Why Evangelize? Part 4

Because God has Chosen Human Beings to Evangelize Other Human Beings.    

       It has always been a bit of a puzzle to me why the Lord would choose us to spread the Gospel.  In my thinking, it would be far more effective for the Lord, or the angels to do it.  Could you imagine if everyone who got saved had an angel appear to them that preached the gospel to them? Wow!  I think I would be instantly convinced?  However, the Lord did not choose that way, but it is interesting to note that many of the false religions DID begin that way.  An angel appeared to various men and began preaching “another gospel, another Jesus” – whom Paul calls “another Spirit” (2 Cor 11:4, Gal 1:6-9).  No, the One True and Living God chose to use human vessels to carry the water of life to the thirsty souls of this earthly realm.

To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.  (20) Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God2 Corinthians 5:19.

God the father was “IN” Christ pleading with the lost that they would be reconciled unto God.  Now in the same manner, Christ is “IN” us pleading and beseeching through us (His ambassadors) for the souls of mankind.  Now We are the “voice” and Body of Christ in the earth.  God uses Homo Sapiens to evangelize others like themselves.  Even God – when He wanted to reach the world with salvation – He had to come in the flesh as a Human Being.  God has chosen to use humans to evangelize other humans – so much so that even He had to become a human being in order to reach them. Can you process that truth?  “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).  God became flesh to reach the world, and now that He has returned to heaven with an immortal body He wants to become flesh IN US and walk the planet THROUGH us – bringing the Gospel to the places that we go together with Him.

There are two examples in scripture that would be quite helpful to observe through this lens.  Scripture portrays an account of a man named Cornelius in Acts chapter ten.  This man was a religious man but he was not yet saved.  He was fasting and praying seeking the Lord in the way that he knew how.  Suddenly an angel appears to him – startles him – he got his attention for sure!  And the angel opened his mouth and what did he say?  Did he begin to preach the Gospel to him and say “thou must accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, and turn from your sins”?  No, he did not preach to him – again, I think it may have been quite effective for that angel to preach to Cornelius, but that is not the way the Lord has chosen – in His wisdom.  The angel opened his mouth and told him “…Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter; who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved” (Acts 11:13-14).  The angel told Cornelius that a man named Peter would come with “words” that could save him and his entire house.  The Lord went through all the trouble to send an angel, his messenger, to a man to call for another man to come.  Isn’t that remarkable?  When Peter arrived at the house of Cornelius, he had gathered together a large group of his family and friends.  He told Peter “it is a good thing you came, we’ve been waiting for you; now please tell us what God is saying to us” (Acts 10:33 paraphrased).  They were primed ready, and expecting that God would speak to them through a man.  Hallelujah!  Are you catching the vision?  There is another account in scripture that is worth exploring to drive home this point.  The conversion of Saul, before he began his “career” as the Apostle Paul is accounted in Acts chapter nine.  Saul was on a murderous rampage against the church of Jesus Christ.  He received authority from the Jewish Priests to go to Damascus on a mission to destroy and arrest Christians.  While he was along the route – a bright light from heaven shone upon him.  He fell to the ground and the Lord Jesus Christ appeared to him – asking him why he was persecuting the Lord.  Saul asked the Lord what he must do – I would think that this would have been a great opportunity for the Lord himself to preach to Paul, but he didn’t.  In His resurrected immortal state, the Lord prefers for the job of evangelism to be carried out by mortal humans.  He says to Saul “Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do” (Acts 9:6).  There was a man named Ananias that came to Saul and began to explain to him the things that he would need to do.

God chooses to use human agency in the evangelization of other human beings, and for the further conveyance of truth.  The Lord told the disciples in Mark 9:37-38  that the harvest was plenty, but that they needed (and us too) to pray that God would send out more laborers – God chooses to use human laborers for His work of harvesting souls.

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.  (14)  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?  (15)  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! (Rom 10:13-15)

People do not know to call on the name of the Lord, or know to believe in Him if they have not ever heard the gospel.  How will they hear the Gospel if a human being has not come to them and preached that message to them?  We have a very important task to preach the Gospel – many souls are hanging in the balance – countless men’s eternity depends on us.  You may want to ask yourself these two questions – “If I don’t preach the gospel – who will?”  “If every Christian did as much witnessing as I do, how many people will be reached?”  It is quite a simple equation actually – no seeds planted = no fruit harvested.  The job of planting seeds (witnessing) can often be discouraging because you don’t see fruit right away – but don’t be discouraged keep planting seeds.  “Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters, that send forth thither the feet of the ox and the ass” (Isa 32:20).   The Ox is a picture of the man who goes and preaches the Gospel.  Furthermore God promises “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” (Isa 55:11).  We should be encouraged that if we sow, we also shall reap a good harvest in God’s good time.  “Ye that sow in tears shall reap in joy” (Psa 126:5).  If you are waiting for the “conditions” or the circumstances to be perfect before you began evangelizing – you never will.  This is essentially what Solomon was intimating when he said “He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.” (Ecc 11:4).  So Get out there and start sowing seeds!

Blessings,

Pastor Justin

Why Evangelize? Pt. 3

3) Evangelism was and still is the heartbeat of Jesus

The Son was sent to this earth for the very purpose of evangelizing the lost – “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10).  This iswhat Jesus did throughout His earthly sojourn.  It was His main focus – yes He did do other things – like teach, heal, and cast out demons – but even those things were meant to contribute to, and multiply the work of evangelism.  Healings and miracles would confirm the messages that He spoke and were used to draw men onto himself.  The teachings were training His disciples to continue on the work of evangelism once He departed.  What did Jesus come to do?  He tells us with his own words: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, (19) To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” (Luke 4:18).  Jesus came to preach the good news – and these verses confirm to us again the fact that the signs and wonders often accompany the evangelistic message.  This was the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ, and it is also the work of the evangelist – Preach the Gospel – expect signs to follow the preaching of the Word!

And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.  (36)  But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.  (37)  Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; (38) Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest. (Matthew 9:35-38).

The Lord Jesus was nearly “overwhelmed” with the fact that there are so many people out there who are “lost” – a sheep without a shepherd is a lost and wandering sheep.  The heartbeat of Jesus was that there would be more laborers who would help to evangelize these lost sheep. This is still Jesus’ heart today – He is still seeking for the lost – He is still looking for laborers. Jesus is the same today He still has the same heart now as He did when He was walking the earth in His mortal body (cf. Heb 13:8).  The only difference now is that He is seeking the lost through US – His “new body” (1 Cor 12:27).  We are His arms to help the needy; we are His legs to take the Gospel to the nations; and we are His voice to herald the good news to the hurting torn world in desperate need of something other than more bad news.

Do you have the same heartbeat?  Will you be willing to be one of those who will go and seek the lost – to be a laborer in the field of the world – to evangelize? Jesus’ last night on this earth He had supper with His disciples.  There is a beautiful scene where John, the beloved, is leaning on the breast of our Lord.  In this scene –we can only conclude that John could hear the heartbeat of his friend and Master (John 13:23).  This scene should be repeated, in one sense, in our walk with the Lord – the closer we get to Jesus in our walk with Him, the more we should be hearing His heartbeat for the lost.  Sometimes, with good intentions of drawing closer to the Lord, and becoming more like Him we actually become more “me” focused and introspective.  We can become so focused on “going on to perfection” or going “up to Zion” that we forget about ministering to the lost.  Both of these issues are important – we need to find the balance in our lives and in our ministries.

God Bless,

Pastor Justin

Why Evangelize? Part. 2

2) Evangelism is the Heartbeat of God

God’s heart beats for evangelism.  He loves sinners and all people, and he wants to see as many as possible come to salvation.   Some of the most well-known verses in the entire Bible say:

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. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. (John 3:16-17).

