Greetings my Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Sorry, I haven’t kept up, I’ve been under the weather, but I will be doing better.

As each day starts I spend time with the Lord and then scan the news hoping for something uplifting, but as the norm, only gloom and doom.

Such a lack of integrity in our media, leadership, and even the teachers of our children. Our country has become like sheep, and  I don’t mean the biblical sense either. We hide in fear behind worthless masks. We automatically receive whatever the media says and never question their statistical reports (very often exaggerated). 

Am I exaggerating? Look around you, if you’re not blind or so liberal or anti-American (one and the same), then you can see it for yourself.

As Christian, we are THE minority, if we weren’t the world wouldn’t be this way.

Believers, I mean ALL believers need to put their denominational differences aside and come together. If Jesus Christ is truly your Lord and you’ve been born again then start proclaiming your faith and trust in Him. Not Washington DC, for sure not the media and not the fake science that’s being shoved down our throats. Do you believe in Darwin? That’s science too. Quit cowering in fear, fear is no part of a Christian’s walk.

Do you really trust Jesus … or the politicians, media, shots, or any number of things being force-fed to us. 

Think about this and then we’ll get to the message God gave me.

Just one last thing … Have you taken the time to compare the number of people vaccinated to the number of new cases of covid-D (you’ll find that very interesting and unreported in our media) or compared that number of cases to the surge of all the illegals crossing our border? Just asking… food for thought.

Ephesians 4:1-16

 Real-life integrity

Robert Adams found $17,000 in cash in a bank bag beside an ATM in Chicago. At first, he thought it was a prank/joke. But no TV crews popped out to catch him. The bag had Chase on the side, so he took it to the bank, but they said it wasn’t theirs. It had to belong to the company that provisioned the ATMs. It took some work to figure out but finally, he concluded an armored truck employee had accidentally dropped the bag.

When he was asked about being tempted by the money, he said, “it’s not my money. I don’t care if you put another zero on there, I wasn’t raised to take money that isn’t mine.”

Robert Adams didn’t suddenly wake up one day and choose to have integrity. He said it himself: he wasn’t raised that way.

We are taught integrity as children. (or not) We practice integrity daily. (or not)

As we look at the “practical” part of Ephesians, Paul begins by urging us to have a “worthy walk.”

The first part of Ephesians tells us the good news that God has restored us to Himself and to one another through Christ.

• Here’s a way to think about it:

“Good News Results in Good Lives”

A Worthy Walk

Ephesians 4:1 (NASB)

1 Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,

 We begin a life of integrity by examining our “walk.” 

“Walk” in the Bible often means your life as it’s translated here in the NASB. It’s essentially living your life with integrity. “Worthy” here describes a balance or scales. It’s not that God judges us based on the accumulation of our sins and good deeds. We stand justified before God through Christ. That’s grace.

1 John 1:7 (NASB)

 ⁷ but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.

 But as we live in Christ and are sanctified daily, we mature, we practice, we live out that good news. We learn by experience and teaching what a life of integrity looks like. We judge ourselves to be worthy or unworthy.

 But integrity needs accompanying virtue.

A Virtuous Walk

 How do you determine what a life of integrity looks like?

 Our walk begins with choosing to be virtuous. (Not a common word anymore!)

Ephesians 4:2 (NASB)

² with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,

This sounds a lot like the gifts of the Spirit elaborate on in Galatians. But catch the point:

Galatians 5:22–23 (NASB)

²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control; against such things, there is no law.

A life based on the virtues given to us by the Spirit never has to worry about integrity. Our walk is worthy of praise and emulation.

A Unified Walk

Ephesians 4:3–6 (NASB)

³ being diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. ⁴ There is one body and one Spirit, just as you also were called in one hope of your calling; ⁵ one Lord, one faith, one baptism, ⁶ one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.

 This isn’t something we do alone. No one can resist all the temptations that come our way in life. We need one another. And we need a common bond.

A Gifted Walk

Ephesians 4:7–10 (NASB)

⁹ (Now this expression, “He ascended,” what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth? ¹⁰ He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens so that He might fill all things.)

Paul introduces the next level of gaining in integrity by reminding us that, in our unity, we all bring something to the table. Every one of us has a special kind of giftedness that is intended to be a blessing. How much or little we use our gifts is a measure of our walk with Christ.

A Trained Walk

It’s not reasonable to believe that we’ll suddenly know how to use our gifts. Joe Montana didn’t start off with NFL QB kinds of skills at 5 years old. Coaches trained and shaped his gifts. The same thing should be true in the church.

Ephesians 4:11–13 (NASB)

¹¹ And He gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, some as pastors and teachers, ¹² for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ; ¹³ until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ

This is a vital part of church leadership we must pay careful attention to. As leaders, we must constantly ask, “What are we doing to equip the church?” As the church, we must understand and accept that not all training and direction are exactly what we want to do.

1 Thessalonians 5:12 (NASB)

¹² But we ask you, brothers and sisters, to recognize those who diligently labor among you and are in leadership over you in the Lord, and give you instruction,

We don’t wake up one day and decide to walk with Christian integrity. The time to decide to have integrity isn’t when the “heat is on.” Integrity is a daily walk with Christ. It’s a choice, it’s strengthening our character with Christian virtues, it’s knowing and utilizing our gifts for the church and the community. It’s working with the leaders’ God has given us to help us grow into strong, faithful, effective followers of Jesus who walk with Him every day.

Thank you for taking the time out of your day to read this. I pray it helps and encourages your walk with the Lord … if it did, please feel free to pass it on to others. If you need personal prayer contact me at prospectorsforgod@gmail.com  If your need is urgent you can always call me at (907) 315-3394.

Until we get together again may God bless and keep you!

In Christs Love

Dusty

 

My prayer for you; 

Heavenly Father,

You are so very patient with us Lord and I thank you for your grace and mercy. I pray that the people will wake up before it’s too late. I pray the truth will come to light and the deceivers revealed. Lord, I pray you remove the blindfolds from the non-believer’s eyes and bring them to you. 

I ask forgiveness of my sins, our sins, and healing in our land. I claim a once and for all healing of this covid in the world by the power of Your word.

We give you all the praise and glory for all you do!

In Jesus name,

AMEN!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Joel 2:1“Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand;”

Notice the first part of the verse, “Blow the trumpet”. Where did God tell the Prophet Joel to blow the trumpet? In Zion, among the people of God. God did not say, “Blow the trumpet in the world” among the wicked. God said, “Blow the trumpet in Zion” among his people. Blow the trumpet in the Church.

We hear a lot today concerning how our nation needs to repent. Some preachers are continually preaching about how

America needs a revival. I believe we all can agree that our nation needs to repent and that we need a heaven-sent revival. But, do we really expect to see our nation turn back to God without first seeing the Church turn back to God? How can we expect our nation to repent, if the Church refuses to repent? Do we really expect America to have a revival if the Church does not have one first?

God never promised to heal the land if the people of the land would cry out to Him. God never even said He would heal the land if the leaders of the land would pray and seek His face. God only promised to heal the land if His people, who are called by His name, would humble themselves and pray, seek His face and turn from their wicked ways.

2 Chronicles 7:14 “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

Who has the answer? The people of God. What is the answer? Humility, prayer, seeking the face of God and turning away from sin. Then, and only then, does God promise to heal the land, and send revival.

It amazes me how the Church wants to blame the President for the condition that our nation is in. It is important that not only our President but that all of our leaders be men and women that fear God. But biblically, we cannot blame our leaders for the condition that we are in.

Some want to blame the homosexual community or the abortionists. While it is true that God hates the sin of homosexuality and also the sin of abortion, we still cannot point our fingers at the homosexual community or the abortionist. We are in the condition we are in as a nation because the Church has failed! The Church is to blame.

It is time for the Church to quit blaming everybody else and to look in the mirror, be honest, and realize we are to blame; we have failed!

BLOW THE TRUMPET IN ZION!

The Church must wake up, and shake ourselves from the spirit of slumber that has overtaken us. We must go back to prayer, fasting, and holiness. I am amazed at how few Churches do not even have a weekly prayer meeting anymore, let alone an all-night prayer meeting. Most Churches say they want the power but the truth is you cannot have power without prayer.

Many churches today do not even have an altar anymore. The Church must go back to prayer. We must go back to praying like the Church of Acts prayed.

The Church needs to also go back to fasting. The Church seems to know a lot about feasting but very little about fasting. Have we forgotten that Jesus said some miracles only happen when the Church prays and fasts?

“And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place, and it shall remove, and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

 Matthew 17:20-21 “Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.”

When it comes to holiness most Christians do not even know what it is, yet the Bible says without it we cannot even see God.

Hebrews 12:14  “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:”

Where did God say to blow the trumpet? In the Church; among the people of God. Who

are the people that God has called to blow the trumpet? His ministers, men, and women of God that He has set aside to preach, teach and prophesy.

The problem we have today is God’s ministers have quit blowing the trumpet! They have quit sounding the alarm! Few preachers in this day and time still have the boldness to preach against sin! Few have the courage to preach the Word of God as it truly is!

Now more than ever we need men and women of God who will boldly and loudly blow the trumpet and sound an alarm. We need men and women who will stand before the people of God and declare a fresh word from heaven, without fear of satan or man.

The Church must hear a word from heaven. A fresh word straight from God. The church does not need to hear a leftover message from ten or even twenty years ago. Nor do they need to hear a sermon downloaded off the Internet from the headquarters of some denomination. The Church must hear a word from God.

It is so sad to hear today what is coming forth from so-called ministers of the Gospel. Some preachers have become nothing more than professional joke tellers. While others have turned the Church into a party room every year during the super bowl. It is an absolute disgrace that Churches will dismiss their worship service during the super bowl and instead bring a big-screen television into the sanctuary so their members can eat, drink, and watch the super bowl. No wonder the Bible says judgment must first begin at the house of God.

1 Peter 4:17 “For the time comes that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begins at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?”

God forgive us for what we have allowed taking place in the House of God. There was a time when God’s people respected God’s house. God forgives us not only for what we have allowed taking place in His house, but we also need forgiveness for what we have allowed going forth from the pulpits in His house.

BLOW THE TRUMPET IN ZION! Many of our Churches today have become only “Houses of entertainment.” A place where people laugh, are entertained and have a good time. The Church does not need another entertainer, joke teller, or comedian. We need a man or woman of God who has been alone with God and has a word from God.

