Dear Lord Jesus, here is my small and simple way of reaching out the world and preaching Your gospel. It's not effective without the leading of your Spirit. I have nothing to boast of but I'm willing to be used by You for the way of salvation that You led me, how You used a preacher of the gospel to bring light to my darkened understanding on Your Words. People from many places visited this website. Use it for Your purpose. (from 07-Aug-2013 to 31-Dec-2013)
0 Comments
Bishop David K. Bernard, Because of the Times 2012, www.ThePentecostals.org This preaching video was available in www.apostoliclive.com. The three things that God wants to know are as follows: 1. Where are you? (Genesis 3:9)2. What is this you have done? (Genesis 3:13)3. Where is your brother? (Genesis 4:9)Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not (2 Corinthians 4:1). From the filthiness of this world and from the power of sin, God saw us in His mercy, took us out and redeemed us through Christ our Lord. We are not worthy, nevertheless we become His chosen people, a group of royal priests. We are a holy nation, people who belong to God. He chose us to tell about the wonderful things He has done. He brought us out of the darkness of sin into his wonderful light (1 Peter 2:9). In the past, we were full of darkness, but now we are full of light in the Lord. So, let’s live like children who belong to the light. This light produces every kind of goodness, right living, and truth. Let’s try to learn what pleases the Lord (Ephesians 5:8-10). We are the light that shines for the world to see. We are like a city built on a hill that cannot be hidden. We don't hide a lamp under a bowl. We put it on a lampstand. Then the light shines for everyone in the house. In the same way, we should be a light for other people. Let’s live so that they will see the good things we do, giving glory to our Father in heaven (Matthew 5:14-16). Now, we have a ministry, the gospel which is the power of God to save. We give to people what we’ve received in God’s mercy. And though we sacrifice our life, our time, our effort, and our money, we cannot be equal and we cannot compare it to God. With this, we are not ashamed to be His witnesses; we are excited about serving Him! I mean that we should use every opportunity we have for doing good, because these are evil times. Let’s learn what the Lord wants us to do (Ephesians 5:16-17). Let’s do our best to be the kind of person God will accept, and let’s give ourselves to Him, being workers who have no reason to be ashamed of His work, as we apply the true teaching in the right way (2 Timothy 2:15). So I beg you, brothers and sisters, because of the great mercy God has shown us, let’s offer our lives as a living sacrifice to Him: an offering that is only for God and pleasing to Him. Considering what He has done, it is only right that we should worship him in this way (Romans 12:1). But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God (2 Corinthians 4:2). We will no longer be like babies. We will not be people who are always changing like a ship that the waves carry one way and then another. We will not be influenced by every new teaching we hear from people who are trying to deceive us, those who make clever plans and use every kind of trick to fool others into following the wrong way. No, we will speak the truth with love. We will grow to be like Christ in every way (Ephesians 4:14-15). There is more beyond Acts 2:38! There is more joy after repentance, baptism in the name of Jesus and infilling of the Holy Ghost! We devote ourselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs are being done, not by the apostles only because Jesus assured us that whoever believes in Him will do the same things He has done and we will do even greater things than He has done (Acts 2:42-43; John 14:12). What a wonderful promise, isn’t it? Weary days are gone! Idle times are over! God’s mercy saw us and we grow in faith. We’ve learned enough from the past. We cease to judge one another and to punish them that are already hurt. We’ve evaded committing sexual sins, or doing evil things, or selfishly wanting more and more. We stop fooling others with words that are not true. We don’t have anything to do with them (Ephesians 5:5-7). Church splits are already in history books; it’s over now and we move on. We’ve invaded ourselves through the power of His Spirit, making us a new man (2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 4:24; Colossians 3:10). We have a better reason to follow, namely, the reason of hope that is in us (1 Peter 3:15). But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost. In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them (2 Corinthians 4:3-4). A man has told me his story. Since the 1950’s in the Philippines, many denominations have explored the interior of the mountains of Mindoro to reach out for the mangyans. They have settled many headquarters for this purpose. Many non-government agencies have doubled their effort to preserve their culture and to protect their rights. Many politics joined in hand for their selfish motives of increasing their votes. The eyes of Mangyans were opened to a different gospel; they were awakened to live according to the lives of missionaries, to have faith in God according to their faith, to go to church as they were, to be baptized in their mode of baptism and in the names they used to believe. Very few have taught them the gospel that Peter preached in the Day of Pentecost, as written in Acts 2:38, even as Paul proclaimed in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 and Romans 5:1-5. The gospel has been hid and their minds blinded. The wailing of their souls awakened this man. How can the light of the glorious gospel of Christ shine upon them? So, God put a burning desire in this man to bring the mangyans in Mindoro to the true light of the gospel. It consumed his whole being, flowed in his veins, and occupied his mind and spirit. There was a gleaming light of hope that flashed through the crack on the thick wall of darkness when a missionary effort was brought out in the summer of 2000, after a year of birth pains. There was hope! There was joy! A glorious day to praise the Lord! Running up and down the gloomy and rugged mountain or crawling on the muddy ground was not a big deal when you witness the remission of sins and the infilling of the Holy