8/15/17

     The other day while thinking about church services I realized that there was something different about them in the last few years from how they were back when I was in my teens and twentys. Back in the days of yore when I visited a pentecostal church (In my teens I visited different denominations from coast to coast during vacations.) in over half of the services I attended there was a moving of God's Spirit and a visit from the Holy Ghost. Nowadays the visits from the Holy Ghost are so few and far between. At a campmeeting I had someone come to me and make a statement about how refreshing it was to hear a message in tongues. So I thought I would put an excerpt from Brother David Wilson's book: A Study on the Holy Ghost. This excerpt gives scripture that shows the Holy Ghost is just as important to Christians as God (the Father) and Jesus (the Son).

 

 

The Holy Ghost

Who is He?

What is He?

What does He do?

How does He affect our lives?

As I study scripture, it’s my belief that no one can be a consistent believer of the Bible without holding to the doctrine of the tri-unity of the Godhead. 1 John 5:7 states:

For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.

These are three separate individuals with one purpose, one goal in mind: to reach a lost man-kind; to give them a chance to receive salvation and join in fellowship with God. We were created for this fellowship with God but foolishly let Satan steal it away.

In addition to the numberless references to the different persons of the Godhead found throughout the word of God, there are certain passages which refer to all three members of the Trinity. Note the word Trinity is not found in the Bible, but we use it to denote the tri-unity of God.

You might say everybody knows that, but not everyone believes in the Trinity. Some believers are “two-list.” They believe God is a person, that Jesus is a person, but the Holy Ghost is not a person; the Holy Ghost is the spirit or ghost of Jesus after He died on the cross. Jesus isn’t dead. He’s alive and well. I cannot personally believe this teaching. The Holy Ghost, as we shall see, has all the characteristics of being his own person.

Another belief is the “oneness” belief, which teaches that God, Jesus, and the Holy Ghost are not three, but all the same person. I don’t doubt the salvation of the “two-list” or the “oneness” believers. I do have trouble with their doctrines. If Jesus and God are the same person, then to whom did Jesus pray? Himself? I hardly think so. If Jesus, as scripture states, is seated at the right hand of God, then is Jesus seated at His own right hand? Again, I think not. A “oneness” believer once said to me there aren’t three Gods; there is only one God. I know I’m far from being smart. I, however, through the leading of the Holy Ghost, can see that the Godhead is made up of three individual persons, and all three work with one mind and in one accord; three in one and one in three.

The following scriptures prove a Divine Trinity of separate persons in the Godhead.

1. The word one means “one in unity as well as one in number.” It means unity in 1 John 5:7 as well as it does in John 17:11, 21-23.

1 John 5:7

For there are three that bear record in Heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.

John 17:11

And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one; as we are.

John 17:21-23

²¹ That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

²² And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one.

²³ I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

Matthew 28:18-19

¹⁸ And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

¹⁹ Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

Used by permission of Paradise Gospel Press & the Auther

8/1/17

As I was reading this week I was drawn to an article by Jay Sanders called, “There Is No Insignificant Word.” We all know that when we are upset and/or mad we can say things that hurt the people around us, but what about those times we say things in our everyday walk that we don’t mean to hurt anyone with? But they do. It is just some little thing that was said, however unknown to us, the people around us heard it and what it did do to them was damaging.

What can be damaging about a joke or a casual comment about what a person is doing? Let’s take them individually. Jokes, there are many types of jokes; clean, cruel, dirty, mean, silly, off color, raciest, sexists and some are just dumb. We need to make sure any and all jokes are jokes that Jesus would laugh at. I say this because we are supposed to be living our lives to please him and Jesus is supposed to be dwelling in us. So, would you rather tell a joke that would make Jesus laugh or turn away from you embarrassed over what you said or implied?

Then there is the casual comment; like a comment on how someone is dressed and you not liking it. They may be dressed the best way they know how or were taught. Or the comment about how someone didn’t do something the way you thought it should have been done. Again, we don’t know where they are coming from, how they were raised or taught. If we say something that hurts their feelings they might just walk off and never believe that we are human and that we make mistakes just like everyone else. They no longer look at our lives as a way to a better life with Jesus. But most importantly they now no longer want to be a follower of Christ and they tell other people about how you acted and how it hurt them. Which means they are hurting you and your influence in other people’s lives.

This is like the rock landing in the middle of a calm pond of water. The ripple is small when it first appears but as time goes on it gets bigger and bigger until it reaches the whole pond. What we say and do has the same effect. It may start out small but as it touches other lives it reaches out more than we ever thought it would. If we cause a change in someone else then they will cause a change in others.

We need our lives to be the type that encourages others to try living for Jesus. This is what our job on earth is all about. If you are a fisherman – be a fisherman of souls. If you are a cook – use your skill to entice people to try Jesus. If you are a minister – then make sure you live the life that you preach. If you are a Christian – live your life the way God would approve and people will want to know more about what makes you so special.

We are not perfect, but we are to live a perfect life in God’s sight. And yes, in other people’s eyes we will make mistakes. It is our job to follow the leading of God and help mankind desire to find and follow Jesus.

Take time to put your best foot forward every day, all day long. Be your best for Jesus.  

7/9/2017

 

While looking through the internet the other day I saw a paragraph by Brenda Golden and I thought it made a statement that many Churchgoers need to read. It tells one way that a person can tell if you are a Christian or someone who wants to be that fence straddling person that John talked about in Revelation 3:16 (KJV). “So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.” In Texas where I grew up the preachers called “fence straddlers” because they were on the fence but could not or would not make up their mind on which side of the fence they wanted to be.

