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. Living
Hope Fellowship Church Newsletter
Newsletter
Article Archives
2000
Fair
Are You Living In Darkness?
Are You Through?
Potential and Priorities
Sacrifice
Are You Easily Offended?
Positive Answers
Choose Ye
Contend for the Faith
Do You Listen When You Hear?
Tracks . . . Footprints
Not in Word, But in Power
For the Children's Sake
Racism
How Do I Know the Holy Ghost is Real?
Feeling Guilty and How to Overcome, (Part 1)
Unbelieving Believers
Feeling Guilty and How to Overcome, (Part 2)
Abortion
I Stretched Out My Arms
We Need More Little Davids
Nails and Holes
Their Eyes Are Upon You!
Cast the Devil Out!
A Short Time Here
God Remembers
Forget Me Not!
Marbles
Rejoice and Praise God!
Receive the Holy Ghost
Longsuffering
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January
Fair
by Sharon Cromwell
Let me answer with another question. Is ANYTHING fair in love
or in war? Impartial, unprejudiced, just, unbiased, and objective;
are all synonyms for the word FAIR. Who, in reality, is fair
in either love or war? Worldly “love” is selfish
(I want what you have to give me because I like it).
As for war, Proverbs 13:10 says, “Only by pride cometh
contention: but with the well advised is wisdom.” Pride
is selfish (Me, more to Me, for Me, and of Me). Proverbs 17:14
says, “The beginning of strife is as when one letteth
out water: therefore leave off contention, before it be meddled
with.”
If you don’t want full-blown conflict and hostility
in your relationships with people, “leave off contention.”
A good example of someone who did not shut off that flow of
contention is found in Proverbs 30:33, which says, “Surely
the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, and the wringing
of the nose bringeth forth blood: so the forcing of wrath
bringeth forth strife.”!
Proverbs 22:10 says, “Cast out the scorner, and contention
shall go out; yea, strife and reproach shall cease.”
Get away from the scorner (sarcastic and arrogant person)
and spend time in prayer (2 Corinthians 10:4-5). If you keep
standing there, you won’t “leave off.” Instead,
you will “add to!”
Don’t accept defeat and live in misery! As a Christian,
you have the power to bind the devil and get him off of you
(Luke 10:19). You may think the devil is “so” strong
or that the devil in a person is strong, but is your love
for Jesus strong? 1 John 4:4 says, “Ye are of God, little
children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that
is in you, than he that is in the world.”
Read James 4:7. Human beings have a great capacity for emotional
and physical pain, and one affects the other! We know these
things, but what do we do about it? 1 Peter 4:8 says, “And
above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for
charity shall cover the multitude of sins.” Matthew 5:44
says, “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them
that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for
them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;”
That is only possible if you have God’s love in you for
others. An example of real love can be found in 1 Corinthians,
Chapter 13, about charity. Real love sometimes hurts the giver,
for the sake of the one loved. Romans 5:8 says, “But
God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were
yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
The power of real love can cross over the enemy lines and
nullify the hatred and anger which is the source of the enemies’
power to keep that evil going! Real love is forgiving, non-combatant,
and seeks a solution.
“But, what if I was in the right?” you say. How
was your tone? Was there the tiniest bit of spite in any thing
you said, or in your tone, or gestures?
John 15:22 says, “If I had not come and spoken unto
them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloak for
their sin.” There is nothing hid that shall not be revealed.
Matthew 7:21 says, “Not every one that saith unto me,
Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he
that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.”
Matthew 12:37 says, “For by thy words thou shalt be
justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.”
Ezekiel 18:20 says, “The soul that sinneth, it shall
die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither
shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness
of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of
the wicked shall be upon him.”
If your heart is clean, you can go to heaven, no matter what
any one else does. If there is strife between you and someone
else, and you have tried sincerely to make things right (Matthew
5:23-24 & Mark 11:25), God will forgive you, even if they
do not admit wrong or ask forgiveness.
If you are at all wrong, admit it and get it under the blood.
Instead of a ready flow of strife in your life, let the cleansing
flow of Jesus’ blood wash away sin, guilt, and heaviness
of heart. You will feel the weight lift off of you. Jesus
and his truth will make you free!
Someone with a lot of pride probably feels like they CANNOT
submit to another. Jesus will help you if you pray. Being
free beats the “. . . BUT, IT ISN’T FAIR” thing
all to pieces! Was it fair that Jesus had to die for everybody’s
sins? God loves us and gave his Son Jesus to die for us. We
are required to forgive each other, or God won’t forgive
us (Mark 11:26). John 13:35 says, “By this shall all
men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to
another.
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Are You Living In Darkness?
by Dianna Miller
We live in darkness when we live in sin (see John 3:19). However,
we also live in the dark when we allow the devil and our flesh
to rule our thoughts, constantly telling us we can’t
do anything right. Some think they aren’t worthy to do
anything for God . . . after all, they might really mess things
up! Satan wants us to doubt our salvation. He wants us to
live in doubt and unbelief.
Why can’t we realize that this is living in darkness
rather than light? We need to realize what Jesus did for us
when he died on the cross, and what salvation is all about.
Let’s pray and believe God to do a work in our hearts
and minds so we can serve a God who loves us!
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Are You Through?
by Gail Redman
Anyone who has attended church for any length of time recognizes
there are people who quit being faithful to the plan of God
for their lives. God has a unique and perfect plan for each
and every one of us. We are not discarded by God when we fail
or fall short. Forgiveness is available to those repentant
of their sins. People may get mad at God, but He never abandons
us or is He finished with us.
The only Christians who will be overcomers in these last
days will be those faithful to church, prayer, and obeying
the Word of God. There cannot be a compromise to the foolishness
of this world. A love affair with this world will only bring
destruction. We live in a society surrounded by lust, violence,
foul language, and all types of sins. Our carnal (natural)
mind desires the works of the flesh. The only protection is
to strengthen the spiritual man by tending to the things of
God.
Questions to ask ourselves include: How much time each day
do I spend building up my spirit man? Do I think about the
things of this world more than about my relationship with
God? Have I crucified the lusts of the flesh or am I still
struggling with sins that I should have been delivered from
years ago?
Our desire as a church should be to present to others a people
pure, holy, and separated from the claws of this present world!
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Potential and Priorities
by Pastor Kevin Badgley
POTENTIAL
Let God use you. As you stay in God’s Word, he will
do things in your life. Our God is a miracle working God,
and miracles should be common place to us. I believe it is
inevitable as you continue to seek the Lord. Signs and miracles
shall follow them that believe, according to Mark 16. Expect
it as you seek God, believing and obeying Him.
In Acts, Philip was witnessing to the eunuch about Jesus.
When he was done, God translated him to Azotus. As we become
more accustomed to God’s presence and moving in His Spirit,
we begin to become translated into the sons of God. John 1:12
says, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power
to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his
name:” We will do exploits for the Lord. However, it
is not without cost.
As you seek God and become more anointed with his presence,
you are endued with more of His godliness. You won't be so
subject to this world. Remember when Jesus was in the temple
and the Pharisees and others were going to take him? It says
that he passed through the midst of them and passed by! They
couldn't find him. That is a form of being translated or invisible
to the eyes of people in this world.
Imagine what Jesus saw and heard in the Spirit in Gethsemane,
or in the wilderness during the 40 days of fasting as the
devil tempted him. I doubt that he slept much during that
time. He was tempted and tried by Satan himself.
PRIORITIES
We are to build up our most holy faith as we pray in the
Holy Ghost and intercede for others (see Jude 20). Remember
when the two men of God held up the arms of Moses? The Israelites
were in battle in the valley against Amalek. As long as Moses
held up the staff in his hand to God and prayed, Israel prevailed.
After many hours his arms got tired and they came down. Then
the enemy prevailed. He sat down on a rock and a couple of
men held up his arms. You can read this in Exodus, Chapter
17. When the Bible tells us to strengthen the feeble knees,
arms and hands, it means to intercede in prayer.
As you enter into the presence of the Lord the flesh will
fight you. When you seek the face of the Lord you get sleepy,
and you get to yawning! Food starts coming before you, or
work to be done, or similar things. The flesh will wrestle
against you. It is a form of afflicting the soul when you
resist the flesh. Galatians 5:16-17 says, “This I say
then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust
of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and
the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one
to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.”
I mention afflicting the soul so that we can get in the presence
of the Lord and do his work. My soul has been afflicted. I've
been wrestling with different things that we have seen in
the church, and the body of Christ in general.
Fasting, and prayer, and travail for the body of Christ includes
abstaining from work at times. The Lord may deal with you
to go witness, visit, or fellowship with somebody. Somebody
may need a lift in the Spirit, and the Lord may deal with
you to go pray with them. You think about this, this, and
this that you have got to do, but don't put off the Lord's
work. It is part of afflicting the soul. If you actually have
to lay down the laundry to go pray for somebody, then you’ll
just have to do it. If you have to get off the tractor to
go visit somebody, then you'll just have to do it. I have
had to discipline myself in this, because I was raised to
get out, and hustle, and work.