Joke tellers tell jokes. Firemen put out fires. Veterinarians treat sick animals. Doctors care for sick people. The military fights for our freedom. What are God’s ministers suppose to do? Tell us what God is saying to His people. The problem is most ministers are telling the people of God everything except what God is saying.

We must have holy men and women of God who are full of the Holy Ghost, who are not afraid to preach and proclaim the truth of God’s Word. We need ministers who refuse to be controlled by some denomination, organization, or deacon board. We need men and women of God who cannot be bought by money – Servants of God who refuse to be controlled by the spirit of Jezebel that is operating so rampant in many of our Churches.

If a meteorologist refuses to warn of an upcoming storm, lives may be lost. If a policeman refuses to protect a city, the city may be destroyed. If a fireman refuses to put out a fire, a great loss may be experienced. If a doctor refuses to treat a sick man, the sick man may die. But if God’s ministers refuse to blow the trumpet and sound an alarm, multitudes will continue to die in their sins and go to a place that the Bible calls Hell!

Hell is an unpopular subject today. Few preachers have the courage to even talk or preach about it. Preaching about Hell is like preaching against homosexuality, it is not politically correct. But though it is not politically correct, it is Biblically correct.

God’s ministers are not called to preach what is politically correct; they are called to preach what is Biblically correct! Why do so few ministers preach on Hell anymore when the Word of God is so plain on the subject? In fact, the Bible mentions Hell almost twice as much as it mentions Heaven. The Bible makes it plain that Hell is a literal place and that multitudes of people are dying and going there.

Mark 9:44  “Where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.”

Isaiah 5:14 “Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it.”

One reason that many ministers no longer preach about Hell is very simple—they don’t believe that it is a literal place themselves. According to one survey, close to fifty percent of the ministers in four of our major denominations denied the existence of Hell.

If God’s ministers do not believe in Hell, how can we expect God’s people to believe in Hell? A lot of Christians do not read the Bible for themselves. The only thing they hear and know is what they hear when they go to the House of God.

Regardless of what is being taught today, the truth is, Hell is just as real as Heaven. As the old saints would say, “There is a Heaven to gain and a Hell to shun.”

Some time ago, the Word of the Lord came to me and God said two words to me—Preach Hell. I get amazed at how few messages are preached about Hell today even in our so-called “Bible Believing Churches.”

Some people say, “People do not want to hear about that anymore.” Who cares what people want to hear? Where in the Word of God does it say, “Preach what the people want to hear?”

God’s ministers are not called to preach what pleases man. God’s ministers are not called to tell people what they want to hear. God’s ministers are called to preach the truth, to declare the Word of God regardless of what the people think or say! Isaiah told the ministers in his day to Blow the trumpet, cry aloud, spare not, to lift their voice like a trumpet and show my people their sins!

Isaiah 58:1 “Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.”

How many ministers do you know that do what Isaiah 58 says to do? Let’s face the fact few ministers are following God’s instructions.

Many of our pulpits today have become almost totally silent when it comes to preaching against sin. Many of our pulpits today are filled with ministers who preach a watered-down gospel. A gospel that overlooks sin and makes the people feel good regardless of how they are living. The Bible calls this kind of gospel a perverted gospel.

Galatians 1:7 “Which is not another, but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.”

It may be hard to believe, but the truth is we have a lot of perverts behind our pulpits. Men and women who have taken the precious Word of God and perverted it into another gospel.

Ministers today seem to be afraid to preach the truth, they are afraid they will offend somebody. If the Word of God offends someone then they need to change. But do not change the Word of God! There is a high price for adding to or taking away from the Word of God. Whether you like it or not, do not change it!

Revelation 22:18-19 “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, if any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.”

The Bible makes it very plain, the only thing that will set people free is the truth. God’s people do not need to hear how to live with their sins, they need to hear how to be set free from their sins.

John 8:32 “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

If God’s ministers would take a stand and preach the truth, they would see lives changed. Once again, people would be set free from addiction, disease, and evil spirits. But it will only happen when the truth is preached under the anointing of the Holy Ghost.

If someone is offended and quits the Church, the Church will not close down. Whose Church is it anyway? Whose ministry are we talking about? It is not man’s Church or man’s ministry, It is God’s.

  Matthew 16:18  “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock, I will build my Church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

Having been in ministry for the past thirty+ years of my life, I know from experience, “God will take care of His Church.”

I have discovered that the Church is kind of like a bus. Some will get off and some will get on, but the bus keeps going. If a bus leaves Dallas and travels to New York, it will make a lot of stops along the way. What if every time the bus stopped and people got off, the bus driver took it personally?

What if he got his feelings hurt and began to beg those who wanted off to stay on? Some pastors take it personally every time someone leaves the Church.

Some pastors are continually begging people to stay even though they do not want to be there. In return, a spirit of discontentment sweeps through the entire Church. If people want to leave, let them leave. If they do not stay with you they were never really part of you.

1 John 2:19  “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.” 

Regardless of who gets on or who gets off, the bus driver keeps driving and the bus arrives at its destination. It does not matter if it is raining or stormy, the bus driver keeps driving.

It does not matter if some of the people think the temperature is too cold or too hot, the bus driver keeps driving. It does not matter if some of the people think the music is too loud while others think it is too low, the bus driver keeps driving.

The bus driver knows he has a job to do and only if he finishes the job will he receive a paycheck.

Like the bus driver who faithfully drives the bus, the Church needs preachers who will faithfully preach the Word. If people leave the Church or quit the ministry, the preacher must keep preaching. If people start complaining, the preacher must keep preaching. The only way the preacher will get paid at the end of the journey is if he or she faithfully does what they are called to do. What is the preacher called to do? Preach the Word.

  2 Timothy 4:2 “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.”

What is the pay for the man or woman of God who faithfully does what God has called them to do? To hear God say well done, enter into the joy of the Lord.

Matthew 25:23 “His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.”

The Word of God makes it very plain that ministers who refuse to warn the wicked of their sins will stand before God with blood dripping from their hands.

  Ezekiel 3:17-18 “Son of man, I have appointed you a watchman to the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from My mouth, warn them from Me. ¹⁸ When I say to the wicked, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn him or speak out to warn the wicked from his wicked way that he may live, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand.”

Ezekiel says if the ministers do not warn the wicked, and the wicked die in their sins, then blood will be required at their hands. But then the Bible says if the righteous sins (there is no difference in warning the sinner and warning the righteous) and God’s ministers do not warn them, and the righteous man dies in his sins, then the blood of the righteous man will be required at the hand of the minister.

Ezekiel 3:20 Again, when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I place an obstacle before him, he will die; since you have not warned him, he shall die in his sin, and his righteous deeds which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood I will require at your hand.

What a sad day, on the day of judgment to see men and women of God stand before God with blood dripping from their hands all because they refused to preach the truth.

I recognize that we live in a day and hour when many do not want to hear the truth. We live in a time when many only want to hear what makes them feel good. The Apostle Paul warned that this time would come.

2 Timothy 4:3 “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;”

If a person is looking for a minister who will tell them what they want to hear, they do not have to look very far. The truth is you can find a so-called preacher today who will tell you anything you want to hear, even if it is contrary to what the Word of God says.

If you want to stay sick, you can find a preacher that will tell you your sickness is from God, and God is receiving glory from your sickness.

If that teaching is true, then the preacher needs to pray you will get twice as sick so God will get twice the glory. The preacher also needs to tell you to quit taking your medicine, because if God gave you the sickness, why would you want to get rid of it?

If you want to find a preacher who will tell you that you can drink and still be a Christian, you can easily find one. If a person wants to divorce their husband or wife and marry another even without Biblical cause, there are plenty of preachers that will tell them what they want to hear.

There are even a lot of preachers today who are telling the homosexual, don’t be concerned about your lifestyle, you were born that way. The devil is a liar! The Bible says, in the beginning, God made Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve! I don’t care what some lying preacher says, homosexuality was a sin, still is a sin, and will always be a sin!

Romans 1:26-28 “For this cause, God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise, also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;”

Today there are even homosexual Churches in America. Recently I saw on the News, a Pentecostal homosexual Church where they praise and worship God and even speak in tongues.

Their pastor is a man who came out of one of the leading Pentecostal denominations in America. Well, I can promise you one thing, they may be speaking in tongues, but it is not the real thing. They may also call themselves a Church, but the truth is, it is a house of abomination!

I know what is contained in the word of God is not politically correct, but it is Biblically correct. We still have a Bible and like the song, I learned in Bible school as a child says—that’s the Book for me!

“The B-I-B-L-E, yes that’s the Book for me, I stand upon the Word of God, the B-I-B-L-E!”

My good friend, Prophet Charles Williams says it this way—The Bible is right! Yes, my friend the Bible is right even if people do not like it. The Bible is still the Word of God, and what was sin yesterday is still sin today, and the wages of sin is still death!

Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

So many preachers today are afraid to preach against sin. They seem to be afraid to call sin by name. Instead of calling those who have a drinking problem, drunks, they say they are social drinkers.

If someone is living together out of wedlock, instead of calling it adultery, some preachers say it’s O.K., they are just sharing an apartment. Instead of calling two men who are sexually involved with each other homosexuals, some preachers say they are gay.

It does not matter what the preacher calls it. What does God’s Word call it? If God calls it sin, then it is sin and the preacher better call it the same thing.

It is time for God’s ministers to wake up! It is time for God’s ministers to repent! There has been way too much compromising by those in the ministry. There has been too much sin being committed by those who claim to be holy men and women of God. There is also too much politics among ministers. We have too many in ministry today that are only in it for what they can gain.

The ministry, too many, has become a way of making money. Some preachers now charge a fee of ten thousand and some, even more, just to speak at a conference or at a Church. They also require the best hotel and some even require that a limousine pick them up at the airport! The Bible calls the man or woman of God who preaches only for money a hireling.

  Job 7:2 “As a slave pants for the shade, and as a hired man who eagerly waits for his wages:”

Today it seems to be a lot like it was in the days of Isaiah. In Isaiah’s day, the ministers were greedy men who could never get enough, who looked to their own gain. Did you ever notice what God called those ministers: blind, dumb dogs, who cannot bark, sleeping, lying down, and loving to slumber.

Isaiah 56:10-11 “His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber. Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter.”