God did not come to condemn people to hell – He has no pleasure in that.  He is hoping that through our preaching of the good news people will respond and be saved from their sins.  There are many people who evangelize in a “condemning” way – it is as though they enjoy telling people that they are going to hell, and enjoy pointing out all the horrible things someone is doing.  I know a fine Christian man who had a knock on his door one day.  He was pleasantly surprised to find a lady from another Christian denomination looking to evangelize him.  When he realized what she was doing, he told her that he was a born-again Christian and happy to see that she was doing what she was doing.  Her response troubled him – she said quite harshly “we’re just telling people where they are going that’s all!”  This is not God’s way.  He loved – then He sent His Son – NOT to condemn.  Sinners are already condemned to hell – they just may not realize it.  We will spend some time showing in a later chapter how the motivation for evangelism is love, but for now the point is that our intent should never be to condemn someone.

It is also evident that God is actively involved in evangelism – HE sent His Son.  God is out there searching for man, even though man is NOT searching for him.  2 Corinthians 5:19-20 says

To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and    hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.

The closer we draw near to our God the more pronounced the beat of his heart should become to us.  You see, He wants to plead through us for the souls of men – He does not want anyone to go to hell!  “He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).  He wants us to be actively involved in winning the lost to Him – that is the heartbeat of our Father.

The problem is that we as Christians become spiritually lazy and sometimes we ARE WILLING that people should perish.  God Help us and allow us to be stirred from our peaceful, selfish, apathetic, slumber – that we may actively seek the lost that they may be saved!

God Bless,

Pastor Justin

Why Evangelize? Part 1

 

     Perhaps you read my last blog and asked yourself the question “why should I evangelize?”  Though the question was answered in part before , we are going to discover that there are a lot of good reasons why you should be involved in announcing the good news to a lost and dying world.  Over the next few blogs I am going to show seven main reasons why a Christian should evangelize.  Today we will talk about the first one.

 

1. Without Jesus Christ as One’s Lord and Savior, People are Lost for all Eternity.  

 

     There are many liberal Christians who would argue against this point, but to say otherwise would be to ignore the whole canon of scripture.  The Bible is very clear on this issue, and we should also be clear on this issue – everyone, absolutely everyone, who does not know the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord will be lost eternally. To be lost is to be in hell and eventually in the Lake of Fire (Rev 20:15).   It is not seeker friendly for us to talk about hell, but the reality is that Jesus Christ taught about hell nearly twice as often as he did about heaven.  

 

     In Luke 16:19-31 the Lord gave us a vivid portrayal of hell.  There is a story delineated of a rich man, and a beggar named Lazarus. They both died, one went to Paradise, and the other went to hell.  In verse twenty-two it is clear that they had died, but they were very much alive in an eternal place for the rest of the story.  The rich man is said to be “tormented” and in “flames”.  He begged for an opportunity to go back and warn his brothers that they would not have to come to the same place.  He would have done anything that he could to STOP people that he loved from coming to that place.  I have met people who say things like “I want to go to hell, all my friends are going to be there” or “I want to go to hell, that is where all the cool people are, and it is going to be a great party”.  Well I can make a sure prediction, based on the Word of God, if your friends are there now they would do anything they could to try to stop you from coming there.  The Rich Man had all of his faculties in hell (vs. 23) – he could see with his eyes, hear with his ears, he could feel the torment of fire all over his body.  He had the sensation of thirst so much that he would have been content to have just a drop of water on his tongue (vs. 24).  In an eternal and immortal state the soul of the damned will have all of his senses and literally feel the flames, as if he were in his mortal body here on earth.  This is the vision we need to have – we need to be filled with the reality of what happens to the lost when they die.  This can give us a healthy drive to see the lost won into the kingdom of God.

 

     The Bible, in more than one place, talks about the “worm that dieth not”, and the “fire that is not quenched” (Mark 9:44, 46, 48; Isa 66:24) (c.f. Isa 14:11). Men and women who have had experiences of hell have testified that there are worms for every sin that has not been repented of, and these worms gnaw on the flesh of the person in hell.  The person feels the pain of that gnawing, and once the flesh is eaten away it supernaturally grows back and they continuously eat the flesh forever and ever.  The flames are also mentioned “And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name “ (Rev 14:11)  .

 

      A number of years ago there was a group of youth from Columbia who were privileged to have some extraordinary spiritual experiences.  The Lord personally escorted them to heaven, and also to hell.  They have a documented testimony, and one thing that stood out to them while they were permitted to speak to people in hell – was that nearly everyone they met said “Lord please give me just one more minute on earth.”  When asked why they wanted only one more minute – they all said “that I may accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior and not have to come to this place”.  Hell is a horrible place to be, and no one needs to go there, and no one who is there wants to be there now.   (An account of these events can be found at numerous websites.  The following is one of them: http://spiritlessons.com/documents/7_jovenes/English_7_Jovenes_Hell.htm)

 

     One aspect that is hard for our finite minds to fathom is eternal judgment.  The Apostle Paul taught us that we need to be aware of the “goodness and severity of God”.  Our God is very extreme and severe in His love, forgiveness, and blessings on those who obey Him.  He is also just as severe in His judgment for those who refuse salvation through His Son.  God has determined that eternity – millions upon millions of years – in the flames of the Lake of Fire is the JUST and FAIR reward of those who reject the gift of Grace and Salvation through His Son Jesus Christ.  It is an irreversible sentence!  This is a very serious matter.  God is not joking, nor is He being figurative, in His Word when He talks about eternal damnation (Mark 3:29).  

 

     The problem is sin.  God hates sin, and cannot and will not have any part in it.  Real evangelism does not take place if the sin issue is not confronted.  This is the shortcoming of the “seeker friendly” mentality they never mention sin or hell, and consequently they fill their churches with people who are not saved – they have never truly been evangelized.  They may accept a social Jesus as their Lord and Savior, but He is more of a lottery system to them then someone who has forgiven them of their sins.  The issue of sin is never dealt with, and therefore they are sitting in church with a large congregation that is on its way to hell right along with them.  Now, I am not saying that you need to preach “hell, fire, and brimstone” all the time, but the issue of sin needs to be confronted in order for a person to have a true “conversion” experience.  Sin means to miss the mark that God has for us – this is confirmed in the oft quoted Romans 3:23 “All have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God”.  Sin is more than just breaking God’s law – though that is part of it, or the bad things that we do.  Anything short of us coming to God’s glory and “mark” for our life is sin.   When involved in evangelism we need to start with this issue of sin – a man will not fully comprehend why he needs the “free gift” of salvation and eternal life if we don’t first give him the “bad news” that his sin will take him to an eternity without Christ in hell.

 

     Sin separates man from having a relationship with God (Isa 59:1, 2).  All men are sinners (Rom 3:23).  We are sinners because we have chosen to sin, but we are also sinners because we are born with a nature of sin – it is in us, and it is all man knows to do (Psalm 51:5).  “There is none righteous, no not one” (Rom 3:10).  “All we like sheep have gone astray…” (Isa 53:6).  There is not a single person who does not fit into this category of “sinner”.  The Bible tells us that the “wages of sin is death” (Rom 6:23).  Mankind has “earned a wage” for his sin and that wage is death.  The death being spoken of here is not merely a physical death, though that will surely come as a direct result of the nature of sin, but it is a spiritual death.  Every man is born “dead” spiritually – lost in sin apart from God.  IF that man does not experience a “new-birth” through Jesus Christ when he dies he will be separated from God for all eternity in hell and the lake of Fire.  It is only through having a “Born Again” experience that man’s spirit is “made alive” unto God, and that He can experience a life-giving relationship with His creator (John 3:3, 7).  Every man needs to be “Born again” – this only comes through personal repentance from sins and acceptance of Jesus Christ’s atoning work on the cross.  “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is no other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).  This means that all other religions lead to hell – it is only through Jesus Christ that one can be saved from hell.  