Matthew 6:33 says, “But seek ye first the kingdom of
God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be
added unto you.” You can set yourself apart and be like
Jesus, but what is a price we pay? I asked the Lord, How can
I have a good garden, and get this, this, and this done, and
work too, and even find time to sleep? Look at the order we
put things in.
We are carnal and have the mentality of putting fasting,
praying, and laying aside work, last. We need renewing in
our minds. It is the first step, but one of the last things
we do. We learn all about what the Word says and the love
of Jesus, yet we do not have our minds renewed to being like
Jesus. Jesus did the works of the Father first. Jesus prayed
first. Then he did what he needed to do. He even ate later.
He was talking to the woman at the well, and the disciples
were gone after meat. The disciples came back and wanted Jesus
to eat. John 4:32 says, "But he said unto them, I have
meat to eat that ye know not of." He was speaking about
the work of the Father.
Meekness is being yielded to God first, then the things that
are necessities, second. This is where we've got to live.
We've actually got to change our way of living and thinking.
We are changed so we can be in the presence of Jesus. I would
like for the Lord to intercede for me to do things in his
name rather than for him to spend a lot of his time interceding
for me just to hang on! I want to know if I need to do something,
even if it is tough. I want the Lord to tell me if I have
to go up the mountain to get to him and to be like him, and
I don't want somebody else telling me I can go around another
way! I don't want to be falsely comforted by an easier way.
The devil will try you, but the Lord says many times in the
Word not to fear him (see Luke 12:5).
When you have a sinful heart, and you accept the Lord and
begin to move in Him, he circumcises your heart. It is a literal
translation and he gives you a new heart. We need a change
of heart! We have fleshly ways and we don't even know it.
We haven't “arrived,” but keep on seeking God, and
God will honor you. He is just about ready to spring forth
a miracle. Keep believing to the end. Signs, wonders, and
miracles are for saving souls. We must walk in the mentality
that Jesus walked in, putting God first and flesh second.
Believe God and he will do some radical things; expect to
be used of God!
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Sacrifice
by Pastor Kevin Badgley
A living sacrifice is a perpetual sacrifice; think about it
a minute. Romans 12:1-2 says, “I beseech you therefore,
brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies
a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your
reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but
be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may
prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will
of God.”
Many are our wrestlings because we don’t yield to God.
Our minds must be transformed, because Romans 8:6 says, “For
to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded
is life and peace.”
Nebuchadnezzar wanted the three Hebrew children and the whole
world to conform to the image and religion he had set up.
In Daniel 3:15 he said, “. . . who is that God that shall
deliver you out of my hands?”
God is able! When Satan finds out that you won’t budge,
he turns up the heat, but God will still deliver as he did
the three Hebrew children. They had to go through the fiery
furnace. God allowed them to be bound, persecuted, and put
in the fire, yet Jesus met them there, and the bonds were
burned off.
Jesus will never forsake you, so don’t bend your knee
to the devil. The trial of your faith is more precious than
gold. In the fire, the crud comes to the top! Do not stir
it back to the bottom; skim it off and get rid of it.
Daniel 3:28 says that these men, “. . . yielded their
bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except
their own God.” In Verse 29 the king confessed that “.
. . there is no other God that can deliver after this sort.”
!!!
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February
Are You Easily Offended?
by Gail Redman
Our words can pierce the heart of others like a dagger. Everyone
has their own unique personality. Our lives have been molded
by circumstances in our past. When we are born again, God
begins to transform and change us. Sanctification is a lifelong,
purifying process for every believer.
Every day we have the opportunity to offend others or to
be offended. James 3:2 tells us, “For in many things
we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is
a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.”
There is a kingdom of darkness that wants to destroy relationships
in the body of Christ. The enemy of our souls wants to infuse
the poison of strife, division, envy, and offenses into the
church. The resulting confusion sidetracks believers from
doing what God has called us to do. We need the mind of Christ
so that we are walking in the Spirit instead of the flesh.
A person easily offended has fallen into a trap that will
keep them drowning in a pool of self-pity. If offenses are
not dealt with according to the scriptures, then bitterness
and unforgiveness can destroy relationships and attitudes.
Matthew 24:10 says, “And then shall many be offended,
and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.”
In humility before God, we need to fall on our faces, petitioning
His grace and mercy to be upon us that we are a people who
do not offend and are not easily offended.
Have you been wounded by believers?
In the body of Christ, we are dependent on one another. We
need the love and prayers of fellow believers. However, every
believer will experience the pain of hurtful actions and words
hurled at them from someone else. The wounds inflicted can
be slow in healing. Many times we must get down on our knees
and ask God to deliver us from the pain.
Many times we are not even aware what we did or said that
offended someone. Differing opinions and personalities are
frequently contributing factors in division and strife. Do
not forget that Satan’s agenda is to bring division among
a group of believers. We do not have time to allow trivial
comments to poison our attitudes toward others. Our goal should
be to swallow our pride, and keep our eyes on Jesus and those
in need of salvation.
There are three main ways we deal with people who offend
us. They are the three Fs: Flee, Fight, or Forgive. When we
flee from the offender, we are cutting ourselves off from
the body of Christ (see 1 Corinthians 12:12-26). In the body
of Christ some members are weaker, but all are necessary.
If we choose the fight mode, we decide to get even with the
offender. The only choice we have as believers is to FORGIVE
over, and over, and over.
Matthew 18:21-22 says, “Then came Peter to him, and
said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I
forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say
not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times
seven.”
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Positive Answers
by Unknown
It’s impossible!
Luke 18:27: And he said, The things which are impossible
with men are possible with God.
I’m too tired!
Matthew 11:28-30: Come unto me, all ye that labour and are
heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you,
and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye
shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and
my burden is light.
Nobody loves me!
John 3:16: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only
begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish,
but have everlasting life.
I can’t go on!
2 Corinthians 12:9: And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient
for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. . .
.
I can’t figure it out!
Proverbs 3:5-6: Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and
lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge
him, and he shall direct thy paths.
I can’t do it!
Philippians 4:13: I can do all things through Christ which
strengtheneth me.
I’m scared!
2 Timothy 1:7: For God hath not given us the spirit of fear;
but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
I can’t cope!
PHILIPPIANS 4:19: But my God shall supply all your need according
to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. 1 PETER 5:7: Casting
all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
I’m worried!
LUKE 10:19: Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents
and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing
shall by any means hurt you.
I’m all alone!
HEBREWS 13:5: . . . for he hath said, I will never leave
thee, nor forsake thee.
It’s not worth it!
Romans 6:23: For the wages of sin is death; but the gift
of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
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Choose Ye
by Pastor Kevin Badgley
Thank God for His Word! We must realize that when anything
is not according to the Word of God, we have to reject it.
This keeps us from getting into sin, and from being fooled.
It keeps us from losing our salvation.
2 Corinthians 4:8 says, “We are troubled on every side,
yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;”
It doesn’t matter how much trouble you are having; you
don’t have to be distressed. Perplexed means “not
sure or puzzled.” We may be puzzled or confused, but
we are not in despair.” We think, How is God going to
do anything out of this? I don’t know, but we are not
in despair!
Verse 9 says, “Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down,
but not destroyed;” Someone might say, Oh, I’m so
troubled. Yes, but you aren’t distressed. Yea, but I’m
perplexed. Yes, but don’t be in despair. But, I’m
persecuted. Yes, but you aren’t forsaken. But, I’m
cast down. Yes, but you aren’t destroyed. God has an
answer for everything, so if you are having a hard time, get
over it, because you can choose which one you want! CHOOSE
LIFE! If you have to fight it tooth and toe nail, then do
so, but do it God’s way! Verse 10, again, says, “Always
bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus. . .
.” That means not doing what you want to do. It is not
saying or behaving like you want to, but rather behaving as
Jesus would. Pretty soon it transforms you. You start out
to do the best you can with a conscience effort to quit, but
then God will move on you until pretty soon you hate the old
ways. Nobody will have to tell you not to think, talk, or
behave like that anymore; you will hate it. We choose, and
we behave accordingly.
2 Corinthians Chapter 4:17-18 says, “For our light affliction,
which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding
and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things
which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for
the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which
are not seen are eternal.”
Compared to hell and compared to missing God, the things
we are going through are light afflictions. Affliction (trouble)
drives us, moves us, perplexes us, and casts us down. However,
God has something better on the other side, and we have to
go through this to get to it. Verse 18 is a wake up call to
the church. The things we see are temporary. The things we
don’t see are eternal. We must live by faith in God!
Things look bad, but faith can take you out of it and deliver
you from it! Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that all
things work together for good to them that love God, to them
who are the called according to his purpose.”
God will not let the devil tempt you more than you are able
to bear (see 1 Corinthians 10:13). He says that every thing
that happens to you is working out for your good. If it doesn’t
happen fast enough to suit you, the Bible says in Romans 5:3-4,
“. . . knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And
patience, experience; and experience, hope:” James 1:4
says, “But let patience have her perfect work, that ye
may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.”
Romans 8:31 says, “What shall we then say to these things?
