peace - "always."

Despite everything happening in this country, from anarchy, rioting, killing, to the ugly political war, the perfect peace of God is, and always will be available,

It was Jesus Christ who brought the peace of God down to earth. Across the Judean hills, the heavenly host heralded His birth saying, "Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth peace, goodwill toward men."

Jesus Christ, the Lord of peace Himself, offers His peace as a garrison to stand guard against all attacks upon our hearts and minds.

"I rest beneath the Almighty's shade, my griefs expire, my troubles cease; Thou, Lord, on Whom my soul is stayed, wilt keep me still in perfect peace." ~ Charles Wesley

More Beyond

Fri, 26 Jun 2020 07:26:00 GMT

" For our conversation is in Heaven; from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ ." Philippians 3:20

For hundreds of years before Christopher Columbus was born, the motto of Spain was ne plus ultra. This phrase is Latin for "no more beyond."

Exploration had ceased because the Spaniards believed they had already discovered everything worth discovering. Thankfully, Christopher Columbus did not share that sentiment.

Today, in Spain, there is a beautiful monument to Columbus. It is a statue of a huge lion with the words, "ne plus ultra" underneath it. However, the lion is eating the first word, "ne." All that can be read is "more beyond."

For several weeks, violence and anarchy have raged in many American cities, during which many of our national monuments have been destroyed, including one of Christopher Columbus. In a very short time, our nation has become a place that I barely recognize.

The Apostle Paul told the Philippians that our citizenship is in Heaven. Likewise, the Apostle Peter, in his first epistle, addressed Christians as strangers or foreigners. With every day that passes, I feel less and less at home in this world. I keep hearing the words of an old song we used to sing in church:

"This world is not my home; I'm just passing through

My treasures are laid up, somewhere beyond the blue,

The angels beckon me, from Heaven's open door

I can't feel at home in this world anymore."

The people who are burning, looting and defying authority, think they are going to reach a utopia, but sadly, if they don't find Jesus Christ, there

will be "no more beyond."

The final words of some well-known people that lived their lives for sin, pleasure, wealth, and fame show desperation and disillusionment.

Louis Mayer, movie producer and co-founder of MGM studios, died in 1957 at the age of seventy-two. His final words were, "It wasn't worth it."

Voltaire, the French infidel, said to his doctor, "I am abandoned by God and man. I will give you half of my wealth if you will give me six months to live."

As born again Christians, we do not live with hopelessness. Before He dismissed His spirit and died, the last words of Jesus Christ were, " tetelestai " or "It is finished!" Those words assure us that there is much more beyond this world.

In the hours before His arrest, Jesus spent the time comforting and reassuring His downcast, frightened disciples. Their world had been turned upside down, but Christ tells them, in essence, "there is more beyond."

"Let not your hearts be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you." John 14:1-2

"Let not your hearts be troubled;" there is more beyond.

Jesus called Heaven, "My Father's house." He was letting us know Heaven is home! Is there any lovelier word than home? Someone said, "Home is a place you grow up wanting to leave, and grow old wanting to get back to." My parents have both been dead for several years, yet I still miss going home. As Dorothy found out in The Wizard of Oz, there is no place like home. As a child, home was a safe haven for me. In my father's house, I was loved, accepted, and secure.

"I go to prepare a place for you;" there is more beyond.

The word "prepare" is from the Greek word hetoimazo . This word means "to make ready." In ancient times, it was used to describe the custom of sending people before kings that were traveling. The roads would be leveled and cleared of obstacles. The Lord has gone before and blazed the trail for us to follow.

" I am the way, the truth and the life." John 14:6

"And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." John 14:3

"I will come again;" there is more beyond.

With those words, Jesus Himself gave us the promise of the Rapture. The Apostle Paul shared the revelation of the Rapture of the church with the Thessalonian Christians in his first epistle. He encouraged them to comfort each other with the knowledge and the promise that Jesus Christ was going to return and take His people home. Those early Christians were living in hard, trying times. They were suffering for the cause of Christ. They needed to hear that there was more beyond the world in which they were living.

America is growing spiritually darker every day. Everything is turned upside down. Good is being called evil, and evil is being called good. We do not know what we may soon be facing, but the Apostle Peter gives us some advice. He said, "If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye. If any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf." I Peter 4: 14, 16

Whatever the future holds, through Christ, we can triumph; we can overcome. The journey is never too long nor hard when the destination is home!

For centuries the islands of New Zealand were unpopulated. Then one day, Polynesian settlers arrived. They had traveled a thousand miles in outrigger canoes. How did they know they would not merely sail across empty seas? How did they know the land was there? For centuries, Polynesians had known land was there because their voyagers had seen a long white cloud on the distant horizon. They knew when a cloud stayed in one place over a very long period of time, there was land beneath it.

The Polynesian settlers were the first humans to set foot on the islands of New Zealand because they dared to believe there was "more beyond!"

The Old Testament patriarchs and saints walked by faith, not sight. They lived as nomads. For them, home was a tent. Hebrews 11: 13-16 says they confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. They desired a better country where God had prepared a city for them. They walked by faith because they knew there was "more beyond."

When Michael Faraday, the great English physicist, was dying, friends gathered at his bedside. They wanted to hear his last words. "What are your speculations?" one of them asked. His answer was firm: "Speculations! I have none. I am resting on certainties."

"On Christ the Solid Rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand."

I, too, confess that I am a foreigner on this earth; it's not my home. I have set my affections on things above.

On the authority, the certainty of the Word of God, I KNOW there is, "more beyond!"

BE MANLY!

Sun, 21 Jun 2020 00:00:00 GMT

The Peace of Pentecost

Sun, 31 May 2020 08:51:00 GMT

"But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." John 14:26-27

As US cities smolder from burning and deadly riots, we encounter Pentecost Sunday. After reeling from weeks of quarantine and social distancing, we wake up to an unfamiliar America. Worldwide, the effects of COVID-19 have caused hunger, pain, and death from the virus accompanied by the lockdowns and economic shutdowns. We are living in a day of unrest, turmoil, and violence, not merely against property, but humanity.

Pentecost ushered Christ's followers into the Church. Now more than ever, this world needs the healing comfort and prayers the Church can provide. While most of us may feel anger, pain, anguish, and uncertainty during this tumultuous time, our hope and strength come from Jesus, not this world. As we lift our heads heavenward, let Christ's faithfulness wash away the fear and anxiety. Allow the Comforter to begin a more magnificent work in our hearts and minds. Troubling times are opportunities for God's faithfulness. It is our responsibility to rise to these occasions as ambassadors for Christ in a scary world. We rise because He has risen. We love others because He first loved us. We show compassion because He forgave those who murdered Him. We help others in need because He helps us every day.

If there was ever a time in world history where we needed Pentecost Sunday, this is our time. We have been born again for these circumstances. God has equipped us with His power to meet the needs of this generation. The Comfort this world needs is within us because Christ sent the Comforter to us. It is time for the Church to unleash the power of Pentecost in this dying world. It is time for us to allow the presence of God to flood our lives and actions with His power.

Pray to God before you speak. Listen to the voice of Christ before you react to others. Find the guidance of the Holy Spirit before you set out on your daily path.

As we look heavenward for our direction, action, and speech, we draw the hurting, lost, and dying souls around us closer to the Comforter they need.

May God's peace fill your heart and share that peace with others today.

I Am Just a Flicker

Tue, 26 May 2020 10:58:00 GMT

A Gospel For All

Thu, 21 May 2020 15:09:00 GMT

Happy Mother's Day

Sun, 10 May 2020 00:00:00 GMT

Don't Lose Your Lift

Thu, 23 Apr 2020 20:46:00 GMT

"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding." Proverbs 3:5

On February 12, 2009, an airplane carrying forty-four passengers and five crew members took off from Newark airport, heading for Buffalo, New York. Just before reaching the Buffalo airport, the plane dropped from the sky. It landed on a house, killing all forty-nine on board and one person in the house.

Ice had formed on the wings causing the plane to lose lift. The weight of the ice interfered with the airflow over the wings. Airflow is what gives a plane its lift. Without lift, an aircraft can stall and drop like a stone to the ground,

The corona-virus has the entire world in a "stall" position.

As I write this, my sister-in-law's nephew, a victim of COVID-19, is finally showing signs of recovery after weeks of clinging to life. I also received word today that a dear Christian couple have both tested positive and their daughter is in the hospital fighting for her life.

An intense restlessness and resentment are growing across the nation. People are forced to remain in their homes, all the while, watching their jobs, financial security, and to some degree, their personal and religious liberties slip away.

But there is good news today for Christians. Yes, we may be in a "stall," but we do not have to lose our "lift," and we certainly do not have to fall!

A year after the tragic plane crash, the National Transportation Safety Board released its report. The plane's flight recorder revealed that the cockpit warnings had sounded indicating that the aircraft was about to stall. When this happens, pilots are trained to push forward to lower the nose. This maneuver increases the speed, which results in more air flowing over the wings, which, in turn, creates enough lift for the airplane to start flying again.

Shockingly, the report stated that instead of pushing forward to increase the speed, the captain pulled back not just once, but several times.

The investigative board concluded their report this way, "The Captain and his crew were fine people. They knew what to do in the situation they faced. They had repeatedly demonstrated it many times before, yet they did not do it."

Did fear, or panic affect their judgment that fateful night? Did the captain lean on his understanding instead of his training? No one knows the answer to those questions.