 

     We want to try to bring people face to face with the reality that one day they will stand before the judgment seat of Christ and give an account for their lives.  They will be judged according to their works, and everyone who is not written in the “Book of Life” through being Born-Again will be cast into the Lake of Fire (Rom 14:10, 2 Cor 5:10, Rev 20:11-15).  This should a very holy, healthy fear of God – of not wanting to displease Him.

 

     God does not condemn man BECAUSE he is a sinner, but God condemns men because He has made a way and most men “judge themselves unworthy of everlasting life” and reject God’s provision (Acts 13:46).  Men go about and try to make their own way, their own provision, which simply is NOT acceptable to God.  

 

     We cannot save everybody, but our part is to preach the Gospel – to proclaim the Good news that Jesus has come and made a provision for man to be saved.  The Lord revealed to the prophet Ezekiel that he was a watchman on the wall.  He needed to warn men and women who were on their way to hell, and if he did not warn them – they would go to hell, but God would require their blood at his hands.  However, if the watchmen would warn them to turn from their wickedness, and they did not listen – they would go to hell, but the watchmen would be “free from the blood” of that man (Ezek 3:18-19; 33:1-9; cf. Acts 20:26-27).  Therefore, our responsibility as Christians is to be “watchmen”.  We have got to preach the gospel, and warn people of eternal judgment.  Not all will respond, but we need to keep “our hands clean” from the blood of men (Psalms 24:4).

 

     Perhaps the Most important reason we evangelize is because of this grave reality – the fate of the lost is an eternity away from the presence of God in the Lake of Fire.  This should light a serious “fire” in our hearts to win souls to the Lord.  

 

Come back next time for Part 2.  I am still waiting for those comments and thoughts!

 

God Bless,

Pastor Justin

 

 

Introduction to Evangelism

 

     Evangelism is perhaps the most important subject to be discussed – on planet earth, in heaven above, and I believe it is even being discussed constantly in hell below us.  This subject began in heaven before the creation of the earth.  God knew that mankind would sin, and would therefore need redemption.  God had the plan of redemption in His heart before He even made men.  What an amazing God!  Evangelism is spreading the good news that God made a way for man to be rescued from his sins and enjoy restored fellowship with the One who created him – through Jesus Christ the only begotten Divine Son of God (John 3:16).  Evangelism is about winning souls – the Bible tells us that “he that winneth souls is wise” (Prov. 11:30).  Therefore, this subject is going to help us become wise people – to be better soul winners -Amen!  Such an important subject indeed!

What is Evangelism?

     The word “Evangelize” is rooted in the Greek word “euangellion” (evangel) which means “good message” or “good news”.  In English we simply say the “Gospel” – it means the same thing.  “Evangelize” is a transliteration from the Greek of the word “euangelizo”.  The word “evangelize” is not found in the New Testament of  the King James English Bible, but the word “ Ευαγγελιστης” is (Acts 21:8, 2 Tim 4:5, Eph. 4:11).  This word is translated as “evangelist” – an  “evangelist” is a messenger of good news, a preacher of the Gospel, or a good messenger.  Evangelize, therefore, means to announce good news, or bring good tidings, and the word “preach” is almost always associated with it.  The word “preach” is found in Luke 4:18: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised.”

     The word “preach” is also used by the Apostle Paul in Romans 1:14-15 “I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise.  (15)  So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.”   A “preacher” is a herald or a public crier – I think back to the olden days before the invention of the printing press – whenever there was some “news” to be spread – the king would send out a “preacher” or a “herald” to announce the news to the subjects in his realm.  This is essentially what evangelism is – announcing the news from the King of Kings.

     In the Greek New Testament this word “euangelizo” appears about fifty-five times, and is usually translated “preach the Gospel” or “preach the Good news”.  The Oxford dictionary of Current English defines “evangelize” like this: “to preach the gospel, to convert to Christianity” (298).

     The Old Testament was not written in Greek, but we do find in our English Bibles the same word “preach”.  Isaiah the prophet spoke these words from the mouth of the coming Messiah Himself “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek…” (Isaiah 61:1a).  The news that the Messiah was going to bring was good news – we also need to sound like we are announcing Good news, but being refreshing and cheerful when we are speaking of the Gospel.  Whatever we say in our evangelistic endeavors we need to portray it as good news.  The Old Testament also uses the word “preach” in Jonah 3:2 where the Lord told His prophet to go to Nineveh and “preach”.  His preaching was not unlike a modern day evangelistic Crusade – what a response – the whole city turned to God.  He must have had quite an anointing on him.

     Evangelism is clearly associated with “preaching” or “announcing” a good message to those who will hear it.  What is the Good news that should be announced?  That Jesus Christ, the Messiah Son of God, has come in the flesh to die that mankind would have a way to have their sins forgiven and a restored relationship with God.  That is good news!  That is the best news in the world!  I don’t know about you, but when I hear some good news I want to tell someone about that good news.  I heard a man of God bringing forth the Word of the Lord some years back and He was saying “so many people want to be apostles and prophets, and these other ministries BUT I want to hear good news in the earth and I am not hearing it”.   I am praying that by reading this blog you will be stirred up to go out and fulfill the desire of our Lord Jesus Christ and announce this good news to the people in your sphere of influence – and beyond to the nations of the earth.

This is an excerpt from a book I am currently writing – Please Post your Comments or Suggestions.

God Bless

Pastor Justin

Jesus Wants to Give You Hope!

I have seen so many people in the world who feel like they have no hope! They have lost their reason to carry on as things are. Maybe you are reading this today, and you feel like you are at your wit’s end, and don’t know what to do. Well let me tell you what God says about you! Jeremiah 29:11 “I know the thoughts I think towards you says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

God has hope for you through His Son Jesus. He wants to give you hope and he has a future for you. He has a plan for your life – a life of peace, and good things. He does not have a single evil thought or plan for you. The Devil, on the other hand, wants to destroy you – he wants to steal your peace and joy. He uses many methods to do it – drugs, alcohol, sex, money, and many forms of sin. Sin will destroy you and kill you.

The Bible says that every person is a sinner, and we all fall short of God’s glory and perfection (Romans 3:23). That means, me, you, the President, and every person you know…all are sinners. Sin is the bad things we do, and the breaking of God’s Laws (the Ten Commandments). We have all told a lie, or cheated, or stolen, or looked at someone with lust in our heart – these things are violations of the Law of God. The Bible says that the “wages” you have earned from your sin is death (Rom 6:23). This death is speaking of an eternal separation from God. This death is talking about an eternal abode of torment in flames – referred to as hell and the Lake of Fire (Rev 20:6).

God loves mankind, and does not want a single person to go to that place…

“God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

“The Lord….is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9)

Because of this great love for human beings, God sent His Divine Son, Jesus Christ to this earth to live as a man. He lived a sinless, perfect life, in complete obedience to His Father. He was treated wrongfully by those He came to save and He was crucified on a Roman cross – a most savage execution. God the Father placed the sins of mankind on His Son who died on that cross (2 Cor 5:21). He was paying the price for our sins to make a way for us to come to God. Jesus did not remain dead and in the grave, had He done so – sin, hell, death, and the devil would have won and we would all be left hopeless in the world. The Lord Jesus Christ was raised from the dead, and seen by more than 500 people alive after He had been dead – and some wrote firsthand accounts about what they saw – called the New Testament (Acts 1:3, 1 Cor 5:6).

If we would believe that He died, and rose again, and turn away from our sinful ways – we can be saved from the wages of sin (hell) and spend an eternity in the presence of the Lord (Rom 10:9-11). There is no more crying, or pain, or sorrow there (Rev 21:4).

Not only will we have an eternity in His presence, but because Jesus is still alive today He also wants to become the Lord of your life – and begin to show you what wonderful things He has for you here on earth.