If God be for us, who can be against us?” If the devil
runs up against you, and finds a place in you, then you needed
to have it discovered, so you can get the victory over that
thing! You are not alone! If you are saved, Jesus will go
through the fiery furnace with you! The three Hebrew children
didn’t know if God was going to put out the fire, or
keep them from it, or translate them, but they knew that they
were not going to bend the knee to the idol the king had built!
Daniel 3:23 says, “And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach,
and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning
fiery furnace.” However, in Verse 25 the king said, “Lo,
I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and
they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the
Son of God.” !!!
Christians do not go by physical evidence. I’m going
to heaven! I can’t give you my address, but in due time
I’m going there because of what Jesus did in my life.
God has not changed! Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is
the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things
not seen.” Jesus said in Matthew 8:13, “. . . Go
thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee.
. . .” If you cannot believe for it, you cannot have
it, and you will not have it! The Word of God is infallible,
perfect, and there is no flaw whatsoever in it.
It takes more to serve God than the devil. I’m not talking
about physical grit or determination; I’m taking about
faith in God when you are being crucified. You cannot come
against that. You have to let God work a work in your life,
even if you hate it.
It doesn’t matter what is going on around you. It matters
what is going on inside of you. Look at the people who are
“moved” by every wind of doctrine and by trouble.
They are vexed and tormented, because they don’t have
faith. If you are losing your faith, you are letting your
sword fall, and you are letting the devil steal from you!
Paul was in a storm on a ship and all hope had been taken
away. Look at Acts 27:23-25. It says, “For there stood
by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I
serve, Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before
Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with
thee. Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God,
that it shall be even as it was told me.”
I believe God! Are you in the midst of a storm? Say, I believe
God. Does it look like it’s getting worse instead of
better? Say, I believe God. Are your kids harder-headed now,
and further away now, than they have ever been? I believe
God. Are people not listening to anything that you say, but
you know that it is according to the Word? I believe God.
Stand on the Word unmovable, and it cannot fail. Hold fast,
and be adamant; let your face be like flint and hold fast
to the Word of God, yielding to the Lord as He gives you power
to do so. Has everything I’ve prayed for come to pass
yet? No, but I have acquainted myself with Him, and faith
brings it to me. His Word says in Job 22:28, “Thou shalt
also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee.
. . .”
When you quit believing, you are giving place to the devil.
Romans 14:23 says, “. . . whatsoever is not of faith
is sin.” God doesn’t want you in sin.
If what you are believing for is according to the Word of
God, and the way that you are going at it is according to
the Word of God, then it cannot fail. You may be crucified;
in fact, I can guarantee it, but you will also be resurrected
in due season, in Christ.
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March
Contend for the Faith
by Pastor Kevin Badgley
(preached 07/23/93)
Jude 1:3 says, “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to
write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for
me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly
contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.”
Many are not contending for the faith once delivered unto
the saints. It causes “contention,” which can cause
people to get mighty MEAN! However, Jesus didn’t back
down from any hypocrite who got in his face and condemned
Him for what He preached!
The same theories, doctrines, type of religious leaders,
and religious spirits that came against the hard preaching
of the truth like Jesus had, are still alive today. Those
spirits still fight and war against the truth. They are antichrist
in nature, and they desire to quench the Light.
We must witness in love, but we cannot back down in the name
of love to get out of a fight or contention. The Bible declares
in Exodus 15:3, “The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is
his name.”
Ephesians 6:13-18, tells us all about putting on the whole
armour of God: “Wherefore take unto you the whole armour
of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day,
and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your
loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate
of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation
of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith,
wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of
the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword
of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with
all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto
with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;”
The same faith which was once delivered unto the saints for
signs, wonders, and miracles then, still works today. The
Word of God says the Red Sea parted. Cancers were destroyed,
devils were cast out, and the dead were raised. We know it’s
been done since that time, and in modern times. Mark 16:17-18
tells us the signs that will follow believers.
We are supposed to believe God, and preach and witness the
truth to whosoever will that they may come. He says that if
you do not gather with him, you scatter. If you will earnestly
contend and live according to the true Word of God, you will
wrestle and contend with the devil over the doctrine of the
Lord Jesus Christ!
Sometimes the devil is standing in your face. Sometimes he
is in someone who supposedly knows the Word of God, and they
will try to use it against you. If you are trying to come
in one accord with all denominations and all religions, you
are coming into the World Church, and it will show forth antichrist.
There is a common thing we notice when someone lives with
or close to someone else who has a different faith or line
of belief. Either that one has to compromise with them, or
speak up against the things that they talk about.
There is a godly remnant left in the earth; do not compromise
with manmade religion with doctrines and traditions of men
that will only bring damnation to your soul. Rebuke them if
necessary, and show them according to God’s Word that
they are wrong. You cannot make it to heaven by going ecumenical.
God’s Word says in Hebrews 12:14, “Follow peace
with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see
the Lord:”
Are you going to get along with God, or are you going to
get along with men? Are you going to contend with the current
World Church, or are you going to contend with God? Battles
can be fought and won in the name of the Lord against the
Whore of Babylon and the things that stand against the truth.
However, no man, no devil, no angel, no being or spirit has
ever won a battle against the Spirit of the Living God. Do
not contend with God, but rather contend for God for the faith
which was once delivered to the saints! Jude 1:3 says, “.
. . earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered
unto the saints.”
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Do You Listen When You Hear?
by Janie McAdoo
I recently heard a secular "rap" song that began
with the lyrics, "Word is born." Instantly, I thought,
"Jesus is the Word, born in the flesh." Perplexed,
I continued to listen. I was saddened to hear the "artist"
begin to rap about illicit sex, seduction, excessive alcoholism,
lust and wealth. It dawned on me that the “artist's”
meaning of his introductory line was that he had created (or
borne) the lyrics (or words) that followed. Thus, "Word
is born." What a mockery of Jesus Christ! I was angry,
but then I realized this person probably doesn't even know
the extent of his sayings. Now I am burdened for him. What
is your child listening to? This was on the radio.
“Raise your hands in the air like you're a true player.
. . .” I heard more rap lyrics while "channel surfing"
television. The image on the screen had the appearance of
an anointed church service, and, as the "artist"
belted the above lyric, every hand in the audience was raised.
I am informed by slang talkers that a "player" is
someone who "plays" with people's emotions, and
usually more that one person at a time, in an attempt to illicit
sex from them. God's Word states that raised hands should
be in praise to Him! What another mockery of praise to Jesus
Christ!! I continue to be saddened and burdened; this "artist"
also probably has no clue to the extent of his sayings. What
is your child watching? As stated earlier, this was on television.
Be informed! Know what is available to your children in the
form of music. Most children feel a sense of individuality
by choosing their "own" music, and as Christians,
it is easy to label music as "secular" without the
added connotation of "antichrist" and be justified
in that thinking. However, we've just heard two lines that,
without discernment, are virtually meaningless or "just
secular" and "no big deal" to millions of young
people, not just our own.
In reality, they both denounce and make a mockery of Jesus
Christ without even carrying a straightforward message of
doing so. Many young people who would NEVER listen to blatant
anti-Christian music do listen to these "Billboard's
Top 40 Rap" songs. If they're playing on the radio, they
can't be that bad, right?? Wrong! Not only do they contain
lyrics contrary to God, but they effortlessly and subtly mock
the very existence, grace, and love of Jesus Christ!
We have a responsibility to our youth, as God has so called
us. We must keep them lovingly informed of the truth. If we
do not, who will? The television? The radio? Their music?
Take note of what the Bible says:
“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when
he is old, he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6
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April
Tracks . . . Footprints
by Sharon Cromwell
Paths of life are varied and many. Where can YOUR footprints
be found? Where are your “tracks” leading right
now? Most people see them, even if you think they are hid,
and of course, nothing is hid from God. Jeremiah 32:19 says
that God’s eyes are, “. . . open upon all the ways
of the sons of men. . . .”
Dirick Carver was burned at the stake for his profession
in Christ Jesus. He was apprehended while praying in his house!
“After long persuasions and fair exhortations” Dirick
and another person were asked if they still held to their
answers. “I will never go from these answers as long
as I live,” was the other person’s answer, and Dirick
agreed.
You may wonder what this man Dirick was like. In the “Foxe’s
Book of Martyrs” it was put this way:
Dirick was a man whom the Lord had blessed, both with temporal
and spiritual treasure; but the former proved no clog to the
latter. But there was such havoc of his goods made by the
greedy spoilers of that time, that his poor wife and children,
had little left, save their hope in God.
The New Testament is on going. Persecution of Christ’s
disciples did not end with the book of Revelations in the
Bible. Christ said he would be with us to the end (see Philippians
1:6 and Hebrews 13:5). 2 Timothy 3:12 warns us, “Yea,
and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer
persecution.”
This is the message that Dirick Carver gave the audience
around him when he was burning at the stake for the gospel’s
sake.
“Dear brethren and sisters, witness you all that I am
come to seal with my blood Christ’s gospel, because I
know that it is true; it is not unknown to you all, but that
it hath been truly preached here in Lewes and in all places
of England, and now it is not. And because that I will not
here deny God’s gospel and be obedient to man’s
laws, I am condemned to die. Dear brethren, as many of you
as do believe upon the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost,
unto everlasting life, see you do the works appertaining to
the same.”
