Month: April 2018

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(Original radio broadcast from May 8, 1998)

Today we would like to discuss the singlemost important issue in your life and mine! Does this arouse your curiosity? Should any ordinary man make such bold statement? We would like to invite you to stay tuned, and answer this question for yourself!

It is becoming increasingly evident that we are heading into a time of great expansion for the Kingdom of God. Pressures from every side are moving against the people of God, and these pressures must of necessity force us out of our comfort zones. Passivity and complacency have captivated us for much too long, while our enemy has continued to thrive in this earth.

Our Great Commander and Chief is presently mobilizing His forces. The question we must ask ourselves today is, will we be in that number?

No effort will be made here to incite fear into your hearts, and none will be necessary. Many of you are already overcome with fear for the days that are upon us, but our only purpose is to instill hope! Our hope is found in only one place and one person. That person is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself!

The crucial question of this hour is not if you should move into the country and hoard provisions, or invest your money in the gold market. If the Spirit of the Lord directs you to do certain things, by all means obey Him! But as I listen and observe the conversations of my fellow Christians, and even my own words, I am forced to ask this haunting question: Where do you and I stand in our relationship with Jesus Christ!

Many of us have been walking with the Lord for years and yet finding ourselves being shaken by daily events. We then begin to look to Christian leaders in church, and on the radio and TV, and these in turn point to specialists of every field. There are Christian psychologist, and counselors, doctors and scientists, all of whom have much wisdom and insight to offer us. But there is also the great danger of our ever learning, while never coming to the full knowledge of the Truth!

But what is the Truth? The question should rather be: Who is the Truth? Bible believing Christians have within their grasp the one greatest resource that has ever been given to mankind, but how we fail to avail ourselves of it! We have the most awesome and marvelous privilege of KNOWING THE LORD JESUS CHRIST intimately, but who has the time for that?

There are so many important projects to be involved in and works to accomplish! There are so many things to possess and pleasures to experience! There are so many problems to solve and answers to be sought! Who has the time to SEEK THE LORD?

Brothers and sisters, the present time, and every time, will always be the proper time to seek the Lord! Are any of us so familiar, so spiritually mature that we have actually outgrown our need to maintain an intimate relationship with Him? And what are we actually talking about, but finding our pleasure in and actually giving pleasure to the most awesome being in the universe! He is our Creator and Lord! He is our friend and lover! He has redeemed us from the curse, and brought us forth from the graveyard of fallen humanity! Why should we NOT desire Him! Why should we fail to seek Him first above all things — the One from Whom we draw our very breath and life?

May the Lord Jesus Christ use this entire broadcast today to draw us near unto Him! May we all receive a fresh revelation of His glory, which will fill us with an all-consuming desire and passion for Him!

If you are finding it difficult to love others — seek Him. If you are reluctant to give and sacrifice for His Kingdom — seek Him. If you lack the energy to even perform the simple and normal duties of life — seek Him!

If you are having trouble paying your bills — seek Him. If your children are giving you problems — seek Him. If your marriage is in danger — seek the Lord!

How can I suggest this course of action? Because I have found myself in each one of these situations, and have consistently proven by the Word of God that He is a rewarder of them that believe that HE IS, and who diligently SEEK HIM!

Be advised that we are not counseling anyone to seek rewards! We are exhorting one another to SEEK the Lord! In Him we find our purpose in life, as well as the means to succeed in that purpose. Any other goal or venture is vain — absolutely worthless, and not worth the waste of your time or God’s time in prayer for!

As in any relationship, our intimacy with Christ is progressive. There may be certain aspects of His Life and Nature that we have already fully experienced in our walk, but we must never settle down right there. One of the greatest testimonies of all time is found in the life of Paul and in his letter to the Philippians:

But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.

Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus (Phil 3:7-14).

We would do well to adopt the attitude of the great apostle, Paul. With all the revelation he possessed, the mighty miracles he performed, and the countless souls he won to the Lord, the fire of his passion was not quenched! He knew there was even more of the Lord Jesus Christ to know! From the pain of His sufferings, to the joy of seeing His children walk in Truth! All of it was real, for Christ is ever real and alive unto us, and the challenge to live as He Lived remains ever before us!

We too must press towards the mark for the prize of the High calling of God in Christ Jesus! We too must hunger and thirst for His resurrection life above all things! Knowing that eventually every knee will bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father, our greatest desire is to know His Lordship in our lives today!

