"ONWARD!" BY PASTOR RICK JONES

TO THIS END...

2012-02-14T08:09:00.001-08:00

ST LOUIS HOLINESS CONVENTION BEGINS THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16!

And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you: To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints. 1 Thessalonians 3:12-13

TO THIS END...

Is GRACE a means or an end?
In Ephesians 2:8 we read: "By grace are ye saved..."

In Titus 2:11-14 we read: "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works."

In Romans 6:14-18 we read, "Sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness."

Without God's grace not one of us would be saved. We celebrate God's grace. We appreciate God's grace. John Newton was right! God's grace is amazing. Yet GRACE it is not proper to think of grace as the end, it is the means to an end.

Is FAITH a means or an end?
In Ephesians 2:8 we read: "By grace are ye saved through faith..."

In Hebrews 11:6 we read: "Without faith it is impossible to please him, for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."

In Romans 5:1 we read: "Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:"

Certainly faith is necessary to salvation. Certainly it is through faith that we have "the victory that overcomes the world." Yet FAITH in and of itself is not the end, it is a means to an end.

IS OBEDIENCE a means or an end?
In Ephesians 2:10 we read: "We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."

In James 2:26 we read: "As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also."

Obedience is certainly natural (or I should say supernatural) for disciples who love the Lord Jesus. Jesus taught His disciples: "If ye love me keep my commandments." (John 14:15). We do love the Lord and we love to please Him!

But the Apostle John reveals that obedience is not the end, rather it is a means to an end: "He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him." 1 John 2:4-5

We see that keeping the Word of God is a means to another end, namely the perfecting of our love for God.

In his first letter to the Thessalonians (which by the way is the oldest book of our New Testament) the Apostle Paul puts it this way: "And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you:
To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God,

IN FACT GOD'S REVELATION OF HIS WORD WRITTEN, GOD'S REVELATION OF HIS WORD INCARNATE (IN THE FLESH--JESUS), GOD'S REDEMPTIVE ECONOMY IS DIRECTED TO ONE END--THAT HE MAY ESTABLISH OUR HEARTS UNBLAMEABLE IN HOLINESS!

The Bible is unequivocal: "Without holiness no man shall see the Lord." (Hebrews 12:14); "Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection." (Revelation 20:6); "Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God." (Matthew 5:8). Holiness of heart is the purpose, the "raison d'etre" for all that God has done, is doing, and will do, in us, and for us, and through us. He knows that without holiness we can never dwell in the City of God.

If we can be distracted from pressing toward the end--hearts unblameable in holiness--the enemy knows he can keep us from heaven! Like "Mr.By-Ends" in Bunyon's "Progress," too many people rest in forms rather than the fact.

Some have halted along the journey unwittingly. Entranced by the marvels of Grace, the possibilities of Faith, or the love of good works, they fail to "go on unto perfection." (Hebrews 6:1).

Others have purposefully hesitated along the highway to holiness. The call to discipleship--"Come and die"--is too much for them. Like the rich young ruler, they have heard Christ say, "sell all," and they are unwilling.

Unwilling to sell all, and unwilling to admit the truth about themselves they spend their days shouting "GRACE, GRACE, GRACE" or "FAITH, FAITH, FAITH." Absorbed in these vital means they finally deceive themselves into thinking that the end, "a heart established in holiness," is not only improbable and implausible, but it is impossible.

To this sort, Jesus spoke plainly: "This people draw nigh unto me with their mouth, and honor me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. In vain do they worship me." (Matthew 15:8-9)

THE GREAT END TOWARD WHICH ALL THE MEANS OF GRACE ARE DIRECTED, IS THAT WE SHOULD BE HOLY! God is willing and able to purify our hearts. Malachi, that last of the Prophets before John the Baptist, saw the LORD'S COMING and declared, "Who may abide the day of His coming? and who shall stand when He appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap. And HE SHALL SIT AS A REFINER AND PURIFIER of silver: and HE SHALL PURIFY THE SONS OF LEVI, and purge them as gold and silver that they may offer unto the Lord an offering IN RIGHTEOUSNESS." (Malachi 3:2-3).

Paul prayed, "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." And then he testified, "Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it." (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24).

MAY GOD AWAKEN HIS PEOPLE TO THIS GREAT END--HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD NOW AND FOREVER!

Pastor Rick Jones
FAITH COMMUNITY CHURCH + A CRUSADERS USA CONGREGATION
2969 N. Lindbergh Blvd., St. Ann, MO 63074 Cell Phone (314) 607-1424; Fax (314) 298-7442
BLOG: www.PastorRickJones.blogspot.com WEB: www.FCCToday.org

PREACHING SERVICES SUNDAYS 11AM & 6:30 PM

5 POWERFUL DAYS OF PRAYING, PREACHING, TEACHING, CONVERSATION, AND FELLOWSHIP
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15 - SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 19

The Convention & Indoor Campmeeting Schedule are under the leadership of the HOLY SPIRIT and our plans will give way to HIS!

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2012

6:30 pm DOORS OPEN FOR PRAYER
7:00 pm OPENING CHALLENGE

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2012

9:00 am PRAYER GATHERING & DEVOTION
10:00 HOLY CONVOCATION
11:00      EVANGELIST BEN CRAWFORD (Bible Methodist Connection, Alabama)

LUNCH BREAK - Served in the parsonage next door. Enjoy great food and fellowship.

1:30 pm PASTOR ANDREW DURST (Great Commission Camp, Illinois)
2:15     THE GREAT CONVERSATION (A open discussion time)
3:15       MELVIN WATERS, (Wesleyan Nazarene Church, Arkansas)
4:00    KEN THOMPSON, (Church of God Holiness, Missouri)

EVENING MEAL - Served in the parsonage next door. Stay to visit with others attending.

7:00 pm WILLIAM CAWMAN, (Emmanuel Church Association, New Jersey)
Singing by the Duane Elmore Family (Bible Holiness Church, Missouri)

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2012

9:00 am PRAYER GATHERING PASTOR JOHN POFF (Carthage Church of God Holiness)
10:00 GARY JACKSON (Bible Methodist, Pastors Troy Bible Holiness, Missouri)
11:00 WALLACE THORNTON, Sr. (Church of the Nazarene, Kentucky)
LUNCH BREAK - Served in the parsonage next door. Enjoy great food and fellowship.
1:30 pm MISSIONARY STEVE GIBSON (Holiness Pilgrim Mission, Indiana)
2:15 pm THE GREAT CONVERSATION (A open discussion time)
3:00 pm MARSH JONES, (Crusaders Church, Illinois)
4:00 pm GENE HOOD, (Independent Church of the Nazarene, Indiana)

EVENING MEAL - Served in the parsonage next door. Stay to visit with others attending.

7:00 pm WILLIAM CAWMAN, (Emmanuel Church Association, New Jersey)
Singing by the Duane Elmore Family (Bible Holiness Church, Missouri)

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2012
10:00 am SOUL-WINNING, WORK and WITNESS

6:30 pm PRAYER SERVICE
7:00 EVANGELIST BEN CRAWFORD (Bible Methodist Connection, Alabama)

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2012

9:00 am Sunday School Bus Rolls
10:45      SUNDAY SCHOOL CONVOCATION
11:00      MORNING WORSHIP SERVICE (Evangelist Ben Crawford)
6 pm      PRAYER SERVICE
6:30       EVENING RALLY (Evangelist Ben Crawford)

IF YOU NEED INFORMATION ABOUT HOTEL RESERVATIONS OR TRANSPORTATION FROM THE AIRPORT, BUS, OR TRAIN STATION, OR IF WE CAN HELP YOU IN ANY WAY GET TO THIS CONVENTION, PLEASE GIVE ME A CALL ON MY CELL PHONE 314 607 1424 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 314 607 1424 end_of_the_skype_highlighting.

THE MAIN THING - HOLINESS

2012-02-11T07:17:00.000-08:00

THE ONE “MUST HAVE”

Several years ago Professor Keith Drury shocked his audience at the Presidential Breakfast of the Christian Holiness Association when he declared, “THE HOLINESS MOVEMENT IS DEAD.” That address (http://www.drurywriting.com/keith/dead.footnoted.htm) certainly stirred great passions among those of us who identify with the message of Scriptural holiness.

Drury could not have been more right when he observed, “Holiness is our stated belief. But in most places we don’t make it the main thing.”

I am heartbroken when I see how far we have drifted from our emphasis upon holiness.

We used to believe that “without holiness no man shall see the Lord.”

We used to believe in first blessing holiness--loving obedience to all of God’s will—was the one infallible mark of the new birth.

We used to believe in second blessing holiness—that the grand purpose of Christ’s redemption was to “destroy the works of the devil” and that in a moment of time, God’s Spirit would purify our hearts of carnality and fill us with a perfect love for God.

We used to believe that professing Christians who went on and on about grace and faith and God’s love were tragically missing that one vital “must have”—namely Holiness.

We used to believe that grace was grace to live godly lives not to excuse sin.

We used to believe that faith was faith that overcomes the world, the flesh, and the devil, not some silly positive affirmation grounded in nothing but pretend.

We used to believe that God’s love is amazing, but we knew that ultimately it is our love for God that is the one “must have!” We will be judged on our love for God, not His love for us.

We used to believe that any preacher who preached without offending the devil, defending the Word, naming sin, and proclaiming holiness was wasting our time and his.

We used to believe that music that sounded sensual and of the world had no place in the worship of the Holy!

We used to be believe that holiness meant separation from the world! Its amusements, its adornments, it attractions held no sway for us. We didn’t want to look like the world, we didn’t want to act like the world, and we didn’t want to be of this world.

We used to believe that if any church nearby would dare to stand up and declare “HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD”—we ought to lend our influence, our support, and our encouragement to them, before spending our time with those who have taken the broad path of accommodation and compromise.

We used to believe that we were called to spread Scriptural holiness throughout our land and around the globe. Many of our forebears “rode hard and died young” as they travelled by horseback proclaiming holiness. Today we can’t even get a few believers together to talk missions—even if we offer them pizza.

We used to believe that if we were not holy we would be forever lost in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone. It was holiness or hell.

THE ST LOUIS HOLINESS CONVENTION has been called to the kingdom for such a time as this to “stir up our pure minds by way of remembrance,” and to reclaim again THE MAIN THING—namely HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD!

A SUMMONS TO LEADERSHIP

2012-02-09T11:24:00.000-08:00

"Give me 100 men who love only God with all their heart,

and hate only sin with all their heart,...

we will shake the gates of hell,

and bring in the kingdom of God in one generation."

John Wesley

As Commander in Chief of the greatest military force on earth, the President of the United States will often summon the Joint Chiefs of Staff from the Pentagon to convene in the White House to offer a first-hand situation report from the battle front. Their assessments, detailed analysis, and strategic recommendations are vital for victory.

As a 4^th generation preacher of holiness who has lived all his life in a parsonage, a church-planter in one of America’s largest cities, a student of Church history, a first-hand witness to the breathtaking changes sweeping across the American Church, an observer of modern culture, and a Christian optimist convinced that “the gates of hell will not prevail,” I am concerned.

Our greatest concern is not with the people who are filling our pews, rather it is focused on those who have accepted the mantle of leadership. Those whom God has called and gifted to be prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers (Ephesians 4:11), are too often beset with complacency, lethargy, uncertainty, futility, pessimism, and distraction.

COMPLACENCY

Unaware of the urgency of the hour, the necessity of their voice, and the importance of their place in the battle, they have succumbed to complacency and a pathetic apathy. They lament, “There’s nothing that we can really do.” They may not admit that they no longer care, but their choices and their voices betray their apathetic spirit.

LETHARGY

Sadly, those who see the need are often too lazy to get up and engage the enemy. Their minds have been numbed by the idiocy of modern media and gaming, their bodies are weakened by their lack of discipline and lack of restraint, and like the sleeping disciples in Gethsemane, “their flesh is weak.”

UNCERTAINTY

Tragically, the constant din of skeptics, cynics, and the faithless, have worn down that intense sense of conviction that once burned in the hearts of those on the front lines in the battle for truth. Where are those who will declare, “Thus saith the Lord!” Where are those who will challenge this generation, “Choose ye this day whom ye will serve.” Where are those who will confront sinners, “Why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost.” (Acts 5:3) Where are the men of solid Scriptural conviction?

FUTILITY

Some are overwhelmed by the sense that their efforts are futile. They suppose that anything they do, any call they make, any sermon they preach, any plan they make, and any prayer they pray is of little or no worth. Futility makes them fruitless.

PESSIMISM

Pessimists are certainly not in short supply! I would love to have a nickel for every time a leader has said to me, “We will never again experience revival,” “It will never be as great as it was in the old days,” “It’s not possible to see people genuinely converted,” “Calling doesn’t work,” or “No one will ever see the significance of separation from the world.”

These nattering nabobs of negativity are so paralyzed by pessimism, they have abandoned any expectation that God can move in their work. I have heard them confess that if they can just get their immediate family to heaven they will be satisfied. Sadly, some despair of their own salvation.

DISTRACTION

And distraction—the allure of entertainments, the desire for and the maintenance of our possessions, along with the never ending, always increasing press of daily life (i.e. errands, appointments, visits, caring for family needs, calls, e-mails, facebook, twitter)—has so weighted down some of our best leaders, they are delayed from, or totally kept from, their place of duty.

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THE 2012 ST. LOUIS HOLINESS CONVENTION is a wonderful place for CHRISTIAN LEADERS, PASTORS, MISSIONARIES, and CONCERNED CONGREGATIONS to assemble together for concerted prayer, insightful teaching, stimulating conversation, powerful preaching, and “koinania”—close Christian fellowship.

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WE ARE NOT IGNORANT OF OUR SITUATION! We are not blind to the onslaught of the enemy. And we are not unwilling to face facts.

BUT THAT IS WHY WE ARE OPTIMISTIC!

The Lord Jesus said, “I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH!” And He will!

Jesus declared, “YE SHALL RECEIVE POWER AFTER THAT THE HOLY GHOST IS COME!” The disciples did, and we will too!

The empty tomb, the power of Pentecost, and the infallible revelation of God’s Word, are our guarantee. THIS is no time for complacency, lethargy, uncertainty, futility, pessimism or distraction!

This is the time for GOD PEOPLE to gather together, pray for a fresh outpouring of Pentecostal power, and rise up to flood the whole earth with the glorious gospel of full salvation and “holiness unto the Lord.”

6:30 pm DOORS OPEN FOR PRAYER
7:00 pm EVANGELIST P. L. LIDDELL (Church of the Nazarene, Michigan)

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2012

9:00 am PRAYER GATHERING & DEVOTION
10:00      OPENING CHALLENGE - PASTOR RICK JONES (Crusaders, Missouri)
11:00      EVANGELIST BEN CRAWFORD (Bible Methodist Connection, Alabama)

LUNCH BREAK - Served in the parsonage next door. Enjoy great food and fellowship.

1:30 pm PASTOR ANDREW DURST (Great Commission Camp, Illinois)
2:15     THE GREAT CONVERSATION (A open discussion time)
3:15       MELVIN WATERS, (Wesleyan Nazarene Church, Arkansas)
4:00    KEN THOMPSON, (Church of God Holiness, Missouri)

EVENING MEAL - Served in the parsonage next door. Stay to visit with others attending.

7:00 pm WILLIAM CAWMAN, (Emmanuel Church Association, New Jersey)
Singing by the Duane Elmore Family (Bible Holiness Church, Missouri)

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2012

9:00 am PRAYER GATHERING AND DEVOTION BY P L LIDDELL
10:00 GARY JACKSON (Bible Methodist, Pastors Troy Bible Holiness, Missouri)
11:00 WALLACE THORNTON, Sr. (Church of the Nazarene, Kentucky)
LUNCH BREAK - Served in the parsonage next door. Enjoy great food and fellowship.
1:30 pm MISSIONARY STEVE GIBSON (Holiness Pilgrim Mission, Indiana)
2:15 pm THE GREAT CONVERSATION (A open discussion time)
3:00 pm MARK AVERY, (Church of God Holiness, Missouri)
3:30 pm MARSH JONES, (Crusaders Church, Illinois)
4:00 pm GENE HOOD, (Independent Church of the Nazarene, Indiana)

EVENING MEAL - Served in the parsonage next door. Stay to visit with others attending.

7:00 pm WILLIAM CAWMAN, (Emmanuel Church Association, New Jersey)
Singing by the Duane Elmore Family (Bible Holiness Church, Missouri)

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2012
10:00 am SOUL-WINNING, WORK and WITNESS

6:30 pm PRAYER SERVICE
7:00 EVANGELIST BEN CRAWFORD (Bible Methodist Connection, Alabama)

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2012

9:00 am Sunday School Bus Rolls
10:45      SUNDAY SCHOOL CONVOCATION
11:00      MORNING WORSHIP SERVICE (Evangelist P L Liddell)
6 pm      PRAYER SERVICE
6:30       EVENING RALLY (Evangelist Ben Crawford)

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Dear Friends of Christian Holiness,

If you believe that a revival of Scriptural Holiness is our most urgent need, then you will not want to miss the 2012 ST. LOUIS HOLINESS CONVENTION, Thursday, February 16 and Friday, February 17.

More than economic growth, more than social reform, and more than political change, we need to recover the romance of loving God, the optimism of victorious faith, and the power of Spirit-driven living.

It is our conviction that as the message of holiness was supplanted in our nation by the neo-Calvinists of the early 20^th century, the Charismatic movement of the late 20^th century, and the Church Growth Movement of the past few decades, the Church lost her sanctifying influence in the life of her people and in the culture at large.

Today we are witnessing what the Apostle warned we would face: “men having a …form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.” (2 Timothy 3:5).

Tragically this “form” is not only powerless to transform sinners it is also unappealing to the masses. Fewer and fewer Americans are attending Church. Statistics show that at one time over 40% of Americans attended church on any given weekend. Today fewer than 20% attend.

We are witnessing the demoralization of our nation. Our national character is anemic, our moral convictions are few, and our spiritual concern is notable for its absence. I am convinced that at the root of our social, economic, and political malaise, is our loss of Christian conscience.

This profound loss can be blamed on the professing Church that prefers playing above praying, feasting more than fasting, and worldliness over holiness.

YET GOD HAS ALWAYS HAD HIS PEOPLE! AND IF HIS PEOPLE WILL HUMBLE THEMSELVES, WILL PRAY, WILL SEEK GOD’S FACE, AND WILL TURN FROM THEIR WICKED WAYS, (I would say this is a call to the kind of Holiness we seek), THEN GOD WILL HEAR, GOD WILL FORGIVE, AND GOD WILL HEAL.

GOD HAS RAISED UP THE JOHN WESLEY FOUNDATION of ST. LOUIS “For such a time as this.”

2012 ST LOUIS HOLINESS CONVENTION + 15 DAYS AWAY!

2012-02-01T06:51:00.000-08:00

Good Morning,

In 15 days the JOHN WESLEY FOUNDATION of ST LOUIS will host the 8TH ANNUAL ST. LOUIS HOLINESS CONVENTION. Great prayer and careful planning have gone into this year's convention.

THE NEED FOR A REVIVAL OF SCRIPTURAL HOLINESS has never been more acute.