As Dirick said, the gospel has been preached and is not unknown
to us. The last words of this man who died as a martyr for
Christ exhorted whoever would listen, to work for God. If
you believe that the gospel of Jesus Christ leads you to everlasting
life, then ACT like it. Walk in the way of the Lord and obey
him.
We are responsible for our own souls and for the tracks we
are leaving for others to see. Romans 14:7 says, “For
none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.”
John 14:6 says, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way,
the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but
by me.”
John 12:26 says, “If any man serve me, let him follow
me. . . .” If you follow Jesus, the tracks you leave
will lead others to Christ!
Ephesians 6:15 tells us to have our feet, “. . . shod
with the preparation of the gospel of peace.”
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Not in Word, But in Power
by Pastor Kevin Badgley
1 Corinthians 4:20 says, “For the kingdom of God is not
in word, but in power.” Many people today are saying
words of the Lord and scriptures in the Bible, but they are
not demonstrating the power of God thereof.
Isaiah 10:27 says, “. . . the yoke shall be destroyed
because of the anointing.” You can talk scriptures all
day long, but if there is no anointing it will be worthless.
Even the devil can preach! Men (flesh) can quote scriptures,
but if there is no anointing, there is no confirmation by
the Spirit of the living God upon that vessel. There will
be no conversions of any real sort, and there will be no love
of God shown. There will be no sin routed out, there will
be no revival, and you will not have an experience from God.
God declares in His Word that the kingdom of God is not in
word, but in power!
Beloved, the devils fear and tremble, and they can and do
preach. According to His scripture, God wants the type of
vessel that is sanctified and set apart for the things of
God. The anointing of God will not come on an unclean vessel.
If a person is quoting scripture and naming and claiming the
promises of God, declaring things by God’s Word, and
yet have not lived up to God’s commandments, then their
claiming, professing, and confessing is in vain.
Jesus said in Mark 7:7, “Howbeit in vain do they worship
me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.”
Their worship is vain because our worship is not under the
law of carnal commandments, but through the power of an endless
life. Jesus must be present in order for things to happen.
Jesus must be present by His Spirit for devils to come out,
for the sick to be healed, and for people to be saved, delivered,
and set free. He is not going to stand beside someone who
is not living according to His Word. God is no hypocrite!
Man is, when he tries to use God’s holy Word and then
not live it himself!
People say, Well, I’ve got problems, but God is still
working on me. He is not through with me yet. Then they try
to go out and teach and preach on their own. They need deliverance
themselves and are making a mockery out of God’s Word!
They are building a thick callous upon the hearts, ears, minds,
and souls of those who hear them. People will mock and scoff
when they’re not around, and the devil is laughing them
all the way into the pit.
Beloved, today we must understand something! The kingdom
of God is not in word, but in power! Even as you read this
message, God’s power is touching you. It is making you
either mad, sad, or glad, but God is doing something. His
Word goes out in a powerful, anointed way. The Spirit of Truth
shall bear witness to the truth!
Beloved, don’t harden your heart to the things of God.
Quoting scripture will do you no good, if you don’t live
it. Claiming that you are living according to God’s Word
by professing and repeating does not work. Matthew 6:7 says,
“But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen
do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much
speaking.” Don’t use vain repetitions and think
you are godly when you do so. God wants His people wholly
obeying the scriptures. When you do, you can begin to see
God move in your life and in those around you.
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May
For the Children's Sake
by Pastor Kevin Badgley
(Preached 07/19/98)
Matthew 9:36-38 says, “But when he saw the multitudes,
he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted,
and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. Then
saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous,
but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the
harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.”
Jesus is faithful, and gives power to labour effectively
for Him. Matthew 10:1 says, “. . . he gave them power
against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all
manner of sickness and all manner of disease.”
People “faint” when they are hungry and thirsty,
and their needs are not met. When man gets desperate he looks
for security. You can read in 2 Kings, Chapter 6, what can
happen when God’s people are besieged by the devil and
are not living close to God! Their faith is not quickened,
and they sin.
Thank God that Lamentations 3:22-23 says, “It is of
the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions
fail not. They are new every morning. . . .”
The devil has besieged the body of Christ, and we need deliverance
so that we will not give our children over to the devil for
the sake of peace of mind.
People are going to eat, drink, and believe SOMETHING for
their body and soul until they are satisfied! Matthew 5:6
encourages us, “Blessed are they which do hunger and
thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.”
Baby birds are blind, naked, and helpless, but have big appetites.
The mouth flies open if you just bump the nest. Man is like
that! We have to search the Word for the truth, because it
is better to die than to be without the truth of the Word
of God.
Proverbs 27:7 says, “The full soul loatheth an honeycomb;
but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.”
Feed the hungry good things by your witness in the Lord, and
find your part to do in the kingdom of God. The true church
is the pillar and ground of the truth! We must submit to the
authority of God, and let Jesus work in us, for the children’s
sake.
Revelation 22:17 says, "And the Spirit and the bride
say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him
that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the
water of life freely."
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June
Racism
by Pastor Kevin Badgley
(preached 02/19/97)
I’m going to lay out the statutes of the Lord concerning
racism. Acts 10:28 says, “And he said unto them, Ye know
how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to
keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God
hath showed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.”
Acts 10:34-35 says, “Then Peter opened his mouth, and
said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:
But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness,
is accepted with him.” A Christian of every nation is
accepted with Him, and every nation includes every color.
It would include any background before they were saved, male
or female.
I Corinthians 10:1-4 says, “Moreover, brethren, I would
not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were
under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were
all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; And did
all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same
spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that
followed them: and that Rock was Christ.” It says, “.
. . all our fathers. . . .” Paul was writing to gentiles.
Exodus 12:37-38 says that when the children of Israel journeyed
from Rameses to Succoth, “. . . a mixed multitude went
up also with them. . . .” I believe that all of our fathers
(all nations) were represented.
James 2:1 says, “My brethren, have not the faith of
our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of
persons.” Some people think they are faithful to the
Lord, but they respect certain people more than others. Are
they going to have their own heaven? They are going to mingle
in heaven, or they are going to mingle in hell! All kinds
of men are in heaven, and all kinds of men are in hell. James
2:8-9 says, “If ye fulfil the royal law according to
the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye
do well: But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin,
and are convinced of the law as transgressors.”
James 2:10 says, “For whosoever shall keep the whole
law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.”
If you are a good Christian in your church, but you have a
problem mingling with people of other races, it’s just
as if you never went to church! James 3:11 says, “Doth
a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?”
We are about to come into a world wide revival where God
is moving on every believer. I don’t believe that you
can go into that place unless you are “people color”
blind, “nation” blind, and “last name”
blind. There have been wicked men, women, and young people
of all races.
God gets mad at people for troubling other people about their
outward appearance. 1 Samuel 16:7 says, “. . . for the
LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward
appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.” We all
bleed red, we all have a heart that pumps, and we all think.
It’s amazing how skin color, which is just a few thousandths
of an inch deep, can cause prejudice to go right into your
heart and dwell there. Let’s believe God to deliver us
from any prejudice that we might have!
Romans 10:13 says, “For whosoever shall call upon the
name of the Lord shall be saved.” What color is a “whosoever”?
We are Gentiles. We are saved by faith in Jesus Christ, who
is a Jew. We are under grace, and grace must be shown to all
men by us if we expect to have the same thing.
God sent the Holy Ghost. Acts 2:6 says, “Now when this
was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded,
because that every man heard them speak in his own language.”
Folks, the Holy Ghost can talk in all languages! That was
the Holy Ghost bringing us together, and it names fourteen
major groups of people. These were Gentiles, and every one
of them could understand it in their language. You had kings,
priests, commoners, and whoever in that place.
Why would God Almighty speak to his servants in every language,
if He didn’t design the Holy Ghost to go into every language,
and every soul, and everybody regardless of race, color, or
background? God wants to save everyone, and He wants to fill
everyone with the Holy Ghost. God wants us to have revival,
- SIDE BY SIDE.
Speaking of new Jerusalem, Revelation 21:24-26 says, “And
the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light
of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and
honour into it. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all
by day: for there shall be no night there. And they shall
bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.” All
nations that are saved are there!
Verse 27 says, “And there shall in no wise enter into
it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination,
or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's
book of life.” All colors and all races will be in heaven!
There is one Lord, one faith, and one baptism for all men.
Racism is sin, and you can go to hell for racism just as
fast as you can for murder or anything else. Some people have
a problem with Asian people, because maybe they fought against
them in World War II, or in Vietnam. I’m sorry that you
had to go through that, but you are going to have to pray
through and get the hate out. With God’s help, you can
do it.
Matthew 5:23-24 says, “Therefore if thou bring thy gift
to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath
ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar,
and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then
come and offer thy gift.” Be reconciled with the brother,
and then go back and offer your sacrifice of prayer at the
altar.
There are some wonderful people, and ministers, and Christians
who are of a different color from you and me! They may be
the very ones who will help to save your son or daughter from
hell! They may love God enough to go past the prejudice! Let’s
put aside every weight and sin that so easily besets us, and
let’s run this race for revival!
