Nothing but the dead and dying in my home church!
Sung to the tune of Paul Simons old song.
Luke 4:17 - 19 (KJV)17And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, 18The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
I am always amazed at how sharp the dark side can be and how dim the light side can be. Come on people what did Jesus say? Acts 1:4-8 (NLT) 4In one of these meetings as he was eating a meal with them, he told them, "Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you what he promised. Remember, I have told you about this before. 5John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." 6When the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, "Lord, are you going to free Israel now and restore our kingdom?" 7"The Father sets those dates," he replied, "and they are not for you to know. 8But when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you will receive power and will tell people about me everywhere-in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." The Greek here for Power is äýíáìéò dunamis doo'-nam-is force (literally or figuratively); specifically miraculous power (usually by implication a miracle itself):-ability, abundance, meaning, might (- ily, -y, -y deed), (worker of) miracle (-s), power, strength, violence, mighty (wonderful) work. The Greek root is äýíáìáé dunamai doo'-nam-ahee Of uncertain affinity; to be able or possible:-be able, can (do, + -not), could, may, might, be possible, be of power. So again lets look at Acts and see just what happened when the power came upon this band of rag-tags. Acts 2:1-4 (KJV) 1And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And again. Acts 2:14 (NLT) 14Then Peter stepped forward with the eleven other apostles and shouted to the crowd, "Listen carefully, all of you, fellow Jews and residents of Jerusalem! Make no mistake about this. The Apostles knew what to do just two chapters later we find this. Acts 4:29 (KJV) 29And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, 30By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus. 31And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness. Now this is very important so do not miss it! What was the first thing that the Apostles asked? It was to speak God's word with bold all boldness. The Greek here means the whole-complete. These men were asking God to give them the ability to speak His word to others with 100% confidence, 100% boldness, 100% assurance of it's truth. Now, notice, that then they asked that the boldness of speaking the word was followed you signs and wonders.
What do we see that is missing in today's "modern" Christianity? Power! Why? because we are not concerned with the saving of souls or speaking the truth of God's word with boldness. The weakness and apathy are even creeping into our overseas partners that used to be so on fire. The dream and visions given to Mary and I several years ago are becoming true. The power has been sucked from the church by the darkness. This has created a generation of busy lukewarm Christian's. Revelation 3:14-19 (NLT) 14"Write this letter to the angel of the church in Laodicea. This is the message from the one who is the Amen-the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation: 15"I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish you were one or the other! 16But since you are like lukewarm water, I will spit you out of my mouth! 17You say, 'I am rich. I have everything I want. I don't need a thing!' And you don't realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. 18I advise you to buy gold from me-gold that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich. And also buy white garments so you will not be shamed by your nakedness. And buy ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see. 19I am the one who corrects and disciplines everyone I love. Be diligent and turn from your indifference.
This my friends is the church today! Show me, please show me when you last saw a leg grow back, when you last heard of the dead being raised, when you last saw thousands running to Christ in a "revival". Yet! So many false preachers and Christians are still claiming a great end days revival. How, I ask can this end days revival happen when most churches today have banned the Holy Spirit from their services because He is either too radical, not politically correct or they do not believe Jesus is " the way, the truth, the life and the only way the Father!" Or just as bad they have become exclusive because they have the gift of tongues and no power. How, Oh how can we have a great end times revival without the one who convicts men of their sin?
What am I talking about? Here is a real life example. As I write this Mary swallowed some coffee wrong and it went into her lungs. She immediately started to have a very bad asthma attack. Her lungs were shutting down and she could not breath. I got up from my desk and ran to her aid. I immediately started to pray for her in the power of the Spirit and Name of my blessed Savior Jesus. She immediately could breathe deep and normally and now I hear her shouting AMEN to a powerful preachers message. This has nothing to do with me, except for my faith in the Word of God and the willingness to be an open vessel to be filled and used as needed. I am now going to let Mary tell of a true occurrence in our lives. A few years ago Jay and I were on our way to a Christian Conference in Colorado Springs Colorado. I had not had an asthma attack for many months and had actually been able to be off medication for almost six months at this time. When we arrived at the conference it was packed with hundreds of people so they had police officers helping with the parking of cars on acres of land. We ended up parking about a fourth of a mile away and walking to the church. When we arrived we went in to find a seat, but were told there was no seating available except in the overflow rooms. One of the things that triggers an asthma attack for me is the smell of heavy perfume, and we found ourselves surrounded with hundreds of people many of them women with heavy perfume on. Just when we were trying to decide if we would stay or leave my lungs shut down. During a severe asthma attack the bronchial tubes in the lungs fill up with mucous in an effort to rid the tubes of an allergen, this causes an episode where you can breathe in for a time but cannot expel air at all because of the mucous, literally it drowns the person who is having a severe asthma attack. This is what happened to me at the time, when this happens to an asthmatic the person must immediately use a bronchodialator to save their life, either in the form of a rescue inhaler, nebulizer or at an emergency room with the use of an IV and a breathing treatment. As I said I had no medication with me during this time and Jay and I knew that I had to get to a hospital immediately. While I labored to breathe Jay got a hold of one of the police officers and explained our emergency and asked him where the nearest hospital was (we knew we did not have time to wait for an ambulance) as soon as he got directions we went to the car, by the time I got to the car my lungs were filled with fluid and I could hardly talk. I knew that ! if I did not get my bronchial tubes open soon that I was going home to Jesus. Jay was frantically trying to make it to the hospital that we had been told was five to ten minutes away, all the while I was silently praying, the Lord spoke to me and said two words "no hospital" I whispered that out loud and Jay nearly wrecked the car when he heard it. Suddenly, he put his hand on my chest and boldly cried out to Jesus, "Heal her Lord, heal her right now, we rebuke this in the name of Jesus." Before I tell you the good news I need to tell you this, if I had made it to a hospital they would have worked on me for hours before I would have been able to breathe well enough to talk, and several days would have passed with me on oral steroids before I would have had enough air in my lungs to sing, but don't you know that when God opens someone's lungs that they are instantly usable? This is what happened, immediately and without delay my lungs were healed, and healed so well that I could sing praises to Jesus! Jay and I had a praise party right then and there people!!! I was singing at the top of my lungs, and at the bottom of my lungs and everywhere in between all glory to God our healer. That is the power we have available to us at any time that we need it. Praise the Lord!! This, my friends is the power and promise that everyone who wears the name of Christian should have. It is not some exclusive club that is reserved for "Super Christians", pastors, evangelists etc. It is the promise we read direct from Jesus. "But when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you will receive power and will tell people about me everywhere". Do you understand that this is the first and most important reason for the Holy Spirits power in us. It is to send us forth with the tools to tell people of Jesus and back it up with His power in signs and wonders.