To have this future and this hope we must come to Jesus, who is LIFE!! Won’t you give your future to Jesus, and let Him give you hope, life, and Peace? Is there anything stopping you from doing this right now?

If you would like to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior right now you must:

1. Admit you are a sinner, by saying “Lord, I am a sinner.”

2. Believe that Jesus, the Only Begotten Son of God, died for your sins and rose again on the third day.

3. Ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins. “Lord I am sorry for my sins, please forgive me.”

4. Be willing to turn from your sins. “Jesus will you help me turn from my sins?” He WILL!!

5. Ask Him to come into your heart and life. “Please come into my heart and be my Lord and Savior.”

If you just asked Him to come into your heart and be your Lord, and meant it from your heart – be encouraged and believe that He has done just as you have asked.

I John 1:9 – if we confess your sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

I john 5:12 – If we have Jesus (in our heart), we have everlasting life (heaven).

Once you have asked Christ to be your Lord and Savior it is important for you to continue to follow Him and learn about how He wants you to live your life, and maintain that peace and hope. You can begin doing this by reading God’s Word, the Bible, every day, and by obeying what you read. Begin to study it and apply it to your life. Find a good Bible believing, Christ centered church and attend it regularly, this will help you in your understanding and interpretation of the Bible. Begin talking to God, like you talk to a friend, this is called prayer, He hears your prayers and also wants to begin to speak to you in different ways.

If you have any questions, need help finding a church, or would like some resources to help you in your new found faith please do not hesitate to contact me – email me at jms22782@hotmail.com.

God Bless,

Pastor Justin

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit

     The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is a wonderful, blessed, and important experience that every believer can experience today.  The purpose of this blog is to explain the truths related to this glorious experience, and stir up a desire for each reader to be baptized in the Holy Ghost and Fire. We will describe what it is, will show from scripture that it comes with an initial sign or evidence, and also show from scripture that it is an experience for every believer today.

Jesus is the Baptizer in the Holy Spirit.
Jesus came not just to die for our sins but also to be the baptizer of the Holy Ghost. John the Baptist said “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire” (Matthew 3:11, Luke 3:16). Jesus did not baptize anyone in the Holy Ghost in His earthly ministry, but He told His disciples before He ascended into heaven “to wait in Jerusalem until they were endued with power from on high (Luke 24:49).” He also told them that they would be baptized in the Holy Ghost in not many days from now (Acts 1:5). You see, Jesus had told His Apostles that they needed to Go and preach the Gospel, and teach the nations (Matthew 28: 19,20, Mark 16:15), BUT He said “WAIT!!!” “You cannot go until you are empowered with the Holy Spirit.” “You need this power first, so I want you to wait in Jerusalem (Luke 24:49).” Jesus told them “But you shall receive power after the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and you shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and In Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Jesus was promising them the power that they needed to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth.

The Day of Pentecost (Acts 2).
After Jesus ascended into heaven, one hundred and twenty of the disciples waited in Jerusalem as He had commanded them.

And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. (2) And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. (3) And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. (4) And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance (Acts 2:1-4).

This experience so changed the lives of the Apostles that they all became flaming evangelists for Jesus. Peter, who just about fifty days earlier had denied Christ, was now able to stand and boldly preach to the multitudes.

What is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit?
The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is an experience subsequent to salvation whereby a believer is endued with power from on High. It is clearly a separate experience from Salvation. At salvation the Holy Spirit comes and dwells within a believer, but that is not the same as the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Scripture proves this to be so. In John 20:22 the Lord breathed upon His disciples and said “receive ye the Holy Ghost.” However, it was a short time after this experience that He told them that they would be “baptized in the Holy Ghost not many days hence” (Acts 1:5). If they had already received this experience He would not have told them this. Furthermore the Apostle Paul asked some believers “Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed” (Acts 19:2)? Surely, the Apostle Paul would not have asked this question if the two experiences happened simultaneously. The Holy Spirit comes and dwells within us at salvation, but something different happens when we are baptized with the Holy Ghost. The key is found in this word “baptism.” This word in Greek is used to describe a cloth that has been dipped in a dying solution, or a ship that has been sunk to the bottom of the ocean. It carries with it the thought of complete saturation of every fiber. When a person is baptized in the Holy Ghost, He does not just come and live inside them, but He saturates and fills up every fiber of their being. This truly is a wonderful glorious experience.

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is called “The Promise of the Father” (Luke 24:49, Acts 1:4, Acts 2:33).  This is a Gift that the Father promised to His Son Jesus: “For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring” (Isa 44:3).  This is a promise that the Father wants to give to the seed of Christ – that is all of us who are children of God through salvation.  Since it is a gift from the Father to us, it hurts the father when we refuse to receive this gift that He wants to give to us.  

What is the purpose of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit?
This experience is given for power (Luke 24:49): “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me…” (Acts 1:8). The word “power” in the Greek is the same word that we derive the English word “dynamite” from. This gives us a powerful description of this baptism. A person receives explosive firepower within them. This power makes a person bold to be a witness for Jesus Christ. This was the key to the New Testament evangelistic thrust that took the Gospel to the nations. Our day is no different; this experience is still a key to be a bold witness for the Gospel of Christ. Peter is our example, who only fifty days prior to the Day of Pentecost had denied Christ, but now was preaching boldly after he was baptized in the Holy Ghost. We also derive the English word “dynamo” from this same word. A dynamo is a power generator, or a source of power for electricity. This experience gives a believer strength and power to live a holy life for Jesus Christ. This same power, I know has been helpful in my own life to overcome certain sins, and addictions that I was involved in before I knew Christ. David Wilkerson, the founder of Teen Challenge testified of certain drug addicts, and alcoholics who were unable to get free from their addictions without the power that came from being baptized in the Holy Spirit. As a person prays in tongues they strengthen and build themselves up in their spirits giving them the strength to overcome (Jude 1:20, 1 Cor 14:4).

For Cleansing

The Baptism of the Holy Ghost AND FIRE is also given to be a cleansing agent in the life of a believer.  It is likened to a fire that burns up the chaff from the wheat (Matt 3:11, 12).  We all have “chaff” in our lives, and when we are filled with the Holy Ghost and Fire the Lord begins to purge unnecessary things out of our lives.  The baptism in fire can be a separate experience, but often they come together.  In my own life it was a separate experience, and after receiving the “fire” I became uncomfortable and the Lord really began to deal with issues in my heart.  It is a necessary experience in our lives if we desire to walk in holiness.  Though there is the “uncomfortable” aspect of this experience, it is also given to be a rest, refreshing and comfort for the believer.  This is prophesied of in Isaiah: “For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. To whom he said, this is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear” (Isa 28:11-12).  This verse also reveals to us a very important truth: that many would reject it.  We see this all over the world today; people are rejecting a gift and a rest that the Father wants to give them.  This really is a terrible thing.  We also see in this verse that the evidence of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is speaking in an unknown tongue.

The Baptism is the open Door into the supernatural realm of God and the spiritual gifts.
The Gifts of the Spirit are still in operation today, and we will see a greater magnitude of their operation as the Lord pours out His Spirit in this last day revival that is coming very soon. Miracles, healings, word of wisdom, word of knowledge, gift of faith, discerning of Spirits, tongues and interpretation of tongues, and prophecy. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is what opens up the door in the spirit of a believer to these gifts.

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is for believers today.
Peter declared on the Day of Pentecost “For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call” (Act 2:39). The gift was for the listeners on the Day of Pentecost, and their children. It is also for all that are afar off: those in distant lands, and those in distant times. “As many as the Lord our God shall call.” This means the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is for every believer in every generation. I have had the privilege of leading many believers from many different countries into this wonderful experience.  Therefore, I do, in fact know what I am talking about –  “A man with experiences is not at the mercy of a man with a theory” (Dr. Brian J. Bailey). This experience is available to all who call Jesus Christ their Lord (in truth).  Those without this experience are missing a wonderful aspect of being a Christian. The famed revivalist from Wales, Evan Roberts, once said “you don’t have to be baptized in the Holy Spirit to go to heaven, but you sure miss a lot along the way.”