Today there are too many ministers “Who, everything seems to revolve around money” to them. Please do not misunderstand me, I believe in prosperity, but I believe in prosperity with character, prosperity without compromise.

According to the Word of God, the man or woman of God should be honored, in fact, they should receive double honor.

1Timothy 5:17 “Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.”

The man or woman of God should be honored and not only honored but also should be blessed.

 Luke 10:7  “And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the laborer is worthy of his hire…”

But, it cannot be prosperity and blessings that drive a minister; it must be the call of God upon their life and their passion for souls and their passion to help the people of God. 

Today there is so much sin in the Church, and I am convinced the reason why there is so much sin in the church is that there is so much sin behind our pulpits. How can you expect the Church to be holy, if the leaders in the Church are not holy?

  Isaiah 52:11 Depart, depart, go out from there, Touch nothing unclean; Go out of the midst of her, purify yourselves, you who carry the vessels of the Lord.

Today we find an amazing number of ministers bound by pornography. One of the major Pentecostal denominations in America recently began a ministry to help their ministers who are bound by pornography.

We hear a lot today about the high divorce rate in the Church. While it is true that the divorce rate in the Church is higher than in the world, how can you expect anything different? How can you expect the Church to do anything different than what they see their leaders do?

Today we have ministers who have divorced their companion without any Biblical reason and were standing behind the pulpit the next Sunday after their divorce—already married to someone else.

Even worse, we have ministers who are married, who have a boyfriend or girlfriend on the side, and don’t even think anything about it. I have even heard of some who said God gave them a natural companion and also a spiritual companion!

We need a revival of integrity among God’s ministers. We need a spirit of repentance to sweep through our pulpits!

How can ministers today tell people what not to do, when they are doing the same thing?

Matthew 19:18 “…Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,”

BLOW THE TRUMPET IN ZION! We will never see a revival in the Church until first we see a revival in the pulpit. America will never repent and turn to God until the Church first repents. But how can we expect the Church to repent if the ministers do not first repent?

The root of the problem is the pulpit. If we ever get God’s ministers to get right, I believe the Church will follow. And once the Church gets right, our nation will get right.

In Jeremiah’s day, God said His people were lost and then He tells why they were lost. He said the shepherds have caused them to err, to go astray. Where was the problem? It was with the shepherds.

God said I will replace those shepherds who lead my people astray with pastors who will feed them with knowledge and understanding.

  Jeremiah 50:6 “My people have been lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go astray, they have turned them away on the mountains: they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their resting place.”

There is a change of leadership coming to the Body of Christ. God is about to remove the Sauls and begin replacing them with Davids, “ men and women who have a heart after God”.

1 Samuel 13:14  ^“But now your kingdom shall not endure. The Lord has sought out for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord has appointed him as ruler over His people because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.”

The Church must have a return of holy men and women of God – men and women who will preach the truth, who will refuse to compromise: men and women of prayer, integrity, and holiness.

We need men and women of God now more than ever, who will preach against sin like the preachers of the past. Once God’s ministers began to preach against sin, then we will not have all the sin in the Church that you see today.

Sin has invaded the “Ranks of the Righteous!” We hear a lot of talk about America being judged, but I declare America will not be judged until the Church is first judged.

1 Peter 4:17 “For the time comes that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begins at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?”

Some people said what happened on 9/11 was the judgment of God. I disagree. If it was the judgment of God, the planes would have hit some of the churches in New York and not the Twin Towers!

When preachers preached against sin, when they preached a life of holiness and separation, people had the fear of God in their lives and were afraid to sin. Today most Christians do not fear God, and as a result, they do not give a second thought to sinning. It is simply a way of life for them.

There was a time when people were afraid to sin because they were afraid they might die and go to Hell. People gave a second thought to sinning because they knew God was watching and if they sinned, they knew sin had a price tag attached to it.

How did they know there was a Hell? How did they know sin has a penalty? They knew it because the man or woman of God preached it. Far different than what is heard from most of our pulpits today.

How desperately we need men and women of God today who will preach against sin. Who will Blow the Trumpet regardless of the price they have to pay?

Another thing that God’s ministers must do is return to prayer. According to one recent survey, the average preacher prays less than five minutes per day. Yes, you read it correctly! The average minister prays less than five minutes per day. Then we wonder why the Church does not pray. The Church will never return to prayer unless its leaders first return to prayer.

We are not in the shape we are in as a nation because of the White House. We are in the shape we are in because of the Church house. We have way too many supper rooms and not enough upper rooms. Too many Churches are more concerned today about a crowd than they are about the cloud—The Cloud of Glory!

It is easy to get a crowd today. Have a Church dinner, and you will see people show up that you have not seen in months. Bring an entertainer in, people will come from far and near!

It is amazing how few really love God and His house for the right reasons. Many today will only go to the house of God if there is a special guest speaker, or if dinner is being served after the service.

Many churches today are more concerned about making people feel welcome than they are about making the Holy Spirit feel welcome. While I understand that people must feel welcome, our main goal should be to make sure the Holy Spirit feels welcome.

The seeker-friendly movement that is sweeping through the land today places the emphasis on the “people being comfortable.” Instead of praise and worship, we get rock and roll. What we need today is a “Holy Ghost friendly movement.” We must go back to the Bible and find out what the Holy Ghost likes. ( I doubt He likes “look at me bands” on His platform.)

What have we gained if we have a big crowd, but nobody in the crowd is saved, delivered, healed, or touched by the power of God? It is great to have a big crowd, but it is greater to have a crowd where people’s lives are being changed by the power of God.

The Church is the answer to the world’s problems. Ministers are the answer to the Church’s problems. No political party has the answer to the nation’s problems; the Church has the answers.

Jesus made it clear that we, as the Body of Christ, are the light of the world and the salt of the earth.

  Matthew 5:14 “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.”

Matthew 5:13 “Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt has lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.”

The world today is not in need of a new political party to rise up, instead, they need God’s people to rise up.

  Romans 8:19 “For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.”

The world has seen a Baptist Church, a Catholic Church, a Pentecostal Church, but it is now time for the world to see God’s Church. It is time for them to see the Church that is built upon the Rock that the gates of Hell cannot prevail against.

  Matthew 16:18 “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock, I will build my Church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

It is time to show the world a holy, powerful, Jesus-loving, Holy Ghost-filled Church that stands for what she believes regardless of the cost. The world is waiting for God’s children to manifest themselves. Awake Body of Christ, shake yourselves daughters of Zion.

  Isaiah 52:2 “Shake yourself from the dust, rise up,
O captive Jerusalem; Loose yourself from the chains around your neck, O captive daughter of Zion.”

Hear the sound of the few who are blowing the trumpet and sounding the alarm! Do not be like Samson who went to sleep in the lap of Delilah and lost his power. The word Delilah means to slacken up or to loosen up. Do not slacken up—fire up! Do not loosen up—pray up! God help the Church not to sleep the sleep of death.

Psalms 13:3 “Consider and hear me, O Lord my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;”

MEN WAKE UP! Lead your family in the ways of God. Lead your family in family prayer. Set an example of a Christian father to your children. Have the courage to discipline your children when needed. Be faithful to the house of God. Love your wife even as Christ loved the Church.

WOMEN WAKE UP! Where are the mothers of Zion who cry out to God day and night, who weep between the porch and the altar? Where are the elderly women who will set an example for the younger women, who will teach them how to dress, how to cook, and how to love their husbands? (Preachers shouldn’t have to preach on how women should dress, the elderly women should set the example.) Mothers quit being so concerned about raising their children in the ways of the World; instead, raise them in the ways of God.

YOUNG PEOPLE WAKE UP! Hear the sound of the trumpet. Give your life to God in the days of your youth. Learn the power there is in prayer at an early age. Flee youthful lusts and temptations. Surrender your life to God now. There is more to life than the pleasures of sin that only last for a season. The call of God is upon your life. Surrender to your call today!

GOSPEL MINISTERS WAKE UP! Make a new dedication to God, to prayer, and to holiness. Preach as you have never preached before. Do not compromise to keep a crowd. Do not let the love of money control you. Remember, it was God who called you, and it is God who will reward you.

PRAYER WARRIORS WAKE UP! There is still power in prayer. Go back to the altar. Hell fears nothing more than a praying man or woman. Prayer can change any situation. Prayer gets the attention of Heaven. Remember one of the things the Lord said must happen before the Lord hears from Heaven is that the Church prays! Now is the time to pray as never before! Prayer warriors go back to the altar!

CHURCH WAKE UP! Where are the saints that love not only God but also love the house of God? Where are the soul winners who will walk the streets of the city looking for lost souls? Where are the Churches that still have all-night prayer meetings, where people lay between the porch and the altar in sackcloth and ashes?

We must fall upon the Rock, Christ Jesus, repent, and beg for mercy! If we do not fall upon the Rock, the Rock will fall upon us and we will be destroyed.

  Matthew 21:44 “And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever, it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.”

IN CLOSING I know this has been a long one but I can’t emphasize now more than ever God’s ministers must BLOW THE TRUMPET! The future of our nation depends on it! The futures of millions of lost souls depend on it! The future of the Church depends on it! Remember, It’s impossible to be politically correct and biblically correct. A heaven-bound Christian can’t be both, and that’s a simple truth! Where do you stand, are you a people pleaser or a God pleaser? there is only one true answer here too …

BLOW THE TRUMPET IN ZION! Until we get together again, may you all be blessed and God’s light shine through you!

My prayer for you,

Father, I ask forgiveness for our sins and strength to stand for your glory. I ask that Your will be done and anyone leading people astray would be revealed.

I pray that all of us overlooking the everyday sins around us just to keep, in the name of peace, a lifestyle that goes against your word I pray to give us the boldness to speak out, not to allow our loved ones living in sin to spend eternity in hell just because we want peace and a relationship with them and knowing if we don’t call it out and they spend eternity in hell we are ultimately responsible for choosing now over eternity, I ask forgiveness. Father, I pray for boldness.

I pray for all who are accused wrongly to be exonerated and the guilty, to likewise, be brought to light and punished.

Lord, we need you to manifest your glory for all to see and know you are our God and love us all but will not tolerate the sins this world is living in.

I pray this in the precious name of Jesus Christ,

AMEN

 

 It saddens my heart to see my fellow Americans being led like drones by our government, still wearing masks as if their life depends on them, remember the CDC claimed it was to protect the other guy? So if it’s not protecting you are you telling everyone around you, because you still have that useless mask on, that you are a covid carrier? 

