"True worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and
truth: for the Father is seeking such to worship Him."
John 4:23

Monthly Teaching

FEBRUARY 2010

The Lord continues to give me spiritual insight concerning the Christians in Haiti being able to go out to the streets to worship God after the terrible destruction there. I was shown Exodus 4.31 where the people of Israel held captive in Egypt finally believed that The Lord looked upon their affliction. Their response: They bowed their heads and worshipped. And then in 2 Samuel 12.19-20, David is told that his newborn child has died. His response: He came into the house of The Lord and worshipped. And then in Job 1.18-20, Job is informed by his servants that all of his sons and daughters have been killed in a storm. His response: He fell down upon the ground and worshipped. And then in Acts 16.22-26, Paul and Silas have been beaten and thrown into jail. Their response: They sang praises unto God. And then in Hebrews 11.21, Jacob, even while he was dying, worshipped. So you see what happened in Haiti should be any Christians natural reponse to disaster. Worship God. It is this simple to understand. When you worship God, He takes you to his Kingdom...which is not of this world. And you know He is right there with you. You can actually feel His presence. Glory to God forevermore!

JANUARY 2010

Melody and I had one of those wonderful moments with The Lord the night after the earthquake in Haiti. We were watching news coverage of the quake and it's aftermath on ABC-TV and they showed a group of Haitian Christians out on the street with their hands raised to heaven worshipping God. There was devastation and destruction all around them but they were still able to worship The Lord. They were singing in French and Melody picked up on what the song was. It's called "You are my all in all". Here are a couple of the verses: "You are my strength when I am weak, You are the treasure that I seek, You are my all in all. When I fall down You pick me up, when I am dry You fill my cup, You are my all in all". I'll tell you this. After we saw that, we realized we don't have any problems at all. Having gone through what they did and still being able to praise and worship The Lord speaks monuments to their faith. Yes Haiti is a dark country and there is a lot of voodoo and witchcraft there. But God also has His people in Haiti and they are shining out like a bright beacon light amidst all the suffering.

DECEMBER 2009

It is so amazing that another new year looms before us. 365 days. I'm not one for New Year's resolutions all that much. But I got to thinking about one the other day. A young man we had known a few years ago was recently released from prison where he had served a term for breaking and entering. He had been running with the wrong kind of guys...the kind who led him into a life of crime even though he should have known better. After his prison term he vowed to never let himself get into that kind of situation again, but it wasn't long before he was running with the wrong kind of friends again. And sure enough, he got caught, was convicted and is now sitting in a prison cell again as I write this. The word of God says in Proverbs 4.14-15 "Go not in the way of evil men". And so...a good new year's resolution would be to take a very close look at the friends you have surrounded yourself with. Are any of them causing you problems in your Christian walk? As the Bible says "from such turn away".

NOVEMBER 2009

Proverbs 15.26 says "The words of the pure are pleasant words". Isn't that exactly what we need in this frenzied world where everything has become so harsh? Even Christmas shopping which should be a pleasant experience has turned into something many of us dread. We heard about a black Friday sale at a Detroit store with a long line of people waiting outside even at 3am. Some men came along and tried to elbow their way into the line. Harsh words flew, a scuffle started and then a fist fight. The police had to be called. Proverbs 23.7 says "As he thinketh in his heart...so is he". Jesus taught that the words which come out of our mouths can defile us (See Matthew 15.11). What controls the words which come out of your mouth? Your old carnal nature or your new spiritual nature which comes from Jesus Christ? Please do not take this lightly! It is truly a life and death matter. Paul says "to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace". (Romans 8.6). Have a wonderful Christmas holiday and please speak pleasant words to all.

OCTOBER 2009

Melody and I have been concerned for some time now about disunity in the Church...the body of Christ. Did you realize how much disunity there was here on earth after Jesus started His ministry? After His miracles...they plot to kill Him. (John 11.43-47). Among His disciples there was one who betrayed Him. (Luke 22.47-48). After His mighty resurrection there was one disciple who doubted it even happened. (John 20.24-25). When Jesus returned to His hometown, they tried to kill Him. (Luke 4.28-30). The religious leaders of the day also tried to kill Him. (Matthew 26.3-4). So when did unity finally come to the Church? When The Holy Spirit came! Read Acts 2.1-4. They were filled with The Holy Spirit and Peter preached to thousands and the Church grew by leaps and bounds. For fear of making this too simple...may I just humbly say...the answer for Church unity is The Holy Spirit.

SEPTEMBER 2009

There's a great old church hymn that we don't hear very often these days called "Pass me not, O gentle Savior". Some of the lyrics go like this: "Pass me not O gentle Savior, Hear my humble cry, While on others Thou art calling, do not pass me by". It makes me think of the story in Luke 24 about Jesus on the road to Emmaus. He has risen from the dead after being in the tomb for 3 days but the men He meets on the road don't recognize Him. However, they are very saddened by the recent events in Jerusalem and it's all they can talk about. In verse 28, Jesus made as though He would have gone further...but the men ask Him to stay with them and in the breaking of bread they finally realize they are with Jesus. What a wonderful story this is. Look at Mark 6 where Jesus walks on the sea. In verse 48 it says He would have passed them by but His disciples cried out to Him and He got in the boat with them. Read the story in Luke 18 of the blind man being healed by Jesus. In verse 37 Jesus was passing by, but the blind man cried out to Him and recieved his sight. I cite these 3 Gospel stories simply to say this. We cannot have a passive relationship with Jesus. It won't work. He'll pass us by. Be agressive! Follow Jesus with all your strength. DO NOT let Him pass you by! Amen!