It is not a time for the church of Jesus Christ to drawback. Most of us are not raw recruits. We have gone through many tests and seen our share of battles. We are trained soldiers; we know what to do. We have two powerful weapons - the Word of God and prayer.

Psalm 1:2 tells us that a healthy, stable Christian delights in the Word of God. Are you delighting in the Word, or do you find reading it burdensome?

We sing, "Oh, how I love Jesus," but the way we treat the Bible is the way we treat Jesus Christ. The Bible is His word to us.

The highest compliment you can pay an author is to say, "I have read your book." Imagine facing the Author of the greatest story, the number one bestseller of all time, and having to say, "Sorry, Lord, I had good intentions, but I never got around to reading Your Book!"

In these trying times, if you want to guard against losing your "lift," don't turn to the news media. Make the Word of God your source of advice and assurance.

"My soul melteth for heaviness: strengthen Thou me according unto Thy Word." Psalm 119:28

E.M. Bounds said, "What the church needs today is not more or better machinery, not new organizations or more novel methods, but men whom the Holy Ghost can use, men of prayer, men mighty in prayer."

To keep our "lift," we need to discipline ourselves to pray, to seek the Lord daily. The Psalmist said in Psalm 88:9, "Lord, I have called daily upon Thee."

A Jewish Rabbi was asked the question by one of his students, "Why did not the Lord furnish enough manna for Israel for a year all at one time?"

The Rabbi said, "I will answer you with a parable. Once there was a king who had a son to whom he gave a yearly allowance, paying the entire sum on a fixed date. It soon happened that the day on which the allowance was due was the only day of the year the father ever saw his son. So the king changed his plan and gave his son day by day that which was sufficient for the day; and then the son visited his father every morning. He needed his father's love, companionship, wisdom, and giving; thus, God dealt with Israel and with us. He wants us to seek Him daily."

A.W. Tozer - "There will be no manifestation of God to His people apart from earnest seeking."

In His presence, we can exchange our weakness for his power, fear for His peace, and questions for His answers. In His presence, we will leave our burdens, problems, and doubts; we exchange the impossible for the possible!

God is warning, refining, and awakening His church. He is calling us back to our first love. He is preparing us for His coming. Jesus is coming back for nothing less than what He started with on the Day of Pentecost - a church on fire! We don't have to lose our "lift." We know what needs to be done; let's do it!

This world needs an encounter with Jesus Christ; the church needs a fresh encounter with the Holy Ghost!

Finding God in Unexpected Places

Tue, 21 Apr 2020 11:30:00 GMT

It was 9th April, and the news channel flashed the report of government sealing 15 districts of Uttar Pradesh, including Lucknow. Being 5 km away from the border of Lucknow city, I panicked as my thoughts went to mom's medicinal inventory. Hurriedly we rummaged through the capsules and tablets only to realize that the medicinal inventory is fast depleting, and it will barely last three days. Everyone started to panic as mom suffers from hypertension, diabetes, and Chronic Kidney failure and is on regular hemodialysis.

Realizing the gravity of the situation, I drove my two-wheeler as fast as I could to the city to procure the medicines. Soon I realized that the roads have been barricaded and are manned by stick-wielding policemen. Approaching the barricade, I further understood that the police had sealed the roads long before I woke up to the news flash. Soon I was waved down by a policeman who had an imposing physique but foul mouth as he was chewing tobacco and was spewing expletives. With imploring demeanor, I explained my quandary to the policeman, but my words fell on deaf ears. The more I implored, the more his decibels rose. Frightened, I took a step back and decided to turn around when suddenly his superior officer came to take stock of the hullabaloo. The officer, who had an air of sophistication and authoritative body language, heard me out and waved me off towards the city. As I said heartfelt thanks to God and the officer, I saw a faint smile spreading on the stern face.

Is it not true that we find God in unexpected places?

With much hope, I throttled full tilt to reach the street lined up with pharmacies only to witness the maddening crowd of people pulling and pushing to stand in single file in front of every shop. Parking my scooter between two haphazardly parked bikes, I too joined the queue. And after 25 minutes of impatient waiting, I was told by the pharmacist in plain two words, "stocks finished." Frustrated, I stood in another queue to be given the same answer. After three hours, I had enquired at almost all shops and heard the same answer.

Absolutely dejected and angry, I turned my scooter around to return home, and my mind started to get flooded with myriads of unpleasant thoughts. But I drove slow so that I should not miss any pharmacist where I have not enquired. Finally, I reached a stretch of the road lined up with small grocery shops and losing all hope I throttled up. Suddenly with my peripheral vision, I saw a shop that looked like a pharmacy, and I braked myself to a screeching halt. Turning back, I saw a tiny shop on the first floor of a dilapidated building tucked between two grocery stores with no advertising board. I parked my scooter on the road and climbed the rickety iron staircase.

I had no hope that this obscure shop could supply any medicine when the bigger players have turned me away. I pushed my prescription towards the salesperson, and he quipped, "I don't have much stock, but whatever is available, I will give you." And I shot back with a smile, "the lockdown is till 14th (April) I just need to survive till that day." Taking the prescription in his hand, he rummaged through his inventory and came back with a huge grin on his face, exclaiming, "Sir, you are very lucky I have enough medicines to last you 4 to 5 days."

We indeed find God in unexpected places.

Does God have your attention yet?

Sat, 11 Apr 2020 09:37:00 GMT

Palm Sunday and Quarantine

Sun, 05 Apr 2020 02:38:00 GMT

Coronavirus and humility

Mon, 30 Mar 2020 10:19:00 GMT

Prayer: Resource or Resort

Wed, 25 Mar 2020 15:30:00 GMT

"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." Philippians 4:6

As I write this, like most of you, I am "hunkering down" in my home because the governor of Indiana has mandated that I should. Without question, we are in a crisis, unlike anything we have ever experienced. Fear of the virus, the economy, and job loss are gripping our nation.

But the Apostle Paul admonished the Philippian Christians, "Be careful for nothing." Paul is not saying we are to be careless. The word "careful" comes from the Greek word merimnao , which means "to be anxious; to be troubled with cares or to worry."

I heard Reverend Tony Evans say, "We cannot allow this crisis to cause us to go from 'legitimate concern' to 'illegitimate worry." God is okay with His people being concerned. We are failing to use the wisdom He has given us if we are not concerned. Jesus Christ commanded us in

Matthew chapter 6 to not worry about the future nor how we will be clothed and fed.

Not only will worry destroy our faith and trust in God but according to the medical profession, it dramatically affects mental and physical health.

Worry creates stress, which, in turn, causes heart rates to go up and increases blood pressure.

During the Gulf War of 1991, Iraq launched a series of Scud missile attacks against Israel. They also threatened to use chemical and biological weapons. Those of us who remember this war will never forget the live video of Israeli families huddled in safe rooms wearing their government-issued gas masks.

Many Israeli citizens died as a result of these attacks. After the war ended, Israeli scientists analyzed the official mortality statistics. What they found was shocking. The death rate was the highest on the first day of the Iraqi attacks, but the vast majority did not die from any direct physical effects of the missiles. They died from heart failure brought on by fear, worry, and stress. After the first attack turned out to be less catastrophic than feared, levels of stress declined markedly which in turn

caused the death rate to go down significantly.

So as Christians, if we are commanded not to worry about anything, what is God's solution to worry?

"But in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." The solution is simple: worry about nothing; pray about everything.

As followers of Jesus Christ, we have to get back to the place where we realize that prayer is our primary resource and not our last resort.

If prayer is a vital part of your everyday life, when a crisis arises, you will not be consumed with worry.

The Bible gives us an excellent example of a godly man's response to a crisis - Daniel. As a young Jewish captive in Babylon, Daniel's integrity and godly wisdom had given him favor with the king and allowed him to rise to a place of prominence and authority in the kingdom. His success caused jealousy among the other princes, and they conspired against Daniel. They found no fault in him, so they decided to entrap him in the worship of his God. They convinced the king to sign a decree that stated prayers could only be made to him. Anyone defying the order would be cast into the den of lions.

How will Daniel handle this crisis? For me, this is one of the most inspiring passages in the Bible.

"Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chambers toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime ." Daniel 6:10

This response tells me two things. First, even knowing he faced death, Daniel did not pray in secret. He kept his windows open so the enemy could hear him. But that is not the greatest lesson from Daniel. "As he did aforetime!" This tells me that for Daniel, prayer was a significant resource in his life, not a last resort! This response was not a fearful, panic-stricken prayer. Daniel had a daily habit of praying and worshiping God three times a day. That reminds me of my parents. They prayed twice a day, and if my dad was working close enough to come home for lunch, they prayed three times.

Facing the possibility of being fed to lions, Daniel openly did what he did every day - he prayed.

This crisis we find ourselves in is unprecedented. Only God knows if our nation, the economy, and life, in general, will ever be the same again.

We can fret and worry, or we can look at this as a great opportunity.

Here's a thought: we are all staying in our homes to keep from contracting a contagious virus, but what if we all started finding ways to share an infectious faith. Share with someone today what the Lord has done for you. Even while I have been typing this, I have had my prayer answered. My daughter's workplace is obeying the governor and shutting down until the 6th of April, but, praise the Lord, she gets to continue to work at home and will be paid! Prayer, for me, is a major resource.

God has allowed His church to be in a place we have never been to before. He has our full attention!