Ghost; the angels also desire to look into these things (1 Peter 1:12); there is joy before the angels of God (Luke 15:10). But it was not long enough, until this man was succumbed into sickness. Another man succeeded him but only to find that the work would be continued by another group because of church split. Sadly, the church building was washed away by a flash flood. The successor continued the work of the Lord in a Visayan island. His assistant went abroad to work for a living. Since then, many other denominations claimed the right to reach out for the mangyans. Most of them enjoyed the cold flow of water from the water falls instead of having unspeakable joy in the Holy Ghost. Most of their feelings bloated because of prestige from commencing a missionary work, forgetting that they preached not themselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord (2 Corinthians 4:5), forgetting that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us (2 Corinthians 4:7). Another group of mangyans was reached in the summer of 2001. It was a ten-hour trek following a river from the lowland town to the mountains. One-time preaching on salvation was sufficient to touch their humble hearts. On the following day, twenty-eight mangyans with contrite spirit did not forbid themselves to be baptized in water in the precious name of Jesus. That was the first and the last time he saw them because his health didn’t allow him to continue. He heard that believers received the Holy Ghost and began to speak in new tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. The promise of God never failed to them that believed, even mangyans. A pastor succeeded him but it didn’t continue that long because he returned to the Lord. His assistant resorted to working for a living instead. Now, eleven years have passed and the man in this story has not received any more news. There are many things to be done. There are many souls to be reached in this big area. “There is such a big harvest of people to bring in. But there are only few workers to help harvest them” (Luke 10:2a). “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 preaching? And how shall they preach unless they are sent?” (Romans 10:14-15). “We all know that God owns the harvest. Let’s ask Him to send more workers to help bring in His harvest” (Luke 10:2b). Pastor Wayne Huntley, Impact Conference 2011
Ps. 85:6, "Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?" While evangelism is increasing, revival is decreasing. Revival and evangelism are not synonyms. They are two very different things.
And what I'm seeing is a whole lot to sinners and not much to saints. I'm seeing sinners excited and saints bored. The message of the hour is we need revival. We don't need the church to be left alone. We need somebody to stir our saints... to challenge our saints... to get a hold of this church and shake every confessing We're having much evangelism but we're not growing.
Evangelism is sinners coming to altart with tears streaming. Revival is a saint repenting and renewed in the Holy Ghost. I need my revival... I need to get my joy back... my prayer life back... my involvement back... my enthusiasm back.
The definition of true revival is God repairing and restoring the church, causing the church to recover. Isa. 6:4, "And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke." When the posts or the pillars of the church, when they moved at the voice, the smoke filled the house. There's something to be said about when we can get the church trustees to dance... the board to dance... the leadership to re-spark... when we get the gray hair to move. There is no retirement in the Apostolic worship. My challenge in the final moment of this meeting tonight is to make a plea to you seasoned saints. You are wonderful people. But your years of occupancy gives you no certification to just watch. And if the Holy Ghost could move you, I believe the Holy Ghost could fill this sanctuary. The church needs revival when: - The preacher preaches personal agenda rather than Jesus Christ. - The elders of the church sacrifice the salvation of souls for their traditions, which they call ministerial ethics. - The pastors become afraid for those that can kill the flesh than those that can kill the spirit. - The leaders of the church fail to use the discerning of spirits, such that the accusation against an elder is justified by two or three false witnesses. - The family members believe the pastor more than the spouse because of the former's authority in the church. - The leaders of the church cannot be questioned on the integrity of their speech and the truthfulness of their words. - The preachers cannot do what they preach. - The only means of continuing the ministry is financial stability. - The rule of thumb is based on financial stability, congregational security, and emotions. - The power of teaching a bible study to members is based on how he yelled at them. - The pulpit becomes a training ground for aspiring preachers, allowing a lot of mistakes to be delivered to the congregation. - The church's help is only denominational, meaning, the church can help its members only. - The pastor's decision is overshadowed by the decision of the board. - The church leaders are selected because of their status in life or professional qualification rather than spiritual maturity. - A church talks against another church. - The pastors quarrel more than the children of the world. - The wongdoings are not repented but justified as the will of God. - The proclaiming the work of God is mistreated as judging people. - The belivers become selective on the person who will declare the truth and on the denomination that should be followed and not based on word of God and the indwelling of the Spirit, such that they're dragged by people whom they select and whimmed by the denomination where they belong. Although one may declare the word of truth, their members would not believe unless the declaration comes from within their denomination. - The believers treat the backsliders so harshly, giving them no way to come back. Bro. Hendricks, 11 June 1995, Life Tabernacle Church
Matthew 7:13-14 Mat 7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Mat 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. 1Pe 4:18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? John 14:1-6 states the promise of mansions in the Father's house.