When was the last time you shared a smile with a stranger? We’ve allowed the liberal government to alienate us from each other and control our lives. Look around you … If you’re a professing Christian, did you vote for any of those morons? Do still wear a mask? After they said you don’t have to.

Well, I hated Trump so I voted for abortion, same-sex marriage, transgender restrooms, and the downfall of America. Don’t ever forget, your president left God out of the national day of prayer … I wonder who he was praying to???

I guess you got what you voted for, I wonder what the God you claim to follow thinks of your choice? … Still, have that mask on? FEAR … the opposite of faith! 

His love forgives and His grace abounds…

2 Timothy 1:6-9  Psalms 34:1-4

Fear is not of God, it is destructive, to be fearful and always dreading that which has terror can cause panic with great trepidation. Notice the words that I used, fright, terror, dread, panic, and trepidation. All synonyms of the word fear.

Fear my friend is devastating and can have lasting results. It can paralyze an individual and cause one to be helpless. Fear can stop the flow of God’s power leading one to a wrong belief system. Yet, a relationship with God and faith will conquer fear.

Sometimes the spirit of fear can oppress an individual. We are told in Ephesians 6:12, “We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

Paul refers to fear as a spirit, it is a spiritual power and force that we need to bind and command in the name of Jesus. Matthew 18:18 says, “Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

There are times we need to take authority over spiritual forces and be delivered and set free from the oppressive powers of the enemy. Since the inception of time, Satan has been going around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.

Satan is the accuser of the brethren; he is a liar and the father of lies. Deception is his game and he plays it well, if Satan can get you to live in fear he knows that he has won a battle. 

Here is a key passage concerning fear, “Whoso hearkens unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.” Proverbs 1:33 this is a powerful scripture, knowing that if we dwell in His presence we can be free from fear. Fear has torment. The bible tells us that perfect love cast out fear.

The word tells us that there is no fear in love. So we allow His love to be shed abroad in our heart, with His presence in us fear will no longer have a place to reside. “I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.” Psalms 34:4

Think about the man in the bible who lives among the tombs and would cut himself, here was a man living in torment because of fear. Over the years I have known people whose lives were filled with a tormenting spirit, and they were never able to free themselves. You could see it in their face, a very troubling spirit. Fear is a spirit, and one way to overcome is with positive faith.

From the book of Joshua 1: 9, “Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed; for the Lord, thy God is with thee whithersoever you go.”

David said, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” David said there is no fear in the valley, and we will go through some valleys as we serve the Lord. And there is no fear in the shadow of death because the sting of death has been taken away, and the grave holds no victory.

“Strengthen you the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not; behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with recompense; he will come and save you.” Isaiah 35:3-4

Fear is not from God; in our text, the Apostle Paul tells us that God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” If fear surrounds you, if you live in fear, if fear is following you, haunting you, remember it is not of God.

God does not put you in bondage, but fear does, it will hold you in bondage. Job said, “The thing which I greatly feared has come upon me, and that which I was afraid of has come unto me.” Fear gives birth to a lot of things in a person’s life.

To live in fear is a snare, it’s like a bird caught in a net, and if your life is ruled by fear you will be held captive in the net of life waiting for the grim reaper to arrive, and he will come.

But I have some good news, God can and will deliver us from fear.  Psalms 27:1“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid. 

Psalms 91:4,45 “He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; or for the arrows that fly by day.”

In the book of Matthew Jesus is pleading with Israel concerning the things that would come on that generation. And He said, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that has killed the prophets and stoned those who were sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered the thee even as a hen gather her chick under her wings, and ye would not.”

Jesus is standing with arms stretched out pleading with us to come under His divine protection and be free from fear. “Fear thou not; for I am with thee; be not dismayed; for I am thy God; I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” Isaiah 41:10

When God’s word says “fear not,” this command is often directly paired with an assurance that makes it possible: “Fear thou not, for I am with thee.” In Matthews’s gospel chapter fourteen and verse twenty-seven Jesus said, “it is I, be not afraid.”

There is much to be afraid of in this world, and simply setting that fear aside is mere boldness. The only way to be truly fearless is to trust in Him who is greater than all fear.

The disciples panicked in the storm because they didn’t fully realize who was on their ship. If they had, they would surely have known that whatever a storm might do to them, it could never overcome Him.

So, when we face our own storms and fears, as we all will, we can hear His voice telling us to be of good cheer – not because everything is about to change for the better on the outside, but because He is with us on the inside.

The prophet Isaiah said, “Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their reviling’s.”

As born-again believer’s we are commanded not to fear. “Fear not, little flock; for it is your father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Luke 12:32 if you are living with fear, move into the realm of His kingdom where freedom overcomes fear.

“For whom the Son sets free, is free indeed.”

I hope this message helps those brothers and sisters, who are living in fear generated by the politicians and the news media, will search their hearts and claim the victory Jesus already paid for, remember, he said; Fear not for I am with you always.

Until next time we meet …Keep Looking Up!

 

My prayer for you;   

Our heavenly Father,

Forgive us of our sin and guide us for your glory. I come against the spirit of fear in America and pray for boldness and strength in my fellow believers. I again come before you in the name of Jesus and ask that you reveal the liars in our government and bring them justice. I pray for a great revival to sweep across our nations and we, once again, become one nation under God. We need our children taught Godly principles and fathers to once again become the head of the house. Father, I ask that you intercede in these things I pray sooner than later … we need you now.

In Jesus name, I pray,

AMEN

 

 

 

 

I never set out just to be a person of controversy; it’s never been my desire or my aim to be controversial.

I have never believed the pulpit to be the place to hash out political differences.

I take no pleasure in stirring the pot as it were. (I don’t like drama) and I don’t enjoy debate for debate’s sake.

I have never set out to attack anyone personally. But The problem we are facing today is that there are so many people now that have embraced sin as a way of life that when you mention a particular sin they take it as a personal attack against them. (and now anyone who tries to help them by telling them the truth, is considered a hater and a basher.

That puts us in a very hard place. (Are we going to back off and quit preaching the parts of the Bible that offend them, or are we going to love them enough to tell them the truth even if it makes us controversial?

Do I love the fornicator, the adulterer, the pedophile, the homosexual, the lesbians, the drug addict, The Prostitute, the liar, the thief the murderer? Enough to tell them the truth? that according to God’s word, they are sinning and that the wages of sin are death.

But God has provided a remedy for us all through the blood of Jesus. (But in order for his blood to cleanse us, we have to repent and sin no more.)

Or do we ignore God’s Commandments and avoid every controversial scripture that identifies sin and just try to rub greasy grace on everybody no matter how they live or what they believe?

(That’s the question)

We can’t walk a Middle Line:

There is no neutral ground in this: we are either for Jesus or against Him, we are either gathering with him or we’re scattering abroad. We are either preaching the truth, living by the truth or we are rejecting the truth.

It’s not a hard line to see, the Bible is our Plumb line. Anyone who is willing to read it will see it.

But the problem is: that many of our pulpits in this nation today have become so polluted and diluted and they no longer name sin, they no longer call people to repentance and salvation from sin.

Many are only interested in growing church numbers and money and position and recognition.

They are what the Bible calls. (Blind Watchmen)

Isaiah 56:10 His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber.

They don’t want to upset anybody:

They prophesy nothing but peace, prosperity, Harmony, acceptance, love, inclusion, they say in effect (everybody is already saved they just don’t all know it yet.

They say (We want you to be yourself whatever you identify with that’s fine with us, ) God loves you just like you are) and He just wants, and we just want you to be happy.

Beloved: If sin makes you happy, does that make it acceptable with God? does grace make allowance for sin because it makes us happy?

Of course, the answer is NO.

(God says they prophesy lies.)

Jeremiah 6:14 They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.

Right now the false prophets are sounding the message of love, acceptance, inclusiveness, peace, prosperity, safety, unity, and harmony.

And the truth is: This nation is divided, and we are internally at War, We are on the edge of Civil War, we are on the edge of Martial law.

There’s more hate and Prejudice and racial tension than most of us have ever seen.

And we as a nation have forgotten God, we have rebelled against God. We have ridiculed him and cast his truth to the ground. And we are spiraling out of control, (we are falling into the bottomless pit of greed and immorality and sexual perversion and demonism.)

*The number one guests on our national talk shows today are homosexuals, lesbians transgenders, and bisexuals.

And they are celebrated as Heroes for coming out.

Something is happening in the realm of the spirit and I am compelled to tell it. it is this: The power that has been behind all of this corruption, this immorality, and this perversion is getting ready to take Center Stage.

You’re going to see before long publicly on national television (demon possession) satanic ceremonies and rituals are going to gain public notoriety and acceptance.)

It is going to become desirable by many to be demon-possessed, you will see people expressing great pleasure to yield their bodies to demons.

sexual perversion and activities are going to become more public and tolerated, and actually accepted as normal behavior.

Pedophilia, bestiality, multiple sex partners, every ungodly perverse thing will become public.

Do You remember the demon-inspired show that aired years ago (Rosemary’s Baby)?. Supposedly a baby conceived by sexual relations with a demon:

This is where this nation is going if we don’t have a mega shift if we don’t have an Earthshaking Move of God.

My friends these are dark times We are in and these are not dark days that are 20 to 30 years down the road they’re here now.

It’s already happening.

(The opening ceremony for Cern (The Large Hadron Collider) located in Switzerland was nothing less than a full-blown satanic ceremony.)

Every kind of demonic character was represented, people mocked sexual acts, and they rolled all over the place as though they were possessed by demons.

This is happening right now: 2021

And many of the pulpits of the Land are silent and will not open their mouths: Except to say everything is fine, and things are getting better all the time.

Because our churches today are filled with people who don’t want to hear the truth, they don’t want to have to deal with reality, they’re in a spiritual catatonic state.

1 Timothy 4:1-2 The Bible says: this know also, that in the last days, perilous times shall come for men shall be lovers of their own selves Covetous boasters proud blasphemers disobedient to parents unthankful Unholy without natural affection, truth Breakers false accusers incontinent Fierce despisers of those that are good, trailers, heading, my mind, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God. Having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof, from such turn away.

Luke 17:26 Jesus said: as it was in the days of Noah so shall it be also in the days of the son of man.

How was it in the days of Noah?