I firmly believe we can see revival if we start using the weapon of prayer as a major resource and not a last resort. We don't have to be in a church building; we are the church. We can see revivals in our homes and families that will spread to our neighborhoods and our nation.

I missed meeting with my church family this past Sunday, but I found a silver lining to worshiping at home. On Sunday mornings, I am always on the piano, and my husband is in the sound booth. We never get to worship together. But on Sunday morning, we sat on the couch & worshiped together as we watched a streaming church service. I thank God for that experience, but I am looking forward to the day we can be back in our houses of worship.

To any of my extended family, friends, and church family that may be reading this, I want you to know that I love you and I am praying for you.

I encourage you with Paul's words to the Philippians. "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:7

The word "passeth" comes from the Greek word huperecho, which means to be more excellent, to be in authority or control.

Used in a military sense, it means to "outflank."

When everything around us seems to be spinning out of control, the unsurpassable peace of God is more than able to keep the US from "losing it."

If you are reading this and you are not saved, this peace can be yours today by repenting of your sin, believing in your heart that Jesus Christ died on the cross, and accepting Him as your Lord and Savior.

In the 1988 Winter Olympics, blind skiers were paired with sighted skiers. They taught the blind skiers how to make right and left turns. On the slalom slope, their sighted partner skied beside them, shouting, "Left!" and "Right!" As the blind skiers obeyed the commands, they were able to negotiate the course and cross the finish line, depending solely on their sighted partner.

There were only two options for the blind skiers: complete trust or catastrophe.

The whole world is being held captive by an enemy, a tiny virus we cannot see. At this is time, we should make prayer a major resource, and get our direction from the Word of God.

Paul said God's peace "keeps" our hearts and minds. This phrase comes from a military word, phroureo , which means "to guard, protect by a military guard to prevent hostile invasion."

When King Jehoshaphat found his nation surrounded by invading armies, he cried out, "O our God...we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon THEE." II Chronicles 20:12

That's the best advice I can give you today: keep your eyes upon God.

May God give His angels charge over His children that no plague come nigh our dwellings. May the peace of God stand as a sentinel at the door of our hearts and minds. May it guard against all worry, fear, doubt, and any invading thought or imagination that would dare exalt itself against the knowledge of Jesus Christ. To Him be all Glory and Honor and Praise!

Covid, Dialysis and Me

Sat, 21 Mar 2020 10:49:00 GMT

God's Love and Revival

Sun, 15 Mar 2020 09:17:00 GMT

Reclaiming Revival

Sun, 08 Mar 2020 03:00:00 GMT

I want to start this blog entry out on a very serious note:

Churches need help, and they need it now.

The spirit of apathy has run wild throughout congregations, wreaking havoc, causing people to either not come to service at all (which causes church buildings to eventually close), or infects those who do come, and causes them to change into nothing more than "pew fillers."

This spirit is something unseen with the natural eye, but we can see it's manifestations:

-saints not lifting a finger much less a hand when music is going on during services

-an attitude and mindset of church being "routine"

-people not backing the preaching

-people not wanting to do any work within the church

What our churches need desperately is the filling of the Spirit of GOD. A revival that begins within the heart of every Christian out there in the world today.

The power of the Holy Spirit is unlimited and unmatched by anything with which the enemy is trying to attack the church body. We may be seeing people falling out of church, or sitting back during an altar call now, but it will not last. (Isaiah 59:19)

The same thing that GOD did in Acts 2 , He can do again today if we will pray for a Holy Ghost outpouring. We must make the decision to intercede for others, to do whatever it takes to have revival.

So I encourage you: stay at your post, worship with your whole heart, and give GOD your best.

Let's have revival!

Revival and the Power of the Spirit

Wed, 04 Mar 2020 00:00:00 GMT

Why do we not experience revival? Where is the power of the Spirit? Why is the power no longer manifest as in the days of old? For quite some time now, I would dare to say even for several years I have heard, been asked, and even asked these questions myself. I hope that through this post, these questions might be answered.

To see unadulterated revival and a true moving and manifestation of the power of the Holy Spirit poured out on us the believer and the church as the collective body must once again humble ourselves and return to our first love, which is the basis of this Christian life. “Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left, thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent” (Revelations 2:4-5 KJV) . In the preceding verses of this chapter, we can clearly see many of our churches. I genuinely believe these churches want to see revival and a sweeping move of the power of the Holy Spirit, but they have become, so self-indulged with the; work I am doing, the patience I have, or how much I have labored that there has been a forsaking of the old paths. It is no longer about Christ, but about me. “Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein” (Jeremiah 6:16 KJV ). You may ask, but how can we return to our first love? Just as the old song states, “Savior, Savior, hear my humble cry while on others Thou art calling, do not pass me by.” I must once again realize that there has to be an innate need for Christ and His forgiveness, grace, mercy, and love to make my walk in the Spirit complete. It is only through Him that revival may flow through a flawed and imperfect vessel such as me. I must give myself wholly to His will and purpose, then will the power of the Spirit be manifest and revival can come.

Revival must first start within in me before it can spread to the masses. I must operate in the power of the Holy Ghost, which is Christ revealed in me. In my brokenness, failures, imperfections, and scars if I shall humbly come to Him as David did, “This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of ALL his troubles” (Psalms 34:6), then I will come to the place in which revival can be birthed and the power of the Spirit can and will be made manifest through His church. However, to experience revival means I must first be willing to sacrifice myself and leave my comfort zone. I can no longer stand on the shoreline looking at the deep waters and the current that will have control if I leave the safety of the shore, but I must step out in faith. Not my works and not my ways, but to You and You alone, oh God will I place my trust. “ Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over. And it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come shall live: and there shall be a great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither: for they shall be healed; and every thing shall live whither the river cometh” (Ezekiel 47:5,9 KJV). Sacrifice can be time-consuming and even painful as we move outside of ourselves and into the realm of God.

In the pursuit of revival, we must avoid the zealous self wanting a proverbial quick fix. “But the miry places thereof and the marishes thereof shall not be healed; they shall be given to salt” (Ezekiel 47:11 KJV). A hyped, false, and unsustainable show is all that a quick fix will produce. Real revival does not have to advertise in flashing lights to call men. The power of the Holy Spirit, when given liberty, will call and draw all men creating a personal revival within each. This revival will then spread like a pandemic as they reveal to others that which God has done in and through them.

I believe that there is a stirring within the true believer’s bosom to make the bride ready because the bridegroom is coming soon. In this time of stirring, the bride is making preparations. These preparations are ushering in the removal of self to become one with the bridegroom. He saved me from the wretched man that I was, and now in getting out of myself, I can feel the start of a “wedding atmosphere.” In this atmosphere, revival can flow, and the power of the Spirit can be manifest.

Love Never Fails

Tue, 25 Feb 2020 23:38:00 GMT

"Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it." Song of Solomon 8:7a

Scottish evangelist Henry Drummond said, "In the heart of Africa, among the great lakes, I have come across black men and women who remembered the only white man they ever saw -- David Livingstone, and as you cross his footsteps in that dark continent, men's faces light up as they speak of the kind doctor who passed there years ago. They could not understand him, but they felt the love that beat in his heart."

We have recently celebrated Valentine's Day, the holiday that is centered around the word "love." For restaurants, florists, bakeries, and candy shops, this has become one of the most lucrative days of the year. There is no shortage of experts on television telling us how to best express our love to those we care about. However, what the world considers to be love many times is totally different than God's definition and description of love as revealed in the Bible.

Love should be the distinguishing mark of a Christian and the motivation for everything we do.

The Apostle Paul told the Corinthian church that the best way to live the Christian life is to love God and people. To do that effectively, we need to know how God describes love. Paul gives us the nature and characteristics of Christian love in the thirteenth chapter of First Corinthians.

Love is essential. In the first three verses of this chapter, Paul states that we can be gifted, charitable, full of knowledge and faith, but if we do not have love, our works are completely unprofitable.

The love of God is effective. In verses 4-7, Paul lists the characteristics of love.

"Charity suffereth long and is kind." I Corinthians 13:4a

Harry Emerson Fosdick pointed out that no one treated President Abraham Lincoln with more contempt than did his Secretary of War, Edwin Stanton. He called the President 'a low cunning clown,' and nicknamed him 'the original gorilla' and said that the explorer Paul Du Chaillu was a fool to wander about Africa trying to capture a gorilla when he could have found one so easily at Springfield, Illinois. Abraham Lincoln said nothing. He considered Stanton to be the best man for the job, and he treated him with every courtesy. The years went by. The night came when an assassin's bullet murdered Lincoln. In the little room to which the President's body was taken stood Edwin Stanton, and looking down on Lincoln's silent face, he said through his tears: 'There lies the greatest ruler of men the world has ever seen.'

In the end, the long-suffering and kindness of love conquered hate and contempt.

"Charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up." I Corinthians 13:4b

Envy has no place in the body of Christ. If we truly love each other, we will not be envious when other believers are more talented or gifted than we are. Love will keep us from being jealous of the position, accomplishments, or accolades of others.

Love is not boastful nor inflated with its own importance. Love is not prideful and does not seek self-glory. Jose Cubero Sanchez was one of Spain's most famous matadors. In a 1985 bullfight, the twenty-one year old made a tragic mistake. He made a final thrust of his sword into a bleeding bull, which then collapsed. Cubero then turned to face the crowd, bowing to their thunderous applause. The bull, however, was not dead. It rose and lunged at the unsuspecting matador, its horn piercing his back and puncturing his heart. His last words were, "Pali, this bull has killed me!" His pride and inflated ego had played a part in his demise as well. Too many people have made the mistake of thinking pride was dead, only to have it raise its ugly head.

