Dear Brothers and Sisters,
As you know we are working hard to push back on the demonic attack that has taken place in our country. I believe we are living in prophetic times and it requires for us now to put into action the training we have been blessed to receive from the Lord. Remember "we have been bought with a (great) price, we are not our own."
Several thoughts come to mind:
1. This is not the time to look inward.
2. This is not the time to think only about ourselves.
3. This is not the time to be selfish (as if anytime is acceptable for a Christian).
4. This is not the time to give into fear!!!
1. This is the time to give out what has been given to us.
2. This is the time to move out of our comfort zone and be open to the Holy Spirit's prompting.
3. This is the time to get our own house in order.
4. This is the time to be vigilant daily. To be about activities that will have eternal consequences, namely witnessing and discipleship.
5. This is the time to be the Church!
A couple things we should celebrate:
1. Traffic on our website is up 500% according to our web development server.
2. We have posted Facebook live sermons on our developing Facebook page.
3. We/I have recorded several podcast to be downloaded on our various multimedia sites.
4. We are working to edit and upload over 1,000 sermons onto our website. As a permanent resource for generations to come.
5. I am working on a daily 15 min. podcast that will start as soon as I have the means (equipment to do it), this will go out ASAP.
6. We are working on having a Bible Study again during the week. It may be virtual for now.
7. We are building catalog of daily devotions on our website. Please look and read. We are currently in 2nd Timothy.
8. I'm researching on how we can use You-Tube for God's Glory.
Point of order:
It has been suggested to me, by a number of people, that I should shorten the messages (Devotions, Sermons, Training) to accommodate the current trend toward short messages developed for people who have short attention spans. As a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ it is my mandate (from my Savior) to be guided by Him and not by the culture around me. It is my mandate to raise the bar to meet God's standards and not lower it to meet the standards of those around me. Imagine for a moment the Apostle Paul taking this advice. Those around him would say:
1. Stop talking about this One God!. There are multiple gods we must consider.
2. Stop disrespecting Caesar by refusing to worship him. Stop insisting that "we shall have no other gods but Jehovah."
3. Stop insisting that there is only one way. Stop repeating the line that Jesus Christ is, "the way and the truth and the life. (and) No one comes to the Father except through Him" (John 14:6 NIV).
4. Stop preaching "God's coming Judgement,." Instead preach how God can help us through this terrible time. Paul, don't you know that people are hurting? Don't you know? Don't you care?
5. Stop disrespecting "other faith traditions." Don't you know that there are many ways to God/god, and people have a right to choose?
6. Stop insisting that the Bible is the only authentic resource to know the mind of God. There are many other faith traditions and holy books to consider.
7. Stop forcing us to think!!
Finally, yes I agree that we need to be "wise as serpents and gentle as doves" in our manner when ministering to others. And yes, I agree that we need to "come out of the 18th century" and learn how to use modern technology and media. But what I do not agree with and what I totally reject, is to the idea that we need to lower the bar; to conform to the world's methods of "click bait" and 15 sec. sound bites. (Note: The average time needed to read a devotional on our website is 2.5 minutes. I do not think that this is too much to ask people to give to God in a culture that "binge" watches Netlix or plays video games for hours. "The LORD will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the LORD" (Deuteronomy 28:13 NIV).
Meditate on This!
Finally, remember Paul's warning to the Ephesians:
"Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time for the days are evil"
(Ephesians 5:14-16 KJV).
May God Richly Bless You My Beloved,
Pastor Brad
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