Genesis 6:5 The Bible says and God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

Matthew 24 the disciples came to Jesus and asked him what should be the sign of the coming of the end of the world. And Jesus answered and said unto them, taking that no man deceive you for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ and shall deceive many. And you shall hear of wars and rumors of wars see that you be not troubled for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation and Kingdom against Kingdom and there shall be famines and pestilences and earthquakes in divers places. All these are the beginning of Sorrows then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted and she’ll kill you and you should be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. And then should be offended and betray one another, and she’ll hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise and shall deceive many.

And because iniquity shall abound the love of many shall wax cold but he that shall endure to the end the same shall be saved and this Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations and then shall the end come.

You say Dusty why are you preaching like this?

I’ll tell you why: it’s because we’re in a time of war, It’s because hell is being poured out on this earth in unprecedented ways; It’s because I want you to be prepared and equipped for whatever is coming. And it’s because I have a responsibility as a Watchman on the wall to sound the trumpet.

1 Corinthians 14:8 The Bible says if the trumpet sounds an uncertain sound who shall prepare himself to battle.

I have to put the trumpet to my lips and I have to sound a certain sound I have to make the message clear and plain I have to sound the warning.

So many today, even in the church ( are like backslidden Israel)

Isaiah 30:10 They say to the true prophets see not., and they say to the true prophets (prophecy not unto us right things.) Speak to us smooth things prophesy to us deceits.

(smooth) = comfortable, convenient flattering, easy, peaceful, safe, blessings.

Deceits: illusions, deceptions, twist the truth.

The Holy Spirit warned us that these times would come.

1Timothy 4:1-2 now the spirit speaketh expressly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils speaking lies in hypocrisy having their conscience seared with a hot iron.

and then again 2nd Timothy 4:3 for the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers having itching ears.

I have come with this message today with a Holy Heartburn: My heart is on fire (I see people today, becoming sloppy in their commitment to God, I see people treating church with a take it or leave it attitude, I see people today feeling as though the preaching of the gospel is just a performance that the preacher puts on Sunday morning and sometimes they want to see it and sometimes they don’t.

They think to themselves (the church will always be there)

If I miss it this Sunday I’ll catch it again maybe next week or a couple of weeks

And what concerns me is that we are in more desperate, more demonic, more oppressing, darker times than most of us have ever experienced, and many in the church act like everything’s fine, and like there’s no devil.

The truth is: Every Sermon that comes across this pulpit is prayed over, and cried over, and in some cases travailed over, because I know the responsibility that is laid on me by God.

I can’t say: I don’t feel like preaching today, I don’t feel like giving you the word today (Because I believe your life depends on Hearing the word) and the only time I won’t preach or teach the Word is when the Holy Spirit interrupts, and redirects.

What I’m saying is: This is the time when we should be more committed, more faithful, more on fire, more passionate, and hungrier for God than we have ever been.

This is the time when we should be devouring his word,

This is the time when we should be praying every chance we get.

Things are changing in this nation: This is not the America we grew up in (This is not the America we knew and Loved) And it’s not getting better, it’s getting worse.

And we better get honest about it and quit playing games, and gird up our loins and get our armor on, and get on fire for God and seek his face like never before.

Persecution is coming to America:

We have graduated now in America from just a homicide or a murder of an individual (now we have mass murders)

Just look at Columbine, and Look at Sandy Hook, And look at what happened in Dallas in 2016 and what’s happening on our streets today in 2021.    Defund the police? Really?

And don’t ever forget what happened in Charleston South Carolina a lone gunman walks into a church and murders nine people (in the church house).

We better get our heads out of the sand and into the Word

We better get our families under the blood

We better get full of the Holy Ghost and Fire

We better quit treating church like an elective college class, (like something you don’t really need, but you just take it to fill up your schedule).

I’m not mad at anybody but the devil

I’m not preaching angry: I’m preaching out of Love

If I didn’t love you I wouldn’t preach like this

But I’m not just asking God for a house full of people who come for curiosity’s sake, or just to catch up on the weeks’ happenings.

I’m asking for sold-out, blood-bought, Spirit filled, fire baptized Soldiers of the cross (Who are hungry for God and are not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Is there hope for America?

Yes!

2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people which are called by name, shall humble themselves and pray, and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin, and heal their land.

Come On Saints of God: If you know this word is true, and you’re not worried about your makeup running or getting your hair messed up, or sounding a little undignified (I need some real prayer warriors to join me on this website and let’s go to war on behalf of our country, our families, our schools, our churches.

Nothing Happens until we Pray

Nothing Happens unless we Pray

And nothing is going to happen until we really Pray

We’ve got to pull on Heaven

We’ve got to plead the blood

We’ve got to use the name of Jesus

We’ve got to repent and turn from our wicked ways.

Step up! let me know where you stand. Contact us and let’s pray together…

Email me at: prospectorsforgod@gmail.com. Don’t put it off, do it now!

Until we get together again, stay safe and keep looking up.  

 

My prayer for you;   

Lord, I lift my brothers and sisters up to you and pray for boldness for each and every one of them. I ask forgiveness for our sins and healing for our nation.

Lord, I pray many will read this message and take it to heart, telling others of the saving truth of Jesus Christ. It’s time we all become active Christians and start walking the walk.

So be it in Jesus name I pray,

AMEN                                           

 

 

 

HOW TO BE A SUCCESSFUL NOBODY

John 6:1-13

A librarian commented concerning a woman just leaving her desk that she could get more out of a mystery novel than anyone she knew. “How is that?” asked her co-worker.

 She replied, “She starts in the middle so that she not only wonders how it comes out but also how it began.”

This illustrates what a great many people are doing with life today. They have no idea how things began, or of how things will end up. All they look at is the middle of the story. They see the contemporary scene only, and the result is that they have too much mystery on their hands, and life is confusing.

We’re going to look at an incident in the Bible that left many people guessing and see the little pieces that Christ put into action to make it all work out.

Do you have your Bible handy? If you do, open it up to John 6:1-13 …

5 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” 6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. 7 Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!” 8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, 9 “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” 10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). 11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. 12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are leftover. Let nothing be wasted.” 13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten. 

Who was that little boy? … Would you say he was a “nobody”?

 NOBODYS DO MORE THAN WE THINK: 

A very famous organist was giving a recital on a new organ. The wind was pumped by a small boy behind a screen. The boy pumped his heart out at this recital, and he was glad for the intermission halfway through the program.

 Out in the vestry of the church, the boy looked up at the great organist and said, “Aren’t we wonderful?” The prideful organist responded, “Who’s we?” Saddened, the lad returned to his pump for the climax of the recital.

The organist pressed the keys for the opening chord, but only silence came from the majestic pipes. The signal must have failed, the organist thought, and so he repeated it and then pressed again for the thunder to come. No thunder came. There was only a small voice from behind the screen saying, “Now who’s we?”

The title of this message is, “How to be a Successful Nobody”

It’s a blunder if we fail to recognize the importance of obscure, behind-the-scenes people. Some of the greatest and most famous people in the Bible are people we don’t even know their names.

 You can do great things too if you learn 2 secrets:

 THE BOY MADE AVAILABLE WHAT HE HAD – HIS LUNCH (John 6: 9)

WHAT ARE YOU MAKING AVAILABLE?

The question is not, how much do you have, but are you making what you have, available?

 The widow had only a penny, but she gave it all to God, and this made her great in the eyes of Christ. ( Mark 12: 41-44) ⁴¹ And He sat down opposite the treasury and began observing how the people were putting money into the treasury, and many rich people were putting in large sums. ⁴² A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amount to a cent. ⁴³ Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury; ⁴⁴ for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on.”

 The Good Samaritan: We don’t even know his name, but we know what he had was available. He had time, compassion, and some degree of wealth, and God used him.

The boy with 5 loaves and 2 fish. He didn’t have great resources. God doesn’t ask for what you DON’T have, only that you give what you DO have. Jesus didn’t expect the boy to feed the 5,000, all He needed was for the boy to give what he had. Christ will do the rest.

 EVERYBODY HAS SOMETHING TO GIVE

Marion Simms, in “Your Life,” told the story of a girl who wanted to give her older sister a birthday gift, but she had no money in her bank. But unselfish people always have something to give.

 When her sister opened her package she found three colored slips of paper. One said, “Good for two dish washings. Good for two-bed makings. Good for two kitchen scrubbings.” These were among her most welcome birthday surprises. 

 WHAT HE HAD WAS MADE ADEQUATE- CHRIST USED IT

God can take our small investment, and our weak and inadequate gifts and use them to be a blessing to many. Certainly, this lad had no idea what Jesus could do with his little lunch, and we have no idea what He may do with what little we have if we make it available to Him. This unknown boy became famous in God’s history book.

 TRUST GOD TO DO WHAT YOU CAN’T DO

 A pilot of an American airline DC-6 was flying 21,000 feet over the Colorado Rockies when his plane threw a propeller which crashed through the fuselage and ripped the engine from the wing. With half the controls gone he brought it into Denver for an emergency landing.

A reporter at the scene asked him what He did. He said, “In a situation like that you just move over a little bit and let God take over.” That’s what the boy did with his lunch!

 EVEN KIDS HAVE SOMETHING GOD WANTS

 Every one of us has some resource that Christ needs to accomplish His goals. Others may do a greater work, But you have your part to do, and nobody else can do what God has called you to do!

 One time Jesus’ disciples didn’t realize how important & valuable kids were; they tried to shoo the children away from Jesus. But Jesus loves all children, and told them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these”. (Mathew19:14)

That little boy (with the lunch) would have laughed at you had you told him that God would feed 5,000 people with his lunch that day. We need to learn that “little is much when we make it available to Jesus.”

This story is told how, as a boy, he worked long hours in a factory in Naples. He longed to be a singer. When ten years old, he took his first lesson in voice. ‘You can’t sing. You haven’t any voice at all. Your voice sounds like the wind in the shutters,’ said his teacher.

 The boy’s mother, however, had visions of greatness for her son. She believed that he had a talent to sing. She was very poor. Putting her arms around him she encouragingly said, ‘My boy, I am going to make every sacrifice to pay for your voice lessons.’

Her confidence in him and constant encouragement paid off! That boy became one of the world’s greatest singers — Enrico Caruso!

. Not many will become as famous as Caruso, but every one of us is given an opportunity to make something worthwhile out of our lives and be equally rewarded. The important thing is not what we have or don’t have, but what we do with what we have.