Ms. Golden stated: You know someone is serious about their faith when they change their ways. If someone continues to repeat the same bad actions over and over again, and actually thinks it’s COOL and brags about “Having too much fun by doing bad things,” then . . . they are not of Christ. They have not been convicted. Not saying one has to be perfect. None of us are. But, Christians STRIVE to be more like Christ. We try to improve . . . to change. We feel so bad about things we have done in the past that it makes us sick to our stomach to think about it. We certainly are not proud of our past actions nor brag about them.

You hear people say, “I am a sinner saved by grace.” To me that states: “I am the same person that I have been since I was born and I will remain this way.” However, Colossians 3:10 states: “And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:” To me this is saying that after we have accepted Jesus as our personal Saviour that we will be a new person. We will look almost the same from that moment on however; as we learn more about Jesus and let Him work in our lives, we will change. That look that we wore or the expression on our face will start looking more loving and less stern, more caring and less disinteresting and finally people will look at you and see someone who cares about them. Colossians 3:11 at the end says it all, “but Christ is all and in all.”

We need to become more Christ-like then we have ever been before. That should be our goal. In Genesis 3:19 it states, “And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day.” Continue reading and you will get to Genesis 5:24 were it states, “And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.” If we want to experience one of the greatest things recorded throughout history, walking with God, then we are going to have to have a determination that does not fail us. We must put God first, no matter what others think. Then we have to live the life that God wants us to live. The way we act, walk, talk, dress and what we read, watch, eat, drink and where we go will change from what we were to what Jesus wants us to be.

If all this happens then we will be a “new man” and one day we will be able to walk with God in Heaven.

C. I. Wilson

7/4/17

On this day of celebration be sure to take the time to pray for our Leaders all the way up to the President, our Soldiers who protect us and our way of life, our first responders from the police and fire fighters to the people who provide medical attention, and your fellow Christians.

 

Today, I was going through some old files on my computer and found something that I wrote many years ago and felt impressed to post it. May it help you and feel free to print it off and pass it on to anyone you feel would benefit from it.

 

Dear Child of God,

      I heard this afternoon that your feelings were hurt the other day. I regret that happened and I apologize for the fact that I was the one who did it. I think of you as someone who can go places and do great things. And I thought I was helping you get there. Since this has happened, in the future I will try to hold my peace and not hurt your feelings again.

      However, I do want you to know that if anytime in the future God impresses me to tell you something, even if it might hurt your feelings, I will have to follow God's leading. I hope and pray that you will do the same for me. We must, as I have mentioned in the past, always do God's will. He comes first and foremost in our journey to Heaven.

            John 15:1-2 (KJV)
¹ I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
² Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

      In class tonight they brought out about pruning, how Jesus mentioned it in John 15:1-2, and how He wants to prune us. Sometimes it is hard to tell the difference between pruning and discipline because sometimes they start out feeling the same, painful, but the results are different. Discipline is where God corrects us for doing something wrong and wants us to repent. While pruning happens when God wants us to be of more use to Him so, he snips the things that hinder our growth away. If we follow God and do His bidding in where we go, how we act, what we wear and what we say, then we are doing our best for Him.

      Again, I apologize for hurting your feelings and pray that you continue doing God's will by getting rooted and grounded not only in your prayer life, walk with God but also in the church that God wants you to be. Find that church and do not let anyone or any emotion tell you that you are in the wrong place.

Love and Prayer,                                    

                                                                                                     A Concerned fellow Christian   

6/24/17

 

   The 2017 IFGEA Camp Meeting is now a thing in the past. For those who attended, with their minds on God, it will be a memory that will stir their heart each time they think of it. Then for the ones who were unable to come, You were missed.

   When it was opened with prayer at 6 PM on June the 19th, you could tell that everyone who had been working on cleaning and preparing the campgrounds had been praying for God to reach down and bless all who attended. Celebration of Praise was blessed on Sunday by all the early attendees being in their midst and from what I understand God started the Camp Meeting spirit in their services.

   Bro. Gibbs opened Monday night's service, everyone just opened up and let the Holy Ghost move and have his way in the service from the song service all the way through to the closing prayer. After a week filled with prayer meetings, singing, preaching, prayers being met and fellowship Bro. Wingrove closed the Camp Meeting in prayer.

   New friendships were started; in fact, to me it was more like meeting some long lost relatives that you had never met before. Old friendships were rekindled as if it was only yesterday that you had last seen them. So after a week of seeing people and catching up on all the things that God had been doing in their lives, people started going back home to spread the word of how good God is and how God, Jesus and the Holy Ghost are still alive and doing mighty things today. Then the Triune Godhead reassured us that the Day of Miracles is still with us.

   Now is the time to start preparing for our next meeting. If we will make up our minds that nothing will keep us from the center of God's Will and pray, witness and be the person that God desires us to be; next Camp Meeting will be better than the one we just had. Who knows it might even the one where we meet God, Jesus and the Holy Ghost face to face in Heaven.

   Keep your leaders in your prayers, all the way from your local church up through all the layers till you reach the President of the United States of America. Then pray for the people who are spreading God's gospel around the world, even in the countries where they face more prosecution then we have so that they will have the strength and wisdom to carry on God's work.