by Joseph | Nov 7, 2008 | Preparation, Sharing
Shared by: Jeff Rowland
You’ve heard it said that you don’t know who your friends are until the bottom drops out from under you. We have all had fair weather friends that are there when things are going great, but a true friend does not leave you when things are falling apart. The scriptures declare that God is a friend that sticks closer than a brother.
The ultimate measure of friendship is not measured during comfort and convenience, but during challenge and controversy.
Therefore the test of friendship comes during adversity.
God shows His great faithfulness to us during times of adversity in our lives. I love the emphatic statement that Paul makes in 1 Corinthians 1:9, “God is faithful.” All through the scriptures God has proven His faithfulness to His people.
Abraham received a promise of a son. When it looked as though this promise would never be realized, God proved His faithfulness. Noah received a word from the Lord that there would be a flood. Though time passed and it looked as though this word would never come to pass, God in His faithfulness fulfilled this word and provided for Noah. God again proved His faithfulness to Elijah by feeding him with the birds. God again proved His great power and faithfulness to Gideon with just 300 men. God met with a little boy named David in His battle with Goliath. God parted a sea for His children to cross over on dry ground. Jesus Christ met Peter while walking on the water. He shook the jail for Paul and Silas. On and on we can name instances where the Lord proved His faithfulness to His children.
Remember that true faithfulness is proven during times of adversity and hardship. This brings us to the opportunity there is for the believer during these times.
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by Joseph | Nov 6, 2008 | Preparation, Sharing
It’s a great time to be a called servant of the King Most High. I am actually thankful for the election of Obama as President of the USA. Yep, I said it.
Certainly, and obviously, the other candidate was my choice – but, the day is now here that the Called of Christ have to make a stand. We’ve hidden in our “churches” with smiles and nice programs for our youth, and preached against those who kill babies, and those who wed in same-sex marraiges. Our rally cry has been a battle against the sinful, while we walk in our pride and display our piety by erecting elaborate buildings – and huddle in comfort with fellow “believers” often ignoring the opportunity to share the love of Christ.
When Jesus and His disciples walked on the earth, the State was powerful and feared. The corruption of the Roman empire was expected, and the church of the day played along so they could keep their “hold” on their positions.
Jesus came and didn’t really play well with the kids who occupied the power positions. He knew those who were in hybris positions of leadership were temporal, and shared about a Kingdom that was eternal. Those who were hurting and living in fear, found hope and life. He didn’t need to constantly berrate those who occupied the temporal leadership positions, in fact, He said to render unto Ceasar that which belonged to the earthly government.
Many who chose to follow Jesus in that day, were persecuted and imprisoned. They sacrificed their lives sharing about the Kingdom of God, not spending hours forwarding e-mails that spoke against the ceasar. The rally for the early believers was sharing the truth of the Messiah, Yeshua (Jesus Christ).
I am excited about this day – as the “preparation call” is more relevant than ever. It’s time for those who await the return of the King to come out and tend the fields. The government is not where I place my trust, and liberal government is certainly not my salvation. My Peace, Hope, and Eternal destiny is secure through the shed blood of the Messiah, Yeshua. He is my Rock, and my Salvation.
by Joseph | Oct 29, 2008 | Preparation, Sharing
I received the following prayer as an e-mail. I receive lot of forwarded e-mails that I rarely take the time to read, because they seem more gossip than substance. This particular e-mail (regardless of whether it is an actual occurrence or not) hit a chord with me.
Prayer given in Kansas at The opening session of their Senate It seems Prayer still upsets some People. When Minister Joe Wright was asked to open The new session of the Kansas Senate, everyone was expecting the usual genealities, but this is what they heard:
Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask Your forgiveness and to seek your direction and Guidance. We know Your Word says, ‘Woe to those Who call evil good,’ but that is exactly what we Have done.
We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed Our values.
We have exploited the poor and called it — The lottery.
We have rewarded laziness and called it — Welfare.
We have killed our unborn and called it — Choice.
We have shot abortionists and called it — Justifiable.
We have neglected to discipline our Children and called it — Building self esteem..
We have abused power and called it — Politics.
We have coveted our neighbor’s possessions And called it — Ambition.
We have polluted the air with profanity and Pornography and called it — Freedom of expression.
We have ridiculed the time-honored values Of our forefathers and called it — Enlightenment.
Search us, Oh, God, and know our hearts Today; cleanse us from every sin and set us free
Amen!
The response was immediate. A number of Legislators walked out during the prayer in Protest. In 6 short weeks, Central Christian Church, where Rev. Wright is pastor, logged more than 5,000 phone calls with only 47 of those calls Responding negatively. The church is now receiving International requests for copies of this prayer From India , Africa and Korea
Commentator Paul Harvey aired this prayer on His radio program, ‘The Rest of the Story,’ and Received a larger response to this program than any Other he has ever aired.