THIS YEAR'S SPEAKERS INCLUDE:

LLOYD BLEY, Past President of Faith Bible School, Mitchell, SD

WILLIAM CAWMAN, Prison Ministry, Vineland, NJ

BEN CRAWFORD, Evangelist, Bible Methodist Church, AL

ANDREW DURST, Great Commission, Crusaders, IL

STEVE GIBSON, Missionary, Holiness Pilgrim Mission, IN

GENE HOOD, Independent Nazarene Church, Indianapolis, IN

GARY JACKSON, Pastor, Bible Holiness Church, Troy MO

MARSH JONES, Bishop, Crusaders Church USA, IL

P L LIDDELL, Evangelist, Church of the Nazarene, MI

JOHN POFF, Pastor, Church of God Holiness, Carthage, MO

KEN THOMPSON, Missionary & Evangelist, MO

WALLACE THORNTON, Sr., Evangelist, KY

AND OTHERS…

You will enjoy the singing of the: DUANE ELMORE FAMILY

If you need a ride from the airport, transportation or lodging arrangements, or further information please feel free to call us at (314) 607-1424, or e-mail us at pastorrick@fcctoday.org.

Services will begin at 9:00 A.M. and continue throughout Thursday and Friday. The evening services will begin a 7:00 P.M.

LUNCH AND DINNER will be provided for a free-will offering.
Discussion is welcome.

STRESS, STRENGTH, AND SANCTIFICATION

2012-02-01T06:30:00.001-08:00

WHAT IS THE MARK OF A STRONG CHRISTIAN?

Is a strong Christian someone who believes God’s Word is true?
Absolutely! But there is more.

Is a strong Christian someone who wants to know God’s Word?
You can be sure of that! Yet there’s more.

Is a strong Christian someone who believes God’s Word applies to them?
Without a doubt! But it must be more.

Is a strong Christian someone who believes God’s Word is their first priority?
This is closer to the measure of a strong Christian, and yet there is one further.

Is a strong Christian someone who believes God’s will is not only their first priority but their first concern in every other priority of life?
It is this that is the true measure of a person’s spiritual strength.

It is our observation that when God’s Will is truly our first priority, and when God’s Will is integrated into every aspect of our living, it is then that we stand “strong in the Lord.” When God’s Will is our first, our second, our third, as well as our last priority; when His will is our every time and every where and every circumstance priority; then “His strength is made perfect in our weakness.”

It is in the daily living of our lives, and in those moments of deep spiritual introspection, that our true priorities are revealed. Just as physical strength can only be increased through the stress of pushing and pulling, so spiritual strength is revealed in the hour of crisis—will we choose God’s priority over our own? And even more specifically—will we gladly choose God’s will over our own will?

For Example: When a professing Christian who believes that God’s Word is right, relevant, and first in her life is offered a high-paying position that requires shady dealing, or a job that would keep her away from God’s House, what will she do?

Example Two: If a Christian was excluded and mistreated by someone who he thought was a friend, should he assume the best and reach out to the one who was apparently thoughtless, or should he avoid that person until they come seeking forgiveness? Is he obligated to forgive if the offender comes forward? Is he obligated to pursue peace with the offender? How many times should he offer forgiveness? The Bible has specific instructions for these situations.

Another Example: Think of a professing Christian who is trying to decide what to do for entertainment. There are shows that will incite lust. There are choices that may make him feel good, but they are not good for him. There are great places to go but supporting them with his money enables the business owners to pursue a godless agenda. There are ways we might put ourselves forward, or earn the admiration of others, but they too are not Christ-like. What should the Christian do?

Each of these examples represents a crisis point. There are many others that we might have listed. But those who are “strong in the Lord,” hear Christ saying, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.” (Luke 9:23,24).

We have heard the invitation that Dietrich Bonhoeffer so powerfully wrote of in “The Cost of Discipleship,”

“When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die…—death in Jesus Christ, the death of the old man at his call.”

In her book “Total Truth,” Nancy Pearcey challenges Christians to love God and acknowledge His Lordship over every aspect of our lives:

"Genuine [Christian] worldview thinking is far more than a mental strategy or a new spin on current events. At the core, it is a deepening of our spiritual character and the character of our lives. It begins with the submission of our minds to the Lord of the universe - a willingness to be taught by Him. The driving force in worldview studies should be a commitment to 'love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind.' (see Luke 10:27).

That's why the crucial condition for intellectual growth is spiritual growth, asking God for the grace to "take every thought captive to obey Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5). God is not just the Savior of souls, He is also the Lord of creation. One way we acknowledge His Lordship is by interpreting every aspect of creation in the light of His truth. God's Word becomes a set of glasses offering a new perspective on all our thoughts and actions.

As with every aspect of sanctification, the renewal of the mind may be painful and difficult. It requires hard work and discipline, inspired by a sacrificial love for Christ and a burning desire to build up His Body, the Church. In order to have the mind of Christ, we must be willing to be crucified with Christ, following wherever He might lead - whatever the cost. "Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22). As we undergo refining in the fires of suffering, our desires are purified and we find ourselves wanting nothing more than to bend every fiber of our being, including our mental powers, to fulfill the Lord's Prayer: "Thy Kingdom come." We yearn to lay all our talents and gifts at His feet in order to advance His purposes in the world. Developing a Christian worldview means submitting our entire self to God, in an act of devotion and service to Him.

While Pearcey rightly ascertains the Christian’s ultimate aim, her theological bias restrains her from believing that Christians could in this life truly realize such “entire devotement to God.”

Her call to holiness is as breath-taking in its reach, as it is Biblical in its basis. Yet she, like so many others, cannot believe that God is able to sanctify wholly in this life.

But hear the Word of God:

“God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth” (2 Thessalonians 2:13)

“For this is the will of God, even your sanctification” (1 Thessalonians 4:3)

“And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.” (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24)

“Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” (2 Corinthians 7:1)

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Romans 12:1,2)

“Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.” (James 4:8)

“God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.” (1 John 4:16-18)

“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.” (Galatians 2:20)

These Scriptures do not tantalize converts by holding up an impossible attainment. Rather they exalt the power of God’s redeeming, transforming, and sanctifying grace—a grace that is greater than all our sin! “Faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it.”

WEAK, ILL, OR NIL CHRISTIANS

2012-02-01T06:24:00.000-08:00

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. EPHESIANS 6:10

WHY ARE SOME CHRISTIANS SO WEAK?

With the coming of a New Year I find myself taking a personal inventory. I’ve been thinking about the victories and the setbacks of the year past. There were some really great times I am so thankful to have experienced, and then there were some moments that I wish I could delete from my memory.

This proves that I am not my computer. My computer deletes what I want to keep, and keeps what I want to delete. I on the other hand seem to keep what I want to delete, and delete what I ought to keep. Just sayin…

Realizing that there’s not too much that I can do about the past, I think the Apostle Paul had it right: “Forgetting the things which are behind, and reaching forth to the things which are before, I press toward the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:13). So we press on!.

WEAK or ILL, or NIL?

Before focusing on the path to spiritual strength, I wondered if it is even proper to speak of a “weak Christians?” Turns out it is a Biblical concept. Writing to the Church at Rome, and again to the believers at Corinth, the Apostle Paul urges mature Christians to do nothing that would offend those who are “weak in faith,” or “weak brothers.” (Romans 14:2; 1 Corinthians 8:11).

Writing to the Church 1600 years ago, St. Augustine observed that weak Christians are anxious for spiritual victories, but they are reticent to sacrifice or to suffer for Christ. Indeed.

“Ill Christians,” Augustine warned, were those who had lost their appetite and desire to do what is right. He warned that when the love of the world or some evil desire assaults the heart of Christians, it renders them “sick and listless.”

My great fear is that many who consider themselves weak or ill Christians are actually nil Christians—they are not Christians at all. They may have a “form of godliness,” but they “deny the power thereof.”(2 Timothy 3:5). They may “profess to know God, but in works they deny Him.” (Titus 1:16). They say that they love God, but they do not keep His commandments. The Bible calls them “liars.” (1 John 2:4). They may be awakened to the truths of God’s claim on their lives, but they have yet to fully surrender to Him.

Of this truth we are sure, all who are truly Christ’s are growing (Ephesians 4:15) in grace and knowledge (2 Peter 3:18), increasing in love (1 Thessalonians 3:12), and having cleansed themselves from all the filthiness of the flesh, they are perfecting holiness in the fear of God. (2 Corinthians 7:1) Even new-born Christians discover that in Christ there is victory over sin. “Whosoever abides in Him, sins not.” (I John 3:6). The Apostle Paul testifies: “Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein?” (Romans 6:1-7) Indeed, all God’s children continually, “hunger and thirst after righteousness,” and “are [and are continually] filled.” (Matthew 5:6).

WHETHER THE CHRISTIAN IS WEAK OR STRONG WE ARE ABSOLUTELY SURE THAT ALL CHRISTIANS GO TO HEAVEN. Jesus said to His disciples, “I go to prepare a place for you.” (John 14:1-6). We are sure THAT ALL WHO ARE HEAVEN-BOUND, AS WELL ALL THOSE WHO TODAY ARE IN HEAVEN, ARE CHRISTIANS. And we are positive that all who are not Biblical Christians, THOSE WHO ARE NOT SAVED will be forever lost in hell.

THE INFAMOUS ROE V WADE DECISION

2012-01-26T10:53:00.000-08:00

Thirty-nine years ago today, the U. S. Supreme Court, handed down one of the worst, if not the worst decision, they have ever made.

Based on a complaint by one Norma McCorvey who falsely claimed she had been raped (named Roe in the case that reached the Supremes), the court declared that state laws prohibiting abortion were null and void. The court expanded the definition of the right to privacy under the due process clause in the 14th Amendment to include the right of a woman to choose whether or not a baby growing in her womb would be allowed to live. Even liberal jurists have questioned the validity of the court’s rationale. Yet for 39 years “Roe” has been the law of the land.

A FEW OBSERVATIONS:

1. Moralilty--the definition of Right and wrong--is NOT determined by the U.S. Supreme Court. GOD, not the Court, is the arbiter of right and wrong. Another tragic error by the Supreme Court was their 1857 Dred Scott ruling (A black man who moved to Missouri and was denied standing in Court)--declaring that all blacks, slave and free, could never be U. S. Citizens.

2. Life begins at conception. Science confirms what the Bible teaches (see Psalm 139). Whether a human life is growing inside her mother, or living in a nursing home, her life is valuable and worthy of our love and protection. Watch THE SILENT SCREAM to see how babies inside their mothers react when abortionists invade the womb.

3. The proponents of abortion told us that when abortions were safe and legal, child abuse would become practically non-existent. Nothing could be further from the truth. When the weakest among us is no longer valued and protected, the freedom of every citizen is at risk. Unless “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” are recognized as “endowed by our Creator” then “might” not “right”will rule.

God can forgive this sin, and He can heal our land, but not until we repent.

Politics and the Pulpit

2012-01-26T10:47:00.000-08:00

Every so often someone complains, “Pastor Rick, you’re too political in your preaching.”

Because I truly love people I certainly do not want to say or to do anything that drives people away from our Lord Jesus. I pray that the Lord (and my congregation) will forgive me for speaking when I should be listening, and for saying what I should have left unsaid.

I also pray that the Lord will find me a faithful shepherd. The writer to the Hebrews tells us that faithful ministers “watch for your souls, as they that must give account.” (Hebrews 13:17). The Apostle Paul told the Church leaders at Ephesus to “take heed to themselves and to the flock...for grievous wolves [would] enter in not sparing the flock.” (Acts 20:26-31).

God has not called me to be a political partisan--a democrat or a republican--but as Ambassador for Christ He has given me explicit instruction: (1.) To preach the Gospel of salvation through sanctification and belief of the truth (2 Thessalonians 2:13), (2.) to Warn the lost and the backsliders of God’s judgment--It is appointed unto man once to die, and after this the judgment. (Hebrews 9:27) and (3.) to “cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show my people their transgression.” (Isaiah 58:1).

Standing before the Judge of all the Earth, we will not be asked if we voted “Republican” or “Democrat.” All that will matter in that hour is that our hearts are pure from all sin, that our minds are fully persuaded that God’s Word is right and that God’s Will is best, and that our lives have been lived to the glory of God.

Standing against murder--at any age--is far more than a political position--it is a moral mandate!
Upholding Biblical marriage is more than a partisan statement, it is a righteous commitment.
Standing against greed is more than a political value, it is a Christian virtue.

America stands in desperate need of a moral awakening. Pray!

GO FORWARD - 40 YEARS OF "ALL THE BIBLE"

2012-01-26T08:22:00.000-08:00

With the January issue of FAITH IN THE FUTURE we mark the beginning of our 40th ANNIVERSARY as CRUSADERS CHURCH of the UNITED STATES of AMERICA.

CRUSADERS CHURCH was thrust into being when, despite the impassioned efforts of our Founder to warn the 1972 General Assembly of our mother Church against changing their doctrine on the permanence marriage, an irregular parliamentary ruling on the convention floor cut short discussion and within less than twenty minutes the delegates voted to alter the historic teaching of the church.

Writing for the Historical Statement of Crusaders Church, our Founder, Pastor Eugene Owen (Jack) Jones clarified why this change proved to be so pivotal: “When doctrinal changes forbade preaching the pure Word of God, particularly the teaching of Jesus concerning the permanence of marriage, conscience required another pulpit.”

The Pastor was explicitly warned that he could not preach to his congregation nor teach the young ministers in training that marriage was a life-long commitment, ratified by God, and indissolvable by the courts of man.

Pastor Jones explained in our Church’s historical Statement: “The issue was crucial, for it was a departure from Biblical theology and acceptance of philosophical theology. A difference was made between God’s ideal and man’s real with a resultant moral relativism that implied that God’s grace could not accomplish His perfect will in man. Men’s opinions thus took precedence over the Word of God and error was added to error.”

On Sunday morning, July 23, 1972, the heavy-hearted Pastor freely surrendered his credentials to officials of his denomination. Standing in his small church office at 2011 Brownfield Road, Urbana, Illinois, he was advised that if he ever desired to restore his credentials in the denomination of his birth he would be welcome. (He was literally born in the Chariton, Iowa parsonage.)

That Sunday, by prior agreement, Pastor Jones would preach his last two sermons in the church he had pastored for 10 years. The congregation had grown from 25 to well over 100 in attendance. The Spirit of the Lord was powerfully present in those final services. I remember the saints singing and shouting, the pastor preaching under the anointing of the Spirit, and an altar service crowned with God’s presence.

Tragically a few years ago that same church building was sold to Islamic fundamentalists to be used as a mosque and teaching center where Sharia law is promoted, and Christ is dishonored.

To the contemporary “emergent” Christians, all of this must seem strange, bordering on insane. They wonder:
Are we absolutely positive that the Scriptures accurately report what Christ said?

Can we trust His Word?
If the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments are unreliable--incomplete, errant, or selectively truthful--we are left to our own best lights to determine God’s will. From Eden onward, the enemy of man’s soul has first lured his victims with, “Hath God said?” (Genesis 3:1)

Can anyone be sure that the Lord Jesus meant what He said?
Can we spin this teaching? The lawyers of our day are no different from the lawyers in Jesus’ day. Word games, obscuration, and rhetorical ambiguities may entertain those who seek to justify themselves, but finally God’s Truth will prevail.

Jesus said to the lawyers of His day, “Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God... Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery.” (Luke 16:15,18)

Wasn’t this more of a divine ideal rather than a real necessity?

Isn’t intellectual agreement more important than practical follow-through? Both are necessary.

New Testament Christianity is holistic. The mind is renewed, the life is tranformed, and the heart is purified.

James tells us that “faith without works is dead.” (James 2:17) The Apostle Paul warned against those who, “profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.” (Titus 1:16)

Doesn’t redeeming grace justify our sins?

Don’t we all live in sin? The German martyr Dietrich Bonhoeffer was right, “Cheap grace is the deadly enemy of our church. ...Cheap grace means the justification of sin without the justification of the sinner. That is what we mean by cheap grace, the grace which amounts to the justification of sin without the justification of the repentant sinner who departs from sin and from whom sin departs.”

“How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein?” (Romans 6:2) the inspired Apostle asks. The answer is clear: we don’t!

Why can’t we all just get along?

Why would anyone part with a friend, suffer, or even die for an idea? We love everyone, but our first love is the ONE who said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6).

Forty years ago our Founder answered the objections of today’s emergents (a.k.a. compromisers):
Yes, God’s Word is accurate.
Yes, we are sure that Christ meant what He said.
Yes, God’s ideal should be and can be man’s real.
Yes, redeeming grace not only justifies sin, but it justifies (makes right) the sinner. And,
Yes, those who are committed to the One, are indeed one. And we will never surrender our allegiance to Him.

May God bless CRUSADERS and all God’s people, as we GO FORWARD!

Politics and the Pulpit

2012-01-20T19:31:00.000-08:00

SPIRITUAL ACCOUNTABILITY

2012-01-20T19:27:00.000-08:00

Here is one set of nearly two dozen questions similar to what John Wesley gave to members of his discipleship groups more than 200 years ago.

The questions have their origin in the spiritual accountability group started by Wesley when he was a student at Oxford — a group that detractors called "The Holy Club." The first list appeared about 1729 or 1730 in the preface to Wesley's second Oxford Diary. Similar questions appeared in his 1733 A Collection of Forms of Prayer for Every Day in the Week. As late as 1781, Wesley published a list of questions like this in the Arminian Magazine.

Am I consciously or unconsciously creating the impression that I am better than I really am? In other words, am I a hypocrite?
Do I confidentially pass on to others what has been said to me in confidence?
Can I be trusted?
Am I a slave to dress, friends, work or habits?
Am I self-conscious, self-pitying, or self-justifying?
Did the Bible live in me today?
Do I give the Bible time to speak to me every day?
Am I enjoying prayer?
When did I last speak to someone else of my faith? [ conversation starter questions ]
Do I pray about the money I spend?
Do I get to bed on time and get up on time?
Do I disobey God in anything?
Do I insist upon doing something about which my conscience is uneasy?
Am I defeated in any part of my life?
Am I jealous, impure, critical, irritable, touchy or distrustful?
How do I spend my spare time?
Am I proud?
Do I thank God that I am not as other people, especially as the Pharisees who despised the publican?
Is there anyone whom I fear, dislike, disown, criticize, hold a resentment toward or disregard? If so, what am I doing about it?
Do I grumble or complain constantly?
Is Christ real to me?

Susanna Wesley defines sin

"Take this rule: whatever weakens your reason, impairs the tenderness of your conscience, obscures your sense of God, or takes off your relish of spiritual things; in short, whatever increases the strength and authority of your body over your mind, that thing is sin to you, however innocent it may be in itself."
-- Susanna Wesley (Letter, June 8, 1725)

Here is another set of questions also developed by Wesley for use in Methodist class meetings and band meetings, which were small groups focused on accountability. Before joining these smaller groups, each member stated their willingness for the following questions to be asked of them at any time. These are hard hitting questions which are designed to be direct and straight to the point – no messing around here!

1. Have you the forgiveness of your sins?

2. Have you peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ?

3. Have you the witness of God’s Spirit with your spirit that you are a child of God?

4. Is the love of God shed abroad in your heart?

5. Has no sin, inward or outward, dominion over you?

6. Do you desire to be told of your faults?

7. Do you desire to be told of all your faults, and that plain and home?

8. Do you desire that every one of us should tell you from time to time whatsoever is in his heart concerning you?

9. Consider! Do you desire we should tell you whatsoever we think, whatsoever we fear, whatsoever we hear, concerning you?

10. Do you desire that in doing this we should come as close as possible, that we should cut to the quick, and search your heart to the bottom?

11. Is it your desire and design to be on this and all other occasions entirely open, so as to speak everything that is in your heart, without exception, without disguise, and without reserve?

Taken from The Works Of John Wesley, Volume 9 (The Methodist Societies History, Nature, and Design), Edited by Rupert E. Davies, Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1989, pp.77-78.