Do you wonder why the church is not taken seriously anymore? Where is the power? Where are the miracles? Our television reporters spend more time proving that claimed miracles are false than reporting the true ones. Why? Because we have set the power, the Holy Spirit on the back burner while we handle the situation. The great "healers" of today are more full of themselves then Jesus! Can you just imagine what would happen if a Holy Ghost, on fire Christian, who had 100% faith in Jesus walked into a cancer ward and everyone was healed by laying on of hands, anointing with oil and claiming in Jesus' name. Can you only imagine what would happen when the television reporters could not prove the miracles false as near death cancer patients were now leaving the hospital to resume a normal life. You want an end days revival that would help start it.
Sadly, most Christians do not love Jesus enough to tell the world they need Him let alone love and trust Jesus enough to step out of their comfort zone and trust the whole Word of God is true and miracles still do happen. Just the other day Mary read an article giving all the reasons the "Christian" church, as the New Testament knew it, was going to implode and die. The above is part of the reason and I believe we will see this soon. In the year 1999 on the eve of the new millennium Promise Keepers sent a video to thousands of churches around America. The message "wake up" Jesus is coming. I still can close my eyes and see the passion in Ann Graham Lotz (Billy Graham's daughter) as she cried out to the church " wake up, wake up, wake up before it is too late!" We my friends have not woken up but, have fallen further asleep in the last eight years.
Is all of this because we no longer believe? Is all of this because we have become too busy? Is all of this because we have listened to too many self serving false teachers and preachers? Is all of this because we have lost the true gospel in our churches? Yes and no! The true cause is you and I my friends. We have allowed the horribly infectious disease of Lukewarmness and political correctness infect us and our churches. Please. Please show me one of the great pastors, one of the original 12, one of the many workers in the entire Bible that was politically correct. Our churches have pushed the Holy Spirit, and True Gospel and finally Jesus out in the name of being politically correct.
A few years ago the Lord gave Mary and I a series of visions and dreams concerning the Church. The following is a short review of how they followed: 1) Mary saw the earth with a dark cloud over the north pole of the earth. The Cloud slowly drifted south until the whole earth was covered. 2) Mary saw a darkness that was "alive" . It had such a pungent odor of death and evil she could smell in the vision. This darkness was like a tidal wave encompassing almost everything in it path. She saw "Christians" being swallowed by the darkness and not even knowing it. Finally she saw a select group of glowing (Holy Spirit filled) Christians that it could not consume. It tried repeatedly to encompass them but it could not. They held their ground and stood on the Word of God and held the Word of God up before the darkness and it was forced to go around them. 3) I received a series of dreams and visions that I had to fast for 10 days for the Lord to reveal the meaning to me. In total darkness, the cloud of evil, I saw a lightning bolt come from the sky and strike me dead (I thought). But, then I got up glowing and full of the Holy Spirit and power. With each time I received the vision more and more individuals were being struck with the Lightning from Heaven. Each one would then become the only light in the darkness drawing individuals to them. I received this vision three times.
When these visions and dreams were given to us the things we see right now in the main stream churches was just beginning. But, today the darkness has more control than the light of this world. My friends we are in the end days and we must get back to basics. The choice is yours! Your comfort zone of lukewarm being one of the dead and dying in your home church or being one of those who are struck with the lightening from heaven. Again I ask you; Do you have a personal relationship with Jesus? Do you feel that you cannot live in this world without His Help? Has He personally rescued you and answered your prayers? Do you feel as comfortable talking to Him as your best friend? Do you always think in every situation "WWJD" what would Jesus Do? Do you feel the power that was promised by Jesus? If you cannot answer yes to each question then now is the time you need to renew your relationship with Christ before it is too late. We are in the end days. I will leave you with these words from 1914.
The Holy Ghost has power to equip for every emergency. The reason
people are not thus equipped is that they do not receive Him and
do not yield to Him; they are timid and doubt and the measure that they
doubt, they will go down. But if you yield to His leadings and
do not doubt, it will lead you to success and victory.
SMITH WIGGLESWORTH
It is your choice, my friends, be assimilated by the darkness or fight it at every corner.