AUGUST 2009

In the Bible, there are several passages concerning a "Thief in the night". For example, in Matthew 24, Jesus talks about the owner of a house which had been broken into by a thief. And he said if the owner had known the hour the thief was coming...he would have watched. In Revelation 3, Jesus makes it even clearer. He says "If therefore, thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee." Why does Jesus use the thief as a simile for Himself? There are some interesting answers! #1 - An experienced thief cases out his target far in advance of the hit. #2 - A thief lurking in the shadows will let you walk right by him. #3 - A thief doesn't mind waiiting for those in the house to be fast asleep. #4 - A thief doesn't warn you of his coming. He just appears. #5 - A thief does his business quickly, quietly and disappears. And that, my friends, is exactly the way The Lord Jesus Christ will be coming for his bride, the church. There are signs everywhere in the world that this is indeed the hour of His soon return. Are you watching for Him? If not, you will probably miss Him.

JULY 2009

There is a teaching going around in church circles that if you want to rebuke satan and his demons you should use the Old Testament phrase "The Lord rebuke you" rather than rebuking them yourself. Although this sounds good and, indeed, there is nothing wrong with it, something is seriously missing. The Lord has given each of us, as believers, the authority to rebuke the enemies ourselves. Listen to what Jesus told his disciples as recorded in Luke 9, verse 1. "Then He called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils and to cure diseases. Who gives us this authority? Jesus! So when using it you had better use it in His Name. Something else about this verse strikes me. The twelve He gave His power and authority to had all spent time with him. If you want to have His power and authority you had better have spent some serious (prayer) time with Him too! Now go down to Luke 10, verse 17 where the 70 disciples came back to report to Jesus with joy that even the devils are subject to us through thy name. Jesus says in verse 20 "Rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you, but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven". Amen!

JUNE 2009

When you get a group of Christians together these days it seems that sooner or later the discussion turns to the spiritual and moral freefall our country is in. I've lived a long time in America and I am saddened to see what is happening but I have to ask myself a serious question. Is America really my home? The truth is that it isn't. I am a citizen of heaven! "For our citizenship is in heaven; from whence we also look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ" (Philippians 3:20). So if I am a citizen of heaven and I am living in America....what does that make me? An Ambassador! "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" (2 Corinthians 5:20). America needs to be reconciled to God! The great commission which Jesus has given to each of us is to "Go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15). Maybe you don't live in America. Whatever country you live in needs to discover the Savior...the Lord Jesus Christ. We have much work to do no matter where we live don't we? Jesus knew He had a lot of work to do here on earth and He knew the time was short. He said "I must work the works of Him that sent me, while it is day; the night cometh, when no man can work" (John 9:4). My friends, the time is short. The signs of the Lord's soon return are all around us. It is becoming very dark in America and so many other countries. Night is approaching. Whatever you can do for The Lord....do it now.

MAY 2009

There is a church on the Mount of Olives just outside Jerusalem called the Dominus Flavit which is latin for "Our Lord Wept". The church is built on the spot where Jesus wept over Jersusalem as recorded in the Gospel of Luke...chapter 19 verse 41. When you read the Bible, you see a lot of people crying and indeed many Christians will tell you that after giving their lives to The Lord Jesus...they find that they cry much more often about the condition of the world and individuals. One of the passages I love the most about tears is in John chapter 20. Jesus has been crucified and laid in the tomb. Mary is standing outside the sepulchre weeping. First an angel shows up and then Jesus Himself appears to her and says "Woman, why weepest thou?" I believe her tears brought Jesus to her. Jesus sees our tears. Hebrews 5.7 says Jesus Himself offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears to His heavenly Father as He was about to go to the cross for you and me. God remembers our tears. He even puts them in a bottle (Psalm 56.8). That is why the Dominus Flavit church is ringed inside with bottles. They represent the tears that God has saved from our lives here on earth. Rejoice Dear Friend! The day is quickly approaching when God will wipe away all tears once we're in heaven! (Revelation 21.4).

APRIL 2009

There was a news story a few days ago about terrorists plotting to shut down America's power grid system via computer. What can be done to prevent such a thing I do not know. But I have a prophetic hunch that it may very well come to pass. I do not believe The Lord is pleased with all of the ways we have invented to put things of this world in a place that is more important to us than He is. And, of course, most of these ways require electricity. Think about it. Are you more addicted to TV than God? How about movies? Computers? Video games? Music? Hobbies? DIY projects? E-Bay? Collecting things? Making lots of money? Pets? Gardening? Not all of these pursuits require electricity...but most of them do. What would happen if we lost power for days or weeks or even months? It might just be a very good thing spiritually! It might (If we let it) focus our attention on the Creator of the universe who wants to have a personal relationship with each of us. However, in order to accomplish that, we must put Jesus first in our lives. Frankly, nothing else matters all that much. But if we can get our priorities straightened out, The Lord will let us enjoy other pursuits too. So I beg of you...make Jesus #1 in your life. And if the lights go out...thats OK because Jesus is the true light of the world. (John 8.12).