Anthony Mangun, Because of the Times 2012
The kingdom of God is only visible in the body of Christ. For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost (Rom.14:17). The beatitudes in Matthew 5 are the attributes of the people who have entered in the kingdom. It is doing what Christ would do. Preaching the gospel is not an option. There's no place for Apostolic spectators. If Jesus died for all men, then all men should hear the gospel. The church is not a museum, not a parade of talents, not a place for selfish ambition. The 4 How's (Rom. 10:14-15):
We Seek, He Saves!
by Jim Poitras The slowly revolving illuminated globe provides the backdrop as I sit at my desk, my mind restlessly spinning, and my spirit groping for direction from the Lord. I've been captivated today by one of the expressed purposes in the Word coming to earth, "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10). We serve a seeking Savior. Going back to the basics of our very existence is the reminder that our purpose in being here is exactly the same as His purpose in coming here. We are to seek the lost and train or disciple the found. No greater purpose. No higher calling. Robert K. Rodenbush had it right when he wrote, "Since it is not granted us to live long on this earth, it is logical to give our best and our most to something that will last eternally...reaching sinners and training saints." People from all walks of life boarded the Titanic in 1912. There were millionaires, celebrities, middle income earners, and even a few poor people. A few hours after the disaster, there were only two categories: lost and saved. It all comes down to that? lost or found. Much has been written in recent years about seeker-sensitive services. I suppose there is merit in that; designing services with the seeking sinner in mind. But, it goes much further than that. Seeker-sensitive churches ought to be churches that train and mobilize members to be seekers of sinners in our lost world. The soul-winner should be wise and sensitive. You find the lost only one way: by looking for them! We need to be seeker-sensitive Christians and ministers bringing sinners to Jesus and to the foot of the cross. Purpose-driven churches should be Gospel-driven churches. It is the Gospel that saves lives and redirects purposes. Acts 2:38 really works if you work Acts 2:38. The purpose-driven Christian is a Gospel-driven Christian. I love the promise expressed in "seek and to save that which WAS lost." It is interesting to use the past tense here. We call those things that are not as if they already are (Romans 4:17). Soul-winning and soul-seeking are acts of faith. We walk by faith (2 Corinthians 5:7). We witness by faith. God does the work as He chips away at stony hearts. We seek. He saves! This is a YouTube playlist. "Looking Beyond" The Vision Series By Rev. James G. Poitras A Ministry of Africa Aflame United Pentecostal Church International The "Vision Series" lessons have been taken from Acts: God's Training Manual For Today's Church (Levels A, C, and T) by Rev. James G. Poitras. Lesson One: What's in the Blank? Lesson Two: Where are you Going? Lesson Three: Dreaming Dreams, Seeing Visions Lesson Four: The Heavenly Vision The gospel often does not produce a positive response (1 Cor. 1:22, 23;2:14). On the other hand, satanic lied and deception can be quiet effective (Matthew 24:23-24; 2 Corinthians 4:3-4). Majority reaction is no test of validity (cf Matthew 7:13-14), and prosperity is no measure of truthfulness (cf Job 12:6). Page xiiiWorldliness is the sin of allowing one's appetites, ambitions, or conduct to be fashioned according to earthly values. Page xvii Paul commanded Timothy:
(2 Timothy 4:2) Paul commanded Timothy to preach the Word - faithfully, systematically, reprovingly, patiently - and let it confront the spirit of the age head-on. Page 27 Paul's emphasis was on commitment, not success. Page 28 External criteria such as affluence, numbers, money, or positive response have never been the biblical measure of success in ministry. Faithfulness, godliness, and spiritual commitment are the virtues God esteems. Paul was not telling Timothy how to be "successful", he was encouraging him to pursue the divine standard. Real success is doing the will of God regardless of the consequences. Page 29 The preacher's task is to proclaim Scripture and give the sense of it (cf Nehemiah 8:8). Page 30 The message required to proclaim is often offensive. Timothy evidently struggled with the temptation to be ashamed. Timothy apparently struggled with the impulses of youthful lust (1 Timothy 2:2). He may have felt he was not all he should be. So when Paul commanded him to preach, he was demanding that he go against his own inclinations and inhibitions. This is the Word to be preached: the whole counsel of God (cf Acts 20:27). Page 31 In other words, his goal as a preacher was not to entertain people with his rhetorical style, or to amuse them with cleverness, humor, novel insights, or sophisticated methodology - he simply preach Christ crucified. No one can preach with supernatural power who does not preach the Word. Page 32 Paul was speaking of an explosive eagerness, like that of Jeremiah, who said that the Word of God was a fire in his bones. Not reluctance but readiness. Not hesitation but fearlessness. Not cool talk but fire of the Word of God. Page 33 (2 Timothy 3:16) Reproof and correction are negative; teaching and training are positive. Page 34 Preachers deny or ignore the reality of hell. The modern gospel promises heaven apart from holiness. Page 36 It revealed the difference between true disciples and hangers-on: their hunger for the Word. Sober means self-controlled steady, attentive. It describes a state of mental alertness and control of one's faculties. Page 37 A preacher is not to be flaky, not to be trendy, not to be pursuer of whims. Ministers had better be rooted, steadfast, stable, rock-solid. We cannot compromise when the pressure is on. Excellent ministers cannot be those who yearn for earthly applause. Nether can they be lovers of earthly comfort. The life of ministry is not a life of leisure. Timothy needed to be willing to endure hardship; go though some suffering. Faithfulness and hardship go hand in hand. Page 38 Paul was encouraging Timothy to reach out beyond the comfort level of his own flock and boldly proclaim the Word to unbelievers. Page 39 Their sin was not they did not give everything. There was no divine requirement that they give everything. They had a perfect right to keep or give whatever they desired. They didn't even have to sell their property. It was all voluntary, as is all giving spoken of in the New Testament. The sin was their lie. Page 58 Salvation doesn't come from wanting to join the fun and end emotional pain - it comes when the heart cries out for deliverance from sin! Page 63 Proclaiming and explaining the Word for the maturing and holiness of believers should be the heart of every church's ministry. Pages 71-72 The church must realize that its mission has never been public relations or sales; we are called to live holy lives and declare God's raw truth - lovingly but uncompromisingly - to an unbelieving world. Page 72 Nothing in Scripture indicates that church leaders should be numerical in goals for the church growth. Page 73 If we minister for spiritual growth, numerical growth will be what God God chooses it to be. Page 74 The biblical thinker cares only about what the Bible mandates. Pages 79-80 I do believe that we can be innovative and creative in how we present the gospel, but we have to be careful to harmonize our methods with the profound spiritual truth we are trying to convey. It is too easy to trivialize the sacred message. And we must make the message, not the medium, the heart of what we want to convey to the audience. Page 85 It isn't the cleverness of our methods, the techniques of our ministry, or the wit of our sermons that puts power in our testimony. It is the obedience to a holy God and faithfulness to His righteous standard in our daily lives. Page 87 So winning people to Christ was his own objective. In order to do that, Paul was willing to give up all his rights and privileges, his position, his rank, his livelihood, his freedom - ultimately even his life. If it would further the spread of the gospel, Paul would claim no rights, make no demands, insist on no privileges. Page 92 He was careful not to violate their sensibilities. He adapted his behavior so as not to offend them. He yielded in love rather than offend a weaker brother. Page 101 As long as they used properly - that is, as long as they don't become a basis for speculation about God, right and wrong, good and evil, or the spiritual meaning of life - the true sciences pose no threat to the truth of the gspel. Page 110 The very reason people love sophisticated religion and highbrow morality is that those things appeal to the human ego. At the same time, worldly wisdom scoffs at the gospel precisely because it confronts human conceit. The gospel demands that people acknowledge their sin and spiritual impotence. It humiliates them, convicts them, and calls them sinners. Moreover, it offers salvation as a gracious work of God - not something people can accomplish on their own. In every way the cross crushes human pride. Page 111 All the philosophers, intellectuals, sociologists, anthropologists, psychologists, politicians, and other wise people put together have never found any solution to the problem of sin or brought humanity one step closer to God. In fact, our species is spiritually worse off today than ever before, with