Great people never think of their own importance.

According to verse five, love does not behave unseemly, which means it is not crude or vulgar. Love also does not insist upon its rights. There are two kinds of people in this world: those who always insist upon their privileges, and those who always remember their responsibilities; those who are always thinking of what life owes them, and those who never forget what they owe life.

The Bible admonishes us to put others before ourselves.

Love is not easily provoked. Anger is very destructive. Men and women who cannot control their temper do great harm to their testimony for Christ. When we lose our tempers, we lose everything.

"Love rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth." I Corinthians 13:6

When you love someone, you do not find pleasure in them being hurt or harmed in any way; love also does not rejoice when trouble strikes our enemies.

"Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth." Proverbs 24:17a

Paul stated in verse seven that love beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, and endureth all things. Love beareth all things, which means it conceals the errors and faults of others. Love never judges without all the facts. It is willing to believe the best in others.

Love never ceases to hope. Jesus believed no one is beyond hope, and that should also be our attitude. Today the word "Einstein" is synonymous with genius, but young Albert did not speak fluently until the age of nine, causing teachers to think he was slow. He was expelled from school and refused admittance to the Zurich Polytechnic School. He went on to revolutionize science and physics. He won the Nobel Prize with his research, leading the U.S. to build an atomic bomb.

Adam Clarke was a great theologian, but at school, he was slow to learn. One day in front of a distinguished visitor, the teacher singled out Adam Clarke and said: 'That is the stupidest boy in the school.' Before he left the school, the visitor came to Adam and said kindly: 'Never mind, my boy, you may be a great scholar someday. Try hard and keep on trying.'

You never know when you may speak a simple word of hope into a child or adult that will change their life.

Love endures all things. Love does not quit but keeps on going despite problems, setbacks, or defeats.

Not only is love essential and effective, but it is also eternal.

"Charity never faileth." I Corinthians 13:8a

The love of God will never cease. We who have believed in Jesus Christ as our Savior will enjoy His love for all eternity!

The love of God is not an affectionate feeling; it is an action. It is the love with which God created us, that caused Jesus Christ to sacrifice Himself to save us, is a remedy for frequent, sinful practices, and is effective for promoting the fruit of the Spirit in believers.

Most importantly, when the love of God is evident in the lives of Christians, it will point a dying, hurting world to Jesus Christ!

"By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one to another." John 13:35

20/20 Vision in 2020

Thu, 20 Feb 2020 03:30:00 GMT

"The burden of the valley of vision..." Isaiah 21:2 As we immerse ourselves into another leap year, I do not believe 2020, and its reference to eyesight is a coincidence. Visual acuity examines the focus, health, and function of the eye, along with the sensitivity of the brain. Having 20/20 eyesight means you can spatially recognize specific shapes at a distance of 20 feet that a person with "normal" vision would also recognize. The first number represents your distance to the shapes, while the bottom number represents the distance a person with normal vision would need to acknowledge those same shapes. "And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking." Mark 8:24 This year is an opportunity to refocus our spiritual sight. Christians should examine the focus, health, and function of our spiritual lives. We should reflect upon our sensitivity to God's Spirit and will for our lives. Like the blind man Christ healed in Mark 8:24, we may be able to see, but do we see clearly with proper focus and function? If we are to experience the power of God's Spirit, we need to make sure we have a healthy spiritual vision. "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions; And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit." Joel 2:28-29 God is calling us to a higher calling and power. He is ready to move in a mightier way than we have ever experienced. The spiritual foundation we lay this year will determine our effectiveness for the next 5-10 years. Having a proper vision for tomorrow will be essential as we prepare for the outpouring of God's Spirit. It is time for 20/20 spiritual vision in 2020!

Spiritual Tunnel Vision

Thu, 30 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT

"Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee." Proverbs 4:25

Tunnel vision is the loss of peripheral vision, or simply put, your eyes' field of view is narrowed down to the extent that you cannot see sideways without turning your head. In other words, people suffering from this condition only see what is in front of them.

We use the term "tunnel vision" to describe people who focus, fixate, and obsess over one thing. Tunnel vision van be harmful when it causes us to be self-absorbed or makes us insensitive to the needs, problems, and opinions of others.

But when it pertains to God's vision for His church and our individual lives, tunnel vision is essential. God's vision must be our vision.

The Apostle Paul was a man with spiritual tunnel vision. From the time of his conversion, he was consumed with fulfilling God's vision of taking the gospel to all nations and making disciples of Jesus Christ. He told the Philippians, "I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:14

Nehemiah is a great Old Testament example of someone with spiritual tunnel vision. Living during the Babylonian exile, he received a bad report concerning Jerusalem, his ancestral home. Nehemiah is informed that the people are in great affliction, and the city walls are broken down. The news breaks his heart. He wept, mourned, fasted, and prayed for several days.

It is not hard to know God's vision or to understand what He wants, but to successfully fulfill God's vision; we must feel what He feels. Nehemiah felt the pain God was feeling over the condition of Jerusalem and His people. You and I must feel the sorrow, love, and compassion God has for unsaved humanity before we can effectively reach them with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

We live in very dark, trying times, and if we do not keep our focus on God's vision, we can quickly become discouraged.

Nehemiah went to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls of the city. The work is in progress when he gets word that there is a problem with the laborers.

"And Judah said, the strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall." Nehemiah 4:10

The people had been working for a long time. The initial excitement had worn off, and they were exhausted. To make matters worse, they had been dealing with a constant barrage of threats, ridicule, and criticism from their enemies, sound familiar?

Whether we are in full-time ministry, working in our local church, or balancing home, family, and a job while serving the Lord, we cannot afford to become wholly drained physically, mentally, or spiritually.

On January 11, 1982, Edmund Gravely died at the controls of his small plane while on the way to Statesboro, Georgia. His wife Janice kept the plane aloft for two hours until it ran out of fuel. During this time, she sang hymns and prayed for help. As the aircraft crossed the South Carolina - North Carolina border, she radioed for help: "Help, help, won't someone help me? My pilot is unconscious!" Authorities who picked up her distress call were not able to reach her by radio because she kept changing channels. Mrs. Gravely finally made a rough landing and crawled to a farmhouse for help.

Have you been burning the candle at both ends? Have you lost your enthusiasm for the work of the Lord? Do problems, fatigue, and discouragement obscure your vision? If you're calling out to God for help, do not switch the channel. He has the solution!

"But they that WAIT upon the Lord shall renew their strength." Isaiah 40:31a

We must take the time not only to rest our bodies but allow God to refresh and strengthen us spiritually.

It is vital to have a vision for the ministry God has called you to.

On the night before His crucifixion, Jesus was telling His disciples that He is about to depart. In John 14:4, He says to them, "You know the way where I am going." You have to love Thomas! He's the kid in class that raises his hand and asks the question you want to but are afraid to ask. He does not understand a word Jesus is saying, and so he says, "Lord, we do not know where you are going, and how can we know the way?"

We need a clear vision of where God is taking us and what He wants us to accomplish. We need a clear target, a sense of direction, and a finish line for which to aim. The Apostle Paul warned us against running aimlessly and fighting as one beating the air ( 1 Corinthians 9:26).

We must also guard against distractions. The enemies of Nehemiah tried their best to stop the work on the walls of Jerusalem, but he did not allow himself to become distracted from the job that God wanted him to complete. "And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?" Nehemiah 6:3

I encourage anyone that is losing sight of their vision, God's vision, to study the book of Nehemiah. He never lost sight of the calling, the task before him. He stayed close to the Lord through his prayer life, and God gave him wisdom and discernment. In spite of continual opposition from his enemies, Nehemiah kept his tunnel vision. He kept his eyes on God. Most of all, Nehemiah had persistence.

George Danzig was a senior at Stanford University during the depression. All the seniors knew they would be joining the unemployment lines when the class graduated. There was a slim chance that the top person in the class might get a teaching job. George was not at the top of his class, but he hoped that if he were able to achieve a perfect score on the final exam, he might be given a job.

On the day of the exam, George was late for class. The others were already hard at work. He sat down and worked the eight problems on the test paper; then, he started on the two written on the board. Try as he might, he could not solve either of them. He was devastated. But before handing in his paper, he asked his professor if he could have a couple of days to work on the two he had missed. He was surprised when the professor agreed.

George spent hours and hours on those mathematical problems, but could only find the solution for one of them. It was impossible to solve the other one. When he turned in the test, he knew he had lost all chance of a job. The next morning a pounding on the door awakened George. It was his professor, very excited. "George! George!" he kept shouting, "you've made mathematics history!" The professor proceeded to explain his excitement. Before the exam, he had encouraged the class to keep trying in spite of setbacks and failures. "Don't be discouraged," he had counseled. "Remember, there are classic problems that no one can solve. Even Einstein was unable to unlock their secrets." He then wrote two of those problems on the board that Einstein could not solve.

George had come to class late and missed those opening remarks of his professor. He did not know the problems on the board were impossible to solve and thought they were part of his exam. However, he was determined he could work them. And he solved one!

George Danzig did the impossible by being persistent in pursuing a difficult task. The next morning the professor made George his assistant. He taught at Stanford until his retirement.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote:

"The heights by great men reached and kept,

Were not attained by sudden flight,

But they, while their companions slept,

Were toiling upward in the night."