MARCH 2009

With the economy tanking the way it is...I often hear people asking how a loving God could allow so many people to be so miserable at one time. And let's face it. Many have lost their jobs and even lost their homes. Retirement accounts and investments have been wiped out. Many of us are really miserable and yet there is a passage in the Bible...which if followed...would have prevented all of this. I urge you to read in Leviticus 25 in the Old Testament about the "Year of Jubilee". Briefly, God commanded His chosen people, the Isrealites, to forgive all debt every 50th year and call a year of Jubilee in which no one would work. God knows more about the economy than any of us. The best I've been able to figure out is that it has up and down cycles. But I am not smart enough to know when the cycle is about to change. Think about it though. If you knew the year of Jubilee was approaching...you would make no more loans...because at that point everyones' debt would be forgiven by law. What loans that were made, were made during the 49 year period and paid off before the 50th year. But we do things man's way...not God's way....so we are now paying a heavy price. Even so, God looks upon us with mercy..and this too shall pass. However, it could have been so much easier had we done it God's way!

FEBRUARY 2009

The Lord showed me something about Himself a few days ago...which I am sure will be the basis of an upcoming radio program. It was the way he spoke parables in an agricultural way. Think about the parable of the sower, the wheat and tares, the mustard seed, the lost sheep, the fig tree, the corn of wheat, the vine and even water and salt. You might say Jesus is the great agriculturalist! But how would He know so much about farming when He was the carpenter's son in Nazareth? Did He really have that much free time to go out and study crops and livestock? I doubt it. So again...how could He have known so much about it? Becuase Jesus had a hand in creating the world we live in including all the plants and all the animals. Here's what John 1.3 says: "All things were made by Him and without Him was not anything made that was made". Or how about Colossians 1.16: "For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visable and invisable, whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him". Remember in John 21 how He told His disciples where to cast the net for fish? They had been fishing all night to no avail but when Jesus came on the scene, they could hardly contain the huge catch. I wonder sometimes if we really know Jesus as well as we should. Lord, keep showing us more about yourself! Amen!

JANUARY 2009

'The county I live in now has an unemployment rate of 10.5% and it continues to go up. The mayor of my city recently said "There are no jobs here". I looked at the newspaper job listings today and there were 3 openings listed. One was in healthcare and the other two were for over-the-road truck drivers. I walked into a mid-day Bible study at our church a few days ago and one of the men who used to come was gone. He had found a job...despite all the difficulties I just pointed out. My only point in mentioning all this is that God is still in control of your situation...no matter how bleak things may appear. My prayer for you during these difficult times is that you prosper. Paul put it this way in 3 John 1.2 "Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth". In the orignal Greek the word prosper literally means to have a good journey.This is really the time for the church....the body of Christ's believers....to shine. We are supposed to be helping others....especially praying for their needs. When we do, good things happen. All praise be to Jesus now and forever. Amen!

DECEMBER 2008

I've been feeling lately that I need to shout from the housetops that this is the CHRISTMAS season. Do this little survey with me and you'll see what I mean. Start going over every advertising flyer that comes into your home. Notice the trees, ornaments, garlands of evergreen, lighted candles and the predominent colors of red and green they use to help sell the items they are pushing. Now notice the copy. It is no longer Merry Christmas but has become Happy Holidays. This is supposed to be non-offensive to the consumer. Can our major retailers (who certainly cannot afford to offend any shoppers during this time of recession) be so blind to think that we will not notice what is missing in their advertising? Sadly, yes. Our nation is slipping further and further from our Christian roots. Grandma and Grandpa would be amazed to see our nation today. They would say we are now in a post-Christian society. I am not ashamed that I celebrate the birth of my Savior at this time of the year. It's not just a holiday for me...it is Christmas! And by the way, the word holiday comes from Holy Day...which Christmas certainly is. Study your advertising circulars and let your favorite retailers know what you think about the way they advertise during the Christmas season. If you don't tell them, who will? Which brings me to my rubber stamp. Years ago we bought a rubber stamp for our Christmas card envelopes which says "Jesus is the reason for the season". I'll be banging away with those stamps again this year...harder than ever. In fact, I am going to put it on the outside of every envelope that leaves this house til the end of the year. Maybe I can't shout it from the housetops...but at least I can say it on my envelopes!

NOVEMBER 2008

November is upon us already...the month of Thanksgiving. You may say "I have nothing to be thankful for this year...indeed I have lost much because of all the financial turmoil going on". Then that is an especially important reason in itself to give thanks to God. We are commanded in 1 Thessalonians 5.18 "in everything to give thanks". It shows that we are not bound to the things of this world...and this world's false values. Again in Colossians 3.15 we are commanded to be thankful. Do you have a request for God? "In everything by prayer, and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God". (Philippians 4.6). I've often said that it really makes no difference at all whether I live in a cardboard shack out in the woods or in a palatial mansion on a beautiful estate. All of that means very little because if I have Jesus...I have everything. What happens in this world should move me very little. What happens in the Kingdonm of God should move me greatly. Be thankful and let the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

OCTOBER 2008

I am more convinced than ever that the few years (See Psalm 90 verse 10) The Lord has given us here on earth are for our enrollment in the school of The Holy Spirit. We have been put on earth, not only to find Jesus as our Lord and Savior but to learn what we need to learn from The Holy Spirit. For example: What should we be learning from the present financial crisis our country and indeed the entire world is going through? It is simply this: If you put your faith in things...you are going to be hurt. If you put your faith in institutions...you are going to be hurt. If you put your faith in people...you are going to be hurt. This is a great object lesson on why we must place our unwavering faith in Jesus...The one and only Son of God. Jesus said Himself (See John 14 verses 15-18) that He would send us another comforter. The Greek word for comforter is Parakletos...which means one called alongside to help. Yes, we will go though times of trouble and tribulation in this world but Jesus has sent The Holy Spirit to come alongside us. That's why you see Christians who have peace in the midst of this financial storm...even though they may have lost much. They have The Holy Spirit. What a comfort!