A NEW YEAR'S COVENANT RENEWAL By John Wesley

2012-01-01T05:25:00.000-08:00

THE INVITATION

Dearly beloved: the Christian life, to which we are called, is a life in Christ, redeemed from sin by Christ, and consecrated to God through Christ. We have entered upon this life, having been admitted into that new covenant of which our Lord Jesus Christ is mediator, and which Jesus sealed with his own blood, that it might stand forever.

On one side of the covenant is God’s promise to fulfill, in and through us, all that God declared in Jesus Christ, who is the author and perfecter of our faith. We are sure that this promise still stands, for we have known God’s goodness and proved God’s grace in our own lives day by day.

On the other side, we promise to live no more for ourselves, but for Christ, who loved us even to death. He called us to serve God so that the purposes of Christ’s coming would be fulfilled.

From time to time we renew our vows of consecration—especially when we gather at the Lord’s Table. But today we meet expressly, as generations of our ancestors have met, to joyfully and solemnly renew the covenant which bound them and binds us to God.

WORDS OF ASSURANCE

This is the message we have heard from Jesus and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. If we walk in the light, as God is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

*COVENANT HYMN Come, Let Us Use the Grace Divine No. 606

(Written by Charles Wesley in 1762 for Methodism’s Covenant Service)

Come, let us use the grace divine, and all with one accord,
In a perpetual covenant join ourselves to Christ the Lord;
Give up ourselves, through Jesus’ power, His Name to glorify;
And promise, in this sacred hour, for God to live and die.

The covenant we this moment make be ever kept in mind;
We will no more our God forsake, or cast these words behind.
We never will throw off the fear of God Who hears our vow;
And if Thou art well pleased to hear, come down and meet us now.

Thee, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, let all our hearts receive,
Present with Thy celestial host the peaceful answer give;
To each covenant the blood apply which takes our sins away,
And register our names on high and keep us to that day!

*THE COVENANT: And now, beloved, let us bind ourselves with willing bonds to our covenant God, and take the yoke of Christ upon us. This means that we are heartily content that Christ appoint us our place and work, and that Christ alone will be our reward.

Christ has many services to be done. Some are easy, others are difficult; some bring honor, others bring reproach; some are suitable to our natural inclinations and temporal interests, others are contrary to both. In some, we may please Christ and please ourselves; in others, we cannot please Christ except by denying ourselves. Yet the power to do all these things is assuredly given us in Christ, who strengthens us.

Let us engage our heart to the Lord, and resolve in God’s strength never to go back. Being thus prepared, let us now, in sincere dependence on God’s grace and trusting in God’s promises, yield ourselves anew to Christ.

THE COVENANT PRAYER

O Lord God, holy Father, who has called us through Christ to be partakers in this gracious covenant; we take upon ourselves with joy the yoke of obedience, and engage ourselves, for love of you, to seek to do your perfect will. We are no longer our own, but yours.

Here let the minister and the people unite in saying:

I am no longer my own, but yours. Put me to what you will, rank me with who you will; put me to doing, put me to suffering; let me be employed for you or laid aside for you; exalted for you or brought low for you; let me be full, let me be empty; let me have all things, let me have nothing; I freely and heartily yield all things to your pleasure and disposal.

And now, O glorious and blessed Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, you are mine and I am yours. So be it. And the covenant which I have made on Earth, let it be ratified in Heaven. Amen.

HE IS THE ALPHA AND OMEGA

2011-12-19T13:33:00.000-08:00

In 1994 my father preached this message at Faith Crusaders Church in Urbana, Illinois. Though he went to heaven in 2007, his words are yet inspiring.

"Who is He in yonder stall,

At whose feet the shepherds fall?

'Tis the Lord, O wondrous story!

'Tis the Lord, The King of Glory!

At His feet, we humbly fall,

Crown Him, Crown Him

Lord of All!"

Revelation 1:4-8.

"John to the seven church which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits (the Holy Spirit) which are before his throne; And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. Behold, he cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, which is to come, the Almighty."

"I am Alpha and Omega! It is as if He had said, "I am A to Z," for Alpha is the first, and Omega the last letter of the Greek alphabet. He is our everything.

If He is the A to Z, then He is the Second Adam. The first Adam forfeited our life; the second Adam reclaimed it for us. He is our Advocate, He is the Almighty God, the Everlasting Father, He is the Amen. He is the Apostle of our Profession, He is the Arm of the Lord, He is the Author and Finisher of our Faith, He is the Author of Eternal Salvation!

He is the Beginning of the Creation of God, the Beloved Son. He is the Blessed and only Potentate. He is the BRANCH. He is the Bread of Life.

He is the Captain of our Salvation, He is the Chief Shepherd, He is the Christ of God, He is the Consolation of Israel, He is the Chief Cornerstone, He is the Counselor, He is the Creator.

He is the Dayspring. He is the Deliverer, He is the Desired of All Nations. He is the Door!

He is the Elect of God, He is the Everlasting Father, He is the Faithful Witness, the First and the Last. He is the First Begotten, and He is the Forerunner that is entered within the veil.

He is the Glory of God, He is God Himself Incarnate, He is God Blessed forever. He is the Good Shepherd! He is the Governor. He is the Great High Priest.

He is the Head of the Church, the Heir of All Things. He is the Holy Child, He is the Holy One, the Holy One of God, the Holy One of Israel. He is the Horn of Our Salvation.

He is the Great I AM. He is the Image of God. He is Immanuel, God with us!

He is Jehovah, He is Jesus our Savior. He is Jesus of Nazareth, He is the Judge of Israel, He is the Just One.

He is the King, He is the King of the Ages, He is the King of the Jews. He is the King of all Kings, and the King of Saints!

He is the Lawgiver. He is the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world. He is our Leader, our Life. He is the Light of the World. He is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah and He is the Lord of All. He is the Lord of Glory. He is the Lord of Lords. He is the Lord our Righteousness.

He is a Man of Sorrows, and acquainted with grief. He is our Mediator. He is the Messenger of the Covenant, the Messiah. He is the Mighty God, He is the Mighty One. He is the bright and Morning Star.

He is The Nazarene.

He is the Only Begotten Son. He is our Passover.

He is the Prince of Kings. He is the Prince of life. He is the Prince of Peace, and He is our Prophet, Priest and King!

He is the Quencher of thirst for the Water of Life.

He is the Redeemer, the Resurrection and the Life. He is our Rock and our Salvation. He is the Root of David, and the Rose of Sharon.

He is our Savior. He is the Seed of the Woman spoken of in Genesis, and the great Shepherd and Bishop of our souls. He is the Son of the Blessed, the Son of David, the Son of God. He is the Son of Man. He is the Son of Righteousness.

He is the True Light. He is the True Vine. He is the TRUTH.

He is the Unleavened Bread that came down from Heaven.

He is the Vine of whom we are but branches.

He is the true Witness.

And I violate the spelling to say, He is the One who speaks from the more Xcellent Glory!

He is the Word of God, made manifest that we should behold His glory, as of the glory of the Father, full of grace and truth.

He is One who is Yea and Amen!

And what to do for a "Z"? Why He is Savior of Zacchaeus, and of all who have fallen into the depths and dregs of sin! Respectable sinners. Disreputable sinners. Jesus Christ is Savior of us all.

"Zacchaeus, come down. I am going to your house today!" Glorious invitation, and issued yet again: "Come down in repentance and faith! Jesus will go home with you today!"

TIDINGS OF COMFORT AND JOY

2011-12-04T05:03:00.000-08:00

“Merrrry Christmas!” The Town Crier lifted his voice above the chatter of villagers excitedly walking down the cobblestone streets of the 16^th century English village. It might have been Stratford. Or maybe it was Oxford. Perhaps it was Epworth. Actually it was probably all three, and in hundreds of other villages and towns scattered throughout Britain. Then the Crier began to sing:

“GOD rest ye merry Gentlemen,

LET NOTHING YOU DISMAY!

Remember CHRIST our SAVIOR, was born on Christmas day!

To SAVE US ALL from SATAN’S POWER,

When we were gone astray,

OH, TIDINGS OF COMFORT AND JOY!

COMFORT AND JOY!

OH, TIDINGS OF COMFORT AND JOY!”

As I was asking the LORD for direction at this Christmas Season, I was captured by two words of the carol—COMFORT and JOY! I thought how illusory and temporary is the comfort of this world.

Jesus himself emphasized the difference between that which the world offers, and what He would bring. In speaking of PEACE, Jesus said, “my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:27).

The only PEACE that the world knows is the peace that is imposed by the threat or the actual use of external force. But THE PEACE THAT IS FROM ABOVE is imparted by GOD to HIS People. The prophet declares, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee, because he trusteth in Thee.” (Isaiah 26:30)

The only COMFORT that the world knows is the comfort that comes from those around us. I have often been amazed at the silly words people offer to those who are grieving. I’ve stood at the side of the departed and listened as friends have consoled themselves saying, “she has her angel wings now.” I have no idea where this idea came from, but it certainly wasn’t God’s Word.

The COMFORT that comes from GOD the FATHER, GOD the SON, and GOD the HOLY SPIRIT is based on the infallible, immutable, Promises of GOD’S WORD. Our source is the all-knowing, all-powerful, ever-present GOD who is the CREATOR of the universe. Our security is in the CHRIST who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity. Our assurance comes from the HOLY GHOST who “bears witness with our spirits,” “intercedes for us with groanings which cannot be uttered,” and sanctifies the hearts of the redeemed.

The only LOVE that the world knows is sensual (physical) and temporal. Too often what the world calls love is actually only infatuation. The LOVE that comes from Heaven is LOYAL, SPIRITUAL, and ETERNAL! The Scriptures tell us that this love is longsuffering, always kind, never envious, and does not push itself forward in pride. The LOVE that GOD imparts,

Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own,

is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

Charity never faileth: (1 Corinthians 13)

The PEACE, the COMFORT, the LOVE of GOD are all so different from that of this world.

Even the GODLY SORROW is different from the SORROW of this world. When the world is sorrowful over their misdeeds, they are just sorry they were caught. But GODLY SORROW, the Bible tells us, WORKS REPENTANCE! That means that GODLY SORROW brings us to the point of sincere repentance. We are not only sorrow for our sins, we are sorry enough that we will, with God’s help, turn from them! All of them!

And there is this truth. THE JOY OF THE LORD is totally different from the HAPPINESS of this world. The world’s happiness depends on happenings or circumstances. They are happy when they get a new car. They are happy when people applaud them. They are happy when they sit down to a delicious meal. But when the car is wrecked, when the crowds are gone, and when the meal is finished, then what?

GODLY JOY is centered in CHRIST. Jesus encouraged His disciples, “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.” (John 15:11-14)

That’s why CHRISTIANS can take joy even amidst trials and tribulations—they know that their joy is not based on the things of this earth.

My daughter recently checked out an Apple I-pad from her school library. As we launched “Google Earth” a program that will literally take you around the world, we looked for the Colosseum in Rome. It was so amazing to see that screen travel around the world to Italy, then close in on Rome, and finally take us to the Colosseum. As we looked, I told Tressa about the Christians who died there as thousands of Romans jeered in the stands. I told her how that parents were forced to watch their children thrown to the lions, how husbands would watch their wives eaten by the ravenous beasts, and how that finally the men would be tortured and killed.

As we talked about those ominous days, days when thousands were martyred for their faith in Christ, I was reminded again of our Savior who “for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the Father.” (Hebrews 12:2).

Ah this is a joy that is, as the Apostle Peter tells us, “joy unspeakable, and full of glory!” (1 Peter 1:8).

Dear readers, at this season, do not forget:

OUR COMFORT,

OUR PEACE,

OUR LOVE, and

OUR JOY

are found in the SAVIOR who was born of the virgin in the City of David! Now that is what I call, “Tidings of comfort and joy!”

ONE NATION UNDER GOD?

2011-11-04T20:49:00.000-07:00

Standing and placing our right hand over our heart we face the American flag to respectfully pledge our allegiance to “…one nation under God.” But I’m wondering—are we?

ARE WE “ONE NATION?”

Are we one in purpose? Do we love one another as Christ’s teaching commands, or do we detest each other?

Discord and distrust are on the rise. We call ourselves the “United States,” but increasingly we are the “Divided States of America.”

Immigrants from every part of the globe once streamed into our nation thrilled with the possibility of embracing the American way of life. United by a common faith, a shared culture, a profound respect for liberty, and a deep respect for our great civilization, we became Americans. Out of many, we became one.

But today the gate-keepers of our nation—our national leaders, our educators, and our media both news and entertainment—are trashing Western Civilization as a grotesque blunder. For them liberty is illusory, culture is considered provincial, morality is a matter of personal preference, and faith is devalued as myth (embracing Karl Marx, the father of Communism, they see religion as the opiate of the masses).

The divide couldn’t be more pronounced. One writer laments:

“Half of America views abortion as the killing of the unborn, meriting the wrath of God. The other half regards right-to-life as a reactionary movement and repressive ideology… Advocates of gay marriage see adversaries as homophobic bigots; opponents see advocates as seeking to elevate unnatural acts to the moral and legal status of sacred matrimony…Christmas and Easter, the holy days of Christendom, once united us in joy. Now we fight over whether they may be mentioned in public schools.” The Suicide of a Superpower, p.3

Cynicism has produced skepticism. Skepticism has morphed into disbelief. And disbelief will ultimately destroy us. G. K. Chesterton is right, “When we cease to worship God, we do not then worship nothing, we worship anything.”

ARE WE “UNDER GOD?”

Certainly the courtroom antics of atheists and the classroom efforts of secularists have convinced large numbers of Americans that the wall of separation between the church and the state should insulate the state from the influence of the moral precepts of our Judeo-Christian heritage.

We have been told that the surest way to guarantee liberty is to remove God from our national psyche. Without the constraints of Divine law and the knowledge that God will bring every work into judgment, we will finally be truly free.
But liberty is not the absence of law. Liberty is a blessing secured by adherence to the Law of God as revealed in the Holy Bible.

For example:

Our freedom to live is secured when people observe God’s commandment, “Thou shalt not kill.”

Our freedom to know what is true is secured when people obey the commandment, “Thou shalt not lie.”

Our freedom to own personal property is guaranteed when those around us honor the commandment, “Thou shalt not steal.”

We need God. We need to be a nation “under God.” President Reagan once quipped, “We will either be one nation under God, or we will be one nation gone under.”

Some have tried to redefine God as any higher power we can imagine. But just as the Bible is of no private interpretation—it means what it says not just what we think it says, so the living God is not what we suppose Him to be—He is who He is!

The comedian and atheist Bill Maher taunted Christian believers at the Oscars ceremony in 2009 saying, “our silly gods cost the world too greatly.”

Maher is “absolutely right,” shot back Rod Dreher, “our silly gods have cost the world too greatly.

"The god of hedonism [pleasure] and sexual indulgence…has given us a world of broken marriages, shattered families, the destruction of the traditional family, miserable deaths from AIDS, epidemic teen pregnancy, fatherless children, and the social (even criminal) dysfunction that accompanies such, and a younger generation unmoored from sexual sanity.
The god of money, which rules Wall Street and Washington, has delivered the world to a present and future calamity that will cause suffering not seen in at least a century.

…The truth is not that God has failed us, but that we have failed Him!”

These days it is not hard to see that our nation is heading the wrong direction. Morally, politically, financially, socially, physically, and certainly spiritually we are a nation at risk.

Yet I am convinced that if we were again “…One nation under God,” we would not only find solutions to the perplexing problems of our day, but we could once again be “the city set upon a hill, that cannot be hid!”

When a nation is in decline the citizens lament, “what can I do? I am only one.” When the nation falls they confess, “I could have done my part!”

HERE IS WHAT WE CAN DO!

1. Faithfully Pray! Pray without ceasing. Pray specifically—for ourselves, our families, our churches, our communities, our leaders. Pray that the lost will be saved, that backsliders will be reclaimed, and that Christians will be Pray that the wrong will fail and that the right will prevail! Actually, we need men and women who will fast and pray. These are critical days.

2. Embrace the Truth! Jesus said that “the truth shall set you free.” We need to know God’s Truth as revealed in His Word. That will only happen as we set aside time every day to read and meditate and study the infallible, inerrant Bible.
We need to know the truth about our times. We need to know the truth about our Churches. We need to know the truth about ourselves.

3. Live Righteous Lives. We need men and women who will commit themselves to Christ so that they will think right, do right, and be right. Unless God’s people will purposefully separate themselves from the world, the flesh, and the devil, and determine to be “salt and light” in this wicked and perverse generation, we will continue slouching towards Gomorrah! Virtue is the need of this late hour. Run from sin, avoid the appearance of evil, and follow in the footsteps of Christ.

4. Pursue Holiness. The Bible says “without holiness no man shall see the Lord.” Only “the pure in heart” will see God. Only “the pure in heart” will bring forth “fruit unto holiness.” It is time for God’s people to stop rationalizing their disobedience and rebellion to God and begin actualizing their love for God by surrendering wholly to Him.

5. Work & Witness. Faith and works are inseparable. When we believe God we honor His Word and His Will. Like our Lord Jesus we will be “moved with compassion” when we see those in need. We will share our testimonies, share our blessings, and share life together.

If God’s people across our nation would make these five commitments our nation may escape God’s final judgment. When the very existence of Israel hung in the balance, the Prophet Daniel prayed a prayer we would do well to repeat: (See Daniel 9)

4 O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments; 5 We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments: 6 Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, which spake in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.

7 O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, that are near, and that are far off, through all the countries whither thou hast driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against thee. …9 To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him…

13 As it is written in the law of Moses, all this evil is come upon us: yet made we not our prayer before the Lord our God, that we might turn from our iniquities, and understand thy truth. 14 Therefore hath the Lord watched upon the evil, and brought it upon us: for the Lord our God is righteous in all his works which he doeth: for we obeyed not his voice…
17 Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his supplications, and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord's sake… 19 O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for thine own sake, O my God: for thy city and thy people are called by thy name.

28 YEARS OF GOSPEL MINISTRY

2011-10-12T23:09:00.000-07:00

This Sunday, June 5, will mark my 28^th Anniversary in the ministry. After completing a degree in Business Administration at the University of Illinois in 1980, I graduated from CHRIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY on the last Sunday of May 1983.

The very next day I reported for work as a full-time associate Pastor at Crusaders Church in Urbana, Illinois. My great Father was the Senior Pastor and my boss. (Truthfully that was no different than the day before!) Because I had the privilege of growing up in the parsonage and have always enjoyed the work of the Lord, I loved my new assignment.

Our Sunday School Bus ministry grew to average over 300 riders on 7 routes. Our record attendance shot above 800. We began a Saturday Afternoon Bible Club that grew to nearly 50. We started a ministry in the Illinois Department of Corrections Facility near the church. We edited and expanded FAITH IN THE FUTURE, our monthly publication read by over 2,000 families in 30 states. We began a radio ministry called THE CRUSADERS PULPIT that was aired on 4 radio stations and heard internationally in Latin America. We went Door to Door calling every week, preached outdoors on the campus of the University of Illinois, and organized Open Forum Ministries at the University of Illinois, Purdue University in Lafayette, IN, and at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, IL. We met with the Teens on Fridays. I taught at KINGSWOOD SCHOOL, a K-12 Christian School led by my Brother Marsh. I helped my brother with the Citizens For Decency, a grassroots effort against pornography, and then was co-founder of the Coalition for Traditional Values in Champaign County. Those were great days.