How do we know if a person has been baptized in the holy Ghost?
We know that a person has been baptized in water because they are visibly wet when they come up out of the water; in the same way there is a specific sign or initial evidence when a person has been baptized in the Holy Spirit. We must use scripture as our basis.  As we examine the first time the Baptism of the Holy Spirit occurred, in scripture, it will give us keys to all subsequent baptisms.  The first Baptism in the Holy Spirit occurred on the Day of Pentecost.  Scripture records very clearly: “And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues” (Acts 2:4).  On this first occasion there was outward evidence that could be seen and heard (Acts 2:33): they were speaking in tongues!  Scripture records four other times where people were baptized or filled with the Holy Spirit for the first time.  Two of These scriptures clearly confirm to us that the initial evidence of being filled with the Holy Spirit is speaking in other tongues: “…because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues” (Acts 10:45-46).   “And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied” (Acts 19:2).  The other two of these references do not specifically say they spoke in other tongues however upon observation of Acts 8:18, 19 and Acts 9:17 you will see that they actually reinforce the truth. Shortly after Saul’s (Apostle Paul) conversion, Ananias came to Paul and laid his hands on him that he might “receive his sight and be filled with the Holy Ghost” (Acts 9:17,28).  Scripture does NOT record that he spoke in tongues here, however, we know that the Apostle Paul said he spoke in tongues (1 Cor 14:18).  Therefore with great assurance we can deduce that when Paul was baptized in the Holy Ghost he began to speak with other tongues.  Acts chapter eight records a revival in Samaria where many were saved, healed, delivered.  There came a time when Peter and John came and prayed for people to receive the Holy Spirit, and Simon a sorcerer was so amazed about what happened when Peter and John laid their hands on people that he was willing to pay money to receive this gift.  There was an obvious display of power that impressed this man, and this man was used to seeing supernatural things.  I think it is safe to say that he “heard” and “saw” these other men speak in tongues upon being filled with the Holy Spirit.  A person who has not spoken in tongues has NOT been baptized in the Holy Ghost.

How Do I receive the Baptism of the Holy Ghost?
Everyone’s experience can be different. People receive in many ways. Usually a person receives through the laying on of hands, but other times people can receive when they are alone. Some people have a very emotional experience, some don’t. Some people do not feel anything at all, some people feel something very powerful like electricity through their body, or they may even fall over; there can be any number of manifestations. Here are some basic requirements for being Baptized in the Holy Spirit:

1. Repentance – One must be born again.
2. Be obedient – Acts 5:32. Sometimes the step of obedience can be submitting to baptism in water (Acts 2:38). It can be a specific personal step of obedience.
3. Baptism in the Holy Ghost is a gift – relax and receive it. You cannot earn it or work it up. Acts 2:38 – repent and be baptized and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Luke 11:13 – He will not give you anything evil. He delights to give good gifts to his children.
4. Receive by faith – if you have unbelief in your heart you will not receive. Galatians 3:2 – receive by the hearing of faith.
5. Jesus is the baptizer – John 7:37. Luke 3:16. You are not coming to a church a preacher or a denomination. Jesus is the baptizer in the Holy Ghost.
6. Desire to receive. “If any man thirst…(John 7:37)” Many people are not filled because they have no desire to be filled. “Those who hunger and thirst will be filled…” (Matt 5:6).
7. Persistence – We need to ask – Luke 11:9-13. Sometimes God will not give it to a person the first time that they ask, because he wants them to have a real hunger for it, and a real desire for it.
8. Drink to receive….. You have to do something. You have to drink in the Spirit. You have to take the step and open your mouth and begin to speak by faith. There is the natural element that we have to do, and the supernatural that God does. If you keep your mouth closed you will not receive. Your part in receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit is by faith to open your mouth and speak out the new words the Holy Spirit will give to you – using your tongue, your lips, and your voice. On the day of Pentecost, “They began to speak…” (Acts 2:4). When Peter walked on water HE had to jump out of the boat. No miracle would have happened if he would not have stepped out. It is similar with the Baptism of the Spirit: you have to step out and open your mouth begin to speak sometimes it will start out with “stammering lips” or maybe just a few funny sounding syllables; speak them out and keep speaking them; God will give you more. It operates by faith.

The Ongoing experience
You must be continually filled with the Holy Spirit. There is the initial baptism, but throughout your Christian walk you must be refilled with the Spirit. You must continue to speak in tongues, on a daily basis. It is a prayer language that God has given you as a daily tool to keep you “charged” up. It builds up your spiritual man. Ephesians 5:18 “Be ye filled with the Spirit.” This is a continuous action. In the original Greek language there is a “verb tense” used that implies a continuous action – It could accurately read “be ye being filled continuously…”. “Speak to yourselves in psalms and hymns, and spiritual songs, singing making melody in your heart unto the Lord. Also Jude 1:20 says to “build yourself up praying in the Holy Ghost.” When you are filled with the Spirit the Lord gives you a new tongue that you can pray with. Pray in tongues every day to continually be filled with the Holy Spirit.

This is not meant to be an exhaustive study on the Baptism of the Holy Ghost, but I hope it has been enough to stir up the desire to be filled, and refilled with the Holy Spirit.  If you would like to receive this experience today use the following prayer as a guide to ask the Lord Jesus to Baptize you in the Holy Spirit.

A Simple Prayer to receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.
“Dear Lord Jesus, I thank you that you are my Savior and Lord. I believe that you are the baptizer in the Holy Spirit. I ask you now to baptize me in the Holy Spirit with the initial evidence of speaking in other tongues, that I might glorify You in a new language. Give me power to be a bold witness for You. I receive now by faith and I thank you Jesus.”

Now take a step of faith and open your mouth and begin to speak, but don’t speak in any language you know. Speak out by faith a new glorious language, it may sound funny, but don’t worry there are many languages that sound funny to the untrained ear.  Trust the Lord by faith – He only gives good gifts to His children, and will not give you anything evil of you are asking the Holy Spirit from Him (see Luke 11:9-13).

God Bless,

Pastor Justin 

God Has A Plan for your Life!

God Has A Plan for your Life!

No matter what the circumstances of your birth were, you are not an accident! Just like an architect draws up his plans before the building begins – God has planned your life before you were even born. The purpose of this lesson is to get you on the road to discovering what God’s purposes are for your life.
God says “I know the thoughts I think towards you …thoughts of good and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jer 29:11). God has a plan for your life, and it is a good one. It is a good future, one that is filled with hope, satisfaction, and expectation. Many people are unhappy and dissatisfied in life because they are not fulfilling the plan that God had intended for their life. God spoke to Jeremiah the Prophet and said “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.” (Jer 1:5) Isn’t that amazing? God had a call and a plan for his life before he was even conceived. This same statement is true for everyone. God had a specific design and purpose for your life before you were even in your mother’s womb. He knew who you were, what you would look like, and who you would become. He even knew that one day you would be reading this lesson about His plan for your life. That is because we serve the only true and Living God.
A lot of people ask “how do I know God’s plan and purpose for my life?” This is a great question, and I hope to help lead you in the direction where you will find the answer. Some parts of God’s plan are the same for all of us.

To Know God
We are all called to know God and have a relationship with Him. This is the first and most important purpose of our life. This begins when we accept Christ as our Lord and Saviour and repent of our sins, but it doesn’t end there. Our Christian life should be a life of constant discovery of more about God’s truth and getting to know Him in a more intimate and personal way. The Apostle Paul, knew God in a way that few men know Him, and yet even as a mature Saint he proclaimed “That I may know Him” (Philippians 3:10). His heart’s greatest desire was to know Christ in a deeper way than he had known Him before. Mankind was created for fellowship with God, and to bring Him pleasure (Rev 4:11), therefore we also find our greatest pleasure and satisfaction when we are fulfilling that part of His plan for our life.