SEPTEMBER 2008

I have found that a very useful exercise is to Google the words Collapse of the Roman Empire. You will find that there is a ton of information about why this culture collapsed. And as you look it over, ask yourself if the United States is following in the very footsteps of the Roman Empire and how far down the road we are? But I believe there is always hope and I do believe that God has not given up on us yet. There is no doubt that a shaking has been going on in our country for several years. This shaking has involved the Church, our elected leaders, Corporate America and now our financial institutions. Personally, I am glad this is happening. It shows that God is shaking everything that can be shaken. He wants us to see where the corruption is and he wants us to root it out. So Pray, Pray, Pray for our country.Second Chronicles 7:14 says "If my people, which are called by My Name, shall humble themselves and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from Heaven , and will forgive their sin, and heal their land". Amen!

AUGUST 2008

A few weeks ago we had to call for a satellite repairman because our programs were cutting in and out and quite often the TV screen would just go blank. The repairman finally discovered that a cable connector up in the attic was sometimes shorting out. If you've ever looked closely at a 72 ohm cable, you've noticed that the main wire is surrounded by plastic insulation and around that is wrapped another wire which is made up as a circular strand. At the point of the connector, a couple of very fine wires from the strand, known as "pigtails" were shorting out against the main wire. As I was thinking about all of this...The Lord gave me a message. The satellite up in the sky represents heaven. And it sends out a signal. The signal is The Lord's message to me. The dish, up on the side of our house, is used as a reflector to "grab" the signal. It stands for my spiritual receptors (spiritual eyes, ears, etc.). The LNB, that funny looking thing sitting right across from the dish is a low noise amplifier. The LNB represents my spirit which should be amplifiing what The Holy Spirit is saying to me. Then the cable goes to the reciever with this signal/message. My soul is my reciever. The repairman said the cable shorted out between the LNB and the reciever due to the pigtails. The short stands for sin. It will short you out on hearing The Lord. The pigtails represents the carnal. The carnal world always leads us to sin.

JULY 2008

OK. I am going to assume that there some Christians reading this who have been born again recently. A fair question for you to ask is....what now? You've already given your heart to The Lord Jesus and you've told Him you will do your very best to follow Him the rest of your life. You have taken the first step of faith. What now? Taking your next steps along the narrow way. Read Matthew 7 verses 13, 14 and 15 carefully. Jesus says most people, yes even many who think they are Christians are stepping along the broad way...the path to destruction. But Jesus tells us to take our steps along the narrow way...the way which leads to life. Thats it. I wouldn't dare give you a set of rules to follow although this is exactly what many churches do. Christianity is not a set of rules and regulations. Christianity is about knowing, serving and following The Lord...and as you do that...you'll find yourself on the narrow way. That is to say, you won't find a lot of other folks on that path with you. Along the narrow way, you will see some signposts which will help you ascertain that you are still on the right path. Here's one of them. Have you denied yourself something to follow Jesus? (Mark 8.34 and 35). Here's another one. There will be some who hate you for what you are doing. (Matthew 10.22). Have a great walk! I hope to see you in heaven someday at the end of the narrow way.

JUNE 2008

In his letter to the Ephesians, the Apostle Paul speaks of redeeming the time (Eph 5.16). None of us knows how much time The Lord has given each of us here on planet earth. Adam lived 930 years. Noah made it to 950. But as for us, the Bible says our days will be threescore plus ten (70) or possibly fourscore (80). See Psalms 90.10. In the parable of the rich fool (Luke 12) Jesus tells the story of a rich man who was figuring out in his mind how to be able to store even more wealth than he currently had. And God said to this man "Thou fool; this night thy soul shall be required of thee". The world has many attractions and sad to say most of us are quite attracted to it. To say it another way...thats where our treasures are. But the truth is that you and I don't know how many more days we even have left to enjoy worldy treasures. There is no guarantee....no, not even for a Christian. Just think of all those people who were killed in the twin towers on 9-11. So how do we correctly redeem the time we are given in God's eyes? I think much of the answer is just one verse away in Ephesians 5.17 where Paul talks about understanding what the will of The Lord is. To me, being a Christian can be summed up in three short sentences. Knowing The Lord Jesus. Understanding His will for my life. And following Him all the days of my life. Amen!

