10/21/2017
By: David D. Wilson

1 John 2:20 (KJV)
But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.

     What is missing in the church and in people’s lives today is an unction. We all should have this divine unction working in our lives. Now you say; what do you mean by the word unction? According to Vincents Word Studies, the word unction means, “that with which the anointing is performed.” We must remember, “the anointing comes from the Anointed.” Who is the anointed; it is Jesus Christ, our Lord. Finis J. Dakes says of the unction, “it is the anointing of the Holy Ghost from which flows all the gifts and graces of the church.”
John is writing to the Christians saying that they were living in dangerous times, in an hour of seducers. In addition, reminds them of their stability in this day of apostasy. To remember that “But you have an unction from the Holy One.” Christians are anointed of the Lord. We are anointed with the oil of Grace, with gifts and spiritual endowments for we are priest and prophets, a peculiar people, a royal priesthood, a chosen generation.
     Why are we anointed, it is to be like Jesus. To do the work that Jesus did, to follow in his footsteps.
     John 14:12-14 (KJV) Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
     Here we have the promise so why don’t we act upon the word, in simple faith believing that Jesus will do the work. Oh God, give us the unction to function, as you would have us to. To me the effect of this unction is as a spiritual eye salve, it enlightens and strengthens the eyes of our understanding. That we will go out and do the work of him who has called us into His glorious light.
The Holy Ghost does not deal with all of us the same. The gifts are given according to our ability, to be used of God. Some have a greater ministry than others. The word teaches that the Holy Ghost deals with us on a one to one basis. Where much is forgiven, much is required. Our hope for the church is to get back to God.
     God restore unto us a vision, for without a vision the people perish. When the vision is restored, then God will give us an unction, a divine inducement of power from on high to do the work we are called to do. Help us to echo Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 2:4-5 (KJV) (And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.) This truly is the unction (the demonstration of the Spirit and of Power). We are called to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ, the one and only way to salvation. And we are called to be used in the demonstration of the spirit and power, that Mark 16:17-18 (And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.) might be fulfilled in the Church today. If we have ever prayed for a divine unction let us pray for it now, for without it the church is lost. Oh, God send upon us now that unction to work for the night cometh when no man can work. The choice is ours, what are we going to do with it?
     The world and the devil wants a social gospel, which is powerless and of none effect. Its primary purpose is to make people feel good, to ease their conscience to lull them to sleep. And sad to say this attitude has over taken the church as a whole. The fire is gone from our pulpits. Souls are cold and indifferent going to church is now only a habit. The desire for more of God is gone. This social gospel will not take us to Heaven. It will not cause us to want to work for God or see souls saved. It will cause us to have a false hope, to sit down on God and lose our soul. Awake, shake yourselves and stir up that righteous gift that in in you, before it is too late. Pray for that Holy Ghost unction to work in your life. Be like Jesus.

Awake. Arise.
There is much to do,
Jesus is coming.
I’m ready.
How about you?

10/11/17

The Bible says that we are to become “holy people,” “a peculiar people,” “a special people” and “the redeemed of the Lord.”

When I look around me at the people that I meet in church, I see people with imperfections, flaws and issues and I know when people look at me that is what they see in me. However, the important question is how do we appear to God?

I know that it all depends on the condition of our souls. If we have not turned our life over to the control of God, he is not pleased with us and does not want us in his presence. However, if we have turned our life over to his control through the shed blood of Jesus, all God will see is Jesus’ shed blood and he will be pleased.

In Hebrews chapter 10, it talks about how the LAW was just a shadow of what was to come and how just the act of the sacrifices was a reminder of the sins had been committed in the past. Because, the sacrifices just rolled the sin from one year to the next. All the shed blood was just a temporary fix. Like putting duct tape on a leaking hose instead of replacing the hose. The blood from all the sacrifices that the priests though out the ages shed could not erase one sin.

Then we get to verse 10 (By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.) We are sanctified by the blood of Jesus, or to put it in an easier wording, our lives are cleaned up and there is no shadow of the old sin.

Through the act of asking for forgiveness then accepting that forgiveness we then become a member of the “holy people” mentioned in Deuteronomy 7:6, 14:2, 28:9 and Isaiah 62:12. We are to strive to be like our brother, Jesus, until God sees no difference and the people around us see Christ in us enough that we can lead, through our example, them to the point they accept Jesus as their redeemer.

If we are a “holy people” then to the world around us, and even some of the church world, we become a “peculiar people.” Why does the Bible tell us to be a peculiar people? Because we, the children of God, the brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ and the students of the Holy Ghost, will not act, walk, talk or dress like the world. We each have to follow the leading of God and become more like Jesus every day than what we were yesterday. As we do this, we become more peculiar to the world. In Deuteronomy 14:2, it states: the LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth.

