Mighty Years

As the 2012 year comes to a close it is dreadfully obvious that the world and people in general are regrettably closer to wicked anarchy than ever before.

As many of us watch the world moral structures collapsing right in front of our eyes, it is apparent that there will be no cessation anytime soon.  There are very few voices crying out against a sinful over-indulgent population and the voice of Christ is purposely censored.........but that is the world, isn’t it?  Christ’s strong influence has never overwhelmed the world.

Then there’s the world of the church, which should be glorious, but in that world, we see Christians in bondage, unable, unaware or not wanting to get free; we see materialistic Christians with no regrets about their wants and selfish pleasures. False teachers are rampant in the church. We see little lambs (new believers) leaving their sins from years past, only to turn around and go back to them as though it is now ok to indulge in vulgarity, visual nudity, sensual pleasures, and worldly activities...and some actually try justifying it.
There is not so much a misunderstanding about salvation in the church as there is a badly represented teaching about sanctification, holiness, grace, virtue and Christian living.

I can hardly express my sincerest concerns for the church right now.  My thoughts at their highest pinnacle of oration fall so short of my heart’s deepest troublings and despairs for my flock, my country and my God and Savior whom this world ignores at great peril and the church disobeys with terrible consistency. 

This year – 2013 - I am dedicating as the ‘Year to Hear the Lord.’

There are many ways to hear God’s voice; one of them is through His Word!  We can also hear Him in our hearts, if we will just listen. Then, we can hear him in the Spirit if we pray attention! (neat play on words, huh?) Other times, we out and out seek Him by prayer & fasting.

This brings me to the point of my blog.  I am extending to you an invitation to join all of us at the "SUB" from January 6^th to the 27^th, as a time to set aside for fasting & prayer. I am asking you, no I’m pleading with you to join me and my entire congregation in seeking God’s will during these consecrated 21 days of fasting and prayer. Twenty-one life-changing, neighborhood-changing, heart-changing, bondage-breaking, stronghold-tearing-down days. Many are already sharing with me their excitement for this fast and what the effects will be in their lives throughout the year.

I believe fasting in January will set the pace for hearing God the rest of the year and allow us to see great things take place individually and within the Body of Christ for days and months and hopefully years after it is over, making 2013 the most powerful of the upcoming ‘Mighty Years’ that we will experience in our lives.’Yes, I did say, ‘Mighty Years!’ because when the people of the world turn to wickedness, the people of God turn to the Lord. When they do this, the Lord blesses those who seek and follow Him.  The scripture says in Romans 5:20 ‘where sin abounded, grace did much more abound’ (KJV)

When we choose to serve God willingly, purposefully and faithfully in the midst of evil and wickedness, the Lord will reward openly. And I certainly see great wickedness out there, how about you? 

We want a fresh wind (fresh vision) blowing through  our lives.. We want to be able to say to God.......  “I want the blessings, Lord, and I’m willing to obey Your Word to see them come to pass.”

No great revival, leader, preacher or evangelist has ever seen great events take place within their ministry without the power of a holy fast.  Let’s join together in solidarity, and fast to hear the will of our Father. On Sunday, January 6^th we will proclaim a churchwide fast and ordain and consecrate that day for such.

God bless you dear one.  I will be using my blog for messages on fasting, to stir powerful points and reflections of the fast during these next twenty-one days to help keep you informed of the events during our fast and then we will see the season of the “Mighty Years’ begin!

Pastor Paul  

Plucking Thistles

Abraham Lincoln once said, "Die when I may, I want it said of me by those who know me best that I have always plucked a thistle and planted a rose when I thought a rose would grow." He said this after a brief visit from Laura Sue Jones on Christmas Day, 1864.  Miss Jones was a 23 year old woman from the South trapped in Washington D.C. since the beginning of the war.  She desired a pass to cross Union lines and travel to Richmond, where she planned to marry a Confederate soldier.
Moved by the emotional plea of this overlooked girl, President Lincoln nodded his head, picked up a pen, and wrote a special travel pass.  Miss Jones was speechless.  Falling to her knees before Lincoln, she grasped his hand in gratitude. He insisted she get up and thank God, not him.  Rising, Miss Jones replied, "Good-bye, Mr. President, and may God bless you. I doubt that I will ever see you again until one day we meet in heaven. Lincoln answered, "That you wish me to get there is, I believe, the best wish you could possibly make for me.  Good-bye Miss Jones."
Mr. Lincoln honored this outcast thistle by re-planting her where she could bloom as a rose.
Pastoring often includes dealing with those who feel overlooked, outcast, and unappreciated.  These may be people such as the elderly, homeless, or challenged in some way.  God chose to honor some very overlooked people one night by sending to shepherds the first birth announcement of his Son. Think of this, when a baby is born, the first to be called are usually the immediate family and the closest friends-not some total strangers.
I am sure the shepherds felt honored and surely asked, "Why us? Who are we? Shouldn't the religious leaders know first?"
Today I am asking you, as you read this to connect with someone disadvantaged.  Ask the Lord to show you in what way you can pluck a thistle and plant a rose. There are so many thistles out there that feel overlooked and dishonored. 
Lord, show us how to honor a thistle we know or meet along the way, and make him or her bloom like a rose.