MAY 2008

There is a curious verse in Isaiah 50. It is verse 11. "Behold, all ye that kindle a fire that compass yourselves about with sparks: walk in the light of your fire, and in the sparks that ye have kindled. This shall ye have of mine hand; ye shall lie down in sorrow." I think The Lord is telling Isaiah that when we get these great ideas (sparks) out of our own minds (light) that we aren't much use to Him which will someday be a great sorrow to us. Here's what Paul says in Romans 8. "For to be carnally minded is death." And he adds..."So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God." I once heard a preacher say we are each 18 inches away from disaster. That's how far your head is from your heart. Let me put it another way. You can't be a Christian by following your mind. You can only be a Christian by following Jesus.That is why it is so very difficult for some people to come to Jesus. They have made up their minds that they want nothing to do with Him. And that, dear friend, is the greatest sorrow!

APRIL 2008

If you lived in the British Isles in the 1960s and listened to the BBC, you probably remember the program 'Blind Spot." Each week this drama documented how the Scotland Yard brought a criminal to justice and the Yard was always able to solve the crime due to some oversight by the criminal. He may have thought he had achieved the perfect crime but there was some small detail he had missed that tripped him up. It was his blind spot. Did you know that we all have blind spots? Examine some of the people in the Bible...even the disicples of Jesus. They all had blind spots. Thomas doubted that Jesus had risen from the dead. Peter was offended and denied Jesus three times. Judas sold Jesus out for 30 pieces of silver. But in some of the most telling verses of all, look at what Jesus had to say about the Pharisees (church leaders) of his day in Matthew 23. He said to them "Ye blind Guides" and "Ye fools and blind" and "Thou blind Phasisee." They led the people astray because they had impure hearts and Jesus was very angry because of it. So what are we to do about our blind spots? James 5.16 says "Confess your faults one to another and pray for one another that ye may be healed." Blind spots are usually sin. Ask someone you trust if they see any blind spots in you and don't be surprized that you have some. Remember that Jesus was the only sinless person who walked the face of this planet. He has no blind spots!

MARCH 2008

The following is a true story. On the 7th of this month, Friday morning, I was driving to Memorial Hospital in South Bend, Indiana...about 75 miles from our house. Melody was to be operated on that afternoon by a team of surgeons. It was a high risk procedure and I was not sure if The Lord would be taking her home to be with Him forever in heaven or if He would give her some more years of ministry with me. In our prayers leading up to this event, Melody and I both told The Lord that, "Though He slay me, I will trust in Him" (Job 13.15). This is not an easy prayer to pray! And so while driving to the hospital I was experiencing serious anxiety about Melody's situation. I was tensed up so tightly, I could hardly breathe. Then about 9:15 I remembered that our Worship program should be playing on WRNL in Ligonier. I punched it up on the car radio and immediately Hugh and Melody were preaching directly to me and I knew it. The program was called "The hidden Treasure" and was recorded about a year ago. We were discussing Phillipians 4.17 and 19 about how we as Christians have a heavenly account which can be drawn on in times of need. Then Melody came on and told the story of how Evangelist Oral Roberts once had heart pain in his chest and on the way to the hospital ER, he and his wife Evelyn asked for a withdrawal from their heavenly account. In the hospital, the doctors could actually see a blood clot in one of his heart arteries dissolve before their eyes. And Melody said, a withdrawal from your heavenly bank account does not always have to be for money. It can be for healing. At this point I didn't know if I could keep the car on the road! But it gets better. The Lord then spoke to me and said "Do not despair. I am in complete control of this situation". All of the tension immediately drained out of me and I knew that all would be well. After I got to the hospital and told her what happened, I was reading to her a print out of an e-mail message from HB London of Focus on the Family which I had recieved the night before. I thought the message was great and wanted Melody to hear it. It was about divine encouragement. I had forgotten the exact words he had used until I started reading it to her. Here is the part that made my hair stand on end. "Please do not DESPAIR.....do not let your SITUATION diminish God's ability to bring a good result". Those two words were part of what God had just spoken to me. It was a confirmation. And yes, of course, Melody came though the operation just fine. I am so in awe of God when He chooses to speak in His unusual ways to those of us still working in His vineyard down here on earth. .

FEBRUARY 2008

I love the story in Matthew 4 which tells about Jesus calling His disciples, most of whom were fishermen. He said to them, "Follow me and I will make you fishers of men". The Bible says "Straightway they left their nets and followed Him". Do you realize this is exactly what the Christian life is about? Following Him may be physical. That is, He may call you to go somewhere to do something specific for Him. But it also means following what He tells you to do in your everyday life. And when he tells you to do something, you must obey immediately (straightway). You can only do that when you have determined that you are going to lay down your life for Him...the one who laid His life down for you by going to the cross and shedding His blood for the remission of your sins. And when you obey Him in this way, it means your "old man" has been crucified (Romans 6.6-8) and that you are a new creature (2 Corinthians 5.17) because Christ lives in you (Galations 2.20). And then someday Christ will return to earth riding a white horse and you will be following Him with all the Saints (Revelation 19.11-14). What a wonderful future you have throughout all eternity if you will only follow Him! Follow Him. Two of the easiest words in the English language to understand and yet how difficult it can be to do it. Yes, you must make a decision. Make it now. Who will you follow the rest of your life?