There is a freedom from fear and anxiety for one who knows the Lord. But there is a need for instruction in this area. Far too many understand Christianity as a list of do’s and don’t’s, or as a constant pursuit of Biblical knowledge. More of us need to understand how to correctly use the scriptures as a means for our spiritual growth. Jesus confronted some Bible scholars of His day for knowing the scriptures, but not realizing that they spoke of Him. We have a tendency to pick and choose the Scriptures that reinforce our own ideas and beliefs, but wholesome teaching involves the whole counsel of God. And Satan would love to keep our thoughts focused on theology, rather than our relationship with the Living Christ!

Man is not to live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceeds out of the Mouth of God. As sincere babes, we are to desire the milk of the Word, which feeds our inner man. As we grow in thought and practice, the meat of the Word becomes palatable unto us. In this we obtain the strength to perform the duties of a mature son in his Father’s House.

Before we close this teaching, we hope to leave you with both the desire for a deeper walk with Christ, and some direction that will aid you in your pursuit of Him.

First of all, you must know that it is the Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom. This whole plan was His idea! He gave Himself to reconcile you unto Him! Therefore we must understand that He is ready and willing for you to know Him experientially. He is actively drawing you into Himself at this very moment!

He has given us the Scriptures, the Gospel, His servants and the power of the Holy Spirit to bring us into completeness in Him! We even have an open line of communication unto Him in our prayers! Christ has torn away the veil, that we may boldly come before the throne of Grace!

All of these gifts must be received by us.

James 1:21-22: Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

There is no doubt that the Scriptures can be intimidating and challenging unto us, both mentally and spiritually. But that is not our concern. When we spend time in study and meditation on the Scriptures, our attitude is one of meekness and receptiveness. When we meet with the hard sayings, and difficult challenges, we must continue to receive with meekness the ENGRAFTED WORD. You see, this is how we become doers of the Word! The Word of God becomes a part of us — whether we mentally understand it our not!

The Scriptures become a means for us to receive the Life of God into our bodies! They also can convey the wonderful revelation of the Person of Christ unto us, as the Mighty Presence of the Holy Spirit enlightens our study of them!

Always remember. Whatever Christian discipline we practice –whether it is prayer, fasting, Bible study, church meetings; whatever offerings we give unto the ministry and the needy; whatever services we perform for humanity — in all things our ultimate desire is to KNOW HIM, and there is a beauty to be discovered in every one of these activities when we see Him in them!

This ONE THING I DO, forgetting those things that are behind me, reaching forth unto those things that are before, I press towards the mark for the prize of the upward call of God IN CHRIST JESUS!

Heavenly Father,

There are more than a million distractions both within us and from without us today, that strive for our attention. How easy it has become for us to simply forget you, your love, your life, and your purpose for our lives. Give us a new and fresh revelation of your Son, and His glorious Bride, the Church. And fill us with a consuming passion and love for you.

Our commitment today is to keep our faces towards you. Give us the strength to follow through in this commitment in turning away from any idols that have found places in our hearts. We lay our hopes, dreams, and fears before you. We lay our careers, hobbies and even our families on your altar.

Accept our bodies as living sacrifices unto you, and also our love which is merely a response to your great Love for us. Keep us on this path, for our trust is only in You.

In Jesus Lovely Name,

Amen

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(Original radio broadcast from May 1,1998)

In Mat 24:14 We find these words of Jesus:

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.

In Rom 1:16-17, Paul writes: For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

Many believe that a spiritual intensity is building as we approach the end of this century. Forgive me for not giving speculations of coming world events here. These are not the concerns that Jesus has laid on my heart. But I do believe that many are hearing from the Lord and receiving direction concerning His will for His people in this hour!

There has always been that prophetic element of Christ’s church and She has always been His Voice and witness in the earth. He will proclaim His counsels to mankind as He has always done!

This is a day to bear and proclaim His message to all! It is also a day to seek the Lord, and receive His counsel to us, both as individuals, and as His people world-wide! Let all of heaven and earth, Hear the Word of the Lord! And may we who are His own be already actively tuned in to what He is saying, while the voices of fools vainly attempt to drown out His earnest cry!

The people of God need a new hunger and thirst for His Creative Living Word! But how difficult it is becoming to receive their attention! Many are becoming more accustomed to hearing and understanding the wisdom of men, thus the wisdom of God appears difficult and even foolish to them!

For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence.

But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. (1 Cor 1:26-1 Cor 2:10)

This is a day to give an ear to hear what the Spirit of God is saying to the church!

Jer 23:18: But which of them has stood in the council of the LORD to see or to hear his word? Who has listened and heard his word?