Stay focused, be persistent, and keep your vision centered on Jesus Christ and what he has called you to do.

"And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." Galatians 6:9

Moment Missionaries

Thu, 23 Jan 2020 13:30:00 GMT

Take a moment to think about the second word in the ministry name, World Missions To Asia. Missions. A goal, a purpose. Something that you will give other things up for if need be. Brother Fred Wynn and everyone else involved in this ministry have a mission, a desire to see souls saved, particularly in areas of the middle eastern region. That is the very purpose of everything that they do through WMA. So with that being said, anyone who is reading this that may not be an overseas missionary, let me ask you what may seem like an obvious question: What is your mission? What is your GOD-given passion for your ministry? We can all have a mission somewhere. It does not always look like a trip to a foreign country or standing in a pulpit preaching or singing. Your mission could be something as simple as texting people to encourage them. Smiling at someone who seems to be having a bad day. No matter what you do, if you do it for the LORD, it will yield results. Give it to GOD and let Him fulfill His Kingdom mission above anything else. You will be amazed at what you see! So do you have a particular person in mind, something that you could do right now? Please do not wait to do it. Act today on whatever GOD places in your heart. Get up and get going, missionary! GOD bless you, Katie

The Two Incarnations of Christ

Wed, 25 Dec 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Just before the morning star of the new creation rose and took on flesh, an angel was sent to Mary. The angel famously announced, "she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins" (Matt 1:21). Matthew then breaks into the narrative to explain that this announcement had been foretold in Isa 7:14, "Behold, a virgin shall be with child and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel" (Matt 1:23). But Matthew doesn't stop there. To ensure his readers understand the gravity of this prophecy, and its significance for understanding who Jesus is, he translates Emmanuel writing "which being interpreted is, God with us" or in Greek, Μεθʼ ἡμῶν ὁ θεός (1:23). The God who created the world, called Israel, and promised His ultimate salvation had, at last, come to set the world right and restore all things. God made flesh; God with us.

We are familiar with the announcement above and its adjacent narrative recounting the incarnation. However, Matthew has tied the announcement and story of Christ's incarnation with another poignant scene in his gospel. In Matt 28:18–20, Jesus stands before his disciples as the resurrected Lord. They have seen His miracles, heard His wisdom, and witnessed His suffering. Now, here, they behold His glory. It is here that Jesus sends His disciples out into the world to "teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" (28:19). It is also in this scene that we find something very familiar. Jesus' very last words to His disciples in Matthew's Gospel read, "lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." Just as the coming of Christ was announced as the realization of "God with us" (Μεθʼ ἡμῶν ὁ θεός) in 1:23, so here the departure of Christ is announced with "I am with you" in 28:20. Mathew begins and ends his gospel with this most important proclamation. There are likely many reasons for this particular instance of narrative symmetry. "God with us" and "I am with you" points to Jesus' divinity. Christ's words in 28:20 also ensure Jesus' continuing presence with his followers. However, we must notice another important implication for Christ's words: just as "God with us" announces the first incarnation, "I am with you," announces the second.

Christ's words in 28:20 carry a great deal of significance. "I am" (ἐγὼ εἰμι) is the LORD's self-designation (e.g., Exod. 3:14). Jesus' use of "I am" reveals his divinity. But there's more. In Greek, Matthew splits apart the "I" ( ἐγὼ) and the "am" (εἰμι) and places "with you" (μεθʼ ὑμῶν) in-between, rendering the phrase ἐγὼ μεθʼ ὑμῶν εἰμι. This construction implies that Jesus has bound Himself to His disciples. Not only is Christ with his followers, He is also in them. "I am with you," then announces a second incarnation. That is, not only has Christ come to take on flesh in one body (1:23), after His resurrection, He announces that He will take on the body (entailing bodies) of His Church.

The incarnation announced in 1:28 is echoed in 28:20. The Church, now, is to be the continual incarnation of Christ in human bodies. Jesus should have access to our bodies, lives, voices, and relationships. Our bodies are to now belong to Him as His own chosen vehicles of expression. It is through the Spirit of God that Christ reenacts the incarnation over and over again through willing people who simply submit to His Lordship. Thus, it should be that Jesus can send His Church to the darkened and dying world and announce, "Lo, I am with you."

As we celebrate and remember Christ's coming 2000 years ago, we must remember that the incarnation was to never end with the nativity story. Let us allow Christ to live through us in such a way that allows Christ to be present in the world through us so that "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" (Col 1:27).

The Ultimate Gift

Sun, 22 Dec 2019 00:00:00 GMT

"But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law. To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons." Galatians 4:4-5

This year will make forty-three years that my husband and I have celebrated Christmas together. We both grew up in homes where money was scarce, and Christmas usually brought only one inexpensive gift. Our first Christmas together, we gave each other leather coats. My husband was so thrilled he didn't want

to take his off. We have pictures to prove it!

God has blessed us over the years, and we really don't need very much. I said to him the other day, "I wish I could think of a gift that would not only surprise you but also be a thrill when you open it." We all want to give our loved ones the ultimate gift.

One of my favorite stories is the "Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry. The main characters are Della and Jim, a young married couple. The story tells how they deal with the challenge of buying secret Christmas gifts for each other with very little money. On Christmas Eve, Della sells her hair to a hairdresser for twenty dollars. She uses the money to buy a platinum watch fob for Jim's pocket watch. Later that night, Della admits to Jim that she sold her hair to buy him a present. Jim has an admission of his own to make. He sold his watch to buy Della a set of ornamental combs for her hair. The couple is left with gifts they can't use, but they realize how far they had been willing to go to give the ultimate gift.

In the time chosen from the foundation of the world, God gave the ultimate gift; He sent His Son.

"And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." John 1:14

Have you ever given serious thought to what it was like for Jesus to leave Heaven and come to earth?

He sits on the throne of Heaven where angels, seraphim, and cherubim worship and adore Him. No doubt, they sing songs of praise more beautiful than anything we have ever heard. Yet, He plunged Himself into utter silence by becoming an embryo in the womb of a virgin girl.

As the omniscient God, He sees and knows everything. Yet the One who dwells in light stepped down into darkness. He was willing to be blind until His newborn eyes were able to focus on the faces of His earthly mother and father.

Think what it must have been like for Him!

He is the Word that spoke all of creation into existence; nevertheless, He entered this world the same way every human being does, with only a cry to express what He needed.

In His omnipotence, He rules with all power and authority. He holds the planets, galaxies, and all the universe in place. But, He laid it all aside to come to earth as a weak, helpless baby.

Mark Condon wrote a song titled, "He Came All This Way." Some of the lyrics say, " It's hard to imagine that from Heaven's throne, He came all this way, to make your heart His home."

It's so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of Christmas that we miss the reason for the celebration; it's Jesus.

Late one Christmas Day, a resident of the posh community of Hillsborough, California, accompanied by his wife and kids, set out to sing carols for the neighbors. As they were tuning up outside their first stop, the lady of the house came to the door, looking distraught. "Look, fella," she said, "I'm just too busy. The plumbing's on the blink, I can't get anybody to fix it, and I have a mob coming for dinner. If you really feel like singing carols, sing them someplace else." "Yes, Ma'am," replied Bing Crosby respectfully, as he herded his troop elsewhere.

There would be no shopping days, no Christmas trees and bright lights, no cookies, or piles of gifts if Jesus were not born. Christmas is His day! What will you give Him?

In a little Florida town, there was a plain home for unwanted boys. It was run by a kind matron who had no money for luxuries, but she made up for it by loving the boys and teaching them about God and how to pray. One day a well-to-do lady came to see about adopting one of the boys. Everyone was so pleased and happy for the fortunate boy who would be going to live in such an elegant, wealthy home. After going through the selection process, one particular boy was chosen. The prospective mother asked him, "Do you have a bicycle?" Back the answer came, "No, ma'am." She went on, "Do you have your own radio, suit of clothes, personal TV set?" To all these

questions about his possessions, the boy replied, "no." Finally, he blurted out, "Please, ma'am, if that's all you're going to give me, I'd rather stay here!"

Where will you place Christ this season? What if He asked us the same question the little boy asked, "Is that ALL you're going to give ME?" The Jewish nation missed Him when He came the first time. God had promised His people a Messiah, but they were not ready to receive Him.

How about you? He gave the ultimate gift; what will you give Him?

In a small town in the Midwest, Wally Purling has become a legend for his performance in one annual Christmas pageant. Wally was nine that year and in the second grade, though he should have been in the fourth. Most people in town knew he had difficulty keeping up with the other kids. This year the director gave Wally the part of the innkeeper. Most of the town gathered out for the performance. Then came the time that Joseph and Mary appeared at the inn. Joseph knocks on the door. Wally, the innkeeper, opened the door and brusquely asked, "What do you want?" "We seek lodging," Joseph replied. "Seek it elsewhere," said Wally, "the inn is full." Joseph sadly put his arm around Mary, and she laid her head on his shoulder, and they started to move away. Wally, the innkeeper, stood there, watching them walk away. His eyes began filling with tears. Suddenly this Christmas pageant became different! "Don't go, Joseph," Wally called out, "Bring Mary back! You can have my room!"

Christmas has become a tradition based on exchanging gifts, but the idea did not originate with St. Nicholas, it began in the heart of God, and it is only complete when it reaches the heart of man. He gave the gift of His Son to us, we, in turn, give ourselves to Him.