JANUARY 2008

I was recently re-reading Maria Woodworth Etter's diary of signs and wonders from the time when she was a traveling evangelist at the turn of the century. In one of her messages she used the phrase "Day of Preparation" but never mentioned it again. As I read those words...The Lord gave me some insight about them. Actually, you cannot find that phrase in the Bible. But even so, it is certainly a strong Biblical theme. I found it in Noah's building of the ark. In fact Hebrews 11.7 says he prepared the ark. And first Peter 3.20 says God waited while the ark was a-preparing. Maria Woodworth Etter believed the church was in a time of preparing even in the early 1900's. She knew we were in the last days. How much more so now! Listen to what Jesus said as recorded in Matthew 24.37. "As the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be". The return of Jesus for his bride...the church...is very close. Indeed this is the day of preparation. Are you prepared? Look at the parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25.10. The virgins who were not ready for the return of the bridegroom were gone when He came. But they that were ready (prepared) went in with Him to the marriage and the door was shut. The wise virgins gave their all to the bridegroom....they laid their very lives down for Him. Have you done that? If so, you are prepared for the return of Jesus for His church (You and I are the church....its not a building or structure). If not, give your life to Him now in total surrender and confess your sins to Him and you will be prepared. The time is short.

DECEMBER 2007

Christmas is the time of the year when that word "incarnation" comes up. Look what it says in John 1.14: "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." In the beginning Jesus was the word as it says in verse 1. But wonder of wonders, 2,000 years ago He came to us in the flesh, born of the virgin Mary in a stable in Bethlehem. Thats what the word incarnation means. Jesus is the son of God but now he also becomes the son of man. Just how important is this? Before the incarnation, no person could see God and live (See Exodus 33.20). After the incarnation, God came to us in the person of Jesus (See Matthew 1.23). This is why the virgin birth is such an important truth. Jesus was born to Mary (flesh) by the Holy Spirit (spirit). And because of that, Jesus can now live in our hearts. Note that in Matthew's story the angel of The Lord said they shall call His name Emmanuel which means God with us. So to me Christmas means that Jesus lives in my heart. He is literally that close to me. Hallelujah! Ask Jesus right now to come into your heart and forgive your sins. Surrender your life to Him and promise to follow Him. And this, I promise you, will be the best Christmas you have ever had!

NOVEMBER 2007

It's November, the snow flurries have arrived and I am thinking about Thanksgiving. Actually, I'm thinking about that first pilgrim Thanksgiving. The pilgrims were actually called "separatists" in England because they had left the Church due to all the corruption. They set sail across the Atlantic and halfway across ran into a fierce storm that cracked the ship's beam. They managed to get it back up with a huge screw and barely made it to Cape Cod on November 19, 1620. But that winter, sickness took the lives of more than half of the pilgrims, leaving only 51 survivors and 3 married couples. In the autumn of 1621 they had a small harvest from 20 acres of corn and a few other crops. And they held their first Thanksgiving feast with 90 Indian friends. Fast forward to 2007. Thanksgiving has become a far less important day to Americans than it was to the pilgrims. Sad to say most of us don't live with thankful hearts for all God has given us. Change our hearts O Lord! "For flowers that bloom about our feet; For tender grass, so fresh, so sweet; For song of bird, and hum of bee; For all things fair we hear or see; Father in heaven, we thank Thee!" Ralph Waldo Emerson.

OCTOBER 2007

There seem to be a lot of new books and tv shows these days based on World War Two. Of course, that war was fought quite differently from the war against terrorism which we are now involved in. I doubt there will ever be a day in the war against terrorism when the enemy forces will actually sign a document of surrender. That is something that happened during WWII on both VE day and VJ day. On VJ day, the Japanese signed a document aboard a US aircraft carrier and gave it to General Douglas MacArthur. It was a document of unconditional surrender. I have also heard it referred to as total surrender, complete surrender and full surrender. Once those documents were signed by Germany and Japan, we took full control of their countries. All of this is an allegory (an event illustrating a spiritual principle) of the war going on for our souls. What The Lord Jesus requires of us is our unconditional surrender to Him. If we refuse to do this, we are still at war with God! James 4.4 says that if we are a friend of the world, we are an enemy of God! Imagine that. You see, if the devil can just keep you involved with loving all the things this world has to offer..he has won your soul. He has won the war. You have unconditionally surrendered to the world. Jesus wants your unconditional surrender to Himself....to His Lordship in your life. Let me put it this way. If you love that new car on your driveway more than you love The Lord, you have surrendered to the world. When you love something, you spend a lot of time with it. How much time do you spend with worldly matters? How much time do you spend with The Lord? This is precisely what the battle is all about and I urge you to throw up your hands in complete and total surrender to the Lord Jesus who gave His life on the cross to redeem your life from this crooked old world.

SEPTEMBER 2007

One of the songs we have sung for years as Christians goes like this: "This is the day which The Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." I had always thought of it as meaning every single new day which dawns upon the earth. Of course, there is truth to that idea...but it's meaning is much deeper and I realized it the other day while reading the lines again in Psalm 118.24. You have to put verse 24 in context to see the deeper meaning. Here's what verses 22 and 23 say just before it: "The stone which the builders rejected is become the head stone of the corner. This is The Lord's doing; it is marvellous in our eyes." And so the deeper truth is that the day referred to in verse 24 is the day of salvation...the day Jesus was rejected and laid his life down for you and me at the cross. His blood washed away our sins and made a way for us to live with Him forever thoughout all eternity. What a day! Indeed we should rejoice and be glad in it! If you have never given your heart to Jesus, I beg you to do it now. Surrender your life to Him and ask Him to wash away your sins. He'll do it and you will be born again. And you will rejoice and be glad for that day of salvation which Jesus accomplished for you 2,000 years ago,