We will come to know the Lord in a greater way as we read the Bible, attend church regularly, and spend time praying and waiting quietly before Him each day. The Lord will also walk with us through our day to day experiences in life; each experience whether joyful or difficult can bring an opportunity for us to know the Lord more deeply. Knowing God intimately will also be the key to discovering your very own unique and personal “calling” that God has for your life.

Calling
A “calling” is an invitation by God to enter His service, but it is also a “summons” or a mandatory service to our King. God has specifically planned for each person to “do” something for His Kingdom. Not every person is called to do the same thing, but everyone is called to do something – it is unique for each person. What are some examples of things that people are called to do? A person can be called to be a missionary and go to foreign countries to preach the Gospel or teach at a Bible School. Some people are called to be worship leaders in churches, or play a musical instrument. Some people are called to be teachers, doctors or politicians and be a witness to the people they work with. Other people are called of God to be farmers and raise food for their communities. There are many things that people could be called to, but I want to help you understand what God has called you to do.

How do I find out what God has called me to do?
The Bible says that if we ask He will answer, if we seek, we will find, if we knock the door will be opened unto us (Matt 7:7-8). Our part is to ask and keep asking God until He reveals to us what that calling is. The calling is not always 100% clear at the beginning, but God will give us some direction. For example: when I was a young boy I knew that I would be a preacher and a missionary, but I did not know if that meant I would be an Apostle or an Evangelist. However, as I got older and went to Bible School to prepare for the call of God He made things more clear to me. As we obey each step that He gives us the call becomes clearer. He can reveal it to us in many different ways, and He gives us some clues that help us discover our calling:

1. What do you have a desire to do? This may be a clue to your calling. God has “wired” you a certain way, because of the task that He wants you to fulfill (This can even include your personality, and the type of person God has made you).  
2. What do you have the ability to do? God will not ask you to do something that you are unable to do. For example: God will not call you to be a concert pianist if you have no musical ability whatsoever. He will equip you for the task, but we also have to do our part to prepare for it – such as study or training. 
3. What do you feel God is saying to you? God should put the call in your heart and He will express it to you somehow.
4. What is your pastor saying about your calling? God works through His designated authorities. It is important to have your pastor’s counsel and blessing.

There are people that God has called to be ministers and there are five specific ministry gifts that the Bible lists for us. These gifts are not something that can be earned, bought with money, or aspired too, BUT these are special gifts from God and only He can call someone to them (Heb 5:4). These gifts are called the Five-fold Ministry Gifts, and are listed in Eph 4:11-13 – “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; (12) For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: (13) Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.”  

These Gifts are given to specific individuals whom God has called to be leaders and ministers in His church.

An Apostle is a special messenger of God who starts new works (often from scratch) for God’s kingdom. He is usually empowered with miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit, and has a close unique relationship and revelation of Jesus Christ. An Apostle often times will begin his ministry feeling called to one of the other Five Gifts and as time progresses the Lord reveals an Apostolic Call.

A Prophet is a man who speaks the words’s of God. His word’s often provide direction and foretell future events in a person’s life or even for a nation or the whole earth. This is a very high office in the Kingdom of God and is NOT the same as someone who operates with the Gift of Prophecy.

The Evangelist is a soul winner. He carries a burden and a driving passion to see the unsaved find salvation in Christ. He also is used in the church to teach, equip, and stir up others to win souls. He often accomplishes these tasks through his preaching. The Lord often will give him supernatural gifts of healing and miracles to confirm His Word and convince people to receive Christ as their Lord and Savior.

A Pastor is a Shepherd, who cares for the people in his congregation like a shepherd of old would care for sheep. He prays for them, he protects them from evil, and counsels them. He feeds them the Word of God through teaching and preaching. He must have a real love for his people. This is not an office that someone takes just so he can earn a living, but it is a call of God.

A Teacher is a spiritual foundation builder. He builds a foundation in the life of those whom he teaches. He teaches his subjects the Word of God in an orderly fashion, beginning with the simplest basic truths and builds on each principle a little bit at a time till one reaches spiritual maturity. Sort of like the way a baby eats milk and soft food until he is old enough to eat meat (Hebrews 5:12-14).

How do I know if I am called to one of these Ministry Gifts?
That is another really great question. God will make this calling clear to us as we progress in our relationship with Him, but there are some clues that He gives us – similar to the ones listed above.

1. Has God given you a desire to be in the ministry?
2. Do you have the ability? Some things can be learned, but somethings are given to us by God. You may, in God’s time, have to go to Bible School and gain some abilities to prepare for this calling.
3. Does your pastor or other people recognize that you might have this gift? Sometimes this call may come through a Prophetic Word or insight that someone else has for you, but it is important to receive Godly counsel, and the blessing from your spiritual oversight.

Not everyone is called to the ministry, but everyone is called to do something for God’s kingdom.
Once a person has an idea of what God is calling them to do they have to prepare for that calling. Just because you are called to be an Apostle or a Prophet does not mean that you are ready to function in that ministry. There is a time of preparation in our life for that call. God does His part, but we have to do ours. For many of you that will mean going to University or Bible College and getting training to do what He is calling you to do. This is our part. There is another aspect of our preparation for the call of God that only God can do. He will take us through different circumstances in our life to help refine our character. These circumstances can be difficult at times, but are necessary to help us become just what God wants us to be, so that we can be successful in what HE wants for our life.

Character
The plan that God has for our life is threefold: To know God, to do something (our calling), and to be something (our character). Our character is who we are. God’s plan for your life is that you will become like Jesus Christ. “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren” (Rom 8:29). This does not mean that you lose your personality and your unique identity and become someone else entirely. No, God has made you who you are, but there are aspects of your life and personality that need to be changed, and over time God wants to do that and make you like Him. This will not happen overnight, and you should not feel condemned if you feel like you still have a long way to go, because we all do. Your character has many facets to it, and could not possibly be dealt with in an exhaustive manner here. Our part is to allow the Lord to take us through different circumstances in our life to work His character into us. As mentioned above, these qualities are worked into us through some difficult experiences. If we will hold on, and not give up during those times, the Lord will bring us into all He has purposed for our lives, and we will become more like Christ.

The following is a list of things that describe the character of the Lord Jesus Christ, and all of these things He eventually wants to be a description of our character – He is humble, not proud. He is good to everyone. He hates sin and does not indulge in sinful pleasures. He is not full of anger or hatred, but loves other people. He is full of joy and singing. He does not complain when things are difficult or hard. He does not criticize others. He stands up for what is right – He is not a coward. He is meek – He does not retaliate when others do or say things against Him that are wrong, or when He was misunderstood. He is strong not weak. He was willing to die for each one of us to make a way to His father. Jesus is perfect, and he wants to perfect each of us.

There are many more things that could be said about all of these subjects so – I recommend that you do some further reading or studying, and talk to your pastor about these topics too.
As we conclude this little blog, let us each begin asking God what His calling is for our life and ask Him what we need to do to prepare for that call, and let’s take steps toward preparing for the call that God has for our lives.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Justin

The Christian’s Attitude Towards Money and Giving

The subject of “Giving” can be a controversial one at times and there is a lot of confusion and imbalanced teaching about it. The goal of this lesson is to give you a balanced understanding of what God’s Word says about it. Matthew 6:19-21 says “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: (20) But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: (21) For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Firstly, let it be understood that as Christians our number one priority is the Kingdom of God, and we should be focusing on earning heavenly rewards NOT earthly ones. This is so important in today’s world – because many people, even Christians, would try to persuade you that God is interested in making you very wealthy, or having a nice car and having a great life NOW – some will even go so far as to imply that you are not living under the blessing of God if you are poor or are struggling to make ends meet. Others are anxiously spending all their time working so hard to have food to eat, and to have clothes to wear. They focus so much on the tangible things of life that they have no energy, time, or money to give to the Lord. This is not good! Our first focus needs to be on the Lord! “Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? 27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? 28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof” (Mat 6:25-34).
The Word of God is not saying that we should not CARE about eating and having clothes, but He is saying that we should not WORRY and stress out about these things. If we seek First the King of God, and HIS righteousness than He will look after the needs that we have.