The ultimate gift you could give Jesus this Christmas is to make room for Him.

"This is Christmas: not the tinsel, not the giving and receiving, not even the carols, but the humble heart that receives anew the wondrous gift, the Christ!" ~ Frank McKibben

"And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."

Luke 2: 13-14

"God grant you the light in Christmas, which is faith; the warmth of Christmas, which is love; the radiance of Christmas, which is purity; the righteousness of Christmas, which is justice; the belief in Christmas, which is truth; the ALL of Christmas, which is Christ." ~ Wilda English

What Mickey Mouse Saw

Tue, 17 Dec 2019 15:23:00 GMT

Finishing Well

Wed, 23 Oct 2019 00:00:00 GMT

"I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:" 2 Timothy 4:7

Remember when you were a child and a year seemed like an eternity? Do you remember the feeling that Christmas or your birthday would never get here? But, now it seems I barely get the decorations put away or the candles blown out, and another year has passed. You have probably figured out by now; I have a birthday coming up.

I realize the significant part of my life is now behind me. Believe me; there are many things that remind me of this fact every day. Beverly LaHaye said, "Thank God my happiness doesn't come from my joints but from my heart." To that, I can say a resounding amen!

Growing older has required me to make adjustments such as singing in lower keys, and sometimes even slowing down the ninety miles per hour Pentecostal tempo! Instead of dwelling on what I have or have not done in my life, my main focus now is to "finish well."

Shirley Boone, the wife of singer and actor Pat Boone, passed away this year. It would appear that she was a remarkable Christian woman. At her memorial service, she was eulogized as a mother who raised four daughters amid the sin, wealth, and privilege of Beverley Hills, and yet they all became caring, unspoiled, women of God. She was also praised as a woman of great charitable works, and someone who shared the gospel with everyone from celebrities, to the boy who bagged her groceries.

In the last years of her life, Shirley Boone became homebound. But according to those who knew her, that did not stop her ministry. From her chair, Shirley would call people to encourage and pray for them. People would come to her home for prayer and counsel, and from her chair, Shirley would minister to them. She did this until the day she could no longer speak. By all accounts, Shirley Boone is an example of someone "finishing well."

My dad is another example of someone who finished well. He spent his life serving the Lord, encouraging and loving people. He never had an unkind word to say about anyone. In 2002, my dad was diagnosed with cancer. A tumor on his spine left him paralyzed from the waist down. He lived for four months after his diagnosis.

During those months, my dad had a lot of visitors. From his bed or chair, he would encourage and pray for them. His mind was never on himself or his suffering. About two days before he died, my dad was telling my brother and a young, visiting minister, that they needed to go pray with his friend, who also had cancer. Henry Lipps finished well.

During the 1700s, John Wesley was the leader of a revival movement within the church of England known as Methodism. He traveled 250,000 miles by horseback or on foot to preach. He preached forty thousand sermons, produced four hundred books, and knew ten languages. At the age of eighty-three, John was annoyed that he couldn't write more than fifteen hours a day without hurting his eyes. At eighty-six, he was ashamed that he couldn't preach more than twice a day but did admit that there was an increasing tendency to lie in bed until 5:30 A.M.

Wesley died on March 2, 1791, at the age of eighty-seven. As he was dying, he lifted his arms and said to friends gathered around him, "Farewell, farewell, the best of all is, God is with us." John Wesley finished well.

Several years ago, the Ohio State Buckeyes were playing for the national championship of college football at the Fiesta Bowl. Just before his team left the locker room, head coach Jim Tressel gathered them for one final talk. After going over the game plan, Tressel asked his team one simple question, " How do you want to be remembered?"

It must have worked because when the game was over, the Buckeyes had pulled off one of the great upsets in recent memory. They defeated the Miami Hurricanes, and in the process, ended their 34-game winning streak.

How do you want to be remembered?

It's not how well we start that matters, but how well we finish.

When the Apostle Paul wrote his letter to Timothy, he did not dwell on the past. Paul did not start well. Before his conversion, he was a persecutor of Christians, and he was also present at the stoning death of early church martyr Stephen. Paul knows his finish line is in sight, and he says with confidence, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith." The faithful, old apostle was ready to claim his reward for "finishing well."

"Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day." 2Timothy 4:8a

John "the Penguin" Bingham is a well-known marathon runner. He was once asked the secret to his success. Bingham answered, "As I stand at the starting line, I know that somewhere out there is a finish line."

There is a finish line for everyone, and none of us know when that will be. God added seventeen years to my life when He healed me of cancer in 2002. I realize my life was spared for a purpose; I have tried my best not to squander this precious time,

I have no idea how close my finish line is, but as long as I have strength, I will keep studying, teaching, singing, playing the piano, and encouraging God's people. My maternal grandmother lived to be one hundred and one. From her chair, she was able to give Godly counsel and great pearls of wisdom to her grandchildren.

Growing old does not have to mean we can no longer be useful for the Lord. It does mean that we may have to acknowledge we cannot effectively do what we have done in the past, and find some other way to work for the Lord, even if it's from our chair. We can finish well!

The Greeks had a race in their Olympic games that was unique. The winner was not the one who finished first; It was the one who finished with his torch still lit.

How do I want to be remembered?

The things we have accomplished in this life will matter little if we fail to finish well.

May those who come behind me say, "Patty finished with her torch still lit."

"The measure of a life is not its duration, but its donation." Corrie Ten Boom

Something For Nothing

Thu, 26 Sep 2019 00:00:00 GMT

"Then saith He unto His disciples, the harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;" ( Matthew 9:37)

I live in the country, and farm fields surround my home. Everywhere I look, I see soybeans that are nearing the time for them to be harvested. Due to prolonged spring rains, Indiana farmers were late getting their crops in the ground this year. In June, I sat in a doctor's office and listened as a farmer's wife shared her worry and anxiety with me. Due to the rains and flooding, her husband had not been able to plant his crops, and therefore, she knew there would be no harvest this year.

Most Americans walk into their local supermarket and see rows of beautiful, colorful, fruits and vegetables, yet we never give a thought to the work, care, planning, and worry that it took before that produce reached our stores.

I grew up in a day when most people had large families, and a garden was not a luxury, it was a necessity for food. I have to admit honestly - I hated working in a garden. But, every year without fail, my dad would hitch one of his mules to a plow and begin turning the ground, and like it or not, we kids all had to help with the planting. I also had a deep aversion to the harvest, especially canning which involved breaking up beans and shucking corn. But, I sure enjoyed the rewards of the harvest!

We live in an age of entitlement. Too many people want "something for nothing." Just as it takes much effort and care to produce a natural harvest, the same is true of a spiritual harvest.

"The law of prayer is the law of harvest: sow sparingly in prayer, reap sparingly; sow bountifully in prayer, reap bountifully.

The trouble is that we are trying to get from our efforts what we never put into them." ~ Leonard Ravenhill

In his book What Good is God?, Philip Yancey writes about a true story that took place in Afghanistan in the early 1970s. A friend of his named Len, organized a musical team of young people to tour countries in the Middle East. The group was invited to perform a concert in Kabul, Afghanistan. Len made the teenagers write out precisely what they would say, subject to his approval. "This is a strict Muslim government," he warned them. "If you say the wrong thing, you could end up in prison and at the same time jeopardize every Christian who lives in this country. Do not stray from the words you have written down!"

The night of the concert, almost a thousand Afghans filled the hall. All went well until one teenager on the team put down his guitar and started improvising: "I'd like to tell you about my best friend, a man named Jesus, and the difference He has made in my life." From the side of the stage, Len was motioning wildly for him to stop. Ignoring him, the teenager proceeded to give a detailed account of how God had transformed his life. Len sat with his head in his hands, waiting for the sword to drop.

Instead, an amazing thing happened! The Minister of Cultural Affairs for Afghanistan stood and walked to the stage to respond. "We have seen many American young people come through this country," he said. " Most of them come for drugs. We have not seen nor heard from young people like you. God's love is a message my country needs." He then invited the group to expand their tour so they could visit the colleges in Afghanistan. He also made it possible for them to give the message of God's love on Kabul radio.

On the last day of their tour, the teens met J.Christy Wilson. He had spent twenty-two years in Afghanistan as a teacher and Christian pastor. He drove the teenagers to an unusual tourist site, the only cemetery in Afghanistan where "infidels" could be buried. Wilson walked to the first, ancient gravestone. "This man worked here thirty years and translated the Bible into the Afghan language," he said. "Not a single convert. And in the grave next to him lies the man who replaced him. He toiled for twenty-five years and finally baptized the first Afghan Christian."

Wilson turned and looked the teenagers straight in the eye. "For thirty years one man moved rocks. That's all he did, move rocks. Then came his replacement, who did nothing but dig furrows. There came another who planted seeds and another who watered. And now you kids, are bringing in the harvest!"

Those American teens learned a valuable lesson about reaping the harvest, and so can we. They had witnessed revival, a spiritual awakening in Afghanistan. They learned the church of Jesus Christ is "one" body. Our goal should be the harvest of lost souls. We all are to do our part and leave the results to God.

When we planted our family garden, we each had different tasks. One dropped the seeds, another watered, and then someone else would cover the seed with dirt. Many times the process is the same in sowing the seed of the Gospel.