AUGUST 2007

A few days ago I was amazed as I was leafing through a mail order catalog. There was a full page ad for a new product called a bereavement stepping stone. I had never heard of such a thing, but after a loved one dies you are supposed to place one of more of these stepping stones on your lawn or even at the gravesite. And there is a message on the stepping stone. Here it is: "If love could have saved you, you would have lived forever". It literally took my breath away. It is the Gospel in reverse! My Bible tells me that God is love and that He has saved us through the sacrifice His son, Jesus Christ, made by going to the cross. He shed his blood for the forgiveness of my sins and I know that I will live with Him forever...thoughout all eternity because I have recieved Him in my heart. Thats the good news of the Gospel! The stepping stone designers were so close to the real truth on this............and yet so far.

JULY 2007

Melody and I have been reading the series of novels written by Jan Karon about a fictional place called Mitford. The central character in these books is an Episcopal Priest, Father Tim who has just gotten married at the age of 60. The church youth group asks him to join them for a two day camping trip, so he and his wife Cynthia go. The very first day they explore a huge cave without telling anyone and get lost. Then their flashlight battery dies and Father Tim stumbles and opens a gash in his head. Finally, after many hours of trying to find their way out, he and Cynthia, tired and shaking from the wet coldness of the cave, give up and sit down. Father Tim tells his new bride that all his life he has tried to get things right and has never been able to do so and now this. It looks like they both will die and he can do nothing to save them! Let me tell you now that each of us as Christians must come to this cave and die to ourselves. As it turns out in this fictional story, a dog is brought into the cave who finally discovers them and leads them out. In the book, Father Tim knows he has had a deep experience with The Lord in the cave but he is still trying to figure it out. As I was reading this, The Lord spoke to me and here is what He said: "Self sufficiency is NOT a Godly virtue". Then He showed me 2nd Corinthians 4:11 which says "For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh." Watchman Nee put it this way: "I will not take any action without relying on God." So many of us, and I include myself, try to make things right in this fallen world through our own strength instead of relying on God. It is a huge mistake to do so and that why we must all visit the cave from time to time so we can die to our flesh. Amen!

JUNE 2007

There are so many things I love about the Kingdom of God. For example, lets take what I call the "Upside Down Kingdom Principles". Whatever seems rightside up in this carnal world is usually upside down in the Kingdom. Let me give you some pictures of this from God's Holy Word. Do you want to save your life? Then you must lose it! (Luke 9.24). Do you want to be first? Then you must be last! (Matthew 20.16). Do you want to recieve? Then you must give! (Luke 6.38). Do you want to be a leader? Then you must become a servant! (Luke 22.27). Do you want to be exalted? Then you must be humbled! (Matthew 23.12). Do you want to be strong? Then you must be weak! (2 Cor 12.10, Joel 3.10). Do you want to overcome evil? Then you must do it with good! (Romans 12.21). And this is one of the best: Do you want Christ Jesus to increase in your life? Then you must decrease! (John 3.30). To truly live in the Kingdom of God, the way you think must be turned upside down. May as well start thinking this way now, because you'll spend all eternity with upside down Kingdom principles if you're a child of The King...Jesus Christ.

MAY 2007

One of the great themes in The Bible is the question of whom we will serve. We really have only two choices....men or God. In Paul's letter to the Galations he writes "Do I seek to please men? For if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ". He says it another way in Colossians. "Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to The Lord, and not unto men". This concept is in the Old Testament too. In Proverbs 29 we read "The fear of men bringeth a snare but whoso put his trust in The Lord shall be safe". And in Luke's Gospel we hear Jesus telling the religious leaders of the day (the pharisees) "That which is highly esteemed by men is abomination in the sight of God". This is something that each and every one of us as Christians must ask ourselves from time to time. Whom am I trying to please? God or men? Don't be too quick to answer. I recently sent out an e-mail to those of you who are interested in our ministry and pray for us. I wanted you all to know that we now have a 4th radio station broadcasting "Worship". After I sent it...I felt The Lord examining my heart. Was I sending out this e-mail to be highly esteemed by men or was I sending it out to give God the glory? I'm sorry to say I didn't quite hit the mark. So be careful. It is so easy to fall into this trap...a trap set by the devil to keep us apart from God.

APRIL 2007

Recently I was looking for a good movie on e-Bay when I spotted a video entitled "The Holy Land: An incredible journey". It was made by Readers Digest in 1985 and was being offered new with the plastic wrapping still on it for $5. I couldn't resist and bought it. Melody and I sat down to watch it the other night and quickly discovered it was meant to be a historical presentation of The Holy Land. It was mentioned that the Garden of Eden might have been in the general area, that this was where Abraham, Issac and Jacob wandered. The temple built by Solomon was mentioned as was the period between the old and new testaments when the Roman empire took control of The Holy Land. John the Baptist was mentioned and so was Jesus. Quite a bit of time was spent on His first miracle of changing the water into wine at Cana. The narrator also talked about Jesus at the Synagogue in Capernaum, His triumphful entry into Jerusalum and His overturning of the money changers tables outside the Temple. The narrator said that He was crucified and put in the tomb but he left Him there. The glorious resurrection of our Lord and Savior was totally left out of this so-called historical video! Frankly, we were shocked and the video went into the garbage. How is it that a video producer can think that Jesus changing the water into wine is a historical truth but His mighty resurrection is a fable not worth mentioning, despite all the evidence for it? But don't you see? That is just the way it is in this fallen world. Some people just don't get it. The word of God says in Romans 10.9 that if you confess The Lord Jesus with your mouth and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead..you will be saved. During this Easter season as we think about how Jesus saved us from our sins by going to the cross, it's good to remember that Jesus said Himself that He is the resurrection and the life (John 11.25). We often hear Christians say that the resurrection is the basis of their faith. Why not think of it this way: Jesus is the basis of my faith and the resurrection is the evidence of my faith. May you and your family have a glorious Easter season!