In 1996 my new bride and I (Vickie and I were married on June 21 of that year), moved to St. Louis to launch a Crusaders Church in St. Louis. We called the new church FAITH COMMUNITY CHURCH. Our first Sunday, September 15, we were thrilled when 27 from St. Louis attended services in the Knights of Columbus Hall on Adie Road in St. Ann, MO.

From that humble beginning, FCC has grown into a thriving ministry touching hundreds of souls each week with the message of full salvation. Often we have to go where the people are, but that’s our calling! There are people in heaven today because FCC reached them with the Gospel. The Gospel Truth is preached in love without compromise. Our altars are not barren. Those hungry for salvation, seeking sanctification, and longing for God’s touch have prayed their way through to victory here. Young people have met, couples have married, and children have been born and dedicated to the Lord. Time and time again the family of God known as FCC has reached out to help one another.

We are strategically located along a major St. Louis thoroughfare (25,000 cars pass our church each day), on 2 acres of land with a lovely colonial building that seats 250 and has nearly 100 parking spaces. Our congregation is growing. Our record attendance of 282 will not stand long. The Lord has provided for our financial needs. We have a mortgage of just under $550,000 on this great 11,700 square foot building. And though we seldom have had any extra, we have had enough, month after month. PRAISE GOD!

I’ve taken this trip down memory lane for a reason:

I WANT TO PRAISE GOD FROM WHOM ALL BLESSINGS FLOW!

I WANT TO GIVE GOD ALL THE GLORY FOR HELPING ME FULFILL MY CALLING. Looking back over the past 28 years I’ve said so many stupid things, acted without thinking, and been distracted when I should have been paying attention, that I am absolutely sure that any good that’s been accomplished has been because GOD IS FAITHFUL!

I WANT TO THANK GOD FOR HIS SAVING AND SANCTIFYING GRACE! Though I have failed, He has never failed. Hallelujah! I’m so glad that Mercy’s door is wide open. I like the Apostle’s creed, “Forgetting the things which are behind, and reaching forth to the things that are before, I press toward the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus!” In Jesus’ name we press on!

I WANT TO THANK GOD FOR HIS GOOD PEOPLE WHO HAVE STOOD WITH ME! Without the prayers and support and help of God’s people no minister can persist. You have loved, cared, given, supported, lifted, encouraged, and been there when the burdens were greatest. You have prayed for me. I will be eternally grateful for God’s good people.

I WANT TO PRAISE THE LORD FOR A WONDERFUL WIFE AND A LOVING FAMILY. Many a minister has been discouraged from the work of the Lord by a critical and unwilling wife. I have been blessed with a loving, supportive, and faithful wife. She and her family have been a great blessing throughout these 28 years. And Tressa, our precious girl, is growing in grace. I am so thankful that she is saved and seeking to do God’s will.

I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I FULLY EXPECT THAT OUR JOB WILL GET TOUGHER BUT THAT GOD’S GRACE WILL ALWAYS BE SUFFICIENT! He has never failed us! Though professing Christian pretenders are preaching “another Gospel” that is not pure—GOD’S WORD WILL NOT FAIL! Though the church world is filled with compromise with the flesh, accommodation with the world, and the deceptions of the devil—GOD’S TRUTH IS MARCHING ON! Though wicked men will grow worse and worse, though evil men will try to strangle God’s messengers, and though the enemy will incite fierce persecution against us—WE WILL NOT BEND, WE WILL NOT BOW, AND LIKE THE HEBREW CHILDREN, WE WILL NOT BURN!

As the 87 year old John Wesley lay dying in London, surrounded by his friends and family, he rallied one last time and proclaimed in an unusually strong voice, “BEST OF ALL GOD IS WITH US!” Praise God! FINALLY I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT OUR FAITH IN THE FUTURE IS NOT FOUNDED ON THE EMPTY PROMISES OF MEN, BUT ON HIM WHO GAVE US THE EMPTY TOMB! We rejoice that indeed the wrong will fail, and the right will prevail! GOD IS WITH US.

Crowns and thrones may perish, kingdoms rise and wane,

But the church of Jesus constant will remain.

Gates of hell can never ‘gainst that church prevail;

We have Christ's own promise, that can never fail.

OH LORD, HOW LONG?

2011-10-04T20:13:00.000-07:00

Until 9/11 America seemed impregnable. No longer.

Who could have imagined that Islamic Jihadists huddled in an Afghan cave, could have been so successful at shattering our sense of safety, and challenging our world-class military complex?

Peggy Noonan writes in today’s Wall Street Journal, “It marked the end of ‘we are protected,’ and the beginning of something else.”

It was a wake-up call that should have driven our nation to her knees in prayer to the God of our Fathers—but tolerance, now our foremost virtue, demanded we pray to the God of the Bible, and to the Great Spirit, and to the deities of the Hindus, and to the god’s of our own making, and even to Allah—the God who supposedly ordered this attack. Church attendance climbed for a few weeks after the attack, but it wasn’t long until football, fun-times, and family outings, were again our Sunday priorities.

It was a wake-up call that should have awakened us to our moral deficits—but we are more concerned with fiscal woes and government spending deficits. Immorality and irresponsibility are expensive. We must somehow find the funds to continue the party.

When a few ministers suggested that America’s immorality—abortion, sodomy, the breakup of the family, and unbridled greed—had lifted God’s hand of protection from our nation, they were quickly scorned into retractions.

It was a wake-up call that should have strengthened the resolve of America’s 350,000 ministers to call our nation to repentance, moral rectitude, and Biblical truth—but tragically there are fewer Men of God, who will prophetically and unapologetically stand for Scriptural holiness and righteousness. On a per capita basis there are fewer than at any other time in our nation’s history. (Barna)

It was a wake-up call that should have, and could have, been the beginning of a national revival of Scriptural Christianity, but it was not.

The attack of 9/11 was not a wake up call. But that’s not all!

The hurricanes were not.

The earthquakes were not.

The sunamis were not.

The tornadoes were not.

The fires were not.

The epidemics were not.

The great recession was not.

It seems that nothing will drive us to repent.

How long then should we continue to preach the truth of God’s Word?

How long then should we persist in our efforts to reach the lost of this nation?

How long then should we open the doors of our churches for services? (If they will not come should we keep opening the doors, turning on the lights, and preaching to empty pews?)

It was a question that Isaiah asked in His day. And the answer God gave him is our answer to the question.

“Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate, And the Lord have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land.” Isaiah 6:11,12.

WHEN THE CAPTAIN TURNS THE "FASTEN YOUR SEATBELT" SIGN ON

2011-10-04T20:09:00.000-07:00

With all the troubles in our world, our nation, and in the churches today, I sometimes feel like I'm on an airplane going through the ups and downs and turns of severe turbulence. As I was thinking about our plight, it occurred to me that if we were actually flying, the captain of the plane would be turning on the FASTEN YOUR SEATBELT sign right about now.

I got really excited about preaching an original sermon, "WHEN THE CAPTAIN TURNS ON THE 'FASTEN YOUR SEATBELT' sign. Then I was more than a bit deflated to Google that title and discover that several other preachers had beat me to the punch. Oh well. Wasn't it Solomon who said, "There's nothing new under the sun."

Yet the concept is still something worth considering. And it seems to that Psalm 37 was written to passengers facing circumstances like we are facing.

FRET NOT thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.

TRUST IN THE LORD AND DO GOOD so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed...

DELIGHT THYSELF IN THE LORD and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

COMMIT THY WAY UNTO THE LORD; TRUST also in him; and he shall bring it to pass...

REST IN THE LORD and wait patiently for him: ...

CEASE FROM ANGER and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil...

The STEPS OF A GOOD MAN ARE ORDERED by the LORD; and he delighteth in his way.

Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand...

WAIT ON THE LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: ...

Remember the story of the lad who was a passenger on a plane heading into turbulence. The older passenger seated next to him was anxious and fearful, while the lad was calm and assured. When finally the older man asked why the lad was so confident the boy replied, "THE PILOT IS MY DAD!"

What a great comfort and joy it is know that we can trust the Pilot of our Souls! Nothing we face will come as a surprise to Him. No question we face is greater than His wisdom. No enemy we face is stronger than His power.

Actually the only question we must answer is this: Will we let HIM be our pilot? Those who take the controls into their own hands are destined to defeat and destruction. Those who yield to Him, will testify,

I have found a deep peace that I never had known
And a joy this world could not afford -
Since I yielded control of my body and soul
To my wonderful, wonderful Lord.

ChorusMy wonderful Lord, my wonderful LordBy angels and seraphs in Heaven adored!I know Thou art mine, my Savior divineMy wonderful, wonderful Lord.

I desire that my life shall be ordered by Thee
That my will be in perfect accord -
With Thine own sov'reign will
Thy desires to fulfill

All the talents I have I have laid at Thy Feet
Thy approval shall be my reward.
Be my store great or small
I surrender it all
To my wonderful, wonderful Lord.

PASTOR RICK JONES
FAITH COMMUNITY CHURCH of ST. LOUIS - CRUSADERS CHURCH USA2969 N. Lindbergh Blvd, St. Ann, MO 63047
Tel. (314) 298-5840; Cell. (314) 607-1424

E-mail: PastorRick@FCCToday.org
Web Page: www.FCCToday.org
Blog: www.PastorRickJones.blogspot.com

7 MAXIMS YOU SHOULDN'T LIVE BY

2011-10-04T19:45:00.000-07:00

The songwriter declared, "Like a mighty Army moves the Church of God!" But in too many quarters, the Church today is not mighty, it is not an Army, and we are not moving anywhere but backwards.

It is our conviction that so long so long as we are retreating from our Biblical mandate and pursuing after cultural relevance, rather than Spiritual excellence, we will never be the Church prevailing against the gates of hell. We need a Gideon's band, a select force chosen by God and choosing God, who will take up the Cross and battle for the right.

In our series of messages ONWARD CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS we are urging God's people to put on the whole armor of God. It was not by accident that the Lord inspired the Apostle to urge God's people to first put on the belt of Truth. Like wars between nations, in the war between Christ and satan, truth is often the first casualty.

We live our lives by "Maxims"--concise statements of what we think are basic truths, or laws of life. Some are true. For example: "Don't count your chickens before they hatch," "Deeds speak louder than words," and "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder."

BUT THE TRAGEDY OF OUR TIMES IS THAT SO MANY ARE FOLLOWING MAXIMS WE SHOULDN'T LIVE BY. Here are 7:

1. BELIEVE IN YOURSELF.
I like the way G. K. Chesterton reacted to this popular maxim. "Thoroughly worldly people never understand even the world; they rely altogether on a few cynical maxims which are not true. Once I remember walking with a prosperous publisher who made a remark which I had often heard before; it is indeed a motto of the modern world. Yet I had heard it once too often, and I saw suddenly that there was nothing in it. The publisher said, “That man will get on (be successful); he believes in himself. …”Shall I tell you where the men are who believe most in themselves? Asylums are filled with men who truly believe in themselves... If you consulted your business experience rather than your ugly individualistic philosophy you would know that believing in yourself is one of the commonest signs of a rotter." ORTHODOXY 1908.

How sad that people are convinced to believe in their frail, carnal, wicked selves, rather than in the One who can justify, sanctify, and empower us to be "more than conquerors!"

2. YOU CAN'T LEGISLATE MORALITY
Oh really? Every law is an expression of moral principal.

God Himself certainly thought that morality could be specifically legislated, “Thou shalt have no other Gods before me.”

You cannot legislate compliance with the law, but you can legislate morality. History proves that civilizations that align themselves with God's law will prosper. Those who refuse God's Law, are actually refusing God himself.

The reason men hate God's law is that they are carnal. But the blood of Christ is not only sufficient to wash away the guilt of sin, but to "cleanse us from all unrighteousness," and sanctify the rebel out of our hearts.

3. IF IT FEELS GOOD, DO IT!
We have brought this maxim to bear on everything from how we treat one another, to what we do recreationally, to how we express ourselves sexually.

Underlying this maxim is the assumption that feelings, not facts, are the arbiter of right and wrong.

When feeling is the foundation for moral principle, then the person who says “I feel that it is wrong for a man to marry 7 wives,” is no more wrong than the man who says “I feel like marrying a man.”

4. GOD WANTS ME TO BE HAPPY!
Here is a partial truth that has led many into terrible tragedy. When Jesus taught us how to Be Happy HE gave us the Beattitudes: Mt 5:3-12

3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called sons of God.
10 Blessed are they that have been persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 Blessed are ye when (men) shall reproach you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets that were before you.
You will note that this does say you will be happy by doing your will, having everything your way, or doing what feels right at the moment.

Happiness is inextricable from Holiness!

5. ALL ROADS LEAD TO HEAVEN (ALL RELIGIONS ARE THE SAME)
What fallacy. There is a world of difference between religions that urge their followers to board planes, slash the throats of pilots, and slam aircraft into skyscrapers, and the religion of the One who said, "love your enemies." There is a vast difference between a religion that teaches a mother to toss her infant into the Ganges River, and one that is led by Him who said, "Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not."

In our day, sincerity trumps veracity. Sadly many are sincere, but they are sincerely wrong.

Those say that their religious views seem right, would do well to remember the Scripture, "there is a way that seems right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death."

6.BECAUSE GOD LOVES ME -- HE WOULD NEVER SEND ME TO HELL
It is a wonderful truth! "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son..."

But the fact of God's unconditional love for us, is not what determines our eternal destiny. If God's love was all that mattered, then all would go to heaven! God loves the world. God is not willing that any should perish. etc.

What determines our destiny is our love for God.

People get all excited talking about God's unconditional love for them. But when we talk about God's requirement that we love Him unconditionally, and they are not so enthusiastic.

Unless we love Him without reservation He cannot welcome us into the Holy City. Everyone in heaven does the will of God, all the time.

7. I'M FREE TO CHOOSE!
Indeed God has made us free moral agents. We can choose whether or not we will serve Him. But we are not free to choose the outcome of our choice.

We are kidding ourselves if we believe that we are free to live our lives as we choose and then free to choose our destiny. The inspired Apostle Paul wrote:

Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
Galatians 6:7-8 KJV

So DON'T BELIEVE IN YOURSELF... BELIEVE IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST!

DON'T RUN FROM GOD'S LAW... SEEK TO KNOW AND FOLLOW GOD'S LAW! It's perfect.

DON'T DO WHAT FEELS GOOD... DO WHAT IS GOOD!

DON'T SEEK AFTER HAPPINESS... PURSUE AFTER HOLINESS!

DON'T MISTAKE SINCERITY FOR VERACITY... SEEK TO KNOW HIM WHO IS "THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE!"

DON'T REST IN GOD'S UNCONDITIONAL LOVE FOR YOU ...GIVE HIM YOUR UNCONDITIONAL LOVE!

And DON'T BE DECEIVED INTO THINKING THAT YOU WILL ESCAPE THE LAW OF SOWING AND REAPING.

Onward Christian Soldiers!

PASTOR RICK JONES
FAITH COMMUNITY CHURCH - A CRUSADERS CHURCH OF AMERICA
2969 N. Lindbergh Blvd, St. Ann, MO 63074
Cell Phone (314) 607-1424
Facebook: Pastor Rick Jones (I would love to be your friend!)
Blog: www.PastorRickJones.blogspot.com
Web: www.FCCToday.org

Preaching Services: Sundays 11:00 AM & 6:30 PM

WAR A GOOD WARFARE

2011-08-22T12:50:00.000-07:00

Nearly everyday I hear from Pastors and Christian leaders who are discouraged, disheartened, and disillusioned by the cultural and moral disintegration we are watching around us. Prophets and pundits agree--the Church of Jesus Christ and the civilization built upon the Christian ethic is under an all out assault by the world, the flesh, and devil. But what are we to do at a time like this?

It is our abiding conviction that as the Church has lost her confidence in the Truth of God's Word--written and incarnate, and as the Church has sought after the Spirit of the Age rather than the Spirit of the Ages—that Holy Spirit of the Living God, she has been rendered incompetent and incapable of meeting the challenge of this hour.

Some have suggested that the Church should surrender some or most of the territory she once claimed for Christ. Others have called for the Church to retreat into support groups. Most have been so intimidated by the onslaught that they have decided to do nothing.

There is a way forward! There is a way for the Church to regain her footing, engage the enemy, and prevail against the gates of hell.

Rather than thinking of the Church as a social club, or a support group, or a political organization, or the greatest show on earth, we must be THE CHURCH MILITANT! Ours is a holy Crusade for Christ. (Not a “CRU” but a CRUSADE FOR CHRIST).

Think of the hymns we sang when the Church was claiming territory for Christ:

ONWARD CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS

A MIGHTY FORTRESS IS OUR GOD

AM I A SOLDIER OF THE CROSS?

I’LL BE A SOLDIER FOR JESUS

THE FIGHT IS ON

SOLDIERS OF IMMANUEL

STAND UP FOR JESUS

SOLDIERS OF CHRIST ARISE

How different from the hymns of this namby pamby, sissified, effete form of godliness that presents itself as the Church today. No fight. No blood. No victory.

The inspired Apostle Paul urged Timothy, “WAR A GOOD WARFARE!” Tragically the modern church has lost her fight—and that’s why we’re losing the battle.

IF THE CHURCH MILITANT IS TO ENGAGE AND PREVAIL in this battle for souls, we need enlistments who will 1) Accept the discipline, 2) Put on the uniform, 3) March to the distinct sound of heaven, 4) Engage the enemy together, and 5) Protect the flag, at any and all costs.

1. ACCEPT THE DISCIPLINE!

“Oh Sergeant, that’s so legalistic!” One can only imagine the fate of a Marine enlistment who blurted out such a complaint to his drill sergeant. Yet today most of those in the Church refuse to accept the disciplines of Christ. Some are so adroit at explaining away their lack of discipline they have made a virtue out of lawlessness. “Sin boldly that grace may abound.” How tragic.
It’s no wonder the world refuses righteousness—the professing Church herself absolutely will not yield to the law, the disciplines of Godliness. We’re not calling for legalism, we’re calling for legality! All who love God love God’s law. If we do not love God’s law, we do not love God.

We simply cannot prevail so long as everyone is doing what is right in their own eyes. WE NEED DISCIPLINE.

2. PUT ON THE UNIFORM!

“Commander, do I have to wear that? I feel more comfortable in my street clothes," the recruit complains.

Refusing to wear the uniform is grounds for expulsion from the armed forces. Inattention to the details of the uniform is grounds for discipline.
Just as soldiers wear the uniform that is proper and appropriate for their unit, we who are a part of the CHURCH MILITANT must wear what God’s Word directs. It must be gender specific ( “A man shall not wear that which pertains unto a woman, and a woman shall not wear that which pertains to a man”), it must be modest (“with modest apparel”), and it must not engender pride (“not with gold, or pearls, or costly array”).

One of the great joys of God’s people is to wear the uniform that God Himself has prescribed! I love to be identified as a soldier of the Cross. God’s people look different, smell different, act different, and sound different from the world. HALLELUJAH! WE ARE DIFFERENT!

3. MARCH TO THE BEAT OF ANOTHER DRUMMER

The Church Militant will never prevail so long as we are marching to the sensual, carnal, beat of the night-club. Our music should be as distinct from the world as the light is from night. We are children of the Light!

Why is it that Churches don’t want to look like churches, sound like churches, or act like churches? Maybe it’s because their cushioned chairs are filled with people who aren’t churches.

My father used to tell the story of the little guy who gave his heart to Jesus on Sunday and went to school the next week. When his friends tried to get him to join them in doing something wrong he stood up and said, “Oh I can’t do that, I’m a church!