higher suicide rates, the threat of nuclear war, and epidemic levels of frustration, confusion, depression, and debauchery. Human wisdom in our age is as bankrupt as all the philosophers in ancient Corinth - maybe more so. Page 113 Human wisdom wants to devise a way of salvation where people get the credit. If they can't have the credit, they will settle for some of it. Page 116 If we try to win them with entertainment, or clever arguments, or scholastic credentials, or worldly wisdom, we will fail, and we will ultimately mislead the, Page 116-117 He was not interested in changing people's lives; he wanted God to change their lives. He did not have a message of his own to preach; he was called to proclaim the gospel. And that was what made his ministry so powerful. Page 117 It does not stop at the point of conversion and justification by faith, but embraces every other aspect of salvation, from sanctification to glorification. Page 122 For Paul, preaching the gospel was an act of spiritual worship. The Greek word translated "serve" is latreuo, the same word translated "worship" in Philippians 3:3. Page 123 (Romans 1:14) Paul was then obligated to other sinners to preach the gospel to them. All of us who have believed the gospel are under the same kind of obligation. First, Christ Himself commands us to preach the gospel (Mark 16:15). And second, we who know the way of eternal life are obligated to unbelievers in the same sense we would be responsible to warn someone whose house is on fire, or morally constrained to give water to someone dying of thirst. Page 125 (Romans 1:15) He was not only willing but also eager even determined to preach the gospel. Page 126 The gospel is the only message God uses for salvation Biblical preaching means preaching Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:5) - His person and work. Pages 129-130 The gospel is to be preached persuasively, earnestly, and clearly. Page 135 Paul was saddened, grieved, indignant, and outraged at the widespread idolatry he saw. Page 141 The threefold response of the day - contempt, curiosity, and conversion - is typical whenever the gospel is faithfully preached. He simply commanded them to preach the Word, in season and out of season - and to be prepared to face the world's hostility if they were faithful in that task. He was content - as we must be - to allow the power of the gospel to speak for itself. Pages 150-151 People are responsible for what they do with the gospel - or with whatever light they have (Romans 2:19-20). Page 156 J. I Packer wrote, "If we forget that it is God's prerogative to give results when the gospel is preached, we shall start to think that it is our responsibility to secure them. And if we forget that only God can give faith, we shall start to think that the making of converts depends, in the last analysis, not on God, but on us, and that the decisive factor is the way in which we evangelize. And this line of thought, consistently followed through, we lead us far astray." Page 157 Those who think they can remain idle and leave it to God to save the elect through some mystical means do not understand the Scriptures. Page 170 Our confidence in God's sovereignty will lead us in determining how we should preach. Page 171 We can do things to insure healthy growth. But we cannot engineer true growth. Page 173 We are content to focus on aggressive biblical ministry and leave it to the Lord to add to His church (Acts 2:47). Our task is to be faithful in what He has designed for us to do. Page 174 What are biblical goals? They include worship, fellowship, spiritual growth, and evangelism. Those would be primary goals. More specific goals - such as strengthening families, offering biblical counseling, providing childhood education, and similar purposes - must be seen in light of how they help accomplish the primary goals. Page 183 When we relate to others...
When we encourage the fainthearted... When we help the weak... When we visit a patient... When we pray for the sick... When we spread the gospel... Are we on the right target when dealing with other? The gospel must be ultimately shared, but taking the time to listen patiently and respond calmly is an essential part of the process. What does it take? Several things. Rare qualities. Like caring. Time. Unselfishness. Concentration. Holding the other person in high esteem. Sensitivity. Tolerance. Patience. Self-control. And - perhaps most of all - allowing room for silence while the other person is thinking and trying to get the words out. Wise is the listener who doesn't feel compelled to fill up the blank spaces with verbiage. Two ears. Two eyes. Only one mouth. (from"Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life" by Charles Swindoll) |
AuthorA sinner saved by grace Archives
April 2014
Categories
All
|