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How Do I Know the Holy Ghost is Real?
by Viola Dover
I know the Holy Ghost is real, because the Bible, which is
the inspired Word of God, says it is real, and God cannot
lie. The Holy Ghost is a gift from God, and it is real in
my life!
In Acts 5:32 the Bible tells us the Holy Ghost was promised
by God to them that obey Jesus Christ. The Holy Ghost was
promised in the Old Testament, and given in the New Testament.
John 14:26 tells us that the Holy Ghost is the Comforter
that was promised. Acts 2:4 says, “And they were all
filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other
tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
To receive the Holy Ghost you must first ask Jesus into your
heart.
People in Bible times received the Holy Ghost. Acts 8:17
tells how Peter and John laid hands on the people of Samaria
and they received the Holy Ghost. Acts 2:38-39 says, “Then
Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of
you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins,
and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise
is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar
off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.”
It’s real, and God has promised it to us today!
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July
Feeling Guilty and How to Overcome, (Part 1)
by Pastor Kevin Badgley
(preached 12/09/98)
IN MY FLESH
Romans 7:18-20 says, “For I know that in me (that is,
in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present
with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would
not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more
I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.” If we know
that in our flesh is no good thing, why are we serving it
all the time?
Verse 21-24 says: “I find then a law, that, when I would
do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law
of God after the inward man:” The inward man is speaking
of the new man in Christ. “But I see another law in my
members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing
me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.”
In other words, I start out to do right, and before it’s
over with, I’m doing just about opposite of what I aimed
to do! “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me
from the body of this death?”
Paul is not talking about physical death. He’s talking
about a sepulchre of death. We are somewhat alive, but buried
alive in a coffin. Daniel in the lion’s den is a type
of it. He was cast down with a bunch of lions. Liken that
to a bunch of pulls, tugs, and jerkings, and movings of the
flesh. Only God could deliver him, and He did. He can deliver
us today.
Paul was the chiefest of sinners, but God began to deal with
him on the Damascus road. Jesus knocked him to the ground,
blinded him, and Paul began to realize what a wretched man
he was. As Paul sought for the law of the Lord to be done
in his life, he found out he had more and more trouble. Every
time he tried to do something, he turned out doing almost
the opposite of what he aimed to do. However, we see the progress
of Paul from being the chiefest of sinners to becoming the
chiefest of apostles.
You may have said, Oh, I’m going to go on deeper for
God! and next week you are more carnal than you were last
week! Paul said in Romans 7:24, “O wretched man that
I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”
Wretched means “unable to attain that which is desired.”
Paul could see his own condition.
YOU MUST OVERCOME
You ought to look at the list of things that God has promised
to them that overcome! Jesus did not sin. He makes us new
creatures so we can cease from sin. 1 John 3:9 says, “Whosoever
is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth
in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.”
You can get to the place where sin is not able to operate
in you. Jesus said in John 14:30, “. . . the prince of
this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.”
God commanded in Ephesians 4:27, “Neither give place
to the devil.” 1 Peter 4:1-2 says, “Forasmuch then
as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves
likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in
the flesh hath ceased from sin; That he no longer should live
the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but
to the will of God.”
Paul knew about suffering in the carnal flesh and mind, because
it’s not getting what it wants. Romans 8:7 says, “Because
the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject
to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” You are going
to have to transform your mind. You have to yield over to
God and let him turn you inside out. God gave us the ability
to discern between good and evil, right and wrong. God has
given the truth, and is the final authority to tell us what
is right and wrong. We can cease from sin, and go on with
God.
You have the power of choice; but along comes lust, and you
struggle. That’s when people say, Well, I know I need
to do good, but doing bad feels so good! That’s why many
people choose the good, but they do the evil. Hebrews 11:25
tells us that Moses made a choice. “Choosing rather to
suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the
pleasures of sin for a season.” Paul said it in Romans
7:21, “I find then a law, that, when I would do good,
evil is present with me.”
James 4:17 says, “Therefore to him that knoweth to do
good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” All people
are capable of every sin, but many do not ever commit murder,
or burglary, or blow up buildings and people. By all reasonable
thought, you can say that most don’t, but that doesn’t
mean they are saved. They have the ability to resist the devil
on some points, but they are not born again.
WE KNOW
God wrote down His law, and it will not only tell you what
is wrong, but it will tell you what is right. Look in Romans
7:8-9: “But sin, taking occasion by the commandment,
wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the
law sin was dead. For I was alive without the law once: but
when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.”
I was without the law once. The age of accountability is one
factor of that. The other is that before man ate of the tree
of knowledge of good and evil, he wasn’t to be blamed.
Man came under condemnation when he sinned.
Have you ever told somebody that they can’t do something,
and then watch them go do exactly what you told them not to
do? Pretty soon that’s the one thing they want more than
anything. There is something about us that wants to fight
God. The Bible says in I Samuel 15:23, “For rebellion
is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity
and idolatry. . . .”
LORD, SANCTIFY ME
We say, Oh Lord, sanctify me. He gives you an unction from
heaven, and begins to show you scriptures, and you know he’s
talking to you. He begins to talk to you, and then you start
praying, Oh God, not that, anything but that. I want to be
sanctified, but don’t take that away. It is the very
thing about which you said, Oh Lord, whatever it takes, set
me free.
Lord, I’ll follow you unto death. Peter said he would
follow Jesus to death, but that lasted less than twelve hours.
The devil can lie to you, and you can choose to believe and
obey it, but he can’t make a real Christian do anything.
I Corinthians 10:13 says, “There hath no temptation taken
you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who
will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able;
but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that
ye may be able to bear it.”
Luke 10:19 says He has given us power over all the power
of the enemy, but you can willfully choose not to read your
Bible, or fast, pray, and seek God.
Isaiah 26:3 says, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace,
whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.”
If your mind strays into the things of the world, your peace
and joy will slip away. Consequently, your strength will slip
away. You will start getting sick, down, worldly, indifferent,
and agnostic. That venom can go into a Christian just as fast
as anybody else, if they reject the council of God.
GUILTY
In Leviticus we find that you can be guilty and not know
it. Leviticus 5:2 says, “. . . and if it be hidden from
him; he also shall be unclean, and guilty. Leviticus 5:3-4
says, “. . . whatsoever uncleanness it be that a man
shall be defiled withal, and it be hid from him; when he knoweth
of it, then he shall be guilty.”
When he knows about it, he starts feeling guilty. “Or
if a soul swear, pronouncing with his lips to do evil, or
to do good, whatsoever it be that a man shall pronounce with
an oath, and it be hid from him; when he knoweth of it, then
he shall be guilty in one of these.”
We can be guilty knowledgeably, and we can be guilty in ignorance.
Thank God for making a provision to set us free from the things
we don’t know we’ve done wrong, as well as the things
we do know. As we press on for God, He will show us things
that still exist in us (hid, yet we are guilty of them) that
have been stopping the miracle working power of God in our
lives. Every one of us would have to confess that there is
something that is keeping us from the power of God like it
should be, or else we would be doing what the first church
did!
When you press on with God, He shines a light on your path
and shows you things. You will see your “pet” sins.
You didn’t think that there was too much to some of them,
but when you shine the light of God’s holiness, you will
find how big a hindrance and a stumbling block they are to
furthering the ministry of the Lord.
Every time I press on with God I start getting more discouraged,
yet James 4:8 says, “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw
nigh to you. . . .” Jesus is the light, and as he draws
nigh to you, He begins to show you what is in you. David said
in Psalms 139:23-24, “Search me, O God, and know my heart:
try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked
way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
Whenever you find out about a sin in yourself, rid yourself
of it!
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August
Unbelieving Believers
by Gail Redman
Promises are found in the Bible, given by God, for our every
need. The Bible is our infallible authority, our deed of inheritance,
and our guide for life. Words of comfort found in the Word
of God bring stability and strength to our lives. Answers
are found to help us deal with discouragement, worry, loneliness,
condemnation, dissatisfaction, and confusion. Specific instructions
are given to tell us how to deal with physical sickness, financial
trouble, and marital problems.
With all of the promises available to us as believers in
Jesus Christ, why do we have so much trouble believing God
for the fulfillment of them in our personal lives?
Many times we go through periods of doubt and unbelief becoming
unbelieving believers.
Mark 16:17-18 lists signs that will follow Christians who
believe: “. . . In my name shall they cast out devils;
they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents;
and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them;
they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”
God is a good God of mercy and compassion; blessings belong
to His children. As long as we line up with the Word of God,
we need to only believe.
Unbelief only brings fear and torment.
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Feeling Guilty and How to Overcome, (Part 2)
by Pastor Kevin Badgley
(preached 12/09/98)
OVERCOMING
Jesus commanded us to be perfect in Matthew 5:48. Then in
Romans Chapter 7, Paul tells us all the trouble that he had
getting there. There are times that you have to look the devil
in the face and say, I’m not going to sin! I’m not
going to compromise to you! I’m not going to do a little
bit of that, and then go pray about it later! You need to
kick the devil in the mouth and say, I’ve got another
word for you. You can’t make me do it! I’m not bound
to it. I can serve the Lord, and be happy, and strong, and
whip you! Praise the Lord!