You know the word “Church” means “called out ones.” The reason so many don’t want to look, and sound, and act “called out,” is because they have not been “called out!”

Whoever it was that convinced us that to gain adherents, and to advance the cause of holiness and righteousness, we needed to look and sound like the world, has surely made a mockery of the professing Church. Compromise with the world and the flesh and the devil never has, and never will grow the Church.

4. ENGAGE THE ENEMY TOGETHER!

In his soon to be released book, WHAT IS IT LIKE TO GO TO WAR,” award winning Marine Karl Marlantes writes of the transcendent force of “WE” on the battlefield. He wrote of a key battle fought on a hill in Vietnam. Under fierce assault from the North Vietnamese, Lieutenant Marlantes and his forces called for a helicopter to assist. The chopper crashed in a hail of enemy fire. He writes,

“Knowing for sure that the chopper crew were dead for sure if we didn’t break through to them, we simply rushed forward to reach them before the NVA [North Vietnamese Army] killed them. No one gave an order. We, the group, just rushed forward all at once. We couldn’t be stopped. Just individuals among us were stopped. Many forever. But we couldn’t be. This too, is a form of transcendence. I was we, no longer me.”

As I read the account a rush of emotion flooded my heart. I couldn’t help but think how great it would be if the Church Militant could act so today. In His High Priestly prayer Jesus prayed for us, “Sanctify them…I in them, and thou in me that they, that they may be made perfect in one.” (John 17:17ff).
If the “I” of self-interest, self-promotion, and self-will, would be sanctified out of our hearts—If we would abandon our plans, our ambitions, our wishes, for the cause of Christ—then we would unleash a purifying, and sanctifying force like no other known to man.

5. FINALLY, PROTECT THE FLAG AT ANY AND ALL COSTS

For generations Americans have been inspired by the photograph of American marines raising Old Glory at Iwo Jima. Warriors know that when the flag is raised, it is a declaration of victory for all to see. This territory has been won.

Too often the only flag the professing Church has been raising is the white flag of surrender. We have surrendered our faith in the infallible inspired Word of God. We have surrendered our Lord’s teaching on the permanence of marriage—“For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife,…what therefore God has joined together let not man put asunder.” (Mark 10:7ff). We have surrendered up heart holiness. We have surrendered up the holy life.

Surrender has left us powerless, purposeless, and people-less!

It is high time that the Church Militant rise up to champion the cause of Christ! It is time that the Church militant face the enemy squarely, and boldly stand for righteousness and holiness.

CONCLUSION:

The Apostle Paul gave his son in the Gospel “A Charge to Keep!” “War a good warfare!” he urged. Let the Church be the Church! If we will, We have Christ’s promise, “The gates of Hell will not prevail against us.”

A charge to keep I have,

A God to glorify,

A never-dying soul to save,
And fit it for the sky.

To serve the present age,
My calling to fulfill:
O may it all my powers engage
To do my Master’s will!

Arm me with jealous care,
As in Thy sight to live;
And O Thy servant, Lord, prepare
A strict account to give!

Help me to watch and pray,

And on Thyself rely,

Assured, if I my trust betray,

I shall for ever die.

Charles Wesley

OUR CONFIDENCE

2011-06-06T13:03:00.000-07:00

Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. Hebrews 10:35

Two out of every three Americans believe our nation is on the wrong track. And it is.

Tragically only a few seem to understand why.

Some point to our economic malaise. Others argue that the political system, or more specifically the politicians in that system, should shoulder the blame. There are those who believe that it is the fault of the media and the press. A few critics accuse our faltering schools. And a growing number of observers see the breakdown of the family as our greatest challenge.

Yet it is our conviction that all of these are only evidences, or symptoms that our nation is heading the wrong way. The cause is deeper.

We have thrown trillions of dollars at our problems. We have expended thousands of hours in speech-making and politicking. We have tried to legislate and educate to liberate ourselves out of this morass. And yet we are still heading the wrong direction. Things are not getting better.

Even more serious than our economic deficit is our nation’s moral deficit.

Precise definition is critical at this juncture. It is private morality, or more actually immorality, that is at the heart of our problem.

It is easy to demagogue the decline of morality by citing corporate fraud, governmental misappropriation, or societal injustice. Everyone agrees that these instances of public immorality are wrong.

But it is hard to judge ourselves.

If we judge ourselves according to the lives of those around us, we succumb to what former U. S. Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan called, “defining deviancy down.” Our over-exposure to the evil in those around us has numbed our moral sense. We rationalize, “I may be bad, but I’m not that bad."

On the other hand, if we judge truthfully so many of us fall short of the mark that we find ourselves unwilling to point an accusing finger at others, for fear that our own sin might be found out. We’re afraid that we will be judged by the same standard. We know that we will be found wanting. We even have an out of context Bible verse to justify our amoral stance, “Judge not that ye be not judged!”

Yet until the Americans in America get themselves on the right track, the nation will continue what Robert Bork calls, “Slouching Towards Gomorrah.”

The only way that America has prospered to this hour is by expending the moral capital garnered by past generations. We have enjoyed the blessings of Providence showered upon those people who in times past feared, and honored, and loved the Lord God. We have spent what they earned, but we have failed to add to that moral capital by virtuous living and the pursuit of personal holiness. Today we are morally bankrupt.

It is the demoralization of our civilization that has brought us to these desperate times. Decades ago the Soviet KGB agent, Yuri Bezmenov defected to the West. He warned that our enemy’s strategy was to first demoralize, then to destabilize, and finally to destroy us. Fortunately for us, the immorality within the Evil Empire brought them down first.

But America is not far behind. At the heart of our national moral crisis is our loss of confidence in God. We say, “In God we Trust,” but never have we trusted Him less than we do today.

If our nation can be demoralized, destabilized, and ultimately destroyed by a loss of confidence in the Author of Liberty and His Law, so our churches can also be demoralized, destabilized, and ultimately destroyed when they lose confidence in the God of Scripture, and when they jettison their commitment to the Scriptures of God!

And if nations and churches can be demoralized, destabilized, and ultimately destroyed, so also can Christians! It is the heart-break of every Pastor to see the numbers of those who once traveled on the highway of holiness now trudging that hard road to destruction.

If your confidence is in the Creator who made all that is, and your confidence is decidedly not in the creation, yourself included…

If your confidence is in the Savior, who was born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, buried, and rose again from the dead, and your confidence is decidedly not in your own self-righteousness…

If your confidence is in the Spirit of Holiness that raised up Jesus from the dead, who convicts, who sanctifies, who satisfies, who guides, who gifts, who bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God, who intercedes for us, who is our Comforter, the Paraclete, the Holy One, the Spirit of the Living God, and you confidence is decidedly not in the spirit of this age or the spirit of unrighteousness…

If your confidence is in the inspired, inerrant Word of the Living God, the 66 books of the Old and New Testament, written by men who were moved by the Holy Ghost, and perfectly revealing God’s will for us, and your confidence is decidedly not in your pathetic, paltry, vain philosophy…

If your confidence is in the way of Holiness and true Righteousness, and it is decidedly not in the subjective, self-determined, do-what-you-want-to-do way that leads to destruction...

…THEN DON’T CAST AWAY YOUR CONFIDENCE!

Don’t cast away your confidence when you’re feeling bad.

Don’t cast away your confidence when you’re feeling great.

Don’t cast away your confidence when things are going wrong.

Don’t cast away your confidence when things are going wonderfully.

Don’t cast away your confidence when you’re tempted.

Don’t cast away your confidence when you’re discouraged.

Don’t cast away your confidence when your friends are casting theirs away.

(Even those that you thought would never turn away).

Don’t cast away your confidence when the Holy Spirit is convicting you or when the Lord Himself is chastening you. “Whom the Lord loves He chastens.”

Don’t cast away your confidence as a child.

Don’t cast away your confidence as a teen.

Don’t cast away your confidence as a young adult.

Don’t cast away your confidence as a senior saint.

Don’t cast away your confidence when you have failed.

(This is not a plea for unscriptural eternal security. This is to say that if the enemy has exploited your weakness, and you have fallen into sin, you have disobeyed God, then don’t give up. Get up! Never lose confidence in the Gospel of Christ who came to seek and to save that which is lost.)

Don’t cast away your confidence though all the news around you is bleak.

Don’t cast away your confidence when the two-bit rulers of this world are thumbing their noses at the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.

Don’t cast away your confidence though Israel is assaulted and Jerusalem is completely surrounded.

Don’t cast away your confidence when the Church of Jesus Christ faces the fires of persecution. “Lift up your eyes, your redemption draweth nigh!”

There are many who are heading the wrong direction, but for the blood-bought, redeemed, sanctified, Spirit-filled, people of the Living God, we’ve come too far to turn back! “Cast not away your confidence.”

(I am grateful to Brother James Plank, from God's Missionary Church, Beavertown, PA for inspiring some of these thoughts).

As Unknown and Yet Well Known...

2011-05-28T05:32:00.000-07:00

2 Corinthians 6:9 As unknown, and yet well known...

As Americans pause this weekend to honor those who have given their "last full measure of devotion" to the cause of liberty, we are humbled and deeply grateful for their sacrifice.

Yet, words of gratitude, elegant floral wreaths in cemetaries, and patriotic music are painfully inadequate. Writing in this weekend's Wall Street Journal, Mark Helprin reminds us that "the only fitting memorials to the long ranks of the dead" is for our generation to rise up with "resolution, vigilance, and sacrifice," to protect and to preserve the nation we are so blessed to call home.

Several weeks ago I came across a video history of the Second World War. I watched the footage of Americans landing on the beaches of Normandy amidst a hail of bullets and canon fire. I saw Americans soldiering forward with abandonment. These were the men "who more than self their country loved, and mercy more than life."

But establishing a toehold on the beaches was only the first step. There was literally a thousand miles between them and the head of the Nazi beast. Onward!

When their comrades fell, they reorganized and pressed forward. 120,000 Americans died in that dreadful and glorious march to victory. Eisenhower I know. Patton, Marshall, Bradley are names I recognize. These were the Generals who led our troops to triumph.

But who really won the day? Who was it that secured the victory? Who was it that finally tightened the noose around the neck of Hitler's monstrous Third Reich?

The nameless, the unknown, the unrecognized hundreds of thousands of soldiers who kissed their mothers and wives and children farewell, who left their family farms, walked away from small businesses, put their college education on hold, and enlisted in the great crusade of their generation. These were the true heroes.

Walk onto the hallowed grounds of the American military cemetaries and the rows upon rows of crosses are a touching reminder of their great sacrifice.

I remember my father talking about seeing Blue Stars in the windows of those homes that had sent soldiers. As a Jr. High student, he recounted walking down the streets of Lomax, Illinois and seeing what had been Blue Stars replaced with Gold Stars. Another casualty. Nameless. Unknown. But without their sacrifice there would have been no V-Day.

And then I felt a tear course down my cheek. I felt reproved.

You see, I have wanted to be a General in the Lord's Army--a John Wesley, a William Booth, a Charles Cowman. I've wanted to be known. I've wanted to be a leader. I've wanted to be successful. I chafe at my reality--unknown, unspectacular, and unsuccessful. I complain to God. He glances up from washing my feet, engages my eyes and says, "I have given you an example..."

He then reminds me that in the great conflict that rages between Heaven and hell, between Truth and error, between Holiness and sinfulness, HE is the General--the Commander in Chief. I am serving at His command. "Who am I?" "Without Him I would be nothing." God forgive me for wanting to share the glory that belongs only to Him.

He whispers, "Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life." Oh yes! That is what I long to hear.

I grab my jacket, find the key, and head out to drive the Sunday School Bus. Onward.

NO CONDEMNATION? THAT MIGHT BE BAD...

2011-05-23T11:28:00.000-07:00

The Apostle Paul exalts, "There is therefore now, no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Romans 8:1.

While the spiritual rejoice in deliverance from all condemnation, those who are yet in their sins too often lack conviction and an awareness that they are sinners who will one day stand condemned before a holy God.

They have no condemnation, and that's not good!

Many are ignorant of God's law. They don't know what God requires of them, and often they don't care to know either. Until men are confronted with the demands of God's law they will not awaken to their desperate spiritual plight. The Apostle Paul said, "I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet." Romans 7:7.

Others refuse to believe that their disobedience to God's Law is deadly. The Enemy has come to inject doubt in them as he did to Eve in the Garden of Eden, "Hath God said? ... Ye shall not surely die..." But God's Word warns, "Your iniquities have separated between you and your God and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear." (Isaiah 59:2); "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me." (Psalm 66:18); "The soul that sinneth it shall die." (Ezekiel 18:4); "The wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23).

There are those who reject God's Authority. They are like the fool of the 14th Psalm who says, "No God for me!" They deny God's claim on their lives. They distort God's Word and His law. They are a law unto themselves and brazenly declare their innocence. But God's Word declares that one day "every knee shall bow" and "every tongue confess" that "Jesus Christ is Lord!"

When confronted with the claims of the Gospel those who are stubborn are determined to ignore the God's truth. They don't want to believe that sin is fatal and so they don't. Like the famous sculpture they "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil." They are like the Sanhedrin, (the Jewish Council) before whom Stephen testified, "You are stiffnecked...always resisting the Holy Ghost." (Acts 7:51)

Some are insensitive to God's Spirit. They have sinned so often, and sinned so much that their souls are callused. My Father used to tell of two lads who had a contest staring at the sun. The boy who stared the longest went blind. Indeed, light is made to be "walked in" not "stared at." If we stare at the light we will finally be blinded to the truth of God's demand.

When people judge themselves by others, they rationalize their sin and throw off any sense of condemnation they may have felt for disobedience to God's law. "We're all sinners" so why feel guilty about sinning? Jesus said, "when the blind lead the blind, they both fall into the ditch together." The songwriter was right, "Turn your eyes upon Jesus!"

Lastly, our generation has only begun to feel the baneful influence of modern psychology that blames condemnation on our heredity or on our environment. If it's heredity--we have a pill that will anesthetize our brains and numb that nagging conviction we call condemnation.

If it's environment--we are taught to avoid those places and people who make us uncomfortable in our sins and to blame our condemnation on the society around us, not on the sin that is within us. (It is our considered opinion that the vast majority--not all but most-- of the psychological woes we are treating today are actually at their root spiritual in nature.)

THE KNOWLEDGE THAT WE ARE

CONDEMNED IN OUR SINS,

THAT WE STAND GUILTY

BEFORE A HOLY GOD, AND

THAT APART FROM SALVATION BY GRACE

THROUGH FAITH

WE ARE CERTAIN FOR HELL

IS THE BEGINNING OF WISDOM.

The sooner we face that fact, repent of our sins, and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, the sooner we will be forgiven, and born again into the family of God.

The Apostle's testimony of "No Condemnation" would have meant nothing, had he not first been keenly aware of his desperate need for salvation. Only after he lamented, "Oh wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death," could he discover the power of Jesus Christ to deliver him from the guilt, the penalty, yes even the condemnation of sin!

If you are not saved, and you are not condemned, pray God would awaken your lost soul.

If you are not saved, and you wrestle with condemnation, thank God you are awakened to your need.

If you are not saved, and you are sick and tired of sin's condemnation, repent! Turn to the Lord confessing your need for God's forgiveness through the bleeding sacrifice of Christ. And begin at once "walking in the Light," "loving God with all your heart," and "keeping His commandments."

Then you too will sing with Charles Wesley:

No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in Him, is mine;
Alive in Him, my living Head,
And clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach th’eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.

Amazing Love! How can it be,
That Thou my God, should'st die for me!

YOUR LAST DAY ON EARTH

2011-05-20T10:17:00.000-07:00

Have you heard? Minister Harold Camping is predicting that tomorrow, Saturday, May 21, 2011 will be the day that Christ comes. In the unlikely event that you happen to receive this Saturday morning, I was just wondering how you’re spending your last day on earth?

How people handle predictions of impending disaster is really interesting. Our most common reaction is disbelief. Consider this.

How many of us really expected that the Good Friday tornado warnings here in St. Louis would end in disaster? I expected a storm would blow through but the thought that an actual tornado would hit, especially only 1 mile away, didn’t really seem very likely. The tornado warnings were howling. The sirens of emergency equipment were blaring up and down Lindbergh Avenue. Still I didn’t really think we were in danger. We were safe in the basement of the church and never heard the storm’s fury.

Several years ago, just before the Great Recession hit, there were some savvy investors that could see that the housing price bubble was unsustainable. Though these professionals warned us that we were in a very risky market, millions of people thought that it would be others who would be affected. The market crashed and billions of dollars were lost. Two years of foreclosures and unemployment are painful reminders that we were (and are yet) at risk.

Or how about the public health warnings that we hear of from time to time? Do you really think that you are going to catch one of those contagions that are life-threatening? Sure others will be infected, but you? If the doctor tells us we are seriously ill, don’t we just assume we will beat the odds?

Even in the midst of an actual crisis we are slow to believe that what we are experiencing is really happening! Remember 9-1-1. Passengers on the ill-fated planes were slow to come to grips with the truth of their situation. Todd Beamer’s call to for his fellow passengers to take action--“Let’s Roll!” was remarkable not only because it was courageous but because he grasped the situation.

I can remember seeing the sight of the first plane crashing into the twin towers in New York City and thinking that this was just an amazingly horrible accident. Who would have thought we were under attack? In a previous generation, those responsible to defend Pearl Harbor couldn’t believe their radar screens that indicated an imminent attack.

Whether it is severe weather warnings, dire financial predictions, fatal health scares, threats of military attack , or even dangerous political and cultural trends, we are slow to understand our plight and take action.

Truthfully, I believe there are a few more events on the prophetic calendar that must happen before Christ returns. But I am absolutely convinced that He is coming. AND I AM ABSOLUTELY CONVINCED THAT THERE WILL BE A LAST DAY ON EARTH.

IN LIGHT OF THAT TRUTH…AND ASSUMING THAT CHRIST HASN’T COME FOR US…I HOPE TO MEET YOU IN THE LORD’S HOUSE THIS SUNDAY!

If this is our last day I hope that the Lord will find us doing what He would have us do, loving as He would have us love, and being who He would have us to be.

Bible reading, soul-searching, praying, living for Christ, and reaching as many others as we can with the great news of Salvation through Sanctification is a great way to live not only your last day, but your everyday!

WHEN THE RULER RULES, HIS RULES RULE!

2011-05-16T08:23:00.000-07:00

If I've heard it once, I've heard it a hundred times: "Christianity is not a list of rules--Christianity is a relationship." From this premise it is concluded that adherence and obedience to the law of God is not essential to or evidence of salvation.

The "feeling" that God is with us, or the "fact" that I have decided that I want Jesus to be my Savior, is considered to be the ultimate evidence of salvation.

But I wonder: if God's law is so good and perfect, and His Will is so wonderful, why are Christians so desperate to run from it? The Apostle Paul said, "The law is holy, and the commandment is holy, and just, and good." (Romans 7:12). Listening to Christians today you'd think the laws and commandments of God are relics at best and spiritually lethal at worst.

We had a Parent remove his son from our Sunday School because we taught him to sing, "If you're saved and you know it, then your life will surely show it." Heresy he thought. "Whether or not your life shows it, you're still saved" he argued.

WHAT VALUE ARE RULES?
Reason and experience teach us that rules are necessary to preserve order and to prevent anarchy and chaos. Imagine our roads if there were no well-thought out rules. Games would be impossible to score fairly without rules.

Rules not only provide needed boundaries, they also teach expectations. Several years ago when I was working to strengthen the obscenity laws in the State of Illinois, I was confronted by opponents who argued, "people are still going to get obscenity so why make it a matter of law?" One might ask if laws against murder are worthwhile since people still murder, or if laws against theft are good since people still steal. The fact is our laws are expressions of our values and virtues.