Jer 23:22: But if they had stood in my council, they would have proclaimed my words to my people and would have turned them from their evil ways and from their evil deeds.

How often do God’s people tend to be controlled by their circumstances? Why do we so frequently react in fear to the turmoil of our times, rather than in faith and trust in our Lord?

Is it because we have simply failed to hear Him? Have we so little regard to His Word, His Wisdom — His counsel? Or perhaps we are fearful of what He might say to us! He commanded one to sacrifice his son, and another to sell all his worldly possessions for the poor. Where could we find the faith and the courage to obey such a word?

2,000 years ago there were 12 men who also possessed such fears. In fact, some did fail the first great test and ran away during Jesus’ trial and execution. One of His closest associates even denied he ever knew Him, and another actually betrayed Him!

But wait! This is not the end of the story, Jesus prayed a prayer for them — and also for you and me! That prayer kept all but one of them in His care, until they could more clearly see His purpose and triumph in the resurrection! From this encounter with the resurrected Christ, they obtained the faith to wait in Jerusalem, where they came into perfect unity in Him. Then, when He began to fill them with power from on high — the mighty Holy Ghost, they became fearless witnesses unto Him, who rejoiced in the very sufferings that they once greatly feared!

My brother, my sister, you too can know the Resurrected Christ! You too can be filled with power from on high! You too can become a witness to His glorious resurrection! Here the Word of the Lord! Hear the good news, which is the power of God unto your salvation! Believe it!

Right now you can open up your heart and life unto Him anew! You can receive His resurrection life for the very first time, or you can begin returning to your first love in Jesus today!

Oh Praise the wonderful Name of Jesus! We rejoice today in your Lordship! We honor you, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords! Let all of creation sing and shout for joy unto your Name!

It is time for us to forsake the man-centered Gospel. In it everything is directed to our needs and interests. God forgives US. He saves US. He heals US. He prospers US – and all of these things are true, but when the focus begins with us, it often continues with us, and true abundant life is lost.

This is not about us! It is about God! He is both the center and circumference of our being! We need to become absorbed in His Heart, His desires, His purpose! It is for these that He has saved you!

If we are to become a testimony to His reign in the earth, we must experientially know His Lordship! We must not only call Him Lord, but we must also live under His wonderful and benevolent reign, dwelling in the secret place of he Most High, under the shadow of the Almighty!

What peace, safety and security! What love, joy and freedom! Today we are daily learning to trust Him, while our self trust freely melts away. We are forsaking our miserable, self-centered thinking to live and walk the Christ-centered life! He is the Alpha and Omega! He is the First and the Last! It is He Who was, is and is to come the Almighty! Know it! Believe it! His Spirit and Word are making this revelation real unto you today!

The Lordship of Jesus must be realized and proclaimed. This is the good news of the kingdom!

How big is your Jesus? Do you see Him in the fullness in which Paul, Peter, John and the others saw Him! Is He just the simple carpenter’s son, or the suffering servant on the cross? Or have you also caught the vision of His resurrection power, and His ascending Lordship?

Will He only offer you forgiveness, and take you to heaven by the skin of your teeth? Or will He manifest His fullness in your life, as Christ IN YOU the hope of glory? Do see His church as a weak man-made institution, or as His glorious Bride, the Heavenly Jerusalem, the Mother of us all!

It is high time for us all to catch a life-changing, all-consuming vision of Him, that will call us upward to the high call of God in Christ Jesus! It is time for us to be released from our petty arguments and disagreements, that we may join together in resounding praise unto the King of all the earth! It is time for us all to lay down our lives for one another, in expectation for what our Mighty God will do among us and through us! Can anyone say “amen” to that?

From the first installment of this broadcast we have attempted by God’s grace to challenge our listeners to the higher call of God in Christ Jesus. And may we continue to do so. We believe that these are days of renewal, revival, restoration and resurrection for His Church! We also believe that God is calling us all to return to our first love!

All of this can and will come as we lift up the wonderful Name of Jesus, Who is the very image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature. By Him were all things made, and without Him nothing can have existence! Are you hearing the Word of the Lord? Is faith and trust in Him welling up within your soul?

If so, then know that God is working in you both to desire and to do His good pleasure! You are beginning to live the Kingdom Life!

Heavenly Father,
We know that our words are so feeble in comparison to the glory that they hope to convey. But we are thankful that Your Words are going forth in this hour! Give us hearing ears and open hearts to receive Your Truth, and fill us as well with the boldness to declare them to our generation.

In Jesus Name,

Amen