Don’t get people saved, and then behave like the world.
They will say, That’s what I used to do. Do you mean
that was all right? Then you have to answer them. You will
have to confess, Dear God, I’m wretched! Paul was unable,
and cried out saying in Romans 7:24, “O wretched man
that I am!. . . .”
A man gets to feeling guilty when he discovers what his position
really is. He begins to cry out. Thank God for the blood of
Jesus, that washes, sanctifies, and makes us ready to approach
God. Eventually Christ can do a work in our lives to where
we can come before him face to face. Jude 1:24 tells us that
Jesus is, “. . . able to keep you from falling, and to
present you faultless before the presence of his glory with
exceeding joy.” Hallelujah!
You’ve got your old nature, and after you are born again,
you’ve got your new man. He takes the two (twain) and
transforms them into one: Christ is in you, the hope of Glory.
Galatians 2:20 says, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless
I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which
I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of
God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
James 1:8 it says, “A double minded man is unstable
in all his ways.” If you are carnal right now, the world
can get your attention, and anything can sway you, but if
you stay in the Spirit, you will not fulfil the lusts of the
flesh.
1 John 5:17 says, “All unrighteousness is sin: and there
is a sin not unto death.” There is sin that works in
our members. He’s talking about being sanctified and
crucified with Christ to where there is no opportunity for
the devil to use you any longer. There is even a place to
where you have no desire to serve self.
Ephesians 2:18 says, “For through him we both have access
by one Spirit unto the Father.” He can take you to God.
Jesus said in John 14:6, “. . . I am the way, the truth,
and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
We have a hope of glory, but God wants us to attain it in
this life, so that we can do the works of Christ.
TRANSFORMED
We are wrestling. Where is my strength to overcome? Romans
8:11 & 13 says, “(11) But if the Spirit of him that
raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised
up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies
by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. (13) For if ye live after
the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify
the deeds of the body, ye shall live.” You can mortify
(kill) or cease to operate in the lusts of the flesh. How?
By the Spirit. Jude 1:20-21 says, “But ye, beloved, building
up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy
Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the
mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”
Not in self, but by praying in the Holy Ghost build up your
faith. Keep yourselves in the love of God. Prayer is the key,
and the Spirit will mortify the deeds of the body. You say,
Well, I don’t even have the Holy Ghost. Well, you need
to get him. Well, I don’t even have God. You need to
get saved. You must be born again. How? By the Spirit. As
you pray and seek the face of the Lord, he begins to transform
you. It says in Romans 12:1-2, “I beseech you therefore,
brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies
a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your
reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but
be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may
prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will
of God.”
These are exceeding, great, and precious promises for all
them that believe. There are no “maybes” in there.
2 Corinthians 1:20 says, “For all the promises of God
in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by
us.” You can have anything the Word of God promises you,
if you meet the conditions. The first way to get victory over
the flesh is to pray in the Spirit, and the Spirit will mortify
and crucify your old nature. Pretty soon you won’t be
double-minded; you will be single-minded. You will go on with
God, and you won’t be wretched anymore. The condemnation
will leave, and you will have confidence toward God. When
you pray your faith will be ready, and you will believe God.
God will reward that!
John 16:33 says, “These things I have spoken unto you,
that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have
tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
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September
Abortion
Rachael Cluster, a former student of LHF Christian School,
is the author of this article. It takes courage to stand up
for Jesus and righteousness.)
Abortion is another word for murder. They have dressed the
word murder up and called it abortion, so they can ease their
conscience of killing. You can dress any word up to make it
sound better, but bring it all back down, and it still has
the same meaning.
I looked up several definitions containing abortion. “Abortion”
is the termination of pregnancy before the fetus is capable
of independent life. I also looked up the word “murder,”
and it is the “unlawful killing of one human being by
another.” The word “terminate” was also in
the definition of abortion. To “terminate” is to
bring or come to an end or conclude.” All these words
pertain to the word or definition of abortion.
Abortion is going against God. The Bible, the Word of God,
says in the book of Exodus, Chapter 20 and Verse 13, “Thou
shalt not kill.” Abortion is also taking a God-given
life. God has given us a precious gift called life. We take
it and abuse it so often, but we should never take the breath
of a baby (or any one else.)
We think of babies as unable to know, hear, or feel what’s
going on. I know a baby could never think this way, yet, what
if he/she was thinking some words like this:
I’ve been growing and enjoying my pre-birth state. All
has been going well; at least, I thought so. I didn’t
know I was unwanted and considered a mistake. Here I am waiting
patiently and looking forward to a good future. I’m not
sure what I will make of myself in life, maybe a doctor, preacher,
teacher, or just an everyday person. Oh, well!!! The adult
stuff is too hard to think about yet. I’ll just take
life easy and not think of school for a few years. I have
a lot to learn and a lot to teach my parents for a while.
I think I’ll just love to be born and breathe the good
breath of life. I think I’ll love to grow into a sweet
baby, and be my Mommy’s and Daddy’s pride and joy.
Oh! Oh! Something is happening! I’m leaving my nest
too soon. My head is hurting, and my neck. I’m hurting
all over. Did I hear say, “Good, it’s all over.”?
I’m slipping into oblivion. I will never be. I will never
see day or night either. I will never “be.” I’ll
only be a sad memory to someone, never a sweet little baby
to be held in my mommy’s arms. I am very sad: life has
passed me by. I could have really been someone, not just a
memory. I’m sorry you missed me.
Signed: Aborted
If only people would think of what their actions will be
when they finished their cruelty. I hear about teenagers who
have had abortions and know they are sorry. If we would only
think before we act, we wouldn’t have so many abortions.
In conclusion, abortion is wrong. It’s just another
word for murder. Let us always think before we act. If the
world would so think, they wouldn’t hurt their divine
Creator, nor themselves, and neither would they take an innocent
little baby’s life.
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I Stretched Out My Arms
by Ruth Windings
On my journey across the land,
I taught on my Father in heaven.
I taught His law and of His love to all
I did encounter.
I healed the lame, and cleansed the lepers.
I caused the blind to see.
I turned the water into wine,
And still some disbelieved.
I knelt, I prayed, I laughed, I cried.
My emotions - there were many.
I guess that's why some disbelieved;
They thought I was a nobody.
They didn't know who's Son I was,
Teaching crowds of many.
I knew my journey would grow short,
Though my disciples I taught plenty.
I broke the bread and
Shared the wine in remembrance of me.
I was betrayed. I said I would be,
And soon I was arrested.
They placed a crown upon my head,
Though thorns they did not shave.
Although they laughed and mocked me,
They crowned me King of Kings.
They stripped my back,
And held me down; my flesh began to break.
With every draw back of that whip
My strength began to fade.
Although some laughed and mocked me
In my pain and agony,
They made me carry this my cross
Up Mount Calvary.
As I weakened and I fell, I knew my destiny,
And then they stretched out both my arms
For all the world to see.
Then they broke flesh
As spikes drove into me.
They lifted my cross up so high
For all the world to see.
I shouted to the heaven high,
"Father, Please Forgive Them,"
As I hung on this my cross,
My destiny almost finished.
Once a Son I had to die;
Since then I have arisen.
I'm waiting now at the Father’s side.
The trumpet it shall sound.
I pray my death was not in vain.
Though some still disbelieve,
I will come back again one day
For all the world to see,
And then, my children, we'll celebrate
For all eternity!
For those of you who still disbelieve,
Know one thing for certain.
When they asked how much I loved you,
I extended out my arms for
All the world to see.
For you I suffered, and I died,
And offered eternity.
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We Need More Little Davids
by Pastor Kevin Badgley
The deeper in God I go, the more ammunition, armor, and girding
up in the Lord I must have to fight those bigger battles.
Kids now are killing kids and adults. I remember one young
man who left his family one day to visit his brothers in the
military. When he got there a giant was defying the whole
army. This young man went down there and said in 1 Samuel
17:26, “. . . who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that
he should defy the armies of the living God?” Little
David, instead of pulling out a pistol and shooting all of
his classmates, pulled out a sling, and dropped the devil
in his tracks.
That is what God is looking for today, no matter what age
you are.
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October
Nails and Holes
by Unknown
There once was a little boy who had a bad temper. His Father
gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost
his temper, he must hammer a nail into the back of the fence.
The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence.
Over the next few weeks, as he learned to control his anger,
the number of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled down.
He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive
those nails into the fence....
Finally the day came when the boy didn't lose his temper
at all. He told his father about it and the father suggested
that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was
able to hold his temper.
The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell
his father that all the nails were gone. The father took his
son by the hand and led him to the fence. He said, "You
have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence.
The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger,
they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife
in a man and draw it out. It won't matter how many times you
say I'm sorry, the wound is still there."
A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one. Friends are a
very rare jewel indeed. They make you smile and encourage
you to succeed. They lend an ear, they share words of praise
and they always want to open their hearts to us."
Please forgive me if I have ever left a hole in your fence.
He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth
wide his lips
shall have destruction. Proverbs 13:3
Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue
keepeth his soul from troubles. Proverbs 21:23
Death and life are in the power of the tongue:
and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.