Our finite minds need the instruction and guidelines of Infinite wisdom. The laws, the commandments, the rules that God has given us, were given not only for our protection but for our instruction.

Rules reveal our rebellion to the Rule-Maker. The Apostle Paul testified that he was unaware that he had evil desire in his heart until the law of God said, "Thou shalt not covet." He said that the knowledge of what God expected revealed his own carnal, rebellious heart. Read Romans 7. "The good that I would I do not...The evil that I would not, that I do...Oh wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me?"

Finally, Rules are an objective evidence of our loyalty to the Rule-Maker. To the extent that we are committed to living in harmony with the law of God, we love God. Jesus said, "If you love me keep my commandments." (John 14:15). John said, "This is the love of God that we keep His commandments, and His commandments are not grievous." (1 John 5:3).

WHAT RULES ARE VALUABLE?
All of the moral commandments are valuable.

The TEN COMMANDMENTS are valuable. "Thou shalt have no other gods before me... Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image... Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain... Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy... Honor thy father and thy mother... Thou shalt not kill... Thou shalt not commit adultery... Thou shalt not steal... Thou shalt not bear false witness... Thou shalt not covet..." (Exodus 20)

When Jesus was asked about the Commandments He summed them up into two: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, soul, mind, and strength. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." (Mark 12:28ff).

All of the rules for Christian living that are found in the the New Testament (especially in the concluding chapters of Paul's Epistles i. e. let him that stole steal no more ...let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth... Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you... Ephesians 4:28ff) all flow from the Great Commandments ennuciated by our Lord.

Every rule laid down in the New Testament is valuable! They are infallible, inerrant, and all written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

If you don't enjoy learning and doing what God expects today, why do you think you would someday enjoy heaven, where God's will is always done?

CAN GOD'S RULE BECOME OUR RULE?
Dr. Richard Taylor's book "Understanding Ourselves" answers the question this way:

"The natural self-willfulness of the carnal mind will feel profoundly that if God’s demands are accepted unconditionally, if this or that is to be given up or undertaken or altered, true happiness will never again be possible."

"It is when the Christian faces this parting of the ways, and with deliberate decision, seeing fully the painful cost, makes up his mind that he wants Christ unconditionally, that he wants holiness more than happiness, and that he is willing to say good-by to happiness forever if only he can please God, and in complete abandonment of all further selfish plans tells God so, …that the Christian will be able to say with the Apostle Paul, “it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20).

"When the battle of wills is settled, something wonderful happens. When we would rather be holy than happy we discover that we have happiness also—but on a higher and purer level than was ever before known. When we abandon our freedom and self-rights for total obedience, we discover that we are freer than ever before. When our fundamental inner being has been so restructured that Christ-pleasing is now the governing motive of life, we discover that pleasing Christ is pleasing self. And what a delightful, comfortable, pleasing self it proves to be." (Richard Taylor, Understanding Ourselves, pp.93-97.)

My father used to quote, "That man is truly free who is conscious that he is the author of the law he obeys." Indeed when our will is at one with God's will, then pleasing God is our highest joy, and peace with God our greatest aim.

The songwriter testified,

My stubborn will at last hath yielded;
I would be Thine, and Thine alone;
And this the prayer my lips are bringing,
Lord, let in me Thy will be done.

Sweet will of God, still fold me closer;
Till I am wholly lost in Thee;
Sweet will of God, still fold me closer,
Till I am wholly lost in Thee.

THE SPIRITUAL SOLUTION

2011-05-14T06:22:00.000-07:00

If we live in the S p i r i t , let us also walk in the S p i r i t .
P a u l ‘ s E p i s t l e t o t h e G a l a t i a n s , C h a p t e r 5 : 2 5

Greetings in the Strong Name of Jesus,

THANK YOU for being a part of this family of God we call Faith Community!

It was 15 years ago this month that the Lord directed us to launch FCC. We had been prayerfully considering and looking for opportunities to minister in greater Chicago, but it was here in St. Louis that the doors were opening.

The next month, on June the 21st, Vickie and I were married. I certainly chose a wonderful FIRST LADY for FCC! (Can I get an AMEN?) (You better say AMEN!)

In July of that year we brought a group of young people from our home church to hand out invitations, and locate interested families. We knocked on 1000 doors in one day and located 75 interested families. We followed up with letters of introduction and personal calls.

In August Vickie and I moved to Edwards Place Condominiums in Maryland Heights. We lived on the 3rd floor. That was good exercise. As we drove across the Mississippi River we had an anxious feeling in our stomachs (what if we failed?), a passion in our hearts (how can we reach this city with the Gospel?), and $1,000 in our pockets (a precious gift from an older couple who are now both in arms of Jesus).

On the third Sunday of September, (the 15th) we opened the doors of FCC for the first time. We welcomed 27 souls from the St. Louis area to the Knights of Columbus hall on Aide Road in St. Ann, (the rent was $50.00 a Sunday). Besides your Pastor and his wife, Sister Daisy Eisfelder Goodrich , Sister Beverly Nelson, and Christy Matlock were among those who came that first week and who still come today. We had other great friends who helped us in those early years.

Looking back over these 15 years in St. Louis my greatest joys have been as I walked in the Spirit.

My greatest regrets have been those times that I failed to hear and to heed the Spirit’s call.

And my greatest blessing has been the realization that “it is not by might [my own ability], nor by power [the authority of others], but by My Spirit [the Holy Spirit’s providence, power, and energy] saith the Lord of hosts” (Zechariah 4:6), that God has brought us to the Kingdom for such a time as this.

WHY DO SO MANY CHRISTIAN’S STRUGGLE SPIRITUALLY?

When a man or a woman comes to Christ to be saved they are truly sorry for their sins, they confess their sins to the Lord in prayer, and they repent (literally “change their mind” about sin—they begin to hate disobedience to God and they begin to love the will of God.) In 2 Corinthians 7:10 we read, “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation .”

Repentance always brings saving faith. This is more than simply believing that Jesus existed, died, and rose again. Saving faith believes in Christ and it is absolutely convinced that Christ is right—always! Jesus said, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.”

This true repentance and living faith ignite a passionate love for God in the hearts of believers. Jesus said, “If ye love me…,” and sincere believers testify, “Oh! How I love Jesus!”

YET ANYONE WHO HAS SERVED THE LORD FOR ANY LENGTH OF TIME BECOMES AWARE OF AN INNER STRUGGLE WHEN CONFRONTED WITH THE DEMANDS OF TOTAL COMMITMENT TO CHRIST.

I like the way Dr. Richard Taylor explains it:

At first the Christian life is seen as one of unlimited receiving—joy, peace, forgiveness, new hope, new directions, new friends, easy prayer answers, blessings right and left. Now all of the sudden comes this talk about CROSS BEARING, (Jesus said, “If any man will come after me let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow me.” Matthew 16:24).

Didn’t Jesus die on the cross so I wouldn’t have to? Hasn’t He set me free to do my own thing?

When God begins to press on this convert’s self-perceived rights, and make claims that they never anticipated, they begin to squirm. Their old self-assertion rises up in a spontaneous impulse to defend their vaunted freedoms. When born again they sincerely surrendered to the Lordship of Christ, as far as they understood the implications of that. But the idea that Christ would claim them at the fine print level of everyday life—their money, time, associates, and everyday practices—never entered their head.

At least the hard reality of it never really registered. Subconsciously we supposed that we could go on buying and selling, moving here or moving there, choosing a spouse (if single), deciding on a career, or a change in career, totally on our own—and that of course now that we were Christian, God would just keep on blessing, and answer all our prayers. To discover that God wants to control as well as own, and that God now wants to make us an honest and submissive effort to find out what His will is, comes as a jolt.

Whatever the issues may be, all these discoveries of God’s claims superimposed on His blessings, soon unsettle our ecstasy, and begin to mix joy with uncertainty and inner conflict. Then when God asks for something which is to us, we think, dearer than life—our Isaac—we are plunged into darkness, and are tempted to wonder if after all we really want to go through with this.

This is the most crucial moment in the Christian life. And this point many converts begin to withdraw. They get quiet. Their testimony loses its exuberance. Their attendance and participation begins to be fitful.

The natural self-willfulness of the carnal mind will feel profoundly that if God’s demands are accepted unconditionally, if this or that is to be given up or undertaken or altered, true happiness will never again be possible.

It is when the Christian faces this parting of the ways, and with deliberate decision, seeing fully the painful cost, makes up his mind that he wants Christ unconditionally, that he wants holiness more than happiness, and that he is willing to say good-by to happiness forever if only he can please God, and in complete abandonment of all further selfish plans tells God so, …that the Christian will be able to say with the Apostle Paul, “it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20).

When the battle of wills is settled, something wonderful happens. When we would rather be holy than happy we discover that we have happiness also—but on a higher and purer level than was ever before known. When we abandon our freedom and self-rights for total obedience, we discover that we are freer than ever before. When our fundamental inner being has been so restructured that Christ-pleasing is now the governing motive of life, we discover that pleasing Christ is pleasing self. And what a delightful, comfortable, pleasing self it proves to be.
(Richard Taylor, Understanding Ourselves, pp.93-97.)

Dr. Taylor is right. IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCING THAT BATTLE IN YOUR HEART – THE CONFLICT BETWEEN GOD’S WILL AND YOUR DIVIDED WILL –THERE IS VICTORY!

IT WILL COME AT THE PRICE OF TOTAL SURRENDER! But like the man who sold all that he had to purchase the treasure hidden in the field (Matthew 13:44), or the merchant who sold everything to buy that one pearl of great price (Matthew 13:45, 46), the cost pales by comparison to the treasure – pure love, great joy, and wonderful peace!

GREAT EXPECTATIONS OF GREAT DAYS TO COME!
MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND, Sun, May 29
PENTECOST SUNDAY, June 12 – Hear the ALLEGHENY WESLEYAN COLLEGE Quartet AM
GREAT COMMISSION Indy, June 13-17
MEN’S STEAK-OUT, Saturday, June 18 6 PM
FATHERS DAY, Sunday, June 19 – Hear the HOBE SOUND BIBLE COLLEGE QuartetAM
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL & GREAT COMMISSION STL - St. Louis, July 11-15
FOUNDERS WEEK Urbana, July 24-31
FCC’S 15th ANNIVERSARY REVIVAL, September 14-18
Evangelist P. L. Liddell, Evangelist Ben Crawford
FCC’S 15th ANNIVERSARY, September 18

If we can help you in any way please let us know!

THE OFFENSE OF THE CROSS

2011-04-25T12:00:00.000-07:00

The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that Italian Public Schools have the right to display crucifixes. Had the Court ordered the Crucifixes removed, it would have meant that all religious symbols in European institutions were in violation of the European Convention on Human Rights. While at first glance the ruling may seem like a cause worth celebrating, Charles Colson of BREAKPOINT is warning that the ruling is actually a "very mixed blessing."

It turns out that religious liberty was not the basis of the Court's ruling. Rather, the court in its great wisdom determined that "the crucifix is not really a religious symbol." As Professor Stanley Fish observed in the New York Times, "Who knew?"

The Court decided that that crucifix is an "identity-linked," "historical and cultural symbol," that stands for "the liberty and freedom of every person, the declaration of the right of man, and ultimately the modern secular state."

The Court went on to state, "In Christianity even the faith in an omniscient god is secondary in relation to charity," which makes the cross an inclusive symbol.

Confessing Christians are rightfully concerned. But the offense of Cross is not new.

The Apostle Paul spoke of it in his letter to the Galatians. "Why do I yet suffer persecution? then is the offense of the cross ceased." (Galatians 5:11)

The Cross is an offense to men who consider themselves wiser than the wisdom of God. They reject His absolute Truth and His unmitigated Authority. For them the simple Gospel is just too simple. Spoiled by their "vain philosophy" they, along with that Mars Hill gang, scoff at the necessity of Savior.

A few years ago Pastor Rob Bell was offended when someone suggested that Ghandi was in hell. "Really?" the Pastor questioned. This leader of the Emergent Church has no problem tossing the clear teaching of the Lord Jesus and replacing it with his version of a "new Christianity." How pitiful. A shepherd of Christ's flock who rejects Christ's teaching, "And these [the unrighteous] shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal." (Matthew 24:46)

The Cross is an offense to men who consider their behavior to be better than it actually is. Moralistic men who judge themselves by comparing themselves with others ridicule those of us who sing, "nothing in my hand I bring, simply to Thy cross I cling." They cannot, or will not accept the notion that apart from the Cross they would be "without God" and "without hope." They hope that God will take note of their good works and consider them righteous. But listen to the Apostle Paul, "By grace are ye saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast."

The Cross is an offense to men who consider their importance to be greater than it is. Proud men are sure that if the Cross is necessary, it would most certainly be only for people who are as good, or as smart, or as wonderful as they are. I like the way Spurgeon put it, "The cross makes rich and poor enter by the same door, the cross makes the philosopher and peasant walk on the same highway of holiness." If a self-righteous man complains, "Am I to walk close to a prostitute or side with a drunkard on the road to heaven, then I will not go to heaven at all." If that's the way he thinks, he will have it his way. For the ground is level at the foot of the cross. And whosoever will may come.

The Cross is an offense to men who are sure that their Church, or some particular ritual, or their godly ancestry, will secure their place in heaven. The crowd that shouted "Crucify Him!" were sure that Christ was wrong. They thought that their connection to the Temple, their commitment to circumcision, and their family ties to Abraham would save them. But "the just shall live by faith." "Whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

The German Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a martyr for the cause of righteousness, wrote in THE CALL TO DISCIPLESHIP, "WHEN CHRIST CALLS A MAN, HE BIDS HIM COME AND DIE."

And here is the offense of the Cross. Unless we die to our wisdom, our self-righteousness, our self-importance, and to every claim we may think have to salvation, we simply cannot, and will not be saved.

EXTREME MAKEOVER: TEMPLE EDITION

2011-04-19T09:20:00.000-07:00

Jesus headed straight for the Temple. The "hosannas" of His triumphal ride through the Eastern Gate were only a blessed memory.

Some had wondered if Jesus would even make it to this week's Passover. He would not have missed it for the world.

The Sandhedrin (the ruling Jewish authority) was determined to destroy Jesus. The High Priest was unequivocal, "it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not." (John 11:50).

As He walked onto the Temple Mount the Lord's eyes fastened once again the moneychangers. They were back. Three years earlier He had driven them away. "Make not my Father's house a house of merchandise!"He cried. (John 2:16)

Quickening His pace Jesus exclaimed, "It is written, My house is the house of prayer...you've made it a den of thieves!" (Luke 19:45). The moneychangers offered feeble protest then scrambled away as their tables were turned and their paraphernalia rolled on the pavement.

We shake our heads and point an accusing finger at these rapacious predators, but I cannot help but wonder what the Lord would think of the scandalous exchanges we have made in God's House.

They exchanged sacrifices for cash, but WE HAVE BARTERED AWAY OUR CONVICTIONS FOR CONVERSATIONS. The self-styled "Emergents" tell us that we are too convinced. They propose a "conversation" rather than a definite conversion.

Pastor Rob Bell of the Mars Hill Bible Church belivesw that Christians are too sure of themselves. He wonders if the Bible is accurate. He suggests that the verses about hell and judgment are not literal. He is quoted in the recent Time magazine syaing, "I have long wondered if there is a massive shift coming in what it means to be a Christian...something new is in the air."

He's right. There is a shift. But it is not new. It is as old as the Garden of Eden. Listen to the deceiver, "Hath God said?" Adam and Eve bit into his lie.

They exchanged sacrificial lambs for coins, but WE ARE SOLD ON PARTIES AND FEASTINGS IN EXCHANGE FOR PRAYER AND FASTINGS. First the church had a party. Now the party has church--and Church Lite at that! Gone is the conviction of sin. Gone are the tears of repentance. Gone is the sanctifying influence of the Church in our culture.

The moneychangers were driven from the Temple for making God's house a house of merchandise, but last Sunday professing Christians went to churches and purchased dinners, pastries, coffee and soft drinks, religious books and even religious jewelry. The ringing of the Church bell has been exchanged for the ringing of the cash register.

The moneychangers were anxious to set up their tables right in the Temple Court so that they could sell to worshippers. Tragically the professing church has been infliltrated with a love of the world that renders holiness of heart and as optional by most. It is particularly grievous to see Christian leaders mocking the holy life. WE HAVE TRADED AWAY HOLINESS FOR A WORLDLINESS THAT RENDERS THE CHURCH DEVOID OF PURITY, POWER, AND PURPOSE!

And what has happened to our zeal to seek and to win the lost? Winning souls is no longer our all consuming passion. We are at ease in Zion. WE HAVE EXCHANGED OUR ZEAL FOR EASE. The shrinking Church in America is not only evidence of cultural decay, it is an indictment of a church that is too lazy to labor. Jesus said, "The harvest is plenteous," but "the laborers are few." How true.

What have we accomplished for these exchanges? Are we seeing great revival? Are we witnessing souls being swept into the Kingdom? Are our pews filled to overflowing?

Jesus asked "What will a man give in exchange for His own soul?" We would ask, "What will a Church give in exchange for its very existence?"

We have heard of a popular program called "Extreme Makeover." In one version people are dramatically changed through special diets, new wardrobes, and make-overs. In another version delapidated houses are torn down and replaced with lovely new homes.

It seems to me that it is time for another version. EXTREME MAKEOVER: TEMPLE EDITION! May the Risen Christ send forth His Spirit into His Church and "Revive Us Again!"

CLING TO THE SWORD

2011-03-25T06:24:00.000-07:00

From the time that he challenged and defeated Goliath, until the hour of his death at age 70, King David was known as a leader of men, a soldier of soldiers, and a man after God's own heart.

As the great King came to the hour of his death he honored the men that stood with him in battle. These were soldiers who had not flinched in the heat of the battle. They were men who refused to surrender. They were men who would not give up, give in, or give out.

Adino was an Eznite. In an incredible display of strength and prowess he lifted up his spear and killed 800 men in one battle.

Shammah, the son of Agee, stood his ground even though all the other Israeli soldiers deserted him. The Bible tells us that he stood in a field of lentils and slew all the Philistines so that "The Lord wrought a great victory."

Eleazar also stood and fought against the Philistines when his fellow soldiers cowardly ran away. The Scriptures tell us, "He arose and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand cleave unto the sword: and the Lord wrought a great victory that day; and the people returend after him only to spoil." (2 Samuel 23:9ff)

These great victories were won by great soldiers--soldiers that fought with COURAGE, with TENACITY, and TO THE BITTER END! They refused to accept defeat. They fought valiently, and they won the victory!

As surely as great victories on the battlefields of Israel were fought and won by men of courage, of tenacity, and determination, so today GREAT SPIRITUAL VICTORIES ARE WON BY MEN OF COURAGE, MEN WITH CONFIDENCE, AND MEN WHO REFUSE TO LET GO OF THEIR SWORDS UNTIL THERE IS VICTORY!

The songwriter had it right!

The fight is on, O Christian soldier,
And face to face in stern array,
With armor gleaming, and colors streaming,
The right and wrong engage today.

The fight is on, but be not weary,
Be strong and in His might hold fast;
If God be for us, His banner o'er us,
We'll sing the victor's song at last.

The Apostle Paul knew that ours was a spiritual fight. "We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."

He urged God's people to put on the whole armor of God--a belt of TRUTH, a breastplate of RIGHTEOUSNESS, shoes of THE GOSPEL OF PEACE, a shield of FAITH, the helmet of SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit which is THE WORD OF GOD! (Ephesians 6:10-18).