With the Lord’s help, may this prayer sweep Over our nation and wholeheartedly become our Desire so that we again can be called ‘one nation Under God.’
If possible, please pass this prayer on to Your friends. ‘If you don’t stand for something, You will fall for everything.’
by Joseph | Oct 23, 2008 | Preparation, Sharing
Yesterday, a member of my family called me an “Alarmist”. I really was not aware that I am an alarmist, so it came as a bit of a surprise to me. In fact, I didn’t even know what an alarmist was- or what the role consisted of. So, being the good alarmist that I am… I looked it up.
Here’s what the dictionary definition of an alarmist is:
“a person who tends to raise alarms, esp. without sufficient reason, as by exaggerating dangers or prophesying calamities.”
Perhaps my family member knows something about me that I don’t know. Or, maybe it’s possible that my actions and communications have been misinterpreted by those who disagree with my insights. To my knowledge, I haven’t exaggerated the dangers that we face – nor have I prophesied destruction. In fact, by definition the alarmist will raise concerns without sufficient reason. If you have done any research into what is happening on a global scale – there is certainly sufficient reason to be prudent in preparation.
I am not screaming in the streets that we are all doomed, but I do believe we are facing some serious challenges ahead. My call is not to warn people that the end is near, rather to encourage people to prepare for the difficulties that may lie ahead. The Bible is very clear that the King is soon coming – and we need to prepare for His arrival. There will be some difficult events as we get closer to His arrival. If a call to prepare for that is an alarm, well, so be it.
The reference that I was an alarmist came because I referred to the fact my family had just received a shipment of supplies – much of it for our pantry. Here’s a picture of some of our shipments…
The “alarmist” comment speaks more about where we are as a society, and really, the very lack of family discipline that has led us as a society to some of the difficult issues we are facing. We’ve become a spoiled people, who expect immediate gratification and constant entertainment. We have learned that we can squander our resources, and borrow to replace what we’ve depleted.
It is folly to assume that we can continue to live without ultimately paying the debt for our greed and obsessive lifestyle. Make no mistake about it we will reap what we sow. That’s not an alarm, that’s a fact!
by Joseph | Oct 22, 2008 | Preparation, Sharing
Offered By: Jeff Rowland
Four times in the scripture the bible says, “The just shall live by faith.” This is an imperative declaration. It doesn’t say that we might live by faith, but it says the just SHALL live by faith. This implies many things. Faith is the ultimate key to the victorious Christian walk. It doesn’t matter what you are facing in life, if you are walking in faith you are setting yourself up to see miracles in your life.
It is possible to go into an unhealthy extreme in this area as well. If faith becomes the object of our goal instead of the object of faith, which is Christ, then you will fall into extremes that will lead you into misapplying scripture. The power that becomes manifest in the believers life is as a result of who we have faith in and not faith itself.
I want us to consider a key element associated with faith in this article and let it encourage us to begin a lifestyle of faith that will bring us into fullness in our relationship with Christ.
Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the substance of things hope for.”
Faith can be viewed in a two-fold manner. It is an action as well as an attitude. James says that faith without works is dead. Therefore there must be action to faith or it is a dead faith. Paul lists faith as a spiritual gift in his writings to the Corinthian Church.
People who have the gift of faith walk around in an attitude of faith most all of the time. Going back now to the first line of verse 1 of Hebrews 11, we could say that our actions or attitude of faith, then we have the verb is. This makes faith a present tense action or attitude.
Next we have the word, substance. Substance defines faith as the reality of the object of faith. So then, actions and attitudes of faith are the present tense reality of things hoped for.
Hope can be defined as the future tense of faith becoming sight. I have the hope of heaven because I have been redeemed by Christ’s blood. My hope is yet future. However, in this verse we can say that the actions of faith are the present tense reality of things that are yet future in our lives.
Speaking from a spiritual perspective we can say that faith takes what is yet our future hope and places it into our present day. I can enjoy the joys of heaven while on earth through faith.
This verse goes on to say that faith is the evidence of things not seen. That is it is the proof of what is invisible. Through the eyes of faith we can see things that before we could not see. This being the case we could say that unless our faith is strong we will not see the things that God wants us to see. We will be blinded to it. I wonder how many are walking around in darkness now even though they have been saved but their faith is weak and they are blinded to spiritual realities that could be right in front of them.
This truth from verse 1 would bring us to a question that should be asked. How do we strengthen our faith? Verse 3 says, “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.” Verse 3 gives us the basis for faith building.
Romans 10:17, “So then, faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God.”
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