Proverbs 18:21
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Their Eyes Are Upon You!
by Mary Smith
Be careful what you say, do, and where you go. Eyes are watching
you! A Christian is a witness to their family and to others.
Just think about slacking off on your spiritual walk, and
you’ll hear from the sinner. They do notice what you
say and do.
Ephesians 4:29 says, “Let no corrupt communication proceed
out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying,
that it may minister grace unto the hearers.”
James 1:22 says, “But be ye doers of the word, and not
hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”
Be careful of your actions. You will be persecuted not only
if you make a mistake, but also for living righteously for
the Lord. 2 Timothy 3:12 says, “Yea, and all that will
live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.”
1 Peter 4:12-13 says, “Beloved, think it not strange
concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though
some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch
as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his
glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding
joy.”
You as a Christian must be ready to give answers in a godly
manner to the ungodly. Colossians 4:5-6 says, “Walk in
wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. Let
your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that
ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.”
Christians must be careful where they tread and with whom
they associate on their leisure time. The places you go and
the people you spend time with speak for your walk with the
Lord. I’m not speaking of your family or colleagues at
work. You have to live and work with unsaved people. Your
Christian walk will be your witness.
2 Corinthians 6:16-17 says, “And what agreement hath
the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the
living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk
in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith
the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive
you,”
Watch and pray because eyes are upon you! Mark 14:38 says,
“Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The
spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.” Luke 12:5
says, “But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear
him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell;
yea, I say unto you, Fear him.”
We have a merciful and loving God. 1 John 1:9 says, “If
we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us
our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Christian, be encouraged - keep your witness. Sinner - Jesus
loves you. Humble yourself and call upon His name. He will
forgive you.
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Cast the Devil Out!
by Pastor Kevin Badgley
Some people have become too “smart” or “too
high minded” to believe in the existence of the devil,
but Romans 1:22 says, “Professing themselves to be wise,
they became fools.”
Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday,
and to day, and for ever.” The Bible is not out of date
or old fashioned. It is still the Word of God, as it was 2000
years ago!
Many of our troubles are caused by the devil, and the Word
of God proves that our enemy walks about. I pray that I can
provoke you to get mad at the devil, and kick him out of your
household! The devil can be oppressing or possessing. I want
you to put the devil under your feet, and realize that if
you are saved, you have power over all the power of the enemy!
(See Luke 10:19.)
Mark 1:34 says, “And he healed many that were sick of
divers diseases, and cast out many devils; and suffered not
the devils to speak, because they knew him.”
Verse 39 says, “And he preached in their synagogues
throughout all Galilee, and cast out devils.”
Much of the Lord Jesus Christ’s ministry was dealing
one on one with the devil. Dealing with the devil is for ministers
today as well. As a matter of fact, the Bible says in Mark
16:17, “And these signs shall follow them that believe;
In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with
new tongues;”
God has ordained that His people get in the business of casting
out devils. However, you have to know that there is a devil
there! How can we know that there is an evil spirit around
us or that one has a hold of us? How can we know? God has
given us a way to discern devils; the Word of God is a discerner!
If you will read the Bible, you can compare God’s will
and teaching with what you are seeing out in the world. If
it doesn’t line up with the Bible, then it’s not
lined up with God.
An example of a godly woman who was bound with a spirit of
infirmity can be found in Luke 13:11-12. Jesus loosed her
from her infirmity! That lets us know that this woman had
a binding spirit, a devil that had come against her physical
body. There are many names for many diseases in the world,
but there is one spirit that controls those diseases, the
Devil.
There are some troubles and infirmities that pills cannot
help and therapy cannot treat. There are some problems that
no form of man made remedy will cure. There are some people
in this world who will only get victory if a child of God
casts the devil out of them!
In Mark 9:21 we find that a man’s son had been lunatic
since he was a child. That lets us know that some children
can be devil possessed. I have met full grown adults who have
been devil possessed all of their lives. This is a tragedy.
This is something that must be changed by the hand of God,
through his people.
In Verse 25 Jesus , “. . . rebuked the foul spirit,
saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee,
come out of him, and enter no more into him.” In Verse
26 and 27 we find that the devil came out of him!
Did you know that the devil comes to church? Luke 4:33 says,
“And in the synagogue there was a man, which had a spirit
of an unclean devil, and cried out with a loud voice,”
Here was a man possessed with an unclean devil; that means
that it owned him. It operated him, but he was able to go
to the synagogue (church). However, when the presence and
the power of the Lord was there to deliver, the unclean devil
in this man cried out. He recognized that Jesus had power
and authority to cast him out. Isn’t it interesting to
note that he attended church regularly, but before that day
he remained bound! In Verse 35 he was delivered from the devil.
One of the first people Jesus appeared to after his resurrection
was a woman named Mary Magdalene. Some time before His resurrection,
Jesus had cast seven devils out of her. You may be possessed
with devils, but take courage in the fact that you can be
delivered from them! You can be set free by the power of Jesus
Christ, and you can then be clean so that He can talk to you
personally. Isn’t God good!
Not every sickness or affliction is from devil possession.
Yet, 2 Timothy 2:25-26 says, “In meekness instructing
those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give
them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that
they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil,
who are taken captive by him at his will.”
Take note that some devil possessed people can also “preach”,
but it is not of God. (See Acts 16:16-18.)
How does your life compare with the Word of God? We need
to realize that God is still on the throne! Jesus gave us
power over ALL of the power of the enemy, so that we won’t
be fooled. He gave us power so that we won’t be bound
or tormented. He gave us power, so that we can help other
people to be set free. What a wonderful Savior!
I have only given you a very basic understanding of devil
possession, but God can show you deeper things if you will
seek His face.
Realize that you are in a war, and you need Jesus Christ
as your Lord and Master. Jesus has made a way for you to be
set free. It doesn’t matter how old or how young you
are. The Bible says that whosoever will, may come.
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November
A Short Time Here
by Gail Redman
Revelation 12:12 says, “Therefore rejoice, ye heavens,
and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth
and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having
great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.”
Do not be shocked by the trials and tribulations that are
coming in our midst! The church is being tried, purged, and
refined. Rejoice in the soon coming of our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ. Our eyes cannot be upon man. Our strength, peace,
and salvation can only be found in a personal relationship
with Jesus Christ. People who reject the truth revealed to
them and do not keep the commandments of God will receive
a strong delusion. This will come because of their rebellion
against the truth of the Bible and the dealings of the Holy
Spirit.
These are sobering times; be vigilant. Christians need the
whole armor of God in order to stand in these evil times.
(See Ephesians 6:13-18.) We serve a holy God who requires
His people to walk uprightly before Him. Do not wink at sin
saying that God understands. He understands that He sent His
only Son so that we might be set free of the sins that so
easily beset us. We should be grieved when we do not please
God by breaking His commandments.
Time is short! Do not grow weary in well doing. (See Galatians
6:9) Resist the devil, be stedfast in the faith, and encourage
one another in the Lord!
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God Remembers
by Pastor Kevin Badgley
Hebrews 6:10 says, “For God is not unrighteous to forget
your work and labour of love, which ye have showed toward
his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do
minister.” Verse 12 says, “That ye be not slothful,
but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit
the promises.”
God doesn’t forget when you have ministered unto the
saints, and continue to minister. He knows if you are fasting,
and praying, and seeking God’s true Word. If you are
obeying that Word, God will not forget what you have done.
Sometimes we have to wait upon the Lord. The Bible declares
in Isaiah 40:31, “But they that wait upon the LORD shall
renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles;
they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and
not faint.” From this we know that blessed is the man
who waits patiently upon the Lord.
He will not forget you, nor your children. The Bible declares
in Proverbs 11:21, “. . . the seed of the righteous shall
be delivered.” If you are walking uprightly before the
Lord, your children (your seed), shall be delivered.
The things that you have planted in the ministry and work
of God, as He has given the unction and desire to do so, shall
come forth. God will manifest it for His glory. Galatians
6:7 says, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever
a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” You reap thorns
from sowing thorns. You also reap a mighty harvest of the
goodness of God, as you sow the righteous seed of God.
Sometimes the devil bombards your mind with things like,
It’s not doing any good. You cannot make it. Just rebuke
him in the name of Jesus. God has declared to us that the
devil is a losing liar.
God will not forget your work and labor of love. He is recording
it hour by hour, moment by moment. He knows where you live,
and He knows how you feel. Jesus is a faithful High Priest
who is touched with the feelings of our infirmities and our
difficulties. If we wait upon Him, He will bring to pass the
thing we desire of Him.
Hebrews 11:6 says, “But without faith it is impossible
to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that
he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek
him.” However, many people feel that they have not been
rewarded. They don’t see it. God has a time, a place,
and an hour in which His perfect will can be done.
Many times if God answered too quickly, it wouldn’t
be a finished work. Sometimes, if He answered as fast as we
wanted Him to, it would be a premature work, not a perfect
one.