COURAGE!
Today we need people with COURAGE! Godly men and women who recognize the danger posed by the enemy of man's soul and who will press forward in the conflict!

The spirit of the courageous is wonderfully captured by Charles Wesley:
Faith, mighty faith, the promise sees,
And looks to that alone!
Laughs at impossibilities,
And cries it shall be done!

CONFIDENCE!
We need men and women with CONFIDENCE! From the beginning of human history the enemy has tried to undermine the confidence of God's people. Too often our lack of confidence defeats us on the spiritual battlefields. Churches lose their raison d'etre, Pastors lose their flocks, parents lose their children, Individuals lose their way, simply because they lose their confidence in the Christ of the Gospel.

Today we witness a serious lack of confidence in our cause? "Should we be so sure of our Church?" Too many lack confidence in the Scriptures? "Should we be so sure of God's infallible and unfailing Word?" And a growing number in our nation lack confidence in our Christ. "Should we believe that He is 'the way, the truth, and the life.'?" (John 14:6)

COMMITMENT
Great victories are never won with a weak grip. PERSEVERENCE IS ESSENTIAL TO VICTORY!

The Apostle Paul does not say, "I'm pretty sure I know whom I've believed." He declares, "I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day." (2 Timothy 1:12).

You never read the Apostle confessing, "I'm not too ashamed of the Gospel of Christ." He said, "I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth." (Romans 1:16).

He never writes, "I determined to know nothing..." But he did write, "I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ and Him crucified." (1 Corinthians 2:2).

So today we would urge God's people who are in the midst of the great spiritual conflict of ages, CLEAVE TO THE SWORD like Eleazar.

GRIP IT until your knuckles are white and your fingers are glued to the handle.

GRIP THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT, the Word of the Living God, and NEVER NEVER NEVER LET GO!

Grip it when the enemy says "give up!"
Grip it when the enemy says "you'll never win!"
Grip it when the enemy says "there's no hope"
Grip it when the enemy says, "you're going crazy."

Grip it when the enemy says, "your side is too small to prevail."
Grip it when the enemy says, "let's be reasonable here."
Grip it when the enemy says, "don't be too radical."
Grip it when the enemy says, "stay away from God's house and God's people."

Grip it when the enemy says, "you could win more if you weren't so separated from the world."
Grip it when the enemy says, "do what feels good."
Grip it when the enemy says, "holiness is optional."
Grip it when the enemy says, "a little sin is nothing."

Grip it when the enemy says, "you've messed up this far, you might as well go all the way."
Grip it when the enemy says, "leave your husband, or divorce your wife."
Grip it when the enemy says, "blend the genders and mix their roles."
Grip it when the enemy says, "perversion is straight and straight is perverse."

Grip it when the enemy says, "fit in, don't stand out."

And grip it until you cross from the battlefields of this life into the splendid streets of glory! It will be worth it all when we see Christ.

Oft times the day seems long, our trials hard to bear,
We're tempted to complain, to murmur and despair,
But Christ will soon appear, to catch His bride away,
All tears forever over, in God's eternal day.

It will be worth it all, when we see Jesus.
Life's trials will seem so small, when we see Christ!
One glimpse of His dear face, all sorrow will erase,
So bravely run the race, till we see Christ! By Esther Rusthoi

MESSING WITH THE STANDARD

2011-03-23T22:16:00.000-07:00

In Sevres, France the International Bureau of Weights and Measures guards "the only remaining international standard in the metric system that is still a man-made object." (The New York Times). That 130 year old object is a cylinder of platinum and iridium precisely honed to equal one standard kilogram. It is kept under three glass domes, accessible by three separate keys. The problem: It has been losing mass. The constant is no longer constant. (Imprimis, February 2011).

Some are recommending that since the standard has been degraded, we should change our definition of a kilogram to match the diminishing mass of the corroded cylinder. Change is inevitable they argue.

Others are proposing that we introduce a "floating standard" of the kilogram. They suggest that the measure of a kilogram should be "floated" over time to reflect the expectations of consumers, the preferences of producers, and the needs of the scientific community. Definitions are relative they urge.

And then there are those who maintain that under no circumstances should we alter our definition of a kilogram. They point to the fact that since we have an historic record of the standard, it would be improper and imprudent to redefine the kilogram. For them the standard is neither mutable nor relative. It is objective, unchanging, and definite.

Redefining the weight of a kilogram simply because one particular cylinder, albeit a very important cylinder, is no longer measuring up to the historic standard would be the height of folly.

But a greater folly, or travesty, is promoted by those who insist that we should revise the definition of a Christian or of Christianity, simply because some particular professing Christians are no longer measuring up to the standard so clearly spelled out in God's Word, and faithfully practiced by the faithful over the past twenty one centuries.

CHANGE IS INEVITABLE
Those who suppose that "change is inevitable," believe that accomondation with the world is not only expected but expedient. "Relevance" is their mantra. Like those who are calling for the redefinition of the kilogram based on the diminishing standard cylinder in France, they seem oblivious to the immediate and future consequences of accepting and promoting this falacious standard.

The danger inherit in this "change mentality," was dramatically illustrated this week when one Houston, Texas group advertised "Christian Pole Dancing" classes with discounts for those who bring Church bulletins to class. Then there is the specter of "Christian gangsta rap," "Christian night clubs," and "Christian pool parties." It all sounds so outlandish. Yet it is inevitable when change is considered progressive and consistency is thought to be regressive.

Nowhere is this more plainly and painfully evident than in our teaching regarding marriage. In our effort to be charitable to those who find themselves unhappily married we have attempted to redefine what our Lord defines in no uncertain terms: "But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together let not man put asunder." (Mark 10:6-10). It is amazing to see how many Christians who stridently insist on the separation of Church and State are perfectly willing to allow the state ot dissolve what God has called "one flesh."

Once we have rejected the Lord's instruction regarding the duration of marriage, every other aspect of marriage is open for redefinition. "What constitutes a marriage?" "Who is qualified or allowed to be married?"And even, "What is the purpose of marriage?" These questions are no longer answered by "What does the Bible say?" Instead, convenience, expedience, and lenience dictate our answers.

RELATIVE STANDARD
Those who suggest that a "relative standard"should apply to our definition of Christian are certainly in the majority. But as is often the case, the majority is wrong. "Wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many there be that go in thereat." (Matthew 7:13).

Rather than contending for a Christian culture that stands above all other cultures, they create a mutant form of the faith that inculcates the mores and customs of their culture into their version of Christianity. This explains the sorry statistics compiled by George Barna on the non existent differences between professing Christians and non-Christians when it comes to personal and public morality. It also explains why the teachings regarding gender, modesty, and separation from the world are most notable for their absence.

AN ABSOLUTE STANDARD
The faithful few who "contend for the faith once delivered unto the saints,"(Jude 3) and lift high the standard, are those who know that man cannot alter God's Word.

God says, "Be ye holy," (Leviticus 20:7, 1 Peter 1:15,16), so they "Pursue peace with all men and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord." (Hebrews 12:14).

They are more interested in bringing themselves into conformity with God's Word, than they are in adapting God's Word to conform with their lives. "Holiness unto the Lord!" is their watchword and song.

Messing with man's standard of weights and measurements will have no eternal consequence. But messing with God's standard of righteousness and holiness will undoubtedly deceive and damn multitudes.

"From this standard we will not depart, Holiness forevermore!

'Tis the song of the purified in heart, Holiness forevermore!

Holiness forevermore! Holiness forevermore!

We will sing it, shout it, preach it, and live it!

Holiness forevermore!

Haldor Lillenas 1885-1959

WHO WILL RISE UP?

2011-03-12T07:40:00.001-08:00

Daniel Hannan, a member of the European Parliament from Great Britain, plainly warns America of the dangers in following in the footsteps of Europe. Writing in today's Wall Street Journal (Saturday, March 12, 2011), Hannan asserts that our President is determined to fundamentally change our nation into "a fairer America, a more tolerant America, a less arrogant America, and a more engaged America." We have only begun to reap the sorry harvest of his virulent initiative.

As a spiritual watchman, I am continually impressed with the amazing correspondence we find between the world politic and the world of Christendom. It is as though the enemy of mankind is as intent on destroying social progress and political freedom, as he is in demoralizing and defeating the Cause of Christ.

Too often Bible believers have been cowtowed into submission by a culture that insists Christian be more "fair." We are labeled bigots for our uncompromising stand with the Word of God.

The "Tolerance" agenda has wreaked havoc within our ranks. We are considered "close-minded" and "out of step" for standing with the Lord against sin and unrighteousness.

We are berated for our absolute confidence in God's Word and charged with "arrogance" when we stand unashamedly and confess, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God," and Jesus is "the way, the truth, and the life."

And, just as America's leadership today values the opinion of the world community more than the virtue of right thinking and moral action, so within the Church those who dare to stand up and stand alone, are mocked as "lone-rangers" and "uncooperative." Hear the Word of God, "Come out from among them and be ye separate, and touch not the unclean thing." Rather than looking around, those of us who are Christ's look up for our directions. The Scriptures are replete with the examples of those who failed because they looked around and went along with the crowd (i.e. Lot's wife, The 10 Spies, Saul, and backslidden Israel) and those who were blessed because they looked up and stood alone (i.e. Abraham, The 2 spies, David, and Daniel).

It is assumed that the impetus for a compromised church rests within the mores and convictions of an increasingly godless culture--a culture that in Justice Robert Bork' view is "slouching towards Gomorrah." BUT IT IS OUR CONVICTION THAT THE POLITICAL AND CULTURAL AND SOCIAL DECAY WE ARE WITNESSING, IS AT IT'S ROOT A SPIRITUAL PROBLEM.

We are praying that God's Church will,
1. Reclaim her uncompromising allegiance to the infallible Word,
2. Renew her commitment to Christ--crucified, risen, and coming again, and
3. Experience Revival that is Spirit-driven (not worked up by crowd psychology, slick technology, or feel-good-without-being good theology)

Our enemy is real and he is powerful. But our Christ is real, our cause is right, and the "gates of hell will not prevail against" His confessing Church.

7 FOR SURE SIGNS OF CHRIST'S RETURN

2011-02-26T05:32:00.000-08:00

In 1967 war erupted between Israel and their neighbors Egypt, Syria, and Jordan. In six days of intense fighting Israel captured the Sinai Peninsula up to the Suez canal, marched through the West Bank of the Jordan River, the Golan Heights and Mount Hermon that bordered Syria, and then triumphantly laid hold of the Old City of Jerusalem. The sound of Jubilant Jews gathering to blow the shofar at the Western Wall echoed around the globe. Israel had not controlled that sacred site for nearly 1,900 years.

As my father was visiting that week, many asked if he this was the beginning of the end and the signal for Christ’s second coming. “I don’t know,” he replied, “but we are praying that it is.” Dad said that not everyone was as excited about that possibility as he was. Church attendance was up that week.

It has now been 44 years since that amazing victory and 63 years since the United Nations partitioned Palestine and created the sovereign State of Israel. It was all so unlikely. But it happened. And it happened right on time.

Writing 600 years before Christ the Prophet Daniel foretold that our Lord would come 490 years after the walls of Jerusalem were re-built—and He did; that Israel would once again become a sovereign nation in 1948—and they did; and that the Jews would control the Temple Mount in 1967—and they did.

Admittedly, many of these prophecies were obscure at the time God revealed them to Daniel, but Godly men, under the influence of the same Holy Spirit that inspired Daniel, saw the meanings and wrote of them.

Perhaps the most amazing proofs that the Bible is inspired and inerrant are the incredible number of fulfilled prophecies. The Old Testament is filled with incredible predictions about the nation of Israel. Every one of them has been fulfilled.

The prophecies of Christ’s first coming were all fulfilled to the letter. When Christ would come, of whom He would be born, where He would be born, how he would die, the manner of his burial—all of these and scores of other prophecies were perfectly fulfilled by Jesus of Nazareth.

Since Christ returned to heaven God’s people have anticipated Christ’s second coming. Some were sure that Christ would be back before John the Apostle died, others expected that He would return just before Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans. There have been those who predicted Christ would return at the end of the 1st millennium (AD 1000) and others were sure He would come again at the end of the 2nd millennium (AD 2000).

Jesus said that no man knows the day nor the hour of His return (Matthew 24:36) but He said that just as we can tell that summer is coming when the leaves appear on the trees, there will be telling signs that He is about to appear.

There are many prophecies regarding our Lord’s return, but these are among the clearest:

1. Knowledge will be increased and travel will be fast-paced. “But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. (Daniel 12:4)

2. There will be a great falling away from the truth of God’s Word. “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4). This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. (2 Timothy 3:1-5).

3. People will be skeptical and cynical towards Christ’s Return. “Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.” (2 Peter 3:3-4).

4. The Gospel will be preached around the world. “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. (Matthew 24:14). Certainly mass media and the internet

5. The Return of Israel as a nation. Daniel tells us, “And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days.” (Daniel 12:11-12) If the “abomination that maketh desolate” is the rise of Islam in AD 612, and we add 1,335 days, or prophetic years to that date, we come to 1947—the exact year the United Nations partitioned Palestine and created the State of Israel!
Isaiah foresaw the return of Israel. “And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.” (Isaiah 11:11).

6. There will be a tremendous onslaught against Israel. In the 38th chapter of Ezekiel’s prophecy we are told of a great attack against Israel. Though this prophecy may have been in some measure fulfilled in previous generations, Bible Scholars are agreed that there is an ultimate fulfillment yet to come. “And thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts, thou, and many people with thee, all of them riding upon horses, a great company, and a mighty army: And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes.” (Ezekiel 38:15-16).

Zechariah warns, “For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. (Zechariah 14:2-4).

7. The appearance of the Anti-Christ. Some of the First Century Christians expected that Christ’s second coming would be in their lifetimes. The Apostle Paul assured believers that Christ would be coming, but that before He comes, an anti-Christ would first appear.

“Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.

Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?...

And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness:.” (2 Thessalonians 2:1-12).

Jesus said, “If any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before.

Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. (Matthew 24:23-27).

It is obvious from these Scriptures that the Anti-Christ and his minions will viciously oppose those who belong to Christ. The Apostle John tells us that those who do not receive the mark of the Anti-Christ, here styled “the Beast,” will be prohibited from buying and selling. “And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.” (Revelation 13:16,17). Certainly the mark on the forehead represents worship of the Anti-Christ and his system, and the mark on the hand symbolizes obedience to the Anti-Christ and his dreadful government. It is not hard to imagine that such a mark may have a literal meaning too.

All of orthodox (right thinking), Bible believing Christians agree that these are the signs of Christ’s return. Recent headlines have us wondering if we are about to see a new alignment of nations against the Nation of Israel. Strife in those nations surrounding Israel could easily open the doors to radical Islamic jihadists.

Consider this: Iran is close to obtaining nuclear warheads and has the capability to deliver those warheads to Jerusalem. Syria’s radical leaders have infiltrated Lebanon and are placing thousands of missiles along the northern border of Israel. On the West Bank the Palestinians were given the opportunity to elect a new government and the most radical Hamas party won in a landslide. The fall of President Mubarak in Egypt has opened the door for arms to flow to Hamas through the Sinai and the Suez Canal. Middle East nations that have historically been supportive or tolerant of the West are in the midst of tremendous upheaval. The Muslim Brotherhood, the Ayatollah’s of Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah, Al-queda, the Taliban, and a host of other Islamic sects are fomenting great turmoil throughout the region.

WHEN SPEAKING OF THE LAST DAYS JESUS ENCOURAGED HIS DISCIPLES: “WHEN THESE THINGS BEGIN TO COME TO PASS, THEN LOOK UP, AND LIFT UP YOUR HEADS; FOR YOUR REDEMPTION DRAWETH NIGH!” (Luke 21:28).

Brothers and Sisters, we may very well be at the threshold of our Lord’s Return. Jesus said that the generation that sees the budding of the fig tree would not pass away until all these things are fulfilled. If the return of Israel as a nation is “the budding of the fig tree,” (Matthew 24:32ff) and if a generation is 70 years we should expect our Lord’s return just any time.

This is not the time to get ready. It is the time to be ready!

ATTACKING THE CHRISTIAN CONSTITUTION

2011-02-24T11:06:00.000-08:00

This past month the 112th Congress of the United States was sworn into office and publicly read The Constitution of the United States. “We the People of the United States,” the newly elected Speaker of the House, John Boehner began, “in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” Every American should know and appreciate this historic document.

Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who was tragically shot and wounded in Tuscan last week end read the First Amendment, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” (Note: This does not prohibit God’s people from being active participants in our democracy. It does prohibit the Government from establishing a national church and from legally interfering with religious institutions.) Let’s all continue to pray for the Congreesswoman and all who are suffering from that wicked attacker.

Critics charged that it was a waste of time to read the Constitution. They said that the U. S. Constitution was flawed, and really not relevant to our times. Truth be told, every liberty, right, and privilege of the American citizenship is granted and secured by our Constitution. Without this foundation, our government would devolve into a cruel form of tyranny or anarchy. Those with either the gold and/or the guns would arbitrarily force their will upon us!
But Congress is restrained and governed by the Constitution. The Courts are required to to preserve and interpret the Constitution. And the President, the Executive Branch of our Government, is sworn to defend and enforce the Constitution. We are a nation of laws, whose first and foremost law is that enshrined in the Constitution.

We are anxious to defend our nation’s Constitution from those who would depreciate, desecrate, and destroy this foundation of our democracy. But it occurs to us that there is an even greater threat to the nation, and the souls of our nation: That is the pernicious attack on the Constitution of the Christian Church—God’s Word, the Bible.

Without the Virtues, the Verities, and the Values of Scripture, life is chaos and we have no hope in eternity. That’s why we are contending for GOD’S INFALLIBLE WORD--OUR UNFAILING GUIDE!

We are sure that the Bible is inerrant—without error.

We are sure that we have an accurate text—what was written by God’s holy men. No other ancient text is as well-documented and preserved as the Bible. The Holy Spirit guarantees that we have “a sure word” (2 Peter 1:19) that “endures forever” (1 Peter 1:25).

And we are sure that our text is accurate—that it perfectly reveals God’s will, and that there are no historical, factual, scientific, philosophical, or theological errors in its pages. We have taken holy glee in watching Darwin’s theory of evolution falter under the weight of new-found evidence. Hold to God’s Infallible Word!

The truth is, it is not men who judge God’s Word, rather it is God’s Word that judges men. The sooner we see that truth, repent of our sins, and humbly walk with the Lord Jesus Christ, the better off we all will be.

THE WORD OF GOD PERFECTLY REVEALS GOD’S WILL
The Bible is rich in spiritual truth. It reveals God’s plan of redemption for sinful man. It tells of God’s saving grace, teaching grace, keeping grace, and sanctifying grace. It teaches us how we are to order our relationship with God—“He’s first”, and how we should relate with others. It tells us how we are to act and react towards our family, our friends, and our enemies. It directs how we should use our money and what we should be giving. And it specifically teaches us how to live a holy and separated-from-the-world lifestyle. (For example men are not to wear clothing that pertains to women, and women are not to wear clothing that pertains to men, Deuteronomy 22:5; Modesty is not optional, 1st Timothy 2:9; and we are to refrain from tattoos and markings on our bodies, Leviticus 19:28). How would any of us know these things except that God’s Word teaches us?