The Foundation for Giving
Giving is not just having to do with your money or your substance, but also has other implications. In II Corinthians 8 the Apostle Paul was lauding the Macedonian churches for the way they had financially supported him during a time of great need (for him AND them). In the same exultation the Apostle Paul gives us the proper order of our giving. II Corinthians 8:5 “And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God.” This is God’s order in Giving.
1. Give yourself to the Lord.
These disciples of Paul firstly gave THEMSELVES unto God. This is the first step to giving. God does not receive your offering if you have not given yourself to Him. This certainly is speaking of a salvation, born-again experience, but it also goes above and beyond that. It could also be speaking about being wholehearted towards God, your devotion to Him, His ways, and towards His call, will, and purposes for your life. Many people think that their giving will excuse or cover up their sinful lifestyles. Many people like this will come to church, but are not really devoted to the Lord – they are hypocrites – and they are hoping that God will see how much money they have put into the offering plate and NOT see all the wicked things they are doing. We must have God’s order in our giving.

2. Give yourself to the Church or the Ministry God has put you under.
These Christians willfully put themselves under the authority of the Apostle Paul. He was their spiritual father, but today many people are rebelling against their fathers. Rebellion is a very big issue in our world today. The spirit of the world is rebellious, stubborn, and independent, demands equal rights, and has no respect for authority. This spirit is pervading our society, and is even in the church. I know of countless men who have risen up in rebellion against their Pastor, split the church, and went and began their own church in another place. This is the spirit of Satan – this is exactly what he did in heaven (Isa 14:11-14). God does not accept the offering of a person who is living in rebellion, or from a person who is always wandering from church to church, but never placing themselves under the authority of anyone. We need men and women of higher spiritual maturity and authority to speak into our lives, and even correct us when we are straying.

3. Give of your increase.
Now that we have dealt with the other two aspects of giving we can deal with the issues of money and our substance. The Lord gives us two different categories of giving our substance or our wealth:
A) The Tithe – The word “tithe” simply means ten percent. In the O.T. the Israelites were required to give ten percent of all their increase to the Levites and Priests. These tithes were used by the Levites and Priests for their support and that of their families. They depended on the tithes because the priesthood was their full-time “job”. The tithe was not only money, but it also consisted of fruits, vegetables, cattle, and many other things. In the New Testament we use the tithe as the “basis” for our giving, since the Father of our faith – Abraham – paid tithes, even before the enactment of the tithe into “law” (Gen 14:20). The tithe is something that every Christian needs to give, and it is recommended that it be given to the local church where they are attending. In our modern society, most people are paid “wages” in the local currency – so the tithe should be 10% of your “net wages”. It is best if you pay your tithe as soon as you can once you receive your wages – whether you receive them weekly, or monthly. In some countries they are still measuring their “profit” by grain, wheat, cows, or chickens – in that society it is acceptable to give those things to the church for the support of the ministry, but it may be more convenient for the ministry if one was to bring the monetary equivalency to the church instead.

Many people have all kinds of financial problems and other difficulties in their lives. When people talk to me about their problems – one of the first things I want to know is “are you tithing”? Are you giving your 10%? – Because the Bible gives us some pretty powerful statements about giving.

Mal 3:8-11 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. 9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. 10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. 11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts.

Firstly, the Lord, through His Prophet, tells us that we are actually stealing from Him by not paying our tithes – that is quite powerful! How could you possibly have God’s blessing on your life if you are stealing from Him? He says “you are cursed with a curse”! Now I have been in countries where there is a lot of witchcraft going on, and people will curse each other – but this is a curse – a form of witchcraft – that you bring on yourself – simply by not giving God His 10%. And people wonder why they never have enough money for the things that they need – they are living under a curse. Then the Lord encourages us to bring in our tithes and our offerings. The Lord says to “test me in this” – the Lord does not encourage us to test Him in very many cases – but He is challenging us here to Test Him in our tithes and offerings.

And what does the Lord say He will do for us if we give our tithe?
i. He says to them “see if I will open the windows of heavens for you, and pour out a blessing, that you won’t even be able to receive all of it”. Wow! that is quite a promise from the Lord. Opening the windows of heaven can speak of the rain that a person needs for their crops to grow, but it can also speak to us of many other blessings that the Lord wants to give to us as we walk in obedience. It speaks of an abundance of provision in our lives – such as food, finances, and other things. It can also speak of spiritual blessings – Such as – hearing the Lord speak to us; or having him Open up our understanding of His Word in a new way; or sensing His presence in our lives in a more pronounced way. No matter what the blessings are – the Lord wants us to test Him and see if we will not be the recipient of these blessings.
ii. He also says that he will “Rebuke the Devourer for your sakes”. Many people don’t really understand what this is saying. When we do not live according to the Lord’s ways, when we are disobedient, or when we don’t have God’s order of giving in its proper place – the Devourer (Satan) has a right to “eat up” and devour our substance. This is part of the curse that was spoken of. This is the reason why people are always in debt, and never have enough money for anything. I believe that poverty is often a curse on people because they do not give – and the only way out of that poverty is to give and tithe so the Lord can rebuke the Devourer. Some people make a lot of money, and yet they are still always complaining that they do not have enough. Now, certainly there is an aspect of wisdom in our spending decisions, and budgeting – BUT the principle thing here is that they are not tithing. Therefore, the Devourer has a right to siphon, steal, and destroy everything that they make.
Many people like to make excuses for not tithing. One of the major excuses that people use is that they don’t have enough money to tithe. I can understand this thought, because when the finances are very tight you often don’t think it is possible to “spare” 10%. However, the Lord wants us to trust Him with our money – if we will give our 10% to the Lord FIRST – you will find that the Lord always seems to have a way to make all the other ends meet together. The Apostle Paul tells us of a church in Macedonia that gave to His ministry even out of “deep poverty” (2 Cor. 8:2). You see not having enough money is not a good excuse to NOT tithe – remember now, that it is all God’s money. He is the one who has provided that financial provision for you in the first place. What we do with our money is very revealing of our character – it shows where our heart is, what we really love, and in whom (or what) we trust. By giving our tithe even when the money is tight we are telling God – “I trust in you Lord, I trust You with my money, and I trust that You will be my provider”.