Finally, we are a special people. We all, to the best of my knowledge, want to be special to someone. We want it so much that we try to change ourselves so that people will want to be around us, and in my experience, it is never enough. People will let us down repeatedly. The only people that I know that will never let you down, will always treat you as a special person. is the Triune Godhead.

John 3: 16 states:  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Only someone who thinks of you as very special would do this, and God did it before we were born.

Luke 22:42 quotes Jesus as saying . . . Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. Is there anyone you think is special enough to die for? Jesus did a long time ago. Then because we are so special to him, he sent the Holy Ghost to walk with us daily. Not very many people are willing to walk with you day in and day out. Not even mothers and fathers do this.

 

By: C.I. Wilson

 

10/2/2017

This last weekend I heard about someone who had just a few weeks to live, then went to church and the preacher talked about people dying with and without a will. This got me to thinking about a Christian’s Last Will and Testament. Do you have one? If so, what kind are you leaving? Most people hear the words “Last Will and Testament” and immediately think of the one for their earthly possessions and not their spiritual Last will and Testament. Merriam-Webster defines testament as ^1a a tangible proof or tribute; ^1b an expression of conviction: creed; ² an act by which a person determines the disposition of his or her property after death.

With our mortal mind we think about who will get my money, my home, my car, and the list goes on and on and on until some even put down who gets their clothes. This is well and good to think about and implement because we know not when our time here on earth will end. If you have not done it recently then go to a cemetery and start looking at headstones and, you will see dates of births and deaths. Some have the same date and then the range expands until you might even see one or more with a hundred years or more between their birth and their death. Only God knows when our lifespan will end.

However, as Christians we should be more concerned about our Spiritual preparations for our departure and what we want our friends and loved ones getting from our lives. In other words, we need to create and maintain a “Spiritual Last Will and Testament” for those we leave behind. Merriam-Webster states the main meaning of testament is “a tangible proof or tribute” and that is what we should be creating in our life on a daily basis. We should be putting Jesus first and foremost in our thinking and our living.

Some people meet Jesus later in life and for years you might hear tell of “how old so and so used to be” but as they grow in the Lord and start building their “testament” or testimony you will hear less about their old lifestyle and more about how they are living the Christ-like life. Then there are the one who meet Jesus at a young age and start out strong for God. Then as the years go by they may lose that one on one relationship with Jesus and then you might hear tell of “how old so and so used to be a godly person” but now they are the opposite.

How we live our life on a daily basis from the time we meet Jesus until the time we stand before God is our Spiritual Testament and we need to be sure and build one that is pleasing to God. Then after we pass away our friends, loved ones and those around us will be able to talk about our lives and will be encouraged to have a Christ-like walk with God. Our lives will help them know that God is real and is mightier than the devil. Remember no one lives or dies to himself or herself, your life affects everyone around you.

9/18/2017

I received an email and it gave me a option to share on facebook and twitter, since I do neither I thought I would share here. It talks about using twelve little words to transform your life. If we use these words sincerely, from our hearts not only would we transform our lives but the lives of those around us. We should use them with our earthly family, our church family, our friends, people we interact with on a daily basis and to those we have a hard time showing Christ's love to. I think that just about covers every person that we meet on our daily Christian walk. They may be hard for you to say to others but with practice you will get better about saying them.

I went to a conference last Saturday at a church and they were so well prepared that there was someone who came to my car to escort me inside, someone stationed at each door to open and close it, to escort me to lunch, bring my food to me and even asked if there was anything else I needed. As I watched the ladies around me I saw they all accepted things, yet very few that thanked the person for assisting them.

When we do something and are shown appreaciation for it, it gives us a feeling of being recognized, a knowledge of being someone that is noticed instead of a "wallflower". There are times we all feel like we could be replaced by a robot and no one would realize that we are no longer there. Or, that if we stopped doing something no one would notice until they miss what we did.

We as Christians are to show the love of Christ to everyone that we meet, friend or foe. If we ignore, or do not recognize, how are we showing the Love of Christ?

Below is the article, please read it and ask God to help you be more faithful to use this 12 little words.

C.I. Wilson

 

12 Words to Transform Your Life

By Chris Martin

On Monday nights this summer, I hosted middle and high school students from my church at my house for hamburgers, Mario Kart, and a discussion of the book of James. We walked through a chapter of James each week. We read the chapter together, discussed questions or confusions we had about the text, and discovered how the words may affect our lives in the day-to-day.

As I prepared for our study each week, alongside reading the chapter to be discussed, I read a commentary on the book of James called Be Mature by Warren Wiersbe. In his chapter on James 3:1-12 and controlling the tongue, Wiersbe shares 12 words that, he believes, can transform our lives.