Look at 1 Corinthians 15:58: “Therefore, my beloved
brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in
the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour
is not in vain in the Lord.” God will reward your work
in the Lord. If you are asking God to send revival, He will
bring it to pass. If you are asking God to save souls, He
will do it. If you are asking God to deliver you, or to heal
you, or something else, believe God for it. Matthew 21:22
says, “And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer,
believing, ye shall receive.”
It says in Psalm 37:5, “Commit thy way unto the LORD;
trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.” God
says He will do it. However, we see a war and an endurance
going on as we hold fast, believing God. If the enemy can
make you doubt and really question God, then he has stolen
the seed that will bring forth that for which you have petitioned
God.
It is the same thing as an old crow coming along and snatching
up a seed of corn out of the ground. That corn will never
sprout, or multiply, or grow the abundant harvest it was planted
for.
Don’t let the prince of the power of the air, the devil,
steal from you the things that you will receive from God if
you will believe.
Hold on to the things of God!
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Forget Me Not!
by Sharon Cromwell
The dictionary says that a forget-me-not is a flower of the
borage family and is generally considered an emblem of faithfulness
and friendship.
Psalm 103:1-3 says, “. . . Bless the LORD, O my soul:
and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the
LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth
all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;”
Friends remember good times together. How much more should
we remember to thank God for His mighty blessings! Psalm 30:4
says, “Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give
thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.”
If you will remember and serve God, the LORD will REMEMBER
YOU.
Malachi 3:16 says, “Then they that feared the LORD spake
often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it,
and a book of remembrance was written before him for them
that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.”
God knows if you love him. He neither slumbers nor sleeps,
nor does he get weary. Don’t you be weary in well doing,
because our labor for the Lord is not in vain. Don’t
let hopelessness touch you. We must be transformed by the
renewing of our minds. Jesus Christ gives eternal life to
the faithful.
God warns those who have known Him not to FORGET HIM! Deuteronomy
8:19 says, “And it shall be, if thou do at all forget
the LORD thy God, and walk after other gods, and serve them,
and worship them, I testify against you this day that ye shall
surely perish.”
It is dangerous to forget God! Psalm 9:17 tells us that whole
nations that forget God will be turned into hell!
How often is God in your thoughts? Do you call on Him only
when you’re in trouble, or do you call on Him at all?
We are supposed to love God with all our hearts, yet God
says in Jeremiah 2:32, “Can a maid forget her ornaments,
or a bride her attire? yet my people have forgotten me days
without number.”
Not only will God punish you, but also your children if you
forget Him.
Hosea 4:6 says, “. . . seeing thou hast forgotten the
law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.”
NEVER forget God. Pray, Pray, Pray. God loves you.
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Marbles
by Sharon Cromwell
I heard a story about how a man kept track of his time, making
sure priorities were done first. He estimated how many Saturdays
He probably had left in his whole life. He put that many marbles
in a clear container, and each time a week ended, he threw
away a marble. It helped him focus on how short life is.
How do you keep focus on the brevity of life? Each moment
is precious and can be used wisely or easily wasted. The most
important thing you can do is accept Jesus as Savior, keep
your heart clean, and live ready to meet God. Then you can
enjoy eternal life.
Jesus said to follow Him. Pray, read God’s Word, and
obey Him. This could be your last day before eternity!
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December
Rejoice and Praise God!
by Sharon Cromwell
We are in the end time of the world, but Luke 21:28 encourages
us, “And when these things begin to come to pass, then
look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth
nigh.”
Be happy in your salvation! Philippians 4:4 says, “Rejoice
in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.”
Psalm 150:1-6 says, “Praise ye the LORD. Praise God
in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power.
Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his
excellent greatness. Praise him with the sound of the trumpet:
praise him with the psaltery and harp. Praise him with the
timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and
organs. Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon
the high sounding cymbals. Let every thing that hath breath
praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.”
Do you want God to be near? God inhabits the praises of his
people (see Psalm 22:3). God has not changed. Singing and
music that worships God is part of our praise to Him.
A significant example is the dedication of the temple in
Solomon’s day. The orchestras and choirs were consecrated
and well-trained and were ready to do their best.
2 Chronicles 5:13-14 says, “It came even to pass, as
the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound
to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they
lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments
of music, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for
his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled
with a cloud, even the house of the LORD; So that the priests
could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the
glory of the LORD had filled the house of God.”
Our music and song should reflect reverent praise for our
true and living God! It should point to Jesus, and all hearers
should become aware of God’s divine presence. Godly music
and songs inspire further praise to God by others.
When Christ was born, an angel of the Lord came upon shepherds
in the field and said, “. . . Fear not: for, behold,
I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all
people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David
a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” Verse 13 says,
“And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of
the heavenly host praising God, and saying, “Glory to
God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”
We can rejoice, even in the midst of trouble. The prince
of peace gives us peace that passes understanding. He is worthy
of all our praise and worship!
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Receive the Holy Ghost
by Pastor Kevin Badgley
Matthew 5:66 says, “Blessed are they which do hunger
and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.”
When we are really hungry for something, we are going to go
after it with everything we’ve got.
Jesus bought us with His own blood. 1 Corinthians 6:19 says,
“What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the
Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are
not your own?” John 14:17 says, “Even the Spirit
of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth
him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth
with you, and shall be in you.”
Jesus is the righteousness and the wisdom of God. When you
are born again, the Spirit of God’s Son comes into your
heart. He wants to be anointed King of kings in the heart
of the believer. When the baptism of the Holy Ghost comes,
the coronation (crowning) takes place. Then He has power in
you to perform the miracles He did while He walked on the
earth. Without it He is like He was up to His thirtieth year.
He was saved, a child of God, but with no power.
The Holy Ghost is for YOU. Acts 2:39 says, “For the
promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that
are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.”
Acts 1:8 says, “But ye shall receive power, after that
the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses
unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria,
and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
God gives us power to become sons of God, and to be just
like Jesus. We are not made perfect in the flesh by natural
means, but by the supernatural power of God. As you are filled
with the power of God, your mind is transformed to the mind
of Christ (see 1 Corinthians 2:16). As you read the Word of
God, you will find that the Spirit will give you power to
obey it.
James 4:7 says, “Submit yourselves therefore to God.
Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” Sadly,
most believers are not under the degree of subjection and
consecration to the Lord that they should be. However, God
wants us to be faithful, willing, and obedient. Believe God
when you pray, and pull down strongholds. Tell the devil to
get out of the way so you can get more of God.
Jesus gave us the Spirit whereby He attained perfection in
the flesh. It is like someone running a race and winning it,
and then they give you the winning car to run your race with!
It is the Spirit that won the race, cast out devils, healed
the sick, and raised the dead. It raised Jesus from the dead!
John 7:38 says, “He that believeth on me, as the scripture
hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”
Revelation 22:1 speaks about a river: “And he showed
me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding
out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.”
Before you get saved, you are lost and without hope. After
you get saved and then receive the Holy Ghost, you have more
responsibility than you’ve ever had. Isaiah 43:12 says,
“. . . ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, that I am
God.” We are proof that God is, and that He is a rewarder
of them that diligently seek Him.
People should be able to walk up to any Christian, and it
shouldn’t take them too long to know that God is real.
There should be enough power of God on the Christian for the
other person to be converted. It should be that evident, that
simple, and that powerful.
Use the gift of the Holy Ghost to intercede for souls and
to build up yourself on your most holy faith so you can believe
God. Some want it like a trophy, to set on a mantle, and they
become complacent. Others have not received the Holy Ghost,
though they’ve known about it for years. We receive the
Holy Ghost when we obey God! If there is some disobedience
to God in your life, you are limited in God.
Jesus and all the apostles were filled with the Holy Ghost,
and we should all be filled with the Holy Ghost. Once filled,
do not neglect it! God will make you overcomers and more than
conquerors. See Romans 8:37.
John 20:22 says that Jesus, “. . . breathed on them,
and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:” It is
for all who are saved!
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Longsuffering
by Gail Redman
According to Webster’s Dictionary, longsuffering is “bearing
injuries, trouble, etc. patiently for a long time” or
is “long and patient endurance of trials.” The only
way to develop longsuffering in our lives is to go through
trials and tribulations.
As Spirit-filled believers, we have seen miracles of salvation,
healing, and deliverance. Our God never fails and never falls
short. However, there are times when we have relied upon the
arm of flesh, and the ways of the world, and nothing has worked.
Many in the body of Christ are being tried and made pure for
the soon coming of the Lord. By the grace and mercy of God,
may we be without spot and wrinkle at the catching away of
the bride of Christ.
Romans 8:25 says, “But if we hope for that we see not,
then do we with patience wait for it.” All believers
have promises revealed through the Word of God that we hope
for, but have not yet attained or seen. All believers of Jesus
Christ have the promise of heaven, eternal life, and no more
tears, death, sorrow, crying, or pain. Faith is the substance
of things hoped for.
Do not be discouraged or impatient while waiting on God to
move on your behalf. We serve a God that cannot lie, cannot
fail, and cannot break a promise. Our God will never leave
nor forsake us. The God that we serve is not on a time schedule!
James 1:2-4 says, “My brethren, count it all joy when
ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying
of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her
perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.”
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Living Hope Fellowship, Inc
E-mail
livinghope@hughes.net
Phone
618-634-2541
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