Paul told the Corinthians, "I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase." ( I Corinthians 3:6)

Standing in an Afghanistan cemetery, those American teenagers realized that the spiritual awakening they had witnessed, was the result of a long line of faithful service that started before they were born.

When we share the Gospel with the lost, we may be watering the seed that has already been sown by a parent, grandparent, or a minister. On the other hand, we are not to grow discouraged when we sow seed and do not see immediate results. Those early Afghanistan missionaries just faithfully worked the spiritual soil. Because of their labors, there will be many Afghan believers in Heaven. The grandchildren of those who labor with World Missions to Asia, may one day reap the great harvest that their grandparents are now working and praying for.

Winters in Chicago can be brutal. Last year the wind chill factor dropped to about minus fifty degrees below zero. They reported on the news that the railroad tracks were set on fire with kerosene at the different switch junctions so they would not freeze up and hinder the trains from moving. The fire is also used to repair cracks in the steel. The fire warms the metal, causing it to expand and fill up the cracks.

The great need in the church today is for the fire of the Holy Spirit to warm our apathetic hearts and set us on fire for God. One young man, with the fire of God burning in his heart, refused to let the fear of the Afghanistan government or the threat of prison stop him from witnessing for Jesus. His courage was the key to the harvest of seed that others had planted.

We need to quit expecting "something for nothing." Our efforts must surpass or at least equal our expectations. May we all sow bountifully in prayer, trusting God to give the increase, and send revival to America.

Most of all, we need to share the Word of God with absolute faith that it has the power to change lives!

Not to Believe Either is to Believe Neither

Fri, 13 Sep 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Last week I began the Sunday morning message with this: “I felt a tremendous sadness when I heard the news this week that Jeffrey Epstein hanged himself in prison. I remember feeling that same sadness listening on the radio when Timothy McVeigh, the Oklahoma City bomber, was executed by lethal injection. I also felt it when they hanged Saddam Hussein. It’s not because I don’t think these were evil men. They were. It’s not because I don’t think they did despicable, deplorable things. They did. It’s not because I think that justice should not be served. It should.

Why then did I feel that sadness? Because I fervently believe in two things: First, I believe in hell. I believe in a hell so exceedingly awful that I could wish no man go there however evil he may be. (That’s not the same as saying I don’t think he should go there.) Second, I believe in redemption. I believe that there is no person so evil that God can not redeem him, change him, and make him a new creation. There is no sinner for whom Jesus did not die, and no sin His blood cannot wash away.”

We have secular humanists, Darwinian materialists, and liberal hooey theologians to thank for getting rid of hell. If there is no hell, there is no need to bother with something being sin. And, if there is no sin, there is nothing from which to be redeemed. Of course, we cannot really blame society in general—the humanists, Darwinians, or liberals--for the disappearance of hell, sin, and redemption; these are rarely preached or taught in but few “mainstream” American churches. There is a false conception that, if one believes in sin and hell, that he is hardhearted and compassionlessly judgmental. Not necessarily.

There is also a false conception that to be compassionate and loving towards the errant and sinful, desiring they be redeemed, is to be soft on sin, to jettison belief in judgment and hell. Again, not necessarily true. It is the believing of one without the other that leads to error. If a group emphasizes only sin and hell to the exclusion of redemption, it is wrong. It will be ugly, mean-spirited, uncaring, uncompassionate. If a group emphasizes only redemption and love to the exclusion of sin and hell, it will become vacillatingly ambiguous about sin, tolerant to the point of acceptance of God-condemned behavior.

The prevailing sentiment of society is to decry any judgment of another’s behavior. “Don’t judge” is the incessant mantra and drumbeat. Say, a person embraces deviant behavior. Quick judgment will be heaped on any who would judge that behavior to call it sin. That behavior is to be, beyond merely tolerated, accepted. Sounds compassionate, loving, and caring? It’s not. In all probability, the person who has ventured into that deviant behavior is suffering real inner turmoil, injury, wound, distress. Or, the person who engages in such behavior, as a result of it, suffers real inner turmoil, injury, wound, and distress. His psyche is warped and wounded by the behavior. If his behavior is not sin, then there is no redemption from his condition that resulted in or from his behavior.

The hidden truth about those contemporaneously engaging in deviant behavior is that the suicide rate is astronomical among their demographic. Not because they are anguished by those who condemn their behavior, but because of their personal struggle that led to the behavior. To say their behavior is perfectly “normal,” acceptable, and moral, is to silence any message of hope of redemption, help, and healing. Bad news can be good news. If a person, suffering tremendous tooth pain goes to the doctor and the doctor examines him and says, “I can’t find anything wrong with you,” that good news is bad news. He will continue to suffer from no hope of relief.

If a person, suffering tremendous pain goes to the doctor and, upon examination, he says, “I found what is wrong. You have an abscess on a tooth’s root.” The bad news is good news. Not only does one know what is wrong, but he also has hopes it can be helped. The abscess can be treated and removed. The worse scenario for that person would be a doctor who knew what was causing the pain but refused to tell the patient. Hell and redemption. Not to believe either is to believe neither.

Is Grass Growing On Your Path?

Fri, 30 Aug 2019 00:00:00 GMT

The Importance of Prayer

Tue, 13 Aug 2019 00:00:00 GMT

"Praying!"

Sat, 10 Aug 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Zero: Between Old and New

Sat, 27 Jul 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Freedom is Not Free

Fri, 19 Jul 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Obedience Brings God’s Approval

Fri, 12 Jul 2019 00:00:00 GMT

A Dog Story

Fri, 05 Jul 2019 00:00:00 GMT

The Comforter Within

Sun, 30 Jun 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Uganda Bible Distribution

Thu, 20 Jun 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Praise God! brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus. I want to take this excellent opportunity to appreciate World Mission To Asia (WMA) for the continuous monthly support towards bible distribution to Uganda, Africa at large. Sincere thanks also go to the sponsors for their moral, financial and their prayers towards the cause of bible distribution to the community of Uganda. 2016 was an exciting and pivotal year for Bible distribution in Uganda. With very much funding bible distribution project has continued to reach out to so many people plus changing and improving their spiritual lives in Uganda, Africa. WMA has also partnered with local churches and schools to extend the gift of Bible services to needy Christians who cannot afford to purchase personal bibles. Through partnerships, WMA will reach other churches and communities in the coming years. Plans for the development of the strategic plan for the next four years have commenced. Various Meetings with church leaders and school leaders have been convened to pave a way to the 2020- 2024 strategic plan of forming bible study groups, seminars, and conferences. Church leaders and the Christians have led this drive to develop a plan that will improve on WAM’s presence in the targeted areas of Uganda, Africa. The annual visiting of Pastor Toms Snyder helps us to reach out, preach the gospel, and distribute Bibles to various communities and churches in Uganda Africa. On behalf of the churches in Uganda, I would like to extend sincere gratitude to all those who have contributed towards the smooth running of bible distribution project: WMA members and sponsors for providing finical support to purchase Bibles. To all those mentioned, I say, THANK YOU. Pastor Gavamukulya Amuza

A Father's Day Thought

Sun, 16 Jun 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Nepal Mission Trip Report

Wed, 12 Jun 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Baptized in Fire

Sun, 09 Jun 2019 05:57:00 GMT

Knowing Jesus Conference

Thu, 06 Jun 2019 05:05:00 GMT

The Ascension of Christ part 5

Tue, 04 Jun 2019 00:00:00 GMT

The Ascension of Christ part 4

Fri, 31 May 2019 19:41:00 GMT

Faith of a Mother

Sat, 18 May 2019 00:00:00 GMT

The Ascension of Christ part 3

Fri, 03 May 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Brother Nelson's India Crusade

Wed, 01 May 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Dear brethren, Here I come to plead for your earnest prayers for the upcoming crusade on May 3,4,5. Many ask us, "Why are you conducting crusades in non-Christian or less Christian areas? There will not be big crowds or financial support, and you will not be known." Yes. It’s true. But we are here to make Jesus known and make only Him famous to people who do not know Him. But wherever we have conducted meetings in the past, people have repented and accepted Jesus as we minister. This new area where we are holding this crusade is big. There are many souls to be led to the light. Our team of pastors and evangelists are working as hard as we can. But your prayers can bring miracles. Let many accept Jesus. Let many be saved from the eternal fire. Yes. Together let us fulfill HIS mission. Please hold us in your prayers. Your brother in Him, Nelson Thomas

The Ascension of Christ part 2

Tue, 30 Apr 2019 00:00:00 GMT

The Ascension of Christ part 1

Sun, 28 Apr 2019 00:00:00 GMT

The Resurrection and New Creation

Thu, 25 Apr 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Upcoming Events

Tue, 23 Apr 2019 15:47:00 GMT

At World Missions to Asia, we want to promote missions at the local level. In keeping with this commitment, we are announcing some events taking place within the next few weeks. If you are in any of these areas, please consider this notice your invitation to join us. Representatives of WMA will be in attendance as well. Wednesday, April 24 through Friday, April 26 "To the Ends of the Earth" Missions Conference 2019 First Pentecostal Church, London, Kentucky Featuring: James Martin, Tim Hudson, Todd Sloggett, Bryan Webb, Zane Estes, and Robbie Grubbs For more information: phone 606.864.4811 www.londonfpc.com Friday, May 3rd WMA Missions Banquet London, Kentucky Featuring WMA Missions Team along with a Silent Auction Doors Open at 6:00 pm Dinner Served at 6:30 pm For tickets, contact: World Missions to Asia P.O. Box 1052 McAlester, Oklahoma, 74502 Phone: 405.808.7777 Saturday, May 4th "Labourers Together" Missions Rally 2019 Riverhill Holiness Church, Laurel County, Kentucky Guest Speaker: Fred J. Wynn Featuring the WMA Missions Team: Chris McGuire, Matt Robinson, Josh Horn, and Travis Robinson Phone: 405.808.7777 Friday, May 10th WMA Missions Banquet Beechgrove, Indiana Featuring WMA Missions Team along with a Silent Auction Doors Open at 6:00 pm Dinner Served at 6:30 pm For tickets, contact: World Missions to Asia P.O. Box 1052 McAlester, Oklahoma, 74502 Phone: 405.808.7777

A New Hope Has Risen!