I happen to agree with him—these words can transform lives.

Words are important to me. In everything from my favorite school subjects growing up, to how I best express and receive love, to my present job, words are everything.

With people I love, I am more likely to share an encouraging affirmation than I am to hug them. With people I hate, in my sin, I am more likely to deliver a destructive word of discouragement than I am to throw a punch.

So, what are the 12 words? They’re quite simple:

“Please” and “Thank You”

The power of these words is sort of underrated, and I think it’s because using them has become so routine that they don’t carry much meaning sometimes.

We’re taught and reminded to use these words from the time we can speak, and we’re rebuked when we don’t use them. But, when is the last time we used “please” or “thank you” beyond as a matter of course in the grocery store checkout line or passing through the Starbucks drive thru?

Make it a goal of yours this week to look someone in the eye and give them a heartfelt “thank you,” perhaps even elaborating on how they blessed you or encouraged you in some way.

It is tragic that we lose the power of these three words because of their ubiquity.

“I’m Sorry”

This phrase tends to get thrown under the bus because “I apologize” communicates a more powerful feeling of remorse in the eyes (or ears?) of some.

I really think either phrase will do because the real problem isn’t that we use the wrong one, but that we don’t use either enough!

In our pride and often out of fear of shame, we withhold these two little words and forsake friendships as a result.

Wiersbe says, “These two words have a way of breaking down walls and building bridges.”

Indeed, out of love for our neighbor and faithfulness to Christ, we need to put aside our pride and be better about acknowledging when we’ve messed up.

“I Love You”

Too many of us refrain from using the words “I love you” with anyone outside of our significant others because we wrongly assume the phrase has to carry romantic meaning. Guys should be able to tell their brothers in Christ they love them without having to feel weird.

You can show love to your brothers and sisters in Christ all day in a variety of ways, but words matter.

You can help a couple in your community group move, but if you never tell them you love them, they may just think you want to be nice.

You can set up a meal delivery plan for new parents in your church, but if you never tell them you love them or if you never spend time praying with them when you deliver the food, how will they know you aren’t just begrudgingly trying to be a good friend?

There is no reason we, as a Church, cannot be more explicit about our love for one another, using our words.

“I’m Praying For You”

This phrase, like the others in this list, gets tossed around so often I sometimes wonder how much meaning it still has rattling around inside of it.

Here in the South, especially, saying “I’m praying for you” can be as common of a courtesy as “Please” or “Thank you.”

When we use these words, which we should, we need to be sure we mean them. I am ashamed at the number of times in my life I have told a friend or family member I was praying for them and then neglected to do so. We’ve all done it.

About “I’m praying for you,” Wiersbe writes, “We say it in an encouraging way, to let others know that we care enough for them to meet them at the throne of grace.”

There are few acts of love as great as being willing to walk with a friend into the throne room of God in order to petition on their behalf.

Our words matter. God help us when we use our words to sin, and may God give us the grace to use these 12 simple words to transform the life of our local churches and communities.

9/3/2017

John 21:21-22 (KJV)
²¹  Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do?
²²  Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me.

Many times during my years as a minister’s wife I have heard people say things like; what is going to happen to Bro. So-in-so or Sis. Whos-it? They have broken God’s word and sinned, why haven’t they been punished? Why is God still blessing them? Well if God is allowing them to sin, then why can’t I? Here in John we see where God is telling Peter it doesn’t concern you how I deal with others. All I ask of you: follow thou me.

We are to follow God wherever he leads us. We are not to base our walk on what others do or believe. If God tells us that we are to go to a certain church that is 50+ miles away when there is a good church within ten miles of home. What are we supposed to do? Go where God tells us to go, follow where God leads.

We are to do what God tells us to do. Again, we are not to base how we dress or talk on how someone else talks or dresses. We are to do what it states in the Bible and then we are to ask God how much more refinement does he want. Leviticus 19:12 states that we are not to swear by God’s name falsely or to profane his name. In Exekiel 22:26 it states they have put no difference between the holy and profane neither have they showed difference between the unclean and the clean. We are a chosen people, a peculiar people we are to be a light into a sinful world.

How can we call ourselves a chosen people if we are just like everyone else? How can we be a peculiar people if we talk and act just like everyone we meet? How can we be a light unto the world if we do not live a life that is whole, clean and Christ-like? We are to study the Bible to find out how we can live closer to how God wants us to live.

When was the last time that God brought it to your attention that there was something in your life that needed to be changed. If it has been awhile, maybe it is time to do some soul searching and ask God to show you what you can do to be more Christ-like then you are now.

2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV)
¹⁵  Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Above all else, as Jesus said to Peter: follow thou me.