 If you ever feel like a nobody with very little to offer for the kingdom of God, don’t despair. You’re just what Jesus is looking for to demonstrate again that He loves to make much of little. He did it with the boy and He’ll do it with you.

 How many of you want Jesus to use you to bless others?

 How many will give all you have to Jesus so He can do something big with your life? 

It’s called trust and commitment when your willing to give all to further God’s kingdom. Really … where are you at in your walk, have you done all you can to help a ministry of your choice, or are you waiting thinking someone else is going to step up?

I’m not asking you to answer me or support this ministry, but you will have to answer someday, I wonder what your answer will be then …

Until we get together again, stay safe, and many blessings to you and your family.

 

My prayer for you:

Our heavenly Father, your love abounds and your grace is never-ending. You wait with open arms for us to come to you and I know it breaks your heart to see where this world has gone, filled with so much greed and self-gratification. I pray for revival to fill our land and our leaders to repent and bring our country back to its roots. I ask forgiveness for our sins and the truth to be made clear for all to hear. Father, we need you, I pray you hear our cries and change hearts starting this very moment.

In the precious name of Jesus, I Pray,

AMEN

 

After reading a very intriguing book by Howard Blum, titled; “The Gold Of Exodus”, it’s about the search for the real Mt. Sinai. It’s a true story and it got my mind wanting to go back and dig deeper into the teaching and lessons we can learn from that epic journey Mose and the Israelites took across the desert. I pray this message that the Lord gave me while reading this book will help you grow in your walk with our Lord. 

Exodus 3: 1-15

The Burning Bush

 Now Moses was pasturing the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; and he led the flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. ² Then the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush, and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not being consumed. ³ So Moses said, “I must turn aside and see this marvelous sight, why the bush is not burning up!” ⁴ When the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” ⁵ Then He said, “Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” ⁶ And He said, “I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Then Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.

⁷ And the Lord said, “I have certainly seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt and have heard their outcry because of their taskmasters, for I am aware of their sufferings. ⁸ So I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite. ⁹ And now, behold, the cry of the sons of Israel has come to Me; furthermore, I have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians are oppressing them.

 The Mission of Moses

¹⁰ And now come, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt.” ¹¹ But Moses said to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?” ¹² And He said, “Assuredly I will be with you, and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain.”

¹³ Then Moses said to God, “Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you.’ Now they may say to me, ‘What is His name?’ What shall I say to them?” ¹⁴ And God said to Moses, “AM WHO I AM”; and He said, “This is what you shall say to the sons of Israel: ‘AM has sent me to you.’” ¹⁵ God furthermore said to Moses, “This is what you shall say to the sons of Israel: ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is My name forever, and this is the name for all generations to use to call upon Me.

J. B. Phillips in his book “Your God Is Too Small” tells of how he asked a group of young people to give a snap answer to the question, “Do you think God understands radar?” They all said no, and then they roared with laughter as they considered how foolish their answer was. It showed that in the back of their minds they thought of God as an old man who lived in the past and was rather bewildered by modern progress. Nothing is more pathetic than a mature person with an immature concept of God. Such an adult is seldom a dedicated Christian or an active servant of God. More than likely they reject God completely. They mature in all other areas of life, but in their concept of God, they remain childish. To make things worse, they think the rest of us are worshipping the God of their immature conception. They think we are quite simple and unacquainted with the hard facts of life.

These people have not rejected God, for they don’t even know Him. They have only rejected a god who doesn’t exist anyway except in their own mind. What these people need is the true biblical concept of God. This is what we all need, for our conception of God controls our attitudes and actions, and it determines the measure of our devotion to Him and His will.

Is your God just a spare time God you call upon only in emergencies?

You answer that by your commitment to Him. The person who gives his God only one hour a week of his life has a very small God and not the God of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

One cannot stand in the pulpit and hand over to you an experience of the greatness of God any more than one can measure the horizon with a ruler. This can only come when a person says with Moses, “I will turn aside and see this great sight.” A man has to be willing to forsake his old concepts if he would grow in the knowledge of God as He really is.

When Martin Niemoller was in Hitler’s prison he had time to think, and he turned his thought toward God. He had to give up his old opinions about God. He wrote, “It took me a long time to learn that God is not the enemy of my enemies. He is not even the enemy of His enemies.” He had to give up the God he had created in his own image, and he came to see that God is love.

Moses needed to grow in his knowledge of God as well. God had prepared him to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt. The first 40 years of his life he gained the best education possible in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, but this knowledge was not enough for the task God had for him. He needed some good practical experience, and so God in His providence saw that he got it, and for the next 40 years, he was a shepherd in Midian where he learned the ways of desert life. He learned about the plants and animals, and about water sources and hardships. Now the second 40-year training period was over, and all Moses needed now was to meet God, and this he did at the burning bush, which is the Damascus Road experience of the Old Testament. We want to look at this experience and draw from it the 3 things which God does that enlarges our concept of Him.

I. HE DEMANDS REVERENCE. v. 4-5

You will notice that God appealed to the curiosity of Moses. Some people feel that faith and curiosity are contradictory, but this is not so. The impulse to inquire and learn is essential to a growing faith. God says, “Come now let us reason together,” and all of nature is a stimulus to an investigation. Curiosity is what made Watts ask why the lid on a boiling kettle bobbed up and down? His search for an answer led to the first workable steam engine. Curiosity is what made Sir Alexander Fleming investigate a mold, which led to the discovery of penicillin. Curiosity is what led Zaccheaus to climb a tree to see Jesus, which led to his conversion. It may have killed the cat but curiosity saved him and many others.

God wants people to investigate, but we see that when Moses came near He stopped him and tells him to take off his shoes. This was a sign of reverence and God demands that. If one is going gain from his search he must come in reverence and humility, for neither God nor His creation will reveal its secrets to the proud and irreverent. “Moses was led through the gates of curiosity into the sanctuary of reverence. Those who come to God or nature in pride to force the truth from them are courting disaster. You can count on it that those working with atomic energy are reverent before its power, and they are not careless and proud as if they needed no caution in its presence. To do so would be as foolish as for a Jewish person of old to stumble into the holy of holies. The great men of science such as Copernicus, Newton, Kepler, and Edison have been men of reverence in their inquiry. Edison said, “I sit down before the law. I try to find out how the law operates. I try to bring my mind and mechanisms into harmony with the way things are, and the more I obey the law, the more the law obeys me and serves my purpose.” Success in science comes through obedience just as success in the Christian life does. This is the only way to know God and His will. You must adjust to reality and not try to twist reality to your proud and preconceived notions.

A proud self-sufficient tourist went through one of Europe’s famous art galleries looking at many great masterpieces. As he was leaving he said to the custodian, “I don’t see anything so great about these paintings.” The custodian replied, “Sir, these pictures are not on trial, those who view them are.” So it is with Scripture, God, and His Word are not on trial, but you are. You must come in reverence seeking to know God if you expect to grow. The poet wrote Earth is crammed with heaven, And every common bush aflame with God, But only he who sees takes off his shoes. The rest sit around it and pluck blackberries.

II. HE PROMISES HIS PRESENCE. v. 11-12

Moses said, “Who am I?” Forty years before Moses felt he could handle things and he killed an Egyptian, but now he is more mature and humble. He wondered how a shepherd like him could walk into the palace of Pharaoh and persuade him to let hundreds of thousands of slaves go free. It can’t be done was his thinking, and he was right if he thought the success of the plan depended on his eloquence and ability to charm Pharaoh. Without the promise of God, “Certainly I will be with you,” Moses could not have succeeded. This is the case with the Apostles as well. Without the promise of Christ to be with them, they could not have succeeded. Nor can we, or anyone else, for we all need God’s presence to be successful. With His presence comes all the other promises. If God wills it then it can be done.

The poet has written, Never say it can’t be done, It simply isn’t true. What you mean my son is it can be done, But can’t be done by you. One of the greatest fallacies in the world is that one does not count. All of history proves it to be a lie, and yet we believe it. What can I do? Problems are too big for any one person to make a difference, and so I ignore the problem and become a part of the problem. It is true that you cannot do any more than Moses could on his own, but could we believe and claim the promise of God to be present with us, then we could say with Paul, “I can do all thing through Christ who strengthens me.” When David Livingston returned to Scotland after 16 years in Africa where he suffered 27 attacks of African fever, had one arm rendered useless by the bite of a lion, lived among a people whose language he did not know, and whose attitude toward him was often hostile, he said, “Shall I tell you what supported me through all these years of exile? It was this, ‘Lo I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.'”

There has never been a power that has been able to conquer people who live and believe in the presence of God. When Julian the Apostate was Emperor of the Roman Empire he did all he could to destroy churches and erect idols. Libanus, one of his friends, asked a Christian one day, “What is your Carpenter of Nazareth doing now?” The Christian responded, “He is making a coffin.” And soon Julian was in it and all the idols were swept away. In his dying breath, Julian cried out, “O Galilean! Thou hast conquered!” The early church believed that there has always been a success where there have been one or more persons who believe that God is with them and that through them God can accomplish His will. Moses said, “Who am I?” But that is beside the point said, God. It is not who you are but who is behind you and with you, that counts.

III. HE REVEALS HIS ESSENCE v. 13-15

To try and define God is to confine Him. Our minds cannot fully grasp His nature. This should not surprise us, for we cannot fully understand anything. The Psalmist cried out, “O Lord, thou hast searched me and known me. Thou understandeth my thought afar off.” But when he reverses the process and considers God he says, “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, it is high, I cannot attain unto it.” This does not mean we must join those who think of God as a vague blur. We cannot find out by searching, but we can know who God is if he speaks to us and what he has done.

Paul constantly urges us to grow in the knowledge of God, and we can only do so by searching His revelation. Someone said, “We can never attain a maximum love of God with only a minimum knowledge of God.”

A virtuous godly man may be ignorant of many things, but his ignorance is not one of his virtues, nor is it the cause of his godliness. It would be strange if God could be loved better by being known less. What I am saying is that theology is not just for the theologian, but it is for all believers.

Imagine telling a man who is going to drive across a field and over a hill that he better watch out for the tree just over the hill, and he says, “Don’t talk to me about trees. I’m a motorist and not a botanist.” This is carrying specialization too far, for that tree is not only a fact of botany but a fact of life. Likewise, God is not just a fact of theology, but He is the greatest fact of life.