THE WORD OF GOD PERFECTLY REVEALS MY WILL
The Apostle Paul testified, “The law is a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ.” (Galatians 3:24ff). Indeed seeing what God requires hits us hard! We know that we have disobeyed God. We also know that our pride resists the idea that God should be able to tell us how to think, what to do, and who we should be. That’s why the writer to the Hebrews says, “The word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12). God’s Word reveals what is in us. And Praise God! it also teaches us of saving and sanctifying grace that washes away all our guilt and purifies our hearts!

THE WORD OF GOD REVEALS OUR ONLY HOPE
The Prophet Jeremiah was direct:

Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord…(but) Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. (Jeremiah 17:5-7)

The Apostle John plainly revealed the way of salvation through Jesus Christ.

If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His Word is not in us. (1 John 1:10)

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

If we say that we have no sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. (1 John 1:8)

But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son, cleanses us from all sin. (I John 1:7)

If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not the truth. (1 John 1:6)

Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. (1 John 3:2,3)

AS GOD WOULD HAVE US LOVE

2011-02-15T21:01:00.000-08:00

If we love God, then we love who God wants us to love and in the way God wants us to love them. If we love ourselves then we love who we want to love and in the way we want to love them.

Pop psychology urges us to love who we want to love, in any way that we want to love them, without any reference to God or His will for our love. Some say that love is a personal choice. Others tell us that who or what we love is genetically determined. But the ungodly are agreed in this, “no one should impose restrictions on another person’s love.”

But the Bible teaches us that fallen, sinful men are not wise enough, not good enough, nor are they strong enough, to make that decision for themselves. We need God’s direction, God’s blessing, and God’s strength to know and to experience Love as He ordained it to be.

Those who resist God’s direction for their love are displaying the height of folly and the depths of their depravity. Those who embrace God’s direction for their love are not only happier and more at peace today, they will know the joy of heaven forever.

So do you love what God wants you to love?
Do you love who God wants you to love?
Do you love in the way God wants you to love?
If so, then it can be truthfully said, “you love God.”

If not, then pray that God will for Christ’s sake forgive you for idolizing your opinion rather than yeilding to His will. Determine that with God’s help, you will love as He wants you to love. And pray that God will perfect your love for Him and His divine will. If you will sincerely seek to love God, love His Will, and love His Way, you will one day enter into that heavenly home the Lord is even now preparing for you.

More Than A Meeting...

2011-02-10T09:08:00.000-08:00

One week from today the ST. LOUIS HOLINESS CONVENTION will convene at FAITH COMMUNITY CHURCH, 2969 N. Lindbergh, St. Ann, MO 63074.

We are praying and expecting that this year's Convention will draw the largest crowds in our 7 year history, but we want more.

We are praying and expecting that this year's Convention will be rich in theology and meaningful discussion, but we want more.

We are praying and expecting that this year's Convention will encourage those on the front lines to press forward for the Cause of Christ and Scriptural Holiness, but we want more.

We are praying and expecting that this year's Convention will be, as in years past, crowned with the pervasive presence of God's Holy Spirit, but we want more.

Any and all of these would be great accomplishments for the Convention. But our fervent prayer and deepest longing is that the St. Louis Holiness Convention would be remembered as the time that the SPIRIT OF PENTECOST so filled those attending that we would leave St. Louis
- aflame with God's love burning bright on the altars of our hearts,
- empowered to be the people God has called us to be, and
- engaged to fulfil that high calling, which God has placed before us.

OUR GREATEST NEED IS FOR A REVIVAL OF NEW TESTAMENT CHRISTIANITY--THE KIND THAT CHANGES MEN AND ALTERS HISTORY--PERSONAL, ECCLESIASTIC, AND CULTURAL!

Plan now to attend this year's convention!

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17
9:00 AM Prayer Service
10:00 AM Keynote Address
11:00 AM Andrew Durst - The Great Commission
Lunch Break - Home cooked meal provided for a free-will offering.

1:30 PM Dr. Rodger Young - Biblical Chronology: Historical Evidence for Biblical Inerrancy
2:15 PM Discussion Panel
Afternoon Snack Break

3:00 PM Norman Cash and Cecelia Spotted Bear of Wounded Knee - Native American Missions
4:00 PM Wayne Knipmeyer (Bible Holiness)
Dinner Break - Home cooked meal provided for a free-will offering.

7:00 PM Evening Rally with Pastor James Plank. Music by the Duane Elmore Family.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18,
9:00 AM Pastor John Poff opening remarks and Prayer Service
10:00 AM Dr. Steve Gibson, "The Sincerity of God."
11:00 AM Mark Avery, Herald and Holiness Banner Press, Editor
Lunch Break - Home cooked meal provided for a free-will offering.

1:30 PM Pastor Wallace Thornton - A Fresh Look at Romans 7
2:15 PM Discussion Panel
Afternoon Snack Break

3:00 PM Bishop Marsh W. Jones, (Crusaders), How Methodism Changed British Culture
4:00 PM Evangelist Benjamin Crawford
Dinner Break - Home cooked meal provided for a free-will offering.

7:00 PM Evening Rally with James Plank, Music by Bob and Rowena Clouse

ST LOUIS HOLINESS CONVENTION 2011

2011-02-08T11:27:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends of Christian Holiness,

If you believe that A REVIVAL OF SCRIPTURAL HOLINESS IS OUR MOST URGENT NEED, then you will not want to miss the 2011 ST. LOUIS HOLINESS CONVENTION, Thursday, February 17 and Friday, February 18.

More than economic growth, more than social reform, and more than political change, God's people need to recover the romance of loving God, the optimism of victorious faith, and the power of Spirit-driven living.

It is our conviction that as the message of holiness, the dominant theology of 19th century America, was supplanted by the neo-Calvinists of the early 20th century, the Charismatics of the late 20th century, and the Church Growth Movement of the past few decades, the Church lost her sanctifying influence in the life of her people and in the culture at large.

Today we are witnessing what the Apostle warned we would face, men having "a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof!" (2 Timothy 3:5).

Tragically this "form" is not only powerless to transform sinners and empower saints, it is also unappealing to the masses. Fewer and fewer Americans are attending church. Statistics show that at one time over 40% of Americans attended Church on any given weekend. Today fewer than 19% attend.

We are witnessing the demoralization of our nation. Our national character is anemic, our moral convictions are few, and our concern for Biblical truth is notable for it's absence.

We are still a "spiritual" people, but we are not Biblically Christian people.

I am convinced that at the root of our social, economic, and political malaise is our loss of Christian conscience. This profound loss can be blamed on the professing Church that prefers playing above praying, feasting more than fasting, and worldliness over holiness.

YET GOD HAS ALWAYS HAD HIS PEOPLE! AND IF HIS PEOPLE WILL HUMBLE THEMSELVES, WILL PRAY, WILL SEEK GOD'S FACE, AND WILL TURN FROM THEIR WICKED WAYS (see 2 Chronicles 7:14; I would say this is a call to the kind of holiness we seek), THEN GOD WILL HEAR, GOD WILL FORGIVE, AND GOD WILL HEAL!

God has raised up the JOHN WESLEY FOUNDATION of ST. LOUIS for "such a time as this."

The John Wesley Foundation of St. Louis is dedicated to advancing Scriptural Holiness by:
1. Hosting an annual convention, and other events as the Lord opens doors.
2. Promoting fervent prayer for a great awakening.
3. Fostering robust intellectual inquiry and sound holiness exegesis.
4. Publishing a sound apologetic for Scriptural holiness in books, articles, and journals.
5. Networking people, churches, and organizations with a passion for holiness of heart and life.
6. Stimulating creative and aggressive outreaches dedicated to "evangelizing the lost and Christianizing Christianity" (P. F. Bresee).
7. Demonstrating the grace of holy love in our churches, our homes, and our lives.

THE 2011 ST LOUIS HOLINESS CONVENTION IS THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17 AND FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18. Sponsored by the John Wesley Foundation of St. Louis and hosted by FAITH COMMUNITY CHURCH, 2969 N. Lindbergh Blvd, St. Ann, MO 63074.

Our line up of speakers and special guests for this year's convention is powerful:

JAMES PLANK (God's Missionary Church, Beavertown, PA) is the assistant to the General Secretary of the Inter Church Holiness Convention (IHC). Brother Plank will be preaching on both Thursday and Friday evenings at 7:00 p.m.

BOB AND ROWENA CLOUSE (Church of God Holiness, Missouri) pastor the Church of God (Holiness) in Mexico, MO. They are wonderful singers with a passion for the cause of Scriptural holiness.

EVANGELIST BEN CRAWFORD (Bible Methodist, Alabama Connection) is a young man with a passion for evangelism and the cause of Scriptural holiness. He is currently hosting a presentation of historic Biblical texts in this 400th Anniversary Year of the King James Version of the Bible.

ANDREW DURST (Crusaders USA) is associate Pastor at Faith Crusaders, Urbana, IL. He is the field director of GREAT COMMISSION CAMP. This year Pastor Durst will be leading teams in Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri.

DR. STEVE GIBSON (Pilgrim Holiness Church, Midwest Conference) Pastors Victory Chapel in Indianapolis, Indiana. He is the author of several books including "The Essential Wesley, I Believe," "The Sincerity of God," and "Practical Christianity." He is the director of Keystone Urban Institute.

DR. MARSH JONES, (Crusaders Church USA), is the Bishop of Crusaders and Senior Pastor of Faith Crusaders Church in Urbana, IL. He has written "The Pulpit, The Periodical, and The Pen: The Life of Joseph Benson."

EVANGELIST P L LIDDELL (Church of the Nazarene, Michigan) has been a holiness evangelist for more than 50 years. He has written a number of great Gospel songs including, "When I Said Yes To Jesus."

WALLACE THORNTON, (Church of the Nazarene, Missouri) Pastors in Moberly, Missouri. He serves as an adjunct professor and scholar to a number of Bible Colleges. He is the author of "Radical Righteousness."

THE DUANE ELMORE FAMILY (Bible Holiness Church, Foley, Missouri) minister in the Spirit as they sing and lead singing. You will be wonderfully blessed by their great sound and their sensitivity to the leadership of the Holy Spirit.

JOHN POFF (Church of God (Holiness), Carthage, Missouri) was saved in his 40's and called into the work of the Lord. John and his wife Sherry have pastored in Missouri and Colorado. Brother Poff is a man of prayer.

MISSIONARY NORMAN CASH and CECELIA SPOTTED BEAR of WOUNDED KNEE (Rose Bud and Pine Ridge Indian Reservations, South Dakota), are wonderful missionaries to the Indian Communities of South Dakota. They are leaders in the Spring Creek Indian Holiness Campmeeting.

WAYNE KNIPMEYER (Bible Holiness Church, Bowling Green, Missouri) has pastored in Illinois and Missouri. Brother Knipmeyer is a leader of the TROY BIBLE HOLINESS CAMPMEETING in Troy, Missouri.

DR. RODGER YOUNG (St. Louis, Missouri) will be presenting his amazing research confirming the accuracy of Biblical chronology. Dr. Young is an accomplished scholar having graduated from Reed College and Oxford University (Oxford, England) with graduate degrees. Dr. Young was led to Christ by Christians who picked him up as he was hitchhiking on the Auto-bon in Germany.

MARK AVERY (Church of God (Holiness), Overland Park, Kansas) is the editor of THE HERALD AND HOLINESS BANNER PRESS. He is a favorite at the St. Louis Holiness Convention.

I don't know where in the United States of America you could find such a gathering of great men of God, February 17th and 18th, 2011.

DELICIOUS HOME COOKED MEALS will be provided on a free-will offering basis.

HOTEL ROOMS can be purchased on Priceline at a reasonable rate. Select the St. Louis Airport and Westport areas as they are closest to the Convention site.

IF YOU NEED TRANSPORTATION to and from LAMBERT INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT we can arrange a ride. We are only 5 minutes from the airport.

PRAY AND ASK THE LORD IF HE WOULD LEAD YOU TO COME! We are praying He is willing that you come. It will do your heart good. And you will be an encouragement to others.

IF YOU NEED MORE INFORMATION please feel free to call my cell phone (314) 607-1424 or e-mail PastorRick@FCCToday.org.

Onward!

PASTOR RICK JONESFAITH COMMUNITY CHURCH of ST. LOUIS - CRUSADERS CHURCH USA2969 N. Lindbergh Blvd, St. Ann, MO 63047Tel. (314) 298-5840; Cell. (314) 607-1424E-mail: PastorRick@FCCToday.orgWeb Page: www.FCCToday.org Blog: www.PastorRickJones.blogspot.com

ST LOUIS STATEMENT

It is our conviction that the decline of morality in our culture and within the professing Christian community is rooted in the failure of the Church to embrace and articulate and demonstrate the message of Scriptural holiness.

The contemporary Church has lost its sanctifying influence in society, as it has:
… lost her conviction that the Scriptures are inspired and inerrant.
… accepted what Dietrich Bonhoeffer called, “cheap grace,” a grace that justifies sin without justifying the sinner.”
… refused to believe in the possibility of God’s grace to actually save sinners from all sin and to cleanse the heart of inherited depravity—our natural tendency to rebel against God.

The Scriptures teach, and we affirm:

1. Sanctification is the work of God that purifies the believer from acquired and inherited depravity. “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it. I Thessalonians 5:23,24

2. At the time of conversion the penitent believer is justified, which is the imputation of righteousness in place of the believer’s guilt; and initially sanctified, which is the impartation of God’s righteousness worked in the believer’s heart and life. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? …And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. I Corinthians 6:9-11

Sanctification is initialized at the time of justification, for at that time God delivers the penitent believer from the power of sin, enabling righteous living and spiritual growth that brings the believer to the point of entire sanctification. “God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth.” 2 Thessalonians 2:13.

Entire sanctification is the instantaneous cleansing of the believer’s heart of inherited depravity, so that the heart of the believer is fully renewed in the image of God, purified of inherited depravity, and perfected in love, accelerating growth in Christlikeness. “Herein is our love made perfect that we may have boldness in the day of judgment.” I John 4:17.
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The John Wesley Foundation – 2969 N. Lindbergh Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63074 – Tel. (314) 607-1424

IS GOD STILL ABLE?

2011-01-13T20:59:00.000-08:00

Times change. They are always changing. Yet there are some changes that are so significant that they alter the entire course of human history. These defining moments are movements initiate profound shifts in thinking and new ways of living. (For example: The Birth of Christianity, the Rise of Islam, the Renaissance, The Enlightenment, The Protestant Reformation, the Industrial Revolution, The Ascent of Modern Science, and The Information Age).

From our vantage point it appears that we are once again in the midst of such a significant shift. Though it is yet to be named, we are witnessing a profound change. The West has abandoned her orthodox Christian faith, forsaken her moral convictions, and jettisoned her self-confidence. We have sown to the wind, and now we are reaping the whirlwind. (Hosea 8:7).

In our "Brave New World" gender distinctions are blurred, marriage commitments are optional, temporary, and open (one man to one woman, man to man, woman to woman, man to more than one woman, and woman to more than one man), children are disposable, and pleasure is god. Reckless spending by our government has covered the high cost of our feckless living, but htat cannot go on forever. All debts come due.

As the sun of our civilization descends towards the horizon of history, those who are concerned and willing to do what it necessary to halt the decline are few. Fewer still are those who see that our hope rests only in a revival of authentic Scriptural Christianity.

Many years ago, God "sought for a man to stand in the gap and make up the hedge," and then later lamented, "But I found none." (Ezekiel 22:30). Today there are some, but we are few. We take courage in Jonathan's word to his armor bearer, "There is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few." (1 Samuel 14:6) History confirms that Jonathan is right.

By the end of the 1st Century, Christians numbered approximately 6/10ths of 1% (6 out of every 1000) of the world's population. Yet who can doubt the power of those rugged disciples to win the lost and to "turn the world upside down!" (Acts 17:6). Twenty centuries later, the Church of Jesus Christ remains.

At John Wesley's death, fewer than 3/4ths of 1% (7 out of ever 1000) in Great Britain were members of the Methodist socieities. But historians are convinced that Methodism rescued Britain from the brink of anarchy and spared the nation from French-style revolution.

The record is clear. More than great numbers of men, we need great men of God.

Yet some nagging questions remain:

CAN THE SAME HOLY SPIRIT WHO PURIFIED THE HEARTS OF THE DISCIPLES BY FAITH AT PENTECOST (Acts 15:9) SO FILL GOD'S PEOPLE IN OUR DAY THAT WE COULD SEE A REVIVAL OF HOLINESS LIKE THAT OF THE FIRST CENTURY?

It was purity and holiness, not popularity and bigness that moved the first Christians. I suppose that they never got over ( and neither should we) that awesome penalty God exacted of Ananias and Sapphira for lying to the Holy Ghsot (Acts 5:1ff). Peter's rebuke of Simon who wanted to buy the power of the Holy Ghost was unambiguous, "Thy money perish with thee...thy heart is not right in the sight of God." (Acts 8:18ff) And Paul's admonition to the Church at Corinth regarding the professing Christian who was living with his father's wife was clear cut, "Deliver such an one to satan for the destruction of the flesh." (1 Cor. 5:5).

CAN THE HOLY SPIRIT THAT SO ENERGIZED THE METHODISTS TO SPREAD SCRIPTURAL HOLINESS THROUGHOUT THE BRITISH EMPIRE AND ACROSS AMERICA, EMPOWER AND MOBILIZE US TO FILL OUR NATION WITH "HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD?"

Utilizing the means of their day--circuit riding preachers on horse-back, innumerable services, out-door preaching, revivals, and class meetings, as well as the technology of their day the printed page (The Arminian magazine published by the Methodists was for many years the most widely distributed and read magazine in the world), the Methodist influence profoundly hsaped the people and the insitutions of 18th and 19th century Britain and United States.

AND IS THE MIGHTY BAPTISM WITH THE HOLY GHOST AND FIRE ABLE TO OVERCOME THE PERVASIVE INFLUENCE OF THE WORLD, THE FLESH, AND THE DEVIL IN OUR GENERATION?

Is the power of God checked by the forces of technology, media, and all that we call modernity? Is it even possible toget the attention of a generation that is so mesmerized by the media, the internet, and high tech gadgetry? Americans alone send 4 billion texts a day. 280 million Americans will jump on the information super-highway we call the internet. And more Americans have TV's in their homes than have indoor plumbing. Is it possible to overcome this tsunami of iniquity that surrounds us?

NEVER BEFORE HAS THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST FACED THE CHALLENGES POSED BY THE CONVERGENCE OF AN EVER PRESENT TECHNOLOGY that privatizes sin, A TOLERANCE that contextualizes sin and renders right judgment impossible, and A THIS-WORLDLINESS that has no fear of God, of judgment, or of eternity.

YET OUR FAITH STILL HOLDS TO THE CRUCIFIED, BURIED, AND RISEN AGAIN CHRIST. He promised, "Ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you!" Surely this power is greater than all the inventions and imaginations of men. It was this power that raised up Christ from the dead. It was this power that raises us up to walk in newness of life. It was this power that sustained the Church of Jesus Christ to this good hour. And it is this power that secures our faith in the future.

JOIN US FEBRUARY 17 & 18, 2011 AT THE ST. LOUIS HOLINESS CONVENTION, Sponsored by the JOHN WESLEY FOUNDATION OF ST. LOUIS, and hosted by FAITH COMMUNITY CHURCH, 2969 N. Lindbergh, St. Ann, MO 63074, AS WE SEEK GOD FOR A FRESH OUTPOURING OF PENTECOSTAL POWER ON HIS PEOPLE, A REVITALIZED CHURCH, AND A RENEWED CONFIDENCE IN OUR MESSAGE! "Holiness unto the Lord, now and forever!"