Sun, 21 Apr 2019 00:00:00 GMT

"Sunday is near"

Fri, 19 Apr 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Love died today, I watched as His last breath slipped away, I am shocked with dismay, How Love ended this way. A pentad ago people sang Love’s praise, Shouting in the streets ”Hosannahs” were raised. To Love as He proclaimed, ”Even the rocks would say, ’Glorify, Glorify, Glorify!’ in praise.” Unfortunately today a different crowd came, Spitting, cursing, calling Love names, They had blood in their eyes and wanted Love to die, Shouting, ”Crucify, crucify, CRUCIFY!” Love was forsaken today, Love was betrayed, By one of us who kissed Love’s face, Though for a paltry sum he dismissed The life Love gave to him. Love was denied, He knew it would happen before being crucified, How can all of this happen? How can life ever be the same? I just watched Love die. Love was beaten today, His body was bruised, torn, and flayed, Why would anyone treat Love this way? He came to seek, save, and heal Now Love’s body lies still. We prepare to bury Love today, Haste is a must as we whisk Love’s body away, ”Forgive them” is what Love proclaimed, How could Love allow forgiveness, When Love was so brutally mistreated? My hope has changed today, The future is opaque when it formally was clear, I'm unsure about tomorrow and what I will feel, But inside I hear... A tender voice calm and clear, Saying, ”Weep for Love today and tomorrow...” I most certainly will. The voice replies, ”Sunday is near.”

"Hosanna," Plea or Praise?

Sun, 14 Apr 2019 00:00:00 GMT

This is Love

Thu, 11 Apr 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Spring and the Resurrection

Fri, 05 Apr 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Biblical Balance in Spiritual Warfare

Mon, 01 Apr 2019 07:08:00 GMT

Run the Race Set Before You

Fri, 29 Mar 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Connected, But Not Altered

Sat, 23 Mar 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Why Was Christ Forsaken?

Mon, 18 Mar 2019 00:00:00 GMT

The Belt of Truth

Fri, 15 Mar 2019 07:07:00 GMT

Communication and Communion

Fri, 08 Mar 2019 01:33:00 GMT

Spiritual Warfare

Mon, 04 Mar 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Light in the Darkness

Fri, 01 Mar 2019 00:34:00 GMT

God is Merciful

Wed, 27 Feb 2019 00:00:00 GMT

His for the Harvest

Mon, 25 Feb 2019 00:00:00 GMT

God is our sufficiency!

Fri, 22 Feb 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Stay Focused

Mon, 18 Feb 2019 00:00:00 GMT

"...let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us." Hebrews 12:1 God has given you the two things needed to run and win your race in life: time and energy. And you cannot afford to waste them. Why do we have such a hard time saying no? Two of the most common reasons are: fear of rejection and fear of missing out. Ultimately, you must ask yourself this question, "Whose approval am I seeking, God's or people's?" Fear of missing out on good opportunities. We assume that whenever opportunity knocks, we must answer the door and say, "yes," to whatever is standing there. That is a mistake. Opportunity does not equal obligation. There will always be more opportunities than there is time to pursue them. So you must choose your opportunities prayerfully and wisely. Jim Collins, the author of the book Good to Great, writes: "Most of us lead busy but undisciplined lives. We have ever-expanding 'to do' lists, trying to build momentum by doing, doing, doing. But it rarely works. Those who built the good to great companies made as much use of 'stop doing' lists, as 'to do' lists. They displayed a remarkable discipline to unplug from all sorts of extraneous junk and channel their resources into only one or a few areas." In his groundbreaking book, Focus: The Future of Your Company Depends on It, Al Ries adds, "Great leaders, in spite of a multitude of distractions, know how to keep things focused. They know how to inspire and motivate their followers to keep pushing the main chance. They don't let side-issues overwhelm them." So stay focused! SoulFood: 2 Chron 7:12-16, Matt 6:5-15

My pain has purpose.

Fri, 15 Feb 2019 00:00:00 GMT

In Memory of Rev. L.L. Collins

Mon, 11 Feb 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Jesus Saves

Fri, 08 Feb 2019 00:00:00 GMT

God is love

Mon, 04 Feb 2019 00:00:00 GMT

WMA January 2019 Mission Trip

Fri, 01 Feb 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Stop herding sheep!

Mon, 28 Jan 2019 00:34:00 GMT

Stress and Ministry

Fri, 25 Jan 2019 00:00:00 GMT

A Testimony out of Challenges

Mon, 21 Jan 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Royal Commission

Fri, 18 Jan 2019 00:00:00 GMT

It’s not the mattress!

Mon, 14 Jan 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Look Up and Remember

Fri, 11 Jan 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Launching Out

Thu, 10 Jan 2019 00:00:00 GMT

2019 is going to be exciting! We are launching out, taking God at his Word, and believing that HIS power will draw the attention of the people. "And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men." Luke 5:10 Jesus gave this command to Simon Peter in Luke 5, saying, “Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.” (Luke 5:4) After Peter’s obedience to this Word letting down his nets into the deep, Jesus miraculously blessed Peter and his partners James and John with so many fish that their boats began to sink. Jesus taught an important lesson in this event to Simon Peter, giving him a new purpose for the future—“Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.” (Luke 5:10) Because of Peter’s obedience to the voice of the Lord, he went on to become a great soul winner. His first message on the day of Pentecost led 3,000 souls to Christ. World Missions to Asia wants to launch out into the deep in 2019, deeper into the work of Jesus Christ in obedience to His call. January 9 Pastor Jerry Fletcher and I, Fred J. Wynn, will be traveling to Sharjah and India to Evangelize in the Labor Camps of the UAE and host a WMA Paths to Power Leadership Conference. We are equipping Christian pastors and leaders with training and resources to strengthen their ministries in India. Proverbs 11:30 says, “…he that winneth souls is wise.” Just as Peter became a fisher of men, the desire of World Missions to Asia is to win men and women for God in 2019—to see souls saved. Thank you for your continued prayer and support.

Having a Truly Happy New Year

Wed, 09 Jan 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Use It or Lose It

Tue, 08 Jan 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Grandma's Kitchen

Mon, 07 Jan 2019 00:00:00 GMT

God Powered Ministry

Sun, 06 Jan 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Self-Sufficiency and Self-Sustaining Entities

Sat, 05 Jan 2019 00:00:00 GMT

"Religion? Huh! I don't need it."

Fri, 04 Jan 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Believing What We Believe

Thu, 03 Jan 2019 00:00:00 GMT

New Year. New Challenges. Same Mission.

Wed, 02 Jan 2019 00:00:00 GMT

God's Will Step by Step

Tue, 01 Jan 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Dear Mom, On Your Birthday.

Sat, 29 Dec 2018 01:10:00 GMT

Communion: From a feeding trough to the cross

Mon, 24 Dec 2018 06:37:00 GMT

Gifts and Treasures

Tue, 11 Dec 2018 16:10:00 GMT

Dear Friend, As we ring in the new year, it’s a good time to both reflect on the last twelve months and look forward to the next twelve. When you examine your life, where are your values? What is important to you? Jesus instructed a very wealthy young man to let go of his possessions and to follow him, that is, Jesus. (Matthew19:16) The story closes with a very sad young man walking away, unable to let go of things. Instead, he kept his things and let go of people. In the end, his treasure was worthless. Treasures come in all shapes and sizes. What are your treasures? Will you share? For the servants who received talents to use while the master of the house was away and returned the treasure to the master with earnings equal to the trust, the master gave them the treasure back with these words: (Matthew 25:21) “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!" Both the original trust and the earnings were returned to the servant. As 2018 closes with its holidays, remember the gifts and treasures you have received and those you have shared. Which was more a joyous event…receiving or giving? May you find in this holiday season, the joy of the greatest treasure of all time, the coming of Jesus into the center of humanity and into our lives. Thank you for praying and supporting us at WMA and happy new year. May the coming year be bright for you and your loved ones. Fred J. Wynn

From the Director

Fri, 19 Jun 2015 00:00:00 GMT

From the Director - WELCOME! What a joy it is to introduce you to World Missions to Asia! You'll discover that our passion is "missions"... We are diligent ministers preaching, teaching, reaching, training and touching the lives of the people of Asia & the WORLD with the message of Jesus Christ. Fred J. Wynn

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Give water, Give life

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SERMON IN A STORY 39 Warriors

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Bringing the Word of God to Asia: A Mission with Global Impact

Across the vast and diverse continent of Asia, millions of people still lack access to the most important book ever written — the Bible.

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Victory

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Unexpected Miracles: The Power of Divine Appointments

Mid year Update: Exciting 2024

Zach Gray

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