The first and most basic fact that God reveals here to Moses is that He is a Person and a God of persons. Those who know God only as He is revealed in nature come to think of Him as a power rather than a Person. They call Him the first cause, the unmoved mover, the cosmic organism, or the stream of tendency. It is easy to see how they arrive at this conclusion, for power is what nature reveals. A prominent physicist tells us that if we had to pay for the light bill from the sun at one penny per kilowatt, one-hundredth millionth part of a second would cost us more than World War II. Thank God he doesn’t charge for His power. The Bible tells us that this power has its source in a Person, and it goes further yet and even says He can be known as a Father. God is not a power that is unconcerned for us, but He is a Person whom we can know by faith in Jesus Christ. The Christian attitude to the wonders of the universe is in the words of the hymn, “This is my Father’s world.” All of reality should take on new meaning to one who knows God.

A mother rushed up the stairs as a thunderstorm broke loose thinking her little boy would be frantic with fear, but she found him at the window with his eyes bright with excitement. He was shouting loudly with every clap of thunder, “Bang it again God! Bang it again!” He had no fear of the power because he knew the Person behind the power.

The second thing God reveals about Himself is that He is the Eternal Present One. God never began, but always is. If He began then whatever caused His beginning would be greater than God. When the skeptic asks when did God begin, he is contradicting himself and does not realize it because of his false concept of God. He is asking when did that which had no beginning begin? God by very definition is without beginning. How far down is a bottomless pit?

Bottomless by very definition eliminates the possibility of giving any meaning to the question of how far down? How long is eternity? This is asking when does that end which by definition has no end. If you ask where was God before creation, you are asking where was God when there wasn’t anywhere, and where was God when there wasn’t any when. You might say that you don’t get it, and you are not alone, for eternity is just not part of our experience. About all, we can say about it is that it is not time, and we cannot think apart from time.

Eternity is ever-present, but in contrast, time is never present. You might say that it is right now, but that is not so for even in saying the word now you see the constant flow of time. By the time you say the w the end is already past, and when you finish the word the time you referred to is already gone. The present is so short, and so all of life is either in the past or the future, whereas in eternity all is present. The present is just the hole in the needle through which the thread of time passes for us, but for God, it is where He dwells beyond any of the limitations of time.

What God says to Moses implies many things about the nature of God. The important thing is that we begin to see that the God of Scripture is greater than any concept that man has. The gods that many atheists reject are puny concepts that have nothing to do with the God of Scripture. We do not believe in the gods most people reject either. They are often the product of man’s imagination and not God’s revelation. On the other hand, we do not believe in the many gods that others create in their own image. The god of the alcoholic is liquor and they are deeply devoted to their god. They love neither father nor mother more than it, and they will go to any length for it. There are many such gods that people are devoted to, but they are not the God revealed in Scripture through Jesus. He alone is worthy of our worship and devotion.

God taught Moses that He demands reverence, promises His presence, and reveals His essence to those who seek Him and obey Him. Your God is not big enough if He is not this God who revealed Himself to Moses and more completely through His Son Jesus Christ.

God taught Moses that He demands reverence, promises His presence, and reveals His essence to those who seek Him and obey Him. 

Until we get together again …  Peace and remember … God’s love to you!

My prayer;    

Lord, thank you for standing by us and loving us through our sins. We ask you daily to forgive us and know your heart breaks for those who are lost. Show us how to do more for your kingdom and the strength and wisdom to do it.

In Jesus name, we pray,

AMEN

 

 

Romans 8: 37-39

³⁷ But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹ nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

In this message today I am approaching a topic that weighs on the hearts and minds of many people. In fact, during this Covid pandemic/lockdown suicides in our country have reached a pandemic state of its’ own. This particular message is the one  ALL believers need to approach with reverence to God’s word, not with what they think or have been misled to believe but to follow the directions in the word.

Suicide has been said to be a permanent solution to a temporary problem. The name suicide comes from the Latin word “sui”, meaning “of oneself”, and –cida, meaning “to kill”. And statistics show us a wide range of people have contemplated and committed suicide. Over 25,000 Americans commit suicide each year. Over one million will try but only one out of fifteen will succeed. It is the tenth highest killer in the U.S. More will die by suicide than by murder. The model age for attempting suicide is 32 for men and 27 for women. The model age of succeeding is 50-54 for men and women. Men kill themselves twice as often as women, but women attempt suicide twice as often as men. There are over 5,000 suicides among teenagers each year. Some 10,000 college students will attempt suicide in a year. It is the second-highest cause of death among young people aged 15-24 surpassed only by accidents. Thirteen young adults each day consider life not worth living. That is twice as many as ten years ago and three times as many as twenty years ago. One report indicated that as many as 12 percent of all school-aged children will contemplate suicide at least once in their formative years. The bad news is these numbers were calculated before Covid 19 hit. Some studies indicate these numbers, in some demographics, have already doubled.

These startling statistics should give us pause, especially as we approach ministry in the church. Too often, the subject of suicide is something that is swept under the rug as a church addresses given needs. We like to talk about other ministry issues, but when suicide is present, the church is nowhere to be found, and experts outside of the church are left to mend the trail of broken hearts. However, I believe the church must recapture its ministry in this important area by addressing both what the Bible has to say and presenting tools to individuals who have suffered through this experience.

While the Bible itself does not include the actual word suicide, there are at least seven different times in Scripture where a person took his or her own life.

In Judges 9, the son of Gideon named Abimelech committed suicide. As a wicked ruler, he killed his seventy brothers in order to rule Israel, and during a revolt, a woman dropped a millstone on his head from a tower above. And before he was to die, Abimelech called his armor-bearer over and asked him to kill him because he didn’t want it said about him that a woman killed him.

In Judges 16, we remember the story of the powerful Samson, who fell in love with Delilah, and eventually allowed her and the Philistines to know that God granted him strength through his hair. After the Philistines seized him and gouged out his eyes, they chained him to the pillars as they held a great sacrifice to the god Dagon. In one last thrust of power granted by God, Samson pushed the pillars with all his might and collapsed the entire structure. Just before he died, Samson prayed to God, “Let me die with the Philistines!”

In 1 Samuel 31, Saul and his men were also fighting the Philistines, and when the effort grew fierce, the archers wounded him critically. Saul then asked his armor-bearer to draw his sword and run him through, but when his armor-bearer refused, Saul took his own sword and fell on it. And when his armor-bearer saw what had happened, in a state of hopelessness he too fell on his sword and died.

There are also the stories of Ahithophel and Zimri. In 2 Samuel 17:23 when Ahithophel realized his advice had not been followed as a respected prophet, and so he saddled his donkey, went to his hometown, put his house in order, and then hanged himself. In 1 Kings 16, Zimri murdered the king of Israel Elah and took his place. When the rest of Israel learned what had happened, they pursued him, and Zimri retreated to the king’s palace. There he set it on fire and remained inside.

Probably the most memorable to us of all the suicide accounts is the story of Judas, the disciple of Jesus who sold him out to the Roman authorities for his arrest. Matthew 27 tells us that when Judas saw that Jesus was condemned he was seized with remorse and went away and hung himself in his despair.

And so from those in Scripture who committed suicide, we are able to gain a window into some of the thoughts and expressions experienced by a person contemplating suicide. Feelings of hopelessness, despair, utter disappointment, pride, anger, and frustration can all be present.

But there are also other Scriptures that discuss the temptation of suicide. In fact, we learn through the Bible that even the very best of individuals were tempted to commit suicide. Take Jesus for example. During his struggle in the wilderness, the devil took Jesus to a high place and said “throw yourself down”. Some even speculate that since Jesus’ purpose in life was to eventually die for the sins of humanity, that act of his death on the cross could be considered the fulfillment of suicide since he allowed it to happen. Or how about Paul? When he wrote to the church in Philippi he shared, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know. I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but there is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.” And so Paul also struggled with his longing to see Christ and expedite matters instead of completing his ministry through God’s timing.

But for those temptations or thoughts that occurred, the Bible states plainly that suicide is unacceptable. As Christians, our lives have been bought and paid for through the action of Jesus Christ. Paul shares in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.” And so selfish behavior on our part is not an option. In fact, Romans 14:7 & 8 states, “For none of us lives to himself alone. If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.”

When a person commits suicide, it can be a very selfish, unthinking act—designed only to gratify themselves and cause remorse for those around them. In those circumstances, a person does not consider God or his plan for their life. But there are also other times when suicide is the result of a mental illness or incapacity of rational thought. Some people who go through the difficulty of bipolar disorders, or suffer from severe depression can be dangerously susceptible to suicide, especially if they are not receiving medical treatment or counseling.

And so there’s a wide range of thoughts, feelings, and actions that are present in suicide, which leads us to our question of if suicide is unforgivable. Of course, it’s important to point out at the very beginning that this is a slanted question. For many years, the conventional thought of many in the church is that suicide is an unforgivable sin. Augustine argued in the fifth century that suicide was a violation of the sixth commandment, “You shall not murder.” Later, Thomas Aquinas, being catholic and believing that confession of sin must be made prior to departure from one world to the next, taught that suicide was the most fatal of all sins because the victim could not repent of it. This is based on the fact that if a person dies while they are committing a sinful act, they are unable then to confess that sin and ask for forgiveness.

These are incredibly damaging and unbiblical views. Merely from our own personal standpoint, these ideas can be easily refuted. All I need to do is ask you two questions. First of all, do you sin? The obvious answer is yes. And secondly, have you confessed each and every sin that you have committed in your life. The obvious answer is no. There are sins we forget, there are even sins that we commit that we are not aware of. And so by that logic, each of us would still be susceptible to the eternal fires of hell and still unable to receive the grace given through Jesus Christ. But Scripture tells us that is not the case. John 5:24 informs us, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.”

You see, the problem with the view that suicide is unforgivable is that it represents a gross misunderstanding of eternal security. We are saved by the grace of God, not by works. Ephesians 2:8 & 9 tells us, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” And we are told in Romans in our text for this morning that God has the ultimate ability to bridge the separation between us and him. Romans 8:38-39 says, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Those who want to say that suicide is unforgivable attempt to make suicide an elevated sin—a sin that is heightened to a status that even God himself cannot forgive. There are two problems with this. First, such a stance limits the conditions by which God can or cannot forgive someone—resulting in us essentially placing God in a box. Secondly, there is only one unpardonable sin that is ever mentioned within the Bible. In Matthew 12:31 Jesus says, “Every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.”

