Shine Jesus Shine

One of the most interesting stories of the Old Testament is found in the life of the prophet Elijah. According to James, "Elijah was a man with a nature like our..." (James 5:17) In other words, he was a mere man, subject to the same weaknesses and or infirmities as all other men. Yet God used him supernaturally in various time and situations, one being at Mount Carmel. Israel was under the corrupt leadership of King Ahab whose wife Jezebel was a promoter of worshiping false gods. A challenge is set before Ahab to settle the issue as to who was God, "Then it happened, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said to him, "Is that you, O troubler of Israel?" And Elijah answered, "I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father's house have, in that you have forsaken the commandments of the LORD and have followed the Baals. Now therefore, send and gather all Israel to me on Mount Carmel, the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel's table. So Ahab sent for all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together on Mount Carmel." (1 Kings 18:17-20) 

The next statement that Elijah makes, I believe should be considered by church leaders today as a word spoken also to us, "Elijah came to all the people, and said,"How long will you falter between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him." But the people answered him not a word." (1 Kings 18:21) Question? Is God doing the same tremendous things today through the church as He did in the early church? The answer to this question is, absolutely! The fact is, God has always proved Himself through miracles, signs and wonders from the beginning of mans history through almost three hundred years after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. 

Some may say that the resurrection of Christ was a show of God's power that is enough proof as to who He is. If this is the case, then why were so many miracles performed in the early church? Some may say that when the Bible was completed (canonized) that there is no longer a need for miracles. If this is true, then Christianity is nothing more than one of the worlds religions. What separates Christianity from every other religion is not only the resurrection of the Lord, but the signs, wonders and miracles. Interestingly enough,  the Lord used them to confirmed the preaching of the Word. (Mark 16:20) 

As Elijah faced off with the false prophets of Baal and Asherah, God proved Himself with a mighty show of power that "when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said,"The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!" (1 Kings 18:39) How many people have you seen in your life time who have rejected Christ in the past but have fallen on their faces in public crying out, "The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!" Well, maybe you haven't, but I have and many others ministers that I know have seen large numbers of people do this very thing, why? Because the Lord was working with us and confirming the Word through accompanying signs, not because we are special or more valuable to Him than any other believer. It is simply because we believe that the Lord has not changed, meaning, He has not changed who He is, what He does, and what He has said. (Numbers 23:19, Psalm 89:34, Psalm 119:89, Malachi 3:6, Hebrews 13:8) 

Today, we tend to limit the preaching of the gospel to sharing Christ with our words. This is certainly a good thing to do and it is also the primary function of the church. However, the apostle Paul reveals something very interesting that we have missed in many respects, "For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ has not accomplished through me, in word and deed, to make the Gentiles obedient in mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and round about to Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ." (Romans 15:18-19) Paul reveals that the full gospel is not only preaching Christ in word, but that preaching Christ in mighty signs and wonders by the power of the Spirit is indeed the full gospel. Of course to believe this for today takes faith. 

I always find it interesting that the Lord Himself tells us, "And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."  (Mark 16:17-18) Notice the only condition that is required to perform signs, wonders and miracles is to, "Those who believe." Also notice that it does not say or even allude to, "And these signs will follow only the apostles who believe or only those who believe during a particular dispensation of church history:" I believe that once again the Lord is calling for Elijah's as it were, to step up in faith in the face of all the Baals (the world and every other religion in the world) in the power of His might showing those who reject Him that "Jesus Christ is LORD!" This will be accomplished through the full gospel that Paul spoke of, preaching Christ in mighty signs and wonders by the power of the Spirit. This is what will cause the church to shine as it did in the past. This is what will separate the church from every other religion. This is what will reveal the real Jesus, and this is what will unite the church once again all for His glory.  

Are You Ready to Rumble?

One of the most interesting stories of the Old Testament is found in the life of the prophet Elijah. According to James, "Elijah was a man with a nature like our..." (James 5:17) In other words, he was a mere man, subject to the same weaknesses and or infirmities as all other men. Yet God used him supernaturally in various time and situations, one being at Mount Carmel. Israel was under the corrupt leadership of King Ahab whose wife Jezebel was a promoter of worshiping false gods. A challenge is set before Ahab to settle the issue as to who was God, "Then it happened, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said to him, "Is that you, O troubler of Israel?" And Elijah answered, "I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father's house have, in that you have forsaken the commandments of the LORD and have followed the Baals. Now therefore, send and gather all Israel to me on Mount Carmel, the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel's table. So Ahab sent for all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together on Mount Carmel." (1 Kings 18:17-20)

The next statement that Elijah makes, I believe should be considered by church leaders today as a word spoken also to us, "Elijah came to all the people, and said,"How long will you falter between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him." But the people answered him not a word." (1 Kings 18:21) Today, more doubt is being taught to believers than faith. Questions arise as to who God is, meaning, is He doing the same incredible things today through the church as He did in the early church. Many skeptic say no to such a thing. They teach, because they believe, that what God did through the believers of the early church He does not do today. Of course they do this with absolutely no substantial proof reveal in scripture. The fact is, God has always proved Himself through miracles, signs and wonders from the beginning of mans history through almost three hundred years after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. So why would God do things different today? Why would He change what He does to prove Himself as He did throughout the first 4000 years of mans history? He emphatically has not!