Reaching out to make Christlike Connections

I want to extend to all of you here in the United States special Thanksgiving blessings. For those of you not in the states, who from time to time follow my blog but really don't understand what Thanksgiving is, well, I don't have enough space to explain.  But I can tell you Thanksgiving is a time for giving thanks, (I know that does little to help you understand the history and destiny of the Pilgrims and their great effort, huh).
This week at 'the SUB' is our last week before our church celebrates the 2012 Advent season.
Advent is a period of preparation, extending over four Sundays, before Christmas.
The word Advent comes from the Latin advenio, "to come to," and refers to what I call the three comings of Christ. The first coming is when we celebrate His birth at Bethlehem on Christmas Day. The second coming that is important to me is when Christ comes into your life through grace. And finally, there is His Second Coming at the end of time.
Our theme this Advent season is "Making Christlike Connections." All the sermons will be meaningful & relevant to our times and focused on the dynamics of our faith and the season of history that we live in. Some of the topics we will talk about are:

• At Christmas, God touched us by sending Jesus. We can continue that by making an intentional effort to reach out to touch others this season.
• At the Bethlehem Inn there was no room for our birthing couple but still the people found time in their extreme business to take notice and finally get them to a manger. This holiday season go out of your way for someone in your neighborhood or vicinity.
• Seeing how God honored the shepherds and included them in His glorious arrival, connect with someone you who is overlooked. 
• Joseph had to personally respond to God's leading and reach out to Mary....for some of you it may be time to intentionally extend Christ's love to some of your family members 
• Lastly, Zechariah experienced a fresh touch from God. Isn't it time you got some new oil too? Couldn't a fresh touch be yours as well?
• I have one more for you.  Simeon had a vision for the salvation of the whole world.  He didn't just see Judea or Nazareth, he saw the Savior of all mankind.  Ask God to give you a Simeon-like vision of salvation for all the world. 

If your heart is drawn by any of these thoughts, join us for the conclusion of 2012 and beginning of 2013 with a purpose and a theme.  It is an amazing difference what a year of generalities and unclear vision can be from  a year of purpose and Godly direction.  Here at 'the SUB' we can help you with the latter.





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Against all odds

There's a character in the Bible that I've been studying heavily the last couple months. A man who stood up against all odds.  Now I am not talking about standing up against the odds; I am talking about standing up against ALL odds! No wiggle room, no space to breathe, no turn around area, no secret passage to get away, and no bail out!  This character is Noah! Noah was a man against all odds. There was woven into Noah some characteristics that helped him to succeed in spite of a stacked deck against him. I want to go over just one of these characteristics because it can help us when we are engaged in a situation where the odds are or seem to be very much against us.
  One of the most important lessons you will have to learn in life is to see something through that is tough. To stay where God has called you.  Noah had a vision and it was against everything he knew, everything he could imagine or think about.  Noah had a huge amout of persecution and mocking because he was given a vision that was way outside of the box. How many times do you think Noah wanted to quit?
   And that's what I want to get across to you today.   I know that many of you are up against it or you want to throw in the towel, but I want to encourage you....if you are where God wants you to be - - !STAY PUT! 
One of the most important lessons to learn in that type of situation is to stay where God has called you, especially when everything inside you wants to quit. God will help you when you're where He wants you to be and when you're doing what He's called you to do.
In the good book when a person was where God told them to be, they were blessed.