Sometimes in our desire to have things cut and dry, black and white, we run headlong into extremist views without allowing compassion and mercy to be present. And unfortunately, the church has frequently erred on the side of judgment rather than mercy. I’ve known churches that have refused to host a funeral service for someone who has committed suicide. In years past, people who committed suicide were not allowed to be buried in the church cemetery next to their family or brothers and sisters in Christ. In those instances, the church has lost critical opportunities to minister and has unfortunately turned people away from the loving presence of Jesus Christ.

But still, it is important to be incredibly cautious of our approach to this issue. Suicide cannot be condoned, and it should not be dealt with lightly. I dare to say that not every person who has committed suicide will go to heaven, and not every person who has committed suicide will go to hell. In essence, those decisions are not ours anyway, they are God’s.

 

It’s important that we minister effectively in such critical times, and if you are contemplating suicide, or know someone who is, there are some insights that can help you in those difficult times. First of all, don’t be afraid to call someone and ask for help. Don’t let pride get in the way. Much of Satan’s power to convince those who feel unloved and hopeless is found in his ability to keep them isolated and removed from those who can lift them up.

Secondly, ask Jesus Christ to give you new hope and to give your life meaning. His life indwells you, and His resources are constantly available in your most desperate moment. If you are not the one struggling with the issue of suicide but have a friend or someone in your family who seems to have given up, there are some things you can do to help that person.

Be able to recognize clues the person may be giving, either consciously or subconsciously. Look for symptoms such as depression, signs of hopelessness, lethargy, and so on. Listen for threats and words of warning, such as, “I have nothing to live for.” Be aware of whether the person becomes withdrawn and isolated from others. Trust your judgment. If you believe there is an imminent threat of suicide, trust your instincts. Don’t let others dissuade you from loving intervention.

Tell others. Don’t worry about breaking a confidence if the person is obviously contemplating suicide or says he or she has a plan. As soon as possible, involve the help of others, such as parents, friends, spouse, teachers, ministers, physicians, anyone in a position to assist the distressed individual.

Stay with the person. If you believe the person is in danger of carrying out the plan, do not leave the person alone. Wait with the person until medical help arrives or the crisis has passed.

Listen. Encourage the person to talk to you. Refrain from giving pat answers that could further depress the person who is on the verge of giving up. Listen and empathize with the person.

Urge professional help. Stress the necessity of getting help for the individual. And finally, be supportive. Show the person that you care. Do what you can to help the person feel worthwhile and valuable to you.

Lewis Smedes, professor of theology and ethics at Fuller Theological Seminary was asked this very question about suicide in the July 2000 issue of Christianity Today. He summarized his thoughts by writing,

“I believe that, as Christians, we should worry less about whether Christians who have killed themselves go to heaven, and worry more about how we can help people like them find hope and joy in living. Our most urgent problem is not the morality of suicide but the spiritual and mental despair that drags people down to it. Loved ones who have died at their own hands we can safely trust to our gracious God. Loved ones whose spirits are even now slipping so silently toward death, these are our burden.” God desires for us to have life, and to live it abundantly. As painful as your experiences are in your days on this earth, we serve a God who helps us overcome those feelings to experience a deeper meaning of his love. The pain of suicide can run deep, for those who have been tempted by it, and for families who have experienced its darkness. In those times of despair and sadness, it’s critical that we allow God to take over and carry the burdens we bear. It is only through God’s grace that sorrow can be turned into joy. And the cross of Christ has the power to heal even the most painful of circumstances.

I pray this message helps those in need that are suffering and need the light of hope to shine. We, here at; “On The Road For Christ” are ready and willing to listen and come alongside to help you work through your difficult time. Nothing is too big for God, give us a call (907.315.3394) or text us. Our email address is prospectorsforgod@gmail.com. If you’re in a ministry we’ll be glad to agree in prayer for your needs too. 

Until we get together again, may God’s mercy and grace abound in your life and all your prayers are answered.

My prayer for you:

Father, forgive us, help us to understand and help the needs of others. Give us a caring heart and always reconize that alone we can do nothing, but through You, we can do all things.

I pray comfort and peace overall in turmoil and if they don’t know you someone will come along and show the way to obtain a peace beyond all understanding. 

We thank you Lord and give you all the praise and glory…

In Jesus name, we pray,

AMEN

 

 

 

Job 14:14 “If a man dies will he live again?”

Is this all there is to life? What happens when we die? If we die is that it? Are we simply absorbed into the cosmos? What lies beyond the grave? Is there life after death? Death and dying are inevitable parts of human life. We are all going to die? But will we all live again?

What do philosophers and religion say about life after death? What does the Bible tell us? Let’s take a look …

What the world says about Death

1. Cessation of Existence -“When you’re dead—you’re dead.”
2. There are those who teach that you cease to exist when you die – you are annihilated. Death ends everything; it leads to utter nothingness. It is the same as never existing in the first place.
3. Such a belief fosters the Epicurean philosophy of life.
4. Reincarnation – “You are a cuckoo bird appearing through windows of time in various forms and stages”
5. Reincarnation is the belief you have lived many previous lives and after you die you will return in another life form. If you have lived a good life, you come back as a higher life form, but if you haven’t, you will be reborn as a bug or snake or even a slug.
6. Leo Tolstoy – “As we live through thousands of dreams in our present life, so is our present life only one of many thousands of such lives which we enter from the other more real life and then return after death.”
7. Soul Sleep – R.I.P. – between the time of our individual deaths, and the time of the final resurrection and judgment, we will be in an “unconscious” state.
8. Soul sleep’ is the idea that after death the soul ‘sleeps’ until the final resurrection. The soul is said to hibernate until the resurrection- when it is then awakened and reunited with its body. A belief held by SDAs, JWs, Christadelphians, and various cults.

1. Universal immortality – God is good all the time and won’t condemn anyone.
2. Universalism is a belief that all people will be “universally restored” after they die. In other words, it teaches that everyone regardless of how they lived their lives on earth will eventually end up redeemed in heaven.
3. Mormonism teaches that “We either go to a Spirit world or to a place called Paradise. People, who received the gospel and were baptized into Christ’s church by someone having authority in this life, go to Paradise to wait to be judged according to the work and deeds in life and to be rejoined with their resurrected (renewed) bodies. If you didn’t have the opportunity to accept the gospel in this life then you have the opportunity to learn more about it in the Spirit World and will have the opportunity to accept it there as you are waiting to be resurrected. Thanks to our Savior Jesus Christ we will all live again.” (copied – mormon.org)
4. What the Scriptures teach about Life after Death
5. Luke 16:19-26 “There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, the dogs came and licked his sores. So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. Then he cried and said, ’Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ’Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. ’And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.”
6. There is Eternal Consciousness after Death
7. Verse 23 – “And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.”
8. Some day you will read in the papers that D.L. Moody of East Northfield, is dead. Don’t you believe a word of it! At that moment I shall be more alive than I am now; I shall have gone up higher, that is all, out of this old clay tenement into a house that is immortal- a body that death cannot touch, that sin cannot taint; a body fashioned like unto His glorious body. I was born of the flesh in 1837. I was born of the Spirit in 1856. That which is born of the flesh may die. That which is born of the Spirit will live forever. – D.L. Moody
9. When John Owen, the great Puritan, lay on his deathbed his secretary wrote (in his name) to a friend, “I am still in the land of the living.” “Stop,” said Owen. “Change that and say, I am yet in the land of the dying, but I hope soon to be in the land of the living.” – John M. Drescher.
10. One Retains His Individuality after Death
11. Verse 24 “”But Abraham said, ’Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented.”
12. After death, Lazarus was still Lazarus and the rich man was still the rich man.
13. You will still be you after you die.
14. The Bible says that hell is a place of conscience and memory where should you not come to Christ, you will remember your opportunities to avoid going there and what suffering you could have spared yourself.
15. You will Either Spend Eternity in Suffering or Comfort
16. A recent poll reveals that 89{c834e07adaeba66f308946f41fe459f7d1074b7e393db9448fd4e4c7159f6d24} of Americans believe in Heaven while 73{c834e07adaeba66f308946f41fe459f7d1074b7e393db9448fd4e4c7159f6d24} believe in Hell. When asked where they think they will go when they die, 3 out of 4 think they will go to Heaven while only 2{c834e07adaeba66f308946f41fe459f7d1074b7e393db9448fd4e4c7159f6d24} believe they will end up in Hell.
17. Verse 23-25 “And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. “Then he cried and said, ’Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’ “But Abraham said, ’Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented.”
18. Your Decision in Life will Determine Your Destiny After Death
19. There is no way out. Once you are there that is where you stay
20. Verse 26 “And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.”
21. Once in Heaven, always in Heaven; once in Hell, always in Hell. No one can pass from one place to another.
22. “It’s choice, not chance, that determines our destiny.”–Brian Tracy
23. In Acts 24 we read that the Apostle Paul presented the Gospel to Felix, and Felix was so convicted by the Holy Spirit of God that he actually “trembled.” He had heard the Gospel and now had to make a decision either to trust the Lord Jesus Christ as his Savior, or reject Him, and continue on the broad road to Hell. Well, what was his decision? He said to the Apostle Paul, “Go thy way for this time when I have a convenient season I will call for thee.” Friend, he made the wrong decision… Proverbs 27:1, “Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.” Listen, you and I have no guarantee that we’ll be alive at this time tomorrow. In fact, today’s date may be on our tombstone as the date of our death. Solemn thought, is it not? Yes, and that’s the reason that you, who are still “in the valley of decision,” should make the right decision today, and accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your own and personal Saviour. Tomorrow may be too late! 
24. I pray this message has helped you understand your real future, not this life’s future, we’re only here for a vaper. I’m talking about where you’ll spend eternity… It’s your choice.

Until we get together again stay safe and many blessings to you! 

My prayer:

Father, I ask on behalf of all that read our messages that they will accept you as their Lord and savior and in doing so they will secure their future in your kingdom for all eternity. It’s by grace and not by deed that we can be accepted. We thank you for your Son, only through Him will we enter.

Lord heal our land … our world and bring a great revival over us. We ask these things in the precious name of Jesus … AMEN

 

Disclaimer: No claims of originality are made. Source material for this message has been gleaned from many different sources. I have attempted to acknowledge these sources whenever possible.

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