MARCH 2007

I don't know about you, but I am ready for some really good news about what is happening here on earth. Every day we are bombarded with information on all the negatives which are taking place and I am frankly tired of it all. That's why I am so excited to bring you the following reports about what God is doing right now on planet earth. My source for this information is American Messianic Jewish author Joel C. Rosenberg who makes end times events in the mid-east his specialty. He has already had two of his novels on the New York Times best seller list. So hold on to your hat...here we go. According to Joel, more than 6 million Muslims are becoming Christians every year. In fact, he says more Muslims have converted to faith in Jesus Christ over the past decade than at any other time in human history; this despite persecution, arrests and assassinations! In Africa alone since 1902, the number of Muslims has diminished to just 316 million while the number of Christians has increased from 1 million (in 1902) to nearly 330 million today. In Myanmar (formerly Burma), a country that once had 4 million practicing Muslims, the number has dramatically dropped to just 300,000. In Iraq, more than a million Bibles have been shipped into the country since 2003 and more than 5,000 new Christians now fill churches including 14 new assemblies in Baghdad, some with up to 800 members. God is at work in nearby Iran, as well, with over a million Iranians now meeting in secret churches. By contrast, mosques that were full 20 years ago are now empty (confirmed recently by a 700 club report). Over a Million Egyptians have trusted Jesus as Savior in the past 10 years. In Afganistan, more than 10,000 Muslims have asked the Lord Jesus into their hearts and dozens of baptisms are happening every week. In Kazakhstan there were only a handful of believers before 1990, but now the number is more than 15,000. In Uzbekistan there were no known Christians before 1990 but now the number is 30,000 and rising. I also have a report from Benny Hinn Ministries which states that leading Saudi cleric Sheikh Ahmad Al-Qataani recently appeared on a live interview on the Al Jazeera satellite TV channel. He bemoaned that every hour 667 Muslims convert to Christianity. That's 6 million a year. The TV interviewer seemed stunned and replied, "Let me clarify. Do we have 6 million coverting from Islam to Christianity?" Al-Qataani repeated the number and then added "A tragedy has happened!" Well, the Sheikh may think it's a tragedy but I think it's some of the most wonderful news I have ever heard. Friends, the great revival is on the way and it won't be long now until we are with the Lord Jesus forever. Are you ready?

 

FEBRUARY 2007

Pretend for a moment that you are a creature from outer space and you have just descended from the atmosphere and you are over the United States. You decide to hover about 500 feet over Anytown, USA in your invisable spacecraft. Soon enough you spot the human beings. They are continually on the move, mostly in steel contraptions of various colors with 4 wheels. In fact, it is amazing to watch these humans. Many of them leave their dwellings for 8 hours every day and disappear inside other buildings. And speaking of buildings...there are some big ones which attract the attention of our space visitor. They have huge lots of asphalt outside their doors and the humans come in huge numbers in their vechicles, disappearing into the buildings and coming out with metal baskets attached to 4 small wheels. The baskets are loaded with things. In fact, after watching the activities of Anytown, our space visitor concludes that life on earth has something to do with acquiring "things". Is that what your life and my life is really all about? On the surface it would certainly appear to be so. And indeed, there are some things which we must have to stay alive such as clean drinking water and healthy food. In today's world even a vechicle is probably a necessity as is a roof over our heads. But are these the things we live our lives for? Jesus said (Matthew 6.33) "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these "things" shall be added unto you." So you see, none of these things we have surrounded ourselves with are bad in themselves. But if we make acquiring things the top priority in our lives instead of seeking the kingdom of God...we have indeed missed God. Jesus also said (Matthew 6.19-21) "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break in and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also". Where is your treasure?

 

January 2007

One of the things I dislike about the way the world treats Christmas is that on midnight December 25th it's supposed to be all over. We are expected to revert back to the way we were before Christmas season even started. My point is that Christmas really should be a longer season, certainly not over by January. In fact Christmas should be in our hearts as Christians year round. In Matthew's Christmas story, the angel of The Lord told Joseph that one of the names of Jesus would be Emmanuel which means "God with us". Wonder of wonders! He lives in our hearts! Why did Jesus come to earth? The writer of the book of Hebrews tells us that "God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by His son". So Jesus lives in our hearts and He speaks to us, not just at Christmas but 365 days a year. Pretty good reason, don't you think, to open your heart, ask Him to come in, save you from your sins and start speaking to you? Then, Christmas won't be over for you at midnight, December 25th. You will continue to follow His star throughout eternity.