• God called Moses to go get his people and take them out of the land....He anointed him to do that job.
• God told Elijah to go to the brook Cherith. And at that particular brook God provided for him during a time of famine.
• Jehoshaphat had a warring army coming to attack his land yet when God told him what to do and where to go, he succeeded.  If he had done his own thing he would have failed.
• God told the apostle Paul to go here or go there and he was a mighty witness for the Lord through his obedience.
• Naaman was told to wash in the river Jordan....any other river and he would not have been healed.  Wash seven times, the prophet directed him, do three and there will be no clean skin.

When we are in the place God has for us, we position ourselves for a blessing.  So you might ask, what do we do, when we believe we are where God wants us, but it seems as if all hell has broken loose all around us? 1st Corinthinans gives us the Godly wisdom we need for that situation. It says, "Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm, let nothing move you."  ?What does it say...Stand firm.  How do we stand?  We, 'Stand firm'.....and it says.......'let nothing move you,' .....Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain."

  It can seem easy to quit when your mind is doubting you, your friends are suspecting you, when everything seems to be pointing to your demise and every thing is against you...but if you are where God wants you to be then 'stand firm,' refuse to budge, don't move and you will see the victory.

When the enemy comes in like a flood, it might feel like you are drowning. Don't stand on your own strength, stand on God's.  He says He will raise up a standard against our enemy!

Somebody shout, 'Praise the Lord!'

Be holy? Seriously?

One of the greatest thrusts of influence of an anti-Christ spirit is the minimization of holiness. In order to achieve that means, the devil will use the tools that are handy to the church for his advantage because, after all,  he has to talk the church's language (sarcasm intended). A foreign language will not do, the church would see through it. But, being subtle is something the devil has been doing for years, so he is good at it. So,  the devil talks our language and poisons the teachings and doctrines we are to believe and in this fashion he can succeed so well that it would almost be possible to fool even the sharpest saints. I believe we are seeing the various stages of a new demonic offensive against the body of Christ and that strategy is twisting, perverting and slanting the truth of the gospel. Those susceptible to this poison and false teaching will be the young believers, those who do not know the Word, and believers who come to church all the time but fail to grow spiritually, thus they are not able to taste the poison in the teachings.  The stronger believers will have to battle the half-truths and the division and confusion that comes with such attacks. 
One of those areas is God's holiness. Instead of teaching people to remove their sins and be holy & that you have to pray to God for help to overcome & conquer those weak areas, today's teachers just avoid those "difficult teachings" altogether. Many just push the simple teaching that God is good and kind and loves us no matter what (which gets interpreted into, "I can do what I want") - and while those characteristics are true in their context - it is not when dealing with sin.
Sometimes in a futile attempt to escape the inescapable, namely God's judgment, we take refuge in theological arguments. Theology like anything can be turned to bad uses as well as good. Many people appeal to God's character, especially to the "riches of his kindness, and tolerance and patience, Ro 2:4a)  maintaining that God is much too kind and longsuffering to punish anybody, so therefore we can sin without impunity. Pastors, and teachers even misapply Scripture to their advantage and quote such statements as "The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love."  But this kind of manipulative theologizing is to show contempt for God, not honour.  It is not faith; it is presumption.  For God's kindness leads us always towards repentance (Ro. 2:4b) That is always God's goal. It is intended to give us space in which to repent, not to give us an excuse for continuing in sin.  Repentance is turning away from vice.  Holiness.

1 Pet 1:15-16 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.(KJV)
2 Pet 3:11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness,  (NKJ)
Heb 12:14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: (KJV)
Eph 4:26-27 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil.  (KJV)
Don't give him an inch!!

It's not a Post-Christian Era, it's a.....

PRE-RAPTURE ERA!
Hey, I believe in positive thinking! We're not just in a post-Christian era, think about it and be really excited...we're in a Pre-Rapture posture. All of you Christain families out there that haven't had a getaway vacation should be really excited.  You and yours will soon be flying out of here for a new destination. Yes, we are heaven bound!  All the kids travel free and you don't have to worry about whether you are getting peanuts or crackers for your mid-flight snack.  You will be wisked away to the sunny and always rainless streets of heaven, and you won't have to worry about sand in the kids underwear, like you get at the beach.  Did I hear you say you might miss this place? Well be encouraged. There is a return flight back with Jesus when He returns to take His summer home back. Only this time, for good, at the second coming, which won't be long after we take up residence in the Kingdom.