I have seen these principles to be true in my life and I can personally testify that God’s ways are right! When I was not walking with the Lord I was in debt, and could not make enough money to pay all my bills on time. I was in financial shambles – the Devourer was literally devouring everything that I made, and I had a good paying job. When I began to give the Lord His 10% of my paychecks – I began to see Him do wonders and miracles – Not only in my finances, but also in many other areas of my life. Within two to three years I was completely debt free, and in Bible School preparing for the ministry. Since that time I have seen the Lord provide for everything that I have needed – even to the point that I am now living in Africa – relying solely upon the support of churches. Test the Lord in this area – just as I have done. He will honor His Word!
Let us be reminded that God is the owner of all the wealth and all the substance and minerals (gold, silver, precious stones) of the earth. He does not NEED our money, but He does demand that we give Him 10% of what He has entrusted to us. He allows us to use 90% of it – He is not asking for very much. The work of God and the spreading of the Gospel depend on people who will pay their portion. If every Christian would tithe like they should, there would not be any lack for the work of God in the nations – we would not have all the problems of financial shortages that are on the mission fields today.
B) Offerings. Offerings are different from the tithe. The tithe is a requirement for us as obedient Christians who walk in the steps of faithful Abraham, but an offering is voluntary, in one sense. In another sense we are required to give offerings, but the Lord does not specify how much and leaves it up to us to decide with our wisdom and as the Holy Spirit leads us –as to the amount of the gift. The Bible does tell us that when we come to the house of the Lord, to appear before Him, we should not come empty-handed (Deut 16:16). The amount of our offerings should be determined by our financial situation, and our zeal for the Lord. An offering is not only money, but can also be our time, our resources, our food, or any number of things. An offering is a Gift that goes above and beyond the tithe. This Gift could be given and designated to a specific need. The giver of the gift has control over where the offering is given, whereby a tithe cannot be directed by the giver. Perhaps there is someone who is poor and has a specific need – an offering would be something that you give to help meet that specific need. Perhaps there is a special fund for building the church building that is an appropriate time to give an offering.

The Promises of Multiplication
Because of man’s tendency to doubt and to make excuses the Lord put many promises in His Word concerning multiplication to the one who gives. The promises were given as encouragement to those who don’t have a lot to give…and money is tight – and they may be concerned that they don’t have enough. The Lord wants us to be encouraged that He will look after all of our needs, if we will be faithful to give to the Lord.
Luke 6:38 “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.”

The Lord is going to give back to us according to the measure that we have given – but it will be multiplied above and beyond. The Word of God re-emphasizes the point in 2 Cor 9:6 where the Apostle Paul writes

“But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully”.

He is likening our giving to the farmer who sows seeds. You always reap more than what you sow (one seed often results in a multitude of fruit and seeds) BUT you always reap in proportion to what you have planted. If you only plant a few seeds – you will only get a few trees. Even though there is multiplication you still will only reap in the proportion that you have sown. This is an encouragement to give as much as we can, but it was not meant to be a promise of abundant riches and great wealth. God gives and blesses the giver to encourage Him to keep giving out to the Lord’s work.
Our Motive for Giving!

Our motivation for giving should be – obedience, devotion to the Lord, and a desire to see the furtherance of His kingdom. It is a wrong motive to give if you are giving so that you will be rich. The majority of the people in this world who tithe and give are not abundantly wealthy. However, they always have what they need, and often above and beyond. It is a false teaching that God wants to make us overly rich with earthly goods – this may be true for some people, but it is not true for everyone. God is not a lottery system – or a “Get rich quick scheme” or a “pyramid scheme” – God is not interested in making you overly rich.

There is a wrong mentality in the world today of “give me give me”. Many people want a handout, and they want something for free, and this mentality often carries over into the church and in people’s attitude to giving to God. They give for the sole purpose that God is going to “Give Me” something greater in return. The Bible does say “The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it” (Prov 10:22). There are many great blessings in the Bible concerning wealth, blessings, and prosperity. These promises are always conditional. These blessings come on a life that is in total obedience and surrendered to the will of the Lord.

“This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” (Jos 1:8).

Often times these promises are fulfilled after times of leanness and severe testing. Don’t be discouraged if you are living in obedience and are not experiencing the abundant blessings – the fulfillment comes to those who endure and don’t give up! The point I want you to understand is that these great blessings from the Lord always have conditions. It is a wrong motive to give with the attitude that God “has to give you something much greater than you have given.”

The Bible tells us that it is a greater blessing for us to “give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). We want to allow the Lord to shape our thinking in this regard – we want to be givers, NOT receivers – and in the process the Lord will indeed give back to us and bless us – but this should NEVER be the motive for giving. God is interested in furthering His will on the earth, and furthering the work of His kingdom, His Great Commission. If we think that God exists to make our life comfortable and to make us wealthy than in reality what we are saying is that “I am God, and God is a tool for me to accomplish my plans”. Or we are saying that “Money is God and God is a tool for money to accomplish its plans.” You can see that these two statements are very wrong – in reality “God is God, and money and I exist and are tools for God to accomplish His plans”. I trust that you can see the difference.

The Bible says “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and [Money]”( Mat 6:24). Many Christians make the mistake of making money their goal and their god, and the sole reason for coming to church and giving is so that they can become rich, wealthy, and take care of their families. This is the wrong order – that person is worshipping the false-god of money.

The Lord loves conduits for His work – people whom He can use to cause His wealth to flow through. It is a good motive to give if you desire to further the work of His kingdom. The Lord knows that as he multiplies back to you, you will also continue to pour into His Work. He will bless those who have “Teflon coated” hands – and bypass those who have “sticky fingers” who are only interested in enriching themselves. This is the danger of an imbalanced prosperity message – it encourages men and women to be covetous, and to treat the Lord like a lottery system – “give so that I can get more”. If the Lord could trust us as channels of large sums of money – to pass through to His work – then He may use us in that way. However, many people would not be able to be used in that way, because they would want to keep the money for themselves. You see, not everyone is able to handle great wealth without being destroyed and corrupted by it. Therefore, it can be God’s mercy to keep someone from becoming overly wealthy or to have access to great amounts of money because of its power to destroy countless lives. Remember “Beware of Covetousness!” (Lk 12:15). “The Love of Money is the root of all evil!” (1 Tim 6:10).

Another good motive for our giving should be that we are storing up eternal rewards in heaven for what we give.

Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: (Mat 6:19-20).

Many people are focusing on building their houses here on earth, but we should be more concerned about our house in heaven. Every kind word and every gift with a pure motive is sending up “spiritual building materials” for our eternal home (Jn 14:2, 3). We want to get a vision for heaven and begin storing up those kinds of riches – not the silver and gold here on earth that can be stolen. Our eternal treasures are a sure, risk-free investment. Let’s make sure we are giving our tithes and our offerings for the right reasons!

Our Attitude in Giving

“Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver” (2Co 9:7).
Our attitude should be one of Joy and Cheerfulness – this is the attitude that pleases the Lord. We should not give out of compulsion, or because the preacher incessantly berated us to do so. We should not give out of guilt or shame – we should give out of a heart full of love for our Lord, for people, a desire to see His kingdom expanded, and with great joy. When you come to church determine in your heart what you are able to give and give it with a joyful heart. If you have already paid your tithe, and you don’t have a lot of money to feed your family – don’t let the preacher make you feel guilty about NOT giving enough with your offering. We also need to exercise some godly wisdom in our giving. The Lord may at some point ask you to give the last amount of cash in your pocket and trust Him for the needs of the family, but it doesn’t mean that you will always need to give your last cent. Many people fall into guilt and condemnation because of a covetous preacher who continues to ask for more money in the offering plate. Don’t be condemned by that – give your tithe, and then give your offerings according to what you have to give.

To end this lesson on giving, I want us to remember the little story of the woman with two mites:
And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much. 42 And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. 43 And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: 44 For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living. (Mar 12:41-44).
There was a man of God a number of years ago who had a vision of heaven. While he was walking down the streets and viewing the houses in heaven – he looked up and saw the largest most beautiful mansion in all of heaven. Wow! He thought, who does this house belong to? An angel answered him and said “this is the house of the woman who cast in her last two mites”. You see God often looks at things much differently than we do.  This woman was not rich or wealthy in THIS life – but in eternity she is very rich.  We want to be those people who give our tithes and offerings for the right reasons and begin the construction of our eternal house in heaven. Let us have this eternal vision in mind as we give and not focus on the temporary and tangible world that we are living in now.

God Bless!

Pastor Justin

Hello Blog world!

Greetings Blog World! This Blog is going to be dedicated to my musings, essays, writings, and random thoughts about the Lord Jesus Christ, Theology, and the Bible. I reserve the right to also say anything else that I please – within reason of course. I hope you enjoy, and please feel free to comment!