Many will say that the resurrection of Christ was a show of His power that is enough proof as to who He is. If this is the case, then why were so many incredible miracles performed in the early church? Many say that when the Bible was completed (canonized) that there is no longer a need for miracles. If this is true, then Christianity is nothing more than one of the worlds religions. What separates Christianity from every other religion is not only the resurrection of the Lord, but the signs, wonders and miracles. Interestingly enough,  the Lord used them to confirmed the preaching of the Word. (Mark 16:20)

As Elijah faced off with the false prophets of Baal and Asherah, God proved Himself with a mighty show of power that "when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said,"The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!" (1 Kings 18:39) How many people have you seen in your life time who have rejected Christ in the past but have fallen on their faces in public crying out, "The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!" Well, maybe you haven't, but I have and many others ministers that I know have seen large numbers of people do this very thing, why? Because the Lord was working with us and confirming the Word through accompanying signs, not because we are special or more valuable to Him than any other believer. It is simply because we believe that the Lord has not changed, meaning, He has not changed who He is, what He does, and what He has said. (Numbers 23:19, Psalm 89:34, Psalm 119:89, Malachi 3:6, Hebrews 13:8)

Today, we tend to limit the preaching of the gospel to sharing Christ with our words. This is certainly a good thing to do and it is also the primary function of the church. However, the apostle Paul reveals something very interesting that we have missed in many respects, "For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ has not accomplished through me, in word and deed, to make the Gentiles obedient in mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and round about to Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ." (Romans 15:18-19) Paul reveals that the full gospel is not only preaching Christ in word, but that preaching Christ in mighty signs and wonders by the power of the Spirit is indeed the full gospel. Of course to believe this for today takes faith. However, these things are not so to those church leaders who teach that the Lord has changed and does not do the things that He did in the early church.

I always find it interesting that the Lord Himself tells us, "And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."  (Mark 16:17-18) Notice the only condition that is required to perform signs, wonders and miracles is to, "Those who believe." Also notice that it does not say or even allude to, "And these signs will follow only the apostles who believe or only those who believe during a particular dispensation of church history:" I believe that once again the Lord is calling for Elijah's as it were, to step up in faith in the face of all the Baals (the world and every other religion in the world) in the power of His might showing those who reject Him that "Jesus Christ is LORD!" This will be accomplished through the full gospel that Paul spoke of, preaching Christ in mighty signs and wonders by the power of the Spirit. This is what will cause the church to shine as it did in the past. This is what will separate the church from every other religion. This is what will reveal the real Jesus, and this is what will unite the church once again all for His glory.  

The War Continues

Memorial Day is a national holiday where Americans pay their respect and heartfelt gratitude to fellow Americans who have sacrificed their lives in wars throughout the world to protect the freedoms that we enjoy in USA. Whether people believe in the one and only true eternal. immortal, invisible all wise God and the LORD Jesus Christ or not, for generations America was, is and will always be "One nation under God."

However, there is another war that is still taking place. This war started shortly after the creation of man and for thousands of years has taken countless human lives. It is a war that has a leader whose sole purpose is to steal, kill and destroy. His arsenal is includes, sickness, disease, poverty and every sin known to man. Sadly enough this leader uses people many time to do his bidding against other people. He is known as destroyer, murderer, liar, deceiver, accuser, enemy of the human soul, the devil and Satan. He is the epitome of all that is evil and there is no good or truth in him. He is the one who causes every bad, horrible, grotesque and unimaginable things to happen to people. It is all due to his great hatred for humanity and the Creator of life. The Apostle Paul tells us, For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12)
But there is wonderful news for all humanity...

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. (John 3:16-17)

Through faith in Jesus Christ people no longer have to live under the tyrannical rule of Satan because Jesus Christ took the punishment for every sin of every man, woman and child in His own body on the cross. Satan and sin, which are synonymous, has been defeated and humanity can now be free.

Unfortunately, Satan has blinded the minds of many people from this truth and has created a false reality of life. People have become so attached to the world of sin that they cannot see that they are connected to the god of this age. They have been convinced that good is evil and evil is good. They are deceived to think that God is the one behind all the terrible things that happen in the world. The time has come for believers to be thrust into the harvest field to unplug human lives from Satan's system of the bondage of sin with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Believers must go forth preaching the "Full Gospel" to get the results that the early church received. The Apostle Paul tells us what it means to preach the full gospel...
For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ has not accomplished through me, in word and deed, to make the Gentiles obedient. In mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and round about to Illyricum I have FULLY PREACHED THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST. (Romans 15:18-19)

Notice that the full gospel is not only through words but also in actions, that is, a demonstration of mighty signs and wonders by the power of the Holy Spirit. It takes faith to believe that every Christian has the power and authority in the Name of Jesus Christ to walk in this manner. However, the enemy of humanity has and will continue trying his best to convince believers that signs and wonders are not for the church today. If this is so then we must conclude that Jesus mistakenly said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. (John 14:12) But we know that Jesus did not make any mistakes because "He is the way, the truth and the life." So let's exercise our faith in Him, go forth and fight the good fight of faith.