  Son-ny heaven is a perfect climate with tons to do for the family. Just think, never a rain delay for Little League, and no washouts if the clothes are on the line.  Down here, if you take an umbrella with you on a heavy overcast day, it doesn't rain and if you wash the car, it pours for sure even if there are no clouds in the sky.  We live totally under the influence of Murphy's law. What about Murphy's law up there? ...not to worry, it will be gone.  And you know what that means?...Yep.. You got it!....That famous peanut butter and jelly sandwich that always falls messy part down will finally land jelly side up.  Is that awesome or what?  And when your Aunt Sarah, who you haven't seen for 20 years, shows up unexpectedly at your house, instead of you wondering what to cook for the whole crew, Aunt Sarah is going to take the whole house to dinner. And miracles of miracles the neighbors dog isn't going to go on a barking rampage for 6 million hours starting just before you go to bed the night before you have the most important meeting of your life and you want a good nights' rest. Can anyone out there say "amen" to that?  Hey, toilet paper will finally tear on the perforated lines, grass won't grow out of control, the dog won't have fleas and kitty won't get stuck up a tree.  There won't be any political signs on every corner, we won't have a trillion organizations selling fish on Fridays and the space button on your cell phone will finally work. Oh, and gas prices won't be high - you will be air-powered....talk about Green!!! 

You know church, the world wants to throw Jesus out of everything. Well, I don't think Jesus will be that upset about the whole matter. And come to think about it, I am not so sure any of us should be that upset about it either, especially if we really start to think about how wonderful our new destination will be. Post Christain Era - phooie, I say "Pre-Rapture"! Have a Jesus day!
John 7:7

The 'new normal'

I was listening to a woman tell me she felt frustrated within herself pertaining to her own spiritual growth.  She said she felt stalled out & had run out of gas.  I listened intently for her explanation as to why she had stalled and she gave no answer, just those rolled up eyes and that frustrated deep breath people take when they are stuck.  I want to lay out an explanation that I believe fits that feeling. (Of course there are other reasons for that. No spiritual issue is generally limited to any one solution.)
Recently we are, yet again, being "force-fed" culture's idea of a "new normal". In actuality, it is really just the same old sin the devil has deceived people with down through the course of history....with disastrous results. But I want to talk about a new normal for the child of God....one of power and knowledge of how to live a solid life in Christ.
Lets start by looking at the Apostle's. Their life is a great model.  Note that the apostle's were saved while enjoying very powerful personal times with Jesus, but it's important to realize that they showed very little power while with Him. It wasn't until Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit juiced them up, that their lives took on a power they hadn't had previously.
 This was the beginning of a great heavenly deposit of power into the Apostles life and it was just the start.  When the Holy Spirit began to move in these men of God it was a time when what they had known as a Jew, or a carpenter, a tax collector, or fisherman was shattered by what was now going to be their 'Christ life', their 'new normal'.  In order for what was going to be the 'Christ life' to become the 'new normal' the Apostle's had to crucify their flesh and accept these new moves of God. There was going to be a 'new normal' for these men as they would now walk in not just a knowledge or intuition but a very real, demonstratable...... 'POWER' of God.
I would like to make this next statement the thrust of my thoughts today. You must have a relevant 'cross life,'  before you can have a sustainable 'resurrection life,' or life in the 'Spirit,' which is a Christians 'new normal.' In order for the apostle to enjoy the power of their 'new normal,' they had to continually lay their carnal life down at the cross.  They had to subdue their flesh, they had to continually be crucified.  They had to maintain an active yielding of the things and desires of the flesh so as to enjoy the 'POWER' of the resurrection life.
You know, one of the perils for those of us who live in the Spirit is to forget the necessity to continuously put to nought the flesh and the desires of the flesh.  We always have a carnal nature that will try to subdue that 'new normal.' For a 'new normal' to flourish and get stronger there must be a death of the flesh "stuff". You can't have a resurrection life without a death. The problem today is that to many Christians get saved and they crucify their flesh and put the 'self life' on the cross, nailed down tight at first but then as their walk progresses they forsake the position of death and try to live a resurrection life based simply on that first visit to the cross. (That is the danger of becoming "lukewarm" which Christ warns us against.) In order for your resurrection life, your 'new normal,' to thrive there must be a continuously maintained death of the flesh. It is ongoing, constantly needing kept in check! That is why a Christains life sometimes stalls out. We have to be aware that the 'Spirit' life is the strongest when the carnal life is the closest to death. (Gal 5:24-25 "And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit." (KJV)
Continually review your wants and desires and always keep your ear to the Lord (read the Book He wrote for you) so He can show you how to live a POWERFUL 'new normal.'